Five Nights at Equestria Girls

Chapters

Five Animatronics + Magic = Mystery
Puzzle Pieces and Feelings
Plan A for Animatronic Failure
What Does the Fox Say: Part 1
What Does the Fox Say: Part 2
The Easter Bunny has been very Evil
Shadows Over Sunlight
Twilight or Midnight
The Truthfully True Trial of Truth
New Discoveries, Old Histories
Once Bullied, Twice Scared
Sweet Secrets add up to Bitter Lies
A Crack in the Dam
Shattered Lies: The Golden Edition
Devils Emerge from Memories Once Neglected
Appearances may Deceive, but the Heart Doesn't
A Celebration and a Revelation
You're Going to get Springtrapped
You're Going to get Springtrapped
The Setting of the Sun: Part 1
The Setting of the Sun: Part 2
The Painful Truth About Lies
Hearts Understand Regrets Too
Phantom Mistakes
A Mare to Mare Talk
A Punch to the Mirror of Friendship
The Puppet and the Puppeteer
Lies and Cute Puppy Dog Eyes
Love Can Sometimes Bring Someone Back
The Calm Before the Storm: Part 1
The Calm Before the Storm: Part 2
Ready, Set, Fight!
Time to Move On
Last Light of Sunlight: Is this Farewell?
Epilogue: New Beginnings and Troubled Horizons

Five Animatronics + Magic = Mystery

"Ahhhhh!!"

The sound of someone in distress broke through the once silent night. Twilight Sparkle turned her head to see that Sunset Shimmer was in the process of being dragged out of the gym by one of her legs. Still watching, she saw the redhead reaching for the bleacher seat only to have her body jerked back, keeping her fingers from being able to grip it. The robotic bear was dragging her friend out of the gym, heading towards the entrance on the other end.

"Sunset!" yelled Twilight Sparkle, feeling as though the air was being ripped out of her lungs at the horrifying scene of her best friend trying to hold onto something -anything- that would free her from the bear's grasp.

Looking around, Twilight desperately tried to find something to free Sunset from the bear. As she saw a cart of basketballs sitting near the closet, she got an idea. Using her powers, she levitated the cart and aimed it at the bear. Gathering all her strength, Twilight flung the cart as hard as she could. As the cart flew across the gym, the balls flew off it, hitting both Sunset and the bear.

In an attempt to protect itself, the robotic bear dropped Sunset Shimmer and held its hands above its head as a slew of basketballs hit it. A few seconds later, it lowered its arms only to see the cart heading straight for it. It started to back away, to avoid being hit by the cart. But it couldn't avoid it and got slammed into the floor as the cart hit it in the back of the head.

"Ohhh…" groaned the robotic bear as it blinked and tried to stand back up.

Now freed from the bear's grasp, Sunset got up. She turned around to see the bear getting up slowly, apparently still dazed from being hit. Seeing that, she sighed and slumped her shoulders forward.

"Oh, come on! Why don't you die already?!" shouted Sunset Shimmer as the bear turned to look at her with its red, glowing eyes.

"Get out of there, Sunset!" yelled Twilight Sparkle. "Don't ask it questions!"

Just as Sunset ran towards the other girls, she saw the creepy robot chicken reaching out towards Twilight. But before she could say anything, there was a rainbow-colored blur that flashed in front of Twilight, pulling her away from the chicken. Sighing with relief, Sunset saw that Rainbow Dash, having pulled Twilight away from the chicken, stopped by the benches on the other side of the gym.

"Th-thanks Rainbow," said Twilight, trying to catch her breath after the sudden burst of speed.

"Don't mention it. Never thought I would see the day KFC would strike back…"

"Ahh!" Both girls screamed in unison and jumped to opposite sides as a big purple rabbit was thrown in their direction, breaking the bench behind them into pieces.

Turning in the direction of where the rabbit came, they saw their friend, Applejack, scratching the back of her head with her one hand.

"Hehe, sorry 'bout that," Applejack said, looking down at the ground.

Just then, the rabbit got up, shaking off pieces of the broken bench. Its eyes glowed red, similar to the robotic bear's. As it stood to its full height, all three girls slowly began to back away.

"Crap…" hissed Rainbow Dash as the robotic rabbit stepped closer to them.

Meanwhile, in another part of the gym, Rarity was holding off a huge, red, robotic fox with her diamond shield. As the shield in front of her started to crack slightly, she stepped back. But in the process of doing that, she bumped into Fluttershy.

"Ahh!" screamed both girls as their backs touched.

"Fluttershy? Is that you?" asked Rarity, unable to look behind her as she was afraid that her shield would give way if she did.

"Yes!" squeaked Fluttershy as loud as she could.

In the animal lover's hands was a metal baseball bat that she had grabbed from the closet. She was swinging it at the bear's head. Unfortunately, the bear didn't seem to mind – or care for that matter – that the bat was hitting it. After a few hits, the bear grabbed the bat and bent in half, like the bat was wood instead of metal. Fluttershy gulped as the bear slammed the bat down.

"We could use some help over here!" shouted Rarity as her shield made a loud crack.

Sunset Shimmer, who was closest, picked up a basketball and threw it at the bear. It hit the bear on the back before bouncing back at her, making her duck and avoid being its next target.

"Hey, metal teddy bear! Come get me!" shouted Sunset.

That made the bear turn around; its red eyes were almost glaring at her. It let out a roar as it turned from Fluttershy to the redhead. It charged head on towards her, clearly angry.

"Guess you didn't like it when I called you a-woah!!" said Sunset Shimmer as she was thrown aside, her body slamming into the brick wall.

"Ow, that hurts…" mumbled Sunset, standing back up.

As she looked up, she saw a robotic fist heading straight towards her head. This time, she ducked, and the fist hit the wall where she had just been standing. When she saw that the bear's fist was stuck deep in the wall, she couldn't help snickering.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight all ran over to where their friends were. They had seen Sunset distract the bear, allowing them to handle the fox. Twilight, using her powers again, levitated the fox. Next, the cowgirl landed a hard blow to the hard plastic exterior, sending it flying as Twilight let go of the fox. They watched as the fox hit the wall behind it, knocking it out.

But before anyone could say anything, the bear pulled its fist free from the wall. Now, very angry, it charged at all the girls. As it ran towards them, it didn't see the few stray basketballs still rolling around from being tossed. As it's one foot stepped on one of the balls, it fell onto its back, cracking the wooden floor upon impact.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the bent bat and walked over to the bear. As she stood by its head, she smiled.

"No one messes with me or my friends, you gigantic metal freak!" screamed Sunset as she slammed the bat against its head, knocking it out.

Walking back towards her friends, she tossed the bat aside. She could see her friends' shocked expressions.

"What? No one messes with you girls and gets away with it," said Sunset, smiling proudly.

All the girls were breathing heavily; the long fight was finally taking its toll on their energy.

Looking at her friends, Sunset Shimmer noticed a lack of curly pink hair amongst the group. After a moment, she finally realized that Pinkie Pie was missing. "Wait! Where the hell is Pinkie Pie?!"

Panic was now plastered on the girls' faces as they realized that the animatronics could've taken Pinkie Pie.

"I'm right here!" chirped a very familiar voice.

They all turned to see their friend running through the main door, a big sack of sugar in her arms.

"What are you...where the hell were you?!" asked Applejack. “And why in tarnation did you run off like that?”

"Because I need more ammunition, silly!" Pinkie Pie said very matter-of-factly.

"Why would you need more ammunition?" asked Twilight

"Because of that!" shouted Pinkie Pie, pointing to the KFC wannabe and the purple rabbit, both of which were now running at them.

All the girls scattered as the chicken and rabbit got closer. The only one who didn't move was Pinkie Pie. Instead, she shook the bag and then handed it to both of them.

"Mind holding that for me? Thanks," said Pinkie Pie walking back to her friends.

As she walked away, the two robots looked at the bag then at each other, confused. Unsure of what to do, they just stood there holding the glowing bag. Two seconds later, there was a massive explosion in their hands, which sent them flying into the wall and knocked them out. As the shreds of the sugar bag and remaining sugar fell, Pinkie Pie just smiled.

"Okay, Pinkie...that was...awesome!" said Rainbow Dash, high-fiving Pinkie Pie.

With her hands now on her waist, Pinkie Pie said, "Now what?"

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and put her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths.

"Are you okay, Twi?" asked Sunset with a hand on Twilight's shoulder, a worried tone in her voice.

"Yeah, just a little tired," Twilight Sparkle answered breathlessly, glancing at Sunset quickly. She didn't want her to see how drained she was.

"We should all get some rest," said Sunset Shimmer, loud enough for the rest of the girls to hear her. She kept her eyes on Twilight, pretty sure that she wasn't telling the truth.

"What about the psycho-bots? You know they'll get up again and soon…" said Rainbow Dash, eyeing the robotic bear.

Looking around at the gym, which now looked more like a war zone, Sunset Shimmer sighed and said, "We'll lock them inside. Barricade the doors the best we can. We have to keep them from hurting anyone for as long as possible."

Sunset turned around to face the girls. "We need to rest. We can figure out how to fix this in the morning. I'd doubt the school has chains here. But maybe the climbing ropes can substitute. That could help…"

“On it!" said Rarity, making her way to the equipment room with Applejack. Just as she grabbed the ropes, one of her nails became chipped. "Stupid ropes always ruining my nails."

"I don't mind the ropes," said Applejack. "I kinda like them."

"Oh, of course, you do!" replied Rarity without turning away.

The cowgirl gave Rarity a smirk before grabbing the ropes.

"With your strength, I bet you love them," Rarity said in an overly dramatic tone, her arms flailing in the air.

Smiling, Applejack shook her head and said, "I'm gonna find somethin' heavy to put behind these doors." Once she finished speaking, she went on her way, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy joining her.

"What are we going to do, Sunset?" asked Twilight Sparkle standing upright, no longer gasping for air but still looking very tired.

"I...don't know," Sunset Shimmer replied, turning around and walking towards her friend. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a soft tone, stopping in front of Twilight, looking into her violet eyes.

"I'm fine, really," said Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow at her, crossing her arms, "Are you...really?"

Twilight Sparkle tried to give her the most innocent face she could muster at the moment.

"Come on, Twi! You don't have to hide from me."

Twilight Sparkle lowered her head.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her hand softly. "It's me. I know you hate showing your pain, but nobody thinks you're going to turn into Midnight Sparkle." Now grabbing both hands, she continued. "How you fought? The raw power you showed when you lifted that fox? Damn, remind me never to piss you off!"

That earned a chuckle from Twilight and a sideways look where Sunset Shimmer could see the sparkle was back in her friend's eyes.

"Thanks, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle wrapped her arms around Sunset's waist loosely, resting her chin on the redhead's shoulder. "I'm exhausted," she said, exhaling, her body almost going limp in Sunset's arms.

Sunset's shock only lasted a second, before she wrapped her arms around Twilight's back. "It's okay," she whispered in her ear. "We're going home now." she continued, now with one hand rubbing Twilight's back and the other caressing her hair.

*A Few Days Earlier*

Walking home that night, Sunset Shimmer was carrying a game that she had just bought. Not just any game, a game that she had been anticipating playing. It was a survival horror game called Five Nights at Freddy's. She had received the second and third games from her friends for her birthday last year. Being an avid video gamer, she was excited to get them. But she also held out on playing them until she could get a hold of the first game. Now that she had finally gotten it, she was ecstatic to play it.

Her apartment wasn't very far from the game store nearby. Maybe a half hour's walk if she was strolling. Turning down her street, she spotted her apartment just ahead. Approaching her front door, she fumbled for the keys in her jacket pocket. After a few seconds of digging around, she finally found them. With her hands shaking from her excitement, she unlocked her door and walked in. She was growing more excited to play her game as she closed the front door behind her. The familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo and laundry detergent hit her as she made her way further into her apartment. Above her desk was her makeshift bedroom, which had a set of stairs leading up to it. Conveniently, it sat near the front door. Setting her keys on her desk, she made her way to the living room. It consisted of a small-ish couch sitting on a rug, a large screen TV, a game console with a few games sitting on top, and two speakers on either side of her couch. Perfect for streaming her gameplays.

As she set the new game on the living room table, she heard her phone ring. Pulling it from her pocket, she turned it on. To her surprise, it was Twilight who was calling her at this hour. Without hesitating, she picked it up.

"Hey, Twi! What's up?" asked Sunset Shimmer, putting the phone against her ear.

A few seconds passed, and there was no answer on the other end.

"Twilight, is something wrong?" Sunset's worry showed in her voice as she spoke.

A quiet voice spoke. "It's nothing. I was hoping that maybe …we could …talk." Twilight Sparkle was hesitant to ask the question.

Sunset Shimmer could hear the all too familiar pain in Twilight's voice. She had come to know that pain over the last few months, almost a year now. She and Twilight had numerous talks about the events that transpired at the Friendship Games. She could see that with the emotional scars, her friend had also sustained some physical scarring as well. She had done what she could to comfort Twilight and help her cope with the pain.

"Sure, Twi. I can talk now. Do you want to come over?" offered Sunset, making her way to the kitchen as she spoke.

"Y-yes, I would," replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice shaking for a moment.

Sunset Shimmer smiled to herself. Being around Twilight always seemed to bring her joy. It was one of the many things she liked about her.

Though, whenever Twilight was feeling hurt or even depressed, she found it took some of that joy. It was hard to see her hurt, especially when she cared for her. But, that also made it very hard to keep her feelings in check whenever that was happening. All she wanted to do was hold her tight, letting her feel safe in her embrace. And not let go until her friend understood what a beautiful soul she was and that both she and the world were lucky to have her in it. Yet, she restrained herself, not wanting to overwhelm Twilight with her feelings, especially while her friend was still reeling from the after-effects of what happened with Midnight Sparkle. Plus, she didn't want to add more to her shoulders, not when she already had so much. Deep down, she also was scared to say anything in case Twilight rejected her feelings. That was not something she could face.

"Okay, see in you five?" asked Sunset Shimmer, pressing the phone against her shoulder as she shrugged off her leather jacket.

"Yeah, see you in five," said Twilight Sparkle before she clicked off the call.

When the call had ended, Sunset Shimmer placed her phone down on the kitchen counter, her eyes drifting to the game still sitting on her living room table. It was hard for her to push past the voice screaming at her to play the game. But she reminded herself that Twilight came first.

"Video games come second to friends, Sunset," thought Sunset to herself as she looked away from the game.

Leaving the kitchen, she walked back into the living room. It wasn't much of a mess. Sunset did pride herself on keeping it tidy. But there were a few stray candy wrappers and plates from her last game stream. Grabbing those, she walked back into the kitchen. She tossed the candy wrappers into the trash can by the fridge. Just as she set the plates into the sink, she heard a series of knocks on her front door. She walked away from the kitchen sink, setting her jacket down on top of the couch on her way there. Opening the door, she saw Twilight standing on her doorstep.

Unable to help the smile that appeared, Sunset Shimmer said, "Come on in, Twilight." She gestured to her apartment as she stepped back.

Twilight Sparkle walked in as Sunset Shimmer closed the door behind her. Walking into the living room, she saw the Five Nights at Freddy's game sitting on the table. On the cover was a creepy robotic bear. It gave her goosebumps, prompting her to run her hands over her arms. Anything horror related freaked Twilight out. Most likely because of what occurred at the Friendship Games.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked past Twilight, sitting down on her couch.

Twilight Sparkle instinctively reached a hand up to her shoulder. Her fingertips grazed the top of her scars, the one caused by her transformation into Midnight Sparkle. The scars themselves were deep and thick enough that even through a thick shirt, one still felt them. The touch made her almost pull her hand away. Yet, she found herself unable to do that.

Sunset Shimmer saw where Twilight's hand was resting. She knew it was just above the scars caused by Midnight Sparkle. It had been a few months since she had found out that Twilight had them. It had been a shock to see how long they were, running the length of her shoulder blades. It was similar to her scars. Getting off her couch, she made her way to Twilight, resting a hand over hers.

"It's okay, Twilight. That won't happen again, I promise." Sunset pulled Twilight's hand off her shoulder, lifting her chin with her other hand, meeting her eyes. "I will make sure it won't happen again."

That made Twilight Sparkle smile, even though she didn't want to. That was one thing she admired about Sunset. Even on her worst day, the redhead had a way of cheering her up. It was almost like magic.

"Thanks…" said Twilight Sparkle as she adjusted her glasses, trying not to let her nervousness get to her.

Sunset Shimmer, sensing the growing tension, made her way to the kitchen. Grabbing two glasses, she filled them with water. She carried the two glasses back to the living room. When she sat down, she saw Twilight pick up the Five Nights at Freddy's game.

"I just bought that tonight." Sunset joined Twilight Sparkle on the couch as she set the glasses down on the table. "I was thinking about playing it when you called."

A pang of guilt washed over Twilight. When she called her friend, it hadn't occurred to her that she might've been busy. Over the last few months, Sunset Shimmer had always been there, day or night. She had become so used to that, that she sometimes forgot to ask if she had any other plans at the moment. Setting the game back down, she looked down at her hands.

The move didn't go unnoticed by Sunset Shimmer. She furrowed her brows as she looked at Twilight, worried. Had she said something wrong? Or was something else bothering her friend? Of that, she wasn't sure. But she was going to try and figure it out.

Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry… I didn't even consider to think that you might've been busy."

Sunset got off the couch, kneeling in front of Twilight. She rested her hand lightly on Twilight's knee. "Twilight, look at me…"

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes reluctantly. As she opened them, she saw Sunset's beautiful cyan ones gazing back at her.

"You're more important to me than any game. And if you ever, and I mean ever, need anything, please call me." Sunset moved closer to Twilight. "And the same goes for all the other girls as well."

Pushing past her guilt, Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. As Sunset returned to her spot on the couch, she grabbed the game. She flipped it over and read the back. As she read the back cover, it had surprised her to see the game had an interesting backstory to it.

Seeing that Twilight was eyeing the game, Sunset Shimmer asked, "Want to see me play it?"

A few moments passed before Twilight Sparkle finally spoke.

"Sure, but we keep the lights on, okay?" said Twilight Sparkle as she handed the game over to Sunset Shimmer.

"Okay, you've got a deal," said Sunset, giving Twilight Sparkle a comforting smile.

An hour had passed, and Sunset Shimmer was still playing Five Nights at Freddy's. She had managed to breeze through the first three nights with relative ease. But it was now on the fourth night, and she kept losing to Freddy Fazbear. Hard as she tried, she failed to keep an eye on him. Foxy was also becoming much more problematic, as well as Chica and Bonnie. Despite her efforts, she wasn't quite fast enough to keep both Foxy and Freddy from attacking her. Looking at the in-game clock, she saw that it was 5 am.

"Just one more hour, and you can finally beat this bitch of a level," whispered Sunset Shimmer to herself.

Twilight Sparkle had dozed off about a half-hour ago. She had watched Sunset declare another victory on night 3 of the game, but by that time, her eyelids had gotten very droopy. At some point, she just fell asleep, unbeknownst to the redhead sitting next to her. It wasn't all that uncommon for her to spend a night or two at Sunset's place. She would often come over, exhausted by her emotional turmoil. But after talking with the redhead for a bit, it was like a weight had disappeared from her chest. That often made it much easier for her to doze off.

Sunset Shimmer, who had been busy checking on Pirate's Cove, had forgotten to see where Freddy was. As she lowered the camera monitor, she saw him standing on the west side hallway as she turned on her light.

"Oh damn, I forgot about you...again!" shouted Sunset, her frustration at the repeated losses growing.

As Freddy's jingle began to play, Sunset Shimmer forcibly slammed her controller on the table. The loud bang had startled Twilight Sparkle out of her sleep. She lifted her head, looking at the redhead.

"Wha-Sunset? Is everything okay?" asked Twilight Sparkle, still groggy from being woken suddenly.

Sunset Shimmer glanced at Twilight Sparkle, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. She hadn't realized that her friend had fallen asleep next to her. Looking down, she tried to hide her shame. It was bad enough that she almost broke her controller, slamming it down the way she did. But to startle Twilight from her sleep was even worse. Nervously rubbing her neck, she spoke.

"Sorry, Twi. I didn't realize that you were sleeping." apologized Sunset, looking sheepishly at her friend.

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a small smile, sitting up. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her phone. She turned it on, checking the time. The clock read 9:30 pm, an hour past what she thought it was. Sighing, she turned her phone back off and looked at Sunset Shimmer.

"Sunset, I have to go. It's already an hour past the time I said I would return home. My mom is going to freak out if I am any later." said Twilight, resting her arms against her knees.

Sunset's smile faded, her happiness dimmed by the news of Twilight's departure. She was enjoying having her friend's company. But she knew that her mother was strict about being on time. She had been on the wrong end of that one too many times. Sighing, she paused her game.

"Okay, want me to walk you home, Twi?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, surprised by the sudden offer; this was the first time she had ever heard her offer to walk her home. It also seemed to catch the redhead by surprise as well. Seeing that they were both surprised by the question, she smiled.

"Sure, Sunset," replied Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to let on that she was happy Sunset had offered to walk her home.

Both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle got off the couch. Sunset grabbed her jacket from the back of it. It was the same one she had worn at the Fall Formal. Though, she had another one, the one she had worn during the Friendship Games. But this one was valuable to her, despite the memories now associated with it. There was still evidence of what happened that night on it as well. A tear on the shoulder that she stitched up remained. The stitching wasn't excellent, but it was all she could manage to do at the time. She wasn't on Rarity's skill of sewing, though the stitching held nonetheless. Slipping her arms into the sleeves, she made her way to the front door, grabbing her keys in the process.

Turning back to Twilight Sparkle, she said, "You ready to leave?"

Making sure she had her phone, Twilight Sparkle patted her jeans. In the back pocket still was her phone. Sighing, she nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Together, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle walked out the front door. As Twilight made her way down the steps, Sunset made sure to lock her door, just as a precaution. While they walked up the street, heading towards Twilight's house, she walked close to her friend. Her hand was barely shaking as she reached out to grab her friend's. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. Gently, she grasped Twilight's hand, feeling her squeeze back in response. That surprised her, but she was happy about it. For the rest of the walk, they continued holding hands.

Meanwhile, back at Sunset's apartment, loose equestrian magic was making its way over there. Floating through her front door, it landed on the game console; the game unpaused as a result of that. That triggered the magic to travel through the game code, spreading to the sequels of Five Nights at Freddy's as well. Once it made it through each game, it found the main power line leading to Sunset's apartment. Still moving, it started to travel through the power line.

As it moved through the line, it took the main character of Five Nights at Freddy's, the Marionette from the second, and Springtrap from the third one. It continued to follow the line, flowing with the electricity. As it reached a broken section of the power line near the town square, it stopped. Hitting the exposed wires, it caused sparks to fly everywhere. As the hordes of sparks flew everywhere, hitting the ground, the characters of Five Nights at Freddy's began to materialize.

Appearing slowly at first, were the feet of Freddy, Foxy, Chica, Bonnie, and Golden Freddy as well. As their legs and joints appeared, they started to move. Freddy was the first to finish materializing entirely. As his circuits turned back on, he felt different, like it wasn't electricity that was powering him anymore. It felt like a much stronger force. Willing his foot to move, he felt the new power source flow through him. His foot moved, just as he wanted. The movement was more fluid as if the different power source was allowing his massive robotic body to move more naturally.

He looked behind him at his companions. He saw that both Chica and Bonnie had started to move. As Chica was still new to moving more fluidly, she bumped into Foxy, who had just finished appearing completely. The unstable fox fell, unable to keep his balance. A low growl escaped from him as his body slammed against the pavement with a loud thud.

"Sorry…" said Chica, now standing still.

Foxy groaned and tried to stand up again. He managed to get his one leg underneath him. Using his hook and his one hand, he attempted to push himself up. Unfortunately, his hook slipped on the asphalt, sliding out from underneath him, sending his crashing to the ground again. To his annoyance, Bonnie found his failure amusing.

"Will you shut up, you moronic bunny?" said Foxy, rolling his eyes as he tried to stand up again.

"Hey, you're the one who fell. I am just the one who happened to find it amusing." retorted Bonnie in between laughing.

Once Foxy was back on his feet, he walked over to Bonnie. "Why I oughta-"

"Will you two idiots stop that?! shouted Freddy, interrupting Foxy. "We have been placed somewhere, somewhere that isn’t the pizzeria. And I intend to figure out where we are."

Foxy and Bonnie glanced at Freddy, shocked by his sudden outburst of anger. Reluctantly, Foxy lowered his hook as Chica stood next to him. Bonnie, taking his chance, stepped back from the angry pirate fox. He sighed, genuinely worried for a moment that his friend would have hooked him. He returned his attention to Freddy as he joined the group.

As Freddy and his friends talked, the magic that had transported them there, moved further down the line. It had managed to get through the broken and exposed wires somehow. Further down the same line was another much larger patch of exposed wires. Again, as it hit that, sparks flew to the ground, landing in the forested area nearby. Just like Freddy appeared, so did Springtrap and the Marionette.

Once Springtrap had fully materialized, he looked around. The difference in scenery confused him. There weren't supposed to be trees, grass, dirt, or even annoying little birds that won't shut up. It was supposed to be a grimy, old, dilapidated, scorched building. Yet, this wasn't the burnt Fazbear's Pizzeria. This place was the outside world, and it was nighttime as well. He wasn't able to leave the building. Though, he made numerous attempts at the beginning. Walking around, he pushed aside a bush, revealing a brightly painted neon sign. The sign said 'Welcome to Canterlot City.'

"Canterlot...City?" The words sounded weird as he said them. "Where the fuck am I?"

Suddenly, the bushes next to him rustled. He looked at them, wondering what was causing them to move. Slowly, he crept up to the rustling bush, not wanting to startle whatever may be behind them. Pushing the bush brambles down, he saw an unfamiliar animatronic lying on the ground. Its body was black, with white stripes and both its arms and legs. Its face was white, looking somewhat like a mask, with two red circles on what would be considered its cheeks. It didn't have eyes, not like Freddy or Springtrap himself did. Below each of its eye sockets was a single streak of purple paint running down its face.

"What is this thing? A puppet? Why the hell is it here?" thought Springtrap. "What the fuck I am doing here with it?"

Looking at the animatronic, he debated on whether he should leave it or take it with him. Deciding it may be of some use later, he grabbed one of its legs, dragging it away from the bush. Still pulling the Marionette behind him, Springtrap ventured deeper into the wooded area surrounding him. After a few turns and circling back to his original spot, he eventually came upon an old abandoned building. It seemed to be one of the electrical buildings used to monitor the power supply to the city. Approaching the building, he dropped the Marionette's leg, leaving it on the ground. He saw the steel door blocking his one entrance into the building was barely hanging on by its hinges. Lifting his one foot, he gave the door a good kick. It fell to the ground with a loud clang, bending almost in half from the impact. A few local birds and squirrels scattered off, startled by the loud noise interrupting their slumber.

Twitching on the ground, the Marionette started to spark to life. Just as its circuits were firing up, it felt a robotic hand grasp one of its legs. Being dragged along, unable to fight back, it watched as the building came closer and closer. The next second it felt itself flying, having been thrown into the air before hitting the cement floor and sliding across it, slamming its body against the concrete walls. The impact against the wall caused a few small cracks to appear on its plastic body. Dazed, it watched Springtrap step onto the door, making it creak and bend underneath him.

Walking over to one of the broken windows, Springtrap stared out at the forest surrounding the building. The forest did well to hide the building from any roads or passers-by, assuming no one ventured into the woods.

"I will find those good for nothing kids. If they think transporting me will help them, they are sadly mistaken. It will only help me to find them…"

Author's Note

Hey! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry for the long wait on this. This story was inspired by a song, and I hope you'll enjoy it. Please, let me know you think. I love hearing what you think. And helpful criticism is welcomed.

Puzzle Pieces and Feelings

Freddy, having split from his friends looking for whatever could help him figure out where he was, now found himself in front of a shop. On the front entrance, above the doorway, was a sign. It read 'Sugarcube Corner.' He got closer, wanting to see inside. Crouching beneath a window, he leaned in for a closer look. Inside, a pink-haired girl was standing by the counter, her back to the window. In her arm was a mixing bowl full of some batter. Still mixing the dough, she turned around. Freddy, not wanting to be seen, darted away from the window.

On a hunch, Pinkie Pie looked out the window. For a moment, she spotted a faint shadow that looked like a bear outside the shop. But just as she saw it, it was gone. Her Pinkie sense was tingling, so she knew that it was something. Knowing that ignoring would most likely be a bad idea, she set the mixing down on the counter. She dusted the flour off her hands and walked out the front door.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" asked Pinkie Pie in a sing-songy fashion.

She looked around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. But there was nothing. Not even an odd dog was walking out of the old building nearby. She was about to walk back inside when she turned to look at the alleyway near the shop. Looking down the alley, she saw what appeared to be eyes staring back at her. They were white, glowing in the darkness that surrounded them. She blinked, and the eyes disappeared as if they had never been there. Shaking her head, she continued walking back inside the store.

"Hmm, must've been nothing," mumbled Pinkie Pie as she picked up the mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town, Bonnie was making his way towards Carousel Boutique. As he turned the corner, he blinded himself, walking towards the fluorescent glow coming from the store. Holding his hand, Bonnie managed to regain some of his eyesight back. With his hand blocking some of the light, he walked closer to the building, staying in what little shadows remained.

Rarity was busy working on her next outfit creation. She had been under increasing pressure from her boss, Ms. Hemline, to make a new outfit. A few years ago, she signed up for an apprenticeship under Ms. Hemline, thinking it would help her to better herself in the fashion industry. Yet, it had been much harder than she anticipated. Struggling to think of anything new, she set her pencil down and took a sip of her tea. Looking out the window, she decided to take a breather. She walked out the front door, sitting on the bench outside.

Bonnie, meanwhile, hid behind the corner of a building as he watched a girl exit the shop. Her hair was a mix of dark purple and blue. Though, in the darkness, it was hard to tell. Wondering who she was, he decided to approach her. With his movements being more natural, he managed to be quiet with his steps. But he accidentally bumped into a nearby trash can.

Rarity heard the sound of the trash can falling, prompting her to look up. Her eyes widened as she spotted a big bluish-purple rabbit in front of her. It was at least 7 feet tall and very clunky. She blinked a few times, unsure of whether or not she saw things. Sure enough, the rabbit was still there. This time, it seemed to have gotten closer to her. That was enough to frighten her, and she ran for the door.

Bonnie stopped moving when he saw Rarity get up and move. Puzzled, he looked at her through the glass windows. His curiosity grew, making him step closer to the shop. This human girl didn't seem like the kids he was used to seeing running around the restaurant. He remained cautious as he decided to act upon his curiosity. He approached the big windows, leaning against the glass.

Acting upon the feeling of someone watching her, Rarity turned around. To her shock, she saw that the animatronic rabbit was now staring at her through the windows of the shop. Her breathing quicken, becoming fast and heavy. She rested a hand over her racing heart, trying to calm herself down. She hoped that whatever that thing was, it would disappear. And soon too, she did have a job to finish as it was. Having a creepy rabbit robot watching her was not on her to-do list. Yet, the thing remained, staring at her with unblinking eyes. His plastic eyes made him seem every creepier than usual. Her panic rose, causing her to hyperventilate. As her breathing quickened, she became dizzy, and black spots appeared in her vision. Gripping the table behind her, she struggled to keep her balance. A few seconds later, her hand fell from the table, her body collapsing to the ground.

The next morning, Rarity woke up. She opened her eyes, only to find the bright morning sun shining at her. Blinking a few times, she looked over at the table, where her boss was standing. Though she was still groggy, she could make out the glare her boss was giving her.

"Miss Rarity, I am shocked and disappointed to see that you are sleeping on the job." Her boss said as she crossed her arms.

Rarity jumped up, dusting off her skirt, and cleared her throat. "I am so sorry, Ms. Hemline."

Ms. Hemline walked over to the front door, glancing back at Rarity. "Well, apology aside, I still need that new outfit design by sunset today."

Rarity gulped. The pressure to make the outfit now became doubled. All thanks to the stupid rabbit thing from last night. She heard the door close as her boss left the shop. Looking over her designs from the night before, she kept thinking about what happened the night before. Did she see a giant purple rabbit? Or was it a hallucination caused by too much herbal tea and sheer exhaustion? She wasn't sure, but the rabbit wasn't there anymore.

"It must've disappeared during the night. But, that could be a hallucination. It had to be. I wouldn't be seeing giant purple rabbits anywhere. That would be ridiculous." thought Rarity, picking up one of her design plans. "I mean, one of my best friends is a magical pony princess from another world. But seeing a purple rabbit? That is insane."

Shaking the thought from her mind, she went back to focusing on her outfit design. She had to finish it before sunset, which wasn't going to be an easy task.

*** *** *** ***

Across town, Fluttershy had just arrived at the animal shelter. It was getting close to the time to feed all the animals. Parking in her usual spot, she turned off her van. Getting out of her van, she saw broken glass on the ground. That made her look at the entrance, wanting to know where the source of the glass was. She was in shock as she saw the broken door and windows.

"Oh, dear! Someone has broken into the shelter. I hope the animals are okay." said Fluttershy as she approached the shelter.

Swinging the door open, she bolted to the back area where the animals' kennels were. To her relief, nothing was out of place, and a quick check of the animals showed that they were unharmed. Looking at the clock, she saw it was time to let the puppies out for their bathroom break. Opening the kennel doors, she led them into an area called the 'The Puppy Palace.' It had earned its name from the girls when they saw all the puppies playing in the playpen. The name stuck as it was popular amongst the visitors to the shelter.

With the puppies safely in the playpen, she walked over to the storage room. Opening the door, she slipped the light switch on. A loud, glass breaking scream escaped from her when she came face to face with an 8 foot tall, yellow chicken that towered above her head. She noticed that it had its eyes closed as if it were sleeping or recharging. Swallowing hard, she backed away from it, unsure if it was going to attack. Behind her, she heard the front door open. Getting the food was going to have to wait.

"What the hell? How did that get in here?" asked a voice coming from behind her.

The animal lover spun around to see a familiar face behind her. It was Sunset Shimmer, someone she had asked to help her with the shelter. And the one who agreed to help her. Nonetheless, she was happy to have the company with her. Being alone with the giant creepy chicken wasn't something she liked at all.

"I-I don't know, Sunset. But maybe it was the thing that broke in," replied Fluttershy, pointing to the broken door and window.

Sunset Shimmer knelt by the broken door, careful to avoid cutting herself on the broken glass surrounding it. Looking down, she knitted her eyebrows as her mind tried to figure out why this happened. It was odd that a robotic chicken would break into an animal shelter. That wasn't something anyone would typically see. What happened wasn't normal behavior for any animatronic, even one that bore a striking resemblance to a character from the game Five Nights at Freddy. Even those animatronics had a code to follow, despite the kids' souls being in them. So why did it select the shelter? And why wasn't it running now? She didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

"Maybe. But I don't get why it would break in here. It's just a shelter for animals." said Sunset, walking back over to Fluttershy.

"I wish I knew," replied Fluttershy.

She grabbed a nearby broom and handed it to the redhead. "Mind cleaning up the broken glass? I don't want any of the poor sweethearts getting cut by it or eating it."

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Sure, Shy.”

Fluttershy gulped. She wasn't looking forward to having to go back into the storage room. Gathering what courage she could, she walked up to it and opened the door. She walked in, avoiding any contact with the animatronic chicken, not sure if it would attack her if she did touch it. Reaching around, she grabbed a bag of food and headed right back out of the room.

After an hour had passed, Sunset's phone alarm went off. She set the broom against the wall, grabbing her phone from her jacket pocket. Turning off the alarm, she turned to Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, it's time to go to Sugarcube Corner. Remember that we had promised to help Pinkie Pie with the bake sale?" asked Sunset as she joined Fluttershy in the back area with the kennels.

Fluttershy had just finished pouring the final cup of food for the last dog, a cute chihuahua named Nugget. He was a little light brown bundle of joy. A small yip of joy greeted Sunset as she knelt next to the kennel.

"There you go, Nugget." Fluttershy was giving the little pup a scratch behind the ear. "Enjoy your food."

"Nugget?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising her eyebrows.

"Look at his coloring and tiny size," said Fluttershy as she pointed to him. "He is just such an adorable bundle of happiness and love, who looks like a little nugget."

The little dog looked up from his bowl, his wide eyes meeting their gaze. His body was shaking from his excitement to have all the attention on him. As they continued to pet the small chihuahua, they were unaware of what was happening in the storage room. The chicken's eyes blinked open, eyes glowing red. Its circuits roared to life, making the magic flow inside of it. It could hear their voices just outside the door as they passed by. Fluttershy had carried the food bag to the doorway, setting just outside it. She wasn't going to step foot in the storeroom until the giant chicken was gone. Seeing it once and up close was more than enough. Grabbing her jacket, she double-checked the Puppy Palace to make sure the door and gate were secure. Seeing that it was, she joined Sunset in walking outside to her van.

Sunset Shimmer hopped onto her motorcycle, putting her helmet on. She revved her engine as she waited for Fluttershy to get into her van. Knowing Fluttershy had her safe driving ritual, she drove off first. Just as she got down the street, she saw Fluttershy's vehicle appearing in her side-view mirror. Smiling, she continued driving to Sugarcube Corner.

*** *** *** ***

At Rainbow Dash's house, the athlete was waking up. The sun was already shining into her room, lighting it up. Turning her head, she sat up and looked at her alarm clock. The time on it was 10:37 am. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she flopped back onto her pillows. Right now, she didn't want to get up to do anything.

"Good thing today is Sunday. It's a lazy day for me," mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rested her hands on the back of her head.

Just as she got comfortable, she heard her phone vibrate on her dresser. Grabbing it, she saw that it was a text from Sunset.

SunShim: Hey, Lazy! Get your ass over here! We'll need help delivering some of Pinkie's baked goods.

Dash: Okay, okay! I will go there now.

SunShim: Good!

After reading the text, she got out of her bed. Putting her geode on, she raced around her room, using her speed to get dressed much quicker than usual. She stopped in front of her mirror, making sure all her clothes were on right before she made her way downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she ran past the toaster just as a piece of toast popped up. Grabbing it, she ran out the front door, deciding to run the block to Sugarcube Corner.

Running out the door, she spotted a metal object glinting in the morning sun. Making her way to the bushes, she kicked it. Seconds later, a red fox head popped up from the bushes. As the rainbow-haired girl met the fox's gaze, she saw an annoyed look in its yellow eyes. Watching the fox rise to its full height, she gasped. He was about twice her height, and his hook was sharp, too sharp for her taste. Today was a bad day for deciding to kick some random shiny object in the bushes — a horrible idea.

"Hehe, sorry?" said Rainbow Dash, shrugging her shoulders nervously.

Turning around slowly, she sped off, away from Foxy. Behind her, she could his metal feet hitting the asphalt. She made a quick turn down a corner, narrowingly missing his hook going into her arm. That near-miss made her pick up the pace even more. She continued to run, not wanting to stop until she reached Sugarcube Corner and was safe.

Foxy tried to chase after the rainbow-haired menace that had kicked his hook. He chased her up the street, not noticing the incline of the hill. He ran as fast as he could manage. He was the fastest of all his friends, including Chica, when she saw a pizza. Yet, the girl was much quicker than him, managing to keep a reasonable distance between them. There was one chance for him to get her when she had slowed to round a corner carefully. But in his attempt to hook her, his one foot slipped, causing him to fall to the ground. His defeat worsened when his body started to tumble back down the hill.

Amazingly, Rainbow Dash arrived at the Sugarcube Corner shop in one piece. She had become so caught in keeping herself from Foxy; she failed to notice that his footsteps had disappeared long ago. Looking behind her, she saw that he was gone. That was a relief. She didn't feel like explaining why there was a red animatronic fox following her. Approaching the front door, she walked in and immediately saw all the girls glaring at her.

"Dash, where exactly were you?" asked Applejack, her hands on her waist.

Rainbow Dash looked away, hiding her flushed cheeks and growing embarrassment. She knew that she had messed up big time. Her friends had counted on her to be there, and she ended up late. Though, it had to count for something that she showed up, right?

"I'm sorry. I overslept, and my alarm didn't go off as planned," explained Rainbow Dash as she sat in one of the booths.

The cowgirl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, sure it didn't," mumbled Applejack under her breath.

Sunset Shimmer, who was washing the various baking pans that they had used, looked over at Rarity. Her friend had been dozing off every so often as she sat in one of the booths. When she was awake, the redhead could see that she had bloodshot eyes and dark circles underneath them as well. It appeared that she hadn't slept well or at all for that matter. A look of concern crossed her face.

"You okay, Rare? You seem like you didn't sleep at all last night," asked Sunset Shimmer as she finished up with the last baking pan.

Hearing Sunset calling her name, Rarity jolted awake. She hadn't realized that she had dozed off...again. Blinking, she turned her gaze to the redhead. The semi-bright lights that lit up the room stung at her weary eyes. It was almost like she was staring at the sun.

"I-I didn't, darling. I think I saw a giant purple rabbit robot...thing," replied Rarity as her eyelids slowly drooped.

Hearing that, the redhead looked at Fluttershy. She could see they were both thinking the same thing. Two animatronics, in one day? That can't be a coincidence. The description Rarity gave them made Sunset's thoughts shift to Bonnie, from the game. With a very accurate Chica look alike running around as well, it made her wonder what was going on.

Rainbow Dash, hearing what Rarity said, rushed over to her.

"Wait, you saw a purple rabbit robot thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, realizing that maybe the fox that was chasing was a part of this robot apocalypse or whatever it was.

Rarity tried to shake off her sleepiness as she looked at her friend. "Yes, Dash, I did."

"Why do you ask, Dash?" Sunset joined her friends in the booth they were sitting in once she dried off her hands. "Did you see something as well?"

"Yeah. On my way here, a fox-like robot chased me. The thing was fast as hell. Nearly matched me in speed with my geode." replied Rainbow Dash, turning to Sunset Shimmer.

Hearing what Rainbow Dash said, something clicked in Sunset's mind. There had already been three different animatronic appearances. All of which happened within hours of each other. Something strange had happened last night. But what? She was going to need to know more if this was going to be solved. Turning to Pinkie Pie, she found her frosting a few cupcakes.

"Hey Pinkie, did you see anything strange last?" asked Sunset as she walked over to her.

"Yep. My Pinkie sense was tingling, so I followed it. When I walked outside, I saw two glowing eyes staring at me from the alley." replied Pinkie Pie, acting if that was a regular everyday occurrence. "I wonder who that was."

Just then, the bell above the door rang. All the girls turned to see Twilight Sparkle walking in. She chuckled nervously, not expecting to have all eyes on her. She made her way over to where Sunset was, sitting down on one of the stools by the counter.

"Di-did I miss something?" asked Twilight Sparkle, glancing over at Rainbow Dash.

Applejack set down her apple pies and walked over to Twilight. She swung her arm around her shoulders, giving her friend a warm smile. "You didn't, sugarcube. We were discussin' the strange events that have been happenin' recently."

"You mean like that?" asked Twilight Sparkle, pointing out the window just as a golden version of Freddy ran past.

Sunset Shimmer walked out the front door, watching the animatronic run past, disappearing behind a corner. She recognized the animatronic as Golden Freddy, from the first of the Five Nights at Freddy's games. "Okay, something is going on here."

Walking back into the shop, she was met with her friends, all looking at her. "What?" asked Sunset, not sure of what was going on.

"Um, did you just try to chase after that thing?" asked Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I just wanted to get a better look at it," replied Sunset Shimmer.

Walking towards the chairs by the counter, she grabbed her jacket. With it in hand, she walked back to the door. "Girls, I am going to head home and figure out what the hell is going on," Sunset said, turning to her friends before walking out of the shop.

The girls all exchanged worried and confused glances. To see four animatronic animals running around town was weird. Though, they had seen stranger, like having two she-demon friends, battling sirens, a magically crazed camp director, and one very enraged teenager with a magic mirror. Yet, robots running around the city was a new one. They all hoped that Sunset could find some answers for what was happening.

Climbing onto her bike, the redhead sped back to her apartment.

"First a Chica look-alike, a Golden Freddy one, and if Pinkie Pie and Rarity's accounts are correct, there are two others, one being most likely Bonnie or something like him." thought Sunset as she turned onto her street, careful not to hit the curb. "This cannot be what I think it is."

Arriving at her apartment, she ran in, almost yanking her door open. Carelessly crossing her keys on her desk, she ran into the living room. What she saw in front of her confirmed her worst fears.

"It is. Great," muttered Sunset Shimmer as she walked up to her game console.

Her console had sustained severe burns on the outside of it. The game inside it presumably became destroyed as well. Turning it over, she saw that the bottom too was also cracked, exposing the inside. Looking, she could tell that there had been a small fire, which damaged all of the wires and electrical parts of it. That told her there was no way she would be able to repair it. She would have to buy a brand new one.

"Great. More money I have to spend on getting a new one because of rouge equestrian magic. Sweet Celestia, I fucking hate magic." thought Sunset as she set the destroyed console down on the table.

"How the hell didn't I notice this last night?" muttered Sunset, looking at what little remained of her game console.

"Because you spent almost all night at Twilight's house last night. That's why lover girl." her inner voice answered the question.

Looking around, she noticed there were some scorch marks on her floor. They were barely visible. One could easily overlook them if they weren't paying attention. The scorch marks lead in the direction of the power cable, reaching the wall where the plug was. After that, the streaks became even fainter, following the main powerline in her building. She followed the scorch marks until she saw them heading towards the main power meter near the side of her apartment. As she looked out the kitchen window, she could see the cord leading from her house to the meter was burnt to a crisp, same as her console. Still following the scorch marks, she saw that they traveled up the meter, going onto the main power lines that passed by her apartment.

"What the?" whispered Sunset as she saw the burnt wire now stretching across the power line.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her keys again and rushed down the stairs, running faster than she had ever. Hopping back onto her bike, she followed the path of the burnt wire. Once, she had to swerve to avoid hitting a road worker that had just started crossing in front of her. Several times she narrowly missed being hit by cars because she paid more attention to the wires than the road. She wasn't drunk, but the drivers might have thought that when she drove right past them, not even paying any attention. Sunset finally arrived at the part where the marks stopped near a transformer that was next to a wooded area. Getting off her bike, she saw that the transformer's door was gone, exposing the charred wires that sent small sparks falling to the ground.

"Woah, that is damaged," said Sunset Shimmer as she examined the broken transformer.

Walking behind it, she saw that the marks stopped. There were no more except for what was on the transformer itself. That only frustrated her more. What caused this to happen? How did the animatronic animals get loose in Canterlot City? Why wasn't the trail of burnt wires giving her more clues like she had hoped? She didn't know, but there was no reason to stick around if the trail ended here. Turning to go back to her bike, she saw something on the ground further into the wooded area.

"Is that a…" Sunset approached the strange indent in the ground. Sure enough, it was a footprint just as she suspected. "But what is this footprint doing here?"

Pulling out her phone, she snapped a few pictures of the footprint. One of which was with her foot next to the giant one. It was bigger than any human or animal could make. And judging by the shape, it most likely belonged to one of the five animatronics running around town. Once Sunset had finished taking photos, she put her phone away. Looking around the area, she noticed that there were numerous footprints scattered all around. Upon closer inspection, she realized that there were six different types of prints on the ground.

"Wait, there's six animatronics running around?!" shouted Sunset, backing away from the footprints. "What the fuck?"

With her worry building, Sunset Shimmer ran back to her bike. Six very dangerous animatronics running around town. That didn't make her feel good. Despite her instincts saying that the animatronics were loose because of her, she knew that it wasn't the truth. Equestrian magic was known to be haywire in this world. After all, it did cause a mirror to grant the wishes of the beholder. Sitting on her bike, she decided to warn her friends about the sixth one.

Just as she was about to start her engine, she glanced down. Her shirt was covered in a layer of flour from the baking frenzy with her friends. It made her look like she had just lost a fight with a snowman. There was also some dried icing from the mini-battle between her and Pinkie Pie seeing who pour icing on a cupcake faster. That ended up being a who could decorate who quicker battle. But first, a change of clothes. She didn't want to get flour everywhere, after all.

*** *** *** ***

Racing up her apartment steps for the second time that day, she made her way into the apartment. Without wasting a second, she bolted up the stairs leading to her room. Well, it was more of a loft than an actual bedroom. There were no walls, but there was a big window at the foot of her bed. At least she always got a good view of the sunrise every morning. Pulling off her jacket, she tossed it on her bed. She quickly pulled off her flour-covered shirt and set it in her hamper. As she walked past a full body mirror that was sitting next to her dresser, her eyes caught the sight of her scars. A barely audible gasp slipped from her lips. They were similar in placement to where Twilight Sparkle's were, but that was where they ended. They were longer in length and width as well a bit deeper as the transformation had been unsuspected.

Gingerly, she reached back, running her hand over one of the scars. She flinched as she felt her hand brush against the edge of it. Staring at them, she knew that Twilight didn't know. That had been her personal choice. If she told her about them, it would lead to questions about how she got them. And that would inevitably lead to her explaining the Fall Formal, which she wasn't ready to do yet. She even went as far as not to have the girls bring up to the event. They protested against it but reluctantly agreed. Whenever anyone mentioned in a conversation, she would immediately change it to something else to avoid Twilight asking anything. After a few seconds, she lowered her hand slowly, looking down.

Memories of the Fall Formal, the transformation, and what she did, played over in her mind again. Her body shook as she struggled to keep herself from giving in to the fears that wanted to be free. She fell to her knees, letting her tears go as she did. Slow cries turned into sobs as each painful memory replayed itself in her head. It had taken months of talking to the girls, writing to the princess, and just trying to make amends to get past the pain and guilt. Yet, as much progress as she made, some days like today, made it all come back. And when it came back, it stung like a thousand hot needles being shoved into her back all at once.

"No...that's not me. Not anymore. I have changed." thought Sunset Shimmer as she tried to slow her sobs. "I am not a monster…"

Lifting her head, she glanced back at her reflection. She could see the scars from where her wings and tail had sprouted from. Even now, she could still feel the leathery wings on her back, their flapping causing her to use her new muscles that had formed back then. Yet the feeling of her tail twitching behind her happened every so often. That was the most annoying thing, especially when she was so scared that she was going to transform back into that monstrous form. Shaking her head, she glanced at a picture of her and Twilight Sparkle that sat on her dresser.

"Should I tell Twilight? What if she hates me for what I did? I can't-I don't want to lose her friendship." Sunset muttered to herself.

"You have to tell her, and you know that. She is your friend, she'll understand. But you have to be honest." said Sunset's inner voice, offering some support.

Not sure if she believed her conscience's words, she got up from the floor. Deciding to see if she could manage to touch her scars, she reached back again. As she felt her fingers graze the edge, she realized that she didn't flinch in response. Smiling, she walked over to the closet, pulling out a new shirt. Slipping it over her head, she grabbed her jacket and headed back downstairs. She had wasted enough time already, and she needed to head back over to Sugarcube Corner.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle had just left Sugarcube Corner and was heading home. She had helped Pinkie Pie and the girls finish the rest of the baking while Rarity took a well-deserved nap. The conversation had been about the robots each of them had seen. It was disturbing to think that creepy animatronic robots were wandering around the city for no apparent reason. Thankfully, it seemed that they weren't going to endanger anyone, well except the fox one that was. Her thoughts turned against her as her mind wandered to Sunset and the realization that she could be attacked by one of them and be severely injured. Maybe even die from the attack. Thinking about that made her stomach grow queasy. She had said she wanted to go home and rest for a bit because it was getting harder to fight the urge to throw up.

Making a quick excuse that she needed to rest for a bit, she had managed to get away from the girls. She had promised to be back later to help out once she felt better. As she turned the corner, her mind thought about Sunset. For the last few months, she had been feeling something different about her friend. It was more than friendship; it was something else. Something that every time Sunset came around became much stronger and more constant. Around the redhead, she felt a sense of safety. There was always a feeling of warmth and comfort. Her heart raced with every embrace she had with Sunset Shimmer. It was like an adrenaline rush every time their hands brushed up against each other whenever they sat next to each other.

"Yet, despite the obvious, you can't seem to admit it," said Twilight's conscience, making a point.

"It's not easy for me. This is the first time I have ever felt this way for anyone." thought Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to discuss that with herself. Not right now.

For a while, she struggled with her new feelings. Sunset Shimmer was the first person that made her heart race with even the slightest touch of a hand. She also struggled with keeping her yearning to be in the redhead's embrace in control. It was hard when her friend was also so close to her, close enough to kiss…

"Woah, slow down, Twilight. Don't get ahead of yourself." thought Twilight, trying to keep her thoughts from wandering.

Deep down, she knew what those feelings meant. Yet, she kept herself from really giving into them until she knew for sure that Sunset felt the same way about her. That was a hard task to do with the redhead being around her so much. If anything, she wanted to stop holding back entirely and scream, "I love you, Sunset Shimmer!" at the top of her lungs. But there was also always one thing that stopped her, fear of rejection. If she dared to give into something like this and it cost her, it would hurt in ways that not even her traumatic experience with equestrian magic could ever do. And that was a cost she couldn't afford. She couldn't risk the close bond she had with the redhead over a gamble of feelings.

Twilight Sparkle wasn't sure of what she should do. Should she decide to tell Sunset? Or wait until Sunset made the first move? It was so confusing and frustrating. Why the matters of the heart had to be so hard, she didn't know. But she wished that there was a clear path for her to choose.

"What if she says no?" thought Twilight Sparkle as she knitted her eyebrows together. "But what if she says yes? I don't think my heart would handle hearing that…"

"If she says yes, isn't that a good thing?" asked her inner voice.

"Well, yes. But I can't tell if Sunset feels the same way. I mean, she has always been there. As have the other girls," replied Twilight Sparkle, not realizing that she had stopped walking and was now standing in front of her house.

"Well, none of the other girls look at you the way she does. Bor does their touch make you act like a lovesick puppy," added her inner voice.

"I am not a-"

"Honey, what are you doing?" asked Mrs. Velvet as she opened the front door.

Blinking, Twilight finally realized that she was standing at her front door for the whole time. That was embarrassing, especially since her mom had seen her doing that. Chuckling nervously, she walked into her house and was greeted by Spike jumping into her arms.

"Hi, mom," said Twilight Sparkle as she gave Spike a scratch behind the ear.

"What are you doing home so soon, sweetie? I thought you had to help your friend," asked Mrs. Velvet as she joined her daughter by the stairwell.

"Yeah, I just came from there. I just needed to rest for a bit," replied Twilight Sparkle, hoping her mom wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Okay, I hope you are okay." Mrs. Velvet walked into the kitchen. "Let me know if you need anything. I will be in the kitchen."

Setting Spike down, Twilight said, "Okay, mom. I am going to my room now."

Okay, sweetie!" Twilight Sparkle heard her mom shout as she ran up the stairs.

She made her way to her room, located opposite of her brother's, Shining Armor, room. Opening her door, she walked over to her bed. After her long walk from Sugarcube Corner, her feet were sore, incredibly sore. She sat down, her feet enjoying the relief of her no longer being on them. Just as she swung her legs onto her bed, she saw Spike run in.

"Is everything okay, Twi?" asked Spike as he joined her on the bed. "It's unusual to leave the girls, especially when you have plans."

Twilight Sparkle sighed. "No, not really. Five animatronic robots are running amok in Canterlot City. I am worried that Sunset is possibly going to get hurt, and yet all I want to do is tell her to kiss me."

"Um, Twilight?" Spike licked Twilight's cheek. "You're rambling."

"Sorry, Spike." Twilight sat against her pillows, allowing Spike to rest on her lap. "It's just my mind has been a mess of thoughts. Mostly revolving around Sunset."

"I didn't notice," replied Spike, a sarcastic tone in his voice. "You still wondering if you should admit your feelings to her?"

"Yeah…" Twilight Sparkle was glad Spike understood her frustration and concern in admitting her feelings to the redhead. It made it easier to calm down when she had him to vent to.

Spike shifted in Twilight's lap. "Do you remember when she found out about your scars a few months ago?"

Twilight did. It was still like it happened yesterday in her mind, partly because of Sunset's reaction. It hadn't been what she expected. At all. Looking at one of the many pictures she had of the redhead, the memory replayed in her mind.

*Flashback*

Twilight Sparkle was sitting behind the bleachers in the gym, her lunch bag in hand. Today, she didn't feel like sitting with her friends. Not when the day before Sunset Shimmer had almost discovered the scars she had on her back. It was bad enough that she was still struggling to keep herself from becoming a she-demon again. She didn't need her friends to know that there were physical reminders etched into her skin. Pushing the thoughts aside, she opened her lunch back and grabbed her sandwich from it. Just as she was about to take a bite, she heard a very familiar voice as someone walked into the gym.

"Do you think she came here, Shy?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked around the empty gym.

"I know I would if I wanted to be alone," replied Fluttershy, her voice barely echoing off the walls of the gym.

"Well, where would she hide?" Sunset walked over to the bleachers where Twilight Sparkle was hiding beneath. "Cause there aren't many hiding spots here."

Twilight Sparkle moved back, trying to keep herself hidden from view. Unfortunately for her, everything beneath the bleachers in a thick layer of dust. Her moving around had stirred some of it, causing it to swirl around her. She breathed in, inhaling some of the dust particles. Seconds later, she sneezed.

"Did you hear that?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked even closer to the bleacher that Twilight was hiding behind. "Someone just sneezed."

Sunset Shimmer peered behind the bleachers wondering who was back there. When she looked back, she immediately saw Twilight Sparkle standing there. Her jacket had become coated in some of the dust that she had just disturbed, as well as her sandwich. It seemed she had only interrupted her lunch. But why was she having lunch here and not with her friends? Furrowing her brows, she walked toward her friend.

"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Sunset Shimmer.

"Yeah…" replied Twilight Sparkle as she looked at her dust-covered sandwich. "Just eating lunch."

Sunset Shimmer wasn't sure she believed her friend. Before she could say anything, she heard Fluttershy walk towards them. Turning to face the animal lover, she said, "Shy, can we have some space? Twi and I need to talk for a moment."

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I will tell the others she is okay."

"Thanks, Shy," said Sunset, smiling at her friend before she returned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. "Twi, why didn't you join us for lunch today? You have been acting strange since yesterday since we hung out at the library. Did I do something?"

"No, you didn't Sunset," said Twilight as she put her sandwich back into her lunch bag. "It's just...something personal."

"Something personal? Like what?" asked Sunset Shimmer, leaning against the underside of the bleachers.

"I don't want to talk about it, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle grabbed her backpack and started to walk out from under the bleachers.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, she felt Sunset's hand on her arm, stopping her. Again, just as usual, her heart started to race. The thundering in her ears made it impossible to hear her thoughts. Turning around, she saw that her friend's eyes had darkened over with worry. Seeing that, she sighed and pulled her arm free from her friend's grasp.

"Please, Twilight. I want to help you." Sunset Shimmer's voice became strained as if she struggled to speak without sounding like she was angered. It was hard when she was frustrated at herself for not being able to help her friend. "Please."

Twilight Sparkle, not saying a word, walked past Sunset Shimmer, heading into the girls' locker room. She didn't want to do this, not here. Yet, she could see that she didn't have much choice. Lying to her friend was out of the question. Gathering what strength she could manage, she forced herself to continue through with it. She heard Sunset run after her, following her into the bathrooms. She set her backpack down, pulling her jacket off. As the redhead entered the room, she gripped the bottom edge of her shirt. Keeping her back to her, she spoke.

"Want to see what is so personal?" asked Twilight, readying herself to reveal the scars to her friend.

Sunset Shimmer, not sure of what she should say, stood there with her body pressed against the doorway and nodded. This was a weird position for her to be in. One she had never been in, not since the aftermath of the Fall Formal. She sat on one of the chairs located in the bathroom. Watching Twilight Sparkle lift her shirt, she had to keep herself from giving in to the part of her that wanted to caress Twilight's stunning form. It was like a statue with perfect edges; only it was warm and alive. Pushing her thoughts aside, she saw something dark on her friend's shoulder blade. More was revealed the further up the shirt went. Sunset Shimmer knew just what she was seeing as Twilight had fully lifted her shirt.

"Are those… scars?" asked Sunset Shimmer, pushing herself off the doorway and walking over to Twilight Sparkle.

"Yes." Twilight let her shirt fall back down as she let go of it, hiding the scars once again. "That is why I was acting so strange yesterday."

The scars looked very similar to her own. It was almost shocking to see that. Though there were some differences, especially in length and depth, it seemed that she had gotten the worst scars of the two. Sunset looked down, stepping back from Twilight. Seeing her friend's injuries made her more aware of the ones she had. A painful, pinching sensation made her move her shoulder, trying to stop it. But it didn't do anything to alleviate the pain. Deciding not to focus on it, she grabbed Twilight's hand from behind.

"I almost touched them yesterday, didn't I?" Sunset's tone was calm and soothing as her hand gently squeezed Twilight's.

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

"I am sorry. If I had known, I would've been more careful, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer walked in front of her, their eyes meeting. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I," Twilight Sparkle struggled to get the words out, "was ashamed that I had any reminders of what happened at the Friendship Games."

Sunset Shimmer froze as she heard what Twilight Sparkle said. It was why none of the girls, Twilight included, knew about her scars. It was like a shameful reminder that she had become a monster, a monster that tried to destroy them and the entire school. All because she wanted to prove to her ex-mentor that she did deserve something that she, in actuality, didn't. To hear that Twilight felt the same way made her guilt at keeping her past a secret worsen. Now it was becoming apparent that it was the wrong choice. But what could she do? It's not like she could go back. Swallowing hard, she made herself push her problems aside, knowing Twilight needed her now.

"Twilight, the girls, and I don't mind that you have scars. We care about you." Sunset Shimmer stepped closer to Twilight, her hand letting go of her friend's and wrapping around her waist. "I don't mind them at all."

"R-really?" asked Twilight Sparkle, becoming flustered as Sunset got closer to her.

Sunset Shimmer moved her other hand to Twilight's shoulder, deliberately resting it over the scars. She felt her friend flinch and try to get away, but she kept her grip around her waist. "Yes, Twilight. I mean it."

Sunset leaned even closer to her friend, their lips just inches apart from each other. Keeping her grip on Twilight Sparkle, she slowly moved closer, giving in to her desire to kiss her. As she leaned in, she felt her friend do the same, making the distance between them shrink faster. Removing her hand from Twilight's shoulder, she cupped her cheek. She tilted her head slightly to the side to avoid head butting her friend as their lips touched. Being so close to her, she could smell the lavender perfume Twilight always wore. Its scent smelled so good, which only made the redhead pull her friend closer until their bodies were touching. For a moment, she thought about making the kiss deeper but pulled away instead.

"See?" said Sunset Shimmer, giving Twilight a half-smile. "I don't see your scars."

Twilight Sparkle was unable to speak. Her mind was still processing what had just happened. She couldn't believe it. There was no way she just got kissed by the girl she loved. Right? Blinking, she heard the bell ringing, announcing the end of the lunch period. That jolted her out of her shocked state, enough that she could finally speak again. She was about to say something when she saw Sunset walking to the bathroom door.

"See you later, Twi!" shouted Sunset as she exited the bathroom, leaving a stunned Twilight alone.

"Sun-Sunset?" Twilight Sparkle got the words out, but the redhead was already gone. "I-I just got...kissed...by Sunset…"

*End of Flashback*

"She had kissed me. I still can't forget the feeling of her lips against mine…" replied Twilight, blinking out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I know. You didn't stop ranting about it and the meaning behind it for a month." Spike yawned. "But, if she did that, maybe that's her way of hinting that she does feel the same."

"You know, Spike, I think you might be onto something." Twilight stifled her yawn. "Though, I will think that over when I have had a nap. Wake me up in an hour, will you?"

"Okay…" mumbled Spike, dozing off with his head on Twilight's stomach.

*** *** *** ***

Back at Sugarcube Corner, Sunset Shimmer was sitting next to Pinkie Pie in one of the booths. They had just finished all the bake sale deliveries for the day. All of them were exhausted, but Sunset wasn't as weary or tired as she still had to break the news about how the animatronics had gotten in Canterlot City. All the girls had a cupcake and milkshakes in front of them. Pinkie Pie insisted they celebrate after their hard work. Having gone over the fact that there was a sixth one, she finished telling them about her burnt game console.

"Woah wait, so you're telling that equestrian magic zapped your game console and brought these characters from a horror game?" asked Rainbow Dash, shocked by what she was hearing.

"Yeah, exactly," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"Why ain't I surprised that equestrian magic is behind this too?" said Applejack as she took a sip of her milkshake.

"How did they get here exactly?" asked Rarity. "I mean, it can't be that they just walked out your front door, can it?"

Sunset Shimmer walked from the booth, out the front door. Pointing to the power lines that ran past the shop, she said, "See those power lines?"

The girls all walked outside, joining Sunset. Looking up, they saw what their friend was pointing at. The power lines were discolored as if some source of heat had destroyed them. The rubber covering around the wires had become burnt to a crisp. Some parts had already crumbled away, exposing the copper wire to the open elements. Even the copper wire seemed to have some discoloration to it. Something powerful had run through there, leaving behind a literal trail.

"Some of the magic I brought to this world must've hit my console and brought the characters of my game here," said Sunset, turning to face her friends.

Applejack, being the sensible one of the group, looked at the lines. They were heavily damaged, yes. But there seemed to be more damage than if characters from just one game alone had mysteriously come to life. It looked like there had been more than one game that had gotten altered than it seemed. Equestrian magic was strong, and when it was trying to manipulate things in their world, it did some substantial damage.

"Which game exactly did the characters come from again?" asked Applejack, looking at the redhead.

"Five Nights at Freddy's, the first one," Sunset Shimmer replied. "Why?"

"Because if it were just the first game alone, the damage on those there lines wouldn't be as extensive. Somethin' tells me that equestrian magic messed with more than your first game, Sunset," answered Applejack, pointing to the warping and discoloring of the copper wires.

That made Sunset wonder if the magic had affected her other games, as the cowgirl said. She had just assumed it only got to her first game. Based on the fact they were the only ones running around, that they could see that was. But if it got to the other games as well, it would explain the sixth footprint set she had seen earlier. The possibility that had happened was pretty high. High enough that Sunset had to check it out.

"You have a point, AJ. I didn't think to check if the magic had affected the rest of my games. But if there is a sixth one running around, it's feasible that it came from one of the other games." Sunset furrowed her brow as she rested a finger on her chin.

Hidden from view, behind some bushes, was Springtrap. He had been watching the girls as they talked. It was odd to hear that he got there because of magic. As he listened to their conversation, a plan was beginning to form inside his head.

"Hmm, all I need for my plan to work is some poor fool dressed as a stupid nightguard to chase those girls. Then, those fucking annoying as hell kids will take care of them." thought Springtrap.

"Okay girls, we can meet at the school's gym tonight. It'll be safer than having them find out where we live," said Sunset Shimmer as she walked over to her bike.

The girls all nodded. They wanted to figure out how to defeat the robotic nuances, Sunset especially. After all, this was most likely her fault. She had been the one to bring magic into this world. And it was magic that brought these animatronics here as well. If she hadn't brought the princess's crown into this world, none of this would've happened.

"Oh, Celestia, this is all my fault…" thought Sunset as she swung her leg over the side of her bike.

Springtrap watched Sunset Shimmer, waiting for her to leave. After a few minutes of keeping silent, and trying not to fall into the bushes, he saw her pull away from the shop. The sound of her motorcycle engine roaring faded as she got further away. One by one, all the other girls left as well, seemingly unaware that he was watching them. Applejack was the last of the girls to leave. Once her pick up truck left, disappearing from his view, he ventured out of the bushes.

"Gah, that didn't help my shitty joints sitting that way. This body is such a pain in the ass," mumbled Springtrap as he stood up.

Slowly, he walked away from the bushes, a flurry of leaves still falling off of him. His joints creaked and groaned. They hadn't been well taken care of, leaving them to rust and stiffen over time. As he continued to walk, he felt his joints loosen as some of the rust fell away. With every step, his movement became more fluid and human-like. He was headed towards one place to find an abundance of night guards: the police department.

*** *** *** ***

At the police department, one officer had decided to eat his sandwich outside and enjoy the beautiful day. There was a park in front of the police department, and he chose to sit on a bench there. That...would be a dangerous decision on his part. As he sat down, he heard a series of loud, heavy thuds headed his way. He looked up, wanting to see what was causing the noise. What he saw made him drop his sandwich. A yellowish-green rabbit was walking straight for him. It had loose wires hanging from its ears, arms, legs, and chest. Looking down, he noticed that animatronic's legs were exposed from the shin down. But the one thing about the robotic rabbit that caught his attention, it's sheer size and height. From its ears to feet, it was roughly about 8 feet tall.

"What the fuck?!" shouted the officer, reaching for his gun.

Luckily, he had reloaded it before this. Aiming at Springtrap's chest, he fired off a few shots. The bullets did nothing. They just bounced off of the hard plastic and metal that was the animatronic's body. Reloading as quickly as he could manage, he again fired off of another few shots. Unfortunately, the office hadn't anticipated that Springtrap would raise his arm, blocking the bullets completely. A few bounced off and almost hit him. Thankfully, he had quick reflexes and managed to dodge the bullets with being injured himself.

Springtrap lowered his arm once he saw that the officer had spent his ammo. Walking up to him, he gripped the officer's shirt. He watched as the officer's feet flayed beneath him as he lifted him off the bench. He covered the person's mouth, preventing them from screaming for help. Looking around and seeing no one nearby, he spoke.

"You, Mr. Officer, are going to be a part of my plan," said Springtrap, his voice glitching as he spoke.

The officer gulped as Springtrap's grip on his shirt tightened, cutting off his air even more. He felt the animatronic pull him closer, to his disgust. Being close to its mouth, he noticed a rancid smell, almost like decaying flesh. In a futile attempt to get away, he slammed his hands against its one arm that was holding onto him. His hands struck the hard plastic, failing to do anything to weaken the grip on his collar. When he felt the collar loosen around him, he took the chance to scream for help through the filthy, grimy hand that was covering his mouth. Yet, that only resulted in the grip on his shirt returning, even tighter than before.

"I suggest you stop trying to scream for your pathetic friends. Unless, of course, their death is something you wish to bring upon them." hissed Springtrap, his voice sounding similar to nails on a chalkboard.

The office obeyed and stopped screaming. Seconds later, the officer found himself dropped on the ground. With the grip gone from his shirt, he was finally able to breathe again. He took several deep breaths, replenishing his air supply in his lungs. Once he could breathe normally, he looked at the animatronic rabbit.

"What exactly is that you need from me?" asked the office, sitting on the bench.

Springtrap turned his back to the officer. "Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?"

The officer knitted his eyebrows. The name sounded familiar like he had heard it before. But where? Looking down, he tried to recall his last assignment. It was at the local high school. He was there once after the Fall Formal, helping out with his partner's shift. As he thought about that day, he recalled seeing a certain redhead with that name. From what he could remember, she was one of the students at the school. He remembered that she was being called to the principal's office when he had shown up.

"Yeah, I know of her." said the officer, looking at Springtrap. "Why the hell do you ask?"

Springtrap turned to face the officer. His one ear twitched, sending sparks flying out of the exposed part. His sunken robotic eyes bared down on the officer. There was a creepy human likeness to them, making them appear almost lifelike. That was not natural.

"I need you to follow her and her friends. You'll also keep in your night guard outfit. It's a part of my plan." replied Springtrap.

The officer was confused by Springtrap saying he needed to be in his 'night guard' suit. Couldn't he see that he was a police officer? Not a night guard? Though both wear similar suits, he had the actual weapons, like his 9-millimeter Glock gun. As the questions swirled around in his head, he noticed that there was something pink and flesh-like within the confines of Springtrap's animatronic body.

Jumping off the bench and grabbing his gun, the officer asked in a shaky voice, "Wha-what the fucking hell is inside you?!"

Springtrap rested his hand on the front of the gun. "Oh, that?" He pulled back his head, revealing the mummified skull with the metal rods poking right through. "Is my old body mummified inside this junk ass death trap." He let his animatronic head slip back over the mummified head.

"And what exactly to plan to do with Sunset?" asked the officer, trying to pull his gun free from Springtrap's grip.

"That, officer, is none of your goddamn business," said Springtrap as he smashed the gun, tossing it down to the ground. "All you need to do is be where I say to be."

"What if I decide-" The last thing the officer saw was a giant, jagged first heading straight for his face before everything disappeared and went black.

"You humans talk way too goddamn much for my taste," said Springtrap as he sat down on the bench.

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, in an old abandoned house near CHS, Freddy and his friends had gathered. They had managed to regroup and were discussing what they found.

"So, a rainbow-haired girl escaped from you? The great pirate Foxy?" asked Bonnie, struggling to stifle his laughter.

"Yes, Bonnie. It seemed like she had some super speed or something," replied Foxy, polishing his hook on the towel he had found in the house. "I have never seen a human run that fast, ever."

Freddy, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth. Something about the girls his friends had encountered was off. Something felt different about them. It seemed like they had a connection to whatever strange, powerful force was now powering them. He noticed that when the pink-haired girl walked out of the shop, his circuits got a boost of energy, making him feel like he was on a full charge. But there was also a tug like the force was connected to her somehow.

"Did any of you feel anything when you approached the girls? Like a-"

"Like a tug or magnetic pull? Yes, I did." Bonnie turned to face Freddy. "I felt it when I tried to approach the purple-haired girl," replied Bonnie, interrupting Freddy.

Freddy gave the purple-blue bunny an annoyed look. He didn't much appreciate being interrupted. Freddy was their leader, after all. Not that he or they chose that. It wasn't a position Freddy wanted. Yet, here he was, being the best leader he could manage. Someday he hoped to shift to someone else, to lift the burden from his shoulders.

Chica, who was on the lookout, spotted an officer walking past the house.

"Guys, a night guard is walking by!" shouted Chica, pointing out the window.

That grabbed everybody's attention. The kids all clamored around the window, trying to get a good look at the guard as he walked past the house. And sure enough, as Chica had said, a night guard was walking past the house.

"What the fuck is he doing outside now? I thought they didn't show up until midnight," said Freddy, pushing Chica aside. "Why the hell is he out now?"

"I don't know, but let's follow him," suggested Foxy, holding up his now polished hook. "I am dying to kill a guard tonight."

"Agreed," said Freddy.

*** *** *** ***

The sun had just set when all the girls had arrived at the school gym. Thankfully, it wasn't locked. Canterlot City was usually pretty safe. Though, with animatronics running rampaging around, that safeness was threatened.

"Is everyone here?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she walked in from the gym's entrance.

"Yep!" shouted Pinkie Pie in her usual perky tone. "Every single one of us!"

"Good," said Sunset as she sat down on the bleachers.

Rarity was busy filing her nails when she looked up at Sunset Shimmer. "What's the plan, dear?"

"I-I don't know," answered Sunset, sounding worried. "It's hard to figure out a plan when you don't know the enemy you're up against."

Rainbow Dash took a three-pointer shot, catching the ball as it fell through the net. Ball in hand, she raced over to the girls. "Well then, what do we know about these creepy robots?" asked Rainbow Dash, tossing the ball back into the cart, landing the shot.

"They're tall, strong, and terrifying…" mumbled Fluttershy as she hugged her knees to her chest.

"They are robots of some kind, and we've seen five of them," added Rarity.

"That we know, Shy," interjected Applejack. "If Sunset is right, and equestrian magic did bring those damned robots here to our town, there's no tellin' how many it brought with them."

"It was magic that brought them here," said Twilight Sparkle, making all the girls look at her, waiting for her much more elaborate, detailed explanation.

"We have animatronics here, yes, but they are only to move the upper portion of themselves. We don't have the tech to be able to make the animatronics do what these animatronics can. It's beyond our capabilities," continued Twilight.

"Besides, their movements were very fluid and lifelike, almost human-like," said Sunset Shimmer as she sat next to Twilight Sparkle. "That, combined with their appearance, makes it clear they are not of this world."

"Animatronics? I thought they were robots," said Rainbow Dash, looking from Sunset to Twilight. "What's the difference?"

"Robots and animatronics are programmed to follow commands that have gotten programmed into their motherboards," said Twilight Sparkle.

"The only difference being one is supposed to act more like us," added Sunset Shimmer. "While the other is supposed to do a job or something like that."

"Like the robotic massagers at the day spa?" asked Rarity, putting away her file.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Twilight, looking at Sunset and giving her a wink. "Animatronics are usually just mimicking things that are alive, while robots perform jobs and tasks."

"The robotic apocalypse will come one day…" said Pinkie Pie, standing behind Applejack, holding her friend's arm. "They will take control of all of us…" she slowly hid her face behind the cowgirl's back.

The girls all stared at her, blinking at her antics. Pinkie Pie was known to have a silly streak to her. But sometimes it was just plain weird, sometimes even creepy. Yet, she was their friend, so they didn't mind. Applejack saw Pinkie Pie jump out from behind her, giggling as she did a cartwheel. Yep, she was back to her usual perky self again.

"Ah, okay," said Rainbow Dash. "So, they are essentially complex robots built to mimic anything alive? Except for the ones from the game that are advanced in tech as well, and now are running on magic instead of electricity?"

"Uh...yeah, that is one way to put it, I guess," said Twilight Sparkle.

"I am still calling them robots. 'Animatronics' is too long to say, especially when I go whoop their asses." stated the polychromatic haired athlete, crossing her arms.

"The question is, what exactly are those things doing here? And are they dangerous to us and the city? Especially now that it's magic that's powering them, not electricity," said Twilight, turning to Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer looked down, feeling her guilt grip her again. It was hard to think all this was because of her past actions. It seemed that the saying 'what goes around, comes around' was right. And it seemed she was again paying for her bad choices in judgment.

"Yeah, what do they want, Sunset?" added Applejack, looking at the redhead. "What is their purpose in the game?"

"Well," she started. "In the game, the animatronics come to life at midnight, looking for the night guard, which is the player. But they don't know that they are a night guard. They think it's an endoskeleton without a costume." Sunset Shimmer paused, taking a breath. "So, they'll try to shove them into an animatronic suit. The suits' design makes it impossible for a human to fit inside, meaning they'll die. And basically, you survive until 6 am. There five nights of that, six if you can beat all the other levels."

"Oh my, that sounds horrible…" said Fluttershy, going pale as she covered her mouth.

"Woah, that is awesome!" said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack glared at her. "Maybe in the game. But if that is their intention with us, it's a lot less awesome."

"Okay...you have a point there. Being stuffed into a suit in real life doesn't sound as awesome." Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck nervously. "Hehe, don't suppose there is any way we can permanently shut them down, is there?"

"Hmm, maybe if we can somehow reach the kids possessing them, maybe we can neutralize them," said Sunset Shimmer.

"What kids?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"There are supposedly five kids that got killed, their bodies later stuffed into the animatronics themselves," answered Sunset, her voice lowering as she spoke. "That's the backstory to the game."

"That sounds horrible," said Rarity. "Do you think that would work?"

"Assuming their souls got transferred as well, yes." Sunset glanced at Twilight Sparkle. "What do you think, Twi?"

"As you said, if their souls made it through the transfer, that might be possible. With your geode, you could bring them back, and they'll hopefully be on our side instead of against us." Twilight said, making the calculations on her head. "But, there is only a 35.34% chance that is likely to happen."

All the girls looked down, saddened by the chances of their only real plan working. They were hoping it would work, but the odds were against them. Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to say something to cheer her friends up, she heard a loud noise. All the girls looked at the gym entrance, only in time to see the doors flung open. A terrified police officer ran past them, terror in his eyes.

"Get out of here!" he screamed, darting for the other exit out of the gymnasium.

Looking back at the other entrance, they saw the four animatronics standing in the doorway. Thankfully, it seemed Golden Freddy didn't want to join the fight. Yet, that did little to improve their chances of walking away unharmed. As Sunset Shimmer stood in front of her friends, ready to battle them, only one thing came to her mind.

"Well...fuck," she whispered as the animatronics' eyes all flickered to red. "This isn't gonna end well."

Plan A for Animatronic Failure

*Present Day*

Finally, arriving at her apartment, Sunset Shimmer unlocked her door and let the girls in. Following behind Twilight Sparkle, she walked in and relocked her door behind her. Setting her keys down, she sighed, her exhaustion finally catching up to her.

"Make yourselves at home, girls," said Sunset, making her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

Twilight Sparkle made her way to the couch, her tired feet aching. Though the walk from CHS wasn't long, it didn't help her tired muscles. And because she was already sore, the trek only worsened her pain. But all thoughts about her sore feet or tired muscles vanished as she sat on the soft cushioned seats. A wave of relief washed over her, making her sigh and almost fall asleep right there. The sound of a drawer opening made Twilight Sparkle look in the direction of the noise. She found Fluttershy had grabbed a phone charger from it. With the mysterious sound solved, she rested her head on the back of the couch, her eyelids threatening to close on her.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed a glass of water just as Pinkie Pie skipped over to the kitchen. She smiled, Pinkie Pie's happy mood seemed to be infectious. It was good to see that the fight seemed not to have taken away her friend's cheerful disposition.

"Hey, Pinkie. What can I do for you?" asked Sunset as she set her glass down.

"Hey, Sunset. Got anything sweet in the kitchen?" asked Pinkie Pie, standing near the counter.

"Hmm, I have some leftover triple chocolate layered cake. That work for you?" asked Sunset, opening the small fridge and looking around.

"You have any whipped cream?" asked Pinkie Pie, leaning on the counter.

"Let me see…" Sunset Shimmer rummaged around in the fridge and found an unopened can of whipped cream she had bought a week prior.

"Yep!" shouted Sunset, turning around and showing the whipped cream to Pinkie Pie. "One can of whipped cream."

"Good. Now hand it over and that piece of cake, and we've got a deal," said Pinkie Pie as she grabbed a fork from a drawer next to her.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, smirking a little. It was always amazing how much sugar her pink-haired friend ate. There had been some days where she had seen her eat a dozen doughnuts, at least three cans of whipped cream, and a small cake all in one day. How her friend didn't have diabetes was a complete mystery to her. And one that the redhead knew she would never solve, even if she tried.

Pulling the saran wrap off the cake, she set it and the whipped cream down, Sunset said, "Here you go, Pinkie. Enjoy!"

"Thanks!" said Pinkie Pie as she opened the whipped cream and put a huge pile of it on top of the cake.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Rainbow Dash was sitting on the other end of the couch. Sitting back, she let her muscles relax. As she moved her feet around, she felt what were holes in her shoes. On a hunch, she took off her shoes and checked the bottoms of them.

"Dammit!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she saw the burnt soles which had been her shoes. "That's the second pair this month!"

As the polychromatic haired girl held up her sneakers, the girls saw the holes had gotten burnt into the heels of her shoes. The edges around the holes were burnt almost to a crisp and were black, contrasting against the natural white color of the rubber. There were a few chuckles. It wasn't unusual for Rainbow Dash to burn through her sneakers. Ever since she had received her geode, she would burn through shoes -literally- every month.

Applejack leaned against the back of the couch, next to Rainbow Dash. "Dash, you might wanna find a geode for your shoes. No shoes can handle your constant speedin' 'round."

"I wish! Buying shoes every month is taking a toll on my paycheck." Rainbow Dash sighed and tossed her shoes on the floor. "And I am trying to save up for a new video game console. I may or may not have busted my last one when I lost to Scootaloo."

"Doesn't surprise me. Just hope you'll remember not to hit your console the next time you go gettin' mad 'cause you lost," said Applejack, standing upright again.

Rarity walked over to the cowgirl, no longer able to ignore the torn sleeve dangling from Applejack's shoulder. As she walked over to her friend, she grabbed the shirt sleeve, examining it.

"Neither can your clothes, AJ. This is the fifth shirt you've ripped this week," said Rarity, as she tried to figure out a quick stitch to fix the sleeve. "You've got to slow down, or you'll be out of shirts by next week."

"No shirt can contain these muscles!" exclaimed Applejack proudly as she flexed her arm, showing off her toned biceps.

Rarity, admiring the cowgirl's toned physique, wrapped her hand around her friend's arm. She squeezed her bicep, smiling as she felt the strength of the muscle pushing against her gentle squeeze. Her cheeks felt unusually warm as she glanced at Applejack's green eyes. As their eyes met, she looked away, hiding a sheepish smile.

"Erm, Rare? Can you let go of my arm?" asked Applejack, her cheeks turning a bright red.

Rarity, finally pulled out of her thoughts and daydreams, let go of Applejack's arm. Her cheeks were now really hot and turning a pinkish color as she heard a few snickers coming from the group, but most of them were coming from Rainbow Dash.

"Sunset, do you still have your sewing kit?" asked Rarity, focusing back on fixing Applejack's shoulder.

"Yep. It's under my bed, on the left-hand side," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"Thank you, dear," said Rarity. Turning to Applejack, she pulled her towards the stairs. "Now, let's get this tear fixed for now."

As Applejack got pulled away, she saw Rainbow Dash waggle her eyebrows. That made the cowgirl glare angrily at her. But before she could do anything more, she felt another forceful tug on her arm. Deciding that if she couldn't talk Rarity out of fixing her shirt, she might as well go with her and let her do it. Besides, it would give them some private time, and she wouldn't mind staring at Rarity's radiance for a little while longer.

"Uh, am I missing something?" asked Sunset, walking in and sitting next to Twilight.

"Nope. Just that Applejack and Rarity were going up to your room. Maybe they'll-"

"Don't even think about sayin' that, Dash!" shouted Applejack, interrupting Rainbow Dash before she could finish her sentence.

"Or you'll what? Come down here and punch me while showing off your impressive muscles to Rarity?" asked Rainbow Dash, raising one eyebrow and looking at Applejack.

"Dash, why I-" Applejack stopped when she felt a hand resting on her leg.

"Don't, AJ. You know she was trying to push your buttons. Just ignore her and focus..." Rarity grabbed Applejack's cheek, pulling the cowgirl's eyes to meet hers. "On me."

As Applejack looked at Rarity's blue eyes, her anger slowly dissipated. As she grabbed her friend's hand, she felt her heart race at the touch. It was gentle, like a feather, and she never wanted to let go of her hand. Squeezing it, she allowed a small grateful smile show. After a few minutes, she relaxed and let her friend continue stitching up her sleeve.

"And...that solves that mystery," said Sunset Shimmer as she and Twilight Sparkle both snickered at the annoyed expression their rainbow-haired friend had.

"Whatever!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, clearly not happy. "I'm gonna grab a coke, okay?"

"Uh, sure. The cokes on the bottom shelf, in the back," replied Sunset Shimmer as Rainbow Dash got up and walked past her.

"Uh, what time is it?" Twilight Sparkle asked no one in particular.

"10:14 pm," said Fluttershy, turning her phone on to look at the time.

"Alright, we should eat and then get some sleep," said Sunset, getting up and walking towards the kitchen.

Once she was in the kitchen, she looked through her two small cabinets, which sat on either side of the sink. In the one were bowls, mugs, and assorted cooking utensils. In the other was a few boxes of pancake mix. Pancakes were Sunset's favorite breakfast food. Though she only made them on the weekends. Below the shelf of pancake mix, was two loads of bread, one looked like it was half-eaten already. The other one was untouched, a sign that it was recently purchased.

"Okay, so we have pancake mix, bread for sandwiches, or…" Sunset Shimmer opened her freezer door, seeing the freezer stocked with two stacks of frozen pizza. "Frozen Pizza. Any volunteers to cook?"

No one said anything. Exhaustion from the fight had worn all the girls out. Even Sunset Shimmer didn't fancy the idea of standing by a hot stove. She turned around, waiting for any of her friends to volunteer. As she saw the girls all look from one to another, she figured out what they wanted.

"Alright, frozen pizza, it is then," said Sunset, turning around and walking over to the oven.

"I'll help you, Sunset," said Twilight Sparkle, getting up and walking to the kitchen.

As Sunset Shimmer turned the oven on, Twilight Sparkle walked over to the freezer. As she opened it, there was a cold blast of air. She shivered for a moment before the warmth of the stove warmed her up. Upon inspection, she saw that was very little else but pizzas. It seemed to be all the freezer had, besides a few popsicles and a small container of chocolate ice cream sitting in the corner.

"Woah...that's a lot of pizza, Sunset," said Twilight in awe at the two shelves stocked from top to bottom with pizzas. She grabbed 4 of the boxes and closed the freezer door.

"Hehe, that's one of the perks of living by myself. Fewer dishes to clean," answered Sunset, grabbing two pizza pans and setting them onto the counter.

"How do you eat so much pizza and yet, still look so amazing?" asked Twilight as she opened the pizzas and removed them from their boxes.

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip and blushed at the compliment. As she looked at Twilight, their eyes met. For a moment, Sunset couldn't move or think. She just got lost in the endless sea that was Twilight's violet eyes. If it were possible, she would never look away. There was a glow, something that made her friend capture her heart and keep it. But the redhead was more than willing to let her friend have her heart, only if it meant that she could keep her close.

"Uh, Sunset? Are you alright?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she waved a hand in front of Sunset's face.

Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked away when she realized she had been staring at her friend.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I am okay, Twi," said Sunset, reassuring her friend.

Smiling, Twilight Sparkle gave her a small hug. "So, are you going to answer my earlier question?"

Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight a coy smile and winked. "That…that is just going to have to remain one of life's mysteries."

Twilight Sparkle gave her a full smile before turning her attention back to the pizzas. She unboxed the last pizza and tossed the boxes into the recycle bin near the fridge. As she walked back over to where Sunset was, she wanted to reach out and hold her hand. But she decided not to when the butterflies in her stomach became too much.

"Well, I envy you, Ms. Mystery," said Twilight, chuckling a little. "I wish I could have your appetite and still look the same."

"You look beautiful, Twi," said Sunset, unaware of what she just said. But the growing blush on Twilight cheeks made her realize, and she hurriedly turned away, opening the cabinet containing her glasses.

"D-do you mean that Sunset?" asked Twilight, trying to keep her cheeks from heating up.

After grabbing seven glasses, Sunset Shimmer set them down on the counter. She turned around and grabbed Twilight's hand as she saw her move it away.

"Yes, I do. You could eat as much pizza as you want and still look beautiful to me," said Sunset leaning closer to Twilight and squeezing her hand.

Twilight's blush grew even more. Having Sunset Shimmer so close to her and holding her hand was making her heart thunder. If she could have, she would've grabbed Sunset's shirt and pulled her into a kiss. There was a strong desire to do that. But she pushed it aside, reminding herself that Sunset Shimmer may not reciprocate her feelings. Despite enjoying the feeling of holding Sunset's hand, she pulled away.

"Th-thanks," said Twilight, looking away.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the glasses and handed them to Twilight Sparkle. "Would you mind helping me carry these into the living room, please?"

"Sure, Sunset," said Twilight, taking some of the glasses and walking into the living room.

After a half-hour of eating pizza and making various jokes about the crazy animatronics they fought, the four pizzas were all eaten. Sunset and Twilight had decided to clean up while the rest of the girls got ready for bed. As Sunset walked into the kitchen carrying all four pizza pans, she saw that Twilight was behind her, taking four glasses in one and three in the other.

"Here, let me help you," Sunset Shimmer said, taking the three glasses from Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle adjusted the four glasses between her hands and said, "Thanks. I was getting a bit worried that I would drop them."

"You're welcome. And trust me, I have dropped a few glasses." Sunset set the glasses and pans in the sink. "That's why they are plastic."

"Wait a minute, what?! They're plastic?" asked Twilight, shocked. As she examined the glasses in her hands, she couldn't believe they were plastic. "Bu-but how…?"

"Don't know. Guess plastic is an excellent imitator of glass when done right," said Sunset as she took the four glasses from Twilight and set them in the sink, next to the other three.

"Guess so." Twilight yawned and stretched her arms. "Well, I am going to change into my pajamas."

"Okay, Sparky. Join me in the living room when you've finished. I will have some sleeping bags set up for us and the girls." Sunset said, trying to stifle her yawn.

"Okay, Sunset." Twilight Sparkle yawned again and made her way to the bathroom.

Just as Twilight closed the door, Rainbow Dash walked over to the kitchen. She was wearing a loose t-shirt and pants. On the front, her shirt had the symbol of a cloud and a tri-colored lighting bolt coming from it. Sunset wasn't sure if Rainbow Dash had just grabbed her pants randomly or if they went with the shirt. But either way, it always seemed out of place. Then again, all her pajamas were very similar, with the one difference being that she could do shorts or pants. Still leaning against the counter, she smiled at her friend.

"Hey Dash, you are probably looking for the sleeping bags, right?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising her one eyebrow.

"Bingo! So, where are they?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer walked out of the kitchen, heading towards a large metal cabinet which stood near the bathroom door. It was a foot or so taller than the two girls. But it was large, nearly filling the space between the stairs and the bathroom door. On it was a single lock with a keyhole on the bottom. Leaning against the wall, Rainbow Dash watched as Sunset pulled a key from under a box. She raised both her eyebrows as she crossed her arms.

"Really, Sunset? Underneath a box?" Rainbow Dash's tone was almost mocking. "How predictable."

"What? It's the only place I have for it right now. Besides, I don't trust my new neighbors." retorted Sunset as she unlocked the lock.

"Okay, okay," said Rainbow Dash, holding up her hands. "Don't go getting all Demon Shimmer on me."

That earned Rainbow Dash a firm punch on her forearm from the redhead, who was now glaring at her. She flinched as her friend readied herself to make another strike.

"Ow, that hurt!" shouted Rainbow Dash, rubbing her sore arm.

"Don't bring that up when Twilight is here. I don't want her to know...yet." hissed Sunset, opening the doors to the cabinet and setting the lock on the floor.

In the cabinet were a row of sleeping bags sitting on the bottom shelf. Sunset had gathered them for some reason she couldn't remember. It might have been for a prank back when she was the bully of CHS. But she couldn't remember, nor did she care for the reason. They had a purpose now, and that was it.

"She'll eventually find out, you know that, right?" asked Rainbow Dash, pushing herself off the wall.

"Yes, Rainbow. I do know that." Sunset said, grabbing a sleeping bag and throwing it at the rainbow-haired girl. "Thanks for the reminder. I may punch you again just for that."

"Please, don't. For a pony from another dimension, you punch hard. Like, really hard. And I need this arm for baseball practice tomorrow." Rainbow Dash said as she caught her sleeping bag.

"Fine. But don't speak another word about...Demon Shimmer." Sunset Shimmer whispered the last words as she saw Applejack and Rarity coming down the stairs from her bed.

Applejack and Rarity joined Sunset Shimmer by the cabinet. The redhead looked down and noticed that the cowgirl was holding the fashionista's hand. A smile made its way to her face as she saw that. She was happy that Applejack and Rarity had each other. As her thoughts drifted from her friends to Twilight, she sighed. She only wished that she could do the same with her crush. But until she could admit her past, she knew it was never going to happen. Realizing that she was getting lost in thought, she shook her head, clearing her mind. Looking at the cabinet, she proceeded to get two more sleeping bags. Grabbing them, she walked over to friends.

"Here's your sleeping bags, girls," said Sunset as the two girls grabbed their bags from her.

"Thanks again, Sunset. We appreciate you letting us all sleep here tonight," said Rarity, giving Sunset a one-armed hug.

Sunset hugged Rarity back, saying, "You're welcome, Rare. It's the least I can do for you girls."

As Rarity pulled her arm away, she felt something ...bumpy. It felt like a scar of some sort. But why? Sunset didn't have any wounds like hers, not that she knew of anyway. She saw Sunset flinch a little, confirming her suspicion that she had you touched something, something that was very sensitive.

"Are you okay, Sunset?" Applejack asked, seeing Sunset flinch as well.

Sunset Shimmer stepped back and looked away. "Uh, yeah. Just sore from being slammed against a brick wall. It turns out they are pretty solid." Sunset lied, not wanting her friends -especially Twilight- to find out about her scars.

"Well...okay, dear. But if you need anything, just come to us," said Rarity, giving Sunset a sympathetic smile.

"I know, and I will if I need to," said Sunset, trying to change the subject. "Go ahead and find your spots to lay down. I will give Fluttershy and Pinkie their sleeping bags."

"Okay," said Applejack before she and Rarity walked over to the couch.

Sunset Shimmer saw Rainbow Dash walk up to where her bed sat. She figured that her friend needed to be in a less crowded area. And maybe...she wanted to give Applejack and Rarity their privacy. Sighing, she focused on grabbing two more sleeping bags from the cabinet. She walked over to where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were. As she approached the couch, she found that Pinkie Pie was sleeping on the animal lover's lap.

"Shhh. Pinkie Pie's sleeping," whispered Fluttershy, holding a finger to her lips.

"Okay. Well, whenever you are ready, here's your sleeping bags. Sorry if they are kind of dusty. I haven't used them in a while." Sunset said, setting them down on the floor next to Fluttershy.

"It's fine, Sunset. It's more than enough that you shared your apartment with us, even though it's barely big enough for you," Fluttershy gave Sunset a small smile.

"I'm just happy to have you girls here. I love our sleepovers. Especially when Pinkie Pie plans them." Sunset chuckled. "She does go all out, doesn't she?"

"Yep. Pinkie Pie loves planning a variety of parties. But especially our sleepovers." replied Fluttershy, gently rubbing Pinkie's shoulder as she talked.

"Hey, have you seen Twilight?" asked Sunset, looking around the room. "I haven't seen her since she left to go to the bathroom."

"No, I haven't either. Twilight might still be in the bathroom," said Fluttershy, looking at the bathroom. "The light is still on."

That made Sunset Shimmer look behind her. As she looked at the bathroom door, she could see the light was on. But there seemed to be no one moving around. It was silent, making her worry that something had happened to Twilight.

Turning back to Fluttershy, she said, "I am going to check in on Twilight. Do you need anything else?"

"No. Go, make sure Twilight is alright," replied Fluttershy.

With that, Sunset Shimmer made her way to the bathroom door. As she got closer, she heard a faint sound. Stepping up to the door, Sunset tried to make out what the noise. After a few seconds, she realized it was someone crying. Leaning back from the door, she wondered what was bothering Twilight. She decided to make sure she was okay.

Knocking three times with the back of her hand, she said, "Sparky…? Are you okay?"

Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting on top of the toilet with her knees pulled to her chest, looked up at the door. Still crying, unshed tears blurred her vision. But as she blinked, her vision cleared up, and the tears fell down her face. She wiped the fallen tears off her cheeks. As she went to get up, she saw the mirror. She had her shirt off, leaving only her bra to cover her chest. But that did very little to hide the ugly scars which covered her shoulder blades. Taking a deep breath, she slowly got up from her sitting position, making sure to ignore her reflection in the mirror. As she gripped the doorknob, she heard Sunset step away from the door. She opened the door a crack and looked at Sunset.

"Y-yes, I am okay," said Twilight, hoping Sunset would see she wasn't okay without letting the other girls know.

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friend. She could see tears were dripping off her chin and jaw. It was clear she had just stopped crying moments ago. Twilight's eyes were also red and little puffy as if she had been crying for the last 20 minutes or so. By the sound of her voice, she could tell that she had been stifling her sobs, which made her voice sound weaker than usual.

"You don't sound okay, Twi," said Sunset, resting her hand on the door. "Can I come in?"

Reluctantly, Twilight Sparkle opened the door, eyeing the others to make sure they weren't watching them. Stepping aside, she let Sunset Shimmer come in. Once the redhead was in the room, she closed the door quietly, not wanting to alert their friends to what was going on. After closing the door, she stood in front of the mirror, not wanting to see her teary-eyed reflection.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" asked Sunset, wiping a tear off Twilight's cheek. "You can tell me."

Twilight Sparkle lifted an arm, placing it on her shoulder. Her fingers barely touched the edges of the left scar. But what she could feel made her want to pull away. It was hard to see the injury, but feeling it was another experience. One she didn't need nor want. Standing in the silence, she looked down, unable to say anything.

As Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle touch her shoulder, she looked in the mirror. Where her friend's fingers rested was one of two scars caused by becoming Midnight Sparkle. She had never seen them so close before. The most she had seen was glimpses as Twilight was careful to keep them hidden. But now, they were almost visible, with Twilight's bra straps hiding only small sections.

"It's…" Twilight began, but her voice cracked, and she struggled to continue.

"It's about your scars, isn't Twi?" asked Sunset, pulling Twilight's chin up, so their eyes met.

"Yes." The weak response was all Twilight could manage as she stared into Sunset's cyan eyes. They seemed almost to swallow her the longer she looked into them.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Sunset Shimmer, letting her hand fall away from Twilight's chin. Instead, she rested just above the right scar, hoping it would relax her friend.

"N-not really," said Twilight, trying not to flinch as she felt the tips of Sunset's fingers rest just above the scar.

As Sunset moved her hand, she felt Twilight flinch. She pulled away, worried that she had done something wrong. As she looked at Twilight, she realized that she had scared her by almost touching her scars. When she saw that, she remembered her wounds. And all the times, she flinched when Applejack or any of the girls hugged her or touched her shoulders in any way.

"Okay, Twilight. I won't push," said Sunset, leaning against the wall. "Should I wait out-"

"No!" shouted Twilight, cutting Sunset off. "I mean, I would like to talk about it, but I am scared. I still remember what happened at camp…"

"I know. It's been hard on you. I can see that. But..." Sunset stepped closer to Twilight, grabbing her hand. "You can trust me, Sparky."

"Sunset…?" asked Twilight, her voice cracking as she fought past her nervousness.

"What is it, Twilight?" Sunset said, looking into her friend's eyes, seeing that she was nervous...and vulnerable.

"Do you hate my scars? Or…" Twilight wasn't sure if she could finish her question. She didn't know if she could handle the answer if it were no. But she had to ask; she needed to know.

Sunset Shimmer didn't say anything. Instead, she slowly removed her hand from Twilight's, moving it up her arm. Letting her fingers trace every line of the girl's arm, she made sure to memorize them. Her fingers delicately made their way closer to her shoulder, slowing down the closer she got. As she got to her shoulder, she stopped for a moment. She waited to see if her friend was okay and willing to let her touch the scar.

As if Twilight Sparkle knew what she was asking for, she got a small nod of approval. Keeping a gentle touch, Sunset let her fingers touch the edge of the scars, not wanting to startle her friend. Still moving, she rested her hand over the surface of the injury. She could feel the bumpy skin underneath her fingers. It was still soft to the touch, almost as if a wing had never sprouted from it. Resting her hand down on the scar, she squeezed Twilight's shoulder.

"Sparky…"

"You hate them, don't you?" asked Twilight, not giving Sunset Shimmer a chance to finish.

"Twilight, look at the mirror, at me," said Sunset as she leaned closer to her friend.

Twilight took a deep breath and did as Sunset asked. As she looked at the mirror, she saw that Sunset's hand was still over her right scar. As she looked at the redhead, she noticed that she had a smile on her face.

"I don't hate your scars, Twilight." Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight's shoulder a firm squeeze. "I love them and...you."

"R-really?" asked Twilight Sparkle, shocked by Sunset's words.

"Yes, Twi. I meant what I said," replied Sunset, letting her hand fall from Twilight's shoulder as she walked around to face her directly. "They make you beautiful...to me."

There it was again — that nagging desire to pull Sunset into a kiss. The redhead was making it near impossible not to do that when she was standing so close. As she stared into Sunset's eyes, she felt herself wanting to be closer to her. Her mind wanted her to kiss the beautiful redhead. But her conscience told her not to as it was too risky. She looked away, afraid that she would give in to that desire and ruin the moment they were having.

"Th-thanks, Sunset," stammered Twilight, becoming flustered.

"You're welcome." Sunset Shimmer stepped back, hiding her flushed cheeks. "Should I let you finish getting ready for bed now that you're doing better?"

"Yeah," said Twilight, stifling a yawn.

"Okay. I will have a sleeping bag for you when you finish here," Sunset said as she opened the door. "I'm thrilled you're here."

"Me too," said Twilight Sparkle as Sunset Shimmer closed the door.

*** *** *** ***

Three hours later, Twilight Sparkle was lying in her sleeping bag, her hands gripping the top of it tightly. Even though it wasn't cold, there was a chill in the air that made Twilight's skin form goosebumps as it touched her hands. As she shivered, she heard someone sigh softly, as if they were too afraid to wake her up. That made Twilight sit up from her position on the floor. She grabbed her glasses, which were sitting on the dresser. Now able to see, she saw it was Sunset who had sighed.

"Sunset...? What time is it?" asked Twilight, making sure to keep her voice low. She didn't want to disturb the other girls.

Sunset Shimmer blinked out of her daze, not expecting to hear a voice calling her name. She looked over to her left and saw that Twilight was looking at her, perched on her elbow.

Sunset gave her an apologetic smile as she said, "Sorry. Did I wake you, Twi?"

"No, you didn't. The usual me being cold did," said Twilight, moving from her elbow to sitting up. "Are you okay, Sunset?"

"It's nothing that you need to worry about," Sunset answered, giving Twilight a small but tired smile. "Go back to sleep, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle, not known for giving in, got up and laid in front of Sunset Shimmer. She reached a hand towards the redhead, letting her fingers rest on her forearm. Gently, she squeezed the girl's arm in a comforting manner.

"Sunset, please tell me what's going on." insisted Twilight, looking at the redhead's cyan eyes, hoping she could see she was genuinely worried for her and wanted to help.

Sunset Shimmer looked away, hiding her eyes from Twilight. She could see the worry, which darkened her eyes and diminished the violet color in them. She stared down at her hands, wondering if she should tell Twilight.

Seeing Sunset look away, Twilight's hand moved down to where Sunset's hands were. As she got closer to one of them, she intertwined her fingers with Sunset's, pulling herself closer in the process. As she rested her arm on Sunset, she used her other one to pull the redhead's eyes to her. She could see that Sunset was resistant to speak, something she had experience with. But she hoped that she could make Sunset know that she didn't have to hide anything from her.

"Please, talk to me…" whispered Twilight, her voice soft and calming.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, ignoring the part of her that didn't like being vulnerable. That was something she had always struggled with, even with the rest of the girls. The only person -well not person per se, more like somepony- she had confided in, was Princess Twilight. She was the only one that Sunset could talk to for the longest time. But here, in front of her, was her human counterpart. She was just as smart, if not more intelligent than the princess, yet she was so much quieter than her. That was one of the many things she had come to admire about Twilight. For all the smarts she had, the purple-haired girl seemed to be clueless about a lot of things, especially her feelings for her. Deciding that it was okay to let Twilight in, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"It's my fault," said Sunset Shimmer after a few moments of silence.

"What is your fault?" Twilight Sparkle asked, a look of confusion on her face. But no sooner had she asked that did she realized what Sunset meant. "Oh...right."

"Those robots are only here because of loose equestrian magic. Equestrian magic, which I brought here. And somehow...that magic got to my game and made all of...this happen." said Sunset, looking at Twilight.

Propping herself onto her elbow, she continued. "I mean, why me? I know I didn't choose this. All I did was get mad at a game. But I didn't want rogue magic to do something to it and make the characters come to life. Even if that magic was brought here...by me…"

Twilight Sparkle squeezed Sunset's hand, hoping to comfort her. Her other hand had begun to rub Sunset's one shoulder, almost instinctively. It was like some part of her wanted to comfort Sunset, as the redhead had done for her. As she continued to rub Sunset's shoulder, she saw her friend smile contently as she seemed to be enjoying the touch.

"The magic may have hit your game, but it wasn't your fault. Based on what I learned from the Friendship Games and what happened at Camp Everfree, the magic isn't completely controllable." Twilight stopped rubbing Sunset's shoulder. "You can't take responsibility for what the magic does on its own."

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Sunset said, "But Twilight, I brought the magic here. I did that without even thinking about-"

"No, Sunset. You can't blame yourself. The magic chose to do this, not you." said Twilight, stopping Sunset from speaking.

"But all I seem to do is attract haywire magic. The Friendship Games, Camp Everfree, and the Battle of the Bands are good examples." Sunset's voice was weaker than before, almost as if she was struggling to speak.

"Hey, none of those were your fault. Especially the Battle of the Bands. You can't choose who does what with the magic. You also can't control what the magic chooses to do, even if you brought it here." Twilight felt her voice quivering as she spoke. "Please, don't blame yourself…"

"But none of this would have happened if I hadn't brought magic here." Sunset's voice cracked as she struggled to keep it from breaking down. "This...this is all my fault. Worst of all, I have no idea how to fix this…"

Twilight Sparkle couldn't stand to see her friend like this. Pulling her hand free from Sunset's, she adjusted her position so she could sit in front of her. Gently, she slipped her arms around Sunset, pulling her into a hug. As she slipped her arms around Sunset's waist, she hugged her tightly.

Sunset Shimmer, taken aback by Twilight unexpectedly hugging her, just sat still for a moment. But as she felt Twilight hug her tightly, she let herself relax and hug her friend back. Her head rested in the crook of Twilight's neck, the scent of lavender wafting up towards her. Lifting her hand, she gripped the hem of Twilight's shirt and pulled her closer to her.

"Thank you, Twi…" whispered Sunset Shimmer as she rested her head on Twilight's shoulder.

"We'll figure this out, Sunset." Twilight's voice was soft but firm. "We all always do. You have me...and the girls. Together, we'll fix this."

Sunset Shimmer took a shuddering breath, trying to keep herself from crying. She felt better knowing that Twilight was there for her. Feeling Twilight's arm around her waist, she felt safe. She felt secure. That was a feeling that Sunset wanted to keep. As she sat there in Twilight's arms, her breathing slowed down.

"Sunset…" Twilight Sparkle pulled back from Sunset, looking directly into her eyes as she spoke. "I know that you can't help but feel that you're responsible. Which...only shows that you have a beautiful heart. And that is something I admire about you."

As Sunset looked at Twilight, a smile made its way onto her face as she heard her friend's words. To learn that Twilight thought she had a beautiful heart, it made her blush.

"I think you have a beautiful heart too, Twilight," Sunset said, her smile widening.

"You know, Sunset, I don't know where...or who I would be if I hadn't met you and the girls. But especially...you. I have never met someone...so amazing." Twilight couldn't help but share her feelings when it came to Sunset. Something about the redhead made her fearless. But...only when she was around her.

"Thanks, Twi," said Sunset, leaning closer to Twilight.

As Sunset Shimmer leaned closer, Twilight felt herself doing the same. Staring into Sunset's eyes, she felt that desire to kiss her again. It made her heart thunder in her chest and her pulse race. The thought of kissing the redhead, of pulling her into a passionate kiss, made her body tremble slightly from the rush of pure excitement and adrenaline as it washed over her. Her eyes drifted to her friend's lips as she slowly leaned in.

Sunset Shimmer saw that Twilight Sparkle was leaning towards her. She realized what was possibly going to happen. That made her want to continue to let the kiss happen. But the sound of Rainbow Dash shifting in her sleep stopped Sunset. Turning to look at her friend, she could see that she was starting to stir. Deciding it was best not to let the kiss happen, she tilted her head to the side and gave Twilight a small peck on the cheek.

"Maybe next time Sparky…" thought Sunset as she sat back and laid down.

As she saw Twilight blush, she said, "We should get some sleep. We still have school tomorrow. And the job of dealing with those animatronics."

Twilight Sparkle started to remove her arm from around Sunset's waist when a hand stopped her. Looking down, she saw that it was Sunset who had stopped her. She felt the redhead squeeze her hand gently.

"Stay...please." Sunset's voice was soft and warm. "I know you're cold. I could keep you warm, I mean if you want me to that is."

Twilight Sparkle smiled and laid down next to Sunset. Her head sat just below the redhead's, allowing her to rest on her shoulder. As she laid next to Sunset, she felt an arm wrap around her, pulling her closer to the redhead. For a moment, a content smile appeared on Twilight's, showing that she was enjoying the feeling of her friend -and crush's- embrace around her.

As her eyes began to close slowly, she whispered, "Thank you…"

Sunset Shimmer smiled at the sight of her sleeping friend, enjoying the moment. She had never slept so well since her first sleepover at Pinkie Pie's house. As she felt her own eyes close, she rested her head near Twilight's, a peacefulness washing over her.

"You're welcome, Sparky…"

*** *** *** ***

"No, no, no!" shouted Springtrap.

He was hiding beneath the gym's window, in a bush, concealing himself. He got a good view of the fight that went down, including when then four animatronics lost to the girls. He didn't know what was worse to watch, Freddy misstepping and falling after stupidly tripping over a basketball. Or the two idiots that stood still holding a bag of sugar that exploded on them. Either way, they didn't do what he wanted. And that had fucked up his original plan.

"Those children are fucking useless, just useless." hissed Springtrap, his hands balling into fists.

Getting up from the bush, he walked away from the window. He wasn't going to stick around and watch the aftermath of his failed plan. The girls could do what they will with the kids for now. Maybe they could even be useful to him getting his revenge on the kids, and getting rid of them once and for all. But that would have to wait to be seen. Still furious, he kicked a rock. It bounced off a tree and hit him in the face.

"Ow, mother-" He took a deep breath. "Okay, so no more kicking random shit. Got it."

He made his way back to the abandoned electrical building. Luckily, it wasn't too far of a walk. Though, the more movement he made, the better his joints seemed to be. So maybe it was a good thing. Walking in, he stood by one of the old desks, leaning on it.

"I can't fucking believe the shit I just saw. I thought four animatronic kids could beat seven puny school girls," thought Springtrap. "Guess that was wrong…"

Walking over to the control panel, he slammed his fists against it. The metal groaned and creaked under the impact. Lifting his fists from the metal, he saw the ident caused by his hit. The edges of the top panels moved upward as the middle was bent and warped, like wrinkled paper. Standing back, he felt his foot hit something. He spun around to see his prisoner was still there. Starting at the Marionette, he saw it lift its head.

"Well, well ...look who has decided to wake up." Springtrap approached the Marionette, kneeling in front of it. "Hmm, that is interesting."

The Marionette tilted its head at Springtrap. This animatronic was not one it had ever seen before. It seemed to be old and broken, not like the ones it had become accustomed to seeing. It looked nothing like toy Bonnie or any of the toy animatronics for that matter. So, who was this weird animatronic that it didn't recognize? It didn't know, but it hoped to find out soon.

"Who...are...you…?" asked the Marionette.

The Marionette's voice was staticky, like a broken radio or television. But it was also very robotic, sounding like it was trying to speak for the first time. The sound of it was very annoying on its own. Yet, as is if karma wanted to have some fun, the concrete building amplified it an even more annoying frequency.

"God, you sound so annoying. Maybe I should put you back to sleep," said Springtrap, covering his ears as he heard the sound.

That made the Marionette tilt its head, confused by what Springtrap said.

"What...do...you...mean?" asked the Marionette.

"What I mean," Springtrap gripped the Marionette's throat, lifting it off the ground, "is that your voice is annoying. And I don't think you should speak."

"What...do...you...mean?" asked the Marionette, repeating its earlier question.

"Great, you're broken," said Springtrap, dropping the Marionette.

Tired of its voice, he kicked its head into the wall. The collision caused the concrete to crack, sending bits and pieces down on it. Surprisingly though, the impact didn't make it shut down. Instead, it lifted its head and tried to stand again. But Springtrap wasn't having any of it. After having a brief, very irritating conversation with it, he wanted his silence back. Using his fist, he looked back into the wall. He repeatedly punched the animatronic until sparks started to fly out from its mask.

"This time, stay...the...fuck...down." Springtrap stopped punching the Marionette and walked back to the control panel. "Or I do something with your circuits that you won't like."

"Well, plan A didn't work," thought Springtrap. "I hope plan B works. Or this will get to plan F, and then it will stand for 'Fuck Me.'"

*** *** *** ***

Freddy banged on the gym doors. But the metal doors held their own against his impacts. Surprisingly, the gym ropes also held firm, not giving way to his attempts either. Growing in frustration, he gave up. His efforts to batter the doors down were not working, even with his improved power. He stomped his way back to bleachers, making the floor crack and splinter under each step.

"Goddamn, those blasted girls! I knew they were working for the night guard," whispered Freddy, looking at the floor as he sat down.

While Freddy pondered on how they could escape, Foxy was getting ready to charge at the two doors. He wondered if combined with his speed, could his strength break down one of the doors. At the moment, it was just a theory. One that he hoped would work. Just as he knelt into the runner's position, Chica walked up.

"What the hell are you up to, Foxy? Doing more laps again?" asked Chica.

Foxy rolled his robotic eyes at her dumb question. They made a clicking noise as they moved around. His annoyance at the questioning was clear. Sure, his friend had asked many stupid questions before; it was her thing after all. But this had to be the dumbest one she'd ever asked.

"Dumbass chicken! That rainbow-haired girl was right – you're just a KFC wannabe." thought Foxy, thinking to himself.

Signing, he decided to finally answer Chica's question, despite the already clear answer being in front of her.

"No, you dumbass. I am going to see if I can break one of the doors with both my speed and strength," replied Foxy.

"But didn't Freddy already try that?" asked Chica, tilting her head.

"Ugh, yes! But I am still going to try, Chica." groaned Foxy, growing infuriated by the questions.

Without waiting for Chica to ask another question, he ran towards the doors. The slipperiness of the gym floor gave him less traction, allowing him to gain more speed. He held out his hook, lowering his head as well. Preparing for impact, he pulled his other arm to his side, going for a shoulder impact. He felt his head hit one of the doors, followed by the metal creaking as it bent.

Bonnie and Chica walked over to their friend, a mischievous look in their eyes.

"What?" asked Foxy, confused by their presence next to him.

As he stood up, he felt a tug on his one arm. Looking down, to his utter surprise, he saw that his hook had become embedded inside the metal of one of the doors. He yanked on his hook, attempting to free from its metal entrapment. But it was unsuccessful, making both Bonnie and Chica burst out in laughter, which echoed loudly in the gym. Turning, he glared at them, clearly angered by their laughing at his ridiculous situation.

"This is not funny, you two imbeciles! Help me get my hook unstuck," shouted Foxy, still trying to free his hook.

Freddy, tired of hearing the others argue, stood up and freed Foxy's hook from the door himself. That caused the red fox to fall back, not ready for the release of his metal hook. That only elicited more laughs from Chica and Bonnie. That time, both Foxy and Freddy glared at them. They stopped after that. Looking at the dent Foxy's collision made, a thought popped into his mechanical head.

"Hmm, the one door barely stood against Foxy's blow. Maybe…"

Turning to the others, he said, "Gang, get over here!"

All the others walked over to where Freddy was, circling him and the doors.

"We need to break down the doors. If Foxy's speed and strength combined could dent it, it shouldn't be able to stand against all of us," said Freddy.

As Freddy glanced at Bonnie, he caught a glimpse of something in the darkest corner of the gym. From what he could manage to see, it seemed to be a...golden version of himself. That was odd, especially as he had never seen that before. Why was it there? Was it there? He blinked, wanting to know if it would still be visible when he opened his eyes. But as he blinked, the golden version of him had disappeared.

Shaking his head, he thought to himself, "Must've been a hallucination…"

Turning his attention back to his friends, Freddy instructed Bonnie and Chica to lean against the door. As they leaned against it, the metal doors groaned, shifting slightly underneath them. Meanwhile, Freddy and Foxy gave themselves a running head start. At the same time, they ran, slamming their bodies on top of Bonnie and Chica's. Now with all their combined weight resting on the doors, it started to give way. The ropes which kept the doors closed begun to break apart as well, finally breaking with a loud snap. Seconds later, all the animatronics were on the ground, laying atop the doors.

"Get. Off. Me!" shouted Foxy, groaning under the weight of Bonnie.

Bonnie got off of Foxy, not wanting to be on him. Now able to stand on his own, he helped him up as well. Once Foxy was on his own feet, he glanced at Freddy, wondering what he had planned next. They hadn't caught the night guard. They were leaning towards seven girls that had managed to trap them in the gym. Thankfully, that part didn't succeed. Yet, that still meant the night guard got away. So, what exactly would be their next move?

Freddy, who was busy pacing back and forth, hadn't noticed that Bonnie was watching him. He was trying to figure out where the night guard could've gone. Something about them made him feel that they knew where the person who attempted to dismantle them was. But he wasn't sure, leaving him with the only option to track down the night guard. Making his choice, he turned to his friends.

"Gang, we're going to split up," announced Freddy.

"Wait a minute, what?" Foxy approached Freddy, raising his hook. "What do you mean split up? Freddy, we have no idea where we are or where the night guard could have gone."

Freddy looked at Foxy, raising one of his eyebrows. "And...you have a better plan, do you?"

That caught Foxy off guard, making him stumble over his own words. "Well, I-I uh...no, I don't," replied Foxy, looking down.

"Well then, we'll split up as I said. Chica, I want you to head west," said Freddy, pointing past the soccer field. He then turned to Bonnie, saying, "And you'll head east."

With their instructions, and their eyes glowing red, Bonnie and Chica headed in their respective directions. As Bonnie made his way further into the woods surrounding the school, he had a gut feeling that told him to look back. When he did, he spotted something, a golden something, hiding partially behind a tree. But as soon as Bonnie blinked, it disappeared. Deciding it was nothing but a trick of the mind, he continued.

Meanwhile, Freddy turned to Foxy. "I need you to head north while I head south, okay?"

"Okay," said Foxy.

With that, Freddy and Foxy walked in opposite directions of each other, heading away from one another. Freddy had managed to find some footprints left by the officer as he ran away. But they stopped after a few feet once they reached the leafy forest floor of the Everfree Forest. That was less than ideal. Yet, it was all he had to go on at the moment.

Freddy sighed. "Well, it looks like the damn idiot ran into the forest. I seriously hope that he hasn't landed himself dead or climbed into a tree. That would be hell," thought Freddy as he stepped foot onto the forest floor, his eyes glowing a bright red.

What Does the Fox Say: Part 1

Sunset Shimmer pulled up to see her friends already waiting for her by the school entrance. Parking her bike, she ran up to them. Around her was constant chatter about something. But the words were so jumbled and spoken above the others that it was impossible to make out what exactly had gotten said. Just as she stood next to her friends, their gym teacher, Rapid Shadow, walked towards them.

"My ropes! They've gotten obliterated!" exclaimed Rapid Shadow, throwing her hands up. "And they were brand new too…"

The girls all looked at each other, realizing what their gym teacher was talking about and what it meant for them.

"You don't think…?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she watched Rapid Shadow disappear behind a corner.

"Um, I am pretty sure that did happen," said Twilight Sparkle. "And that we should check it out."

With that, all the girls ran over to what should've been the gym doors tied together. Instead, there were torn pieces of rope lying on the ground. The doors themselves had been picked up and set against the wall of the building. There were dents all over them, clear evidence that the animatronics had busted their way through the doors. The force was so strong that the hinges that held the doors to the frame had snapped in half. Approaching the doorway, they looked inside the gym. The damage that had gotten caused there was pretty extensive as well. Parts of the wooden floor were scratched, though there whole sections that were just gone, completely caved in.

"Sweet Celestia! They've escaped," said Sunset, shocked by the damage done by the animatronics.

"Well, the ropes sure didn't last long," said Rarity, picking up what remained of one of the ropes. "Guess that was to be expected."

"D-do you think they are still nearby?" asked Fluttershy, hiding behind her hair as she felt goosebumps form all over her arms. "I-I don't want to have to fight them again…"

"Um, Shy? I don't think they are," said Rainbow Dash, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "If they were, I think we'd know."

"She's right," added Applejack. "But now they're free, how are we going to find them? It's a big city, and they could be hiding anywhere."

"I don't know, AJ," said Sunset, sighing. "At the moment, I am just glad they injured no one."

"I just wish we had gotten here sooner, as we had planned," whispered Twilight to herself.

"Why am I not surprised you seven are here?" asked a voice from behind them, startling them half to death.

Sunset Shimmer and the girls turned around to see the school's principal, Principal Celestia, approaching them. She had her hands on her hips, a stern expression on her face. Sunset gulped. She recognized that look from anywhere. That was the same expression both Celestia and Luna had worn the night of the Fall Formal. It was after the talk about the punishment that Sunset ended getting assigned to repair the damage she had made to the front of the school. It was also the same expression Sunset Shimmer had received from Luna when she handed her the brick trowel that night. Gulping, she forced herself to speak.

"H-hi, Principal Celestia." Sunset's voice came weaker than she expected.

"Sunset Shimmer, after the events of the Friendship Games and the debacle at Camp Everfree, I have a feeling equestrian magic has something to do with...this." Principal Celestia pointed to the dented doors. "Is that correct?"

"Yes, Principal Celestia," replied Sunset, her shoulders slumping forward.

She heard the anger beneath the calm and collected facade that their principal put on. And she didn't blame her. It was her idea to trap the animatronics in the gym, hoping that they would stay there. As a result, the gym had some severe damage done to it because of her actions. Yet, just to see that it hurt. Since the Fall Formal, she had worked hard to prove that she had changed, that she was trustworthy. It hadn't been easy, especially during the Battle of the Bands. But she had done it, and she was keen on keeping it. Though, with the animatronics destroying the school because of her, that put that hard-earned trust in jeopardy. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Principal Celestia walk up to her. Not until she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking, she saw that Celestia was gazing at her with a more gentle expression.

"I understand that you have no control over what magic does in our world." Celestial met Sunset's worried gaze. "But, I still need you to fix up the damage caused by whatever the magic did this time."

Sunset Shimmer nodded, grabbing her arm as she watched Celestia. Looking back at her friends, she sighed. It was going to be a long day. Especially since she had to fix the damage her choice caused. She gripped her bag strap, walking with her friends. As she walked up to the school entrance, she passed some people who were carrying two new doors. As she walked past, she heard Principal Celestia call them over to the gym.

"Good thing Principal Celestia is always prepared," said Applejack, looking at the gym area. "Animatronics breaking down doors is an everyday occurrence."

Sunset Shimmer was silent. She didn't feel like saying much, not with her guilt weighing heavily on her. Plus, she was busy thinking about where four big animatronics could have disappeared to. It was one thing when they damaged school property, but they were also dangerous. Just the four presented a hard challenge to beat them. It took everything she and her friends had to be able to knock them out. If they were running around town, that would be putting everyone in danger, especially if any of the animatronics decided to go after someone and ended up killing them.

"They are running loose because of me…" thought Sunset, gripping her arm even tighter. "I have to find them."

"But where could they have gone? They don't know their way around town," mumbled Sunset to herself.

Applejack glanced over at Rainbow Dash. Both of them had overheard what Sunset had said. Looking back at their redhead friend, they could see she wasn't her usual self. After the talk with Principal Celestia, her behavior changed. She became more silent as if what happened with the gym made her feel like she was responsible. She was much quieter than usual. It seemed she was thinking about something, most likely the animatronics. Yet, Rainbow Dash and Applejack knew that Sunset had a habit of blaming herself for everything that went wrong when equestrian magic was involved.

"Sugarcube, you have been awfully quiet. Is everythin' alright?" asked Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer stopped walking after hearing the cowgirl's question. She could hear the worry in her voice, which only made her feel worse. She hadn't intended to worry her friends. Taking a few deep breaths, calming her thoughts, she turned to face her friends. Her hand still gripped her jacket tightly.

"No, AJ, I am not okay. There is at least five dangerous animatronics on the loose. And it's my fault...again…" replied Sunset, throwing her hands up.

"What do you mean again?" asked Rarity, giving Sunset a look of concern.

"Magic came into this world when I brought an element of harmony into it. Since then, I haven't figured out how to control it. Now It's brought dangerous robotic nuisances here, to our world!" shouted Sunset, growing angry at her carelessness and lack of knowledge of how to control the equestrian magic she brought.

Immediately after that happened, she regretted it. The surprised and hurt looks of her friends made her regret it even more. They had just been trying to help her, and she ended up snapping at them. Not that she meant to. She knew that her anger got the better of her sometimes. And when it did, it always seemed to result in her hurting her friends, even when she didn't mean to.

"I'm sorry, girls. I just-"

"No need to apologize, Sunset. We understand that you feel responsible for causing this," said Twilight, interrupting Sunset. "But, this is not your fault."

"Yeah, totally. It's not like any of us can control the magic either," added Rainbow Dash, giving Sunset a small smile.

"Just like with what happened with Juniper Montage and the mirror. And with...me." Twilight gave the redhead's shoulder a light squeeze. "Yes, you brought magic to our world. But it's not your fault that it is unpredictable."

Sunset Shimmer met Twilight's gaze. There was a familiar twinkle in them, one that she knew very well. It was comforting to see it and to feel Twilight's gentle touch on her shoulder. Though it rested just above the one scar, she didn't want to move away. Right now, at this particular moment, she just wanted to stay with her.

Giving the girls a weak smile, she said, "Than you, girls. I am happy to have you as my friends." She turned to Twilight, continuing. "Especially you, Sparky."

Under Sunset's gaze, Twilight Sparkle felt her cheeks heat up, almost becoming a bright red color for a second. Looking away, she was embarrassed that she had blushed in front of her friends and crush. Pulling her hand from the redhead's shoulder, she felt a hand grab hers. Just then, a few snickers broke the silence that had settled between them. All eyes turned to their polychromatic haired friend with raised eyebrows.

As Rainbow Dash saw all the girls looking at her, she stopped. She glanced at Sunset to discover that she had a very annoyed look. Gulping, she realized she had done it again.

"Hehe, I couldn't resist. It's just so obvio-" Rainbow Dash was interrupted by a firm punch to her forearm. Glancing, she saw that Applejack had landed the first one, and was readying for another. Rubbing her sore arm, she mumbled a quick, "Sorry, Sunset."

Just as Sunset Shimmer walked up to Rainbow Dash and was about to do something, the first-period bell rang. Gripping the strap of her messenger bag, she stepped back from her friend. Now was not the time to reprimand Rainbow Dash for laughing. Now was the time to get to class before the last bell rang.

"Come on, girls. Let's get to first period before we are late," said Sunset as she and the girls started making their way to their class, which they all had together.

The girls all made their way to their class just as the late bell rang. Sunset Shimmer sat near Twilight, as always. The rest of the girls either sat behind them or in the desks around them. Applejack chose to sit next to Rarity, always wanting to be close to her. It was clear to everyone but the two that they liked each other. The same could be applied to Sunset and Twilight as well. They did everything together, science experiments, numerous trips to the library, even studying for tests. Anything and everything, they did it together. As Rainbow Dash took her seat next to Fluttershy, she heard the teacher walk into the classroom, a stack of papers in her one arm.

"Morning class, here is today's assignment…" said Mrs. Cheerilee as she set the papers down on her desk, turning to write something on the blackboard behind her.

*** *** *** ***

After a few hours and classes that seemed to drag on, the long-awaited lunch bell rang. Sunset, who had just finished her chemistry homework, scrambled to gather all her stuff. She shoved her notebook and pencil back into her messenger bag, closing the flap once she had finished. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the teacher's desk, homework in hand.

"Here you go, Mrs. Harshwhinny," said Sunset, handing her homework to the teacher.

Taking the finished homework, Mrs. Harshwhinny replied, "Thank you, Miss Shimmer."

With that, she left the classroom, heading for the cafeteria. When she got there, she found it was already crowded and noisy. She could smell what was for lunch, which was spaghetti and meatballs, Granny Smith's favorite special. The line for lunch was long, stretching out the door of the cafeteria. She darted past the students, making her way through the crowds. Finally, after dodging a few trays, she managed to make it through. Looking around, she tried to spot where her friends were. Amongst the crowds of people, she saw a familiar pink-haired girl waving at her.

"Over here, Sunset!" shouted Pinkie Pie, waving her hand around ecstatically.

Sunset Shimmer smiled, walking over to join them. She set her bag down, sitting next to Twilight. That was always her usual spot, had been since the Friendship Games when Twilight had transferred to CHS. Facing her friend, Sunset spoke.

"Hey Twi, did you finish tonight's homework yet?" Sunset asked, giving her an I-have-good-news- smile.

Twilight Sparkle finished eating, swallowing her last piece of pizza. "Yep, as always. I am now starting to work on next week's homework as well." Twilight said, smirking a little.

Both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash's jaws dropped, shocked by what they heard. Sure, they knew Twilight was always prepared. That was her thing. She could always come prepared for anything, which still surprised her friends. Aside from her vast knowledge of well...everything. But this...this was not at all what they were expecting. Yet, Sunset was trying to keep her calm and regain her composure.

"That's awesome. I just handed in my chemistry homework, so I am now officially homework-free tonight," said Sunset, trying to impress her friend a little.

Twilight, being aware of what the redhead was doing, gave her a wink, saying, "Well, then I guess we can continue that gaming session where I was about to beat you then."

"Oh? You thought you were winning, huh?" Sunset leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "We'll just see about that."

Just then, a group of kids walked past their table. Amongst the group, was Trixie. As she saw Sunset Shimmer, she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe Sunset grabbed the crown again and decided to trash the gym. Maybe...she hasn't changed as much as she says she has." Trixie's tone was almost mocking Sunset. "Maybe, she is still...Demon Shimmer."

Involuntarily, Sunset's hand balled into a fist. Hearing the magician mention the Fall Formal and what the school dubbed her she-demon form in front of Twilight Sparkle was not okay. It was aggravating to her to hear someone who had trapped them in a cellar during the Battle of the Bands all so she could win, claiming she hadn't changed. Not to mention all the insults Trixie had thrown at her and her friends. Yet, she knew that the girl's words held no weight. She had changed, learned from her mistakes. That didn't stop a few people, like Trixie and her friends, from thinking otherwise. Deciding that she wasn't going to let her get away with it, she stood up from the table.

"Trixie." Sunset walked up to her, with Twilight following behind. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Trixie scoffed. "I mean, you haven't changed. That maybe you're still the same Sunset Shimmer that became-"

"If you say that one more time, I swear to Celestia that my fist will go right up your-"

Sunset Shimmer stopped as she felt a hand on her back. It rested right on her scars, making her skin form goosebumps. She watched as Trixie gave a weirded out look and walked away. Taking a deep – yet shaky – breath, she turned around. Looking, she saw that it was Twilight Sparkle who had rested her hand on her back. That made her panic even more. The person she was keeping the secret from was now touching the scars from her transformation, unbeknownst to her.

"Sunset? Are you alright?" asked Twilight, pressing her hand into Sunset's shoulder as she gripped it. "It's just Trixie being well, Trixie."

Sunset Shimmer gritted her teeth, clenching her jaw in an attempt to not yell at Twilight. It was becoming harder to do that with her friend's grip resting on her scar. Swallowing, she pulled her shoulder free, walking away from her. Trixie's mention of Demon Shimmer, combined with Twilight's accidental brush against her scar, was the last push. Right now, she couldn't be near her friend. Not until she could gather herself again. She grabbed her messenger bag and started to walk away from her friends. Behind her, she could hear her friend running after her. Just as she was about to exit the cafeteria, she felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Sunset, where are you going?" asked Twilight, confused by what was happening.

"Twilight. Let go of my wrist now," said Sunset through gritted teeth, struggling to keep her voice calm.

Twilight Sparkle obliged, reluctantly letting go of Sunset's wrist. Just as she did that, she saw her friend ran off, sprinting down the hall. As she watched the familiar red and gold hair of her friend disappear around a corner, she sighed. Standing there, in the doorway of the cafeteria, she felt confused...and hurt. This was the first time Sunset Shimmer had ever acted this way. Which just made her wonder why she acted out on today of all days. But the one thing that made it worse was it seemed that she only acted out as she had touched her back.

"Di-did I do something wrong…?" thought Twilight as she hung her head, walking back into the cafeteria.

The redhead kept running, ignoring all the students she was rushing past. Once, she had to dodge Vice Principal Luna to avoid her seeing her running in the halls. Running down a hallway, she found the doors leading outside to the soccer field. She pushed them open as she ran straight for the bleachers. Thankfully for her, the school's soccer team was not practicing today. The bleachers were her particular spot when she needed alone time and when she wanted to cry but not be seen or heard. She had discovered this place back during the Battle of the Bands. It was her escape from the students who still hated her back then. And from the Dazzlings as well. She was grateful they didn't stick around afterward. To deal with them now would've been hell, especially Adagio. Setting her bag down, she sat in the shadows. The coolness felt pleasant to her hot skin, which had become coated in sweat from her running.

Sunset Shimmer wrapped her arms around herself, not caring that she was hot. On her back, she could still feel Twilight's touch. Her gentle, almost nonexistent touch against the one thing she despised of herself. Even though her leather jacket had consisted of relatively thick material, the contact felt as though it was right on her scars. The feeling made the redhead shudder, pulling her arms tighter around herself. What happened in the cafeteria was something she wished hadn't happened.

"Why Twilight...why did you have to touch me there…?" thought Sunset, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested her head on them.

"She didn't mean to do that. You do know that right, Sunset?" asked her inner voice, making its presence known.

"Yes, I do," replied Sunset.

"Then, you would also know that you running away, without any explanation, also hurt Twilight, right?" continued her inner voice.

"Yes…" Sunset knew where this was going. "Before you say I should go apologize and explain what happened to her, just shut the fuck up."

Nothing. There was not a single response from Sunset's conscience. Taking that as I sign that it had left, she sighed. No one knew about her scars, not even the girls. She deliberately kept it from them, ashamed that she had any marks from her transformation. The hardest thing was keeping it from Twilight, especially when she knew that Twilight would most likely understand how she felt—considering that when she had found out about her scars, she realized that her friend had kept them hidden for the same reason. Knowing that it only made her actions weigh even more heavily on her. The scars on her back were a reminder of what happened at the Fall Formal that she became a monster. No, not a monster, a she-demon. That is what she became. A raging she-demon that almost murdered her friends for power.

"Maybe Trixie was right. Maybe I haven't changed…" thought Sunset, wiping a stray tear off her cheek.

A few moments later, she heard a soft voice calling her name.

"Sunset?" asked the voice, just barely louder than a whisper.

Sunset, on a hunch, peeked her head out from under the bleachers. Not surprising, she saw that it was Fluttershy that was calling her name. She knew that soft voice anywhere; after all, the animal lover was the quietest of the girls. For a moment, she didn't want to say anything. But there was a voice in the back of her mind, saying that it was wrong for her to know two secrets from her friends. Deciding that it was right, she motioned for Fluttershy.

"Over here, Shy." hissed Sunset, keeping herself hidden from everyone else.

Fluttershy looked in the direction of where the voice came. She spotted Sunset sitting underneath the bleachers, her back pressed against the seats as she hid the shadows. She knew that spot well. It was her safety spot whenever Sunset Shimmer or her accomplices were trying to find her for their daily verbal beating of her. Sometimes that would escalate to physical if Sunset walked away, giving Snips and Snails full control of what happened. Stepping closer, she bent down.

"Oh, I am so glad I found you, Sunset," said Fluttershy as she walked under the bleachers. "Me and the girls, especially Twilight, were so worried when you ran off."

Sunset Shimmer stared at her lap, unsure of what to say. Though she didn't mind the animal lover's company, she also wasn't in the mood to talk. At all. The growing pit in her stomach made her grow queasy. Twilight Sparkle had touched something extremely...sensitive. Something that she couldn't accept touching most times. She couldn't bear to feel the physical reminders that were left. And she didn't expect anyone else to be able to as well. Not that she could blame them for it. Her friend's gentle touch was a complete contrast to the very monster she became. Even though Twilight Sparkle had been through a very similar experience as well, it wasn't her fault or choice. Her device went out of control with all the equestrian magic it had absorbed. And she didn't even want to open it, but because of Principal Cinch, she did. Yet, when she became Demon Shimmer, it was purely her choice. She could've slammed the crown down and walked away from it. But she chose to have power, and that resulted in her transformation. The vulnerability of admitting it was her choice made Sunset panic. Being vulnerable was not her strong suit and had never been, ever.

"How did you find this spot, Fluttershy?" asked Sunset, looking up from her lap at her friend.

Fluttershy looked away, hiding behind her hair. That was a nervous habit of hers. One that Sunset noticed she often did.

"I found this spot when I wanted to hide...from…" Fluttershy couldn't finish the sentence, knowing that Sunset would be hurt by what she was going to say.

Sunset Shimmer didn't need to hear the rest to figure out what her friend was going to say. Even now, as she sat in front of her friend, she could recall the days she picked on her. At the time, Fluttershy was the most straightforward target. With just a few insults and jabs, she could make her cry. And the redhead took pleasure in having that kind of power over someone, especially someone as weak as the animal lover. Closing her eyes, she tried to fight her way through the pang of guilt that washed over her.

"I'm so-"

"Sunset, when we became friends, I forgave you for your past mistakes," said Fluttershy, resting a hand on Sunset's knee. "No need to keep apologizing."

An appreciative smile slowly lifted the corners of Sunset's mouth, meeting her eyes. "Thank you, Shy."

"You're welcome, Sunset." Fluttershy adjusted her position. "If I can ask, why did you run off earlier? Was it something Twilight did?"

There it was. The one question the redhead was desperately hoping to avoid. It wasn't that she didn't want to answer it. It was the fact the answer would mean revealing that she had scars, same as Twilight, to her friends. And she didn't want to tell them. Not at the risk of them hating her because she had them. Knowing that she had a piece of the...monster she had become permanently etched into her skin, it was enough of a reminder for her. She just wanted the girls to forget about the event as much as possible. To move on from it. Though, deep down, she still couldn't forgive herself, even with their forgiveness.

"I-I...don't feel like talking about it right now, okay, Shy?" replied Sunset, standing up from her sitting position, knowing the bell was going to ring soon.

Just as Sunset Shimmer had predicted, the bell rang. She grabbed her bag, walking out from the bleachers, and followed Fluttershy. As they walked back into the building, she and Sunset ran into the rest of the girls.

"Hey, Sunset, you okay?" asked Applejack.

"Yeah, I'm better." Sunset avoided glancing at Twilight, who seemed to hide behind Rainbow Dash. "Well, see you girls later."

With that, Sunset Shimmer ran off, going to her next class.

*** *** *** ***

As the end of the day was approaching, the final bell rang. Sunset Shimmer was packing up from her last class when she saw Twilight Sparkle walk past her classroom. For a few seconds, their eyes locked, before Twilight looked down and continued walking. Once Sunset Shimmer gathered all her stuff, the redhead made her way to the gym. Twisting and dodging, she pushed her way through the crowd of students until she reached the door leading outside. As she walked over to the gym, she saw her friends, including Twilight, sitting on the benches outside.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Sunset. "This is my mess to clean up."

"Nonsense, darling. You didn't fight the robots on your own," said Rarity, walking up to the redhead. "We are responsible for some of the damage."

"Yeah, like the broken bats and ropes," added Fluttershy as she joined Rarity.

"Yeah, but all this happened because of my-"

"Sunset!" interjected Rainbow Dash. "If you say this all your fault one more time, I'm gonna have to kick your ass," she said, narrowing her eyes, giving the redhead a sly smile.

Sunset Shimmer smiled shyly. She was very thankful for the girls' help and friendship. How she ended up with such amazing friends, she wasn't sure. But she was lucky that much she knew.

"Besides," Twilight Sparkle started. "You'll finish quicker if we all chip in and help."

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friend. She could see that one thing was still bothering her. Though she tried to hide it, Sunset could see the apprehensive look in her eyes. That made her feel worse for her actions. She hadn't intended to worry Twilight, but at the time, all she wanted to do was disappear. Which, in hindsight, now seemed like the worst idea. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was troubling her friend. Only one thing crossed her mind, and she knew she was right.

"She probably is still wondering why I ran off after what happened with Trixie…"

Before she had a chance to explain, Principal Celestia walked up to them.

"Here is a list of what I want you to fix, Ms. Shimmer," said Celestia as she handed Sunset the list. "Some of the supplies are at the hardwood store. I have let them know you'll be by to pick up some supplies."

"Thank you, Principal Celestia. I'll get right on it," replied Sunset, glancing at the list.

Celestia nodded and walked back to her office, leaving the girls to fix the gym themselves.

"The doors, the cracked floorboards, and the ropes." Applejack read the list of tasks. "Well, we can get most of the stuff for the repairs at the store. But we better get goin' if we want to finish before nightfall."

"Yeah, I agree," said Sunset, looking at her friend. "I could use your help and truck to help out with the supplies."

"You got it, Sunset." said the cowgirl, resting an arm on the redhead's shoulder.

"Anyone else want to come to help us?" asked Sunset, looking at the other girls, struggling to control her anxiety when looking at Twilight. Secretly, she hoped that her friend would join her.

"I'll come," said Rarity, walking over to Applejack, close enough to grab her hand.

Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Twilight, with raised eyebrows and a small please-come-with-me smile. She saw her friend shift nervously as if she wasn't of what to do. Seconds passed, then Twilight Sparkle grabbed the broom that was leaning against the wall. Sunset's eyes fell, disappointed that her friend would rather avoid her than be near her.

"I would rather stay here…" Twilight said, keeping her voice low, knowing that her choice had hurt Sunset.

Sunset's heartbeat thundered in her ears, and not in a good way. More like when someone is panicking, and they are watching someone make a choice that is going to cost them their lives. She could feel the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead as she tried to keep herself calm. Her stomach rebelled against her as she realized Twilight didn't want to be near her anymore. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't be upset at her friend for her choice. With her running off after she had tried to help her, her avoidance was easily understandable. That still didn't change how much it hurt to see it.

"Okay, well...see you girls in a bit then," Sunset said in a weak voice, walking toward her bike with Applejack and Rarity right behind her.

Peering behind her shoulder, she saw Twilight Sparkle had started sweeping the bits of rope still lying around. She noted that when she looked back, her friend looked away, avoiding her gaze. That saddened her to see her friend act that way. However, she felt that she deserved that for running off with no explanation to her friends. But, again, it was an understandable reaction. With a deep exhale, she turned back, her eyes down.

The cowgirl squeezed her shoulder lightly. "It's okay, sugarcube. You can make things right when we get back."

*** *** *** ***

A little while after the girls had left, Twilight Sparkle had stopped sweeping, having finished getting all the bits of rope. Thankfully there wasn't much to clean up. For breaking down two doors, there wasn't much of a mess. But that was outside the gym. Inside, there were bits of broken wood everywhere, dust from the bricks that had shifted as well as where the ceiling tiles had moved. She sat down on one of the benches outside the gym entrance, the broom standing next to her.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" inquired Fluttershy, seeing the odd change in her friend's behavior.

Twilight blinked and looked at Fluttershy. "It's nothing, really. Just worried about the animatronics."

"Oh come on, Twi!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, not believing Twilight's excuse. "We all know it's about Sunset." She sat on the bench next to her friend. "We all saw what happened at lunch."

Twilight Sparkle remained silent. It was embarrassing to see that her pain was evident to her friends. She hid her growing embarrassment as she stared at her lap.

"Why...did she react that way? Was it something I did?" asked Twilight with controlled desperation in her voice.

"I don't think that it was anything you did," said Fluttershy. "I think it was just Trixie."

"Then why did she run off after I had touched her? Isn't she usually okay with people touching her?" asked Twilight, recalling all the times she and Sunset had hugged.

Many times, she had touched her, and nothing happened. But maybe that was the thing. Twilight never touched Sunset Shimmer's shoulder; this was the first time that had occurred. Whenever they would hug, she would typically wrap her arms around her lower back. So, maybe there was something about her shoulders that Sunset didn't want her to touch. She was hiding something. But what was it exactly? Of that, Twilight wasn't sure, but she would find that out one way or another.

"Ooh, I am sure Sunset wouldn't mind you touching her," said Rainbow Dash with amusement in her voice.

Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash, clearly not amused by the comment. Turning her attention to Twilight, she said, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah, she is just sometimes sensitive to people touching her," added Pinkie Pie. "You're not the only one she has acted weird around after touching her shoulders."

"Oh…" Twilight fiddled with her skirt, growing more nervous with the conversation. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, she was a different person before you came here. She made some seriously big mistakes," said Rainbow Dash, leaning against the school wall. "But she's changed. And that meant the person she used to be is now her greatest shame. Not that I blame her, she was pretty awful."

"Still, that doesn't give her any right to act that way with her friends," responded Twilight, annoyance in her voice. "With me…"

"No, it doesn't." Fluttershy chimed in, sitting on the bench next to Twilight Sparkle. "You're right. She should not have acted the way she did. But, she might have had a good reason to."

Twilight's arm tensed as she heard Fluttershy say that Sunset Shimmer might've good a reason for pushing her aside. How was that so? Just because she had made some mistakes in the past didn't excuse her behavior. Sunset herself said that to her when she tried to hide her scars from her. She glanced at the animal lover, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I found her after she had disappeared. She seemed shocked, almost panicked. It was like she had PTSD or something. She couldn't bring herself to tell me what was going on. Must've been a horrible memory that got triggered." The animal lover added, seeing the confusion in her friend's expression.

"Wow, now I feel even worse," said Twilight, sighing. "But that's the thing. I never know what's going on in her head. I want to help her. But how can I when she keeps me on the outside?"

"Maybe you can just be there when she does let you in?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"I'm her friend. Yet, I feel like she is never going to see me that way and let me in the way she has with you girls." Twilight Sparkle stared at her hands, continuing. "She's my best friend. And not knowing how to help her, to be there for her, is killing me." By now, her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Look," intervened Rainbow Dash. "Sunset's always acting tough. It's kind of her thing, with the whole biker image she has going. She's used to being on her own, not relying on anyone. So, for her, it's hard to open up and trust someone."

Pushing off the wall, she sat next to Twilight Sparkle and continued. "The girl has a heart of gold, but she's convinced that it's not that way, which makes her skittish around the people closest to her because she's frightened to lose them. And you, Twilight, are the closest, the most important thing to her."

"I am?" asked Twilight, not sure she believed what Rainbow Dash was saying.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "I've never seen her so crazy about someone, not even when she dated Flash Sentry. Though, that was for a different reason… Anyway, she is so Twisexual for you."

"Rainbow Dash!" chastised Fluttershy. "That is not okay."

"What? It is true, and you know that Shy." retorted Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy was now as pink as Pinkie Pie's hair. While Twilight was wide-eyed at what she had just heard, could Sunset really be...Twisexual for her? Just saying the word in her mind felt weird. But one thing that had her the most confused was the fact that she was the most important person in her friend's life. If that was so, why did she run off earlier? Why did she decide to push her away rather than let her in?

"What happened to her in the past?" asked Twilight. "What made her change so much?"

"That...is for her to tell you," said Pinkie Pie as she helped Rainbow Dash move the broken bench. "Not us."

Twilight was about to object when Fluttershy spoke.

"It's something she has dealt with for a while but is still dealing with. It has left some...emotional scars that make it hard for her to talk about it. Just give her time, she'll come around." said Fluttershy.

With that, Fluttershy continued to clean up the broken bits of brick that laid scattered everywhere. That left Twilight to her thoughts. Getting off the bench, she grabbed the broom and helped Fluttershy clean up the rest of the brick pieces and dust.

*** *** *** ***

At the store, Rarity was looking at wood planks with Sunset Shimmer. She was standing in front of some rosewood panels. They seemed rather lovely but would be out of place with the oak panels that made the whole of the gym floor. Besides, they couldn't get it, and it was out of their budget. Sighing, she moved onto the next best thing: improved oak wood panels. They were much more beautiful than the ones already at the gym, yet they didn't look all that much different. That was a decent choice. Glancing over at the redhead, she noticed that she was unusually quiet and depressed. Deciding to see what was up, not that she couldn't figure it out herself, she made her way over to her.

"Sunset, are you okay?" asked Rarity, resting her arm against one of the shelves. "You seem...distant."

"I'm fine, Rare," replied Sunset, not making any eye contact with her friend.

"Right. Because if you were fine, you wouldn't be making any eye contact with me and would be staring..." Rarity looked at the shelf Sunset was staring at, "at some screws and screwdrivers."

Sunset Shimmer looked at Rarity, realizing that her friend had become sarcastic. She saw her friend had a raised eyebrow and a look that said: "Come on, I know you're hiding something." Knowing the fashionista wasn't going to give up easily, she sighed and decided to tell her the truth.

"Okay, I am not fine," said Sunset.

"Oh darling, I knew that," interjected Rarity.

"It's Twili-"

"Twilight, again, I knew it," said Rarity, giving the redhead a smirk. "I am aware of things like that. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart."

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. "If that is so, you would've noticed the doe-eyed looks AJ gives you every time you're near her."

Rarity scoffed, unaware that Applejack was staring wide-eyed at her and Sunset. She had just heard what her friends were talking about. The cowgirl was not one to blush, but this was one of the rare occasions that she did. Walking up, she had a bag of door hinges, new ropes, and some paint to paint the new doors with.

"So, you want to fix things with Twilight then?" asked Rarity, wondering if her theory was correct.

"Yes, Rare. I want to make sure she knows it's not her fault." Sunset Shimmer looked down, staring at the tiled floor of the store.

"You're right. It's not Twilight's fault – it's yours." Rarity's tone was harsh, yet there was a softness to it. "But telling her why you ran off would be a good start."

"I know. But I can't let Twilight know it because of the Fall Formal. Not yet…" Sunset Shimmer replayed the thousands of ways Twilight Sparkle could've rejected her after she knew in her head. It was enough to make her head spin.

"Well, you'll have to do it soon if you keep this up. How long do you expect this charade to last?" Rarity looked behind her to see Applejack. "Oh, hey, AJ."

"I-I don't know," said Sunset.

"Well, I have said my opinion on this. I don't much like all this lyin' to Twilight," added Applejack, smiling at Rarity. "I got all the other supplies. Did y'all pick out the board material?"

Rarity nodded and pointed to the wood she had chosen earlier, leaving Sunset alone. "I chose this one."

"Good choice, Rare," said Applejack, stepping closer to the fashionista. "I will go tell the worker we need about ten or so planks of that."

With those words, the cowgirl left. Rarity returned her gaze to Sunset, finding her still staring at the screws and screwdrivers. Sighing, she walked back over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be easier to tell her the truth rather than all lies," said Rarity, knowing that her words would hurt Sunset. "But you do what you think is best."

As Sunset Shimmer watched her friend leave, she knew what she said was true. That the sooner she admitted the truth, the better it would be. Yet, she couldn't...because she was...afraid.

"I want to tell you, Sparky. I do…"

*** *** *** ***

Fluttershy had wheeled a wheelbarrow full of brick dust, broken wood, and trash to the trash can outside, by the wooded area surrounding the school. Dumping the contents into the bin, she wiped her forehead. It had become covered in a layer of sweat, probably from her helping Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie lift the broken boards from the gym floor. But aside from that, the day was terrific. The sun was out, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. She watched as the birds flew overhead, landing in the nearby trees. As she glanced at the other side of the street, she realized she had forgotten something.

"Oh my, the animals!" Fluttershy gasped. She had forgotten about them. "The poor things. They must be so hungry by now."

Leaving the wheelbarrow behind, she ran a few steps. Just as she was about to cross the road, she halted and turned back for a moment. "What about the girls?"

"They'll be fine. Sunset and the others should be back soon." thought Fluttershy, making her choice.

Running across the street, she continued down the other side. "I'll make it quick. They won't notice I am gone."

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Sunset Shimmer pulled up with Applejack trailing behind her. As she pulled into her spot, she took off her helmet. She could see that Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the bench, unaware that her ponytail had become loose. Sunset always thought she looked better with her hair down rather than in a ponytail.

"They're back!" she heard Pinkie Pie shout as she and Applejack approached the girls.

"We know, Pinkie," said Rainbow Dash, taking a few of the boards from the bed of the cowgirl's truck.

Twilight Sparkle got up from the bench she was sitting on, making sure to avoid Sunset Shimmer as she made her way over to where the others were. Talking to the redhead right now was not something she wanted to do. Not yet, at least. She walked over to Applejack, taking the bag of supplies from her. Once she had a firm grip, she realized just how heavy it was. That made her admire the cowgirl's strength even more. Geode or no geode, she always had immense stamina. Stronger than the rest of the girls were.

"How was the shopping trip?" asked Twilight.

"It was good. Had to keep Rarity from trying to buy bedazzling supplies and rosewood planks," replied Applejack as she grabbed the last of the replacement planks. "Kept reminding her that they wouldn't match."

"They still would've improved the overall look of our school gym." insisted Rarity as she got out of Applejack's truck.

"Well, the school doesn't have the budget to look good, Rare," said Applejack. "At least not expensively good. Unlike CPA."

"Okay, you do have a point there," said Rarity. "But still, we could have at least tried."

Rolling her eyes, Applejack continued walking into the gym. As she walked past the door, she set the wood planks down where Rainbow Dash had set the others. Twilight Sparkle put the bag with them as well. Deciding to sit on the bleachers, she sat next to Sunset Shimmer. It wasn't her first choice, but the Applejack and Rarity, as well as Rainbow Dash, all made sure to give her no alternative. It was clear they all wanted her and Sunset to fix whatever happened between them. Feeling uncomfortable about sitting next to her friend, especially after what happened at lunch, she was about to get up. Just as she stood up, she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey, wait. Twi, can we talk?" Sunset's voice sounded meek, like Fluttershy's when she was nervous about being in front of a big crowd.

"Yes." That was Twilight Sparkle could manage to get out.

"I-I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you…" Sunset Shimmer looked down, taking a breath before continuing. "I was hurting because of something Trixie triggered. And in the process of escaping that, I hurt you." She looked back up, meeting Twilight's gaze, regret, and pain written all over her face.

Seeing that, Twilight Sparkle calmed down and took Sunset's hand in her own. "It's okay. I understand that you have made some mistakes, and that is still a sensitive subject." Twilight said. "I just wish you'd let me in. Let me help you…"

Sunset Shimmer lowered her voice once more, realizing that Twilight Sparkle had figured out she was hiding something from her. Not that she didn't expect that to happen after her strange behavior at lunch. She did. Yet, it was hard to hear that her friend now suspected something. But, it was knowing that she was right in her suspicions that killed Sunset.

"I know," Sunset Shimmer answered, her voice growing quiet. I'm just...I don't…" It was harder now to come up with an excuse. "I am working on letting you in. You deserve the-" She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence. "I just hope that when I do, I don't lose you…"

Twilight Sparkle gripped Sunset's hand tighter. "You won't ever lose me. Nothing in your past will scare me."

Her pulse raced as she heard what Twilight said. It took everything she had to keep herself from spilling the whole truth right then and there. Listening to those words, Sunset Shimmer desperately wanted them to be true. She wanted to believe that if Twilight knew about her she-demon self, Demon Shimmer as her friends and the school dubbed it, it wouldn't scare her away. She hoped that it wasn't going to make her run away. If she lost Twilight because of it, she wasn't sure if she could continue living. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to remain focused on her friend.

"I'll be ready to listen when you decide to let me in," finished Twilight.

In the upper sears of the bleachers, Rarity and Rainbow Dash had proud smiles as they watched Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.

"We're good matchmakers, aren't we?" asked Rarity.

"Ugh, I can't wait for those two to figure out they’re not straight and get things going for Twisexuality," said Rainbow Dash. "Then I can work on you and Applejack."

"Wh-what?!" shouted Rarity.

Before she could say or do anything else, Rainbow Dash darted down the bleachers and disappeared in a flash of colors. She knew better than to stick around when the fashionista was pissed. Unfortunately, she didn't know that back when she had offered to hang out and watch the weekly fashion show with her. When Rarity's favorite contestant lost, she ended up seeing her friend break her TV in half, just by staring at it. Since then, she stayed away from her whenever she got pissed.

Watching the scene unfold in front of them, plus Applejack's growing embarrassment and flushed cheeks, made them chuckle. They both knew that their friends had feelings for each other, yet neither knew it. What Twilight and Sunset, at least on the surface, didn't seem to know was that they too were in a similar position. But right now, that was not their biggest concern at the moment. That would be fixing the gym floor so they could all go home.

"You know, when I said I had tonight free, I didn't plan on doing this," said Sunset as she got up from the bleachers.

"Well, if it makes it any better, we can still see who is going to win that game," Twilight said, elbowing Sunset playfully. "We both know it'll be me."

"Ha, you say that now. Just wait. I will win." Sunset chased after Twilight as she made her way to the pile of wood.

"Heh, we'll see, Miss Shimmer," replied Twilight playfully.

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, and the girls had managed to fix the doors, paint them, and fix the floor afterward. By now, each girl had become covered in sweat. So much so, that each of their shirts clung to their bodies, like wetsuits. Even their hair was dripping with sweat. It was like all of them had just finished a 20-mile marathon, not finished fixing a gym. Sunset walked out of the building, craving the cool breeze that was blowing past. Sitting on the bench, her whole body ached, screaming at her for overexerting herself, especially her lungs, which burned with each breath she took. As she looked around at her friends, who had gathered outside as well, she noticed that one of them was missing.

"Girls, where is Fluttershy?" asked Sunset Shimmer, sitting straight up.

"Last I recall, she was taking some stuff out to a dumpster," said Twilight, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

What is it with me and losing my friends in this damn gym?" muttered Sunset under her breath.

"Let's check there and make sure she is okay," suggested Rarity.

"Agreed," said Sunset.

Getting up, all the girls made their way to the dumpster where the wheelbarrow was still. It was a clear indication that Fluttershy had been there at one point. But the more important point was that she wasn't there anymore. It looked like she had left a while ago. The only sign she had been there was the wheelbarrow.

"Where the hell is Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Maybe she remembered that she forgot to feed all the baby animals at the shelter and left without telling us. Then on her way back, she saw something suspicious and is going to call us," stated Pinkie Pie in her usual matter-of-fact manner.

"How did…" started Rainbow Dash.

"It was just a hunch, Dashy," said Pinkie Pie. "I could be wrong."

"Pinkie admitting that she is wrong? Now I have seen everything," said Sunset. "But you're probably right with the first part. She is most likely at the shelter."

"Then, let's check there," said Twilight.

*** *** *** ***

Locking the door behind her, Fluttershy left the animal shelter.

"There we go, all fed," said Fluttershy, glad that she finally remembered her responsibility. "Now, to get back to the gym before the girls start to worry."

After walking for a few minutes, a pair of squirrels came desperately running up to her. She could tell by their nervous chittering that they were worried. Kneeling, she spoke to them in a calm voice.

"What's wrong little ones?" asked Fluttershy.

"We found something that you may wanna see, Fluttershy." replied one of the squirrels. "Come with us."

"Okay," said Fluttershy, getting up from her kneeling position.

She followed the squirrels down a trail in the woods. In her mind, she thought maybe a baby creature was injured or trapped. But as she watched the squirrels lead her down the trail, she was met with a gruesome scene. On the ground, was a boy who was maybe five years old laying on his back. She covered her mouth as she saw the deep cut running the length of his abdomen. It was wide enough that some of his intestines had spilled free and were hanging off to the side of his body. He was sitting in a pool of his blood, which also coated his shirt, staining it red in the process.

"Oh…" was all that Fluttershy could mutter.

Fluttershy had to look away as she felt her gag reflex kick in. As she vomited on the ground, she felt herself grow lightheaded. She wasn't able to handle gore. Real or not. Often she would opt out of horror movie nights with Sunset and Rainbow Dash because of it. Gathering what strength she had left, she stood back up. Just as she did, she saw her two squirrel friends ran off. Despite her self preservation instincts, she followed them.

In the dirt, were bloodied footprints that were not human. Following them along with the two squirrels, Fluttershy soon reached the edge of the wooded area. As she came out of the clearing, she saw the 8ft fox that she had fought the night before. It was making its way to the playground. Another kid, maybe a year or two older than the kid that was dead, was sneaking behind the fox. Just as he turned his back to hide behind the slide, he heard a whirring noise indicating that the animatronic was turning around. But as he listened to the heavy footsteps of the animatronic move closer to him, he froze. He turned around, seeing that the fox was right behind him, towering over his small stature.

"You're not the guard…" said Foxy in his usual robotic pirate voice.

Panicked screams made Foxy turn around. Unfortunately for the kid next to him, that made his hook slam right into his back, digging deep into his spinal cord. Hearing a grunt, Foxy turned back, only to find a kid attached to his hook. He saw that blood was dripping down his hook and arm, dripping onto the ground below. There was also blood coming from the kid's mouth as his eyes glazed over. Seconds later, the kid said something.

"Wh-why…" The kid coughed, spurting blood all over himself and Foxy. "Why me…"

"Nooo!" screamed Fluttershy louder than she had ever before.

Quickly pulling out her phone, Fluttershy dialed her friends' numbers. She left them all one panicked voice mail as she stared at the fox, now with a dead kid hanging limp from his arm.

"G-g-girls, get over her quickly. I'm at C-canterlot P-park," said Fluttershy, unable to hide the terror in her voice. "Now!"

The rest of the children scattered off in all directions, wanting to get away from the murderous robotic fox, and Fluttershy didn't blame them. But she did find it curious that the fox appeared to be dazed, almost unsure of where it was. That was odd.

Foxy only had one thing on his mind as he tried to free his hook from the kid's spinal cord. "Freddy is going to take me apart for this personally…"

What Does the Fox Say: Part 2

The lifeless body of the older boy fell to the ground, Foxy's hook coming free with a pop. His eyes were glazed and dull as if his soul had left his body. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to avoid throwing up again. But that was unsuccessful. Turning around, she uncovered her mouth and began vomiting for a second time. As she finished, she leaned against a tree, now completely pale and sweaty. One could say she looked like she had caught the flu. If she got any paler, she wouldn't have any skin tone. Leaning against the tree, she started to feel better. So long as she kept her back to the gruesome scene behind her. The sound of approaching footsteps made her glance up to see her friends running towards her.

"Fluttershy!" screamed all the girls as they saw their friend leaning against a tree.

"Are you alright?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she ran up to her. "We saw the dead body back there…"

Fluttershy coughed, her throat raw from her vomiting. "Th-there's another one up ahead."

Sunset, taking Fluttershy's word, walked out of the forested area. That left the rest of the girls to help Fluttershy battle her sickness. Coming out of the clearing, she saw the sight of Foxy standing by a dead boy. Looking down, she noticed that his skin was becoming more ashen by the minute. Her eyes widened with shock. Sure, there had been dead kids in the games, but this was a whole other thing. Now there were two kids dead in the real world, two murders that took place. She took a few steps closer to the animatronic, her anger building with every beat of her heart.

"Wh-what have you done?!" shouted Sunset, yelling at the top of her lungs.

Foxy stared at the redhead, who was yelling at him. He was confused as to what she was doing there. Looking down, he realized that he had killed a kid. After that, he connected the pieces and realized the redheaded girl was after him. Not wanting to be caught, he turned away, bolting for the other side of the woods. His metal feet left impressions as he ran, a literal trail leading right to him. As he disappeared into the shade of the trees, he heard the girl behind him groan.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to chase after Foxy, but her obligation to her friends trumped her desire. Turning back, she ran back to where her friends were now helping Fluttershy to stand.

"Is she okay?" asked Sunset, noticing that Fluttershy had gotten some of her skin tone back.

"Yeah, just a little dehydrated. But Fluttershy will be fine," replied Applejack. "Where's the animatronic that just ran off?"

"In the woods surrounding the park," Sunset said in a monotone. "He didn't want to be seen with the dead kid."

Fluttershy covered her mouth as soon as Sunset mentioned the kid. Luckily, she managed to fight her gag reflex this time.

"Sorry, Shy." Sunset hadn't meant to trigger another vomiting episode.

Fluttershy looked at Sunset. "It's okay. But we should probably go after him before someone else gets killed."

That made all the girls look at Fluttershy with worried expressions. Seeing that, the animal lover tried to reassure her friends. After all, she didn't want them to worry about her. Not when there was a bigger problem at hand.

"I'm okay now. We need to make sure no one else is injured." Fluttershy covered her mouth as she let out a small cough.

"But-" started Applejack.

"I'm fine, really," insisted Fluttershy, her voice sounding strict, like a person's of high authority would.

Fluttershy stopped leaning on Applejack and walked towards Sunset. "Come on. I can help you find that fox."

Sunset Shimmer was about to object when she saw that her friend was ready to give her...the stare. The stare was something Fluttershy rarely gave any animal, let alone her friends. It was something that she used as a last resort. And this was one of those times. The redhead went quiet, realizing that the argument would've been useless. Instead, she allowed the animal lover to go first, following the trail left by Foxy. She walked beside Twilight Sparkle, happy that they were able to reconcile with what had gone on during lunch. As she grabbed Twilight's hand, she heard her thoughts for a moment.

"What is Sunset hiding? I know it's something…"

"Why is she keeping it from me? Is she...afraid of me?"

"I wish she would trust me. Why help me through my pain, but not let me do the same…"

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand away. It was too much to hear her friend's thoughts, especially when Twilight was already figuring out that she was hiding something. Though, the event at lunch probably gave that away. Combined with what Trixie said, Sunset would be lucky if Twilight didn't just connect the two and figure it out before nightfall. She was at least hoping to tell her before that happens. Yet, Sunset wasn't too sure if that was going to be possible if she kept on acting the way she did in the cafeteria. Just then, Sunset felt Rainbow Dash speed past, messing her hair up along the way.

Rainbow Dash, being the fastest of the girls, was the furthest ahead in following in Foxy's tracks. She could still hear her friends following the same tracks behind her, which was good. Getting lost in the woods would be a bad idea, particularly so close to nighttime. Glancing back, she saw Applejack and Fluttershy still trailing just a few feet behind her. Unfortunately, as she turned to look forward, there happened to be a tree right in front of her. With her not paying attention to where she was going, she had veered off the path and now was heading straight for the tree. She attempted to stop but running at her speed, that was impossible. Seconds later, she felt her body impact into the trunk of the tree, falling to the ground soon after.

"Ow…" Rainbow Dash sat up, her head pounding now. "That...fucking hurts…"

"Dashy! Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy, pushing past the others to get to her friend.

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Ugh…I will be when I stop seeing three of you standing over me," replied Rainbow Dash, still trying to blink away the multiple Fluttershys around her.

Meanwhile, Foxy kept running, trying to keep the distance between him and the girls. Behind him, he could still hear some of the girls following him. Ahead of him was a dead-end, meaning that he was now stuck. He looked around, trying to find a temporary hiding spot. He couldn't risk being caught by the girls. He spotted a shrub hiding in some shadows, perfect for concealing himself. Darting over to it, he made himself scarce. Thankfully, the ground beneath him was as soft, so the trail stopped before it pointed to the bush. Kneeling, he closed his one eye, thankful the other had an eye patch.

Sunset, Applejack, and Twilight stopped running after Foxy, leaving behind the four other girls in favor of keeping him in their sights. Though, he was now gone. They had noticed there was a lack of mechanical footsteps. Looking down, they also saw the trail of tracks ended right where they were standing. Plus, there was a dead-end in front of them, which ruled out the animatronic being very far from them.

"Sunset, where's Foxy?" asked Twilight, turning to face the redhead. "He can't have just disappeared, can he?"

"I don't know. Maybe?" replied Sunset, looking behind her. "He is an animatronic fox. Maybe he is just as sneaky as one."

A chill ran up Twilight Sparkle's spine. A giant, red, murderous animatronic fox had somehow disappeared. And her friend didn't know where it was either. That alone made her fear grow even more. How was that possible? It couldn't be. There was no logical explanation for it to disappear. It had to be hiding nearby. But that left the question of where. Something made her turn her attention to the bushes that were around them. She walked over to one of the hedges, turning on her phone's flashlight. As she shone the flashlight beam onto the shrub, she saw something red and reflective. That made her back away, realizing her hunch was right.

"Sunset, Applejack? I think I found Foxy…" muttered Twilight as she pointed to the bush that her phone's light was still on.

Hearing that, Foxy opened his one eye. The flashlight Twilight had almost blinded him with was still shining directly in his face. Standing up from the bush, he ran out. In his haste to get away, he shoved Twilight Sparkle right into the shrub, not caring that he could've hurt her. He ran around the redhead, avoiding her grasp as he dodged her. Continuing to run, he discovered that only the cowgirl was chasing him, making it easier for him to lose her.

Sunset Shimmer ran over to help Twilight Sparkle out of the bush. Just as she got close to her friend, she heard the others join her. She held out a hand for Twilight to take, wanting to help her help. At the same time, she wasn't too keen on holding her hand after what happened earlier. Hearing what her friend was thinking about made her want to keep her distance. Just until everything calmed down, but right now was not the moment to do that.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset's hand, meeting her cyan eyes. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to touch her hand. After what transpired the last time, it made her want to avoid any contact, especially around the shoulder area. Reluctantly, she made her choice and grabbed Sunset's hand. She hoped that as long as she avoided touching Sunset's shoulders, she could prevent another outburst.

"Th-thanks," said Twilight as Sunset Shimmer pulled a bush bramble from her hair.

"You're, uh welcome, Sparky," replied Sunset, nervously rubbing her neck.

"Enough flirting, you two! Applejack needs us," shouted Rainbow Dash, before speeding off.

Applejack had chased Foxy to another dead end, which had a giant boulder pile from a long-ago rock slide. She had him cornered. Or at least she thought she did. Yet, she didn't account for the animatronic to be as agile as it was. She watched in complete surprise as the animatronic fox started climbing the boulder pile. As the fox climbed over a large boulder, it triggered a series of smaller rocks to fall on the cowgirl below. When the fox was about halfway up the border pile, Applejack tossed her hat to the ground, frustrated.

"Enough of the damned senseless chasin'!" shouted Applejack as she started to make her way up the boulder pile behind Foxy.

Carefully, Applejack managed to climb over several of the rocks. Working on a farm helped her be able to have considerable arm strength, which was very helpful in this situation. As she got within 10 feet of the fox, she quickened her pace. She grabbed a rock a few inches above her head. Unfortunately, it was loose. Trying to pull herself up with it, she pulled it out, causing her foot to slip from underneath her. She let herself fall from the rock pile, heading towards the ground.

Just as the cowgirl had started to fall, Rarity and the rest of the girls ran up to her. Not hesitating, Rarity made one of her crystal shields, catching Applejack seconds before she hit the ground. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as the fashionista walked up to her friend, worry darkening her blue eyes.

"Goodness AJ! What were you thinking?! You could've been-"

"I am fine, Rare." Applejack interrupted Rarity, knowing where the conversation would lead. "Honest. I was chasin' that damn fox."

Rarity handed the cowgirl her hat back. "Still, be careful. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you." Her eyes showed her concern, revealing that she cared for Applejack as more than a friend.

Applejack smiled, resting a hand on Rarity's cheek. "I'll be okay, thanks to you, Rare."

Rarity rested her hand over Applejack's. "You're welcome."

Applejack let her hand slide from Rarity's cheek, allowing it to make its way down her neck to shoulder and finally going towards her hand. When she was close, she slowly intertwined her fingers with the fashionista's, so it was not to startle her. To her enjoyment, she felt her friend eagerly intertwine her fingers as well. With their hands intertwined together, Rarity and Applejack walked over to the rest of the girls. That prompted Sunset to look around at the girls, realizing that a certain pink-haired, chipper friend was now missing...again.

"Damn it! Where'd Pinkie go this time?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she scanned the area around them.

They got their answer in a series of loud bangs. Turning their attention to the top of the boulder pile, they saw Foxy running back towards them. His red plastic exterior had gotten covered in a familiar white powder. Upon closer inspection, Sunset Shimmer realized it was sugar. Foxy got closer to the edge and wasn't stopping. He was getting ready to jump off the top of the boulder pile. All the girls scattered, not wanting to be injured. Just then, a cupcake hit a tree next to the fox. The bark had gotten speckled with bits of frosting and batter. The area of impact had become burnt, peeling off some of the bark from the tree trunk. There was another cupcake thrown towards Foxy. But he ducked, causing it to sail over him and land on the ground below. Upon contact with the grass, there was a small explosion. That sent grass and dirt flying all around, hitting the girls in the process.

"Pinkie?!" exclaimed all the girls at once.

"Oh, hey girls!" said Pinkie Pie as she tossed another cupcake at the animatronic fox.

This time, Pinkie Pie didn't miss her target. The cupcake landed squarely on Foxy's back. She smiled in glee as she knew what was going to happen next.

"Oh...n-" shouted Foxy as the explosion got set off, sending him tumbling down the boulders.

He continued downwards until he was about 10 feet away from the girls. He pushed himself off the ground, thankful that his hook didn't slip from underneath him. Once he was fully back on his feet, he darted away from the girls. Unfortunately for him and his escape plan, they had all decided to chase him. As he came to a corner, he made his choice. That choice, unfortunately, was a bad one. The path he chose led to a rickety wooden bridge.

"Up ahead!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she sped towards him.

Without hesitation, Foxy decided to cross the bridge. But being old and neglected, it was not able to sustain Foxy's weight being on it. With every step that he took, the wood boards beneath him creaked and groaned before just snapping in half. He managed to make it almost all the way when he heard the sound of the rope snapping. Looking up, he saw that the binding holding one side of the bridge was breaking apart. A few seconds later, he felt himself falling as the cord holding the bridge gave way to his weight.

Twilight, seeing the animatronic fox falling, acted quickly. Pushing past all her friends, she used her geode powers. Once there was a glowing purple aura around Foxy, she started to lift him. As she continued to lift him, she brought him closer to her and the girls. The closer she brought him, the more her hands and arms started to shake. Raising a 10-ton animatronic was a lot harder than she had expected. Just as she was about to get him to the other side, her strength faltered, causing the magic aura around Foxy to dissipate for a second.

"Twilight…" Sunset looked at her friend, seeing the beads of sweat that were forming on her forehead. "Are you okay? You're starting to sweat."

Twilight Sparkle's body was starting to shake from the exertion visibly. She was struggling to maintain her hold on Foxy. The animatronic's constant movement wasn't making it any easier for her. Luckily, Twilight managed to hold out, letting him hover above the ground for a few seconds. Seconds later, her magic and strength gave out, and he hit the ground with a loud clang.

"Twilight!" shouted all the girls as they saw their friend start to sway before she collapsed. A blur of red and yellow pushed through the girls, catching Twilight Sparkle before her head hit the ground.

Sunset Shimmer rested Twilight's head against her lap, hoping that she was alright. Looking at the girls, she said, "Go, take care of Foxy. I've got her."

Amidst the confusion, Foxy saw an opportunity and took off. His heavy feet pounded the earth as he ran away from the girls. That was his downfall. His heavy footsteps made him a noisy fugitive, catching the attention of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Dash, go get the ropes from the gym!" shouted Applejack as she ran after Foxy.

"But what about your lasso, AJ?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the cowgirl's boots. "Don't you always keep it with you?"

Applejack sighed. "I forgot to bring it. Now, go get the ropes!"

Rainbow Dash nodded. In a flash of rainbow colors, she disappeared. With her super speed, it took her less than a minute to arrive back at the gym. When she got there, she saw that the Wondercolt soccer team was practicing, without her. She ducked behind a tree, avoiding Spitfire's gaze as she ran past the rainbow-haired athlete.

"Oh man, I forgot that soccer practice was today," muttered Rainbow Dash as she made her way towards the gym.

Ignoring the team, she ran into the gym, running over to the storage area. She flung the doors open to see the ropes laying right in front of her. Grabbing them, she ran back out, past the soccer team. She figured she could catch the next practice. Using her speed again, she flashed back over to where the girls were. As she saw the clearing they were in, she slowed down, not wanting to run into another tree. She set the ropes down, taking note that between talking with Rarity, Sunset Shimmer was constantly glancing between Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the girls. Her arms were wrapped protectively around Twilight's upper body as well.

"So, if we set the trap, we should be able to catch him, assuming his weight doesn't just break the ropes," said Sunset, answering Rarity's earlier question.

"Ah, okay. So, why the tripwire trap? Why not another type of trap?" asked Rarity.

"Because-"

"Sunset, Rarity. What are you two up to?" asked Rainbow Dash, approaching her two friends.

Sunset Shimmer jumped at the sound of the athlete's voice. Something that didn't go unnoticed by the fashionista. The redhead felt a hand rest on her knee, prompting her to look away from Twilight. When she did, she saw that Rarity's eyes were boring down at her.

"Relax, Sunset. It was just Rainbow Dash." Rarity turned towards Rainbow Dash and continued. "Sunset and I were just discussing what kind of trap we should set up for our runaway fox."

"Ah. And what's with Sunset's death grip on Twilight then?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to Sunset's arm, which had instinctively wrapped itself tighter around Twilight's body.

"None of your concern, Dash." Sunset Shimmer didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance at her friend's snooping. "So, fuck off…"

Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity, seeing her shock at Sunset's behavior. This behavior was unusual for the redhead. Though, the girls knew she was prone to her having times when her temper got the better of her. And unluckily for Rainbow Dash, she stumbled into one of those times. Knowing it was best not to agitate her friend, she backed away.

"Hehe, sorry I asked…" was all she said as before speeding over to where Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were trying to make the trap.

Rarity turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer. "You know, you didn't have to be so harsh to her. She was just asking a question."

"I know," said Sunset, taking a deep breath. "I just get protective of…"

"I know, dear. Just watch who you snap at." Rarity got up, dusting off her skirt. "I am going to help the others make the trap while you make sure Twilight is okay."

"Okay." Sunset looked back down at Twilight Sparkle, hoping that Rarity was right.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Applejack had chased Foxy into a winding part of the forest. With the trails twisting and turning every few feet, the cowgirl had to stay vigilante on her feet. Several times she almost dropped because the path bent to the right instead of left. But when she passed a sign for Camp Everfree, she stopped.

"What in tarnation? How the hell did we get this far from town?" mumbled Applejack, confused.

Foxy, who had hidden behind some trees, saw the cowgirl standing still with her back turned to him. Seizing the opportunity, he ran past her, shoving her to the ground. He darted back the way they came, confused by the familiar surroundings. As he was running, he noticed that his movements were slowing down. Looking down, he discovered that his joints were seizing up a bit as the reddish rust between them was getting rubbed away. Deciding to keep the distance between himself and Applejack, he continued running. He ran past the girls, not seeing the tripwire that was in front of him. As he approached it, his foot got caught, which sent him tumbling to the ground. Seconds later, a makeshift net wrapped itself around him, keeping him from being able to get back up to his feet.

"Yes! It worked!" shouted Rainbow Dash, punching the air. "We finally caught you, you no-good, murdering fox."

Sunset Shimmer chuckled at what Rainbow Dash said, but there was also a pang of regret. Yes, they had caught the crazy fox. But at the cost of two children's lives. That was what weighed heavily on the redhead's consciousness. Two children were dead, something that the local police weren't likely to overlook. Which only added to her worries. Though, they weren't exactly inclined to think a robotic fox from an indie horror game killed the kids either. As she sat there, her hand caressing Twilight's arm, she got lost in her thoughts.

"Sunset…" Twilight's weak voice brought Sunset back from her thoughts.

"Hey, Sparky." Sunset kept her voice low, giving her friend a half-hearted smile, still caressing her arm.

Twilight Sparkle shifted position, allowing her to see Sunset Shimmer right side up rather than upside down. There were goosebumps up and down her arms from Sunset's touch. Not wanting her friend to let go, she grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Even with her fainting spell, she was awake and aware enough to see that something was upsetting her friend.

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses, keeping them from falling off. "You seem-"

"Distant? Furious? Lost…?" asked Sunset, cutting off her friend. "Because I am Twi. Foxy...killed two children. Two...kids, Twilight."

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a sympathetic smile that reached her eyes. She knew what was going through her friend's head. She knew that deep down, Sunset blamed herself for what happened. Even if it was out of her control and wasn't her fault, that was typical for her. In the time she had known Sunset Shimmer, she had realized that whenever equestrian magic went haywire, her friend was always the first to blame herself.

"Sunset, we'll do everything we can to prevent it from happening again." She touched Sunset's shoulder, thankful that she didn't pull away. "From what it appears, Foxy didn't mean to kill the kids."

After that, Twilight Sparkle wasn't entirely sure of what to say. What Sunset Shimmer had said earlier was true. She couldn't deny that or sugar coat it, and there was no way to. There was no way to bring the kids back. That was something not even equestrian magic could accomplish. Though she wished it was. Looking down, she squeezed Sunset's shoulder for a moment. For a split second, she could've sworn she felt something...bumpy beneath her friend's shirt.

"But that can't be… Sunset hasn't been through a transformation like I have…" thought Twilight, her eyebrows furrowing in the process.

Thinking she just felt nothing, she let her hand fall from Sunset's shoulder, slowly making its way down her arm. It was odd that she felt something familiar to her scars on Sunset Shimmer. But even weirder was the fact that the redhead would keep it from her. Assuming it was true anyway. But, that was another mystery for another day. Standing up, she walked away from Sunset, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She had done all she could for her, and there wasn't much else she could do. And after what happened during lunch, she was hesitant to do more.

Just then, Applejack returned. She walked into the clearing where the rest of the girls were, seeing that Foxy was tied up. Sighing, she saw that she was about to be greeted by a certain purple-haired fashionista. She braced herself for what was to come.

"Applejack!" Rarity shouted as she ran towards her friend. Without even waiting for a response, she gave her a quick hug, which resulted in the cowgirl groaning for a second before she met her eyes. "I was worried sick about you. What on earth took you so long?"

Applejack blushed and pulled her hat down, hiding the sheepish grin that was spreading across her face. She always felt flustered when she felt Rarity's touch against her skin. It was like electricity running through her veins every time — a feeling she loved. And by the looks of it, a feeling that her crush also liked. Then again, maybe the growing redness in Rarity's cheeks could've been from all the running they had done in the last hour. Taking a deep breath, the cowgirl managed to regain her composure and placed her hat back on her head.

"I was chasin' that damned fox all the way to Camp Everfree," replied Applejack, giving the red fox an annoyed glare.

Rarity looked directly into Applejack's green eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Rare, I am fine." Applejack could tell that her friend was worried and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I am a tough cowgirl, after all."

That made Rarity laugh, despite her attempt to keep a serious face. "Alright, if you say so. But promise me you'll take it easy."

"I will," said Applejack, giving Rarity her distinctive stop-worrying-so-much smile.

Seeing her friend join the others underneath a tree, the cowgirl approached Foxy. Her mind was reeling over the chase. Something seemed off about it. The animatronic didn't act normal. Instead of attacking them, it hid from them. Like it was aware of why it was getting chased. Even stranger was how it chose to avoid them like it was aware of what they were doing. Remembering what Twilight Sparkle had said a few days ago, that didn't make sense for an animatronic. If the animatronic was scared or panicked on the other hand, then it's erratic behavior would make sense. Deciding to test a theory, she turned to Sunset.

"Hey Sunset, do you think your powers would work on this here robot?" asked Applejack.

Hearing her friend call her name, Sunset looked up. As she met the cowgirl's green eyes, she could've sworn she saw a flash of concern in them. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. She shook her head, thinking she had just imagined it.

"I-I don't know, AJ. I haven't tried to use my powers on anything that wasn't...human," replied Sunset as her gaze drifted to the fox. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know…" Applejack knelt next to the fox, resting her hand on the cold, smooth metal. "I just have a feeling this here robot isn't just a robot. I think there is something more to it, something...alive."

"Alive? What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Sunset, getting up from the ground.

"Like there is more than just a robot here. Like maybe there is a...spirit attached to it," answered Applejack.

The cowgirl knew she was starting to sound like a crazy person with the whole possession thing. Though, compared to what they had been through, that was relatively normal. Plus, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right about that. There was a human likeness to the animatronic's eyes that she had noticed.

Applejack's theory appealed to Sunset. "You may have something there, AJ. In the game, supposedly five kids were killed and stuffed into these animatronics."

"Oh, that is awful," said Fluttershy, covering her mouth again.

"Yeah. Sorry for mentioning that. I know you're still recovering." added Sunset Shimmer when she realized that Fluttershy was struggling not to vomit again.

"So, do you think there is a kid's soul trapped inside there?" asked Applejack, looking up at Sunset as she approached her.

"Maybe. It's worth a chance, especially if we can get some answers for what they are all running around town," said Sunset, slowly approaching Foxy.

Soon as she was within five feet of the fox, she heard a creaking noise. Looking down, she saw that Foxy had managed to slice through the ropes, freeing his hook. Stepping back, she closed her eyes as she prepared herself to feel his hook in her. To feel it slicing her open, making blood pour down from wherever her injury was going to be. To have blood staining her clothes. Surprisingly though, that didn't happen. She opened her eyes to see Foxy's hook was getting held in an aura of purple magic. Turning around, she found that it was Twilight who was holding off the fox. Not that she expected it to be anyone else.

"Thanks, Sparky." thought Sunset, flashing Twilight a quick smile, which she accompanied with a wink.

Twilight Sparkle hid her face from Sunset Shimmer, not wanting her blushing cheeks to show. Thankfully, the shadows and the setting sun provided enough darkness that it didn't. She continued to hold Foxy's hook as the redhead made her way to the other side, where she was safer. In the back of her mind, something nagged at her, reminding her that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't being completely honest. But she shoved it aside, knowing that right now was not the time to be thinking about that. She cleared her head and focused on keeping Foxy from injuring her friend.

Stepping next to Foxy, Sunset Shimmer rested her hand against the back of his body. "Okay, let's see if there is a kid trapped inside."

Taking a deep breath, she let the memories come to her. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see images. Images of what appeared to be a party. Not just any party either. A birthday party.

*** *** *** ***

A boy, who looked to be about 7 or 8, was running around some tables in what appeared to be a pizzeria. Along with him, there were two other boys and a girl running around. From the looks of it, it seemed they were enjoying a game of tag. Just as one of the boys ran around the one corner of a nearby table, they tripped and fell.

"Ow," groaned the boy as he rubbed his knee.

The other boy who was getting chased came back for his friend. "Are you okay?"

The boy who tripped looked up and gave his friend a devilish grin before saying, "Yeah, and you're it now!"

After that, he got up and started to run away as the boy who was tagged sighed. He rolled his eyes before giving in and chasing his friend. The game continued in this way, with each kid getting a chance to be it. Eventually, the game ended when Freddy brought out a birthday cake. The cake was themed to match the restaurant. It had all the main animatronic characters on it with the words 'Happy Birthday' written in yellow icing. All the kids sat down at one table with the lucky birthday boy.

"Happy Birthday, Jeremy!" said Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice.

Freddy set the cake down on the table, with the candles having already gotten placed on the cake. Once the cake was on the table, Freddy became surrounded by Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. They all stood around Jeremy, preparing to sing the birthday song. They started to sing as Jeremy's mother began to light each candle.

"...Happy Birthday to you!" finished Chica.

Once the song finally finished, Jeremy leaned in to blow out his candles. But he felt a hook touch his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Foxy looking back down at him.

"Don't forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy," said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.

Jeremy nodded, making his wish. "I wish my family and I can come back for my ninth birthday."

In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out his candles. Unaware of the presence of someone who was wearing a used Golden Freddy suit that was watching him. Once his candles were blown out, the cake-cutting started. He was the first to receive his piece, followed by his friends. With the cake cut and served, everyone started to eat. An hour later, Jeremy was the first to finish his piece of cake. After all, he wanted to catch Foxy's Annual Pirate Show. But he needed his mom's permission before he could go.

"Mom, can I please go..?" asked Jeremy, gazing up at his mom with pleading eyes.

Jeremy's mom sighed heavily. Looking at her son, she could see his excitement at getting to see his favorite characters perform. Deciding that because it was his birthday, she couldn't say no. She kissed him on the forehead, smiling.

"Okay, you can go see the show. But come back right after," said Jeremy's mother.

"Okay, mom. I will, thank you," replied Jeremy before he ran off towards the stage.

Just as he was about to approach the main stage, he turned around and motioned for his friend to come as he said, "Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?"

Seeing his friend nod in response, Jeremy ran over to where his other friend was. The seat was right in front of where Foxy did his part of the show, Pirate's Cove. The rest of the gang did their roles on the main stage. Out of the four main characters, Foxy was Jeremy's favorite, mostly because he was a pirate with a cool accent.

"Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who's ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?" asked Foxy.

"We are!" shouted Jeremy, joining the chorus of kids that had yelled out.

Foxy lifted his hook and said, "Well, good. Welcome to Pirate's Cove Treasure Hunt!"

Foxy and his animatronic friends sang a few songs, most of which the kids sang along with. After that, they did their usual sketches, where they went to find buried treasure, which always got hidden in Foxy's Pirate Cove. And with every scene or song that ended, they were met with a course of claps. After about two hours, the show ended as always. Several kids, including Jeremy, wanted it to continue. But a worker with a red and blue Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria shirt came onto the stage a few minutes after the curtain call.

"I know you all want to find the treasure. But Captain Foxy and his mates need to check their maps to make sure that they find the treasure." said the worker, donning a pirate-like accent.

All the kids sighed, some even starting to cry as they heard the news. One by one, each kid went back to their parents, which then comforted their crying child. Jeremy fought his way out from the mass of children rushing to their parents to find his mom waiting for him. He ran up to her, hugging her.

"Come on, honey. We're going home now. Your daddy is coming home today as well," said Jeremy's mother as knelt in front of him.

Jeremy nodded, happy to hear that his father would be returning home. Yet, something had more of his attention right now. He looked around, realizing that his friends were nowhere in plain sight. That confused him. Where could they have gone? He tried to see if they were with their parents. But all he saw were their parents huddled together. It seemed that they were worried too.

"Mom, I am going to say goodbye to my friends," said Jeremy, walking away from his mom.

"Okay, but come back when you finish!" his mother called after him.

Taking a right turn, he started down a long corridor. The corridor led to where the girls' and boys' bathrooms were. Making his way further down the dark hallway, he felt goosebumps appear on his arms. He rubbed them, hoping to alleviate the goosebumps. As he got closer to the bathrooms, he thought someone was spying on him. Turning around, he expected Fritz to be standing behind him. But he didn't see anything but darkness. Shrugging off the feeling, he walked into the boys' bathroom.

"Fritz? Gabriel? Are you guys in here?" asked Jeremy as he checked the stalls one by one.

Once Jeremy's voice stopped echoing against the bathroom's wall, there was silence. It was clear that he was in the bathroom alone. Sighing, he decided that his search of the boys' bathroom was useless and walked out. As he walked out, he saw the girls' bathroom next door. A debate was beginning in his head. Part of him wanted to go into the girls' bathroom, to see if his friend Susie was in there. But another part reminded him that it was wrong to go into the girls' bathroom. Deciding that finding his friend was more important, he pushed the door open.

"Hello, Jeremy. Are you the lucky birthday boy?" asked someone who was in a Golden Freddy costume.

Jeremy stopped opening the door to the bathroom, turning to see who spoke to him. He saw the figure approaching him, wearing the Golden Freddy costume. Furrowing his brow, he said, "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"

The guy laughed as he rested a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "I am a friend. And I see you are trying to find yours."

"I am. Do you know where my friends are?" asked Jeremy, yanking his shoulder free of the figure's grasp.

The figure nodded. "Yeah, I do. Follow me, Jeremy."

Jeremy did just that. He followed the guy down a series of long corridors and darkened doorways. He noticed that as they kept walking, the wallpaper and ceilings became more and more decrepit. There were mold and feces everywhere. It seemed that this part of the building was forgotten and left to rot away. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a mysterious door. On the front was a faded sign which said 'Playroom.' Above him was a yellowed, flickering light that didn't do much to illuminate the hallway they were standing in.

"A-are my friends in th-there?" asked Jeremy, pointing to the door as his voice gave away his increasing fear.

As he saw the boy's fear, the figure knelt and removed the Golden Freddy head. "Yes. Your friends Gabriel, Fritz, and Susie are all in there. They're all waiting...for you."

Jeremy gulped. Something deep down told him this was wrong. That whatever was behind the door was going to kill him. Slowly, he reached out his hand, grabbing the rust-covered doorknob. With a loud, drawn-out squeak, the door swung open. With precaution, he took a step forward, walking into the barely lit room. A few seconds later, as he walked down the steps, he heard the door slam shut behind him. He spun around in a blind panic and pounded against the door. As he tried to find the door handle, he realized that on the other side of the door, there wasn't one. He was locked in.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" asked Jeremy, beginning to panic even more.

There was no answer. The figure had walked away, leaving Jeremy trapped in the room with his friends. He decided that banging on the door was doing nothing useful and began to walk further into the room. Once he was at the bottom step, he saw his friends. But they were all huddled in one corner, their gaze locked on something. Curious as to what they were staring at, Jeremy glanced in the same direction, taking note of a faint, foul-smelling scent.

An old, outdated, Golden Freddy animatronic suit sat in the corner. The aged yellow plastic molding which covered the metal endoskeleton had worn away in several areas. He could see some dried blood on what remained of the plastic. And from what he could see through the holes of the plastic covering, there seemed to be something flesh-like within the animatronic endoskeleton. Shifting his gaze to the head of the suit, he noticed some greenish-yellow mucus-like liquid leaking out of its eye sockets. Stepping closer to the animatronic, he noticed that the foul smell grew stronger. It smelled like decaying flesh, something he recognized thanks to his parents having hunting trips every so often. He covered his nose and mouth with his shirt as he reached out a hand and tapped the animatronic. The single tap was enough to cause the suit to shift, unlocking the spring locks inside.

As the spring locks shifted inside, they forced the suit forward, exposing the back. With the posterior now exposed, Jeremy could see inside it. He gasped when he saw what was trapped inside. It was the body of a girl who had been seen around his school occasionally. Her body had gotten severely mutilated due to the mechanical parts and wires digging into her now greyish, rotting, gooey mush of a corpse. There were also white maggots and flies crawling all around and in her body. It was like a horror movie come to life. He could see that her head had gotten forcibly bashed into the head of the animatronic suit. Still keeping his mouth covered, he backed away, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down.

"Jeremy!" exclaimed Susie, her voice breaking the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you guys," replied Jeremy, giving Susie a quick hug. He could smell that she had vomited recently. "Why did you guys get trapped in here?"

Jeremy heard Susie sigh. "We got trapped because of the same guy that brought you here."

As Jeremy heard Susie mention the guy who brought them all there, he remembered something. The guy was wearing something purple, something that looked like a security officer suit. Of course, he was wearing the Golden Freddy costume over it, and the lighting in the hall did nothing to make it visible. That meant he couldn't be sure, but it did seem to be a purple security shirt from what he did see. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Susie begin to explain how each of his friends got trapped.

A few hours later, the door opened again. Standing in the doorway was the guy the kids now dubbed 'The Purple Guy.' Mostly because of the security suit he was wearing. The light was blinding after hours of sitting in near pitch-black darkness. But that didn't affect their hearing. With every step the guy took, they could hear the steps creak.

"Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?" asked the Purple Guy.

Jeremy and his friends huddled even closer together, finding some comfort in being close to one another. As the Purple Guy got closer to them, they tried to pull themselves into an even tighter huddle. Jeremy, who was the tiniest of the four, attempted to make himself even smaller as the figure got closer. But that was in vain. The Purple Guy was stronger and faster than he was. Feeling a sturdy hand grip his arm tightly, he knew that he was in trouble. Jeremy tried to wriggle his arm free, but it was useless. All he could do was let himself get helplessly dragged away from his friends, knowing he was likely never to see them or his family again.

The Purple Guy pushed Jeremy into a smaller, brightly lit room. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor were covered in plastic like someone was preparing for a gruesome murder. In the area, there were tables with tools spread out on them. The instruments ranged from axes to guns. It seemed every weapon that had the potential to mutilate the human body was there. As Jeremy walked past a circular saw, a shudder ran down his spine. Seeing a room that was full of weapons, he realized what was going to happen. He turned to the Purple Guy.

"Please, mister, don't kill me. My mom will worry about me if I don't come home," begged Jeremy as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes.

The Purple Guy chuckled as he grabbed an ax off the nearby table. "Kid, I am going to kill you. I am going to because...I can. And, as you scream, I will enjoy… every… last… second."

Those words. Those hurtful words that had gotten said to cut away at Jeremy's defenses were enough. The flood of tears that Jeremy was struggling to hold back, finally fell. Standing there crying, he watched as the ax got swung at him. The blade sliced deep into the skin, cutting into the muscle, almost to the bone. His blood poured down his arm from the injury, his pain worsening as he reached a tentative hand towards the cut. Before he had time to see the wound, he felt the ax cut into his abdomen next. The blade cut right below his ribs, barely missing the bone. He screamed with everything he had as he felt the pain of both injuries increase substantially. More blood poured from his body as the ax had gotten yanked free from his stomach, sending him to the ground in the process. A few minutes later, a pool of blood surrounded him, soaking his shirt, pants, coated his hair and skin. Using what strength he had, he looked up at the Purple Guy. Jeremy saw him removing the Golden Freddy costume, setting it aside. With his vision fading quickly, he let out one last sob before collapsing due to blood loss and exhaustion.

The Purple Guy set the ax down and picked up Jeremy's limp body, ignoring the blood which was now smeared all over the plastic covering the floor. He grabbed the sledgehammer off the table next to where the ax was sitting. A gut feeling told him he was going to need it later. Not caring that his shirt had become covered in the boy's blood, the Purple Guy continued to walk down to the main stage. He approached Pirate's Cove, where Foxy stayed when the show ended. He tossed Jeremy's body to the side, walking up to the animatronic. Having prior knowledge of how the animatronics worked, allowed him to be able to open the plastic covering and get to the endoskeleton beneath.

Once he was inside, he pushed aside the mechanical gears and wires, which controlled the animatronic's movements. It was tricky to shove the gears and beams aside, especially as the suit wasn't a spring lock one like Golden Freddy was. But having to get cleaned out every so often meant the beams and wires had to get set aside, which made it easier to clean. And to stuff an 8-year old's body into them as well. Making sure that all gears and wires had gotten aside, he grabbed Jeremy's body and picked him up from the floor, which had become covered in blood. Carefully, he shoved his body into the body of the animatronic. He wrestled with the body for a moment until he finally managed to get all the boy's limbs into the cavity. Stepping back, he admired his handy work.

Everything was in place. Well, everything except Jeremy's head, which was resting against the beams and gears inside Foxy's head. The Purple Guy grabbed the sledgehammer, not happy that Jeremy's head wasn't inside of the animatronic. Raising the hammer above his head, he swung at the boy's head. The hammer hit Jeremy's skull, caving in a section of it. The impact also caused his head to get forced against the beams and gears. After getting forced against the cold metal, Jeremy's skull began to bleed from the front and the back where the sledgehammer contacted with it.

Amazingly, Jeremy was still conscious. Just barely, though, due to the severe injuries he had sustained. Slowly, Jeremy opened his eyes, finding that he was sore and surrounded by darkness. Through the small slits of the eye sockets, Jeremy could see the darkened main stage and party area where he had his party. But it was impossible to keep his vision from blurring as Jeremy lost more blood. He could feel his shirt and pants sticking to him, wet and warm because of his blood. Struggling, Jeremy tried to move his hand, but he found that he couldn't. Something was keeping it pinned down.

Before he could lift his head, he heard someone move behind him, removing something like an airlock. Seconds later, he felt several beams, gears, and wires dig into his body. More blood ran down his already stained clothes and skin. As the rods pushed deeper into his skin, eventually breaking some bones as they fought to get their original positions, he screamed. Or at least he tried. When he opened his mouth, it allowed the one beam that had been pushing at his lips to slip in. He gagged as the metal pushed itself to the back of his throat, ripping out the backside of it, severing his spine. The pain was unbearable, but by now, Jeremy was barely even aware as his eyelids started to droop. He felt the metal gears pushing and tearing away at his shirt and skin, mangling his body further. A few gears shoved themselves into the wounds caused by the Purple Guy's ax, increasing the boy's pain. A few agonizingly painful moments and one last shaky, ragged breath later, he felt his body go limp, his vision going dark for the final time as his heart stopped.

*** *** *** ***

Her hand slid down off Foxy's back as Sunset Shimmer stepped back. The redhead's eyes were flickering back and forth as she was struggling to process what she had just witnessed. The images, though now fading, were still very vivid in her mind. She kept replaying the ax cutting Jeremy's skin open, the blood oozing and pouring from the wound. With every drop of blood hitting the plastic, the sound echoed in her ears. Then the image changed, shifting to when Jeremy opened Golden Freddy, discovering the corpse. The image became distorted, lines of red, blue, and green surrounded the objects making it appear as though she saw it through an altered lens. Yet, she could hear the sound of the maggots eating away at the mush and rot of what was left. The noise was louder than the blood dripping onto the plastic. With every wriggle, the sound of the maggots digging into the moist flesh made her want to gag.

Sunset Shimmer took one step back too many, causing her to trip over a rock. She fell, her rear impacting with the ground. Surprisingly, she didn't register her fall. Or that all her friends were surrounding her, worried about her. Instead, all she noticed was that she felt cold and hot, evidenced by the shivering even though her skin was soaked with sweat, making her shirt cling to her body. She had become focused on the images and memories that she had just seen. So focused that she didn't even notice her breathing was heavy, almost to the point where she was hyperventilating.

"Sugarcube...are you okay?" asked Applejack, resting her hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." was all that the redhead could mutter at the moment.

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack. "Um, is she broken?"

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." repeated Sunset Shimmer, seemingly unaware of what she was saying.

"Yep, she is broken." Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, what are we going to do if we can't snap her out of this?"

"I don't know, Dash," replied Applejack, glancing back up at her friend. "I don't know."

Twilight Sparkle sat next to Sunset, hoping that her presence would help to calm her friend. Looking, she noticed that her friend's pupils had become constricted. It seemed that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't present like her mind was still making her see the memories. But she also noticed that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was crying, which meant that whatever she saw must've affected her big time. Twilight Sparkle raised her arm, getting ready to rest it on her friend's back. Just as she was about to, she hesitated, thinking better of it. With her friend already panicked enough, she didn't want to worsen it by making the wrong choice. And deep down, she didn't want her to run off because she had touched her. The pain of the cafeteria incident was still there, making her feel like a monster. So, she settled for resting it on her knee.

"Sunset?" Twilight kept her voice low and calm as she met Sunset's distant gaze. "Can you hear my voice?"

Sunset Shimmer nodded, her eyes dilating as she started to come back to awareness. She looked at Twilight, thankful that she was there. Looking down for a moment, she saw that her shirt had gotten covered in teardrop splatters. It finally dawned on her that her eyes and cheeks were both wet with tears. Reaching out a shaky hand, she rested it over Twilight's soft one.

Barely managing to speak, she said in a weak voice, "Y-yes, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, grateful that her friend was back. "Are you okay?"

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, still trying to process what she had just seen. "No, not really. But I will be Sparky."

It was Fluttershy's turn to speak. "So, what did you see exactly?"

That question made Sunset Shimmer grow uneasy. It was because of the images that she felt uncomfortable. A part of her wanted to keep her friends from knowing the gruesome information she did. It was bad enough that it was her burden. To burden her friends with it seemed wrong in more than one way. Yet, she also knew deep down that she owed it to them, considering she had worried them. She didn't want to answer it, but reluctantly, she did anyway.

"I saw an 8-year-old boy brutally getting murdered by someone who was wearing a Golden Freddy costume. And he wasn't alone either. He had friends with him– three others. And a dead body in the room with him." replied Sunset, her voice sounding very monotone as she recalled the events. It was clear that she was trying to detach herself from the images. Though, the occasional crack gave away the fact she was stifling her building sobs.

Everyone went quiet after Sunset Shimmer finished speaking. There were some exchanges of worried or shocked expressions before all eyes fell back on the redhead. The information was shocking, and that was barely saying anything. And none of them expected to hear that. Then again, they didn't know what to expect either. Rarity grabbed Applejack's hand, squeezing it tightly as she covered her mouth. Her gag reflex threatened to kick in, but she managed to keep it under control. She felt the cowgirl squeeze her hand back, being mindful of her strength. Having a geode that magically enhanced one's strength wasn't an easy thing to have, as Rarity had seen on numerous occasions.

Twilight, meanwhile, tightened her grip on Sunset's knee. It was all she felt she could do. After the incident at lunch, she now felt there were limits to what was acceptable. Like Sunset had drawn up lines in the sand, making sure that she wouldn't come close to whatever secret she was guarding. Though she had forgiven her for what happened during lunch, it still bothered her, not knowing what caused the sudden burst of anger. But she knew it wasn't going to help if she berated her friend after she had just seen something horrible. As she sat there with Sunset, she heard the sound of what she thought was soft sobbing.

"It's still painful, isn't it?" asked Twilight, glancing at the animatronic fox who was still trapped by the ropes.

"Y-yeah," said Sunset, sniffling as she wiped off a few tears. "It is still hard to see the images…"

"I can imagine. Though, you do seem to be doing better." Twilight pointed out as she kept her gaze locked on Foxy. "So, I guess it's getting easier."

"It is." Sunset Shimmer stood up, still holding Twilight's hand as she pulled her to her feet as well. "But I think it is time we see if we have brought Jeremy back."

"Jeremy?" asked Pinkie Pie, finally breaking her silence. "Who's that?"

"Jeremy is the 8-year-old kid trapped inside that animatronic," replied Sunset, glancing back at Foxy. "I think his soul is trapped inside, just lying dormant."

Gathering what she could manage, Sunset forced the images aside. They were particularly gruesome, yes. And most likely, she was going to need therapy or a lot of journaling to deal with the fall out of what she saw. But right now, she had to concentrate on seeing if Jeremy was still trapped inside. If the memories were any help, then she was right about his soul getting stuck. On the off chance that the memories meant nothing except torture for the rest of her life, Sunset Shimmer was wrong and would've seen horrible stuff for no reason. Cautiously, almost as if she was scared of Foxy, she approached him.

"J-Jeremy? Is that y-your name?" asked Sunset.

The girls all looked at one another then back at Sunset and Foxy, wondering what was going to happen next. Whenever Sunset did something, it was because she had a theory. And she was usually right, most of the time.

Blinking, the animatronic fox looked around at his surroundings. He saw a red and yellow-haired girl kneeling in front of him, her friends standing behind her. Looking down, he saw that his one arm and hook were lying in front of him. Examining his body further, he saw that there were large, heavy ropes tied around his body. Still bound by the thick gym ropes, he struggled against them, trying in vain to free himself. After a few minutes, he stopped, seeing that his bindings weren't going to break. Something, maybe a gut instinct, told him he had to locate Fritz, that he had to get away from these girls. That he had to save his friend, and hopefully, after he found him, they could get away from the strange girls in front of him. He tried once more to break free, but it wasn't successful.

"Jeremy?" Sunset Shimmer asked, repeating herself in a more firm voice. "Is that you?"

Jeremy blinked again; his attention brought back to the girl in front of him. How did she know his name? He didn't remember telling her, or even meeting her until now. That made him pull his hook closer to him, preparing for an attack. Being in an unknown world, he wasn't too sure of who he could trust.

"Yes, my name is Jeremy," replied Jeremy, shocked by the sound of his robotic voice. "Who are you?"

"What the...that is so weird…" muttered Rainbow Dash, not wanting ruin...whatever was happening between Jeremy and Sunset.

The girls were all shocked by the response. The entire time they had seen the animatronics, they hadn't once heard them speak. Now that they did, it was strange. All of them, Sunset Shimmer included, expected the voice to sound like theirs – human. Though, the fact that Jeremy was speaking through an animatronic voice box would explain the sound of it. Standing around Sunset, they all waited to see what was going to happen next.

Sunset Shimmer could feel her heart race in her chest. She clenched her fists, trying to control her breathing. Glancing back, she saw Twilight Sparkle had stepped back and sat on a nearby boulder. Her shoulders were slumped forward, her arms resting on her knees as she looked down. To anyone else, it would've seemed that Twilight wasn't feeling good like maybe she was sick. But to Sunset, it was not that simple. She knew why her friend had chosen to keep her distance, just like she had decided to rest her hand on her knee instead of her back. Her friend was sitting there on the boulder, her mind reeling about what secrets she was hiding. And that was all because she made the wrong choice in lying to her.

"You're damn right about that!" said Sunset's inner conscience, making its presence known. "Your lies are what put you in this position."

"I see that." thought Sunset, not in the mood to talk to her conscience.

"Are you going to tell her the truth? Admit your secret about...Demon Shimmer?" asked her conscience.

"Right now, no," replied Sunset, looking down as she sighed. "After this, yes."

"Hmph. You better." That was the last she heard her conscience say before it went silent.

As Sunset Shimmer looked up, glancing over at Twilight Sparkle, she met her gaze. In the beautiful violet eyes of her friend, she could see that she was troubled – troubled by her odd behavior and how she had acted during lunch. Combined with her knowledge of Twilight's thoughts from earlier, it didn't take much to figure out what Twilight was thinking about. She flashed her friend a small smile that seemed to say, "I'm sorry I hurt you." But she was met with her friend looking away.

"Guess I really fucked up today…" thought Sunset as she returned her attention to the animatronic fox in front of her.

"Jeremy, I am Sunset Shimmer," Sunset spoke in a soft tone, keeping in mind that this was a kid she was talking to, not a murderous animatronic that had killed two children. "And these are all my friends."

One by one, each of the girls stepped closer to Jeremy. Applejack nodded, tilting her hat down as well. Rarity cleared her throat, ignoring the blood dripping off his hook and said a proper 'hello.' Rainbow Dash did her usual 'Sup, the name's Dash, Rainbow Dash' thing. Pinkie Pie apologized for throwing cupcakes at him, which Jeremy said he didn't mind. After all, he wasn't in a human body anymore. The only two who hadn't greeted Jeremy were Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Fluttershy, you going to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Rarity.

Fluttershy shook her head no. She was still too terrified of him and what he did. The very fact he had become trapped in a very tall, powerful, animatronic body that came with a sharp hook was enough to make her not want to approach him. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of his metal hook slamming into the boy's spine. It was a gruesome scene, one that would haunt her forever. And the reason she feared Jeremy now. However, that didn't seem to stop Sunset from walking up to her.

"It's okay, Shy. Jeremy's not going to hurt you," said Sunset, keeping her calm tone.

"I-I don't want to approach him. Please, Sunset." Fluttershy tried not to give in to her fear.

Seeing that her friend was scared, Sunset Shimmer stopped. "Okay, I understand. You can say hi to him whenever you want."

Deciding it was best not to force Fluttershy to try and approach Jeremy when she was terrified, she turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. Though she was a bit worried that her friend wouldn't want to see her, Sunset Shimmer pushed that aside. Especially considering that she was likely the reason she hadn't joined the rest of the girls in greeting Jeremy. Walking up to her friend, she held out her hand.

"Want to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Sunset.

"No." Twilight's voice was quiet, and void of any emotion like it usually was when she was busy thinking. "I don't want to say hi to him right now, Sunset."

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Okay, that's fine, Twi."

The redhead made her way back towards Jeremy, upset by the way Twilight Sparkle had acted towards her. She knew that she had made a mistake in treating her the way she did, but this was different. It was like Twilight was actively trying to figure out that she had become a she-demon at one point. The worst part was that if she kept it up, she would have it figured out quickly. With what Trixie said, her reaction to her touch, and whatever the girls may have said to her, there was more than enough to make it an easy puzzle to solve. As she stood next to Jeremy, she tried to ignore that fact.

"Wh-where are my friends?" asked Jeremy, his voice showing his worry.

"We don't know. We have only seen you so far since yesterday," answered Sunset, looking at him.

"Oh…" Jeremy tried to get out of the ropes once more. But they didn't budge, like before. Giving up, he turned to Sunset. "Um, can you let me out of these, please?"

That question made Sunset Shimmer take a step back, unsure of what she should do. She looked at her friends, wondering what they thought. Some of the girls exchanged worried glances, clearly sharing her worries that Jeremy was only acting friendly so he could get freed. But when they looked at the cowgirl, their expressions changed from fear to apprehension. With an apparent decision made, Applejack walked up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. It seemed she had helped the girls make a choice.

"Untie him, Sunset," said Applejack, glancing at Jeremy.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, walking over to the right side of Jeremy. Bending down, she undid one knot right below his shoulder. As the knot had gotten, the rest of the ropes fell, landing on the ground next to him. Just like that, he had become free from the trap. She stood back as he got back to his feet. Surprisingly, he appeared to be a lot taller the closer she was to him. From a distance, he didn't seem quite as tall. That didn't change the fact that she was going to be unable to forget what she saw in his memories. Though, seeing as though were his memories and he was okay – well, as okay as he could be for an 8-year-old who had gotten savagely murdered – she figured that perhaps she could get through it as well.

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer," replied Jeremy, being mindful of his hook.

Sunset Shimmer smiled at him. "Just call me Sunset, Jeremy."

"Okay, Sunset. Can you help me find the rest of my friends?" asked Jeremy.

Sunset nodded. "But, you have to promise my friends and me that you won't hurt us or anyone else. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," said Jeremy. "But, uh, what do you mean by anyone else? Did I… hurt someone already?"

Author's Note

I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

The Easter Bunny has been very Evil

Jeremy was walking behind Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Behind him, taking up the rear, was Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. They were heading back to the playground, where one of the two kids were. As they made their way there, Rarity and Applejack kept an eye on Jeremy. Yes, he was just a child, but he also happened to be a child trapped inside an animatronic body. And in that body, he could do some severe damage if they weren't careful, like with the two kids. So, as a precaution, they kept their distance, just in case. Eventually, the playground came into view. To Sunset's relief, there were no cops yet. But she knew it was only a matter of time before it was swarming with them.

"Okay, we are here," said Sunset Shimmer as she turned around and faced the girls and Jeremy.

"Where's the body?" asked Jeremy, not seeing the kid's body anywhere.

Sunset Shimmer glanced behind her at the boy's body. She had to cover her mouth to prevent her gag reflex from kicking in. The ground around it was stained dark red from the blood which had drained from the body. It was like someone had tried to use blood to make mud rather than water. However, that was nothing compared to the stench in the air. The playground and the surrounding area reeked of blood. So much so, that the other girls had even covered their mouths and noses as well. Blood was everywhere. Even his shirt had gotten completely soaked on the back and sides. The front was stained as well, but not nearly as much as she figured the back was. His skin had turned pale and ashen. Thankfully, it seemed that him lying on his back hid the injury that Jeremy caused. That made her grateful she had blocked Jeremy's view of it. Scarring him even more than he already was, wasn't part of her plan. Not after all that he had been through.

Turning her attention back to him, she said, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Jeremy?"

Jeremy walked up to Sunset Shimmer, the girls stepping aside as he approached her. He kept his hook at his side, partly because he didn't want to see the blood on it. And partly because it was a safer bet than if Jeremy moved it. As he looked at the redhead, he noticed that she had stepped back from him. That worried him. Had he angered her? Or was she...scared of him? Was it because he had murdered some children? It was an accident. But he figured that she had a right to be afraid, especially since his hook had gotten coated in the boy's blood. So, instead of pushing the matter, he just acted like he didn't notice it.

Jeremy nodded. "Yes, Sunset. I am ready."

Sunset Shimmer swallowed hard, stepping aside and allowing Jeremy to see the boy's corpse. She eyed him, watching for his reaction. It was nerve-wracking for her to be unsure of what seeing the boy's body would do to him. She had a working theory about why Jeremy decided to force his soul into his unconscious. If she was right, this wasn't the first time he had murdered someone. If the game suggested anything, this was far from the first time he had committed a murder.

Jeremy approached the body of the young boy. He looked no older than he was, which was shocking to him. In the boy's still open eyes, Jeremy saw the petrified look he recognized as his own. It was a look Jeremy knew well, having seen many kids become terrified of him whenever Jeremy tried to say hi to them. It was also the look Jeremy knew well, as that was what Jeremy felt when he had died. Kneeling, he moved his hand onto the boy's body.

"Jeremy, don't-" began Sunset Shimmer as she saw Jeremy lift the body and shifting so the body sideways, revealing the injury he caused.

Jeremy lifted the boy's shift and saw the three-inch hole in his back. If one looked carefully enough, they could see the bone of the boy's spine. The hole created by him was deep enough to allow him to see the damage he caused. Curious, Jeremy slipped his hook into the boy's injury. It fit his hook perfectly. There was still some blood oozing from the wound, which trailed down the side of the boy's back as he pulled his hook free.

"I caused this, didn't I?" asked Jeremy, glancing back at Sunset. "I killed him…"

"Yes.." Sunset Shimmer struggled to say the word out loud. It felt like it would do more harm if she spoke it. Yet, it came out, just barely, though, as if she was still fighting herself.

Jeremy looked down at his hook, the silver metal coated in a layer of dried blood. Minutes passed as he continued to eye the metal. He couldn't tell what he felt more strongly, guilt or disgust. By his hand, or rather hook, a kid had died. He was aware of some of the murders he had committed. But he was thankful that none of them were kids until now. In a new world that he knew nothing about with some strange girls that he just met, Jeremy had shattered the one thing he prided himself on not doing. Something that sounded like what could be considered a sigh broke the silence that had fallen over the group.

"Where is the other one?" asked Jeremy, his eyes never leaving the boy's body.

"It's over there, on the trail leading towards the shelter," responded Fluttershy, pointing to the trail that she and her friends had exited when they were chasing after him.

Jeremy looked at the spot where Fluttershy was pointing. "Can I go see him as well?"

"No," was the immediate answer from Sunset. "You can't. We have to get out of here before the police show up."

The girls stood back, unsure of how Jeremy would react to Sunset's response. They all had noticed that his hand had made a fist as she spoke, which didn't seem to be a good sign. Slowly, he pushed himself up, rising to his full 8-foot height. Once he was fully upright, he turned to face the redhead, his eyes shining brightly, a red glow emitting from them. Walking up to her, he raised his hook to her arm, resting it against her shoulder. Wondering was happening, Sunset Shimmer staggered back, her eyes locking into Jeremy's gaze.

"Thank you for showing me what I did," said Jeremy, catching everyone off guard. Hanging his head low, he continued as the red glow emanating from his eyes died off. "I am sorry that I caused more trouble for you and your friends. And I can assure you I will prevent this from happening again."

Sunset Shimmer gulped. "Glad I could help."

"Can I ask you a question?" Jeremy's voice quivered for a split second. "What was I doing before I killed those two kids?"

"You were chasing after a night guard," answered Fluttershy.

"Yeah, just like you were last night," added Sunset.

Jeremy let his hand fall from the redhead's shoulder, stepping back from her. It was clear that he was disturbed by his actions. His eyes, though they were only plastic, seemed to dim as he recalled the events that led up to the deaths of the two kids. His hook rested at his side as he walked past Sunset, stopping when he reached a bench. Standing behind the back of it, he rested his hand and hook on it.

"Where am I, Sunset?" asked Jeremy. "Where is my mom?"

"You're in Canterlot City, and I don't know Jeremy," replied Sunset, still keeping her distance.

"Canterlot City? Well, I guess I am not in Kansas anymore," replied Jeremy, looking at the girls.

Twilight Sparkle sighed. It was fascinating to see Sunset Shimmer talking to Jeremy like she didn't see the animatronic body he was in. Just the 8-year-old boy that was inside. That was one of the many things she had come to admire about her. She could see someone for who they were, not their actions or appearance – something that was evident whenever Twilight confided in her about the Friendship Games and Midnight Sparkle. Looking down, she hid the slight smile that slowly appeared as she reminisced over the memories. Taking a deep breath, she brought herself back to the present. As much as she didn't want to intrude in the conversation happening between her friend and Jeremy, she knew that the cops were going to show up soon.

Twilight Sparkle walked up to Jeremy, resting her hand on his arm. "I hate to ruin this moment, but we need to leave."

"Twilight's right, Jeremy. The cops will be swarming this place soon," interjected Sunset.

"Uh, one problem," said Rainbow Dash. "Where the hell are we gonna hide him?"

Applejack walked up to both Sunset and Twilight, Rarity in tow. "We could hide him at my family's farm. There is an old barn we don't use much anymore."

"Are you sure?" asked Sunset, turning to the cowgirl. "Won't your family notice an animatronic fox suddenly appearing on your farm?"

She glanced over at Twilight Sparkle as she waited for Applejack's answer. She noticed that she seemed to be less lost in thought than earlier. But her eyes still showed signs of anger and confusion. That was a troubling sight to see. Enough so that the hairs on her arm stood on end. Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer returned her attention to Applejack.

"No, they don't really go by the old barn anymore," replied Applejack. "It's perfect for him. And his friends, assuming we can find them, that is."

"Okay, then we go there," said Sunset. "Jeremy, is that okay with you?"

"Yep," replied Jeremy.

With that, all the girls headed out of the park, skipping the trail. They figured it was better not to risk being seen by a body more than they already were. Walking away from the park, they avoided as many open areas just in case there was anyone nearby. Having Jeremy getting spotted wasn't going to make anything better. Especially with his other friends still on the loose. They continued like this, hiking to get to Applejack's farm before nightfall.

*** *** *** ***

Back at the old electrical building, Springtrap was pacing back and forth. His metal feet scraped against the cracked concrete floor as he walked around. The sound filled the void of silence that had settled in the building. In the back of his mind, he had begun to regret not taking the Phantoms with him. They could be of use to him now. But all he had was the one animatronic. And it was glitchy and broken. Clearly, the trip to the new world damaged it.

"But maybe it could provide some useful information…" thought Springtrap, turning his attention to the animatronic.

He walked up to the Marionette, kicking its spindly legs. "Hey, wake up!"

The Marionette stirred, moving its arm underneath its body as it pushed itself up. Something felt different this time. Its circuits felt like they were firing like normal. Looking around, it realized that it was not in the music box anymore. Slowly, it craned its head upward, looking at the source of the voice which had awoken it; Springtrap. Its black, non-existent eyes drilled into him, directing their anger at him.

"Wh-what do wa-want?" asked the Marionette.

"Well, I am glad to hear you can say other words. This was going to be a dull conversation if all you could say was, 'What do you mean?'." Springtrap kneeled in front of the Marionette. "Now that I have you awake, I need something from you."

"What wo-would that be?" The Marionette sat up, leaning against the wall.

Springtrap chuckled, looking down at his hands. "Some information." He glanced back up, his eyes glowing white as he continued. "On your friends."

"M-my friends? What do you wa-want with them?" The Marionette asked, curious as to where this conversation was going.

"I want to find them," replied Springtrap, standing back up. "And I know you can help me. So, tell me – where would your friends be if they were searching for someone in an unknown area?"

The Marionette tilted its head, confused by what Springtrap was talking about. Why were his friends in an unknown area? And what exactly were they searching for? They didn't know, but the fact Springtrap was asking meant he wasn't sure either. If they gave him what he wanted, they knew their friends would be in danger. But refusing meant that they would seal their demise. Springtrap had shown that he wasn't going to take being rebelled against lightly. Choosing to give him what he wanted, they spoke.

"I-I don't know. But de-depending on where they we-were, they would still be in the area." replied the Marionette, its glitchy voice worsening the more it spoke.

Springtrap nodded. "Good. Though, I have to wonder, why would you rat out your friends?"

"I-I don't kn-know…" said the Marionette.

"Hmm, interesting." Springtrap rubbed his chin, or what one could presume was his chin. "Thanks for the info, now go back to being useless."

The Marionette laid back down, its plastic body creaking as it moved. Its eye sockets shut close as if it had eyes, instead of empty pits. Its mind wandered back to its memories. They were foggy and vague, but there. Laying there, the Marionette tried to recall them, to make them clearer. Slowly, as if time had stalled to a stop, the images came into view. But they were scattered and continuously shifting from one thing to another.

As the Marionette laid on the ground, its mind whirling about its almost forgotten memories, Springtrap stood in the doorway of the building. His mind was also reeling, but not about forgotten memories. Instead, it was about where he would most likely find the Marionette's friends.

"If they were still at the high school when I left, they'll most likely be nearby. Assuming those idiot assholes didn't wander off." thought Springtrap.

Looking back, he saw that the Marionette was back to being quiet and still. Just the way he liked it. The annoying sounds that came from it were enough to make him almost miss the sounds of screaming 3-year-olds. Almost… but not really. He walked out of the building, knowing that his "pet" wasn't going to go anywhere. After all, he was on a mission. The girls and the kids they were helping had to die. Now.

*** *** *** ***

After walking for what felt like forever, the girls stopped, resting their tired feet. Sure, Applejack's farm was close to the school. Yet, the park was a good five miles away from the school. Combined with them taking the other routes to avoid Jeremy getting seen, it took even longer. Their feet also ached from walking around on the bumpy terrain instead of the smooth sidewalk. Sitting down on a boulder, Applejack sighed.

"We can't keep up like this forever. We'll have to walk on the sidewalk," said Applejack as she closed her eyes, enjoying the relief of being off her feet.

"And risk exposing Jeremy?" Twilight interjected. "That's a risk we can't take, not until the rest of his runaway friends have gotten captured."

"Twilight's right, AJ. We can't risk exposing Jeremy and his friends," said Sunset, standing next to the cowgirl. "But you have a point – walking around on this uneven ground is an accident waiting to happen."

Jeremy sat down on the ground next to them, his joints groaning in the process. Being in a metal body, he didn't feel the exhaustion the girls did. That was one upside to being forever trapped in an animatronic body. But he still wished he could get away from it. Looking down, he saw the bloodied hook which he had used to kill the boy on the playground. The sight of blood disgusted him enough that he had to turn away. He couldn't stand seeing the blood. Not knowing that it was blood spilled from an innocent kid. Closing his eyes, he shoved his thoughts, and the images associated with them, aside. Sighing, he turned his attention to Sunset.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked.

"Now, we have to continue walking," said Sunset.

"Can we at least do it on the sidewalk? We won't make it home before dark if we keep taking alternate paths to keep a big red fox hidden." Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We're like 10 minutes away if we walk on the sidewalk, but 30 minutes or more with the alternate paths."

Sunset Shimmer looked at Applejack then Jeremy. "What do you guys think?"

"I am cool with it. I doubt anyone is going to notice us," said Jeremy.

"Well, if he is fine with it, I will be happy to agree with him," added Applejack. "My feet sure do."

"Great! Now that was decided, can we please go?" asked Rainbow Dash, her impatience starting to get the better of her.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, standing up as she helped Applejack to her feet as well. Together, the girls started to walk down the sidewalk. By now, the sun had begun to set, lighting the sky with hues of oranges and pinks – almost like a painting on a canvas. It reminded her of the sunsets she used to see back home in Equestria. Holding out a hand, she helped Applejack to her feet. As she and the girls started to walk back down towards the sidewalk, she turned to Jeremy.

“Hey, Jeremy, “ Sunset Shimmer started, keeping her eyes on him as she continued walking. “I hate to ask this, but I have to. Do you know where any of your friends might be?”

“Um, I think they were heading off to find the night guard,” replied Jeremy, his mind trying to find the memories of what his friends went hazily. “Like I was when you girls found me.”

“Great. I just hope the kids don’t kill anyone else while they are out looking for that damn night guard.” thought Sunset as she tucked her hands into her jacket pockets.

As she tried to think of another question to ask him, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Twilight Sparkle. She was still avoiding her a little bit. Not that she blamed her for doing so. Wanting to see how she was doing, she walked over to her. Walking side by side, the redhead found it hard to talk to her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to upset her friend any more than she already had. Or perhaps it was her fear of revealing the truth about her past. Whatever it was, she pushed it aside.

“Hey, Twi. How are you holding up?” asked Sunset, giving her a half-hearted smile.

Twilight Sparkle kept her head down as she spoke. “I am doing okay, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer could sense that Twilight wasn’t in the mood for talking. She looked away, regretting even talking to her. It was clear that it was a mistake.

“Okay, that’s good.” Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure what else to say. “Well, if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Yeah, okay…” muttered Twilight Sparkle, still lost in her thoughts.

Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to push Twilight further, decided to leave her alone. She started walking behind her, allowing her friend to have her space. As she walked, her mind wandered to what had happened at lunch. She realized that she had acted differently towards Twilight. That she lashed out at her, acting colder towards her friend. As that dawned on her, she froze for a moment.

“I...acted so...cold towards her…” Sunset closed her eyes, trying to force the memory aside.

“How many of my friends are here with me?” asked Jeremy, not realizing what was happening with Sunset.

Jolted from her concentration, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Jeremy. “Huh?”

“I asked how many of my friends were here with me,” said Jeremy, repeating his question. “Are you okay, Sunset? You seem like you have something on your mind.”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about Twilight,” replied Sunset. “As for your earlier question, I don’t know. Maybe five, including you.”

“Did they remember who they were at all?” Jeremy asked, continuing to walk next to Sunset. “Or were they like me? Forgotten who they once were?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I don’t know, Jeremy. It seemed that they didn’t remember who they were, but it’s impossible to tell from the few seconds that I was fighting to save my friends and me from them.” Her annoyance at his question was starting to get the better of her.

“Wait, we tried to kill you?” Jeremy was shocked by that revelation.

“Yeah, you tried to kill poor Fluttershy and Rarity,” said Pinkie Pie as she started to walk backward. “Luckily, we were about to knock you out.”

“Actually Pinkie, it was Twi and me that knocked him out,” added Applejack, correcting Pinkie Pie.

“Were they still trapped in the animatronics they died in? Like how I am still trapped inside of the one they call Foxy.” Jeremy looked down at his hook, wondering if he was ever going to get freed from his metal cage.

“I-I think so,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking at Jeremy. “But we’ll know more when we can find the rest of your friends.”

“Okay,” Jeremy said.

*** *** *** ***

After they arrived at Applejack’s farm, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack walked Jeremy to the barn. By now, night had started to fall. The once vibrant oranges and reds had now all but faded away. Which left the sky colored a dark blue hue as the black of night crept up. As Sunset approached the old barn, she saw an old, almost dilapidated building. The paint on the outside was mostly gone, having peeled off in the years of neglect. The walls had some holes where the missing wood either rotted away or splintered off during the hot summers. She approached the two massive wooden doors that were held close by a large wooden beam.

“When you said that you hadn’t been using this barn for a while, I at least thought it was going to be in decent shape,” said Sunset as she pulled the wooden beam from the door.

“Well...we were plannin’ on tearin’ it down. But we got so busy with the farm work and harvestin’ the apples that we kinda forgot to take it down.” Applejack replied, following Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy into the barn.

The barn was nowhere near as big as the main one Sunset Shimmer was used to seeing. That one was big enough to have six horse stalls, a tack room, and a ‘Hay Room’ as Applejack liked to call it. This one, in comparison, only had two horse stalls, a small, make-shift tack room, and the rest of the barn was occupied by towers of hay bales that reached the ceiling. Walking over to one of the towers, Sunset Shimmer started to grab a few hay bales, making a makeshift bed for Jeremy.

“I know this ain’t much Jer, but I hope it is enough,” said Applejack as she grabbed a dust-covered tarp from behind one of the hay bales.

“It’s fine, I like it,” said Jeremy as he sat down on one of the hay bales. “It’s much nicer than the pizzeria.”

“I can imagine,” Sunset said, sitting next to him. “Do you miss the pizzeria?”

Jeremy shook his head. “No, I don’t. I hated it there. I hated being trapped in that awful place.”

“From what I heard about it, I don’t blame you,” said Applejack as she walked over to him. “Anyway, if you need anything sugarcube, just let one of us know, okay?”

“Okay, I will Applejack,” replied Jeremy, turning to face the cowgirl.

“Also, Jer?” started Applejack.

“Yeah?” asked Jeremy.

“You can call me AJ if you want. It’s what my friends do.” finished Applejack, giving him a wink.

With that, Applejack left Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy in the barn. Sunset watched as her friend walked into the main house, closing the screen door behind her. Once her friend was out of sight, she turned to Jeremy, smiling at him.

“So, are you comfortable here?” She asked.

“Yes, I am.” Jeremy tried to smile at her back but remembered that he had become trapped in a robotic body. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here.”

“No problem. We’re happy to help.” Sunset replied.

Jeremy chuckled, his laugh sounded like static on a TV with no signal. “Thanks. Will you and your friends help me find my friends?”

“Of course, we will,” said Sunset Shimmer as she rested her hand on his arm. “We all want to help you and your friends.”

“You promise, Sunset?” asked Jeremy, meeting her gaze.

“Yes, Jeremy. I promise I will do everything I can to help you and your friends.” Sunset’s cyan eyes shone in the moonlight, which appeared through the holes in the roof.

“Good.” Jeremy laid down, oddly feeling exhausted. “I’m gonna take a nap now.”

“Okay.” Sunset let her hand fall away from Jeremy’s arm. “Well, I better be going now.”

After that, Sunset Shimmer exited the barn, closing the two behind her. As she walked away from the building, she hoped that it would remain standing. Having it collapse would be one thing she didn’t need. Shaking her worries aside, she opened the screen door and walked in, closing the door behind her. Walking into the kitchen area, she saw the sight of her friends sitting around a large dining room table.

Pinkie Pie was eating a banana split, which she had quickly whipped up for herself. Sunset had to stifle a chuckle as she saw a mustache made of whipped cream appear on her friend’s top lip. Rarity was helping Fluttershy calm down from the evening’s frightening experiences. She was rubbing the animal lover’s arm, trying to keep her calm. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had sped out of the kitchen and right back to her chair, phone in hand.

“This is so cool! I can’t wait to share this photo on my SnapGap!” said Rainbow Dash as she flipped through the photos she had taken of Jeremy.

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, dear?” started Rarity as she looked at the polychromatic haired girl. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Oh, come on! I just want to share the fact that we have an animatronic fox in our town.”

“Did you already forget what Twilight said earlier?” Rarity stopped rubbing Fluttershy’s arm, turning her full attention to Rainbow Dash. “We can’t risk exposing them, even if it would be for followers or more… awesomeness.”

“Fine, I delete the picture,” said Rainbow Dash, knowing that Rarity had a point.

Twilight, meanwhile, was going through her phone, wondering if she had gotten any texts while she was gone. After checking her contacts and seeing nothing, she sighed and exited out of the app. She looked up from her phone for a split second, catching Sunset’s eye. Just as quickly as she met her gaze, she averted it back to her phone. Right now, she didn’t – no, couldn’t – face her knowing that might be something she was not aware of. So, she busied herself with checking in on her SnapGap account, seeing if the number of followers she amassed, had increased since her last post that afternoon.

“Mmm, apple pie. My favorite,” said Sunset Shimmer as she inhaled the scent of a freshly baked apple pie.

“Yep. Granny Smith loves making apple pies. When it finishes, we can have some.” Applejack said as she set her oven mitts down and walked towards the redhead.

“Well, that sounds good to me,” said Sunset as she sat next to Rainbow Dash at the table.

“How’s Jeremy?” Twilight Sparkle asked, briefly looking up from her phone. “Is he dealing with his situation well?”

“As well as he can for being thrust into a new world and having his memories brought back to him,” replied Sunset, looking over at Twilight.

“Good.” Twilight shifted her focus to Applejack. “Can I take a shower, AJ?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, of course, sugarcube.”

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Twilight Sparkle had finished her shower. She was dressed back in her regular clothes when she walked back out to the kitchen. As she sat down in her chair, Applejack set the freshly baked apple pie on the table. The sweet aroma of the apples and cinnamon drifted towards her, making her mouth water as she inhaled the scent. She glanced at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she was on her phone, busying herself. For a second, she opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But instead, she shut her mouth and looked towards the living room. Behind her, she heard the cowgirl walk, heading upstairs to take her shower.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what game are you playing now?” asked Twilight, turning around in her chair.

“It’s the new Daring Do game; Racin’ Through Time - The Amulet of Ahuizotl,” replied Rainbow Dash as she paused the game. “Wanna play, Twi?”

Twilight Sparkle stole a glance at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she had looked up from her phone. Looking back at Rainbow Dash, she said, “Yeah, why not.”

“Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash, happy to finally have someone to compete with.

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight Sparkle got up from the table, walking into the living room. As she saw her sit down on the couch, grabbing a controller from Rainbow Dash, her heart clenched. It was clear to her that Twilight, although she had forgiven her, was only willing to forgive to a point. She could see that she was pushing her back, keeping her at a safe distance. Sighing, she went back to focusing on her phone.

“So, from what I see, things between you and Twilight aren’t too great, right?” asked Rarity, pushing Sunset’s phone as she met her eyes.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Yeah, I thought we were doing okay. But now, it’s like she is trying to figure out what I am keeping from her. I guess it’s not enough that I admitted that I have something about me that makes it hard to talk about it.”

Rarity pursed her lips as she looked down for a moment. “Well, dear, I don’t think that is enough. Not when she deserves the truth from her best friend.”

Rarity’s words stung like a thousand hot needles digging into her skin. She didn’t want them to be true. Not when it meant she was making the wrong choice. Tossing the thought around in her head, she started to wonder why she was keeping it a secret from Twilight. It wasn’t that she was trying to protect her. Her past was of no danger to Twilight. That eliminated that as a reason. So, why exactly what made her so afraid to tell her best friend about her past? Was it because she was scared? As the word afraid crossed her mind, Sunset Shimmer shuddered.

“You’re afraid of telling her because you don’t want to lose her,” said Sunset’s inner voice, breaking the silence in her head.

“You’re right.” thought Sunset, her gaze drifting downwards to her phone. “I am scared. No, terrified of her… reaction to it.”

“Do you think she’ll run away from you? Or think of you as a…” Her inner voice trailed off as if the next word would break Sunset. “A monster?”

The word made the redhead’s skin crawl. Numerous times she had the word, mostly right after the event of the Fall Formal. It seemed that everyone seized every opportunity to throw the name at her. Despite the pain which followed after someone said, she had gotten used to it. After all, she had manipulated everyone in the school to get what she wanted – to prove to her former mentor that she deserved a power that was never hers to claim. Even now, the guilt of her actions weighed on her. Though not as heavily as it once did thanks to the friendships made with the girls. The word she thought had lost its meaning due to the over repeated use, now buried itself beneath Sunset’s skin.

“Don’t. Don’t say that word,” muttered Sunset, trying to keep the mental war in her head to herself.

“What? Oh, you mean the word ‘monster’? Why do you hate that word so much?” asked her inner voice.

“I just do,” replied Sunset.

“That is not a real excuse. Tell me the real one.” Sunset’s inner voice said, pushing against Sunset’s defensive answer.

“I hate it… because… I think I am still that monster.” replied Sunset slowly, not wanting to admit the reason to herself.

“Well, you technically are that-”

“Sunset? Are you still listening to me?” Rarity’s soft voice interrupted Sunset’s conscience, cutting it off before it could say anything further.

Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked at Rarity. “What?”

“You drifted off after I said that your admitting that you have something that is hard to talk about isn’t enough,” said Rarity as she met Sunset’s worry-filled eyes.

“Oh, right,” said Sunset, closing her eyes as she cleared her thoughts. “Well, you do have a point. But I am so terrified of her reaction that I freeze every time I try to tell her.”

Rarity scooted closer to Sunset Shimmer, thankful that the chairs had wheels on them. She rested her hand on her arm, hoping that it would calm her down. She could hear the distress in the redhead’s voice, which only made her worry more. It was hard to see her care for her friend, yet be tied down by a fear that kept her from freeing herself. Squeezing Sunset’s arm, she gave her a small, close-lipped smile.

“Well, you two did manage to work on it.” Rarity glanced over at Twilight Sparkle, who was currently beating Rainbow Dash at the game. “And judging by how she is acting around you, she is trying to process what you told her.”

“You’re probably right, Rare. But it seems like Twilight wants me at a distance until she figures out my secret.” Sunset’s voice shook as if it pained her to admit what was happening out loud.

“That is to be expected. No one likes to think someone they are close to is hiding something from them.” Rarity’s voice was calm, which was the opposite of how the words made Sunset feel as she heard them.

“Can’t argue with that. If I were in Twilight's position, I’d probably act the same way…” said Sunset, her eyes lowering as she spoke.

Rarity nodded. “So, what is keeping you from telling Twilight? And if I am blunt, I don’t think it is about her reaction. Not that I am saying it’s not part of it.”

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “I guess, I am afraid because… I… love her.”

The words sounded foreign like they were in another language. For the first time, Sunset Shimmer had admitted her feelings aloud. It was like a weight had become lifted off her heart, as she could finally see something that had gotten hidden from her. Yet, just saying the words wasn’t enough. She needed more than that. She needed Twilight’s reciprocation of her feelings. To know that she cared for her as she did.

“Well, if you love her, then tell her. Don’t let it be the reason you push her away,” said Rarity as she got up from the table, walking over to the fridge. “Sunset, if I were you, I would be honest with her.”

Just as she opened the door, Applejack came down the stairs, her hair wrapped into a towel. While Rarity was rummaging through the contents of the fridge, she didn’t hear the footsteps of Applejack approaching from behind her. She grabbed a bottle of apple cider and closed the door. Seconds after she turned around, she bumped into the cowgirl, nearly spilling her drink.

“Oh, AJ, I didn’t see you there,” said Rarity. “Sorry for almost spilling my drink on you, dear.”

Applejack let out her usual warm chuckle. “It’s fine, Rare. It’s my fault for being so quiet. Without my boots, I become pretty dang quiet.”

“So I see,” said Rarity as she set her drink down on the counter. “How was your shower?”

“Good. I needed it, especially after today,” replied Applejack as she rested her hand on the fashionista’s shoulder.

Rarity smiled to herself as the cowgirl’s strong hand rested on her shoulder. It was warm and soft against her skin. It was like she was being caressed by a warm cloud, one that she loved – a feeling she treasured right now. It took all of her willpower not to pull her friend into a passionate kiss right then and there. But somehow, she did it, though barely. Sighing, she turned around to face her.

"Glad you enjoyed your shower," said Rarity, happy to be staring at the cowgirl's green eyes.

*** *** *** ***

At CHS, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were sitting in the library after school. They were sitting in the back, around a circular table. While Sunset Shimmer sat on one side of the table, Twilight sat on the other. On the table sat numerous stacks of books, most of them about algebra and geometry. Twilight Sparkle grabbed another one about geometry, as Sunset Shimmer continued to work on her homework for her advanced physics class. As she flipped through the pages, she glanced up at Sunset. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her focus on the assignment in front of her. It seemed it was much harder to focus whenever the redhead was near.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her paper, noticing that Twilight was staring at her. “Um, Twilight? Is everything okay?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, looking away from Sunset. “Yeah, I was just thinking about something…”

“Oh.” Sunset Shimmer set her pencil down. “What were you thinking about?”

Twilight Sparkle kept her gaze down, not wanting to look Sunset in the eye. What she was thinking about wasn’t something she wanted to share this time. Not when she was thinking about Sunset Shimmer herself. She fiddled with her pencil, trying to decide whether or not she should tell her what her thoughts were about. Saying that she was thinking about what exactly happened to her in her past wasn’t something she wanted to say to her friend. Sighing, she looked up, meeting the redhead’s gaze.

“Here goes nothing…” thought Twilight.

“I was thinking…about what you said yesterday. About how there was something that was hard for you to talk about,” replied Twilight, hoping her answer wouldn’t upset Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer remained quiet, unsure of what to say. She had suspected that Twilight was trying to figure out her past. Yet, to hear her admit it was something surreal. Like a long thought about a theory finally getting confirmed after years of toll and research. She sat there, her pencil sitting still on the table, her hands resting in her lap. What could she say? That it was okay to snoop around in her past without permission? She understood why Twilight was doing it, but for her, it wasn’t okay. Even with her friend’s founded reasons. Finally, after some thought, she sighed and turned to Twilight.

“Ah. I kind of figured, especially after yesterday,” said Sunset. “But um, Twilight? Why are you snooping around in my past?”

That was the question Twilight Sparkle was hoping that wouldn’t come up. Though, she did expect it to come up, despite her hopes of otherwise. As they both sat there in silence, she felt her unease growing. This had never happened before. She used to feel safe, even secure around Sunset Shimmer. Now though, it was like that safeness and security were gone. Replaced by nervousness and suspicion about what else the redhead might be hiding from her.

“I was...trying to figure out what happened, that’s all,” said Twilight, deciding that honesty was a better route to take.

Sunset Shimmer inhaled slowly, trying to keep herself calm. “Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?” asked Twilight, surprised by Sunset’s seemingly calm manner.

“What do you want me to say, Twi? That I don’t want you snooping around?” Sunset asked, looking down at her homework.

“Well, yeah…” Twilight Sparkle responded, sounding hesitant to speak. “That is what I was expecting. Not you being...so calm about it.”

Sunset Shimmer looked up, her eyebrows knitted together. “It’s not like I can stop you, can I?”

“Well, you could. But I would prefer it if you didn’t,” said Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Why do you want to know about my past, Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle bit the inside of her cheek nervously. In her mind, she wondered whether or not she should answer the question. If she did, she feared that she would push Sunset Shimmer away. She didn’t want to keep Sunset from speaking about it. Not if she wanted to keep her questions unanswered. And she had a lot of questions. But, at least for now, she decided not to ask them.

“Because I want to know about you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I hate that there is something that I don’t know about you. A secret…”

“That I am keeping from you?” asked Sunset, figuring out what Twilight was getting at.

“Yeah…” Twilight Sparkle closed the geometry book that she was reading. “We better get going.” She said as she glanced at the time on her phone.

Sunset Shimmer did the same with her physics book. “Twilight?”

“What?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she glanced at Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer smiled and rested her hand over Twilight’s. “I will tell you my secret. Unless, of course, you figure it out before I get the chance.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset. She looked away as she said, “Well, I will give you one chance to tell me.”

Hearing that, Sunset’s heart began to race in her chest. Inside, she was starting to panic, though she kept her cool on the outside. She shoved her homework along with her physics textbook back into her bag. Just as she had finished doing that, she saw Twilight Sparkle get up and leave the library. That was all she needed to realize Twilight wasn’t going to let what happened at lunch or what she had said to console her, go. She slung her bag over her head, resting her bag on her right shoulder. Slowly, she took a deep breath and then walked out of the library.

“One chance, that is all I have…”

*** *** *** ***

A few hours later, all the girls had gathered at Applejack’s farm. After checking in on Jeremy, they all sat in the living room. Twilight chose to sit next to Sunset Shimmer, to her surprise. Especially with what had happened at the library. Nonetheless, the redhead was happy that she could still get to be close to her friend. Though, in the back of her mind, she wondered how long it would last before it shattered. She hoped it would last a while, at least to give her a chance to come clean about her past.

“So what are we going to do now?” asked Rainbow Dash. “It’s not like it was easy to chase Jeremy down. And we only found him because of a trail of dead kids…”

“We can’t very well rely on the trail of dead bodies to tell us where the next animatronic is goin’ to be,” said Applejack as she adjusted her hat.

Sunset Shimmer got up from the couch, walking towards the front door. Rainbow Dash had a point - finding the other animatronics was going to be hard, especially without a trail…of something to follow. But as Applejack had mentioned, they couldn’t just hope to find another trail of dead bodies. With two kids already dead, having more would only worsen the problem. As she thought about it, the more her frustration grew. How could they find the animatronics but not have more deaths in their wake? She didn’t know.

Turning to her friends, Sunset Shimmer said, “So, how do we find the animatronics if we can’t have more deaths?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Maybe, based on what Jeremy was doing, they are doing the same thing,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to help Sunset brainstorm some ideas.

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Though, we have to see if Jeremy agrees. These are supposedly his friends, after all.”

With that said, all the girls got up and made their way to the barn Jeremy was hiding in. Luckily for them, the barn was hidden from view to passersby. And that Granny Smith and Applejack’s little sister, Applebloom, were gone for the day. Arriving at the barn, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle opened both doors, allowing their friends to walk in before them. Sunset walked in after Twilight did, closing the one door behind her.

“Hey Jeremy, we may have an idea of where some of your friends could be,” Sunset Shimmer said as she sat down next to Twilight. “But we want to run it by you first.”

Jeremy looked at Sunset, saying, “Okay, what is your idea?”

“Well, we were thinking that if you were looking for a ‘night guard,’ then maybe your friends are doing the same,” replied Sunset. “Do you think that is something they would do?”

Jeremy thought for a moment, resting a robotic finger on his chin. “Hmm, maybe. I can’t remember what we were all doing before my memories. Though it’s a good place to start.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Okay, that will be our plan.”

The girls nodded in agreement. Now with a plan in mind, they walked out of the barn. Jeremy stayed in the shadows, keeping the sun from hitting his exposed metal endoskeleton. He knew that as long as he remained in the shadows, he was safe from being spotted, especially seeing as the sun was still in the afternoon sky. From the looks of it, it seemed it would be a few hours before the sun would set. So, he watched where he stepped.

Walking up to Sunset, he said, “Where are we headed?”

Sunset Shimmer turned to face him. “We’re heading to the police station. When we first encountered you and your friends, you were chasing a police officer. Though, you guys thought it was a night guard, like in the game.”

“Oh, okay,” said Jeremy, still trying to recall his memory from before he remembered who he was.

Two hours later, they finally reached the police station. As they approached the grounds, they stayed hidden behind the bushes on the other side of the street. Jeremy had remained by the forested area, not wanting to take any chances of being spotted, for the girls’ sake. Making their way closer to the building, they looked around. Police officers were sitting around outside the building. Some were sitting down and eating their lunch. A few were on their phones, messaging their friends. Yet, no sign of Jeremy’s friends, which was a troubling sign. Sunset Shimmer turned to Twilight Sparkle.

“So much for his friends being here,” said Sunset, keeping her voice down.

“We may not have found them here, but I may know where one may have gone,” said Twilight, pointing to a set of footprints walking into the surrounding forest. “It seems one wandered into the forest.”

Sunset Shimmer glanced in the direction of where Twilight Sparkle was pointing and saw the footprints. From a distance, one could almost write them off as usual footprints. But upon closer inspection, she could see that it was bigger, rounder than a standard footprint. It was clear that an animatronic made the depression in the dirt. Deciding that going to the police station was a bad idea, Sunset walked back to where Jeremy was still standing. The rest of the girls followed pursuit, being careful not to be spotted. They carefully pushed past the bushes, darting behind them quickly. Once they had safely reached the other side, the girls sighed with relief.

“That was a lot of risk for nothing,” said Rarity as she pulled a branch out of her hair.

“Not nothing, Rarity,” said Twilight Sparkle as she corrected her friend. “We found footprints leading into the forest from the police station.”

Jeremy stood there, listening to what the girls were saying. He closed his eyes, trying to recall something from his memory. For a while, there was nothing but blackness. Then, slowly, a blurry, barely-there image started to appear. Though it was fuzzy, it began to become more apparent. He could see faint outlines of Chica, Bonnie, and Freddy all standing around him in a small circle. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to hear what was getting said. All he got was jumbled up words and static drowning them out. Just as the first image had started to clear, it changed to a different one. Now, the three animatronics were walking away from him, all heading in different directions. The image was still blurry, and the last thing he saw was Bonnie leaving. Once he was out of sight, the vision faded back to black.

“Jeremy? Are you okay?” Sunset’s soft voice broke through the darkness.

Opening his eyes, Jeremy saw the redhead standing in front of him. “Y-yeah, I just recovered some of my memories. Something that may help you.”

“What is it?” asked Sunset.

Jeremy let out something that one could call a sigh. “I saw all my friends running off in different directions after we had broken free from the gym.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, her violet eyes clouding over with worry. Without saying anything, she walked up to her. Within seconds, her hand was wrapped around the redhead’s wrist, gripping it tightly. She pulled her away from the rest of the girls and Jeremy, stopping only when a small group of trees hid them.

“His friends have split up, Sunset.” hissed Twilight, eyeing Jeremy for a moment.

“Yeah, I know Twi. I was there. I heard that as well,” replied Sunset, yanking her arm away from Twilight.

“If his friends have split up, it’ll be damn near impossible to find them. Sunset, do you know the hell that is going to be in our city?” asked Twilight, her voice rising as she spoke.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, her mouth hanging open. It had caught her off guard to see someone she had known to be calm usually and collected become panicked and...angry. Typically, Twilight Sparkle would’ve handled the stress without breaking down, like she did when they were trapped in a mirror by Juniper Montage. Blinking, she closed her mouth and stepped closer to her friend, wanting to comfort her.

Twilight, seeing Sunset Shimmer step closer to her, turned her back to her. She grabbed her arms, pulling her shoulders inward as she slumped them forward. Just as she did that, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. It rested a few inches above one of her scars, making it hard for her to fight pulling away. She knew it was Sunset who had rested her hand there, and she had felt her touch enough times to know that. Goosebumps appeared as she felt her squeeze her shoulder. Slowly, she turned around, forcing herself to ignore the tingling sensation on her shoulder.

“What if we can’t find his friends, Sunset? What if more children have died? We can’t be sure they haven’t already killed more.” said Twilight, her voice shaking as she struggled to keep her mind from wandering to her scars and the fact that Sunset was very close to them.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, Sunset Shimmer could hear the worry and concern in her voice. She had every right to feel that way. Jeremy had already killed two kids. Whether they had gotten killed by accident or not didn’t matter, the fact that there was two bodies the police would find and probably trace back to them eventually. And what would stop the rest of Jeremy’s friends from killing more? As the thoughts ran across her mind, Sunset Shimmer felt her hand ball into a fist.

“No, there will not be any more dead children.” Sunset thought, squeezing her fist tighter. “It won’t happen, I won’t allow it to.”

Sunset Shimmer let her hand fall away from Twilight’s shoulder as she stepped closer to her. Meeting her eyes, she spoke. “Sparky, we’ll find his friends. And we’ll do it before anyone else gets hurt, I promise.”

Twilight Sparkle felt herself smiling as she heard Sunset’s words. The redhead always did seem to know exactly to say to calm her down, to keep her from being consumed by fear. Gazing back at her, she saw something in her eyes. A look of compassion and kindness, but there was a gentleness there as well. Something that made her feel safe. Suddenly, she felt someone’s hand intertwined with hers. Looking down, she saw that it was Sunset’s.

As she had grabbed Twilight Sparkle’s hand in a rush of adrenaline, she felt a tingling sensation run up her arm. Feeling a heat growing on her cheeks, she looked away. Something about Twilight made her body react in ways that no one else could do. A gentle squeeze made her glance back. She was amazed and happy to see that Twilight had stepped closer to her. As she looked at Twilight, she caught sight of their friends staring at them. Quickly, she pulled her away from Twilight’s, trying to ignore the embarrassment that was growing.

“Um…” was all Sunset Shimmer could muster as she nervously rubbed her hand through her hair.

“Please, don’t stop on account of us, dear.” said rarity, giving Sunset a quick wink.

When Rarity finished speaking, Sunset Shimmer felt a hand grab her own. Glancing, she saw Twilight Sparkle had clasped it and was smiling sheepishly at her. She felt her sheepish smile appear as she met Twilight’s eyes. Together, still holding hands, they walked back to the group.

Two hours of walking around the forest, watching the sun set below the mountains, they found nothing. Several times they had gotten lost in the woods. Thankfully, they didn’t get too far from each other. That didn’t do much to help their situation, as they were now deep in a forest with barely any daylight left. It was like a big, heavy, purple animatronic rabbit had just disappeared into thin air.

“Guys, I think we should call it a night,” said Rainbow Dash as she leaned against a tree, taking off one of her sneakers and rubbing her sore foot.

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to speak, there was a mechanical thumping sound approaching them. All the girls looked in the direction from which it was coming from just in time to see a purple rabbit running at them. They scattered to the sides of the trail they were on as he came closer to them. Not a second after Rainbow Dash had gotten her sneaker back on was she knocked off her feet as Bonnie ran past her.

“Ow…” mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rubbed the back of her head where it had gotten hit with a small rock. “That fucking hurt…”

She got up, dusting off her jeans. Pissed that an animatronic bunny had shoved her, Rainbow Dash sped off after him. After all, she didn’t want to waste a chance to capture him.

“Hey, you!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she caught up to Bonnie.

Bonnie turned around as he heard someone call him. As he did, he saw the rainbow-haired girl he had pushed past. Looking, he realized that she matched Foxy’s description of her entirely. Something about her felt like it was tugging at him, at his power source. Wanting to test a theory, he stepped closer.

“You!” hissed Bonnie, a red glow emanating from his eyes. “Come...here.”

“Um, how about I don’t, and you chase me?” asked Rainbow Dash, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Sound good?”

Bonnie growled, irritated by Rainbow Dash and her request. Deciding not to answer her, he started to run towards her, eyes glowing an even brighter red than before.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she started to run away from Bonnie.

Meanwhile, back at the trail, the girls were trying to figure out why Rainbow Dash had chased after Bonnie. After all, that was unlike her, especially when it could put her in danger of being killed or endangering her friends.

“What is Rainbow Dash up to?” asked Twilight. “Why did she go after Bonnie like that?”

Sunset Shimmer looked down at Applejack’s boots, thinking. She had a feeling she knew why Rainbow Dash had run off. Seeing Applejack’s lasso, which the cowgirl always carried with her as a good luck charm, an idea popped into her head.

“I...think I know,” Sunset said, looking at Twilight. Turning to Applejack, she continued. ‘AJ, pull out your lasso.”

“Why?” asked Applejack, her hand reaching down towards her lasso.

Just as the cowgirl had asked that question, Rainbow Dash came blurring past her. Not far behind came a big, purple rabbit with red glowing eyes. The sight was enough to make Applejack’s heart race. Gulping, she stepped back as the animatronic stepped closer to them.

“Because of that!” shouted as she pushed Twilight Sparkle out of the way.

“Fritz…?” whispered Jeremy as he struggled to recognize his friend as he charged at them.

Applejack readied her lasso, swinging it high above her head. Her friends had scattered to the side of the trail to avoid being stomped, allowing her easy access to “catch” Bonnie. As Bonnie got closer, she threw her lasso at him. With some fantastic luck, she managed to loop her rope around him, tightening it as she pulled against him. Using her strength, Applejack dug her heels into the ground. She could feel herself getting dragged along as the animatronic rabbit fought to free himself from the lasso. But after a few seconds of fighting, the cowgirl managed to topple Bonnie over. As his body fell over, the hard metal and plastic which he had gotten made of, hit the dirt with a loud but dull thud.

Bonnie glared at the girls who had managed to capture him, still struggling to get up. Laying there, it was starting to become apparent that having his arms bound wasn’t ideal. He again tried to break the ropes, but they remained tight around his body. Just as he stopped fighting them, he saw the cowgirl approaching him and bending down in front of him.

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted Applejack as she started to push Bonnie towards a tall oak tree.

Rainbow Dash ran over to the cowgirl, helping her to roll the animatronic towards the tree. Once he was leaning against the tree, she took the lasso from Applejack and used her super-speed to run around the tree. With each loop around the tree, the rope tightened. After about five loops, she stopped and handed the lasso back to Applejack, who quickly tied a secure knot.

“There, now that rabbit can’t...hop...away,” said Rainbow Dash, attempting to make a pun, albeit not a great one.

Turning to her friends, she saw that they weren’t amused. “Hehe, sorry. That was a lame attempt at a joke…”

“Yeah, it was,” said Pinkie Pie, pointing out the obvious to Rainbow Dash’s annoyance.

Meanwhile, they were unaware that there was someone else watching them from within the shadows. Not just anyone, it was an animatronic someone. Someone who wanted to know what they were up to.

“Fritz...?” asked Jeremy as he kneeled in front of his friend.

“Who the hell are you talking about, Foxy?” asked Bonnie, still struggling against the rope that bound him to the tree. “It’s me, Bonnie, remember?”

Hearing that, Jeremy got up and walked away. It hurt to see that his friend didn’t seem to know him anymore. He sat down on a nearby boulder, watching as the full moon rose from behind the mountains. Closing his eyes, he rested his head in his hands as he tried not to let his disappointment overwhelm him.

Sunset Shimmer had noticed that Jeremy walked away after talking with Fritz. She decided to follow him, wanting to make sure he was okay. As she followed him, she glanced back at her friends. For the time being, it seemed that they had Bonnie under control. Returning her attention to Jeremy, she sat next to him on the boulder.

“Jeremy...are you okay?” asked Sunset, keeping her voice soft.

“No, I am not, Sunset! My friend, who I have known for so long, doesn’t recognize me anymore. Me…” replied Jeremy, slamming his hook into the boulder.

The sound of metal hitting rock made Sunset Shimmer jump as she glanced downward. Learning that Jeremy’s friend, someone who had gone through the same traumatic death as him, didn’t know him must’ve hurt. Something she hoped never to experience. Just the thought of losing her friends made her heart clench. Taking a deep breath, she rested her hand on his leg and met his gaze.

“I promise that I will bring him back,” said Sunset.

“How?” Jeremy looked down at the ground. “How are you going to bring him back, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed heavily. “If seeing your memories brought you back, then I think it could do the same for…”

“Fritz.” finished Jeremy.

“Yeah, Fritz.” Sunset Shimmer gave Jeremy a weak smile. “Just wait here, okay?”

“Okay…” whispered Jeremy as Sunset got up from the boulder.

Sunset Shimmer walked up to Bonnie, stopping when she was just a few feet from him. The creaking of Applejack’s lasso told her that it would give way if she didn’t do anything soon. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for the violent images she knew were to come. They weren’t easy to see, but she had made a promise to bring Fritz back. So, that is what she intended to do, even if it meant more scarring for herself. Kneeling, she placed her hand on Bonnie’s head. Seconds later, she felt her power take over...

Shadows Over Sunlight

Springtrap was kneeling behind a tall row of bushes, which kept him hidden. His hand was resting on a nearby tree, steadying him. It had been quite a task to find the girls. He had to trudge through several miles of thorny brush to get where they were at the police station. And that was after hours of combing the city streets trying to find them to begin with. On top of that, he had to remain hidden, which meant he had to crouch down for long periods and walk while doing so. He and his fucked up joints didn’t enjoy that, but it was well worth it. After all, they had led him to Bonnie, along with Foxy, who was now Jeremy.

“What the hell is going over there?” hissed Springtrap, trying to keep his voice low.

Just as he said that he saw Bonnie show up just as the rainbow-haired nuisance ran past her friends. Springtrap watched the events transpire, hoping that the dumb bunny that was a purple imitation of him would kill them. But instead of seeing the animatronic ripping the girls’ heads off, he saw one of the girls that were wearing a stetson cowgirl hat pull out what he figured was a lasso.

“What the fuck?! That is one prepared cowgirl, but she is no match for an animatronic.” Springtrap quietly chuckled. “This will be fun…”

Yet, there was no ripping of heads or blood-curdling screams echoing in the forest. The only sound that echoed in the woods was the loud thud of Bonnie’s body hitting the dirt. Springtrap growled, unconsciously digging his fingers into the bark of the tree. When the sound of bark creaking and cracking reached his ears, he stopped and pulled his hand away from the tree. Things were clearly not going his way, despite his attempts to. But what was helping these girls defeat his plans? It wasn’t Jeremy. He was standing there, doing nothing but staring at the scene happening in front of him.

“Damnit! How are these girls able to defeat an animatronic that had gotten created out of metal?” Springtrap leaned forward, wanting to figure out how the girls were able to restrain Bonnie.

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted the cowgirl as he watched her push Bonnie towards an oak tree.

“Tie him up? What are you fucking idiots up to?” Springtrap growled in frustration. “These girls are really starting to become a pain in the ass. And that is saying something considering I have a metal pole up my own ass right now.”

He walked away from the bushes, heading towards a large boulder. He watched his footing, not wanting to step on a stray twig. Drawing any attention to himself was not something he planned on doing. Not when he was so close to figuring out what was happening. Just as he hid behind it, he heard the forest around him fall silent as though everything in life had suddenly stopped. Even the sounds of life had ended. No crickets were chirping, no wind rustling the leaves. Just eerie and still silence. That prompted him to peek out from behind the boulder.

“What the fuck? What the hell happened to everyone?” whispered Springtrap as he stared at the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

He watched as Sunset Shimmer kneeled in front of Bonnie. That confused him. What was she doing kneeling in front of the animatronic? He continued to watch, hoping to get some answers. As she placed her hand on his head, that only furthered his confusion. Deciding he wanted to know what was going on, he stepped closer to the girls, still staying in the shadows. Glancing over at Jeremy, he saw that he was sitting on a boulder.

“Well, that’s an odd fucking sight to see,” said Springtrap, chuckling to himself.

*** *** *** ***

As the image became more evident, Sunset Shimmer saw Jeremy getting chased by his friend. As Jeremy rounded a corner, Fritz followed him. But as he tried to turn the edge of the table, his foot got caught on a chair leg. Seconds later, Fritz found himself on the ground with his knee throbbing. As he sat up, he saw that he hit his knee against the floor.

“Ow!” exclaimed Fritz as he rubbed his knee.

He looked up to see Jeremy approaching him, saying, “Are you okay?”

Fritz gave his friend a devilish smile. “Yeah, and you’re it now!”

As he shouted, he got up and started to run away. Distancing himself from Jeremy, he heard him groan. His knee still throbbed dully, but he ignored it. With every second that passed, it weakened, allowing him to ignore it even more. After a while of playing tag and taking turns being it, he saw that Jeremy’s cake was getting brought out. That made him stop the game and join his friend at the table. When he saw the cake, he recognized the characters on the top. Seeing Bonnie, he hoped that his piece would contain part of his body.

“Happy Birthday, Jeremy!” said Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice.

As Freddy sat down the cake, Fritz looked down at the cake. The smell of chocolate in which the cake had gotten made of wafted towards him. It was intense, making his mouth water. He was surprised to see the candles were already on the cake. Usually, his mother always put candles on in front of him, but he figured that it was just his mother’s way of doing things. He came from a lower-income family, meaning having his birthdays at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question. So, he was excited when Jeremy had invited him to his birthday party.

Once the cake was on the table, the rest of Freddy’s friends joined him around the table. Being so close to the birthday boy, Fritz got a front-row seat as the characters surrounded him. Looking behind him, he saw that Bonnie had stood behind him. Glancing behind the animatronic rabbit, Fritz saw something...golden. Looking more closely, he saw that it was someone dressed in a Golden Freddy costume. But why? That animatronic had gotten shut down due to malfunctions in its hardware. Before he could follow that thought further, his attention had gotten drawn away as Jeremy’s mother started to light the candles on the cake. Something made him look back, but to his shock, he found that the figure was gone.

“...Happy Birthday to you!” finished Chica.

Fritz watched as Jeremy leaned forward, readying himself to blow out his candles. Just as his friend was about to blow outwards, he saw a shiny, silver hook rest on his shoulder. Glancing upwards, Fritz saw that Foxy had stepped closer to them. Being closer to the animatronic fox, he found it to be kind of creepy.

“Funny how distance changes Foxy’s creepiness factor…” thought Fritz.

“Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy,” said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.

He watched as Jeremy closed his eyes, making his wish as Foxy had instructed him to. Sitting back, he allowed him to blow out his candles. In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out all his candles. Once they were all removed, the cake-cutting began. Fritz was second to receiving his piece of cake, with his friend being first as it was his birthday. An hour later, he had finished his piece of cake. Finishing off the last of his cake, Fritz threw away his plate. Again, standing near where the trash cans were, he saw the same figure that was wearing a Golden Freddy suit. But just as he was about to investigate the strange person, a voice caught his attention.

“Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?” asked Jeremy as he motioned for him to follow him.

Fritz nodded. When he turned back to look at the figure, he saw that he had disappeared...again.

“What the-? Am I starting to see things?” thought Fritz. “Maybe I outta lay off the cake for a while…”

But the fact that he saw the same figure twice was confusing. What was more disconcerting was the fact that each time he looked away and then looked back, the person was gone. He wanted to ponder it more, but he decided to enjoy the show. So, rather than focusing on a mysterious person, he walked over to where Jeremy was now sitting down. It was next to Pirate Cove unsurprisingly. He knew that Foxy was Jeremy’s favorite character. Though he didn’t mind the pirate, his favorite character was Bonnie. In part, because he wanted to be a guitar player.

As the crowd of kids gathered around him and Jeremy, his excitement grew. He had seen commercials for the show that had always gotten held at the restaurant, but life circumstances kept him from seeing it. Now, here he was sitting in front of the stage with his best friend. The lights dimmed as the main characters made their way to the stage.

“Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked Foxy as he waved his hook in front of his face.

“We are!” shouted Fritz as he joined Jeremy in shouting with the chorus of kids.

Foxy lifted his hook and said, “Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt!”

As the show went on, he watched as each scene played out, singing along to every song that accompanied them. But as the second to last song was coming to an end, he saw the Golden Freddy costume once more. The person was standing behind the stage, the shadows keeping him hidden from almost everybody’s view. Furrowing his eyebrows, he wondered what was going on. This was Fritz's third time seeing the figure tonight.

“Hey, you’re missing the best song,” Fritz heard Jeremy say as he felt a punch on his forearm.

He looked at Jeremy, rubbing his now throbbing arm. “Okay, but you didn’t have to hit me that hard.”

Just as the last song began to play, he realized that he needed to go to the bathroom. Carefully and quietly, he got up and made his way out of the thick crowd of kids. Once he was free of the kids, he silently made his way to the boy’s bathroom. He walked past a dark hallway where the light fixtures didn’t seem to work. The wallpaper and paint seemed different from the rest of the building, older and covered in dirt. As he looked down the hallway, he saw a familiar gold color at the end of it. Seeing that, he walked back to the hall, hoping to get a better look at the mysterious person. Again, like the last two times, the Golden Freddy costume disappeared. Shrugging it off, he continued to walk to the bathroom.

After he had relieved himself, he walked out of the stall, heading towards the sink. He turned on the water, washing his hands. Just as he walked towards the paper towel holder, the figure he had seen earlier walked in, leaning against the wall.

“Hello… Fritz.” The figure slowly said as if to add creepiness to the already creepy sensation.

Fritz dropped the paper towel that was in his hand. When the person tried to step closer to him, he stepped back, keeping the distance between them. Fritz looked around the bathroom, realizing that he was alone in the vacant space. As that realization dawned on him, Fritz heard the sound of a lock clicking shut. Gulping, Fritz looked at the mysterious person to see their gloved hand on the lock.

“H-how do you kn-know my name?” asked Fritz, trying to seem braver than he was.

The figure let out a muffled chuckle, the sound echoing eerily against the bathroom walls. Slowly, they approached him, kneeling on one knee. Lifting their head, they rested their hand on Fritz’s shoulder, gripping it tightly.

“I have heard your name spoken.” replied the figure. “Is this your first time here?”

Fritz nodded, the tight grip on his shoulder making him sweat profusely. “Wh-what do you want with me?” asked Fritz, eyeing the bathroom door.

Realizing what Fritz was planning on doing, the person stepped in front of the door. “And... where do you think you are going, mister?”

“Uh, back to Jeremy’s party? My friends will be wondering why I haven’t come back,” answered Fritz, hoping that he had said the right answer.

Instead of saying something, the person just removed the head of the Golden Freddy costume. A gasp slipped from Fritz’s lips as he finally saw the figure’s face. He could see some stubble coating the person’s upper lip and jawline. Their hair was in a tangled mess like they hadn’t seen a mirror for weeks. His gaze drifted downward as he caught sight of a dark purple security suit. Looking at the shirt, he spotted a gold-colored badge that had gotten pinned to the shirt. Squinting, he attempted to read the name on the tag.

“William Aft-”

“Ah, no reading that, kid,” said William, covering the tag with his hand. “I can’t have you knowing who I am. It would ruin the fun…”

“Then what do I call you?” asked Fritz, stepping back from the strange person, his hand gripping the sink counter.

The figure seemed to sense his growing fear and said, “If you want, you may call the Purple Guy, okay?”

Fritz only managed to nod in response.

“Now that we have gotten the introductions out of the way, want to see something cool?” asked the Purple Guy.

As Fritz watched the Purple Guy place the Golden Freddy head back on, he saw him open the door. Watching the door open, he saw his chance to get away. Taking it, Fritz bolted towards the door, pushing past the Purple Guy. He managed to make his way out the door, missing the growl that echoed loudly inside the bathroom. Just as he was about to turn the corner leading back to where his friends were, a hand quickly covered his mouth.

“That… was a big mistake.” hissed the Purple Guy, a barely controlled anger in his voice.

Fritz felt his body getting pulled away from the corner as the Purple Guy walked away from the crowds. As he struggled against the tight grip holding him back, he saw his mother walk up to the hallway. Fritz could see her worried expression as she scanned the hall. Sadly, he knew that she couldn’t see him with the shadows around him. Deep down, he wanted to scream out to her. But the hand covering his mouth kept him from doing so.

“Mommy...I am here…” thought Fritz as he watched her shadow shrink as he continued to get pulled away. “Please… mommy…”

Those were his last thoughts as his mother turned around and walked away from the hallway. Still being pulled away, he started to cry. To see that his mother had missed the one chance to save him nearly destroyed him. He wanted to run into her arms again. Yet, all he could do was allow himself to be pulled away from safety.

A few minutes later, he found himself tossed against a wall that had become covered in a thick layer of mold. So thick that it made it impossible to see the design of the wallpaper beneath the greenish mold. He looked around at his new surroundings, seeing old posters littered all over the floor and coating all the walls. There was a picture of someone on the front, but he couldn’t make out any details or features. Above him were several old, flickering yellow lights that covered the hallway he had gotten dragged down. It was hard to see anything in front of him, let alone several feet away. But through the dimmed lights, he managed to make out two hallways diverging in two different directions, each heading away from him. They, too, were also lined with the same yellowed, flickering lights. Though, with each hallway, fewer lights were working than the one hall he was currently standing in. One was going towards the left, and the other was going to the right.

“Wh-where are we…?” asked Fritz, eyeing the Purple Guy.

The Purple Guy walked over to a door that a sign on it. In the yellowed light, Fritz made out the word ‘Playroom’ on it. As his gaze drifted downwards, he that the Purple Guy’s hand rested on the doorknob.

“This is where we are going. I have an extraordinary surprise for you. But…I’ll need you to wait in there for me.” said the Purple Guy.

Reluctantly, Fritz pushed his body off the mold-covered wall, some of the mold crumbling off the wall in the process. With a twist of the doorknob, the door squeaked up and let in what little light illuminated the hallway. With the bit of light he had, he saw the Golden Freddy animatronic that had gotten put out of use. Cautiously, he took a step forward, walking into the room. Once he was standing on the first step, he heard the door slam shut, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place.

“Please let my friends be okay...” thought Fritz as he made his way deeper into the room.

“Fritz?” asked two voices coming from the darkness in the room.

“W-who’s there?” asked Fritz, his voice trembling as he wondered who was speaking to him.

“It’s us, you dummy.” said a voice he recognized as Susie’s just before he felt a slap against his arm.

Rubbing his arm, Fritz said, “Ow. That is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.”

“And it’s me, Gabriel,” Gabriel said, joining the conversation with Susie.

“How did you guys get here?” asked Fritz, still rubbing his now stinging arm.

He heard one of his friends let out a huff. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”

“Hey! I was hungry.” Fritz heard Gabriel shout in his defense.

Deciding that the building tension was going to lead to an argument, Fritz stood between his two friends. Placing his hands on their shoulders, he said, “Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Susie?”

There was silence for a moment before he heard Susie say, “I was lured in because of a...free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”

Fritz raised an eyebrow as he heard Susie’s excuse for being trapped. “Really, Susie? A free makeup kit?”

“What?! I like wearing makeup.” Fritz felt Susie yank her shoulder away, turning her back to him.

Fritz sighed. “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” As he looked around, he noticed that someone was missing from amongst them. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”

Just as he uttered those words, the door leading to the room opened again. Blinking, he held up his hand to block his eyes from the sudden burst of light that came in. He could see the Purple Guy with another kid by his side. Looking closer, he recognized the kid as his friend, Jeremy. He had the same height and the same wavy hair that Jeremy had. As he continued watching, he saw his friend hesitate before walking into the room. A few seconds later, the door had slammed shut behind Jeremy and was once again locked.

“Hey! What are you doing?” He heard Jeremy scream at the now-closed door.

Fritz turned his attention back to the Golden Freddy animatronic, something pulling at him to do so. It was now that he had begun to notice the putrid smell of decaying flesh that was emanating from it. As he, Susie, and Gabriel started to stare at it, he began to wonder why it smelled so awful. It wasn’t overwhelming, not yet anyway. But a sickening feeling told him that if the animatronic were disturbed, it would make the smell increase in its intensity. He continued watching with wide eyes as Jeremy approached the old animatronic. His mind screamed at his friend to not touch the animatronic, to not disturb it. Yet, he watched as he tapped the plastic on it, making the animatronic sit forward as it opened up.

As the Golden Freddy moved and opened up, the scent of decaying flesh wafted towards him. Fritz covered his nose and mouth with his shirt in an attempt to keep the smell from burning his throat. But it didn’t do much to keep the scent from making its way down his throat. His throat burned with each breath he inhaled into his lungs. The smell started to affect his stomach, making him grow nauseous. Glancing at the animatronic, he saw there was a body inside, the reason for the stench. Looking at the corpse, he recognized it barely as a girl that had attended his school before she went missing.

From where he was standing, he couldn’t see much of her body. But what he saw made him wish he hadn’t looked. He saw the barely visible forms of thousands of white maggots squirming around in and on what had gotten left of the corpse. But what was worse than the smell which filled the room was the sound. The sizzling-like sound of the larvae as they moved around echoed in the room. Amidst the room, he heard the sound of one of his friend’s vomiting. Listening to that only made his own urge to vomit grow stronger. It was almost near impossible to resist.

“Jeremy!” Fritz heard Susie scream after a few seconds. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you,” responded Jeremy, making Fritz look at him.

In the dark, he could somewhat make out the two shadows of Jeremy and Susie as they hugged each other. “Why did you guys get trapped in here?” He heard Jeremy ask after breaking off the hug.

Walking towards the wall to lean against it, Fritz heard Susie explain how they all had gotten trapped in the room. Bracing himself against the wall, he clutched his stomach as he struggled to keep the cake and pizza down. But the overwhelming scent of old flesh rotting away was making it hard to fight back. And the sight of a dead body didn’t help matters either.

“Why did you have to touch that, Jer? Why…” thought Fritz as he felt a bit of his bile, making its way up to his throat, burning it in the process.

A few hours later, he heard the sound of the door opening, making him open his eyes. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the yellowish light behind him, was the Purple Guy. The light stung his eyes, making him squint. Yet, the darkness seemed to enhance his hearing. With every step that the figure took down the stairs, there was an accompanying creak.

“Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?” asked the Purple Guy.

Fritz and his friends huddled close together as he watched the Purple Guy approach them. As he watched him move toward Jeremy, he saw his friend trying to get away. But Fritz could see it was in vain. As he saw the Purple Guy grab Jeremy’s arm, he felt him getting pulled away seconds later. He pulled his knees up to his chest as he watched his friend helplessly be dragged up the stairs and out of the room. Seeing his friend getting dragged away, Fritz had a sinking feeling that washed over him. A suspicion that told him that he had just witnessed his friend’s last moment.

An hour had passed, and the room was growing colder with each minute. Fritz and his friends had broken the group huddle a half-hour after Jeremy had left. It wasn’t like their cluster was going to do any good to bring back Jeremy. After they had broken off, he had chosen to huddle in a corner as far from the dead body as it could be. He didn’t care where his friends had gone into the room. The only thing that was on his mind was the thought that he was next to die.

He got his answer an hour later when the door opened again. When he saw the light filter into the room, he looked up from his huddled position. The sound of creaking footsteps made him shake every time he heard them. As he listened to the Purple Guy walk up to him, he closed his eyes, knowing what was to come. Feeling the person’s hand grab his arm and pull him up off the floor, he trembled even more. Yet, Fritz started to walk as the Purple Guy left the room, his arm still in his tight grip. Behind him, he heard the door close.

“Goodbye, Susie. Gabriel…” thought Fritz, stealing one last glance behind him, looking at the door.

He felt the Purple Guy let go of his arm and say, “Come on, you little fucker. Walk.”

Walking weakly, Fritz found that he was getting dragged to a brightly lit room. As he had gotten tossed into the room, he squinted as the light hit his eyes. Inside, Fritz saw the whole place had gotten plastered with plastic. Every step he took made the plastic crinkle underneath his feet. Fritz accidentally bumped into one of the tables, sending a row of chainsaws which varied in size, toppling over like dominos. Spinning around, he saw that Purple Guy was walking past a bloodied ax and sledgehammer, which sat on a separate table from the rest of the non-bloodied tools.

“Wh-where’s Jeremy?” Fritz asked, his voice squeaking as he spoke.

The Purple Guy let out a chuckle as Fritz saw him remove the costume’s head. “He’s dead. Mashed into Foxy.” Fritz watched as he ran his finger across the blade of the ax, coating the tip of the costume’s glove with his friend’s blood. “Oh, that was fun to watch as the wires and beams ripped him to pieces…”

He gulped when he saw the figure eyeing a machete that was sitting on a table next to him. As he saw him pick it up, he saw a sinister smile appear on his face. It was so evil, like a demented clown that was enjoying the torture he was imposing. The dark glimmer in his eyes only outmatched the evil from his smile. It was like Fritz was staring the devil right in the eye.

“Oh, kid…” Fritz could hear the enjoyment in the Purple Guy’s voice. “I have something so awesome planned just for you…”

As Fritz saw the blade of machete glinting in the light, he stepped back. But he tripped over his own feet, causing him to lean against a table full of axes. Unfortunately, as Fritz pushed against the plastic table, Fritz triggered a trap that the Purple Guy had set up. Just as he heard a click sound from behind him, Fritz felt the blade of an ax swing into his abdomen. With the blade slicing deep into his skin, cutting some of his intestinal tract in the process, Fritz felt a warm liquid pour down his shirt. A scream escaped past his lips as he felt a wave of pain wash over him.

He looked down, seeing the edge of the ax buried deep into him. Gingerly, he lifted a hand to the ax, pulling it out from his skin. Once the blade was free, some of his intestinal tract fell out of the wound, dangling in front of him. His arm was shaking as he held onto the ax, watching the blood now pour freely from his open wound. It looked like a river of red as it streamed down his shirt and pants. The ax slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a clang. Glancing up, he saw the person giving him a pleased grin.

“Oh, I am so happy that it worked.” Fritz was disturbed as he heard the glee in the Purple Guy’s voice. “That was a motherfucker to set up.”

Fritz coughed, spitting out his own blood in the process. He could taste the iron of his blood as it coated his mouth. The pain of the cut in his abdomen made him grow weak as his legs struggled to keep him standing. He reached a hand down to his injury, coating it in the red liquid, which had started to pour at a quicker pace. He tried to ignore the feeling of his warm intestines as they rested in his hands, but he couldn’t ignore the feel of them throbbing with every beat of his heart. His vision started to become a bit hazy as he stood there, still leaning against the table.

“Well, thanks a bunch Fritz. Now I know that trap works.” Fritz watched as the Purple Guy picked up the ax, sniffing the blood as he did so. “Tell you what, seeing as you helped me with the trap, I will make sure your body goes into Bonnie. That way, you get to hang out with him every day. Sound fun, you little fucker?”

Fritz managed to cough out a weak, ‘No…” before he collapsed to the floor.

With his fading vision, Fritz watched as the Purple Guy stood over his collapsed body. His eyes widened as he saw the machete swing downward, aiming for his arm. As the blade sliced through his skin and muscle, hitting the bone, Fritz felt a blood-curdling scream erupt from his throat. He felt the machete being pulled from his arm, getting ready for another blow. With the second blow, he felt his bone shatter and break, causing the blade to slice through the rest of his arm.

Fritz went into shock soon after that blow. Combined with the large amount of blood he had lost, Fritz had gone unconscious. But Fritz was unconscious for just a few seconds as he died soon after. Now a ghost, Fritz stood over his body watching the Purple Guy as he hacked off his other arm. Fritz looked away as he heard a second sickening crack of his bone. When he opened his eyes, Fritz saw the pool of blood around his body had grown in size.

“Whew, that was harder than I expected.” Fritz watched as the figure checked his pulse. “Oh fuck, he died on me. Well, I am still shoving his body into the blasted bunny.”

Following the Purple Guy, Fritz saw him carrying his corpse over his shoulder. The sight was disturbing enough to see, but to see his body without any arms was worse. He watched as the back of Bonnie was opened and prepped for his body. While he waited, he glanced over at Foxy. As he looked, he saw fresh blood pouring out from the seams of the animatronic. Gasping, he covered his mouth in disgust. ‘

“I was right…” thought Fritz as he returned his attention to his own body.

Fritz felt his spirit being pulled towards Bonnie as his body was getting placed inside of the animatronic. As he became trapped inside, his soul rested in his body. Just as Fritz had settled into his body somewhat, he saw his arms carelessly shoved into the bottom of Bonnie, the jagged-edged gears ripping them apart in the process. Being pushed against the apparatus, Fritz watched as his arms became shredded to a pulp that looked oddly similar to hamburger meat. There were bits of muscle, tissue, and bone that had shattered and ripped apart, making what blood remained in his arms spill out. That elicited a squishing-like sound, similar to if someone squished slime in their hands. If Fritz were still alive, he would’ve vomited right then. After that, he heard the gears and metal bars creak as they began to move back into their original positions.

“Oh no…” He muttered as he realized what was coming.

Oddly, Fritz thought he could feel the pain of his ribs being cracked and crushed while three metal bars shoved themselves into the sides of his chest. With a loud crunch, he felt the bars rip past his skin and muscle, making more blood pour out from his body. Looking down, Fritz saw some of the bars had become coated in bits of torn flesh and tissue which had gotten pushed from his body. Before he could register the damage that had gotten caused to his chest, he heard his spine break in half, like a thin twig when someone stepped on it.

Seconds after that, he heard a click, click, click sound as Bonnie’s face started to return to its original position. He looked up just in time to see his skull getting caved in. More blood poured out of the new wounds that were getting formed. With every tooth that fell down Bonnie’s body, he heard a clinking sound accompanying it. His attention had gotten taken away as he saw his skin getting pulled apart, exposing the muscle beneath it. Blood trickled down as the metal bars dug themselves deeper into his body. For a moment, he thought he could feel them as they ripped through his muscles. But the feeling was gone as quickly as it came.

Looking down, he saw several gears push themselves into his legs, ripping his skin apart as a sharper would to pencils. As pieces of his skin fell off, he saw what was left of his blood leak out of his body through the new injuries. With the gears pushing their way deeper into his soft tissue and muscle, they became lubricated with his blood, like it was oil. As he watched his body being ripped and stabbed, he had a singular thought running through his head.

“I miss you, mommy. I love you…”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer let her hand slide down the front of Bonnie’s face, a distant look in her eyes. As she stood up from her kneeling position, she noticed that her legs shook beneath her. It felt like they had turned to jello as she struggled to make her way back towards Jeremy. Her mind was still replaying the graphic images of Fritz dying as she continued walking. Like Jeremy’s before him, they haunted Sunset Shimmer. Even the sounds of bones cracking and blood dripping onto the plastic echoed in her ears. Unfortunately, with her being distracted, she tripped over her own feet.

“Ow…” mumbled Sunset Shimmer as the fall finally brought her back to reality.

As she looked down at her own hands, she noticed that her skin was pale and clammy. Closing her eyes, she still could see the images of Fritz’s memories playing. But she shook her head, clearing them away as she didn’t want to deal with them anymore. Just as she had managed to shove the images aside, she heard someone running behind her.

“Sunset! Are you okay?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she raced over to Sunset’s side.

Yet, in Twilight’s hurry to be at the redhead’s side, her hand accidentally brushed against Sunset’s scars. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that until Sunset Shimmer had jumped and pulled away from her. Looking down at her own hand, she sighed. Somehow, even when she tried to be careful, she still messed up. Despite her attempts to not let it get to her, she always felt hurt by the redhead jumping back from her.

“I did it again…” thought Twilight Sparkle as she stood up.

Deciding that she needed to give Sunset Shimmer her space, she walked away, gripping her arm. That allowed Applejack and Rarity to approach her. She watched them as she tried to ignore her building guilt. Seeing Sunset react the same way she had at lunch made Twilight harden her resolve to figure out what her friend was hiding from her.

“Sunset, dear, do you want to talk to us about it?” asked Rarity as she and Applejack kneeled in front of Sunset.

“I would really rather not,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to relive that again…”

Applejack sighed as she held out a hand for Sunset. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again.”

“But there were two other kids with them,” Sunset said as she grabbed Applejack’s hand. “Their names were Susie and Gabriel. And that means that they are in the other animatronics. Just as trapped as Fritz and Jeremy were before we found them.”

Jeremy, who had made his way over to Bonnie after Sunset Shimmer had tripped, stood next to his friend. As Applejack’s lasso snapped, freeing his friend, he stood back. He hoped that having Sunset see his memories had brought back Fritz. The thought of being alone in a strange world knowing that his friends no longer recognized him, hurt. With a hopeful glint in his eyes, he tried to see if Fritz was there.

“Fritz…? Do you know me?” asked Jeremy, sounding hopeful.

The rabbit animatronic looked directly at Jeremy. “J-J-Jeremy?” Fritz asked, revealing that Sunset’s plan had worked.

“Yes, it’s me, Jeremy, Fritz,” said Jeremy, relief, and happiness in his voice.

Just as Jeremy was about to run up to his friend, he saw Twilight Sparkle had walked away from Sunset Shimmer. That drew his attention to the redhead. What had happened between her and her friend? Were they all alright? Glancing at Twilight, it didn’t seem that everything was okay. But he decided it was best not to poke around in something that was not his business. Instead, he walked up to the redhead, wanting to thank her for bringing his friend back.

“Sunset…” Sunset Shimmer turned around to face Jeremy as he walked up to her. “Thank you for bringing Fritz back.”

Sunset’s gaze slowly drifted to Fritz, who was now using the tree to help him stand up. Doing so, she saw him give her a small wave. That small gesture seemed to make the images and sounds in her head ease up. Somehow, that made the memories not seem as violent and disturbing. But it did nothing to lessen the sadness as she realized that he was a sweet kid who ended being brutally murdered by a madman — a crazy man.

“Yeah, thank you. Though, I am sorry you had to see....my memories…” said Fritz, knowing that she had also seen his horrific death. “I know that can’t have been easy for you.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Sunset Shimmer managed to give him a weak smile. “But welcome back, Fritz.”

Sunset Shimmer shifted her focus from Fritz to Twilight Sparkle as she saw her sitting on a nearby boulder. Using what strength she could muster, she made her way over to her. She knew that her knee-jerk reaction of pulling away when Twilight had touched her scars had hurt her. She hadn’t meant for that to happen. It was just an involuntary reaction to being touched there. Yet, some part of her wanted to fight that instinct. To allow Twilight to feel the rough scars, letting her gentle touch wash away the shame she felt every time she saw them glaring back at her in the mirror.

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset, sitting on the boulder next to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle felt Sunset Shimmer grab her hand as she sat down. She wanted to hold it back, badly. Though, she fought the urge and yanked her hand away. Even then, it hurt to have to do that to Sunset, especially when she felt her reach out again towards her. But Twilight's resolve to make Sunset admit the truth was stronger than her heart’s feelings for the beautiful redhead.

“Don’t, Sunset. I don’t want to touch you. I guess…” Twilight bit her lip before she continued. “You lied to me at the gym. I really thought you had gotten over whatever made you react so badly at lunch.”

“Twilight...I-”

“No, Sunset! I don’t want to hear it. I touch you, and you flinch like I am hurting you. Like I am some sort of monster for wanting to help you. I am done feeling like you trust me when you clearly don’t.” Twilight Sparkle shouted at Sunset, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her.

“I-I’m sorry, Twi.” Sunset Shimmer struggled to speak as she felt a wave of tears ready to unleash themselves. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Yeah, well, try telling me the truth, then apologize,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up from the boulder and turned back to the redhead. “I want to be alone for now…”

All Sunset Shimmer could do was sit on the boulder as she watched her friend walk away from her. She had tried not to flinch as she heard Twilight mention the word ‘monster.’ To know that she had made her feel like that, it dug into her skin. The last thing she wanted to do was make her feel like she was a monster. In truth, Twilight’s made her feel like the monster because she had hidden her past from her. A small part of her wanted to go after her to apologize for her reaction. But something told her it was best to leave her alone and not make the situation worse.

“I can’t believe I fucked up...again…” thought Sunset.

“Big time.” said her inner voice, rubbing the fact she had made another mistake in her face.

Sighing, Sunset Shimmer made her way over to where the rest of the girls were, saying, “What do we do now?”

*** *** *** ***

Springtrap watched as Sunset Shimmer walked back to her friends. He had been quietly following the events unfolding in front of him. It had been strange to see a girl kneeling with her hand on Bonnie’s head. To add more to that, he had noticed that her eyes had gone white like she had gotten possessed. That made him wonder what she was doing. But he got his answer when he realized that Jeremy was talking to Fritz.

“It’s like that stupid redheaded bitch is bringing the children back. They go from rampaging killer animatronics to their usual selves before I had killed them…” Springtrap said under his breath as he turned his back to the girls.

He started to walk back to the abandoned electrical building. With the new information about what the girls were up to, he had to make a scheme to stop them. If they succeeded in bringing all the children back, that would spell his doom. Not to mention unraveling all the plans he had made to rid himself of the children. They had started to become a severe nuisance to him.

“Of course, those bitchy ass high school girls have powers of some kind.” hissed Springtrap as he kicked a rock, sending it flying into a nearby tree.

Springtrap continued walking away, leaving the path and the girls behind him. Besides, he had plans to make. And a puppet to use to his advantage.

He chuckled to himself. “I will make those girls see that they chose the wrong fucking children to help…”

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Applejack was trying to help her friends. She could see that the night and day’s events had taken their toll. Rainbow Dash was leaning against a tree, almost falling asleep, while Pinkie Pie had taken it upon herself to bombard Fritz with all sorts of wacky questions. The poor kid looked like he was facing a hyperactive dog and wasn’t sure what to do. Sunset, meanwhile, was still standing against a tree, her arms across her chest. She hadn’t spoken much since Twilight Sparkle had yelled at her. Rarity was busy making sure there were no branches or leaves in her hair, which made Applejack chuckle. Even at the most inopportune times, she could still be worried about looking her best. The only one who seemed not to be bothered by the events was Fluttershy, who was busy having a conversation with a local raccoon family. The cowgirl sighed and removed her hat, wiping off the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.

“How ‘bout we head back to my place? I think we all need some rest after today’s events,” said Applejack as she looked at her friends’ weary expressions.

The cowgirl turned to her party friend, saying, “Pinkie Pie, can you go find Twilight and let her know that we’re leavin’?”

“Okie dokie,” said Pinkie Pie as she turned her attention from bombarding Fritz with questions to finding Twilight.

While Pinkie Pie walked up to where Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting, Fluttershy said goodbye to the raccoon family. As she watched her new furry friends dash off back to their home, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little as she let out a small eek of surprise, turning to see that it was Applejack who was standing next to her. Placing a hand over her heart, she took a sigh of relief.

“Oh, it’s just you, AJ,” said Fluttershy, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Sorry for spookin’ you, Shy.” Applejack pulled her hand off her shoulder. “I just wanted to ask you if you know what was going on with Sunset.”

Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that their friend seemed rather closed off. “I think she is upset about what happened with Twilight.”

Just as Applejack went to say something, she saw Pinkie Pie walk by with Twilight Sparkle in pursuit. Looking at Sunset, she noticed that she had shrunk away as Twilight got closer to her. Even Twilight seemed to shrink away as well. It was clear to her that what happened earlier had caused some problems. And she was sure of why Sunset Shimmer had upset Twilight. But just as she was about to talk some sense into the redhead, she felt a hand grab her arm.

“Um, I think it's best if we leave her alone for now,” said Fluttershy, knowing what Applejack was up to. “She seems like she just wants some space.”

“Okay, I will give her space,” said Applejack as Fluttershy finally let go of her wrist. “I just hope she stops insisting on hiding her past from Twilight.”

As Twilight Sparkle watched the rest of the girls gather around in a big group, she stayed on the far side of the group. Seeing Sunset, knowing that there was something she didn’t know about her, was beginning to annoy her. Sure, she did respect that it was her past, her choice to tell her. That had gotten harder every time she watched her friend flinch because of something she didn’t know anything about.

“Why can’t you tell me, Sunset? Is it because you don’t trust me? Or...is it because you see me as…” For a moment, Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to let the name cross her mind, but it did anyway. “Midnight Sparkle?”

She refused to acknowledge Sunset’s presence, in hopes of easing the pain she was feeling. But that didn't do much to reduce it, much to her dismay. She had hoped that she could ignore the hurt, but it was like an annoying little voice in the back of her head. It was reminding her that she had gotten pushed aside...again. She wrapped her arms around herself, a growing feeling of nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Glancing at Sunset, she felt her nausea get worse as she felt another pang of sadness.

Rarity, who was walking in front of Jeremy and Fritz, looked between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. She could see the tension that had grown between them. She pursed her lips as she glanced over at Applejack, who shared the same worried expression. Whatever the reason was for Sunset to keep her past a secret from Twilight, it couldn’t have been more important than their friendship. Not when she knew exactly how the redhead felt.

“Come on, girls. My farm ain’t too from here,” said Applejack, trying to lighten the tension.

An hour later, Jeremy and Fritz approached Sunset Shimmer. They had waited until they felt it was okay to talk to her. After all, they had witnessed the argument that happened earlier. It had taken a while, but eventually, she had started to talk to Pinkie Pie about what desserts they could add to the menu at Sugarcube Corner. Once she had finished talking, Jeremy began to speak to her.

“Hey Sunset, I was wondering what happened between you and Twilight,” said Jeremy, trying to be respectful of Sunset’s privacy.

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, looking down. “We just had a disagreement.”

“It seemed like it was more than that,” interjected Fritz. “It seemed like she was hurt.”

“She was,” said Sunset, turning to meet Fritz’s gaze. “She was hurt because of what I did.”

Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, who was having a conversation with Fluttershy. She watched as Twilight adjusted her glasses, making the corner of her mouth turn upward. It was one of the cute things she had noticed that her friend did. It was also her favorite thing, aside from the way Twilight always got flustered whenever she would show up.

“What exactly did you do if I can ask?” Jeremy glanced from Sunset Shimmer to Twilight.

“I flinched when she touched…” Sunset stopped as she felt her throat grow dry. “My scars…” She whispered the last part, too afraid of Twilight overhearing it.

“What scars?” asked Fritz, looking from Jeremy to Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. The conversation was starting to become too much for her. Without answering Fritz’s question, she walked away. She felt terrible for doing that, but she couldn’t tell the kids about her past. Not until she knew Twilight Sparkle wasn’t going to overhear it. Besides telling them without letting Twilight know seemed wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was betray Twilight’s trust even more than she already had. Closing her eyes, she pushed her guilt aside, just wanting to focus on getting back to Applejack’s farm.

*** *** *** ***

Eventually, the girls and the kids arrived at Applejack’s farm. By now, the sun had long since given way to nighttime. The sky was now a rich black, making the stars look like diamonds glittering in the sea of blackness. With it being so vast, it was almost overwhelming. Jeremy, knowing where the barn was, led Fritz to it after they had said their goodbyes to the girls. They had a lot of catching up to do with their memories having gotten suppressed for so long. That left the girls to their own devices.

Rainbow Dash took the living room couch, immediately passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Rarity went upstairs to take a shower while Applejack and Pinkie Pie went to the kitchen to whip up something to eat. Sunset Shimmer joined her friends in the kitchen, wanting to give Twilight Sparkle her space. Even though they hadn’t made eye contact during their trek back to the farm, it was abundantly clear that Twilight was still avoiding her. Meanwhile, Fluttershy busied herself with playing with Applejack’s dog, Winona.

As Twilight Sparkle was about to get settled in the living room, she heard Sunset Shimmer laugh at something that Pinkie Pie had said. That made her heart race, which only reminded her that she was still hurting over what Sunset had done earlier. The redhead’s laughter was one of Twilight’s favorite things, something that brought her joy when she was feeling scared or worried. But now it just served as a reminder that she was unsure as to how she was supposed to feel about the redhead. With her emotions building, almost becoming too much for her, she got up and walked back out to the porch.

Once outside, Twilight Sparkle leaned against the porch’s wooden railing with her elbows, resting her hands on her biceps. She gazed up at the sky, enjoying the show of twinkling stars above her. The temperature was beginning to drop as a light breeze blew by, making her shiver and rub her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. Seconds later, she felt something soft and warm brush against her shoulders, making her jump slightly.

“Sorry, sugacube. Didn’t mean to spook you,” said Applejack as she leaned against the railing, joining Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle gripped the edges of the blanket, pulling it tighter against her body. “Thanks, AJ.”

“Are you okay?” Applejack asked quietly, no pressure or demand in her voice. “You seemed quiet on the walk back.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down. “No, not really.”

Applejack nodded, turning her head towards Twilight Sparkle but remained quiet. She could see the struggle in Twilight’s violet eyes. It bothered her that she couldn’t do much. And that the one person who could, refused to, giving excuses as to why she couldn’t let Twilight in. Being someone who valued honesty when it came to friends, it bothered her.

“I am not sure of what to make of it,” said Twilight after a few moments had passed.

“Sunset’s behavior?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah. It’s like I am dealing with someone who is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute she looks at me like I am her whole world. The next minute she acts like I’m not touching her, but rather that Midnight Sparkle is.” Twilight Sparkle said as she crossed her arms, tucking the blanket with them as she tried to contain the hurt in her voice. “And before you say it, I know that Sunset was a different person before I met her. And that she is ashamed of that.”

“That is true.” Applejack stated. “She still hates herself for what happened and what she did.”

“I got that. But I have done some things I am not very proud of either. Like what happened at the Friendship Games. Yet, she helped me see past that.” Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows, her sadness, and anger at Sunset Shimmer building as she spoke. Looking down, she let out a shaky breath before continuing. “It’s confusing to me. How can she help me but not take her own advice?”

Applejack could see tears forming in Twilight’s eyes as she spoke. “I know, sugarcube.”

“It’s so unfair that I am the one who seems to be the one who is taking the blunt for Sunset’s past when I’m the only one who doesn’t even know what happened. And hard as I try, it’s near impossible for me to sit by and have her not tell me when I keep getting hurt for something I know nothing about.” Twilight Sparkle took off her glasses, drying her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt.

Applejack gently pulled Twilight into a hug. “I’m sorry you are in this position, Twi.”

Twilight rested her cheek against the cowgirl’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do now…”

“What’s your heart tellin’ you?” asked Applejack, a caring look in her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and said, “I don’t know what it's telling me.”

“Want to try and translate?” asked Applejack as she broke off the hug, letting Twilight put her glasses back on.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the night sky, staring at nothing in particular. She tried to listen to what her heart was telling her. But it was hard to say with her emotions tearing her in two different ways. Sighing, she decided to give it her best to try and translate it.

“I don’t want to hurt Sunset.” Twilight started. “But to avoid doing that, I need to know what I can and can’t do. Which means I have to rely on her telling me her limits. But if she can’t do that, then maybe I should consider keeping to myself. I don’t want to continue to be hurt.”

Applejack turned around, leaning her back against the railing. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to be hurt.”

Twilight’s eyebrows gathered as she pushed her hurt aside. “If that means cutting off contact with her, then that is what I will do. Even if it will kill me to do that to her…”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit drastic to be resorting to cutting all contact with her?” asked Applejack, noticing that Sunset Shimmer was giving her a worried look. “Don’t you think you could at least ask her to tell you what happened?”

“Maybe. But if that falls through, I am left with being hurt because I can’t be near Sunset and not feel like we should have trust between us. Because, if all that she has said is true, then she should be able to talk to me. I want to be there for her, to help her as she helped me. I want to do that because…” Opening her eyes, Twilight Sparkle had gotten forced to face her real feelings, the ones she had tried to ignore because she didn’t want to be hurt anymore.

“Because you love her,” stated Applejack, matter-of-factly.

Looking at Applejack, hurt in her eyes, Twilight said softly, “I do love her.”

Applejack squeezed Twilight’s arm gently. “Well, I am glad you figured that out. But what are going to do with that?”

“I don’t know,” muttered Twilight, bringing her hands to her hair. “How is it that I love her when she seems to want to keep me on the outside? When she seems like it hurts to have me love her…?”

Sensing that Twilight Sparkle wanted to be alone, Applejack walked back into the living, closing the front door. Just as she walked into the kitchen, she saw Sunset Shimmer sitting at the counter, staring at her phone. Walking up to her, she sat in the chair next to her.

“Stop hurtin’ her,” said Applejack as she slapped Sunset’s forearm.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her phone, rubbing her arm. “Ow! What was that for, AJ? And what do you mean stop hurting her?”

Applejack glared at Sunset, a serious expression on her face. “Stop lyin’ to Twilight. You’re hurtin’ her.”

Sunset Shimmer had never seen her friend look this serious. Sure, she had seen Applejack be serious before, but this was different. It was like she was angry at her. Which, given that she valued honesty, she didn’t find that surprising. But what she did find astonishing was that her friend was so forward about her anger.

Turning off her phone, Sunset Shimmer said, “AJ-”

Applejack walked away, not letting Sunset Shimmer finish. As she watched the cowgirl walk upstairs, she heard the front door open. Turning her attention to the door, she saw Twilight Sparkle walk in, gripping the blanket. For a minute, she caught her eye. Visible tears were running down her cheeks, falling from her tear-filled eyes. She could see that she was bothered by the argument from earlier. Before she had a chance to say something, she saw Twilight turn around, heading towards the back room where Rarity was now seated.

“Twilight…” Sunset sighed, her gaze drifting to her phone. “I am sorry.”

*** *** *** ***

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer had become fed up with her class. Her mind wanted to focus on Twilight, not learn about the history of the 1600s. Sitting in her chair, she tried to focus on the assignment. But the teacher’s voice sounded like it was far away as her thoughts started to pull her away.

“Why did I have to flinch away from Twilight? Why couldn’t I just let her touch my scars…” She thought as she tapped the eraser of her pencil on the paper.

Sleeping was an impossible task for her the night before. The image of Twilight’s teary-eyed gaze bored itself into her mind. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t erase it. When she did finally get some sleep, she dreamt of Twilight. The troubling part of her dream was the fact that she had to watch her friend walk away from her, saying that it was over. That repeated over and over throughout the night. When she woke up, it was a relief to no longer have to relive the nightmare.

“Open up to her. Move on from the past. How can you console her but not be able to let her do the same?” asked her inner voice.

“I don’t know…” was all Sunset could manage to say.

“You have to tell her eventually. What’s the worst that could happen?” Her inner voice said.

“I could lose her.” Sunset gulped.

“You’ll lose her if you don’t tell her. She’ll hate you for lying to her, for dragging the girls into the lie with you.” Her inner voice now started to seem threatening to her.

“But if I tell her, she may never look at me the same way. She might see me as the monster I once was, rather than her friend.” Sunset Shimmer looked down at her paper, trying to hold back the pain as she struggled not to see Twilight’s scared expression.

Just as Sunset Shimmer had started to spiral into a dark depression, she heard the lunch bell rang. Without a second thought about Twilight, she gathered her stuff, shoving it into her bag. As she got through the crowd of students that was rushing to the cafeteria, she saw her friends sitting at their usual table. Walking up to them, she sat down on the furthest end from Twilight Sparkle.

“Hey Sunset, you look terrible,” said Pinkie Pie, stating the obvious.

‘Thanks, Pinkie.” Sunset Shimmer answered in a flat tone, staring down at the table.

“Did you not sleep well, darling?” Rarity asked, resting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset Shimmer looked up, meeting Rarity’s concerned gaze. She gave her a small smile, thankful that her friend cared for her. But in the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight Sparkle look away, focusing on her tray of food.

“I didn’t sleep. At all. My thoughts wanted to torture me last night…” replied Sunset, folding her arms as she rested them on the table, missing the brief puzzled look Twilight gave her.

The redhead fell asleep a few minutes after that, her exhaustion overpowering her. As she slept, her mind replayed the events of the Fall Formal, but there was something different. Instead of the girls, there was just Twilight. Except, it wasn’t the princess, it was human Twilight that stood in front of her.

“Twilight? What are you doing here?” asked Sunset, her voice echoing in her dream.

But instead of getting an answer, she watched as Twilight Sparkle backed away from her. That made her look down at her own hands, seeing the all too familiar claws of Demon Shimmer. When she saw that, the rest of her started to change to match, slowly, she felt her body heat up and shift, becoming more demonic by the second. Her skin became blood red, matching her wings as they pushed themselves from her shoulder blades. Same as when she had put the crown on, her hair had become like fire with flames flickering off of her. Minutes later, her transformation back into Demon Shimmer was finished.

“Twilight…” began Sunset. “I wanted to tell you.”

“Then why didn’t you, Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, a malicious tone in her voice. “Were you just a coward, ashamed of your past?”

Sunset Shimmer gasped, shocked at the change in her friend. It was so unusual for Twilight to act so...mean. Yet, she was standing in front of her, calling her a coward. And it hurt. Sunset felt her wings wrap around herself as she looked away from Twilight.

“I…” Sunset wasn’t sure she should say.

“Oh, cut the crap, Demon Shimmer. I know you lied to me,” said Twilight, her voice changing as she spoke. “I know you lied to me to protect your precious secret.”

Sunset Shimmer looked up to see Twilight’s usual appearance changing, morphing back into Midnight Sparkle. She staggered back as her horn and wings appeared, fear taking its hold on her. But the changes didn’t stop there as her skin started to darken, returning to its previous state at the Friendship Games. That only made her back away more, worried about what was going to happen.

“Tw-Twilight? What’s happening?” asked Sunset, her voice cracking as she felt her back hit the Wondercolt statue.

“I am becoming what you are – a monster,” said Twilight, letting out a sinister chuckle.

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to respond, she heard another voice calling her name. It was faint, but there. For a moment, she thought it was Twilight, but it didn’t sound like her. Taking her attention off Twilight Sparkle and her transformation, she focused her attention on the mysterious voice. She whirled around, wondering where it was coming from. It called her name again, this time sounding less distant than the first. In an attempt to figure out what it was saying, she listened carefully to what it was saying.

“Where are you going, Demon Shimmer?” shouted Twilight Sparkle as her voice grew more and more distant. “I was just starting to have fun torturing you…”

Sunset Shimmer ignored her, wanting to find where the mysterious voice was coming from. And to be truthful, she didn’t want to talk to Twilight or Midnight Sparkle, whoever she was now. Not if meant she was going to be tormented and taunted by her. Shaking her head, she focused back on the voice and tried to find it.

“Sunset? Sunset, wake up. Sunset!” The voice grew louder as it called her name.

She followed the voice, darkness slowly starting to appear as she got closer. The closer she got, the darker the world around her became. By now, she could barely see Twilight Sparkle or the Wondercolt statue behind her as she made her way towards the front door. When the voice called her name again, she recognized the voice as belonging to Fluttershy. A few seconds later, as she opened the doors leading into CHS, the darkness completely swallowed her.

“Sunset?” asked the voice again.

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, seeing Fluttershy shaking her by the shoulder. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was starting to leave the cafeteria. She sat up, stretching out her stiffened back and neck.

“The bell rang, didn’t it?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she grabbed her messenger bag.

Fluttershy nodded. “We have to get to class now.”

With a groan, Sunset got up from the table. One by one, the girls left the cafeteria. The last one to go was Twilight. As Twilight Sparkle walked past Sunset Shimmer, she grabbed her hand. Upon contact, the redhead felt her heart race as electricity pulsed through her veins. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t control the adrenaline that overtook her body.

“I can’t lose her!” screamed Sunset Shimmer in her mind, trying to keep her desperation to herself.

Looking up, Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight’s gaze go from exasperation to confusion. But the confusion gave way to serenity as she saw her blush. That blush was soon followed by a light squeeze against her hand. Feeling that, Sunset Shimmer felt her own chest heave at the gesture, barely managing to smile at Twilight back as she felt her own emotions grow uncontrollably. Yet, amid her emotional high, she felt her hand slip from hers as she started to walk away.

“Well, that was brief but sweet…” Sunset’s conscience said as the ringing of the bell drowned it out.

*** *** *** ***

After school had ended, the girls had met at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had insisted they meet there so they could try her new vanilla creme cupcakes with fudge frosting. She had made them a week prior while trying to find a new way to combine the flavors of fudge and vanilla. As the girls took their seats at the counter, they waited for Rainbow Dash to show up. She had soccer practice she needed to go, but Rainbow Dash said she’d meet them at Sugarcube Corner.

“Where did Pinkie go?” asked Rarity as she set her bag on the counter.

“She went to the back to get her ‘Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl’ cupcakes,” replied Sunset as she glanced down at the counter.

Just as Sunset Shimmer said that there was a familiar sound of the bell ringing above the door as it opened, the girls all turned around to see their rainbow-haired friend walking into the cafe.

“Yes! No more school for the weekend!” shouted Rainbow Dash, throwing her hands into the air.

“While we may be out of school, we still gotta hunt down the rest of the blasted animatronics before they cause any more harm,” said Applejack, reminding the excited athlete of what they had to do during the week as she sat down.

“Oh...yeah, that.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Man, so much for getting my book signed by A.K. Yearling.”

“Where do we start?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer rested her finger on her chin, thinking about their next move. When Pinkie Pie brought her new cupcake creations, she grabbed her own, taking a bite of it. She recalled the footprints she had seen at the police station, the ones which led them directly to Fritz. If going to the police station had helped them find Fritz, she wondered if returning would reveal any new clues. After all, they had found Jeremy’s friend around there.

“Girls, I think we should go back to the police station,” said Sunset.

“Do you think that would work? Just because we found Jeremy’s friend nearby, doesn’t mean the rest of his friends would be around there,” said Twilight, setting her own cupcake down.

“I don’t know, Twilight. But it’s worth a shot,” replied Sunset before taking another bite of her cupcake.

Pinkie Pie beamed at her friends, barely able to contain her excitement as she awaited her friends’ responses to her new creation. It had taken her weeks to get each flavor to taste right. The next task was to get both the chocolate and vanilla to mingle together. She had failed numerous times, having either the chocolate or vanilla overpower the other. But this time, she was convinced that she had finally gotten it right.

“So, what do you girls think?” asked Pinkie Pie, nearly trembling from her excitement.

“Mhm, these are good, Pinkie,” said Applejack as she swallowed the last of her cupcake. “Probably one of your best creations.”

“Yeah, they are excellent,” added Sunset, taking another bite of hers. “Still not better than my favorite; triple cocoa swirl cupcakes.”

Pinkie Pie widely smiled as she heard her friends’ approval. “Sweet! I am glad you girls like it.”

“Um, girls?” Twilight Sparkle interjected, pointing to the slowly setting sun. “I think we should get going before we have to walk home in the dark. Again…”

Sunset Shimmer got up and threw her cupcake wrapper away. Walking back, she said, ‘Twilight’s right. We should go before nightfall.”

The girls all finished their cupcakes, throwing away their wrappers as they exited the sweet shop. As they walked away from the shop, their shadow from the previous night returned. Unbeknownst to them, their shadow had plans for their demise, plans they could help make happen…

*** *** *** ***

Once they returned to the police station, they crouched behind some bushes, keeping themselves hidden. Outside, like the night before, there were bunches of officers sitting around in the grass or on the benches around the police station. They also found the same footprints from the night before. But there didn’t seem to be any new ones joining the group. Though, it was hard to tell in the sea of officers walking in front of the prints and forest. Sunset sighed and walked back to the safety of the next street.

“There are no new footprints. Guess you were right, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer said as she leaned her back against a tree. “They didn’t show up.”

Twilight Sparkle rested a hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “Just because we didn’t find them here, doesn’t mean they aren’t nearby.”

While Twilight Sparkle was talking to Sunset, Rainbow Dash looked around the street they were standing on. She could see groups of people walking in and out of the nearby shops and restaurants. With that many people walking around, it seemed impossible to be able to spot a big yellow animatronic chicken. As she scanned the street, she came across a new KFC restaurant which had opened two weeks ago. There weren’t a lot of people around it, making it easier to spot something unusual if she saw it.

“Maybe we should’ve brought Jeremy and Fritz with us.” Sunset Shimmer sighed and crossed her arms. “Then, we wouldn’t be running around aimlessly trying to find a big yellow chicken.”

“And risk them getting seen? Sunset, you made the right choice in keeping them at the barn,” said Twilight, resting her hands on Sunset’s.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash kept her eye on the KFC restaurant, her gut instinct telling her that something was there. A few seconds later, her gut instinct had gotten proved right when she spotted something big and yellow. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward, wanting to get a better view of what the object was. In doing so, she realized who or rather what it was.

“Guys, I think I found Chica,” said Rainbow Dash in a hushed shout.

Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the girls all crowded around Rainbow Dash. There was an 8-foot tall, yellow animatronic chicken standing in front of the building. Unaware that it had gotten spotted, it circled the front of the restaurant. They watched as it stopped in front of a poster with a bucket full of chicken. Rainbow Dash struggled to contain her laughter as she saw the sight in front of her.

“Guess that chicken has found out what happens to its cousin,” whispered Rainbow Dash in between stifling her building laughter.

Punching Rainbow Dash’s arm, Sunset Shimmer glared at her. “Shush it unless you want it to hear us and run off.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but kept quiet. Staying out of sight, the girls all made their way towards the animatronic. Thankfully, there was no one else around as they got within 5 feet of it. As it turned around, they quickly dove behind some nearby bushes, trying to remain as quiet as they could. Sunset peered up, making sure that the animatronic was facing the poster before motioning for her friends to get up.

“Is that why that stupid rainbow-haired human called me a ‘KFC wannabe’? Because I am a...chicken?” asked Chica, talking to herself, unaware that she was about to be attacked.

Twilight or Midnight

While the girls were sitting behind the bushes, trying to keep as quiet as possible, Pinkie Pie pulled out a cookie from her hair. As she casually ate her cookie, she focused on watching the animatronic chicken. It was a mystery as to how Pinkie Pie always had some sort of sugary treat in her hair. But the girls had learned that it was best not to question her. Just as Rainbow Dash got up and started to walk to another bush, she tripped over a rock. That sent her flying towards Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, watch out!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she tumbled into her party friend.

Pinkie Pie fell, making her toss her half-eaten cookie towards Chica. When the sugary treat touched the grass behind the chicken animatronic, it set off a small explosion. The explosion sent a small amount of dirt and glass up into the air, which in turn made the animatronic turn around. Pinkie Pie gulped as she saw the red eyes bore into her.

‘That’s just great, Dash. So much for our sneak attack,” groaned Sunset Shimmer as she started to dart after Chica.

Rainbow Dash got up and ran after Sunset Shimmer. She was careful not to use her geode as much. She had noticed a few sparks flying out from it every once in a while when she used it. Considering that her geode had gotten made of magic, she figured that the sparks had to be made of magic as well. That had never happened before. Then again, she and the girls hadn’t used their geodes this much before. She assumed the magic sparks were from their recent usage of their geodes.

Chica, seeing the redhead chasing after her, started to run in the opposite direction. Her legs creaked and groaned beneath her every step, clearly not used to the mechanics of running. Every time her feet hit the pavement, it cracked and split underneath her, making loud snapping noises in the process. The footprint cracks made an easy trail for Sunset and the girls to follow.

“Come on! Let’s get this fucking robot chicken before anyone else gets hurt,” shouted Rainbow Dash as she ran towards Sunset and Chica.

The rest of the girls followed Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash as they chased down Chica. As the robotic chicken took a sharp left, Sunset followed right behind her. Her boots scraped across the pavement as she skidded briefly to stop herself from running into a wall. She resumed her chase of the animatronic, not wanting to lose sight of it. Just as she managed to get within a few feet of Chica, a rainbow-colored blur shoved right past her. That made her lose her balance, sending her tumbling into a pile of trash bags.

Applejack caught up just in time to see Sunset Shimmer get sent flying into the pile of trash bags. She offered the redhead a hand in getting up. Once she was on her feet, she saw her look up at her. She figured it was because she wanted to thank her. Yet, her friend went silent soon afterward, most likely because she saw the disappointment and anger she still felt towards her. Looking away, she continued after Rainbow Dash, wanting to help her friend.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to say something as she saw Applejack run off, but she couldn’t. She saw the anger and disappointment in her green eyes, which dug at her.it was understandable after what she had said the night before. The distressed look Twilight Sparkle gave her still remained in her mind. But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting to see her friends avoid her because of her mistake. Soon after her friend disappeared around a corner, she saw Twilight run past, avoiding her gaze. Sighing, she said nothing and continued her chase after Chica.

“Guess they hate me. Can’t say I blame the girls, though. Twilight was hurt,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she joined the rest of her friends in a dead-end alleyway.

“Yes, yes, she was. You better start telling the truth,” interjected Sunset’s conscience, annoying her.

Rainbow Dash had managed to trap Chica in an alleyway. Or at least she thought she had. But Chica, despite her size and having wings, was a surprisingly good climber. She managed to scale the wall at the end of the alley, making a beeline for the playground on the other side of it. The most shocking part was that its joints were old, very old. Yet, they were surprisingly functional. Rainbow Dash climbed up onto a dumpster, staring over the wall. She watched as Chica stopped at the playground, thinking she was safe.

Once Chica was there, a young girl that appeared to be around the age of six approached her. She was curious about the big yellow chicken that was standing around the playground. It was an odd sight, to say the least. As she got closer to the chicken, she saw the full extent of its height. It towered over her like a skyscraper, making the girl stop walking.

“What are you?” asked the little girl.

On the side of the wall, Rainbow Dash jumped down from the top of the dumpster she was standing on. She saw her friends approaching her, finally having caught up to her. As she focused on her friends, she hoped the little girl could keep Chica occupied for a while.

“Finally, what took you guys so long?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“We don’t all have super speed, Dash,” said Applejack as she approached her. “Did you see where our haywire chicken ran off to?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, pointing to the wall behind her. “It jumped over that wall and is in the playground on the other side.”

With that, Applejack climbed on top of the dumpster Rainbow Dash had previously been standing on. She held out a hand for her friends to give them a lift over the wall. The first to go over the wall was Fluttershy, followed shortly by Pinkie Pie. The next one to go over the wall was Rarity, who was hesitant to get on the dumpster. As she grabbed Applejack’s hand, she pushed herself on top of the dumpster. The feeling of strong hands gripping her waist made her legs go wobbly for a few seconds.

“Are you okay, Rare?” asked Applejack as she tightened her grip, making the fashionista blush.

“Y-yes, AJ,” replied Rarity, trying to keep her composure. “Just lost my balance for a moment.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn’t want to be standing there, listening to her friends flirt with each other. Not when they had a robotic chicken to hunt down. Getting onto another dumpster, she made her way on top of the wall. She walked over to where Rarity and Applejack were. Being careful not to lose her balance, she held out a hand for her friend.

Rarity, trying to ignore her disgust at the fact she was standing on top of a dumpster, took Rainbow Dash’s hand. She managed to get one foot on top of the concrete wall. But just as she was about to place her other foot on the wall, she lost her footing. As her shoe scraped downward, she fell. She quickly made a diamond shield before her back could hit the lid of the dumpster.

“Oh my, this smells horrid,” said Rarity as she got to her feet again.

She made another attempt at climbing over the wall. This time, she didn’t lose her footing and was able to make her way to the other side. She climbed down, joining Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as she waited for the rest of the girls to join them.

Sunset Shimmer was the last one to go as Twilight Sparkle insisted she go before she did. Watching Twilight climb over the wall, she forced herself to not give in to her guilt. At least not until after they had caught Chica. She grabbed Applejack’s hand, letting herself get pulled on top of the dumpster. The smell was horrid, as Rarity had mentioned. Yet, she didn’t seem to care. Once Applejack made her way to the other side, she had gotten helped to the top of the wall. Just as she was about to get down, she felt a hard tug on her jacket sleeve.

“You know, AJ told me what Twilight had said to her. I say you have to tell her about you being an alpha bitch and the whole raging she-demon thing.” hissed Rainbow Dash, glaring at Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer yanked her jacket sleeve out of Rainbow Dash’s hand. She looked away from her, gripping her right arm. It wasn’t easy to hear her friend mention what happened at the Fall Formal. Let alone call her past an ‘alpha bitch.’ Though looking back, she figured that was an accurate description of her behavior and demeanor.

“Dash, leave me alone. I know I’ve hurt her, okay? But what can I do?” mumbled Sunset, digging her nails into her leather jacket.

“Admit who you used to be. Let Twilight know how much you have changed.” Rainbow Dash said as if it was the easiest thing to do.

Sunset Shimmer’s hand trembled as she fought against her anger, which was slowly building. There was a small desire to punch Rainbow Dash. But she pushed it aside, taking a deep breath. Pushing her friend would do no good, even if it would alleviate her anger at being yelled at for keeping her past a secret.

“Rainbow...it isn’t that easy. I am...scared,” admitted Sunset through gritted teeth.

Rainbow Dash was surprised, even a little shocked by what she heard. It was the first time she had ever heard Sunset Shimmer admit to being scared. That was very unusual for the redhead, to say the least. Sure, it was one thing for her to be angry or frustrated. That was something she was known for, especially in her bully days. But being scared? The idea that she could be was strange. But not something that couldn’t happen. Acknowledging that, Rainbow Dash’s expression softened.

“Scared? Scared of...what exactly?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer hesitated. “Scared of… losing… Twilight.” Her voice barely stayed above a whisper as she continued. “I am scared that she’ll change how she sees me if she knew how awful I was.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight Sparkle as she tried to keep Pinkie Pie from exposing them to Chica. She could see why Sunset Shimmer was afraid of losing her. Whenever she looked at Sunset, there was a light in her eyes. As if something about her redheaded friend brought out whatever was buried deep in Twilight. Only lately, it seemed that the light was shrouded in sadness.

“Sunset-”

“What?” asked Sunset, looking at her polychromatic friend.

“You should tell her. And not just because I said so. But because of your fear of losing her. Trust her...the way we trusted you after the Fall Formal.” said Rainbow Dash, her hand now resting gently on Sunset’s shoulder.

Hurt. That was the only emotion Sunset Shimmer could feel right now. Rainbow Dash’s words had a hard truth to them. If the girls hadn’t been willing to be there and help her better herself, well...she wouldn’t have met this world’s Twilight. And she certainly wouldn’t have the friends and life she had now. Nor would she have felt the thundering in her chest every time Twilight Sparkle glanced her way.

“You’re right. I will tell Twilight later today after we’ve caught this fucking chicken,” said Sunset.

A wide smirk of amusement appeared on the athlete’s face. “Of course, I am right.” That made Sunset Shimmer roll her eyes in annoyance. “And I agree. Now, let’s go Kentucky fry this KFC wannabe.”

With that, both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash jumped down and joined their friends. They saw that Chica, to their utter surprise, was still somehow distracted by the little girl. Sunset wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or worried about the girl. After all, she was talking to an 8-foot tall metal chicken that could easily kill her.

Unbeknownst to Sunset Shimmer and the girls, Springtrap was watching them. And he was on a mission to figure out what exactly it was that they were up to. After having his way with the puppet and getting nowhere, he was desperate for answers. He remained behind the wall that the girls and Chica had just jumped over. It was far enough away that they wouldn’t notice him with the advantage of him being able to hear and see them. Carefully, he lifted himself slightly over the wall, making sure he caught every word that was getting said.

“Okay, what the fuck are you puny ass school girls doing to those fucking children?” hissed Springtrap.

*** *** *** ***

“So, are we going to ambush this KFC wannabe or what?” asked Rainbow Dash, placing her hands on her hips in impatience.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Rainbow Dash, thankful that Sunset Shimmer was behind her with Rarity in between them. “No, we’re not going to ambush the animatronic.” She pushed her glasses up to the bride of the nose. “If we do that, the girl next to her could be injured or worse…”

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes, pushing the gory images of Jeremy and Fritz’s deaths out of her mind. She had enough to worry about as it was. And enough guilt to make her nauseous as well. For now, she had to focus on helping her friends catch the loose animatronic. That meant putting off telling Twilight Sparkle the truth of her past. Not that she minded the delay in doing that. She was quite happy to have a setback.

“No! You said you would tell Twilight. Don’t be a coward and back away now. Not unless you can live never having Twilight acknowledging you.” said Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her what was at stake if she backed out.

“I know…” thought Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight.

Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer tried to focus on the task at hand. She couldn’t afford to be sidelined by her troubles at the moment.

“Okay, okay! I get it, we don’t need any more dead kids,” said Rainbow Dash, holding her hands up defensively.

Just then, the little girl ran back to her mother. Twilight Sparkle was the first to spot Chica as she started to move on to the playground. As she watched the animatronic lumber around the playground, she noticed that it was a bit...well...dumb. The animatronic chicken, not watching where it was stepping, tripped, and fell on the grass. That made some of the kids who were still on the playground run off, scared by the loud crash.

“Okay, girls, here’s the pla-” Twilight Sparkle was abruptly cut off as Rainbow Dash started to snicker at the sight of the robotic chicken trying to stand up.

Unfortunately for the girls, Chica overheard their friend laughing. In seconds, the animatronic chicken had managed to get to her feet and bolt away. Sunset Shimmer, being the quickest to get up, bolted after her. But she was soon outdone as Rainbow Dash blurred right past her. Rolling her eyes, she continued after her.

Meanwhile, behind the wall, Springtrap let out an exasperated groan. He wasn’t in the mood to be chasing some stupid school girls who had meddled in his private affairs. Nor did he feel like chasing after the big yellow nuisance. Yet, his desire to know what the hell the girls were really up to with the kids was stronger. Jumping over the wall, he pushed past some old trash cans and boxes. He continued trailing the girls, careful to keep some distance between them and him. After all, he didn’t want to be spotted, not when he was close to figuring out what they were doing.

After turning a few corners, dodging a few trash cans that had gotten tossed into their path, and nearly getting Fluttershy with a rogue cat, they finally managed to corner Chica in another alleyway. The wall behind the animatronic was too tall for it to climb, allowing the girls a chance to capture her. And without any trash cans nearby, their safety was also secured. They all slowly approached the animatronic, watching as it stood against the wall with nowhere to run.

Twilight Sparkle placed her hand out in front of her. Seconds later, a light magenta-colored aura surrounded the animatronic. While the aura enveloped the animatronic, it started to fight back. As it tried to pull itself free from the aura, Twilight reached for her geode. Closing her eyes, she focused her energy on her magic. Slowly, the aura surrounded the animatronic.

“Applejack, do you have your lasso?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to keep Chica under control. “I don’t think I can keep this animatronic under control for much longer.”

Applejack gave Twilight Sparkle an apologetic look. “Sorry, sugarcube. The blasted rabb-I mean Fritz-broke my lasso. I am still waitin’ on my new one.”

That wasn’t what Twilight Sparkle was hoping to hear. As she stood there, fighting against the animatronic, she could feel her strength draining. Holding onto it, it took more magic with every squirm and kick the animatronic chicken made. The idea of having to hold it while Sunset saw its memories wasn’t appealing. Yet, she was the only one who could contain it. Making a decision, she glanced at Sunset.

“Sunset, do you think you can see Chica’s or whoever this is memories while I hold them?” asked Twilight, grounding her feet into the pavement.

“Yeah, I think so...” replied Sunset, avoiding Twilight’s gaze.

“Okay, then start,” said Twilight, her voice devoid of any emotion as if she was afraid to let her feelings show around Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer noticed the lack of emotion in Twilight’s voice. It hurt her to hear that. But it didn’t sting as much as knowing that she was causing Twilight pain. Sighing, she glanced up at her, flashing her a small, awkward half-smile. That resulted in Twilight looking away from her. As she looked at her friend, she noticed something...odd. Glancing downward, she saw purple sparks flying from her geode.

“That’s strange… Could us using our geodes be causing them to malfunction?” thought Sunset.

Standing still, Sunset Sparkle nearly missed the wing that was aiming to hit her abdomen. Luckily, she had quick reflexes and managed to dive out of the way. Her body slammed itself against the hard pavement as Sunset Shimmer failed to keep her balance. Groaning, she got up again and walked back to the animatronic chicken. Without acknowledging Twilight, the redhead placed her hand on the hard yellow plastic that covered the animatronic’s endoskeleton. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see the memories of Jeremy’s next friend.

*** *** *** ***

An 11-year-old girl was chasing three boys in front of her. As she ran past a nearby whiteboard, there were three tally marks, marking how many rounds of tag they had played. Running around a table, she could feel her lungs burning with every breath she took. It had gotten so bad that she had to grab a chair and sit down for a moment. No sooner had she sat down, did Fritz come running by. She tried to pull her chair in as quickly as she could, but she wasn’t fast enough. Seconds later, she felt something hit her back chair leg.

“Ow!” She heard Fritz say as she saw him rubbing his knee.

She pulled her chair in and said nothing as she spotted Jeremy walking up to them.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked as she focused her attention on her hands.

For a moment, she glanced up at Fritz. She saw him smile his devilish trickster smile. Rolling her eyes in boredom, she returned her focus to her hands. That smile was one she knew all too well. She had seen it many times whenever Fritz had played a prank on her. One that quickly became annoying when he used it often. Sometimes, she had gotten tempted to punch him for even flashing it her way.

“Yeah, and you’re it now!” she heard Fritz shout from behind her.

She snickered as she heard Jeremy groan. Sure, it wasn’t funny when it happened to her. But it was funny when it happened to others. She couldn’t resist seeing it as somewhat amusing. Even if it was sometimes mean.

“Go get him, Fritz.” said the girl under breath, chuckling as she saw Jeremy duck Fritz’s first attempt at tagging Jeremy.

A few more rounds of tag later, she saw Freddy walking towards them with Jeremy’s cake. Getting up, she went to sit next to Jeremy but was beaten to it by Fritz. Letting out a sigh of irritation, she sat back in her original chair. Luckily for her, it was right in front of where Jeremy was sitting.

“Happy Birthday Jeremy!” said Freddy, making her jump in surprise as she heard the sudden noise.

She watched as Freddy approached the table, setting the cake down on the table. Something about the robotic eyes in the animatronic creeped her out. Maybe it was the inhumanness that made them creepy. Or the way they glowed whenever they were in a dark area. Whatever it was, it unsettled her. It was out of support and celebration that she had decided to go to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stepped foot in the restaurant. Yet, she knew her friend was worth shoving her disgust aside.

“...Happy Birthday to you.” finished Chica.

As the song came to an end, she sighed. The sound of the animatronic chicken’s voice was starting to grind down on her last nerve. How anyone could stand to listen to it was beyond her. If she could, she would’ve shut the animatronic up several lyrics earlier. She watched as Jeremy leaned forward, preparing to blow out his candles when a hook rested on his shoulder.

She looked at the animatronic fox, the one they called Foxy, as he bent down towards Jeremy. “Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy.”

While Jeremy readied to blow his candles, she moved to the side. Thankfully, she had moved in time. Where she had been sitting moments earlier was a small cloud of smoke. It dissipated quickly, allowing her to sit back in her original seat. Covering her mouth, she let out a series of short coughs. The smell of burnt candles was strong but not overwhelming.

After a little while later, she had finished her piece of cake. The sweetness almost made her gag, but otherwise, she did enjoy it. As she glanced over at the trash bins, she saw Fritz standing near them. Looking behind him, she saw a strange goldish glow from a dark hallway. Susie squinted, trying to see whatever the golden object was. But when she blinked, the object disappeared.

Her attention had gotten drawn away when she heard Jeremy shout, “Hey, Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?”

"That was weird, right?" whispered the boy next to her.

"Yeah, it was," she replied.

"What do you think he was staring at?" asked the boy.

"No clue. All I saw was a golden glow before it disappeared the second I blinked," she said, eyeing the show.

She knew what show Jeremy was mentioning. It was the one thing that she didn’t hate about the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Her favorite character was Chica, even if her design was a bit...funky for a chicken. She took one last sip of her water before she decided to join the kids in the stage area. Walking over, she saw the vast crowd that had gathered. It was clear Jeremy wasn’t the only one who enjoyed being here. She sat down in the back, not wanting to be in the front.

The lights dimmed as Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica walked onto the stage one by one. Seconds later, they were met with a series of screams as the kids around her cheered for the mascots. She covered her ears, trying to tune out the loud shouts from around her. As the screams died down, she heard them echo in the otherwise quiet room. She eventually pulled her hands away from her ears, thankful that screaming stopped.

‘Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked the pirate as he waved his hook in front of his face.

“We are!” shouted the kids around her, making her cover her ears again.

The pirate fox lifted his hook and said, Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt.”

As the first song started, she decided to move closer to the stage. With the crowds of kids shouting, it was hard for her to hear the actual song from where she was. After scooting around for a good minute or two, she found a good spot near the back where the kids were a bit quieter. She sat down, leaning her back against the wall, ready to enjoy the show.

Two songs later, she felt something tap her shoulder. She spun around to see a grime-covered Golden Freddy suit behind her. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Something about the black eyeholes staring back at her sent shivers down her spine. Maybe it was because whoever was wearing the suit could be harmful. Or perhaps it was because the suit hid the identity of the mysterious person from her.

“Kid, want a free makeup kit?” asked the figure in their gravelly voice.

She raised her eyebrows at the oddness of the question. She couldn’t tell if the person was legit. But there was also a part of her that wouldn’t let her turn down a free makeup kit. After all, it was free. Plus, makeup was something she was passionate about, mostly because her mother owned a cosmetics company. Though, she wasn’t allowed too much of it. Something about it not being for her or her not being old enough yet.

“It was made especially for you.” She heard the figure say, enticing her even more.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Sure...show me this makeup kit of yours.”

Quietly, she got up, making her way past her mother unnoticed. Once she had slipped past the adults, she continued to follow the person in the Golden Freddy suit until they came to a darkened hallway. That's when she refused to go any further. Mold was growing on the walls and floor, coating them in a layer of blackness. Looking around, she noticed there was also feces from the numerous raccoons and mice that had made their home there. That made her cover her mouth, not wanting to inhale the mold or the feces.

“Ew… where are we?” the girl asked, not moving from her spot. “I don’t want to walk there. This place is too creepy.”

She heard the person growl from within the suit, sounding like an angry animal. That made her aware that this person, whoever they were, may be dangerous.

“We are in the hallway, which leads to the room with your free makeup kit.” said the figure, gritting their teeth in anger.

“Well, can you go get the kit and bring it out? Why do I have to go into this mold-covered abyss?” she asked, stepping back from the figure.

Before she even had time to react, there was a golden hand gripping her arm. Tight enough that a small bruise formed from the contact. She screamed a few seconds before she felt a grime-covered hand cover her mouth. A wave of nausea hit her as whatever coated the costume hand slipped into her mouth. It tasted awful, like a rotten orange.

“Let me go!” she shouted, her voice muffled by the hand covering her mouth.

“Hm, let me think about it.” The person tapped a finger on the costume’s chin. “No, but I will gladly escort you to this deluxe room.” replied the person, their voice dripping heavily with sarcasm.

Moments later, she had gotten shoved into a dark room. As she tumbled down the stairs, slamming her body into the edges on the way down, she had gotten stopped by a metal object. Behind her, she heard the door slam shut, causing her to glance up. That’s when she finally noticed the putrid smell of decaying flesh in the room. She jumped and shuffled away from the smell. Having distanced her from the metal object, she saw that it was the old Golden Freddy animatronic. In the dim light, she saw red streaks of blood running down the yellow plastic of the animatronic.

“Hey! Watch it, will you?” said a voice as she felt her hand rest on something warm.

“Is that Gabriel?” she thought as she tried to recognize the voice.

“S-sorry, Gabe.” She apologized, lifting her hand off of his.

She sat next to her friend, happy that she wasn’t alone in the room. She could feel the coldness of the concrete floor through the fabric of her shorts. It made her shiver as she rubbed her arms. Now she wished she had brought her jacket with her.

“Susie, is that really you?” asked Gabriel.

‘Yeah, it is, you dummy.” she said, playfully punching his arm.

“Yep, definitely you,” said Gabriel. “No one calls me a dummy, but you.”

Susie chuckled for a moment. “So...how did you get trapped in here?”

As soon as she asked the question, she heard Gabriel shuffle away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “What? Did you get trapped for something stupid?”

“The Purple Guy offered me pizza. I was trapped...for free pizza,” replied Gabriel as he kept his voice low.

“Wait. What? You were trapped for...pizza? Pizza?!” shrieked Susie as she jumped to her feet.

“Yes…”

“Should’ve guessed that was how you got trapped. You think with your stomach rather than your head,” said Susie, sighing.

“And what exactly led to you getting trapped with me?” asked Gabriel.

That question made Susie fall silent. She knew that her reason for being trapped was no better than Gabriel’s. But just as Susie was about to speak, Susie heard the creaking of the door as it opened. She turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the doorway. Their outline looked like Freddy, leading her to believe that it was the same person who kidnapped her. The person walked in for a moment before shoving another kid into the room and closing the door. She figured that the figure was the ‘Purple Guy’ that Gabriel was referencing.

With the door now closed, Susie shifted her attention to the new kid in the room. She noticed that the kid’s hair was spiked upward. Just like Fritz’s hair always. But in the darkness, she couldn’t see the color of their hair. As the kid stepped closer to her, she saw a familiar dog tag that glinted in what little light that filtered into the room. And apparently, Gabriel saw it too as she heard him move closer to her.

“Fritz?” She and Gabriel both asked in unison.

“W-who’s there?” she heard the kid ask, confirming that it was her friend.

“It’s us, you dummy,” Susie said, slapping his arm angrily.

“Ow, that is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.” Fritz said.

“And it’s me, Gabriel,” said Gabriel.

“How did you guys get here?” Susie heard Fritz ask as she saw him rubbing the arm she had slapped.

Susie huffed and crossed her across her chest. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”

“Hey! I was hungry.” She heard Gabriel shout in his defense.

As she stood there, she heard Fritz move in between her and Gabriel. Just as she lowered her arms, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She was tempted to brush his hand off her but thought otherwise of it.

“Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Suze?” asked Fritz, making Susie look away.

Biting her lip, Susie looked down. Susie didn’t want to admit her reason for being trapped. And if Susie was honest, she was kind of grateful that Fritz had interrupted her conversation with Gabriel. Though, Susie reluctantly decided that she had to admit her reason for being lured to the room.

“I was lured in because of...a free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”

“Really, Susie? A free makeup kit?” asked Fritz.

“What?! I like wearing makeup,” Susie said, turning her back to him, yanking her shoulder away in the process.

She heard Fritz sigh before saying, “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” She heard him fall silent for a moment. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”

Susie was thinking the same thing. The whole time she had been talking with both Fritz and Gabriel, she had noticed that Jeremy was the only one not amongst them. Just as she started to look around, she saw the door leading to the room open again. In front of the door was a familiar-looking kid with wavy hair. Behind him stood the figure she assumed was the Purple Guy. As the kid started making his way down the stairs, the door slammed shut behind him, the same as before.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She heard Jeremy scream at the door.

She watched as Jeremy turned around and made his way over to the gold-colored animatronic. It was only then that she remembered the putrid smell that emanated from the animatronic. The closer Jeremy got to it, the more her anxiety increased. Swallowing hard, she watched as he tapped the metallic figure.

When the animatronic opened, the foul smell intensified. It burned Susie's throat and eyes as it wafted towards her. She backed away, attempting to distance herself from the smell. But it was no use. She felt a mold-covered brick wall behind her. She jumped forward, not wanting to touch the mold which was growing on the wall. That forced her to look at what lay inside the animatronic. Glancing, she saw something inside. No, not something — someone. It was the girl from their school, the one that had disappeared mysteriously two months ago. Realizing that, it was enough to trigger her gag reflex.

Susie turned around just as the contents of her stomach made their way up her esophagus. Her throat burned as she vomited her pizza and cake. After a few seconds, Susie felt the stream of stomach acid stop. But her stomach churned, and she threw up...again. Finally, after a few minutes of dry heaving, Susie was able to breathe. Slowly, she walked over to Jeremy, still clutching her churning stomach.

“Jeremy!” exclaimed Susie, breaking the silence in the room. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you,” replied Jeremy.

Prying her arms from her stomach, she hugged Jeremy. She was grateful to see he was okay. Though, she had to wonder how long that would last.

“Why did you guys get trapped in here?” asked Jeremy.

Susie gulped, not really in the mood to admit the dumb reason that she got trapped for. It wasn’t that Susie didn’t want to tell him. But saying that she wasn’t interested in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question, especially as it was Jeremy’s birthday. Reluctantly though, she told him everything even if she was embarrassed to admit it.

A few hours of sitting in silence later, the door opened again. This time, it was the Purple Guy in the doorway. There were no new kids with him. That only made Susie worry more. If he didn’t have any new kids, that could mean he had something planned for them.

“Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready....to die?” asked the Purple Guy.

She had huddled with her friends, hoping that the protection would keep her safe. Pushing herself against the wall, she helplessly watched as Jeremy tried to get away from the Purple Guy. She and her friends were paralyzed with fear as they watched the figure grab Jeremy’s arm, pulling him away from their group. With tears in her eyes, she watched as their friend left the room for the very last time.

As the door slammed shut, she glanced over at Fritz as the group broke off the huddle. In the dim lighting, she could see that he had huddled into a small ball. His skin was also pale. Paler than his usual tone. He was frightened and cold, as they all were. Seeing that told her he figured he was next to go. That made her wonder if he was right. A voice in the back of her head said it was.

One hour had passed, in which the room had started to grow a bit chilly. Susie was jolted out of her daze when the door opened again. She squinted as her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden burst of light. Having been in the dark for a while, she had become used to the darkness. But slowly, her vision adjusted and allowed her to see the Golden Freddy costume standing in the doorway. Once again, the Purple Guy made his way down the stairs, walking towards Fritz.

She watched as Fritz walked away weakly, shivering in the process. For a few moments. She saw him look back. In the dim lighting, she saw him mouth the word ‘goodbye.’ Lifting her hand, she gave him a small wave. As she lowered her hand, the door slammed shut, leaving just her and Gabriel in the room. After a few minutes, she turned to Gabriel.

“Am I going to be next?” asked Susie, her voice quivering out of fear.

She saw Gabriel look in her direction.

“Yes,” Gabriel said in a monotone.

Susie heard the lack of emotion in Gabriel’s voice. It startled her to hear or not hear it for that matter. To see him like this was strange, even for him. She looked down, hiding the stray tear that fell down her cheek. Her friend, someone she cared for, seemed not to notice that she was frightened. Let alone care enough to help her feel better.

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to sound so cold,” said Gabriel as if he had been reading her mind.

“I-it’s okay, Gabe. You’re probably just as scared as I am,” said Susie. “And if you tell anyone that I said I was scared, I will deny it.”

“If we survive this, that is,” added Gabriel.

“Yeah, if we survive this…” said Susie, realizing that she could suffer the same fate that befell her other friends.

Sighing, Susie leaned back against the wall. For once, she didn’t care about the mold or the rotting body, which lay a few feet from her. All Susie cared about was the fact that she would never get the opportunity to see her mom again, that she’d never get another possibility to tell her that she loved her. Or have the chance to hang out with her friends anymore. As Susie started to think of her friends, she allowed herself to cry the tears she had been holding back. And once she started, she couldn’t stop.

She sobbed for a half-hour, not caring that Gabriel was next to her. If anything, that only made her sadness grow more as she knew they would eventually get separated from each other. But finally, Susie did manage to stop the flow of tears. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Almost numb from nearly crying her eyes out. Which, in a strange, almost twisted way, made her feel better. Better than she had since she had gotten trapped in the room. She glanced over at Gabriel, noting that he had a jacket on. Scooting closer to him, she braced herself with her hands.

“Hey Gabe, mind if I use your jacket for a pillow?” asked Susie, trying in vain to stifle a yawn.

“No, go ahead,” said Gabriel as he shook off his jacket. “Here you go, Susie.”

Susie took the jacket and balled it into a pillow-like shape. She rested it on the cleanest part of the floor she could find. Resting her hand on it, Susie closed her eyes. As sleep overtook her, she felt her muscles relax. It was calming to have the silence and the dark for the moment. She let her mind wander off, replaying memories to comfort her.

Not long after Susie had managed to get some sleep, the Purple Guy came back in. There was a blood-covered ax in his left hand. The very one that he had used to kill Jeremy and Fritz. Slowly, watching his step, he made his way down the old wooden stairs. He stopped once he was standing over her sleeping her form. A snarl slipped from his lips as his eyes went black. Lifting the ax, he swung it down, hitting Susie's left knee.

Searing pain combined with throbbing brought Susie back to her reality. A guttural scream rang out from her throat as she felt a warm liquid run down her leg. The severity of the pain started to make her dizzy, leaving her unable to see clearly. Her leg moved as she pushed herself upward to a sitting position, causing the pain to increase in the process.

Shaking, she reached out a hand to her injured knee. She felt a deep gash that had gotten chopped into her knee cap. Her hand became covered in blood as she traced her fingers inside the fresh wound. Her hands felt warm and sticky as more of her blood covered it, turning it red in the process. The wound was open enough to allow her to feel the bone and muscle which resided in her body. She screamed out of pain and panic at being able to feel the inside of her. Still, she traced her finger around the wound, her morbid curiosity not letting her pull her hand. She could feel the throbbing of her skin as she ran her finger downward. The sensation was surreal, like holding her heart in her hands.

She slowly pulled her hand away, shaking off some of the blood that was on her hand. Her breathing was shaky as she struggled to cope with the pain. But she didn’t have time to recover when she felt something push against her arm.

“Oh great, you’re awake now. Now, walk you little fucker.” hissed the Purple Guy.

Susie looked up at him, his vision blurring with unshed tears. “How can I walk?! You injured my knee.”

“Oh, come on! I know that you can walk. So, walk!” shouted the Purple Guy, his anger building as he spoke.

Groaning, she attempted to stand on her injured knee. But just as she tried to put some of her weight on the knee, it buckled underneath, sending her back to the floor. Her knee slammed against the concrete floor, sending even more pain throughout her leg. In the fall, she felt her knee scrape across the rough concrete, ripping her skin even more. That elicited another banshee-like scream from her. With the pain increased, Susie started to cry as she couldn’t bear it anymore.

The Purple Guy heard her cries. That angered him enough that he readied the ax. Raising the ax once more, the Purple Guy swung and landed a severe blow to her left ankle. When he heard Susie let out an agonizing scream, he smiled gleefully. To him, the torture of young children was a pleasure he wished to continue.

“‘Okay, you little bitch, I am not going to carry you. So, get up and march up those stairs.” said the Purple Guy as he lifted Susie to her feet.

As Susie felt her weight rest on her injured leg, it took every bit of strength that she could muster not to fall again. Wincing, she took her first shaky step forward. Her ankle and knee screamed in protest to her moving them. As she took another step forward, her ankle twisted. She reached for the railing of the stairs as she struggled to keep her balance. Ignoring the pain in her left leg, she inched her way up the stairs. When she finally reached the door, she had gotten shoved out of the room. She barely managed to catch herself on the moldy wall in front of her.

"Come on, follow me. I want to show you something,” said the Purple Guy as he slammed the door behind him.

Unlike Jeremy and Fritz were, she didn't get led into the room. Instead, she had gotten led to the stage. As she limped towards the main stage, she used the wall for support, forgoing any thoughts about mold or feces. As she got to the end of the hallway leading to the stage, she stopped. The stage itself was dark, with the few minor lights that were nearby, giving it an eerie, ghostly glow. She stepped forward away from the wall, approaching Foxy. Though she was shrouded in limited lighting, she saw fresh blood oozing from every crevice of the animatronic fox. Curious, she touched the plastic, coating her hand in the red liquid.

“What the-is that blood?” asked Susie, staggering back from the animatronic.

The Purple Guy chuckled before saying, “Yes, it’s Jeremy’s blood.”

Susie gasped, horrified. She had just touched the blood of her once alive friend. Looking down at her hand, she was disgusted to find her friend’s blood still clinging to her skin. Out of disgust, she ran her hand along the wall, wiping a series of red streaks onto the moldy wallpaper. Just as she finished doing that, she heard something opening. Looking, she saw that the Purple Guy had opened the back of Foxy.

Now exposed was Jeremy’s body. Wires dug into the ashen skin of her friend, slicing it open and exposing the fleshy innards of his body. His muscles and bones were exposed, the gears and pipes pushing his skin and tissue back. It looked like something that came straight out of a horror movie. As she glanced up at one of the pipes, she saw a piece of bone trapped inside of it. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a part of Jeremy’s spine. She covered her mouth, looking shocked by the appalling sight.

“Oh come on, didn’t you enjoy that?” asked the Purple Guy as he took off the costume head, sniffing Jeremy’s blood and licking some of his blood off one of the pipes.

Susie turned her back to the sight of the Purple Guy licking the blood off of the pipe, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Only to be met with the view of Fritz’s body inside of Bonnie. She could see his body was in similar condition as Jeremy’s was. Wires were slicing through his skin. Gears shoved themselves into his muscles, making his blood the lubricant that kept them moving. Just like with Jeremy, his bones had become exposed, showing that his arms had gotten chopped off. As she shifted her gaze downward, she saw the grounded-up remains of what was Fritz’s arms. She leaned in closer, seeing something white sitting in the mass of muscle and tissue.

“Those are his teeth. I am very proud of how his body handled the new arrangement.” said the Purple Guy, walking towards Susie. “Aren’t you?”

She staggered backward, keeping away from the animatronics and the Purple Guy. She didn’t want to see the sight of her dead friends. Not anymore. Holding a hand over her mouth, she fought against her growing nausea. Just as she was about to run back down the hallway leading away from the stage, she felt a hand grab her wrist.

“Oh, you’re not going back.” said the Purple Guy. “Now, tell me. Did you enjoy the show?”

Susie shook her head. “No...I didn’t. You’re a monster.”

“Well, thank you, dear. You’re quite a little devil yourself.” said the Purple Guy as he set the costume head on the floor.

Susie struggled to free her hand from his grip. But the more she struggled, the tighter he made his grip. And with her leg still hurt immensely from the injuries Susie had suffered earlier, Susie was beginning to lose her strength. Looking down at her leg, she could see that it had become coated in a layer of dried blood.

“Yeah, you’re not going to make it out of here alive.” The Purple Guy started to pull her towards the animatronics. “The only way you are is through one of these.”

“Let me go, you creep!” screamed Susie at the top of her lungs.

That made the Purple Guy chuckle. “Scream all you want. Hell, scream till your throat is raw for all I fucking care. No one will ever hear you now.”

Those words made her stop. All her fighting was for naught – if there was no one to come to her aid, that left little doubt that she was going to die. Still fighting the pain of her leg, she stopped resisting the Purple Guy’s pull. What was the point in resisting anyway? All it would do was slow down her demise. But not enough to buy her time to be saved. And with her leg bleeding, she would likely die from blood loss soon.

“Glad you saw reason. Now, choose the lucky animatronic that will house your body.” said the Purple Guy as he shoved Susie towards Chica and Bonnie.

It took her a moment to process what he had said. She was still dealing with the realization that she was going to suffer the same fate that had befallen her friends. Being 11, she wasn’t ready to accept her death, nor could she accept that her friends had died in horrible ways.

Nonetheless, she glanced at the animatronic chicken first. From behind, the animatronic seemed even creepier. And with the ghostly lighting around them, it didn’t make the creepiness any less scary. She then turned her attention to Freddy. He didn’t look any less disturbing than Chica did, but he did have one thing going for him. And that was the fact that Susie didn’t hate him. At least, not as much as she did the chicken.

Susie was about to protest his choice when she was lifted and laid on his shoulder. Kicking and punching as hard as she could, she tried to make him let go of her. Yet, it was in vain because he just continued on as if Susie was doing nothing to him. It seemed like she was throwing punches that were feather-light. She watched helplessly as her body was brought closer and closer to the chicken animatronic.

“Please, don’t put in that one.” pleaded Susie, trying in vain to stop her imminent demise.

“Too late, you little fucker. You’re going to be in the chicken.” The Purple Guy said, throwing Susie down to the floor.

She screamed as she felt her injured knee and ankle contact with the hardwood of the stage floor. Barely having time to catch herself from falling, she held out hands, hoping to ease the blow. She nearly sprained her wrist, but she managed to catch herself. Adjusting her position, she pulled her injured knee to her chest. She watched as the back of Chica was opened. The yellow plastic squeaked as it had gotten pushed aside, revealing the metal and wires inside. From where she was sitting, she watched as the gears, cables, beams, and even a few ribs had gotten pushed aside. With them now pushed aside, she could see that she would fit if she squeezed herself into a ball.

The Purple Guy walked over to her, forcibly grabbing her forearm. She yelped as she yanked upwards onto her feet. For a split second, Susie almost lost her balance. Thankfully, she managed to regain it back and keep herself from falling. But the sudden action of standing on her ankle caused it to sprain.

“Get in, now!” barked the Purple Guy, clearly having lost all patience to deal with her.

She jumped into the animatronic, her chest landing on some of the gears. Groaning in pain, she forced her injured knee into the animatronic. She did her best not to scream as she bent it, but the motion caused her cut to open, making more blood pour from the wound. As the cut scraped across the metal and wires, she saw there was a trail of blood left behind. Finally, after she moved her knee, she started to stand up. Using the surrounding bars for support, she stood up inside of the animatronic.

“What are you going to do?” asked Susie as she looked at the Purple Guy.

“Nothing. I am going to let the animatronic handle the...messy stuff. Now, turn around.” replied the Purple Guy.

She turned around, and her face lined up with the facial area of the animatronic. Just as she had gotten herself situated, she heard several clicks before she felt the gears, metal, and assorted wires slam in on her. As the metal gears tore into her skin, she felt it ripping off her muscles. With the gears exposing her muscles, the wires sliced through the soft tissues on their way down to her bones. In an attempt to get away from the apparatus, Susie shifted her position. But that movement only resulted in one of the gears digging down to her bone, shattering it. She let out a terrified scream as the pain increased.

With the gears and wires now settled into place, she could feel her blood running down her arms and legs, lubricating the gears and joints. The amount of blood she was losing was starting to cause her to feel faint. But she was still aware enough to notice that the ribs of the animatronic were closing in around her. Ever so slowly, the metal ribs started to push against her shoulders and wrists. As the pressure increased, she felt the metal break her wrists as she fought feebly to keep them from crushing her. Another scream escaped from her throat as the metal bars broke her shoulders.

By now, the wires had started to cut off blood flow in certain areas while increasing it in others. Susie couldn’t feel her left arm or leg due to the circulation getting cut off for so long. Her right side faired a bit better as she could still barely feel her right arm. She slowly blinked as she saw her vision blur and darken as more of her blood pooled at the bottom of the animatronic.

Just as she was starting to slip into unconsciousness, she heard a clicking sound followed by several beams that shoved themselves inside her already weakened body. One beam shoved itself deep into her gut, pushing her intestinal tract outside of her body. A series of groans slipped from her lips as two poles shoved themselves into her kneecaps, shattering them in the process of pushing out the other side. There was another beam that managed to find its way through her left arm, ripping off her forearm tendon by tendon and leaving her elbow joint intact and exposed. A river of blood poured from the open injury and the loss of the lower limb.

As all the wires, gears, ribs, and metal bars had finally slowed their progression into her body, she heard the Purple Guy move behind her. If she could, she would’ve turned around to see what he was doing. But all she could do was stand there, hoping that death would come quickly.

“Good...bye…” uttered Susie just before her skull had gotten forcibly smashed into the facial plate of the animatronic.

As her body went limp, her chest fell forward onto the bars and beams in front of her. That resulted in more blood streaming from her open chest wound. With her body oozing blood form about every orifice possible, she felt her strength seeping. The last thing she saw was a dark room with no one but her and her now-dead friends. No one nearby to save her or her friends from the horrible death that was getting forced upon them. One...last...breath was forced out as Susie's lungs used the last remaining strength in her body.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer was immediately brought back to consciousness as she pushed out of Chica’s memories. But just as she was beginning to regain her balance, she felt something hit her, sending her flying towards a wall. Her back slammed hard against a brick wall behind her, knocking the air from her lungs. Simultaneously, her head hit the wall in sync with her back. Slowly, her back scraped across the bricks as she slid downward, unable to support herself. Groaning, she looked up as she saw Chica’s wing lowering.

“Sunset!” shouted the girls as they ran over to their friend.

As the girls got closer, Fluttershy walked over to where their friend was sitting. “Sunset, are you okay?” asked Fluttershy, holding her hand out for Sunset.

Blinking, Sunset Shimmer looked at Fluttershy. Her vision was a bit blurry around the edges, making her think she had suffered a small concussion. Aside from her blurry vision, her head was also pounding. Most likely from her slamming it into the wall behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment, easing the growing headache.

“Y-yeah, I think...so., replied Sunset, taking Fluttershy’s outstretched hand and standing up, leaning against the wall with her other one as she felt dizzy from the sudden movement.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle collapsed to the ground as her magic faded out, releasing Chica from the grasp. As she felt her body fall onto the cold pavement, the girls – except Sunset – ran up to her. With blurring vision, she watched as the redhead stood where she was. She knew why she had chosen to stay there – more than she was willing to admit, especially to herself. As she struggled to remain conscious, her body fought against her.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to be there, to be by Twilight’s side, but she couldn’t. Twilight Sparkle had made it very clear that she didn’t want her close. Not unless she was willing to be honest about her past. To let her in on the dark chapter that hung over her head. She knew that she deserved the truth, to know that she wasn’t alone. Yet, she was still struggling with letting her close. Even if it meant she was hurt by Twilight’s pushing her to the outside. Behind her, she heard a high pitched squeaking noise. She turned around to see that Chica was starting to move.

“Susie? Are you okay?” asked Sunset, running over to the animatronic chicken.

*** *** *** ***

While that was happening, Springtrap hid behind a corner near where the girls were. He had been patiently watching the girls restrain the animatronic while their redheaded friend did the same thing she had done to the other one. When he heard the name Susie, something clicked in his head. Looking down at the ground, he tried to remember where he had heard the name before.

“Wait a minute, does she mean...Susie? The little fucker whose leg I messed up?!” thought Springtrap. “They can’t be bringing these children back, can they?”

“W-who are you?” asked Susie, finally taking control of the animatronic. “Wh-where am I?”

“Shit, they are. But how?” asked Springtrap in his head.

As he looked at the girls, he noticed that there were some...changes going on with Twilight Sparkle. He saw what appeared to be small splotches of dark purple spots on her one arm. And from where he was, he could see that it was slowly spreading down her arm, covering her lavender skin tone. But that wasn’t the only change that appeared to be happening to their friend either. It seemed there was a pair of wings starting to protrude from her shoulder blades.

“Well, well, well, it seems those school bitches have a few problems of their own.” thought Springtrap gleefully.

He glanced over at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that she wasn’t around Twilight. Having seen the two girls fighting the previous day, he was aware that there were problems between them. Or at least, it appeared to be that way. If that was the case, he could use the cracks in their friendship to distract the girls. But for now, he figured that it was safer if they weren’t aware of his presence. Not yet, anyway. The time would come when it came.

Ducking behind the corner he was hiding behind, he started to walk back to the electrical building. He knew that he needed to come up with a way to prevent them from finding the rest of the animatronics. To keep them from bringing back the annoying kids. Dealing with the brats once was bad enough. Then having to return to dismantle the animatronics they inhabited was a headache all its own. He hadn’t managed to succeed in that task. It was because of his attempt to dismantle the animatronics that landed him in one himself.

“I will get my revenge on those kids, even if the girls get involved…”

*** *** *** ***

Applejack knelt next to Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on her shoulder. It felt icy cold like her body had lost all warmth and was dead. She eyed Twilight, hoping to see any signs that she was still alive. Luckily, she got her answer in the form of Twilight blinking. She sighed with relief, but it didn’t last long. A spark of magic flew from Twilight’s geode, causing her to step back. The rest of the girls followed suit as more sparks flew from her geode, landing on the ground in front of her.

“Susie, I am Sun-”

Sunset Shimmer had gotten cut off as she felt Applejack’s boot bump into her leg, causing her to look away from Susie. What she saw was Twilight’s skin slowly darkening, becoming the same color as it was when she had become Midnight Sparkle. She covered her mouth in shock at what she was witnessing. To see her friend being affected by equestrian magic again was something she wished she didn’t notice, especially when she knew the effect it had on her.

Twilight Sparkle sat up slowly, the blurriness fading from her vision. There was a mild stinging sensation running up her arm, prompting her to look down. As she watched, she saw that her arm was completely dark purple, contrasting with her other arm, which was starting to show the same splotches that turned her one arm dark purple.

“What the-? No…” whispered Twilight, running a hand along her arm.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, she felt a searing pain, almost like a hot iron was getting pressed to her gums. Her canine teeth specifically started to hurt more and more. Raising her hand to her teeth, she felt them become sharper until they were elongated fangs. The feeling of the sharp points on her fingertips made her yank her hand away.

“No, it can’t be. That’s not possible…” Twilight muttered as she stared down at her hand.

Her vision became blurry once more as her eyes started to change. The whites of her eyes slowly became a pale grey. Continuing, the change spread to her irises, changing from a violet color to mulberry. She regained her vision as the transformation moved from her eyes. Once she was able to see again, she examined her clothes. To her surprise, she saw that they had remained untouched, unlike the last time she had transformed into Midnight Sparkle. Wanting to see if her glasses remained, she reached up. When she felt the frames of her cat-eye glasses, she was grateful that they hadn’t erupted into flames.

Suddenly, a wave of intense heat hit her shoulder blades. The pain was comparable to an open flame getting held to her skin. It was soon followed by a stinging and pinching sensation which spread throughout her back. She reached behind her, touching the edge of her shoulder blade. Through her shirt, she could feel the heat radiating off her body. As she slowly moved her hand down, a dark purple, feathered wing sprouted from her shoulder blade, ripping her shirt as it extended outwards. Seconds later, the other one appeared as well, causing another rip.

Tentatively, Twilight Sparkle reached a hand towards one of the two wings. As her fingertips brushed against the feathers, she could feel the touch. That took her by surprise, making her pull her hand away immediately.

“They’re really attached...to me…”

The words fell from her lips, yet she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she felt her wings pull behind her, she yelped as a few feathers brushed against her skin. It was so foreign to feel her own feathers against her skin. But just as she had gotten lost in the sensation of having feathers, she felt something sprout from her tail bone. Looking behind her, she saw it was a tail that matched her hair color, down to the magenta streak. Curious, she attempted to flick her tail as a horse’s would. Unsurprisingly, it responded to the command, brushing against the pavement.

Feeling that her transformation had finished, she pushed herself up to her knees. She attempted to stand, but once she was fully upright, the full weight of her wings caused her to lose her balance. She was sent back to the ground, her knees and elbows scraping along the pavement. Her body ached, struggling to recover from the transformation. Blinking, she turned to face her friends.

Sunset Shimmer gasped quietly, covering her mouth as she saw Twilight’s eyes. They were mulberry, their violet color having disappeared during the transformation. She didn’t know what shocked her more, the two giant wings that had sprouted from her friend’s shoulder blades. Or the fact that her friend no longer looked like her friend anymore. She looked like Midnight Sparkle, yet she didn’t at the same time. It was like the transformation just transferred some traits of Twilight’s she-demon form to her natural look.

Applejack and the rest of the girls backed away from their friend as she looked at them. Their eyes were wide with fear, not sure if they could trust their friend anymore. They all stared at her, like a deer in the headlights. Like Sunset Shimmer, they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Especially after the events that occurred at the Friendship Games and the Fall Formal. The cowgirl felt Rarity grip her arm tightly as she stepped closer to her. That prompted her to rest a hand over the fashionista’s in a comforting gesture.

“Sunset is that…” Applejack couldn’t look at Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to ask the question.

“Midnight Sparkle?” I-I...don’t know, AJ.” replied Sunset Shimmer, stepping back from Twilight as she mentioned the name of her demon form.

Twilight Sparkle moaned as she pushed herself back to a sitting position. Her knees and elbows throbbed from the impact against the pavement. But she didn’t care about the physical pain her body was feeling. She was more focused on why something seemed off about her friends. Earlier, they had been around her, but when her geode malfunctioned, they backed away. But why? As her wings draped themselves over her shoulder, she understood why they had backed away.

“They backed away because I transformed...into Midnight Sparkle.” thought Twilight as she glanced down at her hands. “Are they...afraid?”

“Yeah, probably. You now look like a she-demon, so the girls most likely think you are Midnight Sparkle,” said Twilight’s inner voice.

“Midnight Sparkle?” asked Twilight.

“Yep. The girls think you have completely become Midnight Sparkle, that you are no longer you,” replied Twilight Sparkle's inner voice.

“But I am not Midnight Sparkle. I am me, Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, not wanting to believe that her friends would think that way about her.

“Well, convince them that you’re not Midnight Sparkle, but do it carefully.” Her inner voice said, warning her.

As she glanced up from her hands, she met Sunset Shimmer’s eyes from a moment. She could see a growing fear in her cyan eyes. That hurt to see it, but she understood why it was there. After all, she had transformed back into Midnight Sparkle right in front of her. It made sense that she didn’t know whether or not that she could trust her. Yet, as much as she understood Sunset’s reason for being wary of her, she couldn’t help but feel the blow of realizing she feared her. Combined with the fact that she knew she was hiding something, something that could be very similar to her experience, it only stung more.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight’s fear-stricken eyes. It pained her to see her friend look so frightened. Though, she knew that she wasn’t making the situation any better. She knew that Twilight Sparkle could see the fear that she was terrible at hiding. That made her look away as she remembered how the girls had reacted at the Fall Formal. They were afraid of her as well. Now, here she was, doing the same thing to her friend. It didn’t feel right to her.

“It’s not right. You should be helping Twilight, not acting like Twilight is someone not to trust.” Sunset’s inner voice chirped.

“But what if she is actually Midnight Sparkle?” asked Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight.

“If that was the case, why would you still refer to her as your friend? You know as well as I that she is still Twilight.” said her inner voice. “So, do the right thing and support her.”

Sunset Shimmer swallowed, her throat clenching tight as she struggled to push past her doubt. She knew her conscience was right – she had to do the right thing and support Twilight. Not give in to her fear and leave her with no one. With renewed strength, she forced herself to look up and meet Twilight’s gaze.

“Mid-Twilight?” asked Sunset, correcting herself as she asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

Author's Note

I hope everyone has a great V-Day if you like celebrating it. And if you don't I still hope your day is awesome! Enjoy the chapter.

The Truthfully True Trial of Truth

“S-Sunset? What ha-happened to me?” asked Twilight, struggling to speak to her friends.

Sunset Shimmer could hear the tremble in Twilight’s voice, which made her glance at her friends, wondering how they were reacting. She could see that they were just as terrified as she was. That made her guilt at her doubts and fear grow even more. It was one thing that they had their doubts about her being their friend, but it was another thing for them to show their friend actively. Seeing their fear, Sunset Shimmer understood exactly why Twilight sounded hurt. Her attention was drawn back to Twilight when she heard her struggling to stand up. Without even hesitating, she ran over to her.

“It’s okay, Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer as she held out a hand for Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle looked behind Sunset, seeing the rest of the girls back away further from her. Even though Sunset Shimmer was standing next to her, they still seemed afraid...of her. Turning her attention to her Sunset, she tentatively grabbed her hand. As she felt herself getting pulled up, she tried to keep her wings to herself. She didn’t want her wings to extend for fear of increasing her friends’ fear of her. As soon as Sunset Shimmer let go of her hand, she saw her back away slightly.

“You’re all afraid of me. Aren’t you?!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Fluttershy, wondering if the shyest of their friends was also afraid as well. A part of her wanted not to see fear, but kindness, acceptance, or some shred of how her friend usual was. She saw Fluttershy step forward for a moment, albeit tentatively and with hesitation. Trying to ease her fear, she gave her a small smile. But unfortunately, she smiled more than she intended to, revealing her newly acquired fangs in the process. In turn, that made the shy girl squeal and hide behind her hair.

“No, I didn’t...I am sorry…” thought Twilight, her gaze shifting frantically between her friends.

“Sugarcube...are you okay?” asked Applejack, taking a few cautious steps closer to Twilight.

Seeing Applejack step closer to her, Twilight Sparkle panicked and stepped back from her. In her panic, she looked at Sunset Shimmer. She wanted her support – she needed it. Yet, she couldn’t find it in herself to let her help. Not if it meant she was going to get hurt again. Not if she was right about Sunset Shimmer not trusting her because she still saw her as Midnight Sparkle. Unfurling her wings instinctively, she staggered away from the girls.

Sunset’s heart heaved in her chest as she watched Twilight Sparkle fearfully back away from her friends. That was enough to make her force her fear and doubts aside. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she ran up to her, grabbing her shoulders. She didn’t care that the others were watching as she slowly moved her hands from Twilight’s shoulders, grabbing her hands in a tight grip. Leaning forward, she met her eyes.

“Twilight, we’re not afraid of you. Believe me,” said Sunset, a calmness in her voice.

Twilight Sparkle looked down, her thumb caressing the back of the redhead’s hand. “I-I don’t know if I can believe you, Sunset.”

But she wanted to. She wanted to believe what Sunset Shimmer said was true that they weren’t afraid – that she wasn’t scared. Yet, there was something in her eyes that made her unable to believe what her friend had said. A fear that was still present in her eyes contrasting with the calmness of her words. Twilight Sparkle tried to pull her hands away from Sunset’s grip, but she couldn’t do it.

“You’re afraid of me because I look like Midnight Sparkle, aren’t you Sunset?” asked Twilight, looking up to meet Sunset’s eyes.

The question took her by complete surprise. Sunset Shimmer didn’t expect Twilight Sparkle to confront her upright about being afraid. She had tried to hide it, for Twilight’s sake. But it seemed that despite her efforts, her fear still showed through. She swallowed, trying to keep herself calm. Biting her lip, she forced herself to speak.

“I-I…” The words struggled to come to her. Though, looking at Twilight Sparkle, Sunset couldn’t help but be honest with her. “Maybe…”

As she heard Sunset Shimmer say maybe, Twilight Sparkle yanked her hands free from Sunset’s grasp and stepped back. That was all the confirmation she needed to prove that she was right. Her theory about Sunset Shimmer being panicked around her because of her being Midnight Sparkle was correct. And to add insult to injury, she had to learn that while she looked like her. Giving her wings a quick flap, she turned her back to her friends.

“Sparky, I…”

“Don’t Sunset. I am sorry that you are afraid of me..” said Twilight as she looked up at the night sky.

“Twilight-” started Sunset Shimmer as she stepped forward towards Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer had gotten cut off as she watched Twilight Sparkle extend her wings. She ran up to her with her hand outstretched, but she was too late. Twilight was already in the air, flying off into the sky. Standing there, watching her fly off, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for admitting her own fear. She gripped her arm, looking down in shame. She had been honest about how she felt, but it backfired on her. Her friend had chosen to push her aside because she had admitted her fear of her. Now, she understood why Twilight Sparkle had looked so hurt that day at lunch when she had done the same thing.

“Sunset, where could’ve Twilight disappeared to?” asked Applejack as she approached Sunset with Rarity coming with her.

“I know of a place, girls. But I can’t be sure she’ll be there,” said Sunset, turning around to face her friends. “We’ll need to split up.”

Rarity removed her hands from around Applejack’s arm, gripping her hand. “I’ll go with her.”

“And I will go with Pinkie Pie and make sure she doesn’t get distracted...too many.” Rainbow Dash said, slinging her arm around Pinkie Pie’s shoulders.

“Then, I will go with Fluttershy,” Sunset Shimmer said, walking over to Fluttershy. “We’ll text each other if we find Twilight, agreed?”

“Agreed.” The girls shouted in unison.

Susie groaned as she sat up, looking at the girls. She had been watching the scene play out with Twilight and Sunset. Susie had seen the fight between them. It reminded her of when she and Gabriel had committed their first murders. That had caused them to not talk to each other because they were ashamed of what they had done. From what she had seen, it seemed that Sunset and her friend were also heading down that same road as well. She used her wings to push herself to a standing position.

“Um, I hate to intrude, but can one of you please help me find my friends?” asked Susie as she walked up to the girls.

Sunset Shimmer turned her attention to Susie, saying, “We know where your friends are, Susie.”

“You do? Where are they?!” asked Susie, excited to be getting a chance to see her friends again.

Applejack cleared her throat. “They’re at my house, waiting in a barn to see you.”

That news made Susie squeal happily. To be able to see her friends again was some of the best news she had received in years. Sure, she had been around them for years trapped in the pizzeria. But for most of their time there, they weren’t themselves or aware of each other. After having committed several murders, they had collectively chosen to forget themselves and hide inside the animatronics. She couldn’t even remember the last real conversation they had together as friends. It had been so long since they had one.

“Can we go see them now?” Susie asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

Sunset Shimmer rubbed her neck, not wanting to say that she wanted to find Twilight first. “Um…”

Sensing what Sunset wanted to say, Rarity interjected, saying, “What our friend is trying to say is that we would like to be able to locate our friend first.”

Susie nodded. “That is fine. I understand wanting to find your friend.”

“So, you won’t mind if we find her first?” asked Sunset.

“Not at all. I will help you find Twilight,” said Susie, resting a wing on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Okay, well, let’s go,” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack and Rarity were the first of the girls to leave. As they exited the alleyway, they turned left, heading to Twilight’s house in hopes that she’d be there. Behind them were Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They walked out of the alleyway and turned right, heading towards the local library. With the four girls now gone, that left Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, and Susie standing in the near-empty alley.

“Sunset?” asked Fluttershy, keeping her voice calm and steady as she tried not to let Susie know she was terrified of her.

“What, Fluttershy?” asked Sunset.

“I was just wondering, where should we go” Fluttershy hid behind her hair, keeping Susie out of her line of sight.

Sunset Shimmer let out a heavy sigh, she wanted to find Twilight Sparkle but by herself. She needed that chance to talk to her alone. To have a chance at explaining her past before anyone found them. She needed to know that no one was going to interrupt them and ruin her chance. But she also didn’t want to leave Fluttershy to search for Twilight on her own either.

“Fluttershy, would you mind if I searched for Twilight...by myself?” asked Sunset, involuntarily wincing as she waited for Fluttershy’s response.

Fluttershy gave Sunset Shimmer a small smile as she rested her hand on her shoulder. She knew what she wanted, and she was okay with it too. Despite her efforts, she still feared Twilight’s new appearance. Though, she was willing to try and work on it. Plus, she had a feeling one of the places Sunset wanted to visit was the Everfree forest. And the idea of venturing into the dark woods at night didn’t seem too appealing to her.

“Yeah, you can. I will check to see if Twilight is at the dog park,” said Fluttershy, squeezing Sunset’s shoulder.

“And I will join you,” added Susie, stepping closer to Fluttershy.

“Um...okay,” Fluttershy whispered, not totally on board with Susie joining her.

Sunset Shimmer managed to give them a weak smile before it fell. What happened earlier weighed on her. And the earlier conversation with Rainbow Dash still rang in her head. She had sworn to tell Twilight Sparkle the truth, to be honest about her bad past. Her nerves had become rattled, but that was understandable. Admitting that she was a rather mean person that was a full one-eighty from the person she was now was a very nerve-wracking experience.

“Thanks, Shy. I really appreciate that,” said Sunset.

“You’re welcome, Sunset.” Fluttershy let her hand fall from the redhead’s shoulder as she started to walk towards the end of the alleyway. “I hope everything goes okay with Twilight.”

“Me too.” Sunset Shimmer pulled her leather jacket tighter around her, fighting to keep the chill of the fall wind from getting to her.

With that, Fluttershy sent a quick text to all the girls, explaining the change of plans with her and Sunset. She gave her a small wave before she and Susie walked out of the alleyway. She made her way down the somewhat lit streets of Canterlot City, heading towards the dog park. That left Sunset standing alone in the alley with the fading light of the evening.

*** *** *** ***

Rarity and Applejack were walking down the street, heading towards Twilight’s house. They had only been there a handful of times as Twilight was pretty secretive about her room. Though they didn’t understand why she was, she had been to all their houses numerous times, mainly Sunset’s house. Nonetheless, they didn’t question it and just accepted it. As they neared the front gate, they hesitated.

“Do you think Twilight’s goin’ to be here? She doesn’t exactly look like...herself,” asked Applejack.

Rarity looked at the cowgirl. She had the same doubts as her friend. But, this was one option in a list of options. Albeit, it was unlikely to be viable. Though, there was a chance that Twilight had gone here. No matter how small.

“I don’t know, AJ. But we owe it to her to try,” she replied, her hand resting on the gate’s latch.

With a reassuring smile, Applejack opened the gate with Rarity. They made their way up the driveway, stopping once they reached the front door. Rarity was the one who knocked. She was nervous, making her hand shake as she hit the door three times. Lowering her hand, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Looking at Applejack, she gave her friend – and secret crush – a grateful smile. Having Applejack there, she felt better. She stepped back as she waited for Twilight’s mother to answer the door.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Mrs. Velvet stood in the doorway. Behind her stood Mr. Light, her husband.

“Hello, Rarity and Applejack. How are you two doing?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

“We’re doing good, Mrs. Velvet,” said Applejack. “We were wondering if you have seen Twilight?”

“Mhm, no, I haven’t. Have you, dear?” asked Mrs. Velvet, turning to her husband.

“No, I haven’t either,” replied Mr. Light, looking from his wife to the girls. “Is everything okay with her?”

“Yeah, we’re just trying to see if Twilight was here.” Rarity lied, giving Twilight’s parents a nervous smile.

Mr. Light arched an eyebrow, saying, “Isn’t she usually with you, girls?”

“And she was. But something came up for her, and we’re just hoping to make sure that everything was okay,” said Applejack, taking the attention off Rarity, giving her a chance to calm down.

“Hmm, well, try the school library. Twilight has spent a lot of her time there,” suggested Mrs. Velvet.

“Thanks, Mrs. Velvet. We’ll check there next.” Applejack finished with her signature sweet country girl smile.

“Okay, girls. See you later,” said Mrs. Velvet before closing the front door and walking back inside her house.

The girls made their way past the gate, locking it behind them as they left the house. Once they were far enough down the street, they looked at each other and exhaled in unison. Having to cover for Twilight wasn’t easy, especially when her parents were involved.

“Well, that could’ve gone better,” said Rarity.

“Yeah, I agree. But let’s go see if Twilight is at the library.” Applejack said, starting to walk down the street.

As they walked down the street, heading towards the school, Applejack stole a glance at Rarity. For a moment, she admired the stunning beauty that was her friend. The delicate, gem-like features, the beautiful blue-purple hair that fell below her shoulders, and the way her skin shone like a diamond in the moonlight. She wondered if her skin was as soft as it looked. Still gazing at her, she saw Rarity’s blue eyes meet hers. When the light hit them, it was like two sapphires staring back at her. Realizing that she was starting to stare, she cleared her head, focusing on Twilight and finding her.

“Do you think that Twilight will be there?” asked Applejack.

“I-I don’t know, AJ. But I am worried about her. The way she looked at us when she realized that we were scared of her. I feel terrible that I felt that way…” replied Rarity, looking down at the sidewalk beneath her feet.

“Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have acted the way I did either,” added Applejack.

With that hanging in the air, both remained silent for the rest of the walk to the school. Internally, both of them started to ponder what the other felt. Neither could admit they liked the other, afraid that their feelings wouldn’t get reciprocated. Yet, little did they know, they both felt the same way about each other. The real question wasn’t if they liked each other, but rather when each was going to admit it to the other. Finally, after half an hour of walking, they reached the school just as Sunset showed up.

“Hey, Sunset! Where’d Fluttershy and Susie go looking for Twilight?” asked Applejack as she approached Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer stopped running for a moment. She had temporarily forgotten that Fluttershy and Susie had gone on their own. As she looked at her friends, her throat closed up, making it hard to swallow. Her mind was still racing with thoughts about how she was going to confess her past to Twilight without freaking her out. And Sunset Shimmer couldn’t – no, wouldn’t – admit that she wanted to be alone with her. Whether she liked it or not, Sunset knew that Rainbow Dash had a point earlier. She had to be honest with Twilight Sparkle about her past, no matter the reaction.

Walking up to Applejack, she said, “Oh, uh Fluttershy went to the dog park to see if Twilight might’ve flown there.”

Applejack nodded. “Okay. Have you seen Twilight at all yet?”

“No, not yet,” replied Sunset, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

“Where are you headed, Sunset?” asked Rarity.

“I am going to the bleachers to see if Twilight might be there,” replied Sunset quickly. “See you girls later.”

Before either Applejack or Rarity could ask her any more questions, Sunset Shimmer ran off. Her feet pounded against the pavement as she rounded the corner to the bleachers. Immediately, she went to her secret spot, knowing that Twilight Sparkle had come to call that spot her own as well. When she got there, all she found was two squirrels hanging out. They quickly scurried away as she walked closer to them.

“Okay, this is just great. If Twilight isn’t here, then where can she be?” thought Sunset.

She leaned against the side of the bleachers, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to recall any other places that Twilight could’ve gone. As her mind raced about the possible locations, she remembered the clearing that was by the road leading back into the city. That was the clearing that she realized what her powers were. And where she first realized that Twilight was afraid that Midnight Sparkle was coming back. Though, looking back on it now, she could see that Twilight’s fears had gotten justified now. Pushing off the bleachers, she started the long trek to the clearing. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from the school.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle was flying overhead, enjoying the feeling of the wind rustling against her feathers. She flew over the everfree forest, seeing the spot where Sunset Shimmer managed to talk her down from her fears of Midnight Sparkle coming back. She decided that it was a decent spot to land and started to dive down towards it. Nearing the clearing, she stopped her dive and hovered above the ground. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, being careful to avoid hitting any tree branches as she did so. Once she felt her feet touch solid ground, she let herself collapse to her knees.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the sobs she had been holding back previously fell. She was Midnight Sparkle again, at least through appearance. Which, to her, was a great relief. Yet, this time it seemed different than last. It seemed that this time she was in control of herself. As she knelt there on the ground, she glanced down at her hands.

“Is it possible that I may have my...powers? Could I still open portals?” thought Twilight as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

Wanting to test her theory, she lifted her hand outward and allowed herself to use the magic that flowed through her. A blast of bright blue light shot from her hand. She watched in amazement as the beam of light expanded. After letting the beam hit the forest floor for a few seconds, she lowered her hand. What she was expecting was a portal to be right where magic hit, but there was none. All that remained from the blast was scorch marks and a deep hole where the explosion hit.

“Woah…” said Twilight, surprised by what she had done. “It’s probably best I don’t use my new magic too much.”

Standing up, Twilight Sparkle walked over to a nearby tree. Seating herself beneath its branches, she wrapped her wings around her body. The warmth that came from the still somewhat unsettling action was comforting to her. As the cold fall wind blew past her, she felt the outer layer of her feathers rustle in the breeze. Yet, the bonus of having feathered wings meant she didn’t feel the chill of the wind.

“Oh…” Twilight Sparkle felt another stream of tears fall as her mind went back to Sunset Shimmer and her reaction. “If she didn’t trust me before I looked like Midnight, she won’t trust me now that I do.”

Just as those words slipped from her mouth, she heard some nearby bushes rustle behind her. She spun around to see what it was that dared to ruin her quiet moment. Slowly, she let her wings rest back against her sides, allowing herself to get noticed. Out of the bushes, she saw specks of red and yellow hair. She knew all too well who it was that was making their way into the clearing. That made Twilight pull her wings around herself again. She didn’t want to see Sunset Shimmer, despite knowing that deep down she did want to.

Sunset Shimmer pushed a large branch out of her way as she stepped into the clearing. She looked up and had gotten met with the sight of a mass of dark purple feathers crouched under a tree. There was Twilight Sparkle, sitting there and facing away from her. For a split second, she reached for her phone. She knew she should text her friends to let them know that she had found their friend. Yet, there was a nagging voice in her head saying this might be her only chance to talk to Twilight. Alone, without worry that the girls would show up. Making her choice, she moved her hand away from her phone and walked over to where Twilight was. She sat down on a boulder that was nearby, resting her arms on her knees.

“Twilight…?”

Her voice quivered as she spoke. She tried to sound like her typical self, but her nervousness at having to be honest was making that task near impossible. As if being honest wasn’t hard enough on its own. Looking down, she noticed that her hands were shaking. Whether from the cold fall air or her nervousness, she couldn’t tell. Probably both.

“Twilight, please talk to me,” begged Sunset, her voice shaking more with each syllable she said.

Hearing the desperation in the redhead’s voice, Twilight Sparkle let her wings relax, resting at her sides. She didn’t look at Sunset Shimmer as she glanced up. It was too hard to face her friend after hearing her admit that she was afraid of her. That pain had only gotten worse when it confirmed her theory about Sunset Shimmer not being open with her was about her being Midnight Sparkle. Despite that, it pained her to see her friend so distraught, even when that said friend had hurt her previously. Taking a deep breath, she forced her to say something.

“What, Sunset?” asked Twilight, her voice steady but weak. “What exactly do you want me to say to you? Especially after you admitted to me that you feared me…”

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, regretting her earlier actions. She hadn’t meant to hurt Twilight when she admitted that she might’ve feared her. She regretted it the second she said maybe to the question. Watching her expression go from worried to saddened was pure torture for her. She realized that admitting her fear at the moment was the wrong choice to make. One that affected Twilight Sparkle deeply. She could tell by the stern tone in her voice, despite the weakness and calmness of her voice.

“Twilight, I have something to tell you.” Sunset stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t the...nicest person before you met me.”

That made Twilight Sparkle look at Sunset Shimmer, her mulberry eyes full of curiosity and confusion. Her anger had gotten momentarily forgotten as she realized what Sunset was doing. She realized that she was going to hear the truth about her past. And that excited her, though she didn’t let it show. She wanted to know who the redhead was before she met her at the Friendship Games.

“What do you mean you weren’t the nicest person?” asked Twilight, trying to contain the hopeful tone in her voice.

“Twilight, I mean, I wasn’t always nice. I used to be a bully,” replied Sunset. “I manipulated the girls and tore their friendship apart.”

Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows. It was hard to picture the girl in front of her as a bully. Sure, she had seen her temper a couple of times. Said temper did make Sunset Shimmer appear to be mean when she got out of control, but she usually apologized right afterward. To try and imagine her being mean without caring about the people she hurt, it was a challenge for her. She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to where the redhead was sitting.

“What did you do to them?” asked Twilight, sitting in front of Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Well, the beginning of my freshman year, I ruined Fluttershy’s silent auction by sending a fake text to Pinkie Pie, saying that she wanted to use noisemakers and fireworks for a big party.”

As she started to recount all the things she did in her past, images flashed across her mind. She could see the glee-filled smile she had as she watched Fluttershy shrink away from the loud noises. It made her sick to her stomach to see how she used to enjoy seeing others suffering. Swallowing, she pushed the image aside only to have it replaced with another more sickening image. She saw herself towering over the shy girl, her shadowed face hiding the sinister grin she was supporting. The memory replayed itself as if wanting to torment her for revealing it to Twilight. Closing her eyes, Sunset forced the memory aside, not letting another second replay inside her mind.

Twilight Sparkle listened intently to what Sunset Shimmer was saying, ignoring the swishing of her tail behind her. She was intrigued by what she was hearing, and by the reaction her friend was having as she was telling her about it. She could see the toll it was having on her to bring the memories back to the surface. That only made her want to listen even more to make sure she heard everything.

“Later that year, I messed with Rarity, sending her a fake email from Pinkie saying that she didn’t want any help with the Fall Formal. Or any of the school functions that she tried to help Pinkie with.” continued Sunset, pushing herself to admit the truth. “That was when I noticed a huge rift growing amongst the girls.”

Admitting what she did to the girls aloud was a struggle. Since the Battle of the Bands, she had forced the memories aside, wanting to forget that they ever happened. All they were was painful reminders that she messed up and ruined the lives of terrific friends. It was one thing to hear others talk about what she did, but to have to talk about it was another thing. So much so that she herself rarely did it. Yet, she found herself able to admit what her actions were, even though it was painful to do it. Looking up, she continued.

“A few months into sophomore year, I heard that Applejack was having a bake sale at her family’s farm. So, me being the manipulative alpha bitch I was, then decided to mess with them. Out of the girls, they were the only two I had yet to mess with, and I wanted to change that. So, I told Rainbow Dash that Applejack had moved her bake sale to another date.” said Sunset, looking to the other side, away from Twilight.

Twilight could tell that as Sunset Shimmer recalled the memories of her past, she was struggling to continue. She could see that she was letting herself be vulnerable instead of deflecting to something else. It was amazing to see a sensitive side to Sunset that she didn’t get to see often. That made her move closer to the redhead, resting her hand on her knee. She kept her wings at her side, so it was not to freak her out. With her wings safely at her side, she scooted closer to her.

“Is that all?” asked Twilight Sparkle as Sunset met her gaze.

“I wish it was Twi. But as the Spring Formal came along, Rarity had decided to run for Spring Formal Princess. And at the time, I wanted to be the only one to win the crown. So, I got some...personal photos of hers. Just before the election was to begin, I released a video I had made using the photos and some embarrassing recordings I got myself.” Sunset cringed as she recalled the video she had made.

Twilight Sparkle knew that she shouldn’t ask the next question that popped into her head. It was wrong that she was even thinking about it. But her curiosity was stronger, overpowering her disgust at her desire to see it.

“Do...you still have the video?” asked Twilight, letting her hand fall from Sunset’s knee as she looked away in shame.

Sunset Shimmer had gotten taken aback as she heard Twilight’s question. Though she wasn’t shocked that Twilight had asked the question, knowing Twilight, Sunset Shimmer knew she had an air of curiosity that made her want to learn as much as she could. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t nerve-wracking to have her ask about the video. She grabbed her phone and unlocked it, going into her video gallery. There was the video, still sitting in her gallery from the day of the Spring Formal. For a moment, her finger hovered over the delete button. It was so tempting to delete it and say she didn’t have it. But that would have been another lie, and she was starting to regret lying to Twilight Sparkle. Silently, she clicked on the video and handed her phone to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle took the phone from Sunset, looking at what was playing on the screen. She heard her voice playing over a series of photos. The photos showed Rarity in slightly risque lingerie, posing in various ways on her bed. It was clear that the pictures were supposed to stay private, though somehow, Sunset managed to get a hold of them. She covered her mouth as she heard some of the recordings the redhead managed to obtain. Some had gotten caught at the wrong time. Others were mashed up to sound false or mean. The video ended with the photo of Rarity standing naked in front of her mirror. Once the video had finished, Twilight looked up at Sunset.

“As I said, I wasn’t the nicest person Twi.” Sunset looked at her phone, barely able to stomach what she heard herself say in the video.

Twilight got up and sat next to Sunset Shimmer, not caring that her wings brushed up against her arms as she sat down. Right now, she was able to push her worries about freaking her friend out. What Sunset needed was a friend who was willing to comfort her after letting herself be vulnerable. She could tell that it was hard for her to hear what was getting said in the video. She looked down at the video, seeing the trash symbol on the screen. Looking back at Sunset Shimmer, she knew one way to help her let go of the past.

Grabbing her hand, she said, “Sunset, I can see that this was your past. Do you think you can delete the video? Do you think you can start to let go of what happened in your past?”

Sunset Shimmer met Twilight’s gaze, ignoring the fact she could feel the feathers brushing against her skin. To hear her raise the question of deleting the video had surprised her. After watching her reaction to it, which hurt to see how shocked she was, she didn’t think Twilight Sparkle would want to talk to her. She held onto that video for the sole purpose of reminding herself of the monster she used to be. Never once did it cross her mind to get rid of it. Though now facing that choice, she was willing to do it because her reason for deleting it permanently was sitting next to her.

“Y-yeah, I think I can,” replied Sunset, taking her phone back.

With a shaky hand, she pressed the delete symbol, and the video had gotten permanently deleted. Seeing the video was gone was strange to her, especially after the many times she had made herself watch it. She turned off her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. She didn’t want to give the video another thought. Turning her attention to Twilight, she moved away from her.

“Guess you’re still afraid of me…” said Twilight Sparkle when she noticed that Sunset Shimmer had shifted away from her.

Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, pushing Twilight’s wing aside so she could see her face. Now that she was sitting next to her, she could see the tears that were slowly streaming down her cheeks. Reaching out her hand, she wiped a few of the tears off her cheek. It killed her to see that Twilight was upset and that it was her doing. She pushed herself off the boulder and stood in front of her.

“Twilight, look at me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she pulled Twilight’s gaze to meet hers. “I am not afraid of you.”

“But you-”

“I just moved away because I had just made myself vulnerable, and I wanted to give you time to adjust to what I told you.” continued Sunset, not letting Twilight Sparkle finish. “I hope since you now know that about me that it hasn’t changed how you view me.”

Twilight Sparkle grabbed Sunset’s hand. “It hasn’t. You are still the same Sunset I love.”

As soon as Twilight said that, she immediately blushed. It was the first time she said anything like that to Sunset. And in a way, it felt like she was admitting her feelings to her. Right now, it was very tempting, but she decided better of it. After hearing Sunset Shimmer tell her about what she used to be like before she met her, she had started to understand why it was so hard for the redhead to talk about it. The video was also proof that she had made an effort to do better. As Twilight Sparkle watched her delete it, letting go of some part of her past, it was amazing to see the journey she had been through.

“But I do have one question, though. What is the Fall-”

“There you two are!” shouted Rainbow Dash, interrupting Twilight as she sped into the clearing.

“Why didn't you send us a text that you found her?” asked Applejack as she joined them in the clearing.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, clearly panicking about what to say. She hadn’t expected the girls to find them there. Nor did she think about how she was going to explain away her not texting them. Telling them that she admitted to Twilight what she did to them was out of the question. Revealing that to her was hard enough for her not to want to let the girls know. At least not until she had time to push the memories back to their cages.

“She was busy reminding me that you girls are my friends and that I shouldn’t have run off and made you worry,” said Twilight, knowing that Sunset didn’t want their private conversation talked about.

The redhead gave Twilight Sparkle a very grateful smile. Her attention turned to the bushes as she heard a heavy thudding coming towards them. Looking at them, she saw Fluttershy push her way past the branches, followed by Susie right behind her. As the animal lover walked over to Applejack, it was plain to see that she was still nervous about being around Susie.

‘H-hey, there you a-are.” Susie said as her robotic voice skipped a bit.

The girls all stood around nervously, none of them sure what to say next. Twilight Sparkle still looked like Midnight Sparkle, and that had to get addressed. The girls all knew that. They knew they had to apologize for hurting their friend and making her run off. Applejack was the first to approach Twilight, albeit being wary of the two large wings that draped themselves over her shoulders.

“Twilight, we’re mighty sorry that we made you feel bad. We shouldn’t have been afraid of you,” said Applejack, glancing back at the other girls before returning her attention to Twilight. “Can you forgive us?”

The rest of the girls circled Twilight and Sunset, all except for Fluttershy. She was still trying to adjust to the situation. And having been paired up with an 8-foot tall animatronic chicken didn’t help. The time she had been searching for her friend at the dog park with her was intriguing. She had noticed that Susie had kept her distance, seemingly mindful of her fear. As she stayed back, she saw Twilight glance briefly at her. It seemed that she, too, was also aware that she was still a bit fearful.

Pinkie Pie was pulling her classic I’m-sorry-will-you-please-forgive-me puppy dog eyes. Looking at her, Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but give in. Just as with Sunset Shimmer, her anger towards the girls disappeared as soon as she heard their apologies. After all, she couldn’t blame them for being afraid. She wasn’t sure how she looked, but if Twilight Sparkle could see herself, Twilight figured that she would become just as freaked out. Pushing aside her worries about Fluttershy, she forced herself to acknowledge her friends.

Twilight Sparkle looked directly at the girls. “I can, but it doesn’t change how much it hurt to see you girls fear me.”

“We know, Twi,” said Pinkie Pie, walking up to her. “We see now that you are our friend. But I am curious about something.”

“What is that, Pinkie?” asked Twilight.

“How come Susie isn’t terrified of your appearance? I mean, it’s not every day that someone who is a kid trapped inside an animatronic gets to see someone that looks like a she-demon,” asked Pinkie Pie, finally noticing that Susie seemed not to care about Twilight’s new appearance.

Twilight Sparkle shifted her wings over her shoulders, hiding her face behind the warm feathers. Though the question hadn’t meant to offend her, it was still painful to her. To hear her friend imply that anyone else would find her new appearance disturbing felt like a punch to her stomach. Yet, if what she went through tonight with her friends was any indication, she had a bad feeling she was going to have to get used to people becoming repulsed by her new features.

As she went to fix her gaze to the ground, she felt a gentle touch against her shoulder, making her tail flick behind her in response to it. Surprised by the sudden contact, she looked up to see someone she didn’t expect. The hand that rested on her shoulder belonged to the only one of her friends that was still afraid of her. Lowering her wings a bit, she saw Fluttershy smiling at her despite the fact she still was nervous about being close to her. That made the gesture all the more sweet and endearing. And knowing that her friend was pushing past her own nervousness to support her made her smile.

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” whispered Twilight, resting her hand lightly over Fluttershy’s.

Keeping her gaze on Twilight’s eyes, Fluttershy moved her hand down from Twilight’s shoulder. She tried to ignore the feeling of the feathers brushing against her skin, but it was impossible. The way they brushed against her skin was causing goosebumps to form on her arm. As her hand reached Twilight’s, she started to pull away, but she felt her grip her hand tightly.

“I mean it, Fluttershy. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to approach me,” said Twilight, flashing Fluttershy a weak smile.

Fluttershy squeezed Twilight’s hand gently. “It wasn’t, but I am always happy to help a friend no matter what.”

As Susie watched the scene play out in front of her, she finally replied to Pinkie Pie’s earlier question. “To answer your question, I am not all that freaked out because...well, let’s just say that I have seen worse.”

Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what Susie meant. The sickening images she had seen in her memories were still replaying in her mind. For a while, she had managed to push them aside, talking to Twilight Sparkle helped with that. Though, the subject of their conversation wasn’t a much better option. Clearing any thoughts of the discussion or the images, she pulled out her phone. As the screen turned on, she saw the time was 9:48 pm.

“Crap! Girls, we have to go now. We have school tomorrow, and it’s almost ten.” said Sunset, putting away her phone. “Let’s get Susie back to Fritz and Jeremy.”

“Just Jeremy and Fritz? Where’s Gabriel?’ asked Susie.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “We are still searching for…”

“Gabriel,” Susie said, finishing Sunset’s sentence.

“Yes, Gabriel,” said Sunset, making a note to remember his name. “Well, let’s go.”

After that, the girls and Susie walked out of the clearing, making their way to Applejack’s farm. Walking down the road leading to the city, Susie couldn’t help but wonder what was happening between Sunset and Twilight. She had noticed the earlier argument between the two girls. Her curiosity was starting to get to her as Susie tried to figure out what was going on. Making her way over to the redhead, she tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hey, Sunset? Can I ask you something?” asked Susie.

Sure. What is it, Susie?” Sunset said, looking at Susie as they continued walking.

“I hope you don’t me prodding, but what is going on with you and Twilight?” Susie continued, glancing back at Twilight.

“Guess you overheard the argument earlier, huh?” Sunset looked down at the road, recalling the argument.

‘Yeah, it was kind of hard not to when you’re sitting five feet away.” replied Susie, chuckling robotically.

“Well, the argument was over me being afraid of her appearance. I made the wrong choice in admitting that I was afraid, at least in the way that I did it.” Sunset’s eyes clouded over with a few tears as guilt washed over her again.

“Why were you afraid of her? She is still your friend, despite her appearance changing, right?” Susie’s curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she continued to ask questions.

“Yes, she is still my friend.” Sunset’s voice cracked as she struggled to keep from crying. “I was afraid of her because...I have- I’m sorry, I can’t talk about it right now.”

Sunset Shimmer walked away from Susie, wiping a tear off her cheek. She knew Susie’s questions were well-intentioned, but she knew it was too much for her at the moment, and she needed to be alone. After the ordeal with revealing her bullying past to Twilight Sparkle and the emotional trauma it raised, she was emotionally and psychologically raw. She glanced behind her at Twilight, who smiled at her when she met her gaze. Blushing, the redhead looked away, sheepishly smiling to herself.

“You did good tonight, Sunset.” said her conscience. “You did great even.”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer could see the excitement Susie had by the way she walked ahead of them, almost forcing them to jog to keep up with her. She and the girls all shared sympathetic smiles, knowing the comfort being in the presence of your closest friends brought. The idea of anything terrible happening to them made Sunset Shimmer walk a little closer to her friends. She didn’t want to consider imagining a world where she didn’t have them. Not after all they had done to help become the person she was now. She was grateful for their support and friendship, very appreciative.

Fluttershy shivered as another gust of wind blew past her in the open road. She wished she had remembered to wear her heavier jacket. In the haste of going after Susie, she didn’t have time to get her other coat. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm her arms up or, at the very least, get rid of the forming goosebumps. She was so focused on trying to keep warm, that she hadn’t noticed that Twilight was walking up to her.

“May I?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she stretched out one of her wings.

Fluttershy nodded. “Pl-please do.”

Cautiously, Twilight Sparkle wrapped her wing around Fluttershy’s shivering body. She made sure to keep some distance between her body and Fluttershy’s as she pulled her close. Seeing her friend shivering in the cold made her want to offer what she could. And with her wings being feathered, it provided excellent protection against the brisk fall wind. As they continued walking, she felt a hand grasp her wing, pulling it closer to its owner. Looking, she realized it was the animal lover who seemed delighted to have something warm.

“Thank you,” whispered Fluttershy as she snuggled closer to Twilight’s wing.

‘You’re welcome.” replied Twilight, looking down as she smiled.

She didn’t want Fluttershy to see her fangs, not after what happened earlier. Right now, she wanted to revel in the moment of seeing her friend enjoying her company. Just as she looked up, she felt someone touching her other wing. When she looked to see who it was, she was surprised to see it was Pinkie Pie. She watched as the pink-haired girl ran her hand across the feathers continuously.

“So soft…” mumbled Pinkie Pie as she closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the sensation.

“Um, Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight. “What are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie rubbed her cheek against a few of the feathers, saying, “Enjoying the unbelievable softness of your feathers.”

Twilight Sparkle gave her a puzzled look before turning to Sunset Shimmer, who started to snicker at the utter silliness of what she was witnessing. Between the priceless expression that Twilight had and Pinkie Pie resting her head on her wing, it was an almost unbelievable scene that they were seeing in front of them. That laughter was infectious, sending everyone, including Twilight, into a laughing fit. The laughter broke the tension between the girls and brought everyone a bit closer together.

Once Sunset Shimmer could finally rein in her laughter, she rested a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and said, “That’s a classic Pinkie Pie move.”

Again, everyone broke out into laughter, knowing very well that Sunset’s comment was genuine.

*** *** *** ***

By now, the moon and stars had taken center stage in the sky, illuminating the path leading down to the farm with an eerie glow. With the sun’s light gone, the road looked creepy, almost like a horror movie waiting to happen. The moon’s glow did nothing to ease the effect. The girls made their way towards the barn, exhausted from their long trek. The barn was a welcomed sight for sore eyes. Or sore feet in their case. The walk had lasted about an hour or more, not including the time they’d taken to make sure that Susie wasn't visible to the passing cars. But now they had arrived, and they were ready to sit down.

Inside the barn, Jeremy and Fritz had huddled close together, sitting on two hay bales. It had been an anxious wait for them to see if the girls could find the rest of their friends. They hoped the girls and their friends would make it back safely. While they waited for the girls to return, Jeremy and Fritz took the time to catch up.

“So, what happened when the girls found you?” asked Fritz.

“Well, when they found me, I had already killed two kids. That is what led to them finding me,” replied Jeremy, looking down at the hook.

Fritz looked at Jeremy. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize.”

“They were like us, young. One of the kids was younger than me, Fritz.” Jeremy went silent for a moment as he recalled the kid’s corpse. “And I killed him…”

“Now, I remember why we chose to forget our memories and identities,” said Fritz, resting a comforting hand on Jeremy’s back.

Just as Jeremy went to speak, they both heard the barn door creak open. They watched as the doors had gotten pulled open, revealing that the girls had returned. They stood up and approached the girls. There was a hopeful glint in their eyes as they hoped to see their friends again.

“Did you guys find…” Jeremy trailed off as the girls stepped aside.

Susie walked out from the shadows, stopping once she saw her friends standing in front of her. She was amazed that she was seeing her friends for the first time again after being unaware for so long. Walking with Sunset Shimmer and her friends, seeing how happy they were because of their friendship, made her realize she missed her friends. Susie missed talking to them, hanging out with, and just laughing to laugh. And right now, if she still could cry, she would have.

“Jeremy! Fritz!” shouted Susie as she started to walk towards her friends.

“Susie? Is that really you?” asked both boys in unison.

“Yes, it’s me, you idiots,” replied Susie as she wrapped her wings around both of them in a warm embrace.

As the kids broke the hug, albeit very reluctantly, Jeremy made his way over to where Sunset Shimmer was. He didn’t see Twilight slink away into the shadows as he approached. His mind was somewhere else, swimming with returning memories.

“Thank you for bringing back another of my friends. I know it can’t have been easy,” said Jeremy, glancing back at Susie and Fritz, who were starting to catch up.

“You’re welcome,” said Sunset, giving him a warm smile. “Now, we should head inside. We wouldn’t want AJ’s family to realize you are here.”

With that, Jeremy, Fritz, and Susie walked into the barn. The girls started to follow suit, except for Twilight Sparkle. When she reached the door, she froze. Her mind began to wonder how Jeremy and Fritz would take to her new appearance. Susie may have been okay with it, but that didn’t ease her worries at all. What if they freaked out and thought she was going to hurt them? She wasn’t sure she could face them if that happened.

Sunset Shimmer was about to walk into the warm, well-lit barn when she noticed that Twilight had stopped outside the door. She gave her a look of worry, wondering why her friend had stopped. Taking a step away from the door, she made her way over to Twilight Sparkle. Once she was by her side, she gently gripped her wrist.

Mid-Twilight?” asked Sunset, cringing as she nearly said Midnight.

“She’s still Twilight, your friend. Not Midnight Sparkle. Get it correct, you dummy.” hissed Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her of who she was talking to.

The feeling of Sunset’s fingertips brushing against her skin made Twilight’s heart hammer against her ribcage. As she felt goosebumps run up her arm, she bit her lip to keep from pulling away. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to meet the redhead’s gaze. As she did, she saw the moonlight shining behind her, bathing her in an ethereal glow. It was enough to cause her breath to hitch in her throat. Combined with the light of the moon, it seemed that Sunset’s cyan eyes glowed brightly at her.

“What is wrong?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she stepped in front of Twilight.

“I-I don’t want to go in,” Twilight Sparkle answered, her voice shaking despite her every effort to sound firm.

Hearing what Twilight Sparkle said, the girls walked out of the barn and joined Sunset. All of them looked worried about her, which made Twilight regret even saying anything.

“Darling, why on earth do you not want to join us? Aside from its obvious lack of proper seating and cleanliness.” Rarity asked, placing a hand on her hip.

Applejack glared at Rarity as she insulted the barn. Sure, it was a bit disorderly, and hay had become strewn about, but it was a barn. Albeit, a run-down one that was in need of a desperate repair, but she let it go, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort to argue the point. She returned her attention to Twilight, wanting to focus on her friend.

“I don’t want to...frighten Jeremy and Fritz. I look like...a mon-monster.” Twilight Sparkle struggled to say the word she feared was now an accurate description of her, her wings pulling themselves close to her body as her tail flicked from behind her.

Upon hearing that, all the girls pulled Twilight close to them, surrounding her.

“You’re not a monster, Sparky,” said Sunset, her hand slipping from Twilight’s wrist to hold her hand. “Not to us.”

“Yeah, you just have wings, different skin, fangs…” Rainbow Dash trailed off as she got a collective glare from all the girls.

Rainbow Dash saw that her comments had made Twilight more self-conscious. She saw her look away as she met her gaze, making her realize she had hurt her. Sighing, she said, “Sorry, Twi. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“I-It’s okay, I guess,” said Twilight, sounding unsure of herself.

“If anything, I think it makes you look badass if you ask me.” Rainbow Dash added, trying to cheer her friend up. “I gotta say I am super jealous of your wings right now.”

Applejack gave Rainbow Dash an appreciative smile. She knew the athlete sometimes found it hard to see things from another person’s perspective. Stepping closer to her, she placed a hand under Twilight’s chin, lifting it so their eyes could meet.

“Now, listen here sugarcube, I understand your hesitation and fear. But you have to give the kids a chance. They may surprise you. Besides, it’s dark and cold out here, and I don’t want you catchin’ a cold.” said Applejack in a stern but calm voice.

Twilight Sparkle knew the cowgirl was right. She was going to have to deal with this situation. Even if she could, running away from it wouldn’t do her any good. And dealing with it sooner was better than later, especially since she would have to go to school tomorrow. Playing with one of her feathers, she started to panic mentally.

“Oh, what am I going to do?” Twilight thought, tracing her finger down the length of the feather. “If I go home tonight, how the hell am I going to explain to my mom? She’ll flip out for sure.”

With her worries increasing by the second, she started to understand the stress Fluttershy had to deal with on a daily basis. She admired her for braving it every day. Speaking of her friend, she also had to admire the amount of bravery it took for her to approach her earlier. Considering that she still seemed hesitant and fearful of being near her, she had to commend her bravery. She only hoped she could be that brave.

“Well, I’ll stay out here a little longer. When I feel ready to, I will come in.” Twilight Sparkle stated, hoping to convince her friends – and herself – that she could handle being around the kids.

“Okay, Twi. When you decide to join us, let us know,” said Sunset, giving Twilight’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s hand, raising her arms to hug her, but she hesitated. She remembered her scars and how she had reacted to Twilight touching them. Deep down, she wasn’t sure if she could keep from pulling away if Twilight brushed against them again. Telling herself that her worries about her scars were less important than her friend, she wrapped her arms around Twilight’s back. As she wrapped her arms around her, she felt her hands brush against the base of her wings. For a moment, she felt Twilight shudder and pull away slightly before leaning back into the hug.

Twilight Sparkle returned Sunset’s hug, reveling in the feeling of her warm and tender embrace. She took a deep breath, inhaling the all too familiar smell of her shampoo. As she wrapped her arms around Sunset Shimmer, she was careful about where Twilight placed her hands — being careful not to touch her shoulders and end the hug before she was ready to. Unfortunately, she got carried away and lost in the embrace, her hands accidentally brushing against the redhead’s shoulder blades. She froze, waiting for Sunset to pull away from her inevitably.

The feeling of hands on her shoulder blades made Sunset Shimmer panic for a moment. She could tell that Twilight hadn’t meant to touch her scars, just like the first time. Though, Sunset wanted to pull away from the hug. She didn’t. Instead, she tightened the embrace, wanting to keep the contact. Yes, she wasn’t comfortable with having anyone touch her scars, but her friend was the exception to that. Her touch made the wounds seem like they were nothing.

After a bit, both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle broke the hug. Sunset gave her one last smile before she walked off, joining the rest of the girls in the barn. That left Twilight outside, still reeling from the hug and the night’s events.

*** *** *** ***

Inside the barn, there was a small lamp that hung from the ceiling by a wire. It barely lit up the barn, still keeping the entrance mostly shrouded in darkness. As Sunset Shimmer sat down on a nearby hay bale, she glanced at the darkened doorway. Illuminated in the light of the moon was part of Twilight’s one wing. The way the moonlight was shining on it, it caused it to look like an angel’s wing bathed in light. Chuckling at the sight, Sunset returned her attention to the kids and her friends.

“Please, join us soon, Twilight.” thought Sunset, hoping that her friend would do that.

Jeremy looked at the girls, noticing that something appeared to be off. Looking, he noticed a lack of purple hair from the group of girls. That made him look around, wondering where their missing friend was. But he couldn’t see any sign of her anywhere. He was about to ask when Fritz spoke first.

‘Hey, where’s that purple-haired nerdy friend of yours?” asked Fritz, unaware that Twilight Sparkle could hear them.

Sunset Shimmer glanced back at the door, noticing that Twilight Sparkle had moved closer to it. Sighing, she looked down at her hands. Revealing some of her past to her was refreshing, exhilarating, and freeing. She hadn’t felt that good since she helped the girls defeat the Dazzlings. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. When Twilight had made her delete the video that she had made against Rarity, that made her realize that she could let go of it. But that joy and relief only lasted for a moment as the fact not all of her past had gotten revealed dawned on her. Though, she was hoping to change that.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle stood outside the doorway, looking at the girls as they chatted amongst themselves. She wanted to be a part of the group, but with her appearance having gotten altered, she wasn’t sure she could. Like a switch flipping, Twilight decided she wasn’t going to stand outside anymore. With a surge of confidence, she walked into the barn, only to stop just short of the well-lit area. Her fear resurfaced with such force, she retreated for the shadows near the doorway, hiding her wings.

“Twilight? Did you finally decide to join us?” asked Sunset, hearing footsteps shuffling around in the barn.

“Y-yes,” said Twilight, her eyes drifting over to where Jeremy and Fritz were. “It’s me.”

“Then why are you hiding from us?” asked Fritz, getting up and walking up to her

That question made Twilight’s heart race in response. It was frightening enough to try and consider what their reaction might be. The thought of them being close to her when they saw her was even more terrifying. Not to mention risky if they tripped or swung their hands around and hit her. She stepped back, keeping herself bathed in the shadows.

Adjusting her glasses, she said, “ I, um, don’t like my usual self right now.”

That made Fritz stop in his path. Glancing behind him, he saw Jeremy was just as confused as he was. He saw Jeremy get up and walk over to where he was standing. Together, they both turned their attention to the shadows, where Twilight’s voice came from.

“What do you mean? Is everything okay?” Jeremy asked.

Sunset Shimmer looked to see Twilight’s figure shifting nervously in the shadows. Seeing that she was getting surrounded, she walked up to her. She could see that all eyes were on her and Twilight Sparkle, which she knew wasn’t going to ease her friend’s nervousness. She stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the girls and the kids.

“You can walk behind me if you want to. Susie will make sure they behave, okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer, holding Twilight’s hand.

Twilight Sparkle nodded and stood behind Sunset Shimmer as she started to walk towards the lit area. Though it was terrifying to show the kids what her appearance was, she felt like with Sunset at her side that she could do it. Or at least, she hoped she could. As she stepped into the light, she took a deep breath.

“You can do this, Twilight.” thought Twilight Sparkle, gathering what courage she had.

Fritz and Jeremy watched with curiosity as Twilight Sparkle stepped out from behind Sunset Shimmer. Their eyes had become immediately drawn to the large, dark purple, feathered wings that sprouted out from her shoulders. Though her wings weren’t outstretched, they still appeared very creepy to them. When they could finally pull their gaze away from her wings, they saw that her eyes had also changed a bit. Fritz staggered back in surprise, his foot knocking over a stack of hay bales.

“Seriously, dude? She isn’t that scary.” hissed Jeremy. “We’ve seen worse than her.”

Deciding to test their reactions to her fangs, she said, “Hey Jeremy, Fritz.” She gave them a small wave as she smiled.

As Jeremy saw Twilight Sparkle smile, he noticed two very sharp, elongated fangs where her regular canines should have been. In an instant, his calm demeanor shattered as fear took hold. Stepping back, he stood next to Fritz, now seeing why his friend had backed up. Unfortunately, there was a loose floorboard beneath him. With his weight on it, it bent underneath him, sending him off balance. As he started to fall, he tried to grab onto Fritz for balance, but he only succeeded in bringing them both to the ground.

Twilight Sparkle saw the fear in their eyes and started to back away. In the process of backing away, she tripped over her own feet. She fell to the floor, the base of her wings hitting the hardwood floor. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she noticed that Fritz and Jeremy were staring at her as if hoping she would disappear from their sight. She curled her wings around herself, hiding beneath them like a warm blanket.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. Walking over to her, she knelt beside her. She turned her attention to Susie, seeing her walking over the heap of metal that was her friends. Just as the two boys got back on their feet, they had gotten met with a slap to the back of the head.

“Really, you two?! After everything that has happened, THIS is what freaks you out?!” screamed Susie, gesturing to Twilight Sparkle.

Jeremy and Fritz rubbed the back of their heads, glancing up at their angry friend. They had never seen this side to her. So to see it directed at them was terrifying.

“Yes, she is very...scary,” said Fritz in a low voice. “I would go as far as to say she is a monster.” He added, eyeing Twilight Sparkle.

As the word left Fritz’s mouth, Twilight Sparkle started to sob. She got up off the floor, her wings still wrapped around her body. Just as she was about to exit the barn, she felt a hand grab her arm. Looking up, she saw it was Sunset Shimmer who was keeping her from getting away. She saw the pained expression her friend wore, making her decision to push her hand off hurt even more. Once she had gotten freed from Sunset’s grasp, she ran outside and sat down on the ground, cocooning herself beneath her wings.

It hurt to hear someone call her a monster. She was well aware that she looked like a monster. But she wasn’t one, not on the inside. Right…? She did have destructive magic and features to go with it, but it wasn’t like the last time she had them. But that didn’t mean she was dangerous or a monster. She was in control this time, not equestrian magic. Yet, as much as she tried to convince herself, she couldn’t quite believe her own words.

Inside, Twilight Sparkle could hear Susie’s angry voice saying, “You dimwits! Have you looked at yourselves in the mirror? We also look like monsters, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“But she has wings and fangs.” protested Fritz, pointing to the area where Twilight Sparkle was sitting.

“So? We are kids trapped in 8-foot animatronics that are made of metal. And we have murdered kids. So, aren’t we monsters as well?” asked Susie.

Suddenly, she felt something gently brush against the outer layer of her wings. The sensation brought her attention away from the conversation that the kids were having. She hesitated for a moment before she opened her wings a little. When she did, she saw Sunset’s concerned expression looking back at her.

“Hey Twi, can I sit with you?” asked Sunset Shimmer, giving her a half-smile.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Sunset Shimmer sat down next to Twilight, their arms brushing against each other. She watched as Twilight Sparkle pulled her wing closer to her. She felt the feathers brush against her bare skin causing goosebumps to form. Rubbing her arms, she tried to rid herself of the goosebumps.

Twilight Sparkle saw that and said, “Oh, sorry…”

Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle starting to pull her wings away and reached out to grab a few feathers. She caressed a few of them, enjoying their silky softness. Her finger ran the length of one of the feathers, admiring the details of it. She watched as the strands of the feather moved with her hand. It was like running her hand against the softest cotton she had felt.

“It’s okay, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer, glancing up at Twilight Sparkle for a moment, a deep blush in her cheeks. “They’re very soft, and I like how warm they are…”

“Really? They don't repulse you?” asked Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the edge of Twilight’s wing, running her hand along it. She delicately ran her fingers over each feather, making Twilight Sparkle shudder as she did so. Pleased by that reaction, she continued downward, reaching the end of the wing. As she touched the end, a single solitary feather fell and landed in front of her. Letting go of Twilight’s wing, she picked up the feather.

“Yeah, I am not repulsed. I think that your wings are beautiful,” said Sunset Shimmer as she ran her finger along the side of the feather. “Even better than the ones I had as Demon Shimmer…”

Twilight, not hearing what Sunset Shimmer said, asked, “What?”

Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat and said, “I said your wings are beautiful and that they do not repulse me. At all.”

Smiling, Twilight Sparkle reached out and grabbed Sunset’s hand. She also moved her wing, wrapping it around Sunset’s torso. Sitting here with the redhead, she felt like she was back to herself once again. Like she didn’t have wings and fangs as well as some dangerous powers. Instead, she was just Twilight Sparkle, the girl who had a big crush on the girl sitting next to her.

“They’re terrified of me, aren’t they?” asked Twilight, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sunset Shimmer’s heart broke when she heard Twilight Sparkle speak. She could tell that the kids’ reaction had affected her severely. Between what happened with the girls and now this, it was plain to see that tonight had been very rough for the book lover. She squeezed Twilight’s hand, wanting to comfort her.

“It’s new to them. The kids haven’t seen anyone that looks like you. But the kids have been through a lot, and that means they are capable of changing and adapting. Besides, they are open-minded, they’ll accept you if you give them a chance to.” replied Sunset.

“Yeah, and I will make them apologize too,” Susie said as she walked out of the barn with Fritz and Jeremy trailing behind her.

Together, Fritz and Jeremy stood in front of Twilight, who immediately tensed up her wings. That prompted Sunset Shimmer to rest her hand on Twilight’s wing to keep it from covering her mouth. She squeezed Twilight’s hand gently, reassuring her that she was there for her.

Fritz kept his gaze locked to the ground, not wanting to meet Twilight’s gaze. “I-I’m sorry.”

“For what, Fritz?” asked Twilight, daring to speak to him.

“I am sorry for calling you a monster. I shouldn’t have done that,” replied Fritz, looking up for a moment.

Twilight Sparkle wiped a tear off her cheek. She could see that Fritz was still fearful of her, but he calmed down a bit. She stood up to her feet with Sunset Shimmer right behind her. Twilight, seeing that Fritz had managed to apologize for what he said was enough to make her smile for a moment.

“I understand why you called me that. I know that it’s new to you. That’s why I forgive you.” said Twilight. “But please, don’t call me that again.”

“Okay, I won’t. I promise, Twilight,” said Fritz, walking away as Jeremy approached her.

Jeremy watched as Fritz walked back into the barn, leaving to apologize to Twilight Sparkle on his own. He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to find the courage to speak. Being near Twilight was making it hard for him to talk. But eventually, he managed to find his voice.

“Iamsorry,” said Jeremy quickly, trying to get away from Twilight.

“What?” Twilight asked, hearing only static as Jeremy spoke.

“I am sorry for the way I behaved,” said Jeremy, making sure his words were clear.

Seeing that Jeremy was still extremely nervous around her, Twilight Sparkle rested her hand on his arm. For the first time since she transformed, she felt terrible for someone else. She didn’t feel bad for herself anymore. And her talk with Sunset Shimmer made her realize that it was also an adjustment for the kids as well, that her sudden transformation was also a shock to them. Though, it warmed her heart to see them slowly adjusting and warming up to her again. She felt Jeremy hesitate to pull away before remaining still.

“You’re still scared, huh?” asked Twilight Sparkle in a soothing tone.

Jeremy nodded. “Y-yeah…”

Twilight Sparkle looked down at the ground, trying to ignore the pain of hearing that an 8-year-old boy was terrified of her. She was unsuccessful as it was all too much for her. If she frightened the kids and her friends, she wondered how her parents were going to take to her new appearance. The only thing she hoped that they wouldn’t do was freak out...much.

Something inside him made him step forward and wrap his arms carefully around Twilight Sparkle as he saw her look down. He tried to hug her, but being trapped inside of an animatronic made that nearly impossible, especially when he had a sharp hook and was trying to hug someone with two large wings. After a minute, he pulled away from the hug.

“I understand your fear of my appearance. I am still adjusting to it, as well. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am still your friend.” Twilight continued, flashing him a smile as she was purposefully showing him her fangs as she pulled her wings back.

With that, Susie and Jeremy walked back into the barn, joining Fritz and the rest of the girls. That left Sunset and Twilight alone, standing outside the barn under the moonlight. The said redhead approached Twilight Sparkle, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“So, how are you feeling now?” asked Sunset, meeting Twilight’s eyes.

“Better,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she brushed her wing against Sunset’s back.

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. “Good. We she-demons have to stick together, right?”

“What?” asked Twilight, wondering what Sunset was talking about.

“Uh, nevermind,” said Sunset, quickly realizing she almost slipped up.

Twilight gave Sunset a puzzled look, but said, “Okay…”

Together, both girls walked back into the warm barn, glad to be inside for once. As Twilight walked in, she sat down next to Susie. Twilight had just made sure she was comfortable when she looked at the young girl and noticed that she was staring at her.

‘What?” asked Twilight, growing creeped out by the constant staring.

Susie blinked and looked away. She was embarrassed that she had gotten caught staring at Twilight. But Susie couldn’t help it, and her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know how she had ended up getting the wings, fangs, and the tail that swished behind her. If that was wrong, so be it.

“Hey, I was wondering, what caused you to, um, gain this appearance?” asked Susie, deciding to take a leap.

Twilight fiddled with a piece of hay as she said, “I gained this because I was using my magic to hold you down as Sunset saw your memories.”

“Oh…” was all Susie could as she heard that she was the reason Twilight’s appearance had changed.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” said Twilight Sparkle as she saw Susie look down.

“Okay. Also, if I can ask, do you like Sunset?” Susie asked, wanting to change the subject. “I saw the way you two acted when we found you guys in the clearing. And the way she tried to help you after your appearance changed.”

Twilight Sparkle felt her cheeks heat up as she heard Susie’s question. She didn’t expect her to ask that kind of question. But regardless of whether she had expected it or not, it made her think. After the events of the night, she felt something had changed in her view of the gorgeous redhead. Seeing a vulnerable side to her, it made her fall even more in love with her. And made Twilight appreciate the effort it took to be honest with her.

“I do, I really do,” replied Twilight as she glanced at Sunset, smiling to herself. “I love her.”

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, the girls, minus Applejack, were getting ready to head back to their homes. Well, everyone except...Twilight. She had chosen to sit out on the porch steps with her wings pulled close to her body.

Sunset was busy making sure that her messenger bag, which she had dropped off at the farm before heading to the school, was still untouched. Rummaging through the contents of her backpack, she came across her journal, which she used to write to Princess Twilight. She pulled out her journal, her hand gripping the worn leather. On the front was a symbol that was half her cutie mark and half of another symbol she wasn’t sure of. Running her hand along the cover, she closed her eyes for a moment, recalling all the journal entries she had written.

She had written to Princess Twilight many times, mainly after the events of the Fall Formal. It helped her to change and start learning what it meant to be a friend, as well as having the support of the girls. As her mind thought about the princess, she opened her eyes and looked up from the journal. Her eyes caught the sight of one of her friends sitting on the porch steps. Deciding to see who it was, she put her journal away.

Opening the screen door, she walked out of the house. She saw it was Twilight and sat next to her. She rested her hand on her knee, trying to comfort her. That, although unintentionally, allowed Sunset to hear her inner dialogue.

“I can’t face my mom, not when I look like a demon.”

“She doesn’t even know about what happened at the Friendship Game. I couldn’t tell her.”

“She doesn’t know about...Midnight Sparkle...about the transformation.”

“...Maybe...I can stay over at Sunset’s place for a bit. If she is okay with it…”

Twilight looked at Sunset as she felt her hand rest on her knee. She saw that her eyes were glowing white like they always did whenever she used her geode to see someone’s memories and thoughts. Realizing what was happening, she gently nudged Sunset’s hand off her knee. As Sunset came out of her trance, she folded her wings over her shoulders and chest.

“I am okay with it, Twi. You can stay at my place,” said Sunset, revealing that she had indeed heard Twilight’s thoughts. “I understand that your mom doesn’t know about what happened during the Friendship Games. “

That made Twilight unfold her wings and look a Sunset with a grateful but surprised expression. She was confused as to why she would offer to help, considering that it had been a rough night for both of them. Sure, she was her friend, but she also seemed to want her privacy a lot too. Though, regardless of why she had offered, she was grateful for it.

“Twilight? Is everything okay?” asked Sunset when her friend didn’t respond to her.

Twilight blinked and looked down at her hands. “Um, yeah. I am fine. Just a bit shocked that you offered to let me spend the night at your place.”

Sunset’s happy expression fell as she heard what Twilight said. It hurt to hear that her friend would think she wouldn’t help her. Though, she could see why she hesitant to believe her. In the last few days, she had pushed her away numerous times without so much as an explanation and flinched every single time Twilight’s hand had brushed against her scars. It was only tonight that she had started to admit the truth about her past. But it was just a start to her confessing everything.

“I understand that after all that has happened tonight Sparky, that you would think that I don’t want to help you. But I do want to help.” Sunset grabbed Twilight’s hand. “So, do you want to come to my place?”

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a small nod. “Just let me text my mom and let her know I will be at your place for the night.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and walked back into the farmhouse. She walked back over to her bag, resting her hand on her journal. A part of her wanted to talk to the princess after the night she had. But with her getting to spend the night with the human version of her, she didn’t want to waste the opportunity she had to reveal the rest of her past to Twilight. Instead, she pushed the book back into her bag and closed the flap on it. Just as she did so, she saw familiar cowgirl boots approach her. Looking up, she saw Applejack looking back at her, a stern expression on her face.

“Where’s Twilight goin’ to stay?” asked Applejack. “I doubt her mom is aware of her...appearance.”

“My place.” Sunset Shimmer stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I offered to let her stay.”

“Really?” Applejack crossed her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. “Is her mom ok-”

Just then, Twilight Sparkle came in with her phone in her hand. “She is okay with me spending the night, Sunset.”

“Twi, can you wait outside for a moment? I need to talk to Sunset for a second.” Applejack stood in front of Sunset Shimmer, turning her back to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, giving Sunset Shimmer a worried look before making her way to the porch. She wondered what Applejack wanted to talk with Sunset about. As she sat on the porch swing, minding the wings and tail she now, she pushed her curiosity aside. She was just happy to have a place where she could spend the night and avoid telling her parents about what happened. At least until tomorrow.

With Twilight Sparkle gone and the rest of the girls in different parts of the house, Applejack had Sunset to herself. She was going to use this opportunity to make sure that Sunset Shimmer was going to stop hurting Twilight. In part, because she wanted to see the redhead be honest with her. And because like Rarity and Rainbow Dash, she wanted to see the two get together.

“Alright, enough of this nonsense. I see that Twilight trusts you again. I hope you are ready to be honest with her.” Applejack gripped Sunset’s forearm tightly, tighter than she had meant to. “I just hope you are ready to tell her about the Fall Formal.”

Sunset tried to yank her arm away from Applejack’s tight grip. “I know that, AJ!” Sunset tried to pry Applejack’s fingers from her forearm. “And I plan on doing that tonight. I just hope she doesn’t hate me after she knows...”

Applejack’s grip loosened, allowing Sunset to pull her arm away. It was shocking to the cowgirl to hear the redhead sound so...afraid. Now, she regretted being as...aggressive as she was. Looking down, she exhaled softly, calming herself down before continuing the conversation. Once she was calm enough, she glanced up at Sunset with a softer expression.

“If I know Twilight, I don’t think she’ll hate you. At least, after you have given her time to adjust to the news.” Applejack said.

Sunset opened her mouth to retort, but Applejack rested her hand on her shoulder, making her look down at it.

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt her, but this charade you keep playin’ with her is causing her to feel like-”

“Like I don’t trust her?” asked Sunset, meeting the cowgirl’s green eyes.

“Yeah. And you say that Twilight will hate you if you admit that you went through the same experience and kept it from her. But what difference will it make if you wait any longer? The only difference is that she’ll end up hatin’ you more for keepin’ it from her for so long. You’d be lucky if she doesn’t decide to cut all ties with you if that happens.” continued Applejack.

“Wait, has she been-”

“That doesn’t matter now. All I am sayin’ Sunset is give the girl a chance. Trust her.” Applejack let her hand fall from the redhead’s shoulder. “Just don’t wait till it’s too late.”

Sunset watched as Applejack made her way up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom. The cowgirl’s words echoed in her head. She was right, after all. She should trust Twilight. She walked out of the house and joined Twilight on the swing. As she sat down, she felt her move her wings away from her. Not realizing what she was doing, she reached and stopped her.

“Sunset, is everything okay?” asked Twilight, trying to ignore the sensation of Sunset fiddling with her feathers. “You seem upset.”

“I just have a lot on my mind, Twi. But I am okay,” replied Sunset.

“What happened with Applejack?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t want to talk about it, please,” said Sunset as she stopped playing with Twilight’s feathers and looked down at her lap.

“Okay. Do you want to go home now?” asked Twilight, resting a hand on the redhead’s back.

“Yeah,” said Sunset as she got up from the swing with Twilight doing the same. “ I am getting tired.”

“Okay, let’s go home then,” Twilight said, draping her one wing over Sunset’s shoulder as they made their way down the porch steps.

As they walked down the road, Twilight reached out for Sunset’s hand. But as she went to grab it, she felt the redhead pull away from her. That made her wonder what was bothering Sunset Shimmer. She was curious if it had something to do with whatever she and Applejack had talked about. Though, she considered the possibility that maybe Sunset was still fearful of her because she looked like Midnight Sparkle. Whatever the reason was, she just hoped that she was okay and that she would talk about it when they got to her apartment.

New Discoveries, Old Histories

Back at the electrical building, Springtrap was standing by the window. He stared out, his eyes getting lost in the wooded landscape. Surprisingly, the area was very relaxing for being an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. This place was more comforting than that stinky, old fright attraction was. He wasn’t looking to return to it anyway. Despite not being of this world, he had slowly started to grow fond of the nearby scenery. It reminded him of when he was alive and used to visit the local park.

As he stared out the window, his mind was reeling over how the kids were coming back. It seemed impossible that they would return. And for them to be as aware of who they were only made it seem all the more impossible. Yet somehow, by some miracle, the girls were bringing them back, and he was determined to find out how. But how was the problematic part of the question.

“How is it that they are bringing back those brats? It’s like they have magic.” thought Springtrap.

The kids regaining their memories was not part of his plan. That was only more trouble for him to deal with, and he didn’t need it. His anger boiled over, causing him to slam his fist into the side of the building. It rumbled and shook from the impact, sending some debris falling on top of him. Seconds later, a small crack formed from the years of neglect the building had endured, widened above him. The gash continued expanding until a medium-sized chunk of concrete was about ready to fall on him.

Without thinking, he held out his hand to block himself from the falling concrete. Unbeknownst to Springtrap, he had tapped into the magic that powered him. With his hand held up, he felt a surge of power flow through his arm, blasting the concrete to bits and pieces. As the pieces fluttered to the ground, a few sparks of magic hit the earth as well. When they hit the ground, something began to form from the spot where they landed. Springtrap watched with wide eyes as a mirror image of him appeared in front of him.

The copy looked exactly like him, down to the bloodstains and the wires sticking out of him. The doppelganger had his signature aged yellow-green color. As he scanned the copy from head to toe, he saw that it had the same deterioration as he did. It even mirrored his mummified body that was trapped inside. The extreme level of mimicked detail was far beyond what any 3-D printer could do. He stepped near the copy, wanting to see if it was real. He reached out and touched the arm of his doppelganger. To his surprise, it was solid and standing in front of him.

“What the hell? It’s like a carbon copy of me. How the hell did it get here?” thought Springtrap as he looked down at his hand.

When he looked up, he saw that his copy was copying his moves exactly. That prompted him to try something else to see if it would copy him again. Lifting his hand, he saw that the doppelganger do the same. He lifted his foot, watching the copy repeat the same action.

“Amazing! It’s like you mirror whatever I do. Wonder what else you could do?” said Springtrap as he circled his copy.

Just as he went behind the copy, it suddenly moved on its own, startling him in the process. He stepped back only to get pounced as his doppelganger made its move. With the doppelganger on top of him, he fell back onto the concrete floor of the building. He struggled to fight against his doppelganger as it matched him equally in strength. Being that it was an exact copy, it knew what his next move would be. Finally, after a few moments, he managed to free himself from his doppelganger’s grasp.

“Ugh, what the hell? Why the fuck would you attack me?” asked Springtrap, staring at his copy as it got back to its feet.

“I don’t know. I felt like it.” replied the copy, its voice sounding the same as Springtrap’s.

“Wait, you can talk?” Springtrap asked, shocked to see himself speak to...well himself.

“Well, yeah. I am you, after all. Or are you me?” The copy stared at Springtrap, trying to answer the question.

After a bit of thinking, his doppelganger got tired of trying to answer the question. So instead, it just ran and pounced on top of Springtrap again. As their bodies collided together on top of the concrete, a few small cracks formed in it. The whole room shook from the vibrations of their weight dropping on its base. In the process of him falling, a spark flew from Springtrap’s hand, landing in front of the doorway.

Like before, another copy formed from the spark. This one also was an exact doppelganger of the original Springtrap. It looked up at the first copy of Springtrap as well Springtrap himself, surprised to see two of it staring back at it. Taking a step forward, it approached the first copy, touching its face. When it felt that it was solid, it yanked its hand back.

“Are you real?” asked the second doppelganger.

“Yes, I am real, you dimwit," replied the first doppelganger.

That insult was enough to make the second doppelganger jump the first. As it landed on the first, it sent both of the doppelgangers out of the door. The doppelgangers wrestled around on the ground outside, kicking up dirt in the process. The first copy managed to pin the second on the earth beneath it. As the other doppelganger struggled underneath the first, it realized they had become too evenly matched in strength. So, instead of continuing the fight, it just stopped. That confused the first copy, allowing the second one to knock it off it. It took the chance, sending the first copy flying backward into the electrical building and slamming into the wall behind it.

Springtrap sighed, growing annoyed by his doppelganger’s antics. They were powerful, impulsive, and violent. Something that he could use to his advantage. Well, once he could keep them from attacking each other every two minutes, that is. Just as he was making his mental notes, he heard his second copy get up and charge the first one again. He let out an exasperated groan, resting his hand on his forehead.

“You look like me, sound like me, but you idiotic bitches lack the intelligence to tell a door from a window,” mumbled Springtrap as he saw them tumble to the ground again.

“What is a door?” asked the second doppelganger.

“I rest my case,” Springtrap said, turning his attention to himself.

He looked down at his hands, wondering how he had created the sparks. He looked the same. He felt no different, either. Yet, he knew the magic and flashes came from him. But how did he tap into the magic that created the two doppelgangers? That was the question that he wanted answers to. Wanting to test a theory, he pointed his hand at a broken chair that sat in the corner of the room. Nothing happened. He pointed it at the Marionette. Again, nothing happened.

“What the fuck? How the hell did I make you two bitches?” shouted Springtrap in frustration, slamming his fist against the old control panel.

He looked down at the control panel, noticing some sparks that seemed oddly similar to the ones that came from him. He looked around the room, trying to find something to peel back the one panel cover. With a stroke of luck, he managed to find a rusty crowbar in an old toolbox that sat underneath a metal desk. Crowbar in hand, he set to work on pulling off the panel cover. The metal didn’t budge for a while, but eventually, it did give it. When the metal gave way, it made the crowbar touch one of the still-live wires inside the control panel. The contact sent a round of electricity throughout Springtrap and turned the severely rusted crowbar to dust.

“What the fuck just happened?” asked Springtrap, stepping away from the control panel. “I feel like I just got high.”

He looked inside the control panel, seeing the wires and tubes that contained the same sparks that came from him. Carefully, he gripped one of the wires, not wanting to be shocked again. He pulled it up and examined it. On the inside, he could see sparks of magic flashing all around it as the magic flowed through it. He let go of the wire just as he heard a rumbling noise heading towards him.

“Oh fuck no…” uttered Springtrap as he held out his one hand as if it would stop the incoming impact.

And it did. Instead of being pummeled by his doppelgangers, Springtrap saw them being blasted backward by a ball of magic. He looked over at his one hand that was still over the control panel. There was a small stream of magic flowing into his arm from it. Once the flow of magic stopped, he removed his hand from the control panel. He turned his attention back to the doppelgangers.

“Interesting…” said Springtrap. “Maybe I can get you two dimwits to do my bidding.”

*** *** *** ***

At Sunset Shimmer’s apartment, the redhead was starting to stir in bed. The first rays of sunlight sifted into the room, waking up Sunset Shimmer from her peaceful sleep. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Reaching a hand out lazily, she pressed the snooze button on her alarm...for the fifth time. She sat up in bed, her tired muscles aching in the process, and glanced at the time.

“5:30. Okay, so that’s about...an hour to get to school,” mumbled Sunset, stifling another yawn.

As she looked down, she saw Twilight Sparkle was still asleep on the air mattress she had brought down for her. In the dim morning light, she could see the silhouette of Twilight’s wings moving slightly with every breath she took. Wrapping the blanket around herself, she reached over and rested a hand on Twilight’s wings. For a moment, Twilight Sparkle shifted in her sleep, making Sunset Shimmer freeze. Holding her breath, she waited for any sign that she might be awake. When she didn’t move or show any sign of being awake, Sunset took a few feathers in her fingers, caressing as she had done the day before.

The feathers were soft, like silky cotton. And warm too. Closing her eyes, Sunset Shimmer rested her cheek against the side of Twilight’s wing. Feeling the feathers brush against her cheek, she smiled. Between the warmth and softness, she could’ve stayed there for hours. After a few minutes, she lifted her head off of Twilight’s wings, still fiddling with her feathers.

As she sat there, her fingers caressing the feathers, she admired how the early morning light lit up Twilight’s skin. It made her look like an angel, and having wings only complimented the ethereal image even more. A small smile formed on her face. Staring at the beauty in front of her, she wanted the moment to last forever. In her mind, memories of the night replayed in her head as she busied herself with admiring Twilight Sparkle.

*A Few Hours Earlier*

Twilight Sparkle walked into Sunset’s apartment, the smell of strawberry shampoo wafting towards as she did so. The place always seemed so open and welcoming. Maybe it was because there was little to no clutter around. Or perhaps it was just how neatly everything was stacked and placed. Whatever it was, it always made her feel at home. Setting her bag near Sunset’s desk, she noticed some odd newspaper clippings were sitting on it. One of the titles that caught her attention was Sunset Shimmer: Nice or Evil? Her curiosity piqued, making her step closer to the desk.

“What is this? I have never seen this article before. Why is it about Sunset?” thought Twilight as she moved a few other papers aside, revealing more of the article.

While Sunset Shimmer took off her jacket and rested it on the back of her couch, she looked over at Twilight. She saw her standing over at her desk, examining something. She walked over to where Twilight Sparkle was and saw that she was looking at an article about her demonic rampage on the school. Quickly, before Twilight could see the picture of her she-demon form, she covered it with some of her nearby math notes. The close call made Sunset’s heart race in her chest. It was too soon for Twilight to find out about Demon Shimmer, especially when Twilight had just transformed into her she-demon form.

“Sunset? Was that an article about...you?” asked Twilight, sitting down in Sunset’s chair that was near the desk.

Sunset Shimmer sighed heavily, trying to calm her heart. “Yes...it was.”

“Then, why didn’t you let me see it?” Twilight Sparkle asked, genuinely curious.

That made Sunset Shimmer look away from her, ashamed of her actions. Her eyes darkened as she recalled all her mistakes that had led up to the events of the Fall Formal. Though she had told Twilight Sparkle about what she had done to tear apart the girls’ friendships, she was still reluctant to admit the truth about her demonic transformation. It was a painful experience for her, and to have to admit that to the one person she loved, that was outright terrifying for her. Looking up, she noticed that Twilight Sparkle was staring at her. When she looked down, she saw why. She loosened her grip on her desk and walked into the kitchen.

“I didn’t let you see it...because I didn’t want you to,” said Sunset, leaning against the counter.

Twilight Sparkle crossed her arms, giving the redhead a glare that was one part anger and one part annoyance.

“That is not a valid reason, Sunset. And you know that,” said Twilight.

“I know…” Sunset Shimmer looked at her fridge, wanting to change the subject. “Want a pizza? I have...cheese or vegan Hawaiian.”

Twilight Sparkle could see through the attempted distraction. Twilight wondered why Sunset Shimmer was suddenly deflecting from her questions. It seemed that whatever happened between her and Applejack had affected her. Nonetheless, she decided not to push. If Sunset was ready to tell her, then she would be prepared to listen. She then got up and walked over to the freezer, grabbing the vegan Hawaiian pizza. Worrying about what Sunset was hiding was doing no good for her growing hunger.

“I am in the mood to try something...new,” said Twilight, handing the pizza to Sunset Shimmer. “Besides, I know you love vegan pizzas more than plain old cheese pizzas.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled. She was extremely grateful that Twilight Sparkle didn’t seem to mind her vegan diet. So far, she had managed to avoid any questions about why she was a vegan successfully. She wasn’t ready to admit that she was actually a unicorn from another world to Twilight. Not yet, anyway. But hopefully, when she got her past out of the way, she could tell her. Till then, she would bide her time.

She unboxed the pizza and placed it in the oven. With the timer set, she walked into the living room and sat next to Twilight Sparkle. As she sat down, she noticed that she was fidgeting with her wings. Twilight tried to sit back on the couch with her wings folded, but they instantly unfolded as she leaned back, making Sunset snicker in response. But when she got an angry scowl from her, she stopped snickering.

“This...is not...funny,” said Twilight.

“You’re right. It’s not...funny,” said Sunset, stifling her laughter.

Twilight Sparkle tried again to sit back with her wings folded, only for them to unfold...again. This time as her wings unfolded, a few feathers came loose and fluttered onto the couch. She grabbed the feathers, noting their length. They were longer than the average bird’s feather. Color aside, they also seemed to be built in a similar way to a bird’s, which she found very interesting. After a few minutes, she got up and threw the feathers away. It was weird to see them detached from her, but after all the magical mishaps she had witnessed, it wasn’t that weird.

Just as Twilight Sparkle sat down on the couch, the timer for the pizza went off. Sunset Shimmer got up and turned it off on the third ring. Grabbing the oven mitts, she pulled the pizza out and turned off the stove. By now, the kitchen was reasonably warm due to the oven being on. Yet, the smell of the pizza made her stomach grumble, reminding her that she was hungry. She set the pizza down and turned back to Twilight.

“Pizza’s ready,” Sunset Shimmer said, leaning forward on her counter.

“Okay,” said Twilight Sparkle as she walked into the kitchen, joining Sunset by the sink.

Twilight Sparkle grabbed her own plate just as her phone chirped. She set her plate down and grabbed her phone out of her back pocket. Unlocking her phone, she checked to see who had sent her text.

Mom: I am dropping off a change of clothes, okay?

Twi: Mom, I said you didn’t need to.

Mom: You need a change of clothes. I am not letting you wear the same clothes two days in a row.

Twi: Mom, please.

Mom: I will be there in five minutes, okay?

Twi: Okay, see you when you get here.

Twilight Sparkle felt her throat close up. Her hands shook as she struggled to keep from dropping her phone. Her grip on it loosened as her blood ran cold. She had told her mom she was okay without a change of clothes. But she knew her mom wouldn’t listen, despite the small part of her that hoped she would. Now, she had to face the reality that her mom was coming and would soon see her changed appearance. She rested her hands on the counter, her head hanging down.

“Why, mom? Why did you have to come tonight of all nights?” thought Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed a slice of pizza for herself, unaware of what was happening with her friend. When she noticed that the room had gone quiet, she looked over her shoulder. She saw Twilight Sparkle was standing by the counter, not moving. Setting her plate down, she walked over to her.

“Twilight? What’s wrong?” asked Sunset, resting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

Twilight Sparkle sighed, turning off her phone as she set it down on the counter. “It’s my mom. She’s coming over even though I said she doesn’t need to.”

Sunset Shimmer kept her gaze on Twilight, her eyes full of concern. She moved her hand down from Twilight’s shoulder, reaching for her hand. She understood her worries about her mother coming to her house. The whole point of the sleepover was to allow Twilight time to think about how she wanted to tell her mother. Yet, it seemed that the plan had gotten tossed out of the window.

“What are you going to do?” asked Sunset.

“I-I don’t know...Sunset. I am scared of what will happen.” replied Twilight, her voice trembling as she stared at her phone.

Just then, three knocks sounded on Sunset’s front door. Twilight Sparkle jumped in response to them, hitting Sunset Shimmer with one of her wings. She knew it had to be her mother. There was no else that it could be at this time of night.

“Pfft. Watch the fathers, Twi,” said Sunset as she pulled a feather off her lip.

“S-sorry.” Twilight Sparkle pulled her wings close to her body, embarrassed that she had hit Sunset Shimmer with them. “Can I sit on your bed? I don’t want my mom to see me right away.”

Sunset Shimmer could see Twilight’s fear at the idea of facing her mom. Her breathing became more ragged with every second that passed. A look of empathy made its way onto her face as she met Twilight’s eyes. The violet eyes she had come to know were gone, replaced with a mulberry color. Though, her friend’s fear still showed through. She rested her hand on her chin, making sure she couldn’t look away.

“You can. But, you are going to talk to your mom, right?” Sunset’s expression grew serious. “She deserves to know what happened.”

“Just like Twilight deserves to know about the Fall Formal. And the whole you becoming a she-demon thing as well. Oh, you are such a hypocrite, Sunset,” said Sunset’s conscience, reminding her that she was in the same position as Twilight.

As Sunset Shimmer thought about what she had said, she remembered the conversations she had with the girls. She could see their point, which only made her regret her actions more. When she looked at Twilight, she saw herself. She saw her own fear of rejection, of abandonment. That made her hand shake as she struggled to look back at the reflection of her feelings. But if Twilight Sparkle could tell her mother about the Friendship Games, maybe just maybe, she could finally admit what happened at the Fall Formal.

“Yes, I will tell her,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up from the couch and started making her way over to the bedroom.

Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight a quick smile as she made her way over to the front door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight cocoon herself in her wings as she sat on her bed. For Twilight’s sake, she hoped her mother would be okay with her new appearance. Slowly, she opened the door and greeted Mrs. Velvet.

“Hey, Mrs. Velvet. Are these Twilight’s clothes?” asked Sunset, taking the t-shirt and jeans from her.

“Yes, they are,” said Mrs. Velvet with a gentle smile. “Speaking of my daughter, where is she?”

Sunset Shimmer turned her head towards Twilight, gauging her friend’s expression. She could see that Twilight Sparkle was shaking slightly. Whether that was from fear, nervousness, or both, she wasn’t sure. But as she turned her attention back to Mrs. Velvet, she was pushed aside from the doorway. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she quickly followed Mrs. Velvet, trying to stop her before she reached the foot of the stairs.

“Mrs. Velvet, your daughter-she doesn’t look like her usual self right now. She looks a bit...different,” said Sunset, making Mrs. Velvet stop for a moment as she stood in front of the stairs.

“What do you mean she looks different?” asked Mrs. Velvet, the kindness in her voice replaced by urgent concern.

Sunset Shimmer peeked behind her, catching Twilight’s eyes as she looked up for a moment. Looking into her mulberry eyes, she saw there was something that was darkening them. Fear. Fear of rejection, of losing her mom, of being...alone. A few moments later, Twilight looked down at her lap again. Sunset’s heart fell as she looked back at Mrs. Velvet. Her hands shook as she tried to keep her desire to keep Mrs. Velvet away from her daughter. She wanted to protect her friend, to keep her from being hurt. But, reluctantly, she chose not to act on that instinct.

“She is still your daughter, despite what you’re about to see. Just remember that, please,” said Sunset, stepping aside from the stairs.

“Of course, she is my daughter. What is going on-”

Mrs. Velvet stopped speaking as she made her way up the stairs and saw a winged figure that was sitting on the bed. For a split second, she wanted to scream out in terror. Luckily, she managed to cover her mouth before anything could come out. What she saw wasn’t someone she thought could be her daughter. They had two enormous wings, and their skin was a darker shade of purple than her own daughter’s was. She saw someone who looked...terrifying. Yet, as she looked at the figure, she noticed something familiar. In the figure’s hair was a very familiar-looking star-shaped hairband. The same one her daughter always wore. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that she was staring at her...daughter.

“S-sweetheart?” Mrs. Velvet’s voice was no longer strong or steady. Instead, it shook as she stared in fear at the unfamiliar sight of her daughter.

Twilight, still cocooned in her wings, took a shaky breath. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop herself from shaking. It was nerve-wracking to know that her mother was staring at her demonic form. The very same features she had at the Friendship Games, the one she had wanted to keep from her family. Now it was out in the open, and she had to make sure that her mother knew that she was still her daughter. Her thundering heartbeat pounded away in her ears, making it impossible to hear anything else above it.

“Come on, she is your mom.” thought Twilight. “Just slowly reveal yourself, and she’ll be fine.”

She forced herself to lower wings, allowing her face and body to get seen. Her wings slowly unfolded and rested at her side so that it wouldn’t freak out her mother. With her wings resting at her side, she hesitantly looked up. She was afraid to see if her mother would hate her now that she saw her demon form. As she met her mother’s gaze, she saw a shell of what her mother used to be staring back at her.

“Hi, m-mom.” Twilight’s voice quivered as she fought an urge to hide away from her mother.

Mrs. Velvet continued to look at her daughter. The shock of seeing what her daughter now looked like made her stay frozen in the spot where she stood. She blinked after a few seconds. As she saw her daughter look at her, she noticed that her eyes had changed from their usual violet color to a mulberry color. That feature was considerably less...disturbing than the two large wings that jutted out from her shoulder blades. Unconsciously, she staggered back from her, frightened by the sudden reveal.

“Mom…? Are you...okay?” asked Twilight, finding some courage to push herself into a standing position.

As Mrs. Velvet watched her daughter stand up, she noticed the pony-like tail which swung behind her. Her hands started to shake as she struggled to comprehend what she saw in front of her. This was all too much for her. Seeing her daughter transformed, she started to walk back down the stairs, away from her daughter. Her attention was drawn to Sunset Shimmer when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Mrs. Velvet, that is still Twilight. That...is still your daughter,” whispered Sunset as she saw Twilight look away nervously.

“How is that my daughter? It looks nothing like her.” hissed Mrs. Velvet under her breath. “It’s a vile monster that has replaced her.”

“Mrs. Velvet, I know her appearance is scary, but that is Twilight. Trust me. I made the same mistake you are making now.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight for a moment. “But I promise you if you run away now, you’ll only make her feel like she is no longer your daughter.”

“But-” began Mrs. Velvet.

“Just look. See that despite the outward changes, Twilight has not changed at all,” said Sunset, turning her attention to Twilight’s mother.

Twilight’s mother glanced briefly at her daughter. She spotted two sharp fangs when she saw her daughter flash her a quick smile. That made her throat go dry. It was like she was looking at an archangel that was a vampire as well. She couldn’t see the person in front of her as her daughter. But when she saw a tear stream down her cheek, she realized that it was. That the person she thought was a monster was indeed her daughter. And that her actions in treating her like a monster had inadvertently hurt her. Turning to Sunset, she leaned toward her.

“Thank you for helping me see that she is my daughter,” whispered Mrs. Velvet.

Twilight Sparkle gripped her forearm as she heard footsteps approach her. She looked out the corner of her eye, too afraid to see her mother face to face. When she saw that it was her mother who was approaching her, she cautiously looked up. There was a small feeling of hope welling up inside her as she felt her mother grab her hand. The contact sent a chill running through her whole body, making her wings unfurl as a result.

“Can we talk, sweetie?” asked Mrs. Velvet, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Yeah, mom,” Twilight Sparkle said as she let her mother pull her down the stairs.

As she passed Sunset Shimmer, she mouthed a silent “thank you” to her. She saw Sunset give her a small smile before she made her way back into the kitchen, presumably to eat her pizza. With her mom, she sat down on the couch. When she sat down, she was careful not to sit back as she wanted to keep her wings folded. A few feet sat between her and her mother. She wanted that space in case her mother felt… uncomfortable being around her wings and new appearance. Glancing at her mother, she saw that her hands were trembling.

“Mom...you’re not scared, are you?” asked Twilight, her shaky voice giving away her hurt. “It’s still me. I am still your sweetheart.”

Mrs. Velvet looked up from her trembling hands, meeting her daughter’s gaze. She could see the pain and tears that clouded her eyes. Though, she could see there was a hopeful spark behind the pain and tears. That broke her heart and caused a few tears of her own to fall down her cheeks. Seeing that hope made her heart crack into a thousand pieces as she noticed that her daughter just wanted to know she was still loved despite what had occurred to her. It killed her emotionally to see her daughter in pain because she...wrongly feared her. Pushing past her tears and fear, she inched closer to her.

“I am not scared, honey. Shocked, maybe.” Mrs. Velvet grabbed Twilight’s hand in her own, giving it a firm squeeze. “But I am never going to be scared of you. You are my daughter, and that’ll never change. Not even if you have grown wings and fangs.”

Hearing those words meant more to Twilight Sparkle than anything in the world. She had been so worried that her mother would hate her. She was elated to hear her mother still loved her despite the fact she now looked like a she-demon. As she looked at her mother, she let a few tears fall from her eyes. She moved closer to her mom, resting her hand on her shoulder.

“C-can I give you a hug, mom?” asked Twilight, her wings unfolding slightly from behind her.

“Of course, you can sweetie,” said Mrs. Velvet as she pulled her daughter into a warm embrace.

Twilight Sparkle wrapped her arms tightly around her mother, resting her head in the crook of her neck. For a moment, she felt her mother hesitate before returning the hug. She closed her eyes as she felt her mother’s strong arms wrap around her tightly. It was like getting a hug from a very protective mama bear. With her body being closer to her mother’s, she felt her hands brush against the base of her wings. She shuddered in response to that. It was becoming quite clear just how annoyingly sensitive her wings were to any sort of touch.

“I love you,” whispered Mrs. Velvet as she pulled herself away from the hug momentarily to look at her daughter.

Twilight Sparkle smiled widely as she heard her mother say that.

“I love you too, mom,” Twilight said, giving in to her tears, which her tears of relief and happiness.

Without thinking, Twilight Sparkle pulled her mother back into the hug. This time, she instinctively wrapped her wings around her as well. Just as soon as she did that, she froze. In the heat of the moment, she hadn’t realized what she was doing. She waited for a minute, wanting to see what her mother’s reaction would be to her wrapping her wings around her. Deep down, she hoped that she hadn’t frightened her mother...again. Her response was in the form of her mother, hugging her back even tighter than before. Almost too tight. In turn, she pulled her wings even tighter around her and her mother. She sighed happily at being able to still have her mother’s support, before finally, pulling away and allowing her mother a moment to breathe. As her wings folded themselves up and rested behind her, she looked at her mother.

“So, how did you get those...wings of yours anyway?” asked Mrs. Velvet as she leaned back casually on the couch.

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses as they slid down the bridge of her nose. She knew her mother was probably going to ask questions about how she had gotten her new form. Though, she wasn’t too sure how her mother would take to the reveal. But she did have high hopes that it would go okay. Clearing her throat, she prepared herself to recount the story of the Friendship Games to her mother.

“You remember the Friendship Games?” asked Twilight.

“Yeah, I remember. You had the games at CHS. What about them?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

“Well, I built a device capable of measuring strange anomalies. I followed the strange readings to CHS as it was the source of them.” began Twilight.

“Wait. What? When were you doing this?” Mrs. Velvet asked an accusing tone in her voice.

Twilight Sparkle chuckled nervously. “While I was at Crystal Prep.”

“And what about your studies?” Mrs. Velvet raised an eyebrow, surprised to see her daughter was doing something other than study.

“I was still studying, mom. But I was using the Friendship Games as a chance to see what the strange anomaly was. Not that I was expecting to be transformed by it.” replied Twilight, laughing at the blind naivety she had at the time.

Mrs. Velvet narrowed her eyes as she grew more and more curious about the strange 'anomaly' her daughter was talking about. “What is the strange anomaly that you found at CHS?”

“Magic,” replied Twilight matter-of-factly.

“Oh, magic. That explains...this,” said Mrs. Velvet as she gestured to Twilight’s wings.

“Hehe, yeah,” Twilight said, looking at her wings.

Meanwhile, standing by the kitchen sink, Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight and her mother talked. Seeing the scene play in front of her, she couldn’t help but smile. Something about her nerdy friend rambling on was...kind of cute. She rested her chin on her palm, her mind starting to drift to thoughts about her and Twilight. Not realizing that she was staring, she dropped her pizza into the sink. The sound caused Twilight, who had started to become unnerved by the redhead’s absent-minded staring, and her mother to look up at her.

“Uh, Sunset?” asked Twilight, her voice calm.

Twilight’s voice broke Sunset Shimmer free from a thought where she wondered what it would be like to kiss Twilight Sparkle as she slowly undressed her. Mentally, she had just taken off Twilight’s shirt and was starting to work on undoing her pleated skirt. Her hands were running down the middle of Twilight’s abdomen, making the shy girl squeal in response. The softness of her skin made the redhead continue to run her hands along the outer side of her thighs. The mental image stayed for a moment before she focused her attention on her friend.

“Wha-? Oh…” Sunset Shimmer looked away as she realized she had been staring for the last few minutes. “Sorry. I was, uh, lost in thought,” said Sunset, not wanting to admit that she had just been mentally undressing Twilight in front of her mother.

Blinking, she moved her hand to her mouth, finding that she had dried drool on the edges of it. Noticing that she was missing her pizza, she looked down in the kitchen sink. There, sitting in the bottom of it, was her half-eaten slice of pizza. She picked it up and tossed it into the trash can. Wanting to give Twilight Sparkle and her mother some space, she made her way to her bedroom and sat down on her bed.

Mrs. Velvet looked down at her watch, seeing that it was soon time for her husband to come home. She got up off the couch and looked at her daughter. The sight of seeing her daughter the way she looked during the Friendship Games was still jarring, but she was getting used to it. Albeit very slowly.

“Um, I have your hoodie. Do you want it? I think it could be useful to hide your, erm, wings.” asked Mrs. Velvet, still shocked by the fact her own daughter now had wings.

Twilight Sparkle could see that her mother was still uncomfortable around her, even if she tried to hide it. Wrapping her soft wings around herself, she nodded. She didn’t feel like talking anymore. Not after she had just finished explaining that it was rogue magic that gave her the form she now had. And that when it initially happened, she was hell-bent on destroying this world to learn about the realm the magic came from. Though, much to her surprise, her mother seemed to handle it pretty well. That said, she could have easily just been freaking out on the inside.

While Mrs. Velvet walked out to her car, Sunset Shimmer came down from her bedroom. She heard the chirp of the car alarm. Looking out her window, she saw that Twilight’s mother was looking for something in her car. Turning her attention back to Twilight, she realized that Mrs. Velvet was bringing something in. She approached her friend and rested a hand on her shoulder

“So, was that as bad as you thought it was going to be?” asked Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle rubbed her arms, feeling a chill sweep over them as her mother opened the front door. Goosebumps formed beneath her hands, despite them being warm. That caused her to pull her wings closer to her body in an attempt to keep the chill away. With her wings over her, she felt a bit warmer.

“No, it wasn’t. My mom took it...fairly well,” replied Twilight, looking at Sunset.

Just then, they heard a car door slam shut. Seconds later, Mrs.Velvet came in with Twilight’s hoodie slung over her one arm.

“Here’s your hoodie.” Mrs. Velvet handed the jacket over to her daughter. “Now, I have to go. Your dad will be home soon. And I need to give Spike his food soon too.”

“Okay, mom. See you tomorrow, then?” asked Twilight, giving her mom a quick but tight hug.

“Yep. Assuming you don’t decide to pull another surprise sleepover here,” replied Mrs. Velvet. “And Twilight?”

“Yeah, mom?” asked Twilight.

“The next time you get wings, a tail, and fangs, please tell me." Mrs. Velvet locked eyes with her daughter. “I don’t feel like having to crash a sleepover again to get that kind of news.”

“Hopefully, there won’t be another next time, mom,” said Twilight, finally feeling like she can breathe again.

Placing a hand on Twilight’s cheek, Mrs. Velvet said, “I am your mother. There is nothing in this world that you can’t tell me. And there is nothing that will ever keep me from you.”

All Twilight Sparkle could do was silently nod at her mother, afraid of bursting into tears if she said anything. After that, her mother kissed her forehead and waved goodbye to both her and Sunset Shimmer. She watched as her mother walked out of the front door and headed to her car. Hearing her mother’s car leaving, she covered her mouth as a yawn escaped.

“Well, that was eventful,” said Twilight.

“I’ll say,” said Sunset. “I didn’t even get to finish my pizza.”

Twilight Sparkle chuckled. “Yeah, so I noticed.”

A whirlwind of memories played throughout Twilight’s head. The events of what happened since her transformation ran wildly in her head. Between hearing Sunset Shimmer confess what had happened in her past to having her mother see what had occurred to her during the Friendship Games, it had been a rush. But now one thought seeped into her mind – what was she going to do about her appearance and school? Of that, she wasn’t sure. One thing she did know was that it was going to be hell.

For now, though, that was an afterthought. At this moment, Twilight had Sunset Shimmer, and her heart was elated that she had come clean with her mother and that she still loved her. Thinking about her mother and her acceptance made pure warmth spread throughout her body. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had been to have such a wonderful mother. It was indeed a gift. Looking at Sunset, she knew that she was fortunate to have such an incredible friend as well.

Warm but emotionally worn out, Twilight Sparkle made her way back towards Sunset’s bed. She didn't have the mental nor the physical energy to do anything else for the night. She sat on the edge of the bed, her wings stretching out as she did so. Below her, she could hear the redhead locking the front door. A few seconds later, she spotted her friend coming up the stairs, her hand covering a yawn.

“Hey, Sunset?” Twilight Sparkle noticed that her voice seemed timider than before.

“What’s wrong, Sparky?” asked Sunset, looking directly at her friend.

Running her hand along her tail, Twilight asked, “Do you think I will stay like this...permanently? Because I don’t think I want to stay this way for long…”

Sunset Shimmer sat down next to Twilight Sparkle, wrapping her arms around her shoulder. Though, she was mindful of her friend’s wings. She pulled her close until Twilight’s head rested on her shoulder. Gently, she ran her hand up and down Twilight’s arm. She glanced at Twilight and met her worry-filled gaze.

“Honestly, Twilight, I am not sure. My best guess is that you using your geode is what caused it to malfunction. And as a result, you were transformed into...” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t say Midnight Sparkle, nor did she want to out of respect.

“Midnight Sparkle. I transformed into Midnight Sparkle, Sunset,” said Twilight, her tone sounding harsher than she intended it to.

“Yeah. You transformed physically into Midnight Sparkle. You’re still you, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight as she shifted away from her. “Well, I am going to get that air mattress for you.”

Just as Sunset Shimmer got up from her bed, Twilight Sparkle grabbed her wrist. “I am sorry.”

Feeling Twilight Sparkle gripping her wrist, Sunset looked back at her.

“I didn’t mean to sound so angry. I just-” Twilight Sparkle sighed. “I just hate that I look like a she-demon...again.”

Sunset Shimmer gave Twilight Sparkle a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay, Twi. I understand your anger. You have every right to be angry.” She pulled her wrist free and grabbed Twilight’s hand. “And if you ever need to vent, I am happy to be there.”

Looking into Sunset’s cyan eyes, Twilight Sparkle had to know if the reason she was so secretive was because of her being Midnight Sparkle. So with every bit of courage she had, she forced the question she had in her mind, out.

“Sunset, did you not tell me about your past because I was...Midnight Sparkle?” asked Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer kneeled, her face leveled with Twilight’s. She could hear the pain in her voice. That made her squeeze Twilight’s hand tightly in response.

“No, it was not because of that, Twi. It was because...I was afraid.” Sunset’s eyes darkened as she spoke.

‘Afraid of what, Sunset?” asked Twilight.

“Afraid of you seeing me differently because of my past,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked down.

Twilight Sparkle lifted Sunset’s eyes to meet her again. “Sunset, I am never going to stop seeing you as my friend. Even with what happened in your past.”

A weak smile crept onto Sunset’s face. “Thank you, Sparky.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled back briefly before a yawn replaced the smile. “Well, I think it is about time that we got some sleep, don’t you?’

“Yeah,” replied Sunset, chuckling at the cuteness of Twilight yawning.

*Present Day*

Twilight Sparkle groaned as she slowly woke up, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. As she became more alert, she felt a rubbing sensation on one of her wings. That prompted her to look up, wanting to see who was causing it. Not that she had to guess. Unsurprisingly, it was Sunset Shimmer who was rubbing the edge of her wing.

Gazing at her friend, she noticed there was a distant look in her eyes. Deciding to let Sunset continue thinking, she rested her head back on the pillow. It was interesting how soothing it was to have her wings gently stroked the way that Sunset Shimmer was doing now. Closing her eyes, she thought about what she had said last night.

“You transformed physically into Midnight Sparkle. You’re still you, Twilight.”

Nothing was comforting about this part of her. Her features were dangerous. Her magic was also deadly. Nothing about her new form said she was safe. Yet, here her friend was, touching her wings like she would pet a dog. She appreciated the gentleness of the touch. It made her feel like she was just Twilight. Not Midnight Sparkle, the she-demon that nearly destroyed the world.

As Sunset Shimmer started to return to the present, she looked down at Twilight Sparkle. She saw Twilight blink, which made her jump back and stop rubbing the feathers. Looking away, she tried to hide her growing embarrassment. She wasn’t sure if Twilight was going to find it creepy that she liked to ‘pet’ her wings. If she did, well, Sunset wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

Twilight Sparkle looked up when she felt the rubbing had stopped. She was enjoying the sensation, the feeling of relaxation she was getting from it. Twilight pushed herself into a sitting position to see Sunset Shimmer looking away from her. Seeing the redhead turned away from her, it hurt. That made her wonder what was wrong. Had she scared Sunset away? Or was their conversation last night too much for her to handle? When she saw a small hint of blush on the redhead’s cheeks, she realized exactly what had happened.

“I-I’m sorry, I-”

Sensing Sunset’s uneasiness, Twilight said, “Sunset, look at me.”

Sunset Shimmer did as Twilight Sparkle asked, despite her desire to hide her flushed cheeks. It was embarrassing enough to know that Twilight had caught her ‘petting’ her wings. But it was another thing to have her acknowledge that she’d saw her looking away because of it. Right now, she felt like a crab without a shell, exposed.

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but smile as she saw the full extent of Sunset’s reddened cheeks. “It’s okay.” Looking down at her own hands, she continued. “ Your touch, it was gentle and kind. Which...I kind of...enjoyed.”

A half-smile appeared on Sunset Shimmer’s face as she heard what Twilight Sparkle admitted. Something, like a series of knots in her stomach, made her heart race. She hadn’t expected Twilight to like her touch. If anything, she expected her to hate it. But, to say she was grateful was an understatement. She was beyond elated by the news.

“G-glad you enjoyed it. I was worried for a second that you would hate it,” said Sunset trying to ease the growing tension.

Looking at the alarm clock behind her, Twilight Sparkle said, “Yeah, me too. Now, let's get dressed. And skip breakfast if we want to make it to school on time.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and tossed the blankets off of her. As she watched Twilight get up from the mattress, she reached down and grabbed the bottom edge of her nightshirt. Just as she was about to pull up her shirt, she stopped. She remembered that she had scars on her shoulders. Scars that Twilight Sparkle knew nothing about. And though it was tempting to show her, she wasn’t ready to. She couldn’t get herself to reveal the scars, which reminded her that she was once a monster too.

“Uh, Twilight? Could I please have some privacy?” asked Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle frowned her eyebrows in confusion. That was a bit of an odd request. Usually, at the gym, she always seemed bothered by people being around her whenever she changed, but that she could understand. She didn’t like people looking at her body either. Especially with her scars from the Friendship Games. But why is it a problem at home? It was just the two of them, and Sunset Shimmer couldn’t be any more embarrassed about her looks than Twilight was about her own.

A little part of her wanted to question Sunset Shimmer, but she thought better of it. She didn’t want to ruin the comfort of the morning that they had created. Instead, she would add it to the list of things Sunset was secretive about. These days, it seemed that the list was getting longer.

“Ye-yeah, I can,” said Twilight, dismay in her voice.

Sunset Shimmer breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Twilight Sparkle head down to the living room. Quickly, not wanting to chance Twilight seeing her scars, she pulled off her nightshirt. Running over to her closet, she pulled out a light blue shirt with pale yellow lace at the bottom. She slipped it over her head, not caring that her hair was a mess.

In the living room, Twilight Sparkle pulled off her blouse, which she found was relatively easy. She discovered that if she folded up her wings, they would slip under the fabric. That allowed her to remove her shirt without causing any further tears quickly. It was shocking just how slim her wings were. They were compact enough to let her wings sit beneath her shirt, something she hadn’t noticed until now. Grabbing the t-shirt her mother brought last night, she slipped it on. Just as she fixed the collar, she heard her wings rip through the sides of her shirt.

“Well, getting my shirt off and on is easy. Now, if only I could stop my wings from ruining it,” mumbled Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer slipped on a pair of her jeans. These were very worn from the years of use. She’d had these jeans for a long time, since the Fall Formal. One of the knees was close to ripping because the fabric was so thin there. When she had finished buttoning the last button on her jeans, she saw Twilight Sparkle coming up the stairs.

“Oh, sorry, Sunset. I was going to grab my phone and shoes,” said Twilight, looking away in embarrassment.

“It’s cool. Grab your shoes and phone, and I will join you in the living room, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer as she walked over to her.

Twilight Sparkle grabbed her belongings. For a moment, she glanced at Sunset Shimmer as she brushed the knots from her hair. Her friend’s shirt slipped down her shoulder as she leaned forward. She saw something for a split second before Sunset’s shirt covered it again. It appeared to be a...scar, similar to the ones she had. But why would she have those kinds of scars? Sunset hadn’t gone through any demonic transformations, not like she had, right? But again, she passed on asking any questions. Though, the fact she had seen something annoyed her. And not asking questions didn’t exactly make her curiosity back down.

Sunset Shimmer started to slip on her boots as Twilight Sparkle made her way back down to the living room. Her boots were made of leather, the same as her jacket. They had orange chevron stripes on the tops of them, matching her one jacket. Though she didn’t wear that jacket often, she preferred the one she had worn during the Fall Formal, even though it bore scars from the event. Once she finished buckling the last strap, she ran downstairs and saw Twilight finished getting dressed.

Twilight Sparkle watched as Sunset Shimmer grabbed her jacket. She noticed that on the right sleeve, there was a tear that had gotten roughly fixed up. She recalled asking her about the rip, but as always, she got some excuse about it being from a tree branch. Yet, she didn’t think a tear that size could come from a tree. Shifting her focus from Sunset, she looked down at her hoodie.

It was a thicker fabric than her shirt, not that it eased her worries. Her wings were still quite powerful. Flipping it over, she saw there was a noticeable bulge on the backside of it. She examined the tee backside, seeing some new stitches on the back. Running her hand along the tops of the stitches, she could tell they were similar to what Rarity did. But they weren’t as neat as the fashionista’s. They seemed to be roughly made rather than delicately.

“Do you think that my wings will rip through this?” asked Twilight, hesitant to put on the hoodie.

“No, it’s thicker than your shirt. You should be fine.” Sunset Shimmer pointed to her handy work. “Besides, I reinforced it for that reason specifically.”

“At what point did you do that?” asked Twilight, surprised. She didn’t remember Sunset doing that at any point during the night.

“Right after you fell asleep,” Sunset Shimmer answered with a sly smile that made Twilight’s stomach do a somersault.

Smiling, Twilight Sparkle slipped her hoodie over her head. She was thankful that she had waited to put her hair in its signature ponytail. Once she had adjusted her hoodie, she tested out the new padded areas. To her delight, the hoodie held out against her wings stretching against it. She was extremely grateful that she had accepted the hoodie. The idea of having to walk around the school with her massive wings visible for everyone to see; it wasn’t something she wanted to do.

Wanting to see how the hoodie looked on her, she ran up to where Sunset’s full body mirror was. She slung her backpack over her wings, testing to see what it would like. To her utter amazement, the hoodie hid her wings exceptionally well. The extra padding managed to soften the shape of her wings beneath it. With the fabric of both the hoodie and her shirt pushing against them, her wings appeared much smaller. To Twilight Sparkle, that was an enormous relief.

“You ready, Twi?” asked Sunset, her motorcycle keys in hand.

Twilight Sparkle grabbed her hairband and put her hair into her signature ponytail. Once her hair was secured, she ran downstairs and joined Sunset by the door.

“I guess I am,” replied Twilight, sounding unsure of herself.

Sunset Shimmer rested a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, saying, “You’re going to be fine, Sparky. The girls and I will be right there.”

With that, Sunset and Twilight walked out of the apartment. After Sunset Shimmer locked her door, Twilight Sparkle made her way to the redhead’s bike. She had ridden the bike numerous times, but that did very little in easing her nerves every time. The impressive motorcycle was painted black with a few streaks of red, orange, and yellow on the sides. It was somewhat intimidating to her, especially when it was running. The sound of the engine alone startled Twilight every time. As Sunset approached the bike, she grabbed her helmet.

The helmet was a plum color with few streaks of magenta swirled all around. In the center, there was a white star that covered a majority of it. Circled around it were five small white stars. The design was mimicking her special symbol. The same one that she always associated with every one of her outfits. She had gotten this helmet as a gift from Sunset Shimmer on her birthday. And she loved it. At one point, she had wanted to know how the redhead had made it. But she decided it wasn’t necessary. Without hesitation, she put the helmet on.

Sunset Shimmer swung her leg over the bike and sat down. She held out her hand for Twilight, helping her to do the same. The bike moved as Twilight Sparkle sat behind her, which resulted in her friend giving out a small squeal of surprise. Once Twilight was safely seated behind her, she put the keys into the ignition, revving the engine. As soon as she revved the engine, she felt her friend grip her waist tightly. She let a half-smile appear as she reveled in Twilight’s touch. She kicked up the kickstand, putting her bike into reverse as she lifted her feet. Behind her, a blue pickup truck drove past before she pulled out.

Twilight Sparkle was glad that she had tucked her wings safely under the hoodie. The wind caused by the bike moving forward could’ve easily made her fly off if her wings were out. That thought made her move closer to Sunset, wanting to feel more secure.

Sunset Shimmer felt Twilight’s breasts press against her back. It took everything she had to fight the jolt of electricity that bolted through her veins. Her body began to heat up as a result of her arousal creeping over her body. When she felt Twilight’s thighs squeeze against her own, she just about lost it. Unable to keep her arousal in control, a small moan slipped from her lips. She could only hope that the wind and roar of the engine were enough to cover it. If Twilight Sparkle had heard it, she hoped that she wouldn’t say anything.

After a few minutes of uneasy riding, Sunset and Twilight finally arrived at the school. As Sunset pulled into her parking spot, she saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie approaching them. Behind them were Rarity and Fluttershy. While Sunset Shimmer removed her helmet, she saw a rainbow-colored blur rush right past her. The wind that followed after blew her hair into her face.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” said Sunset, fixing her hair.

“Hey, Sunset. Hey, Twi.” Rainbow Dash said as Twilight pulled off her own helmet.

Rainbow Dash had to do a double-take when she saw Twilight Sparkle. Without her wings and tail being visible, she looked almost normal. Though, when she glanced at Twilight’s eyes, she could see they still looked...a bit off. But from a distance, it was tough to see. It was amazing how just hiding one feature could really change how someone looked. Shaking her head, she told herself to focus on the task at hand.

“How come you didn’t fly here, Twi?” asked Pinkie Pie, eating her tenth cupcake for that morning.

Twilight Sparkle nervously chuckled as Rarity wiped some frosting off Pinkie Pie’s cheeks. The idea had popped into her head the night before. It was undoubtedly an entertaining idea, especially because she enjoyed flying. Her new wings allowed her to fly higher than her normal wings when she ponied-up. Not to mention the bird’s-eye view she got from the different height. But she had pushed it aside, deeming it too risky to attempt.

“I didn’t fly here because I figured it would freak everyone out.” Twilight Sparkle watched as Lyra and Bon Bon walked past them. “And...I didn’t want to scare them, not after what I did at the Friendship Games.”

“That’s understandable, dear,” said Rarity, giving her purple-haired friend a sympathetic smile.

“Oh...yeah. Kind of forgot about that.” Pinkie Pie rubbed her neck nervously, looking away.

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms. “Well, if the school wasn’t going to hate you, that would’ve been cool to see. I am seriously jealous that you get to fly to school.”

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash was a good and loyal friend. But sometimes, she could be ignorant and a little annoying though she did make up for it when she supported her friends. Pulling herself off her bike, she returned her attention to Twilight.

“Are you ready, Twilight?” asked Sunset, grabbing Twilight’s hand.

Twilight Sparkle gulped as she looked at the large group of students gathering at the front of the school. The chatter between each student made her heart race. Sure, she knew they weren’t talking about her. That didn’t stop her from thinking it was. Even with her wings hidden, she couldn’t help but think they could see them. Those thoughts spread like wildfire in her mind. It was nerve-wracking. But she supposed, with the support of her friends and a certain redhead, she could get through it.

Squeezing the redhead’s hand tightly, she said, “Ready as I will ever be, I guess.”

Once Bullied, Twice Scared

Author's Note

For anyone who has experienced or is sensitive to bullying, I must warn you that this chapter does have bullying in it. However, this is the only chapter that has it, and you may skip it if you need to. You don't have to read this chapter but you have been warned. And I apologize if this chapter brings up any trauma for anyone.

Once Bullied, Twice Scared

Slowly, an iridescent glow enveloped them, surrounding their bodies in a barrier of it. Springtrap's doppelgangers fought against the magic that constrained them. But it was too powerful, keeping them very still and not allowing them to wiggle around. After a few minutes of futile struggling, the two copies stopped fighting. They were lifted higher into the air, involuntarily getting brought closer to Springtrap. Seconds later, they found themselves being thrown forcefully against the concrete walls of the building.

“How did you do th-that, Springtrap?” asked the first doppelganger.

“That is for me to find out. And you, well, fuck off!” shouted Springtrap, growing more annoyed by the doppelganger.

The first doppelganger looked at the second one, growling at it. It was the first one created. It should be the only one working for Springtrap. Not the wanna-be doppelganger. Out of curiosity and hope of destroying the enemy, it held out its one hand towards the second doppelganger. If Springtrap could manipulate them, it had thought it could do the same. Yet, no iridescent magic barrier surrounded the second doppelganger. Holding its second hand, it tried again. But to no success.

“What the fuck?” hissed the first doppelganger. “Why the hell did that not work?”

“Because you’re a piece of shit?” suggested the second doppelganger.

“Why, you…” The first doppelganger walked up to the second one, gripping its wrist.

“What? I said the truth.” replied the second doppelganger, acting as innocent as possible.

“You little asshole, I should make yo-”

The two doppelgangers suddenly found themselves being flung into mid-air, flying towards a nearby tree. The first doppelganger hit a tree while the second one slammed face-first into a boulder sitting next to the tree. As both sat up, they saw Springtrap approaching them, his eyes glowing a fierce white color. Both backed up against the tree, hugging the other like a security blanket.

“Enough! You two are a walking migraine,” said Springtrap. “Honestly, I can’t fucking believe how stupid you bitches are. You are almost as dumb as those kids, though, they may actually be smarter than you two.”

“Kids? What are… kids?” asked both doppelgangers in unison.

Springtrap groaned, growing more annoyed by the two idiots that looked like him. Honestly, he felt it was an insult to have two doppelgangers that were lacking the most basic of intelligence. It was surprising to see them talking or even walking with their lack of knowledge. Seeing a shiny piece of metal nearby, he walked over and grabbed it. It was a part of some tin roofing that had been on top of the building. The part which had been sticking up from the ground had gotten rusted to an orangish-brown. Surprisingly though, the part that had once been underground was somehow still shiny, almost brand new. With the metal in hand, he walked back over to his doppelgangers.

“What is that?” asked the second doppelganger, approaching Springtrap.

“Metal, you dumbass,” replied Springtrap in a monotone voice.

“Ooh, I love the shininess of it.” The second doppelganger touched the rusted surface. “Uh, I don’t feel so good all of a sudden.”

As the second doppelganger stepped back, it slowly began to disintegrate. It started at the base of its feet and spread upwards. Springtrap watched in amazement at the sight in front of him. The contour its body slowly disappeared, making the doppelganger look like an opaque version of Springtrap. Eventually, even that vanished into thin air, leaving behind some faint sparkles and puddle of iridescent magic.

Springtrap approached the puddle, watching the sunlight reflecting against its shiny surface. He had not expected the metal to affect his copies. But it was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. And a potential weakness for him. Sticking his finger in the puddle, he watched a few ripples run across the surface. There was an electrical sensation running throughout his whole body as he kept his finger in the pool. It gave him a surge of strength. Closing his eyes, he let himself linger in the newfound power he had.

“Hmm, this is amazing,” muttered Springtrap, losing himself to the intense feeling.

A few minutes later, the puddle of magic that had completely enraptured Springtrap began to float back to the primary source of magic — the control panel. With it now gone, Springtrap turned his attention to the control panel. It was clearly the storage house for all the magic. The only problem was how he was going to gain access to it. He was going to need it if he wanted to make more copies of himself. Assuming he could make more than two that is.

“What the hell did you do to the other doppelganger?” asked the first and only remaining doppelganger.

Springtrap turned to see his only copy walking into the building. He was growing more and more angered by its presence. To his shock, it seemed smarter than the one who had disappeared. That made him wonder if he could create any competent copies. Or if the one in front of him was just a fluke. Wanting to test the doppelganger’s intelligence, he grabbed the piece of roofing and held it out to it.

‘What the fuck are you doing?” asked the doppelganger, stepping away from the piece of metal. “Keep that thing away from me, asshole.”

Springtrap ignored his doppelganger’s demands and continued pursuing him with the metal object. It managed to dodge Springtrap’s first attempt at jabbing it with the metal. Luckily, it had an opening, allowing it to jump out of the way as another attack got launched upon it. They continued like this until the copy had backed itself up against a nearby tree just outside the electrical building. With nowhere to go, it watched as Springtrap approached it. The metal roofing was inching ever so slowly towards its body.

“Would you really destroy your only remaining doppelganger?” asked the doppelganger, desperate to not end with the same fate that befell the second one.

Springtrap didn’t care to answer his doppelganger’s question. He wanted to test a theory, regardless if he would lose a copy. Once he figured out how he created them originally, he could do it tenfold. So, with a gleam in his eyes, he jabbed the jagged piece of roofing into his doppelganger’s abdomen. Within moments, the copy began to dissipate into a series of sparkles. The sparks seemed to eat away the doppelganger’s body more quickly than the second one. Like the one before it, it left an iridescent puddle of concentrated equestrian magic. With the copy now gone, the scrap metal fell to the forest floor.

“Interesting. So, either this scrap has some powerful properties to it.” He picked up the scrap metal off the floor. “Or this...magic or whatever it is, doesn’t like any metal that isn’t a part of it.”

With the scrap metal in his hand, he walked back over to the control panel. The sparks flew from the inside, nearly hitting him in the face. He set the metal scrap down and held his hand over the exposed area. The sparks flew from the panel to his hand, traveling through his circuitry. A rush of energy flowed through him, causing his ears to start erratically twitching as he tried to contain it. Once he had enough magic inside of himself, he pulled his hand away from the control panel.

Holding his hand out, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine a doppelganger of him. He started to see the doppelganger, every single aspect of it: the size, shape, color, smell, and even his temper. Shockingly, the image seemed to be crystal clear in his mind, like a photo in the highest resolution possible. With the vision in his head, he opened his eyes and saw that faint outline of his new doppelganger was beginning to appear. He could feel a tingling sensation running through his wires and joints. For a moment, he almost felt like he was alive instead of being encased inside of a rusted animatronic. After a few seconds, a complete carbon copy of Springtrap stood in front of him.

“Hello, I am Springtrap.” said the newly formed doppelganger.

“No, you’re not. You’re dumbass number one,” replied Springtrap, lowering his hand.

“Okay, my name is Dumbass Number One.” The doppelganger said.

“Yep. Just a fluke,” mumbled Springtrap as he grabbed a piece of wood off the floor. “Now, do you consent to me using you as a test dummy?”

“No-”

Springtrap swung the piece of wood at the doppelganger’s head, sending it stumbling backward. Unfortunately, the wood did not affect it like the piece of metal did. The only thing it did was anger the copy, which charged at Springtrap. He was quick to move out of the way, letting his doppelganger slam right into the side of the control panel. Springtrap couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw the sight of his brainless copy struggling to get off the floor. It was comparable to a drunkard after a long night at the bar. Though, the drunkard would look less drunk if they stood beside his doppelganger right now.

“Okay, so wood of any kind won’t affect you.” Springtrap tossed the piece of wood. ‘Good to know.”

“What the fuck, Springtrap?” asked the doppelganger as it finally got to its feet. “I am not going to be your-”

Springtrap had grabbed a piece of glass from one of the broken windows and now was charging at his copy. With the surprise advantage, he had enough momentum to jump and slam the shard into his doppelganger’s eye socket. He let go of the shard and saw it was jammed deep into its eye socket, almost cutting the eye in half. Springtrap ducked as his doppelganger ripped out the glass shard, with his eye attached to the end of it, and tossed it at him. To his dismay, it was apparent that glass was just as useless as wood was.

‘Well, I guess any glass is just as useless as wood. That’s great. Just. Great.” said Springtrap, walking out of the building for a moment.

Looking around, he saw nothing but grass, trees, dirt, rubble, and a bunch of old concrete blocks. Aside from the concrete blocks, there were no new materials for him to experiment with on his doppelgangers. The sound of footsteps approaching him made him turn around to see said copy running at him. Like an agile cheetah, he stepped out of the path and watched as his copy rammed its body into a big boulder.

“Well, guess I can cross rocks off the list now too,” said Springtrap, picking up a concrete block and examining it.

“Well, that fucking hurt.” groaned the doppelganger. “You move a lot faster than me.”

That’s because I have more brain matter inside my head than you, asshole. For all I fucking know, you have nothing, not even air up in your dumbass skull.” replied Springtrap as he turned to face his doppelganger, the concrete block on hand.

The weight of the block was no problem for Springtrap. Being trapped forever inside an animatronic had that one advantage. Using his robotic strength, he tossed the block at his doppelganger. The concrete hit its leg, knocking it to its knees. As it’s one knee slammed down, it landed on the concrete block and shattered it. Looking at his doppelganger, Springtrap bolted for the building. Just as he had his hand on the door handle, he heard an all too familiar sound of thundering footsteps. Springtrap ducked into the building, his body landing solidly on the floor as the door slammed shut with a loud clang.

“Ouch...” was the last thing the doppelganger said as its body dissipated back into a puddle of magic.

Pushing himself off the floor, Springtrap walked over to one of the windows and looked out. He saw that the sun had risen well over the horizon. The light nearly blinded him as he held up his hand to keep it from shining in his eyes. Half the morning went by all because he had gotten so focused on figuring out his doppelganger’s weakness, though the effort did reward him with some much-needed information, which was essential. Springtrap walked over to the door and opened it just as the puddle of magic floated back into him.

“Well, I am glad it took half the morning and a door slamming to see that any metal that is not a part of my doppelgangers will destroy them,” said Springtrap. “And that they return to whatever source created them.”

Springtrap stood over the control panel, his hand outstretched above the opening. A wave of sparks and magic drifted into his hand, running his arm and settling in his primary power source. Now with more magic under his control, he again repeated the process of creating another doppelganger. Thankfully, the process didn’t seem to affect him, though he wondered how many he could make before it would. Not long after, there was a fully completed copy of him standing in the doorway. He needed the new doppelganger to do a job for him.

“You able to speak dumbass number two?” asked Springtrap, snapping his fingers in the doppelganger’s face.

“Yes, I am. Also, I reject that name,” answered the doppelganger.

“Yeah, well, it’s the only name you’re getting. So take it and shove up your ass,” said Springtrap as he jabbed his finger into its chest. “Anyway, I have a mission for you.”

“What’s the mission?” asked Springtrap’s copy.

Springtrap gripped his doppelganger’s shoulder tightly, making it jump in response. The mission was going to solve another question he had about his doppelgangers. Sure, it was enough that they sounded, acted, and looked like him, but he had to know if they had his memories as well. If they did, it would make his job a lot easier. As it is, he knew it was going to be a headache trying to locate the kids, especially since they had a group of smart teenage girls helping them out and keeping them hidden away.

“I need you to go to Canterlot High. Find the girls you have seen in my memories and follow them to the location of where they are hiding the damned kids,” replied Springtrap as he walked the copy out the front door.

“What am I supposed to do when I find those wretched kids?” The doppelganger asked.

Springtrap groaned in frustration. “Once you’ve found out where they are hiding those fucking brats, come back here and tell me. And for fuck’s sake, stay away from metal and don’t get caught.”

“Okay,” replied the doppelganger.

“Now, go,” said Springtrap, waving his hand towards the door.

A sensation similar to static electricity ran up Springtrap’s arm, causing his arm to jerk uncontrollably for a minute. He looked up to see his copy walking out of the door as if on command. That made him wonder if he could control an army of himself. If he could have that kind of power, both the girls and the kids wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Once his copy was an adequate distance away, he returned his attention to the control panel and the magic it held inside. Springtrap wanted to find a way to store the magic with him. If he were going to be learning how to control an army with it, he would need a secure way to ensure he had a plentiful stash of it.

“Now, how do I access that stash of yours?” hissed Springtrap, examining the control panel.

He recalled how he had absorbed the magic to make the doppelgangers. Maybe if he could do that and have the magic stored inside of his power module, it would work. There was only one way to find out. He held his hand over the open control panel for the fifth time or so that morning and prepared himself for what was to come. Just as before, the magic diverted itself from the wires, it flowed through and flowed upwards towards his hands. As it entered his circuitry, he felt an all too familiar buzz run everywhere in his body.

“Whew, that is addicting, like the high I got whenever I shot up some heroin. Man, do I miss being alive,” muttered Springtrap in a daze of the almost-warmth like sensation.

A few minutes later and Springtrap had to pull his arm away from the panel. The tingling sensation in his circuits was becoming too unbearable for him to continue with absorbing the magic. But he could feel the power of the magic that now got stored in his power module. It made him feel almost invincible, which he delighted in. Tapping into the magic stored in himself, he created another doppelganger. He noticed that with a large amount of magic now stored inside, creating the copy took minimal effort.

“Welcome to the world, dumbass number three,” said Springtrap as the new copy turned to face him. “You have a critical job to do. But you won’t be alone. So, stand in the corner.”

Again, there was a tingling sensation in his arm as the doppelganger followed his command. It was a thrill to see that he had so much control over them. Of course, they were reasonably dumb, but with an army of them, it wouldn’t be much of a hindrance. The only real problem he faced was their weakness — metal. He knew that if the girls were to find out about the vulnerability, it would devastate his army. And that was something he couldn’t afford happening if they were to battle the girls. Not if he wanted to finish his fight against the kids and be victorious. So, he would have to teach them to avoid any metal. But, first, he had to assemble the army before he could get to that stage.

“Those stupid-ass girls about to see what messing with my plan will get them.” Springtrap’s eyes glowed a ghastly white as he spoke. “Death and a little payback. Especially for the fucking redhead…”

*** *** *** ***

The copy was walking through the woods, pushing past branches and twigs. In its head was flashes of Springtrap’s memories, guiding it to its location. Unfortunately, they came and went by so quickly that the doppelganger barely had any time to memorize them. And the forest it was in was very vast, almost like the Costa Rican rainforest. That resulted in it walking into numerous trenches and ditches. It had also gotten stuck in quite a few mud puddles along the way. Muddied and a little lost, it eventually reached the edge of the woods.

Now standing on the edge of the forest, it now had to deal with trucks, cars, buses, motorcycles driving by very fast. The sidewalks weren’t much better for it, either. There were people with coffee cups in hand, people looking down at their phones and not paying attention to it, and there were people hurriedly running amidst the already bustling crowd. Though it wanted to back out, it’s mission was clear, and it couldn’t just walk away. It cautiously took a step forward and almost immediately was knocked back by a violent gust of wind caused by a massive truck driving past.

‘Woah...that is dangerous.” muttered the doppelganger to itself. “Better be careful next time.”

It tried again to cross the street. Unluckily, a car was headed straight for it. Somehow, it managed to jump back, nearly avoiding contact with the side view mirror. It watched the road, making sure there were no cars or trucks to hit it. Seeing none, it started to cross the street and make its way to CHS. Yet, just as it reached the other side, a motorcycle came barreling towards it. Tired of being hit, it held out its hand and slammed it down onto the motorcycle’s front tire. The impact sent the driver flying over the doppelganger’s head and landing on the ground a few feet away. When the driver started to get up, the copy bolted for the school, disappearing just as the driver was about to scold it.

As it walked down one of the quiet backstreets, the doppelganger came across a large, wooden fence with a hole in the side of it. Walking up to it, it peeked through the hole. There was a large, empty yard that consisted of dirt and a few weeds here and there. No plants were in sight, making it look very similar to a desert in a drought. Curious, it stuck its forefinger into the hole. That action resulted in something biting down on it. It quickly yanked its finger back only to find the plastic cover stripped from it, exposing the metal endoskeleton underneath.

“What the fuck bit me?” asked the copy, shaking the slobber off its finger.

Looking through the fence, it saw a dog staring back at him, baring its teeth at it. It retracted its fist to break it and kill the dog, but it remembered its primary mission and lowered its fist. As much as it wanted to kill the dog, it had other plans due to Springtrap’s demands. Leaving behind the dog, it continued walking down the street.

Twenty minutes later, after a few wrong turns and several near misses with people, it finally made it to the school. A wave of 100 or more students passed by it, forcing the doppelganger to duck behind some nearby bushes. Once the coast was clear, it bolted for the nearest tree. The doppelganger spotted the girls about 300 yards away from where its hiding spot was – a safe distance for it to remain hidden from them. But it wasn’t close enough to hear their conversations, which it figured was a bad thing. Though, Springtrap had said to follow them, not eavesdrop on them. So, it just thought that the spot was good enough for the time being.

When the girls started to walk into the building, it darted into the bushes that surrounded the school. The doppelganger regularly lifted and dropped its head, following the girls as they made their way through the hallways. With them being in the building, it hoped that they would stay in its line of sight. Or it would fail the command and end up scrap metal courtesy of Springtrap.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, unaware that they were getting spied upon, the girls stood outside their first-period class, their backs to the windows. Twilight hesitating to walk into the classroom, afraid to be surrounded by a big group of students. She had begun to adjust to having the girls around her, but she wasn’t so sure she was ready to have more than that. Not even with their support alongside her. Her hesitation was something that didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

“You okay, dear?” asked Rarity, a worried tone in her voice. “Is it your wings that you’re worried about?”

“Yeah…” whispered Twilight Sparkle as a few students pushed past her, entering the classroom.

As their arms brushed against her back, she froze. For a while, she looked at them, wondering if they felt her wings beneath the fabric. But to her surprise, they just sat in their usual seats, not paying any attention to her. Sighing in relief, she gripped her backpack strap tightly. Today was going to be a long day. And it was going to be longer if she continued to worry and fret about every touch and glance thrown her way. She had her friends with her; she didn’t need to worry so much. Yet, knowing that did little to ease her stress.

“But, I am okay now. I have you girls with me for support,” said Twilight, looking mostly at Sunset as she spoke.

“That’s right, Twi,” said Fluttershy.

Fluttershy, all of the girls, understood what it was like to be afraid, especially when she had huge groups of people looking at her. There had been a few days where she became physically ill because of her nerves. Though, most of the days ended when Sunset Shimmer stopped singling her out. So, she wanted to support Twilight in any way that she could. Resting her hand on her shoulder, she gave it a gentle squeeze. That made Twilight look at her and give her an appreciative smile.

Sunset Shimmer glanced at Fluttershy. The two shared a look of worry between each other. The redhead’s eyes fell to her Twilight, noticing that she had moved closer to her. She could see that Twilight was growing pale, even though her skin was darker than usual. That made her worry more and also made her more protective. Just then, Trixie walked past the girls, eyeing Twilight suspiciously. Sunset narrowed her eyes, watching every move the wanna-be magician made. She made a mental note to keep Trixie in line. It was one thing when she singled her out. But she was going to be damned if she let the same happen to Twilight.

“Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll make sure everyone treats you nicely. Right, girls?” asked Sunset, turning to her friends.

“Yeah, totally!” shouted Rainbow Dash, placing a hand on her hip.

“You got that right, sugarcube,” added Applejack.

“Absolutely!” declared Rarity.

That made Twilight Sparkle feel a lot better. Hearing her friends’ words of encouragement, it relieved some of her fears and worries. Taking Sunset’s hand in her own, she walked into the classroom. When she passed by her classmates’ desks, they glanced up at her, curious. Twilight did her best to ignore it and focus on the class ahead. She was extremely grateful that she and Sunset could sit next to each other. It was beneficial to have her nearby, especially as she had been her rock throughout the whole Midnight Sparkle situation.

The loud ring of the late bell told her that class was about to start. Miss Cheerilee walked in, carrying a stack of graded papers in her one arm. As she set them down, Twilight gulped nervously. This past week they had a trigonometry test. She had gone over to Sunset’s place to do some more studying, though she didn’t need to. But having that extra time with her was more than welcomed. It had allowed her to hang out with the redhead and admire her beauty. And of course, make sure that she was ready and prepped for the test. With that extra study session, she hoped she managed to pass the test.

Miss Cheerilee passed out each student’s test. When Twilight got hers, she quickly flipped it over to what grade she got. Seeing an A+ on the top in red pen, a proud smile worked its way onto her face. Her gaze immediately went to Sunset Shimmer as she saw Miss Cheerilee set her test down. She shifted her chair closer to Sunset as she leaned over to her desk.

“What did you get, Sunset?” asked Twilight, curiosity tinting her voice. “I got the usual, an A+.”

“I got a B-,” replied Sunset, sounding disappointed in her grade.

Twilight Sparkle was a bit shocked by the grade Sunset had received. Sunset was just as good as she was at math or any other subject for that matter. Plus, they had studied together. So, what could’ve caused Sunset’s usual A+ grade average to fall? After putting some thought into it, something crossed her mind. The recent events of going after the recently freed animatronics that turned out to be murdered children could be the cause. It didn’t seem to help that each kid’s memory was graphically detailed. And learning that equestrian magic was behind certainly did help matters either.

“Sunset, it’s okay. There has been a lot going on lately. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Twilight tried her best to reassure the redhead. “I’ve had a few failing grades as well myself.”

“Thanks, Sparky,” said Sunset, flashing Twilight a quick thank-you-for-that smile.

What Twilight had said cheered her up, but very little. She had other worries on her mind at the moment. Hard as Sunset Shimmer tried, her mind kept thinking about Trixie, about the look she had given Twilight. Something about it rubbed her the wrong way. Her gut instinct told her that the wanna-be magician was up to something. No doubt something that wasn’t good and would target Twilight.

“That would definitely fit Trixie’s M.O.,” thought Sunset as she stared down at her test.

“Okay, class, today we are doing partner assignments. So, the person to your left will be your partner.” Miss Cheerilee said as she wrote out the directions on the blackboard.

Both Sunset and Twilight turned to each other and smiled. Twilight was particularly happy that Sunset was her partner. And it seemed that the redhead shared that same happiness too. Though she enjoyed this class, she wasn’t sure if it was because she loved math. Or if it was because she got to share it with Sunset. Regardless, she was happy to enjoy being near Sunset. Scooting their desks closer together, they continued to move them until they were touching.

“Now that you all have a partner, I will pass out the assignment for today. I do expect you all to have this finished before the end of class.” Miss Cheerilee set the chalk down and grabbed the stack of assignment papers.

While Miss Cheerilee passed out the assignment, Twilight heard some snickering coming from behind her. She turned around to see two of Trixie’s friends glancing and pointing at her. That made her feel self-conscious again. Had they seen her wings despite her attempts to hide them? If so, were they planning on revealing her to the whole school and when? Looking down, she turned back in her chair. She shrunk in her seat as she realized that they were talking about her appearance. If it wasn’t for her hoodie constraining them, she was sure her wings would’ve wrapped themselves around her and hidden her from Trixie’s friends.

Halfway through the class period, the sound of paper getting ripped broke the quiet chatter of the classroom. Twilight, who was hunched over and focused on the assignment with Sunset, didn’t hear the sound. A few seconds later, the paper was ripped from its notebook and quickly crumbled into a ball. No sooner had it been crumpled was it thrown against her back, bouncing off one of her wings. Twilight was startled by it, causing her wings to react accordingly. When she sat straight up, her wings strained against the fabric of her hoodie.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her paper as she heard the sound of fabric straining. Glancing behind Twilight, she saw the piece of paper that had gotten thrown at her friend. She followed its path of trajectory to find Trixie’s friends smirking and quietly chuckling to themselves. That was enough to cause Sunset’s geode to spark as it began to malfunction and allow Sunset to hear their thoughts.

“Wow, she is hiding something under that ridiculous hoodie of hers. Just like Trixie said,” thought Lavender Lace, glancing sideways at Twilight.

“Are those...wings? But if she had ponied-up, why is she hiding her wings? And where are her pony ears and tail? Something about this is very off…” thought Fuschia Blush as she looked away from Sunset and Twilight.

Involuntarily, her hand gripped the edge of her desk, her knuckles turning white from the tight grip. It was aggravating for the redhead to see Trixie’s friends picking on Twilight, particularly when it was uncalled for. Her hand and arm started to shake as she struggled to keep herself from going full “bully mode” on Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush. Turning her attention to her friend, she saw the edges of her wings were pushing tightly against the fabric. That was enough to tell her that Twilight had been startled by the sudden attack. But Sunset knew she needed to relax, or her wings would destroy the only thing that kept them hidden. Pulling her hand off her desk, she rested it on Twilight’s forearm.

“Sparky, you might want to calm down. Your wings are going to push through your hoodie if you don’t,” whispered Sunset as she leaned towards Twilight.

“What?” asked Twilight, still unaware of what her wings were doing.

“Your wings, Twilight. If you don’t calm down, you’re going to reveal your wings.” Sunset Shimmer kept her voice low, noticing that Trixie’s friends were eyeing them.

That brought Twilight’s attention to her wings. She could feel them tense against her back, still poised in an almost outward position. Unconsciously, she relaxed as she began to calm her startled nerves. With her nerves calming down, her wings eased themselves downward and rested softly against her back. Once she was sure her wings had relaxed entirely, she sighed. It was a massive relief to see that her hoodie had held out against the strain, despite the sudden action of her wings opening and pushing against the fabric. She leaned back in her chair and gave Sunset a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I don’t know what I would have done if they had broken through my hoodie.”

“Hey, that’s why I am here, Sparky,” Sunset said, playfully punching Twilight’s arm. “Now, how about we finish the assignment so we can get out of here?”

“Yeah, agreed,” replied Twilight, her attention returning to the paper in front of her.

*** *** *** ***

Three class periods later, the lunch bell rang. Hearing that, all the students got up from their seats and clamored out of the classroom. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were the last left in the room. Rainbow Dash’s stomach growled, telling her she was hungry and that she should leave now. But she had to wait for Twilight to finish packing up her stuff, which tested her patience.

“Hurry up, Twi! I want to get there before all the pudding is gone,” said Rainbow Dash, her impatience clear as she struggled to stand still.

Rarity glared at the polychromatic athlete and narrowed her eyes at her friend. She placed her hands on her hips in an angry fashion. She was hungry too, but she didn’t approve of Rainbow Dash’s behavior towards Twilight. Not when it had been a hard day for her. During the class, she had noticed that Trixie kept eyeing Twilight like a hungry lion eyed a weak and vulnerable gazelle. Same as Sunset, she started to see that Trixie was planning something. She had relayed that information to Rainbow Dash, hoping to have a chance to prepare for whatever the magician had devised.

“Rainbow, can’t you see our friend is worried about being in such a crowded place? Worried about her wings getting discovered by our classmates?!” shouted Rarity, a little too loud.

Outside the classroom, a student was walking past and overheard what Rarity had said. They stopped just outside the doorway, looking from Rarity to Twilight Sparkle with a questioning look in their eyes. The fashionista chuckled nervously before looking away, leaving Twilight to handle the student by herself. She saw that the student was a bit fearful of her, making her grow even more uncomfortable with the idea of going to the crowded cafeteria.

“Thank you, Rarity! That is what I am trying to avoid,” said Twilight, gesturing to the student as they started to walk away. “I’ll be lucky if they don’t tell the whole school and trigger whatever Trixie has in mind for me. Why did you have to say that…?”

Rarity gazed up at Twilight. It was upsetting to see her friend look so...hurt and worried. She knew she had made a mistake. As soon as she had mentioned Twilight’s wings, she understood that it was too late to take it back. Unable to bear seeing her friend’s pain expression any longer, she looked away. She gripped her forearm as she saw Twilight continue to pack her stuff in the heavy silence.

“I am truly sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to say that as loud as I did.” apologized Rarity, her voice losing its usual flare.

Hearing that apology, Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book bag. She could see the fashionista’s regret, which darkened her blue eyes. Seeing that regret was enough to make her realize that it was just an accident. It was clear that Rarity hadn’t meant to say what she did. Nor did she expect to say it as loudly as she had. Twilight got out of her seat and made her way over to where Rarity was standing. Reaching out her hand slowly, she grabbed Rarity’s hand and gave her a small, but still visible smile.

“Rarity?” asked Twilight.

“What, Twilight?” muttered Rarity, not wanting to look at Twilight directly.

“It’s okay. I know you were only trying to help me,” said Twilight, bending down to meet the fashionista’s reluctant gaze. “I understand that you didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Twilight, I revealed that you had wings out loud, even though you had tried so hard to keep that hidden. I put that in jeopardy, that is inexcusable,” said Rarity, pulling her hand away. “I am sorry that I jeopardized that.”

“Rarity, look at me.” Twilight’s voice was stern. Yet, it worked as the fashionista wearily met her gaze. “I am not upset about the slip-up. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. Please, don’t blame yourself.”

“But what if the school finds out?” asked Rarity, her voice timid like Fluttershy’s whenever she got nervous.

“If the school does find out, Rarity, I will have you girls with me,” Twilight said, resting her hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “Okay?”

Hesitantly, Rarity said, “Okay.”

“Um, guys? Can we go to lunch now? I am fucking starving.” asked Rainbow Dash, growing more impatient.

Twilight walked back over to her desk and grabbed her backpack. “Yes, we can go now, Rainbow Dash. We’ll meet you there.”

“About damn time!” shouted Rainbow Dash, grabbing her bag and speeding out of the classroom.

Shortly after, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity joined Rainbow Dash in the long lunchline. Twilight’s nerves worsened as more students gathered into the line, squeezing her and her friends closer together. The less space Twilight had to avoid anyone touching her back, the more she fretted about her wings getting revealed by accident. As the line moved and allowed her to see Granny Smith, the school’s lunch lady, and Applejack’s grandmother, her hands began to shake as her chest tightened. With every step that Twilight took, her panic grew more and more.

“What will it be today, Twilight?” asked Granny Smith as Twilight Sparkle approached her.

Twilight looked at all the food that was for lunch that day. She saw the traditional spaghetti and meatballs, which always got served on Thursday. Next to it was the vegan pizza, something she knew Sunset often got. Today it seemed the toppings for it was pineapple and mushrooms. Twilight noticed that neither pizza had cheese, which made them look like odd pizzas. Though, she wasn’t one to judge a pizza by its toppings. The last of the main dishes was a mystery meatloaf. As she looked down at the meal, her stomach gurgled in protest. There was no way she was going to choose that. Looking at Granny Smith, Twilight made her choice.

“I’ll go with the spaghetti and meatballs, please,” said Twilight as she grabbed her tray.

“Okay, here ya go.” Granny Smith scooped a considerable amount of the spaghetti.

“Thank you,” Twilight said as Granny Smith plopped the spaghetti on her tray.

“I don’t understand why y’all are avoiding the meatloaf,” mumbled Granny Smith as Twilight moved her tray.

Twilight Sparkle gulped and continued walking as she grabbed a yogurt and an apple. Leaving the trap of the lunch line, she saw Sunset and the rest of her friends waving her over. She smiled at them as she walked over to their table. Sitting in her usual spot, which was anywhere that Sunset was, she set her tray down. There was rarely a moment that they had spent apart. Every moment that they could spend together, they would. But it seemed that Sunset was starting to grow distant from her. That worried Twilight, despite the nagging voice in her head saying she was overreacting.

“So, how are we gonna find Gabriel?” asked Applejack, taking a bite of her apple.

Sunset Shimmer swallowed a bite of her pizza and turned to the cowgirl. “I don’t know, AJ. I think his friends might have an idea of where he is.”

“And if they don’t? What do we do then, Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking up from her tray.

“I don’t know, Dash. I haven’t been able to think that far ahead,” replied Sunset, dropping her fork in frustration.

“Let’s just see if Gabriel’s friends have some answers for us and go from there, okay?” suggested Rarity, wanting to keep the peace.

“Okay. So, we’ll head to my farm after school then?” asked Applejack, taking another bite of her apple.

“Yep!” replied all the girls in unison.

Sunset Shimmer glanced up at Twilight Sparkle and noticed she was staring at her spaghetti, poking it with her fork. “Twilight, is everything okay?”

The sound of the redhead’s voice broke Twilight free from her thoughts. Blinking, she pushed past her thoughts about why Sunset was distant. It was tempting to ignore Sunset, but she knew that it would raise suspicion. And she didn’t want the girls to realize she was considering doing some research on Sunset’s past, especially Sunset herself. Twilight knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but she had to know what was driving the distance between her and the redhead. However, right now, she had a chance to ask another question about something else that had been on her mind.

“Y-yeah. I was just thinking about something,” replied Twilight, eating some of her spaghetti.

“Thinking about what, Twi?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“I was thinking about…” Twilight looked at Sunset, her eyes bright with curiosity, “what the Fall Formal is.”

Sunset Shimmer went pale as she heard Twilight mention the Fall Formal. She had briefly mentioned it when she was talking about messing with Rarity and Pinkie Pie, but that was it. To have Twilight asking about it caught her off guard. Turning to the rest of the girls, she saw they were just as surprised. They were all staring at Twilight, their forks in hand as they had stopped eating. Pinkie Pie was the first of the group to recover herself. She finished her forkful of cake and spoke.

“So, Sunset finally told you what happened during the Fall Formal?” asked Pinkie Pie, much to Sunset Shimmer’s fright.

“What?” asked Twilight, confused by what Pinkie Pie meant.

“Oh, I guess she didn’t mention what happened,” said Pinkie Pie as she looked at the redhead, regretting her earlier question.

Sunset Shimmer fixed a heated glare at Pinkie Pie, angered that she had brought that up. She turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle, hoping and praying that she didn’t ask any questions. But in the now mulberry eyes of her friend, she could see the interest spark up. The same curiosity that had sparked Twilight to investigate the magic during the Friendship Games. She saw that there was no way she could keep her from asking questions. She returned her gaze to her tray, internally pleading that Twilight wouldn’t hate her when she discovered the truth.

“What happened during the-”

“Hello, Twilight.” said an annoyingly shrill voice, cutting Twilight off.

Twilight Sparkle took a bite of her spaghetti before turning around to see that Trixie and her two friends were standing behind her. When she saw the smirk Trixie was wearing, fear took hold of her, making her hands quiver. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sunset eyeing the wanna-be magician, a dark gleam in her eyes. Glancing downward, Twilight also saw that her hands were tightly gripping the edge of the seat. She noticed that the redhead’s arms were trembling from the secure grip she had on it. Returning her attention to Trixie, she swallowed the last of the spaghetti in her mouth.

Trixie crossed her arms across her chest. “Trixie wants to know what you are hiding under that hoodie.”

“Why do you want to know that, Trixie?” asked Applejack.

“Trixie wasn’t talking to you, Applejack. Trixie was talking to Twilight,” said Lavender Lace as she stepped in front of the cowgirl.

Trixie saw Twilight gulp as she moved closer to her. “So, what are the makeup and contacts for? That is just makeup and contacts, right?”

Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush stepped closer to Twilight Sparkle, making the already nervous book lover more apprehensive. Both of them grabbed Twilight’s hoodie, making the fabric push against her wings. They pulled her up from her seat without any warning. Now that Twilight was standing, they could see that her legs were threatening to give way beneath her. Twilight Sparkle could feel her tail flicking inside of her jeans as if it was trying to break free from its confines.

“Answer the Great and Powerful Trixie’s question!” demanded Fuschia Blush, tightening her grip on Twilight’s hoodie.

Twilight Sparkle looked down at her feet as she said, “I-I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Trixie grabbed Twilight’s arm and yanked her sleeve up. “Did you get a spray tan that went wrong? Or is this your actual skin color now?”

“It’s nothing, Trixie,” said Twilight, yanking her arm away from the magician.

“Nothing? Trixie isn’t blind, Twilight. She has noticed that your skin is similar in color to what…” Trixie stepped back, thoroughly admiring Twilight. “No, it can’t be. You look very similar to Midnight Sparkle.”

“No, I don’t. It’s just the contacts and makeup,” said Twilight, desperate to keep Trixie off her trail.

By now, Twilight’s body had started more violently. Having Trixie and her friends surrounding her made her wings want to break free from their fabric confines. It took everything she had to keep them from pushing outwards. But when Lavender Lace stepped closer to her, she panicked, making her wings unfurl themselves inside her hoodie. If she hadn’t been sweating previously, Twilight was sure she was now.

Sunset Shimmer, who had been sitting quietly and listening to Trixie interrogate Twilight, got up from her seat. Her blood felt like it was boiling as an itching spread up her arms. Though the cafeteria was relatively cold, she was extremely feverish, like she was standing in the desert at noon. Despite her body feeling weird all of a sudden, Sunset kept her focus on Trixie and on trying to keep her fist out of her face. She’d had enough of watching her friend getting picked on, and she was about to make Trixie back off. Even if that meant she had to be physical with her.

Standing between Twilight and Trixie, Sunset said, “Trixie, leave Twilight alone. Now.”

“Hmmm, Trixie doesn’t want to do that. Therefore, she is not going to, not until she gets some answers about what is going on here.” Trixie replied, jabbing her finger into the redhead’s chest.

A low growl slipped from Sunset Shimmer’s throat as she moved closer to Trixie. The sclera around her irises began to darken as her geode sparked occasionally. Unknowingly, the redhead started to clench her fist, a desire to punch Trixie growing within her. As she went to raise her hand, she felt a gentle touch linger on it. The blackness that had been creeping onto her sclera disappeared as she glanced downward. Sunset saw that Twilight’s hand was covering her own.

“Sunset, please don’t. Don’t let Trixie turn you into the bully you used to be. She isn’t worth it.” Twilight slowly removed her hand as Sunset relaxed hers. “Besides, she just wants to ask questions, right?”

Trixie nodded, her eyes never leaving Sunset Shimmer. “Yeah. Trixie only wants to ask some questions while her friends remove your jacket.”

“Wait, what? No, don-” Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to finish her sentence when she felt Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush grab a side of her hoodie.

The fabric was pulled over her head, messing up her neat ponytail. Now that her wings had broken free from their confines, they stretched to their full size. Instantly, Twilight closed her eyes as she heard the audible gasps of the students who began to swarm around her. The bookworm heard Lavender Lace laughing as she examined her wings. Twilight Sparkle felt her hoodie being forcibly thrown back at her, but she didn’t bother picking it up or moving for that matter. Twilight Sparkle gathered what remained of her courage and opened her eyes to see everyone at CHS staring at her, except for Luna and Celestia, respectively. Fear paralyzed her as she staggered back.

“What the hell, Trixie?! Why the fuck did you do this?” asked Rainbow Dash as she and the girls got up from their seats.

“So, Trixie was right. You were hiding something under that ridiculous hoodie of yours.” Trixie placed her hand under Twilight’s chin, their eyes locking. “Those aren’t contacts, are they Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle swallowed, “N-no...they aren’t.”

“So, this isn’t some fake costume?! You’re really Midnight Sparkle?” asked Trixie stepping back in fear.

That statement made several students back away as they ran out of the cafeteria. They were running away… from her. Twilight understood why they were running away. She looked like Midnight Sparkle now, not her usual self. The last time she looked like this, she endangered their lives by opening portals to another world. It had taken time, as Sunset had said, but the school and the girls did seem to forgive her. Though, now, it seemed they had turned on her. Knowing that fact didn’t lessen the pain she felt when she saw them look at her with fear in their eyes. Finally, she forced herself to look at the students who stayed in the cafeteria. What she was a sea of expressions that were a mix of anger and hatred.

“No, I am not her. I only look like her, that’s all!” Twilight said, hopelessly trying to defend herself.

“Trixie doesn’t believe you, Twilight.” Trixie opened her arms and gestured to the small crowd that was surrounding her and Twilight. “And she is not the only one.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as the crowd closed in on her and the girls. Tears began to well up in her eyes when she saw that several students were gearing up to attack her. Lavender Lace stepped closer to her wings, making Twilight pull them away from her. But not before Lavender Lace grabbed ahold of a few of her feathers and plucked them out. She screamed and looked at the blonde-haired girl. Without considering what she was doing, she let out a small blast of magic, and it hit the floor right at Lavender Lace’s feet.

“What the hell? You almost fucking hit me!” shouted Lavender Lace. “I think you do deserve to get attacked.”

Twilight raised her hand, preparing to blast Lavender Lace again for hurting her. However, just as she was about to hit her, a certain redhead stood right in front of her. She lowered her hand but only slightly. Twilight eyed Sunset Shimmer as she stepped closer to her, closing the space between them. She saw that Sunset had a reassuring look in her eyes, something that calmed her down. When she felt a hand push against her own, Twilight blinked from her trance.

“Sparky, don’t hurt her. She is just an annoying bitch,” said Sunset as she grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled her closer. “Just look at me.”

Sunset Shimmer could see that Twilight was in panic mode from all the students that continued closing in on them. That made her grip Twilight’s arm tightly, trying to comfort her. Behind her, she was unaware that Trixie and her friends were beginning to circle them. Just as she had calmed Twilight down, both she and Twilight got pushed down to the ground. With Sunset landing on top of her, Twilight’s wrist became sprained.

“Grab Sunset now!” shouted Fuschia Blush as Sunset started to push herself off of Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle watched as Fuschia Blush and Lavender Lace gripped both of the redhead’s arms and held her back as she fought to get back to her. She saw Trixie walk up to her, putting her foot on her stomach. Twilight tried to get up from the floor, except Trixie was stronger than her, and with her wings, she was at a disadvantage. Still, Twilight decided to fight against Trixie, but it was to no avail. When she saw the wanna-be magician call the crowd closer, her panic rose inside.

"What is going on?” asked Twilight as she saw the students surround her, blocking her view of her friends.

Trixie gave Twilight an evil grin as she shouted, “Kick her!!”

As Trixie said the order, she stepped back behind the crowd, allowing the students to close in on Twilight. Twilight saw a couple of girls approach her as they started to kick her sides. Her ribs ached as she felt the blows of their shoes slamming into them. She cried out as one of the girls kicked her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Twilight tried desperately to get her breath back, but with the repeated kicks, it was impossible. With every blow, Twilight felt the pain increase as her ribs and chest continued to get beaten.

“Ahh!” screamed Twilight as she felt someone slam their foot into her spine, hard enough that it was sure to leave a bruise.

Hearing Twilight scream, Sunset Shimmer fought harder against Fuschia Blush and Lavender Lace’s hold on her. She had to get to Twilight, and she had to protect her from what was happening. But the two girls held firm against her attempts. Sunset watched as Twilight got subjected to the same treatment she had suffered after the Fall Formal. Everything in her wanted it to stop, to end it before her friend was injured. She saw that the students were stomping on Twilight’s wings through the spaces between the crowd.

“No, leave her alone! Stop, please!” begged Sunset as she tried to pull herself to Twilight.

“Oh, Sunset! Isn’t it amazing watching Midnight Sparkle get what she deserves?” said Fuschia Blush as she leaned in close to Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes at Fuschia Blush. “She is NOT Midnight Sparkle. She is still Twilight Sparkle.”

“If that is so, why does she have wings, a tail, fangs, and dangerous magic? She is a monster,” said Lavender Lace as she dug her nails into Sunset’s arm. “Just like you were.”

“Haha, yeah. Demon Shimmer was a fitting name for your demon form.” Fuschia Blush said, glancing at Twilight. “Does she know about it, Sunset?”

Sunset stomped the heel of her boot on top of Lavender Lace’s foot. That made the girl let go of her arm, allowing Sunset to elbow her in the face. With Lavender Lace out, Sunset turned to Fuschia Blush and punched her in the face. She felt her knuckles contact with the girl’s nose head-on. Fuschia Blush staggered back and fell onto the floor, her hand covering her bloody nose. The redhead walked up to her, putting her boot on top of Fuschia Blush’s chest. Pushing down, she smiled proudly as the girl struggled to breathe.

“I hope that answered your question, bitch.” hissed Sunset, digging her boot deeper into Fuschia Blush’s chest before letting up and walking away.

Applejack and the girls managed to push their way through the crowd. They had to stop the attack before Twilight got seriously injured. When they saw their friend, the sight in front of them was appalling. The book lover’s arms were black and blue from all the blows the students had landed. Her wings had loose feathers all over them from all the stomping they had endured. Twilight was crying softly to herself, her body sore from the ambush of kicking and stomping on her body.

“What did y’all do that for?” asked Applejack as she looked at the crowd of students. “She is your classmate.”

“But isn’t she Midnight Sparkle?” asked someone in the crowd.

“NO! She isn’t Midnight Sparkle,” replied Rainbow Dash as she stood next to Sunset Shimmer. “Just as Sunset said. She is still Twilight.”

Trixie pushed her way past the crowd and stepped in front of Sunset Shimmer, ignoring Rainbow Dash. The redhead sneered at her seconds before she pushed her down onto the ground. Sunset’s body landed right on Twilight’s outstretched wings, making the latter cry out in pain from the impact. As she tried to sit up, Sunset ended up pushing on her wing again, resulting in her crying out.

“Wow, Demon Shimmer injures Midnight Sparkle. What a story!” said Lavender Lace. “Don’t you think so, Fuschia?”

“Yeah! And I think Sunset should make the article,” stated Fuschia Blush.

“You dummy! Trixie should write the article,” said Lavender Lace.

“Ooh, yeah! That’s even better than my idea,” replied Fuschia Blush.

Trixie and her friends surrounded the two, hysterically laughing as they watched Sunset Shimmer comfort Twilight. It was plain to the crowd that Trixie had planned this all along. That disgusted them, and that resulted in most of the crowd dispersing as they left the girls alone. Only a few stragglers were left still gazing angrily at the girls.

“How fitting. The girl whose nickname was once ‘Demon Shimmer’ sitting next to the girl whose demon name is Midnight Sparkle.” Trixie kneeled in front of Sunset, placing her hand under her chin. “Don’t you think, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer shifted her head away from Trixie’s grasp, ignoring the magician. Right now, the last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Trixie. She got up and held out her hand for Twilight to take. Sunset could see that Twilight hesitated, unsure if she wanted to stand up. Soon as Sunset felt her friend grip her hand, she pulled her up to her feet. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but Twilight’s arms had gotten severely bruised, which made the task impossible.

Twilight Sparkle stretched out her sore wings, causing a flurry of loose and broken feathers to cascade down to the ground. It was clear that they had suffered severe damage in the ambush. The attack had taken her by surprise and had injured her physically and emotionally. She didn’t expect them to hurt as much as they did. Though compared to the pain from every movement Twilight made with her arms or chest, it was bearable. Twilight looked at Sunset as her mind tried to figure out what Trixie meant by ‘Demon Shimmer.’

“Sunset, what is Trixie talking? Who is Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, her voice meek and timid.

Sunset’s throat clenched shut as she swallowed. She hadn’t expected Twilight to ask her that question, at least not until she was ready. Yet, because of Trixie’s careless words, she was put on the spot. Sunset’s body began to heat up again, as it had earlier. Her rage towards the wanna-be magician was building along with her desire to punch her. Unnoticed by the redhead, her geode started to spark again even more so than the first time. So, instead of focusing on the question, Sunset decided to make sure Twilight was okay.

“How’s your wrist, Twi?” asked Sunset as she examined Twilight’s wrist.

“Sunset, answer the question. Who is Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight as she struggled to not flinch under Sunset’s touch.

“Trixie wants you to answer the question too,” stated Trixie, stepping even closer to the pair.

Without warning, someone threw an apple at Twilight’s one wing, hitting it. After having her feathers plucked and her wings stomped an excruciating number of times, they were tremendously sensitive to any touch. So when the apple hit a weak spot, she screamed and staggered away from the redhead. Her mind no longer pondered what Trixie knew about Demon Shimmer or why Sunset was avoiding the question. Instead, she just wanted to leave the cafeteria to get away from everyone.

“Twilight...are you alright?” asked Fluttershy while she walked up to the bookworm.

“I-I…” Twilight looked at the near-empty cafeteria and the few remaining students. Seeing their angry faces, she couldn’t stand to be there anymore.

“Sugarcube…?” asked Applejack, growing more worried for her friend.

“I-I have to go now!” shouted Twilight, pushing past her friends.

Twilight’s feet hit the ground with force. Between the beatings, the whole ‘Demon Shimmer’ incident, and Sunset’s weird reaction to her question, she had enough. All she wanted to do was escape from the crowds and her friends, so she ran. The wind blowing against her wings made them ache even more. Twilight wanted to fly, but the stomping they had received left them bloodied and injured. So, using her ability to run, she darted for the gym just ahead. Thankfully, the gymnasium was empty, meaning she would have some time alone. Her sneakers squeaked against the hardwood floor as she ran towards the bleachers.

Once she was underneath the bleachers, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Her chest was pained from her breathing heavily. Every breath in made her ribs hurt as if she was still getting kicked repeatedly. Twilight grabbed one of the folding chairs nearby and sat down. Her arms ached from all the bruises she had sustained, and using hers didn’t make it better – and having a sprained wrist just added to her pain.

“Why did this have to happen to me?! Why?” screamed Twilight as her sobs she had been holding back, broke free. “What did I do to deserve this…?”

As she sobbed away, feeling a twinge of pain every time she heaved, she wrapped her wings around herself. They were sore, and her feathers were still damp with her blood. But right now, they provided her with the cover and the comfort she needed. Twilight pulled her knees up to her chest as she closed her eyes and hung her head. When she did that, her tail broke free from the confines of her jeans, swishing behind her slightly. There, she sat alone and in pain, crying as she struggled to comprehend what had just happened to her.

*** *** *** ***

Back in the cafeteria, Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy were seated in their seats. They didn’t care that Trixie was still standing behind them. If anything, the redhead was hoping that the wanna-be magician would stick around so she could give her a beating. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand touch her arm. Looking up, Sunset saw that Fluttershy was looking at her with worry-filled eyes.

“Fluttershy, can you please look for Twilight and make sure she is okay?” asked Sunset, her voice quivering.

“Okay, I will, Sunset,” said Fluttershy as she got up from her seat, leaving her tray still sitting on the table. When Fluttershy left, she took Twilight’s hoodie with her.

Now with Fluttershy gone, Sunset Shimmer got up from the table. Trixie was still standing right by the rest of the girls, looking as smug as ever. The redhead wanted to punch that smug expression off the magician’s face. So much so, that Sunset didn’t notice that she had balled her fist while she approached Trixie. Nothing but rage ran through her mind as she lifted her fist and swung at her.

“That was a mistake, Trixie!” screamed Sunset, her fist hitting Trixie’s jaw with a sickening crack and dislocating it.

Trixie staggered back, shocked by the sudden attack. Her jaw throbbed from the pain of it partially dislocating. She looked up to see the redhead running towards her, causing them both to fall. Trixie, caught under Sunset, looked up to see a fist heading straight for her face. The blow landed on the bridge of her nose, causing her to scream out in pain. As she stared at Sunset, she saw the sclera of her eyes change from the usual white to the all too familiar black color.

“Why did you bring up Demon Shimmer, Trixie? Why the hell did you put me on the spot like that?” asked Sunset, slamming her fist back down on Trixie’s nose.

Sunset Shimmer sat on top as she kept repeatedly punching Trixie, not aware that her geode was sparking for the fourth time that day. By now, her body was hot enough to cause her to sweat. Though whether that was from the exertion of attacking the wanna-be magician or if it was because she was angry, Sunset didn’t care. At the moment, she wanted to get revenge on Trixie for hurting the one person she cared about. And Sunset was so focused on punching Trixie relentlessly, that she failed to notice the shoe heading straight for her abdomen.

“Back off the Great and Powerful Trixie!!” shouted Fuschia Blush as she slammed her foot right into Sunset’s stomach.

Sunset Shimmer groaned as she toppled over, clutching her stomach. The blow was hard enough to force her lunch back up her throat, but she pushed it back down. Her throat started to sting as she got to her feet. Her eyes had shifted back to normal as her geode stopped sparking. Sunset saw that Trixie was already standing and lunged for her. But just as she was about to land another punch on her jaw, she felt a firm hand grip her arm. Looking, she saw it was Applejack.

“Sunset, I think she’s had enough,” said Applejack, trying to calm the redhead down.

“Trixie agrees,” mumbled Trixie, looking up at Sunset.

Rainbow Dash looked at Trixie. She saw crimson blood dripping down from her nose. It was clear that Sunset had done some damage to her. Yet, despite the fact she knew it was wrong, Rainbow Dash felt it was what she deserved for hurting Twilight the way she had. Rainbow Dash walked over to where Sunset was still trying to fight against Applejack.

Resting her hand on her shoulder, she said, “Give it up, Sunset. She got what she deserved.”

“Yes, Trixie has gotten what she deserves.” agreed Trixie, holding her hand under her nose.

“Trixie. Leave now, before I decide to let Sunset finish punching you,” said Rainbow Dash, glaring at Trixie.

Trixie got the hint. “Trixie thinks she should leave now.” Trixie sounded more nasally than usual as she covered her nose, trying to keep her blood from going everywhere.

With that, Sunset Shimmer watched as Trixie and her two friends scrambled out of the cafeteria. Sunset tried once more to break free from Applejack’s grip, but the cowgirl stood firm against her attempt. Sighing, she gave up after a few seconds. It was no use anyway. Trixie was already injured, and that would likely get her detention. Or worse, suspension. When she felt Applejack loosen her grip, she yanked her arm free, still pissed at what happened.

“Sunset-”

“Relax, AJ. I am not going after Trixie. I am heading to the principal's office to tell Principal Celestia that I am the one who punched Trixie. I have to take responsibility for what I did.” Sunset grabbed her messenger bag. “You girls need to be there for Twilight.”

“What about you, Sunset?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Twilight is going to need you to support her as well.”

“I know, Pinkie. But I have to do this first. Besides, I can’t help her if I get suspended.” said Sunset, looking down.

“We’ll make sure she is safe and be there for her until you come back,” said Applejack.

“Thank you,” replied Sunset as she looked at the girls. “I gotta run now.”

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. But that was near impossible to do when she knew she could have her punishment be a suspension. Yet, if she did get that punishment, maybe it was for the better. Sunset was aware that she had given in to her desire to attack Trixie. And in doing so, she had become the bully she once was. The only good thing was that Twilight wasn’t around to see it, but Sunset knew it was only a matter of time before she heard what happened. She pushed the thoughts away, trying to remain focused on the task at hand. Spotting Twilight’s backpack, she grabbed it, knowing that Twilight would ask for it later. Sunset glanced briefly at her friends before she exited the cafeteria.

“Oh, Celestia! I hope I don’t get suspended for this,” thought Sunset as she walked away from the cafeteria. “Please let Twilight be okay…”

As Sunset Shimmer turned the corner, walking down the hall leading to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna’s office, she saw something in one of the windows. She stepped closer and saw that it was a rabbit ear poking up from one of the hedges. Sunset tapped on the glass. That caused the owner of the rabbit ear to jump up from the bush. The redhead covered her mouth as she gaped at the sight in front of her. It was Springtrap’s copy that had been hiding in the shrubbery.

“What the fuck are you doing here?! At my school?” thought Sunset as she stepped away from the window.

When she stepped back, Springtrap’s doppelganger stepped closer to the window. Unfortunately for it, it failed to look down and noticed the metal soda can laying next to the wall. When its foot touched the can, it started to become sparks. Seconds later, it was a puddle of iridescent magic that began to float back to Springtrap.

Sunset watched the concentrated mass of equestrian magic slowly float away into the air. Her mind was reeling with all the reasons why she had just seen what she saw. There had to be a reason she saw Springtrap, assuming that what she saw was Springtrap. Once it was out of her sight, she blinked and looked away from the window.

“That couldn’t have been Springtrap, right?” mumbled Sunset as she started walking again. “I haven’t seen him at all. I have only seen the five animatronics from the first game.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, Sunset Shimmer tried to think of a reason how Springtrap could be in her world. Something popped into her mind, and she pulled out her phone. Unlocking her phone in seconds, she opened her photo gallery. She scrolled past a series of photos with her friends until she found the one she took last Friday. The footprint looked different from the others caused by Jeremy and his friends. It lacked the three rounded tips that the others had. Staring at the photo, she realized that Springtrap was the mysterious sixth animatronic. But if that was the case, why did he disappear into sparks of equestrian magic? She wasn’t sure, but she knew one thing; something was going on that she and the girls didn’t know about. Putting her phone away, she ran the rest of the way to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna’s office.

After a few sharp turns threatening to ram her into the lockers, Sunset Shimmer finally arrived at the office of the two principals. When she reached out for the door handle, the door opened. In the doorway stood Principal Celestia staring at her, with Luna doing the same from her behind her.

“Ah, Miss Shimmer, I’m glad to see that you are here. We need to talk,” said Celestia, her tone stern and calm.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her head as she walked into the small office. Aside from the two chairs, one of which was sitting behind Principal’s Celestia’s office, there wasn't much else. Behind her desk sat a bookshelf with a calendar and whiteboard next to it. On the left side, there was a dresser with a mirror that was sitting above it. When she walked in front of the mirror, Sunset saw that her geode was sparking, and the whites of her eyes were beginning to turn black. But as quickly as that had started to happen, it stopped. Turning her attention to the right side of the room, she saw Vice Principal Luna’s office through the spaces between the pillars separating the two areas. Sunset sat in the chair, shivering as she felt the coolness of the leather seep through her jeans.

“Sunset,” Luna stood next to Celestia as her sister sat down. “Is it true that you were the one who punched Trixie, resulting in her nose and jaw getting injured?”

“Yes, it is Vice Principal Luna,” said Sunset, her gaze falling to her lap shamefully. “I was the one who punc-”

“Punched me! Repeatedly!” shouted Trixie, bursting into the office.

Sunset Shimmer glared at the wanna-be magician and crossed her arms across her chest. She didn’t regret punching Trixie, not after what she did to Twilight. If she were to count all the times Trixie had annoyed her and her friends, she’d say the magician was lucky to get away with a broken jaw and nose. Yet, her pride in being able to restrain herself had become somewhat diminished. Given her record of wrongdoings, Sunset knew she was most likely in for very severe punishment. The only comfort she had was that she managed to get to the Principal’s office before Trixie. Otherwise, Trixie would've easily made her side of the story much worse than what actually happened.

“I only punched you because of what you did to Twilight.” Sunset hissed, gritting her teeth.

Trixie scoffed and replied, “Your girlfriend was hiding something, and Trixie was right about it. You and your friends are accomplices in protecting that freakish monster!”

Before Sunset Shimmer had a chance to get and make Trixie swallow her words, Vice Principal Luna walked in between the two girls. She blocked Sunset’s view of Trixie, allowing her to calm down.

“Miss Lulamoon, I would advise you to leave. My sister and I will talk to you after we finish here,” said Luna, pushing Trixie politely out of the room.

Trixie, who was not done with Sunset, threw down a smoke bomb just as she was past the doorway. This was one of her signature tricks. She had previously used it to make a dramatic exit. But because the trick failed to work so many times, she had stopped using it in her acts or for her departures. By some miracle, her trick worked this time. Trixie found herself in front of the redhead. Not wasting the chance, she aimed her fist straight for Sunset’s nose. The force was enough to send the redhead falling backward with the chair.

“Ow!! What the fuck, Trixie?!” screamed Sunset as she reached a hand towards her sore nose.

“Trixie’s not done with you, Sunset Shimmer!” shouted Trixie, readying her fist for another punch.

Sunset Shimmer shielded her face this time, preparing for another attack. Laying on her back in a fallen chair, that was all she could do to defend herself. There was no possible way for her to get up quickly enough to avoid the attack. As she clenched her eyes closed, Sunset waited for the punch. When it didn’t come, she very slowly and cautiously opened her eyes. Above her was Principal Celestia holding Trixie’s fist firmly, keeping the magician’s arm still. That gave Sunset a chance to get away. Sunset tilted the chair sideways and got up, not missing the heated glare she was getting from Trixie.

“Actually, I believe you are, Miss Lulamoon,” said Vice Principal Luna, crossing her arms and smiling at her sister.

Trixie yanked her arm away from Principal Celestia’s grip and walked back towards Vice Principal Luna. She glanced back at Sunset, seeing her smiling at the victory she had gotten. That only angered her further, but she couldn’t do anything to wipe the proud smile off the redhead’s face. With a click, Trixie heard the door open just as she got gently pushed out once more.

“Trixie wants Sunset suspended!” shouted Trixie as the door closed on her.

Sunset Shimmer was thankful that Trixie didn’t punch her hard. She didn’t feel like dealing with a broken nose and whatever punishment she was going to receive. Her nose painfully throbbed as she bent down to pick up the chair. With the chair now upright again, Sunset sat back down and prepared herself for what was to come.

Vice Principal Luna walked back to where she was standing before Trixie’s rude interruption. She looked at Sunset, noticing that the redhead was regretting her actions towards Trixie. Luna could also see that Sunset was still reeling from the magician’s sudden attack on her. What the magician had said about Twilight was stuck in her head. And her piquing curiosity made her want to know if it was true.

“Miss Shimmer, my sister and I, we’ve heard some rumors about Twilight Sparkle circulating,” said Vice Principal Luna as Sunset met her gaze. “Is it true? Does she indeed look like Midnight Sparkle?”

Sunset swallowed, feeling her throat going dry. She hadn’t realized that rumors were already spreading around the school — not that she didn’t expect it to happen. It had happened several times to her, especially after the Fall Formal and during the Battle of the Bands. But to Sunset, at least, it was somewhat startling to see the principals of their school heard the rumors. It made her wonder if they had listened to the stories about her.

“Yes, Vice Principal Luna, the rumors are true.” Seeing the surprised looks of the two principals, Sunset quickly added, “But that is all! She is still the same Twilight, only her appearance and her powers got altered.”

Both Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna breathed a visible sigh of relief. To have a student whose powers and appearance had become altered made for an intriguing situation — but having a student who's no longer themselves with some sort of power that could harm them could’ve made the situation dire. Thankfully, it seemed that was not the case...for now. A few minutes of silence later, Sunset saw Principal Celestia pull her sister to a corner of the room. Both sisters turned their backs to the redhead, hunching over.

“Sister, what should we do? Miss Shimmer has punched a student, resulting in some injuries on Trixie Lulamoon,” whispered Vice Principal Luna.

“Yes, she did. I think having Saturday detention will be a fitting punishment,” suggested Principal Celestia.

Vice Principal Luna glanced back at Sunset. Something about her reminded Vice Principal Luna of her own ‘rebellious’ years during her stay at CHS. Her past mirrored the redhead’s, minus the magic, of course. Like Sunset, Vice Principal Luna saw the pain her actions had caused her sister. That is what made her give up her ‘rebellious’ lifestyle and repair the damage. She turned back to her sister, an idea forming inside her head.

“Tia, this is Miss Shimmer’s first time breaking any of the rules since the Fall Formal and the whole she-dem…” Vice Principal Luna trailed off as Sunset glanced up at her.

“And your point is, dear sister?” asked Principal Celestia.

Vice Principal Luna crossed her arms as she stood upright. “You remember, as well as I do, that I was no angel in school. But you eventually forgive me...after six years of college had passed.”

“Hmm, you do raise a good point, sister,” Principal Celestia replied, placing her hands on her waist. “I will let her off with a verbal warning. This time only.” She continued, making her decision.

Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna walked back over to where Sunset Shimmer was seated, a stern expression on each of their faces. Principal Celestia sat in her desk chair while her sister stood beside her. She looked at Sunset and leaned forward, resting both hands on her desk.

“Sunset Shimmer, my sister and I, we have decided that a serious verbal warning is what you’ll get...this time.” Principal Celestia’s voice was stern, but there was a hint of her usual kindness. “But don’t get too comfortable. This is your first and last warning. Next time you try to resolve any quarrels with violence on school grounds, the consequences will be much more severe. I suggest you work on keeping your anger in check.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, grateful that she didn’t get anything more than a warning. She stood up from the chair and rested a hand on her messenger bag strap.

“Thank you, Principal Celestia. I won’t let my anger get out of control...again,” said Sunset, her voice quieter than usual.

“You may go now, Miss Shimmer,” said Vice Principal Luna as she walked Sunset out of the office.

Standing outside the office was Trixie, who was leaning with her back against the wall. The anger that was in the magician’s heated glare made her stomach knot up. Sunset didn’t mean to punch her, let alone several times. Between seeing Twilight get beat up and being helpless to stop it and then having Trixie mock her about her past in front of Twilight, she had lost control. Sunset Shimmer turned away and began heading towards an empty hallway so she could message her friends. Sunset hoped that the girls had managed to find Twilight and that the book worm was alright. As the redhead exited the hall, she could faintly hear Vice Principal Luna’s voice calling Trixie into the office.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Fluttershy had split off from the group and headed towards the gym. She knew from experience that the bleachers were a favorable spot if she wanted privacy. They had been her choice to hide from Sunset back when she used to bully her. Opening the gym doors, she peered inside. The gym seemed to be empty with no one in sight, but Fluttershy knew that wouldn’t last for long. She gripped Twilight’s hoodie as she walked into the empty gym.

“Twilight? Are you here?” asked Fluttershy, her soft voice somehow managing to echo in the gym.

She held her breath, waiting for any sign that Twilight was nearby. The gym remained silent...until the sound of metal squeaking against the floor broke the silence. Fluttershy turned her head towards where the sound was coming from. It came from the bleachers which were seated furthest away from the door. She moved closer to them, seeing a very familiar-looking purple tail sticking out from behind them. Fluttershy took a few more steps closer but stopped when it disappeared.

“Twilight, can I please talk to you?” Fluttershy took another step forward. “I am worried about you. You seemed like you were hurting.”

Twilight Sparkle, still sitting on her chair behind the seats of the bleachers, jumped at the sound of Fluttershy’s voice. Her body still ached from all the bruises she had sustained. Though, thankfully, some of them had started to hurt less. But her wings were still sore and missing a few more feathers. Moving them was a challenge, and then some. Twilight was grateful the bleeding had stopped and that she hadn’t lost many feathers. Her throat had become dry and sore from crying so much. She wiped off a tear that trickled down her wet cheek. Struggling to slow her sobs down, Twilight cautiously stepped out from the shadows. Her wings still clung to her quivering body.

“Flu-Fluttershy?” asked Twilight, her raspy voice shaking from her stifling her sobs. “Wh-what are you doing h-here? How did y-you even find m-me?”

Fluttershy gasped as she saw her red, teary-eyed friend gaze up at her. She knew that look all too well. It was a look Angel and the rest of her animal friends had seen her with. Especially right after Sunset Shimmer had bullied her non-stop with Snips and Snails at her side. Those were tough days to get through, and seeing Twilight endure something similar was hard for the animal lover. Moving a loose strand of hair out of her eyes, she walked closer to Twilight.

“I found you because I liked to hide here whenever…” Fluttershy trailed off, looking down at the ground.

“Whenever Sunset bullied you?” asked Twilight, knowing what Fluttershy was trying not to say.

“She told you?” Fluttershy gave Twilight a surprised look.

“Yeah, she told me yesterday when she found me in that clearing,” explained Twilight. “Sunset really has changed since then, hasn’t she?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yeah, she has.”

Feeling the need to apologize for running off, Twilight said, “Fluttershy, I am so sorry that I pushed past you at the cafeteria. I know you were trying to help me, but I just needed some time by myself. Do you think you can forgive me?”

Fluttershy’s eyes softened as she heard Twilight’s apology. “I do understand why you ran off, Twilight. I would’ve done the same in your position. But I can’t forgive you for pushing us aside. It’s not okay to push your friends away whenever you are hurt.”

“I know,” said Twilight. “I will work on that, I promise.”

Fluttershy smiled and rested her hand gently on Twilight’s shoulder, just above the edge of her wings. “I know, Twilight. The girls and I will help do that. You won’t do that by yourself.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at her shy friend. It was stunning to see her pushing past her own uncomfortableness of her appearance just to support her. She still remembered what happened yesterday, how Fluttershy was hesitant to approach her because she looked like Midnight Sparkle. Amazingly, somehow, someway, the shy animal lover pushed past her fear and discomfort. And now, here was Fluttershy standing close to her, making sure she was okay. Something about that made her think of Sunset.

“Where’s Sunset and the other girls?” asked Twilight.

“Um, when I left, they were dealing with Trixie. I am not sure where they are now,” replied Fluttershy as she joined Twilight under the bleachers.

Fluttershy pulled out her phone and texted Rainbow Dash.

Shy: Hey, Rainbow, where are you and the girls?

Dash: The girls and I are still looking for Twilight. Sunset went to the Principal’s office.

Shy: Oh, my! Why did she get sent there?

Dash: Because she landed several wicked punches on Trixie! Oh man, that was awesome to see her get what she deserved for tormenting Twi as she did. Speaking of which, did you find her yet, Shy?

Shy: Oh, dear! I hope Trixie is okay. And yes, I found her in the gym.

Dash: She’s alright. I hope that Sunset doesn’t get suspended. And do you want us to meet you there? Is Twilight alright?

Fluttershy looked at Twilight. She could see the bookworm wasn’t really in the mood for any more company. Her body was covered in bruises, centering around the outer sides of her arms. Though, Fluttershy was sure there were bruises on Twilight’s ribcage as well. Turning her attention back to her phone, she sent a quick reply.

Shy: No, we’ll meet you after school. Yes, Twilight is okay, but I think she still needs some time alone for now.

Dash: Okay, I will let the others know.

Shy: Okay.

“Well, the girls know where you are and that you are safe,” said Fluttershy, putting her phone away. “And Sunset punched Trixie after you, and I left, so she went to the Principal’s office.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at Fluttershy, surprised by what she heard. A part of her was happy to hear that Trixie got what she deserved. But there was another part of her that knew Sunset punching the wanna-be magician was disastrous news. And that action was likely to come with severe consequences. Twilight shivered at the thought of having to bear the school day without Sunset. To have the one person she needed most not defending her made her tail swish violently, accidentally hitting Fluttershy’s arm in the process. That elicited a small squeal of surprise from the animal lover.

“Oh, sorry!” said Twilight when she saw Fluttershy rubbing her arm. “I am still getting used to having a tail all the time.” Twilight pointed to her tail, which flicked in response.

“It’s alright, Twilight. Besides, it didn’t hurt anyway,” said Fluttershy as she rested a hand right above one of Twilight’s wings.

All Fluttershy got in response was a sniffle and Twilight jerking slightly at her touch. She could see that Twilight was crying, but not sobbing like earlier. Reaching into her jacket pocket, Fluttershy pulled out a small bag of tissues. If all the times she had cried alone taught her anything, it was always to come prepared.

“Need a tissue?” asked Fluttershy, holding out a tissue for Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle opened her wings slowly, not wanting to cause herself more pain. They were stiff from her refusing to move them for so long. She grabbed the tissue with her uninjured hand and blew her stuffy nose. All the crying had managed to make it harder for her to breathe. It was a relief to have Fluttershy there with her. Though, she couldn’t help but wish it was Sunset who was beside her instead. While Twilight sat there, she unconsciously moved one of her wings gently around her friend, slowly pushing her closer to her.

“Thank you, Shy. I appreciate the company.” Twilight sighed heavily, having stopped crying for the time being. “After what happened in the cafeteria, I feel awful. I didn’t mean to fire at the one girl.”

“Of course, Twilight. The girls and I will be here for you, anytime, day or night,” said Fluttershy, her hand gently caressing a few feathers of Twilight’s wing. She was careful not to touch any of the tender spots. “I know you didn’t mean to do that. You had been forcibly into doing that.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled, but it faded as she used her left hand. Moving her fingers to grip the tissue, she felt a sharp pinch inside her wrist. The pain was enough to cause Twilight to drop it and uncurl her fingers. Fortunately for Twilight, her pain didn’t go unnoticed. She felt a gentle, soft touch around her wrist. Looking, she saw Fluttershy handling her wrist the way she handled newborn kittens.

“We should get this looked at.” Fluttershy moved Twilight’s hand so that her palm was facing her. “This is going to worsen if we don’t.”

Twilight yanked her wrist out of Fluttershy’s grip, a mistake that caused her more pain unintentionally. She hid her face as she winced, imagining all the angry faces of her classmates. Their hatred of her was apparent, not that any of them bothered to hide it — the mere thought of walking out into the halls, exposed and unable to defend herself terrified her. Her wings instinctively pulled themselves close to her body, accidentally pulling Fluttershy off the chair she was sitting on. The animal lover stood up immediately and stepped away from Twilight’s wings.

“Twilight, are you all right?” asked Fluttershy, noticing the shift in her demeanor. “Did I do something?”

Twilight Sparkle clutched her injured wrist close to her body. “It’s nothing you did, Fluttershy.” She swallowed. “I’m just...terrified to face our classmates again.”

“Oh…Do you want to wear your hoodie?” Fluttershy asked, offering the hoodie to Twilight. “Or do you think it won’t help?”

Twilight glanced at the offending fabric. It was supposed to protect her, to keep her differences hidden. Yet, that safety net was ripped over her head and allowed her changes to be exposed. For a moment, she remembered it was nice to have her wings freed from the tight confines of it. Yet, the price she paid to have the comfort was steep. The backlash and hatred that had gotten directed at her negated any solace she may have felt. And the beatings that followed after it was worse. So, to think that she could wear the hoodie again was offensive. Twilight only wore it to keep herself safe, but now she was no longer safe.

“What’s the use in wearing it now? They all have seen the monster I am. I might as well not hide it anymore,” thought Twilight.

Looking up at Fluttershy, she pushed the hoodie aside with her uninjured hand. “No, I don’t want to. “What good will it do me now that everyone has seen the monster underneath it?”

“Okay...ready to go to the nurse’s office, then?” asked Fluttershy, picking up her bag and slinging the hoodie over her forearm.

“Y-yeah, my wrist is starting to hurt.” Twilight winced as she stood up and moved her wrist of habit.

Twilight Sparkle walked side by side with Fluttershy out of the gym. She spotted a few students walking past the entrance as she exited the gym. The glares she got made her look down at her shoes. Walking in the hallways with the students glaring at her, it was a very similar experience to what she went through in Crystal Prep. Twilight wished that she could wrap her wings around herself to ignore the heated stares she was getting. It was easier to bear the thought of walking to the nurse’s office, so long as she had Fluttershy with her.

“I am glad Fluttershy is with me. I hope Sunset didn’t get suspended for punching Trixie…” thought Twilight.

“Relax, she was most likely let off with a warning. She was defending you after all.” Twilight’s inner voice chimed in, distracting her from the students walking past her.

“I am lucky to have her, aren’t I?” Twilight smiled at the mental image of Sunset that appeared in her mind.

“Yes, yes, you are.” said her inner voice.

Walking closer to the animal lover, Twilight Sparkle slid her hand towards her, wanting some form of physical contact to ease her nerves. As seconds passed, she worried that her friend was still a bit too uncomfortable. Though, as soon as she had worked herself into a frenzy, Twilight felt a hand grasp her own. Twilight gave Fluttershy a small, but appreciative smile. They rounded the corner, where they encountered a group of students who were sitting and studying.

“Oh my gosh! She looks so ugly with those pathetic wings! I mean, they are missing feathers, coated in blood, and overall just monstrous to look at,” whispered one student, making sure that their comment was loud enough for them to overhear.

“Oh, the wings are the least of her problems. I am more worried she’ll kill us like she almost did at the Friendship games,” said another student.

Twilight Sparkle hung her head lower as they walked past the students. Just as she was about to turn the corner into another long hallway, one of her classmates stuck their foot out. Twilight, lost in her thoughts, didn’t see it in time and tripped. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to catch herself. She placed her hands out to stop herself and landed on the tile floor, slamming her full weight onto her bad wrist. She groaned as a strong wave of pain washed over her arm.

“Oh, my!” shouted Fluttershy when she saw Twilight on the floor next to her. “Here, let me help you up.”

Grabbing Twilight’s uninjured arm, Fluttershy slowly lifted her to her feet again. The animal lover was careful to avoid Twilight’s injured wrist in the process. Behind her, she heard some students snickering, causing her to turn and glare at them. It pissed her off to see her classmates bullying her friend. They all had known Twilight for about a year, so Fluttershy was disgusted by how quickly they seemed to alienate her friend. When she and Twilight turned their backs to the students, Fluttershy saw her friend react to something hitting her. Spinning around, she saw that one of them spat several spitballs onto her back. That was it. Fluttershy left Twilight’s side and stomped over to the student and snapped the straw from their hands.

“It’s. Not. Nice. To. Do. That,” said Fluttershy, her timid voice losing its quiet and meek demeanor. “How would you like it if someone did that to you?”

“I-I…” the student was at a loss for words.

“Well?” asked Fluttershy, placing her hands on her hips. “Would you like it if I did that to you?”

The student remained silent as Fluttershy stared at them, using the Stare on them. It wasn’t something she liked to use on people, but this was one of those expectations. Her classmates went too far and crossed a line with her.

“I didn’t think so.” Fluttershy threw the straw to the ground and walked away with Twilight close behind.

They arrived at the nurse’s office without much more than a few stares, which was a relief to Twilight. She’d had enough of being attacked for the day. Walking into the office, Twilight smelled the overwhelming smell of rubbing alcohol. The aroma was so intense that both she and Fluttershy coughed as it burned their noses. Soon, both girls stopped coughing and made their way further into the office. While Twilight went to sit on the exam table, she saw Fluttershy took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and pulled out her phone. Twilight figured she was letting the rest of the girls know where they were.

Shy: Sunset, Twilight is with me. We’re both at the nurse’s office. She is mostly… okay.

SunShim: What do you mean mostly okay, Shy? What happened?

Shy: Well, her wings have sustained quite a bit of damage, and when you two got pushed, she sprained her wrist.

SunShim: Okay. I’ll be right over. Keep Twilight there, please Shy.

Shy: Okay, Sunset.

Fluttershy put her phone away as Nurse Redheart approached them.

“Wh-what happened here?” asked Nurse Redheart, her nervousness at approaching Twilight showing visibly.

“She and Sunset were pushed down. She accidentally sprained her wrist because of Sunset landing on top of her,” replied Fluttershy.

“Okay, thank you,” said Nurse Redheart as she turned her attention to Twilight and cautiously stepped closer to her.

Twilight Sparkle noticed her nervousness and said, “Nurse Redheart, you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t hurt you. I know my wings and tail make me look scary, but I am not.”

“Uh,” Nurse Redheart was caught off guard by Twilight, noticing her nervousness and wasn’t sure what to say. “I didn’t- I wasn’t-”

“Nurse Redheart, it’s fine that I frighten you,” said Twilight as she held out her injured wrist to show that she was incapable of hurting her. “I just need some help with my wrist, please.”

Nurse Redheart gently reached out and grabbed Twilight’s wrist, trying to keep her hand from shaking and causing Twilight more pain. She had started to calm down as she examined Twilight’s wrist. She noticed some swelling around the wrist. Seeing that, Nurse Redheart turned Twilight’s arm over and examined the underside of her wrist. There was a sizeable reddish-purple bruise that was forming in the center and near the sides. Wanting to see if it was tender, nurse Redheart carefully ran the tip of her forefinger along the edge of it. That action caused Twilight to jerk away from her, screaming in pain.

“S-sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But you do have a sprained wrist. Luckily, I have a splint for you,” said Nurse Redheart. “Wait here.”

“O-okay,” replied Twilight in between pained gasps.

Twilight Sparkle sat there, not daring to move her wrist. She didn’t feel like moving it, and it was too painful for her to want to. She was thankful that she managed to calm the nurse down before she had a meltdown. If she had to deal with that, Twilight wasn’t sure she would have the ability to face anyone at CHS again. Minutes after Nurse Redheart had disappeared into the storage and supply room, a familiar figure with red and yellow hair ran in and nearly bumped into Twilight. The girl skidded to a stop a few inches from the exam table.

“Twilight!” shouted Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset dropped hers and Twilight’s bag as she flung her arms around the bookworm. She was thrilled to see that Twilight was okay, sprained wrist aside. A part of her couldn’t stop worrying, even as she sat in the Principal’s office. Her arms wrapped tightly around Twilight’s neck, keeping the purple-haired from slipping out of her grasp. For a moment, Sunset Shimmer just stood there, embracing Twilight and not wanting to let her go. The familiar scent of lavender which she had grown accustomed to, wafted towards her. Sunset inhaled deeply, finding the smell rather relaxing.

“I am sorry that Trixie did what she did,” said Sunset, her breath tickling Twilight’s neck.

Twilight felt Sunset pull away after a few seconds. She was thankful as she was starting to get light-headed from the lack of oxygen. It was surprising how tight of a grip Sunset had on her. Once Twilight had taken a few deep breaths, she looked at Sunset’s pain-filled eyes. It was clear to her that when she ran off, she had made the redhead worry. Twilight felt guilty that she had caused Sunset to worry about her. But, at the same time, she was happy to see that she cared for her.

“It’s okay. Besides, I heard that you gave Trixie exactly what she deserved.” Twilight chuckled a little as she began to feel better. “Did you really punch her?”

Sunset nodded just as Nurse Redheart came back out.

“Yep. Trixie should count her lucky stars that Sunset didn’t cause any serious damage. I have never seen anyone punch as hard before.” Nurse Redheart said as she began to wrap the splint around Twilight’s arm.

Sunset scratched the back of her head, her gaze locked on the floor, trying to hide the pleased smile she was wearing. Her mind was unable to decide between feeling bad for injuring Trixie as much as she had but also feeling satisfied at hearing the nurse’s comment. Though, Sunset knew Trixie got what she deserved, regardless of the fact she had to become the bully she once was.

Twilight Sparkle tried to focus on her wrist as it was being wrapped in a splint, giving side glances to Sunset Shimmer. Her heart raced as a wave of euphoria washed over her. Knowing that Sunset had defended her like a knight would a princess, it made her feel special. And that was something she needed right now. Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hand, pulling the redhead closer to her.

After a few minutes, Nurse Redheart finished splinting Twilight’s arm. “Okay, there you go. Now take it easy for 2-3 days, and you should be fine.”

“Okay, Nurse Redheart,” said Twilight Sparkle as she let her now splinted arm sit on her lap.

“Leave when you’re ready,” said Nurse Redheart, walking over to her desk and sitting down.

Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s hand and sat next to her, making the paper that was covering the exam table crinkle beneath her movements. As soon as she sat down, she felt a wing carefully wrap around her shoulders. That made her smile as she reached up and gently ran her hand along the uninjured side. But that smile faded as Trixie stood in the open doorway.

“Hello, freak,” said Trixie as she eyed Twilight. “Hello, Sunset. You and your girlfriend are the real monsters here. Even if only one of you looks like the monster.”

“Girlfriend? Why does Trixie think I am her girlfriend? And why did she think that Sunset is a monster?” thought Twilight as she tried to focus on something else other than Trixie.

That made Twilight Sparkle hold her head down. Her self esteem and courage disappeared quickly. Today had been going so well until lunchtime. Then everything seemed to fall apart, and everything she feared would happen, happened. A few tears fell down her cheek as the pain and hurt started to come back. She just wanted to go home, to not be at school anymore. It was clear that she wasn’t wanted there anymore. But a warm hand wiping the tears off her cheek distracted her from her thoughts. Twilight glanced up to see Sunset Shimmer looking at her, her eyes filled with concern.

“Oh, is the monster crying now? Did the Great and Powerful Trixie hurt her feelings?” asked Trixie in a mocking tone. “Boo-hoo…”

Nurse Redheart, overhearing what was happening, got up from her desk and approached the magician. “Miss Lulamoon, I’d advise you to leave before I report you.”

Trixie glared at Sunset and Twilight before reluctantly walking away. That left just Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy sitting in the nurse’s office. There was a heavy silence in the room. No one was sure of what to say. After Trixie’s verbal attack, no one was sure if they could speak. But, finally, Sunset spoke up.

“Are you okay, Twi? You can tell me what’s bothering you.” Sunset smiled as she caressed Twilight’s cheek.

“Sunset, what did Trixie mean by you being a monster?” asked Twilight, genuine curiosity in her voice.

At that, Sunset Shimmer froze. She was unsure of what to say to Twilight’s question. Sunset had slowly begun to reveal her past to Twilight, but the Fall Formal was still a very uncomfortable subject for her. Despite her wanting to tell Twilight, the redhead couldn’t find the courage to push herself over that edge. The risk of falling was too much for her to bear. But she knew that she had to answer Twilight’s question. So, pushing past the part of her that wanted to deflect, she forced herself to meet the bookworm’s gaze.

“Twi...what she said about me being a monster...is true,” replied Sunset, lowering her hand away from Twilight’s cheek.

“Does that have to do with your past?” asked Twilight, now wanting to know more.

Fluttershy, noticing that Sunset was growing more uneasy, stepped in and said, “I think we should leave soon.”

“Uh, y-yeah, I guess so,” said Twilight, startled by Fluttershy’s sudden intervention.

As Sunset Shimmer got down from the exam table, Twilight gripped her arm and asked, “Sunset, do you think that I can make it through the rest of the day? Cause I don’t know if I can…”

“Yes, I do think you can. You have the girls and me by your side. And Twi?” Sunset stood directly in front of Twilight, making sure she couldn’t look away.

“Yeah?” Twilight met Sunset’s gaze.

“You are stronger than you realize. Your classmates may hate you now, but give them time. They’ll come around and see that you are still you,” replied Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle could hear something in Sunset’s voice. The kind of confidence and realization that usually came from going through a similar experience...but why? From what she knew, Sunset didn’t become a she-demon. Ever. Then again, she knew that Sunset had a past and that she only was aware of some of it. Knowing that fact, it made Twilight wonder if the redhead had gone through a magical transformation as she had. Twilight’s gut instinct told her that Sunset’s transformation during the Friendship Games was not the first time she had been through something like that.

“Maybe that’s it. Maybe that is what Trixie is talking about. Sunset may have gone through something like what has happened to me,” thought Twilight. “But if so, why does she feel the need to hide it from me? Does she not trust me? Or…”

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by the school bell ringing. She rested her hand on the hoodie. For a moment, she hesitated, her hand hovering the fabric. Twilight didn’t want to hide her wings again. Yet, the looks she was getting were hard to bear. Twilight Sparkle, making her choice, grabbed the hoodie and delicately slipped the hoodie over her head and wings. As she adjusted it over wings, making sure to not rub against any of her sensitive areas, she felt a little more comfortable. Now that her wings were covered, Twilight felt a little safer. She didn’t bother tucking in her tail. It didn’t matter as much as her wings, especially as her wings were injured. Fixing her ponytail, she realized that she forgot her backpack in the cafeteria.

“Sunset, did you grab my-”

“Your bag? Yes, I did,” said Sunset, handing the bag to Twilight.

“Thank you, Sunset. You are a lifesaver.” Twilight slung her backpack over her shoulder and eased it over her bad wrist. “Let’s go to the next class. Before I decide, I want to go home and ruin my perfect attendance record.”

“Okay, Sparky,” said Sunset, grabbing Twilight’s uninjured hand and pulling her close as they walked out of the nurse’s office.

*** *** *** ***

Back at the electrical building, Springtrap was sitting on the concrete floor with his back against the wall. He enjoyed the silence of the forest, the sounds of the birds chirping away, unaware that an animatronic was sitting nearby. It was a beautiful sound, and it almost made him miss being human. But soon, a crackling noise broke the serene silence and made him growl in response. Floating to the control panel was a cloud of sparks. It slowly descended into the control panel and disappeared.

“Great. The fucking asshole couldn’t follow my command. Well, that is going to make my job harder. Either, the dumbasses listen, or I am going to lose my temper soon.” mumbled Springtrap as he got into a standing position.

Springtrap leaned against the control panel, denting the sides with his weight. His mind was racing with many possibilities. With the equestrian magic inside of him, Springtrap had created two doppelgangers, and they were real. Well, as real as two doppelgangers made of magic could be. Springtrap was inspired to build an army when he saw the potential in his copies. Yet, it would be time-consuming to create an army one copy at a time. If he was going to make the army he needed to defeat the girls and the kids, he was going to need a quicker method. Something made him wonder if he could do more than one.

“Is it possible that I can make ten at a time? Maybe 20?” thought Springtrap. “But first, I have to make sure I can control them and bend them to my will. So...5 should be a good sample size.”

Springtrap walked out of the building and into a clearing nearby. Holding out his hand, he prepared himself to concentrate on the magic inside of him. Springtrap repeated what he did earlier, watching as a slew of sparks flew from his arm. This time, instead of making just one doppelganger, he made 5 of them. Just like their previous versions, they perfectly matched Springtrap’s appearance down to a T.

“Hmm, so even in small amounts, the sparks can still generate a large number of copies. Good to know,” said Springtrap.

Just as his new doppelgangers made a move to pounce on him, he held out his hand. Springtrap was able to predict their movements, which was proving to be helpful. After all, he wasn’t going to waste his time avoiding them. Not when he needed the time to train them and learn how to command them. With his arm still outstretched, he moved forward.

“Stand still.”

Immediately, all the copies obeyed the order and stood still, not even blinking. Springtrap was pleased with the sight of his doppelgangers standing around like statues. It was amazing how successful the command had been. It was so successful that he decided to test another order on them.

“March forward.”

Once more, the doppelgangers listened to the command. Springtrap stood back as his copies all started to march at once. Yet, the synced march only lasted a few seconds. Two of the doppelgangers tripped over some small rocks on the ground, causing them to fall. One of the two doppelgangers knocked into another one in front of it. That, in turn, sent into motion a domino effect. All the doppelgangers fell, but they were still moving and trying to follow the command. The scene looked like a bunch of haywire machines that were beyond any repair. Springtrap groaned in annoyance.

“Stop marching!”

All of the copies stopped moving their legs immediately. Springtrap let out an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. If this is how it was going to be, he had a feeling that he was going to have a headache — something he was not planning on having any time soon. Springtrap forced himself to focus and continue to test his theory.

“Get on your feet and line up.”

The doppelgangers got up to their feet and lined up.

“Now, march together.”

This time, the copies marched entirely in sync. None of them tripped, went off course, or knocked over the others. Springtrap, with his arm still outstretched, imagined more copies. As Springtrap concentrated on them, he saw them moving in sync with the other ones that were already marching. Slowly, five more copies appeared behind alongside the existing 5. To Springtrap’s amazement, his plan worked.

“Stop marching.”

This command made all ten copies stop instantaneously. That gave Springtrap the last of the evidence he needed to prove his theory. He learned that multiple copies were able to be controlled at once, even if they had just been mid-command. Or at least ten copies could be so far. But the commands had to be precise, or his doppelgangers would take the order literally and mess up the others. Springtrap made a note to do more testing later.

Walking back into the building, he looked at the Marionette. It had remained silent and still since he last spoke to it. That was odd, but Springtrap didn’t have the time to worry about it yet. So, he held his hand over the control panel and watched as sparks flew into his body. Once he felt he had enough magic, Springtrap removed his hand and walked back outside.

*** *** *** ***

At CHS, the bell rang, announcing that school was finally over. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer both had gym class as their last class. They were heading to the locker room, having been dismissed by the gym teacher. As both girls walked into the locker room, it fell silent. It was like every single student became aware of Twilight’s presence at the same time. Walking to Sunset’s locker, the girls did their best to ignore the students’ stares. Twilight had remained fully dressed, opting out of gym class for the day. It was bad enough at lunch to be gawked at and attacked, but she didn’t want to do anything that could incite more insults or looks. She had enough for one day or even a lifetime.

Sunset Shimmer walked up to her locker as Twilight sat down on one of the benches. Unlocking it, she grabbed her regular clothes. She closed the door again and glanced at the bathroom. From what Sunset saw, it seemed that it was vacant. That was a good sign for the redhead. Sunset saw Twilight staring vacantly at the floor, her body shivering from the cold. Resting a hand on her shoulder, the redhead kneeled in front of her.

“I will be right back. Just let me change clothes, okay Twi?” asked Sunset, lifting Twilight’s eyes to meet her own.

Twilight let a half-smile show. “O-okay, Sunset.”

With that, Sunset Shimmer walked into the bathroom and found an empty stall. She ignored the smell of bleach and sweat that overwhelmed her as she stepped into the booth. When she closed the door, she leaned against the cold metal. It felt so soothing to her heated skin like ice cream on a hot summer day. Sunset stood there and closed her eyes, taking in the coolness of the metal. Her back was warm from running six laps around the track.

After a few seconds passed, she pushed herself off the door and lifted her sweaty gym shirt off her back. As Sunset pulled her t-shirt over her head, she felt her bra straps rub against her scars. That made her cringe. She gripped the shirt tightly as she clenched her jaw, fighting back the images of her transformation. Her heart raced as a panic attack threatened to overtake her. Sunset rested her hand on the side of the stall as she struggled to keep herself from panicking.

“Calm down, Sunset! It’s just your scars, not your transformation,” thought Sunset, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

A few minutes later, Sunset Shimmer gathered her composure and continued to get undressed. She tossed off her gym shoes and set them near the door. Sunset gripped the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down, tossing them over her sneakers. With her gym clothes off, she gathered them up into the plastic bag that had contained her regular clothes. Sunset shivered in the cold air of the bathroom as her bare skin became exposed to it. Her shirt was hanging off the hook on the door. Sunset grabbed it and pulled it over her head.

“Are you going to be honest with Twilight about the Fall Formal?” asked Sunset’s inner voice. “Or just keep stringing her along?”

“Why now? Can’t you wait until I have gotten home?” thought Sunset as she began to put on her jeans.

“I can’t wait because she is on to you. Or have you not noticed?” asked her conscience.

“I have noticed…” Sunset buttoned up her jeans, pausing as she glanced at the stall door. “I am just not ready to admit I nearly killed all the girls because I wanted power and to show that I deserved something I didn’t.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” said Sunset’s conscience before it went quiet.

Outside the bathroom, Twilight Sparkle watched as students rushed out of the locker room and headed home. As soon as the locker room was empty, she heard footsteps enter, the steps echoing around. She looked up, expecting to Sunset approaching her. But instead, she saw Trixie and her two friends walking towards her. Twilight instinctively looked away and pulled her knees to her chest. Right now, she had no interest in being attacked...again.

“What do you want, Trixie? Didn’t you humiliate me enough for today? Or was the incident at lunch not good enough for you?” asked Twilight.

Trixie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Trixie wasn’t finished. Your friends and that red-headed monster stopped her before she could do more.”

While Trixie stepped closer to Twilight, Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush rested their hands on her shoulders and shoved her off the bench. She felt her head hit a locker door as she fell off. In her desperate attempt to save herself, Twilight held out her hands to catch herself. Unfortunately, that was the wrong move to make. She landed with her full weight on her wrist, and that caused a severe wave of pain to shoot up her arm. Twilight screamed as she collapsed onto the floor.

“Oh come, Midnight! Trixie didn’t even do that much to you. It was just a small...shove,” said Trixie, crossing her arms.

Sunset Shimmer had just finished buttoning her jeans when she heard Twilight scream. Grabbing her bag of gym clothes, she ran out of the bathroom, trying not to slip on the smooth tiles of the bathroom floor. When she exited the bathroom, her gaze fell upon her friend. It was upsetting for Sunset to see Twilight huddled into a ball between the bench and the lockers, sobbing as she held her sore wrist. She turned her gaze onto Trixie. At that moment, their eyes locked onto each other.

“Trixie...what did you do?” asked Sunset, stepping forward.

Sunset’s anger was building with every footstep she took towards Trixie. Her geode had started to spark, unbeknownst to her. Sunset didn’t notice that her eyes were beginning to change. Her thoughts were on making the wanna-be magician pay for what she did. The whites of her eyes grew darker with her heartbeat. Blackness swallowed the white, making her cyan irises stand out. In one swift motion, Sunset had her hand on Trixie’s throat and slammed her against the nearby lockers.

“Trixie...can’t...breathe…” was all Trixie managed to choke as Sunset pushed her fingers onto her windpipe.

Sunset didn’t care. Watching as Trixie’s face started to turn blue in some areas, she was pleased. That encouraged her to squeeze a little tighter, cutting off more of Trixie’s air. A few seconds of Trixie clawing at her for air, and she dropped her to her feet and stepped back. But when the magician thought she was in the clear, a foot slammed into her side, knocking off balance. Sunset hadn’t noticed that Twilight was staring at the scene playing out in front of her. Nor was Sunset Shimmer aware of how terrified she had become of her. As she turned around to dish out some beatings on Trixie’s friends, she spotted Twilight’s scared expression behind them.

“Twilight…?” asked Sunset, finally realizing what she had done.

Within seconds, Sunset’s geode stopped sparking, and with it, her eyes returned to normal. Seeing Twilight fear her, it was enough to bring her back from the brink. She turned back to Trixie to see her staggering back with her friends right behind her.

“Trixie, leave,” said Sunset, trying to control herself.

Trixie didn’t need much convincing. Between what happened at lunch, and now, she realized that messing with Sunset was a dangerous choice. Without any hesitation, Trixie, Lavender Lace, and Fuschia Blush all darted from the locker room. That left Twilight and Sunset alone in the empty room, neither daring to speak after what happened. The silence was heavy, almost thick enough that one could slice through it. Finally, Sunset made the first move and made her way to Twilight.

“Twilight...are you alright?” asked Sunset.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “I-Is that how you used to be when you were a-a…”

“A bully? Yes, Twi. I used to do that a lot to intimidate the students and get what I wanted,” replied Sunset as she looked away. “I am sorry you had to see that. I can see it made you scared.”

“It’s fine. I just wasn’t used to seeing you like that,” said Twilight as she tried to get up.

“Here, let me help you,” Sunset said, offering Twilight her hand.

Twilight took Sunset’s hand and stood up. She sat back on the bench she was shoved off of, with Sunset sitting next to her. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what she saw. It intrigued Twilight to see such a...violent side to Sunset. But her questions were going to have to wait until she felt better. Besides, Twilight didn’t want to bother her friend. She sniffled as her nose began to run from all the crying. When she did that, she saw the redhead offering her a tissue. Twilight gratefully took it and blew her nose.

“Thanks. Can we go to AJ’s farm? I don’t feel like staying here longer than I have to.” asked Twilight, sounding stuffy.

“Yeah, just let me get my boots on,” said Sunset as she grabbed her boots from her locker.

Waiting in front of the school was Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash was late as she had to turn in some make-up work that was due today. It was just a few assignments that she had missed because she was sick the previous week. The sound of a metal door opened made all the girls turn their attention to the noise. They saw Sunset and Twilight walking out of the building and heading towards them.

Waving them over was Pinkie Pie. She was jumping up and down, screaming, “Hey, over here!!”

Twilight Sparkle, seeing Pinkie Pie"s cheerful demeanor, cheered up a little bit. Pinkie Pie’s cheerfulness was infectious, which she enjoyed. It was a great relief to see a happy face versus all the angry glances she had been getting since lunchtime. Twilight took a deep breath, feeling comfortable with her friends.

“Hey, Pinkie. Where’s Rainbow Dash?” asked Sunset, wrapping an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “We’ll need to go to AJ’s farm before dark if we want to talk with the kids.”

“She’s comin. She said that she had some homework to turn in,” replied Applejack.

“Rainbow Dash? Turn in homework? Now, that’s something I’d like to see,” said Sunset, laughing a little at the thought of her friend turning anything in on time.

Rainbow Dash was known to do things last minute. Homework was another thing entirely. More often than not, she was always playing her video games when she should’ve been working on it. But the girls knew convincing their athletic friend to focus on schoolwork was like telling Pinkie Pie not to throw any parties. It wasn’t going to happen. Rainbow Dash always seemed to turn things in late, which was why she had mostly D’s.

Just then, a rainbow-colored blur rushed over to the girls. Twilight moved her wrist, not wanting it to get hit. Her wrist was in enough pain. And falling on it twice didn’t help ease the pain. At all. Once she felt it was safe, she let her wrist rest at her side.

“Oh, good. Everyone is here! Now, we can head to AJ’s farm, right?” asked Rainbow Dash, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Yep,” said Applejack.

Fluttershy was the first of the group to ask, “Twilight, are you okay?”

All the girls looked at her as Sunset Shimmer removed her arm. Since lunch, they all had been worried about her. It wasn’t hard to notice all the glares their friend was getting. They wanted to help her and make sure Twilight was okay after the day she had. When they saw her smile, they felt a wave of relief wash over them.

“Yeah, I am okay. I will be even better if we can get to the farm before dark,” said Twilight, reassuring her friends.

“I agree,” said Rarity.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her motorcycle keys from her pocket and held them in her hand.

“Okay, see you girls at the farm then,” said Sunset.

With a few collective waves, the girls went to their separate vehicles. Sunset Shimmer slung her leg over the side of her bike as Twilight put on her helmet. She felt the bike shift slightly as Twilight Sparkle sat right behind her. A small smile appeared on her face, which Sunset was glad was hidden by her helmet. The redhead wasn’t ready to admit her feelings to her friend, not until she could tell her about the whole truth. She got jolted from her thoughts when she felt Twilight gently wrap her arms around her waist, and she did her best to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. Yet, her heart refused to listen to her. Her feelings for Twilight were getting stronger with every embrace, word, and second that she spent with her.

“You ready, Sparky?” asked Sunset before she revved the engine.

“Y-yes,” said Twilight, trying to sound confident.

“Okay, here we go,” said Sunset, revving the engine and leaving the parking lot.

*** *** *** ***

A half-hour later, Sunset and Twilight finally arrived at Applejack’s farm. They would’ve been there sooner, but they had become slowed by unprecedented traffic. In a small city like Canterlot City, usually, there was barely any traffic. But it seemed there was a momentous event going on, causing the roads to become congested. Sunset took off her helmet and set it down on the handlebars. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Twilight’s helmet and set it next to hers. With practiced ease, she got off her bike and helped Twilight do the same. Just as Sunset was fixing her frazzled hair, Applejack and the rest of the girls approached them.

“There you two are! What in tarnation caused you to be so late?” asked Applejack.

“Traffic,” replied Sunset and Twilight in unison.

“Ah, okay,” said Applejack, nodding. “Y’all ready to go to the barn?”

“Yep,” said Twilight, beating Sunset to the answer.

Sunset Shimmer smirked and followed her friends into the barn. She watched as Rainbow Dash and Applejack pulled the barn doors open. With a series of groans, the barn doors slowly moved with the girls. Applejack was the first to walk in and made her way over to where the light switch was. In the darkness of the barn, the animatronic eyes of the kids glowed white. Thankfully, as soon as Applejack turned on the lights. The rest of the girls followed behind and greeted the three kids, who were sitting on nearby hay bales.

“Hey, Susie, Jeremy, and Fritz,” said Sunset, sitting on a hay bale next to Jeremy.

Susie patted the hay bale next to her, motioning for Twilight to sit with her. As Twilight sat down, she gave her a puzzled look.

“Why are you wearing a hoodie over your wings?” asked Susie. “I thought you didn’t mind having your wings.”

Twilight Sparkle gripped her arm as her gaze fell to the floor. That was the topic she was hoping wouldn’t be brought up. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the kids to know what happened. If anything, she wanted to tell them, to see what they thought about her. Her wings had been the main reason she'd gotten ridiculed for the rest of the day. And because of it, she had bruises all over her body, and her wings had gotten severely injured. She had patches where there were no feathers at all because her wings had gotten stomped on. On the inside of her hoodie, Twilight could tell she had lost a few more bunches of feathers. She didn’t want to show the kids what happened to her; she was ashamed of her injuries. But Susie’s question seemed genuine, and she did look very concerned.

“I-I am wearing it because of the students at my school. They saw my…appearance and freaked out because of it,” said Twilight, her voice squeaking as she struggled to talk.

“Why did they freak out?” asked Fritz.

Twilight swallowed. “They freaked out...because the last time I looked like I do now, I nearly destroyed their world...and them.”

“Oh, I am sorry that I asked,” said Fritz, turning away from Twilight.

Twilight felt terrible that she had hurt Fritz’s feelings. She knew he was just curious. Giving him a friendly smile, she said, “It’s okay, Fritz. I know you meant well. I’ve just had a long day. A day filled with bullying…”

“D-do you want to take off your hoodie?” asked Susie, innocently unaware of the beatings Twilight had suffered.

Twilight Sparkle thought about it. There was a desire to keep it on, though, with her loose feathers inside it was becoming an annoyance. There was also a part of her that wanted to take it off, to relax, and not worry about being attacked again because of her wings. But could she? Could she let her friends and the kids see the damage she had endured? Seeing her friends giving her comforting smiles, she decided to take it off.

“Um, I can take it off, just watch out for the loose feathers,” said Twilight.

“What?” Susie was unsure what Twilight meant by that.

Ever so slowly, Twilight lifted the bottom of her hoodie and pulled it upwards. As they became freed from their fabric confines, her wings stretched, followed by a flurry of loose feathers falling onto the hay bales. But the exposed, raw skin stung as they reached their full length. Twilight hissed as they folded up, hiding most of the exposed surface beneath what feathers remained. She heard a few gasps as she removed her arms from the sleeves of the fabric, revealing all the bruises she had sustained. Just as she had entirely removed her hoodie and shook out the last of the feathers, she saw everyone was staring at Sunset. The redhead was furiously blushing from having everyone look at her, including Twilight.

“What is going on? Did I, uh, miss something?” asked Twilight, not knowing what happened.

“Sunset here was just staring at you...and drooling,” Rainbow Dash replied in a snarky tone, playfully punching Sunset’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t drooling, Dash!” shouted Sunset, trying to defend herself.

“Right. So what’s on the side of your face then, huh Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash as she leaned back.

That prompted Sunset Shimmer to rub her hand across the corner of her mouth. To her utter embarrassment, she felt dried spit crumble off as she rubbed against it. Sunset lowered her hand and stared down at her lap. Rainbow Dash was right, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like it was terrible for her to admire the beauty of Twilight, right? She glanced at Twilight, finding it adorable to see her adjusting her glasses out of nervousness.

“Okay...maybe I was drooling,” admitted Sunset sheepishly. “I think Twilight looks amazing. That’s not a crime.”

She looked at Twilight, who looked away and lowered her gaze to her lap. Yet, when she did, she found that the right side of her shirt was lifted, showing the surface of her stomach and rib cage. Her skin was black and purple, with bruises from being kicked repeatedly. Ashamed that her friends, especially Sunset, had seen the injuries, she quickly pulled her shirt down to cover them.

Sunset Shimmer noticed that Twilight Sparkle was embarrassed that she had stared at her. Sighing, she leaned against the back wall of the barn.

“Great job, Sunset. Embarrass yourself and Twilight. That’s definitely going to win her over.” thought Sunset, hating that she had embarrassed her crush. “I just had to admit I find her amazing in front of everyone.”

Sitting back up, Sunset looked at the group and said, “So, how are we going to find Gabriel?”

Sweet Secrets add up to Bitter Lies

“I-I don’t know,” said Twilight. “But maybe his friends would know how to find him?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. That was the only suggestion anyone had managed to come up with in the last five minutes. It was a good plan, at least for how to find Gabriel. But Sunset Shimmer knew that even when they found him, there was the problem of securing him. Each of the kids had been very hard to keep restrained, with Susie being the hardest.

“Could Twilight use her magic to secure Gabriel?” thought Sunset, staring off into space. “Or would that just complicate matters?”

If Twilight Sparkle had to use her magic to hold him down, she wasn’t sure that was going to end well. Twilight’s recent power changes presented a challenge for the girls. One wrong move, and they could end up blasting Gabriel to shrapnel. Yet, that was their only option. Applejack was still waiting on her new lasso to replace the one Fritz had destroyed. And using anything from school was out of the question, especially since they nearly got into trouble for doing that.

“Uh, Sunset?” asked Jeremy, poking Sunset’s arm with the side of his hook.

Feeling something against her arm, Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked at Jeremy. “Huh, what?”

“You were kind of staring off into space,” replied Jeremy as he moved his hook away from Sunset.

“Oh, sorry. I was thinking,” said Sunset, her gaze shifting to Twilight. “But, to continue with what Twilight said, you guys know him pretty well, right?”

All three of the kids looked at each other, not expecting that question. None of them had mentioned Gabriel since the girls had rescued them. They were too afraid to after what happened a few after they were all murdered. Unlike Jeremy and Fritz, Susie didn’t know Gabriel as well. She was still new to their group when William Afton had decided to kill them. Sitting there, something came to Susie.

“Hey Fritz, you remember that small lake near the town? The one Gabriel always dragged us to visit?” Susie looked at Fritz, waiting for his answer.

Fritz nodded. “Yeah, I remember that lake. He often would spend hours there when we were five.”

Jeremy laughed, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. “Yep. He would always get us covered in mud and in trouble for that.”

“The one time I went there with you guys, he ruined my favorite skirt,” added Susie. “I learned never to wear skirts when hanging out there after that.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friends. A happy smile made its way onto her face as she recalled the various sleepovers they had at each other’s houses. The memories and moments they had were special, not just to her, but to the girls as well. The thought of ever losing or forgetting them made Sunset Shimmer shudder. Rubbing her arms a little, she glanced at Twilight Sparkle. Something made her decide to sit next to Twilight. A strong desire to hold her hand made Sunset reach and grab Twilight’s good one. She felt her grip back, making warmth envelop her body for a few seconds.

“You okay, Twilight? I saw the bruises…”

“They are from the students...kicking me at lunch,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she felt the sensations return, making her cringe and squeeze Sunset’s hand.

Sunset Shimmer looked away, regretting that she had brought up the bruises. “Oh, I didn’t realize how bad they were. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I hugged you.”

“You didn’t, Sunset,” said Twilight, reassuring the redhead. “If anything, I was grateful for that hug.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled and looked away, sheepishly, saying, “You’re welcome, Sparky.”

Twilight’s gaze lingered on Sunset before returning to the kids. She could see the similarities between the kids’ relationships and the one she had with the girls. They cared for each other, evident by the distant look in their eyes whenever they spoke of their memories. And it was clear that whatever happened, they would stick together. That reminded her of Sunset and how she defended her against Trixie. Twilight smiled to herself as she recalled the image of Sunset Shimmer stepping in front of her and keeping Trixie away. There weren’t many differences between the kids’ friendship and the one she had with the girls. The only difference between them was the fact the kids were dead. And had been for many years, decades even.

Looking at Jeremy, Twilight Sparkle said, “You seem really close. Did that ever change after...you know…”

“Died?” asked Susie, finishing Twilight’s question.

“Y-yeah, that,” said Twilight, her gaze falling to the straw-covered floor.

“No, it didn’t change.” Jeremy rested his elbows on his knees, staring down at his hook. “It actually helped us at first…”

“Yeah, we would talk about all the fun times we had before we were...you know...killed.” Susie’s voice grew quiet. “It helped us, but it didn’t help Gabriel.”

Twilight Sparkle looked up at Susie, her curiosity piquing. Her eyebrows were furrowed in a mix of confusion and worry. She was curious as to why Gabriel didn’t seem to cope as well as the rest of his friends. The part of her that wanted to find the answer had gotten subdued by the part of her conscience that knew she had to be careful if she asked. Twilight was worried that if she asked, it would be too insensitive, especially when she considered how traumatic the whole experience had been for them. Despite being in animatronic bodies, Twilight could see the grim expressions on their robotic faces.

“Why not?” Twilight Sparkle asked in a calm voice, trying to convey that she was expecting an answer while she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “What happened with Gabriel?”

Susie’s gaze shifted downward, as did Jeremy’s. Fritz was the only one of the group who seemed not to react to the question. But after a few minutes of silence, his eyes also darted to the floor.

“It didn’t help him because he missed his life. And he was more enraged by his death than any of us were about our own.” Fritz stood up and walked over to the barn door. “But it became terrible when he…” Fritz trailed off, the next part too hard for him to say.

“When he what?” asked Rainbow Dash, unable to contain her curiosity. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging! Tell us!”

“Rainbow!” said Applejack. “Can’t you see that he is clearly bothered? This ain’t easy for him to talk about.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at Fritz. She saw what Applejack had pointed out. Fritz’s shoulders had become slumped, his ears drooping downward, and the eerie stillness in his body as he stood in the doorway. Seeing that, the polychromatic athlete immediately regretted her words. She hadn’t meant to be rude. She just wanted to know more. Though, Rainbow Dash was aware that she could’ve gone about asking it in a different way. Getting off the hay bale she was sitting on, Rainbow Dash walked over to him and rested a hand on his worn plastic.

“I am sorry for what I said. I didn’t realize that this was a painful subject.” Rainbow Dash’s voice was soft and sincere. “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to, Fritz.”

Fritz looked at the athlete and gave her a grateful look. He wished that he could smile, but his robotic body lacked the facial structure to do it. And that was often the constant reminder that he was no longer alive. It made him miss being alive and be able to show his emotion through his expressions. Reaching out his hand, he saw Rainbow Dash move hers until it rested in the middle of his.

“It’s okay, Rainbow. It’s just painful to have to remember and talk about again,” He turned back and walked over to his original seat. “But, you girls deserved to know what happened. It’s the least we can do after you’ve helped us remember ourselves.”

Rainbow Dash sped back to her seat, leaning back against some hay bales. She looked over at Fritz, waiting for him to continue.

“For the first five years that we were conscious in these animatronics, we were doing okay. But then one night, Gabriel stormed off the stage.” Fritz looked at Jeremy briefly. “He’d had enough and finally broke. Unfortunately, the restaurant decided to hire a night guard to watch the place.”

“Wait, why was there a night guard?” asked Pinkie Pie as she grabbed a cupcake from her backpack. “Was he there to throw awesome nighttime parties?”

Jeremy and his friends chuckled at the question for a moment. They knew Pinkie Pie wasn’t aware of what the night guard’s job was supposed to be, but the sentiment was there. Jeremy wished that had been the night guard’s job rather than to watch them from a room with secure doors. Pinkie Pie’s lighthearted suggestion was enough to ease the tension. But it wasn’t long before the seriousness of the story took hold of them again. Once the laughter died down, Jeremy answered Pinkie Pie’s question.

“We had a night guard put there because Fritz and I would move around the restaurant and flip the chairs over or mess around with the tables,” said Jeremy, his voice lacking his happy tone.

“Yeah, and Susie, being the good girl as she always was, refused to do anything fun with us,” added Fritz, missing the glare Susie was giving him.

“Well, at least my actions didn’t result in us having the night guard or security cameras watching us!” shouted Susie.

“Okay, okay, we get it. It’s our fault that a night guard was there,” said Jeremy, looking down at his feet.

“So, now that we have that figured out, what exactly happened after Gabriel stormed off?” asked Rarity.

Fritz let out a mechanical sound, which sounded like it was supposed to be a sigh. “Well, he stormed off the stage, heading towards the office where the night guard was. You see, Gabriel realized that the cameras and night guard were watching us. And that was the last straw for him.”

“So, he paid the guard a visit?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Something like that…” mumbled Jeremy.

“Gabriel went to the guard’s office and waited outside until he fell asleep,” continued Fritz. “That’s when Susie, in all her glory, decided to go and check on him.”

Susie growled loudly, which made Fluttershy jump and squeal at the sound. She turned to see that the shy girl was hiding slightly behind Applejack. Seeing that fear, it reminded Susie of all the days she used to watch the kids run around the pizzeria. Susie remembered the kids approaching her with fear in their eyes. Susie was aware that the children weren’t afraid of her. They were fearful of the animatronic she had gotten trapped in. But that didn’t change how much it stung to see their fear, the same fear she now saw in Fluttershy’s eyes.

“S-sorry, Fluttershy,” Susie gave Fluttershy an apologetic look. Turning her attention back to Fritz, she said, “I went to check on him because that is what a friend would do.”

“Well, if you hadn’t checked on him, then maybe he wouldn’t have done it!” shouted Fritz as an argument started between the kids.

“How was I to know Gabriel was going to do that?! I am not a psychic. It’s not like I can read people’s minds and see what they are thinking,”

Sunset Shimmer chuckled for a second at the mention of reading people’s minds. It seemed funny when people said that now, especially since she had that ability. Looking down at her geode, she recalled what had happened during Miss Cheerilie’s class. Her geode had malfunctioned, causing her to overhear someone’s thoughts without touching them. Then it happened again when she was in Principal Celestia’s office when she looked in the mirror. Sunset shuddered as she remembered her eyes going black just before they returned to normal. Twilight’s geode also seemed to malfunction, which resulted in her appearance changing. Sunset wondered if that was going to happen to her if her geode continued to malfunction.

“Will I become Demon Shimmer again if my geode malfunctions one more time?” thought Sunset as she looked at Twilight. “Will she be frightened of me if I do…?”

As Sunset Shimmer gazed at Twilight, she noticed that she was nervous. That made Sunset squeeze Twilight’s hand and scoot closer to her.

“I guess if we ever got into an argument, I couldn’t use that excuse, could I Sparky?” whispered Sunset, trying to ease her friend’s nervousness.

“Hehe, yeah. That is if we ever got into an argument, which is highly improbable given how well we get along. And even if we do get into a disagreement, we’ll most likely settle in an orderly fashion,” Twilight Sparkle whispered back, her usual geekiness showing through.

“That is true,” said Sunset, agreeing with Twilight.

Applejack, deciding the argument between Fritz and Susie was becoming too heated, stood up from where she was sitting. Walking in the middle of them, she placed a hand on Susie and Fritz’s chest. For her sake, Applejack hoped they wouldn’t fight against her. Sure, she had super strength, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t able to be injured. To her relief, the two kids stopped talking and looked at her.

“What the heck are you doing?” asked Fritz.

“Stoppin’ this ridiculous argument before something happens. You’re going to sit down and finish the story, without continuing this argument,” said Applejack, giving each of them a stern glare.

“Okay, we’ll continue,” said Fritz, backing away and sitting down on his hay bale.

Susie, for a moment, stood still against Applejack’s hand. Her plastic shook as she fought against her anger. But with a blink, she turned and walked away. Susie didn’t sit in her usual seat next to Twilight Sparkle. Instead, she chose to sit in the darkest area of the barn. Right now, after what Fritz said, she didn’t feel like being near anyone, especially Twilight and Sunset.

“Now that’s settled, what exactly did Gabriel do?” asked Applejack, sitting back down.

“After Susie returned, we heard his usual footsteps as he approached the night guard. The next thing we hear is a scream so loud it almost shattered the glass in the windows. Then...it stopped a few seconds later…” said Fritz, looking at Jeremy. “Care to continue, Jer?”

Jeremy groaned. He didn’t want to continue the story. This wasn’t easy to hear, but to have to recollect it was even harder. But he figured that Fritz had told most of the story by himself. And it was clear that Fritz was not going to be able to continue, not without collapsing emotionally. Looking up from his hook, Jeremy glanced at the girls.

“Well, I was the first to be there, as I am the fastest of us,” continued Jeremy, sounding almost confident in his speed. “As I got there, I saw Gabriel standing over the guard’s body, blood pooling around him.”

“Wh-what happened to the g-guard?” asked Fluttershy, unsure if she wanted to know what happened.

“Gabriel...he had killed the night guard. I can’t say how because I-I just can’t…” said Jeremy, his robotic voice lowering as he struggled to speak.

“It’s okay, Jeremy. You don’t have to say any more than that.” Sunset Shimmer made her way over to him with Twilight following behind her and rested a hand on his shoulder. “We can see it’s bothering you and your friends,” said Sunset as she motioned to his friends.

Twilight Sparkle let go of Sunset’s hands and stepped back away from Jeremy. She was still a bit uncomfortable around him. His hook, although not deadly on its own, was horrifying because it was attached to him. Twilight gazed down at the floor, not wanting to look at Jeremy anymore. She only looked up when she heard the sound of footsteps leaving the barn.

Susie, clearly disturbed by hearing the story again, got up and walked out. Her wings sat across her chest, or what could be considered her chest. She stood outside the barn, leaning her back against the old barn walls. Her mind was replaying the events of that night and the images that accompanied them. It was hard for her to hear it after so long of avoiding it. Susie looked up at the sky, her eyes searching for some sign that Gabriel would be okay.

As Susie walked out of the barn, a gust of wind blew in and took Applejack’s hat with it. Applejack got up and tried to grab it. But she couldn’t seem to get a grip on it hard as she tried. Thankfully, it blew right to Rarity, who caught it for the cowgirl. As Applejack walked up to the fashionista, she stopped within a few inches of her.

“Erm, thanks for catching my hat, Rare,” said Applejack, her voice lower than usual.

“You’re very welcome, AJ,” replied Rarity as she placed the cowgirl’s hat back on her head.

As Applejack dipped her head down, allowing the shorter girl to put her hat on, she moved closer to Rarity. There were a few centimeters that remained between them. She could feel Rarity’s breath on her chest, making her cheeks heat up in response. There was a desire to kiss the fashionista in front of her slowly developing the longer she stared at her. Despite every effort she made, Applejack couldn’t keep herself from looking at Rarity’s strawberry chapstick covered lips. The thought of her lips touching Rarity’s sent excited chills up and down her body. She wanted to see what it was like to finally kiss the girl she had been crushing on since the sixth grade.

Rarity, who was also growing uneasy being so close to Applejack, looked away. She wanted to kiss Applejack right then and there. The cowgirl’s green eyes and freckles were too impossibly cute for her to resist them. Something, maybe desire, made her look at Applejack and start to lean in slowly. Rarity found that Applejack was doing the same as well. Yet, just as their lips were about to touch, someone cleared their throat and caused the two girls to stop.

“Ah, right. Better sit back down now,” said Applejack, clearing her throat.

“Uh, yes,” said Rarity. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Applejack walked back to her seat, silently. She glared at Rainbow Dash, who was snickering. It was bad enough that she struggled to admit her feelings to Rarity. But to have Rainbow Dash’s usual crudeness didn’t help matters. If anything, thanks to her snickering, Applejack was sure she had lost her one chance to finally admit that she had feelings for Rarity.

Ignoring the tension in the air from watching her friends almost kiss, Sunset continued to ask questions. She needed to know what happened that caused them to forget who they were, especially if she was to see Gabriel’s memories and bring him back. Though, Sunset knew she had to be careful when she asked. It was plain to see that the kids were having a hard time talking about their friend.

“So, Jeremy, why did you and your friends forget who you were?” asked Sunset. “Was it because of Gabriel?”

Jeremy sighed. “Yes, Sunset. Because of Gabriel killing the night guard, we realized the toll it was taking on him. And on us as well…”

“Seeing him murder someone innocent and did nothing to us, it made it impossible for us to deal with our situation. And when he started to kill, it wasn’t long before I was next in line to do the same thing,” added Fritz.

“So, that’s why you don’t remember who you are? Because you willingly chose to forget your memories and life?” asked Sunset, a worried expression on her face.

“Yes. Can we please stop talking about it now?” asked Jeremy, becoming fed up with the conversation.

“Y-yeah,” said Sunset, regretting her actions.

*** *** *** ***

“Why’d you do it, Gabriel? Why…” Susie mumbled under her breath.

Twilight Sparkle made her way outside the barn. She was worried about Susie, mainly because she seemed to be the most affected. Once she stepped past the door, she found Susie leaning against the barn walls. Twilight tucked her wings in, being careful not to move them too much. They were still sore from being stomped on, though the pain was beginning to ease up. With her wings safely behind her, Twilight approached Susie.

“Are you okay, Susie?” asked Twilight as she stood next to Susie.

Susie looked at Twilight. Her eyes seemed like they had become shadowed by sadness. It was clear to the bookworm that the memories were painful for her. That made Twilight think about what happened to her. Her geode causing her to look like Midnight Sparkle forced her to remember some painful memories. So, in a way, she understood what exactly Susie was feeling. From experience, Twilight knew it wasn’t easy to relieve those memories.

“No, I am not,” replied Susie as she moved her wings to her sides. “Gabriel is out there and probably killing someone as we speak. And I just can’t help but feel like I am responsible for him doing that.”

Twilight Sparkle stood in front of Susie, placing her hands on Susie’s shoulders. “Look at me, Susie,” said Twilight, her tone calm and soothing.

Susie hesitated. She didn’t want to, afraid to face Twilight, knowing that she was guilty. When she felt Twilight’s warm, soft hand caress her cheek, she glanced at her. The embrace reminded her of her older sister. Her older sister had a similar touch whenever she was feeling down, and she was trying to cheer her up. A pang of sadness washed over Susie as she remembered her sister. Reluctantly, Susie met the bookworm’s gaze.

"It’s not your fault. You didn’t know that was what Gabriel was going to do,” said Twilight, a firm tone in her voice.

“But I chose to check on him. I made him k-”

“No, you didn’t Susie. It was Gabriel’s anger and his choice to murder the night guard,” said Twilight, cutting Susie off.

“But-” Susie went to continue but was stopped by the raised eyebrow she was getting from Twilight.

“Susie, can I tell you why I look the way I do?” asked Twilight, her tail flicking from side to side.

“Yeah,” replied Susie.

“So, about a year ago, I went to a different school – Crystal Prep. And our principal, Principal Cinch, she was very strict about how she ran the school.” Twilight sighed, pushing the memories of her lonely days at CPA aside.

"Wait, you didn’t always go to the same school as your friends?” asked Susie.

“No, I didn’t. And at the time, those girls in there weren’t even my friends. I didn’t know who they were, not until the Friendship Games. But we became friends the day I decided to transfer to CHS,” replied Twilight.

“Ah, okay, then.” Susie saw Twilight Sparkle step back from her. “Please, continue.”

“Well, my old school and CHS were competing again for the Friendship Games. And I-”

“Wait a minute, what exactly are the Friendship Games?” asked Susie, now curious.

“The Friendship Games were an event that happened every four years. There was an academic decathlon that determined which six players were to move onto the next part of the competition. And the field was always kept secret until it was time to compete. CPA had a reputation of beating CHS every year...until now,” explained Twilight. “But because CPA had that streak of never losing, the games were anything but friendly, despite the name.”

“Wow…” said Susie. “CPA seems like a really mean school.”

“It was. In fact, because of Principal Cinch’s blackmail, I had to compete in the games.” Twilight’s voice faltered for a moment. “I had originally planned to study the mysterious anomalies at CHS with my spectrometer. Unfortunately, on top of not having as much time as I wanted to study the anomalies, my device started to go haywire. Instead of measuring the magic, it did something else.”

“What did it do?” asked Susie.

“It absorbed all the girls’ magic. Storing it inside each time it took their magic after they ponied up,” continued Twilight.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what does any of this have to do with you having wings, fangs, and a tail?” asked Susie.

Twilight Sparkle ran her tongue over her fangs, feeling the two sharp points that had replaced her canines. She winced as one of them cut her tongue a little, drawing a small amount of blood. Tasting the familiar flavor of iron on her tongue, she swallowed. Her fang slicing her tongue didn’t hurt that much. But it did remind her that she could hurt others now. Twilight smiled to herself as she thought about how similar her fangs were to that of the modern vampire. It was almost comical to her. After a few minutes, Twilight looked at Susie.

“That day…I had gotten forced to absorb all that magic and this…” Twilight Sparkle gestured to her wings and body, “is what I became as a result. Only, I was able to blast people and open portals to another world.”

“And did you hurt people?” Susie’s curiosity was blatant

“No, thankfully. If it weren’t for Sunset, who absorbed the magic in friendship, I would’ve destroyed this world. All because I wanted to learn about the magic that she and the girls had,” replied Twilight, her head hung down as she spoke.

“Oh…” said Susie. “So, although you became a...a she-demon ready to destroy the world, it wasn’t your fault. Just like Gabriel’s choices aren’t mine?”

“Yes, exactly,” said Twilight. “Does that help at all?”

“Yes, it does. And thanks to you, I feel better. I am sorry you had to trudge up some painful experiences while you told me that story. I can tell it was painful to do that,” said Susie, resting a wing on Twilight’s back.

“Hey, if it helps you, I am happy to share my experiences with you,” replied Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer looked around, finally noticing that Twilight and Susie were no longer in the barn. She got up from her seat and walked out of the barn. Just as Sunset walked past the doorway, Sunset looked to her left. There, she found Twilight and Susie leaning against the barn walls.

“Hey, are you two alright?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she tucked her hands into her jacket pockets.

“Yes, we are. Right, Susie?” Twilight Sparkle walked away from Susie, turning her back to the redhead.

“Yeah, I am doing good now, thanks to you,” replied Susie. “By the way, Sunset, I am curious about how my friends and I ended up here?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed, her shoulders slumping as she looked down. That was a discussion she was hoping to avoid. It was equestrian magic that she had brought to this world that had been the reason for the kids’ arrival. Something that Sunset wasn’t keen on sharing out loud with them. Though, she knew that it was going to come up eventually. Taking a deep breath, Sunset Shimmer looked at Susie.

“Come inside, and I will explain how you got here as much as I can,” said Sunset.

“Okay,” Susie said as she started to walk back into the barn.

Twilight Sparkle remained still as she watched the colors in the sky slowly darken. Her thoughts kept circling Sunset. About the newspapers that she had seen at her apartment. What did they say? And what about them made Sunset feel she should hide them? But there was one thing that was on her mind — who was Demon Shimmer? Twilight had noticed Sunset’s reluctance to answer her question. She had also seen the shift in the redhead’s demeanor when she asked that question.

“Why does Sunset feel the need to keep something from me? Haven’t I proved that I wouldn’t judge her?” thought Twilight as she watched the sun fall slowly.

Twilight felt hurt that Sunset would keep anything from her. When she thought about how honest Sunset had been in the last day or so, it made the ache in her heart worsen. What was it that made her keep something hidden? Twilight knew it wasn’t because she was Midnight Sparkle, so it had to be something else. But what? Her wings wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her warm as a cool breeze blew by.

“Hey Sparky, you coming?” asked Sunset, noticing that her friend hadn’t moved in a while.

Twilight Sparkle shook her head clear of her thoughts. Keeping her eyes locked on the setting sun, she asked, “Sunset, can I ask you something? Something that I have been wondering about lately?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and walked up to Twilight. “Sure. What is Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle looked directly into Sunset’s cyan eyes as she asked the one question that had been on her mind all day. “Sunset, di-did you ever…” Twilight trailed off, not sure she should ask the question.

“Did I ever what?” asked Sunset, sensing Twilight’s nervousness. “You can ask me anything.”

“Did...you ever transform into a...a she-demon?” The words barely tumbled Twilight’s mouth. She was afraid that if she asked, Sunset would run away from her.

The question took Sunset Shimmer by surprise. Inside, her heart began to pound rapidly as her breathing quickened alongside it. The evening air was cold, but the chill did little to ease the heat that was starting to radiate off her body. Sunset’s hands balled into fists within the confines of her pockets. She looked away, no longer wanting to meet Twilight’s gaze. She wasn’t expecting Twilight to ask that, though she figured it would come up sooner or later.

“Uh...I...um…” Sunset wanted to say something, but the words refused to come out.

“Hey, you two coming or what?” shouted Rainbow Dash as she peered out of the barn.

“Yeah, we’re coming, Dash,” said Sunset, annoyed by Rainbow Dash’s interruption.

Twilight saw Rainbow Dash walk back into the barn. That gave her a chance to reach into one of Sunset’s pockets, pulling her hand out from it. She could feel the tension in the redhead’s arm as she unfurled her fingers. It was clear that her question had made Sunset Shimmer grow uneasy, which was something Twilight had tried to avoid. Twilight rested her hand on the redhead’s shoulder.

“Sunset…” began Twilight.

“Maybe,” replied Sunset, not wanting to hesitate in answering Twilight’s question anymore.

“Maybe?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she let her hand fall from Sunset’s shoulder. “What do you mean, maybe?”

Still holding Twilight’s other hand, Sunset stood in front of her. She forced herself to meet Twilight’s gaze, knowing that she had to do it. Her pulse raced as she looked into Twilight’s mulberry eyes and saw the curiosity in them. Sunset had seen that same curiosity in her eyes back in the Friendship Games. Seeing that, it made the redhead more nervous than she already was. But she steeled her nerves and took a deep breath.

“Twilight, there is something about my past that I haven’t told you yet. Something...that if I tell you, I’m afraid it will make you see me differently.” Sunset’s voice shook, despite her best efforts to stop it. “Something you may hate me for hiding from you…”

“Does whatever you’re hiding have something to do with ‘Demon Shimmer’?” asked Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer could feel Twilight trying to pull her hand away, but she gripped it tightly as she said, “Y-yes, it does.”

Twilight pulled her hand free, saying, “Will you tell me what it is you’re hiding from me?”

Sunset bit her lip as she tucked her hand back into her jacket pocket. More than anything, Sunset wanted to tell Twilight that she had been through a similar experience. To let her know that she understood what she endured at the Friendship Game and that she wasn’t alone. Yet, Sunset couldn’t break past her walls to do it. The monster she had become was a part of herself that she wanted to keep away from her. Mainly because Sunset feared her actions would be too much for Twilight to see past. Losing her friendship, along with the other girls’ friendship, tormented her almost every night. Not even the princess could do much to quell her fears.

“You doubt Twilight’s friendship? Because of what? Because you’re scared that she’ll run? That is not a valid reason,” shouted Sunset’s inner voice.

With a tear running down her cheek, Sunset said, “I-I can’t do that yet, Sparky. I’m sorry…”

Twilight Sparkle saw the tear run down Sunset’s cheek. That made her move towards Sunset, unable to stand seeing her like this. Her warm hand wiped the tear away before she reached down and grabbed the redhead’s in a tight grip. Twilight felt her try to pull away, but she refused to let her hand go. In Sunset’s eyes, she could see the fear that resided inside her and kept her from being truly honest. She stepped closer to her, leaving only a few inches between their bodies.

“Sunset, do you remember what I said to you last night? About how I was never going to stop seeing you as my friend, even with what had happened in your past?” asked Twilight, her gaze softening as she looked at Sunset.

Sunset nodded, unable to form any words.

“I meant that, Sunset. If you did become a she-demon at one point, I wouldn’t judge you for it.” Twilight moved her splinted arm, resting it on the side of Sunset’s other arm. “I just want to help you heal. Just like you did for me when I struggled to adjust to what happened at the Friendship Games.”

Sunset Shimmer felt like turning into a puddle right where she stood. With Twilight’s touch against her skin, she felt safe and vulnerable all at once. She closed her eyes and moved closer to the bookworm. There was a burning desire to take off her shirt and reveal the scars that appeared because of Demon Shimmer. Yet, somehow, Sunset’s fear of forever losing Twilight overpowered that and pushed it down.

“I know, Twilight. But you saw what happened with Trixie in the locker room. I was a monster…” Sunset Shimmer met Twilight’s eyes, seeing her worry and sadness. “If it wasn’t for you, I might have done something I’d regret.”

Twilight Sparkle squeezed Sunset’s arm, saying, “I don’t think you’re a monster, Sunset. I wish you didn’t see yourself that way.”

“Y-you don’t?” asked Sunset, surprised by what Twilight had said.

“No, I don’t. If it helps, I will wait until you feel alright with letting me know whatever it is you’re hiding from me, okay?” Twilight said as she let go of Sunset’s hand and let her arm fall back to her side.

A weak, but grateful smile plastered itself on Sunset’s face as she said, “Okay.”

“But, Sunset?” Twilight turned her back to Sunset, ready to head back to the barn.

“Y-yeah, Sparky?”

“I will not wait forever for you.”

With that, Twilight Sparkle walked away, her wings draped over her shoulders. Sunset stood still, the sun dipping below the mountains behind her. She watched the shadows stretch across the barn as she let out a shaky sigh. Twilight’s questions still swam in her head, reminding her she opted out of being honest. It took all her willpower to give into her building sobs. Sunset took a deep breath and gathered her composure again. Right now, she needed to help Jeremy and his friends, not collapse into a sobbing mess. Wiping the last tear away, she walked into the barn.

“Hey, Sunset. Susie said you were going to tell us how we arrived here, in your world,” Jeremy said as Sunset leaned against the door frame.

Sunset Shimmer ignored the worried expressions of her friends. She knew precisely why they were concerned. The way Twilight seemed to avoid her gaze every time she looked her way was enough to reveal that something happened. But having her cheeks covered in dried tears didn’t help matters. Sunset rubbed the back of her hand across her cheek, wiping some of the dried tears off her skin.

“Yes, I am going to explain that to you,” said Sunset. “You guys were transported here because of magic.”

“Like a magician’s magic?” asked Susie.

“No, not like that. It’s equestrian magic that brought you here,” replied Sunset.

“Equestrian...magic?” asked Susie, confused by what that was.

“It’s magic that I brought here when I...” Sunset trailed off, not ready to say how the magic came to be in their world. “Anyway, it hit my game console and pulled you into our world.” finished Sunset, continuing as if she had never said anything.

“Game console? Are you saying that we come from...a game?” asked Fritz, standing up.

“Yeah. Essentially, your world is a game in ours,” replied Sunset.

“Uh-huh, right…” said Fritz as he decided to sit back down again. “So, we are just video game characters to you?”

“Yeah…” said Sunset. “I know this is strange, but that is what happened.”

“So, why did the magic select us to come here?” asked Jeremy, speaking up after a few minutes of remaining silent.

“That’s the thing. I don’t know. It just did,” said Sunset.

“Did anyone else come with us?” asked Susie. “Cause I vaguely remember someone. But I am not sure I can make it out, it’s too fuzzy.”

“Hmm, there are six animatronics that came here, but I have only seen five of them so far. And you three are a part of the five,” replied Sunset, not wanting to tell them about Springtrap just yet.

Just then, a scream disturbed the evening quiet. Sunset and the girls hurried outside to see where the noise came from. As the kids joined them, they saw a police officer run by with Gabriel chasing after them. The police officer ran behind the barn while Gabriel seemed to freeze right in front of them. His red eyes shone directly at them. For a moment, it seemed he recognized the kids. But as quickly as it came, it went. The police officer, which had run off earlier, came back and ran right behind Gabriel. That prompted Sunset to look behind her at the kids.

“Um, you guys aren’t going to attack him, right?” asked Sunset as she and her friends backed up a little.

“No, we’re not. Now that we remember who we are, we have regained back control of ourselves,” Jeremy reassured the girls.

“Good. Now, how about we go after your friend?” Sunset asked as Gabriel turned his attention to the police officer.

The kids nodded as Sunset Shimmer turned back around and ran after Gabriel. She was ahead of Rainbow Dash until her foot slammed into a rock and tripped her. With her hands out in front of her, Sunset managed to soften her fall. Though, her knees ached from her slamming them into a solid dirt road. Rainbow Dash continued running past the redhead, seemingly unaware that she had fallen. Twilight Sparkle offered her good arm for Sunset Shimmer to take when she passed her.

“Thanks, Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer as she felt herself being pulled back up to her feet. “Let’s follow Dash!”

As Gabriel started to run down a rugged dirt path, he was headed towards a darkened forest up ahead. Rainbow Dash was the first to see him disappear into the dark foliage. As the trees covered his dark brown body, she started to lose sight of him. She ran up to the edge of the forest before she saw nothing of him. That forced her to stop in front of the forest and wait for the girls to show up.

“Dash, why did you stop runnin’?” asked Applejack as she walked up to the polychromatic athlete. “Where’s Gabriel?”

“Gabriel ran into the forest, and I lost sight of him,” said Rainbow Dash, pointing to the dark forest behind her.

Applejack turned her attention to the forest. “It’s mighty dark in there. Maybe we should turn on our phone flashlights, so we don’t get lost.”

Right when Applejack went to grab her phone, the sounds of another animatronic came from behind them. They all turned to see it was Golden Freddy, the one that ran by Sugarcube Corner earlier that week. Its eyes were glowing the same color red as Gabriel’s were. Unfortunately for the girls, the animatronic ran in the opposite direction from Gabriel. The girls watched as Golden Freddy disappeared into the forest on the other side.

“Well, that was unexpected,” said Pinkie Pie.

“I’ll say,” said Rarity. “Now, we have two problems to worry about.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset Shimmer. “What do we do now?”

“Let’s split up. Dash, AJ, Pinkie, you go after Golden Freddy and make sure they don’t harm anyone.” Sunset pointed in the direction Golden Freddy ran. “Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight, and I will go after Gabriel and trap him.”

“Okay!” shouted Rainbow Dash before she and her group ran after Golden Freddy.

With Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie going after Golden Freddy, Sunset and the rest of the girls ran after Gabriel. Sunset turned on her phone flashlight, shining t on the path ahead of them. The canopy above them thickened the deeper they ventured into the forest. Light from Sunset’s phone cast eerie shadows on the bushes and trees surrounding the path, which danced as the light moved. Though, her flashlight only lit up a small section of the trail, leaving the rest shrouded in solid blackness. With the thick canopy above them, the moonlight could barely illuminate the girls’ path below. A gust of wind blew past and rustled the treetops and caused Fluttershy to grip Twilight’s arm. The girls continued walking side by side until they reached a four-way center. Putting her phone in her pocket, Sunset Shimmer grabbed her keys and marked a tree coming from their current path.

“What are you doing, Sunset?” asked Twilight.

“Marking our path for later,” replied Sunset before she turned to Rarity. “Rarity, can you make a diamond to light the paths?”

“Here you go,” said Rarity as she made a medium-sized diamond appear and hovered it over the paths.

“Thanks, Rarity.” Turning to the rest of the girls, Sunset Shimmer motioned for them to come closer. “Okay, Fluttershy, do you think you could ask the animals to help us? They could know where Gabriel went.”

Just then, as if on cue, a robin landed on Fluttershy’s shoulder.

“Hello, little robin. Could you tell me if you have seen a robotic bear by any chance?” asked Fluttershy.

All the girls could make out were chirps and warbles as the robin talked with Fluttershy. Her ability to speak with animals was something the animal lover enjoyed using. When she had first gotten her geode, it was a learning curve for her. But with the help of the girls, Fluttershy got used to it. The robin jumped down from her shoulder, landing on her forearm. It pointed its wing down the rightmost path and chirped at Fluttershy.

“Are you saying the bear went down that path?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes, the bear ran down that path after it finished destroying my family’s home,” replied the robin.

Fluttershy gasped, horrified by the fact that someone would recklessly destroy an animal’s home. If there was one thing that got to Fluttershy, it was watching people harm animals and their homes. She forced herself to remain calm for the sake of her friends. A few minutes of chirping later, the robin flew off of the animal lover’s arm.

“Hope your family makes it,” said Fluttershy as she waved the robin goodbye.

“Well, what did the robin say?” asked Sunset.

“They said that Gabriel went down that path and got trapped in a trap,” replied Fluttershy, her finger pointing to the right path.

“Okay, let’s find Gabriel before he finds his way out of the trap,” said Sunset as she started to walk down the path.

Side by side with Sunset, Rarity held the diamond over the path. It illuminated the first five feet ahead of her. Beyond that, it was a seemingly impenetrable darkness. As the girls continued down the trail, the feeling that someone was watching them slowly grew. The trees surrounding the path twisted and folded in unusual ways. Sunset Shimmer noticed that the further down the road they traveled, the more the trees began to twist. She eyed one of the trees suspiciously, spotting a set of eyes behind it. Suddenly, the sound of a twig snapping broke the silence, causing the girls to jump. In the chaos, Twilight’s wings slammed into Sunset Shimmer, hitting her in the face...again.

“If Twilight keeps doing this, I am going to have to move,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she blew a few feathers out of her face and mouth.

Just when the girls had calmed down from the twig snapping, the sound of a bush rustling made them freeze. They all looked around and waited to see what was causing that noise. A few seconds later, a small squirrel came skittering out of the bush. The girls all relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. But that didn’t last long when the squirrel snarled at them. Its eyes glowed red as saliva dripped from its growing fangs.

“Ahh!!” screamed all the girls, grabbing onto each other.

The squirrel hissed once more at them before scurrying across their path and darting away. In the bustle of being jump-scared by a crazy squirrel, Fluttershy had latched onto Sunset’s arm. Fluttershy’s fingernails dug into her amber-colored skin as she struggled to calm down. Her grip was so tight in fact that the redhead was considering prying her hand off her arm. But she decided better of it despite her arm going numb.

“Shy?” asked Sunset. “Can you please let go? I can’t feel my arm anymore.”

“Oh...sorry, Sunset,” said Fluttershy, finally releasing the redhead’s arm from her grasp.

Fluttershy moved closer to Twilight Sparkle, still wanting to be close to someone. When she did that, she felt a warm, comforting wing wrap around her shoulder. That prompted her to look at Twilight. Her wings were still missing a few feathers, and there were some bald spots where the kids had stomped repeatedly. Yet, it seemed the pain had subsided, allowing the bookworm to move her wings more. Fluttershy reached out a tentative hand and pulled Twilight’s wing closer to her body.

“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” asked Twilight, keeping her voice low.

“Yes. Thank you, Twilight,” said Fluttershy, caressing a few feathers between her fingers.

“You’re welcome,” replied Twilight. “I am pleased you’re no longer afraid of me. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get past your fear.”

“You’re my friend, Twilight. I could never fear you,” replied Fluttershy.

“That’s good to hear,” said Twilight Sparkle as she pushed Fluttershy closer to her with her wing.

The girls continued walking, with Rarity standing behind Sunset Shimmer. The foliage around them gradually started slowly to disappear, becoming more sparse the further they went. Even the animals in the forest seemed to disperse, almost as if they had abandoned this part of the woods. That was very odd, especially to Fluttershy. Why would they leave their homes? She wasn’t sure, but she knew danger was likely ahead. Just as the girls turned the corner, a foul stench wafted towards them.

“Ugh, what is that awful smell?” asked Rarity, pinching her nose in an attempt to block the foul smell.

“It’s that rotting deer corpse over there,” said Sunset in between coughs.

“Oh my…” whispered Fluttershy as she covered her mouth, her gag reflex threatening to kick in.

“Yes, this is quite odd. I have noticed that the forest seems to become decrepit the deeper we go. I wonder why that is…” said Rarity, still pinching her nose.

“I don’t know, Rarity. But the sooner we find Gabriel, the faster we can get out of this creepy forest,” Twilight said as her other wing brushed up against the body of a dead squirrel, making her jerk her wing away from it.

“Yes, let’s get out of here, please,” whispered Fluttershy, sliding further under Twilight’s wing.

With that, the girls continued to make their way deeper into the creepy forest. Thankfully, it seemed the forest remained the same for the rest of their trek. After a few minutes of walking, they saw something glinting in the light of Rarity’s diamond. Stepping closer, the girls spotted something hanging in the air that made them freeze for a moment. As Rarity moved her diamond over it, they began to make out some familiar features. When they stepped closer to the object, they saw it was Gabriel. He had gotten stuck in a net that was hanging from a tree.

“Thank goodness we have finally found him,” said Rarity as she began to create more diamonds underneath him. “Let’s grab him and leave this horrible place.”

Sunset Shimmer walked over to where Twilight stood. However, when she approached, she saw Fluttershy hiding underneath one of Twilight’s wings. That made her regret what she was about to do even more. Sunset could see that Fluttershy was scared. The animal lover’s hands shaking made that clear.

“Fluttershy, can I talk to Twilight alone? Please?” asked Sunset.

“Yes, I will go see if Rarity needs any help,” replied Fluttershy, reluctantly leaving the safety of Twilight’s wing.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Twilight’s hand, giving her a small smile. Holding her hand, she could feel Twilight shaking. That made Sunset realize that she was also terrified of the forest and of...Gabriel. When she glanced behind her, she saw that the book worm’s gaze had become locked onto him. In an attempt to calm her down, Sunset squeezed her hand. She was trying to make her friend feel better, but it didn’t seem to work. Twilight’s eyes remained cold and distant as her gaze shifted to her.

“Twilight, do you still have your geode powers?” asked Sunset.

“I don’t know, Sunset. I haven’t used them since I transformed back into Midnight Sparkle,” said Twilight.

“Well, do you think you can try, Sparky? We could really use your power now,” begged Sunset as she glanced at Gabriel, who was close to breaking free from the net.

“Uh...okay,” said Twilight, sounding unsure.

Removing her hands from Sunset’s, Twilight attempted to levitate a small rock nearby. As she lifted her hand towards it, she focused on elevating the stone. Yet, all she ended up doing was blasting the boulder and causing it to shatter. She lowered her hand, no longer trusting her control over her powers. The explosion caused all the girls to shout in surprise.

“Sorry…” whispered Twilight.

Rarity looked at Fluttershy, who was shaking even more than she was before. Her fear was present in her cyan eyes. Rarity had to admit that she felt the same way. The pieces of charred rock which sat a few feet away from her made her feel uneasy. Twilight’s power was strong, and it seemed it was unreliable now. And that was something she found to be disconcerting.

“Fluttershy, dear? Are you okay?” asked Rarity, her concern showing.

“Y-yeah...that was just unexpected,” whispered Fluttershy, her voice quieter than usual and barely audible. If it weren’t for the eerie silence in the forest, no one would’ve heard her.

“Yes, that was unexpected indeed,” said Rarity as she eyed the charred rock. “I just hope she doesn’t blast anything else.”

Twilight let her wings fall around her as she heard the girls’ thoughts about her powers. It had been bad enough that they feared her when she first transformed. Then to have the whole group, except them, think she was Midnight Sparkle was worse. Not to mention the beatings she had received because of that. But to hear that they thought she wouldn’t be able to control her powers was more painful than everything that happened that day. Twilight looked away, not wanting to see her friend anymore.

Sunset looked at the girls, giving them a ‘Really?! Why would you say that aloud?!’ glare. She turned her attention to Twilight, noticing that she had turned her back to them.

“Sparky, we’re sorry. We know you’re still adjusting to what happened.” Sunset rested her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Is that the only power you’ve gained since your transformation?”

“Yes, Sunset. I can’t make portals if that is what you are asking,” replied Twilight, her annoyance at Sunset’s prodding clear.

“S-sorry, Twilight. I just wanted to know, I didn’t mean to upset you,” said Sunset.

Sunset hadn’t meant to upset Twilight. Yet, it seemed like she couldn’t do anything more than that. And that was making it increasingly hard to be around Twilight. An aching feeling in her stomach made her feel like she was no different now than when she was the bully of CHS. The girls were right about one thing. Her choice to lie about her past was a big mistake. Sunset knew that she should’ve been honest and upfront in the beginning. But now, it was getting too close to being too late for her.

“This is my fault! Sweet Celestia, I should’ve just said, yes, I did become a she-demon cause I was evil and wanted power! Then, I wouldn’t be here, in the position…” thought Sunset, her hand involuntarily forming a fist. “But then, if she knew, would she stay? Or would she run away because I am a monster…?”

Sunset was jostled from her thoughts when she heard a cracking sound. Slowly, she turned around to see what had caused it. To her shock, Sunset saw that Gabriel had managed to break the tree branch that was holding him. The net lay in tatters around him, no longer keeping him from attacking them.

“Twilight, you need you to use your powers. Now!” shouted Sunset, a sense of urgency in her voice.

“I have already tried, Sunset! I don’t think I can,” shouted Twilight, panicking as she watched Gabriel stand up.

“Just focus on levitating Gabriel, Sparky,” Sunset said, trying to help Twilight.

“O-okay, I will try again…” Twilight said, reluctantly.

Twilight Sparkle walked over to where Gabriel was still sitting and closed her eyes. Grasping her geode, she focused on levitating him, not blasting him. Her hand slightly trembled as Twilight focused solely on Gabriel. As she felt her hand twitch, Twilight opened her eyes and saw she was lifting him. Ever so slowly and carefully, Twilight lowered Gabriel onto Rarity’s diamond shield. Once he was safely seated on it, Twilight let go of her geode. Her magic aura left Gabriel and her hand as she stepped back. She swayed and almost fell before Sunset Shimmer caught her.

“Th-thank you, Sunset,” said Twilight, hiding a smile and her blushing cheeks.

“You’re welcome, Sparky.” Sunset felt her body heat up as one of Twilight’s wings brushed against her back. “I will always catch you.”

“Uh...I do hate to ruin this...flirtatious moment, but we could use some help here,” said Rarity as she adjusted her diamond shield to entrap Gabriel, struggling to fight against him.

“Oh right,” said both Twilight and Sunset in unison.

They both ran to Rarity and Fluttershy’s aid, helping them to contain Gabriel. Once they were sure he was secure, Sunset kneeled in front of him. The redhead sighed as she prepared herself for what was next.

“Okay, Gabriel. Let’s see what you want to keep buried…” said Sunset resting her hand on his arm as her eyes flashed white.

A Crack in the Dam

An 11-year-old Gabriel was chasing his friends around the tables at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. He was trying to avoid being tagged by Fritz, the same as Jeremy and Susie. Gabriel ducked just as Fritz tried to tag him. As he rounded the next table, he darted off in the opposite direction of his friends. After all the running, his lungs were beginning to burn. Between the three rounds with Susie and Jeremy and another four with Fritz joining in, Gabriel had gotten worn out because of the game. He watched as Susie sat down, just as exhausted as he was. A few seconds later, Fritz came running by and tripped over the leg of her chair.

“Ow!’ exclaimed Fritz as his knees slammed onto the floor.

Gabriel watched as Jeremy stopped running away and ran back to help Fritz up.

“Are you okay?” asked Jeremy.

Gabriel snickered as he saw the devilish smile appear on Fritz’s face. When Jeremy leaned down to help Fritz up, he saw him tag Jeremy.

“Yeah, and you’re it now!” shouted Fritz as he ran away from Jeremy, who was now it.

Gabriel chuckled as he heard Jeremy groan. He watched as Jeremy reluctantly ran after Fritz, clearly upset that he had gotten fooled. Though, his anger soon disappeared as he got into the game again. It was astonishing how Jeremy, despite being a few years younger than him, was always happy. Even when faced with the reality that their group would soon split, Gabriel knew that with him and Susie being the oldest of the group, they would soon be heading off to middle school. But he did share Jeremy and Fritz’s worries about their friendship getting torn apart.

As he saw Freddy, Chica, Foxy, and Bonnie walk past, that was his cue to join the group of kids gathering at the table. Gabriel took his seat near Jeremy, sitting next to Susie.

“Happy Birthday Jeremy!” exclaimed Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice.

Freddy set the cake down on the table in front of Jeremy. Gabriel noticed that the cake had a number 8 candle in the middle of a circle made of smaller candles. On the cake, it read ‘Happy Birthday, Jeremy!’ right below the characters of the pizzeria. The cake had obviously themed as a Freddy Fazbear cake, per Jeremy’s request. Looking over at Susie, he saw her giving Freddy a creeped-out look. It surprised him that she would ever set foot in the restaurant, considering her long rants about how stupid it was. But at the same time, Gabriel understood why she did it. It was Jeremy’s birthday after all, and she, like the rest of the group, wanted to be there for him.

“...Happy Birthday to you!” finished Chica.

Gabriel watched as Jeremy leaned forward, preparing to blow out his candles. His gaze shifted to Foxy when he saw the animatronic fox rest a hook on his friend’s shoulder. He heard the foxy say in his thick pirate accent, “Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy.”

A few seconds later, Jeremy made his wish, and Gabriel got his slice of cake. He was grateful that he and Jeremy shared a love for chocolate cake. Eagerly taking a bite of his cake, Gabriel missed the glare Susie was giving him. But he didn’t seem to mind that his manners weren’t refined like hers always were. Instead, Gabriel continued to gobble his cake down.

Two slices of cake later, Gabriel saw Fritz get up from the table. As he watched Fritz walk away, both he and Susie noticed their friend paused at the trash bins. That confused him and made him wonder what was going on. He realized that their friend was staring at something and tried to see what he was staring at. But he saw nothing, expect pitch blackness in a closed-off part of the building.

Gabriel heard Jeremy shout, “Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?”

That made Fritz run towards Jeremy and join him at the Pirate Cove show. Gabriel turned to Susie and leaned close to her.

“That was weird, right?” whispered Gabriel, holding his hand to cover his mouth.

“Yeah, it was,” replied Susie.

“What do you think he was staring at?” asked Gabriel.

“No clue. All I saw was a golden glow before it disappeared the second I blinked,” Susie said, eyeing the show.

Gabriel watched as Susie took one last sip of her water before joining the crowd of kids near the stage area. He was aware that the show was the only decent thing about the franchise, according to Susie. That surprised Gabriel, to say the least. But it seemed that was the only thing she approved of in the restaurant. Seeing her run off to find a less crowded place to sit, he got up from his chair. After three pieces of cake, Gabriel was starting to crave some pizza. His mom always said that he was like a pig with the way he ate. But he couldn’t help it if he was hungry all the time.

The lights dimmed as he watched Freddy, Foxy, Chica, and Bonnie step on stage one by one. The screams that came afterward were drowned out by the wall separating him from the crowd.

“Yar, har, har, har me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked the pirate fox while he waved his hook.

“We are!” shouted the kids in unison.

Gabriel saw the pirate fox lift his hook as he said, “Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt.”

Gabriel saw Bonnie start to play his guitar, the beginning chords of the first song playing over the speakers. Leaning against the wall behind him, he stood in the very back. Like Susie, Gabriel wasn’t a big fan of crowded places or large groups of people. He was more shy than outgoing when it came to meeting new people. Even more so than Susie was. While his thoughts flashed to when he had met his friends, a tantalizing smell wafted towards him.

“Hmmm, what is that delicious smell? Is that...pepperoni pizza?” thought Gabriel, inhaling more of the scent.

He followed the scent, his stomach growling in response to the thought of pizza. Walking away from the safety of the main area where the show was happening, he found himself walking down on a dark and dirty hallway. An eerie feeling washed over him as he turned the corner. There were feces, and old newspapers dispersed all over the floor. He tried to make out the headlines, but the lighting in the hall didn’t allow him to make out what they said. Several floor tiles were cracked and chipped by years of age and wear. A few puddles of a strange green liquid were also scattered all around him. Gabriel stepped around them, assuming it was water. He didn’t dare think of what else it might be, for fear that his gag reflex would kick in.

“Where am I? And why haven’t I found that delicious pizza I am smelling?” Gabriel thought as he looked down the dark hallway.

“Hello there, Gabriel,” said a voice, coming from the darkness. “Are you looking for that free pepperoni pizza?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am,” replied Gabriel, stepping back from the mysterious voice. “But um, who are you? And why are you hiding in the darkness?”

A figure wearing a Golden Freddy suit stepped out from the darkness. Their eyes were pitch black holes, no costume eyes or human eyes were visible. The outfit they were wearing had visible signs that it had endured years of wear and tear. It had also become covered in thick layers of grime and oil, which emitted a rancid smell. The smell itself was so strong that Gabriel had to cover his nose and mouth with his shirt.

“My name...is not of any importance to you. But you may call me the Purple Guy if that is easier for you.” The figure approached Gabriel, closing the space that separated them. “As for the reason why I was in the darkness, let’s just say the shadows are my friends.”

Gabriel gagged as the rancid smell from the suit intensified in the small area between him and the Purple Guy. This was when he noticed that Purple Guy didn’t have any pizza on him. His hands were sitting across his chest. That was odd to him. Very unusual, considering he could still smell the pizza over the suit’s scent.

“Hey, where is that pepperoni pizza?” asked Gabriel, his stomach growling as he asked the question.

“It’s another room,” replied the Purple Guy, walking away from Gabriel. “If you want it, I can show you where it is.”

Gabriel looked back at his friends and family. They were happily watching the show, unaware of the situation that was unfolding in the darkness. He looked at Jeremy, Susie, and Fritz. They all seemed happy and peaceful, like a perfect moment frozen in time. Susie had even moved closer to where Jeremy and Fritz were sitting as the second song began to play. Gabriel turned his attention back to the mysterious Purple Guy. Something, maybe the fact that he seemed to be up to something, made him feel uneasy as he stared at the eyeless costume head. But, for now, his growling stomach and the thought of a tantalizing pizza were enough for him to ignore his suspicions.

“Okay, sure. Show me where this pizza is,” said Gabriel as he started to follow the Purple Guy.

After turning down a few slowly decaying hallways, the Purple Guy stopped in a dimly lit area. It was the same as all the others they had walked through. Every single one was dirty, covered in feces and strange green puddles. And the smell of decaying animals slowly grew stronger with every hallway they went down. By now, that stench was so strong Gabriel almost decided to turn around and abandon the pizza. Though, he was too hungry to do that...yet. The newspapers had stopped littering the floor. Instead, they had gotten replaced by recent flyers of a missing girl. He looked at the picture on them; something about her seemed familiar to him. It was like he had seen her before, but where? Perhaps he had seen her at school or his way to school. Yet, before Gabriel could recall if he had seen her, a grime-covered paw grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the flyer.

“Don’t pay any attention to those scraps of paper,” said the Purple Guy.

“Why?” asked Gabriel, wondering what the Purple Guy was trying to hide.

“Because...it’s none of your damn business, kid!” shouted the Purple Guy, making Gabriel shrink away from him. Seeing that, he lowered his voice and said, “Sorry, I had a fucked up day with my piece of shit boss. I had to dress up as this dumbass mascot today. And then my wife…” he stopped when he realized that he was droning on.

“Oh…” muttered Gabriel, not sure what had just happened.

“Eh, you don’t need to know the details, kid,” said the Purple Guy as he continued walking down the hallway. “Come on, follow me. We’re almost at the room where your pizza is.”

That made Gabriel hesitate. He didn’t want the pizza anymore, despite his growing hunger. Now, he wanted to be with his friends and family, safe from any harm. Something about the drastic change in the Purple Guy’s behavior and the growing decrepitness of the building worried him. This part of the restaurant was clearly off-limits, but why? There had been no newspaper clippings or reports on it. Though, there was one police report that he remembered vaguely being about the restaurant. But that had gotten shut down after it began with no reason as to why. With that all swarming around in his head, Gabriel felt a migraine coming on.

“No, I am not following you anymore,” said Gabriel, stomping his foot against the tile floor.

The Purple Guy walked over to Gabriel, letting out a low growl as he got closer. His hand gripped the boy’s arm in a tight grasp. And without any warning, he lifted Gabriel by his arm, resulting in his shoulder dislocating.

“Listen here, you fucking brat, I have no patience for you. So, follow me, or I will have to do something you’ll hate,” hissed the Purple Guy, his masked face inches from Gabriel’s.

“Ahh-” Gabriel’s cry for help was cut off by a hand covering his mouth.

“Shut the hell up, kid!! I don’t want any attention drawn to us,” whispered the Purple Guy.

“Fine, I will follow you,” said Gabriel, his words muffled by the hand that was covering his mouth.

With that, Gabriel had gotten dropped back down. His shoulder throbbed as his arm returned to its normal position. He clutched it, hoping that it would ease the pain he felt. The pain was unlike any he had felt in his lifetime. It was worse than when he broke his wrist in a bike accident. Pushing his thoughts aside, Gabriel did his best to pay no attention to the pain in his shoulder. He followed the Purple Guy as they wandered further into the creepy hallways. When they saw a door labeled ‘Playroom,’ they stopped walking.

“Why would the pizza be in there?” asked Gabriel.

“Kid,” The purple guy sighed as he rested his hand on Gabriel’s back. “You ask way too many questions. Now, just walk in and eat your pizza.”

“Uh...okay,” said Gabriel.

Walking up to the old, rotting door, Gabriel gripped the doorknob and turned it. The door creaked and groaned as it swung on its hinges. Using his good arm, he wrapped his jacket tighter around his body. Stepping closer to the doorway, Gabriel saw an old golden animatronic sitting in the corner of the room. The stairs from the door led straight to the animatronic. Gabriel took a few cautious steps down the stairs and noticed something was very wrong. He couldn’t see or smell any pizza. Though, there was one overpowering scent — rotting human flesh. Before he had a chance to look around thoroughly, the door had gotten locked behind him.

“Hey!! Why did you lock the door?!” shouted Gabriel, to no avail as the Purple Guy walked away.

After a few seconds of sitting on the stairs had passed, Gabriel called out, “Can I at least have some pizza? I am starving.”

Still, no response came. Giving up, Gabriel decided to make his way down the stairs. His good hand followed the mold-covered wall as he struggled to see in the darkness. If it hadn’t been for the sliver of light coming from the bottom of the door, he would’ve missed the animatronic at the bottom of the stairs. Its joints were somewhat rusted, most likely because of the dripping pipes around him. He also noticed that the plastic was coated in the same grime and oil as the Purple Guy’s costume was.

“That’s odd,” thought Gabriel. “Why is that animatronic covered in the same stuff as the Purple Guy?”

Gabriel decided it was best to leave the animatronic alone and not touch or disturb it. He made his way to a corner of the room, which seemed to have less mold than the other areas. Getting mold on him and being wet wasn’t something Gabriel planned on doing, especially since his day had already gone bad enough as it was. Sitting in the far right corner, he curled himself into a ball, being careful about moving his bad arm.

“Why me? I didn’t ask for this to happen to me…” thought Gabriel as a small tear rolled down his cheek.

A half-hour later, Gabriel heard what he thought to be two people coming towards the room. He sat up and tried to listen to what they were saying.

“Let me go!” shouted a familiar voice that had gotten muffled.

“Hmm, let me think about it.” Gabriel realized it was the Purple Guy speaking. “No, but I will gladly escort you to this deluxe room.”

Seconds later, the door was flung open, and Gabriel had become blinded by the light spilling into the room. He watched as Susie was shoved into the room with him. He saw her land next to the golden animatronic, almost slamming directly into it. Worry filled him as he heard her groan. Once more, Gabriel listened to the door slam shut and lock behind both him and Susie.

“Hey! Watch it, will you?” said Gabriel as he felt Susie’s hand push down on his hand.

Gabriel watched as Susie looked at him. He hoped he hadn’t spooked her, but it was impossible to see her expression. Moving his hand, he watched as she stepped around him in the small dark room. When she got closer, he looked at her and made the light from under the door reflect off his glasses.

“S-sorry, Gabe," apologized Susie.

Gabriel felt Susie’s arm brush against his as she sat down on the concrete floor next to him. As he looked at her, he saw a vague outline of her form. He instantly recognized the shorts she was wearing. Gabriel knew the only reason Susie wore shorts was that she had grown tired of him ruining her skirts. Though, he wasn’t trying to do that on purpose.

“Susie, is that really you?” asked Gabriel.

“Yeah, it is, you dummy,” replied Susie, playfully punching his arm.

“Yep, definitely you,” Gabriel said. “No one calls me a dummy, but you.”

He heard Susie chuckle before saying, “So...how did you get trapped in here?”

Gabriel turned away from Susie, ashamed of why he had gotten trapped. It wasn’t his fault that pizza tasted so good. Yet, that didn’t seem to stop her from teasing him relentlessly about it. After enduring years of Susie’s insults, Gabriel was beginning to grow annoyed by being teased.

“What? Did you get trapped for something stupid?” asked Susie.

“The Purple Guy offered me pizza. I was trapped...for free pizza,” replied Gabriel, keeping his voice low out of embarrassment.

“Wait. What? You were trapped...for pizza? Pizza?!” shrieked Susie as she jumped to her feet.

“Yes…”

“Should’ve guessed that was how you got trapped. You think with your stomach rather than your head,” Susie said, sighing.

“And what exactly led to you getting trapped with me?” asked Gabriel, his tone slightly accusing.

Gabriel heard Susie go silent. That made him curious to know why. It wasn’t typical for Susie — the chatterbox of the group — to go quiet, not unless she had a real reason to be quiet. In the dim lighting, he saw Susie getting ready to speak when the door opened, cutting her off. Two shadowy figures stood in the doorway. Silence filled the air as everyone waited with bated breath for what was going to happen. The second figure hesitated as if they were unsure of what to do. For a moment, they didn’t move towards the room. But when a hand encouraged them, they stepped into the room. Only for the door to slam shut and lock again behind them.

Something about the figure felt familiar to Gabriel. What it was about the figure, he wasn’t too sure. The longer he looked at the person, the more Gabriel thought he recognized them. Getting up from the floor, he walked over where Susie was. That allowed him to see the person better.

“Fritz?” asked Gabriel and Susie in unison.

“W-who’s there?” asked Fritz.

“It’s us, you dummy,” said Susie as Gabriel witnessed her angrily slapping Fritz’s arm.

“Ow, that is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard,” Fritz said.

“And it’s me, Gabriel,” said Gabriel.

“How did you guys get here?” asked Fritz, unaware that Gabriel saw him rubbing his sore arm.

Gabriel heard Susie scoff as she crossed her arms and said, “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”

Gabriel was offended by Susie’s comment. She was usually never this mean or cruel to him or their friends. Yet, he knew this was an unusual situation for all of them to be in. And that the stress was likely getting to her, making her act meaner than usual. Though, that still didn’t give her any right to scold him like that even if he did fall for getting a free pizza.

“Hey! I was hungry,” Gabriel shouted, trying to defend himself against Susie.

Gabriel saw Fritz stand between him and Susie and rest a hand on his shoulder.

“Okay, so I know Gabriel was tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Susie?” asked Fritz.

The second Fritz asked that question, the room fell silent again. Gabriel’s curiosity to know what exactly brought Susie to this room was growing with every breath he took. He wanted to know how she allowed herself to get led to the same trap. A few minutes later and Susie threw her hands down, seemingly in defeat.

“I was lured in because of ...a free makeup kit. One that had gotten made especially made for me,” Susie replied.

“Really, Susie? A free makeup kit?” asked Fritz, sounding almost appalled by the fact she could’ve had gotten lured away from something as frivolous as a makeup kit.

“What?! I like wearing makeup,” said Susie, turning away from Fritz and Gabriel.

“Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie,” Fritz said. “Wait...where’s Jeremy?”

That made Gabriel wonder the same thing. If Fritz and Susie had gotten brought in, where was their other friend? There was one other question on his mind as well — why was the Purple Guy targeting them specifically? They weren’t anything special, right? His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open for the fourth time that night. Again, two figures stood in the doorway; one of them was the Purple Guy. The other one seemed very familiar. When he saw the all too familiar wavy hair of his friend, that let him know it was Jeremy. As his friend slowly walked down the stairs, he saw the light disappear again behind the locked door.

“Hey! What are you doing?” screamed Jeremy.

Gabriel watched as Jeremy approached the golden animatronic. He remembered that he had avoided it because of the stench coming off of it. And seeing his friend do the thing he couldn’t, it made his skin crawl. Gabriel didn’t want to be close to it when Jeremy opened it. Backing away, he covered his nose and mouth and prepared himself for the stench.

The squeaking of plastic made Gabriel hold his breath. It was followed by a squishing sound, almost as if something was getting pulled from a half-rotted corpse. The putrid smell of rotting flesh intensified, making his gag reflex kick in. He heard Susie receding steps before they abruptly stopped. Gabriel saw her jump forward as he figured she touched the mold-covered wall. If he weren’t busy fighting his urge to vomit, he would’ve chuckled at her response.

Once his urge to vomit ad subsided, Gabriel glanced at the area where the appalling smell was coming from. What he saw was a decaying corpse of a teenage girl. Her body didn't have any signs of substantial decomposition, but there was enough decomposition to allow larvae to thrive. There was enough of her initial appearance left for Gabriel to realize she was the girl on the flyers. The one he had seen right before the Purple Guy had pulled him away. He also remembered that she was the girl who had disappeared from school two months prior. Her parents had been on tv trying to find her.

“Was she also one of his victims? Is that what he plans to do to me as well? To my friends?” thought Gabriel, his mind racing at the realization of what was going to happen.

The sound of someone retching broke through his thoughts. Gabriel turned to see it was Susie that was the source of the noise. He felt terrible for her. She was always the one who opted out of rides, like roller coasters and high rise rides. And whenever they went to watch a horror movie, Susie always seemed to have an excuse. At first, Gabriel had thought it was because she hated them. Though he soon learned that her stomach was sensitive to anything that would cause a dramatic change to her surroundings and emotions. Gabriel wasn’t sure if it was a medical condition or not. But every time he tried to ask her about it, Susie would always change the subject immediately. A few minutes of heaving later, Gabriel saw Susie make her way over to Jeremy, her arms clutching her abdomen.

“Jeremy!” exclaimed Susie, breaking the silence. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you,” replied Jeremy.

Gabriel saw Susie remove her hands from her stomach and hug Jeremy. He saw Jeremy join her in the hug. Though, he pulled away once he heard Susie groan in pain.

“Why did you guys get trapped in here?” asked Jeremy.

Gabriel knew why Susie fell silent. Looking at Fritz through the dim lighting, he saw that he knew too. Sure, he and Fritz knew Susie was no fan of Pizzeria. But Jeremy, who adored the restaurant and its mascots, didn’t realize how much she hated the place. It was their secret that they shared between the three of them. They all agreed not to say anything to Jeremy after he revealed that he was planning to have his 8th birthday party at the restaurant. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. But now, Jeremy was going to hear the whole truth right before they all perished. Gabriel sighed as Susie started to explain what happened, revealing her hatred of the place in the process.

A few hours had passed, and Gabriel was sure that all their parents had left the building. There were no sounds of bustling parents trying to find their lost kids echoing down the hallways. It was clear that everyone had left, leaving him and his friends at the mercy of the Purple Guy. Just as he started to ponder what his mother and father were thinking, the door was flung open. The dim light blinded him and his friends temporarily. Once he could see again, Gabriel saw a figure in the doorway, whom he recognized immediately. As the Purple Guy walked down the stairs, Gabriel’s eyes widened with fear.

“Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?” asked the Purple Guy.

Without warning, Gabriel felt his friends huddled around him, forcing him into a ball as they closed in on him. Fear paralyzed him, just as his friends’ fear paralyzed them. Gabriel spotted the huddled figure of Jeremy. Helpless to do anything, he watched as the Purple Guy grabbed his friend by the arm. With a single tear shed and running down his cheek, Gabriel saw Jeremy getting dragged out of the room. A sickening feeling told him that was the last time he would ever see his friend alive.

Gabriel, still absorbed in knowing that he was going to die, didn’t notice that Fritz had broken off from the group huddle. Or that Susie had seen him move and understood that Fritz, like Gabriel, knew that his death was coming soon. All Gabriel could do was focus on not crying and not letting the building tears fall down his cheeks. Gabriel choked back sobs, too afraid to cry in front of his friends. Gabriel didn’t want to tell them that he wasn’t okay. He tried to remain strong for their sake.

A silent hour later, the door opened again. This time, Gabriel didn’t bother to watch as the Purple Guy stomped his way down the stairs. But to prevent himself from being blinded by the light, he had closed his eyes tightly. He heard the footstep approach one of his friends. That prompted him to open his eyes and see what was happening. In front of him, Gabriel saw the Purple Guy forcibly removing Fritz. When they reached the stairs, he saw Fritz was moving slowly due to his declining condition. That was when he saw Fritz mouth the word ‘goodbye’ to them. A few seconds later, Susie waved goodbye just to have the door slammed in her face. Gabriel would’ve waved too, but his arm was too sore for him to want to move it. Returning his gaze to the floor, he missed seeing Susie turning to him.

“Am I going to be next?” asked Susie, her voice quivering as she spoke.

Gabriel looked her in the eye. “Yes,” he said in a monotone.

The tone in his voice surprised Gabriel. It was shocking to him, especially as he was always one to give his emotions away. Yet, to hear no emotions, it was a stark realization. All the events that happened to him and his friends had begun to change him. Gabriel looked at Susie just as she turned away from his gaze. Gabriel figured she didn’t want him to see her crying. She was emotional, but she didn’t always want to show it.

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to sound so cold,” said Gabriel, trying to comfort her.

“I-it’s okay, Gabe. You’re probably just as scared as I am,” said Susie. “But if you tell anyone that I said I was scared, I will deny it.”

“If we survive this, that is,” added Gabriel.

“Yeah, if we survive this…” said Susie.

Gabriel watched as Susie leaned against the wall. He could see she didn’t care about the mold or dirt anymore. But what shocked him the most was the sound of her sobbing. It was the first time he had ever heard Susie cry. She always hid it from him and the rest of the group, saying she was too tough to cry. Now, her tough exterior was completely gone. It had gotten shattered by the events of seeing their friends carried off to their deaths. And seeing Susie no longer being her usual self, it broke Gabriel.

After a half-hour of listening to Susie sob, unable to do anything to console her, Gabriel heard her stop. He looked at her and wondered if she was okay. He was tempted to ask but thought better of it. Knowing that if he had asked, it wouldn’t have done any good. Besides, he figured it was better if he kept quiet. When Gabriel returned his gaze to the floor, he heard Susie scoot closer to him.

“Hey Gabe, mind if I use your jacket for a pillow?” asked Susie as she stifled a yawn.

“No, go ahead,” said Gabriel as he shook off his jacket, being wary of his shoulder. “Here you go, Susie.”

As he handed her his jacket, he saw Susie roll it up into a ball. When she rested it on the floor, he realized what she was doing. Gabriel wished that he could sleep and forget the reality he was in. But a part of him wanted to stay awake and fight. To protect his last remaining friend, even if it was futile. She had been there for him, and he tried to return the favor. He rested his arms on his knees as he pulled them to his chest, wincing as his shoulder throbbed. His eyes never left the door as he rested his head on his arms. Silent and in the dark, Gabriel waited for the purple Guy’s inevitable return.

Not long after Susie had dozed off, the Purple Guy came into the room again. In his hand, Gabriel spotted a blood-covered ax. Blood was dripping off the blade, indicating that it was fresh. That made him wonder what the Purple Guy did to Fritz. Though, his curiosity faded quickly when darker possibilities slipped in. With narrowed eyes, he watched as he approached Susie’s sleeping form. A few seconds later, Gabriel heard the ax hit her knee with a loud crack.

Following the cracking sound, Gabriel heard Susie let out a guttural scream of agony as the pain awakened her. Covering his eyes, he continued watching the scene unfold in front of him. Gabriel watched as Susie reached out and touched her new wound, which resulted in her letting out another pained scream. It bothered him to see her injured and in pain. Yet, he knew that if he intervened, it would only make matters worse. And likely result in him getting hurt or Susie getting injured even more. In the dim light, Gabriel could see blood running down Susie’s leg and staining her hand.

“Oh great, you’re awake now. Now, walk you little fucker,” hissed the Purple Guy.

“How can I walk?! You injured my knee,” Susie shouted at the Purple Guy.

“Oh, come on! I know that you can walk. So, walk!” exclaimed the Purple Guy, his anger building with every word he said.

Gabriel, still eyeing the Purple Guy, saw Susie as she attempted to stand up. He saw her try to put pressure on her injured knee. Soon as she did that, her knee buckled and caused her to fall. He heard her knee hit the floor, landing in a pool of her blood with a squelch. Seconds later, Susie cried out. Gabriel cringed at the sound, unable to bear hearing her suffer. Before she had a chance to recover from falling, Gabriel saw the Purple Guy raise his ax once again. When he saw it strike Susie’s ankles, his gag reflex kicked. It was sickening to see what the Purple Guy was doing to his friend. The ax cut deeper into her ankles, making Susie scream louder than before.

“Okay, you little bitch, I am not going to carry you. So, get up and march up those stairs,” said the Purple Guy as he yanked Susie to her feet.

With teary eyes, Gabriel watched as Susie attempted to stand up again. This time, he saw that she managed to keep herself from falling. Though, he could hear her wince with every step she took. She twisted her ankle as she moved towards the stairs, making her rest her hand on the wall to keep from falling again. Once she regained her balance, Gabriel saw Susie limp out of the room for the last time.

Just before Susie left the room, Gabriel whispered, “Goodbye, my friends. I hope we see each other soon.”

Gabriel watched the door close once more, letting him know he was next. With his knees still pulled to his chest, Gabriel started to sob softly. It didn’t matter now. He was alone in the dark and silent room, which held his last memories of his friends. Deep down, he knew all his friends were dead. Tears streamed down his cheeks, staining his jeans and shirt sleeves in the process. His body shook as all his built-up sobs freed themselves. Every memory he had of him, and his friends played in his head, making him cry harder. For the first and probably last time in his life, Gabriel felt truly alone.

A half-hour later, Gabriel wiped the last few of his tears that trickled down his cheeks. His throat and mouth were dry from all his crying. He coughed into his elbow and got up. Grabbing his jacket from the floor, he held it close to his body. In a comforting way, it made him feel like Susie was still there next to him. Susie’s usual perfume still lingered on the fabric. Gabriel inhaled deeply, wanting to remember the scent. However, after holding the jacket for a little bit, he sat back down. His gaze was locked on the door, readying himself for when it would open again. When the Purple Guy returned, he vowed to fight until he couldn’t anymore – to fight for his friends to avenge their deaths.

An hour had passed before the Purple Guy opened the door again. Gabriel slid his jacket onto the floor as the Purple Guy walked up to him.

“Okay, fucker, get up now. And don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” said the Purple Guy.

Gabriel, weak from crying, got up slowly. He was forcibly marched up the stairs and past the door. Once he was standing outside the room, Gabriel heard the slam shut and lock behind him. He followed the Purple Guy down the hallway until he had gotten stopped in front of a white room. Pools of blood sat in various areas in the room. It seemed the plastic covering the room was doing its job. As Gabriel walked into the room, he noticed several areas of blood spatter on the walls. Gabriel looked around and noticed numerous tables sitting in the room. On each one were many types of tools, more than he had ever seen. Set aside from the other instruments were a few that had gotten coated in blood, including the ax used against Susie.

“So, Gabriel...which weapon do you wish to die by? Machete? An ax? Ooh, how about a slow, painful death by amputation?” asked the Purple Guy, his voice dripping with glee and excitement.

Gabriel looked around at the weapons laid out before him. His eyes settled on the ax, which had become covered in a mix of Susie and Jeremy’s blood. Taking the wooden handle in his hand, he felt the blood coating his palm. Usually, Gabriel would have been disgusted by what he had just done. But right now, the only thing he had on his mind was revenge. And with the blood of his friends on his hands, he was going to avenge them.

“How about the ax, you crazy asshole!?” shouted Gabriel as he swung the ax at the Purple Guy.

The blade of the ax sliced through his costume, digging itself into the Purple Guy’s abdomen. Gabriel heard him cry out in pain as he fell to his knees. The sight of seeing his captor injured pleased Gabriel. Yet, that was a fleeting feeling as he saw him look up at him. He staggered away from the Purple Guy as he removed the costume head. Gabriel saw him chuckling, the ax still embedded in his abdomen.

“Nice swing, you little motherfucker.” The Purple Guy gripped the handle of the ax and yanked it out, releasing a steady flow of blood from his wound. “But, uh, never give the weapon to the person who is going to murder you.”

Gabriel turned to run away, but the ax hit his back before he had a chance to duck. As the blade cut through his skin, digging into his muscle, it caused a deep gash. He screamed out in agony and continued running. Reaching behind him, Gabriel used his good arm to grasp the handle of the ax and ripped it from his back. He tossed the ax to the side of the room, where it landed in a pool of Fritz’s blood. Ignoring the feeling of his warm blood pouring down his back, Gabriel grabbed a nearby hack saw. He spun around to see that the Purple Guy had removed most of the Golden Freddy costume. That revealed the dark purple security suit he was wearing. Where the ax had dug into him was dark and dripping blood onto the plastic floor.

“Fucker, drop the damn saw. It won’t do you any good now,” said the Purple Guy, his eyes pitch black and filled with rage.

“NO!!” shouted Gabriel as he charged at the Purple Guy, digging the sharp-edged saw into his chest.

The saw was pushed all the way in, making the Purple Guy scream through gritted teeth. He could feel the teeth digging into his muscle and shredding it with every breath he took. Once Gabriel started to walk away, he yanked the saw from his chest and lurched it at him. The saw hit Gabriel’s good hand, slicing straight through his palm. Staring at the saw now sticking out of his hand, Gabriel screamed.

There was a saw now going into one side of his hand and sticking out the other. Using his bad arm, he took the saw and pulled it from his hand. Gabriel felt every tooth of the saw slice through his skin and muscle as he pulled it towards himself. It felt like he was shredding his hand. When his hand jerked, the saw sliced through one of the bones in his hand and caused him to scream again. Finally, the saw came loose and clattered onto the plastic-covered floor.

Behind Gabriel, the Purple Guy took advantage of him being distracted and grabbed a shotgun. He approached Gabriel and was ready to hit him with the butt of the gun when he felt something slice through his pants and into his shin. Looking down, the Purple Guy found that Gabriel had shoved the hack saw into his leg and bolted towards the circular saw. Fighting through his pain, he removed the saw from his leg, causing blood to pour down his pant leg. With the saw gone, the Purple Guy’s shin had become exposed due to how deep the saw had gone.

Gabriel had been smart enough to listen to the sound of crinkling plastic. That is what allowed him to grab the hack saw and attack the Purple Guy. He quickly plugged in the circular saw, not wasting a second. The quicker he could attack his captor, the faster he could free himself. Besides, his strength was beginning to wane with his bloodloss from his multiple injuries.

“Why you little asshole! That was a big mistake,” said the Purple Guy as the hack saw clattered to the floor.

“Eat this, Purple Guy!” Gabriel shouted as he turned on the circular saw.

Gabriel, now with the circular saw in his hand, charged at the Purple Guy. He aimed the spinning blade directly at his knee cap and pushed. With a sickening crack, the blade chomped through the bone. Blood sprayed everywhere as the saw was continually shoved deeper into his knee. Gabriel held the saw there, hoping it would give him time to escape. Unfortunately, he didn’t hear the Purple Guy cock the shotgun over the roar of the saw. Seconds later, Gabriel was lying on the ground with the circular saw sitting next to him. The stinging sensation of gunpowder on his skin was the only indication he had gotten shot. His body, already in shock from his previous injuries, failed to register the multiple pellets in his body that shredded his abdomen.

“Now Gabriel, I hope I don’t have to teach you a lesson here, do I?” asked the Purple Guy as he walked up to Gabriel.

“I will avenge my friends!” shouted Gabriel as he tried to sit up.

That answer angered the purple Guy and caused him to grab the circular saw. Gabriel knew what was coming and prepared himself. Closing his eyes, he felt the blade of the saw slice through the skin on his abdomen. Gabriel could feel the saw cutting through his intestines and spraying blood on and around him. The Purple Guy moved the saw sideways, letting the jagged edges shred more of his abdomen. The saw remained there for a few minutes before it was finally returned to its original position and started heading towards his sternum. It was like a shark feasting on his insides. With every agonizing second that passed, Gabriel wished he was dead. Having his body ripped and shredded was the worse pain he ever felt. The closer the saw got to his ribcage, the more he felt the vibration in his bones.

Looking at his abdomen or rather what remained of it, he almost threw up. There were bits and pieces of his intestinal lining that were mushed and mixed in with his tissue and muscle. It looked like a blender had gone to town on his abdomen. Seeing his blood mixed in with the ground-up parts of his innards, it looked similar to a smoothie. Only a smoothie a vampire would love. Gabriel saw the blade approaching his ribcage and rested his head against the floor. By now, he knew it was too late for him. His vision had begun to grow blurry from his bloodloss and pain. And his strength had altogether disappeared with his last effort to attack the Purple Guy. When he felt the blade slowly begin to dig into his sternum, his already exhausted body gave up, and Gabriel soon passed out.

“That’s a good little fucker. Pass out for me so I can murder you…” whispered the Purple Guy as Gabriel slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

Half an hour later, Gabriel felt himself getting dragged by his shirt collar. He watched as the room where he tried to fight for his friends disappeared. The rough tile floor scraped against his jeans as he was continually dragged up the stairs that led to the stage. Every bump in the stairs made him wince in pain. Glancing up, he saw the vague forms of the animatronics on the stage. Through his hazy vision, Gabriel could make out each of his friends’ corpses. He saw the damage the animatronic parts had done to their bodies. It disgusted him and made him look away. Yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him that he was going to suffer the same fate soon.

“Why? Why would you murder us? We did nothing to you,” asked Gabriel.

The Purple Guy groaned. “Fucker, I am murdering you because it’s fun, and I love the sight of your body getting mutilated. And when you scream, it’s like every angel above is singing to me.”

“That is not a valid reason, you freaking sicko!” shouted Gabriel as he felt his weakened body getting lifted off the floor.

“Yeah, well, say ‘hi’ to Freddy for me,” said the Purple Guy as he shoved Gabrel inside of the animatronic body of Freddy Fazbear.

“I will avenge my friends’ deaths!” exclaimed Gabriel as he saw his face moving into the animatronic.

The mechanical gears slammed into his skin, tearing it away and exposing his pink muscle underneath. It felt like a thousand hot knives were slowly peeling his flesh away. Blood poured from the areas where his skin once was. Little by little, pieces and chunks of his skin fell to the bottom of the animatronic with a slick plop sound. Gabriel looked to his side, watching as his bad arm was ground into by the various gears. When a gear slammed straight into his shoulder, all he could do was let out a low groan. As the gear continued to push into his shoulder, Gabriel felt his bone crack seconds before it shattered under the pressure.

Unforgivingly, the gear shoved the broken bone pieces into his muscle. Every jagged piece felt like a razor blade cutting through his body. Blood oozed out around the gear, lubricating it. By now, most metal surfaces in the animatronic had become painted a lovely shade of red. Several more gears dug into his shins and tore his skin and muscle open, exposing the bone underneath. Gabriel felt the pressure of the gears as they shoved themselves on his exposed bone. He moved away, trying to get rid of the gears against his bone. Unfortunately, that only made the gears dig deeper into his body, causing him more pain.

While the gears ground and dug their way into his body, Gabriel watched as the first series of beams made their way towards him. As if sensing a weak spot in his abdomen, one beam shoved itself right through it. The remains of his shredded insides fell out around the pole, pushed out by the force of the beam going in. He could feel the metal dig into his intestines, shredding more of them in the process. That caused more blood to pour out of his body and drip down into the interior of the animatronic. With the metal pipe now embedded inside of him, Gabriel’s range of motion had become severely cut off.

Several more beams slammed into his body. He felt one insert itself right between two of his lower ribs, cracking them as it did so. The pain was immense, almost enough to make Gabriel want to vomit, but he kept himself from giving in to that urge. The smell of his vomit in the cramped space sounded appalling to him. As it was, the scent of his blood was intense, almost overwhelming. But he didn’t have time to ponder how much worse his situation would’ve been if he had vomited as another beam slammed right into his back.

The beam made quick work of his muscle and tissue, tearing it apart as if it was just tissue paper. When it hit his shoulder blade, the beam crushed it to pieces and continued traveling through his body. Seconds later, the first beam had gotten joined by a second one. But this one made its way into his lower back, narrowingly missing his spine as it dug deeper into him. A weak moan slipped from Gabriel’s lips as he felt ligament after ligament tearing and ripping inside of him. The pain was enough to make him wish he had died before he'd entered this death trap of torture.

Just then, he heard a series of clicking sounds, followed by three beams all slamming into his body at once. One aimed for his spine, successfully hitting and snapping it. Another aimed for his pelvic bone and dug itself into it, cracking it and causing more pain to wash over Gabriel’s already worn-out body. The third one made its way for his skull but missed it by just a few centimeters. Sadly, the relief didn’t last long as a fourth beam found Gabriel’s shin and proceeded to snap it in half.

With his shin snapped in half, Gabriel had gotten forced to stand on his other leg. But with his one leg down, he had to rest what remained of his leg on the beam. As a result, his pain increased, making his vision swirl as Gabriel struggled to stay conscious. Gabriel swallowed and forced himself to stay awake, knowing that if he fell asleep, it would most likely be the last time. The beam in his abdomen shifted and broke one of his ribs. He heard the bone clatter to the bottom of the animatronic. That had gotten followed by two more rib bones, which had gotten broken earlier.

Now, the mechanical parts moved in, bringing all sorts of wires with them. Every wire dug into Gabriel's skin, pressing hard enough to break through what little remained. Blood fell from his body like a river, covering his skin and clothes in a layer of red. Gabriel’s vision started to grow black and hazy as he continued to lose more of his blood volume. A couple of wires strung themselves in between his ribs. Wires also went through the injury on his back, coating their rubber covering in his blood. Several cables wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air slowly.

Gabriel swallowed for the last time as the wires started to get tighter. He looked out through the eyeholes of the animatronic. In front of him was the room where Jeremy’s birthday party was. There were still remnants of the wrapping paper of Jeremy’s presents still lying on the floor. Streamers even lined some of the walls, though some were barely hanging on. The room still looked like a party was going on, only now no one was there. Looking around, Gabriel saw himself and his friends hanging out as he slowly started to fade away. While his body began to die, his mind tried to offer one last refuge before his inevitable demise came. His eyelids drifted closed as he saw his friends in front of him, smiling and not in any pain. The sound of Freddy’s face clicking back into place echoed in Gabriel’s ears as he drifted away.

Gabriel took one last shaky breath as the wires tightened even more around his throat. He knew his time was coming soon. One final thought crossed his mind before he exhaled for the last time.

“Susie… Jeremy… Fritz… I will avenge your deaths one day. I will make this right. Even if I lose myself to it…”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer flew back as she exited Gabriel’s memories. Her back hit a tree, knocking the air out of her lungs. The rough bark dug into her back. Thankfully her jacket acted as a buffer. She blinked, trying to get rid of the images in her head. To her surprise, it was getting easier to push the visions aside with each kid. Soon, Sunset Shimmer was able to catch her breath, and she looked over at Gabriel. It seemed he had remained contained by Rarity...for now. Looking down at her geode, she saw it was sparking, just like it had been doing all day.

“What the-? Why is my geode sparking again?” thought Sunset Shimmer as she looked away from her geode and at Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle glanced at Sunset Shimmer, seeing her geode giving off the same sparks as hers. That made her look down at her own. Her mind began to race with the idea that Sunset’s geode was doing the same thing, fritzing out just before it would cause her to return to her demon form. Yet, that raised the one question she hadn’t gotten an answer to. Had Sunset Shimmer gone through a demonic transformation? Twilight didn’t know if she had. If Sunset had, why would she keep it from her? Again, she wasn’t sure. Before her mind wandered down the path of possible reasons, she shoved the thought from her head.

Sunset Shimmer braced herself against the tree, trying to regain her balance, but the surface of the tree was slippery. Whatever the substance was, it was slimy and covered the entire surface of the tree. The gooey substance felt similar to slime, though it was more like a jelly-like material. The gooey substance coated her hands and made her slip and lose her balance. Sunset Shimmer began to fall, unable to regain her balance again.

Twilight Sparkle felt her feet move towards Sunset. Before she had time to register it, the redhead was leaning against her arms. Her wings had become spread out as if she was defending Sunset Shimmer from an aerial attack. Twilight’s heart was pounding as an adrenaline rush washed over her as she stared into two grateful cyan eyes. Something made her freeze when she felt a hand rest on her arm. Twilight’s tail flicked behind absentmindedly as she helped Sunset stand back on her feet.

“Thanks, Sparky,” Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, giving her a grateful smile. “I guess I am not quite able to stand just yet.”

“Y-you’re welcome, Sunset,” muttered Twilight, a feeling of unease slowly creeping up on her.

Sunset Shimmer noticed the slight quiver in Twilight’s voice, giving away that something was not well with her. Her mind wanted to know what happened, but her heart knew the reason. Yet, Sunset’s mind refused to believe it. Whether it was because she didn’t want to acknowledge the pain or because she didn’t want to see Twilight Sparkle turn away from her, she didn’t know. She stepped closer to her, reaching for her hand. Yet, all Sunset Shimmer got was Twilight Sparkle turning her back to her and pulling her hand away. That action took Sunset by surprise. She hadn’t expected that from Twilight, not after what happened earlier. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Twilight, are you okay?” asked Sunset, worried that Twilight might walk away from her. "I can see something is wrong.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her wings close to her body as she heard Sunset Shimmer’s voice. Her hands had begun shaking. If it weren’t for the size of her massive wings, she wouldn’t have been able to keep them hidden from the redhead. She blinked, trying to ease the burning in her eyes from unshed tears. As much as she wanted to, Twilight couldn’t allow herself to be vulnerable to Sunset Shimmer. Not with her knowing that Sunset was deliberately hiding something from her. Yes, she had said that she would wait, but that didn’t mean she was obligated to be close to her. Emotionally and definitely not physically. A single tear made its trek down her cheek as Twilight prepared herself for what she was going to say. Being close was not something she was willing to do, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t support. Well, at least to a point, that was.

“Sunset...I have decided that I can’t be near you right now,” said Twilight Sparkle in a quiet voice, much like Fluttershy’s.

“What? What exactly do you mean by you can’t be near me, Twilight?” asked Sunset, now confused by what was happening. “Was it something I did?”

“Yes, Sunset. When you admitted that you were hiding something from me, I got hurt,” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t look Sunset in the eye. “And because of your refusal to admit the truth, I am left with this as my only choice.”

“With what?” Sunset Shimmer asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

“Sunset, I can’t be near, not with you being secretive about your past. I think it’s better if we don’t hold hands, stop being close to each other, it’s just too much for me to handle. I can’t…” Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset Shimmer but took a step back from her. “But, that doesn’t mean I won’t support you still.”

The words from Twilight’s mouth cut Sunset Shimmer like the saw that destroyed Gabriel’s intestines. Now she saw how much her admittance of hiding something and refusing to say what it was hurt Twilight. It damaged her friend, something she had tried to avoid. Guilt washed over her as she saw the tears well up in Twilight’s eyes. For a fleeting moment, she reached out her hand, instinct making her want some form of physical contact. She didn’t like feeling as if Twilight was pulling away from her. But she stopped herself from acting upon it and looked down.

“Okay, Twilight. I will keep my distance from you. I am sorry that I hurt you by not being fully honest,” said Sunset, her voice soft.

Sunset Shimmer knew there was no way she could take back what she had said. She hoped that her apology would help, even if it was futile. Though, deep down, she knew the only way to fix her mistake was to admit the truth. And that, at the moment, was something that Sunset was struggling with. She couldn’t be honest now, but for Twilight’s sake, she knew she had to try. Clutching her arm, Sunset walked over to Gabriel, needing something to take her mind off the situation.

“Gabriel, are you there?” asked Sunset, her voice now dull and broken.

Gabriel looked up at the redhead. He didn’t know who she was or where he was. This world looked nothing like what he was used to. He didn’t recognize the forest around him. Nor did he recognize the girls standing around the mysterious redhead. His confusion got the better of him and made him stagger away from Sunset. As his memories started to return, the first to hit him was his memory of him crushing the night guards skull in. Gabriel’s eyes went wide, and he stood up from the ground.

“I killed a night guard…” muttered Gabriel incoherently.

‘Okay, so you are back, right, Gabriel?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she took a few cautious steps away from him.

Gabriel glanced at her and said, “Yes, I am. But, who are you, and why am I here?”

“I am Sunset Shimmer, and these are my friends; Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity,” replied Sunset, motioning to her friends around her. “I brought you here because of your friends, Susie, Fritz, and Jeremy. Do you remember them?”

“Yes, I do remember them. Are my friends here?” asked Gabriel, excitement in his voice.

“Yeah, they are at AJ’s farm right now,” said Sunset.

“Barn? Where I am, exactly?” asked Gabriel.

“Excellent question, dear. But, right now we must go see if the rest of our friends need us. Right, Sunset?” Rarity asked, reminding Sunset that they needed to hurry.

“Oh, yeah!” said Sunset, realizing what Rarity was hinting at. “You and your friends can reunite when my friends are safe too, okay?”

“Okay,” said Gabriel. “Let’s go help friends now.”

Rarity and Sunset Shimmer led the way out of the forest, retracing their steps out of the forested area. None of the girls looked around for very long. After the scary and creepy experiences they had in the forest, they weren’t willing to stay any longer. When they passed by the rotting deer carcass, they all covered their mouths and tried to hold their breath for as long as possible. Gabriel was just right behind them, leaving Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy as the last ones to leave the forest. Eventually, the group found the tree Sunset had marked and made their way out of the woods and headed towards Applejack’s farm.

Fluttershy, happy to be free of the forest, looked at her friends. They all seemed just as relieved as she was. But when she looked at Twilight, she saw that something appeared to be bothering her. She had noticed that neither Sunset Shimmer or Twilight Sparkle were very close to each other anymore. Almost as if something had between them. Fluttershy decided to check on the bookworm, wanting to make sure that she was okay.

“You okay, Twilight?” asked Fluttershy, noticing Twilight’s pained expression. “ I saw what happened earlier between you and Sunset.”

“No, Shy. Sunset is keeping something from me...willingly,” replied Twilight. “And that bothers me. What did I do to deserve that?”

“You didn’t do anything, Twilight. I am sure she’ll tell you soon.” Fluttershy rested a hand lightly against one of Twilight’s wings. “Just give her time to come forward.”

“I have been waiting for a while, Fluttershy. I am not sure how much more time I have left,” Twilight Sparkle replied, still walking behind her friends, keeping her gaze off of Sunset Shimmer. “I hope you are right, Shy. The longer she keeps it hidden, the less I feel she’ll come forward. If I give her too much time, she may close it off and never let me get close to it again.”

Shattered Lies: The Golden Edition

In another part of the forest, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were walking around, trying to locate Golden Freddy. Applejack, whose feet were beginning to ache, slowed down and was now walking a few feet behind her friends. She did her best to keep up for the sake of them being able to catch Golden Freddy. Yet, unlike Rainbow Dash, she could only go so fast for so long. She was exhausted, and her legs felt like they were on fire. Golden Freddy was fast, though Foxy was still the fastest out of all the animatronics. Applejack stopped walking and leaned back against a nearby tree. Her eyes caught the sight of Pinkie Pie skipping towards her.

“Have you seen any sign of that blasted robot, Pinkie?” asked Applejack, taking a few deep breaths and enjoying the feeling of relief that washed over her tired calves.

“Nope, sorry, AJ,” replied Pinkie Pie.

As Applejack stayed against the tree, slowly catching her breath, she noticed a thick fog rolling in around them. It slowly covered the forest floor, making its way towards her as it enveloped the surrounding bushes and trees. Where had this mysterious fog come from? Why had it appeared now? Applejack wasn’t sure, but an uneasy feeling flooded throughout her body as she looked around. When she saw the fog drift upwards, she followed it and watched as it clouded over the moon. With the fog hiding the moon’s light, it dimmed more than usual. Though, the stars still occasionally shone through it but did nothing when it came to illuminating their path.

Pinkie Pie skipped away from Applejack, seemingly unaffected by the thick fog around her. It dispersed as she moved through it. It looked like smoke swirling around as a breeze blew through the trees and helped moved it around. Pinkie Pie continued to skip happily through it, not caring if it obscured her view of the ground beneath her feet. She walked until she was standing next to Rainbow Dash, who busy scanning the area around her.

“Where’d the fucking robot go?” asked Rainbow Dash as she turned to Pinkie Pie.

The girls had lost sight of Golden Freddy when it had disappeared in between the maze of trees. It had grown darker the further in they went into the forest, and now with the fog rolling in, the visibility decreased even more. And with it being nighttime, there was no sunlight to help with their search. Applejack pushed herself off the tree and walked past Rainbow Dash and PInkie Pie. She looked at what few trees were visible and motioned for Pinkie Pie to come over.

“Uh, Pinkie, I think we have a problem,” said Applejack, her eyes scanning each of the paths in front of her.

The cowgirl had come across a series of seven paths, each going in a different direction. They headed deeper into the thick forest around them, diverging from each other as they did so. The trails were also darker than the area they were currently standing in. What pale moonlight filtered in from the treetops did little to nothing to illuminate the forest floor below. That prompted Applejack to grab her cellphone from her back pocket. She turned on her flashlight and shined it down each of the seven paths, hoping to find some evidence of which one the animatronic took. Sadly, the visibility didn’t allow her to see if there was a trace of it. Applejack tried but couldn’t see more than 2-3 feet in front of her.

“Wowza! That’s a lot of paths,” said Pinkie Pie as she joined Applejack. “Which one should we explore first?”

Applejack looked at the paths, debating if going down any of them was the smartest thing to do. There were seven paths and only three of them. If Applejack and the girls were to go down one or more, they could easily get lost. Applejack knew that wasn’t going to do them any favors, especially if their other friends arrived and found them missing.

Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie as she stepped back from the clearing and said, “Pinkie, I think we should wait for our friends to meet us here.”

“Ok,” said Pinkie Pie as she skipped alongside Applejack.

Rainbow Dash, ignoring what Applejack said, looked down one of the paths and saw something that caught her attention. She stepped closer to it, turning on her flashlight as she stepped forward. Several footprints that belonged to an animatronic were running down the path. Rainbow Dash looked back at her friends. They wouldn’t notice if she went on her own, right? Sensing a gut feeling that Golden Freddy went that way, she decided to follow the footprints to who or wherever they went. She held out her phone’s flashlight out ahead of her, tiptoeing, so it was not to alert Applejack to her plan. The thickening fog made it hard to see further than 2 feet in front of her, but she kept walking regardless.

After walking down the path for a couple of minutes, Rainbow Dash turned around to see how far she’d walked, only to find out the fog had thickened and concealed the path from her. That left her hidden from her friends and on her own. She turned attention back to following the tracks and turned a corner on her left. Then she turned another one on her right and was met by another one-way intersection to her left once more. This zig-zag pattern continued as Rainbow Dash made her way further along the dirt path. Eventually, the sharp turns stopped appearing, and she reached a clearing with two lanes.

“Oh...crap…” Rainbow Dash facepalmed as she looked between the two paths. “Applejack is never going to let me live this down.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a second before she decided on the path to her right. Walking down the dirt path, she immediately felt her foot sink into an impression on the forest floor.

“Ow! What the fuck did I step into?” asked Rainbow Dash.

She looked down and shone her flashlight on the impression. It was a footprint that belonged to one of the animatronics. However, Rainbow Dash noticed that this one was different from the others. The print lacked the roundness on the toe area that the others had. It seemed more straight and rectangular, like whatever animatronic made it didn’t have the padded feet of a normal one.

“What th-? How many of these damned animatronics got into our world?” Rainbow Dash mumbled under her breath.

Quickly, she used her super-speed to follow wherever the tracks led until she reached a clearing. By this time, the fog had thickened immensely around the polychromatic athlete. She couldn’t see a foot in front of herself, let alone her hand in her face. Her flashlight did little to help her. And the moon’s glow had long since disappeared, leaving Rainbow Dash alone in the darkness of night. She spun around in a desperate attempt to find the path she’d previously been on. Unfortunately, the fog covered all traces of it.

Swallowing hard, Rainbow Dash said to herself, “Oh crap… this is not good.”

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, back at the first clearing, Applejack turned towards Pinkie Pie.

“This fog is gettin’ pretty thick, eh?” asked Applejack, looking at where Rainbow Dash was standing a half-hour ago.

“Yeah. It’s almost like whipped cream,” said Pinkie Pie as she waved her hands through it. Using her pointer finger, Pinkie Pie made shapes in the swirling fog. “Ooh, fun.”

Applejack sighed. Pinkie Pie was a mystery and one that should be left unsolved. Wrapping an arm around her friend, she said, “You’re not gonna try and do something ridiculous with the fog, are you, Pinkie?”

“No, silly. I am just going to see if I can make some life-sized fog models of our friends,” replied Pinkie Pie as she kneaded a ball of the thick fog in her palms. “Want to help?”

“No thanks, Pinkie Pie. I’m good,” said Applejack, eyeing the growing ball of fog in Pinkie Pie’s hands.

Pinkie Pie didn’t respond, too focused on sculpting fog sculptures of her friends. Applejack removed her hand from around Pinkie Pie’s shoulder and continued to look around the clearing. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t find Rainbow Dash anywhere. It was like the fog had swallowed her completely. Though, she had an idea as to where her friend had disappeared to. As she stepped further away from Pinkie Pie, Applejack made sure to keep her in her sight. She took one last look around and confirmed her theory.

“Pinkie Pie, I think Dash went off on her own,” said Applejack.

“Oh, maybe she wanted to find Golden Freddy,” Pinkie Pinkie suggested as she added the finishing touches to her sculpture of herself.

“Typical Dash. Never thinkin’ before she does somethin’,” mumbled Applejack, pulling out her phone. “Better text the rest of the girls and let them know about the fog and Rainbow Dash runnin’ off.”

“Okie dokie, I am going to continue on this fog sculpture of Rainbow Dash. It’s missing something…” said Pinkie Pie as she circled the life-like fog Rainbow Dash.

AJ: Sunset, when you and the girls get here, watch out for the fog. Also, Dash ran off on her own, and we’ve lost her.

SunShim: She ran off without thinking, didn’t she?

AJ: Yeah, typical Dash-like behavior.

SunShim: Did you at least find Golden Freddy?

AJ: Sunset, we haven’t found Golden Freddy yet. We got to a clearing that breaks off into seven paths, and we decided to wait for you girls to get here. That’s when Dash disappeared.

SunShim: Okay, we’ll find Golden Freddy first. Then, we’ll find Rainbow Dash and make sure that she is okay. I will text her later and see if she responds. The rest of the girls and I will meet up with you.

AJ: Okay.

SunShim: See you soon!

Sunset Shimmer put her phone away as she finished texting Applejack. With her phone put away, she looked at Twilight. Their eyes met, and she could see the hurt that she’d caused. It darkened the mulberry in Twilight’s eyes, hiding that shine that Sunset adored. Sunset froze, unable to look away as her stomach began to knot up.

“You caused that pain she’s feeling now. You revealed that you were indeed hiding something from her. Yet, you stupidly didn’t admit what that was. How’d you think that was going to go, huh, dumbass?” hissed Sunset’s conscience.

“Shut up, I already know that I fucked up as soon as the words left my mouth,” Sunset said through gritted teeth as she looked away from Twilight.

“I am not going to shut up until you tell her about the she-demon thing. It’s wrong that you want to hide that from her. She thinks she is alone, that no one else has been through a similar transformation. Do you want her to think that? To feel like no one can understand her?” asked Sunset’s inner voice.

“No, I don’t. But if I tell Twilight the truth, that I almost killed our friends, she’ll hate me…” said Sunset, now arguing with her conscience.

“Yes, she’ll hate you for that.”

“Oh gee, thanks for the fucking support there. You are a real motivator,” Sunset said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“What? You think she doesn’t have a right to hate you for lying to her face?” Her inner voice sounded louder and more aggressive, making Sunset Shimmer flinch as a result.

“No… I-” Sunset Shimmer didn’t know what to say. Twilight did have every right to hate her.

“Yes, she’ll hate you for keeping it from her, but if you’re honest with her, I am sure she’ll be willing to look past that. All you have to do is be willing to give her a chance. You have to trust her.” Sunset heard her conscience emphasize the word ‘trust.’

“And if it turns out, she no longer trusts me because of it… then I guess I dug myself into that one, didn’t I?” Sunset whispered to herself.

Sunset Shimmer looked at her friends, noticing that Twilight had moved further away from her. She was glad that none of them paid attention to the conversation she’d previously been carrying with herself. That was one less thing she had to worry about, which was a relief to her. Sighing heavily, Sunset decided to stop arguing with her conscience, knowing that it had a point. A point that she knew was accurate, and that annoyed her. Sunset pushed that aside and forced herself to focus on finding Golden Freddy and Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to walk next to Twilight, but when she saw Fluttershy walking next to her, she dropped it. She figured that it was better to leave them alone rather than bothering them. After all, Twilight Sparkle had made it evident to Sunset that she needed to keep her distance. It hurt, like hell, but Sunset knew that she deserved it. Yet, she was thankful that Twilight was still willing to support her and speak to her. Silently, with her hands shoved into her pockets, she walked over to Rarity.

Rarity spotted the small glances Sunset Shimmer stole at Twilight Sparkle when she thought no one was looking. She overheard their earlier conversation. Even Fluttershy had heard it. Rarity wasn’t sure she could fault Twilight for saying what she did. She knew that she had the right to say it. Sunset wasn't entirely honest. That was evident during the incident at lunch. One thing she did know was that Sunset was hurting because of it. Tentatively, she rested her hand on the redhead’s shoulder.

”Darling, are you okay? Is it… Twilight?” asked Rarity as she and Sunset continued walking ahead of the group.

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hands from her jacket pockets and wrapped them around herself. She knew Rarity meant well, but right now, she wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“Yes, but I’m fine, Rarity,” said Sunset, avoiding saying Twilight’s name.

“So, it is Twilight. Are you still upset about what she said?” asked Rarity.

“Yeah, I am still upset, Rarity. Twilight's words cut like a thousand knives under my skin. Can we please stop talking about it now?” muttered Sunset Shimmer, trying to keep her temper under control.

“Sunset, I know you are hurting inside. Please, talk to me.” Rarity stepped closer to Sunset Shimmer. “Twilight is hurting too. You’re not the only one that is getting hurt in this.”

“I know that, Rarity. Why do you think I am upset? It’s not because I missed the latest fashion and will have to buy it in retail. I hate the fact that every time I try to tell her about you know… I fail, and that’s causing her pain,” said Sunset, her anger slowly building with every word.

Sunset cared for Rarity. She was one of her closest friends. But she was close to losing control of her temper if the fashionista didn’t lay off on the questioning and prodding. She was beating herself up for it as it was. It wasn’t making it any easier for her that Rarity was trying and failing at helping her. As the wind blew past her, Sunset pulled her jacket even tighter around herself. It was then she started to become aware that her body was beginning to heat up, just like it did right before she punched Trixie.

“Well, maybe you should tell her that you’re scared. Sunset, you should stop lying to her,” Rarity said, seemingly unaware of the redhead’s growing anger. “The girls and I warned you that you would end up hurting her if you chose to lie.”

Sunset Shimmer let her hands fall to her sides. Her anger was making it impossible not to fidget. Her hands balled into fists as she tried to control her breathing. She could feel her temper building with every inhale she took. It was like her body was readying itself to attack the fashionista. Sunset’s anger was beginning to show visibly as her hands started to shake from the effort it took to keep it bottled up. Deciding to remain silent, Sunset hid her face away from Rarity.

“You know that Twilight deserves to know what happened to you. I am sure she’ll understand how you feel about it. She felt the same way about her transformation, but she had you to help her,” said Rarity. “Let her help you see that you’re not the monster you think you are.”

That was it. Sunset reached her breaking point and turned angrily towards Rarity.

“I know that, alright, Rarity?! I hate that I am scared to admit that I went through a demonic transformation like her!” shouted Sunset, her eyes narrowing to slits as her sclera went from white to black.

Her skin felt like it was on fire. Her breathing was picking up pace as she fought to keep herself from doing something physical to Rarity. Her cheeks were also warm, an indication that she was close to losing complete control. Sunset Shimmer forced herself to take a deep breath and step back from her friends. The anger that had slowly been building up inside of her began to die down, allowing her to see her friends’ reactions. Twilight and Fluttershy both were staring at her, their mouths covered and fear in their eyes.

“Darling…?” Rarity asked, her voice giving away her uneasiness about Sunset Shimmer and her temper.

“I am so sorry, Rarity. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you,” apologized Sunset, her voice breaking as her anger dissipated into tears.

The girls and Gabriel had all stopped walking, mostly because they were all stunned by Sunset Shimmer’s sudden outburst. None more so than Twilight Sparkle. Sure, she’d seen Sunset’s temper first hand at the Friendship Games as well as when Trixie had tried to bully her again earlier that day. Yet, it was still quite shocking to see her go from hurt to angry in a split-second change. Though, that wasn’t what Twilight was concerned about. The fact that she just heard Sunset admit she did go through a demonic transformation shocked her more. A tugging sensation on her wing distracted her and made her look at Fluttershy.

“Everything okay, Shy?” asked Twilight.

“No. Can we please leave soon? This forest… is creeping me out,” whispered Fluttershy as an owl hooted in the night air.

Rarity looked at Fluttershy. She could see that she was trembling as she clung to Twilight’s wing. Wanting to ease her fears, Rarity turned her attention back to Sunset Shimmer, giving her a forgiving smile. She understood why she lashed out at her. But that didn’t mean she had any right to take it out on her friends, even if she was troubled by her choices. And right now, they had a more pressing matter to return, which meant that the long-awaited reveal about her past had to wait until afterward. Rarity squeezed Sunset Shimmer’s arm, prompting the redhead to meet her gaze.

“Look, Sunset, I understand that you’re frustrated and angry. But, it wasn’t me or Twilight, or any of the girls that put you in the position you’re in,” said Rarity.

“I know. You girls warned me about my choice to conceal that,” said Sunset. “But, foolishly, I...I didn’t listen, and now I am here.”

“Wait, what?” asked Twilight, her eyes going from Fluttershy to Sunset. “You lied to me about going through the same thing that I did? And knew that before we became close friends?”

Sunset cringed away as Twilight Sparkle spoke. She didn’t want to answer Twilight’s question. Yet, she knew that she had to, even if it meant she’d paid the price for her actions. She glanced down at her hands in an attempt to avoid having to answer her question. But that only served to make her feel worse.

On top of that, her eyes felt sore like they were dry and itchy. Sunset Shimmer pulled out her phone as discreetly as she could and went to her camera. Looking at herself in the camera, she watched as her sclera went from black to its natural white color. Worry washed over her as she stared at her eyes. She had seen her eyes shift for the second time that day, and that made her wonder what was going on.

“Sunset, answer me,” demanded Twilight Sparkle as she took a few steps closer to Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer shut off her phone and met Twilight’s gaze. “Y-yes, I did.”

“And what about the demonic transformation? Is that true?” asked Twilight, curious to know if Sunset would be honest.

“Maybe…” replied Sunset, not ready to give Twilight a definitive answer.

Unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, a bush rustled and made Fluttershy jump. Before Twilight knew what was happening, she found herself moving towards Applejack’s farm. Sunset, Gabriel, and Rarity followed behind, trying to keep up. Twilight felt the grip on her wrist lighten, and she looked down to see that Fluttershy had let go. They were only standing a few feet from the dirt road leading to Applejack’s house.

“Goodness Fluttershy, you run fast. Almost as fast as Rainbow Dash with her geode,” said Rarity as she, Sunset, and Gabriel joined up with Twilight and Fluttershy.

“S-sorry girls. I was just too spooked to stay near that forest any longer.” Fluttershy looked at Twilight. “I hope I didn’t stop you from saying anything too important.”

“You didn’t, Fluttershy,” said Twilight, glancing at Sunset briefly.

“I do hate to stop this chat we’re having, but we must hurry because Applejack and Pinkie Pie are going to need our help,” Rarity said, reminding the group of what they needed to do.

“Right,” said Sunset. “Our friends need our help. Hell, Rainbow Dash needs to find her before something happens to her.”

“Okay. Sunset, can we talk about this later? When our friends are safe?” asked Twilight.

“Twilight, I-” began Sunset.

“Sunset, we need to talk. I have a feeling that you said maybe because you didn’t want to admit that you’ve had a similar transformation. Please, I can’t take you keeping things from me anymore. I feel as if I am not…” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t finish her thought. It hurt too much to say it aloud.

Sunset Shimmer could see the pain in Twilight Sparkle’s mulberry eyes, and the fact that her bottom lip was quivering told her that she had made the wrong choice. Her actions. Her choices had caused more pain to the one person who just wanted to know about her past. Someone who said they wouldn’t judge her because of her past. However, hearing Twilight say that wasn’t enough to ease Sunset’s worries about her being scared off. That didn’t change the fact that she loved her. Every time she felt the book worm’s hand brush against her own, whenever they sat so close that their bodies were almost touching, or their eyes would meet, allowing to see the kindness in her eyes, her heart would race. It was an adrenaline rush, and she enjoyed every second of it.

Holding out her hand towards Twilight, in hopes that she would take it, Sunset Shimmer said, “Okay, Sparky. I will tell you the truth after we get Golden Freddy and get our friends home.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down at Sunset’s hand before meeting her gaze again. “I am holding you to that, Sunset.”

“That’s fine,” said Sunset, her hand still outstretched. “You ready to go find our friends?”

Cautiously, as if Sunset Shimmer might attack her, Twilight Sparkle reached out and grabbed the redhead’s hand. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They ran up the dirt path leading to Applejack’s house, leaving the creepy forest behind them. The dim moonlight shone down on the girls, casting long shadows on the ground behind them. The barn where Gabriel’s friends were was just up ahead. When they got closer to it, the thudding footsteps that followed them, stopped. That caused all the girls to turn around and see what was wrong.

Gabriel has stopped because in front of him were his friends. Although they had become trapped inside of animatronics, he still could recognize them. The familiar plastic eyes of the restaurant’s mascots had the sparks of his friends’ personalities. Not even the dirty, worn-out plastic could fool him. These were his friends. And by now, he had grown accustomed to who inhabited which animatronic. Spending five-plus years trapped in the same place and the same bodies gave him that advantage. Gabriel looked at his friends, his eyes stopping when he looked at Susie.

“Su-Susie?” asked Gabriel. His voice sounded staticky as he spoke.

Susie blinked. In front of her stood a Freddy animatronic. Yet, the eyes showed it was her friend, Gabriel, inside there. It had been years since she and Gabriel last spoke. The last time they had spoken was right before he murdered the night guard. Her eyes took in every detail, wanting to make sure that it was him and not some hallucination. Susie was glad she didn’t see any blood on him. Having Jeremy kill two kids was bad enough. Whether it was by accident or not, it didn’t matter. Another series of murders would be enough to attract police to the situation. After a few minutes of remaining silent, Susie finally spoke.

“Gabriel? Is that… you?” Susie took a step forward.

Fritz and Jeremy just stared at Gabriel, shocked and surprised to see him. They hadn’t talked to him since the incident that night, partly because they all chose to force their consciousness down. However, it was also due to him shutting them out. It had been hard to adjust to what happened, especially on Gabriel. Though, it didn’t diminish their joy at seeing their friend again.

“Yes, Susie, it’s me. It’s Gabriel,” replied Gabriel.

“Wow, it’s been so long since I last heard your voice.” Susie turned to Sunset and the girls, a grateful gleam in her eyes. “Thank you for finding him.”

“You’re welcome,” said Sunset. When she glanced in the direction of where Golden Freddy ran, she continued. “Uh, I hate to cut the reunion short, but my friends need our help finding Golden Freddy before anyone else gets lost or hurt.”

That made Gabriel look from Susie to Sunset. “Wait, Golden Freddy is here?”

“Yes, and my friends are waiting for us to help them capture Golden Freddy,” replied Sunset, a sense of urgency in her voice.

“Okay then, let’s go,” said Gabriel, hearing the urgency.

Together, with the kids joining, Sunset and the girls ran in the direction that Golden Freddy went.

*** *** *** ***

Applejack watched in amazement as Pinkie Pie sculpted a perfect fog replica of her. She was amazed at the detail she had managed to get; even her freckles were a part of it. She walked up to it and inspected the fog sculpture. How Pinkie Pie managed to do this was beyond her. And if there was one thing the cowgirl knew, it was never to question her pink-haired friend. As Applejack took her attention off the sculpture of herself, she saw that the fog had disappeared from the clearing. She examined the sculptures once more only to find them dissipating with the rest of it.

“Pinkie, why is all the fog disappearing?” asked Applejack, a mix of confusion and surprise in her voice.

“I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with this,” said Pinkie Pie as she held up a fan.

“Um, Pinkie Pie? Where did that fan come from?” asked Applejack.

“I just found it behind this tree here,” replied Pinkie Pie.

Applejack shook her head, not wanting to continue questioning Pinkie Pie and her weird antics. Despite the weirdness of the situation, the cowgirl was thankful that the fog was gone. It was easier to see ahead of her, and the moonlight now illuminated the clearing. The paths, on the other hand, were a different story. The thick canopy of tree leaves and branches left them shrouded in pitch dark blackness.

“Sure hope Sunset and the rest of the girls get here soon. Rainbow Dash could be injured,” said Applejack.

A few seconds later, a familiar voice rang out in the forest. “Here we are, finally.”

“Rarity?” Applejack asked, looking in the direction of the mysterious voice.

“Yes, it’s us, Applejack,” said Rarity as she and the girls came into view with kids behind them. “And the kids as well.”

Applejack sighed and smiled at the fashionista. “I am sure glad you’re here.” She glanced at Pinkie Pie. “I don’t feel like losin’ any more friends tonight.”

“That’s understandable, dear. We’re all concerned for Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity as she placed her hand on Applejack’s bicep.

Feeling Rarity’s gentle touch on her arm, Applejack felt herself smile. The fashionista knew the cowgirl’s weaknesses, and that drove her wild every time that she tapped into one of them. Clearing her throat, Applejack did her best to ignore the growing butterflies in her stomach. She glanced over at Gabriel and Susie, who was whispering something to him. There was a creep factor to him, and it unnerved her. Deciding to not focusing on Gabriel anymore, she turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer. Applejack witnessed Twilight pulling her hand away from the redhead’s grip and walking away from her. That was enough to make her realize that something had happened when they went to find Gabriel.

“Wonder what happened between those two…” thought Applejack. “Maybe Sunset finally came clean. Or… she deflected… again.”

Applejack, driven by her curiosity, walked over to where Rarity was standing.

“So, erm, what happened between Twilight and Sunset?” asked Applejack, noticing the small glances and darting looks the two were giving each other.

“Oh, Sunset and I had a bit of a… disagreement,” explained Rarity. “It wasn’t good. They’re both hurting pretty badly.”

“Oh…” was all Applejack managed to get out before Sunset Shimmer walked over to them.

“Rarity just told you about the argument, didn’t she?” said Sunset, her eyes never leaving the ground.

The fight between her and Rarity was still fresh in her mind. She hadn’t meant to yell at her. After all, all the fashionista was trying to do was help her, and she snapped at her for it. But the one thing Sunset Shimmer regretted more than that was in the heat of the moment, she revealed her secret. She had wanted to tell Twilight Sparkle more gently, not just blurting it out in the middle of a heated argument.

To make matters worse, when Twilight asked, she couldn’t give her a definitive answer. The look of brokenness and hurt Twilight had given her only made her guilt dig deeper into her consciousness. While Sunset Shimmer stood there, waiting for the cowgirl to respond, a tear threatened to fall onto her cheek.

“Yeah, she told me,” said Applejack. “My guess is it was about your constant lying to her about your past. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right about that. It was about the fact I couldn’t be honest,” replied Sunset. “Can we please not talk about this right now?”

“Yeah,” said Applejack, turning to the seven paths. “What should we do first? Find Rainbow Dash or go after Golden Freddy?”

Sunset Shimmer walked past Applejack and the rest of the girls. She looked at the seven paths splayed out in front of her. On a hunch, she took out her phone and shone the flashlight down the first path in front of her. Walking a few feet down the forest path and she saw that her hunch was proven right. There, on the dirt path, were footprints made by animatronic that looked precisely like Gabriel’s. Sunset turned back and approached Applejack.

“I have found the path that Golden Freddy took,” said Sunset, pointing to the footprints by shining her flashlight on them. “We’ll go after Golden Freddy first. I’m going to text Rainbow Dash and tell her not to move.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan to me,” replied Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer walked away soon after and pulled out her phone. She stood in the corner of the clearing furthest away from Twilight Sparkle. After what happened earlier, she wanted to give her the space she needed. Opening her contacts, she quickly found Rainbow Dash’s number.

SunShim: Dash, don’t move from where you are. We’ll find you after we’ve located Golden Freddy.

Dash: Why aren’t you coming to find me first?

SunShim: Because Dash, you aren’t going to murder anyone if we don’t get to you. So, don’t move!

Dash: Okay, I won’t move.

SunShim: I mean it, Dash! Don’t move.

Dash: Okay, okay. I won’t move. I swear.

SunShim: Better not.

Once she finished sending the text, Sunset Shimmer put her phone away. She joined her friends in walking along the path and following the footprints. As she made her way down the dirt path, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Sunset looked up to see it was Fluttershy who had approached her. That prompted her to look at Twilight. She saw that the book worm was now walking alone, her wings pulled close to her body.

“Is everything okay with Twilight? Or is she still upset because of what I said?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“She’s just trying to deal with the fact that you’ve gone through the same type of transformation,” said Fluttershy, trying in vain to cheer the redhead up.

“Oh, so I guess she figured it out, huh?” Sunset glanced at Twilight, wishing she had said yes instead of maybe.

‘Well, you did blurt it out in front of her, Sunset. It’s not likely that she thought that you hadn’t gone through one after that,” said Fluttershy.

Sunset Shimmer looked directly at Fluttershy as she asked, “Do you think she’ll hate me for it? For hiding it from her?”

“I don’t know. Twilight might or she might not, but that’s for Twilight to decide.” Fluttershy knew that wasn’t what Sunset wanted to hear, but it was all she could offer.

Sunset Shimmer shifted her gaze from the animal lover to Pinkie Pie, watching her skip happily along the path. Her hair bounced up and down to the beat of her skipping. That cheered Sunset up a little, but not much. She had to admit it was nice to see a friend that wasn’t hurt by something she did. Yet, deep down, that only made her feel worse. Twilight was suffering because of her, but none of the other girls were.

“I should’ve said yes, not maybe. How much of a coward can I fucking be…” thought Sunset Shimmer.

As they walked farther along the path, it widened and allowed the girls to walk side by side. And because of that, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle ended up getting paired up. As they both continued to walk, Sunset felt a wing brush against her shoulder. Looking, she saw that Twilight had moved closer to her. The feeling of feathers brushing against her skin made the redhead’s heart race. It took every bit of strength she had not to give in to her desires. So, instead of holding out her hand, she shoved it into her jacket pocket.

Looking at her from the corner of her eye, Sunset began to say, “Sparky, I am sorry that-”

“Don’t, Sunset. Don’t apologize for lying to me. I don’t want to hear it, not now.” Twilight’s voice was soft as if she was afraid to speak to Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer noticed that. “Okay, Twilight. I have to ask you one more thing before we find Golden Freddy.”

“What is it, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to continue talking with Sunset.

“Are you mad at me for keeping that from you?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the redhead, her eyes showing no emotion. “I… I don’t know, Sunset. I am still trying to figure out how I am supposed to feel about what you said.”

“Okay…” said Sunset. “I understand, Twilight.”

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand out of her pocket, and for a second, thought about touching Twilight’s wing. But, she managed to keep herself from doing that despite wanting to do so. Letting her hand fall back to her side, she continued to walk alongside Twilight. For now, Sunset was content just being near Twilight. She didn’t know when she might lose the closeness she had, but a sinking feeling told her it was soon.

Just then, a bush rustled in front of the girls, stopping them in their tracks. All eyes turned to the hedge that had made the noise. A few seconds of bated breath later, and it rustled again. This time, a golden bear head popped up out of the bushes. It made all the girls, except Pinkie Pie, flinch away from it.

“Found you!” Pinkie Pie sing-songed as she pointed to Golden Freddy.

That made the gold-colored animatronic jump up from the bush. It stared at the group, finally noticing the kids standing behind the girls. For a moment, a flash of recognition sparked in its eyes as it looked at the kids. However, just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. As it stood in front of the girls, it started to phase in and out before any of the girls could figure out what was going on, the animatronic phased out of the bushes and appeared behind them.

“Quickly, after that golden bear!” shouted Applejack.

Pinkie Pie grabbed a few cupcakes from her hair and tossed them at the animatronic. Some of them hit the animatronic, but others flew through it as it continued to phase out. The trees behind it had become coated in frosting and cupcake batter. It became see-through, much like a ghost would be.

What the fuck?!” shouted Sunset Shimmer.

“Why is it phasing like that?” asked Twilight, trying to figure it out.

“It used to phase out like in the game. It was supposed to be just a hallucination in the game,” replied Sunset. “But when the magic transported it here, it must’ve retained that ability.”

“Okay, that is great and all. But how the hell are we going to catch them if they can phase out like that?” said Applejack, turning to Sunset and Twilight.

“I don’t know!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, growing frustrated by her lack of answers.

Sunset Shimmer saw that Golden Freddy was making its way towards some large rocks. That gave her an idea, but she needed Twilight’s help to do it. Sunset made her way over to where Twilight Sparkle was now standing. Sunset faltered when she saw her step back from her. It was evident that she had messed up, and asking for her help was going to be tricky. Yet, she decided to go through with it because she knew that catching the animatronic was important.

“Twilight, can you blast those rocks?” asked Sunset as she pointed to them.

“Sunset, what if I end up hurting our friends?!” Twilight Sparkle turned around and looked at Sunset. “I can’t hurt them.”

“You won’t hurt them, Sparky. Just aim for the rocks,” said Sunset, taking Twilight’s hand in her own.

“Sunset’s holding my hand… Why? Why do I give into her gentle touch?”

“I should be stronger than my feelings. Sunset couldn’t even admit that she’d been through a similar transformation. I mean, I had figured it out after the incident with Trixie. So, why can’t she say it? Why can’t she trust that i won’t see her any differently?”

“Ugh, focus Twilight. Sunset needs your help to capture Golden Freddy, not you wondering why she is lying to you.”

Sunset Shimmer was shocked by Twilight Sparkle’s inner thoughts. It bothered her to see her friend so torn up because of her. She knew it was because she had been indecisive about telling her the truth and that only worsened her guilt. The lies, the secrets, and all the dodging, it had to stop now. Sunset was well aware of that fact. The question is, could she push herself to do that? To let Twilight Sparkle in and see what she had done in her past? Could she trust that Twilight’s friendship would be strong enough to make her see past the mistakes she’d made? Of that, Sunset Shimmer didn’t know. What she did know was that Twilight was worth the risk.

Gathering whatever strength she could, Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. Her friends were counting on her to help them. So, without hesitating, Twilight squeezed Sunset’s hand. Although the redhead had lied to her numerous times, and some shocking revelations had come to light that night, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for her support.

“Okay, I am ready to try,” said Twilight.

Shakily, Twilight Sparkle raised her hand upward. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her powers. Gradually, blue light emanated from her hand. Opening her eyes, Twilight let go of the building magic. It shot from her hand to the rocks, successfully knocking them to the ground. As the rocks tumbled down, the animatronic got caught and trapped beneath their weight. Seconds later, a smaller shower of stones fell, hitting the animatronic’s head and causing it to turn solid again.

*** *** *** ***

The sound of the rocks getting blasted was loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear it. It caused her to look up, trying to find the source of it. Unfortunately, from where she was, she couldn’t see it.

“What the-? What the hell was that?” asked Rainbow Dash as she pushed herself off of the tree she was leaning on.

Rainbow Dash pulled out her phone and turned it on. For a split second, she thought about texting the girls to find out what had happened. But when she looked at the battery and saw it at 50%, she decided not to go through it. So, she turned off her phone and sighed.

“Great, just great. I am lost, and my friends are probably not going to find me at all,” said Rainbow Dash as she approached a giant boulder.

As she slid down the surface of the smooth boulder, Rainbow Dash hoped that her friends would find her soon. She didn’t like being out in the forest by herself. Besides, she couldn’t seem to shake off this odd feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

*** *** *** ***

“Woah, that is some serious firepower,” said Applejack, looking at Twilight Sparkle in shock.

“Well, she did obtain that power from becoming Midnight Sparkle again,” said Sunset. “It does come in handy when rogue animatronics make a run for it.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I just hope Twilight can’t make any portals,” Applejack said, unaware that twilight had cringed at that.

“No, AJ, she can’t make any portals.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, mouthing the word, “Sorry.”

That prompted Applejack to look at the bookworm and say, “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay, you just wanted to make sure I was safe to be around,” Twilight Sparkle said, her voice sounding monotone, almost rehearsed. “You might want to tie up Golden Freddy before they make a break for it. Again.”

Applejack thought about hugging Twilight Sparkle, but she walked away, pulling her wings close to her body. Reluctantly, she made her way over to the downed animatronic, grabbing her new lasso. It had come in the day before, which she was excited about. Supposedly, it was able to restrain something like an animatronic. Applejack hoped that was true as she started to tie it around Golden Freddy. It struggled for a bit, trying to phase out of the binding rope. But it was still too weak to escape the binds. Its body slumped forward as it gave up fighting against the tightened lasso.

Gabriel and the kids approached the animatronic. Its worn golden plastic had become covered in blacks marks. There also appeared to be some blackish goo coating its plastic as well. The smell that emanated off it was comparable to gasoline. And it was intense, making all the girls cough from the scent of it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed there were scuff marks on the exposed metal beams.

“Woah, that thing looks creepy as heck,” whispered Fritz as he eyed the animatronic.

“And we look any better than them?” said Susie, Gabriel, Jeremy in unison, motioning to their own robotic bodies.

“Alright, point taken,” said Fritz, holding up both of his hands.

“Besides, chances are that it is one of our former classmates. Remember the dead girl that we saw inside of it?” asked Susie, recalling the decomposing body that had gotten tangled up inside of the suit.

“Yeah… The girl did seem familiar. Yet, we never managed to figure out her identity, did we?” Gabriel looked at the motionless animatronic, trying to rack his brain for answers to their identity.

“Nope. We did talk about it for months but came up with nothing. And by then, the flyers you had mentioned were long gone,” added Fritz.

“Probably the Purple Guy’s doing,” Jeremy mumbled.

“Most likely.” Susie wasn’t happy to be talking about the Purple Guy, not when he had murdered her and her friends. “So, Sunset, you’ll just ‘see’ their memories and bring them back to consciousness?”

“Like you did with us?” interjected Gabriel.

“Yep, exactly,” said Sunset Shimmer. “It worked for you, so theoretically, it should work for them too. Assuming that they don’t phase out as I am doing that.”

“We’ll do everything we can to keep that from happening,” said Susie.

“Thanks,” said Sunset as she turned to Fluttershy and Rarity. “Mind helping me if I need it?”

“Um, I can try,” replied Fluttershy in her usual quiet and meek voice.

“Of course, dear,” said Rarity, placing a hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “We’ll do what we can.”

“Gl-glad to see you girls are still there for me.” Sunset shimmer stuttered, which was unusual for her, and something that didn’t go unnoticed by the girls.

“Sunset, relax. Twilight is still there for you as well. She hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Rarity, her voice soothing yet stern. “But, after we help whomever this is, tell her the truth. Stop the needless lying.”

Sunset Shimmer cringed at the reminder of her lying.

“You know she’s right. You have to stop the needless lying. This choice of yours is your worst mistake ever, even more than the Fall Formal incident with Demon Shimmer.” Sunset’s inner conscience remarked, wanting to remind her of her past.

“Yeah, I got that. Thanks for the lovely reminder, though,” hissed Sunset Shimmer, not in the mood for her mind’s games.

“I will, Rarity. But, let’s focus on getting whoever this is back to reality before someone else gets hurt,” Sunset said, pushing past her worries and her inner voice.

Applejack triple checked the ropes, making sure that they were secured. “Huh, guess those rocks really did do a number on you.” Applejack looked at Sunset Shimmer. “Alright, it’s safe to come near them.”

“Thanks, AJ.” Sunset glanced at Twilight Sparkle for a moment. She saw her smile for a second before it vanished, drowned out by the hurt she had caused.

Sunset Shimmer looked away, her body starting to shake, both from being cold and holding back tears. She had thoroughly fucked up things with Twilight, but right now was not the time to be breaking down or trying to fix the mess she had made. That would have to wait until no more animatronics were running around Canterlot City. Though, there was a strong desire pushing her to be honest right then and there. Sunset sat on her knees, readying herself for the disturbing images she was soon going to see.

“Sweet Celestia, I hope that her memories are better than the others. Though, I would deserve the punishment for what I did to Twilight…” thought Sunset, struggling to control her shaky hands.

“Okay, I am going to see what your memories are. Hopefully, then, you can tell us who you are,” said Sunset.

Just as Sunset Shimmer went to place her hand on Golden Freddy’s shoulder, she felt a small, warm hand touch her shoulder. It was close to her scars, making her almost flinch as a result. Thankfully, she had managed to curb the reaction before anyone saw it. Looking up, she was shocked to find that it was Twilight Sparkle.

“Twi-Twilight? Why are you here?” asked Sunset, unable to keep herself from stuttering in Twilight’s presence.

“I said I would be there to support you.” Twilight Sparkle kneeled next to Sunset Shimmer. “And right now. You look like you could use a friend,” said Twilight, wrapping one wing gingerly around the redhead’s body, ignoring the occasional ‘awws’ from the group behind them.

“Thank you, Sparky,” whispered Sunset, taking Twilight’s wing and carefully wrapping it tighter around herself. “I am pleased to have you here.”

It was heartening to have the book worm next to her, supporting despite the pain she had caused. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much to overpower the guilt that she felt for lying to her. Eventually, Sunset Shimmer’s shaking started to ease underneath the warmth of Twilight’s wing. Smiling, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. In her mind, she knew that this was one of those moments to remember in case things with Twilight fell apart.

“I will always catch you, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer’s hand hovered the plastic covering Golden Freddy. Her vision grew blurry with unreleased tears. As she struggled to contain them, memories of all the times she had lied to Twilight Sparkle came flooding back. Having her wing on her, Sunset wanted that to last forever. Guilt made it harder for her not to cry as the reality of losing the one person she cared for began to dawn on her. Finally, after a few more seconds passed, several tears fell from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Sunset silently sobbed as the pain of her actions hit her at full force. Now she realized just how much it hurt to have Twilight close by, only to wonder if she would walk away after she learned of her past. And knowing that it possibly wouldn’t last long, only made her feel like a large part of her was beginning to slip away. A few sobs later, Sunset Shimmer managed to stop the flow of tears and focus on Golden Freddy.

“Okay, it’s time to buck up, Shimmer. It’s just some horrible, graphic images of a kid’s untimely death, not a big deal. Yeah, it’s fine…” muttered Sunset, trying to muster enough strength to push herself to continue with the task.

“Don’t worry, Sunset, I am right here for you,” said Twilight Sparkle, holding Sunset’s other hand.

Devils Emerge from Memories Once Neglected

Author's Note

This chapter contains some minor sexual harassment of a minor for anyone who's sensitive. It's quick and brief, but feel free to skip over it.

Devils Emerge from Memories Once Neglected

Sunset Shimmer’s hand remained over Golden Freddy’s shoulder. If it hadn’t been for Twilight’s presence, she wouldn’t have been able to get this far. The strain of using her power more than usual was beginning to show, especially since her geode had started to spark randomly. Although it was no secret how the memories were affecting her, it didn’t change how horrific they were. Yet, here she sat with Twilight’s injured wing draped around her, unable to place her hand on the animatronic.

“Come on, Shimmer. Your friends are counting on you to do this,” thought Sunset. “Just get it over with, and it’ll end soon.”

Every image, sound, sensation, had become harder to bear witness to with every kid. It seemed that with every kid the Purple Guy attacked, he grew more violent towards the next one. It didn’t help matters that she had made several mistakes with Twilight. And the guilt from those errors was beginning to weigh down on her, adding to the stress the kids were creating. Pushing her worries and fears aside, Sunset Shimmer gripped the animatronic’s arm. The quicker she got it over with, the sooner she could fix things with Twilight Sparkle.

Once Sunset shimmer’s hand touched the plastic of the animatronic, Twilight saw her eyes go white. That made her instinctively wrap her wing tighter around the redhead’s body as if that was somehow going to ease the pain she felt. Though it still ached from being stomped on, she didn’t care. The pain was distant as Twilight sat next to Sunset, silently hoping that she would be okay.

*** *** *** ***

At first, the image was hazy, as if the memory wasn't fully there. After a few seconds, the image sharpened, and the surroundings and object came into view. It was a bright, sunny afternoon in a downtown suburban city. The heat of the sweltering sun distorted the horizon ahead of her. Combined with the humidity in the air, it made it hard to breathe. In the heat, was a 12-year-old girl who was making her home from school, holding several books in her arms. She had a backpack lazily slung over one of her shoulders. Her clothes were a typical private school outfit; a pleated skirt and an ironed shirt or blouse. Just as she had turned the corner, she bumped into a guy that was wearing a purple-colored security suit.

The girl’s books flew from her hands as she got knocked to the ground. Still looking at the guy, she saw him falling onto his back. Her back end was the first to impact the hot cement, sending a shockwave of pain through her body. As she started to get back on her feet, she noticed the stranger was also getting up along with her.

“Oh, sorry, sir,” said the girl, slowly beginning to gather her books again.

“It’s quite alright. What’s your name, miss?” asked the guy.

“Um, it’s uh Cassidy,” replied Cassidy as the guy handed her last book to her.

“That’s a nice name,” said the guy. “Mind if I get you some pizza before you go?”

“Uh, no thanks,” said Cassidy, feeling a bit weirded out by the question.

Cassidy had heard of strangers kidnapping young girls just by coming off as a friendly, genuine person. And she knew better than to accept anything from a random stranger. Stepping away from the stranger, Cassidy prepared to run back home. Unfortunately, just as she was about to dart away from him, a hand gripped her forearm tightly.

“Oh, no. You are not going anywhere,” whispered the guy.

Cassidy struggled to free her forearm from his grip, but with her books in her other arm, she was powerless. She watched in fear as his eyes darkened with lust. Whether he was lusting over her, Cassidy wasn’t sure that she wanted to know. Still, Cassidy could tell that he liked her, and it wasn’t in a friendly way.

“I need to kill someone. And you…” Using his other hand, the guy gingerly stroked her cheek, “are so perfect.”

“Get away from me, y-you creep!” shouted Cassidy, trying to free herself.

Finally, she gave up trying to pull her arm free and bit his hand. That made the guy release his grip on her arm, and she bolted away.

“Ow Fucking bitch!” shouted the guy as he shook his sore hand. When he looked up, he noticed that she was running. “What the hell?! Get back here, you ungrateful bitch!”

Cassidy ignored his shouts and ran down the street opposite of him. As her feet pounded against the sidewalk, she could hear his thudding footsteps following right behind her. Her backpack swung wildly behind her as she turned a corner. Cassidy looked around frantically, hoping to find a hiding spot. Making a choice, she turned down a nearby alleyway, not realizing that it was a dead end. As she saw the brick wall at the end, her mistake dawned on her too late. Cassidy spun around and came face to face with the guy.

“Please… leave me alone!” shouted Cassidy in vain.

The guy grabbed her by the throat and held her up in the air. Cassidy could feel her body weight getting pulled against his hand, causing it to grip her throat even tighter as she got lifted. She struggled against his grip. Her hands clawed and scraped at his in futile attempts to loosen his grip. Her feet kicked the air aimlessly beneath her. Cassidy began to struggle for breath as her vision started to grow dark. The more air she lost, the closer the dark edges got. Soon, spots began to swim around in her eyesight. Finally succumbing to the loss of oxygen, Cassidy went limp in his grip. While her vision faded, she looked up and saw his maniacal smile beaming down at her.

“Good girl. I didn’t want to have to damage that pretty little face of yours,’ said the guy, his voice becoming distorted as she fell into unconsciousness.

What felt like to be hours later, Cassidy woke up in a pitch-black room. Around her was the familiar smell of oil, like the one used to keep gears lubricated. She knew that scent anywhere as her father often used it on cars whose brakes needed it. Coughing, she struggled to push herself up into a sitting position. Underneath her hands, she could feel the wet floor. Her mind decided to think it was oil rather than ponder the other possibilities. Her lungs burned with every inhale she took. Cassidy touched her throat, remembering that the stranger had choked her out. As her fingers grazed her throat, she winced and pulled her hand away. She tried to touch the same spot again, resulting in the same pain coming back. Testing a theory that was beginning to form in her head, Cassidy placed her hand in the same area as the stranger’s hand was when he choked her. She found it was painful everywhere her hand rested.

“Ow, that hurts. But, right now, that is the least of my concerns,” thought Cassidy as she brought her hand away from her throat. “Now… where am I?”

She slowly stood up, holding out her hands as she groped around for a wall. Her hands moved about in the darkness, unable to find a solid surface. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the pitch blackness, which surrounded her. Scanning the room, she saw a dim light shining on the wall, allowing her to make the black and white checkered pattern on it. Cassidy took a few slow steps forward, not wanting to slip on whatever substance covered the floor.

“Oh, good,” said Cassidy as her hands touched the wall, which had the same liquid coating it as well.

Bending down, Cassidy tried to feel for her backpack lying against the wall. At least, she hoped it was near the wall. If it wasn’t, Cassidy was going to be somewhat annoyed, to say the least. She slid her hands down, ignoring the growing disgust at the liquid that was beginning to collect on her hands. The wallpaper fell apart as Cassidy shifted across it, indicating that it was old. Bits and pieces of it stuck to her as she continued moving along. A few minutes of scaling the wall later, Cassidy finally came across the familiar fabric of her backpack.

“Thank goodness it’s here!” shouted Cassidy, happy to see her backpack.

Cassidy moved her hands down the side of her bag, her fingers searching for a side pocket. When her fingers brushed against a metal zipper, Cassidy yanked it down and opened the compartment. Cassidy wiped her hand on her skirt, not caring if she dirtied her clothes. Feeling around, she eventually came across a portable metal flashlight. Cassidy pulled it out of the pocket and turned it on. The small beam of light it cast onto the ground allowed her to see the floor a bit better. Turning the flashlight to her other hand, Cassidy saw that it had become covered in a copious amount of mold.

“Ewww!!!” Cassidy exclaimed in disgust, shaking her hand in hopes that mold would fall off. “That is beyond gross.”

After wiping the mold off her other hand, Cassidy continued to scan the room with her flashlight. The beam shone over the checkered floor, illuminating the dirt and filth that Cassidy had gotten trapped with. Shining the flashlight beam to her left, Cassidy saw a few steps leading up to a door. She made her way over to, using the light to avoid any mold or feces on the ground. Once Cassidy reached the door, Cassidy gripped the handle and tried to open the door. She jiggled it several times, but it seemed to be locked.

“Hmm, maybe I can slam into it, causing it to open?” thought Cassidy.

Cassidy pressed her shoulder against the wooden door before pulling back. With all her strength, she threw her body into it. As her shoulder impacted with the door, her flashlight got knocked from her hand. It rolled down the stairs, finally stopping when it landed on the ground.

“Ow!” screamed Cassidy, rubbing her now-sore shoulder. “That didn’t work as I hoped. Well, I better get my flashlight.”

Walking back down the steps, Cassidy her flashlight beam reflecting off of something… golden in color. She bent down to pick it up, and that’s when she saw that the object appeared to be in the shape of a bear. Once her flashlight was back in her hand, she stepped closer to the item, keeping the light on it. The reflection of the glare nearly hit Cassidy’s eyes, almost blinding her as a result.

“Is that… Golden Freddy?” asked Cassidy, lowering her flashlight a little to avoid being blinded. “I thought that they retired this one…”

“Oh, they did retire it,” said a voice from behind her. “Then they dumped it here to fall apart to disrepair.”

Cassidy spun around to see the same guy who had choked her earlier. Her heart began to race as she watched him slowly, almost casually, stroll down the steps towards her. She backed away from him as she eyed his every move.

“Why do you want to kill me?” Cassidy asked, eyeing the open door. “I mean, I am not worth killing…”

“Oh, you’re wrong about that. You’re worth killing…” The guy walked even closer to her, closing the space between their bodies. “But first, I want to inspect this gorgeous body of yours.”

Cassidy felt uneasy at his words. Yet, before she had a chance to speak, she felt a hand run up from her waist, slowly making its way towards her breasts. She shuddered as it stopped just below her bra. Her instincts told her to fight him, but something prevented her from doing so. Her breathing became heavy as a mix of fear, and what she thought to be arousal took hold of her.

“Ple-please… d-don’t…” stammered Cassidy, struggling to speak as she fought the sensations that her body was feeling.

She got a response in the form of his hand as it started to squeeze her right breast gently. Through her shirt and bra, Cassidy could feel the warmth of his hand as it cupped her breast. Her body betrayed her as she tried not to enjoy it. No one had ever touched her this way, so it was partially exciting to see how it felt. Soon though, her fear shoved her arousal down as Cassidy realized what was going to happen to her. A burst of adrenaline made her bring her knee up, kicking the guy in the groin.

“Ow, motherfucker!! That fucking hurts!” shouted the guy as his hands immediately covered his groin. He fell to his knees, feeling as though a blowtorch was getting held to his skin.

Cassidy, seeing her one chance, bolted out of the room. She didn’t bother to lock the door as she was too busy trying to get as far away as she could. Just as Cassidy had made a sharp turn onto a dark corridor, Cassidy heard his footsteps coming after her. Panicked, she hid in another room, not caring what it contained. Making her way further into the room, she ducked behind a shelf, which had animatronic replacement heads sitting on it.

“Please… don’t look in here,” thought Cassidy, her pulse racing faster with each second.

By sheer luck, the person didn’t walk into the room. Instead, he turned around and walked out of the corridor. That made Cassidy breathe a small sigh of relief. With her heart still thundering in her chest, she made way out from her hiding spot. Cassidy was careful not to make any noise. Alerting the guy to her presence wasn’t something she planned on doing. She turned her flashlight back on, thankful that he wasn’t anywhere near her at the moment.

“Okay, let’s see what I can find to get me out of this decrepit place…” thought Cassidy as she scanned the room.

As Cassidy walked to the other side of the room, something crinkled underneath her shoe. She bent down and picked up the object. Shining her light on it, she saw that it was a missing person flyer. The flyer was torn and tattered around the edges, as well as yellowed with age. It had also become covered in specks of dirt and mold. Several corners and edge pieces were missing, probably degraded away by the moisture in the room. And some of the words had become smudged or completely covered. On it, was a faded image of a young girl. She seemed to be the same age as Cassidy herself. Squinting her eyes, Cassidy attempted to make out what the girl’s name was.

“Charlotte… what?” Cassidy said as she struggled to make out the rest of the smudged name. “Who is she?”

As Cassidy continued to examine the old flyer, she saw the date of when the girl went missing.

“Missing since May 6th, 1973,” whispered Cassidy, reading the flyer aloud to herself.

“Why is this girl missing? And how come no one has found her yet?” thought Cassidy. “Something doesn’t seem right about this…”

Cassidy set the flyer back down and resumed her investigation of the room. Scanning it, she found nothing else other than several rows of creepy animatronic heads. Just as she was about to exit the room, a part of her told her to take the flyer. Listening to that, Cassidy grabbed it and tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans. She had decided to investigate it when she got home. Once the flyer was safe, she turned off her flashlight.

Quietly, Cassidy snuck out the entrance and darted for the nearest room. Unfortunately, she spotted the person ahead of her, heading towards the same place. She managed to sneak into a dark corner of the hallway, making sure to remain hidden as she did so. Cassidy watched as he walked down the same hall, passing right by her. She listened to his receding footsteps until they were no longer echoing against the walls.

Once she felt that she was in the clear, Cassidy bolted for the door at the end of the next corridor. Her hand gripped the handle and turned it, making it squeak in the process. She spun around, hoping the noise hadn’t alerted the guy to her location. To Cassidy’s relief, he was nowhere in sight. She opened the door a crack and slipped inside the room. Quietly closing the door behind her, she ventured further into the room.

“Okay, what is in here?” thought Cassidy as she turned her flashlight back on.

As soon as she turned on her flashlight, Cassidy saw that the room was clean and neat. That was a sheer contrast from the decrepit building it resided in. In the space, sat three huge tables which had an assortment of tools. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling had gotten covered in white plastic. That struck Cassidy as odd. Why would there be plastic covering every inch of the room? And what exactly was its intended use? Cassidy wasn’t sure, but she hoped to find out soon.

Making her way over to one of the tables, Cassidy examined the weapons splayed out on it. They ranged from blades to guns. There were simple, everyday kitchen knives at one end, and at the other end, there were several .45 caliber guns. The other two tables held different types of tools. The second of the three tables had a variety of saws sitting on it. And on the third one was a mix of axes and other miscellaneous blades. With that many weapons in one room, one would think the person was preparing for war.

“Who needs this much ammo and weapons? And what does he plan on doing with all of this?” thought Cassidy as she picked up one of the knives off the table.

After examining the knife, she set it back down and moved onto another area of the room. Cassidy scanned her flashlight beam over the white plastic until she spotted a notepad. Walking over to it, grabbed it off the desk it was sitting on. On the page were a few scribbles, which she assumed had to be words. The handwriting was so bad, Cassidy figured it belonged to her kidnapper. She squinted, trying to make sense of the almost illegible words.

“Jeremy… Fritz… Susie… Gabriel…” said Cassidy as she deciphered the names on the notepad.

The names felt familiar to Cassidy, almost as if she had heard them before. As she thought about it, she recalled hearing them once a while back. It was when she was on a class field trip to the local zoo. There was a group of four friends with those names. Cassidy remembered they were pretty close, which she had to admit made her jealous. She closed her eyes and cleared her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about her friendship problems.

“But why them? Why does he bother targeting them or even me?” asked Cassidy. “It makes no sense.”

Cassidy set the notepad back on the desk. Continuing her search of the room, she came across a manila folder. It was behind an old filing cabinet in the room. Pulling it out, Cassidy saw that a few papers had gotten stored inside it. She opened it, her curiosity growing with her desire to see what it contained inside of it. When she opened it, Cassidy found it was full of photos. Photos of her and the four other kids whose names were on the notepad. They had gotten taken from every angle imaginable. And there were many images of her and the four kids at places they commonly visited.

“What the-? He was spying on me?!” shouted Cassidy, temporarily forgetting that she was supposed to be quiet.

As soon as Cassidy yelled, she realized her mistake. She quickly placed the photos back into the folder and shoved it back behind the filing cabinet. Turning off her flashlight and tucking it into her side pocket, Cassidy hid underneath one of the tables farthest from the door. Just as Cassid had managed to seat herself comfortably under one, she heard footsteps approaching the room.

“Little girl… where are you? I am not finished with you just yet,” said the guy, his voice sickeningly sweet, like honey.

Cassidy’s heart rate increased as she squished her body against the wall, trying to make her form as unnoticeable as possible. She watched as his shoes walked over to where she was. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she froze up. Cassidy was hoping, praying, that he wouldn’t look beneath the table. But, unfortunately for her, her luck ran out, and she saw his face looking back at hers. His anger-filled eyes drilled into her as Cassidy struggled to look away.

“There you are, my little one. Come on now. Get the fuck out from the table,” said the guy, his tone switching from sweet to stern in seconds.

Scared and defenseless, Cassidy crawled back out from under the table. Her body violently shook as she wondered what her kidnapper was going to do to her. Silently, she watched as he walked up to her, keeping only a few inches between their bodies. Cassidy could feel the heat that was radiating off of his body. It was clear that all the running and searching for her was hard on his body. His breathing was heavy, and a layer of sweat covered his body. As her eyes fell to his pants, she could see that he had become aroused.

Seeing that Cassidy was staring at his groin, he said, “Shall we continue what you so rudely interrupted earlier?”

Cassidy shook her head. She didn’t want to continue. What happened earlier had been enough for her. Eyeing the knife sitting closest to her, she inched over to it. Just as the knife handle was two inches from her grasp, Cassidy felt a hand brush against her bra. Struggling to fight against her arousal, she grabbed the knife and swung it. Lifting the blade, she stabbed it right into the guy’s shoulder and shoved it in. Blood spurted out around it, hitting Cassidy in the face.

“You fucking bitch!” screamed the guy as he yanked the knife out of his shoulder, causing blood to spill free from the wound. “That… hurt. But don’t worry, you’ll soon get what you fucking deserve.”

His words made Cassidy’s knees go weak. She was able to hold herself up by leaning against the table behind her. Just as her fear was about to overwhelm her, she grabbed another one of the knives. Cassidy held it in front of her, preparing to strike her kidnapper again. Her hand trembled as she gripped the handle, but she managed to keep it somewhat steady. Eyeing the person, she saw that his injury had stained his shirt a dark purple as more blood continued to soak through it.

“Seriously?! You think that you can fucking injure me again?” The guy laughed, only to be cut short by his throbbing shoulder. “You’re not brave enough to repeat that!”

Cassidy’s hand shook as she struggled to retain her grip on the knife. As her kidnapper moved towards, she used her sudden burst of adrenaline to attack him. Cassidy aimed the blade of the knife at the guy’s thigh. She was successful, leaving a deep horizontal gash across his skin. But Cassidy didn’t stop there. She continued to slash both of his thighs, wanting to make sure he wasn’t capable of catching her once she escaped. Blood poured freely down his leg, coating the metal blade. With every cut of the knife, blood was getting flung onto the plastic. By now, the guy’s pants had the same coloration as the area where his shoulder had gotten injured. Unfortunately, he grabbed Cassidy’s arm and made her cut his forearm.

“Ow, that fucking hurts bitch! But, I have to admit that you have balls for doing that,” said the guy, complimenting her. “Isn’t it fun to hurt someone?”

Cassidy spat in his face and moved on to cutting his arms. Repeating what she did with his thighs, she left multiple lacerations up and down his arms. There was so much blood pooling onto the shirt, it stuck to her kidnapper’s body, allowing her to see the defined muscles underneath. Yet, she failed to realize that allowed her kidnapper to grab the knife and throw it away from her. So, when she had gotten momentarily distracted by his physique, that’s when she felt a hand on her wrist just before her weapon had gotten pulled away from her. When it hit the wall and got stuck as a result of that, Cassidy’s fear kicked back in. She looked up at him, shocked by what she had just done. She had become the same monster he was. Cassidy felt his grip on her forearm tighten. Still reeling from her actions, she felt him move his waist closer to hers.

“Mm, before I kill you… I want to have some fun with you and this beautiful body of yours,’ said the guy, his hand tracing the curves of her hips and leaving blood on her clothes. “I wouldn’t want to waste this…”

That was it. Cassidy couldn’t take anymore, so she ran out of the room. Darting past the doorway, she bolted out into the hallway. Behind her, she could hear his heavy footsteps trailing her. Ignoring the shaking in her legs, Cassidy continued to run, her desire to be free fueling her. Once she reached two corridors, she turned to her right. However, that hall had one door, leaving her with only one – to run into the area she’d initially been escaped from. Deciding that it was her best option, she flung open the door and bounded down the steps. Unfortunately, just as Cassidy reached the bottom, she saw the guy standing in the doorway.

Now… now you’re so fucking dead.” Cassidy watched as he made his way down the stairs. “And I no longer feel like having my way with you, you bastard. So, let’s just end this now, shall we?”

Cassidy backed away from him. Now with no way to defend herself, she knew that she was dead. Cassidy saw her kidnapper approach the Golden Freddy animatronic and open the back of it. When she looked inside of it, she realized exactly what was going to happen to her. Inside the animatronic was enough space for her to stand up in it, that is once he had moved all the gears, beams, and wires. Cassidy swallowed hard, both her throat and mouth went dry.

“Step in,” said the guy, his voice cold and emotionless.

Cassidy refused to move from where she was standing. Her survival instinct was beginning to kick in with every breath she took.

“Damn it, fucker. Don’t make me ask you again. Now, step the fuck in!” shouted the person, their temper getting the better of them.

Cassidy, again, refused to move from the spot where she was standing. But this time, it was because she had become paralyzed by fear.

“Fuck this!” said the guy, giving up and approaching Cassidy.

Cassidy attempted to fight against the guy as he picked her up. But her fear paralysis was too great. And her body, after all the running around, had become exhausted and was growing weaker with every movement she made. Cassidy felt herself getting forced inside of the animatronic. Her face had gotten into the facial cavity of Golden Freddy. Around her, she could feel all the beams and wires that had gotten pushed aside. It was a terrifying thought to know that they soon would all become jammed into her body.

“No, plea-” Cassidy’s plea got cut off as the spring locks holding the gears and wires had gotten released.

Quickly, the gears began to scratch and scrape her skin, pulling some pieces off in the process. As they forced their way back to their original positions, Cassidy felt them slicing through her muscles and tendons. It felt like a cheese grater was getting rubbed against her. The sharp edges of the gears made quick work of her soft tissue. Several of them had dug their way into her back, while others nestled themselves in her legs, arms, and abdomen. One had even settled right below her skull. Blood ran down her body, dripping down onto the bottom of the animatronic.

Following the gears, the beams shoved their way into her body next. Cassidy felt her skin getting pulled and stretched as some of the poles tried to push through it. She groaned weakly as one of them ripped through the flesh of her stomach. Cassidy could feel her blood lubricating it as it continued to move through her. Another broke her elbow as it pushed past it. That made Cassidy scream as she felt her bone break inside her arm. A third one went through her left buttocks and broke the pelvic bone as it returned to its original position. Her body went into shock as wave upon wave of pain hit her.

The wires came next. Several made their homes next to some of the beams, becoming coated in Cassidy's blood in the process. A few pressed against the gears in her back, pushing them farther into her body. Cassidy had become so numb that she didn’t feel the pressure that was getting applied to her ribcage. For that matter, she didn’t feel much of anything anymore. Cassidy couldn’t even feel any of the wires that dug into her skin, pushing more blood out from her body. Nor could she tell that her limbs were beginning to turn blue from lack of circulation. The pressure built up to the point that it caused two ribs on each side to crack and cave in. As a result, the ribs punctured Cassidy’s lungs. That, she felt in the form of her chest starting to hurt more with each inhale she took.

After what seemed like hours had passed, Cassidy felt her breathing becoming shallow with each exhale she let out. The two ribs had successfully managed to rip her lungs enough to kill her. As she struggled for breath, she heard the raspiness of her breathing.

“I don’t have much longer. I wish I could tell my family that I love them one last time, especially my little sister, Rosie…” thought Cassidy as she fought to stay alive for just a little longer.

As Cassidy took one last inhale, she used her last dying breath to say, “I… love… you…”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer’s hand fell away from Golden Freddy’s shoulder. She leaned against Twilight Sparkle, grateful that she was next to her. Her body was coated in a layer of sweat as she shivered in the cold night air. Seeing both Gabriel and Cassidy’s memories in one night had taken its toll on her. Sunset’s hand reached over and gripped the edge of the wing wrapped around her, wanting to feel something soft and comforting. Absentmindedly, she played with the feathers as she forced the images she’d just seen to the back of her mind. After a few moments, Sunset stopped and looked at Twilight as she gave her a weak smile.

“Thanks, Sparky. You can go now.” Sunset Shimmer looked down, not wanting to see the pain she caused reflected at her. “ I can see that you don’t want to be near me any longer. And I am not going to make you stay if you don’t want to.”

Twilight Sparkle looked away from the redhead as she pulled her wing off of her shoulder. She didn’t want to walk away from Sunset Shimmer. If anything, she wanted to support her and to be by her side as she helped the kids. Yet, knowing that she was still choosing to keep something from her, it hurt Twilight. It also pained her to feel the way she did. Sunset was her best friend. But, as Twilight was beginning to learn, even those that are closest to you can hurt you. It was insane how the person who gave her strength to be the person she is now was the exact same person who broke her down so easily. The cruel irony of it all was that she wanted to be consoled by Sunset, despite the fact she had hurt her.

“Sunset,” began Twilight Sparkle. “I am sorry you had to endure that again. And that…”

Sunset Shimmer waited for Twilight to finish, but she didn’t. Glancing up, she saw her walking away without finishing. She watched as Twilight stood with the other girls. When she saw Rarity rest her hand on the book worm’s shoulder, Sunset’s eyes fell to the ground. Her lips quivered for a split second as a wave of regret tore at her conscious. Closing her eyes, a single lone tear rolled down her cheek before landing on her lap.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the redhead, with only one thought crossing her mind. “Please, Sunset… let me in. Stop shutting me out and keeping your past hidden.”

Sunset Shimmer, pushing the last of the images of Cassidy’s mangled corpse aside, stoop up. Her legs shook as her body struggled to adjust to moving again after remaining still for so long. Eventually, she managed to stop the trembling and stabilize herself. She looked at the animatronic, hoping that she had successfully brought back Cassidy.

“Cassidy…?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“W-who are you?” Cassidy asked, pulling her knees to her chest, seemingly unaware that she had become trapped inside of an animatronic. “A-are you go-going to hurt me?”

“No, no! I won’t hurt you, and neither will my friends. I promise,” said Sunset Shimmer, kneeling on one knee. “My name is Sunset Shimmer.”

Cassidy let go of her knees and stood up. Once she saw that Sunset Shimmer and her friends weren’t a threat, she calmed down a bit. She looked around and spotted the other kids standing behind them. Cassidy saw each of the other kids trapped in their respective bodies. She and Susie locked eyes, which made Cassidy realize the kids were aware of their situation.

“Gabriel…? Fritz…? Susie…? Jeremy…?” asked Cassidy as she struggled to remember their names. “Is that really you?”

“Yeah, it’s us. But, um, how do you know us?’ asked Jeremy.

“I went to the same school as you. You four were very close friends, that I remember,” replied Cassidy.

“Oh, right! You were the girl on the missing person flyer. The one we couldn’t figure out the identity of,” said Gabriel.

“Flyer? How long was I dead before you guys got killed by him?” Cassidy asked, surprised to see flyers had put up.

“About two months,” said Gabriel.

“Oh…” Cassidy turned to Sunset Shimmer. “Where am I? And how did I get here? Also, how could you see my memories? Is that how you knew my name?”

Sunset Shimmer was unsure of how to answer all of Cassidy’s questions. She looked down at her geode only to find it sparking… again. This was the eighth time she had seen it go haywire, though Sunset couldn’t understand why it was going crazy. The only possible reason was due to her seeing Gabriel’s and Cassidy’s memories within the same night. Yet, that didn’t explain why it went haywire earlier in the day.

“That’s odd. Why is it going haywire now? Is it because I have used it too much tonight?” thought Sunset, holding her geode in her hand.

Applejack, seeing that Sunset was a bit preoccupied, approached Cassidy and said, “Sugarcube, that’s a lot of questions. We can answer them all at my farm, okay?”

“Okay,” said Cassidy, looking at the redhead.

Applejack left Cassidy’s side and made her way over to where Pinkie Pie was standing. She looked over at Sunset Shimmer and noticed that she seemed a little preoccupied with her geode. That worried Applejack. She had seen the redhead’s geode sparking earlier, similar to what Twilight’s geode did just before she transformed back into Midnight Sparkle physically. Something made her think that it was going to happen again, this time with Sunset. Applejack knew that could be problematic, especially given what occurred at the Fall Formal. Though, for right now, she told herself to focus on the task at hand. There would be plenty of time to worry about her friend later.

“Pinkie, you and the kids come with me. We need to get them back to my barn to make sure they are safe,” said Applejack as she and Pinkie pie approached the kids.

Pinkie Pie walked over to where Susie was, joining her as they started to leave Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Fluttershy in the clearing. She was the only one who hadn’t lost her cheerful mood. Everyone else seemed either worried or tense, especially Sunset and Twilight. It was understandable for the two considering the events that had unfolded that day. But, Pinkie Pie decided to let them figure it out by themselves. Right now, she had some business with a metal cupcake to deal with at the moment.

“Why do you always carry that cupcake? Is it a real cupcake?” asked Pinkie Pie, pointing to the cupcake that was currently sitting on Susie’s shoulder.

“Oh, this thing? I don’t know. It was always with this animatronic,” replied Susie, meeting Pinkie Pie’s gaze. “Personally, I find it creepy.”

Pinkie Pie eyed the cupcake saying, “Hmm, I believe it has a secret society of cupcake people that it commands. And I am pretty sure it will one day coat the world in every flavor of frosting.”

“What?” asked Susie, suddenly confused as to what the party girl was talking about.

Applejack joined Susie and Pinkie Pie, chuckling as she said, “Don’t bother tryin’ to understand that. That is one in a series of theories she has about that cupcake on your shoulder.”

“Wait, she has multiple theories on the cupcake?” Susie looked at the cowgirl, not sure if she could believe what she was hearing.

“Yep,” replied Applejack.

“Wow, I don’t even know what to think of that…” said Susie.

Sunset Shimmer watched as Pinkie Pie and Applejack disappeared from her sight. Just as the last of the kids vanished behind several trees, she felt a tingling in her hands. As it intensified, she looked down to see what was causing it. What she saw shocked her and caused her blood to run cold. Sunset felt the tingling turn to a stinging sensation in her hands as she watched as her usual amber skin tone turned a bright crimson color. A pinching feeling in her fingers made her look at them. She watched as her fingernails elongated and wrapped around the tips of her fingers, forming into sharp claws. Seeing that, Sunset knew what was going to happen to her appearance soon.

Biting her lip, Sunset Shimmer quickly shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. She turned around and walked towards the girls, desperately hoping that they wouldn’t notice her changing features. To the redhead’s relief, it seemed they were unaware for the moment, at least. She was also grateful that Pinkie Pie and Applejack were gone. That meant there were fewer people to hide her changes from. Besides, Sunset wasn’t too sure that she could handle having all the girls worry about her trying to turn them into her own personal army again.

Twilight Sparkle noticed that Sunset’s demeanor had changed. Her usually confident friend now seemed panicked and worried. That struck her as unusual, especially for Sunset. Concern flooded Twilight as she caught her eye. There was fear in the redhead’s eyes, but it was different from the fear she’d seen in her when she had transformed into Midnight Sparkle. It was like she feared… herself. As Twilight saw that, a part of her wanted to make sure she was alright. She didn’t like seeing her look so troubled. Yet, there was a voice in her head, reminding her that Sunset was the one who refused to let her in. Making a choice and ignoring the voice in her head, she walked towards her. She hesitated for a moment before carefully placing her hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Sunset, what is wrong? Are you okay?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “You seem like something is bothering you…”

Sunset shimmer could hear the concern Twilight had for her wellbeing. However, that only made her regret what she was going to do even more. She knew all too well what was happening to her. Her geode had sparked numerous times, just as Twilight’s had, and now her appearance was reverting to the form she had taken at the Fall Formal. And that was not something she wanted the girls, Twilight especially, to see. Sunset figured the best thing was for her to keep it from her friends, despite knowing that they would somehow figure it out eventually. So, she stood there with Twilight’s hand on her shoulder and tried to hold back tears that threatened to fall. After a few tense breaths, she pulled her shoulder away from Twilight’s gentle grasp.

Keeping her hands in her pockets, Sunset Shimmer spoke in a shaky voice. “No, I am not okay, Spa-Sparky. Something is happening to me. Please, st-stay away from me, I don’t w-want you to see it.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand back, both shocked and a bit hurt by the harsh gesture. She glanced back at the other girls. Her eyes were wide, with a mix of fear and confusion. She could see that the girls shared her feelings about Sunset. Twilight’s attention shifted back to the redhead when she heard her hands shuffling in her pockets. Squinting, she looked down at where her hands were in her pockets, wondering what she was hiding. That’s when she noticed something odd about Sunset. When her jacket sleeve moved up, Twilight saw that her skin appeared to be a crimson red now. But why? It was usually a light amber color, not red.

“What the-? What is going on with her? And what exactly is she hiding from the girls and me?” thought Twilight, moving closer to Sunset Shimmer.

Seeing that Twilight had moved closer towards her, Sunset shimmer looked down. When she gazed down at her arm, she realized that her jacket sleeve had gotten pulled up when she yanked her shoulder away from Twilight’s grip. Panicked, she stepped back into the shadowy part of the clearing. Sunset adjusted her sleeve carefully, making sure to keep her claws hidden in the process. However, when she went to pull it back down, she saw that the red color had started to progress up her forearm, albeit very slowly. She hissed, her pain increasing as the red color spread further up her arm. A sinking feeling in the pit of Sunset’s stomach told her it wouldn’t be long before she had fully transformed into the monster she’d been at the Fall Formal.

“I have to get away from them… and soon. I can’t let the girls know what’s happening to me, not yet. But where can I go?” Sunset Shimmer thought, looking around at the girls.

“Sunset? Talk to us darling, don’t push us away,” said Rarity, in an attempt to keep Sunset from leaving.

The fashionista’s voice broke Sunset shimmer from her thoughts. She looked over at her, seeing the worry which clouded and darkened her eyes. A few glances at Fluttershy and Twilight sparkle told her that all the girls felt the same way. That made Sunset silently curse herself for worrying them. Cautiously, she stepped away from the shadowy part of the clearing. Sunset knew that Rarity’s words had a truth to them; she couldn’t just push her friends away.

“Oh, Celestia! What am I going to do? I can’t tell them… or can I?” thought Sunset Shimmer, wondering if it was a possibility.

But then she remembered the Fall Formal. The damage she had caused. And how, in her anger at being lonely and seeing Twilight getting praised by the girls, she almost killed them. A chill ran throughout her whole body as the memory resurfaced in her mind. The images made her feel queasy as she saw the fear the girls had during the incident. Sunset still deeply regretted what happened after she had snatched the crown from Princess Twilight. And these memories, these nightmarish memories, they were her reminders of the consequences of her misguided actions. Eventually, after a few agonizing minutes, the images receded and left her alone.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, preparing herself to face her friends. Secretly, she was hoping that her eyes were still normal looking. But, without a mirror on hand, there was no way she could be sure that they were. Though, she knew she had to take a chance, even if it would expose the very thing she was trying desperately to hide. So, pushing her worries and anxiety aside, Sunset Shimmer forced herself to meet their concerned gazes.

Looking at Rarity, Sunset said, “I-I can’t. I am so sorry. I wish that I could…”

Rarity furrowed her eyebrows, sharing a look of confusion with Twilight before returning her gaze to Sunset.

‘What do you mean you can’t tell us?” asked Twilight, looking from Rarity to Sunset Shimmer, a questioning tone to her voice.

Sunset Shimmer’s body tensed up as she heard Twilight speak. She swallowed, trying to fight the urge to push the girls away. Unfortunately, she gave in and backed herself against a tree, letting the shadows cover her. It was too much for her to hear Twilight pushing at her for an answer. Her attention had gotten pulled away from the girls as she felt a pinching sensation in her upper arm that was inching towards her shoulder. That made Sunset realize she didn’t have much longer before her changes would become visible to her friends.

“Sunset.” Twilight Sparkle walked closer to the redhead, her tail flicking back and forth behind her. Her voice was stern, yet it maintained a gentleness to it. “Tell us what is going on, please.”

The stern tone in Twilight Sparkle’s voice made Sunset’s stomach churn. Her eyes fell to the ground. She was no longer able to face the girls, not when she was slowly turning into the raging she-demon that nearly killed them… again. Gulping, she forced herself to walk over to Twilight, away from the protection of the shadows. Her cyan eyes locked onto Twilight’s mulberry ones as she stopped a few inches away. Sunset’s body shook from being so close to her, from the risk of her new appearance possibly getting revealed. With her pulse increasing, her heartbeat thundered in her ears. As this was happening, she could feel a tightness growing in her chest, making her struggle for breath. Sunset could feel a barely noticeable stinging pain as her crimson skin made its way closer to her shoulder.

“Sparky, I… can’t do that.” Sunset Shimmer looked down at the ground, struggling as both guilt and fear overwhelmed her. She sighed before meeting Twilight’s eyes once more. “I am sorry.”

Sunset Shimmer fought back an urge to hug Twilight, fully aware that if she were to remove her hands, her claws would be exposed. Plus, she didn’t want to risk injuring her with her claws, which slowly began to dig into her palms as her hands formed fists. Sunset turned her back to Twilight, too ashamed at the fact she couldn’t allow her to see what was happening to her. Yet, the book worm commanded her attention when she felt a hand lightly grip her forearm.

“Sunset…?” Twilight Sparkle began, her voice quivering as she struggled not to feel the pain of Sunset’s actions.

“Y-yes, Sparky?” asked Sunset Shimmer, glancing over her shoulder at Twilight. Her own voice shook as she heard the distress in Twilight’s unsteady one.

“Does whatever is going on with you have to do with Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, unsure if she wanted the answer to her question.

Sunset Shimmer tensed up at the question but forced herself to say, “I-it does, Twilight. That’s why I can’t tell you.”

“I am sorry too, Sunset, but I don’t believe you.” Twilight Sparkle slowly let go of the redhead’s forearm and stepped away. “It hurts that you refuse to trust me the way I trusted you… after everything… Just so you know.”

Sunset Shimmer looked away as Twilight Sparkle made her way over to Fluttershy. An all to familiar ache started to grow in her heart. It was the same feeling she got when she began to admit a part of her past to Twilight. Only now, it was there because she chose not to say anything to her. Swallowing hard, she began to walk away from the girls, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

Sunset took one last glance at her friends, whispering under her breath, “I do trust you, Sparky, it’s me that I don’t trust. I don’t want to lose you to the monster you haven’t seen…”

Twilight Sparkle watched as Sunset Shimmer disappeared behind the forest of trees, walking away from her. Her frustration and anger rose inside of her, making her hands involuntarily ball into fists. She wanted to go after Sunset. She wanted to say more, though she didn’t have any more to say. It was just a desire to say anything and everything she could. To make the redhead feel every ounce of pain and anger that she felt. However, Twilight felt a hand stop her mid-step. Looking, she saw that it was Fluttershy that was preventing her from accomplishing her task.

“Twilight, let’s give Sunset her space” Fluttershy hid behind her hair, afraid to make twilight mad. “It looks like she needs to have some time alone for now.”

Twilight Sparkle met Fluttershy’s eyes. The animal lover was right, even if that annoyed her greatly. Sunset did seem like she needed space. That much was evident by the fact she acted very panicky, even when she had touched her arm. Letting out a heavy sigh, she gave Fluttershy a small smile.

“You’re probably right, Fluttershy.” Twilight Sparkle joined Rarity at the edge of the clearing, ready to leave the forest behind. “Let’s go help the rest of the girls get Cassidy adjusted. Then, we can start looking for Rainbow Dash afterward.”

*** *** *** ***

The sun began to sink below the horizon, casting a golden glow onto Sunset Shimmer as she walked with her hands still in her pockets. The streets around her were empty, which for her, was a relief. She shivered as she felt the chill of the night time breeze blow against her cheeks. Her body was beginning to ache all over as her transformation started to take hold of her, but she didn’t care at the moment. Twilight Sparkle’s words still echoed in her head, not letting her forget what she had chosen to do.

“It hurts that you refuse to trust me the way I trusted you… after everything… Just so you know.”

The pain of Twilight’s words felt like a punch to the abdomen. She felt nauseous and dizzy all at once. Yet, Sunset didn’t – no, she couldn't – blame Twilight for saying what she did. It was her choice not to tell her the truth about what was going on. To not reveal that she was becoming the she-demon she once was. Sunset was aware that the girls objected to it, and now she could see why. A considerable part of her now wished that she hadn’t talked them into agreeing with her.

“Why can’t you just see that she wants to help you, to let you know that your past is not you today?” shouted Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice. “You’ll end up pushing her away forever if you keep this secrecy up.”

“Gah! Just shut the fuck up!” Sunset Shimmer screamed, trying to quiet the voice in her head.

Sunset Shimmer heard silence as if the voice had listened to her. She pulled her hands free of her pockets and decided to run to the school, figuring that no one would be there to witness her transformation. Her feet pounded against the sidewalk, each step a deliberate move to get away from her fears. She enjoyed the sight of houses and nearby buildings getting bathed in a golden glow. It was like she could see the light at the end of her dark tunnel. Her hair whipped behind her as the breeze blew against her. Feeling it against her skin, she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of her body moving, making her feel like she was flying. Sunset’s lungs burned with every breath she took, but she didn’t mind. All she cared about was distancing herself from the past, about forgetting the memories. It seemed that her freedom from the chains that bound her was just in her grasp. If she could just run a little faster, a little farther, she would reach it.

Finally, after an hour of running and the agonizing pain that reminded her of what was going to happen, the school showed up in the distance. Sunset Shimmer slowed her running to a brisk walk, allowing herself to catch her breath. She approached the gym and opened the doors, which unsurprisingly were unlocked. After all, it wasn’t a real big city, so the threat of burglars and trespassers wasn’t a big worry. And if anyone were stupid enough to pull a stunt like that, they would likely be caught.

Quickly, Sunset Shimmer made her way through the dark gym, unaware that someone was there. That someone happened to be the Great and Powerful Trixie. She was underneath the bleachers, a green screen behind her, and a video camera in front of her. There was also a makeshift table in front of her, which a few of her tricks sat upon. The gym was where she often recorded her magic videos to post on her SnapGap account. Unfortunately, tonight was a bad night for her to decide to be there.

Looking at the camera, Trixie said, “And today’s new magic act is a new one the Great and Powerful Trixie has been working on for a while. But Trixie is finally ready to reveal it.”

Just as Trixie was getting ready to perform her magic act, she heard something echoing in the supposedly empty gym. The sound was something similar to basketball shoes squeaking on the hardwood floor. It echoed loudly in the wide gym, disrupting her recording. Her curiosity was piqued, making her grab her video camera off the tripod and take it with her. It didn’t matter that it was still recording, she would edit this out later. That is unless it was something worth keeping on video. She peered around the bleachers and aimed her camera at whatever was making the noise. As Trixie looked at the screen, she saw the person in the gym was none other than Sunset Shimmer.

“What the hell? What is Sunset doing here at the gym at night?” Trixie whispered as she zoomed in on the video.

Sunset Shimmer had made it halfway across the gym when a burning sensation in her shoulder blades stopped her. Moving her shoulders around, she tried to shake the feeling off, but it only worsened it. She knew what was going to come, and that made it all the more painful to her. Heat began to surge off her body as it struggled to adjust to the magical changes that were occurring to it. It felt like a thousand ovens were all pouring heat onto her skin. Sweat dripped down her forehead as her body continued to heat up. In a feeble attempt to keep her favorite leather jacket from being ruined, Sunset tried to take it off.

“No, no, no, no, no!!” shouted Sunset Shimmer as she struggled to pull her arms free of her jacket.

However, the redhead wasn’t quick enough. She felt the muscles that surrounded her shoulder blades sting as she felt the crimson red color spread past her shoulders. Sunset pulled back her jacket and saw that she was right about the color spreading, making its way further down her body. A dull ache began to grow in intensity as she felt the bones near her shoulders shifted and rearranged themselves in preparation for her wings to appear. A scream erupted from her throat as she fell to her knees, her body giving in to the immense pain.

As her knees slammed against the hardwood floor of the gym, Sunset Shimmer’s pain escalated but failed to outmatch the pain in her shoulders. Tears began to flow down her cheeks from the intense pain that racked her back and shoulder blades. Slowly, as if wanting her to feel every movement they made, her wings pushed themselves through the scars they originated from. Feeling her skin stretching and tearing as more of their mass made its way out of her body, Sunset could feel them pushing against the leather of her jacket. With one final, excruciatingly painful push, her two bat-like wings forced themselves through the leather and stretched out to their full length.

“Great. Just fucking great. My damned demon wings ruined my favorite jacket! What’s next, huh?!” thought Sunset Shimmer, letting out a growl escape from her throat.

Cautiously, as if Sunset was in a dream, she moved one of her hands tentatively towards a wing. There was a part of her that couldn’t believe she was seeing them, not after all this time. Her wings were mainly red with black skin on the top, lining the central bones, which connected them to her shoulder blades and back. Following the black skin, she saw it covered a claw-like appendage on the end of both of her wings. She continued examining her wings, keeping her hand away for a moment. Glancing down, she saw that they separated into three points with two small holes in each wing. The holes sat on the lower portion of them, leaving them mostly intact. The more she looked at them, the more she began to see they had a smaller stature from the last time.

“Woah, that’s odd. Is that because my geode caused the transformation this time?” asked Sunset, trying to figure out why her wings would be smaller.

“What the fuck?! Sunset has wings now? Is she… becoming Demon Shimmer again?” hissed Trixie under her breath as she neared the redhead. “This just became very interesting to Trixie.”

“Hmm, I could hide my wings under a large hoodie. But if I open or stretch them, they will likely rip through the fabric and padding,” thought Sunset Shimmer. “Though I guess that’s better than nothing…”

Sunset Shimmer’s hand brushed against the warm, thin, leather-like skin of her wing. She jumped as she felt the sensation of it for the first time. For a moment, she slowly placed her whole hand on the skin of it. She could feel her pulse faintly through the membrane that made up her wings. Shuddering at the feeling of the tips of her claws grazing against it, Sunset pulled her hand away. She was ashamed of what she was turning back into. So much so, she lowered her head and continued to cry right where she was sitting. Her body began to shake violently from her sobs. Almost instinctively, her wings wrapped themselves around her body as if they were somehow going to shield her from the guilt and regret she felt.

Trixie was just a few feet away from Sunset, but close enough to hear the sobs that escaped from her. That made the magician falter for a second. Should she be recording this, when Sunset was clearly in a vulnerable position? Somewhere, deep in her consciousness, a part of her told this was wrong. That invading Sunset’s privacy at a time like this was something that she shouldn’t be doing. Yet, Trixie found that she couldn’t stop recording. If this were going to have consequences, it wouldn’t stop her from videotaping the redhead. Something told her this would come in handy soon. So, with renewed vigor, Trixie watched to see what would happen next.

As Sunset sat there crying, the stinging sensation which hit her shoulder blades earlier migrated to her ears. She felt them beginning to shift and change just as her shoulders had done. The pain was noticeable, but it was considerably less intense than when her wings had come in, which was a relief. The base where her wings attached to her shoulder blades still felt like an open flame was getting held to her skin from the sudden appearance of them pushing through her flesh. Reaching a hand up towards her ear, Sunset could feel them lengthening and becoming pointier than her normal ears were. There were also some triangular cuts forming as well, which Sunset didn’t understand. There never seemed to be a reason for them, so why were they there? Yet, she didn’t bother to question it as she felt the pain increase. Again, the same burning sensation washed over her ears as they too turned the familiar crimson red, the same as her skin. When she lowered her hand, one of her claws made a small cut on her ear. As a result, a little trickle of blood ran down the side of her ear before she wiped it away.

“Shit!” hissed Sunset Shimmer, looking at her claws. “That hurt.”

The pain from the cut was soon overwhelmed by an agonizing pain that traveled from her shoulders down the length of her back. A weak groan slipped from her lips as she hunched over, holding her stomach. Every muscle twitched and stretched as they rearranged themselves and formed into stronger muscles, ones capable enough to allow Sunset to fly. Her shirt clung to her as it became drenched in sweat, but she didn’t care. All she could focus on was the weakness that was building in her body. Sunset Shimmer felt more tears stream from her eyes as her body continued to go through the painful transformation… again.

“Twilight’s transformation never took this long,” thought Sunset Shimmer. “So, why me?”

“You deserve this harsh punishment as a consequence of your actions,” Sunset’s inner voice told her.

Sunset was grateful that the wood floor was cold to the touch. Unfurling her wings, she laid down on her back. The coolness did alleviate some of the heat that had started to radiate off her body. Plus, it eased some of the searing pain she was feeling, but only by a little. Her joints ached, and her ability to move her limbs was disappearing by the second. As she relaxed, it eased a little more of her pain, something she was thankful for after what she’d just endured. The redhead enjoyed the few moments of peaceful relief she had before the pain began to fight against the cold. As much as Sunset wanted her transformation to be over, she knew that it wasn’t over just yet. If she recalled the first time she had transformed, her teeth would be next to change.

On cue, her lateral incisors started to throb and ache. Reluctantly pushing herself off the cold floor, Sunset Shimmer sat up. Her wings folded up behind her as she moved. The weight on her shoulder blades felt weird to her, but that got quickly forgotten as the throbbing turned to sharp shooting pain. She held a hand to her mouth as she felt her teeth forcibly getting pushed out of her gum line. Looking down, she caught her incisors in her palm. Despite the oddly disturbing action of catching her teeth, Sunset knew she had to pace herself for the next round of pain that was going to hit her inevitably.

“Ahhh!!” screamed Sunset Shimmer as a stinging pain, similar to corrosive acid, hit her gums.

Trixie jerked away as she heard Sunset Shimmer scream out in pain. Being a witness to this event was becoming too much for the magician to handle. However, she wanted to catch Sunset’s transformation into Demon Shimmer on tape. Regardless of how wrong this was, it felt so good to take advantage of the opportunity in front of her. This was her own ticket to get back at the redhead for attacking her earlier that day. So, steeling her resolve, Trixie inched a little closer to her. She couldn’t risk missing any of the action.

“Sunset, this is Trixie’s payback for what you did to her in the locker room,” thought Trixie, an evil smirk on her face. “This is kind of fitting considering what you did to the princess. Oh, Trixie is going to enjoy every moment of this…”

Her hand still covering her mouth, Sunset struggled to keep herself from screaming. She ran her tongue along her gums as she felt two very sharp, very long fangs appear in place of her normal lateral incisors. She could tell they could do some damage, assuming that she was to bite anyone or anything with them. They were similar to Twilight’s own, only in a different placement. Once her fangs had fully appeared, the burning in her gums subsided. However, before Sunset could breathe a sigh of relief, her skin began to sting once more. Now it felt like a thousand-degree hot metal iron was getting held to her flesh. It slowly and gut-wrenchingly made its way up her neck and onto her head, almost becoming unbearable. She closed her eyes, letting out another ear-piercing scream as the pain reached her face. Her light amber skin gave way to the crimson color of her new demonic appearance.

“Sweet Celestia! Please, Stop!!” begged Sunset Shimmer, unaware that Trixie was spying on her agony and enjoying it.

But the intense pain didn’t cease. Instead, it found its way to her tailbone, furthering in intensity as it did so. Placing a hand on the small of her back, Sunset Shimmer felt her tail emerge from the end of her spine. It had the same yellow and red color that matched her hair. She touched a few strands of it, not sure if it was real. When she felt the hair against her palm, she knew it was real, that it wasn’t just a fever dream. Yet, a small part of her wanted it to be a dream because that would mean everything else was too. Sadly, Sunset knew it was all too real and that she was indeed becoming Demon Shimmer again. And there was nothing she could do to stop or reverse it. When her tail flicked behind her, she couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the action.

Trixie zoomed out on Sunset Shimmer, wanting to keep the video in focus. She wasn’t risking her life and reputation to get a fuzzy video that would only humiliate her if she released it. So, the video had to be clear and indisputable. Trixie was shocked by the sight in front of her. She never thought she would see the day that the redhead would revert to the former demon she once was. But, in front of her stood physical proof that Sunset Shimmer had indeed done that. And Trixie was elated that she was the one who caught it on video. Taking a deep breath, the magician forced herself to focus and continue recording the event.

Sunset Shimmer felt her wings fold up against her back, which was a strange sensation to her. Yet, at the same time, it almost felt… normal. She attempted to stand, needing to find a bathroom. Once she got off her knees, the same burning pain that had made its way all over her upper body finally trickled down to her legs. Her legs shook as the searing pain turned to the stabbing kind and ran down her legs. Sunset was sure that her legs were turning the same shade of red as the rest of her now was. Barely able to stand through the pain as it coursed throughout her lower body, Sunset Shimmer inhaled deeply.

Trixie watched as Sunset staggered over to the girls’ locker room. She followed her, making sure to stay a few feet behind her and remained quiet. Keeping her eye on the redhead, she watched her push the heavy blue metal door open, releasing a loud squeak from its hinges. The magician took the opportunity to slip unnoticed by Sunset Shimmer. She stood in the shadows as she saw her make a beeline for the bathroom. Again, she followed her in, making sure to keep herself hidden from view. Trixie didn’t want to risk getting seen when she was this close to the redhead. And so close to capturing her full change back into the monster she always knew she was.

Just as Sunset Shimmer stepped in, she was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of bleach and whatever else had gotten used to clean the bathrooms. As she staggered over to one of the sinks, her vision grew blurry and started to blacken around the edges. She became disoriented as the room began to swirl and shift around her. It was like she had taken some psychedelic drugs. Bracing herself against the sink, Sunset blinked rapidly, trying to fix her vision. She looked into the mirror above the sink. Horror-stricken, she watched as the whites of her eyes disappeared into a sea of black.

The pain of her eyes shifting somehow managed to outmatch the pain she still felt in her shoulders. It felt as though hydrochloric acid was getting dumped into her eyes. She fought the urge to rub her eyes, but blinking was beginning to become useless against the aggravating itch. Finally, after a few agonizingly painful moments, she gave in to the urge and rubbed her eyes. The action did relieve some of the stinging in them. Sunset opened her eyes again once she had finished rubbing them. Her cyan pupils stood out amongst the ocean of blackness that now surrounded them like an empty void.

Sunset Shimmer’s vision came back mostly, but it was still somewhat blurry and fuzzy. However, she could see herself and what she now looked like better. Stepping back away from the sink, she examined her appearance. Her skin was almost the color of blood. She had sharp claws and fangs to match, something she knew was bound to terrify the girls. Her tail twitched absentmindedly behind her as she thought about them. Sunset was desperately clinging to the hope that they wouldn’t fear her. That somehow they would see past her… demonic-looking exterior and realize she was still their friend. However, at this point, she wasn’t so sure about that.

She was grateful that her clothes and hair had remained unchanged by the transformation, unlike last time. To see that some form of her regular appearance remained brought some comfort to her. Unfortunately, it didn’t bring much. And there was one thing that worried her the most; Twilight Sparkle’s reaction. She was sure that Twilight would be completely scared off from her if she saw what she looked like now. And that image of her friend, the one she loved with every ounce she had to give, looking back at her with fear in her eyes, it broke Sunset’s heart into a trillion pieces. It was pure torture to see it and to know it could possibly happen.

‘Oh, Celestia! Please, don’t let Twilight be frightened of me. I can’t take losing her to this disgusting monster that I am now…” said Sunset Shimmer as she gripped the porcelain sink tightly, unaware that Trixie was recording her words.

“And this is exactly why you should have been honest about what happened with Twilight, you idiot,” Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice came back and with a vengeance. “Now, you’ll have to face her as the demon you are. And hope she’ll still love you despite the monster she sees in front of her.”

“No! I can’t do that! If Twilight sees this, she’ll push me away forever. And if I lose her, I am not sure I can accept that…” Sunset looked down at her claws and red skin. “She’ll never look at me the same after she sees this side of me.”

Gathering whatever strength she could manage, Sunset Shimmer forced her self-loathing and concerns aside and looked at herself in the mirror again. The sight of her appearance startled her for a moment before she regained her composure. Her eyes roamed from her enormous wings to her claws, and up to her sharp vampire-like teeth. A shiver ran down her back as she struggled to accept all the changes that had happened. A monster had replaced her, leaving her feeling like she no longer deserved to be seen. Lifting her eyes a little more, Sunset saw her own gaze staring back at her. Her eyes, once full of life, were now surrounded by an evil blackness that seemed to erase all emotion from them. Only a few seconds into staring at her reflection, and she had to avert her eyes from the mirror or risk letting her fears take control of her.

“Nobody will ever look at me again… Twilight will never be able to see past this monster I have become. I am too frightening for her to be able to do that…” The words fell from her lips, but to Sunset Shimmer, they resonated deeper within her. They matched the ache that stirred in her heart and brought a single tear forth from her eyes.

Something was beginning to stir inside of Sunset Shimmer, building with every breath. It was like a primal power had awoken inside of her, and it was yearning for release, alongside her anger at herself. Her wings flapped in response to the surge of energy that coursed through her veins. She felt her body tense up as the seconds passed by. A red aura surrounded her hands, growing brighter with every beat of her heart. She focused on the mirror in front of her, slowly curling her fingers towards her palm. The same red aura around her hands began to surround the mirror as her hands slowly balled up. The sound of the glass cracking and twisting under the pressure of Sunset’s newly acquired power echoed loudly against the bathroom walls. Finally, she clenched her hands into fists in all too familiar motion.

After a few minutes, the glass caved and shattered. Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes just as a cascade of glass shards rained down on her. Thankfully, her leather jacket prevented any of the shards from cutting her skin. When the shower of glass stopped, she opened her eyes and looked around. The bathroom now had a layer of glass shards surrounding her. Seeing that, it made Sunset feel that her heart would soon be a part of the mosaic. Her fists remained clenched, causing the lights above her to start to flicker. Sunset was angry at herself, at the lies she willingly told Twilight and the fact she was now getting forced to come clean with her eventually. All of that, combined with her self-hatred of her demonic appearance, the lightbulbs broke under the increasing magic aura that surrounded them and fell onto the glass-covered ground.

“Ow!” exclaimed Trixie as quietly as she could as she pulled a piece of glass from her arm, so as not to alert Sunset Shimmer to her presence. “That seriously hurt.”

Staring down at her reflection in the broken mirror, Sunset Shimmer saw that her irises were the only visible thing in the pitch blackness that surrounded her now. “Nothing but a monster…”

Trixie gaped at the sight of the new version of Sunset Shimmer that stood in front of her. She now fully looked like Demon Shimmer, minus the hair from last time. Her wings draped over her shoulders as if cradling her in her time of need. Seeing her like that, it was a bit jarring to the magician. For a moment, Trixie debated turning off her camera and leaving her alone. After all, she knew that she had seen something that was supposed to be private. Sunset was vulnerable, and here she was taking complete advantage of it. That was wrong, Trixie knew it was. Yet, it felt really satisfying to know she had video evidence of her transformation. Making a decision, Trixie chose to continue recording.

As she looked at the mirror shards, Sunset Shimmer noticed a faint glow of light behind her in the corner of the bathroom. She spun around to find the one person that she never wanted to see her like this. “Trixie! What the fuck are you doing here?”

Trixie smiled. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer. Or should the Great and Powerful Trixie call you Demon Shimmer now?”

Appearances may Deceive, but the Heart Doesn't

“Finally, we’re here,” said Cassidy, sitting down on a hay bale near the entrance of the barn. “I thought you said it was close by.”

“I did,” replied Susie. “You’re just not used to walking around in an animatronic body after so long of phasing in and out.”

“Oh… right. I almost forgot about that,” said Cassidy, looking down at Golden Freddy’s hand and moving its fingers around.

It was still strange to be conscious again, to know that she was physically bound to an animatronic body. Even stranger was the world she was now trapped in. It was so different from the restaurant that Cassidy felt like it was heaven. However, her happy mood was dampened by the memories of her untimely death, which were on constant repeat thanks to Sunset Shimmer. But she didn’t blame her for the images ruining her mood. She knew that Sunset was trying to help her remember who she was. Or at least that is what the kids had told her. Still, the memories haunted her and reminded her that she had uncovered a dark part of her personality.

“By the way, do you think you can still phase in and out?” asked Gabriel, curiosity in his voice.

Cassidy looked at Gabriel. “I-I don’t know, but I can try.”

Cassidy closed her eyes and concentrated on phasing out. Nothing happened at first, but then something started to occur. Her body began to fade out, becoming semi-apparent like a ghost. A few seconds later, her whole body was invisible and no longer solid. She opened her eyes to find all the kids staring at her as though she had just murdered someone. That caused her to lose her concentration, and she became solid and visible once more.

“Di-did I do it?” asked Cassidy.

“Yep,” replied Jeremy. “You did the whole ghost disappearing act and all.”

“Cool,” said Cassidy, happy to see that she had succeeded in her task.

Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy walked in and sat down while Twilight Sparkle remained standing outside. She looked over her shoulder for a moment. She hoped to see that Sunset was behind her, but all she saw was an empty dirt road leading to the barn. No sign of her red and yellow-haired friend at all. Twilight sighed heavily, pushing past her disappointment at not seeing her friend. A part of her wished that Sunset had shown up and that she hadn’t shut her out when all she was trying to do was help her. But she knew that it had to be her choice to let her in, she couldn’t force her to do it. With her wings draped over her shoulders, Twilight made her way over to where Applejack was sitting.

“She’ll come ‘round… eventually, Twilight,” said Applejack, trying to cheer her friend up a little.

“That is something I am beginning to doubt. Sunset's constant avoidance of certain questions, her inability to give me a definitive answer, the admission that she wasn’t telling me something willingly, and her pushing me away when I just wanted to support and understand her, it’s all becoming too much for me to handle anymore. I can’t-no, I won’t stand for it much longer…” said Twilight Sparkle, rambling away.

Applejack chuckled nervously. It was always awkward when the Twilight Sparkle would go on one of her rambling rampages. She could easily go on for hours at a time if she had enough to say. And that happened once when Twilight came across an inaccurate historical document about Canterlot City in the town hall’s library. Applejack recalled the mayor had gotten called to deal with her and the document. The mayor seemed surprised that there was an error but was willing to correct it, to Twilight’s delight.

“Um, sugarcube?” asked Applejack, interrupting Twilight Sparkle’s mindless rambling.

“Huh?” Twilight Sparkle had gotten jolted from her thoughts. She adjusted her glasses and looked down at her hands. “Oh, did I start rambling again?”

“Yeah… you did, Twi,” said Applejack. “But it’s fine. I know it’s hard for you right now, especially with what’s going on with Sunset.”

“Hard isn’t exactly the word I would use. More like unbearable,” Twilight Sparkle said in a small voice.

Cassidy, who had remained silent for the last five minutes, spoke up. “I hate to interrupt your conversation, but can someone please explain to me where I am and how the heck I ended up here?”

“Well, as for where you are, you’re in Canterlot City, Cassidy,” replied Applejack, answering the first of Cassidy’s questions.

“And as for how you got here, I can answer that,” added Twilight Sparkle. “It was equestrian magic that transported you to our world from a video game.”

“A video game?” asked Cassidy, confused.

“Yes. A specific video game called Five Nights at Freddy’s,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“And what exactly is equestrian magic?” Cassidy’s thoughts were swimming around in her head as she tried to process all the information she was hearing.

“It’s magic that Sunset Shimmer, the girl you met earlier, brought here.” Twilight Sparkle’s voice quivered as she struggled to say Sunset Shimmer’s name.

“Sunset Shimmer… was she the one who brought me here?” asked Cassidy.

“No, the magic she brought to our world did,” said Applejack, correcting her.

“And it did the same with you four as well?” Cassidy asked, turning to the others.

“Yes, it did,” said Jeremy, Susie, and Gabriel in unison. “We were all brought here, same as you.”

“Why… did Sunset try to bring us back? Why not just leave us be?” asked Cassidy.

“She tried to bring y’all back because she wanted to help you,” said Applejack, noticing Twilight Sparkle’s uneasiness about discussing Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh…” was all Cassidy could say as she tried to make sense of everything.

“Were you there, you know, when we were all killed?” asked Jeremy. “I mean, we did see your, um, dead body…”

Cassidy looked down at the floor. Her eyes lingered on the pieces of straw that littered the barn floor. She tried to recall her memories after she had died, but they were hazy and not fully there. It was like she was staring down a fog-covered street and trying to make the shapes of the houses. Yet, all she could see was the vague outlines of their roofs in the midst of it. Everything else was hidden from view, not yet revealed to her. And without the redhead, Cassidy wasn’t sure she could see past the fog that cloaked her mind.

“I-I think so.” Cassidy looked at Jeremy, almost as if she already knew what animatronic he was in. “But I can’t recall it at the moment. Also, why did you open the suit up, Jeremy?”

Cassidy was shocked by what she had just said. It was that she subconsciously remembered things, but that did little to comfort her. The images and feelings of her last moment before she died were still hard to bear. And being in a strange land, where no one except the four kids seemed to know, didn’t help matters either. Cassidy managed to find some solace in most of the girls’ support. Though, she did wonder why the light pink-haired girl was looking at her as though she was going to harm her. But, being trapped inside a large metal animatronic, she understood her reason for being apprehensive.

“Well, I was, um, curious,” replied Jeremy, looking away from Cassidy’s gaze.

Cassidy saw Jeremy cautiously meet her gaze once more. It was evident that he felt terrible for disturbing and discovering her rotting corpse. As the word ‘corpse’ popped into her head, she recalled a vague memory. She saw herself, now a ghost, hovering over a boy in a dark room. The boy was huddled in a ball and all alone. Cassidy tried to make out who the boy was, but she couldn’t tell. The memory was fuzzy and distorted as though she was close to losing it permanently. Try as she might, the image refused to get any clearer. Deciding that it was best to let it go for the moment, Cassidy focused on the kids.

“You were curious about it?” asked Cassidy.

“Yes,” said Jeremy. “But if I had known that your body was inside there, I wouldn’t have looked. I swear.”

“That… is weird, but I understand your curiosity. I would just appreciate it if you didn’t mention it again, please,” said Cassidy. “I am a bit uncomfortable with knowing that you saw my dead body.”

An eerie silence fell upon the barn. It was heavy. So much so, that one could easily have cut it with a knife. But the scuffling of a few feathers brushing against the hay bales broke it immediately. Twilight Sparkle chuckled nervously as all eyes turned to her. The silence had been horrible, but being the one who had broken it was even worse. She looked down as she nervously adjusted her glasses. It was hard to have everyone staring at her; it made Twilight feel like she was back at school.

“S-sorry…” said Twilight Sparkle, sounding uncomfortable.

“I-it’s alright.” Cassidy’s voice temporarily glitched as she spoke. “By the way, if I may ask, did you always look like that?” asked Cassidy, taking notice of Twilight’s large feathered wings and eyes.

“No, I didn’t. These,” Twilight Sparkle stretched her wings to their full size as she said that, “are recent. And that is also something I don’t want to talk about right now.”

“Oh… sorry. I didn’t mean to ask,” said Cassidy, her voice growing quieter with each word.

“It’s okay, Cassidy. It’s just a sensitive subject at the moment,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Okay, good.” Cassidy let out a mechanical-sounding sigh. “Your wings are beautiful, by the way. I love their purple color.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” said Twilight Sparkle, blushing at Cassidy’s compliment.

Fritz looked at Cassidy, which in turn made Susie look at him. He caught her for a moment, and he saw that Susie was wondering what he was going to do. Fritz knew that she wasn’t going to approve of his question, but it had to get asked. So, pushing past his fear of her anger, he turned back to Cassidy.

“So, if I can ask, who exactly killed you?” asked Fritz, ignoring the gasp from Susie. “Cause the same person killed all of my friends.”

Cassidy looked away, her shoulders slumping forward in the process. The grime-covered plastic squeaked in protest at the movement. That sound made her cringe in disgust. It was torture enough that she was dead and in a place that was unfamiliar to her. But to be trapped in an animatronic body? That wasn’t the least bit ideal. If anything, it was the worst possible thing for her. She missed seeing her human body, even though the physical one she once had, had since decomposed and rotted away years ago. But, Cassidy had resigned herself to getting used to her new body, knowing that she wasn’t likely to get rid of any time soon.

“I had gotten killed by someone that was wearing a purple security uniform,” replied Cassidy after a few minutes.

“A purple security uniform? Did you, by chance, see their name on it all?” asked Susie.

“It’s still kind of fuzzy. It might have been William something,” said Cassidy, struggling to remember precisely what the name on the name tag was.

All the kids exchanged looks of surprise and shock amongst one another.

“Then, you were most likely killed by the same person as we were,” said Susie. “But that’s just our theory.”

“Well, it's better than nothing,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy looked at Gabriel, who had been very quiet for most of the conversations. He was trapped in Freddy Fazbear, whereas she had gotten stuck in the golden version of him. That was strange to see, trippy even. Though, compared to seeing four other kids trapped inside animatronics and a girl with wings, it wasn’t as unusual. But pushing aside the strangeness of what was happening, she could tell that he had a question for her. Yet, it seemed Gabriel was too shy to ask it, at least without some help.

Deciding to help Gabriel, Cassidy said, “Gabriel, what is it? Do you have something you want to ask me?”

“Um, yes,” replied Gabriel.

“Well, Gabriel, if you something to ask, ask it,” said Cassidy, trying to sound as comforting and calm as she could.

“Oh, no, I-I don’t-. It may seem insensitive.” Gabriel became flustered as he tried to speak.

“Just ask, please, Gabriel.” Cassidy tried to remain calm, knowing that Gabriel was afraid to offend her.

“Um, okay. Why didn’t you talk to us for all the months and years after we died? Was it something we did?” asked Gabriel, shrinking away out of habit.

Cassidy stood up without saying anything and walked out of the barn. Gabriel’s question had brought up something that was still raw for her emotionally. Something that she wasn’t ready to own up to just yet. It was too painful for Cassidy to deal with at the moment. As she stopped just a few feet from the entrance, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She spun to find that the kids and the girls had followed her outside.

‘Why did you leave, Cassidy?” asked Susie.

“I left because I… did something. Something horrible…” Cassidy said, turning away from everyone. “And I am ashamed of it.”

Gabriel approached Cassidy, resting a hand on her shoulder. That prompted her to meet his eyes.

“You killed someone, didn’t you?” asked Gabriel, his voice calm and steady, a complete change from earlier.

“Y-yes, I did.” Cassidy tried to keep her from glitching again, but it was impossible as she started to recall the memories of the night guard and the way they looked at her. The look of fear and pure panic, it was seared into her mind forever.

“You’re not the only one who has made that mistake,” said Gabriel, letting his hand fall away from Cassidy’s shoulder.

“Wait. What? What do you mean I am not the only one?” asked Cassidy, now curious as to what Gabriel was talking about.

Gabriel looked at his friends. He hadn’t brought up what happened for a reason. The reason being that Gabriel still regretted his actions that night. He knew what he was doing, but his anger fueled him, making his inhibitions fade into the foreground of his mind. The image of the night guard dying still haunted him, even now, as he stood with his friends. And afterward, Gabriel chose to ignore his friends and push them away. A choice that Gabriel wished he hadn’t made that night.

“I killed a security guard,” said Gabriel. “I killed him because I was angry that my friends and I had gotten murdered. And I didn’t care that he wasn’t the one that killed us, that he was innocent.”

“Oh wow…” was all Cassidy could manage to say as she heard what Gabriel did.

“Yes.” Gabriel turned to face Cassidy. “That is how I felt too. But over time, I decided not to make that mistake ever again. And,” he rested a hand on Cassidy’s arm, “in time, you’ll see that it’ll get easier to bear, so long as you promise to do better.”

“Okay, I will keep that in mind. Um, by the way, where is Sunset?” asked Cassidy, noticing the lack of red and yellow hair amongst the group.

“She, uh, had to get some air,” replied Fluttershy.

“Oh, why?” asked Cassidy, innocently unaware of the drama that had unfolded after she and the kids had left.

“She just needed it,” answered Twilight Sparkle, cutting Fluttershy off before she could say anything. “Let’s talk about something else, please.”

“Uh, okay.” Cassidy looked at the girl who Twilight Sparkle cut off. “What’s your name?”

“It’s, um, Fluttershy,” replied Fluttershy, hiding behind her light pink hair.

“That’s a cool name,” said Cassidy.

“Um, th-thanks. Your name is nice too.” Fluttershy ran her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit of hers.

“Thanks,” said Cassidy. “We better head back inside.”

Cassidy walked back into the barn with the rest of the kids and the girls, leaving Fluttershy alone.

Suddenly, Rarity’s phone buzzed as she walked into the barn, prompting her to pull it out of her pocket. As soon as she turned it on, she saw that she had received five text messages, all of them from Rainbow Dash. Unlocking her phone, she read the texts.

Dash: You guys coming or what?!

Dash: Come on! Guys, please hurry!

Dash: I don’t think I am alone...

Dash: My phone battery is nearly dead. Please, come!

Dash: My phone is gonna die soon! Please, find me.

“Oh, my!” exclaimed Rarity as she saw the texts she’d gotten while they were busy talking with Cassidy.

“What is it, Rare?” asked Applejack. “Somethin’ botherin’ you?”

“We forgot about Rainbow. We left her out in the woods, still lost,” replied Rarity.

“You’re right. In all the commotion of gettin’ Cassidy and the kids back to safety, we forgot about Dash,” said Applejack.

“You girls should go find your friend,” said Cassidy. “She needs your help.”

“What about you and the rest of the kids? We can’t just leave you alone, can we?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Well, Granny Smith’s busy sellin’ some more apples to the local grocery store. And Applebloom is havin’ a sleepover at Scootaloo’s house. So, y’all should be safe until we get back,” said Applejack.

“Okay, then. Just stay out of sight until we return,” Twilight Sparkle said as Cassidy and the kids sat down on a few hay bales.

“We will,” said Jeremy.

“Alright girls, let’s go find Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight Sparkle as she, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity left the barn and headed into the woods for the second time that night.

*** *** *** ***

“I am not Demon Shimmer!” shouted Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer stepped away from Trixie, afraid to give in to her anger and new power. She didn’t want to hurt her, not intentionally at least. Even though there was a strong desire to punch her out and run away, she pushed it aside. The only thing that would accomplish is proving Trixie right about her being a monster. And that was something that Sunset was keen to prevent. After all, it was bad enough that the magician had made Twilight Sparkle question her and called her a monster in front of her. Turning her back to the magician, Sunset braced herself against the sink.

“Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t believe you,” said Trixie, holding her camera up.

Sunset Shimmer picked up one of the mirror shards off the floor. With the bathroom still shrouded in darkness, she couldn’t see much besides Trixie’s face getting illuminated by her camera’s light. Two cyan pupils stared back at her, reminding her that she no longer looked like her usual self. In them, she saw hurt and regret as well as shame for being dishonest to the one person she never wanted to cause any pain.

“Fine, don’t believe me,” said Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to deal with Trixie at the moment. “And why are you here, anyway? I thought the gym was supposed to be empty after school was over.”

“Oh, it usually is. It’s why Trixie uses it to record magic videos for her SnapGap account,” replied Trixie as she pressed pause on her camera.

“Wait, have you been recording all of this?” asked Sunset as she dropped the glass shard and turned to face Trixie.

“Yep. Trixie recorded every second of your transformation as well your inability to trust Twilight to see past your, uh, new changes,” said Trixie, sounding almost proud of her accomplishment.

Sunset Shimmer’s anger boiled up as she realized that Trixie had seen and recorded everything. It took all her willpower to keep herself from strangling the magician right there. The very person she despised for allowing Twilight Sparkle to see past her lies had something that could potentially damage everything she’d worked hard to earn. Her tail flicked back and forth as she struggled to calm down. Sunset backed away until her wings were flush against the tiled wall behind her. The coolness distracted her enough to allow her to relax. Once she felt she had a handle on her temper, Sunset looked Trixie in the eye.

“Wh-what do you plan on doing with that video, Trixie?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her voice trembling out of fear.

“Hmm, Trixie was planning to keep the video and possibly release it to the whole school tomorrow,” said Trixie, giving the redhead an evil smirk. “Besides, she believes the school and Twilight deserve to know the monster you are.”

“No!” screamed Sunset Shimmer as she lunged at Trixie in a futile attempt to snatch the camera from her.

Trixie managed to sidestep and dodge Sunset Shimmer’s attack. She watched as she slammed into the wall, ramming her body against one of her wings. That elicited a groan from the redhead as her eyes started to glow, and her fangs elongated. Trixie, seeing that, darted towards the bathroom entrance. Unfortunately, she didn’t get a chance to exit it because Sunset Shimmer gripped her forearm, making her freeze. Trixie could feel the tips of her newly formed claws on her skin. Her heart thundered at the thought of what could happen if she were to move the wrong way. At this moment, the magician realized she had lost her one chance to escape.

Sunset Shimmer growled as she tightened her grip on Trixie’s arm. “I don’t want to hurt you, Trixie, but you need to hand over that camera now.”

“Trixie is not going to give you her camera, not when it’s the only leverage she has against you. Besides, she needs payback for you nearly killing her,” said Trixie, squealing in response to Sunset tightening her grip even further.

After debating the idea of dragging her nails across the magician’s arm, Sunset Shimmer reluctantly let go of her. Although it was tempting to injure her for recording her transformation, she didn’t want to give in to the desire. Instead, Sunset stepped away from Trixie, her hands shaking from the effort to keep them off of her. Her eyes were still glowing, but she felt her fangs return to their usual size, to her relief. She turned her back to the magician.

“Do you realize what’ll happen if you release that video, Trixie!? Do you know what they will do to me if they see what’s happened to me!?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her voice showing her worry.

Trixie looked down at her camera. “They’ll see the monster you always were. That you haven’t changed, just like Trixie has always been saying.”

Sunset Shimmer turned to face the magician, her eyes locking with Trixie’s for a moment. “Yes, exactly. If they see that video, all they’ll see is me as is the monster I was. They’ll forget that I tried to make amends for what I did and beat me the same way that they did Twilight because of you. All the good I have done will get erased if they see that.”

Hearing what Sunset Shimmer had said, Trixie looked up at her. The beating Twilight Sparkle had received earlier that day weighed heavily on her mind. When she had learned about the injuries she’d caused her to suffer, the guilt and the reality of what she had done began to hit her. Trixie was too proud to admit it, but she knew that she had made the wrong choice. Exposing Twilight was one thing, but having her get beaten and kicked was another thing. Trixie didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did; she just wanted to show whatever it was that Twilight was hiding. Yet, with the video she had of Sunset Shimmer, something told her not to release the video to the whole school. But, that didn’t mean that she couldn’t show Twilight the video.

“Sunset, Trixie won’t release the video to the school. After what happened to Twilight, after what Trixie caused, that would be too cruel, even for the Forgiving and Generous Trixie,” said Trixie.

“Thank you, Trixie.” Sunset Shimmer sighed with relief, glad to know that the school wouldn’t find out what happened.

“But,” began Trixie, shattering Sunset’s brief moment of relief. “Trixie will show it to Twilight if you don’t reveal to her what has happened to you soon. Twilight deserves the truth, and Trixie believes it would be best that you did it before she gets forced to show the video to her.”

Sunset Shimmer walked up to Trixie and gripped her arm again. She dug her claws into her skin, a desire to injure pushing her to go further. With her sharp claws on Trixie’s flesh, it would be so easy to rip it open and watch as she writhed in agony while blood poured from her newly-made wound. To see her suffer the same way she made Twilight suffer would’ve been a delight to the redhead. But she fought it, knowing that she would regret it later. Instead, Sunset pulled her closer, close enough that the magician could feel her wings against her body.

“Trixie, if you reveal that video to Twilight before I have a chance to tell her myself, I will make you pay,” hissed Sunset Shimmer, her fangs extending as she spoke.

Trixie gulped and tried to pull her arm free. “Trixie promises.”

“Good.” Sunset Shimmer let go of the magician’s arm and stepped away. “Now, get out of my sight before I decide to destroy your camera.”

Trixie didn’t need to be told twice. In seconds, she bolted from the bathroom and exited the gym. She left behind her magic tricks, deciding to get them in the morning. That left Sunset Shimmer standing alone in the dark bathroom. No longer wanting to be there, she took one last glance at the mess she’d made before walking out. She made her way to the main area of the gym. Sunset knew that she needed to head home, to get somewhere safe and where no one else could see what she looked like now. Unconsciously, her wings flapped behind her and lifted her a few feet off the ground. But she fell and landed on her back, surprised by the sudden action of flying.

“Woah, that was… unexpected,” said Sunset as she got to her feet again.

Once Sunset Shimmer had brushed off her jeans, she looked at her wings. They flapped in response to her attention, making her jerk at the motion. She could feel the newly-formed back muscles flex as they moved, which piqued her curiosity. Deciding to do some testing, she focused on making her wings flap once. To her surprise, they responded accordingly.

“Hmm, this is interesting,” Sunset said as her wings flapped again. “Maybe I could get used to being able to fly, assuming I get a handle on them.”

Again, Sunset felt her wings flap, this time with the intent of flying. She succeeded in levitating for a few minutes. But as soon as she got distracted, they faltered, and she started to fall. Yet, just as she was about to slam down onto the ground, something stopped her descent. Her wings had begun to flap as though her unconscious thoughts were controlling them. Gently, she landed back on her feet.

“That wasn’t too bad, but maybe I should get in some more practice before I attempt anything advanced,” said Sunset Shimmer, tucking her wings against her back.

Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Sunset Shimmer prepared herself for the long walk back to her apartment.

*** *** *** ***

“Damn, I shouldn’t have left my bike at AJ’s,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer shivered as the cold fall wind blew against her wings. It was an odd sensation to have them, especially when she ponied up, she never gained them. That was usually for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and of course, Twilight Sparkle. But, she had to admit it was cool to finally have wings, even if it was under not-so-great circumstances. Her tail swished, reminding her of its presence. Sunset reached back and shoved her tail into her jeans. Unfortunately, for her, that only worsened it as she felt it tickling her thighs.

“Oh, for the love of Celestia, give me a fucking break!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, pulling her tail free and sighing.

She looked up at the moon that shone down on her. It was a full moon, which was her favorite phase of the lunar cycle. It reminded her of home back in Equestria. And of all the time she and Twilight Sparkle hung out at one of their ‘secret’ spots in the Canterlot Park. The night sky was void of any clouds, allowing Sunset Shimmer to see the millions of stars twinkling and dancing away. It was like a painting had come to life above her head. A small smile made its way onto Sunset’s face before disappearing seconds afterward.

The moon’s glow lit up Sunset Shimmer’s path and made it easier for her to see where she was going. The sidewalk distorted the shadows cast by its glow. She looked and noticed the night was eerily silent. No cars were driving by, no dogs barking as she walked by the fences, and no distant sounds of a siren wailing behind her. Sunset stopped and looked behind her. Not even a single cricket chirp could be heard. It was so silent that a pin could get heard if it had gotten dropped.

“That’s odd…” said Sunset Shimmer as she tried to hear something, but nothing made a noise.

After a half-hour of walking, Sunset finally came to her apartment. Thankfully, she had her keys with her. Pulling them from her pocket, she proceeded to unlock her front door. She walked in quickly, almost slamming her door shut in the process. She locked her door and tossed her keys onto her desk. Sunset didn’t want to risk any of the girls walking in and seeing her right now. Once she felt sure that no one was going to come by, she ran up to where her closet was.

Pushing past her clothes, she found a small cardboard box in the back of her closet. In black marker, the word ‘hoodies’ had gotten written on the side and the top flaps. It was a box of hoodies that the school had purchased the second year Sunset had gotten nominated for Fall Formal Princess. She had taken them for a reason back then but instead ended up putting them in her closet and forgetting them. Why she had taken them, she no longer remembered.

“Guess these will come in handy now,” said Sunset Shimmer, pulling out a large hoodie. “Hopefully, this one will be big enough to hide my wings.”

Sunset Shimmer slipped the hoodie over her head and wings. Fortunately, it fitted nicely over her wings, even giving them enough room to stretch out a little. She walked up to her mirror and turned around slightly, looking at the back of the hoodie. She let her wings stretch, making sure it could stand the force of them pushing against it. After a few minutes, she saw there was no tearing or ripping caused by the pressure. Relaxing her wings once more, Sunset pulled off the hoodie.

“Better add some padding just to be safe. I don’t want my wings to get seen by anyone, especially Twilight,” Sunset said as she set the hoodie down on her bed.

For a moment, Sunset Shimmer rested her hand on her leather jacket’s sleeve. She was hesitant to remove her jacket. She didn’t want to see the torn leather or the holes where her wings had forcibly ripped through it. It was like she was reliving the fall Formal all over again. Even now, as she stood there in her bedroom, the images of her coming home and seeing the damage it had suffered the first time played in her head. But, Sunset pushed past her feelings of panic and yanked it off, thankful that her wings weren’t a hindrance to her removing it. She held the torn jacket in her hands, eyeing the rips from her two wings. Angered at the fact her demonic appearance came back and ruined her favorite jacket, she threw it to the other side of her room.

“Ahhh! Why did this have to happen now of all times!?” screamed Sunset Shimmer as she felt tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Her claws dug into the skin of her palms as she clenched her fists tightly together. Sunset stomped her way downstairs, heading to her bathroom. She flung the door open and walked into the empty room. Flicking the light on, she was greeted by the sight of her eyes gazing back at her. Her cyans pupils seemed to shrink as her anger rose within her. The black sclera seemingly swallowed her irises in its inky abyss. A desire to punch something made her raise her fist at her reflection. Sunset Shimmer no longer saw herself in the mirror, only the monster she hated for existing in the first place.

Yet, just as she was about to punch her mirror, her anger disappeared, leaving shock visible in her wide eyes. Sunset lowered her hand as she saw what the girls must’ve seen the night of the Fall Formal. It finally dawned on her why the girls, and the rest of school, had their reservations about her at first. It wasn’t just what she had done to them before she had gotten her hands on the crown. It was because of what she’d become when she had placed the crown on her head. Her eyes fell to her hands, which rested on the sink as she lowered her head.

“I really am just a monster,” whispered Sunset Shimmer, the words barely escaping from her lips.

Letting go of her sink, Sunset Shimmer walked out of her bathroom. She walked back up to her bedroom and grabbed the hoodie from her bed. Ignoring the black heap of leather that was her jacket, she sat down. Reaching under her bed, she pulled out her sewing kit, the one she had gotten from Rarity a year earlier. While Sunset had seen a bunch of online videos, she had also taken a few lessons from the fashionista. They had come in handy when it came time to repair her first leather jacket. She set the small sewing kit on the bed and began to add the extra padding to the inside of the hoodie.

After twenty minutes of sewing, Sunset finally finished adding the extra fabric and padding from one of the smaller hoodies. Holding the hoodie in front of her, she examined her work. The stitching was better than what she did on her leather jacket, partly because she wasn’t working with leather. Sunset slipped it over her head, not bothering with the zipper. She was careful to avoid the claws on her wings. Once it was resting over her wings, she allowed them to stretch, testing the padding. To Sunset’s relief, it held up nicely to them pushing against it.

“Good. Now that’s been taken care of, I have got to hide my claws,” Sunset Shimmer said, leaving the hoodie on as she made her way to her closet again.

Sunset Shimmer pulled a bag of clothes she had bought a few months ago. She recalled there being a pair of worn leather gloves in it. As she pushed a few shirts aside, she found the gloves sitting below them. The gloves were black, the same as her jacket. The leather was smooth to the touch, something the redhead appreciated. They showed some heavy wear and tear in certain areas, but for the most part, they were still usable. She grabbed them and ran to her bathroom, closing the door behind her. Sunset sat on the edge of her tub.

“Okay, let’s see if you’ll work,” said Sunset Shimmer, carefully slipping the gloves on.

Once she had fastened the second glove to her hand, Sunset wriggled her fingers around. Amazingly, the worn leather held firm against the tips of her claws. She made a fist, and the gloves remained in one piece, with no tearing or seams splitting from the action. Sunset examined the back of the gloves. With the leather having gotten worn down from years of use, it was supple enough to bend with her movements. That pleased her, and a small smile appeared on her face.

“Good. At least now I know my claws won’t hurt anyone,” Sunset Shimmer said, standing up and walking over to her mirror.

Sunset Shimmer saw her eyes again. It seemed that each time she looked at them, all she could feel was a sense of dread and fear. Her eyes were the most frightening change to occur. There was an inhumanness to them, something that lacked any emotion. Yet, if one were to look closely, you could see it was still there. But the black sclera around her pupils made that task impossible do, even for Sunset herself. Right now, she wouldn’t expect the girls to be able to look at her. Taking a deep breath in, she looked away from the mirror.

“Better run to the local store. I am going to need contacts to hide my eyes.” Sunset Shimmer walked out of her bathroom and pulled the hood of her hoodie over her head.

Just as she was about to leave, Sunset remembered that her eyes were still visible. She ran over to her desk and grabbed a pair of sunglasses that were sitting in the first drawer. They had been a gift from Twilight Sparkle on her birthday. The glasses were a simple black color with two little suns on the side of the frames. Sunset was amazed that she had managed to paint her cutie mark on them, which made her appreciate them even more. Slipping them on, she grabbed her keys and walked out of her apartment, heading to the local Canterlot Market.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer shoved her hands into her pockets, shivering as the brisk fall wind caressed her cheek. Her wings, despite being leathery and thin, provided some warmth underneath her hoodie. She was grateful for the extra warmth as the nights were slowly getting colder the closer winter got. Walking down the street, she saw a group of teenagers from Crystal Prep coming towards her. Sunset turned her head away from them as she walked under a street light. She didn’t want them to see what had happened to her.

“Ugh, who is that? And what the hell are they wearing?” asked one of the girls.

“Definitely a CHS student, judging by the symbol on their hoodie. And the fact that they just walked out of Sunset Shimmer’s apartment, that has to be Sunset Shimmer,” said another girl.

“Oh, right. That is her apartment,” said the first girl. “So, where exactly is she going at this time of night?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care,” replied the second one as they started to walk away.

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hood down further, walking faster. After a few minutes, she finally arrived at the store. The store was only a block and a half away, which tonight was a relief for her. The lights in the store bathed the front entrance in a bright glow, making her grateful she had her sunglasses on. She opened the door, and the bell above it jingled loudly. That made her turn to the cashier to see what they would do. Thankfully, they barely glanced at her before they returned to their magazine. Sunset quickly made her way over to where the contact lenses were usually stored.

“Okay, where are they?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she scanned the rows of colored contacts.

After walking past numerous colored contacts, Sunset found her eye color on the second to last row on the bottom shelf. She grabbed it and made her way out of the aisle. The longer she remained in the view of anyone with her eyes not disguised, the more she risked getting outed. She adjusted her sunglasses as she neared the counter, making sure to keep her eyes hidden from the cashier’s view. Setting the vile down, Sunset grabbed her wallet.

“That’ll be $15.28, miss,” said the cashier, ringing the contacts up.

“Here’s $16. Keep the change,” replied Sunset Shimmer, grabbing the contacts back and running to the bathroom.

Sunset Shimmer closed the bathroom door behind her, making sure to lock it before she removed her gloves. She set the vials containing the contacts on the sink counter, right next to her wallet and keys. Carefully, she removed her gloves and set them down next to the vials. Sunset unscrewed the caps off the contact vials and set them down. As she was about to turn the water on, she looked at her reflection. Somehow, in the dim lighting of the bathroom, her eyes seemed more terrifying than they did in complete darkness. Shaking her head, Sunset forced herself to focus on putting the contacts in and washing her hands. Once that had gotten taken care of, she dried off her hands and picked up the first lens.

Holding the delicate lens between her thumb and index finger, Sunset Shimmer took a glance at the instructions included with the contacts. Using her other index finger, she pulled down her bottom eyelid, being careful to avoid poking her eye with her claw. She guided the lens towards her eye, getting ready to place it. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she gently pressed the contact lens to her left eye. Sunset blinked a few times, allowing it to settle on the right spot.

Sunset looked at her reflection again, noticing that her left eye looked normal. But her right one was still surrounded by pitch blackness, a complete contrast to her left one. The image of that staring back at her was beginning to creep her out. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing that when Twilight Sparkle saw, which Sunset knew was going to happen, it would scare her. Her breathing became ragged as she staggered back, away from the sink and the mirror. Flashes of Twilight’s hurt expression made her chest tighten as panic began to set in. Her claws scraped against the tile wall behind her. Struggling for breath, she barely managed to keep herself from crying. Though, that seemed to be harder to do as the reality of what Sunset had chosen to do began to weigh on her. The pain, the lies, the regret, all of it made her feel sick to her stomach.

“No… Twilight…” said Sunset Shimmer as her mind started to play all the possible ways Twilight Sparkle could freak out.

“You know, if you had told Twilight your little secret from the beginning, none of this would have happened,” Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice said.

“I know that,” said Sunset through gritted teeth.

“If you know, then why didn’t you tell Twilight?” asked her inner voice.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her head. “Because… I didn’t want Twilight to look at me with fear. I didn’t want to see her treat me like a monster…”

“So, in order not to frighten Twilight, you kept the truth from her. Now, because of that, she is definitely going to be scared. All because she didn’t know about this side of your past,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience.

Sunset Shimmer remained silent, just focusing on her breathing.

“Yep, makes total sense,” Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice said sarcastically. “Give Twilight a chance, would you? I am sick and tired of trying to convince you.”

As Sunset Shimmer stood against the wall, her breathing finally slowed down a bit. Her panic also began to subside and allow her to relax a little. She forced her thoughts about Twilight Sparkle aside as she walked back over to the sink. It was hard to see her reflection, especially with just the one contact in, but she ignored that for the time being. With slightly shaky hands, she picked up the vial that held the last contact.

“Now is not the time for me to be thinking of Twilight. I need to focus on making sure my appearance is hidden,” said Sunset Shimmer as she took a deep breath and picked the other lens up, repeating the same process she did with the first one.

However, still upset by the argument she had with herself, Sunset Shimmer wasn’t so gentle in placing the lens over her right eye. The pressure applied by her index finger caused it to scrape her eye, evoking a loud hiss of pain from the redhead. She closed her eyes in an effort to ease the pain. Sunset was thankful that the pain was less intense than when her eyes had shifted. The idea of having to suffer even more pain after what she had endured earlier was less than appealing to her. Her hands gripped the edge of the sink as the pain slowly began to recede.

“Dammit! That fucking hurt,” said Sunset as she opened her eyes and loosened her grip on the sink.

Sunset Shimmer looked up at the ceiling and inhaled sharply. Using her index finger, she held her bottom eyelid down as she readied herself to fix the contact lens. Using her other index finger, she moved the lens into the right place. Her eye began to water from her moving it around so much, but she rubbed her eye and released some of the built-up fluid. That allowed her to make sure the lens was placed correctly before lowering her hand. Blinking both eyes, Sunset made sure the lenses felt comfortable and let her right eye find some relief.

“Ugh, how do people wear these damn things every day?” asked Sunset, already dreading having to wear them for an extended period.

Sunset Shimmer put on her gloves and stashed the empty vials in her hoodie. The feeling of having contacts in her eyes was beginning to subside, to her relief. Exiting the bathroom, she slipped her sunglasses on just for added protection. Just as she walked past the cashier, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She walked out of the store and pulled out her phone to see who had texted her.

Dash: Sunset, I texted Rarity, but she didn’t respond. My phone is close to dying now. Please help me…

“Oh, Celestia! I forgot about Rainbow Dash,” said Sunset Shimmer as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Guess I will have to help the girls find her. It’s the least I can do after running off earlier.”

Sunset ran from the store to the nearby woods, which surrounded the neighborhood, not considering the dangers that may lurk in the shadows. The branches and brambles threatened to pull her sleeves up and scratch her skin as she began to make her way into them. The moonlight still lit up her path as she ventured further into the ever-thickening mass of bushes and trees. Yet, just a few feet into the forest, the canopy above her started to swallow the moonlight. Sunset looked at the pitch dark path ahead of her and sighed before continuing on, knowing that her friend needed her help. When she pushed past a thorny branch, it yanked her sleeve up and scraped her arm in the process.

“Ow!” screamed Sunset Shimmer as a small trickle of blood ran down the side of her arm. “Okay, I can’t keep doing this. I am going to fly.”

Sunset Shimmer made her way into a clearing, making sure that she stayed completely hidden from the view of anyone. She removed her sunglasses and shoved them into one of the hoodie’s pockets before she took it off. Her wings stretched to their full length as the fabric holding them down was pulled off. Though, Sunset’s relief had gotten hindered as she remembered that Rainbow Dash could clearly see her appearance without her hoodie hiding most of it. Or at least she would if she wasn’t careful about it. Pushing the nerve-wracking thought out of her head, Sunset flapped her wings a few times. She was happy to see that she had some better control over her flight.

“Okay, now to find Dash,” said Sunset Shimmer, slinging her hoodie over her arm.

Sunset flew low enough that the canopy hid her appearance, but high enough that she could still see a few feet ahead of her. Even with the dim lighting, she managed to see the trail widening beneath her. As tempting as it was to land and go back to walking, Sunset took the opportunity to hone her flying skills. Something told her that the practice would be useful later on. She remained flying for a good half-hour, with no sign of Rainbow Dash anywhere. When one of her wings hit a nearby branch, it destabilized her body for a moment.

“Ow! I got to stop hitting those,” said Sunset Shimmer as she slowed down to hover.

“You think?” asked Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her that it was still there.

“Shut the hell up,” said Sunset Shimmer, her annoyance clear. “You have said enough for tonight.”

“Fine, but I will come back when you see Twilight,” replied her inner voice.

“Yeah, something told me that you’d do that,” Sunset Shimmer said, rolling her eyes. “Tell me something new…”

“You telling Twilight the full truth, that’d be something new…” Sunset Shimmer’s conscience was now starting to get on her nerves for the third time that night.

A deep growl escaped from Sunset’s throat as she forced her inner voice to remain quiet. With her conscience taken care of, she focused on her task of finding Rainbow Dash. Ahead of her was a clearing with several large boulders sitting in various parts of it. She squinted in an effort to see it better, but the contacts she was wearing affected her ability to see. Unfortunately for Sunset, her wings were beginning to grow tired from all the hovering. She looked around for an area to land that was near the clearing but also far enough away that if anyone were close by, they wouldn’t see her appearance. Sunset spotted a darkened spot that was surrounded by thick, high bushes and decided to land there. Approaching the spot, she saw that there was a thin layer of fog covering the forest floor. She flapped her wings softly so she didn’t make any noise and landed in the clearing.

As her feet touched the ground, Sunset Shimmer fell to her knees as they buckled underneath her, still adjusting to going from flying back to walking. When her knees slammed against the cold earth, it sent a wave of pain coursing through her already exhausted body. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from making any noise. She wasn’t sure who could be around, but she didn’t want them to hear her, especially if it was Rainbow Dash. Once she was sure no one had heard her, Sunset flapped her wings and cleared the fog out of the area. After that, exhausted by the extended time she had been flying, they folded up and allowed her to slip the hoodie back over them. Just as she had finished pulling it down, she heard a voice call out.

“Wh-who’s there?” asked the voice.

Ra-Rainbow Dash?” asked Sunset Shimmer, not believing her luck. “It’s me, Sunset.”

“S-Sunset? How’d you find me? And why are you hiding in those bushes?” Rainbow Dash asked as she stood up from her sitting position.

“I, uh, walked her from the store I was at. Luckily, you weren’t far from it,” said Sunset Shimmer, stepping out of the bushes. “And I wasn’t hiding in those bushes. I, uh, just tripped and fell behind them. That is all.”

“Right… As much as I don’t buy that excuse, I am glad you found me,” said Rainbow Dash.

As Sunset Shimmer stepped into the clearing, Rainbow Dash saw that she was wearing one of the school’s old hoodies from a year ago. Her signature leather jacket, which she usually wore every day, was missing. That was odd to the athlete, making her wonder what was going on with the redhead. Rainbow Dash’s suspicions had gotten raised more when she saw that Sunset was wearing sunglasses ⁠— at night.

“Sunset, did something happen to you? It’s unlike you to not wear your favorite leather jacket,” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Crap!” Sunset hissed under her breath.

Sunset Shimmer had forgotten that her friends were used to seeing her with her leather jackets. It hadn’t dawned on her that the instantaneous change of wardrobe would clue the girls in on the fact that something happened. Now, she was beginning to regret her choice despite her lack of other options. Telling the girls was out of the question until she was sure that they wouldn’t panic about her appearance. After she had finished silently cursing herself for not considering the girls’ reactions, Sunset did her best to come up with a feasible excuse.

“Oh, it’s at the dry cleaning place. If I continued to wear my jacket, it would’ve come to life and beaten me in protest,” replied Sunset Shimmer, chuckling nervously at her own joke. “So, I just threw on my hoodie until I get it back.”

Rainbow Dash stared at the redhead silently before she said, “Again, I don’t buy that excuse, Shimmer. But, at the moment, I would like to find our friends first. Then, I will continue questioning you until you admit what is really going on.”

“Yeah, I agree. Let’s find the rest of the girls,” said Sunset, hoping that Rainbow Dash would forget to question her later, for her sake.

Sunset Shimmer turned on her phone’s flashlight and shone it on the paths ahead of her. One of the two ways had several footprints leading towards them. The other had a mass of thorny bushes surrounding it, reminding her of their all too painful thorns. The scratch on her arm throbbed as she remembered the sensation of the thorn running across her arm. Choosing the path without the thorny menaces, she walked over to the footprints and examined them.

Kneeling next to one of the prints, Sunset looked over at Rainbow Dash and said, “Are these the footprints you followed?”

“Yep. I followed the prints till they led me here,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Okay. Well, if we follow the footprints back, we should find the girls,” Sunset Shimmer said as she stood back up.

“Wait, what about the path you took to find me? Why don’t we just take that one?” asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the thorny trail on the other side of the clearing.

Sunset Shimmer tensed up at Rainbow Dash’s question. She avoided eye contact with her as she tried to come up with another quick excuse.

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sunset said. “That path had so many thick branches and thorns that I am surprised that I made it here in one piece.”

Though a part of her could tell that Sunset was avoiding the path, Rainbow Dash said, “Okay, we’ll take the path I took.”

Before Sunset Shimmer had a chance to say anything, a low growl disturbed the usual forest sounds, making Rainbow Dash walk toward the path and say, “Now, can we get moving, please?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and shone her flashlight beam down the path. “You go first. I’ll light the way for both of us.”

Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow, starting to become more annoyed by the redhead’s odd behavior. However, before she had a chance to question it, another growl made her jump in response. Without waiting to find out what was behind the noise, she made her way down the path. The redhead followed her while still keeping a distance between them. As Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer made their way farther down it, Rainbow Dash spotted something familiar up ahead. It was some part of the clearing she had come across earlier.

“Sunset, this is the clearing I came across when I followed the footprints,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Good, hopefully, we’ll find the girls soon,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she felt her wings stretch against the inside of her hoodie.

Panic began to swell inside of Sunset Shimmer as she continued to follow Rainbow Dash down the path. Her wings wanted to be free, but now was not the time for that. Maybe when she got home. At least then, she would have the time to thoroughly examine everything and maybe… start to accept her fate. If she was right, she would likely remain trapped in this form for a while, so Sunset figured she might as well learn to live with it. Not wanting to risk getting exposed by her own stupidity, Sunset made herself focus on returning Rainbow Dash to the girls.

An hour passed, and when they neared the clearing, that’s when they saw flashlight beams heading towards them. As they got closer, they heard the very familiar chipper voice that they knew belonged to Pinkie Pie. They stopped walking as her signature pink hair came into view while a hand pushed back some of the surrounding bushes. Sunset Shimmer backed away as Pinkie Pie started to walk towards them, making her way towards them from the other path leading away from the clearing. Following behind her were the five other girls who appeared on the trail one by one.

“Rainbow Dash, we finally found you! And... Sunset?” said Twilight Sparkle, looking from Rainbow Dash to the redhead.

“Well, technically, Sunset found me,” said Rainbow Dash as she got squeezed into a bear hug by Pinkie Pie.

“Oh…” said Twilight Sparkle. “Well, I am glad we found both of you…”

“Yeah. Also, what the hell took you guys so long to find me?” asked Rainbow Dash once Pinkie Pie stopped hugging her.

Rarity looked away nervously. “Uh, we may have gotten preoccupied for a bit.”

“Preoccupied with what exactly?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“With talking to Cassidy and the rest of the kids,” continued Rarity.

"So, you were talking to Cassidy, and that is why you didn’t find me sooner?!” shouted Rainbow Dash, her anger at Rarity evident. “That’s why you left me to defend myself against whatever fucking creature is out there?”

“Erm, yes?” Rarity said, stepping away from Rainbow Dash.

“And who the hell is this… this Cassidy?” asked Rainbow Dash, raising her voice and sticking her arms out from her sides in an exaggerated gesture.

Applejack balled her hands into tight fists with every word she heard from Rainbow Dash. Hearing her yell at Rarity was grating at her already fried nerves. Between what happened with Cassidy and the fight that occurred with Sunset Shimmer and Trixie, she’d had enough. Applejack wasn’t going to stand for Rainbow Dash’s behavior. Narrowing her eyes, the cowgirl stepped in front of Rarity.

“Listen here, Dash, we were all preoccupied. So, don’t go losin’ your temper at Rare for something that wasn’t her fault.” Applejack stepped closer to Rainbow Dash. “None of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t run off like you always do.”

Rainbow Dash gave Rarity an apologetic look. “Sorry, Rare.”

“I forgive you, dear,” said Rarity, giving the athlete a small smile. “But, please work on your temper. You’re almost as bad as Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat, reminding Rarity that she was still present.

“No offense, dear,” Rarity quickly added.

“None taken,” Sunset Shimmer said in a small voice.

Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle walk towards her. She stepped back, still afraid of her seeing the monster she had become. Her wings, having relaxed soon after the girls came across them, tensed up the closer Twilight got to her. Hard as she tried, Sunset couldn’t help but panic when Twilight stood next to her. She knew it was wrong of her to act like one of her closest friends was going to attack her. Yet, somehow, the urge was too much for her to fight. She fought to keep herself from moving away, aware that gesture would only cause more suspicion. Plus, Sunset didn’t want to hurt her more than she already had, especially with what happened that day. As she kept her gaze on the ground, she made sure to keep her fangs out of view while she spoke.

“Twilight, what are you doing next to me? I thought you wanted space from me,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“I do. But, Sunset…?” began Twilight Sparkle.

“Wh-what?” asked Sunset, giving in to her growing urge to look at Twilight.

“I can see you’re hurting, Sunset. And despite your obvious attempts to hide it, I know you are keeping something from me.” Twilight Sparkle reached out and grabbed Sunset Shimmer’s hand. “Can I see what it is that you’re hiding?”

Sunset squeezed Twilight Sparkle’s hand, knowing that what she was going to say next would push her further away. Despite having claws, it was really nice for her to be able to have that type of contact again, even if it was through her gloves. Up until now, she had forgotten how good it felt to have that with the bookworm. However, her relief was short-lived as she knew what was going to happen when she answered Twilight’s question. Reveling in the feeling of holding her hand one last time, she forced herself to meet Twilight’s gaze.

“Sparky, I am not ready to reveal what happened. I hope you understand that,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Of course, I understand that Sunset. How do you think I felt when Trixie revealed me to the whole school?” asked Twilight Sparkle, squeezing the redhead’s hand gently in response to her trying to pull away. “What I don’t get is your incessant need to keep whatever it is you're hiding hidden from me.”

Sunset Shimmer lowered her head. “I know that. And I promise that I will tell you, but I can’t do it tonight.”

“No, Sunset, you refuse to tell me, just like you did earlier. Guess I was foolish enough to believe you would change your mind and see that I just want to know the real you...” said Twilight Sparkle as she let go of Sunset’s hand and walked away from her, joining Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie watched as Sunset Shimmer’s shoulders slumped forward. It was clear that she was having a bad day, and it had just gotten worse. Her instincts told her that all the girls needed to be cheered up. Today had been very rough on them all, Twilight Sparkle especially. And a party is exactly what they needed to feel better. She skipped over to Sunset Shimmer, her hair bouncing and swaying as she did. Her blue eyes shined in the moonlight, illuminating the joy in them. Pinkie Pie rested her hand on the redhead’s shoulder, seemingly unaware that she was close to touching her wings.

“Girls, I think we deserve a party,” announced Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, I-” Sunset Shimmer was hushed immediately by the party girl.

“No, Sunset, we need one.” Pinkie Pie turned to her friends. “Besides, I want to throw a Cheer My Friends Up party.”

“Pinkie, there’s no need to do that,” said Applejack.

“Oh, come on, AJ! Pinkie’s parties are always the best. Besides, she’s right, I could use a party,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Me too,” added Fluttershy, pulling at her hair. “The last few days have been very stressful…”

“A party could be good, Applejack,” said Rarity, grabbing the cowgirl’s hand.

Sunset Shimmer saw that gesture, and a wave of sadness washed over her. She looked up at Twilight Sparkle and stepped toward her, wanting to hold her hand once more. But when she saw her step back and look away, she understood that she wasn’t wanted. So, Sunset resigned herself to silently standing next to Pinkie Pie. She knew it was best to leave Twilight alone, especially since she hadn’t been honest with her and had broken her promise that she’d made earlier that night.

“You know this is your fault. And your fault alone…” said Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice, reminding her of the painfully obvious situation.

“I am aware of that, thanks,” thought Sunset as she saw Twilight Sparkle give her a sorrowful look before turning away.

Applejack blushed as she squeezed Rarity’s hand in response. “Okay, we can throw the party at the barn where the kids are. The kids might enjoy the party too.”

“What do you think, Twilight? Sunset?” asked Pinkie Pie, looking between the two girls.

“I… like the idea. I could use a relaxing party after today,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer smiled, but underneath her calm exterior, she was beginning to panic. Being surrounded by all the girls and the kids, it made her worry that her appearance would slip out accidentally. If that were to happen, it would ruin the party for them. And that was something Sunset wanted to prevent, for the girls’ sake. She looked at the girls and could see that they were hoping she’d say yes. When her eyes fell on Twilight, it was plain to see that she wanted it too. But not for the same reason that the other girls wanted it. Something in her eyes made Sunset realize that Twilight wanted the party for a chance to forget what had happened that day. A chance to put the tension that occurred between them aside for a short time. So, pushing past her growing fears, Sunset took a deep breath.

“Sure, why not?” said Sunset Shimmer, giving the girls a small smile.

A Celebration and a Revelation

Author's Note

I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far. I'd love to hear what y'all have to say about it so far. I am open to hearing some criticism; just be respectful, please.

A Celebration and a Revelation

*The Next Day*

Pinkie Pie finished tying the last of the balloons to the barn door. With that done, she looked around at the balloon-infested barn, admiring her work. Streamers lined the walls and ceiling while confetti littered the floor and numerous hay bale stacks, courtesy of her confetti cannon. There were balloons in every color of the rainbow sitting in various places, making the barn look like it had gotten painted by a leprechaun. Pinkie Pie ran over to the cake she’d baked earlier that day and grabbed the mini confetti cannon that was sitting on the table next to it. It had taken her all night to build the mini version, but she knew that she had to for the girls and the party’s reputation.

Just as Pinkie Pie had finished lining the cannon up to the hole within the cake, she felt her ears change to that of a pony. Her hair was next, elongating and forming her pony-like tail in a flash of pink light. She finished wiring the confetti cannon when her tail twitched behind her. That was followed by her ears flapping and her knees jiggling a little, signaling to the party girl that her friends were arriving now. She knew her Pinkie Sense well enough to know what those three signals meant. When she walked away from the cake, she waved to Applejack and Fluttershy.

“Hey girls, I am almost finished setting up all the decorations,” said Pinkie Pie as she grabbed a few more streamers.

Fluttershy made her way over to a set of hay bales near the barn entrance while Applejack placed a case of her family’s famous apple cider on the table.

“It’s fine, Pinkie. We don’t mind waiting for you, right, Shy?” asked Applejack, turning to look at Fluttershy.

“Oh, yes, we don’t mind…” said Fluttershy, looking down at a small lamb that was approaching her.

The lamb was all white with a cute little pink nose to add to its cuteness. Its big blue eyes blinked as it took in the sight of the girl in front of it. The lamb let out a quiet baaa as Fluttershy reached down and stroked its wool. It felt so soft and silky against her palm, which made her want to continue petting it. But she stopped after a few minutes, allowing the lamb to have its space. Petting the lamb had calmed her nerves a little and let Fluttershy relax a bit.

“Where’s your mother, little lamb?” asked Fluttershy, looking around for the lamb’s parents.

The lamb looked behind it as a sheep that was smaller than the average one walked into the barn.

“There she is,” said the lamb, running over to her. “Ma, meet… What’s your name, miss?”

“Oh, goodness. I forgot to introduce myself,” said Fluttershy, looking between the lamb and its mother. “My name is Fluttershy.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, dear,” said the mother, bowing her head down before returning to meet Fluttershy’s gaze. “Would you mind watching my little Snowflake for a while? I have to find her father. We’re going to find a good grazing spot later.”

“I don’t mind at all,” replied Fluttershy, trying to keep her excitement contained. After all, she didn’t want to frighten the lamb or her mother.

“Thank you, dear,” said the mother as she walked out of the barn, searching for her lost husband.

Pinkie Pie, who had just finished adding a few more streamers to the ceiling rafters, wheeled in a DVD player with a tv sitting on the top of the cart. Sitting on top of the DVD player was a small stack of movies. Some of the films were romantic comedies, others were action, but there was one film that was different from the rest. It was a black case with some tape on the side which read ‘Surprise Video.’ It sat on top of the other movies, allowing her to grab it.

“Hey Pinkie, what is this video? Some sort of home movie?” asked Susie, examining the case.

Pinkie Pie grabbed the DVD back, saying,” No, it’s a surprise video for my friends, which I will reveal later.”

“Is it like the video our class made for us when we moved onto fifth grade?” asked Gabriel. “Our teacher had compiled a bunch of photos and videos from that year and made a home movie for our class. It was really neat to see that.”

“Hmm, maybe,” said Pinkie Pie, giving him a smirk as she set the movie back on the stack.

“You’re a big fan of surprises, aren’t you?” said Susie as she watched the party girl prep the tv.

“You betcha,” shouted Pinkie Pie, plugging the tv into the extension cord that ran from the house.

“And you seem to have an obsession with sugary treats too,” added Jeremy as he scanned the table that had many cakes and cookies sitting on it.

“Obviously! You can’t have an awesome party without a delicious cake. And nobody is more skilled in the art of cake-making than me,” Pinkie Pie said as she walked over to Jeremy and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie.

Just then, there were a few knocks on the barn door. Everyone turned to see Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway. Twilight seemed to be more at ease with her appearance now. It appeared that a good night’s rest helped her injuries heal a bit more too. Her feathers had begun to grow back in and cover up the bald spots caused by the beating. When her wings instinctively stretched to their full length, the kids and girls noticed that Twilight winced at the action. And despite her efforts to hide it, she was still hesitant to look at Cassidy or any of the kids.

“Uh, I hope we aren’t too late. Rainbow Dash made us run late and insisted on taking dangerous shortcuts, which,” Twilight Sparkle turned to Rainbow Dash, “I told her was extremely unsafe.”

“Sorry, but I had to make sure Tank’s stuff was ready for him. Winter is coming soon, and he’ll be hibernating soon,” said Rainbow Dash, walking over to the table and grabbing a bottle of apple cider.

“You’re not late, Twilight. In fact, you’re right on time. I was just about to text Rarity and ask her where she and Sunset are,” said Pinkie Pie as she took a bite of her chocolate cookie.

Twilight Sparkle tensed up a bit at the mention of Sunset Shimmer and walked over to where Fluttershy was sitting. She saw that her friend had become lost in petting a small lamb next to her, paying her no mind as she walked past her. Twilight sat down on the hay bale next to Fluttershy, making the lamb look up at her. That tempted her to pet the lamb, but it shrunk away from her hand as she reached out towards it. She watched as it buried itself behind the animal lover, feeling hurt by the gesture.

“Oh, sorry…” said Twilight Sparkle, letting her hand fall back onto her lap.

Fluttershy took notice of the lamb’s shaking and looked at Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s okay, Twilight. She’s just a bit frightened of your wings like I was at first,” said Fluttershy.

Twilight Sparkle pulled her wings closer to her, regretting that she didn’t bring her hoodie. Even animals were terrified of her, which only made her newly-gained confidence falter. She gripped her arms and looked away from the lamb, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Fluttershy.

“I am sorry. I know you’re still dealing with what happened on Thursday,” Fluttershy said, a comforting tone to her voice.

“She has some big wings, but they look really cool too!” said the lamb, peeking out from behind Fluttershy, curiosity in her one visible eye.

“Would you like to pet her, Twi?” asked Fluttershy, nudging the lamb out from behind her slowly.

“Do you think she’ll allow me to do that?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she glanced down at the small lamb. “I don’t think she likes my appearance very much.”

“We’ll see about that,” replied Fluttershy, giving Twilight a small smile.

Petting the terrified lamb’s back, Fluttershy said, “Snowflake, this is Twilight. She is my friend.”

Slowly, the lamb lifted its head and stared at Twilight Sparkle. “Woah, she has pretty eyes too.”

Twilight Sparkle, for her part, tried to appear as friendly as she could manage. Her hands remained in her lap as she didn’t want to frighten the lamb further. She kept her wings behind her shoulders but made sure to keep them relaxed at the same time. They were still hurting from the injuries that they had suffered, but not as much as yesterday. With her tail sitting by her side, she offered the lamb a smile. Twilight was careful not to let her fangs show as she looked at the lamb.

Grabbing her bag, Fluttershy pulled out a small plastic container that was full of grass. The grass had come from a garden she had started at the animal shelter. It was something she wanted to use to make some tasty treats for the animals there. She had brought some of the grass with her because she hoped to befriend some of the farm’s inhabitants. Fluttershy opened it and handed it to Twilight Sparkle.

“What is this?” asked Twilight Sparkle, eyeing the container.

“It’s grass, a lamb's natural food. Here,” Fluttershy grabbed Twilight’s hand and set some grass in it. “Hold your palm out flat.”

Twilight Sparkle did as Fluttershy told her. As she held out her hand with the grass sitting on it, she tried to keep her hand from shaking. Unfortunately, her being nervous that the lamb would freak out more didn’t help matters. She became more worried when she saw that the lamb was hesitant to approach her outstretched hand.

“It’s alright, Snowflake. Twilight won’t hurt you, I promise,” said Fluttershy. “I trust her.”

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t believe how happy those three words made her feel. To hear her friend say that she trusted her even with her appearance looking like Midnight Sparkle, it meant the world to her. She smiled to herself, reveling in the joy of having Fluttershy’s trust. Adding to her happy mood, she felt the lamb sniff her palm and then tentatively took a bite of the grass.

“See, Twilight isn’t so scary. Right, Snowflake?” asked Fluttershy.

“Mmm, yeah,” replied Snowflake, swallowing the last of the grass in her mouth. “Can I sit in her lap? Her wings look mighty cozy…”

“I am not sure, but I will ask Twilight,” said Fluttershy, patting the lamb on the back.

“Ask me what?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she looked from Snowflake to Fluttershy.

“Snowflake here wants to know if she can sit in your lap. She says your wings look cozy,” Fluttershy said, looking at Twilight.

“Su-sure, she can,” said Twilight Sparkle, letting her wings wrap around her shoulders. “Did she mean what she said about my wings?”

Snowflake made her way from Fluttershy’s side to Twilight Sparkle’s lap. She tucked her feet underneath herself as she got comfortable. Once she had gotten settled, she nudged Twilight’s one wing. She was careful about where she touched the wing, seeing the bald spots that were on it. When she didn’t move her wing, Snowflake looked up and nodded at her, hoping she would understand that it was okay to move her wing.

“Snowflake says she did. She thinks your wings are beautiful,” said Fluttershy, making sure that Twilight knew that Snowflake was genuine in her compliment. “And I agree with her.”

Twilight Sparkle began to stroke Snowflake curly white wool absentmindedly. When she did that, Snowflake nudged her wing again. This time, she got the hint and draped her wing over Snowflake’s little body, wincing a bit as she felt it move. That made the little lamb snuggle close to her.

“Aww, she is so soft and warm,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking at Fluttershy.

Snowflake’s mother and father returned for their daughter, but they stopped at the barn entrance when they saw Twilight Sparkle and her cuddling together. Looking at Fluttershy, the mother asked, “Is my daughter safe with your winged friend over there?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Okay, then. My husband and I will come back later. It seems that Snowflake is content here,” said Snowflake’s mother as she turned and walked back to the pasture with her husband.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, at the electrical building, Springtrap was sitting on the concrete floor of the building. He saw 20 copies of himself standing still, unflinching and unmovable. It amazed him how much work the strange magic could do. If he didn’t know that he had created them, Springtrap would’ve sworn he was looking at a mirror. The only downside was their lack of brains, but he could work with it. Over the last four hours, he had begun to master the commands. But he knew that if he wanted to attack the girls and kids, he was going to need a bigger army. And it had to be a united one too, or it wouldn’t work, even with the vast army. Standing up, Springtrap walked over to the group of copies.

With his hand outstretched, Springtrap attempted to conjure ten copies of himself, rather than his usual five. As the magic coursed through him, creating the ten doppelgangers, he struggled to imagine them while the magic drained from his power source. Though, as soon as he began to feel weak, the energy drain stopped and allowed him to recover. Thankfully, after a few minutes, they were slowly appearing in front of him. In mere minutes, Springtrap now had 30 copies of himself standing perfectly aligned.

“Hmm, now that is a good sign,” said Springtrap as he approached the new copies. “Now, let’s see how well you work with the other dumbasses.”

Stepping back, Springtrap held his hand out once more.

“Okay, march forward.”

The doppelgangers, slowly but fluidly, moved forward on command. As they marched, their joints creaked and groaned just like Springtrap’s did. It was music to his ears. Well, that is until one of them fell, causes the others in front of it to fall over. The sound of metal and plastic colliding into each other made Springtrap cringe away. It looked like a bunch of Springtrap-shaped dominos were being pushed over.

“Stop marching, stand still!”

Springtrap stomped his way over to where the trouble maker was. His eyes locked onto it, its anger beaming into it.

“So, your inability to keep your fucking balance lead to you knocking the others over. Are you a goddamn idiot?” asked Springtrap, his voice ringing with sarcasm.

“N-no, I am not,” replied the doppelganger, starting to shake visibly.

“Wrong answer, you asshole,” said Springtrap. “Now, get back into formation again.”

With that command, all the copies lined up again. Sprintrap was rubbing his forehead with his forefinger and thumb. If he still had a human body, he was sure that this would’ve caused a severe migraine. He rubbed his head as he tried to ease the phantom headache. After a few seconds had passed, Springtrap lowered his hand and forced himself to try again.

“March forward, but in sync this time.”

This time, the doppelgangers moved as though they had practiced the routine many times. Their legs moved in sync, like soldiers in an army march. Every movement was precise and perfect, pleasing Springtrap. If things kept going like this, he could have a formidable army at his disposal. Once the group of 30 doppelgangers was within ten feet of him, he held out his hand again.

“Stop marching and stand still!”

Again, the copies obeyed the order and stood still. Springtrap walked over to them, making sure they weren’t glitching out or causing any problems. Satisfied that there was none, he walked back to the front of the group, the magic still coursing through his circuitry. Just like he did earlier, Springtrap held his hand out and envisioned ten more copies standing alongside the existing 30. As he felt the magic exiting him, he opened his eyes and watched as the doppelgangers appeared next to them. Yet, just as they had finished appearing, Springtrap fell to his knees. It felt as though the magic powering his mechanical body was getting drained from him. When he looked up, his vision swirled and blurred.

The Marionette stood up from its sitting position and walked over to the window. It saw Springtrap kneeling on the ground and turned its head towards the horde of doppelgangers. The sight was odd to the animatronic. Why was Springtrap making them? And what were they for? Furrowing its eyebrows in curiosity, it wondered what was going on. Intrigued by the scene in front of it, it went to step out of the building but was stopped by Springtrap getting up. The Marionette backed away and returned to its spot, letting its body go slack.

“Dammit! That was too much magic use, too soon,” said Springtrap as he stumbled his way over to the doppelganger group.

“Do it again, you monster! Do. It. Again!!” thought the Marionette as their head slumped sideways against the concrete wall.

‘Okay, mental note ⁠— don’t push yourself too much,” Springtrap said, looking back at the building. “Well, that sucks some of the fun out of it. But at least I’ve got that stupid ass puppet to bully in the meantime.”

*** *** *** ***

Pinkie Pie was standing in front of a Pin the horn on the Unicorn game, having the blindfold placed on her eyes as they prepared to play their 46th round of the game. The kids had taken several turns at the game, with Cassidy winning the most out of the five kids. Rainbow Dash got up from her seat and spun Pinkie Pie around three times before guiding her in the direction of the unicorn poster. Pinkie Pie walked over to the wall, holding out her hand with the makeshift horn, trying to find the right spot. Feeling the wood wall, she pushed the pin in a place she felt was the right one. She removed the blindfold to see that she had come very close to the x.

“Nice one, Pinkie!” exclaimed Fritz. “You almost got it.”

“Thanks!” said Pinkie Pie. “Who wants to go next?”

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, there was a sound from outside the barn. Everyone, except for Twilight Sparkle, ran out of the barn. Twilight wanted to stay back, unsure if she was ready to see Sunset after what happened last night. Sunset’s odd behavior kept replaying in her mind, not letting her suspicions subside. They all saw a royal blue Porsche pull up, with Sunset Shimmer’s bike pulling up right behind it. Applejack was the first one to greet the girls, leaving the rest of the gang standing at the barn.

Rarity stepped out of her Porsche, saying, “Sorry that I am late. There was a minor traffic jam today.”

“It’s fine, Rare. We’re just happy you’re here now,” said Applejack, approaching the fashionista and intertwining their fingers together.

“Why are you still wearing your hoodie from last night?” asked Rainbow Dash as she leaned against the barn door. “Isn’t your leather jacket back from the dry cleaners, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer looked down at her helmet as she spoke. “It’s still there. I forgot to pick it up today.”

Rainbow Dash gave Sunset Shimmer a questioning look before saying, “Right. Well, come on. You’ve already missed half the party.”

With that, Sunset Shimmer followed the girls into the barn. Walking past the door, she saw all the decorations and treats Pinkie Pie had set out. It was incredible how much effort she put into her parties. Yet, she knew that is precisely what made Pinkie Pie’s parties the best. Eventually, Sunset came across the Pin the horn of the Unicorn game on the wall. It unnerved her enough to immediately look away and stuff her hands into the hoodie’s one pocket. She kept her sunglasses on, not wanting to risk the contacts revealing what her eyes looked like now. Looking over to her right, she spotted Twilight Sparkle sitting with a lamb on her lap. Sunset, wanting to talk with her after what happened the previous night, walked over to her.

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer, hiding her fangs as she spoke.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at Sunset Shimmer, still petting Snowflake. She saw that she was wearing the sunglasses she’d given her on her birthday a few months ago. That confused her even more than Sunset’s odd behavior the day before. Why was she wearing them inside? Wouldn’t have made it harder to see? She wasn’t sure of the answer, but Twilight did want to see what the redhead could be hiding beneath them.

“Hi, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle, a timid tone in her voice. “Why are you wearing the sunglasses I gave you months ago?”

Sunset Shimmer gulped nervously. “Um, I…” She couldn’t come up with a good excuse. And standing here in front of Twilight, she didn’t want to lie to her anymore.

“Can you please remove them, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, trying to sound friendly. “I want to see your eyes.”

Sunset Shimmer’s hand shot up to her sunglasses. She didn’t want to remove them, afraid that unveiling her eyes would expose her. But, she knew that Twilight and the girls were going to be even more suspicious if she refused to remove them. And there was already more than enough suspicion for her comfort. So, with a trembling hand, Sunset Shimmer gripped the frames of the sunglasses and lowered them. She was thankful for the dim lighting as her eyes locked with Twilight Sparkle’s curious ones.

“Twilight, are you okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer, feeling a bit nervous with Twilight Sparkle staring at her.

Twilight Sparkle saw that Sunset Shimmer’s eyes appeared to be normal. However, that didn’t explain her inexplicably wearing the sunglasses all of a sudden. As her gaze shifted away from the redhead’s eyes, she thought she saw the same red skin as before. Twilight furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to get a closer look. Yet, as if sensing what she was doing, Sunset turned away before she got a chance to get a good look.

Dejected, Twilight Sparkle said, “Yeah…I am okay, aside from your secrecy.”

“Sparky, I-”

“I am going to get some cake,” said Twilight, nudging Snowflake gently off her lap. “Why don’t you tell your secrets to Snowflake. Cause it’s clear you don’t want to tell me any of them.”

“Twilight, I shouldn’t have been…” Sunset Shimmer trailed off as she watched Twilight Sparkle push past her.

“Good job! She’ll definitely hate you for that later,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience, reminding her just how snarky it could be. “Remind me to give you a medal for that later.”

“Oh, thank you! I'll polish the fucking medal after I finish shutting you up,” thought Sunset Shimmer, sitting next to Fluttershy.

Just as Sunset shimmer sat down, Cassidy joined her on a nearby hay bale. That made her even more nervous than just sitting next to Fluttershy alone. Her appearance was hard enough to hide from Rainbow Dash as it was with her being suspicious, to have one of the kids close to her only worsened her fears. Sunset wasn’t ready to let the kids know what occurred just yet. It was also creepy to see a dilapidated animatronic that had tried to run away from her sit just mere feet away. Though, she didn’t show it, partly because she could tell that the girl was still adjusting to her new situation. Besides, Sunset was feeling enough guilt for her actions with Twilight as it was. And she could see that Cassidy would need support, not someone freaking out because she was forcibly trapped inside of the animatronic.

“What happened between you and Twilight?” asked Cassidy. “I noticed that she seemed a bit upset when she walked away.”

“Twilight was upset because of me…” Sunset Shimmer gripped her arms as she fixed her gaze to the ground.

“Why?” Cassidy couldn’t help her curiosity; she just needed a distraction from her current situation.

Sunset Shimmer swallowed and bit her lip before saying, “Because I… refuse to tell her my secret, even though I know she deserves to know it.”

“What’s your secret…?” Cassidy looked at Twilight Sparkle, noticing that she was staring at the redhead.

“Let’s just say I nearly did something horrible when I went through a… transformation. And because of that, I am afraid Twilight will hate me,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking up for a moment.

Cassidy tilted her head sideways in confusion. “A transformation? Like what Twilight went through?”

“So, she did explain how she came to look like she does now. Well,” Sunset Shimmer met Cassidy’s gaze, “I have been through a similar transformation, but I don’t want to discuss it right now.”

“Okay, I won’t push any further,” said Cassidy. “But I can offer you a piece of advice?”

“What is it, Cassidy?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Cassidy eyed Gabriel as she said, “Whatever it was that you did in your past that was so horrible, if Twilight cares for you, she’ll see past it and see you as her friend.”

“And if Twilight doesn’t?” Sunset’s voice trembled as she asked the question. The idea that Twilight Sparkle would ever be repulsed by her demonic form and past stung, but she knew it was a possibility.

“Take a leap of faith, Sunset,” Cassidy shifted her gaze to the redhead, “I can see that Twilight does care for you. If you just give her a chance and some time, I am sure she’ll be there by your side. She may even help you come to terms with whatever it is that makes you want to keep it hidden.”

Sunset Shimmer silently watched as Cassidy got up and walked away, taking what she said to heart. When she felt a nudge on her thigh, she looked down to see Snowflake backing up and looking at her. She gave the lamb a small smile, accidentally revealing her fangs in the process. That made the little creature flinch away from her. Its eyes widened, and it pinned its ears back as she moved her hand towards it in an attempt to console the frightened animal.

“Snowflake, please come here. I won’t hurt you,” said Sunset Shimmer in a soothing, calm voice. “I just want to pet you.”

Snowflake looked at Sunset Shimmer’s outstretched hand and decided to sniff it cautiously. When her hand didn’t flinch, she nuzzled her nose against her palm. Once she felt it was safe, she stood up and approached the girl. Her legs trembled as she walked closer to Sunset, still wary of her. Standing next to her, Snowflake noticed that she had what appeared to be wings under the hoodie that she was wearing. She thought about investigating it but decided it was best to leave it alone. Instead, she gingerly made her way into the redhead’s lap and made herself comfortable.

“Aww, you’re so cute, Snowflake,” said Sunset Shimmer as she gently petted the lamb’s head. “Thanks for trusting me, despite my appearance.”

Snowflake let out a quiet bleat as she felt Sunset Shimmer’s hand pat her head.

Here’s your piece of the cake, Sunset,” said Pinkie Pie, bringing Sunset Shimmer’s attention to her as she handed her the plate. “Do you want to join us in watching The Mystery of the Cake-Pie Thief?”

“No, thanks, Pinkie Pie. It’s better if I stay back here,” Sunset Shimmer said, taking a bite of her cake.

“Oh, come on, Sunset! Please, join us. I am sure Twilight would appreciate it if you did,” said Pinkie Pie, putting on her infamous puppy dog eyes.

Sunset watched as Twilight Sparkle approached them, her cake in hand. She could see there was a small, barely visible smile that had snuck its way on her face, revealing that what Pinkie Pie had said was true. Part of Sunset was elated to see the smile. Yet, as she ran her tongue across her fangs, she remembered what she was concealing from her. All the dishonesty and reluctance at letting Twilight get close was beginning to take its toll on her. So, she knew that it was getting to the point where she had to come clean. As she pushed through her building guilt, Sunset Shimmer smiled back.

“Okay, I will join you girls, but I am going to sit in the back,” said Sunset Shimmer, standing up and walking over to where Twilight Sparkle was now sitting.

“H-hey, Sunset…” said Twilight Sparkle, pulling her wings close to her body. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I shouldn’t have acted like that.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, their eyes meeting. “You had a right to say what you did, Sparky. I know I haven’t exactly been honest with you lately.”

“That doesn’t mean I had to be as harsh as I was,” said Twilight Sparkle, picking at her cake with her fork. “It was not okay.”

“I forgive you, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer looked down at her cake, not wanting to eat anymore. “I would’ve done the same, especially with my temper. Now, how about we watch the movie together and just relax?”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.” Twilight Sparkle looked down at Sunset Shimmer’s hand and slowly moved her own until they were almost touching.

Sunset Shimmer saw that Twilight had moved her hand closer to hers, but was still afraid to hold her hand. So, she slowly moved hers closer until it rested on top of Twilight’s smaller one. She didn’t expect her to be anywhere near her considering their earlier argument. Though, that didn’t mean Sunset wasn’t happy to have a chance to return to how things were before her dam of lies started to crack. The past few days were an absolute nightmare on her emotions, especially with Twilight occupying her every waking moment. Sunset now understood the meaning of “rollercoaster of emotions,” having been on one of her own.

Deep down, Sunset Shimmer knew that when this day was over, she would eventually end up hurting Twilight Sparkle again. And when that happens, she was sure that her fear and guilt would make themselves present, only making her feel worse. But for now, sitting here next to her and holding her was okay, even if it wasn’t going to last for long. Maybe, tonight, the smile she gets in return was going to be enough. And maybe, Twilight will think it’s enough too.

“And...play!” shouted Pinkie Pie, announcing the beginning of the movie.

Seeing a blanket nearby, Sunset Shimmer set her cake down before she grabbed it and pulled it closer to her and Twilight. She let go of Twilight’s hand and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

‘Wh-what are you doing, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

“I just thought maybe you’d like to lay down. Here,” Sunset Shimmer patted her lap, “rest your head. I don’t mind.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled, resting her head on Sunset Shimmer’s lap. “Thanks, Sunset.”

“You’re welcome, Sparky,” replied Sunset, making sure her fangs remained out of sight.

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her position so she could see the movie on tv. When she felt Sunset gingerly rest her hand on her arm, she nearly jumped. Thankfully, though, she managed to curb the reaction and remain still. She didn’t want to ruin the moment she was having with the redhead. Not when it was the first time they could relax and forget the stress that they’d endured lately. Twilight looked up at Sunset and admired how her cyan eyes seemed to glow in the dimly lit barn. It was enough to make her want to kiss her, just to let her feelings show and to get a closer view of the beautiful cyan orbs. But, she pushed her urges aside, knowing it was not the right time to be thinking about that.

“You’re so beautiful, Sunset. I only wish you’d let me in so I can show you that I don’t see a monster, but someone who needs a friend. If only you’d let me be that friend...” thought Twilight Sparkle, returning her attention to the movie, smiling as she felt Sunset Shimmer squeeze her arm gently.

An hour into the movie, Twilight Sparkle’s exhaustion took over. She felt her eyelids drift close without her consent as she fell into a dreamless sleep. Just before she fell completely unconscious, she thought she heard Rainbow Dash approaching Sunset and her. But her growing sleepiness made her too weary to be sure or care for that matter. Right now, sleeping sounded good, and nothing was going to keep her from it.

Sunset Shimmer looked down at Twilight’s sleeping form, admiring the peaceful look she had. The sight was enough to make her reach a hand up to the hood hiding her face beneath a blanket of shadows. Even though it was tempting to remove her hood and relax, she decided it was best not to do that. She wanted Twilight to see the changes in a more gentle approach. As Sunset went to pull the blanket securely around her, she heard Rainbow Dash walk up. Looking behind her, she saw that she had a piece of cake in one hand and her drink in the other.

“Is Twilight asleep now?” asked Rainbow Dash in a hushed voice.

“Yes, she is asleep,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking away and hiding her fangs from the athlete. “What do you want, Dash?”

“Well, I was hoping that we could talk, but you seem upset at the moment. So, maybe I should just go and leave you alone,” said Rainbow Dash as she began to back away.

“Wait, Dash. You can talk to me,” said Sunset Shimmer. “I am just annoyed with myself at the moment, nothing to do with you.”

“Okay, then.” Rainbow Dash sat next to Sunset Shimmer, setting her drink on the hay bale next to her. “Are you going to tell Twilight about the Fall Formal and the whole ‘becoming a raging she-demon’ incident soon?”

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, her fangs digging in enough to cause two small cuts on her bottom lip. She was desperate to keep a building growl from escaping her throat.

“Dash, I said that I would, but I am afraid my actions will repulse her. I did unforgivable things to you and the girls. Not to mention that I yelled at her for using magic that she knew nothing about when I did the same thing a few months earlier,” Sunset said, keeping her voice low.

Rainbow Dash looked at Sunset Shimmer, noticing the scared tone that underlined her voice.

“Sunset, the girls and I have forgiven you for what you’ve done. You’ve proven that you have changed, so why can’t you trust that Twilight will see past your mistakes just like we did?” Rainbow Dash took a bite of her cake.

“It’s just...I really care about Twilight. I don’t want her to know the one thing I am still ashamed about.” Sunset Shimmer’s voice quivered as she struggled to voice her fears about Twilight’s possible rejection.

“Why, Sunset? Why is that so hard for you to admit that to her?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t want to change the way she sees me. I don’t want her to see me as just the monster who nearly killed you guys,” said Sunset Shimmer, accidentally raising her voice and causing Twilight Sparkle to stir in her sleep. “Look, Dash, I don’t think you understand how I am feeling. Aside from pulling a few bad pranks, you haven’t done anything like I did.”

“Oh, really Sunset? I haven’t done anything like you?” Rainbow Dash set her cake down, resting her elbows on her knees. “Do you seriously not remember the incident with Ruby Star?”

“Ruby Star? What does she have to do with this?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh, so you don’t remember? Well, then let me refresh your memory.” Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight, making sure that she was asleep. “I punched her super hard multiple times. She almost went into a coma because of the injuries I caused.”

“Why the fuck did you beat the hell out of her, Dash?” asked Sunset as she tried to remember what happened. “She didn’t do anything to you, right?”

Rainbow Dash took a sip of her drink. “She didn’t do anything to me. But, she did do something to Scootaloo.”

“Scootaloo? What did Ruby Star do to her?” Sunset Shimmer was beginning to grow more curious as to what would’ve made the athlete so violent towards a kid.

“She had been dragging Scootaloo to illegal places like strip clubs, bars, and even an alley where drug deals were happening.” Rainbow Dash’s expression grew dark as she spoke, letting Sunset know that this was a sensitive subject for her. “So, as soon as I heard that, I decided it was best that I let her know that Scootaloo was no longer going to be hanging out with her.”

“But that still doesn’t explain how or why you nearly punched the girl into a coma...almost,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Well… that is my fault. Ruby Star was pissing me off at the fact she refused to leave Scootaloo alone. So, being the overprotective sister I was, I decided a good punch would put Ruby in her place.” Rainbow Dash stared at the ground as she recalled her fist hitting the girl’s nose, followed by a sickening cracking sound upon impact.

“Ah, so one punch turned to ten?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced briefly at Rainbow Dash.

“Actually, it turned into 20,” replied Rainbow Dash, looking away from Sunset’s gaze, hiding her shame from the redhead. “I was really angry.”

“Yeah, no kidding. I don’t think I have ever punched anyone that many times,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh, thanks!” shouted Rainbow Dash, causing Twilight Sparkle to stir in her sleep again. “As if I don’t already regret making that choice, why don’t you just rub it in that you’ve never done that?”

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight sparkle, sighing in relief when she saw that she was still asleep. Looking back at Rainbow Dash, Sunset narrowed her eyes at her.

“Oh, sorry,” said Rainbow Dash in a hushed voice. “I didn’t mean to bother Twilight.”

“Next time, watch how loud you talk. I don’t want Twilight to overhear us, especially since she doesn’t know yet,” hissed Sunset Shimmer, meeting Rainbow Dash’s gaze directly.

As she stared at Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash noticed for the first time that her skin had a reddish tinge to it. That made her wonder what she was concealing underneath the oversized hoodie. There was one possibility that could have happened based on what occurred with Twilight Sparkle. Yet, Rainbow Dash was unsure if Sunset had actually gone through a similar transformation. Though, if that were the case, it would certainly explain all the weird things she had been doing. But that left one question; why hide it from her and the girls? Why not let them know what happened and have their help in figuring out why it happened? Was Sunset afraid that the girls would tell Twilight what happened? Something told Rainbow Dash that was likely for the same reason she was keeping the details of the Fall Formal from Twilight.

“Okay, I will,” said Rainbow Dash, holding her hands up in a defensive stance.

“Good. Now, how exactly does what happened with you and Ruby Star relate to my situation?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I can relate to you not wanting Twilight to look at you differently because of something you did. How do you think I felt when I had to tell Scootaloo about me almost beating her supposed “friend” into a coma?” said Rainbow Dash, making air quotes around the word ‘friend.’

Sunset Shimmer glanced down at Twilight Sparkle’s still sleeping form and said, “Bad, I’m guessing.”

“Yeah, very bad. Scootaloo ended up not talking to me for a few months after that. I nearly lost her completely because she found out what happened from Ruby before i got a chance to tell her myself,” said Rainbow Dash, her shoulders slumping forward as she struggled to contain the hurt she was feeling. “She told me I was the worst big sister she could’ve asked for when I confronted her about it. Those words hurt me more than anything I had experienced before…”

“Wow, I didn’t realize that had happened. I am sorry you and Scootaloo had that fight,” Sunset Shimmer said, turning to face the athlete and revealing her fangs to her.

Rainbow Dash saw what she thought were two very sharp fangs replacing Sunset Shimmer’s lateral incisors. However, before she had a chance to double-check, Sunset looked away from her and covered her mouth. That made more questions appear in her mind, begging for her to answer them. Taking a gentle approach, so it was not to spook her friend, she rested her hand on her shoulder. Unfortunately, just as Rainbow Dash was about to say something, Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle woke up to find that the movie was almost over. When she looked at Sunset Shimmer, she discovered that she was covering her mouth. That worried her enough to push herself off of the redhead’s lap and looked at her. Twilight could see that she was hiding something, but she couldn’t tell what it was. She looked from her to Rainbow Dash, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

“Is everything okay, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, resting a hand on Sunset Shimmer’s knee. “What happened?”

Lowering her hand, Sunset Shimmer said, “Sparky, can you please get me a drink?”

“Y-yeah, I can,” replied Twilight Sparkle, wondering what was going on and what Sunset was hiding from her. She pushed the blanket off herself as she stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight Sparkle got up and walked away. Once she was sure that Twilight was out of earshot, she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, who by now was giving her a look of “you’re hiding something, and I know it.” That look made Sunset’s stomach churn as her panic grew. She was clinging to the hope that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t expose her yet, even if it were futile. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Sunset braced herself for the questions she knew were sure to come.

“Damn it! I shouldn’t have gotten so careless!” thought Sunset Shimmer.

“Sunset, do you have fangs now?” asked Rainbow Dash, whispering the word ‘fangs’ under her breath.

“Maybe…” Sunset Shimmer didn’t want to lie to Rainbow Dash, but there was no way she was taking the risk of her appearance getting revealed before she had time to prepare Twilight Sparkle for it.

“Maybe? Sunset, your geode malfunctioned and caused you to revert back to Demon Shimmer, didn’t it? Just like Twilight’s geode did with her,” Rainbow Dash said, crossing her arms across her chest.

Sunset Shimmer refused to say anything when Twilight Sparkle showed up with two cups in her hands. She looked up and took the one cup from Twilight, thanking her for bringing it. Taking a sip, she looked back at Rainbow Dash, a fearful expression in her eyes. She knew anything that she said would only prove the athlete’s point and reveal that she had indeed transformed. Sunset was aware that there was no point in denying what happened. So, she decided to see what she was going to do with the information.

“Dash, please. If you understand how I feel about telling Twilight, then you’ll let it go. Please, give me a chance to explain it to her,” Sunset said, keeping her voice low so Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t hear her.

“I do understand, which is why I am not letting it go,” said Rainbow Dash. And take it from me, if you don’t tell Twilight, someone else will. Trust me, Sunset, it’ll be best if she hears it from you.”

“Are y-you saying that you’ll tell h-her?” asked Sunset, her voice trembling from fear.

“Maybe, Sunset. Somebody has to tell Twilight the truth. And I know you’re not blind to the pain you’re causing by choosing secrecy over a simple act of trust and vulnerability,” said Rainbow Dash, finishing the last of her cake. “Twilight can see that you don’t fully trust her, something I think you can understand.”

Looking at Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer said, “I do, that’s why I know I have to tell her the truth before I miss my chance.”

“You got that right. Look, Sunset, I don’t want you to endure what I had to go through with Scootaloo,” said Rainbow Dash.

“So, you’ll give me a chance to come clean with her before you reveal my secret?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking from Twilight Sparkle to Rainbow Dash, a hopefulness in her voice.

Rainbow Dash stood up, turning her back to Sunset Shimmer. She glanced over her shoulder as she said, “I won’t tell her about you… for now, Sunset. Make the right choice before I get forced to take it from you.”

“Thank you, Dash,” said Sunset as she watched the athlete walk away.

Sunset Shimmer’s attention was immediately drawn back to Twilight Sparkle as she sat on the hay bale next to her. She could see the mixture of emotions that clouded her mulberry eyes and hid their natural shine behind them. The two most prominent ones were confusion and concern. Sunset’s heart thundered in her chest as she saw a flicker of pain in Twilight Sparkle’s eyes before it quickly vanished. Rainbow Dash was right — there was no way she could be blind to the suffering she was causing Twilight. Swallowing, she forced herself to meet Twilight’s worried gaze, their eyes locking onto the other’s.

"Are you okay, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her wings stretching a little as she scooted closer to the redhead. “Did Rainbow Dash say something to you?”

Sunset Shimmer, keeping her gaze on Twilight, said, “No, she didn’t do anything. And no, I am not okay, Sparky. Ever since you heard me say that I went through a demonic transformation and I didn’t give you a straight answer, I have been thinking about telling you the truth.”

"Oh, and have you reached a decision?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Yes,” replied Sunset Shimmer, reaching out and holding one of Twilight’s hands. “I have.”

“Well, what is it? Are you going to tell me?” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes lit up with hope as she waited for the answer.

“Yes, I am going to tell you the truth about that,” Sunset said, squeezing Twilight’s hand. “Twilight, when I said maybe, I should’ve said yes because I have gone through a similar transformation to what happened to you at the Friendship Games.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand free from the redhead’s ever-tightening grip. “Sunset, I feel like there is more to that, but you’re keeping it from me. Please, tell me that I am wrong about that.”

“There is,” Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand back, aware that Twilight was in no mood for physical contact anymore. “But-”

“Let me guess, you’re not ready to tell me yet?” asked Twilight Sparkle, growing more annoyed by Sunset Shimmer’s reluctance to let her know the truth.

“Twilight, I will tell you, believe me,” begged Sunset, sensing Twilight Sparkle’s frustration.

Twilight Sparkle inhaled sharply. “That is getting harder to do the longer you make me wait to hear the truth behind your past, Sunset. I find it hard to believe you’ll ever come clean with me.”

“I plan on telling you very soon,” said Sunset Shimmer, eyeing Rainbow Dash before continuing. “Just not right now…”

“And what exactly is your excuse for that?” asked Twilight, not caring to be gentle with her words anymore.

Sunset Shimmer felt tears brimming on the corners of her eyes as she looked away from Twilight Sparkle. “I’m afraid you will feel repulsed if you knew the whole truth, Twilight. Unlike you, I almost did...something horrific. Something worse than ripping two worlds apart.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as Sunset Shimmer wiped a single tear from her cheek. Realizing that she was crying, something that the redhead rarely did in front of anyone, she tentatively wrapped a wing around her. A few seconds later, she felt a hand rest against one of the few untouched spots on her wing. She felt the familiar sensation of Sunset running her fingers through the feather. Twilight regretted being as harsh as she was. She didn’t mean to upset Sunset, especially right after she’d opened up to her.

“I understand that you fear I will hate you for whatever you did. I can see it was a tough choice for you to come clean with me about your transformation,” said Twilight Sparkle, using her wing to nudge the redhead closer to her. “I will give you space and time to tell me when you’re ready, but only for a while, Sunset.”

“Thank you, Sparky. I really appreciate that,” replied Sunset Shimmer, her fingers running down the side of Twilight’s wing.

“The end!” shouted Pinkie Pie as the ending credits began to roll.

“What’s the next movie, Pinkie? Can it be Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore?” asked Rainbow Dash, taking a sip from her cup.

“Sure, right after I show you the special ‘Surprise Video’ that I made for today. Well, with Micro Chips’ help, of course. I wanted to make this video super-tastic!” Pinkie Pie said as she inserted the disc into the DVD player.

As the video began to play, pictures of the girls at the movie set flashed up on the screen. The images faded into a slideshow of all the photos the girls had taken during their time at Camp Everfree. Accompanying the visuals was a song that the girls had written a few weeks ago. It was a song that Pinkie Pie had insisted they record for some mysterious reason. Now, they knew why she had been so persistent about that. It fit well with the video and was making some of the girls feel nostalgic as they watched the memories from the year play.

“So, this is why you insisted we record this song,” said Rainbow Dash, looking at Pinkie Pie.

“Yepperoni! I needed it for this video celebrating the amazing year we’ve all had as friends!” shouted Pinkie Pie, sitting next to Applejack and Fluttershy.

“Aw, shucks! You didn’t have to do this, Pinkie,” said Applejack, taking off her stetson and setting it on her lap.

“I know, but I really, really, really, really wanted to make this for you, girls,” said Pinkie Pie, hugging Fluttershy. “I wanted to show how much I appreciate our friendship. Plus, I wanted to show how much fun we’ve had this year.”

“Well, the gesture is appreciated, Pinkie,” Rarity said, smiling as she

“By the way, what is the song called?” asked Gabriel.

“It’s called We’ve Come so Far,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “It’s a song that I wrote a few months ago.”

“Cool! It’s a really nice song. I like the lyrics,” said Jeremy, looking at the redhead. “How’d you come up with them?”

“Yeah, how did you come up with the lyrics?” asked Cassidy, just as curious as Jeremy

Sunset Shimmer looked down at her hands. “I came up with them thinking about my friendship with the girls and how far we’ve come since the, uh, Fall Formal.”

Sensing the growing tension in the room, Susie said, “Wow, that is cool. And it really ties the video together.”

“Yeah, Pinkie. The video is perfect,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to change the subject.

“Thanks, Sunset!” shouted Pinkie Pie, giving her a grateful smile.

*** *** *** ***

The girls had finished watching Pinkie Pie’s special video and had changed it to the Daring Do movie, much to Rainbow Dash’s delight. The film was half over already, and some of the girls, namely Applejack and Fluttershy, were passed out on some hay bales. Most of the desserts Pinkie Pie had brought were eaten, leaving behind only crumbs on the empty trays. The balloons had begun to deflate, and the streamers were half-on and half-off of the beams in the barn. Even most of the confetti had gotten thoroughly mixed with the bits of straw on the floor. It had been a long day, and nighttime was beginning to fall over the farm, casting it in a reddish-orange glow while the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Sunset Shimmer pulled out her phone and turned it on.

“6:30. I better head home if I want to be able to get to school before the girls tomorrow,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she saw the time.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she had her phone out. “Are you leaving?”

“Uh, yeah. I am getting tired, and I don’t think I’ll find hay as comfortable as AJ and Shy seemed to,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking over at her sleeping friends.

“I am pretty sure they’ve become accustomed to it by now,” said Twilight Sparkle, pulling her wing off of Sunset’s back. “If you’re heading home, mind giving me a lift to my house?”

“Um...sure,” mumbled Sunset Shimmer, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

Turning to the rest of the girls, Sunset Shimmer waved goodbye and said, “Bye, see you girls tomorrow.”

Getting up, Sunset Shimmer made her way to the yard outside the barn, where her bike was still sitting where she had parked it. She approached her bike, resting her hand on the handlebars. Her nerves were beginning to get the better of her as she struggled with the realization that Twilight Sparkle was unknowingly going to be close to her wings. A shiver ran through her body as she recalled her agonizing transformation into Demon Shimmer. It left her body feeling sore and stiff from all the intense waves of pain it had endured. Yet, nothing compared to stabbing pain in her chest at the thought of Twilight’s hand brushing against her wings. Sunset jumped and spun around when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Sor-sorry,” said Twilight Sparkle, removing her hand from the redhead’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to spook you, Sunset.”

“It’s okay, Twi. I just wasn’t expecting you to come up behind me is all,” replied Sunset, reassuring the bookworm.

“Oh, okay.” Twilight Sparkle grabbed her helmet as Sunset Shimmer did the same.

Sunset Shimmer swung herself over the bike as she settled into the seat. She felt the bike shift beneath her as Twilight Sparkle sat down, closing the space between them. She braced herself for Twilight wrapping her arms around her, gripping her handlebars in an attempt not to flinch away. The feeling of Twilight’s arms gripping her lower back made Sunset’s skin form goosebumps. Her grip on the handlebars tightened to the point where it almost hurt. For a split second, she thought about slipping on her sunglasses but decided it was best not to with it being nighttime. So, leaving them in her pocket, she slipped on her helmet and closed the straps under her chin. Sunset was grateful that she had chosen to wear contacts.

“Oh, Celestia, please don’t let Twilight notice my wings,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she felt Twilight Sparkle brace herself against her back. “Not yet…”

To Sunset Shimmer’s relief, it seemed that Twilight Sparkle hadn’t noticed her wings yet. Nonetheless, she slipped her keys into the ignition and revved the engine, wanting to get Twilight home quickly. The faster she could get her there, the less chance there was of her changes getting discovered. Or, at least, that’s what she was hoping would happen. Despite all the advice she’d received, Sunset wasn’t ready to tell the bookworm her secret. However, she was planning on changing that very soon. Without waiting another minute, Sunset pulled out of Applejack’s driveway, heading towards the street and Twilight’s house.

While the bike rolled down the street, Twilight Sparkle held on tightly to Sunset Shimmer. The wind whipped against her wings, making her wince in pain as she struggled to keep them closed. Thankfully, she had enough muscle strength to keep them pressed against her body. It took all her will power not to give in to the pain that her barely-healed wounds felt from the lashing of the wind. But she managed to keep herself from doing that by resting her head on Sunset’s back. Yet, when Twilight placed her cheek flush against her, she felt a bony structure that wasn’t supposed to be there. Pulling away, she looked down at the spot where her head had just been moments ago.

“What the-?” Twilight Sparkle said as she stared at the two vague wing-shaped outlines underneath the hoodie.

Twilight Sparkle leaned in closer and tried to get a better look at the shapes. Unfortunately, without her weight pressing down on the hoodie, that allowed the wind to hide the vague shapes once more. She slowly removed one of her hands from around Sunset Shimmer’s waist, moving it towards her back. Her curiosity drove her onward as she gently put her palm against the middle of her back. Running her fingers along her spine, Twilight felt the warm wing-like appendages underneath the hoodie. The sudden feeling of warmth made her jerk her hand away and look at Sunset.

“Does she really have wings…?” thought Twilight Sparkle, her hand still hovering over Sunset’s back. “Why does she feel the need to hide them from me when I have said I wouldn’t judge her? Are her wings that repulsive-looking that she doesn’t want me to see them?”

Sunset Shimmer, who was paying attention to the road, didn’t notice that Twilight Sparkle had touched her wings. The padding in her hoodie was thinner, thinner than what was in Twilight’s hoodie, but it was enough to prevent her from feeling anyone touching her back. And Twilight’s touch was light enough that it didn’t alert her to what was happening. Thankfully, despite its thinness, it kept her changes from being exposed. As Sunset turned the corner, she felt a hand get forcibly pushed onto her wing. The action of the bike leaning to the left caused Twilight to brace herself against Sunset, accidentally making her hand fall onto her wing.

“Twi-Twilight, can you please remove your hand? You’re hurting my wi-” Sunset Shimmer stopped herself as she was about to say ‘wing.’

“Oh, sorry!” said Twilight Sparkle, looking down at her hand resting on Sunset Shimmer’s back. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Sunset Shimmer leaned forward, saying, “It’s alright, Twi. I know it wasn’t on purpose.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed in relief as she felt Twilight Sparkle ease her hand off her wing. There was a desire to stretch her wings out and make sure they weren’t injured, but she pushed it aside. A part of her knew that Twilight had most likely figured out what her hand had rested upon, that it was useless to hide it now. Yet, even with that knowledge, Sunset couldn’t find the courage to reveal it to her. The risk of rejection weighed too heavily on her for her to overcome it right now. She didn’t want to confirm Twilight’s suspicions, not until she knew the whole story. Turning another corner, Sunset could see Twilight’s house coming into view.

As Sunset Shimmer pulled up to her house, Twilight Sparkle deliberately placed her hand on the redhead’s wing. She felt her jump at the touch, which only made her keep her hand pressed against her back. She wanted to show Sunset that she meant what she said about not judging her for her past. Twilight’s hand remained on the wing-like appendage as she felt her unconsciously push against it. A smile formed on her face when she saw that. It pleased her to see that her touch was appreciated, even if Sunset had done it unconsciously. Eventually, they stopped in front of her house.

Twilight Sparkle took off her helmet, handing it back to Sunset Shimmer, who still kept her helmet on. As she swung her leg over the side of her bike, she noticed the slight bulge underneath her hoodie that her hand was resting upon. It confirmed her theory about the redhead having wings. She ran her hand along her back, admiring the warmth radiating against her palm. When she caught herself staring at them, Twilight shook her head and pulled her hand away before she did anything to spook Sunset.

“So, Sunset has wings just like I do. I wish I could see them as I am curious to see what they look like,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she approached Sunset Shimmer and gripped her forearm gently. “I wonder if they are like mine…”

“Wh-what are you doing Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking down at Twilight’s hand on her arm.

“Sunset, remove your helmet,” said Twilight Sparkle as she leaned in closer.

Sunset Shimmer obliged, setting her helmet on her lap. "Why?”

“So I can do this,” said Twilight Sparkle, kissing the redhead on the cheek.

Sunset Shimmer felt her body heat up as Twilight’s lips brushed against her cheek. The gesture reminded her of when she had kissed her a few months ago. That had been the first she learned of Twilight’s scars, and she’d only done that to prove a point. She did that to show that she saw Twilight for herself, not the scars she bore on her back. And right now, in this very moment, it felt like Twilight was returning the gesture. Sunset, seeing that the bookworm was about to move away, leaned in, and kissed her in return.

“What was th-that for, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, flustered by the sudden kiss.

"That was for listening to me tonight, even though I haven’t been the greatest friend lately,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her helmet.

Twilight moved her hand from the redhead’s forearm and rested it on her shoulder. “I know that you’ve been struggling with being honest, so I wanted to make sure that you understood that I see that.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, sensing the growing tension between her and Twilight. “Uh, I think I better head home now.”

“Yeah, I guess you should. See you Monday morning then?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she turned to face her house, looking over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” replied Sunset Shimmer, slipping her helmet back on.

“Okay, bye!” said Twilight as she watched Sunset drive off down the street.

While Sunset Shimmer drove home, her mind was racing about what Twilight Sparkle had touched on the way to her house. She knew that there was no point in denying the fact that Twilight had felt her wings. Numerous times. Not that she was going to object to the touch, she enjoyed the gentleness of it. It made her forget how horrible her appearance was for a few precious moments. Yet, that still worried Sunset since she knew that Twilight, being the smart and occasionally geeky one of the girls, would’ve easily guessed what it was that she tried to hide from her.

“Well, you should’ve come clean tonight. Maybe then you wouldn’t have to worry about Twilight finding out that you have wings,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience.

“Oh? I missed that the first billion times you’ve said that to me,” thought Sunset Shimmer, hating the fact that her conscience was right.

“Funny. You’re sarcastic now, even when you don’t listen to your friends. Yet, I know that you are aware that the girls are right – you should’ve told Twilight the truth a year ago,” Sunset’s inner voice said, reminding of the conversations she had that day.

“Well, back then, I didn’t think it was the right time to tell her,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Didn’t think it was the right time?! You have similar scars and have endured the same experiences! How the hell did you think it was not the right time then?!” shouted Sunset Shimmer’s conscience, growing angrier.

Sunset Shimmer remained silent, unsure of how to respond to the question.

“My point exactly. It was the right time then, but you were too scared to tell Twilight. Now, you’ll have to face the consequences of possibly losing her because you wanted to conceal your past from her,” said the redhead’s inner voice in a calmer tone.

“I know…” thought Sunset Shimmer, trying to keep her guilt at bay, not wanting to ruin the rest of the night.

Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice left her alone, letting her drive home with only the sound of the engine and the wind rushing against her to fill the deafening silence. The day’s events replayed in her mind and made her wonder if Twilight would be able to see past her demonic appearance and know that she was still the same person underneath. While her mind was saying no, her heart was saying yes, which only confused her more. But remembering what Cassidy had said, Sunset knew she had to follow her heart. After what seemed like the longest drive home, she finally saw her apartment appear in the distance. Pulling into her driveway, Sunset removed her helmet and turned off the engine. She walked up to her dark apartment and unlocked the front door.

Walking into her apartment, Sunset haphazardly tossed her keys, helmet, and sunglasses onto her desk. She turned on the light and made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. Just as she got to her bed, Sunset saw her reflection in her full body mirror. She stood in front of it, staring at her skin and ears. She removed the leather gloves, being careful not to rip them in the process. Her hand rested on the zipper tab, tempting her to pull it down and reveal the rest of her changes. After a few seconds of deliberating, she made a choice and slowly began to pull the zipper down. Once the front of the hoodie was fully open, she gripped either side and started taking it off, reluctantly revealing the full extent of the transformation to herself. Sunset shrugged the hoodie off of her body and let her wings stretch to their full size. Her eyes hesitantly took in the reflection that stared back at her.

Sunset Shimmer felt disgusted by the way her wings looked, though it was nothing compared to the texture of them. The leathery feel of them was enough to make her want to cut them off. Her claws were the one feature she feared the most due to the danger they posed to her friends. Sunset looked down at them, fearing that she would hurt Twilight should she touch her without the gloves. Looking away in both fear and disgust, she clenched her hands tightly, feeling the tips of her claws digging into the soft flesh of her palm. The changes to her skin, hands, ears, and the growth of her wings made her look like a horrifying monstrosity straight out of a horror film. Yet, it was her eyes that, despite still showing her usual kindness, seemed to make her look evil. Not even the contacts could disguise the evilness that shone within them. Growling, she turned away from the mirror, no longer wanting to see the monster she had become.

“Rainbow Dash is right. Someone has to tell Twilight the truth. And that someone has to be… me,” Sunset shimmer said to no one but herself. “If I don’t do it, she’ll hate me for not being the one to tell her about it.”

Sunset Shimmer went over to her dresser and pulled out her pajamas from the top drawer before making her way downstairs, walking into her bathroom. As she took off her shirt, she saw her scars in the mirror above her sink. The ghastly sight of her wings jutting out from them nearly made the redhead throw up as she eyed it. Her scars were similar to the ones Twilight Sparkle had, but hers were longer and rougher. Not that it surprised Sunset, given the circumstances under which her transformation had occurred. To her, the scars represented the painful experience of her unexpected change into Demon Shimmer. All they ever did was remind her of her past and how she got caught up in her selfish desire, failing to see that friendship was its own kind of magic.

A shiver ran through her body as the images and memories resurfaced in her mind. Gripping the edge of the sink counter, Sunset inhaled shakily and forced herself to push past the regret caused by her actions. She grabbed her pajama top and slipped it over the two leathery nuisances that had destroyed her favorite jacket the day before. For a moment, she hoped that her shirt would remain untorn until her wings stretched against the fabric. Sunset attempted to get them to relax but only succeeded in making them rip through her shirt, much to her annoyance.

“Just great. Yet another shirt I have to repair later. Or maybe… I should just leave it in case I am stuck like this permanently,” said Sunset Shimmer, recalling what Twilight Sparkle had asked her two days ago.

Now Sunset Shimmer understood why Twilight didn’t want to be stuck looking like Midnight Sparkle forever. It was incredibly jarring to see the demon from her past reflected at her every time she looked into a mirror. Yet, she knew that despite her hatred of her actions as Demon Shimmer, it was a part of her. Regardless of her feelings about it, there was something inside that was beginning to embrace it. Maybe it was because Twilight had deliberately touched her wings after the first time. Sunset smiled to herself as she felt the lingering sensations of Twilight’s hand resting against them. It almost was enough to make her forget that she had a terrifying appearance.

After finishing her normal routine, Sunset turned off her bathroom light and headed back upstairs to her bedroom. As she sat down on the edge of her bed, her massive wings draped themselves around her body, keeping her warm. The feeling of them surrounding her with their warmth was almost a pleasant sensation. Though, their odd look and similarity to bat wings as well as their leathery texture still freaked her out. It was still too strange for Sunset to feel them rubbing against her skin, reminding her of their presence. But she was starting to get used to it, not that she could say the same for the rest of her appearance. She kept her wings pulled close to her as she laid down on her side. Sighing, she reached over and turned off her light before closing her eyes.

“Please, Celestia, let Twilight see past my appearance when I show her,” mumbled Sunset Shimmer as exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.

You're Going to get Springtrapped

Author's Note

Happy Fourth of July everyone! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

You're Going to get Springtrapped

*3 Days Later*

Twilight Sparkle heard her alarm clock buzzing at her, telling her to get out of her bed and start the day. Turning over in her bed, she lazily reached out and pressed the snooze button. She sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her wings moved behind her, stretching out to their full length. They felt stiff from not moving all night long and the injuries that were still healing. Thankfully, a majority of the wounds had halfway recovered, and some of them had gotten entirely covered by the new growth of feathers. Their presence only served to remind Twilight of what was going to happen. She would have to face Trixie and the rest of her classmates… again. Looking out her window, she debated not going to school today. The sun shone into her room, illuminating her floor and carpet. Birds were whistling their morning songs, almost as if they were saying good morning to her, making her smile. However, endangering her perfect attendance record was out of the question. Wings or no wings, she had to go. So, with newfound motivation, she threw the blanket off of her and got dressed for the day. Just as Twilight was about to leave her room, she spotted her hoodie slung over the trunk at the foot of her bed.

“I better take that with me, just in case I need it,” said Twilight Sparkle, grabbing the hoodie off the trunk before making her way downstairs to the kitchen.

“Mornin’ Twilight!” Spike said in between bites of his food.

“Hey, Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle, her tail swishing behind her as she wrapped her wings around herself. “Do you notice anything, uh, different about me?”

Spike looked up from his food dish after taking another bite of his food. Swallowing, he sat down and examined Twilight’s change of appearance. Spike saw that she now had wings, fangs, a tail, her skin was a different color, and so were her eyes. If he hadn’t known it was Twilight, he might’ve been a bit fearful of getting close to her. All the features seemed to belong to Midnight Sparkle, but there was something off about them. If she was actually Midnight Sparkle, where was her glowing horn? Or the fiery flames that had replaced her glasses at the Friendship Games? Spike padded over to her and tilted his head to the side

“You look like Midnight Sparkle, yet, you don’t at the same time,” said Spike, scratching a small itch behind his ear.

“That’s because I am, well, sort of,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed a bowl and spoon, setting them down on the counter. She began her search for the cereal box. “My geode started the transformation, and because of the differences in circumstances, it altered my appearance and powers as well.”

“Okay, where the heck is the cereal?” asked Twilight, giving up her futile search.

“Here you go, honey,” said Mr. Light as he grabbed the cereal box from the back of a nearby cabinet and handed it to her.

“Thanks, Dad,” Twilight Sparkle said, avoiding any eye contact with him as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Twilight Sparkle knew that her father wasn’t entirely comfortable with her new appearance, despite her mother’s attempts to ease him into it. She remembered coming home, and his shocked expression before he abruptly got up and refused to see her for the rest of the night. It hurt to see her father treat her like she was a reminder of something painful in his past that he didn’t want to see anymore. After seeing that, it was hard for her to sleep, but she managed to fall asleep eventually. Only after she sobbed softly into her pillow, though, she understood his hesitation in trusting that she was still herself. Grabbing the cereal box, she poured the contents into her bowl. She set the cereal box down as Spike returned to his breakfast, leaving her to deal with the growing tension between her and her father.

“Uh, how is your wrist, sweetie?” asked Mr. Light, taking a sip of his coffee, trying not to give away his nervousness.

“Better. I am thankful not to have the splint on my arm anymore,” said Twilight Sparkle, taking a bite of her cereal, forgetting that she hadn’t added milk to it yet.

“That’s good to hear hon,” said Mr. Light. “Are you planning to add milk to your cereal or eat it dry this morning?”

“What?” Twilight Sparkle looked down at her bowl, realizing the absence of the white liquid. “Whoops. I forgot to add milk.”

Twilight walked over to the fridge and grabbed the milk from it. As she closed the door, she saw her father glance up at her before quickly averting his gaze back to the morning paper. His eyes showed the fondness she remembered seeing her entire life, but it had gotten hidden behind shock and distrust. Yet, the split second she gotta see her father behind it was enough to make her heart race. Twilight put the milk away and sat down in front of him, hoping that he wouldn’t mind.

“It’s still me, dad. It’s still your baby girl,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she took another bite of her cereal.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mrs. Velvet entered the kitchen, making everyone look at her. She hugged her daughter before letting her go.

“How was your night, sweetie? I could hear you screaming in your sleep,” asked Mrs. Velvet, grabbing a muffin from the rack on the counter.

“It was, uh, okay. I was having nightmares about…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off as she saw her father get up from the table and leave. She sighed and looked down at her bowl. “He really hates my appearance, doesn’t he?”

“Your father doesn’t hate it, honey. He just needs some… time to adjust. It’s not easy to see your daughter go from not having wings, fangs, and a tail, to suddenly having them the next day,” said Mrs. Velvet as she wrapped her arm around Twilight’s shoulder, rubbing it in an attempt to console her.

“You adjusted to it pretty quickly, though, right?” asked Twilight Sparkle, looking at her mother.

“Well, not exactly. When I first saw what you looked like, it was a shock to me. And yes, eventually, I did adjust to it. That took time and a couple of cups of coffee to get past. Seeing the changes for the first time was not easy for me,” replied Mrs. Velvet, removing her arm and looking down at the counter. “I am still ashamed that, for a split second, I thought you were not daughter.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that mom,” was all Twilight Sparkle could manage to get out as she heard her mother’s words.

It hadn’t entirely occurred to Twilight Sparkle that, despite her mother being fairly open-minded, it still took time for her to adjust to her new appearance. Sure, she was aware that it was a bit of a shock. It was shocking to know that she had gotten transformed into her demonic form. The girls, Sunset Shimmer especially, had proven that point when they all stared at her like deers in headlights. Yet, to hear that her own mother still struggled with it stung like acid on her skin. As she looked at a clock on the wall next to her, Twilight saw what time it was.

“I have to go now, mom. I don’t want to be late for school,” said Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed her backpack and stuffed her hoodie inside of it.

“Okay, sweetie. I will see you after school, right?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

“Yes, unless something comes up,” said Twilight Sparkle as she walked out the front door. “Bye, mom!”

“Bye, honey!” shouted Mrs. Velvet before closing the front door.

Once she was standing outside, Twilight Sparkle heard the familiar roar of Sunset Shimmer’s bike seconds before she saw it coming down the street towards her. The bike pulled up next to her house, slowly braking to a stop. She noticed that Sunset was still wearing her hoodie from the night before and that the fabric barely contained her wings. It looked like if she were to make one wrong move, they would be exposed for the whole world to see. Approaching the bike, Twilight watched as a cascade of red and yellow hair fell out from the hood beneath the helmet as Sunset removed it.

“Hey, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed her helmet from the redhead.

Sunset Shimmer, despite a voice in the back of her head telling her to go to CHS on her own, decided to pick Twilight Sparkle up as she had promised. The risk of Twilight figuring out the rest of her secret was still present, but she ignored it. Sunset knew it was likely that she would’ve already guessed that she had wings, given how close their bodies were during the drive home Friday night. And the way that she kept touching them made her wonder when she did reveal everything if it would go alright. It filled Sunset with hope knowing there was a possibility Twilight could accept her demonic past and form. Yet, she was aware of the impact her decision not to tell her about the Fall Formal was having on their friendship. And she knew that if she didn’t show up today, it would’ve done more damage.

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer, resting her helmet on her lap as she looked at Twilight Sparkle. “Are you ready to face another day at school?”

“No…” replied Twilight as she looked down at her hands. “I am not ready to face the students after what happened on Thursday,”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Twilight’s one hand, saying, “It’s okay, Twilight. You have me and the girls with you. We’ll make sure that Trixie doesn’t do anything again.”

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t feel any comfort in the flame-haired girl’s words. “I know, but I am scared they’ll beat me up. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Twilight, look at me.” Sunset Shimmer took off her sunglasses so Twilight could see her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle silently looked up from her hands, her eyes meeting Sunset’s cyan ones beaming back at her.

“I will not let it happen again. I won’t let them get to you, not without a fight.” Sunset Shimmer tightened her grip on Twilight’s hand as if that would make her point stronger. “I promise, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset’s tight grip. “Okay, I believe you, Sunset. But, if you squeeze my hand any harder, you’re going to break it. I didn’t think you were that strong.”

“S-sorry, Sparky. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Sunset Shimmer said, pulling her hand back, making her sleeve shift and reveal some of the red skin on her forearm in the process.

“Sunset, what is this?” asked Twilight Sparkle, grabbing Sunset’s arm and trying to pull the sleeve up further.

“It’s not something I want to discuss right now, Twilight. Not until I am ready to,” replied Sunset, yanking her arm back and pulling her sleeve back down.

Sunset Shimmer noticed the look of hurt, which flashed in Twilight Sparkle’s mulberry eyes, making a wave of guilt wash over her. It was clear that her reaction to her question had been too harsh. She knew that all Twilight wanted was for her to tell the truth, and her defiance in not giving it to her was not helping matters. Pulling her sleeve back down over her arm, she got up from her bike and set her helmet down where she was sitting. She put her sunglasses away in her hoodie pocket and grabbed Twilight’s arms.

“I will tell you soon,” said Sunset, looking directly into Twilight’s eyes, making sure she saw that she was being truthful about it.

“I hope that is true, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle as she stepped closer to the redhead. “I don’t like the fact you’re hiding something from me.”

“I know, Sparky. That’s why I am planning to tell you very soon,” said Sunset Shimmer, letting go of Twilight Sparkle and walking back over to her bike. She slipped her sunglasses on and put on her helmet afterward. “We better leave before we’re both late to school.”

“Right,” said Twilight Sparkle before putting her helmet on and sitting behind Sunset Shimmer on the bike.

“Hold on tight, Twi!” Sunset shouted seconds before she revved the engine and drove down the street.

Being a 30-minute drive from Twilight Sparkle’s house, it didn’t take them long to arrive at CHS. With Twilight holding on tightly to her waist, Sunset Shimmer tried to make the ride as enjoyable as possible. To do that she drove down some of the short, but scenic routes which allowed her to show the sun rising over the mountains. That managed to make Twilight loosen her grip, seemingly enjoying the scene before it disappeared behind some buildings as the school building came into view down the road. Sunset pulled into the student parking lot and parked her bike in her usual spot. Just as she had turned off the engine, removing her keys from the ignition and placing them in her pocket, she saw the girls approaching them. Pinkie Pie was leading the group, but there was someone else amongst the girls.

“Who is with you girls?” asked Sunset Shimmer, unbuckling the chin strap of the helmet and pulling it off her head and setting it down on the handlebars.

“Well, um…” Rainbow Dash said as she and the rest of the girls stepped aside, revealing the person who was with them, to Sunset Shimmer’s utter dismay. “It’s Trixie.”

“Trixie. What the hell are you doing here?” asked Sunset, resting her hand on the side of her hip. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Twilight and me?”

Trixie nodded, remaining silent as she recalled what the flame-haired girl had done to the bathroom mirrors.

“So, then, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow. “I hope you remember what I said to you on Thursday.”

“Trixie remembers. She is, erm, here to apologize to Twilight for her actions on Thursday,” replied Trixie, making eye contact with Twilight Sparkle. “She shouldn’t have let you get beat up so badly. Trixie is… sorry Twilight.”

“Really, Trixie? Do you mean that, or are you just saying it, so I’ll forget what happened?” asked Twilight Sparkle, adjusting her glasses as her wings draped themselves over her shoulders.

“Trixie means it, Twilight. What she… what I did to you was inexcusable. It wasn't supposed to go that far; I just wanted to expose whatever it was that you were hiding.” Trixie looked away from Twilight, too ashamed to look at the bruises she caused. “You didn’t deserve what I did to you.”

Twilight Sparkle turned to Sunset Shimmer, wanting to see her reaction to what Trixie had said. Despite the hood shielding most of Sunset’s face in a shroud of darkness, she could see that she was glaring at the wannabe magician. Yet, something told her that she was angry at her for a different reason, one that she wasn’t aware of. As her gaze drifted downward, Twilight saw what appeared to be fangs where her lateral incisors should have been. Unfortunately, just as she had started to examine them further, the redhead looked away. Almost as if she knew what she was seeing and wanted to conceal it from her. That only angered Twilight further, especially since she was growing more exhausted with waiting for her to come clean. Deciding it was better to focus on something else, Twilight returned her attention to Trixie, stepping closer to her.

“Trixie, I accept your apology. But, that doesn’t mean I will forgive you for what you’ve done. I am not ready yet,” said Twilight Sparkle, giving a nervous Trixie a small smile. “Thank you for apologizing. It means a lot.”

“Trixie figured it was the least she could do,” Trixie said, regaining her smug demeanor back. “Now, she must go to Mr. Doodle’s class.”

With that, Trixie threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared in a massive cloud of white smoke.

“Woah, she is good!” shouted Pinkie Pie, trying to find the magician nearby, but not seeing her anywhere.

“Yeah. I am surprised Trixie apologized, it seems out of character for her,” said Sunset Shimmer, finally getting off her bike as the bell rang. “I hope she meant it.”

“Come on, we gotta get to Miss Cheeriliee’s class before we’re all late!” shouted Rainbow Dash before she sped off into the building.

Walking together, the rest of the girls joined Rainbow Dash in Miss Cheerilee’s classroom. As they walked down the hallway, Twilight Sparkle could feel her classmates glares and wide-eyed gazes on her. The whispers echoed in the busy halls, allowing her to hear what they were saying. Not that Twilight wanted to know since they made it apparent she was a monster in their eyes. She pulled her wings closer to her body, not wanting to have anyone touching them. It was bad enough that the students made no point to hide their distrust and hatred of her. The idea of having them touching her in any way was appalling to her.

Walking past the doorway of the classroom, Twilight saw Miss Cheerilee look at her. She could see the shock and what appeared to be fear beneath her teacher’s professional demeanor. She watched as Miss Cheerilee’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked away as if to avoid embarrassing herself further. Feeling even worse, Twilight made her way past a row of desks to her usual seat. She sat down at it and ignored the gasps from the students around her, along with the rest of the girls. But when Twilight expected Sunset to sit down next to her, she saw her make her way to the back of the classroom, completely ignoring her. Trying not to feel hurt by the sudden gesture, she watched as she sat down in the darkest corner of the room.

“Why isn’t she choosing to sit with me like she always does? Is it because of her wings that are underneath the hoodie? Or is because she doesn’t want me to get closer to the rest of what she is hiding?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she looked forward, no longer wanting to see Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer shifted uneasily in her chair. Having her wings tucked into her hoodie was proving to be problematic for the redhead. And it was making it impossible for her to sit back against the metal back of the chair. Applying any pressure to them seemed to make her wings ache in response, especially against the hard surface of the chair. The padding she had added inside of her hoodie did nothing to alleviate the pain. Sunset looked back up at Twilight and saw that she was also struggling to keep her wings in check. Yet, seeing that only worsened the guilt that she felt.

“I am still too afraid to let Twilight get close to me, even after what I said to her on Friday. Sweet Celestia, how cowardly can I get?” thought Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her gloved hands, knowing that the leather hid her claws. “She is trusting me to be honest with her. I hope she still does when she finds out what I look like now. Not that I would blame her if she didn’t…”

“You’re right. You can’t blame Twilight if she decided not to trust you after she sees the demon you once were. I know if I were her, I wouldn’t trust you,” said Sunset’s conscience, interrupting her thoughts.

“Shut the fuck up! I am at school, and I don’t need the lecture right now.” Sunset Shimmer felt her jaw clench as she struggled not to become angered by what her conscience was saying.

“Fine, I will back off for now. But I’ll return when you tell Twilight about the Demon Shimmer thing,” said her inner voice, finally quieting down per the redhead’s request.

Once the late bell rang, Miss Cheerilee grabbed a few of her books and turned to face the class, saying, “Okay, class, today’s assignment is in the library. So, grab your stuff and meet me there, please.”

Twilight Sparkle quickly grabbed her backpack and joined Sunset Shimmer in the back of the classroom, avoiding the other students in the process. She stood in front of her, hoping it would prevent her from walking away and avoiding her. When she met her eyes, she saw fear in Sunset’s eyes before she quickly turned away from her. That confused Twilight even more. Why was her friend acting like she was afraid to be close to her all of a sudden? Was it because of their earlier argument? She was left wondering what she had done to deserve to get pushed away. Before she had a chance to ask what was going on, Sunset grabbed her bag and walked down the other aisle, ignoring her.

“Wait, Sunset! What the hell is going on? Why are you suddenly ignoring me?” whispered Twilight Sparkle, running after Sunset Shimmer.

“Twilight, please. I don’t want to talk about it right now, it hurts too much,” Sunset Shimmer said, her voice dripping with pent up frustration and anger.

“It hurts too much?” asked Twilight Sparkle, offended by the redhead using that excuse. “It hurts too much, Sunset? How do you think I feel standing here letting you keep whatever it is you have under that hoodie hidden from me? You don’t think it’s hard for me to wait here for you to come clean, wondering if you are ever going to?”

Sunset flinched away from Twilight, not expecting the sudden outburst from her. “I know it’s hard for you to wait for the truth, especially when I have made promises that I’ve broken.”

“No, I don’t think you do, Sunset. Because, if you did, you wouldn’t keep playing this cat and mouse game with me.” Twilight Sparkle’s wings folded over her shoulders, her voice revealing her hurt and pain as she walked away from Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer, feeling bad that she had pushed Twilight Sparkle aside again, ran after her.

“Wait, Sparky!” Sunset grabbed Twilight’s arm, stopping in front of her, so their eyes met once more. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s just…”

As Twilight Sparkle examined Sunset Shimmer, she saw that her skin appeared to be red. But the shade created by the hood left her unsure that it was red. She might have been seeing things, though, knowing that Sunset had wings made her question the extent of the changes. Either way, it was clear that her appearance had gotten altered to some extent. Questions swam around in her head, begging for answers to them. But, Twilight pushed them aside and focused on the redhead in front of her. She clearly had something that she wanted to say to her. Hopefully, whatever it was would answer some of her questions.

“It’s just what, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, keeping a calm tone to her voice, so it was not to startle Sunset again.

“It’s just that I am scared to reveal what I am hiding underneath this hoodie. I am struggling to accept the changes that have happened. The changes and the way I look, it repulses me enough that I struggle to see my reflection. That’s why I am afraid to show you what I am concealing from you,” said Sunset Shimmer as she kept her fangs hidden from view, her voice meek and quiet like Fluttershy’s.

Twilight wanted to reach out and touch Sunset, to comfort her in her moment of vulnerability. Yet, just as she was about to rest her hand on her shoulder, something stopped her from going through with it. As she recalled the times had recoiled away from her touch, she took a few steps back. It had hurt Twilight to see Sunset do that to her, not once, but several times. Even though she knew that there was a reason behind it, that didn’t ease the pain she felt at seeing that gesture. However, when she looked back at her, Twilight saw something in her eyes. The darkness nearly hid it, but she saw hurt, regret, and the most prominent one – guilt. Pushing past her hesitation and reluctance, she wrapped her arms around Sunset, resting her hands on the back of her shoulders.

For a moment, Sunset Shimmer stood there, frozen on the spot and unsure of what to do. She felt Twilight place her arms on the sides of her wings, seemingly aware that they were there and sensitive to any pressure getting applied to them. Though it meant that she knew about her wings, Sunset couldn’t help but be thankful that she hadn’t touched them. Standing there, still in Twilight’s tight embrace, she felt a feeling of warmth and safeness wash over her entire body. She slowly wrapped her arms around the bookworm and deliberately made her fingers brush up against her scars. Sunset buried her head in the crook of her neck, enjoying the embrace and the smell of lavender filling her senses.

"Thank you, Sparky. I really needed this,” said Sunset Shimmer before she reluctantly let go of Twilight Sparkle. “Come on. We’ll be late if we don’t get a move on.”

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle walked into the library just as Miss Cheerilee was about to start her lesson. They quietly walked to their seats and sat down, hoping she wouldn’t notice their absence.

“Nice of you to join us, Miss Shimmer and Miss Sparkle,” said Miss Cheerilee. “Now that we are all here, let’s begin the assignment.”

Twilight Sparkle took out her notebook from her bag, jotting down the necessary notes for the assignment. Once Miss Cheerilee had finished explaining what they were supposed to do for the day, she quickly set to work on starting the assignment. She glanced over at Sunset and saw that she had gotten immersed in it, almost like she was trying to ignore the strange whispers around her. The whispers were similar to the ones Twilight had heard earlier when she arrived at the school, which only raised her suspicions more. As her mind fought to stay focused on her schoolwork, she thought about the feeling of having the redhead hug her back. To feel that kind of contact after all the tension between them lately was nice. Something she had almost forgotten due to the growing distance. Remembering that she had an assignment to do, she returned her focus to her paper.

About a half-hour into the class, Twilight Sparkle heard a student groan in frustration, prompting her to look in the direction of the sound. She saw a girl that had long purple and black hair, which flowed way past her shoulders, nearly cascading all the way down her back. The girl’s head hung over a textbook and a notebook, which had a small pencil sitting atop of it. Twilight continued to eye the girl, wondering what was bothering her. For a split second, their eyes met, and she saw a flicker of ice blue in the girl’s usually flame-colored eyes. That took her off guard and nearly made her drop her pencil in shock. Quickly looking away, Twilight hoped the girl hadn’t noticed the near slip-up.

“I am so fucked! I can’t get another F; Miss Cheerilee will flunk me if I do. And my parents! Oh, they will ground me for sure if they don’t decide I can’t have a social life,” said the girl, dropping her head into her hands.

Deciding to see what she could do to help her, Twilight got up from her seat and walked over to the girl. As soon as she sat down in the chair next to the girl, she looked up at her and appeared to be a bit frightened and taken aback by her presence. Twilight did what she could to not scare the girl more than she already had. But, without her hoodie to conceal her wings from view, there wasn’t a whole lot she could do to prevent that. So, she pulled her wings close to her body and kept her distance from the girl.

“Hey. What’s bothering you about the assignment?” asked Twilight Sparkle, trying to keep her fangs out of sight.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, the girl noticed the two fangs which had taken the place of her canines. That made her breath hitch in her chest as she struggled not to let fear override her. There was a growing ache in her gums as she looked away from Twilight, not wanting her to witness what was happening. Two fangs shot out from her gum line, pushing her lateral incisors back as they reached their full length. Venom dripped from them as she struggled to get them to retract. It tasted bitter, like alcohol mixed with sour apple. But it was a taste she had come to know since her fangs often dripped her lethal nectar every time they appeared. Eventually, after she managed to calm down, they pulled back into her gumline and allowed her natural lateral incisors to return. After that was over, the girl turned back to Twilight.

‘It’s this one that is giving me problems,” said the girl, pointing to the cause of her frustration.

Twilight Sparkle hesitantly reached out for the textbook as the girl moved away from her. Though it was painful to see that reaction, she could see that the girl was attempting to curb her impulses. Pulling the textbook in front of her, she looked at the problem. It was one that she had solved a few weeks ago as part of her nightly self-quizzing routine. Twilight found the problem to be quite easy to solve, especially being the mathematical genius that she was. She pushed the textbook back towards the girl and made sure to pull her hand back as she saw her look down at the book.

“Oh, this is a bit tricky at first, but not impossible to solve. Do you want me to show how to solve it?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her wings unconsciously moved outward from her body as she spoke.

Ignoring them, the girl silently pushed her notebook and pencil towards Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer, finishing her assignment, looked up to see Twilight Sparkle helping one of the students. It made her smile to see Twilight being her usual kind, helpful self, not worrying about her appearance. She wished that she could have that kind of luxury, especially with the girls. But her past with them complicated matters and made her wonder how they’d react if she were to show them. Sooner or later, Sunset knew she’d have her answer whether she liked it or not. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rarity and Rainbow Dash looking at her expectantly.

Sunset turned to face them, saying, “It’s fine, guys. The girl isn’t afraid of Twilight, or at least I think she isn’t.”

“Good. it's about time that our classmates realize she is still Twilight, not Midnight Sparkle,” said Rarity as she set down her pencil. “Also, just curious, why are you still wearing your hood? We’re inside, dear.”

“Oh, I just wanted to wear it, that’s all,” replied Sunset Shimmer, nervously tugging downward on her hood.

Sunset saw Rainbow Dash give her a look that made her regret saying anything to Rarity’s question. Knowing that the athlete was aware of what was underneath the hoodie made her sick to her stomach. Yet, it made her feel better than remembering that Trixie had actual footage of her transforming. And seeing Trixie that morning had set her on edge, especially because Sunset wasn’t sure if she could trust her to keep her end of their deal. Sunset could only cling to the hope that that the magician would. If not, everything she was trying hard to prevent from happening would happen and destroy any chance of her telling Twilight the truth herself.

“Okay, but that’ll ruin your hair afterward. I hope you came prepared. I don’t even want to imagine the knots that’ll get made,” said Rarity, shuddering at the image of the flame-haired girl’s matted hair in her mind.

“I did, Rarity. You taught me always to come prepared for that kind of emergency,” replied Sunset Shimmer, giving Rarity a smile and a wink.

“Good,” said Rarity, returning to her assignment, hoping to have it finished before the end of class.

Twilight Sparkle finished writing down the instructions for how to solve the problem, handing the notebook and pencil back to the girl. Her wings moved and made her freeze for a moment, looking at the girl for any sign of nervousness. She didn’t see any, and that caused her to shift away from her. It seemed too good to be true, which put Twilight on edge. If the girl were to freak out again, she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. Try as she might, it was hard to tune out the fearful reactions, especially when her classmates made no point in disguising them. Though, the girl was different from them. Twilight had noticed that she tried to curb her earlier reaction, almost as if she knew that it would hurt her. The girl reached over and grabbed her arm, making her look down before meeting her gaze again.

“It’s okay, Twilight. I am not frightened of you, not anymore,” said the girl, removing her hand from Twilight Sparkle’s wrist. “By the way, thank you for helping me with the assignment. You saved my ass from getting grounded.”

“You’re welcome, uh…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off, realizing she didn’t know the girl’s name.

“Violet, Violet Night,” said Violet Night, revealing her name to Twilight.

“You’re welcome, Violet,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Let me know if there is anything else you need help with.”

“Okay,” replied Violet Night, going back to her assignment.

Twilight Sparkle got up and walked back to where the rest of the girls were sitting. Her wings stretched out a bit behind her, tired of being pushed against the back of the chair. It felt good to stretch them, even with the whispers of disapproval from her classmates. Even so, she was careful to keep them close to her body, not wanting to chance someone plucking her feathers again. She kept her head down and ignored the comments that swirled around her. Yet, just as she walked past two girls sitting at a nearby table, she accidentally overheard their conversation.

“Did Twilight just help that girl? I thought she was Midnight Sparkle,” said Bon Bon.

“I did too. But maybe Twilight isn’t…” said Lyra, leaning closer to Bon Bon.

“Should I ask her for help with the assignment?” asked Bon Bon.

“Well, I can’t help you, Bonny. I am stuck on it as well,” replied Lyra as she glanced over at Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay, then, I will ask her,” Bon Bon said as she got out of her chair and walked over to Twilight Sparkle, taking in the appearance of her wings. “Hey, Twilight, can I ask for your help with the assignment?”

“Uh, sure,” said Twilight Sparkle, not expecting Bon Bon to ask for her help. “What do you need help with?”

Twilight Sparkle sat in between Lyra and Bon Bon, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable and uneasy. Nonetheless, she ignored how close she was to both of them and focused on what they needed. However, her uneasiness grew when she felt a hand caressing one of her wings. She could feel her feathers getting pulled apart as the hand explored the underside, which remained covered in bruises and half-healed scrapes from the beating she’d gotten on Thursday. Looking, Twilight saw that it was Lyra who was touching her feathers and examining them. But Lyra quickly stopped when she realized that she had gotten caught in the act.

“Sor-sorry,” said Lyra as she looked away in embarrassment. “I was just intrigued by your wings. They looked like they were soft, so I wanted to see if they were. And I was right. They’re extremely soft to the touch.”

“Th-Thanks,” said Twilight Sparkle, wondering if she should pull her wings closer to her after what just happened.

“You’re welcome,” replied Lyra, surprised to hear that Twilight was okay with her touching her wings. “I am sorry about touching them without your permission.”

“It’s okay. You can touch my wings again if you want to,” Twilight Sparkle said, deciding it was best to encourage Lyra’s curiosity. “It won’t bother me if you do.”

“Are you sure? I can see the injuries we caused are still healing…” asked Lyra. “And would you mind if Bonny touched them too? She is also curious, but too shy to admit it.”

Bon Bon shot Lyra a glare. “I didn’t want that revealed, Lyra.”

“Yes, it’s fine,” said Twilight Sparkle, starting to feel a bit more comfortable by the minute. “When I said I wouldn’t mind it, I meant it. You can touch my wings if you want.”

“Thanks,” said Bon Bon and Lyra in unison.

The sound of the school bell ringing jolted Twilight Sparkle back to reality as she felt Lyra and Bon Bon stop rubbing her feathers. She had done her best to ignore the feeling of them exploring her wings and helped them finish the assignment. As she walked away from them, she could still feel their light touches against her feathers. Their touch was similar to Sunset Shimmer’s touch. Only it was more like a curious scientist trying to explore a new foreign object, whereas Sunset’s touch was more of a loving caress, almost like she was trying to express her feelings through physical contact. Grabbing her backpack, Twilight saw Sunset approach her.

“So, it seems that Lyra and Bon Bon have decided that you’re cool,” said Sunset Shimmer, a gleam of happiness in her eyes.

“Yeah, they did. Thanks to your support, I feel pretty good about today,” replied Twilight Sparkle, walking out of the library with Sunset by her side. “Maybe it won’t be as bad as Thursday.”

“That’s the spirit, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, slipping her sunglasses back on as she and Twilight Sparkle walked to their second-period class.

*** *** *** ***

Springtrap looked at the 40 doppelgangers now standing in front of him. All of them stood still, side by side, not a single twitch evident in their stiff bodies. Creating them had exhausted him more than he expected, causing him to stagger his way into the old electrical building. He examined the structure before looking at the Marionette. Its body sat lifelessly against the concrete wall. Yet, for a few moments, sparks flew from its mask and landed on the ground beside it. Annoyed by the buzzing sound coming from the animatronic, he walked over to it and flung it into the control panel. The Marionette’s body hit the metal with a loud clang and caused it to dent from the impact. As it slipped to the floor, the sparking behind its mask stopped.

“Well, at least the buzzing stopped. Hopefully, you will be useful later on,” said Springtrap as he walked back outside, pleased with himself.

However, unbeknownst to Springtrap, the magic from within the control panel was slowly seeping into the Marionette from the crack created by the dent. It lifted its hand and allowed more of the magic to flow into its body. After a few seconds, it was able to push itself into a standing position, while continuing to lean against the panel for support. It looked out the doorway and saw Springtrap standing in front of his miniature army. A desire to attack him was growing within it. Right now, it would be super easy to get away from its captor and return to the kids. Yet, it forced the desire down and looked down at the control panel underneath its hand. Why had it gained this new magic? And what was its purpose for having it? Before it had a chance to investigate the magic further, Springtrap walked back inside the building.

Springtrap placed his hand on the broken door frame as he stared at the Marionette and the control panel. Something seemed off about the Marionette like it had moved before he came in. But that couldn’t be possible, right? He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, though he brushed it off as his exhaustion getting the better of him. He had more significant problems to worry about than some stupid, broken animatronic. Springtrap knew that if he wanted to expand his army, he would need some precaution to prevent his power source from getting drained. A theory slowly formed inside his mind, making him step closer to the dented control panel.

“I wonder…” said Springtrap, placing his hand on the dented edge, ignoring the flap that jutted outwards.

“What if I absorb more of the magic into me so it’ll leave my power source alone? I won’t be able to go through with my plans if I can't move this fucking animatronic body,” thought Springtrap, staring down at his hands, getting lost in his thoughts.

Wanting to test out his theory, Springtrap held his other hand over the control panel. Ever so slowly, the magic rose out of it and right into his hand as if it was getting pulled by a magnet. He kept it still and let a generous amount of the magic enter his body. His circuitry sparked as the magic ran through his wiring and traveled to his power module. After a few seconds, Springtrap pulled his hand away, satisfied with the amount he had absorbed. He could feel the energy it was generating inside of him. It was almost enough to make him feel alive again. Looking down at his exposed arm, he could see the wires were virtually throbbing as if there was blood pumping through them.

“Woah, I am packing some serious power now,” said Springtrap, enjoying the weird sensations that were running through his animatronic body.

Springtrap looked down at the Marionette for a moment. Something about it seemed different than before. Its expression appeared to change from confusion to one of anger. That struck him as odd, but he didn’t think much of it. Springtrap, not wanting the animatronic to touch his power source, kicked it back over to the other side of the room. Again, its body slammed full force into the concrete wall. However, this time, there was no reaction to the impact: no sparking, no jerking of uncontrollable limbs, nothing. Just a lifeless animatronic body slumped sideways braced against the wall. When there was no sound of the Marionette buzzing, Springtrap tilted his head quizzically. It was strange that there was no evidence of sparking, especially since he knew the animatronic was sensitive to getting slammed across the room.

“Hmm, something happened with you,” said Springtrap. “But what exactly?”

The corner of the animatronic’s mouth twitched upward before returning to its original position.

Springtrap saw that slight movement. “Did you absorb some of this magic from the control panel while i wasn’t looking? Come on; you can tell me if you did.”

The Marionette remained silent, not saying a word.

“Fine, be that way, you piece of shit. But if I find out that you have absorbed some the magic from the control panel, I am going to make scrap metal out of you,” said Springtrap as he walked out of the building, not caring to waste his time with the animatronic.

Once Springtrap had disappeared from view, the Marionette slowly started to move. It didn’t want to risk alerting him to its presence. It managed to get back to its feet without making much noise and walked over to the small window that faced the area where Springtrap was standing. The sight that greeted it was four rows of 10 doppelgangers that looked exactly like Springtrap. The scene was similar to soldiers standing in line as they awaited their general’s orders. None of them moved, not even as their creator stepped closer to them and poked several of them in the arm. This confused the Marionette and made it wonder what all the doppelgangers were going to get used for. Thankfully, the shadows concealed it from view, allowing it to see exactly what was going on.

“Okay, you, dumbass number 35, get your ass over here now,” said Springtrap, motioning for it to approach him.

The 35th doppelganger moved and walked over to Springtrap, per his command. It stood in front of him, waiting for its next instructions.

“Stand here while I make more of you dumbasses. Don’t move, got it?” asked Springtrap as he stared the doppelganger down.

“Yes,” replied the doppelganger.

“Good.” Springtrap raised his hand. “Now, stand perfectly still.”

With that, Springtrap imagined ten more copies of himself standing behind his doppelganger. Magic coursed through his wires as he felt it bending to his command. He opened his eyes to see ten more of himself materializing in front of him. His eyes glowed white with glee as he saw his success. Once the first set had finished, he immediately started to work on the second one. Using the same process, he made ten more of himself behind the ten that already existed. Springtrap felt more of the magic drain from him as it formed his new soldiers. However, due to the additional magic that he gained, his power source remained untouched.

The Marionette stared at Springtrap, perplexed by what it just witnessed. It didn’t know that he was capable of doing that, which made it worry about its friends. Unconsciously, it backed up against the wall as its mind whirled around the danger and the idea of losing its friends. After all that it had done to protect the kids, losing them now would be devastating. The Marionette’s mask began to spark as it struggled to comprehend the reality of what Springtrap was up to. As a result, it fell to the ground, collapsing into a heap. A series of seizures overtook its entire body and knocked it unconscious from the violent thrashing caused by them.

Springtrap, overhearing the commotion in the building, turned his head and said, “Hmm, guess it was just a delayed reaction then.”

Springtrap returned his attention to his army of 60 doppelgangers. A feeling of satisfaction overtook him as he looked at them. He was grateful that he had masted the magic that powered him and could now use it to his advantage. His army was small, but that didn’t matter at the moment. It would be enough to warn the girls about who’s business they were interfering with. Now, with his small army of dumb doppelgangers, he planned on attacking them and the blasted kids who escaped his first attempt at dismantling them. It was now time that he ended the rescue mission and finished what he began.

“But, what exactly are those fucking girls doing with the kids?” asked Springtrap as he walked back into the building. “What’s their reason for rescuing the kids?”

Something about what they were doing seemed off to him. They had to be doing something more than just rescuing the kids and bringing them back to awareness. Otherwise, the girls were wasting their time doing something useless. As Springtrap looked at the control panel, an idea came to him.

“Their stupid necklaces!! That must be the source of their magic and how they are able to bring those damned kids back to reality,” said Springtrap, realizing a detail he had neglected to think much about earlier. “But, that still doesn’t explain why they are doing that…”

Springtrap started to pace back and forth as he tried to think of a reason.

“What’s the point in helping the kids and bringing them back? What purpose would that serve? It’s not like they and the girls are going to challenge me, right?” thought Springtrap, stopping right in front of the doorway.

“They’re not that fucking stupid to try and challenge me, are they?” asked Springtrap, looking at the Marionette, which remained motionless.

Silence hung heavily in the air as Springtrap went silent. His mind was reeling as it dawned on him what the girls were planning to do. However, one thing didn’t add up: how did they know that he was there? He had been careful to avoid being spotted by them. But looking at the army of himself, Springtrap remembered the one that he had sent out to find them. It had failed to do its mission and return to him. He cursed himself for not thinking that it would’ve made such a stupid move.

“Goddammit!! The fucking asshole let himself get seen. I should have guessed that he would do something that idiotic,” Springtrap said as he punched his fist into the concrete wall.

Springtrap walked outside and stomped past his army. Anger rose within him, making his circuitry spark in response to it. Enraged by being challenged by some teenagers, his one hand balled into a tight fist. Magic flowed into his arm and fueled his anger.

“Follow me!” demanded Springtrap, walking away from his doppelgangers.

The sound of their feet stomping on the cold earth indicated that his command worked. Springtrap continued walking, heading to his main target – CHS. As he made his way out of the forest, his eyes had a red glow to them. The only thing on his mind now was making the girls suffer the same fate he gave the kids all those decades ago. And he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

“Those dumbass girls will regret messing with my damn business. In doing that, they have only signed their death warrants!” said Springtrap, an evil gleam in his red eyes.

*** *** *** ***

Back at CHS, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the class period. Twilight Sparkle, still busy writing down the homework assignment, saw all the girls standing in the doorway of the classroom. Sunset Shimmer was leaning against the door frame in her usual way with her arms crossed across her chest. She had managed to make it through the first half of the day without any problems. Her mind was racing about being in the cafeteria and having a bunch of people close to her, but she pushed it aside and focused on her friends. Rainbow Dash was standing behind her, glancing at the hallway leading to the cafeteria.

“You finished yet, Twi?” asked Rainbow Dash, sounding more impatient than usual.

“Yes, Dash. I have almost finished. Just… give… me… done!” said Twilight Sparkle as she finished jotting it down.

"Great! See you guys at the cafeteria. Bye!” Rainbow Dash said before she sped off down the hallway.

“You know, if she keeps using her geode like that, she’s going to make ours go haywire again,” said Applejack as Twilight Sparkle joined them.

"Yes. But today the cafeteria is serving apple cider. And you know how much Rainbow Dash loves it. The girl could probably drink that and nothing else if she wanted to,” said Rarity as she walked at Applejack’s side

“You’re right about that, Rare,” replied Applejack, giving Rarity a half-smile.

Rarity looked up at Applejack and slowly moved her hand towards the cowgirl’s strong one, hoping she wouldn’t mind. Their fingers became intertwined as she stepped a bit closer to her. When she felt Applejack squeeze her hand, Rarity blushed in response. There was a rush of adrenaline that ran through her body and made her feel like she was walking on air. Her heart fluttered at the realization that she was close to her crush. Looking up, she gave Applejack a warm smile that showed her appreciation.

Applejack saw Rarity’s smile and blushed, which wasn’t something that cowgirl was known for doing. Unless, of course, it was because of her. She looked down, biting her lip as she tried to keep her composure. Her hand was tingling from Rarity’s soft touch against her rough hand. Her palms and fingers had calluses from working on the farm for so many years, but that didn’t seem to bother her. The grip wasn’t tight enough that she was unable to remove her hand. But it was tight enough to keep her holding it.

Eventually, the girls made their way to the cafeteria. Sunset Shimmer, who stayed behind all the girls, felt her tail twitch inside of her jeans. The hair made her thighs itch, but she ignored the sensation. Seeing all the students crowding one another made her nervous. Reminding her of how Twilight Sparkle felt the day Trixie had exposed her. Sunset shuddered at the memory of the kids gasping in horror and running away.

“No wonder Twilight was scared. It’s nerve-wracking to have everyone so close to me,” thought Sunset Shimmer, looking around and trying to distract herself from her growing nerves.

Rarity and Applejack stood by Rainbow Dash in line, joined by the rest of the girls. Sunset Shimmer took up the flank, standing right behind Twilight Sparkle. She nervously tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie and tried to ignore the glares she was getting. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as easy as she hoped it was going to be. Her hands shook from her trying to keep her nerves under control. And when she grabbed a tray, it clattered noisily against the metal counter, drawing Twilight’s attention to her.

“Are you okay, Sunset? You seem nervous, which is unlike you,” asked Twilight Sparkle as she rested her hand on Sunset Shimmer’s shaky one.

“Uh, yeah. I was just thinking about what I told you earlier, Twilight,” replied Sunset Shimmer, trying to remain calm so her wings wouldn’t rip through her hoodie.

“Is that it? Or are you just nervous about people discovering what’s under your hoodie?” asked Twilight Sparkle, not believing the redhead’s excuse.

Seeing that there was no point in lying, Sunset Shimmer sighed and said, “I am nervous about people seeing what’s underneath. Wait, how long have you known about that?”

“I have known since you drove me home on Friday after the party. Your hoodie isn’t that great at concealing whatever you have underneath it when someone is close to you,” replied Twilight Sparkle, grabbing an apple as she walked out of the line.

“How come you didn’t call me out on Friday?” asked Sunset Shimmer, following her and the girls. “You could’ve, so why didn’t you, Twilight?”

“I didn’t because I figure you’ll come clean eventually. And what you said earlier, proves my point. I know you’re scared, but I can see you are breaking past your fear. So, I am not going to push you,” said Twilight Sparkle, sitting down at the table with Sunset Shimmer joining her. “Also, if you need help tuning out the glances, just focus on the girls and me. We’ll be right here.”

“Thank you, Sparky,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she reached out for Twilight’s hand. “I am grateful I have you.”

“Me too, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset shimmer did her best to focus on the girls and ignore the stares she was getting from the surrounding students. The task wasn’t easy, especially since she felt like she was under a microscope lens. It felt like everyone was trying to see what she was hiding from them. Biting her lip, Sunset looked down at her tray of half-eaten food. She didn’t have much of an appetite with the stress of coming clean weighing heavily on her. Looking at Twilight Sparkle, she felt ashamed that she could’ve lied to someone who had been there for her. She pushed her tray away from her and rested her arms on the table. Shifting in her seat, she accidentally yanked her tail and let out a small yelp. Sunset looked at the girls and was thankful they hadn’t noticed it amongst the loud noises of the cafeteria.

“So, do y’all think Cassidy is the last kid that escaped into our world?” asked Applejack, trying to ignore the growing tension between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.

“I don’t know, AJ,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at the cowgirl.

“Well, there haven’t been any new robots appearing around town, right?” asked Rainbow Dash before taking a bite of her pizza.

“Well, that’s not exactly true, Dash. I saw something on Thursday after I left to go to the Principal’s office,” Sunset Shimmer said, making all the girls look at her with shocked expressions.

“And you just now mention this to us?” asked Rarity, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah… sorry,” Sunset looked down, suddenly feeling awkward for mentioning that she saw something on Thursday.

“You had ample time to say something to us. So, how come you didn’t?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“At the time, you were more important to me, Twilight. And things became hectic later on, stopping me from mentioning it,” replied Sunset Shimmer, hoping the girls would understand.

“While it’s sweet that you cared for me, next time, let us know about this kind of information,” said Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, just above the edge of her wing.

“Okay, I will,” said Sunset Shimmer as she struggled not to flinch under Twilight’s gentle touch.

“So, what did you see on Thursday?” asked Applejack.

“I saw Springtrap. Well, I think I did anyway,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“What do you mean you think you did?” asked Fluttershy, finally speaking after choosing to remain quiet.

“That’s just it. I saw him for a few seconds then he disappeared into a pile of a weird substance. It looked like concentrated equestrian magic.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Fluttershy. “Then it just floated off into the sky.”

“Equestria magic?!” Pinkie pie asked, jumping up from her seat, unknowingly causing her milk to spill onto Rarity’s skirt.

“Pinkie Pie, please be careful!” shouted Rarity as she stood up. “ I am going run to the ladies room to clean this up.”

“I better go with her and make sure she’s alright,” said Applejack, getting up from her seat and throwing her backpack over her shoulder, not waiting for a reply from the girls.

“Okay, meet us in the library when you two have finished,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up and threw what remained of her lunch into the trash can.

“We’ll be there,” said Applejack, dumping her tray and running off to find Rarity.

“Why are we going to the library?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Because we need to do some research on Springtrap. And you need to help us understand his role in the game as well as what his intentions are likely to be. Something tells me he’s going to present more of a danger than the kids did,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Just as Twilight Sparkle went to grab her backpack, she saw Violet Night walk past her. As she went to dump her tray, she failed to see the puddle of spilled milk next to the trash can. Violet stepped in it and lost her balance, sending her falling to the ground. Her arms flailed about and tried to grip something, but her backpack was too heavy and kept her off balance. Right before she was about to hit the ground, she felt a pair of arms catch her. She looked behind her to find Twilight Sparkle helping her back up.

“Woah, are you alright?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she kept her wings behind her and helped Violet Night to her feet again.

“Yeah, thanks for catching me,” said Violet Night, giving Twilight a quick hug. “I better get going before my friends wonder where I am.”

“You’re welcome, Violet,” said Twilight Sparkle, surprised by the sudden hug.

After that, Violet Night ran out of the cafeteria, disappearing behind the two metal doors that led into it. Twilight Sparkle heard the whispers around her change from suspicious to curiosity. Several students looked at her as if they were trying to assess whether or not she was dangerous. It made her uncomfortable, but by now, she had gotten used to it. Trying to keep her composure, Twilight walked out of the room, the girls following suit behind her.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rarity was using a paper towel to soak up the milk before it dried. Rarity didn’t want it to leave a stain behind as milk stains were notoriously hard to get out. She had to get rid of a few of her favorite shirts because the stains refused to allow her to remove them. That was a rough day for her, but she knew there was nothing that could be done to save them. Just as Rarity grabbed a second paper towel, she heard the bathroom door open behind her. Rarity looked behind her to see it was Applejack that had opened the door.

“Hello, dear. I’m sorry for taking so long. I should be finishing up soon,” said Rarity, continuing to dab the spot where the milk had spilled.

“It’s alright. I wanted us to be alone when I do this, Rare,” said Applejack, stepping closer to the fashionista.

“Do what?” Rarity asked, turning to face the cowgirl.

“This,” said Applejack, leaning in towards Rarity.

Mustering all the courage she could, Applejack let her lips caress Rarity’s bottom one while her hand cupped the fashionista’s cheek. She felt Rarity hesitate and try to pull away before giving in to the kiss. As Applejack felt herself lost in the feeling of kissing her crush, she felt Rarity’s arms wrap around her neck tightly, pulling her down to her height. The scent of lilacs and a hint of cinnamon wafted towards her, making her inhale deeply. It was a combo that she loved because it always reminded her of why she loved Rarity. While she was always stylish, Applejack adored the feisty nature in Rarity when it showed itself. She could hear the paper towel crinkle behind her as she continued to kiss Rarity. Her hand moved from the fashionista’s cheek down to her neck, pulling her closer. The realization of what she did dawned on her and made her heart thunder like a race horse’s after a long run. With her pulse racing under Rarity’s light touch, her body shook from the intensity of the emotions that washed over her. With her breathing becoming more ragged by the second, she pulled away and allowed Rarity to catch her breath as well.

“I-I love you, Rare,” said Applejack in a meek voice, which was out of character for the cowgirl. “I have wanted to tell you that for the last year or so.”

Rarity, still reeling from the unexpected kiss, smiled at Applejack. She dropped the paper towel in the trash and looked at the cowgirl. A coy smile appeared on her face as she stepped closer to her. Her hand gripped the collar of Applejack’s shirt, and she pushed her against the wall as she closed the distance between their bodies. As Rarity leaned in, she kissed her again, this time brushing her tongue against Applejack’s bottom lip, hoping for an invitation. When she felt her lips part slightly, she darted her tongue in for a moment. It brushed against the cowgirl’s tongue, allowing her to taste the sour tang of Granny Smith’s green apple cider she had been drinking during lunch.

As their tongues danced together, Rarity removed her hand from the collar of Applejack’s shirt and moved it down the front of her shirt. She stopped when she felt her hand reach the edge of the belt holding up Applejack’s skirt. It was all too tempting to unbuckle it and continue her exploration, but she forced herself not to do it, knowing that now was not the right time to make that move. After all, Rarity didn’t want to scare her off. She moved her other hand to the cowgirl’s neck and pulled her down until their eyes met. Looking into Applejack’s green eyes, she could see a lovingness in them that made them look like two emeralds staring back at her. It was so easy to get lost in them that she nearly forgot to breathe for a second. However, she pulled away and let Applejack breathe as she tried to catch her breath as well.

“I...love...you too, Applejack,” said Rarity in between gasps, still trying to catch her breath.

Applejack’s cheek flushed a shade of red similar to the apples on her farm as she heard Rarity admit her feelings. A wave of excitement washed over her, making her grip the wall for support. Her mind was flooded with emotions, and combined with the high of kissing Rarity twice; she was about ready to pass out. Thankfully, Applejack managed to fight back against the lightheadedness that threatened to overwhelm her and composed herself. After learning that the fashionista felt the same about her, she was elated that she had taken the risk and kissed her. Though, the way that Rarity had kissed her was enough to make the toughest of cowgirls faint from the sudden passion. Not that she was going to complain about the passionate kiss.

“Well, when you’re finished, we have to meet Twilight and the girls at the library,” said Applejack, finally able to stop using the wall as a support.

“Okay, then. Let me finish cleaning up,” replied rarity, grabbing another paper towel and dabbing the spot where the milk had spilled.

You're Going to get Springtrapped

Back at the barn, all five of the kids were sitting in the heavy silence. None of them said a word as they watched the horses in the nearby corral prancing about. There was nothing any of them could talk about, and their only option wasn’t much better. The memories were too painful to dare to mention aloud, especially given what they all ended up doing. The fact that they were killers was an uncomfortable subject for them, but more so for Gabriel and Cassidy, who still struggled to deal with their situations. Guilt was the one thing they all had in common, and it was something no one wanted to bring up. So, with that not being an option, there was nothing to do except to remain silent. And having to be restrained to the barn for their safety restricted their topics for conversation even more.

Jeremy and Fritz were sitting closest to the barn entrance and had a better view of the horses. They shared a laugh when a stallion tried to approach two females and got ignored by both of them. Next to the two females, was a foal who was watching another stallion get down and roll on his back. When the stallion got up, the colt knelt on its front legs and tried to mimic what he was doing. Unfortunately, the only thing it succeeded in doing is looking like a wriggly worm with four legs attached to it. Satisfied with its attempt, the foal got back up and trotted up to its mother.

“Now, that was funny, Fritz,” said Jeremy, still chuckling at the dirt falling off the foal. “Who knew foals could be so adorable?”

“They are literally baby horses, Jeremy. Of course, they are going to be cute,” said Fritz.

“Baby horses? I have to see this,” Cassidy said, getting up and joining the younger boys by the door. “I love horses, especially when they are babies.”

Watching Cassidy hanging out with Jeremy and Fritz, Susie felt a flicker of happiness. For a moment, it seemed their worries had vanished, and they could be kids again. However, that disappeared as she looked at Gabriel. Compared to Cassidy’s demeanor, he seemed to be struggling with letting go of his memories. Susie understood why it was hard on him. She could see that he saw himself as no different than the monster that had put them in their current situation. Growing tired of sitting in the silence, she walked over to where he was.

“Gabe, why did you want to forget who you were?” asked Susie in a calm voice.

Susie had known Gabriel for a long time, but she wasn’t sure the sweet, innocent boy she once knew was there anymore. Ever since Sunset Shimmer had brought him back, all she saw was a shell of her former friend. Gabriel hadn’t really talked to anyone after Cassidy returned. And when he did, it was only because someone had asked him something and he had to respond. It hurt to see her friend, someone who had been by her side for so long, burdened with guilt. Susie remembered what Twilight had told her, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t felt some remorse for seeing Gabriel at his worst moment.

Gabriel, who was sitting with his back turned to the rest of the kids, looked over his shoulder at Susie. He could see that she was hesitant to speak to him, not that he was surprised. Gabriel knew that his behavior towards his friends wasn’t the best. However, talking to them only reminded him of the monster he turned into. And although he was aware that they had nothing to do with his actions, he couldn’t bear looking at them. His anger had led him to be no different than the person that killed them. That was a burden he chose when he decided to take an innocent life. Gabriel reluctantly shifted in his seat and faced Susie, knowing full well she wasn’t going to leave without an answer.

“Susie, I killed people. I killed them out of an act of vengeance to get back at William for murdering you. You don’t come back from that,” said Gabriel, a tinge of sadness to his voice. “You don’t take a life and remain the same. Watching the life of someone innocent fade in front of you, you lose yourself, Susie…”

Susie looked at Gabriel, trying to figure out what to say. Yet, nothing came out. She knew he was right. When she killed for the first time, the guilt weighed heavily on her and altered her personality. The sight of blood dripping from the animatronic beak remained seared in her mind. Susie was grateful that she couldn’t taste or feel it, but that didn’t change that she was no longer the same girl as before. That was the moment her innocence had gotten destroyed, leaving behind a darker person in its place, one who would relish in the future kills. So. she understood where Gabriel was coming from. Bearing the burden of murders wasn’t the easiest thing to do. And being a kid that had gotten brutally murdered didn’t help matters either. Susie sat next to him, resting a tentative hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. She half-expected him to flinch away from her touch, but instead, he seemed to appreciate the gesture.

“I know, that’s how I felt when I first killed someone. I know it’s not easy to realize you’ve become the very monster that murdered you,” said Susie as she looked down and sighed. “But Gabe, pushing your friends aside because you are a murderer is no excuse. Well, not in our case, that is. We’re all murderers, we’ve all done stuff we’re ashamed of, but you don’t see us pushing each other away because of it, do you?”

Gabriel looked at his friends and said, “No, I don’t…”

“Then what are you doing here, moping by yourself?” asked Susie. “If anything, I should be the one sitting here and moping. I was there that night, and I witnessed…”

“So, it is true. I didn’t think you would blame yourself for what I did that night,” said Gabriel as he moved his shoulder away from Susie’s hand. “That wasn’t your doing. I chose to do that out of my selfish reasons.”

“I know that now, Gabe, but everyone still blames me for that… I tried to tell them, but they refused to listen. And I don’t think they are wrong. If I hadn’t bothered to see if you were okay, maybe you wouldn’t have done that…” said Susie, her voice a mere whisper now.

“Susie. You are not to blame for my mistakes, okay? I will tell the others that you are not the reason I killed that night guard. I am appalled that they would come to that conclusion,” said Gabriel as he stood up from where he was sitting. “Let’s go clear this up and hang out just like old times. What do you say, Susie?”

Susie looked from Gabriel to the kids and then back to him. His words seemed almost too good to be true. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Gabriel was willing to stand up for her, even though they were never close in life. Though, it seemed that their shared experiences and death had brought a closeness to them. If it weren’t for the genuine look that he was giving her, she wouldn’t have believed him, but she did. Susie wasn’t sure if she wanted to bring up the subject of who caused Gabriel to kill the night guard again, but she was happy to see a glimmer of the friend that she once knew. So, taking a chance, she got up from her seat and stood next to him.

“Okay, let’s do it,” replied Susie.

Gabriel and Susie walked to where the kids were just in time to see two foals racing towards the water trough. One of them was white with a few brown spots speckled all over their body. The other was pure black, even its tail and mane matched the gleamy black of it's coat. With the sun shining on them, they looked like cute little angels frolicking around in the corral. Unfortunately, one of them tripped over their hooves, sending them flying into the other. As they both tumbled down, they landed in the water trough and got soaked as a result. Gabriel couldn’t contain his laughter at the two foals shaking off the extra water. That made the other kids look at him. His laughter quickly stopped, and he looked down sheepishly.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” said Gabriel. “I just wanted to join in on your fun.”

“It’s fine, Gabriel. We’re happy you’ve joined us,” Jeremy said, looking at his friend.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you back to normal,” said Fritz.

Gabriel looked up at his friends. “Speaking of that, we need to talk.”

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle was rummaging through a series of yearbooks in front of her. As she pushed past last year’s yearbook, she spotted a yearbook she hadn’t seen before. She pulled it off the shelf and examined the cover. It was from three years ago, and there was a group picture of all the CHS students on the front. Sunset Shimmer was standing off to the side of the crowd of them, looking angrier than Twilight had ever seen her before. She stared at the photo, trying to figure out how the Sunset she knew could’ve been the same one in the picture. Aside from appearance, it was hard to imagine that it was the same person. Twilight ran her hand along the smooth surface of the cover before opening the book. The first page had pictures of the students in the ninth grade listed in alphabetical order. She turned the first three pages, stopping only when she saw Sunset’s picture. There was something evil in her eyes that shocked Twilight and nearly made her close the book back up.

“Hey Twilight, you coming back with the books or…” Sunset Shimmer trailed off as she saw the open yearbook and the page showing her picture from her first year at CHS.

“Oh, Sunset!” Twilight Sparkle shut the yearbook quickly before Sunset stopped her from doing so. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay, Twilight. I’d figured you would’ve found that yearbook eventually,” said Sunset as she sat down next to Twilight Sparkle. “I guess you saw the photo and how angry I look, huh?”

“Yeah…” replied Twilight, setting the yearbook down and tracing the edge of the photo with her finger.

“As I told you, I wasn’t the nicest person back then. And that photo…” Sunset shuddered as she looked at the picture of herself, “is from that time. I hate how angry I look in that picture. I wish I could take it back.”

“I can see why. You look pretty terrifying in that photo,” said Twilight Sparkle as she pulled her hand away from the photo.

Sunset Shimmer looked away from Twilight as she heard her say that. “Yeah, I know. How far did you get into the yearbook?”

“I just started looking at it. Why?” asked Twilight, now curious as to what Sunset was trying to hide from her.

“It’s nothing, Sparky. I just didn’t want you to see the horrible photos of me at the Fall Formal,” replied Sunset, trying not to sound nervous as she watched Twilight eyeing the yearbook.

“I am sure they aren’t that bad, Sunset,” said Twilight as she pulled the yearbook closer to her. “Let me see them.”

Twilight Sparkle started flipping through the pages of the yearbook, skipping over the other photos of the students. She continued flipping until she reached the end, where she found a section dedicated to the Fall Formal. Her hand stopped on a page that had a picture of Sunset shoving Fluttershy aside and into the nearby punch bowl. A look of fear was plastered on Fluttershy’s face as she looked at Sunset’s conniving smirk. Twilight didn’t know what was worse, the look she saw on Fluttershy’s face or the fact that the redhead seemed to be enjoying that look of fear. She covered her mouth as she looked up from the picture and at the girl sitting next to her with a look of nausea.

“How did they let this photo get in the yearbook?” asked Twilight as she closed the book for the moment. “Aren’t they supposed to only put in photos that have been approved by the yearbook editor?”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t the yearbook editor at the time. And the person who was, well, let’s just say they didn’t like me for something I pulled on them a few months earlier,” said Sunset, looking down at her hands. “That was their way of getting back at me for what I did to them.”

“Wow,” said Twilight Sparkle, eyeing the book. “I am not sure I want to see more.”

“I don’t blame you, Twilight. But, if you want to continue, I am not going to stop you,” Sunset Shimmer said as she pushed the yearbook towards Twilight. “It was wrong of me to hide my past from you. So, I am going to change that now.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at the yearbook before glancing up at the flame-haired girl. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sunset was willing to let her see the yearbook and wasn’t going to stop her from seeing what she used to be. That was a change from her secretive nature and one that she welcomed. It was tempting to open it and see more of what it contained, but she had seen plenty for the day. And judging by the look Sunset had on earlier, she had also seen enough as well. Twilight grabbed the book and stood up from her seat, walking over to the shelf where she found it.

“Well, I think I have done enough investigating for today. Besides, I saw how upset you were earlier Sunset, so it’s best if we stop for today,” said Twilight as she pushed the yearbook back onto the shelf. “Now, let’s get back to the others. We have a power-crazed animatronic to deal with.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Thanks. Let’s return to the girls.”

Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle walked back to the corner of the library, where the rest of the girls were sitting. There was a single table that had several chairs around it. Rainbow Dash was seated on the far side, reading one of her Daring Do books. Fluttershy sat next to her while Pinkie Pie was seated at one of the windows nearby. She was counting the pigeons that had gathered outside the window. However, just as Sunset and Twilight sat down in their seats, she turned around in her chair.

“Ooh, Applejack and Rarity are here now!” said Pinkie Pie, getting up from her chair.

Just as Pinkie Pie had predicated, Applejack and Rarity appeared out from behind a bookshelf that was near their table. As they approached the girls’ table, everyone was quick to notice that they were holding hands. There was a noticeable redness in both of their cheeks, which gave away that they had done something. Rarity kept stealing glances at Applejack, her heart thundering every time her eyes met the cowgirl’s green ones. She squeezed Applejack's hand and felt the callouses that had gotten formed from years of work rub against her palm. When Rarity got a gentle squeeze in response, her cheeks flushed as she tried to contain her joy and not reveal how happy she was to finally have her feelings out in the open. As they sat down in a nearby loveseat couch, they finally noticed the wide-eyed stares that the girls were giving them.

“Uh, did something happen between you two?” asked Rainbow Dash as she sped over to them and sat on the arm of the couch. “Cause we noticed the little glances you two have been sharing.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash, something did happen earlier,” replied Rarity, looking at Applejack.

“Really?! Did you two finally profess your love for one another?” asked Pinkie Pie, squealing quietly as she squirmed in her seat.

“Yeah, we did do that,” said Applejack, unable to contain her smile as she looked at Rarity. “And a bit more.”

“Oh, really? Did you two kiss while you were in the bathroom?” asked Sunset Shimmer, smirking to herself, grateful the hood hid her face.

“Well, erm, yes, we did.” Rarity shifted her gaze to the redhead. “How could you tell that with your hood covering your eyes?”

“I can still see, even with my hood Rarity,” said Sunset Shimmer, lifting her head and meeting Rarity’s eyes. “Plus, you left some of your lipstick on Applejack. And last I checked, lipstick isn’t something she is known to wear, especially in that shade of pink.”

Applejack wiped the lipstick off her lips with the back of her hand. It was a bit embarrassing to be caught with it on her, not that she was ashamed to have the girls know they kissed. Her gaze shifted downward as she tried to keep her embarrassment concealed from them. As Applejack bit her lip, she tasted some of the lipstick. It was strawberry, Rarity’s favorite flavor. It tasted sweet with a little tang to it, just like the girl who wore it.

“So, are you two, like dating now?” asked Rainbow Dash, a wide grin on her face.

“We are. Right Applejack?” asked Rarity, turning her attention to the cowgirl next to her. “That’s what we agreed the kiss meant?”

“Yes, that’s what we said. We decided to go from friends to lovers and see how it goes,” replied Applejack, meeting Rarity’s gaze. “And that’s the best choice I have made.”

“Mine too,” Rarity said, squeezing Applejack’s hand as she looked at Rainbow Dash.

“Sweet! You two finally realized your feelings. Now, how about we kick some robot ass?” shouted Rainbow Dash, eliciting a “shh” from the librarian.

“Hold your horses there, Dash,” said Applejack. “Sunset is the only one who knows about this Springtrap and the game he comes from. And right now, we don’t know if it’s possible to beat him.”

“Applejack’s right,” said Twilight Sparkle as she turned to Sunset Shimmer. “You’re the only one who knows about this character. And you also know the most about equestrian magic here.”

Sunset Shimmer’s tail twitched inside of her jeans, reminding her of its presence. She shifted uneasily in her chair, careful to avoid sitting on it in the process. The hair of her tail tickled against her bare skin, making her scratch at the itches that came from it. As she pulled her hand away, she recalled the hour it took to brush her tail out. Brushing it was not an easy task for Sunset. One, she didn’t have the brush she used back when she lived in Equestria. Two, it stayed in her jeans most of the day, which caused it to tangle more than it would if she had it outside of her jeans. However, she knew that she couldn’t pull it free because of her choice to conceal her changes.

For a moment, Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, admiring how she chose not to hide the changes that had happened to her. Her wings tried to push against the fabric containing them, reminding her that she was choosing to hide, rather than telling Twilight and the girls what she looked like. She ran her hand along the side of her arm, pushing the desire to take off her hoodie away. It was too risky, especially since she was unsure of how they were going to react to the changes. Yet, despite her uncertainty of their reactions, Sunset wanted to tell the girls and stop hiding. Sighing, she forced herself to speak.

“Twilight, I know very little about how equestrian magic works in this world. When I brought it here, I didn’t think about what it would do when it got introduced into a world without magic. So, I don’t know what Springtrap can do with it if he is here,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at Twilight and letting her see her eyes.

“But you did see Springtrap, or something with his likeness, dissolving right?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah…” replied Sunset, raising one of her eyebrows slightly. “Why?”

“Because I may have a theory about him. He possibly could have come across a supply of magic and somehow learned to bend it to his will. Maybe what you saw on Thursday wasn’t him at all, but rather a cellular copy of him that was made of magic,” said Twilight as she stood up and began to pace back and forth in the room.

“Why would he copy himself? What’s the point in doing that?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I think it’s because he is planning to attack us,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Attack us? Why in tarnation would he do that?” asked Applejack, thankful that she was still holding Rarity’s hand.

"If I am correct, I believe he realizes what we are doing with the kids. And he is likely the one who sent them after us that night.” Twilight looked at the redhead. “In the game, his goal is to kill us or rather the player, right Sunset?”

“Yes, in the game, the player has to keep Springtrap away from them, or he’ll kill them. By making sure no loud noises are near you for very long, closing any vents he’s in, and distracting him with audio cues that sound like a child, you can keep him away,” Sunset said, resting her arms on the table. “But why come after us? Is it because of the kids?”

“Yes. Springtrap might not like the fact we have been helping the kids and keeping them safe from him, and therefore he is going after us as well,” said Twilight as her tailed twitched absentmindedly behind her.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight Sparkle, noticing that she was getting lost in her thoughts as she paced about the room. She wondered if there was any truth to what Twilight was saying about Springtrap. However, something seemed off about the theory, and it was bugging Sunset. If he wanted to attack them, why would he do it now? Didn’t he have ample time when the kids had attacked them at the gym the first time? Was Springtrap planning something worse? Something… that would endanger her and the girls lives? A shiver ran through Sunset’s body as the thought crossed her mind.

“Attacking my friends and me because of the kids? That can’t be it. It’s not like we are deliberately keeping them safe because of him,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

“You’re not completely wrong. You’re unintentionally keeping the kids safe from Springtrap,” said Sunset’s inner voice, breaking the silence.

“Oh, it’s you again. Why are you back?” Sunset Shimmer wasn’t in the mood to hear another lecture about telling Twilight the full story of her past.

“I am here to remind you that in the backstory of the third game, Springtrap is William Afton, the guy you’ve seen in the kids’ memories. He is the one who murdered those five kids,” replied Sunset’s inner voice.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot about that. Thanks for, uh, reminding me. Are you going to lecture me about you know what… right now?” asked Sunset, looking at Twilight as she smiled at the sight of the book worm, who seemed to be the most comfortable she’s been since she transformed into Midnight Sparkle.

“Right now? No. But I may do it later,” said Sunset’s conscience. “Now, let your friends know what I just told you.”

“Twilight, you may have a point. Springtrap is the murderer who killed the five kids we rescued. And in the third game, he was trying to dismantle the animatronics they had gotten trapped inside of, but now we have gotten in his way of doing that,” Sunset Shimmer said, leaving Twilight Sparkle staring wide-eyed at her. “He is the one I have seen in their memories.”

“Does he have a name?” asked Twilight Sparkle, walking over to Sunset’s side. “Cause that might help us figure out what to do with him and jog the kids’ memories.”

“Yes, it’s William Afton,” replied Sunset.

“Wait, hold on a minute. Don’t y’all think askin’ the kids about their murderer is a bit personal? It clearly was a sensitive subject when they were talkin’ about Gabriel,” interjected Applejack. “Maybe just ask them if it’s okay before you go bombarding them with questions.”

“Right. I’ll make sure it’s okay before I do my analysis on William based on their testimonies,” said Twilight as she looked at Sunset, noticing that her eyes were black around the outer corners.

“Good thinking, Sparky,” said Sunset as she got up from her chair and gave her playful punch on the shoulder.

Just then, the bell rang and announced the end of the lunch period. Sunset Shimmer stepped away from Twilight Sparkle and grabbed her messenger bag. As she started to walk away and head out of the library, she felt a hand grip her forearm. Her body froze as she turned to see that Twilight was the one holding her arm. She walked over to her, noticing the worried look in her mulberry eyes. Sunset placed her other hand over Twilight’s shaking one and tried to calm her down.

“Twilight, what is it?” asked Sunset, keeping her voice low as she felt Twilight’s grip on her arm loosen slightly. “What’s bothering you?”

Sunset instinctively stepped closer to Twilight, closing the space between their bodies. Right now, at this moment, her worries about her appearance faded, and she just wanted to comfort the girl in front of her. Keeping everyone at a safe distance could wait until she had cheered up Twilight, even though it was a risky maneuver. She knew that Twilight was aware of her wings underneath the hoodie. It amazed her that no one else, except for Rainbow Dash, had figured out she was hiding something. Sunset knew her change of clothes was evident to everyone, but nonetheless, she was thankful that no one else had questioned her about it.

“Careful! Wouldn’t want Twilight to see the rest of your monstrous changes, would we?” asked Sunset’s conscience, making her groan mentally at the intrusion.

“Fuck off!” thought Sunset, trying to ignore the comment her conscience made.

“Sunset, if William Afton murdered those kids and learned how to harness equestrian magic, then he is a lot more dangerous than any enemy we’ve come up against previously. There’s no telling what atrocities he might do next. I am not sure we can defeat him and walk away uninjured,” said Twilight, looking away from Sunset as she grabbed her backpack with her other hand. “I’m scared of what he’ll do to us, to you…”

Sunset Shimmer had to take a deep breath to calm her rage at the idea of Springtrap harming Twilight Sparkle and the girls. Her skin felt like it had gotten set aflame as she tried to focus on something else. Alongside the growing heat, there was an itching sensation, which grew in intensity as the burning under her skin moved up her forearm. She pulled her arm away from Twilight’s grip, afraid that she would feel the heat radiating off of her skin through the sleeve of the hoodie. Images of the girls getting severely injured flashed in Sunset’s mind, making her gumline ache in response to her fangs extending further than normal. She inhaled sharply and felt her fangs retract a few seconds later. After that, her body began to cool down, allowing the itching sensation to subside. She bit her bottom lip and forced herself to step closer to Twilight as she grabbed her hand.

“We’ll figure this out, Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to hide her elongated fangs from Twilight’s view. “I will never let William hurt you. I’ll protect you; I promise Sparky.”

Twilight Sparkle reached out her other hand and lifted the redhead’s chin, so their eyes met. “I know, Sunset. I know you’ll protect me no matter what. Now, how about we head to class before we’re both late?”

“Y-yeah,” replied Sunset Shimmer, unable to hide her fangs from Twilight as she kept her hand under her chin. Moving her head away, she felt her fangs return to their usual size. “Did you, uh, see anything?”

“No, was I supposed to?'' asked Twilight Sparkle, her curiosity piquing at Sunset’s question.

“No, I was just wondering if you did,” Sunset said, wanting to change the subject quickly. “Let’s just get to class before we are late.”

“Okay…” said Twilight hesitantly as she followed Sunset out of the library.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer’s next class was with Fluttershy. She was grateful that her shy friend seemed to be unaware of the changes underneath the fabric. Although, there was a nagging voice in the back of her head saying that Fluttershy had seen something but wasn’t going to speak about it. And she knew that their troubled past was likely to keep the shy girl quiet about anything she might’ve noticed. Regret flooded her mind as the redhead replayed all the times she targeted her and used her to get what she wanted. Everything in Sunset wished to take back all things that she had done to Fluttershy. Yet, she knew there was no way she could, no matter how much she wanted to do it. She walked with her head down until she reached the classroom. Just as she walked past the doorway, she heard an all too familiar, hushed, and meek voice call out her name.

“Sunset! Do you want to sit next to me?” asked Fluttershy as she removed her backpack from the chair next to her.

That made Sunset Shimmer freeze in her tracks. As far as she knew, Fluttershy was unaware of her current… changes. And if it was possible, she wanted to keep it that way until she was ready to tell the girls. She neared the spot where Fluttershy was sitting just as another student walked past, shoving her closer to the animal lover. She rested her hand against the surface of the desk, feeling her skin beginning to heat up again. She looked over at Fluttershy and saw the welcoming look she was giving her. Seeing that, she gave in and took the seat next to her.

Just as Sunset took a seat, Fluttershy’s brother, Zephyr Breeze, sat in the row next to them and asked, “Hey, sis, did you finish yesterday’s homework assignment?”

“Yes, Zephyr, I did,” replied Fluttershy, her annoyance at her brother’s lack of responsibility clear to Sunset.

“Would you mind if I just… check my answers with yours?” asked Zephyr Breeze, nervously glancing at the doorway.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes as she saw what Fluttershy’s brother was trying to do. It amazed her that he had made it to the 11th grade with his lack of commitment to his schoolwork. It was almost as bad as Rainbow Dash and her inability to do any of her assignments. She remembered that she allowed Zephyr Breeze to copy off of her in the ninth grade. Back then, that didn’t come for free, and she wanted something in return; information on his sister and the rest of the girls. Said information was what allowed her to hack their phone numbers and emails. In hindsight, it seemed that he didn’t care why she needed it, which made her wonder why. Staring at him, Sunset recalled a time that she had hacked in Rainbow Dash’s phone, and on a whim, sent him a text that was presumably from her. Zephyr Breeze had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker, to her delight at the time.

“No, Zephyr. You should have done your homework last night,” said Fluttershy, being as strict as she could towards her brother.

“Aw, come on, little sis! Won’t you help me out? If I flunk this class, mom and dad will take away my phone and ground me until I can get my grades up,” begged Zephyr Breeze.

“Zephyr, I will not let you use my answers. You need to take responsibility for your grades. I am not helping you cheat, but I will offer to tutor you,” Fluttershy replied, holding her ground against her insistent brother.

Zephyr Breeze, fed up with his sister’s resistance, turned to look at Sunset Shimmer. He remembered her helping him in the ninth grade by allowing him to cheat off of her. However, Zephyr Breeze recalled that it came at a price. At the time, he never questioned why she needed the information on his sister, not that he really cared to ask why. Zephyr Breeze was just happy to have someone he could use to cover up his laziness. Looking at Sunset now, an idea popped into his head.

“You may have given up being a bitch to everyone, but maybe I can still get you to help me. After all, you do owe me for that prank pulled on me with Rainbow Dash’s number,” thought Zephyr Breeze, a broad smile appearing on his face.

“Hey, Sunset. Can you help me?” asked Zephyr Breeze in a whisper so his sister wouldn’t overhear their conversation.

Sunset Shimmer turned to face him. “Are you sure that you want my help? If so, I am going to need something as payment.”

The redhead licked her lips, making sure her sharp fangs showed as they elongated in front of Zephyr Breeze. That made him jump in his chair, bringing Sunset some joy despite the pain it brought with it. She continued to look at him, ignoring the hurt she was feeling on the inside as she waited to see his response. Exposing her fangs to Zephyr Breeze was a risky maneuver, but worth it if it would make him leave her and Fluttershy alone. His insistent begging for help was starting to irritate Sunset, and that wasn’t making it easier for her to control her anger. And she was aware that something was happening every time she lost control of her rage. It first occurred during her fight with Trixie on Thursday and her confrontation in the school gym. Whatever was happening to Sunset and her body was triggered by her getting angry, which meant that she had to be careful or someone was going to get hurt.

“Uh, no thanks, I am good,” said Zephyr Breeze, grabbing his backpack and moving away from Sunset Shimmer.

Fluttershy looked at her brother as he moved seats. She glanced over at Sunset, wondering how she got him to move. When she shifted her gaze downward, she saw something sharp jutting out from Sunset’s top lip. The longer she looked, the more she recognized what it was; a set of fangs. Every muscle in her body tensed, and she moved her arm away from the redhead. Fluttershy felt like she was back in the days of Sunset beating her up, and she didn’t like it. Seeing her with fangs, it made her wonder if she was a vampire. But, there was no way that was possible, right?

“Oh, no! Maybe she is a vampire. But if so, how come she hasn’t sucked our blood? Maybe… she isn’t going to hurt us, but then why would she hide from us?” thought Fluttershy, watching Sunset cautiously.

“H-how did you get my brother to move?” asked Fluttershy as she tried to hide her growing nervousness.

Sunset Shimmer, having gotten jolted from her thoughts, turned and looked at Fluttershy. For a brief moment, she allowed her to see the fangs which had replaced her lateral incisors. When she saw that Fluttershy was looking at her with fear in her eyes, she turned away and covered her mouth with her hand. Between Zephyr Breeze and Fluttershy’s reactions, Sunset’s confidence that Twilight would take her new appearance okay was beginning to tank. Silently cursing herself for being so careless, she remained motionless and hoped that Fluttershy hadn’t seen much.

“Sweet Celestia, that was too close! Way too close. She almost saw…” Sunset Shimmer felt the pointed tips of her fangs run along her palm as she moved her hand across her mouth.

“Sunset, are you alright? And what happened with Zephyr?” asked Fluttershy, finally allowing her muscles to relax as she shifted closer to Sunset.

“I-I’m fine, Shy. I just didn’t want you to see my-”

“Fangs?” Fluttershy asked, cutting off Sunset and making her look at her with a shocked expression. “I saw them, Sunset. But what happened with my brother? Did he see them too? Is that why he moved away from us?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Are you frightened of me, Fluttershy?”

A quiet squeak was all Sunset got in response to her question. Fluttershy didn’t dare say anything, afraid that Sunset would do something if she did.

“Guess that answers my question,” said Sunset Shimmer, lowering her hand and looking at Fluttershy. “Do you know what’s happened to me?”

“Maybe,” replied Fluttershy. “Are you a vampire?”

“What-no, I am not a vampire, Fluttershy,” said Sunset. “I… I can’t tell you what happened just yet, but I am not a vampire.”

“O-okay, but you’re not going to hurt us, are you?” Fluttershy was beginning to shake as she tried to keep herself calm visibly.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Fluttershy’s arm and looked her in the eye, not caring that she was exposing her appearance to her. “No, vampire or not, I will never hurt you or the girls. Believe me, please, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, noticing the red skin that had replaced her amber skin tone. She realized what Sunset meant by she couldn’t tell her. Between the fangs and the change of skin color, Fluttershy was beginning to see that there was an excellent reason that she was hiding her appearance. It was frightening, not to mention the fact she had a sinking suspicion that she had only seen some of the changes. If that was true, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see the rest, especially given what happened to Twilight. Mustering what courage she could gather, Fluttershy took a breath and pulled her arm away from Sunset’s grasp.

“I do believe you, Sunset. I just don’t like your new appeara-” Fluttershy stopped when she heard the sound of a doorknob turning before the classroom door was swung open.

Just then, the teacher walked in and stopped any further conversations between Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer. As Sunset looked at Fluttershy, she saw a flicker of uneasiness in her cyan eyes. That told her Fluttershy was trying her best not to feel uncomfortable by her unsettling change of appearance. Seeing the effort that the animal lover was putting into curbing her anxiety made Sunset think about Twilight. She remembered what happened when Twilight’s geode transformed her back into Midnight Sparkle. Her mind raced about the girls’ reactions and what could happen if they were to see the full extent of what her geode did to her on Thursday. As all the possibilities of how the girls would react played through her head, Sunset’s hand curled into a tight fist.

A red aura surrounded a nearby pen as Sunset’s fist clenched even tighter. Every time she clenched her fist tighter together, the pen’s plastic shell began to bend more and more. The plastic cracked under the increasing pressure and sent little shards falling onto the metal desk beneath it. Finally, after withstanding the demand for a few minutes, the pen’s shell could take no more and broke in half. The ink cartridge inside of it snapped in half as well, releasing a spurt of ink all over Zephyr Breeze’s jeans. Several students turned to look at him, some even snickering at the sight of him getting covered ink.

“What the-?” Zephyr Breeze wiped some of the ink off of his cheek. “How did that happen?”

Sunset Shimmer looked up and unclenched her fist. The pen stopped bending, and the plastic shell covering it shattered completely. She hadn’t realized that she could do that without being aware of it. Though, with her emotions getting out the best of her lately, she wasn’t surprised that her powers were also going a bit haywire. Sunset glanced over at Fluttershy and met her worried gaze. That only made her shrink further into her chair as she tried to focus on the teacher. If her emotions were starting to affect her powers, it wasn’t good, and Sunset knew that it was only a matter of time before the girls realized that themselves. How was she going to tell the girls what happened with her powers beginning to spiral out of her control? Sunset wasn’t sure of how she was going to, but she had to try to tell them about it. It was getting exhausting having to lie to them and keep her changes disguised around them.

“Nice! Talk about karma,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience, taking her away from the teacher’s talking.

“Karma?! I could’ve hurt Zephyr. What’s going on with me?” thought Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her hands.

“Oh, come on! It was just a harmless pen explosion. At least it wasn’t Zephyr’s head,” said her conscience.

“You are NOT helping me feel any better about this. So, just shut up or say something useful for once.” Sunset exhaled sharply as her grip on her pencil tightened. “I am not in the mood for these mind games.”

Sunset Shimmer got jolted away from her thoughts when the bell rang, announcing the end of the fourth period. Without waiting for Fluttershy to say anything to her, she ran out of the classroom. She made her way through the horde of students in the hallway and entered the bathroom just as another student was exiting it. She wanted to make sure her hood was concealing her face well enough that no one could see her new look. Sunset knew that if the whole student body of CHS were to find out that she returned to looking like Demon Shimmer, it was unlikely she would get a warm welcome. And just as she told Trixie, there would likely be beating, worse than the one Twilight had received on Thursday. Her actions in the past had left severe scars on everyone, including her herself.

Standing in front of the mirror, Sunset was unaware that Rarity was in there as well. As she gazed at her reflection, she felt the same feeling of disgust she felt the night it all happened. The lights in the room illuminated her skin, highlighting the blood-red color it had become. She had begun the process of accepting that she was going to be stuck looking like Demon Shimmer. However, it was still a challenge to look at herself and not see the outward appearance. If she couldn’t do it, that meant there was no way the girls or even Twilight would be able to do the same. Sunset didn’t even want to think about how the girls were going to react, let alone consider how they would see her once they knew. The look of terror they wore during the Fall Formal when she had initially gotten transformed into her demon form flashed across her mind.

“How can I tell the girls about this? I doubt they’ll take it well, especially since I kept it from them rather than being upfront about it.” Sunset Shimmer gripped the edge of the sink counter, her knuckles going white as she tightened her grip.

“Well, what did you expect? You chose the coward’s way out rather than trusting them to see you as their friend,” Sunset’s conscience said, reminding her that she had made the wrong choice yet again.

“You know, you’re beginning to sound like a broken record on repeat,” thought Sunset, looking down from her gaze in the mirror.

“I wouldn’t sound like that if you would just listen to the advice I am giving you. Then again, that’s the whole point of how you ended up here, isn’t it?” asked Sunset's conscience.

“Yes! I admit that if I hadn’t been so afraid to come clean, this mess wouldn’t have started with Twilight and the girls,” Sunset Shimmer thought as she forced herself to meet her gaze. “If I had just told Twilight about my past instead of letting my guilt get to me, I would be with Twilight now, not here staring at a reflection that I can’t stand looking at.”

Rarity pulled the stall door back, stepping out and walking towards the sinks. As Rarity set her bag down on the counter, she looked at the person standing next to her. She recognized it as Sunset and turned her attention to the mirror in front of them both. That was when a small gasp slipped from her lips. Sunset’s reflection in the glass mirror revealed that her skin had lost its amber tone. It had gotten replaced with a deep red color that resembled blood or a terrible sunburn after an afternoon in the summer sun. Only one question popped into Rarity’s mind; why was Sunset’s skin the same color as the time she had become Demon Shimmer? However, that only raised more suspicions for her about Sunset’s odd behavior and outfit changes.

“Sunset, dear, how come your skin is… red?” asked Rarity, bringing Sunset Shimmer’s attention to her

The redhead looked at Rarity standing next to her. The realization that she had seen her reflection in the mirror made her hand fall away from the counter. She looked away from her as she tried to hide her face from Rarity. Her heart started to beat faster as fear coursed through her body like a runaway train going downhill. Every part of her body tensed up as she heard the sound of shuffling feet moving towards her. The sound echoed all around her in the near-empty bathroom. Sunset jumped when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder just above the scar caused by her first transformation.

“Crap!” Sunset Shimmer said under her breath. “How could I have been so careless?”

“Sunset?” Rarity asked, squeezing Sunset’s shoulder. “What is going on? You have been acting suspicious lately. And what’s with the recent change of clothes?”

Even though every fiber of her being was screaming at her to push Rarity away before she got any closer, Sunset Shimmer fought against the urges, knowing that it wouldn’t do any good if she gave into them. She tugged on the edge of her hood, wanting to keep her face hidden. Rarity had seen more than she was comfortable letting anyone else see. And if she could, Sunset was going to keep it that way. Right now, she wasn’t ready to talk about her transformation with the rest of the girls. Yet, she knew she would have to come clean about it eventually. She pushed the thoughts about their reactions aside as her mind tried to remind her of what she had to do. Instead, she focused on Rarity and trying to keep her from being too suspicious.

“It’s nothing, Rarity. My other jacket is at my apartment, I just forgot to wear it,” replied Sunset, hoping Rarity would back off.

“This isn’t nothing, Sunset. And I know you’re change of outfits is concealing something.” Rarity let her hand fall away from the redhead’s shoulder, sensing the tension her touch was causing. “Did your geode also backfire similarly to the way Twilight’s geode did? Is that why your skin looked red when I looked in the mirror?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Are you going to tell the rest of the girls now?”

“Sunset, I am not going to tell the rest of the girls. That should be you,” said Rarity. “Have you considered telling Twilight about this change?”

“Yes, Rarity,” replied Sunset as she looked at the fashionista. “I plan on telling Twilight today.”

“Good. Twilight deserves-”

“To know the truth! I know, Rarity. Can you please stop bringing that up? I already know I messed up,” said Sunset, losing her temper with Rarity.

Rarity staggered away from Sunset Shimmer, surprised by her sudden change of mood. Flashes of what happened between her and the redhead on Thursday crossed her mind. She didn’t want that to happen again, especially since the image of Sunset’s eyes going black had gotten seared into her mind. Her hands were shaking from her nervousness at what the redhead might do next. Rarity didn’t want to be yelled at again for trying to be a friend. So, instead of responding to what Sunset said, she grabbed her bag and walked over to the bathroom door.

“Okay, Sunset, I will not bring that up. But please, talk to us. We’re your friends, and we care about you,” Rarity said before leaving the redhead alone in the empty bathroom.

Once the door closed shut, Sunset Shimmer looked at her reflection, whispering the words, “I know…”

As Rarity exited the bathroom, she walked right past Applejack and didn’t say anything. The cowgirl was quick to notice the worried expression on her girlfriend’s face. Anger rose in her as she tried to find the reason for the worried expression she saw. Just as she was about to grab her arm and ask what was going on, she saw Sunset Shimmer leaving the bathroom. Seeing Sunset was all she needed to answer her question. She grabbed her backpack from her locker and closed it behind her. Heading towards the redhead, Applejack wanted to find out what happened between her and Rarity.

Sunset Shimmer, unaware that there was an angry cowgirl heading her way, walked over to her locker. When she was about to open her locker, she felt a hand on her arm. The grip was firm, and it made her flinch as her skin began to get pinched when the culprit tightened their grip further. A few seconds later, she was getting pulled into an empty classroom nearby. Sunset heard the sound of a lock clicking shut and turned to see who had pulled her away from her locker. To her shock, she realized it was Applejack.

“Applejack, what are you do-?”

“What the hell happened with Rarity? I know it has somethin’ to do with you,” asked Applejack, cutting off Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset backed away from Applejack, realizing that she was in danger of being exposed. However, in the process, her foot got caught on the chair leg next to her. As she fell, her tail slipped free of her jeans and caught the cowgirl’s attention. Sunset looked down to find the red and yellow hair of her tail visibly displayed on the linoleum floor. A part of her knew that her disguise was up, despite the small part of her that wished she had a chance to at least warn Applejack before it had gotten exposed. She glanced up and saw that she had moved further away from her.

“This isn’t what it seems like, I swear,” Sunset Shimmer said, getting on her feet and tucking her tail back into the confines of her jeans.

“Oh, then what is it, Sunset? Cause right now, I am startin’ to think that you are hiding the fact somethin’ happened on Thursday. Somethin’ like what happened to Twilight,” Applejack said, crossing her arms across her chest as she raised one of her eyebrows

That question made Sunset avert her gaze as a wave of regret washed over her. A voice in her head told her to come clean and stop lying to her friends. She knew that her change of clothes and behavior was noticeable, and given what happened to Twilight, it was likely the girls knew what she was hiding from them. Yet, there was a part of her that feared what would happen if they knew about the way she looked. If the girls were to find out about the fact that some of her demonic powers had returned and that it made her more dangerous, Sunset knew it wasn’t going to end well. She wanted to stall until she could tell if they were going to hate her just like they did back when she was the school bully turned she-demon. Not that she would blame them if they did. Her wings flinched underneath her hoodie as she heard Applejack step closer to her body.

“I may have transformed back, similar to what happened with Twilight. But, I don’t want to say more than that right now,” replied Sunset Shimmer, gripping her arm.

“May have? Sunset, I know that somethin’ happened on Thursday. And if it’s what I think it is, it’s better that you come clean now.” Applejack’s voice had a coldness to it. “Now, what happened?”

“Applejack, I…” Sunset reached for her sunglasses but stopped when she saw the angry look in the cowgirl’s eyes.

“Tell me the truth, Sunset! I am starting to lose my patience with you keeping secrets from Twilight and us!” shouted Applejack.

“I-I…” Sunset Shimmer was beginning to struggle with coming clean, especially since Applejack was making no point in hiding her anger at her actions and choices.

“Damn it, Shimmer! Tell me what the fuck is goin’ on with you!” Applejack stepped closer to the redhead, and within seconds, she felt the fabric of the hoodie beneath her hands before she pushed her to the ground as her anger built up.

Sunset Shimmer felt her whole body getting pushed backward. As she lost her footing, she slid across the floor due to the force of Applejack pushing her down. Without realizing it, the cowgirl had used her super-strength, which sent Sunset hurtling into the nearby wall. As she felt her weight getting forced against her wings, the redhead groaned, feeling the wind getting knocked out of her as well. The padding in her hoodie did little to soften the harsh blow. Seconds after her back slammed against the wall behind her, she felt her head impact it. That made her close her eyes as a sharp shooting pain ran throughout her head.

“Applejack…? Why did you… push me?” asked Sunset Shimmer, trying to regain her breath.

Applejack, still shocked by what she did, staggered away from Sunset Shimmer. Her mind was reeling at what she had done. Applejack thought she had control of her powers, but it was clear that she didn’t have as much control as she thought she did. True, she was angry at Sunset for lying to Twilight and them, but she didn’t mean to push her. Applejack didn’t want to injure her. However, she had let her emotions get the better of her, and Sunset ended up being the target of her emotional outburst.

“I don’t know. I was just so angry at you for hiding your changes from Twilight and us that I…” Applejack trailed off, too ashamed to admit that she had physically harmed one of her friends.

“That you pushed me into the wall?” asked Sunset, groaning in pain as she pushed herself off the wall.

“Yeah…” said Applejack.

Sunset tried to push herself up, but her body still reeling from the sudden attack, collapsed back down onto the floor. She sighed, deciding it was best to remain on the floor. After all, Applejack was clearly angry at her for doing what she had done. Maybe it was better that she stayed there rather than get pushed back down on to it. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Sunset rested her head between them. Her eyes stung with the beginning of tears that threatened to be released as soon as she gave in to the growing guilt. Just as she had wrapped her arms around her knees, she felt a calloused hand rest on her forearm. Sunset looked and found Applejack kneeling in front of her, giving her an apologetic smile.

“I’m mighty sorry that I hurt you, Sunset,” said Applejack. “I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me.”

“It’s… okay,” said Sunset Shimmer as she felt the cowgirl pull her to her feet. “I did deserve that. I should’ve given you a straight answer rather than choosing to be vague about it, AJ.”

“And why exactly are you hiding the fact that you’ve changed just like Twilight did on Thursday? Don’t you trust the girls and me to be there for you?” asked Applejack, stepping away from the redhead and giving her space.

“I do trust you and the girls. But if you guys were to see the changes underneath this hoodie…” Sunset Shimmer’s voice faltered, revealing her struggle to keep her tears at bay. “I am not so sure you’ll be able to look at me the same. My changes are more… severe than Twilight’s changes are. So, that’s why I am wearing this, to hide what I am afraid of showing you.”

“So, that explains your sudden change of outfits and the odd excuses for it. But,” Applejack gripped Sunset’s shoulder tightly, “I have to admit that it hurts to know that you fear our reactions, though I understand your reasonin’ for doing so. I imagine what happened at the Fall Formal still haunts you, even though that is in the past for all of us.”

Sunset Shimmer met the cowgirl’s green eyes. She didn’t care that her new skin color was visible to her, not anymore. What did it matter now that Applejack knew about what she was concealing? A look of compassion shone in her eyes, and it was making Sunset regret not coming forward sooner. Guilt and sadness grew inside of her, and her stomach ached in response to it. She looked away before it became too much to bear. Taking a deep breath, Sunset calmed herself down and tried her best to keep herself together.

“It does, AJ. Ever since the changes occurred, I keep reimagining the girls’ reactions during that night. The look of fear that you all wore makes it almost impossible to be upfront about them.” Sunset clenched her fists in frustration at how her actions had hurt her friends. “But, I am planning on coming clean today. I am not going to keep you guys in the dark any longer than I already have, you don’t deserve that after all that you’ve done for me.”

“That’s good to hear. Just remember, don’t push us away. We’ll support you no matter what’s happened to you or your body,” said Applejack, letting go of Sunset Shimmer’s shoulder.

“I will,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “And Applejack?”

“Hmm?” Applejack asked, wondering what Sunset was going to say.

“Thank you,” said Sunset, giving the cowgirl a smile of appreciation.

“For what, Sunset?” asked Applejack.

“For giving me the push that I needed to finally face my demons, so to speak. Next time though, maybe don’t do it literally. That kind of hurt… a lot,” said Sunset Shimmer, rubbing the back of her head, which was still throbbing.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I guess I let my anger get the better of me,” said Applejack, looking away from the redhead, her head lowered in shame.

“That’s understandable. I know what it’s like to let your anger get the better of you all too well,” Sunset Shimmer said, patting Applejack’s arm. “Anyway, see you later?”

“Yep,” replied Applejack.

With that, the two girls said their goodbyes and headed towards their separate classes. Applejack’s words swirled inside of Sunset Shimmer’s mind, echoing loudly and never letting her forget them. She knew there was some truth to what she had said and that she had a point. She had to trust that the girls and Twilight would support her, no matter the changes that occurred to her body. Sunset knew that she had to give the girls a chance, instead of assuming that they would hate her. They learned to accept what happened with Twilight, so there was a chance they could do the same for her. Just maybe they could see past her appearance and know that she was still their friend. She had to take the risk, despite the fear that threatened to weigh her down.

*** *** *** ***

At Sweet Apple Acres, Gabriel was sitting nearby the door when he noticed Cassidy getting up and walking towards the corral. He followed her, wondering what she was doing. After a few minutes of walking around the barn, he saw her sit down next to the water trough. Gabriel saw the horses back away from her, and the water trough, her presence was clearly unsettling them. He was debating joining Cassidy before deciding that someone needed to make sure she was okay. After all, Gabriel was aware that she didn’t have friends like he did that experienced the same trauma.

Cassidy heard the sound of panicked nickering and looked up to see what was causing it. She saw Gabriel walking towards her and shifted away, not wanting any company. However, Cassidy heard him sit down on a hay bale next to her, not getting the hint. She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. Gabriel was stubborn, Cassidy had to give him that.

“Hey, Cassidy. Is everything okay?” asked Gabriel.

Cassidy rested her chin on her knees, making a clanking noise that startled the horses further. “No, it’s not. Ever since Su-Sunset Shimmer brought me back, my memories have come back as well.”

Gabriel looked over at the horses, noticing that they were getting skittish with them being closer. He could see that having both of them present in front of the horses was beginning to stress them out. One of the horses snorted, tossing their head as if to say hurry up and leave already. Standing up, Gabriel held out his hand for Cassidy.

“Let’s continue this chat somewhere else. I don’t want to stress out Applejack’s horses. I am pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate it if that were to happen,” said Gabriel.

Cassidy grabbed Gabriel’s hand and said, “Yeah, let’s go over to that group of apple trees that way we’re not visible to them.”

Together, Cassidy and Gabriel walked over to the apple trees that grew next to each other in a tight-knit group. The shade provided by the branches of the trees made the crisp fall air feel even colder. Or it would if they could feel anything trapped inside of their cursed animatronic bodies. Cassidy sat down, resting her back against a tree behind her. She turned her head and saw that the horses had returned to the water trough now that she wasn’t sitting next to it. Gabriel, on the other hand, chose to sit next to her with one knee raised and his arm resting on it.

“So, what’s been on your mind, Cassidy?” asked Gabriel, hoping that Cassidy trusted him enough to talk to him.

Cassidy’s eyes remained frozen on the green grass blades beneath her. Images of red blood dripping off her robotic hands flashed quickly in her mind. The smell of iron mixing with the oil that lubricated the animatronic body was almost sickeningly strong. Her hand, which previously rested on top of the grass, began to grip the earth it grew on as she struggled to cope with the gory images. One by one, a parade of terrified expressions on unfamiliar faces reminded Cassidy of her mistakes and the murders she committed. Guilt and pain flooded through her as she tried to ignore the echoing chorus of screams in her mind. As she sat there, she didn’t notice that her body was beginning to tremble from the sheer amount of emotions she was feeling. Cassidy got jolted from the graphic imagery when she felt a hand rest on her forearm.

“You are seeing all the faces of the ones you’ve murdered, aren’t you Cassidy?” asked Gabriel, making eye contact with her.

“Mhmm,” was all Cassidy said in response.

“It gets easier. Trust me,” said Gabriel as he let his fall away from her arm.

“It does?” asked Cassidy. “When does it get better, Gabriel?”

“After a few months, maybe even after a few years,” replied Gabriel. “It’s not something you can rush through, Cassidy. The wounds they need time to heal.”

“Well, could they please heal a little faster? I need to figure out how to get used to the reality that we are just video game characters to Sunset and the girls. And that I am stuck in a golden version of you.”

Gabriel chuckled a little at what Cassidy said. It was nice to see that her humor hadn’t gotten dulled by what she’d gone through. He understood the torment and emotional scarring that Cassidy was dealing with. The first time Gabriel became aware of his actions while trapped in the animatronic still stayed with him. The memories and the sights replayed in his mind, never letting him forget what he had done. Gabriel knew the look in Cassidy’s eyes all too well, knowing the guilt often made itself known whether Gabriel liked it or not. He had several episodes where he had become aware of what he was doing. And every time there was a voice in his head telling him to go to his friends. Yet, he never did because his shame was too much for him. So, he was hoping to prevent Cassidy from making his mistake and pushing her newly found friends away. Gabriel looked at her, hoping that his next question wouldn’t upset her.

“Did you really see us in the room with your…” asked Gabriel, stopping himself from saying the word ‘corpse.’

“With my rotting corpse? Yes, I did.” Cassidy looked down at her hands. “I was also beside you when Susie got pulled away, and you were left alone.”

“Oh, so you were the presence I felt next to me?” Gabriel asked, staring at Cassidy with wide eyes.

“Hehe, yeah,” replied Cassidy. “It was me…”

“You know, it was your…” Gabriel trailed off, too scared to bring up Cassidy’s corpse.

“You can talk about my corpse, Gabriel. I am slowly getting used to the fact you and the others saw it,” said Cassidy, knowing what Gabriel was terrified to bring up.

“Okay, well, your corpse is what told me what fate awaited me and the others,” said Gabriel, his gaze shifting downwards as the memories resurfaced in his mind.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” said Cassidy, trying not to feel disturbed by the fact her corpse had revealed their fate.

“Y-yeah. Of course, I didn’t say anything about that to the others. I figured that worrying them further wouldn’t do them or me any good.” Gabriel pushed himself to his feet. “At first, I didn’t know it was you inside there. However, I did have a sinking suspicion that told me you were the girl from the missing person poster.”

“I was. I saw the posters on one of my attempts to escape from this animatronic body. But whatever William did to me, it kept my soul bound to it,” said Cassidy, standing up as well. “I am sorry that you and your friends had to endure the same torture that I went through.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like you could have done much. William was a ruthless foe, one that refused to lose,” Gabriel said, trying not to remember the fateful fight between him and William Afton.

“Yes, William was a formidable foe. I saw some of your fight with him before my soul got forcibly pulled away. You did a very nice job keeping up with him,” said Cassidy as she rested a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

Gabriel looked at Cassidy, seeing a spark of life in her eyes. It was something that he wanted to see in himself. However, Gabriel was struggling to keep his darkness at bay and keep the light from dimming within him. But seeing what was inside of Cassidy, Gabriel felt like he had a chance to change things – that he could repair the bridges that he burnt due to his insatiable quest for vengeance. Cassidy’s spark gave him renewed strength and reminded him that he was still their friend, which Gabriel was thankful for. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand.

“Shall we join the rest of our friends now? I don’t think they’ll appreciate us being on our own and risking exposure to all of us,” said Gabriel, wanting to change the subject and focus on the happier moments.

“Yeah, let’s go,” said Cassidy, pulling Gabriel away from the grove of apple trees.

*** *** *** ***

The loud shrill of the bell ringing ended the second to last class of the day. Sunset Shimmer grabbed her bag and headed towards her locker. Her wings stretched against the back of her hoodie, making her cringe as she felt the fabric and padding move with them. She walked up to her locker and undid the lock on it. Grabbing a few of the textbooks which were weighing her bag down, she loaded them in one by one. Sunset ignored the students walking past her as she tried not to let her worries get the best of her. Hiding her changed appearance was beginning to become cumbersome, especially since the girls were getting suspicious of her change in behavior and outfits.

Just as she finished putting the last book in her locker, Sunset spotted a familiar green-haired girl walking up to the row of lockers near her. The girl stood silently by her locker and watched the passing students like a scared kitten in a cardboard box on the sidewalk. One of the students pushed the girl into her locker, walking away as she fell to her knees. When the girl’s shoulder slammed against the metal door of the locker behind her, she groaned loudly. Sunset waited, wanting to see if the girl was going to get back up. Yet, she didn’t. Instead, the girl just sat there, almost unmoving except for her shaking shoulders. Once the hallway was vacant of anyone else, Sunset decided to approach the girl.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer, keeping her face concealed as she spoke.

The girl looked up at the redhead. Her eyes widened with shock as she recognized the voice. It was Sunset Shimmer, the school’s former bully turned popular girl. She turned away from her, not wanting to talk to the girl who ignored her. Just like the rest of the student body did every day. The girl pulled her knees to her chest and waited for Sunset to walk away, just like everyone else always did. However, she had gotten met with a hand resting on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw that the redhead hadn’t left like she was expecting her to do.

“At least let me help you up,” Sunset Shimmer said, extending a hand towards the girl.

“Okay, thanks,” said the girl as she took Sunset’s outstretched hand and allowed herself to get pulled up.

“You’re welcome. By the way, what’s your name?” asked Sunset Shimmer, trying to ignore the sensation of the girl gripping her gloved hand.

“Um, my name is Wallflower Blush. We met in ninth grade English, remember?” said Wallflower Blush, letting go of the redhead’s hand.

“Oh, right! You’re the shy girl whose first presentation was a poem about plants,” said Sunset, recalling how she came to know Wallflower Blush.

“Uh, yes. Though, I regret doing that presentation now…” said Wallflower Blush. “But thank you for, uh, helping me up.”

“Yeah. I am sorry that I didn’t remember your name, Wallflower.” A part of Sunset felt guilty that she had forgotten Wallflower’s name.

“It’s okay. No one usually remembers my name,” replied Wallflower Blush, her voice lowering as she retreated behind her shyness once more.

Sunset Shimmer looked at the shy, quiet girl in front of her, surprised by what she had said. She felt terrible that Wallflower Blush seemed to struggle with making friends. That was a feeling she had come to know all too well. Despite all the friendships she had made now, Sunset could still recall her lonely days of walking the hallways in CHS after the events of the Fall Formal. It was a hard time for her to endure. Trying to convince the student body that she had given up being the bully wasn’t the easiest task. With every attempt to prove that she was better, Sunset had gotten met with cynicism and hatred. Eventually, the school did learn to trust her, and that was the greatest feeling she’d ever felt – though it didn’t compare to when the girls had befriended her and shown her the real magic of friendship.

The redhead moved closer to Wallflower Blush but stopped when she remembered that she didn’t look exactly like herself. That was something that didn’t go unnoticed by the plant lover. Sunset saw the confused look she was giving her, which only made her regret getting close to her and letting her guard down. As her heart started to race in her chest, her wings responded to the change in her pulse. They flapped once underneath the confines of her hoodie, causing her to lose her balance in the process. Sunset tried to keep herself upright, but her center of gravity was thrown off by her wings. Unable to recover her balance, the weight of her two leathery nuisances sent her tumbling to the ground. As she fell, so did her hood, revealing the changes to her facial features.

Wallflower Blush watched in shock as Sunset Shimmer’s face, which was previously concealed by the hood, got revealed in her fall. She covered her mouth as she gasped at the extent of Sunset’s changes. Blood red skin had replaced the redhead’s usual amber skin tone, leaving her looking similar to the devil himself. Two pointed appendages sprung up on the side of her head and out of the mass of red and yellow hair, which concealed most of them. As Wallflower looked at the appendages, she saw they were still Sunset’s ears, only morphed into the same look they had when she’d transformed into Demon Shimmer. However, there was a scarier feature that caught her eye. Two long, sharp fangs jutted out from where Sunset’s lateral incisors should have been, only becoming visible when the redhead groaned in pain. When she started to get back on her feet, Wallflower Blush staggered back from her.

While Sunset Shimmer braced herself against the lockers, trying to regain her balance with her wings stretched out behind her, she looked over at Wallflower Blush. She noticed that she seemed to be afraid of her. Reaching a hand upward, Sunset realized that her hood had fallen when she had gotten thrown off balance. Panic flooded through her as it dawned on her that she had unintentionally exposed herself to someone. The very thing she feared would happen if she let her guard down occurred. Sunset’s attention got drawn back to the shy plant lover when she saw her backing further away from her. That is when she realized her appearance wasn’t making the already tense situation any better. She quickly reached up and pulled her hood back over her face.

“I am so sorry that you had to see that, Wallflower. Please, I won’t hurt you,” Sunset Shimmer said, trying to calm Wallflower Blush down.

“St-stay away from me, please!” shouted Wallflower Blush as she felt her back slam against a wall behind her.

Wallflower Blush stared at the redhead like a deer eyeing the barrel of a hunter’s shotgun. Once Sunset Shimmer had managed to get her wings to relax and stop pushing against the back of her hoodie, the hood concealing her face fell again. That allowed Wallflower to see the pained expression Sunset was trying to hide from her. Though the redness of her skin distracted her somewhat from the hurt in her cyan eyes, it didn’t prevent her from seeing it. Guilt, that was all Wallflower Blush could feel staring at her and knowing that her actions were the cause of that pain. Even though she knew that her actions were hurting the redhead, she couldn’t stop her fear from taking over. Wallflower’s hand brushed against the wall behind her. As her palms got pushed against the grainy surface, she closed her eyes in a feeble attempt to block out what in front of her.

“Wallflower…? Are you okay?” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was weak, unsteady, and sounded nothing like her usual self. Fear soon overtook her panic as Sunset tried in vain to calm down Wallflower Blush.

“S-st-stay back! You’re Demon Shimmer again!” shouted Wallflower Blush, her voice getting louder, which caused Sunset Shimmer to look behind her.

“What?! No, I am not!” said Sunset, turning to look back at Wallflower. “I just happen to… look like this at the moment.”

Wallflower Blush, not believing what Sunset Shimmer was saying, took the opportunity and bolted past her. She pushed her to the ground, saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you.”

Due to the weight of her wings, Sunset was unable to maintain her balance. As she tumbled to the floor, she felt her full weight slam down painfully on her posterior. Her back and wings were shoved into the lockers behind her, making her groan out in pain. Sunset’s annoyance at the leathery appendages was beginning to grow with every moment that passed. They messed up her ability to keep her balance whenever they moved. And having them trapped in the confines of the fabric hoodie didn’t make it any better. Sunset pressed her hand on one of the lockers as she pushed herself off of them. She tried to stand up but became a bit disoriented as the blood rushed from her head. Once her dizziness disappeared, she looked up to find where Wallflower Blush had gone.

“Wallflower, wait!” shouted Sunset Shimmer as she watched the plant lover disappear around a corner.

Sunset Shimmer debated running after Wallflower Blush, but the arrival of more students made her choose to abandon the endeavor. It was too risky and would likely make the others more suspicious of her. She quickly pulled her hood up and cursed herself for letting anyone see her. Now her secret was at risk of getting exposed by another person, someone that she wasn’t too sure would keep it. Sunset felt some happiness in the fact that she was finally going to tell the girls what happened on Thursday. She just hoped they would take it well and not react with too much fear. As she staggered her way to her lockers, she grabbed her messenger bag and slung it over her head. Sunset was about to head to her next class when she realized that Wallflower would be in it.

“Crap! Wallflower’s behavior will be noticeable, and I don’t want to scare her any more than I already have,” thought Sunset Shimmer. “What do I do now?!”

As thoughts of the possible outcomes ran through the redhead’s mind, she tried to tune them out and focus on what she should do. If she wasn’t heading to her next class, the next place she could go to was her apartment. However, she quickly ditched the idea, realizing that the girls would look there first. The next spot that came to mind was her secret spot underneath the bleachers. Granted, Sunset knew that it was only a matter of time before Fluttershy revealed it to the girls. But until then, she had ample time to figure out what to do with Wallflower Blush and possibly talk to her. She needed a chance to convince the plant lover not to spill her secret to the whole school.

“Running away is not the right choice, and you know it, Sunset,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience, making a point much to her annoyance.

“Do you ever shut up? I am already panicking enough as it is,” thought Sunset Shimmer, trying to ignore what her inner voice was saying.

“No, I will not shut up. I am your conscience, after all. I am just trying to tell you what could happen if you choose the coward’s way out… again,” replied the redhead’s conscience, not giving up.

“Well, I don’t need you to tell me what my choices will do. I can’t risk Wallflower revealing my secret, so I am just waiting until she calms down. And until she does, I am looking for some time to recollect my thoughts,” Sunset Shimmer thought, trying to prevent an argument with herself while she stood in the hallway.

“Fine, I was just making sure you were aware of the consequences. But if you go back on the promises you’ve made today, Just know I will be back to annoy you about that.” Sunset’s conscience was beginning to annoy the redhead even more.

“Well, since you got that out of the way, leave me alone now. I am deciding to leave my class, and I don’t feel like having your company with me while I am gone,” thought Sunset Shimmer, glancing around at the students gathered in the hallway.

“Alright, I will leave you alone… for now, Sunset. Sheesh, I try and help you, and what do I get? Your ungratefulness. I ought to hire a new conscience for you and get into retirement early,” Sunset Shimmer’s conscience said before it quieted down.

Making her choice, Sunset Shimmer gripped the strap of her bag and ran down the hallway. Heading to the back door, which led outside to the soccer field, she ignored the students around her. There was only one thing on her mind; getting out of there and trying to figure out how she could prevent Wallflower Blush from spilling her secret to the whole school. Sunset flung the back door open and ran towards the bleachers. Unfortunately, Vice Principal Luna was walking out of the soccer field with Celestia next to her. Quickly, she ducked behind the nearest wall, pressing her back against the rough bricks. The voices of Luna and Celestia grew louder as they walked past where she was hiding, thankfully unaware of her presence. A few minutes later and their voices seemed to quiet down to a whisper before fading away into the chatter of the students. Once the coast was clear, she made a mad dash for the bleachers.

Safe in the shade of the bleachers, Sunset set her messenger bag down and sighed. She sat down on the cool grass, ignoring the chill that ran through her body as it breached the fabric of her jeans. She looked down at her hands and slowly removed the gloves which concealed her claws. It was a risky move, but she didn’t care anymore. Having to hide what she looked like was taking its toll on her emotionally. Sunset knew that most of the staff and students would remain in the building until the end of the day. So, that left her with about an hour or two before anyone would risk coming across her. That gave her enough time to convince herself to go through with her plan of telling the girls and Twilight what happened on Thursday.

Her claws were sharp like a kitten’s just after it was born. If she wanted to, she was sure that she could slice through flesh and leave behind deep gashes. Sunset’s stomach churned as she saw the graphic imagery of her claws digging into someone’s arm and the blood pouring out around them. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she pushed the images aside and tried to focus on something else. She didn’t want to imagine herself acting like the monster she was once. Yet, the redness of her skin and the sharpness of her claws refused to let her forget that she had gotten painfully and forcibly trapped in the form of her demonic self.

“Well, at least Wallflower didn’t call me a monster, not that I would’ve blamed her if she did,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she curled her fingers inward, letting the tips of her claws touch her palm.

“She didn’t call you a monster yet. There is still a chance that she will the next time she sees you,” interjected the redhead’s inner conscience.

“Fuck! You came back way too soon, you annoying little voice of mine. Why are you bothering me… again?” thought Sunset Shimmer, rolling her eyes in frustration.

“Hey, I am just offering my input on the situation. And now that I have done that, I will leave you to wallow in your misery.” Sunset’s inner voice had a sarcastic tone to it, proving that it could indeed be even more annoying if it tried to be.

“Oh, just shut up already!” thought Sunset Shimmer, reaching her breaking point with her inner voice.

To the flame-haired girl’s surprise, her conscience listened to her command and went quiet. There was nothing; no snappy remarks, no snapbacks, nothing. The silence inside her mind was a welcome relief to the redhead. Sitting there, she thought over what Applejack and Rarity had said to her. Each of them had a point; she did have to tell the girls the truth, whether she liked it or not. That was something she knew that she had to do before someone else did. Besides, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up the charade that nothing happened. And with the girls already catching on to what she was hiding from them, Sunset knew there was no pointing in continuing it either. Keeping her wings, fangs, claws, eyes, tail, and skin hidden was doing her confidence no good. Before she had transformed in her demonic form, she used to walk the halls with her head held high and the girls at her side. Now, she had gotten relegated to the shadows because of her choice to hide away from the ones she should’ve trusted.

Sunset Shimmer stood up from where she was sitting, throwing her hands down in anger at what she had chosen to do and at her cowardice with the girls. Just as she did that, a red aura surrounded her hand, similar to what happened in the bathroom after her transformation. It grew in brightness and intensity as her anger swelled within her. When it reached the size of a softball, Sunset looked down and unintentionally let it go as she gasped. It hit the ground and left a smoldering patch where the grass had gotten burnt to ash. The dirt beneath also looked like it had gotten set aflame with a match or, in this case, a ball of magic that she created. Sunset staggered away from the spot where she had blasted the ground, her eyes never leaving the area.

“Di-Did I do th-that?” asked Sunset Shimmer, unable to believe what she just witnessed in front of her.

As if to answer her question, another ball of magic formed in the palm of her hand. Sunset watched in a mixture of awe and fear as it grew in size. There was a tingling sensation in her hand, running the length of her arm. It felt like the magic was in her veins and a part of her genetic being rather than being an outside force. That made Sunset feel powerful, just like when she put on Princess Twilight’s crown at the Fall Formal. Only this time, it felt like she was in control of it, and it wasn’t corrupted by her past selfish intentions. Raising her hand, she aimed at the spot where the first ball of magic hit the ground. She let it go, and the result was the same as before; the grass had gotten burnt to ash, and the earth beneath got scorched. Sunset lowered her hand and tried to contemplate what she had just done.

“So, most of the powers I gained when I first transformed at the Fall Formal have returned. That’s nice to know,” said Sunset Shimmer, making a mental note to be careful with her temper.

Staring at the two scorch marks, the redhead was beginning to wonder just how many of her powers had returned. It was unbelievable that she had regained some of the magic she lost when she had gotten defeated. However, there was a part of her that was worried about having some of those powers back. Sure, Sunset knew that she would never hurt her friends intentionally, but she didn’t want to give in to the high that came with them. But if some of her powers came back, there was a chance her ability to control people’s minds came back too. She realized that if that power came back, and she was to lose control of her anger, it would make her a threat to the girls.

Just then, a little brown squirrel skittered by as if sensing her emotional distress. The squirrel stopped when it spotted Sunset Shimmer looking at it. She wondered if it was scared of her and if it could sense what she was hiding beneath her hoodie. As soon as those thoughts came, they had gotten quickly dispelled when the curious creature stepped closer to her. She held out her hand and hoped it wouldn’t be afraid of her. When it approached her, Sunset ran a finger across its head and tried to be careful with the tip of her claw. Petting the squirrel, she understood why Fluttershy was fond of all creatures, big or small.

“How would you like to help me with an experiment to see if I can control you?" asked Sunset Shimmer, gingerly stroking the back of the squirrel.

The squirrel, not sure what the redhead meant, continued its search for nuts or anything for its winter stash. Unaware that it was going to be a test subject, it scurried away from Sunset and towards a shaded corner. Meanwhile, she held out her hand and focused all her energy on the chittering creature. She attempted to make it walk back over to her. Yet, there was no tingling in her hand, no rush of power through her veins, just nothingness. She lowered her hand after a few minutes and slowly sat back down again. Relief flooded through her as she realized that she didn’t have the ability to control people. Sunset looked at the squirrel and noticed that it was giving her a weird look. It had tilted its head to the side and raised one of its eyebrows.

“You think I am crazy, right?” asked Sunset Shimmer, chuckling at the look she was getting.

The squirrel nodded yes as if it understood the question she was asking it.

“Thanks. Just what I needed today. A squirrel calling me crazy,” said Sunset. “Then again, I am the one who tried to control it and decided to talk to it.”

The squirrel tilted it’s head further to the side, almost quizzically.

“Don’t judge me, squirrel.” The redhead sighed and leaned back against the metal post behind her. “I’ve had a rough few days, okay?”

The squirrel scurried off, no longer in the mood to be with Sunset Shimmer. She watched as it ran out from under the bleachers and turned the corner. As she sat there in the eerie silence with only tweeting of birds to distract her from her thoughts, she thought about the girls. Sunset knew she had to brace herself for whatever their reactions would be. What happened with Twilight Sparkle was one thing, but she knew their past with her would change things. She was aware of the fact they were there when she had first become Demon Shimmer. Even though they had moved on, she could still see the pain she had caused them reflected in their eyes whenever they asked her about what happened on Thursday night. She had numerous chances to take off her hood and allow them to see what happened, yet, she chose not to every time. Why? Was it fear of their reactions to it? Or was it because she feared that she would lose them to her new look and that they would never be able to see past it?

“How could I have been so stupid? The girls forgave me when I asked for it, so how come I ran away from them when I reverted to my demonic self back then?” thought Sunset Shimmer, undoing the zipper of her hoodie.

“I know I am not supposed to talk according to your highness’ rules, but can I say something?” asked the redhead’s conscience.

Sunset Shimmer said nothing as she pulled off the hoodie and allowed her wings to stretch to their full size as the fall air nipped at her skin.

“How can you expect the girls to see you as your usual human self when you can’t even look in the mirror and do the same? While I understand you just see the demons of your past every time you look in the mirror, it’s not right to expect the girls to see beyond that. And what about Twilight? Is it all that fair that you left her in the dark?” asked Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice, bringing her self consciousness into question.

“I… can’t. You’re right, not that I am happy about it. As for Twilight, I didn’t even think about that…” Sunset Shimmer looked over her shoulder, staring at the leathery appendage which had sprouted from her scar. “Oh, Celestia, I didn’t think that hiding the photos of my own transformation from her would leave her unprepared for this.”

“You should have thought of that when you decided that lying to Twilight was the best thing. Your fears may be justified, but she is paying the price for your choice. And when she finally sees the physical changes you’ve endured on Thursday, I wouldn’t expect her to handle it well,” said the redhead’s conscience. “You are springing this on her without much warning, so be prepared for her to have some fear of you.”

“I am aware of that, but I can’t keep hiding this from Twilight anymore. My friends are right, Trixie’s right, even you are right, I have to tell her the truth,” Sunset thought as she dug her claws into the fabric of her hoodie, nearly ripping it in the process. “I hope she will get past the initial shock and sees me as her friend, not some monster who would hurt her.”

“Maybe Twilight will, maybe she won’t. You can’t force her to see what you want her to. Let Twilight realize it’s you on her terms. Assuming that she even wants to see you after she sees the horrible monstrosity that you are now,” said Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice, making a snide remark which hurt the redhead’s feelings.

Sunset Shimmer’s cyan eyes fell to her hands, taking in the changes that had occurred to her hands and skin. Her mind was reeling as she tried to imagine how the girls would react when she showed them what happened on Thursday. She remembered all too well their reaction to Twilight Sparkle’s transformation. She also recalled her own fear-filled response to it and how hurt it made Twilight feel. That was not one of her better choices, especially since she understood what she was going through, having experienced that after the events at the Fall Formal ended. Thankfully, Sunset had gotten over her initial shock and fear and was able to console Twilight afterward. However, some part of her felt that her conscience was right about one thing; it was wrong of her to ask the girls to look beyond her outer appearance when she couldn’t do it herself.

“That is selfish of me to expect the girls to do something that I can’t do for myself. Not to mention Twilight will likely be scared when she sees me and the way I look now,” thought the redhead as she reached up towards her sunglasses. “And what happens if I get permanently stuck like this? Will I ever be able to look in a mirror again?”

Sunset removed her sunglasses as she kept thinking about what her conscience said about her being unwilling to accept the changes. Thinking back on the last few days, it was apparent that she was still struggling to deal with what happened. Every mirror she looked at reflected the same thing back at her, and every time she looked into one, she would look away after just a few minutes. It had gotten so bad that she had covered the mirror next to her bed because she couldn’t stand seeing her reflection when she woke up. Looking back at her wings, disgust rose in her as she took in the leathery look of them. It was very tempting to rake her claws through the thin skin and destroy them. They just reminded her of what she had become because of her selfishness and wanting of something she didn’t deserve.

Yet, Sunset knew that it would do very little to make her feel better. And that it was wrong of her to hate what she looked like, given how she saw what Twilight went through on Thursday. The only way to improve her situation was to accept herself the way she was now and learn to embrace it. That wasn’t going to be easy to do, but she knew that she had to do it. If not for the girls, then for the sake of herself. Living in disgust of how she looked was no way to go through life, especially if she was permanently stuck looking like Demon Shimmer. When she saw Twilight no longer hiding her appearance and accepting it, it made her want to do the same. Having Twilight touch her wings and not seem horrified by them, made Sunset start to appreciate having them back. And Twilight’s seemingly open-minded support of her no matter what she looked like or what she had done in her past, helped to further that journey along. Sunset hoped that when she revealed everything to her and the girls, that it would go over well and that it would relieve some of the emotional weight off her chest.

Besides, the only thing that had changed about her was her appearance. Inside, she was still the same Sunset Shimmer that was their friend. Sure, she looked like a monster with her red skin, wings, claws, scary looking eyes, and fangs, but the girls wouldn’t be too frightened of her. Right? Sunset knew that the only way to find out was to stop hiding and be upfront about what happened. And the longer she stalled doing that, the more likely things were to go badly. She had to let the girls support her and help like they had said they would, even if that meant enduring their fear of her for a few hours.

“It’s time that I face my fears of rejection and learn to embrace my new situation. Besides, having wings can’t be all bad, Twilight seems to be fond of hers,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she slipped her sunglasses back on.

Just as she was about to peek out from behind the bleachers, Sunset heard the school bell ring, announcing the end of the fifth period. She grabbed her hoodie and wrapped it loosely around herself in a half-hearted attempt to conceal her wings from sight. Closing her eyes, she shut out the sounds of her classmates scrambling past her. Images of Wallflower’s fear-filled eyes flashed across her mind as she tried desperately to tune out the worried voice in her head telling her not to go through with her plan. And that if she did, it would be Anon-A-Miss all over again. Her past actions with the girls meant there was some possibility that they would hate when they saw her demonic appearance, but she wasn’t going to give in to it. Sunset was aware of the risk she was taking, telling the girls what happened. However, the risk of losing the girls and Twilight was more than enough to make her want to take it. They gave their friendship to her at a time when she didn’t deserve it, so she knew that it was only right to be honest with them.

“Oh, Celestia! Please let my friends see that I am still the same person underneath. Let them know that I never meant to doubt their friendship…” whispered Sunset Shimmer as the realization that things could go very wrong despite her hope that everything would work out dawned on her, and brought the tears she had held back to the surface.

The Setting of the Sun: Part 1

Twilight Sparkle stood by the doorway of her next class, waiting for Sunset Shimmer to show up like she always did. However, to her surprise, she didn’t show up at all. That struck Twilight as odd since Sunset was usually never late to class. Her mind began to race with all the possible reasons for Sunset’s sudden change in behavior as she looked down either side of the hallway. Still, there was no sign of the flame-haired girl, which only made Twilight all the more suspicious of her. She waited for about 2-3 minutes before giving up and going to her seat. Although she would have waited longer, she didn’t want a tardy on her otherwise perfect attendance record. And while Twilight would never admit it now, she was beginning to grow frustrated with Sunset’s constant pushing her away whenever she asked about the Fall Formal. So, to have some space from her was a relief for her.

“Why do you have to let me in on some of your past, then push me away whenever I ask about the Fall Formal or Demon Shimmer? What happened that was so bad, Sunset?” thought Twilight Sparkle, still eyeing the doorway and hoping that Sunset would show up.

A few moments later, the bell rang, followed by the teacher walking into the classroom, books in her arm. Twilight’s gaze slowly shifted downwards to her desk before the sound of a dry erase marker opening caught her attention. As she sat at her desk with her arms on either side of her notebook, she couldn’t keep her mind focused on what the teacher was writing. It kept wandering back to Sunset Shimmer and why she hadn’t shown up for class despite all her attempts to push the thoughts away. Giving in to the thoughts, Twilight allowed herself to think about Sunset. She recalled all the days she and the redhead had attended school together. It occurred to her that in that time she had known her and attended CHS, Sunset had never missed a single day of school. Not unless she was so sick that it was safer to stay home.

“Could this be because of what happened between us earlier when Sunset caught me looking at a yearbook picture of hers? Or is it because she is hiding whatever changes happened to her on Thursday? Did someone see something, and that caused her to ditch class?” thought Twilight Sparkle, tuning out what the teacher was saying. “Oh, Sunset. Why can’t you just be honest with me? I can’t stand all this secrecy any longer, not when I know that you are deliberately keeping something big from me. I don’t want to keep second-guessing myself and wondering if you are ever going to be honest with me. And I am not so sure I want to keep waiting for you to come to me…”

“Miss Sparkle? Care to tell the whole class what is so important that my teaching gets in the way?” asked the teacher, snapping Twilight Sparkle from her train of thought.

“Wha-huh?” asked Twilight as she looked at the teacher. “Oh, uh, sorry, Ms. Coral.”

Ms. Coral sighed, the stress of dealing with teenagers every day was slowly etching away at what little remained of her sanity. As she turned and looked at Twilight, her breath hitched in her throat. The sight of her student having two large, feathery wings was a shock to see every time she turned around. While Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had sent out letters out to all of the staff explaining what happened with Twilight and that they were to continue business as usual, Ms. Coral was still struggling to get used to it. Having a student with wings, a tail, fangs, and an ability to blast things didn’t make it easy to focus on teaching a class. However, she was starting to get past Twilight’s appearance and not let it distract her from her job. Regaining her composure, Ms. Coral took a deep breath and continued with the lesson.

“Please stay after class, Miss Sparkle. I’d like to discuss some matters with you,” said Ms. Coral, returning her attention to the whiteboard behind her.

Twilight Sparkle sank downward in her chair, her tail instinctively curling into her lap as did that. She looked down and reached her hand out towards it, allowing her fingers to brush against the coarse hair. It felt similar to what a horse’s tail would, which Twilight suspected, given how she and the girls gained pony-like attributes whenever they ponied up. However, unlike Sunset’s own tail, it wasn’t tangled. Thanks to Trixie exposing her secret to the entire school, that meant she didn’t have to hide it in her jeans. And not having it tucked away from sight also meant that it didn’t tangle nearly as much. That made brushing it in the morning a relatively easy task for Twilight. While she stared at her tail and ran her fingers through the length of it, her mind began to wander back to Sunset Shimmer and the fact that she was clearly concealing something from her.

“Why hide your wings from me, Sunset? Are you that afraid of what I will do when you let me see them? Or are you just afraid of letting me see what your demonic form looks like?” Twilight Sparkle’s hand gripped her tail tightly as anger rose within her. “What have I done that makes her so scared to tell me the truth? Can’t she just let me in and allow me to know the side of her past she thinks is so bad?”

Questions swarmed inside Twilight Sparkle’s mind so quickly that it was beginning to make her nauseous. Her stomach tightened into knots as she recalled all the times she and Sunset had hung out before all the drama with the animatronics happened. Every moment almost seemed like it was fake now that Twilight knew about the redhead hiding her past from her. The memories, now tainted by the revelation of Sunset’s lies, only reminded her that she had let herself be gullible enough not to notice all the odd things Sunset seemed to do around her. Now that Twilight was aware that she hadn’t gotten told the full story, it was painfully clear that she had ignored all the signs from the beginning. From the moment Twilight had transferred to CHS, the girls and Sunset had acted a bit weird whenever she asked them how Sunset had become their friend. And come to think of it, she never did get an answer to that question. Still, for the past year, she had shrugged it off as nothing and assumed she was just letting her nervousness get to her. Twilight gripped her pencil tightly as she tried to calm the tsunami of questions and focus on the assignment.

A half-hour later, Ms. Coral finished explaining the lesson and what the assignment was for the day. She grabbed the stack of papers that was sitting on her desk and began to pass them out to the students. When she had made her way to the row where Twilight was seated, she stopped for a moment. Ms. Coral wasn’t so sure of how to approach her or avoid her wings, which stuck out into the walkway. However, knowing that she had to maintain a professional demeanor, she pushed on doing her job until she reached Twilight’s chair. She noticed there was a look of worry and hurt written in her student’s expression. Naturally, that worried her as she didn’t like to see any of her students in distress. She set down Twilight’s assignment, trying to avoid touching her wings. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, a few feathers managed to brush against her arm and made her shudder, something that Twilight was quick to notice.

“Oh, great! Now I have scared the teacher because of my wings. Well, this day couldn’t get any worse,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she pulled her wings closer to her body.

Mr. Coral, still embarrassed that she had let her professionalism slip, walked silently back over to her desk. She set what remained of the empty assignment sheets down and sat in her chair. Her pulse was racing, and there were goosebumps on her arm where she had brushed against Twilight’s wing. In an attempt to get rid of them, Ms. Coral rubbed her arm and tried to forget the incident. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her hand from shaking as she turned to the students.

“Alright, students, you have until the end of cl-class to finish the assignment,” said Ms. Coral, the shakiness making its way to her voice. “Otherwise, it will be considered late.”

“Hey, look at that! Twilight is scaring the teacher. Maybe she can scare the teacher into giving us no homework for the week,” whispered one of the students that were sitting behind Twilight Sparkle.

That comment made Twilight Sparkle sink further into her chair as her embarrassment and shame grew. Just when she thought things were beginning to improve for her at CHS, this had to happen. She hadn’t meant for her wings to scare Ms. Coral. Besides, it wasn’t like it was her fault that her appearance had gotten altered a week ago. Twilight didn’t choose to look like the she-demon that nearly destroyed this world to learn more about magic on purpose. That choice was taken from her when her geode went haywire and caused her to revert to her demonic self. She looked up at the clock on the wall, noticing that the time was 2:15 pm. One more hour and she would be free to go home and forget all the comments, hushed whispers, and snide looks she had gotten all day. Of course, that would happen only after she had talked with Ms. Coral.

“Come on, Twilight! You can endure one more day of being in school. After that, you can go home and relax,” thought Twilight Sparkle as her eyes fell back to the almost finished assignment in front of her. “Or you can find Sunset and demand that she finally come clean about whatever she is hiding.”

“That’s my girl! Way to be assertive,” said Twilight’s inner conscience.

“Thank you. I think it’s about time that I take the initiative and tell Sunset that my patience is wearing thin for her being secretive.” Twilight filled a few more of the questions on the paper. “I can’t wait much longer before I reach my breaking point.”

“Exactly. You should tell that redhead that her time is nearly up. And that if she cares for you, she’ll be honest and tell you the truth. She’ll drop the lies and reveal what is under her hoodie as well.” Twilight Sparkle’s inner voice now had a strong, but helpful tone to it. “Besides, it’s not like whatever she is hiding can be any worse than what you have got going on, right?”

“You’re absolutely right! I mean, we have both been through similar transformations, so she can’t be hiding anything that is all that different from me,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she jotted down the last answer on the assignment.

“Sunset already knows that you’ll accept her no matter what happened in her past or what she looks like. So, just show her that you mean it,” said Twilight’s conscience as she turned in the finished assignment.

“That is precisely what I plan on doing,” thought Twilight, walking back to her seat.

After enduring the hushed comments for the last hour of school, Twilight Sparkle heard the bell ringing and signaling the end of class. She stayed seated in her chair as she watched her classmates grab their stuff and dart for the door. Once the last of her classmates left the room, she turned to Ms. Coral. Twilight could see that she was hesitant to approach and that only added to her guilt. She felt bad enough that her wing had touched her without seeing the fear the touch had caused. Pulling her wings as close to her body as she could, Twilight tried to appear as approachable as she could. As she waited for Ms. Coral to come towards her, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Applejack.

Twi: AJ, I have to stay after class for a little bit. Also, have you seen Sunset lately? She didn’t show up for class.

AJ: Okay, I will let the girls know. And no, I haven’t seen her since I confronted her about what she was hiding from us.

Twi: Oh? What happened between you two?

AJ: Let’s just say I got a bit carried away with my anger.

Twi: Did she tell you what she was hiding?

AJ: Uh, she didn’t exactly explain it to me. Just that it had something to do with her demonic transformation.

Twi: Okay. Well, I have to go now. I will meet up with you and the girls as soon as I can.

AJ: Alrighty then! Bye!

Twilight Sparkle gulped and put away her phone as she watched Ms. Coral approach her desk. When Twilight’s gaze shifted downward, she caught sight of Ms. Coral’s hands trembling as she walked toward her. That made her wings droop down over her shoulders as she looked at her desk. She didn’t want to see her teacher acting scared of her, but there was nothing she could do. She had chosen to leave her hoodie in her locker, and that left her with no way to hide the feathery nuisances attached to her. Twilight wasn’t sure how this was going to go, but she hoped that she could join the search for Sunset soon. And she hoped to do that before she lost her confidence to confront her about all the secrets and lies.

“Miss Sp-Sparkle, I am glad that you have stayed after class. Would you mind expl-explaining why you were distracted today?” asked Ms. Coral, leaning against the desk next to Twilight Sparkle.

“I was distracted because… I was thinking about Sunset, ma’am,” replied Twilight Sparkle, staring at her desk so Ms. Coral wouldn’t see the hurt in her eyes.

“Sunset Shimmer? The student who was absent from my class today?” asked Ms. Coral.

“Uh, yeah. That’s her,” said Twilight.

“And why exactly were you concerned about her, Miss Sparkle? Do you have something to do with her not being here right now?” Ms. Coral asked.

“N-No! It’s just lately Sunset, and I have had some trust… issues because of something she’s been keeping from me,” replied Twilight, looking up at her teacher.

“Ah. So, you’re worried that something may have happened with Sunset and that you’re the cause of it? Or is it that you’re worried she may be avoiding you and being honest?” Ms. Coral was beginning to relax the more she talked with Twilight Sparkle, though she figured it was best that she didn’t focus on her wings or her fangs.

“I am worried she is avoiding being honest with me.” Twilight Sparkle’s voice was quiet, almost too quiet. Ms. Coral could barely make out what she had said.

“Well, I am sure that whatever is going on with Miss Shimmer, she is alright. It could be that she is nervous about being honest with you, and she may have needed a break. Not that I condone her skipping class for that reason. But, trust me, I’ve had a few days like that in my lifetime. Especially today…” Ms. Coral got up from the desk and walked over to Twilight Sparkle. She hesitated in resting her hand on her shoulder, but quickly dispelled her fears and forced herself to go through with it.

Twilight Sparkle saw Ms. Coral’s slight uneasiness around her before she felt her hand on her shoulder. It felt nice to have someone to talk to since her mother wasn’t exactly able to speak with her. And she didn’t want to push her luck given how she currently resembled her she-demon self at the moment. Not to mention that her mother spent a lot more time trying to convince her father that she was still his little girl. As Twilight met Ms. Coral’s light lavender eyes, she saw a brief glint of curiosity in her eyes. That made her wonder if her teacher was now more curious about her than she was scared of her appearance. She watched as Ms. Coral removed her hand from her shoulder and walked back over to her desk, her hands still visibly shaking somewhat.

“Ms. Coral?” Twilight Sparkle stood up from her seat and walked over to her teacher’s desk. “Are you, um, curious… about my...” Twilight’s wings stretched outward as she spoke, “wings?”

All Ms. Coral could do was nod slightly in response to Twilight Sparkle’s question. Her throat was dry, and it seemed her vocal cords didn’t want to cooperate with her. As she sat there in her chair, she found her gaze drifting towards the two feathered wings which sprouted from her shoulder blades. Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she tried to rein it in. However, as someone who loved to learn new things, the chance to know more was all too tempting to turn down. Finding some courage to speak, Ms. Coral met Twilight’s gaze and forced herself to say something.

“Yes, Twilight. I am curious about your, erm, wings. Still, that doesn’t mean I have a right to question you about your private matters, such as this. This is not my concern, even if I am your teacher,” replied Ms. Coral, trying to keep the professionalism in her classroom.

“But Ms. Coral, I can see that you’re curious about them. And honestly, I would like to know that my favorite teacher isn’t afraid of me,” Twilight Sparkle said, hoping to convince Ms. Coral that her curiosity was alright and that she didn’t mind it.

Upon hearing that, Ms. Coral shifted her gaze away from Twilight Sparkle and looked down at her desk. It was a bit of a surprise that a student had chosen her as their favorite teacher. She did her best not to meddle in that sort of gossip between students. As a teacher, she knew that it was not wise to get caught up in conversations such as that one. Besides, it was annoying enough that it was also the topic of discussions in the teachers’ lounge as well. Ms. Coral felt her cheeks flush as she realized that one of her students truly did appreciate her.

“D-do you truly mean that, Twilight? Or are you just saying that because you feel bad that you were distracted in my class today?” asked Ms. Coral, wanting to see if Twilight meant what she said since she had usually gotten labeled as the strict teacher.

“Yes, Ms. Coral, I do mean that,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she felt her tail flick out from behind her and come into Ms. Coral’s view.

“Does your tail do that often? Or do you control it yourself?” asked Ms. Coral, taking a chance and asking something that she would never usually ask a student.

“It does it on its own. Like whenever I am deep in my thoughts or feeling any strong emotions, especially nervousness…” replied Twilight as her tail flicked out once more.

Ms. Coral fidgeted in her chair as she realized that she had made Twilight nervous by being afraid of her. “Oh, I apologized for making you feel nervous or uncomfortable around me. But, I must admit that I am feeling a bit nervous… around you right now.”

“It’s alright, Ms. Coral, I understand that you’re a bit wary of my new look. I was too, at first, even ran away from my friends because of it. Though I have to say I never imagined you being nervous, especially given how confident you always seem to be at school events,” said Twilight, looking down at the floor as she recalled the night her geode had forced her back into her demonic form.

“You know, Miss Sparkle, I am a human being just like you and your friends are.” Ms. Coral relaxed in her chair and looked at Twilight directly. “Just because I am your teacher doesn’t mean that I can’t feel things like nervousness or anxiety from time to time.”

Twilight Sparkle stepped away from Ms. Coral’s desk and leaned against the desk behind her. She bit her lip as she sat in the awkward silence, which now filled the empty classroom, being careful to avoid having the sharp edge of her fang cut her lip. It was a strange sensation to know that she now had two extraordinarily sharp canines in place of her usual ones. That made Twilight feel like she was almost a vampire, although her tail and large feathered wings made it clear that she wasn’t one. Plus, the lack of bloodlust proved that as well. Not that she minded not having bloodlust. It made her almost happy to be Midnight Sparkle instead of a blood-thirsty killer. Twilight was grateful that she wasn’t one and that if she were one, she wouldn’t sparkle like a certain family of vampires from an all too well-known book series. She knew that would’ve made her the subject of so many sparkling jokes that it would’ve been ridiculous.

As she relaxed her wings, letting them rest against her back, Twilight Sparkle said, “I understand, Ms. Coral. I was just saying that it’s strange to see my teacher acting like someone I’d meet outside of a classroom. It’s not something you’d normally see.”

Ms. Coral chuckled at what Twilight said. “That’s very true. Normally teachers aren’t supposed to interact with their students on a personal level. Then again, your situation presents us with a unique opportunity.”

“So, are you saying that you will be willing to ask me questions about my situation to quell your fears?” asked Twilight Sparkle, trying to contain her excitement at the fact that her favorite teacher was hopefully going to get past her fear of her.

“Yes, Twilight. I will make an exception for this one time. Besides, I am curious about those wings of yours,” replied Ms. Coral as she got out of her seat and leaned against the front of her desk. “Can you actually achieve flight with those?”

*** *** *** ***

In front of the school, Applejack was leaning against the Wondercolt statue. She watched as a flurry of students busted through the front doors leading out towards the courtyard where she was standing. The cowgirl had made a point to be quick to exit the halls before they had gotten overtaken for that reason. It looked similar to a herd of cattle when something has spooked them into a stampede. That made Applejack thankful that she escaped it before she got caught inside of it. When the crowds dissipated a bit, she looked around the last of the students, hoping to find her friends. She spotted Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walking out the front doors behind Wallflower Blush. As she looked at the plant lover, Applejack noticed the fearful expression she had on. That made her wonder if she had seen what Sunset was hiding from them.

“Hey, Applejack,” said Fluttershy. “I got your text about Sunset.”

“So did I,” added Rainbow Dash. “What’s up with Sunset? How come she didn’t show up?”

“Good. Now, all we gotta do is wait for the rest girls to join us,” said Applejack, pushing herself off the statue. “Then, we can figure out what the hell has bothered Sunset so much that she would ditch class and disappear on her friends.”

Just as Applejack finished her sentence, Rarity and Pinkie Pie showed up. Pinkie Pie was skipping alongside the fashionista in her usual chipper demeanor. It seemed that the disappearance of their redheaded friend hadn’t doused her spirits. That was one thing the girls were often thankful for, even if right now it didn’t seem appropriate. Her cheerfulness had gotten them through many dark times and reminded them to have fun and enjoy life. Pinkie Pie stopped skipping as she stood next to Fluttershy. Rarity, meanwhile, left Pinkie Pie’s side and walked over to where Applejack was. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek, inhaling the scent of hay and earth she had come to associate with her. It was still a bit of an adjustment to call the cowgirl her girlfriend when they had remained friends for so long. Taking her hand in her own smaller one, Rarity stood next to her.

“Pinkie Pie and I rushed over here as soon as we could. I wonder why Sunset has skipped class today. It’s very unusual for her to do something like this. She has never missed a single class, not even when she was, excuse my language, the school’s alpha bitch,” said Rarity.

The girls all stared at the fashionista, their eyes widened with surprise. It was very rare to see her say anything of that sort. And it was even more so that she would say that about her friends. Rarity was usually above that, saying that it was low-handed and beneath her. However, given what Sunset Shimmer had done to her during the Spring Formal, it was understandable that she felt that way about her. The school had called Flirty Rarity because of the video Sunset had made about her. It took her forever to live the nickname down, but she eventually managed to escape it. And since Sunset was their friend now, Rarity had forgiven her for releasing her very private photos of her to the whole school and put it behind her.

Rarity, seeing the strange looks she was getting from the girls, said, “What? It’s not like she wasn’t one back then, right? I mean, she hacked into our emails and phones and nearly destroyed our friendship just because she wanted to.”

“Um, I guess not. But, Sunset is still our friend, who has done her best to prove that she has changed,” said Fluttershy, not wanting to upset Rarity.

“Hmm, that is true. I guess “alpha bitch” was a bit… harsh,” said Rarity. “I may have been a bit judgmental in my choice of words.”

“Harsh words aside, you’re right about Sunset, Rare. It’s unusual for her to ditch class without saying a word to us,” said Applejack.

“Where’s Twilight? Isn’t she gonna join us?” asked Rainbow Dash, finally noticing the absence of Twilight Sparkle. “You would think the way she drools over Sunset, she’d care enough to get her ass over here and help us look for her.”

Applejack glared at the athlete, annoyed at her lack of empathy for Sunset or Twilight. “Twilight had to stay at her last class. The teacher needed somethin’ from her. But she said that she’d join as soon as she can.”

“Oh…” was all Rainbow Dash could manage to say as she rubbed the back of her neck, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Now that’s been sorted out, how about we get back to the matter at hand?” asked Rarity, not wanting her girlfriend to get into a fight with the athlete.

“That’s a good idea, Rare.” Applejack turned her attention to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, you and Sunset have hung out by yourselves in some of the more secluded areas of the school. Do you know where she might’ve gone to get some alone time?”

“Uh, I may know of some places Sunset would go to. However, there’s no guarantee that she’ll be there,” replied Fluttershy, hiding behind her hair.

“Well, it’s better than running around like a rubber chicken whose head got coated in a thick layer of cotton candy,” said Pinkie Pie, pulling a random cookie from her hair.

“Pinkie’s right, Fluttershy. We can use every lead we’ve got,” said Applejack, placing a comforting hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Please, tell us what you know.”

“Okay, I will do what I can to help,” Fluttershy said, pushing her hair aside.

“Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash, pumping a fist into the air. “So, where's the first place we should look for Sunset, Shy?”

Fluttershy looked down, trying to recall all the places she had seen Sunset Shimmer hanging out the most when she wasn’t with Twilight or the girls. The one place she often caught her was the library. It seemed to be her first choice to go when she needed some peace and quiet to think. That had gotten made especially apparent when the stress of trying to figure out how magic worked in their world got to her during the Friendship Games. Fluttershy had noticed that Sunset spent hours at a time in the library after school. Twilight’s spectrometer taking and containing their magic also didn’t help matters. If anything, it made Sunset stay at the library even more than she was before, causing Fluttershy to worry about her health and sanity. Deciding that was the most logical place to start with, she met the girls’ anxious expressions.

“We can check the library. That seemed to be Sunset's first choice whenever she needed someplace quiet, especially during the Friendship Games,” replied Fluttershy. “I mean if you all want to check it out.”

“Well, it’s a good place to start,” said Applejack. “So, let’s go check there first.”

*** *** *** ***

The girls arrived at the library in 20 minutes, finding it mostly empty. The air smelled of musty books and lilacs, which hit them instantly as they walked in. Aside from a few students who were studying for makeup work or tests, there were very few people sitting in the library. There was also a chilliness in the room as the air conditioning had gotten turned on for the summer season. And there was an eerie silence that had settled over it. The silence was enough to make Fluttershy feel uncomfortable standing there in the doorway. Seemingly oblivious to Fluttershy’s growing uneasiness, Rainbow Dash walked over to a cart that was sitting near the entrance. As she browsed through it, she came across the latest Daring Do book in the series.

“Sweet! A.K. Yearling has released a new Daring Do book!” shouted Rainbow Dash, forgetting that she was supposed to be quiet inside of a library.

Looking up from the book, Rainbow Dash saw that many of the students there were now glaring at her. She didn’t understand why they were all angry at her until she remembered where she was. Sheepishly, Rainbow Dash put the Daring Do book back on the cart. However, just as she was about to join the girls again, she heard Matilda come up behind her. She turned around and saw the librarian’s assistant was shushing her. The angry expression she wore drilled into Rainbow Dash and made her squirm as she looked at her.

“S-sorry, Matilda,” whispered Rainbow Dash, looking away from Matilda and the annoyed looks she was getting from the surrounding students.

As Matilda walked away from the girls, Rainbow Dash shivered. Although she was older than Granny Smith, Matilda had a creepiness to her. Maybe it was because her one blind eye had lost its color and now was milky grey. Or perhaps it was the way she seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. For an assistant in a quiet library, Matilda had a way of sneaking up on unsuspecting students. It always unnerved Rainbow Dash whenever she had to come to the library for any reason. Whatever it was that gave Matilda her air of creepiness, the athlete was glad that she didn’t visit the library often. Besides, Rainbow Dash had a reputation as the coolest team captain of CHS to uphold. And being considered an egghead was not going to help her maintain that.

Applejack walked over to the main desk, squeezing Rarity’s hand as she joined her. She had to admit it was pleasant to hold her girlfriend’s hand in public. After forcing herself to hide her feelings for so long, expressing them openly felt good to the cowgirl. There were a few students who looked up from their textbooks and stared at the two. Applejack saw Rarity turn to look at them, wondering if she was okay. She knew it was a risk to have their relationship out in the open. However, if anyone had anything bad to say about them dating, Applejack was more than willing to put them in their place. When she saw Rarity look back at her and smile, her worry dissolved, and she turned her attention to Miss Cheerilee.

“Oh, hello, girls!” said Miss Cheerilee as she walked out from behind the main desk.

“Hey, Miss Cheerilee. We were wonderin’ if you had seen Sunset today by any chance,” said Applejack. “We’re lookin’ for her.”

“Hmm, I don’t think I have seen her in here today. But she may have run by here earlier, during the fifth period,” replied Miss Cheerilee as she reshelved a few books. “I hope that helps you, girls.”

“It does. Thank you, Miss Cheerilee,” said Rarity, giving their librarian an appreciative smile.

Slipping away unnoticed by her friends, Fluttershy made her way over to the animal section of the library. That section was her favorite part of the library, especially since she worked at the animal shelter. Some of the books had helped her many times whenever she had a troublesome dog or gerbil. She was on a mission to see if she could find any critter that could help her and her friends look for Sunset. While she scanned the shelf that had books on horses, she noticed a medium-sized web in a corner where some dust had built up. Fluttershy moved closer to it and saw what appeared to be its eight-legged creator sitting on it. Carefully, she moved closer to it, fully aware that it might be fearful of her.

As the spider sat on its web, it noticed a girl with light pink hair coming closer to it. Immediately, out of fear of being chased away from its home once more, it scurried up to the very edge of its web. Concern was making its tiny body tremble on its web and nearly caused the spider to lose its footing. It tried to make itself as small as it could so the girl wouldn’t see it. The spider had learned to be wary of any humans as they always seemed to hate its presence and call it a vermin or a pest whenever they saw it. Its instincts told it not to trust this strange person, and to run the second it had a chance to get away from them.

“Ple-please, don’t hurt me! I won’t hurt you, I promise!” whispered the spider, hoping the girl would leave it alone.

Fluttershy stopped moving as she heard the spider speak. The tiny squeak of its voice was barely audible in the near-silent library. She got a closer look at the spider, her eyes widening as she saw just how adorable it was. There was a dark lavender marking on its thorax that almost appeared to be in the shape of an M. The rest of its body was either a black or a dark navy blue, but the shadows made it hard to distinguish the color. When the spider moved, it allowed Fluttershy to see the white M on its underside along with several white spots all over its forelegs. The sight of the spider’s cute markings was enough to make Fluttershy smile at the sight of it.

“Oh, no! I would never hurt a cutie such as you,” whispered Fluttershy, trying to keep her voice calm.

“R-really?” asked the spider, cautiously stepping away from the top of its web. “You promise not to hurt me if I come closer?”

“Yes, I promise not to harm you. Besides, why would I harm you when you are so irresistibly cute?” said Fluttershy, holding out her hand for the tiny eight-legged creature.

Upon hearing that, all eight of the spider’s eyes looked up at Fluttershy. It didn’t believe what it had just heard for a moment. Yet, the happy sparkle in the girl’s eyes told the spider she was being truthful about what she said. If it was physically possible for spiders to blush, it was sure that it would’ve had some redding on its cheeks from Fluttershy’s cutie comment. It was unusual for anyone to call it cute. Let alone hold out their hand for it and let it walk on them willingly. Usually, most humans would scream and thrash about violently if any contact had gotten made. Then again, there was nothing ordinary about this girl, especially since it could carry a conversation with her.

“No one has ever said that to me. They usually just say I am vermin or a pest right before they destroy my web and chase me off,” said the spider as it slowly made its way onto the animal lover’s hand. “By the way, how can I talk to you? I haven’t been able to talk to any other humans.”

“I can talk to animals because of my geode. It allows me to communicate with you and all the other animals at the shelter I work at,” replied Fluttershy as she showed her geode to the spider. “So, what’s your name?”

“My name is Mattie, Mattie, the Spider,” replied Mattie as he waved one of his front legs at Fluttershy. “Nice to meet you…”

“Fluttershy,” said Fluttershy, introducing herself to Mattie.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Fluttershy,” said Mattie.

Just as Fluttershy was going to speak, Rainbow Dash walked over to where Fluttershy was standing. Applejack and Rarity were right behind her, still holding hands and standing close to each other. Their presence spooked Mattie enough to make him scurry up her arm and hide on her shoulder. His little body trembled in fear once again as he heard the footsteps getting closer to him. Fluttershy stepped away from the bookshelf and walked over to her friends. She was careful to keep Mattie hidden until the introductions had gotten made.

“Hey Fluttershy, did you have any luck with the animals around here?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, actually…” Fluttershy began, waiting for Mattie to step out. “I did come across someone who could help us. A spider…”

Something inside Rarity began to panic as Fluttershy mentioned the word ‘spider.’ Although she understood Fluttershy’s love of all animals, including insects, something about the eight-legged variety always set her on edge. And the eight eyes that were a defining feature of most arachnids made her feel uneasy. Rarity didn’t like the idea that something with that many eyes could be watching her without her knowledge. Not to mention that the webs they created were a nuisance, especially when she walked straight into them. Rarity looked around her and found a nearby book and grabbed it. Just as she was about to throw it at the spider, Fluttershy’s hand stopped her.

“Rarity! He will not hurt you. Now, drop the book, please,” said Fluttershy, glaring at the fashionista before softening her gaze.

Rarity reluctantly lowered the book as Fluttershy let go of her arm. Still, she held the book close to her, not letting Mattie out of her sight. When Applejack grabbed the book, she tightened her grip on it. She looked at Applejack and saw the look of concern in her green eyes. That was enough to make her let go of the book and let the cowgirl set it aside on a table nearby. Now disarmed, Rarity’s hold on her girlfriend’s hand tightened. Spiders unnerved her, and not running away from one was something she was struggling to do at the moment. Willingly seeing a spider was not something that Rarity ever imagined herself doing. Yet, that was precisely what she was doing with Applejack.

“Mattie, meet Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity,” Fluttershy said, motioning towards her friends.

As Fluttershy introduced each of the girls, they all waved at Mattie, except for Rarity. When Mattie waved back at them, it was too much for Rarity. She stepped away and let go of Applejack’s hand. The room was beginning to swirl around her like she was looking through a kaleidoscope. Rarity stumbled around a bit as she began to lose her balance before she steadied herself on a table. Unable to remain conscious for much longer, Rarity put her hand to her forehead in her usual dramatic flair and felt her body go limp. Her body almost slammed into the floor, but Applejack’s quick reflexes caught her right before her head was about to hit it.

“Oh, my! Is your friend alright?” asked Mattie, scared that he was the cause of Rarity’s sudden fainting spell.

“Yes, she is fine, Mattie. This is typical behavior for Rarity. Honestly, I don’t know why she must act so dramatic sometimes. It does offend some of the animals’ feelings when she reacts like that,” replied Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Come on, Rarity! Cut the act and get up! We need to find Sunset before school closes, and it’s nighttime.”

That statement earned a glare from Applejack. She was close to being fed up with Rainbow Dash’s annoying and obnoxious behavior. Having to endure it all day, it was starting to get on what remained of her last nerve. Applejack had taken a lot of snide remarks from her since they announced that they were dating and that they kissed. She ignored most of them, choosing not to give Rainbow Dash any satisfaction that she was annoying her. However, when those comments had gotten directed at Rarity, the cowgirl’s temper seemed to flare up. She didn’t expect to be so protective of her girlfriend, though she didn’t mind it. It was a good perk of dating someone she cared strongly about. One that Applejack intended to use to make sure that no one would harm her girlfriend.

Rarity became conscious again, blinking as she found herself wrapped in the cowgirl’s strong embrace. The feeling of toned muscles against her skin made her body heat up in response to the contact. She reached up and squeezed her hand tightly against the biceps, which pushed against her own. Rarity could feel the firmness and the heat that radiated off Applejack’s skin. Being so close to her, there was building a desire to strip off the clothing which hid the rest of her girlfriend’s toned body. However, Rarity forced that desire down and just admired the feeling of being in such a secure embrace. It was amazing just how tough the cowgirl was, yet, she somehow managed to keep a feminine look to her figure as well.

“Oh my, Applejack. You’re quite the catcher,” said Rarity, glancing away as she tried to hide her embarrassment at being caught admiring Applejack’s body.

“Well, I wasn’t goin’ to let my girlfriend injure herself. I also didn’t want you to ruin that beautiful dress of yours either,” replied Applejack, helping Rarity back to her feet.

“That’s… sweet of you, AJ. Thank you for catching me,” said Rarity, straightening out her dress and hair.

“You’re, uh, welcome Rare,” replied Applejack as she gripped Rarity’s hand in a gentle grasp, wanting to keep her close.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, growing more and more annoyed at Applejack and Rarity’s flirting. She wanted to find out what happened with Sunset Shimmer and to convince her to stop lying to the others. Enough was enough; it was time for the rest of the girls to know what happened on Thursday. She wasn’t going to keep quiet for much longer. A few days had passed since she had told Sunset that she’d keep her secret. And now she was about ready to stay true to the threat she made if Sunset didn’t come clean about what occurred. With her patience running low, Rainbow Dash ignored Applejack and Rarity and made her way over to Fluttershy.

“Okay, Shy, ask your bug friend if he’s seen Sunset anywhere near here so we can find her and make her tell us what’s going on,” said Rainbow Dash, jabbing a finger at Mattie.

“Actually, I am an Arachnida. And your friend could find herself dead from my bite if she continues to insult my species with such a common name,” Mattie said, trying to sound vicious but only succeeding in making Fluttershy giggle at his words.

"Now now, no need to be rude, Mattie,” said Fluttershy, scolding Mattie once she could suppress her laughter enough to speak.

Rainbow Dash noticed that and said, “What did that bug just say about me?” She glared at Mattie, making him shrink towards Fluttershy as she waited for the answer.

“Mattie was just saying that he’s a part of the Arachnida genus,” replied Fluttershy.

“Arachnwhat?” asked Rainbow Dash, confused.

“Arachnida,” said Fluttershy. “He’s part of the Arachnida genus, which is the official name for the class of arachnids, Dash. He’s not just a bug.”

“Whatever. He is still a bug to me,” replied Rainbow Dash, not caring about whether or not Mattie was a spider.

“Hmph. I may just bite you right now for making that comment about me,” said Mattie, lifting his two front legs and waving one of them in a taunting manner towards the athlete.

That prompted Rainbow Dash to point her finger at Mattie, saying. “You better watch it, you eight-legged nuisance!”

Fluttershy, ignoring what Rainbow Dash said, turned to Mattie.

“Mattie, have you or any of your spider siblings seen a red and yellow-haired girl come in here?” asked Fluttershy.

“Hmm, not that I can recall. But my sister has seen a girl matching that description,” replied Mattie.

“What did Mattie say?” asked Applejack, still keeping her grip on Rarity’s hand.

“He said that his sister saw a girl matching Sunset’s description run past here,” said Fluttershy as she looked at Applejack.

“That’s what Miss Cheerilee said too,” Rarity said, recalling what their librarian had said earlier.

“So, Sunset just ran right past here. And we have wasted our fucking time just to find that out. Great! Just great,” said Rainbow Dash, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“Calm down, Dash! I am sure that Mattie can still help us,” said Applejack, keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash. “Just give him a chance.”

“I can’t believe I just stood up for a spider,” thought Applejack as she looked at Rarity, making sure she was okay.

“Mattie, did your sister tell you where the girl was going by any chance?” asked Fluttershy.

“Umm, she did say that the girl was heading towards the entrance of the school,” replied Mattie, tapping one of his legs on his chin.

“Well?” asked Rainbow Dash. “What did the annoying bug say?”

“Please stop calling Mattie a bug, Rainbow Dash. And he said that his sister saw Sunset running towards the entrance of the school,” Fluttershy said, patting Mattie on his tiny thorax.

“So, maybe Sunset was heading to her apartment?” Pinkie Pie suggested as she walked over to the girls, putting down the book about strange delicacies of other cultures that she was reading.

“Yeah, probably. I mean, I would go home if I was in Sunset's position too. It can’t be easy with what she’s hidin’ beneath that hoodie of hers,” said Applejack, looking from Pinkie pie to Fluttershy. “We’ll meet you outside so you can send Mattie home.”

“Okay, thank you. I’ll be right out,” said Fluttershy.

The girls walked out of the library as Fluttershy made her way over to where Mattie's web was still sitting. Fluttershy held out her hand, allowing him to step off of her and back onto his web. Mattie slowly made his way down from her shoulder and onto her arm. The feeling of his legs walking on her arm made Fluttershy giggle a bit. It felt like a feather was getting dragged along her arm, and it was hard to resist the urge to scratch at the itches that formed from it. She waited for Mattie to walk off, but he didn’t. Instead, Fluttershy saw him stop and rest in her palm.

“What’s wrong, Mattie?” asked Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, I don’t want to go home. They mistreat me here. They also chase me away from my home with a big wooden stick,” said Mattie. “I want to go home with you.”

“Oh, Mattie! I am not sure that Angel will be too happy if I brought home a spider. Even a cute, little, and friendly spider like you.” Fluttershy felt terrible that she had to turn down Mattie’s request.

“Please. Please, let me come home with you,” begged Mattie, using all eight of his eyes to make a spider version of puppy dog eyes while he held up his front legs in a pleading manner.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and tried to resist the cuteness in front of her. She wanted to tell herself that it was better to leave Mattie here. And that if she did bring him home, Angel wouldn’t be too happy about it. She had brought home a few other animals, but Angel didn’t appreciate it when her attention had gotten diverted from him. Unfortunately, for the animal lover, the puppy dog eyes were her one weakness. Opening her eyes, Fluttershy gave into Mattie’s request.

“Okay, Mattie. You may come home with me,” said Fluttershy. “But, you’ll need to stay inside here, so you don’t get hurt.” Fluttershy grabbed a plastic container that previously held her apple slices and held it out to Mattie.

“Alright, thank you, Fluttershy,” said Mattie as he jumped up and into the container with joy.

Fluttershy opened the vent on the container lid before closing it on top of Mattie. She didn’t want her new spider friend to suffocate while he was sitting in her backpack. As she placed the container back into her lunch bag, she was careful about where she set it down. Fluttershy didn’t want to risk injuring Mattie before she got him to her house. Once that had gotten done, she closed up her backpack and slowly slung it over her shoulder. She tried to ignore the thoughts that told her that Angel wasn’t going to like this. Then, she ran outside to join the rest of the girls.

*** *** *** ***

Under the bleachers, Sunset Shimmer remained huddled into a ball, her wings tightly wrapped around her body. She had heard the clamoring of students as they rushed out and ran past her. A few of them remained in the soccer field and forced her to be quiet to avoid getting detected. The sounds of students chatting around her made her feel uncomfortable. Without her hoodie on, that left her demonic appearance exposed for the whole world to see. And that made her wary of doing anything that could draw someone to her and allow them to see what she was trying to keep concealed. Wallflower’s reaction was still seared inside of her memory and reminded her why she had to remain hidden. Thankfully, no teams were practicing for the day. So, there was no risk of anyone discovering her under the bleachers by accident.

However, that was 30 minutes ago. By now, all the students had left the soccer field, leaving behind a silence that made Sunset’s thoughts echo in her mind. Sunset refused to let her wings unfurl from around her body. It wasn’t that the cold fall air made her crave the warmth radiating off them. It was the anxiety caused by the possibility of the girls fearing her monstrous features and powers. Picking her head up from her knees, Sunset got up and cautiously poked her head out from the bleachers. Her eyes and cheeks were still wet from the tears that she had let go after holding them back for so long. She kept her wings close to her body, afraid to move them in case someone saw her. When she saw that there was no one was around, she tentatively unfurled the leathery nuisances that were her wings. That felt good as they had begun to ache from getting forced to remain in one position. Sunset leaned against the back of the bleachers as she struggled to maintain her balance. It was still hard to adjust to having the extra weight on her back.

“You know, you wouldn’t be so scared of the girls distrusting you if you hadn’t-”

“Shut the hell up! I don’t need you to remind me that I fucked up, alright?” said Sunset Shimmer as her tail flicked and burst into flames in response to her growing anger.

“Hmm, let me think about that. Yeah, I am not going to shut up because you tell me to. You need me to remind you to be honest with your friends. Without me, you might as well just go back to being the bully you once were,” replied the redhead’s conscience.

“You know that I could tune you if I wanted to, right?” thought Sunset, not wanting anyone to overhear her talking to herself.

“Oh, you can? If that’s so, how come you haven’t done it already?” asked Sunset’s conscience.

Sunset Shimmer remained silent. She knew, deep down, that she needed her conscience. And despite the constant annoyance of its comments, it kept her on the straight path. It reminded her that she had fought to change her way, to better herself. Her conscience also served as a reminder that if she weren’t careful, all that she gained and worked for would fall apart and disappear. Sunset was well aware that one wrong misstep could cost her all her friendships and any chance to regain them back. And she knew that if she wanted any chance to be Twilight’s girlfriend, she would have to come clean about her past. She knew it wasn’t right to advance their relationship when she still had secrets that needed to get told. Besides, Sunset wanted to be completely open and honest with Twilight before she started their relationship, assuming that she would want to be in one when she learned everything.

“Okay, maybe I can’t tune you out. Maybe I do need you to remind me that I will lose everything if I make the wrong choice. But that doesn’t mean you get to act all high and mighty about it, okay?” Sunset thought as she grabbed her hoodie and slipped her arms into it as her wings rested along her back.

“Hey, if you didn’t want to put up with your conscience reminding her to tell the truth, then maybe you should have been upfront with Twilight since the beginning of your friendship. Instead, you just told one lie after another, like your past was going to damn you if Twilight knew about it,” Sunset’s inner voice said before falling silent.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, annoyed by what her conscience was saying.

“Glad to see that you understand the importance of what I am saying to you. As for the gloating, I think I am entitled to do that. It’s not the easiest thing to be your conscience when you barely listen to me,” said the redhead’s conscience.

“Oh, sweet Celestia! Now you sound like that self-entitled magician Trixie. And that’s not a compliment,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she adjusted the hoodie over her wings before zipping it close. It felt good to have her wings hidden once again.

“Hmpf. I guess I will shut up… for now,” said Sunset’s inner voice.

After that, Sunset Shimmer was left alone with just her thoughts for company. As Sunset got her gloves on, she made her way over to her messenger bag and began to search for her phone. She had learned to keep it in her bag for safekeeping. She had a record of her phone falling from her pocket and completely shattering. It was starting to get expensive having to pay for a new phone every time she dropped her previous one. And her paycheck was going to continue to cover the expenses. So, she put it in her bag whenever she didn’t need to have it on her. Finally, after a few minutes of pushing past papers, Sunset found her phone at the bottom. Just as she pulled it out, she caught sight of her reflection in the blackness of her screen.

Her eyes looked like they usually would before her transformation happened, thanks to the contacts, which had remained in place. And they sat comfortably in her eyes, well, as comfortable as they could be for being contacts. However, Sunset knew what laid beneath the unassuming appearance of her eyes. The sight of them was a direct contrast with her blood-red skin. It made her wish that her contacts weren’t in, so that way, they matched the rest of her. Yet, Sunset knew that she needed them to conceal the most frightening feature of her new look. If the girls were to see the blackness which now surrounded her cyan pupils, it would likely frighten them. Sunset adjusted her phone upwards, allowing her to see her ears. They looked like she had lost a fight with a pair of scissors. She chuckled a little at the thought, making her twitch in response. That stopped her from laughing.

“I look like a monster. That’s all Twilight will see if I am not careful with how I tell her. And honestly, if she saw me that way, I wouldn’t blame her. I have been acting like she is not worthy of my trust or the truth. I kept lying to her left and right until Trixie exposed my secret to her. Now, I can’t seem to come clean about the most important part of my past, the part that me and her share in common,” thought Sunset as she lowered her phone, looking away from her reflection.

Sunset Shimmer slipped her phone into her pocket and put her sunglasses back on. She sat back down next to her bag and listened to the sounds of birds chirping around her. That was the only sound that kept her from her thoughts. And she was grateful for the distraction. Her thoughts were her enemies right now, bringing her worst fears to the front of her mind. Sunset slipped her gloves back on as she leaned herself against the back of the bleachers. With her claws covered, she felt a bit safer and less exposed. Unfortunately, that relief only lasted for a few seconds. She knew that her claws would get shown once more when she revealed them to the girls. Although she feared the girls’ reactions to her appearance, there was only one reaction she feared the most – Twilight Sparkle’s. She wasn’t sure what she would do if Twilight found it repulsive to look at or couldn’t accept her demonic form. Sighing, Sunset tried to calm herself down and focus on just telling Twilight and the girls what happened to her on Thursday.

*** *** *** ***

In front of the school, Applejack and the girls saw Fluttershy running towards them from her van. Her backpack was in her van, sitting in the shade so Mattie wouldn’t get hot while she was out helping her friends. She didn’t want to risk injuring her new spider friend while she and the girls tried to locate Sunset. The other girls had also put away their backpacks in their own vehicles, deeming them too heavy to be carrying around for much longer. Applejack, who found it suspicious that Fluttershy had taken a bit longer than she’d expected, looked at the animal lover.

“Shy, why in tarnation were you taking so long?” asked Applejack as Fluttershy approached her and the girls.

“Oh, Mattie wanted to come home with me. So… I gave in and let him come with me,” replied Fluttershy.

“And you’re sure that Angel is gonna be okay with that?” Rainbow Dash asked, crossing her arms.

“Well, I am not sure he’ll be against it,” said Fluttershy, lowering her head. “But, I will ask him if he is before I bring Mattie in with me.”

“Well, if Angel does decide that he likes his new spider brother, I will throw Mattie a ‘Welcome to your new Home’ party,” said Pinkie Pie, squealing as party ideas raced through her head.

“Okay, now that’s out of the way, can we go to Sunset’s apartment? I want to find out why the hell she’d ditch us without any warning,’ said Rainbow Dash, growing impatient waiting for the girls to get a move one, especially after they had wasted their time at the library.

“Rainbow Dash! Quit bein’ so impatient,” said Applejack, glaring at the polychromatic athlete.

“Sorry…” was all Rainbow Dash could say. She looked down and rubbed her arm, knowing that she had gotten on the girls’ nerves again.

Just when Applejack was about to speak, the sound of rustling bushes stopped her. She and the girls turned to look at the wooded area that surrounded their school. As they gazed at the bushes, something pushed aside their branches. Something that looked like a grime-covered golden-green hand made out of plastic with a metal frame buried within it. Soon that hand was joined by an arm, then a leg and another arm until there was a full body of an animatronic standing in front of them. Its right ear was mostly intact with some decay showing, but the left one was mostly gone, and a few wires were jutting out from what remained of it. Along its body, the plastic had many holes in it from years of decay and neglect. Some were small, while others were large enough to give a good view of the endoskeleton inside.

As the girls examined the body, they could see there was something resembling a human corpse trapped inside the confines of the animatronic. When they reached its legs, they could see the plastic covered had either melted or deteriorated away, leaving behind the metal of the shins exposed down to the feet of it. There were some weird pinkish wires that look similar to the ligaments of a human. As it stepped out from the bushes, a stench of old oil and rotting flesh wafted towards the girls. Rarity, having the weaker stomach of the girls, covered her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from vomiting at the smell.

“Who the hell are you?!” shouted Rainbow Dash, standing next to Applejack. “And what exactly are you doing here?”

“I am glad you asked that question,” said the animatronic, its voice staticky and somewhat garbled. “The name is… William Afton. However, you may call me Springtrap.”

As Springtrap spoke, the girls saw something pink and flesh-like inside of his mouth. It appeared to have some human teeth behind the yellowed plastic teeth of the animatronic. They seemed to jut out of what remained of a human jaw bone and skull. Several poles jutted upward from the bottom jaw, ending in sharp points similar to nails. Some of them penetrated up to his cheekbone. Parts of the poles showed through the mass as they made their way upward. There were also some wires digging into the pink mass, which had gotten contained inside. Two wires attached themselves to Springtrap’s eye sockets and pulled them higher while two wires yanked the bottom portion of them down. Taking the place of where his human eyes once sat were two fake plastic eyeballs. Yet, there was a human likeness to them that creeped Rainbow Dash out.

“Well, Springtrap, what the fuck are you doing here?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Ah, you see… I am here to kill all of you. Then, I will find those wretched children and get rid of them once and for all,” replied Springtrap, leaning down towards Rainbow Dash close enough that his face was almost touching hers.

“Well, I have a newsflash for you. We’ll kick your ass and take you down,” Rainbow Dash said, pushing Springtrap’s face out of hers.

“Oh, really? Do you think you can take on an army of me?” asked Springtrap as all 60 of his doppelgangers stepped out of their hiding spots and stood behind him. “You think you can defeat 60 me?”

The girls stepped back and huddled closer together as they looked at the large group of doppelgangers. The number of doppelgangers made them realize the danger they were now facing. They could see that they had gotten vastly outnumbered ten to one. And all of the Springtrap copies were about Springtrap’s height and looked exactly like him, hiding the real one in the sea of them. Now Twilight’s extra firepower as Midnight Sparkle would come in hand to fight a majority of them off. Otherwise, they were likely to suffer severe injuries or worse. However, it seemed that they were on their own for the time being. Without Sunset Shimmer or Twilight Sparkle fighting alongside them, the girls’ chances against the army of Springtraps dropped even lower. As each of the girls faced the reality that they were going to likely get killed, Applejack felt Rarity grip her hand tightly.

“Applejack, I-I don’t think we can battle that many animatronics at once. Especially without Twilight or Sunset here with us,” said Rarity, eyeing the crowd of Springtraps.

“I agree with you, Rare. However, I don’t think William here is givin’ us much of a choice in that matter,” replied Applejack. “We’re outnumbered… by a lot of these damned animatronics. And we’re gonna have to fight if we want to warn Sunset and Twilight.”

Without waiting for the girls to make the first move, Springtrap raised his arm and shouted, “Attack them!”

Seconds later, the horde of Springtraps ran towards the girls. A few of the doppelgangers were stupid enough not to notice the pieces of metal from cans and wrappers strewn about the parking lot. That took care of 15 Springtraps and dropped the number down to 45 as they dissolved into magic. The girls watched as the concentrated equestrian magic floated back to Springtrap, allowing them to see where he was in the midst of his doppelgangers. Applejack, seeing one of the doppelgangers about to punch Rainbow Dash, pulled her and Rarity back just as it was about to swing at them. That caused the Springtrap to lose its balance and nearly topple over.

“Rarity, do you think that you can make a shield or barrier around us?” asked Applejack, grabbing a rock and throwing it at one of the doppelgangers. However, it just caught the stone and crushed it in its palm.

“I would, but-” Rarity felt the contents of her stomach come up her throat. She managed to force it back down, coughing at the stinging sensation it left behind. “I don’t… think I… can.”

During the conversation, one of the Springtraps ran towards Applejack and jumped onto her. She tried to brace herself as the heavy animatronic landed on top of her. But due to the weight, she was knocked to the ground where a jagged piece of glass sliced through the skin of her forearm. That elicited a groan from her as she rolled onto her back. As Applejack held the animatronic over her body, the warm, red liquid trickled down her arm, staining her shirt as it dripped down onto it. Searing pain ran throughout her whole arm, distracting her for a moment and allowing the Springtrap an opportunity to attack her. Taking that opportunity, the doppelganger overpowered the cowgirl and landed a punch to her face. The impact hit her jaw and caused her head to slam against the ground. A small groan slipped past her lips as her head throbbed in response to the collision. She could feel the rough plastic that remained on its hand as it scraped across her cheek, leaving behind three red marks.

After a few seconds, Applejack managed to push the animatronic off of herself. But the task was a struggle, and having blood pouring out her arm wasn’t making it any easier. Just as she had started to push herself off the ground, Applejack saw Fluttershy run past her and duck beneath a set of tables nearby. Several of the doppelgangers that were chasing her stopped and looked around, seemingly unaware of where the animal lover had disappeared to. The sight made her realize that the doppelgangers weren’t very smart and were easy to fool. Not wanting to leave the girls on their own, the cowgirl shifted her attention over to Rarity, who was clutching her stomach with a pained expression on her face. Applejack was about to stand up when she saw another Springtrap heading right towards her girlfriend.

“Rarity, watch out!” shouted Applejack, getting up to her feet and running over to her girlfriend as she stood in front of her.

Just as Applejack stood in front of the doppelganger, she felt herself getting thrown to the side. As she was pushed, the force of it made her slam into a tree, knocking the wind of her chest. She slumped downward as she tried to recover from the sudden crash. Applejack watched as Rarity caved into the awful smell and vomited violently. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw the doppelganger’s quizzical look as it watched Rarity. It seemed puzzled by what was happening in front of it. However, as her stomach finished heaving out what remained of her lunch, the Springtrap seemed to remember its earlier mission. Applejack tried to force herself back to her feet, but her body was growing weaker from blood loss. That forced her to watch in terror as it crashed its fist into Rarity’s abdomen, causing her to collapse to her knees.

Rarity, still recovering from puking out the contents of her stomach, felt a hard impact against her abdomen. The force of the punch and the pain that accompanied it made her knees buckle beneath her. She groaned as her knees contacted with the rough pavement, making her already sore throat ache even more. The burning sensation made every breath she took in sting against the rawness of her throat. And it didn’t help that she was coughing from the punch to her gut. Rarity looked up in time to see a plastic hand coming from her left and headed straight for her head. The smell that radiated off it made her feel queasy as she tried to ignore her urges to vomit again. As the fist slammed into her face, she felt her whole body collapse beneath her as she was pushed all the way to the ground. Her vision was blurry from the impact’s close proximity to her eye socket. Rarity placed her hands on the cold pavement as she tried to push herself back up with shaky arms.

Unfortunately, just as she was about to stand back on her feet, Rarity saw another fist quickly coming from her right and aimed directly at her face. The hit sent her flying away from the rest of the girls, and she landed a few feet from where Applejack was still sitting slumped against a tree. The fashionista’s body crashed into the pavement, which elicited a sickening crack from her shoulder, indicating that it had popped free from its socket. Following behind her shoulder, the next thing to impact with the ground was her head. It slammed down so hard that it made her blackout and lay motionless on the spot where she landed. The doppelganger, satisfied with what it had accomplished, turned to join the growing group around Rainbow Dash.

“Ra-rarity?!” coughed Applejack, still trying to catch her breath. “Are y-you okay?”

The fashionista groaned as she came back into consciousness. The light from the sun shining down on her made her squint as she tried not to get blinded. She pushed herself up onto her one elbow, being careful not to use her injured shoulder in the process. She opened her eyes a bit more now that the sun was no longer shining directly in them. Rarity blinked, trying to see through the blurriness of her vision. However, that did little to alleviate the fuzziness around the edges. She figured that her head had gotten hit pretty hard before she blacked out. The jackhammer-like pounding in Rarity’s head confirmed that for her.

“Well, aside from my dislocated shoulder, I think I am mostly okay,” replied Rarity, still unable to see much of anything through the haze still clouding her vision.

“Whew, that’s good,” said Applejack.

But as Applejack glanced over at the rest of the girls, she saw that Rainbow Dash was getting surrounded by numerous Springtraps. Although her speeding past them before they could get close was working for the moment, it was clear that it wasn’t going to work for much longer. The more doppelgangers that surrounded her, the less room she had to move and dodge them. Rainbow Dash ducked down as one of the Springtraps tried to grab her arm and prevent her from speeding away.

“Well, it looks like Dash isn’t so lucky…” said Applejack.

The cowgirl tried to push herself up using the tree behind her, but she slipped in the pool of blood that had collected next to her. That resulted in her injured arm becoming coated in a mix of soil and blood as well as grass blades. She tried to stand once more. This time, Applejack was successful, but her body was trembling from the lack of blood remaining inside of her. That caused her to use the tree for support as she tried to stay on her feet. Unfortunately, she had to use her bad arm, and that made the cut sting even more as the rough bark of the tree rubbed against it. She gasped and inhaled sharply as she tried to fight the pain which raced up her whole arm. While Applejack was a tough cowgirl, this pain was something unlike any other, and it tested her limits when it came to her pain tolerance.

In an attempt to get to Rainbow Dash’s side and help her, the cowgirl used her strength and pushed herself away from the tree’s support. But in doing that, she made her body shake even more as her legs struggled to support her weight. She collapsed after a few minutes, her legs giving way beneath her. Just as her knees slammed against the ground, Applejack felt a piece of metal slash its way onto her thigh. Seconds after that happened, there were two rivers of blood flowing from the fresh wounds and past the metal still stuck in her skin. The warmth of her blood running down her thigh was barely distracting her from the growing throbbing sensation in her leg. Applejack gingerly placed her hand near the new wound and felt the warmth radiating off the area surrounding it. Pulling her hand back, she tried to ignore the throb of her pulse as her blood pooled around her. She looked in the direction of where the shrapnel came from and saw tha it was flung by Rainbow Dash using her super-speed as she ducked beneath one of the Springtrap doppelgangers.

“Ah!” screamed Rarity as she collapsed onto her back, her stomach punctured by one of the metal pieces that had gotten flung by Rainbow Dash.

Rarity glanced down to see the piece of shrapnel had embedded itself rather deep into her abdomen. Placing a hand on the top of it, she attempted to remove it. However, just one tug was enough to send a shockwave of pain throughout her whole body. It was like a serrated saw was getting dragged through her intestinal tract very slowly. That was enough to make her stop pulling on it. She quickly let go and pulled her hand away from it. It was painfully clear there was no way she could remove it herself. Perhaps it was better that way, given that she had nothing to control the bleeding once it had gotten removed anyway. Rarity sighed while remaining as still as she could, trying to breathe slowly. The shrapnel hindered her breathing a bit, but she could manage for the time being.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was getting tired of running around and narrowly missing getting punched. As she ran to the right of one Springtrap, she came face to face with another Springtrap doppelganger. Due to exhaustion, her reflexes were slower, and thus she didn’t react quickly to avoid the incoming punch. Before she knew what was happening, she felt a sickening crack as the doppelganger’s fist contacted with her nose and broke it. That also sent her flying into one of the two trash cans nearby. As Rainbow Dash’s back slammed into the metal trash can, she felt the lid fall and hit her head, making her dizzy and disorienting her in the process.

“Woah, that was one of hell of a punch, Springtrap,” mumbled Rainbow Dash as she tried to regain her bearings.

Several of Springtrap’s doppelgangers touched the second metal trash can by accident, making their numbers dwindle from 45 to 35. Rainbow Dash, still dazed from sudden action of getting punched and thrown back against some trash cans, was unaware of that. However, she did notice the two doppelgangers approaching her and readying their fists for impact. Still weak from the first punch she’d received, she held up her arm and tried to keep it steady. Rainbow Dash felt the first blow land on her arm, spraining her wrist and bruising her forearm. The second of the blows landed squarely on the side of her head, rendering her unconscious.

In another part of the parking lot, Pinkie Pie was throwing a cupcake at two doppelgangers. The blast that followed after the cupcake hit the ground knocked one of the Springtraps off balance and sent it tumbling into the other one. The two Springtraps fell to the pavement with a loud thud, alerting the other doppelgangers to what happened. The remaining doppelgangers all turned to face the pink-haired girl, their eyes glowing red. Pinkie Pie, seeing a chance to grab her backpack, ran towards her car. She dodged one of the Springtrap’s punches aimed at her head. After running away from the group, she opened her car door and grabbed her bag from the passenger seat. She quickly reached in and hoped to find the spare bag of sugar cookies she had brought with her. Instead, all she pulled out was an empty bag that just had the crumbling remains of her cookies.

“Oh, darn! I must’ve eaten them all during lunch,” said Pinkie Pie, tossing her backpack back into her car.

Pinkie Pie slammed her car door shut and turned to the growing crowd of Springtraps that were approaching her. She gulped, realizing that she was out of ammo and didn’t have a way to fight back against them. All her sugary treats had gotten used up to get away from the others. Thankfully, she still had her wits and Pinky sense to help her fight them. As one of the Springtraps walked up to her, she backed up as much as she could. As it tried to take a swing at Pinkie Pie, she ducked down, making it hit the other copy that was coming up behind her. With them down, she darted away while she had a chance to break away from them.

“Gah! You dumbasses, don’t punch each other. Punch that perky, pink-haired bitch in front of you!” shouted Springtrap, facepalming at his doppelgangers stupidity.

The two doppelgangers that Pinkie Pie had knocked down earlier with her cupcake blast got up and walked over to where the rest of their group was. They started off walking but then began to sprint as they charged at her. Unfortunately, the two didn’t account for her moving out of the way and dodging their attack. As they continued running, unable to stop themselves, they barreled full force into the group of Springtraps that were running behind Pinkie Pie. When they impacted with the doppelgangers, they knocked all but two of the Springtraps down. The chaos gave Pinkie Pie enough time to get a reasonable distance between her and them.

“Oh, my-stop being fucking idiots for two damn seconds!" Springtrap shouted, starting to let his anger get out of control.

Pinkie Pie turned around to face one of the doppelgangers and said, “Over here, you hunk of old metal!”

The Springtrap growled and lunged for Pinkie Pie. However, Pinkie Pie was faster and managed to skip to the side, dodging its attack. Still stuck in the momentum of the lunge, the Springtrap had gotten sent flying head-first into a tree. The tree’s trunk splintered somewhat as the heavy animatronic barreled into it. As a result of the impact, a cascade of leaves and branches fell onto it. Seconds later, the tree snapped in half and fell on top of the doppelganger. Pinkie Pie turned to see what happened before grabbing a nearby can and throwing it at the Springtrap. She had to make sure that it had gotten knocked out. Yet, before she had a chance to see it dissipate into a puddle of magic, another doppelganger distracted her by throwing a rock at her. The stone missed her hitting her arm by a few feet and landed near the broken tree.

“Ooh, that was a close one,” said Pinkie Pie as she skipped past two of the Springtraps that attempted to catch her. “Anyone else wanna try to get me?”

One of the Springtraps took the opportunity and tried to jump on Pinkie Pie. They launched themselves into the air, fully intent on landing the attack. They were just above her when she simply just stepped to the left. That left them to fall face-first onto the pavement below. The sound was comparable to thunder booming overhead while having numerous cannons going off at the same time. A lot of pieces of plastic flew off in several directions as its body slammed into the ground. Sparks also cascaded from its body as its circuits got jarred and jolted around a bit. A few of the pieces hit her legs and arms, causing a couple of scrapes to form from the rough edges on the plastic. Pinkie Pie, seemingly unaware of the injuries, giggled at the sight of the dazed doppelganger trying to get back up. However, its circuits had gotten pretty fried from the crash, leaving it a drunk bumbling idiot.

“Oh, well! Nice try!” singsonged Pinkie Pie as she looked away and turned her attention to the others. “Who’s up for another round?”

“You no good for nothing, incompetent assholes! Get your fucking act together and kill that bitch, before I decide to kill you myself!” shouted Springtrap, growing more annoyed by Pinkie Pie’s ability to dodge his doppelganger’s attacks.

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie’s lucky streak was about to run out. She was unaware of three doppelgangers that were approaching her. One was coming up behind her, while two others came up on her left and right. Just as she spun around to see the one coming up behind her, she got ambushed by the two on either side of her. She didn’t have enough time to react as each of the Springtraps grabbed her arms and held her in their grasp. Pinkie Pie looked up at the one still standing in front of her. It raised its fist, and it was heading straight at her cheekbone. She closed her eyes as she felt the rough plastic brush against her skin. As soon as she didn’t feel the fist against her cheekbone, she opened her eyes and saw that the Springtrap had picked up a couple of pieces of scrap that came from one of its buddies.

The metal pieces had gotten bent to form three long, very sharp, very thick prongs on the end. While Pinkie Pie struggled against the two Springtrap doppelgangers restraining her, she saw the one in front move closer to her. Her eyes widened as she felt the improvised metal weapon getting forced deep into her abdomen. Pinkie Pie let out a banshee-like scream of agony as she felt immense pain radiate out from her stomach. The three prongs ripped through her skin like blades cutting through paper, causing three deep gashes where they went in. The wounds were extensive enough that one could see a few inches into them. Immediately, blood poured out around the metal, staining her white shirt and running down to her skirt. The Springtrap quickly yanked out the weapon and, without any warning, thrashed it back in again. This time, it was lower than the first set, nearing the waistband of her bloodsoaked skirt. Once the prongs were in, it shoved them as deep as it could into her abdomen.

“Oweee…” moaned Pinkie Pie as the pain increased and left her unable to fight back. “That hurt.”

The doppelganger, not satisfied with the amount of pain that Pinkie Pie was suffering, pulled down on the makeshift weapon. As it slowly made its way through her skin, Pinkie Pie let out a blood-curdling scream. More blood poured out, further staining her shirt and skirt and causing severe blood loss. Every motion of it made her feel like she was getting gutted alive. The cheerful demeanor she was known for disappeared the longer the pain dragged out. Now, she was just a shell of her usual self and in tremendous pain. Fluttershy, who was still hiding beneath a table, heard her party friend’s scream. That made her huddle into a tight ball and shake as her fear overtook her.

“Please… stop…” begged Pinkie Pie as she struggled to stay conscious.

The Springtrap responded by forcefully yanking out the weapon while still pulling downward. As the weapon got yanked away, a river of warm blood began to pour out from the fresh wound, dripping down into the puddle of blood that was now forming at Pinkie Pie’s feet. Through her hazy vision, Pinkie Pie saw the three prongs dripping with her blood glinting in the sunlight. Her body ached all over from the shock and pain caused by her attack. She could barely stand as her legs shook beneath her weight. However, she didn’t see that the Springtrap was getting ready to launch another attack. This time, it aimed the weapon at her head and shoved at full force towards her. That resulted in three semi-deep scrapes on the top of her scalp. With that blow, Pinkie Pie fell unconscious, partly because of blood loss and the impact on her skull. Not seeming to care about what they did, the two doppelgangers that were holding her up, let go of her arms. She fell to the ground, unable to stand or do anything to catch herself anymore.

That left Fluttershy as the last of the girls to be unharmed and conscious. By some miracle, Springtrap’s army of doppelgangers was stupid enough not to look under the tables. She watched with wide eyes as Pinkie Pie had gotten dropped into a pool of her blood. The sound of Pinkie Pie’s body splashing into the red liquid made Fluttershy cover her mouth as she fought the urge to throw up. Just then, a Springtrap walked past the table she was hiding under. Still covering her mouth, she fought everything telling her to scream. She waited until it had turned its back to her before she made a run for it. Fluttershy made her way towards the soccer field, hoping to find Sunset Shimmer or Twilight Sparkle.

One of the Springtraps noticed that Fluttershy was getting away. Not wanting that to happen, it ran after her and grabbed her arm. The rough plastic covering its hand scratched her arm, and left several scrapes as she tried to twist her arm free. However, it didn’t care and just tightened its grip in response. No blood had gotten drawn from the scrapes, but the tightened grip and sharp edges threatened to change that. The pain of her arm getting squeezed was enough to make the animal lover whimper and stop fighting back. That pleased the doppelganger to see it had such weak prey to kill. The smell coming off of the Springtrap intensified as it stepped closer to the quivering girl. If there weren't already a grin present onto its face, it would’ve smiled at the sight of her fear.

“L-let go of m-me!” shouted Fluttershy as she struggled to free her arm.

Sunset Shimmer, who was still sitting underneath the bleachers, heard the familiar voice calling out. She threw up her hood and got to her feet. “Fluttershy? Why is she screaming all of a sudden?”

Fluttershy finally managed to free her arm from the doppelganger’s grasp, injuring her arm and causing some blood to flow from the deepened scrapes. However, that was the last thing on her mind as she made her way over to the bleachers. Her fear was threatening to paralyze her as she heard the loud steps of the animatronics behind her. Thankfully, just as she reached them, Fluttershy saw that Sunset Shimmer was there. A wave of relief flooded through her as her risky endeavor paid off. She ran over to Sunset, not wanting to get ambushed by the Springtraps coming after her.

Sunset Shimmer, surprised to see the injuries on Fluttershy’s arm, staggered back when she saw her approach her. Although she was ready to tell the girls what occurred on Thursday, she still wasn’t willing to be super close to any of them knowing what she looked like now. If things were to go south, she didn’t want to injure them with her claws or magic accidentally. However, for the girls and Twilight Sparkle, she was willing to work on that and get over her hesitation. As Sunset stood there with Fluttershy, her attention had gotten drawn over to one of the Springtraps behind Fluttershy. It was walking near Rainbow Dash and accidentally stepped on the trash can lid next to her. That caused it to dissipate into a puddle of equestrian magic before disappearing back to Springtrap himself.

“Hmm, that’s odd. That must be a copy of Springtrap, and its weakness is any metal that isn’t part of it. And when it touches it, it disappears and returns to Springtrap,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

‘Oh, S-Sunset! I am so glad that I found you,” said Fluttershy as she stepped away from Sunset, noticing the uneasiness in the redhead.

“What is going on, Shy? Where are the rest of the girls?” asked Sunset Shimmer, turning her attention to the animal lover.

Fluttershy was violently quivering as she tried to ignore the sounds of the approaching doppelgangers. “Sp-Springtrap ambushed us just as we w-were going to f-find you. Pinkie and Rai-Rainbow are un-unconscious now.”

“What about AJ or Rarity?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her concern growing in her voice.

“Ap-Applejack and Rarity are injured pretty badly, but th-they are co-conscious,” replied Fluttershy, looking behind her. “Sunset, please help me.”

“I’ll do what I can, Fluttershy,” said Sunset Shimmer, forcing herself to place her hand on the animal lover’s shoulder, knowing that it would help calm her.

Sunset Shimmer walked away from Fluttershy and looked around for any nearby metal object. Underneath a bush, she found an old metal pipe that had gotten somewhat rusted from being exposed to open air for so long. It was about a foot long and 6-7 inches in diameter, perfect for a makeshift bat. Some of the rust flaked off as she jabbed it with her foot. Sunset was thankful that she had gotten her tetanus shot when she first arrived here. That much rust was likely to hurt her otherwise. With a careful hand, she grabbed it and then walked over to where her messenger bag was still sitting.

“Stay here. I will deal with these robotic bastards myself. No one, especially some crazed, murderous rabbit, is going to hurt my friends and walk away,” said Sunset Shimmer, gripping the pipe in her right hand while flinging her bag over her shoulder.

“O-okay, Sunset,” said Fluttershy as she slunk even further underneath the bleachers.

The redhead walked out from the bleachers, the pipe in her tight grip, and ready to swing at the first Springtrap to make its move. Anger flooded through her as a river would flow through a forest. Springtrap had angered Sunset, something he was soon going to regret doing. Standing in the parking lot, she saw her bike nearby and tossed her bag next to it, not wanting it to get used against her. Once she was free from the weight of her bag, Sunset gripped the pipe with both hands, much like a batter would as they stepped up to the home base. She looked around and saw the girls scattered about, unable to fight anymore with their injuries. The sight was enough to make her want to vomit. However, she fought the urge and focused on getting the one responsible for it.

“Let’s play ball, Springtrap,” said Sunset Shimmer as she swung at one of his doppelgangers that charged at her.

The Springtrap dissipated into a shimmering iridescent puddle of equestrian magic. Distracted by it floating back to Springtrap, Sunset failed to notice the doppelganger coming up behind her. It yanked down on her hood, revealing her face completely to the girls. Not caring that she was exposed, Sunset swung the pipe at it, hitting it right in the chest. Like the first Springtrap, it too disappeared into a puddle and floated away. Just as she went to pull her hood back up, she was attacked by another Springtrap running up to her. Again, she slammed the pipe directly into it and hit it in the face. For a moment, it stood still, dazed by the sudden action of getting smacked. But it too dissolved into concentrated magic after a few seconds passed.

Applejack, still weak from the blood loss, looked up as she heard the sound of clashing metal. She saw Sunset Shimmer holding a metal pipe in one hand; however, her attention got directed somewhere else. Although her vision was a bit blurry from her loss of blood, she could see that Sunset’s skin was red, just like when she had transformed into Demon Shimmer the first time. That made her sit up a little bit, shocked by the drastic change to Sunset’s skin. As Applejack watched her slap five more copies of Springtrap with the pipe, she spotted two fangs in place of her lateral incisors. She didn’t seem to notice the pile of iridescent magic that floated away as she eyed Sunset and her fangs with suspicion.

“What the-?” said Applejack, keeping her voice down. “Sunset looks almost exactly like Demon Shimmer, minus the overly dramatic attitude. But is that our friend or… has she just been acting for the last few days?”

Rarity, hearing Applejack talking about Sunset, looked at the redhead. She grimaced as she felt the metal shard embedded in her abdomen move with her, but she saw what the cowgirl was talking about. Her vision was still black around the edge due to the likely concussion that she had suffered. There was also a pounding in her head, but she ignored it for the time being as she was more focused on Sunset Shimmer. Rarity could make out Sunset’s red skin and pointed ears despite her vision blurring a little every time she blinked. When the redhead got close to her, she attempted to speak.

“S-Su-Sunset…?” asked Rarity, her voice weak and hoarse from vomiting earlier.

Sunset Shimmer heard Rarity’s voice calling her name. For a brief moment, she looked back at her while there were no Springtraps attacking her. She could see that Rarity was somewhat conscious, but just barely. However, she knew that she was awake enough to see what was no longer hidden by her hood. That made Sunset’s heart thunder in her chest as she tried to control her panic. She knew that eventually, she was going to see her appearance, but this was sooner than she had expected. And it made her worry if Rarity was going to freak out because she had seen it. Rarity had a good view of what she looked like now that she had gotten exposed in broad daylight. Sunset froze as she and Rarity locked eyes, causing her to get trampled by one of the Springtraps.

As Sunset’s back slammed against the ground, she felt her tail slip free from her jeans. The stench of decaying flesh and old grime was making her stomach contents want to come up. However, she fought it as she tried to push off the Springtrap. With the pipe still in her hand, she swung it at the Springtrap’s head. It instantly disappeared in a cloud of iridescent magic before floating away. That gave her enough time to get off the ground and prepare for the next one. Back on her feet, Sunset could feel her tail swish behind her, seemingly happy to be free from its confinement. She groaned, trying her best to ignore the fact that the girls could see it and that it was twitching even more in reaction to her growing panic.

“Wh-why do you have a tail, S-Sunset?” asked Rarity, looking between Sunset Shimmer and the red and yellow mass of hair swinging behind her.

“Rar-” Sunset Shimmer was cut off as she turned around and hit three Springtraps with the side of the pipe. “Rarity, I will explain later! Right now, I am busy trying to save you and the rest of the girls.”

Applejack glared at the redhead for yelling at Rarity. However, as she saw that Sunset was battling four Springtraps that were trying to grip her hood and yank her down to the ground, she held her tongue. For now, she would let it go and ignore it as Sunset already had enough to deal with at the moment. She had to admit that she was grateful for Sunset helping them out of their situation, but that didn’t excuse her lying to them for almost a week. Being someone who valued honesty, it was hurtful to see that her friend would’ve chosen to lie about looking like Demon Shimmer rather than being honest about it. Applejack wanted answers, honest ones when this was over, and she had a chance to talk with her. Sighing, she rested her head against the tree as she struggled to remain conscious. The amount of blood she had lost was beginning to take its toll, and she was slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness as she sat there.

Sunset Shimmer turned the pipe sideways as she hit the three in front of her with it. The one behind her managed to grip her hood and pull her towards it. That prompted her to jab the pipe backward, slamming it with the end of the pipe. Sunset felt the weight on her hoodie lighten up as the Springtrap disappeared. She adjusted the hoodie around her neck so that the zipper no longer pressed against her neck. Just as soon as she finished doing that, she saw that three more Springtrap doppelgangers were heading towards her.

“Fuck! How many of you dumbasses are there? And why can’t you all just give me five fucking seconds to breathe!?” shouted Sunset Shimmer, rolling her eyes as she readied the pipe.

As the Springtraps neared Sunset Shimmer, one of them saw an opportunity to grab her tail and took it. Sunset jumped as she felt a sharp tug on her tail. It was like her skin was getting pulled along with it, making all the more painful for her. She whipped around and found the Springtrap holding up both of its hands and stepping away from her.

“Ouch! Hey, that is attached to me, you demented scrap heap. Stop yanking it!” Sunset shouted, glaring at the Springtrap.

Not wasting any more time, Sunset smacked its head with the pipe. It dissolved like all the others one before it, floating back to Springtrap once it had completely turned into a puddle. By now, her body was beginning to ache from all the fighting. However, she knew that she had to continue in order to save her friends. Sunset turned to its two companions and raised the pipe up.

“Oh, so you want to get beat up by me? Well, come at me, you two walking tin cans,” said Sunset as they began to charge at her.

As Sunset ran towards them, she held the pipe sideways, allowing her to hit them at the same time. The Springtraps seemed unaware of what was going to happen to them as they charged at her. She swung the pipe and hit both of them in the chest. One after the other, the two Springtraps were pulled back to Springtrap, the iridescent magic shimmering in the sunlight as it floated through the air. Sunset looked around her and sighed, relieved to have a moment to breathe. Unfortunately, that moment didn’t last long as five more Springtraps decided it was time to ambush her.

“Ugh, there are way too many of you running around," said Sunset, kicking a trash can lid that was nearby with her foot, sliding it towards them.

As the doppelgangers saw the lid sliding towards them, they froze. The sudden change from getting hit with a pipe to a lid getting pushed to them confused them. They remained still as the first of their group touched the edge of the lid and disappeared. It dissolved, and the rest of the Springtraps turned to the redhead, unaware that the lid was heading towards them. One by one, the last four disappeared like the first one. And just as all the doppelgangers had done, they returned to the one who made them in the first place.

“Stupid fucking robotic rabbits,” said Sunset Shimmer under her breath, smiling at the sight of the last 12 copies huddled in a big group.

Sunset threw the pipe at them, resulting in it hitting at least six of the Springtraps in the process. That cut the group in half and made her task a bit easier. Quickly, she ran towards the trash can lid and grabbed it. However, just as she had in her hand, she had to duck down to avoid getting punched by one of the Springtraps. Once she was back on her feet, Sunset threw it like a frisbee and watched as the Springtraps looked at it. It flew towards the last remaining six doppelgangers, tempting them all to reach out and grab it, which they stupidly did. Some of them jumped up and fell onto the others before they dissolved back into equestrian magic. Others just stood there and reached upwards to touch the rim. She struggled not to burst into laughter as the scene played out in front of her. When each of the remaining six doppelgangers touched it, they all disappeared, and the magic floated back to Springtrap.

“Gah! You damned assholes! You weren’t supposed to catch the metal lid,” said Springtrap, angered that the redhead had ruined his plans. “Mark my words Sunset Shimmer, I will be back. And next time, you won’t be able to walk away… alive…”

Sunset Shimmer watched as Springtrap walked back towards the shadows of the woods. She smirked at his words, turning her back to him. “Yeah, sure. And I will become a unicorn in this world.”

Sunset looked around at the near-empty parking lot. She could see that two of the girls were unconscious, and the other two were just barely awake and conscious. However, Rainbow Dash was beginning to stir back into consciousness, coughing as she tried to push herself up. As Sunset met Rainbow Dash’s gaze, she forgot that her hood was still down, leaving her confused when the athlete jumped away from her. The feeling of her tail swishing behind her reminded her that she was exposed and that she just let Rainbow Dash see her face. Her ears flattened against her head as she looked down in shame. Sunset felt her insecurity coming back, and it was making it hard for her to want the girls to see her demonic form. A sound coming from behind her reminded her that she had others to worry about and that they too had seen her.

“Oh, crap…” thought Sunset Shimmer. “This is not how I wanted to tell them. Gah, why did those fucking Springtraps have to yank down my hood?”

The redhead turned around to find Applejack slowly getting up on her feet, despite her wounds and blood loss.

“Sunset, th-thanks for sav-savin’ us. But are you-” Applejack stopped talking when she saw the hurt expression on Sunset’s face.

Sunset Shimmer staggered back as her heartbeat thundered in her ears, her eyes flickering between Rarity and Applejack. Her anxiety was building up, making her feel as though there were a ton of bricks crushing her lungs. The fight had exposed her and left her vulnerable, which she wasn’t okay with. As she struggled for breath, she heard Pinkie Pie moan weakly as she began to regain consciousness. Sunset whipped around, causing her tail to nearly smack Rarity on her cheek in the process. She saw Pinkie Pie move her head to the side, looking over at Rainbow Dash. With all the girls waking up, it sent her into a full-blown panic mode. She didn’t want any of them to see more than they already had seen, not like this.

“I-I gotta go. I can’t stay; I am sorry. Please don’t follow me, please!” begged Sunset Shimmer as she looked over at Fluttershy.

The terror that shone through Fluttershy’s cyan eyes as they stared back at her was enough to push Sunset to her breaking point. She didn’t want to see her friends fear her like they did at the Fall Formal, not after seeing how Wallflower had reacted to her appearance. Plus, she didn’t want to continue hurting them with her lies. For now, the girls were safe from any more attacks, allowing a chance to leave before anyone could stop her. Without waiting for any of the girls to speak, she ran away from them. Sunset threw her hood back up and didn’t bother with tucking her tail back into her jeans. She continued running past Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie and grabbed her messenger bag, which was still sitting where she had left it. Just as she rested her hand on the handlebar of her bike, she saw Fluttershy approach her.

“S-Sunset, please don’t leave,” Fluttershy said in a weak attempt to keep the redhead from running away.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her gaze as she said, “Fluttershy, you saw what I look like now, I can’t stay. I am sorry.”

With those words, Sunset sat down on her bike and put her keys into the ignition. However, just as she was about to rev the engine, Twilight Sparkle walked out of the building. She heard her gasp as she got into the parking lot and saw the sight of the girls lying on the ground injured. She knew it looked bad that she was about to leave the girls injured and not bother to help them. But Twilight didn’t know what they had seen, what lay beneath the fabric of the hoodie that covered her body. And right now, it was too much for her to let her see that in broad daylight and the school’s student parking lot. Sunset’s hand hovered on the handlebar, her desire to leave faltering as the girl she loved walked up to her. She couldn’t find the strength to go and not stay to explain herself to Twilight. So, she just sat there, trying to ignore the thumping of her heart against her rib cage.

“Sunset, where are you going? And what happened here?” asked Twilight Sparkle, stepping in front of Sunset’s bike.

“I’m heading home, Twilight. I can’t stay here anymore, not after what happened,” said Sunset Shimmer, keeping her gaze on her hands.

“And what happened here, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “I don’t want to have to ask again. I am getting tired of waiting for you to be honest with me.”

Sunset Shimmer gulped, noticing the stern tone in Twilight’s voice. “I-I…”

Twilight Sparkle looked down and noticed that there was a red and yellow tail resting against Sunset’s leg. That made her walk over to Sunset’s side and grab her wrist. “What the fuck is that, Sunset?”

“That would be my tail, Twilight,” replied Sunset Shimmer, making no point in lying to Twilight. “It’s a part of what I was going to show you later today.”

“Oh…” Twilight Sparkle tightened her grip on Sunset’s wrist, her anger growing as she realized that Sunset was hiding more from her. “And do you plan on telling me the rest of it tonight? And don’t lie. My patience for waiting is getting rather thin now, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded, trying to pull her wrist free. “Yes, I am planning on coming to your house later tonight to tell you the rest of it. Now, please let go of my wrist, Twilight. You’re beginning to hurt me.”

“I hope so. If you don’t, I will find out what you’re hiding from the girls. And if that happens, I can't guarantee that I will want to be your friend afterward,” Twilight Sparkle, reluctantly letting go of Sunset’s wrist.

“Sparky, please. Give me a chance before you do that,” said Sunset Shimmer, shifting her gaze so that her eyes looked at Twilight’s angry ones.

“You have until sundown, Sunset. If you don’t tell me by then, I will take it as you choosing to keep your secret from me,” said Twilight Sparkle as she stepped away from the redhead’s bike.

“O-okay…” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t continue talking anymore. Not when her heart felt like it was getting stabbed by Twilight’s cold and harsh words.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset Shimmer kicked up the kickstand of her bike and revved her engine. She took one last look at Twilight before taking off in a blur, leaving only a trail of dust behind her. Her apartment was the only thing on her mind. Even though she knew the girls were going to show up eventually, she needed the familiarity and the safeness of it. Time was something she needed in order to calm down and keep herself from backing out of her plan. If Twilight’s threat wasn’t enough to tell her that it was time she came clean, Sunset knew that the charades were over anyway. The girls had seen some of her new appearance, and it was pointless to keep lying when they would all find out one way or another. Turning a corner, she felt her body shake with fear and anxiousness.

“Sweet Celestia! How am I going to explain this to the girls…?” thought Sunset Shimmer, watching the blur of cars pass her.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle stared at the sight of her friends bleeding out on the ground. Once the cloud of dust created by Sunset’s departure settled, she saw the damage the Springtraps had caused. The pavement had several cracks in it from the Springtraps falling onto it. One of the trash cans had a big dent in it from one of them slamming into it, making her cringe at the thought of that happening to the girls. Twilight walked over to the pipe Sunset was using to fight the doppelgangers and picked it up. It had gotten bent in half when one of the Springtraps attempted to grab and destroy it. She shuddered at the realization that the girls were battling something much stronger than they were, even with their magic. Guilt washed over her as she knew that she had left them defenseless against whatever attacked them. Twilight set the pipe back down and dropped her backpack before running over to Applejack, who was barely standing anymore.

“Applejack! What is going on?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Why is everyone injured? And why did Sunset leave?”

Applejack coughed, causing her to lose her balance. She was about to fall on her knees when she felt Twilight grab her arm. Her hand was close to the wound she had gotten from the glass shard, and it made her want to pull her arm away to avoid it getting hurt. However, Applejack forced herself not to do that, knowing that she needed the help. She looked up and gave her a thankful smile. Her body was trembling from exhaustion and loss of blood, which was making her feel woozy the longer she remained standing. With Twilight’s help, Applejack managed to lean against the tree and give her body some rest.

“We were attacked by… Springtrap and his army of, well, himself,” replied Applejack.

“Springtrap?! He was here?” asked Twilight, trying to help the cowgirl remain on her feet.

“Yeah…” Applejack coughed once, which triggered a coughing fit, preventing her from being able to talk.

Twilight Sparkle looked around and saw there was a bench a few feet from where she and Applejack were standing. She turned to the cowgirl, saying, “AJ, do you think that you can walk to that bench over there if I help you?”

“Maybe,” said Applejack once she managed to slow her coughing fit down. “But I’m going to need you to lean on.”

“Okay, you can lean on me, AJ,” said Twilight Sparkle as Applejack slung her arm over her shoulder.

With Applejack leaning against her, Twilight Sparkle slowly made her way over to the bench. The cowgirl’s added weight made it harder for her to walk, but she did her best to push through it. Just as they got within two feet of the bench, Applejack’s foot got caught on a raised tree root. That caused her to lose her balance, and she pulled Twilight down with her. She felt Twilight’s weight land on top of her as her body slammed into the grassy earth. Applejack groaned as the weight increased the pain on her already sore body.

“Ahh!” screamed Twilight Sparkle and Applejack as they tumbled to the ground.

Twilight Sparkle, being the one on top, pushed herself off of the cowgirl. She rolled to the side and looked at her. “Are you okay, AJ?”

Applejack pushed herself into a sitting position. Her arm was hurting from the sudden impact, but thankfully, the bleeding had stopped. That left her arm and clothes stained with dried blood now. However, a searing pain caught her attention and made her look down at her leg. She saw that the piece of shrapnel that had gotten embedded in her leg was now gone. She figured that it had disappeared when Sunset had defeated all of Springtrap’s doppelgangers. However, that only made her problem worse. Without the piece of metal, her blood was free to flow from the injury. And that presented a problem for the cowgirl, especially in her weakened state.

“Yeah, I am just sore,” replied Applejack. “And now, my leg is bleeding pretty badly.”

Twilight Sparkle moved closer to her friend and examined her injury. She saw that the gashes were deep, but they still managed to avoid any significant arteries and tendons. That was a good sign, but the amount that was pouring out was not. If Applejack continued losing any more blood, she would likely be on the brink of death, assuming that she wasn’t already there. Twilight was growing more concerned by the second as she tried to figure out what to do.

“Applejack, we need to get you to the nurse’s office. You’re bleeding pretty badly, and I don’t know how much blood you’ve already lost. That piece of shrapnel cut into you somewhat deep,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack gulped at the idea of having to walk the whole way to the nurse’s office. Her leg throbbed enough just sitting there on the ground, but she didn’t want to imagine all the pain she would feel walking through the school. That made her shudder at the thought. However, Applejack knew that she was going to have to if she didn’t want her wound to worsen. So, gathering what strength she had, she steeled her resolve.

“Twilight, I don’t think that I can make it.” Applejack struggled to get onto her feet but managed to do it despite the shakiness in her legs. “But I can try.”

Twilight Sparkle smiled as she got off the ground. After she dusted off her skirt, she grabbed the cowgirl’s arm. “I will help you.”

Together, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle walked through the empty halls of CHS. With the halls being void of any students, it was easier for them to get there. Twilight had to move slower than she would typically because Applejack was limping, trying to avoid putting any weight on her bad leg. There was one time where they had to stop because Applejack was becoming lightheaded from the amount of walking. Thankfully, they arrived just as Nurse Redheart was about to close her office.

“Nurse Redheart, we need your help! The rest of my friends are outside and are also injured,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh my!” exclaimed Nurse Redheart as she glanced at Applejack’s wounds. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and I’ll help the rest of your friends.”

Meanwhile, outside the school, Rainbow Dash was beginning to wake up. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light shining into them. Holding up her good hand to block the sun, she looked around the parking lot. A few feet from her left was Pinkie Pie, who had slipped back into unconsciousness from her wounds. The sound of someone groaning in pain caught her attention and made her glance ahead of her. Squinting, Rainbow Dash saw that it was Rarity, who just barely awake.

“R-Rarity?” said Rainbow Dash, surprised to see her friend awake.

Deciding to help the fashionista, Rainbow Dash lowered her arm and pushed herself up off the ground. As she stood up, her legs began to tremble beneath her. It was clear that the exhaustion of the fight had taken its toll on her. Her whole body felt like she had gotten slammed full force into a brick wall several times. Not to mention that her nose was throbbing, reminding her that it had gotten broken. Rainbow Dash staggered over to where Rarity was lying on the pavement. She kneeled next to her and examined her injuries while being careful with her wrist.

“Rarity, are you okay?” asked Rainbow Dash as she caught sight of the gash in the fashionista’s abdomen.

The piece of metal that had previously gotten embedded in Rarity’s abdomen had also dissipated, same as what happened with Applejack’s wound. And without the metal piece blocking the flow of blood, her injury was beginning to bleed profusely. Her shirt was also soaked in the red liquid and sticking to her skin as a result. That also left her feeling weaker with every minute that passed. Her vision was blurring around the edges as she struggled to remain conscious. Rarity coughed, causing her stomach muscles to contract and push more blood out from her wound.

“No, I am not okay, Rainbow Dash. I am in pain and bleeding. And I am pretty sure I have dislocated my shoulder as well,” replied Rarity, groaning in pain as she tried to keep her injury from getting pulled with every breath she took.

“Okay, I’ll help you get up. We need to get you to the nurse’s office,” said Rainbow Dash, getting up and holding out her good arm.

Rarity grabbed the athlete’s hand, allowing herself to get pulled up off the ground. Being the most athletic of the girls, it wasn’t too surprising that Rainbow Dash had strength similar to Applejack. Of course, the latter was still much stronger than she was. That was no surprise given how often she would work on her farm. Plus, Applejack’s geode enhanced her already impressive strength, whereas Rainbow Dash’s geode gave her the ability of super-speed. Rarity rested her arm on her shoulder, trying to keep from wincing as they started making their way to the school.

Twilight Sparkle let Nurse Redheart walk Applejack into her office as she bolted outside to help the rest of the girls. She made her way past several of the school’s staff, trying not to run into them as she made her way towards the front door. She ran down a few more hallways and turned a few corners before reaching the front doors. Once she had made it to the parking lot, she saw that Rainbow Dash was helping Rarity walk.

“Dash, can you walk Rarity to the nurse’s office?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she ran over to where Pinkie Pie was still lying on the ground.

“Yeah,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Thanks. I will try to wake up Pinkie Pie and see if she can walk,” said Twilight Sparkle as she knelt next to her friend.

Rainbow Dash nodded and continued walking with Rarity. That left Twilight Sparkle with the task of getting Pinkie Pie up and making sure that she was okay enough to walk. Her wings draped over her shoulders as she rested a hand on her shoulder. Twilight could feel the slight chill to Pinkie Pie’s skin beneath the layer of sweat that had formed from her lying in the sun. She shook her gently, hoping she would wake up.

“Pinkie Pie, please wake up!” shouted Twilight, desperate to make sure that her friend wasn’t dead.

Pinkie Pie was talking to a unicorn in her dream, which oddly enough, looked like Sunset Shimmer. It had a red and yellow mane and tail, styled in a similar fashion to how Sunset’s hair was usually. On its flank was a red and yellow sun that shimmered whenever the sun would hit it. Even its eyes were the same cyan color. By all accounts, it very well could have been Sunset Shimmer, just as a unicorn instead of a teenage girl. Pinkie Pie grabbed a triple-layered donut off her plate, taking a bite of it. Just as she set it back down, she heard a faint voice calling out her name.

“Did you hear that? It sounded like Twilight calling me,” asked Pinkie Pie, looking around her and trying to find the source of the voice.

A red aura surrounded the unicorn’s horn as they lifted their teacup. The amber fur glowed in the sunlight, making them look ethereal. It was enough to make one believe they were real. They took a sip and looked over at Pinkie Pie.

“Um, no. I didn’t hear anything. Sorry, Pinkie Pie,” said the unicorn as it lowered the cup. Its voice sounded precisely like Sunset Shimmer’s voice.

The voice came again. This time, it was louder and closer to where Pinkie Pie and the unicorn were sitting. Pinkie Pie stood up from the table they were sitting at and walked away from the unicorn. She didn’t hear them get up and follow her. However, that didn’t matter to Pinkie Pie as she tried to find where the voice was coming from.

“Twilight… is that you?” asked Pinkie Pie, seeing a bright white glowing orb appearing in front of her.

The orb grew bigger and brighter the closer that it got to Pinkie Pie. Once it was just a few feet away from her, a dark shadow began to appear in it. The shadow seemed to take on the shape of her friend, Twilight Sparkle. Slowly, colors began to appear as her body got enveloped in the orb. Pinkie Pie felt a feeling of warmth all over her body as she squinted from the brightness of the orb’s glowing light. Finally, after what felt like a few minutes had passed, Pinkie Pie saw a blurry version of Twilight standing over her. She blinked, trying to clear away the blurriness.

“Tw-Twilight?” asked Pinkie Pie, her throat feeling dry and raw as she spoke. “Wh-what happened?”

Twilight Sparkle sighed with relief, her wings unfurling as her body relaxed. Her tail flicked behind her as in response to her growing calmness. As she looked down at what happened to Pinkie Pie's abdomen, she saw six lacerations running down towards her skirt. They were more severe than Applejack’s injuries were, and it was clear that they had gotten intentionally deepened by the Springtraps who attacked her. However, Twilight’s breath hitched in her throat as she saw the three on the party girl’s forehead. She wasn’t sure how she had missed them in the first place, but she could see they were still fresh. And there was some blood pouring out from them and dribbling down the side of her head.

“The rest of the girls are in the nurse’s office, but Pinkie Pie… you’re going to need to get some serious stitches,” said Twilight Sparkle, meeting Pinkie Pie’s worried filled eyes.

“Oh, is it that bad?” asked Pinkie Pie, her tone becoming serious.

“Yeah, Pinkie, it is,” Twilight Sparkle replied, her voice lowering as she struggled to look at her paling friend. It was clear that Pinkie Pie had lost a lot of blood already.

As Fluttershy approached Twilight Sparkle, she heard a series of footsteps. She turned around to see Nurse Redheart running towards her. She stepped aside and allowed Nurse Redheart to get to Twilight first. She was happy to stay back, especially since she was still recovering from the sight of watching the girls getting beat up. And seeing Pinkie Pie in pain wasn’t something that Fluttershy wanted to do, even if she wanted to support her. It was just too much for her to bear seeing after the surprise attack by Springtrap.

Nurse Redheart knelt next to Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, trying to avoid stepping in coagulated blood surrounding her. She saw the injuries that Pinkie Pie had suffered. And due to the severity of them, she decided it was best that she went to Canterlot General. There was nothing she could do temporarily to ease the risk of infection, not with what basic medical supplies she had. Nurse Redheart pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

“Yes, I need an ambulance here at CHS. I have a student who is severely injured,” said Nurse Redheart as she spoke to the phone operator.

Twilight Sparkle saw the rest of the girls slowly join Fluttershy in standing next to her. They all looked weary and tired. The fight that they had endured combined with their wounds left them exhausted. And she was amazed that most of them were able to remain awake. Twilight could see that Nurse Redheart had placed some butterfly bandages on Applejack and Rarity’s injuries. However, she could see that it was just a temporary fix until they could get to a hospital.

“Alright. When will the ambulance come by? 5-10 minutes? Okay, thanks,” said Nurse Redheart before she hung up the phone.

Twilight saw that Pinkie Pie was looking at the rest of the girls. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked between her and the girls. There was a visible look of confusion on both Twilight and Pinkie Pie’s face. And a heavy silence fell on all of them, making the sounds of birds chirping happily in their nests sound like the only noise in the world. However, Twilight was the first to break the silence.

“What’s wrong, Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“I-I thought I heard Sunset’s voice earlier. Where is she, Twilight?” asked Pinkie Pie, sounding sad and disappointed.

Twilight Sparkle cringed as she heard Pinkie Pie mention Sunset’s name. After what happened between them, she didn’t want to talk about her. Besides, she was beginning to have some doubts about the threat she made to her. Twilight knew that it went against what she said to her on Thursday. However, her patience was running low, and knowing that Sunset was keeping something from her wasn’t making it any easier for her. She looked at Pinkie Pie, hearing the approaching sounds of the ambulance.

“Sunset was here, but then she left after she finished saving you. She probably went home, Pinkie,” replied Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to talk about Sunset Shimmer anymore.

Just as Twilight Sparkle finished speaking, the ambulance pulled up. The sirens had gotten turned off, and the EMTs jumped out of the ambulance. In a matter of seconds, the girls were swarmed by EMTs as they got to Pinkie Pie. Bright lights were flashing around them as they tried to back away. Twilight, in the chaos of them trying to treat Pinkie Pie quickly, got knocked onto the pavement. She managed to get back on her feet, only to get met with the shocked faces of the EMTs.

“Hehe, hi,” said Twilight Sparkle, nervously waving at the EMTs.

The EMTs, having already loaded Pinkie Pie onto a stretcher, lifted her off the hot pavement. Together, they all walked her over to the back of the ambulance. Two of the EMTs walked back to the front cab of the ambulance and got in. That left two others to get Pinkie Pie situated in the back of it. And when that had gotten done, one of the two EMTs walked over to the girls.

“Are you all her friends?” asked the EMT.

“Yes, we’re all her friends,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“So, would one of you like to come with us? It could help keep your friend calm,” asked the EMT, seemingly trying to avoid talking to Twilight.

“I’ll go with her,” said Twilight Sparkle, volunteering herself as the girls, aside from Fluttershy, were exhausted and needed medical attention themselves.

“Uh… okay,” said the EMT, looking at Twilight’s wings. “Just, um, watch the wings, please.”

“I will,” Twilight Sparkle said, pulling her wings closer to her body.

Alongside the EMT, Twilight Sparkle got into the back of the ambulance. As the two doors were closed, she stole one last glance at the girls. They all waved at her, and she waved back as the ambulance pulled out of the parking lot. She sighed and leaned back against the metal wall behind her. Heading to a crowded place with doctors, nurses, and many patients wasn't something Twilight was going to like at all. However, for Pinkie Pie’s sake, she was willing to push past her fears and worries.

*** *** *** ***

Nurse Redheart turned to the girls and said, “You all should go home and get changed. And Rarity and Applejack?”

Rarity looked at Nurse Redheart as she heard her name getting called. Her wounds still hurt from having the rubbing alcohol dabbing into them. Thankfully, after her shoulder got popped back into the socket, it stopped hurting as much. Although, having it popped back in was a bit more painful than she expected. Rarity was sore from going through that and leaning against Applejack for some support. She was still struggling not to double over in pain and trying to stay awake. And being close to her was helping her fight against the pain.

“You girls should go to the hospital too. Those butterfly bandages are just temporary,” said Nurse Redheart.

“Okay, once we change out of ruined clothes, we’ll head over to Canterlot General,” replied Rarity, holding the cowgirl’s hand.

“Good. Now, off you go. Your parents will want to know why you were late,” said Nurse Redheart, walking towards her office to lock up.

After that, the girls all walked to Fluttershy’s van, with her deciding to give them a ride home. As Fluttershy unlocked her van, Rainbow Dash climbed into the passenger seat. She helped Applejack and Rarity into the back before getting into the driver’s seat. As she closed her door, she realized that Rarity was quiet, which was unusual for her.

“Are you okay, Rare?” asked Applejack as she buckled herself in.

Rarity tried to keep herself from coughing as she spoke. “I am… ehm, barely. I am just not looking forward to getting stitches. I am worried that they’ll leave… scars. And that I’ll no longer be perfect in your eyes…”

Applejack looked at her girlfriend, her green eyes clouded with worry. It broke her heart to see her thinking that she wouldn’t be perfect with a scar. Nothing would change how she felt about her, not even the ugliest of scars. She saw Rarity for the heart and generosity that emanated off of her. And seeing her worrying that she wouldn’t be good enough if her physical appearance got altered a bit, it only made her see why she loved Rarity and why she chose her. Rarity was just too precious for this world, though she was feisty when she needed to be. And that was one of many things that Applejack admired about her. Slowly, she moved her hand and rested it over Rarity’s shaking one.

“And if the stitches do leave scars, I will love them and you. And you’ll still be beautiful to me,” said Applejack, squeezing Rarity’s hand in response.

Rarity squeezed Applejack’s hand as she heard what she said. She couldn’t speak, not when she knew her words would fail to express her gratitude. How lucky was she to have such an amazing girlfriend to call her own? To have someone who would stand by her through thick and thin? That wouldn’t mind if she didn’t look like a model from a magazine? Very lucky. Rarity knew that for sure and cherished how lucky she was to have such a girlfriend. Turning to the cowgirl, she pulled her in for a quick kiss.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend,” said Rarity, giving Applejack a smile despite the pain she was feeling.

“Neither could I,” Applejack said, giving Rarity a half-smile as she admired her beautiful blue eyes.

Just as Applejack finished talking, Fluttershy buckled her seatbelt and put the keys into her ignition. “Is everyone ready to head home?”

“Yeah, we are,” said Applejack. “I’ll have Big Mac come pick up my pickup truck.”

“Okay,” said Fluttershy, turning keys and making the engine roar to life.

Fluttershy placed her hands at the nine and three positions and made sure to check her mirror a couple of times. Satisfied that she had checked everything off her safe driving checklist, she pulled out of her parking space, turning the steering wheel to her left. She made sure that no one was behind her or in front of her before she began to make her way out of the student parking lot. The girls were exhausted, and the thought of going home was a comforting one.

*** *** *** ***

At the hospital, Twilight Sparkle was sitting in a chair next to Pinkie Pie’s bed. She watched as a nurse walked in and grabbed a plastic-wrapped syringe from a drawer nearby. As the package crinkled, she cringed at the sound. That sound meant one thing; a needle was about to appear. Twilight had an intense fear of needles because she hated the pain that followed after every shot. Just looking at one and she would go pale, like a ghostly pale and nearly faint in the process. One time when she had to get a flu shot with Sunset, she fainted afterward because the needle had gotten painfully jabbed into her arm. Thankfully, the redhead had managed to catch her before she hit the floor and injured herself. Twilight looked down at her hands, pushing the memory aside and trying to focus on Pinkie Pie.

“Keep yourself calm, Twilight. You’re here to support Pinkie Pie,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she tried to keep herself from freaking out.

As the nurse pulled out the needle and syringe, Twilight’s wings wrapped themselves around her defensively before she drew them back behind her. When the nurse flicked the needle tip, she felt her throat close up. Her breathing became sharp and quick as her fear threatened to take control. She looked over at Pinkie Pie, who was busy drifting in and out of sleep. Seeing her looking somewhat relaxed calmed her down a little, but that calmness had immediately gotten erased as she saw the needle getting pushed into her abdomen. That sight was enough to make her body go numb. Twilight looked away from the sight, squeezing her eyes closed. A wave of nausea passed over, but she managed to fight against it. After a few moments had passed, she dared to look back and saw the nurse tossing away the used needle into the orange biohazard bin.

“Miss Pie, that was a numbing agent. You should start to feel it working soon, but I will warn you, it’s going to hurt when it does,” said the nurse, making sure that Pinkie Pie was alert before leaving the room.

“Okay,” mumbled Pinkie Pie as she struggled to stay awake.

While Pinkie Pie was lying on the bed, she began to feel a slight burning sensation. She groaned a little as it slowly crept up in intensity. The more she continued to breathe, the more intense the burning starting to become. After just a few minutes, it felt like there was a fire dancing inside her veins. It was almost enough to make Pinkie Pie want to rip her skin off to relieve the pain. However, she fought the urge because she had endured enough for the day. A few moans slipped past her lips as she tried to cope with immense pain in her abdomen. When Pinkie Pie felt a hand grip her own, she turned her head to the right. There, standing next to her bed, was Twilight Sparkle.

“Twilight, are the rest of the girls going to be here soon?” asked Pinkie Pie, her voice strained as she endured the pain of the numbing agent.

“Yes, Pinkie. They should be here soon. I have asked Fluttershy to grab some clean clothes for you as well,” replied Twilight Sparkle, giving Pinkie Pie’s hand a gentle squeeze.

The nurse returned with a small white package in her hands as well as a bottle of some sort of brownish liquid. She set the two down on the drawer as she grabbed a pair of gloves from the box near the bed. The snap of the gloves against her skin made Twilight jump and nearly let go of Pinkie Pie’s hand. However, she quickly regained her composure and forced herself to keep calm.

“Okay, the numbing agent should have kicked in now. So, now I am going to sterilize the area around the wound, alright?” said the nurse as she grabbed the bottle sitting on the drawer next to the bed.

The party lover, still feeling the burning sensation of the numbing agent, prepared herself for the liquid to get poured onto her skin. As she took her third deep breath, she felt the cold liquid touch her abdomen. It relieved some of the heat she felt, but it didn’t last for very long. The heat radiating off her skin evaporated the coldness of the disinfectant. Pinkie Pie tried her best not to flinch when she felt the cotton swab go near the edges of her injuries. Eventually, the nurse finished wiping the iodine on her stomach.

Twilight Sparkle, who was holding Pinkie Pie’s hand, had to let go as she saw the nurse pulling out the needle that was going to be for the stitches. She staggered back to the chair she was initially sitting in. Her heart was thundering in her ears as she tried not to panic. Between what happened with Sunset and the stress of dealing with her lies, Twilight was starting to get a massive headache. And the realization that she was going to watch her friend get stitches wasn’t making it any better. Looking up, she saw Pinkie Pie’s worried expression staring back at her.

“S-sorry, Pinkie. I just have a big fear of needles, but I am still here for you. Just from a distance for now,” said Twilight Sparkle, struggling not to pay attention to the nurse, who was beginning to thread the needle through Pinkie Pie’s skin.

“It’s alright, Twilight. I am just happy that you’re here with me,” replied Pinkie Pie, trying not to move her stomach too much.

After a half-hour passed, all the stitches for Pinkie Pie’s lacerations had gotten finished. When the nurse threw away the box and gloves, the rest of the girls, minus Rarity, who had to get some nylon stitches for her wound, walked into the room. Each of the girls looked a bit better now that they had clean clothes on, and their wounds had gotten attended to. They all gathered around Pinkie Pie and her bed, leaving Twilight Sparkle unable to get out of her chair. Not that she wanted to stand at the moment anyway. The nurse came back, and the girls stepped back, allowing her access to Pinkie Pie.

“Now, I am going to put some gauze over your stitches. Come back in five days to have your blue stitches removed. The black ones will dissolve on their own within a week,” the nurse said as she grabbed some gauze and tape.

As the nurse set to work applying the gauze, Fluttershy rubbed Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, saying, “I am so glad to see that you’re alright, Pinkie. I am sorry that I didn’t do anything to help you.”

Pinkie Pie gave the animal lover a weak smile. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. You did your best, and you brought Sunset to help us. That’s more than enough.”

“I am glad you’re alright as well,” said Twilight Sparkle, smiling at Pinkie Pie.

“How are you feelin’, sugarcube?” asked Applejack, taking off her hat.

“A bit better. I should be as good as a triple chocolate churro in a week,” replied Pinkie Pie, her usually bubbly demeanor coming back.

That little joke made all the girls chuckle along with Pinkie Pie. Rarity, who came back after getting her stitches, joined in the laughter. It was nice to laugh after all the horror and pain they had gone through earlier. The sound made them feel better and eased some of the emotional stress they were all dealing with that day. Yet, there was only one thing or rather one person missing; Sunset Shimmer. She was at home, not here at the hospital with them, supporting Pinkie Pie. Rarity looked around at the girls and saw that they were also aware of her missing presence. They all shared worried glances as Sunset crossed their minds.

“Do you think Sunset is okay?” asked Rarity, voicing the question they were all thinking.

The girls all looked down, not sure how to answer the question. None of them understood why Sunset had run off after saving them. Sure, she had been acting weird for the last couple of days, but they all knew the reason why. It was evident that something happened on Thursday, and they knew it had something to do with Demon Shimmer. Most of them knew that she was hiding her altered appearance and that she resembled her demonic form somewhat. Sunset’s hood got yanked down, which allowed them to see some of the changes, and that’s when Rarity realized why she ran off. Yet, she never thought that it would be the reason why she would leave. But it became fairly apparent as she thought about what happened during the fight.

“I don’t know, but we are heading over to Sunset’s apartment when Pinkie finishes up here. I wanna know why she would run away and leave her friends to die,” said Rainbow Dash, carefully crossing her arms.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? If Sunset ran off and didn’t want us to follow her, I don’t think she wants us to show up at her house,” said Fluttershy, looking at Rainbow Dash. “Wouldn’t it only make her not want to tell us even more?”

“Fluttershy’s got a point, Dash. How is headin’ over to Sunset’s apartment goin’ to solve the problem?” asked Applejack. “I want the truth as much as the next person, but I don’t want to force Sunset to talk before she is ready to tell us.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Sunset lied to us for almost a week and left us without bothering to see if we were okay. I think she owes us some answers for why she left and why she lied to us.”

“You’re right, Dash. Sunset does need to tell us the truth, but let’s do it gently. She seemed panicked and scared,” Pinkie Pie said, bringing the girls' attention to her.

“I think you girls should head over to Sunset’s apartment,” said Twilight Sparkle. “I gave her an ultimatum to come over to my house and tell me the truth, or I will get the truth from you. And I told her if that were to happen, that I would likely not be her friend anymore.”

The room fell silent as Twilight Sparkle revealed the choice she forced upon Sunset Shimmer. It seemed no one was expecting her to do something like that. Everyone looked down, almost acknowledging that it was a tough choice and a drastic measure to take. Yet, no one said anything against it, knowing that Sunset’s decision to lie had put Twilight into the spot where she had to make such a call. There was an overwhelming silence in the room as a result of the growing tension between the girls. It wasn’t until the nurse came back with several butterfly bandages in hand that the heavy silence broke.

“Miss Pie, I will put these butterfly bandages on your forehead, and that should allow those lacerations to heal, okay?” asked the nurse as she placed the first of the several butterfly bandages onto Pinkie Pie’s injury.

“Okay,” replied Pinkie Pie, staying as still as possible.

The nurse turned to the girls, saying, “I am going to contact your parents. They’ll need to know why you were here. And then I’ll keep you for an overnight observation.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at her friends, sharing worried glances. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and found Ms. Coral’s number. She was glad that her teacher had given her a number to call in case she needed anything. It made her feel better, knowing that she had someone she could talk to while she let her mother and father adjust to her new situation.

“Uh, here’s our teacher’s phone number. Our parents are busy at the moment,” said Twilight Sparkle.

The nurse took the phone from Twilight and dialed the number.

“Hello, this is Ms. Coral,” said the voice on the other end. “Who is this?”

“Hi, I am Hannah, a nurse at Canterlot General. I was told by one of your students to contact you as it seems the girls’ parents are busy,” replied Hannah.

Sensing that Twilight didn’t want her or the girls’ to get in trouble for whatever happened after she left the school, Ms. Coral said, “Oh, yes. Their parents are busy at their jobs right now and won’t be able to come and discharge them. But I will take care of contacting them and letting them know what’s been happening.”

“Alright, then I will discharge the girls myself,” said Hannah before she hung up and handed the phone back to Twilight Sparkle.

Taking her phone back, Twilight Sparkle sighed with relief. Once the nurse had finished putting the bandages onto Pinkie Pie’s forehead, she stood up from the chair. She was feeling better now that all the needles had gotten thrown away and were no longer in her sight. Unfortunately, her relief got hindered by the fact that she would face whatever Sunset chose to do. If she didn’t show up, she knew that her heart was going to shatter. A part hoped that it wouldn’t happen so she would get spared the pain. Yet, if she did show, Twilight wasn’t too sure how she would take whatever it was that Sunset was hiding from her. As she made her way to the door, she turned to the girls.

“While you girls head over to Sunset’s place, I’m going to head home and clean up,” said Twilight Sparkle, opening the door as she spoke.

“Okay, Twi. We’ll let you know what’s up with Sunset when we get a chance to,” said Rainbow Dash as Twilight left the room.

Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie, asking, “Are you ready to leave, dear?”

“Yes, I am Rarity,” replied Pinkie Pie, sitting slowly, so her stitches didn’t get ripped apart.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer, after parking her bike, ran up the stairs leading into her apartment. When she opened the door, she didn’t bother to turn on the light. She preferred the darkness as it could hide what she didn’t want to see or acknowledge. Tossing her keys and helmet aside, she bolted up the stairs to where her bed was sitting. As she saw her mirror that was covered by a spare red blanket that she had, she froze in front of it. The small amount of dimming sunlight that shone through her window illuminated Sunset’s room and made her feel lonely. A voice in the back of her head told her that the darkness and lack of friends was something she would have to get used to. Sunset’s eyes watered as it dawned on her that tonight would likely be the end of her friendship with Twilight and the girls.

As Sunset stood there in front of her mirror in the darkness, she felt a mixture of guilt and sadness wash over her. She knew that the girls were going to want her to reveal everything to them. Walking over to her mirror, she lifted the blanket off of it and took a deep breath, trying to calm the hurt she was feeling. Sunset left her hoodie on as well as her gloves, but she lowered her hood and sunglasses. Her reflection showed that it did little to make her seem like her usual self. After all, her red skin, fangs, pointy ears, and tail weren’t normal, not for this world at least. Meeting her gaze, her eyes showed that beneath the Demon Shimmer appearance, she was still the same Sunset Shimmer the girls had always known. Yet, it wouldn’t matter if Sunset couldn’t make them see it.

“The girls, I lied to them. That won’t get easily forgiven if they decide to forgive me for it,” thought Sunset Shimmer, her strength to look at herself slowly ebbing away.

The redhead lowered the blanket over the mirror once more before making her way to her pet gecko’s tank. Ray was a small yellow leopard gecko whose body had black spots all over. Sunset had adopted him with Fluttershy’s help a few years ago when the animal shelter was doing a photo shoot for a charity calendar. He was sitting on his little rock, sleeping away peacefully. He looked so adorable that it made her feel better just to see him looking happy. She removed the top of his enclosure and watched him as he slowly opened his eyes and yawned.

“Aw, you are so adorable, my little ray of sunshine,” said Sunset Shimmer, smiling as she saw Ray walk towards her. “Do you want to come out for a little bit?”

Ray nodded and smiled at her as he climbed back on top of his rock.

Sunset Shimmer placed her hand next to him, allowing him to walk onto it. “I am so glad I chose you for my pet.”

Ray nuzzled against her palm, seemingly unaware that she was wearing gloves. He looked up at Sunset and noticed the tears running down her cheek. That prompted him to climb her sleeve and onto her shoulder. He used one of his front feet to wipe off a tear that was falling towards him. Ray didn’t like to see his owner look so sad and depressed, not when she had given him so much happiness in return. His eyes were wide with concern as he sat back down on her shoulder and waited for her to explain why she was sad.

“Thanks, Ray. I wish you could do more, but this is something I knew was coming since Thursday,” said Sunset Shimmer, giving him a little pat on his back.

Ray barked at Sunset and walked down to her hand as she lifted him to her eye level.

“I know, I know. You are doing all you can, and I am happy about that.” Sunset chuckled weakly as Ray tried to make a funny face in front of her. “Okay, that helped a little bit.”

Just as Ray finished making some funny poses, Sunset Shimmer heard a series of knocks on her door. Her wings stretched inside of the hoodie as her tail flickered behind her, nearly knocking her lamp over. She quickly put him back in his enclosure and placed the top back on before throwing her hood back over her head. Making her way down the stairs, she put on her sunglasses. Sunset figured it was best not to scare the girls right away. As it was, they were probably not going to like what they saw and scold her for lying to them. However, she knew that it was time she came clean about her transformation on Thursday. With trembling hands, she twisted the doorknob and opened the door.

Applejack, who was standing in front of the girls, saw the door slowly creak open. The cold fall air nipped at her cheeks and gave them a redness due to the long exposure. Her truck was sitting behind Sunset’s bike, along with Rainbow Dash’s bike next to it. Fluttershy and Rarity had to park their vehicles next to the sidewalk as there was no more room. The sun was still in the sky but was ever so slowly getting lower as time passed. As she looked into Sunset’s apartment, she saw Sunset standing in the doorway. Light from the setting sun illuminated the apartment and allowed Applejack to make out most of the apartment.

“Sunset? Are you alright?” asked Applejack.

“Y-yeah, I am okay, Applejack.” Sunset struggled to speak as her throat seemed to tighten with each word.

“Why are all your lights off?” asked Applejack, stepping past Sunset as she walked into her apartment. “Are you tryin’ to hide somethin’?”

Sunset Shimmer froze, her hands trembling even more. “Great, she already knows…”

“I-I just wanted to be in the dark for a bit,” lied Sunset Shimmer, hoping to avoid the inevitable conversation.

“Darling, could you please turn on a light for us? It’s hard to see much in here,” asked Rarity, struggling to see Applejack in the dimly lit living room.

“Yeah,” said Sunset, taking a deep breath as she forced her feet to move towards the light switch.

As Rarity walked in, the rest of the girls followed after her. They all gathered together, unsure of where everything was in the dim lighting. Fluttershy was gripping Pinkie Pie’s arm tightly as her eyes darted around the room. She had a fear of the dark thanks to a prank Rainbow Dash had pulled on her when they were little. And it didn’t help that Rainbow Dash hailed it as her most awesome prank ever. The sound of someone moving around made Fluttershy squeal in surprise. However, Rainbow Dash just stood a few feet from where Applejack was standing in the living room.

Sunset Shimmer walked over to the wall where her light switch was situated. With a quick flick of her finger, the lights turned on and lit up her apartment. She squinted for a few seconds as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. After a little while, she was able to open both of her eyes again. The sunglasses she was wearing helped to keep the intensity of light down and allowed her to adjust a bit quicker. Sunset kept her back turned to the girls, hiding her face. Now that the lights were on, they would be able to see what was beneath the hood. And right now, she wasn’t ready to show them what her face looked like, even if she knew it would happen eventually.

When the lights came on, all the girls turned to Sunset, who was standing by the wall. She was still wearing the school hoodie, but it had gotten covered in grease from the fight with the Springtraps. There was also a noticeable bulge in the back of her hoodie, similar to what Twilight Sparkle had when she hid her wings using the same method. That told them that Sunset had wings as well. However, there was one thing that captured the girls’ attention; the red and yellow tail which twitched as they all stared at it. It was long, almost reaching down to her knees. While it looked similar to her tail extension that she got every time they ponied up, the coloration of it was different. Sunset’s tail was yellow right where it connected with her body and at the end of it, while the middle of it was red.

Applejack walked over to Sunset Shimmer and placed her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. As she did that, she could feel the claw at the end of her wing jabbing at her through the fabric. It was almost enough to make Applejack pull her hand away. Her leg throbbed, reminding her that it was still injured. But she ignored it and focused on finding out what was going on with Sunset. That was more important than the aching in her leg, for the time being anyway.

“Sugarcube… what happened during the fight at the school, did the girls and I see…” Applejack tried to continue, but she felt Sunset’s shoulder tense, making her stop.

Sunset Shimmer yanked her shoulder free from the cowgirl’s grip. She moved further away from the girls, her shoulders slumping downward as she tried to keep herself from giving in to her fear. After a quick debate in her head about whether she should face the girls, she chose to turn around and meet their worried gazes slowly. As Sunset did that, she saw the bandages covering their injuries. That made her gasp softly as she realized that she had run off, leaving them injured and bleeding in the school parking lot. If she wasn’t already feeling bad enough, that only added to her guilt. But she pushed it to the back of her mind; she had more significant concerns at the moment. One of them was that the girls had seen her appearance and now she had to confess her secret.

“Yes, you girls did see that. My appearance… it was altered so that I am back to looking like I did at the Fall Formal.” Sunset Shimmer grabbed her hood in one and her sunglasses in another. Still shaking from the fear of their reaction, she removed them. “So, now I look like Demon Shimmer again,”

Rarity gasped, covering her mouth as Sunset Shimmer looked down. Her blue eyes moved rapidly as she took in her red skin and the other changes. To say it was a shock would have been an understatement. All the alterations that had happened were drastic, making Rarity feel bad for her. The reason why Sunset had kept it from them and was trying to keep them from seeing what occurred was evident. She remembered the pain Twilight endured during her transformation and shuddered at the thought of what Sunset would’ve had to go through for hers. That only made her sick to her stomach for the second time that day.

“Oh my, that is…” Rarity didn’t continue her statement because she was at a loss for words.

Hearing what the fashionista said, Sunset looked up at the girls. Her heart nearly jumped up to her throat as she saw the fearful expressions of some of the girls. She felt her eyes burn as tears threatened to fall again. It felt like a thousand knives were slicing through her skin all at once. Although she didn’t like it, she understood why they did fear her. Sunset remembered how she felt when Twilight became Midnight Sparkle in appearance. So, she didn’t blame them for fearing her because of her demonic look. That was understandable, especially given what she did to them at the Fall Formal. Sunset expected them to be angry at her, maybe even fear her. But knowing about it was one thing; seeing it right in front of her was another.

Rarity tried to maintain her composure for Sunset’s sake. Yet, that was proving to be a bit challenging as she looked at her. One day, the redhead looked like her usual self, and the next, she was back to looking like her demonic self. Seeing that made her flashback to the Fall Formal and the first time she saw Demon Shimmer. A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the way Sunset had acted that night. Rarity let her eyes linger on her fangs before she met her gaze again. When she met Sunset’s eyes and took a few steps closer, she saw her flinch away from her, revealing that she had let shock and fear show. That made her feel even worse, knowing that she had just added to her emotional torment.

“Sunset, I am sorry, but…” Seeing the hurt look on the redhead’s face, Rarity decided to stop.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, stepped further away from the redhead. She saw her fangs in full view when she tried to give her a small smile, which made her jump and shrink away even more. That was enough to make her look away, no longer wanting to see Sunset’s face anymore. Now that Fluttershy had seen the red skin, pointy ears, and tail, it told her that she definitely was not a blood-sucking vampire. However, that confirmation did very little to quell her rising fear. And when she heard a stifled sob come from Sunset, she jumped behind Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy didn’t want to hurt her, but right now, she wasn’t able to see her as her friend. Not with her demonic appearance on full display in front of her.

“Fluttershy, please. I won’t hurt you,” said Sunset Shimmer, watching as Fluttershy shrunk away from her.

Seeing that reaction made Sunset realize that the girls, despite their attempts at concealing it, were genuinely afraid of her. They were hesitant to believe that she was still their friend. Even after she had saved them, they were reluctant to trust her. She gripped the side of her arm, looking away from their fearful gazes. The very thing Sunset feared would happen if she told them, happened. And it hurt to see them act that way. Unfortunately, she knew that there was nothing she could do to help ease their fears. Not when she looked like Demon Shimmer, and the girls weren’t going to believe anything she would say.

The cowgirl, seeing her girlfriend trying to step closer to Sunset Shimmer, walked in front of her. She glared at her, angry that she had lied to them about what happened to her. And considering that Twilight had gone through something similar barely a week ago, it made the lies even more insulting. As Twilight crossed her mind, Applejack wondered why Sunset hadn’t decided to come forward sooner. She had to know that Twilight felt very alone, being the only one of the girls that had endured a forced magical transformation that turned her evil. It wasn’t like she had hidden the fact that she felt no one understood what she had gone through at the Friendship Games. So, why did she hide something that Twilight and the rest of them could have helped her with?

“Did you tell Twilight about your transformation at the Fall Formal?” asked Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip momentarily before saying, “I told her that I had gone through the same kind of transformation. I didn’t tell her more than that because we were at the party Pinkie Pie had thrown a few days ago.”

Applejack’s body tensed up as Sunset admitted that she had told Twilight some of the truth, but not all of it. Her hands balled into fists as she struggled to contain her growing rage. There was one pet peeve that got to her the most, and that was when anyone wasn’t being honest. She valued honesty when it came to friendships and any relationship. It was hard enough when she complied with Sunset’s willingness not to tell Twilight the truth. Applejack thought it was just going to last for a month at most, not a whole year. And watching Sunset reluctantly tell Twilight some of the truth was beginning to get to her. Her hands shook as she forced herself to remain still and not punch her.

Sunset noticed that Applejack’s hands were trembling and resting at her sides. She looked at the cowgirl, and their eyes met for a brief moment. What she saw in them scared her and made her heart race. There was anger in them, making the green in her eyes darken as it clouded over them. That was something she had only seen in Applejack’s eyes back when she was the bully of CHS. It made her feel like a lamb that was in front of a malicious lion that had starved for weeks on end. And having it directed at her only made her wish she could disappear and not have to see it anymore.

“Applejack, I-”

“Don’t try to make any excuses for why you didn’t tell Twilight the whole truth that night, Demon Shimmer,” said Applejack, stopping Sunset from saying anything further. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Pinkie Pie, with Fluttershy still hiding behind her, stood still. She didn’t say anything, which was unlike her, but her eyes met Sunset’s gaze. She noticed the pain and fear that shone in her eyes as she looked at her. That made Pinkie Pie feel bad for Sunset, knowing that it must’ve been hard for her to show them what she looked like and risk their rejections. Remembering what happened with Twilight, she could see that Sunset was very insecure about her appearance. She also noticed that the usual cyan color in her eyes had gotten dimmed a bit, almost as if she was wearing colored contacts. Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she put her hands on her hips.

“Did something happen to Sunset’s eyes? Or am I just imagining things?” thought Pinkie Pie, trying to figure out what was going on.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash sped over to Sunset, making her jump back from the sudden intrusion of personal space. She used super-speed and did a few circles around her. Keeping her distance while she did, she could see that Sunset was hiding what was presumably her wings underneath the baggy hoodie. Rainbow Dash looked at her eyes, wanting to see if anything had changed. And to her surprise, they appeared to look like they usually would. However, upon closer inspection, she noticed the cyan in her irises was darker than usual. Even the whites of her eyes seemed to be a bit off like contacts were hiding whatever happened. Rainbow Dash’s curiosity piqued as she tried to make out whether Sunset was wearing contacts or not. Figuring that she would ask about that later, she did one last lap around her. Once she decided she had seen enough, she sped over to the couch.

The redhead closed her eyes as her rainbow-haired friend sped around her. She could feel her hair getting blown around by the breeze caused by her running in circles. Silently, she waited until she felt the wind stop before she slowly opened her eyes. Her heart sank when she saw the distrustful, and fear-filled looks that she was still getting. The part of her that hoped what she was seeing was a dream recoiled as reality hit her again. It was painfully evident that the girls saw her as either a threat or someone who isn’t their friend anymore. Sunset gulped as she felt her panic rise with each second that passed in the deafening silence.

“Wow, those are some drastic changes, Demon Shimmer,” said Rainbow Dash, not wanting to acknowledge that Sunset might still be her friend.

Rarity, annoyed by hearing another of her friends call Sunset Shimmer, said, “Rainbow Dash! Please, stop calling Sunset that. She is still our friend.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. If she were still Sunset, she wouldn’t have lied to us,” replied Rainbow Dash, looking at Rarity. “And I told her that I wouldn't say anything to Twilight as long as she told her first.”

“Wait, you know that Sunset had transformed before now?” asked Applejack, her attention turning to the athlete. “When did you find out?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I found out at Pinkie Pie’s party when Sunset let her guard down, and I saw her fangs.”

“Wait a minute, you’ve known about this for almost an entire week? And you didn’t think to say anything to us?” asked Rarity, trying to keep Applejack calm.

“Yeah. I figured Sunset would tell the rest of you when she told Twilight. Though, considering that she hasn’t told Twilight yet, I may do it myself,” Rainbow Dash said, not caring that she would go back on a promise she made.

“No, you can’t, Dash! Twilight will hate me if I don’t do it myself,” shouted Sunset Shimmer, bringing the attention back to her. “She’s already told me that I have until sundown today before she comes to you, girls.”

“We know that, Demon Shimmer. Twilight told us that she gave you an ultimatum before we came here,” replied Rainbow Dash, her voice cold. “I think that it was a good choice on her part.”

Hearing Rainbow Dash call her Demon Shimmer made Sunset’s chest tighten. She stepped back, her hands resting against the wall behind her. Her gloves ran across the peeling wallpaper, tearing it even more in the process. She looked at the girls, her eyes searching for some semblance of trust. Yet, Sunset saw none, just anger and distrust in their gazes. Her wings stretched against her hoodie as they tried to wrap around her. If it wasn’t for the wall, she was sure that her wings would’ve busted through the fabric right then and there. Standing there in front of the girls, she realized that all they saw in her was a monster. Nothing more than a monster who pretended to be their friend for almost a week.

The polychromatic athlete was the third one of the girls that seemed to be less frightened and more shocked and distrustful. But that said, she still hesitated when it came to approaching Sunset Shimmer. Even when she walked up to her to examine her appearance, she kept her distance from her. Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure if Sunset was still herself, and she didn’t want to take a chance. Not if there was a chance that she was Demon Shimmer again. However, there was a part of her that hoped Sunset was still their friend and could forgive her if she was wrong. There was a voice in her head telling her that she was making the wrong choice and risking their friendship. So, for her sake, Rainbow Dash hoped that she had made the right one; otherwise, she wasn’t sure what she would do. Getting thirsty, she flashed over to the kitchen and grabbed a soda to drink.

Applejack, wanting to see the rest of what Sunset Shimmer was hiding, stepped up to her and jabbed her finger into her shoulder as she said, “Is that all of the changes that occurred? Or are there more that you’re hidin’ from us underneath that hoodie of yours, Demon Shimmer?”

“Applejack! Please, stop calling Sunset that. She’s our friend, and she has feelings which you’re hurting calling her that name,” said Rarity, pulling Applejack away from Sunset Shimmer. “And don’t let your anger get the better of you, please.”

“I-I’m sorry, S-Sunset. I didn’t mean to let my anger get the better of me,” Applejack said, meeting Sunset’s gaze. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we deserved to see the extent of what happened to you. It’s the least you could do if you are our friend, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer swallowed as she met Applejack’s gaze. Her ears flopped down as she stepped closer to the rest of the girls. “This isn’t all of them; there is more.”

“Can we see the rest?” asked Pinkie Pie, speaking for the first time since they arrived.

“I-I don’t know, I don’t want to frighten you any more than I already have,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking at Fluttershy as she spoke.

“Please, show us.” Fluttershy stepped out a little from behind Pinkie Pie. “We’re your friends, Sunset. We want to see the rest of your changes if you'll allow us to, that is.”

“Do you trust us, dear?” asked Rarity, taking Sunset’s attention off of Fluttershy, who was still close to their party friend.

“Yes, I do trust you.” Sunset Shimmer walked over to her bathroom door and rested her hand on the doorknob. “Do you girls really want to see the rest of the changes?”

“Yes,” said Applejack as the girls nodded in agreement.

“Okay, I will be right back then,” said Sunset Shimmer, turning the doorknob.

Sighing, Sunset Shimmer opened the door and walked into the dark bathroom. As she closed the door shut, she let out a few sobs as a couple of tears streamed down her cheek. She wiped them off and gathered herself once more. Sunset didn’t want to let herself fall apart just yet. Her body trembled as she made her way over to the sink, removing her gloves and freeing her claws as she stood in front of it. She moved her fingers around, enjoying the freedom of not being stuck inside the leather gloves. Putting her hands on the sink counter, she looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. The next thing Sunset had to remove was her contacts. They were the one thing that helped her look like herself before the transformation. Yet, she knew that the girls deserved to see everything, even if it terrified her to show it.

Carefully, Sunset removed each contact and placed them in their vial so she could put them on tomorrow. When that had gotten finished, she took another glance in the mirror. This time, she saw her reflection bearing a striking resemblance to Demon Shimmer. The fear and hurt still showed, but now she looked like a terrifying monster. Sunset wanted to break her mirror as she struggled to keep the tears from falling. The girls’ words and actions had dug away at what little confidence she had, leaving her hating her appearance all the more. Thankfully, she still had her hoodie on for now, and that helped her feel a bit better. Taking a breath, Sunset opened the door again and faced the girls.

“These are some of the other changes,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at the girls and giving them a weak smile.

As Sunset nervously looked around, the girls let out a collective gasp. Her eyes now had an inky blackness surrounding them. Her irises had remained the same color, but that didn't do much to ease the scariness of her eyes. Fluttershy, who was starting to get braver recoiled behind Pinkie Pie. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead.

“Oh, so you were wearing contacts!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah…” replied Sunset Shimmer, biting the corner of her lip. "I thought it would help make my new… changes seem less scary to you.”

“Dem-Sunset, why are you still wearin’ your hoodie?” asked Applejack.

“I am wearing it because of… these…” Sunset Shimmer moved her hand to the zipper and pulled it down, removing her hoodie and letting her wings stretch to their length as it got discarded.

Sunset Shimmer looked at the girls, gauging their reactions as she stood there, completely exposed to them. She saw that most of them were shocked and a bit taken aback by her full appearance. But when she turned her attention to the shyest of all the girls, she was met with a look of pure fear and panic. In an attempt to calm Fluttershy down, she took a cautious step forward. Sunset’s eyes remained on her as she tried to show that she wouldn’t hurt her. Sunset reached out her hand in hopes that she would take it, but that only made her cling tightly to Pinkie Pie’s arm. Unfortunately, the hurtful reactions didn’t stop there because she saw all the girls back away from… her.

“Guys, you’re not afraid of me, are you?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked at the girls.

“Um…” was all that Sunset got in response from both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. The latter looked at Sunset as she said, “It’s hard not to be afraid of you right now.”

Fluttershy, who was already violently trembling and shaking from fear, felt herself grow light-headed as she saw Sunset’s enormous wings open to their full size. Her heart raced faster than she had ever felt before, making her feel winded as her breathing increased with her pulse. As her breaths became short and quick, she saw spots in vision as it darkened on the edges. It was too much for her to bear seeing Sunset look like the she-demon she was at the Fall Formal. And being afraid for so long had taken its toll on her body. Slowly, Fluttershy felt herself unwillingly let go of Pinkie Pie’s arm. When she let go, her inability to keep her balance took over, and she collapsed to the floor.

While Pinkie Pie stood there, she felt the animal lover’s grip loosen on her arm. The lack of pressure prompted her to look behind her. The girls did the same, wanting to know what just happened. She looked just in time to see her shoulder hit the hardwood floor next to her. Pinkie Pie tried to grab Fluttershy’s arm and stop her before she fell completely but was too late. A few seconds later, her head collided with the floor, making sure that she was unconscious.

“Fluttershy?!” shouted the girls as they ran over to their fallen friend.

Sunset tried to run over and help, but a firm hand on her chest stopped her. She looked down and saw that Applejack was the one who stopped her. Looking up at her, she knitted her eyebrows in confusion. “What the-? Applejack, what are you doing?”

“Don’t go over there, Demon Shimmer,” said Applejack.

“I-I want to make s-sure that Fluttershy is okay,” Sunset Shimmer said as she tried to push past Applejack.

Rarity, seeing the commotion, walked over. “I’m sorry, Sunset, but I am with Applejack on this one.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sunset, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Do you guys not trust me at all?”

“We don’t know if you’re our friend or just pretending,” said Pinkie Pie as she looked at Sunset shimmer. “I’m sorry, but we can’t trust you until we know that you’re on our side.”

Sunset struggled to keep her composure as the girls told her the cold truth about how they felt. “Rainbow Dash? Do you feel the same way?”

“Yeah, I do. I think you’re Demon Shimmer, not our friend. If you were Sunset, you would’ve told us what happened the night it went down rather than lying to us,” replied Rainbow Dash, not bothering to see that Sunset was on the verge of tears.

Applejack removed her hand from Sunset’s chest. “I think it’s best if you just… stay away from her… and us.” Her voice was low but stern. “Just until we’ve all had some time to consider if we can trust you at all.”

“O-oh… okay, I get it. You d-don’t trust me and think I-I am going to h-hurt you. I will go to my bedroom then. It’s p-probably best that Fluttershy doesn’t see my new t-terrifying appearance when she wakes up anyway,” said Sunset Shimmer as her ears flattened against her head. Her voice quivered as she tried to keep herself from crying in front of the people she had called her friends.

Turning away from the girls, Sunset Shimmer ran up the stairs, heading to her bedroom. While she made her way up the stairs, she could hear them move Fluttershy to her couch. A small part of her wanted to help them, to make sure that her friend was alright. However, the girls had made it clear she wasn’t wanted or needed at the moment. Sunset knew that probably was best that she kept her distance until Fluttershy felt okay with seeing her and the way she now looked. She sat down on her bed, moving the pillow out of her way as her wings wrapped around her. Feeling their leathery texture rubbing against her skin, she felt horrified and disgusted.

“I… I made Fluttershy faint because I showed them what happened. I scared her and the rest of my friends. They… don’t trust me anymore…” thought Sunset as she pulled her knees to her chest.

“You know, you did the right thing with coming clean about your transformation on Thursday,” Sunset Shimmer’s conscience said, breaking its silence. “I know it was hard to do that, especially since you risked them rejecting you.”

“Hard? Hard?! Try completely terrifying… and hurtful. The girls no longer trust me and think I am not their friend because I look like Demon Shimmer. I mean, Applejack told me to leave them alone. That she didn’t think it was best for me to be with them and Fluttershy.” Sunset Shimmer rested her head on her knees. “They hate me.”

“Well, at least the girls didn’t leave after you showed them. Just give them time to adjust to it. Remember how it felt when you saw Twilight become Midnight Sparkle again?” asked the redhead’s inner voice.

“Yeah…” was all Sunset Shimmer could think as she started to break down and let go of some of her built up tears.

“Remember how shocked you were when you saw that? You weren’t even sure if she was your friend. So, give the girls a chance to calm down and see that you’re still the old you,” said Sunset’s conscience.

“Yeah, I remember that. Okay, I will try to give the girls their space. I just hope they’ll see me as their friend and forgive me for lying to them…” thought Sunset Shimmer, letting her thoughts go quiet as the pain and guilt overwhelm her.

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Rarity was sitting on the couch and dabbing Fluttershy’s forehead with a washcloth. Fluttershy was paler than a ghost and cold to the touch. Her fear and panic had taken its toll on her body. And her fall didn’t help her in any manner. However, all of the girls were in a similar position. The fight with Springtrap had battered them all pretty good. And their injuries were sapping what remained of their energy. The idea of laying down in their beds and sleeping the night off was an appealing one. But it would have to wait until after they sorted things out with Sunset Shimmer. When Rarity finished with the washcloth, she set it down on the table.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” asked Rarity, looking at the girls.

“Fluttershy will be fine. It was just a fainting spell, Rare,” said Rainbow Dash, taking a gulp of her soda.

“I was talking about Demon Shimmer-I mean, Sunset. She seemed upset when Applejack asked her to leave, Rainbow,” said Rarity as she looked at the stairs leading to Sunset’s room.

“I-I don’t know,” Applejack said, sitting on the second to last stair. “Between all of us fearin’ her, Sunset did seem to be hurt.”

“Yeah… she did seem really hurt. Similar to how Twilight was when she became Midnight Sparkle again.” Rainbow Dash looked down at her soda can. “Do you think we made a mistake being so harsh with Demo-Sunset?”

“Well, I don’t think Sunset liked getting called Demon Shimmer, Rainbow,” said Rarity. “That wasn’t helping her feel any better. I wish you and Applejack hadn’t started doing that.”

“We’re sorry about that, Rarity.” Applejack sighed. “I regret callin' Sunset that now. I should’ve watched my anger and not let it get the better of me.”

“You’re not the only one who messed up, Applejack. We all did,” said Pinkie Pie. “And telling her that we didn’t trust her anymore was not a good thing. I’d be surprised if Sunset forgave us for that.”

“Do you think Sunset would forgive us for mistreating her?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Rarity looked down at Fluttershy. “I don’t know if Sunset would. We were all pretty mean towards her. No wonder she didn’t come to us sooner. She was afraid we’d react the way we did.”

“I didn’t even think about that,” Applejack said, turning around and seeing Sunset Shimmer sitting on her bed, still huddled into a ball. “I was so caught up in my anger at Sunset lyin' to us, that I forgot that she might’ve been scared that we’d hate her because of what she looks like now.”

“Just like Twilight was before she ran away from us,” said Rainbow Dash. “You don’t think she would…”

“I hope not. I preferably would like not to chase down another she-demon friend tonight,” said Rarity, leaning back against the couch.

Just then, Fluttershy’s eyelids fluttered open as she woke up from her fainting spell. She blinked a few times, trying to recall where she was. Her last memory was of her falling to the ground seconds before blurry versions of the girls ran over to her. There was a smell of strawberries and laundry detergent. She recognized the scent from the shampoo that Sunset used often. As her vision cleared up, Fluttershy could make out the familiar surroundings of Sunset’s apartment. She moved her hand along the back of the couch and realized she was laying on it. Looking around, she noticed that almost everyone was around, but Sunset was missing from the group. Applejack was sitting on the stairs with Pinkie Pie while Rainbow Dash was sitting on the floor next to the couch. She saw that Rarity was seated next to her, a worried look on her face.

“Oh good, you’re awake now, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash, finishing the last of her soda.

“Y-yeah. B-but, where is Sunset?” asked Fluttershy. “Why isn’t s-she with you, g-girls?”

The girls all looked between them before shifting their gaze to the stairs. They knew precisely where Sunset Shimmer was, but none of them wanted to admit that they told her to stay away. They were ashamed of what they had done to their friend. All of them realized they had made a mistake in treating her so harshly, especially when she did nothing but comply with what they asked of her. However, Applejack, knowing that someone had to tell Fluttershy the truth, decided she should tell her. She was the one responsible for telling Sunset to stay away from them. Walking over to Fluttershy, she placed her hand on her shoulder.

“I… told Sunset to stay away from you and us. I figured that you weren’t gonna want to see her when you woke up.” Applejack gave Fluttershy an apologetic smile, which did nothing to help her friend.

“Why did you do that, AJ?” asked Fluttershy, sitting up on the couch. “Don’t you think she’s our friend still?”

“I-I…” the cowgirl wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Fluttershy, dear, we did what we thought was best for you. You were so scared that you fainted,” said Rarity, trying to help Applejack.

“Did what’s best for me? What about what’s best for Sunset? If she wanted to be here, you girls should’ve let her be here,” said Fluttershy, her tone stern and devoid of kindness.

“She might be our friend, but none of us wanted to risk the chance that she isn’t,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re sorry, Fluttershy.”

“No, Rainbow Dash. You’re not going to apologize to me.” Fluttershy glared at the athlete as she met her eyes. “You’re all going to apologize to Sunset.”

“Assuming she is Sunset and not Demon Shimmer,” said Rainbow Dash, crossing her arms.

“Enough! Stop calling Sunset that I don’t want to hear it anymore.” Fluttershy’s hand balled into a fist as her anger swelled. “It’s bad enough that you all had to say what you did to her face. That I fainted because I was so scared of her appearance. And I don’t even want to know how you treated her while I was out.”

“Fluttershy, are you mad at us?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Yes, girls, I am mad at you, but I am also mad at myself. I am mad that we treated Sunset like she was our enemy,” said Fluttershy, letting her hand relax at her side. “I wish I hadn’t let my fear get the better of me. She didn’t deserve that, not when she had helped me earlier.”

As she looked around, Fluttershy remembered what happened before she passed. The hurt look on Sunset’s face as they backed away from her, the sadness which clouded her eyes, it all came back to her. Sunset had tried to show that she wasn’t a danger to them. Yet, they all refused to believe her and just pushed her away. As Fluttershy recalled what Sunset looked like, her hands began to tremble. The image in her mind wasn’t easy to stomach, and she almost wanted to vomit. She took a few deep breaths, reminding herself that Sunset was still her friend. That seemed to help her shakiness and made her want to fix what they had done.

“Can I go see Sunset? Alone?” asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy glanced up at Sunset’s bedroom. She could make out a vague outline of a person on the bed. Knowing that it was Sunset Shimmer, she felt her throat close up as she swallowed. Although she was a bit fearful of facing her, she knew that Sunset needed her more. Fluttershy could see that she was hurting too because of their reactions and words. And she realized that when she fainted after Sunset had revealed her wings, it only made things worse for her. None of this should have happened to her, not when she had told them the truth as they asked. And they shouldn’t have pushed her away afterward because she looked like Demon Shimmer. There was a part of her, much stronger than her fear, that had to make sure she understood that she didn’t mean to hurt her.

The girls all looked at Fluttershy, watching her as she stood up from the couch. Their eyes were wide with shock as they didn’t expect the shyest of them to be the braver of the group. None of them expected her to see Sunset, let alone want to be by herself with her after what occurred earlier. Ignoring their shocked expressions, Fluttershy walked over to the stairs where Pinkie Pie was still sitting.

“Are you sure that you want to do this, Fluttershy?” asked Pinkie Pie as she stood up.

Fluttershy glared at Pinkie Pie before calming herself again. “Pinkie, please don’t stop me. I am going to try and repair the damage we’ve caused. We’re her friends; this is not how we should have acted towards her, even if she lied to us.”

“But-”

“No, Pinkie. I will not stay away because you or the girls say that Sunset isn’t our friend. I am tired of hearing that, and frankly, I am disappointed that any of us jumped to that conclusion.” Fluttershy heard Sunset shift on her bed. “I wish none of us had called her… Demon Shimmer.”

“What are you going to do?” Pinkie Pie asked, looking behind her for a moment.

“Sunset needs a friend right now, and I am going to be that friend. She needs to know someone is on her side. That there is someone who cares about how she feels,” replied Fluttershy.

“And if something goes wrong?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“It won’t because I know that Sunset is still our friend, even if you don’t see that because of her altered appearance,” said Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie stood in front of Fluttershy.

“Pinkie, please don’t make me have to use the Stare on you. You’re not going to stop me from talking with Sunset,” Fluttershy said, stepping onto the first step and waiting for Pinkie Pie to move.

“Okay, just be careful,” said Pinkie Pie as she stepped aside.

“I will be, Pinkie,” replied Fluttershy.

With that, the animal lover made her way slowly up the stairs, not wanting to spook Sunset Shimmer. Her balance was still a little off, causing her to stumble over the steps a few times as she made her way up. Once she was standing on the landing in between both parts of the stairway, she stopped. Fluttershy didn’t want to proceed any further until she had Sunset’s okay to come into her room. After what the girls did, she wasn't sure if Sunset would want any company.

“S-Sunset?” Fluttershy looked up at the loft, hoping to see Sunset Shimmer. “Can I come up and talk to you?”

Sunset, still cocooned inside of her wings, lifted her head off her knees as she looked at the stairs. The sound of Fluttershy’s voice calling her by her name was shocking to hear. Her wings instinctively retracted and pulled up against her back as she moved around on her bed. She swung her legs over the side of her bed that faced the stairway. Her heart thundered in her chest as she heard Fluttershy take another step up the stairs, moving closer to her. Knowing that her friend, the one she had terrified so much that she fainted, was coming towards her was enough to make her panic. Sunset wasn’t sure if she was ready to see any of the girls right now. However, to see that Fluttershy wanted to talk to her, she had to take a chance. So, after a few minutes of silence had passed, she decided to say something in return.

“Y-yeah.” Sunset Shimmer barely managed to speak louder than a whisper. Her fear of frightening Fluttershy was almost too intense. “Y-you can c-come up.”

Fluttershy, upon hearing Sunset’s confirmation to walk into her room, made her way up the stairs. Each step she took made her heart pound even more in her chest. After what seemed like hours, she came across a figure with giant bat wings sitting on the bed, facing her. Her breath caught in her throat as Fluttershy tried to remain calm. She reminded herself that it was Sunset, not a monster, that was sitting in front of her.

“S-Sunset?” Fluttershy saw Sunset’s wings move around her body as she stepped foot in her room. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

Sunset Shimmer was more than shocked by the bravery Fluttershy was showing by coming closer to her. Especially since she was the reason that she had fainted earlier, that scene still replayed in her head as she sat there in the silence. Watching the girls go from shocked and fearful to blatant distrust because of that, it hurt in ways that she couldn’t describe. Sunset looked down at her hands before gripping the edge of her bed.

“Are you sure that you want to sit next to me, Fluttershy?” asked Sunset Shimmer, keeping his gaze locked on the floor.

Fluttershy looked at the redhead. Even though she couldn't see her face, she could hear the pain in her voice. That caused some of her fear to dissipate as she saw someone who was hurt. Sunset was just as human as she was, not even her altered appearance could change that. And it made her anger at the girls’ actions grow more. Fluttershy hoped that she could help Sunset feel better and maybe get her to come down to talk to the girls. Fluttershy knew that in order to do that, she had to be honest about how she felt while letting Sunset see that she wasn’t going to run away from her.

“Well, no, I am not sure that I want to sit next to you right now. But you’re my friend, Sunset.” Fluttershy tried to sound as sweet as she could. She sat down at the end of the bed, keeping her distance from Sunset Shimmer as she didn’t want to push her boundaries just yet. “I am willing to push past my fear because I care about you, just like what I did with Twilight.”

That made the redhead look directly at Fluttershy in disbelief at what just heard.

“D-do you mean that Fluttershy?” asked Sunset, wanting to hear Fluttershy say that she was telling the truth.

As Sunset Shimmer met Fluttershy’s gaze, she forgot that she had removed her contacts earlier. For a few long seconds, she saw Fluttershy looking at her and through her outward appearance as Demon Shimmer. That one look meant the world to her. After seeing only fear and hatred in the girls’ eyes, it was nice to see that at least one of them could see past her recent change of appearance. However, that relief didn’t last for very long. Sunset watched as Fluttershy jumped off her bed and stared at her like a deer in headlights.

Fluttershy looked fearfully at Sunset, unable to take her gaze off of her demonic-looking eyes. The blackness of them made her feel like she was looking into the abyss. It was enough to frighten her and make her give in to her fear. Yet, despite the drastic change, she could see that it was Sunset looking back at her. But that didn’t stop her from involuntarily stepping back from her as her survival instincts kicked in. Fluttershy felt the desire to protect herself wash over her as fear took hold of her once more.

“Oh, I am so sorry, Fluttershy!” Sunset Shimmer looked away, realizing that her eyes were scaring the animal lover now that her contacts were no longer keeping her real eyes hidden. “I forgot that my contacts aren’t in anymore.”

The animal lover watched as Sunset Shimmer turned away from her. She did it again. She hurt her friend, made her feel like she was a freak. All because of something that was out of her control. That gave Fluttershy enough courage to push her fear back and regain her calm demeanor as she stood in front of Sunset. For a moment, her hand hovered over one of Sunset’s wings, which slowly began to wrap around her as she stood there. She could see that her body was trembling under her hand as if she sensed its presence near her. Making a choice, she decided not to touch Sunset. It was too risky, and she didn’t want to do something that would make her pull away and retreat even further away from her and the girls.

“Look at me, Sunset.” Fluttershy’s tone was stern but kind.

“B-but my eyes, they’re-”

“Please, look at me,” said Fluttershy, not taking no for an answer.

Reluctantly, Sunset obliged, lowering her wings a little as she did so. When she looked at Fluttershy, she saw her sit next to her. That resulted in making one of her wings brush against her forearm. The contact made Sunset freeze as she waited to see what Fluttershy would do. However, Fluttershy didn’t do anything, didn’t even pull her arm away. That made her curiosity pique as she wondered why she didn’t do anything. Sunset went to pull her hand away when she felt a hand grab hers.

“Sunset, don’t please,” Fluttershy said, her hand holding Sunset’s shaky one in a gentle grip. “I don’t want to see you flinch away from me because I was scared for a moment.”

“I-I don’t want to scare you, Fluttershy,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice slightly trembling as she tried to remain calm for Fluttershy’s sake. “I know that I don’t exactly look like myself right now. And that my new features are a bit… frightening for you.”

Fluttershy kept her eyes locked with Sunset’s cyan ones as she said, “I meant what I said earlier about you being my friend. Do you know why I came up here?”

“W-why?” asked Sunset Shimmer, curious to what Fluttershy’s answer was going to be.

“I came up because I saw a friend in need. And when I look at you, I don’t see Demon Shimmer, Sunset,” said Fluttershy. “I saw you and the pain my actions caused you. I came here to show you that you’re my friend, no matter what you may look like.”

Sunset Shimmer felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “Fluttershy, please, tell me that is truly how you feel. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“I mean every word I said, Sunset. Every. Word.” Fluttershy scooted a little closer to Sunset so that her wing got firmly pressed against her arm. “See?”

Hearing those words and seeing Fluttershy not shy away from her even though she had nothing to hide her demonic appearance made Sunset start to cry. The tears she had held back during their conversation broke free as she looked down. When the tears began to pour down her cheeks, she felt a gentle hand wipe a few of them off. Looking up, Sunset saw Fluttershy was the one wiping them off. Although, as she looked up, she remembered her eyes, and that made her start to look away. However, a hand on her cheek stopped her from looking away as it grabbed her chin, pulling her eyes back to its owner. Sunset’s eyes once again met Fluttershy’s gentle gaze.

“I’m so happy to see that you’re not fearful of being close to me… in this form,” said Sunset Shimmer, carefully smiling, so she didn’t reveal her fangs.

“I’m sorry that I fainted after you showed us your wings.” Fluttershy looked down as she let go of Sunset’s hand. “They are-”

“Horrible?” asked Sunset, remembering how much she hated them.

“I was going to say they are kind of cool looking,” said Fluttershy as she looked at Sunset Shimmer.

“O-oh, thanks,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “And I am sorry that I frightened you and the girls. I tried to-”

“Sunset, it’s alright. We should've handled it better. I see why you didn’t tell us right away,” Fluttershy said, looking up at Sunset Shimmer. “I just hope you’ll give us another chance to show you we’re still your friends.”

“I will,” said Sunset as she grabbed Fluttershy’s hand and squeezed it, being careful to avoid her claws harming her. “Can I give you a hug, please?”

Fluttershy, still holding Sunset’s hand, stood up from the bed. “Of course, you can.”

That was all Sunset Shimmer needed to let go of Fluttershy’s hand and wrap her arms around her. She was careful about her claws as she rested them against her back. They were sharp, and without her gloves, they posed a risk to her. Sunset didn’t want to hurt the one friend who was willing to give her the physical contact she missed. Burying her face in the crook of Fluttershy’s neck, she let her body relax. The scent of lilac and the shelter wafted towards her as she inhaled deeply. It was comforting to her, making her feel like there was a chance the girls could accept her situation and treat her the same.

Fluttershy, surprised by the sudden action of Sunset immediately hugging her, slowly wrapped her arms around her friend. Her fingers brushed Sunset’s wings, making her pull back for a moment. She wasn’t sure if that was going to make her uncomfortable, considering that she noticed her hatred of her appearance. Fluttershy understood why she hated the way she looked and was afraid to tell them about it. That made her move her hands closer to her wings, letting her fingertips brush against them. She could feel their warmth, but the texture was the biggest surprise to her. Instead of the coarse, leathery feel that she was expecting, Fluttershy felt a leathery silk-like texture that was comparable to that of cotton.

As Sunset closed her eyes, she let herself revel in her friend’s gentle touch. The way Fluttershy was hugging her felt she was afraid that she was going to break if she wasn’t careful. Yet, it made Sunset feel like she hadn't got trapped in her past demonic form. Her wings wrapped around Fluttershy as she pulled her closer to her. The hug reminded her of the way Twilight used to hug her whenever she needed it. That made Sunset realize that if she told her the truth, she might never get to hug her again. The thought made her heart fracture into pieces as it was too much to bear. As Twilight crossed her mind, her inner conscience came back.

“You know that you’ll have to tell Twilight before the sun sets completely, right?” asked Sunset’s conscience.

“Yes, I am aware of that. And I will… once I finish up with the girls,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she pulled away from the hug, her wings folding against her back.

“Sunset, are you ready to face the girls now?” asked Fluttershy, looking at Sunset.

“Are you sure the girls want to see me now that they know what I look like?” Sunset Shimmer walked over to her railing, looking down at her living room. “They said that I couldn’t be trusted because I look like…”

Fluttershy placed a hand on Sunset’s wing. “Like Demon Shimmer?”

“Y-yeah,” replied Sunset. “I am scared the girls will push me away if I try to approach them.”

“Well, the girls have to apologize for their actions. And I’m not going to let them hurt you, Sunset,” said Fluttershy. “They will see that you’re still you if you give them a chance to.”

“Okay, I will come down and talk to them. By the way, thank you. I needed that hug.” Sunset walked away from the railing and towards her stairs.

Fluttershy cleared her throat, trying to keep herself calm. “You’re welcome. I was just doing what I could to help you feel better.”

“Well, it did help a lot, Fluttershy. I am glad that at least one of my friends isn’t afraid of me,” said Sunset Shimmer, holding out her hand for Fluttershy. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Good,” said Fluttershy as she took Sunset’s outstretched hand.

Together, the two girls joined the rest of their friends in the living room. As Sunset Shimmer entered the room, the tension in the room tightened like a string on a guitar. The mood changed from slightly relaxed to tense in a matter of seconds. A heavy silence fell over it, and one could hear a pin drop. Feeling that shift, Sunset chose to sit by the window next to her large screen TV. She wanted to keep a distance between her and the girls for their sake. After all, she had frightened them enough, and she didn’t want them to feel threatened by her. Fluttershy chose to sit next to Pinkie Pie, who had joined Rarity on the couch.

Applejack, who returned to her place on the stairs, looked at Sunset Shimmer. She tried her best to keep her anger in check. And considering what happened earlier that day, it made it somewhat easier. Sunset had come through with her promise to tell the girls what happened on Thursday, but that didn’t change much. She still lied to them and hid it for almost a week. Applejack valued honesty in any type of relationship. So, to have Sunset know that and chose to lie to them, it both annoyed and hurt her. Sighing, Applejack looked down at her hands, the silence leaving her unable to say anything.

As Sunset sat down on the floor, she kept her wings pulled behind her. She rested her back against the wall, careful not to push too much of her weight on them. Her tail laid on the floor beside her as she didn’t want to risk sitting on it. It was painful enough to have it yanked by an animatronic rabbit earlier. Her ears flattened against her head as she remembered the girls and the fact that she had run off after that. Sunset prepared herself to get yelled and bombarded with a ton of questions. She knew that she deserved it for betraying their trust and doubting their friendship and loyalty.

“Are you still our friend, S-Sunset? Or are you…” Applejack asked, avoiding any eye contact with Sunset Shimmer. The changes that occurred to the redhead still unnerved her. “And don’t lie to us.”

“I haven’t become a raging she-demon again, AJ!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, staring at her hands. “It’s still me, girls. Just like Twilight is still herself, despite… what’s happened to her recently.” Sunset’s voice changed, going from angry to calm, only to end up revealing her hurt.

Applejack, as well as the rest of the girls, heard the hurt tone in Sunset’s voice. It was clear that the question, although asked with good intentions, had hurt her even more. In front of them, with her knees pulled to her chest, she looked like a shell of her former self. And knowing they were the cause of it, the girls remained silent. Applejack removed her hat and set it on the stair next to her.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. I-I just needed to know…” Applejack went silent, not wanting to make it worse.

“I-I k-know, AJ,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Me looking like Demon Shimmer means I possibly could be her again.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” said Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I know that, but it doesn’t change what you said to me earlier.”

“Are you okay, Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash, taking herself by surprise along with the rest of the girls.

Sunset Shimmer’s ears perked up as she heard what her athletic friend asked her. She looked at her, eyes wide with surprise and curiosity. Sunset didn’t expect her to ask that question out of all the questions she could’ve asked. Sure, anything about her appearance, why she had lied, or how it all happened. Yet, Rainbow Dash asking about her if she was okay wasn’t one of the things she was expecting. Sunset appreciated the gesture; it gave her some hope that the girls were beginning to see that she hadn’t changed on the inside.

“No, I am not okay, Dash,” replied Sunset, looking down at her hands, which rested in her lap. “It’s hard to see you, my closest friends, look at me and fear me because I look a bit different now.”

Pinkie Pie, who was munching on a cookie she had grabbed earlier, stopped. She met Sunset’s gaze briefly before looking away. Her hair seemed to deflate like a balloon losing its air. The usual bounciness of it disappeared as guilt clouded her blue eyes. She was usually the most chipper and hopeful of the group. However, even she had been hesitantly fearful of the redhead when she had shown them her new appearance. And Fluttershy had made her realize that it had been the wrong choice. Finishing the last of her cookie, Pinkie Pie walked over to where Sunset was sitting and took a seat next to her.

That caused Sunset Shimmer to shift away from her. She didn’t want to be close to her. After what happened earlier, it was abundantly clear that her friends didn’t believe that she was still the same Sunset they’d always known. When she had revealed the truth to them as they had asked, she just got pushed away for it. So, right now, she wasn’t exactly willing to be close to them or let them close to her. Not if it meant that they would keep her at a distance again. Just as Sunset had managed to get a few inches between her and her party friend, she felt something touch her shoulder. Jumping, Sunset looked at her, seeing that it was her hand that rested on her shoulder.

“Sunset… we’re sorry,” said Pinkie Pie, a serious tone in her voice. A contrast to her usual bubbly demeanor.

“She’s right, darling. We didn’t mean to hurt you. It was just a…” Rarity trailed off, not sure what to say next.

“A shock? Yeah, I noticed that. I remembered how I felt when Twilight became Midnight Sparkle again,” said Sunset Shimmer, finishing Rarity’s sentence.

“Y-yeah, it was a shock, but we don’t fear you as much anymore now that we know. We can see that you’re still you,” Rarity said, finishing her original thought.

“Thanks,” replied Sunset Shimmer in a flat tone.

Sunset knew that her friends meant well. But to hear that they still feared despite her attempts to show them she wasn’t Demon Shimmer was a punch to the gut. She wrapped her arms around her knees, shrugging Pinkie Pie’s hand off of her shoulder. Her wings tried to cover her like before, but Sunset forced them to remain behind. Mostly because they would hit Pinkie Pie in the process. Although there was a part of her that was too scared to move them, especially after the earlier events of the nights. She didn’t want to risk losing the girls because she startled them.

“It’s not easy to look at you, Sunset. You lied to us. We’re your friends,” said Applejack.

“I know. I shouldn’t have lied to you, girls,” Sunset Shimmer said.

“So, why did you lie to us?” asked Applejack.

“I was…” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t continue. She buried her head in her knees as she concealed the tears that began to fall.

“Wait, were you…?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Scared, yes,” replied Sunset, her voice barely audible above the building sniffles.

“You were scared? Of what, darling?” Rarity asked as she got off the couch and kneeled in front of Sunset Shimmer.

“I can’t…” said Sunset Shimmer.

Rarity looked at the redhead, saying, “Please… talk to us.”

Sunset Shimmer remained silent. She didn’t want to admit that she was scared of the girls’ hating her. She didn’t want them to know that she had doubted them, their friendship, and their loyalty to her. Yet, she remembered what she almost did to them during the Fall Formal. And their reactions when she revealed herself made it clear that they hadn’t completely gotten over it either. Sunset looked up when she saw Rarity kneel in front of her. Instinctively, she pulled her body further from Rarity, not wanting to touch her and spook her.

“I was scared that you all would hate me because I look like-”

“Like Demon Shimmer now?” asked Rainbow Dash, interrupting Sunset Shimmer.

“Y-yeah.” Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, wiping some of the tears off her cheeks.

“How could you think that?” asked Rarity. “Didn’t you think that we’d still be your friends?”

“Yes, Rarity, I did. However, I wasn’t so sure because of how I had treated you girls before I changed,” replied Sunset.

Applejack grabbed her hat and moved from the stair she had been sitting on, joining Rarity and Pinkie Pie. She heard Fluttershy move off the couch and sit next to Pinkie Pie. As she looked around, she noticed that the girls were all silent. It seemed they all knew that they had made a mistake in pushing Sunset away. She looked down, knowing that she had been the one to tell her to leave. Applejack returned her attention to the huddled mass that was her friend. Seeing her friend mostly resemble Demon Shimmer was shocking. However, seeing her act scared and skittish rather than angry was even more surprising. It was a drastic change from the first time she had encountered Demon Shimmer. And it was enough to confirm that she was still her friend. Although she now looked like and probably had some of the powers of Demon Shimmer, it was still Sunset Shimmer underneath the outward appearance.

“And is that the reason you lied to us? That you put up this… this charade? Is it because you were scared that we would hate you if you showed us?” asked Applejack.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her knees from her chest, choosing to sit with her legs crossed. Her cheeks were still wet with tears, but she had managed to calm down somewhat. Finally getting to talk to the girls without them fearing her was a huge relief. She was growing a bit nervous with almost all of the girls sitting around her. Sunset noticed that Rainbow Dash was the only one of the girls who was sitting away from her. Taking a chance, she motioned for her to come over.

“Are you sure that it’s okay?” asked Rainbow Dash, standing up from where she had been sitting.

“Yes, please come here, Dash,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to encourage her friend to join her. “I don’t want you to feel like you can’t approach me.”

“O-okay,” replied Rainbow Dash, sitting next to Rarity.

“And to answer your question, AJ, yes, it is. I was worried that you would because of what I tried to do the last time I.. well, became this,” Sunset Shimmer said, gesturing to her demonic appearance.

Being the closest to Sunset, Pinkie Pie reached out and tried to grab her friend’s hand. But when she saw her flinch away, she stopped for a moment. Pinkie Pie remembered what she had said to her about not trusting her, that she didn’t think that she was her friend anymore. Now more than ever, she regretted those words and wanted to take them back. All Pinkie Pie wanted to do was comfort her friend. She didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. She watched Sunset’s demeanor, making sure it was alright to grab her hand. Once she was absolutely convinced that she wouldn’t pull away, Pinkie Pie slowly grabbed her hand.

The redhead felt a hand slowly move down her arm, making its way to her hand. She looked at its owner, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. As the hand gripped hers, she felt it tighten its grip. Sunset tried to pull her hand away. She didn’t want to injure Pinkie Pie accidentally with her claws. However, she only succeeded in making the hand grip hers even more tightly. Giving up, Sunset waited to see what she would do next.

“Sunset, we would never hate you because you look like Demon Shimmer again.” Pinkie Pie locked her gaze with Sunset Shimmer’s, making sure that her friend saw that she meant what she said. “We are your friends; nothing will change that.”

“Yeah, we’ll always be your friends,” added Rainbow Dash. “We don’t care that you look like a she-demon. As… long as you don't try to kill us or mind control us again.”

“Yes, I don’t think I have an outfit for being part of an army of teenage zombies,” said Rarity.

That attempt at a joke made Sunset Shimmer and the girls chuckle, breaking the serious mood. Yet, that didn’t last long as Sunset let go of Pinkie Pie’s hand. Shifting her position, she looked away from her friends. It was hard to let them get close after what they did earlier. And seeing that they still had some doubts about her made her wonder if she had made the right choice to talk to them. Then again, she couldn’t blame them. Unlike Twilight, she had tried to harm them and didn’t show any signs of control. If it hadn’t been for Princess Twilight, she wouldn’t have stopped.

“Is that really true? Do you girls really mean that?” asked Sunset Shimmer, wanting to believe that they wouldn’t care about her becoming Demon Shimmer again, that they would see it was her despite the outward changes.

“We do. It hurts to see that you would think otherwise,” said Pinkie Pie, sounding nothing like her usual self. “We care about you. And we don’t want to hurt you or make you feel that you can’t trust us.”

“And we’re sorry for the way we acted earlier. We should’ve trusted you and not jumped to conclusions,” said Applejack.

“We hope you can forgive us,” Fluttershy said. “We know you’re our friend now, and we regret what we said.”

Hearing that made Sunset Shimmer look at the girls. She saw that their expressions were a mix of hurt and worry. That it made painfully clear to her that she hurt them when she admitted that she didn’t trust them to be her friends still. Her ears laid flat against her head as she felt guilt wash over her. After a few moments, Sunset and the girls all stood up. Her wings stretched a little as she stood up, making Pinkie Pie back up to give them room. Looking at the girls, she gave them a small, but still there, smile.

Pinkie Pie saw that Sunset’s mood had changed. Their previously hurt friend now seemed happy, even if it was just a little bit. That made her so glad to see her cheering up, even though it had been a rough night. When Sunset stepped closer to them, her wings draped themselves over her shoulder. That made Pinkie Pie and the girls all looked at each other, wondering what was happening. Pinkie Pie, being the one who always seemed to know things, grinned widely as she looked at Sunset. She had figured out what Sunset was doing.

“I am sorry I hurt you girls. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I promise, if anything like this happens to me again, I will come straight to you,” Sunset’s voice quivered a little as her happiness at her friends’ support threatened to overwhelm her.

“We’ll always be here for you, Sunset. No matter what,” said Applejack, returning Sunset Shimmer’s smile.

“Yeah, totally! You’re a Rainboom and a Wondercolt, we always stick together,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Rainbow’s right. We will be here to help you,” said Rarity. “Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy, not expecting to speak, said, “Oh, um, yeah. You’re our friend, Sunset.”

“Group hug!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she carefully jumped up.

“Thank you, girls,” was all Sunset Shimmer could get in before Pinkie Pie, and the others gathered around her and hugged her.

As the girls hugged Sunset Shimmer, she felt her wings drape themselves over her friends. When none of the girls pulled away, she smiled even more. Her tail also flicked back and forth, showing her happiness. Sunset was careful to keep her claws from touching the girls. She couldn’t trust that she wouldn’t accidentally cut them. Besides, the fight with Springtrap and his army of doppelgangers had clearly left the girls pretty banged up. Reveling in the comfort of having her friends with her, no longer afraid of her appearance, she took a deep breath. After hugging for a few minutes, Sunset pulled away from it, and her wings relaxed.

“So, are you girls okay? I am sorry for running off. If I had known that you were-”

"Enough apologizin’, Sunset. You fought off the Springtraps, saving us from our deaths. That’s somethin’ we’re all grateful for,” Applejack said, placing her hat back on her head.

“Yeah!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “You totally kicked some robot ass!”

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “Thanks, Dash. I was only able to do it because I discovered their weakness, which I will explain soon.”

Just then, Sunset’s phone went off, causing her to pull her phone out of her back pocket. She unlocked her and saw that she had received a message from Twilight Sparkle.

Twi: Sunset, are you coming? Or should I just ask the girls what happened?

SunShim: I am heading over there within the next 15-20 minutes. Just wait, please.

Twi: Fine, I will wait for 20 minutes, then you better get here and tell me what is going on.

SunShim: Okay, I will.

As soon as Sunset Shimmer finished texting Twilight, she turned to the girls.

“That was Twilight, wasn’t it?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah, it was girls,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice lowering as she spoke. “She isn’t going to wait any longer for me to come over.”

“Well, then I guess it’s time for us to be leaving now. I am sure that you and Twilight will want to be alone,” said Rarity as she grabbed Applejack’s hand.

“Yeah, that is probably best. Besides, Twilight might freak out when she sees what I look like now,” said Sunset, a sadness in her voice.

The redhead looked at her hoodie, which still sat in the same spot she had dropped it earlier. She walked over to where it was still lying in a crumpled heap, picking it up. She slipped her one arm into the sleeve, doing the same with the other before zipping it up. Sunset made sure her wings were sitting comfortably in their fabric confines. Stretching them, she felt the padding resting against them. As she looked at her hands, she wondered if her gloves were where she had last left them. Reaching into her pockets, she found the leather gloves inside.

“Good. I have a feeling I’ll need them later,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

“I am going to put my sunglasses on. I am not in the mood to be removing my contacts for a second time tonight. But I wouldn’t want to frighten Twilight right away before I have a chance to explain,” said Sunset Shimmer, turning to the girls.

“Yeah…” said all the girls as they each looked away, the nervousness from earlier returning.

After a few awkward moments of silence, Applejack was the first to speak.

“A’right. We get goin’. Twilight won’t wait forever, and Sunset needs to get ready,” said Applejack, walking with Rarity to the front door.

“Yeah, I agree. I am exhausted from today’s events,” said Pinkie Pie, trying to stifle a yawn. “I haven’t been this party pooped since Twilight drained my magic out of me.”

“Me too. Besides, I have some homework to catch up on before I can get any sleep,” added Rainbow Dash. “I am close to failing algebra… again.”

“You know, Rainbow, if you weren’t putting off your homework until the last minute, you wouldn’t have that problem,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, yeah. I have heard that speech before,” said Rainbow Dash, waving her hand dismissively at Rarity.

“Okay. Don’t blame me if you fail to graduate,” replied Rarity, glaring at Rainbow Dash.

After that, the girls said their goodbyes before they left the apartment. As Sunset closed her front door, she sighed deeply. She knew what was coming up, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Twilight wasn’t aware of what she looked like now. And without seeing any photos beforehand, Sunset knew that she was in for a shock. She also knew that it was her fault because she wanted to hide her past from her. She just hoped that it would work out as it did with the girls. If it didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to face her ever again. Twilight made it pretty evident she wouldn’t want to see her if she didn’t come forward herself. That chance of losing her was the only reason she was doing this. Clearing her head, she walked up to her room and towards Ray’s cage.

“Hey, Ray. Do you want to walk around for a bit while I am gone?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she pulled off the top of his enclosure.

Ray let out a little bark of joy.

Sunset put her hand near him and said, “Come here, and don’t mind the claws.”

Ray looked at the redhead’s hand, hesitantly.

“It’s okay, Ray, I promise. I won’t hurt you,” said Sunset Shimmer, reassuring him. "I know my claws look scary, but they're not."

That was all Ray needed to climb onto her hand. Sunset lifted him out of his enclosure and set him down on her bed. It was nice to see her pet gecko didn’t fear her new changes.

“Do you promise not to run away while I am gone?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Ray nodded in response.

“Alright, good. Enjoy yourself, Ray,” said Sunset Shimmer as she watched him go to her pillows and curl up.

Sunset Shimmer stepped in front of her mirror for a moment and lifted her blanket. She saw her reflection staring back at her. Her eyes looked scary, making her heart race the longer she stared at them. However, Sunset was getting used to it by now. The girls’ reactions to her appearance had been traumatic for her. It had not gone as well as she had hoped it would. And there was a nagging feeling telling her that when Twilight Sparkle saw her demonic appearance, it wasn’t going to be pretty. Sunset didn’t like the thought of Twilight fearing her, but it was possible. If it did happen, she knew it was going to hurt a lot more because she cared for Twilight. Her rejection would destroy what little confidence Sunset had, and she wasn’t sure what she would do after that. How could she repair the damage if things didn’t go well?

“You’re doing the right thing,” said Sunset’s inner conscience.

“I hope so. If I lose Twilight now, it’s going to kill me,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

With that, Sunset threw the blanket back over the mirror and walked down the stairs. Any thought of her appearance or Twilight’s reaction to it would have to wait until she got to her house. She grabbed her keys, quickly exiting her apartment. The moon was slowly beginning to show as the sun started its descent behind the mountains. Even the birds’ chirping gave way to the crickets and their songs of the night. Her bike sat in her driveway, no longer surrounded by the girls’ vehicles. There was a temptation to drive it, but it wouldn’t get her to Twilight’s house quickly enough. And she was already tight on time as it was. Her wings flapped inside her hoodie and made her think. Could she fly to Twilight’s home? Sunset looked at the sky, realizing that flying was going to be quicker than running or taking her bike would be. And right now, she wasn’t going to risk being late. Sunset didn’t know if she could do it, but she had to try if she wanted to tell Twilight the truth herself. So, reluctantly she removed her hoodie and let them out.

“Please, let this work,” said Sunset Shimmer as she let them flap a couple of times.

Amazingly, Sunset Shimmer successfully managed to get off the ground. Her wings flapped every few seconds, keeping her in the air. It almost seemed like second nature to her, even though she hadn’t had much experience with wings. She let herself fly a bit higher until she was hovering above the roof of her apartment. The view was amazing, making her regret not doing it sooner. The nearby hills and streets glowed with the light of the setting sun. It looked like a painting come to life. She understood why Twilight liked flying with her wings. The only downside was that her wings weren’t pretty; instead, they were enormous, red bat wings. Not exactly the most angelic looking. That made it less appealing to fly places when people might gawk at them. And she wasn’t willing to endure more fearful looks after tonight. Sunset looked around and spotted Twilight’s house just a few streets over. Not wasting another minute, she headed in that direction.

Fifteen minutes of awkward flying later, Sunset finally arrived at Twilight Sparkle’s house. The flight was much shorter than she had expected. It made her grateful that she took the risk of being seen. Getting into the air had been easy, but the landing was a bit tricky. Without much experience with wings and not much practice with landing or flying, she wasn’t sure how to land. However, Sunset tried her best to land properly with her lack of experience. The sidewalk was just a few feet below her, but her balance was getting thrown off by the small breeze that blew past her. Her wings were sensitive to such things as she learned when she accidentally got pushed back by a strong gust on her way over.

She attempted to land on her feet, but that only resulted in her falling onto the ground. The pavement scratched at her wings and skin, making Sunset wish that she had at least worn a thicker shirt. Her hoodie landed on top of her as she fell backward. Sunset’s wings took most of the impact, saving the rest of her body from any pain. Yet, she knew that her wings were going to feel it later, along with the exhaustion. This was much further than she had flown before. She groaned as she sat up.

“Okay, note to self; learn to land,” said Sunset Shimmer as she got back on her feet.

Looking around, Sunset tried to see if anyone was around her. The sound of a trash can getting knocked over made her jump. Her wings stretched to their full size as she got off the sidewalk. Her eyes scanned the neighborhood, trying to see where the trash can was or the person who knocked it over. Sunset tried to find the source of the sound, but it was getting too dark for her to make out much. If someone was watching her, she wasn’t able to see them. Sighing, she gave up and decided to shake it off. It was better that she focused on Twilight and not letting her nerves get the better of her.

The sun was close to setting below the mountains behind Sunset Shimmer as she walked up to Twilight’s front door. There was an orange glow cast on the house and her, making her feel she was inside a pumpkin. She put her hoodie back on and slipped both her gloves and sunglasses on as well. She didn’t want to shock Twilight right away after what happened earlier. Zipping up her hoodie, she threw the hood over her head. That kept the fall air from nipping at her skin and chilling her, which she was thankful for after flying in the freezing air. Sunset took a deep breath as she stood there. She was about to do the one thing that terrified her the most. The one thing that could cost her the person she cared most about. However, Sunset knew that she had to tell Twilight before anyone else did. And she hoped that everything would work out in the end. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached towards the doorbell. Everything in her was screaming not to do it, but she ignored it.

“Here goes nothing,” said Sunset as she pressed the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Twilight Sparkle appeared. “Hello, Sunset.”

“Hey, Twilight. We need to talk.” Sunset Shimmer said.

“Yes, we do, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle, opening the front door completely and stepping aside. “Come in.”

Sunset Shimmer braced herself for whatever was going to happen as she walked into Twilight’s house.

Author's Note

Feel free to comment on what you all think of this chapter and the story so far. I'd love to hear your feedback.

The Setting of the Sun: Part 2

The scent of honeysuckle and lavender surrounded Sunset Shimmer as she walked into Twilight Sparkle’s house. It was a scent she had come to know well, having been at her home many times in the past. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the sense of calm it brought her. There were picture frames filled with photos of Twilight and her family. They lined the wall of the staircase leading to the second floor. Sunset walked over to the one with Twilight and Spike at the beach. Twilight couldn’t have been more than seven in the photo, and Spike was pretty young in it as well. Spike was leaping into Twilight’s arms and was about to topple her over when the camera caught it at the right time. Sunset had to give Mr. Light credit for his perfect timing on it. The photo made her chuckle a bit and eased her nervousness for the moment. As she rested her hand on the railing, she turned towards Twilight.

“Are your parents home, Twi?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle closed the front door, saying, “No, my parents went to visit my grandmother. She isn’t feeling well. So, I have the whole house to myself for tonight.”

“Oh, I am sorry,” replied Sunset, looking down at her hands. “I hope she feels better.”

“Me too.” Twilight stood by the door, not moving closer to Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the redhead. She could see that she was not looking at her, almost as if she was afraid to. And there was something about her that made Twilight wonder what happened with the girls. She took a few steps closer, eyeing the hoodie she was wearing. She wondered what her wings looked like. Were they similar to hers? Did they look different? How big were they? All those questions swarmed in her head. She wanted the answers to them, and tonight she was hopefully going to get them. Moving her gaze downward, Twilight noticed that Sunset’s tail was no longer out. That made her suspicious about why Sunset would hide it.

“Sunset, why did you hide your tail?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “I have already seen it.”

“I know, but I didn’t want anyone to see it when I came over,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight crossed her arms across her chest. “How exactly did you get here, anyway? I didn’t hear you come up with your bike.”

“That’s because I didn’t take it with me,” said Sunset, hoping Twilight would drop the subject.

“Then how did you get here so quickly?” asked Twilight Sparkle, unfolding her arms. “Wait. Did… you use your wings to get here?”

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Y-yeah, I did…”

“So, I was right about you hiding your wings underneath that hoodie,” said Twilight, closing the distance between her and Sunset.

“How long did you know about them?” asked Sunset as she looked at Twilight.

“I had my suspicions at Pinkie’s party, but I confirmed them this morning when you picked me up,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“So much for my hoodie hiding them,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Do you want me to show you them?”

“Yes, Sunset,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Let’s go to my room.”

Twilight Sparkle walked up the stairs with Sunset Shimmer in tow. They both went to her bedroom and opened the door. Spike, who was lying on Twilight’s bed, perked his head up as he heard them walk in. He looked at Sunset, noticing that she was wearing a hoodie and sunglasses inside. That was odd to him. She had never worn anything that wasn't a leather jacket of some sort. However, considering it was getting colder as fall rolled in, he didn’t think much of it. Besides, he was too relaxed to care much less ask about it. Shifting his position, he sat up and wagged his tail.

“Hey, Twilight. Hey, Sunset,” said Spike.

Sunset Shimmer sat down on the bed next to Spike. “Hey, Spike.”

“Why are you wearing your hood inside, Sunset?” asked Spike.

“Uh, it’s because something happened to me on Thursday,” replied Sunset Shimmer, her nervousness suddenly coming back.

“Oh, what happened?” Spike asked, scratching an itch behind his ear.

Sunset Shimmer looked down. “I, um, went through some changes.”

“Changes?” Spike moved closer to Sunset Shimmer. “Can I see them, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer tried to move away from Spike, but there was no room for her to move. “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea, Spike.”

“Oh, come on, Sunset. It can’t be that bad,” said Spike before jumping up.

“Spike, wait-” That was all Sunset Shimmer got out before Spike pulled her hood down with his teeth.

“Oh,” said Spike as he let go and backed away. “I didn’t mean to-I am going to leave now.”

Twilight Sparkle had left her room for a moment to take her laundry out of the washer. She was about to walk up the stairs when she saw Spike leaving her room. He was sprinting down the hallway, heading towards her. There was a look of panic in his wide eyes. It wasn’t like him to leave her room suddenly. That confused her and made her wonder what had happened between him and Sunset while she was gone. As he made his way towards her, she set her laundry basket down on the ground.

“Spike, what’s wrong?” asked Twilight Sparkle, kneeling in front of Spike.

"Uh, I was asking Sunset why she was wearing her hood inside, and I saw what happened to her,” replied Spike.

“And?” Twilight Sparkle wanted to know more. “Was it bad?”

“I think you should see it for yourself,” replied Spike.

Spike continued to the kitchen, wanting to get a drink of water and to adjust to what he saw. That left Twilight even more confused than she was before. What was so bad about Sunset’s appearance that even Spike had to leave? Wanting answers, Twilight grabbed her laundry basket and made her way to her bedroom. She walked in just as Sunset was about to reach for her hood. The basket slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor. Everything in Twilight froze as she saw Sunset sitting on her bed, her secret now revealed to her. The sound made Sunset look at her, which allowed her to see what caused Spike to leave. She gasped and covered her mouth as she stepped back.

“Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, lowering her hand as she tried to recollect herself.

Hearing her name, Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight Sparkle. “Twilight, this is part of what I wanted to show you.”

Sunset was thankful that her sunglasses hadn’t fallen off when Spike pulled down her hood. That meant her eyes were still hidden, for the time being, something she was thankful for. If Twilight had seen her eyes now, Sunset was sure that Twilight would’ve fainted on the spot. Not that she would have blamed her. Even she found it hard to see them every time she looked into a mirror. She didn’t move from where she was sitting, wanting to give Twilight some time to adjust to what happened to her.

However, as the minutes ticked by, Sunset was beginning to grow uncomfortable with Twilight’s gawking at her. She understood why she was, though. This was the first time she had ever seen what Demon Shimmer looked like. And she knew that her decision to keep it on the down-low meant that Twilight knew nothing about this part of her. At the time, Sunset thought it was the right choice. She didn’t want to ruin her friendship with her because her past wasn’t the easiest thing to know about. Now, as she sat there, she saw that it was the wrong choice. And she was making Twilight pay the price because of it. Something she began to regret seeing the shocked look on Twilight’s face.

“Twilight? Are you alright?” asked Sunset Shimmer, sticking her hands into her pockets. “I know this is a lot to take in right now.”

All Twilight could do was stare at Sunset. Although she was sitting on her bed, something about her appearance made her seem threatening. Her eyes took in the changes that occurred to Sunset as her curiosity started to overpower her fear. As Sunset looked away, Twilight got a good view of what happened to her ears. They had elongated, jutting out from the mass of red and yellow hair. Unlike the cute pony ears that the girls usually got when they ponied up, these were a bit pointier and had several jagged cuts on the side. Twilight furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why they had rough cuts like that. However, she pushed that thought aside as she noticed the red skin tone that had replaced Sunset’s usual amber one. Somehow it made Sunset appear even scarier than if she had her usual amber skin tone. She pushed her laundry basket to the side as she walked over to her desk.

“A lot to take in? Sunset, this is a shock to see,” replied Twilight as she rested a hand on her desk.

“I know, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to keep her cool as her nervousness grew.

Twilight Sparkle scoffed. “I don’t think you do.”

“Trust me, I do,” Sunset Shimmer said, biting her lip as she recalled the moment she looked into the mirror at the girls’ locker room and saw her appearance.

Twilight met Sunset’s gaze, noticing the tip of her fang resting on her bottom lip. That made her wonder what else she was hiding beneath the hoodie and sunglasses. She also was curious as to why her changes were much more drastic. When she had transformed back into Midnight Sparkle, she could have worn a hoodie and look almost entirely like her usual self again. Yet, looking at Sunset with hers on, it was evident that the same method wasn’t going to work. That only made her want to know the reason behind the drastic changes even more. As the silence hung between the two girls, Twilight started to feel uneasy being close to Sunset now that she saw what she had hidden from her.

“I didn’t think you were going to show up tonight, considering how you’ve been so secretive recently,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to ignore the growing tension.

“Twi, I said I was going to, and I meant it,” said Sunset Shimmer as she got up and walked over to where Twilight was standing. “Your friendship is the most important thing to me. I don’t want to lose it.”

Twilight Sparkle tensed up as she heard Sunset approach her. “Please, don’t come any closer.”

“W-why?” asked Sunset Shimmer, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

“I just don’t want you close to me right now. I am struggling to…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off, her heart beginning to race as she stood there.

“To look at me now that you know what happened to me?” asked Sunset, knowing what Twilight was going to say.

“Y-yeah,” replied Twilight, a part of her wishing that she didn’t feel that way towards the person who had supported her.

Sunset Shimmer remained where she stood, unmoving. Her uneasiness grew as she realized that Twilight wasn’t handling the reveal of her new appearance well. She gripped the side of her arm as she looked away, trying to ignore the tremble in her voice. Although she understood why she was afraid, it didn’t make it any less painful to see that. She knew the changes to her appearance weren’t easy to handle. The night they happened was still fresh in her mind, reminding her just how different she looked now. And the girls’ reactions to her appearance didn’t make it any easier to accept. After a few minutes, Sunset tentatively looked at Twilight and saw that she was starting to panic. She could see the quickened pace of her chest rising and falling. That made her heart drop to see that something she had no control over was frightening her friend. Her hands, which were still inside her pockets, began to shake uncontrollably as her panic set in.

“You can do this, Sunset. Just remember that this is the first time Twilight is seeing you like this,” thought Sunset Shimmer, taking a deep breath.

Swallowing, Sunset Shimmer pulled her hands out of her pockets and said, “I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I meant to break it to you more gently, Twilight.”

“Oh? So, Spike just accidentally pulled down your hood before you had a chance to do that?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah, Spike did,” said Sunset, reaching towards her hood. “Do you want me to put my hood back on?”

Just as Twilight Sparkle went to answer, Sunset’s voice became distorted to her. It was distant like she was much further away. And it echoed around her as if she was in a spacious cave. Her feet began to stumble over themselves as her vision started to sway. Twilight’s sudden lack of balance caused her to stagger back. As she held out her hands, she felt them hit the wall behind her. She leaned against it and tried to regain her balance. However, that task wasn’t easy to accomplish as the floor felt like it was moving and shifting beneath her. Twilight took a few steps to the right, her hand resting on one of the shelves that had gotten built into the wall. She blinked several times in an attempt to clear her vision and make it stop moving. That didn’t work, and she began to feel nauseous, watching the room change and twist in front of her.

“Why does your voice sound so far away, Sunset?” thought Twilight Sparkle, her tail flicking back and forth in rhythm with her heartbeat.

“Uh, Twilight?” Sunset Shimmer noticed that Twilight Sparkle was swaying as if she was drunk or dizzy. “Are you feeling okay?”

For a moment, Sunset Shimmer debated going near Twilight. Yet, as soon as she saw the fear and panic in her purple eyes, something made her freeze up. Memories of the girls’ backing away from her played in her head. Her chest tightened as her panic tried to overwhelm her. It felt as though her legs had gotten weighed down by a ton of bricks. She struggled to get herself to move towards Twilight as her fear of getting pushed away grew. Everything in Sunset screamed at her to do something. Yet, she couldn’t get herself to let go of her fear of making it worse. She didn’t want to watch another friend of hers faint because she tried to approach them. Sunset could feel her wings and tail twitch as her heart raced in her chest. When she saw the glazed look in Twilight’s eyes, she could tell she was on the verge of passing out soon.

“S-Sunset…” As Twilight Sparkle tried to speak, her panic and fear got to her and made her knees buckle out from beneath her.

In her haste to try and remain on her feet, Twilight Sparkle grabbed a trophy and pulled it down with her. As it tumbled down, one of the sharper edges of it sliced into her leg. That left a good size gash in its wake as blood began to pour out from the wound. She screamed as a searing pain washed over her leg, and her knees slammed into the hardwood floor. The trophy clattered onto the ground next to her and rolled near Sunset. A small pool of blood formed around her leg, spreading out further as more blood trickled down her leg. Twilight tried to stand, but she was unable as her arms shook when she tried to push herself up. And having the added weight of her wings didn’t help matters either.

“Ow, that hurt,” said Twilight Sparkle, gripping her thigh as the searing made its way up her leg.

“I bet,” Sunset Shimmer, not moving from where she stood. “Are you alright?”

“Aside from my leg, yeah, I think I am fine,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer felt bad standing there and doing nothing as Twilight writhed in pain. She closed her eyes as she tried not to ignore the wave of guilt that washed over her. After what happened with the girls at her apartment, it was hard to see Twilight freaking out because she had chosen to show her what happened to her on Thursday. The reaction she got from the others was painful to watch, and seeing it play out again with Twilight was just as bad. Sunset felt wings flap inside the confines of her hoodie as she began to get angry at herself for the mistakes she’d made. She knew all too well that it was her fault that she was in this position. The force of them doing that nearly caused her to lose her balance in the process. Thankfully, she managed to keep herself upright and not join Twilight on the ground. Not wanting to be completely useless, she forced herself to walk towards where Twilight was sitting.

“Move your jelly legs faster! Twilight needs you,” shouted Sunset’s inner conscience.

That push gave the redhead enough courage to make her way over to Twilight’s side. She stopped when she saw the small pool of red liquid forming next to Twilight’s leg. She saw that there was a layer of dried blood coating her hands, and the area surrounding the cut caused by the trophy. Luckily, it seemed to have missed any major blood vessels, which was an excellent sign to see. And the bleeding seemed to have slowed down as well.

Unfortunately, that relief only lasted for a few moments as she realized how close she was to Twilight. This was the closest she had been to her since she walked in and saw the changes. Everything in her wanted to be right next to her like they always were whenever they hung out. Yet, this time, Sunset hesitated in getting closer to Twilight. Her fear took hold of her as she questioned whether she had made the right choice. She had already shocked her enough, and she didn’t want to make it any worse than it already was. What if Twilight didn’t let her get close? What if just being this close made things worse?

“And now you’re worried about making things worse? So what if you make things worse? At least you tried to help her and be a friend. You can’t do any more than that if she refuses to let you help her,” said Sunset Shimmer’s conscience.

“But if I make things worse, I could lose her friendship. And she’ll hate me even more than she already does. I-I can’t-”

“No! You are trying to be a good friend. It’s not your fault if she pushes you away. Do what you can, and don’t dwell on what you can’t do,” Sunset’s inner voice said, cutting her off.

Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure what would happen if she tried to approach Twilight. But there was one thing she knew; Twilight needed her help whether she was willing to accept it or not. Slowly, she knelt next to her, ignoring the smell of blood in the air. As she inched ever closer to her, she felt her heart race faster. Getting to be this close to Twilight while she looked like her past demonic self was something she hoped would be possible. And now here it was, even if it did get off to a rocky start. Yet, sitting next to her without her hood hiding her face, it felt like a weight had gotten lifted off her shoulders. It was more than she could’ve asked for considering Twilight’s initial reaction. Sunset kept a few inches between her and Twilight just in case she needed it.

“Twilight, will you let me come near you?” asked Sunset Shimmer, keeping her voice soft now that she was closer to her. “I just want to help you.”

That brought Twilight Sparkle’s attention to Sunset, who was sitting just a few inches from her. She could see that Sunset was trying to abide by her wishes while trying to help her. However, that didn’t help her feel better when she saw the changes up close. Sure, it was still Sunset Shimmer on the inside, but that didn’t make them any less shocking to see. Being this close to Sunset without her hood on, Twilight felt her body tense up as her heart thundered away in her chest. Fear washed over her the longer she looked at her. It was still too much of a shock for her, and her dizziness worsened, which made her rest her hands on the floor to steady herself.

“I-I don’t know if I want you to come near me, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle, pulling her wings closer to her body.

“You’re injured, Twilight. Let me help you, please,” said Sunset Shimmer, inching a little closer to Twilight.

Twilight shifted away from her, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead. It hurt her to see that Twilight still tried to keep her away. Her ears flopped downward as she recalled Fluttershy’s initial reaction when she had revealed the changes. It had been the same fear-filled response she got from her. Yet, to see the person she cared about treating her like that, it made her heart shatter inside. Sunset closed her eyes and pushed past her pain and hurt at seeing Twilight treat her like a monster. Instead, she focused on helping her and taking care of her injury.

Resting her hand on Twilight’s back, Sunset could feel the heat radiating off her. She could see that Twilight was burning from the stress of her panic attack. There were beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. Even her hair got soaked with sweat. She could feel that her shirt had gotten drenched as well. And Sunset could feel Twilight trembling a little as her body tried to cope with the shock and stress.

“Twilight, you-” Sunset Shimmer was cut off when she felt a weak push against her chest as a hand shoved her back. And because her wings were still inside the hoodie, she couldn’t stop her fall.

“Please, Sunset, don’t touch me. Not until I can stand to look at you,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking away from Sunset. “You look like a monster, and I can’t be close to you.”

“Sparky, I am so sorry. I just wanted to help you,” said Sunset Shimmer, throwing her hood back up. She rested on her elbows as she tried to get back up. “Please, just let me help you.”

“No! I said I didn’t want you near me or touching me. Don’t you understand?” asked Twilight, glancing back at Sunset. “I am afraid of you right now!”

Sunset Shimmer pushed herself into a sitting position, saying, “I do. I am just a monster, and you don’t want my help.”

A single tear fell down Sunset’s cheek as she sat there in the silence with Twilight. Her words echoed in her head, making her feel numb. Twilight saw her as nothing more than a monster because she looked different now. No words could have expressed the pain caused by her words as they dug beneath her skin. The person she loved and wanted to be entirely honest with pushed her away, telling her that she was now scared of her. Sunset wiped the tear away, not wanting to let Twilight see her pain. Sunset didn’t want to give in to the hurt, not until she had done all she could to make her see that she was still the same person.

The sound of shuffling feet made Sunset Shimmer look at Twilight Sparkle. She watched as Twilight tried to stand up using the wall for support. At first, it was unsuccessful, and she fell back onto her knees. However, on her second attempt, she managed to get back onto her feet. Sunset could see that she was shaking even more as her body was weak from blood loss. She wanted to help her but remained where she was sitting. She had no intention of making the situation worse by not listening to what Twilight wanted.

Blood poured down Twilight’s leg as she leaned against the wall. Her leg was throbbing in time with her pulse, making her regret her decision to stand up. She looked over at Sunset and saw that she was sitting away from her, hunched over and facing away from her. It seemed that she was trying not to upset her further. She noticed that Sunset was attempting to stifle her sniffles and wiping tears off her cheeks. That made her feel guilty for what she had said to her. Twilight knew that she was just trying to help her, even though she wasn’t willing to let her get close. Maybe she had been a bit harsh in calling her a monster. Her appearance wasn’t easy on the eyes, but that didn’t mean that Sunset had changed on the inside. However, that didn’t change the fact that she had lied to her.

“Sunset…?” asked Twilight Sparkle, stepping closer to the redhead.

“What is it, Twilight?’” said Sunset Shimmer, keeping gaze locked onto the floor.

Twilight felt herself swaying as her dizziness got worse. “I… think I am about to faint…”

Just as Twilight had said that she felt herself get lightheaded. She stumbled away from the wall as she tried to keep her balance. She attempted to remain conscious. However, her body had other plans, and she felt her eyelids beginning to close. Her vision grew dark around the edges as she began to lose consciousness. As she felt herself falling closer to the floor, she saw Sunset looking up at her, pulling her hood down in the process. She didn’t get a good look at her as her vision started to get blurry, and the dark edges moved in even closer. The last thing Twilight saw before her vision went completely black was Sunset running towards her. She collapsed onto the floor with her glasses landing next to her, having gotten knocked during the impact.

“Twilight!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, running towards Twilight as fast as she could.

Spike, hearing the commotion, ran into the bedroom. He stopped at the door when he saw Sunset sitting next to Twilight on the floor. The smell of blood hit him, and Spike nearly gagged in response. Walking in, he tried to ignore the smell and his urge to vomit. When Spike got closer, he saw a trophy lying on the ground next to a small pool of coagulated blood. The sight made it even harder for him to keep his stomach contents down. Looking away from it, Spike saw that Sunset’s ears were slumped downward against her head.

“What happened here?” asked Spike, sitting next to Sunset Shimmer.

“Twilight saw my changes, and she didn’t take it well,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at the unconscious Twilight. “She is scared of me.”

For the second time that night, Sunset’s appearance made someone faint. It was painful enough for Sunset to watch Fluttershy faint when she showed her, but with Twilight, it was different. Maybe it was because she loved her and wanted to finally share it with her. Or perhaps it was the fact that Twilight found out accidentally with no warning, but seeing her faint as Fluttershy had hurt more. Yet, Sunset knew that it was likely to happen no matter what she did because she had left Twilight in the dark about her past. And she was starting to see that not letting her seeing any photos of Demon Shimmer was a bad decision.

“Why? Why didn’t I just tell you the truth, Twilight? What made me think that keeping it a secret was such a good choice? Now, I may have lost your trust,” thought Sunset Shimmer, letting a tear slip down her cheek as she closed her eyes.

“Do you want me to stay here while you grab the first aid kit?” asked Spike as he moved closer to Twilight.

“Yes,” replied Sunset Shimmer, getting back onto her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

Sunset Shimmer walked into Twilight’s bathroom and turned the light on. She ignored her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she passed it, looking around for what supplies she would need. Grabbing the first aid kit off the shelf, Sunset placed it on the countertop. The next thing she needed was a washcloth to get the dried blood off of Twilight’s skin. Sunset knew that if she were going to tend to the cut, she would need to see it. After a minute of searching, she found a washcloth next to the towels under the sink and grabbed it. She went to turn on the faucet when she remembered her gloves. She hesitated but pulled them off and shoved them into her pockets. Twilight was more important right now.

Ignoring the sight of her claws, Sunset turned the faucet on and ran the washcloth under the water. Once she had wrung out the excess water, she grabbed the first aid kit and walked out of the bathroom. She didn’t want to risk Twilight waking up before she had a chance to help her. After all, she was unwilling to let her get close even though she was trying to prevent her from fainting. Sunset kneeled next to her as she set the kit down and placed the washcloth on top of it. Removing her sunglasses, she set them on the bed along with her gloves. The next thing she went to take off was the hoodie. However, just as Sunset placed her hand on the zipper, she looked at Spike.

As if sensing what Sunset was thinking, Spike said, “It’s fine. You can take off your hoodie. I know about your secret, remember?”

“I do…” said Sunset Shimmer as she unzipped her hoodie. “It’s bad that I told you before I told Twilight, isn’t it?”

“Yep,” replied Spike as he laid down.

As she pulled off her hoodie, Sunset felt her wings stretch to their full length once more. It felt nice not having them cramped inside of it. Yet, it also reminded her that Twilight hadn’t seen them. She pulled her wings close to her body and tossed the hoodie onto the bed as well. With that out of the way, she rested a hand on Twilight’s leg while being careful with her claws. Before Sunset grabbed the washcloth, she looked at her friend, wanting to make sure she was okay with her hand on her. She didn’t want to injure her more because she moved her leg away accidentally. When nothing happened, she sighed and began to wipe off the dried blood. Starting further away from the cut, she made her way closer to the actual injury. As she got to the wound, she was careful about tugging on the skin.

After a few minutes, all the dried blood had gotten removed, and she could see the wound. It wasn’t big, maybe about 4-5 inches in length and an inch in width. Sunset grabbed the first aid kit and opened it. Grabbing the gauze pads and a pair of scissors, she cut a gauze pad down to the correct size. Once she had done that, she placed the gauze onto the injury and held it there. She used her other hand to grab the tape from the kit. With one hand occupied, Sunset had to use her teeth to rip a piece of tape off the roll. She placed it on the gauze, and that freed her other hand up. Repeating the process, she continued until all sides of it had gotten sealed and secured to Twilight’s leg.

Sunset Shimmer pushed the kit aside and got onto her one knee. Slowly, she slid her arms underneath Twilight’s limp body. She was careful about her wings and tried to avoid putting her arms too close to the base of them. She pulled her close to her body, picking her up bridal style. Watching her claws, she stood up as she held Twilight in her arms. The feeling of her feathers brushing against her bare skin made her itch. However, Sunset was able to ignore the urge to scratch them and looked at Twilight. She seemed so peaceful as her head rested against her shoulder. Something that Sunset though made her look all the more beautiful.

“Oh, Twilight. I wish I could kiss you right now. You look so pretty lying here in my arms. It makes me want to give in to the temptation,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she smiled.

“Ehm, focus! Don’t think about kissing Twilight. Think about setting her down before you drop her. Besides, I doubt she’ll want to kiss you when she sees the monster you are now,” said Sunset’s conscience, making sure she was aware of reality.

“Fine! I wasn’t going to anyway. I don’t even know if Twilight likes me the way I like her. And she might not feel the same after she learns the whole truth about my past…” Sunset Shimmer pulled Twilight Sparkle closer to her body, wanting to make the most of the moment and to enjoy the embrace.

Standing next to the bed, Sunset laid Twilight down on it. Just as she was about to walk away, Sunset heard her moan and felt her hand grip her arm. The touch was gentle, almost like she was afraid of grabbing too tight. Her heart raced at the sensation, and she looked at Twilight. That made her freeze, unsure of what she should do. Yet, several seconds later, Twilight’s grip loosened, and her hand fell away. Watching her hand move away from her, it stung. It also made Sunset realize what her mistake in choosing to hide could cost her if she weren’t careful. She almost grabbed Twilight’s hand as she wanted to feel her touch again. There was something inside her that didn’t want to let go of her. But she pushed it aside, knowing that she had to tell Twilight everything before she could allow her feelings to have a say. Before leaving her side, she made sure that she wasn’t resting on her wings in a painful way.

“Wow, you look so different,” said Spike as Sunset Shimmer looked at herself in Twilight’s body mirror. “No wonder Twilight fainted.”

“I know, Spike,” replied Sunset Shimmer, examining her appearance.

Sunset Shimmer ran her hand up her arm, looking at her skin. It was so different from her usual amber skin color. She missed having it and being able to feel okay in her body. She missed looking like her usual self. Watching the girls, Twilight especially, get frightened by her appearance wasn’t making it any easier to bear. As Sunset looked at her reflection, she grimaced. The redness which had replaced the amber color made her genuinely look like a monster. The word held a new weight to it as she recalled the terror in Twilight’s eyes. That look made her regret ever lying to her and hurting her. She felt ashamed that she had chosen the cowardly option instead of trusting her to stand by her side, even if she looked a bit different.

“This… is a part of who I am. What I have become, I can’t change it.” Sunset’s hands shook a little as she felt her disgust return.

“You know that Twilight will wake up soon. Are you going to show her everything?” asked Spike, joining Sunset Shimmer by the mirror.

“I-I don’t know. I want to, but what if Twilight ends up hating me because I didn’t tell her when it happened? And you saw how she reacted when she saw just my face. She panicked, Spike,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at him. “Not to mention that she’ll likely hate me for lying to her for a whole year.”

"I don’t think she’ll hate you forever, Sunset. But you do understand that she has every right to be mad at you, right?” asked Spike. “As for her reaction, what’d you expect? You don’t exactly look like an angel.”

Sunset let out a low growl as she heard the word ‘angel.’ “That hurts to hear that even you see me as a demon, Spike.”

“Well, it is in the moniker. But that doesn’t mean you are a demon,” said Spike, trying his best to comfort Sunset.

“However, I do see your point. My appearance isn’t exactly the easiest to look at, I should know. And yeah, I do understand that Twilight has every right to hate me for lying to her. I should’ve trusted her as she trusted me.” Sunset Shimmer felt her hands ball into fists.

There was an overwhelming feeling of anger that ran throughout Sunset’s entire body. Anger at her unwillingness to tell Twilight Sparkle the truth about her past. Anger at herself for not realizing that she never considered what would happen if she were to find out that she lied to her. That she never thought about how her actions would hurt her. But Sunset held the most anger at the fact that she had scared Twilight. The one person she loved with everything she had, and she had frightened her with her new appearance. She never wanted her to be afraid of her, although now she probably was terrified of her.

“I wish I had told her the truth about my past. Ugh, why did I have to be so afraid of telling her?” thought Sunset Shimmer, slamming her fists into the wall as her fangs elongated for a moment.

Sunset sighed and walked away from the mirror with Spike following her. She picked up Twilight’s glasses and set them on the dresser next to the bed. She looked over at her and smiled at the sight of her lying with the pillow in her grasp. As gently as she could manage, Sunset scooted next to the still sleeping girl, careful not to disturb her. She moved her stuff to the side and nestled a little closer to Twilight. Right now, all she wanted was to have a few quiet moments with her before she woke up and expected to see the rest of her changes. She just needed one chance to enjoy being in Twilight’s presence without having her appearance hidden away. Her hand caressed a few of the feathers on the edge of her wing. Enjoying the softness of them, she almost forgot that she had claws. However, she was still careful not to nick Twilight with them. After a little while, she rested her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. That caused Sunset’s mind to flash with images of a dream that she was having.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle was standing in front of Sunset Shimmer inside of her apartment. The front door was still open behind her. Sunset was leaning against the back of the couch, her tail flicking back and forth behind her. Her hands were resting on the couch next to her. She tapped the back of the sofa with her forefinger, letting Twilight see how sharp her claws were. That made Twilight gulp and step away from her. Sunset seemed different from how she usually was, like something about her had changed along with her appearance. When she looked at her, Twilight saw a glimmer of sexual excitement in her eyes, and that terrified her. Her wings flapped as she felt her flight or fight response kick in. She backed up, and her tail flicked a vase off a nearby shelf. It fell onto the floor, shattering into several pieces that spread out as they broke off. Twilight looked at what remained of it before looking back at Sunset. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw that Sunset had moved away from the couch.

“Oh, Twilight! I was hoping you were going to come tonight,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice lower and more demonic. “I was getting anxious waiting for you. I have some plans… for us tonight.”

“Pl-plans?!” screamed Twilight Sparkle. “Wh-what plans, Sunset?”

“Plans to show you how you can be. How much power you have within yourself if you just get rid of your puny human conscience. To show you… how the pathetic human I was before is boring. I can show you a wonderful time, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, stepping closer to Twilight as she ran a finger from her chin downward.

Twilight shuddered as she felt Sunset finger trail down her chest before stopping right at her breasts. She gasped softly as she felt her hand move towards her right breast and gently caress it. She could feel the tip of Sunset’s claws dig in as she gave it a little squeeze. The feeling of having her massaging the sensitive flesh made Twilight moan involuntarily. Her body was betraying her as she tried to fight against her enjoyment of the sensation. Sunset used her thumb and ran it across her hardened nipple. Even with her shirt and bra on, she could still feel her nipple react to the contact. That touch elicited a stirring feeling inside of her. Something that aroused her and made her want more. However, Twilight fought the urges and pushed her away from her as she stepped back. Just as she went to further the distance between them, she felt a hand grip her arm tightly and pull her closer.

“Now, Sparky, I am not going to let you leave. I… need you. I crave you,” Sunset Shimmer whispered into Twilight’s ear, her voice soft and husky. “You… are everything to me. Besides, we can be together now. Just you… and me…”

That made Twilight Sparkle shudder again as she felt the redhead’s breath against her skin. She felt goosebumps form as she felt her hand run along the side of her arm. That soft touch made her groan and worsen as her breathing quickened in response. Frozen on the spot, she was unable to do anything as Sunset pushed her body against hers. The feeling of Sunset’s breast against her own was a strange, terrifying, yet exciting experience for her. One that part of her wanted to continue. For a moment, Twilight let her hand move towards Sunset, allowing the excitement and arousal to take control. But before she could make any physical contact, she pulled her hand away.

Sunset, seeing Twilight hesitate in touching her, grabbed her hand gently. “It’s okay if you want to touch me, Sparky. Let yourself be curious, give in to those feelings that are making you want it.”

“B-but, Sunset…” began Twilight Sparkle, trying to remain strong against the warmth that was spreading over her body.

“It’s okay with me, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, pulling Twilight’s hand towards her left breast. “I want to feel your touch against my body.”

The gentle tone in Sunset’s voice made Twilight relax, and she let Sunset place her hand on her left breast. As she felt the warm flesh against her palm, she almost pulled away. But her curiosity was stronger, and she kept her hand on it. It felt nice in her hand as Twilight cupped her fingers around it. Holding it in her hand, Twilight could feel how soft and malleable it was. Despite the voice in her head telling her that she shouldn’t be doing this, she enjoyed it. It felt right to do, especially since Sunset said that she wanted her to do it. Tentatively, she gave it a harder squeeze, making Sunset moan in response and rest her hips against her. That was enough to shock Twilight out of her sexual daze, and she immediately pushed against Sunset, shoving her away.

“No! I won’t do that Sunset, I won’t let you make me touch you,” shouted Twilight Sparkle, watching Sunset Shimmer’s reaction.

Sunset Shimmer growled and bared her elongating fangs at Twilight, making the girl squeal. She flapped her wings in frustration at Twilight’s attempt to stop her from having what she wanted, what she so desperately craved. Standing back, she stared at the scared girl in front of her. Her vision grew fuzzy for a moment. But through the fuzziness, she could see Twilight’s wings and hands were shaking from shock and fear. For a split second, there was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that what she was doing wasn’t right. That Twilight was her friend and that she shouldn’t be taking advantage of her. However, hearing that only made her angrier. Her hands balled into fists as she tried to ignore the guilt that washed over her.

“Twilight Sparkle! You will not push me away. You are mine and mine alone!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, grabbing Twilight Sparkle’s arm and making her claws dig into her arm.

“Sunset, please let go of me. You’re hurting my arm,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to pull her arm free.

“Twilight, you know I am not going to do that,” said Sunset Shimmer, stepping closer to Twilight. "Besides, the way you were touching me felt so good. You enjoyed it too, didn't you?"

Twilight Sparkle’s body trembled as Sunset got closer. “Please, Sunset. I don’t want to do this, not like this.”

“Sparky, I can’t resist you. The way your body is glowing from my touch is making me want to see how amazing it is without these pesky clothes. I want to explore the rest of you and show you what true pleasure feels like,” said Sunset Shimmer, pressing her lips against Twilight’s soft ones.

Twilight Sparkle tried to fight against Sunset, but she wrapped her other arm around her waist, preventing her from backing away. Putting her free hand on her shoulder, Twilight tried to push her away again. However, that only resulted in making Sunset tighten her grip on her waist. Her hand was resting just above the hem of her skirt, threatening to pull it down whenever she wanted. The possibility of having her undress her frightened Twilight more, and she struggled against Sunset’s kiss. She groaned as she felt one of Sunset’s fangs slice her bottom lip. Blood poured into her mouth, and she tried to pull away. After a few seconds, Twilight was able to break free of Sunset’s grasp.

Blinking, Twilight watched as Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes for a moment. The redness of her skin started to give way to her original amber color. As the redness slowly receded, she felt Sunset’s grip on her arm loosen as she stepped back from her. She looked at her hands and saw that her claws were disappearing along with the red color. That made her wonder what was happening to Sunset. Yet, she saw the still open front door and that there was an opportunity to leave while she had the chance. Making her choice, Twilight tried to pull her arm free. But just as she was about to pull her hand free, she felt Sunset weakly grip it again even as her other hand was clutching her side.

“Wait! Twilight, d-don’t go, please,” begged Sunset Shimmer as she looked up at a frightened Twilight. “I’m so sorry for what I did to you.”

Twilight Sparkle hesitated and met the redhead’s eyes. “S-Sunset? Is that really you?”

“Yes, Twilight, it's me,” replied Sunset, pulling her hand off of Twilight’s arm as she struggled to keep herself from transforming into Demon Shimmer again. “Please, get away from me. I don't know that I will be able to stay like this.”

“But Sunset, I can’t just lea-”

“No, Sparky. You need to get away from me. I can’t be sure that I won’t do something to you,” said Sunset Shimmer, fighting her transformation.

“Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, taking a few steps closer to Sunset.

“Twilight, please! Stay back!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, falling to her knees as she clutched her abdomen. “I don’t want to hurt or scare you because I did something you didn’t want to do.”

“You didn’t do anything that I didn’t want you to, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle as she looked down. “There is something I want to confess.”

“What is it?” Sunset Shimmer asked as her fangs tried to extend.

“You were right about me. I, um, did enjoy it,” replied Twilight Sparkle, her cheeks flushing as she recalled her hand on Sunset’s breast. “Even though I wish you hadn’t forced me into it.”

That made Sunset Shimmer look at Twilight Sparkle, her transformation getting temporarily forgotten. “Twilight, I nearly took advantage of you because I wanted you so badly. That’s not excusable.”

Twilight Sparkle knelt in front of the redhead and met her gaze. Her body was still trembling out of fear, but seeing her look like her usual self helped calm her down. She could also see that she regretted what happened between the two of them. And that was enough for her to want to forgive her. With a shaky hand, she reached out and grabbed Sunset’s hand, pulling it towards her.

“Sunset, I know that you didn’t want to do that. And I have forgiven you for it already,” said Twilight Sparkle, squeezing Sunset’s hand. “I also want to give you my consent to continue. I just don’t want you to be forceful with me, please.”

“Twilight, are you sure you want to do that?” asked Sunset Shimmer. “I didn’t hold back before, and I don’t want you to say something you’ll regret.”

“I meant what I said, Sunset. I enjoyed it, and I want to continue. I just don’t want you to be forceful with me,” replied Twilight, getting onto her feet as she held onto Sunset’s hand.

Sunset Shimmer got to her feet and looked at Twilight. “I promise, Sparky. I won’t be forceful this time.”

“Good,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she stepped closer to Sunset. “Would you like to kiss me again?”

“Do you have to even ask that?” said Sunset as she ran her hand along Twilight’s jaw, leaning in to kiss her.

Twilight Sparkle let go of Sunset’s hand and wrapped her arms around her as she leaned into the kiss. This time, kissing her felt so right now that she wanted her to do it. Closing her eyes, she let herself enjoy the feeling of having Sunset touch against her skin. After a few seconds, Twilight felt Sunset pull her hand away from her jaw and break away from the kiss. She opened her eyes and stepped back, wondering what was wrong. That was when she realized why Sunset had pulled her hand away. Her claws had returned along with the rapidly spreading red skin color.

“Sunset, you’re transforming back into…” said Twilight Sparkle as she looked at Sunset, watching the changes take place.

“A she-demon, I know,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking at her tail as it flicked behind her. “I was hoping that it wouldn’t happen. Guess I should’ve known it would come back.”

Twilight looked down, her wings wrapping around her shoulders. “If you're transforming back, does that mean you’re going to…?”

“Twilight.” Sunset grabbed Twilight’s hands, being mindful of her claws. “I’m still myself, even though I look a bit different now. I am in control this time.”

“Are you sure?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer pulled Twilight closer to her. “Yes, Sparky, I am sure.”

“Okay, do you want to head to your room?” asked Twilight Sparkle, closing the front door with her magic.

“Yeah. I want to make sure you’re comfortable when I explore all of you,” replied Sunset Shimmer, smirking as she pulled Twilight towards the stairs.

Together, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle made their way up the stairs. Twilight sat on the edge of the bed as Sunset sat next to her. Her heart raced as she realized what they were going to do. And since she had agreed to let it happen, her excitement and nervousness were through the roof. She tensed up, not sure of what to do now that they were in her bedroom. However, taking a look at Sunset, she could see that she had something in mind. That made her relax somewhat to see that she had an idea of what to do next. It made Twilight feel better knowing that she didn’t have to take the lead, especially since she was inexperienced in doing anything like this. Although she had read books and watched some… videos on the subject, that was nothing compared to actually doing it.

“Sparky, do you want me to remove your shirt, or do you want to do it?” asked Sunset Shimmer, sitting closer to Twilight.

“I, um, would like to do it myself,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

Sunset Shimmer smiled as she saw Twilight’s plain purple bra and exposed abdomen. “Would you mind letting me see your back?”

“S-Sunset, I don't want you to see my scars. I know you don’t mind them, but I-”

“It’s okay, Twilight. I am not going to force you to like them, that has to be your choice. I shouldn’t have asked, just forget about it,” said Sunset as she took off her jacket.

“No, I like the fact that you don’t hate my scars. I just have a hard time letting you see them when all I see is a bad reminder.” Twilight Sparkle stood up and looked at Sunset. “But you are helping me to realize that they don’t define me as a person, they’re just a part of my story.”

Taking a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle turned around and let Sunset see her scars on her shoulder blades. She closed her eyes as she heard Sunset approach her from behind. Her body trembled as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. As it moved down, Twilight tried to remain calm and still. She felt Sunset brush against the edges of her scar before settling on the back of her bra. Just as she was about to object, she felt it getting unclasped as the straps went slack, and her breasts were no longer supported by it. Twilight pulled it off and tossed it on top of her shirt.

“Wow, you look so amazing, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, running her hands along Twilight’s back as she stepped closer to her. “I think you look sexy with your scars and nothing hiding your beautiful body.”

Twilight Sparkle shuddered as she felt Sunset’s hand move to her front and towards her breasts. “S-Sunset, please. I don't want your claws to injure me.”

“Relax, Sparky. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Sunset Shimmer held both of Twilight’s breasts in her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze, eliciting a moan from her. “Does that feel good? Having me massage your breasts?”

“Mhm,” said Twilight Sparkle, unable to say more as she felt Sunset lightly pinch one of her nipples. “Ahh…”

“See? I will be careful,” said Sunset Shimmer as she lowered her hands and stood in front of Twilight, removing her shirt. “Do you want to see mine, Sparky?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded nervously, a blush growing on her cheeks.

That prompted Sunset Shimmer to unclasp her bra, letting the straps fall off her shoulders before tossing it to the side. “Do you like what you see?”

All Twilight could do was nervously look down and try to keep her eyes from getting drawn to Sunset’s perky breasts. There was a flurry of emotions running through her as she stood there half-naked in front of her. She felt excited that she was getting to see just how beautiful Sunset’s body was without her shirt on. After a few moments, she glanced up, letting herself give in to the desire to look at Sunset. Despite the red skin, which had spread to her chest, her body looked amazing. Twilight could see that she worked out regularly based on the definition in Sunset’s abdominal muscles, biceps, and thighs. When she heard Sunset step near her, she looked away for a moment before deciding to return her attention back to her. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she found Sunset reaching towards her hand. Reluctantly, she let Sunset grab it and pull it towards her breast.

“You’re still scared to touch me, aren’t you?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she held Twilight’s hand against her breast.

“Y-yes,” replied Twilight Sparkle, swallowing hard.

“Why?” Sunset rested her other hand just above Twilight’s right butt-cheek. “I thought you wanted us to do this.”

“I- I do, Sunset. It’s just that I, um, have wanted to see you naked for a while, and getting the chance to is a bit overwhelming,” replied Twilight as she felt herself getting pushed against Sunset’s body.

“It’s okay, Sparky. This will likely not be the last time you see me naked,” said Sunset Shimmer, leaning in and kissing Twilight. After a few seconds, she pulled away and looked at her. “Now, how about we sit on the bed?”

“Okay,” Twilight Sparkle said as she moved her hand off Sunset’s breast.

Sunset Shimmer pulled Twilight Sparkle towards the bed and laid down on her back. As she held onto Twilight’s hand, she said, “Come on, sit on top of me.”

“Are you sure?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she slowly got onto the bed.

“Yes, Sparky, I am sure,” replied Sunset Shimmer, giving Twilight a playful smirk. “Besides, I want the best view of you I can get.”

With that, Twilight sat on top of Sunset, her legs straddling the sides of her hips. “Woah, this is different. I feel so in control right now.”

“I know. It feels good, right?” asked Sunset as she shifted beneath Twilight.

“Y-yeah,” said Twilight Sparkle. “So, where were we?”

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. “I believe we were at the part where you kiss me.”

“Oh, is that so?” asked Twilight Sparkle, placing her hands on either side of Sunset. “Let’s get to that kiss.”

Twilight Sparkle placed her lips on the redhead’s, reveling in her newfound confidence. As she continued to kiss her, she moved one of her hands to her breast. She could feel the softness of the skin against her palm. Giving it a light squeeze, she elicited a soft moan from Sunset in response. That made her continue, enjoying the sensation of massaging the soft flesh and the reaction she was getting from Sunset. After a few seconds, Twilight pulled away from the kiss and stopped massaging Sunset’s breast. She saw that Sunset Shimmer’s nipple had hardened in response to the touching and caressing.

“Interesting,” said Twilight Sparkle as she ran her finger over the sensitive nub. “Your mammilla hardened when I barely stimulated it. It seems to be very sensitive to any contact which rubs against the nerve endings inside.”

“Sparky-”

Twilight, realizing that she had gone all analytical and scientific on Sunset, said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go all scientific about your-”

Sunset Shimmer got onto her elbows and kissed Twilight Sparkle, silencing the ramble before it started. “It’s okay, Twilight. I found it cute that you were investigating my breast. Would you like to continue your investigation some more?”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes glinted with a hint of curiosity as she eagerly said, “Yes!”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer’s eyes returned to normal as she blinked and looked around the room. She saw that she was no longer at her apartment but at Twilight’s house instead. Spike was sitting next to her, curled up by her side. She removed her hand as it was beginning to tremble, and she didn’t want to wake Twilight up by accident. As she was about to get off the bed, Twilight shifted and turned towards her in her sleep. That made Sunset freeze mid-step with Spike lifting his head at the movement. Her hoodie was off, and nothing was concealing the full extent of her changes. So, if she were to open her eyes, she’d see the changes, and that could make her faint again. She gulped as she waited for any sign that Twilight was awake. When she saw her eyelids flutter, she quietly sighed and continued to leave the bed. Sunset walked over to where her hoodie was, freeing her tail from her jeans, annoyed by its presence against her skin.

“Did Twilight dream of me like that?” thought Sunset Shimmer, slipping her arm into one of the sleeves of her hoodie.

“Yeah, Twilight did dream of you nearly raping her then turned into a basic sex dream. However, I wouldn’t call it a dream per se. It was more of a crazy nightmare turned sex dream,” replied Sunset’s conscience as she zipped the hoodie closed.

“Okay, fine. I gave Twilight a nightmare, which she turned into a dream of us having sex. Do you think it was caused by her seeing my appearance without any warning?” Sunset Shimmer grabbed her gloves from her pockets, slipping them on as she sat in the window seat.

“It’s possible. If the dream involved you as Demon Shimmer, it can’t have been anything else. That would be very unlikely,” said Sunset’s conscience.

“Great! My appearance gave Twilight a nightmare. So, she is terrified of me because of what I look like, because of something I can’t control!” thought Sunset Shimmer, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“And who’s fault is that?” asked Sunset Shimmer’s inner voice. “Remember, you chose not to tell her about Demon Shimmer or let her see any pictures of what you looked like in that form.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up, will you? You’re not making me feel any better about what happened,” Sunset Shimmer thought as she put on her sunglasses, throwing her hood back over her head and leaned against the wall behind her.

“Hmph, you’re the worst person for me to be a conscience for. You never listen to me, and when you do, you’re argumentative about it. But, fine, I will shut up as you requested,” said Sunset’s inner voice before it fell silent.

*** *** *** ***

An hour later, Twilight Sparkle began to stir from her slumber. With her eyes still closed, she moved her hand around as she tried to find her glasses. After a few moments, she was able to find her glasses and slip them on. She looked around and saw that she was lying on her bed with Spike resting his head on her leg. Twilight sat upright and blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom. The lights were still on, but they had gotten dimmed. And she could see the sun had set behind the mountains as well, taking its light with it. Her room remained mostly untouched, except the shadowy figure sitting in her window seat. She looked down to see a familiar yellow and red tail sitting next to them. That was enough to make her realize it was Sunset Shimmer.

“Sunset… was she really… I didn’t see that, did I…?” asked Twilight Sparkle, turning to face Sunset Shimmer. “Please, tell me that I just dreamt that.”

As Twilight swung her legs over the side of the bed, there was a dull ache. That made her look down to find the gauze bandage taped to her leg. Looking at Sunset, she realized that she had patched her up when she fainted. She ran a hand along it as she tried to remember what happened before she fainted. Her memory was hazy, but it was slowly coming back to her as she stared at the gauze. Twilight looked at the fallen trophy and remembered the pool of blood it had caused when it sliced her leg. Now, the red liquid was gone, likely thanks to Sunset.

“Why the hell did my trophy fall? I remember hitting the wall when I was backing away from… Oh, right,” Twilight Sparkle said as her memories returned to her.

In an attempt to stand, she put her injured leg down first. That was a mistake Twilight Sparkle regretted as she felt a searing pain travel up her leg. She gripped the side of her bed as she tried not to give in to the pain. She heard the sound of Sunset shuffling and looked to see her pulling her knees to her chest, a soft sob breaking the eerie silence in the room. Biting her lip, Twilight forced herself to push the pain aside. Her one fang almost cut her lip as she bit down forcefully. Thankfully, the pain radiating throughout her whole leg subsided soon after. She stood up, but her body was still weak, and her legs shook beneath her weight before giving out a few seconds later.

“Ow!” screamed Twilight Sparkle, gripping the bed as she prevented herself from completely falling.

Spike watched as Twilight pulled herself back onto her feet. He padded over to her and nuzzled her hand. That cue was enough to earn him some scratches behind the ears, and his tail wagged happily behind him. When she pulled her hand away, he jumped down off the bed. He knew that Sunset and Twilight were going to want some time alone. So, without saying a word, Spike walked out of the room and went down to the kitchen. His rumbling stomach was calling the shots, and he wanted to take the opportunity to eat something.

Twilight Sparkle, hesitantly sat on the opposite side of the window seat, saying, “Uh, hey, Sunset. I wanted to thank you for taking care of my leg.”

“Y-yeah, you’re w-welcome,” replied Sunset Shimmer, pulling her knees closer to her chest. “It’s the least I could do.”

“Sunset, I can see that you’ve been sitting here crying,” said Twilight Sparkle, her wings wrapping themselves around her arms. “When I pushed you away, it hurt you, didn’t it?”

“I understand why you did. I do look like a monster,” replied Sunset Shimmer, lifting her head off her arms and looking at Twilight Sparkle. “I should’ve warned you, instead of letting you walk in and see me like that.”

Twilight Sparkle moved closer to the redhead, closing the distance between the two of them. “While I would’ve liked some warning, it doesn't mean that you’re a monster. I shouldn’t have reacted the way that I did.”

“Twilight, you had a right to react that way. I didn’t give you any warning, and I know that my appearance is a bit unsettling,” said Sunset Shimmer, her tail flicking behind her.

“Can you take off your hood, please Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she rested her hand on Sunset’s arm. “I want to see you the way you look now. I’d like a second chance to show that I can handle it.”

Sunset Shimmer reached up towards her hood, her hand resting on the side of it. “A-are you sure that you want to see it?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Please, let me see you, Sunset.”

Without saying a word, Sunset Shimmer slowly lowered her hood and allowed her face to get seen. Her ears went flat against her head as she looked away from Twilight, both out of shame and fear. Nothing was hiding the red skin or her ears, and she hoped that Twilight would be okay sitting next to her. Sunset didn’t want her to freak out again, especially since she didn’t want her to get hurt. She felt exposed, sitting next to her with her hood down. And the silence that seemed to echo in the room wasn't helping. Her appearance was hard for her to even look at, so expecting someone else to do it was something that was a challenge. Yet, having Twilight's hand resting on her arm, not moving away after the reveal, it was comforting. Sunset cautiously moved a few inches closer to her, wanting to see if Twilight would let her come near her now that she didn’t have her hood hiding the changes.

Resting her hand on top of Twilight’s hand, Sunset Shimmer said, “Twilight, are you okay with seeing my appearance?”

“Yeah, I think I am. It’s not easy to look at you, but I can see you are the same person. Just because you look different doesn’t mean that you are different,” replied Twilight Sparkle, squeezing Sunset’s arm.

“Thanks, Twi. I appreciate you saying that,” said Sunset Shimmer as she removed her hand. “However, this is just some of the changes that have occurred to me. My hoodie and sunglasses hide the rest.”

“And the gloves?” asked Twilight Sparkle, pointing to the leather gloves which hid Sunset’s claws from view.

“Yes, and the gloves,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle reached up towards Sunset’s sunglasses, making her back away. “Sunset, can I see your eyes, please?”

“I-I don’t know, Twilight. When I showed them to the girls, they didn’t react well, especially Fluttershy.” Sunset Shimmer pulled her knees away from her chest as she looked down. “She could barely look at me first when she saw them. And I don’t want to see you do the same to me.”

Twilight Sparkle noticed the change in the redhead’s demeanor as she talked about the girls. It was apparent that the reveal to them hadn’t gone as well as she had hoped. And the pain in her voice broke Twilight’s heart to hear. She wished that she had shown up at Sunset’s apartment and given her some support through that. Besides, Twilight knew all too well what Sunset endured with the girls. Memories of the girls’ staring at her with wide-eyed expressions played in her head as she looked at the redhead. Seeing them fear her the way they had during the Friendship Games was hard for her. It had been painful to see their reactions, so Twilight understood why she was struggling to let her see the rest of the changes. That pain and memory were enough to make Twilight strengthen her resolve and help Sunset as she had helped her during their stay at Camp Everfree.

“Let me see your eyes, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle, a soft yet stern tone in her voice. “I want to know what they look like now. Give me a chance to show you that I meant what I said about not judging you no matter what.”

Sunset Shimmer raised her hand and slowly removed her sunglasses. “Okay, this is what my eyes look like now because of the transformation, Twilight. I have been wearing contacts to hide them along with my sunglasses.”

“Woah, they look different than mine,” replied Twilight Sparkle, looking at Sunset’s eyes as she tried to keep herself from moving away. “I can see why you chose to conceal them.”

“Yeah, they’re not exactly normal at the moment. I can barely even look at myself in the mirror without my contacts in,” Sunset Shimmer said as she looked down at her hands, the sunglasses still in her tight grip.

Twilight remained motionless as she listened to what Sunset was saying. “I can’t imagine what that’s like. My changes weren’t nearly as… extreme as yours. I guess I got lucky, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did get lucky, Twilight. I wish my changes weren’t so scary because I hate having to hide them.” Sunset took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. “I am surprised that you’re not freaking out at the way my eyes look.”

“Well, I am freaking out on the inside, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle, reaching out and resting her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “However, I would like to see the rest of your changes.”

Sunset’s tail flicked behind her as she stared at her hands. The next thing she had to reveal was her claws. With a shaky hand, she gripped the bottom edge of her right glove. However, she paused and looked at Twilight. She could see there was a hint of fear in her mulberry eyes, but there was something else that overpowered it; love. That unconditional love that many would search a lifetime just to find it. And here it was, staring back at her and making her feel like she was safe. Everything in her screamed at her not to lose it because if she did, it would likely not come back. Sunset closed her eyes and looked away from Twilight. Her fear of losing Twilight took hold of her and made her falter in her actions.

“I-I can’t show you the rest, I am scared to, Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer, letting go of her glove. “I don’t want to frighten you. Not like I did with the girls.”

Twilight Sparkle closed the distance between them, resting her hand over Sunset’s shaky one. “Remember what I said about not judging you no matter what?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded, unable to form any words as she stared at the ground.

“I meant what I said that night, Sunset. I won’t see you as anything but my friend, even if you look like a she-demon. Trust me, I know how that feels,” said Twilight Sparkle, squeezing Sunset’s hand. “My wings drop enough feathers that I could make a pillow out of them.”

Sunset Shimmer let out a weak chuckle at Twilight’s attempt at a joke. “But, my changes aren’t as easy to adjust to as yours were.”

“So? That doesn’t mean I will walk away just because of that,” said Twilight, starting to pull off the redhead’s glove. “Will you let me see what happened to your hands?”

“Are you sure that you want to?” asked Sunset, finally meeting Twilight’s gaze after a few seconds and resting her hand on top of Twilight’s smaller one.

“Yes, Sunset,” replied Twilight, trying to keep her patience.

“Okay,” said Sunset as she removed her hand and let Twilight remove the glove. “You can remove the glove, just be careful.”

Twilight Sparkle was about to ask why when she pulled off Sunset’s glove and saw the claws which had replaced her fingers. The leather glove fell from her hand as she moved away from Sunset Shimmer. She saw the reason why Sunset had warned her to be careful. The sharpness of her claws made them look like they could cut through flesh, maybe even metal with enough force. Twilight’s heart thundered in her ears as she realized the danger she was in. Sunset’s transformation was much worse than hers had been. Her changes were enough to transform her friend into a real monster. However, just as that word entered her mind, Twilight forced it back out. She wasn’t going to think that way about someone she cared for. Not when she had made a promise not to judge her. Swallowing her fear, she moved back and slowly intertwined her hand with Sunset’s hand, being careful not to cut herself.

“S-Sparky?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her eyes watching Twilight’s every movement. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I am alright,” replied Twilight Sparkle, trying to sound braver than she was. “It was just a bit shocking to see the change.”

Sunset Shimmer gently squeezed Twilight’s hand. “I know, the girls felt the same way when I showed them. At least you’re here and sitting next to me, not running away or telling me to go away.”

“Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she started to pull her hand away. “Can I see your wings? I want to see everything before I…”

“Before you get too scared to look or even be near me?” Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s hand and stood up.

“Y-yes, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice breaking as she forced herself to reveal the fear she was desperately trying not to feel.

“Fine, I will show you my wings, but first, I need to do this,” said Sunset Shimmer, stepping in front of Twilight Sparkle. “I may not get another chance to do this after you see everything.”

“Wha-” Twilight was cut off as Sunset kissed her just like she had back in the girls’ bathroom.

Sunset Shimmer felt her lips touch Twilight’s soft ones as she closed her eyes. She reveled in the sweet smell of lavender that wafted towards her. The scent was one that always reminded her of being in Twilight’s arms, safe from the world. When she felt Twilight lean into the kiss, she carefully caressed her cheek. She wanted to memorize the feel of her in case this was her last chance. Her blood pulsed through her veins like a river flowing through a gorge. The electricity which rippled throughout her whole body made Sunset wish she could stay there in that moment. It made her want to freeze time there and never let Twilight see her full appearance. If Sunset could’ve, she would have frozen it and enjoyed every second she had next to her. She never wanted to leave because it meant that she was going to lose Twilight, the one person she loved more than anyone. Yet, she knew that it was time for her to see the truth, to know her secret. Reluctantly, Sunset opened her eyes and pulled away from Twilight, still reeling from the high of kissing her.

“Just remember that it’s still me, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer as her hand rested on the zipper pull. “Please, don’t forget that I love you, no matter what I look like now.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, not saying anything as she sat there in front of the redhead.

Slowly, with a shaky hand, Sunset pulled down the zipper. The sound echoed in the otherwise silent room, which made her wish that there was something to fill the void. She stood there for a moment, her hoodie open in the front and allowing Twilight to see how far the red skin had spread. Her hands shook as she reached up and grabbed either side of the hoodie. Sunset looked at Twilight, seeing the fear and shock that darkened her eyes. Without hesitating for another second, she pulled the fabric off her shoulders and her body. As it hit the floor with a thud, her wings stretched to their full length. Now that her transformation had gotten fully exposed to Twilight, Sunset wished that she could hide. Seeing the fear overtake the shock was painful to watch, but not as much as seeing the unconditional love in Twilight’s eyes disappear.

“Sparky, say something please,” said Sunset Shimmer, watching as Twilight stood up.

“I-Is this what Trixie was referring to? Is this Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she kept her distance.

“Y-yes, Twilight. This is a part of me, the one dubbed Demon Shimmer,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “Are you scared of me?”

Twilight Sparkle didn’t answer the question. The reveal of Sunset's transformation was a bit more than she could take after all that had happened that day. The sight of the redhead’s drastic changes was too much for her to handle. And although she had tried to stay true to her promise, she couldn’t do it. Looking at what had become of her friend, Twilight just couldn’t find it in herself to fight her growing fear. All she saw in front of was a monster that had replaced the person she once cared for. And she could see why the girls had reacted the way that they did. They had every right to treat her like the monster she was. After all, she had chosen to lie to all of them even though they were her friends. Twilight stared at the two leathery wings which jutted out from her behind her, trying not to throw up. Now she understood why Sunset had hidden it from her. Everything that was human about her was now gone, altered by the demon of her past. Her claws, her fangs, even the red skin which had replaced the amber color she had come to love. Standing there, looking at the girl who used to be her friend, Twilight started to cry as she turned around and made her way to her door.

“Wait! Twilight, don’t go please,” said Sunset Shimmer, running after Twilight and grabbing her arm. “I’m sorry that I spooked you, but I’m still the same person you were talking to just a few minutes ago.”

“No, you’re not. Please, let me go. I don’t want to look at you anymore,” replied Twilight Sparkle, trying to pull her forearm free.

“What about what you said? What happened to not judging me just because I look like this?” asked Sunset Shimmer, tightening her grip on Twilight’s forearm. “Does that mean nothing to you?”

The feeling of Sunset’s claws digging into her arm made Twilight wince as she looked back at Sunset. She could see the pain in her eyes, and that made her feel even worse for going back on her promise. And she knew that she was going to get an earful from Applejack when she learned about this. Applejack wasn’t going to like the fact that she had broken a promise, something that was one of her pet peeves. However, the impending discussion wasn’t enough to make her want to stay. As Twilight looked into Sunset’s pain-filled eyes, several more tears flowed down her cheek. How could the person she loved not be the same anymore? Why did she have to change into this… monster? Twilight could see that her friend was still there and that her actions were causing her more pain. A single tear fell down Sunset’s cheek as she slightly loosened her grip on her forearm. That only worsened Twilight’s guilt as she looked away from her

“I said that before I saw the terrifying changes that had occurred to you, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “Now…”

“Now, I am just a monster to you, right?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her temper flaring up as she gripped Twilight’s forearm tightly. “Right, Twilight?”

“S-Sunset, can you please let go of my arm?” asked Twilight Sparkle, attempting to free her forearm.

“Tell me, do you even see me as the same Sunset now that you have seen this part of me?” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was low, barely able to stay strong as she struggled not to break down.

“No!” shouted Twilight Sparkle as she freed her forearm from Sunset’s grip, causing five deep lacerations to form. “Ahhh!”

Sunset Shimmer felt her claws rake through Twilight’s skin, drawing blood as they were yanked from Twilight’s forearm while she pulled away. She looked at the five fresh lacerations on Twilight and back at her hand. An all too familiar iron smell hit her, and she knew exactly what it was. There was fresh blood dripping off her claws, confirming her worst fears. She had injured one of her friends, and now there was no way she could take it back or undo it. Looking up, she saw the panicked look in Twilight’s eyes as she stood there, holding her bloodied arm in her hand. Sunset’s heart sank to the bottom as she realized the mistake she had made. Something told her that she had gone too far, and now she was going to pay the price for her actions. Taking a chance, she stepped towards Twilight, her wings tucking themselves behind her. She had to see if she was okay, if there was any chance that Twilight would let her come near her.

“T-Twilight, I am s-sorry. I didn’t think about my c-claws,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice breaking as she could no longer hold back her tears.

“Stay away from me, Demon Shimmer!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as she used her powers to blast Sunset Shimmer back.

The blast sent Sunset Shimmer flying back onto Twilight’s bed, hurting her wings in the process. Her body ached from the concentrated magic slamming into her at full force. Thankfully, the bed provided a soft landing for her. Although her safety was of the least concern at the moment, she wanted to see if Twilight was alright. The cuts she had caused were deep, meaning that she was likely losing a lot of blood, not to mention in pain. Just as she was about to ask Twilight if she was okay, she heard the sound of the door clicking open. She sat up and saw a tearful Twilight leaving her alone before she even had a chance to say anything to her. As she sat there on the bed, she wished that she had never lied to her best friend. Now, here she was, lying on her bed, alone.

“I’m sorry…” said Sunset Shimmer to the empty void that was Twilight’s bedroom.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and face as she tried to stifle the building sobs. Everything she had seen bored down on her and made Twilight wish that she had never asked Sunset to come over. That she hadn’t seen what Sunset was hiding in her past because it was too much. This time, she was aware that her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She thought that she could handle seeing whatever it was that she was hiding. However, it was evident that she had made a mistake and a promise she could never keep. Twilight finally got to see Demon Shimmer, and it was scarier than anything she had ever seen before. The changes were much more drastic than hers were, and she wasn’t sure that she wanted to know the reason why. It also made her wonder how Sunset was still herself while she looked like that on the outside. How could someone so monstrous-looking be her friend, even if it was on the inside? That answer eluded Twilight, and she didn’t care to go looking for it. For now, all she wanted was some space.

Twilight’s arm and leg were throbbing as she walked down the empty hallway. Her body was screaming at her to stop moving and rest for a bit. She was exhausted from the day’s events, and getting injured wasn’t helping it. Blood was slowly pouring out and coating her hand as she held onto her arm, but she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was get away from Sunset Shimmer and take care of the injuries that she had caused. Twilight couldn’t stomach looking at the five lacerations caused by her. Not when she had seen the claws that were responsible for them. A shudder ran up her spine as she recalled the feeling her skin getting ripped open. She covered her mouth as she fought the urge to vomit and continued walking down the hallway.

A few shaky steps down the hallway later, Twilight saw the bathroom door on the right side and walked over to it. Gripping the handle, she winced as the muscles in her arm beneath the cuts moved. Flexing them felt like a serrated knife getting dragged across them, shredding them as it progressed. The throbbing worsened as she pushed open the door and walked into the dark bathroom. She used her foot and closed the door while she searched for the light switch. When she found it, Twilight used her sore arm to turn the lights on and squinted as the darkness disappeared.

“Good thing there is a first aid kit in here,” said Twilight Sparkle as she rummaged around under the sink, pushing past towels and unused bottles of shampoo.

She grabbed the first aid kit from behind the stack of towels and set it on the counter. Bracing herself against the counter, Twilight looked at her reflection in the mirror. The fear in her eyes made her step back for a moment. Along with that, her hair had become disheveled, making her look like she had escaped from an insane asylum. The perfect ponytail she had this morning was gone now. And having blood on her hands didn’t make her look any better. Taking a deep breath, Twilight stepped back towards the sink and braced herself for the next step. The dried blood on her hands and arm had to get washed off before she could place a bandage on the cuts. However, the idea of putting her lacerations under the running water made her cringe.

“Come on, Twilight. You can do this. Just turn on the faucet and let the water touch your arm,” Twilight Sparkle told herself, trying to make it easier to turn on the water.

“Yeah, you can do this, just like how you broke a promise to your best friend. That was easy to do, so is this,” said Twilight’s conscience, reminding her of her mistake.

“Shut up! I don’t need a fucking reminder of what I did to her,” thought Twilight Sparkle, grabbing the handle of the faucet and turning it on.

“Oh, so now Sunset is Sunset again. What happened to her being a monster? I mean, she does have claws, fangs, ugly leather wings, and red skin. Hell, she looks nothing like her usual self and somehow has the audacity to say that she is still the same,” said Twilight’s conscience, almost taunting her for what she did.

“I said shut up!” screamed Twilight Sparkle in her head, growing frustrated at the taunting.

Not wanting to focus on her guilty conscience, Twilight Sparkle let go of the handle and put her arm under the water. She allowed the water to wash off the dried blood first before slowly moving her arm. Watching the reddish-brown liquid trickle down the drain was making her sick. However, Twilight continued to wash the blood off her skin. Just as she was getting closer to the cuts, she felt a few drops land on them. The searing pain from them made her inhale sharply in response. She continued through the pain until the water was rushing against the raw lacerations. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to block out the sensation. Yet, after just a few seconds, she gave in and let out a scream of agony.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer, who was standing in Twilight’s bathroom, heard the scream. Her ears flattened against her head as she realized how much pain she had put her in. She clenched her fists around the sink as she tried to ignore the images of her hand on Twilight’s arm. Despite her efforts, the bloody scene kept replaying her head. The sight of Twilight pulling her arm free, the blood flowing from the cuts she had caused, and the feeling of her claws cutting through her skin all made her sick to her stomach. Sunset wanted them to leave, but she knew that they weren’t going away any time soon. Sighing, she hung her head over the sink.

“What have I done…?” Sunset Shimmer asked to empty air. “How could I let my temper get the better of me?”

“You panicked, and that resulted in you hurting Twilight. You were also hurt because she had broken a promise that she shouldn’t have. And that made you react in a way that caused you to injure the one person you love the most,” replied Sunset Shimmer’s conscience.

“Yeah, I got that Captain Obvious. I know what happened. I was there. Remember?” thought Sunset Shimmer.

The redhead turned on the water, wanting to get Twilight’s blood off her hands. She didn’t want to have the dark red liquid touching her anymore. Not when she knew how it came to be on her in the first place. To think that her claws had pierced through her friend’s skin, it disgusted her. The one thing she was afraid would happen if she allowed her claws to get exposed, occurred because she lost her temper. And Sunset felt like the monster she now looked like. Maybe she was just a monster who deserved to have her best friend hate her. Sunset wouldn’t blame Twilight if she did turn on her. After all, she had hurt her so many times over the last week and waited so long to finally come clean about the truth. She watched the clear water turn bloody as she scrubbed off the dried blood. Her urge to vomit was growing with every whiff of the metallic smell she took. Once her hands were clean, Sunset turned off the water and walked out of the bathroom.

“I remember. However, what I don’t get is why you reacted in such a way. How come you risked injuring Twilight to keep her from running away?” asked Sunset’s conscience. “You had to know that wasn’t going to work.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. She looked into the cabinet mirror above the sink, seeing herself reflected back at her. Yet, she didn’t see herself this time, just a she-demon whose claws hurt someone she’d never wanted to harm. She couldn’t recognize herself anymore, not after what happened tonight. Her reflection showed her what Twilight saw and made her face the fact that she saw a monster. Sunset took a deep breath and stepped back until her wings were visible in the mirror. She stretched them to their full size and gasped softly. In front of her was someone who scared her and made her heart drop as she stared into her eyes. She understood why the girls and Twilight had freaked out so badly. Her demonic appearance was genuinely horrible and monstrous. Exhaling sharply, Sunset let the leathery nuisances rest on her shoulders as she decided to answer her conscience’s question.

“To answer your question, I went after her because I was desperate for her not to be afraid of me,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking away from her reflection.

“Ah, I see. So, your fear of rejection clouded your judgment, and you acted like a lovesick puppy. And yet, you knew that it wasn’t going to make it better. It would’ve been better if you had just stayed where you were and let Twilight leave,” said the redhead’s conscience. “Why did you go after her and ask her if she still saw you as the same girl?”

Sunset Shimmer met her gaze again, wanting to see if there was any remnant of her humanity. “I did it because I needed to know if she saw me or the monster I have become. And now, I see that she was right about me: I do look like a monster.”

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Twilight Sparkle had finished getting the blood off her arm and hand. She hadn’t realized how challenging it was going to be to remove the dried blood off her skin. Unfortunately, she learned that it was somewhat tricky to do while trying to avoid hurting herself further. Her skin had become red from her rubbing at it for so long. Thankfully, after a few minutes, she was done with that area. Twilight moved on to cleaning the red liquid from underneath her nails. She was grateful that she had kept them short, meaning that it was a bit easier to clean them than it was to clean her arm. Once that had gotten accomplished, she turned off the water and pulled a brown bottle from the kit.

“Now to put the peroxide on,” Twilight Sparkle said as she gripped the bottle with a shaky hand.

“This is going to be a bitch to do by myself,” thought Twilight Sparkle, recalling the stinging sensation that she had come to associate with it.

Twilight grabbed a washcloth from the shelf next to her and unscrewed the cap from the bottle. As she poured the peroxide onto the cloth, she felt her throat tighten, knowing that she had to do it. She knew that she had to disinfect the lacerations; otherwise, more problems would occur. Yet, that didn’t make it any easier to apply the stinging liquid to her arm. Twilight pulled herself together and forced her fear aside as she placed the washcloth on top of the cuts. Feeling the peroxide seeping into the raw wounds, she screamed, not caring if Sunset heard her. It felt like a fire was lit inside of her skin as the liquid dripped onto her arm. She waited for a few minutes before removing the cloth off the lacerations, allowing the peroxide to do its job. Biting her lip, she tried to ignore the throbbing ache in the irritated wounds.

“Okay, Twilight, the next thing to do is put on the butterfly bandages,” said Twilight Sparkle, talking herself through the process. It helped to distract her from the pain, but just barely.

Digging around in the kit, she found a barely used box of butterfly bandages. It was almost too full, with just one or two missing from it. She remembered when she had to use one of them to help Sunset after she had cut her thumb. The memory of that day was still fresh in her head. That was an extraordinary moment for her, one that brought her joy every time she thought about it. It was the first time she had ever celebrated her birthday with the girls. And it was also her first time having a birthday party that was more than just her family. Twilight knew that Sunset had only cut herself because she got distracted while cutting the cake. If she remembered correctly, the redhead was the one who had made the cake herself, as well as the purple frosting covering it. Closing her eyes, Twilight imagined that day once more while she held onto the box of bandages.

Sunset Shimmer was standing by the counter, a chocolate cake covered in light purple frosting sitting in front of her. On the cake, the words ‘Happy B-Day, Twi!!’ was written on it in pink icing. However, the words were tilted to the side, clearly showing that they had gotten written by someone inexperienced in the art of cake writing. Around them were a few candles, and two of the candles formed the 17 in the middle. They were lit moments ago and now sat in the cake; their tips burnt black by the flames. The smell of blown candles lingered in the air, but it didn’t ruin the joyous mood.

“Sorry for the off-centered words, Twilight. I tried my best, but I guess it takes some experience to write on a cake,” said Sunset Shimmer, giving her friend a sheepish smile. “Thankfully, Pinkie Pie managed to help me make the cake and frosting.”

Twilight Sparkle walked over to Sunset, taking one of her hands. Squeezing it, she gave her friend a quick kiss on the cheek. As she felt her lips touch Sunset’s skin, she felt her cheeks heat up. It was a rush to kiss Sunset, even on the cheek. It made her feel like she was standing on top of the world. After a minute, she pulled back and was sure that there was a noticeable redness to her cheeks. In the background, she heard snickering, which she assumed was Rainbow Dash, but she didn’t care. At the moment, all Twilight noticed was the red-haired beauty in front of her and the smile she was wearing.

“Someone’s smitten…” whispered Spike as he saw his owner staring dreamily at Sunset.

“It’s perfect because you made it. And that’s more than enough, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle, meeting Sunset’s cyan eyes.

Twilight saw the redhead blush before she looked away, letting her know that she enjoyed the kiss too. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the confident redhead blushing. It was just too adorable for her. Twilight’s stomach grumbled, reminding her that she was hungry, and the cake was very tempting. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, especially since the girls had spent the day keeping her away from Sunset’s apartment. Now, she could see why with all the decorations and the cake. Letting go of Sunset’s hand, she stepped back.

“Well, come on! Cut the damn cake before we all grow old,” said Rainbow Dash, throwing her hands up impatiently.

“Calm down, Dashie. Sunset will cut the cake,” said Pinkie Pie, giving the redhead a sympathetic smile.

Not wasting another second, Sunset Shimmer laid the knife down on top of the cake and sliced through it. Once the blade cut through to the bottom, she pulled it out, preparing it for the next cut. The smell of chocolate wafted into the apartment and made everyone salivate at the sweet scent. She rested her other hand next to the cake, keeping it steady as she lowered the knife again. This time, the blade sliced through the cake… and Sunset’s skin.

“Ow!” shouted Sunset Shimmer as she dropped the knife and backed away from the cake.

Twilight Sparkle, being the one closest to Sunset, ran over to her injured friend. She saw that the redhead was clutching her left hand. There was some blood dripping down from the cut on her thumb. It wasn’t deep or huge, but the knife had managed to slice through a layer of skin. That left a small opening where the trail of blood originated from.

“Sunset, are you okay? Where’s your first aid kit?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she looked at her friend.

“Y-yes, I am. The kit is underneath the sink, on the right-hand side. Grab the box of butterfly bandages, please Twi,” said Sunset Shimmer, wincing as her thumb throbbed from the pain.

“Okay. Go wash that cut in the sink,” said Twilight Sparkle before she ran to grab the kit.

As Twilight got to the bathroom, she flung open the cabinet doors. She rummaged through the contents inside of it, following Sunset’s instructions. There were a bunch of towels neatly folded that sat in the back. Some of them had a sun that got split into red and yellow sections, just the sun Twilight often saw on Sunset’s clothing. In the back of her head, she wondered what significance it held for her. However, she pushed the thought aside and continued her search. She found the kit, but it had almost gotten buried by a small mountain of the Mane N’ Tail shampoo.

“Sheesh, and I thought Rarity used a lot of shampoo. Guess I was wrong,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she pushed the bottles aside, reaching for the kit.

It surprised Twilight that the redhead would use that kind of product. Although she did read some articles about horse shampoo and its benefits, it was said to be a better alternative for human shampoo, which could sometimes be damaging to hair. And it helped keep the hair’s natural oils while combating the adverse effects of harmful chemicals. Twilight closed her eyes and focused on her original task. Thinking nothing more of the mountain of bottles, Twilight grabbed the kit and ran back out of the bathroom. As she made her way back to the kitchen, she spotted Sunset hunched over the sink. Just as she approached her, she heard the water get shut off before the redhead looked at her. She set the kit on the counter as she stood next to her.

“Good. You found the kit,” said Sunset Shimmer as she saw the kit next to Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah, I found it and a mountain of shampoo bottles. I didn’t know that you used horse shampoo, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle, raising an eyebrow as she mentioned the shampoo.

“Oh, uh, it’s better for my hair than the regular shampoo,” lied Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to admit that it was because she had been using a similar product when she was a unicorn in Equestria.

“Right. I have read some articles on that. They say that it helps strengthen hair follicles, allowing for stronger, healthier hair. It also cleans the hair and doesn’t…” Twilight Sparkle stopped when she saw Sunset staring at her with a smirk.

“Twilight-”

“I was rambling again, wasn’t I?” asked Twilight Sparkle, adjusting her glasses.

“Yep, but you looked adorable when you did,” said Sunset Shimmer, giving Twilight a wink and making her smile.

“Let’s bandage you up so you can cut the cake. I have a feeling that Rainbow Dash is drilling her eye lasers into us as I speak,” Twilight Sparkle said as she opened the first aid kit and pulled out the butterfly bandages.

That made Sunset Shimmer chuckle. “Yeah, I think she is too.”

Twilight Sparkle wrapped the one butterfly bandage over the cut, trying to be as gentle as she could. Yet, despite her efforts, she must’ve hit a sensitive spot when she felt Sunset flinch away momentarily before the bandage was entirely on. She stopped for a moment, wanting to make sure that Sunset was okay. After Twilight saw that she was okay, she placed the other side down and pulled her hand away.

“All done. Now, you can cut the cake. Just please, don’t cut yourself again. I wouldn’t want to get any more injuries,” said Twilight Sparkle, seeing Rainbow Dash’s annoyed expression.

“I won’t, I promise Sparky,” Sunset Shimmer said, giving Twilight a quick peck on the cheek before walking back over to the cake.

As she watched the image of Sunset Shimmer fade back to black, it made Twilight Sparkle’s hand tremble. She struggled to keep herself from breaking down into sobs as she sat on the edge of the tub. Several tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to ignore the memory. However, it still replayed in her head, reminding her of one of her happiest moments. After the night’s events, it brought a lot of joy, but there was also a lot of pain now. It now served as something that showed her how naive she had been. As Twilight looked at her arm, she stared at the five jagged cuts running down it. How could Sunset, someone that she confided in about her deepest worries, lie to her? Why did she hurt her? Was it because Sunset didn’t trust Twilight as much as she thought she did?

“Why Sunset…? Why did you lie… to me of all people?” Twilight Sparkle asked mentally as she looked from her arm to the bathroom door.

Looking back at her arm, Twilight saw that the cuts were just an inch and a half in depth, almost enough to require stitches. Thankfully, they weren’t very wide, only about two inches in width. She figured that the butterfly bandages should be enough to help with the healing process. Yet, there was a sinking feeling that told Twilight she would likely sustain scars from the lacerations after they had healed over. She expected that, given the severity of her injuries. But acknowledging that fact only made her gag in response. She wasn't ready to comprehend the idea of looking at the scars on her arm for the rest of her life. Not when she knew how she got them and who gave them to her.

Twilight Sparkle opened the box of butterfly bandages and grabbed a few out of it. One by one, she covered the lacerations in the necessary bandages. With the small, white bandages holding them closed, they didn’t look as bad as they did earlier. However, the jagged edges weren’t helping them to look good. Not wanting to look at the cuts that Sunset gave her, Twilight got some gauze and tape. Setting to work, she taped the gauze pad over the injury, wincing as she felt her skin moving beneath it. Twilight was finished within minutes as she didn’t want to risk sobbing in the guest bathroom. She put away the first aid kit, staring at the bathroom door like it was a hungry lion about to kill her. There was a part of her that was very reluctant to leave the room, to see Sunset after what happened.

As Twilight walked over to the door, her body shook. Fear was all she felt as she forced herself to reach for the door handle. She didn’t want to do this, but she knew that she had no choice in the matter. Gulping, she pushed the growing bundle of nerves aside and turned the handle. As the door opened, Twilight turned off the light and walked out into the hallway.

“It’s now or never…” thought Twilight Sparkle as she closed the bathroom door behind herself.

Sunset Shimmer, who had finished washing the blood off her hands, was now sitting on the edge of Twilight’s bed with her wings draped over her shoulders. The warmth of them kept her from shivering in the surprisingly chilly bedroom. Although the image of the lacerations she had caused was still ingrained in her mind, making her fight her gag reflex as she covered her mouth with her hand. And her guilt wasn’t making it any easier to resist the urge. Her cheeks were wet with fallen tears that she had just been wiping. Just as she had wiped another one off her chin, Sunset heard the bedroom door creak open. She didn’t dare look up as her ears twitched as the sounds of footsteps slowly walked into the quiet room. She knew that it was Twilight, and that made her want to cry again because she was too afraid to hear what she might say.

“T-Twilight, are you okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her shaky voice revealing that she was on the verge of tears again. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry…”

Twilight Sparkle just stood by the edge of the bed, too scared to come any closer than that. She didn’t want to be near Sunset, anywhere near her. Not after she felt her claws injure her. Her heart raced in her chest, making her pulse race alongside it. Looking at the floor, she saw that the redhead had cleaned up the few drops of blood which had landed on the floor. Hearing a sniffle next to her, reminded Twilight that she eventually had to say something to Sunset. The sight of her sitting on her bed made her jaw drop. Sunset had curled into a ball, her leathery wings wrapped around her with her knees pulled to her chest. That was something that Twilight wasn’t expecting to see. It was the exact opposite of the redhead’s usual behavior, and it took her by complete surprise.

“S-Sunset?” Twilight Sparkle just stared at the redhead, noticing that her claws had gotten cleaned of her blood.

“T-Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, unsure if she should speak at all. “Are you alright?”

The sound of Sunset’s voice made Twilight grip her injured arm as if she was trying to protect it from further harm. When she saw the redhead’s eyes, they made her whimper as she lost control of her fear. The blackness which surrounded her eyes now gave her a demonic look. And it made the cyan stand out, showing the pain that Twilight wished she hadn’t seen. Sunset must’ve heard it because her expression changed from a mix of concern and fear to absolute fear. That caused Twilight to back away as panic began to set in again. She looked away, staring at the hardwood floor instead of the redhead. Her wings wrapped themselves around her quivering body, almost as if they were shielding her. To hear Sunset’s voice, it made her cringe and want to run out of her room. Deep down, there was a part of her that wanted to hear her side of the story. Yet, her fear of what Sunset was going to do next was almost too much.

“N-no, Sunset. I am not alright. Please, don’t ask that again,” said Twilight Sparkle, finding enough strength to keep her voice from shaking.

“B-But-”

“No, Sunset! You fucking hurt me, both literally and emotionally. I don’t give a damn if you didn’t mean to. It still fucking happened,” said Twilight Sparkle, raising her voice.

Gone was the fear. It had gotten replaced by anger. It ran through Twilight’s veins, making her skin burn as it coursed through them. She was angry at the lies, at the pain they caused her, at… Sunset Shimmer. As she thought about the last week and all that happened, her hand clenched into a tight fist. The pain of having her best friend lie to her stung like acid getting poured on her skin. And Twilight had believed the lies for a whole year. An entire fucking year. How could she have not noticed that? All the incidents where the subject was instantly changed when she asked about the Fall Formal. Or whenever she asked how Sunset had come to know the girls, they all went silent and said nothing. They all made sense… now. As Twilight looked at the redhead, all she saw was a monster and a liar that she used to call a friend.

Sunset Shimmer lowered her wings, letting her knees fall from her chest. She gripped the edge of the bed, looking at Twilight. On the corners of her eyes, tears were falling down the sides of her face. She couldn’t keep herself from crying as she heard the cold, distant tone in Twilight’s voice. It broke her heart to listen to it. But despite that, she knew that it was there for a reason. It was there because she didn’t listen to the girls and waited too long to Twilight the truth. Now. Now, she was paying the price for her actions. And it cut like a knife, deep into what little remained of her shattered heart. Sunset still cared for Twilight, not that it would matter anymore.

“T-Twilight, I’m sorry. I-I was trying to keep you from running away. I didn’t want you to be scared of me,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to keep her voice steady as she tried to slow her crying.

“Well, I am afraid of you. And Trixie was right about one thing; you are a monster,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to remain calm as she talked to Sunset. Damaging her room was something she didn’t plan on doing if it could get avoided.

Sunset Shimmer gasped. “Twilight, you don’t mean that, do you?”

“Yes, Sunset, I do mean that,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “Because a friend would never do this to me!”

Sunset Shimmer got up from the bed as she saw Twilight pull down the gauze. A soft gasp escaped from her lips as she saw the severity of the lacerations she had caused in full view. They were fairly deep, maybe an inch or so from what she could see. And the skin around them was inflamed, still reeling from the sudden injury. She stepped closer to examine them only for Twilight to pull her arm back and stagger away from her. Sunset’s ears flattened as she met Twilight’s panic-filled eyes.

“Don’t touch me, Demon Shimmer!” shouted Twilight Sparkle as she covered her arm with her wing. “I don’t want to get hurt again. It’s enough that you lied to me and then cut my arm because you couldn’t stand that I am scared of the way you look now.”

“Twilight, I said I was sorry,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Please, don’t keep pushing me away.”

“Just stop with the apologies, Demon Shimmer. I don’t believe you.” Twilight Sparkle’s tone was harsh and cold. “Just tell me this; were you ever going to come clean about your past? Or is it because of Trixie and our unusual circumstances, that you decided to tell me?”

“Please, stop calling me Demon Shimmer. It’s hurting my feelings,” Sunset Shimmer said as she wiped a tear off her cheek.

“Good. Now you know exactly how I feel because of your lies. Answer my question, please.” Twilight Sparkle wasn’t in the mood for being gentle anymore. The quicker she could get rid of Sunset Shimmer, the better.

Sunset Shimmer stifled another sob as she said, “If none of this hadn’t happened, I am not sure that I would’ve had the courage to come clean, Twilight. I was scared that you would walk away from me if you knew the truth. I am sorry…”

“I am sorry too, De-Sunset. But after everything that has happened, I think it’s time that I say this,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking down at her arm as she placed the gauze back over it.

“S-say what, Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, scared of what was going to happen next.

“Sunset Shimmer, I am tired of the lies. I am tired of being hurt again and again. I just can’t do it anymore. I can't deal with the lies and pain. But most of all, I am done with you constantly shutting me out every time I try to be there for you and show you that I am not going to judge you.” Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath, knowing that her next words were going to be the most painful. “You have done that too many times for me to count. And I-I can’t do it anymore. Sunset, I think it's better if we don’t speak to each other for a while. In fact, I believe it’s best if we go our separate ways because I can’t be your friend anymore after all you have done.”

“Sp-Sparky, don’t, please,” begged Sunset Shimmer, her eyes tearing up as she struggled to keep her composure under the painful lashing of Twilight’s words.

“Here’s your stuff,” said Twilight Sparkle as she tossed the hoodie, gloves, and sunglasses to Sunset Shimmer. “If you care about me and our friendship like you say you do, stay away from me. I don’t even want to look at you, let alone be near you. It’s hard to believe you didn’t tell me about this because you thought I would walk away, even after I said I wouldn’t do that numerous times. And now I am terrified of you. So…”

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her stuff as Twilight threw it towards her. She waited to hear what else she had to say, hoping that the stream of endless hurtful words would end soon. It was becoming too much to bear listening to Twilight as she told her how she had fucked up and no longer wanted to be her friend. Or even be near her because she was afraid of how she looked. That last one hurt the most, especially since Twilight had judged her and ran away when all Sunset wanted was for her to accept her. However, it was all too apparent that it was not going to happen.

“Goodbye, Demon Shimmer. Get out of my room, please.” Twilight Sparkle sat down on her bed and clutched a pillow, crying as the pain of the night’s events bore down on her.

Walking to the bedroom door, Sunset Shimmer looked back at Twilight and whispered, “I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me one day.”

*** *** *** ***

The flight home was a depressing one as Sunset Shimmer saw the night sky as a reminder of her dark past. Even the twinkling of the stars reminded her of the sparkle in Twilight’s eyes and how it had faded away. That only made the guilt and pain worsen as she recalled the fear in her eyes. Watching it take away the sparkle she loved made Sunset wish that she hadn’t shown Twilight her appearance. The events of the night had proven to her that her fears about Twilight being scared of Demon Shimmer were right. Besides, she could see now that she had waited too long to come clean about the truth. And now the damage was done. Sunset looked at the streets below her as she wondered if there was any way she could repair the damage she had caused. Tears streamed down her face as the wind blew against her skin.

“Why did I have to be so stupid? Why didn’t I just tell Twilight about my past when I first met her?” thought Sunset Shimmer as she saw her apartment appearing below her.

Sunset landed in front of her apartment. Her wings were exhausted from the long flights to and from Twilight’s house. She unlocked her door and walked into her quiet abode. Without wasting another second, she dropped her stuff on the desk and made her way up to her attic. The attic was dusty, and there was a smell of old newspaper that lingered in the air. She didn’t come up here often, using it only to store a few boxes that would’ve otherwise cluttered her living room.

Opening the old wooden door, Sunset made a beeline for a small cardboard box that was half open with a few spiderwebs on it. It had gotten filled with pictures that she had taken with the girls for the last year. The photos were going to be part of a vast collage once she had time to get around to it. As she rummaged around in the box, she found one of her and Twilight Sparkle hanging out at Equestria Land. The photo was a happy one, with both girls smiling in it, and Sunset’s arm was wrapped tenderly around Twilight’s waist. Yet, tonight all it did was make the redhead miss the friendship she had lost.

Carrying the photo, Sunset Shimmer made her way over to a dark corner of the attic and sat down. Looking at Twilight’s happy smile, she said, “How could I have hurt you? All I wanted to do was love you and let you know that I understood your pain. Yet, I was a coward, and that cost me you, Twilight…”

Sunset pulled her knees to her chest as she set the picture down. Her building sobs broke free as Ray walked over to her. As her shoulders trembled, he crawled onto her arm. It pained the little gecko to see his beloved owner so sad. Yet, he couldn’t say anything because she couldn’t understand him. So he did what he could and nuzzled her cheek with his head. That made Sunset look up and smile at him, even though rivers of tears clouded her cyan eyes.

“Th-Thanks, Ray. I-I’m so glad that I h-have you,” said Sunset Shimmer in between sobs. “I was such an idiot tonight. I should’ve realized that there was no way Twilight could handle my past when I left her in the dark.”

In her anger, Sunset Shimmer pulled her arms apart, resulting in her claws slicing through the side of her arm. Warm liquid poured out of the fresh wounds as she yanked the tips of her claws free. She didn’t scream for fear that it would just trigger another wave of sobs to erupt from her already exhausted and weak body. It hurt like hell, yet, the physical pain did little to drown out the emotional one. As blood trickled down her arm onto the floor, she stayed where she was. Sunset felt the cuts were something that she deserved after the hurt she made Twilight endure. A sharp throbbing made its way up her arm, but she ignored it and continued to cry in the dark attic quietly. Tomorrow she would worry about the self-inflicted injuries. For now, though, she deserved to suffer in agony for what she did. So, sitting in the deathly silence with Ray curled up on her shoulder, Sunset rested her head on her knees.

“Trixie and Twilight are right about me. I am just a monster. Maybe that's all I am…”

Author's Note

Well... that could've ended better... I apologize to those who wanted it to go well for Sunset. I wanted it too. It tore me apart to do see this happen to my favorite bacon-haired girl. Feel free to leave a comment letting me know how this chapter made you feel.

The Painful Truth About Lies

In the shadows stood Springtrap, watching Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. He had followed the redhead from the school, hoping to get a chance to launch an attack on her. He also wanted to see if she had any weaknesses that he could exploit to his advantage. His anger at having her defeat his army was enough to make him want to kill her now. However, he forced himself to wait, knowing that the emotional torture was going to be fun to witness. Springtrap spied on Sunset as she showed the girls everything and trailed her as she flew to Twilight’s house. He was grateful that her home wasn’t far from the apartment. Furthermore, seeing how both the girls and Twilight reacted to Sunset’s appearance gave Springtrap an idea of how to get under her skin.

“How sweet of the purple-haired nerd to ruin her happy day for me,” said Springtrap, stepping out of the shadows. “She gave me exactly what I need to destroy that bitch she calls a friend.”

Springtrap made his way down the street, ideas forming in his head. An orchestra of crickets accompanied him as he stomped his way back to the abandoned electrical building. He would strike again, but this time the girls weren’t going to be able to destroy him. And the redhead was going to see that she had pissed off the wrong animatronic rabbit. His eyes glowed red as he clenched his fists.

“You’ll see how bad my wrath can be, Sunset Shimmer. Just wait…”

*The Next Day*

Applejack pulled into the student parking lot, parking her truck in the space next to Fluttershy’s van. She was careful about not bumping into the animal lover’s van or running over the curb. She didn’t want to jostle her truck and injure Rarity in the process. Once she had safely pulled into the parking space, Applejack removed her keys from the ignition. The drive from Rarity’s house had been a quiet one. Both girls were worried about Twilight and Sunset, especially since Twilight was finally going to know about Demon Shimmer. Although Applejack was happy to see the redhead coming clean after months of badgering, she didn’t want to see her get hurt. She put her keys into her pocket and looked over at Rarity.

“Do you think that Twilight took it well?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know, but I hope Twilight did. Sunset did seem pretty rattled after how we reacted to it,” replied Rarity, meeting the cowgirl’s green eyes.

“Yeah, I might’ve been a bit harsh towards her. I just don’t like it when my friends lie to me,” said Applejack as she adjusted her hat. “I prefer to hear the cold, hard truth.”

“I know, darling. It’s one of the things I like about you,” Rarity said, placing her hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “Now, how about we get out of here and meet the girls?”

“Yeah. Let me get out, and I’ll help you,” said Applejack, slinging her backpack over her one shoulder.

“It’s alright, AJ. I can get out by myself,” Rarity said, grabbing her backpack from the back seat.

Applejack, having turned around and was about to open her door, stopped moving. That statement made her turn around and look at her girlfriend. Her hand, which had been resting on the door handle, moved towards her girlfriend’s smaller one and gripped it. Applejack’s green eyes grew dark with worry. She didn’t want her to get hurt, not after what happened yesterday. And she was going to be damned if she let anything happen to Rarity on her watch.

“Rare, you still have your stitches in. Getting out of the truck could pull some of them free. So let me help you please,” begged the cowgirl, giving the fashionista her best puppy dog eyes she could manage.

Rarity tried to avoid looking at Applejack. However, she knew that she couldn’t resist her beautiful emerald eyes. It was one of her weaknesses when it came to her girlfriend. And when Applejack did the classic puppy dog eyes, it was just too hard for her to resist it. After a few minutes of trying to ignore the urge, Rarity gave in and looked at her. She gave Applejack a gentle smile as she squeezed her hand.

“Okay, I will let you help. You know that I can’t say no when you give me those eyes, don’t you?” asked Rarity as Applejack let go of her hand and opened the door.

Applejack turned to face Rarity as she stepped out of her truck and said with a smirk on her face, “Yep.”

The fashionista watched as Applejack walked around her truck and opened her door, holding out a hand for her to take. She grabbed her hand and started to move from her seat. Just as she went to step down from the truck, Rarity grimaced as she felt her stitches getting pulled slightly with her movements. She yanked her hand back, wrapping her arms around her abdomen as a wave of pain shot through her. The stitches were still new, and that meant the skin was sensitive to any tugging or tearing on them. So, the movement left her feeling like someone was trying to rip the flesh off her abdomen.

Applejack, concerned for Rarity, kneeled in front of her and said, “Are you okay, Rare? Did your stitches get pulled?”

“Y-yes, they did,” replied Rarity, struggling to speak through the pain.

“I can wait if you need to. I wouldn’t want your stitches to come apart,” said the cowgirl, resting her hand on Rarity’s knee.

Rarity smiled. She appreciated that Applejack cared for her so much. It showed that she had a softer side to her, something which she didn’t show often. Yet, that only made the gesture all the sweeter. Although Applejack probably saw it as a gesture of courtesy rather than one of a worried lover. She took a few deep breaths as the pain in her abdomen eased up and allowed her to uncurl herself. Carefully, Rarity reached out and rested a hand on Applejack’s sturdy shoulder.

“It’s fine, but you may have to help lower me,” said Rarity as she wrapped her arm around Applejack’s neck.

Taking her cue, Applejack slid her arms underneath Rarity’s legs. She then slipped her other arm around Rarity’s waist as the fashionista wrapped both of her arms around her neck. Slowly, she lifted her off the seat and stepped back from her truck. She was grateful that working on her family’s farm had built up her strength, otherwise carrying her girlfriend was going to be a challenge. Of course, it also helped that she had a magical geode, which provided her with some extra strength. Once she had a few feet between her and the truck, Applejack lowered Rarity down onto her feet. She walked over to the still open passenger door and closed it before joining her by the bed of her truck.

“You okay now, Rare?” asked Applejack, slipping the other backpack strap over her shoulder.

“Yes, I’m fine, AJ. Please, don’t worry so much about me. I don’t want you to ruin your beautiful face with worry lines.” Rarity gave Applejack a quick kiss. “Not that it would make you any less beautiful, of course.”

That made the cowgirl blush as Rarity pulled away from the kiss. As Lyra and Bon Bon walked past them, she looked away. Her body tensed up as she heard them whisper between themselves. It was one thing for the whole school to see and know that Applejack and Rarity were dating. However, it was another thing for her to realize that she was dating the most beautiful girl at CHS. Applejack was still trying to adjust to the fact that Rarity had chosen to date her. Not to mention that she shared her feelings about her. It was a dream come true for the cowgirl. One that she hoped would never end because she was enjoying it. Once Lyra and Bon Bon were out of view, she relaxed and smiled back at Rarity.

“Well, I’ll try, but no promises.” Applejack grabbed Rarity’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “How ‘bout we go find our friends right now?”

“Sounds good to me,” replied Rarity, leaning her head against Applejack as they walked towards the school’s entrance.

*** *** *** ***

Back at Twilight’s house, Twilight Sparkle was beginning to stir from her slumber. The sound of an irritating buzzing pulled her further from her sleepy state. Her alarm was going off at its usual 6:00 am time. Shifting onto her side, she reached out a hand and lazily dropped it onto the snooze button. For once, she didn’t want to wake up from her sleep. Twilight’s body felt too relaxed and calm for her to think or consider moving out of her bed right now. Yet, the morning light coming in from her window told her she would eventually have to wake up. As she laid there, tucked tightly into her covers, she yawned and stretched out her arms.

In the corner of her bedroom sat a small purple dog bed. That belonged to Spike, and he was currently stretching out on it. The sound of the alarm clock not only woke up Twilight but also woke him up as well. He had been awake with Twilight last night and trying to calm her down. Yet, he felt terrible for Sunset as he had seen her crying before she left. Spike wondered what had happened while he was gone. Twilight hadn’t said anything despite his attempts to get her to tell him. After a few minutes of stretching, he stood up.

“Stupid alarm,” thought Spike, yawning in the process. “Ruining another good dream. Guess chasing those squirrels can wait.”

Spike looked over at Twilight’s bed and saw that she had hidden under the covers. That was odd for her, especially since she loved to stick her schedule. Puzzled by that, he walked over and jumped onto it.

“Twilight? What’s wrong?” asked Spike, shaking Twilight’s shoulder with one of his front paws.

That made Twilight Sparkle groan and pull the covers over herself even more. She didn’t want to get out of her cozy bed and face the day ahead of her. And the idea of having to go to school and see Sunset Shimmer was too much for her. After what occurred last night and nearly staying awake for almost too long crying, she didn’t have the energy to go anywhere. Even more so if that said place was somewhere where she’d likely encounter the redhead. Twilight sighed and turned over onto her back, pulling the blanket down from her shoulders.

“Twilight?” Spike walked over to the side of the bed and licked Twilight’s face. “What’s bothering you?”

Twilight Sparkle reluctantly opened her eyes. She looked over at her window and saw that the sun had risen a bit more, changing the light from a dull blue to a more orange color. That was enough to tell her that it was a little after six. Her body ached and was still stiff from her not moving much since she fell asleep. However, she was awake and alert now, so there was no chance of getting back to her dream. She took a deep breath and sat up against her headboard. Turning to look at Spike, Twilight gave him a scratch behind the ear.

“I’m fine, Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to hide the fact that she wasn’t okay. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone or any dog for that matter. “Really, I am.”

Spike raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. “Really, Twilight? I know you well enough to know that you,” he moved to sit next to her, “aren’t as okay as you say.”

Twilight sighed. She knew that Spike of people - or animals - would see right through her excuse. Even when she was a little girl, it had always been that way. Twilight could never hide how she felt from him, not even when Twilight tried her hardest to do so. And that was something that she liked about him, especially when she was at her old school, CPA. He was a good companion for Twilight while she tried to pursue her academic studies. Spike came to be hers when he was just a little pup that was squirming around in the pound. To this day, Twilight could still remember that happy day when she went to the pound and chose him.

*Flashback*

A red minivan pulled into a parking lot of a rundown building with a few cracks running down the exterior wall. In the van, sat a five-year-old Twilight Sparkle eagerly bouncing in her car seat. Once the vehicle had gotten parked, and she got freed from the car seatbelts, she jumped down from the seat. Grabbing her mother’s hand in a vice-like grip, she squealed with joy. A young Twilight was practically dragging her mother in an attempt to run towards Canterlot City’s Pound. It was apparent to any passerby that she was excited. Today was the day she would get to choose her puppy, which she had gotten promised for her birthday. And she was growing more impatient by the minute, no longer willing to wait.

“Come on, mommy!! I wanna choose my puppy!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, tugging even harder on her mother’s arm.

“Slow down, sweetie!” shouted Mrs. Velvet as she tried to keep from falling.

Night Light walked behind his wife, smiling at the scene in front of him. He loved his daughter dearly. After all, she was his ray of sunshine. And she was surprisingly smart, similar to her brother, who was planning to leave for school in a few days. Her brother had gotten accepted into a private school of his choice and was going to move out. That made Mr. Light wonder how Twilight was going to cope with that. It was evident that she loved her brother; they would spend every minute that they had hanging out and laughing. And it brought him a lot of happiness to see his children getting along so well and growing close. Somehow, he hoped that Twilight would be able to get through it.

“Slow down for your mom, honey,” said Mr. Light, pushing any thought of Shining Armor leaving aside.

Twilight Sparkle reluctantly slowed down her pace, no longer pulling on her mother’s arm. Eventually, they arrived at the front door and walked inside. The smell of dog kibble and cleaning supplies wafted towards them. Several dogs were barking, almost as if they were greeting them. There were a couple of cats meowing, but they could barely get heard over the louder yipping of some of the dogs. All of this excited the already energetic Twilight. Still gripping her mother’s hand, Twilight tried to run towards the dog kennels. However, she got stopped short when her mother didn’t move.

“Mommy, why aren’t you moving? I wanna see the puppies!” said Twilight Sparkle, her bottom lip quivering.

“We’ll get to the puppies soon, sweetie. We just have to make sure it’s properly trained first,” said Mrs. Velvet, wiping a lone tear off her daughter’s cheek. “Your father and I don’t want it to ruin the house.”

“Oh, okay,” said Twilight Sparkle, sounding a little dejected as she patiently stood by her mother’s side.

After a few minutes of asking questions and searching through logbooks and computer databases, the lady at the counter came back with a manila folder. On the front of the envelope was a picture of a puppy whose fur was a light purple, almost lavender in color, with green ears and tail. Its eyes were a beautiful, iridescent emerald color, and they made the dog look even cuter. And in its mouth was a small, red plastic chew toy shaped like a bone. When Twilight Sparkle saw the picture, she squealed out of excitement and jumped up and down.

“That one! That one! That one! I want that one, mommy!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, pointing at the picture.

Mrs. Velvet laid the folder down on the counter and opened it. “Hmm, a year old. Good. Is the dog potty trained?” Mrs. Velvet looked up from the folder.

“Yes, we trained the dog before it had reached a year old,” said the lady at the counter. “We also neutered him as well.”

“Great.” Mrs. Velvet turned to her daughter and knelt on one knee. “Do you want to see the puppy now, sweetie?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” screamed Twilight Sparkle, jumping up and down excitedly.

With that, Mrs. Velvet took her daughter’s hand and followed the lady to a closed-off area behind the counter. There was a single hallway, barely lit by a dim, yellow light that hung from the ceiling. On either side of them, there were two rows of cages lining the length of the hallway. A few were empty except for ten of the pens. Half of them held cats, ranging from old cats to young, barely alive kittens. The other five had dogs of varying older ages. The last one at the very end of the hallway contained the puppy with no name. As they got closer, he backed further into the cage. Twilight’s eager and ear-piercing screams of joy weren’t helping either.

“Honey, I think you should calm down. You’re scaring the puppy,” said Mr. Light, kneeling next to his daughter.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the puppy, still crouching in the corner. “I’m sorry little puppy.”

“Would you like to see him?” asked the lady who had escorted them.

“Yes, please,” said Twilight Sparkle, keeping her voice low and calm so as not to scare the puppy further.

The lady smiled and grabbed a key from her pocket. Walking over to the cage, she bent down and unlocked the door. As it swung open, the puppy, which still cowered in the corner, looked away from her. It was as if the small creature was scared of people or of being rejected. It had spent months at the pound getting overlooked for other, better dogs. No matter how much it had wagged its tail and yipped happily, no one ever seemed to pay attention to it. That is until today when Twilight Sparkle chose it as her companion.

“Come out, little one. No need to be afraid,” said the lady, holding out her hand.

The puppy only stared at the outstretched hand, eyes wide with fear and hesitation.

“May I try?” asked Twilight Sparkle, walking over to where the lady was standing. “I think he’ll come out for me.”

“Be my guest,” replied the lady, stepping back and allowing twilight Sparkle to have full access to the cage.

Twilight Sparkle sat down on the floor in front of the cage. She looked at the dog, keeping her hands to herself. She didn’t want to make any sudden movements and risk frightening it any more than it already was. As she scooted closer, she could see that its small body was trembling a little. That made Twilight look away from it and sigh. Maybe getting the dog to come out was harder than she thought. However, if there was one thing she didn’t like, it was sad animals. So, picking her head up, she resolved to try and coax it out of the cage.

“Hey, little puppy. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight slowly outstretched her hand towards the puppy. “Want to come and say hi?”

The puppy glanced at Twilight Sparkle’s hand before meeting her eyes. As soon as he looked at her eyes, he saw something. Something that was different about her, something that made him want to meet her: instead of the usual pitied look that he got, he saw a glimpse of… genuine love in her purple eyes. No one had given him that kind of love, not since he was abruptly abandoned here at the pound. Slowly, the puppy moved one paw towards the girl. When she didn’t flinch away from him, he cautiously moved another paw. Still, she didn’t move or leave. That made him take a few steps closer to her. After a few minutes, he was sitting about a foot away from where Twilight was seated.

“May I pet you?” asked Twilight Sparkle, making sure not to move her hand.

The little puppy nodded, stepping closer to Twilight in the process. He braced himself for the feeling of being pet, instead of getting kicked or slapped harshly. The previous owners always hit him whenever he had done something too annoying or too destructive in their house. Eventually, they dropped him off here and left without so much as a goodbye. When he felt a hand rest lightly on the back of his head, he couldn’t help but shiver a little at the touch. As the puppy felt Twilight rub her hand against his fur, he began to relax ever so slightly. It was nice to have a gentle hand touching him rather than getting beaten to death. The memories tried to resurface, but he pushed them aside, not wanting to ruin the moment.

“Aww, you’re so soft and cute,” said Twilight Sparkle, gently petting the puppy. “Wanna meet my mommy and daddy?”

Nodding, the puppy allowed himself to get pulled out of the cage. As he was seated in Twilight’s lap, he adjusted himself so that his back legs rested nicely against her thighs. It felt so good to be in a loving embrace of a young child. And it was almost enough to make him forget where he had once been. He looked up and saw two tall figures standing in front of him. He assumed that they were Twilight’s parents. When the mother bent down, the puppy pushed himself against Twilight, frightened by the sudden movement of another person coming near him.

“It’s okay. Mommy just wants to meet you,” Twilight Sparkle said, rubbing the puppy’s head gently.

Mrs. Velvet reached out a hand and slowly scratched the back of the puppy’s ear. It took her by surprise that the puppy’s fur, although rough looking, was actually soft and silky despite the appearance. Feeling the small creature trembling beneath her hand, she pulled her hand away. Mrs. Velvet didn’t want to stress it out too much. Stepping back, she joined her husband.

“Well, he certainly is sweet. And a very good boy,” said Mr. Light, holding his wife’s one hand.

The lady smiled and said, “Yes, he is a good boy. But sadly, today is his last day here if no one adopts him. The shelter can’t afford to keep him anymore.”

Twilight Sparkle nudged the puppy off her lap. She didn’t want him or herself to get injured. After a few reluctant minutes, he got off and walked back into his cage. Once he was sitting near the entrance of it, she jumped to her feet.

“What do you mean it’s his last day?!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, unknowingly making the puppy shrink back from her.

The lady knelt in front of Twilight Sparkle and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I mean, we are going to have to put him to sleep by the end of the day.”

Tears welled up on the outer corners of Twilight Sparkle’s eyes as her bottom lip began to quiver. She was smart enough to know what the lady meant by that. Her intellect was a bit higher than an average five-year-old’s, which benefited her in many ways. And her growing curiosity made her want to know about everything around her and in the world. However, today it didn’t do that. Instead, it made Twilight realize the stark reality that the beloved puppy was going to face.

Waking over to her mother, she said, “Mommy, can we please get this puppy?”

Mrs. Velvet looked at her husband. “Well, what do you think, hon?”

“I think… we’ll take the puppy,” replied Mr. Light, giving his daughter a wide smile.

That made Twilight Sparkle jump up and down several times as she was beyond excited. Still jittery, she watched as the lady grabbed the puppy, carrying him in her arms. With her parents behind her, she followed the lady to a room where there were rows upon rows of collars hanging from shelves. It seemed that every color of the rainbow and in between was there. It was like she had stepped into a colorful wonderland of collars. The rows looked like they went on endlessly. As Twilight stood in awe at the sight in front of her, the lady went down one of the aisles and grabbed three collars. When she came back, she laid them down on the counter.

“Okay, which collar would you like?” asked the lady, bending down on one knee in front of Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle looked over the three options. One of the collars was a bright baby blue with many metallic silver paw prints all around it. The second one was a fiery fuchsia with tiny phoenixes all over it instead of paw prints. But the last one was very different from the others. It was a very dark purple, dark enough to look black in the right lighting. There were small metal spikes that were barely sharp. And the spikes ran the length of the collar, giving it an edgy vibe. Seeing that one, Twilight smiled.

“This one,” said Twilight Sparkle, pointing to the purple collar on the end.

“Okay. The spiked collar it is.” the lady grabbed the collar and walked behind the counter. Turning her back to Twilight, she grabbed a bone-shaped pendant that was gold on the edges and red in the middle.

Laying the pendant on a laser etching device, she turned to Twilight Sparkle. “Okay, what shall your new puppy’s name be?”

Twilight looked around at the pound. She saw various flyers with pictures of other dogs posted near the entrance. Nothing about the photos did anything to spur any name ideas. Moving her attention to the rows upon rows of collars, she looked at each collar separately. They all varied in different ways, making her head spin staring at them. With so many combinations, it seemed plausible to come up with a name for her new puppy. But surprisingly, it seemed to overwhelm Twilight instead of helping her. Deciding to give up on her search, she turned back to the collar she chose. As she saw the spikes, that’s when an idea came to her.

“I will name him… Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle, her eyes lighting up as if a light bulb came on.

“Are you sure that’s the one you want to go with?” asked the lady as she slid the pendant underneath the laser etcher.

“Yes, it is,” said Twilight Sparkle, giving Spike a wide smile. “Do you like your new name, Spike?”

Spike nodded and let out a small bark. For the first time in ages, he wagged his tail. His new owner also seemed to have the same amount of happiness. Before he could realize it, he was in a hug – and a very tight one at that. He was struggling to breathe under the grip-like vice he was in. Luckily, before he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Twilight let go of him and allowed him to breathe again.

“Okay, here’s the pendant and collar,” said the lady as he placed the pendant onto the collar. It made a light jingling sound as she moved the collar.

Mrs. Velvet grabbed the collar and handed it to Twilight Sparkle. “Go ahead and put it on him, sweetie.”

Obliging, Twilight Sparkle slipped the collar around Spike’s neck. Once she had it around him, her father helped her fasten the collar. Standing back, she looked at the collar on Spike. The dark purple contrasted well with his lavender colored fur. The spikes on it made him look unique as well. Twilight beamed, delighted with her choice. Her happy mood got furthered when she saw the excited tail wag she got from Spike.

“Mom. Dad. Why don’t you two follow me to the counter to sign a few papers?” asked the lady, handing Twilight Sparkle a leash to put onto Spike’s collar.

Mrs. Velvet and her husband walked with the lady back to the front counter, where the file on Spike was still sitting. Twilight Sparkle followed suit, with Spike on his leash. As her parents stood at the counter, signing off on the adoption papers, she looked down at Spike. She couldn’t believe that she had a puppy of her own. After two years of persistent asking, she finally got her birthday wish. And now here he was, wagging his green, fluffy tail behind him. Squealing, she bent down and kissed him on the nose.

“I love you, Spike,” whispered Twilight Sparkle, her violet eyes meeting his green ones.

Spike jumped onto Twilight, licking her cheek a few times and coating it in slobber. As he watched her wipe her cheek dry, he saw that she was grinning from ear to ear. It was apparent that she was going to love him and that Spike was no longer going to spend another day at the horrible pound. In his excitement, he jumped up and accidentally knocked Twilight over, landing in her lap. Spike turned his head as he heard footsteps approaching them.

“Well, Spike’s yours now, sweetie. Are you ready to go home?” asked Mrs. Velvet, holding the adoption documents in her one hand.

Twilight Sparkle nodded and let Spike get down from her lap. With one hand holding her mother’s and the other holding Spike’s leash, she walked out of the pound. Unbeknownst to her, Spike stole one last glance at the place where he had spent most of his life. With a content sigh, he looked at Twilight. For the first time, he was sure he had found his forever home.

To Twilight Sparkle, the car ride home seemed much shorter than the one to the pound. She spent most of the time petting Spike and looking out the window at the passing cars. She was as happy as a five-year-old could get, smiling widely as she watched the vehicle turn onto her street. But as her house came into view, the happiness faded. Standing outside on the porch was her brother, Shining Armor. In his arms was the last box of his stuff. He had applied to go to Crystal Prep, a very prestigious school. However, with it being a private school, it meant that he would have to leave his family. Something that Twilight had unfortunately become acutely aware of over the last few months.

“Mommy, why is Shining Armor leaving now?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her voice on the verge of breaking.

Mrs. Velvet sighed. Turning to face her daughter, she broke the news. “Honey, he was planning on leaving in a few days. I guess he had to leave now instead.”

That only made Twilight’s lip quiver more. As her father parked the car and took the keys out of the ignition, she unbuckled herself and opened her door. Not waiting for her parents, she ran over to Shining Armor. As she threw herself onto him, she hugged him tightly.

“Please… don’t go, big brother!” sobbed Twilight Sparkle, crying against her brother as he set down the box and hugged her back.

Shining Armor looked at his parents. They both gave him an apologetic look. Looking down at his sister, who was now gripping his shirt tightly, he sighed. He could feel her body rocking slightly from her sobbing. It broke his heart to leave his home and to leave behind his sweet, little sister. But he needed to, despite how much it hurt to do it. Crystal Prep was one of the best schools in Canterlot City. And through it, he could pursue his career as a Canterlot City police officer. He hoped that he could be Chief of Police one day, just like his father had been.

“Twily…” Shining Armor pulled himself away from his sister’s tight hug. “Look at me.”

Twilight Sparkle, sniffling, looked up at her brother. “What, big brother?”

“I am leaving today. I have to.” Shining Armor watched as his sister started to cry more. He rested a hand on her chin, pulling her eyes to meet his. “But I’ll never be more than a phone call away, okay?”

“Really?” asked Twilight Sparkle, rubbing her nose on the sleeve of her shirt.

“Yes, Twily,” Shining Armor said, resting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Here’s my number.” He handed her a piece of paper with a series of numbers written hastily on it. “Call me whenever you need your big bro, alright?”

“Okay. Thanks, big brother,” said Twilight Sparkle, sniffling as she wiped a few tears off her face.

Shining Armor watched as his sister ran into the house. He walked over to their parents, unaware that Twilight had hidden behind the doorway and was still watching them.

“Will Twilight be okay?” asked Shining Armor. “I hate leaving on such short notice.”

Mrs. Velvet looked at her son, smiling at him. “I’m sure your sister will be fine. She is just as resilient and smart as you are.”

Shining Armor gave his mom a quick hug, saying, “I hope so. I can see her getting into Crystal Prep as well.”

Night Light grabbed his son’s arm, pulling him into a hug. As he felt his son hug back, he felt a few solitary tears run down the side of his cheek. He was as proud as a father could be of his son. After seeing Shining Armor growing up from a toddler to the grown man he was becoming now, Night Light was happy. And to see his beautiful daughter and son getting along made him the proudest father. He wanted a happy family with the girl of his dreams, and he got that wish. Finally, after a few minutes, he pulled away and looked at his son, meeting his gaze.

“I’m very proud of you. I knew that those late nights would pay off,” said Mr. Light.

“Yep, dad. All those late nights did pay off. Now, I have many more ahead of me,” joked Shining Armor.

“I’m sure they’ll be worth it as well, son,” Mr. Light said as he chuckled.

“Well, I should probably get going now. And Twilight should get to enjoy her new companion. Hopefully, that’ll fill the void a little,” said Shining Armor as Spike ran up to him.

Giving the puppy a few scratches behind the ear, Shining Armor gave Twilight Sparkle a wink. He grabbed the box of his stuff and walked over to his van. Stepping inside, he closed the door, watching Spike and his parents head towards the house. He buckled up before putting his keys into the ignition. The van sputtered to life with a loud roar of the engine. Shining Armor looked up to see Twilight standing next to their parents. With a final wave goodbye, he backed out of the driveway.

As Twilight Sparkle saw her brother’s van disappear from view, the tears she was previously holding back, started to fall. Still crying, she ran up the stairs; her destination was her safe bedroom. She opened the door and saw the vacant side of her room. The only thing that sat on the other side was what used to be her brother’s bed. But now stripped of the sheets, quilts, and pillows, it looked sad. Even his desk was as barren as his bed. All the posters he had now left blank walls behind. The side of her room, which she had shared with her brother, was now bare and cold. Sitting on her bed, Twilight sobbed quietly. It hurt to see that she would spend the rest of her school life without her big brother to show her the way. He was barely gone 15-20 minutes, yet, she knew that it would be much longer before she ever saw him again.

Spike, having followed Twilight Sparkle to her room, sat in the doorway. He let out a small whimper, tilting his head to the side. He was concerned for his new owner. Why was she crying? And what should he do? Should he walk over to her? Or just stay where he was? He wasn’t sure of the answer. But letting out another whimper, he saw her lift her head and look at him.

“Come here, Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle, sounding like she had a stuffy nose as she spoke.

Obeying, Spike walked over to Twilight and jumped up on her bed. Still seeing tears falling off Twilight’s cheek, he licked her one cheek. He could taste the salty tears on his tongue. But it didn’t matter to him at the moment. Spike licked her cheek again, seeing that it made Twilight smile a little. Licking her cheek a third time, he heard her laugh, even if it was weak. Wagging his tail, he was happy that he had succeeded in cheering up his new owner.

“Th-Thanks, Spike. I’m so glad I have you,” whispered Twilight Sparkle, hugging her new puppy.

*End of Flashback*

“Uh, Twilight?” asked Spike, waving a paw in front of her face. “Earth to Twilight!”

Twilight Sparkle blinked, seeing a purple fur-covered paw waving in front of her. Realizing that she had accidentally zoned out, she turned to Spike. “Uh, sorry. You were saying?”

“Gee, Twilight. You really must not be okay. I was just saying that I know well enough to know that you’re not okay,” replied Spike, scratching an itch underneath his collar.

“Oh, uh, right.” Twilight Sparkle shifted in her bed, leaning forward. “Well, I am fine.”

“Seriously, Twi? I can see that you’re not fine, despite what you say.” Spike moved closer to Twilight, sitting underneath one of her wings. “Come on, what’s wrong? And what happened with Sunset?”

“Um, we got into an argument, and Sunset… injured me.” The words came out in a small whisper. The attack was still fresh to Twilight Sparkle, and the bandage on her arm served as a reminder of it.

“Wait. You got injured by Sunset?” asked Spike, raising an eyebrow. It was shocking to hear that Sunset Shimmer, someone who he knew cared about Twilight, would injure her. That seemed very unlike her.

Twilight Sparkle, in her annoyance at Spike’s disbelief, pulled her injured arm out from the covers. Rolling up her sleeve, she revealed the bandage covering the five lacerations caused by the redhead. It started to become soaked with her blood, making her realize that she’d have to change it. Twilight figured the blood came from her moving around in her sleep and opening the wounds a little.

“Yes, I did! She grabbed my arm and left me with this!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, pointing to the bloodied bandage.

Spike shrunk away from Twilight, eyeing the bandage on her arm. Seeing the blood on the front of it was enough to make him gag. Yet, the smell of it was another thing. His stomach gurgled at the scent of the metallic liquid as he tried to avoid inhaling more of it. It was evident that the blood was recent, which only made his nausea worse. Turning away, Spike covered his muzzle, trying to keep himself from gagging. Unfortunately, Twilight noticed his change in demeanor.

Hiding her arm beneath the blanket again, Twilight Sparkle said, “Sorry, Spike. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

Spike, finally able to keep his stomach contents under control, turned to look at Twilight. He was glad that she had put her injured arm back under the blanket. The smell of blood was making him start to lose his appetite. And he wanted to eat breakfast rather than miss out on it, especially since today her parents were making waffles. That was his favorite breakfast food, and he hoped that Twilight would share some with him. But for now, Spike pushed his thoughts on food aside.

“I-It’s okay, Twi. I am sorry that you got injured. Do you think it was Sunset’s doing?” asked Spike, curling up against Twilight Sparkle, enjoying the warmth of her wings around him.

“I-I don’t know. Sunset grabbed my arm, but I was the one who pulled away from her. I don’t think she meant for it to happen. Yet, that doesn’t change what happened between us,” replied Twilight Sparkle, burrowing her eyebrows and staring at her blanket as she recalled the event.

Spike, still enjoying the warmth and comfort of Twilight’s wing, yawned. It was nice to be close to her and didn’t mind her feathery appendages. If anything, he was glad they had stuck around for a while. Their warmth and softness made Spike feel like he was lying on a cloud. His lack of sleep was beginning to catch up to him. And sitting in the warmth was making him even sleepier. Once he finished yawning, he looked up at Twilight.

“What exactly happened when Sunset attacked you?” asked Spike.

Instinctively, Twilight Sparkle gripped her arm under the blanket. As she touched her skin, she felt the heat that was radiating off of it. It didn’t shock her as that part of her arm was also sensitive to anything brushing against it. Even the lightest of touches made her feel like pins and needles were getting poked into her. Unable to stand the pinprick feeling any longer, she let her hand fall away. Letting her move over her arm, Twilight felt the cuts move as well, causing her to inhale shapely as she felt her pain increase. She hadn’t realized how close her hand had gotten to the cuts. Once it was safely off her arm, she sighed.

“Sunset had claws, very sharp claws. And when I tried to leave my room, she grabbed my arm tightly. That caused them… to dig into it. When I asked her to let go of me, she didn’t respond. So… I yanked my arm back and her claws, they… sliced through my skin,” said Twilight Sparkle, her voice quivering as she replayed the events in her head. A shiver ran through her body as the pain came back.

As Spike heard Twilight speak, he was unable to move. The pain in her voice made it evident that she had gotten badly hurt, emotionally, and physically. And the images that played in his mind as he tried to imagine the scene paralyzed him. Spike couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It shocked him that Sunset Shimmer would hurt Twilight at all, even if he had seen proof of it. However, he remembered that Sunset was crying as she was on her way out, so she obviously felt some remorse for the accidental attack. Yet, that did little to nothing to change the shock factor.

“By any chance, did Sunset have red skin, bat-like wings, and black sclera as well as her claws?” asked Spike.

Twilight Sparkle at Spike, her eyes wide with shock. “Y-yeah! How did you-”

“Know? I overheard the girls talking about Sunset’s past transformation when you were getting ready to leave the library a few months ago. I believe they called her demon form… Demon Shimmer,” replied Spike, answering Twilight‘s question.

“Wait. What? Did you know this whole fucking time? And you didn't bother to tell me about it?!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. She felt a tingling sensation at the base of her wings. As the feeling built up, she felt them open in response to her anger, knocking off one of her pillows.

Spike gulped. He never saw Twilight get this angry before, least of all at him. She was usually mild-mannered, but today was she different. Today, she seemed more aggressive than usual. Yet, he could see that it was for a good reason. He had lied to her, and to top that off, Twilight had gotten lied to and injured by Sunset. That made Spike lower his head while he continued to meet Twilight’s gaze. Watching her eyes go from wide to pinpoint small made his body tense up as he tried to keep from baking away. As Spike looked at Twilight, he saw the edges of her glasses turn into bright blue as they slowly spread, illuminating her eyes.

“Twi-Twilight?” said Spike “Your glasses are, um, disappearing.”

That made Twilight Sparkle blink, momentarily snapping her out of her anger. She jumped out of her bed, tossing the covers aside as she ran towards her mirror. Seeing her glasses, she saw the blue flames that were slowly enveloping the frames of her glasses. As she reached a hand up to touch the flames, she felt the frames become solid again. However, Twilight couldn’t forget what she saw in the reflection. Just as Spike had said, they were blue flames. The same blue flames she had as Midnight Sparkle.

“Why did that happen? Was it because I was… angry?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she stared at her reflection.

“That was weird,” Spike said as he jumped down from Twilight’s bed and joined her by the mirror.

Looking at Spike, Twilight Sparkle said, “Yeah, it was. I hope it doesn’t happen again. Now, back to you knowing about Demon Shimmer. Is that really what the girls called Sunset’s demon form?”

“Yep,” replied Spike.

“Why did you keep that from me, Spike? Don’t you think I deserved to know about Sunset becoming a she-demon considering what happened at the Friendship Games?” asked Twilight Sparkle, gesturing to her appearance.

“Yeah, I do. But, I promised that I would keep it a secret. The girls told me that Sunset wanted to wait until the right time to tell you,” said Spike.

“Why did Sunset want to keep it from me?” Twilight’s voice trembled a little as she asked the question.

“The girls said something about Sunset fearing that you would see her differently and that she’d lose you because of her past,” Spike said, laying down.

“Sunset was scared of losing me and that I would see her differently? Is that why she was so insistent on me telling her how I saw her now that I have seen Demon Shimmer? Does Sunset really feel that I would walk if I knew the truth?” thought Twilight Sparkle, looking down at the floor, staring at the various scratches that covered it. “Is that what she thought of me?”

“Well, you did that. You basically walked away when you said you couldn’t be Sunset’s friend anymore. You also judged her and let her appearance as well as her past change your view of her. And that is exactly what Sunset didn’t want to happen,” said Twilight’s inner voice.

“I have my reasons for how I acted. Sunset betrayed my trust when she chose to lie to me for a whole year,” thought Twilight Sparkle.

“So, you decided to break Sunset’s heart and prove that she was right to be scared? Do you understand that she was scared of losing you because you might see her differently if you knew how she used to be?” asked Twilight’s conscience.

“I-I see your point. However, I can’t forgive Sunset, let alone look at her right now. So, just shut up about what I did wrong,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she looked away from the floor.

There was no response from Twilight’s conscience.

“Really? That’s what the girls said about why Sunset lied to me?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she walked over to her dresser, opening the top drawer as she spoke.

“Uh-huh. That was before Sunset walked up and explained everything about how she transformed into Demon Shimmer,” replied Spike, lifting one of his back legs to scratch an inch that was forming behind his ear. “She seemed to be scared that you’d never see her as the same girl. She also worried that you’d hate for what she did and for keeping it from you.”

“Hate her?! I became the same thing and tried to destroy this world on a wild quest for knowledge. Why did Sunset think that I would hate her when I am not better?” Twilight Sparkle asked, her voice sounding muffled as she bent down and grabbed a new blouse from the drawer.

Pulling off her nightshirt, which now had holes where her wings had ripped though, she tossed it aside. As she slipped her head through the top of the blouse, she felt her arm start to sting. That caused her to stop moving, lowering her injured arm. It felt like the lacerations were getting pulled open along the bandage’s movement. And it was making her want to scream from the sheer amount of pain traveling up her forearm. As Twilight stared at the bandage, she saw that it was becoming soaked in more blood.

“Great. Now I’ll have to change the bandage,” muttered Twilight Sparkle, reluctantly pulling her arm through the blouse’s sleeve.

“I don’t know. The girls wouldn’t say. All they would tell me is that Sunset was ashamed of what she had done in the past. And that she was disturbed enough by it that it was a sensitive subject for her,” replied Spike, making his way back to his bed and laying down.

“Well, then I guess I will have to ask the girls myself then,” said Twilight Sparkle, pulling her shirt all the way down, letting the fabric hug her figure.

“Guess so…” mumbled Spike as he dozed off back to sleep.

Twilight Sparkle turned around and smiled. Despite her anger at Spike for keeping the fact he knew about Sunset’s past a secret, she couldn’t resist forgiving him when he looked so peaceful. When she turned back to her drawer, she saw that the time was 6:23 am. As soon as she saw the time, she quickly pulled off the rest of her pajamas and grabbed a skirt from the second drawer below the one she had opened earlier. Twilight slipped on her skirt and felt her tail twitch in response to her touch. When it twitched, she recalled the same thing happening when Sunset was talking about how unsettling her appearance was to look at. The image of the yellow and red tail flicking in response to Sunset’s hatred and disgust at her appearance replayed in her head. It made her freeze, her hand touching the base of her tail.

“Why Sunset? Why couldn’t you have told me the truth to begin with?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she let her hand fall away from her tail. “Why must you hurt me like this, leaving me wondering if you ever cared about me…”

Just then, a knocking sound on her door pulled Twilight away from her thoughts. She looked at the door just as it opened a crack. Behind it, was her father giving her a look of worry.

“Hey honey, are you okay? You didn’t come down for breakfast, so your mom sent me up here,” said Mr. Light as he opened the door a little more and stepped inside his daughter’s room. “Plus… I was worried about my special girl,” added Mr. Light, giving his daughter a small smile.

Twilight Sparkle pulled her wings close to her body, hiding her face from her father. It was amazing that he was the one who had come to check on her. As of late, she had gotten used to him avoiding her room entirely. Yet, today, he decided to come in, and that made her smile. It was sweet to see him finally acknowledging her the way he used to, instead of acting like she was a different person. Twilight understood why her father had avoided being around her for a while. After all, she knew that it was not easy for him to look at her when she had the appearance of a she-demon. Still, she appreciated the fact that he was willing to come in and check on her, despite that change. And Twilight had to admit; it was nice to see him smile again.

“I’m fine, dad,” said Twilight Sparkle, her one hand covering the blood on her bandage.

Mr. Light walked over to his daughter. As he got closer, he saw that she had a bandage on her arm. That made his heart race faster, and a thousand questions flooded his mind. Why was she hurt? Who had hurt her? Why didn’t she come to him or her mother? Did she feel that she needed to hide it from them? Or… was it because he had… failed as a father? As the questions swarmed in his head, they started to become too much. Shaking his head, Mr. Light cleared the swarm of questions. Right now, his daughter was more important. And he could see that she wasn’t okay, not in the least.

“Hon… I can see that you’re not fine. Please, talk to me,” said Mr. Light, hesitantly resting a hand on one of his daughter’s wings.

Twilight turned to look up at her father. As tempting as the desire to pull away from his touch was, she ignored it. Instead, she let him rest his hand on her wing. A part of her was happy just to enjoy the moment, not to speak and stay there with her father. She didn’t want to risk scaring him. Not when it had been almost a week since she was able to have this kind of moment with him. And with all that had happened in the recent week, she needed his support more than ever. But Twilight knew that her father wasn’t going to let her enjoy it. At least, not until she talked to him. Her father was irritably stubborn that way, something she got from him.

“Dad, when Sunset came over last night, she injured me,” replied Twilight Sparkle, letting her hand fall away and revealing the dark red bloodstains on the gauze.

Turning around, Twilight faced her father and lowered her wings. She pulled them against her back, making sure that they didn’t obscure the bandage. Allowing her father to see the bandage on her arm was terrifying. And it made her worry about how he was going to react to seeing it. She knew that he was protective of her, but she didn’t want him to do anything drastic. Twilight knew that it was likely her fault for the injury happening in the first place. Although she wasn’t willing to acknowledge that fact, especially when she was still pissed at Sunset Shimmer.

“Wait. What?! She injured you?” As Mr. Light watched his daughter lower her wings, pulling them away and turning to face him, his jaw dropped as he saw the sight of dark red bloodstains. “Oh my…”

Twilight Sparkle gulped. It was getting uncomfortable standing there and having her father stare at the bandage. However, she understood his shock and disbelief. She was still trying to wrap her head around what occurred last night as well. The feeling of having Sunset’s claws raking through her skin as she pulled away took her by surprise. She couldn’t figure out whether it was because she didn’t think her claws would be able to do that or if she hadn’t expected to get injured. Yet, Twilight was aware that she had yanked her arm away. And despite what she wanted to believe, it was apparent that Sunset never wanted to harm her, even though that happened anyway.

“D-Dad? Are you okay?” asked Twilight Sparkle when her father hadn’t said anything for the last five minutes.

Mr. Light blinked and shook his head, snapping himself out of his initial shock. He gently grabbed his daughter’s arm, examining the bandage. It was clear that it needed to be changed soon. There were large amounts of dried blood all over, forming five lines linear to the lacerations. But on top of it was fresh blood, telling him that the wounds must’ve recently opened. Cautiously, Mr. Light stepped a little closer to Twilight.

“Yes, I am fine. Would you mind if I took a look, Twilight? Just to make sure that your wounds aren’t infected.” Mr. Light looked up at his daughter, hoping that she would allow him to make sure she was okay.

“Go ahead, dad,” said Twilight Sparkle, grateful that she wouldn’t have to remove her bandages on her own.

Mr. Light let go of his daughter’s arm and walked over to her bathroom. He pulled out the first aid kit, which had sat on the shelves next to her towels, the same as the one in the guest bathroom. It was because of his insistence that she kept one just in case of emergencies like this one. Once he had it, he walked back out of the bathroom and sat down on her bed. Mr. Light set the kit down and motioned for his daughter to join him.

“Come over here, hon,” said Mr. Light as he pulled out a pair of scissors along with a gauze pad and some butterfly bandages.

Twilight Sparkle sat on her bed, next to the first aid kit. She was careful to keep her wings from bumping into anything. However, their large size made that rather tricky to pull off. Thankfully, her father moved the stuff and allowed her to have enough room to rest them comfortably. She held out her arm, letting her father peel off the strips of tape. With a ripping sound, each piece of tape was removed from her forearm one by one. Eventually, only the gauze was left getting held onto by the dried blood, which coated Twilight’s arm. As her father started to pull off the gauze pad, Twilight felt her skin getting pulled along with it, and that resulted in her trying to tug her arm away. Seconds later, she felt the gauze settle back onto her skin, letting her know that her father had released his grip on it. Looking up, she saw his worried gaze staring back at her.

“Are you alright? Should I stop?” asked Mr. Light as he pulled his hand away from the gauze, not wanting to make his daughter pull away again. “I don’t want to hurt you, sweetie.”

Twilight Sparkle managed a weak smile, not wanting to show her father the sharp fangs which had replaced her canines. Grabbing his hand, she said, “I’m okay, dad. It just hurt a little is all. Just pull it off quickly like one oversized bandaid.”

“Are you sure?” asked Mr. Light as he gripped the edge of the gauze again.

Twilight nodded and tried her best to brace herself for what was to come. Biting her lip, she accidentally let one of her fangs show in the process. She heard her father gasp softly, and she realized that he had seen her exposed fang. And it dug at Twilight to know that he was still scared of her, even though he was helping her with her injury. She turned away and hid her face, not wanting to frighten him any further. Moments later, she felt a quick tug on her arm, and the feeling of the gauze getting pulled free from her skin. A wave of brief, sharp stinging, searing pain hit her instantly afterward. However, it only lasted a few seconds before dying out into a dull ache across her forearm.

Mr. Light covered his mouth as his gag reflex threatened to kick in. He saw the five lacerations that ran across the inside portion of his daughter’s arm. The cuts looked like they had healed slightly around the edges and corners, where the injuries ended. Across each of them were 2-3 butterfly bandages, which had gotten covered in a layer of blood, turning their usual white appearance red. The lacerations themselves were surprisingly even spaced, making the skin in between them look like it could fall away with a single slice. To him, Twilight’s arm looked like it had lost a war with a set of tiger claws. It was a very sickening sight for Mr. Light to see. He used all of his willpower and shoved his urge to vomit aside. After taking a deep breath, he grasped his daughter’s hand.

“Are you ready for the next part?” asked Mr. Light, wishing that his daughter would look at him.

Twilight Sparkle felt her father’s hand grab her smaller one. That made her glance at him from the corner of her eye, wondering if she could look at him again. However, his earlier reaction made her hesitate in doing so. She didn’t want to get hurt again, especially by her father. Instead, Twilight resigned herself to looking at the quilt on her bed, letting her eyes wander over the design on the fabric.

“No, but go ahead,” replied Twilight Sparkle, keeping her voice low.

Mr. Light sighed. He knew that his daughter had realized that he was still a bit scared of her. And he knew the minute the gasp slipped past his lips that it would hurt Twilight. However, there was nothing he could do to take it back, even though he wanted to. Deep down, he knew that it wasn’t right to be afraid… of his daughter. It was supposed to be his job to show her unconditional love, to support her no matter what her dreams are. Yet, he was acting like she was going to harm him. His own daughter. All because she looked different from how she usually did. Still ashamed that he had hurt his daughter’s feelings, Mr. Light set to work removing the bloodied butterfly bandages.

“So… how did Sunset attack you? These look like claw marks, which is unusual, to say the last,” Mr. Light said, trying to break the heavy silence in the room.

Twilight Sparkle gulped, feeling a lump forming in her throat. She hadn’t expected her father to ask that question right away, especially since he didn’t seem to want to talk about her appearance. Then again, she knew he probably would ask it at some point. However, there was a problem; her parents weren’t aware of what had happened to Sunset. And if they were to find out, they may decide to keep her from seeing her. Despite everything that occurred last night, there was some part of Twilight that couldn’t stand the thought of never being able to see Sunset again. She didn’t like that she still cared for the redhead after everything, but she couldn’t help it.

“Uh, Sunset…” Twilight Sparkle wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to reveal Sunset’s secret to her father. Yet, what else could she say to explain the lacerations? Her father was right; those were claw marks on her forearm. Taking a deep breath, Twilight said, “Well, she has claws, dad. And when she grabbed me, that’s when I got injured.”

“Woah, wait. Sunset has… claws? How?” Mr. Light pulled off the last butterfly bandage and looked up at his daughter with wide eyes.

“Um, because like me, Sunset has transformed into her demon form,” replied Twilight Sparkle, hoping her father wouldn’t freak out too much.

“Oh, Sunset has?” asked Mr. Light, seemingly calm and collected. “So, you two have something in common with you both having gotten turned into… she-demons?”

Twilight looked directly at her father, her eyes wide with shock. How could he be taking this so well? Moments ago, he could barely handle seeing the sight of her fangs. And he could barely handle looking at her for the last week. Now, out of nowhere, he seems fine with knowing that her best friend has claws that can cut skin? The sudden change in her father’s demeanor made Twilight’s head spin around.

“Yeah, I guess we do. Dad, how are you suddenly okay with that? Earlier, you gasped when I accidentally showed you my… fangs.” Twilight Sparkle hesitated in saying the word, not sure if her father was okay with her mentioning it.

Mr. Light met his daughter’s eyes, smiling as he saw the brilliant mulberry they had become. For once, he saw his daughter. Not her wings, or her fangs, or even the tail, which was now flicking back and forth behind her for some odd reason. All that was in front of him was his beautiful daughter, someone who he had raised for the better part of 17 years. And his love for her was more than enough to help him see past the changes. Ignoring his uneasiness, Mr. Light squeezed his daughter’s hand.

“While I was standing here next to you, I had an epiphany. I realized that despite your recent, uh, changes, you’re still my baby girl,” said Mr. Light.

As her father said those words, tears began to well up on the corner of Twilight Sparkle’s eyes. Blinking, she caused some of the tears to fall down her cheeks. To hear that her father saw past the changes and that she was still his daughter, it meant the world to her. And it made her feel better, something that she needed after Sunset’s betrayal. Twilight wiped one of the tears away with her good arm, not wanting to move her other one. Without the gauze or butterfly bandages covering them, she feared any movement would reopen the cuts.

“Do you… do you mean that dad?” asked Twilight Sparkle, smiling at her father.

Mr. Light nodded. “Yes, I do mean that, honey. You’re my baby girl, how could I not love you, wings and all?”

That was all it took for Twilight’s floodgate of tears to break. However, they were joyful tears because she had her father back. For a brief moment, she went to go and hug him. But a stinging sensation in her arm prevented her from doing that. Remembering that her injuries needed to get tended to, she grabbed the antiseptic bottle.

“Well, I am happy to hear that. I really am. But… mind helping me finish cleaning my arm?” asked Twilight Sparkle, handing the bottle to her father.

Mr. Light chuckled as he grabbed the bottle. “Sure, hon. I wouldn’t want those cuts to get reopened.”

With that, Mr. Light walks back to the bathroom, wanting to grab a washcloth. Finding them located near the towels on the shelf, he took one and turned to the sink. Turning on the faucet, he ran the cloth under the water, ringing it out afterward. Once he had a wet washcloth, Mr. Light walked back to where Twilight was sitting on her bed. As he sat next to her, he felt her put one of her wings against his back. And he could tell that she was hesitant to do that because of his earlier reaction. Yet, he didn’t flinch or move away, wanting his actions to show that he had meant what he said. The feelings of her feathers touching him was an odd, yet comforting sensation. He smiled to himself as he held the washcloth over her forearm.

“May I?” asked Mr. Light, holding the washcloth as if he was holding an engagement ring.

Giggling at the sight of her father holding the washcloth as if he was proposing to her, Twilight Sparkle said, “You may.”

Smiling, Mr. Light pressed the wet washcloth to his daughter’s skin. Being as gentle as he could manage, he tried not to reopen the cuts as he washed off the dried blood. Once he had finished that, the once tan cloth had gotten tainted with the reddish-brown color. Taking the antiseptic bottle, he doused a cotton ball. Now with it in hand, he began to dab the cuts, trying to be as gentle as he could. However, despite his best efforts, Mr. Light still felt Twilight jerk slightly every time he touched the cotton to her arm. After a few minutes of applying the antiseptic and knee-jerk reaction, he managed to finish with the red wad of cotton. He set it aside and grabbed the box of butterfly bandages.

“So, are you planning on telling the rest of your friends what happened to you?” asked Mr. Light as he placed the first bandage on Twilight’s arm.

Twilight Sparkle winced as she felt the bandage touch her skin. “I… don’t know. I’m not even sure I can see the girls right now.”

“Why is that?” Mr. Light continued placing another bandage.

“Because… the girls lied to me. All of them,” replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice shaking as she spoke.

“Sunset too?” Mr. Light finished placing bandages on the first cut. Moving onto the next one, he looked up at his daughter, his eyes filled with concern.

“Yeah, Sunset too… sadly…” Twilight Sparkle looked over at her nightstand. There, underneath the lamp, sat a picture of her and the girls that had gotten taken the day of the Friendship Games. In the photo, Sunset’s arm was slung around her shoulders as Pinkie Pie pulled them into a big group hug. It was the day she met her friends and decided to transfer to CHS. It was also one of the happiest days for her, minus the whole turning into a magic-crazed she-demon incident.

Placing the last bandage on Twilight’s final cut, Mr. Light looked up. He saw his daughter looking at the photo of her friends. He looked down and sighed. From personal experience, he knew what it was like to have friends betray your trust. It happened between him and his friends back when he was in high school. It was tough, deciding to walk away from his best friends, especially when he had known them since kindergarten. Yet, in the end, he chose to make friends that he could trust. Clearing his head, Mr. Light rested a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, not minding that the feathers from her wing rested against his hand.

“Twilight, if they are truly your friends, they’ll tell you the truth. But you have to give them a chance to explain. I’m sure they had their reasons.” Mr. Light squeezed his daughter’s shoulder gently, giving her a small smile. “I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did when I was your age.”

“I know. It’s just hard to think about talking to my friends, especially when I told Sunset to stay away from me,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking at her father.

“Wow, that is serious. Well, as I said, just give your friends a chance to explain. And as for Sunset, when you feel ready to, I would suggest listening to her as well,” said Mr. Light, meeting his daughter’s worried gaze. “From what I know about her, I don’t think she meant for you to get hurt.”

“Okay. I will try to listen to Sunset and the girls when I feel like I can,” said Twilight Sparkle, dreading the moment that she would have to confront her friends.

“Good. Now, shall we put on the gauze and finish this?” asked Mr. Light, letting his hand fall from Twilight’s shoulder.

“Yes, please. My arm is very sore.” Twilight Sparkle could feel the heat radiating off her arm as she gingerly rested her hand a few inches away from the lacerations.

Mr. Light cut a piece of gauze just big enough to cover the area where the lacerations were. Holding it onto Twilight’s arm, he grabbed the tape with his free hand. Using his one hand, he peeled off a strip of the tape. He placed that strip on top of the gauze and freed up his other hand. Mr. Light repeated that with the bottom edge as well as the sides of the gauze pad, securing it firmly to Twilight’s forearm.

“And… there we go,” said Mr. Light as he placed the last strip of tape on the side of the gauze. “You’re all patched up now.”

Before Twilight Sparkle could say anything, her mother walked into the room. She saw her mother’s gaze drift towards the bandage on her arm. Instinctively, Twilight let one of her wings wrap around her shoulder, hiding the bandage from her mother’s view. She didn’t want her mother to see her injury, mainly since Sunset caused it. And she had said enough about Sunset’s situation to her father. Twilight didn’t feel like putting the redhead into a bad position with her parents, not when she had done her share of damage to her.

“What happened to your arm, sweetie?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

Twilight Sparkle looked down, not sure what she should say. “Uh…”

“Twilight just tripped yesterday and cut her arm. But I have already checked it out, and she is fine,” said Mr. Light, covering for his daughter.

“Are you sure our daughter is okay?” persisted Mrs. Velvet.

Mr. Light walked over to his wife and rested both of his hands on her shoulders. He smiled at her as he met her eyes.

“She is fine. She’s tough, just like you,” said Mr. Light, pulling his wife in for a hug.

Mrs. Velvet wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist as she felt herself getting pulled into a hug. She smiled, enjoying the embrace. It was amazing that she had found someone who loved her so much. As she rested her head on his chest, she felt him kiss her forehead.

“I love you, Night,” whispered Mrs. Velvet as she closed her eyes for a moment, listening to his heartbeat.

“I love you too, Twilight,” said Mr. Light rubbed his wife’s shoulder, smiling.

Twilight Sparkle sat there, staring at her parents. For a moment, she saw herself and Sunset where they were. She saw Sunset hugging her the way her father was hugging her mother. The image stayed there in her head for a while, making her stomach knot up. It also made the hurt and pain caused by the redhead sting much more. Why must her heart fall for her when all she did was lie about her past? There was no trust there anymore, not when it was apparent that Sunset never trusted her the same way she had. So, to have her heart caring for her, it was just cruel to Twilight. And what happened last night left her questioning whether anything she and her had was real. Or if it was just fake…

Suddenly, a loud chirp from Twilight’s phone broke the silence, which had begun to settle in the room. Reaching for her phone, Twilight unlocked it, wanting to see who had sent her a message. She saw that it was a message from Sunset Shimmer and that nearly made her drop her phone. However, Twilight was able to gather herself enough to prevent that. With a shaky hand, she read the text message.

SunShim: Twi, I know you said not to talk to you. I just wanted to let you know I won’t be picking you up. I will respect your wishes and keep my distance from you.

Twi: Sunset…

SunShim: Look, I know you probably hate me right now. So, I won’t talk to you after this. I just wanted to tell you that you should get a ride from your parents. Anyway, I have to go, so bye…

Twi: …

Twilight Sparkle set her phone down as she turned it off. It was odd to talk to Sunset and to hear her sound so… distant. It made Twilight wonder just how much her words had hurt her. And if her father was right about Sunset not meaning to harm her. Shaking her head, she tried to keep her mind from wandering. She wasn’t sure at the moment, so she shoved the emotions and thoughts aside. Right now, Twilight just wanted to focus on herself and getting the courage to talk to the girls.

“Hon, who was that?” asked Mrs. Velvet, pulling herself away from her husband's embrace.

“Sunset isn’t going to pick me up for school today,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Alright, I’ll have your father drop you off. Did… something happen between you two?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

Twilight swallowed hard, feeling like her throat was closing. It wasn’t getting any easier to say that Sunset had injured her. If anything, every time she said it, it caused the attack to seem more real. As if the bandage on her arm didn't serve as enough of a reminder of what lay beneath the gauze. Not to mention the scars that would remain when the lacerations had healed. That realization that Sunset had left permanent marks on her haunted Twilight. And it scared her to know that she might not have Sunset to turn to when this was all over.

Looking down at her hands, Twilight Sparkle said, “Yeah, but I would rather not talk about it right now.”

Mrs. Velvet, seeing her daughter’s reluctance and hurt, said, “Okay. I will be in the kitchen when you two finish.”

With that, Mrs. Velvet walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Twilight Sparkle waited until her mother was out of earshot before she sighed. Looking up at her father, she smiled.

“Thanks, dad. You know, for covering for me,” said Twilight Sparkle, her tail flicking back and forth in rhythm with her pulse. “I appreciate it.”

Mr. Light gave his daughter a toothy grin back. “Anything for you. Besides, I could see that having me poking around was enough for today. But… you know you’ll have to talk to your mother eventually, right?”

Sighing, Twilight Sparkle said, “Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to talk about it today.”

“Okay.” Mr, Light walked up to his daughter, resting a hand on her shoulder. For a moment, he felt a desire to pull his daughter into a hug. However, when he saw her wings, he decided it was too risky. “Well, that’s all for me. I will be waiting in the kitchen with your mother.”

Twilight Sparkle saw what her father wanted to do. As he started to walk away, she grabbed his hand as it slid off her shoulder. Gripping it tightly, she pulled him back towards her.

“You know, you can still hug me right, dad?” Twilight Sparkle said, giving her father a goofy half-smile.

“Can I really? What about your… wings?” asked Mr. Light, seemingly nervous and skittish.

It was unusual and surprising to see her father looking so nervous. That was a stark change from his usual strong, brave, and slightly dorky demeanor. Yet, here he was, afraid to hug her because he didn’t want to hurt her. Seeing that made Twilight laugh on the inside. It was cute and super sweet to see that side of her father.

“It’s alright, dad. You’re not going to injure my wings by hugging me, I promise,” said Twilight Sparkle, placing her other hand over her father’s.

Twilight Sparkle slowly stood next to her father, letting go of his hand. As she stepped closer, she wrapped her arms around his back. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she waited for him to hug her back. Gently, as if he was afraid she had gotten made of porcelain, Twilight felt her father’s hands wrap tightly around her waist. As she felt her body getting pushed against his, she let her wings wrap around him. She rested them lightly against his back just as she had done with her mom. For a split second, Twilight felt her father pull away before relaxing once more and resting his head on her shoulder.

Mr. Light, shocked by the feeling of having feathers touching his back, tried to pull away. Yet, just as quickly as he tried to get away, he relaxed. This was his daughter, not someone who was going to hurt him. Letting his head rest on her shoulder, he took a deep breath. Mr. Light enjoyed the feeling of being able to hug his daughter. It was almost comparable to when he first held her after she had been born. The warmth and softness of her wings were also comforting. And it made it nearly impossible for him to want to let go of his beautiful baby girl. As Mr. Light reached up, his fingers brushed against the area where her wings were attached to her shoulder blades. When he felt his fingers touch the base of them, he felt Twilight shudder in response. Worried, he moved his hands away, not sure if that was a good thing.

Twilight felt her father move his hands away from the base of her wings, resting them on her shoulders. Gently, so it was not to spook him, she let them wrap around him tighter. That pushed him closer to her, allowing her to revel in his loving embrace. Feeling her father grip her even tighter in response, Twilight smiled. This moment was what she wanted after she had transformed into Midnight Sparkle. She just wanted to see her father accept her, even though she looked like a she-demon rather than his daughter. And now she had that moment right here. After hugging him for a few minutes, Twilight pulled away and let her feathery attachments fall back around her shoulders.

“See? You didn’t hurt me,” said Twilight Sparkle, kissing her father on the cheek. “I’m still your daughter, just with wings now. Kind of like an angel.”

“You were always my angel, even without the wings.” Mr. Light kissed his daughter on the forehead. “Now, I will let you finish getting dressed.”

Okay, thanks,” Twilight Sparkle said as she went to her closet and grabbed her shoes. As she heard her door open, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Oh, and dad?”

“What?” asked Mr. Light as he stopped, his hand resting on the doorknob.

“I love you,” said Twilight Sparkle, a wide grin appearing as she looked at her father.

Mr. Light returned the grin, saying, “ I love you too, sweetheart.”

With those words, Mr. Light closed his daughter’s bedroom door as he walked out into the hallway. As he went to make his way downstairs, he saw his wife smiling at him as she leaned forward on the railing.

“Still uncomfortable, honey?” asked Mrs. Velvet, a sly smirk evident on her face.

“Not anymore. I have finally gotten over the way our daughter looks like now,” replied Mr. Light, walking over to his wife.

“Oh? So, you have decided that she isn’t scary anymore?” asked Mrs. Velvet as she looked at her husband.

“Yeah. I can see that Twilight is still our little girl. She hasn’t changed even though she has wings, fangs, and even a tail now,” said Mr. Light as he leaned against the railing.

“Good to see that you have finally come around. I was beginning to worry that I would have to force you two into a padded room,” replied Mrs. Velvet, chuckling.

“Haha, you’re so funny. However, I am happy that I forced myself to face the impossible,” said Mr. Light, grabbing his wife’s hand. “And Twilight’s wings are so soft. Did you feel them?”

“Yeah, I did, when she hugged me at Sunset’s house. It’s like getting hugged by an angel,” replied Mrs. Velvet.

“I know, right? Our very own little darling angel,” said Mr. Light as he and his wife stepped away from the railing. “So, shall we go eat those waffles now?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” said Mrs. Velvet, pulling her husband down the steps as she headed to the kitchen. “I was beginning to get so hungry that I could’ve eaten a horse.”

Author's Note

Well, at least this chapter ended on a lighter. Since I needed a filler chapter after the last two emotionally charged ones, I decided to use the opportunity to explore how Sci-Twi got her beloved dog. I figured everyone would like a break from what happened in the prior chapters. I know I needed it after writing those two. I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts and feelings about how Spike came into Sci-Twi's life. Also, please enjoy the extra Rarijack content!

Hearts Understand Regrets Too

Back at CHS, crowds of students stood in the courtyard, filling the morning with indistinct conversations. In the student parking lot, Fluttershy was standing next to her van. She was bundled in her heaviest jacket, with a pair of light pink gloves and scarf to go with it. It appeared that the bitter cold of winter was going to come soon. As a strong breeze blew against her bare cheek, she shivered at the feel of it. Just then, a hot pink Volkswagen beetle pulled up alongside her van. Fluttershy recognized the car as belonging to Pinkie Pie, mostly by the balloons painted on the doors and trunk. As the car got parked, she saw her pink-haired friend jump out, groaning slightly before recovering with a wide grin on her face. Seeing that, Fluttershy smiled back at her. It was nice to see that despite her severe injuries, Pinkie Pie still had her infectious happy demeanor.

"Whew, it sure is chilly today. Good thing that I brought my famous peppermint hot cocoa," said Pinkie Pie as she pulled out seven cups from her car.

Each cup had gotten marked with each of the girl's unique symbols. That was something Pinkie Pie often did. It was her way to make each cake, drink, or whatever she had made, uniquely for each of her friends. And they loved the effort that she put into doing that, which made Pinkie Pie very happy to see. Nothing made her happier than seeing her friends' smiles when she made a cake or threw a particular party for them. After all, parties were Pinkie Pie's thing, and she loved having an excuse to throw one. Grabbing the cup with three butterflies all around it, she handed it to Fluttershy.

"Here you go, Shy," said Pinkie Pie as she grabbed her own. "Just what we need on this cold day."

"Thank you, Pinkie," Fluttershy thanked Pinkie Pie for the hot cocoa as she grabbed the cup. Taking a sip, she could taste the peppermint mixing in with the cocoa. "Mm, this is tastes delicious, Pinkie."

"Good. Now, let's go find the rest of our friends." Pinkie Pie grabbed the tray of cups and closed her car door.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked towards the Wondercolt statute. The air was chilly, making both of them grateful for their warm drinks. Several students were sitting around their cars, trying to keep warm against the fall coldness. Just as they got to where the bikes had usually gotten parked, they heard a motorcycle pull up. Looking in the direction of the sound, they expected to see Sunset Shimmer. Instead, they saw the prismatic-haired friend. As she took off her helmet, her rainbow locks fell free, landing around her shoulders.

"That's odd. Sunset is usually here before Rainbow Dash is," said Fluttershy, noting the absence of their fiery-haired friend.

"Yeah, I now. I wonder what happened last night after we left. Even Twilight is later than usual," replied Pinkie Pie.

"I don't know, but I hope Twilight and Sunset will talk to us. Assuming either of them comes to school today," said Fluttershy, taking a sip of her cocoa.

Rainbow Dash slung her leg over her bike, standing next to it. That was when she noticed the odd absence of Sunset Shimmer and her motorcycle. Usually, Sunset's bike would have gotten parked next to hers. However, today, it was missing along with its owner. That was strange, very strange considering that the redhead was always at school before her. Mostly because Twilight had a schedule, and both of them stuck to it. Setting her helmet in her backpack, Rainbow Dash sped over to her friends.

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Sunset?" asked Rainbow Dash as she appeared next to Pinkie Pie.

"Nope. Do you think something bad happened between Sunset and Twilight?" asked Fluttershy, taking another sip of her cocoa.

"Maybe. It is unusual for Sunset or Twilight to be this late," Rainbow Dash said as she reached for her cup of cocoa.

"Well, I guess we'll see if Twilight and Sunset show up today," said Pinkie Pie as she took a sip of her cocoa. "Hmm, that is good. And just what I need to keep warm."

Rainbow Dash did the same and said, "Yep. I love your peppermint hot cocoa almost as much as I love apple cider."

As the three girls made their way to the Wondercolt statue, they sat down in front of it. Sounds of students chatting filled the air around them. It seemed that no one except the girls noticed the absences of their two friends. The marble base of the statue offered little protection against the bone-chilling wind. Yet, they were glad for what little it did offer them. The girls huddled together, trying to keep themselves warm despite the cold air surrounding them. With their hot cocoas in hand, they waited for the rest of the girls to arrive.

Applejack, holding Rarity's hand, walked up to the Wondercolt statue. She felt the fashionista squeeze her hand as her head rested against her arm. That made the cowgirl's cheeks turn slightly red as she felt them heat up. Thankfully, the nip of the cold air hid the blush reasonably well. Ignoring the occasional glance, Applejack made her way to the marble horse statue. As she saw the girls, she noticed the lack of red and yellow amongst them. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked over at where Rainbow Dash's bike was parked. Even the familiar flame-colored bike was missing as well.

"Hey, girls. Where's Sunset?" asked Applejack as Pinkie Pie handed her a cup with three apples around, similar to Fluttershy's.

"We don't know. Sunset hasn't shown up yet," replied Rainbow Dash as Applejack and Rarity sat down.

"Well, that's certainly strange. It's very unlike Sunset not to be here," said Rarity, her head still resting on Applejack's arm as she grabbed her cup from Pinkie Pie.

"Yeah, tell me about it! I have never been here before Sunset. And her and Twilight were usually sitting together when we all get here." Rainbow Dash moved her bangs out of her eyes.

Rarity looked around and noticed that Twilight Sparkle wasn't present among the girls. "Speaking of Twilight, where is she?"

That made the girls look around, realizing that she hadn't shown up yet. As Rainbow Dash turned to look at the parent drop off, she saw a familiar car. The fender was a bit scraped up from the years of use. And even the black paint had gotten chipped away by the sun's rays and regular washing routines. There was also a dent from where her bike had accidentally collided with back bumper. She recognized it as being Twilight's father's car. As it slowed to a stop, she saw the door open. And stepping out of the vehicle, was Twilight Sparkle. Setting her hot cocoa down on the pavement, Rainbow Dash sped over to her friend.

Twilight Sparkle closed the door, waving goodbye to her father. Her wings draped themselves over shoulders inside of the hoodie, protecting her against the cold air. Having feathers was useful to keep warm as she had discovered recently. Twilight watched her father drive off as she hoped that Sunset somehow would not show up at school. Although, she knew that it was unlikely as Sunset cared about her attendance almost as much as she did. As Twilight turned around and was about to walk into the building, she nearly bumped into Rainbow Dash. That took her by surprise as she didn't expect anyone to be behind her.

"Woah, Rainbow Dash! What the hell?! Don't sneak up behind me like that!" exclaimed Twilight Sparkle, adjusting her glasses. "I could've blasted you for doing that."

Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight Sparkle, shocked by the sudden outburst. Sure, she had seen Twilight get angry before. However, this time, it was different. It was like something had happened to make her more on edge than usual. And she could tell that her friend was no longer the same. There was a spark of something evil in her mulberry eyes, and that terrified the athlete. Whatever happened between her and Sunset, Rainbow Dash could tell that it hadn't gone well. Stepping back, she rubbed the back of her head with her head.

"Sorry about that, Twi. I didn't mean to sneak up behind you," Rainbow Dash said. "Want to join the girls and me? Pinkie Pie has made her famous peppermint hot cocoa."

Twilight Sparkle looked behind Rainbow Dash, at the girls. She saw Pinkie PIe give her a wide grin while waving at her. Looking away from Pinkie Pie, she saw that Applejack and Rarity were giving her worried looks. The only one who wasn't looking at her was Fluttershy. That made her look away, gripping the sleeve of the hoodie that covered her arm. Despite the nagging part of her that told her to ask the girls for the truth, Twilight couldn't do it. With all that had happened with Sunset, she just couldn't deal with them right now. And she didn't want to hear their reasons for all the excuses that they had told her for a year either.

"Uh, Twilight?" asked Rainbow Dash, waving a hand in front of Twilight Sparkle's face. "You still present?"

Twilight Sparkle blinked. Turning her attention back to her rainbow-haired friend, she gave her an annoyed glare. "Yes, Rainbow. I am still present. And no, I would not like to join you and the girls. I am not going to hang out with liars, not when they used to be my friends. Now, I have some important things to do in the library. By myself, just in case any of you get the idea to follow me," lied Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to admit that she couldn't stand being anywhere near the girls.

Rainbow Dash staggered back as Twilight Sparkle pushed past her. It shocked her to see her usually shy and quiet friend act so… cold and mean towards her. As she watched her walk away, she gripped her arm and lowered her head. A sinking feeling told her that she knew why Twilight chose not to hang out with her and the girls. And it was one Rainbow Dash wished hadn't been true. Head hanging low, she walked back over to the girls and sat next to her cup. She took a long sip, not wanting to let them know what happened, even though she knew that they were going to ask anyway.

"Rainbow, dear, why did Twilight push past you and not join us?" asked Rarity.

Rainbow Dash set her cup back down after she finished. The mintiness of the peppermint lingered in her mouth, making her feel like she just ate a whole bunch of candy canes. She pulled her backpack closer to her body, resting her arm around it. Rainbow Dash wasn't sure how the girls were going to take the news. However, it wasn't an option not to tell them, even if it was terrible.

"I-I think Twilight found that we have been lying to her – that Sunset's been lying to her. And I don't think she's happy with us because of that," replied Rainbow Dash as she looked at Rarity.

"Oh, dear. That's not good." Rarity looked at Applejack. "What are we going to do?"

The cowgirl adjusted her Stetson hat and sighed. "I don't know. I have only ever seen Sunset get angry. I'm not sure how to handle Twilight."

"And it doesn't look like Sunset is coming to school either," said Fluttershy, looking down at her hands. "I think something awful happened between her and Twilight."

"Yeah, it seems like the reveal didn't go too well. Do you think Sunset did something to Twilight?" asked Pinkie Pie. "I saw her gripping her arm. I think she is hiding something from us."

"I saw that too. Whatever it is that Twilight's hidin' from us, I think it's related to Sunset. However, given that she won't talk to us willingly, we're goin' have to find some way of gettin' her to do that," said Applejack, looking at her party friend.

Just then, the school bell rang, announcing that school was in session. All the girls slung their bags over their shoulders, keeping their cups in their other hand. Applejack helped Rarity stand up while Fluttershy did the same for Pinkie Pie, who was still having trouble moving with her stitches. Once all the girls were standing and had gathered up all of their stuff, they made their way towards the entrance of the school. As they walked in, they got greeted by crowds of students gathered in small groups around their lockers, though some of the kids weren't so secretive about the topic of theirs. Applejack looked over at a group of girls who kept talking about Twilight and why she was avoiding them. She ignored them and drowned out the sounds of indistinct conversations that filled the silence of the hallways. Making their way to Miss Cheerilee's classroom, the girls saw that Twilight had already beaten them to it. They noticed her sitting in her usual seat, next to the window… and the shelves full of math textbooks.

"Wow, she usually waits for us. I guess she is really mad at us," said Pinkie Pie as her hair lost some of its color bounce.

"Guess, so," said Applejack as she felt Rarity intertwine their hands together. "I just hope she isn't too mad at us."

"Me too," whispered Rarity as she and Applejack walked behind Pinkie Pie.

Twilight Sparkle turned towards the doorway just as she saw the girls walk in. As she met Applejack's worried gaze, she felt a pang of guilt wash over her body. She had felt terrible for how she acted towards Rainbow Dash. Her anger had gotten the better of her, and she was sure that the athlete wasn't expecting her to be so cold to her. Seeing the cowgirl's emerald green eyes darkened with worry, she sighed. She didn't want to make them worry about her. Yet, how could she face them now? They all lied to her for a whole year. And it was all thanks to Sunset, the one person Twilight thought she could trust. Twilight sat back in her chair, watching as all the girls sat down one by one. When Pinkie Pie walked past her, she saw her set down a cup.

"Here, I made this for you," said Pinkie Pie as she gave Twilight Sparkle a smile, which didn't reach her eyes.

"Uh, thanks." Twilight Sparkle took a sip, trying to ignore the guilty feeling that was slowly building inside.

Twilight could see that Pinkie Pie had forced her smile. Her usually perky, all-around joyous friend seemed low spirited, despite all Pinkie Pie's attempts to act like her usual self. It was as if Pinkie Pie was trying to hide the fact that she had gotten hurt by her refusal to hang out. Similar to someone who was trying to put on a fake mask for everyone else. Yet, the disguise wasn't fooling Twilight one bit. And that only added to the growing guilt she was feeling. Between the hurt look on Sunset's face last night and the girls' worried looks, Twilight was beginning to wonder if she should give them a chance to explain. Just as Twilight went to say something to Pinkie Pie, she was interrupted by Miss Cheerilee as she walked into the classroom. So, all she could do was watch her pink-haired friend make her way to her seat, her forced smile fading as she sat down.

"Okay, class. Today we are going to have a pop quiz," said Miss Cheerilee as she stood at her desk.

At that news, there were several groans of disappointment throughout the classroom. A few dissatisfied students even rolled their eyes, leaning back in the chairs. The mood of the room changed from happy to bored in mere seconds. It was evident that nobody wanted to have a pop quiz this early in the morning. Behind Twilight, a few chairs to the side, Rainbow Dash rested her head on the desk. Pop quizzes were the one thing she hated more than having to wait for a new Daring Do book. And that was hard enough for her to do, especially since she hated having to wait for anything.

"I should've studied last night," Rainbow Dash mumbled under her breath. "Guess I will have to wing it now. I just hope it's not equations or anything with too many numbers."

Twilight Sparkle, unlike her classmates, was happy to hear about the pop quiz. Pop quizzes to her were like a challenge to see how much she had memorized. And Twilight loved the proud feeling she got when she saw that she had aced a test. It was something that never got old, no matter how many times it happened. It was also one of the joys of school for her. She enjoyed studying and learning about anything, especially if it was related to science and math. And the happiness she felt was comparable to whenever she saw Sunset smile at her. Shaking her head, Twilight cleared her head of any thoughts about the redhead. She couldn't let herself think of her, not when she wanted to forget her and all the pain. Besides, all that thinking about Sunset did was remind her that she had pushed her closest friend away. Yet, Twilight's conscience refused to let her forget that and the fact that she had broken her only promise to her.

"Why does my guilty conscience have to be so annoying? Can't it just leave me alone?" thought Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, but if I did that, you wouldn't talk to Sunset or the girls. Besides, it's my job to make sure you do the right thing," said Twilight's conscience.

"Ugh! You're back, great. Why don't you just shut the hell up and let me enjoy this pop quiz?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she looked down at her desk.

"I will let you enjoy the quiz, but only while I remind you of what you said to Sunset over and over again. I am not going to let you forget that you broke the one promise that you should've kept," replied Twilight's conscience.

"Fine. Just don't make me mess up with your nonsense," thought Twilight Sparkle, pulling out a pencil and an eraser.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight pushed Sunset aside and focused on the assignment. Today's pop quiz was a welcome surprise for her, one that she intended to enjoy. Plus, it offered a good distraction from her current problems, which she needed more than ever. And if her mind was going to continue torturing her with the events of the night before, she was glad to have something else to occupy it. Grabbing her pencil, Twilight waited for the quiz to get passed out.

With the test papers in hand, Miss Cheerilee started to pass them out row by row. As she made her way to the last row, she froze. At the other end of the walkway was Twilight Sparkle's massive purple wing. Its size meant that it jutted out into the small area, giving Miss Cheerilee no choice but to walk past it. There was no avoiding it, even if she attempted to do so. Steeling her nerves, she prepared herself to walk down the aisle and approach Twilight. Someone coughed in the otherwise silent room, and that caused Miss Cheerilee to jump. She could tell that her nerves were starting to get the better of her, which wasn't good. As a teacher, she had to remain professional while she was at her job.

Yet, the sight of Midnight Sparkle sitting in her classroom was unnerving to Miss Cheerilee, especially considering the events of the Friendship Games. She knew that her student was still Twilight Sparkle, only with a changed appearance. And that she posed no threat to her or the student body. However, it was still a challenge for her to see past the changes on the outside. It wasn't every day that she got to experience seeing someone who had massive feathery wings attached to them. And it was even rarer to have them attending class for almost a week straight. So, it had been a rather strange couple of days for the high school teacher.

Miss Cheerilee's heartbeat picked up pace as the distance between her and Twilight Sparkle shortened. Her nervousness was becoming more apparent as her hand began to tremble slightly. She knew that it was unprofessional to show any fear or anger at her students, but she couldn't help it. It was still a struggle to adjust to seeing Twilight looking like her she-demon self. Wanting to maintain her professional demeanor, Miss Cheerilee walked to Twilight's desk. When she bent down, she could feel the feathers brush against her skin, causing goosebumps to form. She tried to ignore them and set the paper down on the wooden surface of the desk.

Unbeknownst to Miss Cheerilee, Twilight Sparkle noticed the goosebumps that formed. That made her hide her face, trying to ignore the embarrassment that washed over her. It was embarrassing enough whenever her teachers would touch her wings, but to have her body react to it was not helping the situation. If the feathery appendages weren't so weak to touch any contact, it wouldn't have been a problem. However, with that said, it didn't make the incident any less traumatizing for her when the students would snicker and comment about it. Twilight did her best to shut out the rest of her classmates and sat up in her chair. She pulled her wing close to her body, trying not to freak out Miss Cheerilee any further. Besides, she didn't feel like having the incident repeated for a second time, not after the hell she had gone through the night before.

"I am sure you'll ace this, Miss Sparkle," Miss Cheerilee whispered, regaining her composure somewhat. "I hope you brought some books to read afterward."

Twilight Sparkle felt a proud smile form. "Oh, I have. I brought books about the history of mathematics, the greatest minds behind it, and a few others."

"Good, those are some excellent book choices, especially for this class," said Miss Cheerilee as she walked back to her desk, her hands no longer full of tests.

Setting a timer, Miss Cheerilee said, "Okay, you have 45 minutes to complete the quiz. If you have not finished, turn in what you have done. And remember, show your work."

"Alright, you can start…" Twilight Sparkle readied her pencil as her hand hovered over the paper. "Now." She flipped the paper over and immediately started on the first problem.

An hour later, the bell rang, ending the first class of the day. Twilight Sparkle, hearing the bell ringing, tried to hurry up and finish her homework. As she finished the last calculation, she jotted down the answer. Without wasting another second, Twilight tossed all of her books and stuff back inside of her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she walked up to Miss Cheerilee's desk, her homework in one hand and her drink in the other one. Even though she didn't want to see the girls, she was thankful that Pinkie Pie had given the cocoa. It reminded her that they still cared for her. Although it didn't change the fact that she was too hurt to confront them. And even her conscience couldn't convince her to do it either, though it was getting more annoying with every reminder it gave her.

"Here you go, Miss Cheerilee. I have already finished my homework," Twilight Sparkle said, a proud tone in her voice.

"Good job, Miss Sparkle. See you tomorrow," replied Miss Cheerilee as she took the homework and set it aside.

"Thanks." Twilight Sparkle waved at her teacher and made her way to the door.

Rarity, having finished putting all her books back into her backpack, looked up to see Twilight leaving the classroom. Not wanting her friend to go before she had a chance to talk to her, she jumped out of her seat. However, in her hurry, she hit her abdomen on the hard edge of the desk. The impact landed on her stitches, causing a sharp, stabbing pain to wash over her body. Rarity bent over, hoping to alleviate the stinging sensation which spread throughout her abdomen. She regretted getting up so quickly, even if it had been for a good reason. A few seconds later, it eased up and allowed her to go after Twilight. Just as she got to the doorway, Rarity grabbed her elbow, ignoring the few feathers that brushed against her skin.

Twilight Sparkle was about to step outside the classroom when she felt something brush past her wings and touch her elbow. It was warm and felt like a hand. Her pulse began to race as she realized how close it was to the bandage covering her lacerations. A few inches lower, and the hand would've sat on top of them. Images of Sunset's hand gripping her arm flashed through Twilight's mind, making her body tremble as she fought to keep her composure. Finally, after a few seconds, the images left her alone, and she managed to look down at the hand. She saw that it was a familiar pale white with dark purple nail polish on its nail. As Twilight moved her gaze upward, she found its owner. It was Rarity, the one she didn't want to talk to, mainly because she knew that Rarity would try to convince her to speak to the girls. And that was something she wanted to avoid.

"What, Rarity?" asked Twilight Sparkle, her voice cold and void of any emotion. "What do you want?"

Rarity pulled her hand back, her eyes wide with shock. She noticed the unusually cold and harsh tone in Twilight's voice. To hear that, it made her step back, unsure if she should've approached her today. Rarity could see that there was no emotion in Twilight's cold eyes as she stared at her. It was like someone else had taken over her friend, leaving nothing of her behind. She saw that Twilight had pursed her lips into a sort of frown as she stood still. Meeting the bookworm's gaze, she noticed that her eyes had a distant look to them, indicating that she had a lot on her mind. As the two girls looked at each other, Rarity could've sworn that she saw a look of betrayal and hurt flash across Twilight's face before her aggressive demeanor returned, hiding it once more. Her heart broke when she saw just how hurt Twilight was because of their actions.

"Sorry for bothering you, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Rarity replied.

"Well, I am not okay, Rarity. You all lied to me, Sunset lied to me…" said Twilight Sparkle as she looked away from the fashionista.

"I know, we're sorry for what we did. We shouldn't have done that," said Rarity.

"You're right. You girls shouldn't have lied to me," said Twilight Sparkle, returning her attention to Rarity. "I have to go now. And I think it's better if you leave me alone as well."

"Okay, Twilight," said Rarity as she glanced back at Applejack. "I guess I will go then."

Rarity watched as the person she thought she knew, walked away without so much as a glance back at her. It hurt to see the damage that had gotten caused by their choice to stand by Sunset. And although they never meant for Twilight to get hurt by it, she could see that there was no taking it back. Not to mention that there was little to no chance that Twilight would ever talk to them after this. Rarity jumped slightly as she felt a hand grip her shoulder. Turning, she found that it was Applejack.

"Twilight didn't want to talk. She seemed really hurt by what we did," said Rarity, her voice strained as she tried to contain the pain which she felt. "She said that it was best that I leave her alone."

Applejack sighed, her hand squeezing Rarity's Shoulder in a tight grip. "I'm sorry, Rare. I know you were just trying to be nice, but maybe Twilight needs her space. We can try to invite her to lunch with us."

"Okay," said Rarity, looking away. "I hope she is willing to sit with us and let us explain everything."

Rarity sounded disappointed, which only broke the cowgirl's heart. Nothing hurt more than to see her generous, caring, and loving girlfriend distressed and worried. Letting her hand fall from Rarity's shoulder, she felt the warmth and softness of Rarity's smooth skin as it made its way down to her hand. Applejack intertwined her fingers with the Rarity's smaller ones as she stepped closer. As she leaned over, she gingerly kissed her cheek.

"I'm sure that Twilight will talk to us… eventually. Give her some time," replied Applejack.

Rarity nodded. Still holding hands, Applejack and Rarity left Miss Cheerilee's classroom, heading to their next class. Leaving behind them was Fluttershy. She was walking in the same direction as Twilight as they both shared the next class. As she entered Mr. Ember's class, she saw Twilight sitting in Sunset's usual seat. That made Fluttershy stop for a moment, wondering if she should walk in. Deciding not to waste time standing outside the classroom and risk getting considered late, she made her way into the room. She sat in the only available seat, which happened to be next to Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight," said Fluttershy as she pulled out her sketchbook. "Do you want to see some of my sketches of the birds in my backyard?"

"First Rarity tries to talk to me, and now Fluttershy is. Can't they see that I just want to be alone?" thought Twilight Sparkle.

"They are your friends, and they want to talk to you. And you are sitting here, criticizing them for trying to be your friends," said Twilight's conscience.

"The girls lied to me; they are not my friends anymore," replied Twilight Sparkle, hoping to end the conversation soon.

"Right. That's why you are having doubts about walking away from the girls and Sunset," said Twilight's conscience, sounding snarky in its remark.

"Fluttershy, I don't-" Twilight Sparkle saw the animal lover's face fall as she spoke. Sighing, she rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "Show me."

With a gleeful squeal, Fluttershy opened her sketchbook. As she flipped through the pages, there were many drawings of animals – all ranging from birds, spiders, pigs, puppies, kittens, rabbits, and horses. There were even a few rough sketches of what the girls would look like as ponies. Picture by picture, Twilight saw Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even Fluttershy herself as a pony. It was intriguing to see her sketch as she still had her signature cat-eye glasses on, which only served to make her look adorable as a pony. When Twilight saw a drawing of a pony labeled Sunset Shimmer, she stopped Fluttershy from moving on to the next one.

"Wait. Is that a picture of Sunset… as a pony?" asked Twilight Sparkle, studying the drawing.

It had no colors, just black, white, and grey, but it was still clear to see it was Sunset. It was just a basic sketch, compared to the rest of the girls' drawings. It seemed like it was unfinished, a work in progress. The mane, though styled a bit differently because it had gotten designed for a pony, still had Sunset's signature wavy hairstyle. It even had the small curly piece of hair that always hung right above Sunset's eyes. Now, it sat around a small horn on top of the redhead's forehead. As Twilight stared at the sketch, she noticed a slightly smudged symbol on the pony's flank. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was the sun symbol that Sunset was always wearing. Seeing that, Twilight looked up at Fluttershy.

"Uh, why does Sunset's pony drawing have that mark on her flank?" asked Twilight Sparkle, pointing to the sun symbol.

Fluttershy looked at what Twilight was pointing at in her sketch. Smiling, she said, "Oh, that's because Sunset said that in Equestria, ponies have marks called 'cutie marks' on their flanks. They represent whatever that pony's talent is or whatever is their passion."

"Wait. What? How does Sunset know that?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Uh, because Sunset said that she comes from a world where she is a pony. And that," Fluttershy pointed to the sun on the paper, "is her cutie mark, at least when she goes back home to Equestria."

"Back home? What do you mean by that, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she tried to figure out what the animal lover was talking about.

Fluttershy gulped. "Sunset is from, uh, Equestria, a land of magical ponies and princesses." She watched as Twilight took her sketchbook and held it up. "Uh, Twilight? Are you alright?"

"So, you're telling me that Sunset is a pony, a unicorn by the looks of the picture? That she was never a part of our world?" Twilight Sparkle asked, still studying the picture. It was shocking to see it and to know that it depicted the truth about the redhead. That wasn't a normal thing to see.

"Yes," replied Fluttershy.

"Wow, Fluttershy. That is both amazing and… shocking. I am surprised that I never knew about this, then again, all of you did lie to me for a whole year. Yet, even knowing that, Sunset acts so much like us that it's almost impossible to realize that she isn't of our world…" Twilight Sparkle trailed off as she recalled all the things that she and Sunset had done together.

"Well, Sunset has been in our world for about three years or so now. So, it makes sense that she would've become accustomed to our world." Fluttershy grabbed her sketchbook back, not wanting the rest of the classroom to see her drawings. "However, don't bring it up around her. She doesn't like to get reminded of her old home."

"Why not?" asked Twilight Sparkle, pulling out her own sketchbook, which had very few drawings. Art… was not her strong suit, not like science or math was.

Fluttershy looked down at her sketchbook. "Sunset doesn't like to be reminded that she had left home for a… reason."

"A reason? What's the reason, Fluttershy?" Twilight Sparkle looked at Fluttershy, wanting an answer.

"Well, Sunset wasn't always the nicest person before. And from what she has told me, she left her home behind in search of something. Yet, she let her desire for whatever it was take over, and that led to her becoming Demon Shimmer. So, it's a painful subject for Sunset to talk about, Twilight," said Fluttershy, trying not to reveal anything that she shouldn't.

"I got that. I won't bring it up around Sunset, for now," said Twilight Sparkle, looking away from the animal lover. "However, I will ask her about it because I deserve to know the truth. And you girls should have been honest with me."

"I am sorry that we hurt you, Twilight. We never meant for that to happen. The girls and I just wanted to respect Sunset's wishes," Fluttershy said, her voice growing quiet as she spoke.

"Yeah, I know. You all have said that to me already. Frankly, I am not sure that I believe you," replied Twilight Sparkle, her harsh tone returning.

"Oh, okay. I think I will leave you alone now," said Fluttershy, no longer wanting to disturb Twilight.

Sitting, pencil in hand, Twilight Sparkle watched as Mr. Ember started the lesson for the day. A few minutes in, she knew that it was going to be a long class. Between Fluttershy's reveal that Sunset had lied to her about another thing and the events of the night before, her mind was beginning to feel tired. Having so many emotions at once was starting to make Twilight have a headache. It didn't surprise her to learn that the redhead had lied about something else, but it was shocking to realize that she wasn't from the same world. And although she didn't care that Sunset initially had been a unicorn, it didn't change anything. She had chosen to conceal her past and dragged the girls down with her. Twilight couldn't get past that, not yet anyway.

"Well, at least this class will distract me from all my problems with Sunset," Twilight Sparkle thought as she started to draw her sketch for the day.

Once she began drawing, Twilight Sparkle got lost in it. She completely tuned out the rest of the classroom, Fluttershy as well. However, she didn't mind that. It was actually a relief to be able to do something relaxing, just to tune out the world and her emotions. Not having to think about what she had said and her choice to push Sunset away, it made Twilight feel like a weight had gotten lifted. As she finished shading in the last of the hair, she sat back and admired her work. Yet, just as she examined her picture, she realized that she had drawn the redhead. There were two versions of her standing next to each other, one that was human and the other that was a pony.

"Great! Even when I think I can get a moment away from Sunset, I can't. She just always seems to be on my mind." Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and closed her sketchbook, not wanting to see the pictures of Sunset any longer.

Just as Twilight closed her sketchbook, the bell rang. As she pushed her book back into her bag, she felt a hand lightly touch her wing. It made her freeze for a moment. The gentle touch was enough to remind her of when Sunset had done the same thing. And it reminded Twilight just how much she missed the soft caress from the redhead. Yet, the situation between them prevented her from having that. She knew that her conscience was right in calling her out, mainly because her actions betrayed the fact that her words were just that; words, with no clear indication that she meant them. Looking, Twilight saw that it was Fluttershy. Sighing, she decided to see what she wanted.

"What, Shy? I don't want to be late for my next class." Twilight Sparkle stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Well, hurry up."

Fluttershy was shocked by the harsh tone that Twilight was using. It was almost like the tone Sunset used to use when she would bully her. However, instead of mentioning that, she just chose to remain quiet. It was better not to anger Twilight any more than she already was. Besides, Fluttershy wasn't in the mood to be yelled at, especially since she had tried to be respectful towards her. Moving her hair behind her ear, she swallowed.

"I… I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn't join us earlier, and you avoided us during Miss Cheerilee's class." Fluttershy's voice was quiet but audible.

"I didn't join you and the girls earlier because I don't want to sit with friends who knowingly lied to me. And did so for a whole fucking year." Twilight Sparkle walked past Fluttershy, purposely bumping into her with her one wing. "I have to go now."

"Okay… bye…" Fluttershy bent down to grab her backpack, but when she looked back at the doorway, Twilight was already gone. She sighed. "I guess she is furious with us."

The next two classes flew by quickly for Twilight Sparkle. After all, science was one of her favorite subjects, second only to math. Plus, Mr. Star was teaching the science class, and he was her favorite teacher besides Ms. Coral, of course. Her English class was not nearly as fun as science was, but then again, Mr. Cranky Doodle was the teacher for that specific class. Twilight wondered why he always seemed to be cranky. Even on a good day, he would be upset as if it was a rainy day, and he had to walk to school. Pushing her thoughts about her teachers aside, Twilight focused back on her assignment. Just as she finished it, she heard the annoying sound of the ringing bell that signaled the end of class. Sighing, she put away her notebook as she handed her paper to Mr. Cranky Doodle as he walked by.

Just as Twilight was getting ready to leave the classroom, she saw the girls walking towards her. Ducking behind a wall, she waited until they walked past. She tried to keep her wings hidden as she didn't want the girls to see her slipping her jacket on. If she could, Twilight wanted to avoid having to talk to them again. Just as they were near her, she heard some of their conversations.

"Twilight said what, dear?" asked Rarity, her voice pitching higher as she spoke the last word.

"Twilight said that she didn't want to sit with friends who lied to her," replied Fluttershy.

"Oh, my," said Rarity as she looked at Applejack. "That doesn't sound very nice."

"That is what Twilight said to me this morning. Man, she is really pissed at us," said Rainbow Dash. "I have never seen her be this harsh towards anyone, not even Spike."

"I just hope Twilight liked the hot peppermint cocoa I made for her," was the last thing Twilight Sparkle heard as the girls walked away from the classroom.

Stepping out from behind the wall, Twilight Sparkle sighed. She knew that the girls would be hurt by her actions towards them. Yet, she didn't expect them to be this hurt by what she had done. Although, in hindsight, she should've expected it. It wasn't like she was very nice… at all. First, with Rarity, Twilight suggested that it was better that the girls leave her alone. Then, with Fluttershy, she blatantly revealed that she didn't want to be near them and that they were liars in her eyes. That was true, but that didn't make Twilight's words any less hurtful.

"Maybe I shouldn't have been as mean to them." Twilight Sparkle walked out of the classroom, heading towards the cafeteria. Thankfully, her class was close to the cafeteria. As she approached the entrance, she spotted them. "But… they did lie to me, even if I was mean about it."

As Twilight walked past the girls, she felt a hand grab her arm and stop her from walking away. Looking, she saw that it was Applejack. As she met the cowgirl's gaze, she a mix of anger and hurt in her emerald eyes. Somehow, the emotions darkened the green in her eyes, despite the luminescent lights all around them. That made Twilight regret her words even more.

"Sugarcube, we're sorry, but you can't keep avoiding us forever," said Applejack, her voice stern yet gentle at the same time.

Twilight Sparkle stayed silent, saying nothing to Applejack.

"Will you at least join us for lunch, please?" Applejack took off her Stetson and held it to her chest. "Please."

Twilight, again, said nothing. Instead, she just yanked her arm free from Applejack's grip and walked away. She couldn't sit with the girls, despite their pleas to do so. As Twilight had said earlier, she couldn't sit with liars, even when those liars were her friends. And it was a struggle to look at them and not think about Sunset. All they did was remind her that her closest friend had betrayed her. Not wanting to deal with that, Twilight sat at a table that wasn't near the girls. She had packed her lunch, so she didn't have to stand in line with them. However, just as she sat down and was about to open her lunch bag, a familiar face joined her.

"Trixie is wondering why you are sitting here instead of over there with your friends. Did something happen?" asked Trixie, setting her lunch tray down and sitting next to Twilight.

"I don't want to talk about it, Trixie," Twilight Sparkle replied, taking a bit of her apple.

"Ooh, now Trixie really wants to know. Do tell," Trixie scooted closer to Twilight. "Trixie won't tell anyone, she promises."

"Trixie, I said I don't want to talk about it! Can't you just drop it?" shouted Twilight Sparkle, her wings pushing against the hoodie as she spoke. "Please…?"

"Oh, but Trixie really does promise to keep it a secret," begged Trixie.

That made Twilight Sparkle look at the magician. She could see that there was genuineness in Trixie's eyes. And that was something that she hadn't seen before. Perhaps there was more to her than Twilight had thought. Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly decided to give the amateur magician a chance. Besides, what could happen? The school already knew about her situation thanks to her, so there wasn't much more damage that could occur.

"Well… if you must know Trixie, the girls and I are having a few trust issues," replied Twilight Sparkle, taking another bite of her apple. "So, that is why I am sitting here, instead of with them."

Trixie's eyes widened as she heard what Twilight said. She realized that Sunset had told her about what happened on Thursday. And that in the process, Twilight realized that the girls had also lied to her because of Sunset. Looking back at the girls, Trixie was shocked by the damage that had gotten caused. Sure, she expected Twilight to be angry; she had a right to feel that way. Yet, to see her push away the ones who had welcomed her, it wasn't the reaction she thought Twilight would've had.

"Wow, and I thought I was dramatic," thought Trixie as she looked back at Twilight.

Trixie remembered the video she had of Sunset transforming into Demon Shimmer. When she had gotten home that night, she had made a copy of it and put it on her phone. Trixie needed to have a second copy just in case the redhead decided to change her mind. Not that she would've been stupid enough to risk her getting attacked by the school. Trixie pulled out her phone, wondering if she should show Twilight the video. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to wait on letting Twilight see it. Grabbing her fork, she gathered some of her spaghetti, wrapping it around the pronged utensil.

Swallowing the spaghetti, Trixie said, "Oh, so you finally found out about the Demon Shimmer incident?"

"The… Demon Shimmer incident? Does the whole school know about what happened to Sunset?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

Trixie twirled her fork in her spaghetti again. "Yep, pretty much. I mean, the whole school did see Sunset transform into Demon Shimmer."

Twilight Sparkle was taken aback by the fact that the whole school knew about Sunset's transformation. Yet, she was kept out of the loop by the redhead herself. That made her regret not noticing all the little things that never added up. And the shock of realizing that an entire school knew about the redhead's past nearly made Twilight miss the magician talking in the first person. It was odd and definitely took her by surprise.

"Hey, what happened to you talking in the third person? Don't you always do that?" asked Twilight Sparkle, calling Trixie out on her slip up.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Talking in the third person is so tiring having to do it all the time. So, occasionally, like right now, I stop. I can only keep it up for the sake of the magic act. Otherwise, it gets too hard."

"Ah, so it's all for the sake of performance, then?" Twilight Sparkle set her apple down, taking a sip of her milk as she waited for Trixie to continue.

"Yep. The Great and Powerful Trixie does have to keep up appearances. But sometimes, it gets too tiring, even for me," replied Trixie. "Now, back to you. So, did you really not know about what happened to Sunset?"

"Yes, I didn't. How did Sunset manage to keep that from me for so long?" asked Twilight, setting her milk down as she stared at Trixie.

"Honestly, I don't know how Sunset did that. But I do know that the girls didn't want to keep it from you. However, for her, they agreed," replied Trixie, taking another bite of her spaghetti.

"Is that true, Trixie?" Twilight Sparkle asked, glancing back at the girls. "Did they really not want to lie to me?"

"Yes, the girls did, especially Applejack. You know her, always one for-"

"Her honesty. Yes, I know that," Twilight Sparkle said, cutting Trixie off.

"Exactly." Trixie took a drink of her milk, having finished half her spaghetti during the course of her conversation with Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle turned back to the magician. "So, I have been wondering about something you did."

"You have?" asked Trixie, almost choking on her milk as she got caught off guard by Twilight's statement. "What have you been wondering about me?"

"Well, when you yanked off my hoodie almost a week ago, you didn't seem scared of me. Yet, everyone else did. So, did you fear me at all, or were you really not scared of me?" Twilight Sparkle's voice had a genuine tone of curiosity to it.

Trixie looked down at the table, poking her spaghetti with her fork. Twilight's question had taken her aback. She wasn't expecting her to ask if she was scared, mostly because she herself didn't know that answer. All the magician could recall from that day was taking off Twilight's hoodie and seeing her look like Midnight Sparkle. Whether she was scared or not, she couldn't remember. The events of that day had escalated quickly, and she didn't want to make a point of keeping that in her memory. Trixie did know one thing; sitting in front of Twilight now, she felt no fear.

"I-I don't know, Twilight. After what happened to you, I didn't make a point of remembering it. I still feel guilty about what I did to you." Trixie took a sip of her milk, not wanting to choke again if Twilight said anything to surprise her.

"Oh, sorry. Well, if it's any consolation, I have forgiven you." Twilight Sparkle started to pack up lunch, knowing that lunch was almost over.

"Thanks, Twilight. I appreciate that, but…" Trixie looked over at the girls, "I think your friends would like to know if you have forgiven them for making a mistake. After all, even I can see that they care. You're lucky to have friends like that, Twilight."

Twilight Sparkle looked down at her arm, pulling up her sleeve and revealing the white bandage over her lacerations. As she stared at it, she wondered if she could ever forgive her friends, Sunset, especially. The lies that she had believed for a whole year had shattered, and that left her questioning the girls' loyalty. It also hurt to know that they had sided with Sunset. And helped her keep the lies up, even if they didn't agree with her choice. However, Twilight remembered what she had said to her back at the Friendship Games.

"And going by my own experiences, they'll forgive you."

How could Twilight not have known that Sunset went through something similar then? It was so evident and right there in front of her. Yet, she still didn't see it because she wanted to believe that Sunset was her friend. Now, that belief was gone thanks to the reveal that Sunset had hidden a part of herself, and likely would've continued to do so if their circumstances hadn't occurred. However, she was right about one thing: the girls did forgive her for what she had done. And that made Twilight consider doing the same for them. Besides, she did miss hanging out and talking with them.

Trixie, curious as to what Twilight was looking at, leaned over. She saw the bandage on her arm and furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's that?" asked Trixie, pointing to the bandage. "Did you get injured?"

Twilight Sparkle quickly pulled down her sleeve, stuffing her lunch back into her bag. She didn't want the magician to see the lacerations caused by Sunset. Yet, Twilight knew it was too late to explain it away. She had seen the bandage and would likely pester her until she got an answer. So, instead of walking away and hoping that Trixie wouldn't follow her, she stayed where she was.

"Yes, I got injured, Trixie," replied Twilight Sparkle.

"Was it because of Sunset and her… changes?" asked Trixie, shifting closer to Twilight.

"Yeah. Wait. You know about what happened to Sunset?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she looked at Trixie. "When did you find out?"

Trixie looked around at the cafeteria, grabbing her phone and pulling it out. "Yes, I know about Sunset's transformation. And I found out about a week ago."

"How did you find out?" Twilight Sparkle gripped the magician's arm. "Did Sunset tell you before me?"

"No… I kind of, um, spied on Sunset when she was in the gym that night. I wanted to have something to blackmail her with, but I realized that I couldn't do that," replied Trixie.

"What? You were there when Sunset had transformed into Demon Shimmer?" asked Twilight Sparkle, loosening her grip on Trixie's arm. "What exactly did you get to blackmail her?"

"Yeah, I was there. And I got a video of Sunset's transformation," said Trixie as she looked at her phone. "But I wish I hadn't recorded it, especially the last part."

"Can I see the video, please?" asked Twilight Sparkle, her curiosity piquing.

Trixie hesitated for a moment before saying, "I shouldn't show you, but I will. I think you need to see what happened to Sunset, especially considering she isn't here. And I think that you need to understand why she chose to keep it from you, at least for the time being."

"Can I see the video now?" asked Twilight Sparkle as she let go of Trixie's arm.

"Yes, but not here," replied Trixie as she slipped her phone back into her pockets as the girls walked past. "We need to get somewhere a bit more private."

Twilight Sparkle slung her backpack over her shoulder as she and Trixie got up. They walked out of the cafeteria, heading towards an empty classroom nearby. The crowds of students had dissipated as most of them had gathered outside. That gave Twilight and Trixie time to get in without being spotted. Besides, neither one wanted the girls to see them and question them about what they were doing. As they entered it, both girls made sure no one was coming in before they locked the door behind them. Trixie sat down in one of the desks and pulled out her phone. Twilight did the same, setting her bag down next to her.

"Show me the video, please," said Twilight Sparkle as she held out her hand for Trixie's phone. "I want to see what Sunset's transformation was like."

"Twilight, you need to know that the video got filmed without Sunset's permission and that it is personal. I invaded her privacy to get it, and I am only showing it to you because I think you need to understand her perspective," said Trixie, pulling out her phone. "You need to know that Sunset never meant to hurt you. She was afraid that you'd reject her as a friend if you knew how she used to be."

"Oh, great. Now you're going to give me that lecture too?" Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes.

"No, what I am saying is that I was there when Sunset was trying to change, becoming the person she is now. And I know that she was afraid to let you see her past because of how ashamed she was of it. And this video," Trixie unlocked her phone and opened her gallery, "is an example of that pain. And while I shouldn't be showing this to you, you need to know about what happened, especially since I have a feeling you're the reason that she isn't here."

"And how is it that you know that?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Mostly because you two are usually together. And yet, Sunset isn't here, you are. That, and the fact that I knew Sunset was scared that you'd react the way you did," replied Trixie.

"Sunset was scared of my reaction to her appearance?" Twilight was surprised to learn that the redhead was afraid to tell her what happened because she feared her reaction to it.

"Yeah, I even have that on video," said Trixie as she clicked on the video and handed her phone to Twilight. "Sunset was seriously frightened of losing you because her appearance had changed. And I guess she had a right to, given how I am here with you instead of her."

Twilight Sparkle grabbed Trixie's phone and pressed play on the video. It was a bit shaky, but she could see Sunset standing in the somewhat lit gym. She watched as Sunset attempted to remove her jacket while yelling in protest to the changes. As the leather jacket got pulled back a bit, she saw the same red skin that Sunset now had, except it hadn't spread all over her body. That reminded Twilight of how her transformation had occurred and how her skin had changed similarly. She was jolted from her thoughts as the redhead let out a scream of agony and fell to her knees. Unable to continue watching, she paused the video and looked at Trixie.

"How the hell did you manage to record this when Sunset was in this much pain?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"I didn't do it without feeling guilty. I shouldn't have invaded Sunset's privacy like that," replied Trixie, looking down at her hands. "Yet, I let my pride and ego get the better of me. I only recorded that video to get back at her for punching me when I exposed you."

"Wow. Also, I am kind of happy Sunset punched you for that. It was hurtful and extremely embarrassing to have you exposing my changes like that," said Twilight as she set Trixie's phone down.

"Hey, I did apologize for that," Trixie said in a playful tone, turning to Twilight.

"I know, but you did deserve at least one punch for that," replied Twilight Sparkle, looking down at the video. "Sunset always supported me, even when I tried to push her away, didn't she?"

"Yep. Everyone can see that Sunset cares for you, even I do," said Trixie. "I am surprised you two aren't dating already given how often you two hang out."

Twilight Sparkle remained silent, trying to ignore her feelings towards Sunset. She didn't want to remember how much she had cared when all it did was get her hurt.

"Anyway, finish the video before someone comes in here and sees us," continued Trixie as she glanced at the locked door. "I don't want to get into trouble again. Besides, I also want you to stop using me as a distraction."

"Wait. How could you tell that I was uncomfortable?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Uh, when have you wanted to talk to me when you have Sunset and the girls?" asked Trixie, placing her hand on her hip. "I mean, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, but you haven't talked to me until now."

"Okay, fine. I am uncomfortable watching this, but it's hard when I now know that Sunset lied to me," replied Twilight as she looked down at the paused video.

"I know. I can't say that I understand how you feel, but I think you should see why Sunset had a hard time letting you know about this part of her," said Trixie. "So, please, watch the video and stop trying to ignore your friends who care about you."

Twilight Sparkle unpaused the video and continued watching it. Looking at the length of the video, she saw that it was a half-hour long. That took her by surprise and made her realize why Trixie was so serious about the video. Her transformation into Midnight Sparkle hadn't taken this long. So, Twilight was shocked to see how long it had taken for Sunset to transform into Demon Shimmer. As she looked at the screen, she saw Sunset's leathery wings burst out from her leather jacket. The sight reminded her of her own experiences and made her want to look away. Yet, she forced herself to keep watching the video, knowing that she had to try and understand Sunset's side of things.

"I didn't realize that it took this long for Sunset to transform into Demon Shimmer…" thought Twilight Sparkle as she heard the cries of pain emanating from the redhead. "No wonder she was so hesitant to let me see what happened."

As the video continued, Twilight saw Sunset tentatively touch her wings, almost as if she was hoping that they weren't there. That made her recall the time she had touched them when she had gotten a ride home from the redhead. She could still remember how sturdy they felt, and even the fabric couldn't hide the fact that they were leathery. A part of Twilight wondered what they would've felt like if she had taken the chance to touch them when Sunset showed them to her.

"Why did I have to run away like a coward from my friend?" thought Twilight as guilt began to wash over her.

As she sat there, Twilight remembered the worried look in Sunset's eyes. That look haunted her, never letting her forget that her actions had done some damage to Sunset. She was unable to pull herself away from the screen as she saw Sunset huddle into a ball. Her eyes started to brim with unshed tears as she struggled to keep herself from crying. Twilight could see now why Trixie regretted recording Sunset; it was very personal. She couldn't ignore the redhead's suffering, especially when it mirrored her own. As she heard the echoing sobs coming from Sunset, a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Was Sunset's transformation that painful and traumatic for her? Does she still hate this part of herself?" Twilight Sparkle asked herself, wiping the tear off her cheek.

Twilight watched Sunset as she stayed huddled on the floor crying, trying to keep her composure. Seeing her act unlike her usual confident self made Twilight realize that Sunset was just as vulnerable as she had been after her transformation. It also forced her to remember how the redhead had a similar demeanor when she revealed the changes to her. The image of her sitting in the window seat had gotten ingrained in Twilight's head, and she looked as vulnerable there as she did in the video. And it began to dawn on her that she had taken advantage of the situation and deliberately hurt Sunset.

"I said Sunset was the monster, but what if it was me? What if I was the monster, not her?" thought Twilight Sparkle as she paused the video for a moment.

"Oh, now we're acknowledging the fact you are a monster?" asked Twilight's conscience.

"I am not acknowledging that just questioning if maybe I was wrong for saying what I did," replied Twilight Sparkle, annoyed that her conscience had come back.

"Ah, you're still a hypocritical bitch, I see. Well, try to gain some insight from the video, or at least some compassion for what Sunset endured," Twilight's inner voice said before going silent.

"Was I wrong to push Sunset away? She did come over and allow me to see her as Demon Shimmer, despite my obvious and hurtful reaction to it. And I did break a promise to her…" The thought swarmed in Twilight Sparkle's head as she continued watching the video.

After a few seconds had passed, Twilight noticed that Sunset was reaching a hand up towards her ear. Upon closer inspection, she saw that her ears had begun to shift, taking on the same red hue that had spread over Sunset's body. She continued watching as Sunset touched her ear, resulting in her cutting it and letting out a pained cry. The sound made Twilight grip her bandaged arm as memories of Sunset's claws on her flashed in her mind. She knew first hand how sharp they could be and the damage they can cause.

"Gah! Sunset, why did you have to grab me? Couldn't you let me run away from you? Why did I have to get injured because you couldn't stand me being afraid of you?" thought Twilight Sparkle as she pulled her hand away.

"Would you listen to yourself, you hypocrite? Sunset didn't want to run away because she was afraid to lose you. If you had paid any attention, you'd know that Sunset wanted you to see that she was still herself, despite the recent change of appearance," said Twilight's conscience. "Are you seriously so in denial that you can't see that she didn't want you to push her away? That Sunset didn't want the person she loves to reject her because of her past?"

Twilight Sparkle remained silent.

"I rest my case. Just watch the video and try to find your ability to be kind again. I think you lost it when you became a complete and utter bitch to the people closest to you," was the last thing Twilight's conscience said.

However, just as Twilight's thoughts began to drift, her attention had gotten back to the video. She noticed that Sunset had now hunched over, and was clutching her abdomen as a barely audible groan escaped from her. Sweat drenched her shirt and allowed Twilight to see the physical changes that were occurring. And that made her realize the sheer amount of pain Sunset was enduring in the video. Sure, her transformation back into Midnight Sparkle was reasonably painful. Yet, it was not nearly as bad as what the redhead was going through. And that made Twilight feel even worse for how she had treated her.

"No wonder Sunset was scared to show me everything. If I had endured this kind of pain, I don't think I would've told the girls either. And I guess I didn't make it any better becoming afraid of her as soon as I saw the changes…." thought Twilight Sparkle, cringing as she recalled her actions from the night before.

Twilight's stomach tightened as she watched the redhead lay down on the floor, unfurling her wings. Watching that made Twilight recall when she had removed her hoodie and allowed her to see the leathery appendages. The image of them stretching to their full size in front of her still made Twilight shudder every time she thought about it. And the video did little justice to show the massive size of Sunset's wings when she saw them in front of her. She understood how the moniker 'Demon Shimmer' had stuck and why it did.

"I can see why Sunset wanted me to remember that she was still herself, despite the changes. Yet, I can't get past how frightening she looks now…" Twilight Sparkle's wings shifted inside her hoodie, making Trixie shift in the chair next to her.

Shaking her head, Twilight tried to focus on the video as Sunset sat up, covering her mouth in the process. The action made Twilight realize what change was happening next; her fangs. As she heard the redhead let out a scream from the agony she was feeling, she jumped in her chair and nearly knocked Trixie's phone off the desk. However, she managed to regain her composure and placed the phone back to its original position. Twilight paused the video and glanced over at the magician, seeing that she had turned her back to her.

"Wow, I have never seen Trixie like this. She must regret recording this video," thought Twilight Sparkle as she returned her attention to the video and unpaused it.

The video got a bit shaky as Twilight heard Trixie back away quickly. Ignoring the brief wave of nausea that hit her, she continued watching it. Sunset let out another scream of agony, and that caused Twilight to flinch away. Her heart ached as she saw the emotional and physical pain that Sunset was going through increase. A small part of her wanted to stop watching and walk away from the video before she saw the end of it. Yet, something in her kept glued to the chair, unable to move away.

"I have to see the video. It's the least I can do for Sunset. After all, I didn't exactly give her a chance to explain anything. I was a horrible person, wasn't I?" thought Twilight Sparkle as she watched Sunset scream again as the red color spread to her face.

"Yes," replied Twilight's conscience.

Twilight remained silent as she heard Sunset beg for the transformation to stop. She saw Sunset touch the small of her back, just above her tailbone. She watched as the red and yellow-colored tail slowly appeared. When Sunset reached out a hand and touched her tail, Twilight could see that she didn't want it to be real. And that was something she understood, given her transformation.

"Sunset didn't want this to happen; she wanted to stop it. Just like I did…" Twilight Sparkle looked down at her bandage for a moment, another tear making its way down the side of her face.

As the video zoomed out from Sunset, Twilight saw her wings fold up against her back as she attempted to get back on her feet. She could see Sunset's legs trembling as she struggled to stand up. That caused a quiet sob to slip from her lips as she lost her composure for a moment. Sitting here, watching a very personal video of Sunset, it was starting to take a toll on Twilight's conscience and ability to ignore the fact that she hadn't been a good friend. She covered her mouth and tried to stifle her building sobs.

"Let yourself feel the pain, the guilt, the regret, Twilight. You hurt the person you love, and now you see that she suffered in ways that you weren't aware of. Acknowledge that Sunset is someone you care about and that you want to forgive her," said Twilight's conscience, forcing the emotions that she didn't want to feel up to the surface. "I know that you want to be with Sunset, but you have to accept that you didn't treat her right when she tried to be vulnerable with you."

Twilight watched as Sunset staggered weakly to the girls' locker room. The swinging motion of the video nearly brought back Twilight's nausea, but she managed to keep her stomach under control. She kept her eyes on the screen as she saw the camera pan up from the ground towards the bathroom mirrors. However, as she saw Sunset's reflection in the mirror, she jumped out of the chair. The sight of Sunset's eyes changing was too much for Twilight, and she needed to get away from it. She ran over to the door and was about to unlock it when she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Twilight, wait. You need to see the rest of the video," said Trixie as she tightened her grip on Twilight's arm.

"I can't see anymore, it's too much for me," replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice quivering as she glanced over at the phone.

"You need to see the end of the video, Twilight. There is something that Sunset says that you need to hear," said Trixie, hoping to get Twilight to stay.

Twilight Sparkle turned and looked at Trixie. "I-I am not sure I can continue watching, Trixie. I can't stand watching Sunset suffer, knowing what I did and said to her."

"Twilight, I recorded that video to spite Sunset, to blackmail her. Yet, she made me realize that I was wrong. And I am letting you see the video because I want you to hear what she said that night," said Trixie, pulling Twilight towards her phone.

"Trixie, I can't-"

Trixie let go of Twilight as she grabbed her phone and skipped to the part where Sunset spoke. "Here, watch this."

Twilight Sparkle reluctantly pressed play on the video and listened to Sunset said in the video.

"Oh, Celestia! Please, don't let Twilight be frightened of me. I can't take losing her to the disgusting monster that I am now…" said Sunset Shimmer.

The phone trembled in Twilight's hand as she listened further.

"No! I can't do that! If Twilight sees this, she'll push me away forever. And if I lose her, I am not sure that I can accept that," said Sunset Shimmer, her head lowering as she looked down at her claws. "She'll never look at me the same after she sees this side of me."

Tears slowly streamed down Twilight's face as she heard the last thing Trixie recorded of Sunset.

"Nobody will ever look at me again… Twilight will never be able to see past this monster I have become. I am too frightening for her to be able to do that…"

Hearing that Sunset thought she was too frightening almost made Twilight drop Trixie's phone. She felt hurt by the fact that Sunset hadn't trusted her to see past the changes. Yet, she couldn't deny that her actions proved the redhead right. Twilight stared at the image of her standing in front of the mirror; her head turned away from her reflection. Seeing Sunset look so worried, so terrified, it made Twilight understand why she looked hurt by her reaction to her appearance. It was apparent now that she had confirmed the redhead's worst fears, and pushed her away when she tried to apologize. She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize Trixie's phone was beginning to slip from her hand. Luckily, she managed to hand it back to the magician before she dropped it.

"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Trixie, putting her phone back into her pocket.

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses as she grabbed her backpack. "I-I have to go."

"Twilight, wait. I called Sunset a monster when I confronted her that night. I was wrong, so please don't call her that. Don't make the same mistake I did when I tried to get back at her," said Trixie as she met Twilight's gaze. "Sunset cares for you, and she just wants you to accept this part of her."

Twilight Sparkle remained silent.

"Look, all I am saying is listen to Sunset and allow her to explain why she kept her demonic self from you. Just give her a chance, Twilight," said Trixie. "Do you think that's something you can do for her?"

"I-I don't know, Trixie," replied Twilight Sparkle before opening the door and walking out of the classroom.

Finally, the school day was beginning to come to an end. And Ms. Coral's class was easier to bear now that she and Ms. Coral had talked yesterday. It was nice to have at least one teacher not feeling uncomfortable or nervous around her, especially since she wanted to speak to her after class. Twilight wanted someone to help her decide what she should do about the girls. It was something that she couldn't do alone, and her mother was out of the question. She didn't want to involve her mother because she didn't want to expose Sunset's situation to anyone else. And Twilight wasn't sure how she would react to knowing that Sunset was also a she-demon like herself. As the bell rang, and the students exited the classroom, she walked up to Ms. Coral's desk.

"Ms. Coral?" Twilight Sparkle shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Can I ask you a question?"

Ms. Coral stopped looking at the stack of assignments she had to grade and met Twilight's worried gaze. She pushed her chair out and walked in front of her desk, leaning against the edge.

"Sure. What is it, Twilight?" asked Ms. Coral, her eyes showing her concern.

"Well… I just found out that my friends were lying to me. And because of that, I have been avoiding them. However, someone reminded me that they once forgave me for… you know," replied Twilight Sparkle.

"I do know. So, you're wondering if you should forgive your friends?" asked Ms. Coral.

"Yes, I am not sure what to do. I was hoping you could help me decide." Twilight looked down, still embarrassed. "Would you mind helping me, please?"

Ms. Coral was about to speak when she saw Twilight's friends approaching her classroom. She could see that their expressions ranged from hurt to confused. It was apparent that they were worried about Twilight. Standing up, she walked behind her desk and took a seat in her chair. As Ms. Coral sat down, she met the cowgirl's gaze. That made her realize that the girls wanted to talk to Twilight. Sighing, she looked back at her student.

"I will offer you a piece of advice that someone once told me." Ms. Coral glanced briefly at the girls. "They told me that if your friends really care about you, they will not intentionally hurt you."

"So, you're saying…" Twilight Sparkle looked up. "That my friends do care about me?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying because if your friends do make a mistake, they'll try their hardest to fix it," said Ms. Coral.

"So, what you're saying is that if the girls made a mistake, they'd try to fix it?" asked Twilight Sparkle, remembering how Sunset had tried to do the same with her.

"Yep." Ms. Coral walked out from behind her desk and over to the girls. "And it looks like your friends are here to make amends for what they did."

Twilight Sparkle turned to see that the girls were standing in the doorway. For a moment, she and Applejack met each other's gaze. The cowgirl conveyed an 'I'm sorry' look in her emerald eyes that only made Twilight wish she hadn't acted so harshly. Looking at Rarity, she could see that she was holding tightly onto the cowgirl's hand. Sunset momentarily crossed her mind as she recalled the party at Applejack's farm. Twilight's wings tensed inside of her hoodie as her mind replayed Sunset's hand resting over hers. However, before the memory could play out further, she pushed it aside. As she looked behind Rarity, Twilight saw Fluttershy looking at her, allowing her to see the pain in her cyan eyes.

"Maybe I was a bit harsh towards Fluttershy and the girls. After all, Fluttershy was just trying to be nice," thought Twilight Sparkle.

"And you were also extremely harsh towards Sunset. Don't forget that," added Twilight's conscience.

Sighing, Twilight Sparkle ignored her conscience and walked over to the girls.

"So, how long have you been standing there?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

"Long enough to hear that you're considering forgiving us," said Rarity, managing a weak smile.

"Yes… I am," replied Twilight Sparkle, looking at Ms. Coral.

Ms. Coral got the hint. "I have to run some errands. So, I will leave you girls to discuss your private matters here."

Ms. Coral walked out of her classroom, heading down the hall before making a left and disappearing from the view of the girls. After Ms. Coral left, the girls walked into the classroom, with Pinkie Pie closing the door behind them. Applejack was the first to approach Twilight, letting go of Rarity's hand.

"Why did you avoid us? Was it because we lied about Sunset?" asked Applejack, her voice stern yet gentle.

"Yes. Why did you girls not tell me?" Twilight Sparkle looked at the cowgirl, her eyes showing her hurt and betrayal. "Why did you girls tell Spike, but not me…?"

Applejack sighed. "Sugarcube, we didn't want to lie to you."

"Then why did you?!" shouted Twilight Sparkle, her glasses momentarily becoming flames as her hands balled into fists. "Why did you lie to me about Sunset?"

"We did it for Sunset because we thought she would tell you herself. But we see now that it was a mistake," said Rarity, stepping up to Applejack, resting a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. "We're sorry."

"How come you told Spike about what happened?" asked Twilight Sparkle, sounding a bit calmer.

"We didn't mean to tell Spike. He overheard us, and Sunset was the one who decided to tell him," replied Fluttershy, coming out from behind Rarity. "We were discussing telling you when he walked up."

"You were planning to tell me? Then, why didn't you? Because Sunset wanted you to? Because she was scared of losing me?" Twilight removed her hoodie and let her wings wrap around herself. For once, it was a comfort to have them.

"Well… yes," said Pinkie Pie as her hair lost its usual bounce and curliness. "We tried to convince Sunset that she should tell you the truth."

"Yet, that didn't work, did it? Because I saw what Sunset looks like, and it was…" Twilight trailed off, not sure if scary was the right word.

"Terrifying? Shocking?" said Fluttershy as she made her way towards Twilight. She stopped short when she noticed her backing away. "That's how I felt when I saw what had happened to Sunset last night. But… I faced my fears and was able to see past her, um, changes."

"Wait. You were scared of Sunset? All of you?" Twilight Sparkle saw the Fluttershy nod in response. She looked at the rest of the girls, shocked to hear that they hadn't reacted well to Sunset's transformation.

"Yes, we were all scared of Sunset… at first. Then, we realized that she was still herself. That she was still Sunset, no matter what her appearance is now," replied Rarity.

"I… don't doubt that. But…" Twilight Sparkle's hand came to her arm, resting above the bandage. "Sunset, she…" She couldn't finish her sentence; it was too painful.

"What did Sunset do?" Applejack approached Twilight, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from her arm. "What happened to you?"

"Sunset…" Twilight looked down at her arm, debating whether she should show the girls the lacerations. Deciding it was going to get revealed anyway, she turned her arm and allowed them to see the bandage, saying, "She injured me last night."

Applejack stared wide-eyed at the red-tinged bandage on Twilight's arm. There were five faint lines of blood going across it. As she looked at her friend's arm, she saw that the bandage nearly covered her whole forearm. That made the cowgirl sick to her stomach, not wanting to imagine what lay beneath the bandage. Covering her mouth, she glanced at Rainbow Dash, who was also looking back at her. She could see the disgust and shock that was present in the rainbow-haired girl's eyes.

"Sunset did… what?!" asked Rainbow Dash, turning to Twilight, wanting to make sure that she heard her correctly.

"Sunset… uh, injured me, but-"

"Sunset injured you?! That's it. I'm going to find her and give her a piece of my mind," Rainbow Dash said as she stormed towards the door, her expression unreadable, despite the angry tone in her voice.

"So much for Sunset not being Demon Shimmer like she said…" thought Rainbow Dash as she sped off down the hallway.

"Dash, wait! Twilight didn't say if Sunset was Dem-" shouted Applejack, but it was no use. Rainbow Dash had sped, heading to her bike. "Great! I guess someone has to follow her and make sure she doesn't overdo it with Sunset, even if she is Demon Shimmer again."

"Why does Rainbow Dash always have to jump to conclusions…?" thought Applejack as she returned her attention to the rest of the girls.

The cowgirl gave Rarity a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be back, assuming Dash hasn't done somethin' drastic. If I need you girls, I will text you."

"Wait, Apple-" Twilight Sparkle didn't have time to finish her sentence as she watched Applejack follow Rainbow Dash, heading to her truck. "It wasn't like that…"

Phantom Mistakes

Back in her apartment, Sunset Shimmer was sleeping on her bed with the covers tangled around her feet. There were a bunch of used tissues and tissue boxes strewn about her room. The air also had the scent of her strawberry shampoo and slightly burnt pizza, which resulted from her attempt to make a quick dinner. And by the foot of her bed was her leather jacket sitting in a crumpled heap. She had pulled it out of her closet and examined the tears on the back. Yet, despite her hope that she could fix it, Sunset could see that the damage was too significant. So, she just abandoned it at the end of her bed and decided to get some sleep.

As the afternoon sun began to set, the light shone through Sunset’s bedroom window. Disturbed by the bright light in her eyes, Sunset shifted in her bed, turning away from it. She didn’t want her sleep to be bothered, not when her waking reality only reminded her of what she had done. Her thoughts drifted to Twilight and the frightened look on her face. It had gotten seared into her memory, making Sunset wish that she hadn’t let the person she cared the most about see her appearance. She fell into a deep sleep, her mind wandering back to her dream with Twilight.

As Sunset Shimmer was sitting on her couch, she looked over at the kitchen. There, standing by the counter, was Twilight Sparkle. When she looked at her friend, she noticed that she didn’t look like Midnight Sparkle. She appeared her usual self again, with her hair in a ponytail. No wings, no tail, no fangs, and the same violet eyes that she had before the transformation. That prompted Sunset to look at herself. Looking at her arm, she saw that her skin wasn’t red anymore, and her fingers weren’t claws. It was like she had returned to her usual self — just an ordinary human, instead of being a she-demon. Meeting Twilight’s gaze again, she saw her smile at her, making Sunset smile back.

“Hey, Sparky. How is lunch coming?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh, it’s coming out great. But I am sorry for the bloody mess on your floor,” replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice becoming slightly distorted.

“Bloody mess....? That is odd. Why would Twilight say that…?” Sunset Shimmer made her way to the kitchen, wanting to know what Twilight meant. “What the…”

A massive pool of blood stopped the redhead from speaking. As she saw the pool of blood slowly growing and spreading across her floor, she gasped. It was bright red, staining her floor pink as small rivers of the liquid trailed off the main pool of the reflective, ruby liquid. As Sunset stared at the puddle of red fluid, she saw more of the metallic scented substance dripping into it. She looked at Twilight and saw the source of the blood. Just like she feared, five scratches were forming in front of her, running the length of Twilight’s forearm.

“No… nonono… that can’t-”

“Oh, but Sunset, it is!” exclaimed Twilight Sparkle as her skin darkened, and her wings sprouted from her back. “And you… are the cause of it. See?”

Sunset Shimmer felt Twilight grab her wrist as a familiar burning sensation spread across her skin. Reluctantly, she looked down at her hand. And what she saw confirmed her worst fears. Her skin, like before, was becoming red as her fingers became claws once more. The sight was enough to make her stomach churn and twist as her gag reflex kicked in. And the smell of the red metallic substance wasn’t helping much. As her transformation finished with her hands, they started to drip fresh blood as if she had just scratched Twilight. However, Sunset’s attention had gotten drawn away from the blood dripping off of her as she felt her shoulder blades sting.

“Twili-Ah!” Sunset Shimmer got cut off as she felt one of her wings force its way out of her skin, causing a trail of blood to run down her back. “Please… stop.”

“But, Sunset…” Twilight Sparkle pleaded, pouting with her lower lip quivering. “Don’t you want to see the monster you really are? To feel the power coursing through your veins?”

Sunset pulled her wrist free from Twilight’s grip. Yet, it did nothing to stop her changes as her second wing popped free from her skin. Feeling two trails of blood running down her back, Sunset placed her hand near the base of her one wing. She felt the warm liquid seeping through her shirt and coating her hands as she applied a bit of pressure. Pushing a bit harder on her back, she found that she felt no pain where her wings had broken through her skin. It was as if she was no longer human. Pulling her hand away, she saw that it was coated in blood, though it was hard to see how much with her skin having gotten changed to a red color. Panicking, Sunset looked at Twilight, who was laughing at her.

“What the hell did you do to me? Why would you make me this… this monster?!” screamed Sunset Shimmer, staggering away from Twilight Sparkle.

“I didn’t do this to you, Sunset. You did this to yourself. Only you…” said Twilight Sparkle as she placed a finger under Sunset’s chin. “Doesn’t it feel great to have that power again? To have the ability to hurt and kill those so-called ‘friends’ of yours?”

The redhead was disgusted by what she was hearing. This wasn’t Twilight; it couldn’t be. Twilight would never have said things like this. Running out of her kitchen, Sunset darted for the front door. She needed to get some distance between herself and Twilight before anything else happened. However, just as she made it past her couch, Twilight landed in front of her, her wings knocking a few pictures over in the process. Sunset watched in horror as the image of her, and the girls at camp Everfree fell from the wall, making the glass shatter as it hit the floor.

“No! I am not going to hurt our friends! I won’t be the monster you want me to,” replied Sunset Shimmer, letting out a low growl.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the picture as she picked it up. “Are you seriously going to deny the truth? These girls are not our friends, not when they could barely accept us when they saw the monsters we both are.”

“Why are you acting like this, Twilight? Those girls are your friends too, and they did accept us.” Sunset Shimmer hoped her words would get through to Twilight Sparkle.

“The girls did that only after they feared us and viewed us as though we were the enemy. They hate that we’re she-demons. And they’ll never fully understand or accept us because of that,” said Twilight Sparkle as she crumpled the picture, tossing it to the ground.

“The girls are your friends, Twilight. They care about us,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice calm, but her panic still shone through. “I care about you!”

“My… friends?! Ha, is that the best you can do, Demon Shimmer? They were never our friends. And as for you…” Twilight Sparkle stepped closer to Sunset Shimmer, closing the space between them. “You were never my friend. You were always a monster, Shimmer. Even if you always believed your own lies.”

Shocked by being called Demon Shimmer, the redhead pushed Twilight away from her aching body. “No, you’re lying. I am your friend, not a monster.”

Twilight Sparkle growled, forming a ball of magic and blasting it towards Sunset’s couch. Sunset Shimmer dove out of the way, landing on the floor just as her couch got obliterated.

“What the fuck, Twilight?! I know you’re angry at me, but that was my couch!” Sunset propped herself up on her elbows, still sore from throwing herself to the side.

“Angry?! I am not just angry, Shimmer. I am… hurt…” Twilight’s voice quivered as she spoke the last word, revealing that she was hiding her real feelings.

“Twilight…” Sunset kept her voice calm as she met Twilight’s eyes.

“If you’re not a monster, then why did you do this to me?! Me, of all people, Sunset?!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as she Sunset a clear view of the lacerations on her forearm. “This… hurt like hell. And yet, you didn’t listen to me when I begged you to let go of me. You kept your hand on me because you’re scared of me running away. And you forced me to yank my arm free, causing these marks to form…”

Sunset Shimmer started to cry as she heard Twilight Sparkle’s words. Somehow, her friend knew exactly what to say to cut away at the barrier she had put up. It was like Twilight was no longer herself but instead had become Midnight Sparkle. And gone was the person she loved and adored. As Sunset looked at her, she caught sight of Twilight’s glasses getting enveloped in blue flames for a split second. Then, the flames disappeared, and the glasses returned.

“What the…? Why did your glasses just become-”

“Flames? They did that because I am not entirely Twilight. I am Midnight Sparkle, as you have so affectionately named me. I am the demonic part of her that had gotten created during the Friendship Games,” said Twilight Sparkle, cutting off Sunset Shimmer. She smiled as her lips curled into an evil sneer.

“Wait, so you’re Twilight’s demonic side, and you’re a part of her?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yes, I am Twilight, and she is me. Just like you are both Sunset Shimmer and,” Twilight Sparkle approached the redhead, kneeling in front of her, “Demon Shimmer.”

Tw-Twilight-” began Sunset Shimmer before she found herself pounced on by Twilight, or rather, as she wanted Sunset to call her now – Midnight Sparkle.

As Twilight Sparkle jumped on the redhead in the dream, her body twitched, causing her to become more entangled in the blanket. As she shifted in her bed, she tightly gripped the sheets as sweat coated her skin. It was evident that the nightmare was having its effects on her. Sunset began to tremble a little as her fear spiked.

Meanwhile, outside of Sunset Shimmer’s apartment, a familiar-looking bike drove up to where Sunset had parked her bike. Rainbow Dash, having been there many times, knew that she was a heavy sleeper, especially when she was exhausted. She turned off the engine and removed her keys as she kicked out the kickstand, swinging her leg over her bike. As Rainbow Dash took off her helmet, she set it down on the handlebars. The apartment loomed over her like a skyscraper in a crowded city. It was enough to make her question if she was doing the right thing. However, she steeled her nerves and sped over to the door, not wanting to wait any longer. Rainbow Dash didn’t want to risk the voice in her head convincing her to stop.

“Sunset better be awake. I want to kick her ass for harming Twilight like that,” thought Rainbow Dash as she stood in front of the door.

Rainbow Dash shuddered as she recalled the image of the five red stripes running down the gauze. Instinctively, she grabbed her forearm as she felt the phantom pain of the injuries. She felt the faintest sensation of warm blood running down her arm as she felt her skin getting sliced open. As Rainbow Dash dug her fingers into her skin, it made the feeling of claw tips digging into her all the more real. The tighter she gripped her arm, the more tangible the sensations became. Glancing down, she removed her hand to see that it was all inside her head. There was no blood, no lacerations, just five fingernail marks of her own making. She sighed and raised her hand to the door.

Knocking three times, Rainbow Dash said, “Sunset, open up. We need to talk. Now!”

Nothing happened.

“Sunset, dammit! Get out of bed!” shouted Rainbow Dash, pounding heavily against the door.

As the athlete stood by the door, she heard a truck pull up to the apartment. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that it was an orange pickup truck with the words ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ printed on the doors. She sighed, knowing full well who was driving the truck. Crossing her arms across her chest, Rainbow Dash turned to face her friend.

“What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked as Applejack climbed out of her truck.

Rolling her eyes, Applejack closed the door and walked over to where Rainbow Dash was standing. “I am here to make sure that you don’t do something stupid to Sunset.”

“Oh, like that could ever happen. Besides, Sunset isn’t our friend right now. Until I see otherwise, she is Demon Shimmer to me.” Rainbow Dash turned away from Applejack, jiggling the doorknob, making the lock click open. “Good thing she didn’t change the faulty lock.”

“Sunset will now after she sees you breakin’ into her apartment, Dash. And she still is our friend, not Demon Shimmer,” said Applejack as she followed Rainbow Dash into Sunset’s apartment.

Sunset Shimmer, still lost in her dream, was unaware of Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s presence in her apartment. She was still gripping the bedsheets as if they would somehow save her. And by now, she was drenched in sweat, with a small pool forming around her. Her blanket had gotten tossed off the bed as she kicked her feet around in her sleep. Her dream was growing in intensity, becoming a nightmare in all definitions of it. And her fear was growing alongside the nightmare as she struggled to fight against it.

“Demon Shimmer, get back here! I have not finished with you!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as she pushed herself off the floor.

Sunset had taken to hiding underneath her bed, gulping as she heard Twilight stomp up the stairs. She knew that it was probably the wrong choice. Every horror movie showed that it often wasn’t a great place to go. Yet, this was different from a film. She wasn’t in a movie; she was in real life. And Twilight wasn’t some actress on the cinematic screen just acting out her part. However, there was some part of Sunset that hoped maybe she could be safe under the bed. And perhaps there was a chance Twilight would look underneath it. As she looked at the stairs, she saw Twilight paused at the second to last step. Sunset held her breath as she watched her bend down a little and meet her gaze.

“Crap! Twilight knows I am here!” thought Sunset Shimmer as she saw Twilight’s shoes approach her bed.

Bending down on her knees, Twilight Sparkle peered underneath the bed. “Seriously, Sunset? The classic hide-under-the-bed horror cliché? I thought you were better than that…”

Sunset Shimmer scooted further away. “Twilight, please! I know this isn’t you!”

Twilight Sparkle growled, baring her sharp fangs as she did so. Losing all her patience with Sunset, she grabbed her arm and pulled her out from under the bed. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the same strength as Applejack, which made it a challenge for her. But that didn’t matter to Twilight at the moment. She wanted to make the redhead see the monster that she was on the inside. Still struggling, she managed to get her away from the bed and anything that she could use as a weapon.

“Sunset! Wake up!” shouted Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer, suddenly confused by Twilight telling her to wake up, staggered away from her.

“Wake the fuck up!” screamed Twilight Sparkle, raising her voice.

“Wait… your voice… it sounds like….” Sunset Shimmer said as Twilight began to become blurry and the edges of vision darkened.

As Sunset Shimmer blinked, she found that she was no longer in her dream. Now, she was lying in her bed with Rainbow Dash glaring at her. Squinting in the bright afternoon sunlight, she met her rainbow-haired friend’s gaze.

“R-Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?” asked Sunset Shimmer, still dazed from her nightmare.

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash said, “I’m here because you injured Twilight, Demon Shimmer.”

“D-Demon Shimmer?! What the-” Sunset Shimmer didn’t get to finish as she felt herself getting lifted and thrown against the wall.

As her back hit the wall, Sunset felt her breath leave her body. Her wings had taken some of the blow, making her shoulder blades hurt in the process. Coughing, she tried to push herself back up, but a kick to her stomach stopped her. As Rainbow Dash’s foot slammed into her abdomen, Sunset coughed even harder, her lips getting speckled with blood. Her arm ached from the scratches that she had reluctantly bandaged up. It wasn’t easy for her to tend to the lacerations, especially when she knew that Twilight had suffered the same type of injury. Just as she recalled the memory of Twilight’s arm bleeding, she felt her legs buckle beneath her. Sunset’s hands held onto the wall as she tried to stand back up.

“What the hell, Rainbow?!” asked Sunset Shimmer as she struggled to get back on her feet. “Why did you do that?”

However, just as the redhead got to her feet, she felt Rainbow Dash’s arm across her chest. That kept her pinned against the wall as she tried not to wince in pain. The pressure of having someone pushing against the hard surface was making her arm throb where her lacerations were. Looking down at the arm, Sunset saw that it was Rainbow Dash’s injured arm.

“Why’d you do it, Demon Shimmer? Why’d you injure Twilight like that?” asked Rainbow Dash, keeping her voice low.

“Dash, I-” Sunset Shimmer tried to respond, but she was met with a fist to her mouth, cutting her lip. “Please… stop…” begged Sunset, tasting the blood from her lip as it spilled into her mouth.

“No! You injured Twilight! You made her avoid us and treat us like we were the enemy!” shouted Rainbow Dash, her voice changing as she struggled to keep her anger in control. Despite her hand hurting from the first punch, she didn’t care.

Sunset Shimmer went to speak, but she got stopped as she felt a knee impact her chest, knocking the wind out of her… again. Bending over, she clutched her stomach. As she struggled for her breath, she saw a fist heading for her head. Before she had a chance to react, Sunset felt it hit her eye, knocking her back to her knees. There was a painful throbbing around her eye socket as she felt Rainbow Dash’s knuckles land a blow. The skin around her eye slowly began to swell as she watched her vision getting tinged red with blood. Sunset rested one hand on the floor, trying to keep her balance as she held her other hand over her injured eye.

“W-why did you do that, Dash?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking at her friend with her one good eye.

“Because… I saw the injuries you gave Twilight. She had five cuts, Sunset. Five. Cuts!” screamed Rainbow Dash, her hand balling into a fist as she spoke. “How could you do that to her…?”

Rainbow Dash stomped over to where the redhead was kneeling. Lifting her foot, she landed another blow to her abdomen. This time, Sunset completely fell, curling into the fetal position in front of her. That didn’t even make Rainbow Dash blink. All she felt was a red-hot burning rage pumping through her veins. Her friend, now lying on the floor, had injured the one person who had endured a similar experience. And although she hadn’t seen the lacerations herself, she had a sinking feeling there would be horrible scarring. All because of the redhead who was sitting in front of her.

“I’m so sorry,” said Sunset Shimmer, her wings wrapping around her injured body. “I-I didn’t mean to…”

“Oh, shut the fuck up, Demon Shimmer. Your apology came too late, and the damage is done. And you’ll be lucky if Twilight decides to even look at you.” Rainbow Dash punched Sunset in the arm, right where the self-inflicted lacerations were. It was hard enough to leave a bruise. “You are truly a monster.”

“Rainbow Dash, that isn’t okay!” shouted Applejack as she made her way up the stairs.

When she got to the top, the cowgirl stopped dead in her tracks. The sight of a bloody and bruised Sunset Shimmer curled into the fetal position had shocked the cowgirl. She met Sunset’s teary-eyed and fear-filled gaze. For a moment, she felt a wave of guilt as it washed over her, making her grip the railing. However, it only lasted a few seconds before she remembered what Sunset had done. And the reason why she had come up the stairs.

“Rainbow, watch your words. Just because Sunset injured Twilight doesn’t mean that she doesn’t still have feelings,” said Applejack.

“Why are you defending Sunset? Don’t you remember what she did to Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Don’t you remember the bandage on her arm and the red marks on it? Or did you suddenly decide not to help me?”

“I saw the bandage too, Dash! I was there when Twilight told us how she got that,” said Applejack. “But that doesn't mean we can jump to conclusions about Sunset.”

“Seriously? Sunset has claws, AJ. And she hurt Twilight with them,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I know that. I just don’t want you to beat Sunset senseless over somethin’ she might not have done purposefully,” replied Applejack, glancing over at Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer shifted out of the fetal position and met Applejack’s eyes. “AJ is right, Rainbow. I didn’t intend to hurt Twilight. It was an accident.”

“Oh, come on! Are you telling me that you don’t have some doubts about Sunset? That there isn’t some part of you that doesn’t think she meant to do it?” asked Rainbow Dash.

That made the cowgirl go quiet. Rainbow Dash’s question made her realize that she did have some doubts. There was a voice in the back of her head telling her that maybe Sunset did intentionally hurt Twilight. Yet, she also could see the worried look in Sunset’s eyes, telling her that she didn’t mean for it to happen. Torn between the two thoughts in her head, Applejack looked away from the redhead. She couldn’t look at her as she realized that Rainbow Dash was right about her; she did have some suspicions about her. Despite her gut instinct telling her that the redhead was being honest about what happened, Applejack was unable to fight the doubt.

“Well…” Applejack’s voice lowered as she struggled to admit the truth. “I do have some doubts.”

“Oh…” was all that Sunset Shimmer could say as her ears flattened against her head.

“See? Even Applejack isn’t sure that you didn’t hurt Twilight on purpose,” said Rainbow Dash as she looked at Sunset Shimmer.

Applejack grabbed Rainbow Dash’s arm and said, “That is enough, Dash! Don’t berate Sunset when she is already hurtin’. I think you should leave her alone now.”

“No! I am not letting Sunset off the hook, not after what she did to Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash as she pulled her arm away from the cowgirl’s grip. “Why are you trying to stop me?”

“I am tryin’ to stop you because I don’t want you to go too far with Sunset. And although I do have my doubts about her intentions, I can’t let you beat her senselessly,” said Applejack, looking at Sunset Shimmer for a moment.

“Thanks, AJ,” said Sunset Shimmer as she wiped the blood off her lip.

“However, I can’t stay here and watch you if you choose to continue beating Sunset,” Applejack said as she turned her back to the two girls.

“What about stopping Rainbow Dash from beating me? Doesn’t some part of you still believe that I didn’t mean to hurt Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, trying to keep her composure as she watched the cowgirl start to head back down.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Sunset. I’m just not sure if I should defend you right now,” replied Applejack as she paused mid-step and glanced behind her.

Sunset Shimmer watched as Applejack stood on the stairs for a moment and met her gaze. She was barely able to see through her one eye, but she could tell that Applejack was no longer on her side. It was apparent that she had made a mistake laying her hands on Twilight, but to see her friends turn on her like this? It cut at Sunset more than the whole Anon-A-Miss situation had. And that had been painful in its own right, especially considering that she had to watch all her effort in becoming a better person almost go to waste. Sighing, she rested her sore body back on the floor, preparing herself for whatever beatings would come.

“I am so sorry for what I did…” muttered Sunset Shimmer as her wing draped itself over her abdomen.

“Watch what you do, Dash. Don’t let your anger get the better of you. I don’t want to have to try and explain to the girls why you killed Sunset,” said Applejack before walking back into the living room.

“Okay, I will try to,” said Rainbow Dash, turning her attention to the redhead. “Now, to deal with you, you monster.”

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, at the old electrical building, Springtrap was pacing back and forth, lost in thought. He was still fuming about his loss against Sunset Shimmer and the girls. His anger had gotten taken out on the nearby cement bricks, which now laid in a pile of brick dust. He wasn’t okay with the fact that she had beat him, not in the least. Growling, Springtrap picked up a nearby rock and threw it into the distance. As it landed in an area where there were some small bushes, it hit an electrical wire, causing several sparks to fly out. Seeing the flashes, he remembered the exposed wires that had transported him to the city.

“Hmm, I think I am going to call for some backup,” thought Springtrap as he walked towards where the sparks had appeared. “Assuming that I can figure out how to use the magic for that purpose.”

Once he got there, Springtrap looked around, searching for the source of the sparks. As he pushed past a bush, he saw that there was some electrical wiring hidden beneath an overgrowth of shrubbery. The rubber covering had gotten burnt to a crisp, making the black material brittle to the touch. And knowing that sparks had appeared when the rock made contact with it, Springtrap figured that it was a live connection. He found a spot where the black material was still somewhat pliable and carefully picked up the wire. Gently moving it around, he examined it, pondering what use it would have for him.

“This is similar to the wire that transported me here. Maybe I can call in the Phantoms using the magic I have stored.” Springtrap held out his other hand up, feeling the magic coursing through his circuits. “I just hope this works….”

Springtrap closed his eyes, feeling the magic from within him move towards the fallen wires. To keep his focus on the task at hand, he ignored the everyday sounds of the forest around him. In his mind, he tried to envision the Phantoms in front of him. Slowly, he felt a pull on the wire as though something was getting pulled through it and towards him. Springtrap dug his feet into the soft soil as he focused on that one thing, willing it to come closer. After a few minutes went by, he started to feel drained. Trying to pull the Phantoms from the game was beginning to drain his power supply as well as the magic that he had stored up. His vision began to swirl as his ability to remain conscious faltered. The strain on his circuits was almost too much, but he managed to keep pushing through it. As Springtrap felt his power supply drop even lower, he fell to his knees. Thankfully, after that happened, there was a shower of sparks as the Phantoms began to appear in front of him.

“Yes!” exclaimed Springtrap, jumping to his feet.

When the shower of sparks had subsided, Springtrap saw the Phantoms slowly beginning to materialize. The first to fully appear was Balloon Boy. He walked around and tried to take in the new surroundings. Behind him, Chica and Freddy were the next to appear. However, just as Balloon Boy turned around, he was trampled by the other two as they tripped. Foxy and Mangle materialized a few seconds later, standing where Chica and Freddy had stood moments ago. Just as their bodies had fully manifested into the new world, all of the Phantoms looked in front of them as the final member of their group appeared. It was the Phantom version of the Marionette, who remained passed out in the electrical building. Springtrap, having had to deal with the other Marionette for a while, groaned.

“Great. I forgot about you. Now, I’m gonna have two of you to annoy the shit out of me. Just fucking delightful.” Springtrap walked over to the Phantoms and pulled Chica and Freddy off of Balloon Boy. “If you six can gather yourselves, I have a job for you.”

“What is the job, Springtrap?” asked Mangle, her voice sounding garbled, almost staticky. “Cause I know that you wouldn’t bring us to this… place unless you needed something only we can provide.”

“I will tell you, but first, I need to recharge. Bringing you assholes here drained my power supply, and now I am barely able to function,” said Springtrap as he turned and walked back to the electrical building. “Follow me.”

*** *** *** ***

At the school, Twilight Sparkle stood in front of the girls, her wings wrapped around her body. She was unsure of what to say to them, especially after Rainbow Dash and Applejack had left. And she didn’t want to explain what happened between her and Sunset Shimmer last night. Yet Twilight knew that she had to if she wanted to avoid Sunset getting beat up. The idea of having to relive the events was terrifying to her. She looked down at her arm and the red lines across the bandage, trying to remain calm while she fought against the memory of Sunset’s claws opening her skin. Just as Twilight was about to prepare herself to tell the girls about what occurred the night before, she saw Rarity turn towards her.

“What exactly did you mean by that it wasn’t like that, Twilight?” asked Rarity.

Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath, trying to keep her nerves from overwhelming her. Thinking about how she was going to explain the events of the night before to the girls wasn’t helping. Neither was panicking about what Rainbow Dash would do to Sunset Shimmer if they didn’t get there soon. So, gathering what strength she could, Twilight forced herself to speak.

“Sunset… didn’t intentionally hurt me. She grabbed me after I tried to leave my bedroom and refused to answer her question. However, I got angry and pulled my arm away, which resulted in her…” Twilight Sparkle tried to recall what happened last night, but it was like her brain didn’t want to work.

“Wait. What? You’re saying that Sunset tried to keep you from running away, and she accidentally injured you?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes, Fluttershy. I still remember the look of regret on Sunset’s face when she realized what she had done to me. Even though I was scared and angry at her, I could tell that she never wanted that to happen,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “I feel bad that I yelled at her and pulled my arm away…”

“Did Sunset apologize?” asked Rarity, looking between Fluttershy and Twilight.

“Y-yeah, Sunset did. Or at least she tried to, but I wasn’t in the mood to listen to her.” Twilight Sparkle looked at Rarity, confused. “Why?”

“Good, that means that Sunset isn’t Demon Shimmer. And that Rainbow Dash is about to beat her up for no good reason,” said Rarity.

“Oh, dear. We can’t let that happen,” exclaimed Fluttershy, her voice cracking as she spoke.

“Fluttershy’s right. We have to save Sunset before she gets beaten to a pulp.” Pinkie Pie grabbed her car keys from her pocket. “Rarity, and I will take my car. Twilight, you can go with Fluttershy. I doubt your wings would fit in my car.”

“That’s fine, Pinkie Pie. I think I’ll fly there. What good does it do me to have wings if I don’t fly every once in a while, right?” asked Twilight Sparkle, winking at Pinkie Pie.

“Rightyo,” said Pinkie Pie. “Well, see you at Sunset’s place then.”

“Yep.” Twilight Sparkle walked out of the classroom, heading for the nearest exit while the rest of the girls walked to their cars. As she walked out into the student parking area, she opened her wings to their full size. With a single flap, Twilight launched herself into the air. “Please, don’t let Sunset get too injured.”

As Twilight Sparkle flew into the air, she saw her friends driving below her. With the bird’s eye view that she had now, she could also see Sunset’s apartment. She could see that it wasn’t far from the school. That made Twilight realize how she sometimes arrived at school before her. Glancing back at the road, she saw that the girls were still behind her. She flapped her wings again, gaining more speed as she lifted herself higher into the sky. Being so high up off the ground, she reveled in the feeling of the wind rustling through her feathers. It was still strange for Twilight to see her feathers and know that they were attached to her body. However, that didn’t stop her from enjoying the sensation of flying in the air.

“Now I understand why all birds enjoy soaring in the sky. It’s freeing…” thought Twilight Sparkle, closing her eyes for a moment.

Eventually, Twilight was right above Sunset Shimmer’s driveway. She dove down, slowing her speed as she neared the ground. As her feet touched the pavement, she let her wings fold up against her back. Glancing behind her, she saw Pinkie Pie’s pink Volkswagen pulling up to the apartment with Fluttershy not too far behind her. Not wanting to wait for them, Twilight ran into Sunset’s apartment, noticing that the door was already open. Just as she walked in, she got greeted by the sight of Applejack sitting on the couch.

“Applejack, where’s Rainbow Dash?” Twilight Sparkle asked, walking over to the stairs.

Applejack silently removed her Stetson and set it down on the couch next to her. “Dash is upstairs.” The cowgirl pointed to the bedroom. “With Sunset…”

“Do I want to know why you are here instead of defending Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“No, I let Sunset down. I allowed my doubts to get the better of me, and I walked away,” replied Applejack.

“Okay, then. I have to help… Sunset.” Twilight struggled to say the words as she stepped onto the first step. “I don’t want to be here longer than I need to be.”

When Twilight Sparkle reached the top step, she stopped. In front of her was Rainbow Dash holding Sunset off the floor by the collar of her shirt. She could hear the redhead struggling to breathe as she fought to free herself from the chokehold of the collar. Her eyes lingered down to Sunset’s arms and legs, which made her notice the bandage on the side of her arm. That made Twilight wonder what happened to her after she left her house. She could see that there were big purple bruises up and down the length of Sunset’s body. The sight was enough to make her stomach churn, and Twilight covered her mouth as she looked at the redhead.

“Oh my god! What has Dash done to her?!” thought Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to keep her eyes locked on Sunset.

As Twilight went to meet Sunset’s gaze, she saw that she had a black eye. And she could tell that the other one had swollen shut, with some blood running down the side of her nose. She noticed blood dripping from the redhead’s mouth as she tried to gasp for air while attempting not to choke on the red liquid. It was all too clear that Rainbow Dash hadn’t spared the redhead any mercy when beating her. Before Twilight had a chance to say anything, Rainbow Dash dropped Sunset to the floor, her foot aiming for another kick. Unable to watch the scene, Twilight looked away just as she saw the athlete’s foot kick Sunset’s back right below her wings.

“Ahhh!” screamed Sunset Shimmer as she felt a blow to her spine.

Sunset Shimmer, unable to move, just laid there on the ground. As she felt Rainbow Dash kick her again, all she could do was let out a weak whimper. It was painful, but there was nothing she could do. Sunset knew that if she fought back, it would result in more blows to her body. And by now, she wasn’t in any condition to fight back. Her body was weak and sore from all the injuries she had sustained. Another kick landed on her back, this time lower than the first two, and it made her double over. Then it was followed by a fourth kick. It was harder than the previous one, causing the toe of the athlete’s shoe to cut her skin. As Sunset felt the blood trickling down her back, it reminded her of the nightmare.

“Come on, bitch! I am not done with you!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she picked Sunset Shimmer up slammed her against the railing of her bedroom loft.

“Rain-Rainbow Dash, please, st-stop,” begged Sunset Shimmer as she looked behind her. She gasped as she saw that the stairs were right below her. “Pl-please, D-Dash!”

As Sunset Shimmer felt her back get shoved harder against the metal railing, she let a gasp slip from her lips. Unfortunately, she was too weak to do any more. And her mind was struggling to remain focused on the athlete as she glanced over at Twilight. Seeing her after the nightmare she’d endured, it was enough to make her hope that it wasn’t true. Yet, Sunset knew that after what happened last night, things weren’t likely to go back to the way they were. And although she hoped that Twilight would be willing to forgive her now, Sunset could tell that she wasn’t going to do that for a while.

“I am so sorry, Twilight. I should never have lied to you…” thought Sunset Shimmer as she felt Rainbow Dash push against her.

Sunset watched as Twilight turned away from her gaze after a few moments. Her heart ached at the sight of her closest friend no longer being able to look at her. And getting called Demon Shimmer repeatedly wasn’t making it any better. However, her physical pain took precedence over the emotional torture she was enduring. Sunset looked at Rainbow Dash as she applied more pressure to her chest, making the metal bar dig into her back. She bit her lip, causing her fangs to create another cut.

“Rainbow Dash, let go of Sunset and step away from the railing,” Twilight Sparkle said, stepping closer to the two girls. “She’s already suffered enough, can’t you see?”

“No, Sunset hasn’t, and this isn’t her. It’s Demon Shimmer! Sunset is gone!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she glared at the redhead.

“Rainbow, I know you’re mad at Sunset for what she did, but this isn’t how you’re supposed to deal with it. Don’t you think I am mad at her and want to take it out on her as well?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

Rainbow Dash met Twilight’s gaze. “Yeah, it’s why I am doing this.”

“I don’t want you to beat Sunset up just because she injured me,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to keep the athlete calm.

“Twi, I have to do this. I am sorry.” Rainbow Dash turned to Sunset Shimmer and pushed her over the railing.

“Sunset!!” shouted both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack as they watched her fall.

Sunset Shimmer felt her back, and wings slam into the edge of the stairs, forcing them into her skin. The impact made her back, and shoulder blades hurt even more. And the sudden force of her body hitting something substantial had knocked the breath out of her. A scream escaped from Sunset’s throat as she felt some of the bruises hit the edges of the stairs. One of her arms hit the corner with enough speed that the skin split open upon impact. She watched the blood pool and slowly poured itself down the stairs, closing her eyes after a few moments. The pain of having her exhausted body tossed over the railing seeped any strength she had to keep her eyes open any longer. Besides, Sunset couldn’t look at Twilight anymore, not after what she had said last night.

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy walked in and had gotten greeted by the sight of Sunset lying on the stairs. They gasped as they saw all the bruises and cuts she had sustained. Her nightshirt was drenched with her blood, practically staining it red. It was also stuck to her body as Sunset was sweating heavily. And due to blood loss and the pain, her skin was a bit paler than usual. It was a shock to see the redhead so beaten and broken, especially since she was the toughest of the group. Just as Rarity stepped towards her, Rainbow Dash sped down the stairs and stood by the desk.

“S-Sunset?!” shouted Rarity as she ran over where the redhead was. “What happened to you?”

Sunset Shimmer coughed and pointed to Rainbow Dash. “Dash… came into my room… and beat until I looked like this....” Sunset’s voice was weak and strained as she struggled to talk through her sore throat.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “That’s not Sunset; it’s Demon Shimmer. Why can’t you guys see that?!”

“Stop it, Dash!” shouted Applejack as she slammed her fists against the couch. “Sunset’s not Demon Shimmer; she’s our friend. And you have gone too far while I… stood by and did nothing to stop you.”

“Wait. Is that true?” asked Rainbow Dash, her demeanor suddenly shifting from angry to regretful. “Is she really Sunset?”

“Rainbow, dear, I hate to tell you this, but yes, Sunset is herself. If you hadn’t left in such a hurry, you would’ve known that,” replied Rarity, glaring at the athlete as she gripped Sunset’s hand.

“Oh…” was all that Rainbow Dash could as she saw the angered expressions of the girls. “I think I’ll leave now…”

As Rainbow Dash made her way to the front door, she heard a weak call out her name. She stopped and turned to see Sunset looking at her. It made her cringe to see the black eye she had given the redhead. However, compared to the rest of the cuts and injuries, it was nothing. Seeing her like that was almost too much for the athlete to bear. Yet, her eyes never left the sight of her injured friend as she struggled to comprehend what she had done. Rainbow Dash could see that she had gone too far with her attack. And because of her actions, Sunset was severely beaten and battered. All because she was angry at Sunset, and she had jumped to a conclusion. One that had gotten proven wrong by the girls.

“Just like what happened with Ruby Star…” thought Rainbow Dash, looking away from Sunset Shimmer.

“Please…” Sunset Shimmer started to cough, making more of her blood coat her lips. “D-don’t go. I… forgive you.”

The room went quiet as Rainbow Dash heard what the redhead said. She blinked, looking wide-eyed at her. She couldn’t believe that she’d be willing to forgive her. Yet, there was a part of Rainbow Dash that was glad that she had. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much to quell the guilt she felt. Staring at Sunset, she forced herself to stay for the moment to hear her out.

Clearing her throat, Rainbow Dash said, “What?”

“I said,” Sunset Shimmer tried to push herself into a sitting position, but her arms gave out. “I forgive you, Rainbow.”

“But why?” asked Rainbow Dash as she made her way over to Sunset. “I didn’t listen to you or the girls and beat the shit out of you. I mean, I gave several bruises and cuts. Hell, I just shoved you over the balcony because I was angry. You’re only injured because of… me, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer glanced up at Twilight Sparkle. For a few brief moments, their eyes met. She could see that Twilight was still scared of her. And she couldn’t blame her, especially considering what she did. Like Rainbow Dash had done, she made an assumption about Twilight. Sunset thought she wouldn’t have been able to handle her demonic self. Yet, the fact she had remained mostly calm as she revealed the changes proved her wrong. Although, it did do little to make the redhead forget that she had gotten careless, which ended up making her injure Twilight in her attempt to keep her from running away. And it made her stomach churn and knot up as she realized that her choice to conceal it from her had hurt Twilight in the process.

“I have forgiven you because I have made some bad mistakes before too. Besides, I kind of deserved that for what I did to Twilight. I wasn’t the greatest friend to her.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Rarity. “Rarity, would mind helping me to the couch? These stairs aren’t as comfortable as some might think.”

“Sure, dear, Applejack, sweetie?” Rarity saw the cowgirl look at her when she called her name. “Would you give me a hand with Sunset? My stitches might get pulled if I try to help her by myself.”

Leaving her Stetson on the couch, Applejack made her way to where Rarity and Sunset were sitting. It shocked her to see the number of bruises that Sunset had all over her body. Her hands shook as she tried to keep herself calm. However, looking at the injuries and seeing what she allowed Rainbow Dash to do wasn’t helping. And Applejack’s anger rose as she saw the blood coating Sunset’s nightshirt. She was horrified at what she had allowed to happen, though she forced herself to kneel next to the redhead. Carefully, she slipped one arm underneath her legs, trying to avoid as many of the bruises as she could. Yet, just as Applejack was about to do the same with Sunset’s back, she stopped.

“Uh, is this goin’ to hurt you, Sunset?” asked Applejack, avoiding the redhead’s gaze.

“Yes, but there is nothing you can do to avoid it, AJ,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she lifted her one arm. “Besides, I don’t think I would notice the pain with the rest of my body aching.”

“Okay, I will do my best to avoid causing you more pain.” Applejack slipped a hand beneath Sunset’s wings, ignoring the awkward feeling of touching the leathery appendages. “Let’s get you to your couch.”

Getting lifted so quickly made Sunset Shimmer sling both of her arms around the cowgirl’s neck. She wasn’t used to getting picked up, let alone as if she was as light as a feather. That made her tail twitch, instinctively reacting to her sudden fear. She held on tight to the cowgirl as they made their way to the couch. A small groan slipped from Sunset’s throat as she felt herself getting set down onto the soft cushions of the sofa. Despite her sticky, blood-coated clothes, she was somewhat comfortable. Taking a deep breath, Sunset looked at the girls, who had gathered around her.

“I’m guessing Twilight told you all what happened, right?” Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight Sparkle walk past her, heading to the kitchen. “And that’s why Rainbow Dash attacked me?”

“Well, um, yes,” replied Fluttershy. “But Rainbow only got half the story. And Twilight also said that it was her fault that she had gotten injured.”

“Yeah. Twilight said that you apologized right after the incident happened,” added Pinkie Pie as she sat down next to Sunset. “Although, she got real quiet after that and didn’t seem to want to say anymore.”

“Well, I tried to apologize, but Twilight didn’t exactly listen. Did she tell you why that happened in the first place?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“No, Twilight didn’t. How did that happen anyway?” Applejack asked, putting her Stetson back on and leaning on her hand.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “It happened because I was stupid and couldn’t handle letting Twilight run off. So, I grabbed her arm and kind of yelled at her when she refused to answer my question.”

“What was your question, Sunset?” Rarity looked from Applejack to the redhead, waiting for her to respond.

“I was asking Twilight why she had gone back on her promise not to judge me for… this,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she gestured to her appearance. “And that is when I allowed my anger to get the better of me, and I grabbed her arm.”

“What happened after that?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Twilight panicked, and I asked her if she still saw me as the same person now that she knew about Demon Shimmer. Unfortunately, I forgot about my claws, and when Twilight yanked her arm away, I realized my mistake,” Sunset Shimmer said as she looked down at her hands.

“Woah, that sounds bad. What did Twilight do after she yanked her arm away?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “Twilight blasted me with her powers and ran out of her bedroom. And that was after she screamed her answer at me…”

“What was Twilight’s answer to your question? Did she see you as the same person?” asked Fluttershy, nervously twirling her hair as she spoke.

“I wish I could say that Twilight saw me as the same person, Shy. However, that isn’t what happened. She doesn’t see me as the same anymore; all she sees is a monster,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

That made the girls fall silent as they exchanged worried looks. No one was sure of what to say next, especially since they could see the pain in Sunset’s eyes. A few minutes of awkward silence passed before Sunset coughed again, breaking it. Once her coughing fit subsided, she looked up from her hands and over at the kitchen area. Standing by the kitchen window was Twilight, who was not paying any attention to her or the girls. Sunset’s gaze drifted down to her arm, where the bandage was still covering the lacerations that she caused. Her breathing quickened as she remembered how she had gripped Twilight’s arm and terrified her in an attempt not to lose her. And unbeknownst to Sunset, her fangs extended as a result while her hands gripped the edge of the couch.

“Wow, I seriously fucked up with Twilight last night,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she looked away from Twilight.

“Yep, that you did,” said the redhead’s inner voice. “You should’ve known that Twilight was going to be hurt that you chose to lie to her. Besides, admitting that you likely wouldn’t have come clean if it weren’t for the situation didn’t help.”

“Oh, great. You’ve come back to remind me that I have messed up. I thought that what I did with Twilight would’ve shut you up,” thought Sunset Shimmer.

“Well, it didn’t shut me up. And you can’t get rid of me that easily, Sunset. I am your conscience, I will be around for as long as you are alive,” replied Sunset Shimmer’s conscience, sounding snarkier than usual.

“Just shut up and leave me alone now! I want to talk with my friends, not you,” Sunset Shimmer thought as she stole another glance at Twilight Sparkle.

“Fine, I will.”

Sunset Shimmer waited, but her inner voice said nothing else. Gently leaning back against the back of her couch, she was careful not to injure her wings any more than they already were. Besides, she was in enough pain as it was thanks to Rainbow Dash’s ambush beating. As soon as her sore body hit the soft cushion, she felt her body relax and let go of the built-up tension. Sunset took a deep breath and watched the slow rhythm of her chest rising and falling. It was a relief to have a moment of peace with the girls. The last two weeks had been rough with rogue animatronics trying to kill them and having her geode malfunction, which resulted in her reverting to Demon Shimmer again. Between that and the nightmare, Sunset had enough things tormenting her.

“I’m gonna talk to Twilight for a minute,” said Applejack as she got off the floor and dusted off her skirt.

“Okay,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking up at the cowgirl. “I hope Twilight is alright…”

As Applejack walked out of the living room, Rarity joined the redhead on the couch and rested her hand on her shoulder. “How well did Twilight take to your uh, recent changes?”

“At first, Twilight was a bit unnerved when she saw what happened to my face, and that caused her to faint. However, when she woke up, Twilight seemed less scared of it and wanted to see the rest. And it was after I had shown her my wings that she panicked and tried to run away…” replied Sunset Shimmer as she struggled to tell the fashionista what occurred that night.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. I’m sure Twilight will come around… eventually.” Rarity squeezed Sunset’s shoulder. “However,” she turned to Rainbow Dash, “I believe someone owes you an apology. Right, Rainbow?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. She had barely looked at Sunset Shimmer after the girls had stopped her from beating her up. Instead, she chose to keep her gaze on her hands, which made her realize that her knuckles had gotten scratched up from punching Sunset so hard. Her jaw muscles clenched as she fought against her disgust at what she did. Sunset was her friend, and Rainbow Dash had jumped to a conclusion based on one part of an explanation. And now, she felt the heavy weight of her choices bearing down on her. After a few minutes, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and made eye contact with Sunset. She did her best to ignore the numerous injuries she had caused, which made her feel uneasy as she looked at them.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about what happened.” Rainbow Dash’s voice seemed quieter, lacking her usual bravado. “I wish I could take back what I said to you.”

Sunset Shimmer gave the athlete an appreciative smile. “It’s alright, Dash. I understand why you did it, and I don’t blame you. However, I am going to be sore for a while, and the fall from the balcony didn’t help, but I’ll recover.”

“Thanks. By the way, what happened to your arm, Sunset?” asked Rainbow Dash as she pointed to the bloodied bandage on the redhead’s arm.

“Oh, that? Yeah, I kind of injured myself with my claws when I got home last night. Now I know how Twilight felt when I... “ Sunset Shimmer trailed off as memories of Twilight pulling her arm replayed in her mind.

“Wow... “ said Rainbow Dash, shifting her gaze to the floor. “That looked like it hurt a lot.”

“I didn’t notice the pain. At the time, I was distracted by the pain of Twilight telling me that I was a monster in her eyes. So, I didn’t realize I had injured myself until a few hours later when I found several trails of blood running down my arm,” Sunset Shimmer said, glancing at the bandage on her arm.

“Damn, Sunset,” said Rainbow Dash. “Now, I regret not listening to Twilight and hearing her explanation.”

“Yeah... “ replied Sunset Shimmer. “I wasn’t in the greatest mindset last night.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “And I don’t think I helped by beating you senselessly because I made a stupid decision.”

“Well, as I said, Dash, I don’t blame you.” Sunset Shimmer shifted on her couch. “If I had been in your position, I would’ve done the same. I should’ve listened to you girls when you said that I should tell Twilight the truth.”

“Yeah, you should’ve,” said Rainbow Dash.

*** *** *** ***

“Hey, Twi,” said Applejack as she walked into the kitchen. “Want some company?”

Twilight Sparkle jumped at the sound of the cowgirl’s voice in the otherwise quiet kitchen. She turned around and saw the cowgirl leaning against the counter behind her. Her wings draped themselves over her shoulders as she looked down at the ground. Twilight had listened to Sunset explain what happened when she saw her appearance, and she knew that it was probably why Applejack had come to talk to her. Sighing, she decided to hear what Applejack had to say. Besides, Twilight knew deep down that she had messed up when she broke her promise to Sunset and that eventually, she’d have to answer for it.

“Do I have a choice? I know that you heard what Sunset said,” replied Twilight Sparkle, looking up at the cowgirl.

“You’re right; I know what Sunset said. And that’s why I came here to talk to you,” said Applejack as she walked over to Twilight and rested her hands on the sink counter.

“I’m guessing you're going to ask why I broke my promise to Sunset, right?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah. Why did you break your promise, Twilight? Was seein’ Sunset’s demonic self really that bad?” Applejack’s tone was stern, yet there was a hint of concern beneath it.

“I broke my promise because I was scared of Sunset.” Twilight gripped her arm as flashes of Sunset’s claws ripping her skin open appeared in her mind. “I still am, even now. Seeing her look so vulnerable as Rainbow beat her, it didn’t change anything. I can’t see past her appearance or the fact that she hid it from me for so long…”

Applejack looked out at the kitchen window as she said, “I understand that you’re scared of Sunset, but that’s not an excuse to break a promise. So, what’s the real reason you tried to leave after she showed you her uh, appearance?”

“I was scared, that’s all,” said Twilight Sparkle, not wanting to admit the real reason she tried to run from Sunset.

“Twilight,” Applejack rested her hand on Twilight’s forearm, “I know that’s not true. Why are you lyin’ to me?”

“I’m not lying. I just don’t want to admit that I was hurt and angry at Sunset for keeping that from me. It’s bad enough that I have a physical reminder on my arm,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she glanced at the living room.

Twilight watched as Sunset talked with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. The scene brought back the memory of the night she had spent at her apartment after they had first encountered the animatronic kids. She remembered how Sunset had comforted her when she was examining her scars from the Friendship Games. As Twilight felt the lingering sensations of Sunset’s hand on her shoulder, she shuddered. How could someone who was there for her lie about their past? And why couldn’t she see through the lies sooner? Twilight grew frustrated at the fact that, despite all her efforts, she still cared for Sunset.

“Why must you make me fall in love with you, Sunset? How come you are so beautiful, loyal, smart, caring, and you don’t care about my scars? You make it impossible to be mad at you, and yet, you also make it so easy…” thought Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s okay that you’re angry at Sunset for what she did. What did you do after you came back?” asked Applejack, pulling the bookworm out from her thoughts.

Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat and looked at the cowgirl. “I told Sunset that I was done with her lying to me. After that, I said that I couldn’t be her friend anymore, that I never want her to acknowledge me again.”

“Wow, that is harsh. Do you regret sayin’ any of that?” asked Applejack.

Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that I regret telling Sunset that?”

“You keep lookin’ at Sunset, and I can tell that you don’t want her to ignore you. Plus, I can tell that you still care for her by the way you defended her,” replied Applejack.

“Fine, you’re right about me. I do regret telling Sunset to ignore me, but that doesn’t change what she did. She had no right to lie to me for so long and to make you girls do the same,” said Twilight Sparkle as she caught Sunset’s eye for a moment.

“You have a point, Twilight. Sunset shouldn’t have lied to you, and we shouldn’t have either. However, that doesn’t mean you had any right to break your promise.” Applejack pulled her hand off of Twilight’s arm. “She deserved better than that, and you know that.”

“Sunset deserved better than me breaking a promise? What about what she did to me, AJ? She lied to me and then said that if it wasn’t for the fact she had gotten transformed back into… into Demon Shimmer that she would’ve likely not told me at all. So, do you still think that Sunset deserves better?” asked Twilight as her wings stretched out in response to her growing anger.

“Yes, I do. Sunset is my friend – our friend. And you shouldn’t have made a promise you couldn’t keep,” said Applejack, her voice rising in volume as she spoke.

“And what exactly was I supposed to do, AJ? Say something?” retorted Twilight, losing her temper with the cowgirl.

“Yes!” shouted Applejack. “You could’ve said that it was too much for you. Somethin’, anythin’, not just runnin’ off without sayin’ why.”

“Oh? And do you think it was easy for me to say that I got hurt by the fact that my best friend didn’t trust me? Don’t you think that I didn’t want to do that to Sunset, that I wanted to say something before running off?!” Twilight Sparkle yelled back, making the redhead look at her.

Sunset Shimmer heard the commotion and got off the couch. As she made her way into the kitchen, she stopped by the counter. Twilight had backed away from her as she entered the room, something which didn’t go unnoticed by the redhead. Hard as she tried to, Sunset couldn’t fight the hurt at seeing Twilight act so scared of her. She knew it was because of what she had done, and there was no way to take that back. There was nothing she could do but wait and hope that Twilight would eventually come around. Yet, standing there and watching her act like she was going to hurt her, made Sunset wish that she’d never kept her past a secret.

Clearing her head, Sunset Shimmer said, “Is everything okay?”

Twilight Sparkle looked away from the redhead. “No.”

“Sunset, can you please give Twilight and me a moment to figure this out?” asked Applejack, her tone sounding calmer as she spoke.

“Yeah. I’ll leave you two alone. Besides, I wouldn’t want to spook Twilight any further.” Sunset’s wings draped themselves over her shoulders as she glanced over at Twilight before leaving the kitchen.

As the redhead sat back down on the couch, Applejack turned her attention to Twilight. “Look, I ain’t sayin’ that it wasn’t hard for you to do what you did. And judgin’ by the pain in your eyes every time you look down at your arm, I’m guessin’ it wasn’t easy.”

“No, it wasn’t. And today, Trixie showed me a video of Sunset transforming into Demon Shimmer, which made me realize how little I knew about her and what she endured,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Wait a minute. Trixie recorded Sunset’s transformation?” Applejack was shocked to learn that the magician had witnessed Sunset turning into Demon Shimmer and recorded it.

“Yeah. Trixie made me watch the video after she saw me avoiding you and the girls.” Twilight Sparkle sighed. “I wish I hadn’t seen it, AJ. The sound of Sunset screaming in pain, it has embedded itself in my head. I can’t forget it.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize Sunset had gone through that much pain,” said Applejack.

“Neither did I…” Twilight Sparkle said, looking down at the floor.

“You should apologize for breakin’ your promise, Twilight. It’s the least you could do,” said Applejack. “It’s okay to be angry and hurt by what Sunset did, just don’t use it as an excuse to hurt her back.”

“I know, Applejack. But right now, I can’t stomach talking to Sunset, let alone looking at her.” Twilight Sparkle looked up from the floor and saw Sunset Shimmer meet her gaze, her cyan eyes filled with concern. “And I am not sure that I can continue being friends with her after this, either…”

Applejack stepped in front of Twilight, blocking Sunset’s view of her. “Well, before you decide whether or not you are going to walk away, you have to make amends for breaking your promise. You need to own up to your actions. I know Sunset hurt you by keeping her past a secret from you, but she cares for you. From what I know, she was trying to let you in only to have you push her away. And seeing you trying to leave out of fear hurt her feelings.”

“I am aware that Sunset cares about me, AJ. Trixie showed me the video for that reason, even though she knew that Sunset was likely to hate her for it. And that is why it hurts so much to have her lie to me…” said Twilight Sparkle. “As for why I tried to leave, I was just overwhelmed by all of it. I still am, even now, that I see her acting like her usual self.”

“I don’t need to hear your reasons for trying to run from Sunset. And I’m not saying you have to apologize for being angry or hurt. Just do the right thing and say you’re sorry for taking it too far before you tell Sunset that you can’t be her friend anymore,” said Applejack as she stepped back and turned away from Twilight. “She needs to know that you never meant to break your promise to her. And that you are aware of the pain it caused her.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as the cowgirl walked out of the kitchen, leaving her in the empty silence. The cowgirl’s words echoed inside her mind as she watched Sunset talking with the girls. And they carried a truth that she couldn’t deny. Twilight had seen the pain in Sunset’s cyan eyes when she met her gaze. And she heard it when she recalled the events of the night before, despite her attempts to tune it out. Even as she tried to run away from her feelings, Twilight couldn’t ignore the pain she had caused Sunset. She couldn’t shut out the voice in her head that reminded her that she broke a promise. Sighing, Twilight turned her attention away from Sunset and the girls, looking out the kitchen window.

“Applejack’s right, I have to apologize for what I did. Sunset didn’t deserve to get yelled at when she was trying to talk to me. She might’ve told me about her past if I hadn’t shut her out…” thought Twilight Sparkle as she rested her arms on the counter. “If only I hadn’t gotten so scared of her appearance and of getting hurt again.”

*** *** *** ***

Rarity, who was still sitting next to Sunset Shimmer, looked up and saw Applejack walking towards her. She glanced behind her and saw that Twilight was back at the window, which made her worry about what happened. Getting off the couch, she approached Applejack as she leaned against the back of it. Rarity could see that her green eyes had grown dark as worry clouded them.

“Is everything alright, Applejack?” asked Rarity.

Applejack sighed. “Yeah, I’m just worried about Twilight. The fight between her and Sunset has really spooked her. And I’m wonderin’ if she’ll be alright…”

“Twilight just needs some time. She’s recently learned about Demon Shimmer and that we kept it from her per Sunset’s request.” Rarity turned to the redhead. “No offense.”

“None taken,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “And I hope you’re right, Rarity.”

Sunset Shimmer shifted her gaze from Rarity to Twilight, who was now standing with her back turned towards the kitchen window. For a single moment, they looked at each other, and Sunset could see that Twilight had gotten burdened with guilt because of her actions. She could see that her mulberry eyes glistened with unshed tears. That made her want to comfort her, but she thought better of it. Twilight’s reaction to her approaching earlier still played in her head on repeat. And Sunset knew that it was better not to make it worse. So, she returned her attention to the fashionista and the cowgirl.

“Well, I reckon we should head home now. We all have homework that we gotta do, and we all have school tomorrow,” said Applejack as she adjusted her Stetson.

“Applejack’s right. We should be heading home. Besides, Sunset needs some rest,” said Rarity as she turned from her girlfriend to Sunset Shimmer. “Will we be seeing you at school tomorrow?”

Sunset glanced back at Twilight, wondering if she could handle seeing her at school. She knew that Twilight wanted to be away from her. And she had to respect her wishes if she wanted any chance to repair the damage. Her heart clenched at the sight of Twilight standing so far from her. It took all of Sunset’s will power to remain seated on the couch and not walk over there. Every part of her wanted to hug Twilight while apologizing profusely, hoping that it would be enough to fix what she had done. However, she forced the thought aside and resigned herself to answering the fashionista’s question.

“Uh, I was actually thinking of visiting Sunblaze tomorrow. I, uh, have a lot of things I want to think about before I return to school. And I don’t think Twilight is ready for me to be there either,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Wait. Aren’t you worried about your attendance? I doubt Principal Celestia is going to let it slide without asking questions,” asked Rainbow Dash, propping her elbow up on her knee.

“Yes, I am worried about it, Dash. But if I show up to school looking like this, Principal Celestia is still going to ask questions. She might even ask more if she sees all the bruises you gave me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she got off her couch.

“Okay, you may have a point.” Rainbow Dash followed suit, walking behind Rarity and Applejack as they headed towards the front door. “So, see you on Thursday, then?”

“Yeah, but I am not looking forward to having to wear that stupid hoodie,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at the blasted piece of fabric. “It makes me lose my balance because my wings are confined. And it feels ridiculous to hide them, but I don’t have the luxury that Twilight does.”

“I’m sure looking like Demon Shimmer again has its drawbacks, but don’t you think there are some upsides to it?” asked Rarity, standing in front of Sunset.

“Maybe there is, Rarity, but I don’t see them. All I see are the downsides, especially with Twilight. I wish she never had to find out like this…” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Give her time, dear. It’s a lot that Twilight has recently learned about you,” Rarity said as she looked at Applejack. “Well, we should be going now.”

Following behind Rainbow Dash, Rarity walked out the front door with Applejack in tow. Behind them was Fluttershy, who gave Sunset a gentle hug, trying to be mindful about the bruises that covered her body. As she pulled away from the embrace, she gave the redhead a small smile. And although she tried to disguise it, Sunset could see that Fluttershy was worried about her and the fact that she was so injured. Grabbing Fluttershy’s hand, she pulled her closer and looked her in the eye.

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“For what, Sunset?” asked Fluttershy.

“For reminding me that just because I look like Demon Shimmer, it doesn't change who I am on the inside. I’m still Sunset, just with wings and a tail,” replied Sunset Shimmer, chuckling as her tail twitched behind her. “I needed that reminder, especially after I went to Twilight’s place last night.”

“You’re welcome, Sunset. And remember, you never have to hide around us. Just be yourself, Demon Shimmer and all,” said Fluttershy as she let go of the redhead’s hand. “See you on Thursday.”

“Bye, Shy,” said Sunset Shimmer, watching the animal lover walk out the front door.

The next to leave Sunset’s apartment was Pinkie Pie. Her hair had somehow deflated and lost some of its bright pink color. And her expression was not a happy one. Instead, her smile had faded into a frown as her bubbly demeanor disappeared. Seeing Rainbow Dash act so mean towards Sunset had ruined her mood, but only for a bit. As Pinkie Pie approached Sunset, she produced a cup with her cutie mark on the side.

“Oh, by the way, here Sunset. This is your peppermint cocoa. I was going to give it to you this morning, but you didn’t show. So, I made a new one and brought it to you.” Pinkie Pie held out the cup.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the cup with her least injured arm. “Thanks, Pinkie. Your peppermint cocoa is the best and just what I need today.”

“Yay!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her hair gaining some of its pink color and bounce back as she skipped towards the front steps and her car. “Enjoy, Sunset!”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, but as she turned around, she saw Twilight slowly approaching her. Seeing that Twilight was still scared to be close to her, Sunset stepped away from the door. As she watched her walk past, she noticed the blood-soaked bandage on her arm. Images of Twilight pulling away and her claws slicing through her skin replayed in her mind. They made Sunset feel queasy as she tried to push them aside. However, the task proved to be more challenging than she thought. And looking at the result of her choices wasn’t helping any. She made her way to the stairs and began to head up to her bedroom. Sunset couldn’t stand to watch Twilight avoid her like she had the plague. Just as she was halfway up the stairs, she heard the door click close as Twilight left her apartment.

The redhead stopped walking for a moment and looked at the door. “Oh, Celestia. What have I done…?”

“You fucked up, that’s what you did,” replied Sunset’s conscience.

“Just shut up,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she made her way into her bedroom.

Walking over to Ray’s terrarium, Sunset pulled the lid off and reached in. Ray crawled onto the palm of her hand, and she lifted him out. She was glad that he didn’t seem to mind her appearance or claws. It was a nice change from seeing Twilight fear her every time she tried to approach her. Setting him down the bed, Sunset sat down on the floor next to him and leaned against her mattress. Her body was sore, but it didn’t matter at the moment. All she could think about was Twilight and how she could fix things. There had to be a way to get through to her and get her to listen, she just knew it.

Turning her attention to Ray, Sunset Shimmer said, “Sorry you had to see me getting beat up. I know that you would’ve done something if you could’ve.”

Ray nodded, letting out a soft chirp.

“It’s okay, Ray. I may be a bit sore, but I’m still in one piece, which is more than I can say for my friendship with Twilight. I wish there were some way I could get her to hear me out…” said Sunset Shimmer as she rested her head on the bed.

Ray glanced behind him, an idea coming to him. He walked over to her journal and let out a loud squeak.

“What is it, Ray?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she turned to look at her pet gecko.

The little gecko tapped his front foot on the cover of the journal.

“What about my journal? Is this an idea for how I can talk to Twilight?” Sunset Shimmer sat on her bed, moving the journal closer to her.

Ray nodded in response and tried to open the heavy journal.

Sunset saw Ray struggling and opened the front cover for him. Just as she did that, he scurried across the paper, pointing his foot at the writing on it. “Do you want me to write to Twilight?”

Ray nodded again, happy that his owner understood what he was trying to tell her.

“Ray, that is a great idea. I’ll write a letter to Twilight and give it to her. I just hope she reads it,” said Sunset Shimmer.

Ray let out a joyous squeak.

“Thank you, Ray.” Sunset picked up Ray, and he nuzzled her cheek. “I am so happy that I have you.”

A Mare to Mare Talk

Sunset Shimmer blinked as she saw the morning light pouring into her bedroom. After a few seconds, she squinted to avoid getting blinded as she sat up. Her body ached as she moved and shifted on her bed. She felt a stinging pain in her left eye, reminding her that it had gotten punched straight on.

“Guess all those karate classes Rainbow took paid off. She can punch, hard…” thought Sunset Shimmer as she lazily swung her legs over the side of her bed. “Well, at least, today, I get to see Sunblaze.”

Stumbling her way down the stairs, Sunset saw the dried blood that she had forgotten to clean last night. With her body feeling hurt and exhausted from changing her clothes, tending to her injuries, and making sure she had dinner, it made her pass out on her bed. Yet, despite a good night’s rest, Sunset was still too sore. It felt as though she got slammed into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour. Although, knowing that she had gotten thrown against a wall didn’t help her feel any better. As she walked, she could feel her muscles complaining and protesting to the movement. Sunset pushed through the pain and made her way into her bathroom.

Once she was inside, Sunset spotted the vial which held her contacts. Walking over to her sink, she grabbed them and stared at the bottles for a moment – memories of the last two days replayed in her head. The frightened expressions of all the girls and how Twilight tried to hide the fact that she was scared made her hand tremble as she tried to ignore the pain. Sunset considered wearing the contacts for a moment. She knew that going to a public place, even one with very few people like Canterlot City Ranch, was a considerable risk. Yet, there was a part of her that no longer wanted to hide anymore. Plus, her eyes still hurt from the blows, and she wasn’t willing to suffer through any more pain. So, Sunset set the vial back down and looked at her reflection.

“I hope this risk is worth it. I don’t think that I can take anyone else freaking out on me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed her sunglasses off the counter and headed towards her closet.

Sunset Shimmer rummaged through her closet, searching for shirts that had holes already made. She was tired of ruining her clothes and wanted to limit the damage as much as possible. As it was, she would have to get rid of many of her clothes, most of which were her favorites. She was less than happy that she would have to restock her wardrobe, all thanks to her massive wings. And that was assuming that the cumbersome leather nuisances would disappear. Sunset hoped that they would – and soon. She was dreading the thought of having to hide forever because she feared retribution. Her past wasn’t great, and Demon Shimmer had been a physical reminder of her past self. Although she had the advantage of flight now, it wasn’t worth it when the price was losing the one person she loved. Grabbing a blue shirt off a hanger, she closed the door.

“Why did I keep my past a secret from Twilight? Why couldn’t I trust her as she had trusted me…?” thought Sunset Shimmer as she sighed. “No wonder she hates me now that she knows the truth…”

“You know, it’s going to suck when I have to give you up. Especially… ” Sunset Shimmer walked over to where her old leather jacket was sitting. She ran her hand along the tears created by her wings. “When I have to get rid of you. After all, you were my favorite jacket to wear. And there are so many memories…”

For a moment, Sunset looked at the jacket’s worn leather of the jacket as she remembered the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands. Though, after a few minutes of reminiscing, she set it down and changed out her nightshirt. As she slipped into her blue shirt, she felt her wings slide into the holes they had previously made. Sunset flinched as she relived the blows Rainbow Dash landed against them. She moved her shoulders around, feeling the pain from her still sensitive bruises on her back. After she remained still for a minute, she continued getting changed. It was a bit challenging, but she did what she could not to give in to the pain. However, that task was almost impossible to do with every part of her body aching. Yet, Sunset still managed to push through by reminding herself that it was a year and a half since she first met Sunblaze.

Sunset Shimmer made her way down the stairs, grabbing her hoodie on her way to her living room. She had tossed it along with her keys onto her desk in her hurry to get the attic. And looking at it now, all it did was remind her of what happened when Twilight saw her appearance. She didn’t want to wear it. Yet, Sunset knew that she had no choice if she wanted to keep her situation under wraps. So, reluctantly, she pulled the fabric over her head and wings. The pressure of having the hoodie press against the leathery appendages reminded her that she had to be careful. Although her bruises did hurt considerably less than they did last night, it was barely an improvement.

Running into the kitchen, Sunset grabbed her gloves and an apple as she didn’t have enough time to make breakfast. She wanted to be at the ranch before the crowds just in case her sunglasses slipped. Putting on her gloves and taking a bite of her apple, she picked up her helmet and apartment keys. With them in hand, Sunset walked out of the front door and headed towards her motorcycle after making sure that her door was locked. She got to her bike and stopped for a moment.

“Crap. This is going to hurt like hell. Great, just what I needed this morning.” Sunset Shimmer laid a hand on the handlebars. “Why did you have to beat me up so much, Dash? Why?”

As Sunset slipped her helmet over her jacket’s hood, she slowly began to sit down on her motorcycle. Biting her lip, she forced herself to swing her leg over and lowered herself onto the bike. Once she was fully sitting on it, the pain in her thighs eased up, no longer feeling as though needles were getting shoved into her legs at the same time. Sighing, Sunset inserted the key into the ignition. She gripped the throttle and revved the engine for a few seconds. She wanted to see how her body would react to the vibrations caused by the engine.

“Okay, not too bad. Hopefully, my body won’t mind the twenty-minute ride from here to the Canterlot City Ranch,” Sunset Shimmer said as she eased up on the throttle.

Kicking up the kickstand, the redhead backed out of her driveway and headed down the street. Surprisingly, she was able to enjoy the morning ride. The sun’s yellow rays shone down on her, and she was barely aware of the vibrations caused by her motorcycle. Her body didn’t seem to ache as much now that she was moving around more. However, the redhead did have to shift her position a couple of times to avoid hurting herself. After a few stops, which made the usual twenty-minute long ride a forty-minute one, she finally arrived at the ranch.

“Wow, it’s been a while since I have been here apparently. I didn’t know that they added another building,” said Sunset Shimmer as she pulled up her helmet visor.

“That’s because that’s the new stables,” said a voice behind Sunset, making her spin around.

“Who are you?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. My name’s Scarlet Sunlight. I’m the new ranch hand here,” replied Scarlet, introducing herself.

“Ah. And what happened to Dawn? She always used to work here,” asked Sunset, taking off her helmet, being careful to keep her hood up.

“Oh, Dawn still works here, but now she is the manager. She got promoted last month. So, I took her place.” Scarlet Sunlight walked up to Sunset. “You're here to visit Sunblaze, right?”

“Yeah. I have been visiting Sunblaze off and on for the last year and a half. And today I’m making up for missing the anniversary of me meeting her,” replied Sunset Shimmer as a broad smile appeared on her face. Yet, as soon as she smiled, she forgot about her fangs. Seeing Scarlet jump, she turned away. “S-sorry…”

“D-did I just see you with… fangs?” asked Scarlet Sunlight, barely muttering the last word.

Sunset Shimmer gulped, her throat suddenly feeling dry. “Uh, no?”

“I don’t believe you, but I’m not going to push. Instead, I’m going to leave and hope that what I just saw was a dream.” Scarlet Sunlight stepped back from Sunset, seemingly more afraid of her now. “So, uh, Sunblaze is in the new stable, in the fourth stall. All of her tack is in the room at the end of the hall. Bye!”

Sunset Shimmer sighed with relief as she watched Scarlet run back to the building behind her. She was grateful that Scarlet didn’t push the matter about her fangs. It was bad enough that she had slipped up in keeping her changes hidden. And Sunset didn’t feel like having to deal with a scared stablehand. Thankfully, nothing happened, and now she was free to see Sunblaze. However, seeing Scarlet get frightened by her brought back images of Twilight’s fearful reaction, nearly dampening her good mood. As she pushed any thoughts of Twilight aside, Sunset put her helmet back on.

Revving her engine, Sunset made her way over to the dirt area just behind the original stables. She could smell the familiar scent of hay and horses. Inhaling deeply, it reminded her of home back in Equestria. After a moment, she was able to find her usual parking space, which Dawn had marked with her cutie mark. Sunset turned off her motorcycle and looked over at the new stables. She was glad that the parking area was close to them. Having to walk a far distance in her current outfit would likely raise some suspicion. And she was sure that other riders wouldn’t be as friendly as Scarlet, even if she had been nosey. As Sunset took off her helmet, she was careful to keep her face hidden. She slipped the helmet onto her handlebars and got off her bike. Tucking her keys into her hoodie pocket, she walked over to the new stables.

The redhead walked into the stable and got hit with the new building smell. She also noticed that several paint cans were sitting by the door. It was evident that it had gotten built recently. Scanning her new surroundings, she saw hay bales sitting in front of all the stalls. It seemed that every stall had its own supply of hay for the day. Seeing the bales of straw, Sunset almost felt a craving for them. However, that was a passing urge as her body reminded her that she was a human girl, no longer a small pony. In front of her was a long row of horse stalls. Looking down at the one end, she noticed that the numbers labeling each booth went up to 14. On the other one, they went down to zero.

“Huh, I didn’t know they had added that. Guess they are trying something new,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she glanced at the stalls.

“Sheesh, that’s a lot of stalls. Thank Celestia that Sunblaze is in stall number four,” Sunset Shimmer thought as she followed the descending numbers, hoping to find Sunblaze.

One by one, the horses that Sunset Shimmer walked past freaked out and stepped away from her. She rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the pain of seeing that. Being a pony from another world, she found it both offensive and hurtful that this world’s horses would act like this. Just because she was a bit different right now didn’t mean that she was dangerous. Yet, Sunset couldn’t blame them for acting on the basic instincts, even if it hurt. She passed stall ten as she began to wonder if Sunblaze would freak out too. Deep down, she hoped that her friend wouldn’t. After all, she was still her rider. And that would be enough, right?

“Okay, so I am standing in front of stall number… eight.” Sunset Shimmer walked down the hallway, finding stall number four. “And that means… this is your stall, Sunblaze.”

Sunblaze, who was munching on some of her oats, perked her head up. Her ears twitched in the direction of where she heard her name. As she looked in the direction, she saw a very familiar hoodie. That was the hoodie her rider had occasionally worn the few times she had visited her. Happy to see her rider after so long, Sunblaze walked up to the stall door and stuck her head out.

“S-Sunset?” thought Sunblaze as she spotted the familiar flame-colored hair poking out from the hood she was wearing.

Sunset saw the familiar muzzle poke out from above the stall door. She instantly recognized the broad white blaze on the horse. Looking at it, she also saw the red-gold eyes it had. Knowing who those eyes belonged to, she smiled. As Sunset got closer to the horse, she spotted the lovely reddish-black coat. That made her smile wider. She felt like a kid in a candy store as she approached the animal. When she got close to the door, she outstretched her hand to pet Sunblaze. However, the horse stepped back and whinnied while rearing her head up, sounding a bit frightened. Sunset sighed.

“You have noticed that something is off about me, didn’t you? There is something underneath these clothes, but it isn’t pretty.” Sunset Shimmer stepped back from the stall door. “I will leave if you want me to.”

Sunblaze nickered. “Don’t leave, please. I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“Are you sure that you want me to stay?” Sunset stepped back towards the door, her hand on the latch. “You seemed rather frightened of me when I approached you.”

“Yes, I do want you here. I miss you.” Sunblaze pawed at the ground and tossed her head. “Besides, that new girl Scarlet barely hangs out with me. I think she hates me.”

Sunset Shimmer opened the latch and swung the door open as she stepped into the stall. She closed the door behind her before focusing her attention back on Sunblaze. Making sure to give her enough space, Sunset took a few steps further into the stall. She didn’t want to spook her by accidentally doing something too soon.

“Hmm. Scarlet seemed to be nice. But then again, maybe she hates mustangs, especially pretty ones like you.” Sunset Shimmer held her hand out towards Sunblaze, a pleading look in her eyes, despite the sunglasses shielding them from view.

“Hmph. If Scarlet does indeed hate mustangs, then it’s her loss. We are amazing creatures. And we’re smarter than we seem,” said Sunblaze.

When Sunblaze saw that Sunset Shimmer had held out her hand, she looked at it hesitantly. Her senses were telling her that something was wrong, but this was her rider. Sunset was someone she had known for about a year and a half, and someone she trusted. So, ignoring her senses and instincts, she approached her rider. And slowly, Sunblaze pressed her muzzle against her palm. The weirdness of feeling the leather glove against her fur made her pull away briefly. She soon rested her muzzle against her rider’s hand again, enjoying her gentle touch. However, Sunblaze felt something sharp inside the thick leather material.

“So, will I see what you are hiding underneath that ridiculous hoodie of yours?” asked Sunblaze.

“Maybe, but when we’re in a less public area, okay? I don’t want the other riders or horses to freak out,” replied Sunset Shimmer, giving Sunblaze’s muzzle a few scratches.

“Okay. Now, are you going to brush me? Cause my back is starting to itch, and it’s driving me crazy,” asked Sunblaze, stepping back as her one back leg twitched.

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. “Yes, I’m going to brush you. Just give me a minute to find your brush, okay?”

"Fine. Just hurry, please. This is getting more unbearable every minute that I stand here,” said Sunblaze, letting a small nicker escape.

With that, Sunset Shimmer walked out of the stall, making sure to close the door behind her. Following the instructions Scarlet gave her, she was able to find the tack room. Sunset made her way inside and found that it had gotten organized very differently from the previous tack room. Nothing was where it originally had been. And to make matters more confusing, it seemed that the new tack room got redesigned. As Sunset looked around, she noticed that the walls hadn’t even got painted yet. She could see – and smell – the new wood.

“Wow…” Sunset Shimmer picked up a nearby brush. “This equipment looks so… new. I wonder why they changed things,” said Sunset as she set the brush down.

Walking further into the new tack room, Sunset found that it was much bigger than the one she had gotten used to. The further she got, the more pungent the smell of new wood became. She began to make her way into the maze of cubbies as she searched for Sunblaze’s. When Sunset made one turn, she saw that the new hallway looked the same as the last one. She had to double-check to make sure that she did not see doubles. A few times, she had gotten lost with all the turns and the unchanging walls around her. Eventually, Sunset was able to find Sunblaze’s cubby. Inside of it was all brand new equipment. None of her old equipment was there.

“Fuck! They threw out all of my stuff. It looks like I didn’t show up in time to save it,” said Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed her new brush. “Well, at least they gave me new equipment. Can’t be too mad about that.”

Now with her brush in hand, Sunset made her way back out. After navigating the confusing maze-like tack room, she was finally free. Walking down the hall, she saw another rider pass her. Pulling her hoodie down, she averted the rider’s gaze. Sunset didn’t want to make the same mistake that she did with Scarlet. However, just as she was a few feet from them, she felt a hand on her arm.

“You’re Sunset, right?” asked the person.

“Ye-yeah,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “Who are you?”

“I’m Violet Night,” said Violet Night. “We met once at the animal shelter, remember?”

“Oh, right. I got covered in cake, and you were in a hurry,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “That was a fun birthday, even if I had to spend a few hours scraping cake icing off my walls.”

Violet Night nodded. “Right, sorry about that. I had something to deal with, and I needed to leave.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Violet,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking over at Sunblaze’s stall. “However, I must be going now.”

“Yeah, no problem. Nice meeting you too, Sunset,” replied Violet Night before letting go of Sunset’s arm. “Bye.”

“Bye,” said Sunset Shimmer, watching as Violet walked away.

Sunset took a deep breath, thankful that Violet Night didn’t seem to notice her appearance. She returned to walking back to Sunblaze as she recalled the day she had first met Violet. Something about her seemed off then, almost like she was hiding a secret. That made Sunset wonder what it was that Violet felt she had to keep hidden. As she looked behind her, she saw Violet adjusting her jacket sleeve. Her curiosity piqued, but she pulled herself away and focused on the task at hand. Now was not the time to investigate someone else who may seem shady, even if they were growing closer to Fluttershy. As Sunset approached Sunblaze’s stall, she could see that she was pushing against the door. She laughed at the sight of her being so impatient.

“Alright, alright. I have the brush. Now, stop leaning against the door, or you’ll topple over when I open it,” Sunset Shimmer said as she gripped the latch.

“Okay, I’m not leaning against the door anymore. Now, open it!” shouted Sunblaze.

“Sheesh, you’re impatient today.” Sunset unhooked the latch and swung the door open. “It’s like you don’t get brushed every day.”

Sunblaze, excited to have the door finally opened, whinnied cheerfully. Not wasting any time, she walked out of her stall, her footsteps making the floor vibrate with each step. It was nice to stretch her legs and get some exercise since her morning time in the corral got cut short. She stopped once she was standing out in the hallway. Shaking her head in utter frustration, Sunblaze looked at Sunset.

“Well? Come one! Don’t just stand there, brush me. It’s not often that I get to be brushed by you,” said Sunblaze, sounding very demanding.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. Carefully stepping closer to Sunblaze, she placed the brush on her back. She made one stroke, but she already heard her sigh with relief. Figuring that she got that annoying itch, she continued with the grooming. While Sunset brushed her horse, her mind wandered to Twilight Sparkle. Her friend’s behavior on the night that she revealed herself was still present in her mind. It was one thing to see her push her away. Yet, it was another to see her look so… scared. Hard as she tried, Sunset couldn’t forget the look of pure fear Twilight gave her.

“Hey, watch where you dig those bristles in, will you?” asked Sunblaze, jerking away from Sunset slightly.

That made Sunset stop brushing Sunblaze’s back and look at her. She had gotten so lost in her thoughts that she had zoned out. That was unusual for her. Yet, these days it was becoming more and more common. It seemed that her thoughts just wanted to stay on Twilight. However, Sunset knew that there wasn’t much she could do to fix things. Twilight refused to talk to her or acknowledge her presence. And it was her choice to decide whether or not their friendship was over. Despite her worries, Sunset hoped that Twilight would be willing to stay as her friend, even though she had made a mistake.

Stepping back from Sunblaze, she set the brush on a nearby hay bale. “Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you too much.”

“You didn’t, but you do seem distracted. Do you have a lot on your mind?” asked Sunblaze as she nuzzled Sunset’s side.

“Yeah… A lot has happened since we last talked. By the way, I am sorry that I don’t come around more often.” Sunset Shimmer absentmindedly scratched Sunblaze’s neck. “Lately, it seems life keeps me more than busy. I barely even have time for myself.”

“Sunset?” Sunblaze met Sunset’s gaze, somehow seeing past the sunglasses her rider as wearing.

“Yeah?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I do miss you, but I know life gets busy. However, I can tell something has happened between you and your friends. You don’t seem as happy as you usually would,” said Sunblaze. “So, don’t bother trying to hide it from me.”

“Sunblaze? Can I tell you something, mare to mare?” Sunset Shimmer leaned in, whispering into Sunblaze’s ear.

“Yeah. What is it, Sunset?” Sunblaze asked.

“I’m glad you and I can talk. And that you know me well enough to know when something is wrong. It’s nice to be my real self with someone. Or some horse in this case,” said Sunset Shimmer as she chuckled and smiled at Sunblaze.

“Me too. By the way, how are we able to communicate? I have always wondered why I can talk to you but not other humans,” Sunblaze asked while taking a bite of the hay bale next to her.

“Honestly, I think it is because I am a pony from a world of magic. That’s the only explanation because I didn’t get my geode until long after I met you,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

Sunblaze stopped eating the hay as she saw Scarlet Sunlight walk towards them. She picked her head up as she saw her approach Sunset. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped close to her rider. She wanted to make it clear that Scarlet’s presence was not wanted. Seeing that the blonde-haired girl glared back at her, Sunblaze snorted. This so-called snob who was trying to act like she was the popular girl wasn’t going to get under her skin. Not if she had anything to say about it.

“Relax, Sunblaze. It’s just Scarlet,” said Sunset Shimmer, trying to act like she wasn’t having a mental conversation with her horse.

“Sunset, I would appreciate it if you would keep your… horse from eating the hay. It’s supposed to be for later,” said Scarlet Sunlight, a condescending tone in her voice.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset Shimmer said, “Okay, I will. Sorry for breaking one of your rules.”

“Whatever. Just don’t let it happen again,” said Scarlet Sunlight.

Nodding, Sunset saw the blonde walk away from them. When she saw Scarlet flick her hair back with one hand, she felt herself wanting to snicker. It was evident that she was trying to act like she was popular. And Sunset could see that Scarlet was trying too hard, which only made Scarlet’s attempt all the more annoying to her. She struggled to keep from laughing as she noticed Scarlet nearly tripping over her feet. Sunset turned to Sunblaze and raised an eyebrow.

“Wow, Scarlet seemed so much nicer earlier,” whispered Sunset Shimmer, not wanting Scarlet to overhear their conversation.

“Yeah, well, that’s an act. Scarlet loves luring people in and attacking them. I have seen three riders take their horses and leave because of her,” replied Sunblaze, sneaking another bite of the hay bale.

The redhead saw that and pulled Sunblaze away from the hay bale she was munching on.

“Stop that! Do you want that blonde bitch over there to scold us again?” asked Sunset Shimmer. “Cause if so, she might kick you out.”

“No, I hate that bitch. She always slams the door, startling me. I know that she’s aware that I hate loud sounds. I swear she does it just to irritate me.” Sunblaze pawed at the ground, raising her head. “But for you, I will behave… for now. Later on, though, I may kick her, aiming for her oversized head.”

“Haha, Scarlet would deserve that. But maybe let another horse at the stable do that,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“But why? I want the glory of being able to damage Scarlet’s ego,” whined Sunblaze, her eyes doing what most would describe as a horse version of the puppy dog eyes look.

“Well, I don’t want the heartache of losing you, okay? I would miss you,” replied Sunset, her voice lower than usual as she imagined the pain of losing Sunblaze.

Hearing the pained tone in her rider’s voice, Sunblaze nudged her cheek with her muzzle. She felt Sunset wrap both hands around her neck and kiss her. As she felt Sunset kiss her, that's when Sunblaze realized that she had fangs. The whole time that she talked with her, she noticed that the redhead always hid her mouth. And now she knew the reason behind her strange behavior. Yet, instead of freaking out and risk hurting her feelings, Sunblaze just stood still. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of having Sunset’s hands rubbing her ears.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. I will let another horse have all the glory. You’re too important to lose as well,” Sunblaze said as she kissed Sunset, nearly knocking off her sunglasses in the process.

Sunset Shimmer gave Sunblaze another kiss, happy to see that her horse cared enough to keep herself out of trouble. She rested her head on her neck, enjoying the warmth and smell of Sunblaze. It was comforting to her. Plus, the heat helped her feel better and ignore her aching joints. After having moved around so much, Sunset barely noticed the pain of her bruises. She was also glad that her hoodie had long sleeves and that she had chosen to wear jeans. Getting strange looks from passers-by because she changed her clothes and odd behavior was enough. Sunset wasn’t in the mood to get any more looks because she had gotten badly beaten and bruised. It would’ve ruined her day and turned it into a nightmare. And she didn’t want to have another one, especially after the one she had before Rainbow Dash woke her up.

Sunblaze, feeling Sunset resting her head against her neck, smiled. Right now, she was the happiest she had been in a while. Whenever Sunset was around, she always felt better. Whether it was because she and Sunset had a very close bond or simply because her rider once was a pony from another world, she didn’t know. However, what she knew for sure was that any day with Sunset became a guaranteed good day. Sighing, Sunblaze wanted to stay in the moment. She didn’t want anything to stop it. It was one of those moments that horses and people alike would hold onto for those sad, rainy days. Knowing that it was a fleeting moment, she made sure to memorize Sunset’s touch, scent, and every little thing about her. With Sunset coming around less and less often, it made these moments more pleasant. They were worth more than gold and worth every second of torture she endured from Scarlet.

“Please, Sunset. Don’t let this moment go. I love you, even if we barely see each other. My love for you stays. So, please treasure this moment… for me,” thought Sunblaze as she pressed her body against Sunset’s smaller one.

After a few minutes, Sunset stopped leaning against Sunblaze. She walked away and grabbed her lead rope, which was conveniently hanging near the entrance with Sunblaze’s name over it. Today, she wanted to go out for a ride. Making her way back over to her horse, she attached the lead rope to her halter. With the rope securely attached, Sunset led Sunblaze out of the stable. They walked over to where there was some fencing for the riders to tie their horses. She tied the rope around the wood, making sure it was secure.

“Okay, Sunblaze. I am going to get your saddle and bridle.” Sunset Shimmer patted Sunblaze before walking away.

As she walked back into the stables, Sunset saw Scarlet near one of the horses. She rolled her eyes and made her way to the tack room. Looking around, she tried to find where the saddles and bridles were stored. She was almost lost in the maze-like hallway. Taking another turn, Sunset found a section where there were saddles and bridles for each horse mounted on the wall. Each one had a horse’s name over it, making it easier for her to spot Sunblaze’s spot. She made her way over to the so-called ‘Saddle and Bridle Area’ and found Sunblaze’s saddle set in the site.

“Wow, they went all out for organization. It helps, but maybe the labeled areas such as this one is a little bit of an overkill,” said Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed the saddle.

When Sunset picked up the saddle, she saw the blanket for it draped over a rack. Deciding that she had to take out the saddle first, she walked out. It was much heavier than she remembered it being. And combined with her sore arm, it was an almost impossible task to carry it. As Sunset made her way out of the stables, she picked up her pace. Once she was standing next to her horse, she put the heavy saddle on the fence. Her lungs were burning from the amount of effort it took to carry it.

Sunblaze nickered. “What’s wrong? That saddle too heavy for a former pony like you?”

Sunset Shimmer, resting her hands on her hips, glared at Sunblaze. “No, I am just out of shape.”

Sunblaze tilted her head to the side, knocking Sunset off balance temporarily. “I’ll say. You used to be quicker on your feet. Now you move like a snail.”

“Okay, okay. I see your point. I’ll be back, I have to get your bridle and blanket,” said Sunset Shimmer, giving Sunblaze a quick kiss on the nose.

“Hope they won’t be too heavy for you,” shouted Sunblaze as Sunset walked back into the stables.

A quick trip back to the tack room and Sunset Shimmer had the bridle and blanket. Being much lighter than the saddle, she was able to carry them with one hand. Walking back out of the stables, she felt Scarlet Sunlight bump into her shoulder, shoving past her with her horse in tow. Sunset let a low growl escape, making Scarlet’s horse jump in response. She snickered and walked back over to Sunblaze. She set the bridle and blanket on the fence next to the saddle and rested a hand on Sunblaze's neck.

“See what I mean? Scarlet’s a bitch,” said Sunblaze.

Sunset Shimmer patted Sunblaze’s neck. “Calm down, Sunblaze. Scarlet’s not worth the energy. Besides, wouldn’t you rather enjoy your ride with me?”

“Wait. We’re going for a ride today?!” asked Sunblaze, letting out a joyful nicker.

“Yep. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lugged out this heavy saddle,” said Sunset Shimmer, patting the leather saddle with her hand. “Now, shall I saddle you up?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” exclaimed Sunblaze, tossing her head up in excitement.

Smiling, Sunset grabbed the blanket from the fence and tossed it over Sunblaze’s withers. She pulled it back, smoothing the hair underneath it. She checked the blanket and made sure there were no wrinkles. Once that got completed, Sunset lifted the saddle and gently set it down on Sunblaze’s back. She checked the left side, making sure that it was balanced. She did the same for the right side as well. Finishing that, the redhead smiled to herself.

“Glad to see that I still remember how to do this.” Sunset Shimmer flung her left stirrup over the saddle horn, giving her access to the cinch strap and ring. “I am going to tighten your cinch straps now, okay? Let me know if they get too tight.”

“Okay, I will let you know,” replied Sunblaze.

With confirmation from Sunblaze, Sunset gripped the cinch strap and looped it through the ring, making sure to keep it somewhat taut. Next, she threaded it through the saddle ring, pulling it down towards the bottom ring. Repeating what she did earlier, Sunset created a singular loop. However, she saw that the cinch strap was still a little too long. So, she repeated the process, making two loops. Finally, she gripped the innermost coil and tugged on it.

“Is that too tight?” Sunset Shimmer asked, still keeping her hand on the strap.

“It’s fine. Not too tight or too loose,” replied Sunblaze, meeting Sunset’s gaze. “Glad to see you can still saddle me properly.”

“Oh, haha. Just don’t let the air out of your belly. I don’t feel like hanging upside down,” said Sunset Shimmer as she flung each stirrup back down.

“I can’t make any promises.” Sunblaze nickered and pressed her muzzle into Sunset’s side. “Now, come on. Let’s ride.”

Sunset Shimmer unbuckled the halter, sliding the first part over Sunblaze’s ears. “First, let’s get this halter off you. Then we can go riding.”

The redhead unhooked the lead rope as she slipped the last part of the halter over Sunblaze’s muzzle. Setting both of them down on the fence, she grabbed the bridle. As Sunblaze saw the bridle, she lowered her head. She had gone through the procedure many times and knew exactly what to do. The reins were draped over her withers as Sunset prepared to put it on. She slipped the headpiece over Sunblaze’s head, holding the noseband in her other hand. She held the bit to her horse’s lips and waited for her to open her mouth. Without hesitation, Sunblaze opened her mouth, allowing Sunset to slide the bit into it. Once it was sitting comfortably between her horse’s teeth, Sunset fastened the buckles and stood back.

Grabbing the halter and lead rope, Sunset made her way back into the stables again. She set the halter on the same hook with the lead rope, making it easier to gather them later. With that done, she walked back over to Sunblaze. Sunset placed her one foot in the stirrup and gripped the reins along with part of Sunblaze’s mane. With her right hand grabbing the saddle’s mantle, she pushed up with her other foot and swung herself into the saddle. She made sure to take her right hand off the mantle as she moved. Bending down, Sunset put the other stirrup around her foot before sitting back up.

“Wow, I forgot how it felt to be in the saddle,” said Sunset Shimmer, shifting around a bit to get comfy. “It’s a lot less comfortable when you haven’t been in one for a while.”

“I’ll bet. Also, you seemed to have gotten heavier. Have you been eating an excess of hay?” asked Sunblaze.

“No!” shouted Sunset Shimmer. “I can’t eat it. I am a human in this world, not a pony. I do miss it occasionally, though.”

“Well, maybe lay off the pizzas then,” replied Sunblaze.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset Shimmer chuckled. “Come on, let’s go already.”

Sunset Shimmer turned Sunblaze, facing the trail leading away from the stables. Pushing her claves against Sunblaze’s stomach as she pulled slightly on the reins, she urged her forward. In seconds, her horse started to walk. Wanting to move faster, Sunset dug her heels a bit into her horse’s hindquarters. She felt Sunblaze respond, entering into a canter. She held onto the reins as her body moved in rhythm with her horse. Some of her bruises brushed against the saddle, reminding her that they were sensitive. Yet, it was nothing Sunset couldn’t handle. She allowed herself to relax and enjoy the ride.

As they got onto the trail, the ride became less smooth. Due to the uneven dirt road, Sunset got jerked around a bit as Sunblaze tried to avoid stepping on some large pebbles. Sighing, she tried her best to manage the pain. However, every move Sunblaze made when she stepped on a rock or twig caused her knees and thighs to slam into the saddle. Thankfully, the trail was short and led into a smoother, grassier path. With the grass replacing the dirt, the ride became a lot less bumpy. Sunset found herself staring off into space as she let Sunblaze walk down the path.

“Hey Sunset, can we stop somewhere and eat? Cause I am hungry. You did, after all, interrupt my breakfast,” said Sunblaze as she slowed to a stop.

Patting Sunblaze’s neck, Sunset Shimmer said, “Sure. Besides, I completely skipped breakfast to get here for you.”

Sunblaze let out a happy whinny. “Good. Now, where should we rest?”

Sunset Shimmer looked around. There were a few paths that went off the primary way that they were on. One looked like it hadn’t gotten used for a long time. The bushes and brambles were overgrown and threatened to cut them should they dare to take it. Moving one from that trail, she found another one that seemed relatively well used. The bushes looked like they had gotten trimmed recently so they wouldn’t bother the riders and their horses. Looking down the path, Sunset saw that there was no one around. That was a good sign for her. She didn’t want anyone nearby, especially if she planned on showing Sunblaze what happened to her.

“Let’s go down the left path, Sunblaze. There’s no one there, so we should have the field to ourselves,” said Sunset Shimmer as she tugged on the reins, turning Sunblaze towards the path.

Walking down the grassy path, the field slowly came into view. As Sunset looked, she saw that the green grass stretched for miles. It was like an endless sea of green. If the grass hadn’t got cut short, she was sure that someone could easily get lost in it. She and Sunblaze encountered a hill, and she felt the sudden effect of the incline. Tightening her grip on the reins, Sunset let Sunblaze reach the top. Once they arrived, she recognized the tree sitting in the middle of it immediately. Carved into the trunk were two letters and a date. When Sunblaze came to a halt, Sunset dismounted and ran over to the tree.

“I remember this! I carved it the day we met.” Sunset Shimmer traced the carving, surprised to see that it was still there.

Waking up to the tree, Sunblaze smiled. “Ah, yes. You did that… what was it now? A year and a half ago to this day?”

“Yep. It’s the reason I visited you today. I couldn’t just leave you alone on this special day.” Sunset looked at Sunblaze, noticing the smile she had. “Do you still remember that day?”

“Do I?! I have never forgotten it. The question is, do you remember it?” asked Sunblaze.

“I do…” Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and rested her hand over the carving, letting her mind wander back to that very day. “I was with Fluttershy, and it was about a month after the Fall Formal…”

*Flashback*

Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer walked into Canterlot City Ranch’s stables. As soon as the redhead entered, she got hit with the strong scent of hay and horses. It was a familiar yet strange scent. It almost reminded her of her old home back in Equestria, but things were different now. She had a home here, and hopefully, friends. And lately, Sunset couldn’t bear the thought of returning. Not after all that she had done at the Fall Formal and to her former mentor, Princess Celestia. She was jolted back to reality when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder.

“Um, Sunset? Are you, uh, coming?” asked the shy-sounding person.

The redhead turned around to see the animal lover behind her. She had almost forgotten why she had come to the stables in the first place. It was some volunteer work that she had signed up for, especially when she saw that Fluttershy didn’t have many volunteers. Besides, Sunset wanted a chance to make up for what she had done to the shy girl. She needed to apologize for her actions.

“Oh, sorry. Yeah, I am coming,” replied Sunset Shimmer, her hand resting on her neck as she tried to avoid any eye contact.

“O-okay. Well, follow me. The horse we’ll be helping out today is over here,” said Fluttershy.

Sunset followed Fluttershy down the hallway. They stopped after passing by five horse stalls, which were all empty. When they got to the sixth one, she saw a glimpse of a reddish-black coat and a mane that was a maroon-gold mix. Stepping closer to the gate, she noticed what appeared to be a scrawny-looking horse inside the stall. There were big patches of fur missing, and there was mud caked all around the bottom of its hooves, running up its legs. It looked like it had lost a war with a mud puddle, a very deep one. As Sunset stood at the door, she saw the horse’s eyes meet her gaze. That gave her a good look at the unusual eye color that the horse had. In all her time in this world, she had never seen a horse with red-gold eyes. Yet, it was amazing how beautiful they were. Too bad that horse’s unhealthy appearance hid their beauty beneath it.

“What happened to it?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her attention turning to Fluttershy, who now joined her by the door, though there was some good distance between them.

“Her. It’s a mare. And she was rescued from an abandoned farm. The owners just left, leaving her to starve and die,” replied Fluttershy, her voice breaking as she said the last part.

Sunset Shimmer knew that Fluttershy was a big animal lover. She had seen her passing out flyers for the animal shelter many times. Sunset cringed as she recalled how she acted when she found out that Fluttershy turned the crown over to Principal Celestia after she got hit in the head with it. It had angered her a lot at the time. And she knew that what she did wasn’t likely to be forgotten. However, it was nice of Fluttershy to allow her to help.

“Wow, that is so sad. Why would they do that to such a beautiful creature?” asked Sunset Shimmer, stepping back from the door.

“I don’t know. But today, you and I are going to clean her up and make sure that she doesn’t have any physical injuries.” Fluttershy grabbed a lead rope, which was hanging on the wall next to the stall. “Do you know how to lead a horse?”

Sunset Shimmer waited a moment before responding. “Uh, actually, I do.”

“How?” asked Fluttershy as she opened the stall door.”I thought you were still new to this world. Or do you lead horses where you come from?”

“We don’t do that in Equestria. But when I first came here, I became interested in horses and horseback riding,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she walked into the stall alongside Fluttershy.

“Really?” Fluttershy was shocked to hear that Sunset was interested in horseback riding. She never pegged the former school bully as a horse rider.

“Yeah, I had a lot of free time without any friends…” Sunset Shimmer looked down. Not wanting to continue the conversation, she said, “May I? I may be able to help her, coming from a world of talking ponies.”

Fluttershy handed the lead rope to the redhead. “Be my guest.”

Sunset, taking the lead rope, turned her attention to the mare. She could see that the massive animal was visibly shaking. Deciding not to stress her out, Sunset slowly made her way closer. She kept her hands out and made sure to stay in the mare’s line of sight. She knew enough about scared or stressed horses to avoid making the situation any worse. When she got within two feet of her, she stopped moving.

“Hey girl, I am just going to hook this to your halter, okay?” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice calm and soft.

The mare whinnied, sounding very nervous.

“Please, don’t come near me! Please!”

The words sounded inside the redhead’s mind. She whirled around, wondering who said them. But aside from her, the only other person in the stall was Fluttershy. And she wasn’t moving, let alone speaking. So, that left Sunset confused and wondering where the mysterious voice came from. Figuring she must’ve just imagined it, Sunset focused her attention back on the mare. Reaching a cautious hand towards her, she grabbed the halter.

“Please, don’t hurt me!. Please...”

There was that voice again. Sunset Shimmer looked up at the mare. Furrowing her brows, she let go of the halter. Taking a step back, she saw the mare looking right at her.

“Did… did you just speak to me?” asked Sunset Shimmer, keeping her voice low.

“Please, don-wait, you can hear me?” asked the mare.

“Y-yeah, I think I can. But… you’re a horse,” replied Sunset Shimmer, staring at the mare wide-eyed.

“Yeah, and you’re specist.” The mare snorted and rolled her eyes. “Of course, you’re a human.”

The redhead blinked, shocked by the mare’s sudden change in attitude. Ignoring her own shock, she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, and she looked at the mare. “I am a pony – a unicorn, to be specific – from another world. So no, I am not a specist. Just… shocked.”

“Oh… sorry. By the way, the name is Sunblaze,” said the mare, realizing that she made a mistake. Not that she trusted the redhead in front of her. That was still up for debate.

“Nice name. Mine is Sunset Shimmer. And my friend over there,” Sunset pointed to the animal over who was hiding behind the door, “is Fluttershy. She loves animals.”

Sunblaze looked at the girl who Sunset had pointed at. Aside from her teal eyes and her pink hair, she couldn’t see much. The stall door blocked most of her body from view. But from her shy demeanor, she concluded that she was safe. As for the redhead standing in front of her, she wasn’t so sure. Something was off about her, but she couldn’t place her hoof on it. And it made Sunblaze wonder if she could trust her at all.

“Well, Fluttershy, I trust. You, not so much,” Sunblaze said, lowering her head to Sunset’s height. “You promise not to hurt me?”

“Yes, I promise that I won’t hurt you.” Sunset Shimmer held up the rope. “Now, may I?”

“Fine. I will allow you to lead me, but nothing more right now,” said Sunblaze as she raised her head back to its natural height. “But, don’t make a mistake, or I’ll kick.”

“Understood.” The redhead hooked the lead rope to the halter and started to lead Sunblaze out of the stall.

Fluttershy, still standing by the stable door, just stared in awe at what she witnessed. She knew how to sense what animals wanted and needed. But that was nothing compared to seeing Sunset having a conversation with the mare. That was beyond just feeling what an animal required. Blinking back to reality, Fluttershy closed the stall door and followed Sunset outside.

“Did I just see you talking to the mare?” asked Fluttershy, a genuine curiosity in her voice.

“No, I was just soothing her,” replied Sunset, not wanting to admit the truth. “It clearly helped.”

“Yeah, I see. You’re the first person the mare has allowed to lead her. I have been coming here for about two weeks, and she always just makes it difficult.” Fluttershy walked next to Sunset Shimmer, not sure if the mare was willing to trust her.

“Huh, guess I am lucky then,” said Sunset Shimmer.

Together, the group made their way to the washing area. It was an area that had four showers, with hoses, buckets, sponges, and soaps all stored on shelves. In the back of each stall was a water fixture, which is where the hoses would get attached for use. And lining the stalls were reused rain gutters, making it easier to keep the water from muddying up the shower. To complete the look, tiles were lining the walls and floor. It was a unique feature, which only the Canterlot City Ranch had. Whatever the reason was for the ranch installing them, Sunset found them to be quite convenient.

“Wow, these are some interesting showers,” Sunset Shimmer said as she led Sunblaze into one of them.

Sunblaze began to freak out as she heard the sound of the tiles beneath her hooves. She struggled against the lead rope as she tried to get away. She didn’t want to be close to them, not with the weird noise they made every time she stepped on them. This was all so new to her, and that was scary. And having been abandoned for months, Sunblaze wasn’t willing to try anything new. But Sunblaze could tell that Sunset wasn’t going to give up. So, instead of causing a fuss and injuring the other girl, she allowed Sunset to tie the lead to a ring on the wall.

Once Sunset Shimmer finished tying the lead rope, she grabbed the hose and connected it to the fixture. When she got done with that, she saw Fluttershy trying to reach the shampoo on the top shelf. However, being shorter than the shelf, she was barely even able to touch the bottle. Sunset, being the taller of the two girls, reached up and grabbed the bottle and handed it to Fluttershy.

“Here you go, Shy.” Sunset Shimmer tried to sound nice, but she could tell that the shy girl was still tentative to take the bottle.

Fluttershy grabbed the bottle and quickly pulled her hand away from the redhead’s. She knew that she was trying to make up for what she did, but three years of constant bullying wasn’t easy to forget. It had made her high school experience worse. Plus, Fluttershy still remembered getting cornered daily by Sunset and her two cohorts. And the verbal beatings that would ensue, only for them to leave her crying in a corner. Shaking her head, the animal lover pushed the memories to the back of her mind.

“Th-Thanks,” replied Fluttershy, her voice quivering for a moment as she was still reeling from the scared feeling.

The redhead sighed. She could see that Fluttershy was still unsure of whether or not she was her friend. Yet, she didn’t blame her. After all, she had picked on her more than most of the girls. She always seemed to exploit her weakness every chance she got. And now, because of her choice, Fluttershy was terrified of her. However, Sunset was grateful that the animal lover was willing to let her volunteer. Grabbing the hose, she turned the water on and let it hit the mare’s legs.

As Sunset set to work rinsing off the caked-on mud and dirt, Fluttershy applied the shampoo and began to wash the rinsed off areas. She tried to be careful when the water hit some of Sunblaze’s bald spots. Knowing that the skin would be raw, Sunset tried to be quick so that it wouldn’t put her in any more pain. Soon after, she finished and joined Fluttershy in shampooing her. As she lathered up the fur on the mare’s neck, she looked over at Fluttershy. Something told her that she had a question she was dying to ask her. That and Sunset had seen glancing at her, wanting to say something before looking away again. Deciding to help her friend, she spoke first.

“So, what do you want to ask? I can see that you have something that you want to say.” Sunset Shimmer scrubbed below Sunblaze’s jaw, which she was rewarded by feeling her push her head into her hand.

“O-oh, it’s nothing, Demon Shimmer – oh, I didn’t mean to say that…” said Fluttershy, deciding to busy herself with shampooing with the mare's flank.

Sunset Shimmer cringed as she heard the words ‘Demon Shimmer’. That was the nickname she had earned from the students at CHS after the fiasco at the Fall Formal. It tormented her every time she walked past someone. Everyone whispered it as she walked past them, reminding her that she revealed what was really in her heart at the time. Yet, hearing Fluttershy call her that, it made Sunset regret what she did even more. She walked around to the other side of Sunblaze, standing next to Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy… I deserved to be called that for what I did to you. But can you just call me, Sunset? Please?” Sunset Shimmer saw the shy girl meet her gaze, her eyes wide with shock. “And please, what’s your question. I want to answer it. After all, it’s the least I can do after you willingly let me help you.”

“O-okay, well, I was wondering why you volunteered. I mean, you’ve never volunteered before,” replied Fluttershy, shying away from the redhead.

“I… did it because… I wanted to apologize for what I did to you.” As Sunset Shimmer spoke, her eyes started to water as tears threatened to fall. “I feel so bad about the times I left you crying in a corner. I should never have done that. I am so sorry, Fluttershy.”

The animal lover just stood there, silent. Her mouth was unable to form words as she saw the former bully of CHS start crying. It was a sight she had only ever seen once before, at the Fall Formal. Taking her hands off the mare, Fluttershy washed the soap off. She turned off the hose and walked over to the redhead, wiping a single tear off her cheek. When she saw Sunset look at her, she smiled.

“Thank you.”

“What?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Thank you for apologizing. I forgive you. I have forgiven you since the Fall Formal. Seeing you look so scared and… lonely, I realized that all you needed was a friend,” continued Fluttershy.

“Was it that clear?” Sunset Shimmer washed her hands off as well, seeing as Sunblaze had gotten completely covered in suds.

“Yeah, it was. I noticed the way you looked at us before…” Fluttershy trailed off as she saw Sunset’s expression fall.

“You mean before I lost my temper and attacked Twilight? Then put on the crown, becoming a raging she-demon and tried to kill you?” Sunset turned the hose to Sunblaze, watching the water wash away the soap and dirt.

“Yeah…” said Fluttershy, looking away from the redhead. She was still uncomfortable talking about what happened at the Fall Formal.

The redhead didn’t say anything. What could she say? Whenever the Fall Formal and the events of the night got brought up, it almost always stopped the conversation. Getting transformed into a demon wasn’t an everyday occurrence. And for Sunset, it had some lasting effects. She was still reeling from the sight of her scars. It had been a week since she saw that she had them. Yet, they only served as ugly reminders of what she did. Once she finished washing Sunblaze’s one side, she turned to Fluttershy and said the one thing she knew that she should say.

“Thanks for giving me a chance, Fluttershy. I’m glad I chose to hang out with you.”

After that, both girls finished bathing Sunblaze. And neither one spoke after that. While they walked the mare back to the stable, Sunset looked over at Fluttershy. She could see that she was smiling. Whether that was from having some help or what she said earlier, she wasn’t sure. However, it was nice to see that she had started to fix some of the mistakes she had made. Content that she had done some good, Sunset opened the stall door and let Fluttershy lead Sunblaze in.

‘That’s all we need to do today. The vet is coming by to check on the mare later. So, thank you for your help,” said Fluttershy as she walked out of the stall, closing the door behind her.

“Okay. Well, I am happy to help then. Should I come by tomorrow to help again? I did enjoy today,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Sure! I’d love the help. And not just because no one else has signed up yet,” replied Fluttershy. “Maybe I can ask some of the girls to help out as well.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. The idea of hanging with all the girls made her nervous. Yet, she understood why Fluttershy wanted to invite the rest of her friends. After all, they had been friends for years. That was until she had intervened and tore them apart. Luckily, Princess Twilight was able to reunite them. So, Sunset decided to push her nervousness away, for Fluttershy’s sake. And she knew that eventually, she would have to talk to the rest of the girls.

“Sounds good. So, see you tomorrow then?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yep. Bye, Sunset.” Fluttershy waved to the redhead before she left the stables, heading to her van.

Sunset watched as the animal lover left the ranch. Just as she was about to do the same, she heard a very familiar voice.

“Hey, are you actually coming back tomorrow?”

The redhead turned around and saw that Sunblaze was at the stall door, her head hanging over it. Meeting Sunblaze’s gaze, she knew that she was the one who had spoken. She made her way to the stall door.

“Yes, I am,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “Why?”

“Cause you’re the only one who knows how I like to get washed. So, I need someone like you to make sure that I am properly taken care of. After all, you were once a pony,” replied Sunblaze, let out a soft nicker.

“Okay, then. I will make sure I am here,” said Sunset Shimmer, patting the mare’s muzzle.

“Good. Now, go. I want my new friend to be well-rested,” said Sunblaze.

Sunset Shimmer walked away, a broad smile on her face. Today, she had hopes of making just one friend. Yet, instead, she made two. Albeit, one was a horse, not that it bothered her. She walked over to her motorcycle and grabbed her helmet. There was a tree nearby that she wanted to visit before heading home. Sunset wanted to have a reason to come back and remember where she realized that she had her first real friend.

“Today was great…” thought Sunset Shimmer as she turned on her motorcycle.

*End of Flashback*

“And then after that, I headed to this tree and carved the date along with our initials into it,” finished Sunset Shimmer as she sat down at the base of the tree.

Sunblaze smiled, nuzzling Sunset as she sat down next to her. Tucking her front legs underneath her, she lowered her back legs as well. Once she felt her whole body resting on the ground, she sighed. Sunblaze leaned down and took a bite of the grass in front of her. As she sat there, she noticed that Sunset was looking off into the distance. It was like she was zoning out as she thought about something. And whatever it was, it seemed to be troubling her too. Swallowing, Sunblaze nudged Sunset’s arm.

“Sunset, something is bothering you. What is it?” asked Sunblaze, taking another bite of the grass.

Sunset Shimmer looked down, her hand running through the grass blades. “It’s something that happened with Twilight.” She looked up, her eyes staring at the vastness of greenery in front of her. “When I was at her house, I saw something…”

“Twilight? The nerdy girl with the big glasses who seemed to be afraid of me when she met me?” asked Sunblaze.

“Yes, that cute nerd,” replied Sunset, smiling as she recalled the memory. “She had an interesting dream, to put it lightly. It was....” Sunset trailed off, not willing to admit that she was about to have sex with her crush in the dream.

“Oh? And what is this said dream about?” Sunblaze continued to munch away as she waited for her rider to speak. “I want to hear about it.”

“No, you wouldn’t, at least not all of it. I wasn’t a very nice person at the beginning of the dream.” Sunset Shimmer shuddered as she recalled the images. It still disturbed her to see herself act so vile and mean towards the one person she loved. Sunset cringed as she remembered that it had been Twilight’s dream, which only happened because she had revealed what she looked like. “But in the dream, me and her, we started to…”

“To mate?” asked Sunblaze, catching on to what the redhead meant. Although she hadn't gotten accustomed to the human language, she understood. “Or whatever you humans call it.”

“Sex. And yes…” Sunset Shimmer felt her heart race at the thought of what was going to happen in the dream. Although her thoughts about Twilight never went further than just wanting to kiss her, she had to admit it was an intriguing idea. However, she wasn’t ready to go that far yet. And what happened on Monday night put a kink into that for sure. “I am not sure how to feel about that. I mean, I am happy to see that she saw a… version of me that way. Yet, at the same time, what’s been happening between her and me, I feel like she doesn’t want to admit it. And I think that’s because of what she saw and the fact that I kept my past from her.”

“Wait. What’s been happening between you and Twilight?” asked Sunblaze, concerned.

The redhead grabbed her arms, trying to keep from wincing as she touched the still sensitive bruises as she looked away from Sunblaze. “You remember the Fall Formal, right? And what happened?”

Sunblaze nodded in response.

“Well, Twilight didn’t know… because I insisted on keeping it hidden from her. And on Monday is when she saw my she-demon form,” continued Sunset Shimmer.

“Seriously, Sunset? You deliberately kept your past hidden from Twilight and lied to her? That is just sad…” Sunblaze let out a low nicker of disappointment. “Especially when you like her…”

“Hey, I was worried that Twilight would hate me! Or did you forget what I almost did to the girls?” asked Sunset, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

“No, I didn’t forget. However, I think it shows how little faith you have in one of your closest friends. I mean, you even told me. A horse,” replied Sunblaze, meeting Sunset’s gaze. “And I am an animal. An animal.”

Sunset Shimmer exhaled and uncrossed her arms. She knew that Sunblaze had a point – even she knew about the Fall Formal. Although she had met her not long after it happened, so she wasn’t sure it counted. But either way, Sunset knew that Sunblaze had a point about her lack of faith in Twilight. It was all too evident now that she thought about it. All the girls – including the entire student body – were aware of the events. Yet, Sunset had gone through the trouble of keeping it hidden from Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay, okay. You win that argument. I don’t trust Twilight as much as I have fooled myself into believing. But-”

“No! You have to tell Twilight the truth. Explain to her what happened to you. Let her know that she isn’t alone in the demonic transformation category. Twilight needs that, and you know it.” Sunblaze lowered her head, resting her muzzle in Sunset’s gloved hands. “Trust her, as you do me. Show Twilight that she means everything to you.”

“You sound like the girls… and my conscience, you know that?” said Sunset Shimmer, giving Sunblaze a scratch behind the ear.

“Good. You need someone, or some horse in my case, to push you in the right direction. Because you need it, desperately.” Sunblaze lifted her head, getting ready to stand up. “Now, I am bored with sitting. And I really want to see what you’re hiding underneath that ridiculous outfit of yours.”

Sunset Shimmer stood up just as Sunblaze did. Just as she turned away from her, her throat suddenly became dry. Her hands started to shake as she leaned against the tree. Remembering Sunblaze’s earlier reaction, it made her hesitate for a moment. Sunset was scared to see what her horse’s response would be, especially after what happened with Twilight and the girls. She wasn’t sure if she could handle someone else freaking out because of her demonic appearance. Sunset felt the ground vibrate as she felt the heavy footfalls of the mare approaching her. With her back still turned to her, she felt her muzzle touch her wings gingerly.

“What are those, Sunset?” Sunblaze asked, nuzzling the wings again.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset reached for the sunglasses, which hid her demonic eyes from view. She looked around, making sure that there was no one around. Revealing her appearance to Sunblaze was hard enough. She didn’t need the possibility of someone else seeing it too. And she didn’t want the whole town to know what happened to her either. Seeing no one nearby, Sunset forced herself to go through with the reveal. She slowly turned around and lowered the glasses.

“Those… are my wings, Sunblaze.” Sunset Shimmer looked up at her horse, their eyes meeting. “And my eyes have also changed.”

Sunblaze’s ears laid flat against her head, pinned back in fear. She lifted her head, still keeping eye contact with Sunset. Her rider’s eyes had changed from white and cyan to black surrounding her cyan irises. Something about that shift in colors made her question if her rider was still the same. Having heard Sunset talk about her change, it was still a big shock to finally see it. A bit fearful of what else was to come, Sunblaze took a few steps backward.

“S-Sunset… what’s happened to you…?” Sunblaze wasn’t sure if she could say more. The sight of Sunset’s eye made her feel very uncomfortable.

The redhead stepped back, noticing that Sunblaze was becoming anxious. She didn’t want to scare her or make her run because she revealed too much. Yet, she knew her horse had to see the truth. She had sensed that the moment she first came to the stables. So, ignoring the nervous snort Sunblaze gave her, she lowered her hood and allowed her red skin along with her pointed ears to show. Sunset swallowed and tried to ignore the growing lump in her throat. Her heartbeat was thundering loud in her ears as she stood there. She felt like she was standing in front of Twilight and the girls all over again.

“Sunblaze, I have transformed into my demonic form again,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking away from her horse, giving Sunblaze a look at how much her ears had changed.

Sunblaze, still unsure if she could trust the redhead, remained frozen in the place where she stood. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight of her rider’s now blood-red skin. As she took notice of that, she also spotted the black eye. That made Sunblaze curious. Why did Sunset have that? What happened? Although she wanted to know the answer, right now, it could wait. She had a sinking feeling that there was going to be more changes. Letting out a soft nicker, Sunblaze splayed out her front legs. She was cautious, keeping her eyes locked onto Sunset.

“What else has changed?” asked Sunblaze, her voice sounding pitched as she struggled to even speak.

Sunset could hear the fear in Sunblaze’s voice. That broke her heart to listen to it. It was one thing to have her closest friend freak out and tell her to go. However, to see Sunblaze, her one companion that she could confide everything to, act like she was a monster, it stung. But Sunset knew that she had no choice but to continue. Lying to another person – or horse – was out of the question. Besides, it was getting to be exhausting having to keep her changed appearance hidden. Carefully, Sunset removed the leather gloves and stuck them into her pockets. She hoped that she wouldn't injure Sunblaze in the same careless way that she had hurt Twilight. That was the last thing she needed right now. And her guilty conscience refused to let her forget what she did.

“I was right. You do have claws!” shouted Sunblaze, flaring her nostrils as she stepped back even further.

“You knew?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she knitted her eyebrows, looking at Sunblaze. “How?”

Sunblaze let out a shrill whinny as she saw Sunset’s fangs. Without the hood blocking the light, the two sharp points were easy to spot. Seeing them, she felt her flight or fight response kick in. It didn’t help that she could see the sharp claws which had replaced Sunset’s fingertips. Sunblaze staggered back as she struggled to fight her instincts. It was a challenge, but she wanted to stay with Sunset, not run away when she needed her most. Involuntarily, her tail clamped down as she tucked it between her legs.

“Yeah, I did. I knew from the moment you touched my muzzle. Although your gloves hid those… claws… well, they didn’t hide them completely,” explained Sunblaze. “Please, Sunset, stay back. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Okay, I won’t come any closer. I can see you’re scared. So, I will stay here.”

“Thank you.” Sunblaze lowered her head, showing that she had relaxed, even if it was just a little. “Continue, please.”

The redhead felt her tail tug at her jeans, twitching in response to her growing anxiety. Getting annoyed with it tickling her skin, she pulled it out. She sighed with relief as the tickling menace got released. With her tail out of its confines and no longer annoying her, she gripped the edge of her hoodie. Sunset knew that this was the last of the changes she had to reveal. So, she swallowed and continued on despite her growing fear. In one swift, she pulled her hoodie over her head, freeing her wings in the process. She let it drop onto the grass as her wings stretched to their full size.

“This… is what I looked like at the Fall Formal. Except I was twice as tall then.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Sunblaze, hoping to see her look a bit more relaxed. “This is what I was hiding from you.”

Sunblaze felt her muscles tense up as she watched Sunset’s wings stretch to their full size. To her, they looked similar to bat wings, only much worse. The red skin made them look horrible, like an experiment gone wrong. Yet, having the afternoon sun shining on them from behind only served to make them even eerier. Unable to handle the full sight of Sunset’s changes, Sunblaze reared up.

Sunset, seeing Sunblaze’s forelegs in the air, staggered backward as she watched her fall back down. When she met Sunblaze’s eyes, all she could see was the whites of them. It was evident that she was nervous – or possibly frightened – at this point. Sunset stood in front of her as she waited for a few minutes for her to calm down. Seeing that Sunblaze had relaxed a little, she cautiously took a few steps closer to her. However, the closer she got, the more her heart raced in her chest. Yet, Sunset ignored that, hoping that she could reach her horse and make her see that she wasn’t a danger.

“Sunset… stay back…” Sunblaze took a step back. “Please, I am begging you…”

Not wanting Sunblaze to keep freaking out, Sunset stepped closer. Unfortunately, just as she closed the distance between her and Sunblaze, she caught the sight of her trembling. It hurt to see that she was so scared. Sunset stared at Sunblaze. She remembered how terrified Twilight was when she first saw her changes. Images of her backing away, knocking over the trophy and cutting her leg, and telling her to stay way flashed inside her head. She struggled to focus on what she was doing, but she managed to push past the memories. As Sunset took another step, she saw her raise one of her forelegs. Seconds later, Sunset felt a hard impact on her abdomen as a hoof slammed into her. The force of the hit sent her flying backward. She landed a few feet from where she had previously been standing earlier.

“Ooh… that hurt…” said Sunset Shimmer as she stayed on the ground, not wanting to move. Tilting her head to the side, she saw that Sunblaze had moved further away. “I get it; I shouldn’t have come any closer to you. I guess I can understand why you’re scared,” she turned her head to look up at the sky, “I am a monster in your eyes now that you’ve seen… me.”

Sunblaze snorted as she heard the word ‘monster.’ Tossing her head, she pawed at the ground, showing her disagreement with the word. Yet, deep down, she knew that Sunset was right. All she saw in front of her was a monster. Her rider, who now had wings, fangs, claws, and an impressive looking tail, laid helplessly on the ground. And all Sunblaze could see was a monster who had replaced her. However, as she looked closer, she noticed that there was a visible wetness on her cheek. Ignoring her flight instincts, she moved forward a few inches. Her ears swung forward as she heard an all too familiar sound. It was a sound that she had heard often when she and Sunset first met. It ended most of their daily conversations back then. Lowering her head, Sunblaze saw what it was.

“You’re crying… but why…?” asked Sunblaze.

Sunset Shimmer wiped off the few tears that ran down her cheeks. She pushed herself into a sitting position as she tried her best to stop the tears. Ignoring the dull ache that came from her stomach, she pulled her knees up to her, resting her arm around them. She couldn’t look at Sunblaze, not when all she saw was fear.

“Because it seems that everyone is frightened of me. All because of the fact that I look like my demonic self again.” Sunset bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from sobbing. “My friends, Twilight, and now… you…”

Hearing the pained tone in the redhead’s voice, Sunblaze whinnied softly. She took a few more cautious steps, inching closer to her. Her instincts still told her to run and not go any further. Yet, Sunblaze refused to listen to them as she rested her muzzle over Sunset’s shoulder. She ignored the large wings that wrapped slightly around Sunset’s body as she met her gaze.

“So, have you decided that I am not all that scary?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yes, I can see that you’re still you, Sunset. Even though those wings give me the creeps,” replied Sunblaze, lifting her head off of Sunset’s shoulder. “By the way, can you actually fly with those?”

Sunset stood up from the ground and stepped back from Sunblaze. With one flap, she was up in the air. Still flapping her wings, she lifted herself a good ten feet away from the ground. As she did that, she got a great view of the grassy fields below her. It was like a giant sea of green that stretched for miles. Even when Sunset flew higher into the air, it was still endless. The sight was excellent, and it reminded her why she loved coming there. Soon, her attention got brought back to Sunblaze as she heard her let out a low whinny. Seeing that she was growing nervous again, Sunset lowered herself back to the grassy earth, bending her knees as her feet made contact.

“Does that answer your question?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed her hoodie.

“Yes, it does. You looked cool… but also a bit scary.” Sunblaze saw Sunset grab her sunglasses. Her fear, although still present, had faded a bit when she saw her go from confident to nervous and shy. That gave Sunblaze enough courage to show Sunset that she still saw her as a trusted companion. With fear still making her body tense, she made her way towards the redhead. Before she could put them back on, Sunblaze rested her chin over them. “Keep them off, please.”

“But what about my eyes? I thought you didn’t like them,” said Sunset Shimmer, meeting Sunblaze’s gaze. “I know that they don’t look like they normally would. And that they are-”

“No! They are gorgeous. Yes, they did creep me out at first, but something is enchanting about them. I like it,” Sunblaze said, cutting the redhead off. “Now, are we going to continue this ride or what? And do you have to put the hoodie back on?”

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “Oh, so, now you like my wings too?”

“Yes. So, are you going to keep the hoodie off?” Sunblaze asked, repeating her question with more urgency.

“Alright, I will keep it off as long as you don’t go anywhere near people. I can’t have anyone else seeing me look like Demon Shimmer.” Sunset Shimmer patted Sunblaze’s neck. “Agreed?”

“Agreed. I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt you. So, shall we visit that one pond in the secluded part of the woods nearby?” asked Sunblaze.

Just as the redhead went to respond, a voice said, “Sunset, we need to talk.”

Sunset spun around to find Trixie walking towards her. “Trixie, what are you doing here? And how did you find me?”

“A girl named Dawn told me that I would find you here. And I am here because we need to talk about Twilight,” replied Trixie as she stood in front of Sunset.

“What about Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she stepped away from Sunblaze. “Wait. Did you show her the video of me?”

“Uh… yeah. I kind of did…” said Trixie.

“Why the fuck would you do that, Trixie?! Do you realize how risky that could’ve been? As it is, Twilight’s not talking to me,” said Sunset Shimmer, her tail flicking behind her.

Trixie backed away from the redhead, unsure of what was going to happen. She remembered the feeling of her sharp claws gripping her arm all too well. And she had no intention of having that happen again. Trixie looked at Sunblaze and saw that the mare was glaring at her. That made her want to leave. It was apparent that she wasn’t welcome there and that she shouldn’t have come. However, just as she was about to start walking away, she felt a hand grip her arm.

“I’m sorry, Trixie. I didn’t mean to lose my cool like that,” said Sunset Shimmer as she let go of Trixie’s arm. “I am surprised but grateful that you were willing to tell me about you showing Twilight the video. By the way, how did she react to it?”

Trixie swallowed. ‘Well, Twilight didn’t react well. I had to force her to see the whole video. And she tried to avoid watching it twice. It wasn’t easy, but I got her to see it, and I told her that you never intended to hurt her. But I don’t think that helped.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect that. I thought maybe Twilight would see that we’re not all that different. Or at least that I understand what she went through at the Friendship Games and Camp Everfree.” Sunset Shimmer sighed. “But, I guess I fucked up not telling her when I had the chance.”

“Well, if it's any consolation, I understand why you didn’t tell Twilight. Seeing her react the way she did with the video, I realized why you were so hesitant in telling her. And I’m sorry that I did what I did to you. I see now that I should’ve just kept my mouth closed…” said the magician, looking down at the ground.

“Thanks for apologizing, but that doesn’t mean I forgive you for recording my transformation and then showing it to Twilight. However, I am grateful that you were willing to risk upsetting me to try and get Twilight to hear me out. I know that wasn’t easy,” said Sunset Shimmer.

‘Yeah, it was the least I could do considering I was careless and got you in trouble with her. And I apologize for recording your transformation that night…” Trixie met the redhead’s eyes. “That was not the smartest choice I have made recently.”

“No, it wasn’t. However, what's happened has happened. And eventually, I was going to have to tell Twilight. Most of this isn’t your fault; it’s mine.” Sunset Shimmer walked over to Sunblaze. “Anyway, I want to get back to riding.”

Trixie nodded and watched as Sunset hopped into the saddle on Sunblaze. “I hope I didn’t make things worse between you and Twilight by showing her the video.”

“I doubt that you made things any worse than they already are,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“I hope so,” said Trixie. “And Sunset?”

“Yeah?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I think Twilight will come around, but give her some time. And if you need a friend to talk to, I’d be glad to cancel a few magic shows for you,” replied Trixie.

“Thanks, Trixie. I appreciate that,” said Sunset Shimmer, giving Trixie a small grateful smile as she pulled her wings against her back.

The redhead watched as the magician walked back up the hill, disappearing out of her sight. The news that Twilight hadn’t reacted well to the video ruined her spirits. However, she wasn’t willing to let ruin her whole day. So, instead of focusing on Twilight and the pain of losing her, Sunset chose to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. She leaned forward and petted Sunblaze’s neck as she took a deep breath. Leaning back up into the saddle, she pushed her thighs into Sunblaze’s side and urged her forward into a walk.

“You ready?” asked Sunblaze.

“Yeah!” shouted Sunset Shimmer.

“Good!” said Sunblaze as she started to trot building into a canter. “I am ready to run.”

Seconds later, Sunblaze was galloping towards the field, heading towards the other side. And Sunset was enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing against her. Today was a relief for her, even with Trixie delivering some bad news. So, she was going to take every minute of peace she could get before having to return to school. Gripping the reins tighter, Sunset let herself revel in the happiness she was feeling right now.

Thank you, Celestia…” thought Sunset Shimmer.

A Punch to the Mirror of Friendship

Author's Note

I hope y’all enjoy the chapter. Happy Halloween!

A Punch to the Mirror of Friendship

*One Week Later*

The morning sky was a mix of red and yellow as the sun had just begun to peak over the mountains. The cold fall air felt chillier as a breeze blew against Sunset Shimmer's bare skin on her neck. Within a few minutes, the familiar marble Wondercolt statue came into view. Taking a left turn, she pulled up to her usual parking space. She arrived earlier than the rest of the girls as she wanted to give Twilight her space. However, just as she kicked down the kickstand, she saw Principal Celestia walk up to her. Turning off the engine, Sunset took off her helmet and rested it on her lap.

"Principal Celestia? What are you doing here?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she pulled her keys out of the ignition.

"Miss Shimmer, we need to discuss your recent absences. So, grab your bag and follow me," said Celestia, her tone sounding very formal, almost void of any emotion.

Grabbing her messenger bag, Sunset walked into the school building. Keeping her head, she ignored the murmurs and whispers as she made her way down the halls. She followed Principal Celestia to where her office was. As Sunset walked in, she saw that Vice Principal Luna was standing next to the desk. She had a stern expression, but her opal eyes showed her worry. For a moment, she met Luna's gaze, and her breath caught in her throat. It was as if Luna could see past her hoodie and sunglasses. Shuddering slightly, Sunset sat in one of the two chairs available.

"Miss Shimmer, you have missed two days of school in a row. That is concerning," Celestia said, looking at her sister. "My sister has raised some concern for you as this is your first time missing two days in a row."

Sunset Shimmer shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was unnerving to have the two principals of CHS staring at her. If it hadn't been for the room's chilliness, which made her skin crawl, she would've been sweating bullets. Yet, she was still warmer than usual inside the hoodie. Sunset wondered if that was because of her leathery wings. She had noticed that despite their lack of feathers, they could still provide a bit of warmth. As she waited for the principals to finish talking, her throat and mouth started to feel dry, causing her to swallow.

"As my dear sister said, it was a concern. What caused the sudden absences, Sunset?" asked Luna, leaning forward against the desk.

Sunset Shimmer looked down. "Just some personal problems."

"Personal problems? Sunset, you have never missed a day of school because of personal problems. What actually caused it?" asked Celestia, her voice calm yet authoritative.

"I would rather not say, Principal Celestia," replied Sunset Shimmer, her voice becoming muffled as she attempted to hide her fangs.

Luna, unable to understand Sunset, walked up to the redhead. "Miss Shimmer, please remove your hoodie and sunglasses."

"Vice Principal Luna, I don't think that is a good idea," said Sunset Shimmer as she looked up at the Vice Principal.

Celestia walked out from her desk and joined her sister in standing in front of Sunset. She crossed her arms as she gave Sunset a solemn look.

"Miss Shimmer, this is our school. You follow our rules. So, please do as my sister says and remove the hoodie and sunglasses. Now," said Principal Celestia as she unfolded her arms and leaned against her desk.

Slowly, Sunset lifted her hands to her sunglasses and removed them. She folded them and stuffed them inside of her pocket. Swallowing, she gripped the edge of the hood. The girls' and Twilight's reactions made her hesitate to lower it. Sunset was trying her best not to panic about how the principals' would react. After all, if they deemed her a threat, she could be expelled. Pushing her worries to the side, she lowered the hood and braced herself for the gasps that she knew were coming.

Principal Celestia looked at her sister, unsure of what to say. First, she had to deal with Twilight looking like Midnight Sparkle again, although that had mostly gotten fixed. And over the past two weeks, most of the faculty and students had adjusted to it by now. However, now she had to deal with another student looking like her past she-demon self. It was too weird and almost too much for Principal Celestia. And she had gone through the Fall Formal, the Battle of the Bands, the Friendship Games, and Camp Everfree. Yet, this added more stress to her already stressful day, and it was almost more than she could handle. Getting up from her desk, Principal Celestia walked into Luna's office. Luna followed her as she left a confused and worried Sunset alone.

Closing the door behind Luna, Celestia said, "Okay, now we have two students who have become she-demons again. And one of them is sitting in the other room."

Vice Principal Luna smirked, placing her hands on hips. "Dear sister, you seemed worried. What could ever be the problem?"

Celestia glared at her sister as she walked towards her. "This is not a laughing matter, Luna. We have two students who have more magical powers. What are we going to do? Up until recently, being principal didn't include stuff like this."

Luna walked over to her sister and rested a hand on her shoulder. She knew that her sister, having been principal for a while, had to deal with a lot of stress. And that was especially evident when it came to what Sunset Shimmer had done at the Fall Formal. Since that incident, Luna knew that her sister had a lot more to deal with than before. It wasn't every day that a high school like theirs got hit by magic from another world. Squeezing her sister's shoulder, she smiled.

"Sister, you worry too much. The school has adjusted to Twilight's situation. Maybe we can do the same with Sunset," Luna said, glancing briefly at the redhead as she shrunk in her seat.

Celestia turned around and looked at her sister, meeting her gaze. "How are you so sure, sister?"

Luna felt a half-smile form as she heard her sister's question. "Because… I remember how you handled the situation at the Fall Formal. And do you remember my troubled phase? When I decided to rebel against mom and dad?"

Celestia chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. I also remember a lot of moon-related memorabilia all over your room. It was like you praised the moon, Luna. But what does that have to do with Sunset?"

"Okay, I'll admit that I went a bit overboard when I was younger. But I still think that nighttime is beautiful," said Luna. "You can handle this situation, Tia. You were able to handle me when mom couldn't."

Celestia looked down at the sun pin she always wore on her blazer. "You may have a point. And while the night might be your choice, I see the beauty of daylight. Then again, mom did always say that we were opposites."

"That she did, sister. So, back to Sunset Shimmer, what are we going to do?" asked Luna, hearing the late bell ringing overhead.

Celestia walked over to the door, looking out the small window in it. She saw Sunset quickly pull her hood back up as a student walked into her office. That made her realize, that unlike Twilight, the school wasn't aware of Sunset's situation. She watched as the student looked at her as they left a paper on her desk. Celestia noticed that the redhead seemed very nervous as the student walked out of the office. Just as the door closed, she saw her remove her hood again, still remembering the rule they had set. Turning away from the door, she looked at her sister.

"I think I know what to do," said Celestia.

Sunset Shimmer heard the door unlock, making her jump a little at the sound. When she saw Celestia and Luna, her ears flattened against her head. It had been a long wait for them to come out. And her heart was pounding out of anticipation and worry. A part of her hoped that they wouldn't freak out too much, but she could see that they were uneasy around her. As Sunset watched Principal Celestia sit down, she gulped.

"Miss Shimmer, are you…" Celestia struggled to say the words. It was still a strange experience for her. "Still yourself?"

"Yes, Principal Celestia. Just as Twilight is still herself, I am the same. I just have the-"

"The appearance of Demon Shimmer? Yes, we can see that, Miss Shimmer." Luna smiled as she saw the shocked expression on Sunset's face. "We hear the nicknames and the rumors. And we know how to hear the gossip. After all, we were once high school students as well, Sunset."

The redhead felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. She didn't think that the principal and vice-principal would've heard the nickname the students had given her demon form. Yet, knowing that they had – and were able to say it – was a scary revelation. Looking down, Sunset noticed that Luna's hands were quivering as if she was cold. However, the room had warmed up as the school's heating system kicked in. So that ruled out her feeling cold. As Sunset thought about it, she realized why she was shaking. It wasn't because she was cold; it was because of… her. That made her shrink into the chair and want to leave the office even more.

"Okay. Is… this why you have missed two days of school?" asked Principal Celestia, folding her hands as she tried to keep them steady.

"Yeah," replied Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to admit that she had missed school because of Twilight. "I just need some time to adjust… to this." As she spoke, her tail slipped free from her jeans.

Principal Celestia stood up from her desk, her eyes seeing the yellow and red tail flicking out from behind Sunset. "I see. Well, your teachers have been gracious enough to gather up the work you have missed." She grabbed a small folder with a stack of papers inside of it. Handing it to Sunset, she did her best to hide her shakiness. "This work is due a week from now."

Sunset Shimmer took the folder from Celestia, ignoring the slight tremor that ran through the principal's hand. Stuffing it into her bag, she glanced up at Luna. The blue-haired vice-principal seemed more nervous than she had been earlier. There were noticeable beads of sweat forming on her forehead. A gut feeling told Sunset that it was because she revealed what had happened to her. Although the two sisters were good at keeping themselves professional, it was easy to spot the subtle ways their hesitation and fear showed.

"Vice Principal Luna, are you okay? You seem a bit nervous…" asked Sunset Shimmer as she tucked her tail back into her jeans.

"Miss Shimmer, I am not nervous. Just… unusually warm," replied Luna, wiping the sweat off with the back of her hand. "It's not you."

Sunset stared at the vice-principal like a deer in headlights. She couldn't believe what she just heard. The vice-principal of a school was lying to her. Her ears perked up as she listened to a heartbeat race in her ears. As Sunset tried to find the source, she realized that it was Luna's heartbeat. That took her by surprise as she hadn't expected her hearing to get altered. Sunset figured that it was because of her transformation into Demon Shimmer. However, it also piqued her curiosity. She never had any of these little abilities before.

"Maybe my geode transforming me rather than Princess Twilight's element of magic gave me a deeper connection to my demonic self," thought Sunset Shimmer, letting her theories run wild as she tried to figure it out.

Principal Celestia cleared her throat, making the redhead flinch as she blinked from her thoughts. "Miss Shimmer, here is your pass for your first class."

Taking the pass, Sunset Shimmer stood up from the chair. She flipped her hood back up and placed her sunglasses back on. After allowing the principals to see what she was hiding, she hoped that she wouldn't get in trouble for putting them back on. Grabbing her bag, Sunset slung it over her shoulder. It was a bit heavier than before due to the folder of papers now in it. And with her wings trapped under the strap, it only made it more uncomfortable. She shifted it a little and walked towards the door.

Just as Sunset went to turn the handle, she heard Vice Principal Luna say, "Sunset, please keep your hood up. We don't want your safety at risk."

"Okay, Vice Principal Luna," replied Sunset Shimmer before she opened the door and left their office.

A few classes later, and Sunset Shimmer was beginning to feel exhausted. She had managed to get through the first period, but just barely. Twilight Sparkle made sure that she sat as far away as possible. And that only reminded Sunset that she had messed up and was the reason that Twilight was avoiding her. She heard the bell ring for the fifth time today and grabbed her messenger bag. Making her way through the crowds of students, she walked to her locker. She had made lunch the night before. It wasn't that she didn't want to sit with the girls. However, after Rainbow Dash's attack and the incident with Twilight, Sunset couldn't bring herself to sit with them… yet. And the idea of having to sit in the crowded cafeteria wasn't very appealing either.

Grabbing the brown bag from her locker, she slammed the door shut. Sunset looked around, hoping to find a way to avoid going near the cafeteria and the girls. She knew it was best to avoid them entirely, especially since she didn't want to get questioned. And she knew that the girls weren't likely to let her leave without an explanation as to why she was avoiding them. After walking down one hallway, Sunset found the back entrance leading to the faculty parking lot. Just then, she heard the familiar voices of the girls approaching. She quickly ducked into one of the empty classrooms, narrowly missing getting spotted by them.

"Applejack, have you seen Sunset today? She disappeared after biology so quickly that I didn't have time to ask her if she was going to join us for lunch," said Rarity as she walked past the door the redhead was hiding behind.

"No. I don't think I noticed Sunset walking into woodshop with me. Although now that I think about, her name got called, and she said she was present." Applejack went silent for a moment before she looked at her girlfriend, worry in her green eyes. "Sunset is avoidin' us, ain't she?"

"I believe so. Do you think it's because of what happened with Twilight?" asked Rarity.

"Probably. Twilight seemed to avoid Sunset durin' Miss Cheerilee's math class. I have never seen her sit so far from her," replied Applejack.

"Yes, that was strange. And so is Sunset avoiding us for the last week," said Rarity as she and Applejack stopped walking for a moment.

Applejack grabbed ahold of Rarity's arm as she stood next to her. "Rare, are you alright?"

"I'm okay, AJ. It's just my new stitches; they're catching on my shirt." Rarity adjusted her shirt, gently pulling it free from her stitches. "I look forward to having these removed. I don't like having them ruin my clothes because they catch on the fabric."

"At least they haven't done much damage. And you'll have them removed next week," said Applejack as she tried to console the fashionista.

Rarity took a deep breath and checked her shirt to make sure that it hadn't gotten snagged on her stitches. "Well, I hope they won't ruin any of my good shirts before then. I already have enough with Ms. Hemline putting a deadline on her latest request."

Rarity let go of her shirt and looked behind her. She had a feeling that she was getting watched. When she looked at the classroom door behind her, she could've sworn that she saw a flash of red and yellow. That made her wander away from the cowgirl and head towards the classroom door. Rarity wanted to investigate it and see if her suspicions were right. Although she couldn't understand why Sunset would avoid them, rather than just talk to them about whatever was bothering her.

"Shit, Rarity! Don't come in here," hissed Sunset Shimmer as she backed away from the door, looking around for a hiding spot.

"I'll be right back, Applejack," said Rarity as she turned to the cowgirl before making her way into the classroom.

Sunset Shimmer, seeing the fashionista opening the door, dove behind the teacher's desk. Her heart was racing in her chest, making her hands tremble a little bit. And with her bag slung over her shoulder, it's weight combined with her crouching position, made it dig into her wing. Sunset bit her lip to keep herself quiet as she felt it start to cramp. As she heard the noise of the door clicking open, she froze. Her breathing slowed as if the sound of it would reveal her position to the fashionista. Sunset leaned against the desk as she waited for her to leave.

Rarity stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She looked around briefly as she didn't want to keep Applejack waiting. There was nothing out of the ordinary. No desk appeared to have gotten moved out of place. No books had gotten knocked over. There wasn't even the sound of someone breathing beside herself. It crept Rarity out how eerily quiet the classroom was with no one but her there. For a second, she glanced over at the teacher's desk, wondering if Sunset was behind it. But quickly shrugged it off, thinking that it was an absurd idea. With one last sweep of the room, Rarity walked back out and joined Applejack again.

"Why did you go in there, Rare?" asked Applejack, glancing back at the door.

"Oh, I just had a suspicion that someone was in there watching us. But I didn't see anyone in there," replied Rarity.

"Okay, well, let's go meet up with the rest of the girls," said Applejack as she intertwined her hand with her girlfriend's.

Getting out from behind the desk, Sunset Shimmer ran over to the small window. Once she saw Applejack and Rarity disappear from the hallway, she opened the door and bolted out of the building. The sound of her boots hitting the linoleum floor echoed off the walls. Making a sharp turn down one of the other hallways, she found the door to the back of the school. Sunset pushed past the door leading out to the faculty parking lot as she ran towards a small forested area ahead. Walking a few feet down the path, she shifted her messenger bag off her wing, sighing in relief.

"Okay, what is this place?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she passed a mostly closed-off area that looked like a garden.

Pushing past some of the bushes, the redhead saw an area with some small boulders in a triangular formation. There were also some colorful flowers planted in and around the area as if someone had been tending to it. However, aside from a few potted plants, the garden appeared to be bare. It did have some trees around it, which provided a reasonable amount of shade and kept her hidden. Sitting back against one of the trees, Sunset set her bag down and opened her lunch. It was a lettuce and tomato sandwich. That wasn't much, but it would suffice for now. Taking a bite, she leaned back and let her thoughts drift away.

Back at the electrical building, Springtrap was looking at the Phantoms. They were here in Canterlot City, though they maintained some of their ghostliness. Already proven by Freddy jabbing his fist into the wall as it turned transparent, making it go through instead of impacting the concrete. Springtrap heard a tapping noise and turned around, wanting to find the source of the sound. His eyes glowed red for a second as he saw Phantom Chica poking the Marionette. Stomping over to her, he slapped her wing and pushed her away.

"No touching that… thing. I think it's possessed or something. Besides, I don't know what it'll do to you," said Springtrap, kneeling next to Marionette.

Looking at the mask, Springtrap noticed that the Marionette's eyes had a dim glow to them. He reached out a hand and tapped the mask. Nothing happened, which didn't surprise him. After all, the animatronic didn't function properly, right? As he continued to stare at it, he noticed that its arm twitched. Springtrap stepped back and kept his eyes on it. Once again, the Marionette's arm twitched. This time, it flew into the wall behind it, knocking a few chunks of concrete onto the floor.

"Holy crap, maybe that thing is active after all," said Springtrap as he eyed it cautiously, ready to fight it.

The Marionette did nothing, and its arm laid still, no longer twitching or moving. Springtrap felt something beginning to tug at his magic. And there was a tingling-like sensation going through his circuits and wires. Wondering if it was the Marionette that was causing it, Springtrap decided to test it. Closing his eyes, he let the picture of it standing up form in his mind. He was able to focus and make the image clear as a heavy silence settled over the building. However, that got broken as a few gasps slipped from Phantoms. Wanting to see what made them do that, Springtrap opened his eyes. And to his surprise, he saw the Marionette was indeed standing in front of him.

"What the-? Can I control you?" Springtrap imagined the Marionette raising its hand, which to his delight, it did. "Shit, I can! Oh, this is too perfect."

The Phantoms looked from Springtrap to the Marionette and back to him, shocked by what he did. They had just witnessed Springtrap controlling an animatronic without making any physical contact with it. Or at least that's what it appeared to be. Wondering if he could do the same to them, they stepped away from him.

"Di-did you just… control it?" asked Freddy, still struggling with his phrasing.

"Yes, I did," replied Springtrap.

"But how? You didn't even touch it," asked Chica as she eyed the Marionette suspiciously.

"I guess it must've been the magic powering it and me. I somehow tapped into its magic and then gained control of it," said Springtrap, flexing his hand. "I wonder if I can send it on a special mission…"

As if insulted by that comment, Mangle twisted around Springtrap's neck, her wires making it impossible for him to move his head. Her eyes, although still ghostly looking, glowed white with her anger. She made sure that she had a good grip on him as she met his eyes. Letting out a loud hiss, Mangle tightened around him.

"Why not send one of us? Why'd you bring us here if we can't be of service to you?" asked Mangle, her staticky voice bouncing off the concrete walls.

In one swift motion, Springtrap grabbed Mangle's body and threw her off of him. He saw her phase just as she was about to hit the wall. As he watched her go flying out of the building, he chuckled a little bit. But Springtrap stopped when he heard Mangle growl and start crawling back towards him. Rolling his eyes, he turned his back to her and walked over to the Marionette.

"I need it to do this mission because I have you fucking idiots here for a more important task. So, suck it up and wait until I have your mission for you," Springtrap said, glaring at Mangle as she made her way back into the electrical building.

"Fine, but I hope we get to do our mission soon. This… world that you brought us to is boring. I miss the old building," said Mangle as she sat down in the corner of the room.

Springtrap growled. "You know that we would have never escaped that infested hellhole. This world, like it or not, has given us more opportunities."

Mangle sighed. "Well, what is this dumb thing's mission then? To find a flower for you and bring it back?"

Springtrap raised his hand, making the Marionette turn towards him. Happy with the result, he let the magic inside of him carry his command. He closed his eyes and felt his circuits fire up as the magic pushed the order towards it. Springtrap made sure to include the mental images of Sunset and where she lived to ensure that the Marionette would find her. As he felt the command carry over, he opened his eyes and saw that its eyes glowed brighter than before. Now it seemed that it was alive.

"Its mission… is to attack that stupid little redhead bitch who defeated my army. She'll regret the day she crossed me," said Springtrap, his voice dropping in octaves, sounding more menacing as it lowered.

The Marionette, now with the command in its system, made its way out of the building. Its stilt-like legs somehow kept it upright as it walked. Within minutes, it was out of sight from Springtrap. As it walked away from the electrical building, it made its way into the forest surrounding it. The Marionette followed the mental images given to it by Springtrap. It only had one thing on its mind; find Sunset Shimmer and attack her then return after it finished the task.

Meanwhile, at CHS's school garden, Sunset Shimmer had just finished her sandwich. Just as she threw the plastic wrap back into the bag, she heard the bushes rustle. That made her freeze. Her hood and sunglasses were off. And today, because her eyes were still sore from Rainbow Dash's punches, Sunset didn't have her contacts in. She waited for the figure to emerge as her wings tensed up along her back. Finally, a familiar person made their way past the shrubbery, carrying a lunch sack.

"W-Wallflower?!" asked Sunset Shimmer as she saw the figure walk into the lit area of the garden.

Not expecting anyone to be there, Wallflower jumped at the sound of Sunset's voice. When she looked in her direction, she stopped moving. Sunset's hood was down, giving her a good look at the changes to her face. And that was when Wallflower realized that her eyes were different. Instead of their usual look, they now had a blackness surrounding her cyan irises. And the shade from the surrounding trees only worsened the creepy vibe she got from them. Stepping back, Wallflower felt herself bump into a tree.

"Ahh!" screamed Wallflower as she jumped away from the tree, which caused her to trip and fall to the forest floor.

Sunset got up from where she was sitting and walked over. She offered Wallflower a hand, hoping that the shy girl would see that she was still just an ordinary high school student. And that her altered appearance wouldn't scare Wallflower. Giving her a nervous smile, Sunset met her gaze, her anxiety growing with every passing second.

"Don't freak out, please? I just want to help you. I know I don't exactly look nice – or like my usual self – but I am not going to hurt you," said Sunset Shimmer, her voice shaking despite her attempts to stop it from happening. She looked away, hoping to come off as less scary. "Please, trust me."

When the redhead felt a hand grip hers, she looked down. Although still visibly unsure and scared, the girl had taken her hand and was willing to allow her to help. In a quick motion, she pulled her to her feet.

"Th-Thanks." Wallflower pulled her hand away immediately. "I guess…"

"You're welcome, Wallflower. I am just glad that you're not going to run away again. You're not going to do that, right?" Sunset Shimmer asked, looking worried as she saw Wallflower's hand tremble a little.

"Why would I run? I came here to eat lunch," said Wallflower, her voice growing louder than her usual hushed tone.

"I just remembered the last time you saw… me, you panicked and pushed me down. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get shoved again…" Sunset Shimmer gripped her arm, her ears laying flat against her head as she looked down. "I am sorry that I scared you."

"Wh-what are you doing here anyway, Sunset?" asked Wallflower, ignoring Sunset's apology as she stepped a few feet from the redhead, still too unsure if she could trust her. "This is my garden, my secret spot."

Sunset Shimmer sat back down next to her bag. "Sorry, I didn't know this was yours. If I had known, I wouldn't have come here."

"That still doesn't tell me why you're here," said Wallflower as she sat down underneath a tree, a few inches from where Sunset was sitting.

"I am only here because I don't want to sit with my friends today. I just wanted to have a spot for myself. However, it seems that I just intruded on yours. Sorry…" replied Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her as she fiddled with her sunglasses.

"It's fine. It's actually nice to have someone to talk to for once. Even if I am a little scared of you…" Wallflower took a bite of her pizza, trying to act like she didn't just admit that she was still scared. Swallowing, she asked, "Why did you not hang out with your friends, though? Did something happen?"

"Yeah…something did," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"What happened?" The question came out so quickly that Wallflower didn't realize that she had asked it until she saw the redhead cringe. She quickly covered her mouth and regretted asking it. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that…" She said as she lowered her hand.

"It's okay. You just want to know what happened. After all, it is unusual for me not to be with the girls." Sunset stuffed her sunglasses back into her pocket as she pulled her knees to her chest.

"That is why I asked. I mean, everyone here sees you as the most popular girl. Especially when you are lonely as I am…" Wallflower barely said the last sentence, too ashamed to admit that she struggled with making friends.

"Well, being the popular girl has its drawbacks. And suddenly becoming the she-demon that almost used everyone for a zombie army to take over another world and destroyed the school to do it doesn't help." Sunset Shimmer sighed and looked at Wallflower. "Sorry for, uh, dumping all that on you I know you didn't come here to hear that."

"It's okay, but, uh, are you going to explain why you decided to crash my space today?" asked Wallflower, taking another bite.

"Are you sure you want to hear it? Because… I made a huge mistake," said Sunset Shimmer as she met Wallflower's gaze. For a moment, there was a flash of fear in the girl's eyes before it was gone, replaced by genuine worry or concern.

"Yeah. I kind of want to know why you are here, with me, instead of your best friends," said Wallflower as she finished the last of her pizza slice.

"Okay. Well, last week, on Monday, my appearance got revealed to the girls. Despite my efforts to keep it from them," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"Wait. You actually tried to keep a secret from the girls? Wow… and here I thought they were your friends." Wallflower opened her backpack and grabbed her water bottle, taking a sip from it.

"They are! I just feared their reaction considering what I almost did to them…" Sunset Shimmer tried to push the Fall Formal images from her mind, but it wasn't working. And it didn't help that she looked like she did back then. Sighing, she gave up and leaned her head against the tree as she closed her eyes.

"Okay, you do have a point. And I guess my earlier reaction on that day didn't help things either," said Wallflower as she set her bottle down.

"You're right, it didn't. Yet, that's not even the worst part. That would be when I went over to Twilight's house, and I had to show her… this." Sunset's voice cracked as she felt ready to cry again. "Twilight's reaction… it was the most hurtful one. And that only makes me feel worse when I remember that I made Fluttershy faint. It still hurts that the girls had told me to leave her – and them – alone."

"Wow, that is harsh," was all Wallflower felt like she could say. It wasn't like she could say that she understood what the redhead went through. She'd never become a raging she-demon hellbent on world domination.

"Yeah, but I made it much worse when I… injured… Twilight," continued Sunset, looking away as she spoke.

"Well, that explains the bandage on Twilight's arm. It was because of… you?" asked Wallflower as she moved away, not bothering to hide that she had done that.

"Great. Now you're back to being nervous around me. I can't blame you, though. I did just admit that I injured Twilight. What else would I expect?" said Sunset as she wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them.

Wallflower saw Sunset's eyes close as a single tear ran down her face, trickling down onto the jacket sleeve. That tear made her realize that her actions had hurt the former school bully. Yeah, she did look like a she-demon – the red skin, eyes surrounded by blackness, and fangs made that more than apparent. Yet, beneath that exterior, Sunset was still Sunset. No change in her appearance was ever going to alter that. Knowing that made Wallflower inch a little closer. Her fear was still evident by her shaking hands that quivered as she tried to grab her backpack and move it closer to her. However, it wasn't about to override her capacity to see a friend in need. Moving a few strands of her aquamarine hair behind her ear, Wallflower looked at Sunset, giving her a small apologetic smile.

"Sorry, it's still an adjustment to see you looking so much… like your demonic self," said Wallflower as the redhead met her gaze. "I didn't mean for my actions to hurt you."

"That's okay. It was an adjustment for me too. It took a while for me to look in the mirror and not be disgusted by the changes," said Sunset Shimmer, her voice sounding shaky as she spoke. It was clear that she was struggling with some of the painful memories. And that they were all related to the one person Sunset had hurt the most despite every effort to avoid it – Twilight Sparkle.

"That must've been hard for you, especially concerning the events of the Fall Formal." Wallflower took out an orange and started to peel it, making the air around her smell like it.

"It was, and a huge one too. I mean, I have two wings underneath this hoodie, and they don't like getting constricted," said Sunset Shimmer, laughing a little as she remembered her first time trying to fly. "They sure aren't happy about it either. And they knock me off balance more than usual."

"Ah, that explains when you struggled to get up when I pushed you. And speaking of attacks, how did you injure Twilight?" asked Wallflower, wondering what exactly Sunset did to her.

"I injured Twilight with my… claws. And unfortunately, I had a momentary lapse of judgment in that same moment too. I got mad at Twilight for breaking her promise to me, and that's when I grabbed her arm, cutting her very badly. It only happened because I was scared to lose her…" Sunset felt her wings wanting to wrap around her as if they wanted to comfort her. It seemed that her demon form, although still scary looking in terms of appearance, had some advantages to it.

"Oh. So, you attacked Twilight because you got mad at her, and now you're avoiding her. But that still doesn't explain why you are avoiding the girls." Wallflower took another sip from her water. "My guess, it has something to do with your black eye."

Sunset Shimmer looked at Wallflower for the first time since they had started to talk about what happened with Twilight and the girls. "Was it really that clear? I thought I hid it pretty well." Sunset's voice had a hint of sarcasm as she spoke.

"And you do, but only when you have your sunglasses on. And although there is some shade here, it's still easy to see the black eye," said Wallflower as she moved a bit closer to Sunset.

"Touché. Well, I got it from Rainbow Dash. I am sure you can figure out why." Sunset Shimmer leaned back against the tree again, wiping her cheek dry.

"Rainbow Dash found out about what happened with Twilight and having previously discovered your secret changes, jumped to conclusions. And that resulted in her attacking you. How was that?" asked Wallflower as she popped an orange slice into her mouth. "Was I close?"

"Actually, you were spot on. Just like Pinkie Pie would have been. Hmm, you two may be more alike than I thought," Sunset said as she recalled the few times Pinkie Pie had figured out things without anyone mentioning it to her. It was hilarious most of the time, but there were times it had been almost borderline creepy.

"Okay, that is weird. But also, maybe you should be with your friends instead of here with me," said Wallflower.

"What?" Sunset Shimmer looked at the gardener with a confused expression.

"I mean, they are your friends. I am just some girl you met back in 9th grade. And yet, you're here with me. If you ask me, I say you should arrange a meeting or something," Wallflower explained, taking another slice of her orange. "Don't avoid them. Try to work it out and get past the problem."

"So, basically, you're telling me to talk to them and repair the damage done by my actions?" asked Sunset Shimmer, raising an eyebrow as she smiled.

"Yeah, exactly, especially with Twilight. I'm not sure how you'll fix it, but I know you will. Somehow." Wallflower ate the last piece of her orange, tossing the rest of the skin into an empty plastic bag. "Well, I've got to go now. I have to do some research on some new plants for my garden," She said, getting up from the ground.

Sunset Shimmer did the same, dusting off her pants. As she looked at Wallflower, she saw the shy girl was looking at her with a surprised expression. Looking behind her, she found her that tail had inadvertently pulled itself free and was now flicking back and forth behind her. Sunset looked up, and this time there was a noticeable blush on Wallflower's face.

"Sorry, this thing doesn't like to get kept in place," said Sunset Shimmer as she shoved it back into her jeans.

"It's okay. To be honest, I thought it looked kind of cool. If you ever stop hiding what happened to you, you would look pretty awesome with it," Wallflower said as she grabbed her backpack, slipping her arms into the straps. 'Anyway, it was great talking to you, even if I didn't plan on it."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to dump all of my problems on you. But thanks for listening, even though you didn't have to. And thank you for the advice. I will arrange a meeting with my friends later," said Sunset Shimmer, slipping her hood back over her head.

"I'm happy to help. Now, I have to go," Wallflower made her way to the bushes. Before she pushed them aside, she turned back and said, "Can we be friends? I did actually enjoy talking to you a lot. It was a nice break from being alone."

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Of course, we can be friends."

"Thank you," said Wallflower as she made a path in the bushes. "Bye!"

Sunset Shimmer said her goodbyes to Wallflower as she watched her disappear. Once she was gone, Sunset pulled out her phone. She unlocked it and went through her messages, scrolling through the list. Finding Pinkie Pie's private chat with her, she clicked on it. As the conversation loaded in, Sunset saw a video of her and Twilight at the movie theatre for the premiere of the Daring Do film that Pinkie Pie had made for her. For a moment, she wanted to watch it and remember the good times she had with her. However, a voice in the back of her head reminded Sunset that it would only be painful right now. So, ignoring the temptation to click on it, she texted Pinkie Pie.

SunShim: Hey, Pinkie Pie, can you make sure all the girls meet me at AJ's farm? I have something about the fight with Springtrap that I want to tell you girls.

Pinkie: Sure! And what about Twilight? She didn't seem to want to be near you at your apartment.

SunShim: Yeah, I know. I was there; I saw Twilight avoiding me, Pinkie. Please, try to convince her to come. I am willing to do whatever she wants me to do. As it is, I can't talk to her, so I need your help.

Pinkie: Okay, I will see what I can do. Rest assured, Twilight will be there. For how long, I can't be sure right now. I will also be bringing a batch of my special triple chocolate chip strawberry-drizzled cookies for the occasion.

SunShim: Okay, thanks, Pinkie!

Pinkie: No problem, Sunset. See ya later!

SunShim: Yep. Bye!

Putting her phone away, Sunset Shimmer grabbed her bag. She slipped her sunglasses back on before she walked out of the garden. Her talk with Wallflower helped her see that she had to try to fix things rather than avoid them. And Sunset hoped that there was a chance she could talk to Twilight and fix her mistake even though she had a sinking feeling that it wasn't likely to happen.

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses," said Sunset's inner voice. "I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to."

"Yeah, yeah, save the speech. Right now, I need to focus on dealing with Springtrap and the threat he poses to my friends," replied Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to deal with her conscience.

"Okay, fine. Just make sure you try to repair things with Twilight. That's all I will say." After that, Sunset's conscience went quiet.

"That's what I am trying to do…" thought Sunset Shimmer as she walked back towards the school building.

Later that day at the barn, all the girls were waiting outside for Sunset Shimmer. The kids all stood near the barn entrance in case anyone came by that wasn't Sunset. Pinkie Pie glanced over at Twilight and noticed that she had wrapped her wings around herself. She had managed to get her to come, but she was very reluctant to do so. And that was worsened when she heard that Sunset was coming too. However, Pinkie Pie was very persuasive, convincing her that Sunset would keep her distance. It worked but just barely. She could see that getting injured by Sunset still bothered Twilight. Yet, the fact that Twilight was there was a small victory, even if it was a small one. Just then, there was a familiar bike pulling up towards them, parking next to Rainbow Dash's motorcycle.

"Hey, girls. Sorry that I was late. I had to take my bike and get some gas," said Sunset Shimmer as she set her helmet down on her bike.

Glancing at Twilight Sparkle, Sunset felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. But she refused to let the smile show. Remembering that Twilight chose to ignore her last Tuesday was enough to make her smile fade. Yet, despite that, it was nice to see that she came. Sunset had her suspicions that Twilight wouldn't show if she knew that she was coming. However, she was glad that she had gotten proven wrong.

"It's fine, darling. We didn't mind the wait," said Rarity. "But, uh, why are we here?"

"Yeah. We haven't seen you since last Friday," said Susie, her voice sounding more human than it had previously. "That is odd in and of itself."

Sunset Shimmer noticed the change in Susie's voice. "Woah, your voice sounds less robotic, Susie. How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I think the longer my friends and I stay present in our animatronic bodies, the more human we sound and become," replied Susie. "Now, back to the reason for your surprise visit."

"First, let's get into the barn. Then, I will explain everything." Sunset Shimmer walked towards the barn, following Cassidy and the kids. Looking behind her, she saw that Twilight was hiding behind Applejack. That made her heart stop for a split second. "Wow, I seriously messed up…"

All the kids sat on the barn floor, knowing that the hay bales weren't going to support them. Rarity and Applejack sat together, wanting to remain close to each other. And although her stitches were due to get removed soon, Rarity still found it hard to move around. So, she was grateful for the cowgirl's help and support. Pinkie Pie grabbed Twilight's arm and pulled her to the opposite side of the barn, keeping the distance between them and Sunset. Fluttershy sat down next to Rainbow Dash as she didn't see any other seat available. When she sat down, she noticed a small spider was walking on the wall behind her. Fluttershy chuckled as she remembered the interaction between Mattie and the athlete. That left Sunset with no choice but to sit next to the door by herself.

"Okay, we are in the barn. Start talking, Sunset," said Susie, sounding impatient.

Jeremy gave Sunset Shimmer an apologetic look. "Sorry, Susie tends to forget that some people don't like getting rushed. And forgets that she has to have patience."

"It's fine, Jeremy. Susie wants to know, just like I am sure you all do," said Sunset Shimmer, seeing Twilight Sparkle look away as she spoke.

"Yes, we all do. So please, get on with it," said Susie.

"Okay, okay. Well, first, you guys need to know that Springtrap is back," Sunset Shimmer said, making the room fall into a heavy silence.

"What?" asked Cassidy, speaking for the first time since Sunset had shown up.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Cassidy. "Springtrap is here, in Canterlot City."

"You're saying that Springtrap, the person we know as William Afton, is here?!" shouted Susie, standing up from her sitting position.

Sunset Shimmer nodded.

"And how do you know this?" asked Fritz. "We haven't seen Springtrap since we arrived."

"Well…" Sunset saw the girls look down as they remembered what happened last Monday. It was still shocking and terrifying for them. And they were reeling from their injuries that they had sustained during the attack. "We have seen Springtrap. And he attacked my friends."

"I guess that explains the bandages and casts on your friends. Although if Springtrap attacked your friends, how come you're not injured like they are?" asked Cassidy, pointing out that Sunset seemed relatively unharmed.

"I was, uh, hiding beneath the bleachers when I saw Fluttershy running towards me." Sunset Shimmer heard some of the girls gasp, not that it surprised her. She expected that they would be a little upset by that fact. However, the one thing that did shock her was that Twilight was the only one glaring at her. "And I also discovered that Springtrap's army of himself had one weakness."

"Really? What was their weakness?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It is metal. Springtrap's doppelgangers disappeared when I touched them with a metal pipe. So, any metal that isn't a part of them is their weakness. Unfortunately, that seems to be their only one," replied Sunset Shimmer.

"So, you're telling me that at any moment I could have taken the trash can behind me and swung it at them? And it would've kept them from beating the crap out of me?!" Rainbow Dash raised her voice as she pointed to her arm, which had gotten wrapped in an ace bandage.

"Um, yeah…" Sunset Shimmer rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at the athlete. "You're not going to punch me again, are you?"

"No, but it's tempting. I can't believe that I could've kicked some robot ass…" Rainbow Dash sighed. "Well, if Springtrap wants to come back, I am going to kick his doppelgangers asses. Then, I am going after him next."

The redhead chuckled to herself, amused by Rainbow Dash's drive to beat up an 8-foot animatronic rabbit. However, she knew that it wasn't going to be an easy task to complete. Sure, with the metal lid and pipe, she had defeated Springtrap's doppelgangers, but that was when there were just 30 or so of them. Sunset knew that Springtrap could make more and attack them in an area with little to no metal around them. And that there were so many ways that it could go wrong if they weren't careful. It almost made her sick to her stomach as she realized that Springtrap was likely to amp up his efforts to kill them. Sunset pushed her thoughts away, knowing that she and the girls would come up with a plan.

"Did you at least stay and help your friends after you finished fighting against Springtrap or William, whatever he prefers to call himself now?" asked Gabriel, noticing the tension between the girls.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. She looked away as she saw the girls' expressions change from shocked to hurt. They all remembered what Sunset did, even though she had apologized for it. And she regretted leaving them injured in the school parking lot. It wasn't easy for her to do that. Sunset knew, deep down, that what she did was wrong. And that running away, leaving the girls behind was a mistake. One that had come to bite her back now.

"No, Sunset didn't. She ran off, leaving Pinkie and everyone else badly injured and bleeding. Thankfully, I was there. Or Pinkie could've easily died from her injuries," replied Twilight Sparkle, answering the question for the redhead. Her voice dripped with rage as her hand clenched into a fist next to her.

Sunset shrunk away as she heard Twilight Sparkle speak. The anger in her voice made it clear that she wasn't happy. And if the glare from earlier hadn't made the redhead regret asking Twilight to come, she was now. She didn't want to upset her, but it seemed like she couldn't avoid it. Swallowing, Sunset tried to ignore the fact that her closest friend took the opportunity to remind her of her mistakes.

"Is that… true?" Cassidy asked, looking from Twilight to Sunset.

"Yeah…" Sunset Shimmer looked out at the horses in the nearby corral as she spoke. She couldn't take looking at Twilight anymore. "Twilight is right. I left my friends, and I regret doing it. I would never have done that if…"

The redhead struggled to admit that it was because she was fearful of the girls seeing her as Demon Shimmer. And she didn't want to anger them again after seeing their reaction to her accidentally injuring Twilight. Besides, Sunset didn't feel like revealing her situation to the kids either. After what happened with the girls and Twilight, she wasn't ready to deal with someone else becoming nervous or scared around her. It was becoming annoying, not to mention hurtful, having to watch their reactions to something she couldn't do anything about.

"Okay. Well, that aside, what did Springtrap – I mean, William – want?" asked Susie.

"Springtrap wanted to kill us," replied Pinkie Pie, holding an arm around her stomach as she recalled what the Springtrap doppelgangers did to her. "He wanted to get to… you."

Cassidy sighed. "I figured as much. I mean, we have been avoiding him for years. However, getting trapped inside an animatronic suit wasn't helping. And he was the one who put us in there, to begin with."

"What? Do you mean that Spring-William Afton is the one I have seen in your memories? And the one who caused you guys to get trapped?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she realized that the name William made sense to her.

"Yeah," replied Jeremy. "William is the one who lured my friends and me to the back room. Although we usually called him the Purple Guy because of his purple security suit."

"That explains a lot." Sunset looked at Jeremy. And out of the corner of her eye, she caught Twilight looking away. It hurt to see that, but right now, she had more significant matters at hand. "It explains why William wanted to kill us. I think he may have realized that you guys are back and aware. And with us helping you, we're stopping him from finishing his plans."

Twilight Sparkle, no longer able to stand listening to Sunset speak, got up. With her wings wrapped around her, she walked out of the barn. Not bothering to say anything as she passed the redhead. She made her way halfway down the dirt path outside before she stopped. Instinctively, Twilight felt her hand wrap around the bandage on her arm. The heat radiating from it made her remember the pain she had felt over the last week.

Twilight remembered how shocking it was to see the redhead look so different from her usual appearance. And how much it cut to realize that she had believed the lies she had told her for a year. It hurt to know that the redhead who Twilight had feelings for was the one who was going to leave scars. And that those permanent scars would never fade. Hearing her voice, seeing her hide beneath the hood, and knowing what lies beneath it, it stung. It made the betrayal hurt even more. All that she could see when she looked at her was someone who she had once called a friend. Falling to her knees, Twilight let go of the sobs that had built up inside.

"I shouldn't have come here…" thought Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to keep her sobs to herself.

Sunset Shimmer saw that Twilight Sparkle had stopped just a few feet from the entrance of the barn. And being the closest to the door, she could hear her sobs. The sound of it broke her heart. Yet, it didn't take a second for Sunset to know why Twilight was crying. She knew that it was because of her. That it was due to the fact that she had made Twilight come here when she didn't want to do that. She also knew why she had left the barn. It was because of the cuts that she had caused. And although the bookworm tried to hide the bandage beneath the sleeve of her shirt, Sunset still saw it. Looking down at her hands, she let out a shaky exhale. She wasn't sure what to do. A part of her wanted to respect Twilight's wishes to stay away from her. However, the other half of her wanted to comfort her, to make sure everything was okay.

'Don't you dare do it! Remember what Twilight said? Leave her alone. You'll make things worse if you don't," said Sunset's inner voice.

"But… Twilight is hurt… because of me. I can't do nothing, can I?" thought Sunset Shimmer, shifting uncomfortably in the awkward silence.

"You can, and you will if it's the last thing I do. You honestly can't tell me that you don't remember what when you tried to approach Twilight last Monday? Or do you want to watch her flinch away… again?" retorted Sunset's inner voice.

Sunset knew that her conscience had a point. The last time she had tried to approach Twilight, it hadn't gone well. Yet, she couldn't just sit around and not do anything. It didn't feel right to her. Not when Twilight needed someone to lean on right now.

"I have to try. I have to try and be there for Twilight, even if it might cause more damage. And sitting here doing nothing isn't going to make this better." Sunset Shimmer stood up and walked out of the barn.

"Fine. However, if you get hurt, that is on you. Not me. So, bye. Good luck not fucking it up."

The redhead's conscience said nothing after that. And that left her to walk up to Twilight on her own and in silence. As she got closer, Sunset could see that Twilight was visibly shaking as she sat there on the dirt path. Her wings wrapped around her shoulder, just barely muffling her sobs. It quickly became apparent that Twilight was shaking because she tried to keep herself from letting them out. Taking a deep, yet shaky breath, Sunset spoke.

"Twi, what's wron-"

Whipping around and jumping to her feet, Twilight Sparkle punched Sunset as she screamed, "Why the hell did you follow me?! I told you, leave me alone! Or didn't you get that, Demon Shimmer?! Can't you see that you've done enough to me?"

Sunset Shimmer got cut off as she felt a fist slam into her nose and right cheek. The impact was so quick and so forceful that it sent her flying to the ground as well as knocking off her sunglasses. As she felt her back end hit the ground, she groaned. The bruises from Rainbow Dash's attack on her were still there and still very sensitive to any kind of hard touch. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Sunset realized that her hood had fallen. Just as she was about to pull it back up, she heard the kids walk out of the barn.

"Sunset, what is going on?" asked Cassidy as she walked towards the redhead.

The redhead didn't turn around as she heard Cassidy stop just a few feet behind her. Her ears went flat as she listened to the other kids gasp. Here she was lying on the ground, her hood down, revealing what happened to her. Sunset didn't know what was worse; the fact that she had gotten called Demon Shimmer by Twilight or the fact that she was on the ground with her secret exposed to the kids.

Knowing that the kids were still watching her, Sunset slowly sat up. She looked up at Twilight, wanting to see if she was okay. However, the tears that were still streaming down her face told her that she wasn't. Twilight had lowered her hand, letting it rest at her side, but Sunset could see that it had gotten covered in a small amount of her blood. The punch had been hard enough to cause a tiny tear in her cheek right above her cheekbone. There wasn't much blood, but a few small drops did manage to find their way down, dripping on her jacket sleeve.

"T-Twilight…?" Sunset Shimmer, unsure if she should even speak.

Twilight Sparkle backed away, realizing what she just did. As the redhead sat up, she saw that she had knocked off her sunglasses and hood, revealing her appearance. The sight made her heart race as her arm throbbed in rhythm with her heartbeat. Seeing the redhead's eyes and the blackness which surrounded them and seemed to absorb all emotion, it made her panic. Twilight felt herself struggling to breathe as fear began to rise within her. She took a few steps away from the redhead.

For a moment, Twilight looked up at the barn entrance. She saw that all the girls and the kids, minus Cassidy, were standing in the doorway. They all had shocked expressions, matching her own feelings. Not wanting to be there any longer, she took a few more shaky steps back. Something, maybe guilt, made Twilight look back at Sunset, their eyes locking. She wanted to say something but thought better of it. Instead, she turned around, not saying anything or acknowledging her friends. She opened her wings, letting them reach their full size. And with one good flap, she was off the ground. Once Twilight was in the air, she flew off and left the barn behind. She only had one destination in mind; her bedroom.

Sunset Shimmer was watching Twilight's departure when she heard a soft voice say, "Sunset? Are you okay?"

Looking next to her, Sunset saw that it was Fluttershy. "No, I am not okay. Twilight just called me Demon Shimmer and punched me. And I didn't even get to give this to her."

Fluttershy's eyes widened for a moment before she relaxed and saw that Sunset hadn't gotten any severe wounds. Once she was able to take her mind off of Twilight, she asked, "Give her what?"

"This." Sunset Shimmer pulled out an envelope from her pocket. "It's a letter for Twilight to read, so she knows that I never meant to hurt her."

"Well, if you'd like, I can give it to Twilight for you," said Fluttershy, holding out her hand.

Sunset Shimmer placed the letter in Fluttershy's hand, saying, "Thanks, Fluttershy. I really appreciate you doing that for me."

The Puppet and the Puppeteer

With Twilight Sparkle gone, that left Sunset Shimmer to deal with the kids herself. She could hear some nervous shuffling behind her. Figuring that it was Cassidy joining her friends, she sighed. Deep down, Sunset hoped that they wouldn’t freak out. However, everyone who had seen her appearance so far did freak out. And it was starting to become less hurtful, though not by much. Instead of getting up, Sunset just pulled her knees to her chest, too hurt to move from her spot.

“Sunset? Is that actually you?” asked Jeremy, his robotic voice quivering.

Sunset heard the quiver in Jeremy’s voice. It reminded her of how Twilight reacted to her appearance when she had shown her. It was the same quiet, shaky whisper she had heard that night. If Sunset had managed to scare her closest friends, what would the kids do? Especially Jeremy and Fritz, as they were the youngest of the group. Would her demonic appearance frighten them? Would she lose their trust? Yet, as Sunset sat there questioning that, she felt something stir within her. Something told her that this time would be different. That maybe there was a chance the kids wouldn’t be scared. And that perhaps they would see through the changes.

The redhead sighed and pushed herself off the ground. Knowing that she was going to have to explain her appearance, she took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. She picked up her sunglasses and turned to face the kids. “Yes, it is me.”

“But your skin is red. And your eyes-” said Fritz.

“I know how I look right now. But if you promise not to freak out, I can show the rest of what happened to me.” Sunset Shimmer walked up to the kids, noticing that the two youngest backed away. “Please, I am asking that you let me explain.”

“I promise, I will keep them in line, Sunset,” said Susie, resting a wing on Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset Shimmer turned to Susie, amazed by the fact that she didn’t seem to be afraid. It made her wish that things had played out differently with Twilight. As she thought about her, she felt a pang of sadness wash over her. Sunset wanted her there by her side and holding her hand. She missed being able to intertwine her fingers with Twilight’s soft ones, and not worrying about scaring her when she touched her. Before the thoughts could go on, Sunset pushed them back, knowing that she had a more significant problem to deal with. Just as she went to speak, she saw Gabriel and Cassidy stand by her. They also seemed not to be frightened of her, which was a welcome sign for Sunset.

Smiling at them, the redhead said, “Thank you.”

“And we’ll help too,” said Fluttershy as she stood next to Sunset. “We know it hasn’t been easy for you looking like Demon Shimmer.”

“D-Demon Shimmer?” asked Jeremy.

“It’s the nickname we gave Sunset’s demonic appearance,” replied Pinkie Pie as she pulled Sunset and Fluttershy into a tight hug. “It fits, don’t you think?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” said Jeremy, not exactly knowing what to say.

“Well, let me take off my hoodie, and I’ll explain everything. Besides, I am starting to sweat in this thing anyway,” said Sunset Shimmer as she sat down near the barn entrance, placing her sunglasses next to her.

*** *** *** ***

Springtrap stood outside the building. The sound of Mangle kicking around the loose concrete around was beginning to get on his nerves. It was evident that she didn’t want to be here, not that she made a point to hide it. He was growing tired of waiting for the Marionette to finish its mission. Springtrap decided that he had to think of something to get back at the girls. The redhead had managed to defeat his doppelgangers because she knew about their weakness. So, that meant that he had to find a place with very little metal in and around it. He didn’t want his army to dwindle back to nothing… again. And with their stupidity, he couldn’t take that risk. Pacing back and forth, Springtrap thought about where he could go.

“I am in a forest… maybe I could lure the bitches here. But it would also have to be far from my hideout, so they don’t discover it or the Phantoms,” thought Springtrap.

Springtrap’s thoughts got interrupted by a loud banging from inside the building. He turned around just in time to see Mangle throwing Freddy out of the doorway. Stepping back, he narrowly avoided getting trampled on by the bear. Narrowing his eyes, Springtrap glared at Mangle.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” asked Springtrap, a deep growl escaping his throat.

Freddy struggled to get up as a huge tree branch fell on top of him. He tried to phase, but with no control over it, the tree branch knocked him out. The branch snapped in half with a loud crack, with each half landing on either side of his head. Springtrap rolled his eyes, sighing in frustration.

“Haha, that dumb bear so fucking deserved that,” said Mangle, her laugh sounding more like nails on a chalkboard.

Springtrap had his hand around what one could consider Mangle’s neck and had pinned her against the wall in one swift motion. He looked at her as his eyes, which usually glowed white, began to glow red. Pushing her body further into the wall, he spoke.

“You worthless piece of fucking crap! You are testing my patience. Do you remember why I brought you here?” asked Springtrap, lowering his voice, making himself sound almost demonic.

"You, uh, brought us here for, uh, a reason,” choked Mangle, barely able to speak through her voice box as Springtrap squeezed it.

“And, Mangle dear, what is that reason?” Springtrap tightened his grip on her further.

“To do something, uh, for you,” replied Mangle.

“Right,” replied Springtrap as he pulled Mangle away from the wall only to slam her back into it. “So, would you like to continue testing me?”

As he did that, Springtrap felt something tingling and sparking in his circuits. It spread all through his body, making his ears twitch as it reached them. Standing still, he noticed that he was getting a little taller. And that his hand, still tightly wrapped around Mangle’s neck, was also getting bigger as well. Springtrap felt his body growing a bit larger than it was before. It was like an upward force was pulling his body towards the ceiling. However, just as quickly as it began, it stopped. Looking at the building, he noticed that he had grown a foot or two taller than his previous eight-foot frame.

“Woah, this feels amazing.” Springtrap let Mangle go, allowing her to drop to the forest floor. “I feel so much stronger.”

“What the fuck, Springtrap?! You’re like ten or more feet tall,” said Mangle as she scrambled away from the slightly taller animatronic rabbit in front of her.

“I-I don’t know what just happened, but I feel a lot stronger and more powerful,” said Springtrap as he kicked a nearby pebble.

Springtrap’s words got backed by the small pebble getting sent flying into the sky and disappearing into nothingness. He turned around and saw that Mangle and everyone else had backed away from him. That pleased him to see that his minions respected him. Suddenly, he felt a sparking-like sensation, similar to what happened earlier. Springtrap blinked rapidly for a few seconds as the sensation traveled throughout his whole body. Once he was able to open his eyes again, he saw that he was back to his previous eight-foot frame.

“Well, so much for that lasting long,” said Balloon Boy as he walked up to Springtrap. “Maybe you’ll get it back, assuming that it wasn’t just a one-time thing.”

Springtrap growled at Balloon Boy, resulting in making him jump. And he nearly knocked Mangle over the process.

“You’d better hope that it wasn’t a one-time thing, or it’ll be your asses on the line next.” Springtrap walked into the building and saw the Marionette’s Phantom counterpart. “You,” he pointed to it, “do you have a link to your animatronic half?”

The Phantom Marionette. “Yes, I do. We are the same, sort of.”

Springtrap groaned as he heard its voice. “Fuck, even your voice is extremely annoying. You two really are the same.”

“What do you need, Springtrap?” asked the Phantom Marionette, trying to keep its voice low.

“First, I need you to shut up before I remove your fucking voice box. Next, I need you to sit down and tell me where your counterpart is and if they have completed their mission yet.” Springtrap turned away from the Phantom, looking out the door and at Mangle, who was beating up Freddy again.

“Okay,” said the Phantom Marionette, sitting down and crossing its legs.

Closing its eyes, the Phantom Marionette started to hum. Springtrap rolled his eyes at the sound. It was irritating, though much less so than Mangle’s annoying voice. Deciding that he didn’t want to be in the building, listening to the humming, he walked away. Springtrap, instead, wanted to figure out what caused him to grow a foot or so tall earlier. Could it have been the equestrian magic that was now powering him? Could he have discovered a new power? Springtrap wasn’t sure, but he did know one thing; he wanted to see if he could do it again. However, this time it would be willingly and on command.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, as the Marionette’s Phantom version sat in the electrical building, its animatronic counterpart had finally found Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. They made their way to the door, reaching out one of their long, spindly fingers toward the door handle. Using the tip of its finger, they managed to jimmy the lock and open the door. Because the door frame was much smaller than they were, they had to bend down to avoid hitting it. Once they were inside, they closed the door behind them and stood up straight. Thankfully, the ceilings of the apartment were high enough to allow it to stand up.

“Wh-where are you, Sunset Shimmer?” asked the Marionette, their voice cracking as it spoke.

There was no response. Just empty air and a slight echoing off the walls of the somewhat bare apartment. Walking around, the Marionette began to search for the Sunset Shimmer. As they walked past the small desk underneath the loft that Sunset called her ‘bedroom,’ they saw a photo of the redhead with her friends. That made it stop and examine the picture more closely. In the middle was the redhead that they had gotten sent to attack. And the girls with their arms all interlocked around her appeared to be her friends. Yet, the Marionette noticed that Sunset’s eyes were only on the girl standing next to her. It seemed that she was aware of the purple-haired girl, who was blushing as she saw Sunset look at her.

‘Wh-what? Are they fr-friends?” asked the Marionette as they gingerly picked up the frame in their spindly fingers, trying not to drop it.

As the Marionette stared at the photo, they felt something stir from deep within. As though a lost memory was calling out to them. The longer they stared at it, the more that the feeling grew. Suddenly, as if the lost memory had never got forgotten, they remembered a moment in time. In the faded memory, they were standing in a playground with many screaming kids running around them. They turned around as they heard their name getting called. Running towards them was a woman with short blonde hair, brown eyes, and a warm smile. Something about her seemed so familiar and kind. Hard as they tried, the Marionette couldn’t make out what the woman was saying as she knelt in front of them.

“M-mom…?” muttered the Marionette as they held out their hand for the woman to take. “Is that… y-you…?”

However, just as quickly as the memory came, it went. As the image of the woman who was now smiling at them faded away, they dropped the photo. The corner of the frame hit the floor, resulting in the glass shattering onto the floor. Not caring that it had dropped the picture frame, the Marionette continued its search, walking around the apartment. As they made their way up to the stairs towards the bedroom, they saw more photos. Yet, these photos were different from the one lying on the floor. Instead of the redhead hanging out with her friends, there was only one person with her in them; Twilight Sparkle. The Marionette grabbed the nearest picture off of the dresser and examined it.

“Fr-Friends?” asked the Marionette as they looked at the photo.

Again, the strange feeling of remembering something that previously had got forgotten hit them. This time, they set the photo down, not wanting to make another mess. As the memory began to play, they saw that it was different from the other one. Now, they were in a cafeteria, surrounded by four girls who were all laughing and chatting amongst each other. The one girl on the far right turned towards them, a smile on their face. Yet, the Marionette couldn’t hear what they were saying. Maybe it was because the memory wasn’t entirely there, just barely visible. The girl laughed after something one of the other girls said. However, as they looked at the girl, something felt familiar. Almost like they had met them before. Unfortunately, before they could explore that idea, the memory faded away, leaving them back in Sunset’s apartment,

“Wh-what’s going o-on?” asked the Marionette.

Remembering what their mission was, the Marionette walked back down the stairs. They walked out the front door and sat down on the steps, waiting for Sunset Shimmer. The memories that had suddenly got brought back were still there. However, Springtrap’s control and years of lying dormant took hold and shoved the memories back down. That resulted in them becoming harder to remember and bring back. The Marionette decided to use the time they had while waiting for Sunset to retrieve the memories. Closing their eyes, they replayed them over and over.

*** *** *** ***

Back at Springtrap’s place, the Phantom Marionette opened their eyes. The connection between their animatronic counterpart got severed for the time being. But if they needed to, they could open the link again. They walked out of the building and found Springtrap leaning against the side of it.

“Did you find your counterpart?” asked Springtrap, pushing himself off the building’s side. “Or did you fail?”

“No, I found it. It had arrived at Sunset’s apartment, Springtrap,” replied the Phantom Marionette, ignoring the screams of Freddy as Mangle hit him with the two pieces of the broken branch. “By the way, how did it know to find the apartment? I didn’t think you let it get very far from you.”

“Actually, I managed to make a copy of myself. And when that copy got sent out on its mission – one that it failed – it had passed by Sunset’s apartment.’ Springtrap glared at Mangle as she glanced at him. Her antics were starting to become more annoying. “And absorbing it back into me, I gained its memory. Hence how your animatronic dummy has found its way to that place.”

“Ah, that explains that.” The Phantom Marionette ignored the hiss Mangle gave it as she walked back in the building. “I must still admit that I am shocked that you could make copies of yourself. However, I will save that for a later date.”

“So, did it look like it was actually going to complete the mission? Or fuck it up like my copies originally did?” asked Springtrap, walking over to the area where his previous doppelgangers had stood.

“I think it will complete the mission,” replied the Phantom Marionette. “It was just waiting for Sunset to arrive.”

“Good. I need it to attack the redhead. It’ll give me time to make my army bigger,” said Springtrap as he flexed his hand, staring at the open space in front of him. “Sunset Shimmer and her gang of fucking pests will not stop me this time…”

*** *** *** ***

“So, basically, you became this… this she-demon because of a crown that you put on?” asked Susie, turning towards Jeremy, making sure that he was okay.

Although Sunset Shimmer had shown them the extent of what had happened to her that Thursday, Jeremy and Fritz were still very skittish. And with them being two massive metal animatronics meant that they had to be careful not to hurt anyone if they panicked. It was apparent that seeing a red-skinned version of Sunset was not easy for the two youngest children. Sunset had tried to keep them as calm as she could. However, having claws, fangs, and two enormous bat wings didn’t make it easy. More often than not, she had to stop and let them calm down before she could continue. Yet, that didn’t stop Jeremy and Fritz from freaking out occasionally and making the girls stand back from them.

“Yes. I put on Princess Twilight’s crown. And a few seconds later, I became… this,” replied Sunset Shimmer, gesturing to herself. “At the time, I didn’t know what an element of Harmony would do if used for the wrong purpose.”

Cassidy, having moved earlier to avoid getting hit by Sunset’s wings, looked at the redhead. “And this change happened now because of me?”

Sunset looked from Susie to Cassidy. The question made it clear that the young girl thought Sunset was blaming her for her situation. And that didn’t sit right with the redhead. She knew the real reason was that she had become Demon Shimmer in the past, and her geode used that. However, Sunset understood how Cassidy would’ve easily assumed that she had been the cause.

“No, not you specifically, Cassidy. My geode caused the transformation. However, seeing your memories and bringing you back made it spark,” said Sunset Shimmer, recalling the night’s events. “And that malfunction is what led to me becoming Demon Shimmer again. Well, at least in appearance anyway.”

“Oh, so it was just your geode, not me?” asked Cassidy, meeting Sunset’s gaze.

“Yeah. You’re not the cause, Cassidy. Sorry if I made you feel that way,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking away. “It was a hectic night.”

“It’s okay. After all, I get it. However, what doesn’t make any sense to me is why you ran away from your friends,” said Cassidy.

“Yeah, and why you kept it from them for almost a week,” added Fritz, finally speaking after staying silent almost the entire time. “Didn’t you trust your friends?”

The redhead swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry. That had been the one thing both the girls and Twilight Sparkle had brought up to her. Even her own conscience kept bringing it up. It seemed that everyone around her could see that she didn’t trust them right away. And even if that wasn’t the case, in the end, it didn’t change anything. Sunset still lied, still chose to dodge the girls, rather than confess what had happened.

“I did,” was all Sunset Shimmer could manage to say. “But, I still trust my friends.”

“So, why lie and hide? Why go through all that trouble to keep it from them?” asked Jeremy, making Sunset look at him.

“I did it because I was afraid of their reactions, of your reactions too. And I also did it because of what I tried to do to them at the Fall Formal…” replied Sunset Shimmer, her voice barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

Cassidy looked at Gabriel, realizing what Sunset Shimmer was hinting at. She could tell by the tone in the redhead’s voice that she had almost done something terrible. And that was a tone Cassidy recognized very well, especially since Cassidy had the same guilt weighing on her back when she had managed to stop herself from killing on the first attempt. Not that she was successful on her second attempt. However, that was beside the point. Right now, Cassidy could see that Sunset was hurting and that whatever she did do left indelible scars on her.

“What exactly did you do?” asked Gabriel as his gaze shifted from Cassidy to Sunset.

“I… tried to… murder the girls and Princess Twilight.” As the words left Sunset shimmer’s mouth, she felt herself almost become physically sick. It was not easy to say the words, let alone in front of the girls – the ones she attempted to hurt.

“Oh…” was the response Sunset got from Gabriel. “I’m sorry that I asked.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at the girls, noticing that Fluttershy was looking down at her hands. All of them, except for Applejack, seemed to avoid looking at her. It was evident that the memory was painful for them as well. And that made Sunset feel even worse. She didn’t want to bring things up that were still sensitive. Yet, she already had. The events that had occurred at the Fall Formal had affected everyone, not just her.

“And you didn’t think about that, did you?!” said Sunset’s inner voice, making its presence known again.

“Why do you think that I didn’t tell them to begin with?!” thought Sunset Shimmer looking down at her hands.

“Oh, I thought you were just a coward,” replied Sunset’s inner voice, sounding genuine in that thought.

“Seriously?! You thought I was a coward? So much for being my conscience…” Sunset Shimmer sighed, not believing that she was about to start another argument with herself.

“Okay, you weren’t a coward, but that still doesn’t excuse you from what you did,” said Sunset’s conscience, seemingly apologetic for its earlier statement.

Her conscience was right, not that the redhead was happy about that. “I know…”

“Um, Sunset?” asked Cassidy, cautiously tapping Sunset’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Sunset Shimmer blinked, pulling herself from her thoughts. Looking around, she noticed that all eyes were on her. She rubbed her neck, and nervously looked down. Sunset hadn’t realized that she had zoned out, but everyone else had. And that was incredibly embarrassing for her as she hated getting lost in thought whenever she talked with someone.

‘Yeah, I am fine. Sorry, I just zoned out,” replied Sunset Shimmer, trying to ease the girls’ worries.

“Sugarcube, maybe you should head home. You seem mighty tired,” said Applejack as she got up from the hay bale she was sitting on. “We can take care of the kids for now. And answer any questions they may have. You need to rest.”

“Are you sure?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking at the rest of the girls. “I can stay if there are more questions.”

“No, I’m puttin’ my foot down, Sunset. Go home, and get some sleep,” said Applejack, her voice gentle but stern.

Sunset Shimmer, seeing that the cowgirl wasn’t going to budge, sighed. “Okay, fine, AJ. I will head home now.” She got up and grabbed her hoodie. Just as she walked over to the door, she turned around and looked at Jeremy and Fritz. “I hope you guys are okay. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“We are. And Sunset?” Jeremy looked at Fritz, shocked by him speaking.

“Yeah, Fritz?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“We still see you as you. It doesn’t matter what you have done or almost done. You are still the same person who has brought us together, even if you look a little different now,” continued Fritz.

Sunset Shimmer smiled. As creepy as it was to look at the animatronic rabbit staring back at her, she knew it was still Fritz. However, it wasn’t easy to see past the oddly disturbing look of the anthropomorphic animatronic. Yet, that didn’t change the fact that Fritz was a nine-year-old boy. It just so happened to be that his body got forcibly shoved into a robotic rabbit, leaving his soul trapped inside. Sunset sighed, knowing that she was likely going to need therapy after this was over. All the images and sounds from their kids’ memories still haunted her. Thankfully, they were nowhere near the level of the nightmares she had after the Fall Formal. And that was a relief for her, especially since things with Twilight were getting worse because she hadn’t told her about that.

‘Thank you, Fritz,” said Sunset Shimmer as she started to walk out the door. “Bye, everyone!”

After hearing a few assorted goodbyes, Sunset got onto her bike. Her bruises from Rainbow Dash had begun to fade quite a bit, which she was very grateful for. If they were still as sensitive as they were two weeks ago, it would have been a different story. Revving her engine, Sunset pulled out of the driveway of Sweet Apple Acres. As she drove down the street, her mind raced about what had happened with Twilight. It was shocking to have the bookworm punch her just as she checked on her, mostly since she wasn’t known for being physical.

“You know that Twilight only punched you because you had to go after her, right?” Sunset’s inner voice returned, much to the redhead’s annoyance.

“Yes, you snarky son of bitch that I call a conscience. I do know that, but I only-” Sunset Shimmer stopped at a red light, letting her motorcycle slow to stop as she pulled up to the light. The feeling of the bike’s vibrations barely irritated her bruises anymore.

“Did it to be Twilight’s friend? Yeah, I got that. I am your conscience, after all. I heard all your thoughts,” said Sunset’s conscience, interrupting her as she tried to finish her thought.

“Okay, you know what?” Sunset Shimmer turned right, heading down the street towards her apartment.

“What?” asked Sunset’s inner voice.

“Just shut up,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she saw her apartment slowly come into view. “I no longer want to listen to you.”

Sunset Shimmer got no response from her conscience as she pulled up to her apartment. As she kicked the kickstand out, she took off her helmet. She noticed that wearing it over her hood kept her hair from getting as tangled. However, that said, Sunset had a feeling that the hood did more damage than the helmet itself. Pushing aside her thoughts about her hair and the possible knots she would have to brush out, she slung the helmet strap over her arm. She got off her motorcycle and walked up the steps leading to her front door.

However, just as Sunset approached her door, she noticed that it was slightly ajar. That made her freeze, wondering who or what had entered her apartment. She cautiously opened it more and tried to remain quiet. Sunset didn’t want to make any noise in case the intruder was still inside. As silently as she could, she walked into her apartment. Right as she got to her desk, she saw the broken picture frame on the ground.

“What the-? Why is this broken?” asked Sunset Shimmer, picking up the photo, careful to avoid the glass shards around it.

Right after she picked up the picture, Sunset heard a rustling noise coming from the stairway. Setting the photo back on her desk along with her helmet, she walked towards the dark stairs. She managed to walk past most of the glass. Unfortunately, just as she went to move her left foot away from the pile of broken glass, she lost her balance and stepped on some of it. The glass shards crinkled and cracked underneath her weight. Sunset whipped around, silently cursing the loud sound in the otherwise quiet room. To her surprise, no one appeared or made a sound after that. Yet, that seemed too odd to her. Why was no one here, yet the door was open, and there was a broken frame? And what made that rustling noise earlier?

“Su-Sunset…?” A staticky vice said, disturbing the silence and making the redhead jump.

‘What the fuck?! Who is that?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she started to walk towards the dark stairway.

The closer the redhead got, the more she could see a figure sitting on the stairs. However, there was something off about the figure. It didn’t look human – if it could even get called that. Its limbs were long and skinny, inhumanly skinny. She glanced down at what she presumed were its legs. Yet, there appeared to be nothing, just two stubby points where its feet should’ve been. That struck her as odd, especially since Sunset remembered a similar-looking animatronic in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. And it looked oddly similar to the Marionette in the game. She couldn’t make out much in the dim lighting, but what she could see were a few white stripes down its legs and arms.

“Su-Sunset…?” asked the Marionette, repeating its earlier question.

That prompted Sunset Shimmer to look at its face, or instead, its mask. The white mask with the two purple streaks running down from its eyes was definitely familiar. Seeing that, Sunset recognized that it was the Marionette, the one from the second game. It seemed that, like Springtrap, it came into their world and got dropped into Canterlot City. And where it was during that time, she wasn’t sure. Yet, all Sunset wanted to do was find out why it was in her apartment. She also wanted to know why and how it knew her name.

“Who the hell are you? And what the fuck are you doing in my apartment?!” screamed Sunset Shimmer as she backed away from the creature.

“Springtrap s-sent me to a-attack you…” replied the Marionette, standing up from its sitting position. “Please h-hear me out, S-Sunset.”

“And why would I do that?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Be-because I don’t want to h-hurt you. I just w-want to know if my fr-friends are okay,” said the Marionette.

“Wait. Are you aware of who you are?” Sunset Shimmer asked, curious about the animatronic in front of her.

“Y-yes, I am,” replied the Marionette.

The redhead just stared at the Marionette, not sure if she could – or should – believe what it just said. How could Springtrap be controlling it? It wasn’t like he had a remote control for it. However, if the kids’ animatronic bodies were getting powered by equestrian magic, maybe Springtrap was too. And knowing that he had made copies of himself made Sunset wonder if he could use equestrian magic. If so, then he was much more dangerous than she and the girls had predicted.

“Are m-my friends okay, S-Sunset?” asked the Marionette.

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Yes, your friends are safe with mine.”

“G-good. Also, I’m s-sorry for this,” said the Marionette.

“What do you me-” Sunset Shimmer was cut off as she got knocked over by the Marionette.

The Marionette, due to Springtrap’s command running through their circuits, started to wrap their long fingers around the redhead’s neck. Their fingers, being so slim, dug into her skin quickly. The redhead gasped for breath beneath the pressure of the animatronic’s grasp. Wanting to get a better grip, the Marionette sat on top of her chest, straddling her. As they started to tighten their grip around her neck, they felt her struggle more to pull their hands off. Something in the back recesses of their mind reminded them of what they were doing and that it was wrong. In the process of getting distracted by that, the Marionette loosened their grip on the redhead. When that happened, they immediately got pushed back by two very strong hands. And because of the push, they got sent off-balance, landing on the floor a few feet away from her.

“G-get off of me!” shouted Sunset Shimmer as soon as she had the breath to do so.

“I’m s-sorry, but I have to o-obey Springtrap’s order,” said the Marionette.

Still recovering from nearly getting choked out, Sunset Shimmer was still trying to catch her breath. However, before she could say another thing, she saw the animatronic readying itself for another attack. It got up and started to charge right at her. She jumped to her left, narrowly missing the tips of the Marionette’s fingers as they brushed past her. Her body slammed hard against the wall as Sunset failed to stop her momentum across the slippery floor. And the force of her sliding across the floor made her hood fall and reveal her appearance.

“Wh-what the…” said the Marionette. “You look so d-demonic.”

Sunset’s wings ached as they got pushed into the wall by the weight of her body. Groaning, she started to get back on her feet. Her body, already pretty sore from Rainbow Dash’s attack on her, only seemed to ache more every time she tried to move. Just as she had gotten to her feet, she saw a fist heading toward her.

‘Oh, come on! Why is it always the fist?!” screamed Sunset Shimmer, holding out her hands in an attempt to stop the punch.

Inadvertently, when Sunset held out her hand, she caused a blast to hit the Marionette. She watched as it got sent flying back into her stairs with a heavy thud. The impact almost knocked off one of its buttons in the process. Looking down at her hands, she couldn’t believe what she had done. Sunset was shocked to see that she had just used some of her demonic powers and blasted the animatronic away from her. That made her smile, knowing that some good came out of her transforming back into her she-demon self. Sunset took a breath and walked up to the Marionette.

‘Why does Springtrap want to attack me? Aside from the fact that I defeated his pathetic excuse for an army?” Sunset Shimmer readied her hand, preparing to throw another blast at the Marionette in case they didn’t answer. “Start talking.”

The Marionette sat there on the stairs. From where they were seated, Sunset had the advantage. And that scared them. They didn’t want to fight her, to attack her, mostly since she had done nothing to them. However, due to their command to attack, they had no choice but to obey. Getting back up, still twitching a bit from the blast, the Marionette stood up to their full height. They saw that the redhead was poised to strike again. Deep down, they knew that if they fought her, she would lose. Not able to fight Springtrap’s command, they began to approach her.

“Spr-Springtrap wants me to at-attack you, Sunset,” was all the Marionette said in response to Sunset’s question.

Sunset Shimmer sighed and met the Marionette’s eyes. “I’m sorry, but you leave me with no choice but to do this.”

It was evident that the animatronic was trying its best to fight the command Springtrap had given it. However, it was losing to it as it had gotten relatively broken from the multiple beatings it had sustained. Sunset readied herself to blast them again. Unfortunately, she didn’t anticipate the length of the Marionette’s long arms. Just as she was about to hit them again, the right arm swung right at her, landing a blow to her left knee. The force of the impact made Sunset kneel as she felt her knee buckle under the crash. Grabbing her knee with her left hand, she used her right one to prepare another blast. Yet, just as she looked up, she saw another arm heading right for her face. And with her wings trapped in her hoodie, she couldn’t fly out of the way. Instead, Sunset had to stay where she was, waiting for the punch. It came fast and hard. As if slow motion, she felt her body getting forced backward, heading towards the wall behind her.

“Ow, that fucking hurts…” mumbled Sunset Shimmer as she felt her head slam into the wall at full force.

“I’m so sorry, S-Sunset Shimmer,” said the Marionette.

As the redhead glanced up, she saw the Marionette walk up to her. Although her vision was beginning to darken around the edges, she could still make out the rough shape of the animatronic. She saw that it had its other fist ready to punch her. Sunset turned away slowly as she had gotten dazed by the first punch. The next impact hit her in the back of the head, making white spots appear in her vision upon impact. She couldn’t see much after that as her vision slowly darkened more, taking away more of her sight. The last thing she heard was the door behind her open, but it didn’t close shut. Finally, against her fighting struggle to remain conscious, Sunset passed out. Her body slumped to the side as she went limp. And her last thought was hoping that the girls would come to her aid and soon…

Lies and Cute Puppy Dog Eyes

Author's Note

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Enjoy the chapter. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lies and Cute Puppy Dog Eyes

At CHS, Twilight Sparkle was sitting in Ms.Coral’s class, her mind racing with thoughts about the girls. She had already finished the class assignment and her homework for the night. However, with nothing to occupy it, her mind started to wander to last night’s events. Looking down, Twilight saw that her hand – the one she had used to throw the punch at Sunset Shimmer – was beginning to bruise slightly. Flexing her hand, she found that it still ached from the impact.

Twilight hadn’t expected herself to punch Sunset, let alone with that much force. And seeing Sunset fall from it was even more shocking. Although, deep down, she wished that she hadn’t thrown the blow. Nor did she like the fact that she had acted on her anger physically towards Sunset. And when her hood fell as a result of her falling, Twilight saw what the girls called Demon Shimmer… again.

As if last Monday’s events weren’t enough, Twilight had to see Sunset’s appearance a week later. And she also had to sit there in the barn, listening to the redhead drone on. Yet, when the kids started to question her about why she didn’t stick around, she only saw her leaving, not caring that the girls had gotten severely injured. And hard as she tried, she couldn’t forget that Sunset had also admitted that she wouldn’t have brought up her past if none of this had happened on the same night. All of that was pure torture for Twilight, mostly since she was still emotionally torn about Sunset.

“Why Sunset…? Why couldn’t you listen to what I asked of you?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she doodled random lines on her notebook – a habit she had picked up these days when her mind got too overwhelmed.

“Excuse me? Sunset was trying to be a friend. You were the one who punched her, unprovoked,” said Twilight’s conscience.

“Unprovoked? Sunset came up to me when I told her not to do that,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“And that justifies you punching Sunset? Wow, I am shocked that you can’t see how wrong that is,” said Twilight’s conscience.

“What? How is that wrong? I told Sunset to avoid me, and she didn’t listen,” said Twilight Sparkle, fighting back.

“Yet, all the redhead was trying to do was support you. Yes, you did tell her to stay away. However, are you going to punch Rarity or someone else if they decide to make sure you’re alright?” asked Twilight’s conscience.

“No…” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Then, don’t think you’re in the right because Sunset chose to ignore your boundaries. While she shouldn’t have done that, it doesn’t give you a pass for your actions,” said Twilight’s conscience, growing quiet after that.

The ringing of the school bell made Twilight Sparkle jump as she got jolted from her thoughts. Looking at the clock on the wall, she realized that she had gotten lost in her thoughts for 20 minutes. And for her, that was a bit shocking. Sure, Twilight knew that she could get lost in her experiments and the hypotheses that surrounded them. That was a fun pastime for her, so it was understandable. However, for her to get so lost in her thoughts about Sunset Shimmer was unusual.

“I guess my feelings for Sunset won’t leave me alone…” mumbled Twilight Sparkle as she gathered up her stuff and walked out of Ms. Coral’s classroom.

Twilight walked down the halls, passing by groups of students staying at school for some of the clubs. She got a few stares, but they were mostly just out of curiosity. These days, she seemed to have it easier than she did two weeks ago. And to her, that was good news. She didn’t want to worry about getting attacked every day. As Twilight turned right down the next hallway, she saw the school entrance in front of her. However, just as she got to the door, she saw Fluttershy running towards her.

“Hey, Fluttershy,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Hi, Twilight. I am glad that I got to you before you left.” Fluttershy took out Sunset’s letter and a piece of paper from her sketchbook that she held in her left arm. “I wanted to give these to you. I saw that you were looking at one of my drawings last Tuesday.”

Twilight Sparkle took the papers from Fluttershy. When she looked at them, she saw that one of them was a picture of her and Sunset. However, the drawing wasn’t a typical portrait. Instead, it was of her and Sunset… as ponies sitting together under a tree. The sun was setting behind them, giving it an ethereal feeling, which Twilight liked. Even their muzzles were touching slightly as if in a friendly, welcoming gesture. It was cute in an adorable way. However, seeing that, it reminded Twilight that she had feelings for the redhead who had lied to her. And that only made her mind, which was already swarming with thoughts, swim even more.

It wasn’t that Twilight didn’t enjoy the picture – she did a lot. It had gotten very well drawn and colored. Yet, it only served to make her thoughts about Sunset Shimmer worse. And while she understood that Fluttershy wasn’t aware of that, it didn’t make it any easier to look at it. Still, Twilight decided to take the photo, finding it pretty, even with the emotional problems.

“Thanks, Fluttershy. I like it,” Twilight Sparkle said as she looked up from the drawing.

“Really? I wasn’t sure if you would like it because it is different from the one I had of just Sunset.” Fluttershy looked at her sketchbook for a moment before returning her gaze to Twilight. “I hope you don’t mind that I drew you two together…”

Twilight Sparkle gave the animal lover a warm smile. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. That’s part of why I like it.”

“Oh, and the envelope is a letter from Sunset. She wanted to give it to you yesterday, but you had left before she could,” said Fluttershy as she opened the door. “Well, I have to go now. Bye, Twilight.”

“Okay, bye, Shy.” Twilight Sparkle waved goodbye to her as she left.

Still carrying the photo and letter, Twilight walked out of the front doors of CHS. Thankfully, her wings were small enough to go through the entrance when tucked against her body. She didn’t want to imagine having them banging around and injuring herself more in the process. It was bad enough that they were a part of her. Twilight could feel when certain things or people touched them, and she was pretty sure that they would bleed if injured as well. Once she made her way down the stairs, she saw her mother pull up.

“Hey, sweetie, how was your day?” asked Mrs. Velvet as her daughter opened the car’s passenger side door.

Tossing her backpack in, Twilight Sparkle got into the car and closed the door. “It was good, mom, just like usual.”

“That’s good to hear.” Mrs. Velvet started to pull out of the school’s entrance. “Did you see your friend Sunset today?”

Twilight Sparkle, who was busy struggling to get the seatbelt around her wings, cringed as she heard the redhead’s name. She knew that her mother meant well, but it was still hard to even think about her. And that was apparent every time she looked at the drawing Fluttershy handed to her. Sighing, Twilight decided to answer her mother’s question, not wanting to be rude.

“No, I didn’t. Sunset didn’t even show up to Miss Cheerilee’s class today,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she clicked her seatbelt into place. “Though that might have been because I told her to give me my space.”

‘Why did you do that?” asked Mrs. Velvet. “Did something happen between you two?”

“Yes, and I’d rather not talk about it right now, mom,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay, honey,” replied Mrs. Velvet.

*** *** ***

After that, the car ride back home was silent. Twilight didn’t feel like talking. And it seemed that her mother picked up on that as well. So, on the way back to their house, no one dared to speak. However, that was fine for Twilight. It gave her time to try and calm the storm inside her mind. She had placed the drawing that Fluttershy had given her into her backpack. Right now, Twilight didn’t want to see it. Not until she could sort out her feelings about Sunset. After a half-hour, her house came into view. And standing by the door was her father and Spike.

Once her mother had parked the car in their driveway, Twilight Sparkle got out with her backpack slung over one shoulder. “Hey, dad,” she said as she slammed the door shut.

‘Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good day?” asked Mr. Light, giving his daughter a wave as she approached him.

“Yeah, I did,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle opened the front door and walked into the house. Following behind her was her mother and father. Spike pushed his way past her and was already ahead of her, waiting on the stairs for her to go to her room. “I am going to take a shower now, okay, dad?”

“Okay. Just make sure you finish in time to have dinner,” said Mr. Light as Twilight stepped onto the first step.

“Alright, dad. I will,” shouted Twilight Sparkle as she made her way up the stairs, behind Spike as he bounded up them.

Twilight walked into her room, setting her bag down by her desk as she did so. As she sat on her bed, she noticed that Spike was seated by her room’s entrance. His tail was happily wagging behind him. Twilight figured that he wanted to see how her day went, which he always did, especially now that he could talk and comment on certain things. Patting the bed, she invited Spike to join her. Like usual, he jumped and made himself comfy by her side. He was even nuzzling her wing so she would know to wrap it around him.

“I’m glad you are home, Twilight,” said Spike as he stretched out and leaned against Twilight’s one wing.

“Yeah, I am sure you are. You just like cuddling with my wings, don’t you?” asked Twilight Sparkle, raising an eyebrow at Spike as he took his time to relax from stretching.

Stifling a yawn, Spike said, “Well, your wings are very comfy.” He let his body relax from stretching. “But I also missed you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I do, Spike,” said Twilight Sparkle as she gave him a small scratch behind his ears. “But, I am glad you enjoy cuddling by my wings.”

“Do you have to shower now? Your wings are so… comfy…” Spike licked a few of her feathers affectionately. “I don’t want you to leave…”

Twilight Sparkle shook her head, chuckling softly. It was cute that Spike found her wings comfy, probably even more so than his bed, even if he wouldn’t admit it. However, they were a hassle. The number of loose feathers she had kept finding in her bed was beginning to increase. And that was the sign that told her she needed to take a shower. Pulling her wing back from around Spike, Twilight got off her bed.

“I know you don’t want me to leave, but my wings and I need to take a shower. Otherwise, I will lose enough feathers to make a pillow.” Twilight Sparkle took off her shirt, tossing it into the hamper, causing a few more feathers to fall. She picked them up and looked at Spike. “See what I mean?”

“Okay, yeah. I do see what you mean,” said Spike, lifting one of his back legs to scratch at an itch on his shoulder.

“Well, I have to get ready to shower now. So, I will be back out in a bit.” Twilight Sparkle pulled off her skirt, putting it into the hamper basket alongside the shirt.

“Alright, I will be here,” replied Spike, pushing his body into the pillows.

Twilight walked into her bathroom, closing the door behind her. She stood by the sink counter as her eyes drifted to her arm and the bandage on it. Although it was only three days ago that it had gotten changed, it had begun to get stained with blood. However, this time, minimal amounts were speckled all over. It was clear that the lacerations were finally starting to heal. And for Twilight, that was a great sign. The less time she needed to have the bandage on, the better. It was seriously beginning to annoy her.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight peeled off the tape that was keeping the gauze on her arm. With the tape now removed, the gauze padding fell off. And what she saw underneath made her gag reflex kick in. Covering her mouth, Twilight fought the urge not to throw up at the sight. Although not as deep as they were before, the lacerations had now gotten covered in a yellowish layer of new skin. The view made her injuries look like they were oozing pus, which didn’t make it any easier not to vomit.

“Okay, Twilight. Just turn the water on and dab some soap on your skin, and that’s it,” Twilight Sparkle said to herself, attempting to get over her squeamishness.

Twilight Sparkle took a slow deep breath in and turned the water on. She squeezed the soap pump, making a small glob of it appear. With the blob of soap on her hand, she slipped her lacerations under the running water. The feeling of the cold liquid running down her cuts was weird. And with her skin being so raw and fresh, it was a foreign feeling to have water on it. Pushing forward, Twilight lathered the soap onto her arm. As the suds built up, there was a mild stinging sensation. However, she did her best to push through it and wash her lacerations. A few minutes of enduring the pain later, she washed the soapy suds off, getting relief from the pain. Twilight turned the water off and dried her arm a little bit.

With her lacerations now cleaned and dry, Twilight undid her bra clasps and set the garment on the sink counter. Slipping out of her underwear, she opened the door a crack and tossed them into the hamper as well. After that, she stepped into the shower stall, closing the glass door behind her. Twilight reached down and turned on the hot water then turned on the cold so she wouldn’t get burned. Turning around, she let the water hit her wings and back. As the liquid hit her feathers, she felt them getting heavy. It seemed that they lacked the waterproof layer most birds could add to their feathers and absorbed the water. However, Twilight didn’t care at the moment. The feeling of the warm water streaming down her bare skin felt good. She rubbed her hand down her arm, wiping off the water droplets that had formed, thinking about the drawing that Fluttershy had given her.

“Was Sunset actually a pony – a unicorn to be precise – and I never noticed until now?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she stared at the wall in front of her.

Twilight’s tail flicked, sending some water flying against the shower door. Reaching down, she wrung her tail out, despite the uselessness of the action. She sighed and turned around to let the water hit her abdomen and chest. The warmth felt good on her skin, but her mind seemed not to care. As Twilight stood there, water streaming down her stomach, her thoughts wandered back to the one day she had visited the stables to see Sunset Shimmer.

*Flashback*

The smell of horses and hay hit Twilight Sparkle as she walked towards the stable where Sunset supposedly was. Sounds of horses either nickering or snorting filled the stables. Looking around, she noticed there was a horde of riders and horses coming and going out of the stable. Twilight stepped back as someone on their horse walked past. Getting that close to an animal that was taller than her made her heart race.

As Twilight made her way down the long corridor, she noticed that some horses were still in their stalls, their riders next to them. She looked away and kept her head down. Eventually, after a few minutes, she found Sunset Shimmer in the furthest stall. The red and yellow hair made her easy to spot in the brown and white stable. Twilight walked up to the stall, keeping a few feet between herself and the door.

“H-hey, Sunset.” Twilight Sparkle waved to the redhead.

Sunset Shimmer’s hair was in a loose ponytail because it was hot that day. Her leather jacket hung on a hook inside the stall. It was the one with the orange chevron stripes on the arms. She didn’t feel like wearing her “Fall Formal” jacket, as it now had gotten dubbed. The tears and scratches would’ve caused suspicions in the stables. And Sunset didn’t feel like lying about what caused them. The ranch was the one place she could go to escape the memory of the Fall Formal. Turning around, she stopped grooming Sunblaze. When Sunset saw that it was Twilight who had spoken, she smiled warmly.

“Hey, Sparky. What do I owe this visit for?” asked Sunset shimmer as she walked over to the stall door.

Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “I just wanted to see you.”

Sunset pushed herself off the stall door, stunned. It had surprised her to hear that Twilight just wanted to see her. Sure, she had been helping her to adjust to CHS and getting past what had occurred at the Friendship Games. However, to see Twilight come by just to hang out was something she hadn’t expected. But, she wasn’t opposed to it. If anything, Sunset was elated to see that the bookworm was here. It finally gave her a chance to show her what she did on the weekends. She rubbed the back of her head, unsure of what to say to her. Sunset wasn’t sure if she should admit that she was happy to see her. Or if she shouldn’t say anything in case it made Twilight feel nervous.

“Oh? You just wanted to see me?” Sunset Shimmer picked up the brush and started to groom Sunblaze again.

“Yeah… I hope that is okay.” Twilight Sparkle gripped her arm as she bit her lip.

Sunset Shimmer felt Sunblaze nudge her arm as she started to move to the other side. “Come on, say something! Twilight feels like you don’t want her here.”

Stealing a glance at Twilight, Sunset Shimmer said, “What do I say? I can’t just say, ‘Twilight, I love you’.”

“I don’t know, Sunset. Just say anything,” said Sunblaze, tossing her head up a bit. “The poor girl is looking upset now.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight Sparkle, wanting to make sure she was okay. However, just as Sunblaze said, the bookworm was looking down, seemingly uneasy. That made her realize what the mare said was true. She had made her uncomfortable. Sighing, Sunset set the brush down and opened the stall door. As she stood next to Twilight, her pulse raced in tune with her heartbeat.

“It’s okay, Twilight. I am happy you came by,” said Sunset Shimmer as she lifted Twilight’s gaze to meet hers.

‘R-Really?” Twilight Sparkle stuttered, her voice suddenly becoming shakier as she stared at the redhead’s cyan eyes.

“Yes, Twi.” Sunset Shimmer smiled. “Want to meet Sunblaze?”

Twilight Sparkle gulped. Looking at the tall, massive horse standing in the stall was terrifying. The mare stood at least a foot or two above her. Her head stood a few inches above the horse’s shoulder, whereas Sunset stood a bit taller than her. And she could feel the vibrations in the ground as the horse approached them. Additionally, the mare weighed quite a bit, which only made her fear worse. Stepping closer to Sunset, Twilight gripped her arm tightly.

“Um, Sunset? I am not sure I want to meet Sunblaze,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Sunblaze then at Twilight. “Twilight, are you scared of horses?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

“Why is Twilight scared of me?” asked Sunblaze as she lowered her head. “Doesn’t she know that I won’t hurt her?”

“I don’t know!” hissed Sunset Shimmer as she turned to the horse.”Why don’t you ask her that for yourself?!”

“Sheesh, you don’t have to yell at me.” Sunblaze snorted, slamming her muzzle into Sunset's arm.

“Ow!” Sunset Shimmer rubbed her arm, knowing that there would be a bruise there later. “What the hell was that for?”

“That… was for being rude to me,” replied Sunblaze.

Twilight Sparkle, who was still standing by the door, stared at the redhead. It was weird to catch a glimpse of what would typically happen when she wasn’t there. And to her, it seemed like the redhead was having a real conversation with her horse. Yet, how could that be so? She was sure that the horse couldn’t talk, not like Spike did with her. So that eliminated the possibility that equestrian magic was behind this. But what did that leave? The redhead couldn’t talk to animals, not like Fluttershy could. So, what was behind her “talking” to her horse?

“Could… Sunset be a pony? Like Princess Twilight is…?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she let her mind toss the thought around.

Sunblaze looked over at Twilight and realized that she and Sunset were getting watched. “Um, Sunset?”

“What, Sunblaze?” asked Sunset Shimmer, sounding more annoyed than she meant to. “What is it now?”

“Twilight has been watching us talk. I think she is starting to wonder what is going on,” replied Sunblaze with a soft nicker.

Sunset Shimmer’s gaze shifted from Sunblaze to the bookworm. As she met her violet eyes, she could see the suspicion. And that made her heart thunder in her chest. If she found out that Sunset was a pony – or rather, to be precise, a unicorn from the same world as Princess Twilight – it could cause her to lose Twilight’s friendship. Okay, she had handled the situation when she realized where Princess Twilight was from and what she was. However, Sunset couldn’t be sure that the bookworm would have the same reaction to her. After all, she did faint when she learned the truth about the Princess at first. And Sunset didn’t want to lose her because she was a bit… different than the other humans in this world. Especially when she cared for her in a lover kind of way, sighing, she walked towards Twilight.

“Twilight, how long have you been watching Sunblaze and me?” Sunset Shimmer leaned against the stall door.

Twilight Sparkle gulped. “Not long.”

“Just long enough to see me talking to Sunblaze?” asked Sunset Shimmer, glancing up at Sunblaze.

“Yeah… sorry.” Twilight Sparkle looked down at her shoes, not wanting to meet the redhead’s gaze.

Sunset Shimmer rested a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Do you want to know why I talk to Sunblaze like that?”

“Yes,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Walking towards Sunblaze, Sunset Shimmer said, “It’s because it helps Sunblaze stay calm. I could see that you were nervous, and I didn’t want her to become nervous because of that.”

Twilight Sparkle looked up at Sunset, sensing something wrong in the redhead’s voice. To her, it seemed that she was lying. And what she saw didn’t look like she was comforting her horse. Instead, it appeared that Sunset was carrying on a conversation with the mare. However, Twilight pushed past her doubts about Sunset’s answer and smiled.

“Ah, okay,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying not to let Sunset know that she had doubted her.

“Would you like to take a chance and meet Sunblaze, Sparky?” asked Sunset Shimmer, holding out her hand for Twilight to take.

Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hand, ignoring the flurry of butterflies that grew in her stomach. As she got closer to the stall door, she felt the ground vibrate beneath her as Sunblaze approached her. Swallowing hard, she saw the mare lower her head, allowing Twilight to pet her muzzle. She glanced at Sunset and saw her give her an encouraging smile. Turning back to the mare, she closed her eyes and took her free hand, placing it on its muzzle. And to her surprise, the fur was soft and silky smooth. Twilight found herself getting lost in stroking the mare’s muzzle. It was just so fluffy, like petting a living, breathing stuffed animal.

“Uh, Twi?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she waved a hand in front of Twilight’s face. “Are you okay?”

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and looked at Sunset. “Yeah, I am sorry. I just got lost in petting Sunblaze. By the way, how did you get her fur so soft?”

“Oh, I just use a good shampoo and wash her regularly. It helps to have a horse who doesn’t like to get dirty all that often,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “Plus, I have had some personal experience.”

“What?” asked Twilight Sparkle, caught off guard by the last sentence. “How could you have had personal experience? I thought you didn’t have Sunblaze until about seven or eight months ago.”

Sunset Shimmer gasped and looked away. “Oh, yeah. I just meant that I um… never mind. Let’s just forget that I said that.”

Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows. Why was Sunset lying to her? Was there something she was hiding? And if so, what is it? All those questions swarmed inside of Twilight’s mind, making her grasp the stall door for balance as she got a bit dizzy. Combined with the heat of the day, she almost felt like fainting. But, the feeling of a firm hand wrapping around her waist made her look down. Twilight saw that it was Sunset’s hand that was holding her up.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Twilight? You look like you will faint soon,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stepped closer to Twilight, helping her balance herself.

The bookworm shook her head, clearing away some of the dizziness. The questions she had been thinking about receded to the back of her mind. Looking at Sunset, she remembered the real reason why she had come. Aside from wanting to see the redhead, Twilight had also wanted to talk to her about something. Or rather, ask her something. She had been curious if Sunset had ever gone through something similar to what she had gone through at the Friendship Games. And today, she finally had enough courage to ask her.

“Yeah, I am okay, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she felt the redhead let go of her. “But, I uh, didn’t just come here to hang out with you.”

Sunset Shimmer stepped back, surprised by what Twilight said. “Oh? Then why exactly did you come here today?”

“I came here partly because I wanted to see you. However, I also came because I have a question that I've wanted to ask you for a while,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Sunblaze nickered, getting Sunset’s attention. “Go, talk to Twilight. I will be here when you two lovebirds get back.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded and turned back to Twilight, not caring that the bookworm would've seen the suspicious nod. “Follow me, Sparky.”

Twilight Sparkle followed Sunset Shimmer as they walked down the long corridor. Stall after stall, they passed every single one until they reached the end of the hall. She looked around, noticing that no one seemed to care that she and the redhead were going to a room together. Not that she suspected anyone would notice. However, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t care. Walking through the screen door, she realized that they were in the tack room. The smell of leather and saddle cleaner hit Twilight immediately, making her cough in the process. As she looked around the rows of saddles, she felt herself getting pulled away. And within seconds, she found herself in a small room with what appeared to be a saddle rack.

“Sunset, why are we in this strange room?” Twilight Sparkle asked as she sat down on one of the hay bales that lined the right side of the room.

“So we can get some privacy. I figured you wouldn’t want anyone to hear our conversation,” replied Sunset Shimmer, sitting next to Twilight.

“Oh, okay,” said Twilight Sparkle, adjusting her glasses. “Well, my question is pretty simple. Did you go through anything similar to what happened to me at the Friendship Games?”

As Sunset heard Twilight ask that question, she froze. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as her panic began to rise. That was the only sound she could listen to as she struggled to think of an answer to Twilight’s question. She wasn’t ready to admit what happened to her at the Fall Formal. And for the last few months, Sunset had been doing pretty good at keeping it hidden from Twilight. Attempting to murder the girls – who were now also Twilight’s friends – was not something that she wanted to admit just yet. Clearing her throat, Sunset tried to ignore the growing lump.

“Uh, no, I haven’t,” lied Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, her eyes wide. “Oh… okay. I just thought from what you said to me at the end of Friendship Games that you had been through something similar.”

Sunset Shimmer cringed as Twilight reminded her of what she said at the Friendship Games. It was true, but she didn’t expect to have Twilight asking about the Fall Formal. At least, not right away. Sunset wasn’t ready to let the bookworm in on the real truth. She worried about how she was going to react if she knew about it. So, here she was, lying to Twilight because she was too frightened to admit that she had gone through something similar. Taking a deep breath, she looked away as she spoke.

“It’s fine, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer stood up from the hay bale she was sitting on. “So, shall I show you how I groom Sunblaze?”

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the redhead. It was shocking how quickly she changed the subject after she had asked her the question. And from what she saw, it seemed that it made Sunset very uncomfortable. Almost as if she was possibly hiding something, and she didn’t want her to get close to it. That bothered Twilight. Why would Sunset do that? Couldn’t she see that she was willing to accept whatever happened to her? As those thoughts ran across her mind, Twilight felt like asking Sunset the question was not the right choice. Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts and decided to take Sunset’s offer, leaving the conversation that they just had behind.

“Sure,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

*End of Flashback*

Twilight blinked, realizing she had zoned out while standing in the shower. Her body had become numb to the water droplets pelting it. Thankfully, she had turned around, or her wings would have become heavier than they were earlier. She stretched them out and found that they had become stiff from getting cramped into the small shower stall. Turning off the water, Twilight opened the shower door. Her skin was hit with a cool breeze as she stepped outside. Having gotten used to being in a warm shower for a while, she immediately got chilled as her body moved. That made her shiver as she made her way over to where the towels were. Twilight grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her chest, making sure to be careful with her wings. Now that she was covered, she walked over to the mirror.

“Wow, I must’ve been in the shower for a while,” said Twilight Sparkle as she wiped some of the steam off her mirror.

As Twilight Sparkle stared at her reflection, she thought about Sunset Shimmer. The memory of the day that she had asked the redhead if she had gone through something similar played over and over in her head. However, there was one thing that stood out to her, and that was what Sunset had said. At the time, she had wholeheartedly believed it. Now, it was clear that she had gotten played by the one person she had come to lean on.

“Why did you lie to me, Sunset? Why did you have to betray me like this….?”

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, at the animal shelter, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were cleaning up the kennel area. All the dogs had gotten let out into the back area while they were busy tidying up. The sound of their barking and yipping filled the air. Fluttershy finished cleaning the last kennel on the right side of the room. Looking over her shoulder, she could see that Pinkie Pie was almost done with her final kennel as well.

“Thanks for helping me, Pinkie Pie. I don’t know if I could’ve cleaned these all by myself,” said Fluttershy as she tossed out her used gloves and paper towels.

Pinkie Pie smiled. “You’re welcome, Shy. I love helping you out at the animal shelter. It’s so fun to see all those cute little furballs.”

“Yes, they are quite cute. I always find myself getting distracted by it,” said Fluttershy as she walked over to the gate that separated the dogs from them.

Just as Pinkie Pie finished tossing out her used cleaning supplies, she heard the gate open. Before she could get out of the way, she immediately got swarmed by a cute, fluffy horde of puppies. She held up her arms to avoid her face getting injured by their claws. The party planner had two Pitbull puppies licking her cheek, three Chihuahuas sniffing her hands for treats, and one black labrador puppy sitting on her chest. However, no matter what she did, she couldn't do anything to keep herself from getting bombarded with puppy kisses and slobbered on. Looking around, Pinkie Pie noticed five Doberman pinscher puppies were missing.

‘Hey Fluttershy, where are the five-” Pinkie Pie didn’t get to finish her sentence as the five missing puppies ran up to her. They joined the two Pitbulls in the licking frenzy. Unable to move due to the puppy swarm, Pinkie Pie just laid on the floor.

Seeing that Pinkie Pie needed help, Fluttershy called the puppies over to her. “Charlie, Rose, Henrietta, Jimmie, Spot, Miracle, Tinkerbell, Willy, Frost, Ginger, and Mittens come here.”

One by one, the puppies came as their names got called. Each one sat down when they got the ‘sit’ command. And having gotten trained extensively by Fluttershy, they knew what to do. When each puppy sat down, Fluttershy gave them a treat. All the puppies each ate their treat immediately, except for two of them. The last two just sniffed their treats and looked at each other. And instead of eating them with the other puppies, the two took their snacks and sat together, away from the others. Fluttershy, wondering what was going on, walked over to the two puppies.

“Mittens, Miracle, is everything okay?” asked Fluttershy as she kneeled in front of them.

Miracle, still with half her treat in her mouth, answered. “Yeah, everything is fine. We just like eating together.”

“Oh, okay.” Fluttershy looked at Mittens. “Are you adjusting to being here?”

Mittens nodded, getting up and licking Fluttershy’s nose. “Yeah, thanks to you and the rest of the gang. I am so grateful that I have Miracle too.”

“I am glad to hear that,” said Fluttershy as she gave Mittens a scratch behind the ear.

In response to the scratch, Mittens let a small yip slip from her lips. It felt so good to her. And getting scratched was one of her favorite things. She leaned her head into Fluttershy’s hand as she continued to pet her. Closing her eyes. Mittens let herself fall asleep on the animal lover’s palm.

“Awww…” said Pinkie Pie as she saw Fluttershy gently rest Mittens head on the floor. “Mittens is so cute when she is sleeping.”

“Yep, but Mittens is also a bit rebellious as well,” said Fluttershy as she grabbed her phone. She opened her gallery and clicked on a video of Mittens. “Here, watch this.”

Pinkie Pie took the phone and stared at the video. In it, the little grey and white puppy was running around chasing Miracle. However, just as she rounded the corner, she saw Miracle's favorite toy and grabbed it. She ran off with it, and its owner was right on her trail. Unfortunately, Miracle lost her footing on the hardwood floor and slid all the way to where the puppy beds were. Mittens dropped the toy and ran over to her friend, allowing Miracle to recover the toy and run past Fluttershy, who was busy trying not to giggle. In the background, Pinkie Pie could hear Sunset and Twilight struggling not to laugh at the scene in front of them. Seeing that made her chuckle.

“Okay, Mittens is a rebellious little girl. But she is still a cute, fluffy rebel,” said Pinkie Pie as she handed back Fluttershy her phone.

“Yep. By the way, did you see Sunset today?” asked Fluttershy as she petted Miracle’s head. “I didn’t see her come into fourth period with me.”

“Come to think of it, no I didn’t.” Pinkie Pie got off the floor and walked over to where Fluttershy was. “Do you think Sunset is okay?”

“I don’t know. With all that has been going on with Twilight, Sunset hasn’t had an easy time. I think we should go check on her,” replied Fluttershy, grabbing the bag of treats.

Pinkie Pie grabbed a handful of treats and placed two inside each kennel on her side. The puppies, having been through the routine enough times, gravitated towards their kennels. As each one stepped inside to eat the treats, Pinkie Pie closed the door behind them. Once she had finished, she turned to help Fluttershy, who was struggling to get Miracle in her cage. The Pitbull puppy was whining, which made Mittens whimper in worry.

“It’s okay, Mittens,” said Pinkie Pie as she tried to calm the worried puppy. “Fluttershy is taking good care of Miracle.”

“Miracle, please get in your cage. I will let you and Mittens hang out later when I get back, okay?” said Fluttershy as she held onto Miracle’s hips.

“You promise?” asked Miracle, her voice sounding more like a whimper.

“Yes,” replied Fluttershy.

With that promise, Miracle finally allowed herself to get gently guided into the kennel. As she heard the door close behind her, she turned around to face Mittens. She saw her friend give her a wink. Smiling, she laid down and closed her eyes, awaiting the minute she would get to hang out with Mittens again.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie grabbed their car keys after making sure that the kennel doors had gotten secured. When they got to the front desk, Fluttershy grabbed the shelter’s keys. She walked out the front door after Pinkie Pie and locked the shelter up. After making sure that she had closed the doors, she made her way over to her van. Behind her, Fluttershy heard a car door slam shut, followed by the sound of an engine roaring to life. She got into her van and did her usual safe driving check-up to ensure everything was in good condition. Once she had finished that, she put her keys into the ignition and backed out of the parking lot. Fluttershy took a left turn, driving behind Pinkie Pie’s car to Sunset’s apartment.

Love Can Sometimes Bring Someone Back

Springtrap stood in front of the ten rows of doppelgangers that he had made. At the moment, he had 100 of them ready to fight. However, that wasn’t enough for him. Especially since Springtrap knew that the redhead would have told the rest of her friends about their weakness by now, and that would allow them to wipe out his army. Looking at the crowd of his doppelgangers, he figured that doubling the number would be enough to keep the girls from winning. It was going to have to be. Springtrap had been at this for about an hour and a half, trying to keep himself from getting drained by using so much magic. Suddenly, a voice rang out behind him.

‘“Um, boss?” asked the all too familiar voice. “I think the Marionette is back.”

Springtrap turned around to find that the Marionette was indeed back. As he looked at it, he noticed that one of its buttons appeared to be off-centered. Its hand also had small bits of dried blood on its hard plastic, indicating there had been some physical contact between the two. That was good news to Springtrap. He walked up to the Marionette and saw some scratches on its body, which had taken bits of paint off its plastic body.

“Did you complete your mission?” asked Springtrap.

The Marionette nodded slightly. “Yes, I-I have.”

Springtrap covered his ears as he heard the Marionette speak. Its voice still infuriated him, but for now, he could deal with it. After all, he managed to control it and make it do something for him. And that got him thinking about the kids. If he was right about them getting powered by the same magic he was, then he theoretically could control them as well. However, to test that theory, Springtrap would have to be near them. So, that meant he would have to try it when he came to the next battle with the girls, which wasn’t ideal for him. Nonetheless, he could make it work. Just as Springtrap was about to continue his train of thought, he felt a finger tap his shoulder. Blinking, he looked at the Marionette.

“Um, can I g-go now?” asked the Marionette as they stepped back from Springtrap.

Groaning, Springtrap waved his hand at them. “Gah, yes, please. You’re annoying the fuck out of me.”

With that, Springtrap saw the Marionette walk away, heading into the electrical building. Deciding to continue what he was doing earlier, he focused on his army. He held his hand out and imagined 50 of himself appearing behind the ten already existing rows. Slowly, Springtrap felt the magic build up and flow from him. A tingling sensation grew in his fingertips as the magic transferred into the newly materializing copies. A few seconds later, he was kneeling on the ground, now struggling to stand up. It took more than Springtrap thought that it would to make those 50 doppelgangers. He rested his other hand on the grass to keep himself from falling as the last of his copies appeared. Finally, after a few agonizing, shaky seconds, the last Springtrap fully materialized.

Just as Springtrap got to his feet, the Phantom version of Foxy walked out of the building. Sighing, he prepared himself for whatever the annoying fox had to say.

“Yes, Foxy? What is it now?” asked Springtrap.

“Well, um, Mangle, and I were wondering when we are going to attack the girls?” asked Phantom Foxy, fiddling with his hook.

That made Springtrap roll his eyes, shaking his head in frustration. It was beginning to get harder not to strangle Mangle and the rest of the Phantoms. Their constant nagging was grating on his last nerve. Had Springtrap known that they would annoy him about fighting the girls and getting back home, he wouldn’t have brought them here. They were not worth the headache that they were giving him. However, it was too late to change his mind. Taking a shaky breath, Springtrap forced himself to answer the Phantom’s question.

“I will be leaving either tonight or next week, but that will get decided later on,” said Springtrap, struggling to keep himself from choking Mangle as he saw her peer out of the building. “Go, let Mangle know before I tie you two into a pretzel.”

“Mangle also wants to know if you have figured out where the fight is… going…” phantom Foxy saw Springtrap walk over to him, glaring down at him as he did so, “to take place…” He barely managed to finish before Springtrap had a hand around his throat.

“Oh, Mangle wants to know where the fight is? Well, then she can come out,” said Springtrap as he picked Foxy up and threw his metal body against the building.

The impact of Phantom Foxy’s body against the building sent small bits of loose concrete and dust falling on him. It made the building shake for a few seconds as the walls absorbed the impact. All the other Phantoms stared at Springtrap, ignoring Foxy’s groans as he struggled to regain consciousness. They all stepped back as he pointed at Mangle.

“Mangle, dear, why don’t you come here? I have your answer,” said Springtrap, his staticky voice cracking as he spoke.

Mangle gulped and reluctantly approached Springtrap. “What’s your answer?”

Springtrap was glad for once that he had a smile plastered permanently on his animatronic body. Giving Mangle a pissed off glare, he leaned down, his eyes meeting hers.

“I am going to have the fight at… none of your damn business!” Springtrap shouted as he slapped Mangle’s face.

Mangle glared at Springtrap. “Why the hell won’t you tell me? You brought me here, but for what?”

“I brought you here for a mission!” replied Springtrap as he jabbed a finger into her chest.

“And what exactly is that mission? Cause it seems you have an army for whatever you are doing now,” retorted Mangle. “I am tired of waiting around for something you claim is going to happen.”

Springtrap scoffed. “Yeah, you have made that abundantly clear, Mangle. But,” he walked away from her, heading towards the building as he glared at the rest of the Phantoms. “If you can’t get some patience or occupy yourself, I will send you back. Or even better, I will trap you with the annoying kids in the play area. After all, they did enjoy taking you apart.”

Mangle shuddered as she thought about the play area. That had been how she lost so many of her parts. It terrified her to think of returning to the godforsaken place. She couldn’t stand the thought of having to lie dormant while disgusting five-year-olds who picked their nose took her apart, covering her in their boogers. Then there was the drooling from the ones who dared to put her parts in their mouths. Just the thought of saliva dripping and splashing off, and hitting the floor made Mangle want to gag. Looking up at Springtrap, she let out a shaky sigh.

“Fine. I will find something to occupy myself. But seriously, where is this fight of yours taking place?” asked Mangle, stepping back in case Springtrap decided to punch her. “You can’t expect us to find you if we don’t know where the fight is.”

“Ugh, fine. If you’ll shut up and leave me alone, I will tell you where the fight is,” said Springtrap as he turned around to face Mangle.

“Gladly.” Mangle walked back over to the building, leaning against the wall next to Foxy. “So?”

“I plan on having the fight take place at the soccer field near the girls’ high school,” said Springtrap as he walked towards his arm. “Now, go and occupy yourself until I tell you otherwise.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Mangle made her way back into the building. She didn’t know why she was there. However, one thing was for sure. If the girls didn’t die, she was going to help them meet their ends. There was no way she was going to get stuck in this crazy place for much longer.

*** *** *** ***

Fluttershy pulled up behind Pinkie Pie as she parked in front of Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. The redhead’s motorcycle still sat in its usual spot. It was leaning against the kickstand, meaning Sunset didn’t get jumped right away. And to her, that was a good sign that maybe her friend was okay and not injured. Her door seemed to be closed from where Fluttershy was sitting. However, from her angle, she couldn't be sure that it was. On the outside, everything appeared to be normal. As Fluttershy got out of her van, she saw Pinkie Pie walk up to her.

“Well, everything seems to be normal,” said Fluttershy as she looked at the front of the apartment. “Maybe Sunset was just too sore after Rainbow Dash's beating.”

“Hmm, maybe. But… on the off chance that Sunset isn’t okay, we should go check on her,” said Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, maybe we should. But hopefully, Sunset won’t mind us barging in on her home.”

“Come on, silly!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she pulled Fluttershy towards Sunset’s apartment.

Fluttershy, letting herself get tugged by the party planner, approached Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. As she got closer, she realized that the door was slightly ajar. That made her hair stand on end as she began to worry. What had happened? Was Sunset alive? Or was she…? Fluttershy didn’t dare to ask that question mentally. She didn’t want to think that the redhead was dead. Closing her eyes for a moment, she pushed her thoughts aside. She wasn’t going to assume the worst until they had some actual proof.

Fluttershy pushed open the door and saw that the apartment was somewhat dark. The only light that was filtering in was from the front door and the few open windows. As she stepped inside, Fluttershy noticed that there was some broken glass on the floor in front of her. She felt Pinkie Pie let go of her arm. Taking the opportunity, she walked towards the broken glass shards.

“Pinkie, what happened here?” asked Fluttershy as she looked at the glass.

“Uh, Fluttershy?” Pinkie Pie knelt next to the door, pointing to someone sleeping in the shadows. “I think I found Sunset.”

Fluttershy turned around and let a gasp slip from her lips. She saw that it was indeed Sunset Shimmer, but her body had slumped to the side. It was hard to see some things in the dim lighting, but for the most part, any injuries she had would be visible. Deciding to stop staring, she ran over to the redhead’s side and knelt next to her. As Fluttershy got closer, she could see that some superficial scrapes were running across her right cheek. However, aside from them, the redhead appeared to be okay. She looked at Pinkie Pie and noticed that she had a worried expression.

“Do you think that Sunset is okay?” asked Fluttershy.

“I don’t know, let’s wake Sunset up,” replied Pinkie Pie, looking at Sunset. She rested her hand on the redhead’s shoulder and shook it. “Hey, Sunset. Wake up!”

After a few seconds of waiting in the quiet apartment, they heard Sunset Shimmer groan. Fluttershy stood back and gave Sunset her space. She figured that the redhead wouldn’t want to wake up and see someone standing directly over. Standing next to her, Fluttershy saw her look up and meet her gaze.

“Fl-Fluttershy?” asked Sunset Shimmer, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt her head pound for a moment. “What are you doing here?”

“Pinkie Pie and I came because you missed school… again,” replied Fluttershy as she glanced at Pinkie.

“Yep. We got worried about you, so we came here,” said Pinkie Pie.

Sunset Shimmer cringed as she heard Pinkie Pie’s chipper voice. Right now, with her head throbbing, she couldn’t stand any loud noises. As she became more aware, she could feel that her back and wings were sore. The ache reminded her that she had gotten body-slammed into the wall. She reached a hand up to her cheek, feeling the dried blood on it. Figuring that it had gotten caused by the multiple punches she had suffered, Sunset lowered her hand. Sighing, she pushed herself into a sitting position, not wanting to stay slumped over anymore. It was starting to strain her neck and cause her more pain the longer she stayed that way.

Just as Sunset sat up, she felt the blood rush from her head, leaving her feeling lightheaded. She closed her eyes and lowered her head as she waited for the bout of lightheadedness to pass. However, as she sat there, her mind wandered to the Marionette. Sunset wondered if it was nearby. If it was, it could put the girls in danger if it were to come back. Looking up, she turned to Pinkie Pie.

“When you girls pulled up, did you, by any chance, see a black and white Marionette animatronic?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her voice sounding concerned despite her attempts to hide it.

“Uh, no, actually. We didn’t see anything matching that description,” replied Pinkie Pie as she glanced briefly at Fluttershy. “Why Sunset?”

“Because… that is what attacked me last night.” Sunset Shimmer leaned forward, resting a hand on her knee as she pushed herself into a standing position. “But, I will explain more once we get to the barn.”

“Why do you want to go to the barn, Sunset?” Fluttershy asked, wondering what Sunset was getting at.

“Fluttershy, I think the Marionette is someone that the kids might know,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she walked towards the animal lover. “Can you help me gather the girls?”

Fluttershy nodded, giving the redhead a small smile. “Of course, Sunset. Should I text the rest of the girls now?”

“Yes, but make sure that Twilight doesn’t know I am there, or she may not show up,” said Sunset Shimmer, cringing as she remembered what happened the night before. “I need her to hear this as well.”

“You know, you shouldn’t hide from Twilight. And not telling her that you’re going to be at the barn isn’t a good choice either, Sunset,” said Pinkie Pie.

“I know, Pinkie. I just don’t want Twilight to run off again because I am there. I saw that she didn’t want to be with us yesterday…” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Pinkie Pie. “I want her to hear me out, but I can tell she doesn’t want to be near me anymore.”

Pinkie Pie gave the redhead a comforting smile as she rested her hand on her injured shoulder. She saw her flinch and said, “Oh, sorry. I forgot about your injuries there.”

“It’s alright, Pinkie. It’s healing, very slowly. Anyway, let’s get to the barn before the Marionette can come back,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Okay. You can sit with me in my van.” Fluttershy walked out Sunset’s front door, following Pinkie Pie. “I am pretty sure that your wings won’t fit in Pinkie’s car, not without causing you more pain.”

“Thanks, Shy,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed her hoodie and keys before she joined Fluttershy outside. Closing her door, she made sure to lock it. Not that it seemed to do any good against intruders. Both Rainbow Dash and the Marionette had managed to break in despite her efforts. Sunset made a mental note to get a new lock for her door when the drama with Springtrap was over. She’d had enough of people barging in uninvited.

“This is the last time that I leave that broken lock unchanged…” thought Sunset Shimmer as she walked over to Fluttershy’s van and got in.

*** *** *** ***

Finally, after a half-hour of driving, Sunset Shimmer could see the barn coming into view. As Fluttershy pulled into the driveway, the change from a smooth road to the dirt path made the van rock a little. The motion caused Sunset’s wings to get slammed into the back of the seat she was sitting in. Thankfully, she had put on her hood, and the extra padding softened the blow a little bit. Sunset groaned and waited until the van came to a stop before she let go of the armrests. Looking out at the barn, she saw the girls standing outside of it. A few of the kids had also joined them as well. However, she could see that Cassidy and Gabriel had chosen to stay behind. As Sunset got out of the van, she saw Applejack leave Rarity’s side and approach her.

“Hey sugarcube, why did you want all of us to meet you here?” asked Applejack as she helped Sunset down from the van.

“I asked you to meet here because it’s something that involves the kids and us,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking around at the group. She noticed there was a lack of purple amongst the girls. “Where is Twilight?”

Applejack looked at Rarity before she spoke. “Uh, Twilight said she’ll be here. But, she said that if she saw you, she may leave.”

“Oh…” Sunset Shimmer grabbed her arm, looking away. To hear that Twilight was likely to leave if she saw her cut at her heart. However, Sunset understood why she said that. After what she did to her, she wasn’t surprised that Twilight wanted to stay away from her. “Well, then I better get into the barn. I wouldn’t want Twilight to see me and then leave before I can explain anything.”

Sunset walked into the barn, sitting on the hay bale, which had gotten seated behind the door. She didn’t want to chance Twilight seeing her and running off. On the other end of the barn, she noticed that Cassidy and Gabriel were sitting together. They looked like they had gotten lost in their thoughts. That made Sunset wonder what they were going through. Out of all the kids, they had been the ones who had committed murders, as far as she was aware. Sunset, only having ever attempted to do that, couldn't imagine what it was like to actually do something like that. As she got comfortable, she saw Rainbow Dash walk inside. Sighing, she pulled her hood up and leaned against the barn wall.

“What is it, Dash?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she closed her eyes, trying to ease the pounding inside her head. “Are you going to lecture me on why I shouldn’t hide from Twilight too?”

The athlete sat down on the same hay bale, looking at the redhead. “No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I mean, judging by that wicked right-hand jab Twilight landed on you yesterday, she must’ve been pretty pissed.”

“Pissed and scared.” Sunset Shimmer corrected Rainbow Dash. “Twilight was also scared of me, Dash.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right; you injured Twilight because you didn’t want her to run off.” Rainbow Dash looked down, playing with a piece of straw that she had pulled from the bale. “By the way, how did that happen?”

“It happened because I was scared of her pushing me away, remember? I told you that about a week ago.” Sunset Shimmer leaned forward, feeling a bit better than she did earlier.

“Yeah, I know, but I wasn’t really paying attention because I was trying to ignore the bruises I gave you. So, what happened to lead up to you grabbing Twilight’s arm?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking at Sunset. “I mean, you didn’t just freak out as soon as Twilight saw your face, did you?”

Sunset Shimmer laughed. “No, Dash, I didn’t.” She lowered her hood, deciding to see if her headache could stand the daylight. To her relief, the light didn’t worsen the pounding in her head. “It started because Twilight walked in on me with my hood down.”

“Ah. How exactly did Twilight react when she first saw what you look like as Demon Shimmer?” asked Rainbow Dash as she glanced at the barn doorway.

“When Twilight first saw my appearance, she panicked and then fainted a few minutes afterward,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

"Oh wow, that must’ve been hard for you. I mean, I saw the way Twilight looked at you after she stopped me from punching you.” Rainbow Dash said as she saw Sunset look away. “She really does fear you, doesn’t she?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Yeah… and there’s nothing I can do to change it right now. It’s not like I can change back to my normal self, and I want to. I hate looking like Demon Shimmer and knowing that Twilight fears it.”

Rainbow Dash, unsure of what to say, just grabbed Sunset’s hand.

“I’m s-sorry for dumping that on you, Rainbow. It’s just hard to deal with seeing Twilight avoiding me and ignoring me. I wish I had never let my fear take control of me. It was such a stupid decision to keep my past from her when I should’ve told her about it,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice cracking a little as she tried to keep from crying.

Rainbow Dash squeezed the redhead’s hand. “Sunset?”

“What?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking at the athlete.

“I’m sorry that you’re hurting, and I wish I could tell you that it wasn’t your fault. You chose not to talk about the Fall Formal, but that doesn’t mean that the way Twilight is acting is yours. She is choosing not to listen to you and act out, and this on her,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Thanks, Dash, I needed that. And I am sorry that I put you girls in a bad position,” said Sunset Shimmer as she let go of Rainbow Dash’s hand. “I should never have asked you to cover for me.”

“Sunset, we chose to help you because we know it wasn’t easy for you. Although we did tell you that it was a mistake.” Rainbow Dash stood up as she saw a familiar figure approaching the barn. “Well, it looks like-”

“Hey, Twilight!” shouted Pinkie Pie, announcing the arrival of their last friend.

Sunset Shimmer got off the hay bale, wiping off bits of straw that had gotten stuck to her jeans. She watched as Rainbow Dash left the barn, walking towards Twilight Sparkle. Staying in the shadows, she leaned against the wooden door. A small part of Sunset wanted to go out and say hi. However, she knew better this time. She may have ignored her instincts telling her that approaching the scared bookworm was wrong the first two times, but this time she would be smarter. So, instead of walking out of the barn, Sunset stayed in the dark, pulling her hood down just in case.

“Hey, Twi,” said Rainbow Dash as she approached the bookworm. “Glad you made it.”

Twilight Sparkle looked behind Rainbow Dash, staring at the barn. She noticed that there was a figure in the shadows. Although the shadows obscured most of the details of who the person was, she saw their eyes. And in the dark, it appeared that the all too familiar cyan eyes glowed brightly. That was more than enough for Twilight to figure out who was hiding back there. Her hands began to tremble at her side as her anger grew in intensity. Sighing, she glanced at Applejack.

“Sunset is here, isn’t she?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her tone hinting at her underlying anger at getting lied to by the girls.

“Yes, Sunset is here,” replied Applejack, not wanting to lie to Twilight. She turned around, mouthing a silent apology to Sunset.

“Why did you girls lie to me?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“We did it because Sunset was worried about you showing up,” replied Pinkie Pie. “We know that you don’t want to be near her right now, but we need you.”

“Of course, she would do that. Sunset, come out now,” said Twilight Sparkle, stepping back from Rainbow Dash. “I know that you’re hiding back there.”

Hesitantly, Sunset Shimmer stepped out from the shadows. Walking past Applejack, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Looking, she saw it was the cowgirl, who had a concerned look in her eyes. She shoved her hands into her pockets, not sure of what to do. Sunset didn’t expect Twilight to catch on to her being there so soon. Yet, she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to work, despite her hope that it would. Once she was standing next to Rainbow Dash, she stopped walking. She looked down and waited for whatever Twilight was going to do next.

“Lower your hood,” said Twilight Sparkle, her usual soft tone gone, replaced by a somewhat harsher tone. “I want to see your face.”

Sunset did as Twilight asked. As she continued to stare at the ground, she heard her gasp softly. She figured that Twilight had seen the scrapes caused by the Marionette’s attack. However, she didn’t care. Right now, Sunset felt vulnerable, and like she was going to get hurt again. It stung to believe that Twilight’s friendly demeanor, which she had come to enjoy, had disappeared. Now, in its place, was a much more distant, angry attitude. It was comparable to that of a drill sergeant at a military camp. Sunset opened her mouth to say something, but Twilight stopped her.

“No, don’t you fucking dare speak, Sunset. I don’t want to hear any excuses from you,” said Twilight Sparkle, pushing Sunset back as she felt her anger growing. “I’ve had enough of them.”

Sunset Shimmer staggered back, caught off guard by Twilight pushing her.

“Why don’t you remove that fucking hoodie of yours, huh? Let me see the monster you truly are,” said Twilight Sparkle as she pushed Sunset again.

“Twi-” The redhead’s voice was weak, even to her own ears.

“Oh, come on. You can’t tell me that you’re hurt by what I am saying.” Twilight Sparkle’s glasses erupted into flames as she spoke. “You clearly didn’t give a damn about me when you chose to keep your past hidden from me.”

Sunset Shimmer tried to back away from Twilight, but a hand gripped her hoodie.

“Here, let me remove this for you.” Twilight Sparkle pulled the zipper down and pulled the hoodie off of Sunset. That’s when she noticed the bandage on her shoulder. “Did you injure yourself with your claws?”

The redhead barely nodded, too afraid to speak now.

“Was that because you regretted what you did to me, Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight Sparkle, putting on a fake sweet voice. “Were you that torn about me telling you to stay away?”

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight created a small ball of magic in her hand. “Y-yes…”

“How sweet! You injured yourself because you couldn’t handle the guilt of what you did to me.” The bookworm let the ball of magic go, and it slammed into Sunset’s injured shoulder, making her cry out. “Did that hurt, Demon Shimmer?! Do you know what it’s like to love someone and then find out they couldn’t trust you?”

Sunset Shimmer backed up against the barn as Twilight got closer.

“Do you know what it felt like to have your claws slicing my arm as you tried to keep me from running?! I was scared and hurt, yet, you couldn’t let me go. Now, I have a permanent reminder of what you did to me,” said Twilight Sparkle. “How could you lie to me again? Couldn’t you see that I just wanted to have my space from you?!”

Sunset Shimmer started to cry as she got yelled at.

“Now, you’re crying? Can’t you understand that I am the one who is hurt here?!” asked Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed Sunset’s shirt. “You lied to me for a whole year, and then I had to discover the truth when you got forced to tell it to me.”

That made the redhead cry more as she tried to free herself.

“Oh, you want to get away? Fine, go,” said Twilight Sparkle as she took Sunset away from the barn and pushed her onto the ground. “And here’s your hoodie, you pathetic coward.”

Sunset Shimmer saw her hoodie land next to her. She looked up at Twilight and saw that she had another ball of magic in her hand. “Pl-please, st-stop…”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do, you monster!” screamed Twilight Sparkle as she let go of the ball of magic, allowing it to slam into the redhead. “I fucking cared about you! I still love you because, despite what you have done, you were the first person who was there for me and wanted to be my friend. And now your fucking lie took that from me!”

Sunset Shimmer screamed as the ball barreled into her abdomen, causing her to hunch over. Her wings draped over her as Twilight walked up to her. She was barely able to keep herself perched on her elbow as her body trembled from the effort.

“What? Aren’t you going to fight me? You seemed determined to keep me from running a week ago. You wanted me to see that despite your demonic appearance, which is oddly fitting now, that you were still you. Have you accepted that I don’t want you near me?” asked Twilight Sparkle, kneeling in front of Sunset. “Have you finally accepted that you are truly a monster, Demon Shimmer?”

Sunset Shimmer said nothing as Twilight shoved her to the ground. Tears ran down her cheek as she stopped holding back her sobs. Twilight’s words cut at her, leaving her wishing that she could disappear. It didn’t matter that she had tried to make up for what she did. The consequences of her actions had now caught up to her, and she hated seeing Twilight so hurt. Yet, Sunset stayed on the grass, not moving. She was too scared that she would get attacked again. And having Twilight so close to her made her wonder what was going to happen next. Sunset could see that Twilight was mad at her and decided to take it out on her. Her body shook as she continued to cry and from the pain of getting blasted twice.

“Good. I am glad you can finally see what you are. Now, don’t ever lie to me again, Demon Shimmer,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up and turned to the girls and kids, her wings spreading to their full size.

Twilight Sparkle’s glasses returned to their usual appearance as the blue flames disappeared. As she pulled her wings close to her body, she noticed that the girls and kids were staring at her. They all had shocked expressions and seemed to be wary of her, and even the kids stepped back as she looked at them.

“Wh-what’s going on?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Why are you all acting strange?”

“For sweet apple’s sake, Twilight! We just saw you go after Sunset like she had done something wrong,” said Applejack, her tone stern. “What in tarnation are you thinking?”

“Sunset did. She shouldn’t have lied to me,” replied Twilight Sparkle, feeling insulted that Applejack would object to what she did. “Why are you defending her?”

“Applejack’s defending Sunset because you fucking attacked her, Twilight!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she sped over to the redhead. “You didn’t even listen when she told you to stop.”

“Well, if I was so wrong, how come you girls didn’t stop me?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Besides Dash, you did the same thing to Demon Shimmer because she hurt me. I only stopped you because, at the time, I cared about her.”

“Because we were scared for our own safety. You have more power than usual, Twi,” replied Rainbow Dash. “And I am glad you stopped me. I wish I hadn’t done that to Sunset, especially when she never meant to hurt you.”

Fluttershy walked up to Twilight. “Sunset is hurting too, Twilight. She feels bad for what she did to you. Can’t you see that?”

“Well, I saw the video of Sunset’s transformation, and it did seem painful.” Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “But, that changes nothing. She still lied to me and injured my arm because she couldn’t let me be scared of her.”

“Are you seriously that ignorant, Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash as Sunset leaned against her shoulder. “Sunset tried to apologize to you, to tell you the truth, but you pushed her away. And you’re blaming her for trying to be your friend, for making a mistake. I know that I should’ve stopped you, and I wish I had because you took it too far this time, Twilight.”

“Yeah, punching Sunset was one thing, Twilight. But this?” Pinkie Pie gestured to the redhead, who had finally stopped the tears running down her cheeks and grabbed her hoodie. “Twilight, I am sorry that we lied to you and that it hurt you, but this is not okay. You don’t have any right to do this to Sunset, especially when she didn’t deserve it.”

“Wasn’t Sunset your friend?” asked Cassidy.

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “A few weeks ago, I would’ve said yes. Now? I have no idea who she is anymore.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Sunset lied to you, but even my friends and I would never do this to each other,” said Cassidy. “I agree with your friends; you went too far. And wasn’t there a time when you cared for her?”

“Yes,” replied Twilight Sparkle, her voice beginning to quiver.

“So, how can you be okay with your actions, knowing that Sunset is hurting?” asked Cassidy, joining Applejack in walking over to where Sunset was.

Rarity stood in front of Twilight, blocking her view of the redhead. “You know that Sunset is having a hard time looking like Demon Shimmer right now. And I don’t know what her transformation was like, but you do. And I hope that you can see what you’ve done. We tolerated what you did yesterday because we knew that you were hurt, but this is inexcusable.”

“Rarity, I-”

“No, Twilight. Don’t apologize to me. I am not the one you hurt and attacked. Go to Sunset and apologize to her,” said Rarity, cutting Twilight off as she walked over to where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were.

Twilight Sparkle remained silent, not sure of what to say. Looking at Sunset Shimmer, she could see that the girls were right – she had taken it too far. Sure, she was angry at her for what she did. But Twilight could see now that she had allowed her anger to get the better of her. So, with her wings draped over her shoulders, she stepped away from everybody. She needed her space to think about what she just did and to calm down. Twilight didn’t want to hurt anyone else because of her anger. She sat under a nearby tree and started to cry softly. The full weight of what she had done came down on her, and she regretted it.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight’s huddled figure, noticing that she had walked away from them. Although she was upset that she had gotten attacked by her, Sunset could see that Twilight realized what she had done. Sunset wanted to make sure that Twilight was alright, but she knew it was best to stay away. After all, she had done enough to her, and she wasn’t going to bother her anymore.

Turning to Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer said, “Pinkie, can you please check on Twilight for me?”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave if you need me,” replied Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, Twilight needs a friend right now. I know that she was just angry at me, and she just took it out on me because I am the one who hurt her,” said Sunset Shimmer as she pushed herself into a standing position. “And I would go over there, but…”

"But it might make things worse,” said Pinkie Pie. “How are you not mad at Twilight for what she did?”

“I am upset that Twilight yelled at me and attacked me, but I understand that she was holding that inside. She kept that bottled up, and now that she has gotten that out, I think she’ll come around. Besides, I kind of deserved that for what I did to her at the Friendship Games and for not trusting her when that was all she wanted from me,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked up at Twilight, noticing that she was glancing at the girls.

“You know that it’s not your fault that Twilight attacked you, right?” asked Pinkie Pie, resting a hand on the redhead’s good shoulder.

“I know that it wasn't my fault that Twilight lashed out. And I understand that you want to make her realize that she took it too far, but that doesn’t mean you girls have to push Twilight away either,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Okay. Well, I better go make sure that Twilight is okay,” said Pinkie Pie, making her way over to where Twilight was sitting.

Twilight Sparkle heard footsteps approaching her and looked to see that it was Pinkie Pie. She pulled her wings closer to her body as Pinkie Pie sat down next to her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, not after what she did to Sunset. Twilight still struggled to realize that she had lost control as she looked at the bruises on her hand. She had called Sunset a monster, but what if she was the monster instead? Now, it was painfully evident that her inability to acknowledge her emotions had caused her to cross a line. Looking up, Twilight saw Sunset lean against the barn, her hoodie now back on.

“Hey, Twilight,” said Pinkie Pie, breaking the silence.

“Did Sunset send you to talk to me?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah, Sunset sent me,” replied Pinkie Pie. “She still cares about you, despite what you just did to her.”

“Huh, I kind of expected Sunset not to care about me considering how mean I was to her just now,” said Twilight Sparkle. “I should never have let my anger get the better of me.”

“You’re right; you shouldn’t have done that, Twilight. However, Sunset isn’t going to let you push us away or allow us to do the same. She knows that you’re hurting and that you need a friend right now,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Sunset is very forgiving, isn’t she?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

‘Well, Sunset did make a lot of mistakes in her past, and we’ve forgiven her,” replied Pinkie Pie, resting a hand on the bookworm’s wing. “Just like we forgave you at the Friendship Games.”

“Could you girls ever forgive me for what I just did?” Twilight Sparkle asked, meeting Pinkie Pie’s eyes.

“How about we ask them?” asked Pinkie Pie as she stood up and held out her hand for Twilight to take.

Twilight Sparkle grabbed the party planner’s hand and felt herself getting pulled to her feet. Her wings stretched as she stood up, keeping her from falling over. Together, the two walked back over to the barn. Twilight saw Sunset look away as the rest of the girls approached her. She could sense that they were still pissed about what she did. And that made her want to walk away. After all, she didn’t want to do something else to cause Sunset any more pain. She started to panic and tried to back away. However, Pinkie Pie refused to let Twilight leave.

“Twilight, I know that you want to leave right now, but we need you to stay and hear us out,” said Pinkie Pie, grabbing Twilight’s arm. “Sunset needs you to put aside your anger, and hear why she brought us all here.”

“But I messed up and let my anger get the better of me. Why do you guys want me to stay?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Twi, we’re not okay with what you did, but we are willin’ to forgive you. We know that you were just angry at Sunset and us,” said Applejack. “And the fact that you owned up to what you did means a lot to us.”

“I am so sorry for what I did, Sunset. I know I was out of line with what I did and said,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking at the redhead. “Can you forgive me at all?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded, not wanting to speak.

“I guess I deserve that, I say a lot of things that I regret saying. And I am sorry that I lashed out at you girls,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s alright, Twilight. We should’ve said that Sunset was here, instead of letting you believe she wasn’t. But we were worried that you wouldn’t come if you knew,” said Fluttershy.

‘Well, I don’t think I would’ve come if I knew.” Twilight Sparkle saw the redhead look down as she said that. “And I am not sure that I want to stay anymore. I have already done enough damage as it is.”

“Please, stay. At least, until Sunset tells why she told us all to come here,” pleaded Fluttershy, knowing that what Sunset had to say was important.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the redhead. Seeing her worried expression, she sighed. “Okay, I will stay to hear what Sunset has to say, and that’s it.”

With that, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the girls walked into the barn. All of them took their seat on various hay bales. Sunset Shimmer chose to sit by the door so she could leave quickly in case she needed to. Applejack and Rarity sat together as usual. Fluttershy, still somewhat frightened by animatronic bodies that the kids had gotten trapped in, sat next to Rainbow Dash and the pile of hay bales behind them. Pinkie Pie just stood by Sunset, leaning against the door frame. The redhead looked up and saw that Twilight had chosen to sit in the farthest part of the barn that she could. That made her heart drop, but instead of showing it, she kept her feelings hidden inside. Looking at her hands, she took a deep breath.

“I have brought you all here because I got attacked last night,” began Sunset Shimmer.

“Who were you attacked by?” asked Cassidy.

“I got attacked by… the Marionette from the second game,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

‘You mean, the weird puppet thing that pops out of the box in the game?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, that.” Sunset Shimmer turned to Gabriel. “But it didn’t seem like it wanted to attack me.”

“What do you mean?” asked Susie. “It’s not like there was another kid in it, right?”

“Actually Susie, it was getting controlled by Springtrap. I guess he tapped into the equestrian magic that was powering him and used it to control the Marionette.” Sunset Shimmer furrowed her brow as she started to think.

“Wait. Springtrap was controlling the Marionette by using the magic?! Can he do that to us?” asked Fritz, sounding panicked.

“I don’t know, maybe. But what I can’t seem to get my head around is why the Marionette didn’t just kill me.” Sunset Shimmer turned to Cassidy. “Cassidy, when you inhabited Golden Freddy, did you remain conscious despite the code that it had running it?”

Cassidy nodded. “Yes, I was. Until I decided not to be aware anymore.” She briefly glanced over at Gabriel before turning back to the redhead. “Why?”

“Because I think there is another kid trapped inside of the Marionette,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “Thing is, it seemed that they were awake. They asked about you and if you were safe.”

“Wait, so you’re sayin’ that there is another kid trapped in an animatronic? But that they are aware of who they are?” asked Applejack as she adjusted her Stetson hat.

Sunset Shimmer’s tail twitched against her leg, making her scratch at her jeans for a moment. She was thinking about what Applejack said. It had crossed her mind that another kid could have gotten trapped inside of the Marionette. But if that was the case, why didn’t they come out sooner? Was something keeping them from doing that? Or someone…? As Sunset’s mind raced, she stood up and looked at the cowgirl.

“Yes, exactly!” shouted Sunset Shimmer. “From what I saw in between the punches it landed, it seemed that it was trying to fight the command that Springtrap gave it.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “If there is another kid, dear, how come we have just seen them now?”

“I was just thinking about that. If I am right, it couldn’t come until now because it had gotten trapped with Springtrap.” Sunset Shimmer’s mind was reeling as all the pieces started to make sense in her head. “And because of that, it was only allowed to leave because of Springtrap’s command.”

“But that doesn’t explain how it would’ve ended up being with Springtrap,” said Jeremy. “How did he find them?”

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “I think, and this is based on what happened to you, the Marionette got transported here with Springtrap. Meaning that we would have never known about it until it did something to one of us.”

“Ah, okay.” Jeremy looked at Gabriel. He could see that his quiet friend had a burning question on his mind. He nudged him and pointed at Sunset.

Gabriel took the hint and reluctantly asked his question. “Why…did Springtrap target you specifically? I mean, it's us that he wants dead.”

“I think Springtrap targeted me because I was the one who defeated the rest of his doppelgangers that he made the last time,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

For a moment, Sunset glanced at Twilight. However, instead of meeting her gaze, she saw the bookworm turn away from her. Biting her lip, she looked down. Sunset knew that Twilight was still struggling with what just happened earlier. Yet, it didn’t change how much it hurt to see what her lies had done to the one person she loved. The rift between her and Twilight was killing her. Keeping her distance, not speaking to her, and looking at her knowing that Twilight saw what she had once been, was taking its toll on Sunset. And to see Twilight ignore her despite her efforts to respect her wishes felt like a hot knife getting pushed into her skin. Deep down, though, she knew that Twilight needed time to think about what she had learned. So, for now, Sunset would have to deal with the consequences until she felt better or was willing to allow her to tell her about her past.

“So, now, what do we do, Sunset?” asked Gabriel. “Springtrap has shown that he could possibly control us.”

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight Sparkle got up, clearly realizing that the conversation was over. As she approached her, Sunset stepped in front of her. She didn’t know why she did that, but something made her. However, there was a part of her that wanted Twilight to stay, even though she was still recovering from the earlier attack.

“Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Don’t, Sunset,” said Twilight Sparkle. “I don’t want to hear it right now. I need my space and time to think, by myself.”

For a second, Sunset wanted to say something, but the anger and sadness that seemed to glow in Twilight’s mulberry eyes made her stop. Instead of speaking and messing things up even more than she already had, she stepped aside. Sunset stuffed her hands into her pockets as she felt Twilight’s wing brush against her. She saw her stop for a moment, looking back at her. Smiling at her, Sunset saw her flap her wings and take off, flying back home just like she had the night before.

The redhead sighed and turned to Gabriel. “Honestly, right now, I don’t know.”

The Calm Before the Storm: Part 1

*The Next Week*

Applejack and Rarity walked into the hospital, heading towards the waiting room. The smell of the hospital's disinfectant was almost overpowering, and Rarity struggled to keep herself from coughing. They were able to find a seat near the check-in desk, which didn't have too many people nearby. Just as they sat down, a nurse wearing light blue scrubs appeared with a clipboard in her hand.

"Sasha?" asked the nurse.

Sasha, who was sitting with her best friend, Violet Night, got up. Her hands trembled today because she would look at what type of surgeries she wanted to do for her bottom surgery. She grabbed Violet's hand as they both walked towards the nurse. It was nice to have Violet with her as emotional support. Both girls walked past Rarity and Applejack and disappeared into the backroom, following behind the nurse.

"Thanks for being here," said Sasha. "I needed someone today."

"You're welcome, Sash. I am here for you, no matter," replied Violet Night.

Back in the waiting room, Rarity and Applejack were still sitting in the quiet. Today, Rarity was planning on getting her stitches removed. And the cowgirl could tell that she was scared by the shaky death grip that she had on her forearm. She made a couple of attempts to remove the hand that was gripping her arm. Unfortunately, the grip was iron tight, and Applejack wasn't willing to use her geode for fear of injuring Rarity. So, instead, she sat there with her hand resting over her girlfriend's.

"You're okay, sugarcube. You're just having your stitches removed," said Applejack, trying to calm Rarity down as best as she could.

"Just... having... my... stitches removed?!" shouted Rarity, turning to Applejack. "I'm sorry, dear, but I'm afraid it's not quite that simple to me."

"What are you so worried about?" asked Applejack, ignoring the few annoyed glares from some of the other people sitting around them in the waiting room.

"Well, I am worried about scarring, Applejack," replied Rarity, who now seemed a bit calmer.

"You are worried about scarrin', Rare? Don't you remember what I said two weeks ago?" asked Applejack, her green eyes meeting Rarity's worry-filled ones.

"Yes, I do. But-"

"No buts, Rare. I meant what I said. Scars or not, you're still beautiful to me." Applejack gave the fashionista a gentle kiss on the cheek, trying to keep her girlfriend calm.

"Thank you, Applejack. I am so happy that I have you for a girlfriend," said Rarity, giving Applejack a small squeeze on her arm before she intertwined her fingers with the cowgirl's strong ones.

Just then, the door next to the check-out desk open again, and a nurse wearing a mint green gown stepped out. Her nurse's scrub had a name tag clipped to its one pocket. And her hair had gotten pulled back into a ponytail. In her hand were a clipboard and pen. She looked at the clipboard before meeting Rarity's eyes.

"Miss Rarity?" asked the nurse. "Come with me, please."

Rarity and Applejack followed the nurse down a long hallway. The hospital had painted the walls a bland white, which, combined with the fluorescent lighting, made Rarity feel sick. There was nothing on the walls except for a few clipboards and a couple of whiteboards. After passing a few doors, they made a turn to the right, going down another hallway. This one had walls that had gotten painted half white and half mint green. As the fashionista took a deep breath in, she caught the scent of rubbing alcohol. It was powerful, burning her nose and throat, making her cough as a result. Eventually, after making their way past three doors, they stopped at the fourth one.

"This," the nurse opened the door as she walked in, "is your room. The doctor will be with you shortly."

Rarity walked into the room, followed by Applejack. As she sat down on the exam table, she heard the paper crinkle underneath her. That made her cringe, which didn't go unnoticed by her girlfriend. Rarity had finally settled on the table when she felt a hand wrap around her shoulder in a comforting embrace. Looking down, she smiled when she saw it was Applejack.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" asked the cowgirl, distress in her voice.

"No, I am not. But as long as I have you, I can get through this," replied Rarity, giving her girlfriend a comforting smile. "Besides, I would love to get rid of these stitches."

"I'm sure you do, Rare." Applejack let go of Rarity's arm and stood in front of her. "Did you see that nurse's outfit?"

"Oh, I wish I didn't. That... mint green made me sick to my stomach. If I had to wear that, why it would be a crime against fashion!" exclaimed Rarity as she pretended to be shocked.

"I agree with you." Applejack chuckled as she rested a hand on Rarity's knee. "Even I wouldn't be caught dead in that color. Well... maybe for you I would... " The cowgirl turned away as she blushed.

Rarity placed her thumb and forefinger on Applejack's chin, pulling her girlfriend's eyes to her. "I think you would look amazing in mint green..."

Applejack moved her hand off Rarity's knee, resting it on the exam table as she leaned closer to her. Setting her left hand on the other side of the table, she moved even closer. With her face mere inches away from her girlfriend's, she could smell the floral perfume she knew was Rarity's favorite. She met the gaze of the blue eyes that were admiring her as she leaned even closer and closed her eyes. Applejack felt Rarity lean in towards her, closing the space between them as they grew closer. Bending down a little, she tilted her head and kissed her girlfriend. Just then, the doctor walked in and cleared their throat.

"Oh, um..." said Applejack as she pulled away from kissing Rarity and stepped back. "Sorry, doc."

"It's quite alright," replied the doctor as they sat down on the stool in the room.

Rarity looked at the doctor who was now sitting in front of her. Their black hair had some light blue highlights sprinkled throughout it. They also kept it in a messy ponytail that threatened to fall apart any second. When she met the doctor's eyes, Rarity noticed that they were two different colors. The right one was red while the other one was green. That took her by surprise. She had never seen anyone with two different eye colors. However, it was still beautiful to see. Looking down, Rarity saw the doctor's name tag. She saw that the doctor's name was Crystal Dawn. To her, that seemed like an interesting name. It sounded like a name someone would give a character in a book or movie. Rarity immediately got jolted out of her thoughts when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Huh, what?" asked Rarity as she looked in the direction of where the tap came from.

Crystal Dawn smiled. "I was asking how you are today."

"Oh, I am doing fine. Just a bit nervous about having my stitches removed," replied Rarity, grabbing Applejack's hand as she spoke.

"That is perfectly normal, sweetie. But don't worry, it's just a few snips, and then we're done," said Crystal Dawn as she gave the fashionista a reassuring smile.

Crystal Dawn got up from the stool she was sitting on and walked over to the counter. She used a key on a lanyard around her neck to unlock a drawer in front of her. Letting go of the key, she opened the drawer, which had a hand-written label that read 'stitches and supplies.' After a few moments of rummaging through the contents, Crystal Dawn pulled out a pair of scissors. She walked back over to where Rarity and Applejack were and set them down on the exam table.

"I am going to need you to lie down for me, okay?" Crystal Dawn stood at the side of the exam table. "And pull up your shirt too."

"Okay." Rarity laid back, still holding Applejack's hand.

Using her free hand, Rarity pulled her shirt up to just below her bra. Looking at her abdomen, she saw the black threads poking through her skin. It looked like her skin had gotten stitched together flawlessly, just like she would sew fabric. However, the ends of the threads poked out of the one side, which caused them to always get caught in Rarity's clothes if she wasn't careful. That caused her more pain than she cared for. And where her abdomen had gotten stitched closed, was a jagged scar from the wound that had been there. Rarity winced as she felt the doctor's cold hand touch her abdomen.

"Relax, it'll be over soon, I promise," said Crystal Dawn.

Rarity squeezed Applejack's hand as she felt the cold blade of the scissor touch her skin. As she heard the first snip, she jumped in response, unable to control her reflexes. The next snip came, and she was able to keep from jumping as much. As the doctor continued to cut away at the threads, Rarity managed to keep herself from jerking every time they got snipped. Eventually, the doctor pulled the scissors away and placed them on the counter. The fashionista saw her move the trash can closer to the table. That made her gulp and turn to look at Applejack. She knew what was coming next, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

"It's gonna be okay, Rare. She is just pulling out the threads now," said Applejack, rubbing Rarity's arm in an effort to comfort her.

Rarity did her best not to think about what was happening. With Applejack holding her hand, she found that it was easier to let her mind wander. However, when the doctor pulled out the last thread, it pulled on her skin. And that caused Rarity to yelp in surprise. It didn't hurt much, but it was a shock to her nonetheless. Thankfully, it was over quick, and Rarity relaxed soon after.

"There we go, all done," said Crystal Dawn. "You can pull your shirt down now."

Rarity sat up and sighed. Her shirt fell and covered her abdomen as she moved. "Is that all, Dr. Dawn?"

"Yep. Just call me if there is any pain or signs of infection," said Crystal Dawn as she opened the door. "You can leave when you are ready to."

With that, Crystal Dawn left the room, leaving Rarity and Applejack alone. Applejack finally managed to free her hand from her girlfriend's grasp. Her hand was red from the tight grip she had on it. Rubbing her palm, Applejack looked at her girlfriend.

"Are you okay, Rare?" Applejack rested a hand on Rarity's shoulder. "I saw the scar..."

Rarity pushed the cowgirl's hand off her shoulder as she got off of the exam table. She stood in front of the full-body mirror that was next to the sink in the room. She lifted her shirt again, revealing the scar on her skin. It was jagged and broad, running across her abdomen and covering her navel. Slowly, Rarity touched the mark, not sure if she could believe it was a part of her. She could feel the slight bumpiness around the edges, which made her cringe and pull her hand away. Looking up from it, she met her gaze. Rarity could see her shock in her eyes. Before she could turn away, she saw and felt Applejack come up behind her.

"It's just a scar, Rare. It doesn't change who you are," said Applejack as she rested her hand on Rarity's shoulder.

"I know, it's just hard for me to see..." replied Rarity, her voice quivering a little.

Applejack slowly and cautiously wrapped her arms around Rarity's waist. She let her hands move up until she felt her fingertips touch the edges of the scar. As soon as she did that, she felt her girlfriend flinch and inhale sharply. That only made Applejack move her hand further along the mark. She wanted to show Rarity that it didn't mean anything in her eyes. And that she was still beautiful no matter what happened.

"Applejack... please," begged Rarity, not wanting the cowgirl to continue touching her scar. It was too much for her. "Stop..."

Hearing the tremble in Rarity's voice, Applejack stopped. Letting her hands fall from Rarity's abdomen, she stepped back. "I am sorry, Rare. I was just-"

"I know," said Rarity, cutting Applejack off as she turned around and grabbed her hand. "But, I am just not ready for that yet, okay?"

Applejack smiled. "Okay, I understand. Do you want to head home now?"

Rarity lowered her shirt with her free hand and laid her head against Applejack's chest as they walked out of the office. "Yeah..."

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer drove up to the Sugarcube Corner. Today, she was going to help Pinkie Pie make some desserts. She had wanted to try and get back to some semblance of everyday life before her appearance had changed. Pulling into the parking lot, she cut off her engine. Sunset carefully removed her helmet, not wanting to chance anyone seeing her with her hood down. Although Pinkie Pie had promised that they would be alone, she just wanted to be cautious. Once she got her helmet off, she kicked the motorcycle's kickstand out and got off. Sunset made her way to the entrance and opened the door, making the bell above it jingle.

"Coming!" came a very familiar voice from the back room.

A few moments later, Sunset's pink-haired friend came out into the front of the store. Sunset had to stifle a few chuckles as she saw that flour was coating Pinkie Pie's hair as well as her hands and some parts of her face. It wasn't surprising to her. Anyone who knew Pinkie Pie knew that she enjoyed baking quite a lot. And that meant there was almost no chance of walking away without getting coated in at least one layer of flour and other ingredients.

"I can see you have already started without me," said Sunset Shimmer as she wiped some of the flour off of Pinkie Pie's face.

"Yeah, I did. Sorry, but I couldn't wait to start baking. I just go so excited to smell the sweet scent of cake baking. It's my favorite, you know," replied Pinkie Pie, blowing a piece of hair out of her face.

"Yes, I know, Pinkie." Sunset Shimmer set her helmet down on one of the tables. "I still hope there is some baking left for me."

"Oh, there is!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she grabbed Sunset's hand."Follow me!"

Sunset Shimmer felt herself getting pulled towards the back of the bakery as Pinkie Pie grabbed her sleeve. A few turns later and they arrived in the kitchen. It was in a state of disarray. There were multiple cake pans in the sink, flour everywhere, and there were even a half dozen unfrosted cupcakes from an earlier batch. The redhead glanced at the oven, seeing that there was another cake inside. And from the height of it, she figured it was almost ready to get pulled out.

"Woah, Pinkie. It looks like you have already finished half the baking," said Sunset Shimmer as she picked up the list of stuff that they needed to bake.

"Yep. Now, with you here, we can finish the last half of the list together," said Pinkie Pie as she handed Sunset a baking pan.

Sunset Shimmer took the baking pan and laughed. "Okay, but I call dibs on frosting the last of those cupcakes."

"Okie dokie loki!" said Pinkie Pie as she skipped over to the timer just in time for it to go off.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Pinkie Pie, hoping that she would allow her to take off her hoodie. "Are you sure that we're alone?"

"Yeah, you can take off your hoodie, Sunset. It's fine," replied Pinkie Pie as she grabbed the cake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack behind her.

Sunset lowered her hood, trusting Pinkie Pie's word. Sure, it was okay to have her hood down when she was with her friends and the kids. Yet, out in public, it was a risk to even take off her sunglasses, let alone lower her hood. And today, Sunset had decided to take a chance because she knew it was just going to be her and Pinkie Pie. Pushing aside her worries about someone seeing her, she grabbed the next recipe off of the corkboard and looked at it. It was a recipe for Pinkie Pie's famous triple cocoa swirl cupcakes. Those were Sunset's favorite, especially with a dollop of whipped cream. As she scanned the ingredients, she was surprised at the amount of chocolate that the recipe called for.

"White chocolate chips, dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate chips... wow that is a lot of chocolate, Pinkie," said Sunset Shimmer as she opened the fridge and grabbed each type of chocolate.

"Well, it is triple chocolate swirl cupcakes, Sunset," said Pinkie Pie as she looked at the recipe. "It wouldn't be that without all that chocolate. Plus, I also use some chocolate batter as well."

"Wow, how have I not gotten diabetes from that?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she sat the ingredients down on the counter.

"Probably because you're a unicorn pony from a magical world with a metabolism that is also out of this world," replied Pinkie Pie as she set a mixing bowl down on the counter.

"Maybe..." Sunset Shimmer looked at the next ingredient. "Okay, the next thing is... fudge."

Rummaging around, Sunset Shimmer couldn't find the fudge. Furrowing her brow, she wondered where it was. On a hunch, she turned around. And as she had guessed, Pinkie Pie was eating a spoonful of fudge with delight in her eyes. Sunset chuckled, looking amused as she saw Pinkie Pie go for another spoonful.

"I should've guessed you would have the fudge." Sunset Shimmer walked over to Pinkie Pie. "Do you have all the other ingredients, Pinkie?"

"Yep!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she pulled the spoon free from her mouth, revealing the circle of fudge around her lips.

"Well, let's bake!" shouted Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed a mixing spoon.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle sat on the edge of her bed. Her mind was wandering back to what she had done to Sunset a week ago. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she had lost control of her temper and lashed out. It was unlike her to do something like that. Yet, Twilight knew that it was her, or rather the anger that had pent up inside her. And unfortunately, she had taken it out on the person who had hurt her. She was aware now that Sunset didn't deserve that, especially when she had tried to apologize to her. Sighing, she pulled her phone out from her pocket. Just as she turned it on and unlocked it, she saw a message pop up. It was a text message from Trixie.

Trixie: Hey, Twilight. I thought I should send you a copy of Sunset's transformation. I think you should watch the video by yourself when you have the time.

Twilight clicked on the message, and just as the conversation opened up, the video file came. She stared at her phone, wondering if she could watch it again. She still remembered what happened the last time she had seen it. It had taken all her willpower to finish it, and not run out of the classroom. Twilight felt sick to her stomach as she recalled the pained screams Sunset let out in the video. Yet, there was some part of her that wanted to see it. So ignoring her growing nausea, she clicked on the video file.

Tilting her phone to the side, Twilight put the video in full screen as it played. She watched as the camera somewhat stabilized itself. In the silence of her room, she could hear the noise of the leather jacket ripping as Sunset's wings pushed themselves out. The sound of Sunset screaming made Twilight pause the video as soon as it was over. She couldn't stand to hear the screams as her mind replayed the fearful expression on the redhead's face. Now, re-watching the video of her transformation, she couldn't ignore the painful reality of her actions. The girls were right; she had taken it too far.

Twilight Sparkle was about to press play when she looked over at her desk. Sitting on top of her notebook was Sunset's letter. It had sat there for about a week, unopened and collecting dust. She had put it there because she couldn't stomach reading it, not knowing that she had lied to her. However, now that she knew her feelings for Sunset weren't going away, she wanted to read it. Besides, Twilight wasn't sure she could continue with the video anyway. It was too much for her to deal with right now. So, turning off her phone, she walked up to her desk and grabbed the envelope.

"Okay, you can do this, Twilight," said Twilight Sparkle, trying to gather up her courage. "Do it for Sunset."

The letter felt heavy in Twilight's hand, and it trembled as she reached towards the flap. Flipping it open, she pulled out two pieces of notebook paper. As she looked at the letter, she recognized Sunset's neat cursive handwriting. It was one of the things Twilight loved about her. She enjoyed reading Sunset's letters and admiring the look of her writing. It was almost as perfect as the redhead herself. Not wanting to wait anymore, she began to read the contents of the two-paged letter.

Twilight,

I am not sure why I am writing this letter. I am not even sure you're going to read it, especially after what happened last night. And I know that you probably still see me as a monster, not that I can blame you. I am just writing this to say that I am sorry for what I did to you. I never should've grabbed your arm when you tried to leave. You had a right to try and go. After all, it had to have been terrifying to see me look the way I do right now.

To tell you the truth, it's been hard for me to look in the mirror and see my reflection now. I am still struggling with my situation now, which is part of why I hid from you for so long. Now, I can understand why you were worried about looking like Midnight Sparkle permanently. Lately, I have been having those same worries now. It's been hard to look at my body and see my demonic self every time. It has gotten to the point where I am covering my mirrors now. And every time I see myself in the mirror, all I remember is how you reacted to seeing it. I am not sure this will be any consolation, but I never wanted you to find out the way you did last night. I originally wanted to talk about it before I showed it to you. However, as you can tell, I waited too long, and things didn't exactly go according to plan.

I am sorry that I hid my past from you, Twilight. You are right about the fact that I should have trusted you with the truth. I was terrified of losing you, but that is no excuse for pushing you away. I regret not telling you and listening when you said that you wouldn't judge me. But when you broke your promise after you said that you wouldn't, it hurt. Not that I blame you for realizing what you had promised to not run away from...

Twilight, if and whenever you read, please know that I want to make up for what I did to you. I am willing to tell you about my past and answer any questions you have. I just hope you'll give me a chance to talk to and explain it. And to apologize for hiding it from you.

Your friend, Sunset Shimmer

Twilight Sparkle set the letter down on her desk. Her cheeks were wet with tears that streamed down them. As she read it, she could see that Sunset struggled to write it down. She could tell that it was painful to do that as well. And that made Twilight feel even worse about her actions towards Sunset a week ago. She could see now that Rainbow Dash was right about Sunset trying to apologize to her. Twilight had ignored that because she was so wrapped up in her hurt and didn't want to give Sunset a chance to talk.

"Why did I let my emotions get the better of me? I made a mistake, and now, I am not sure I can fix it," thought Twilight Sparkle as she grabbed her phone.

Twilight unlocked her phone and clicked on the video timeline, scrubbing it almost to the end. She didn't want to see the rest of it right now, though she planned on doing so later. However, at the moment, she wanted to hear what Sunset had said. She needed to know if Sunset did have her doubts about her, that she feared losing her to her demonic self. Twilight wanted to see the pain Sunset endured after her change for herself. She hadn't fully grasped what occurred to Sunset until she had read the letter, but now she wanted to understand. So, with a shaky hand, she pressed play.

"No! I can't do that! If Twilight sees this, she'll push me away forever. And if I lose her, I am not sure that I can accept that," said Sunset Shimmer, her head lowering as she looked at her claws. "She'll never look at me the same after she sees this side of me."

Twilight Sparkle remained silent as she let the video continue.

"Nobody will ever look at me again... Twilight will never be able to see past this monster I have become. I am too frightening for her to be able to do that..." said Sunset Shimmer.

Pausing the video, Twilight closed out of the video and pulled up her messages. A part of her wanted to text Sunset and let her know that she had finally read the letter. However, as she saw the last text she had sent Sunset, she faltered. Twilight wasn't sure if she should message her, especially after what happened last week. She knew that she had hurt her feelings, and the fact that Sunset had recently been avoiding her made it clear. Setting her phone down, she looked at the letter again. Twilight re-read the third paragraph as she tried to figure out how things between her and the redhead had fallen so far from what they used to be.

"Why did I break my promise to you, Sunset? How could I have let my fear and anger blind me so much that I failed to see your pain?" asked Twilight Sparkle, setting the papers back onto her desk. She placed a hand on her injured arm. "You didn't deserve me shutting you out and calling you a monster, not when you were willing to tell me the truth."

Just then, Twilight Sparkle's door opened, and her mother came in. "Are you ready to head to Sugarcube Corner, sweetie?"

"Yeah," replied Twilight Sparkle, letting go of her arm.

*** *** *** ***

An hour and three batches of cupcakes, two cakes, and one batch of cookies later, Sunset Shimmer was exhausted. She had forgotten how much baking took out of her when she had to make more than a frozen pizza or two. Looking around, she saw all that she and Pinkie Pie had baked. Every surface had gotten coated in flour, including Sunset herself. She reached up and checked her hair. And sure enough, the white powder had managed to get there as well.

"Well, I can say that we have officially gotten floured," said Sunset Shimmer as she shook some of the flour off of her hoodie.

"That's the best part of baking!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she set another cake down on the counter, next to the other two.

"Pinkie, what is this cake for?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she saw Pinkie Pie set it down. "I don't remember there being three cakes on the list."

"Oh, this? It's for something that will happen later on today," replied Pinkie Pie.

"Oh, okay." Sunset Shimmer looked at the assorted desserts that they had made. "Wow, I didn't think we made this much."

"Yeah! We should have enough for tomorrow and then some," said Pinkie Pie as she walked over to the cabinet. She opened the door and pulled out a stack of vanilla, chocolate, and cream cheese frosting. "Now, we get to do the fun part."

"Frosting!" said both Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie in unison.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed two frosting spatulas from the drawer next to her. Handing one to Pinkie Pie, she grabbed the chocolate frosting and some of the triple chocolate swirl cupcakes. She saw her pink-haired friend grab one of the cakes and cans of vanilla frosting. As Sunset sat down on one of the stools around the island countertop, she opened the container of chocolate frosting. It was fun to bake, especially when it was with Pinkie Pie. However, there was one thing on her mind as she started to frost the first cupcake. Why, when she had revealed what she looked like to the girls, did Pinkie Pie not freak out as much as the others did?

Turning to Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer said, "Pinkie, do you remember when I showed you and the girls what happened to me two weeks ago?"

"Yeah, of course, I do. I remember that Fluttershy fainted behind me," replied Pinkie Pie as she put a glob of frosting on top of the cake and started to spread it. "Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering why you didn't seem as freaked out as the rest of the girls." Sunset Shimmer had set one of the cupcakes down, entirely covered in a layer of chocolate frosting.

"I don't know. I guess I already knew that it was you. Although..." Pinkie Pie looked down at the cake. "I have to admit that I was a bit frightened, even if I didn't show it."

Sunset cringed as she heard what Pinkie Pie said. She knew that there was a small possibility that her pink-haired friend was actually scared. It wasn't like she didn't expect to hear that, despite her hope that it wouldn't happen. Yet, somehow, it still hurt even when she suspected it. Grabbing another cupcake, she began to frost it. For a few moments, Sunset and Pinkie Pie sat in silence. Neither one was sure of what to say to the other. Finally, after a while, Pinkie Pie spoke.

"But, in the end, I did see that it was you, remember?" Pinkie Pie had finished frosting the one cake in front of her. She grabbed the next one as she waited for the redhead to respond.

"Yeah... I do." Sunset Shimmer finished frosting her sixth cupcake as she gave the party lover a small smile.

"Good! So, how have you been since Twilight found out about Demon Shimmer?" asked Pinkie Pie, spreading the frosting on the second cake.

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Not good..."

"Oh, sorry." Pinkie Pie rested a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"

"I just keep picturing Twilight trying to run out of her bedroom. Then, I just see my hand on her arm as she pulls away, injuring herself on my claws." Sunset Shimmer's voice quivered as she struggled to keep herself from crying. "I can't believe what I did to her..."

Pinkie Pie set her frosting spatula down and walked over to the redhead was. Seeing her look so down was not okay. And if Pinkie Pie had anything to say about it, she wasn't going to let her be sad, not while she was here. She grabbed the redhead's arm. When she looked at her, she gave her a sympathetic smile. Although Sunset did look like Demon Shimmer, the last two weeks or more had proven that she was still herself — still Sunset. When she looked away, Pinkie Pie sighed. It was not going to be easy, but she was bound and determined to cheer her friend up. Squeezing her hand, she sat on the stool next to her.

"Sunset?" Pinkie Pie's tone was not her usual cheery one. Instead, it was serious, almost stern. "Look at me."

Sunset Shimmer met Pinkie Pie's gaze. "What, Pinkie?"

"You didn't mean to hurt her," said Pinkie Pie, locking eyes with Sunset. "You were trying to explain it to her, and it just ended wrong."

"That's just it. You saw Twilight's arm. She is going to have scars physically, if not emotionally as well." Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, trying not to see the images of Twilight's injured arm.

"Yeah, Twilight is going to have scars. But, she also has you," Pinkie Pie said, her eyes showing the usual kindness Sunset had come to appreciate.

"Maybe. But you saw how Twilight treated me last week when we spoke. She wasn't happy that I was there." Sunset Shimmer growled, balling her one hand into a fist as she remembered the anger that burned in Twilight's eyes.

"Yeah, why is Twilight acting that way? It seems so out of place for her," asked Pinkie Pie as she recalled what happened last week.

Sunset Shimmer looked at the cupcakes in front of her. "Because... Twilight said that she wanted me to stay away and not even speak to her." Grabbing a cupcake, she started to frost it after she felt Pinkie Pie let go of her hand. "Although I guess I already fucked that up."

"You didn't fuck it up, Sunset. You were a good friend, or at least, you were trying to be," said Pinkie Pie as she got up from the stool she was sitting on. "You can't blame yourself for that."

"But-"

"No, Sunset! I am not going to sit here and listen to you blame yourself for trying to be a good friend." Pinkie Pie's voice changed, sounding sterner as she spoke. "You didn't mean to hurt her. And just because you have to give Twilight some space, doesn't mean she'll hate you forever."

"How do you know that Pinkie?" asked Sunset Shimmer, setting her now frosted cupcake down. "How can you be so sure that Twilight won't hate me forever?"

"Because, Sunset, Twilight likes you. Like, she really likes you," replied Pinkie Pie.

"Twilight does?" Sunset Shimmer was surprised to hear that Twilight actually liked her. Not that she was sure it would still be that way after what happened.

"Yep. Although you two seem oblivious to the doe-eyed looks that you two give each other." Pinkie Pie chuckled. "Even Rainbow Dash and Rarity have been plotting to get you two together."

"What?!" shouted Sunset Shimmer, nearly falling off the stool she was sitting on. "How long have they been doing that?"

"Um, since the events at Camp Everfree," replied Pinkie Pie, eating some of the vanilla frosting which had gotten on her fingers.

Sunset Shimmer just stared at Pinkie Pie, shocked. She hadn't realized that the girls had been planning something like that for so long. Let alone planning it at all. And it was all a bit jarring, but so was the implication that she had missed all the cute, nervous glances that Twilight had given her. Sunset hadn't missed any of them. Not when she found that they made her heart race and made her smile. And they were, particularly now, a source of joy for her. Remembering them helped to ease the pain caused by Twilight avoiding her. It was one of the many things that Sunset clung to when she needed some comfort.

"Wow." Sunset Shimmer looked at the time on her phone. It was already half-past seven. Sighing, she turned back to her party friend. "Uh, Pinkie, I have to go home. I have some homework that I have to finish before Mr. Doodle gets mad at me... again."

"Okie dokie. I can finish up here anyway," said Pinkie Pie as she pulled the last cake towards her.

"Just save me some of those cupcakes, okay Pinkie?" said Sunset Shimmer as she pulled her hood back up.

"Will do!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she watched Sunset walk out of the kitchen.

Sunset walked back out to the front of Sugarcube Corner. She looked out the window, noticing that the sky was glowing with all different shades of reds, pinks, purples, and oranges. It was like a painting come to life, which was one reason she liked her name. Watching sunsets, the very thing she had gotten named after, was a favorite past time of hers. However, tonight Sunset had homework to do, so watching it would have to wait until tomorrow. Grabbing her helmet, she made her way out of the front door.

Just as the door closed behind Sunset Shimmer, making the bell ring again, she saw Twilight walking with her mother. She grabbed her hood and looked down as she made her way to her bike. She wanted to give her the space she needed. And after what happed a week ago, Sunset wasn't about to face Twilight or let her see that she was there. Getting onto her motorcycle, she put on her helmet, making sure that it was secure. Before leaving the parking lot, she waited until Twilight was inside of Sugarcube Corner. Once Sunset couldn't see her, she started her engine and drove away.

*** *** *** ***

The drive home was fairly uneventful, aside from a stray squirrel darting across the street in front of her, nearly causing her to run it over. As she turned onto her road, she saw Twilight's mother drive past her. She could've sworn that she saw Twilight look at her for a moment. However, before she could be entirely sure, they were gone. Focusing on the road ahead of her, Sunset made the rest of the journey to her apartment. Yet, as she got closer, she spotted a shadowy figure sitting on the front steps. She pulled into her usual parking spot and realized who it was. Or rather, what it was. The dim light of a nearby lamp post lit up their face. Pulling off her helmet, Sunset growled.

"Springtrap." Sunset Shimmer set her helmet down on her motorcycle.

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer. Nice to see you again," said Springtrap as he rose to his full 8-foot height.

"Yeah, sure it is. What the fuck are you doing here?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she got off her bike.

"Ooh, feisty one, aren't you? Well, I am here to propose a final battle for the kids that you and your friends have kept from me," replied Springtrap, getting off the steps.

"Oh? Where is this supposed battle going to take place, you decrepit hunk of rotten metal?" Sunset Shimmer asked, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"At your school's soccer field, the day after tomorrow," replied Springtrap as he walked up the redhead, slowly growing in height. "Does that sound like a good deal, Demon Shimmer?"

Sunset Shimmer gasped. "How did you-"

"I have my ways. Now, answer me!" shouted Springtrap as he wrapped one of his filth-covered hands around the redhead's neck. "Or I will strangle you here."

Gasping for breath, Sunset Shimmer struggled to pull Springtrap's hand from her throat. But being made of plastic and metal, she was struggling to make him let go. After a few minutes of struggling, she felt him tighten his grip as his hand grew in size, along with the rest of him. Sunset noticed that Springtrap was now at least ten feet tall. And that forced her to stand on her toes to avoid dangling in his grasp. Yet, just as soon as she thought that she felt herself getting lifted off her feet.

"Well, do you have an answer, you monster?' asked Springtrap, knowing what Sunset's weakness was.

Still struggling to breathe, Sunset Shimmer said, "F-fine! We have a deal!"

"Good. Glad we came to that agreement," said Springtrap as he let go of Sunset.

Sunset felt her body hit the pavement. Her elbows and hands took most of the impact as she struggled to keep her head from hitting the pavement. If it wasn't for her gloves and hoodie, she was sure the rough cement would've scraped her skin. However, the impact was enough to make Sunset's hands sting. Sitting there on the ground, she flashed back to when Twilight attacked her. Images flashed inside her mind, and she struggled to force them back. After a few seconds, she managed to force herself to focus on the situation at hand. As Sunset pushed herself up to her feet, she looked at Springtrap.

"I may look like a monster, but I am not like you. I don't murder innocent children for the joy of it," said Sunset Shimmer as she brushed off her jeans. "By the way, why did you choose the soccer field? You do know about the metal bleachers, right?"

"Yes, I am aware of them, but I don't think that they'll help your friends win against my new army. I chose it because I'd like to see if you can defeat me in a playing field built to your advantage. And while that may be true, at least I didn't lie to my friends and injure the one who loves me. I didn't fuck up the one person closest to me," Springtrap said, chuckling as he saw Sunset look down, ashamed of her actions. "See? Even you know the real truth..."

Sunset Shimmer met Springtrap's gaze, lowering her hood, showing that her eyes were now glowing. The cyan irises stood out amongst the black sclera of her eyes. "Well, I may have messed up with my friends, but messing with me was a mistake."

Sunset Shimmer's voice had lowered, sounding more like when she was Demon Shimmer. As she stepped closer to Springtrap, her fangs extended. That made the animatronic rabbit back up a little bit. He wasn't expecting her to change on him suddenly. His eyes met hers, allowing him to see the fury within them. Springtrap could see that some part of her was similar to him, even if the redhead tried to deny it. He glared at her and grabbed her arm.

"We'll see about that, Demon Shimmer." Springtrap let go of Sunset's arm, pushing her back before turning around and walking away from her. "You may find that we're not all that different."

Sunset Shimmer growled, her eyes glowing brighter as she felt something... evil rise within her. "Yes, Springtrap. You'll see..."

The Calm Before the Storm: Part 2

Author's Note

Happy New Year, everyone!!! I hope this year is better than the last.

The Calm Before the Storm: Part 2

Twilight Sparkle was sitting on her bed with her photo album open in front of her. It was open to the fourth page, where there were several pictures of her and Sunset hanging out at Camp Everfree. She stared at them as the memories replayed in her mind. The trip there was the most fun she’d had since transferring schools, even if it had gotten bogged down by her worries about becoming her demon self again. Twilight touched her geode as she remembered how Sunset had helped her see that she wasn’t going to become Midnight Sparkle again. And that allowed her to embrace the magic inside. She turned the page and saw a photo of her standing next to Sunset, with the rest of the girls standing around them.

“How did I let things between Sunset and me get this bad?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

As Twilight sat there, staring at Sunset in the photo, she remembered some of the good times they had together. Images of them hanging out at Sugarcube Corner played through her head as she sat there. They faded into memories of all the times that they had gone to the library to study and play chess. The sound of Sunset’s laughter seemed to echo in the eerie silence of Twilight’s bedroom. As she turned the page again, there was a single photo of her and Sunset at Applejack’s farm, sitting next to each other. The photo was taken in the midst of them laughing at one of Pinkie Pie’s crazy antics.

Pulling the photo out of the protective sleeve, Twilight studied it further. Her eyes began to water as memories of Sunset flooded her. She now started to realize just how much she missed her. It was like a part of her was gone, and she couldn’t get it back. Holding the picture, Twilight wished that Sunset hadn’t hidden her past from her. But even more, she wished that she had given her the chance to explain why she had done it. She placed the photo back into the protective sleeve and closed the book. Twilight couldn’t stomach looking at it anymore, mostly since it was too painful to know that she pushed Sunset away by choice. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she pulled her knees to her chest.

“Sweetie, are you okay?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

The sound of her mother’s voice made Twilight Sparkle jump. “N-no, mom. I made a mistake.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Or no?” asked Mrs. Velvet as she sat next to her daughter.

“I told Sunset that I didn’t want her to talk to me or acknowledge me because she had hurt me. But, I miss her and regret saying that to her,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “She even admitted that she loved me.”

“Oh? And do you love Sunset?” Mrs. Velvet asked as she wrapped her arm around her daughter.

“Yes. I love Sunset so much that it hurts to see what she did to me,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“And what did Sunset do that made you push her away, sweetie?” Mrs. Velvet rubbed her daughter’s arm.

“Sunset hid her past from me, and then I found out that she wouldn’t have told me if it hadn’t been for the circumstances. And that was when I finally saw what she looked like in her…” Twilight Sparkle trailed off, realizing that she had just exposed Sunset’s situation to her mother.

“Her demon form?” asked Mrs. Velvet.

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

“Well, I don’t know much about Sunset, but what I do know is that she cares for you. I’m sorry that you’re hurting because of a mistake she made. Do you think you’d be willing to hear her out if she was willing to explain it to you?” asked Mrs. Velvet, letting go of her daughter’s shoulder.

“I think so, mom. I miss Sunset so much. I wish that I hadn’t pushed her away,” said Twilight Sparkle. “And I want to apologize for what I did to her.”

“I know you do. And when the time comes, you’ll get a chance to do that. Just remember, Sunset is your friend and that she cares about you. She probably didn’t mean to hurt you, but just made a bad decision.” Mrs. Velvet got up from Twilight’s bed. “Now, would you like some lavender tea?”

“Yes, please,” replied Twilight Sparkle.”And thank you, mom.”

Mrs. Velvet smiled. “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer shifted in her bed, the morning sun finally coming in through her window. Her room got lit up with an orangish glow as the dawn was beginning to approach. It often reminded Sunset of home back in Equestria and watching Princess Celestia raising the sun. Blinking, she sat up and grabbed her phone off her nightstand. As Sunset turned it on, she saw that she had gotten several text messages in her notifications. She unlocked it and checked the messages.

Pinkie: Sunset Shimmer, get over here!

Dash: Yeah, Pinkie is going insane as we wait for you. Besides, I got rudely awoken for this…

Pinkie: Dash, don’t you dare say what it is! You Pinkie Promised not to say anything.

Dash: I know, I know! Ugh, please get here ASAP!

Sunset Shimmer was confused by what was happening. Deciding that she wanted to find out what was going on, she quickly typed a response.

SunShim: What is going on, guys?

Dash: Something.

Pinkie: If you want to know what is going on, come to AJ’s farm. Now, get going!

SunShim: Um… okay.

Sunset sat up in her bed, her wings stretching out as she did that. It was still somewhat strange to feel them stretch, even now. Sure, she had them for almost half a month or more, but it was still hard to think that she had them. Once the leathery nuisances were resting on her back again, Sunset flung the covers off of her. Slipping her feet into her slippers, she walked down the stairs to her bathroom. Her tail occasionally twitched behind her, annoying her with its presence. She walked into her bathroom, turning on the light as she did. Sunset made her way to her mirror and stared at her reflection.

“Okay, so contacts or no contacts?” Sunset Shimmer picked up the vial, glancing back at her eyes.

Staring back at her reflection, Sunset Shimmer realized something. For the first time in about two weeks, she didn’t feel repulsed by looking back at herself. Her eyes, although still demonic-looking and a bit jarring, weren’t as bad to her anymore. If anything, Sunset found them to be kind of cool, like interesting Halloween contacts, only real. She no longer saw a monster in the mirror. All she saw was herself slowly beginning to embrace her demonic self. Smiling proudly, Sunset set the contact vial down.

“No contacts. I just hope that the girls and the kids won’t mind,” said Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed her hairbrush and her tail. “Now, to brush out this tangled mess of a tail.”

Starting from the bottom, Sunset worked her way up, brushing out all of the knots. It reminded her of when she used to do it every morning back in Equestria. Although as a pony, her hands, or rather her hooves, never got tired. She had magic back then. And right now, Sunset wished that she had her magic now too. Her arms and hands were beginning to kill her as she tried to untangle each knot. Eventually, after several minutes of tugging and cursing her tail for being so easy to tangle, she got it unknotted. Setting her hairbrush down, Sunset sighed, her aching arms finally getting the relief that they craved.

Looking at her phone, Sunset Shimmer said, “Well, I better hurry up and get to AJ’s before Rainbow Dash does something.”

Sunset Shimmer walked out of her bathroom, making sure to turn off the light. Making her way back upstairs, she decided that she was going to dress casually. As she got to the top of the stairs, she saw Ray’s tank. Sunset noticed that Ray got off his rock and walked up to the glass. She made her way over to him and pulled off the top, letting him crawl onto her hand. Now that Ray was sitting on her palm, she was careful not to injure him as she set him down on the bed.

“Did you sleep well, little guy?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she knelt in front of the little gecko.

Ray nodded in response.

“Good. Now, I have to get dressed,” said Sunset Shimmer, getting up and walking over to her closet.

Sunset opened her closet and grabbed her loosest shirt and her favorite pair of jeans. Pulling the shirt over her head, she knew that her wings were going to rip through it. Every other shirt that she had worn had inevitably gotten ripped because of them. As Sunset situated her t-shirt around her abdomen, the sound of fabric ripping came a few seconds later as the leathery appendages pushed through. After that, she slipped into her jeans and put on her shoes. She ran downstairs and grabbed her hoodie, which amazingly, was still intact. Sunset quickly put it on and grabbed her motorcycle keys along with her helmet.

“Did I forget anything?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked around her apartment. Patting her pockets, she realized that she still hadn’t put her gloves on. “Oh, right, my gloves.”

The redhead grabbed her gloves from her hoodie pocket and put them on. Taking one last look around her apartment, she saw that she had gotten everything. And Ray was sleeping comfortably on her pillow, blissfully unaware of her. With that, Sunset closed her front door and got onto her bike. The ride to Applejack’s farm was short, as she didn’t live too far from it. Driving up the Sweet Apple Acres driveway, she saw the barn ahead of her. And hanging from the doorway was a banner that read ‘Good Luck Fighting Springtrap!’ in bright yellow and red letters.

Pulling off her helmet, Sunset Shimmer looked at her friends. “What is going on?”

Rainbow Dash sped over to Sunset, making the redhead’s hair move as she came to a stop. “Pinkie Pie told us that Springtrap was at your apartment last night.”

“But how did Pinkie know? I haven’t said anything,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking at Pinkie Pie.

“Remember what I said yesterday at Sugarcube Corner? About how that one cake I baked was for something that was going to happen later?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah…” replied Sunset Shimmer, unsure of where the conversation was going.

“Well, that was because I knew that when you went home, Springtrap was going to be there,” continued Pinkie Pie.

“If you knew about that, why didn’t you think to warm me?” asked Sunset Shimmer, angered that Pinkie Pie knew about Springtrap being at her apartment. “Don’t you think it was essential that I knew?”

“Sorry… I didn’t think that you wanted to know because you said you had some homework to do,” replied Pinkie Pie, expression going from her usual cheerful one to a saddened one.

Sunset Shimmer saw the change. Sighing, she got off her bike and walked up to her party friend. Resting a hand on her shoulder, she said, “It’s okay, Pinkie. I know you meant well. But uh, next time you know something like that, tell me.”

Pinkie Pie’s smile returned as she met Sunset’s gaze. “Okay, I will. So, want to see the rest of the decorations?”

“Sure, Pinkie!” Sunset Shimmer set her helmet down on a hay bale near the door as she lowered her hood. “Who made the banner?”

Jeremy, who was hiding behind Gabriel at the moment, stepped out from behind his friend. “I did.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, careful not to show much of her fangs. “That’s cool. I like it.”

“Thanks,” replied Jeremy, looking away, sheepishly. “I used the colors of your hair as I wasn’t sure what your favorite colors were.”

“It’s okay, Jeremy. It’s the thought and effort that counts. And you did a fantastic job.” Sunset Shimmer rested her hand on Jeremy’s robotic shoulder. Standing taller than her, it was an awkward stance, but she didn’t care.

Susie watched as the redhead occasionally adjusted her jeans. That made her realize that the redhead was still concealing most of her changes. And the result of that was making her feel uncomfortable. Walking past Rarity, Susie made her way to where Sunset was standing. She wasn’t going to allow her to continue to be embarrassed anymore. Grabbing the redhead’s arm, she pulled her away from Jeremy.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked Susie as she let go of Sunset’s arm. Her voice rang with concern.

“Yeah, I am fine,” said Sunset Shimmer, confused by why Susie was asking her that question.

“Really?” Susie pointed to where Sunset’s tail was. “Then why do you keep adjusting your jeans?”

Sighing, Sunset Shimmer gave in, not bothering to act like she was okay anymore. “Okay, fine. My tail is bothering me. I would take it out but-”

“Well then, take it out. We’re okay with the way you look,” said Susie, not letting the redhead finish her sentence.

Sunset Shimmer looked at the girls. They all nodded in agreement with what Susie said. She took a shaky breath and pulled her tail free from her jeans, letting it flick absentmindedly behind her. WIth it now free, she felt much better. However, that was soon overwhelmed by Sunset’s increasing embarrassment of having it out. Sure, she had ponied up and gained a hair extension, which was the equivalent of a pony’s tail many times before, but this was an actual tail. It felt weird to be in a human form and have a real tail. It wasn’t normal, but then again, neither was having wings. Speaking of which, Sunset felt them stretch against the fabric covering them.

Susie, being aware of her surroundings, noticed that. Grabbing the hoodie sleeve, she said, “This too. It’s okay; you don’t have to hide around us.”

“Are you sure?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she placed her hand on the zipper pull.

“Yep!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she popped up next to Sunset and pulled the zipper down, taking off her hoodie.

With the fabric finally gone, the redhead’s wings could stretch to their full size again. She looked down, hiding her blush as she struggled to ignore the stares she was getting. However, when she felt something touch the leathery appendage, she looked up. It was Susie, who was busy examining them. The touch felt weird, partly because it was a robotic hand that was touching her. Trying her best not to give away her nervousness, Sunset smiled.

“It feels good to stretch my wings out. They hate being in the hoodie,” Sunset Shimmer said, her voice sounding strained as she tried to fight against her nerves.

“I bet. Your wings are similar to bat wings. They aren’t meant to be cramped or pushed down for long,” said Susie as she examined the skin between the bony structure of Sunset’s wings.

Sunset Shimmer felt weird as she saw Susie examining every part of her wings. It was odd to be a specimen. Pushing past the weirdness, she asked, “How do you know that?”

Susie looked up from examining Sunset’s wing. “Oh, I uh, studied bats when I was alive. I found them to be fascinating animals.”

“Cool!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah, but um, could you please stop looking at my wings? I am starting to feel kind of uncomfortable…” added Sunset Shimmer, rubbing the back of her neck.

Susie stopped and stepped back. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer gave Susie a sympathetic smile. “It’s cool. I get that you were curious. To be honest, I was also curious when I first got them.”

Susie chuckled. “I bet.”

Gabriel shifted on the hay bale he was sitting on. Being one of the oldest kids, he was okay with seeing Sunset and her appearance. Well, everything except for her fangs and claws. To him, it made her look like some sort of demonic vampire. It also made Gabriel nervous about being around her, despite being inside of an animatronic body. But right now, his curiosity about what happened last night between Sunset and Springtrap was more potent than his fear. So getting up, Gabriel approached her.

“Um, Sunset?” Gabriel’s voice quivered, showing his nervousness at asking her his question.

Sunset Shimmer turned his attention to Gabriel, pulling her wings close to her body. “What is it, Gabriel?”

As the redhead spoke, Gabriel saw her fangs and had to keep from backing down. The sight was terrifying him, more than he would like to admit to himself. “Uh, I was wondering what happened between you and uh, Springtrap. But you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…”

Sunset Shimmer could see that Gabriel was scared, despite his efforts to hide it. Having seen several reactions to her appearance, the redhead had become good at recognizing when someone was frightened. Letting her wings wrap around her shoulders, similar to what Twilight would do when she was nervous, Sunset sat down on the hay bale behind her. She laid her hoodie down next to her. Removing her gloves, she saw Gabriel look away as if hiding his face.

“You’re scared, aren’t you, Gabriel?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she set her gloves on top of her hoodie. “You can tell me if you are.”

Gabriel gulped, which sounded like gears grinding in his robotic body. “Ho-How did you know that? I thought I hid it…”

“Oh, you did. But then you looked away when I removed my gloves, and I realized what was going on,” replied Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her hands, seeing the claws that had injured Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh…” Gabriel sat next to the redhead, prompting her to rest a hand on his arm. He looked at her, trying to control his urge to push her hand off of him. Being in a robotic body frankly sucked in moments like these.

“Gabriel, you know that I am still your friend, right?” asked Sunset Shimmer, the hurt at his fear showing as she spoke. Her voice quivered as she struggled to keep talking in a calm voice. “I would never harm you, despite my appearance.”

“Yeah, I know, Sunset,” replied Gabriel, who was now beginning to regret letting his fear get the better of him. The redhead was friendly and kind, and he had no reason to be afraid of her. “I didn’t mean to look away from you. I am sorry that I hurt you by being afraid of you.”

“I understand your fear. I hated and feared what I looked like for a while myself.” Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath as she continued. “But today, I looked in the mirror, and for once, I didn’t hate what I saw.”

“Wow, that is so cool. I am glad you were able to find the bright side of your situation,” said Gabriel.

“Yes, darling. That is an excellent thing,” added Rarity.

“Thanks,” said Sunset Shimmer as she glanced at Rarity. She turned her attention to Gabriel. “I suppose you still want an answer to your question about what happened, right?”

Gabriel nodded.

“Well, Springtrap made me agree that we would meet him at the soccer field tomorrow,” said Sunset Shimmer as she rubbed her neck where Springtrap had gripped her throat. “And he did that very forcibly.”

‘Wait, so you agreed to all of us meetin’ Springtrap there?” asked Applejack, unable to believe what she heard.

“Yeah… I kind of had to. Springtrap was choking me to death,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Why the hell didn’t you blast the fuck out of him?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Uh, maybe because I was busy trying to breathe, Dash,” retorted Sunset Shimmer, her fangs extending as she glared at the athlete.

“Oh, right…” mumbled Rainbow Dash, now regretted her question.

“So basically, we have to meet him because you had to make a deal?” asked Applejack as she felt Rarity grab her hand.

“Yeah…” said Sunset Shimmer, hoping her fangs would go back to their usual size before the girls noticed.

“Well, that’s a bummer… I won’t have enough cake for our party after we have defeated Springtrap,” said Pinkie Pie, her hair deflating as she spoke.

“How are you so sure we’re gonna win, Pinkie?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, I am terrified of what is going to happen… I just hope Springtrap doesn’t bring another army of himself again…” added Fluttershy, hiding behind her hair as she looked around nervously.

“Because we have defeated many enemies before like several she-demon people, a group of very mean sirens – whose singing was horrible – and we have already won a battle with Springtrap once before,” replied Pinkie Pie.

“We barely won that battle, Pinkie,” Applejack said, taking a sip of her apple cider.”Without Sunset coming in and saving our asses, we would’ve been dead.”

“True, but we can win if we have both Twilight and Sunset. With their demonic powers and now, knowing the doppelgangers’ weakness, it should be much easier to fight Springtrap,” Pinkie Pie said, not willing to let her friends think the worst.

“And we’ll come too. It’s us that Springtrap wants. And we are the reason you girls are in danger,” said Cassidy as she walked towards Pinkie Pie. “Besides, with our metal bodies, we can keep some of the doppelgangers off you girls.”

“See? Even Cassidy believes in us.” Pinkie Pie pointed to Cassidy. “So, what do you say? Shall we kick this dumb robotic bunny’s ass?”

“Uh, as someone currently trapped inside of an animatronic rabbit, I take some offense to that,” said Fritz.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Fritz. Shall we kick Springtrap’s ass?” asked Pinkie Pie, correcting her earlier question.

The girls all looked at each other, wondering what they should say. After a few glances, they all smiled. “Yes!” They all shouted in unison.

“I’m glad you girls agree. Now, let’s eat some cake!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she held up a knife.

*** *** *** ***

After an hour of eating cake and talking amongst themselves, the girls all moved some of the hay bales into a circle. Each of the girls set their empty plates on a table and took their seats in the ring of hay bales. Pinkie Pie had insisted they try a game that she had invented. None of them knew what the game was going to be. However, they all hoped it wasn’t anything ridiculous. As Pinkie Pie sat down in her seat, she smiled.

“Pinkie, what is this game you want us to play?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Okay, so the game is to name one happy moment in your life that you hold dear,” replied Pinkie Pie. “I spent all last night coming up with this game. I did this because I realized that Springtrap was going to be at your house last night. I thought it might help us beat him.”

“Cool!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “So, who wants to go first?”

Meanwhile, outside, Twilight Sparkle lowered her wings as she felt her feet touch the ground. Pulling them close to her body again, she walked towards the entrance. However, just as she was about to enter the barn, Twilight saw the redhead. Thankfully, her back was facing her, so she didn’t see her face. The sight of the redhead’s wings made her heart race. Although she wasn’t stretching them out entirely, they still reminded her of what happened that Monday night. And where the lacerations were from Sunset’s claws throbbed, reminding Twilight what the redhead had given to her. Gripping her arm, she hid behind the one door, still watching the group.

“I’ll go first,” said Applejack, setting her cup down. “My happiest moment was… getting to finally kiss my beautiful girlfriend.”

Rarity felt her cheeks heat up as she heard what the cowgirl said. “Aw, well, that was my happiest moment too.”

Rainbow Dash stifled her laugh as she heard their answers. Sure, she had expected them to say that. Yet, to her, it was still sappy. After all, she was more of a tomboy, and that cutesy romantic stuff wasn’t for her. Despite her laughter, Rainbow Dash was genuinely happy for her friends. And it was about time that they had gotten together. She was getting tired of all their brief side glances at each other.

“Well, my happiest moment is when we kicked the Dazzlings’ asses in the Battle of the Bands. It was so awesome, especially when the crazy unicorn thing appeared in the sky,” said Rainbow Dash, a big smile on her face as she remembered the day.

“Yeah, that was pretty cool,” added Sunset Shimmer. “That was the first time I ever ponied up too.”

“Hmm, my happiest moment was when we got minor roles in the Daring Do movie. It was so fun acting with all of you!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she took a bite of her cupcake.

“Oh, that was fun! I am still hoping to launch my acting career,” said Rarity as she brushed her hair off her shoulder.

“What about you, Fluttershy? What is your happiest moment?” asked Pinkie Pie, taking another bite of her cupcake, covering her chin with chocolate frosting.

Twilight Sparkle smiled as she heard what her friends’ responses were. A part of her wished that she could join in, but something was stopping her. Well, actually, it was more of someone. With Sunset Shimmer there, that meant she couldn’t join. She couldn’t really look at the redhead. Despite every attempt at trying to push through what happened between them, Twilight just couldn’t do it. It was too much for her to be in the same room as Sunset. To be close, especially when her arm still bore the scars she had caused.

The lacerations had mostly healed, but Twilight would still be wearing the bandage for another day. Just for caution’s sake. Besides, it was also an excuse to avoid looking at the scars caused by Sunset. She didn’t want to see them, not yet anyway. Although, as she sat there, Twilight found herself wondering what Sunset’s answer would be. She wanted to know if Sunset’s happiest moment involved her and if she still cared about her, despite what she had done. Deciding to stick around for a bit, she sat down on one of the hay bales outside as quietly as she could.

“My happiest moment was helping Sunset find Ray. I was so glad that she has a pet that she loves so much,” replied Fluttershy, meeting Sunset’s gaze. “How is he, by the way?”

“Ray is good. And he is still my ray of sunshine,” said Sunset Shimmer, not able to resist the pun on her gecko’s name.

“Okay, Shimmer, what is your happiest moment?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle leaned in closer as she heard Rainbow Dash say Sunset’s name. She wanted to listen to what the redhead was going to say. As she sat there, her tail flicked behind her, nearly knocking over a metal bucket. Twilight levitated the bucket, moving it out of the way. She didn’t want to risk exposing herself to the girls. Not when Sunset was there.

“Well, my happiest moment would be…” Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “When I found Twilight the night that she had turned into Midnight Sparkle and told her about my past. Well, most of it, except for the… Fall Formal, obviously.”

“Wait. You told Twilight about the video you made of me?” asked Rarity.

“Yeah, I also showed Twilight the video,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “She was the one who helped me to delete it.”

“Wow, I am surprised that you still had it,” said Rarity.

“I kept it as a reminder of what I did to you. And as a reminder to myself that I had chosen to keep my past hidden from Twilight, even though I knew she had gone through a similar experience at the Friendship Games. I regret what I did to her, especially since now I believe that she would’ve stayed if she knew,” Sunset Shimmer said, a somber tone to her voice. “I can see that I waited too long to tell her.”

Twilight gasped, sitting back from the doorway. It was shocking to hear that Sunset, even at the very beginning, despite what she had said at the end of the Friendship Games, kept the details hidden from her. And that made Twilight realize Sunset was truly scared to let her see who she used to be. As she sat there, it dawned on her why Sunset hated getting called Demon Shimmer. It was similar to why she struggled to talk to her about feeling like she might become Midnight Sparkle again. However, Twilight also had a lot of questions. Questions that desperately needed answers to them. However, right now was not the time to be asking them. She sighed, waiting to see what the girls would do next.

“Well, there we go. That was the game. Although I guess it was more of a group activity,” said Pinkie Pie as she stood up and walked over to where the cake was. “Does anyone else want a piece of cake?”

“Not me. I have had enough cake to last me a year,” said Sunset Shimmer as she stood up from the hay bale, bits of straw falling off in the process.

Sunset Shimmer got up and walked over to where her hoodie was sitting. As she picked up her hoodie, she looked up, and that was when she spotted Twilight seated behind the door. She saw her meet her gaze with wide eyes. Figuring that she was scared, Sunset didn’t say anything. As they stared at each other, she wondered how long Twilight had been there. And how much she had heard her say. Judging by Twilight’s surprised expression, Sunset figured that she had heard it all. For a moment, she saw her go to say something. She wondered what she would say and if it had to deal with what she had said. Yet, instead of saying anything, Sunset just saw Twilight get up. She didn’t want her to leave, so she willed herself to walk towards her and grab her forearm.

“Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight, feeling her tremble in her grasp. She didn’t want to frighten her. “Wait, please.”

Twilight Sparkle’s voice quivered as she said, “Wh-what is it, S-Sunset?”

“You don’t have to stay; I know that you won’t while I am here, even if the others asked you to. I just wanted to know what your happiest moment is before you leave,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“My h-happiest moment…” Twilight Sparkle stepped closer to the redhead, trying to quell her fear of her, “is when y-you and the girls became my friends. For the f-first time, I didn’t feel alone anymore. And S-Sunset?”

“Yeah?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle swallowed and wrapped her arms around the redhead, trying to keep herself from trembling. Her fear was still present as she placed her hands near the base of her wings. Twilight felt the tips of her claws as the redhead tentatively rested her arms around her waist before pulling away a few moments later. “You are the best part of that, Sunset. I-I’m so glad that I had you there to s-support me.”

“Thank you, Sparky. And I will always be there for you, no matter what.” Sunset Shimmer let her wings drape over her shoulders as she gently intertwined her fingers with Twilight’s soft ones. “Do you have to leave, Twilight? Can’t you stay for a little bit?”

“Sunset, I am still scared of you. And the thought of being around you, even now, is something I don’t want to do.” Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset’s grasp as she stepped away from her. “I just came here to see how you were doing, but I don’t want to stay. I can’t, not when you still look like…”

“Like Demon Shimmer? Twilight, despite my appearance, do you see that it is still me?” asked Sunset Shimmer, hoping that Twilight would say something different. “Or am I just a monster to you?”

Twilight Sparkle met Sunset’s pleading gaze, saying, “It was wrong of me to call you a monster, especially since it seems that it was me who was the monster. However, looking at you right now, it’s hard for me to see you, Sunset. It’s still a struggle for me to see past your changes.”

“Oh, okay,” said Sunset Shimmer, looking away from Twilight.

“Well, I better leave before the girls wonder where you are.” Twilight Sparkle walked up to the redhead, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry that I can’t stay, but it was nice to talk to you. I kind of forgot what it was like to hang out with you and how much fun it was.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded in agreement, fighting her urge to go after Twilight and stop her from leaving, as she watched her walk away and stretch out her wings. “Me too…”

Just as she was about to take off, Twilight Sparkle glanced back at Sunset. Her eyes still terrified her. And the sight of her claws made her arm hurt more as she felt the phantom pains of the lacerations getting formed again. It was too much for Twilight emotionally to stick around. As she gazed back at the redhead’s eyes, she could see the pain which emanated from them. It was evident that because of her avoidance and blatant anger at what had happened between them, she had caused some damage. That only worsened her guilt about what she had done. Yet, there was still a small part of Twilight that believed Sunset deserved to feel the pain she had felt when she realized her closest friend had lied to her.

Looking down, Twilight wiped away a tear that had fallen from the corner of her eye. Her wings pulled themselves closer to her body as she struggled to push the pain aside. She took one last glance at Sunset, watching her mouth ‘I’m sorry’ before she turned around. She slowly opened her wings, trying to fight the urge to stay. With them stretched to their full size, Twilight forced herself to take off. She didn’t want to leave the girls – especially Sunset – behind. However, she knew that to decide whether she could still be Sunset’s friend, she had to be alone.

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight disappeared, becoming a speck in the blue sky above her. Once she saw her disappear completely, she walked back inside and sat on the hay bale. Resting her elbows on her knees, she stared at the floor, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. Sunset’s wings wrapped themselves around her body as if comforting her. However, that did little to console her, especially when it reminded her that Twilight had become frightened of her when she saw them. She could still see the small glimmer of hatred that burned in Twilight’s eyes.

A hatred that got directed at Sunset because of what she had done to Twilight. And although she tried to hide it, it was still noticeable beneath the sadness and fear. It killed her to watch Twilight walk away and to see her look at her like she was a monster, despite what she said. And a part of her thought there was a possibility that Springtrap was right. Maybe she was just a monster who hurt the one closest to her. Suddenly, as Sunset began to spiral down into a dark place, a hand jolted her from her thoughts.

“Are you okay?” asked Cassidy as she and Gabriel sat down next to her. “You’ve been crying over here for a while.”

Sunset Shimmer looked at them and the girls. “It’s just Twilight.”

“Was she here?” asked Pinkie Pie as she looked around the barn. “Cause I don’t see her.”

“Twilight was here. She just left, but when she looked at me and talked to me, I could sense her fear of me.” Sunset Shimmer’s lips trembled as she spoke. “I hated seeing that… but then I saw her hatred of me. Twilight tried to hide it, though I could still see in her eyes. She hates me…”

Cassidy looked at Gabriel. “You know, I am sure that Twilight will eventually come around. She might hate you now, but that’ll change.”

“But what if that doesn’t happen? I lied to Twilight for a year. And I talked the girls into helping me with that.” Sunset Shimmer felt her fangs extend as she fought to keep herself from screaming. “Besides, Twilight is scared of the way I look now, which doesn’t make it easier to approach her. And I didn’t warn her about this, so that makes me worry how she’ll take to hearing about the events of the Fall Formal.”

Sunset Shimmer made a fist, causing a nearby hay bale to become enveloped in a red aura, similar to the bathroom mirror. As she squeezed her hand tighter, the bale also got compressed in response to her motion. And with every beat of her heart, the aura around the hay bale grew in brightness. The feeling of her claws against her palm made Sunset remember that she had grabbed Twilight’s arm. And that because of unwillingness to just let her leave, she had left a permanent mark on her. After a few seconds, the bale finally exploded under the increasing pressure, unleashing a rain of straw on the girls.

“Uh, Sunset? Would you mind not making the hay bales explode, please?” asked Applejack as she removed the straw off of her hat.

“S-sorry, AJ. I am just so angry at myself for lying to Twilight,” apologized Sunset Shimmer as she rubbed some of the straw off her jeans. “Twilight never deserved that, especially when she tried to tell me that she wouldn’t leave if she knew about my past.”

“Well, if Twilight cares for you and means what she says about staying, she’ll ask for the truth when she is ready. However, you have to be willing to tell her the truth. Do you think you can do that, Sunset?” asked Gabriel as he looked at the redhead, peering from beside Cassidy.

Sunset looked at Applejack and Rarity, who were holding hands. She remembered how she had finally dared to make a move to hold Twilight’s hand with her claws exposed. And how nice it felt to grasp it, how right it felt to her. Sunset missed that. She needed that more than she had realized until now. Now, standing on the cliff’s edge of losing Twilight, she could see what she was about to lose. Even the brief moment where she let her guard down and Twilight allowed her to make physical contact wasn’t enough to console her breaking heart. Yet, that was enough to strengthen her resolve not to lie anymore. Sunset wasn’t going to hide anything from her when it finally came time to tell her the truth.

“Yes, I am willing to Twilight the truth. I won’t lie to her anymore. I won’t keep my past from her. She deserves to know about it and that I trust her, even if I made the mistake of pushing her away,” replied Sunset Shimmer, standing up from her sitting position. “But right now, we need to prepare for the fight. My personal problems with Twilight are going to have to wait.”

“Agreed,” said Applejack as she rested her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “So, what do you need?”

Ready, Set, Fight!

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Time to Move On

The afternoon sun beamed overhead, warming the air around the field. The air had gotten filled with the smell of burnt plastic and grass. It was intense, almost overpowering the girls. As they looked around the soccer field, they noticed that there were patches of dirt that had gotten flung all over the place during their fight with Springtrap’s doppelgangers. It looked like something had ripped up the earth and just left the debris lying around. And the bleachers weren’t spared either, having gotten dented during the events of the fight. Most of which had come from Sunset getting thrown into them. Now that it was all over, the soccer field looked like a warzone. Pinkie Pie walked over to where there was a large area of burnt grass. She coughed as she leaned closer, breathing in more of the fumes. Her coughing soon turned into wheezing as she inhaled more of them.

Stepping back, Pinkie Pie said, “Wow, we did some serious damage.”

“Girls, this can’t be good for us to be here,” said Fluttershy as she coughed a little. “It smells like burnt plastic and oil.”

“Well, perhaps that is because of the still smoldering enemy of ours,” replied Rarity as she pointed to Springtrap, or rather, what remained of his body.

“Uh, who’s gonna make sure that Springtrap has shut down?” asked Applejack as she looked at what remained of his melted body. “Cause we can’t leave until we know that he has actually gotten defeated for good.”

Rarity sighed. “I will go over and make sure that Springtrap is down for good. And maybe I will have half a mind to smack him for hurting my friends.”

“Be careful, Rare,” cautioned Applejack.

“I will, dear,” replied Rarity.

Rarity walked over to where Springtrap’s body was standing. She was cautious as she approached his charred remains. She was wary of whether or not he was genuinely gone. His one remaining eye no longer showed the white glow that they had when he was active. That was a good sign for her. Rarity stepped a bit closer to the animatronic, grabbing one of the nearby pipes. The fire had done its job. Springtrap’s plastic had gotten severely melted, with some still dripping off him as the gasoline had managed to heat up to that degree. She used the pipe to poke at his remains. As the end of it touched some of the plastic, it crumbled away, burnt to a crisp.

“Well, I think our plan worked on Springtrap,” said Rarity as she turned to face the girls.

“Are you sure, Rare?” asked Applejack as she stepped up to Springtrap. “We can’t take any chances with him.”

“Well, if Springtrap did survive the fire, he is going to have a hard time moving with all this plastic hardening in clumps on him,” replied Rarity, pointing to the massive globs of plastic that were surrounding his joints.

“Sweet!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she limped over to Twilight Sparkle. Her ankle was throbbing as she moved around. “We defeated Springtrap, Twilight. Want to celebrate with us?”

Twilight Sparkle shook her head, her eyes staying locked on Sunset Shimmer. Thankfully, Rarity had moved her hoodie over her, covering her front from the shoulders to her waist. Although her wings had done a pretty good job themselves, she was grateful for the extra cover. Staring at the unconscious redhead, all she could feel was fear. Sure, she had allowed herself to transform into the same demonic form she had the first time, all just to save her. Thus, allowing Twilight to see the monster that had once attempted to attack the girls. However, that didn’t do anything to comfort her right now. It didn’t change the fact that she saw Sunset become what one could describe as a monster. So, there Twilight stayed, huddled into a tight ball, not talking to anyone.

Rainbow Dash turned to the rest of the girls. “Guys, Twilight is seriously freaked out.”

“Well, of course, Twilight is silly,” Pinkie Pie said, her happy demeanor seemingly unaffected by what just happened. “She just saw Sunset become a giant she-demon with no clothes on and battle an equally giant Springtrap. All that after she woke up from being unconscious.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at Twilight Sparkle, scoffing. “You’d think that she’d be grateful instead of being scared of Sunset.”

Rarity crossed her arms, glaring at Rainbow Dash. She got joined by some of the other girls, who seemed shocked by the athlete’s harshness towards Twilight’s reaction. Even the kids had gotten shocked at what she had said. Susie turned to look at Twilight and saw that she was also glaring at the athlete despite still having her wings around herself. That made her feel bad for her, especially considering what she'd just been through. Susie’s attention returned to Rainbow Dash as she gave them a confused look.

“What?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Have some decency, Dash. And respect how hard it’s been for Twilight,” said Applejack as she walked up to the athlete. “She has never seen Sunset like that. It’s new to her.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight Sparkle, giving her an apologetic look. “Sorry…”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, showing that she had heard what Rainbow Dash had said. Yet, she still didn’t say anything. And she wasn’t about to, not for a long while. She was trying to force the images of Sunset battling Springtrap out of her head. But they refused to leave, tormenting her further. Twilight didn’t feel like speaking to anyone while her mind tried to piece together everything she had witnessed. It wouldn’t make it any easier for her to comprehend that the Sunset she knew had once been somebody entirely different. Her body ached all over from getting slammed into the bleachers she was currently sitting on. However, it was a dull pain compared to what she was going through mentally and emotionally. Pulling her knees to her chest, Twilight wrapped her wings entirely around her, blocking her view of Sunset and the girls.

“Is Twilight going to be okay?” asked Fritz as he sat down in front of the second set of bleachers.

“I wish we knew, Fritz,” replied Pinkie Pie, her expression changing from cheerful to somber. “But only time will tell…”

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash, who was leaning against the bleachers, trying not to put any weight on her injured foot. She could see that the area surrounding her ankle had swollen up severely after all of Rainbow Dash’s limping around. And other than a few bruises and scrapes, she appeared to mostly be unharmed. Turning to her girlfriend, Rarity saw that her wrist was also similar to Rainbow Dash’s ankle. As her eyes drifted down, she could see that her girlfriend’s skin was black and blue from all the bruises she had gotten. It was evident that both of them had some severe injuries.

Looking down at herself, Rarity could see that she wasn’t in much better shape. Her arms and legs had gotten covered in dried blood from her lacerations. Thankfully, they had stopped bleeding after a while. However, every time she moved her arms, she could feel the dried blood cracking and crumbling off her skin. Glancing at Pinkie Pie, Rarity saw that she had many bruises up and down her body. She also noticed that she had a few small cuts on her one hand, which she figured was from when Sunset had helped her up. She turned her attention to the last of the girls standing around her. Rarity immediately noticed the cut on her left arm. It wasn’t too bad, but the skin hanging off didn’t help it much.

Deciding to help the girls take care of their injuries, Rarity asked, “Fluttershy dear, do you happen to have a first aid kit and a bottle of water with some cloth?”

Fluttershy nodded, walking over to the van that she had borrowed. “Yep. I always keep those handy in case any of the animals get thirsty or injured.”

Fluttershy opened the two back doors and walked into the back of the van. She bent down and began to rummage around in an area near the driver’s seat. While she searched in the cubby behind the driver’s seat, the kids saw a few papers fly out from in front of, landing on the floor of the van. Upon closer inspection, the papers were flyers for the animal shelter. Some had gotten badly crumpled; even a few had some coffee stains on them. After a few more seconds, Fluttershy walked back towards the exit, a first aid bag and a water bottle in hand.

“Here is the first aid kit,” Fluttershy said, handing it to Rarity. “I hope it helps.”

Rarity opened it up, scanning the contents of it. Inside, there were two to three rolls of gauze, a few rolls of ace bandages, one roll of tape, a box of butterfly bandages, a pair of bandage scissors, and a bottle of antiseptic solution. She figured that the butterfly bandages were going to be most useful for her injuries. It seemed that there was almost enough to take care of the girls temporarily. At least until Applejack and Rainbow Dash could reach a hospital. Closing the bag back up, Rarity looked over at Cassidy.

“Cassidy, would you mind keeping an eye on Twilight and Sunset for us?” asked Rarity. “We need to tend to our injuries.”

Cassidy nodded. “Yep, I sure can.”

Cassidy walked over to the bleachers, making sure not to startle Twilight Sparkle. As she sat down on the ground, next to where Sunset was lying, she heard the sound of shuffling feet. Looking up, she saw that Twilight had moved into the corner at the top of the bleachers. She shifted her gaze back to Sunset and realized that she was the reason Twilight had moved away. The redhead turned in her unconscious state and was now facing Twilight. Reaching over her, Cassidy heard a gasp come from the top of the bleachers. Sighing, she adjusted her hoodie around her body, keeping her covered in case any passers-by happened to walk past.

“Wow, I didn’t think that someone could be this afraid of their friend…” thought Cassidy as she stared at the sleeping redhead. “Especially someone who risked their lives for them.”

While Cassidy was sitting near Sunset Shimmer, Rarity wrapped an ace bandage around Rainbow Dash’s ankle. She heard the athlete wince in pain as she tightened the cloth bandage around it. She gave her an apologetic look as she sighed and continued. Rarity knew that it would hurt, but a sprained ankle needed to be taken care of before any more damage occurred. She wrapped the remainder of the ace bandage onto Rainbow Dash’s swollen ankle, securing it with a safety pin.

“There we go. Your ankle should start feeling a bit better, Dash,” said Rarity as she got to her feet. “Just try to limit how much you are on it if you can.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “What am I going to do about basketball practice on Monday?”

“Rest your ankle,” replied Rarity. “I’m sure that Coach Bluegrass will understand.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and got up onto her feet, careful not to put too much weight on her sprained ankle. The feeling of blood rushing to her foot made her take a deep breath as she tried to keep from giving in to the pain. She limped over to sit on the bleachers, next to Cassidy and Sunset Shimmer. As Rainbow Dash sat down beside Cassidy, she sighed in relief. It felt good to get off her leg, mostly because of the throbbing. Looking up, she had noticed that Twilight was no longer sitting where she had been earlier. Now, she was as far away from her and Sunset as the bleachers would allow.

Rainbow Dash looked at Cassidy. “Why did Twilight move away?”

Cassidy pointed to the redhead’s sleeping form. “Her.”

“Wow,Twilight is that afraid?” asked Rainbow Dash, glancing from Sunset to Twilight. “I didn’t think that she was that scared of Sunset.”

Cassidy looked down at Sunset, seeing the serene look on her face. “I didn’t either. I guess we were both wrong.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at the unconscious redhead, thankful that both Rainbow Dash and Cassidy blocked some part of her view of Sunset. Her skin had gotten coated in sweat, despite the cold air around her. She was also shaking, but she couldn’t tell if that was because she was scared. Or if it was the byproduct of having the chilly air against her moist skin. For a moment, she tried to look away, to focus on something else. However, Twilight felt her attention slowly getting drawn back to the redhead. Hard as she had tried, she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from her. Something, maybe worry, or concern was keeping her from looking away despite her growing fear.

There seemed to be an almost peaceful look on Sunset’s face, yet it had gotten intermingled with the grimace of pain. That made Twilight take a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down a little bit. After all, she hadn’t suffered nearly as many injuries. And the rational part of her mind was screaming at her for panicking over someone who posed no threat to her. She watched Sunset’s chest rise and fall with every breath she took. The sight of her looking so vulnerable made Twilight realize that maybe she was still the same person underneath. That, despite her change of appearance, she was still her friend. However, that did very little to ease the pain caused by Sunset choosing to keep it from her.

With her wrist in an ace bandage and placed in a homemade sling, Applejack walked over to where Rainbow Dash and Cassidy were sitting. She sat down in front of Twilight Sparkle on the last row of the bleachers. Applejack looked behind her and noticed that Twilight had moved away. Yet, the cowgirl also saw that she seemed concerned for her, despite the still apparent fear in her eyes.

Turning to Rainbow Dash, Applejack asked, “Why did-”

“Sunset,” replied Rainbow Dash, already knowing what Applejack’s question was going to be.

“Oh, okay,” said Applejack as she looked at Sunset Shimmer. “Do you think that Sunset is going to be alright?”

“I don’t know, AJ. We’ll just have to see if and when she gets up,” replied Rainbow Dash as she met the cowgirl’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer’s mind was reeling. Her eyes flickered back and forth underneath her eyelids rapidly as she entered into REM sleep. It was evident that she was somewhere else at the moment. Somewhere safe from the danger of Springtrap and the painful reality of Twilight fearing her. Sunset was somewhere where she would be alone. Somewhere that was far from the field of battle.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer woke up in her apartment. The sun was shining in through her window, blinding her as she opened her eyes. Blinking, her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness surrounding her. As she looked around, she noticed that her bedroom appeared so much brighter than usual. Much brighter than if the actual sun was lighting it up. However, that was the only thing that was out of place. Everything else was normal as if she was indeed back in her apartment. Sunset decided to go check it out. Tossing the covers off of her, she got out of her bed. She ran downstairs and looked out her window. And what she expected to see was the street, the neighboring houses, the ones which always seemed to be neat, someone walking their dog, a tree. Sunset expected something, but all that was outside her window was white.

“What the-where the hell is my street? Hell, where is anything?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she opened her window.

Sunset looked down, seeing that the ground was the same whiteness that was all around her. It seemed that there was no sky, no land, just whiteness for as far as the eye could see. Closing her window, she sighed. This wasn’t normal; she knew that much. Sunset looked down and was shocked by what she saw. She had her actual hands back. No claws, just her usual fingers. That made her bolt to her bathroom, flinging the door open as she ran to her mirror. Looking at her reflection, Sunset was thrilled to see that her usual appearance had returned.

“I am normal again!” exclaimed Sunset Shimmer as she saw that her eyes no longer had an inky blackness surrounding them.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang coming from the kitchen. Turning off the bathroom light, Sunset ran out to see what caused the noise. As she walked past the doorway, she grabbed the wooden bat that she always kept nearby. She held it up as she quietly made her way to the kitchen. Just as she was about to walk in, she heard the sound of water running and stopped.

“What are they doing?” thought Sunset Shimmer as she gripped the bat tighter.

Walking into her kitchen area, what Sunset Shimmer saw in front of her made her drop the bat immediately. In front of her was her pony self, just standing there in her kitchen. It looked exactly like her, down to her coat color, the style she always had her mane and tail in, even her cutie mark was the same. Sunset covered her mouth as she saw herself lift the kettle, surrounding it in a reddish aura. As her pony self turned around to face her, she saw that even her eyes looked exactly like hers.

“Ahhh!!” screamed Sunset Shimmer, backing away from her pony self.

“Hello, Sunset,” said the redhead’s pony self, sounding calm despite the awkward situation. “Shall I explain what is going on?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded, unable to speak to herself. It was just too weird to see her pony self talking to her and sounding exactly like her. It was slightly too odd of a visual for her to handle.

“Okay, how to explain this…” Sunset’s pony self grabbed a cup from the cupboard. “I am, essentially, your conscience. Just in a form that is easy for you to handle.”

“Easy to handle?! I am looking at myself as a pony. How the fuck is that easy to handle?” asked Sunset Shimmer, finally finding her voice.

“Okay, admittedly, I could have chosen a better form. But come on, you can’t say that you don’t admire your pony self, right?” asked Sunset’s conscience, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, you are, after all, a cute pony.”

Sunset Shimmer blinked, dazed by what her conscience just said. She didn’t think that her conscience would say that she was cute as a pony. This was not a normal conversation to be having with herself. Then again, talking to her conscience while it was in the form of her pony body was also not normal. Yet, here she was having that very conversation. Sunset walked closer to her conscience, noting how much taller when she was standing next to her pony form.

“Well… maybe. Not that I think Twilight would feel the same,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed the kettle.

The redhead’s conscience groaned. “What is it with you doubting Twilight’s love for you?”

“What?” asked Sunset Shimmer, looking at her conscience, trying to ignore the weirdness of the situation.

“You always doubt that Twilight could accept who you are, that she’ll accept you despite your past, and that she has feelings for you.” Sunset’s conscience took a sip of her tea.

“I-I don’t do that!” Sunset Shimmer said as she poured some of the water into her cup. After a few seconds of seeing her conscience giving her a look that seemed to say ‘Really? You want to go with that?” she sighed. “Okay… maybe I do.”

“Oh, you don’t say?” asked the redhead’s conscience, laughing at her a little bit.

“Can we get back to why the hell I am here in this fucked up version of my apartment?” asked Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to talk about Twilight and the mistakes in her judgment.

Sunset’s conscience sighed and grabbed her cup of tea. “Sure.”

Both Sunset Shimmer and her conscience walked over to the couch, sitting on either end. The air had gotten filled with a heavy silence as neither one said a word. It was evident that the redhead was a bit unnerved with staring at herself as a pony. However, she wanted to get it over with so that the weird situation could end. She looked at her conscience, waiting for the conversation to continue.

“Well, I have brought you here for one reason,” started Sunset’s conscience.

“And that reason is…?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“To congratulate you,” replied the redhead’s conscience.

“What?” Sunset Shimmer couldn’t believe what she just heard. “You want to congratulate me? For what?”

“For fighting for Twilight, showing her what you really looked like at the Fall Formal.” Sunset’s conscience moved closer to her. “That was a courageous thing to do.”

Sunset felt uncomfortable with being close to her pony self. It wasn’t right. Yet, she found herself glued to the spot where she was sitting. She couldn’t move, not that she was actively trying to move either. Looking down at her hands, Sunset replayed the events that happened before she entered this weird dream world. The look of terror on Twilight’s face when she started talking to her haunted her. And although it hurt, it was also nice to finally let her see what had happened to her the night of the Fall Formal.

Turning to her conscience, Sunset Shimmer said, “Yeah, it was a pretty brave thing to do. But at what cost? Twilight is terrified of me.”

“Yes, Twilight is scared right now. Give her time. Let her calm down, then tell her the truth when she asks for it,” replied the redhead’s conscience, resting her equine muzzle on her arm. “Also, mind giving me a scratch behind the ear?”

Sunset Shimmer looked at her conscience, wide-eyed and shocked by what she just heard. “You want me to do what now?!”

“Scratch me behind the ear?” asked Sunset’s conscience again, sounding as innocent as she could.

“Do you realize how weird that would be right now?” Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “I don’t think that I can scratch… myself behind the ear. And even saying that is not right.”

The redhead’s conscience protruded her bottom lip, her eyes widening into the classic puppy dog eyes. She inched closer to Sunset, closing the few inches that were between them. “Please?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed and gave in. “Fine, but I am glad that this isn’t real.”

Sunset gave her pony self a scratch behind the ear, realizing just how warm her body was to the touch. Something else that caught her off guard was how soft her fur was as well. Sure, back in Equestria, she was always taking some time to make sure that she was presentable. However, she never really noticed just what it did to her fur. Not until now, as she was losing herself in running her hand through it. As Sunset sat there doing that, she felt her eyes begin to close without her consent. Eventually, a few seconds later, she collapsed. Her head was now resting on the chest of her pony self. As her eyes fully closed, she saw a world of darkness surround her.

*** *** *** ***

Fluttershy, who was now sitting on the bleachers next to Applejack, looked down at Sunset Shimmer. Rarity had done what she could to bandage up her arm, but it was a temporary fix at best. Although thanks to her efforts, her pain had gotten lessened. She had heard Sunset moan as if she was coming back to consciousness. Watching her, Fluttershy saw her arm move slowly towards her eyes. And moments later, Sunset opened her eyes and glanced at her.

“Fl-Fluttershy?” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was raspy, and her throat also felt dry as she tried to speak. “Is… that you?”

Sunset Shimmer blinked, her eyes trying to adjust to the sudden appearance of the sun. As her vision started to get clearer, she saw that Fluttershy had some gauze on her arm, right where she had gotten injured. She noticed that Applejack was sitting next to her and giving her a concerned look as their eyes met. Yet, when Sunset shifted her gaze upward, that was when she realized that Twilight had moved from her spot, still cowering away from her. She looked down when she saw that Twilight was scared of her. She pushed herself off of the grass, feeling the hoodie on top of her. She grabbed it, trying to keep her chest and back covered as best as she could. Every move Sunset made caused more of the dried blood on her skin to crack off.

“Woah, Sunset. Don’t move too much,” said Fluttershy as she rested her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, just above the scars.

“Wh-why is Twilight up there?” Sunset Shimmer’s throat screamed at her to stop talking. It was very raw, and that was most notable whenever she spoke.

“Because, sugarcube, Twilight is afraid.” Applejack adjusted her stetson. “And you know what she is afraid of.”

“Me…” The redhead sighed and looked down at her hands. The reality of the fact that she still had her demonic appearance dawned on her as she saw that her hands were still claws. Lowering her hands, she turned to lean against the bleachers. “Has Twilight said anything to you guys?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Nope, Twilight hasn’t said a single word. It’s not like her to be this quiet. Do you think that seeing you go all ‘Demon Shimmer’ is what did that?”

“Probably, Dash. Twilight has never seen me like… that. And you girls only ever saw that at the…” Sunset Shimmer stopped. She didn’t want to reveal when that had happened, not here. Not right now.

“Yeah, we know,” said Pinkie Pie as she skipped over to where Sunset and the girls were. Her hand had gotten bandaged in a fashion that made her look like she was getting ready to box. “Just give Twilight some time.”

“That’s what my conscience also said…” thought Sunset Shimmer as she stared at her hands.

Meanwhile, Susie and the rest of the kids were standing around Springtrap. Gabriel had grabbed the flame torch and was lighting him on fire again, burning off any remaining gasoline. Besides, he was having fun getting revenge against his killer. He could see the flames charring the mummified corpse inside the animatronic suit — the body of the person that was once William Afton. Now, all that remained of him was a gooey plastic mess trapped inside of a metal cage. And that pleased the kids, especially after all the torture they had endured. It was oddly freeing watching William getting what he deserved.

Susie turned to Jeremy. “Do you think that we’ll finally be free now that William is gone?”

“I hope so.” Jeremy looked back at the girls, seeing that the redhead was now awake. “After all the girls had to sacrifice for us, I hope it pays off.”

Fritz nodded. “Yeah, me too. I don’t want to be trapped in this body anymore.”

“None of us do,” added Cassidy as she looked at Sunset Shimmer. “But we all got trapped. Let’s just hope that William’s defeat will free us.”

Just then, the bushes nearby rustled, catching everyone’s attention. As the kids looked at the moving shrubbery, they prepared themselves to fight whatever may pop out at them. Slowly, rising out the bushes came a long spindly hand that was followed by an arm. The kids got a good look at the arm and saw the very familiar white bands going from its wrist to its forearm. That made them all exchange looks of worry and recognition. More of the mysterious figure became unveiled as they stepped out of the bushes. Now that they were standing in the sunlight, it was clear that it was the Marionette. The very animatronic that had attacked Sunset Shimmer that night.

“Charlotte?!” exclaimed Susie as she saw who it was.

The Marionette, or rather Charlotte, nodded.”Yes, it’s me, Susie. I am actually here.”

“But how?!” Cassidy ran up to her friend. “We never saw you here.”

“Don’t you remember what Sunset said to us?” asked Gabriel. “Charlotte had gotten captured, and Springtrap kept her with him.”

“Oh, right.” Cassidy turned to Gabriel. “But that still doesn’t explain how Charlotte is here now.”

Charlotte stepped closer to the kids. “Same way you guys got here, through the magic or whatever.” She looked at the bleachers. “Is Sunset Shimmer here?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, Sunset is. See the redhead with the hoodie over her?”

“Yeah?” said Charlotte as she looked at who Jeremy was pointing at.

“That is Sunset,” continued Jeremy. “Do you want to talk to her?”

“Yes, please,” replied Charlotte. “I have to apologize for attacking Sunset.”

With that, all the kids walked over to the girls, keeping Charlotte hidden behind them. They decided to stand around Sunset, allowing her to see their friend. However, as soon as the redhead saw Charlotte, her eyes widened, and she tried to back up. But the bleachers behind prevented her from being able to do any of that. And with her body already so weak, she couldn’t even stand. Sunset felt a robotic hand rest on her shoulder. Looking, she realized that it was Cassidy who had placed her hand on her, kneeling next to her.

“Relax, Sunset. She won’t hurt you. This,” Cassidy gestured to her friend, “is Charlotte, our friend.”

“Charlotte?” asked Sunset Shimmer. “So, you’re the one who attacked me?”

“Yeah… sorry about that, by the way.” Charlotte looked away, avoiding the redhead’s gaze. “I tried not to hurt you too much…”

Sunset Shimmer recognized the look of shame that Charlotte was trying to hide from her. It was the same she had when she had gotten defeated at the Fall Formal. After her attempt at killing the girls had failed. It was guilt and regret. Still gripping her hoodie tightly around her body, Sunset moved forward. She closed the distance between her and Charlotte.

“It’s okay, Charlotte, I know what it’s like to have magic that you have no power over using you,” said Sunset Shimmer as she met what would have been the girl’s eyes. “It’s how I became… this.”

Charlotte smiled, or at least, she did on the inside. Being able to make visible facial expressions was something that she missed. “Thank you, Sunset. I am happy to see that William finally got what he deserved for trapping us all in here.”

Sunset sat back against the bleachers, her injuries still hurting. As she leaned back, she glanced up at Twilight Sparkle. She could see that she hadn’t moved from her spot. And though she tried to hide it, Sunset could tell that she was still trembling. It was painful to see the fearful reaction to her appearance. However, she knew that there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. So, she sighed and returned her attention to Charlotte.

"Hey, Charlotte?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she realized that the kids’ friend seemed different from them.

Charlotte sat down in front of the redhead. “What is it?”

“Why are you different from your friends? They all seemed to have forgotten who they were when they got here, but not you.” Sunset Shimmer rested an arm on her knee. “Why is that?”

Charlotte sighed, making Twilight Sparkle jump in response. “Sadly, unlike my friends, I couldn’t just forget. See, I met my fate quite differently than they did.”

“You did?” Sunset Shimmer was surprised to hear that. She figured that all the kids had gotten killed in pretty much the same gruesome manner.

“Yeah. You have seen all my friends’ memories, right?” asked Charlotte.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, knowing where the conversation was going.

“Do you think that you have enough strength to see my memories?” continued Charlotte. “I can tell that you’re not doing too well.”

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “I think I can handle it.”

Hearing that, Charlotte offered her hand for Sunset to take. She knew that she would need physical contact to allow her to see her memories. Or at least that is what Charlotte gathered from the garbled nonsense that Springtrap went on about. She never could manage to understand half of what he rambled on about, especially when the Phantoms came back. Having the added presence of them had been very annoying for her. Bracing herself, Charlotte felt Sunset grab her hand. As she watched the redhead’s eyes flash white, she knew what she was seeing.

*** *** *** ***

Charlotte was running around outside, trying desperately to avoid William Afton, who was right behind her. She could see the ax blade glinting in the moonlight as he attempted to swing it at her. Luckily, she ducked, making him hit a tree and lodge the ax in the trunk. That bought her some time to distance herself. As she turned the corner, Charlotte saw the front door leading to Freddy Fazbear’s pizzeria. She looked behind her, but she didn’t see William anywhere. However, as Charlotte turned around, she realized that he was ready to swing the ax in front of her. She tried to duck and avoid the blade again, but she wasn’t fast enough. It struck her forehead, cutting a deep gash in her skull with a loud crack.

“Gah, you were a slippery motherfucker,” said William Afton as he yanked out the ax and picked up Charlotte’s now dead body. “Let’s just bury you now.”

The memory shifted to a deserted place in a heavily wooded area. William was digging a hole underneath two very massive willow trees. He was breathing heavily, evident by the small visible cloud that formed every time he exhaled. His shirt had gotten thrown to the side, covered in Charlotte’s blood. Her body was lying next to the hole, her forehead coated in dried blood from the gash. William got out of the hole and dragged Charlotte’s corpse to the edge. Letting a sinister smile show, he kicked it into the dirt hole. Her body hit the dirt with a solid thud.

“Okay, now to pile on the dirt,” mumbled William Afton as he grabbed the shovel he had used earlier and began to toss the dug dirt back into the hole again.

As William continued to shovel dirt back into the hole, the memory changed again. This time, they had returned to the restaurant. As the new memory moved along, the scenery shifted from the main room as Charlotte’s ghost headed towards the backroom where most of the most murders had happened. She was standing in the corner as she watched Cassidy getting forced into Golden Freddy. The sound of bones crunching along with her skin ripping, was loud and echoed in the almost empty room. Charlotte gasped, turning her head away from the sickening sight.

The memory shifted again, and now they were on the stage. One by one, Charlotte witnessed each of the kids getting shoved into an animatronic. Over and over again, the sound of bones getting crunched and skin ripping echoed. It was almost deafening in the now-empty and otherwise quiet restaurant. Jeremy’s demise was the most painful to watch as he was so young and innocent. The worst death of them all, though, was Fritz’s. Watching him get shoved inside of Bonnie, with his arms tucked in with him, made Charlotte’s nonexistent gag reflex almost kick in. However, she braved through it, watching as Susie was next.

Finally, after a few more agonizing minutes had passed, Charlotte saw Gabriel walking out onto the stage. The image grew blurry as she stood there watching these horrific murders while tears somehow streamed down her cheeks, knowing that there was nothing that she could do to stop it from happening. Yet, that knowledge only worsened Charlotte’s pain as she struggled to continue watching Gabriel’s demise. Then the memory faded to black as the final scene played out.

Charlotte was now standing in front of Freddy. As she touched his arm, she said, “Gabriel, awaken.”

Charlotte did this for all the kids, including Cassidy, whose body was slowly rotting away in the back room where the suit had remained. As each kid became aware, the animatronics’ eyes glowed as if they were now on. Cassidy had followed Charlotte out onto the main stage, standing next to Gabriel. Seeing the two Freddy animatronics next to each other, it was remarkable how alike they looked. Thankfully, their colors were different, keeping them being confused with the other. Charlotte stepped out in front of all of them, making sure that she was in their line of sight.

“Hello, Gabriel, Susie, Cassidy, Jeremy, and Fritz,” said Charlotte.

“Who are you?” asked Jeremy.

“I…” began Charlotte, “am Charlotte. The first victim of William Afton.”

*** *** *** ***

As the memory faded away, Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes. She took a deep breath as she tried to push Charlotte’s memories aside for the moment. As she looked around, she saw something that she didn’t expect to see. In front of her were the kids’ souls. They looked like what one would expect for a ghost. The kids’ spirits were see-through and floating in mid-air. And their animatronic bodies that had once been their vessels were now gone. Sunset assumed that they had returned to the game now that the kids had gotten freed from them. She looked at each kid, realizing that they looked just like they did when they had gotten killed. Their clothes, their hair, everything, it was all the same. It was very surreal for Sunset. Up until now, she had only ever seen them look like that in their memories. Yet, to finally see them in front of her, it made her smile.

“Is that really what you guys look like?” asked Pinkie Pie as she waved her hand through Jeremy’s arm. “It’s so cool.”

“Yeah, this is what we actually look like,” replied Cassidy as she and Charlotte approached Sunset Shimmer. “Um, Sunset?”

“Yeah?” asked Sunset Shimmer, her voice breaking as she was trying to keep herself from crying.

“Thank you,” said Cassidy.

“Thank you for freeing us from our captor and allowing us to move on,” added Charlotte. “It’s about time that we got to return home to our families.

Sunset Shimmer let out a sniffle. “Yeah, I think so too.”

Pinkie Pie joined the rest of the girls as they all stood up, minus Twilight Sparkle, who still chose to remain in her spot. They all huddled around the kids. It was a bittersweet moment for all of them as they realized what was happening. Pinkie Pie was a sobbing mess, heaving away as she leaned on Fluttershy’s shoulder. Rarity let a few tears fall as she tried not to ruin her mascara in the process. She hadn’t worn her usual waterproof one, and she didn’t want to look like a mess while saying goodbye. Sunset Shimmer, meanwhile, was managing to keep her waterworks at bay, although it was hard for her. Yet, a few tears still slipped down her cheeks. The one who wasn’t actively crying was Applejack, but even she shed a tear or two as well. Even Rainbow Dash was crying, despite her attempts to keep her cool with the girls. And Fluttershy was sobbing alongside Pinkie Pie.

It was indeed a sad yet happy moment between the girls and the kids. Their journey together, although long and hard, had finally accomplished what they had all wanted. The kids were now free to return to their families. As Sunset used Applejack for support, Jeremy and the kids looked at Twilight Sparkle. They decided between themselves that they couldn't go without saying goodbye to her before they left. Leaving the rest of the girls, they all walked over to her.

“Hey, Twi?" asked Jeremy. “My friends and I just wanted to say that we are thankful you and your friends saved us.”

Twilight Sparkle lowered her wings a little bit, revealing that she was also crying. ‘Y-you’re welcome…” Her voice came out low and weak as she still didn’t want to speak.

“Yeah, it was nice to get to know all of you,” said Susie as she turned to the rest of the girls. “I am sure going to miss you all.”

“We all will,” Gabriel said as he walked back over to the girls. The rest of the kids soon joined him as they left Twilight alone. “We’ll never forget you.”

“You Pinkie Promise?” asked Pinkie Pie as she met Gabriel’s gaze.

“Yes, Pinkie. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” replied Gabriel as he recited the Pinkie Promise as he had gotten shown.

“Good. You better not break it, or I will know,” added Pinkie Pie as she motioned from her eyes to his.

All the kids gathered in front of the girls. They all did a group hug, which surprisingly worked. It seemed that just because the kids were see-through, it didn’t stop them from having physical contact if they wanted to. Soon after, the hug broke apart. Still teary-eyed, the girls stood back in their original positions as they watched the kids walk away from them. One by one, each of the kids’ souls faded away as the sun began to set in front of them. The sky was lit up with reds and yellows, making it look like the sky was on fire. The light illuminated the silhouettes of the kids’ spirits, which made them look even more out of this world.

The first of the kids to go was Charlotte. Next was Cassidy, quickly followed by Gabriel. Then Susie and Fritz disappeared after them. Finally, only Jeremy was the only one left standing on the soccer field. He turned back for a moment, giving the girls a final wave before his soul vanished as well. As a breeze passed the girls, they could hear the last thank you echo from the kids.

“The kids really are gone, aren’t they?” asked Fluttershy, turning to Sunset Shimmer.

“Y-yeah, they are…” Sunset Shimmer felt herself become woozy. “I think I better sit down.”

That was the last thing Sunset Shimmer said as she felt her legs start to tremble beneath her. She tried to grip onto Applejack’s shoulder as her eyes began to drift close. However, a few seconds later, she collapsed to the ground, too weak to stand anymore. Applejack and Fluttershy managed to catch her and safely set her on the grass. Rarity walked over and looked at Fluttershy as she stood next to her girlfriend.

“Do you think it was seeing Charlotte’s memories that caused this?” asked Rarity.

“Well, that didn’t help Sunset’s condition. I think she passed out because she is exhausted and has lost quite a bit of blood,” replied Applejack. “Problem is, who’s gonna take Sunset home? Cause Dash and I have to get to a hospital. And don’t you have that deadline, Rare?”

“Yeah, unfortunately, I do.” Rarity heard Twilight Sparkle shift on the bleachers, making her look up just in time to see her lowering her wings. She turned her attention back to the girls, saying, “Which means I can’t take her home myself.”

“And I have to check on the animal shelter after this,” said Fluttershy as she looked at Pinkie Pie.

“Well, I wish that I could. But after this, I am going to have to work overtime to make sure that Sugarcube Corner has gotten prepped for tomorrow,” replied Pinkie Pie, knowing what the girls were going to ask.

Twilight Sparkle watched the redhead fall. That was enough to make her get up and walk shakily over to the girls. Although she hadn’t said a single word to her, she had been paying attention. She heard what the redhead had said to Charlotte before she left. And hearing that, it was enough to ease some of Twilight’s fear. Not much, but enough that she could fathom the idea of being the one who was taking the redhead home. After hearing that all the girls couldn’t do it, she realized that she had no choice. Someone had to take her home, and that person had to be her. Sighing, Twilight forced herself to speak.

“I-I can take Sunset home,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to find her voice.

“Are you sure about that, dear?” asked Rarity as she looked at Twilight. “We can see that you’re still frightened of Sunset.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I know that I have been scared of Sunset for a while now. But I am the only one who can take her home. Besides, I think me and her have some things to talk about when she wakes up.”

“Okay, if you are sure,” said Applejack. “Just be gentle with Sunset, okay?”

“I will,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

With that, the girls all started to leave the soccer field, heading to their respective destinations. Twilight Sparkle gulped and slipped her arms underneath Sunset. Her left arm was under Sunset’s knees while her right was resting against her wings. Lifting her from the ground, she struggled not to lose her balance. Once Twilight was fully upright, she sighed. It seemed that Sunset’s leathery appendages added more weight to her body. She looked down when she felt Sunset wrap her arm around her neck, almost as if she was secretly aware of who was now carrying her. She gasped softly and froze up for a moment. However, that didn’t seem to stop her from also resting her hand on Twilight’s chest. Trying her best to ignore the fact that she was now carrying a naked Sunset bridal style in her arms, Twilight took off into the air.

“I love you, Sunset Shimmer. And I wish I could tell you that, but I am not sure that I can see you as the same Sunset I fell in love with,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she carried the redhead higher into the air.

Author's Note

I am not ready to say goodbye to the kids yet! Not when I had so much fun getting to know them. Oh well, it’s time they got to be reunited with their families. After all, it has been many decades since they last saw them... Maybe Charlotte can come back and visit sometime. In the meantime, I will be using up the last of my tissues to hold my broken heart together. Let me know what y’all think of this chapter. Do you think that Sunset and Twilight will be able to repair their friendship? Aside from bidding farewell to the kids, whom I never expected to grow attached to, I had a ton of fun writing the scene with Sunset and her conscience.

Last Light of Sunlight: Is this Farewell?

Violet Night was sitting on a picnic blanket next to the creek with Sasha by her side. A wicker basket was seated between the two of them, filled with sandwiches, potato chips, and soda cans. The sun was setting, making the clearing look like a picturesque spot straight from a painting. And both girls were enjoying the sight and the quiet of the evening. As Violet pulled out a bag of chips, she felt an itch on her thigh. She knew what it was and tried to ignore it. However, it wasn’t going away, forcing her to scratch at it and hope that none of her scales would come off. Violet pulled her hand away and looked at Sasha.

“You saw that, didn’t you?” asked Violet Night.

“Yep,” replied Sasha. “How come you haven’t shifted already?”

“Because I hate how I look in that form, even if you don’t mind it,” replied Violet Night, opening the bag of potato chips.

“Oh. Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to shift, but I won’t,” said Sasha as she took a sip of her soda. “Honestly, I am kind of jealous that you get to be half snake whenever you want, mostly.”

“That’s because you love snakes. I mean, the amount of snake-related items in your bedroom is concerning.” Violet Night popped a chip into her mouth. “I, on the other hand, don’t like snakes.”

“How can you not like them? You’re literally part snake,” asked Sasha.

“Exactly. I am half-snake, but not by choice, Sasha,” replied Violet Night, looking down at her legs. “My mother did this to me and then left when she saw the monstrosity that I had become.”

Sasha moved closer to Violet Night, grabbing hold of her hand. “I’m sorry that your mother did that to you. It pains me to see you so hurt by her actions. I know that I can’t force you to accept what you are, but I wish I could help you see that it isn’t as bad.”

Sasha’s words made Violet Night feel guilty for being ungrateful about her support. She remembered when Sasha first found out how supportive she had been once she could get past the large snake tail. And she had remained supportive, no matter what Violet had shown her, which she was grateful for. Violet looked at her legs, a part of her wanting to stop holding back and shift. She could feel more of her scales pushing outward as they forced themselves through her skin and making her feel even itchier. Glancing up at Sasha, she sighed and squeezed her hand.

“I know, and you have helped me see that it isn't as bad as I once thought it was,” said Violet Night. “So, do you really want to see me shift, Sash?”

“Yeah, I do, Vi. I want to see you shift because I love seeing you being comfortable with it,” replied Sasha. “I adore the way you coil your tail whenever you are nervous.”

“Wow, you seriously analyze everything about that part of me, don’t you?” asked Violet Night as she let go of Sasha’s hand and stood up.

“Hey, I can’t help it. You’re half-snake, and I adore snakes,” replied Sasha, taking a chip from Violet’s bag of potato chips. “What did you expect?”

As Violet Night pulled her shirt over her head, she felt her body heat up. Her transformation was close to happening; she could feel it brimming underneath her skin. Kicking off her shoes, she was grateful that there was grass underneath her. She undid the button and zipper on her jeans as she pulled them off. And just as she pulled off her underwear, Violet saw more of her scales appear as her thighs started to fuse together. She gritted her teeth as the changes took hold and moved down her legs. It was painful, but she was slowly getting used to the pain, especially since she had Sasha there with her.

“Are you okay?” asked Sasha as she watched Violet’s leg shift and lengthen into her tail.

“Y-yeah, just trying to push through the pain right now,” replied Violet Night, closing her eyes as her spine extended into her tail. “I am glad that I have you with me this time.”

Sasha patted the spot next to her, saying, “Sit down and let me hold you. It seems more painful when you’re trying to stand while shifting.”

Violet Night smiled and sat next to her best friend. However, as she felt Sasha wrap her arms around her waist, she froze. “A-are you sure that you want to hold me there right now?”

“Yes, I am sure. I have been kind of curious to see what it feels like when your scales spread to your abdomen,” said Sasha. “Wow, you are warm. Is that why you took off your shirt?”

“Mhm. My normal body temperature spikes up when I shift, but it drops back down to a slightly lower than average temperature,” replied Violet Night. “Sometimes, I can keep my shirt on, but I don’t like being hot.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Sasha said as she felt the scales of Violet’s tail creep up underneath her hand. “Woah, that feels weird, but also super cool. D-do you mind if I run my hand on your scales?”

Violet Night took Sasha’s hand and moved it lower, saying, “Have at it. I am okay with you wanting to explore it. Besides, it's better than having you being scared of me.”

Sasha slowly let her fingertips trace the edges of Violet’s scales as she made her way down the length of her tail. They were smooth and soft to the touch. Yet, she didn’t expect them to be so warm, considering most snakes felt cool. She pulled her hand just as Violet’s transformation had finished. Sasha felt Violet coil her tail around her body as she shifted away from her. Taking a deep breath, she tried not to freak out at the sensation.

Violet Night noticed that and stopped. “Is this too much?”

“N-no, I am just surprised is all, Vi. You’ve never wrapped your tail around me,” replied Sasha.

“I know, I was scared to before. I thought maybe you’d be okay if I did this, especially since you seemed so curious about my tail,” said Violet Night. “I can stop if you want me to.”

Sasha smiled, saying, “It’s okay, Vi. I kind of like how it feels around me; just don’t tighten it too much, please.”

“I won’t do that. I promise, Sash,” replied Violet Night as she rested a hand on Sasha’s shoulder. “Besides, what would I do without you?”

“You’d be lost without me,” said Sasha, grabbing the bag of potato chips. “And now you’re going to be chipless too.”

Violet Night tried to grab the bag of chips from Sasha but was too slow. Just as her fingertips grazed the bottom of it, Sasha pulled it away. She made another attempt and got bested once more by the smaller girl. For a moment, she considered tightening her tail a little bit more but thought better of it. Violet didn’t want to scare her, not when she was just beginning to feel comfortable with her snake side. However, just as she went to go for another attempt to grab the chips, they both heard the bushes around them rustle.

“What was that Sasha?” asked Violet Night as she looked behind her.

“I-I don’t know, Violet,” replied Sasha, tensing up as she tried to listen for the sound.

Just then, the bushes rustled again. Both girls turned to face the moving shrubbery in front of them. Stepping out of the bushes were five scientists, their white lab coats making them stand out from the greenery around them. Two of them were male, while the other three were females. One of the female scientists approached the girls, which made Violet Night tighten her tail defensively. The scientist smiled, seemingly admiring the sheer size and muscle of Violet’s tail. She went to touch it but had gotten met with a hiss.

“Oh, protective one, aren’t you? You truly are an amazing specimen. It’s a shame that your mother was too scared of you and ran away,” said the female scientist.

‘Who the fuck are you?” asked Violet Night. “And how do you know my mother?”

“My name is Vanessa, Violet. And I know your mother as she was my sister,” replied Vanessa.

“Sister? I didn’t know that my mother had any siblings,” said Violet Night.

“Well, your mother never talked about me much. However, she did fill me in on everything she did to you. And I have eyes on a certain pair of students at your school.” Vanessa walked up and kneeled next to Sasha, running her fingers along Violet’s tail. “And, I need your help to obtain them for testing.”

“And why the hell would I help you with that?” asked Violet Night. “Besides, I don’t even know who you want me to kidnap.”

“Twilight Sparkle and her little redhead friend, Sunset Shimmer,” replied Vanessa. “I want you to kidnap those two for me.”

“No!” shouted Violet Night. “I won’t help you to do that. Twilight and Sunset will not be your test subjects!”

“Then I’ll make you my test subject! And once I have figured out how my dear sister made you, I will sell you and that secret genetic code of yours to the biggest buyer. You’ll be nothing but an experiment to them, and I will be rich beyond belief,” replied Vanessa as she stood in front of Violet. “Or, I could just kill your friend here by injecting your venom into her system.”

Violet Night eyed the syringe as Vanessa pulled it out of her lab coat. “H-how did you get that?”

“Your mother was quite generous with me, giving copies of all of her data. She’s trusting, which is her undoing. Only the smarter survive in this world,” said Vanessa. “So, should I kill your friend here, or will you help me with my experiment?”

Violet Night gulped as she saw Vanessa hold the needle close to Sasha’s arm. She didn’t want to harm Twilight or Sunset, but she couldn’t let herself or Sasha die either. Sighing, she said, “Fine, Vanessa. I will help you kidnap Sunset and Twilight. Just please don’t hurt Sasha; I know my mother didn’t create an anti-venom for my bite.”

“Glad to see that you’ll help me. I have a friend in an old electrical building who has graciously agreed to help us as well. You’ll get to meet him in a few months to a year when I send you to his place,” said Vanessa as she put away the syringe and stepped back. “Oh, and I have created an anti-venom to your bite, not that I was going to use it for your friend here. So, it’d be best for her if you remember that in case you try to attack my partners or me.”

Vanessa and the scientists walked away, leaving Violet Night and Sasha alone. Violet relaxed her tail as she saw Sasha trying to pull it off of her. She hadn’t realized that she had tightened it during their conversation with Vanessa. As Sasha took a few deep breaths, Violet looked away, replaying what just happened.

“What the fuck just happened? And why did that crazy woman threaten to inject your venom into me?” asked Sasha, trying to understand why Vanessa seemed so interested in them.

“Because, as my apparent aunt said, Twilight and Sunset are who she wants, and she needs me to help her,” replied Violet Night. “That bitch will kill you if I don’t help her. And now, I have to kidnap Fluttershy’s friends because of her. Sunset and Twilight are going to hate me for this, and then I will likely lose Fluttershy before I ever have the chance to ask her out.”

“Well, maybe Sunset and Twilight can help you. They are brilliant, and you won’t lose Fluttershy that way either,” said Sasha, grabbing Violet’s hand in an attempt to comfort Violet.

“Do you think they’ll help after they learn that I said yes?” asked Violet Night. “I don’t want to risk your life on a risky move like that.”

“I think those two, of all people in the world, would understand that you did it to protect me,” said Sasha. “Besides, we can’t let Vanessa kidnap them and experiment on them, not unless we have a plan to stop her once and for all.”

“Okay, I will talk to the girls. I just hope they will want to help me, especially if they were to find out my condition during it,” said Violet Night as she rested her head on Sasha’s shoulder. “I don’t want them to be scared because of it.”

“Give the girls some credit, Vi. They are nice, and I think they’ll see that you are trying to help them, snake tail or no tail,” replied Sasha. “Now, how about we finish our picnic and try to relax for a little bit longer? Before we have to battle a mad scientist tomorrow?”

“That sounds good to me right about now,” replied Violet Night as Sasha handed her the potato chip bag. “I’m starving, and that fight didn’t help with that.”

*** *** *** ***

Still flying in the air, Twilight Sparkle looked down, making sure that she didn’t miss Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. She had found that having a bird’s eye view made it surprisingly easy to overlook if she wasn’t careful. The buildings below her all had the same colored roofs. Whose idea that was, Twilight didn’t know. However, right now, that wasn’t her biggest worry. Just ahead of her was her destination. Slowing down, she lowered herself as she neared the ground. Her feet hit the pavement with a soft thud as she landed. The motion caused Sunset to shift in Twilight’s arms, gripping her neck a little more tightly.

Twilight could feel her scars rubbing against Sunset’s jacket, making her cringe every time there was movement on or near them. It was nerve-wracking to think about the redhead’s claws that were touching her skin. She remembered the pain of yanking her away and feeling the blood trickle down from the lacerations. It haunted her every time she looked down at her forearm and saw the physical reminder of what happened. Twilight forced herself to ignore the feeling, knowing that Sunset was more important at the moment. Looking down at the redhead, she smiled when she saw the peaceful look on her face.

‘Well, at least the flight here didn’t bother you,” said Twilight Sparkle as she walked over to the door and twisted the doorknob, allowing it to swing open. “But now you’re getting a bit heavy.”

Twilight walked in, closing the door behind her with her foot. She carefully made her way up the stairs leading to Sunset’s bedroom. Her arms were beginning to cramp up from having to carry her weight, making Twilight want to set her down soon. Plus, she started to grow more uncomfortable holding the redhead’s naked body close to her own. And with her wings pulled up against her back, she had to struggle more than usual to keep her balance while carrying Sunset. After a few minutes of almost losing her balance and falling back down the stairs, she made it. Twilight made her way over to the redhead’s bed, gently setting her down. As she set her down, she realized that her hoodie had fallen off around her chest area. Closing her eyes, she readjusted it. After all, she didn’t feel right having Sunset being naked when she was unconscious and looking at her.

“Okay, now that you are on your bed, I am going to leave,” said Twilight Sparkle aloud.

“Is leaving Sunset really the best idea right now?” asked Twilight’s inner voice. “She is injured, after all.”

“Yes, I know that. But I can’t help Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“You can’t? Why?” asked the bookworm’s conscience.

“I can’t do it because I-I-”

“You don’t have a valid reason, do you? You’re just trying to avoid Sunset, even though she risked her life for you.” Her conscience was getting snarky, and Twilight didn’t like it.

“So, what are you suggesting? That I help Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yes,” replied Twilight’s inner voice. “Help Sunset as she helped you. Or, at the very least, clean up the blood on her body.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed. She had to admit that her conscience had a point. It would be nicer to help attend to Sunset’s injuries rather than leave her all alone to do them herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and walked down the stairs. She made her way to the bathroom, ignoring the growing ache in her arms. Twilight turned on the light and finally noticed that her arms had gotten in a small layer of blood from carrying the redhead. The red liquid was also around her neck and chest area. However, at the moment, she didn’t care. Right now, she had to take care of Sunset and her wounds. She opened the cabinet and found the first aid kit in its usual place. Twilight looked around, taking note of the shampoo bottles that she had once been confused by.

“I can see why Sunset had so much of this now,” said Twilight Sparkle as she examined the shampoo bottles.

Without wasting any more time, Twilight grabbed the first aid kit as well as a washcloth and ran out of the bathroom. She closed the door quietly, not wanting to disturb Sunset. Again, she made her way up the stairs, seeing the familiar red and yellow hair as she walked up. She could see that Sunset had shifted in her sleep. Thankfully, the hoodie had remained on her body, keeping her covered. Twilight set the kit on the bed, pushing Sunset onto her back. She knew there was an injury on her back, but she had to address the ones on her arms and chest as well as the one on her abdomen. Taking the edge of her hoodie, she pulled it up to Sunset’s chest, exposing the semi-deep cut on her stomach. While it wasn’t incredibly deep, it did have a decent length to it.

‘Wow, that is a deep cut…” Twilight Sparkle ran her hand along the edges, trying to be careful in case it hurt Sunset Shimmer.

“Sunset is only injured because she wanted to fight for you. She chose to defend you,” Twilight’s conscience said, reminding her of what Sunset had said.

“I know…” Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away, grabbing the washcloth. “I am thankful that Sunset did that, despite how I treated her.”

“Good. Now, get some water and help Sunset.” That was the last thing Twilight’s conscience said before going silent.

Twilight Sparkle made a quick trip to the kitchen sink, soaking the washcloth. Once she had done that, she started to dab the wet cloth around the laceration, carefully removing the dried blood from around it. The white washcloth turned pink as the dried blood stained it. Eventually, after a few rounds of rinsing the blood out, Twilight managed to get all the blood off Sunset’s skin. That allowed her to see the wound better. And without the blood around it, the cut was much shorter than it seemed. However, it was still pretty bad. She set the washcloth aside, grabbing the bottle of antiseptic and the bag of cotton balls.

As she soaked a cotton ball in the antiseptic, Twilight remembered when her father had done the same to help her. She also recalled how he finally got over his fear of her and managed to treat her like… normal. Something that, until now, she wasn’t doing with Sunset Shimmer. Instead, she was freaking out, avoiding her, yelling and attacking her, basically anything to make her feel worse than she already was. Yet, sitting there looking at a vulnerable Sunset, Twilight couldn’t see her as a monster.

“So, you’re finally going to treat Sunset like a normal person? Instead of a monster?” asked Twilight’s inner voice, emphasizing the word ‘monster.’

“Yes, I am,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “I think that is the least I can do to repay Sunset for defending me.”

“Good.” The bookworm’s inner voice seemed to have a smug tone. “Sunset looked hot when her muscles were flexing, right? And those toned abs…”

Twilight Sparkle felt her cheeks heat up as she played back the fight on the field. Seeing Sunset Shimmer fighting, she had to admit that watching her muscles flex was kind of sexy to her. Although she wouldn’t dare admit it to Sunset or the girls. Shaking the thoughts aside, she continued what she was doing before her inner voice tried to distract her. With the cotton ball in hand, Twilight dabbed it in and around the cut, sanitizing it. As she was about to place in the deepest part of the laceration, she saw Sunset flinch away, despite still being unconscious. She froze and waited to see what else the redhead would do. Seeing that she wasn’t going to do anything else, she continued. However, just as Twilight put the antiseptic soaked cotton ball on the wound, it seemed to trigger the redhead to grip her arm in a spastic motion. Feeling the tips of her claws on her forearm – the one with the newly formed scars – was causing Twilight to shake in panic.

“Let go, let go, let go…” whispered Twilight Sparkle underneath her breath.

Twilight tried to pull the hand away from her arm. Unfortunately, the grip was tighter than she expected, leaving her with the only option of waiting. She hoped that Sunset would release her grip soon. And emotionally, she was beginning to panic about the sensations of claws around her forearm. Twilight looked down as she tried her best to push the images of the night that she got injured aside. Thankfully, the redhead appeared to be asleep and unaware of her growing nervousness. After a few minutes ticked by, she felt the redhead’s grip loosen. Twilight sighed with relief as she felt the claws fall away from her arm.

“Whew, that was close,” said Twilight Sparkle as she wrapped her wings around herself.

After the bookworm finished up disinfecting the laceration on the redhead’s abdomen, she moved onto the claw marks on her thighs. She took the washcloth, and she rinsed it off as she started to clean around the wounds. Being careful to avoid hurting the redhead, she dabbed the skin between each cut. She looked at them and noticed that the claw marks were just as deep as hers once were. They looked exactly like the ones she had gotten; only they were much longer. The bookworm finished with one leg and moved onto the other one. Repeating the same process, she cleaned the dried blood off it. The washcloth had gotten stained a deeper shade of pink. It was almost red by the time she had finished. Sighing, she set it aside and moved the redhead onto her side. Afterward, she made her third trip to the bathroom.

“I hope that the pipe didn’t do too much damage,” thought Twilight Sparkle as she rinsed out the washcloth in the sink again.

Now, with Sunset Shimmer laying on her side, Twilight had easier access to the injury on her back. Looking, she saw that there were also several bruises up and down the redhead’s back, presumably from when she got tossed against the bleachers. Taking the washcloth, she scrubbed off the dried blood, revealing Sunset’s still red skin underneath. It was almost identical in color to the red liquid. Soon, Twilight managed to clean off any remaining blood from Sunset’s back and rolled her off of her side. Going back to the bathroom, she noticed that her pony ears and tail had disappeared. And come to think of it, Sunset’s pony-up had also disappeared. She finished up in the bathroom and headed back to the redhead’s room to finish cleaning off what blood remained before she continued disinfecting the rest of her injuries. Twilight knew that Sunset had gotten beaten up pretty badly, but this was worse than she initially thought.

“Sunset is pretty amazing, isn’t she?” asked Twilight Sparkle’s inner voice, returning to break the silence of her thoughts.

“Yes, Sunset is…” replied Twilight Sparkle as she gazed at Sunset’s sleeping form lying still on the bed. The rhythmic rising and falling of her chest was the only sign that she was alive. Otherwise, one could say she was deathly still and lifeless. It was amazing just how still Sunset could be in her sleep. Yet, Twilight had seen her restless on more than one occasion as well. “She is more than amazing. She is-”

“Beautiful? Yes, that is very true,” Twilight’s conscience finished her thought, already knowing full well what she was going to say.

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes at her conscience’s comment. Although it was correct, she didn’t much care to chat about the beauty her redheaded friend possessed at the moment. She grabbed her arm, letting her hand grip the redhead’s for the moment. It was strange to hold her hand, especially with the claws. However, once she pushed past her fear, Twilight managed to enjoy the moment. After the weeks of avoiding any kind of contact, it was nice to have something, even something as minor as holding hands. Keeping a slight grip on the redhead’s hand, she cleaned off the rest of the blood just as she had with all the other injuries. And just as she was about to finish, Twilight accidentally pulled against the wound, causing the redhead’s hand to tighten around hers.

‘It’s okay, Sunset,” whispered Twilight Sparkle as she leaned in closer to the redhead. “It’s just me.”

Sunset Shimmer let go of her hand, indicating that she heard what Twilight said. Twilight sighed and pulled her hand free of the redhead’s grip. Not wanting to wait any longer, she moved to the redhead’s other arm, cleaning up the last of the dried blood. She then began to disinfect all of the injuries, being careful to avoid hurting the redhead more. Twilight grabbed the gauze and tape and set to work patching up her wounds.

With the laceration on Sunset’s abdomen, Twilight was able to patch it up quickly. Thankfully, none of the wounds were bleeding anymore. She didn’t feel like having to change the gauze… again. Once she finished securing it to the cut, she moved onto the claw marks and scratches. One by one, Twilight applied gauze to the injuries and taped it down. Luckily, the redhead didn’t seem to mind what was happening. After a half-hour had passed, she had finally finished tending to her injuries. She walked back down the stairs and sat on the couch. And just as soon as Twilight did that, she heard her phone ping as she got a message.

Rarity: How is Sunset doing, Twilight?

Twi: Good. Although she had some pretty nasty wounds…

Rarity: It’s a brave thing you did volunteering to help Sunset. Especially considering what happened between you two these last two weeks.

Dash: Yeah. Why did you volunteer anyway, Twi?

Twi: I did it just to be helpful. Plus… I figured I had to do something in return for what Sunset did.

AJ: Yeah, what Sunset did was pretty amazing. Although I wished she hadn’t gotten injured so severely.

Shy: We all do, AJ.

Pinkie: Yep! So, Twi, have you forgiven Sunset for keeping her past from you?

Twi: …

AJ: Twilight?

Twi: …

Pinkie: I am sorry that I asked, Twilight.

Twi: It’s okay. I better go before Sunset wakes up.

AJ: Okay, bye, Twi!

Dash: Bye!

Shy: Bye, Twilight!

Pinkie: See you later!

Rarity: Bye, darling!

Twilight Sparkle put her phone down, not wanting to continue the conversation. She looked up at the stairs, making sure that Sunset Shimmer was still asleep. She could hear her shift around on her bed, clearly sound asleep. That was a relief for Twilight. She wasn’t sure that she would be ready to talk to her if she had woken up. As she sat there on the couch, she felt a weird tingling sensation in her shoulder blades, right below her wings. She got up from the couch and felt a bit dizzy as the feeling spread further in her body. She walked over to the stairs, but just as she went to take the first step, the feathery appendages started to shrink. They became smaller and smaller until they slipped beneath her skin as if they were never there. To feel her shirt fully against her back was strange after so long of not feeling it at all.

Reaching behind her, Twilight expected to feel something stir resembling her wings. However, there were only her scars, which felt as though they hadn’t just sprouted wings. That shocked her, although she was happy to no longer have them anymore. Even if she was going to miss the ability to fly anywhere she wanted. Twilight looked behind her and realized that her tail had disappeared along with her wings. Pulling her hands away from her back, she saw that her skin was also returning to normal as well. She smiled, not realizing that her fangs had already retracted, and went back to her usual canines. Deciding to see if her eyes were also changing back to their violet color, Twilight ran into Sunset’s bathroom. She quickly flicked on the light and looked into the mirror.

Meeting her gaze, Twilight realized that her eyes had indeed returned to their usual violet color. Along with seeing that her original eye color had returned, she also noticed that her skin had now ultimately returned to normal. And it left behind no trace of the darker tone it had just been. She lifted her lips, checking to see if her fangs had disappeared, which they had. Just as Twilight saw that, she noticed that her geode was changing. The usual singular star design was becoming a double star design as a second, smaller, star appeared above the first.

“What the-? That’s new,” said Twilight Sparkle as she examined her necklace. ”But what does it mean?”

Twilight Sparkle’s mind was racing as a theory began to form in her head. Thinking about her wings, she started to imagine what she looked like earlier. Looking down, she saw that her geode started to glow. Her shoulder blades stung a bit as she watched the feathery appendages reappear again. They had gotten followed by her fangs and eyes returning as well. Her skin was the last thing to change, but even it too regained the darker purple tone. Amazed by what happened, Twilight tried to reverse the changes, seeing if it worked both ways. This time, she imagined herself looking like her usual self. Once again, her geode glowed, and she felt her wings disappear along with the rest of her changes. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw that her skin was reverting to normal, along with her eyes.

“Woah, that is so amazing!” said Twilight Sparkle, excited by the fact her geode now seemed to possess the ability to allow her to go from usual human appearance to her she-demon form.

It was exciting for Twilight to see that she could now choose whether she wanted to become her she-demon self at will. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. As she held her hand to her chest, she could feel her racing pulse. She was surprised that this had happened. And there was one other question on Twilight’s mind; why did this happen? It didn’t seem to have any reason for happening, not like when she had overused her geode. Right now, a part of her wished that she could talk it over with Sunset. However, that wasn’t an option, not that she was sure it was something she could do. Once Twilight felt that she was a bit calmer, she exited the bathroom and made sure to turn off the light. She sat down on the lower set of stairs, keeping herself hidden. She didn’t want Sunset to see her looking like her usual self in case she woke up.

“How did that happen?” thought Twilight Sparkle as she rested her hands on her knees.

“Maybe it has to do with the fact you have accepted your past. And that you are now willing to listen to Sunset, despite you still being scared of her,” suggested Twilight’s conscience.

“Maybe… I have accepted that it’s okay for me to like my demonic self. And while I am scared of Sunset, you’re right. I am now willing to listen to her,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Well, there you go. Maybe you finally coming to terms with your demonic self and being willing to listen to Sunset is what caused that to happen,” said Twilight’s conscience.

“I have a feeling that you’re right about that,” thought Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle’s inner voice said nothing after that, leaving her sitting alone in Sunset’s apartment in silence. She looked down at her injured arm, tracing a finger around the jagged edges of her scars. Although the skin was still pink and relatively new, the lacerations had mostly healed up. But the feeling of her finger just running on the edges felt strange, almost alien to her. Yet, that didn’t stop Twilight. She continued to trace the jagged claw marks, her mind wandering back to the night it happened.

Twilight could still picture the redhead’s teary-eyed gaze staring back at her. It was clear that the words she had chosen to say did affect her. And the pain from them was why the redhead had been so scared of her knowing the truth. She knew that the only reason she had gotten injured was that she had given into that fear. Twilight wished that she hadn’t hurt the redhead when she was trying to let her in. She rested her hand around her arm, hiding her scars from herself. She sighed and looked at the stairs beneath her. She didn’t have much else to do, so she decided to wait until the redhead was awake and make sure she was okay. She pulled out her phone and decided to talk to the girls, just to pass the time for a little bit.

Twi: Hey girls.

Dash: You’re back? Already?

Twi: Yeah… just bored…

AJ: Is Sunset awake yet?

Twi: No. Sunset is still asleep.

Dash: So, you’re in Sunset’s apartment, alone? Have you read her journal that she writes to the princess?

Twi: No! I am not going to snoop around while Sunset is sleeping.

AJ: I’m glad to see that someone has some respect for privacy.

Dash: Oh, come on! I only read your diary that one time.

AJ: Still, you read my private property!

Dash: Yeah, and all about your heart racing when Rarity’s blue eyes look at you and pull you into a never-ending abyss of love…

AJ: Dash!

Rarity: Oh? Is that true?

AJ: Yeah, it’s true.

Rarity: That is so sweet, AJ.

AJ: Thanks, Rare.

Rarity: So, Twilight, how are you doing?

Twi: I am okay, I guess.

Sunset Shimmer stirred as she felt something rubbing against her cheek. She blinked and saw that Ray was sitting next to her, his head no longer against her cheek. Her phone was vibrating in her pocket as she pushed herself up. Sunset could feel that there was something soft beneath her, not grass like the redhead had expected. As Ray walked off of her, she grabbed her phone and checked the notifications she had received. She moved her arms and noticed the gauze taped over her injuries. That prompted her to look around at her surroundings.

As Sunset turned her head to the left, she saw that someone had brought her back to her apartment. She realized that she was sitting on her bed with her hoodie covering up most of her body. Looking down, it was apparent that someone had also tended to her injuries and bandaged them for her. But who? Sunset couldn’t see anyone nearby. As she moved around, she found that her wounds didn’t hurt as much. Although they still occasionally stung if she moved in just the right way. She grabbed her phone and pulled up the group chat, wanting to see if one of the girls had taken her home.

SunShim: Hey, girls.

AJ: You’re awake, Sunset?

SunShim: Yeah, just woke up now. I can see that Twilight has been on.

Dash: Yeah, Twilight is there with you. We were just talking with her.

SunShim: She is?

Rarity: Yeah, Twilight is the one who took you home.

SunShim: Oh.

Twi: …

Shy: Um, what’s going on?

Pinkie: Yeah. We just checked in to see what was happening.

AJ: Sunset just woke up, and I think Twilight is uncomfortable with that now.

Rarity: Girls, I think we better leave Sunset and Twilight alone right now. I believe they have some things to discuss privately.

That was the last message sent by the other girls. One by one, their icons disappeared, indicating that they had gone offline. Twilight Sparkle turned off her phone and set it down on the stairs next to her. It slipped from where she put it, hitting the next stair with a dull thud. That didn’t seem to register as she sat there, shocked that Sunset was now awake. She hadn’t expected her to wake up so soon. Behind her, Twilight could hear her moving around on her bed. Her heart started to beat a bit faster than usual as she heard Sunset cough. She chose to remain seated on the stairs, finding it easier not to look at the redhead for the moment.

“Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she sat up in her bed. “Is that you?”

Twilight Sparkle gulped, her throat starting to feel dry all of a sudden. “Y-yes.” Her voice sounded much weaker than she expected it to.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed the edge of her hoodie as she stood up from her bed. The feeling of slight stinging in her thighs remind her of the lacerations she had sustained from the fight with Springtrap. They were most likely going to leave scars, just like the ones Twilight had gotten from her claws. Sunset pushed through the pain and made her way slowly over to the stairs. Having heard Twilight’s phone hit them earlier, she knew where the bookworm was sitting. As she walked up to her, she noticed that she was missing her wings. And the closer she got, the more she realized that Twilight had returned to normal. However, Sunset herself had not changed at all. Her tail flickering behind her was enough proof of that.

“So, I see you have returned to normal,” said Sunset Shimmer as she leaned against the balcony railing. “How’d that happen, Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle didn’t say anything, not that she wanted to anyway. Instead, she just sat there, looking down at her hands. She could feel Sunset’s presence behind her, and that only unnerved her more. Right now, Twilight wished that her wings hadn’t disappeared. Then, she could hide behind them, instead of being exposed and vulnerable like this. However, she was happy to be back to her usual self and didn’t want to go back for a while.

“Okay, I get it, Twilight. You don’t want to talk to me.” Sunset Shimmer pushed herself off the railing, wincing as she felt the tape on her arms move. “Well, I am going to get dressed now.”

Twilight heard Sunset walk back towards her closet, prompting her to look behind her. And without thinking, she got up and moved back three steps, allowing her to see Sunset. She looked at the redhead and saw her drop her hoodie, exposing her backside completely. She blushed as she turned away. Twilight felt embarrassed that she had been looking at her. A part of her considered it to be a violation of her privacy. Yet, her growing curiosity was stronger than her embarrassment was.

Slowly, Twilight returned her gaze to the redhead, catching a glimpse of her scars. Although her wings blocked most of them from view, she could see some of them. The scars, although much more extensive and rougher, looked very similar to hers. She had never seen them before, and it was shocking to her to see them. She wasn’t aware that Sunset even had them, but she knew that was likely her fault. Twilight knew that she hadn’t allowed her to say much the night she had shown her what happened two weeks ago. Seeing them now, she understood why Sunset had been scared to tell her the truth. She watched as she grabbed a shirt that she immediately recognized as the one they had made together. It was something that she and Sunset did thanks to Pinkie Pie wanting to attempt trying tye-dye. Of course, it was no longer pristine as it had holes where the redhead’s wings had burst through the fabric.

“You have seen my scars haven’t you, Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, glancing over her shoulder. “It’s okay if you want to come closer.”

Twilight Sparkle moved from the stairs and sat on the edge of Sunset’s bed. She kept her gaze downward, not feeling okay with looking at Sunset when she had no clothes on. She felt the mattress move when Sunset sat down on the other side. As the silence and tension grew, she wasn’t sure what to do. A small part of Twilight wanted to move closer and examine Sunset’s scars. However, she was still scared of her and didn’t feel right asking about them, especially since she knew how it felt when it came to hers. She glanced behind her, seeing that Sunset was clutching the shirt to her chest. That confused Twilight and made her reach out cautiously towards her. She wanted to know what was bothering her, despite the tension and fear.

“Twilight, can you come closer, please?” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was quiet, which only made tension grow. “I know that you are curious about my scars.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand back, and nervously walked over to the other side of the bed. “I-is it okay if I sit next to you?”

Sunset Shimmer nodded in response. “Do you want to touch them?”

As Twilight Sparkle sat down, she said, “Are you s-sure that it’s okay if I touch your scars?”

“Y-yes,” replied Sunset Shimmer, her nervousness making her voice quiver. “It’s o-okay.”

Sunset Shimmer let her wings wrapped around her chest and allowed Twilight to see her scars more clearly. She was afraid to let her touch them, but she wanted to give her a chance to see them. She didn’t want to hide them from her anymore. Taking a deep breath, she remained still as she felt Twilight’s hand slowly move up her back. Sunset inhaled sharply as Twilight’s fingertips brushed against the edge of her scar. It was the first time she had allowed anyone to touch them. And knowing that Twilight was still frightened of her didn’t help calm her down. However, she tried not to focus on that as she felt her exploring the remnants from her first transformation.

“Are you okay?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she noticed that Twilight was shaking beside her. “I can feel you trembling.”

“Yeah, I-I’m alright,” said Twilight Sparkle as she pulled her hand away. “I was just thinking about the night…” She trailed off, not wanting to say anymore.

“Oh…” Sunset Shimmer got off the bed and walked over to her dresser as Twilight looked away. She grabbed a bra and a pair of underwear, slipping on her bra first, followed by her underwear. “Well, at least you were able to see my scars now. I wish I could’ve shown them to you sooner, but I could see that you weren’t ready.”

Twilight Sparkle looked over at Sunset just as she slipped the shirt over her head. Thankfully, the shirt was long, extending beyond her hips. Sighing, she shifted her position on the bed so that she faced Sunset. She watched her grab a pair of jeans from the bottom drawer of her dresser. When she noticed that her pajamas had the sun on them, she remembered what Fluttershy had said about cutie marks. Twilight could see that everything Sunset owned seemed to have it in one way or another. And after learning that she was initially a unicorn, she struggled to picture that. Sunset acted so human that Twilight couldn’t believe that she had come from a different world. On the surface, one would never think that she lived in another world before theirs. Let alone a universe where magical ponies or magic existed.

“Yeah.” Twilight Sparkle swallowed, trying to rid herself of the dryness in her throat. “I am still dealing with what happened two weeks ago.”

“Oh… okay,” was all Sunset Shimmer could manage to say at the moment. She wasn’t sure what else she could say. It was astonishing that Twilight was sitting near her at all. That was something Sunset didn’t expect, especially considering how she had reacted when she had first shown her what happened to her.

Twilight was glad that Sunset had finally got dressed. She didn’t feel comfortable seeing her naked, mostly since she wasn’t sure that she was okay with it. She saw Sunset walk back towards the bed and got up from it. Taking a few steps back, her breathing picking up pace as she eyed her. She met Sunset’s gaze and noticed the hurt at her reaction. That made Twilight regret her actions. Although it was a knee jerk reaction, not something that she could control easily on command, she knew Sunset didn’t deserve that. However, her fear was still there, and that wasn’t easy to overpower.

“Well, I guess that answers that question…” Sunset Shimmer sat down on her bed, her wings draping themselves over her shoulder. “I should’ve guessed that you’d still fear me even though I risked my life for you.”

The anguished tone in the redhead’s voice made Twilight’s heart clench in response. It was hard to watch her shrink away because of what she did. When she met her gaze, Twilight could see the pain and sadness that she had caused the redhead for the last two weeks in her eyes. And she could’ve sworn that her usually bright cyan eyes had grown darker as she revealed her still present fear. It seemed to erase all the light and happiness that had once been there, making her eyes shine. Even the redhead’s ears were lying flat against her head in shame. That worsened Twilight’s guilt for her actions even more. After a few seconds, she looked away, no longer wanting to see the consequences of her fear-filled actions reflecting at her.

“Thank you,” mumbled Twilight Sparkle, barely able to utter the words.

“F-for what, Twi?’ asked Sunset Shimmer, a curious tone beneath the pain in her voice.

For saving me…” Twilight Sparkle reluctantly met the redhead’s gaze. “From Springtrap.”

Sunset Shimmer smiled, her eyes lighting up a little. “Anytime.”

As Sunset Shimmer glanced down, she saw Twilight’s arm, the one she had gripped and injured. Her eyes widened as she saw the decent-sized scars her claws had caused. Compared to the ones on Twilight’s shoulder blades, they were much better in appearance. However, that did very little in reassuring Sunset as she realized that she had left permanent marks on Twilight. That was something she never wanted to do to her, and yet, she had. All because she panicked and ran after her when she tried to leave her bedroom. And she was sure that Twilight wasn’t going to forgive her for it easily. Biting her lip, Sunset looked away.

“I’m sorry that I injured you, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer got off her bed and walked back over to the railing, leaning forward against it. “I wish I could’ve stopped myself.”

“It’s okay,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she sat down on the top step.

“What?” The redhead turned to face the bookworm. “How is it okay? I injured you because I was scared and panicked about your reaction.”

Twilight Sparkle gave her a weak, barely noticeable, half-smile. “You had a right to try and stop me. I should’ve said something to you instead of just leaving. I hated seeing you hurt by that...”

As Twilight brought up the mention of her pain, Sunset flashed back to the images of the night. They had replayed continuously in her mind for a week afterward, which didn’t allow her to get much sleep. And they were still visible, even now. It had been a challenge to live with them, especially since it had reminded her of the Fall Formal. The memory of Twilight telling her to go while looking at with absolute terror made her recall the terrified expressions of the girls. However, Sunset had managed to get through the pain despite how hard it was for her. She took a deep, yet shaky, breath as she glanced down at her hands, eyeing the claws that had become a part of her. In a way, she despised them for the damage they had caused. Yet, she knew that it was her that had injured Twilight, and they were just a part of it. And deep down, Sunset was disgusted at herself for what she did.

Twilight Sparkle looked down at her forearm. The scars made her cringe as she recalled how she had gotten them. The feeling of claws raking through her skin made her close eyes, taking a small breath as her hand trembled in an attempt to keep her panic from worsening. Fighting back the memory of the event, she gazed back at Sunset. For a moment, Twilight could’ve sworn that she heard Sunset let out a quiet sob. It was clear that the redhead was troubled by the events of that night, maybe even more so than she was. She swallowed hard as she forced herself to stand up. Her legs trembled beneath her, threatening to collapse under her at any moment. She bit her lip as she tried to ask the question that had been on her mind since she found out about Sunset’s past.

“H-h-how did you become D-Demon Sh-Shimmer?” asked Twilight Sparkle, trying to ignore the knots of anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. Yet, just saying Demon Shimmer to Sunset felt weird and unfamiliar to her.

Sunset Shimmer froze. She heard Twilight’s question. It was the one she expected to hear, but she didn’t expect to feel so nervous. As she leaned against the metal railing, she could tell her arms were shaking from her growing nervousness. She pushed herself off the railing and walked towards where Twilight was sitting. She knew that Twilight needed to hear the truth, and she wanted to stop hiding it from her. Sunset stopped once there were a few feet between them. It was clear that she was also nervous, not that it did much to calm her down. Looking at Twilight, she finally managed to speak.

“Can we go down to the living room?” asked Sunset Shimmer, motioning to the stairs.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, turning to walk down the stairs. As she made it halfway down, she grabbed her phone, which had slid down the steps. She could hear Sunset walking behind, still keeping her distance. She was thankful for that. If the redhead had gotten any closer, Twilight had a feeling that she would bolt. Right now, she wasn’t comfortable with letting her get close. And although she knew that Sunset wouldn’t hurt her, her appearance and the things she had seen kept her on edge. She made her way over to the couch and sat down on the furthest end of it. Twilight kept her gaze locked on the floor as she waited for Sunset to join her. Her heart was racing as she fought not to let her fear overwhelm her. She saw Sunset stand a few feet from her and the couch.

“So now, are you going to explain to me what exactly happened?” Twilight Sparkle’s voice had a harsh tone to it, shocking both her and Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “You saw the newspaper clippings on my desk, right?”

“Parts of them, yes.” Twilight Sparkle wondered where this was going. “Why do you ask?”

Sunset walked over to her desk, pushing aside a few notebooks and papers. Underneath a stack of Daring Do books were the newspaper clippings that she had kept from Twilight. The edges were worn and tattered from getting moved and shoved around. As she pulled them out from underneath the books, she closed her eyes, preparing herself to see the images she had hidden from her sight. Sunset was careful not to rip the newspapers with her claws as she handled them. With them in hand, she walked back over to the couch. She set the papers down on the sofa and slid them over to Twilight.

“Here are the newspaper clippings.” Sunset Shimmer sighed. “You can read them. They were from right after the Fall Formal.”

Twilight grabbed the pile of newspaper clippings. She looked at the first one, which had a photo of Sunset on the front. From what she could see, it appeared that her height was the same as it was when she saw her fighting Spingtrap. However, Sunset looked different in the picture. Her hair was up instead of being down in its usual wavy manner. And from what Twilight could see in the photo, it looked like her hair was aflame. Her eyes drifted to the headline, which said ‘Sunset Shimmer Shows True Colors At Fall Formal’. That made Twilight glance up at the redhead.

“So, what is this Fall Formal that it keeps mentioning?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she set the newspaper clipping down on the couch. “Is it the one I saw in the yearbook that one time?”

“That is the annual school dance. And no, that was a different one. This particular Fall Formal,” Sunset Shimmer pointed to the newspaper, “was the one I became what the school dubbed as Demon Shimmer.”

“Oh. And how come I haven’t heard of this one until now? Aside from you telling our friends to keep it from me.” Twilight Sparkle looking at the next newspaper clipping. “Because I have a feeling you made sure that I didn’t know about this.”

Sunset Shimmer cringed as she heard the mention of what she had done. It was still painful to see what her action had done to the person she cared most about. “You’re right. I made sure that any newspapers, pictures, or really anything about it had gotten kept from you. At the time, I was afraid to tell you about it.”

The next headline Twilight read was ‘School Bully Says She’s Reformed’. As she read the article, she saw that there were examples of things that Sunset had done to the various students of CHS. One example caught her attention. It was an account from Fluttershy about the constant, everyday bullying from Sunset. Twilight was shocked to see that the redhead went as far as to have her accomplices Snips and Snails go after the animal lover and tease her non-stop. However, the worst part was when she read about how Fluttershy had almost come close to being suicidal because the redhead refused to let up, despite her begging her to do so. After reading that, Twilight couldn’t stomach reading the rest of the article. She quickly pulled it from the stack, setting it beneath the other one.

“Wow, you were really…” Twilight Sparkle hesitated before she continued. “A monster.”

As Twilight uttered the word, Sunset Shimmer felt her wings pull close to her body while her ears pinned themselves down in shame. Sure, it had been one thing when Springtrap had said it. It was just his way of trying to get under her skin, which only served to annoy her. However, Twilight saying it was a whole different matter of its own. To Sunset, it only proved why exactly she didn’t want to tell her the truth. She didn’t like seeing the one she loved looking at her that way. To not be able to see that despite her past, she was different and that she had changed. Yet, deep down, she knew that she deserved that title. Her actions in the past had been pretty shocking and cruel. Exhaling sharply, Sunset looked away from Twilight.

“Yeah, I was.” Sunset Shimmer could feel herself trying to keep her voice from shaking as she wanted to cry. Being vulnerable and seeing Twilight pull away from her was not easy to watch. “I wish I hadn’t done what I did…”

Twilight Sparkle set the rest of the clippings on the table. “How did you become Demon Shimmer, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “With a crown that I had stolen from Princess Twilight.”

“How did you get the crown in the first place?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Well, I originally stole Princess Twilight’s crown from her when she was in Equestria. She tried to get it back from me, which caused it to fly through the portal. Fluttershy then turned it into Principal Celestia after it came to this world. Then, I tried to force the student body to vote for me so that I could get my hands on it. However, she won, and so I decided to take the crown by force after the girls had congratulated the princess,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“So, you put it on, and then you became…” began Twilight Sparkle.

“Demon Shimmer, yes,” said Sunset Shimmer, finishing Twilight’s sentence.

“You are really a pony from another world, aren’t you?” asked Twilight Sparkle, revealing that she knew about the redhead’s real origins.

“Yes. How did you find that out?” asked Sunset Shimmer, cautiously meeting Twilight’s gaze.

Twilight Sparkle chuckled. “Fluttershy gave me a drawing of you and me as ponies after I saw her picture of you. I think she secretly wants us to be together. Either that or she just likes drawing ponies nuzzling each other.”

As she tried to picture that, it made Sunset chuckle as well, breaking the room’s tension. However, it didn’t last long. Sunset could tell that Twilight was still frightened of her. And if she didn’t know any better, she could’ve sworn that she seemed even more afraid than before. Seeing that, she sat on the other end of the couch, trying to keep her distance from the bookworm. She was determined to show her that she wasn’t going to be in danger this time. If it were the last thing Sunset could do before she lost Twilight, she’d show her that she was willing to not hide the truth from her. She glanced at her, wanting to see how she was doing and if she was going to bolt again like last time. Luckily, she saw that Twilight remained relaxed and was not getting ready to run. Keeping her eye on Twilight, Sunset moved a little closer to her.

“Do you have any other questions, Twi?” asked Sunset Shimmer, keeping her voice calm. “I promise that I will tell you anything.”

Twilight Sparkle felt her hand, which was gripping the couch, tighten in response to Sunset’s presence. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to bolt or not. Stealing a glance at the redhead, she immediately dropped the idea of running. And from what she could see, she wasn’t going to get any closer, not unless she said it was okay. That made Twilight relax and calm down a little bit, and she let her grip on the couch loosen. Her back was beginning to get soaked in sweat from being on edge and jumpy. However, she did her best to ignore it and the growing sensation of being overly warm. She turned to face Sunset and asked the one question she wondered about since the fight with Springtrap.

“Why did you defend me against Springtrap? Why did you let me see…” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t finish her question. It was too weird to say aloud.

“I did it because I care about you, Twilight,” said Sunset Shimmer, her voice lower than usual.

“If you cared about me, why did you keep the fact that you had been through something like I did? Why did you hide this from me, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, her tone revealing how much the redhead’s actions had hurt her. “That makes me think that you haven’t changed from the bully I read about in that article.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have hidden my past from you.” Sunset Shimmer’s hand balled into a tight fist. “I hate that I hurt you. That was never my intention.”

“Then what was your intention, Sunset? Was it to keep it from me permanently? Or were you just hoping that it wouldn’t come up?” Twilight Sparkle’s eyes grew misty as she continued to talk. “I thought I had someone I could confide in. I let myself be vulnerable with you and trusted you. And yet, you couldn’t do the same…”

Without thinking, Sunset Shimmer grabbed one of Twilight’s hands. She could feel her trying to pull away, but she kept her grip tight yet gentle at the same time. Using her other hand, she lifted Twilight’s face so that their eyes met. “Twilight, I am your friend; that hasn’t changed. I should have never kept this from you. I chose to hide because I was… ashamed. And I was scared that you would run from me if you knew.”

Looking into the redhead’s eyes, Twilight could see that she was telling the truth. For her, it was the first time she had seen the redhead look so vulnerable, so… exposed. It was a side of the redhead that she hadn’t seen much of before. And that was all Twilight needed to see that she genuinely meant what she was saying. Something deep down, maybe her instincts to be there for the redhead despite the lies and pain, made her squeeze her hand gently in response. Twilight didn’t squeeze too tight for fear of cutting her hand.

“Sunset, I am not going to run away just because you have a bad past,” said Twilight Sparkle, her voice stern yet soft. “But, I am hurt you didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth until now.”

Sunset Shimmer looked away, pulling her hand free from Twilight’s grip. “I know, Twilight. Is there anything else you want to ask about the Fall Formal, and what happened that night?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Yeah. What did you do after you put on the crown? And what was so bad that you were ashamed to tell me about it?”

The redhead licked her lips, ignoring the lump in her throat. “Well, the first thing I did after I put the crown on was turn Snips and Snails into demons like me.”

“Wait. You did that to those two?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah, they were going to be my minions,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the greatest choice. So, after that, I complained about how the crown should’ve been mine all along before I hypnotized the student body and turned them into my own personal zombie army.”

“In one of the articles, I saw the front of the school. It looked like a huge chunk of it had gotten removed. Was that because of you?” Twilight Sparkle met the redhead’s gaze.

Sunset Shimmer nodded in response. “I did that because I was angry and was too tall to walk in the building with my new height.”

“Wow, that makes what I saw during the fight with Springtrap a lot scarier,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Y-yeah, I can imagine. I wish you didn’t have to see it like that.” Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

“So, what did you do after that, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle, wanting to know what it was that the redhead was so nervous about her knowing.

Sunset Shimmer gulped as she prepared herself to tell the bookworm about what she nearly did to the girls. She grabbed her hand and said, “Well, the girls tried to stop me. However, that only made me angrier. And in that rage, I tried to… kill the girls.”

Twilight Sparkle yanked her hand free from Sunset’s grip, scooting away as far as the couch would allow her. “You did what?!”

Sunset Shimmer cringed as she heard Twilight scream at her. As she sat there at the end of the couch, saddened by Twilight’s outburst, she felt a stinging sensation on her back right where her shoulder blades were. She glanced back and noticed that the size of her wings was noticeably shrinking with every second, just as Twilight’s wings had done earlier that night. Eventually, the leathery appendages retreated into her body, almost as if they were never there. That left behind the scars she already had from the first transformation. The next of Sunset’s changes to go was her fangs. She felt them retract as her normal incisors returned with a slight pinching sensation in her gums. Running her tongue across teeth, she was happy to see that they were back to normal again. She was getting pretty tired of having fangs for so long.

“What is happening to me? Why am I returning to normal now?” thought Sunset Shimmer.

“Well, maybe you telling Twilight the truth is what’s making your appearance return to normal. Just like her appearance did while you were unconscious likely because she chose to listen to you,” replied the redhead’s conscience. “But that’s just a theory.”

“That would make sense,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she felt her tail start to retreat into her skin.

Sunset watched her hands return to normal as her claws disappeared. Finally, she was able to not worry about hurting anyone else if she held their hand. Looking down, she watched as the red color of her demon form left, allowing her skin to regain its usual amber tone back. As it spread further beyond her arms, she felt her ears shrink as they lost their demonic look. Sunset reached a hand up and felt the jagged edges smooth out as they shifted.

Wanting to see the rest of the changes, the redhead got off the couch and bolted to her bathroom. She quickly flipped the light on and ran over to the mirror. As she looked at her reflection, she saw the rest of her tail disappearing. The last change caught her attention the most, making Sunset smile as she watched it take place. The sclera that had made her seem much scarier than she actually was slowly faded away. After a few seconds had passed, she got met with her eyes looking entirely normal as if they weren’t just demonic-looking moments ago.

In the mirror, Sunset that her geode was also changing. The sun in the middle was split in half, becoming two different colors. One half was red, representing her demonic self. The other was yellow, representing her usual self. The sun soon became whole again, the two colors mixing as it did. Delighted, Sunset ran back out of her bathroom and saw that Twilight was still sitting on the couch. She approached her only to see her tense up immediately.

“T-Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight Sparkle jumped at the sound of Sunset’s voice. As she saw the redhead, she got up from the couch and backed away. Her heart sped up as she backed away slowly, her eyes never leaving Sunset’s shocked expression. It was hard to imagine that she had ever wanted to kill the girls. Let alone was willing to act on those impulses. Yet, just hours ago, Twilight saw Sunset battle an abnormally large animatronic rabbit. So, that left her unable to rule out the possibility. Although she desperately wanted to do that. As she made her way to the kitchen, she saw Sunset take a step closer to her. Twilight hoped that she would keep her distance and not get any closer. Not wanting her thoughts to drift to her arm, she tried to get around the couch, deciding that now was the time to leave. She moved away from the kitchen and bolted for the front door.

“Twilight, wait!” shouted Sunset Shimmer as she ran after the bookworm.

“Sunset, please. Stay away from me! I can’t look at you now knowing that you almost tried to annihilate our friends,” replied Twilight Sparkle, sounding very fearful of the redhead as she reluctantly turned around to meet her gaze.

Sunset Shimmer stood in front of the door, wanting to stop Twilight from leaving. “Is that what it takes, Twilight? For you to be afraid of me again? Just learning that I almost killed the girls a year and a half ago?”

“Yes!” shouted Twilight Sparkle, still scared of Sunset, despite her appearance having returned to normal. “I saw what you did with Springtrap. And now that you have that ability back, you could hurt me again, or even kill me apparently. Do you know how scary that is for me?”

“Yeah, actually I do, Twilight. It’s the reason why I didn’t tell you in the first place. I was afraid that you would react like this,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “And the night that you forced me to show what had happened to me, the girls reacted badly to it. I was terrified of letting you see it because I had to endure their reactions. Most of them were quick to distrust me. I even made Fluttershy faint because she was so scared.”

Twilight Sparkle said nothing as the redhead spoke.

“I took on Springtrap and let you see exactly what I looked like at the Fall Formal because I wanted to protect you. I risked my life for you, Twilight!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, losing her temper for a moment. “I tried my hardest to be understanding when I saw how terrified you were after seeing that. Yet, the way you acted despite my attempts was painful to see. Do you realize how much it hurt to watch you tremble and try to get away from me, Twilight? All I wanted was not to see you recoil away from me like I was some sort of monster,”

Again, Twilight remained silent as Sunset talked to her. She was too frightened to speak at the moment.

“Say something, Twilight. I want to know if you understand the amount of fear and pain you put me through,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Yes, I do,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “I still remember what Trixie did to me after I had become Midnight Sparkle.”

“Yet, you did that to me repeatedly, Twilight. You shut me out when I first told you about my situation. And then you continually attacked me after that, even though I was trying to do what you wanted.” The redhead’s voice quivered as she struggled to control her anger.

“I wouldn’t have lashed out if you hadn’t approached me or lied to me about being at the barn that day,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“I tried to be a friend the first time, and you punched me in the face for it! And the second time, I didn’t want to lie, but I knew that you wouldn’t show up if you knew that I was there. I could tell that you didn’t want to be near me, just like you are right now.” Sunset Shimmer stepped closer to the bookworm. “And what you said the second time when you attacked me, it hurt a lot Twilight. I know that you were angry, but why did you mock me like that?”

“I did it because I hated how much I cared for you! You betrayed my trust, Sunset. I told you numerous times that I wouldn’t freak out. And still, you played mind games with me!” screamed Twilight Sparkle.

“Wouldn’t freak out? You tried to run out of your room when I first showed you everything. And you just tried to run away now!” shouted Sunset Shimmer, her temper getting the better of her. “I admitted that I love you the night I showed you who Demon Shimmer was. And how did you react? You tried to leave without saying anything to me! You broke the promise you made to me, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down. “I know.”

“Tell me; do you regret being my friend and trusting me, Twilight? Be honest,” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I don’t regret being your friend or trusting you, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle as a few tears streamed down her cheeks. “I know that what I did was wrong.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed and stepped a little closer to Twilight Sparkle. “Look, Twilight, I know that you have learned a lot about my past. And I know that it isn’t going to be easy to adjust to realizing that I was a different person not that long ago. I also apologize for losing my temper like that. But, I need to know if you can still see me as the same person despite what you have seen.”

“I am sorry, Sunset. I wish I could say that I do still see you as the same person I cared for. But that isn’t true, and I would be lying if I said it was. Every time I look at you right now, all I see is a reminder that I did care about and trusted you. Yet, despite my attempts to be patient, you led me on, and I can’t unsee what I saw today…” replied Twilight Sparkle. “Can I please go home now?”

“Then just leave if you want to go, Twilight. I am done trying to make you see that I never wanted to hurt you. If I am so hard to be around, the door is right there,” said Sunset Shimmer.

The redhead stepped aside and allowed Twilight Sparkle to walk up to the front door. However, just as she placed her hand on the doorknob, she said, “Wait, don’t go just yet, Twilight.”

“Sunset, I-”

Sunset Shimmer closed the distance between them, grabbing the bookworm’s arm, her fingers brushing against the scars. “Please…”

Twilight Sparkle cringed, almost pulling her arm away. However, she realized that it was just Sunset’s hand, no claws. That made her relax for a moment, allowing her to face the redhead. “What is it, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer let go of Twilight’s arm, knowing that her holding onto it wouldn’t do her much good. “I just wanted to ask you one last question.”

“Okay, ask me the question,” said Twilight Sparkle, her tone stern and filled with fear.

The redhead gulped. “I can see that you’re going to need time to think but are we still friends, despite what’s happened between us recently?”

Twilight Sparkle could hear the worry and fear in the redhead’s voice. She sighed, pushing past her fear, and grabbed Sunset’s hand. “No, we aren’t friends right now.” She let go of her hand and walked over to the front door, leaving Sunset a bit saddened by the reveal. “I am still frightened of your demonic side, Sunset. I have scars that will never go away, and that makes it hard for me to trust you.”

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight let go of her hand and walked over to the front door, opening it. “Okay, I understand. I wish I hadn’t hurt you, Twilight. And I hope that you’ll be able to continue being my friend after this.”

Twilight Sparkle glanced behind her, giving the redhead one last wave goodbye. Her fear was still there, but it now seemed drowned out by the pain and sadness in her eyes. “For now, I must go my own way and think about whether or not I can trust you. Goodbye, Sunset. I hope that someday we can be friends again.”

With that, Twilight Sparkle closed the front door, leaving Sunset alone in her apartment. Once the door clicked closed, she walked over to her couch. She grabbed a picture of her and Twilight that was sitting on the table next to it. It had gotten taken the day of Twilight’s birthday. The bookworm’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close to her. Looking at it, Sunset started to cry as the memory replayed in her mind. She finally knew the truth, the whole truth. And that was freeing in so many ways. Even the stress of lying was gone. Yet, the cost made her wish that she had never hidden it from the bookworm. Sunset set the picture down and ran up to her bed, where Ray was sleeping on her pillow.

“Hey, Ray. Did you hear what just happened?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

Ray nodded, a sad look in his eyes.

“I am doing alright, little guy,” said Sunset Shimmer as she put on her boots. “I am just going to the beach,”

Ray walked close to her and let a sad chirp.

“It’s okay, Ray. I just need some alone time,” replied Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to let Ray see her cry. “I have to go now.”

*** *** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer had parked her bike by the beach. The night air was chilly, but it didn’t bother her. Even the cold sand beneath her didn’t pull her out of her reverie of guilt and pain. As the stars in the night sky twinkled above her, the sounds of the waves drowned out her sobs. Her body shook as she let go of the tears she had been holding back when she was with Twilight. She cried harder every time she remembered the sound of her laugh, the cute way she nervously adjusted her glasses, even the gentleness of her grip whenever they held hands. Sunset pulled her knees to her chest as she tried to control her sobs. Her heart was broken, and the person she had confessed her feelings to had chosen to walk away. The pain of that loss hurt more than anything she had endured over the last month or so.

“T-Twilight, I love you. I hope you remember that still,” whispered Sunset Shimmer, resting her head on arms as her sobs overtook her again.

Author's Note

Someone should probably give our bacon-haired friend a hug... I think she will probably need it after that. Happy V-Day to those who celebrate it. And as for Twilight and Sunset, I guess they won't be celebrating it. What do y'all think? Will they be friends again? Or is this truly farewell for the dynamic duo that we've come to know and adore? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Epilogue: New Beginnings and Troubled Horizons

*Nine Months Later*

Fluttershy was sitting on the couch with Violet Night and Sasha. They were all helping Sunset Shimmer clean out her attic. She had asked for their help cleaning it out so she could work on her picture collage, which they were glad to provide. As Fluttershy pulled another box towards her, she saw Violet move a little closer to her. She smiled at her for a moment before taking the lid off the cardboard box. A cloud of dust formed as she set the top on the floor. The two girls coughed and covered their mouths, trying to avoid inhaling more of the dust. Violet let go of her shirt as her coughing fit died down.

“Man, when was the last time Sunset moved these boxes?” asked Violet Night as she rubbed a layer of dirt and dust off of her shirt sleeve.

“Probably a century ago, given how much dust these boxes have on them,” replied Sasha.

“Haha, very funny, Sasha. Sunset probably just left them untouched for a few years. I wonder why she is cleaning it out now, though,” said Violet Night.

Sunset Shimmer came down from the attic and set another box on the ground. Her shirt was covered in cobwebs and dust from her cleaning it. “I have been saving pictures up for a photo collage, and I was putting it off until now.”

“Oh, cool.” Violet Night looked at Sunset and noticed that she seemed a bit up. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing, really. I just saw some photos of Twilight and me together,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“You two haven’t talked in a while since the fight with Springtrap. Are you doing okay, Sunset?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah, it just hurts to remember Twilight. Even though things didn’t end super well, I still miss her a lot,” said Sunset Shimmer, recalling the day she had told Twilight about the Fall Formal. “Well, I better get back to cleaning.”

With that, Sunset Shimmer walked back up into the attic. Sasha pulled the box in front of her closer as she started to rummage through. She found that it was a bunch of old school assignments from a few years ago. Yet, Sasha noticed that none of them went further than four and a half years. That struck her as odd, mostly since she had seen Sunset around for a while. However, Sasha did find it weird that until about four years ago, she couldn’t recall seeing the redhead around before. Just as she was about to take out a stack of old papers, there was a knock on the front door. That made all three girls stop what they were doing and look at it. Sasha looked at Violet and exchanged a worried glance with her as Fluttershy got up from the couch.

“I wonder who is here,” said Fluttershy as she walked up to the front door. She opened it and saw Twilight Sparkle standing in the doorway.

“H-hey, Fluttershy. Is Sunset here?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Yeah, she is up in the attic right now. Do you want me to get her for you?” Fluttershy asked, curious as to why Twilight had shown up.

“Can I come in, Fluttershy?” asked Twilight Sparkle, hoping that the animal lover would let her in.

Fluttershy nodded and stepped aside. “Do you want to go up to the attic?”

“Do you think that Sunset will want me to?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “I know I didn’t exactly leave things on good terms.”

“Twilight.” Fluttershy rested her hand on the bookworm’s shoulder as she closed the front door. “Sunset still misses you, and I am sure she’d like for you to be the one to approach her.”

“O-okay,” said Twilight Sparkle, making her way cautiously towards the attic.

Violet Night watched as Twilight slowly approached the attic stairway. She walked up to Fluttershy, saying, “Uh, I need to talk to you for a moment.”

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle walked up the stairs that lead to the attic, trying to ignore the quickening pace of her heartbeat. She was incredibly nervous about seeing Sunset. It had been nine months since they last spoke to each other. And she knew that what she said and did to her was wrong. She couldn’t admit it back then, but she was hoping to correct that now, assuming that Sunset was willing to give her a chance to apologize. Twilight hoped that she would. Yet, she would understand it if Sunset didn’t give her a chance. She took a deep breath as she saw the door leading into the attic. With a shaky hand, she gripped the doorknob and opened it.

As the door opened, Twilight saw Sunset Shimmer flying in the air, her appearance back to her demon self. She covered her mouth as she tried to stifle her scream. She didn’t want to startle her and make her drop the box she was currently carrying. Twilight waited with bated breath as Sunset landed back on the attic floor. Her hands were beginning to shake as she waited for her to turn around. She tried to calm her nerves as she saw Sunset’s eyes look at her.

“T-Twilight?!” asked Sunset Shimmer, surprised that she was there. “Is that really you?”

“Y-yeah, it’s me, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

‘Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you needed your space from me,” said Sunset Shimmer as her wings rested behind her.

“I did, but I am here now,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“And why are you here, Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, letting her appearance return to normal.

Twilight Sparkle swallowed. “I am here to apologize to you for my actions nine months ago.”

“Oh.” The redhead walked over to a nearby sofa and sat down. “I am willing to listen.”

Twilight Sparkle sat down at the other end of the dust-covered sofa. She tried to ignore the numerous cobwebs that were all over it. The idea of being near them made her skin crawl as she thought about the spiders who made them. She wasn’t a big fan of the eight-legged arachnids. Shaking the thought out of her head, Twilight focused on Sunset Shimmer. The way the light from the window in front of them shone on the redhead made her smile. She looked so beautiful in the orangish golden glow, and that only furthered her guilt about what she did. Sighing, she forced herself to speak.

“I am so sorry for what I did to you, Sunset. I was wrong and stupid to treat you like I did. You trusted me to be there for you, and I chose to break my promise to you because I saw your demon self,” said Twilight Sparkle. “You were right about me. I did hurt you repeatedly, and in the end, it was me that was the monster.”

Sunset Shimmer’s gaze drifted down as she watched the bookworm roll up her jacket sleeve.

“These scars that I got from that night are my reminder that I hurt you.” Twilight Sparkle looked down at them. “Every time I look at them, I start to remember how nice you were to me. And how you were there for me, found me when I tried to run from you and the girls after I had transformed back into Midnight Sparkle. You supported me every time I needed it. Then you asked the same of me, and I refused to out of fear. I was scared of you when all you all wanted from me was my acceptance and willingness to hear you out. Do you think you can ever forgive me for what I did?”

“I-I…” Sunset Shimmer struggled to speak as she looked away from Twilight Sparkle.

“I understand, Sunset. I didn’t expect you to forgive me. I know I hurt you and then walked away without apologizing for it,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“No, it’s not that, Twilight. I… have forgiven you. It wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t stay mad at you because you are my friend, even now. And despite how much you have hurt me, I still care about you,” replied Sunset Shimmer. “I waited for you, hoping that maybe you’d decide to be my friend.”

Twilight Sparkle rolled her sleeve back down. “Thank you, you know, for forgiving me. I know that I don’t deserve it after how I acted towards you.”

“Twilight, are you okay with my past? I want to know that you are aware that isn’t me anymore, even though I once was that person,” asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Twilight.

“I do know that, and I am okay with your past, Sunset. I know that isn’t you anymore. I am grateful that you have changed and become this person, who is willing to forgive me for my mistakes,” replied Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on the redhead’s knee. “I am so amazed and proud that I have gotten to know this version of you.”

“But do you think you could accept the side of me that is Demon Shimmer, Twilight? Just because I forgave you for what you did to me doesn’t mean that I will forget it. I want to be your friend, Twilight, but not if you’re going to hurt me again,” said Sunset Shimmer as she took Twilight’s hand off her knee.

“I know that I have said things that I can’t take back or change, but Sunset, I am here because I want to learn how to accept that side of you. I would like it if you’d give me another chance to try.” Twilight Sparkle looked down as she spoke. “Please. I want to make amends for my mistakes.”

Before Sunset Shimmer could say anything else, Fluttershy came into the attic. “Uh, Sunset. Can I speak with you for a moment?”

“Yeah.” Sunset Shimmer turned to Twilight. “Would you mind waiting here for a minute?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded.

“Thanks, I will be right back,” said Sunset Shimmer.

As Twilight Sparkle watched the redhead leave the attic, she pulled out her phone. She had kept the video of Sunset’s transformation on it. Despite how hard it was to watch it still, she wanted to remember not to let her fear take over if and when Sunset decided to give her another chance. She also didn’t want to forget that because of the situation, she had hurt her friend and didn’t apologize when she should have. Twilight had lost count of how many times she had watched and re-watched the video. Not that it mattered to her. She was grateful that Trixie sent it to her. As she clicked play, she made sure that the sound was off. She didn’t want the redhead to know that she was watching it, not when it was something painful for her.

Sunset Shimmer finished talking with Fluttershy and walked back into the attic. She was shocked that Violet’s aunt was going to target her and Twilight. However, she had to push that aside for the moment. She wanted to finish her conversation with Twilight and figure out what to do with their current situation. Something told her that Twilight showed up to do more than to apologize to her. Yet, Sunset did appreciate the effort and bravery that Twilight had put into it doing it in person. It showed that she genuinely cared and was trying to make amends for her actions. Just as she walked in and sat down on the sofa, she noticed that Twilight was looking at her phone. Sunset tried to see what she was watching, but then Twilight quickly turned the video off and put away her phone.

“Twilight, what were you just watching?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I-it’s nothing,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer looked at the bookworm. “That isn’t true, Twilight. If it were nothing, you wouldn’t have hidden your phone from me as soon as I walked in.”

“Okay, you’re right, it’s isn’t nothing. I didn’t want to say anything because I know that it is painful for you, but I was watching the video of your transformation,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh, Trixie sent it to you?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yeah, she sent it to me the day I read your letter. And that’s actually part of why I am here now. I wanted to apologize and ask you a few things,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh, I wasn’t sure that you were going to read that. And why were you watching the video, Twilight?” Sunset Shimmer shifted on the couch, turning to face the bookworm.

“I was watching the video because I wanted to ask if… you’d be willing to show it to me in person, right now,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

The redhead shifted uneasily on the couch. The idea of showing Twilight her transformation into Demon Shimmer was terrifying. She still remembered how much it hurt to see Twilight fear her because of it. And she didn’t want to go through that again, not after she had just gotten over most of the pain. Besides, Sunset was still uncomfortable with changing into Demon Shimmer. Although the girls had done all they could to help her with that, it didn’t erase the pain of her memories. Sitting there on the couch, next to the one person who hated that side of her, it made her want to scream out in frustration and anger.

“I-I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Sunset. I know the last time I saw it, I hurt you,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“I-I don’t know, Twilight. I don’t want to go through what happened last time.” Sunset Shimmer looked down at her hands.

Twilight Sparkle grabbed one of Sunset’s hands. “Please, Sunset. I’d like another chance to prove that I won’t run this time.”

“Are you sure that you want to see it right now?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I will hold your hand while you do it if you would like me to,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Please, can you give me a chance to show that I have changed?”

Sunset Shimmer looked up at Twilight. “I don’t know if I can do that right now. I am scared to be Demon Shimmer around you considering your reaction before.”

“Okay, Sunset. I won’t force you to show me; I just hoped that maybe you’d give me a chance to prove that I have changed,” said Twilight Sparkle.

The redhead felt Twilight trying to pull her hand away, but she gripped it tightly, preventing her from pulling. “Will you promise not to freak out if I decide to do it?”

“Yes, Sunset. I will do my best to remain calm. I want to make you feel comfortable showing that side of yourself to me,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Would you mind holding my hand as I transform, Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer, sitting closer to the bookworm.

Twilight Sparkle nodded and gave the redhead a weak smile, trying to push past her growing nervousness.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused on transforming into Demon Shimmer while her hand grasps Twilight’s warm one. It was nice to have someone by her side as she went through with it. Sometimes, she could do the change, and other times it was a struggle. It was an uphill battle. One that Sunset intended to conquer for herself. She had to learn how to love herself, every part. And she was grateful that Twilight was willing to be a part of that, despite her still present fear. She opened her eyes and looked at Twilight.

As she sat there, holding Sunset’s hand, Twilight watched as her eyes and skin began to change. She felt the urge to pull away wash over her for a moment, but she pushed it aside. Right now, she had to be there for Sunset, to give her the same support she had gotten after the Friendship Games. So, she continued to watch as Sunset’s wings formed and wrapped around her shoulders. Twilight looked down as she felt Sunset’s hand change and her fingers morphed into claws. Fear gripped at her as memories of the night that Sunset had first shown her flashed in her head. However, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was her friend, not someone she should be scared of. After a few minutes had passed, she saw Sunset’s transformation finish.

"A-are you okay, Twilight? It’s still me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she squeezed the bookworm’s hand.

“Y-yeah, I am okay, Sunset. I am glad that you were able to show me this,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “Thank you for doing this. I know that it wasn’t easy.”

“Y-you’re welcome. And you’re right, it wasn’t, but I am happy to see that you didn’t leave this time,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Would you like to sit a little closer to me, Sparky?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded and moved a little closer to the redhead. “I love holding your hand. I also love being close to you and knowing that you care about me.”

“I do, too,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Do you remember what you said to me right before you showed me your wings, Sunset?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

‘Yeah,” replied Sunset Shimmer, meeting the bookworm’s gaze. “Why?”

“Because I want to know if you truly meant what you said that night. Do you love me, Sunset?” Twilight Sparkle’s hand trembled a little as she asked the question.

The redhead took a deep breath. “Yes, Twilight. I love you, still do.”

“How can I be sure? I know what I did to you, and I am scared that you hate me for it, even if you have forgiven me,” said Twilight Sparkle. “I wish I could use your geode to see your feelings for me.”

“Actually…” Sunset Shimmer looked down at her geode. “I think you can.”

“Wait. What?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “How? How would that work?”

“Well, if I give you my geode, you can use it. I think anyway. It’s a theory right now, but one I think will work,” said Sunset Shimmer, letting go of Twilight’s hand and taking off her necklace.

“Are you sure that this is something you want to do? I don’t want to invade your privacy, especially since I just came back after walking away for nine months.” Twilight Sparkle sighed.

Sunset Shimmer grabbed Twilight’s hand as she handed her geode to her. "Yes, I want to do this, Twilight. You said it yourself; you want to see my feelings for yourself. Well, here I am, offering you the chance to do that.”

“O-okay.” Twilight Sparkle grabbed the redhead’s geode after she took hers off. She put on the redhead’s necklace, saying, “H-here goes nothing. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am ready, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Hold my hand, please.”

Twilight grabbed Sunset’s outstretched hand, and her eyes flashed white as Sunset’s geode power kicked in.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer was sitting next to Twilight; her arm lazily draped around her shoulders. There was a movie playing on her tv, but her attention was solely on Twilight. The way the flickering lights of the screen illuminated Twilight’s body made Sunset smile. She got lost in admiring her, allowing the movie to become background noise. Nothing could distract her from Twilight’s beauty, not even a Daring Do movie. Her eyes lingered on the way Twilight’s violet eyes sparkled in the dim lighting coming from the tv screen. It was amazing to Sunset. And her desire to kiss Twilight was growing every minute she continued to admire her. However, she pushed it aside and tried to focus on the movie. It was too soon for her to admit how she felt anyway. It was barely three months since the events of the Friendship Games.

The memory changed to something else. Sunset and Twilight were now sitting in the library, with barely anybody around them. There was a pile of books stacked next to the bookworm. And Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her reading the book in front of her with them next to her. Twilight looked adorable with her hair tied up in a messy bun and a pencil tucked behind her ear. It made it almost impossible for Sunset not to pull her in for a kiss right there. However, it was a public place, and Sunset didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. So, once again, she pushed her urges down and focused on her homework.

Now, Sunset was no longer with Twilight but, instead was with Fluttershy. They were still at school, but not near the library. The two girls were sitting outside by the Wondercolt statute, and the sun was shining behind them. Sunset was blushing furiously. And that was something that Fluttershy noticed. She shifted until she was sitting directly in front of Sunset and smiled at her.

“What happened with Twilight today? Is she okay?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yeah, Twilight is fine,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“So, what’s making you blush then, Sunset?” asked Fluttershy.

“I… kissed Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer’s cheeks reddened further as she admitted that.

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy. “Does Twilight know about your crush on her?”

"No, not yet,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

“Are you going to tell her soon?” Fluttershy asked.

“I want to, but I am not sure Twilight feels the same way.” Sunset Shimmer looked at the ground.

Fluttershy rested her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “I am sure that Twilight feels the same way that you do about her. I have noticed her looking at you and blushing a few times.”

“R-really?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“Yes,” replied Fluttershy.

Then the memory changed again. Sunset was now back with Twilight. And this time, they were both at Rarity’s house. There were several paint cans along with several paintbrushes around them. The girls all volunteered to help her repaint her room. Sunset dipped her paintbrush in the paint and was about to continue painting the wall in front of her. However, she got met with a paintbrush on her nose. Turning, she found that the culprit behind her now greyish purple nose was Twilight. Taking hers, Sunset did the same to the bookworm.

“Now we’re even, Sparky,” said Sunset Shimmer.

“Hehe, yep. Though I must admit purple looks good on you, Sunset,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Maybe, but I think it looks way better on you,” said Sunset Shimmer as she painted the wall in front of her. “I think you are beautiful in purple.”

Twilight Sparkle blushed. “Th-thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Sparky,” replied Sunset Shimmer.

The memory changed once more. However, now this time, the redhead was alone in her bedroom. Her reflection in the mirror revealed that she looked like she was Demon Shimmer. And the dried blood on her one arm placed it right after she had gotten home from Twilight’s house. Ray was sitting on the bed next to her, looking up at his owner. His eyes had grown dark with sadness as he saw the state that she was in. Concerned, he scooted closer to her.

“Ray, do you think there is a possibility that Twilight will love me now that she has seen this side of me?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she looked at her leopard gecko.

Ray nodded and let out a chirp in response.

“I wish that Twilight wasn’t so scared of me. I love her, and it hurts to see that she was frightened of my demonic side,” said Sunset Shimmer. "I hope that she’ll still love me and want to be my girlfriend when all of this is over.”

Ray moved onto the redhead’s lap, nuzzling her hand.

“Aww, thanks, little guy. I am glad that you are here for me,” said Sunset Shimmer as she picked up Ray and kissed his head.

*** *** *** ***

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and squeezed Sunset’s hand as she moved a little closer to her. “Would you mind if I did something?”

“Do what, Twilight?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“This.” Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes as she leaned in and placed her lips against Sunset’s, enjoying the adrenaline rush of finally getting to do something she had wanted to do for a while. Pulling away, she looked at Sunset and saw that she was nervously avoiding her gaze. “Is everything okay, Sunset?”

“Y-yeah, I am alright, Twilight. I am just surprised that you kissed me when I look like this,” replied Sunset Shimmer, gesturing to her appearance. “Before, you could barely hold my hand, and now, you just kissed me. Why… why did you kiss me, Twilight?”

“I kissed you, Sunset, because I love you too. And I wish I had said something sooner, and not given in to my fear of what you might think,” replied Twilight Sparkle as she moved closer to Sunset. “I hope that me kissing you wasn’t too much.”

“I-it wasn’t, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, noticing that there was something else behind why Twilight kissed her. “Is there another reason you came here, Twilight?”

“Yes, there is. Sunset, I came here wanting to apologize and to ask you something. I know it might be way too soon to ask, but I need to know if there is any chance it could happen after what I did to you,” replied Twilight Sparkle

“If what could happen?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“If we could be girlfriends,” replied Twilight Sparkle. “Is there any chance you’d want to be my girlfriend, Sunset?”

“Uh…” The redhead looked away as Twilight took off her geode and handed it back to her. “Yes, there is a chance, but it’s too soon for me right now. I hope you can understand.”

“I do. I am sorry that I kissed you; I just wanted to show you that I love you, even your demonic side,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“It’s okay, Sparky. It’s just something I am not ready for at the moment,” Sunset Shimmer said as she looked at the bookworm. “Is there anything else?”

Twilight Sparkle chuckled nervously and looked down. “Well, there is something.”

“What is it?” asked Sunset Shimmer.

“I would like to cuddle for a little bit before you change back. I’d like to watch the sunset with you,” replied Twilight Sparkle.

“Are you sure?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she grabbed Twilight’s hand. “My wings aren’t like yours. They’re not as soft or comforting. And what about the girls? There’s something we need to discuss with them.”

“Well, they can wait until after the sunset. I want to enjoy the rest of it by your side, your wings wrapped around me, please,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay.” Sunset Shimmer put on her geode and patted the spot next to her. “Come here, and we can enjoy the sunset together.”

Twilight Sparkle sat down right next to the redhead. She felt the redhead wrap her arm around her shoulder. And as she rested her head on her chest, watching the sun fall below the horizon, she saw her rest her wing on top of her. Twilight moved one of her hands and rested it on the leathery appendage as she looked at the color-filled sky outside. Right now, at the moment, nothing else mattered to her. All she cared about was the redhead and making her feel like she could be vulnerable around her. Twilight wanted to be there for her and support her, just like she had done for her after the Friendship Games. And she wanted to enjoy this moment with her.
After staying away for so long, Twilight missed seeing her. She missed her smile, her laugh, the way her hand felt holding hers, everything. There was a void when the redhead was gone, and she couldn’t stand having it there. Not when she knew how she felt about her.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as Sunset squeezed her other hand. Time seemed to stop, and it was just her and the redhead. Twilight watched as the colors began to fade in the sky while she listened to the rhythmic beat of the redhead’s heartbeat. Nothing could pull her away from the moment she was in. She didn’t want it to end. She wanted to stay there forever and not have to leave. And Twilight knew that the person sitting next to her was the one she loved, even with her demonic side and past. It didn’t matter. Sunset Shimmer was perfect in her eyes and always will be. Right now, in this surreal but beautiful moment, everything was right once again. Twilight had Sunset back, and this time, she would make sure that Sunset never felt abandoned by her again.

*** *** *** *** ***

*A Few Hours Later*

At the electrical building, the Phantoms were staring at Springtrap’s body. He wasn’t able to move all his joints. Well, everything except his mouth. That, he could still manage to move, and he took great pleasure in making sure that his accomplices stayed in line. The rest of him got damaged pretty badly. His plastic covering had gotten partly burnt to a crisp, partially melted, and a mix somewhat of the two results as well. His yellow-green coloring was mostly black now. And the corpse within him of his human body had partially turned to ash. Every small move Springtrap made caused more of it to fall to the ground.

“Will one of you fuckers help me move now?!” shouted Springtrap as he tried to lift his hand.

“Okay, okay. We’re doing the best we can,” replied Mangle as she chipped away some of the melted plastic around his elbow joint.

“Well, do better!” shouted Springtrap as he tried again to move his hand around.

Just as Mangle was working on freeing Springtrap’s wrist, a mysterious hissing sound broke the usual noise. She looked around, wondering where or what it came from. When she saw nothing, she returned to working on Springtrap’s joints. Yet, the sound came again a few minutes later. Mangle lifted her head and checked her surroundings. However, there was nothing in sight that could have caused the mysterious sound.

“What the hell is that?” asked Mangle, turning to Phantom Foxy.

“I don’t know,” replied Foxy as he phased his hook in and out of the wall next to him. “There are no snakes around here. Not that I have seen.”

“I am no snake,” said the mysterious voice. “I am what one could call a Naga or Lamia.”

“A what?” asked Mangle, turning to where the mysterious voice came from.

The figure walked, or rather, slithered into the building. The sun illuminated their face and body. Behind them was a thick 20-foot long snake tail, connecting to their abdomen and torso. The tail itself was similar to an anaconda’s in the pattern, but not coloration. The colors were odd, definitely not what a regular snake would have. Then again, this wasn’t a normal snake in front of them. The colors were a mix of black and purple, with pink highlighting specific areas of their pattern. Surprisingly, the person’s upper body remained mostly human, aside from the scattered scales covering it. A snake-like tongue flicked in and out of their mouth, making them seem even creepier. However, their most mysterious feature was their eyes, which were an inhuman ice blue. Even their eyes were slits just like a snake’s. And framing their face was long, purple, and black hair that reached down below her shoulders. All in all, the person appeared human from the waist up. Then waist down, they looked exactly like a snake.

“A Naga. Part human, part snake,” replied the figure. Behind them, their tail moved and started to coil around Springtrap. “And… you must be Springtrap or William Afton if you prefer.”

“Springtrap will work. Now, who the fuck are you?” asked Springtrap as he tried to fight against the coiling tail.

“My name is Violet. Violet Night,” replied Violet Night, slithering closer to Springtrap. “And I have something for you.”

Violet Night flung Springtrap out of the building, causing bits of burnt and melted plastic to fall off him. As he hit the ground, she slithered up to him. And with her tail taking place where her legs usually were, she was much taller than an average person. Springtrap stood up and grabbed her arm, making Violet bare her fangs, hissing at him.

“Don’t.” Violet night yanked her arm away from Springtrap’s grasp. “Ever touch me again.”

“Ooh, aren’t we a touchy snake bitch. What is your business here anyway?” asked Springtrap, dusting off the dirt and bits of plastic that still clung to him. “I don’t remember asking for a snake bitch in heat to come by.”

Violet Night rolled her eyes, annoyed by Springtrap’s behavior. “I am here for a specific reason: to get Sunset and Twilight for my aunt Vanessa.” She jabbed her finger into what remained of his chest cavity. “And you are supposed to help me accomplish that, remember?”

“Oh, right. I almost forgot that Vanessa came around.” Springtrap walked towards the building. “But what’s in it for you?”

“My aunt doesn’t kill my only friend with my venom. Or sell me and my secret to the highest bidder,” said Violet Night as she slithered her way over to him. “So, are you going to help or not?”

Springtrap thought for a moment. “Okay, I will help you. How do you want to do this?”

Author's Note

Well, this has been fun. Thank you for reading this and taking some time to see what I have created. I hope you all enjoyed this story. I had a lot of fun writing and sharing it. Let me know what you think of it. I enjoy seeing y'all's reactions to it.