Five Nights at Equestria Girls

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.”