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.