Five Nights at Equestria Girls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes, I do," replied Sunset.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I'm so-"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Ooh, I am sure Sunset wouldn't mind you touching her," said Rainbow Dash with amusement in her voice.

Fluttershy glared at Rainbow Dash, clearly not amused by the comment. Turning her attention to Twilight, she said, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah, she is just sometimes sensitive to people touching her," added Pinkie Pie. "You're not the only one she has acted weird around after touching her shoulders."

"Oh…" Twilight fiddled with her skirt, growing more nervous with the conversation. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, she was a different person before you came here. She made some seriously big mistakes," said Rainbow Dash, leaning against the school wall. "But she's changed. And that meant the person she used to be is now her greatest shame. Not that I blame her, she was pretty awful."

"Still, that doesn't give her any right to act that way with her friends," responded Twilight, annoyance in her voice. "With me…"

"No, it doesn't." Fluttershy chimed in, sitting on the bench next to Twilight Sparkle. "You're right. She should not have acted the way she did. But, she might have had a good reason to."

Twilight's arm tensed as she heard Fluttershy say that Sunset Shimmer might've good a reason for pushing her aside. How was that so? Just because she had made some mistakes in the past didn't excuse her behavior. Sunset herself said that to her when she tried to hide her scars from her. She glanced at the animal lover, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I found her after she had disappeared. She seemed shocked, almost panicked. It was like she had PTSD or something. She couldn't bring herself to tell me what was going on. Must've been a horrible memory that got triggered." The animal lover added, seeing the confusion in her friend's expression.

"Wow, now I feel even worse," said Twilight, sighing. "But that's the thing. I never know what's going on in her head. I want to help her. But how can I when she keeps me on the outside?"

"Maybe you can just be there when she does let you in?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"I'm her friend. Yet, I feel like she is never going to see me that way and let me in the way she has with you girls." Twilight Sparkle stared at her hands, continuing. "She's my best friend. And not knowing how to help her, to be there for her, is killing me." By now, her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Look," intervened Rainbow Dash. "Sunset's always acting tough. It's kind of her thing, with the whole biker image she has going. She's used to being on her own, not relying on anyone. So, for her, it's hard to open up and trust someone."

Pushing off the wall, she sat next to Twilight Sparkle and continued. "The girl has a heart of gold, but she's convinced that it's not that way, which makes her skittish around the people closest to her because she's frightened to lose them. And you, Twilight, are the closest, the most important thing to her."

"I am?" asked Twilight, not sure she believed what Rainbow Dash was saying.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "I've never seen her so crazy about someone, not even when she dated Flash Sentry. Though, that was for a different reason… Anyway, she is so Twisexual for you."

"Rainbow Dash!" chastised Fluttershy. "That is not okay."

"What? It is true, and you know that Shy." retorted Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy was now as pink as Pinkie Pie's hair. While Twilight was wide-eyed at what she had just heard, could Sunset really be...Twisexual for her? Just saying the word in her mind felt weird. But one thing that had her the most confused was the fact that she was the most important person in her friend's life. If that was so, why did she run off earlier? Why did she decide to push her away rather than let her in?

"What happened to her in the past?" asked Twilight. "What made her change so much?"

"That...is for her to tell you," said Pinkie Pie as she helped Rainbow Dash move the broken bench. "Not us."

Twilight was about to object when Fluttershy spoke.

"It's something she has dealt with for a while but is still dealing with. It has left some...emotional scars that make it hard for her to talk about it. Just give her time, she'll come around." said Fluttershy.

With that, Fluttershy continued to clean up the broken bits of brick that laid scattered everywhere. That left Twilight to her thoughts. Getting off the bench, she grabbed the broom and helped Fluttershy clean up the rest of the brick pieces and dust.

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

At the store, Rarity was looking at wood planks with Sunset Shimmer. She was standing in front of some rosewood panels. They seemed rather lovely but would be out of place with the oak panels that made the whole of the gym floor. Besides, they couldn't get it, and it was out of their budget. Sighing, she moved onto the next best thing: improved oak wood panels. They were much more beautiful than the ones already at the gym, yet they didn't look all that much different. That was a decent choice. Glancing over at the redhead, she noticed that she was unusually quiet and depressed. Deciding to see what was up, not that she couldn't figure it out herself, she made her way over to her.

"Sunset, are you okay?" asked Rarity, resting her arm against one of the shelves. "You seem...distant."

"I'm fine, Rare," replied Sunset, not making any eye contact with her friend.

"Right. Because if you were fine, you wouldn't be making any eye contact with me and would be staring..." Rarity looked at the shelf Sunset was staring at, "at some screws and screwdrivers."

Sunset Shimmer looked at Rarity, realizing that her friend had become sarcastic. She saw her friend had a raised eyebrow and a look that said: "Come on, I know you're hiding something." Knowing the fashionista wasn't going to give up easily, she sighed and decided to tell her the truth.

"Okay, I am not fine," said Sunset.

"Oh darling, I knew that," interjected Rarity.

"It's Twili-"

"Twilight, again, I knew it," said Rarity, giving the redhead a smirk. "I am aware of things like that. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart."

Sunset Shimmer chuckled. "If that is so, you would've noticed the doe-eyed looks AJ gives you every time you're near her."

Rarity scoffed, unaware that Applejack was staring wide-eyed at her and Sunset. She had just heard what her friends were talking about. The cowgirl was not one to blush, but this was one of the rare occasions that she did. Walking up, she had a bag of door hinges, new ropes, and some paint to paint the new doors with.

"So, you want to fix things with Twilight then?" asked Rarity, wondering if her theory was correct.

"Yes, Rare. I want to make sure she knows it's not her fault." Sunset Shimmer looked down, staring at the tiled floor of the store.

"You're right. It's not Twilight's fault – it's yours." Rarity's tone was harsh, yet there was a softness to it. "But telling her why you ran off would be a good start."

"I know. But I can't let Twilight know it because of the Fall Formal. Not yet…" Sunset Shimmer replayed the thousands of ways Twilight Sparkle could've rejected her after she knew in her head. It was enough to make her head spin.

"Well, you'll have to do it soon if you keep this up. How long do you expect this charade to last?" Rarity looked behind her to see Applejack. "Oh, hey, AJ."

"I-I don't know," said Sunset.

"Well, I have said my opinion on this. I don't much like all this lyin' to Twilight," added Applejack, smiling at Rarity. "I got all the other supplies. Did y'all pick out the board material?"

Rarity nodded and pointed to the wood she had chosen earlier, leaving Sunset alone. "I chose this one."

"Good choice, Rare," said Applejack, stepping closer to the fashionista. "I will go tell the worker we need about ten or so planks of that."

With those words, the cowgirl left. Rarity returned her gaze to Sunset, finding her still staring at the screws and screwdrivers. Sighing, she walked back over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be easier to tell her the truth rather than all lies," said Rarity, knowing that her words would hurt Sunset. "But you do what you think is best."

As Sunset Shimmer watched her friend leave, she knew what she said was true. That the sooner she admitted the truth, the better it would be. Yet, she couldn't...because she was...afraid.

"I want to tell you, Sparky. I do…"

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

Fluttershy had wheeled a wheelbarrow full of brick dust, broken wood, and trash to the trash can outside, by the wooded area surrounding the school. Dumping the contents into the bin, she wiped her forehead. It had become covered in a layer of sweat, probably from her helping Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie lift the broken boards from the gym floor. But aside from that, the day was terrific. The sun was out, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. She watched as the birds flew overhead, landing in the nearby trees. As she glanced at the other side of the street, she realized she had forgotten something.

"Oh my, the animals!" Fluttershy gasped. She had forgotten about them. "The poor things. They must be so hungry by now."

Leaving the wheelbarrow behind, she ran a few steps. Just as she was about to cross the road, she halted and turned back for a moment. "What about the girls?"

"They'll be fine. Sunset and the others should be back soon." thought Fluttershy, making her choice.

Running across the street, she continued down the other side. "I'll make it quick. They won't notice I am gone."

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

An hour later, Sunset Shimmer pulled up with Applejack trailing behind her. As she pulled into her spot, she took off her helmet. She could see that Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the bench, unaware that her ponytail had become loose. Sunset always thought she looked better with her hair down rather than in a ponytail.

"They're back!" she heard Pinkie Pie shout as she and Applejack approached the girls.

"We know, Pinkie," said Rainbow Dash, taking a few of the boards from the bed of the cowgirl's truck.

Twilight Sparkle got up from the bench she was sitting on, making sure to avoid Sunset Shimmer as she made her way over to where the others were. Talking to the redhead right now was not something she wanted to do. Not yet, at least. She walked over to Applejack, taking the bag of supplies from her. Once she had a firm grip, she realized just how heavy it was. That made her admire the cowgirl's strength even more. Geode or no geode, she always had immense stamina. Stronger than the rest of the girls were.

"How was the shopping trip?" asked Twilight.

"It was good. Had to keep Rarity from trying to buy bedazzling supplies and rosewood planks," replied Applejack as she grabbed the last of the replacement planks. "Kept reminding her that they wouldn't match."

"They still would've improved the overall look of our school gym." insisted Rarity as she got out of Applejack's truck.

"Well, the school doesn't have the budget to look good, Rare," said Applejack. "At least not expensively good. Unlike CPA."

"Okay, you do have a point there," said Rarity. "But still, we could have at least tried."

Rolling her eyes, Applejack continued walking into the gym. As she walked past the door, she set the wood planks down where Rainbow Dash had set the others. Twilight Sparkle put the bag with them as well. Deciding to sit on the bleachers, she sat next to Sunset Shimmer. It wasn't her first choice, but the Applejack and Rarity, as well as Rainbow Dash, all made sure to give her no alternative. It was clear they all wanted her and Sunset to fix whatever happened between them. Feeling uncomfortable about sitting next to her friend, especially after what happened at lunch, she was about to get up. Just as she stood up, she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey, wait. Twi, can we talk?" Sunset's voice sounded meek, like Fluttershy's when she was nervous about being in front of a big crowd.

"Yes." That was Twilight Sparkle could manage to get out.

"I-I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you…" Sunset Shimmer looked down, taking a breath before continuing. "I was hurting because of something Trixie triggered. And in the process of escaping that, I hurt you." She looked back up, meeting Twilight's gaze, regret, and pain written all over her face.

Seeing that, Twilight Sparkle calmed down and took Sunset's hand in her own. "It's okay. I understand that you have made some mistakes, and that is still a sensitive subject." Twilight said. "I just wish you'd let me in. Let me help you…"

Sunset Shimmer lowered her voice once more, realizing that Twilight Sparkle had figured out she was hiding something from her. Not that she didn't expect that to happen after her strange behavior at lunch. She did. Yet, it was hard to hear that her friend now suspected something. But, it was knowing that she was right in her suspicions that killed Sunset.

"I know," Sunset Shimmer answered, her voice growing quiet. I'm just...I don't…" It was harder now to come up with an excuse. "I am working on letting you in. You deserve the-" She stopped herself before she could finish the sentence. "I just hope that when I do, I don't lose you…"

Twilight Sparkle gripped Sunset's hand tighter. "You won't ever lose me. Nothing in your past will scare me."

Her pulse raced as she heard what Twilight said. It took everything she had to keep herself from spilling the whole truth right then and there. Listening to those words, Sunset Shimmer desperately wanted them to be true. She wanted to believe that if Twilight knew about her she-demon self, Demon Shimmer as her friends and the school dubbed it, it wouldn't scare her away. She hoped that it wasn't going to make her run away. If she lost Twilight because of it, she wasn't sure if she could continue living. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to remain focused on her friend.

"I'll be ready to listen when you decide to let me in," finished Twilight.

In the upper sears of the bleachers, Rarity and Rainbow Dash had proud smiles as they watched Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer.

"We're good matchmakers, aren't we?" asked Rarity.

"Ugh, I can't wait for those two to figure out they’re not straight and get things going for Twisexuality," said Rainbow Dash. "Then I can work on you and Applejack."

"Wh-what?!" shouted Rarity.

Before she could say or do anything else, Rainbow Dash darted down the bleachers and disappeared in a flash of colors. She knew better than to stick around when the fashionista was pissed. Unfortunately, she didn't know that back when she had offered to hang out and watch the weekly fashion show with her. When Rarity's favorite contestant lost, she ended up seeing her friend break her TV in half, just by staring at it. Since then, she stayed away from her whenever she got pissed.

Watching the scene unfold in front of them, plus Applejack's growing embarrassment and flushed cheeks, made them chuckle. They both knew that their friends had feelings for each other, yet neither knew it. What Twilight and Sunset, at least on the surface, didn't seem to know was that they too were in a similar position. But right now, that was not their biggest concern at the moment. That would be fixing the gym floor so they could all go home.

"You know, when I said I had tonight free, I didn't plan on doing this," said Sunset as she got up from the bleachers.

"Well, if it makes it any better, we can still see who is going to win that game," Twilight said, elbowing Sunset playfully. "We both know it'll be me."

"Ha, you say that now. Just wait. I will win." Sunset chased after Twilight as she made her way to the pile of wood.

"Heh, we'll see, Miss Shimmer," replied Twilight playfully.

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

An hour later, and the girls had managed to fix the doors, paint them, and fix the floor afterward. By now, each girl had become covered in sweat. So much so, that each of their shirts clung to their bodies, like wetsuits. Even their hair was dripping with sweat. It was like all of them had just finished a 20-mile marathon, not finished fixing a gym. Sunset walked out of the building, craving the cool breeze that was blowing past. Sitting on the bench, her whole body ached, screaming at her for overexerting herself, especially her lungs, which burned with each breath she took. As she looked around at her friends, who had gathered outside as well, she noticed that one of them was missing.

"Girls, where is Fluttershy?" asked Sunset Shimmer, sitting straight up.

"Last I recall, she was taking some stuff out to a dumpster," said Twilight, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

What is it with me and losing my friends in this damn gym?" muttered Sunset under her breath.

"Let's check there and make sure she is okay," suggested Rarity.

"Agreed," said Sunset.

Getting up, all the girls made their way to the dumpster where the wheelbarrow was still. It was a clear indication that Fluttershy had been there at one point. But the more important point was that she wasn't there anymore. It looked like she had left a while ago. The only sign she had been there was the wheelbarrow.

"Where the hell is Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Maybe she remembered that she forgot to feed all the baby animals at the shelter and left without telling us. Then on her way back, she saw something suspicious and is going to call us," stated Pinkie Pie in her usual matter-of-fact manner.

"How did…" started Rainbow Dash.

"It was just a hunch, Dashy," said Pinkie Pie. "I could be wrong."

"Pinkie admitting that she is wrong? Now I have seen everything," said Sunset. "But you're probably right with the first part. She is most likely at the shelter."

"Then, let's check there," said Twilight.

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

Locking the door behind her, Fluttershy left the animal shelter.

"There we go, all fed," said Fluttershy, glad that she finally remembered her responsibility. "Now, to get back to the gym before the girls start to worry."

After walking for a few minutes, a pair of squirrels came desperately running up to her. She could tell by their nervous chittering that they were worried. Kneeling, she spoke to them in a calm voice.

"What's wrong little ones?" asked Fluttershy.

"We found something that you may wanna see, Fluttershy." replied one of the squirrels. "Come with us."

"Okay," said Fluttershy, getting up from her kneeling position.

She followed the squirrels down a trail in the woods. In her mind, she thought maybe a baby creature was injured or trapped. But as she watched the squirrels lead her down the trail, she was met with a gruesome scene. On the ground, was a boy who was maybe five years old laying on his back. She covered her mouth as she saw the deep cut running the length of his abdomen. It was wide enough that some of his intestines had spilled free and were hanging off to the side of his body. He was sitting in a pool of his blood, which also coated his shirt, staining it red in the process.

"Oh…" was all that Fluttershy could mutter.

Fluttershy had to look away as she felt her gag reflex kick in. As she vomited on the ground, she felt herself grow lightheaded. She wasn't able to handle gore. Real or not. Often she would opt out of horror movie nights with Sunset and Rainbow Dash because of it. Gathering what strength she had left, she stood back up. Just as she did, she saw her two squirrel friends ran off. Despite her self preservation instincts, she followed them.

In the dirt, were bloodied footprints that were not human. Following them along with the two squirrels, Fluttershy soon reached the edge of the wooded area. As she came out of the clearing, she saw the 8ft fox that she had fought the night before. It was making its way to the playground. Another kid, maybe a year or two older than the kid that was dead, was sneaking behind the fox. Just as he turned his back to hide behind the slide, he heard a whirring noise indicating that the animatronic was turning around. But as he listened to the heavy footsteps of the animatronic move closer to him, he froze. He turned around, seeing that the fox was right behind him, towering over his small stature.

"You're not the guard…" said Foxy in his usual robotic pirate voice.

Panicked screams made Foxy turn around. Unfortunately for the kid next to him, that made his hook slam right into his back, digging deep into his spinal cord. Hearing a grunt, Foxy turned back, only to find a kid attached to his hook. He saw that blood was dripping down his hook and arm, dripping onto the ground below. There was also blood coming from the kid's mouth as his eyes glazed over. Seconds later, the kid said something.

"Wh-why…" The kid coughed, spurting blood all over himself and Foxy. "Why me…"

"Nooo!" screamed Fluttershy louder than she had ever before.

Quickly pulling out her phone, Fluttershy dialed her friends' numbers. She left them all one panicked voice mail as she stared at the fox, now with a dead kid hanging limp from his arm.

"G-g-girls, get over her quickly. I'm at C-canterlot P-park," said Fluttershy, unable to hide the terror in her voice. "Now!"

The rest of the children scattered off in all directions, wanting to get away from the murderous robotic fox, and Fluttershy didn't blame them. But she did find it curious that the fox appeared to be dazed, almost unsure of where it was. That was odd.

Foxy only had one thing on his mind as he tried to free his hook from the kid's spinal cord. "Freddy is going to take me apart for this personally…"