Five Nights at Equestria Girls

Jeremy was walking behind Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Behind him, taking up the rear, was Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. They were heading back to the playground, where one of the two kids were. As they made their way there, Rarity and Applejack kept an eye on Jeremy. Yes, he was just a child, but he also happened to be a child trapped inside an animatronic body. And in that body, he could do some severe damage if they weren't careful, like with the two kids. So, as a precaution, they kept their distance, just in case. Eventually, the playground came into view. To Sunset's relief, there were no cops yet. But she knew it was only a matter of time before it was swarming with them.

"Okay, we are here," said Sunset Shimmer as she turned around and faced the girls and Jeremy.

"Where's the body?" asked Jeremy, not seeing the kid's body anywhere.

Sunset Shimmer glanced behind her at the boy's body. She had to cover her mouth to prevent her gag reflex from kicking in. The ground around it was stained dark red from the blood which had drained from the body. It was like someone had tried to use blood to make mud rather than water. However, that was nothing compared to the stench in the air. The playground and the surrounding area reeked of blood. So much so, that the other girls had even covered their mouths and noses as well. Blood was everywhere. Even his shirt had gotten completely soaked on the back and sides. The front was stained as well, but not nearly as much as she figured the back was. His skin had turned pale and ashen. Thankfully, it seemed that him lying on his back hid the injury that Jeremy caused. That made her grateful she had blocked Jeremy's view of it. Scarring him even more than he already was, wasn't part of her plan. Not after all that he had been through.

Turning her attention back to him, she said, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Jeremy?"

Jeremy walked up to Sunset Shimmer, the girls stepping aside as he approached her. He kept his hook at his side, partly because he didn't want to see the blood on it. And partly because it was a safer bet than if Jeremy moved it. As he looked at the redhead, he noticed that she had stepped back from him. That worried him. Had he angered her? Or was she...scared of him? Was it because he had murdered some children? It was an accident. But he figured that she had a right to be afraid, especially since his hook had gotten coated in the boy's blood. So, instead of pushing the matter, he just acted like he didn't notice it.

Jeremy nodded. "Yes, Sunset. I am ready."

Sunset Shimmer swallowed hard, stepping aside and allowing Jeremy to see the boy's corpse. She eyed him, watching for his reaction. It was nerve-wracking for her to be unsure of what seeing the boy's body would do to him. She had a working theory about why Jeremy decided to force his soul into his unconscious. If she was right, this wasn't the first time he had murdered someone. If the game suggested anything, this was far from the first time he had committed a murder.

Jeremy approached the body of the young boy. He looked no older than he was, which was shocking to him. In the boy's still open eyes, Jeremy saw the petrified look he recognized as his own. It was a look Jeremy knew well, having seen many kids become terrified of him whenever Jeremy tried to say hi to them. It was also the look Jeremy knew well, as that was what Jeremy felt when he had died. Kneeling, he moved his hand onto the boy's body.

"Jeremy, don't-" began Sunset Shimmer as she saw Jeremy lift the body and shifting so the body sideways, revealing the injury he caused.

Jeremy lifted the boy's shift and saw the three-inch hole in his back. If one looked carefully enough, they could see the bone of the boy's spine. The hole created by him was deep enough to allow him to see the damage he caused. Curious, Jeremy slipped his hook into the boy's injury. It fit his hook perfectly. There was still some blood oozing from the wound, which trailed down the side of the boy's back as he pulled his hook free.

"I caused this, didn't I?" asked Jeremy, glancing back at Sunset. "I killed him…"

"Yes.." Sunset Shimmer struggled to say the word out loud. It felt like it would do more harm if she spoke it. Yet, it came out, just barely, though, as if she was still fighting herself.

Jeremy looked down at his hook, the silver metal coated in a layer of dried blood. Minutes passed as he continued to eye the metal. He couldn't tell what he felt more strongly, guilt or disgust. By his hand, or rather hook, a kid had died. He was aware of some of the murders he had committed. But he was thankful that none of them were kids until now. In a new world that he knew nothing about with some strange girls that he just met, Jeremy had shattered the one thing he prided himself on not doing. Something that sounded like what could be considered a sigh broke the silence that had fallen over the group.

"Where is the other one?" asked Jeremy, his eyes never leaving the boy's body.

"It's over there, on the trail leading towards the shelter," responded Fluttershy, pointing to the trail that she and her friends had exited when they were chasing after him.

Jeremy looked at the spot where Fluttershy was pointing. "Can I go see him as well?"

"No," was the immediate answer from Sunset. "You can't. We have to get out of here before the police show up."

The girls stood back, unsure of how Jeremy would react to Sunset's response. They all had noticed that his hand had made a fist as she spoke, which didn't seem to be a good sign. Slowly, he pushed himself up, rising to his full 8-foot height. Once he was fully upright, he turned to face the redhead, his eyes shining brightly, a red glow emitting from them. Walking up to her, he raised his hook to her arm, resting it against her shoulder. Wondering was happening, Sunset Shimmer staggered back, her eyes locking into Jeremy's gaze.

"Thank you for showing me what I did," said Jeremy, catching everyone off guard. Hanging his head low, he continued as the red glow emanating from his eyes died off. "I am sorry that I caused more trouble for you and your friends. And I can assure you I will prevent this from happening again."

Sunset Shimmer gulped. "Glad I could help."

"Can I ask you a question?" Jeremy's voice quivered for a split second. "What was I doing before I killed those two kids?"

"You were chasing after a night guard," answered Fluttershy.

"Yeah, just like you were last night," added Sunset.

Jeremy let his hand fall from the redhead's shoulder, stepping back from her. It was clear that he was disturbed by his actions. His eyes, though they were only plastic, seemed to dim as he recalled the events that led up to the deaths of the two kids. His hook rested at his side as he walked past Sunset, stopping when he reached a bench. Standing behind the back of it, he rested his hand and hook on it.

"Where am I, Sunset?" asked Jeremy. "Where is my mom?"

"You're in Canterlot City, and I don't know Jeremy," replied Sunset, still keeping her distance.

"Canterlot City? Well, I guess I am not in Kansas anymore," replied Jeremy, looking at the girls.

Twilight Sparkle sighed. It was fascinating to see Sunset Shimmer talking to Jeremy like she didn't see the animatronic body he was in. Just the 8-year-old boy that was inside. That was one of the many things she had come to admire about her. She could see someone for who they were, not their actions or appearance – something that was evident whenever Twilight confided in her about the Friendship Games and Midnight Sparkle. Looking down, she hid the slight smile that slowly appeared as she reminisced over the memories. Taking a deep breath, she brought herself back to the present. As much as she didn't want to intrude in the conversation happening between her friend and Jeremy, she knew that the cops were going to show up soon.

Twilight Sparkle walked up to Jeremy, resting her hand on his arm. "I hate to ruin this moment, but we need to leave."

"Twilight's right, Jeremy. The cops will be swarming this place soon," interjected Sunset.

"Uh, one problem," said Rainbow Dash. "Where the hell are we gonna hide him?"

Applejack walked up to both Sunset and Twilight, Rarity in tow. "We could hide him at my family's farm. There is an old barn we don't use much anymore."

"Are you sure?" asked Sunset, turning to the cowgirl. "Won't your family notice an animatronic fox suddenly appearing on your farm?"

She glanced over at Twilight Sparkle as she waited for Applejack's answer. She noticed that she seemed to be less lost in thought than earlier. But her eyes still showed signs of anger and confusion. That was a troubling sight to see. Enough so that the hairs on her arm stood on end. Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer returned her attention to Applejack.

"No, they don't really go by the old barn anymore," replied Applejack. "It's perfect for him. And his friends, assuming we can find them, that is."

"Okay, then we go there," said Sunset. "Jeremy, is that okay with you?"

"Yep," replied Jeremy.

With that, all the girls headed out of the park, skipping the trail. They figured it was better not to risk being seen by a body more than they already were. Walking away from the park, they avoided as many open areas just in case there was anyone nearby. Having Jeremy getting spotted wasn't going to make anything better. Especially with his other friends still on the loose. They continued like this, hiking to get to Applejack's farm before nightfall.

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

Back at the old electrical building, Springtrap was pacing back and forth. His metal feet scraped against the cracked concrete floor as he walked around. The sound filled the void of silence that had settled in the building. In the back of his mind, he had begun to regret not taking the Phantoms with him. They could be of use to him now. But all he had was the one animatronic. And it was glitchy and broken. Clearly, the trip to the new world damaged it.

"But maybe it could provide some useful information…" thought Springtrap, turning his attention to the animatronic.

He walked up to the Marionette, kicking its spindly legs. "Hey, wake up!"

The Marionette stirred, moving its arm underneath its body as it pushed itself up. Something felt different this time. Its circuits felt like they were firing like normal. Looking around, it realized that it was not in the music box anymore. Slowly, it craned its head upward, looking at the source of the voice which had awoken it; Springtrap. Its black, non-existent eyes drilled into him, directing their anger at him.

"Wh-what do wa-want?" asked the Marionette.

"Well, I am glad to hear you can say other words. This was going to be a dull conversation if all you could say was, 'What do you mean?'." Springtrap kneeled in front of the Marionette. "Now that I have you awake, I need something from you."

"What wo-would that be?" The Marionette sat up, leaning against the wall.

Springtrap chuckled, looking down at his hands. "Some information." He glanced back up, his eyes glowing white as he continued. "On your friends."

"M-my friends? What do you wa-want with them?" The Marionette asked, curious as to where this conversation was going.

"I want to find them," replied Springtrap, standing back up. "And I know you can help me. So, tell me – where would your friends be if they were searching for someone in an unknown area?"

The Marionette tilted its head, confused by what Springtrap was talking about. Why were his friends in an unknown area? And what exactly were they searching for? They didn't know, but the fact Springtrap was asking meant he wasn't sure either. If they gave him what he wanted, they knew their friends would be in danger. But refusing meant that they would seal their demise. Springtrap had shown that he wasn't going to take being rebelled against lightly. Choosing to give him what he wanted, they spoke.

"I-I don't know. But de-depending on where they we-were, they would still be in the area." replied the Marionette, its glitchy voice worsening the more it spoke.

Springtrap nodded. "Good. Though, I have to wonder, why would you rat out your friends?"

"I-I don't kn-know…" said the Marionette.

"Hmm, interesting." Springtrap rubbed his chin, or what one could presume was his chin. "Thanks for the info, now go back to being useless."

The Marionette laid back down, its plastic body creaking as it moved. Its eye sockets shut close as if it had eyes, instead of empty pits. Its mind wandered back to its memories. They were foggy and vague, but there. Laying there, the Marionette tried to recall them, to make them clearer. Slowly, as if time had stalled to a stop, the images came into view. But they were scattered and continuously shifting from one thing to another.

As the Marionette laid on the ground, its mind whirling about its almost forgotten memories, Springtrap stood in the doorway of the building. His mind was also reeling, but not about forgotten memories. Instead, it was about where he would most likely find the Marionette's friends.

"If they were still at the high school when I left, they'll most likely be nearby. Assuming those idiot assholes didn't wander off." thought Springtrap.

Looking back, he saw that the Marionette was back to being quiet and still. Just the way he liked it. The annoying sounds that came from it were enough to make him almost miss the sounds of screaming 3-year-olds. Almost… but not really. He walked out of the building, knowing that his "pet" wasn't going to go anywhere. After all, he was on a mission. The girls and the kids they were helping had to die. Now.

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

After walking for what felt like forever, the girls stopped, resting their tired feet. Sure, Applejack's farm was close to the school. Yet, the park was a good five miles away from the school. Combined with them taking the other routes to avoid Jeremy getting seen, it took even longer. Their feet also ached from walking around on the bumpy terrain instead of the smooth sidewalk. Sitting down on a boulder, Applejack sighed.

"We can't keep up like this forever. We'll have to walk on the sidewalk," said Applejack as she closed her eyes, enjoying the relief of being off her feet.

"And risk exposing Jeremy?" Twilight interjected. "That's a risk we can't take, not until the rest of his runaway friends have gotten captured."

"Twilight's right, AJ. We can't risk exposing Jeremy and his friends," said Sunset, standing next to the cowgirl. "But you have a point – walking around on this uneven ground is an accident waiting to happen."

Jeremy sat down on the ground next to them, his joints groaning in the process. Being in a metal body, he didn't feel the exhaustion the girls did. That was one upside to being forever trapped in an animatronic body. But he still wished he could get away from it. Looking down, he saw the bloodied hook which he had used to kill the boy on the playground. The sight of blood disgusted him enough that he had to turn away. He couldn't stand seeing the blood. Not knowing that it was blood spilled from an innocent kid. Closing his eyes, he shoved his thoughts, and the images associated with them, aside. Sighing, he turned his attention to Sunset.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked.

"Now, we have to continue walking," said Sunset.

"Can we at least do it on the sidewalk? We won't make it home before dark if we keep taking alternate paths to keep a big red fox hidden." Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We're like 10 minutes away if we walk on the sidewalk, but 30 minutes or more with the alternate paths."

Sunset Shimmer looked at Applejack then Jeremy. "What do you guys think?"

"I am cool with it. I doubt anyone is going to notice us," said Jeremy.

"Well, if he is fine with it, I will be happy to agree with him," added Applejack. "My feet sure do."

"Great! Now that was decided, can we please go?" asked Rainbow Dash, her impatience starting to get the better of her.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, standing up as she helped Applejack to her feet as well. Together, the girls started to walk down the sidewalk. By now, the sun had begun to set, lighting the sky with hues of oranges and pinks – almost like a painting on a canvas. It reminded her of the sunsets she used to see back home in Equestria. Holding out a hand, she helped Applejack to her feet. As she and the girls started to walk back down towards the sidewalk, she turned to Jeremy.

“Hey, Jeremy, “ Sunset Shimmer started, keeping her eyes on him as she continued walking. “I hate to ask this, but I have to. Do you know where any of your friends might be?”

“Um, I think they were heading off to find the night guard,” replied Jeremy, his mind trying to find the memories of what his friends went hazily. “Like I was when you girls found me.”

“Great. I just hope the kids don’t kill anyone else while they are out looking for that damn night guard.” thought Sunset as she tucked her hands into her jacket pockets.

As she tried to think of another question to ask him, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Twilight Sparkle. She was still avoiding her a little bit. Not that she blamed her for doing so. Wanting to see how she was doing, she walked over to her. Walking side by side, the redhead found it hard to talk to her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to upset her friend any more than she already had. Or perhaps it was her fear of revealing the truth about her past. Whatever it was, she pushed it aside.

“Hey, Twi. How are you holding up?” asked Sunset, giving her a half-hearted smile.

Twilight Sparkle kept her head down as she spoke. “I am doing okay, Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer could sense that Twilight wasn’t in the mood for talking. She looked away, regretting even talking to her. It was clear that it was a mistake.

“Okay, that’s good.” Sunset Shimmer wasn’t sure what else to say. “Well, if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Yeah, okay…” muttered Twilight Sparkle, still lost in her thoughts.

Sunset Shimmer, not wanting to push Twilight further, decided to leave her alone. She started walking behind her, allowing her friend to have her space. As she walked, her mind wandered to what had happened at lunch. She realized that she had acted differently towards Twilight. That she lashed out at her, acting colder towards her friend. As that dawned on her, she froze for a moment.

“I...acted so...cold towards her…” Sunset closed her eyes, trying to force the memory aside.

“How many of my friends are here with me?” asked Jeremy, not realizing what was happening with Sunset.

Jolted from her concentration, Sunset Shimmer glanced over at Jeremy. “Huh?”

“I asked how many of my friends were here with me,” said Jeremy, repeating his question. “Are you okay, Sunset? You seem like you have something on your mind.”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about Twilight,” replied Sunset. “As for your earlier question, I don’t know. Maybe five, including you.”

“Did they remember who they were at all?” Jeremy asked, continuing to walk next to Sunset. “Or were they like me? Forgotten who they once were?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I don’t know, Jeremy. It seemed that they didn’t remember who they were, but it’s impossible to tell from the few seconds that I was fighting to save my friends and me from them.” Her annoyance at his question was starting to get the better of her.

“Wait, we tried to kill you?” Jeremy was shocked by that revelation.

“Yeah, you tried to kill poor Fluttershy and Rarity,” said Pinkie Pie as she started to walk backward. “Luckily, we were about to knock you out.”

“Actually Pinkie, it was Twi and me that knocked him out,” added Applejack, correcting Pinkie Pie.

“Were they still trapped in the animatronics they died in? Like how I am still trapped inside of the one they call Foxy.” Jeremy looked down at his hook, wondering if he was ever going to get freed from his metal cage.

“I-I think so,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking at Jeremy. “But we’ll know more when we can find the rest of your friends.”

“Okay,” Jeremy said.

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

After they arrived at Applejack’s farm, Sunset Shimmer and Applejack walked Jeremy to the barn. By now, night had started to fall. The once vibrant oranges and reds had now all but faded away. Which left the sky colored a dark blue hue as the black of night crept up. As Sunset approached the old barn, she saw an old, almost dilapidated building. The paint on the outside was mostly gone, having peeled off in the years of neglect. The walls had some holes where the missing wood either rotted away or splintered off during the hot summers. She approached the two massive wooden doors that were held close by a large wooden beam.

“When you said that you hadn’t been using this barn for a while, I at least thought it was going to be in decent shape,” said Sunset as she pulled the wooden beam from the door.

“Well...we were plannin’ on tearin’ it down. But we got so busy with the farm work and harvestin’ the apples that we kinda forgot to take it down.” Applejack replied, following Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy into the barn.

The barn was nowhere near as big as the main one Sunset Shimmer was used to seeing. That one was big enough to have six horse stalls, a tack room, and a ‘Hay Room’ as Applejack liked to call it. This one, in comparison, only had two horse stalls, a small, make-shift tack room, and the rest of the barn was occupied by towers of hay bales that reached the ceiling. Walking over to one of the towers, Sunset Shimmer started to grab a few hay bales, making a makeshift bed for Jeremy.

“I know this ain’t much Jer, but I hope it is enough,” said Applejack as she grabbed a dust-covered tarp from behind one of the hay bales.

“It’s fine, I like it,” said Jeremy as he sat down on one of the hay bales. “It’s much nicer than the pizzeria.”

“I can imagine,” Sunset said, sitting next to him. “Do you miss the pizzeria?”

Jeremy shook his head. “No, I don’t. I hated it there. I hated being trapped in that awful place.”

“From what I heard about it, I don’t blame you,” said Applejack as she walked over to him. “Anyway, if you need anything sugarcube, just let one of us know, okay?”

“Okay, I will Applejack,” replied Jeremy, turning to face the cowgirl.

“Also, Jer?” started Applejack.

“Yeah?” asked Jeremy.

“You can call me AJ if you want. It’s what my friends do.” finished Applejack, giving him a wink.

With that, Applejack left Sunset Shimmer and Jeremy in the barn. Sunset watched as her friend walked into the main house, closing the screen door behind her. Once her friend was out of sight, she turned to Jeremy, smiling at him.

“So, are you comfortable here?” She asked.

“Yes, I am.” Jeremy tried to smile at her back but remembered that he had become trapped in a robotic body. “Thank you for allowing me to stay here.”

“No problem. We’re happy to help.” Sunset replied.

Jeremy chuckled, his laugh sounded like static on a TV with no signal. “Thanks. Will you and your friends help me find my friends?”

“Of course, we will,” said Sunset Shimmer as she rested her hand on his arm. “We all want to help you and your friends.”

“You promise, Sunset?” asked Jeremy, meeting her gaze.

“Yes, Jeremy. I promise I will do everything I can to help you and your friends.” Sunset’s cyan eyes shone in the moonlight, which appeared through the holes in the roof.

“Good.” Jeremy laid down, oddly feeling exhausted. “I’m gonna take a nap now.”

“Okay.” Sunset let her hand fall away from Jeremy’s arm. “Well, I better be going now.”

After that, Sunset Shimmer exited the barn, closing the two behind her. As she walked away from the building, she hoped that it would remain standing. Having it collapse would be one thing she didn’t need. Shaking her worries aside, she opened the screen door and walked in, closing the door behind her. Walking into the kitchen area, she saw the sight of her friends sitting around a large dining room table.

Pinkie Pie was eating a banana split, which she had quickly whipped up for herself. Sunset had to stifle a chuckle as she saw a mustache made of whipped cream appear on her friend’s top lip. Rarity was helping Fluttershy calm down from the evening’s frightening experiences. She was rubbing the animal lover’s arm, trying to keep her calm. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had sped out of the kitchen and right back to her chair, phone in hand.

“This is so cool! I can’t wait to share this photo on my SnapGap!” said Rainbow Dash as she flipped through the photos she had taken of Jeremy.

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, dear?” started Rarity as she looked at the polychromatic haired girl. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Oh, come on! I just want to share the fact that we have an animatronic fox in our town.”

“Did you already forget what Twilight said earlier?” Rarity stopped rubbing Fluttershy’s arm, turning her full attention to Rainbow Dash. “We can’t risk exposing them, even if it would be for followers or more… awesomeness.”

“Fine, I delete the picture,” said Rainbow Dash, knowing that Rarity had a point.

Twilight, meanwhile, was going through her phone, wondering if she had gotten any texts while she was gone. After checking her contacts and seeing nothing, she sighed and exited out of the app. She looked up from her phone for a split second, catching Sunset’s eye. Just as quickly as she met her gaze, she averted it back to her phone. Right now, she didn’t – no, couldn’t – face her knowing that might be something she was not aware of. So, she busied herself with checking in on her SnapGap account, seeing if the number of followers she amassed, had increased since her last post that afternoon.

“Mmm, apple pie. My favorite,” said Sunset Shimmer as she inhaled the scent of a freshly baked apple pie.

“Yep. Granny Smith loves making apple pies. When it finishes, we can have some.” Applejack said as she set her oven mitts down and walked towards the redhead.

“Well, that sounds good to me,” said Sunset as she sat next to Rainbow Dash at the table.

“How’s Jeremy?” Twilight Sparkle asked, briefly looking up from her phone. “Is he dealing with his situation well?”

“As well as he can for being thrust into a new world and having his memories brought back to him,” replied Sunset, looking over at Twilight.

“Good.” Twilight shifted her focus to Applejack. “Can I take a shower, AJ?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, of course, sugarcube.”

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

An hour later, Twilight Sparkle had finished her shower. She was dressed back in her regular clothes when she walked back out to the kitchen. As she sat down in her chair, Applejack set the freshly baked apple pie on the table. The sweet aroma of the apples and cinnamon drifted towards her, making her mouth water as she inhaled the scent. She glanced at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she was on her phone, busying herself. For a second, she opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But instead, she shut her mouth and looked towards the living room. Behind her, she heard the cowgirl walk, heading upstairs to take her shower.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what game are you playing now?” asked Twilight, turning around in her chair.

“It’s the new Daring Do game; Racin’ Through Time - The Amulet of Ahuizotl,” replied Rainbow Dash as she paused the game. “Wanna play, Twi?”

Twilight Sparkle stole a glance at Sunset Shimmer, seeing that she had looked up from her phone. Looking back at Rainbow Dash, she said, “Yeah, why not.”

“Awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash, happy to finally have someone to compete with.

Sunset Shimmer watched as Twilight Sparkle got up from the table, walking into the living room. As she saw her sit down on the couch, grabbing a controller from Rainbow Dash, her heart clenched. It was clear to her that Twilight, although she had forgiven her, was only willing to forgive to a point. She could see that she was pushing her back, keeping her at a safe distance. Sighing, she went back to focusing on her phone.

“So, from what I see, things between you and Twilight aren’t too great, right?” asked Rarity, pushing Sunset’s phone as she met her eyes.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Yeah, I thought we were doing okay. But now, it’s like she is trying to figure out what I am keeping from her. I guess it’s not enough that I admitted that I have something about me that makes it hard to talk about it.”

Rarity pursed her lips as she looked down for a moment. “Well, dear, I don’t think that is enough. Not when she deserves the truth from her best friend.”

Rarity’s words stung like a thousand hot needles digging into her skin. She didn’t want them to be true. Not when it meant she was making the wrong choice. Tossing the thought around in her head, she started to wonder why she was keeping it a secret from Twilight. It wasn’t that she was trying to protect her. Her past was of no danger to Twilight. That eliminated that as a reason. So, why exactly what made her so afraid to tell her best friend about her past? Was it because she was scared? As the word afraid crossed her mind, Sunset Shimmer shuddered.

“You’re afraid of telling her because you don’t want to lose her,” said Sunset’s inner voice, breaking the silence in her head.

“You’re right.” thought Sunset, her gaze drifting downwards to her phone. “I am scared. No, terrified of her… reaction to it.”

“Do you think she’ll run away from you? Or think of you as a…” Her inner voice trailed off as if the next word would break Sunset. “A monster?”

The word made the redhead’s skin crawl. Numerous times she had the word, mostly right after the event of the Fall Formal. It seemed that everyone seized every opportunity to throw the name at her. Despite the pain which followed after someone said, she had gotten used to it. After all, she had manipulated everyone in the school to get what she wanted – to prove to her former mentor that she deserved a power that was never hers to claim. Even now, the guilt of her actions weighed on her. Though not as heavily as it once did thanks to the friendships made with the girls. The word she thought had lost its meaning due to the over repeated use, now buried itself beneath Sunset’s skin.

“Don’t. Don’t say that word,” muttered Sunset, trying to keep the mental war in her head to herself.

“What? Oh, you mean the word ‘monster’? Why do you hate that word so much?” asked her inner voice.

“I just do,” replied Sunset.

“That is not a real excuse. Tell me the real one.” Sunset’s inner voice said, pushing against Sunset’s defensive answer.

“I hate it… because… I think I am still that monster.” replied Sunset slowly, not wanting to admit the reason to herself.

“Well, you technically are that-”

“Sunset? Are you still listening to me?” Rarity’s soft voice interrupted Sunset’s conscience, cutting it off before it could say anything further.

Sunset Shimmer blinked and looked at Rarity. “What?”

“You drifted off after I said that your admitting that you have something that is hard to talk about isn’t enough,” said Rarity as she met Sunset’s worry-filled eyes.

“Oh, right,” said Sunset, closing her eyes as she cleared her thoughts. “Well, you do have a point. But I am so terrified of her reaction that I freeze every time I try to tell her.”

Rarity scooted closer to Sunset Shimmer, thankful that the chairs had wheels on them. She rested her hand on her arm, hoping that it would calm her down. She could hear the distress in the redhead’s voice, which only made her worry more. It was hard to see her care for her friend, yet be tied down by a fear that kept her from freeing herself. Squeezing Sunset’s arm, she gave her a small, close-lipped smile.

“Well, you two did manage to work on it.” Rarity glanced over at Twilight Sparkle, who was currently beating Rainbow Dash at the game. “And judging by how she is acting around you, she is trying to process what you told her.”

“You’re probably right, Rare. But it seems like Twilight wants me at a distance until she figures out my secret.” Sunset’s voice shook as if it pained her to admit what was happening out loud.

“That is to be expected. No one likes to think someone they are close to is hiding something from them.” Rarity’s voice was calm, which was the opposite of how the words made Sunset feel as she heard them.

“Can’t argue with that. If I were in Twilight's position, I’d probably act the same way…” said Sunset, her eyes lowering as she spoke.

Rarity nodded. “So, what is keeping you from telling Twilight? And if I am blunt, I don’t think it is about her reaction. Not that I am saying it’s not part of it.”

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. “I guess, I am afraid because… I… love her.”

The words sounded foreign like they were in another language. For the first time, Sunset Shimmer had admitted her feelings aloud. It was like a weight had become lifted off her heart, as she could finally see something that had gotten hidden from her. Yet, just saying the words wasn’t enough. She needed more than that. She needed Twilight’s reciprocation of her feelings. To know that she cared for her as she did.

“Well, if you love her, then tell her. Don’t let it be the reason you push her away,” said Rarity as she got up from the table, walking over to the fridge. “Sunset, if I were you, I would be honest with her.”

Just as she opened the door, Applejack came down the stairs, her hair wrapped into a towel. While Rarity was rummaging through the contents of the fridge, she didn’t hear the footsteps of Applejack approaching from behind her. She grabbed a bottle of apple cider and closed the door. Seconds after she turned around, she bumped into the cowgirl, nearly spilling her drink.

“Oh, AJ, I didn’t see you there,” said Rarity. “Sorry for almost spilling my drink on you, dear.”

Applejack let out her usual warm chuckle. “It’s fine, Rare. It’s my fault for being so quiet. Without my boots, I become pretty dang quiet.”

“So I see,” said Rarity as she set her drink down on the counter. “How was your shower?”

“Good. I needed it, especially after today,” replied Applejack as she rested her hand on the fashionista’s shoulder.

Rarity smiled to herself as the cowgirl’s strong hand rested on her shoulder. It was warm and soft against her skin. It was like she was being caressed by a warm cloud, one that she loved – a feeling she treasured right now. It took all of her willpower not to pull her friend into a passionate kiss right then and there. But somehow, she did it, though barely. Sighing, she turned around to face her.

"Glad you enjoyed your shower," said Rarity, happy to be staring at the cowgirl's green eyes.

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

At CHS, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were sitting in the library after school. They were sitting in the back, around a circular table. While Sunset Shimmer sat on one side of the table, Twilight sat on the other. On the table sat numerous stacks of books, most of them about algebra and geometry. Twilight Sparkle grabbed another one about geometry, as Sunset Shimmer continued to work on her homework for her advanced physics class. As she flipped through the pages, she glanced up at Sunset. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her focus on the assignment in front of her. It seemed it was much harder to focus whenever the redhead was near.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her paper, noticing that Twilight was staring at her. “Um, Twilight? Is everything okay?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded, looking away from Sunset. “Yeah, I was just thinking about something…”

“Oh.” Sunset Shimmer set her pencil down. “What were you thinking about?”

Twilight Sparkle kept her gaze down, not wanting to look Sunset in the eye. What she was thinking about wasn’t something she wanted to share this time. Not when she was thinking about Sunset Shimmer herself. She fiddled with her pencil, trying to decide whether or not she should tell her what her thoughts were about. Saying that she was thinking about what exactly happened to her in her past wasn’t something she wanted to say to her friend. Sighing, she looked up, meeting the redhead’s gaze.

“Here goes nothing…” thought Twilight.

“I was thinking…about what you said yesterday. About how there was something that was hard for you to talk about,” replied Twilight, hoping her answer wouldn’t upset Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer remained quiet, unsure of what to say. She had suspected that Twilight was trying to figure out her past. Yet, to hear her admit it was something surreal. Like a long thought about a theory finally getting confirmed after years of toll and research. She sat there, her pencil sitting still on the table, her hands resting in her lap. What could she say? That it was okay to snoop around in her past without permission? She understood why Twilight was doing it, but for her, it wasn’t okay. Even with her friend’s founded reasons. Finally, after some thought, she sighed and turned to Twilight.

“Ah. I kind of figured, especially after yesterday,” said Sunset. “But um, Twilight? Why are you snooping around in my past?”

That was the question Twilight Sparkle was hoping that wouldn’t come up. Though, she did expect it to come up, despite her hopes of otherwise. As they both sat there in silence, she felt her unease growing. This had never happened before. She used to feel safe, even secure around Sunset Shimmer. Now though, it was like that safeness and security were gone. Replaced by nervousness and suspicion about what else the redhead might be hiding from her.

“I was...trying to figure out what happened, that’s all,” said Twilight, deciding that honesty was a better route to take.

Sunset Shimmer inhaled slowly, trying to keep herself calm. “Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all you’re going to say?” asked Twilight, surprised by Sunset’s seemingly calm manner.

“What do you want me to say, Twi? That I don’t want you snooping around?” Sunset asked, looking down at her homework.

“Well, yeah…” Twilight Sparkle responded, sounding hesitant to speak. “That is what I was expecting. Not you being...so calm about it.”

Sunset Shimmer looked up, her eyebrows knitted together. “It’s not like I can stop you, can I?”

“Well, you could. But I would prefer it if you didn’t,” said Twilight.

Sunset Shimmer gulped. “Why do you want to know about my past, Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle bit the inside of her cheek nervously. In her mind, she wondered whether or not she should answer the question. If she did, she feared that she would push Sunset Shimmer away. She didn’t want to keep Sunset from speaking about it. Not if she wanted to keep her questions unanswered. And she had a lot of questions. But, at least for now, she decided not to ask them.

“Because I want to know about you, Sunset,” said Twilight. “I hate that there is something that I don’t know about you. A secret…”

“That I am keeping from you?” asked Sunset, figuring out what Twilight was getting at.

“Yeah…” Twilight Sparkle closed the geometry book that she was reading. “We better get going.” She said as she glanced at the time on her phone.

Sunset Shimmer did the same with her physics book. “Twilight?”

“What?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she glanced at Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer smiled and rested her hand over Twilight’s. “I will tell you my secret. Unless, of course, you figure it out before I get the chance.”

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hand away from Sunset. She looked away as she said, “Well, I will give you one chance to tell me.”

Hearing that, Sunset’s heart began to race in her chest. Inside, she was starting to panic, though she kept her cool on the outside. She shoved her homework along with her physics textbook back into her bag. Just as she had finished doing that, she saw Twilight Sparkle get up and leave the library. That was all she needed to realize Twilight wasn’t going to let what happened at lunch or what she had said to console her, go. She slung her bag over her head, resting her bag on her right shoulder. Slowly, she took a deep breath and then walked out of the library.

“One chance, that is all I have…”

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

A few hours later, all the girls had gathered at Applejack’s farm. After checking in on Jeremy, they all sat in the living room. Twilight chose to sit next to Sunset Shimmer, to her surprise. Especially with what had happened at the library. Nonetheless, the redhead was happy that she could still get to be close to her friend. Though, in the back of her mind, she wondered how long it would last before it shattered. She hoped it would last a while, at least to give her a chance to come clean about her past.

“So what are we going to do now?” asked Rainbow Dash. “It’s not like it was easy to chase Jeremy down. And we only found him because of a trail of dead kids…”

“We can’t very well rely on the trail of dead bodies to tell us where the next animatronic is goin’ to be,” said Applejack as she adjusted her hat.

Sunset Shimmer got up from the couch, walking towards the front door. Rainbow Dash had a point - finding the other animatronics was going to be hard, especially without a trail…of something to follow. But as Applejack had mentioned, they couldn’t just hope to find another trail of dead bodies. With two kids already dead, having more would only worsen the problem. As she thought about it, the more her frustration grew. How could they find the animatronics but not have more deaths in their wake? She didn’t know.

Turning to her friends, Sunset Shimmer said, “So, how do we find the animatronics if we can’t have more deaths?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Maybe, based on what Jeremy was doing, they are doing the same thing,” said Twilight Sparkle, trying to help Sunset brainstorm some ideas.

Sunset Shimmer smiled. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Though, we have to see if Jeremy agrees. These are supposedly his friends, after all.”

With that said, all the girls got up and made their way to the barn Jeremy was hiding in. Luckily for them, the barn was hidden from view to passersby. And that Granny Smith and Applejack’s little sister, Applebloom, were gone for the day. Arriving at the barn, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle opened both doors, allowing their friends to walk in before them. Sunset walked in after Twilight did, closing the one door behind her.

“Hey Jeremy, we may have an idea of where some of your friends could be,” Sunset Shimmer said as she sat down next to Twilight. “But we want to run it by you first.”

Jeremy looked at Sunset, saying, “Okay, what is your idea?”

“Well, we were thinking that if you were looking for a ‘night guard,’ then maybe your friends are doing the same,” replied Sunset. “Do you think that is something they would do?”

Jeremy thought for a moment, resting a robotic finger on his chin. “Hmm, maybe. I can’t remember what we were all doing before my memories. Though it’s a good place to start.”

Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Okay, that will be our plan.”

The girls nodded in agreement. Now with a plan in mind, they walked out of the barn. Jeremy stayed in the shadows, keeping the sun from hitting his exposed metal endoskeleton. He knew that as long as he remained in the shadows, he was safe from being spotted, especially seeing as the sun was still in the afternoon sky. From the looks of it, it seemed it would be a few hours before the sun would set. So, he watched where he stepped.

Walking up to Sunset, he said, “Where are we headed?”

Sunset Shimmer turned to face him. “We’re heading to the police station. When we first encountered you and your friends, you were chasing a police officer. Though, you guys thought it was a night guard, like in the game.”

“Oh, okay,” said Jeremy, still trying to recall his memory from before he remembered who he was.

Two hours later, they finally reached the police station. As they approached the grounds, they stayed hidden behind the bushes on the other side of the street. Jeremy had remained by the forested area, not wanting to take any chances of being spotted, for the girls’ sake. Making their way closer to the building, they looked around. Police officers were sitting around outside the building. Some were sitting down and eating their lunch. A few were on their phones, messaging their friends. Yet, no sign of Jeremy’s friends, which was a troubling sign. Sunset Shimmer turned to Twilight Sparkle.

“So much for his friends being here,” said Sunset, keeping her voice down.

“We may not have found them here, but I may know where one may have gone,” said Twilight, pointing to a set of footprints walking into the surrounding forest. “It seems one wandered into the forest.”

Sunset Shimmer glanced in the direction of where Twilight Sparkle was pointing and saw the footprints. From a distance, one could almost write them off as usual footprints. But upon closer inspection, she could see that it was bigger, rounder than a standard footprint. It was clear that an animatronic made the depression in the dirt. Deciding that going to the police station was a bad idea, Sunset walked back to where Jeremy was still standing. The rest of the girls followed pursuit, being careful not to be spotted. They carefully pushed past the bushes, darting behind them quickly. Once they had safely reached the other side, the girls sighed with relief.

“That was a lot of risk for nothing,” said Rarity as she pulled a branch out of her hair.

“Not nothing, Rarity,” said Twilight Sparkle as she corrected her friend. “We found footprints leading into the forest from the police station.”

Jeremy stood there, listening to what the girls were saying. He closed his eyes, trying to recall something from his memory. For a while, there was nothing but blackness. Then, slowly, a blurry, barely-there image started to appear. Though it was fuzzy, it began to become more apparent. He could see faint outlines of Chica, Bonnie, and Freddy all standing around him in a small circle. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to hear what was getting said. All he got was jumbled up words and static drowning them out. Just as the first image had started to clear, it changed to a different one. Now, the three animatronics were walking away from him, all heading in different directions. The image was still blurry, and the last thing he saw was Bonnie leaving. Once he was out of sight, the vision faded back to black.

“Jeremy? Are you okay?” Sunset’s soft voice broke through the darkness.

Opening his eyes, Jeremy saw the redhead standing in front of him. “Y-yeah, I just recovered some of my memories. Something that may help you.”

“What is it?” asked Sunset.

Jeremy let out something that one could call a sigh. “I saw all my friends running off in different directions after we had broken free from the gym.”

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset, her violet eyes clouding over with worry. Without saying anything, she walked up to her. Within seconds, her hand was wrapped around the redhead’s wrist, gripping it tightly. She pulled her away from the rest of the girls and Jeremy, stopping only when a small group of trees hid them.

“His friends have split up, Sunset.” hissed Twilight, eyeing Jeremy for a moment.

“Yeah, I know Twi. I was there. I heard that as well,” replied Sunset, yanking her arm away from Twilight.

“If his friends have split up, it’ll be damn near impossible to find them. Sunset, do you know the hell that is going to be in our city?” asked Twilight, her voice rising as she spoke.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight, her mouth hanging open. It had caught her off guard to see someone she had known to be calm usually and collected become panicked and...angry. Typically, Twilight Sparkle would’ve handled the stress without breaking down, like she did when they were trapped in a mirror by Juniper Montage. Blinking, she closed her mouth and stepped closer to her friend, wanting to comfort her.

Twilight, seeing Sunset Shimmer step closer to her, turned her back to her. She grabbed her arms, pulling her shoulders inward as she slumped them forward. Just as she did that, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. It rested a few inches above one of her scars, making it hard for her to fight pulling away. She knew it was Sunset who had rested her hand there, and she had felt her touch enough times to know that. Goosebumps appeared as she felt her squeeze her shoulder. Slowly, she turned around, forcing herself to ignore the tingling sensation on her shoulder.

“What if we can’t find his friends, Sunset? What if more children have died? We can’t be sure they haven’t already killed more.” said Twilight, her voice shaking as she struggled to keep her mind from wandering to her scars and the fact that Sunset was very close to them.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, Sunset Shimmer could hear the worry and concern in her voice. She had every right to feel that way. Jeremy had already killed two kids. Whether they had gotten killed by accident or not didn’t matter, the fact that there was two bodies the police would find and probably trace back to them eventually. And what would stop the rest of Jeremy’s friends from killing more? As the thoughts ran across her mind, Sunset Shimmer felt her hand ball into a fist.

“No, there will not be any more dead children.” Sunset thought, squeezing her fist tighter. “It won’t happen, I won’t allow it to.”

Sunset Shimmer let her hand fall away from Twilight’s shoulder as she stepped closer to her. Meeting her eyes, she spoke. “Sparky, we’ll find his friends. And we’ll do it before anyone else gets hurt, I promise.”

Twilight Sparkle felt herself smiling as she heard Sunset’s words. The redhead always did seem to know exactly to say to calm her down, to keep her from being consumed by fear. Gazing back at her, she saw something in her eyes. A look of compassion and kindness, but there was a gentleness there as well. Something that made her feel safe. Suddenly, she felt someone’s hand intertwined with hers. Looking down, she saw that it was Sunset’s.

As she had grabbed Twilight Sparkle’s hand in a rush of adrenaline, she felt a tingling sensation run up her arm. Feeling a heat growing on her cheeks, she looked away. Something about Twilight made her body react in ways that no one else could do. A gentle squeeze made her glance back. She was amazed and happy to see that Twilight had stepped closer to her. As she looked at Twilight, she caught sight of their friends staring at them. Quickly, she pulled her away from Twilight’s, trying to ignore the embarrassment that was growing.

“Um…” was all Sunset Shimmer could muster as she nervously rubbed her hand through her hair.

“Please, don’t stop on account of us, dear.” said rarity, giving Sunset a quick wink.

When Rarity finished speaking, Sunset Shimmer felt a hand grab her own. Glancing, she saw Twilight Sparkle had clasped it and was smiling sheepishly at her. She felt her sheepish smile appear as she met Twilight’s eyes. Together, still holding hands, they walked back to the group.

Two hours of walking around the forest, watching the sun set below the mountains, they found nothing. Several times they had gotten lost in the woods. Thankfully, they didn’t get too far from each other. That didn’t do much to help their situation, as they were now deep in a forest with barely any daylight left. It was like a big, heavy, purple animatronic rabbit had just disappeared into thin air.

“Guys, I think we should call it a night,” said Rainbow Dash as she leaned against a tree, taking off one of her sneakers and rubbing her sore foot.

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to speak, there was a mechanical thumping sound approaching them. All the girls looked in the direction from which it was coming from just in time to see a purple rabbit running at them. They scattered to the sides of the trail they were on as he came closer to them. Not a second after Rainbow Dash had gotten her sneaker back on was she knocked off her feet as Bonnie ran past her.

“Ow…” mumbled Rainbow Dash as she rubbed the back of her head where it had gotten hit with a small rock. “That fucking hurt…”

She got up, dusting off her jeans. Pissed that an animatronic bunny had shoved her, Rainbow Dash sped off after him. After all, she didn’t want to waste a chance to capture him.

“Hey, you!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she caught up to Bonnie.

Bonnie turned around as he heard someone call him. As he did, he saw the rainbow-haired girl he had pushed past. Looking, he realized that she matched Foxy’s description of her entirely. Something about her felt like it was tugging at him, at his power source. Wanting to test a theory, he stepped closer.

“You!” hissed Bonnie, a red glow emanating from his eyes. “Come...here.”

“Um, how about I don’t, and you chase me?” asked Rainbow Dash, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Sound good?”

Bonnie growled, irritated by Rainbow Dash and her request. Deciding not to answer her, he started to run towards her, eyes glowing an even brighter red than before.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she started to run away from Bonnie.

Meanwhile, back at the trail, the girls were trying to figure out why Rainbow Dash had chased after Bonnie. After all, that was unlike her, especially when it could put her in danger of being killed or endangering her friends.

“What is Rainbow Dash up to?” asked Twilight. “Why did she go after Bonnie like that?”

Sunset Shimmer looked down at Applejack’s boots, thinking. She had a feeling she knew why Rainbow Dash had run off. Seeing Applejack’s lasso, which the cowgirl always carried with her as a good luck charm, an idea popped into her head.

“I...think I know,” Sunset said, looking at Twilight. Turning to Applejack, she continued. ‘AJ, pull out your lasso.”

“Why?” asked Applejack, her hand reaching down towards her lasso.

Just as the cowgirl had asked that question, Rainbow Dash came blurring past her. Not far behind came a big, purple rabbit with red glowing eyes. The sight was enough to make Applejack’s heart race. Gulping, she stepped back as the animatronic stepped closer to them.

“Because of that!” shouted as she pushed Twilight Sparkle out of the way.

“Fritz…?” whispered Jeremy as he struggled to recognize his friend as he charged at them.

Applejack readied her lasso, swinging it high above her head. Her friends had scattered to the side of the trail to avoid being stomped, allowing her easy access to “catch” Bonnie. As Bonnie got closer, she threw her lasso at him. With some fantastic luck, she managed to loop her rope around him, tightening it as she pulled against him. Using her strength, Applejack dug her heels into the ground. She could feel herself getting dragged along as the animatronic rabbit fought to free himself from the lasso. But after a few seconds of fighting, the cowgirl managed to topple Bonnie over. As his body fell over, the hard metal and plastic which he had gotten made of, hit the dirt with a loud but dull thud.

Bonnie glared at the girls who had managed to capture him, still struggling to get up. Laying there, it was starting to become apparent that having his arms bound wasn’t ideal. He again tried to break the ropes, but they remained tight around his body. Just as he stopped fighting them, he saw the cowgirl approaching him and bending down in front of him.

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted Applejack as she started to push Bonnie towards a tall oak tree.

Rainbow Dash ran over to the cowgirl, helping her to roll the animatronic towards the tree. Once he was leaning against the tree, she took the lasso from Applejack and used her super-speed to run around the tree. With each loop around the tree, the rope tightened. After about five loops, she stopped and handed the lasso back to Applejack, who quickly tied a secure knot.

“There, now that rabbit can’t...hop...away,” said Rainbow Dash, attempting to make a pun, albeit not a great one.

Turning to her friends, she saw that they weren’t amused. “Hehe, sorry. That was a lame attempt at a joke…”

“Yeah, it was,” said Pinkie Pie, pointing out the obvious to Rainbow Dash’s annoyance.

Meanwhile, they were unaware that there was someone else watching them from within the shadows. Not just anyone, it was an animatronic someone. Someone who wanted to know what they were up to.

“Fritz...?” asked Jeremy as he kneeled in front of his friend.

“Who the hell are you talking about, Foxy?” asked Bonnie, still struggling against the rope that bound him to the tree. “It’s me, Bonnie, remember?”

Hearing that, Jeremy got up and walked away. It hurt to see that his friend didn’t seem to know him anymore. He sat down on a nearby boulder, watching as the full moon rose from behind the mountains. Closing his eyes, he rested his head in his hands as he tried not to let his disappointment overwhelm him.

Sunset Shimmer had noticed that Jeremy walked away after talking with Fritz. She decided to follow him, wanting to make sure he was okay. As she followed him, she glanced back at her friends. For the time being, it seemed that they had Bonnie under control. Returning her attention to Jeremy, she sat next to him on the boulder.

“Jeremy...are you okay?” asked Sunset, keeping her voice soft.

“No, I am not, Sunset! My friend, who I have known for so long, doesn’t recognize me anymore. Me…” replied Jeremy, slamming his hook into the boulder.

The sound of metal hitting rock made Sunset Shimmer jump as she glanced downward. Learning that Jeremy’s friend, someone who had gone through the same traumatic death as him, didn’t know him must’ve hurt. Something she hoped never to experience. Just the thought of losing her friends made her heart clench. Taking a deep breath, she rested her hand on his leg and met his gaze.

“I promise that I will bring him back,” said Sunset.

“How?” Jeremy looked down at the ground. “How are you going to bring him back, Sunset?”

Sunset Shimmer sighed heavily. “If seeing your memories brought you back, then I think it could do the same for…”

“Fritz.” finished Jeremy.

“Yeah, Fritz.” Sunset Shimmer gave Jeremy a weak smile. “Just wait here, okay?”

“Okay…” whispered Jeremy as Sunset got up from the boulder.

Sunset Shimmer walked up to Bonnie, stopping when she was just a few feet from him. The creaking of Applejack’s lasso told her that it would give way if she didn’t do anything soon. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for the violent images she knew were to come. They weren’t easy to see, but she had made a promise to bring Fritz back. So, that is what she intended to do, even if it meant more scarring for herself. Kneeling, she placed her hand on Bonnie’s head. Seconds later, she felt her power take over...