The Demons Within Us All

by WinterSkiesVA

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe, Human, Main 6, Suicide / Self Harm, Equestria Girls, Violence, Tragedy, Sunset Shimmer
Length: 5277

Sunset Shimmer struggles to build herself up piece by piece after being broken down by the loss of a friend. However, as time goes on, a dark fate begins to corrupt her and feed on her vulnerability.

One year after Twilight's death and a year after Sunset's life fell apart. Sunset has to deal with her friend's death becoming a burden on her mental and financial state. However, as Sunset finds herself experiencing the symptoms of a tragic fate. This dark fate slowly corrupts her mind as she tries to find a way to save herself and her friends.

Published 2020-02-29 23:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-03-25 22:20:51 UTC

Nightmares

Author's Note

This is the first fanfiction I've ever written, so please excuse any grammar mistakes. Thank you! Also, please tell me in the comments if you'd like me to continue with the story and what you'd like to see further in the story!

Nightmares

I gasp as my foot catches onto what looked like a tree root. I try to catch my breath, but find it hard knowing what was approaching me from behind. I start to get up, but my foot gets caught on the root, the wood digging into my skin, blood pouring out of me. I yelp in pain and grab a hold of my foot. I could see the black figure appearing behind me out of the corner of my eye. I need to escape. I need to get out of here. I try yanking my foot from out of the deadly roots, but it only makes things worse. It felt as if the roots were suffocating the very life out of my blood-stained barefoot. I scream and moan in pain, tears running down my already tear-stained cheeks. I look back at the darkness behind me, I look for the red glowing eyes that indicated the creature was near. My breathing gets worse. I could barely breathe. I put my hand on my tightened chest, I could barely feel my heartbeat. My long red hair falls in front of my face. I close my eyes and hope it was all a dream. They stay closed for a good minute until I gain up enough courage to open them again, but once I open them, all I see is darkness. The root was gone and the pain as well. I stand up and look around. I couldn’t see anything. My feet weren’t there, as well as my hands. I felt like I was floating in space, lightyears away from Earth. I continue to look around the darkroom until I see the faint glowing of red eyes. I stop and stare in fear.

“You will suffer….”, It says in a rough, frightening tone, each word spaced far apart. It sent shivers down my spine. I stare at the figure for a minute or maybe two until I notice that it starts to get closer. I find that I can’t move. I felt like I was paralyzed, yet I was standing up just fine. The only thing I could even manage to move was my face, though not even, seeing as my face was paralyzed in fear. The figure gets closer and closer to me until I was engulfed in darkness. A noise coming from the distance broke my trance. It was like a constant beeping noise that wouldn't stop. It began to become less solitary and became much louder. I wanted to cup my hands over my ears to block out the dreaded sound, but it wouldn't go away. I scream and it echoes through the dark pit of nothingness.

My eyes shoot open and my back arches up as well. I scan the room. It was no longer dark, nor dreary. I was in a normal-sized bedroom, the alarm clock screaming at me to get my butt up already. I flop back down onto my pillow and sigh.

”It was just another dream…," I start to calm down after making sure I was actually awake and not just dreaming once more. I actually pinch myself to make sure, now I have a bruise on my arm. Great. I look at my alarm clock in annoyance, the noise of high pitched constant beeping straining my ears,

”God! Shut up already!”, I yell as I pick up the clock and throw it across the room, breaking the glass that protected its front. I watch as the clock shatters into bits and pieces on the floor. I sigh and stare at the shattered wake up call on my floor,
“I guess I’ll have to write ’get a new alarm’ on my mile-long grocery list”, I mutter to myself as I slowly get out of bed, dragging my cover along with me. I drape it over my back and cover myself with it. I wasn't cold, I just wanted something to hold onto. I waddle my way into the bathroom, each step seeming to get more and more sluggish. I step inside the room and in front of a mirror that hung above the small sink that held my sad little toothbrush and toothpaste. I stare in the mirror for a minute. My normally beautiful teal eyes were insulted by the dark black bags under my eyes. My wavy, red and yellow hair, full of tangles. I could probably lose an entire animal sanctuary in my hair right now. I didn't even want to try to brush through the rat’s nest that was living on my head, but it was either brush it or leave it and be an outcast at school for a week. I pick up my toothbrush and turn on the sink, putting the brush part under the cold, clear flowing liquid, soaking the brush. I take it out from the crystal-like liquid and pick up the toothpaste. I pop the cap open and squeeze the tube, causing the minty paste to come out onto my toothbrush. I set the tube down without closing it and start brushing my teeth. I don't think my teeth have ever been yellow before. Probably because I brush my teeth at least three times a day. I take a few minutes to brush my teeth, then spit out the paste into the sink and turn on the water to wash it all down the drain. I wipe my mouth off with my sleeve just in case there was any excess toothpaste on my lip. I then pick up my brush and groan.
”I hate my hair so much…”, I mutter to myself in disappointment and distress. I start trying to run the brush through my hair, going from the bottom to the top since it usually makes it easier. ’Wow.’ I think, ’my hair is really being a pain today..’ I groan as I start to get more and more annoyed with my hair. I start trying to thrust the brush faster in my hair and, of course, I yank out a knot in my hair. I yelp and drop the brush onto the floor, my hand self consciously placing itself on the stinging part of my scalp. I sigh and sit down on the border of my bathtub, still holding my scalp. If only life was like a dream. After a few minutes, I finally decide to get up and start on my hair again. I managed to finish fixing it before I was too late. I mean, it only took like fifty cans of hairspray. I leave the bathroom and head towards the kitchen. I grab an apple out of the fridge and eat that for my breakfast. I then pull out my phone to check the time. ”7:34. Not bad.” I say to myself as I start to turn my phone off, but then my phone vibrates. A memory, on Facebook. The app I barely use and if I do, it's most likely because I'm too lazy to look for Instagram or Snapchat. I click on the notification just because I have some time to waste. I frown at the image and a few tears well up in my eyes. I stare at the image of all of us. Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, me, and...Twilight. This photo was definitely taken a few years ago. Ever since Twilight’s passing everyone has been broken apart completely, no matter how much we try to hide it. We never take any group photos anymore. Sure, we hang out, but it'll never be the same. I will never understand why people take their own lives.

After I get ready and I've made sure that everything is packed and ready, I start heading to school. There isn't a bus of any kind that comes by my apartment building, so I have to walk to school most times unless someone is kind enough to let me ride with them. Though, that doesn't happen much anymore. The walk to school is long, but I don't mind. I try to enjoy the scenery, but there's not much to see, to be honest. Nothing but appalling buildings that are unsteady and damaged, pollution out the wah-zoo, and filthy animals running around begging for food, and I don't mean that literally.

After a long walk through our so-called ’beautiful city’, I finally arrived at my destination. Hell. I walk in front of the giant statue of a stallion that stood in front of the enormous building. Hundreds of people were walking by me, trying to head inside as fast as they could before the bell rang. I stare at them all and at this place. Why am I even here? Was there a point to even going to school anymore? I know I won't get anywhere in life anyway, so what's the point? But I'm already here, so why should I try to go back? I sigh and start to walk towards the two lubricant glass doors that separated the inside of the building from the outside world. I stare inside a moment before walking inside. The place looked as bland as ever with its small banners and long trophy cases that align the hallways. I look at the thousands of dark green lockers that stuck out like a lollipop in a packet of crackers. It’s kind of funny, actually, how hard they try to make our school look appetizing to outsiders. They're probably still trying to beat the school next door, Crystal Prep Academy. Though, I don’t see how getting even more troublesome students is gonna get them anywhere. The Crystal Prep students are much more intelligent and athletic than any of us will ever be. Their school is an ‘A’ school and ours is a ‘B’ and at one point a ‘C’ school. We will never be able to compare to them. What’s the point of having a ’biggest rival’ when you know they're better than you in every way? When I start to look around again, I realize I'm the only one outside. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts again. I finally decide to walk inside after a few minutes of staring at the doors. I didn’t want to look like a weirdo. I walked over to a bench that was sitting in the middle section between two trophy cases in the nearest hallway I could find. I sit there and read an article on my phone, waiting for the bell to ring.

I walk slowly out of my first class period. We had an algebra quiz in class with only ten minutes to catch up on everything we learned before Christmas break. Nobody even warned us. Like, who in their right mind gives a quiz to their students as soon as they get back from being on a two-week break? No wonder our school was a ‘C’ at one point. Well, to make a long story short, I flunked the test. I’m stuck in a financial rabbit hole right now, I don’t have time to study over my break. I walk over to the nearest trash can, test paper in hand, and rip it in half, then throw it away. I sigh in frustration and head over to my locker, so I can put up my algebra textbook away and forget about it until tomorrow. Once I arrive at my locker, I turn the cam lock left and right until I get the combination in, then I open my locker and unzip my backpack. I take out my textbook and start putting it in my locker. As I’m trying to put my textbook away as aggressively as possible, slowly zoning into my thoughts, I get startled by a loud, squeaky voice behind me.

“Hey, Sunset!”, the voice behind me called. I knew that voice just like I knew my own face. I close my eyes tightly for a moment, then force a smile. I open my eyes again before I turn around to face the short, blue-eyed, frizzy pink-haired girl that now stood in front of me.

“Hey, Pinkie…”, I tried my best not to sound like I wanted her to leave and never come back, no matter how much I actually wanted her to. However, my tone had a slight bit of annoyance to it, no matter how much I tried to sound pleased to see her.

“How was your Christmas break?” she asks with a huge enthusiastic smile on her face. It was like she didn’t even care what day it was. It’s not like anyone else cared that today was the anniversary of Twilight’s death. I usually go to the graveyard every evening on this day of mourning, but of course, they had to make the date that we go back to school two days earlier. Today is January 10, 2017, exactly a year after my life fell apart. I realize that I had been staring at her while I began to get lost in my thoughts.

“Oh, yeah! My break was great. What about you?” I felt sick to my stomach just replaying what I’d just said in my head. Great? Yeah, right.

“It was great! Applejack, Rarity, and I went skiing in the mountains. Rarity lost all of her luggage on the plane and had to wear AJ’s clothes for the rest of the trip!” She giggles and continues on with her story. I stare at her with an amateur smile on my face. What was she saying? Something about shoes? I don’t know. I wasn’t listening at all. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to scream at her for not caring at all about Twilight. I wanted to slap her as hard as I could, then run off and never come back, but I didn’t. I just stood there and waited until I saw she was staring at me with an eager expression.

“Hm?’’, I finally stopped dazing and looked at her, my eyes a bit wider.

“I said.” She repeats, “What did you do over the break?” I stare at her for a moment, unsure of what excuse I could use.

“I...I spent time with my...girl-grandma…” I say, my expression becoming nervous and my body anxious and fidgety.

”You spent time with your girl grandmother?” She raises a brow at me, putting her hands on her hips and pursing her lips in suspicion. I stand there, trying not to vomit out of pressure and anxiety.

”Uh-huh.” I nod along with myself as I speak. ”she's a girl alright…”, my hands clutch together in a tight hold. It was like I was trying to use my hand as my own personal stress ball. I stare down at her with my retarded looking grin and my wide eyes for a good minute as she scans my face with her eyes. I stared at her for a few minutes until I felt my stomach turning, making me even more nauseous than I already was.

“Well, Sunset?”, Pinkie’s suspicious stare becomes more intense. My head starts to spin and my eyes become blurry. I feel myself falling and everything instantly fades to darkness.

Can Dreams Become Reality?

Author's Note

This is the chapter that involves mild self-harm. Some readers may find this element disturbing. Do not read if you are sensitive to these elements. Thank you.

Can Dreams Become Reality?

My vision becomes less dilated and more clear. I stare at my surroundings. I was now sitting up in someone’s arms, practically being cradled in the unknown human’s arms. I'm in a bathroom, my friends seem to be huddled around me with a look of concern on each of their faces, some even more so than others. I look up towards the person holding me. I could tell by the way her structure looked and her clothing style who she was in an instant. Applejack, with her long, luscious blond hair and elegant light green eyes that gazed down at me with skepticism, was the one cradling me. She seemed to be the first to notice my lively, observant eyes.

”She’s wakin’ up y'all!” I heard her shout as she looked at the rest of the girls to alert them of my consciousness. They all stare at me with broad, worried eyes.

”Sunset, are you alright?” a familiar shy voice called. Her voice sounded meeker than usual, almost as if she had been crying. I stared at her for a few moments. I wanted to respond, but I felt like I couldn't move or speak. It was like my body had just shut down completely and was trying to wake up. From what I could remember, all I did was faint, so why was she so upset? Why were they all upset? I sit there for a few minutes, trying to calm down and get comfortable, which is when I realize my arms feel slightly tight. It was as if they had been tightly wrapped in something soft, yet stable and thick.

”what…i-is...that…?” I stutter, my jaw trembling hysterically, as I stare down at my arm.

”What is what, darling?” Rarity questions, her tone as concerned as her eyes. She sounded as if she were talking to a child that had just done something wrong. I gulp down my saliva before I speak, trying to make my voice clearer and more stable.

”What’s...o-on my...a-arm…?” I question once more, my head lifting to face Rarity. I see Rarity give Fluttershy a nervous glance after I ask my question.

”Well, we may have found some of your scars.”, Fluttershy looks down to face the floor. It was as if she was ashamed or she’d done something wrong. I stare at her. Well, now they understand why I wear jackets all day, every day.

“We also found this.”, Applejack says in a stern voice as she lifts a long, familiar-looking paper in front of me. I stare at it, trying to make out the words on the page. It was my ’mile-long grocery list’ that includes all of the goods I needed, but couldn’t afford.

”Sunset, if ya’ need help ya’ could just ask us! We’re always here if ya’ need help.”, Applejack exclaimed, her tone becoming less stern and more concerned. I stare at the floor. Did they pat me down after I fainted or something? They would've had to if they found my grocery list and my cuts. What else did they find? I feel someone's hand running through my tangled hair. I look up at the person caressing my hair. Applejack stares down at me, a tiny smile on her face. It felt so good. I didn't want to get up or leave, but I knew that I needed to. However, I couldn't. I hadn't been held like this for so long and I know that I needed someone there for me. I start to lean on her, but something stops me. I suddenly feel uncomfortable and sickly.

”P-Please...p-put me...d-down…”, I say, trying to push her away.

“Why?” Applejack asks, holding me tighter. What did she think she was doing, holding me against my will like that? I continued trying to escape her arms, but I couldn’t since she was much stronger than me.

”Let me go!” I yell, fighting her grasp.

“No, Sunset! Ya’ need help!” AJ holds me tighter, her nails digging slightly into my stomach. I feel something inside of me burst, almost as if an organ had just exploded inside of me.

“I said put me down!” I yell, my voice rising to its highest level. I clearly startle everyone in the room. I see Fluttershy hide behind Rainbow Dash, her eyes full of concern and fear. Rarity backs away from me, and Applejack slowly, but surely, puts me down. Without thinking, I quickly storm out of the bathroom, running to the nearest water fountain and collapsing by it. Tears run down my cheeks as I stare at my discolored reflection in the metal fountain. Even though the color wasn’t quite clear, I could still see the dark bags under my eyes and the fresh tears that now stained my cheeks. What came over me? I just got so filled with rage that I screamed. I wanted to go back, but I just couldn't. However, as I stare at my reflection in the shiny metal, I see a familiar figure run across the hall. I quickly look in the direction of the figure’s appearance.

“Twilight?” I say under my breath. It couldn't be. Could it? I get up and slowly start walking down the hall, sounds of her sweet giggles echoing through the hall. As I continue walking I begin to see a dark figure rather than my friend. The figure was clearly the source of the laughter. I continue walking, unable to resist. However, once I get close to the creature and reach my arm out to touch its shoulder, I hear the teeth-clenching noise of bones cracking. The neck of the creature cracks and breaks to turn and face me. Red, glowing eyes stare at me. My heart starts to beat faster, my face struck with fear. I wanted to move, but my legs wouldn’t let me. My conscience screams at me to run and keep running until I escape this place, but I couldn't. My whole body starts shaking in fear as I stare at the figure. Its whole body appeared to be a melted, pitch-black candle that had finally burned out. Its eyes looked as if hell itself lived in them. It stares at me, its bones had stopped cracking and crunching. It had stopped moving completely. However, as I finally get the courage to take a step back, its whole body turns and twists to face me. Its legs straighten out fully and it stares down at me. It was at least eight feet tall and I was only 5,6. However, as I stare at the creature a while longer, I notice a dark red, rope-looking object around its neck. A noose maybe? I watch in panic as it grabs a hold of the loose part of the rope that hung below its neck and lifts it above its head. It sits there for a minute, but in only an instant, it yanks the rope sideways, yanking its neck with it, its neck crunching and cracking as the bone cracks in half. My eyes widen as I stare, my hand cupping my mouth. This creature looked so familiar, but from what? I couldn't think straight at all. What was happening? Was I dreaming? I had to be, monsters and mythical creatures weren’t real. Wake up, Sunset! Wake up! Tears well up in my eyes, fear eating at my heart. The creature stares at me for a minute before aggressively slamming itself against the lockers behind it, and before I could take a steady breath, the creature was gone. My eyes dart around the hallway, my heart racing. I start to have a full-on breakdown and fall to the floor. I lean back against a locker and pull my knees against my chest, my arms wrapping around them. I bury my face in my knees as I continue crying.

I walk inside my house and throw my keys onto the couch as well as my jacket. I plop down onto my couch and take out my phone. 12:15, already. I wish I didn't have to work two jobs just to make a living. I never wanted Twilight to help me and lend me money when I needed it, but now that she's gone, I realize how much I truly needed it. I work at the mall in the afternoon after school for three hours, then I work at a bar for the rest of the night. I’m not allowed to drink anything because I’m underaged, but that doesn’t stop me. As I'm laying on my couch I start to think about the thing I saw in the hall today. Was it real or was it a hallucination of some sort? It had to be real, but why did it sound like Twilight and why was it so familiar? As I lay there, I get lost in my thoughts, my eyelids getting heavier and heavier, the clock slowly ticking. 12:15 to 12:24 to 12:36, but by then I’d already drifted off to sleep.

I look around. I was in a dark room, the only thing in front of me was a white vanity. It looked similar to something that used to be in Twilight’s room before her passing. I look into the mirror and I start to see a blurry image of Twilight, the girls, and me all hanging out and having fun after school. The sight warms my heart, a small smile on my face. However, the scene starts changing. Beginning to turn to scenes of Twilight in her room, silently reading a book. I watch closely. The room she was in looked dark, but I could still see her. Her eyes looked glossy, tears slowly ran down her cheeks. I watch as she gets up and walks over to her desk and opens the drawer. She pulls out a long noose.

”Twilight, don't!” I yell, banging on the mirror. I knew what she was doing, anyone would know what she was planning to do as soon as they saw the pain in her eyes. I watch as she walks over to her closet and pulls out a stool. Fresh tears run down my cheeks as I watch her. Before I even knew it, she was standing on that chair with the rope around the neck. As she stepped off the chair, she looked straight at me, as if she could see me.

”You did this to me…”, She mutters, her voice rough and horrific.

”No, I didn't...I tried to help!” I yell, grabbing onto my arm with my hand.

”You knew how I felt about you and about my depression, but you got too focused on school and yourself and forgot about me. I loved you, Sunset and you knew I did, but you wanted to hurt me. You wanted me to suffer!”

”No! I wanted to help you!” tears continue to run down my cheeks, my voice cracking and trembling.

”And look where that got you. You only care about yourself, Sunset. You always have. I tried to talk to you about things, but every time you blew me off. I wanted you to come over to be with me on the day I committed suicide, but you were too busy with Flash Sentury!”

”N-No! I was just busy that day! I’m sorry, I just-”

”You just what, Sunset!? Didn’t have enough time for your ’best friend’!? Were you just that busy to the point you forgot about me?”

”No, I-," I start, but get cut off mid-sentence.

”It doesn't matter anyway.”, her voice becomes less satanic and horrific, becoming normal. I simply stare at her, unsure what I should say.

”It’s over now…and I'm never coming back.”, she says before she takes one step off the chair, her body being pulled upwards, being hanged. The vanity’s mirror shatters into pieces on the ground. I step back and trip, beginning to fall. My eyes widen as I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. I keep falling, the tunnel getting darker and darker as I fall deeper and deeper down the tunnel. Before I hit the ground, everything stops.

I wake up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding frantically. My breaths are heavy and hasty. I look around the room, my eyes swiftly darting in different directions around the area. I’d fallen asleep on the couch in my clothes from the day before. My body shakes in fear, and from the slight bit of coldness in the atmosphere. I wrap my arms around myself and start to cry. I back up into the corner of my couch and pull my legs against me. Why won’t the nightmares stop? What did I do to deserve this? I look around the room once more, the tears in my eyes along with the darkness of the room blocking out my vision almost completely. I see my jacket sitting on the table in front of the couch and I pick it up. I hug my jacket tightly and continue crying into the jacket, my slick tears trickling down the hard leather of the jacket. As I stare at the leather coat, memories flood back to me. I remember when I first got my jacket. I picture me, an eight-year-old little girl staring at her father, anxious about what her promised surprise was.

“Daddy?” She says in a sweet, innocent voice as she pulls on her Father’s coat. “What’s the surprise?” She asks, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

“You’ll see, Sunset.”, he laughs, ruffling her hair.

“I wanna see now!” She whines, hugging his arm.

“Sunset, you’ll have to wait, honey. Some things take time.”, he says as he kneels down in front of her. He places his hand on her cheek, “You’ll get it soon. You just have to be patient.”, he says as he embraces the girl in a warm hug. She clings to her father tightly, never wanting to let go. “Alright.”, he stands back up after patting her on the head, “I gotta get some work done and then…”, he makes a small drum noise on the counter next to them, “It’s time for your surprise.”, he smiles at her. She gives him a huge smile back.

“Okay, Daddy!” she giggles, giving him another big hug before he leaves the room. She runs back to her room and plays with her toys until she knows her Father is done with his work. Once she puts her toys away, she leaves her room and runs to his office where he was working.

“Daddy, are you done yet?” she asks, looking at him with desperate eyes. He laughs.

“Yes, Sunset. I am done. Are you ready for your surprise, honey?”, he asks, smiling at her. She nods frantically, getting more and more excited as the second’s pass. She watches as her father gets up and walks over to a cardboard box, picking it up and setting it on his desk.

“You got me a box?” she asks, her head tilting in confusion.

“No, honey.”, he laughs. “Your surprise is in the box.”, he opens the box and takes out a black, leather jacket.

“You got me a coat?” she asks, tilting her head in confusion once more. He laughs.

“Yeah, but it’s more than just a coat. It’s something for you to have and to remember me by once I’m gone. It won’t fit you as of now, but you’ll grow into it.”, he says as he gives the jacket to her. She hugs the jacket tightly, smiling at him.

“I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too, honey.," he says, hugging her...one last time. The memory fades to black and I drift back into reality once more. I sigh and lay back down on the couch, draping my jacket over myself, curling up under it.

“I want you back, Daddy...please come back…," I say under my breath. If my nightmares can become reality, why can’t my dreams become reality too?