//------------------------------// // Sunny Came Home // Story: The Devil Inside // by Chelis //------------------------------// Sunset's former home was a white mansion that was bigger and more lavish than all of the mansions in the gated section of this Canterlot, which was reserved for the many elites and aristocrats that occupied the city. Most of the thirty-two bedrooms were lavishly decorated, each with a theme of a certain city in the word, like the "Griffonshire" room or the "Diamond Dog City" room decorated with all different kinds of jewels. Most of the rooms stayed dormant for months on end, save for the many guests when there were parties for all of the Canterlot elites or something more simple like when the family was over for Hearth’s Warming Eve and Day. Picking up after the family's events and day to day messes required a small squadron of butlers, maids, cooks, janitors, and gardeners that stayed in what looked like a hotel in the back, surrounded and covered by the expansive garden that Sunset's mother had made. Even with all that, the house was empty that fateful night when sunset returned home for the last time. When Sunset realized her parents were out of town and the staff had gone to sleep, she smiled. What good timing. She trotted through the grand foyer and up the stairs to her room, which took a few minutes to navigate down the hallways with silk sheets and rugs from Saddle Arabia. She entered her room which was the second largest bedroom in the estate, right behind her parent's lavish master bedroom that took up the entire third floor. Her room was a museum of her travels as a child. Photos, posters, souvenirs of all the different cities and nations she visited were on display, as well as her many awards and accomplishments she had racked up over the years. All her hard work, her discipline, her life's work was to be erased after that night. First came her saddle bag, which levitated and wrapped around her body, ready to take anything she needed, then came a hoodie and a scarf. Her favorite leather jacket also flew from the closet and wrapped around her, and she took the time to put her forehooves in each sleeve one by one, before leaving the room she called her own for her entire life. As she left her mansion home for the time, she came across a giant portrait of her family, her father, mother, and a younger version of herself, in happier times, before being the Princess's protege; before the fight that happened a few hours earlier. Sunset looked at it and gave a small 'hump' as she left, grumbling about her parents that were never there, leaving her to the care of a Princess who she was thinking about the entire trot from the estate to Canterlot Castle. Sunset was an ambitious student, always demanding to learn more. More than her average students, more than her teachers, the dean of the school, and even to learn as much knowledge as Celestia herself. When Celestia denied the more advanced studies, she became belligerent, cursing at the Princess for holding her back and storming out of the castle in anger. That was an hour ago, and with the night upon Equestria, Sunset knew she was good to go on her plan. There had been talk of one of the mirrors, portals to parallel universes within. Her words with Celestia were still etched in her mind as she walked down the dark, empty Canterlot street. Her determination and drove pushed her straight to Canterlot Castle. With Sunset's status, many of the guards and maids paid no mind to the young unicorn, letting her into the deeper parts of the castle that were normally off limits to the common rabble. Right next to Celestia's private library was another room, the room Sunset entered. Inside was a mirror, which Sunset knew lead to another world. Celestia deemed it off limits, but in Sunset’s mind, if that place had magic it would be a perfect place to start again, "Sunset Shimmer!" Celestia said, calling out to her pupil as Sunset was about to disappear into the mirror. "Don't try to stop me!" Sunset commanded. "You don't have to do this! you can still-" "Still what?! Keep being your little pet to 'train'?" Sunset spat. "Sunset, you are a capable student and an amazing magician, but you still need more training and discipline!" Celestia pleaded. "No! I'm ready for it! You keep saying no but I can feel I am ready!" Sunset replied. "Sunset, you are capable of many great things, just trust me!" Celestia said, slowly walking closer to Sunset, hoping she would see reason. "I don't want to grow old and die being 'your protege' like your last one," Sunset said as she was about to enter. "Take heed, Celestia. Next time I return home, it won't be for a homecoming. I will return to Equestria as a conquer, and I will show you my potential then,." With those remarks, Sunset walked into the mirror, the last time Sunset ever saw or even talked to her former mentor. *** ‘Now I have done it,’ Ember thought as she looked over Sunset, who was curled on the couch, inconsolable over the memory of that night. Ember tried to talk to her, ask her about the memories as she cried, but could not get a word out of her. "Sunset, you know you can tell me anything. I won't say a word to anyone," Ember pleaded, only to get a shaking of the head as Sunset continued down the path of her past. "Do you want to end this today?" Ember asked, concerned about Sunset's sanity more than anything. There is always a chance to help someone when they were having a break. But, when they couldn't even get a word out and could not be consoled, there was no point in trying until the patient had calmed down. In the meantime, all Ember had to do now was to call the parents over and explained what happened, how she tried to get information from Sunset's past, which her parents were interested in finding out as well,. She also scheduled for the next appointment, which was in a few weeks. In the meantime, Ember still had her duty. She left the room and went down her office's hallway to the waiting room, where Sunset’s parents were waiting. "Did she?" Hazel asked as they stood at attention to the psychologist Ember shook her head in disappointment. "I'll go get her," Thunder Breeze sighed as he disappeared into the hallway. He would appear a minute later, carrying Sunset out of the room and to the truck. "I thought she would be strong enough to finally tell us this time," Hazel sighed. "Sunset is a strong girl, but some memories are so traumatic that even the strongest of us can't endure it," Ember said. "Sounds like my husband. Every time his parents are mentioned or the anniversary of the crash comes up he locks himself in his study with a bottle of whiskey." Hazel lamented. "I see. Well Hazel, I don't think we can get anything out of her, it's been three tries already." "Alright, I guess when she’s ready to tell us, she will."