The Siren's Remorse

by TheronSniper

Ch. 15 Unexpected Spectator

Ch. 15 Unexpected Spectator

Somewhere, in a grassy meadow full of springtime life and serenity a picnic was in progress. Shaded by a tall scraggly oak tree which was home to a few song bird nests, the outside meal was guaranteed nature’s personal music. Several pairs of mocking birds and cardinals were energetic and soft in their chorus of songs. They periodically jumped to new branches high and low, letting loose leaves tumble down casually in the caressing breeze.
A colorful splotched picnic blanket had been laid out for two occupants and the chosen drink and food. Though the cloth looked like an assortment of paint cans had been emptied on top of it, there was a perfect contrast to the white clay teapot and the sister porcelain honey jar. The gentle lulling hum of a certain yellow furred pegasus was setting up the cups and saucers from a dainty wicker basket. Her long locks of pink haired mane gently waved as she moved a beverage set to her right and one before her. The shy pony soon set about getting the huckleberry pie she baked earlier in the morning out of its cushioned spot in the basket. It was to be prepared and served while it was still warm.

She set the pie plate down near a red scaly dragon tail which lazily swished around. Leading up to the talons of a lizard’s foot whose claws clicked against one another in a mindless rhythm, crossed over a cloven hoofed leg. Like the body of a snake, the body continued up a fury long barrel of a torso. Connected to it were a thick lions forearm on the right and a bird of prey’s talon as the left arm, held in their grasp was a nondescript magazine. The reader idly flipped through the pages with a bored sigh as if they’d spent the last thirty minutes finding nothing of value. Atop a long grey haired neck and dark shortly cut mane, a mangled goat-like head with a crazy set of horns seemed absorbed in the reading material. He had the most disinterested gaze at the unintelligible writing on the paper pages that continued to alter words and sentences every few seconds.

“Just one more minute and we can enjoy our Tuesday Teatime Discord. I just need to plate the pie slices and pour the tea. You’ve been so patient lately, so I made your favorite. It even has Pinkie’s famous hot sauce glaze and a garnish of that custard apple Applejack’s family grows in the tropics.” Fluttershy gleefully said as she worked her hooves with a pie cutter.

Discord answered by stretching his tail out and tickling his friend’s ears with the tuft of hair at the end of it. It earned a giggle which for the pony she took as his way of expressing his gratitude when he had a rather eventless week. She’d gotten use to it after he was reformed and given the task of helping every being who needed help. Instead of causing chaos, he had been undoing it and although at first he enjoyed seeing natural chaotic incidents in the works. Putting everything back to normal as if it never happened seemed to put a chip in his shoulder each time. She knew it wasn’t in his nature as a former spirit of chaos to bring peace and happiness, and for that she secretly granted him permission to have some chaotic fun out in the Everfree Forest. The deal had made him promise not to let his fun come back to harm Equestria or anypony. Other than that, he had generally free reign to exercise chaos to a certain degree.

It worked for a time, but it was still restrained and too contained for his liking. She’d considered another idea, but the more of a line she could give him was more of a chance he’d accidently abuse it. So she’d settle for food to placate his need for crazy spontaneity, a trait every creature with taste buds wouldn’t turn down. Each teatime they shared, she went out of her way to get some kind of unique and strange food to make the picnic fun. For now she had been working with fruit which tasted like spices and a whole other fruit. Zecora had been the mare to see about foods even Discord could gain a sense of normalcy from.

Just as Fluttershy nearly completed setting the picnic, Discord had suddenly found what he was looking for. He stopped flipping the pages as if they suddenly stung his talons, the writing which swam like moving water. It was a magical observation portal that could see into other realms. Whenever he was fresh out of chaos to enjoy or had to go for a while without seeing the slightest bundling or disaster, he would conjure up the little faux piece of media. With Equestria generally peaceful and sporadically assailed by a power hungry beings or rampaging monster, it was Discord’s only salvation to a lack luster time. He was in luck as a particularly good story was in the works. It lifted his spirits and promoted the very same toothy grin he usually wore when he once ruled Equis so long ago.

“My my my… what do we have here?” he brought his paw to his beard and twirled it, “Now this is quite the ripple in the glass lake if I must say so myself! Ohhh… the beautiful pan… demonium they’re going to make, it’ll outclass my era of madness before I was put away in stone! How delicious of a time this will be…” he whispered to himself like a giddy school foal.

With snap of the avian talons, a tip of the claws from the reptilian foot bounced off the toe. It skipped everywhere without the pony noticing until it moved into the lion’s paw like a hyperactive mink. A sentient nod from the independent toenail to its master and it twirled from a leap into the rippling surface of the magazine. Vanishing along with the periodical as a popped balloon filled with confetti. It shocked the young mare nearby, but all she noticed was the drifting colorful paper squares and Discord laughing like he did when he pulled a prank. Seeing no harm, she shook her head with a giggle before plating the pie slices.

“Any good movie needs a good strong line. And perhaps somepony who cares to admit chaos is a must.” He softly sang the last word before coolly moving into position to eat and drink.

“You’re in a pleasant mood, well I’m very happy for you Discord. You’re finally seeing the good in helping others and not turning houses upside down and streets into soap.” The young pegasus said as she pushed the pie slice and teacup closer to him.

“Quite my dear Fluttershy, quite right. There’s nothing like helping for the good of Equestria and the many kingdoms. It far outweighs any good ole fashioned chaos I use to wreak. Like a volcano chocolate cake, there is always a sweet core to the rough chewy bread. Now then...” he smiled once he took his first sip of steamy tea.

“Oh my, I almost forgot, you wanted to tell me about how you saved Appaloosa from a heavy rainy season weren’t you?” she asked as she nibbled on the sweet baked good.

“For you my little pony, I only save the best for our tea time. Where shall I start?” he grinned as the pie slice slowly became a noodle which snaked its way into his toothy maw.
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Right after the last bell of the day, the tension from the cliffhanger Sunset left had egged the girls like an itch that couldn’t be scratched. The seriousness of her tone had Rainbow and Applejack rearing to see something even more troubling than the Dazzlings. Fluttershy was still showing concern for the sirens well being, wondering if the danger they posed was out of sheer desperation on their part. Pinkie Pie had sent everyone a message that she’d handle the bill for the food, texted about how it was going to be a dozy of the tale to tell. Rarity expressed her worry to Sunset through text messaging. She had a bad feeling that someone had orchestrated those girls to meet, little did she know how true that feeling was. Why anyone could stand to stomach the ruffians as she put it was beyond her.

Having had her last class end early, Sunset arrived to the little bakery sit-in shop to save a table. It gave her the unfortunate time to continue over thinking the information she was about to share. Even though she’d gone over the possibility of other exiled in this world, she still couldn’t avoid feeling paranoid. The strength of that alertness had her driven enough to consider going back to Equestria, and see if she could find every historical record of portal castaway. Her memory could only do so much and she did not want to risk another invasion into the sanctity of her mind. For now, the mental archive was not an option and all she transcribed onto paper were all she had left. Even if she wanted to go back to that library construct, the purge spell left her subconsciousness a muddled mess.
With a quick breath of sweet sugary pastry scented air, Shimmer forced herself to calm down and look outside the nearby window. She couldn’t have herself going everywhere when the issue in the now had a much louder calling.

Even when this world was devoid of any mana in the environment, it had its own charm. The human race was quite the quirky one, almost as if they were a combination of pony, griffon, and minotaur personalities merged into one being. Though it was safe to say they had traits of every being on Equis, so she assumed such an existence was worth the lack of magic. They managed to make places quaint and lively, with mechanical devices and a sprawling concrete civilization. Their technology was just as powerful as magic in its ability to change the environment and the lives of everyone.
The sun was just gearing up to set into the horizon, playing out the soft warm colors in the dwindling rays of light. Most students of the surrounding schools had already left for their homes to study. A few could be seen hanging out in the suburban streets acting like human young should. Their carefree lives allowed them to enjoy riding bikes or skateboards, a few others going out for fast food if they lived in the dorms. Happy and smiling, exactly like the ponies in Equestria would do without a looming threat to shadow the peace.

Sunset found it easy to imagine that among them was likely one of the enemy. Hiding from sight and watch her and see if she would follow through the Saandie’s word like a good puppet. A wolf in sheep’s wool which had the potential to destroy, a good chunk of the town could disappear without spending much mana. Perhaps they were not even ponies, perhaps they were malicious beasts. Like Tirek who saw the humans as little more than flies that needed to be swatted. What probably saved this world was the lack of magic to use, and thankfully the Dazzlings so far were the only ones capable with their pendants.

It wasn’t long before the group of anxious girls filed into the shop. Rarity had apparently held up everyone with her usual need to be fashionably presentable for any time of the day. If Rainbow’s complaints were anything to go by, the few jests pulled on Rarity’s character proved her notion. Pinkie was going on about another birthday party she was hired to help put together, a side job like mowing the lawn most teenagers did for extra bits to spend. Flutteryshy listened with a smile and nodding at the many ideas the hyper girl poured forth. Applejack at the head of the group led them over to the table Shimmer who waved them over.

“Alright now, what in land’s sake has us sneaking to here that you couldn’t tell us easily enough at lunch or at the school?” she asked while taking a seat with a dead intent in her tone.

Applejack was never the type to get spooked, if anything she was as stalwart as a bull with horns. Though, something else had gotten to her and Sunset wasn’t able to put the pin the cause. It was just as uneasy for her to witness the way one of the pillars to the group show signs of crumbling.

“Ya, you had something else to say. So what gives?” Dash said as she took a spot next to Shimmer and plopped down onto the chair.
Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttery sat in the remaining seats of the six chaired round table. Even Pinkie was silent save for waving to hello, she knew what was coming to their ears better than anyone else. She disappeared to the counter to grab a few eats and drink while the surface was skimmed over what Shimmer had to tell.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, “For the last few weeks I’ve been trying to figure out who might have stolen that gem from Twilight and I back at the café. Then… last night someone used a forbidden spell to invade my mind while I was meditating. Needless to say I was in danger of being turned into a vegetable, but they seemed to just want to pass a message. Thankfully, those spells drain magic quickly no matter how powerful you are, so I was able to purge them once they lost their grip.” She let her head drop onto her waiting hands from the fatigue she was feeling.

“Gosh, are there others like them girls here!?” Applejack gasped.

“You… don’t think they will go after us? Right?” Dash shivered at the thought of someone looking inside her head.

“My word! You poor thing, as if you didn’t have enough problems sleeping as it were.” Rarity shook her head at the situation.

“I’m okay though, don’t worry everyone. Like I said, they had the power to erase memories, but they didn’t. That’s why I believe it was a ploy if anything. Twilight knows about it and I’m still waiting for her reply.” Sunset raised her hands up to calm everyone.

The girls hushed their chatter, if the princess knew about it then things should start to look better once she became involved.

“You’re waiting on a reply? How long will that take?” Dash asked with a hint in demand.

Shaking her head and sighing in defeat, “Can’t tell, she may be very busy or even resting so we’ll hear today or tomorrow. She’s the type to exhaust herself with a project before taking care of herself.”

Fluttershy put a hand on Dash to calm her down from blowing up in Sunset’s face, “I’m sure whatever has her occupied is of great importance. The good thing is we are aware of the problem and we can look for the signs. We as a group will do everything we can to protect this world and your home.”

“She’s right, we’re super duper eyes like a hawk on them. No baddies are going to steal away the fun and make everyone fight ever again!” Pinkie cheered away to bring courage into the group.
“Listen everyone, I know for a fact that we’re dealing with a bigger problem here. How big I can’t say honestly, but I believe the Dazzlings and this world’s Twilight are working for another banished. Someone or somepony sent here like them as punishment, possibly even before the unification era if the records are anything to go by. You remember how they mentioned about Sonata’s love life? It was an obvious lie, they didn’t see us near them at first and we just barely overheard that crucial part.” Sunset nearly slammed a fist onto the table.

“Well sure, but ah don’t see what it means? I’d say I thought they’d be lying then and there, but I couldn’t tell a truth from a lie. Never had it happen before though, and it’s been bugging me why their words feel as murky like a soggy swamp.” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck in shame.

“You mean you couldn’t tell if they were lying?” Sunset felt a near heart attack occur.

“Not sure, like I said, it’s like wearing those sound proof headsets when working heavy machinery. Whether those girls were lying or not there was nothing I could tell from it.” She answered shrugging.

“Sounds more like their gems doing the dirty work for them. Like how they apparently made me want to fight them and then somehow I couldn’t even remember it.” Dash huffed as she crossed her arms in frustration.

“That… complicates everything then…” Shimmer groaned into the palms of her hand as the new information answered that one question about Applejack she felt.

It was one of her plans to get Twilight away from the Dazzlings, by using Applejack’s friendly and honest demeanor to gain her trust. She wasn’t sure how bonded the four were, but if anyone could crack a smile or be talked into doing something. Applejack was her girl in the matter, now she had to figure out if the shroud around the beings of disharmony clung to Twilight as well. It could lead to a disastrous attempt to befriend her and drive a wedge between them.

“Why?” the farm girl wasn’t able to piece the parts together.

Sunset pulled her face away from her hands with the most dour look, “We need to get on their good side and befriend them. If we simply treat them as foes, they’ll be far more devious and hide what they’re planning. We can’t scare Twilight before we even get our foot in the door, and your truth sensing skills would have helped in this. Now…”

“You’re worried we won’t be able to reach Twilight and we’ll have to fight the four them them… aren’t you?” Flutteryshy spoke up meekly after seeing her lose faith in herself.

“I don’t get it, all we have to do is draw upon our music again once they rear their ugly heads and do what we do best!” Dash said triumphantly.

“Deary, don’t you see why Sunset looks a little down? More than likely those sirens will be a tough bunch this time. They will likely air on the side of caution and avoid a direct musical battle with us.” Rarity answer the boisterous mare.

“So what? It’s an easy thing to do!” Rainbow fired back.

“So we just carry our instruments with us every single second of the day?” Applejack looked at her with a dead look.

Dash withdrew her gusto quickly, “I didn’t mean… We could just…”

“Look! Guys! Right now, we have a potential third party that is using the Dazzlings and Twilight for some evil purpose. Hunting the girls won’t solve the issue, so we need to just work our way into their group and get some info on this mysterious person. Until Twilight gets back to us on what we should do, it’s all we have to go on. Besides, for all we know we would easily be put under their spell before we could do anything.” Shimmer earned the reigns of the group once more with her level headed mind.

At first the half the group wanted to protest, but a moment of silence allowed them to consider the plan of action. With no way to challenge them, or even if they could there was nothing short of getting rough to forcefully take their pendants. Begrudgingly, everyone nodded in agreement while the others voiced their complete acceptance of Sunset’s idea.

“Sunset’s right I’m afraid, we’re not dealing with the sirens from before. They’ll sure to be cautious of us now, not to mention their little friend who could be anywhere watching over them.” Rarity nervously smiled as it dawned on her.

“Then it’ll be Twilight that’ll get us close to disarming those magical voices before the world becomes their footstool.” Applejack agreed.

“I bet I can throw the best most Super Duper Let’s All Be Friends Party that Twilight can’t help but be our good ole chum just like Princess Twilight! This one will sure to need a lot of planning.” Pinkie loudly proclaimed as she soon whipped out a notepad and pen to begin her preparations.

“Well it’s not like we gotta choice I guess, if we all start fighting when we get twenty feet away from them. But the moment things drop, I’ll be rearing to magic them back into harmless puppies!” Dash still wasn’t for the whole subtle approach.

“Then it’s agreed, we’ll only act if they try to do the whole enslaving the world. Until then we’ll do what Princess Twilight would want us to do and make friends. I can only hope this is nothing close to Grogar…” she whispered the last part to herself as the girls started to talk.

A little time passes before the need to go home soon called the group’s meeting to a close. Sunset left first as Pinkie Pie finished her note taking which filled up the entire spiral notepad with ideas. She had kept the others a little longer by going over what this world’s Twilight would prefer or if she needed to meet her first.

The sun had yet to completely fall into the night, but the streets were starting to empty. Cars passed by on their way home and the streetlights were beginning to flicker on. She had a good ten minutes back to the dorm, but at least it was a nice night to end an already exciting day.

As she let the bakery doors close behind her and leaving the still busy pastry shop, someone called out. Turning her head to the direction of the greeting, Flash and Rose were walking with each other. In her hands she had a small cooler, the type you use with an ice pack for meals on the go. The red and green parcel had her family’s emblem on the top lid, the same as the one at their shop.

“Funny catching you here. Rose was just going to text you about the herbal sleep aid she mentioned this morning.” Flash gestured to the young botanist.

“You can’t deny my offer, so don’t even try young lady.” Luck wagged her finger with a joking sense of seriousness.

“Technically I’m older than you, but it doesn’t matter.” Sunset chuckled as she was handed the travel cooler.

“There are three containers that must be kept cold. One is of course fresh chamomile, there’s lemon balm, and finally passion flower. Take a dose of one of the three a night, if you don’t see improvement then combine two. If worse try all three in low dosage, don’t worry I put instructions in there. They make a great tea and should let you sleep.” Rose Luck smiled.

“I’ve honestly never heard of someone live on so little sleep like you’ve been doing. From what Pinkie’s told us, you’d be a walking zombie by now.” Sentry grinned.

Shaking her head, “Seen it, been through it… but it helps to have friends there to support you. Like you two, I probably wouldn’t be alive today without a friendly helping hand and your screaming warning.” She nervously giggled at the light bat to her near death experience.

“Girl, honestly…” Rose sighed before giving the sun kissed redhead a worried embrace.

Nearly dropping the package, Shimmer let her jaw go slack from the sudden show of affection and concern. As Rose gently patted her back, Flash just shrugged his shoulders when he had the wordless question aimed at him. The question only a stunned face could ask from a sleep deprived soul. Why be so kind to me?

“Call us if you need anything alright, if these don’t help you then I’m not sure what else natural aid can.” Rose broke her grasp of the former unicorn and stepped back towards Sentry’s side.

“I’ll walk with you to your room, we can’t have a repeat of earlier can we?” Sentry seemed to offhandedly stipulate it rather than ask for permission to do so.

“Ya, and after all the hard work I went to pick the best specimens for you. I had to ask Professor Madhouse to miss his class just to do so. So long as I bring some of my family’s rare plant extracts for the next chemistry assignment. I’m lucky he values such things.” An annoyed sigh left Rose with the work she had to do to convince her family to allow use from their private stores.

Sensing little she could say to dissuade her classmates, Sunset gave her appreciation and watched Rose leave for home. It left her to the trek to the dorm rooms with Flash right beside her. She could sense though that he had something he wanted to say, but for some reason nothing came forth.

Passing under street lamp after street lamp, two minutes into the walk she had to say something. Perhaps it was her nearly being turned into a flap jack on the asphalt roadway, but students still were afraid of her. She hadn’t yet figured out why they were reluctant to even meet her in the eyes much less accept any help she gave.

“Flash? Can I ask you something?” she forced herself to end the quiet air around them.

“What’s up?” with a casual tone, he looked to her with a curious glance.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful and all, but why… why are you two so concerned over me? When all the other students barely even stand to be in the same classroom with me! Like I’m infected with a deadly sickness?” she questioned holding the cooler close to her chest.

That was bound to come up at some point, he knew she was still trying to atone for all the damage she had brought. Not just the school property issue, but the terrorizing of the student body. She had once been the Queen Bee or Queen Wasp as some called her, mainly because not was her sting hurtful. Most agreed she had the coloration of a jellow jacket, which were as tenacious as the larger red wasps. Something Flash never forgot after he accidently angered a nest of them not long ago, and a swollen left ear to remember it by.

“Rose well, let’s just say her knowledge of plants had her less likely to paint you a villain. If anything she thought you were a rose who had yet to bloom, but your thorns were large and very pointy. Man, the day you proved her right after Twilight saved you… she always brings it up. Kinda her thing to equate people with a type of flower.” He chuckled as he slipped his hands in his jacket.

“What about you?” she pressed on.

He hummed for a moment and thought before speaking, “You remember that time on our second date? You were so feisty back then, and you were still hard to get along with.” She cringed as the memory came to mind, “We were walking to get something to eat, when you saw that kid getting bullied. He just bought something from a shop with his own money, and three no nothings took it from him. You of course leapt into it and scared them off somehow before I got there. You gave the crying kid back his thing and told him what I’ll never forget, what I never forgot even after you became meaner.”

Then, as if on cue the two recited her phrase she used to instill a sense of power into the young boy.

“What you earn by your own hard work and determination can never be taken away.”

A brief pause and Flash shook his head, “You then gave him a few tips on where to hit someone where it hurt before we left. He even smiled to you, but I don’t think you noticed. Here was Sunset Shimmer the Queen Wasp of Canterlot High who kept students under her heel, then helping a random kid being pushed around. It was then that I understood what Rose meant.”

A few vehicles pass by, the soft whirl of wind from their passing graced Sunset’s hair as she blushed a near crimson on her cheeks. That time, she merely saw herself in that young child. She did everything she was suppose to do and yet still denied the sweet fruit of her labor. Those bullies, they reminded her of Celestia telling her she wasn’t fit to move to the next level. To become a princess she hadn’t grown into herself in the right way, that she was using the wrong mindset.

She found it strange how Flash and Rose saw her even during the worst moment in this life. They saw what the students and her peers were not privy to, but Celestia was partially right in that she still had growing to do. All it came down to was experience, not books or manuscripts that would have guided her to the right path. The princess had been trying to show her that, but all the conceited pride maintained her stubbornness. All the vast wisdom of magic and governing grounded any attempts to connect with others and empathize that any princess had to have by heart. Years spent buried in archives deadened the humanity, and for that she had no way to truly rule as a rightful princess. Yet, it was there deep down inside her, and it felt strange to have someone point it out, much less her ex-boyfriend. After being reformed by Twilight, she spent many days hating herself for not having compassion.

“I…I don’t know what to say…” her words stuttered.

“What is there to say, the past is in the past and you’re living a life of a good person. Just keep doing that and you’ll be among many friends and buds soon enough. You have the Rainbooms and us!” he pulled a hand out and chucked a thumb at himself with a dorky grin.

Sunset couldn’t avoid laughing a bit before the sense of contentment washed over her. Absentmindedly, she leaned against his right arm as they continued to walk. It felt good to be in such company, maybe it was the lack of sleep or the worry of the evil coming soon. It hurt a little to think she missed out on so much with the resentment and bitterness from being denied what she was promised in Equestria. She escaped to another world in anger, blinded to the reality that it was a place almost designed just for her. Friendly beings who didn’t know her, unlimited possibilities to begin fresh, and with her brains and fierce willpower she could climb the ranks of this diverse civilization.
In her calm stupor, she didn’t notice him pull his arm out of the coat pocket and around her shoulders. Careful enough to not move her head as it still leaned on him. He barely put pressure, but his hand slightly squeezed her right arm to hold her steady. The two simply walked to their destination in silence as the stars were beginning to shine in the sky.
Once they arrived, Sunset wore exhaustion like a walking dead and on the verge of falling asleep. Eyes were drooping and fluttering in a spasm, her gait wobbled slightly, and a few times Flash had to catch the herbal cooler bag before it fell out of her grasp. He helped her fumble with her key at the door to speed up the process.
“I don’t… do know why I’m…” she yawned heavily walking inside.
“No matter who you are, you’re not a superhero. Now go get some rest, I think some of the herbal stuff can be eaten raw. Just read the instructions and don’t forget to set an alarm so you don’t miss school okay?” Sentry patted her shoulder still in reach.
“I will… I need to… ya…” she rubbed her eyes trying to perk back up.
“Sunny, Rose Luck will stop by tomorrow morning if you don’t answer her texts okay? Sleep well… bye.” His words fell short as he noticed the faint smile on her as she began to close her door abruptly.
Inside, Shimmer fought off the two weeks’ worth of built up sleep deprived tiredness to even think. Somehow, something opened the flood gates and cut her will from commanding her body’s resistance to nocturnal rest. She knew the growing fogginess in her mind was the coming sleep that would consume her whether she was on a bed or the hard floor. Knowing this, the cooler was plopped onto the nearest light stand and clumsily opened. Zipping open the lid, inside were white lidded glass containers sitting atop paper towels that buffered their contact with the hard blue cooler block below. In a plastic bag to the side, a folded sheet of paper awaited to be read with the Luck family emblem stamped on it.
Holding herself up with one arm on the wood stand, she worked the baggie open. With minor frustration she managed to get the instructions out and spent a good minute trying to even read. Her eyes were going anywhere but straight, her breathing grew heavier as the desire to slumber intensified.
“Lemon…lemon… gah! Don’t… no time…” she stuttered as she started to feel slightly ill as everything she saw had multiple after images.
Grabbing the lemon balm, she got the cap and threw it away like it was a pesky fly. Then, grabbed a pinch of the citrus smelling greens and slammed them into her mouth. The burst of flavor zipped her awake for a moment by the sheer refreshing tart mint blast. Shocked into a period of alertness, a little extra time was earned once she started to chew and release even more flavor.
She immediately took the glass jars and tossed them into the fridge before using what last bits of energy she had to get to bed. It was a grueling venture up the stairs as she nearly tripped five times, but through it she got to the bedroom and forced her way inside. Still dressed in her day attire, she wormed her way out of the jacket and boots before cocooning herself in the soft warmth of her sheets. Grumbling as she swallowed the herb still in her mouth, it took only three minutes before she was out cold. Sunset left the living room lights on, deep sleep won over the lack of perfect darkness.
What should have been a quiet dorm room even the dead could rest peacefully, a light tapping invaded the sanctity. It emanated from outside the bedroom, growing louder with each second as if a child was bouncing a mini rubber ball up each step. After twenty soft thuds, the sound stopped and a hush flowed back into the air. If Sunset was awake, she would have freaked out when something the size of a mouse rolled in on the wood paneled floor. The light of the main room shadowed the features of the object, to where it was indescribable. Without being noticed, it approached the low lying bed and made no further commotion.
Ten seconds later, the door to her room closed eerily slowly. The locking of the door’s mechanism sounded like a clown’s nose being squeezed.

An hour into being knocked out like a rock, the equestrian born girl began to dream. Her body once again trying to complete the natural process of recovery had received the same interruption which threatened the young woman’s health time and time again.

“Where am I? I was with Flash a moment ago… oh man! I didn’t do what I just did… did I?” she withdrew into herself standing just outside the campus front doors.

Scolding herself for being so weakened that she got a little too comfortable with Flash, Sunset failed to notice the blue sunny sky change. In mere moments, what was a regular day devoid of anyone else by the school, the world around her fell under a red pink tint. It was subtle and fast, even the coalescing inky clouds pouring out of every window and doorway of the facility acted without detection.

“I really hope he won’t take it the wrong way, I was just tired and I…” she pulled her face from her hands as the embarrassment slipped away.

Her tongue stilled as she realized what was happening, again the same process that repeated itself for the last few weeks. Her tormenting curse was going to soon wake her in the dead of night and she probably slept for not even a couple hours. As much as she tried each and every time to fight back and stand against the curse with bravery. The dark magic was specially crafted to override anything she dished out and draw upon what made her panic and lose control. It was hopeless the frustration that drew her to combat the coming evil, she was tired of it.

“Please! Please… just let me sleep for one night I almost died today! I’m running on fumes!” she called out in vain as the nightmare haze amassed between her and the building.

Just as always, a long slender neck formed out of the hellish abyssal cloud sporting a spiked frilled head. It dwarfed her at this point and there was still more to come forth. Features such as scales and winged arms were taking shape, with each giant long forelimb stomping heavily into the soil by Sunset. It wouldn’t heed her pleas, it was on autopilot and nothing could ever stop it unless she had Pinkie Pie there to help her. Something about her Equestrian magic lingering within her soul projected into Shimmer’s mind, it cleansed her of evil for the night. Yet here she was likely alone in her room without backup. It was only made clearer by the deep reverberating growl from the apparition that readied to devour her and any chance of a nights rest yet again.

Its parting maw filled with raw energy flowing from between the teeth and scaly lips. It would make any fire drake grin with pride at the inner fire that smoldered forth from deep within the chest of the beast. That was never for show, as somehow the curse had managed to affect her nerves well after awakening. Once the thing swallowed her diminutive figure, she was washed with pain that lasted for a time.

“Please… please… just… give me one night?” she begged again letting her posture slump, her vision to the ground knowing what was coming.

As a hooded cobra, the monster reared back with a deep breath of air before shooting its black head forward. The giant obsidian bullet opened its cavernous maw, it hungered for Shimmer and the suffering to come. A roar erupted from the vile construct in the few seconds that passed. That very sound which echoed in Sunset’s mind shortly upon waking up along with the pain.

Strangely enough however, the bellow stopped abruptly like a video put on pause. Even the vibrations from the titanic body seemed as if they never occurred. It had her look up, usually by this time it was all over for her. What she beheld sent her falling backwards in panic, the Wyvern’s razor sharp fangs were ready to feast just a few feet away. As she yelled out in her fall, she landed not on the hard rock of the walkway. Sunset felt the enveloping hold and cushion of a bean bag chair. The loud burst of escaping air and shifting plastic particales accompanied her landing. Stunned for the moment, her eyes were taken aback by the nightmare shaking like a damaged VHS tape.

“As much as I love a good dream sequence, these reruns are getting old. So my dear, shall we watch another movie or perhaps enjoy a little chat?” a disembodied voice laughed in a jarring fashion.

As the static riddled dream held in stasis remained frozen, Sunset whipped her head around looking for the speaker. She tried to follow his laughing as it faded away, but nothing appeared beyond the school, the abomination, and the town behind her. In vain, she tried to rise and stand, only to feel her body glued to the bean bag cushion beneath. The struggle lasted for a moment before something popped into existence to her right. Every muscle froze upon realizing who just showed up.
Her eyes widened as her beguiled mind shot one of the names of which the chimera entity went by. The nightmare curse took on a more pleasurable way to suffer from in the face of this eldritch god. The redhead desperately wished this was another trick by the curse. Trying to change tactics and bore deeper into her psyche.

“Discord!!” Sunset choked out before a bag of popcorn and a soda cup materialized in her hands.

“The one and only!” he grinned.

Her brows furrowed looking at the food, she blinked hard while she tried to understand what was going on. As her eyelids opened again, the entire dream whitewashed as Discord seemingly yanked a tape out of a VCR floating before him. His lion paw brought it to his eyes and twirled it around. Then he casually tossed it away where it landed in a spectacular explosion of fireworks.

“My little misplaced pony, don’t fret. I’m not here to hurt you. In fact, if you worry anymore your heart will leap from your ribcage.” The draconequis chuckled as he popped out and into place before her.

Using his bird talon covered with a catcher’s mitt, he caught her heart as it comically fired forth into his grip. As she blinked again, Discord wore the umpires black uniform and inspected her pounding organ like a fine wine.

“I did enjoy the chaos you created when you banished yourself to this world. Oh how sad Celestia was, the pain and regret she felt when you vanished. I may have been in that stony confinement, but that was so delightful to enjoy.” He licked his lips as if he just tasted a sweet treat.

Sunset’s grip on the theatre eats had gone slack. Both terrified and extremely baffled at what was going on. There had never been such a chaotic and bewildering dream since the curse had been placed on her, in all her years. It nearly made her want to believe Discord really was here in her dreamscape.

“This belongs to you I believe?!” he smiled before shoving the mass of tissue into her mouth, “Now don’t go losing your head either, we have much to discuss. You’ve by far been the most entertaining thing I’ve had to watch in months!”

His sports regalia disappeared as he soon yanked his head off and juggled it along with the symbols for the elements of harmony. After a brief moment of choking down her own vital organ, Shimmer remained in the bean bag chair completely unable to act anymore. She couldn’t run, nor would she be able to think this all away in her state. If Discord was truly here, she was at his mercy and the spirit of chaos wasn’t known for that either. All the text books and old records detailed how sadistic he was just for the sheer joy of chaos. If he was here, then that meant Equestria had to have been affected by his revival, he was going after every Equestrian for revenge. Maybe that explained why Twilight never responded to her message, Discord had broken free and wrought his havoc.

Even as his humorous display was, complimented by giddy carnival music and a unicycle he rode played out. Sunset’s spirits sank faster than a ship’s anchor. That nightmare curse and a week of low sleep looked like a god send now. This was Tartarus…

Comments

[Lucid Dream the Mule]

Worry not, Sunset. Your efforts at being a better person aren't going unnoticed.

Also, nice description of Sunset's first meeting with Discord. It makes sense for her to be wary of the draconequus, since she's unlikely to know about his reformation, due to her time in the human/EQG world.

As for why Princess Twilight never told Sunny about it beforehand(hoof), something tells me that the most likely answer would be something along the lines of, "Sorry, the topic just never came up."