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(1) Inner Turmoil - Only Chapter Unless I continue1,572 words
(2) Echoes in the Mirror1,225 words

(2) Echoes in the Mirror

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The morning light started to show its face to Sunset as the rain pitter-pattered against the windowpane, well as much light as a rainy day was willing to give, that is. It was one of those days, as Rainbow would put it, where it was harder than usual to pull your body out of the bed, the world outside wanting to lull everyone back to sleep, letting the world rest for a day.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Sunset tiredly climbed over the bed and slapped her alarm, silencing it- for now.

“Five more minutes should do me some good” she muttered to herself, falling asleep in her new position.

“Sunset? Wha…what time is it?” another person said, the form underneath Sunset shifting suddenly. She slowly looked over to where the voice originated from, only to see a purple and magenta pile of hair.

"Twilight...?" Sunset murmured, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“Whaaahhh! Sunset! I- uh- good morning!” Twilight near-shouted as they both sat up simultaneously, their cheeks flushing with embarrassment as they were a bit tangled up together.

“What are you doing here, Twi?” Sunset said, as her mind promptly awakened to the situation at hand. She slowly moved herself, trying to untangle herself just a bit without falling out of the bed. “Not that I’m upset or anything, just that this is a bit of a shock.”

“Well- uh, do you remember what happened yesterday afternoon?” Twi asked as she leaned over to search for her glasses on the nightstand.

“I- I remember hearing a voice and a demon, me-, I don’t know. Just something coming after me? But apart from that-” Sunset shook her head, her expression being slightly puzzled. "I... I don't remember. I must have been really tired. Did you save me?"

“Um, save you? I- I think it was me helping you save yourself, if that makes sense?” She replied, looking back over, having donned her purple glasses. “You wrote to Princess Twi- me, well other world me that is about it. I think that could help you remember a bit more from last night?”

Sunset nodded slowly, trying to piece together the events of the previous night. Having finally untangled herself she walked out into the living room to read her journal, and to give Twilight some space to get ready for the day.

“Let’s see here…” She whispered, flipping open the journal.

“a rather hot day at Canterlot…. thinking of enjoying time with my new friends…. not always feeling reciprocated…. on the sidelines, I am still grateful…. they have me by theirs…. what we’ll do after…. Perhaps a walk downtown?”

“Wait, what?” Sunset noticed how the second half of the page was blank with a few dried marks where some water must have been. “That’s it? What’s on the next page?” she rhetorically asked herself, flipping the page, which to her luck contained another entry.

“Sorry about cutting off the letter earlier, it happened again.” Sunset simply stared at the parchment, new water slightly damaging the surface.

“S-so, that’s what happened…” She muttered, promptly closing the book and walking into the bathroom. As her face made itself present in the mirror she simply looked at it in disgust. “W-what? You couldn’t even hold it together for a day?! How stupid are you!”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Um… Sunset? Are you okay in there? I think I heard shouting.” Twilight softly spoke through the door as Sunset kept looking at herself in the mirror.

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute!” Sunset called back, making sure her voice could reach.

“That’s right, she only wants the bathroom anyways.” Her reflection suddenly spoke back.

“Wait what?! Who are you?” Sunset shot back to her reflection.

“Oh this is so cute~! You don’t remember what I did yesterday? How weak.” The mirror slowly lost the light it had as the Sunset within turned a scarlet colour. “I’m you after all, remember your place.”

Sunset backed away, seeing herself as a demon once more. “N-no! You should be gone!”

“Gone?! Oh, you sweet sun, I am you. You’ll. Never. Escape. Ta ta!” The demon’s tone suddenly shifted as it disappeared with a crackling noise, leaving herself alone in the bathroom once more, in complete silence.

“O-okay, Twilight, you can come in.” Sunset said, leaning against the wall, still staring at the mirror.

“Alright, Sunset what’s-” Twilight began, quickly noticing that Sunset had tears running down her face. “Sunset, what's wrong?”

“I- I don’t know… everything, I guess?” Sunset said, giving up and letting her tears run freely as she grabbed Twilight in an embrace. “A-and that I was mad at myself for not being able to fight off what happened yesterday a-and-” she stopped as Twilight laid a finger on her lips, nodding to her.

“Alright, I think I understand. She came back, didn’t she?” Twilight asked rather straightforwardly, getting a meek nod in return. “Okay, just remember that she is not real, and that we all fight our inner demons.”

“B-but I literally was a demon. Twi- I d-don’t think I can relate t-to other people like t-that…” she replied, with a slight quiver in her voice.

“Oh- no no no! I didn’t mean it that way. I was just trying to explain that we all have different experiences but that we all have to find a way to fight-. Sorry, I'm babbling again, aren't I? What I'm trying to say is, we're in this together, and I'm here for you.” Twilight rambled, over correcting herself.

“You were babbling again a little bit.” Sunset said with a small giggle. Twilight’s rambling always had a rather amusing effect on her. “But you could keep rambling if you’d feel better.”

“No. What matters right now is how you’re feeling, ok? Don’t try to get your way out of seeing someone on this.” Twilight replied, pulling Sunset to her feet as well. She then looked down to her watch. “Now, it is only 8 am?! W-we have to get to class! Or at least see vice principal Luna as she works as the guidance counselor- but come on! Let’s get you moving, that always helps me, at least!”

Sunset slightly lost herself in Twilight’s rambling once more and then joined her in walking back to the bedroom and promptly getting ready, then quickly brushing her teeth to start out the day.

As Sunset turned away from the mirror, a faint, whisper-like, noise seemed to fill the room, accompanied by a chilling sensation crawling down her spine. She apprehensively glanced back at the reflective surface, her heart pounding.

But nothing appeared.

“Well, it is a Monday, it was bound to start off a bit strange.” She thought to herself, short of breath, quickly calming herself as she went to grab her backpack and journal, walking out of her apartment to meet Twilight again at the bus stop.

Back in the bathroom, however, the mirror formed a faint teal glow, cracks etching their way along the surface. Slowly, it spelled in Equestrian:

“You’ll. Never. Escape.”

Sunset stopped for a second, her breath catching in her throat. She was certain she had heard something, then looked back over to see Twilight waving to her from the bus stop. Sunset quickly brushed off the strange feeling and hurried over to join her.

“Mondays are just weird.”

Author's Note:

Hi again!

Thanks so much for the feedback on the last chapter! It means the world to me! Oh! Also, sorry about taking- four months?! Ok, yep, I'll try not to do that again.

Anyway, as you can see from the chapter, and the story as a whole (since I swapped a tag) is that this is now a mystery as well as a relatable story for me!

This chapter was way more mystery-focused than a relatable anxiety attack moment this time, as I do need some semblance of a plot to be created now that this is post-one-shot and now going to be a fully fledged story!

Anyway, as always, feedback is appreciated and I hope you all enjoy!

-Sai

P.S. I am going to edit the Author's note of the previous chapter to clarify that it was designed as a one-shot but that the story continues for those curious.

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