“What do you know about Nightsickness, Miss Shimmer? There’s a pony in Las Pegasus who’s eaten alive by Jackolopes, any night they try to sleep. Another mare in Trottingham gets sliced up and baked into fairycakes. What was done to these fillies was worse. Most ponies live happy lives through some sound assumptions. A ardrobe won’t bite their head off. Their bones won’t turn into knives. These girls had all assumption stripped away. Fear killed them in, very literally, every way they could imagine. How do you feel about that now, Miss Shimmer?”
The Guards had brought Sunset to the palace infirmary. She watched Minuette’s legs jerk feebly against silk bedsheets. Lemonhearts whimpered through her coma, until Celestia licked her brow like a mother. Her tears had fallen on both their pillows.
Sunset shut her eyes. Then she met Shining Armour’s steel gaze.
“I believe I feel as you do, Captain. Heart of hearts, I’m glad it wasn’t Twily.”
Shining flinched. So did Celestia. Sunset cursed her own words, churned out from confusion and fury.
“Are these girls not your friends, Sunset?” Celestia whispered.
“Twilight’s friends. I didn’t…I had no reason to do this to them! They lived in a different world, smaller and cosier–until some monster
did this. Believe me, I'm furious. We need to find whatever did this, before it hurts Twilight, or–”
“Before?” Shining roared. Guardponies on the door fell back, “She hasn’t stopped crying! I couldn’t stop her crying! These girls were her friends. You were my baby sister’s first friend. Why did you have to be evil?”
He thrust an edited transcript in Sunset’s face. What the victims had suffered was clear enough from their ravings to make her gag, and her name was all over the page. She had laughed, it seemed, the entire time.
“They saw me in their nightmare. An illusion, or a shapeshifter. It hardly needed permission to use my face!”
“How about Gift Signature?” The words rose around Sunset like a snake, “No other unicorn can copy your horn’s aura. Not even a changeling. We found traces of your Gift. All over both the girls you tortured!”
“No. No, I DID NOT!”
“Shining Armour, that is enough!” Celestia rose, wings out, “Sunset–?”
“Okay. I’m okay,” Sunset threw her head back. Breathed out through her nostrils slowly, “Whoever framed me, I suppose they thought I’d fill the room with fire right now, and go off in the smoke. But I’ll have to disappoint them, because I, I never…Princess, you know I can’t enter dreams. I could never work that power. I’d be a dungeon right now, if you thought I could ever do this!”
“No, Sunset. I cannot believe you yourself would do this. I never believed you could be coerced, or controlled–even by a foe who holds the dreamworld in their hooves. But it seems I must.”
“Me, controlled? That’s impossible.”
“You mean you acted freely?” Shining snapped.
“No! I mean nothing, no power, could make me do this, Princess! If something can trot into my head, make me torture innocent ponies, I’m worthless! Not your student, never again!”
True mind control, Sunset knew, left irremovable signs. Hypnotic mind control, however, left no evidence for a simple reason. It was less control than persuasion. It only lured ponies into the desire of their own darkest hearts.
She had raged at Twilight. Felt more hate for her trusted friend than any mare alive. In an evil hour, she had attacked her sovereign and idol, with lethal intent. Now, two little ponies' lives were good as over–but Twilight was safe. Twilight, she had never touched, and never, ever would...
“Maybe you couldn’t hurt my sister,” Shining’s words sunk like an apple corer, into her heart, “She was your devoted junior–but we know that ended, with your spat last night. We know her other friends were mentioned. You didn’t care for them so much, did you? But you could use them, to hurt Twilight. Your friend. My sister. Say you couldn’t have done it. Just try.”
Sunset’s world span, around Celestia’s eyes. The alicorn did not speak. Sunset couldn’t speak. Her eyes trembled down, over her hooves and her chest. Saw them covered in filth. Stains that could never be cleared. Her body trembled, ready to fall.
“I’m sorry, Sunset.” Misery weighted Celestia’s voice, “We failed these two poor fillies, but I failed you first.”
“Princess! I’m sorry! I–”
Lemonhearts started moaning in her sleep. Celestia’s mane flew as she spun to her charge, away from Sunset. Light blazed from her horn; the cries softened. In silence, Sunset let the Guards lead her away.
-0-
-0-
“Your memories will be intensively scanned, and your dreams reconstructed. Rest periods will forestall mental damage. It is imperative that we determine what was done to these students, and how.”
“Last night, I dreamt of…killing enemies, no, monsters. Twilight was crying. I think–”
“Don’t try to recall your dreams, Miss Shimmer, it will only confuse matters. Doubtless, any memory of the attacks has been obscured. If I am to recover the truth, you must impress upon your own mind that you really committed these crimes.”
Professor Severian was Canterlot’s first expert on hypnosis, a dour stallion with glasses and an eternal black gown. Sunset had always respected his intelligence, and intensity.
The mind-scan presently turned up nothing of use. Sunset couldn’t help smiling–but then Severian was replaced by an Investigator, with a little notebook.
As previously mentioned, Equestria was a very peaceful society, with a phenomenal conviction rate. The Guard would freely let off minor delinquents with warnings, but serious criminals always had to confess. It was judged essential to full rehabilitation.
Sunset had committed no crime. But she had threatened violence, in the love poison fiasco, against both victims. She had tormented countless students in her second year–attacking her rivals’ friends and families, destroying characters and friendships. She had ‘a scary temper’. She was ‘capable of anything’, ‘a narcissist, who goes crazy if she fails’. ‘Practically, you know, a psycho’.
Her fellow students had talked to the Guard very freely. Then the investigator read back her quarrel with Twilight, blow by blow. And every word was a blow.
She had called her best friend a worthless coward. She had never cared for anypony but herself. She’d said she would pour her life out, for other ponies. She had tortured two fillies into comas. It bore her down like a bloated demon. Violating her will, poisoning her dreams.
-0-
-0-
“Why, Sunset?” Twilight stared down at her with reddened eyes, “Why are they doing this to you? You would never, ever do such terrible things!”
“That’s what I said,” The voice was dead and flat, “It’s no use. I was wrong. This is my destiny.”
Late that evening, Twilight had finally prevailed on her brother. A Guard had escorted her to the cellar, where Sunset had a bed, food, and even books–but Sunset lay on the stone floor, unmoving. There was a glowing dome of force above her, but her shadows beyond the light were absolute. She had a bed, books, and supply of food, but she was sprawled over the stone floor. Twilight knew she herself was a mess, but Sunset’s fiery mane was wrecked. She was dulled, from her mane, to her Mark.
“What’s going to happen?” Twilight burst out, “Why are you confined like this?”
“The barrier blocks teleports, dreamwalks, anything. It’s to protect you. If something controlled me, again, or it left something in my mind…I could anything, any terrible thing. I hurt those fillies–myself. The will was in me. Hypnosis seized me by it. I could have fought. But I wanted it. I failed, I failed!”
“That’s insane. You could never have d-done t-t-that, only a monster could even have dreamt of it! You’re Sunset Shimmer! Princess Celestia’s student, the most brilliant–”
“–Pony, who cares about nopony but herself!”
Sunset finally raised her head. Her fury was spiritless, crippled by shock and despair. Her whole body seemed dulled, as if rotting from the
heart while life remained. But it was eyes that made Twilight gasp. Their fire was gone.
“Have you forgotten?” Sunset groaned, “How I treated you? I’m not the shining friend you thought me. I'm a liar, a coward who hurt everypony that helped her. A villain, in a cell! I couldn’t believe it. I was a good pony. A great pony. Sunset Shimmer. I told myself every day, but it was a lie! I was always a heartless demon. You were right.”
Twilight fell against the barrier. Pressed her hooves and her mouth towards Sunset, crying out.
“I didn’t mean those things! I did, then–but I’m not leaving you like this!”
“You should. You can’t help me. After I called you a worthless–”
“Don’t tell me to give up. You never gave up. You could be angry, or self-centred, but that made you strong. Sometimes you went too far, but you always went the right way! We can deal with the stupid things we said. If you somehow did that to Lemons, and Minuette…we can deal with that! I only know you’re my friend, Sunset, and that isn't changing!”
“No.” Her voice flickered with strength, “You were my friend, Twilight. You always had the heart that cared. I would never hurt you, Twilight. I’d do anything, to protect your heart, but I failed...”
“Sunset…what can I do, to see you again? I don’t know what to do, or say. You always did.”
“Sorry. Too late, I guess.” Sunset pulled herself up, moved towards Twilight, “Princess Celestia knows something. Some dreamwalking monster still out there. Stay close to her. Protect yourself.”
“Don’t you dare worry about me!” Twilight ducked her head, and pulled up a small pendant she was wearing, “Celestia bound my brother’s Shield Technique into this, and an alarm if the shield takes damages. He cast a shield over the whole palace to keep anything out, but she gave these to me, Lyra and Twinkleshine, straightway, in case an enemy was still inside the grounds. If, if we can find the real attacker, or they strike again, while you’re in here…”
“No, Twilight. Leave it to Celestia, and your brother. He’s a good pony; he loves you. Go to Lyra and Twinkleshine. They need you now. Don’t come back here, and waste your time with a broken hack.”
Love, sorrow, and frustration, flickered over Twilight’s face before she replied and left.
“Remember my nightmare, my first night here? I was getting eaten by books, and you were laughing–but that wasn’t you. You were the one who saved me. I think something is doing this to drive us apart, only they’ve destroyed everything except our friendship. Don’t give up, Sunset. Don’t give up on me, don’t give up on us. I won’t give up on you.”
-0-
-0-
“You okay, Twily?”
“No. But thank you for that, brother.”
Shining Armour was waiting for Twilight outside the dungeon. Brother and sister trotted through marble corridors in silence.
“Twily,” Shining finally began, “You should never have had to see this...”
“No. But it’s worse for Minuette and Lemons. Worse for Sunset.”
Twilight could see the tears, gnawing within her brother's eyelids. His hoof-steps were heavy as death.
"I'm sorry, sis. A horror like this, in Canterlot itself…even Guards get scared, Twily. Go too far. I'm ashamed."
“BBBFF. It's okay,” Twilight shut her eyes, “Her Gift traces matched; I know how it looks. You’re doing your job. At least you can do something.”
“Yeah, something.” Shining glanced through a window at the shield still hanging in the sky, “My shield stops enemies; they can’t send anything,
can’t enter or leave in any way. We’ve searched the whole palace in every dimension. Nothing.”
“A dreamwalker or mental projection could hide in somepony’s head.”
“Severian has scanned everypony’s mind for anything. Nothing. No clue in Sunset’s memories; he's still reconstructing her dreams, like the Princess ordered. If there's any other possible explanation...I promise we'll find it."
-0-
-0-
In the infirmary, Lyra and Twinkleshine were sprawled at the bedside, ashen faced. Snips and Snails, silent for the first time in a blue moon, had bought a giant bunch of flowers. Even Moondancer was there. Plush beds and expensive paintings only added to the weight in the air.
Silently, Twilight hugged Lyra and Twinkleshine. Nuzzled their ears, wishing it was Sunset’s ear and feeling awful. She asked if there was any news; anything to be said.
“Minuette’s parents were here earlier. They’re talking to Celestia, about waking her up, or…leaving her.” Twinkleshine swallowed a sob, and went on, “Lemons’ parents will be here tomorrow. I still don't understand at all...”
“Oh, Lualus...” Lyra whispered.
The words hung in the silence like frost on flowers. While the rain fell, the crops grew and the sun rose, with equine effort, not many ponies gave thought to their creator. Until the thread of harmony snapped, and everything fell into horror. But Twilight could only believe one thing; Lualus would give his ponies the tools for this problem as well.
“Twilight? What’s Celestia doing?” Twinkleshine finally asked, “Is there a cure she can find?”
“Is she looking for the monster?” Snips piped up.
“She shouldn’t be,” Twinkleshine snapped, “When she’s already found the pony.”
Twilight knew what ponies thought about ponies arrested by the Guard; she had always felt the same way. She glanced at the curtains around her two friends’ beds, before she answered.
“Sunset would never do this. My brother will find the real attacker, and release her.”
“Twilight. I know she was your friend,” Twinkleshine’s voice was a dagger stroking the neck, “But it seems she’s not the pony we thought she was. It must have been the pressure, or expectations. I can only imagine she went insane.”
“I don’t understand. You’ve known Sunset for years!”
“Yeah!” Snips burst out, “Our teachers laughed, when we said we’d get into this school, but Sunset didn’t!”
“She did bad things, before our first year,” Lyra countered, “And they had that fight last year...”
“And then Sunset fought a dragon to protect them! She saved your singing concert at the last minute, Twinkleshine, and helped your team win the hoofball finals, Lyra! She got angry, sometimes, but she tried, she always tried! And I'm going to do everything I can, to find out the truth!”
“All these petty little things! Don’t you realise, Lemonhearts and Minuette are right there?” Twinkleshine thrust a hoof towards the beds, “Find a cure for them, and tell Celestia that she has to! Unless you only care about Sunset!”
Twilight’s ears drooped in shame. Desperate plans to clear Sunset had collapsed in her head, one by one, but she hadn’t began to consider a cure for Minuette and Lemons. What could she possibly do?
She silently retreated to the window, crushed under a sudden weight. When she turned, it was a surprise to see Moondancer close to her ear.
“D-don’t listen to them, Twilight Sparkle,” Moondancer whispered, “Celestia will do anything she can for o-our friends. And I know you'll find the truth. If there's anything, I can do...?"
"Just hearing that you believe me is something," Moondancer smiled, beautifully. Twilight suddenly recalled that she was a fellow research expert; at least she was seldom out of the library, "Moondancer? Could you help me, to find the truth? For our friends, and Sunset? I understand if you don't–"
“No...I will help. You taught me to stand up for myself, T-twilight S-s-Sparkle, and find real friends. You saved me from Trixie. I’ll do anything to help you. Anything you want.”
Twilight grinned awkwardly into Moondancer’s earnest gaze. An image of a Twilight shrine and observation diary in her closet flashed through her mind, but she could still honestly say the help was appreciated.
”Miss Sparkle?” Snails whispered on her other side, “If you got a plan to clear Sunset, we’ll follow you, like we followed her. And…I want to avenge Lemonhearts as well!”
As three ponies looked to her like a leader, Twilight felt very strange. She was not overwhelmed in the least. The smile of Sunset glowed in her heart–her protector, her strength and her friend. Because she herself had strength. She would pour it out, for Sunset’s sake.
-0-
-0-
Moondancer and Twilight cut every class they could get away with and spent the next two days in the library, searching for methods of faking a Gift Signature, tracing a dreamwalker, or treating Nightsickness. Moondancer’s reading and research skills hugely impressed Twilight, and she couldn’t help saying so often. The quiet filly hid her blushes in her shapeless jumper.
Snips and Snails kept them supplied with snacks, and glowed at her occasional compliments. They even brought down a care package to Sunset’s cell; she wiped her eyes, and said they were two little miracles. Moondancer didn’t find time to visit her. Nor did Starry Flash.
Celestia called Twilight to her throne room, once. She was not seated on her throne, but gazing on a window that showed her defeat of Nightmare Moon. Almost a thousand years ago.
“Twilight Sparkle. On your first night at my school, you suffered a frightening dream. Nearly five years ago, the same thing happened to Sunset. I knew these dreams were an enemy’s work. But you had no more nightmares. You utterly defeated them, as Sunset did before you. You are both strong, talented ponies; I chose you to help and protect the ponies of Equestria. I thought I could let you enjoy peaceful fillyhoods before the years of storm…but I failed you, and your friends. Poor Minuette, poor Lemonhearts, Uoor Sunset. It seems almost impossible for her to continue as my student, much as I would wish otherwise. If you no longer wish to be my student, I will understand.”
Twilight hesitated. Her Princess had chosen her, three years ago. Her Princess never failed. Now the ground shook under her feet; the sun darkened in the sky. She had never dreamt of protecting Equestria, or being such a great pony. Three years ago, she had only hoped to study, to learn wondrous knowledge and power–and help other ponies, one day.
In all her learning, she had almost forgotten, but now she knew. There was a pony she would help. Pass or fail the test, it was her destiny to try.
“I wish to remain your student, Princess. What do you wish me to do?”
“Stay safe,” Celestia rested her bright smile on Twilight’s face, “Activate that shield pendant before you sleep, or at any time you are alone. It is not impenetrable, but will alert Shining Armour at once if the shield is attacked. Remain with your brother, as much as you can. Trust his shield over the palace to protect your friends. You are a brave, special pony, Twilight. We will protect you.”
Twilight suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She hated to lie, hated to break the rules. But Sunset could’ve stood it. Sunset would’ve done it for her.
-0-
-0-
With no illusions that the library would yield answers, Twilight had used it as a distraction from her real plan. In every unobserved moment, she had been reordering the altered threads of reality clustered over the shield pendant, much like a circuit board or computer program. It took every ounce of her skill. The shield had to activate after something stepped within its bounds, to attack her. Trapping them.
The alarm would make sure she was rescued, and the attacker caught. Twilight considered asking Moondancer, or Snips and Snails, to act as lookouts. But she could not involve them in an action where they might get hurt, or even expelled.
Three days after the attacks, it was ready. Twilight walked quietly through the palace wall that evening, at an unguarded spot. Her brother’s shield let her through. The streets of Canterlot had been solemn and fearful, since the shield had gone up. But no heart beat faster than Twilight’s, as she trotted towards a tiny branch library near the city walls. Forced the rear door that still hadn’t been fixed, since her last visit.
Sipped from a sleeping draught she had brought, and settled under a table.
"I’m sorry, brother. I’m sorry, Princess. Sunset…this time, I’ll save you. This time, I’ll be the hero...”
-0-
-0-
Sunset woke, still under the dome. Her head seemed to have been sawn in two, and filled with rotten cider. But, with all the mind scans, no brain damage. Maybe that would’ve ended her pain.
She’d spent days tortured with helpless fear, for Twilight. The pendant proved she was being targeted. The brightest, sweetest pony. Her friend, after all she had done and been! In a tortured coma, like Minuette. And there would be nothing that Sunset could do.
She couldn't pass the dome by any means. Even if it vanished, the monster was unseen. Her brains and her Gift had been helpless. Her dreams and all her hopes had fled like birds. Only anger was left, enough to light the dungeon with fire–but hadn't rage and self-regard brought her self to this? No help for her, no hope. But if hope lived in the world at all, if it meant the Sun, Moon and Earth turned upside down–Twilight Sparkle had to be safe.
Sunset had neither denied the existence of Lualus, nor cared to ask him for anything. She had been certain Lualus despised kneelers; she certainly hadn't thought much of them herself. But now she pressed her hooves together, bowed her head and body. Turned all her blazing heart towards the shadowed infinity beyond it.
“Father of all. Please save Twilight. Please protect her. I don’t know why you let these horrors go on. I can’t understand how she can still be my friend. Please, from the bowels of my heart, as you care for every little pony, help her…please.”
-0-
-0-
Twilight woke in a night black cylinder, so narrow that she could not stand. She hammered the cold wall–she was buried alive, alone. Lost to her friends and light–face buried in a book that she couldn’t read! She knew it was a dream. Knew, in the same indefinite way, she could not wake.
“Not bad for a start, Twily.” The voice crept in her ear like poison, “The walls could be blue-hot, and have a few nicely positioned spikes...but still, we’ve both got all the time in the world. Capisce?”
“You don’t. You don’t. I’ve trapped you. Celestia and BBBFF are coming–”
A hoof struck the back of Twilight’s neck; her glasses smashed on a gravel field. There was sunlight, and the sadistic laughter of foals, but the voice cut through it all.
“A delayed shield, to trap me in your own head? You always were smart, Twily. You just didn’t have the skills to alter the Shield without breaking that little alarm. Your Princess isn’t coming, Twily.”
“No. You can’t know that! That’s just my fear…”
“Some fears are true, little Twily. Princess Celestia will take her bedtime tea and cake, as her little student goes insane, and whose fault will it be?”
“M-mine…”
“That’s it. You prissy, spineless book-worshipping foal. How did you ever take what was MINE?”
It was Sunset. Red flesh circled her eyes, and the voice was bitter with venom–but the snap of assurance there, the fire in her eyes, could
have come from nopony else.
“The moment I saw you, I hated,” She stooped to hiss in Twilight’s ear, “Now we’re alone, just like you dreamed. Alone together, with your only friend. Celestia will tear out her eyes, when she finds you! Her eyes that never saw me, the real me–of course she'd have killed me if she had! Before you came, we might've been happy–twin suns of Equestria! But do you want to know the truth, Twily? Of course you do. Nothing could really make me happy, except to crush your heart to slime.”
Twilight's voice did not shake, not because she was unafraid. She was terrified. But knowledge and logic, unshakeable, were the only path she knew to her only hope.
“You’re…not Sunset," Twilight's voice did not shake, "She didn't hide hate, she exploded. She’d never give up on Princess Celestia. She never let me give up, or be afraid! She was my friend. I knew all her demons, I knew her true self! You’re not the Sunset Shimmer I’ve always believed in!”
Then the thing that looked like Sunset snarled. Exposed teeth like a honeybadger. Twilight shrieked and curled, shielding her throat–but she started up, at the voice.
“Hey. Scarecrow. Get away from my friend. Now.”
It was a Sunset–a new Sunset. Glaring at the double that stood over her fellow student. With a knight's gold armour flashing on her flanks, in the daybreak over a misted hill.
It was Twilight’s dream, after all.