//------------------------------// // Rude Awakenings // Story: Sunset Shimmer's Sick Day // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Oh, crap. Sunset thought. Oh crap oh crap. She immediately made a break for the stairs, almost tripping and falling face-first onto the landing between both sets of stairs. She cursed to herself, regained her footing, and ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Sunset exited the bathroom. "I don't care if it's the cause or not, I'm not eating sushi again for a long time." She groaned. Not willing to take any chances, she made her way to the couch and laid down. I just had to tempt fate. Go figure. She sighed and stretched as she heard another car go by. At least I didn't have any big plans for the day. "Just to be on the safe side, though..." Sunset said as she got up and walked toward her mini-fridge. She opened it up and took out a bottle of ginger ale and poured herself a cup. She downed the drink and put the ginger ale back in the mini-fridge. Getting back onto the couch, she laid down and tried to go back to sleep. Nearly asleep, she felt nauseous and ran back to the bathroom. Once finished, she sighed. "So it's going to be one those nights, huh?" She sat on the couch and stared at her television for a moment, the power off. She almost turned it on, but decided against it. If I'm going to be sick, I might as well try to get all the rest I can, She thought. Laying on the couch, she closed her eyes and reflected on her first day in this world. I was so frightened and confused...and alone. I had to go into hiding to avoid humans because they were so alien to me. I was actually considering returning to Equestria just so I wouldn't be alone. I'll never forget that night...because as I was about to enter the portal I saw Celestia. Not Princess Celestia, but a human that greatly resembled her. All the negative memories I had came rushing back and I went back to my plan for vengeance. That last thought made her gut feel a tinge of guilt. Well, at least I'm not as guilt-ridden as I used to be. When the girls hit me with their magic, I had seen a reflection of myself. The worst kind of reflection. It showed me what I monster I had become, both literally and metaphorically. I'll always be grateful for Princess Twilight and the girls' willingness to give me a second chance. I had finally felt that I had proven myself in the Battle of the Bands. Thanks to my friends, I was able to shed my self-doubt and together we stood up to defeat the sirens. I even became a member of the Rainbooms after showing them my guitar skills. Then came the Friendship Games. With all of the magical craziness going around, I felt powerless and my guilt came back. It was only afterwards that I realized I shouldn't carry the burden alone. She smirked. I'll never forget that moment when Princess Twilight and this world's Twilight came face-to-face. That was one of the most awkward silences I've ever had to witness. We've all seven of us been through a lot, and I imagine much more is still to come, she thought. She felt her eyelids get heavy again and laid on the couch. Stretching and yawning, she closed her eyes in hopes of getting at least some decent rest. It would be a couple more hours before she would get sick again. "Okay, so sleep's probably not going to happen." She grumbled, exiting the bathroom again. Maybe I should just sleep next to the toilet at this point. She sarcastically thought to herself. Feeling defeated for the moment, she walked over to her desk and started drawing a picture of herself. Art had always been a passion for Sunset Shimmer. Ever since she saw an art exhibit in Vanhoover as a filly, she had become inspired by a painting of the sun being raised by Princess Celestia. The bright and vivid colors, the emotions she felt as she stared at it, and the passion she could feel from the painting had inspired her to take up art as a hobby. I wonder if all of my paintings are still in Equestria? She stroked her chin thoughtfully. I'd love to show it to the girls. Finished with her sketch, she put it in a folder and into a compartment under her desk. She walked up the stairs to her bed, and grabbed one the guitars hanging on the wall. She went back down to the couch and started to strum on it. Playing guitar didn't come easy to her at first, but she was a fairly quick learner. Once she got the hang of it, she started playing out in the street while looking for work opportunities. She was just struggling to make ends meet. She had to sell some paintings just to get by. Deciding she was finished, Sunset put the guitar back in its proper place. She then turned on the television and her gaming console. Putting on headphones so she wouldn't disturb her neighbors, Sunset inserted "Tirek's Revenge" and went for the solo campaign. Originally, she wanted nothing to do with video games. Eventually she changed her mind and saw them as a way to become popular to achieve her goals. After her reformation, she became more sociable and played online multiplayer with her friends and others. Feeling her eyelids get heavy yet again, she turned off the console and TV. Better be more than two freakin' hours this time. Her patience was wearing thin. She laid back on the couch and slowly felt sleep overtake her. She was having the same dream as before, but again, before anyone could speak, she was woken up. Not by nausea, but this time by her phone. She snapped awake and answered it. "Princessipal Celestia, is that you?" She all but slurred the words like a drunkard. She was answered with high-pitched laughter. After a moment, the laughter stopped. "Princessipal Celestia...that's a good one, SunShim!" Fully awake and alert, Sunset recognized the familiar voice. "Pinkie?"