Sunset clenched the muscles in her jaw. She’d actually been doing that for a while now. How long? She wasn’t sure, just long enough that there was a definite ache and a begging in the back of her mind to stop.
This was good. That voice was an excellent distraction from the other voice, the one that was distinctly more taunting, more snide, jeering at her. It was laughing at her now, telling her how pointless all this distraction was.
You’re not going to get rid of me that easy. It said, smugly.
Sunset took a long pull of air through her nose, grinding her molars together. She couldn’t be bothered now. Not now. She was far too busy. Class was in session. What was it?…Math…Yes…Math…She needed to take notes for Math.
Pathetic…
Looking down, she was a bit woeful of exactly how lacking her sheet was. There was hardly anything on the page, except maybe the beginning of a formula.
We don’t need this idiot class.
That was all the more reason to pay attention. The class was still going. Professor Hooves was saying something. What was he saying? Something important probably. Everyone in her class was frantically scribbling, the only class that made everyone dead silent. It was a hard class. Nearly everyone struggled.
Except us. We’re better.
Of course, she wasn’t going to slouch either. She also needed to focus. She needed to focus on class.
Your attempt to ignore me would almost be admirable if it weren’t so futile.
Sunset looked forward, catching the sight of purple.
Twilight was just at the edge of her peripherals, three rows up and four columns away. There was a distinct rigidity to the way she sat, even more tense than the usual posture for her. Her fists were balled, and a knit was wrinkling between her manicured eyebrows. Bags were heavy under her eyes and she seemed like she was breathing hard.
There was a pull of empathic pain from Sunset’s heart as she looked.
Poor Twilight Sparkle. The voice quipped again, tingling with excitement. Don’t worry. I’ll get her to relax. It purred.
Don’t.
She slipped.
So now you acknowledge me. The voice giggled.
Sunset clenched her jaw tighter as well as her grip.
Twilight heard the sharp snap of a pencil as well as the shifting of an entire classroom. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at where her classmate’s attention was drawn. Sunset looked at the wooden remains in her grip.
“Oops…” She mumbled sheepishly.
It was enough. The moment passed carelessly and the majority of the students went back to their work. A kind girl close to the amber skinned teen had offered her a replacement pencil. Twilight just kept looking.
Awww, Sunny-bunny. Her mind cooed.
Twilight ignored it.
In her mind’s eye, she could see a feral smirk and the coo turn into something sultry and suggestive. She could use some affection, don’you think?
Twilight twisted to look forward, keeping her gaze firmly on the whiteboard.
Oh, boo. You’re no fun. The show is behind you.
Twilight frowned, writing another equation in her notebook.
The moments crawled by, but the day zoomed and before the two teens knew where they were in their established routines, lunch had rolled around. Heavily, they sat across from each other, making brief eye contact before looking away. They were identically charged magnets, painfully close, identically stressed, identically frazzled, and identically poking at their food, lost in thought and oblivious to the concerned stares that were directed their way.
“Uhhh…” The prismatic athlete of the group started, a bit uncertain. “Are you guys okay?”
“Sure.”
“Yep.”
Identically, dead replies.
“Umm…” She tried again. Another looked between the two and she tapped out, nudging a stetson wearing friend next to her.
“Ah think what RD’s meanin’ to say is, ya’ll look a mite…rough…are ya sure y’all ‘r okay?”
“Yep.
“Sure.”
Emerald eyes shot across the table, meeting sapphire blue and mascara. A meaningful look and a head twitch in the direction of Twilight and Sunset later, Rarity gave a nod.
She coughed, clearing her throat before putting a hand on the closest girl’s shoulder. Twilight looked up, a carry-on disqualifying load under her eyes.
“Goodness!” She started, briefly startled.
Sunset’s gaze slowly drifted up, worrying Rarity even more.
“I think it’s most certainly clear you both are not alright. What has gotten you two so uncharacteristically bedraggled.”
Sunset groaned before burring her face into her palms. “Just so tired…”
“…and they keep talking.” Twilight continued.
“Who’s talking?” Fluttershy asked quietly.
“Them…” Sunset grunted emphatically. “They’re back.”
Twilight pressed her lips into a thin line. “We’re not really sure why or how but a few weeks ago, Sunset Shimmer’s demon and Midnight Sparkle have been whispering into our heads. It wasn’t hard to ignore, not at first.They were just stupid little remarks but it’s been getting stronger.”
“Weeks?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That’s a super duper long time. Why wouldn’t you tell us something like that?”
“Like Twilight said, it was easy to ignore. If it was just in our heads, we figured we could solve it ourselves before it got out of hand…That’s what we thought.” Sunset stopped herself, crossing an arm around to grip at the leather ear her elbow.
“It’s alright, Sugarcube. Just tell us what happened.” Applejack placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, a soft smile coaxing her forward.
Sunset glanced at Twilight who gave a nod, Rarity already pulling her into a sideways hug.
Sunset sighed. “Twilight and I don’t remember the last two afternoons.” She began, noticing the looks around the table, ranging from concern to bemusement. She pressed on. “The last thing that I remember was doing homework on my desk and suddenly, I’m in the middle of some street race with a car that doesn’t belong to me.” Sunset slammed a fist on the table, attracting some on lookers from the side.
The table looked baffled before shifting to look at Twilight. “I don’t remember what I did then either.” Her voice became strained, the weariness replaced by a cocktail of emotions she couldn’t identify. “I was in the middle of putting together my report on mineral compositions across various crystal formations and then I find myself with a crowd of strangers…in Sunset’s jacket, watching her crash my dad’s car.”
“So,” Rainbow Dash asked with a subtle tilt of her head, “what does that mean exactly?” She lowered her voice a bit so that only their table could hear.
“Well, obviously, it’s not a coincidence that they’ve brought up their alter egos, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity explained, short on patience. “Am I correct to assume that they’ve grown strong enough to take control?”
Sunset sighed. “Yes. That’s what we think.” Her frown deepened for a moment and she brought a fist up to tap at her head. “And she’s been more than happy to admit to it too.”
“Oh dear.” Fluttershy murmured.
“What are you going to do?” Pinkie asked, a rare show of seriousness on her face.
Sunset chuckled mirthlessly. “Short of an exorcism, we don’t even know where to begin. Princess Twilight has been looking into it for a while now.”
“Maybe we can rainbow laser it one more time.” Pinkie thought.
The pair flinched in sync.
Twilight recovered first. “Yeah, that’s an idea, though I’m not sure how we’d be able to aim it on ourselves.”
“We could always visit Equestria and have the pony counterparts try.” Sunset shrugged.
“I am curious about something, dears. Is there some significance between the time of day?”
Twilight and Sunset looked at each other.
Sunset scrunched her nose in thought. “I guess both times have started around…”
Twilight cracked a grin. “…Sundown.” She laughed lightly. “And then ended sometime around…”
“…midnight.” Sunset chuckled. “From Sundown to Midnight.”
Applejack sighed. “Ah guess we know what to call your demon form now. Who knew they had a poetic side.”
Sunset hummed. “Sundown Shimmer, not as nefarious sounding as Midnight Sparkle but I kinda like the sound of it.”
The bell run overhead.
Pinkie, AJ, and RD glanced at each other, eyes widening before purposefully shoving spoonfuls of lunch into their mouths.
Rarity recoiled in disgust.
Amused, Sunset allowed herself a brief smile. “I guess we can put a pin in it for now. We’ll brainstorm a bit more after school before Twilight gets picked up.” Sunset concluded, getting up from her seat.
“Oh. Ohhhh. Why don’t we meet up at Sugarcube Corner after school?” Pinkie asked, somehow already finished with her food.
Rainbow and Applejack looked down at their half full plates and grumbled with a nod.
Twilight bit her lip. “I have to pass. I’m going to be grounded for a while.”
“Don’t worry, Twi. We’ll figure it out.”
Twilight looked at Sunset’s warm smile and blushed. “Th-thanks…” She squeaked backing away. “A-anyways…I’ll see you guys in class…Bye.”
“Well, that was uncharacteristically brusque of her.” Rarity said.
Rarity tried to meet Sunset’s eyes, noticing how pained she looked as she watched Twilight disappear in the crowd of students. “Probably just stressed.”
Fluttershy tapped at Sunset’s shoulder. “Um…I was wondering,” She began timidly. “You said that it’s been two nights. You only mentioned one…Did something else happen yesterday? If you don’t mind me asking that is…” She trailed off.
Sunset’s face turned a bright crimson and frustration mixed with the pain. Still, she tried to force a smile at her yellow friend. “Sorry, Fluttershy. I’d rather not say.” She responded. “I gotta head to class. I’ll catch you guys at Sugarcube later.”
And with that, she left, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy to exchange worried glances over the scarfing noises that Rainbow and Applejack were making.
Sunset looked outside her window anxiously.
It was a glorious explosion of color, saturating the city in a golden glow. Small tufts of cloud rebounded the hues, distributing it in an even more colorful array than the overhead horizon. She loved this time of day. Not just because it was her namesake, but also because it always felt like a calming time, like the world somehow grew quieter and slower, counting down the last rays of sunlight.
Today, Sunset was anything but calm. She actually found it quiet difficult to enjoy her favorite time of day. Her nerves seemed to be getting more and more frantic the darker the horizon grew.
“It’s okay…You’ll be okay…” She muttered under her breath, taking long sighing breaths and attempting to calm herself.
A brief buzz distracted her and she reached behind her to grab at her phone.
She never made it.
One new notification from Twilight Sparkle. We’ll be okay.
“Cute sentiment.” Sunset’s voice resounded through her room and she sighed. She typed a text of her own.
Hey babe. ❤️ Time to have some fun. Come over.
It only took a few moments for a reply to buzz back.
One new notification from Twilight Sparkle. OMW 😘😘😘
The girl grinned.
10.
With a stretch and a bored yawn she turned to address the teens scattered around the corners. “Come out. There’s no use hiding. I can hear and see everything Sunset Shimmer does.”
One by one, five teens emerged until the Rainbooms, minus one, was surrounding her. She smiled at them in greeting, and they recoiled at luminescent quality of the teal iris against the darkened sclera.
“Sundown Shimmer.” Rainbow spat.
Sundown hummed. “I kinda hate that name.
“Yeah, Ah’d rather call it like ah see it too, demon.” AJ was leveling a cold glare her direction, arms crossed.
9.
Sundown Shimmer placed a hand on her heart, an over exaggerated hurt playing at her face. “Well that’s no way to talk to a friend is it, Applejack.”
“There’s no way we’d ever be friends with a meany-bo-beany like you!” Pinkie yelled.
Rarity stepped forward. “Unhand our friend, ruffian!"
“All in due time.” Sundown Shimmer smirked. The others noticed the extra points in her teeth. “There’s still so much to do and that time is already way too close for my liking. So why don’t you take your motley crew of dimwits somewhere else.”
Rainbow screeched before she lunged, fully intending to throw fists.
Fluttershy wrapped her arms around the athlete's frame. “Don’t! You might hurt Sunset.” She pleaded.
8.
“Better listen to her Rainbow Dash. Wouldn’t wanna hurt helpless old me would you?”
It was enough for Rainbow to still her body but not enough to quell the spring that ached to propel her forward.
Applejack positioned herself between Rainbow and Sunset’s body. “Oh, we wanna hurt ya alright. It’s Sunset we’re worried about.”
Sundown Shimmer shrugged, pulling up a seat. “I am Sunset. You can’t separate me from her.”
“An uncouth vagrant like you is nothing like dear Sunset."
7.
Sundown Shimmer placed a finger on her chin. “I guess there’s some truth to that. Sunset Shimmer is way too much of a coward to ever be me. That’s what I am you know. Every desire that she balls up but can’t throw away.”
From behind Applejack’s tall form, Rainbow huffed, mildly soothed by Fluttershy’s presence. “Yeah, well clutter up someone else’s life. She doesn’t need you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. She does need this. More than she’ll ever admit.” For a moment Sundown became genuinely thoughtful. “But I hope she admits it soon.”
“Admit what?” Fluttershy asked curiously. She couldn’t place it, but that look, it was familiar. Painful frustration.
6.
Sundown looked at her. “A lot of things.”
“Stop trying to play with our heads!” Rainbow screamed.
With an irritated snap, Sundown glared. “Keep it down. I have neighbors.”
Rainbow continued. “As if you care. What do you want anyway?”
Sundown Shimmer scoffed. “Power for one. That hasn’t changed.”
“Still pursuing a fate that doesn’t belong to you, I presume.”
“Never a drop in decorum, huh, Rarity? I always admired that about you…”
Rarity blinked. “Well…thank you?” She replied, uncertainly.
5.
“As for Princesshood…I don’t care for that power anymore. Too much work, if Princess Twilight’s any indication. I want power over something else.”
“Canterlot! Earth!” Gasp. “Equestria and Earth! You fiend!” Pinkie accused.
Sundown’s face scrunched. “That…would be even more work…” She concluded. “I definitely don’t want that.”
“So what is it!” Rainbow exclaimed.
Sundown Shimmer looked at her, unnerving her with the silent stare. Slowly, she looked at all of them, sizing them, communicating something through the eyes, hoping that one of them would get it.
4.
“Sunset…” Fluttershy mumbled, concerned. Always concerned. “What is it?” Sunset Shimmer, Sundown Shimmer, Demon Shimmer, she wasn’t sure which, but she couldn’t care. There was a pleading in those familiar eyes. Something that was begging to be released.
The dual colored locks shook themselves and she smiled, melancholic and bitter. “For so long, I was alone, you know. The littlest filly in a world that was way too big and I wished I was big too, big enough to know I belonged in the world I was in. Part of me feels like she’s succeeded. I had to fall so hard to get there, and I had to sacrifice so much, but I’m here. Tell me, why is it so hard to let go? Why do I still have to keep holding back?”
3.
There was a tangible shift in the air inside the room and the teens were at a loss for what to say, and even how to act. “I still don’t understand.” Rainbow said.
“Ya better start makin’ some sense."
Sundown smiled. “Oh, Applejack, if only I knew my destiny and embraced it as readily as you seem to. Raised by a farmer, as a farmer, to be a farmer. Straight and narrow. If only everything in my life was just as sure as that.”
2.
Applejack eyed her suspiciously. “What’r ya plannin’?”
“Whatever I want and nothing that concerns any of you.” Sundown replied with a smirk.
Rarity harrumphed, tossing her nose in the air. “I hate to be the one to shatter that illusion of grandeur, but you're sadly mistaken if you think we’re letting you waltz out of here with Sunset Shimmer.”
“Like you can do anything to stop me.”
1.
“Wanna bet?” Rainbow growled.
The amber teen grinned, almost happily. She stood from her seat, ambling closer to stare into Rainbow’s eyes. “I do.” With a wicked smirk, she turned her back on them. “Try to stop me.”
She broke into a run, cocking her fist back as far as she could before tossing it forward into the pane of glass that separate her room from the twilight outside.
0.
“SUNSET!” They shouted.
As a group, they rushed forward, mindful of the fallen shards but frantic as they fearfully peaked over the edge.
Below, surrounded by a purple aura, Sundown Shimmer was slowly levitated down.
If they hadn’t known any better, they would have sworn, Twilight Sparkle was smirking at them.
The two ran into a dark blue minivan with a missing bumper and a sizable dent on it’s passenger side fender, a mess of girlish giggles.
Before closing the door, Sundown Shimmer winked and threw them a two fingered salute.
It was a full minute of watching the minivan zipper through the streets before they sprung into action.
“We gotta find them.”
“OOOWWWW ow ow ow ow."
“Shut up.” Midnight snapped. “Blame your recklessness. What would you have done if I hadn’t been there.”
Sundown hissed as Midnight dabbed at her injured knuckles. She tried jerking her hand back but it was held in place with a powerful grip. “I timed it. I knew you’d be there.”
“Ugh. Idiot.”
Sundown Shimmer smirked. “It warms me to know you care.”
Midnight turned to glare at the scratched visage, the arrogant smirk and shining teal eyes.
She grabbed at the nape of Sundown Shimmer’s neck, pulling her forward and ramming their lips together, enough to bruise. They melted into it, biting and lapping with savage force.
“I’ve been wanting to do that the entire day.” Midnight panted.
She pulled back and slapped across Sundown’s cheek.
“OOOOWWWW.”
“THROUGH A FUCKING SECOND STORY WINDOW?”
The amber teen pouted. “I just always wanted to try it.”
Midnight raised her hand.
“OKAY! OKAY! I’m sorry. It’s out of my system. I won’t do it again.”
Midnight sighed. “You’re a menace.”
Sundown smiled warmly, reaching a hand to softly caress Midnight’s cheek. “I am.”
Midnight leaned into it, relishing the warmth of the calloused fingers. “I wish we had more time.”
With a sigh, they pulled into a tight embrace. “We will. Our idiots will figure it out sooner rather than later, if I have any say in it.”
“It’s taking too long. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I want to be with you.”
“I know.” She gently ran her fingers through the soft silky texture of Mignight’s tresses. "Until then, we’ll keep doing what they aren’t brave enough to do, what they won’t let themselves do.”
Sundown felt Midnight nod against her shoulder.
“Let’s get tattoos.” She murmured.
“That sounds like a great idea.”
For the second night in a row, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer found themselves in a passionate kiss with no recollection of how they got there.
They blushed as they pulled away, reluctant to admit that they had enjoyed it a lot more this second time around.
Slowly, as she got her bearings, her attention shifted to the sharp stinging to her right.
“Why does my hand hurt so much?” She questioned.