//------------------------------// // Chasing the Dragon (When Christmas Comes to Town) Ohana // Story: Exit Anon-a-miss. Enter the dragon // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// "Spike?" Sunset called out, as she ran through town, searching desperately for the dragon turned dog. "Spike? Where are you? Come on, we can talk about this!" She reasoned, but the only response she received were the confused and sympathetic looks from the surrounding pedestrians. "Spike?" Turning her attention towards the people around her, Sunset pleaded, "Has anyone seen a little dog? A little purple dog with green floppy ears? Someone, help me, please?" But it was no use. The only answer she received were people shaking their heads in denial of ever seeing a little dog who matched Sunset's description. Once again, Sunset lost all hope as she slumped down into the snow, huddling herself up close, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth and comfort, while hiding her tears from the world. "Why? Why is it always me? Why can't this ever end?" Sunset cried. "What more do I have to do pay for my misdeeds? When will I fully be redeemed? Why is it so hard for me to be good? Why did I have to drive my friends away like this?" "Maybe it's time we end this, don't you think?" Another voice echoed, to which Sunset looked up to see herself, from the past. “W-What?” Sunset asked in disbelief. “Who-who are you?” “I’m you, of course!” The other Sunset replied. “I’m the you you had rejected! Just like how your so-called friends rejected you! You said it yourself, remember?” “What? No, I didn’t mean it!” “Oh you don’t? Well, to me it seems that way. And you were right, we don’t have any friends. Friendship never worked out for us! Never did, and it never will!” “It worked! When I-“ Sunset Shimmer shook her head in disbelief as she stammered, “Why am I even talking to you? You don’t know a thing about friendship like I do now!” “Oh do you? Then I am to assume that this wretched annual holiday of your ‘friends’ betrayal you are doomed to endure forever and after is a part of this ‘magic’ of friendship?” The other Sunset Shimmer mocked. “Yeah, some joyous holiday this turned out to be! Are you so happy about it? Because I’m not!” “You’re right. I’m not. I hate it! I hate this holiday! It was supposed to be a family holiday! Applejack called me family, and yet when Anon-a-miss came, I was left alone in the snow! She hated me, and yet, when Apple Bloom confessed, what did she say?!” “Of course not Bloom, I never hate ya. You're family” The other Sunset Shimmer mocked with a toothy grin. “ Blech! What was that?! What kind of child rearing was that?!” Angry past Sunset then turned to the present, “Well you’re no better than her, either! When those insolent little brats confronted you and asked for your forgiveness, you were so quick to accept their apologies! How pathetic you were!” “You’re right. What was I thinking then?” “Face it, girlfriend. Friendship has made you weak.” With every words spoken from her angered past, Sunset finds herself seething with rage as she hissed, “Rainbow Dash - Lazy, arrogant! Fluttershy - Weak! Rarity, forever whining how bitterly unfair life is. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are swines!” Angry Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but chuckle in her own sense of twisted amusement, “Wow, I never knew you had it in you. Of course, I should’ve known better, considering you and I were one and the same.” Sunset snapped back to reality when she realized, “What was I thinking?!” She sobbed. “I can’t... I can’t just hate them like that! They were just kids...who misunderstood! This isn’t right...but it hurts so bad!” Sunset wept, “I can’t keep hating. It’s just not right. That’s not who I am anymore. I tried to love everyone. And yet, I’m constantly struggling.” A moment of silence passed, when suddenly the air around Sunset came alive. The winds howled fiercely as the snowflakes bit across Sunset Shimmer’s whole form. The clouds grew darker to match the shadows of the fiery girl’s emotions. Then, the sound of haunting ghostly wails filled the air, as they danced around Sunset. “You’re right,” Sunset’s darker half hissed. “I hate those fools.” She breathed heavily, as she continued to rant, “Hate, hate, hate, HATE!! I hate for what those girls did to me! I hate how they made me weak! I hate how they tried to kill me! I hate how they never loved me! I HATE HOW THEY COULD NEVER GIVE ME PEACE!!!” Before her vengeful self's ranting can go on any further, her ears perked up to a beautiful, melodious, soothing singing in the air. Lifting her head up from her slump, Sunset wiped the tears away from her red stained eyes as she turned her attention in the direction of the song. At first, Sunset wasn't in the mood to listen the song. However, there was something rather different about this song. It has feelings in it. It had hooked the girl's attention. As if she was under a spell, Sunset stood up, brushed the snow off herself before she was on her way. When Christmas Comes To Town - The Polar Express At last, Sunset arrived at the centre of the town, where a large Christmas Tree was on display. Standing before the tree was a chorus of children who were all singing the song. Sunset just stood there in silence, listening as every notes from the children's song was like a chorus of angels from the heavens. Every words from the children chorus brought warmth and comfort, as she felt a fuzzy, warm feeling melting the ice that froze itself around her heart. In that moment, Sunset couldn't help but remember a time when she was a little filly, growing up in Equestria, how eager and excited she was to opening up her presents. Presents that she received from her loving parents who all looked at her with love in their eyes, and happiness written on their smiling faces. Furthermore, after Anon-a-miss's reign of terror had ended, Sunset recalled how relieving it was for her to celebrate the holiday with her friends and their families, almost the same way she once celebrated with her families back in Equestria. Almost. At the end of the song, the people all applauded the children for their performance. Sunset's, who suddenly experienced a soothing, warming embrace at the heart, was able to smile again, as if the song had reignited something deep within her, melting the ice away. "That's so beautiful," She smiled tearfully. "Yes it is," A familiar voice agreed with equal love, to which the girl turned her attention to the dog she had been looking for. "SPIKE?!" Sunset exclaimed. "SUNSET?!" Spike returned the surprise. "What are you doing here?!" They both asked each other in unison. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Jinx!" The two looked at each other for a moment, before they started to exchange laughs. After their laughter died down, Sunset explained, "I was just listening to that beautiful song." "So am I!" Spike replied. The two were later walking together, down the lit streets of Canterlot, before they arrived at park, "I was about to go back home to Equestria," Spike explained. "But then I heard that song and it just....just...I guess I just wanted to stay until the end of the song. Never thought I'd see a tree just as amazing and spectacular than the ones we have back in Equestria." "Well we do have our own version of Twilight here, plus you," Sunset replied. "So it shouldn't come off as a surprise." "Right....I guess this city's just too small for two Spikes then," Spike frowned before he turned to take his leave. "Well, see you around....I guess." The girl turned her attention to the dog, "Back to Equestria?" She asked. "Where else? It's home." "Wait, Spike. You know you can stay here as long as you'd like," Sunset offered. "Are you sure I wouldn't be a burdened to you? I mean, you just said you won't have anything to do with friendship anymore." "I just said all that because I was angry. But I didn't mean any of them Spike. Honest." "Whatever. I'll just be out of your hair soon." "But didn't you say you were left out again, from Twilight?" "Eh, Twilight and the girls forget me all the time. I kinda got used to it." "But that's not fair, Spike! You don't deserved to be alone!" With that, Sunset Shimmer had an epiphany, as she recalled: "Oh come on. As Pinkie and Twilight would say, nobody should be alone on Hearth's Warming Eve...or in this case, Christmas." "And I thought I made the right choice when I decided to stay with you for awhile, because you needed some company. Maybe because when I looked at you, I thought I saw myself," Sunset gasped, before she quickly scooped Spike up in her arms. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Spike exclaimed, before he was met with a loving hug from the fiery girl. "Sunset?" "You were right, Spike," Sunset smiled. "You and I aren't that much different from each other. Like some of our friends, we're just as bad as we were in the past," The girl chuckled as she recalled, "I mean, I turned into a rampaging she-demon. But you...you turned into a 10 story out-of-control dragon, fueled by greed." Spike couldn't help but smile along, before Sunset looked into his memories to see, "And you....you tried to frame Owlowiscious under the false notion that he'd replace you as Twilight's assistant? Or how you exploited Twilight's princess name to fulfill your own personal desire during Canterlot's royal summit?" Spike blushed a shade of crimson pink as he replied, "I'm so ashamed." "Aw, I know you are, Spike. I know," Sunset said as she gently stroke him on the head. "But believe you and me, I've done worst." The young dragon turned dog looked up at Sunset before he barked, "But at least you've made it up for it, and got past all that. Right?" Sunset smiled as she sat down on a bench, "You're right, Spike," She confirmed, while delving deeper into his thoughts. "Just like how you've started working harder to make up for those mistakes to Twilight and the girls." "You got that right." "So you know what?" "What?" "Let's be alone together. If our worlds chose not forget our past, then let them remember us for our misdeeds, and let us make new memories together. Memories worth remembering for a lifetime." "You mean it?" Spike ask with hope in his eyes. "Of course. Like you said, Spike," Sunset smiled as she petted the little dog on the head. "Nobody should be alone, especially on Christmas. Or as the people would say in Hawaii, 'Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.'" Spike pondered on the last words, which he repeated, "Nobody gets left behind or forgotten." "Speaking of who...." Sunset sighed as she looks off to the city in the distance, "I'm gonna have to see my friends again, sooner or later. Let's get this over with," The girl soon got up and proceeded to walk back to the city, when she stopped and hesitated. "What's the matter now?" Spike asked. "....I'm scared," Sunset admitted. "I'm scared of how I can move on from here. I'm scared that this will happen all over again. I'm scared of history repeating itself." Spike nodded in understanding, "I know how that feels. Believe me," He recalled the numerous mistakes he continued to make, despite having known better. "But don't you worry. Things will work out. I'll even go with you. I'm still just as bad as you were, aren't I?" Sunset couldn't help but smile sweetly, "That's sweet of you of Spike," She said. "But you don't-" "Hey, I'm not asking to go with you. I am coming with you. We've both made some big mistakes, but we can learn from them in the end. Life can knock us down. But we can choose to get back up. Right?" Sunset smiled, wiping her tear away, "You're right," She sobbed happily, before she wrapped her arms around Spike, holding him close. "T-T-T-Thank you, Spike!" "What are assistants for?" Spike asked, before they parted and he started off before Sunset. "Come on, let's GO-WHOA!!" "SPIKE!!" Spike had slipped on a patch of black ice, causing him to fall down a snowy slope and onto a frozen lake. "Spike!" Sunset shouted, as she followed the dog. "Are you alright?" "Yeah, I think so," Spike replied, as he got up. However, the little dog spoke too soon, when cracks were starting to form beneath him, and the ice suddenly gave away, and Spike fell in. "AAAAAHHHH!!!!" The little dog screamed, feeling the sheer cold, wet sensation running his fur up as the waters draped themselves over him with every splash of his paws. "HELP!! HELP ME!!" "SPIKE!!!" Sunset shouted as she slowly, but carefully made her way towards him, across the ice that threatens to break beneath her. "Hold on, I'm coming!" "Hurry! I'm freezing!!" Spike panicked, with his life flashing before him. Especially the memory he once had of when he first fell into a freezing lake, during Twilight's first Winter Wrap Up. "Easy," Sunset said, as she laid down on her stomach and held her arms out to grab Spike, before she pulled him close for warmth. "Oh, Spike. Are you okay?" "Yeah," The little dog sneezed. "Besides being dripping wet and cold, I'm okay. Thanks to you, Sunset." "Twilight would kill me if I let anything bad happen to you," The fiery girl chuckled, as she turned to walk away. "Come on. Let's go." Unfortunately, the ice continues to be unfriendly, as they once more gave away beneath Sunset and Spike, and the lake reclaimed its lost prey, with an additional fiery girl with it. Sunset quickly kicked her legs out as she swam back up to the surface, while carrying Spike in her arms, with the coldness of the dark lake attempting to seize both herself and Spike back to its dark depths. Nevertheless, Sunset kept on swimming until she reached the surface, only to her horror, she finds it's been frozen over herself and Spike. Sunset grunted bubbles from her mouth as she frantically bangs on the ice surface, struggling to break free with herself and Spike. But no matter how hard she pounded, the ice refused to break apart. With every seconds that she pounded against the ice, Sunset felt herself and Spike lose their consciousness as they began to sink further into the darkness of the water. But just when all hope seems lost, a hand broke through the ice from above, before a figure dives into the water with a thunderous splash and picks up the two friends and took them back up to the surface. Sunset opened her eyes up, to see her vision was too blurry to make out the most accurate and clear image of her's and Spike's rescuers. Exhausted, cold, and wincing from the wind's bites as it blows across her dripping wet form, Sunset passed out, with Spike in her arms.