//------------------------------// // Ups and Downs // Story: The Price of Wanting // by Moonriseoversunset //------------------------------// Once Sunset was alone, the waterworks began. She hated how much she was crying lately. She was used to only allowing her tears to break the surface when she was alone. But it hadn't even been a full day, and she's cried more than she had in years. It baffled as well as frustrated her. Before she could spend any more time on her darkening thoughts, the door slammed open. BAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!! The door swung open so fast it was almost ripped from the hinges. It smacked into the rubber wall protector and bouned backward slamming shut with another aloud bang. In between the two actions, a pink streak zoomed across the room where Sunset's bed waited for the violent assault. SLAM!! Sunset flinched away from the intruder as she furiously tried, and failed, to wipe the cascading tears while attempting even harder to stop the pouring tears. Two firm hands stopped her movements and pulled them away from her face. "Sunny! Are you okay? Don't worry, I'll make you feel better. I have get well cookies that are sure to help you get better faster than anyone here. I also have a party planned for you, but the party pooper of a nurse took my party cannon. Can you believe that? But don't worry cause that just gives me more time to plan for yours. It will be the bestest most spectacular 'Sunset got back from the hospital and is no longer a big scary meanie' party." Pinkie said all in one breath. "P-Pinkie what are you doing here?" Sunset stammered out. "Well, duh, you're awake. That and Rarity told me that you were crying. That means I have to turn that frown upside down," while explaining Pinkie grabbed Sunsets mouth and pulled up or down to the previously mentioned facial features. "Shinkie lesh go of ma moush." "Are you feeling better?" Pinkie asked innocently. She let go of Sunset's mouth, noting the frown still lingered. "No," Sunset whispered as she looked outside. "Oh," Pinkie slumped before she brightened up again. "Do you know what that means?" "..." Sunset refused to answer hoping that Pinkie would just leave, even if she really didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be close to people, but every time she tried, she was always hurt more than the time before. It was undeniable that her life was meant to be spent alone. Her injury confirmed that much, who'd want to befriend a useless nobody that was a reject of her own world? She knew that she was to blame for that rejection. That didn't stop the pain from clawing into her very soul and ripping it to shreds. Before she thought Celestia was the reason for the exile, but now she realized that everything was her fault. Her thoughts were interrupted as Pinkie shouted, "group hug from a distance!" "... You're the only one here." "Exactly!" "..." Sunset had no words for how confused Pinkie made her. Pinkie decided to capitalize on her distraction as she moved for a soft but firm hug. It exuded a warm that left Sunset speechless. She had isolated herself to such a point that any positive support and affection confused her. Excluding Celestia, she'd never once been shown affection the concept so foreign that she believed that any support or praise had a hidden agenda. Ponys would talk with her to get close to Princess Celestia, her parents gave her "presents" to get what they wanted from her, or Celestia's affection towards her to gain a pawn against Nightmare Moon. Instead of being taken advantage of Sunset shut off her heart and allowed her head to take over her decisions. After all, she had one of the best teachers in manipulation and deceit. Celestia had hundred of years to perfect the art. They say that imitation is the best form of flattery, Sunset thought Celestia would be proud of such flawless work. She couldn't have been more wrong. While thinking all this, Sunset didn't even realize that she had started to hug back and had a small smile gracing her face. While she may not have noticed Pinkie did and couldn't help but grin like her lovable self. When she pulled back, Pinkie pulled out her phone and snapped a photo and showed it to Sunset. "Look at that smile! You look much brighter when you smile, Sunny. You can't be all sad, sure things are changing, but if you can get through it, you'll be the strongest girl out of any of us. Especially if you can do all that while proudly showing that smile of yours." Sunset was shocked, to say the least, she never could see Pinkie as a speaker and here she was proving her wrong again. It seemed once the girls were all together, she'd been proven wrong over and over again. Perhaps this magic of friendship had some credibility. She looked at the photo that Pinkie had taken and was shocked at what she saw. Her face had small gauze pads along her cheeks and forehead. She had bags under her eyes despite sleeping for two days straight. A small smile had worked its way to her face. However, it wasn't her face that had shocked her to such a point. No. Her face she could deal with no it was the fact that her once flowing hair was now nothing short of a small birds nest. The short hair stuck up at all angles while the bigger clumps fell onto her shoulders. Sunset touched her hair as a fresh wave of guilt and remorse settled, its way onto her shoulders. It truly felt as though she was losing bits and pieces of her life with each passing moment. First her magic, the portal, her legs, her freedom, her privacy, and now her hair. Would she be able to keep anything from her past? Or did turning over a new leaf mean that everything that remained of her life needed to burn? "Sunny? Are you alright?" Pinkie asked, unsure of where her blank expression came from. "O-of course," Sunset said with a forced smile. "Well, you are smiling. So that means you must be happy. Oh, I know what we can do." She began to go through her apps as she looked for what she had thought of. Once, she found what she was looking for she pulled the chair over, and showed Sunset her phone. Sunset raised her eyebrow before silently accepting the phone. The video screen was black with a white play button. She looked at Pinkie questionably who only nodded enthusiastically, before she pressed play. The video began to play, and she watched a dog walking on the deck before it disappeared in the snow when it ran off the wooden structure. Video after video played as she watched as animals reacted to such outrageous things. It was halfway through the video when Sunset couldn't contain her laughter anymore and began to laugh in earnest alongside Pinkie. Sunset smiled as she thought. At least I know that if I'm doomed to be an anti-social vegetable, I'll at least have one friend. Though it being Pinkie its a given. Though not one I dislike all things considered. Luna had walked back to Sunset's room and began to open the door when she heard laughter from inside. She slowly peeked inside to see. Sunset's eyes leaked with tears as she laughed at whatever was on Pinkies phone. Luna smiled before she silently shut the door again while laughter sang from inside. Her smile slowly dropped as she moved towards the stairwell. She fished her phone out of her jacket, and shot a text to Celestia, saying that she'd be out for a few. After a moment of thought, she sent another asking if she could explain the adoption to Sunset as she'd already let the cat out of the bag. Not waiting for a reply, she pocketed her phone and walked out a side entrance to the hospital. Luna strolled down the sidewalk, she stopped to read the street signs. While growing up in Canterlot, she tended to be out at night. So the streets looked a little different to what she was used to. After a lengthy, but enjoyable, walk Luna arrived on Poni Street. Luna found the name ironic and couldn't help but chuckle at the silent connection Sunset was making with herself. She began to look over all the buildings on the street and noticed that, while not mansions, the houses her very expensive looking. Luna's brow furrowed as she thought of how Sunset could afford such places with no apparent job or money, seeing as she'd only seen the girl in two or three different outfits. She hopped that Sunset wasn't doing anything illegal, not that it mattered she'd soon find out for sure. As she looked for the house, she unconsciously tensed. Soon she saw the build. It was a tall bricked townhouse with large windows and a yellow roof. The house had a wooden door with a beveled window. It had a classical feel as if the house stayed locked in time while the rest of the world moved on without it. Its bricks had an aged look to it, and off to the right side, a small garden grew with Thunberg's Bushclover in full bloom. Luna walked up to the door and saw an aged metal doorbell. She pressed it twice and waited. When no reply came, she looked around and found the street deserted. She dropped down to her knees as she took out Jackknife pick and began to work on the lock. After a few moments, a satisfying click resounded from the door. Luna smiled as she turned the lock and strolled inside. She pocketed her pick in the entryway, she looked at the coat rack and walked into the main part of the house. Luna was stunned if she was being honest. Two large windows ran down the length of the wall with rolling blinds. The interior walls were the same as the bricks outside, giving the room a sturdy yet cozy feeling. Near the windows was the place deemed the living room with a TV set up that made Luna slightly jealous. A large flat screen sat on a curved TV stand, stereos surrounded a soft couch with a blanket draped across the back. Game systems and stereo controls were placed underneath the flat screen. A lone controller led to the couch. There was a table that sat off to the left side of the couch. Luna looked at the wall near her and saw a light switch. She walked over and flipped it. Nothing happened. She flipped it again with the same result. She sighed and looked down and saw an extension cord unplugged. Following the cord with her eyes led to the loft. Shrugging Luna plugged the cord in and gapped in awe. Globe string lights weaved around the loft post and bathed the space below in warm yellow light. The strand weaved around the upper banister. The space below the loft must have been deemed the office and kitchen area. Two computer monitors were placed on the desk along with textbooks. A mini-fridge and microwave made up the kitchen. It wasn't strange to see that Sunset had made an attempt on making this space comfy. Though what she didn't expect was the plants that littered the place. Every section of the house not taken up by paper and books seemed to be dedicated to plants. There were hanging pots, cacti, and regular potted plants placed on shelves tables. Hell, there was even a plant on one of the stereos. Focus, Luna. Don't get distracted. She walked up the stairs and ran her fingers along the three different guitars strings. The puttering of strings sounded when she entered the loft. She walked to the banister to admire the window's view. She turned around and saw a soft bed with messy bedding. Luna laughed on the inside at the scene, imagining Sunset rushing out of bed to get to school. Luna went to the dresser and took some change of clothes and two jackets. One a fiery red and the other a grey with a celeste colored hood. Luna walked down the stairs about to head out when she paused. There was another door, she walked over and tried the knob. Locked, undeterred Luna pulled out her lockpick and tried the door. Minutes passed as Luna tried to unlock the door, with no luck. Annoyed, Luna walked away from the door and walked underneath the loft. On her way out she spotted a phone. She walked over and grabbed it, she pressed the home button and watched the screen light up. She slid her finger across the screen and was amazed by the home screen. Rolling fields of green grass surrounded by trees while the sun cut through the clouds. A beam of light shined down on a unicorn and a winged unicorn. The unicorn bore a striking resemblance to that of Sunset and the winged one that of her sister. The winged one had the other wrapped in a wing as they gazed out into the meadow. Luna was amazed by the artistic flow of the work, and though she wanted to study the piece more, she looked in the contacts of the phone. Luna found snip, snails, and a Lt. Set (ICE) in Sunset's contacts. Frowning, Luna pocketed the phone and walked out of the house, turning everything off before locking the door and pulling it shut. It was an hour before Pinkie left, with much insistence from the nurse, to allow Sunset to rest. Sunset had barely noticed how exhausted she truly was until she leaned against the pillows. She was out before the nurse had a chance to ask if she wanted anything to eat. As she laid there, her body twitched along as her dream played out. Sunset found herself at the bottom of the crater. She was burning up, everything felt scolding to the touch. The ground smelled of burned grass and burning flesh. As she looked around, she noticed she wasn't alone. Six bodies were littered in front of her. Burns coated the bodies and blood flowed from their mouths, empty eyes stared daggers into her body. One of the six drew in a shuddering breath and started to cough on the blood that choked her. Sunset scrambled up to her feet but stumbled and fell forward. She dragged her body of the prone figure and cradled the broken body of the purple princess. It took a few seconds but eventually the princess's focused on Sunset and asked the one question Sunset feared she would. "W-Why?" Twilight stammered out. "I-I wanted power. I wanted to show Celestia that I could handle that power. I wanted to be better than you," Sunset answered with guilt-filled eyes. "I see," Twilights tone suddenly shifted to emotionless. "You stole, cheated, and murdered for jealousy." "I-," Sunset stammered as she backed away, suddenly gain the ability to walk again. "Its all your fault, the pain, the sorrow, the hatred that plagued the school? All of it?" As Sunset backed away only to slam into a body that felt as if it was made purely of flames. Spinning around, Sunset came face to face with her demonic self. She towered over Sunset, despite being only a few inches taller unlike the time right after her transformation, smirking as Sunset trembled like a leaf. "How? How are you here?" "I live inside you foolish little girl. The elements may have weakened my hold, but I'm still very much alive inside you. You may think of me as your pet parasite. HAHA!" Sunset's demonic self suddenly rushed forward and clasped Sunset's wrists. There was a loud clank sound of metal meeting metal as Sunset's demon slide behind her, dragging her claws across her face as she went. Sunset could feel the claws digging into her skin, though the worst part was the blood boiling when it met her claws. "Enjoy the love of your subjects." Then with a gust of wind, the demon vanished. Looking down, Sunset saw a chain connecting to her wrist. Following the chain, she saw it staked in the ground with a giant metal stake. That was when she heard the first moan. Quickly glancing to said moan, she watched in horror as Twilight's broken and bleeding body pull itself off the ground. Her back was the last part to straighten upright. Her arms hung loosely in front of her, though that wasn't the part that terrified her. Not it was Twilight's eyes, one look and you could see they were the eyes of a corpse, and yet there was a glowing teal that bathed her eyes. Sunset heard other moans beginning to sound all around her now. Glancing in frantic circles, she watched in pure terror as the students and teachers of Canterlot High came closer to her. They all had the same teal covering over their eyes. The six girls she personally murdered were amongst them, crawling on the ground desperately reaching out to her. Sunset's instincts took over, and she began to tug on the chain with a fear only those about to die could muster. The results though were fruitless and, yet she continued to pull on the chain in a vain attempt or hope that maybe she could escape. Her body froze when she felt the first hand grab her ankle. Looking down, she saw Rainbow Dash hugging her leg while looking up at her. Her right eye was sealed shut with burns and blood caked the side of her face and flowed down the left side. Soon the others and grabbed her arms and legs all covered in blood smearing the crimson liquid all over her. More and more hands grabbed onto her, while her eyes shrank to the size of pinpricks. Sunset felt a hand grasp her own and looked at the owner. Twilight's glazed eyes stared back, before uttering, "It's your fault. You murdered us, so let us be apart of you. Murder." "Monster." "Killer." "Demon." "Murder." "Cheater." "Bitch." "Bully." "Freak." Without realizing Sunset began to chant words as they all began to pile on top of the suffering girl. Sunset woke with a strangled gasp before she looked around for something she desperately needed. When she found what she was looking for she reached for it. She grasped the container and brought it towards her mouth as she emptied everything that her stomach contained and more. After a few minutes of dry heaving, Sunset placed the can on the floor. Sunset threw the blankets off her, still feeling the hands grabbing her, and rolled onto her side. She hugged herself with one arm while the other found its way to her mouth. She bit down hard on her knuckles, not even noticing when the blood started running down her knuckles. She was too locked within her own mind to notice much of anything. Except for the silent tears that flooded down her face despite her fighting every single one that fell. Small scratch marks all over her body went unnoticed.