Struggles

by Echo Breeze


A New Day

Sunset walked into the school building with Rainbow Dash. Upon opening the doors, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Sunset with barely suppressed hatred.

"Hey Dash, why don't you go on ahead. I'll meet you there." Sunset said, nervously, afraid of what the other students would do to Rainbow if they were seen together.

"Heh, sure Sunset. See ya in a few." Rainbow said as she started to head toward the music room.

Once Rainbow was gone and Sunset started walking to her locker, the whispers started, loud enough to be audible, but not loud enough to let Sunset hear what was being said. Sunset hung her head and walked onward to her locker, a few people purposely running into her and shoving her. When Sunset got to her locker, she saw that the door was rather colorfully decorated with several choice words. Even a crude likeness of her she-demon form was drawn on it with the words 'she-demon' written underneath. She sighed and unlocked the door. Opening it, she found several letters that were filled with hateful words that she didn't have the strength to read, so she stashed them in her school bag to read later. One, however, caught her eye. It was written in a barely legible chicken scratch, but she could decipher it. The first few words were petty insults that were thrown at her, but close to the end, she saw words that she never thought would be aimed at her. 'Nobody wants you, bitch. Why don't you go kill yourself.'

Sunset heard a snicker coming from behind her. She turned and came face to face with Gilda and her lackeys, the Diamond Dogs.

"Like my little letter, she-demon?" she asked Sunset in a teasing voice.

"See now, naive little brat. I told you that no one wants you. Maybe you should have died in that crater." her demon said in her head with a cackle of hollow, maniacal laughter

"Shut up!" Sunset whispered, not knowing that Gilda had heard her, mistaking Sunset's whisper for an answer to her previous question. Gilda shoved Sunset into a closed locker.

"What was that, you little bitch. I could kill you, but where's the fun in that." Gilda laughed as she turned to leave, leaving Sunset sobbing her eyes out on the ground.

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Rainbow waited for Sunset outside their first class, AP English, which they happened to share. She had gotten worried when Sunset hadn't shown up at the music room. She tried texting and calling Sunset, but to no avail. All of her attempts went unreturned. Suddenly the late bell sounded, signifying that Sunset wouldn't be arriving any time soon. Rainbow went inside and took her seat.

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Sunset sat in the disabled stall of the upstairs ladies' bathroom. She chose this one as it was the least used, so she was least likely to be discovered here. Her hands went instinctively into her jacket pockets when Gilda had confronted her, and she felt the cold touch of the blade she had kept since coming to Earth. She now took it out, and hit the release button. The shiny steel of the blade flicked out, and she ran it over her fingers, still feeling the sharpness of the blade after three years of ownership.

She took off her jacket and hung it on the hook. She then levelled the blade to her left wrist.

'Does self-harm even work. I don't know what to do anymore. Fuck it. Anything has got to be better than the pain I am feeling now' Sunset thought darkly to herself as she pushed the blade a little harder. She proceeded to draw the blade across her left wrist twice, deep enough to cut the skin, but careful to not go deep enough to need stitches. She did the same on her right wrist.

'Fuck, that stung. But I oddly feel better now that I've done it. Strange.'

She took some toilet paper to staunch the bleeding, before putting on her jacket and heading to class. AP English, that she shared with Rainbow.

'Hope miss Cheerilee isn't gonna be too mad at me for being late. God knows I don't need anymore bad reflecting on my permanent record.' She arrived at the class and knocked. She heard Miss Cheerilee beckon her in. She walked in.

"Sorry I'm late, Miss Cheerilee. Won't happen again." Sunset said sheepishly.

"Ah, Miss Shimmer. Glad you could join us. I'll let it slide this time, bit don't let it happen again. Take a seat." Miss Cheerilee said as she returned to what she was busy with. Sunset nodded and headed to a seat at the back of the class. She didn't take her usual seat at the front to avoid all the glares and any possible projectiles thrown her way.

'Today is gonna be a long day' Sunset thought to herself.

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The day was progressing far too slowly for Sunset. She just wanted the day to end so she could hop on her bike and leave this place behind until the next day. As lunch rolled around, she saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash waiting for her outside her class.

'Great. What do they want now. I just want to be left alone.' She thought to herself.

"Are you sure that's what you want. You know that you're never alone, not while I'm here.' her subconscious said, taking on the role of the she-demon. "And I can't wait to torment you some more.'

'Shut the fuck up. Why are you doing this to me. Just leave me the fuck alone already.' Sunset shouted internally, on the verge of tears again. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and ran.

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Applejack just stood there, watching in bewilderment as Sunset ran away.

"Hey Dash, where the hay do ya think she's goin' in such a rush?" She said, turning towards her friend.

"I don't know AJ." Dash replied.

"Ah'm thinkin' that maybe we should find out." Applejack said as she ran after Sunset, not waiting for Dash to reply.