//------------------------------// // Fear, Regret and a Servant // Story: A Road To Friendship // by SunTwi06 //------------------------------// The following morning, Sunset Shimmer realized she didn’t make any plans today. She decided then to head downstairs and take a quick nap on the couch. Suddenly, her brothers came bursting into the living room, almost in a panic. She couldn’t make out a single word they said, either because they were speaking all at once or it sounded like noise when they talk. Sunset decided to just ignore them and go back for some much-needed R&R. Only then did she remember it would be raining today. “Take an umbrella with you just in case it starts to rain,” Sunset said. “You sure you don’t want to tag along?” Snail asked. “Nah, I’m good,” Sunset answered, mid yawn. “Too tired to go anywhere today. That exam was hell; you go on and have some fun.” Content with the answer, Snips pulled Snails away and finally Sunset had the whole place to herself. It had been years since she had a moment to just relax, yet the memory of yesterday hung on her mind. But Sunset was in no mood to dwell on the past, this was her day to just focus on herself. As she snoozed, she was stirred awake by a knock at the door. “Snails forgot to take their umbrella, again,” Sunset thought. She turned a corner by the arm rest, grabbed the umbrella, and opened the door. “You better have a good reason for--!” Suddenly, Sunset Shimmer stopped mid-sentence. It was neither Snips nor Snails; instead, Sunset received an unexpected visitor. A grave mistake she failed to anticipate this morning… Twilight Sparkle. She was knocked for a loop as their eyes met one another once again. She had no idea what to say and she slowly backed away. But that didn’t stop Twilight from following her, a worried look on her face. “I-I-I brought a CD for you,” Twilight explained. “I was walking around t-t-the block and I i-immediately thought of you…” In Sunset’s opinion, it was obvious Twilight was trying to be nice. Although, Sunset was happy to get a free CD, but still she felt scared of what she would think afterwards. After Sunset took the CD, Twilight made a beeline towards the exit without saying a word. Sunset was unsure what to think. It was scary enough to think Twilight believes Sunset is a fraud, she didn’t requite her feelings without even thinking. For all Sunset knew, she was screwed. She sunk in a fetal position, dwelling on it. She hardly left her room the rest of the day, just held onto the CD Twilight gave her. She couldn’t bear to think what tomorrow would hold for her. <> Another day, another routine over, only Sunset didn’t bother to rush this time. She didn’t leave the house for at least fifteen minutes, but even when she did go out it was still early in the day. Slowly, Sunset walked to school fearing Twilight would be there to mock her. All day, she treaded lightly and hardly spoke during class. She kept herself seated; her eyes glued to her sheets without turning her head. When the bell rang, Sunset immediately left the classroom keeping her distance whenever Twilight was around. While walking, Twilight was caught in the corner of Sunset’s eye, reading her book without a care in the world. They’d exchange a glance, but otherwise never said a word. All it took was one look, just one, and they knew what they were feeling. Then somebody approached Sunset, initiating a talk. Twilight must’ve had Sunset figured out, probably surmised that she was nothing more than a selfish, narcissistic monster who cares for no one but herself. Sunset knew she was a fraud, her image fully tainted, and Sunset wouldn’t blame Twilight if she decided to expose her in front of the entire school. The question now is not ‘will’ she share her secret, but ‘how’. Will it be with contempt or out of pity and condescension? A goody two-shoes like Twilight would think of something. Sunset didn’t wish to be mocked, she didn’t need pity or sympathy. Tears trickled down her cheeks, fearing what would happen next. Rubbing her eyes, Sunset turned and walked away. The rest of the day, Sunset awaited the inevitable. On one hand, she is still the same girl: Loved, adored, and seen as the good girl she had to be. But come tomorrow, the truth will spring, and they will know her for who she really is. Would they think even that is a lie or the truth? Either way, they’d all look at her with disgust and hate. The mere thought made her heart sink deep in the abyss. Just then, she noticed Twilight and a few others passed her by, but that was it. The rest of the day was still the same, yet Sunset felt completely discouraged and unconfident. Yet a whole week passed, between sleeping and studying, she realized… Twilight didn’t try to say a word. Not even a snicker or a whisper from the other classmates. Sunset hardly even received as much a nasty look across her path. “Could she have… Buried the hatchet?” Sunset thought. “It had to be the case. Twilight would never dwell on petty issues or mockery.” Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, as if the weight of the world finally left her shoulders. As soon as the final bell rang, Sunset suddenly remembered she needed to borrow a book for a class assignment. She crossed the hallway without a linger shred of concern. “You seem more relaxed than usual.” Sunset turned and realized Twilight was walking right next to her. Sunset’s heart split in half seeing her so close, like meeting an old ghost. “What am I, a demon?” She asked, concerned. Twilight simply walked closer, a smile on her face. “Sorry if I surprised you,” Twilight whispered. “I get the feeling I saw something you wish to keep to yourself. I’m also surprised by your earlier actions too. Never thought flawless Sunset kept a secret side. Everyone will riot when they hear about this. Makes me wonder if they’ll laugh or…” Twilight never finished when Sunset motioned her to stop. “What is it?” Twilight asked calmly. Sunset felt her body shake, hearing what she said. So casual, so calm. She wanted to make a change, but on her terms not by someone’s command. Still, it was hard to find the right words to say it. “Don’t… Don’t tell anyone…” Sunset mustered. Twilight merely looked at Sunset for a moment then smiled. “Please don’t tell anyone.” Sunset felt the urge to explode, right in Twilight’s face, give her a piece of her mind. But she forced herself to suppress whatever anger she had left and took a deep breath. “P-Please don’t tell anyone…” “Alright, no problem,” Twilight said, with a slight laugh. Sunset almost thanked her when Twilight dropped some papers into her hands. “When you have the time, can you do these for me, please?” She asked. “Preferably by the end of the day. I have some things to take care of. See you later.” And just like that, Twilight walked away leaving Sunset stunned. Every passing step she made, Sunset could hear her own heartbeat, realizing what just happened. Out of curiosity, she looked at the papers Twilight handed, and they weren’t anything she was familiar with. Sunset was bamboozled, something she wasn’t familiar with. Placing the papers into her bag, Sunset walked home. She felt incredibly stupid believing Twilight as some angel. She stormed into her room and began work on her assignments. It took several hours, but Sunset finally finished and placed the papers in her bag before passing out on the bed. <> Waking up, Sunset went through the same boring routine before going directly to school. Twilight wasn’t around like usual, which Sunset took as a good thing. She took a seat and studied as the rest of the class arrived. An hour passed, the bell went off and everyone else showed up. They all sat in silence as the teacher began his lecture, but Sunset was too beat to concentrate. Sunset was still steamed at Twilight, blackmailing her the way she did. Not like Sunset was any better, she did the same thing to everyone for years. Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Sunset, you okay?” The teacher asked. “… Huh? Yea, I’m fine,” Sunset replied. “Just zoned out.” “Are you sure?” The teacher asked. Sunset nodded, which was more than enough for the teacher to resume his lecture. A silent sigh escaped her lips, as she realized while she may be adored and loved for now, they have no idea she’s become Twilight’s lapdog. Opening one eye, Sunset spotted Twilight, who smiled at her. That little gesture was more than enough to make the former’s blood boil. Harkening back to the first time they met in class. <> “It’s perfect!” Twilight said, in a nice tone. “Nice job, Sunset. I mean usually it takes a day what with my regular activities, but you… You make this look elementary.” “You know damned well that’s a lie!” Sunset snapped back, furious. “Where do you get off, making me look stupid?! Why am I doing your work now?!” Despite the harsh remarks, Twilight didn’t flinch nor was even fazed at all. “Because… I need your accountability for something,” Twilight responded, calmly. “As long as this is the case, I ought to finish things off rather quickly.” Sunset’s cheeks turned red, angry from the moment Twilight said that. “I-I-I’m aware of that! No need to be so blunt about it! This is blackmail at its finest. Aren’t you at least guilty about it??” Twilight nodded in response, leaving Sunset at a loss for words. She staggered about trying to find a response for that. “I’m sorry for taking advantage of you,” Twilight apologized, sincerely. “But what else could I do? I’m so busy everyday and we’re on the same plane in terms of genius. How about you use it to finish the job sooner?” Sunset could feel every blood vessel in her brain explode, hearing one counterargument after another. “You’ve proven to be my greatest asset,” Twilight continued, seriously. “But it doesn’t feel right, forcing you into this. If you have no desire to do this, just say the word… We’ll never speak of this again. If you can… That is.” <> Sunset was nine miles past angry, never in her entire life had she felt so ‘used’. It was like a nightmare she couldn’t escape, even if she tried. She wanted nothing more than to be rid of Twilight Sparkle, but there was little she could about her situation. After the bell rang, Sunset grabbed her bag and stormed straight into her room. Just then, Snails peeked open the door and noticed from her body language she was in a foul mood, more than usual. “Twilight Sparkle again?” Snips asked. Sunset kept silent, not even rewarding it with a response. “You should be grateful, you know?” Snips continued. “She’s teaching you a lesson not only in humility, but how ugly the real world can be. There will always be someone like you who’s better, maybe even ahead of their own lives.” “She’s not doing this to teach me a lesson!” She yelled. “She’s doing this to get back at me!” “Do you know that? Or is that what you want to hear?” Sunset wanted to say one more thing, just one more, but she was too angry, and she’d regret it if she did. All she did was shove him right out of her room, slammed the door in his face, and bolted the door. Sunset collapsed on her bed, grabbed a pillow, and shoved it in her face to muffle out the cursing and screaming. As of now, there was no escape from this. All she could do was curse her fate… Even then, there was nothing she could do about that either. Every day now, the workload piled away on her. On occasion, Sunset would cry while doing most of the work… Perhaps if she acted innocent, she’ll have second thoughts about it. Sunset would give it a try tomorrow. It had to work… It has to…