//------------------------------// // The Beginning // Story: The End Rewritten // by Frozen Feathers //------------------------------// A cough rang out through the otherwise quiet apartment. If anyone were there to hear it, they would've noticed that it didn't sound like a regular, say 'excuse me' after cough. It was deeper, wetter. These differences were because this cough was borne of weak lungs being overused, trying to gulp down air between sobs rather than an irritant in the airpipe. These sounds were originating from a closed bedroom door, a sliver of golden light spilling out from underneath it into the otherwise dark living room. If anyone were there to knock, it would open to reveal a small, modest bedroom. A bed clad in gold and orange sheets took up one corner while another held a small wardrobe, a dusty leather jacket hanging off of one of the doors. The final corner had a simple wooden desk and a small swivel desk chair. If anyone were there to look, they would find the origin of both the cough and now unmuffled sobs sitting in the chair. Sunset Shimmer. Unicorn. Magical powerhouse. Princess Celestia's personal student. Runaway. New kid. Bully. Monster. Demon. Friend. Honor Roll student. Best friend. All of these terms had been used to describe her at some point or another in her life. Some had been titles she took such honor and pride in. Very few still applied to her. She pondered how far she had come in her life as her tears slowed slightly and her lungs took the chance to attempt to replenish her body with much needed oxygen. As she thought back over the last few years, she decided that the real turning point had been when she ran from her position as Celestia's student. "Stupid" she muttered to herself. How stupid she had been back then, running from the perfect life. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she repeated, hands curled tightly in her golden hair and pulling it taut. If she had just stayed and dealt with her pride rather than running from it she would still be a student of magic. She'd still be in her natural body. She'd be a powerful mage in Celestia's court. Celestia...Celestia would still love her. Sure, she never would've met her five... friends, but then she also wouldn't be dealing with the pain she was in now. She cursed herself as her brain returned to her situation. her terrible situation. Her painful, bleak, friendless situation. Anon-a-Miss had taken the school by swarm. No one was spared. Except for, surprisingly, her. Apparently that was all the evidence he friends needed to throw her out. So quickly she had gone from a fun night in with her best friends to walking the cold streets alone, their words ringing in her head. She wasn't their friend anymore, she had betrayed them. She was a secret stealer. She wasn't welcome in their group anymore. The memories alone made Sunset's anxiety spike. Taking a slow breath, she ran through an exercise Celestia had taught her all those years ago. She was alone. She was tired. The scars along her shoulder blades ached. She was alone. Her eyes stung. Her hair was likely knotted. She needed to do laundry soon. She was alone. The bread she bought a while ago was molding and needed to be thrown out. Her friends hated her. She was alone. Tears flowed anew down her face as she decided to cut her checklist short. She angrily rubbed at them and sighed, leaning her head back against her chair and stared at the ceiling. She was tired. She was so, so, so tired. Her muscles ached from sitting in the small chair for too long and protested as she shifted, sitting up and rotating the chair to face her room. She eyed her bed, and then the door to her bathroom. A nap. A nap would do her wonders right now. Standing and stretching, she crossed her small bedroom in a few short steps and gripped the door handle, turning it and flicking the light switch on, illuminating the cramped room. Not bothering to look in the mirror, she opened her medicine cabinet and reached inside. Her fingers grazed a white bottle proudly proclaiming itself as 'MELATONIN'. The simple, over the counter medicine helped her sleep on regular nights. Before she could commit to grabbing it, however, another bottle caught her eyes. Smaller and bright orange with a white cap and label, it looked harmless. To most people, it would be harmless. A much stronger sleeping medication her doctor had prescribed for her severe insomnia. She only took them when she was really struggling to sleep, as they were quite strong. Sunset paused, holing still for a moment and thinking. Her hand moved away from the white bottle and towards the orange, gripping it between her fingers and bringing it closer to her eyes. She didn't bother reading the label nor the warnings, as she had read both many times before. She instead looked through the plastic at the pills inside and was pleased at what she found. The bottle was still nearly full. She had refilled it almost a month ago and only had to use them once or twice since then. She gazed at the pill bottle cradled in her palm as an urge came over her. Take them. Take them all. Her hand shook slightly and her eyes shone with re appearing tears. It would be so easy. Just like going to sleep. Just close your eyes and you don't have to worry about anything again. Sunset tried to ignore the thoughts, to resist them. She slowly placed one hand over the lid of the pill bottle and twisted. It popped open easily and she shakily dropped the lid, not caring as it clattered to the ground and rolled, rolling to rest against her shower door. Just like going to sleep. It's so easy. Everything will feel better then. It'll just take a second. She lifted the bottle, tilting a few pills into the palm of her left hand. It was hard to tell with how blurry her vision had gotten from her tears, but she could tell there was a small pile resting in her hand. Slowly, so slowly, she lifted her hand and before she could psych herself out, popped them all into her mouth. Filling the glass beside her sink with cool water, she washed them down into her stomach. She had done it. There was no going back now. She waited a couple of minutes before taking more, ensuring she wouldn't immediately throw them all up. Her second mouthful was larger, and her hand didn't shake. She wasn't scared anymore. She just wanted it to be over. Swallowing them down with more water, she coughed and felt her stomach rebel dangerously, bile rising to the back of her throat. A few deep breaths through her nose and another sip of water helped. She suddenly felt heavy. Very heavy. And very tired. More so than she had ever been in her life. Arms hanging at her sides like lead poles, Sunset stared through the open door into her bedroom. She could make out the indent in the blanket where her cellphone sat. If she went now, she could call the police. The station wasn't far away. They would make it in time and take her to the hospital and she would be fine. The thought was temping, but the more she thought on it made it more and more unappealing. After all, she was so tired. Her limbs were dragging her down and she sat hard on the tile floor of her bathroom. She was so tired that her vision was blurring, begging for her to close her eyes. Maybe she should have written a note or something. But it was fine. She was so, so very tired, and he floor wasn't as hard and cold as it had been moments ago. It now felt so right to lay on, so welcoming of her heavy body. She lay her head down on the marble, not noticing the cold seeping its way into her skin. All she cared about were the drugs seeping their way into her blood and brain. Sunset shimmer could only think one final thought as her eyes shut and darkness wrapped itself around her brain. She ended her life the way great authors ended all those stories she had always loved. "The End."