//------------------------------//
// Join the Club 
// Story: Dream Requiem 
// by FieryRecovery2 
//------------------------------//

Sunset gulped as she slowly made her way to the steps of Canterlot High School. Every step that she took was like taking an extremely small step up a steep mountain. Swallowing the nausea building in her throat, she took a deep breath, focused a ton of her energy on walking in a straight line, and began to make her way to her locker as quietly as she could. However, it would seem that luck wasn't on her side because she could feel the piercing stares of the surrounding students and faculty as she walked down to her locker. She swallowed a lump forming in her throat as she felt unnecessary tears burning at her eyes. Clenching her fists, she stopped at her locker.

"Demon."  

"Why isn't she expelled?" 

"We should tell Principal Celestia about her." 

She gritted her teeth as she tried to block out the nasty whispers from her ears. It was no use to change minds of those who were not willing to listen to reason. She knew that nobody save for Flash and maybe a couple of others would believe her. A soft hit to her legs made her wince, but she used a fraction of her willpower to ignore it. Soon, there was a massing of paper balls at her feet. But she would not budge. She scoffed at how childish her peers were being. Did they honestly think that an attempt so flimsy would intimidate her? She was the former Queen Bee of Canterlot High. She would not back down. 

"Hey, She-Demon," Another voice called out. "Get out of our school!" 

Suddenly, Sunset was met with the cold sharp metal of the lockers. Her stomach churned and screamed with nausea as her throat expelled vomit on the floor. Coughing and gagging at the bile burning in her throat, she opted to rest near a garbage can sitting besides the locker. She hid a little smirk at the sight of those who laughed recoiling in surprised disgust. She was just about to stand up when a pink blur made itself known in front of her. Too tired to groan at the possible person, she let herself be hauled to the nurses' office. 





Pinkie Pie was not a happy camper.  

Sure, she could fake her smile for all those that she could see, but she knew that fake smiles was nothing compared to true, real, genuine smiles. However, all of her reasons of smiling were taken away when Anon-a-Miss appeared on the scene and wrecked havoc on Canterlot High again. And the culprit was none other than Sunset Shimmer. She regressed to her old self for whatever reason and was crying crocodile tears in order to dupe everyone again. But nobody rushed to her rescue. CHS was tired of her and she deserved to be alone for all of her schemes. That was what Pinkie liked to believe. 

But her Pinkie Sense told her otherwise. 

It was screaming at her that abandoning Sunset was wrong and that she should be ashamed of herself for hurting Sunset. A feeling of uneasiness settled and her footsteps slowed almost to a stop. With a flimsy excuse and a forced smile, she turned back from her friends to where her Pinkie Sense was screaming that something was wrong. She frowned as she knew that a chance of her Pinkie sense being wrong was zero before she stopped suddenly, blinking slowly at the scene before her. 

Sunset was hunched over herself besides a garbage can while a large puddle of puke stewed a little ways from her. Student and faculty alike were crowing in disgust at the sight and began to shuffle away from the girl. Pinkie wrinkled her nose in an angry sniff of disgust before sighing. Approaching Sunset, she stopped as she took in the other girl's appearance. She was a pale shade of yellow and held her shoulder in pain. Slight bags were under her eyes and little vomit bits were at the corners of her mouth. Without hesitation, Pinkie picked up Sunset gently by her uninjured arm and headed straight for the nurse. A tired groan was emitting from Sunset and she could hear the audible pain and exhaustion behind it. She pitied the girl if for a second before hardening her heart. 

"Why are you doing that," Her Pinkie Sense asked. "Are you doing this because of your friends? Or are you doing this because you can't stand someone wounding your ego this badly?"

"Pinkie," Nurse Redheart stepped out of the office and her eyes widened at Sunset. "Sunset! Oh my goodness!" She stepped aside and ushered the girls in. "What happened? You look so pale! You look like you'll collapse at any second!  Why don't we rest on the bed, hm, Sunset? I'll tell your teachers that you're resting for at least half of the day if not more. In the meantime you should rest easily after you drink some water." She poured a nice glass of water and handed it over to Sunset, who took it gratefully. "Thank you, Pinkie. Is there anything else you want to add?" 

"Yes," Pinkie nodded. "There's a mess at the entrance of the school. That's all for now." 

Without nary a word to either Nurse Redheart or Sunset, she headed to class. She wouldn't leave this alone, however, for an instinctual curiosity hounded her to check Sunset's phone during lunchtime. One way or another, she would get expose that girl for who she was. She would figure out a way to stop Anon-a-Miss and bring everyone's smiles back. When the lunch bell, loud like an alarm, rang in her ears, she immediately booked it to the nurse's office, not stopping for anyone or anything. 

"Pinkie," Nurse Redheart opened the door. "Why, what brings you here? Are you alright?" 

"Y-Yeah," Pinkie forced a grin. "I just wanted to check on Sunset. You know, to see if she's okay after what happened today." 

"Oh, how sweet," The nurse smiled. "Sure, come on in. I was just going over to see Principal Celestia about a couple of nasty incidents that have been happening ever since Anon-a-Miss came on to the scene. I won't be long. Just keep an eye on her." So saying, she left, leaving Pinkie alone in the nurse's office. 

Pinkie's expression turned into stone as she approached the girl sleeping soundly on the bed. Sitting next to her, she dug in Sunset's backpack and retrieved her phone. It was thin and long, encased in bright yellow and red. She flipped to the phone opening and was on the home screen. She frowned, pausing for a moment. It was surprisingly easy to access the phone. An irrational wave of anger fueled her to continue. She would get to the bottom of this no matter what. It was for her friends. It wasn't for another five minutes that Pinkie accessed Sunset's search history. 

"W...What?"





Sunset opened Soleil's eyes to Doctor Alba staring at her with a severe expression on her face. Despite the sweat forming in buckets on her neck, her expression was calm and posture was elegant. Her brain tried to fill in the blanks of her memories, but it seemed that, like always, she was at a loss. As much as it pained her to do so, she knew that she had to ask help of the doctor. She shook her head a little. No, it wouldn't do to suspect everyone who marginally looked like a bad guy to be bad. A small nervous smile cracked her lips. 

"Er, sorry, Doctor Alba," Sunset apologetically began. "Did I do something weird again?" 

"Oh no, no, no, Soleil," Doctor Alba smiled gently. "It's not you, I promise. It's just that..." She sighed as she rubbed the sides of her head. "Well, the thing is that every time we try to delve into something deep and personal, we immediately start back at square one. I know that it's your go-to for protection but it needs to be done sooner or later." 

Deep? Personal? Square one? Sunset frowned as she mulled over the details. None of this information was adding up. What was going on? What was the Windigo's plan for all of this? Who exactly was Soleil? What connection did she have with magic or the Windigos? Her stomach rolled with butterflies as she felt the sweat on her neck stick to her skin. All of this led to a lot more unanswered questions. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see Doctor Alba looking down on eerily. 

"Don't get lost in your thoughts," She sternly said. "It's detrimental to your progress. If you get lost in your thoughts, you will be weighed down by their baggage which will impede your progress. We want to progress at a steady rate, alright?" She had swiftly turned back and sat down at her desk, peering over her spectacles. "Now, I believe that time is up for our session. I'm going to ring up Nurse Halliwell to send you back to your room so that you can rest before you go for daily art sessions." 

"Daily art sessions," Sunset's face lit up. "I get to do art?" 

"Yes," Doctor Alba chuckled. "You love art so much, don't you? You have so much passion for the arts, so much talent in that mind of yours. There is so much untapped potential within your hands that can be put on either canvas, paper, or computer  program." She resignedly smiled at Sunset, who blinked in surprise. "It's just a shame that in your prime, you arrived here in such bad condition. I can't tell you the details right now, but we're glad that you've recovered physically at least." 

Sunset nodded. "I see." 

"Yes, Doctor Alba," Nurse Halliwell popped in. "You called?" 

"Yes," Doctor Alba nodded, crossing her hands together. "I need you to escort Soleil into her room. She needs some rest for a little while before she goes to her art sessions." She smiled once more. "She likes those the best, after all." 

"Of course. Soleil. Let's get back to your room." 

Sunset wasted no time in following Nurse Halliwell out of the office and back to her room. She was conflicted. There was no leads anywhere in both her life and Soleil's life. Scratch that, she knew that Soleil was involved in something that nearly cost her her life. Something wasn't right about this whole affair. Even Nurse Halliwell's cheery demeanor couldn't lift her mood a single iota, though she did smile to the nurse when prompted. Lying alone on the bed only made her thoughts worse. 

"If only there was a computer in here," Sunset mumbled to herself. "Perhaps if I can sneak a laptop or if there's a computer lab nearby, then maybe I can figure out what is going on." 

She stood up and began scouring high and low for any possible clues to what happened in Soleil's personal life. She bit her lip a little as a part of her was chiding her for doing such a thing, saying that it was an intrusion of someone else's life, even if she was occupying their body. But, all things considered, wasn't it technically her body? Her movements slowed down, an unstoppable barrage of thoughts entering her head. She sat up slowly as she looked out the window into the sunset. 

"What if Equestria doesn't exist?" 

Considering everything that happened to her recently, would it be a stretch to say that everything that happened so far was nothing but a bad dream? A product of imagination conjured up by a girl who was on the verge of death? It was possible. At every ticking of the minute hand, her eyes slowly traveled to the drawings that she had on the wall and desk. Her feet gently shuffled towards them and her fingers brushed up against one. They were so detailed, so intricate. And yet, they might be a vivid dream. 

A long, vivid dream. 

She closed her hand into a fist as she mulled over the possibility. If she renounced her life back in Equestria and started her life afresh here, maybe there was a chance that she could make a more positive impact on her life and the lives of others. A painful swell of her heart ballooned in her chest as she fought the bitter memories of what happened back in Canterlot. The fresh tears slid down her cheeks and soon, she began to sob into the pillow. It would be better in the end, wouldn't it? As far as she knew, nobody would really miss her, would they? The Rainbooms hated her, Canterlot High despised her, and two of the people in her life who ever gave her a chance would move on without her. 

"Would it be better if I gave up my life as Sunset Shimmer and became Soleil?" 

So many questions, so many tears, so many bitter regrets. She curled up in a fetal position, knees in her face. Her sobs were painful and broken. She tried so hard to be strong in the face of everything. From Princess Celestia disowning her to turning into a demon and now Anon-a-Miss. She tried so hard to be a good person and doing what's right, even if it was hard. It was unfair at times, but she thought she could handle it. However, maybe Sunset Shimmer needed to disappear and Soleil could take center stage. 





'Haha! You're so stupid! As if we would ever like you!'

'Aw! Are you gonna cry? Huh? Crybaby!'

'She was right about you! You're nothing but a loser!'

'I hate you! The world was better off without you!' 





Sunset awoke with a gasp. 

The sterilized ceiling couple with the scent of peroxide made her sigh stoically. Ah, this was either the hospital or the nurse's office. Judging by the small room with the faint outline of Nurse Redheart's hat bobbing about, it had to be the nurse's office that she was in. Sighing, she sat up slowly as she tried to reorient herself with her surroundings. She frowned as she stewed in anger. Why was she back here again, to a place where nobody liked her whatsoever? She turned to see Pinkie Pie sitting a little ways from her, fiddling with her phone. 

"Pinkie Pie," Sunset asked, voice laced with exhaustion. "What are you doing?" 

"Ah," Pinkie yelped, nearly dropping her phone. "Sunset." Her tone was laced in panic and anger. "I thought you were..." 

"Sleeping," Sunset replied blandly. "Well, I just woke up. A better question would be what you were doing with my phone. As I recall, that's not your property. So, what were you doing with my phone while I was sleeping?" 

"As if I need to tell you anything," Pinkie replied hotly. "But I wanted to find out if you were Anon-a-Miss or not. I mean, why shouldn't I, considering that you're capable of pulling a stunt like this? So, I decided to search your phone." She looked a bit guilty in saying so. "But I got something different on your search history. That doesn't mean that you aren't Anon-a-Miss." A soft huff of breath escaped her.

"So, let me get this straight," Sunset narrowed her eyes. "Because you're still on that kick of me being Anon-a-Miss, to which you have no tangible evidence of, you decided to go through my phone so that you could expose me. Was talking to me not an option anymore or do you want to exact more revenge on me? Because hating me wasn't enough for you, is that right?" 

Pinkie's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"As if you didn't know," Sunset continued in a calm voice. "I know that you and the other Rainbooms have it out for me ever since I joined your ranks. You girls never wanted to be my friend at all, you just saw me as a pet to parade about. All I am to you is a person who deserves to be hurt and humiliated no matter how much I change whatsoever. I'm nothing to you girls, nothing at all. And that would have been fine and dandy had you girls actually told me the truth. But no, you kept up a nice, lovely façade of friendship with me all for me to lower my guard." She stared at Pinkie, a cold smile on her lips. 

"All of you are just as two-faced as I was." 

While she was laughing bitterly, Pinkie sat there, wide-eyed and shaking. Just then, Flash and Twilight entered the scene. The duo looked confused and a bit scared, looking at each other. Flash stepped up just then. 

"What did we miss?"