//------------------------------// // 3 - Sunset Shimmer - Night Terrors // Story: Sunset Shimmer - Six Friends One Heart - Side Stories // by Babroniedad //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer - Night Terrors Sunset woke, tears streaming down her face. Quite sobs wracked through her, her eyes screwed tightly shut. The dream she’d awoken from had her shivering in terror. She tried to open her eyes, but they were glued tightly shut. She tried shaking her head; she tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. Her breath was chopping and ragged, simpering in terror. She panicked. Something was wrong! Her head remained laying upright, unmoving. Her eyes flickered quickly back and forth behind her closed eyelids, looking for anything, something to tell her what was going on, why she couldn’t move! She could hear the quiet beeping of the medical equipment in her room. A voice from down the hall drew closer, talking in urgent but quiet tones with another. “Her heart rate spiked. I think the meds are wearing off - she’s probably having a panic attack. We need to sedate her quickly.” She heard the door open, then the voice was beside her. “Don’t worry dear, we got this. It’s going to be okay.” Another voice further back spoke. “20 cc’s added to the infuser. That should get her through the night.” “Hear that Sunset? Medicine is on it’s way… it’s alright. Rest now. Get some rest, feel better in the morning, okay dear?” She felt something rub her head, then move away. She wanted to cry out. Help me! Please! Why can’t I move? Why can't I open my eyes? Nothing. Just her ragged simpering cries. The voices grew distant. The dim grey of her world grew dark, and the dream returned. She was back at school. On the floor, in tears, her books were scattered, face bruised, and heart shattered. “You're not my friend!” called out an anguished tearful voice. Looking up, she saw her friends around her, angry scowls on their faces, hands clenched in fists on their hips, rage in their eyes. Past them were other students, pointing and laughing, mocking her. Beyond them were teachers, looking out their doors and shaking their heads in disappointment. “She had such potential… and threw it all away, to go back to that,“ one said as she looked away in disappointment and pulled back into her classroom. Sunset bent her face to the floor, crying piteously, hands clasped over her head as she rocked in anguished grief. … The dream faded … She was back in the gym. Lightning and Hoops had her pinned between them, Gilda standing before her. Gilda gave a smirking nod. Sunset was flipped and slammed into the gym floor, still pinned by her two classmates. “Hi’ya Sunny… welcome back!” grinned Gilda. “We were waiting for you. We still have so much to do.... to you. Glad you could make it. Let’s get started!” Gilda stood over Sunset, placing her foot over her right hip. “Remember this one Sunny? It was a classic! Let’s do it again, shall we?” Gilda lifted her boot. Sunset screamed and thrashed, trying desperately to get away, knowing what came next. Hoops and Dust held her tight, not letting her move an inch. Crack! Gilda slammed her boot down right into Sunset’s hip. Waves of pain shot through her. Her vision blackened for a moment, then returned with piercing waves of pain roaring through her hip, leg and low back. Gilda smiled. “Don’t worry Sunny! There’s more where that came from. And in a few more minutes, you won’t even feel it. You won’t feel a thing! Ever. Again.” Gilda set her boot back down on her hip. Waves of blinding white pain shot through her. Screaming in agony she blacked out… She was on her stomach. Someone was jumping up and down on her back. In terror she tried to move away, anywhere to get out from under the brutal assault. But it was no use, she could barely lift her arms or move her legs, let alone crawl away from this raging madness. Her legs thrashed slowly as she tried to push away from this horrible place. Snap! Something in her back gave way under the last jump, and her legs went still. The pain from her hip went from a raging blinding agony to a dull terror filled ache. Her breath hitched, and she blacked out again... She was on her back again. Someone was kicking her in the chest while screaming. Over and over she felt the shoe slam into her ribs, wave after wave of agony throbbing through her with each blow until once again something gave. Crack! With a tearing, searing pain Sunset gasped, then coughed out blood. Again she blacked out… Looking up, she saw Gilda, smirking down at her. “Good times Sunny, good times. You’re getting what you deserve, Demon! Don’t even pretend to think otherwise, you KNOW this is what you deserve you little shit, and all you’ll ever have to look forward to!” Taking her hair into her fist, Gilda raised her head up off the floor, leaning down into her face. “Look at me when I’m talking to you maggot!” she spat. “This is all you have to look forward to for the rest of your life! Every time you shut your eyes, I’ll be there! And we’ll be waiting, Sunny - we all will. We’ll haunt your every dream for the rest of your life. Your every sleeping moment will be our nightmare, our gift to you for everything you ever did to us. It’s what you chose! It’s everything you deserve, and it's yours. Eternally!” With that, Gilda slammed her head back into the floor and stepped away. “We’re done here for now Sunny. See you next time. And there will be a next time… count on it!” Sunset faded away, her vision giving way to a starry blackness, then nothing. Sunset woke, tears staining her face. She was filled with terror, sadness, and loss, but could not for the life of her recall why. She turned to look out her window. The sun was just rising, the beginnings of a new day. “I miss them so much…” she sighed sadly, then reached for the call button. Time to start another day.