Murder, She Tried

by Dewdrops on the Grass

Murder, She Tried

Crack-a-thoom!

Rain poured down in sheets like the gods had turned on a celestial firehose. Every so often thunder rattled her brownstone windows, the lights flickering. More than once her UPC beeped insistently at her, reminding her she couldn’t rely upon it for much longer.

“Shut up,” Sunset growled as the emergency power supply beeped for what felt like the ten thousandth time. Her eyes returned to her monitor as her hands danced across the keyboard, typing up a storm to rival the one outside. “Come on, come on. I just… need a few… more… there!”

With a laugh of triumph Sunset tapped a few more keys, pressed the period button, then reached to hit ctrl-S to save her essay.

Thoom!

Right as her fingers landed on the buttons, all the power went out, leaving her abruptly in darkness. “Oh no, no, no, no, no!” Sunset said as she leapt from her chair. She futilely tapped at the power button of her UPC to try and restart her computer. “Turn on, turn on!”

Bang bang bang!

Sunset froze, her blood curdling at the harsh sound. Slowly, ever so slowly, she pivoted on her heels, looking out her massive bay window. The one that looked out on the street from the second floor. “H-hello?” she ventured.

Lightning flashed, revealing a shadowy figure standing there, dressed in black, bearing a sharpened knife. Sunset yelped, taking a couple of steps back and falling onto her computer desk. “S-stay back!” she shouted. Flailing behind her she reached for something, anything to defend herself with, and ended up picking up a tube of lipstick. “I’ll use this if I have to!”

Crash!

With a single punch the cloaked figure smashed their way through the bay window, scattering massive shards of glass everywhere. As a fresh bolt of lightning lit up the scene, Sunset let out a spine-chilling scream as the figure forced through the remaining glass in the window, their clothes completely untouched by the razor-sharp pieces.

Sunset tossed the lipstick at the figure and made for her bathroom, screaming all the way. The figure knocked the lipstick aside with a solitary swipe of their knife, then followed with slow, steady steps in Sunset’s wake.

Slamming the door shut to the bathroom, Sunset whimpered like crazy as she struggled to find her phone in her pockets. “Please be here, please be here,” she blubbered.

As she realized her pockets were completely empty and a memory of the phone being left on her bedside table flashed through her mind, Sunset collapsed onto her knees, her face full of tears. “What am I going to do?” she whispered.

BANG!

Sunset shrieked as splinters flew from her bathroom door. “Open up!” roared a voice distorted like someone speaking through a dozen fans and then running the end result through an old-style rotary phone.

“No!” Sunset retorted as she crab walked back on the floor, scrambling for purchase on the bathtub before climbing herself inside. “Stay away!”

“Open. Up!” the voice shouted again. 

BANG BANG BANG!

More splinters flew into the shower curtain in a hail of wood chips. Bolts of lightning flared out the bathroom window, enough to light up the scene as Sunset’s assailant carved a hole in the door with their knife big enough to reach a hand through.

“Stop! Please!” Sunset wailed. “I didn’t do anything to you! I’m just a highschool student!”

“I know who you are,” replied the voice of the figure as their hand dangled through the hole, searching for the doorknob. “And you won’t be around for much longer.”

Sunset’s whole body shook like a baby rattle as she clutched her arms around herself, wishing with all her might that she’d never left Equestria, that she’d never taken on Twilight Sparkle and that her new friends would come and find her. “Please,” she whispered. “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie… help me!”

But nobody came.

The door flew open, crashing against the wall. Sunset let out another screech from the top of her lungs as her assailant marched over and tore the shower curtain right off the rod. In one last flash of lightning Sunset saw the knife raise, and threw her hands up in what she knew would be a vain attempt to block it.

“Time to–”

Beep!

The shrill beep of Sunset’s UPC rang through the apartment as all the electronics came back on in a flash, complete with the bathroom light. Both Sunset and her assailant shrank back, Sunset blinking spots out of her eyes. After a moment she dared to look up at who’d been attacking her.

“Wait a minute…” she muttered. “It’s… it’s you!”

The assailant’s knife, still held up high, dropped next to their side. “Huh?” they murmured.

Relieved laughter poured forth from Sunset like an uncorked champagne bottle as she climbed to her feet. “Oh it’s just you, hahaha!” She reached out and gave the masked figure a hug. “You really had me going.”

“What?!” the figure blurted.

“Oh you,” Sunset cooed, her eyes dropping to half-mast as her tone dropped in register, turning husky. “Stop hiding behind that mask already. Let me see your gorgeous face.”

“Wha–no, stop!”

But before the figure could stop her, Sunset ripped the mask off, revealing a young woman with greenish grey skin and a long crop of aquamarine hair that spilled out around her shoulders. “You’re just as beautiful as I remembered,” Sunset purred. One hand came up to stroke the young woman’s cheek. “My wonderful little Wallflower.”

Wallflower Blush acted upon her namesake, her face burning with crimson as she spluttered, “Wha, huh, how, what, you remember, but, you, what, how?!”

Sunset’s left arm shifted down to wrap around Wallflower’s hip as her other hand brushed under Wallflower’s chin and pushed it up ever so slightly. “Hush now, Wally. Sunset’s here.” Sunset leaned in to give Wallflower a kiss.

Wallflower ripped herself out of Sunset’s grip. “What the hell are you doing?!” she screamed. “You… you idiot! Don’t you get it? I came here to kill you!”

“Oh you kill me alright,” Sunset rejoined with a lusty chuckle. She tapped herself on the chest, right between her breasts. “Right here. Slay me, you monster you.”

Too shocked for words, Wallflower babbled more pointless sounds before snatching up her knife and the fallen mask and speeding her way out of there. “This isn’t over!” she shouted as she leapt through the window frame and out onto the street below.

Sunset watched her go and let out a huge sigh, a smile stretching from ear to ear. “Oh Wallflower, you’re so romantic…”

Sunset strode down the alleyway, her heels clicking against the cold concrete. She shivered as a cold wind blew through the thin fabric of her dress. Her purse dangled by her side, light as a feather with the weight of her phone conspicuously absent.

“Why did I think this was a good shortcut to the dance?” she muttered as she continuously scanned her surroundings, keeping an eye out for any ne’er do wells. “Damn it, Rarity, it’s your fault I left my phone at home…”

Shaking her head, she pulled out her compact and checked her face. Her makeup had come partially undone, so she pulled out some lipstick and blush and swiftly fixed the issues.

Clank!

Sunset’s heart soared into her throat at the sudden sound, only to relax at the sight of a yowling cat speeding past her, a pair of others giving chase. They’d knocked over a trash can in their wake, spilling its contents all over.

“Ugh, stupid cats.” Sunset wrapped her arms around her chest and stuck her hands under her armpits to try and keep them warm. “S-so cold.”

“Cold, hmm? Not as cold as the chill of death!”

Sunset’s eyes bugged out as she barely dodged a figure plummeting from the nearby rooftop, knife in hand. Said figure landed on one knee and fist with her knife held in her other outstretched arm. They looked up, murder visible in their eyes… and promptly collapsed onto their side, groaning. Their mask fell off their face, revealing that shock of aquamarine hair once more.

“...owwww…”

“Wallflower!” Sunset blurted as she rushed over. Kneeling down she began feeling along Wallflower’s arms. “Are you hurt?

“Gggh…” Wallflower muttered, her eyes squeezed shut. “That was…you were supposed to be under my…”

Sunset grinned. “I thought it was dashing and romantic. Soaring from the sky like a superhero, complete with superhero landing.”

“What… no… not superhero…”

Wallflower let out a pained moan as she flipped herself onto her back, staring up at the night sky with its smattering of stars. Her knife fell out of her hand.

Then her view was blocked by Sunset’s face, her amaranth and goldenrod hair streaming around her like a halo, her brilliant teeth shining in her smile. “Well you’ll always be my superhero, Wallflower,” Sunset giggled as she brought up a hand to run through Wallflower’s hair. She began to lower herself, her lips extended, eyes fluttering shut.

Wallflower’s face lit up bright red, burning like fire. “Wha… no no!” Wallflower rolled around till she’d shrugged out of Sunset’s grip. “What is wrong with you?”

Sunset took a few steps back and clutched her purse to her side. “What do you mean?”

To Sunset’s surprise Wallflower was able to move around very fast despite her injuries, as she demonstrated by diving down and scooping up the knife in a flash. “You see this? This is supposed to be inside you, you idiot!”

Sunset cocked her head and giggled, relief flooding her veins. “Oh Wallflower…don’t you think that’s a little fast? I mean, I’m all for it, but really, this is only our fourth date. A dildo isn’t exactly fourth date material, you know?”

Wallflower’s jaw dropped. “A wha… a dih… dih…dildo?!” Wallflower slapped both hands to her head, almost braining herself with her dildo-knife in the process. “What… how could you possibly… do you even know who I am?”

“Of course I do, silly,” Sunset said as she approached Wallflower once more. “You’re my Wallflower.” She spread her arms wide. “Now c’mere so I can give you a kiss.”

Wallflower stomped a foot on the ground. “No, no, what is this, this isn’t how this is supposed to go! You’re supposed to be afraid!”

“Why would I be afraid of my darling–”

“Stop saying that!” Wallflower protested, brandishing the knife-dildo like she thought she could actually hurt Sunset with it. Sunset thought this was adorable. “I’m trying to kill you! As in death! As in murder!”

Sunset burst into laughter. “Oh Wally, Wally, if you’re really that into roleplay, I guess I could get into it. But maybe not here. I need to get home, somewhere warm. You could join me, you know,” she added with a sensual purr and a fluttering of eyelashes.

“How?” Wallflower muttered as she stood there, shocked still. “How is such a bully so, so… so thick?”

Sunset blinked and poked her belly. “I’m not that pudgy, am I?”

Her eyes twitching hard enough to water, Wallflower Blush ran away, mumbling curses to herself.

Sunset waved a hand gaily. “Bye Wally! See you next time!”

“There,” Sunset said as she switched off the computer. “That’s the yearbook done.” She  bundled up her jacket, swiping the keys off the desk, knocking over her lipstick in the process.

“Whoops, don’t want to lose that,” she murmured as she reached for her tube of lipstick and stuffed it back into her jacket. With a few quick strides she’d left the computer lab and locked the door behind her. The darkened hallways of the school around her loomed like a labyrinth, every footfall echoing in the quiet atmosphere.
As she strode through the school late at night, with naught but silence for company, Sunset reflected on how lucky she was that Principal Celestia trusted her enough to let her work on the yearbook so late. But then after she’d proven herself with the Battle of the Bands and the Friendship Games, she supposed she’d earned her due.

Crash.

Sunset halted, her body tensing. Her eyes darted to and fro as she paused right at the four way intersection. The sound had come from the direction of the school cafeteria. Like a window broken in.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset’s eyes fluttered closed as she focused within, seeking that power she’d used since the Sirens arrival, the Equestrian magic alive even on Earth.

Nothing.

Sunset’s eyes shot open as she ran her hands along her head. She still had human ears. Her hair hadn’t grown.

Nothing happened.

CRASH!

Sunset glanced down the other hallways, towards the gymnasium, where the second sound had emerged from. She swallowed, her throat drying. “Okay, stay calm, Sunset. You’ve got this,” she murmured, running her hands down her sides as if to reassure herself. She pulled her jacket in tighter. “You can deal with this without ponying up.”

She backed away from the hallway leading towards the gym and headed for the cafeteria instead. 

SMASH.

She barely suppressed a yelp as something destroyed a trophy case not far away, scattering glass everywhere on the floor. Sunset was never more glad she’d worn boots that day.

As she glanced down at the shattered case, she spotted something. A single hair.

Aquamarine.

“Okay, that’s enough, Wallflower,” she called out, any sense of anxiety fleeing at once. “I know it’s you.”

“YoU dON’t KnOW AnYThInG,” replied a badly distorted voice over the school’s intercom. “YoU’Re JuST a STuPId BuLly WhO’s tOO poPULaR For HER oWN Good.”

Sunset shook her head and chuckled. “It was funny the first couple of times, but come on. We keep meeting like this. When are you going to ask me on a real date, huh?”

“nO dATeS. nO DeCEptIOns. nO iDIocY. NoT THiS tiMe. YOu’Re gONnA dIe fOR wHAt yOu’Ve dONe. ANd tHEn nO oNE wiLl eVeR reMEmBeR yoU.”

“Gonna keep me all to yourself, huh?” Sunset beamed. “I’m okay with that. I don’t mind being… exclusive.”

There was no response. Sunset waited for a moment, shrugged, then headed for the cafeteria. It was one of only three places in the school where someone could access the intercom. She’d probably find Wallflower there. She really wanted to kiss that little minx already. She’d been teased too often.

Pushing the cafeteria doors in, Sunset strode through. As she expected the place was dimly lit, with tables and chairs more suggestive shadows than physical objects. One of the windows up near the ceiling had been broken into, glass scattered on the floor.

“Where are you, my sweetheart?” Sunset called. “I’m here for you!”

FLIT

Something whipped past Sunset’s face fast enough to sting just from the passage of air alone. Said object penetrated a nearby table with a twang and a crunch of wood. Sunset, curious, walked over and plucked it out of the table. “An arrow?” she said with a gasp of delight. “Oh Wallflower, you don’t have to shoot me with your arrow. I’m already in love–”

SCHLUNK

Sunset’s pupils shrank. Her whole body trembled as she slowly, ever so slowly looked down to see the cold piece of metal shoved into her stomach. Red oozed around the puncture like raspberry jam.

She’d been stabbed.