//------------------------------// // The Subconscious // Story: Music Among The Sleep // by Darkness Moon //------------------------------// The next day, Sunset woke up first, slowly got up. She checked her arms and legs, her cuts were gone; So everything was real, hers demon side came alive and lives inside ofher. And now she dealing with a baby with dark magic inside, without knowing how. And if it was not enough, she had three banished sirens trying to take over her school. She got out of bed and went to check the boy, he looks paceful, then she started to prepare breakfast. "Hey Sun" Lemon said waking up. "Good morning. Who will take care of the child if we are both at school?” asked. “I'll do it, we won't have classes until the day after tomorrow” Lemon said. "Why?" Sunset asked, serving the food. “They told us there was an electrical problem or something. It caused a lot of accidents” Lemon explained, eating. "Well, that leaves me, my demon, dealing with the sirens" Sunset said, eating. "Sunset, are you seriously gonna do something?" Lemon asked. “I don't know, should I? Twilight and the others are already doing it, and yeah, why should I?" Sunset asked. "But what about letting them take over her school.?" “So, you transfer to my school and everything is fine. After what they have done to you, they deserve worse, besides, those sirens have not done anything to you” said Lemon. “Yet. I don't care about the students, what interests me is understanding the dazzlings, why they create so much chaos” Sunset said. “Understand what? You said that sirens absorb magic with their voices. Not too different from the mythology here” Lemon said. “I don't know, I feel like there's a reason behind everything” Sunset said, finishing eating. "Always obsessed with getting answers to everything, eh Sunset?" Lemon laugh. "Bad habit. Anyway, if anything happens to our little man, call me, and I'll be here fast” Sunset smiled, stroking the baby's head. "I'll take care of him, when you come back we'll take out the rest of the demons" Lemon said, smiling at the baby. “Don't say it like that” Sunset said. "But it's true, you said you took one of those shadows from him on your trip" Lemon said. "How was it?" “I'm not sure if that shadow is gone, it was horrible. It was like a headless person and seemed to have a cane or umbrella” Sunset explained. "And how was the place?" Lemon asked. “It seemed unreal, like a purgatory for childrens, by getting the mother's happy memories, she could release some of that magic. But why only from the mother? Sunset said. “Do you think the father is bad? He was nice” Lemon said. “I don't know, it could be, or maybe I haven't found any memory of the father. I think I released the baby from one of the shadows." "Oh yeah" said her 'D' manifesting herself in the mirror behind Lemon. "Shit! Don’t do that!" shout. "By helping to recover his memories, he allowed me to absorb one of those shadows, making us more powerful" said 'D' ignoring Lemon. “Fine, I won't be dealing with your hunger” Sunset said. "I have to go, see you later" leaving the apartment. "You can with those students!" Lemon said, eating. “Waahh!!” the baby said. Sunset smiled and closed the door, went to the garage to get her motorcycle. Already repaired, she sit on it, installed her helmet, and started the engine; Going to school --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This time, she left her motorcycle in a safer place, and took hers belongings. She was about to walk through the front door. But she began to hear the demon speak in her head. "Hey Sunset" called 'D' "What happen?" asked. "Before you go in, there's something I want to try" said 'D' "What is it?" Sunset said. "Since you absorbed that shadow, I felt a small part of my powers return" explained 'D' "And with that?" "I want to use it" smiled the demon. "D..." "Relax Sunset, do you remember what happened to those cops?" asked. "When you almost made them pee on themselves?" she replied. "Oh yes" the demon smiled. “I want to extend that aura even more” "And how will you do it?" Sunset asked. “With those policemen I showed myself through your eyes, I have more power than enough to induce fear. It'll work the same, only I'll expand that aura, on just the students, just the ones you were able to hypnotize before. Also, with this, they will leave you alone" said 'D' "I understand. But why do you want to do that? Sunset asked. "Imposing dominance, those sirens are here absorbing the magic that I generate bothers me, it's OUR magic" said 'D' "You said it Sun-Sun, it's better to be feared than loved" she smiled. Sunset thought about the situation, in one hand, she was worried about using so much dark magic and being consumed by it, again, but on the other, she could be calm and keep a low profile. “Okay, but don't kill anyone” Sunset said. "As long as they don't touch you" said 'D' Sunset smiled and walked inside the school. Just as the doors closed, a red van with instruments in the back, stop. Six girls and an alicorn princess came down from it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The musical showcase, or rather, the battle of the bands, has begun. Almost all the students were present, they were arriving while the stage was finished, the first to arrive were the dazzlings. Once everything was ready, the director and vice principal went up on stage. “Welcome to the first Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands. I belive I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school” Celestia said. The students shouted excitedly. And Principal Celestia thanked the new students. “But as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner, whi is it going to be?” Luna said. And the students started arguing, again. To the delight of the Dazzlings, the same green energy appeared, it ran all over the place until their necklaces absorbed it. "You feel that girls? our true power is being restored” smiled Adagio, making her sisters laugh. ¡¡¡¡SLAM!!!! The doors slammed open, it was Sunset Shimmer. As soon as she set foot inside, the atmosphere changed, everything turned red and black; She walk up the stairs. The students they shut up, feeling a chill down their spines, only to the ones who were hypnotized by Sunset at the fall formal; Those who didn't, couldn't stop trembling. The only ones not affected, were the principals, they were preparing their judges' seats, and of course, the dazzlings, for them everything was normal, just a little strange that everything had quiet. Walking up the stands, students getting out of Sunset's way, she sat at the end, same level with the dazzlings, only much further from them; She had her eyes closed the whole way, when she opened them, her demon eyes were visible, visible to the students In a blink, everything back to normal, and the students started arguing again. Sunset put her headphones and write in her notebook, to make some notes. "What was that?" Sonata whispered. “Oh~ the queen bee wants to get the honey back~” Adagio said smiling. "What honey? what bee? asked Sonata confused. “Ugh! Sunset is the bee, and the honey is the magic we absorb” Adagio said. “That stupid human almost caused us to crash yesterday” Aria said. “It won't happen again, if she messes with us, we'll get rid of her, like the others. Nothing will stop us” said Adagio. Once again the doors opened, it was Twilight and her friends, witnessing the students, worried. "And that’s before we’ve tapped into the strongest magic here" “But the rain blossoms, or whatever they're called, aren’t under our spell, how exactly are we supposed to get to their magic, Adagio” Aria said. “The Rainbooms are just as capable of falling apart as everyone else. They just need a little, push, in the wrong direction. I have a feeling everyone here is going to be lining up to give them a shove” smiled Adagio. “Not all of them” Sonata whispered, looking at Sunset. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The auditions went from worse to worse, but, the next ones were Snips and Snails, their singing and rap attempt was horrible, Sunset was grateful for don't to be with them anymore, when it was the turn of the rainbooms, they started good; however, Rarity's strange movement ruined the presentation, although the directors enjoyed it. She knew that the other students were sabotaging them. But it was logical, from them first attempt to stop the dazzlings. All that didn't matter to Sunset, she spent all her time taking notes about the shadows that tormented the little baby; She suddenly felt how her cell phone vibrated, she discreetly looked at the message and left the gym. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dazzlings watched as Flash's gang yelled at Twilight. "Tears already? this is only the first round ”Adagio smiled, earning laughter from his sisters. “The next band to take the stage is Trixie and the Illusions” Celestia said, through the speaker. “Better head back, we're supposed to go on after Trixie” Adagio said. The sirens headed towards the gym, entering from behind the stage, they were turning the corner, but Adagio stopped hers sisters, seeing that someone was waiting for them. Sunset Shimmer was leaning against the wall, looking at her notebook, reading her notes. “You're not going to get away with this” Sunset said, not taking her eyes off to her notebook. Adagio's grin momentarily grew wider, briefly alerting Sunset. "Why?" She questioned, having clearly anticipated this. "Because you didn't?" Sunset didn't react to such intimidation, so the dazzlings began their stalking tactic. "Oh, we know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. You've got quite the reputation here at-" "¡I don't care what you have to do, keep her away from him!" Sunset yelled, slamming her notebook shut. Such an action baffled the sirens, Adagio remained by Sunset's side, Aria had barely moved a bit, and Sonata remained where she was. “Okay… see you outside” Sunset said, calmer. "Bye" She keep her notes inside her jacket, and bring her hands to her ears; It was revealed that she actually wearing headphones, she was on a call, not even noticing the sirens passed by; Their reaction was from confusion to anger, Adagio recovered and stepped forward, getting in the way of the pony girl. "Why the rush, Shimmer?" Adagio said. "Scared?" “Maybe to hide from her latest flop at the fall formal” Aria smile. "How terrible!" Sonata said, laughing. The three started laughing, when they stopped, Sunset was behind them, passing by again. "Have the same attitude when you guys faced Star Swirl?" Sunset said. And just like that, the sirens confidence was shattered. Although was far from them, Sunset could also feel the shock and irritation of Adagio and her subordinates. "...What did you say?" The leader asked in a low voice, a mixture of disbelief and anger. Sunset couldn't help a grin wider. “You can use all the tricks you want it, won't work on me, even your spell didn't work. Our difference is that you were banished here, I didn't have to crawl around and steal negative energy scraps like a rat, I don't need to hide in everyone else's shadow. I can't help but feel sorry for you three” she laughed darkly. That was enough to push Adagio past the point of regaining her composure. Without hesitation, she reached out a hand to Sunset. But this Sunsey looked up from her again, a strong explosion of invisible energy pushed her until the siren almost fell, being catch by her sisters. Now they could see her eyes, those demonic eyes that were glowing more and more, and her dark aura was stronger. The sirens remained incredulous this. "Calm down..." The corridor was filled with darkness, then a red mist spread across the floor and a growl was heard behind Sunset, it was getting louder. The mist vanished, it was actually the breath of the Demon; It was huge, they only distinguished her eyes and teeth. “D…Back off” Demon growled once more. In one second everything was back to normal. Sunset eyes back to the normal. “Go back to your pathetic concert attempt and at least give something more decent than your defeat against the 6 pillars” Sunset said, walking away. Adagio moved away and walk determined to stop her, but Aria grab her shoulder, it was they turn on stage. "You gonna pay for that, Sunset Shimmer" Adagio whispered, walking into the gym. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the entrance of the school, Lemon was waiting with the little baby. The pony girl came quickly. "Lemon, I told you not wait here" she said. "I'm sorry, but I had to come" Lemon said. "Fine, let's go to the backyard and explain everything to me" said Sunset. They both went to the soccer field, hid behind the stands, so they wouldn't be bothered. "Now you said that a woman, who said was the mother of the child, try to take the baby?" Sunset asked. “I told you, I was walking to the park, I was going to meet his father, when that woman appeared. Luckily the father stopped her when she tried to take him from me, they argued, And suddenly there was a car accident; They thought it was an accident, the father asked me to leave, they stayed to talk. It was then that I called you, I think another one of those shadows is torturing him” explained Lemon. “Hmm…so one of the parents is triggering these episodes” Sunset said. “You have to do something Sun” Lemon said. "I'll try again, we'll help you little man" Sunset smiled, taking the baby in her arms. "Entertain him again" Lemon nodded and played with the baby, took the music box out of her bag and gave it to the baby; Sunset took the boy's shoulders, closed her eyes, concentrated, her eyes sparkled again. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, she returned, to the previous area. "There is no time to lose, I must solve this" said Sunset. She enter the slide and arrive at another place; Now was in the corridor of an abandoned house, very old. She entered through the first door that saw, it led to a dark corridor, so she walked through it, it was very dark. Making as little noise as possible. The hallway ended at another door, she opened it and now Sunset was in a big room. It was a big place, in the center there were a lot of branches and roots connected to three different points, it was carefully steeled until it reached the center, something was covered by a sheet, was a puzzle. “Those floating things… they look like memories, maybe the next one will be behind those roots” Sunset whispered. "Three pieces, three places... but I can't enter through any of them, a piece must be here" she began to search. Suspicions confirmed by finding a piece under one of the paintings in the room. Piece that corresponded to the left side below. A light covered the roots, vanishing the enormous obstacle, on the other side there was a painting. It was in a forest, where a woman and a girl, near the river on top of a wooden bridge. As Sunset approached the painting, it moved, moving forward until the painting was gone, only the frame remained. She entered the next area, it was like a kind of river or swamp, perhaps the same as the one in the painting, but the difference was that everything was dark. She toured the place, the strange thing is that there were furniture and drawers nearby, supposed that maybe there was a house nearby. The hard part is that she didn't know what to look for, only that it would be a happy memory and that she had to do with one of her parents. Indeed, her exploration led her to a house that was collapsing, it was partially flooded. The horrible thing was that she heard different sounds, not to mention that there were many strange objects, children's toys, that did not seem for infants. She carefully crawled out of the house, luckily she found another piece of the puzzle, once outside, she had to climb a tree as the exit was on the other side. But it was much more terrifying, so much that could swear that Sunset heard voices, she returned to the same bridge and went through the previous painting frame. Luckily return, she placed the next piece, the right one. "This place is... better not hang around here too much, nowhere is safe" said Sunset. The roots left and she repeated the process, this painting was the same woman as before, she was near a wishing well, she drew water from it and drank it. But the appearance of this change, her hair stood up and turned black, her dress was dirty, she left a black trail and went to the river. Sunset went back inside, it seemed that she was in the same house, luckily there were candles that illuminated a little. Now she was not her imagination, if voices and whispers were heard. Went through the rooms of the house, almost everywhere there were empty bottles. She came out of the last room, she thought that she had come out again, but actually there was a tree inside the house. Through a window she recognized the same well as before, she steeled herself to check, but in that second everything was distorted. A shadow suddenly appeared, its appearance was similar to that of the painting; Sunset was forced to back off. "Shit!" yell softly. She knew what she had to do, whether she liked it or not, she had to get out, the missing piece had to be here. Sunset managed to crawl out through a hole that overlooked the courtyard. She reach the well, the lever until get the bucket. Inside was the last piece she needed, there was also a key with a triangle-shaped tip, coincidentally there was a fence with a padlock. And yes, she fit. Another smaller bridge to cross the river, but her vision was distorted again, that thing was close. She had to hide inside the cabin in front of her. there was a drawing that caught her attention. It seemed to be that thing from before and he the baby, there was no time for theories. Sunset looked around and found another key, a square one. Once the shadow was gone, she left the hut and continued looking for the next exit. Found it! the padlock for the key, when placing it ,she heard sounds of whispers and footsteps, the thing was close. Luckily managed to escape. Now was about to pass the painting from before, she turned around and the shadow appeared on her face; so jumped hurting herself a bit. "That...was very close" Sunset said scared. "Now to put the last piece, and I hope... that you already find the memory" She put the last piece, the path ahead opened up. The picture went from a mother reading her daughter a story, to a little girl reading the book alone in the forest. "OK. We're going for that memory” Sunset said. "This time, I'll catch that bitch" she snarled. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Easier said than done, Sunset had ended up in another part of the house, like a bookstore, she spent all the time running away from the shadow. She almost caught her, but she managed to escape from her, crawling down a hole. And finally! The next memory she needed, entered this one. They had not dug far, before it started to rain. "Quickly, climb out, or there’ll be trouble again!" See? the bunny is climbing out of the hole! Again the mother, a memory where she tells a story to her son, Sunset took the book and the slide back was in front. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back at the playhouse: "That thing... I've never seen anything like it" Sunset said, placing the book activating the machine. "A child should not go through this" The new area was opened. "I must solve this once and for all, I must save this boy" Without hesitation, she enter the slide and reach the new area. A closet, so cautiously went out and discovered another house, but this one was better, it just had weird places. Before advancing she felt an intense headache. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunset returned to the real world, she had the book from before, on the page that the mother had read, the baby was sleeping in her arms. “You did it Sunset” Lemon whispered. "I think so, I only need one more memory, and so find out what is happening" said Sunset. "That fucking thing took a lot of energy from me, I need a few hours to recover" said D. "So, what's next?" Lemon asked. “Wait for my demon side recover, then get the last memory. But now, I have to deal with some sirens again” Sunset said, looking at the school.