Normally, Sunset Shimmer was a heavy sleeper. For some reason however, she found herself awake in the middle of the night, and even in the darkness of her bedroom, she was able to tell something was wrong. Once she let her eyes adjust, Sunset was quick to determine the source of her discomfort; her wife was missing from the other side of the bed.
Sitting up in alarm, Sunset quickly got out of bed and made her way out of the room, concerned for the whereabouts of her lover. When she exited the bedroom, however, she discovered that Twilight was currently sitting in the apartment’s living room on the couch, staring out the balcony window.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, Sunset called out to her wife with a voice just above a whisper. “Hey babe, what are you doing up at this hour? I freaked out when I realized you weren’t in bed.”
Twilight said nothing for a second, before turning to look at Sunset with a deadpan stare. It was then that Sunset realized that Twilight wasn’t wearing her glasses.
“I’ve been lying to you, Sunset. For a very, very long time… and I think it’s time I come clean.”
Sunset gave an amused grin at that. “What are you talking about, Twi? What, are you secretly blonde?”
Twilight shook her head before standing to her feet. She moved stiffly, not unlike herself. “Please Sunset, I’m being serious.”
“Ok then,” Sunset said as she carefully eyed her wife, “What have you been lying about?”
“About who I am. I’m not Twilight… I’m a ghoul.”
Sunset blinked a few times as her confusion peaked. “A ghoul? Like the monster that eats dead bodies? ”
Twilight nodded before replying slowly. “Twilight died, years ago. While exploring the geode cave in Everfree. She slipped on a wet stone and fell, knocking herself out. She didn’t wake up. I found her there, and so I ate her.”
Sunset took a step back, her mind reeling. She remembered that trip. She remembered warning Twilight against going alone. She remembered how strange Twilight was acting after she returned, even if it didn’t stand out to her then.
“Ghouls can take the appearance of those they eat, along with their memories,” continued Twilight, “I returned with her face, to prey on you and her friends. At least, that was my intention.” She paused, her face turning down in a guilty frown.
“But then I experienced your love for her firsthand. I knew she loved you, but I didn’t understand what that really meant until I felt it for myself. That love… It was the first time in my existence that I felt something stronger than my hunger. So I played along with it. I lied to you, and to your friends, and I acted as if nothing had happened. As if I was Twilight.”
Sunset started to take more steps back, until her back hit the wall. Dread was welling up in her gut like a lead weight as struggled to keep calm. “Twilight, this is a really messed up joke… I’m not laughing.”
Ignoring her, the thing that looked like Twilight spoke again. “I’m sorry for lying for so long. You deserve better. You deserve the truth, Sunset. The truth is I do love you, even if I’m not the real Twilight.”
Sunset could feel cold sweat beading on her forehead as she began to panic. Her mind began to flash through the memories of the past five years. She thought about the family dinners they had. About them signing their apartment lease together. About them getting married. She realized that whatever remained of Twilight was probably still in that cave, and the bitter taste of bile invaded her mouth.
“If y-you’re not T-twilight,” Sunset sputtered out as she began to hyperventilate, “T-then what t-the hell are y-you?”
For a moment, the ghoul said nothing. In the dim moonlight, Sunset could have sworn that it almost looked sad. Then, before she could say anything else, its face began to distort and peel away, like the wilting petals of a flower. Sunset watched in horror as her wife’s body began to shift and distort into a new, hideous form of snapping bones and rippling flesh. She was thankful that the darkness obscured most of the gruesome transformation, but the nauseating sounds it made were clear as day.
Eventually, something completely different stood before Sunset. Its skin was pale and leathery, with twisted limbs that ended in long, sharp claws. Rows of massive fangs protruded from its lipless mouth, and bright red eyes stared at her from dark, sunken sockets. It was like something out of a nightmare, and she could feel her heart beating out of her chest as she desperately tried to scream for help, but her throat was so tight with terror that she couldn’t manage it.
It was as the creature took a step towards her that Sunset’s fear surpassed her body’s limit, and her vision went black as she fainted, collapsing to the floor. As her consciousness fled, the last thing she saw were those red eyes.
***
That morning, Sunset jolted awake with a scream. Her pajamas were damp with sweat, and her eyes were darting around the room, wide with alarm. As she tried to figure out what was going on, she screamed again when Twilight grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back down onto her pillow.
“Sunset! Calm down! You’re awake now! It was just a bad dream!”
Sunset was about to throw Twilight off of her, until she recognized the reassuring glare of her wife’s glasses. Taking a breath, she gathered herself as she struggled to dismiss the lingering memory of her nightmare, despite how real it had felt. Trying her best to relax, Sunset smiled at her wife.
“Yeah, you’re totally right,” she said with a half-hearted chuckle. “Sorry for freaking out, Twi. I love you.”
“I love you too, Sunset,” replied the thing that looked like Twilight.