//------------------------------// // Chapter 8- Where Night Shimmers // Story: Hitting The Books // by CrypticMetaphor //------------------------------// Sunset awoke in surprise and looked around rapidly and gawked at her surroundings. The room she was housed in was immense and lit with bright florescent lights, but beyond the lights there seemed to be nothing but darkness. The darkness that seemed to stretch on forever and never revealed the walls beyond. She took in what was around her, a series of arm chairs and couches of varying styles and materials. One large coffee table was in the center and in the center was a vase of roses circled by many coasters. She reached over and touched one of the flowers to discern whether she was dreaming and jumped back in surprise at the prick of one of the thorns. She stood up immediately and noticed a small thrown together kitchen in the far corner with a small circular dining table, she also took notice of a plate of pasta steaming and freshly prepared. “Morning sleepy head!” Sunset whipped her head around and noticed a smiling Umbra, “Hey Sunny, how’s it hanging?” Sunset pointed at him in slight fear, “W-where am I?” Umbra chuckled lightly, “My home…more or less.” Sunset raised a skeptical eyebrow, “More or less?” Umbra sat at the table, “It’s more of a home away from home. Something I fashioned in my spare time.” Sunset sat down maintaining her skepticism, “And WHERE exactly did you fashion this place?” Umbra casually waved at the comment, “Behind the boiler room, technically this is underneath the school and used to be the storage room. But I modified it a little to make it more homely and of course as you can see it had all the necessities lying around.” Sunset took a reluctant bite of the pasta, “And the teachers are cool with this?” Umbra nodded, “Yep, as long as I don’t make a big deal about it and have massive parties down here. Oh and burn down the school.” Sunset giggled slightly at that, “So you hang out down here in your down time?” Umbra glanced at the ceiling, “Every now and then when I get a chance. But most of the time I just come here to be alone…,” he stared at the ground for a mere second with a frown but smiled, “But I always enjoy company.” Sunset realized something immediately, “OH! How long have I been here?” Umbra looked to the side, “Well actually you’ve only been here for an hour which was spent sleeping.” Sunset looked around with frantic worry, “My friends! They must be…hold on a second how did I get down here?” Umbra leaned forward, “You came down with me remember? It was after Scribe’s performance, I offered and you came down.” Sunset stood, “Listen I’m grateful for the food and well…everything. But I need to get back or they’ll wonder where I am.” Umbra nodded slowly, “Alright but know this, your welcome to come down here whenever you wish to hang out or for a shoulder to cry on.” Sunset glanced at the smiling boy and gave a half smile, “Thanks…uh.” Umbra gestured to a steel door far behind her, “Go up the stairs until you hit the boiler room. Hope to see you soon.” Sunset nodded and thanked him once more before departing. Umbra then fidgeted with a fork on the table and then bent the implement in his grasp. * We were all in a panic after I had finally managed to bust down the door, Rainbow Dash helped of course. We saw Sunset’s phone but no sign of her anywhere at all. After searching the whole school she was nowhere to be found. We were outside in an effort to convince Principal Celestia to allow us to search the more private area of the school. But she was adamant on her no. Twilight was visibly frantic, “But Principal Celestia your being unreasonable. Sunset could be in real danger.” Celestia rolled her eyes getting visibly annoyed, “I already said she’s fine, so there’s nothing to worry about.” I stepped forward, “How are you so sure, what are you a mind reader?” The girls gasped at me as Celestia narrowed her eyes, “You’d do well to watch your tone Mr. Scribe unless you want a month’s detention for grievous disrespect.” I backed up, “We’re just worried that’s all…,” I shook my head in annoyance, “And you’re not making it easier on us being so-“ Applejack covered my mouth, “Never mind him.” “HEY! I’M RIGHT HERE!” We all noticed Sunset rushing out of the school as we all smiled. Celestia raised an eyebrow, “See, you worried for nothing. Now I’d suggest you all head home and get some rest for tomorrow.” We all nodded collectively and began our departure as Fluttershy approached Sunset, “Where were you? We were worried sick about you.” Sunset apologized as she explained, “I was with Umbra after the show, sorry for worrying you all.” I raised an eyebrow, “Really? And why were you with him exactly?” Sunset gave me a funny look, “Well I was tired and wanted some down time, is that a bad thing?” I shook my head, “No! I was just curious.” Rainbow Dash stood next to me with a mischievous grin, “Aw Cryptic, are you jealous that Umbra’s hanging out with Sunset?” I felt my face redden, “No! I was just worried that’s all!” Pinkie Pie placed her arm around me, “It’s okay if you like Sunset. I mean I think you two-“ I plugged my ears and sprinted very far ahead of them all yelling, “LALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU LALALALALALAAL!!!” I then smacked into a street sign and I heard the girls laughing. * The next morning I was holding an ice pack to my head in pain. I had developed a slight headache from the sign impact and I also think I might have developed a concussion. I was glaring at a smiling Rainbow Dash who was making kissy faces to further mock the reason for my injury. I sighed and continued my work but even though I worked my mind began to drift, I mean hell I was worried about her but she was my friend it was common. I shook my head as I continued the monotone sequence of inscribing mathematical equations upon my paper. * Sunset was sitting in silence during lunch time as Umbra finished one of his stories, “And he said, “Dude that’s not cool.” Sunset laughed a little, “Rainbow still hasn’t gotten over the fact you beat her yet.” Umbra leaned back with his hands behind his head, “She’ll get over it.” Sunset nodded, “True.” Umbra smiled, “I’m glad you came back down here Sunset, truthfully I had a feeling you would.” She was confused at the statement, “What do you mean?” Umbra stood up and circled her until he was behind the couch she was sitting on, “You’re like me in a way. You get a taste of something new and mysterious and you want to look beyond it and find out as much as you can by any means.” Sunset lightly chuckled, “I used to but not anymore.” Umbra raised an eyebrow, “Why? Is it because of what happened at the Fall Formal?” Sunset stood straight up, “HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT!?” Umbra raised his hands, “Easy, easy. I heard about it from some of the student cabinet members.” Sunset sat down in depression, “It’s horrible. The amount of pain and suffering I caused leading to…that. It’s no wonder people look at me weird, they probably still hate me.” Umbra shook his head, “That’s hogwash, they just don’t see the real you.” Sunset looked at the boy with watery eyes, “But they did! That night everything changed and now I still hate myself for it!” Umbra tilted his head, “But?” Sunset sniffled slightly, “Sometimes…I want things back the way they used to be,” she glanced at her hand which she clenched into a fist, “To have the power I had and use it the way I see fit.” Sunset sighed, “But that’s not the way, not anymore. I try to ignore the urges I have but it’s just so hard-“ Umbra finished her sentence, “Because the feelings are relentless.” Sunset looked at him in shock as Umbra offered her his hand, “I share your pain. But I ask you if you trust me.” Sunset gazed at his hand, “I.” Umbra smiled, “Do you trust me?” Sunset nodded slowly, “Ever since you have been at this school you and my friends have talked to me like a normal person.” Umbra straightened himself, “That's because in my eyes you’re a powerful and beautiful woman; let no one tell you differently. Now, Sunset Shimmer, do you trust me?” Sunset smiled as she stood, “Yeah.” Umbra smiled wider, “Then come on, I have something I want to show you.” The second Sunset took Umbra’s hand she was led forward out of the living area and to a far darkened wall. A red wooden door seemed to appear out of the dark and opened inward, Umbra stepped onto a landing of a series of red stairs. The door shut abruptly behind them as the stairs began to move themselves away from it. Sunset almost lost her footing only for Umbra to place his hands upon her shoulders as the lights came on. Sunset gasped and took in her surroundings in a mixture of shock and awe. The entire atrium sized room was filled with sculptures, murals, and objects of varying shapes and sizes made of different kind of gems and crystal that sparkled like the stars in the darkened realm. Umbra gestured around them and began to sing, “Have you ever yearned to go past the world you think you know? Been in thrall to the call of the beauty underneath?” Umbra then stood in front of her as the stairs began to slow and both began to descend slowly, “Have you let it draw you in, past the place where dreams begin? Felt the full breathless pull of the beauty underneath?” Umbra then stood on the floor as Sunset lingered on the final step and fanned out his arms and slowly rotated on the spot, “When the dark unfolds it's wings, do you sense the strangest things? Things no one would ever guess? Things mere words cannot express?” Sunset stepped down beside him with a smile, “Yes!” Umbra led her through the crystalline maze as she gazed at everything in wonder, “Do you find yourself beguiled by the dangerous and wild? Do you feed on the need for the beauty underneath? Have you felt your senses surge and surrendered to the urge? And been hooked as you looked at the beauty underneath?” Umbra then raised his hands in front of him as a massive set of curtains lifted to reveal a circular room with a crystal spire in the center surrounded by a series of prisms spreading otherworldly light as the ground rotated, “When you stare behind the night, can you glimpse it's primal might? Might you hunger to possess? Hunger that you can't repress?” Sunset stopped onto the rotating floor in wonder, “Yes!” Sunset gazed around as she approached the spire and placed her hand upon it, “It seems so beautiful! So strange but beautiful!” She gazed at Umbra with exuberant joy, “Everything's just as you say! Umbra nodded as she continued to explore the room, “And she's so beautiful. Perhaps too beautiful, what I want cannot be,” he then stepped onto the floor as well as he rotated toward an ecstatic Sunset with a smile as well, “And yet somehow we both see the very same way!!” Sunset stood infront of him happy as ever before, “Is there music in your head? Have you followed where it lead? And been graced with the taste of the beauty underneath? Does it fill your every sense? Is it terribly intense? Tell me you need it too, need the beauty underneath?” Umbra nodded slowly to the question as they both joined hands and sang in harmony, “When it lifts it's voice and sings, don't you feel amazing things? Things you know you can't confess? Things you thirst for nonetheless?” Umbra lead her through the room once more to a massive mirrored hallway as she gazed around, “It’s all so beautiful,” she gazed into a mirror. Umbra was surprised at this, “Can it be?” Sunset turned away as they both entered a massive room of vertical mirrors erected in the floor and upon the walls, “Almost too beautiful.” Both of them then gazed into each other’s eyes, “Do you see what I see? Sunset stepped forward and threw her hands to the heavens, “Heavenly!” Umbra scratched his chin, “To her, it's beautiful-,” he then beamed in happiness and joy, “My world is beautiful!” Sunset looked around in slight confusion, “How can this be what it seems?” Umbra stood behind her in victory as they both sang once more in perfect harmony, “All of my most secret dreams, somehow set free!! Umbra came around to her front, “You Can Feel It? Sunset was now nervous, “Yes.” Umbra raised his hand in a coaxing manner, “Come Closer. Sunset became a little more relaxed, “Yes.” Umbra began to lead through the mirrors to the center of the room, “You've no fear of the beauty underneath.” Sunset looked around, “I trust you.” Umbra stopped her before a grand looking mirror with a red sheet covering it, “You can face it.” Sunset grew more confident, “Yes!” Umbra’s smile got wider, “You can take it. Sunset nodded, “Yes!” Umbra walked around to the back of the mirror, “You see through to the beauty underneath! To the splendour!” Sunset smiled as well, “And the splendour!” Umbra stepped toward her, “To the glory!” Sunset approached him as well, “Glory!” He then gestured to the covered mirror, “To the truth of the beauty underneath!” Sunset took his hands as they began to waltz around the mirror, “The beauty underneath!” Umbra then raised an eyebrow, “You'll accept it? Sunset leaned forward in excitement, “Yes!” Umbra was still unsure, “You'll embrace it? Sunset nodded more frantically as they were facing the mirror’s front once more, “Yes!” Umbra then nodded with a grin of happiness, “Let me show you the beauty underneath!” Sunset walked beside him, “The beauty underneath!” Umbra smiled as he grasped the cloth, “To the splendour!” Sunset nodded, “Splendour! Umbra nodded, “To the glory! Sunset glimpsed longingly at the mirror, “Glory!” Umbra yanked the cloth off and stood in her line of sight, “To the truth of The beauty underneath!” Sunset was now staring deeply into Umbra’s eyes, “The beauty underneath!” Umbra placed both hands on her shoulders now ecstatic, “You'll accept it!” Sunset nodded as her curiosity grew, “Yes!” Umbra was jittering now, “You'll embrace it!” Sunset nodded frantically, “Yes!” Umbra stepped aside as he swept his hand before her, “Let me show you the beauty under-“ Sunset’s happiness and curiosity was immediately replaced with fear and absolute terror as she beheld her reflection which was that of her demonic form from the Formal. The scream that cut through the air caused Umbra to back up in surprise as Sunset ran from the mirror and him. * Sunset sat in tears upon the couch in the living area as Umbra entered, “Why would you show me that!?” Umbra shook his head, “I thought-“ Sunset stood up in outrage, “No you didn’t think! Actually for that matter how did you even manage all of that?!” Umbra was unnaturally calm, “I have my ways. Now I suggest you calm yourself, lunch is over and you have class.” Sunset pointed at him, “This isn’t over!” Umbra was behind her the minute she turned. Umbra’s hand found itself upon the top of her head, “Calm yourself Sunset, it’s unbecoming of a lady such as yourself.” Greenish black light surged from the tips of Umbra’s fingers into Sunset’s head, “Now be on your way and come again soon.” Sunset left in silence as Umbra smiled.