//------------------------------// // Abandoned // Story: My Darkest Fear // by The Believer //------------------------------// The moon shone bright in the night sky, shinning its gentle beams of moonlight upon the world. Down in a particular part of the world sat a small yellow unicorn filly, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed at the stars. "I can do it this time- I know I can!" she murmured to herself, a look of determination flashing upon her face. She was siting at a stone table in Canterlot Park with a rather large book opened before her. She squeezed her eyes shut, and concentrated with all her might, and her horn began to glow. The faint blue light continued to grow, and a similar aura appeared around an apple that was also sitting on the table. "Come on.." she growled in exasperation, the shear magic extortion starting to take its toll on the small pony. She could feel the apple in what felt like an extra appendage, and while it was usually very light, now it felt so, so heavy. She couldn't lift it, yet she continued to try. Slowly, the apple began to rise. The small success encouraged her to try even harder, and she tried to move it a little to the left. It complied, though a little faster than before. "Oh my gosh, I'm doing it!" she squealed, and the fruit was shot high up into the air in the burst of excitement, causing her to lose her grip. She spent a moment staring as the spherical item flew through the air and soon became out of sight, then giggled with glee. "Wait until I tell mom about this..!" |~| "Oh. My. Gosh," the words were spoken separately and with great emphasis, "I can't believe I made it! I made it in!" An older filly bounced around her room, her excitement obvious and overwhelming. Her red and yellow mane bounced about, bobbing in time to each gleeful jump. Her blue aura held a slip of paper, a nice, sturdy parchment that was elaborately decorated and very formal in appearance. "Canterlot's School for Gifted Unicorns" she said aloud, as though she could hardly believe it herself, "I made it in!" She repeated these words over and over, and soon dropped the letter out of carelessness. But she didn't seem to care, and kept celebrating. "Sunset," a stern voice called from behind the young mare, and an orange hoof slammed down on the fallen parchment, "A Shimmer mustn't act like an energetic foal," she quipped, no feeling in her words. "Sorry, mother," "Dear Sunset Shimmer," the mare began to read the paper before tossing her head to get her red mane out of her eyes, her amber eyes darting over the words, "Congratulations. You've been excepted into CSGU," she scanned over a large chunk of the letter, then continued reading, "We expect to see you in our Triple A class tomorrow morning. Good luck, Certain Sentence." "I know, mother. Isn't it great..?" "Triple A? Is that all you could do?" "Mother, that's the highest cla-" "You should have done well enough to get a private teacher!" "But mo-" "No buts! All that training, all that money spent on your books! All WASTED! I can't believe this is what you've given back to your father and I," "M-mom..." her voice quivered, eyes dams threatening to break, "I t-tried my hardest... I promise..." "Well it wasn't good enough, was it?" her words were like daggers, dripping with the poison of hate and contempt, "Your father will speak to you when he gets home. For now, get ready for school tomorrow. Maybe you can still do better..." "Y-yes, mother..." she lowered her head, sniffling. She had tears streaming down her face, and tried her hardest not to show it. Shimmers didn't cry. Shimmers were tough. Shimmers were Nobles. Her mother left without a word more, slamming the door on her way out. That was the signal to get to work. |~| A yellow filly sat upon a grassy hill, a large stack of books sitting beside her. In front of her was a note book and an open text book. Her mane was ruffled from exhaustion, probably from the extensive note-taking she was doing. Her quill scribbled over her notebook furiously, her eyes darting from the book and back to the notebook over and over. "Aren't you tired, Sundrop?" a warm masculine voice spoke from behind her. "Huh?" she turned her head around, "Oh, hello, father," she stood up and gave a weak smile. He was a large dark blue pegagsus with a silvery mane, a comforting smile rested on his face. "You've been out here for hours," he continued, a slightly sad look in his blue eyes, "I'm sure you're more than prepared- why don't we go out for dinner? Just you and me?" "I- Really?" a large smile spread across her face, before being replaced with a look of sadness, "But I have a test tomorrow, I don't think I should..." "Hey. You're my little Sundrop; you'll be fine," "But Dad- what would Mom think?" "Mom is away on a business trip. How about the Lazy Daisy?" "Are you sure?" "Yes, silly. Now are we going to go, or not?" "I- ok," she was smiling again. Her dad always knew how to cheer her up. She trotted away with her father, and he placed his right wing over his little daughter. "Maybe we could go see a play after dinner. What do you think?" She looked up to him, any traces of worry gone from her expression. Maybe the day would end well after all. |~| "SUNSET SHIMMER!" a loud shriek emanated through the Shimmer Estate, and the named young mare cringed at the sound, "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" "Yes, mother," she called, careful not to let any of her frustration or fear out of her voice. She was up in her room, and went quickly to the elaborate stairwell to get downstairs to her mother. The hallways were lined with portraits of relatives and important ponies, and the floors were tiled by expensive crystal tiles with fancy red rugs to walk upon. She trotted down the stairs as quickly as possible, while trying to retain the correct posture of a noble, just like she was told to. She walked over to the entry way where her mother was waiting. Her mother had her mane done up in a bun, and was wearing a pair of glasses. The elder unicorn was holding a letter with her magic, the orange aura surrounding the parchment. "Would you care to explain the meaning of this?" her voice sounded accusing, hinting that something was wrong. She levitated the paper over to her daughter, letting her grab it in her own aura. The younger unicorn traced her eyes over the paper, searching for the answer to her mother's anger. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what it was. "I- I didn't know.." "You have earned a B+ in Spell Scripting," she spoke evenly, though the way her eyes looked to her daughter, it seemed as if a hole would be burned through her at any moment. "Do you know what this means?" "I didn't mean too.." "You. Have. Failed me!" she seethed with anger, her pupils turning into dangerous pinpoints, "First you fail to earn a Private Teacher, then you fail to keep straight A's! Tell me- how hard can it possibly be to be the top of the class? We spend all this money for you to even go to this school, for you to get all these books, for you to be tutored by the very best..! How are you not doing better?" "I'm doing the best I can," she responded softly. She racked her mind for something, anything, that would get her out of the situation. "Well, as I've said before, it isn't enough, is it?" her mother gave an impertinent huff. Sunset stared at the floor, saying nothing. Then she seemed to remember something. "Mother," she spoke hopefully, "There is a contest coming up- student of the year," "Yes?" a little curiosity trickled into her voice, and the mare raised an eyebrow. "You have to take all kinds of tests and get the best grades and be the most powerful unicorn to win," "Yes?" she asked again, taking an obvious interest now. Sunset almost smiled--it seemed as if she was off the hook--but only almost. "And whoever wins gets to be the Private Pupil of Princess Celestia," she was almost bursting with excitement, just like when she'd heard the news at the school. But she tried her very hardest to remain calm. There was a long silence as Mrs. Shimmer seemed to be thinking, her mind turning the gears inside her head. Suddenly, something clicked, and a smile was upon her face, something that was very rare at the Shimmer Estate. "Then you must win it," she said simply, then walked away without another word. The younger mare let out a long, quiet breath when she was out of sight, and was very glad to have escaped her mother's wrath. She'd gotten better at it over the years, and her dad had helped a little. But her dad was away more often now, and she was left to fend for herself. Mr. Shimmer told her that she was a clever filly, and that she could fend for herself. He'd said that it was her mother after all, and not a ferocious manticore. But Sunset would very much like to beg to differ. Her mother always wanted more from her... nothing she did was ever good enough. Maybe if she really did win that contest, she'd finally be happy. Maybe she'd finally be good enough. |~| "And the winner of the Student of the Year Award is..." a Stallion stood before the student body, standing in front of a magical voice amplifier, and paused as he read a small piece of paper in his magic, "Sunset Shimmer!" An applause erupted from the room, mostly coming from Sunset's father, and small congratulations were spoken in respect as the young mare stood up from her seat and walked up to the stage. She was never good with crowds, and being in the large auditorium wasn't any better. But the excitement, and the relief, that she'd won overcame the fear, if only slightly, and she walked right onto the stage. Sunset was a pony watcher. She would observe the ponies around her, and could see all the little things going on. A mare with a foal picking up little knick-knacks that had been dropped on the ground. Two first year fillies chatting and ignoring the assembly. Two Teachers hitting on one another. And most of all, the insincere applause she was receiving. Maybe they truly wanted it to be sincere, but the truth was, they were disappointed. She'd won the contest, and they hadn't. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she'd gotten it. All those students striving to be polite as they'd been taught couldn't help but feel sorry for themselves, and she could feel it. But she couldn't think about that now. She'd won the contest. "Miss? Miss?" the stallion called, and she was shook out of her daze. "Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" her words were even and calm, not a hint of embarrassment showing. She heard a few quiet snickers, but that was all. "Miss Sunset Shimmer," he cleared his throat, "This certificate shows that you have succeeded in being the Nine Hundred and Ninety-Ninth Student of the Year. And this," he levitated a square card over to her as well, "Is a personal letter from Princess Celestia herself. She has included instructions for you, as well as a few other things," She took up the two items, the certificate already framed. She gave a nod, not knowing what else to say. "Now would you like to say something to your fellow classmates?" he asked. When she didn't answer right away, a look of concern passed over his face, "Miss?" "Hmm? Yes," she heard a few more giggles, but ignored them completely. She took up the voice amplifier, and began to speak, "Students of CSGU. I know.. I know that many of you wanted to win this award. And I know that you are now disappointed, just as I would have been if one of you had one the award. I look at you, and I see intelligent unicorns, ponies that try their hardest every day. I didn't win this because I'm better than you. I didn't win this because I tried harder. Any of us could have won it," she paused for a moment, "When I heard my name, I couldn't believe it. Me? I had done it? I see hundreds of ponies every day that work harder than me! How could I be the one to succeed?" she stopped again, "I don't really know why, honestly. But I am very glad that I did," She then left the stage without another word, certificate and letter trailing behind her. Another applause broke out, once they realized she was done speaking. She went directly to her father, and they left immediately. Those paying attention heard a soft crying coming from the mare before they were gone. Then murmuring broke out. |~| Sunset Shimmer was in her room, preparing her saddle bags for the day. Today was her first day with the Princess, and she was making sure she was prepared for anything. She was thinking about wining, about her classmates, and about the Princess. She was also thinking about her mother, who hadn't been home in a long time. She'd been away on another one of her business trips for a few moths, and had missed her wining the award. She'd sent a letter right after the assembly, wanting to tell her about her huge accomplishment. What else could her mother possibly ask for? She'd have to be proud now. She'd sent the letter a few days ago, and was still awaiting a reply. She sighed, her saddle bags ready. She though back to the Princess's letter. "Dear Sunset Shimmer, I am glad to announce that you have been selected as Student of the Semester, and to be my personal student. I expect to see you next Monday in the Castle Garden. A guard will be waiting for you at the entrance. Just tell him your name, and he will escort you to where I will be waiting. I would also like to suggest becoming a boarding student. Our studies will be far more extensive than the normal classes, and will be easier if you are living here. Of course, you would not be boarding at the school but at the Castle, where you will have your own private quarters. Feel free to tell me at any time when you wish to make a decision. See you soon. Sincerely, Princess Celestia" Becoming a boarding student did sound more practical, but she didn't really want to. Not yet. At least not until her mother came home. Her mother, Amber Shimmer, didn't like anypony in her family to make a decision without her, not a decision as important as this. Everything had to be run by Mrs. Shimmer, and whatever she says goes. A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," she answered the knock. The door creaked open to reveal her dad, Midnight Flight, or Mr. Shimmer. He wasn't a Shimmer by blood, but when you marry a Shimmer, you pretty much become one. Shimmers usually don't drop the family name. Ever. "How are you doing, Sundrop?" "Fine, I guess," she sighed, "I kind of wish that mom was here," "No that's not something you hear everyday!" he chuckled before receiving a stern look from his daughter, "Ok, ok. I just wanted to see how you were doing up here. And deliver this," he pulled out an envelope from his folded wings, and held it out to his daughter. She picked it up in her magic, and brought it to her face. "It's from mom," she said softly. She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, and began to read, "Sunset, I know I've been gone a while, but I should be coming back soon. I got your letter- amazing work! I knew you'd do it. You made me proud. I love you, Mom" She stared at the letter. "Sundrop?" "Sh-she said she was proud.." "Sundrop," "She... she said she loves me-ee," her voice cracked, threatening to cry. "Sunset," her father spoke with a layer of sternness in his voice. "W-why would you do this?" "Sunset. She wrote it," he said forcefully. "She signed it with 'mom'. Dad, she doesn't do that," her eyes welled up. "Sunset, your mother is proud. She wants you to know that," "B-but," "I don't want to hear it," he cut her off, "Your mother loves you, just like I love her and you. She always has, and you know it. She'll be here soon, probably tomorrow. You can talk to her then," She stared at him for a moment, then looked to the ground and began to cry. He sighed a sad sigh and trotted over to the unicorn and sat beside her. "Shhhhh," he soothed her as he draped his wings about her, "It's alright. It's alright," "Sh-she loves me..." "Yes, Sunset, she does," _____________________________________________________ A young woman stood beside a large statue of a horse, the Canterlot High School Colt. She looked up to the night sky and sighed. She trailed her fingers down the base of the statue, the base which the Colt stood upon. "What're you doing here?" she heard a voice from behind, slightly accusing if at all. Mostly, it sounded concerned. "Why do you care?" she asked solemnly, still staring at the huge rectangle of stone before her. "Because I do," a simple answer, "Look; I know you wanna change and all, but you're not really trying that hard. You're just kinda staying away from everyone, and we've been starting to worry," "They have? Or just you? Or do you care at all," she turned around, her eyes filled with tears and complete sadness, "You're just trying to carry out what Princess Twilight Sparkle told you to do," "Now just a second," the second girl sounded a bit offended, but remained calm, "I'm worried about you, and that's the honest truth. You haven't been yourself lately, not even a tiny bit," "So," she scoffed, then looked downwards. "Don't you want to talk to somebody?" "No, Apple Jack, I don't," she turned around again. "Fine," the blond girl snarked back, before speaking in a warm tone, "Just... if you ever need to talk to anyone... You can come over to the farm, ok?" The only answer that was given was silence. "Alright. See you tomorrow," and with that, the farm girl walked away. The girl looked to the sky again, at the moon and its friends, the stars. She was looking for three particular stars, the three that signaled an important date. "Almost three years..." she whispered, "Three years... then what..?" She then turned around and walked away. If she'd stayed longer, she might have heard the soft sobs coming from the statue. Sunset Shimmer... will... you come... back?