The Devil Inside

by Chelis


Shrink

Sunset Shimmer was born to affluent parents back in Equestria. She lived the life of luxury and had the metaphorical silver spoon in her mouth. Anything she wanted in Canterlot: It was hers without question. That was all well and good, but all she wanted was to feel loved. Her parents couldn't give her the affection that someone as young has her needed because there were trains to catch and their import/export business to run. That led the young girl to get lost in her studies to suppress the void in her heart, which led her to becoming Princess Celestia's prized protege, which led her to walking into the simple two-story house after a long day at High School.

She entered her home and went straight into the kitchen. On the kitchen table was a note:

"Sunset: Get ready because we are going somewhere around 3:30."
-Mom

It annoyed Sunset when she did that: Tell her young daughter one hundred different ways that something was happening. Mostly because Sunset used "I forgot" as an excuse one too many times, so at that point it wasn't a grave: It was the future she chose.

She made her way upstairs and into her room. It was simple, with a desk, bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a bed. It wasn't the pure silk bedsheets and the room the size of hotel suite, but it was manageable. The first thing she did was throw her book bag on her office chair and collapse on the bed. She wished for the serenity of eternal sleep (or at least eight hours, she wasn't picky at that point) to wrap its merciful hands on her. Unfortunately, the Android tablet on the table was not going to let her drift away.

"Where were you last night, missy?" the robotic, feminine voice asked from the tablet.

"Not now GLADIS, I want to sleep."

"Sweety, your day has just begun. Your mom ransacked your room looking for drugs. They know you've been sneaking out at night."

Sunset's heart dropped. She was careful to cover her tracks when it came to sneaking out in the middle of the night to kick some ass. Then again, when your father is the chief of police in the city: He will know eventually.

God dammit.

"I assume the 'trip' I'm going to is related?"

"Your mother was calling psychologists all day asking if they accepted your family's health insurance. So no, they aren't."

"You're unnaturally salty today, GLADIS," Sunset said facing down, with a pillow muffling her voice.

"I wouldn't be if you took me with you last night."

Sunset sighed and sat on the side on her bed. "I told you that I'm still waiting for the chip and receiver for the Bluetooth. We couldn't communicate anyway."

The tablet stood silent as if it was trying to bring back a memory.

"Oh, that's right: Check the mail. You received a package today."

Sunset left the room and ran downstairs. The tablet, GLADIS, and what was in the package today was all courtesy of the federal government. They had a program where they would give police departments surplus military equipment, weapons, and vehicles. Sunset found out about the project while looking for her father's missing cell phone. It was on his desk: A giant catalog book called "The 1033 program."

A fucking catalog! With fucking models in the fucking catalog!

She received the advanced tablet, the GLADIS program, and the Bluetooth in one go. She was missing the final centerpiece of it all: A satellite receiver and chip. The purpose was to be connected to GLADIS, where ever she was. The box was inconspicuous, so either her parents didn't care or it was while her mother was away. Either way, the package found its way into Sunset's hands.

"Are you going to get if set up?" GLADIS asked. For a soulless program, it was excited to join Sunset in her after midnight escapades.

"In time, GLADIS. Speaking of which..."

"Its three exactly."

"Fuck," Sunset said as she began to take her clothes off. It was until she was in her underwear when she realized she was in full view of the tablet, with a built-in camera.

"Better not be taking pictures."

"I'm only attracted to hardware with a USB port with charging and syncing capabilities."

That little floozy...

***

As soon as she heard her mother's car horn, Sunset grabbed her purse and made her way out of her room, through the house, and outside. Her mother's unnecessarily large SUV was waiting for her in the driveway. She always had trouble getting in that giant gas guzzler with a skirt on, and that time was no exception. Sunset and her mother exchanged a car seat to car seat hug before she reversed out of the driveway, and onto the streets of the neighborhood.

Hazel Cinnamon was truly a woman of her name: sweet, but with a spicy kick to her. Even her brown hair with sparse auburn streaks were a testament to her. Former world-class pastry chef now housewife, she enjoyed the home life, which beat dealing with people who thought they can boss her around because they happened to have money.

Aint got time for that shit.

She did have time for her daughter's delinquency, however.

"So, what's the occasion?" Sunset asked. She was hoping that GLADIS was fucking with her, even if it is incapable of lying.

The sigh from her mother was all the proof Sunset needed.

"We know you have been sneaking out lately, Sunset."

"Oh."

"Care to tell me why?"

"I-I can't."

"Are you doing drugs?"

"No, Mom."

"Parties."

"No."

"S-sex?"

"NO!"

Her mother's eyes widened while keeping her eyes on the road. Sunset covered her mouth after she realized what she did.

"Sunset, did you-"

"Y-yea, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I can't tell you why, but it's nothing illegal, or immoral."

-ish

"I wish I can trust you, Sunset. But after the fall formal-"

Yeah, she expected that.

"I know."

They stopped talking, the tension could have been easily cut with a butter knife.

"Sunset, I know how it is to be like you-"

"You don't, trust me," Sunset answered involuntarily.

"Was that back talk, missy?"

"Trust me mom: we didn't have the same childhood."

"Fair enough, but I know how it's like to be in high school. The boys throwing themselves at you, the other girls wanting to poison your milkshakes. Fun times! Oh! Did I tell you the story when I-"

Oh they, my song is on!

Sunset forgot that her mother was telling the story of how she and some guy named "Shuffling Strings" having a fun night at prom. So her mother was less than pleased when Sunset turned the music.

"What are you doing, young lady?!"

"Song." Sunset said as she pointed to the car radio.

Cinnamon's face was wry, but the song brought her back to her days when she was just a kid herself.

"Turn it up, Sunset. This is my jam."

***

"Daddy!" Sunset screamed as she met her father in the parking lot of the medical offices. It wasn't a hospital, it looked like any other two story building. He was in a suit and tie, which was unusual for him to be in since his uniform and subsequent position was his second source of pride, his family being the first. He was checking his messages on his phone next to his large pickup truck. Although Sunset Shimmer was close to her mother, it was miniscule compared to her relationship with her taller, muscular father. For someone his age, he still could have beaten the 20 something meatheads that had filled the ranks in his department in arm wrestling.

Ok, I am daddy's little girl. So what.

Thunder Breeze was a natural father. He was firm, yet fair, his iconic yellow flattop hair even said as much. He was both the iron fist and the velvet glove. He also had a knack for reading someone's motives. With Sunset Shimmer: It was no exception. "You can't butter me up this time, sweetheart," he said with a laugh while patting her head. "Its fine, Sunset, what happened in the past is the past, but we will solve this together, as a family."

The waiting room of the psychologist felt like a living room with lamps, carpeting, the works. The only thing that gave it way was both the counter at the end of the room, and the large amounts of psychology magazines all over the coffee table.

Sunset became wrapped in the comic book compilation of a young boy and his wiser pet tiger that was also on the coffee table. He would get himself in trouble time and time again, with his tiger being along for the ride. Every comic felt like it spoke against some of the common life lessons in the views of an immature young child. He was a really mischievous one as well, in particular against the brunette neighbor girl.

Oh yea: Him and that girl will bang when they get older. The kid and the tiger actually remind me of Twilight and Spike.

***

"So, from what I understand it: you are adopted?" She asked her eyes fixated on Sunset Shimmer with an intense read. Either that or she was staring up Sunset's skirt, which where she was wouldn't be too hard considering the position she was in.

Why am I sitting on the floor? While wearing a skirt? Is she trying to look up a minor's skirt while a police officer is in the room?!

Sunset Shimmer was on the carpeted floor of the private room, her parents here next to her on the leather couch. The psychologist would give her parents the kind, warm, eyes while giving a strong, surgical look to sunset. Sunset knew the woman would be playing mind games to 'cure' her. Problem was the 'cure' would probably end up with her on the dissection table, so in her mind: she had to outsmart her to survive.

The teenage imagination is a weird, but beautiful place.

"Yes." Sunset answered. Her plan was to give her some information, but not the whole enchilada.

"And how old were you when you first met your parents?"

"Thirteen."

-ish

"I see," she said. It looked like she was in a bit of a pickle. Most adoptions occurred when they were young. Adults would not even consider children over five years old because of the 'baggage' a parentless child would bring. In her mind: Sunset Shimmer was either lucky or manipulative.

Only one way to find out.

"How did you find her?"

Thunder Breeze smiled and looked to Sunset. When she looked back, he scooted away from his wife and patted on the space that was not occupied.

The psychologist immediately objected."I try to have the patients on the floor, for-"

"My insurance is paying for this, I decide where my little angel would sit. Besides, there's a reason I call her my little angel."

"Which is...."

"She basically dropped from the sky?"

The psychologist was taken aback. "Literally?"

"No, No! I mean, you're guess is as good as mine, but Sunny here basically didn't exist when we first found her."

"Meaning..."

When we found her, she had no records, fingerprints, nothing. It was as if she just dropped here like an angel."

If only how close to the truth you were, dad.

"Do you mind telling the story?" She asked with a pen and notepad ready.

"Of course not!" He said as he wrapped his hand around his only child, his hand was down her shoulder, and hand interlocked with his wife's hand below Sunset's elbow.

"It was one of the craziest, but one of the most rewarding days of my life."