Saturday, December 12th
"Is she going to be okay?" Cadence asked, sitting across from one of the doctors she had worked most with here in Canterlot General. Posey was a good doctor, probably one of the best, and usually cared for all of her patients. Yet Cadence couldn't shake the feelingthat Posey hated the girl that she had found nearly dead.
"She isn't in danger of dying, though I can't say for sure how much damage she managed to do to herself." Posey said, her voice much colder than Cadence had ever heard the woman. Maybe it was the fact that it was two in the morning and cadence had never interacted with Posey so late, but she somehow knew that this wasn't the reason for the doctor's attitude.
"Posey, what's wrong? You act as if you hate that girl." Cadence asked, fighting back a yawn as she was exhausted and in all honesty she would rather be in bed herself.
"Hate is a rather strong word, but I strongly dislike her. She used to bully my little girl until something happened, and for some reason Shy gave her a chance to be friends. This girl just threw it back in my little girl's face and broke her heart." Posey said, her voice growing angrier by the moment. "So excuse me if I'm not thrilled having to save her life tonight."
"Then why treat her? Why didn't you let one of the others treat her?" Cadence asked, unsure of just why Posey would treat a girl she disliked so much.
"Beacause I'm the best doctor here tonight and when she came in I thought she was going to die." Posey screamed, slamming her hands down on her desk as she leaned over to glare at Cadence. "I may not like her, but I'm not goingto let a teenaged girl die when I could have prevented that!"
"I'm sorry." Cadence squealed out, pushing back into her chair as Posey breathed heavily a few momets glaring at her. Eventually the doctor sighed and sunk back into her onw seat.
"Don't be, I'm the one that's sorry." Posey sighed, "I'm just a little angry because I had to treat her without parental consent because when I looked at her records I found out her home address is an empty lot where the recently tore down an old warehouse."
"Maybe it's just a typo." Cadence suggested.
"I don't believe that, I've asked Shy before about the girl's parents and she told me Sunset doesn't like talking about her family or past." Posey sighed, "I really wish I put two and two together before, but that girl doesn't have any parents. I'm sure of it."
"I guess I'll have to take care of things then." Cadence sighed, "Guess I won't be making it home tonight."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The night sky was beautiful, much more beautiful than she remmebered with no clouds in the sky and all of the stars bright and beautiful with the full moon seeming larger than normal. The clear water of the ocean lapped at her bare feet as she stood there in the cool sand squishing between her toes. Her white gown flowing loosely around her body and falling just a few inches above her ankles. Sunset Shimmer couldn't keep the smile off her face as she brushed a few strands of hair out of her face that the gentle breeze blew out of place.
She froze for a moment when she noticed the billowy sleeve stained red as she noticed bllod leaking from her wrist. It stung a little, but she shook her head as she looked around herself. Behind her there were two sets of footprints leading back as far as she could see, one belonging to her and the other just disappearing next to her as if somebody had made them and just teleported away.
"What's going on?" Sunset asked softly, taking a few steps as she started walking again. Looking beside her she noticed the other footprints continuing along with hers until a pair of feet started taking shape, a body clad in a white robes following suit until a dark haired man with a beard was walking next to her.
"Why don't you tell me?" The man asked softly making Sunset stop once again as she tried to remember what had happened and how she got here.
"I don't know, all I remember is being being alone. I'm always alone." Sunset sniffled, looking down as the man gently took both of her wrists in his hands and pulled them up to his lips and gently kissed them one at a time. Sunset stared in shok after each wrist was healed after he kissed them, the blood and red stains just vanishing before her eyes.
"You are never alone, my child. You have people who are waiting to love you if you give them a chance." The man said softly, a loving smile gracing his lips as he looked deep in her eyes. She wasn't sure why but the intensity of that unconditional love she was feeling from him made the coldness that was trying to fill her heart melt away as tears started falling down her cheeks.
"I can't, I can't take anymore pain." Sunset sobbed as the man drew her into a hug and rubbed her back.
"Child, you are a strong young woman who has been through many things. Yet you have overcome all of the hardships and become a person worthy of all the love and respect in the world." The man said, somehow Sunset found herself unable to deny his words.
"Can't I just rest? Can't I just have peace and get away from all of the pain?" Sunset sniffled as another light filled the sky for a moment before a new arrival made herself known.
"Greetings old friend, we take it that thee art well tonight." The dark colored alicorn asked as she floated down earning a soft chuckle from that man.
"Come mow Luna, I know for a fact that you are more than capable of speaking normally by now." The man laughed.
"Fine, I just like annoying my sister with it anyways. For this, it isn't really needed." The alicorn giggled.
"Vice-Principal Luna?" Sunset asked, though having a feeling she was close yet so far to getting the pony's identity right.
"No my dear, I am from your original world. I am Princess Luna though you may just call me Luna." Luna said smiling softly. "I felt your despair all the way in Equestria over the dream realm."
"So I'm dreaming?" Sunset asked, shaking her head as she should have realized it.
"No child, I'm sorry. You are close to death yet it is not yet your time." The man said making Sunset shiver. Somehow she had instinctually known that, yet she had dismissed it readily.
"My domain just doesn't cover the dream world, but the world that lies between the living and the dead where those souls come to much like a dream as their body either heals or...expires." Luna explained, "It overlaps with the dream world and I can visit it though usually don't. Yet your sadness was so great I had to come see what was wrong."
"Child, I know that you have been through a lot, but I know you can keep going. Keep being strong because very soon you will have your heart's true desire." The man said withe a smile that for some reason made Sunset believe him.
"What if I don't want to go back?" Sunset asked softly, lowering her head.
"I'll be sad, but I wouldn't blame you my child." The man said. as Sunset shivered at the sad tone that entered to his voice. For some reason she couldn't stand hearing him sound so sad.
"Sunset Shimmer, I would be lying if I claimed I knew what all was going on. I can promise you that there are those that love you. My sister loves you dearly and is very proud of the young po...the young woman that you have become. And Twilight Sparkle speaks very highly of you as well." Luna sighed, "They would be very sad if you wer eto give up on life, so I beg of you, please don't give up just yet."
"I don't know what to do." Sunset whispered.
"Are you willing to give it one more shot?" The man asked softly, Sunset nodding after a few moments thinking about it. She just couldn't say no to either of these two, but especially the man. There was just something about him that compelled Sunset to want to do her best. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "Then just wake up my child."
Gasping Sunset's eyes flew open to find herself in a warm, yet soft bed with someting tied around her ankles, wrist, midsection and head. Panic started to set in as she felt a stinging sensation in her wrists where she remembered cutting them earlier.
"Where am I?" Sunset croaked out, her voice sounding hoarse and her tongue heavy as she squirmed in her bindings. Fear was starting to fill her as she tied down to a bed in a place she didn't know with a soft beeping coming from very close.
"Sweetie, it's okay, stay still or you will hurt yourself worse." A woman said, voice pleading Sunset to obey as she started checking the bindings. "You are very lucky you didn't get frostbite."
"Where am I?" Sunset croaked out, her voice sounding a little better yet her throat burned from thirst.
"In the hospital sweetie, everything is going to be okay." The woman said, "My name is Bright Heart, I'm your nurse."
"Can you untie me?" Sunset asked, squirming a bit before the woman's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Just relax, please. You are going to reopen your wounds if you don't. As soon as the doctor comes in to see you we can see what we can do about taking your restraints off." Bright Heart said softly, a sad tone to her voice. "Honey, why did you do something lik ethis to yourself?"
"Water?" Sunset asked softly, the nurse's eyes widening in panic for a second.
"I am so sorry!" Bright Heart gasped, grabbing a cup with a straw on the table next to the bed and held it up to Sunset's lips so she could greedily drink some of it down. "Is that better?"
"Lots, thanks." Sunset sighed as she watched the woman sit the cup back on the table. She really didn't want to be here, didn't want to be taken and put into another orphange. She knew first hand how horrible they were and being a young woman in this world made the possibilities even worse. After all she had heard plenty of horror stories over the few years that she had been there about what happens in places like that.
"Sweetie, what could posses you to do this to yourself? Your such a lovely young woman." Bright Heart asked.
"Please leave us." Posey said as she came in looking between Bright Heart and Sunset, a cold look settling in on her face.
"Of c-course." Bright Heart said, sounding a little shocked by Posey's demeanor. Not that it surprsied Sunset as she knew the woman didn't really trust her at the best of times. After Anon-A-Miss, she doubted Posey would ever let her around FLuttershy ever again.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Posey said, anger in her voice after the door closed behind the nurse. "Tell me, Sunset, why?"
"I'd rather end it quickly that freeze to death." Sunset sighed, not wanting to implicate that Fluttershy and the others may have had a hand in pushing her to do what she did. She wasn't sure if the woman would go off on her or be mad at Fluttershy, but either way wasn't something that Sunset wanted to happen.
"Not that, while I did my best to help you, I don't really care beyond that. I just want to know why you broke my little girl's heart." Posey asked angrily, glaring at Sunset.
"It doesn't matter anymore, I don't plan to ever go back there." Sunset said, shocking Posey. The older woman was waiting for excuses or lies, but the answer didn't make sense. It wasn't the bully the woman knew, but a hurt girl laying there saying this.
"And where do you plan on going?" Posey asked, crossing her arms as Sunset looked away.
"I don't know yet, but I will promise you I won't go easily into another orphanage. I know what they're like!" Sunset said, hissing out the last with such venom Posey couldn't hold onto the anger at the girl anymore. She was questioning if maybe somebody did set the girl up for what happened as she pondered the new information. If somebody did hurt her badly then maybe it would explain the anger she had before her supposedly reformation. However, no matter how much Posey may have understood the girl's reasons if her suspicions was true, she wasn't going to so easily forgive Sunset for hurting FLuttershy.
"To be honest, I have no idea what to do with you yet." Posey sighed, "My friend is making some calls to see if she can find you a family to stay with. Problem is that no many are willing to take a suicidal teen into their homes."
"Then just let me go." Sunset sighed.
"I can't do that." Posey said shaking her head. "I am half tempted to take you myself, but I don't trust you not to hurt FLutershy more."
"Just send me to a stupid orphangae, I don't care, but promise me you won't tell Fluttershy. She doesn't need this right now, especially this close to Christmas." Posey said.
"Posey, you in there?" A woman's voice came through the door as a soft knock echoed on the door.
"Come in Velvet." Posey called, another woman walking into the room. She really didn't want to deal with Velvet right then as the two rarely saw eye to eye. It was sad to believe that they used to be friends, but Posey had shot their relationship to hell several times over. All over a worthless ex-husband who used to beat both Posey and Fluttershy. It was something Posey never forgave herself for because it was the reason behind her daughter's extreme timidness. It was also why she was so protective of her when it came to Sunset.
"I was talking to Cadence and she said she was having trouble finding somebody to take in your new paitient so I thought maybe I could at least give her a place to stay through the holidays at least until something more permanant is found." The new woman said, "Every young person deserves a decent Christmas after all."
"I'm still here." Sunset sighed, knowing they were talking about her and getting annoyed about being spoken about as if she wasn't in the room.
"I'm so sorry dear, my name is Twilight Velvet." The new woman said, scratching the back of her neck and giving a nervous smile as her eyes traveled up and down her bound body. Her eyes narrowing, she started to undo the straps holding her ankle down. "What are you doing? Does it look like she should be restrained Posey?"
"She tried to kill herself Velvet! What do you expect? A suite in the Hamptons?" Posey demanded, earning a glare from Velvet.
"Does she look like she's about to go off the deepend?" Velvet demanded as she moved to the other ankle.
"What do I know? I'm just the doctor. Do whatever the hell you want, Vel, but don't come crying to me." Posey growled out before stoomping out, angry at herself for allowing her anger to get the better of her. She really wished she could just be like she used to around her old friend.
"So, what's your name sweetie?" Velvet asked as she continued her work of freeing the girl.
"Sunset Shimmer." Sunset sighed, "Does this mean I can get out of here?"
"Just because I'm undoing your restraints doesn't mean I don't agree with Posey. You tried to kill yourself and you would have frozen to death out there if it wasn't for my daughter-in-law. You are staying here for observation and then I'm taking you home with me for the holidays." Velvet said, "And in case you missed it, my name is Twilight Velvet, but you can call me Velvet."
"Why bother with me?" Sunset sighed as she gingerly touched her bandaged wrists as she remembered her dream. She wanted to believe it was real, but she could clearly feel the stinging behind the sterile while gauze wrapped around her wrists. She was having trouble flexing her fingers which was a little worrisome, but maybe it was just because of the cold or they could have been asleep.
"Why not?" Velvet simply asked as she put the rail down and sat on the edge of the bed looking down at SUnset who was havng trouble maintaining eye contact.
"Because I'm trash that nobody loves." Sunset said before she actually thought about it. She could feel a dampness growing on her cheeks as she slowly realized that she meant exactly that.
"Honey, I may not know you, but I know you aren't trash." Velvet said brushing the girl's hair out of her eyes.
"YOu don't know everything that I've done. I hurt people, bullied them." Sunset sniffed, shuddering as she remembered a specific pink haired girl she used to take so much joy in tormenting. A girl whose very image haunted her dreams for such a long time.
"Do you still bully them? It sounds like you regret it and a bully wouldn't." Velvet asked.
"I changed, but I worked so hard to make others see that I changed for the better. Only to have them blame me the first time something bad happens." Sunset cried, turning away to face the wall as the woman stroked her hair.
"Then it sounds like they are to blame, not you. Would you like to talk about it?" Velvet asked, though Sunset shook her head indicating no.
"I just wanted them to care for me. They promised me they cared for me, but they turned me away. She turned me away. She said she...she said she hated me!" Sunset sobbed out loud making Velvet's heart go out to the girl evenmore. At first she was just trying to do something nice for a poor child who was down on their luck. Now though she was doing it for a lovely young woman who seemed to have her friends betray her and if she was right, even this girl's crush or love interest had been apart of causing pain to this girl. It would explain why the teen tried to kill herself, though Velvet couldn't just ignore the fact that the girl claimed to hurt people. She was going to have to be cautious with her as she wouldn't let the girl hurt her daughter, yet Velvet had a feeling Sunset wouldn't hurt a fly.
"Do you think I can do my job now and examine my paitient?" Posey said as she came back into the room, cooled down from being angry, yet her voice was still and cold.
"I'll be out in the hall honey." Velvet sighed as she patted Sunset's knee through the sheet before heading out the door to leave her old friend to treat Sunset Shimmer. She couldn;t help praying that nothing was wrong with the young girl, but she had notcided Sunset having trouble bending her fingers and with what brought the girl here, that was something very worrisome.