//------------------------------// // Glowing Embers // Story: Buried Skin Deep // by PoisonClaw //------------------------------// Sunset dragged her heels as she traversed the halls of Canterlot High, dreading what would await her when she reached her intended destination. Classes were still in session, so the halls were devoid of any other students, the only sound being that of Sunset’s footsteps against the tiled floor. What possible reason could Principal Celestia have for calling me to her office? Sunset asked herself as she walked. It certainly wasn’t the first time she had been called to speak with Principal Celestia, though it was the first time ever since the Fall Formal and her subsequent attempts to turn over a new leaf. Sunset could still remember the feeling of her classmate’s eyes judging her as she’d left the classroom. Maybe she wants to know who glued the gym doors shut? Oh, I told Pinkie and Rainbow that prank was a bad idea! Do I tell her the truth and get Dash and Pinkie in trouble, or should I lie and say I don’t know anything? Would she even buy that? Maybe— Sunset was shaken from her thoughts when she realized she had reached her destination, the placard on the door clearly displaying “Principal’s Office” across the front in bold font. With shaking hands, Sunset reached up and rapped her knuckles against the door. “Come in,” came the reply from within. Swallowing a lump in her throat and clutching her jacket tight, Sunset pushed the door open and stepped inside. As she looked into the room, she noticed that Principal Celestia’s chair had been turned to face the window, hiding her from view. “Y-you wanted to speak with me, Principal?” “Yes, I do. Do close the door behind you, would you?” Doing as she was told, Sunset walked across the room until she was standing in front of Celestia’s desk. The clock on the wall loudly clicked as Sunset waited for Principal Celestia to turn to face her, but after several seconds the older woman made no move to address her. “So…” Sunset awkwardly began as the silence became suffocating, “Can I ask what it is you wanted to talk about?” “Oh, it’s not much. I’m glad you came as quick as you did, though. I’ve been meaning to have this talk with you for a long time…” Sunset felt a chill run down her spine. For some reason, Celestia’s voice sounded… off. “I… I don’t understand.” “Oh, I think you do.” Sunset took a step back as Celestia’s voice took on a more sinister tone. “L-look,” Sunset quickly stammered out as her heart hammered away in her chest, “I-if this is about what happened with the gym doors, I… I had nothing to do with that! I told them it was a bad idea, but they wouldn’t listen! They—” The sound of laughter cut her off, a laugh resonating with such malice and cruelty that it was impossible to imagine Celestia even being capable of producing such a sound. “Oh, you are so pathetic. To think that you once brought this school to its very knees. Oh, how far the mighty have fallen!” Sunset’s voice deserted her as she struggled to say something, only managing to produce a strangled gasp. “Aw, what’s the matter?” Any remaining trace of Celestia’s voice disappeared as the illusion was finally dropped. “Cat got your tongue? Well, since you appear to be too stupid to figure it out on your own, allow me to clue you in!” With a kick of her foot, the chair spun around to face Sunset, finally revealing the mysterious figure in full. Sunset’s breath hitched in her throat as she locked eyes with the figure seated across from her, finally finding her voice as fear lanced through her. “No… no, it can’t be! You… you’re—” “Surprised?” A forked tongue flicked across rows of sharpened teeth as they twisted into a perverted grin, a pair of fangs that glinted in the light sticking out the most. Eyes of green swimming in a sea of black bore into Sunset with a face very much like her own as the figure stood up, the light coming in through the window illuminating her blood red skin and claw like fingers. Her hair shifted like fire, a matching tail flowing behind her. Finally, a pair of demonic leather wings protruded from her shoulder blades, lifting her a foot off the ground as she sneered down at the terrified girl. “Well? Aren’t you going to say hello to your other half?” “You… you can’t be here!” Sunset yelled, unwilling to believe that the doppelganger standing before her was real. Her legs trembled yet refused to move, her whole body paralyzed with fear. “You were destroyed! My friends destroyed you!” The demonic Sunset Shimmer laughed once more. “Destroyed is such a… strong word. I would say I was more… briefly diminished. You could even say I was just taking a short nap.” Planting her hands against the desk, she leaned forward, licking her lips like a predator observing its prey. “But now I’m well rested and I think I’ve waited long enough as it is.” “W…waited? Waited for what?” Sunset asked, dreading the answer as she pleaded with her legs to move. “Why, isn’t it obvious?” Leaning forward until her face was mere inches from Sunset’s own, she smiled as she ran a finger across the underside of Sunset’s chin, making her flinch from the contact. “You’ve had your fun, but now it’s time I came back out to play.” “N-no! Never!” All at once, Sunset’s body finally yielded to her demands, quickly slapping the demon’s hand away before turning around and rushing the door, nearly twisting the handle clean off as she threw the door open. A wave of heat swept over her, almost knocking her back. A raging inferno awaited her past the threshold, flames greedily consuming the school and blocking her path. “Going somewhere?” The demon taunted. Without a second thought, Sunset dove into the flames, her boots skidding against the scorched tiles as she ran as fast as she could, the sound of mocking laughter echoing behind her. “Run all you want, Sunset! You can’t escape from yourself!” Sunset’s lungs burned as she ran, the heavy miasma of smoke and ash making her cough and gasp for breath. Yet even then she forced herself to keep running, holding her sleeve over her mouth to try and block out the worst of the smoke. As she ran, she called out, praying that someone would hear her. “Applejack! Rainbow! Rarity!” She only paused to kick in the doors that hadn’t already succumb to the fire, desperately searching for someone, anyone that could help. Yet every room she spared a glance inside of was devoid of life, as if the school had long since been evacuated. “Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie! Twilight!” No matter how loud she yelled, the crackling flames drowned out her cries as they echoed through the deserted school. She just kept running, frantically searching for an exit as she ran down hallway after hallway with no end in sight. “Is anyone there?! Please, answer me—”“ An explosion of rubble knocked Sunset off her feet as something burst through the wall. Coughing as the shower of debris invaded her lungs, she barely had enough time to look up before her demonic alter ego swooped upon her, grabbing her by the neck and violently slamming her back into the row of melting lockers. “Aw, isn’t this a shame? Looks like our little game of cat and mouse is over already.” “H…help…” Sunset struggled to cry out, her vision beginning to blur at the edges as her lungs were deprived of oxygen. “Some…one… please…” “Sorry to disappoint you, but your friends aren’t coming to save you this time.” The demonic Sunset hissed as she said “friends”, like it was the vilest word to ever pass her lips. “Matter of fact, I think I’ll take care of those five pests first before moving on to deal with Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “N…no!” Gasping for air as the claws tightened around her neck, Sunset desperately tried to pull the hand from her throat, but her efforts proves useless as she felt what little strength she had left desert her. Just when she felt herself begin to lose consciousness, the grip on her throat loosened slightly, allowing a short stream of air to flow into her body and pull her back from the brink of oblivion. Her body went limp as her vision began to clear, allowing her to look down and see the demon grinning up at her. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you just yet.” The demonic Sunset flashed her fangs as her eyes became ablaze with dark energy, a ball of fire forming in her other hand. “After all, where would be the fun in that?” Pulling her arm back, she drove the fireball into Sunset’s chest, setting her ablaze. Sunset screamed in pure agony as she burned alive, She thrashed and flailed in an attempt to quell the flames, but her struggles proved useless. Her skin felt like it was melting off and her tears evaporated from the heat of the flames before they could stream down her face. “Yes, that’s it!” The demon cackled with glee as she drank in the sounds of agony. “Scream louder for me! Beg me to kill you and end your suffering!” Pain coursed through every fiber of Sunset’s body, a pain she had only ever experienced once before. “S-stop it!” Sunset pleaded. “Stop! Please!” “Stop it!” Sunset’s eyes shot open, sweat dripping down her body as she struggled to breathe. The fire had suddenly vanished, taking the unbearable pain with it. Her hand instinctively shot up to her neck, sighing in relief at the absence of a hand clutching her throat. Lowering her hand, she laid where she was for some time, breathing heavy as she struggled to determine whether she was still in danger. As her breathing evened out, the world around her slowly swam back into focus, allowing Sunset to become aware of her surroundings. The school had disappeared along with the flames, replaced by the walls of her apartment. Pulling herself upright, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough for her to make out more and more details of her apartment. She was back in her bed, her covers kicked off sometime during the night. A quick glance at her alarm clock on her nightstand showed the time to be three in the morning. Putting her hand over her face, Sunset felt her nerves finally relax at the familiar surroundings. “A dream… it was all just a dream…” Climbing out of bed, she walked across her apartment towards the bathroom. Clicking on the light, she squinted as the light assaulted her tired eyes. Once her eyes had adjusted, she twisted the cold-water tap on the sink, ice-cold water pouring forth from the faucet. She splashed the water against her face, flinching slightly as the chill spread across her skin. She did this again several more times before she was satisfied, turning the water off before reaching for a towel. As she dried her face, she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. How long had it been since the Battle of the Bands, she wondered. Three weeks, four maybe? It had taken less than a day for word to spread regarding her efforts in helping The Rainbooms stop the manipulative Dazzlings from enthralling the whole school, which had done wonders to repair her shaky reputation in the eyes of many. There were still more than a few who still looked at her with resentment and scorn, but as the days passed more and more people seemed to be willing to give her a second chance. And yet, Sunset couldn’t let herself get too complacent. No matter how much she proved she had changed, she couldn’t shake the fear that all it would take to undo everything was one mistake, one instance where she lost control, if even for a moment, and let her rage and hatred consume her once more. Gazing deep into the mirror, she could just make out a glint in her reflection’s eyes, like the final embers of an extinguished fire still clinging to life. An ember that she had been unable to fully quell since the day it had been sparked, only succeeding in keeping it at bay. You’ve had your fun, but now it’s time I came back out to play. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” Shaking her head, she turned away from the mirror and flicked off the bathroom lights, intent on going right back to bed. It was a school night after all. Careful not to trip over anything on her way, Sunset crawled back under her covers, already feeling herself starting to drift off as she lay her head down on the pillow. Pulling the covers up over her shoulders, she closed her eyes as the soothing feeling of sleep washed over her. “Sweet dreams, Sunset.” Snapping awake, Sunset shot up in bed, frantically looking around the room for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?!” she screamed into the darkness. The only response she got was the sound of crickets chirping outside her window. After several painfully long seconds without some nightmarish monster leaping out at her from the darkness, Sunset groaned, running her hand down her face. “Great… now I’m hearing things. Get a hold of yourself, Sunset.” Groaning again, she flopped back, pulling her knees up her chest and protectively wrapping herself in her covers. Now wide-awake, Sunset was loath to admit that she was likely in for yet another sleepless night. All she could do was hope that it would be the last such night for a long while.