• Published 25th Sep 2014
  • 6,366 Views, 107 Comments

From a Shimmer to a Shine - Infernity Zero



After the events of Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer tries to prove herself worthy of her redemption.

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Shimmer

Sunset half expected to find an angry mob outside her door the next morning. Or at least the principals telling her she was out of second chances. Or even Celestia herself expressing her disappointment. But nobody came. From when the afternoon sun sank beneath the horizon and ushered in the starry curtain of night to the warm, orange glow of a brand new day, her only companion was herself. Around her, all was quiet and peaceful. There was no noise but the whir of her bedroom fan and the chirping of birds outside. But as beautiful as this serenity was, Sunset noticed none of it. Her body was deaf to everything but her screaming mind.

Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster.

One chance left and she'd blown it. At least before, there had been a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe that if she'd waited long enough, they'd get tired of hurting her and move on to other things. But now, with a second transformation behind her and possibly more on the way, it would be foolish for the principals to let her stay any longer. Who knew what horrors would be unleashed if the Demon returned for a third time? And what would happen if she wasn't able to change back again? There was just no taking that risk.

I wouldn't even trust me anymore.

Staring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes, Sunset mulled over her options. There weren't many. She could stay at CHS. That meant going to jail. She could run away. That just delayed the inevitable. And with no knowledge of the world beyond Canterlot's city limits and no other place to stay, she had no idea where she'd be running to. Well, not exactly....

There's always Equestria.

Just the word was all it took. The dank, white walls around her melted away to be replaced by a world filled with color. To her left and right, grassy fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Above her, pegasi moved clouds around the sky while the shining sun reached from above to bathe her in its warmth. She took a breath and felt fresh air rush into her lungs. Another sniff brought forth carrot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and other street wares nearby. The brick road beneath her felt firm to her feet hooves. The city of Canterlot stretched out as far as the eye could see; its familiar hustle and bustle rang in her ears.

This was my home.

The world shifted once again. Now she was standing in a classroom. A cool afternoon breeze swirled through an open window, alighting briefly on the two other ponies on the room. A small, orange filly scribbled answers on a test while a taller, white alicorn looked on. After a few minutes, the filly let out a loud sigh and put her pen down, shoving the test away from her. The alicorn then walked over to her and examined the paper. Her eyes briefly darted across the pages before the corners of her mouth extended upward into a wide smile.

"A perfect score. Well done Sunset Shimmer."

"Really? Wow!" The filly's eyes lit up and she ran over to hug the alicorn's leg. "It was you. You did it all."

"I most certainly did not. I merely gave you suggestions on how to study better. You were the one who put forth the effort. And this grade is the proof of it. I am quite proud of you."

Beaming widely, young Sunset laughed and buzzed around the room in her glee. The alicorn watched her young protege's celebration and felt a warm glow spread through her own body. The older Sunset watching them however, did not share their enthusiasm.

I remember this. It was back when I'd first started as Celestia's student. Why? Why did I throw it all away?

Arrogance was the answer. Arrogance and impatience had cost her everything. And if she went back, she'd only be dooming herself to their consequences. Defying Equestrian sovereignty wouldn't be taken lightly. And the sheer number of punishments for such an offense made imprisonment in the Human World look like a simple time-out. No. No matter how much she wanted to, she could never go back.

As the finality of the thought lingered overhead, Sunset returned to reality. The bright colors of Equestria reverted back to the dull hues of her loft apartment. And once more, she was alone. She had just resigned herself to a full day of wallowing in self-pity when the loud thunk of a knock on her door startled her out of her memories.

"Hello?" Came a prim and proper voice on the other side. "Sunset Shimmer? Are you in there?"

Another voice spoke. This one was rough and raspy. "We wanted to make sure you were okay. So open up."

Sunset sat up with a groan. The loyal subjects of Princess Twilight had come to perform their royal duty. How touching. Well knowing them, they weren't going to get off of her case until she'd let them in. So with another groan, she forced herself upright and hobbled her way to the door. The five girls pushed their way in as soon as the lock opened, only to gasp in shock as they caught sight of her.

"Hey girls." Sunset croaked out with a rueful grin. "What's up?"

They all just stared at her for a moment. Then Applejack spoke up.

"Sunset. What the hay HAPPENED to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Rarity pulled out a hand mirror. "Just look at yourself, Darling."

Sunset knew that she hadn't bothered to change clothes since the day before yesterday, but it was only as she caught sight of her own reflection that she realized how badly the Demon had damaged her. The skin on her fingertips had flaked and peeled off where the claws had poked through. Two ugly gashes on her back stood out from where the wings had ripped through her shirt. The hair directly on top of her head was gone, scorched away by the fire. And the sheer heat from the fireball she'd conjured had left burn marks all over her body.

"Oh that?" Sunset tried to shrug and winced. "I barely noticed."

All of them crossed their arms, but it was Fluttershy who had the strongest reaction. "You're lying. How long were you going to let yourself go untreated? You should have called us so we could help you."

"I don't need anything." Sunset hissed. "Especially not from you."

"Why do you keep pushing us away?" Pinkie Pie frowned. "We're the only ones that care about you."

"No you DON'T!" Sunset's explosion of anger took everyone by surprise, including herself. "I turned you all against each other and made your lives awful. How could you possibly care about me?" Her hands began to shake. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that one speech from Princess Twilight means everything from the last three years is suddenly hunky dory? Please. You're not my friends. You're my babysitters. Just watching over me so she doesn't have to. Well I don't want your pity, and I don't want your friendship. So just get out. GET OUT!"

It was only when she had to reach up to wipe her eyes that she realized she'd been crying throughout the whole tirade. A moment later, her composure broke completely, leaving her unable to do anything but stand there and sob.

As one, the girls joined hands and wrapped around her in a group hug. Warmth and energy flowed from their bodies to hers. She felt the familiar aura of Equestrian magic around her. The burns on her skin stopped hurting and shrank away, replaced by fresh, new skin. The gashes faded and her back stopped hurting. Even her fingers felt better. A few seconds later, the girls backed away with their work complete.

Sunset Shimmer stood before them, completely healed. Overwhelmed, she dropped to her knees, her sobbing became full-on bawling.

"W-W-Why? Why w-would you d-d-do this for me?"

Rarity smiled. "You don't want our friendship? Too bad. You're stuck with us whether you like it or not."

"Yeah," Dashie kept going. "And you got it all wrong. Princess Twilight's not making us do anything. We're not here for you because we have to be. We're here for you because we want to be. So stop beating yourself up and let yourself start healing."

Sunset couldn't speak anymore. All she could do was cry. And as they came together for another embrace, the one thought that came to her mind was that after six straight weeks of nothing but hate, was how much she missed being loved.

Author's Note:

Takes a deep breath

It's good to be back.

Just so you know, there's a lot of reality subtext here. After living in a bad relationship for so long and finally getting out, you gain a much bigger appreciation for the good ones you DO have.

A relevant song