Not a Monster 2: Under Their Spell

by Dreamscape

Reality

Happy endings seem to be something which everyone enjoys, well, unless you happen to be a psychopath or something along those lines. Though, when you look more closely, they certainly can be something to despise. Looking a little deeper, a realization comes to mind, a realization that something so perfect could never exist, and if it did, has too many faults or missing pieces to last.

Sunset Shimmer was the girl of my dreams, the one who would always be there for me, two outsiders sticking it out through thick and thin… or so I thought. Our relationship was moving along swimmingly at first, exactly as I dreamed it would. We would attempt see one another as much as was possible at school, and most of our afternoons were spent with one another, whether it be simply chatting or heading out to dinner or a movie. At first, I believed that I had already fallen for her as much as I could when I originally admitted my feelings to her, but in reality, I was falling harder every day. She wasn’t.

I knew immediately after letting them slip from my mouth that I had said the words, “I love you,” too soon, but for those first few weeks of our being together, she would always say them back. Then, it was as if reality had suddenly sunk in, more quickly for her than me. Her sudden change of attitude forced normality back into our lives. I realized the fact that we were together barely even effected our lives. Life, school, it was all the same as it had been before we had taken our relationship to the next level. The only difference was that we spent more of our time together than apart, and perhaps we were both a bit happier. When that change of attitude nestled itself into our heads though, that happiness slowly dimmed to its original faded glow. I knew she was feeling exactly as I was, although I was unsure if she was as worried.

I began to wonder if that was how any relationship felt. Everything was so amazing, so beautiful, and so joyful at first, but then it became normal, and all of my old worries returned with a few new ones. Having never been in a “real” relationship before Sunset, I assumed that it was simply one of the pains of being in one, and hoped that if we stuck out long enough, it would pass. I then began to have a hard time believing even that.

As months past, as fall grew into winter, and winter into early spring, Sunset Shimmer grew more and more concerned with bettering herself and fitting in; she was obsessed. At first, I supported her through and through, but I began to feel as though she was much more concerned with the aspect of fitting in than bettering herself. Along with that, it meant much less of her time was spent with me. As her obsession grew, my worries about the stability of our relationship began to as well. The closer she grew to her friends, either for extra comfort or a way to associate herself with good, the further apart we became. Even though we had been close before, I still felt as if I never got to know her. Even after she told me of her past, of her home in some strange universe, and what she had been through, I still felt as if she was hiding certain aspects from me. Perhaps there wasn’t enough time; if she had been less focused on what others thought, we could discuss her rather than her struggles at the school.

A full-fledged spring was creeping its way into the town, a spring which brought false hope. The time of season was one which brought new beginnings, life, and a vibrant joy to all. That spring certainly did bring new beginnings, but there was no joy or happiness. The CHS Battle of the Bands, it was the defining moment of the “new” Sunset Shimmer, and the moment that everything changed.

***

It was a wonder that an event as unbelievable as it had not received any sort of media coverage. Perhaps it was too unbelievable. Similar to the footage I was shone from the first otherworldly event, I’m sure that most who had not seen it in person believed that it was a hoax. Only those who attended Canterlot High School knew the truth. Honestly, the fact that these “evil teenagers” had magical amulets which fed off of the negativity of competition was enough. Then throw in the fact that they are actually sirens from another world that were using said power to make the students of CHS bow to their every whim and will, and you have yet another half-assed movie plot; although this one seemed quite a bit more entertaining than the first. Even I would believe it impossible if I hadn’t experienced it myself.

Competition, fighting, and anger were all things that I despised. I was in no way competitive, hated sports, and was not even close to a fighter, but I did get angry. Such an emotion never came about often, but when my fuse was burned low enough, it certainly did. Around the time that the sirens breached the safety of our school, disguised as attractive teenage girls with wonderful voices, mine and Sunset’s relationship had reached its lowest point.

Although I was never a part of the competition itself, the sirens’ spell had worked its magic on me. I was obsessed with the battles, watching as the victorious band moved onto the next round and booed as the defeated sulked off of the stage. I loved when a group was so in shock from losing that they simply broke down and sobbed. I was unable to help myself, the obsession with such a competition growing stronger by the minute. I am still unsure whether or not it was actually part of the spell, or simply a side effect of so much tension between each and every student, but I began to despise Sunset for what she was putting me through.

In the sirens’ “rule” over the school, I avoided Sunset as much as I possibly could, wondering whether or not she would actually notice my absence while being so caught up in everything that had happened. I was not at all surprised when she did nothing, and cursed her beneath my breath with every chance that I had. I was in the moment, heated with everyone else. I never stopped to think how serious the situation truly was, and that the reason Sunset was avoiding me was the fact that she was busy helping to stop the sirens. Well, that was at least a hopeful assumption.

Lulled by their songs, the entire event became a blur, all that I can fully recall is how it began and how it ended. For every other student at Canterlot High School, the end of their hypnosis was a happy one. For me, it was the end of what little happiness I had before it.

On that final night of the competition, I remember the heat radiating from the crowd which I stood in the center of. Anger turned into bliss as the sirens sang their final tune. I felt the sudden need to do absolutely everything I could for the beautiful girls on stage. I felt as though I would somehow be rewarded for obeying their every command, but at the same time, I knew I wouldn’t. Even then, I was still at peace; the life of a servant did not seem like such a horrible existence, especially if it was for Adagio, Aria, and Sonata.

Then, the lighthearted, upbeat voices of my friends, the ‘Rainbooms,’ began to shake me from those dark thoughts. I wanted their music to be louder, stronger because I knew how much more power the sirens’ had behind them. It wasn’t enough, before I could even think of fighting back, I was lost in the seductive beat once more. It was only when I heard Sunset’s voice that the spell was broken, the most beautiful voice I had ever heard.

I didn’t think that I was crying, but I began to feel tears sliding down my cheeks. Her voice made me think, realize how wrong I had been. I still loved her, more than anything else in my world, even my family. She was the one girl that made me happy, and I hadn’t seen her in days. We did have our problems, but I suspected we could work through them. I yearned to bring back the days that we used to have together. I was inspired, optimistic. I loved her… but suddenly, so did everyone else.

She and the ‘Rainbooms’ were heroes, the girls that freed everyone from a life of slavery through the magic that the bond between them created, girls that grew ears, wings, and ponytails then shot rainbows at the enemy. Who wouldn’t love that, especially when one of them was a bad girl turned good? It made complete sense, and I should have been overjoyed for Sunset who had finally gotten what she had been dreaming of since even before I arrived, but I wasn’t. It meant she no longer needed someone like me to keep her going, to give her comfort.

Comments

[foxsevent]

"since" not the same as "sense"
Thorough all the fics i read this is the most occurring mistake, here it is in the last paragraph of the first chapter.

It made complete since.

"since" refers to past event, as in something happened in the past and still has an effect.
example.
Ever since that accident i can't walk straight.

"sense" refers to multiple things but in your sentence the protagonist gained a clarity in mind as he understood something ergo things started to make sense for him.

Sorry about this, but this mistake is so often made that u just had to point it out.

[Zuzanna]

I remember reading your first story, and it was pretty good.
Didn't know you were going to make a second one! *excited*

[SweetCaptain77]

This sequel shows promise, young one.

[MLai]

I'm one of the ppl who didn't like Not A Monster 1. I didn't downvote it, because it did many things right. But I didn't upvote it either.

This story already seems like it's going to be better. While the previous story felt like wish-fulfillment to an extent, just in this chapter 1 you seem to show that you really understand the dynamics of these relationships. I think I'm going to be upvoting after I read some more chapters.

I understand exactly what Sunset is subconsciously, but correctly, doing. It's both wise and cruel: "Don't hang out with losers; get out of that comfort zone. Go hang out with only winners." A natural winner like Sunset understands that instinctively, whether she's being a bad or a good girl.