Ex-Monsters
The apartment's front door opened, and Sunset Shimmer stepped in from the dark street outside. "Home sweet home," she said dully, flipping on the living room light.
Twilight Sparkle walked in after her, adjusting her glasses as she looked about. "It's pretty small. Do you live here alone?"
Sunset tossed her jacket onto an armchair and gave her a nod. "Yeah. It's been that way since I moved here."
"Seems a little lonely," Twilight said, her hands fiddling with the bottom of her vest.
"Sometimes," was Sunset's reply. She shut the front door, locked it, and then moved over to her couch. She leaned her back against it, yawning. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired from the games, not to mention the weirder stuff."
Twilight got a sheepish grin. "Heh, yeah, me too." She straightened out her vest, brushing nothing in particular off of it. "Do you want to just go to bed, then?"
"If it's okay with you." Sunset smiled at Twilight and pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "Bedroom is over there. Bathroom is connected to it. Do whatever it is you do before you sleep, and I'll get a bed together for you, okay?" A nod was Twilight's reply as she slipped silently past, and Sunset set to work.
Twilight made her way into the bedroom, eyes taking in what little decor there was. Aside from the pale purple paint and matching curtains, there wasn't much to speak of. Some photos of Sunset and her friends sitting on the nightstand and a poster of the Rainbooms on the wall were the most notable things.
Sunset came into the bedroom with a stack of blue sofa cushions, plopping them down in a line next to her own bed. "It's not much, but I'm not used to having company over. It's been a while since anyone else spent the night here."
"It's fine." Twilight's backpack landed softly on the floor, and she knelt down next to it. "Sometimes, I'd get so busy with my studies that I'd spend the night sleeping in my chair."
As soon as she had unzipped her backpack, Spike the dog popped out of it to greet her. "Yeah, and sometimes, you'd forget to eat all day, and I'd have to remind you."
Twilight blinked a few times. "You did?"
Spike hopped out of the backpack, explaining, "Well, I was asking for my food, but I hoped it would remind you to eat, too."
A smile came to Twilight, and the ran a hand through Spike's fur. "That's sweet of you. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Spike glanced around the room. His nose moved to the carpet and he began roving about the room, sniffing everything he could find. "You walk around here without shoes a lot," he commented.
Sunset stepped over to her dresser while Twilight got back to her feet, taking her backpack up with her. "Um," Twilight started, "can I use your bathroom?"
"No, but don't worry, I'll get you a bucket you can use." She looked over her shoulder at Twilight with one eyebrow raised and a crooked smile. Twilight just watched her, her backpack held close to her chest and teeth biting into her lower lip. Sunset's smile faded, and she said, "Of course you can."
Twilight nodded quickly. "Thanks," she said, and shuffled away. Her block-heeled shoes clicked against the tiled floor, and the door swung shut behind her.
A few minutes later, Twilight emerged, her Crystal Prep uniform stuffed into her backpack and replaced with pale blue flannel pajamas. Sunset was facing her dresser with her bare back to Twilight, pulling a purple shirt from a drawer. Twilight whipped back around with a slight gasp and a mumbled apology.
"Don't worry about it," Sunset told her, pulling on her pajama top. She shut the drawer and turned around. "You ready for bed?"
It took a moment for Twilight to face the other girl again, and she peeked over her shoulder first. "Uh huh," she said with a nod. Her backpack and shoes landed next to her makeshift bed, which had gained an orange blanket and pillow since she'd last seen it. Sunset headed for the door while Twilight took a seat on her bed for the night.
"Just one more thing," Sunset said, holding up a finger as she backed out of the room. She came back within a minute, carrying three new items with her. She placed a box of tissues on her nightstand, a bottle of water next to the tissues, and a stout, blue plastic bucket on the floor.
Twilight raised her eyebrows at the sight of the bucket. "Oh, I thought you must've been joking."
Sunset had to stifle a laugh. "I was. Feel free to use the bathroom anytime you need it."
"Um, then what are those for?" Twilight inquired with a furrowed brow.
Sunset sighed just a little. "Well, if I'm right, they'll come in handy tonight. Don't worry about it, though." She slid onto her bed, pushing the covers aside. Twilight still stared at her, head tilted to one side. "Just trust me, okay? I didn't go all magical overcharge to save you from yourself just to play a stupid prank."
Twilight turned away at that, one hand reaching up and fiddling with her hair. "Right, of course not. S-sorry."
Sunset brought a hand over to Twilight's shoulder and gave her a little smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. Everyone will get over it. Trust me on that. Canterlot High is a lot nicer than Crystal Prep, I'm pretty sure."
"No kidding." Twilight glanced back at Sunset when the light on her nightstand went out. The other girl was pulling up her covers, and Twilight followed suit with her own. Her glasses slid from her face, and after a moment's hesitation, she deposited them on Sunset's nightstand. "Thanks for inviting me, by the way. I really appreciate it."
Sunset rolled over to face Twilight. "It's no problem. I figured you could use a little company after everything that happened. I know I wouldn't want to be alone after something like that."
Twilight's fingers were wrapped tightly around the edge of her blanket as she responded, "I spend almost all of my time alone."
"Been there," Sunset commented. "It's nice to be alone sometimes, but I definitely wouldn't want that forever."
"Well, I'm usually not completely alone." Twilight's eyes scanned the room, and she sat up a little. "Where is Spike, anyway?"
"He wandered off somewhere and said something about me having a really nice laundry basket," Sunset replied with a chuckle.
"Oh." Twilight laid back down. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a pretty smart dog." Her gaze was fixed on the ceiling for almost a minute before she finally said, "Goodnight, I guess."
"'Night, Twilight." Sunset rolled back over, and the room fell quiet.
* * * *
Light punctured Twilight's eyes, blinding her. Her eyelids snapped shut out of reflex, squeezing her burning tears out and down her cheeks. Trillions of needles and razors flowed through her veins. Every muscle and tendon stretched beyond capacity, and her skin felt like a coat of lava. Something massive ripped its way out of her back. It was too much even to scream.
Then everything stopped. The light faded, and her eyes were allowed to open. Agony turned to pleasure, needles to ecstasy, lava to armor. She'd never felt anything like it before. She didn't feel pressured by her classmates, she didn't feel worry for her future, she didn't feel any of the anxiety that clung to her like an army of lampreys. She only felt power. Her power. She didn't just feel like she could do anything, she knew it.
With a flex of her hand, space itself tore open before her. She could feel more magic flowing out of the hole, tickling her fingers and her mind. She didn't know all that magic could do, but now that she'd gotten a taste of that knowledge, there was nothing she wanted more. The ground shattered beneath her with a mere thought, and she smiled. The veil was so thin, she could almost see the magic lying just beyond the border of this world. It was so close, and she was so close to grasping its nature.
A noise reached her. Her classmates and rivals were in a panic all around her, like ants in a firestorm. She saw them screaming, running, and falling over themselves in terror. She saw them and she laughed.
Twilight awoke with a sharp gasp. One hand propped her upright, the other flew to her heart as it ran like a machine gun in her chest. She coughed, then gagged, and then her shuddering body leaned forward. Sunset's hand slid the bucket over just in time to catch Twilight's stomach contents as they were violently ejected. Twilight retched, hands wrapping around the bucket as another wave spilled into it. Sunset moved around behind her, pulling Twilight's loose hair back and away from her mouth without a word.
It wasn't long before Twilight went dry, switching to a fit of coughs, her throat burning. Sunset plucked a tissue from the little box, brought it over, and dabbed at Twilight's mouth. The former prep student took the tissue herself, wiping the sick liquid from her lips. Sunset's hand came back yet again, this time offering the water bottle. "How," Twilight shakily started, but lost her question to another cough, and just took the bottle instead.
After washing away the taste of her own bile, Twilight managed to ask through her panting, "How did you know?" She turned her bare eyes to Sunset, who was shifting back onto her bed. Sunset's eyes were downcast, a frown fixed on her face. Twilight shivered. "Sunset?"
Sunset Shimmer took in a long, slow breath, one hand reaching up and gripping her other arm. "A while back, the school was..." She brought up her other hand, rubbing it over one eye for a second. "I first came to Canterlot High in search of the same thing you did. Well, not exactly the same. You came for knowledge, I came for power, and because I thought it was where I would... I found power there, but not the kind I was after. It was only when I tapped into the same kind of magic you did that I found that power. But when I got it, it overwhelmed me."
Sunset brought one leg up, resting her forehead against it as Twilight asked, "What happened?"
"I became a monster. A big, raging, magic-spewing demon. I finally got what I was after, and I couldn't handle it. It twisted me, and I almost killed six girls, and tried..." She took in a sharp breath, shuddering a little.
"Is... is that what you meant when you said you've made the same mistakes?" Twilight asked, still shivering and with both hands on her own shoulders.
Sunset nodded. "It was horrible. I was horrible. I got my butt handed to me and changed back, obviously, but it was a while before I got back to normal. Every time I would sleep, I'd see the monster again. I'd see myself tearing the school apart and terrorizing all those kids, and I couldn't do anything to stop myself because I wanted to do it. I wanted to see them all suffer. I wanted to rip the girl who'd stopped me in half."
Her hands relaxed, one having clenched into a fist. "Then I'd wake up, cold and sweating, crying sometimes. It was still a nightmare, even when I woke up. I hated myself for what I'd let happen, what I did, and all the horrible fantasies I had in my dreams. I didn't want to hurt anybody anymore, but it didn't matter when I was asleep."
Sunset slid down from the bed, coming to rest with her knees on Twilight's sleeping bag. Twilight's gaze was locked on her, eyes shining and mouth hanging open ever so slightly. Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. "I've been where you are right now, Twilight. I know that feeling, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody ever. But it won't last forever."
Twilight reached up, wiping a hand across one eye. "How long? I mean, when did it stop?"
Sunset's eyes turned toward the floor for just a second. "I stopped having panic attacks after a few weeks, but the nightmares kept coming for months. The others will forgive you before very long, I'm sure about that. I know you won't want to hear this because it seems so simple and trite, but you're gonna have to forgive yourself, too, and that'll be the hardest part."
"I'm sorry." Twilight turned away, both hands clutching the front of her shirt. "I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to understand what I'd found, and I messed everything up."
"Yeah, you did. You let your curiosity get the better of you, and it almost got people killed. You even almost destroyed the fabric of reality itsel—" Sunset stopped abruptly at the squeaking sound coming from beside her. Twilight's face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shuddering. Sunset grimaced, shifted over, and put an arm around Twilight, who flinched at her sudden touch. "Hey, it's not all your fault. You didn't know what was gonna happen. Nobody knew. And you had all that pressure..." Sunset sighed, her voice lowering. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. You just... you reminded me..."
Both of Twilight's hands slowly receded downward, and she turned her shining cheeks toward Sunset. "Of what?"
Sunset looked from Twilight to the floor. "Me. I wanted that power and that crown so bad, and I didn't think about the consequences. I enslaved a school and almost invaded another world. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that, but you just reminded me so much of who I used to be." One of her hands moved up to her chest, fingers running over the cutie mark on her pajama top. "But the old me was a monster." She turned back to Twilight with a sad smile. "You aren't a monster, Twilight. You're better than I ever was."
"I don't know," Twilight said. She wiped a hand over her eyes again, sniffling once. "I just..."
"Give it time." Sunset pulled Twilight closer, hugging her with one arm. "If you're anything like I think you are, you'll be back on top before you know it. And in the meantime, you have some great friends to help you through it."
Twilight sniffled again, saying, "I don't really know anything about friendship."
Sunset's smile brightened and she slid both arms around Twilight, pulling her in closer. Twilight's head fell onto her shoulder and her hands found their way to Sunset's back. Sunset Shimmer whispered, "I think I can help you with that."
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Damn....
That was a powerful story.
I would read this, but I have yet to watch the new movie. I'll get back to it soon.
Well, that was definitely something. For a while I was wondering what direction it'd take and the development pleased me greatly.
Also, it gave me an idea: Shimmer's Home for Reformed Villains
Where everyone is all focused on the big fight stuff, flashy dark vs light, you come in and bring a refreshingly warm and natural approach to post Equestria Games with some nice heart to heart friendshipping. Sure, it's one of those "I've been there, too." stories, but it does it right and it doesn't feel like it's hammering me for symphathy, but rather a genuine reaction that has one trying to help spare and comfort the other from going through the worst parts that she had to shoulder on her own.
It's good to see you've yet to disappoint with these Sunset/Equestria Girls stories. Hope to see more with these two someday before the next movie. ;3
6490677 Yeah, highly recommended to see the movie. Though, at least the author had the decency to avoid using spoiler art. Enjoy the movie! It really was fun.
This is so touching. You wrote a great one-shot story, and you managed to make me feel sad. Good job, man.
Don't cry SciTwi.
Sunset is here for you. Everything is going to be fine.
I liked this. It was very cool. I've seen a lot more Sunset and SciTwi fics now the movie passed. Can't wait for the next movie to come out. Anyway, awesome work here. Really liked it
Technically, Principal Cinch is the one to blame for creating Midnight Sparkle by pressuring her into unleashing all that magic and blackmailing her with her possible acceptance into Everton on the line. As for the battle between Sunset and Twilight it was reminiscent of the Season 3 premiere when we see Celestia and Luna fight if you really think about it.
Very nice.
Beautiful.
Also, sleepover story. Yoink!
That was a sweet and touching story.
"Magical Overcharge": That's a really great way to describe it.
This was an interesting story. The first part was intriguingly uneasy, with the awkwardness between them being understandable. The nightmare felt spot-on, with the description of her transformation being frighteningly tangible. The conversation between them after the nightmare was good too, especially the point about Sunset actually yelling at herself when she yelled at Twilight.
The only real nitpick I have is that the pacing feels a bit too fast. It felt a bit like the story was rocketing by before the mood could properly distinguish itself and the weight of everything could really sink in.
Good work!
A lovely character piece. I thoroughly enjoyed it
So much emotion!!!! URGH! My feels.
But for fuck SAKES why didn't they kiss at the end?!?!?!
33.media.tumblr.com/8c5b60d4c7dd3159bdc9688f968e91f6/tumblr_inline_ng340g5wpT1rvjkny.gif
I enjoyed this. Well worth the thumbs up and fav.
Edit: Actually this easily on my top 5. Seriously.
6491828
Cause it's possible to have an emotional scene and have it be completely platonic.
6491847 Allow me to add sarcastic inflections to my previous post.
6491859
Oh you were being sarcastic. Sorry, it's hard to tell sometimes, especially with stories like this where you know people will make that kind of comment.
6491867 Understandable. To be fair, though, it was a well written short story that actually tugged at me on an emotional level.
Good story
*blows nose through tissue* SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
This story made me cry on the inside due to how emotional and powerful it was. I can imagine how difficult it really must have been for Sunset to have to endure so much after being defeated, yet she was able to overcome this, and now can guide Twilight on the same path.
I tried holding it in…
I failed because of this line.
There are a lot of these stories popping up lately. The best part about that is that they're getting better and better as more appear.
This story is at the top of them in terms of how powerful it was.
6492487
Cause fanfiction sites are like ship yards and the fanfictino is the ship that people allow to sail. Put simply people love to ship, whether it's needed or not.
6492518 Nope.
ten apples out of ten for the fic, btw.
Thank you for showing that a touching, emotional story like this can be fashioned without shoehorning (or carefully intertwining) romance in. Just pure friendship. No need for anything extra.
6493087
I agree. I mean, why do people even do that?
1.bp.blogspot.com/-m_tAJp7Xaks/Ujw6LtDEa5I/AAAAAAAADMI/5l6uuhThQac/s1600/damn+good+stuff+sir.gif
is sunset choking twilight?
6493087 I am mashing the green thumb so hard because of exactly this.
Shipping is fine and dandy, but if there is another kind of ship. The Friend-ship.
I like the fact that this story sticks to its guns on that.
Damn, just damn. To go through such a thing is just well beyond what I would wish on my worst enemy had I such a person in my life. I can only imagine what they're both dealing with.
That's another story in it of itself.
6490721
With me, I'd imagine it might be hard to predict where it might go. Except that it will probably involve a character crying.
*checks Sci-Twi off the list*
Who's next?
6490728 6490737
You know me, I love to look at a concept and try to approach it from a different angle. Thanks, and here's to hoping I can deliver more Sunset in the future.
Also, keeping spoilers out of the cover was actually something I kept in mind all throughout making this one.
6490815, 6490890 6490944, 6491014, 6491172
Thank you, and you, and you, you too, and also you. I'm quite glad to hear you like it.
6490914
This is true. I can tell ya, though, that it's pretty easy to blame yourself for stuff like this. Twi's just gotta keep her head up and stay strong.
6491459
Thanks. Yeah, a few tone changes there. Hmm. Yeah, I probably should've slowed down a bit, especially post-nightmare.
6493397 All aboard the Friendship Express?
6491624
Thank you kindly!
6491828
Twi still had some traces of acid and pre-eaten hotdog left on her teeth. Not the best time for a makeout session.
6491847
Damn right.
6492344
6492432
Wow, I didn't quite expect it to be that potent. Thanks quite a lot, though, I'm glad you liked it.
Honestly, I almost didn't write this. There were already fics flooding in that dealt with Midnight in some fashion, and I knew that there were only gonna be more. I didn't want to just jump on the bandwagon, but I really, really wanted to write this once the idea came to me. So I just did it anyway, taking a few days to smooth it before release. I'm quite happy to see that people are enjoying it, and I'm glad I made it.
6492963
6493087
6493137
6493397
I'm cool with shipping, but it's really not appropriate for every fic. It actually bugs the crap outta me when a story just has shipping in it that has nothing to do with anything and distracts from the rest of the fic. I just wanted to write about Sunset helping her new friend through what she knows from experience is a tough time. No romance or subplots needed, just two friends with a shared history of mistakes. Nice to see I'm not the only one who appreciates good, old-fashioned friendship. It is magic, after all. Thanks.
6493377
6492518
I was wondering if that would be an issue. Guess I need a pre-reader—er, pre-looker for my covers, too, because I'm not the best graphic artist. If you see the thing fullsize, though, you can see that that's Twi's neck and not Sunset's thumb (and one can see the indentation in Twi's nose from wearing glasses all the time).
6493474
Of course. Hmm, I wonder how to make that beast dealer from Trade Ya! cry...
6493474 Maybe you should continue with Shining confronting Cinch about the events in the movie or the remaining Shadowbolts transferring to CHS, let's face it Cinch would take her anger out on the students considering what happened.
My favorite bits were Spike's very dog-like dialogue and the vomit bucket. Good realistic touches.
6493499 I didn't cry on the inside that much…
…
… Perhaps those few days of smoothing it out is what did the trick, hyuk.
"No, but don't worry, I'll get you a bucket you can use." lol when Twilight accepts that at face value.
I really enjoy the sincere realness of Twilight's hesitation before putting her glasses on the nightstand. Your little touches make everything so very honest and earnest. The attention to detail really rubs off on Sunset. That pacing and that dialogue is sublime: I didn't feel like it was rushed because heart-to-hearts simply are oddly timed, sometimes things just get blurted out prematurely.
All in all, I liked this a lot.
This was really sweet. Liked.
Not going to lie, but that cover art looks like Sunset is choking Twilight.
6494987 Now that you mention it, it does.
6493499
I was being honest when I wrote that, for you could really feel what Twilight was going through, and how Sunset was there to comfort her as she had been through the same ordeal. Their experiences may have differed because of the reasons behind their changes, but they share this bond which they can work through together.
6494987 I noticed that two
This was perfect.
Simply perfect.
Wow. Great story here! I LOVED IT! Please make a sequel or something! It'd be totally awesome! Loved this part by the way:
Okay, both of 'em need a hug.
And as for Sci-Twi...I think she knows more about friendship than she's aware of. She's got Spike, after all, and her BBBFF.
6494244
Hmm, I dunno. If I did something with Cinch, it would probably be to explore her perspective and why she's so obsessed with her reputation. I could see maybe some of the Shadowbolts transferring, but I don't really know what reason they'd have to uproot themselves like that unless there was something very wrong with their current experience. Cinch was probably always awful, so they're likely just used to it. Cinch is probably actually partly why the students are so competitive and scornful in the first place.
6494245
6494537
Thanks. A true-to-life feeling is something I really strive for in my serious works, and I've always loved packing lots of little characterization details into pretty much everything the characters do.
6495301
It's been a long and tough road for Sunset, no doubt, and if her relationships with the other five in Rainbow Rocks are any indication, she had to face the vast majority of her problems alone. Twilight must endure the same, but now they have each other, and I dare say the bond between these two will be that much stronger for it.
6496234
I think she may indeed. I think they're both gonna be okay, especially now that they're not alone in their experiences.
6495541
Not sure I'd go that far, but I humbly thank you kindly.
6496202
And a warm thanks to you as well. As for a sequel... Hmm, maybe, but only if I can come up with something really good.
6495827
I actually kinda had a similar thought, but a scene like this probably wouldn't have fit with the rest of the movie's tone. I at least appreciate that they brought Sunset's arc full circle, with her acting as Twilight did for her (except Sunset is sticking around). Hopefully, we'll get a deeper exploration of this sort of thing in the next movie.