Sketched to life

by Bookpony579

Chapter 2

Sunset arrived at school the next day, less eager than she had been the day before. Despite coming up with all sorts of ideas about what draw in her new sketch pad, nothing worked. When she put pencil to paper, her hand wouldn't move, like it was telling her that none of her ideas were good enough for these pages. After an hour of holding a pencil and waiting for for something she could work with, she gave up. She had the book stashed away in her bag, just in case she found inspiration at school.

When she arrived, she found Twilight just arriving herself, so they walked in together.

"How are you feeling?" Twilight asked, still concerned about her friend's behavior the day before. Sunset just shrugged at that.

"A little better. I think it was just one of 'those days' you know?" She replied, not wanting to go into detail. Twilight nodded but clearly didn't buy it. Before she could ask further, they arrived at Sunset's locker and found the girls waiting for them again. After the common greetings, Sunset pulled out the sketchbook. Her friends looked at it, impressed.

"Oh my." Rarity said, running a hand over the cover and through the pages. "Such fine quality paper, just like the professionals use! Sunset wherever did you get this?"

"At this new store I found on my way home. "The Wisher's Stop" I think. You girls hear about it?" Her friends shook their heads, never hearing any news of a new store nearby. "Well anyway, you girls should definitely check it out. Theres all kinds of stuff there. The owner's a little strange but she gave this to me along with a few pencils for practically next to nothing!" Her friends looked surprised at this, except for Twilight, who was eyeing the sketchbook warily.

"Wait. Since when could you draw?" Rainbow asked. Twilight broke her attention from the book to answer.

"Oh, she's been doodling in her notebooks since we went to magic school together!" Twilight smiled playfully at Sunset. "I may not approve of doodling instead of paying attention to the teacher...but most of the stuff she did was pretty good." Sunset returned her smile, remembering the happier time in her life, before things went south...

Before her mind turned to sad thoughts again, the bell rang, signaling the start of school.

"Well we'd better get going, see you at lunch?" Twilight asked and left when Sunset nodded. Sunset opened her lock and was greeted by another one of those notes.

'Demon Queen' was all it said. Sunset rumpled this one up too and stuffed it in her pocket. Even after she had gotten her stuff and was waiting for class to start, she was still angry. Who would do something like this, and why? Sunset eyed her classmates, looking for any sign of the perpetrator, but finding none. Sunset knew she couldn't go through another day like this, but what could she do? Her eyes suddenly caught sight of the sketchbook, just barely sticking out of her bag. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully everyone was either daydreaming or paying attention to what the teacher was writing on the board. Well...Celestia once said I needed a creative output for my anger...

Sunset grabbed the book and placed it on her desk. If the teacher looked over, it would look like she was just taking notes. Unlike last night, when her pencil hit the page, inspiration poured in from her anger as Sunset let out her frustration on the paper. She had just finished when the ball rang, ending class.

Sunset felt satisfied upon seeing the final result. It was a purple lizard-like being with a head that looked similar to an alligator or a crocodile. The creature was scowling and holding out his claws, as though it were about to attack someone. Looking at her completed masterpiece somehow made her feel better. She stuffed away her sketchbook and went off to her next class.

---

Lunch arrived and just like usual, all seven girls sat together. Sunset couldn't wait to show her friends her work, but when she did, it gathered a mixed response.

"Oh my.." Rarity said, eyes wide as she saw the grotesque creature. "It's certainly...provoking" She said, trying not offend Sunset.

"It's..kinda scary.." Fluttershy said, actually looking a little afraid of the drawing.

"Are you kidding? It looks awesome!" Rainbow exclaimed. "It's like something straight out of a horror movie!"

"Yeah..." Twilight said, not sure what to make of the drawing. She didn't know why, but something about the sketchbook put her on edge for some reason. She tried to shake it off and ask Sunset something when Pinkie addressed her first.

"You know Sunset...if you really like art, you should more of them! And we can all do it together, like an art party!" Pinkie suggested. "And maybe your parents could show up and be really really impressed by your work, and they'd be proud of you and maybe hang up some of it on your fridge!" Sunset had like the idea of an art party until Pinkie mentioned her parents showing up.

"Yeah...their not really party people." Pinkie looked at Sunset like she had turned into the thing from her drawing.

"Not 'party people'?" Pinkie asked like she couldn't believe it. "But...everyone likes parties now and then! If your parents don't like parties what do they like?" Sunset grew annoyed with Pinkie's questioning.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my parents anyway?" She asked sharply.

"Well Twilight mentioned that you don't really get along with them, so I came up with some ideas to help fix that!" Pinkie explained before anyone could stop her.

"Oh so now you want to try to 'reform' my family life?" Sunset sarcastically asked, getting up with her half-finished food again. "It's none of your business so just stay out of it!" Sunset demanded, before stomping out of the cafeteria. The girls gave Pinkie various looks of annoyance which she replied to an innocent "Whaaat?"

Before anyone could say anything, the speaker blared to life as Vice-Principal Luna's voice rang out with alarm. "Will the Elements of Harmony please meet me and Principal Celestia at the soccer field immediately!?" The girls looked at each other before dumping their own unfinished meals and headed to see what was wrong.

---

Sunset, too angry to hear or care about the announcement, made her way to the music room, their usual hangout. Thankfully it was empty as she sat down and pulled out her sketchbook and to vent out her anger again.

---

When they got to the door that led to the field, Celestia and Luna were there trying to calm down several students who looked scared out of their wits.

"You should've seen it!" Curly Winds exclaimed. "It was even bigger than me!"

"The horror! The horror!" Roseluck cried dramatically.

"Whats going on!?" Twilight asked. Luna turned to her while Celestia still tried to comfort the students.

"I think it's best if you see for yourselves." She opened the doors just a little bitt allowing the girls to peek out to the field. At first everything looked normal, but then something came into their field of vision from across the field. The girls gasped, not believing what they were seeing.

Standing there, on the field in open daylight, was the same creature that Sunset had drawn earlier, and it was looking right at them.

Author's Note:

Who can guess where I got the monsters from?

Hint: He's one of the greatest children's horror writers of recent history.

Comments

[Comickook]

Very little I can say beyond excellent job on the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up in all the right places. And Sunset being a good artist is an especially good character detail. And I am definitely sensing a doozy of a fight coming up in the next chapter (as well as probably the next few chapters)

And, for the record, my guess for the "children's horror author" is R.L. Stine (aka the creator of the "Goosebumps" series)

And, I have some ideas for later stories (but not THIS story)

1. In the story of your choice, should you like the idea enough to use it, Sunset can come across a "seventh Element" (which might not be needed to make the other six elements work, but CAN make the other Elements more powerful when it is added to the mix). The seventh Element would be the Element of Empathy, which would be a bit of a nod/possible foreshadowing to "Legend of Everfree".

and 2. If you like this idea enough to use it, the adding of the seventh Element can grant a couple of added personal abilities to each of the Element Bearers (one an augmentation of their best abilities and the other based on their Element)

Applejack: Obviously super-strength (as well as the durability to use that strength without hurting herself) plus an "Honesty"-based sixth sense that, while NOT flat-out mind-reading, DOES allow her to sense when somebody is lying to her (or, alternatively, to realize when she isn't getting the full truth, even when the one she is speaking to really IS telling her everything THEY know)

Rainbow: Obviously, super-speed (as well as her reflexes and thought processes being sped up enough for her to move at full speed without accidentally hitting anything as long as she is on full alert) plus the ability to increase the strength, speed and durability of up to six friends at a time within her immediate area up to a dozenfold for six minutes (which would be a logical ability for the bearer of the Element of Loyalty)

Fluttershy: Her natural knack with animals amplified to a flat-out telepathic link (but still limited to a range of about twenty feet) plus a healing touch (the latter a logical ability for the bearer of the Element of Kindness)

As for the others, well, I'll have to get back to you.

Of course, if you DON'T like these ideas or already have better ideas (the latter of which is QUITE possible), then I profusely apologize for wasting your time.

At any rate, I'll very certainly be looking forward to more of this, but will respect if it takes a while.

[Bookpony579]

8354063
Glad you like the chapter!

And you've got it. I may end up using monsters from him, King, and Lovecraft in this and future stories, so try and see if you can spot the references!

As for the 'seventh element' thing...sorry but I've never been into that. I've always stuck with the six the show gave us, so sorry to disappoint you.

On the other hand, you almost got the part about their powers spot on. Their going to come up in future stories!

Don't worry about wasting my time. I love hearing what readers have to say!

I've also got something coming up tomorrow, so I put up another chapter tonight since I might not get back to it until Thursday.