• Member Since 22nd May, 2014
  • offline last seen Dec 26th, 2023

Soufriere


Pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, because there's bugger-all down here on Earth.

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Source

This story is a sequel to Rarity Reveals...


Mental illnesses are, by definition, invisible to the onlooker, thus often overlooked. Just because one seems fine does not make that true. Sometimes the afflicted simply need a break. Sunset Shimmer, feeling down for no explicable reason, listened to her heart and blew off school. Rarity visits on that rainy Monday afternoon to check if her best friend is okay.

This story is part of Sunset's Recovery Arc.

EDIT: Featured within half a day of its upload. :pinkiegasp: Thank you so much!! :raritystarry:

Chapters (1)
Comments ( 30 )

I liked the somber tone to this. It fit the subject matter really well and having dealt with some of what Sunny is dealing with, I give a thumbs up for representation in how you showed it. Cheers!

I personally feel like the continuity is better having had this story added. Because you’re right, recovery isn’t a straight road, and it makes it that much more real to show how we can all backslide a bit without completely having lost all progress. As I type this I’m getting parallels to Forgotten Friendship where Sunset sort of ‘backslides’ into her old antagonistic self due to stress. It doesn’t make her any less likeable, and in a lot of ways I feel like it made Sunset more understandable knowing that she didn’t simply get Rainbow Lasered and become ‘good’. That anger and antagonism is still a part of her, just one she’s working on improving. Like the Sunset in this story (good thing I’ve come full circle, because god knows if I don’t find some way to reign myself back to the topic at hand I’ll ramble on forever :pinkiecrazy:). In short, great addition, glad you decided to do it after all :twilightsmile:

I've said this before, but I really appreciate how well you write depression.

Something Sunset should consider, and may not be aware of, is that many colleges and universities have free counseling programs that are available to the public and don't require extensive IDs. Sure you'll get a student counselor, and they can't give you prescriptions, but it's significantly better than nothing. In my experience, at least, they're also quite easy to get in to.

And poor Rarity. I don't know if Sunset is straight, asexual, or just too depressed to think about romance, but either way as you say Rarity is going to explode. I hope this goes somewhere (anywhere, not necessarily romance, though I can hope) other than just frustration.

8861789 - Thank you. I try. :yay:

8861843

I personally feel like the continuity is better having had this story added. {snip} great addition, glad you decided to do it after all

Yeah, the backslide needed to happen, and not just because IRL. ATGE, the next story in the series, Sunset still rambles internally like a lunatic, but isn't really depressed per se. She just has a lot on her mind. This fic I feel should work well as a lead-in.

8861863 - I'm glad you enjoy how I write depression. I, regrettably, have a lot of firsthand knowledge. :pinkiesad2:

Something Sunset should consider, and may not be aware of, is that many colleges and universities have free counseling programs that are available to the public and don't require extensive IDs.

TBH, I hadn't thought about that even though I've taken advantage of such services myself. You wouldn't mind if I somehow incorporated this into a future entry, would you?

And poor Rarity. I don't know if Sunset is straight, asexual, or just too depressed to think about romance, but either way as you say Rarity is going to explode. I hope this goes somewhere (anywhere, not necessarily romance, though I can hope) other than just frustration.

Would it make you feel better to know I've already written two fics addressing this? I just can't publish them yet because I'm uploading in chronological order for these last few SRA entries.

8861898
It makes me feel SIGNIFICANTLY better yes :) I'll look forward to them.
And sure, go for it: it's why I mentioned it after all. Glad to give ideas.

Very. Very true in points and I know how the mind goes. Guilt, stress, repressed anger, over tasking, and more are things I deal with myself. Quite honestly, I've been told it's a blessing and a worry I've yet to have a true 'blow-up' as it were. Good that my will is strong, but bad that I can agree that if I can't vent some off at time the eventual pop will be quite the mess.

Overall, a great addition.

Always fascinating to read. Clinical and chemical depression have an odd number of similarities and differences. It’s interesting to see so many things I went through but addressed in entirely different ways.

Bonding

Neat, a new story :)
Keep going!

Woo, more SRA!

Yeah, I've been there before, and those intrusive thoughts can get really loud on days like that. It's good that Sunset has someone who can help her, and she's well enough to accept that.

I hope this eventually leads to Sunset/Rarity. Great series your writing here

As usual, my friend (if I may be so bold), you do an excellent job selling your Rarity and your Sunset. They feel relatable and quite honestly I'm a little concerned with how much I empathize with these fictional characters. In other even more concerning news, I have started naming some of my possessions. In honor of your stories my guitar has been dubbed Sunny (in no way relating to Holden Caulfield's Sunny, I swear) and I am in the process of thinking up a name for my electronic piano.

Incredible! Liked and followed.

With that, Rarity donned her boots, grabbed her umbrella, and headed out the door, making sure to shut it gently behind her. The whole time, unbeknownst to her, Sunset watched her with one eye half-open. By the time Sunset was alone again, her face had contorted into a weary smile.

Sunset, you troll:rainbowlaugh:

I absolutely love this SRA series tho. It’s not the most popular ship, but Sunset x Rarity is definitely one of my favorite Eqg pairings, it’s recently been growing on me ^_^

Keep up the good work:twilightsmile:

8863522

It’s not the most popular ship, but Sunset x Rarity is definitely one of my favorite Eqg pairings, it’s recently been growing on me ^_^

Part of me wants to take credit for this, as a significant number of fics in the Sunset×Rarity subgroup are mine. This is both amusing and a little sad, because to me the paring makes so much sense. Will they get together in the end? Or am I going to keep teasing everyone because setting up a romance was never the point? Or both? You'll have to keep reading to find out. :raritywink:

I'm so happy readers are still enjoying SRA (and adopting my acronym for it :ajsmug: ) after 2½ years of infrequent updates. Like I said, this is the first chronological update of SRA in 11 months.

8864005

Will they get together in the end? Or am I going to keep teasing everyone because setting up a romance was never the point? Or both? You'll have to keep reading to find out. :raritywink:

In all honestly, as long you continue this series with them even as just friends, it will keep me happy. I love both your writing and concepts as well as the seeing these two together, canon or fanfic. So, thank you for making my day when I see more and more Sunset and Rarity fics in the featured box! (Congrats as well!)

Like I said, this is the first chronological update of SRA in 11 months.

And wow.. after keeping up with the guide for so long, even before I had my account I did kind of pick up that besides the side stories and other things that the chronological updates were on a bit of a hiatus, though I didn’t realize it’s been that long. But again, good work and I can’t wait for the next update:pinkiehappy:

Why doesn't Sunset visit a therapist in Equestria?

8864384

Just confirming, since I don't remember, but this continuity will be continuing past SRA, right?

Yes, because it looks like I'm going to finish SRA before the Burritoverse, which shares its continuity.

However, I've been working on three long fics set in a very similar but alternate continuity (they'll be tagged AU) which I will begin posting after SRA is over. The timeline splits after "Sasha" -- which is why it's Chapter Zero -- and the difference is "Anon-A-Miss" happens in that universe but not in SRA's.

8864469
If Sunset felt comfortable enough to return to Equestria, she wouldn't need a therapist the way she does now. Upcoming SRA stories address this directly.

8864740 ...Maybe she could see an equestrian therapist once she reaches a point in the timeline where she's comfortable traveling to and from?

8864748
I will consider that for a distant post-script of take-it-or-leave-it canonicity. I can see Rarity becoming very very upset at Sunset leaving even if only for a couple days. That girl is getting clingy.

In your honour, I may have Sunset address her shoulder-spider and shoulder-cowboy. :rainbowwild:

“Whether you’re up or down, high or low, I will always be here for you,” Rarity said softly in her most serious tone. “But, I cannot read minds, you know.”

No, but Sunset can or will....in the future.:pinkiecrazy:

Really, I think it would have been better for all of this to be bundled in as chapters of a single story. Since the rules/posting guidelines do say not to post chapters of a story as individual stories.

9206521
On the one hand, you're not wrong.

On the other, I've already explained in detail why this wouldn't work with SRA and I don't want to go into it again. It is what it is and there's a 99.5% chance I won't "fix" it, though if I knew how to get in touch with a mod/admin to discuss it, I would.

9206972
I mean. Literally anyone who has a blue outline on their posts like how yours are purple is a moderator.

“Recovery is neither an easy process nor a straightforward one,” Sunset said. “It is inevitable there will be backsliding. All the patient (that’d be me) can do is keep working under the assumption that she is, in the long run, continuing to improve, even if it comes in fits and starts sometimes, with hiccups along the way, so…”

I read this and all I can think of is this:

Useless tidbit: According to my headcanon, Sunset Shimmer is somewhere between middle-aged and elderly pre-Earth. Makes her hard to ship ethically, I'll admit, but I stopped fighting my mind on such things a long time ago.

“Nothing,” replied Sunset matter-of-factly. “Everything’s dirty and I just didn’t feel like dressing. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

So she's practically naked underneath the blanket. Sigh she really needs to do her laundry more often. :ajbemused:

Sunset smiled as best she could. “I understand, and I appreciate it. I may not be able to show it well right now, but I’m happy you dropped by. It’s made my afternoon a little less boring. More importantly, it’s nice to be reminded I have someone else willing to root for me.”

That's what friends are for sunset. :twilightsmile:

With that, Rarity donned her boots, grabbed her umbrella, and headed out the door, making sure to shut it gently behind her. The whole time, unbeknownst to her, Sunset watched her with one eye half-open. By the time Sunset was alone again, her face had contorted into a weary smile.

She was faking it all along. Should of saw that coming. 😑

“She’s a good kid,” Sunset told her cup of cold tea. “Even when everything feels like it’s crashing down around me, she can make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I may not deserve a best friend like her, but I’m glad to have her around. Now, what’s on the next channel?”

Rarity cares about you more than you think sunset, and she loves you very much. :fluttershysad:

“Illegal immigrant, remember?” Sunset interjected, explaining as if this was the most obvious thing in the multiverse. “No insurance company will cover an Alien – literal in this case – like me. All the laws governing insurance and hospital rights only apply to Citizens… and of all the fake ID’s I have, none are a birth certificate. So, unless I can get into a charity clinic – and boy are the waiting lists long for those places – I’m basically left to my own devices. Huge shift from when I was living with the Princess and had access to the best doctors in Equestria without needing to spend a single Bit. But, you know, this is my reward.”

“The United States are the best country in the world!” The United States literally:

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