Sunset in the Rain
The park was old but well-maintained, with shelters and camping spots, several swing sets here and there, a couple of lakes for fishing and one for boating. There were paved roads crisscrossing the place, and neatly encircling each lake.
The one that allowed boats had a pier.
On that pier sat a figure, irregularly silhouetted by the storm.
In her hand was a gun.
And as the lightning flashed and the wind and rain tore at their hair and clothes, six young women strode down the pier towards her.
She sat with her back against a pile, away from shore, facing to the side out towards the water. She didn’t seem to see or hear them as they approached. Her jeans were torn, her boots were worn, her jacket sported multiple patches. The rain had plastered her red and gold mohawk down across the side of her head. She looked thin, almost birdlike as she stared out over the water.
The old revolver in her hand glinted dully in the lightning’s flare.
Sunset stopped, and her friends halted behind her. Her own leather jacket whipped in the rain, her hair moving dully, weighed down by water.
“I’m here,” she said. “Why don’t you use that thing again.”
The smaller girl slowly looked over at her, then back out over the water.
“I said, why don’t you try that shit again?” demanded Sunset.
This time, the girl barely gave her a glance.
“Fuck off.”
Sunset stomped down the walkway at her counterpart, fists clenched. Behind her, Rarity and Rainbow Dash nodded to one another. One friend had already been shot; they weren’t about to let it happen again.
There was a dull clatter and a sliding sound, and something dark and heavy skidded to a stop at Sunset’s feet.
The revolver.
Sunset kicked it back to her. “Pick it up.”
“Fuck you.”
“I said pick it up!”
The other Sunset pulled herself to her feet. She reached down, picked the gun up. “So you’re here to finish me off, huh? Make it look good? This is how it ends?” She shrugged, smoothed her mohawk back more-or-less into line. “Fine. Why not. Just one question first.”
Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Just what the hell are you, really?”
Sunset glanced back at her friends, then at her counterpart. “I’m Sunset Shimmer.”
Something in the other girl snapped.
“No!”
In an instant, the gun was up again and she was firing, rapid shots, five rounds in less than a second and then clicking again and again on empty shells, all the while screaming, “No! No, you’re not! I’m Sunset Shimmer! I’m Sunset Shimmer, you lying, cowardly bitch!”
Between them, a diamond-like shield had deflected the bullets, sending them out to the water.
The smaller Sunset stared. “You… you’ve got magic powers, too? On top of everything else…” For a moment, she started to chuckle incredulously, then shook her head. “You know what, I… I don’t even care anymore. Fuck it. Fuck everything.”
But Sunset was moving again. “I care,” she snarled, tackling the smaller girl, bringing her down.
For several seconds they rolled and grappled in the rain, throwing punches, sliding on the slick wood beneath them. The other Rainbooms couldn’t tell who was winning, if either of them was, or even tell them much apart in the darkness and falling rain.
“Lying bitch! I’ll kill you!”
“You shot her!”
“It should’ve been you!”
“Why? Why did you do it?”
“Because you fucking stole my life, you fucking cunt!”
There was more slippery fumbling in the darkness. A cry of pain, several grunts, and something skittered along the width of the pier. The moonlight caught its glint just enough to reveal it to be a knife before it vanished into the water.
Lightning flared again, illuminating them both. Sunset with a full head of hair, standing again with feet wide apart, holding the other Sunset in a choke hold, forearm rotated tight against her jaw. The girl’s boots slid rapidly and uncontrolled along the rain-soaked planks, her arms flailing wildly. Panic had set in. It wouldn’t be long now.
In the distance, over the rain, Sunset could hear more struggling. Yelling. That would be Fluttershy. The others were probably holding her back. Sunset couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she could guess. Still, as her counterpart’s flailing became more panicked, and then weaker and more irregular, Sunset felt a grim, cold triumph.
Die, you murderous bitch… you tried to take everything from me… she almost died because of you… you wanted this… just die, stop struggling and fucking DIE…!
Then, one of the other girl’s hands gripped Sunset’s wrist. And with that contact, the world fell away for just an instant as her own power forced scattered fragments of the other girl’s life into her mind.
How many times have I told you, you stupid brat? Dummy, dummy, dummy! What, did you hafta take lessons to be this stupid…?
What the hell is this supposed to be? Some kinda horse? You crazy, girl? That your fuckin’ problem…?
It’s for your own good, sweetheart. Be best if you’d just stop fighting…
Lying bitch! I know what you’re up to…!
Hey, girl, you got it? Jus’ lookin’ to get a little spin goin’, you know…?
I’m sorry, Miss Shimmer, but you can’t take the placement tests twice. Besides, it looks like you aced them the first time, why would you take them again…?
With a cry, Sunset released her enemy, dropping to her knees. The other girl gave a long, horrific gasp, rolled on her back, then onto her hands and knees, still gasping for air, coughing, struggling to stay conscious.
“Nobody touch her!” Sunset cried as her friends approached. “I don’t… care what she does or says… nobody hurts her.”
“What...” the other Sunset wheezed, “what the fuck... did you just do?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Sunset said, crawling over to her. “You’re coming with us. You’re going to talk to the girl you shot.”
The other Sunset looked at her in pure horror. “I can’t--”
“You shut up! This isn’t about you! Or me!” Still on her hands and knees, Sunset pointed at Fluttershy. “That’s what one of the best friends anyone could ever have has been trying to tell me this whole time! I was just too pissed off, too stubborn, and too fucking arrogant to listen.”
She leaned in close, and hissed through gritted teeth, “This is about a girl who never did anything to you, lying in a hospital bed. You almost killed her.” When the other Sunset looked away, she grabbed her face and forced her to look at her. “She has the right to know why!”
The mohawked girl opened her mouth, then shut it and looked down, ashamed. Then, she nodded. “Okay,” she said, completely defeated. “Okay. You’re right. Just...”
“No.” Forcing herself up, Sunset grabbed her counterpart by the jacket and dragged her to her feet. “No easy way out for you, Sunset,” she snarled. “You’re coming with us, right now. You’re going to look her in the eye. You’re going to tell her everything.” She shoved the smaller girl, staggering, towards Applejack, who caught her easily.
“And then, you’re going to live with what you’ve done.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.018 seconds
Total duration
646 users online
955,655 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
It's a better conclusion than I'd assumed at first.
9077442
Well, thank you. One of the advantages of dealing with characters who are both smart and essentially compassionate.
THANK you. This actually addresses how Human Sunset’s life is affected by Pony Sunset’s presence.
9077748
I don't get it.
9077942
It could have been interesting, I admit. Not just hiding the body and dealing with the guilt later on, but also facing Twilight about it later, and her reaction to what they had done. Seeing how it affected the relationship between Sunset and Twilight... not to mention the Rainbooms as a whole. It could easily have torn them all apart, in a variety of ways. Friendships shattering over time, tortured dreams, self harm... who knows?
But I had someplace i wanted to go with this tale, and this was the best way to get there, I think. Glad you’re still enjoying it.
9078171
...Yyyyeah, glad it didn't go that far.
9078171
IF you're ever in mood for some extra-dark writing, an alternate ending to this chapter and story would be interesting!
9174905
I do have an alternative ending rattling around in my head from time to time, actually. It’s... pretty cold. If I ever actually write the beast down I’ll send it to you.