Ch. 38 Promises
A serene silence settled over Canterlot High's track field, the afternoon sun and the first breeze of spring already removing winter's frozen blanket one piece at a time. Sunset took in the sight with a melancholic smile as she let out a soft breath. From her perch at the top of the school's bleachers, the whole scene filled her with a hint of nervous anticipation. It was the first day of a new year, the shift of one season to another as mother nature wiped the slate of the past clean to make way for a new tomorrow. Hopefully, this would be true for her as well as she waited for her former friends.
Sunset's mind was an emotional roller coaster as she struggled to think of what she was going to say to them. Half of her wanted to lash out at them, the other wanted to hold them, to go back to the way things used to be and be friends again. An additional punch to the gut was the fact that Pinkie was missing, but both Derpy and Fluttershy told her to shelve that particular problem for later. The fact that Derpy told her that she asked Discord to handle it made that decision a million times easier to make.
Talking to her old friends on the other hand?
What am I going to say? she thought, staring blankly into the heart of the field. How can I fix this? Is there anything left to fix?
She sighed as she continued to enjoy the view, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. Some movement on the outer rim of the field caught her attention. What she saw drew a deep nervous frown across her face. Sure enough, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash made their way towards her, their gate slow and cautious as they walked. As they got closer, Sunset noticed a few things that added a hint of confusion to the emotional cocktail that ran through her heart. The first thing to earn her attention was the lack of stetson sitting on Applejack's head. Instead, her normally tied hair hung loose around her shoulders as opposed to her usual tied style. That failed to match the differences she saw in her other two former friends. Rainbow looked to have had had her hair done, the usual prismatic rat's nest now finely brushed and tied back into a ponytail. Rarity lacked any makeup, seeming to opt for a more natural form, but what held Sunset's attention the most about her appearance was the fact that her normal regal curl was replaced by a delicate braid with what looked like a teal ribbon weaved into it draped over her left shoulder.
Swallowing a nervous lump in her throat, she stood tall from her seat and looked down at them. Her face was a stony mask that hid her anxiety from the walking girls, a similar look of resolve decorating their faces as they closed the distance. In time, the three girls stood five feet before the bleachers with Sunset still staring down at them like a judge overseeing court. A depiction that Sunset felt was rather fitting, depending on how this meeting went.
She expected her feet to feel heavy as she made her way down from her perch. She expected to feel a cold dread as she looked into the Rainboom's eyes. She expected her heart to start pounding in her chest at the thought of speaking to the girls that became the straw that broke the camel's back. The Sunset from two weeks ago would've experienced all of that and so much more, but she wasn't that person anymore. She was done feeling spite. She was done feeling fear. Most of all, she was done feeling trapped in the bitter past of the year prior.
As her feet crunched into the loose snow beyond the bleachers, Bonbon's words echoed in her head like a soft song.
"You need to tell them how you feel, but you don't want to be malicious or cruel, right?" she asked, taking a sip of her shake.
Sunset nodded.
"Then be blunt. Tell them how you feel and what you want, but make sure you hear their side of things too."
"I-I don't know if it's that simple," Sunset wilted.
"You'd be surprised," Bonbon shrugged. "Sometimes you need to put it all out there to move past a problem. You can't fix something if parts of it is hidden, right?"
A heavy silence filled the air as the girls locked eyes, neither sure how or who should start. Sunset took advantage of the calm to organize her thoughts, choosing her words carefully as she examined how she really felt about the girls. In time, Applejack stepped forward and broke the silence.
"Before anything else, Ah think you and Ah need to settle somethin'."
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, a flat tone hiding her concern as to where the farm girl was going with this.
Applejack closed her eyes and said, "Hit me."
"What?" Sunset sputtered, literally taken aback a step as she gawked at her.
"Ah've attacked ya, spat on your trust, and let ya' fall when ya' were supposed ta' be family. Way Ah see it, a black eye's the least Ah owe ya' for everything Ah've done."
Sunset blinked dumbly for a second, then straightened her posture as she stared at the ground. Her hands turned into trembling fists as she thought about Applejack's offer. Slowly, she raised her head and leveled a sharp glare at the farmer as she closed the distance between them, stoping half a foot away from her.
She saw Applejack's closed eyes twitch a bit as she waited for the fiery teen to do the deed. What she did instead made her brows raise. Sunset gently placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder, the unexpectedly soft contact shocking the farm girl's eyes open.
"You hurt me," Sunset said, voice just short of a whisper. "All of you did. You, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, even Fluttershy. All of you abandoned me when I needed you most and it hurt so much. But do you know what hurts even more?"
Applejack shook her head, as did the rest of her shocked group.
Applejack's shock doubled as Sunset pulled her into a gentle embrace and with tears leaking past her eyes said, "Not having you girls in my life."
Applejack froze, eyes wide as she struggled to process what was happening. She expected things to go in a completely different direction. Even as she stood there she was sure that Sunset would lash out at her, give her the very same vitriol she gave her a few days ago in the halls. She came to the field today ready to take a punch for her crimes, but now she found herself being gently embraced by the same person she hurt so deeply. Applejack's hands trembled as she returned the hug, her face contorting in agony as she let her tears slip past her defenses.
"A-Ah'm so sorry," Applejack gasped, her words trembling just as much as her shoulders.
"I know," Sunset sniffled, a small smile gracing her lips as she let the farmer soak her shoulder with her tears. "And I forgive you."
That earned a gasp out of the two remaining girls in the group, both staring at her with shock filled wide eyes. Rarity's hands drifted to her mouth as a teary-eyed smile took shape underneath. Rainbow quickly regained her composure and gave Sunset a guilty frown as she put her sins into words.
"Why aren't you yelling at us. We...We almost killed you. Hell, I almost sicked a mob on you. Why don't you hate us?!"
Sunset's smile faded into a tired frown as she let go of Applejack, the farmer reluctantly doing the same as she staggered away from her wiping her eyes.
"Because it wasn't your faults. Not all of it anyways."
The three girls gaped at that as Sunset took a deep breath before continuing.
"Your sisters and Scootaloo made Anon-a-Miss and are facing the consequences for their actions. Some students gave them secrets and are already gone. You three got tricked, just like all the rest. Yeah, you all messed up, but I think you've been punished enough."
With a sad smile, she said, "I know more than anyone how bad your own guilt can punish you."
"Sunset," Rarity gasped, tears choking her as she wiped away tears with trembling hands.
"Don't get me wrong," she sighed. "I know that things can never be exactly the same between us and things are going to be a bit shaky between us for a while, but I'm willing to get through all of that if you all are."
With that, she opened her arms to the two girls, a warm smile gracing her lips as she took in her soon-to-be friend's shaky smiles.
"What do you say? Want to start over?"
The two girls nodded before taking a hesitant step towards her, then practically tackled the girl to the ground as they accepted her offered hug. The slush and her thick jacket turned the fall into a minor inconvenience as Sunset blinked in shock at the sky for a few seconds before she closed her arms around her friends.
"Welcome back girls," she whispered, closing her eyes with a small smile.
"Glad to be back Sugarcube," Applejack said softly as she stood over her friends. "Glad to be back."
***
A slow breeze drifted through the air, the scent of flowers thick in its heart. Applebloom groaned where she laid as her eyes fluttered open. What she saw shocked her out of her momentary grogginess as she staggered to her feet. She was in the middle of a wide black flower field, a pitch-black sky hovering over her like a dreaded reaper as she took in the eery sight. A shiver ran down her spine as a chilled wind washed over her, its soft whistle the only sound in the seemingly empty world.
Wh-Where am Ah? she thought, wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled in fear and the cold.
A pair of groans behind her made her jump and turn around, her mind already conjuring countless images of horrors slithering under the flowers. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw two familiar girls stagger to their feet.
"Thank goodness," she sighed, chuckling weakly as her friends rubbed their eyes.
"Applebloom?" Scootaloo asked, groggy eyes turning towards her friend. "What are you doing in my room?"
"Ditto," Sweetie yawned.
"Ah'm not," Applebloom said, taking nervous looks around. "Neither are ya'll. Ah don't know where we are."
"Huh?" both girls said in groggy unison as they pulled their hands away from their faces.
It was then that they gave their surroundings a proper look over. A look of pure dread crept onto Sweetie's face while confusion graced Scootaloo's. Except for the rustling of the flowers, no sounds greeted the three girls as they struggled to make sense of their situation. A soft, feminine chuckling made them jump as they rapidly looked around for its source.
"Be at ease children," a woman's voice gently said from the aether. "I mean you no harm."
"Wh-Who are ya'?" Applebloom demanded, a flimsy mask of courage hiding her fear as she looked around.
"One who wishes to help you," the voice said, a light chuckle echoing behind it.
"H-Help us?" Sweetie squeaked. "How?"
"Yeah!" Scootaloo added with a scowl as she pulled her nervous friend into a tight hug. "No offense, but I don't trust someone that hides in the dark."
A moment of silence, then Scootaloo felt a set of fingers settle onto the top of her head as the voice purred, "Very well. Is this better?"
Scootaloo and Sweetie yelped in shock as they leaped out of the hand's grip and spun to face its owner. Standing before them was a tall woman dressed in an elegant black gown. Her complexion was as smooth as polished ivory with the same color to match. Her hair was a graceful curtain of black curls that framed her stunning face with the same delicate grace her gown did for her figure. Her golden eyes stared down at the girls with mirth and a small glow that was further accented by her black sclera. She tittered behind a black gloved hand at the startled look the girls gave her before giving them a soft smile.
"My apologies children," she smiled. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Wh-Who...what are you?" Sweetie asked.
The woman's smile grew a touch at that.
"I am Nightshade, a fairy that helps children when they need it most."
The three girls gave Nightshade cautious looks, lowering their guards slightly.
"Okay?" Scootaloo frowned. "What took you so long to get to us?"
Nightshade gave them a dejected sigh as she frowned at the ground.
"I am sorry. I wanted to, but I am the last of my kind and I had another to tend to. Please understand, it was never my intention to ignore you three. I just couldn't leave Sunset Shimmer to her own devices."
"Sunset?" Sweetie gasped. "You were helping Sunset?"
Nightshade nodded, her lips pulled into a sheepish smile as she looked down at the children.
"The poor child needed friends, more so then ever. Thanks to my magic, the right people found her before it was too late. Now that she is in a better place, I can finally help you three."
As she said that, she held out her hand to the three girls. In her palm sat three dark purple gems, each cut into the shape of a diamond and glowing with a faint light.
"What are those?" Applebloom asked cautiously.
"Special gems born from my magic," Nightshade smiled. "With these, you can take away a person's pain. Just by being near you, all of their sadness will weaken to the point of management."
"They can take people's sadness away?" Sweetie gasped, staring at the gems with wide eyes.
"Not forever or completely," Nightshade clarified. "Nothing can do that I'm afraid, but it should help them heal."
Scootaloo gave the gems a skeptical frown, then aimed it at Nightshade as she asked, "What's the catch?"
Nightshade giggled at that and said, "Nothing beyond a time limit. The gems may be powerful, but they can only absorb sadness for so long. When the time comes that they can no longer function, they will shatter and disappear along with what they've taken."
Scootaloo nodded, still giving the gems a nervous frown.
"I don't know," she whispered. "Something about this doesn't feel right.
Nightshade's smile wilted a bit at that.
"I understand your concern, but think of what you can do with these. Your sisters, family, and everyone around you will be happier. You could take away the pain of countless people everyday, just by walking down the street."
"Why don't you use these yourself?" Sweetie asked, her eyes transfixed on the glowing gems.
"I would, but sadly I can't leave this field," she sighed, gesturing to the open field with her free hand. "It is only through your dreams that I can bring you to this place."
"Oh," Sweetie cringed, giving the fairy a sympathetic smile.
Nightshade gave her an understanding nod before tilting her head down towards her hand and the gems resting in her palm. They stared down at the gems with trepidation, something about the whole arrangement not feeling right. It was all too perfect, too convenient that something like this could come to them. At the same time, they couldn't deny that the temptation was there. They remembered what falling to that temptation had done to Sunset, how it turned her into a monster that nearly doomed them all. Then they remembered the damage they dealt to the people closest to them, the sorry state their sisters and mentor were left in a week ago. If it helped them recover faster, wasn't the risk worth it?
Sweetie took a deep breath, her decision made as she grabbed ahold of one of the gems. Scootaloo and Applebloom gawked at her as she took the gem and held it tightly in her hand as she met their look with a determined one of her own. Applebloom's shock turned into understanding as with a small nod she took a gem. Scootaloo stared down at the remaining gem with a nervous frown, her mind at war with itself as she debated wether or not this was the best decision. Then, with a shaky hand, she reached forward and accepted the offered stone. Nightshade gave them a warm smile as she let her hand fall limply to her side.
"Thank you children," she sighed happily. "May you return home with new hope and a brighter tomorrow."
With that the three girls vanished, their spirits returning to their bodies as the connection to Lily's pocket dimension was severed. The Wraith let out a pleased sigh as she took a few steps forward, a simple wave of her hand dispelling the concealment hiding her throne from her world as she approached it. A weary groan slipped past her lips as she slumped into it and leaned back. All the while, she felt her hunger start to fade, the link between her and her children giving her exactly what she needed to retain her sanity.
"Eat well my children," she sighed, a content smile gracing her lips. "Grow strong. Then our true prey will be ours."
***
All was still in the Castle of Friendship, the late hour wrapping all in the peace of Luna's domain. Bathed in the night's shadows, a pink Earth Pony navigated the castle's empty halls, thick fabric wrapped around her hooves keeping her steps muffled as she walked. Her ears twitched frantically as they took note of every sound like a rabbit in a fox den. Every cell in her body was on high alert as she made her way towards the room the portal was stored.
So far so good, she thought as she rounded a corner into another hall.
"Are you sure they're still in their rooms?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper that would've made Fluttershy sound like a police siren.
"Yes," Tattle said. "I can sense their connections to the Dreamscape. If that changes, I will tell you immediately."
"Thanks," she whispered.
In spite of Tattle's reassurances, Pinkie remained tense as she crept through the silent halls. Just as Fluttershy had told her, the castle had no guards or staff to watch out for. This was a huge relief for her, as it was harder for her to consciously gap walk in a building she was unfamiliar with. She could wright a book about all of the mishaps she had at her shelter before she memorized the castle's layout. A soft snort slipped past her lips as she remembered a particularly embarrassing situation in the kitchen. She still couldn't figure why there was a room full of fake mustaches in the castle.
In time, she found the door that lead to the room holding her way home. She took a deep breath and with shaky hooves pulled it open. She carefully crept into the room and slowly closed it behind her. When she turned to face the portal, she felt a strange mix of trepidation and wonder. Like Fluttershy described, the portal was a mirror connected to three large, rectangular machines with a near exact copy of Sunset's journal set on top of the mirror by an alter-like connector. Slowly, Pinkie walked towards the portal, a part of her not sure if this was really happening.
Finally, she was going to go home. She was going to see her family. She was going to see her friends. She could finally do what she needed to do to patch things up between her and Sunset.
As she stood in front of the mirror, her indecisive reflection looking back at her, a single thread of doubt kept her from running through the portal with everything she had.
"Are you sure you'll be safe?" she asked.
"Yes," Tattle chuckled. "The creatures of your world sleep and dream. Therefor, a Dreamscape exists there as well. It will take time for me to link with it, but so long as I stay in your mindscape I should be perfectly safe."
"Okay," she sighed. "I just want to make sure."
"I understand," he chuckled. "Now, shall we?"
"Yeah," she smiled. "Time to go home."
With that, she walked forward into the mirror. The second she made contact with the portal, a sharp jolt ran through her and a force pushed her a foot back with a yelp. She stared wide-eyed at her reflection, a small burn mark on her forehead where she made contact with it. Cold dread crept into her heart as she struggled to process what had happened.
"No," she stammered, her legs shaky as she approached the portal. "No. No. NO!"
She brought her left hoof into the portal, another jolt of electricity shooting through her from the contact. She grit her teeth as she held back a scream, refusing to let the limb leave the portal's surface. She pushed forward with everything she had, the pain growing as the limb forced its way into the portal inch by agonizing inch. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as the pain grew, bolts of blue lightning flying past her as she fought against the portal's push. White hot pain racked her brain as she managed to get her whole left foreleg through up to her shoulder. Her throat felt raw as an agonize wail tore itself free from her mouth, the smell of burnt leather, fabric, hair, and meat the only thing she could register as she pushed herself forward.
NO! I NEED TO GET HOME! MY SISTERS NEED ME! I NEED TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN SUNSET AND ME! I MADE A PROMISE! MOM! DAD! MAUD! LIMESTONE! MARBLE! SUNSET!
"I... MADE... A... PROMISE!!!"
Suddenly, the force pushing against her became too much for her to fight against and like a stone in a slingshot, she flew back into the wall by the door. A new pain welcomed her as her head slammed into the wall, the corners of her vision turning dark as the world spun around her. She heard Tattle's voice, but failed to register what he was saying as her world blurred. A lavender blur materialized in front of her, but that was of minimal concern to her. She was dimly aware of a wet feeling on the side of her head as everything faded to black.
I....promised....I'm sorry....Fluttershy....
Stats
Page generated in 0.023 seconds
Total duration
995 users online
2,239,100 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.®
Lily is actually insane.
Very few characters I've read about have been as despicable as her.
Unexpected developments. Also a surprisingly nuanced approach from the white one. Overwhelming hunger seems to make for good focus on her part.
Ah, a chapter in three parts. Three is my favorite number after all.
I credit this to Sunset as wisdom, forgiveness is always better than grudge-keeping. with this we shall have a mending of wounds and a regrowth of friendship, all shall prosper from this.
A gift freely given and freely accepted is a matter of significance, trust and a lack of coercion will serve to protect this secret. The saying is true, you will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, well-raised children will trust a kind and gentle soul. After all, this is a magical world, yes? Fairies are real here.
Hmm, my memory fails me. Did Twilight ward the portal, or is this something else's doing? A bad business in either case, the convalescence on this one is not going to be pleasant.
I think this will not end well and the gems will only make the suffering worse. I hope in the end the Terran CMC will not be held accountable and be given therapy over this.
Whelp, time to call in the special forces. Let's lock and load boys.
i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/321/580/2c7.jpg
10031979
I wouldn't trust Soviet Womble with ANY important job ever
"a bitch-black sky"????
Was that intentional? Because that's rutting hilarious!
10032058
God damn it, I don't know why that keeps happening!
10032074
Because technically it's spelled correctly, so autocorrect didn't alert you? Happens all the time.
Are the Terrans still in Equestria?
10032096
No.
Nice to see Sunset and the three remaining Rainbooms reconciling and starting to heal things between them.
On another note:
welp, one step forward, two steps back, it seems.
Also:
Yeah, no. Lily.
You'll always be insane.
Mainly because:
something just tells me that you and your "children" are going to be in for a very nasty shock and surprise (of the very fiery, dragony variety, as well as the Pinkie Pie variety when the time comes.
And I am going to laugh my ass off at you when it does.
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!
Don't get me wrong: I'm stoked that Sunset and the Rainbooms made up, a nice fresh start, but the poor CMC are being used and this will very likely reawaken their guilt tenfold once all is said and done. And poor T!Pinkie...what went wrong?
Twilight will fix things, I'm sure of it. T!Pinkie is finally gonna get some help "gives poor T!Pinkie a hug"
You've got a super-rich story here, my friend. I look forward to seeing more :)
That ending got me.... Poor Pinkie, being in an unknown world for so long, being reunited with a friend, and all that she couldn't go home... What now?
10032117
So is just Twilight and Spike then.
10032217
Yep.
10031710
If they survive. Lily feeds of guilt, and the CMC learning they've been eating at people's wills and likely made them even more miserable as a result is going to turn them into either the tastiest of snacks, or genuine children of her.
And whew, looks like we're finally nearing an end of Pinkie's runaway paranoia regarding alicorns. Twilight has already found her, and I'll buy and eat a hat if Tattle doesn't go running to his mother to get help for his girlfriend.
Poor T Pinkie, things just seem to be out to get her.
Nice psychological trick by Lily
10032927
Well, there's a reason she's known as Lily of the Velvet Tongue.
10032931
True enough, and she didn't even lie, just told the truth very creatively.
me @ Lily
media3.giphy.com/media/37QUm3DmoSiA9uk96I/giphy.gif
10033220
10032020
Not to worry, I have a backup team on standby.
i.pinimg.com/originals/57/e3/85/57e38577e50b341fa1ff74766c7913dc.jpg
i.imgur.com/8pucmhp.jpg
I am very worried that she won't be able to use that foreleg anymore.
10096685
I’m new to the gam. I’ve had a bunch of old cards for a while a friend of mine taught me the basics. The deck I pieced together is more of a white deck that uses protection circles to keep my opponent from getting a chance to attack. The problem with it is that I don’t have any strong creatures to use to win a game.
10097007
A year of nonstop love with somepony (literally) hotter than the sun.
10096720
that rough man, I recommend you get a couple theros packs or order victory's envoy, she puts a 1+/1+ counter on all other creatures at each upkeep phase. mix in some creatures/spells that create tokens and you got yourself one powerful and fun deck.
10097356
Thanks for the tips, I’ll see what I can do about getting that set up.
It's a beautiful night. Crickets are chirping, the moon is shining. On a night like tonight b!tchs like Lily SHouLD bE buRNinG IN HELL!
10367155
Agreed!
Likely Pinky Pie left them in case of mustache emergencies.