I Am a Monster

by J3sterking

Obsession

Sunset knocked a few times on the door to Rainbow Dash's house, hoping her friend was up already. Thankfully, she was, and with a sigh of relief on Sunset's part, the door was soon opened.

Rainbow Dash was wearing a light jacket over her pajamas, but didn't otherwise look like she'd just gotten out of bed. Of course, there was the strong possibility that she had simply chosen to not get out of her pajamas since she got up an hour or so ago, made more likely by the lazy Saturday morning.

"Sunset?" she asked. Seeing the relief on her friend's face, she immediately burst out with, "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, well...nothing major, anyway. I just wanted to talk. If...if you have the--"

"Please, I get enough shyness from Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said, elbowing her. "Come on in, it's cold out and we don't use the AC much to save money."

Sunset followed her friend into the house, and listening to the sound of grease popping. "Mom's making some breakfast, if you want some," Rainbow Dash said loudly--presumably so her mother could hear.

"Bacon and eggs!" the voice called from where Sunset assumed the kitchen was.

"Uh--I don't eat bacon, but I'd take the eggs, if it's not too much trouble," Sunset answered.

The loud popping sound made Sunset wince, but she ignored it. Rainbow Dash plopped down on the living room sofa, turning the TV down. She gestured to a spare seat, saying, "Come on in! Mi casa es su casa!" She paused. "At least, I think that's how it's said."

Sunset nodded. "Yeah, I picked up that much Spanish at least, though, admittedly, the other human world languages I picked up are French, German, and Japanese."

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "I have enough trouble with what little Spanish I know, and you're saying you learned three languages?"

"Plus a few in Equestria--Old Ponish, Draconic, and Templar," she said with a shrug. "Though, it's been so long, I've forgotten most of the last two, though I still sometimes write in Old Ponish."

Rainbow Dash let out a whistle. "You are awesome. In a nerdy, egg-headed way, but still awesome."

"Speaking of e-eggs," Rainbow Dash's mother said, stepping into the room. She put Rainbow's plate in front of her, and then a plate with two fried eggs on it in front of Sunset. "I learned how to cook for vegetarians during Fluttershy's visits. Fried in coconut oil!"

"Thank you," Sunset said, ignoring how viciously Rainbow Dash was tearing into her meal. Sunset bit her lip, trying to figure out how to word the next part. "So, um, Rainbow, I...uh...was actually wanting to talk...about Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash devolved into a sudden coughing fit. She took a moment to recover, then said, "Finally. I've been waiting for you to ask me about her for, like, a week."

"You...you have?"

"Duh! I'm not stupid! Several of the other girls have also noticed the way Fluttershy's been looking at you."

"So I'm not crazy," Sunset muttered.

"That makes one of you," Rainbow Dash snorted.

Sunset blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

Rainbow sighed. "Okay, this is gonna sound out of the blue, but work with me, here. I know the old you did not do friends, but what about romance?"

"Well, no, not really, except for Flash, which was mostly me mooching off his popularity..." She trailed off abruptly. "I do not like where you're going with this."

Rainbow Dash laughed. "Well, look at it this way. She goes even more silent than usual whenever you're near. She's been following you around a bunch. She's--"

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Sunset interrupted. "I--Rainbow, I--I picked on her almost more than anyone else! And now--sweet Celestia, you're trying to--she's--" She let out a frustrated, unintelligible cry. "She's not into me!"

"Well, what else could it be? She's stalking you because she's a vampire wanting to drink your blood?" Rainbow Dash snorted.

Sunset blinked. "Vampire...how...how could I not see it? It makes so much sense!"

Rainbow Dash sighed. "Sunset, you should really consider moving to the real world, y'know."

"Rainbow Dash, I'm a mother-bucking unicorn from another dimension," Sunset snapped. "Do not lecture me about the 'real world'!"

"Uh--fair point," Rainbow said. "Let's look at it this way. Are there vampires in Equestria?"

"Well, yeah, I get that," Sunset said slowly. "Let's look at this for real for a second. I'm sure there's an explanation, but Fluttershy being in love with me is not it."

Rainbow Dash let out an exasperated groan. "Okay, you're in denial. Here's an idea: how about you, me, and her all hang out at your place? We can see about it then, hmm?"

"Well, she has been helping me with my, uh, gamer temper."

"Did she crouch?"

"Yeah..."

Rainbow winced. "You poor thing."

Sunset nodded. "A-anyway, I can ask her if she wants to hang out tomorrow, or the day after, and if she'd mind if I invited you along with!"

"She's usually free on Sunday," Rainbow said. "Come on! It'll be great! Call her now!"

Sunset had her phone out before she really had a chance to think about it. Her doubts appeared to late to save her, as Fluttershy picked up the phone quickly. "Heeeelloooo?" she drawled out slowly. There was an odd staticky sound from the phone, almost sounding like the wind.

"Hey, um, I was just wanting to know--well, I was talking with Rainbow and I--um--"

Rainbow Dash slapped her forehead loudly.

"Sorry, hold on," Fluttershy said. Sunset heard something, almost like the sound of a lightweight box being dropped, and the wind abruptly stopped. "Um, sorry, but could you--repeat that? I, uh, didn't really hear..."

"No worries," Sunset said, calming her nerves. "I was just wanting to know if you'd like to hang out with Rainbow and I soon. Like, tomorrow? Or--the next day?"

"We could do it today," Fluttershy said eagerly. She cleared her throat. "Uh, I mean, if--if you didn't have any other plans."

"No, today is fine," Sunset said. My heart's not racing, it is not racing, she just wants to hang out...

"I'll bring some snacks! Would five be good? Whose house?" She paused. "Oh, um, sorry, I, uh, got a little excited there."

"M-my place," Sunset stammered. Rainbow Dash, close enough to hear every word, covered her mouth so Fluttershy couldn't hear her laughing. "Does...five sound good?"

"S-sure," Fluttershy stammered. "Rainbow Dash was showing up? That's great! We could all sit and talk together..."

"Yeah, uh, great," Sunset cleared her throat. "See you then?"

The wind interference suddenly picked up again. "Sure thing." Fluttershy hung up.

Rainbow Dash finally cut loose, developing into a full-on burst of hysterical laughter. Sunset just sighed. "Shut up."

Fluttershy put up her phone, then turned to the sky and sighed. Her immediate thought had been how Sunset had helped take her mind off her troubles, and she remembered too late why spending time near her was a bad idea.

She sighed again. Sunset needed help from Fluttershy. Fluttershy just had to muscle through it and help her.

She looked out over the city, from her vantage point on top of a large building. At least with Rainbow Dash there, nothing too bad was likely to happen. Right?

Sunset felt like she was being watched. She'd seen Fluttershy every other time, so it made no sense that she wouldn't catch her this time, right? Besides, Fluttershy would probably be getting ready. There was no reason why she'd be here following her.

She probably wasn't. Sunset was certainly being paranoid.

"Hello, space cadet!" a voice shouted right beside her ear.

She let out a shriek, jumping back to see a sheepish, yet still grinning broadly, Vinyl Scratch. Octavia, right behind her, rolled her eyes. "Really, Vinyl, must you?"

"Yes," Vinyl said without missing a beat.

Sunset let out a quiet chuckle, the edge of her fear dimming. "Hey, guys," she said awkwardly. "Funny seeing you here, eh?"

"Are you alright?" Vinyl asked, lowering her glasses. Her red eyes looked Sunset up and down, clearly concerned. "You seem rattled."

"Just a little," Sunset admitted.

"Here, come on!" Vinyl took her hand, dragging her along with more strength than Sunset would have assumed. "We can hang out at my place and you can tell me all about it!"

"I've got places to be," Sunset stammered. "Getting ready for hanging out--"

"You can do that at my place!" Vinyl said.

"Octavia, help," Sunset begged.

Octavia considered. "You know, I'm not sure. My own schedule is just so full..."

"Yeah! She was gonna hang out with us!" Vinyl said. "Allons-ee!"

Sunset quickly found herself sitting in the most weirdly decorated house she'd ever seen. Split perfectly along the center, one half was decorated in lighter, day-like colors, and the other half was deep blues. She somehow felt certain that Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had a house decorated in the same style, but ignored that thought.

The building had almost no rooms to speak of, instead just having appliances strewn about wherever amidst the household clutter. On what she assumed was Octavia's house was a massive stand for her classical violin(which was probably a lot more expensive than she assumed) and on Vinyl's side, a massive DJ set up.

Vinyl had dropped her on the sofa, which was in the center of the house. Even the sofa couldn't ignore the sharp dividing line, dyed half blue and half yellow. It was like someone had decided upon a theme before checking to see if it looked good, but then stubbornly refused to change their mind.

"'Tavi's setting up tea, so we can talk while you have a nice hot drink in your hands," Vinyl said. "What time were you hanging out with your other friends?"

"Five."

"Oh, you've got plenty of time," Vinyl said reassuringly. "It's only three-thirty."

Sunset nodded. "I guess."

"So do I. I guess that you mostly just didn't want to talk about what was bothering you?" Vinyl asked, grinning.

Sunset grimaced. "That obvious?"

"Kinda."

"You did seem to be immensely troubled," 'Tavi' said from the stove. Sunset wouldn't have dared call it a kitchen--it was simply situated on Octavia's half of the house. She noted that the microwave was on Vinyl's side, right next to a small pile of frozen pizza boxes. Hopefully, they were empty boxes. "I thought you might need a minute to talk it out."

Sunset sighed. "It's...really weird."

Vinyl grinned. "Oh, me and weird have been friends for a long time, Sunset."

Sunset smiled. "Alright." She began to explain the situation. She watched carefully as Vinyl's smile slowly faded, and the DJ adopted a poker face. By the end, Vinyl had taken off her signature glasses, and, having wiped them off, set them on the small table in between the sofa and the TV.

Vinyl put her hands together, leaning slightly forward in thought.

"Is everything alright?" Sunset asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"Just thinkin'," Vinyl said slowly. "There are...some things I was told in confidence, so...trying to work that out."

Sunset felt her heart hammering against her chest.

"So, you should probably tell her the truth, right?" Vinyl said finally.

"That...I just want to be friends?" Sunset said slowly. "What if she gets her feelings hurt?"

"I mean, that sounds like it would happen one way or another, that would happen eventually anyway," Vinyl muttered.

"The truth never hurt anyone," Octavia said slowly. "Rainbow Dash is going to be there too, right?"

Sunset nodded.

"Then she can help in case things get too...awkward to progress properly," Octavia said.

"I'm still half of the mind that Rainbow and I are both overreacting," Sunset said slowly.

Vinyl said nothing, just sitting there leaning forward, hands over her mouth.

"You're tea is going to get cold," Octavia said.

Vinyl sighed. "Well, I think you should just be honest with Fluttershy," she put in. "That seems to be the only good advice for situations like this, right?"

Sunset nodded slowly.

"I'll give it some thought, see if I can't come up with better advice," Vinyl said. "But for now, I think you should get ready. I also have a music piece I've been prepping for the CHS Musical Showcase here soon. Maybe clean up a bit before your guests arrive?"

"Yeah..." Sunset said slowly. She couldn't help but feel like she was being brushed off, but...something was wrong with the whole conversation. Something just slightly off.

"Do you need a ride?" Octavia asked, breaking her train of thought.

"No, I wouldn't ask you--"

Octavia waved off her concern with an indignant sound. "My mother taught me better than to invite guests over and not properly see them home!" She rose, striding to the door confidently. "It was pleasant having you, Sunset."

"Uh--thanks," Sunset said. "A pleasure to see you two, too." She gave Vinyl one last look before heading out the door with Octavia.

Vinyl waited until she heard the car drive off before pulling out her phone. She quickly put in Celestia's contact information, waiting impatiently for the old immortal to pick up the phone.

"What is it, Vinyl?" Celestia asked in that slightly distracted tone that told Vinyl she was working on something.

"Hey, I was just talking to Sunset Shimmer, and I wanted to ask...is everything alright with Fluttershy?"

Sunset had just finished cleaning up her house to make things more comfortable looking when the doorbell rang. She straightened her jacket--she'd made the dubious choice of taking one of the fashionable jackets given to her by Rarity. It was too late at this point, though she had to admit, Rarity had perfectly figured out her fashion sense. The smooth fitting, shiny black leather was wonderfully designed, and considerably comfortable. The rest of her wardrobe was her standard, though she had touched up her hair just slightly.

Perhaps that was going to give the wrong impression.

Sunset threw open the door, giving her too friends a wide grin. "Hey, guys, come on in," she said.

She only saw Fluttershy's car out front, but Rainbow Dash seemed to be carrying the reusable shopping bags Fluttershy owned.

"I brought some snacks," Fluttershy said.

"And I carried them!" Rainbow Dash said triumphantly. "Now all we need is a place to put 'em, Sunset. Think you can manage?"

"Sure," Sunset said, beckoning them inside.

Rainbow Dash hesitated a little, coming inside. "Somehow, I got the impression your place would be a lot more sparse," she said slowly.

"Applejack and I were of a similar mind," Fluttershy said, leading the way to the fridge. "But Sunset's got a really nice place here, right, Rainbow?"

"Darn straight," Rainbow said, setting the sacks just beside the fridge. "Let's see what you got--" Her mouth split into a wide grin. "Hey, Sunset, you ever had garlic bread before?"

Fluttershy looked confused at the angry look on Sunset's face. "That was a joke, Rainbow Dash," she snapped. She hesitated, trying to get the better of her temper, but Rainbow only laughed.

"Sure, sure," she said, packing several of the foods onto the countertop.

"Do you--not like garlic bread?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"No, um, I like it fine," Sunset said. "Just...inside joke."

"Oh. Sounds funny. I think." Fluttershy looked very much like she was trying to figure it out.

"Well, I'm not sure. Rainbow's the only one whom I bet is going to find it funny," Sunset said dryly.

Rainbow set the reusable bags on the counter, laughing. "Well, duh. It's hilarious!"

"Your face is hilarious," Sunset muttered.

Fluttershy giggled, then seemingly paused. She eyed Sunset carefully, looking her up and down. "You...look nice?"

DAMMIT! "Thanks..." Sunset said slowly, awkwardly. What better way to shoot a friend down then by dressing to the nines?

"Okay, before this gets really awkward," Rainbow said with a sigh, "you two both have something to say to each other."

Fluttershy blinked. "We do?"

"Fluttershy, we've all seen how you've been staring at Sunset the last few days," Rainbow said. "I'm gonna step out for a minute, give me a shout when you two are done working it out."

Before Sunset could quite process it, Rainbow Dash was headed out the door. "DASH!" she shouted, charging after her friend. She caught up to her in the doorway, saying, "What are you doing?"

"The truth will set you free! Or something," Rainbow shrugged. "Anyway, have fun!"

Sunset's own door was slammed in her face. Stunned, she turned, to see Fluttershy sitting on the edge of her sofa, a thinking expression on her face.

"Uh, Sunset?" she asked slowly.

Sunset panicked. "BREAD!" she shouted, rushing over to her makeshift kitchen--it was no more a kitchen than Octavia's, when she thought about it. She fumbled through the drawers, dining ware clattering against each other loudly. She shoved a frying pan aside, looking for a cutting board she could use.

"Sunset, um, I think there's been..." Fluttershy hesitated. "...something of a misunderstanding."

Blindly reaching into the drawer, Sunset felt a sharp pain on her fingertip. "Not again," she muttered, pulling her freshly bleeding finger from the drawer. "Ah...dammit. Where'd I put..." She grabbed a paper towel from the nearby roll, holding it to her cut. "Well, this is turning to shit," she said. "I--I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I--I've got to admit, um--" She paused. Fluttershy was standing stock still eyes closed. Sunset sighed. "I'm sorry, okay, but could we just be--"

Fluttershy's eyes snapped open. They were red--a bright, crimson red, shining actual light onto Sunset. Her two front teeth had elongated dangerously, and there was a certain...odd look about the rest of her face that Sunset couldn't quite get a pinpoint on.

"You should have been more careful," Fluttershy whispered.