Sunlight

Chapter 7: The Best Laid Plans of Vampires and Rainbooms

Chapter 7: The Best Laid Plans of Vampires and Rainbooms

I'm sorry the title couldn't fit

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// Story: Sunlight
// by The Albinocorn
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Sunset closed the door to the music room, her guitar slung over her back. It was nice to get some solo practice in from time-to-time. She walked down the empty corridor to the back entrance, humming 'Friendship Through the Ages', a bounce in her step.

Almost everyone else had gone home over an hour ago. Walking past the gym, she could hear the basketball team practicing inside. Beyond that, the hallways were vacant and ghostly. She stepped out into the stadium, the renovations for the Friendship Games having been removed a week prior. She kept pace along the perimeter to cut to the parking lot, but stopped when a muffled sobbing reached her ears.

Sunset backtracked to the bleachers, following the hushed cries. She slipped underneath them, brushing a cobweb away and keeping her head down. The crying grew louder, and Sunset found Twilight Sparkle sitting pressed against one of the support beams, knees up to her chest and face in her arms.

"Hey, Twi, what's wrong?" Sunset knelt down and put a hand on Twilight's shoulder.

She jumped and hiccupped. "O-oh, h-hi, Sun-hic-set. I was just..."

"Bawling your eyes out." Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out some tissue. "Here."

Twilight accepted it, dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. "Thank you."

Sunset smiled. "Anytime." She took her guitar off her back and sat down next to Twilight. "So, do you wanna talk about it?"

"I... I don't know how," Twilight admitted. "Ever since the games, I've felt... and every time I walk past the statue, I keep remembering..."

It wasn't hard for Sunset to fill in the blanks. She scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around Twilight's shoulder. "I know how you feel. Trust me, it isn't easy, but it goes away after a while."

Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Really? How do you know?"

"I told you: I've been where you were." Sunset sighed and looked down at her hands. "I tapped into magic I didn't fully understand, only, I was doing it for purely selfish gains. I just wanted power. It backfired, and turned me into a reflection of my heart." She looked back at Twilight with a sad and guilty smile. "You did some bad stuff, but at least you didn't brainwash and try to kill anyone."

"You-you actually did that?"

"I wasn't the best person back then." Sunset took a deep breath and brushed the hair out of her face. "But, I know how it feels to have all of that linger-have it haunt you."

Twilight shuddered. "I'm glad I didn't physically hurt anyone... but I could have... I would have if you didn't stop me. I had all that power at my fingertips-access to a wealth of knowledge." She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut. "I feel bad about it now, but at that moment, I was enjoying all of it. I... I was prepared to tear the world apart just to know how everything worked." More tears snaked down her face. "P-part of me wants the power back, too, Sunset."

Sunset hugged her again and gently shushed her. "I know. I know what it's like to have all that power coursing through you. And I'm not gonna lie, the come down sucks." That got a weak giggle from Twilight. "You were pressured into making a bad choice, Twilight. But that doesn't mean you're a bad person."

Twilight wiped her eyes with the tissue again. "But what about-"

"It's a natural reaction. You feel like part of you is missing something. I felt that way too, but in time, you'll stop feeling it." She felt Twilight's shoulders slump. "Listen, I know this isn't easy, but I promise, I'll be here to help you anyway I can."