Work Text:
Darkness.
That was all Sunset could perceive…was darkness.
Unfortunately, as she soon found out, the darkness was not quiet. For with the darkness, came the cold words from unseen sources. But just because Sunset couldn't see them, the voices were unmistakable. And each jab they made, her heart broke even more.
The first voice, once so bubbly and energetic, now sullen and lifeless…
"I knew it was impossible for a meanie like you to change!"
"Pinkie Pie, please...!"
The second, once so soft and sweet, now hard and bitter…
"I was nothing but nice to you…and you repay me by hurting me and my friends!"
"Flutteryshy, I didn't…!"
The third, once laced with warmth so freely given, now filled with cold contempt…
"I suppose this is what happens when you are too generous to someone like you!"
"No, Rarity…"
The Fourth, once filled with steadfast determination and loyalty, now filled with rejection…
"We promised Princess Twilight we would give you a chance…guess that was a mistake!"
"Rainbow Dash…!"
And the last one, once laced with an unmistakable, upbeat country twang, now a low, growling drawl…
"We knew you didn't really change…"
And what Applejack said next sent a chill down Sunset's spine.
"She-Demon."
At that moment, everything went dark once again. And Sunset found herself in the middle of a…well she didn't quite know. But the moment a single spotlight landed on her, she could see that she was standing in the middle of Canterlot High's gymnasium.
But she was not alone.
Filling up the bleachers was the entire student body, her friends, well former friends included, and all the staff of Canterlot High, including Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna, the two women, deep scowls on their faces, making their way toward Sunset, who cowered the closer got, all while loud roars of insults and accusations deafened the poor girl, her tear-filled eyes clenched in fear as she pressed her hands to her ears, trying, and failing to block out the harsh words from the five she had called her friends, theirs seeming to be the loudest of all present.
And she knew which they came from.
"DECEIVER!"
Pinkie Pie.
"N-no please…"
"TRAITOR!"
Rainbow Dash.
"Pleas, listen…!
"MONSTER!"
Flutteryshy.
"NO! NO PLEASE!"
"Sunset."
Opening her eyes at the gentle voice, Sunset was only met with the two sisters practically towering over her their faces frame din shadow as Celestia reached forward, causing Sunset to close her eyes one again as she felt Celestia's hand grab her shoulder, shaking her as the insults kept coming.
"HYPOCRITE!"
Rarity.
"I'M SORRY! PLEASE STOP!"
"Sunset, please, wake up!"
The gentle voice grew louder with each cry.
"SHE-DEMON!"
Applejack…This broke her.
"NOOOOO!"
"SUNSET!"
Sunset bolted upright, her eyes darting back and forth, her breathing hard and uneven. But as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, Sunset felt a new wave of fear coming over her the moment she turned to see…
"CELESTIA! LUNA!"
Standing before her were the Principal and Vice-Principal of Canterlot high, the two looking squarely at Sunset, who could only focus on their faces, which to her utter confusion were filled with worry, instead of the malice she had seen just seconds ago. But as Celestia moved to Sunset, tentatively reaching out to her, Sunset caught sight of Luna, standing behind Celestia…
With a baseball bat held at the ready.
"NO! PLEASE!" Sunset screamed, kicking away the last remnants of the weight on her legs as she pushed her back flat against what felt like a wall, only to immediately fall into a fetal position, her legs pulled to her chest and hands over her head as her eyes clenched shut, streams of tears staining her cheeks as she cried out.
"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I'M SORRY!"
The two women stepped back, their eyes wide with great worry and confusion. But the moment Celestia looked to her sister, who was still poised as if to swing, she realized the great error that was being made on their part.
"Luna…drop the bat, DROP THE BAT!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
Realizing almost instantly what was happening, Luna, in a panicked state of her own, dropped the wooden implement in a flash, the usually calm and collected woman quickly bringing her hands back up, palms out to show Sunset that she was in no danger, a forced, but still genuinely caring and comforting smile on her lips as she slowly walked towards the girl.
"Sunset," the usually stern woman said with a great deal of uncharacteristic warmth and gentleness, "it's okay! Look, no bat! I'm not going to hurt you! Believe me, the last thing I want to do is hurt you!"
Upon hearing this, Sunset slowing began to pull herself out of her protective position, the flaming-haired teen finally managing to get her eyes to focus on her surroundings, with all the memories coming back as she did; she was in her room in Celestia and Luna's home. Well, HER home as well, as she had to remind herself, the young woman still finding it hard to believe it had only been three weeks since Celestia had invited Sunset to stay with her, even offering to be her mother, which Sunset remembered in that moment that she had tearfully accepted. And it was then she realized everything she experienced just prior to her panic…
Was nothing more than a nightmare.
With that, she began to breathe easier. And for the first time since she had woken up, Sunset was able to get a good look at the two women who took her in, who made her a part of their family. And from what she could see from their rather unprofessional appearance, they had bolted from their own beds to her aid; Luna was dressed VERY causally in a dark azure crop top and black running shorts, whereas Celestia was a bit more presentable, wearing a silk two-piece pajamas that were the same muted purple as her trousers usually were. And it was after studying the two women that Sunset was finally aware that her own magenta pajamas were coated with sweat.
"Sunset?"
Sunset's eyes instantly landed on Celestia, the older woman now sitting on the edge of Sunset's bed, her soft hand grasping hers as she gazed warmly upon the young girl who she could now call her daughter. And because of this, Celestia did not resist in the slightest when Sunset flung herself at her.
"MOM!"
In no time at all Celestia had Sunset in a tight embrace, the rainbow-haired woman raking her fingers through Sunset's fiery locks as her other hand held her close, even moving until she was sitting squarely on the bed, with Sunset right in her lap, the poor girl's frame shuddering violently as anguished sobs were muffled by Celestia's shirt, the collar damp from Sunset's tears and the back from Sunset digging her fingers into them.
"I-It w-was hor-horible! Everyo-one hated m-me! Y-You hated m-m-me! I w-was all al-lone!"
"It's alright Sunset," Celestia cooed, rubbing gentle circles on the sobbing Sunset's back, occasionally placing tender kisses on top of her head, while all Luna felt she could do was just stand and watch her sister at work…like always.
"You're safe…it was just a nightmare."
Eventually, Sunset's sobs began to subside, the sounds of sorrow replaced periodically by a small hiccup or two. For the next few seconds that felt like a few minutes, the room was filled with a tense silence, the only sound heard being Sunset's still uneven breathing. Though from what Luna could see, Sunset had since released her hold on Celestia, moving herself from her lap so that she sat beside the older woman, who couldn't help but offer a sad smile as she watched Sunset hug her knees to her chest, her ed, puffy eyes staring at her feet as if ashamed.
"There," Celestia cooed, giving Sunset some space, but moving a bit closer to let her know she was still there, "feeling better."
Sunset sniffled, wiping a magenta sleeve over her eyes and under nose, the cuff now displaying the gross smears of dried tears and running mucus, though at this point, she didn't care.
"Uh huh," Sunset numbly responded, her eyes soon lifting from her feet as she looked at the two sisters. And it was only when she fully took notice of their appearances that Sunset finally looked at the digital clock that was on her bedside table to see that it was a little past two in the morning. It was then that Sunset looked at Luna and Celestia with an apologetic expression as she addressed them.
"I'm sorry I woke you."
"Oh, you didn't wake us Sweetheart," Celestia cooed as she moved closer to Sunset, wrapping her arm around the teens shoulder.
"We were actually just coming to bed."
After Celestia had said this, Luna let out a light scoff.
"Speak for yourself. I was on a roll when you practically pulled me away from my match."
Celestia merely rolled her eyes as Sunset actually managed to let out a little giggle, finding the idea of Celestia literally dragging Luna out of her "Lunar Base" away from a heat online match very amusing to her.
"Lulu," Celestia countered, the cute nickname she had for her sister making Sunset have to snort back a laugh, "Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean you have to spend out day and night on your games.
"Oh really, then what's your excuse," Lua countered, a smug smirk on her lips as she glared at her sister, who merely offered a deadpan answer.
"You are."
"Oh," Luna responded, her smug smirk turning into a sheepish smile as she nervously rubbed the back of her head, the exchange between herself and her sister very amusing to Sunset as her smile grew a little.
"S-So you guys where already up?" she asked in a hoarse whisper, the question causing both sisters to look at her, their expressions soon changing to ones of care.
"Yes," Luna responded, the vice-principal making her way over to the bed, sitting on the edge thus giving Celestia and Sunset their space in the middle, though that did not dissuade Luna from reaching out and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"But then we heard you screaming. We thought something was terribly wrong. That's why I had the bat, just in case someone had broken in and was trying to hurt you."
Sunset looked up the woman who was now serving as her aunt, her eyes wide in surprise and her mind filled with wonder at the fact that Luna, the disciplinarian vice-principal of Canterlot High, the one who she felt had the most reason to make her life a living hell…was willing to beat the living day lights out of someone to defend her. And after a moment to comprehend what Luna had said, Sunset did something she never thought she would do; she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Luna's middle in a tight hug
"Thanks…Aunt Luna."
Luna stilled at this, though she couldn't help but feel the warmth radiate through her body as she processed what Sunset had just said. In truth, Luna had never expected to be an aunt, especially not one to a girl had had been a torn in her side since she first arrived at CHS. But, to Celestia's surprise, and even hers, Luna, as if on instinct, returned the hug just as tightly, eventually leaning in before placing a gentle, lingering kiss on Sunset's forehead.
"Anytime Kiddo," she said as she pulled away, offering a warm, caring smiling to Sunset. But the moment came to an end when Sunset saw movement out of the corner of her eye, as well as a shifting of weight on her bed. And it was only when she noticed that Celestia was getting off the bed, that she suddenly found herself back in Equestria.
Celestia didn't know why, but she was certain that her getting up to leave had triggered an old, unpleasant memory in Sunset. For the moment she moved to get off the bed, Sunset quickly detached from Luna, instinctively wrapped her arms around her middle, as if she were a sacred child about to be separated from their parent…which she technically was. The sudden move shocked both Celestia and Luna greatly. But not so much as what Sunset said next.
"Please don't leave me Princess Celestia…not again."
Celestia's heart clenched at this, her eyes wide in shock at what she had just heard Sunset say. And it was only until she registered what she had said that Sunset realized what she had just done; she had compared her new mother to another who was worlds away. Another who she felt would have never seen her as more than her student. And it was with this in mind that Celestia took on a firm expression, which seemed to unnerve Sunset, who feared she may have just ruined her chances of staying Celestia's daughter.
"Sunset…I am not Princess Celestia…I am afraid I am something much worse."
Sunset tensed at, her anxiety in the current situation skyrocketing as she glanced worriedly at Celestia. Even Luna was a bit unnerved by this side of her sister rarely seen. But upon seeing the firm scowl turn into a mischievous grin did the two finally see what Celestia was doing.
"I am your mother."
Sunset couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat, only for more to follow as Celestia suddenly started to pepper Sunset's face with kisses, the teen's nightmare now a distant memory as she relished the feeling of being dotted on by a mother.
"And we'll never leave you, kiddo," Luna cooed as she sat on the other side of Sunset, bringing up a hand to gently caress Sunset's cheek, the tired girl instinctively leaning into the touch.
"That's a promise."
And so, for the next few minutes the new family just sat in Sunset's bed, just letting the calm silence and the warm bond wash over them until, about ten minutes later, the two sisters notice that Sunset's breath had slowed, and her eyes had drifted shut, a clear indicator that she had fallen asleep.
With a tender smile, Celestia grabbed the discarded covers of Sunset's bed, gently laying the dreaming girl in a more comfortable position. And she saw that Sunset was comfortable, Celestia began to move, prompting Luna to do as well, thinking that Celestia was going to be going to her own room.
But no.
To Luna's curiosity, Celestia was just repositioning herself to lie beside Sunset, laying on her side as she laid her head beside Sunsets, a tender smile on her face as her own eyes grew heavy.
"You have a bad habit of getting too involved, sister," Luna playfully jabbed, making her to the door so that she could go get in her own bed. But Celestia, who was barely hanging onto consciousness, offered a jab in return as she drifted off.
"Say's the one who usually keeps her softer side locked up."
Luna froze at this, her heart seeming to jump in her throat as she looked back at her sister, her half-lidded gaze falling more and more as succumbed to sleep. But, Celestia still had enough energy to issue one last statement to her hesitant sister.
"Admit it Lulu… you love this girl as much as I do."
With that, Celestia rested her head on top of Sunset's, the older sister soon drifting off to sleep, thus leaving Luna alone with her thoughts, which swarmed in her head like a raging torrent, a new flood of emotions overtaking her as she looked from her sister to Sunset, both with content smile son their faces. And it was upon seeing the tender scene, the raging waters calmed, and Luna felt a new sense of peace. And so, with a smile, Luna joined her sister and new niece on the now full bed, her own blue eyes getting heavy in slumber. But just as she drifted off, Luna offered one last response to her dear sister…and her dear niece.
"I think I do too."