Homeless Sunset Shimmer pt. 4

>You hold open the front door.
"After you, my dear!"
>Sunset steps outside with a big smile on her face.
>"Why, thank you kind sir!"
>You step out and shut the door behind you.
"You're very welcome, madame!"
>You're both doing terrible fancy person accents as you talk to each other.
>The only thing you need now is a monocle, some free parking, and then you're set to pass "Go" and collect your $200.
>You lock the door and turn to see Sunset rocking back and forth with her arms behind her back and smiling at you.
>She looks like a little girl, it's so damn cute.
>You chuckle and smile back.
"What?"
>She giggles back at you, blushing some.
>"Nuthin'..."
>She slowly spins around on her heel and walks down the concrete stairs, humming "Do You Believe in Magic?" as she does so.
>You follow her down the steps and walk behind her.
>She's got a wiggle in her walk, and a giggle in her talk.
>It darn near gives you a heart attack.
>Then...
>She looks to her right and stops.
>Just the view of her alley beside your apartment causes a noticeable change in her countenance.
>Her humming gets slower and her smile starts to fade as she just stares down The Gauntlet.
>Come on, Anon. Step up.
"Uh, Sunny?"
>She doesn't respond.
"Sunset?"
>She blinks and snaps out of her trance before looking at you.
>"Huh?"
"IHOP is in this direction."
>You point in the opposite direction.
>She looks to where you're pointing and her smile returns, though not as real as before.
>"O- Oh. Okay!"
>She walks over to you and you both head off.
>This side of your apartment building had a lot less hobos, but it was too out of the way. Work was in the other direction.
>If it wasn't, then you would go this way every time.
>You hate, hate, HATE going through The Gauntlet.
>Then again, you never would've met Sunset if you walked this way all the time, so you can't complain too much.
>You look over to her.
>It was now that you first noticed how much prettier she looked now that she was all cleaned up.
>You thought she was pretty before, but damn.
>It's almost hypnotizing.
>Unfortunately, her smile is now gone and she's being silent as she blankly stares ahead.
>No. No sadness. That won't do any good at all.
"So, Miss Shimmer..."
>You decide to try and brighten the mood.
"...tell me a bit more about yourself."
>She looks at you.
>"Like, what about me?"
"Just stuff you like, where you're from, things like that. You can share what you want with me. If you want to leave out anything, then that's fine too."
>She turns her head and looks forward again.
>"Where I'm from, huh?"

>You are now Sunset Shimmer.
>And you're worried.
>Anon just asked the question you were dreading he'd ask.
>If you tell him that you're from a land of talking ponies who can fly and use magic, he'll probably think you're insane and kick you back out on the street.
>...
>Would he really kick you out though?
>He's a really nice guy and you're really grateful for his selflessness.
>He wouldn't really kick you out if you told him the truth, would he?
"I'm not quite sure how to begin..."
>"Well, how about you start with the truth? Work from there."
>You stop walking.
>He turns to you, now looking slightly worried.
"...You really want to know the truth, Anon?"
>He stays silent, but his eyes stay on you.
>You take his hands in yours and sound as serious as you can.
>Here we go.
"I'm from a faraway land. A land known as Equestria..."
>He stares at you.
"In this land of Equestria, every resident is a talking pony. And these ponies go about their day doing things like you humans do here."
>His mouth opens a bit as he searches for what to say.
>He stays quiet for a few moments.
>"Okaaay... Um... What, uh... What kind of things are different in Equestria other than everyone being a pony?"
>You're so nervous. You're expecting him to just walk away any moment now.
"Well we have three types of ponies. We have earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. I was a unicorn, so that meant I could use magic."
>His eyebrows shoot up.
>"And what kind of things are used with magic?"
"Oh, we use magic for just about everything... Our ruler, Princess Celestia, uses magic to raise and lower the sun and moon every single day."
>"My goodness! She sounds very magical!"
>You nod and look down to the ground again.
>That sounded so ridiculous.
>It makes a smile creep onto your face.
>You look back at Anon, who's smiling wide at you before he starts laughing.
>But he doesn't sound like he's mocking you.
>"There is a little child inside of you, Sunset Shimmer, and I love it!"
>You give a little laugh with him.
"I know. The doctors say if it's removed, I'll die."
>Anon laughs even louder at that.
>"Well then! It's probably a good idea to keep it around! I would just hate it if something bad happened to you."
>That makes you feel special.
>You both start walking again, side-by-side.
"Awe, really?"
>"Oh, of course. I wouldn't joke about something like that..."
>He puts his arm around you and pulls you both close together in a half-hug.
>"...I like ya too much."
>You feel your face get hot and you smile.
>Anon's being way too sweet.
>You wrap your arm around his waist and half-hug him back.
"I like you too, Anon."

>You are Anon again.
>This girl...
>This friggin' adorable girl...
>She just melts your heart with her cute little quirks.
>Its apparent that she's starting to feel comfortable enough to open up a bit, even if it is a small amount.
>Building trust takes time in some cases.
>The rest of the walk, you just talked about other silly stuff.
>You had asked her what her favorite movies were, but she said she hadnt gotten around to seeing many movies lately.
>You asked her if she'd be interested in seeing one today after your shopping got done.
>She said she didnt mind.
>So you, being the nerd you were, decide to show your power level a bit and suggest Guardians of the Galaxy.
>She didnt seem overly thrilled about that one, mostly because she hadnt seen any of the previous Marvel movies.
>Shock and awe is what you felt.
>So you tried to recap the jist of what happened so far without sounding like too much of a loser.
>Comic books are cool, but some girls dont know that.
>You talk all the way to IHOP.
>"...So wait, he's obsessed with Death?"
"Yeah, but in the Marvel universe, Death is an entity. I don't want to say she's alive, per se, but she has sentience, and Thanos has the hots for her. So he's getting all these magic stones into this magic gauntlet so he can kill tons of people with the hopes of impressing her enough to get himself laid.
>She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
>"Wow. Desperate much?"
"Oh I know. He's a total loser. Still wouldn't want to mess with him though."
>You open the doors and step inside.
>The lady behind the counter greets you and sits you both down at a table.
>You grab your menu and start looking at it, trying to decide what you want.
>You're looking at the pancakes section when a loud rumbling from across the table interrupts your train of though.
>You look past your menu and see a very red, very embarrassed Sunset, looking down at her stomach with wide eyes.
>She looks up at you before giving an embarrassed grin and hides her face behind her menu.
"Don't worry. I didn't hear a thing."
>"...Thanks."
>She doesn't come out from behind her menu.
>Poor girl.
>You look back at your menu, pondering the culinary options.
"Any idea what you're in the mood for?"
>She hums for a few seconds.
>"I'm not sure. Everything looks good."
"Well, don't you worry about quantity. If you want it, you got it, and you can have as much as you want. It's on me."
>She stays quiet for a second longer, still pondering.
>"I'll think of something..."
>A minute or two goes by when the waitress comes to your table.
>"How are you two doing today?"
>You smile at the waitress.
"We're just peachy! Thanks for asking!"
>She smiles back and takes a pen out of her apron.
>"What can I get you two?"
>Sunset points out something on the menu to her.
>"These 'endless pancakes' you got here. When you say 'endless', do you mean 'without end', or do you mean 'about 20 or so'?"
>You and the waitress chuckle at her question.
>"We mean endless. If you want 'em, you got 'em."
>Sunset slams her menu down on the table, staring at her.
>"I... want... them..."
>She laughs again and writes it down.
>"Got an appetite today, huh?"
>She looks at you.
"Ma'am, you have no idea..."
>She writes down your orders and takes off.
>Sunset's starting to look a little more crazed with food being so close.
>She isn't twitching, but she's probably on the verge.
>A few minutes later, the waitress brings back your food.
>You just ordered some scrambled eggs and some sausage.
>Sunsets eyes turn into diamonds as the big plate of pancakes is set in front of her.
>She gets an evil grin as she grabs a knife and fork.
>"Game... on..."
>20 minutes later, you are at a loss for words.
>You just stare at Sunset as she mercilessly finishes her 7th round of endless pancakes.
>One round is five pancakes.
>She's inhaled 35 pancakes in 20 minutes.
>You've never seen anything like it before in your life.
>The waitress, now just as stunned as you are, brings her another plate, and she gets to work.
>Other people in the restaurant have gathered around to watch.
>A few teenage skanks are taking selfies with her in the background.
>You're afraid you're gonna end up on the news or some shit.
>Another waitress comes along with the 9th round of pancakes.
>Then the unimaginable happens as it's set on the table: Sunset stops eating for a moment.
>"Here's number 9!"
>People in the restaurant cheer and start to chant.
>She looks over at you.
>"We're gonna go for 10!"
>You don't know how to reply, so you just give a nervous laugh.
>You don't feel good about this.
>No way in hell is she still hungry at this point. She's trying to prove something now.
>Just as she starts on the new plate, you notice some movement in the corner of your eye.
>The manager has stepped out of his office and is looking over at your table.
>He looks angry.
>People are starting to chant even louder.
>She's totally fixed on her task.
>This isnt good.
>She could get really sick and in tons of trouble.
"Sunset."
>She isnt listening to you.
>The manager begins walking over to you.
>If looks could kill.
"Sunset. Stop."
>She manages a sharp, yet muffled retort before continuing.
>"No!"
>You're taken back a little.
>She sounded angry. That's not like her.
>Your shock is cut short when a pair of huge hairy hands slam on the table, scaring the hell out of you.
>"Alright, you two. You've had your fun, now it's time for you to leave."
>Sunset swallows her mouthful of pancakes and slams her hands on the table also, pointing her sticky finger at him.
>"I don't think so, scooter!"
>...What the hell is going on with her?
>5 seconds later, you're flying out the door of the IHOP.
>Literally, you both are simultaneously flying through the air.
>It was apparent that the 6'8", 280 lbs manager lifts in his spare time.
>You land on your face in the grass beside Sunset.
>"If you ever set foot in here again, I'm going to report you little shits for trespassing!"
>You hear the door slam.
>Holy hell, do you hurt.
>You groan and get to your hands and knees.
>Looking over to Sunset, you see her holding her stomach and groaning.
>"Oooohh... Anon, I don't feel good..."
>No shit, you just started a pancake shortage throughout the world.
>"I think... I think I'm gonna puke..."
>You groan and sit up, rolling her over on her back and setting her head on your knees.
"Here. Just lay still and take deep breaths."
>She winces as she slowly breathes in and out.
>You stay there like that for a few minutes until her breathing gets smoother.
>She's still giving a few light groans, so you keep her there on her back.
"Feeling better?"
>She barely opens her eyes up at you and nods.
>"Y- Yeah... A little..."
"Good. Just stay there."
>You don't smile at her this time.
>You're a little disappointed in her, to say the least.
>This girl just got you kicked out of one of your favorite restaurants in town.
"Sunset?"
>She just breathes for a moment before looking up at you, pain present in her eyes.
"You wanna explain your behavior in there for me please?"

>You are now Sunset.
>You messed up again.
>This is exactly the same thing that happened in Canterlot.
>You let your pride and arrogance get the better of you.
>Now you look like a big, fat jerk.
>You probably are big and fat now too.
>Any sign of happiness from Anon's face is gone.
>"Well?"
>Oh no...
"Are... Are you mad?"
>"Yes."
>Of course he's mad, stupid. Why wouldn't he be?
"I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me..."
>Anon exhales and shuts his eyes.
>Shit.
"I'm sorry, Anon."
>He stays silent for a few moments.
>"It's okay..."
>You both just stay silent for a few minutes, before Anon takes off his jacket and lifts your head up.
>"Wait here. I'll be right back."
>You nod as he sets your head on his jacket.
>He takes out his wallet and walks toward the entrance.
>You see him wave to whoever's inside, holding some cash in his hand.
>The manager comes back out and they exchange a few words before taking the money in Anon's hand.
>The only thing you could make out is Anon saying "I'm sorry".
>They say more things to one another before parting.
>Anon comes walking back to you.
>"Feeling any better?"
>You nod slowly.
"Kinda..."
>He sighs and stands there a moment longer.
>"Can you walk?"
>You're now in Anon's arms and he's carrying you down the sidewalk toward his apartment.
>You didn't trust yourself not to puke or anything on your feet.
>You felt bad too. And not just physically.
>You're pretty sure you hurt Anon too.
>You rest your head against his chest as he carries you home.
>The journey wasn't eventful or exciting this time.
>You look up at him.
>He's still not happy.
>Figures...
>Within a few minutes, you're heading up the stairs leading to the apartment.
>He sets you down on your feet for a moment to unlock and open the door.
>You slowly shuffle inside.
>"Head to bed and lay down. Let those pancakes digest for a bit."
"Okay..."
>You walk into Anon's room and kick your shoes off.
>Climbing into his bed, you pull up the covers and snuggle under them.
>You feel awful in more ways than one.
>Your stomach hurts, you're pretty sure Anon's feelings are hurt, and you're guilty.
>You promised yourself this morning that you were going to change, Sunset. What's the matter with you?
>Your stomach is too sore to deal with this right now.
>You're just going to sleep. Hopefully, you can come up with a solution when you wake up.
>Taking a deep breath, you shut your eyes and slowly drift off to sleep.
>You are Anon again.
>Boy, are you confused.
>You don't know what was up with Sunset, but you didn't like it one bit.
>The manager thanked you for paying, but he still didn't want you to come back. It was a bad image for his place.
>Which, you understand.
>Either way, you plan on having a serious talk with Sunset when she wakes up from her nap.
>As disappointed as you are with her behavior earlier, you still cant get over how pretty she is.
>You could tell she was truly sorry for what she did when you carried her home.
>Even though she didn't say much, she just had that look in her eye.
>You've already decided that you're going to forgive her.
>You just want to know her motive behind her actions.
>It can wait though.
>You smile as you watch her sleep soundly in your bed.
>She looks so peaceful.
>You quietly step toward her and lean over her.
>Brushing a little hair away, you softly kiss her forehead.
"Sleep tight, Sunny..."
>You smile and step out of the room, shutting your door behind you.

>Sunset quietly looked toward the door after you left.
>She touched her forehead where you kissed her just seconds earlier and smiled.
>"Thank you, Anon."
>Her cheeks bright red, she turned away and fell back to sleep.

End of part 4.