[Robots and Magic] New Memories, Old Enemies ✓

15. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘯

When Sunset finally made it back to her place, her body felt heavy with exhaustion. Thoughts churned in an endless storm, disturbance simmering beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. The moment she went inside, the familiar comfort of her home didn't bring the relief it usually did. Instead, the quiet space seemed suffocating, amplifying her turbulent emotions.

She tossed her bag onto the couch, harder than she meant to. It bounced once before slumping against the cushions, lifeless and still, unlike the whirlwind inside her. Sunset stared at it and a part of her wished she could throw something else that would shatter on impact so she could feel it the way she felt like she was breaking inside.

Optimus had left for the base minutes ago but their conversation was still looping in her mind. Every word replayed itself, each response she had given sounding more wrong the longer she thought about it. She let out a long breath and flopped onto the couch beside her bag, burying her face in her hands, feeling like she'd failed, not just in the conversation with the Prime but in everything.

"How could I mess this up?" the words barely left her lips, more of a whisper than anything but they carried the full weight of her doubt.

The responsibility she carried felt unbearable at times, too much for one person, for her. And yet, she never seemed to find the right words to ask for help. That was the worst part. She groaned into her palms, her fingers curling into her hair as if she could somehow pull the frustration out of her skull. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was letting everyone down— her friends, the Autobots.

Sunset leaned back against the couch, her eyes drifting to the ceiling as she tried to calm the storm inside her. She had to find a way to deal with these feelings before they consumed her completely.

Out of nowhere, her phone buzzed against the armrest. The sudden vibration shattered the heavy silence, she barely glanced at it at first, expecting some random notification,  maybe a reminder she'd ignore or a group chat message she wasn't in the mood to answer. But when her gaze flicked to the screen and she saw the name, Twilight, her sluggish movements snapped into alertness.

Her fingers tightened around the device as she quickly unlocked it. A single message blinked back at her, short and to the point:

"Meet me at the park in 20 minutes. It's urgent."

Sunset sat up straighter, rereading the words. Self-pity that had been suffocating her evaporated, replaced by a growing concern that tightened in her chest, heart kicking up a notch. What happened? Was this about the geodes? Had something gone wrong again? The timing was suspicious, she had just come back from an exhausting day, still raw from her talk with Optimus and now this?

Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. She had less than 20 minutes. Sunset inhaled sharply. If her friend needed her, she had to be there. She swung her legs off the couch and tugged on her jacket, mentally preparing for whatever she was about to walk into. The uneasy feeling gnawed at her but she forced it down.

With one last glance at her phone, she slipped it into her pocket, grabbed her keys and strode out the door.

.

.

.

The weather had taken a turn for the worse, the sky darkened by thick, swirling clouds that seemed to press down on the city. The once-bustling streets of Canterlot were nearly abandoned, the few cars that dared to venture out slicing through the growing blackness like spectral shapes. 

Sunset stood beneath the gnarled branches of an old oak tree, its leafless limbs reaching out like skeletal fingers against the turbulent sky. She shivered, pulling her jacket tighter as the wind howled through the empty park, its icy breath cutting through to her bones. The usual vibrant laughter and cheerful chatter were replaced by the ghostly creak of swings swaying in the breeze, their chains groaning as though mourning the silence.