Neglected

by FreedomRiders

Chapter 3

Coral sat at his laptop in his room, watching anime videos at a very low volume until he got tired. He always had a hard time when it came to sleep, a downside to being hyper and overall the kind of person that always needed something to do. He often saw himself in a bad light for doing such things, such as lazy and lame for watching anime late at night. However, he was glad he decided to do so tonight.

Because if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been awake to hear sobs in the middle of the night. Coral paused his video as he heard the sound coming from the living room, curious and worried. As he got up to investigate, his heart sank upon realizing what was happening.

Sunset Shimmer lay wrapped up in blankets on the sleeper sofa, whimpering and sobbing in her sleep, and it was really bothering Coral, especially with how horrible those cries sounded. "Shit..." Coral mumbled before sighing. Pulling out his phone, he decided to put on some music. From what he read, music always soothed those who were having any bad nightmares. Plus, waking them up would be awkward.

Though, if she wasn't asleep and she was just crying quietly, sneaking up on her and playing music right behind her would've been even more awkward. Either way, Coral was content with doing so. He decided to play something quiet, something that would be relatively quiet for Sunset Shimmer to be soothed by.

- -

After the song was finished, Coral looked up to see Sunset Shimmer fast asleep, much more silent and peaceful. Smiling, Coral got up and made his way back to his room to get some shut-eye himself.

---

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer woke up feeling pretty refreshed and bright. The rain had stopped, and the sounds of birds chirping filled the air. Despite feeling very comfortable and snug in her spot on the couch, Sunset Shimmer slowly unwrapped herself and stretched her arms and legs tiredly.

Opening the windows, she was hit with warm morning sunlight and the sight of the outside. She hadn't slept this well since...ever, she had realized.

She turned to see the kitchen empty, and none of the other lights in the hallway on. Turning to the clock, she saw it was 6:18 in the morning. "Maybe I should make breakfast for him as thanks," she mumbled. She still had a bit over two hours to get to class.

Heading to the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and searched it, seeing a few eggs, butter, and leftover baked potatoes among other things. Shrugging, she took those out of the fridge. "Eh, how hard could cooking be?" she said. "Binging with Babish and Gordon Ramsay make it look easy."

Coral would wake up to screaming and clattering from down the hall. Scrambling off his bed and practically crashing his way to the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of a five foot tall fire over the stove, and Sunset smacking a singed towel against the flames as if taming a monster with it. After several minutes, we both managed to get the fire under control with minimal damage.

"Sunset...what happened?" Coral asked as he guzzled a glass of water. Sunset Shimmer was in tears and Coral was unsure with what to do.

"I-I wanted to make you something as thanks for putting up with me...and I made things worse. I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to do it, if you want me to leave, I can-"

"Well...I thought you were gonna leave anyway..." Coral said. Sunset looked confused as Coral set down his empty glass. "You know, you said you had a home in the new apartment complex across the city?"

Sunset Shimmer blinked. "New apart-I mean yes! Y-yes! I totally do!! I should...pack up my school stuff...get going to my school...heheh," Sunset giggled nervously as she turned to make her way to the living room where her backpack was, before Coral grabbed her shoulder, making her emit an "eep" out of fear.

"Sunset..." he said. "Do you really live there?"

Sunset's head drooped down to the hardwood floor. "No...I live in the abandoned warehouse next to it..."

"You're homeless?!" Coral cried in disbelief.

"Not homeless!" Sunset protested. "There's electricity and an old bed..."

"Sunset...how much of your life has been utter shit?" Coral asked. "Don't tell me your parents abandoned you or something..."

Sunset wiped her eyes. "Well...m-my family isn't here," she said. "Until recently, the only family I had were my friends at school."

Coral slowly let go of Sunset Shimmer's shoulder, before looking down. "So your family basically abandoned you..." he said. "Sunset, you're staying here from now on, OK?"

"W-what? No, I don't think you can afford that!" Sunset tried to say.

"I work at a pretty fancy restaurant, and I get paid way more than minimum wage," Coral said. "You can have a warm roof over your head, a ride to school every day, and someone to help you."

"I...you don't even know me! Why are you trying so hard to help me?" Sunset said softly as she looked down.

Coral froze at that statement. Looking away, he scratched the back of his head. "Because when I saw you in that alley...alone and filthy from the rain...I couldn't leave you then. And now that I know your situation, I can't leave you now. I won't leave you while you're hurting!" he said.

Sunset couldn't tell him that his answer didn't specifically answer her question, but she couldn't help but blush. "I...OK," she whispered. "Sorry for ruining breakfast."

Coral looked at the pan to see fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. "Actually, it's not that ruined," he said, taking the pan and bringing it to the counter to grab two bowls. "The hash has a bit of char to it, and the eggs don't look so bad. Let's try it."

"R-really?" Sunset asked. "But-"

"Come on, I'm curious to try this. It's still pretty hot," Coral said as he emptied the pan into the two bowls, before sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper on each one. "Aren't you hungry?"

Sunset could see that Coral wasn't about to let up, so she relented. Plus she wouldn't be lying if she wasn't the tiniest bit curious. The two sat at the table, a bit apprehensive to eat at first, before finally digging in with enthusiasm. The food was good, a bit burnt, but they enjoyed the extra bit of crispiness with the potatoes.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Sunset Shimmer was getting ready to head to school, while Coral got ready for work. "Hey, forgot if I asked, but how old are you?" Coral asked as he tucked in his white shirt under his collared button-up.

"Oh, I'm 17. I turn 18 in a week," Sunset Shimmer said, the half-lie easily slipping off her tongue. She knew she was around a high schooler age in this world. But in reality, she was around 21 in Equestrian years, but there was no way she'd tell Coral that. Nor would she plan on telling Coral that she wasn't actually a human, rather a unicorn pony who ran from her universe to hide in this one from an all knowing magical unkillable goddess of a winged unicorn who happened to be her high school's principal in dimensional counterpart.

Coral wasn't any the wiser, as he wiped off the counter. "Adulthood, huh? Lemme tell you something, college is a nightmare compared to high school. Plus when you're 18, there's all sorts of stupid stuff you have to apply for. College ID, financial aid, legal ID, driving tests and licenses, etcetera etcetera..."

"Oh. Uhh...yeah..." Sunset Shimmer gulped nervously. "T-totally prepared for that."

Coral snorted before tossing the towel aside. "Hey...will you take my offer?" he asked. "I'd be more than willing to help you out..."

"I dunno...what do you want in return?" Sunset asked in trepidation.

Coral sighed. "...your friendship? It gets awfully lonely, even with coworkers at work," he said. "And honestly, you need the help and support...so what do you say?"

Sunset Shimmer looked down, her hands clasped together before looking back up to the young man who offered her everything.

“OK…” Sunset Shimmer replied reluctantly, unsure what friendship really meant. It was funny, a stranger being kinder in one night than she’d ever truly felt with her former ‘friends’. “Friends.”

“Are you sure you wanna go back to school?” Coral asked. “I mean I know you have to, but I feel like you need…you know, a break?”

“We have weekends. And why’re you believing these sorts of things so easily?” Sunset Shimmer asked nervously. Coral looked down, sighing before looking to Sunset Shimmer defiantly and sternly.

“The alley. No way you could’ve been lying. Our conversation last night at dinner too,” Coral said. “You were pouring your heart out, even an idiot could tell you weren’t being dishonest.”

“I…” Sunset Shimmer sighed before changing the subject. “You don’t need to drive me to school or anything, I can walk. I still have a bit of time.”

“OK,” Coral said after a bit of internal debate. “Are you sure? What if you were jumped or…”

“I can fight,” Sunset Shimmer reassured. “Thanks though.”

---

Sunset Shimmer walked past the Cutie Mark Crusaders and away from the Sweet Shoppe, having left her notebook with her former friends, despite the severe tongue lashing they gave her. Fingering the house keys Coral gifted her in her pocket, she wiped her face with her other hand as she just kept walking.

Texting Coral's number, having traded numbers between each other this morning, she sent him a message. Sunset: Hey, im gonna walk back home, no need to pick me up.

Coral: u sure? U remember how to get back?

Sunset: U already picked up my stuff this morning, i dont wanna waste ur gas. And yes, I do.

Coral: its no problem, i promise.

Sunset: Still, i think i need the walk. pls?

Coral: ok fine...

Coral: im gonna make us dinner

Sunset: OK, cant wait.

Coral: gr8. anyway, how was school?

Sunset froze before looking down. After a few seconds of internal debate, she decided to answer back.

Sunset: Ill tell you when i get back.

Coral: aight. ttyl.

Sunset pocketed her phone and went back to walking. Several hours later, she reached Coral's house, where his SUV was parked in the driveway. After letting herself in, she set her stuff down by the couch before heading to the dinner table.

From there, she could see Coral at the stove, the kitchen in a bustle as he cooked dinner for the both of them. "Hey, you're back. Had to have been a long walk, but I'm making dinner now," Coral said.

"I..." Sunset whispered as she sat at the table, wiping her eyes.

"Trust me. These mashed potatoes and gravy is practically a food group on its own," Coral reassured, a saucepan full of an aromatic brown liquid on one side of the stove, with a frying pan of oil. "I made the potatoes already, so...hey, what's wrong?"

Stopping his cooking and turning both igniters off, he went over to the depressed looking girl. "Hey...what happened at school?"

Sunset looked down, before sniffling. She explained how things at school didn't improve, only getting worse. The threats in her locker and on her desk. How she was jumped by Gilda and the sports team, how Rainbow Dash didn't even help her or look at her. And as she recounted her earlier hours, she eventually broke down into tears.

“I…I wanted to run or fight…but my legs froze and I just got kicked to the floor, over and over and…I’d only get into trouble if I tried fighting back!” Sunset Shimmer whimpered as Coral handed her a handkerchief. “Why do I still go there?”

“Well…because it’s law, and if you stopped going, you’d…” Coral said before noting Sunset Shimmer still sobbing her heart out. “Not helping, gotcha.”

"The coach caught them, and I went to the nurse's office...but still...I don't think I can handle this anymore," Sunset whispered. "I just wanna...never go to school..."

"Look...I'm not sure about everything that's been going on, but is there a reason why everyone would suddenly turn on you?"

Sunset Shimmer sighed. “I used to be a big bully. Like the worst. But I changed, I put everything I had into changing for the better…” Sunset Shimmer whispered as she wiped her eyes. “It worked for a bit, but…”

“The moment something goes wrong, they all assume it’s you,” Coral finished. Sunset Shimmer shot up, looking to him with ready, puffy, bloodshot eyes.

“Whoever’s doing all this is making it look like me! They’re framing me!” Sunset cried. “And the fact that it’s so obvious makes it hurt even more! They put my mark and everything, and everyone believes it’s me all of a sudden!”

“So…they’re just that stupid,” Coral said, his tone has of voice cross.

Sunset Shimmer grumbled as she buried her hands in her face. “It’s so dumb. Someone out there is spilling secrets of the students in high school and they’re trying to make it look like it’s me…” she whispered as she looked back up to the ceiling. “Why did I do any of this…redemption if no one thinks I changed?”

Coral was silent for a few minutes before he coughed and spoke up “You know…I’m not suggesting anything, but you might need to change schools…” he said, not implying anything but simply putting it out there.

Sunset Shimmer didn’t say anything, and Coral took that as a sign that she was thinking. This wasn’t something to take lightly, and Coral knew his options to help were limited. At the very most, he could at least make Sunset feel better.

“Hey, you even had street food?” Coral asked.

---

Fluttershy was walking home from school when she saw something somewhat strange, an orange head of hair next to a young man exiting an SUV parked at the lot next to the Canterlot Public Park. Thinking nothing of it, she simply shrugged to herself, waiting to cross the street as the two headed towards a street food cart.

When the two turned around, she gasped in surprise at what she saw: Sunset Shimmer and a strange young man both holding steaming styrofoam bowls as they headed back to their car. “Sunset Shimmer? With a stranger? Oh no, I hope he’s not taking advantage of her!” she thought nervously.

Her worries would be shaken into confusion as she saw the laughing smile on Sunset Shimmer’s face when the fiery haired teen faced the young man moments before she entered the passenger seat of the SUV. As they got in, she could barely see the two of them talking and eating in the car, Sunset seemingly smiling and chatting with the stranger in the vehicle. When the SUV pulled away moments later, FLuttershy was left confused at what she saw. "Who...who was that?" she thought to herself.

She was so lost in thought that she missed the chance to cross the street, only being shaken out of her internal stupor when the nearby cars drove by loudly.

Comments

[Iamsorry]

Nice! Loveing this so far

[KittyrinnAiko]

Looks promising, hope to see more.

[Akwolfgrl13]

Glad sunset made a frined

[PonyofEntropy]

Good start to an interesting story. Hope it will update shy. Take care.

[RDDash]

Those brats know your best friends better than you do Sunset.so easy to manipulate.