After putting on the Element of Magic, Sunset Shimmer was shown just how much of a monster she really is. But that wasn't all the Elements did to her.

Sunset has now been forced to serve penance by answering any question truthfully and by doing anything asked of her, whether she wants to or not.

And she really doesn't want to.

Until all of the hatred in her heart is gone, Sunset is at the whim of her peers, unbeknownst to them of course. Can her new "friends" help her down the road to redemption?

If not, there's always that other Twilight Sparkle she keeps running into.

Current editor: Nomad_Sigma
Guest editors: Cerulean Voice, Flint Sparks, Starlight Nova, and Sholan
Extra thanks to Icarus_Gizmo, JustAnotherTimeLord, and HenryAnthonyCourtler

Cover art customized by Amber Spark!

Now with it's own TV Tropes page!
Posted on EQD June 25, 2014
Wanna read it in French?
Or, read the E-Pub version here or the online version here
Now available in print format!

Sunset has had the same jacket ever since she came to Canterlot High. Rarity and the girls want to treat her to some new clothes, but some things are too important to be replaced.

After the Fall Formal, everything was supposed to go back to normal, even turn out better. Sunset was going to have friends and they were going to teach her the ways of friendship. At least, that's what Twilight said would happen. Instead, Sunset is seen as a pariah by everyone including those who said they would be her friends. All except Fluttershy, who now has to save Sunset from ending up in a worse place than ever. But can she do it?

Edited by Icecreammac

Rewriting story. Please tune in for some changes! 7/16/18

In the wake of the Canterlot Wedding, Fluttershy has to ask Twilight a very difficult question.

Now available in spanish! Spinoff stories can be found in Would It Matter If I Made This Group?

Now with a TVTropes page.

Twilight Sparkle knows they’re lucky, and she’s not stupid. All her human counterpart wants is to try and understand how the magic works. But she’s in love, and as logical as she tries to be, she can’t handle a human version of herself being around her girlfriend Sunset all of the times she can’t be.

7/7/2016: Now with cover art designed by the very generous Novel-Idea! Thank you so much!

After the Battle of the Bands, Sunset Shimmer struggles to find middle ground between the person she wants to be and the person others at school expect her to be. Thankfully, Twilight Sparkle is a good listener and has enough patience for the both of them. [Post Rainbow Rocks, one-shot] [Slight Sunset Shimmer x Twilight Sparkle]

7/7/2016: Now with cover art designed by the very generous Novel-Idea! Thank you so much!

When Sunset saw Sonata Dusk return to CHS and experience a very familiar treatment, she encouraged her friends to reach out to the Dazzlings just as they'd done with her after the Fall Formal.

Several months later, Aria and Sonata have come to discover some joy in their new life-after-magic. Adagio, however, has continued to refuse the offer—out of bitterness, spite and an unwillingness to give those 'rainbooms' the satisfaction of seeing her break.

What she has yet to realize is that clinging to this resentment is hurting no one but herself.

Thanks to Csquared08 for main editing, proofreading and bouncing ideas.
Thanks to Jondor for pre-reading, grammar/editing and offering advice on technique.

Sunset Shimmer has had a long day. Intending to relax and blow off some steam, she has an eventful encounter with a recent diary entry from somepony she didn't expect.

This story now has an audio reading!

This story is a sequel to An Open Door

After receiving a request from a rather unexpected source, Twilight helps deliver a long-overdue message from Celestia to her former student.

This story is set one month after An Open Door, which itself occurs about six months after Rainbow Rocks.

It's not required to read Open Door first. Just go into this story with the understanding that the Dazzlings have started to befriend the others, and have come to realize there is some joy to be found in their new life-after-magic. If you're interested in how that went down on this timeline from Adagio's perspective, then Open Door is the place to check that out.

Cover art is my own. You may have seen it here already, as another author had created a story based on it some time ago. Drawing this piece is what got me interested in fanfiction. So now that I've had a taste of writing with Open Door, I've decided to come full-circle and write something for it myself.

Pre-reading and brief creative input from Jondor (thanks, man)
Editing, proof-reading and additional input from Csquared08 (I made some small tweaks after the final edit pass, just recently. So any typos are my fault and not something overlooked by C. ;)

Sunset's favorite jacket is looking pretty beaten up after that whole rainbow laser explosion, and she doesn't know the first thing about fixing leather. Obviously she knows someone who could help her, someone who's already agreed to be her friend. But after everything she's done, she doesn't really think she's in a position to be asking favors. She hasn't earned anyone's friendship yet, and she certainly doesn't deserve anyone's help. Still, she's got no other options. So she'll just have to swallow her pride and beg Rarity to take some pity on her.
Rarity certainly has her work cut out explaining to her how friendship works.

Set after Equestria Girls, but before Rainbow Rocks. No shipping. Just awkward, self-loathing Sunset and generous, understanding Rarity.