Looking Glass

by Krickis

16 – Life Out of Place

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It was the moment of truth. All of Sunset’s efforts were about to be tested. She’d done everything she was could think to do, and whether she succeeded or failed would come down to this. Just a single press of a button.

Inhaling a breath she didn’t dare let out, Sunset reached out her hand. She stopped for a moment, index resting on the button, before finally pressing it.

A blue light circled the button as the gentle humming of fans started up. “Yes!” The computer monitor lit up to momentarily display the motherboard’s manufacturer, before booting into the BIOS.

A knock on the door snapped Sunset away from her moment of victory. “Good news, I take it?”

Sunset frowned at the door, but she soon fixed her expression as she stood to answer it. It wouldn’t do her any good to show Rose Petal anything less than the darling angel Sunset had become in the past year.

By the time she opened the door, Sunset was wearing an excited grin. “It works! I just finished getting it all set up.”

Rose took a look at the screen, although she no doubt had no idea what anything she was seeing meant. It was just blocky white text on a black background, awaiting the command to begin installing the operating system. “I never doubted it. But while I’m sure you’d rather play with your new toy, it’s time for your meeting with Mrs. Dusk.”

“Already?” Sunset glanced at a clock, although she had already known what time it was. “I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow…”

Rose turned away from the computer to give Sunset a confused look. “It’s not going to take all day, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But installing everything on the computer probably will. I was hoping that I would at least have enough time to get it all started, then the operating system could install while I was gone. But I guess I’ll have to do it when I get back.”

Rose seemed to consider something, then broke out in a resigned smile. “Well, I suppose I could drive you. Would fifteen minutes give you enough time to get things settled here?”

Sunset shifted to an apprehensive look, although that was the exact reaction she had hoped for. “That would be perfect, but… I couldn’t ask you to do that. I know you don’t really like to drive around so much anymore.”

“Really now, Sunset, I’m not that old!” Rose chuckled and shook her head. “I think I can manage a short drive down to the coffee shop.”

“Well, if you’re sure… Thank you, Ms. Rose. You’re the best!”

“Oh, you.” Rose smiled to herself as she left Sunset alone to finish with her computer.

Sunset wasted no time in getting back to it. She initiated the OS installation, taking the time to review all the options. For as long as she could remember, she’d been fascinated by computers. As silly as it seemed, there was always something about them that seemed magical to her. She had thought that learning about how they work would diminish the effect, but it didn’t. If anything, the more she learned, the more interested she became.

When New Horizons got the budget to get personal computers for all the older kids as a result of the increased use of computers in high school, Sunset had been able to convince them to let her build her own. The timing had been on her side; she had just graduated middle school, and had managed to keep straight A’s for the last year and a half. Rose had been sympathetic, but she had said there was no way they would be able to budget anything other than what was in the deal that they had already made for the computers. But in light of Sunset’s progress, Violet Dusk had managed to find a way to cover the extra funding.

Which was perfect, because Sunset was more than ready to not have to share computer times with other kids. There were twenty-three kids at New Horizons, and they had all needed to share the three computers that were in the communal lounge room. On a good day, she could maybe get to spend four hours on one of them. Now, she would get to spend as much time as she wanted on a computer she had the satisfaction of knowing she personally had built.

With a few final clicks, everything was set up. She watched the progress bar move ever so slowly as the OS installed. She just hoped it would be finished by the time she got back.

Since there was nothing else she could do with her computer, Sunset left her room to look for Rose. She didn’t have to look for long, as they met in the hallway.

“I was just coming to get you,” Rose said. “Ready to go?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

As they walked outside, Sunset kept her pace slow so as to walk side by side with the elderly caretaker. It was more than a bit frustrating, but there was nothing much to be done about it. Rose was the easiest of all the caretakers to get her way with, and Rose was old. While everyone at New Horizons cared about the children, the rest of the staff would be too busy with their work to drive one teenager somewhere that was easily in walking distance. But Rose didn’t have many obligations anymore. In truth, she had been past the age of retirement for some time – she just didn’t have anywhere else to retire to.

Although she had slowed down considerably, Rose usually managed to get around well enough. But getting into the large van took her a lot more effort than it had a few years prior, and even Sunset felt a little bad for coercing her into driving. That wouldn’t last, though. She’d be grateful for the extra time once she got back to her computer.

Rose squinted as she checked her surroundings, then shifted into reverse and pulled out of the parking space. Thankfully, once they were on the road, Rose managed much better. She made casual conversation along the way, asking all the standard questions about how Sunset felt now that she was about to transition into high school. Sunset didn’t particularly care for the small talk, but she humored Rose. It was only a short drive, and life was easier when she was in Rose’s good graces.

“Here we are,” Rose said as she pulled into the coffee shop’s parking lot.

“Thanks for the ride,” Sunset said, showing a friendly smile as she got out. “I can just walk back, so I’ll see you later, Ms. Rose.”

“Alright, Sunset. And be sure to thank Mrs. Dusk for the computer.”

“Will do.” Sunset closed the door and waved, then turned to enter the coffee shop. It would’ve been easier to just meet with Violet at the orphanage, but Sunset preferred to speak with her away from other kids and caretakers. As a matter of policy, Violet had allowed Sunset to choose their meeting locations for years; wherever Sunset felt most comfortable opening up would be ideal.

A quick scan of the tables revealed Violet had already arrived. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Sunset said as she approached.

“No, I’ve only been here a few minutes.” Violet slid a cup across the table, reminding Sunset that there was another reason why it was nice to meet her outside of the orphanage. “I got you something. You like mocha, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Sunset took a sip and smirked. “It’s decaf, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is. Can you tell, or was that just a guess?”

Sunset shrugged. “A little, but it’s fine.” That was typical of Violet. She knew that Rose wouldn’t approve of her drinking regular coffee, so she wouldn’t overstep her bounds by ordering it. But she also wasn’t stupid, so she certainly knew that’s what Sunset would’ve ordered herself. It didn’t make much difference to someone like Violet. She had far bigger things to worry about than Sunset’s caffeine intake, so long as she wasn’t the one providing it.

“So, is there anything new going on?” Violet asked. The meeting was really just a routine check up, insofar as Sunset was aware. Violet probably didn’t intend to move past their basic script of pleasantries and reassurances that Sunset had managed to not fuck anything up.

That said, Sunset was at least a little excited to share her accomplishment. “Well, I set up my computer. Everything’s installing right now.”

Violet smiled knowingly. “I suppose I see why you wanted the caffeine now. You aren’t planning on sleeping tonight, are you?”

“Violet, please.” Sunset folded her arms in pretend indignation. “You know New Horizons has a curfew.”

“Of course I do. But I also remember being fourteen.”

Although Violet had the tendency to say everything in a serious tone, Sunset had been seeing her for nine years. She knew Violet didn’t really care about her sleeping habits either, so long as Sunset stayed on track with the things she did care about. “Well, at least it’ll be something to keep me out of trouble.”

“One can only hope.” Violet took a sip of her coffee. “Suppose that it’ll also keep you indoors for the last few weeks of summer.”

Sunset smirked. “Sorry, guess I won’t be going out to play with the other kids too much.”

“It wouldn’t kill you to make some friends. You might be –”

“–surprised, I know.” Sunset leaned forward. She dropped the playful smirk and set her coffee aside. “Look, Violet, we both know I don’t fit in with kids my own age. You’re pretty much the closest thing I have to a friendly relationship.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Other adults still treat me like the poor little girl who’ll be fine if I just get enough hugs. And kids my age are going through the stupid phases that they’ll be embarrassed about in five years.”

“Don’t underestimate young adults. Most of them will probably need ten years before they really cringe when looking back.”

“See! That’s what I mean! Anyone else would’ve tried to explain that I was wrong. But you didn’t, because you’ll actually listen to what I have to say before shooting it down. Because even when I was five, you treated me more like an adult than anyone else does now.”

“This is leading to you suggesting something that you don’t want me to shoot down immediately, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is.” Sunset wasn’t surprised that Violet had seen through her set up immediately. Violet really was the only person that could ever keep up with Sunset, and she was more amused than anything. But as she continued, Sunset’s tone turned somber. Part of it was intentional, to show Violet how much she meant what she was about to say. But beyond that, there was the fact that she really did mean it. A rare truth that she normally wouldn’t let slip. “I’m not like other kids. And I know everyone my age says that, but you also know that for me, it’s true. I feel more like an adult trapped in a kid’s body. I’ve felt like that for a long time, really.”

“You know I can’t do anything to make other people take you seriously.”

“I know that. Which is exactly why I want to leave New Horizons. I’m never going to fit in there, or anywhere else with other people.”

“I’m not going to help you become a hermit out in the woods.”

Sunset normally appreciated Violet’s humor, but she ignored the joke. “I want to live on my own. In my own house or apartment. I definitely don’t want to live with kids, and honestly? I don’t want to live with adults either. It’s not like anyone is going to take me seriously as long as I’m still a minor. So I just want to live alone.”

Violet sighed. “If you were anyone else, I’d think this is a joke. But of course it isn’t, is it?”

“No. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I honestly think that’s the best thing for me.”

“Like you already said, you are a minor.”

“I know, but minors can live alone if emancipated from their legal guardian. That’s the state in my case, so there won’t be any sort of emotional reason for them to try and stop me. Proving that I’m capable of taking care of myself and making a sound case for this decision should be all I need to do.”

“You make it sound so easy.” Violet looked like she couldn’t decide between smiling and letting her head fall on the table. She settled for a weary frown. “But I know you better than that. Since you’ve done your homework, you know it’s difficult to get emancipated.”

“I know. And I know I’m not at the point where that’s even possible right now. But if you help me, I know it’ll be a lot easier to move through the court system.”

“Yes, it would be.” Violet didn’t seem happy about that fact. “But there are numerous hurdles to overcome before that’s even a possibility, and I certainly hope you’re not taking it as a given that I’m going to go through with helping you with this.”

“No, I wasn’t.” Sunset looked up at Violet and tried to capture the most earnest look she could. “So tell me, what do I need to do to convince you that I can handle this?”

“Well, let’s start with the obvious. You’ll need a reliable source of income.”

Sunset nodded. “Of course. I’m sure I can find a job.”

“Which you’ll need to balance with school.”

“I can do that. And once I get a job, I’ll prove it to you.”

“You’ll need to find housing.”

“Actually, I was hoping that was one of the things you could help me with,” Sunset said, then thought better of her answer. “But if not then I’m sure I could still manage.”

Violet nodded. “Yes, I could help you with that. That is the sort of thing I do with some of my older clients, and it’s something I had planned on doing with you. Of course, that was going to be a few years down the line.”

“Right. So, I know what I need to do for the court, but what do I need to do to convince you?” Sunset didn’t like the expression Violet was giving her, so she added, “You told me before that what you really wanted was for me to find something I could work for. So let me work for this.”

For a moment, Violet didn’t answer. She folded her hands, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she had lost the weariness and returned to her usual impassive look. “I can’t deny that your logic checks out. I had always hoped you could settle in a bit better at New Horizons, but I’ve known for years that it just isn’t going to happen. Even when you’re doing good – perfect grades and attendance at school, no trouble with the law or other kids – you still detach yourself from everyone else. But you do function incredibly well when you set your mind to it, so I’m open to this idea if you can convince me.

“So here’s what you need to do: First, you’ll have to manage work without it affecting your grades. You have a very bright future ahead of you, and I don’t want you to throw that away. Second, you’ll need some life skills. I’m sure your new school offers some home economics classes, which I recommend you take. But beyond that, I’m sure Ms. Rose would love nothing more than to help teach you how to maintain a household, and there’s no one better than her at doing it. Third, whether you like it or not, sometimes you’ll have to get along with your peers. Not causing problems is enough to get you by, but you’re going to have to make an honest effort to connect with someone. No one’s expecting you to become the most popular girl in school, but you’ll need at least a few friends before I sign off on you cutting yourself off from others.”

Spend more time with Rose and make friends? Violet was clearly trying to get Sunset into the exact social situation that would make her give up on wanting to live alone. Sunset was about to try and argue it, but then something occurred to her. It was something in how she said it. She’d never outright say it, but there was subtext hidden in her instructions. Whether you like it or not. Fake it if you have to.

“Friends.” Sunset nodded. “Admittedly a lot harder than acing school and getting a job, but I’ll manage.”

Violet nodded. Sunset suspected Violet knew she’d caught on. “And above all, you’ll need to impress me. Sorry, but there’s no itemized list I can give you of everything you need to do. The best advice I can give you is to just keep doing anything you think will help you get further in your goal.”

“Just wing it?” Sunset smirked. She finally remembered her coffee, and took a sip. It had cooled a bit more than she would’ve liked, but it was still warm. “No problem. I excel at thinking on my feet.”

“You’re right. I don’t think anyone else would stand a chance, but you? Maybe.” Violet drank the remainder of her own coffee. “At least a new school will give you the perfect chance to start fresh.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Even after Sunset had started improving her grades, Violet suspected a complete change of scenery would be in her best interest. So instead of going to the nearby school that she was zoned for, Violet arranged for Sunset to go to a school clear across town. Since most of Sunset’s classmates from Everfree Middle would be going to the nearby school, including everyone at New Horizons, it really was a chance to start fresh.

Sunset was going to miss the hold she had over the student body, but she had faith in herself; it wouldn’t take her long to do something similar at the new school. Maybe she could even do it better. “Canterlot High, here I come.”

“Sunset Shimmer.”

The voice called to Sunset as she walked closer to the U-shaped building. It filled her with dread, but she did what she could to ignore it. She had to get to the statue in the courtyard. It was important.

Sunset had never been here before, but it was all she’d ever wanted.

The statue stood before her. A horse, rearing up into the air. She hated horses, and this one was the worst of all. It was the guardian, and it would find her unworthy.

Sunset had been here a thousand times, but she was still terrified.

The polished sides of the statue’s base reminded Sunset of a mirror. She reached her hand out to it, and the age old thought ran through her head. Would her hand stop when she touched the surface, or would she keep going through to the other side?

Sunset had been here once before, but she had forgotten that long ago.

Heart beating rapidly against her chest, Sunset held her hand almost to the statue’s surface. What would happen? She needed to know. She was afraid to know. She had once known.

“Sunset Shimmer.”

Startled into moving by the voice, Sunset’s hand shot forward, and she found out.

“It’s time to return home.”

A vibrating sound woke Sunset up. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if the dream had ended. They didn’t always end when she woke up, and the vibrating followed her in and out of consciousness.

But with a few panicked breaths, she was able to draw on the more reliable sensations. She could feel the softness of her bed, and the hardness of the wall beside it. Her mouth was dry, and there was sleep in her eyes. She reached a hand to her face and wiped her eyes, noting the way her fingers felt against her skin. Fingers were always a good sign.

The vibrating continued, but Sunset ignored it. It came from inside her bedframe, and she knew if anyone else was in the room, they wouldn’t be able to hear it. The worst thing to do would be to pay attention to it, since one thing led to another whenever that thing was involved. So instead, Sunset began her morning routine.

She turned on a light and dressed into the clothes she had set aside the night before, then pulled a small makeup bag out of a drawer. In recent times, Sunset had found a certain benefit to paying some attention to her appearance. Her biggest assets were and would always remain her intellect and quick thinking, but being able to disarm her peers with the right look helped too. And since it was the first day of school, Sunset wanted to make sure she looked her best.

Taking the bag with her, Sunset walked out into the hallway. She frowned when she saw the bathroom door closed with a light coming from underneath it. It seemed it had been too much to hope that the other high school aged kids at New Horizons would be trying to spend as much of the first day back to school sleeping as possible.

There wasn’t anything to do about it though; such was the downside of not allowing a mirror in her bedroom. Sunset pulled a hair brush out of the bag and took a seat in the hall, taking the time to work on untangling her hair.

“You’re up early,” someone said.

Sunset turned to see one of the overnight caretakers. She recognized him, but they didn’t really know one another. Up until now, Sunset had usually either been asleep or in her room whenever he was around.

“Might as well get an early start, right?” Since she wasn’t sure what the future with him might be like, the best thing to do would be to try and stay amiable. In general, it was a good policy for the New Horizons staff.

“That’s the spirit!” He wore a friendly smile and seemed entirely too enthusiastic for someone who had been awake all night only to have to deal with a bunch of teenagers as they woke up. “So, ready to return home?”

“What?” Sunset stopped brushing to give him her full attention.

“I said, are you ready to return to school?”

“Oh.” Sunset ignored the sense of unease and smiled. “Well, not really. But is anyone ever ready to go back to school?”

He laughed. “I guess that’s a fair point.”

The bathroom door opened, and Sunset seized the chance to excuse herself from the conversation. She’d long since learned better than to question these things. She’d misheard, and that was all there was to it.

The routine of finishing her hair and applying her makeup distracted Sunset from her thoughts. She had become well practiced at that, and she hadn’t devolved into a full episode in ages.

By the time she left the bathroom, Sunset was feeling much more composed. She joined the others for breakfast, and was content to find most of them were still half asleep and untalkative. Not that it would have mattered too much. Sunset’s school was farther than the others’, so she didn’t have much time anyway.

A quick check to make sure she had everything she needed, and Sunset was ready to go. On the way out, she reassured the caretaker that she knew where the bus stop was, and walked to it alone. She couldn’t help but think of how easy it would be to just skip school. But of course, the first day of school was too important to miss. She needed to get a feel for the students and teachers in order to establish herself as head bitch.

There were a few kids at Sunset’s bus stop. She adopted a half-lidded sleepy look to discourage anyone from talking to her, but kept her ears open for any useful information. They were just complaining about school starting again, which was to be expected. Not that she’d likely do too much with these kids anyway; they lived too close to her, so she’d be better off waiting until she was at school to start picking targets.

The bus ride was more of the same. The kids near the front were a bit more talkative than the ones in the back. Once Sunset had a better idea of the personality she’d be playing with them, she would gravitate further up to be near the information. But for now, she bided her time in the back, where the kids around her just seemed to want to sleep.

“Next stop, Canterlot High School!” the driver announced after picking up the last of the kids. Everyone joined in a chorus of boos and groans, which seemed to amuse the driver.

As for Sunset, she just found herself wondering what Canterlot High would have in store for her. There was something about the school that made her anxious. It wasn’t high school itself that nagged at her feelings. Sunset was reasonably sure that if she wanted to, she could push herself to graduate within a year.

But even if she couldn’t place what it was, there was definitely something that made Canterlot High School stand out to her. Although she’d explored most of the city, Canterlot High had always been too far, so there really wasn’t any reason for the school to stand out to her. She’d even turned down the chance to visit it with Rose during summer break, wanting to avoid meeting any of the other kids while parents were around.

Inhale. Hold the breath. Exhale. They were nearly at the school, then Sunset could see for herself that there was nothing to be anxious about. Just another school, just like Everfree Middle.

Sunset almost got herself to calm down, but then the bus rounded the corner. A large maroon building that curved in a U-shape came into view. Sunset would have screamed if she wasn’t completely frozen in place.

How many times? How many times had Sunset seen this building? For over a year, she had dreamed of this place. Night after night, always searching for it, sure that it was the answer to the questions she no longer remembered to ask.

She barely noticed when the bus stopped, but the door opening brought her to attention. She jumped up and practically ran to the front, not bothering to wait for anyone else.

“Now hold on there,” the bus driver said as she pushed past another student.

“Motion sickness,” Sunset said, the lie coming easily. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

Everyone got out of her way, which Sunset took full advantage of. As soon as she was off the bus, she began looking around. She was at the back of the school, but she needed to get to the front. Would it be there? Sunset was afraid of the answer.

There were staff members standing by the school, directing students where to go. Once she was in the building, Sunset wasn’t sure when she’d be able to get back out. And she was not waiting until the end of the day to see the front of the school.

Using the general chaos of the confused students as cover, Sunset walked towards the building but away from any entrances. She stayed within the crowd as best she could, but moved steadily towards where the busses pulled in. Once she reached the point where there would be no more student cover, she took a quick look around, then continued along on the grass to the side of the school.

Thankfully, there were a few students hanging around there as well. Older kids who all knew where they were, catching up with friends they hadn’t seen in months. Sunset kept her gaze pointed downwards and her look disinterested. So long as no one realized she was out of place, no one would question it.

As she approached the next corner, her heart began pounding furiously. There was always one point in the school that she went to in her dreams. It was somewhere important, but she didn’t know why. She paused for a moment at the corner. It was time to find out.

She turned the corner, and there it was. The statue of the horse rearing up onto its hind legs. Sunset’s jaw fell open and she stood rooted in place for a moment, then she ran. Giving up all pretense of not standing out, Sunset ran as fast as she could towards the statue.

She stopped just short of reaching it, collapsing to her knees in front of it. She couldn’t place why, but the square base that the statue stood on called to her far more than the horse itself did. The polished sides reminded Sunset of a mirror, and she found herself thinking the one thing she had trained herself to never so much as spare a thought to. ‘What’s on the other side?’

Sunset tentatively held up her hand to it. She took a deep breath, then reached out.

Solid.

He hand stopped, pressed up against the cold marble, and nothing happened. Well, almost nothing. Sunset rested her forehead against the marble and watched as little dark circles appeared on the ground wherever her tears fell.

‘It… it’s really here…’

Sunset was scared. There were things that she did not think about. Things she wouldn’t let herself think about. And now, so many of them were dancing through her mind, all connected to this one statue, the place where it all started.

Where what all started? It was right there. Sunset knew it was, knew there was something that she had buried in the deepest parts of her memory, something she had tried and failed to forget. It was right there, and it wanted to come out.

Sunset pulled her head up and looked into the marble. This was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to work like this. Something else was supposed to happen now. Everything was supposed to be better now.

But nothing happened.

No matter how much Sunset stared, no matter how much she willed something to happen, nothing did. She reached her hand up to her head, feeling a little above her forehead. Things were supposed to happen when Sunset willed them too. She could almost remember how that felt.

“Uh, are you okay, miss?” someone asked from behind her. Judging by his voice, he sounded like he was another student.

“I’m fine.” Sunset’s voice sounded detached from the rest of her body. It barely registered to her.

“You do know that the bell rang, right?”

Sunset didn’t want to turn away. She knew once she did, the magic would be gone. But she could already feel it fading as the other student’s voice pulled her out of the statue’s world and back into the one she was stuck in.

Realizing that it was over, Sunset turned around. He was definitely another student, and looked to be around Sunset’s age. He had light tan skin and two-toned blue hair, which he had slicked back. Sunset suspected that he thought he looked much cooler than he really did.

“Are… you sure you’re okay?” he asked when Sunset didn’t answer.

“Yeah, I… I don’t really feel that well.”

“Do you need to go to the nurse’s office? I think I know where it is.”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I’ll be alright.”

She started walking toward the school, and he ran to catch up with her. “Yeah, I hear you. My stomach’s feeling a little uneasy too. High school’s gonna be a lot tougher than middle school.”

Sunset didn’t answer him.

“Uh, well, I guess that’s only for Freshman though. What grade are you in?”

“Freshman,” Sunset said. She looked around and realized she had completely missed out on getting any sort of instructions. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

“Oh, yeah!” He seemed happy to have some way to be useful and motioned for her to follow him. “All the different grades are gathering in different places. Seniors and Juniors are meeting with the principal and vice principal, so I don’t know who we’ll get, but Freshman are supposed to meet in the cafeteria.”

At least her guide knew where they were going. He was visibly unsure on one or two turns, but they wound up finding the cafeteria before long, and they weren’t the last ones in.

Nonetheless, the lady at the front of the room gave them a stern look as they walked in. They each took seats and waited as other kids filed in. No one seemed to want to talk under the teacher’s harsh gaze, but that suited Sunset just fine. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to anyone.

Eventually, enough of the kids arrived that the teacher began her speech. “Greetings, Canterlot High School Freshman. My name is Mrs. Harshwhinny, and there are a few things we’ll be going over before you can begin your career as students of our school.”

Sunset didn’t listen much to her words. They didn’t seem very important anymore. Nothing really did. Since she had laid eyes on that statue, nothing in this world quite felt real. It was just a dream, or a small part of a much more real world that she belonged to.

“And in just a moment, our principal will be –”

“Good morning, Canterlot High School!” a voice on the intercom cut Mrs. Harshwhinny off.

Sunset sat bolt upright, suddenly acutely aware of the world around her. Or at least, of one small part of it. That voice. She had heard it her whole life, both in her dreams and while awake. It called to her. It terrified her. It embodied everything she wanted, and everything she wanted to be.

“Welcome to what I’m sure will be the start of a fantastic new year! And of course, an extra big welcome to our youngest students for your first day as Canterlot Wondercolts!

“My name is Principal Celestia –”

“Princess Celestia,” Sunset muttered along with her introduction. She squeezed her eyes tight, shutting out everything except that voice.

“– and I hope you all know that my staff and I are here to help you on your journey towards education. All of you will be given your schedules once this announcement is over, and I know your teachers will be eagerly awaiting the chance to meet you, just as I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to see all the things we’ll achieve this year.”

I do not know what your future will hold, only that it will be a bright one.

“And I know that if we pull together, we will make it a year to remember. So don’t worry about starting over at a new school, or starting a new year in one you’ve already been to. Because I know all of you will help each other. So go forth, my wonderful students, and make me proud to be a Canterlot Wondercolt!”

‘Never lose your fire, my gifted student.’

Mrs. Harshwhinny tried to get the students back under her control, but everyone was suddenly fired up by Principal Celestia’s speech. Not Sunset, however.

Sunset was calm. It felt like things were suddenly coming back into focus. She was Sunset Shimmer, the most talented unicorn of her age, and the personal protégé of Princess Celestia. She may have lost her fire for a little while, but she had found it again. And she was going home.