The crowd was speechless.
For several minutes they just stared, and Sunset just passively floated in place.
"Right, then. To business." she said casually.
Raising her hand she fired a green magical beam into the sky. It exploded and expanded outwards, forming a dome-like structure.
Several students realized what was happening and tried to run for it, but it was too late. The wall had touched the ground and their bodies slammed hard into it before collapsing. They were trapped.
"Okay. So," Sunset clapped her hands loudly, making everyone jump. "You all know who I am, and why I'm here. So I'll spare you the villainous exposition."
Though Sunset had not raised her voice a single octave, it echoed and carried as though she were hooked up to a microphone.
"However, I'm feeling generous at the moment, so," she smirked and raised her hand again. "I'll give you all a 10-second head start."
Lightening struck from her fingers and at their feet. They scattered like rats.
She calmly floated towards the door, and stopped when Celestia moved to block her path, her arms fanned out.
Sunset calmly blinked. "Please step aside, Principal Celestia."
"Listen to me," the principal implored. "I know you've been through a lot. I know you're hurting, that you want to hurt the ones who wronged you..."
"Oh please, do go on." Sunset, said annoyed.
Luna grabbed her sister's shoulder, imploring her to get away. "Celestia...."
"Think of all the work you've done. The progress you've made. If you do this, you'll lose all of that! You'll be right where you started! Alone!"
She reached out her hand to her fallen student. "Please. You're not a monster. Don't act like one."
Sunset close her eyes, breathing slowly through her nose. When she opened them she had a pained look on her face. "You sound just like her."
Celestia furrowed her brows in confusion.
Sunset smiled sadly. "Always forgiving. Always seeing the good in others." The smile slid off. "Even when they don't deserve it."
Celestia gasped as she found herself being lifted off the ground and floating in the air.
"Tia!" Luna ran to help, but found herself floating, too.
Without a word, Sunset floated the two women over to the barrier, opened a small hole, and, with a flick of her wrist, flung them through. They rolled in the snow as they hit the ground.
A small wave of her hand, and the hole closed.
"You had your chance to stop this, Celestia." Sunset declared. "You, Luna, Anon-A-Miss, the girls. You all had dozens of chances. Now whatever happens, it's out of your hands."
And with that, she turned and floated away.
Desperate, Celestia ran up to the barrier and pounded furiously. "Don't do this! You're a good person! You're better than this! Don't throw your life away over this! Sunset! SUNSET!!!!!"
Celestia's cries and poundings fell on deaf ears. Sunset waved her arms, and a powerful gust of wind blew the doors of Canterlot High open.
As she floated down the halls amidst the frightened students, she never noticed the black veins on her arms and legs crawling further up her body.
"Think of all the work you've done. The progress you've made. If you do this, you'll lose all of that!"
Sunset smiled bitterly. "Foolish woman. You can't lose what you never had."
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle looked about the hall in confusion.
"What the hell is going on?" Rainbow asked one running student.
"It's Shimmer! She's gone crazy! She's gone full she-demon again!" he cried.
Rainbow was shocked. "What?"
"It's true! She's got wings and everything!" yelled another student. "She destroyed the horse statue and put up some kind of force-field!"
Rainbow shared a look of despair with Rarity.
"Rarity..." Sweetie Belle whimpered, clinging to her sister's arm.
Rainbow bit her lip, then sighed. "Rarity. Take those three and find somewhere to hide."
As Rarity wrapped her arms around the three girls, she asked, "But what about you?"
"I'm gonna try and find something to use as weapons. They probably won't do any good, but it's better than nothing."
Rarity gave a pained look. "Surely there's -"
"Rarity, she's trapped the entire school! She's not playing around! And without Twilight, the whole 'Magical Friendship Rainbow Beam's' outta the question. And considering everything that's happened, I think we are long past the point of negotiation!"
Rarity turned her head, then slowly nodded.
As she turned to leave, Scootaloo cried out, "Rainbow Dash..I just want-"
"Save it for when we're not dead, Scoots!" Rainbow yelled over her shoulder.....and she ran.
She pushed everything down.....her anger at Scootaloo, her anger at Gilda, her anger at herself. She could be mad later.
If there was a later.