//------------------------------//
// Part III:  Redemption's Flower || Chapter 24:  THAT Kind of Off 
// Story: Full Circle 
// by Sotharan 
//------------------------------//

Sunset ran into the gym, knowing that she was almost late for the assembly.  As she passed through the doors, she felt a surge of adrenaline.  The gym was crowded with fellow students, but, as nearly all of them were intent on their decoration projects, no one seemed to notice her arrival.  Momentarily intimidated by the sheer number of students, Sunset began picking her way carefully across the polished wood floor.  Halfway across the gym, she spotted some of her friends’ younger sisters working on a poster.  She sighed – so far her efforts to connect with them had failed, even though their older sisters had clearly forgiven and welcomed her.  She decided, doggedly, that she’d better try again.  That was the mantra of her life, lately.  Keep trying.  Just try again.  
She walked tentatively up to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, who had not yet noticed her.  She picked up a paintbrush.  “Want some help?” she asked with a smile, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.  
The three younger girls looked up at her, startled.  They quickly shared a glance, then Apple Bloom answered for them.  “Uh, no thanks.  We’re good.”  Sunset noticed that their expressions were now wary rather than openly angry or hostile.  Maybe that’s a little progress, at least, she thought to herself.  But she could not fully keep the disappointed look from her face.
“Oh.  Okay,” she answered in a small voice, her head falling a bit.
A loud, unspeakably cheerful voice made her nearly jump out of her skin.  “SUNNY!  OVER HERE!”  She looked up to see Pinkie Pie waving at her and jumping up and down with one of happiest smiles she’d ever seen.  And while Pinkie’s heartfelt welcome did warm her heart, she couldn’t help but regret that it had alerted the entire student body to her presence in the gym.  She made her way over to her friends trying to hide her face as the usual whispers, stares, and glares began. 
She sighed as she arrived.  “I didn’t know the whole school would be here,” she told them listlessly.  They all looked at her sympathetically, and Fluttershy, who was closest, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Rarity decided a change of subject was in order.  She returned to admiring the poster that she and Pinkie Pie had made.  “Quite the eye-catching advertisement, if I do say so myself.”
“AND IT SMELLS LIKE CAKE!” Pinkie shouted gleefully.
“It does?” Fluttershy asked, confused.  She tried to take a gentle sniff of the poster.
“I used frosting instead of paste!” Pinkie explained, covering Fluttershy’s face with the poster.  Fluttershy batted it away, but the damage had been done.  Her face was partially covered in frosting.  
Applejack smirked.  “Uh, Fluttershy, you’ve got a little somethin’, uh…” she motioned to her own cheek.
Fluttershy rubbed her thumb across her cheek, removing approximately 5% of the frosting.  “Did I get it?” she asked hopefully.
“Heh, not exactly,” answered Applejack.  Sunset whipped out a handkerchief and went to work on Fluttershy’s face.  Fluttershy smiled at her gratefully.  
Sunset looked at Applejack as she cleaned Fluttershy up, motioning toward Pinkie with her head.  “Too much sugar again?” she mouthed.
Applejack shook her head.  “Caffeine!” she mouthed back, a look of nearly comical dread on her face.
Sunset’s eyes widened, but before she could fully react to the looming apocalypse that was Pinkie + caffeine, Principal Celestia’s amplified voice rang out a cross the gym.
“Good afternoon, students!  I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am that so many of you are going to participate in the first ever Canterlot High School Musical Showcase!”  This was greeted by a chorus of cheers.  “This is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for all our after-school programs here at CHS,” Celestia continued.  “So keep working on those signs and posters!  I think it’s going to be one of the most exciting events we’ve had at CHS since the Fall Formal!”
Every head in the gym instantly swung around to look at Sunset Shimmer.  Almost none of them were remotely friendly.  Sunset blushed, covered her face, and shrunk down against the bleachers as her friends gave her more sympathetic looks.      



A few minutes later, safe in the refuge of the music room, Sunset tried to control her dejection.  Two months had passed, and she felt like she had made no progress re-integrating into the student body at all.  “I am never gonna live that down,” she lamented to her friends.
“It’s only been two months, Sunset.  And you’ve only been back to school for six weeks of that.  I think you’ll have to give them more time.  But you’re right, it will probably take a lot more time,” Fluttershy responded, almost apologetically.  Sunset sighed heavily.
“Darling, you have us, and we’ve forgiven you for your past,” Rarity pointed out.
“I know, and I’m grateful.  But it’s like I’m not making any progress with the others at all.”
The other girls didn’t know what to say.  Applejack decided to look on the bright side.  “To be honest, though, Ah’d have to say the whole thing's brought everyone in school closer than ever before.  Including the six of us.”
“Let’s get rehearsing then!” Rainbow cried.  Nothing like some music to help everybody feel better.  The Rainbooms each took their places as Sunset set the volume on the mixer and then jumped up on the piano to listen.  The girls launched into “Better Than Ever.”  Shortly after they began to play, each girl started to glow with a colorful light that matched their skin tone, and they grew pony ears and longer hair.  Fluttershy and Rainbow sprouted wings.  Sunset smiled, shaking her head in amazement.  At least she was able to enjoy their “ponying up” now.  At first, it had utterly terrified her.  Her friends had had to stop playing and retrieve her, with much coaxing, from underneath a table, with promises that they had absolutely no intention of Rainbowing her again.    
Now, the Rainbooms were sounding polished and skilled – Sunset was pleased for them; they were ready for the Musical Showcase.  And, like the true friends they were, Sunset quickly realized they were singing the song to her, to help her feel better.  She smiled shyly, especially as Rainbow and Fluttershy came and stood right next to her and smiled encouragingly at her.
The song ended, and Sunset clapped appreciatively.  Several of the girls took mock bows.  Rainbow and Fluttershy went back over to the others, Rainbow throwing Sunset a wink on the way and Fluttershy giving her shoulder a quick rub.  
Rarity was laughing with delight.  “I still can’t believe this happens when we play!  Oh, I’ve got to look into some new accessories!  Something that looks good in a longer ponytail.  Ooh!  Maybe some clip-on earrings for when I get those adorable pony ears!”
“Ah still wonder why it happens,” Applejack mused.  “Ah know we’ve discussed this before, but Ah can’t keep from wonderin’.  Twilight took her crown back to Equestria.  Shouldn’t that mean she took all the magic back with her?”
“Who cares why it happens?” Rainbow cried.  “It makes my band totally awesome!”
The other girls looked at her in annoyance.  “Oh?  Your band?” Rarity asked pointedly.
“Duh!  It was my idea to start the Rainbooms so we could be in the Showcase.  Plus, I’m the lead singer and the lead guitarist.”  
Sunset frowned.  This kind of thing had been happening more and more lately, and it kind of worried her.  Generally her friends got on almost incredibly well, but when the matter of the band came up, there was sometimes tension.  And it seemed to be getting worse.  But Sunset had no intention of voicing her concerns – she was quite certain she didn’t have enough credit yet to be pointing anything out.  This is probably normal, Sunset told herself.  I don’t know enough yet to be sure there’s anything wrong.
As Rarity opened her mouth to retort, a loud knock sounded on the music room door.  A second later the door swung open slightly and Flash Sentry peeked in.  Sunset felt her stomach clench.  She looked at the floor.  
“Uh, I heard you outside.  You guys are sounding really tight!” he complimented them awkwardly.
“We’re getting there,” Rainbow responded.  “Rarity’s still coming in a little late on the second verse, and AJ’s bass solo could use a little work.”  
Sunset tried to keep from gasping out loud.  How could Rainbow say something like that in front of an outsider?  Neither Rarity nor Applejack was known for her long temper, and both of them looked irritated.  What is going on? Sunset wondered to herself.  Maybe…maybe this isn’t normal.  
“They’ll get it together in time for the showcase,” Rainbow added hastily, perhaps in an attempt to soften the blows.
To his credit, Flash looked a bit embarrassed himself at Rainbow’s remarks.  The storms brewing on Rarity and Applejack’s faces probably contributed.  Nevertheless, he gathered himself and pressed on to the business that had brought him.  “Uh, I don’t suppose any of our friends from…uh…out of town might come?  Uh, it being a special charity event and all.”
“Sorry, Flash,” Applejack answered.  “Ah don’t think Twilight’s gonna be back any time soon.”
Flash laughed nervously.  “Oh…yeah.  Okay.  I just, you know, thought I’d ask.  Uh…k-keep rockin’ it!”  He backed out of the music room, bumping clumsily into one of the doors as he left and making gun pointing motions with both of his hands to cover his awkwardness.
The girls shook their heads in amusement.  “Well,” Rarity giggled.  “Someone is quite the smitten kitten.”  Then she started, blushed, and looked at Sunset in embarrassment.  “Oh, I’m sorry, Sunset.  I always seem to forget you and Flash used to be an item.”
But Sunset’s face was more sad than they would have expected.  “It’s ok, Rarity,” she said quietly.  “Flash is a great guy, but to be honest, I never really liked-him liked him.  I…was just using him to bolster my own popularity.”
The other girls just stared at her in stunned amazement.  Sunset had not told them this before.
She sighed heavily again – one of her most frequent acts in recent weeks.  “The old me really was awful, wasn’t she?”
The other five looked at each other and were forced to agree, nodding their heads with chagrin.  Sunset hung her head even further.  Applejack came to her and put an arm around her shoulders.  “But the important thing is that you’ve turned yourself around,” she said warmly.
Sunset looked up.  “Thanks, AJ.  But, as I’ve already mentioned, besides you guys, nobody else here feels the same way.”
Suddenly the P.A. system beeped and Luna’s voice filled the room.  “Sunset Shimmer, please report to the main foyer.”
	Sunset hopped down from the piano and grabbed her bookbag.  “Gotta run,” she told the other girls.  “I volunteered to show some new students around the school.  I figured it’d be good for them to get to know the new me before they heard all the stuff about the old me,” she finished with a hint of bitterness.  She left without another world.  Rarity and Applejack stared after her for a moment with concern, but Rainbow had other plans.
“We’ve still got a few minutes before lunch starts.  What do you say we do ‘Awesome as I Wanna Be’?”
Fluttershy saw her chance.  “Um, Rainbow?  I was wondering if we could maybe play the song I wrote?”
But Rainbow waved her hand dismissively.  “We’ll get to it.”
Fluttershy deflated.  “Oh.  Okay,” she murmured, disappointment clear on her face.  But no one else was even looking at her.



Sunset rushed into the foyer, looking for the new students.  At last she spotted them, standing near the main doors.  There were three of them.  She walked up to them and introduced herself.
“Hi, I’m Sunset Shimmer.  Are you the girls I’m supposed to show around?”
The one with the huge orange hair stepped forward.  “We are,” she said in an oddly formal and dramatic manner.  
Sunset decided to press on.  “Canterlot High is a great school!  You’re really gonna love it!”
The orange-haired girl spoke again with an odd smile.  “Oh, yes.  We really sense there’s something…magical about this place.”  
For some reason, the new girl’s choice of words gave Sunset a bit of pause.  Oh well, nothing else for it, she thought to herself.  On with the tour. 



She led them throughout the school, stopping at every place that could possibly be significant.  As she walked, the three new girls, who had given her their names, listened politely and with apparent interest.  Sunset started to feel more comfortable – the three girls were acting perfectly normally.  I’m just on edge, Sunset told herself.
“That’s the science lab,” she said, pointing.  “Computer lab is in there.  Oh!  I just remembered.  We’re having a big musical showcase this weekend!  The whole school is pretty much rallying around it.”
Adagio seemed very excited about this.  “A musical showcase?” she asked, with an actual gasp. 	
“Yes.  I’m sure, since you’re new, that Principal Celestia would let you sign up late if you’re interested.”
Aria looked at her nails.  “We have been known to sing from time to time,” she said airily.
“Hello?  We sing, like, all the time!” Sonata interjected with an incredulous look. “It’s how we get people to do what we want!”
The reaction of the other two girls to this statement was nothing short of breathtaking.  Adagio whirled on her, making a cutting motion across her neck and growling.  Aria rolled her eyes and facepalmed.  Sunset was confused, but she didn’t like the looks they were giving each other.
“What?  What did I say?” Sonata asked innocently, apparently not intimidated by her friends.
Adagio continued to growl.  “What you meant to say was that being in a musical showcase sounds like a great way to meet other students,” she bit out.  Sunset’s eyes widened.  She had grown up in a palace.  She knew a command when she heard one.
Sonata responded instantly, looking slightly embarrassed.  “Ohhhh, yeah.  That’s…what she said I meant to say.  That’s what I meant.  To say.”
Aria rolled her eyes again and turned to Sonata.  “And what you would have said if you weren’t the worst!”
Sonata didn’t hesitate for a second.  “You are!” she retorted angrily.  As the two girls began to argue in earnest, Adagio turned back to Sunset.
“You’ll have to excuse them,” she sneered in an uncomfortably conspiratorial manner.  “They’re idiots.”
“Hmph!” the other two girls huffed simultaneously.
Sunset was pretty weirded out by now.  She laughed nervously, trying to break the tension, and decided a change of subject would be in order.  She noticed again the ruby pendants each of the three new girls had around her neck on a black choker.  “Those are pretty,” she said, trying to be genuinely complimentary.  She gestured toward Adagio’s pendant.  “Where did you…”
Sunset was unable to finish her question as Adagio had suddenly seized her wrist in a remarkably strong, painful, and uncomfortable grip.  The look on her face was more than unfriendly.  But as quickly as she had grabbed it, she released Sunset’s wrist and laughed.  “Sorry about that!  These pendants mean an awful lot to us.  We’d just hate for anything to happen to them.”  She smiled, trying to defuse the situation.  Her smile, however, did not reach her eyes.  


	  
A few minutes later, Sunset walked into the cafeteria alone, looking for her friends and trying to figure out what exactly was bothering her about the three new girls.  She saw the Rainbooms sitting at their usual table and hurried over to them, putting her bookbag over the back of her chair and sitting down.  She looked pensive.
Applejack smiled at her pleasantly.  “Well, how was the tour?”
Sunset didn’t answer immediately.  She rested her chin on her hand and finally answered.  “I don’t know.  I mean, these new girls, they were…there was something off about them.”
Pinkie immediately pulled her hair around to her face to create a pink fluffy beard.  “Like, off like this?” she asked.  Before anyone could answer, she had released her hair and stuffed two carrots in her teeth like a vampire.  “Or off like this?  Or…oh! Like…”
“Maybe we should just let her tell us?” Rainbow asked Pinkie with an amused grin, winking at Sunset.
Pinkie quieted down.  Sunset elaborated.  “That’s just it!  I can’t put my finger on it.  They just acted sort of…strange around me.  Maybe someone already talked to them about how awful I used to be.”  Sunset’s face fell as she sighed heavily yet again.  “So much for making a good first impression.”
“Uh huh,” said Fluttershy absently and unexpectedly.  She hadn’t been listening very carefully.  The other girls, minus Sunset, suddenly gave her a “way to go” look.  “Oh!  I mean…that’s probably not it,” she corrected herself as she turned red and sank into her chair.
But Sunset, fortunately, hadn’t noticed.  She was still in her own world, and it wasn’t a very pleasant one.  


	
Outside the cafeteria doors, Adagio briefed her sisters on her plan.  “This is it, girls.  The moment we’ve been waiting for.”
“Lunch?” Sonata asked hopefully, her face brightening.
Adagio groaned.  “No!  The chance for us to get our magic back!”
“Oh, right.”
Adagio continued.  “Our voices are just strong enough to make them want something so badly, they’ll fight each other to get it.”
This time it was Aria’s turn to groan with frustration.  “So we’re just gonna do what we always do?  Stir up a little trouble and then feed off the negative energy?  Some plan, Adagio,” she finished sarcastically.
“It won’t be the same as the times before,” Adagio answered vehemently.  “There is Equestrian magic here.  This level of negative energy will give us the power we need to get this entire world to do our bidding.”
“But we can get lunch after though, right?  It’s Taco Tuesday!” Sonata said with visible excitement.
Adagio didn’t answer.  She just stared at Sonata for a few seconds, then, apparently deciding Sonata’s remark didn’t merit a response, just said “Follow my lead!” to them both.
“Or my lead,” Aria remarked darkly and quietly.
“MY lead!” Adagio snarled back dangerously.



The Rainbooms were quietly eating their lunches and trying to figure out how to encourage Sunset when the three new girls entered the cafeteria.  And they made quite an entrance, singing as they came.
Fluttershy looked startled, Rainbow incredulous, Rarity stunned, Applejack dubious, and Pinkie looked…well, happy and interested.  Sunset just stared in amazement.
The three girls sang like true professionals.  It was as though a major international pop star and her two best backup singers had unexpectedly decided to stop by CHS for an impromptu concert.  The Rainbooms watched as the three girls sauntered around the cafeteria.  Then, one by one, the Rainbooms started to frown.  The message of the song was not a pleasant one.  They sang of fierce competition and one-upsmanship.  And they suggested that cruelty was a legitimate tool.  What was surprising was how the other students were lapping it up.  Soon, their fellow Wondercolts were on their feet and getting in each others’ faces.  Unkind, frankly mean words were being exchanged – and it became clear that the Musical Showcase would be turning into a Battle of the Bands.
Sunset’s training and experience were coming back to her.  The three girls were clearly casting a spell, or using some kind of magical effect.  She could actually see a green mist leaking from the other students and flowing into the rubies at the new girls’ throats.  Sunset only just resisted an urge to leap to her feet – this was dark magic, and it chilled her to her core.  Charm! She realized with horror.  The new girls are charming the other students! She covered her ears before her brain fully re-asserted itself:  she looked at her friends, afraid they would succumb, but noticed to her amazement that they were clearly unaffected.  Then she realized she was unaffected too.  Why? She wondered.  Why are we immune?  
She had no time to wonder any further.  The three new girls finished their song and sauntered back out of the cafeteria, leaving strife and bitterness in their wake.  
“Ohhh…they’re that kind of ‘off’,” commented Pinkie.  She wasn’t smiling any more.
This time Sunset really did leap to her feet.  She whirled on her friends.  “We have to get to Celestia,” she cried.  “Right now!”  Then she froze, a shot of adrenaline spasming in her stomach.  This was the first time she had suggested any course of action, or even any activity of any kind, to her friends.  And she hadn’t actually suggested it.  She’d ordered it.  Would they get angry?  Had she overstepped her bounds?
To her relief Applejack stood up immediately.  “Sugarcube, Ah think you’re right.  And the sooner the better.”  The other girls were on their feet too, all looking at Sunset with concerned faces.  She felt her heart warm so quickly she was almost moved to tears.  Apparently, when it came to magic, her friends trusted her implicitly.  It was the happiest she’d felt in days. 
“Come on!” she said, waving her arm over her shoulder.  They followed her right out the door.  Rarity came up beside her.  “Sunset, I think you are probably right, but are you absolutely sure about this?  Going to the principal, even though she is your adopted mother, is a pretty big step.”
“Those three are definitely in possession of some kind of dark magic.  How else could you explain what happened back there?”
Rarity sighed, shaking her head.  “You must be right.  After all, you know a great deal more about magic than any of us.  I’m still thinking about what Applejack was talking about this morning – it just seems odd that there would be more magic in this world, even though Twilight took her crown with her.”
“I know, Rarity,” Sunset agreed, “but I can’t argue with what I just saw.”
“Well, don’t worry, ya’ll,” Applejack said.  “We’ll let Ms. Celestia know all about this and those girls will be kicked to the curb in no time.  The last thing she needs is another school event almost ruined by some power-crazed lunatic.”  Applejack’s eyes went wide.  “Oh, my!  No offense, Sunset!” she said, with a look of true distress.
“None taken,” said Sunset with another sigh.