Saturday was a busy day for Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna. Celestia had discussed with the school board the nature of the damages to the school. Luna had helped come up with the idea of a gas main explosion which seemed to please the board., claiming that the school was old and it needed to be checked anyway, the explosion had in fact, saved time.
They had spent the rest of the day talking to the police and overseeing the crews tarp up the front of the school with promise of filling the hole at some point during the week. Both sisters were happy to flop down on the couch, tea in hand.
“So,” Luna spoke after a while, “You’re sure Miss Shimmer was telling the truth?”
“For the fifth time today, yes.” Celestia said, “I just hope she can clean up her act.”
Luna shrugged, taking a sip of her tea, “We did.”
“Yes,” Celestia said with a frown, “But we had mom and dad to help us. As far as I can tell, Sunset has no one here.”
“Well she is an illegal immigrant.” Luna pointed out.
“Very funny.” Celestia smirked but it darkened after a moment. “I’m just afraid for her safety.”
“I am too.” Luna said, “But if we interfere, I believe it will make the transition harder.”
Celestia nodded knowingly. Her and Luna had their fair share of rebelliousness, more so Luna but they each got into more trouble than they cared to admit. When they first caught Sunset picking on another student, they had kept an eye on her. As it progressed, they noticed patterns they both had seen in themselves. Sure enough, she had her ultimate defeat.
***
Sunset spent her weekend working a four-hour shift at the Sushi Bar on Saturday but the majority of it was spent laying on her cot in a silent reflection. Well, kind of silent. Every so often Sunset would yell loudly and punch the wall of the abandoned building, despite her back still being sore.
When she got back on Friday, she had looked at her back in the mirror and saw two thick scars on her shoulder blades where her wings had been in her demonic form, left for her as a reminder she would never be rid of. It didn’t bother her though, there were more important thoughts on her mind.
She looked around her room. Since being in this world, Sunset had taken residence in an abandoned apartment building. It was old, dusty but still sturdy. She tried to keep it clean enough so she didn’t get sick or suffocate but other than that, it wasn’t much. The entire one room apartment was roughly a classroom and a half. She had found that there was a water bastion on the roof that collected rain water and though it was cold, it worked for running water and basic hygiene. She had a small camp cot in the corner, a gas-powered camping stove and a small desk by the small window. Sunset kept her clothes in a large suitcase which she cleaned at the laundromat down the street. The best part was the extension cord she had strung down the alley where she leached power off a pizzeria for her lamp and laptop.
Since Friday, Sunset hadn’t felt the same. She found herself calmer, relaxed and most of all, guilty. It wasn’t a new feeling but over the years she had learned to ignore it. Now, it had bubbled to the surface as she remembered every single bad deed, screw up and the tears she’d caused. It made her sick.
How could I have been that terrible! She scolded herself, What made me think ANYONE deserved that.
She rolled out of bed and started to get ready for school, not bothering to wait for her alarm. Sleep hadn’t come easily to her either. Something had changed in her, she knew that much, but it was too drastic to really be her own will. Or was it? She HAD been a lot easier going these last few months. Not picking on people as much. Or at all really. She left everyone alone until she stole the crown.
Sunset found it hard to admit to herself that she actually LIKED it here. Thumbs were a plus and here, she felt at home. Not so much in the dump of a house though. She wanted to stay but she wasn’t accepted by her peers, never was.
Lying and cheating got her to where she was but she was given a second chance. Just that thought made her smile and she latched on to it. Not that she would admit it out loud, she wanted change and she was going to work hard to do so.
With that thought in mind, she left the building, padlocking the door behind her.
***
At Canterlot High, suspensions were different. Depending on the offence, one would either get an in school or out of school suspension. Most parents had agreed that some kids just don’t get a severe enough punishment at home. Not going to school wasn’t much of a punishment, especially for kids with carefree parents or, in Sunset’s case no authoritative figure at all.
So, suspension was spent in an isolated room with her, Snips and Sails, Vice-Principal Luna checking in on them. The entirety of the suspension was quiet, something Sunset appreciated. She had a lot to think about and the silence soothed her mind as she dove into her work. The entire week however, Snips and Snails had greeted her like they usually did each morning, with admiration and a twinge of fear. It made her uncomfortable.
By all means, they should hate her but it seemed that they were still loyal to her. Usually Sunset would be ecstatic, willing to return to power but the idea in itself just didn’t appeal to her. That’s what brought her to her current situation.
On the last day of their suspension, Sunset had spent the majority of the morning trying and failing to do the school work she was given
There has to be some way to get them to distance themselves. She thought. Sunset knew she was a bad influence on the two, she never denied that. They had just been so useful she didn’t care. Now, she needed to get them to go and do their own thing and she needed to do hers.
She thought about it and she just needed to talk to them.
Despite being suspended, Luna did let them break for a fifteen-minute lunch. The boys followed Sunset to the cafeteria, as usual, a little while after the standard lunch period ended. Sunset was grateful for this, the time she spent around other students were, for lack of a better word, horrible.
Almost the entire school seemed to despise her. Monday, everyone was treading carefully but it didn’t take long for them to realize something was different. This was only verified when ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ shoved her into her own locker. Unsurprisingly it didn’t feel all that great. Since then, it seemed the entire student body was getting revenge on her from her reign of terror. It was horrible and she let them.
Luna waited with them to get their lunch and the older woman could see how the girl kept glancing at the other two then at her with pleading eyes. At first, this confused the blue haired educator but upon closer examination, she realized that Sunset was trying to get a message across to the boys but didn’t want to do it while they had an audience.
Vice- Principal Luna cleared her throat in front of the cafeteria doors, “I have to use the restroom. I trust you will get your lunches and wait for me inside.” With that she turned on her heel and strode back down the hallway.
Sunset felt herself relax a little and after they had gotten their lunch, Sunset lead them to a table near the door and sat to wait for Vice-principal Luna.
She wasn’t sure where to start so she said the first thing that came to mind, “Why don’t you guys hate me?”
The boys looked at her with incredulous looks.
“I got you suspended.” Sunset explained, “I treated you like dirt, got you to treat other people like dirt and didn’t let you close to anyone! I treated you like slaves.”
They looked at each other than back at their leader, “Because you’re our friend.” Snips said.
“Yeah,” Snails added, “We liked feeling powerful.”
Sunset stared at them wide eyed, was this what they really thought friendship was? They were friends with each other but not with me, right? Sunset buried her head in her hands. What have I done to them?
“That’s not what being friends is.” Sunset spoke, unsure of her words.
“It’s not?” Snips questioned, “If this isn’t it, what is?
That made Sunset stop and think. What was being friends like? Now that she thought about it, she came to the shocking realization that she didn’t know. She’d been in this world for six years and never once had a person to call a friend. The last friend she had was Princess Celestia and she pretty much wrote her off when she first stepped through the portal.
Sunset decided to be honest with them, “I don’t know, but I know it’s not this. You two are friends, you play video games together and took turns deciding what to do. I never gave you a choice and for that…” Sunset paused, unsure of her next words, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I never treated you the way you should be treated. No one in this school deserved it.
I’m bitter and angry and I refuse to let myself take advantage of anyone anymore.”
The boys looked at her with shocked expressions but the older girl couldn’t meet their eyes, keeping her head down, staring at her now clasped hands on the table.
Snips finally broke the silence, “What happened to you? Last week you would have already started to tear down those girls.”
“And you wouldn’t have stood for it when Trixie shoved you into your locker.” Snails said, “Or apologize for anything.”
“I know.” Sunset said, “I don’t know what happened to me last week, but I’m done being angry. I’m done being the one ruining friendship.” She looked up at them with a stern, but kind expression, “And I’m done dragging you guys down with me. You two deserve better and I deserve everything I have coming.”
“What do you mean.” Snails asked.
“As of right now, you are done with me and I’m going to stay away from you.” She said, “I rather you join the majority in hating me than face the repercussions of my mistakes. As my last order for you guys, don’t argue and stay away.”
Just then, Luna walked in, little did the three know, she had listened to her entire conversation, genuinely surprised at what the girl had done. Now, Luna had no doubt in her mind that Sunset was being honest with her sister and looking at her now, she could see something had definitely changed and probably for the better.
Luna, after they had finished eating, escorted Snips and Snails to their class, ending their suspension early. When she had released the boys, she could have sworn she saw a genuine smile on the girl’s face.