//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Fear and Confusion // Story: Scars of Our Past // by JWolfSilver //------------------------------// Rainbow slumped down at the lunch table and sighed. Ever since the school had announced the musical showcase last week; she’d worked to find members to be in the band she was putting together. The only problem was that most of the people in the school that she knew had musical talent were already in a band. However, she knew Rarity could play an instrument and Fluttershy had the most beautiful voice she’d ever heard. The others, she wasn’t really sure, though she seemed to recall them talking about it before. She made a mental note to ask them later. There was, however, one person she wasn’t sure about; Sunset Shimmer. Rainbow wanted to ask her to be in the band too but was unsure of how to approach it. She wasn’t even sure if Sunset could sing or even play an instrument. Though, she could always ask Flash Sentry, they did date after all. However, none of that mattered with her current problem: her guitar. She loved to play, even annoyed her parents sometimes for how loud she cranked her amp. Just last night, she was shedding some sick cords when her baby’s neck snapped. “Howdy there, Rainbow.” Applejack greeted, the other girls had yet to arrive. “Why so glum?” “It’s my guitar.” Rainbow pouted, “The neck broke on it.” “Can’t you just buy a new one?” Applejack asked. Rainbow nodded, “Yeah. I’m just sad to see her go. We’ve been through a lot together. Sports camp, losing you guys, finding out I was… y’know. Then there was the day I realized I liked-” she stopped before she revealed too much, “Anyway, I’m going to the mall after school to get a new one.” “Did I hear you’re going to the mall after school?” Rarity asked. Rainbow nodded. “I think I will join you. I need some inspiration for a new line I’m working on.” Rarity said. “Oh! Me too!” Pinkie said as she bounced over to the table, followed by Sunset and Fluttershy. “Ok,” Rainbow turned to Sunset, “You in?” “The mall?” Sunset shook her head, “I can’t. I will be at the mall but I have to work.” Rainbow frowned a bit but then turned to Fluttershy, “How ‘bout you, Shy? You want to come to the mall with the rest of us after school?” She smiled, “Of course.” Rainbow smiled brightly, resisting the urge to hug her, “Awesome! We can all go together!” “Yes,” Rarity added, “We can walk Sunset to work and then head to the music store.” She paused to look at Sunset, “That is, if it’s alright with you.” Sunset smiled, “Why wouldn’t it be?” “Yeah!” Pinkie cheered, “Sunny’s on board!” “Sunny?” Sunset questioned. “It’s you’re new nickname, silly!” Pinkie said, “I always give my friends nick names. Do you like it?” “Yeah.” She smiled. Rarity squealed with delight, “Sorry. I’m just happy you’re finally coming out of your shell.” “Yeah,” Applejack commented, “You’ve even been sittin’ with us at lunch every day now.” “And you’ve been smiling a lot!” Pinkie said, “Like a real smile! Not that one you used when you were all evil or when you were pretending to be OK. No offence.” “It’s fine.” Sunset frowned, still feeling a pang of guilt. She was right though, she was a lot happier now. When the lunch bell finally rang, everyone split off to their different classes. *** When school finally ended, all the girls met at the wonder colt statue. Sunset was the last to arrive as she usually waited for everyone else to leave until she got changed. She found she would prefer to stay in the safety around the Coach instead of being cornered in the locker room by the students that hated her. As Sunset saw her friends, she felt a jolt in her spine. Something was different all of a sudden, she could feel it. What it was, was almost a complete mystery. For now, though, she decided to brush it off. The five girls greeted Sunset with a smile then the six of them all walked to the bus stop. The entire ride, all together was about twenty-six minutes, giving them plenty of time to talk. “So, I need a cool new guitar so I can make a band!” Rainbow smiled as she finished telling the girls about what she wanted to do for the showcase, “Now I just need a bass, drummer, some backup singers and…maybe a couple more instruments. Do you guys play any?” “Well,” Applejack spoke, “I play the bass.” “Really?” Rainbow asked, “I thought you only played the banjo and…” she snickered, “Granny’s old wash board.” Applejack shot Rainbow a glare while the other four girls snickered. Even Sunset knew it was a joke. Soon, Applejack smiled and gave Rainbow a playful punch. “OK, So, we have bass guitar!” Rainbow cheered and looked at Fluttershy with a smile, “Fluttershy can sing!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in terror, “Me? Sing? Nononono, I can’t sing. Not with all those people watching.” “Come on, Shy!” Rainbow begged, “You’re the best singer I know! You have to be in the band!” “I won’t sing!” She said adamantly. “I don’t know, Fluttershy.” Sunset was the one who spoke up, “I’ve heard you sing too. You have a beautiful voice. Everyone would love you.” Rainbow gave Sunset a thankful look, “See, even Sunset thinks you would do great!” Fluttershy shook her head, “I’m sorry, but my answer is no.” Rainbow frowned and mumbled a ‘fine’, then shifted so she was looking out the window having lost her excitement. Wow, she really wanted Fluttershy to join. Sunset thought to herself. She watched Rainbow sneak a glance at Fluttershy and sigh. Sunset looked at Applejack who was shaking her head in disappointment at the two. No way. Sunset thought as she came to the conclusion as to what was going on, I’ll have to ask Applejack about it later. *** The five girls smiled and waved bye to Sunset as she disappeared into the sushi restaurant. Rarity smiled, “She sure has come a long way in such a short time.” “Yeah.” Rainbow said, “She’s a lot nicer and really fun to talk to when you actually get her talking.” Fluttershy nodded, “I know what you mean. When she was helping me at the animal shelter, she was so sweet to the pets. You’d be surprised at how many of the rescue animals were ones she brought in. Rookie was all over her when he saw her.” “Rookie?” Rainbow questioned, “Wasn’t he that one that was rescued form a gang?” Fluttershy nodded, “Sunset was the one who saved him.” Applejack smacked her cheeks, “I know you told us this before but I never actually believed it.” “Actually,” Rarity said, “Lately, since we all started to spend time with Sunset, there are a lot of people who never even knew she was a bully.” The others nodded in agreement. “Even the Principal seems to want to help her.” Added Fluttershy, “Principal Celestia seems to really care about her.” “Yeah, like she totally acts like she’s Sunset’s Mom!” Pinkie said, “They share secrets, and Principal Celestia gives her advice. Whenever she sees her helping Ms. Cheerilee or hanging out with us she always looks super proud of her!” “Yes, I’ve seen it too.” Fluttershy said, “Yesterday before she went in to talk to Principal Celestia, we were all talking and I could see it in Celestia’s eyes. Even Sunset seems to think of her as a parental figure.” “That would be just lovely!” Rarity smiled, “Now that I think of it, they actually do act alike.” Rainbow shrugged, “I hope it works out for Sunset. She is always alone when she’s not with us.” “Wait.” Applejack said, “Doesn’t that technically make ‘er an orphan.” The group stopped walking, all finally coming to the same revelation. “Wow.” Rainbow said, “That’s…harsh.” “Yes,” Rarity frowned, “And she’s been that way since middle school.” They all exchanged depressed glances. *** After they fully absorbed the fact that Sunset was an orphan, they went to get Rainbow Dash her new guitar. There, they ran into Trixie and the two of them ended up getting into a riff-off. Much to the girls’ surprise, Rainbow got into her music and grew pony ears, a tail and wings just like the night of the fall formal. It was cool, yes, but they were confused as to why it happened in the first place. “Sunset!” Rainbow called as they entered the sushi restaurant, her wings and ears now gone. Since Princess Twilight had gone back to Equestria; Sunset was the only other one the girls could think of that would be able to tell them what was going on, however small the chance. Sunset smiled at them and gestured for them to sit at the bar stools at her work station until she could find a minute to talk. The girls obliged and waited patiently for Sunset to become less busy. A few minutes later Sunset walked over to them with a pad and pen to look like she was actually working. “What’s up?” Sunset studied their nervous expressions. “Something strange just happened to Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said in a hushed voice. “What do you mean ‘strange’?” She questioned. Pinkie Pie took her phone out and held it for Sunset to see the video. At first it was only Rainbow and Trixie having a musical battle but then, Sunset’s eyes widened in both shock and fear as Rainbow’s eyes glowed mid guitar solo, growing wings and pony ears then blasted out a magical sound wave. The guitar she was playing glowed too as it took on a new paint job. Sunset was unsure of what to do so she stayed silent. “Do you have any idea why this happened?” Applejack asked, “I know it’s been a while since ya actually used…uh… ‘good’ magic, no offence, but you are the only one who actually knows anythin’ about it.” Sunset bit her lip, I did this. I brought magic here. The word of the demon echoed in her mind, ‘You put on the crown, you gave this world magic and now it’s closer to you than you would like.’ Sunset brought her free hand to her mouth, “What have I done.” The others exchanged concerned glances. “Sunset? Darling? What’s wrong?” Rarity asked. Sunset didn’t answer. She was having a hard-enough time keeping herself composed. It took another moment for the rest of the girls to clue in on what was happened. “Oh.” Rainbow said finally. “S-sorry.” Sunset said quietly, “I…I have to go.” She rushed off into the back, only to emerge a few minutes later in her regular attire. She spoke to her boss for a few seconds, explaining that she didn’t feel well so she had to go home. He agreed as this was the first time since she was hired that she needed a sick day. He even promised to pay her for her entire shift. Sunset dashed out of the mall only to find her friends standing outside waiting for her. Rarity was the first to corner her; “You can’t possibly think this is your fault.” “How do you figure?” Sunset asked through clenched teeth, hanging her head. When they didn’t say anything Sunset continued. “When you bring an element of harmony into another world, it grants the user unimaginable power. That’s why I took it. However, the element connected with you five and Twilight. What I assume has happened, is that in bringing it here, I exposed this world to Equestrian magic.” Sunset sighed, If that demon was right and there really is magic in this world, it’s because of me. I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. Myhands. If rainbow has magic now… She scanned the girls, They will soon as well. “If that’s true,” Rainbow said, “Then you could help us figure it out.” “Don’t you get it?” Sunset snapped, “It’s here because of me, because I didn’t know how to control it! I can’t be trusted around it. I’m like a ticking time bomb! I could try to use it for personal gain and we will be right back to where we started. I won’t do that to you. I can’t hurt the first people to care about me in years!” Sunset started to walk off towards the stop but Fluttershy stopped her, “Wait, you’re from that world. Wouldn’t that mean you would have magic now too?” “For all our sakes…” Sunset felt a tear fall, “I hope I don’t. I need to go; the bus will be here soon.” “Are you going to start avoiding us again?” Rainbow asked, anger and hurt written on her face. Sunset shook her head, “Of course not. I love hanging out with all of you. I just need to think about how to approach this. I want to be sure I won’t turn into…that again.” Even though Sunset was confused, she let them give her a comforting hug before they waved her off.