//------------------------------//
// Past in the Present 
// Story: Sunset Among Shadows 
// by RedPegasus 
//------------------------------//

Sunday morning comes, and a soft layer of snow covers the street and the sidewalk a little. Thankfully, there is no wind, so the cold is not so biting that day, and despite the clouds, some rays of sunlight manage to break through and illuminate the city, giving it a small hint of warmth.

In her apartment, dressed in a warm and comfortable robe, Sunset is sitting in her kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hands. The warm aroma tickles her nose, making her smile.

The closed windows keep the cold out of the apartment. There are no sounds, not even from any vehicles outside. Everything is calm.

Leaving her mug on the table, she looks at the plate next to her. Two slices of toast, slathered with jam.

There was nothing to do, just rest. Sunset can forget any problem or concern that she may have had during the week.

It was a good Sunday morning.

...

Her smile fades, replaced by a tight frown and annoyed eyes. "Wait. I'm too comfortable, which only means one thing: something extremely stupid and annoying is going to happen to me in five, four, three, two—"

A knock at her door interrupts the silence of the apartment. Sunset emits a sound somewhere between a sigh and a grunt.

"And here we go..."

She goes to the door but intentionally takes a few seconds to open it.

When she does... Apple Bloom almost stumbles as her attempted knock just meets air. The three young girls, a little surprised, raise their eyes... and are instantly filled with terror.

The instant Sunset saw them, her expression becomes cold and resentful as anger and hatred are reflected in her eyes.

She had said something annoying would happen. But these three were another level.

None speaks. Sunset does not have anything to say, and the little ones are too terrified to say a word. They hug each other as they look at those disturbing eyes.

Apple Bloom had already seen those eyes. They had haunted her for a long time—too long—torturing her. She was certainly the most frightened of the three.

Sweetie Belle cannot stand that look, shrinking as hard as she can and trying to hide in her leader's neck.

Scootaloo, seeing Apple Bloom frozen with fear and Sweetie Belle on the point of crying, tries to muster up her courage and step forward... but stumbles back when Sunset's gaze turns on her.

For several seconds, the three remained there, embracing, intimidated by the eyes of the older girl.

Fed up with the silence, Sunset decides to talk. "Give me a reason not to kick your asses away from my apartment."

Her demand makes them back up in fright.

It is not a threat that she would have fulfilled, not physically, but she wanted to make clear her feelings towards all three, since they were apparently too stupid to realize it.

Trying to swallow her fear, the leader of the trio takes a small step. "S-S-Sunset..." Her voice is shaky and faint, but Sunset manages to hear it. "W-We... We want... to t-talk to you..."

"If you came to apologize, you can leave right now," Sunset says in a tone of voice that makes them shrink more.

"Th-That's not it..." the little girl replies but immediately regrets it when Sunset's gaze becomes more poisonous and aggressive. "I-I mean, we will, but—"

The stuttering makes Sunset lose patience and interest, not that she had any to begin with. With a movement, she closes the door. Or rather, she tries to, but the three little ones stop the door and push together against the older one, who pushes back in an effort to force it closed.

"Wait! Sunset, please!" the leader exclaims.

"Sunset! You hate us, we know!" the little athlete continues.

"But please, listen to us!" the third pleads.

For a few seconds, the struggle lasts, until the owner of the place rolls her eyes and moves away from the door, causing the girls to fall to the ground.

Whether it was intentional or an accident is up for debate.

The three complain a little about the pain but soon look up. Sunset's gaze calmed down, but she was still serious.

"What the hell do you want?"


*S*A*S*


Three cups of hot chocolate sat on a tray in front of the three small ones, who sit close together on the double sofa. The owner of the apartment sits in the single chair, her cup of coffee in one hand, the other resting on the armrest, tapping her fingers impatiently.

"Well? Spit it out! What the hell do you want?"

None of the three dares to look at her. Sunset seems to be struggling not to scream, and the three can hear a faint growl coming from the older girl’s throat.

After a few seconds, Scootaloo decides to take a sip of her chocolate, after which she gives an extremely nervous smile. "Th-Thanks for the hot chocolate. It's... delicious."

The same spiteful look is Sunset's only response, so the little girl just looks back down at her mug for another long sip.

Her friends imitate her. They seem to swallow a bit of their nerves with the chocolate. A bit.

Finally, Apple Bloom speaks. "Sunset... We... Well, we wanna apologize before anything else."

Another grunt and a roll of the eyes from Sunset.

"... We never wanted it to end like this..." the little farmer continues.

Sweetie Belle has begun to sob a little, follow her leader's words. "We didn’t want the school to hate you... Just... our sisters..."

Tears run down Scootaloo's cheeks as she tries to muster her courage. "We were jealous... of the time you spent with our sisters..."

So that was it. Sunset had expected it to be something like that.

There was a part of her that thought it had simply been revenge for her dark days, although her more rational side told her there must be a more personal reason.

When discovering that the girls had been Anon-a-Miss, Sunset had no doubt that it must have been related to their sisters.

"But what does it matter now? What’s done is done," she thinks.

Apple Bloom speaks again. "... Although... that's no excuse, Sunset... we..."

"We're sorry..." they all say at once, voices soft and hurt.

Sunset just grumbles and takes a long drink of her coffee.

She was angry, furious, more than she had been since she left Equestria.

These girls had done the worst that she could have imagined. To hell with furious demons, sirens and whatever, these three were worse than all that.

…

And still... seeing them there... hurt... repentant... their soft voices as they apologized and their eyes so full of guilt... of regret...

It was almost enough for Sunset to want to forgive them...

"But it's not enough," she thinks to herself before speaking to them. "Yeah, well, I'm not interested. If you only came for that, you can go."

Again, the three are silent for a moment. Scootaloo is the first to speak. "We came for something else, too."

Again, Sunset grunts and rolls her eyes. After finishing her coffee, she leaves the mug on the table and crosses her arms with an annoyed expression.

Apple Bloom says, "Sunset, we know ya hate us... and we know we deserve it... but..."

Sweetie can’t hold it in anymore. "Please, forgive our sisters!"

Sunset paused, surprised by the request, until her frown returns. "So, they told you to come."

The three girls are surprised and worried by Sunset’s assumption. "No! They didn’t tell us!" explains Sweetie. "We came here on our own!"

Sunset is incredulous. "For what?"

Apple Bloom begins her explanation. "Our sisters... They feel so, so bad for all this..."

Sunset sighs with fatigue, throwing her head back and closing her eyes. "Is it really too much to ask to just be able to leave all this behind?"

"Sunset..." Scootaloo wins the cold gaze of the older girl. "It's okay if you hate us... even if you hate us forever, but... but..."

"It ain’t our sisters’ fault! It was us who did all this!" shouts the little farmer.

"I already know that," says Sunset in a monotonous and tired tone.

"Then forgive them," Sweetie asks. "They... really love you."

Sunset does not respond. She leans her elbow on the armrest and her head on her hand, giving the three a weary look.

"... Sunset... our sisters—"

"Enough." Sunset cuts the farmer's sentence off harshly. "I couldn’t care less what happens with them or with you. I've left everything about that school behind. I have a new life and... new friends." The images of Twilight, Sonata, even Lemon and Sunny comes to mind. Flash appears, too, her only remaining connection with Canterlot High aside from the principals.

Sweetie Belle begins crying again. "But Sunset...!"

"They really feel bad!" Apple Bloom desperately exclaims. "Applejack was carryin’ apples all night... in the rain..."

The statement wins gains some interest from the fire-haired girl. The previous night, a heavy rain had fallen. Luckily, she was already in her apartment, resting. But, the image of her former farmer friend, working in the middle of the night, in the rain, comes to her mind.

Sweetie takes the floor. "Rarity hasn’t left her room... She’s been crying for days..."

Now it is the dressmaker who enters her mind, submerged in her room and in her pain. It is not an unfamiliar image; Sunset knows Rarity tends to behave that way when she’s miserable.

Scootaloo takes her turn to talk. "Rainbow Dash hasn’t been the same... She can’t play soccer well, she can’t play music well, and when I try to talk to her... her voice breaks... like she’s gonna cry..."

The athlete comes to her mind. Rainbow was always a strong girl. Few things could bother her, so to hear that this has been eating at her so much…

The remaining members of her former group also appear in her head. Sunset remembers the looks they directed at her on Friday afternoon at that unfortunate meeting.

"Hate us all you want..." the little athlete says.

"Hit us if it’ll make ya feel better!" the little farmer demands.

"But don’t hate our sisters!" Sweetie Belle screams, her tears coming back in force.

Apple Bloom also begins to sob, and Scootaloo, despite wanting to stay strong, cannot help but tremble with sorrow.

There is silence. The little ones never stop looking at the girl with eyes full of regret, despair... and supplication.

After a few seconds, Sunset finally gets up and glares at them. "You should go."

With bowed heads, looks full of sorrow and pain, and tearstains on their cheeks, the three little ones leave the apartment. Sunset follows and is about to close the door behind them, but not before giving them one last look.

The trio look back at her, full of tears, sobs, and defeat. Apple Bloom speaks up. "Sunset... are ya gonna forgive ‘em?"

Sunset looks at them for a moment. She closes her eyes, and with a serious but depressed voice, responds. "Your sisters abandoned me. They left me aside, all because of a stupid prank. Maybe you created Anon-A-Miss, but they were the ones who betrayed me. As far as I can see, they were never my friends if one absurd accusation was enough to make them forget me and our friendship. "

They do not respond. They just look at her with more pain in their eyes.

"Why would I want to be friends with people like them?"

She does not even wait for an answer, slamming the door in the girls’ faces. The girls watch the door for a moment, sobbing. Eventually, they embrace each other and walk away from the place.


*S*A*S*


With a sigh, Sunset drops into her bed and moans in frustration. She looks up at the ceiling, the words of the girls circling in her head.

She moans again, taking a pillow and pressing it against her face. "I just woke up, but I want to sleep again. I just want to forget about everything."

So, that's what she tries. She just stays in bed.


*S*A*S*


In another part of the city, the shadows of the big buildings obstruct the little light of the morning sun, making the place darker and even colder than it should be.

Only a single person is standing around, her whole body protected by a thick, lime coat, her head and face hidden by a hood.

The person stands still, expectantly, as if she were waiting for someone.

"Ugh... Cold, cold. I hate the cold, I hate the snow, I hate the mornings."

The complaints catch her attention. She turns her head and sees a person approaching her, a young teenager, dressed in a thick, wool sweater, a scarf tightly wrapped around his neck, and curiously, a winter jacket tied to his back.

"Ugh... This better be important," he says when he approaches, "making me leave home in the middle of the morning in the freezing cold."

"You’d be warmer if you put that jacket on your body instead of wearing it around your neck," the hooded girl says.

"Shut up and talk, Dust," the boy demands with a frown.

Lightning Dust lowers her hood. "You’re late, Jet Set."

"Yeah, yeah, what the hell do you want?" Jet asks with annoyance. "Why did you ask me to come, especially on a Sunday?"

"I need your help."

"Forget it," Jet snaps. "I will not help you study. Students like you are a lost cause."

Although the comment bothers her, the girl decides to ignore it. "I don’t need help studying. It's about Sunset Shimmer."

The young man raises an eyebrow and looks at her, intrigued. "Shimmer? What about her?"

"There's something that girl is hiding. I need you to help me find out what it is."

Although curious, Jet Set says with irritation, "What makes you think she’s hiding something?"

"She just shows up to school in the middle of the semester, gets good grades, makes me look ridiculous but then doesn’t defend herself later, and spends all her time with that nerd Sparkle and that weird blue idiot," Lightning says, her contempt evident with each item. "Then, there's that strange blog about her that came out all of a sudden."

"None of this is of any interest to me," Jet says, angering Lightning. "I don’t care what that girl does or what happens to her."

"Oh, come on, you can’t fool me. You think it’s weird, too, right? She’s only been here a week, and so much has happened with her."

Jet Set looks to the side. "So, what if I do think she’s weird? That still doesn’t mean that I care what she does or what happens to her."

"There’s something else," adds Lightning. She opens her coat and reaches in, pulling out a book. "I found this two nights ago in a dumpster, buried in ashes."

Lightning approaches and extends the book to Jet, who takes it and examines it, opening it and superficially leafing through its contents. "What's this supposed to be?"

"No idea," responds the girl, prompting Jet to roll his eyes, "but it belongs to Sunset Shimmer."

Jet Set raises an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

To answer, she closes the book and points to the symbol on the cover. "Because of this. It's Sunset Shimmer's symbol."

"What do you mean her symbol?" Jet asks, finally interested.

"She's on the soccer team with me, and in the locker room, I always see her wearing that symbol on some part of her clothes, be it her shirt, socks, or even her underwear."

Jet Set cannot help blushing due to the image that inevitably brings to his mind, although soon, that is replaced by a question. "Wait, why are you paying attention to—"

"The fact," she exclaims, cutting off his question, "is that this book has the same symbol, so it must be hers."

Jet is silent for a moment. "Yes, right. Let's suppose that the book belongs to her. How is that important?"

"Look at it carefully," Lightning says, pointing to the book.

Jet frowns at the order but follows it, reopening the book and turning the pages one by one. They are almost totally blank, although many of the pages seem to have the ghosts of words on them, very light, very... blurry.

Jet Set observes more carefully and realizes something else. The inner edges of almost all the pages have dark marks, as if they had been... burned. But, beyond those edges, the sheets are impeccable, as if this supposed fire never touched them.

... This book is strange.

After giving him a moment to examine the book himself, Lightning speaks again. "I found it in the ashes. Sunset, or someone else, tried to burn this book."

Jet Set keeps looking at the book, but he turns that detail over in his head. “Maybe she just wanted to get rid of it. How is that important?"

"You're supposed to be smart, Jet Set!" the blonde girl exclaims, apparently losing patience. "Look at it! The book is flawless!"

Jet considers it, frustrated. "Maybe she didn’t burn it. Maybe she just buried it in the ashes."

"So why does it have burn marks?" She takes the book and closes it. "Even the cover has them!" She points to several almost invisible marks. "A book that doesn’t burn. It belongs to Sunset Shimmer, of all people, and again, it doesn’t burn. Tell me that's not strange."

Jet Set is silent for a moment, before closing his eyes. "Curious, certainly, but as I said, I'm not interested in what that girl is related to."

Without saying more, he turns around and prepares to leave.

Lighting watches him angrily. "You know she’s hiding something. This book may have the answer you're looking for."

Jet stops, remains motionless a moment, before turning slightly towards her. "The answer to what?"

There is silence, until she responds, "The answer of who she really is."

They both look at each other without saying a word, the icy wind blowing around them.


*S*A*S*


What happened on Sunday morning left Sunset frustrated enough to lock herself up all day, but she couldn’t avoid going out on Monday. She did try to forget the whole thing, focusing only on school. It worked enough.

After lunch, Sunset went out to practice with the soccer team. That went as one might expect as she struggled to learn the rules and find her place on the team.

After two hours of chasing a ball, Sunset was extremely tired but somehow managed to get to the music room.

As she opens the door, the rest of the band turn to see their missing member arrive. She stumbles over to a chair, moaning tiredly.

"Hey, Sun-Shim. How's the gym?" asks Lemon, apparently oblivious to the girl's condition.

"I can't feel my ankles," says Sunset in a tired voice.

"No problem; you won’t need them. Ready to practice?" asks the green-haired girl.

Twilight glares at Lemon before turning to Sunset, somewhat worried. "You should go home to rest, Sunset..."

"I'm fine," answers Sunset. "It's true; I don't need my feet to play."

"Hey, I was just kidding," says Lemon, now worried herself. "If you want, you can go home. We can handle practice without you."

Sunset takes the guitar. "No, no... Let's do it." She checks the guitar’s straps.

"But you're tired," says Twilight with more concern.

"I'm fine. Seriously, I can play."

"Are you sure? It's not that you need to practice," says Lemon. "You’re an expert on the guitar. We’re the ones that need help."

"That's why I’m staying. I know this is important to you. I can't just leave you."

Sonata smiles fondly "Awwww, Sunsite loves us~"

"Of course, I love you," answers Sunset seriously but sincerely. "Lemon, have you done the exercises I taught you?"

"Yes, sir!" She moves her fingers a bit and then places them carefully on the strings. After that, she strums a couple of notes, nimbly moving her fingers from one end to the other and in different directions.

"Very good. Sonata, how’s your throat?"

"Soft as a freshly kneaded omelet!"

"... Right. Twilight, did you learn those songs that I gave you?"

"Yes. The CDs you gave me helped a good deal. Thank you very much," Twilight says, smiling, albeit somewhat distressed.

"No problem. We have to make sure that we can all play and sing chords before we start practicing any songs."

"Well, I feel ready!" the founder of the band announces. "I want to practice the song we’re playing this Friday!"

"Yay! I want to start too!" exclaims our blue siren, full of emotion.

Sunset looks from them to the scientist. "What do you say, Twi?"

Twilight is a bit surprised to be called but responds, "Ah, well... I guess we can try it.

"Well, if you're all sure."

Lemon nods excitedly, and soon, they begin to play, filling the room with their music.

Sunset looks at her companions.

Lemon, with more experience, fell in line with the notes and the melody with little effort.

Sonata had a big smile on her lips, trembling with excitement as she waited for her moment to sing.

But it was Twilight who surprised her most. Maybe she did not look as animated as the others, but her smile showed her taste and comfort for the activity.

What memories...

The scene was so similar. She clearly remembered the day that her... that they made their band. They looked so happy. Back then, Sunset was happy for them, too; watching them enjoy that activity together made Sunset feel just as good as they felt. Then, when she was also able to participate, her joy had no limit.

What memories... memories that would not return...

Separating her mind from those thoughts, Sunset gazes at her new companions, all smiling, full of joy.

What did it matter? Those times were gone.

But the past is not today. And today, she had new friends, friends who loved her, who cared about her.

Sunset could now really be happy.

"... Are you... happy there?"

The memory of Flash’s voice surprises Sunset, and her playing goes off key. Her friends turn to her. "A-ah, I'm sorry,” Sunset mumbles. “My bad, sorry..."

"Pfff, ha ha, Sun-Shim! And I thought I was the rookie."

Sonata joins Lemon in her laughter. Twilight looks at Sunset for a moment before she, too, begins giggling. Shaking her head, Sunset starts chuckling, herself.


*S*A*S*


The band's practice eventually ended. The four left the room and walked to the exit of the school.

While the others talked about the practice, Sunset remained silent, deep in thought.

Playing music... It was fun. She had forgotten that feeling.

Actually, she had forgotten many things after leaving Canterlot High.

She had wanted to forget everything about that school. Her former friends, her problems, the school... the princess...

That thought brought a memory to Sunset, an issue she’d have to deal with.

Suddenly, Sunset grabs Twilight’s hand, stopping their walk. "Twilight, I need to ask you a favor."

Twilight looks at her, confused, but follows Sunset as Sonata and Lemon continue home.

Sunset opens one of the nearby classrooms, looking around. No one’s inside, so Sunset looks at the windows, smiling when she notices the crystal-blue curtains. "Perfect," she says to herself.

Confused, Twilight observes her from the door. "Sunset, what's wrong?"

"Come closer, Twi," ask Sunset as she approaches a window, "and please close the door."

Although confused, the scientist does what she’s asked, closing the door after entering. "Um, what do you need help with?"

The former equine proceeds to close the curtain of the windows, smoothing any wrinkles with her hands. After that, she takes a chair and places it in front of the curtains. "Can you take off your jacket, please?"

That only confuses Twilight more, but she still acquiesces, taking off her blazer, leaving only the shirt underneath. "What are we doing?"

"I know it sounds strange, but... I need to take a picture of you."

"... A picture?" repeats Twilight, even more confused.

Sunset points to the chair in front of the window. "Sit there, please."

Twilight stays in her place. "A picture? But... why?"

Sunset looks at the floor, not knowing how to respond. "It’s…" She takes a while to give an answer. "It’s just, I have a problem to fix, and... I need a picture of you to do so."

Twilight, in addition to her confusion, begins to feel nervous. "I don't... I don't understand. What's the matter? Why do you need a picture of me? I—"

"Twilight," Sunset interrupts gently. Amethyst and turquoise eyes meet, and Sunset maintains a serious but calm expression. "You trust me, right?"

Twilight is a little surprised. "Sunset... I... Yes, of course."

"We’re friends," the former equine says, gently taking Twilight's hand. "I would never do anything to hurt you."

The sincerity in her words surprises the scientist. She breaks eye contact and almost seems embarrassed at herself. "... You’re right... I trust you Sunset."

"I'm just asking you to let me take a picture of you. It's not for anything bad."

Twilight takes a few seconds. "I know." She leaves her jacket on a desk and walks to sit on the chair Sunset indicated.

Sunset smiles gleefully and stands in front of her, looking at her for a moment. "Um, can you undo your hair?"

"My hair?"

"Yes, you... I need you to let your hair down."

Each order confuses her more, but she does it anyway, taking out the pins in her bun and allowing her hair to fall.

Sunset looks at her silently.

It was the same face... and it was almost the same hairstyle... but still...

"They... really are... different..." Sunset thinks, comparing the girl in front of her with a mental image of the princess.

Sunset puts aside that thought and pulls out her phone, turning on the camera and pointing it at the girl. She sees the image of the girl on the screen, but does not yet take the picture. "... Can you... the glasses...?"

It takes Twilight a few seconds, but she fulfills the request, taking off the glasses. "I can't see anything."

"It will only be a moment," says Sunset, returning her gaze to her phone. "Now, stay still, don’t smile, just look forward." She focuses with the cell phone, making sure the image is straight, and takes the picture. "Done."

Twilight replaces her glasses and blinks a couple of times, clearing her eyesight. "... Is that all?"

Sunset takes Twilight’s jacket and holds it out to her while the latter remakes her bun. "Yes, thank you. I know it's strange, but really, you helped me a lot with this."

The scientist is still confused. She stands up and puts her blazer back on. "I still don't understand what all this was about."

Sunset is silent, thoughtful. "Um... It's... hard to explain."

Twilight sighs. "... Again with that. You never want to explain anything, Sunset... What are you afraid of?"

Again, it takes Sunset a few moments before speaking. "I already told you, my past is complicated, and now, well... there’s a lot going on."

Sunset feels the scientist's hand take hers and turns to look at her as Twilight says, "We're friends." Twilight smiles softly. "You can trust me. You can tell me what's happening to you. I can help you."

Twilight gently squeezes Sunset's hand, and Sunset smiles back. "Thanks, Twilight. I know. I'm glad to be your friend." Both smile and firmly hold each other's hand. "I'll tell you everything," Sunset continues. "Soon. First... I have to clear my head a bit, okay?"

"Okay,” Twilight says, satisfied. “When you're ready, I'll be here for you."

They smile smiles full of confidence. Suddenly, Sunset realizes something. "Hey, Twi."

"Yes? What else do you need?"

"Well, I just realized I still don’t have your phone number."


*S*A*S*


Once out of the classroom, both resume their path to the exit of the school. The atmosphere between the two is calm and pleasant as they walk side by side, smiling.

Eventually, Sunset begins to gaze intently at the girl next to her.

Despite having the same face, the princess and the scientist were no doubt very different.

"What?" Twilight questions, breaking the thought of the former equine as she notices Sunset’s gaze.

Sunset blushes, embarrassed at having been caught staring, but instead of responding, she stops her walk.

Twilight, curious, does the same, opens her mouth to ask again, when Sunset extends her hand and removes Twilight's glasses.

Twilight blinks, confused by the action, and Sunset says nothing, just staring at Twilight's face.

There was no point of comparison. She just could not see this Twilight as a double. They were different people... ponies...? Whatever.

"Sunset, what's wrong with you? You’re acting very strange," Twilight says, getting a little annoyed by the whole situation.

Sunset does not respond immediately, but then laughs a little and returns the glasses to their owner. "Heh. I'm sorry, I just... I was thinking."

Twilight raises an eyebrow, as if waiting for a better response.

Sunset laughs again, more nervously. "I'm sorry. You know, I like your glasses. They make you look pretty." She gives a friendly smile and then keeps moving forward.

Sunset does not notice the look of surprise and the flushed cheeks of the violet-haired girl. "... Pre-... Pretty...?"

The surprise makes Twilight remain immobile in place for a while, but, noticing that the fire-haired girl has gone ahead, she rushes to catch up with her.