//------------------------------// // Lunchtime // Story: Prelude to Anon-A-Miss: Sunset's Redemption // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Sunset arrived in the cafeteria, then grabbed her lunch. She smiled as she approached the table that she and her friends always sat at. "Hey girls," she said. Each of the girls greeted her in return as she sat down. "So what's the plan," Rainbow asked. Applejack looked at Rainbow with a raised eyebrow. "What plan?" "Duh," Rainbow said as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "The plan for Wallflower! She pretty much declared war on us!" Rarity gave Rainbow a stern look. "I thought we all reached a consensus that we wouldn't fight." "Hold on," Rainbow said, holding her arms out in defense. "I didn't say anything about being violent. She's probably going to try something sneaky. Try to get into our heads." "I dunno," Applejack said with a frown. "She don't seem like the type." "Did you already forget what happened earlier today, Applejack," Sunset asked. Applejack blushed. "C'mon now. Y'all know I got a short temper," she said. "So what's the plan, then," Pinkie asked. "Um, Pinkie...I don't think we have one," Fluttershy said. "Yet." Rainbow added. "Okay, then," Sunset said. "What do you think we should do, Rainbow?" "What? Me," Rainbow asked in surprise and pointed at herself. "I thought you'd be the one to come up with something, Sunset! Aren't you like, the leader or something?" Sunset blanched. "M-Me? Leader," she asked incredulously. "I'm not cut out for that," she said, waving her arms in refusal. "I hardly did anything when the sirens tried to take over." Rarity walked over to Sunset, then put a hand on top of hers. "Sunset, darling, I believe you're forgetting the fact that you were instrumental-" she cleared her throat, "-so to speak, against the Dazzlings." "But that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm leader material," Sunset said. "I think I'm more of a 'second-in-command', next to Princess Twilight," she said, putting her hand on her chest. Pinkie walked up to Sunset. "I'm sorry, Sunset, but your Princess is in another castle." Sunset blinked. "Dimension!" Pinkie corrected herself. "I meant dimension." "I think what Pinkie's tryin' to say is that Princess Twilight ain't always gonna be able to help. You're the go-to gal for magical stuff now," Applejack said with a smile. "Guys, I'm flattered," Sunset said with a laugh. "Really, I am. But I honestly don't think I should." "Tell you what," Rainbow said to Sunset. "Why don't we make a deal?" Sunset looked at her questioningly. "You take some time to think about it, and I mean really think about it. If after..." she trailed off and cupped her chin in thought. "A week," Fluttershy asked. Rainbow nodded in satisfaction. "If it's been a week and you still don't want to be leader, we'll figure something out. We're a team, after all." Sunset thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Rainbow Dash. You've got yourself a deal." The two shook hands. "Now can we drop this subject?" Sunset smiled nervously. "It's making me feel a little uncomfortable." everyone nodded in agreement. The six friends spent the rest of their time in the cafeteria, blissfully unaware of the two figures watching them from a distance. --------------------------------------------- Sunset left the cafeteria and sighed. Why do I have to be the leader, she thought. Just because I'm the 'go-to gal for magical stuff' doesn't mean I should lead five other people I've only just recently made friends with. Her thought process was interrupted as she heard countless footsteps hurry towards her. She turned around as she felt a chill down her spine. She saw dozens upon dozens of students run toward her. "Oh, fuck." She blanched, then started to run. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash left the cafeteria and heard footsteps thundering in the hallway. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack instinctively held onto her hat as she saw Sunset run past. "Sounds like a stampede!" Countless students ran past the five girls in pursuit of Sunset. Applejack stared in disbelief until Rarity tapped her on the shoulder. "Guess I wasn't too far off," she said, then ran with her friends to catch up with the crowd and Sunset. The two figures laughed as the scene unfolded before them, then stepped out of the shadows. Wallflower smiled at her new colleague. "What did you do," she asked. "Oh, I just told them that Sunset was signing autographs." Wallflower smiled widely. "Ooh, that's good. Wish I thought of that." "I'm so glad I came to you, Wallflower." Wallflower laughed. "Yeah, me too. Just one thing." "Hm?" "You never told me why you wanted to help," Wallflower said. Her partner scoffed. "I think it's obvious why," she said as she grit her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. "Nobody upstages the Great and Powerful Trixie and gets away with it!" --------------------------------------------- Sunset was running full tilt in the hallways as she was being chased down by a mob of students. Crap, crap, crap, crap! She stopped as she reached a dead end and pressed her back to the wall. The students came closer, and something within Sunset Shimmer snapped. She felt her temper rise as one student neared her. "Just leave me alone already," she shouted angrily, then swung and connected. The student landed to the floor with a thud, then looked up at Sunset with an expression of shock and betrayal. "What the hell was that for?" Sunset's jaw dropped as she realized what happened. "I...I..." Rainbow sped through the crowd, then got between the student and Sunset. "What the hell were guys expecting," Rainbow said angrily. "You've all been doing nothing but bothering her! Trying to get her attention, following her nearly everywhere, and now you corner her! I don't care what you guys were going to do, but I think that punch should've happened a long time ago!" She gestured to Sunset, whose knees buckled as she put her head in her hands. "Look at what you've done to her!" The students all looked at each other with shame on their faces. "Now back the fuck off of her or you'll have to deal with me!" "You'll have to deal with all of us," Applejack said as she and others caught up. The students slowly shuffled away. Rainbow Dash walked up to Sunset, then sat down next to her. "Hey..." Sunset looked up, revealing teary eyes, then hugged her friend and broke as the warning bell for the next period rang.