//------------------------------//
// A Talk Between Friends 
// Story: Prelude to Anon-A-Miss: Sunset's Redemption 
// by CapNTilfy 
//------------------------------//

Pinkie gasped. "That's the warning bell, you guys! We've gotta get out of here!"

"You guys go on ahead," Rainbow said, then gestured to Sunset. "She needs someone right now, so it might as well be me."

"Are you sure, darling," Rarity asked. "You're going to be late!"

"Of course I'm sure! I'm not going to just leave her here," Rainbow exclaimed, again gesturing to Sunset. Rarity shrugged, then ran to her next class with everyone else. Silence ruled the hallways, save for the muffled sobs of Sunset Shimmer. Rainbow smiled warmly and tightened the hug. "It's going to be okay, Sunset," she said reassuringly. "I'm not leaving you 'til you're done."

A few minutes later, Sunset sniffled, then shuddered. "T-Thanks," she said as she looked at Rainbow.

"Hey, no problem," Rainbow said. "Feel better?"

Sunset sighed heavily. "I don't know," she said as she put a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I just did that."

"I can," Rainbow said. "Hell, I know I would've gotten angry faster."

"That's not what I meant, Rainbow," Sunset said sadly. "I...I just went back to the old me."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and grunted in frustration. "Sunset, that wasn't the old you," she said.

"You're right," Sunset said quietly. "That was worse." She broke the hug, then hugged herself. "Even before I changed, I-I never actually hit anyone..."

"Sunset Shimmer," Rainbow said in frustration as she grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and forced her to look her in the eyes. "This attitude won't get you anywhere in life." Rainbow turned away from Sunset. "I," she paused for a moment. "I should know."

"You?" Sunset's eyes widened in disbelief. "What could you, captain of damn near all the sports teams at Canterlot High and Miss 'Awesome As I Wanna Be' possibly know about-"

Rainbow Dash turned around, revealing teary eyes. "Because I've been where you are!" Sunset put a hand to her mouth in shock. "You don't just become 'captain of damn near all the sports teams' without failing at least once!" She sniffled. "I tried so hard during the first tryouts, and I didn't make any of the teams. I was a constant failure at everything athletic in Freshman year."

"What does that have to do with-"

Rainbow raised a finger as she sniffled again. "Y-You didn't let me finish." She took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I felt worthless. Like the only direction I could go was down. All I could do was feel sorry for myself. My self-confidence had been crushed, time and time again." Her voice broke. "Before all those failures, I was outside nearly every day. Running laps, doing drills...and I still didn't get in." She sniffled again. "A-All of those failures...they sent me into a depression, Sunset. All I could do was just eat, sleep, go to school, then lay on the couch and stare at the television."

"Rainbow..."

"Sunset," Rainbow said as she took both of her friend's hands. "If it weren't for the girls...I don't know where I'd be right now. They helped me realize that I shouldn't let self-pity take control of my life, and now I want you to realize that too."

Sunset's eyes began to mist over as she choked up. "Thank you, Rainbow Dash...I had no idea how badly I needed to hear that."

Rainbow smiled, then hugged Sunset even tighter than before as they silently cried together.