The next morning, I threw my alarm clock across the room, where it shattered against a wall. I let my fist fall next to me and breathed down my anger. Slowly, deeply. It didn’t matter how slow I was going anyway, it’s not like I was going to really go to school.
Oh, I was going to go to the school, all right. But I wasn’t going to school.
I emptied my fridge, making myself a bona fide all-you-can-eat buffet, and didn’t clean up after myself. On the way out, a metallic glint caught my eye, and I grabbed my baseball bat. I might need it. After all, how sad would it be if I were to get kidnapped in the middle of the street just minutes away from my goal?
And how unfortunate would it be, if something were to happen to Flash Sentry behind the school?
Oh I wasn’t going to kill him, not quite at least. Just break enough bones that it’d send a clear message.
My fingers tapped on the handle of the bat all through the bus ride. I caught the other passengers stealing glances at me. Who’s that girl with eyes of fury and a nasty baseball bat? They probably thought. I could have told them to mind their own business, but then again, getting into trouble wasn’t an option.
I jumped off the bus in front of the school and stomped my way into the schoolgrounds. Dozens of students were sitting on the steps, enjoying lunch and chatting with their friends.
The few students who were in the way hurried off before me. I didn’t even want to know how my face looked. I could feel it twisted into an angry snarl, but seeing their horrified looks as they got out of the way, I could only guess how nasty it must have been.
The mirror portal stood at its usual place in front of the school. A statue of a rearing horse loomed over it, teasing me.
Soon. Soon I would be home. I ignored the students waving at me and pressed on, determined. All I needed to do now was to find Flash, and—
“Sunset? Why weren’t you here this morning?”
Oh, you have got to be kidding me.
Flash Sentry was standing in front of the portal with my six other friends. Fluttershy stepped forward with that worried look that hooked you right in the heart and made you feel terrible no matter what you did or didn’t do. “We were really worried, we thought something had happened to you. Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine, everything’s fine!” I forced myself to smile, but I could tell they weren’t buying it. Applejack especially considered me carefully.
“I wouldn’t say you look ‘fine’, sugarcube,” she let out.
“There’s nothing to worry about, I just had a bad night’s sleep, but it’s nothing—”
A hand grabbed my shoulder gently, stopping my advance.
“Sunset.” Flash’s sappy, honeyed tone made my heart lurch with disgust. “What’s going on? You looked so happy yesterday.”
I took a deep breath, trying my best to stop the flood of rage from making me do something I’d regret.
“Seriously, Sunset, what’s wrong with you?” Rainbow Dash came to stand by Flash. “You’re acting really weird and angry recently, it’s… honestly pretty scary.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie added as if she absolutely needed to pipe up every time someone was trying to speak. “And what’s with that bat?”
Everyone’s eyes fell on the bat, and on my white-knuckled fingers wrapped around its handle. And when they came back to me, their eyes were full of concern and fear.
“Sunset,” Applejack said, slowly, detaching every syllable like I was a stupid child, “let’s just calm down and go for a little walk together, okay? Sounds good, girls?”
A clamour of mob-like “yeah”s and “mhm”s sounded from the group. Did those girls share a hivemind or something?
“We’ll handle it, Flash.” Applejack nodded at him, and he slunk away with a sad glance at me. What a coward.
“You’re red.”
That was all Pinkie said, and it was all that was needed for me to start feeling like my skin was aflame with scorching hot flames. My hand was numb on the bat I was clutching it so hard, and I only realized I was shaking once Applejack pulled me into a hug.
“It’s okay.” She pulled my head against her shoulder, and I just stood there dumbly, not knowing what to do. “We’re here for you.”
The others joined in, pulling me into a group hug. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell them to fuck off, to let me go home, but as soon as I did, instead of letting out angry shouts and snarling yells, I choked on my tears and let out an ugly, shaky sob, and collapsed in my friends’ arms.
“I don’t want to go!” I cried, clutching Applejack’s jacket desperately.
“Go where?” She spoke gently, but I could hear the confusion in her voice.
In response, I turned to look at the portal. I could almost see Equestria in the glimmering sun that washed over it. A land from where I’d been exiled, shunned, and was willing to welcome me back with open hooves, to offer me a chance to make a new life for myself there. To take back control of my life, and be at peace with myself again.
But the arms around me reminded me of why I’d stayed in the first place. I could have gone home after I’d given up on villainy, but I had stayed. For my friends. In the year we’d been together, they had brought me nothing but happiness. It had hurt, it had been painful, and we may have gotten into disagreements and issues, but in the end, it had been worth it a thousand times over.
“The portal?” Fluttershy looked at me with worry. “Why do you want to take it back?”
The happiness I felt being surrounded by friends was dulled by the reminder of why I had refused to go back to Equestria in the first place. Why I still…
I still…
My nails dug into the bat’s handle.
“It won’t be long,” I said. ”I just need to go check on some things with Princess Twilight, and I’ll be right back.”
“You sure?” Applejack stepped forward, but I held my hand up.
“I’m sure. You six stay put here, and I’ll be back.”
“Promise?”
I smiled weakly at her. “You know I never take back my words.”
But even as I stepped toward the mirror, I clutched the baseball bat hard. That was my only way out. My only escape. The only thing that would separate me from my friends.
But even as my eyes fell on them, and my heart swelled with joy, I could feel the invisible strings that had pulled at me and robbed me from myself. The hand that had dragged me by the ear like a misbehaving child. It wasn’t there, but I could feel its presence like a shadow upon us.
One moment, I was looking at my friends, and the next, their faces were blurred behind the foggy glass of the mirror.
And I was home. Four hooves fell on the ground, a silky yellow-and-red mane fell around my head and neck, my tail unfurled behind me.
The baseball bat fell beside me.
My horn shone and buzzed with magic. And the last thing I saw of my friends were their hopeful faces before their smiles exploded in mirror shards under the bat.
It didn’t take long for Twilight to come galloping at me.
“Sunset!” She threw herself at me, pulled me into a hug, and I just stared blankly at the shattered portal. “What happened here?!”
My mouth opened and closed wordlessly, nothing wanting to come out of my throat.
“Sunset?”
I blinked and slowly turned to Twilight. I couldn’t see my face, but I could guess it looked terrifying, with the shocked look Twilight offered. “I think… I just broke up with my boyfriend.”
And even as speaking the words lifted a great weight from my heart, I collapsed and cried in the hooves of the only friend I had left.