//------------------------------//
// Can Be Turned Into Strength 
// Story: Struggles 
// by Echo Breeze 
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That afternoon, Applejack told the girls to meet at the Wondercolt statue for a little get together. She told Sunset to wait for her to signal before coming over, to which Sunset happily obliged. Applejack and Rainbow Dash waited by the statue for the rest of the girls to show up while Sunset waited just inside the doors for Applejack's signal.

"Hey A.J. Got your text, what's up." Pinkie said as she bounced up to where the other two were waiting.

"Uh… Heya Pinks. Yer just gonna hafta wait 'ntil everyone is here." Applejack replied.

"Oh my dear heavens, darling. I do hope that everything is alright." Rarity said as she walked up to Applejack and gave her a hug.

"Yes," Fluttershy squeaked from behind Rarity. "I do too."

"Well, now that everyone is here, we can begin. It just so happens that Sunset Shimmer is strugglin' right now, and she's gonna need our help to pull through it." Applejack said while motioning for Sunset to join them.

Sunset saw Applejack motion for her to join them.

'Welp, here goes nothing.' Sunset thought to herself. She started walking slowly towards the others.

"Hahaha. Do you really think that they can help you chase me away. I'm a part of you, and I always will be." the demon said to her.

"Shut up." She muttered under her breath.

"Hahaha. I'm willing to bet that the only reason they're trying to be your friends is because the princess told them to. They don't like you. They pitty you." the demon practically hissed at her, venom dripping from every word.

Sunset began hyperventilating the closer she got to the girls.

'I can't handle this. What am I even doing trying. These girls don't want to be friends with me. I'm just a buck up waiting to happen." she thought darkly to herself.

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Fluttershy was watching Sunset walk over to them.

'Something's not right here. She's hyperventilating. She's going to have a panic attack at this rate." Fluttershy thought to herself. No sooner had she thought this than Sunset suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Sunset!" All five girls yelled in unison while running towards her.

'I knew this was going to happen. I know the signs.' Fluttershy thought to herself. "Stand back girls, give her some room. She's having a panic attack." Fluttershy yelled, putting all the strength she could muster into being assertive. She knelt down and grabbed Sunset, cradling her in her arms the way Rainbow Dash always did when she'd had panic attacks.

"It's okay Sunset, I'm here for you. Nothing will get to you here." Fluttershy whispered to Sunset, stroking her hair comfortingly. After a while, Sunset's breathing finally slowed down and she opened her eyes. Seeing the five girls around her with concern written on their faces, made Sunset break down and cry the first time since the original nightmare.

After a few moments, Sunset managed to regain her composure.

"I-i'm sorry to worry you,girls. I'm just not used to having people to talk to about stuff that's bothering me. I've always been alone, even in Equestria. My family had no time for me, so I ended up running away as a filly, and then ended up in Celestia's tutelage. I thought that I had found my family at last, but even she eventually grew cold and distant. I've been on my own since coming here, hence the reason why I tore you all apart, not just because you were a threat. I was jealous of you all for having the one thing I never had. Friendship. A sense of family, and it tore me apart." Sunset said, fresh tears welling down her face.

"Well sugarcube. Ya ain't alone no more. Y'all were right 'bout one thing, we do have a sense of family in this group, and family sticks together, no matter what. Y'all 're part of the family now. Ya have any problems, y'all can talk to us anytime." Applejack said as she moved to embrace Sunset. The rest of the girls followed suit.

"Thank you. All of you. You have no idea how great it feels to finally have a family to call my own." Sunset said, tears still falling from her eyes, though they were not tears of melancholy, but pure joy.