//------------------------------// // Fourth Period // Story: Anon-A-Miss Aftermath: The Day After // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Sunset stared at the bowl of lumpy dough before her as her cautious optimism wavered slightly. She could practically feel her Demonself lying in wait, biding its time... waiting for the right moment. "Sunset?" Sunset started, snapped out of her reverie by her cooking partner. "Are you okay?" Sunset was met with a golden, wall-eyed gaze of concern as a grey hand touched her shoulder. Derpy was one of the most popular girls in school due to her kindness, optimism, and empathy towards others. She was nearly a shoo-in for Princess for last year's Fall Formal. She would have won were it not for Sunset sabotaging her chances. Sunset flinched at the memory, recalling Derpy's tears as she struggled to look her in the eye. Her optimism diminished further, and she clenched a hand into a fist. "Sunset?" Sunset snapped out of her thoughts and heaved a sigh. "No, Derpy... I'm not okay." She buried her head in her hands. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Sunset laughed mirthlessly. "No offense, but what could you possibly do?" Derpy put the dough in an oven, set the timer, then cupped her chin in thought. "Why don't you tell me what happened and we'll go from there?" Sunset heaved a long sigh. "Are you sure? It's pretty heavy stuff." "Well I can't help you if I don't know what your problem is." Sunset sighed again. She had a feeling she'd be telling this story several more times before the day was through. "All right, but don't say I didn't warn you." She took a deep breath, exhaled, then told Derpy everything from her experience on the other side of the rainbow, to what happened in the cafeteria, then finished with everything she had went through over the course of the day. By the time she wrapped up, the timer went off. Derpy stood still, slack-jawed. Several moments passed before she looked away, holding her arm. "Oh," she said quietly. "That doesn't sound like anything I can help with..." She sat down, wearing an expression of disappointment and defeat. "I'm not used to being unable to help... I don't like feeling powerless..." She sighed. Sunset frowned. She had never seen Derpy like this before. She was always smiling, ready to help or comfort someone in need. Here, she was deflated. Her head rested on her hands as she sighed again. Powerless... Sunset almost chuckled despite herself. Derpy's mood and facial expression reminded her of days long gone. The days when she'd spend nearly all of her time at home. Powerless... Days when Sunset hated everything, and everyone... most of all herself. Powerless... Days when there was nothing Sunset could do about her troubles except lash out at other students, bullying them to make her feel better about herself and her sorry-ass situation. Powerless... Days when Sunset wanted to scream and wail because she had been denied what was so rightfully hers. Powerless... Days when all it took for Sunset to fall asleep was a good cry... which had been every night. Sunset grit her teeth. Great, now she had memories of her shitty life before she found friendship on top of her Demonself lurking about in her head! Despite all that, however, she felt an urge to comfort Derpy. But what could she say to make her feel better? She hardly knew anything about her! Muttering under her breath, Sunset racked her brains. What could you possibly do to help her, the Demonself asked mockingly. You're barely keeping yourself together! Teetering back and forth between stability and another breakdown! Sunset resisted an urge to slam her fist on the table. As much as she hated it... as much as she wanted to deny it... the Demonself was right. Still... she had to cheer Derpy up. "Derpy," Sunset said softly as she took her cooking partner by the hand. "Don't feel so down. The fact that you want me to feel better alone is enough to cheer me up." She sighed. "Even after all the crap I put you and the rest of CHS through..." Derpy's expression changed. "Sunset... how could you possibly say that?" She sighed. "You've been beating yourself up for far too long... and to be honest, it's kind of driving me crazy!" Sunset's eyes widened. "You're an amazing person, Sunset Shimmer," Derpy continued as she put her other hand atop Sunset's. "I mean, how many people can say they came from another world or saved a high school? Not to mention that you've become one of the nicest people I know!" Sunset raised an eyebrow. "But... pretty much everyone around here is nice." Derpy giggled. "True, but not all the nice people here started off the way you did. You completely turned yourself around, and I can only imagine how hard it must've been!" Sunset snorted. "You have no idea. It's one thing to tell you happened to me, but if you'd actually experienced it..." She slowly hugged herself. You're a monster! Sunset shuddered, then grit her teeth. "Sunset, you don't have to say any more." Derpy walked over to her, then gave her a hug. "It's clearly making you feel uncomfortable," she whispered. "And I think you've had far more than your fair share of that feeling." Sunset returned the hug as she inhaled, then let out a long sigh of contentment. Derpy's warmth and love comforted her, despite the fact that she knew this was only a temporary reprieve. Well, she would take what she could get. "Feel better," Derpy asked. "F-Feeling better. Yeah." Sunset heaved an inward sigh of relief, having avoided saying 'for now'. She didn't want to worry Derpy any more than she already had. Derpy broke the hug with a smile, and the timer went off. "I guess that means our session is over," she said, then giggled as she put on oven mitts. She took out the banana bread, then shut the oven. Sunset took a deep whiff of the banana bread, then licked her lips. "Smells great," she said dreamily. "Then let's dig in already!" Sunset and Derpy spent the remainder of the class eating.