//------------------------------//
// Rainbow's Punishment 
// Story: Sunset's Trial 
// by Zerocool7785 
//------------------------------//

Trixie came into Celestia’s office and told Celestia and Luna everything that happened in the gym locker room earlier that morning. Inside Luna felt great pride that Rainbow had done this but knew full well she couldn’t show it outwardly.
“Trixie thank you for bringing this to our attention, I will talk with Rainbow Dash next period.” Luna said, begrudgingly while still shooting daggers at Trixie with her eyes.
“The great and honest Trixie, must know are you gonna go easy on her Vice Principal Luna?” She asked.
 “I’m not gonna go easy on her or you and your friends FOR BEATING SUNSET
UNCONSCIOUS!!” Luna yelled at her Trixie making her eyes become as wide as saucers.
“But I didn’t do anything, I was trying to stop Gilda and the Dogs, when I saw Sunset couldn’t stand, honestly I never threw a punch, a kick, anything, I SWEAR!!” Trixie pleaded Luna staring intently at her.
“Trixie…”Luna began but Celestia grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.
“Trixie I will deal with Rainbow Dash, next period I promise you. You can head out for your next class.” Celestia informed Trixie. After that Trixie left the office and went to her locker to get her books for the next couple classes.
“Luna you are NOT going to handle this. You're too close to this case. I will not allow it.” Celestia said.
“NOT ALLOW IT??!! Sunset is MY responsibility and…”
“And I don’t think you will handle this the right way, I know you're gonna go after Trixie and Gilda, I am wholeheartedly behind that, but let me handle this.” Celestia said, trying to calm her sister down.
“TIA I WILL NOT ALLOW THAT, I HANDLE DISCIPLINE IN THIS SCHOOL…” Luna began again almost shouting.
“LUNA STAND DOWN NOW. Remember one thing. I’m not just your big/older sister but I am also your immediate supervisor. Now go back to your office and cool off, or I will send you home for the day.” Celestia said standing up to Luna.
Luna didn’t budge.
“Luna you don’t want to do this.” Celestia said getting face to face with Luna.
“If I am sent home, what are you gonna do with Sunset out there?” Luna said 
pointing to the front entrance of the school. “Do you think she's gonna feel comfortable eating her lunch with you? Who is gonna take her home huh?” Luna asked.
“I will take her home or you can send Chrys to get her.” Celestia said.
“Like she is gonna ride with you.” Luna scoffed
“Luna this is your last warning, go back to your office and cool off, I will handle
this.” Celestia said.
Regretfully Luna backed down and went back to her office but this was not over.
*				*				*
Outside the front of Canterlot High School. 

Sunset just cleared the last of the debris and took her hard hat off to wipe her brow. Rebuilding this wall was hard work, she had only done a lil bit, Friday night but here it was Tuesday and the front of the High School was starting to come together.
“Ms Shimmer.” The Forman said walking over to her.
“Listen, the cement mixers are gonna pour part of the concrete that was destroyed. Tomorrow we have the dump trucks with dirt coming to take care of the major part of the grass.” He said, indicating the crater.
“Anyway there is not much to do for a few minutes so, why don’t you take a 10 minute water break and just chill for a few minutes.” He told her.
Sunset was happy to oblige, and went and sat on the steps of the school with a cup of water from the cooler. After guzzling it down, Sunset looked around at the font of the school, and what she had done. She knew people were scared of her now. Judging her. 
She imagined the whole school was like a jury, except for Twilight’s friends everyone else had returned a verdict of guilty. Problem was she felt guilty, felt guilty about destroying the front of the school. She looked back at the front of the school, she had done that.
She also felt guilty for treating people like dirt. She used to bully people for their lunch money, because she needed to eat. Luna was taking care of that now, breakfast, dinner, giving her lunch money, or offering to pack her a lunch if she needed.
 As she finished her second cup of water she was also thinking about what terrible person she was. She looked over at the crater, wishing again that had been her grave.
[i]“Why? Why did Twilight pull me out of there? Maybe I could jump in there before they pour the cement or dirt. Then I wouldn’t be a bother to people.” Sunset thought.
Sunset mulled over her choice, Luna really cared about her, or so it seemed, Chrys and her got along good too, She was making it up to Twilight’s friends. But she often felt numb, not knowing how to feel. That bothered her the most.
*				*			*
Rainbow Dash walked into Celestia’s Office. She figured Trixie squealed and she figured this was either detention or suspension. Even if she pleaded her case of why she did it. 
Yet why wasn’t Vice Principal Luna handling this. She was the one if you were in trouble you went to see Luna, not Celestia.
“Rainbow Dash.” Celestia said breaking Rainbow out of her train of thought.
“Trixie came to me today saying you choked her and threatened to disembowel her.” Celestia said.
“I never threatened to disembowel her. But I like that idea.” Rainbow replied.
“Ms. Dash I understand, you're wanting to stand up for Sunset. I mean you beat up five people to save her life.” Celestia told her. Then she rolled her chair a little closer to her desk, placed her hands folded on the desk and looked sternly at Rainbow Dash.
“Slamming another student against a locker, choking them, threatening to do whatever you threatened them with, is not how you go about it. Not even Sunset ever went that far. Rainbow you have a week of detention, starting today.” Celestia said.
“You can’t do that!! We have a Soccer game Friday, we leave after school, I’m co-captain of the team!! I need to be there, we are leaving after school!! I can’t go Tuesday-Tuesday with a game on Friday afternoon!!”
“So you want to get out of detention on Friday huh?” Celestia asked leaning back in her chair.
“Yes.” Rainbow Dash insisted. 
“Very well come with me then.” Celestia said getting up and leaving the office motioning to Rainbow to follow her. Rainbow followed Celestia through the school. It was quiet as most kids were in class.
“Where are we going?” Asked Rainbow wondering why they were walking towards the front of the school.
“Easy, you’re going to tell Sunset what you did this morning. I’m sure she will be thrilled to hear that.” Celestia said sarcastically.
“Whoa, whoa ,whoa wait a second. That is a punishment?” Asked Rainbow. “I know Sunset is gonna be happy with what I did.”
*				*				*
“Rainbow are you crazy, no I am not happy about that at all.” Sunset said to her privately as she got a short break to talk to Dash.
“Sunset that girl…” Rainbow began.
“Didn’t throw a punch. She’s the least involved.” Sunset said. “Look I know you are loyal to your friends, loyalty is your best trait, but you're being loyal to a fault. I don’t want you threatening everybody that looks at me sideways. I don’t need you to defend me on every little thing.” Sunset told her.
“I’m gonna need your help a lot more next week, when I have to walk those halls again. I’m gonna need Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and you Rainbow Dash. I need all of you.” Sunset said, taking Rainbow Dash’s hand.
Rainbow pulled her hand away and Sunset looked hurt. Rainbow immediately realized what she did.
“It’s ok Sunset but I don’t do sappy. I wasn’t pulling my hand away for a bad reason.” Rainbow explained.
“Well I need to get back to work, but what did Celestia say anyway?” Sunset asked.
“I got a week of detention Tuesday to Tuesday, but I get out of detention on Friday so I can play soccer, if I came and told you what I did.” Rainbow admitted meekly. 
“Well I appreciate you standing up for me, but you don’t need to choke Trixie and threaten to literally tear her limb from limb.” Sunset said putting her hard hat on walking back over to the construction crew. 
“Wow that girl has really turned herself around.” Thought Rainbow.
Rainbow then headed back to where Celestia was talking with the construction foreman over the crater being filled tomorrow. Upon seeing Rainbow Dash she waved her over.
“So was Sunset thrilled like you said she should be?” Celestia said knowing full well that she wasn’t.
“You were right, she said she appreciated me standing up for her, but not choking Trixie and threatening to rip her limb from limb.” Rainbow said looking down and admitting defeat in her own way. 
“Ms. Dash, you have just served Friday’s detention. You can go back to class. I will see that they don’t get you in trouble for coming in late.” Celestia told Rainbow Dash.
Celestia stood for a minute watching Sunset work. “I wish I could connect with her. I gotta find a way if she  is gonna be part of Luna’s life she’s gonna be part of mine. I don’t want it being so awkward.” Celestia thought.
*				*				*
“Sunset Shimmer.” The construction foreman called.
“Yes, sir.” She replied walking over to him.
“Lunch time you can take your break.” He replied.
Sunset removed her hard hat and headed inside, passing only a few students who shot her death glares and whispered about her. She didn’t care because she was headed to see Luna for lunch.
She opened the door and walked into Luna’s office. Luna looked up from the file she was going over and smiled.
“Hi honey, how is it going out there today?” Luna asked.
Sunset slumped into a chair and let her arms hang down on the sides. “I didn’t know building a wall was so hard, and I am only a gopher and doing menial tasks for them.” She said.
Before Luna could respond there was a knock at her office door.
“Enter.” She said.
Five girls walked in and Sunset breathed a sigh of relief realizing it was her friends.
“Hi Vice Principal Luna we wuz ah wunderin if Sunset wanted to join us for lunch.” Applejack asked.
“Thanks girls, you guys really mean it?” Sunset asked.
“Darling we wouldn’t ask you if we didn’t mean it.” Rarity replied.
“Well girls, this is Sunset’s decision to make.” Luna replied.
“I would love to but Luna already packed a lunch today so I won’t be with you in line. Is that ok?" Sunset asked.
“Sunset that’s fine and if you didn’t have money, the girls and I would all get you something in line so you didn’t go hungry.” Fluttershy said.
“Luna would you be offended if I tried this today?” Sunset asked.
“No go ahead, I need to talk to Principal Celestia anyway.” Luna said,
As Sunset left with the girls Luna felt lonely, she had looked forward to having lunch and talking with Sunset, but Sunset needed to forge new friendships and make friends her own age. 
Luna hadn’t been lucky to have many good friends in school. So for her to see Sunset have friends it made her feel good. 
The girls all got in line and Rainbow pointed out what table they all sat at, Sunset went over and sat down with her bag and noticed the lunch room got very quiet. A lot of people were looking at her. She wanted to run back to Luna’s office but knew she had to face this. 	
She started quietly eating her lunch and noticed after two minutes Pinkie Pie set her tray down and then shortly after Applejack, then slowly but surely all the other girls did too. Sunset felt better, actually safe with her friends being there. 
Rainbow told them about getting detention. The girls were all confused as to why Principal Celestia and not Vice Principal Luna handled it.
“Yeah Sunset why didn’t Vice Principal Luna handle it?” Rainbow asked.
“I have no idea Rainbow, she doesn’t really discuss school business with me.” Sunset replied. 
“Hey Sunny this Saturday what are you doing?” Pinkie asked.
“I don’t know why?” Sunset asked.
“Because I put a good word in with Mrs. Cake, and if you wanted to start paying your debt as you said “She said you can help out morning to afternoon shift at Sugarcube corners if you like. We would get to work together wouldn’t that be awesome? I think it would be awesome? You know…” Pinkie started.
“Pinkie what time do I show up?” Asked Sunset.
“We open at 6 but you and I don't need to get there until 7, we help out in the kitchen then for lunch I am taking orders you’ll be in the back, don’t wear anything to to nice as you might end up doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen after the lunch rush and then we are done. I even get to show you my place too.” Pinkie rambled on.
“I think it should be ok. Count me in.” Sunset replied.
A minute later as Sunset was finishing her lunch two members of the basketball team Hoops and Scores walked by
“Scores wait here is the garbage can.” Hoops said. Him and Scores dumped their mostly eaten food and garbage right onto Sunset.