"Sunset... Sunset... Sunset!"
As I awoke the next morning the first thing I noticed was that I wasn't in my little abandoned gas station. The second thing I noticed was that wherever I was, it was soft and warm. The third thing I noticed was Ms. Celestia's voice. I jumped out of bed and found myself looking Principal Celestia. She wasn't dressed for school and she held two coffee mugs in her hands. She offered one to me.
"I think that it would be best if you stayed here today instead of going to school today," Celestia said, "many of the students haven't forgiven you yet and I fear for your safety."
"Why are you helping me," I asked, "after everything that I've done to you."
Celestia sat down on the bed and looked me in the eyes.
"Sunset," Celestia said, "whatever you did in the past wasn't you, I can see the real you in your eyes. I see a frightened young woman, who had her whole life planned out, with her own dreams and aspirations, only to have all those dreams stripped away in night."
Was I that transparent? Or did part of the Equestrian High Princess cross over to this high school educator?
"You deserve to have live life like an ordinary teenager," Celestia continued, "and trust me, ordinary for a teenager is anything but ordinary."
"How long am I staying here?" I asked. I was afraid that she would get rid of me once she knew the real me.
"Atleast until you are eighteen.' Celestia said, "according to your records you are, what, fourteen, or fifteen?"
"I'm fifteen." I said quietly.
"Well in the eyes of the law you are a minor and you need an adult to watch after you. I'd like to be that adult, if you'll let me."
I didn't know what to say. No adult had ever taken a keen interest in me since I had fled Equestria for the human world. Did this woman genuinely care about me? I had so many questions, but at the time I didn't know how to ask them.
"You mean that I can stay here," I asked quietly.
"As long as you like." Celestia answered.
"Don't you have to work today," I asked as I looked at the digital clock on the night stand.
"Luna can handle things at CHS today," Celestia said as she took a look around the room, "I thought that I would take you shopping. You need more than a single change of clothes, and I don't think that the way my niece decorated this room fits you."
I looked at the way the room was decorated, boy band posters and hearts really weren't my thing. I nodded.
"Alright then," Celestia said, "take a shower, get dressed and then join me downstairs for breakfast."
"Okay," I said. I waited for Celestia to leave the room before I climbed out of the bed. Part of me didn't want to leave it's soft warm confines, but I didn't want to keep Celestia waiting. I had been a disappointment to the first Celestia, I couldn't allow history to repeat itself with this Celestia.
When I finally stumbled down the stairs, I found myself in the kitchen, and I could smell bacon and pancakes. It was the best breakfast that I had had in a long time. To this day Celestia's pancakes are my favorite food. Celestia was on her phone as she waved to a seat with a plate piled high with pancakes. Next to the plate was a glass bottle filled with authentic maple syrup.
"I'll take it if that's the earliest you can get us in," Celestia said with a sigh, "okay we'll be there Monday morning."
Celestia must have seen the unasked question in my eyes because she looked at me after she put down her phone.
"I just made a doctor's appointment for you on Monday morning," Celestia said, "I wanted something earlier, but unless it's an emergency we can't get you in earlier than that."
"Why do I need to see a doctor," I asked. I had avoided going to the doctor as much as possible since I had arrived in this world. The only medical professional that I saw on a regular basis had been the school nurse. I had evaded medical appointments because I was afraid that they might learn that I wasn't human. I didn't want to end up on the autopsy table, I liked my parts where they belonged.
"It'll be okay," Celestia said. She must have seen my apprehension, "I won't allow anyone to hurt you."
"But what about the men in black suits from Area 51," I asked. Granted the only thing I knew about Area 51 was what I had read when I looked up the Roswell Incident and had stumbled upon an old episode of the X-Files.
"Not going to happen," Celestia reiterated.
"You promise," I asked.
"Yes Sunset," Celestia said, "now let's clean up breakfast and get shopping!"
I helped clean, but there wasn't much for me to do. Everything except the skillet that Celestia had cooked the pancakes and bacon in went in the dishwasher, the skillet got washed by hand.
"What kind of music do you like," Celestia asked as we got into her van.
"Um, I don't really know," I answered, "I usually listen to whatever is playing."
"Music is a language in and of itself," Celestia said, "it can convey so much emotion and tell us stories"
I was surprised when Celestia pulled into the parking lot of the Canterlot Grand Emporium. I know that she had said that we were going shopping, but I had expected to go to the Sprawl-Mart, not the mall. I had never had the funds to afford to be able to shop here.
"Don't worry about how much something costs Sunset," Celestia said as we walked in the entryway.
At the first store that we went to I tried to only buy items from the bargain rack, but Celestia stopped me saying that I needed real clothes. She made me put everything back and then she ushered me to a different part of the store. We ended up spending most of the day at the mall. Celestia must have been watching the time, because we left the mall ten minutes before CHS ended classes for the day.
Luna wasn't back from school when we arrived back at the house that the sisters shared. But I was surprised to see Raven waiting for us.
"You two look exhausted," Raven said as she helped us carry the shopping bags from the van.
"I forget how much fun shopping could be," Celestia said, "how did things go today at school?"
"Sierra squared, delta squared," Raven replied, at the time I had no idea what she had meant.
"That's good to hear," Celestia said back, "Sunset why don't you go put away the clothes we bought today and then you can start decorating your room. Raven there is a favor I need to ask you."