The Soul's Savior

by Dusty Old Qrow


Chapter 7: Bulletproof Heart

Sunset Shimmer once again found herself in the passenger seat of Rainbow Dash’s car, in the parking lot of Canterlot High School. She sat with her backpack between her feet and her head hung low. Distantly, she heard the slamming of other car doors as other students arrived. If she listened closely, she could hear their chatter as they walked by. She was thankful that she had yet to hear her name.

Going to school had never been fun, but this was on a whole other level.

“Well?” Rainbow Dash spoke up, one hand on the door handle. “Are you ready?” Sunset took in a deep breath and raised her head. She took a look around, and through the windows she watched as the students walked up to the school. Just a few days ago, she had them all wrapped around her finger, too scared of her to ever rise against her. Now, it seemed the roles were reversed.

Sunset was silent. Her heart hammered steadily in her chest. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the faces of every person who walked by. She knew all of them. All of them were people she bullied, and harassed, and threatened, all in the vain pursuit of power. Her mind raced with all the names and faces and all the ways she had hurt them.

How can I ever hope to make up for that? For all of it? she asked herself. Is there even a way to do it?

Rainbow Dash looked at the girl next to her and studied her closely. The Sunset Shimmer she had known would never have been caught dead looking like this - scared shitless by the thought of facing her peers. The old Sunset would have charged out there and demanded everyone’s obedience. The old Sunset never would have had this look of apprehension on her face, she would have that evil, wicked grin as she reveled in her position. This Sunset was so unlike the one she knew. If Rainbow Dash hadn’t known any better, she would have said this Sunset was a different person entirely.

“Listen,” Rainbow Dash said. “If you don’t feel like going to school today, I don’t think anyone would blame you.” Rainbow watched Sunset’s face as she processed her words. She saw Sunset’s face morph from apprehension to consideration. It stayed like that for a few seconds as Sunset’s eyes darted from student to student before finally landing on a different emotion.

Sunset shook her head. “No,” she stated. “I need to do this. I want to do this. I need to start making up for my mistakes. I can’t do that if I run away. I ran away from my home because I couldn’t get what I wanted, and look what that led to.” Sunset waved a hand to herself. “I can’t do that again. Ignoring this won’t make anything better.”

Rainbow Dash hummed in agreement. “You sure? I don’t think I need to remind you that everyone in there pretty much hates you.” Sunset shot her a glare, causing Rainbow to put up her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. If you’re sure you wanna do this, then I’m with you. Let’s show ‘em who’s boss, yeah?”

Sunset allowed herself to smirk. “I thought the whole point of this is that I’m not the boss anymore?”

“Fair enough,” Rainbow said as she opened her door and moved to get out. “Let’s go.”

Rainbow Dash stood and pushed her door shut behind her. Sunset sat alone in the car for a few seconds, breathing steadily through her nose. Her heart slowly calming, she took one last glance out of her window - the parking lot was nearly devoid of students now, almost all of them gathering by the front doors. Her face full of determination, Sunset opened her door and stood.

I can do this.


I can’t do this.

Sunset had hardly entered the school before she felt eyes on her. The bang of the shutting doors felt a hundred times louder in her ears as she looked around and saw them looking at her. She was frozen in place. Her feet refused to move, and her heart was slamming wildly in her chest.

Pairs of eyes glared at her from all directions. She could see them, could name most of them, and as their names rushed through her head, so did every horrible thing she did to them. Sunset jumped when she suddenly felt something on her arm. She looked to her side to see Rainbow Dash, who had firmly grasped Sunset’s upper arm.

“Come on,” Rainbow Dash said under her breath. Sunset could barely hear her through the sound of the blood in her ears. “Don’t let ‘em get to you. Let’s get somewhere else.” Sunset nodded as Rainbow began to pull her along. CHS’ main hallway was crowded, and the other students seemed less than willing to part for the two girls, so they instead pushed their way through.

Sunset numbly allowed herself to be dragged through the crowd. You can do this, Sunset repeated to herself. It’s the first day. Emotions are running high. Just endure it for now.

Sunset suddenly found herself stumbling. Something had crashed into her side and now she was tumbling over herself, desperately trying to regain her balance. Rainbow Dash came to a stop and helped her find her footing. “The hell? You okay?” Rainbow Dash asked. Sunset nodded, and the two girls took a glance at the crowd of students that surrounded them.

With Rainbow Dash’s arms wrapped around her, Sunset looked around and spotted two boys walking in the opposite direction, silently giggling to themselves. Rainbow Dash must have seen them too, as she let go of Sunset and stomped through the crowd, making her way to them.

Sunset reached forward. Her hand clasped around Rainbow Dash’s wrist, stopping her in place. “Rainbow Dash, just let them go,” Sunset said. “It’s not worth it.”

Rainbow scoffed. “I can’t just let them get away with that!”

Sunset shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t deserve it. Just let them go.”

Rainbow looked between her and the crowd. The boys who pushed Sunset were nowhere to be seen. Slowly, Rainbow let her shoulders fall and she turned back to Sunset. “Fine. But if I see anything like that again, I’ll shut ‘em down.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s not about what I have to or about what you deserve,” Rainbow snapped, her eyes narrowed. “It’s about common decency. Just because you were horrible to them doesn’t mean they get to be horrible to you.”

“It’s fine-”

“No, it’s not,” Rainbow Dash said firmly. “You did some bad stuff, yeah. But that doesn’t excuse people who want to hurt you.”

Sunset was silent, thinking over Rainbow’s words. She wasn’t sure if this was what she deserved or not - for the bully to become the bullied - but a part of her thought so. After so long hurting people maybe she did deserve to be hurt for a change, but another part of her agreed with Rainbow Dash. An eye for an eye makes the world blind, after all.

She stammered out a series of false starts and stutters before finally saying a single word. “Okay,” Sunset choked out. She and Rainbow Dash stared at each other for a few seconds before the bell rang. All around them, students began making their way into classrooms. The shuffling of feet mixed in with the chatter became deafening.

Rainbow Dash put a hand on Sunset’s back. “Come on,” she said, just loud enough to be heard. “Let’s get to class.”


“... And then I left. I could tell they were uncomfortable having me there,” Time Turner spoke into his phone. He sat behind his desk in his classroom. The lights were off but enough sunlight shone through the windows to illuminate the room. “I wanted to ask them a few questions, but I doubt they would have answered.”

Honestly, Time, you do need to work on your social skills,” Luna said from the other end of the line. “Of course a couple of high school students are going to be weirded out when they run into their teacher in the middle of nowhere.

Turner groaned and leaned back in his chair. He hadn’t intended to come off that way at all. “I know, I know. I probably could have just left them alone. But I couldn’t help but think something was amiss. What were they doing there? It’s as you said, it’s the middle of nowhere.”

He could practically hear the deadpan expression on Luna’s face in her voice. “Well, why were you there? Yes, yes, you wanted to be alone. Maybe they needed some alone time too. It wouldn’t surprise me, that group of girls has had quite the last few days. Or they were telling the truth and just wanted to explore. You shouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill, Time.

“I realize that, I do. But what if?” Turner asked. “What if I’m right and they were there for some other reason?”

Okay. Let’s say you’re right. What does it matter?

Time Turner shut his mouth and hummed. “Not much. But still, Luna, I can’t shake this feeling. Maybe I’m being too paranoid, but Sunset Shimmer is in a very delicate place right now. The moment she steps onto school grounds she’s going to be a target, and she knows that. She’s known all weekend where she stands in the eyes of her peers. There’s no way that doesn’t wear on someone.”

The phone went silent for a few seconds before Luna spoke again. “You’re really relating to her, aren’t you?

“I just…” Turner’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but more words wouldn’t come. He supposed that in some way, he did relate to Sunset Shimmer. He knew what it was like to feel lost, to feel overwhelmed with the burden of his mistakes. Turner knew what it was like to think that redemption could never come. That he’d get no opportunity to right his wrongs.

“I see myself in her situation,” Turner managed. “They’re obviously quite different, but when you break it down… really, we’re both just two people who made mistakes. And we both want to work towards fixing them. I suppose that I just want to make sure she gets the same chance to mend things as I am now.”

Luna made a surprised sound. “So you’ve talked to Berry, then?

With a sigh, Turner leaned forward and rested an elbow on his desk, propping his head against his hand. “I sent her a text last night. I was too afraid to ask her in person or on the phone. I never know how she’ll react towards me.”

How’d that conversation go?

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a conversation,” Turner laughed dryly. “I explained my feelings. That I wished to tell Derpy and Dinky the truth. That I want to be a part of their lives, if they’ll have me. That I would absolutely not do it if she forbade me. I tried not to be too pushy. She didn’t say much, but she asked me to meet her after school today.”

That’s fantastic news, Time. I’m so glad you’re finally doing this. Honestly, when Celestia and I were talking about it, we really didn’t know if you’d go for it.

“I wasn’t sure either,” Turner admitted. He ran his hand through his hair as he continued. “I am glad I did, though. I’ll admit that I was…”

“Scared?” She said in a teasing tone.

Hesitant,” Turner insisted. “Derpy’s eighteen now. Dinky is sixteen. They’ve already grown up and they’ve had Berry to love them. I don’t have the right to just waltz in and try to mess with that, you know?”

You and I both know that’s not what you’re trying to do. Berry knows that, too.

“I know,” Turner said heavily. “But I still worry. What if I mess this up? What if I mess them up? Hell, what if I don’t mess up? What if it goes smoothly and… and then what? What do I do then?”

I’ve lived like this for so long, Turner thought, that I don’t know how I’ll do anything else.

Time! Breathe!” Luna exclaimed. “I assure you, everything will be fine. Remain calm, keep your head. Everything will turn out okay, I promise you.

Time Turner took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He felt his heart start to beat faster and his arms started to shake. His chest rose as he took another slow breath. “I’m sorry. I just…”

It’s fine, Time. It’s understandable to be worried. Just try to stay calm. Be positive. Everything will work out, I promise.

Turner opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the ringing of the bell. School was in session. “Ah. I’m afraid I’ll have to go now, Luna. Thank you for talking with me.”

It’s no problem at all. I’ll talk to you later. Goodbye, Time.

“Goodbye, Luna.”

Turner hung up and put his phone down. He could hear the hustling and bustling of students in the hallway making their way to their classes. The roar of their conversations easily pierced through the walls of his classroom. They were louder than Turner had ever heard them. A smile forced its way onto his face. In some twisted way, we do have Sunset Shimmer to thank for this, he thought to himself. I wonder if they will see it that way.

Turner stood and walked to the door, pushing it open with his foot. He stood in the doorway and watched the wave of students flow through the hallway, his eyes roaming over each student. They were mingled in ways that he hadn’t seen in years. Teens of all different cliques chatting and laughing together. The smile grew wider on his face as the first of his students entered his class.