Chapter 10: Between Bucking Hooves
Sunset closed yet another dusty tome with a heavy sigh. Ever since overhearing Princess Celestia and Captain Starfall Whisper, Sunset had been trying to get answers from her mentor, but the alicorn was infinitely smarter and more experienced. Sunset would not be able to trick her into giving her any answers.
So, Sunset decided to look for answers herself.
Princess Celestia and Captain Starfall had been talking about a prophecy. That alone struck Sunset as odd. Prophecies had been proven unreliable at best ever since Archmage Galaxy Twinkle caused chaos in Canterlot by misinterpreting the Twin Royals Catastrophe Prophecy seven times in a row two hundred years ago. After which she had tried to explain that maybe her calculations had been a bit off. But since then, nopony took prophecies seriously.
So then, why was Princess Celestia talking about one with such a serious tone? What did Captain Starfall know that got him such trust from the princess? And why was Sunset left out of it? Hadn’t she proved herself already? Why did she have to look for answers on her own? Why did she still have to fight her way through?
Sunset shook her head. No, of course, she still had to struggle. Her entire apprenticeship with the princess was one big test. She had to find the answers in record time if she wanted to impress Celestia.
With that mindset, Sunset got her attention back to the stack of books.
But she had been reading for hours every night for a week, and still she hadn’t found any leads. Sure, she only had a couple of words as cues, but surely Princess Celestia thought they would be enough. Sunset decided to start sorting all the known prophecies by likelihood.
Chaos Incarnate was an obscure prophecy, but one that was created during the first years of Celestia’s reign. It was said that the princess herself had written it, but such a claim was doubtful.
The return of the beast of oblivion, Tirek, was laughable. Then again, anything related to the Pillars of Equestria was ridiculous. They had been just a bunch of slightly powerful ponies with delusions of grandeur. They had even disappeared without a trace, probably when their many lies had been exposed.
Nightmare Moon’s escape. A simple foals tale. Sunset didn’t know why some Archmages had even called it a prophecy.
She groaned, feeling her eyes heavy and her vision blurry. She was exhausted. She had read almost half the tomes that had even a passing mention of a prophecy, and she still wasn’t sure what she was even looking for.
Groggily standing up, Sunset decided to go get some sleep. Fortunately, she didn’t have many important things to do for the next week. She only hoped she could find anything important before then since her term exams were going to be challenging if her latest homework was any indication.
~~~~~~~~
After her meeting with Diamond Rush and company, Sunset bid Sunflower farewell at the same bus stop they had met that day, then Sunset returned home. For some reason, Trixie remained in her room the rest of the weekend, only going out to eat and to the bathroom. She didn’t even go to watch the weekly episode of Elementians, which probably had been a good thing, since the episode hadn’t been that good.
Monday came, and Sunset thought it was an unusually cold morning. It was September, in the human calendar, which meant it was the beginning of the Autumn season. Sunset realized, as she reached the main entrance of the school, that her birthday was near, and she was going to spend it with nopony. Not her parents, not the princess. The thought made her feel worse than she was willing to admit.
She took a deep breath and pushed her chest out. No, she couldn’t be down. She had made the choice of crossing the portal, she had known she’d be here for thirty moons. There was only one thing she needed to do; she had to study and write a research paper on this world.
The wind picked up as she got to the school. Sunflower wasn’t at their usual meeting spot at the third tree from the street. This was normal on Mondays, as the girl claimed she just couldn’t get there before class. Sunset hadn’t asked why. Sunflower had proved to be a good enough student, so she supposed she could give the girl some privacy for her personal affairs.
Her eyes fell on a particular girl, standing right at the main entrance. Sunset frowned deeply as Rainbow Dash looked up at her. Her week of suspension had finished too quickly. Had it even been a week, or had her suspension only been for what was left of the past week? Sunset couldn’t bring herself to care for the details.
She pushed her anger down and kept walking forward. She wasn’t sure who had gotten the best of the other during the fight. Probably Rainbow, seeing as to how Sunset still had a hideous green-ish patch covering half her face, but the bully might not look at it that way. Sunset didn’t really want any more troubles, so she decided to pay close attention to Rainbow Dash, in case she tried anything, so she could at least try to dodge.
“Hey,” Rainbow said as Sunset got near. “I…”
But Sunset was already walking past her. Whatever Rainbow wanted to tell her, she didn’t want to hear it. If it was just insults, Sunset could simply ignore her and move on with her day. She was hot-headed, but that didn’t mean she’d fall so stupidly for some nasty words.
“Look, I just…” Rainbow insisted.
Sunset simply looked away as she entered the school. She thought of her first class for the day, math, and then about her homework. She had done all the exercises the teacher had given her in a mere five minutes. How was human education this poor when their technological advancement was so high, Sunset did not understand.
“Hey!” Rainbow said as she grabbed Sunset by the shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” Sunset howled as she shook Rainbow’s hand away, feeling every sense in her body come alight with a blazing fire. Her breathing was heavy, her heart was beating as if she had been running. She stared down at Rainbow Dash, watching the girl flinch and step back.
After a moment of silence, Sunset blinked in surprise. Where had that come from? She had had time to calm down, and yet she had exploded. A look around told her everyone was staring at her. Great, she thought bitterly. Now they would be making up even more stories about her.
She sighed and turned around, ignoring all further attempts from Rainbow to get her attention. She also pointedly ignored the whispers that rose after her passing.
This day was already up for an awful start.
Making a beeline to her locker, Sunset did her best to calm down again. She found that she couldn’t. Her limbs were still shaking, her mind clouded. How could one girl make her explode like this? Just thinking about her made Sunset’s rage boil in her stomach. This definitely wasn’t healthy.
“Hey,” Diamond Rush said as Sunset got near her locker.
Sunset groaned, already feeling tired. Diamond had been quite polite and accommodating so far, but Sunset still didn’t like the girl. The way she talked to Sunset as if she was her superior. Sunset huffed heavily.
“Are you alright?” Diamond asked.
“No,” Sunset replied as she opened her locker.
Diamond hummed. “I see you already saw Rainbow Dash.”
Sunset tensed up and accidentally smashed her locked door against the one to the side. She took a deep, deep breath. “It’s just… I just want to be left alone,” Sunset said. “I can’t believe how one stupid misunderstanding on her part escalated so quickly to this.”
“Ah, yes, Rainbow Dash has that effect on people,” Diamond said, seemingly unaffected by the outburst. “And she’s also incredibly stubborn. She won’t let it go until she absolutely feels she’s won.”
Now all of Sunset was shaking. For some reason, she wanted to start punching her locker. She tried to calm down again with deep breathing, but it wasn’t working, and it was frustrating her even more. She had never felt so angry before.
“Don’t worry, Sunset,” Diamond said with a smile. “You’re one of us. That brute won’t try to do anything to you now.”
“One of you?” Sunset repeated, looking Diamond up and down with a frown. “I’m no cheerleader. I don’t even think I can fit this activity in my schedule.”
Diamond raised an amused eyebrow. “I thought you only watched T.V. and played video games.”
“I lied.”
But the smile on Diamond’s face only grew. “I like you,” she said after a while. “But I meant that you’re our friend. So long as you stick with us, Rainbow won’t try to hurt you.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Sunset said.
“It’s still true,” Diamond replied. “We’ve all had issues with Rainbow Dash in the past. My friends and I just found… let’s say a way to make a pact of non-aggression with her. We don’t get in her way, she doesn’t get in ours.”
Sunset crossed her arms. “And isn’t giving me protection getting in her way?”
“Perhaps,” Diamond agreed. “But I really want you in the team. And I think the chance of you maybe joining us is worth the risk.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes. This girl was really insistent, but why? Sunset had not shown any physical skill above average that could have gotten Diamond’s attention, and it was still too early to get the perfect grades that would. What was her goal here? Sunset didn’t trust her.
Then again, Diamond was offering her protection against Rainbow Dash. Of course, it wasn’t like Sunset needed it; she had proved she could fight back. But her anger and her rage had been boiling, and she couldn’t trust herself not to do something so rash that she’d get sent to detention again, or worse, that would get her suspended or expelled.
She sighed defeatedly. “I still don’t want to be a cheerleader, but I guess I can watch you guys practice.”
Diamond gave her a toothy grin. “Great! See you in the cafeteria,” she said, then waved Sunset goodbye and left.
Sunset closed her locker and stared at it for a while. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt uncomfortable. Like she was playing a game she didn’t know the rules of. Shaking her head, Sunset made her way to her first class of the day.
She was overthinking it. She just didn’t like people like Diamond Rush.
~~~~~~~~
Something had changed.
As soon as Sunset entered the cafeteria, Sunflower in tow, she noticed a different sensation than the prior times. She didn’t completely realize this until she had already gotten her food and turned to face the tables.
Everyone was looking at her.
Not in the sense of her being up on a stage and them being the audience. If she looked directly at a group of students, they would be talking among themselves, but as soon as she turned away, she got the feeling that they would return their gazes to her. Sunset was used to being the center of attention, of being always looked up at and admired. But for the past week, she’d been experiencing a kind of attention she wasn’t used to, nor was sure she’d want.
Awkwardness and discomfort.
Today, that feeling was only stronger. Why? Was it because she had yelled at Rainbow Dash? Were they again gossiping lies about her? She pressed her tray tight. Kids were so incredibly gullible and stupid and-
“Hey, Sunset!” Diamond Rush called from the central table of the cafeteria. This time, Sunset saw everyone look directly at her. “Over here.”
Sunset frowned slightly as she made her way to Diamond’s table. The whispers and hushed conversations were drilling at her ears, and the closer she got to Diamond, the more uncomfortable she felt. What was this feeling? Why was she so unsure about this? She had never been intimidated by anything in her life!
So she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She was Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia’s personal protege and rightful heiress to Equestria’s throne. There was no way in Tartarus she was going to let a bunch of otherworldly kids’ stares chew away at her confidence and pride.
She placed her food tray on the table and sat down next to Diamond Rush. Sunflower, more slowly, followed her.
“Are you alright?” Diamond asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine,” Sunset said, ignoring the stares she felt at her back and the many whispers. “I’m just not…” She paused. How could she put in the right words what she was feeling?
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Diamond seemed to have picked up on something Sunset had not even considered.
“Oh, I know. You’re not used to getting all this attention,” she said with a soft chuckle. “It happens when you first join my group. Isn’t that right, Allegro?” The mentioned girl only looked at Diamond with a surprised look and half a spoon inside her mouth. “You’ll get used to it in no time, Sunset.”
Sunset looked at her food, still frowning. Diamond had misinterpreted her discomfort as a lack of familiarity with popularity. She thought of voicing the falsehood of such a claim, but she stopped herself. It wasn’t possible that that was the cause; Sunset had been one of the most popular mares in Equestria just by virtue of her royal title. Then again, she couldn’t just go about her day telling that to everyone.
So she simply closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “I guess,” she replied simply. Diamond nodded to herself and turned to the rest of the people at the table.
As minutes passed, Sunset started to calm down. The whispering behind her back had lowered significantly. She was used to others whispering about her, but she had always known they were awed and amazed by her achievements. This, however, she knew was because of a simple, stupid fight. And she didn’t like it.
She was also focused on whatever Diamond was saying. It was mostly about their next routines, about a cheerleading tournament, which Sunset found surprising it was a thing, and about other stuff Sunset couldn’t keep up with. Something about social media? What even was that? Not that it mattered, as it simply added to Sunset’s research.
She took special notice of how Diamond’s sycophants reacted. They were silent for the most part and only spoke up to agree or suggest things they knew Diamond Rush would like.
For some reason, Sunset had always thought that these rich snob kids had a very simple dynamic. A leader and the followers. But this was nothing like that. There was a sort of hierarchy going on here. Allegro, the tall gray-skinned girl seemed to be second to Diamond and followed by Garnet Polish, the girl of green skin and deep red hair. All the way to the bottom of the structure was Stutter, who mostly just kept to herself unless addressed. But even then, Diamond Rush would step on everyone else’s position and give orders indiscriminately.
It was a fascinating social dynamic, Sunset had to admit. By the end of the lunch period, she was already feeling better, despite the constant whispering around herself.
However, as she made her way to class, she noticed that the students around her seemed more… attentive? They looked at her with a sort of admiration, one that, for the first time in her life, she didn’t understand. It couldn’t be because she had fought or yelled at Rainbow Dash, since that had only gotten her unsure and suspicious stares. Then what?
As bad luck had it, she spotted Rainbow Dash leaning on the lockers on the way to class. Sunset gritted her teeth. She had parted ways with Diamond Rush and her group right at the cafeteria’s entrance, so she wasn’t sure their ‘protection’ would do anything here.
But Rainbow didn’t move nor look at her as she got closer. Had she not seen her? Sunset frowned and kept walking. Maybe if she passed fast enough, Rainbow would not be able to bother her.
“I should’ve known you’d be with Diamond Rush,” Rainbow Dash said in a strangely calm voice as Sunset passed. “Guess she was wrong after all.”
Sunset stopped and looked back, but Rainbow was already walking away.
“That was weird,” Sunflower noted. Sunset only nodded before turning to continue her way to class.
Those words had been utter nonsense, but at least Sunset now knew Diamond hadn’t been lying when she said they had achieved a pact of non-aggression with Rainbow Dash. Sunset allowed herself to smile, feeling a weight disappear from her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~
As days passed, Sunset learned to ignore the stares and the whispers, and after a while, they disappeared altogether. Sunset figured this was because Rainbow Dash had not made any further attempts to even look at her, which suited her just fine.
She did notice, however, that there was a shift in the environment. When at first there were furtive glances because she was new, then because of her wardrobe change, now there was a sense of distance. Sunset couldn’t begin to describe this sensation. She was used to ponies wanting to be around her either for admiration or for personal gain. Even here in the human world, she had been expecting to get some deference for her natural beauty and intelligence.
But instead, she was met with uncertain glances, conspicuous conversations, and increased distancing from her.
She had chalked it all up to her encounters with Rainbow Dash, but when well over a week had passed since their very last interaction and students still looked at her like she was about to do something bad to them, she began thinking that maybe there was something else.
She had asked Sunflower about it, but the girl had only shrugged and said she had no idea what Sunset was talking about. So it was with a sense of annoyance that she decided to rely on her only other source of information.
“And I can’t think of a plausible reason for this treatment,” Sunset said as she sipped on her hot cocoa. She’d have to ask Dandy the recipe.
Trixie had been listening quietly, wrapped with a thick blanket and sporadically sipping her own cocoa.
For a few weeks, Trixie had been acting more distant than usual. Sunset had thought she was in ‘her days’, as Trixie had put it a while ago, so she had deemed it appropriate to give her space. But it had been too long, and Trixie had missed not one, but two episodes of Elementians. So Sunset had surprised her that Sunday morning with some of Dandy’s hot cocoa, and had managed to coax the girl into listening.
Trixie had seemed reluctant at first, but once she had settled on the couch, she had been more than willing to comply.
“Rainbow Dash and I have not even shared glances since then, and yet it feels like the whole student body is still avoiding me like I’m about to attack them,” Sunset said. “I tried asking our classmates, but they always come up with ludicrous excuses to run away. Is it normal human behavior, or am I doing something wrong?”
As a response, Trixie took a long, loud sip of her cocoa. Sunset’s left eye twitched.
“Ok, what is going on with you?” Sunset asked. “Ever since Rainbow Dash hit me, you’ve been acting weird to me. What is it?”
Trixie seemed to get smaller as Sunset talked, as if trying to hide completely under her blanket. She groaned nervously, then closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Trixie replied, clutching her cup with both hands. “It’s just… Well… Uhm, I think they’re… scared of you?”
Sunset blinked several times. “Scared? I thought the whole rumor about me beating Rainbow Dash had been cleared up!”
Trixie slightly opened her eyes, and immediately averted Sunset’s glare. “Well… I think it’s… Y’know… Uhm… Well, not many people like Diamond…”
“Gee, what a shock,” Sunset said flatly. “I’d actually be surprised if she won any popularity contests. I seriously can’t understand why her friends put up with her.” Trixie deadpanned at her. “What? What is that look supposed to mean?”
“You’re friends with her,” Trixie said.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I am not. I hang out with her for protection.”
“Protection?” Trixie asked. “From what?”
“From Rainbow Dash!” Sunset said, stretching her arms and almost spilling her cocoa. “She and Diamond have a pact of non-aggression. As long as I’m with her, Rainbow won’t try to hit me again.”
Trixie gave her a perplexed look. “I… Really?”
“Yes,” Sunset said. “I didn’t want to believe it myself, but when Rainbow returned from her suspension, she tried to bully me at the school entrance. But as soon as I was seen with Diamond in public, she stopped trying to get to me.”
There was some silence before Trixie replied. “Really?”
“How many times will you ask that?” Sunset snapped.
Trixie flinched a little but then relaxed. “I see… Well, I suppose you wouldn’t know.” She looked at Sunset. “Diamond Rush is using you.”
Sunset huffed. “Well, duh! She wants me to join the cheerleaders. I still don’t know why, but she’s been insistently nagging me about it. I seriously don’t understand what is it with her and me being part of the team. I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to do the pirouettes they do and stuff, but I still can’t run during P.E. without making a conscious effort to have a straight back.”
Slowly, Trixie placed her cup on the coffee table. “You’re… quite oblivious, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Sunset, Diamond is using you to intimidate others.”
Sunset opened her mouth to retort, then closed it as she considered the words. “That’s stupid, Trixie. Why would she…” Her eyes widened as she made the connection.
“She’s the one that first spread those rumors about you,” Trixie explained. “Or, well, she told her friends to do it. She never does anything directly.” She cleared her throat. “She’s been using you to threaten others. I… I thought you knew…”
“But…” Sunset felt her mouth dry. “But I don’t understand. How can… It’s just a dumb rumor.”
Trixie shrugged and looked away. “People believe any stupid thing they’re told.”
Sunset hummed. “I guess… It’s just such a stupid notion that I never considered it… I knew Diamond had an ulterior motive but…” She pressed her lips together. “I’ll have to have a word with her.”
“Are… Are you sure?” Trixie asked. “If you get on her bad side…”
“Pff, what can she possibly do to me?” Sunset said. “She knows I’ll fight back.” She smiled to herself and leaned back on the couch.
Trixie looked like she wanted to say something, but instead grabbed her cocoa and sipped on it quietly. Sunset didn’t mind. She was already thinking of all the scenarios her confrontation with Diamond could take. She was not going to let some wannabe alpha play with her.
The next day, Sunset definitely noticed what Trixie had told her. The students’ glares had a faint sense of fear to them. Sunset hadn’t realized that simply because she wasn’t used to being feared. Even now, it was still such an odd feeling. She’d rather they admired her.
During class, she studied her classmates and noticed that they were giving the same treatment to Sunflower. Was it because of her relation to Sunset? The girl didn’t seem to notice, in fact, she often mentioned how good it felt to be hanging out with the popular kids. Sunset couldn’t hold it against her, really. Not everyone could be popular.
When lunchtime came, Sunset hastily made her way to the biology lab. Diamond Rush had biology before lunch on Mondays, and she always got a couple of minutes later. Apparently, Miss Flower Thorn was quite strict. Sunset reached the room and waited.
“What are we doing?” Sunflower asked happily.
Sunset hadn’t even noticed the girl following her. She’d just assumed Sunflower would simply make her way to the cafeteria.
“I have to talk to Diamond,” Sunset said.
“About what?”
But before Sunset could reply, the lab door opened and students started flooding the hallway. A few moments later, Diamond Rush emerged from behind the crowd, looking her usual smug self. Diamond looked at Sunset and gave her a confused frown.
“Sunset?” Diamond said. “What are you doing here?”
“It has come to my attention that you’ve been using me to threaten others,” Sunset said simply.
“What?” Sunflower said in a loud whisper.
Stutter, who was right behind Diamond, looked at her with a perplexed expression. The girl looked that way and the other, as if making sure no one would listen in. Diamond, however, did not have such reservations.
“Oh, Sunset, don’t be silly,” Diamond said with a small smile. “Threaten is such a strong word. I’m just using you as… insurance.”
Sunset frowned. “I don’t appreciate being used in any way. Stop.”
Diamond leaned on the locker to her right, placing a hand on her cheek. “And why should I stop?” She asked, still wearing a small, placid smile. “It’s been working wonders, you know? That geek Hourglass had been getting quite lazy with my math homework lately. I just needed to mention your name to make him work properly again.”
“That’s another thing,” Sunset said. “Stop spreading rumors about me.”
“Again, why should I?”
Sunset’s frowned deepened. “Fine, don’t. I’ll simply stop hanging out with you. My association with you is the only thing you have in your favor.”
Diamond snorted. “No, I don’t think you will leave my group.”
“Oh, yeah? And what makes you so sure?”
This time, Diamond gave a hearty laugh. “Oh, you’re serious. For someone as smart, you sure are stupid.” She reached inside her purse and took out her circular mirror. “You won’t leave me, simply because you will be exposing yourself to Rainbow Dash.”
Sunset felt her stomach fall. She had forgotten about that. But she didn’t let it show on her face, she would not give this brat the satisfaction. “I can deal with her.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can,” Diamond said, looking at herself in her mirror. “But you joined me for a reason. A powerful one. If you leave, you will only return to fighting with Rainbow Dash until she beats you up so badly you end up in the hospital. Unless you two get expelled first, but by then I’m sure you will be regretting it.”
“That won’t happen,” Sunset said, but even she heard the hesitation in her own voice. Her few interactions with Rainbow Dash had told her that the girl was incredibly impulsive, and that she, too, made rash and stupid decisions when angry.
Diamond’s smile only grew as she returned the mirror to her purse. “You and I both know it will happen.” She leaned over, getting closer to Sunset. “A girl who fights back, hm? It may have worked differently in whichever hicksville town you’re from, but here that’ll only be worse for you. Think about it, Sunset. Do you really want to risk leaving my protection?”
Sunset gritted her teeth.
“No, you don’t,” Diamond continued. Then, her smile disappeared. “So, now that the cat’s out of the bag, there’s no point in pretending, hm? You will join me for lunch, you will hang out with me, and if I say so, you will intimidate who I tell you to. Otherwise, I’ll hand you over to Rainbow Dash, maybe even convince her you’ve been trying to pick on her dear Flittershy.” She chuckled. “With how hot-headed she is, she’ll kill you before you even get to open your mouth.”
Diamond’s grin made Sunset’s body shake. Frustration and anger and humiliation. She had hated the girl not two minutes after meeting her, but she had dismissed it. How she regretted having listened to whatever she had to say. But the thing that infuriated her more was that she had only put aside her well-founded prejudices in favor of her research.
For the first time in her life, scientific studies had failed her.
Despite her attempts of remaining neutral, she had ended up between bucking hooves. She hated Diamond Rush and everything she stood for, she wanted to ditch her. But she wouldn’t. It was with a clouding mind that she realized she was scared of the alternative. Yes, she could defend herself and she could fight back, but the phantom pain she still felt in her face and arms haunted her.
The mere memory of Rainbow Dash’s raging stare still made the hairs of her neck stand up.
“See you at the cafeteria,” Diamond said and walked away.
Sunflower placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, but she barely registered the contact. For the first time in her life, Sunset had been beaten in a battle of wits. She had been led into a trap and had gleefully triggered it.
She closed her eyes and took a sharp breath.
Magicless and with no title to back her up, Sunset now knew what it was like to be an average person. She had thought it would feel like being a spy, always having the upper hoof in every situation, always knowing what to do. But it wasn’t anything like this.
And that made her smile.
She could be an average human girl now, but she still was Sunset Shimmer, proud protegé of Princess Celestia and the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. If she had no magic nor title, then she’d have to use the only thing she had had her whole life. Her intelligence.
It was going to be hard, but that was what made challenges fun. Sunset straightened up and walked towards the cafeteria with Sunflower in tow. She had been defeated, but she would have her revenge. This was going to be hard, acting like a mere lackey as she formulated a plan to take Diamond Rush down, but Sunset was no stranger to struggle.
She’d win in the end, and Diamond would regret the moment she decided to cross Sunset Shimmer.