//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Neglected // by FreedomRiders //------------------------------// Monday was in three days. Coral had a few days off for the weekend, but he requested a day off on Friday to help Sunset Shimmer prepare. Celestia's promise had come through easily, and Crystal Prep had sent over a uniform, a set of notebooks and planners, Crystal Prep bags and much much more. It was surprising just how much they had prepped for the transfer. Now, all Sunset Shimmer needed was to get the school issued yearly bus pass directly from Crystal Prep, as well as a school identification card. "You didn't need to drive me," Sunset Shimmer said as she gazed out the window of the passing environment. Coral just shrugged. "How else will you get there?" he asked. "Besides, I'm only missing a day, and I don't have any college classes today." Sunset Shimmer could only sigh as she thought about what Fluttershy said from outside the door. Did she really mean what she said the other day? The last thing Sunset Shimmer wanted was to risk trusting her and end up getting burned. On the other hand...Fluttershy isn't a good liar. Or a liar at all. She really seemed broken up over the whole situation. Maybe she could give Fluttershy - and only Fluttershy - a chance? But not now. Not when the wounds still burned. "We're here," Coral said as he parked the car. Sunset Shimmer jolted nervously and looked around. She saw an unfamiliar building, a rather large one that seemed so castle-like. Scratch large - it was massive, the walls taking up a lavender shine, with the windows reminiscent of the ones in Canterlot Castle back in Equestria. "Yeesh, fancy place," Coral said as he tugged his jacket over his shoulders and patted down his sides, making sure everything was in place. The two of them exited the car, Coral locking it behind him as they made their way to the school building. It was fairly early, so classes were likely in session. Upon entering, they were both greeted by a large circular lobby, similar to Canterlot High's, but with massive ornate pillars between each hallway entrance. There were trophy cases and fancily decorated banners everywhere, and the entirety of the interior just screamed "rich kids go here". "Wow," Coral said. "This room is probably more expensive than a cruise ship ticket." "Never been on one, so can't really compare," Sunset Shimmer said before the sound of a throat clearing caused both their heads to turn. Before one of the hallway entrances was a rather gorgeous looking woman with hair of three different shades of purple - light purple, a dark purple violet, and rose - with what appeared to be a long gold streak. While odd, it nevertheless didn't take away from her looks. She had purple eyes and wore what appeared to be a school faculty uniform, which consisted of a faded turquoise pencil skirt, a light blue shirt, and a blue blazer with golden buttons and the emblem of Crystal Prep pinned on her left breast area. "Good morning, I'm Dean Cadence," the woman said. "How may I help you?" "H-hi, I'm Sunset Shimmer. I was told I'd be transferring here..." Sunset Shimmer said, awkwardly waving. Coral simply stayed back and watched the interaction. "Ah, I was told to expect you," Cadence said as she smiled kindly. "Please, come with me. Are you..." "I can wait here if that's fine," Coral said. "Of course. Feel free to have a look around the lobby," Cadence said as she gestured to the many trophies and achievements around the area. As Sunset Shimmer and Cadence left, Coral felt free to look around. There were an equal amount of pictures with every trophy, each picture having a sports team posed and smiling at the camera for each respective trophy. There was no doubt that this school had plenty to show off in its name, for a rich school anyway. Public competitions, school district festivals, all sorts of events, and Crystal Prep had something for everything. "Heh, I've never been much for sports," Coral muttered to himself as he eyed the achievements on paper certificates, plaques, and badges, all hung up in large ornate glass cases. After a few minutes of looking around and getting bored - no offense to the school itself - Coral decided to play some games on his phone, sitting at one of a few comfortable chairs in the lobby. - Canterlot High: Lunchtime - "She hasn't shown up for a few days. I'm a bit worried," Rarity said. "Let her. Maybe some time alone will actually do her some good," Rainbow Dash muttered sourly. The girls were all sitting at their lunch table in the busy cafeteria. The atmosphere surrounding majority of the student body in the massive room was more or less negative, arguments and cold glares everywhere, no doubt from more of Anon-A-Miss's secrets making their way to public posts. Fluttershy only frowned and toyed with her food for a bit, poking the large salad on her tray with a fork before slipping a cucumber slice into her backpack, where the sound of Angel munching on the piece of vegetable was drowned out by the sounds around them. "Hey, Fluttershy. You feelin' alright?" Applejack asked. "You've been quiet ever since lunch started." "I'm just worried...is all," Fluttershy said. "What if something bad happened?" "She's Sunset Shimmer. If anyone was stupid enough to try something with her, she'll beat the living daylights out of them," Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Not a compliment." "But...still. What if something bad happened to her and we weren't there to help?" Fluttershy whispered. "You ain't siding with Sunset, are ya?" Applejack asked, and Fluttershy couldn't help the involuntary shudder that went through her. Before she could protest or do anything else, Rarity spoke up. "Darling, Fluttershy has every right to be concerned with Sunset Shimmer! She was our friend after all, and Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness!" Rarity scolded. "Goodness, I know we're upset with that girl but it would be awfully cold of us to not give any concern at all, don't you think?" Applejack looked sheepish before looking away. "S-sorry, Flutters...Ah guess Ah have been a bit rude lately." "If you call breaking and entering into a guy's house and starting a yelling match rude, sure," Pinkie Pie droned. The other four turned to see Pinkie Pie's hair completely flat, lacking of its signature poofy nature. The others knew when to tone down the arguments, and they stopped talking about Sunset Shimmer for the rest of lunch. A few minutes before the bell rang, the girls decided to head to class, promising to meet up at Sugarcube Corner after school today. Fluttershy was about to make her way to her own class when she saw Principal Celestia walking towards her office. Deciding against her better judgement, she decided to ask her where Sunset Shimmer was. She was about to knock politely when she heard Principal Celestia's voice through the door. Who was she talking to? Was there somebody inside, or is she on the phone? "Yes. No, no. Wait, yes I understand. Thank you, I know it's not the most conventional conversation we've had but I really appreciate you taking her in your school," Celestia's voice said. "I know our schools have had difficulty in the past, but I really believe she'll fit in at Crystal Prep than in Canterlot High. I'm ashamed to admit it but...I have failed her. At this point, I'm not concerned with my public image, only her safety." "Is she talking about Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy thought to herself. "Is that why she didn't show up? She transferred out?" She felt her eyes well up in tears at the thought of Sunset Shimmer moving away because of something that wasn't her fault at all. Shakily, she made her way to her classroom, doubt and concern plaguing her thoughts. After a few minutes of walking, she took out her phone and shot everyone a group text. "Sorry girls, but I can't go to Sugarcube Corner today. I have something else I need to do at the shelter." Within seconds, she received replies telling her it was alright and that they'll pick up a drink and a snack for her. Already feeling the pain of lying to her friends, she could only pocket her phone and await the end of the day. She was going to Crystal Prep as soon as she could. - Crystal Prep Academy, several hours later - Much of the school day was taken up by Crystal Prep's official orientation, which was a multistep program designed to incorporate new students into the student body of this rich school. As expected of a prestigiously funded academy, the curriculum was very difficult and came with many more obstacles that many students were expected to overcome. The orientation was designed to do just that, and it consisted of several hours worth of questionnaires, presentations, many videos that promoted Crystal Prep's esteemed and respectable reputation, as well as several interviews and many more required things that seemed way too much for a high school. Despite that, Sunset Shimmer showed no fatigue or boredom during the orientation process whatsoever - she was an eager learner, after all. "And that concludes today's orientation," the faculty member said, folding his arms as he eyed the lone soon to be Crystal Prep student in the room. The adult seemed tired, almost as if he'd done this multiple times before. And considering the strenuous process and the large number of students in the school, he likely has. "Are there any questions you'd like to get out of the way now?" Sunset Shimmer shut her notebook and set it neatly on the pile of other notebooks. The entire time, Sunset Shimmer had been writing down as much as she could with every rule that the orientation had clearly explained to her. She didn't want to screw up her chances with this new school and end up back in Canterlot, so she wasn't about to take any risks. "Hah, I'm gonna be studying rules before I even start in this new school...what a pain," Sunset Shimmer thought amusedly to herself before clearing her throat. "Nope, I have no further questions," she said patiently. "Very well. I believe you already have your uniform and your other essentials prepped and ready at home," the faculty member said as he handed her a sheet of paper. "Here's an itinerary of the semester. Report to classes on Monday at eight in the morning, sharp." Minutes later, Sunset Shimmer was walking outside the room to head back to the lobby. Upon reaching it, she snorted upon seeing that Coral had fallen asleep, lazily draped over a chair and snoring quietly. Walking up to him, she considered kicking the chair, before deciding to be a bit nicer and just tap him on the nose. "Uhhhh...bwuh?" Coral mumbled as he woke up. "Oh, hey...what time is it..." Coral asked. "It's about time for classes to end," Sunset Shimmer said, shifting her shoulder in order to properly hoist the large schoolbag of notebooks she had. "Maybe...2:30 in the afternoon?" "Ugh...why is it such a long process..." Coral moaned as he rolled out of the chair and onto the floor, Sunset Shimmer giggling at his admittedly childish - or foalish - antics. "You didn't have to wait for me here. You could've gone somewhere else or even back to work," Sunset Shimmer remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, but nobody told me when you'd be done..." Coral grumbled as the bell rang. "Ugh, I forgot how hard it is to wake up from naps..." Students piled out of classrooms and passed through the lobby, some occasionally staring at the fiery/bacon haired girl standing over and having a conversation with a guy of similar age lying on the ground. "Yo!" Coral tilted his head while he was on the floor to see who called to them, just as Sunset Shimmer turned around. A teen around Sunset Shimmer's height wore the standard Crystal Prep uniform - a pair of Mary Jane school shoes, knee high socks with frilled ends, a pleated skirt and a blazer following the color scheme of the school. Under the blazer, she wore a white collared shirt with the collars undone, and a neat bow tie. She also had light green hair of varying shades and golden eyes - probably akin to a bright shade of amber. There was also a pair of headphones around her neck, which did seem a bit out of place compared to all the fancy students at Crystal Prep. Sunset Shimmer and Coral eyed each other as they were approached. "Who are you? Are you robbers scoping out the place?" the girl asked after reaching them. "Uhh...no. I'm Sunset Shimmer, I'm gonna be a student here," Sunset Shimmer introduced, holding out her hand for the Crystal Prep student to shake. To her surprise, the girl slapped it like a sideways high five, causing a stinging pain in her hand. Judging by her face, she didn't have any motives to hurting her, likely just used to giving painful high fives. "Sweet! I'm Lemon Zest!" the girl said, a wide grin on her face, before she turned and looked down at Coral. "And who's this creepy old man?" "I'm only like two years older than you," Coral said, still lying on the ground. "I'm Coral and my legs fell asleep." "Hi there, Coral and my legs fell asleep," Lemon Zest said, leaning over and narrowing her eyes. "What's a perv like you doin' at our school?" "One, I'm not a perv. Two, I'm her ride," Coral said before blinking. "And by that, I drive her." "Ooh, got a guy under your thumb already, eh? Respect," Lemon Zest said as Sunset Shimmer snorted. "Besides, you're peering up my skirt, ain't ya?" Lemon Zest said sardonically, redirecting her attention back to Coral. "That's creepy. You're lucky I'm wearing shorts, dude." "Then fuckin' move a few inches back. At least until my legs wake up," Coral grumbled. Lemon Zest guffawed, and Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but rolling her eyes. Not even her first day at Crystal Prep and they were already meeting some odd fellows. A few minutes later, Lemon Zest said her goodbyes and said she'd see Sunset Shimmer next week. Sunset Shimmer and Coral made their way back to their car, talking all the while. "So, wanna get lunch? I know a cool burger joint a few miles in the city," Coral asked as he opened the car door. Sunset nodded as she got into the passenger's seat, ready to close it when she saw someone, freezing mid-sit. "Huh? Who is it...oh..." Coral said. He saw a familiar pink haired girl quickly coming up to them, looking rather nervous at her relatively fast pace. "Should we go now, or-" "No, wait. I wanna talk to her," Sunset Shimmer said, thinking about what Fluttershy had told her through the door the other day. "It'll just be a second..." Coral looked at Sunset Shimmer before sighing. "Alright. But she'd better have good intentions. I'll keep the car warm." Sunset Shimmer slowly stepped out of the car and approached Fluttershy, crossing her arms as Fluttershy stopped a few feet in front of her. "What're you doing here?" she asked, making sure to keep all hostility out of her tone. The last thing she wanted was to seem like a jerk to Fluttershy of all people. Especially if she meant what she said, which was something Sunset Shimmer was still on the fence about. Fluttershy struggled to speak for a minute before she finally got the words out. "A-are you transferring to Crystal Prep?" she whispered. "How'd you hear that?" Sunset Shimmer asked. She wasn't sure if Principal Celestia would announce that kind of stuff, or answer if anyone asked. Fluttershy gulped. "I...overheard Principal Celestia talking about it...and I kind of put the pieces together. S-so, is it true? You go here now?" To Sunset Shimmer's light surprise, Fluttershy didn't seem too concerned that she was going to a rival school, but more or less to confirm Sunset Shimmer's whereabouts. "Yes," Sunset Shimmer said, raising an eyebrow as she eyed Fluttershy suspiciously. Despite what she said through the door, Sunset Shimmer no doubt still had a handful of reservations about her. "Why? Did the others put you up to this?" Fluttershy looked down. "They don't know I'm here...and I don't plan on telling them," she said. Sunset Shimmer was shocked - she didn't think Fluttershy could ever go against the girls. "Then why are you here?" she asked, curious. "...well, I just wanted to make sure you're alright," Fluttershy said. "I don't know if you heard me when I visited your house, but...I said that I don't believe you're that bully Anon-A-Miss...and I do mean it." The shy animal loving girl's voice quivered, and she wiped her eyes. "I just wanted to say...that I want to fix things, even if the other girls don't want to. But I won't blame you if you don't want to..." Sunset Shimmer was already torn from when Fluttershy talked the day before. But hearing her honesty and genuine sorrow in her voice, as well as seeing her simultaneously... "I think I'll give it a try," Sunset Shimmer said. "R-really?" Fluttershy said, her voice coming out as an unexpected squeak that was - dare Sunset Shimmer say it- super duper adorable. "Yeah," Sunset Shimmer said, smiling at Fluttershy's 'excited but trying to hide it' look. "You're too nice to have an ulterior motive. I don't think I'm ready for the others, but...I'll give you a chance. Not saying I'll forgive you right away...it did hurt a lot." "You don't need to!" Fluttershy squealed, rushing forward and hugging Sunset Shimmer at once. "Thank you thank you thank you, I promise you won't regret this, I'll make up for everything I-" She realized how loud she was being, and her face exploded in a beet red. At once, Sunset Shimmer felt her heart grow fit to burst. Anyone's heart would go completely out of control if they ever saw Fluttershy being the adorable shy girl she was being. The two exchanged goodbyes and good lucks, and went on their separate ways, Sunset Shimmer making her way back to the car where Coral was waiting. Coral was playing some music on a low volume in the car when Sunset Shimmer came back. "Uhh...what was that all about?" he asked. "Is everything alright?" Sunset Shimmer just leaned back once she buckled in her seatbelt. "Yep. I think I'll be alright." She turned to face Coral with a relieved smile on her face. "So, about that burger joint..."