Silence engulfed the room, as its lone inhabitant stared at the ceiling above, silently replaying the events of earlier in her head. She still couldn’t believe it, honestly. How had she never put it together? Was she too busy during matches to make the connection?
‘Well, it’s not like I really thought about Priz when we weren’t playing Street Fighter,’ she reminded herself. But saying that only made her feel worse. Priz had been the closest thing she had to a friend before the incident, and now that bridge was probably little more than a pile of ash.
‘But still, Rainbow Dash sounded pretty excited when she’d found out…’
No, she couldn’t let herself think like that. It was fake excitement, and Sunset knew it.
It had been nearly 3 hours since the incident, and it had left her completely drained. Nothing caught her attention, not her video games, not the internet, not her books. She’d just sat there, letting her mind drift back to everything she’d done.
And every single instance of herself being mean to Rainbow Dash and company specifically.
Looking back on it, she had been right to fear them. They had the Elements of Harmony, they embodied some of the most powerful forces in Equestria. Yet she genuinely thought she could win? Demon powers or no, she was just one mare.
One mare who was clearly never meant for that kind of power…
“I’m such a fuck up,” Sunset said to no one in particular. “I can’t believe I ever thought I was good enough for…”
No amount of willpower could let her finish that sentence, and no amount of sadness let her shed even a single tear. She wanted nothing more than to admit to it and bawl her eyes out, but just like earlier, it seemed that this strange high she was under was trying its damnedest to keep her calm. It was almost ironic, wanting to be an emotional wreck, but that was how she felt right now.
Her frustrations, however, would continue to grow, as a knock on her door could be heard.
“Come in,” she uttered weakly.
Slowly, the door creaked open, and the despondent girl saw her ‘aunt’ Luna there. She seemed to have a smile on her face, but for what, Sunset had no clue.
“Glad to see you’re resting,” Luna told her. “I cannot imagine how much that blast must have hurt.”
Sunset sighed. ‘Hurt’ wasn’t the proper word, but then again, she didn’t know what the proper word even was. Still though, the concern shown was kind of nice. No one knew how doting Luna could be outside of work, but right now, it was appreciated. Honestly, the former unicorn was beginning to feel like she’d taken it for granted.
“I do have some news though, Sunset. News that I think will brighten your day.”
“What? Did you get me some chocolate or something?” Sunset asked, making a half-hearted attempt at a joke.
Luna shook her head, but her smile was still strong. “There’s someone here who’d like to see you. I believe you know her better as ‘Priz’?”
That all-too-familiar chill ran up Sunset’s spine, as she jolted upright and looked to Luna like she’d grown a second head. Rainbow Dash was here? That just didn’t add up in the poor girl’s mind. But sure enough, her vice-principal moved out of the way, and there, waiting in the doorway, was the school’s resident athlete and new hero.
‘How fitting, I suppose. The hero came to confront the villain…’
“I’ll leave you two alone, I have to go help Tia with dinner,” Luna announced. “Are you fine with vegetarian, Rainbow Dash?”
“That’s cool with me,” the teen answered.
“Wait, you’re staying for dinner!?” Sunset sputtered. "Y-you can't just spring that on Celestia like that."
"Actually, she was the one who suggested it first."
Stunned silence was Sunset's only answer, mostly because she knew that was exactly the kind of thing Celestia would pull.
Luna grinned and closed the door behind her. While she had no idea how well this would go, she had confidence in Rainbow Dash. The girl seemed determined enough to reach Sunset, and she clearly wouldn’t stop until she’d made her point.
She’d just have to hope Sunset actually listened.
The tension in the air was palpable, as Sunset looked to Rainbow Dash with a mix of confusion and sadness.
The rainbow-headed teen was the first one to try and break this tension.
“So,” she said, placing her hands in her pockets. “You feelin’ okay?”
Sunset looked away. “Am I feeling okay? Are you kidding me right now?”
Rainbow winced, but otherwise was unfaltering. She grabbed the chair by Sunset’s desk, turned it around and sat down.
“You’re right, that was a stupid question,” said Rainbow. “I got a better one: Are you happy to see me?”
The redhead didn’t even have to think about that one. “I’m more confused than anything. Why are you here?”
“Are you serious? Girl, you dc’d and went offline when you found out it was me. Of course, I was gonna be worried. I spent the last two hours or so trying to find you.”
“You ever consider I didn’t want to be found?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Y'know, Bon-Bon said the same thing right before I gave her the third degree.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. “You did WHAT!?”
The athlete raised her hands placatingly. “No no, it wasn’t that bad! I just… well, we got into an argument. Honestly, I say ‘third degree’, but… I’m actually surprised at myself. It was like, no matter how angry I was, I couldn’t bring myself to yell at her. Like something in me was keeping me calm.”
That part right there got Sunset’s attention. So, it wasn’t just her, then. The Element bearers were feeling it too. Part of her supposed that made sense, as it seemed to be the through-line for it all. They’d all represented an Element, and despite being in a different state of mind, she’d heard them clearly. A hypothesis began to form in her head, and before she knew it, she’d voiced it aloud.
“I think that was the Elements’ residual magic in you,” Sunset explained, a small well of frustration building within her. “You’re still feeling the high from last night, from when you used the Element of Loyalty. And I'm still feeling the aftereffects of taking that directly to the face.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked, looking to her hands. “So, like, the Element is still with me?”
Sunset nodded, still not willing to meet the girl’s gaze. “Don’t worry. I’m sure the high will wear off, and it’ll all go back to normal. I’ll go back to being that scheming bitch, and you can go back to hating me, just like everyone else…”
Silence reigned supreme, as Sunset continued to find more interest in her bedsheets. Had she found the strength to look at Rainbow Dash, she might have been surprised at what she saw.
“Sunset…” she asked, looking a bit hurt. “I don’t think you want to go back to being that girl. Am I right about that?”
“Maybe… but it’s not like I have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice,” Rainbow told her reassuringly. “And you’re not alone. You’ve got friends to hel-”
“But we’re not friends!” protested Sunset, a twinge of sadness in her voice.
Rainbow Dash dared not say anything, seeing Sunset shrink into herself, avoiding her gaze as if her life depended on it. The despondent look she wore said it all, though. Patiently, she waited for Sunset to elaborate, and eventually, the redhead found the strength to speak again.
“… You’re only doing this because Twilight told you to. I don’t know anything about friendship, but even I know that’s not a friend. That’s a glorified parole officer, at best.”
And there it was, exactly what Rainbow Dash had been worried about.
Part of her had already assumed that Sunset was privy to their conversation with Princess Twilight last night. It was the other big reason she was up as long as she was, as she agonized over the possibility of the former unicorn dismissing them. It seemed distinctly believable that Sunset would view this as her being a charity case for them, and that scared Rainbow even more than the possibility of being burned alive.
Even now, she wasn’t sure of the words to convince her would-be friend otherwise. But she was going to try.
“Sunset, look at me. Please…”
The girl didn’t initially, but even after half a minute, Rainbow Dash did not give up. Eventually, Sunset’s resolve was weakened, and she did what was asked of her. Finally, they were able to look each other in the eyes.
Teal met magenta, and sadness met determination.
“Even if the high wears off,” Rainbow started, voice dripping with resolve. “I won’t abandon you. Even if Twilight hadn’t directly asked me to, I would have been here.”
“How can you know that, though?” she questioned. “How can you be so assured it’s really you? What if it’s the Element’s doing, and has nothing to do with what you want?”
Without even an ounce of hesitation, Rainbow Dash shook her head, crossing her arms as if in defiance of the very notion. Sunset always did ask the hard questions, and no amount of guilt took away her ability to shake others.
But CHS’ star athlete would not be shaken today.
“I’m doing this because I want to do this. I might not know nothin’ about magic, but I know what I’m about. And if the Element is making that stronger right now, well… Loyalty picked me for a reason, right?”
Reaching out once more in a desperate attempt to get through to her, Rainbow Dash put her hand on Sunset’s shoulder, and offered her a comforting smile. Already, she could see the pain in the girl’s eyes, and somewhere within, that made her heart hurt too.
“Sunset, I get why it looks fake to you,” Rainbow said. “Believe me, I was up all night thinking on this. But this is what I really feel. I’m here for you, and I know the others feel the same.”
“… But it doesn’t make any sense.” Sunset choked out, feeling her emotions well up to a point where even the high couldn’t fully tame them. “After everything I’ve done to you - to everyone - you want to try and help me? What could possibly make you think I’m worth that effort!?”
“… Well, I can’t speak for the others on that front. But do you wanna hear my reason?”
Sunset said nothing, only offering a simple nod. Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath, feeling that same intense warmth from her chat with Bon-Bon. Only this time, it was not burning, but rather enveloping her.
The words came to her, as she exhaled, all of her worry washing away.
“Sunset… I saw friendship perform miracles,” Rainbow Dash said, merely saying it out loud making the warmth feel even stronger. “It fixed what was broken faster than I thought was possible. It let us win against impossible odds. It protected us from death, let us sprout wings and fly, let us use powerful magic. And it turned you back from that demon you became to the human sitting in front of me. I watched it do all of that with my own two eyes…”
The athlete leaned in, placing her hand on Sunset’s knee. The other girl looked to her in shock, and Rainbow Dash offered the warmest smile she could muster.
“And I’m supposed to believe it can do all that, but it can’t help one girl who’s in a bad way find a better one?”
To say that Sunset Shimmer was dumbfounded would have been an understatement. Yet, even so, some part of her could feel the conviction in the other girl’s words, and part of her could genuinely believe them. From within, a warmth of her own started building up, and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes.
And then, Rainbow continued.
“And if all it takes to start you on that better way is to give you a chance,” she explained. “To extend the hand of friendship, then I say ‘Hell yeah! Sign me up!’ And no amount of Loyalty magic, or lack of it, is gonna change that! I want to give you that chance to be better. I want to try to be your friend. All I need is for you to let me in.”
The floodgates broke, and before Sunset knew it, she was crying again, for the first time since last night. She practically threw herself into Rainbow Dash, hugging her like she’d never hugged anyone before. And to her surprise, it felt good, especially as she reciprocated the gesture.
She had no idea how long they sat there for. But it was long enough. Long enough for the warmth to completely overtake them, and long enough for Sunset to truly believe.
“Th-thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset whispered. “I-I just… thank you so much.”
Rainbow smiled. “What else are friends for?”
The former bully allowed herself a small smile, wiping away a stray tear. “I'm certain I haven’t completely changed, and I know once this wears off, I’m going to start feeling those old feelings, but I promise I won’t squander this. I… I really do want to be a better person, I just… I’m worried I can’t change fast enough.”
“Maybe you can’t, but I think I’ve made it clear where I stand. Besides, it’s… actually strangely comforting to know you haven’t done a complete one-eighty. That lets me know it’s really you wanting to do this, y’know?”
Honestly, Sunset wasn’t sure what to say to that. It sounded insane at first, but the more she ruminated on it, the more it made sense. This was magic even she barely understood. She could only imagine how much it worried them to not know its capabilities.
Still though, she was glad her new friend was understanding.
‘Friend…’ she mused, remembering the conversation with Twilight the night before. ‘Twilight said I can seek out the Magic of Friendship, or I can be alone. I wonder if she’d be proud of Rainbow Dash here. She’s helping me take the first step, after all. And if the others really feel the same…’
Then, suddenly a thought occurred to Sunset. Rainbow Dash had said that the other girls all felt the same. That dulled the warmth slightly, replaced instead by a twinge of fear.
But… maybe there was a solution?
“Hey Rainbow Dash?”
“You know can just call me ‘Rainbow’ if you’d like, right?” the other girl interrupted. “Or ‘Dash’, or even RD. All my friends can.”
“Right, sorry,” Sunset continued, rubbing her arm in mild embarrassment. “Anyway, Dash. Friends… share things with each other, right?”
“Yeah, they do?” she answered, giving Sunset a concerned look. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, kind of. Can I, um… confide in you?”
“Have at it.”
The fact that her new friend didn’t hesitate at all on her answer was huge for Sunset. With slightly bolstered confidence, the girl got back on her bed, and looked Rainbow dead in the eyes.
“Okay, so here’s the thing,” she said, trying not to stutter. “I really do want to try, but… I’m kind of scared to face all of you at once. L-like it’s nothing against you guys, it’s jus-”
“Too many bad memories?”
Sunset nodded, feeling a slight bit of shame, but also some relief at being able to get it out in the open like that. When she looked back up, Dash was on her phone, and gestured for Sunset to come over and look at it. Hesitantly, she walked over, and on the screen she saw the following:
RD: Good news I found Sunset!
RD: And she wants to try being friends with us!
At first, Sunset thought nothing of it. Then the messages started coming in.
AJ: That’s wonderful, Sugarcube! I can’t wait to see her!
R: I concur, that’s fantastic!
F: I’m really glad she’s okay. I was starting to worry.
PP: That’s great! I can’t wait to throw her a big ‘We Forgive You and We’re Glad You’re Our Friend Now’ party!
Rainbow Dash said nothing throughout this whole ordeal, giving Sunset time to digest the incoming messages. They really did seem happy about it. Like obviously with a text, it could just be fake happiness, but considering how well it was going with Dash, part of her was inclined to believe.
What Dash texted next, however, solidified it.
RD: There is something else tho
RD: She’s nervous about meeting us all at once
RD: She was hoping we could do one-on-one sessions before we hang out as a group
The words ‘several people are typing’ popped up, and not long after, a flurry of messages hit her in quick succession.
PP: Okie dokie lokie! Just gimme a call when she wants to see me!
R: I’ve no issue with that. The last thing I want is to overwhelm her, darling.
AJ: Whenever she’s feeling ready to see me, I’m up for it. Rain or shine.
F: I understand completely. Please tell Sunset that she can take as long as she needs. I won’t rush her.
“… Wow.”
Dash grinned, the sheer shock in that one syllable almost being amusing. Again, she knew Sunset was new to this whole thing, so she wasn’t going to hold it against her, but it was clear they had a lot of work to do.
Which gave her an idea.
“And, since I’m already here,” she told the redhead with an implying tone. “You wouldn’t happen to have a second PS3 controller, would you?”
“I do actually,” Sunset answered, pulling them out. “Sometimes Luna and I play together. Why?”
“Well, you up for some more Street Fighter?”
“... Oh? O-oh, sure! But um… I should warn you, I’m not really sure who I’ll be picking.”
“I take it you were trying to avoid your mains earlier?”
Sunset nodded, looking down to the floor. “Yeah. I don’t know, I’m just not feeling Adon or Master Bison anymore. I see too much of myself in them…”
Suddenly, Dash put her arm around Sunset, giving her a reassuring smile. “Well then, we’ll just find you a new main! We’ll see who catches the new Sunset’s eye!”
“The new Sunset, huh?” she mused, turning on the console with a small smile. “Yeah… let’s do it.”