//------------------------------// // Bad Girl Turned Artist // Story: Canterlot High Casanova // by Wildcard25 //------------------------------// Inside Canterlot High's art classroom, Sunset Shimmer, Spike, and other students taking the course were busy painting away on their blank canvas'. Some were trying to figure out what to paint, while others knew exactly what they wanted to draw. Some were painting like pros and some were just going with the flow hoping for the best. Sunset was painting away as if she had it all planned out before the assignment was even made. On her canvas was a beautifully painted array of sunflowers. Spike who was sitting next to Sunset glanced over and looked amazed and what she had made. “Sunset, that's beautiful.” he gasped. “Thank you, Spike.” Sunset smiled. “How did you know what you wanted to paint?” “Well, sometimes I just paint a subject that I think is awesome. Something that makes me really happy.” “Like sunflowers?” Spike asked. Sunset giggled, “Yeah. So what've you got?” “Well, it's nothing compared to yours, but I went with my gut.” Spike answered, as he turned his easel so Sunset could see. On Spike's canvas looked like an anthro dragon wearing sneakers, black shorts, a black opened vest, sunglasses, and a cap worn backwards. It wasn't perfect that it could be put on display in an art museum, but it was still an impressive piece for a high school student. “Wow.” Sunset marveled. “I call it MC Drago.” Spike said. “Catchy. A hip hop dragon?” Sunset raised her brows curiously. “Yeah, two of my favorite things.” “So why a dragon?” Sunset asked. “Well, why not? In some cultures dragons are symbols of wisdom and strength.” the boy explained. “Huh? And I always thought they were just fire breathing lizards who hoard treasure, terrorize towns, and keep princesses captive.” Sunset chuckled. Spike playfully rolled his eyes, “Yeah by medieval times and viking times standards. But there's so much more to them than some legends and stories let on.” “You're so insightful, Spike.” Sunset smiled. “Thanks, and you're very artistic.” Spike added smiling back. Sunset's smile soon turned downward and sighed, “Well, if you knew what I was like back then artistic wouldn't be the first thing you'd say about me.” Spike looked confused, “What do you mean?” “I wasn't always like this, Spike,” she confessed, “Not nice. Not a friend. I was a real bad girl, and I'm not talking a rebel. I mean a bad person.” “Why is that?” he wondered. “Before I met Pinkie, Fluttershy, and the others I was a bad girl,” Sunset explained, “I ran with a bad crowd, did things behind my parents backs, lied, cheated, and so much more. At first I loved it, being bad, and breaking the rules, but when my 'friends' were ready to do something that really crossed the line it was too much for me to go through with, so I backed out. And my 'friends' didn't take kindly to it, and tried to make me pay for backing out.” “Whoa.” Spike gasped. “But luckily, five angels came to my defense,” Sunset smiled, while thinking of Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, “It's because of them I was saved and those I thought were my friends were arrested. That moment opened my eyes to a lot of things. That I shouldn't be doing bad things, and that I should be better for myself and for others. Since then I did do better. I started acting nicer to my parents instead of being stand offish. I treated others with kindness. I helped out the community one way after another. Doing good things for others really made me feel happy, and I didn't wanna go back to the way things were before. I'm the way I am today thanks to my friends. And because of them, I was able to help another friend come out of her own shell.” she said thinking about Twilight. Spike started to tear up as Sunset finished, “That's a beautiful story. I had no idea you went through so much.” “Yeah, well, it's a part of my past I don't really enjoy bringing up.” she replied. “I understand. It's never easy talking about a part of your past you're not proud of.” Spike admitted. “Do you have something like that?” Sunset asked. “A bit. When I was a kid, I was a real wimpy crybaby. That's why a lot of kids picked on me and mocked me. I was really impressionable back then.” “I'm sorry to hear that. So how'd you get over it?” the girl wondered. “My dad talked to me, and taught me a thing about being brave. You might even say he told me to 'find my inner dragon'.” “Inner dragon, huh?” Sunset asked while crossing her arms. Spike nodded, “Since then I was no longer a crybaby. I changed for the best of myself, and here I am now.” Sunset smiled, “Looks like the both of us had some growing up to do back then, huh?” “We sure did.” Spike agreed. “I'm really glad we had this chance to talk, Spike. I feel like I got to know more.” “I feel the same way.” Spike agreed, as the two embraced even if they got a bit of paint on themselves. As school let out, everyone was going to their lockers to get their stuff. When Spike stopped at his locker, Sunset spoke, “Well, I got to go. See you tomorrow, Spike.” “Later, Sunset.” he replied, as he started putting stuff into his locker and taking stuff out to bring home. “Oh, and Spike?” “Yeah?” Spike turned around and suddenly found himself getting kissed on the cheek by Sunset making him blush. Sunset smiled, “You're a great friend.” she walked along, as Spike watched her before feeling his cheek and smiled. Sunset returned home, and got straight to her homework. After she had a snack she thought about Spike and the talk they shared today. She knew more about him now than she did when she and the girls first met him, and it made her happy knowing it. The more she thought of Spike the more inspiration started building up inside her, until finally she decided she needed to do something. (Landslide Fleetwood Mac) Sunset went back up to her room and sat up her easel with some tarp underneath it and put a blank canvas on it. She got her paints ready and started painting away. As she painted she made sure to get everything right down to the last detail, while making sure she mixed the right paints to get the right color of the topic she was working with. As nighttime descended upon the sky, Sunset had just finished with her painting. She put her paints and brush down and let out a sigh of relief. Oh, if you climb a mountain and you turn around, if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills. Well, the landslide bring it down The painting she had been working on was a face portrait of Spike who had a smile on his face and looked so real it was like you were looking at Spike himself. Sunset looked at what she just made and felt as if Spike was right there smiling at her. She smiled at the painting while shedding a few happy tears. After washing up, Sunset had gotten ready for bed. She opened her clovers, climbed into bed, before turning the lights off. She looked across her room and saw Spike's face portrait set up in the corner. She smiled at it and spoke softly, “Goodnight, Spike.” and with that the girl fell right to sleep.