//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Neglected // by FreedomRiders //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer walked out of the store with a full application and a sheet of paper, as well as a bounce in her step. As she reached Coral's SUV, she slid into the passenger's seat with a smile on her face. "I got the second interview in a few days," she said. "After school hours." "That's great!" Coral said, smiling back. "It only took from early in the morning to lunchtime of searching for a place that needs employees." "Bah, don't worry about that. I got my interview, and I can start preparing for that. So, what now?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she buckled in - setting her papers in the backseat. "We get lunch," Coral said as he started the car. "Come on, let's get going." "Should we get lunch?" Sunset asked as Coral pulled out of the parking lot. "I mean, repairing the house will take a lot of money, even with insurance. And you do work part time." "Soon it'll be both of us working part time. Plus, it's not like we can go home and cook right now, right?" Coral said. "Any place you wanna go?" "Well...there's this little sandwich shop in the Canterlot Mall. It's cheap, and I've always wanted to go there," Sunset Shimmer said. "If that's alright with you." "Sounds good," Coral said as they approached a red signal light, slowing down as several cars passed by in front of them, going left and right as he eyed the light. "I haven't been to the mall in a while, actually. Anything change?" "...well, I dunno, actually," Sunset Shimmer said as she leaned back in her seat. "Honestly, I haven't been there in a while too. All I remember is that there's a clothing store and a play area. And a bunch of restaurants inside." "Yeah, food courts are nice," Coral said as the light turned green. "So, anything specific on the job?" About 25 minutes later, Sunset Shimmer and Coral entered Canterlot Mall, the building full of bustling people walking to and from the entrance, traffic on the second floor balconies and the escalators while businesses and stalls left and right flourished from the constant influx of customers. "I think the food court is all the way in the back," Sunset said as they walked. The further they got, Coral noticed that Sunset Shimmer was looking around - a bit too quickly as they passed people on either side of them. It was odd at first, but now it was something Coral couldn't ignore when Sunset jerked to the right one time. "Hey, are you alright?" Coral asked, a bit concerned. "To be honest, I'm kind of nervous..." Sunset Shimmer whispered. "I keep thinking I'm gonna run into someone from my old school here, and then they'll start something and-" "Hey, enough of that," Coral said. "Let's just focus on getting food. Maybe if we're lucky, we can find someone from Crystal Prep here." "Doubt it," Sunset Shimmer sighed as she eyed the passing stores as they walked. "Canterlot Mall's the closest to Canterlot High, plus it's smack in the middle of the city. Crystal Prep is pretty far away, plus-" She froze in place when she stopped talking - Coral bumping into her as she suddenly halted. "Twilight?" "Huh? Who?" Coral asked when he turned to where Sunset Shimmer was looking, trying to spot what or who she was looking at. She seemed to be staring at one store in particular, a clothing store that was dimly lit. The items on display were dark colored shirts with logos of animated adult shows, band names, or heavy cartoons, as well as belts, pendants, and more. Before Coral could ask why Sunset had stopped, or who Twilight was, she walked right into the store. Blinking in surprise, Coral sighed and walked in after her. "Hey, so...what's this for?" he asked as he looked around. Metal music was playing in the background and the store's lights weren't very bright. "I thought I saw someone here. Pretty sure I did...oh! There she is," Sunset said before she bounded off into the store with a grin. Coral gave chase before smacking himself on the face from a swinging belt display. Sunset Shimmer reached the back of the store, where Twilight Sparkle was, browsing through a selection of something, an item in her hand. She was wearing a purple knee high skirt with white sneakers, as well as a pink hoodie. "Twilight!" she called as she came over. Twilight practically screamed and whirled around, her ponytail slapping her in the face as she stumbled. Sunset and half the occupants in the store watched as she smacked herself on the wall before she composed herself. "Don't scare me like that!" Twilight wheezed, attempting to catch her breath. Sunset Shimmer winced. "S-sorry," she said. "I just saw you and wanted to say hi...and to apologize." "Apology accepted," Twilight said as she took a deep breath before attempting to fix her glasses - which were tilted on one side from that bout of panic. "Not that. Uhh...about leaving so soon yesterday," Sunset explained. "I had a home emergency and I didn't mean to just bail on you like that..." "Oh, no I get it," Twilight said as she waved a hand dismissively. "Home emergencies and whatnot. Uhh...I managed to see some of that text before you left, something about getting robbed. Are you alright?" "Yeah...none of us were home at the time, so we're fine. The house is pretty busted up though," Sunset Shimmer said, clenching her fists as she thought of who likely did it. Who was she kidding, she knew exactly who did it, likely with help as well. "That's good, at least," Twilight said, smiling as she loosened up in relief. "I imagine your parents were furious with whoever did it." "Oh, uhh, they haven't been caught yet. And I don't live with my parents," Sunset Shimmer said sheepishly. "I only live with a friend. Coral." "Who's Coral?" Twilight asked in confusion before a guy stumbled in, rubbing his forehead. "Sorry, knocked over a belt display and had to pick it up. What'd I miss?" he said. "That's Coral, my roommate," Sunset Shimmer said. Twilight Sparkle looked between the taller and relatively good-looking guy, then switched to the bacon fiery haired girl in front of her. She switched between the guy and the girl before she blushed brightly. "S-so, the two of you...are..." Twilight stuttered as Sunset and Coral exchanged looks. Then the realization hit them both at once and they laughed lightly for a few seconds. "No, we aren't together. Just friends living in the same place," Sunset Shimmer said, smiling casually as Coral stopped laughing. "O-oh! Alright, I heard about younger girls dating older guys, but I wasn't sure if that was common or not. Probably something I should look into, actually," Twilight said as Sunset raised an eyebrow. Coral looked like he had taken a bullet to the gut at Twilight's words. "...older?" he asked as he touched his face. "Oh man, do really I look that old?" "Twilight, the age gap between me and Coral is only like, a few years, tops," Sunset Shimmer sheepishly said as she patted Coral on the head. "Plus, I don't know how either of you would react if I told you I'm technically older than the both of you in an interdimensional sense," she added silently in her thoughts. Twilight blushed again, her mouth sputtering like a clogged up garden hose. "S-sorry! Just the lighting and the way your face looked - n-not what I meant! I just...oh, who am I kidding, I'm terrible at this," Twilight moaned as she buried her face and glasses into her hands. "Terrible at what?" Sunset asked, half amused and half worried as Coral finally stopped acting wounded. "Talking to people. Making friends Fitting in. The list goes on, and I suck at all of them," Twilight muttered. "I don't really do friends...not many people like to be around me. Guess I can see why, now." Sunset Shimmer's face softened as she heard Twilight - she knew how hard it was to fit in, especially since she tried to turn a new leaf. However, Coral spoke up before she could. "So you're a little awkward, who cares? We're all awkward in our own ways. Plus, I guess I have gained a few wrinkles from all the work," he said, and Sunset smiled at his attempt to make Twilight feel better. "Yeah, Coral isn't too hurt - the big baby," Sunset said, a teasing smile on her face. Coral grumbled and lightly nudged Sunset Shimmer's arm in retaliation, but he was clearly in good spirits. "But seriously, don't feel so bad. Making friends is a lot more casual than you think, Twilight. It's not like a business meeting or a job interview," Sunset reassured. "I guess," Twilight said, visibly cheering up a bit. "I just don't like screwing up so much. I always say the wrong things." "It's how we learn. Trial and error," Sunset said, coming over and patting Twilight on the shoulder in comfort. "Plus, you haven't scared us away yet, so that's definitely a plus. Have you come here with anyone?" "No I haven't. Why?" Twilight said, her face showing a bit of confusion. Sunset beamed. "Cool! Wanna get lunch? Coral and I were about to head up to the food court, and we don't mind if a new friend comes along. Plus, I still need a little help with physics," Sunset Shimmer said as Coral nodded. Twilight looked around, biting her lip as she thought over the proposal. "J-just getting lunch, right? Nothing else planned? No pranks, no dragging me to juvenile activities and whatnot?" she asked. "Nothing more than that. We were just gonna chat and then get lunch, I promise. Pinkie Promise," Sunset Shimmer said before she felt her face contort a bit at saying that. Luckily, Twilight didn't seem to notice - and Coral didn't appear to pay too much mind to that. Twilight smiled softly - a pretty smile. "Alrighty then, I just need to buy this first," she said as she held up the item in question. Her smile turned into a panicked grimace as she whipped the item behind her and out of view, a second too late. Coral and Sunset managed to get a full view of what Twilight had brought up - a plastic case with a racy name on the front and a set of lacy intimates inside. "...we're going to act like we never saw that. Is that alright with you?" Sunset asked, trying not to laugh. Twilight's face burned bright as she nodded. The sun was burning down as a sweating and tired Rainbow Dash finished her third lap around the park - the cord of her earbuds jostling as she slowed down her jogging. Pausing her music, Rainbow Dash shook off her earbuds, wiping the sweat off her brow before she walked over to a bench, sitting down and sighing as she looked up into the sky. She was wearing a pair of black shorts and a sports bra, alongside a pair of white and blue running shoes - her phone crammed in her pocket while a water bottle hung on a clasp attached to the hip of her shorts. Grabbing her bottle, Rainbow Dash guzzled down a few gulps of water as she felt her legs and arms ache from the break she was giving herself. Ever since that talk with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash found it hard to focus on anything else other than Sunset Shimmer and her questionable innocence in the Anon-A-Miss debacle. Well, it seemed appropriate to call it Sunset Shimmer's questionable guilt now, after what Fluttershy told her. Ever since that talk had happened, Rainbow Dash was trapped in her own mind throughout the night - wondering if Sunset Shimmer truly was guilty or not. She'd been jogging for about two hours now, trying to keep her mind clear, to be able to focus on things she needed to do. But it wasn't working. The mental arguments between defending Sunset Shimmer or accusing her were too much. She thought of all the words she told her, and the misery she had seen Sunset Shimmer go through. Rainbow Dash frowned. How could she miss that? How could she be so blind to her anger that she allowed someone to suffer without giving a damn? Clenching her fist, Rainbow Dash sighed and buried her head in her hands. Even if Sunset Shimmer wasn't innocent, the thought of someone getting bullied in school made her feel sick, whether they deserved it or not. Then again...Sunset Shimmer had caused many of problems in the past without giving herself away. She'd even broken up their group of friends without them knowing it was her for so long. Something like an Anon-A-Miss account would be so easy to keep hidden. But the account details was so obvious when it came to pointing fingers at Sunset Shimmer. Rainbow Dash growled as the truth dawned on her. Whoever was Anon-A-Miss was trying to frame Sunset Shimmer. And they weren't even doing a good job at that, which seemed to really bite at her even more. She had fallen for it. Her friends has fallen for it. The entire school had fallen for it. How could that happen - was the entirety of Canterlot High as smart as a pile of rocks? She and her friends hurt Sunset Shimmer, and she was innocent this whole time. If only they had bothered listening to her. Getting up, Rainbow Dash brushed herself off and walked home, trying to calm down her shaking fist as she held back the anger and regret she was feeling. At this point, Rainbow Dash wanted to bury herself in shame, to just apologize and comply if Sunset Shimmer said she never wanted to see any of them again. She wouldn't blame her if she chose that decision - it was well within her right to demand it. "Yo!" Rainbow Dash was shaken out of her thoughts when a familiar voice called her name. Turning around, Rainbow Dash saw Gilda Griffin - her old childhood friend and troublemaker at the time. She was dressed for exercising as well - a pair of black workout pants with white striping, a pair of shoes, and a white cropped workout top. The two were friends at one time, but ever since she'd snapped at Fluttershy and made her cry many years ago, Rainbow Dash had broken off from her. Despite that, the two seemed to be on rather neutral terms - which Rainbow Dash was glad for, since Gilda was on the basketball team and they saw each other on a very common basis. And Rainbow Dash didn't really look down on Gilda for her colorful past, especially since she knew how flirty Gilda got outside the team. She did feel bad over what she'd lost because of Sunset...no, Anon-A-Miss, but she wasn't about to step in and get her life back for her - fooling around with others was a pretty bad way to spend your free time. "Hey, Gilda," Rainbow Dash greeted despondently. "What do you want?" "Just wanted to check up on you," Gilda said. "Heard you've been pretty snappy when it comes to that Anon-A-Miss asshole. How're you feeling?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow before sighing. "Just thinking," she finally said. "On how you'd get your revenge? I could totally help with that - it's the least that bacon haired bitch deserves for ruining our lives," Gilda snarled. Rainbow Dash flinched, though Gilda didn't seem to notice. "So, what do you think?" "Eh heh...I'd rather not get in trouble. Plus, attacking people isn't my thing," Rainbow Dash said. "It shouldn't be anyone's thing..." she added in her thoughts. "Suit yourself. If you really don't wanna hurt the bitch yourself, you could always trash her house," Gilda brushed off. "It's what me and a few friends did the other night." Rainbow Dash blanched at the sudden admission. "Y-you what?" she hissed, shocked at what Gilda confessed to, but not so much how bluntly she stated it. "You heard me. We're gonna try again in a few days, and I know you probably have some words to say to her. If you want, no hurting, no beating her up, but we're definitely breaking her stuff, see how she likes losing so much," Gilda offered. "You want in?" "W-what? You're telling me this? Me of all people?" Rainbow Dash said, shocked at the blatant reveal of Gilda's plans. And judging by her tone, Rainbow Dash was surprised that Gilda's offer was genuine. "Duh - you know I don't do that tiptoe around problems shit. If I want something done, I wanna do it straight and forward, so that's how I'm asking you. Now, are you in or not?" Gilda said. Rainbow Dash sputtered for a second before she shook her head. "That's breaking the law! I don't wanna get arrested - that would definitely ruin my life, no thanks!" she angrily protested. "Seriously? That bitch tried to ruin you! Pretty sure she ruined your friends, and you know we all want a taste of payback. You can't possibly think she doesn't deserve it," Gilda pushed. Rainbow Dash was getting mad now. "I do think I deserve not to be arrested and screwed over just because I got too angry," she answered. There was also the fact she fully believed that Sunset Shimmer was innocent, but telling that to Gilda probably would've made her and her friends a target as well. Gilda scowled before sighing, likely having expected that Rainbow Dash really would have wanted to stick it to Sunset Shimmer. "Alright," she said. "If you wanna stay back like a wimp, that's fine. We can handle taking Anon-A-Miss down ourselves." She turned to continue jogging before she stopped and turned back to her former childhood friend. "And you won't tell the police about what we're about to do, right?" Rainbow Dash glared at her, while Gilda's face contorted into an angry expression to match hers. "I'm serious. You won't have to be involved in this. Tell the cops, and someone else might have to get hurt," she said, the implications clear. The staring contest didn't falter between them for a full minute before Rainbow Dash sighed, finally looking down in indignation. "No, I won't," she finally muttered. "Good," Gilda said, her glower turning into a smile before she turned around. "See you around, captain." And with that, Gilda began to jog away. Rainbow Dash waited for Gilda to leave before she took out her phone. "I'm not telling the police, but you didn't say anything about telling my friends. And if they happen to call the police...well, that isn't on me," she thought as she dialed up Fluttershy. The cellphone rang for a few seconds before there was a pick up on the other end of the line. "H-hello?" she heard her quiet animal-loving friend whisper. "Hey, Fluttershy? I just talked to Gilda, and she told me this..." Rainbow Dash began. She was done standing by as this happened - she needed to try and do something to help. The food court in Canterlot Mall remained busy after they left an hour and a half later, a few hundred people chatting and eating at tables and counters left and right. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were chatting about whatever school project they needed to complete, while Coral was just looking around, content with being a third wheel as the girls talked. Twilight and Sunset had hit it off during their lunch talk - talking about classes and such, as well as things that they liked and whatever. Coral didn't pay too much attention during that time, but he did seem to notice how happy Sunset was when they chatted. When they said goodbye and went their separate ways, Sunset was smiling brightly. "So, did you have fun today?" Coral asked. "Yes, dad," Sunset replied. "Where to next?" "Well, it's around the afternoon, so...I don't know, go back to the hotel?" Coral asked. "Not much else to do, and I don't feel like spending more money or gas. We'll figure dinner out somehow." "Hmmm," Sunset Shimmer mumbled. "Yeah, I could use a nap or something like that." Coral shrugged as the two began to make their way out of the mall. The mall was a little less busy when they made it to the parking lot, and the sun was a bit lower in the sky. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Sunset Shimmer yawned tiredly, leaning back in her seat. "Hey, Coral?" she muttered. "Mhm?" Coral asked. "I'm glad we're friends," Sunset said. Coral didn't say a thing - but Sunset was fairly certain that he was smiling.