Leaving the dark alley, Human Sunset felt rested enough to be on her way, since she had technically already been 'asleep' for quite some time. Looking over at nearby clocks within surrounding buildings, it was approximately 8:30 PM, meaning that most people would've already been home by now. It didn't seem to matter to her regardless, since she remembered staying up all night long after becoming rebellious and reinventing herself. Although she seemingly just got out of a coma for an unknown period of time, the memories of her previous life began flooding back to her almost instantly. As she walked around the dark and desolate streets of the city, she began recapping everything, as to not potentially forget about her identity before mysteriously fading from existence.
It took several attempts after remembering her own name, but she eventually recollected everything from her previous life before the fire incident. She remembered originally being a Straight-A student in middle school, as a pleasant surprise to both of her parents, Sunspot and Solstice. However, this seemingly perfect path to success was unfortunately cut short almost immediately after beginning her freshman year at high school, specifically at Crystal Prep Academy. At the time, Twilight Sparkle was not enrolled as a student yet, as Human Sunset was occupying that final enrollment spot. Similar to colleges, the school used to have very limited spaces for enrollment, due to the headmaster, Principal Abacus Cinch, making a pretentious rule regarding standards. The headmaster required all new students to qualify under certain academic expectations, grade quality, and discipline. Although this rule was originally seen as a method to ensure that the qualified students would've had the best education possible, it was really Cinch's intention to be able to show off to her peers, as well as the superintendent. As a result, Crystal Prep Academy was regarded as the #1 ranked high school in the entire city, even topping Canterlot High, which usually fell in second place.
Moving past this, Human Sunset remembered that it was her impressive middle school GPA that allowed her to enroll, which initially made her parents proud of such an achievement. She remembered that Sunspot took great pride in bragging about his daughter's successful enrollment to all his friends. Although initially happy herself, Human Sunset soon realized that her father's behavior was becoming toxic, as well as adding stress on her academics. Since his daughter was now on the road to getting potential scholarships into the best colleges after graduating, he'd even act disappointed if she came home with a 99% on her exams instead of 100%. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Solstice always supported and cared about her daughter dearly, to the point where she'd always love her no matter what, even if she somehow flunked out of school. The only drawback was that her mother would be gone for most of the day, due to her job forcing her to work late hours. Although happy with Solstice's supportive approach, Sunspot had constant hopes for his daughter to not only graduate with a 4.0 GPA, but also to become a doctor someday. All these impossibly unreasonable expectations had consistently added pressure over time, which made her nervous to make even the smallest mistakes.
During this point in her life, Human Sunset still loved and respected both of her parents immensely, and the last thing she would've wanted was becoming a complete disappointment in her dad's eyes. She was still halfway deciding on attending Canterlot High, until she looked over her options and learned of several potential disadvantages other schools seemingly had in comparison. Another factor in agreeing to study at Crystal Prep was remembering when her parents mentioned that they began struggling with money. They were still able to pay for Crystal Prep's tuition, but just barely, and money had become incredibly tight, shortly after Sunspot got laid off from his job. Human Sunset knew what this meant, and realized that studying hard enough to get into a good university was her and her family's main hope at escaping poverty. When it was time to get into college, this would've also entailed being good enough to earn a scholarship, thus avoiding the concern of needing to pay for an incredibly high tuition.
When Human Sunset was attending Crystal Prep, things seemed to be going rather well during her first week. She was able to stay on top of her homework, prepare adequately for quizzes, and get used to the much heavier workload in contrast to her middle school's. Although unsure of how she was going to handle her high school days, she initially became somewhat of an introvert who studied on her own and always avoided socializing, as she believed making friends could admittedly distract her from her schoolwork. As a result, a majority of her classmates simply saw her as the quiet nerd, and for the most part, they had left her alone, since she clearly wasn't interested in becoming friends with any of them. However, two particular classmates stood out to her in bad enough ways, that she would never forget the negative impacts that they had left on her in the short time she was a student there.
After thinking hard enough, Human Sunset recalled one particular classmate who had somewhat reminded her of herself, Sugarcoat. This classmate always treated the teachers with respect, never missed a single homework assignment, and always felt confident in herself. The main difference was that Sugarcoat seemed to be far more popular than Human Sunset, due to her smarts and kind nature. Back then, before Twilight Sparkle came along, Sugarcoat had strived to become the number one student herself at Crystal Prep, and she was overall more cheerful and confident, in contrast to her more blunt and grouchy attitude later on. It was unknown to most students at the time, but after Twilight enrolled and overshadowed Sugarcoat in her own merits toward the academic curriculum, it all resulted in this drastic change of her demeanor.
Although Human Sunset was initially against the idea of making friends, it felt different with Sugarcoat, given how much they seemingly had in common, along with how beneficial having a study buddy was. Unfortunately, socializing with this particular classmate eventually turned out to be her undoing, as it created a series of events that later led to intense animosity. Human Sunset began visualizing everything as a flashback in her own head, remembering everything far too well, as it all contributed toward the life she'd eventually end up with.
It was only the fourth day at Crystal Prep Academy, and most students were already feeling stressed out with all the new expectations, almost as if they had skipped high school entirely and directly went to college. Human Sunset felt like everything was manageable, especially if she was able to get a study partner like Sugarcoat. During this time, she didn't go by 'Sunset' just yet, as she preferred sticking with her nickname from middle school, being 'Sunny'. As a result, most people who knew Human Sunset as 'Sunny S.' weren't able to immediately recognize her as the Pony Sunset at CHS, during their first meeting at the Friendship Games.
One day, when Human Sunset and Sugarcoat were both coincidentally in the school's library during lunchtime, Human Sunset went to greet her and see if she was interested in wanting to study together.
"H-Hi there..." Human Sunset greeted Sugarcoat rather shyly. "I'm... Sunny S."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Sugarcoat." Sugarcoat replied, as she set her book down. "May I help you?"
"Yeah, I was just wondering if you were interested in studying with me, possibly as a study partner for all the challenges high school will throw at us?" Human Sunset proposed.
"I actually don't study here at school, so I'm not really interested." Sugarcoat turned down the offer. "But I suppose if you'd like to be friends, I'm down for that."
"Hmm, I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll pass, since I really need to focus on my schoolwork." Human Sunset decided, before walking into the study hall by herself.
At the time, it seemed like a reasonable conversation, except for the fact that Human Sunset hadn't considered the possibility of Sugarcoat making more exclusive friends later on. After around two months into the school year, the continuous stress and pressure put in by her father eventually started catching up, as Human Sunset noticed she began to let her grades slip. It felt frustrating, since she knew for a fact that these past few months entailed staying true to her goal of studying harder than anybody else. At the time, her grades were incredibly outstanding, to the point where she became one of the top students at Crystal Prep Academy. Unfortunately, as impressive as she was in her classes, it wasn't enough. No matter how hard she pushed herself to do even better, she wasn't able to top the student in the #1 spot. When Dean Cadance posted a list on the bulletin board, ranking the top 20 most academically successful students, Human Sunset noticed that she was ranked #2, and labeled 'Sunny S.', like she preferred. When peering at the absolute top of the list, her jaw dropped when noticing #1 was Sugarcoat, and the idea of her being at the top of her class without seemingly ever studying at school was incredibly bewildering.
Although still standing by her original statement of not being interested in making friends, Human Sunset still felt like questioning Sugarcoat regarding how she was able to get this far. After all, despite how brief their very first interaction went, Sugarcoat came across as a polite classmate who was willing to make friends, likely being the kind of person perfectly fine with giving a few pointers, even if she wasn't interested in being study buddies with anyone else at school. Unfortunately, when Human Sunset walked into the cafeteria one day to see Sugarcoat again, she absolutely wasn't expecting how much Sugarcoat changed in just two months. It was lunchtime, and although Human Sunset felt like a social outcast in this crowd of students, she eventually caught a glimpse of Sugarcoat sitting at a table with four other girls by her side. These girls were Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, Indigo Zap, and Sunny Flare. It was unknown to most students at the time, but the girls had formed a social group titled 'The Shadowbolts'. As Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, and Sunny Flare went to grab something from their lockers, Human Sunset approached Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap.
"Hi, Sugarcoat." Human Sunset greeted once again.
"Hey, how do you know my name?" Sugarcoat questioned.
"Oh, you don't remember me?" Human Sunset replied, but realized it seemed reasonable, considering they never really became friends. "I'm Sunny, and we met each other back during our first week here at Crystal Prep Academy."
"Right, I think you asked me to be study partners or something?" Sugarcoat vaguely recalled.
"What could you possibly want, geek?" Indigo Zap snapped. "If you're looking to be friends with Sugarcoat, too bad. She's already got four other friends by her side, and one of them is already named 'Sunny'. Her name's Sunny Flare, and I can certainly tell she's already far cooler than you'll ever be!"
"Uhh, what...?" Human Sunset simply blurted out, not sure where all this hostility was coming from. "I don't understand why you're being so rude?"
"Name's Indigo Zap, and I just realized who you really are." Indigo huffed. "Well, I just remembered that when Sugarcoat shared a story with us about some nerd who turned down her offer in becoming friends, simply because she wanted to have a study partner instead, you're that nerd in question."
"I'm sorry, I-" Human Sunset stuttered. "I didn't mean to come across as harsh when I said I wasn't interested in becoming friends. Surely you understand, Sugarcoat?"
"Oh, I can understand everything now, all right." Sugarcoat shifted her tone to a more blunt demeanor, something completely unlike her from their first meeting. "Dean Cadance posted the top 20 students earlier this week, and who did I notice in second place while I was first? You, wasn't your name Sunny S?"
"Yes, but... I don't quite see what you're getting at?" Human Sunset said, still confused.
"It all makes sense now." Sugarcoat began analyzing the supposed intentions. "You simply thought I was a hardworking student you could leech off of by studying with me every night, is that it? Then, when you turned down my offer to become friends with you, that was completely uncalled for. But after seeing you were ranked #2, I was able to surmise that you simply wanted my help just so you could beat me at being #1. In fact let me guess, you came to me now purely because you want some tips on how to study as efficiently as me so that you can top me, am I correct?"
"Well, I do want some study tips, sure..." Human Sunset began, but was immediately cut off soon after.
"That's exactly her point." Indigo interjected. "Boy, you really are that shallow, huh?"
"But not because I want to top Sugarcoat!" Human Sunset claimed, yet she knew deep down, that technically was true too. "I was just wondering if you could give me some pointers at how I could improve?"
"You're asking for improvements when you're already in the top 5?" Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. And why would I help you when you're basically my rival now? I ain't going to let you leech off of my hard work so you can steal the spotlight from me! You want to come out on top in this competition, you gotta do it yourself."
"That's right, you heard her." Indigo added, coldly. "Now scram!"
Human Sunset simply walked away, both disappointed and a little heartbroken that those girls could treat her like that. In some ways, she still believed that they had a point, in that she herself was being selfish by turning down Sugarcoat's offer in friendship initially, but was only coming back now to seek guidance after Sugarcoat finally had a reputation. It even made sense that being #1 now, Sugarcoat would do anything she could to keep things this way, and that helping the student who was ranked #2 was certainly out of the question. As a result, Human Sunset realized that her very first interaction with Sugarcoat where she innocently just said she wasn't too interested in becoming friends, it had now unintentionally given her a rival and enemy to be jealous of. Her father's expectations didn't help matters either, as it seemed clear that he wouldn't have accepted simply letting his daughter be #2.
After this second interaction, Human Sunset decided she wasn't going to talk to Sugarcoat anymore, especially with how mean and blunt she and her new friends seemingly were. Unfortunately, as the school year progressed, trying to ignore Sugarcoat soon proved to be impossible, especially since she remained in the #1 spot for quite some time. The grudge with how Sugarcoat treated her that day soon grew into resentment, especially as Human Sunset constantly heard remarks from many teachers about how gifted Sugarcoat was. It also certainly didn't help that none of the teachers really said anything remarkable regarding the previous 19 ranked students, especially #2.
During the course of the year, Human Sunset noticed that whenever she saw Sugarcoat somewhere at school, she was never once seen studying. She was simply always hanging out with her new friends like some kind of popular leader, and never once mentioned anything regarding academic subjects, unless it was to simply brag about her grades. Despite not coming across as the kind of student who'd take studying extremely seriously, Sugarcoat always got better grades than her, making Human Sunset wonder what Sugarcoat's secret was. She theorized it had to have been intense study sessions at home, likely with a really good and expensive private tutor. Unfortunately, even if this was the case, Human Sunset knew her family couldn't afford such educational advantages, to where she simply decided that she had no choice but to study the old fashioned way. In other words, continuing exactly what she was already doing, but even better.
Human Sunset decided that being #1 wouldn't have been selfish, as she wanted to do this for her family too. If she was able to prove she was capable of being the #1 student, it was her chance to get a scholarship at the best university, as well as a job with an incredibly high salary. Accomplishing all of this ensured that her family would no longer have to permanently live out a life in poverty, nor live out on food stamps. As such, she pushed herself all year long, sacrificing so much just to make sure she could come out on top in the end.
Over time, Human Sunset threw herself at the textbooks like never before, analyzing and grasping every single word and page, as if she could eventually recite everything by heart. She studied so hard that she barely slept, ate, or took care of her life's basic needs. As time passed, bags begun to form under her eyes, and she sometimes even risked accidentally falling asleep in class. Eventually, an essential exam rolled by sometime near the end of the semester. After finishing it with how much she had already prepared in the process, Human Sunset was almost confident she was finally able to top Sugarcoat. This was especially likely, given how she overheard most of her classmates muttering how difficult that exam truly was, to the point of some not even finishing.
As the semester concluded, report cards were given to all the students, and after that last exam, the reactions were overall mixed. Some were crying in disappointment, relieved that they actually passed the class, while others simply didn't care. Human Sunset looked over her report card in confidence, as she initially saw every checkbox had an 'A' in it. Then, when she walked over to the bulletin board to recheck the updated ranked list, she simply dropped her jaw in horror.
She was still ranked #2, and #1 was of course, still Sugarcoat, the undefeated champion. Human Sunset eventually noticed Sugarcoat out of the corner of her eye, smiling proudly with her group of friends over her report card, and even bragging about how it got a special stamp on it for being the best one in the whole school. By this point, Human Sunset simply lowered her head in defeat, realizing that she had lost to her yet again. She was so stunned after these events that she began to have trouble focusing in her daily life, as only one thing filled her mind, that being Sugarcoat.
It was still mysterious how Sugarcoat was able to beat her every single time, but it supposedly had to have been those private lessons by some expensive tutor. Unfortunately, affording such a tutor herself would've been impossible, and she realized by this point that she could never beat Sugarcoat, and that she and her family would forever live in poverty. As winter break rolled around, Human Sunset just stayed in her room completely depressed, especially after she showed her report card to her parents. Although Solstice was especially proud of her daughter's achievement, Sunspot was still adamant that she simply wasn't trying hard enough if somebody else was able to reach the #1 spot.
Once the new semester started, things only got worse from there. It initially began with Human Sunset doing what she normally did, now with the acceptance that the best she could ever get was #2, meaning there was simply no use in studying in vain like before. However, one thing that she was completely unaware of, was a conversation that had occurred between Sugarcoat before winter break, when she was bragging proudly about her report card to her friends. Although Sugarcoat had expected such a victory, she also realized that she had barely achieved it, as Human Sunset was only off by several digits of a point. In some ways, she became somewhat worried that 'Sunny S,' would end up taking the #1 spot, which prompted Indigo Zap to play dirty. Indigo never told Sugarcoat of her plan, but simply hinted that she wouldn't ever have to worry about losing her place ever again.
As the newer school weeks started, Human Sunset walked down the halls normally after class to the cafeteria, although she didn't feel too hungry, as she still felt rather depressed at her ultimate defeat last semester. Before she made it any further to the cafeteria, she was immediately stopped by Indigo Zap, who slammed her hand on a locker and blocked her passageway.
"Umm, could you please let me by?" Human Sunset asked.
"Oh, well of course." Indigo began rhetorically, before changing to a more hostile tone. "Listen up, you dweeb. You think you're the teacher's pet and a smart girl, do you? Well, I have a proposal for you. For the rest of the years here at Crystal Prep Academy, you're going to do all my homework assignments and steal answer sheets from the teacher's classrooms. I could use a certain someone like you to help get my grades up, what do you say?"
"Haha, very funny." Human Sunset simply rolled her eyes. "Now, if you excuse me-"
"Thought you might say that." Indigo interrupted. "Alright, what if I convince Sugarcoat to be your friend for a little while, and even give you some tips on how to study better so that you can be the #1 ranked student in this school?"
"Unless she's willing to lend me her expensive private tutor, I don't want to hear anymore." Human Sunset stood her ground. "Sugarcoat treated me horribly and made me feel awful over this entire rivalry, so the last thing I'd want her to do is become my friend, especially if you're asking her to do so insincerely."
"Figured you'd go there too." Indigo huffed. "That's why I'm not giving you a choice anymore. Listen up, you little chicken. You're going to do my homework from now on and steal test answers from the teachers, OR ELSE."
Indigo then grabbed Human Sunset's glasses from off her face, as Human Sunset looked in horror. Glasses were very expensive, and the last thing she would've wanted was having to inform her parents that she needed a new pair, especially given they had no insurance.
"No, please don't break my glasses, I don't have insurance on those, I-" Human Sunset quickly covered her mouth, realizing that she practically fell right into Indigo's trap, and there was no backing out now.
"Wow, for a nerd, you aren't really the sharpest knife in the drawer, huh?" Indigo smirked. "I love how you're making this so easy for me, especially since I'm too focused on sports to have any care for whatever the square root of 109 is. Now get started with my math homework, and I'll hold onto your glasses as collateral. You'll get them back at the end of the day once you finish, and we'll begin the whole process again tomorrow. Do I make myself clear, geek?"
"Y-Yes..." Human Sunset sighed in defeat.
"And don't even THINK about telling on me, you hear!?" Indigo threatened. "Cause if you do, I'll know it was you, and I'll break far more than your glasses."
Indigo slammed her locker shut, as Human Sunset fell to the floor and began to cry. Not only were her dreams and merits in being the #1 student now trashed thanks to Sugarcoat, but Indigo Zap was now blackmailing her into doing her schoolwork for the rest of her time at Crystal Prep Academy. With how much time and energy she'd be forced to put into doing double the amount of schoolwork she'd normally have, not only was being #1 even more impossible than it already was, but she'd most likely fall even further from being #2 now. She simply swallowed her pride and decided to tread lightly, thinking that Indigo probably wasn't being serious when she said it'd be for the rest of the remaining years here.
This was unfortunately far from the case, as Human Sunset was forced to do countless homework assignments, steal answer sheets from the teacher's classrooms, and even began slipping off of the top 20 students. This went on for around two months, and before long, Human Sunset noticed that the name 'Sunny S.' was no longer visible on the bulletin board anymore. Along the way, Indigo also bullied her horribly, including tripping her in the halls, spitting in her lunch, and throwing her glasses in the toilet. It certainly went without saying that Indigo even started overworking her, to the point where the once introverted nerd felt like she finally had enough. Eventually, one day when Indigo was approaching her main source of A's in the gradebook, Human Sunset was waiting at the back of the school, looking absolutely exhausted. She had stayed up until nearly 6 AM just to finish Indigo's history project, math homework, and biology assignments, that she didn't even have a chance to finish any assignments of her own. This would've been the first time she'd ever been late in turning in homework, but her passion for being a top student had already disappeared long ago. Human Sunset noticed Indigo approaching once more, ready to collect the finished assignments.
"Here you go, Indigo..." Human Sunset yawned, before handing over the papers. "Sorry, I barely got even an hour of sleep, and I didn't even get a chance to finish my own homework..."
"Aww, that's too bad for you." Indigo teased, before taking the papers. "But not that I care! What I do care about however, is this rumor that's been going around school. Word on the street is, although most high schools make the students take the SAT during junior year, Crystal Prep Academy gives it to the freshmen! So, I need you of course, to break into the Canterlot College Board and steal the SAT test answers for me."
Although still pretty sleepy, Human Sunset woke up in shock upon hearing what Indigo had demanded from her.
"What!?" Human Sunset snapped. "Okay, that's it, now you're going too far, I-"
"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear before." Indigo threatened again, before removing the glasses from Human Sunset's face once more. "You either break the glass at the College Board's building to get the goods, or I break the glass on your frames. What's it going to be?"
Human Sunset felt she legitimately had enough at this point, as she had been pushed way too far. Studying to the brink of insanity, losing her position in the top 20, and now being forced to do something that could land her in jail. Her time in this school had been absolutely miserable thanks to Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap, and after what Indigo had just demanded of her, she had finally reached her breaking point.
"You know what!?" Human Sunset yelled, as she quickly grabbed the glasses back from Indigo, threw them on the ground, and stomped them to pieces herself. "THERE, NOW YOU CAN'T BLACKMAIL ME ANYMORE, YOU FILTHY CHEATER!!!"
"Pfft, wow, for a nerd, I'm surprised it took you this long to figure this out." Indigo remarked. "You really are pathetic, you know that?"
"I'M PATHETIC, HUH!?!" Human Sunset screeched at the top of her lungs so loud, that she accidentally got the attention of a teacher who was still in the parking lot. "YOU'RE THE BOZO WHO'S BEEN MAKING ME DO EVERYTHING TO GET YOU STRAIGHT A'S, AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET!?!??!?!?!?!?! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU REALLY DESERVE!!!!!!!!!"
Human Sunset then retaliated by grabbing the goggles Indigo was wearing and yanked them off her head. She then threw them to the ground on top of her own destroyed glasses, and stomped them to pieces as well, in a fiery heat of vengeance. However, the timing was unfortunate, as the teacher who heard the commotion came around the corner to see Human Sunset yanking the goggles away from Indigo and breaking them viciously.
"Hey, stop that right now!" Coach Rommel ran over to the scene to witness the destroyed eyewear on the ground, and frowned. "You are coming with me to the principal's office right now!"
"B-B-But, she was the one who started-" Human Sunset tried to explain.
"I don't want to hear it." Coach Rommel stated bluntly. "Whatever it was, you had no right to destroy someone else's property, now let's go. You too, Indigo, since we need to get your side of the story."
Human Sunset lowered her head in shame as the coach escorted both Indigo and herself to Principal Cinch's office, where she knew that something was now likely going to be added to her permanent record. She almost didn't care anymore, as Indigo most certainly had it coming, especially thanks to all the prolonged bullying. While at the principal's office, as Indigo shared her side of the story, in which she mostly came up with fabrications, Human Sunset hoped that Principal Cinch would at least throw her a bone.
"...and then nerdy girl here was so jealous of my goggles, that she decided to ruin them." Indigo sighed sadly, as she had finished sharing details.
"Well, that sounds absolutely petty, I'd say." Cinch huffed. "Miss Sunny, care to explain yourself?"
"Yes, please hear me out." Human Sunset finally breathed a sigh of relief that she now had the perfect opportunity to finally expose Indigo. "It all started this semester when she blackmailed me into doing her homework and making me steal test answers from teachers just for her. She took my glasses and kept threatening to break them unless I followed her demands, and given how poor my family's become, I simply couldn't afford that happening. But then she went too far and demanded I break into the College Board to steal test answers for the SAT, and I just snapped. I broke my own glasses in a fit of rage to make sure she couldn't blackmail me anymore, and then I broke her goggles too because she had it coming. Not to mention, she's also been bullying me horribly this entire year."
"Is what she's saying true?" Cinch turned to Indigo.
Although Human Sunset was obviously expecting Indigo to deny everything, what she said next was overly surprising.
"Yes." Indigo smirked. "It is true. So what if I did?"
"You're right, Indigo Zap." Cinch added. "I'm no babysitter here, so why should I even care? And for that matter, why should I care about Indigo cheating, when all that matters is getting high marks to make our school have the best reputation around here? I don't care how my students do it, as long as it works. The truth is, Miss Sunny? The only thing I care about in this entire situation is that you broke Miss Indigo's goggles, so you now owe her the costs of replacing them."
"W-What!?" Human Sunset snapped in outrage. "And what about my glasses then!?"
"Technically speaking, since you claimed that story you told was indeed true, Indigo did not break your glasses." Cinch recalled. "You were the one who broke them yourself, so I see no need for her to pay you anything. I'll do everything I can to make sure Miss Indigo and her family are pleased, as they've now made a second generous donation to support the school this semester. Unless your family can top another shipment of $10,000, I'm afraid our conversation here is over. Oh, and for wrecking someone else's property, I'll also be suspending you for a week. Have I made myself clear, Miss Sunny?"
Human Sunset was at a loss for words. Indigo basically proved that no matter how awfully she treated her, Principal Cinch simply would not give the slightest care, especially when Indigo's family was rich enough to donate plenty for the school's funding. And this exact life would go on for the next three years too? She had practically already lost everything by this point, her spot in the top 20, the #1 student rank, and even her perfect record, as Cinch mentioned she was going to be suspended for the next week. What was once a path to potentially graduate at the top of her class had now become nothing more than being an animal at the circus, humiliated and laughed at all the way. Even worse, being an introvert for most of the school year also meant that Human Sunset didn't have anybody to turn to, no friends who'd vouch for her, or let her vent out all this pent up frustration. Absolutely disgusted with how the principal decided to handle this situation, she immediately got up from her chair and became blunt with Cinch.
"I'm dropping out!" Human Sunset affirmed. "I'd rather spend the rest of my life homeless than spend yet another five minutes in this absolute dump of a school! Insane bullies, encouragement on cheating, and a corrupt and greedy principal who only cares about money and nothing more!? I SHOULD SUE THIS SCHOOL!!!"
"Sure you will." Cinch simply cackled wickedly. "With what money, Miss Broke Family? You realize any lawyer in Canterlot is especially expensive and charge hourly fees? Also, good luck proving anything, who do you imagine the court will believe, the reliably reputable headmaster of the #1 ranked school in the city, or a student who admitted to vandalizing somebody else's property?"
"I don't even care anymore!" Human Sunset huffed. "I just want to get out of here right now, so I mean it. Take my name off the roster, I demand it!"
"Fine, as you wish." Cinch simply smirked, before getting ready to make a few phone calls to the school board. "In the meantime, Miss Indigo? I'll make your life easier so you don't even have to blackmail pathetic nerds for all the answers. I'll simply sneak you all the homework and test answers, and even what they'll prepare to test you on during the SAT. It'll certainly make Crystal Prep Academy look even better if we can get a Straight-A athlete too. But of course, I trust that you won't say a word to anyone about this?"
"No problem at all." Indigo laid back in her chair with her arms behind her head. "But just to be safe, I should probably get a few bad grades just in case, since I didn't do too well last semester either. Don't want anybody getting suspicious, especially my parents."
"Good call, I just wanted to ensure you get into good universities in the future." Cinch agreed. "Anything for a student whose family is so wonderfully generous. In the meantime, you're dismissed, Miss Sunny. Try not to let the door hit you on the way out."
Human Sunset still had tears in her eyes, but felt like the circumstances had left her with no other choice. Indigo's bullying was obviously going to become inevitably much worse if she chose to stay, and even the principal herself was going to take a bias due to being incredibly capitalistic. As she walked out the principal's door, she admittedly began to feel a sense of freedom, in that she was no longer a prisoner in a school that brought her nothing but misery every single day. She grabbed everything out of her locker and simply left school grounds, not having a single care anymore about finishing her freshman year.
Although none of the Shadowbolts ever recognized Sunset Shimmer, otherwise known as the Pony Sunset, Principal Cinch did. The Shadowbolts and other students only knew Human Sunset under the identity of 'Sunny S.', and as a result, they always believed Sunset Shimmer was an entirely different person, especially due to her drastically different personality, appearance, and reputation at CHS. Pony Sunset also didn't seem to recognize Sugarcoat or Indigo the first time they met, nor did she have any particular vendetta toward them, thus making that first theory more likely. However, when Principal Cinch was able to recognize one of the students as 'Sunset Shimmer', she surmised that Sunny S. might've simply transferred schools, as Cinch was the only one who had known Human Sunset's full birth name. It made even more sense to her that this must've been the case after Twilight Sparkle transferred to CHS herself, shortly following the Midnight Sparkle incident during the Friendship Games.
After dropping out of Crystal Prep Academy in a desperate attempt to escape the ongoing torment and humiliation from Indigo Zap, Human Sunset felt like she might immediately regret her decision. This turned out to be true when she came home to her confused and upset parents, though it was definitely Sunspot who took the news incredibly harshly, compared to his wife. Solstice meanwhile, mostly wanted to understand what could've caused her daughter to willingly drop out of an incredibly prestigious school that would've helped her future immensely.
"Sunset, come upstairs right now!" Sunspot demanded. "You have some serious explaining to do, young lady!"
Human Sunset walked up the stairs and into her parents' bedroom, where her father's voice was coming from. She knew she was definitely in hot water now, especially with her dad, who always had impossibly unreasonable expectations for her education.
"Sweetheart, could you please explain to us why we got a phone call from Principal Cinch that you decided to drop out of Crystal Prep Academy, thus withdrawing our deposits for your tuition?" Solstice asked her daughter, rather concerned.
"Mom, dad... I couldn't bear to be stuck in that abomination of a school anymore." Human Sunset sighed. "I was doing well academically, but there were two girls who kept holding me back and made every school day a living nightmare. Some girl named Indigo Zap constantly bullied me nonstop, and she always forced me to do her homework and steal test answers. She was relentless, making it clear that she'd hurt me horribly if I tattled on her. When I had enough, I ended up telling Principal Cinch, only for her to simply not care in the slightest. In fact, she ended up siding with Indigo even after all she did, and ended up suspending me after I finally retaliated against my bully."
"That's awful." Solstice said, before hugging her daughter. "I had no idea you were dealing with an awful bully, and even the principal herself refused to do anything about it."
"Are you meaning to tell me that my hard-earned money went down the drain simply because you couldn't stand up to some bully!?" Sunspot snapped. "I can't believe how weak you are!"
"Honey, please!" Solstice disapproved of her husband's behavior. "Do you even understand what our daughter's been through lately!? She dropped out to escape this ongoing torment, and nobody at the school was willing to do anything to help her, not even the principal."
"And that's not all." Human Sunset continued. "There was this other girl, Sugarcoat. She'd brag about how she'd somehow always get better grades than me, and I just don't know how. I've poured so much time and effort into studying, yet I still only got ranked #2 in the entire school. She also treated me horribly when I tried to approach her, making it clear that she only cared about coming out on top. My first semester there felt awful in the end when I still ended up losing to her, especially after how hard I already worked. Even worse was when dad said he thought I could've still done better."
"Well of course I think you could've done even better." Sunspot huffed. "You really think I was going to spend $7,000 a year at that school just for you to not graduate at the top of your class? You promised that you would do so to ensure we all wouldn't be in poverty for the rest of our lives! You could've become the CEO of a big corporate company, but now you'll only spend the rest of your days flipping hamburgers and mopping restrooms."
"Alright, that's enough!" Solstice stomped her foot on the ground. "I can't believe how much you're willing to kick Sunset when she's already down! She's clearly been driven to the brink of insanity studying to satisfy your perfectionist expectations, and you couldn't even be happy when she was #2 of the entire school? And now, you're more worried about money than you are of our very own daughter!?"
"I'm just speaking realistically for our futures and retirements!" Sunspot snapped. "It's not my fault that Sunset didn't come to either of us to let us know of any bully!"
"You could've been more involved whenever you picked her up from school, especially given how we're primarily living off of my job alone, ever since you got laid off!" Solstice yelled.
"I didn't say anything because... she blackmailed me with breaking my glasses, and I didn't want mom to have to pay so much money for another pair..." Human Sunset began sobbing. "She even said that she'd break far more than my glasses if I snitched, I was too intimidated to try anything..."
"Well regardless, there goes our retirement money and futures!" Sunspot continued his petty behavior, but unknowingly, this was the pivotal moment where Solstice decided she finally had enough.
"...You mean YOUR retirement money and future, dear." Solstice sighed.
"What are you blabbing about now, woman?" Sunspot questioned.
"I want a divorce." Solstice stated bluntly. "I can't do this anymore, I can't... be with a man who only cares about money and not the well being of his own daughter. Every night when I come home from work, I always make sure to give Sunset the love and attention she needs, while you're always on the couch, watching football and drinking beers."
"Wow, so that's it, huh?" Sunspot huffed again. "This is the thanks I get for taking care of the house, driving Sunset to and from school, and buying you that $25,000 wedding ring with my life savings?"
"Some of the most important things in life can never be bought with money, but it seems as if you'll never understand any of that." Solstice sighed. "After seeing how awful of a father you've been to Sunset, I'd rather raise her on my own than let her be exposed to any more of your toxic behavior."
"Alright, fine." Sunspot rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault Sunset was too dumb to tell either of us about this, or at least let us know before she made that decision to drop out!"
"Let's be honest now." Solstice said, sharply. "You wouldn't have even cared if she did tell us about the bully, as much as you would, her getting a 101% on the SAT."
"You know what, you're right, I wouldn't have cared." Sunspot teased. "There, I said it, you happy now? I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning with the divorce papers, maybe I'll go on to raise a son with a new woman who actually understands financial value! Have a good life, Solstice."
Sunspot walked out the door without an ounce of hesitation, as Human Sunset began weeping. Now she had not only lost her future and education, but even her own father too. The words spoken by him even stuck to Human Sunset's heart like glue, in that she realized he had a point as far as being dumb and weak. She likely had many options to deal with Indigo Zap, but simply let the bully bleed her dry for two straight months. Then again, it seemed as if retaliation wouldn't have been an option regardless, as she had learned recently that Indigo's family was rich. This was an incentive for Cinch to always take her side, and would've allowed Indigo to afford great lawyers. This once again made Human Sunset heavily regret not making any friends during her freshman year, as any friend might've been able to vouch for or protect her.
Better yet, if she had accepted Sugarcoat's initial offer in becoming friends at the beginning of the year, would things have played out differently? Given how ruthless Indigo ended up being, along with how morally corrupt and uncaring the principal was, Human Sunset contemplated if making friends at Crystal Prep Academy would've been a waste regardless, especially with what she had to endure every single day. When she was constantly getting bullied by Indigo in her own time, nobody nearby ever stood up for her or tried to pick her up off the ground. They either didn't care about her, or were afraid Indigo's family might sue them as well, had they decided to intervene. After deliberating for a bit, she didn't care anymore, and was just glad she had finally escaped that prison that dared call itself a prestigious school.
Human Sunset walked up to Solstice and hugged her, still heartbroken that she was now likely going to spend the rest of her youth without a dad. Regardless, she was eternally grateful that her mother still stuck by her side, as it always seemed clear that she was the more understanding and reasonable parent, despite having to work long hours every day. Although Human Sunset was in some ways relieved that her father was gone, and that she no longer had to be at the mercy of his expectations, she still felt as if she had failed the family, since she knew getting into a good college would've completely changed this life of poverty for sure.
As for being weak enough to fall to a bully, no, she would not let this stand any longer. Once a shy and nerdy social outcast, it used to make her an easy target. With the pain in her heart over her father abandoning the family, the emotional struggles and anger over losing practically everything built up inside. Even if she was going to have to scrub toilets and live off of food stamps for the rest of her life, it didn't matter anymore. She believed in seeking vengeance against those students and the principal for all their wrongdoings, as it was time to finally reinvent herself. She wanted to make her appearance stand out and ensure anyone who saw her would immediately know she's not somebody to be messed with. The time had come for the city of Canterlot to never forget the name 'Sunset Shimmer', as 'Sunny S.' was now forever gone.