//------------------------------// // Sunday Dec 18 a // Story: A Past Returned // by TacoTues4Eva //------------------------------// Hay Lin couldn’t believe she forgot her math homework so was stuck scrambling to complete it a second time, or as much of it she could before the bell rang. Her mom was going to kill her if the principal called her again over failing to turn in assignments as she had lost so many lately because of Nerissa or her pets attacking at the worst times. It just sucked to know that the one time she managed to make it to school unharassed her missing homework was her own fault for forgetting it. She managed to finished it just as the bell rang making her look up from her work with a sigh of relief and look around. Something felt off to her as she looked around the room as everyone was there though a lot quieter than usual. A part of her wanted to say too quiet but that would just be silly as she looked up at the teacher as she entered the room along with a girl with a black shirt and frog on the front, a fuchsia zip-up hoodie and beige cargo pants. She had hazel eyes and chin length red hair and a face that was impossible for Hay Lin to mistake as she gasped out, “Will!” “Good morning class, we have a new student joining us today. Would you like to introduce yourself, Ms. Shimmer?” The teacher said as she motioned toward the new girl. “Sure, hello everyone, my name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m a unicorn and I was once the student of the Princess of Equestria who many idiots liked to call Goddess of the Sun. During my time there I was the top student at Celestia’s School of Giften Unicorns according to the Princess despite the idiot nobles claiming some stuck up little prince was.” The girl who looked like Will said before grumbling under her breath, “Stupid flank kissers.” “Wonderful Ms. Shimmer, it will be exciting to have such a prestigious young woman as yourself joining our fine institution” The teacher said earning a blush from girl who shook her head. “Please don’t, as I said I once was, now I just want to live a normal life away from all of that with all of you.” Sunset said with a beaming smile as she looked over the class who murmured in excitement yet nobody seemed to realize who she was. How could nobody but Hay Lin recognize Will? “And modest too, such a remarkable young woman. If you would please take the empty seat next to Hay Lin we can begin class. Does everyone have their homework?” The teacher said making Hay Lin sigh in relief since she had just barely managed to get the assignment done for a second time. Looking down her blood ran cold when the paper she just completed was sitting there blank. “What’s wrong Hay Lin, guardian’s got your tongue?” The teacher asked making Hay Lin look up to see a grinning Nerissa before everything went dark. Hay Lin struggled for several moments as she felt fabric around her which must have been a bag one of the hag’s knights must have thrown over her. Instead she managed to throw it off realizing they were her blankets and she was in the dark of her room as she looked around and saw the dark shadows of the familiar furniture and items strewn about her bedroom. It only took a few moments to conclude that she must have been dreaming. “When I say I want to dream more about unicorns, that wasn’t what I meant.” Hay Lin groaned falling back onto her mattress from her sitting position. The dream could have been a vision as she did get them from time to time. She highly doubted that though as while her visions didn’t make sense they weren’t as outlandish as that was. It had to have been just a normal really weird dream. Sunset groaned as she sat up, her head was throbbing a little as she tried to remember the day before. Everything was so blurry, she remembered going with Fluttershy to help at a pet store then everything else seemed so surreal. Was she really acting like that around some boy, even if he was rather hot in her opinion? And the very short battle, she wanted to blame that on a daydream or fantasy yet she knew it was real the more she thought about it driving the haze away bit by bit. Looking around her she was about to freak out waking up somewhere that wasn’t her own bed until she realized she was in Fluttershy’s guestroom. With the light coming in the window Sunset guessed it was early morning as she looked around until finding the wall clock confirming her theory. The sun must have just barely risen she guessed as she climbed out of bed. “Good morning dear, I’m glad to see you awake.” Posey said as she walked into the open door making Sunset give a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Flutershy. Sure yesterday was kind of nice, but it didn’t mean she was ready to be best friends with the girls again. “Why am I here?” Sunset asked fighting off a yawn as she stretched. “You passed out from exhaustion last night at the Silver Dragon. I knew you were tired, but not that tired. Are you feeling better now dear?” Posey asked giving the girl a once over and nodding as Sunset looked a lot more alert that yesterday. “I’m sorry for the trouble, I was lucky to get even an hours sleep the night before.” Sunset said as she tried to get a look around Posey. “Don’t worry dear, I sent Fluttershy to check on your pet for you and to do a few quick errands for me. She did get you a change of clothes last night that is on the dresser if you like to take a shower while I make some breakfast.” Posey said, “I want to talk to you about what you said at the restaurant last night while we eat.” “I’m sorry if I upset Fluttershy.” Sunset said wishing that what she was hoping a few moments ago was a dream as it was starting to become clear that it wasn’t. “This isn’t about Fluttershy, it’s about you. Sunset, I’m very worried about you and I won’t let this drop until we talk about it.” Posey said as she hugged the girl who after a few moments returned the hug. “I care about you Sunset and I do worry.” “Thanks Ms. Shy.” Sunset said. “Please, you know you can call me Posey. Now off with you, go get cleaned up while I make us some breakfast.” Posey said as they separated as she went to go get their food prepared, smiling as Sunset whispered a thank you as she grabbed her clothes. It didn’t take long for Sunset to join Posey at the table where the woman was eating a pancake with a plate of them was sitting across from her with some orange juice for Sunset. Taking her seat Sunset looked from the plate to Posey who was studying her with a curious expression. With a mumbled, “Thank you.” And a nod from Posey Sunset dug into her food. “Sunset, I’m worried about this woman who is claiming to be your mother.” Posey said as she put her fork down and taking a bit more serious of an expression. “I want you to be very careful around her as this could be a trick.” “I plan to be careful Ms. Sh-Posey, I don’t know if I want to take the risk of being hurt again.” Sunset sighed getting Posey to get up and come around to sit next to Sunset and hug her. “Sweetheart, I wish you weren’t in any kind of situation where you have to be hurt hoping to have a family. I want you to be careful in case this woman is some kind of, well.” Posey explained as she stumbled for words to say. “She isn’t some kind of trafficker and if she was somebody that wanted to hurt me like that I can take care of myself.” Sunset explained as she held up a hand and let a jolt of energy crackle across her fingers. “You have more magic?” Posey asked a little too excited as she pulled away from Sunset to watch the energy crackle in awe. She was probably the only parent who knew Sunset’s full story and believed her as the woman had claimed when they met that her older brother dated someone who was magical named Cassidy. “Yeah, my magic has been growing lately. Maybe I’ll even have my telekinesis back soon.” Sunset shrugged as she held out a hand and to her shock the pitcher of orange juice floated to her. “Looks like you do.” Posey said grinning before growing somber again. “Okay, I guess you can take care of yourself then. I guess I should play devil’s advocate now and ask what you plan to do about this woman. Do you plan to give her a chance?” “I don’t know, you know my history and why I refused to move here with you. I don’t want to be hurt again.” Sunset said softly. “I was hoping I would eventually wear you down and get you to accept us as family.” Posey sighed, she knew that she was close but what Fluttershy did during Anon-A-Miss had probably ruined any chance of that happening. “I appreciate it, but you know I would never have felt right about that after the way I treated Fluttershy after I came here.” Sunset sighed, “I want to give the woman a chance, I really do. I admit that my deepest wish is to have a mother, it always has been.” “Then I think you should really think about this. You can protect yourself as far as anything happening goes, I see that, so I think you should really think about listening to what this woman has to offer. Maybe give her a chance.” “What if she throws me away like everyone my whole life has done?” Sunset sniffles earning another hug from Posey. “The reward seems much greater than the risk, but in the end it is something that only you can decide. Just remember that you will never know unless you try.” Posey said giving Sunset a comforting squeeze. “Do you think she will be here, darling?” Rarity asked as Rainbow Dash and her entered the mall looking through the crowds ahead of them. Neither was looking forward to fighting the crowds ahead of them even if it would be worth it to see Sunset. They both knew how badly they messed up with the girl, but a part of them couldn’t help feeling like it was Sunset’s bully days all over again. Only now do they realize how stupid they had been by realizing Sunset had everything to lose with nothing to gain from all of this. “She usually works Sunday mornings at least to prepare for the church crowds and help with the rush.” Rainbow Dash explained ash she tried to keep her confidence up. She knew she had hurt Sunset badly with her words and not even giving her friend a chance. They were only human, teenagers and inexperienced in life. They weren’t excuses for the way they treated Sunset and Rainbow Dash would do anything to go back in time to fix things. It happened though and now they had to deal with the consequences of their actions and help heal the pain they caused a very dear friend. “Are we bad friends?” Rarity asked as they fought their way through the crowd. “I want to say no so bad Rare, but we are in some ways. We were stupid enough to fall for Sunset’s manipulations back then, so that was on us in a big way. Then we were stupid enough to keep her at arms length before the battle unsure if she was sincere. Then finally we accepted her and called her family and tossed her to the curb at the first sign of trouble. I’m so STUPID!” Rainbow Dash growled out. “No you aren’t stupid darling, stop letting that post get to you. We messed up, plain and simple. We learn from our mistakes and go forward trying our best not to repeat the mistakes we made and do our best to make it up to those we hurt.” Rarity said with conviction mixed with a sad tone. “There it is.” Rainbow Dash said as she tried to act as if she didn’t hear Rarity even if she agreed with her friend other than the stupid part, she believed what she did was stupid and was intent on fixing it. “Hey Rose, is Sunset here?” Rainbow Dash called out getting the pink skinned, red haired girl’s attention as she dropped a dish off to a customer at the front of the restraint. “Didn’t you here Rainbow, she fought for a reduced schedule during one of our busiest times then ignored several calls our boss made. Our boss is pissed and fired her, I don’t know if she got a hold of Sunset yet or not.” Rose explained making the world fall out from under Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “Why would she do that darling, she loved her job?” Rarity asked in shock. “She said something about needing the time to spend with her family.” Rose said, “Sorry girls, I can’t talke. We are slammed and I need to get back inside.” “With her family?” Rainbow Dash asked slowly. “She lost her job because of us.” Rarity slowly pieced together making her feel even more horrible than before. “This is bad Rarity, what do you do?” Rainbow Dash asked as she stumbled over to a bench and collapsed on it with Rarity following. “What can we do, darling?” Rarity asked in horror as both knew that this job was very important to Sunset. To think that the girl risked it to spend time with the slumber parties they set up only to fall into Anon-A-Miss’s manipulations was mind boggling and painful. “We screwed up even more than we thought.” Rainbow Dash groaned. It was a testament to how serious it was when Rarity didn’t admonish her for being crude. “Darling, we screwed up so bad I don’t know if we can fix it.” Rarity groaned as she rolled her head back.