Breakfast was uneventful besides her parents noticing her cuts and Rarity giving the bullshit excuse that it happened when we got into the accident, me and Rarity were now on our way to school and she looked nervous. I really wanted to ask her what was wrong but the presence of her mother dissuaded me from opening my mouth just yet.
"Sunset."
I look over at her and tilt my head to the side, looking at her expectantly and waiting for her to continue.
"How are you feeling about going back to school?"
"I don't really want to go back and I'd prefer if I could rest a little more, but c'est la vie."
"I'm sure principal Celestia and vice-principal Luna would be able to help us with adjusting darling."
"Yeah.." I look out the window and I spot the large building in the distance, I stifle a nervous sigh. I don't want to go back just yet, I'm still very sore and I worry about someone finding Rarity's obvious self-harm cuts.
"Is something wrong girls?" Her mother speaks up, causing us both to tense up and causing me some pretty awful pain in my still unbelievably sore muscles.
"No mother, we're just a little uncertain on how we're going to complete our work on time."
"Alright, I'm sure you girls will be helped and you'll get your work done on time or maybe even earlier than expected!"
I glance over at Rarity nervously and it wouldn't take a genius to see that she's shaking more intensely the closer we get to the school.
I frown and scoot as close to her as the seatbelt across my lap and shoulders would allow me to. The car stops and we get out, I look out the window and I see the base of the Wondercolt statue rippling and glowing, is Twilight coming through?
"Is the-"
"Yes."
"Who'd you think is coming through?"
"I'd suppose Twilight, who else would be able to go through? As far as I'm aware there's only one Twilight in our two connected worlds."
"She's likely very worried about you darling."
I sigh, this wasn't going to be much fun. "I know. I told her about everything.."
I unbuckle the seatbelt and struggle to open the car door, but once I'm out I immediately jog over to the portal and wait for Twilight to fully come through, Rarity joins me shortly and we're standing in front of the statue when princess Celestia comes through instead of Twilight, I stand there slack jawed while the princess is on her hands and knees trying to figure out what to do. "I- Princess- Wh- Huh?"
She looks up to me and smiles sheepishly, she clearly needs assistance standing so I move over and hold out my hand to help her up despite me not likely being able to be much of much help. "Here, it takes a while getting used to it, so I figure you'd need help getting up until you got the hang of it."
The princess nods and holds her left hand out to grab mine, however she spots her own to her, very foreign, digits and scrambles backwards with a startled yelp.
I flinch and jump back out of instinct before I quickly gather that she's just freaked out by the weird ass sausages on the stumps that should be her forehooves and not going apeshit on me. "W-What is this?"
"Hands." I say gently, I remember my first hours in the human world being utterly pants shitting terrifying mainly due to my alien body and me not having a damned clue what it was. "Those are hands, your back hooves are called feet. You're what's called a human in this world, just like the rest of us who reside here."
Celestia opens her mouth to speak but ends up closing it, repeating the process a couple times as I tell she's struggling to find the words to speak. She attempts standing up again, using her hands to try to push herself onto her feet, it takes a few tries but she eventually does stand and takes a look around to gauge her surroundings. "This place is.. Unique. Is this your school?"
"Mhm, me and Rarity were sitting in the parking lot when we saw the portal ripple so I thought Twilight was coming to visit, to our surprise it was you. Not that I'm upset you're visiting I just didn't think that-"
The princess chuckles and lifts her hand up in front of her face, wiggling her fingers and clapping a couple times, just figuring out what her new body was capable of. It was strangely adorable to see an incredibly ancient mare have such a childlike curiosity. "I understand what you mean Sunset, I'm usually not one to travel to other dimensions. I had come to visit you and hopefully be able to talk, I'd heard about what had happened and once news that Twilight had opened the portal and was now able to at will I didn't hesitate to come."
"I- Huhhhh?"
I turn my head to the side to catch sight of Rarity's mouth hanging open in shock, a chuckle escapes me despite my best efforts and the split second decision is made to introduce her to the princess from Equestria, or as Rainbow Dash liked to call it, the 'Alien horse world'. "Rarity, this is princess Celestia. Princess, this is Rarity- Human Rarity."
"Hello Rarity, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Y-Your majesty, it's an honor!" My pale fashionista friend does her best to bow, it looked super strange given how she was awkwardly trying to move without further injuring herself.
"You don't need to bow, I'm sure I don't have power in a world I do not inhabit nor a country I do not hold any power in."
Rarity nods and ceases her awkward and rather painful looking bow. "I'll leave you so you're able to talk to Sunset without distraction, however I don't mean to rush you your majesty but school starts in half an hour."
Princess Celestia gives my friend a gentle, motherly smile. She always did care for everyone she met and I'm glad to see it applies to my human friends as well. "Of course, I don't think we'll take that long, but if we do I'll go speak to your principal and have Sunset's absence excused."
She nods and starts walking towards the main entrance, leaving me and my former mentor alone in front of the portal to have a heart-to-heart.
"Sunset."
I'm almost afraid to look her in the eye, I've done so many cruel things to her that it always breaks my heart remembering how awful I was to the one who was only trying to help guide me to a bright future.
Fuck, I even said I was glad her sister was on the moon and I hoped she stayed there, but now is my chance to apologize to the mare I've hurt the most and if I don't seize the opportunity then I may never have another chance like this.
I take a deep breath and meet her gaze, she looks tired, not physically tired but more of an exhaustion that'd be there after living for so long. "I've missed you, Sunset Shimmer. I'm so glad to see you're doing relatively well."
"I'm.. I'm so sorry princess. I was so evil, so cruel to you and everyone who was just trying to help me."
She takes a wobbly step towards me, and then another, and another, soon enough she's wrapped me in an embrace. "It's alright, I'm glad you're alive and that your dark thoughts weren't able to claim your life. I'm so proud of you, you've grown into a kind young mare and I'm proud of how far you've come."
"I.." I can't form the words I want to communicate, tears are now freely flowing so instead of trying to speak and end up sounding like a dying cat I do my best to hug her back with my one uninjured arm, I missed her so much. I missed her so so much. "I missed you so much princess."
I hear a sniffle, she was evidently getting just as emotional as I was. She lets go, wipes her teary eyes with her sleeve, and takes a few wobbly steps back, nearly tripping over her own gown twice.
Wearing heels wasn't likely helping her learn how to walk, but she seems to be getting the hang of it. "I don't want to keep you from getting an education, and by the looks of it school will be in session soon."
"I know, I don't really want to go.. I'm still not fully recovered and I don't- I don't know, I just don't want to go today."
I start walking towards the entrance, princess Celestia following me. I make sure to move slowly so she would be able to keep up with me but holy shit I had to go slow.
She hums in response, taking a couple agonizing moments to speak. "What happened that you're so injured? I don't believe a fall from a great height would do something like that, your injuries would be more severe."
"Well.. I got into an accident, did princess Luna tell you what a car is?"
"A mechanical, metal carriage, right?"
"Mhm. I was in Rarity's car with her when we got hit from my side, I thought we were going to die but we ended up in the hospital for a couple days." I chuckle and continue. "Fluttershy had apparently visited, Rarity had woken up but I was still out, from what Rarity told me Fluttershy was very worried."
Celestia frowns and puts her hand on my shoulder, to comfort or to stay upright and use me for support I had no clue, either way she put her hand on my shoulder. "Oh goodness Sunset, even in Equestria cart crashes never result in injuries so severe. I'm very relieved you and Rarity are okay. But if I may, I do have a question."
"Hm?"
"Why are you attending school if you're not recovered, aren't you worried that you'll make your injuries worse?"
"I'm legally required to go, principal Celestia has given me and Rarity as much time off as she could, but there's not much she could do in this situation."
"Hm, my counterpart is a principal here?"
I nod, princess and principal, very different jobs but still important nonetheless. "Mhm, and then there's vice principal Luna. They've done the best they can but laws, the school board, and a lack of funding often keeps them from doing more."
We're at the front door when she replies. "Is that why they didn't help you when your friends turned their backs on you?"
"I.. Don't know. Maybe?"
She hums in disapproval, balling her hand that isn't on my shoulder into a fist and attempting to push the door open with it. She fails. Bad.
It takes everything within me not to bust out laughing, it would be rude to laugh at someone who's not used to being a human. "Here. You have to un-ball your fist and wrap your fingers around the handle, like this, watch." I demonstrate how to open the door, I let go of the handle and I step back to let her try. She is a quick learner because on the second attempt she opened the door and stepped inside.
"Thank you Sunset, I'll most likely need your help learning how to do some things because I'm not used to this strange body."
"I'll be here. I'm going to be late for class though.."
"I don't think you will, I'm going to request a meeting with your principal and if you come with me then perhaps you'll be excused."
My breath hitches, the meeting could go horribly if one Celestia blames the other for what happened. If I go then maybe I could stop things from going south? "Okay, I'm curious as to how you two meeting would go anyhow."
"Yoooo! Is that the principal?" A boy calls out and interrupts our conversation, I don't think I thought this through, but it's not like they aren't aware of Equestria so I hope they'll make the connection soon enough.
Me and princess Celestia both look up to see that the student populace in the atrium are now standing and watching us while whispering amongst themselves, I hear her clearing her throat so I look over to her and notice that she's putting on the 'royal mask'.
"Sunset, would you kindly lead me to the principal's office?" She leaned over and whispered, I could tell she wasn't too comfortable with being stared at by a bunch of teenagers.
I 'mhm' and motion for her to follow, I'm going as fast as I could while still attempting to remain at a speed that the good princess is able to follow without stumbling and falling flat on her face. I powerwalk to the main office and enter it, holding the door open so Celestia could quickly come in.
"Thank you." Princess Celestia says quietly as she enters, it's clear she's uncomfortable and I don't blame her, getting used to being a human is one thing, but it's almost impossible to get used to boys staring at you.
"Oh! Hello Sunset, good morning, are you here for the nu- Whatintheworld?"
My attention immediately shifts to miss Inkwell, again, I really didn't think this through. "Oh, hi uhm.. I'd like to see principal Celestia if it's okay. Princess Celestia would like to meet her."
The shocked expression on miss Inkwell's face never dwindles as she motions for us to go right ahead, I turn to the princess and smile before starting down the hallway to principal Celestia's office.
I'm internally praying to any higher power that things go well and it doesn't end up turning into a fight. As I approach the door I conclude my silent prayers and raise my fist to knock.
I really really hope things go well.