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// 09 - Less Awesome But Still Cool 
// Story: Stop asking QUESTIONS! (also, why are you acting so weird right now?) 
// by Cxcd 
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Today had turned out to be a beautiful day in Canterlot High. Compared to the blistering cold of the summer sun a little over an hour ago, the ball of plasma had risen above the landscape and warmed the school considerably. The teachers had long ago started opening up their windows, posters in the hallways dancing and fluttering in the wind as the warm sun demanded to be let in.
And let in it had been. The school seemed to radiate that specific pale blue color that peaceful summer days seemed to do sometimes. To a certain orange-haired girl at her locker, it simply reminded her of home. A place far, far away that had the luxury of weather being absolutely perfect. Humans hadn’t quite figured out how to make weather perfect yet, however, so these days were far and few between. The humans had quite simply learned to pray to whatever higher being they believed in for a day like today.
Said girl drummed her fingers through her locker, plucking across her multiple binders until her hands paused at the correct blue binder. She gripped the top with two loose fingers, pulling it out like a library book, and tucking it into the crook of her elbow. She paused her gathering to take a quick look at herself in the mirror of the locker, taking a moment to push a lock of fire red hair out of her eyes. She had forgone her usual leather jacket for a simple orange shirt with her former Cutiemark printed on the front.With a smile she flicked the locker closed, turning to look at the bustling students in the hallways of Canterlot High.
Her name was Sunset Shimmer. Former Unicorn of Equestria, former protege of Princess Celestia, and current holder of several committed war crimes upon said Equestria.
Okay… maybe war crimes is a little too far. But she was definitely a felon who somewhat fled and was somewhat banished. The details didn’t matter to her, though.
Actually, most of her earlier years didn’t matter to her anymore. That was her old life, and it had been a number of years since. This was her new life. Full of energy, friends, hope, and aspirations. Even the collective student body had, for the most part, forgiven her for her, let’s call it, personality during her earlier years.
The bell had five minutes on the clock, which was more than enough time to get to her classes. She watched as students filed by her, most of them in their own worlds, a few of them with earbuds in and an iPod hidden away in one of their jean pockets. Sunset tapped her binder idly, turning, and began walking down towards her class, flowing with the student body and blending in.
There, coming down the crowded hall in the opposite direction, was a familiar girl. A young, short, and purple-haired girl she knew well as Fluttershy’s sister, Middlemist. Except she looked crestfallen, her eyes diverted to the floor and binder wrapped tightly to her chest, held by her crossed arms. Although Sunset and Misty weren’t exactly ‘friends,’Misty was still fun to play against whenever she and her friends went over to Fluttershy’s house for a sleepover. She felt a strange pang of pain for the younger girl, knowing the feeling of being sad all too well, especially in her formative years. Human or pony, sad was still sad.
Sunset quickly looked around for any passerbyers that she might bump into by accident as she switched directions, now paralleling Misty in footsteps. Misty still held her gaze fixed directly down, not even noticing Sunset joining by walking next to her. Sunset’s features diverted down into a frown out of concern.
“Hey, Misty?” Sunset asked. Misty let out a little startled jump, looking up to the senior, her eyes going wide with faint recognition. “What’s wrong?” Misty let out a faint grumble, looking back down at her feet and adjusting the binder in her grip. “Did you finish your homework?”
“I’m fine, Sunset.” Misty responded below a whisper.
“Are you sure?” Sunset asked, dodging a non-movable group of gossiping girls who apparently had the need to take up half of the hall. “Fluttershy wouldn’t want you to be sad. Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She asked again, her voice oozing with genuine sympathy.
“I’m fine!” She said angrily, shoving past a boy twice her height in rage. Sunset felt her blood run cold as the muscular boy looked back. Thankfully, only shooting them an angry expression as he continued walking in the opposite direction.
“You’re obviously not fine.” Sunset said, her voice edging dangerously. Misty’s frown deepened. “That guy could beat both of us into a pulp, and you shoved him out of the way? C’mon.”
“I’m-” Misty puffed her cheeks, clenching her fist on her binder. She looked around the hall.
“Do you want to talk privately?”
“Fine. Follow me.” She said, rolling her eyes and slipping into the girl’s bathroom. Sunset followed into the tiled room, thankfully finding the rows of stalls completely empty, and even more thankfully, non present of any foul smells.
“Is this enough privacy for you?” Sunset asked, eyeing the entrance for any intruders. “Spill it.”
“Have you ever felt ignored?” Misty asked, leaning against the wall of one of the many black stalls.Sunset looked surprised, letting her binder fall limp to her side as she racked her memory.
“There have been… times.” She answered slowly. “I used to have a teacher. Really great teacher, but… no matter how well I performed, she never really noticed me. I guess I’ve felt ignored before.” Sunset leaned back onto the counter of sinks, resting her binder and crossing her arms. “Why do you feel ignored?”
“Pinkie.” She said. Sunset, once again, was taken by surprise.
“Pinkie?” Sunset asked. “What did Pinkie do to you?” Misty looked to the ground, kicking her shoe against the tile.
“Pinkie didn’t know who I was.” She said quietly. Sunset felt confusion build in her head as she mulled it over.
“...Pinkie didn’t know who you were?” Sunset asked. “Are we talking about the same Pinkie that knows everybody’s birthdays like the back of her hand?”
“Yes!” Misty shouted. “The same! She didn’t understand why I knew Fluttershy, so I told her I was her sister! She acted like she’d never seen me before in her life!” Sunset furrowed her brows, tapping her chin.
“Are you sure she wasn’t joking?” She said. “Maybe her and Rainbow are pulling pranks again?”
“Then why didn’t she tell me after I got upset?” Misty countered. “Why didn’t she tell me it was a prank when the bell rang? Why didn’t she-” Misty burrowed her face into her hands, still holding her binder in one of them, only if just. “I don’t know, man.” She looked through her fingers. “Do you know me?”
“Know you?” Sunset asked. “Of course I do. Misty. Fluttershy’s little sister.”
“Mhm-kay.” She removed her hands from her face, pulling her shirt down slightly and readjusting the binder into the crook of her arm, much like Sunset had been doing earlier. “I guess Pinkie just… really rubbed me the wrong way, I guess.”
“Huh. That’s not like her. I wouldn’t think she would go for sore spots like that.” Sunset hummed. “Do you want me to talk to her?”
“Maybe?” Misty shrugged. “Maybe I should just talk to her myself…”
“Are you up for that?”
“I guess…” She sighed. “I’m scared I might yell at her, or something. Maybe she thought I was somebody else…”
“I’m sure Pinkie didn’t mean it.” Sunset pushed herself off of the counter, grabbing her binder from the counter. “And I don’t think she forgot who you are. We have to get to class, so…”
“Right.” Misty similarly pushed herself off of the stall wall, walking in parallel with Sunset. “So- who’s talking with who?”
“I’ll talk with Pinkie. If it was a prank, I’ll get her to apologize.” Sunset reassured, stopping in the door frame to the bathroom and looking both ways down the hall. “See you around?” She asked.
“Yeah. See you.” Misty nodded. Sunset held up a fist, and with a little bump from Misty, she departed, entering the endless stream of students.
Sunset felt her shoulders droop as she watched Misty disappear. Pinkie taking a joke too far? That’s not like her at all. Usually, it would be Rainbow taking a joke too far. Misty and Sunset didn’t know each other very well, but Sunset still didn’t like seeing her down like that. It reminded her too much of Scootaloo, Sweetie-Belle or Apple Bloom being sad.
To be fair, she didn’t know them very well, either. All things considered, she might actually know Misty the best out of the four of them. Especially after the Fall Formal disaster that ended in the front of the school being nothing more than a smoking hole full of rubble? Maybe it was just in the Shy family’s genes for forgiveness and second chances.
Sunset turned, and began rejoining the crowd.
“Oomph!”
	“Gah!”
Suddenly, it seemed like the world had flipped upside-down. Sunset found herself landing painfully on her bottom as a welt began swelling on her head. Her binder unceremoniously flipped through the air, landing and spilling papers across the floor. She closed her eyes tight, wincing as she applied pressure to her forehead.
“Aw, shoot, dude, I’m sorry!” She heard a distinct and familiar voice say through the pain. “I didn’t mean to- aw, I’m so sorry! Here, let me help!”
Sunset slowly opened her eyes, blinking the blurry back into focus. On her hands and knees in front of her, the crowd going around the duo, was Rainbow Dash. Her clothes looked a tad bit too baggy for her style, and her nose looked a painful red, like it had been recently hurt. Sunset blinked again, putting both her hands on the ground and began also gathering the papers.
“Hi, Dash.” Sunset said, picking up her geometry notes. “What are you doing way over here?”
“Huh?” She asked, a paper failing to be picked up by her fingers. “What’cha mean?”
“Isn’t Mr. Doodle’s class on the other side of the school?” She asked, looking up at the clock hung on the pale walls. “You have two minutes. You gotta go.”
“Mr. Doodle?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side as she gathered the last of the papers. “Like- the donkey?”
“The donkey?”
“The donkey.” Dash held out the papers, and Sunset took them, filing them away in her blue binder. When Sunset looked back up, however, she noticed something… unnerving.
Dash’s eyes had gone foggy as she stared directly into Sunset’s. Her usually violet eyes gave way for something almost sinister. Sunset almost wanted to get back onto her feet right there and then as Dash’s face went emotionless.
Then, finally…
“You’re Sunset Shimmer!” Dash exclaimed. Sunset watched as she quickly got back to her feet, wiping away the floor dust from her baggy pants.
“...What?”
“Nice to meet- or- see you! Again!” Dash extended her hand forcefully. Sunset stared idly for a moment before agreeing to be picked up with a forceful yank. Her arm nearly disconnected from her socket as she found a new and unfamiliar sight…
“Am I… taller than you?”
“Listen… friend.” She said with a forced smile, ignoring her comment. “I need help. I have no idea what I’m doing.” She pulled out of her jeans pocket a folded up note, thrusting it towards Sunset. She stared for a moment longer, before unfolding it and staring down.
“’Schedule by the Awesome Rainbow Dash for the…’” Sunset squinted her eyes. “’Less Awesome But Still Pretty Cool Rainbow Dash Two?’” Sunset looked up, her jaw working for an explanation. “W-What?”
“That… bastard.” Rainbow cussed under her breath. “Can you tell me where my third hour is?”
“Third…” She looked back down. “Like I said. Mr. Doodle’s room, four-eleven.”
“Got it, thanks!” She beamed, taking the note back from Sunset’s hands. She turned away and began practically skipping down the hall towards an unknown direction. “Thanks, Sunny! I’ll see ya’ at lunch!” She shouted down the hall.
Sunset stared slack-jawed, her fingers still extended to where the note would’ve once been.
“...What?”
Then, the bell rang.
“Shit!” She cussed, quickly taking off towards her classroom. She had questions, that much was for sure.