//------------------------------//
// The Start Of Something New 
// Story: Shimmering On 
// by DerpyStarlet 
//------------------------------//

	“Argh!” I open my eyes to the blinding light of morning. I wipe the sleep out of my eyes and look around to see my room. My thoughts fly back to yesterday and I groan in aggravation, thoughts of my folly just serve to sour my mood. Then again, my mood was never very bright. Insult to injury I guess. I heave myself out of bed and into the day, I have a lot to do.

I look at my clothes, they’re the same clothes from yesterday. They’re pretty dirty and torn up, but I have little else to wear. I’m running low on cleaning supplies anyhow, I need to pick some up today. I take off my current clothes and throw them in a corner to be washed later, then I turn to my dresser for another outfit. I look through it and almost decide on an identical outfit, but I can’t bring myself to wear it right now. The last thing I want is for someone to recognize me immediately based on clothes alone.

I look through the dresser and find some simple black jeans and a simple black shirt. I throw them on and grab a red hoodie off the chair at my study desk. I slip it over my head and look in the mirror, it’s decent. It’s the only jacket I’m willing to wear, my leather jacket is torn and battered, and the other two I want nothing to do with. One is pink and the other was given to me by Flash, I’d rather wear nothing than be seen wearing either of them. I don’t know why I haven’t bothered throwing either of them out yet.

I let them continue to gather dust on the coat rack and turn to the door. I walk downstairs to the kitchen and grab a box of cereal. I look in the cupboard and stomp my foot in aggravation, it’s empty. I turn to the sink and see the growing pile of dishes. I look at it, deciding if I’ll actually clean them. I sigh and move to the sink, I get started on cleaning the dishes.

Once I get all the dishes cleaned and put away I snag a bowl and carry it over to the table. I finally pour the cereal and put it away. I open the fridge and let out a groan of agitation, there’s no milk. Is nothing going my way? I turn sourly to the utensil drawer and snag a spoon. I eat my bowl of dry cereal in contempt, all the while listing things in my head I have to pick up from the store. I finish off the cereal and wash it down with a glass of water, I set the dirty dishes in the sink and make a mental note to wash those once I get more dish soap. I take a last look around the kitchen and see if there’s anything I was forgetting. I look inside the cabinet, I need to get more bread and peanut butter. I look in the fridge, along with milk I need to grab more water and lettuce. I make sure that there is always enough water for dishes, laundry, showers, and drinking.

I swing by the room where I keep the generator and check it’s fluids. Thankfully, it’s got plenty of fluids to last two months or so. I run upstairs and check the bathroom, I’m running low on hand soap. I sprint into my room and grab my wallet, I stuff it into the pocket of my hoodie. I swing into the kitchen and make sure there’s plenty of ice in the fridge, then I move back to the generator room and flip the generator off. With everything taken care of, I start to the door. I realize at the last second that I didn’t even check how I’m looking, I hurry up to the bathroom. I quickly brush my hair, but I skip the makeup today. I look into the mirror, it’s not a very pretty sight.

Despite the quick brushing, my hair is looking pretty dirty and is sticking out in various places. I could use a shower, but I don’t have time right now. I have to go to the store and get all my groceries, I’ll just have to deal with looking a little dirty and ashy. I flip my hood up and head out the door. I make sure that I lock it and start towards the nearest convenience store, it’s quite a ways away. While I make my way slowly I think about the events of yesterday, It just makes me sad. I’ve stopped being angry and now I just feel sad for myself, how could I have stooped this low?

I was living decently, it was less than honest, but it was decent. I had the school in my palm and everything worked out, now I don’t know what to do. Do I just wait a whole thirty moons so I can return? What then? What do I do in the mean time? I have to keep going to school or else people are going to start looking for me. I can’t move away from the portal, that wouldn’t help me in the slightest. What about those girls? They surely aren’t going to give up anytime soon, do I try to avoid them? That isn’t likely, they’ll always find me. I need somewhere to start, some solid purpose. First things first, what don’t I have anymore that I’m going to need?

I don’t have an income, that’s the biggest thing. I used to get by with stealing lunch money and earning a few bits here and there a various amount of ways, but I don’t know if that will slide with what’s happened. I can’t really steal lunch money anymore, and I can’t risk stealing in general. I can still do odd jobs, but that’s not a definite source of money. I guess this means I’ll have to get, ugh… a job. I can’t believe it’s come to this, will I even be able to get a job without means of identification? Maybe I’ll be able to find a job without it, maybe… I still have funds for now, I’ll need to really check when I get too low.

I also need… what do I need? Not much else, I’ve got all the essentials. A roof above my head, Food for now, Clothes, and electricity. What more could a person want? ‘Power?’ I think to myself. Look what good that did me, I think I’ll pass on power for now. ‘Parents?’ I flinch as the thought comes up. That’s one of the sore spots of this whole dilemma, I don’t even know where my parents are or if their even alive. Wait, I still have to talk to Celestia. She still thinks that I accepted her offer, we both know that I meant to refuse it. I’ll tell her tomorrow at the school, she’s sure to make sure I help.

I look up to find that I’m only a block away from the store, I put the thoughts out of my mind and quicken my pace. I walk into the store and grab a basket, I get started on my shopping. I’m about halfway through my shopping when I hear a familiar voice coming from another aisle, I listen in on the conversation.

“I still have a genealogy project due by the time we get back from school, I need to find someone who’s good with that sort of stuff.” I hear Pinkie Pie say.

“Well I’m not the one you should be asking, I really only know my family,” Applejack says.

“Well… who do you think could help me? Someone really smart with good grades that knows their stuff…” Pinkie muses.

“What, like Sunset Shimmer? Good luck getting that gal to help,” Applejack scoffs.

“She’s the one, I need her help!” Pinkie says excitedly.

“What are ya’ gonna do, beg her?” Applejack asks incredulously.

“Oh Sunset would you please help me?” I hear Pinkie ask.

“Fine.” I slap a hand over my mouth, did I just say that?

“Sunset? Is that you?” I hear applejack ask.

“...No.” I answer stupidly.  I slap palm against my head at my stupidity, why did I even accept to help her. She wasn’t even talking to me, I could have just let them go. It’s almost like I was compelled by a supernatural force. I can’t believe that I accepted to help her. The two walk around the corner and I look at them in agitation.

“Sunset? Did you really mean that you’d help Pinkie?” Applejack asks.

“Yes,” I curse myself on the inside for continuously agreeing to things I don’t want to do.

“Well, that’s mighty nice of you,” Applejack says.

“Oh thank you so much Sunset!” Pinkie bounces in place.

“Ugh… whatever. But you owe me,” I finally growl, if I’m going to help her I’ll just take a favor. I can probably use that to my advantage later.

“So, when can we start working on it? Tomorrow?” Pinkie asks.

“I have to help with the rebuilding of the wall every other day,” I explain to her, “so, no.” I say with finality.

“Well then what about the day after,” Applejack suggests.

“Yeah, whatever. See you at the library I guess,” I turn back to my shopping aggravatedly, I’m getting sick of agreeing to things I don’t want to. At least this one isn’t a total waste, I should be able to use it to my advantage. While spending time with them is the last thing I want to do, I don’t have anything better to do.

“Well alright then Shimmer, we’ll see you later. Have a good day,” I hear Applejack say from behind me.

“Too late,” I mutter, but she doesn’t hear me. I continue to shop in peace with Pinkie and Applejack gone. Then I head to the checkout and pay for all of the groceries. I start towards home with my haul and my thoughts drift to the people I happened to bump into.

~~~~~~~

“That was mighty nice of Shimmer,” Applejack says.

“Yeah, it was!” Pinkie replies.

“Almost too nice,” Applejack muses.

“You can never be too nice!” Pinkie giggles in glee.

“You can be suspicious though, and looking at it… this sure is suspicious,” Applejack says decidedly.

“Why is it suspicious? Sunset just said that she’d help, what’s wrong with that?” Pinkie asks.

“That’s exactly the problem, since when is Sunset Shimmer eager to help anyone? She could have easily avoided this situation by just not speaking up, but she went out of her way to help you. She did seem a bit reluctant herself, but she still accepted. She’s just not the type of gal’ to help immediately out of the ‘kindness of her heart’. The only thing I can’t figure out is what she’s got to gain by helping you,” Applejack explains.

“Does she have to gain anything?” Pinkie asks.

“What do you mean? Sunset’s not the type of person to help without gain, she’s always looking for what will help her! She’s selfish by nature, people don’t change that fast!” Applejack says incredulously.

“Normal people don’t, but Sunset isn’t a normal person. She’s hardly a person, she’s more pony than anything. And Sunset isn’t a normal case anymore, not since yesterday. before it might have been hard to help her, but she was hit with pure harmony. The elements of harmony were powered by friendship, our friendship. She was wearing the crown and using it’s power, in a sort of harmony antithesis. We used our harmony and fixed her, which also required a lot of magic. You don’t think that maybe this magic had a little more effect towards her willing to be our friend?” Pinkie says sagely. Applejack has already stopped walking and is staring after Pinkie with her mouth hanging open, she didn’t expect to hear such an insightful thing from Pinkie.

“I… I… Uh… I guess,” Applejack says dumbly as she catches up to Pinkie. “So… what? You think that she’s helping because she feels compelled to?” Applejack asks.

“That would explain the reluctance. She’s still her own person, and she’s still prone to be the same old Sunset. But now she might also feel like helping more and stuff,” Pinkie shrugs.

“I guess that makes sense…” Applejack replies in defeat.

“Of course it does, who do you think you’re talking to?” Pinkie says with mock seriousness.

“Right, because that’s supposed to assure me?” Applejack jokes, the two girls laugh and continue on their way.

~~~~~~~

I close the door to my house and sigh in relief, finally I made it back to the solitude of my house. I place the grocery bags on the counter and head to the generator room. I flip it on and return to the kitchen to put away the groceries, once I’m done with the groceries I check the time. It’s around Ten and I don’t have anything important for today, so what do I do? I look around at the lack of things in my house and huff in aggravation, one thing I can’t stand is boredom. If I want to be not bored, then I’ll have to leave the house. I flip off the generator and head back outside, it’s a nice day. I lock the door and look around, I choose to go towards town. I had a rough day yesterday, I deserve a treat.

As I walk down the street I recognize multiple people, mostly students from canterlot high. As I continue down the streets, I start to notice the stares. Take that back, glares. Most of the people I recognize are glaring at me, I just try to ignore them and hide in my hoody. My attempts at ignoring the malice pointed at me fail as I continue to notice and acknowledge every hateful gaze aimed at me, or maybe it’s just my imagination. A second look and I see less looks of hate and more of fear. I see fear and contempt in everybody's eyes, and it makes me sick. An image of the students when I was that monster flashes before my eyes, when I look back all I see is weird looks being shot my way by people I don’t know.

I could have sworn all I saw was students, but now there are only strangers. I’ve definitely lost it, I’m crazy. No wonder I’m helping Pinkie Pie. I try once again to ignore all the stares, but I can’t help but feel like someone’s watching me, judging me. I continue to my destination without any more interruptions, I get to sugarcube corner and walk in. I realize that there are going to be lots of students from Canterlot here, but I figure I can handle them. I’m not going to let my insanity keep me from anywhere, even a place full of people who probably hate me. Or fear me, or both.

“Well, if it isn’t Sunset Shimmer,” I hear from a table, I look over to see Rainbow dash watching me with a judging glare. I just scowl at her and move to the counter, it’s empty at the moment. I ring the bell for someone to take my order.

“Just a minute,” I hear from the back room.

“So, I hear that you’re helping Pinkie with a project,” Rainbow says as she walks closer.

“I’m not in the mood, Dash.” I growl.

“It’s a simple question, are you?” She asks.

“I don’t know how you’d hear it otherwise,” I sneer.

“Well, you better not try anything Shimmer,” Rainbow says. “Everybody else seems to trust you, but I’m not buying it. I know you, and you don’t just help. Heck, you were ready to kill us yesterday, and sorry if I don’t respond nicely to the girl who would’ve murdered me had she the chance.” Rainbow says.

“Skip to the chase Dashie, I’m busy,” I huff. She looks at me indignantly but continues.

“If you do anything to any of my friends, I will be on you the moment I find out. Especially Fluttershy, if I find out you… She’s like a sister to me, and if you hurt her… You better watch yourself Shimmer,” Dash says.

“Whatever you say Superstar,” I wave her away, I’m not in the mood to deal with her. Rainbow dash growls in anger but turns away and back to her table, everyone else is staring at us. “What’re you looking at?!” I yell at them, they turn back to their conversations, but the volume has been reduced to a whisper.

“What can I get’cha?” I hear a cheery voice from the counter, I turn around to see Mrs. Cake waiting to take my order.

“I’ll have a chocolate milkshake,” I sigh tiredly.

“Alright, will that be it?” I nod and Mrs. Cake rings up my order. I pay for the milkshake and wait while she makes it, I continue to notice everyone’s curious stares. I just wish everyone would mind their own business, I turn and glare at the closest onlooker. I turn to every single onlooker and give them the same glare, except I stop on the last person. She’s not looking at me curiously, or with even a hint of fear. It looks more like interest, or something else that catches me off guard.

She takes an idle sip of her chocolate milkshake and I realize that I’m staring back. I give her a hard glare, but she doesn’t look away. Mrs. Cake gets my attention and hands me my milkshake, I turn back to where that girl was. She’s gone, I jump in surprise. I walk over to her table slowly, there's no sign of the girl. Except for a tiny slip of paper, I pick it up and unfold it.

You used to run amuck
Now you’re just so stuck
The power was irresistible
But you weren’t invincible
You tried to shine
But you failed this time
Now you’re left alone
It’s time to atone
With harmony you’ve been struck
I wish you good luck

I Look at the eerie poem with unease, I’m positive that I’ve never seen that girl before. Never, not even in Canterlot High. People leaving eerie poems, this is sounding like some cheesy horror. I’m sure it’s nothing, just some prankster that thinks it’s funny to make me feel uncomfortable. I’m sure that I will probably never have an encounter with her again, she’ll just be some other kid at Canterlot high that I never noticed.

I stuff the poem in my pocket and turn with my milkshake to the door. All eyes are on me as I open the door, I look back to find Rainbow Dash glaring at me. I give a huff of indifference and sidle out the door, I head back to my house. I’m walking down the street when I turn a corner and find myself in front of Carousel Boutique. I pass it, but then I have a feeling that I’m being watched. I turn to find myself face to face with Rarity.

“Gah!” I exclaim as I jump back a foot or two.

“Nice to see you Sunset!” Rarity cheers. I sigh and just turn away. “Hey! wait!” I find Rarity walking quickly to my side. “Where are you heading?” Rarity asks.

“Home.” I say simply, trying to avoid talking as much as I can.

“Home? Where might that be?” Rarity asks.

“Just down the street, take a left, continue till you get to the old beat up house, take a right, then down that street until you see another old beat up house.” I slap a hand over my mouth as I finish, why did I tell her that?

“You live in an old beat up house?” Rarity asks.

“Yes,” I curse myself inside for continually answering.

“Why don’t you ever fix it up?” Rarity asks incredulously.

“Because if I do then people are going to notice and not think it’s so abandoned,” I answer icily, I pick up the pace.

“Abandoned?! How could your parents let you live in an Abandoned house?” Rarity asks, shocked.

“They don’t,” I seethe.

“They don’t?” Rarity looks to me with confusion.

“No!” I snap.

“Then why is that you’re house?” Rarity looks to me in confusion.

“Because it’s all I have!” I stop at hearing myself admit my own troubles.

“All you have? What about your parents? You have them, right?” Rarity asks with fear of the answer.

“No! I don’t! Now stop asking me questions!” I stomp off, but Rarity doesn’t relent.

“You don’t have your parents? Who looks after you?” Rarity asks incredulously, she looks at me with pity.

“No one, I look after myself.” I growl as I find it impossible not to answer. “Stop probing! Butt out, I don’t want you to gossip all about me to your little friends. I don’t want you to even know this much about me! I don’t want anyone to know this much about me!” I spit the venomous words at her in anger.

“Then why did you tell me?” Rarity looks at me in confusion.

“I don’t know!” I stomp off and this time Rarity doesn’t follow. I seethe the whole way back home, I can’t believe I told Rarity all of that. When I get home I slam the door and throw a fist against the wall. There’s a loud thud and my fist is throbbing in pain, but it makes me feel the tiniest bit better.

“Why can’t I stop telling them things?!” I yell to myself, I thrust my hands into my jacket pockets angrily and start to the stairs. I feel a piece of paper in my grip and pull it out, it’s the eerie poem. I re-read it and one line sticks out to me. With harmony you’ve been struck. The elements of harmony, magic. My thoughts flash to what I learned about magic.

~~~~~~~

“Now Sunset can you tell me how magic works?” Celestia asks.

“Magic flows through all living things and is saturated into all of equestria’s beings, as well as the other countries. The magic manifests through connections, the most powerful magic is the magic of harmony.” I recite.

“Good, now can you tell me how you think an empowering spell would work? A spell to give a unicorn greater strength,” Celestia asks me, I think on it.

“Well… The spell would turn your natural magic into a different type of power.” I decide.

“Almost, the spell uses your natural magic to enhance your muscle  and bone structure to give you more power. The natural magic is saturated throughout your entire body, so it can influence and enhance just about anything you can think. Some parts, such as your will, would require an immense amount of power to enhance. Even I do not have the power to change a ponies will, not that I would want to,” Celestia assures me.

“Could a spell enhance my brain?” I ask excitedly. Celestia chuckles and turns to me with a smile.

“Well, yes. But that would be difficult as well, you’re not quite there yet,” Celestia messes my mane with her hoof and continues on with the lesson.

~~~~~~~

“No… It couldn’t be. Are the elements that powerful? No, they couldn’t!” I gasp as my mind pieces it together. The elements are a magical force much more powerful than Celestia, somehow. I have to help, and tell the truth because of the elements of harmony. If the elements are that powerful, then that means that they must have left a powerful mark. That’s why they can still influence me into doing these things. I need to figure this all out, I need to figure out how to get my will back under solely my influence.

“Argh! Another parting present from Sparkle,” I seethe as I ruefully walk upstairs, I can’t believe that everything’s this bad. I’m literally being forced into being friendly by Twilight’s stupid crown, all because Twilight can’t keep her nose out of my business. I enter my room and flop onto my bed. It’s not that late, but I could use a quick nap. I turn off the light and let my eyes close, I drift off to sleep quickly with thoughts of Twilight Sparkle and magic.