“Pinkie Pie, get away from me!”
“C’mon, Dashie!”
“I said no!”
Sunset Shimmer sighed as she stood outside of the classroom door, her hand grasping the handle but frozen by the shouts and sounds of clattering from within. “Do I even want to know?” she asked herself as she opened the door. Inside, she found Rainbow Dash backed against a wall, her arms extended to keep Pinkie Pie and her puckered lips at bay. “… I don’t want to know.”
“Seems Pinkie Pie got a hold of the mistletoe while we were decoratin’ the classroom,” Applejack explained, handing Sunset a wreath. “Here, think y’could hang this outside for us?”
Sunset watched as Rarity approached the spectacle and swiftly snatched the mistletoe from Pinkie’s hand. “Oh, right. It’s ‘Christmas’ soon.” Sunset pondered on that thought as she turned around and hung the wreath up on the classroom door. She then gasped. “It’s Christmas soon!”
“Sure is!” Applejack said in an excited tone. “Every class is takin’ the day off ta decorate the school!” Applejack noticed Sunset’s bulky backpack. “Er, ya might’ve over-packed a bit for today…”
“Darn it!” Sunset shouted as she slung her backpack to the floor and sat down in a nearby chair, rubbing her forehead with a free hand. “I can’t believe I forgot after what happened last year.”
“What happened last year?” Fluttershy asked.
“I wasted an entire day, that’s what!” Sunset answered. “Climbing ladders, lifting heavy boxes, getting tangled up in lights, and catching frostbite because of someone’s snowball fight idea!” Sunset finished her list with a sharp glare at Rainbow Dash, who simply returned it with a smug grin.
“You’re just jealous ‘cause I won,” she said matter-of-factly.
“But we got the day off, remember?” Applejack said.
“Yeah, exactly!” Sunset replied. “I wasted an entire day doing all that, and didn’t even learn anything from it! What purpose is school if not to learn?”
“But it’s fun!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “We all get to pitch in together and make the school look great for Santa!”
“And it’s nice to see all of our hard work at the end of the day,” Rarity chimed in. “Not to mention the carols, the good will, the-”
“Yeah yeah yeah,” Sunset said as she checked her watch. “Look, I’m not doing this again this year. If anyone asks, I slipped on ice and banged my head.”
“Ye’re not gonna stay ta help?” Applejack asked.
“C’mon, Sunny!” Pinkie Pie pleaded. “It’s Christmas! Time of joy, and laughter, and laughing, joyfulness, and-”
“And a time of togetherness,” Rarity interjected.
“Maybe to you, but to me, it’s just another day of the year.” Sunset leaned down to pick up her backpack. “Only colder.”
“C’mon, don’t be a Scrooge!” Rainbow Dash shouted as Sunset turned to leave.
“Bah humbug,” Sunset replied in a sarcastic tone, shutting the door behind her as she left. “Honestly, I don’t have time for this…” Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The date reminded her that there were only five days left until Christmas Day. “I’ve got to find a present for her before it’s too late.”
As Sunset exited the school building, she slipped on the icy ground and landed on her behind, groaning in pain. “Darn you… karma…”
“What about this one?” Suri asked. She held up a pink jumper with a large, green Christmas tree embroidered into the middle of it. “Doesn’t it just scream ‘festive’?”
“A Christmas tree pattern is nice, but if it’s the spirit of Christmas that you’re after, then it has to be this holly leaf pattern,” Rarity replied, holding up a blue jumper with said pattern embroidered into the middle. “And look! It’s fifty percent off!”
“Well, why not get both?” Suri suggested as she took another copy of Rarity’s jumper from the rack. “Coco, take these to the counter and have them gift-wrapped! Chop chop!”
“Yes, Miss Suri,” Coco Pommel sighed as she took the two jumpers from her mentor, along with a fat purse.
“And get yourself something nice while you’re at it,” Suri added, bringing a beam of light to Coco’s face. “Something a dollar or less.”
Coco sighed once more. “Yes, Miss Suri.”
“Good kid, but she needs to stop sighing so much,” Suri said as she walked with Rarity towards the selection of cashmere tops. “So Rare-rare, what’s new at Canterlot High? I hope you’re taking good care of that trophy, because I’ll be taking it from you come spring.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find that my talent with the needle and thread has grown exponentially since our last encounter,” Rarity said in a smug tone. “You may be the best at Manehatten High, but at our dear Canterlot High, I am a goddess!” Rarity stopped as she spotted somebody familiar browsing through the cashmere section. “Oh, Sunset Shimmer.”
“Wait, Sunset Shimmer?” Suri asked. “The demon who took control of your classmates and tried to bring about one thousand years of darkness with her undead army?!”
“… I think that the rumours may be a tad exaggerated, though sadly, that is for the most part true.”
Sunset turned to her right and jumped at the sight of Rarity waving towards her. “W-What are you doing here?!”
“Me? A fashionista? In a clothing store?”
“Hey, Rarity?” Suri said, backing away slowly. “It’s been good catching up, but I, uh, just remembered that I left the cat on. I mean, I didn’t feed my oven. I mean- I-I gotta go!”
“Miss Suri,” Coco said upon her return, “They didn’t have any gif-”
Suri interrupted her apprentice by grabbing her arm as she ran past her, dragging the startled girl as they ran through the store. “Coco, new task! We need garlic, silverware, and crosses! Lots of crosses! Maybe some holy water!”
Rarity sighed and shook her head, turning red as many eyes turned towards her. After shaking off the embarrassment, she turned to Sunset Shimmer and asked, “What are you doing here? You never struck me as the type to be interested in the latest trends.”
“Of course I am,” Sunset said. “You humans just don’t have any good taste.”
“Well excuse us for not being magical pony princesses.”
“We’re not all- No, you know what? I’m in a hurry here. I have to find a present before Christmas and I’m running out of time.”
“A present?” Rarity asked. “Who for?”
Sunset cursed herself beneath her breath. “Did I say ‘present’? I meant ‘none of your business’!”
“Come on, dear, don’t be like that. I could help you find the perfect present!”
“… Alright, but this stays between us.”
“My lips are sealed,” Rarity said, miming the act of sealing her lips with a zipper, locking said mouth and then throwing away the key.
“It’s for Celestia,” Sunset said quietly.
“Principal Celestia?” Rarity asked in a surprised tone.
“Ssh!”
“Oops! Sorry,” Rarity said at a much quieter volume. “That just caught me off guard is all. I mean, you never really come across as liking our principal that much… or anyone, for that matter.”
“It’s… not quite like that,” Sunset said. “Look, just help me find something. I’ve been looking through these shirts but I don’t think any of them are really her style…”
“Well, perhaps you could try another type of present,” Rarity suggested. “What does Principal Celestia like?”
“… Nagging?” Sunset said, causing Rarity to giggle. She fought back a smile creeping on her face, but it was tough not to be proud of her own snappy remark. “Giving out homework?”
“Okay, okay,” Rarity laughed. “Seriously now, what does she enjoy? You must have picked up something from your time living with her.”
“Keep your voice down when you say that.” Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms and hummed in thought. “She likes tea, but I’m not an expert… She also like her sister, but I don’t think I can get her one of those.”
“Does she maybe have a hobby, or some kind of collection?”
“Collections, no, but hobbies? She does play tennis with Luna every weekend.” Sunset snapped her fingers. “That’s it! A new tennis glove! Though, would that be too cheap of a present.”
“Sunset, it’s not the price that matters,” Rarity said. “It’s the thought that’s put into it, and I think you definitely hit the mark in that department.”
Sunset Shimmer rubbed her arm as she averted her eyes awkwardly. “Uh, thanks I guess…”
“Don’t mention it. It’s what friends are for, after all. Say, why don’t you come with me? I happen to know a great designer of sports apparel who could cut you a ‘sweet deal’, as it were.”
“You?” Sunset scoffed. “You know someone into sports?”
“Of course,” Rarity replied with a frown. “Just because I don’t play them myself, it doesn’t mean that I have no interest in sports. Besides, he’s the same designer who makes the uniforms for our school’s teams.”
“Well then, Miss Expert, lead the way.”
“So… why are we in a spa?” Sunset asked, her eyebrow twitching from annoyance whilst her nose twitched from the pleasant scents of bath salts wafting through the air.
“We have time before the mall closes and felt that this could be a great way for us to bond,” Rarity answered, waving a slip of paper in her fingers. “Besides, this ‘two for one’ voucher won’t use itself, and you scared off my friend earlier.”
“It’s not my fault your friend is scared of the boogeyman.”
“But it is your fault that you became a demon and terrorised our school that night.”
“… It was partially Twilight’s too,” Sunset mumbled. “If she just hadn’t tried to take her stupid crown back…”
“Hello there Lotus!” Rarity greeted the woman at the reception desk. “The usual, please, and for my friend as well.”
Lotus took the voucher from Rarity and nodded her head. “Right this way, Miss Rarity and… ‘friend’.”
“Hey, I didn’t say I’d-”
“Come now, Sunset. It’s on me,” Rarity said. “And I think some time to unwind would be really good for you.” ‘It might make you a little less… cranky.’
Sunset Shimmer pondered for a moment. “Well, it has been a stressful week.” ‘With Pinkie Pie sending me ‘jingle cats’ videos every couple of hours.’ Sunset nodded her head. “Fine, but it’ll have to be quick. I had important plans tonight.”
“Of course. We’ll be out before you even know it.”
“Is everything to your liking, Miss Rarity?” Aloe asked, collecting the empty glasses to the side of the bathtub.
“Oh, yes, dear,” Rarity sighed as she sank into the tub. “The temperature is perfect. Right, Sunset?”
“… I thought you said this would be ‘quick’,” Sunset said, directing a sharp glare towards the other girl.
“Well then, if there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to call me.” With a bow, Aloe left the two girls to their bathing.
With the two alone by themselves, Rarity leaned forward with a smirk and said, “So tell me, Sunset, have you any interesting experiences to share?”
“‘Interesting experiences’?” Sunset asked.
“You know, romantically. As popular as you are, surely there are many boys just lining up to ask you out.”
Sunset shook her head. “Maybe you missed the part where I reigned the school with an iron fist for the past two-and-a-half years and then tried to make them my mindless slaves?”
“True, but I still hear some of the things that the boys say about you.” Rarity chuckled. “In fact, some of them like that domineering side of you. They think it’s one of your greatest appeals.”
Sunset scoffed. “Well, good for them. They want to date a pony.”
“So you don’t have anyone that you like? There are none of our classmates who you would date?”
“Of course I wouldn’t. Even with our racial differences, I was once next-in-line to become a princess. I would never settle down with any of these peasants who have nothing to offer.”
“That’s too bad, because personally I think that you’d look cute around the arm of Big Macintosh.”
“Applejack’s brother?” Sunset asked with a gag. “No thanks. He’s so slow and dim-witted, and besides, he’s already taken.”
“He is?!”
Sunset gasped and clasped her mouth shut with her hands. “N-No!”
“Oh my goodness! You must tell me who he’s dating! You must!”
Sunset bit her lip. ‘Darn it! I threw away my trump card!’ “Uh, I shouldn’t, really. That’d be an invasion of privacy, you know?”
“And that’s ever stopped you before?” Rarity asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Ugh! Fine! But you can’t tell anyone!” Rarity nodded her head in agreement. “Alright, well, you didn’t hear this from me, but I have reason to believe that he’s seeing some older woman from the Canterlot University.”
“Oooh, a scandalous love affair with an older pupil!” Rarity squealed with glee as her face lit up with delight.
“Yeah, well, it’s not certain. Anyway, what’s with the sudden interest in my love life?”
“Hm? Oh, just trying to spice up conversation with you.”
“Yeah? Well, spice it up some other way.”
“Very well then. Why are you seeking so much for the perfect present for Principal Celestia.”
Sunset groaned as she leaned her head back. “I thought I told you to drop it.”
“But it just seems so strange to me that you, who is such a loner, would go to such an extent for somebody you claim to despise so much.”
“… I never said I despise her.”
“‘Sunset, I expect you to be home before sundown tonight.’ ‘I despise you.’.”
Sunset waved a hand dismissively. “Okay, so maybe I said it once.”
“Seriously now, I’m interested in hearing the history between you two.”
Sunset looked into Rarity’s pleading eyes and sighed. “She helped me out when I first came here by giving me a place to stay, so I just feel like it’s the least that I should do to repay her. Happy now?”
“I… suppose so.” Rarity was silent for a few seconds before adding, “You really care for her, huh?”
“I’m out of here.” Sunset rose out of the water and climbed over the edge of the tub.
“Wait, the treatment’s-”
“-Over. I want to meet this friend of yours already.”
Rarity moaned as she watched Sunset leave the room and pouted as climbed out of the bathtub. “Gossip is never this hard with Suri…”
“I mean if I’ve told her once I’ve told her a thousand times to stay out of my jewellery box!”
Sunset groaned as Rarity finished yet another story. She had been waiting for her special order to be finished for just over a couple of hours, and unfortunately she had spent those couple of hours wandering the mall with Rarity. “Sisters are annoying, what d’you want from me?”
“It’s not just that. It’s a matter of privacy,” Rarity said. “It’s bad enough that my mother just does as she pleases in there while I’m out, but Sweetie Belle doesn’t even have the decency to clean up after herself whenever she goes snooping through my things.”
“Is the glove ready yet?” Sunset asked Trenderhoof, who was so into his work that he couldn’t even spare a moment to glance over to Sunset Shimmer.
“Just a few finishing touches,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, dear.”
“I don’t know what that is, but just hurry it up.” Sunset pulled out her phone to check the time. A sudden text message startled her, but she didn’t check it because she knew exactly what it was based on who it was from. “I swear, if Pinkie Pie sends me on more selfie of herself in a deer costume…”
“Oh, I think she looks absolutely darling!” Rarity commented.
“You would. You made the darn thing.”
“Well, yes, but personal bias aside, she just makes it work, don’t you think?”
Sunset sighed and put her phone away. “… Hey, there’s something I’ve been wondering about this holiday.”
“Oh? Well ask away. I’d be happy to help you understand this wonderful time of year!”
“This Jesus guy… why do we celebrate his birth by giving each other gifts instead of him?”
“…”
“For that matter, why do we sing about these ‘Rudolph’ and ‘Santa’ mascots instead of him? And why do we celebrate a guy who was supposed to help everybody but clearly failed?”
“I… think you’re missing the point there. Christmas isn’t just about celebrating the birth of Christ. Why, you don’t even have to be Christian to celebrate it.”
“I know, I know. It’s about ‘love’ and ‘sharing’ and ‘giving’, etcetera.” Sunset punctuated each point with a gag or a roll of her eyes. “Sorry, maybe I’m just a little bitter ‘cause you guys don’t have any obligation to be this jolly, yet you still are.”
“‘Obligation’?”
“See, where I come from, there’s a holiday similar to this called ‘Hearth’s Warming’. You don’t have to celebrate it, but those who don’t get frozen in ice by windigos who come out of hibernation around that time of year.”
“That’s… er…” Rarity scratched her arm awkwardly. “You know, I always hear bad things about Equestria. I always imagined a land of talking ponies to be more… colourful.”
“Oh, it’s colourful,” Sunset said. “Except the zebras, but they’re not welcome in most parts of the country. At least not when I was still there. The Princess was still working on that but she kept getting distracted by other things.”
Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows.” Rarity glanced down at her watched and gasped. “Goodness, it’s this late already?”
“I’m working as fast as I can!” Trenderhoof shouted.
“You didn’t really have to stay here, you know?” Sunset said. “You could’ve gone back to the spa.”
“True, but I wanted to be here in case you needed any more help,” Rarity replied.
Sunset looked around the store awkwardly, soon fixing her gaze back on Rarity. “Uh…”
“And I’m done!”
“Thanks,” Sunset said, quickly shifting her eyes towards the clerk and the glove in his hand. Embroidered onto the glove in beautiful golden stitching was the name ‘Celestia’. “I’ll take that, and a couple of rackets, too.”
“Of course,” Trenderhoof said, packing the gloves into a small bag as Sunset picked out two rackets, one white and one blue. “Since you’re a friend of Rarity’s, I’ll give you a special discount!”
“She’s also a friend of Applejack’s,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes as Trenderhoof froze his hand over the till and turned a shade of red.
“I-I see. W-Well then, I guess I could… give a slightly bigger discount…”
Sunset raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue as she reached into her purse and pulled out some money to cover the purchase. As the two girls left the store, Sunset turned to Rarity and asked, “What was that about?”
“Trenderhoof has a crush on Applejack,” Rarity answered with a giggle. “At first it bothered me, but now I think it’s rather cute…”
“It bothered you? Why?”
“Uh, no reason,” Rarity replied, averting her eyes.
“… Ooooh,” Sunset said slyly. “I see. You like him.”
“Did like him!” Rarity corrected. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore! He only has eyes for Applejack!”
“… You’re jealous,” Sunset said matter-of-factly. “Envy’s a pretty ugly emotion, you know?”
“Oh, like you’re one to talk!” Rarity scoffed.
“I’m not envious of anything. If Twilight wants to waste her time serving Princess Celestia, I really couldn’t care less.” Sunset looked up at the large clock tower in the centre of the mall. “Anyway, we seem to have some time left. I suppose we could head back to the spa, if you want to.”
Rarity stopped, surprise overtaking her as she stared at Sunset disbelievingly. “Really?”
“Only because I’m feeling generous today,” Sunset snapped, turning her head to hide her blush. “It must be this ‘holiday spirit’ or whatever. I suggest you take advantage of my offer while you still can.”
Rarity didn’t need to be told twice. Grabbing Sunset’s arm, she practically dragged the other girl through the mall and towards the spa. “Well then, let’s not waste any more time! It’s been such a long time since I’ve had somebody from our school to invite along to the spa with me!”
Sunset grumbled as she moved her feet quickly to keep up. When she saw the smile on Rarity’s face, her own scrunched up and she looked away quickly, trying to ignore the churning feeling in her stomach. For some reason, she felt happy.
“Well, I must admit that I had fun today, Sunset.”
Sunset simply shrugged in response. “Guess it could’ve been worse. At least I was able to find a good present.”
“You must truly care for Principal Celestia to have gone through all of this trouble. Well then, I suppose I’ll see you later.”
Sunset nodded. “Yeah,” she said as she waved goodbye. After Rarity had left, Sunset turned around and opened the door to Celestia’s house, peeking around the corner before creeping quietly inside. ‘Care for her? Not really. It’s just that I owe her my life…’
Sunset noticed that Celestia’s shoes were nowhere to be seen and relaxed. She ascended the stairs towards her room. “She was the one who found and saved me that night,” she mumbled as she approached her bedroom door. “If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve died lost and alone in this strange new world. That’s why…”
The bedroom door creaked open and Sunset Shimmer walked inside. After turning on the light and shutting the curtains, Sunset hid her presents to Celestia beneath her bed, and pulled out a small chest.
The chest had the word ‘diary’ written on the front, but the contents were not what one would expect. Removing the key taped to the bottom, Sunset Shimmer unlocked the chest and opened it up, revealing a small, pink book.
Inside the book was a hollowed-out space, filled with shards of glass. Sunset removed one of these shards and stared at it for a moment, taking in a deep breath of air for what she was about to do. Sunset lifted her sleeve and hovered the shard of glass over her arm. With one sharp thrust, Sunset pierced the skin and bit her lip to stifle her screaming. Blood trickled from the glass half-embedded into her trembling arm.
After taking a moment to collect herself, Sunset Shimmer released her breath and closed her eyes. Moments passed… followed by more moments… before the shard began to glow a faint cyan colour. The glass began to shake, before soon falling out of her arm altogether, the aura disappearing at the same time.
Sunset Shimmer laughed as she grasped the open wound on her arm, her laughing growing louder and louder and she stared down at the shard of glass on the floor. “I did it,” she whispered with awe, leaning down to pick up the shard of glass, stained with her blood. “I’ve discovered the secret to harnessing this world’s magic in this useless body. With this…”
Turning back to the open chest, Sunset Shimmer placed the shard back and closed the chest, locking it before hiding it back underneath her bed. “With this, I can finally exact my revenge on you, Princess Celestia!”