//------------------------------// // Worst Day Ever // Story: Goodnight Sunset, Good Morning Sunrise // by Twilight Nightmare //------------------------------// Worst. Day. Ever. At least that was how Rainbow Dash was feeling as she sat in her desk near the window during her third period math class. Okay, Geometry, but no matter what you called it, it was still the same boring math. She would much rather be out there moving around and enjoying the now sunny morning and the warmth of the sun before it got cold again. She hated fall and winter so much. Being stuck in a boring class was the least of her problems though as she looked out the window to where Fluttershy usually spent her free period under a tree not far from the window. Today Sunset Shimmer was sitting with her, much closer than Rainbow was comfortable with. She hated Sunset, it was the girl’s fault that their group of friends barely spoke for nearly a year…but now it was also her getting between Fluttershy and Rainbow. Okay, she could admit that it was their fault in a way. Sure Sunset set everything in motion, but it was them who didn’t bother checking with each other. All it would have taken was five minutes of talking and they would have realized someone was making fools of them. If their friendship was stronger then maybe that wouldn’t have happened and they wouldn’t have been mad at each other for so long. So in the end it was their fault for not even finding out why everything happened even if Sunset was the one who set it all up. Of course her rational mind knew all of this, accepted it even. Problem was getting the message from her mind and into her heart where her emotions ruled. She knew it was one of her greatest strengths…as well as one of her greatest weaknesses. She was quick to judge and anger, which had gotten her in trouble many times and was part of the reason she didn’t talk to the others for so long. Now that they were back together Rainbow was doing her best to keep them together…though now Sunset was coming between them again. Clenching her fist she fought off the urge to growl, but she still snapped the pencil in her hand in half earning a few curious glances. A few glares quickly made her neighboring classmates to turn back to their own work. She tried to get herself to calm down, though it was hard. She knew the real reason behind her anger at Sunset at the moment though, and…she hated herself for it. Normally Rainbow didn’t hold and prejudices against anyone, though her father had instilled some beliefs into her that sadly at times drove her. She felt sorry for homeless people, but she couldn’t help feeling disgusted with them as well. Her father had told her over and over as she grew up after being asked for change that there are two types of homeless people. Those who were homeless because they were too lazy to work or because they cared more about drinking and drugs than they did about having a place to stay. She didn’t want to believe either one, but every time she saw one her father’s voice filled her with his disgust for them…making her feel the same. Seeing Sunset that one day had scared Rainbow as the girl was standing in front of a dumpster and trash pile as an older woman dug through it. She couldn’t help feeling sorry for Sunset, but her father had been with her and pulled her away thankfully before she was noticed. Since then she had felt guilty and bad for Sunset, worried that she may be suffering worse than she may have deserved. Then came the day she heard about Sunset trying to jump off a bridge to kill herself. Rainbow felt devastated that she didn’t even tell anyone about what she saw or tried to even help Sunset any. For a couple days all Rainbow could think about were Sunset Shimmer, wondering where she was or even if she had anything to eat. It was when she was sitting on the roof of her house, something she often did in the evenings as she watched the moon and stars to calm her nerves, that she found Sunset. Rainbow lived on the worse side of town, her family not being the best off though making a living, and their house sat right across the street from a bar and…strip joint. She hated it, hated those women there that made a mockery of everything Rainbow worked so hard to prove. Rainbow worked so hard to prove that women could be anything they wanted. That she could be an athlete and not just some sexual object to leer at. That she could be more than what her father often called their mom when he drank too much and went off on a rant about her and how she left with some younger man leaving Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash behind. She worked so hard to prove to her father that she was worth something…and there was Sunset going toward that disgusting place! Getting up and climbing back into her window, Rainbow yanked the curtains shut just as she heard tires squealing. She hadn’t told anyone what she had seen yet, other than the little she said to Fluttershy. What had earned the kind girl’s anger despite trying to protect Fluttershy? Rainbow didn’t want someone like that near Fluttershy, didn’t want Sunset to try and get her to go there to and get hooked on whatever kind of drugs Sunset was taking. Sunset was probably even getting paid by that sleaze to recruit…then again with the place burning down maybe not. Sighing Rainbow watched Fluttershy rest her head on Sunset’s shoulder, the redhead’s arm pulling her close. It was enough to anger Rainbow even more, an anger that was starting to scare herself. She knew this wasn’t healthy, knew that she was letting her anger control her too much. She knew Fluttershy wouldn’t do anything like that, knew that Fluttershy was too…well…Fluttershy to even think about letting Sunset convince her to do anything. Yet she was some kind of demon, had some kind of magic, so couldn’t she brainwash Fluttershy? As she looked closer, Rainbow could see smiles on their faces as they seemed to just enjoy each other’s company as they basked in the sun. It was a sweet scene and usually Rainbow would be happy for Fluttershy for having someone to be close to. Even if she kept hearing something else her father always said to her in her mind, something that he accused her of being when he drank a lot. While she wasn’t gay, she tried not to judge them like her father. Still it was hard to do when she was reminded again and again how little her father thought of them. “I need to go.” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing her things and standing up. Some of the students looked at her in shock, but she couldn’t stay there any longer. She even ignored the teacher’s indignant squawk and demand to sit back down. Instead she stormed out of the classroom and to the office. This wouldn’t be the first time she had come to see Soothing Voice, the school’s guidance counselor…and actual counselor who has been trying to help Rainbow with her anger problems. Only she wasn’t sure what she was feeling as she felt like she was losing it all together. She was angry and jealous of Sunset, yet a part of her couldn’t help feeling some sympathy…even if the girl also disgusted Rainbow to some extent. “Come in.” Soothing called as Rainbow knocked on the door. “Hi Miss Voice, do you have a few minutes?” Rainbow asked as she hesitantly stepped into the office. She wasn’t sure why she came now as she didn’t really want to talk about all of this…but the woman was honestly the only one she felt she could talk to besides Fluttershy…and Fluttershy was a big no at the moment. “Of course, but I hope you asked permission to leave your class.” Soothing Voice said, sighing as she pinched the bridge of her nose at Rainbow’s sheepish look. “I’ll talk to your teacher, please have a seat.” “I…don’t want to sit.” Rainbow said, tossing her stuff on the edge of the woman’s desk before starting to pace. “I want to beat Sunset Shimmer to a bloody pulp!” “I know she’s caused a lot of trouble, but I have a feeling this isn’t about her past.” Soothing Voice said, steepling her fingers as she watched Rainbow. “Like heck it isn’t about the past! I don’t want that…that…whore near Fluttershy!” Rainbow growled out, clenching and unclenching her fist as she spun to glare at the older woman. “She’s…she has Fluttershy wrapped around her finger and is going to hurt her! I can’t let her hurt Shy…I can’t!” “Rainbow Dash! I can’t believe you of all people would say that!” Soothing Voice said shaking her head, before glaring at the now flinching girl. “No…I can believe it with that father of yours. I thought we talked about this…that his beliefs are wrong.” “I saw her going to that strip bar near my house!” Rainbow snapped out as she started pacing again, “What do you want me to call her?” “The one that burned down? I’m pretty sure that she isn’t doing anything there since she’s underage. Are you sure that she was even really heading there…or meeting someone. Like family?” Soothing Voice asked slowly, though a worried look crossed her face. She was a little worried that any student was close to a place like that and even hated the fact that one of her favorite girls lived so close to it. “She doesn’t have family and she’s homeless!” Rainbow said as she stopped again, her anger fading a little as tears began forming in her eyes. She couldn’t help feeling a little guilty at remembering seeing Sunset there with that woman who was digging in the trash. She couldn’t help feeling guilty about not telling anyone or maybe trying to find the girl later and see if she was ok. Collapsing in the chair she let out a loud sigh as she looked up at the woman. “What do you mean she’s homeless? Doesn’t have parents?” Soothing Voice said as she turned to her computer and began typing, color slowly draining from her face. Turning to the intercom, she pushed it before saying, “Miss Appleby, please send for Sunset Shimmer.” “Right away, Ma’am.” Came the staticy reply. “What are you doing?” Rainbow asked, swallowing nervously as she straightened up in the chair. “I need to find out what is going on with Sunset Shimmer. She’s a minor and can’t be left to fend for herself on the streets.” Soothing Voice said, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t want to be here when…when…” Rainbow said, shaking as guilt and anger warred for dominance inside her as she pulled a little on the neck of her shirt nervously which caught the older woman’s attention. “What is that?” Soothing Voice asked as she leaned over the desk. Rainbow tried to brush her away, but the woman pulled the shirt down and studied the discoloration on the girl’s skin. “That wasn’t caused by a soccer ball…it’s too small.” “It’s no big deal…just drop it.” Rainbow said as color began draining from her face. She couldn’t let Soothing Voice know about that…it was her darkest secret. “No, I don’t think I will drop it.” Soothing Voice said as she narrowed her yes and sat back. “What was our deal, Rainbow Dash?” “That…if he hit me or…started getting worse that I would come to you.” Rainbow Dash sighed knowing she was caught, but she intended to not make it easy for the woman getting the details in hopes that it wouldn’t get back to her father. “That’s right, so don’t you dare tell me that was caused in practice.” Soothing Voice said as the intercom buzzed. “Sunset Shimmer is here, would you like me to send her in?” Ms. Appleby’s voice said over the intercom. “Yes, and please send for Scootaloo as well. And while you are at it, get me Nurse Redheart as well.” Soothing Voice said making Rainbow Dash shiver as a chill ran down her spine.