Sunset sat at her desk at home, with many crumpled up pieces of paper thrown around the room, reading from the one undamaged piece in front of her.
Dear Princess Celestia.
I am writing to you to tell you that you were right, and everI am writing to you to let you know that I finally what you were always trying to tell meAfter so long, I finally realized how much I need you and how much i miss youI'm so sorry for what I've done
"No. No. No! No! NO!! That won't do either!" she crumpled up that piece and threw it among the others. "Why can't I just write SOMETHING! ANYTHING! She'll listen, she always did. So why can't I just tell her what I want to tell her?"
She wiped the tears from her eyes and went over to lay on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. "I'm a pathetic disappointment to everything you and your teachings stand for, and who doesn't deserve any forgiveness from anyone, and who didn't even deserve your kindness to begin with!" she slammed her fist into the wall next to her. "There, I just said it, so why can't I just write it?"
Her alarm went off, signalling it was time for school, forcing her to calm herself down, and gather her things. "I'll think of something. I have to." she grabbed her bag and left out the door.
Applebloom's homeroom was rich with conversation as she walked in, and was greeted first by a bunch of eyes turning and staring at her, and then by Sweetie as she sat down.
"Hey Bloom, you ok?" she asked.
Bloom looked for a sec, noticing that the stares hadn't gone away. "Uh... Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she leaned in close and whispered into Sweetie's ear, "What's with the stares?"
"Well it's about-"
"Can you tell us what happened?" Featherweight interrupted, "You know, about what happened yesterday?"
"Oh, you know about that?" Bloom asked.
"Are you kidding?" he answered, looking slightly shocked, "Sunset Shimmer not only sticks up for you three, three of her easiest targets, but defends you from her personal favourite troublemaker, the whole school knows about it!"
"Really?"
"Of course, even if that isn't what happened, it was right outside the cafeteria, so everyone knows something went on with her," Just then Scootaloo walked in, "Maybe she'll give us an answer," he walked over to her, and asked her about it.
Scootaloo's face turned into one of the biggest grins she had ever pulled. "Well you see, what happened was Diamond and Spoon were being their usual jerk selfs, but then Sunset came over and was like..." she told the class about yesterday as she walked over to the other two.
"I knew she'd do this," Sweetie sighed as she slammed her head on the table, "this is why I didn't tell them any deails about it."
"Wait, what is she gonna do exactly?" Bloom asked, confused.
"She's gonna blow this whole thing out of proportion," she replied, looking back up, "Sunset helps us once, and now she's gonna-"
Scootaloo put her arms around Sweetie and Applebloom, "...then the two of em ran off terrified, we were trying not to laugh, right girls?"
Applebloom glanced over at Sweetie, not wanting to answer, I think I see what you mean, and if I recall all five of us were terrified out of our minds. "Sure. What she said."
"Chocolate?" Scootaloo opened her bag to reveal tons of sweets and chocolate bars.
"Where did us you get all those?" Sweetie asked.
"They were given to me by a bunch of people, don't know why, but I didn't complain. Now, d'you want some?"
"Why would they...?" Sweetie turned to Featherweight, "When you say the whole school knows, what exactly do they know?"
"They know that you three are Sunset's new favourites," Snails told them as he walked in.
"New favourites, are yall sure about that?"
"Well that's what people are saying, and I don't wanna argue with that." Scoots smiled, "Isn't it great? No more Diamond Tiara!"
"I guess. Speaking of her, where is she?" Bloom asked, looking around.
"She won't be in today," Miss Cheerliee walked in, "Her father phoned up the school, apparently she's a bit ill today."
"HA yeah right!" Scoots shouted, "She's just too embarrassed to come in."
"Scoots, I think you're over doing it," Sweetie said, not wanting her to cause any trouble.
"Oh come on-" she was cut off by the bell, as everyone got up to go, "Oh shoot. I forgot, I gotta go help the sports team, first period! Talk to you later." she reminded herself as she rushed out the door and down the hallway.
Sweetie shook her head, "Shimmer is so gonna kill for this, isn't she?" she mumbled. "I'll admit, it will be nice to not have to worry about Tiara anymore but, I'm really not sure what to think of this," Sweetie said as she and Applebloom walked out.
"Me neither, but what can you do?" she replied as they made their way to class.
Break time had come around, the three crusaders met up outside for the second time that day.
"Hey you two, turns out the sports team needed a bit more help, so i missed second," Scootaloo said.
"Are you sure about that Bloom, cus I don't like it?" Sweetie said, ignoring Scoots completely.
"Did I miss something?" Scoots asked, not receiving an answer.
"It ain't gonna be any trouble or nothing, we'll just find her, tell her, and be on our way," Bloom replied.
"What are you two on about?"
"Ugghh. Take a listen to this. You won't believe what she wants us to do." Sweetie said. Scootaloo looked over at Applebloom, tilting her head slightly.
"I reckon we should go talk to Sunset."
Scootaloo's eyes widened, not sure what to think, "Wai- You wan- Why?"
"About yesterday, why else?"
"Well, I guessed that, but, why?"
"Cus she's got rid of a problem we've had for so long now, I just wanna say thanks."
"This is a bad idea..." Sweetie mumbled.
"I guess you have a point but, I'm not convinced," Scoots replied, "I mean, I'm happy with the whole, respected around school thing, and, we'd have to talk to her about is sometime, but talking to her now? No way! I say that waits till maybe next week, I mean she was crazy angry yesterday, and she didn't exactly seem talkative earlier."
"Earlier?" Sweetie asked.
"I saw her when I left homeroom, she seemed, kinda, I'm not sure how to say it, but it wasn't good."
"Did she say anything to you?" Sweetie asked.
"Well I tried to talk to her, but she just said she "didn't feel like explaining anything" and that she was going to the library."
Applebloom immediately got up, "Well then I'm off to the library, yall coming?"
Sweetie and Scoots glanced at each other, before both replying with a less than happy "Fine, let's go."
Sunset sat in the library, just as she had yesterday, but with no intention to leave it until lunch. She just wanted some space to think, and as long as no one disturbed her, she would be fine.
"What is the point?" she asked herself. "Why am I still here? Why don't I just... Just stay home until the portal opens? That would be best for everyone, right?"
"Hey... Sunset, you ok?" she turned around to see her two lapdogs, Snips and Snails.
"I thought I told you to stay away from me from now on," she replied, a harsh tone in her voice.
"W-We know, we just..." Snails began.
"We were wondering if you were ok, we haven't seen you all day," Snips finished.
Don't lie to me. "Oh, well, I'm fine, so you can go now."
"Well, if everything's fine, d'you wanna to go set off a stink bomb somewhere, or do something like that?"
"No thanks, I'm fine," she replied weakly.
"Oh come on, it'll be fun," Snips said with a smile.
Oh will you two just leave me alone! "No. Thanks. I'm. Fine."
"What's wrong with you!" Snails asked annoyed.
Will you two just shut up.
"First you drop out of the Fall formal."
For reasons you could never comprehend. Now go away!
"Then you stick up for a bunch of losers."
She deserved it, and you're going the same way.
"And now you're just sitting in here doi-"
Snails was cut off as Sunset grabbed him, and lifted him off the ground, as her anger got the best of her.
"Will you just SHUT UP! I've had enough of your pathetic dribble, I don't know how I put up with it for so long, but I'm finally sick of it!"
"Sunset, ca-"
"Shut up, JUST SHUT UP! WHAT DON'T YOU TWO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LEAVE ME ALONE? WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?" she let Snails go, "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO, OR WHAT YOU DO, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
They both did so in a panic, as Sunset sat back down and set her head on the desk, crying at her own actions.
After a few moments, she heard footsteps approach. "Um. Sunset?"
She stood up, and swung her fist behind her, "I SAID GO AWA-" she stopped herself when she realized the Crusaders were only centimetres away from her punch. "S-Sorry, thought you were someone else," she sighed and sat herself back down.
"I knew this was a bad idea, come on, let's get outa here," Sweetie said worriedly.
"Yeah Bloom, maybe this wasn't a good idea after all," Scootaloo added.
"Are you... crying?" Applebloom asked.
"Just leave me alone! For your own good, just stay away from me!"
"We just, wanna tell you something." Applebloom replied nervously, "It won't take long!"
"Make it quick."
"Well we, we all just wanted to, to say..." Bloom began, as Sunset turned just enough to see her out of one eye, "We just wanted to say thanks is all."
"What did..? What for?" she lifted her head up, and turned to them, her tears still fresh.
"For what you did yesterday, You got rid of a problem we've had since forever, you know, with Diamond," Sweetie added.
Sunset felt something go through her, something she had never felt before. "You're... I helped you, really?"
"Yep, we just thought we had to say thanks," Scoots added, "So, thanks Sunset."
"We'll be going now, you said you wanted to be alone so, see ya round." Bloom said, as the three of them turned and headed for the door.
The magic of friendship is everywhere, you just have to find it. "Wait a sec!" Sunset called out, as the three girls turned around. "If there's anything I can help with, anything at all, just ask, ok?"
The three of them talked amongst themselves for a sec, untill Applebloom looked back at her, "Sure thing, and thanks again!" she said as they left.
Sunset sat back down, "I... Have I done it, Have I found it? Is this what friendship feels like, Twilight?" Then for the first time in so long, she couldn't help but smile.