The weekend passed quickly for Sunset who had spent most of her time hiding away in fear, dreading Monday. By the time the day came, she felt like she had been punched a dozen times in the stomach. Sunset did not want to be at Canterlot High; But both Celestia and Luna had made it clear that she couldn't run away from this and she knew it was true. However, as she approach the school, her fingers gripping the straps of her backpack tightly, the desire to run and hide was overwhelming. More than that, she would have had Luna not been walking behind her, watching her like a hawk.
“I hope you're not getting any ideas Ms. Shimmer” Sunset sighed and turned to the vice principal and shook her head reluctantly.
“I don't think I would be able to get far before you or Celestia tracked me down” admitted the girl, turning back to the school and watching warily as students began arriving on campus and going about their business. Thankfully, having been driven to school by Luna [Who had only done it because her sister asked and the woman needed to take the morning off from her job to do something] they were parked in the Staff Parking lot which was a bit secluded by trees and shrubs and was also around the side of the school so that meant for now, Sunset could look around at the other students for a while before she was noticed....Hopefully.
It seemed Luna [Who had also been instructed by her sister to watch the girl which she wasn't happy about but she did love her sister] didn't want to stand in the parking lot all day so she nudged her along.
“I would prefer not to be standing here all day” Sunset summoned all the courage she had within her and slowly began walking towards the front of the school, her mind on edge. As she approach the front doors of the school she was more than aware that eyes were on her and that whispers has begun to be traded between students as well as more vocal insults and complaints.
“....hat's she doing here? I thought we wouldn't have to deal with her anymore......”
“...Oh look, it's her! It's Sunset She-Demon!
“I don't know why Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna just don't expel her.....”
“...I say we get our revenge!”
Almost everyone who heard that agreed and students began yelling in rage and advancing towards her. Fear rose in her stomach however before anyone could lay a hand on her, Vice Principal Luna stepped out from behind her from where she was watching silently and stood in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Students of Canterlot High. Let me make this very clear. I understand you have reasons to be angry with Sunset Shimmer. Honestly, I'm pretty angry myself as now I have to deal with the repercussions of her behavior. However, I will not allow any of you to harm her! Do you understand? This is a school and not some sort of underground fight club; both me and my sister have already punished her thoroughly and anyone who attempts to pull something will be disciplined severely. She may have done you all harm but you all know CHS does not stand for any type of physical assaults.” spoke the woman. Almost instantly the students began complaining and whining, claiming that the situation was unfair and that they deserved to exact revenge.
“We deserve justice!”
“Do you want to end up in detention Ms. Scratch?” Luna recognized the voice and easily spotted the young, blue haired girl in her hoodie, ratty sneakers and torn jeans in the crowd. The girl named Vinyl Scratch scowled and pulled her hood up.
“Now. Classes are about to begin, so I suggest you all get moving” Students whined and complained but the sharp looks of their vice-principal quieted down and slowly they began dispersing. Once the majority of the crowd was gone or had resumed their previous activities before Sunset had appeared, the girl turned to Luna and gave her a small smile.
“Thank you. You know, for not letting the mob get to me” Luna sneered at the girls remark and began walking towards the school at a brisk pace.
“I did it merely to prevent further problems for the school. It wasn't because I did it because I like you Ms. Shimmer. I don't.” shouted Luna over her shoulder as she walked away. That comment stung and Sunset found herself biting her lip to stop herself from crying. No, she wasn't going to cry even if she badly wanted to. The familiar chime of the school bell rang, signaling to the girl that she had five minutes to get to her first class of the day. Home Economics. With a sigh of defeat, the girl slowly trudged off towards her class.
-
Sunset managed to make it to her class just before the second bell rang to notify any and all that that class had officially started. Thankfully, while she still heard a lot of nasty comments, no one had tried to maim her after Vice-Principal Luna's threat which had been repeated over the intercom for the students that had not been outside. When she arrived in class, the teacher Mrs. Prestoff was just about to start class. She gave Sunset a stern yet small smile. Mrs. Prestoff had always been one of the nicest, forgiving teachers and Canterlot High and even when Sunset wasn't reformed, she found it hard to resist liking the woman. Mrs. Prestoff whose full name was Diana Prestoff was originally from Detroit and was always trying her best to help her students or anyone in need.
Sunset glanced at the blackboard and scanned for her partner. Today was Monday which meant a cooking lesson and groups where split up into pairs [Unless the class was an uneven number in which case there occasionally was a three member group or sometimes more] and that Sunset would have to work with someone. In the past, she forced the other person to do all the work through intimidation and blackmail but of course Sunset felt no desire to do so anymore and actually felt quite guilty as she thought about it. Her name was paired next to Roseluck's, meaning that was her partner. Honestly, Roseluck had been one of her more targeted victims and Sunset didn't think working with the girl was a good idea but she really didn't have a choice.
She turned her attention to her partner who stared right back to her from what should have been their cook station. Before Sunset could even approach, the other girl had crossed her arms and shook her head. Unsure, Sunset looked around the room at the other groups and from the way they looked at her with intense glares she knew that she would not be welcome in another group. Mrs. Prestoff seeing the silent scene unfold stood up from her desk and approached Sunset who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, rubbing her arm.
“Is there a problem Ms. Shimmer?” asked the thirty something woman, tucking back a piece of loose brown hair as she spoke. Sunset bit her lip out of habit and sighed.
“Well...” Sunset began. “I don't think I-”
“I don't want to work with her, that's what!” interrupted Roseluck, stepping out from behind her station and approaching the pair. She sneered at Sunset with disdain and hatred.
“Why should I be forced to work with a monster like her? She doesn't belong at CHS! Twilight Sparkle should have gotten rid of her when she had the chance! Better yet, we should!” spat the girl, ready to strike at the first opening.
“Ms. Luck, I will not stand such language! If you are honestly going to talk about potentially harming a student which is against the law may I remind you, then I'm going to send you to see Vice-Principal Luna” Roseluck fumed and let out a small high pitched angry whine before trying to reply however the teacher cut her off before she could do so.
“Office. Now.” the usually nice and sweet woman was stern and pointed the girl out the door. Rose balled up her fists for a moment before stomping out the door but not before turning around to utter a threat to Sunset.
“You better sleep with one eye open, you demon-bitch”
-
The rest of Home Economics was quiet. Since no one wanted to work with her, the girl found herself cooking alone. It wasn't too bad other than the other students whispering shrewd things when the Teacher wasn't near or pushing her when the teacher wasn't looking. The cooking assignment involved baking Chocolate Chip Cookies however given that Sunset never really learned how to cook properly [Back when she was an Orphan, cooking stolen food usually involved just cooking it over a makeshift fire till it was pretty much burnt then eating it. Besides, once she moved to Canterlot Castle her meals were made for her] they came out burnt. Still at least other then that she got the ingredients and amounts right...or so Sunset hoped. It was hard to tell if there was too much of one ingredient or not enough of another as all she could taste when she bit into one of the cookies was that familiar burnt taste.
After Home Economics, the girl found herself in History class. History was okay as well other than the fact that three of Twilight's friends and her former victims, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were also in her history class. Sunset did her best to avoid them, especially after Rainbow Dash gave her a long, pointed look when she had walked into class which read: Stay away. That was okay though, Sunset didn't want to be friends with them anyway, even if Twilight Sparkle had instructed her friends to look after her.
Friends... Ever since Saturday morning when Celestia told her to make friends, the girl had been thinking about how exactly she could even begin to accomplish it. Celestia had suggested meeting people from Canterlot's other schools but Sunset felt apprehensive about that for different reasons. The other three schools where Chrysalis's School for Delinquents, Crystal Empire Private Academy and Starswirl's School of The Gifted.
The first school, was clearly a school meant for the rejects of normal schooling. Meaning, those who were usually expelled from their previous school ended up at CSD or those with problems both with the law and at home. CSD was known for being extremely strict and the headmistress Chrysalis was said to be one of the strictest around, even more so than Celestia and Luna. In the past, she knew better to avoid coming in contact with those types of students. Sunset had been a bully, yes. But she was strictly an emotional and verbal abuser who used intimidation and blackmail. She had heard enough horror stories around her own school from passing students that most students at CSD were thugs who did drugs, party and were a lot more physical with their abuse. Rumors perhaps but Sunset honestly didn't want to run with that sort of group.
Crystal Empire Academy was a private academy that was specifically for rich kids. There were little to no scholarships to get into CEA, you pretty much had to be super lucky or have money to be accepted. Sunset while she lived in a nice house, knew she was not rich by any means. Having lived in Canterlot [Equestria's version] she knew that the rich tended to stick together and looked down on those that didn't have as much money as them. So she didn't expect to find a lot of friends there.
The final school was also a private school however they cared more about talent than money. It had one of the best graduation rates in the country and most SSTG Students went on to do great things with their lives. Sunset wasn't particularly amazing at anything unless you counted magic however that was a useless talent in this world, so she felt a little inadequate and unsure. Sunset was unsure how to proceed; perhaps she should just start with something more simple: Scouting out the schools for potential friends, though she just might nix CSD from the list and look at the other two schools.
After a boring history class in which Mrs. Harshwinny droned on and complained once more how she was destined for greater things than being a High School teacher, Sunset found herself in the cafeteria. It was lunch time at Canterlot High School.
Sunset had been anxious about lunch time the most prior coming to school that day. That was the time when students had the most free-time as a large collective body and unlike after school when she could leave [Mind you she now had a new after school “job” but hopefully she would be safe], the girl couldn't go home.
Sunset, even though she wanted to avoid it like a plague, headed to cafeteria. It wasn't like she wanted to be there but she needed food. Besides, it would be easy. Keep her head down, grab her food from the lunch lady and then take it and bolt to somewhere a lot more secure. Yes, it would be easy....Hopefully.
Sunset slipped in behind some other [Female] students who were too busy talking to notice her. Hopefully they wouldn't notice her and they could provide enough camouflage for the time being. Sunset, who was glad to have picked up clothes from her apartment the day prior, was dressed in the most boring outfit she could find for that day. Simple gray hooded sweater, jeans, white sneakers and a soft blue shirt under her sweater. Entering behind the students, she quickly pulled up her hood and made sure be looking at the floor so no one saw her face.
Thankfully Sunset's plan worked out and she was able to follow them into the cafeteria line. As she waited in the long line, Sunset made the mistake of looking up and turning to scope her surroundings. The first thing she saw staring back at her was a familiar group of girls who were right behind her in line.
A sense of dread filled her stomach as she made eye contact with the two most vocal members of the group, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They glared and sneered at her with disdain while Rarity pursed her lips, Fluttershy hid behind her hair and Pinkie Pie seemed to take a bit of a somber tone. The urge to run was so strong but at the same time Sunset knew that there was no point.
“So, you just can't help but follow us like some sort of black cloud can you?” stated Rainbow Dash, puffing her chest in attempt to look stronger and more threatening. Applejack stepped forward a bit and crossed her arms.
“Whatya you want?” asked the other orange skinned girl, trying to look just as intimidating as her friend. Sunset shook her head and took a step back.
“I'm just....I'm j-just getting lunch” the girl tried to shrink in to herself in an attempt to hide herself away from the group.
“We'll why don't ya' mosey on back to where you belong and leave us alone”
Sunsets lip trembled and she found herself biting down on it out of habit in order to try and stop herself from crying. Sunset desperately wanted to apologize at that moment but her fear and pride was getting in the way. She had planned to just get it over with; she had practiced all weekend in her new/old bedroom [the guest room had been given to her when she originally moved into the Solaris/Equium household and then reconverted back into a spare bedroom once she moved into her apartment] in her head and out loud, over and over. It was going to be easy, she just had to say it maybe once or twice, maybe even over the intercom if she could convince her mo-...Celestia and Luna to allow her. Yet as she stood here she could only stand in absolute fear; her palms clammy, nausea building in her stomach and a tight lump in her throat. Sunset did the one good thing she had always been truly good at and had done often back in Equestria but hadn't really done since she arrived in this world. Running away from her problems.
-
Sunset wasn't sure how, but her appetite for grass and hay and flowers somehow managed to make it's way into her human body. By all accounts, humans could digest grass or hay [She wasn't sure about flowers] but for them it had little to no nutritional value nor did they seem to like the taste of it. Perhaps it was because she was originally an Equine but she still loved the taste of her once normal diet.
As soon as Sunset had bolted from the cafeteria, even though she had been in line first and she didn't actually need to leave the line even if the girls demanded it, she ran near the back of the school near the faculty parking lot, to a group of shrubs which were positioned in front of one of the many fences that separated the school from private and commercial property in. You could only really see it if you looked, but between two shrubs there was small opening that once you squeezed past on your hands and knees, would open up to a small area between the fence and the back of the shrubs. It wasn't a huge space, it was actually kinda cramped and Sunset had to sit crossed legged but no one really knew about it because most students especially the smokers tended to avoid the faculty parking lot lest they get caught.
Sunset hadn't really eaten much grass since she arrived in Equestria; she found out soon enough that is a no-no after people would turn and look at her when she ate a flower or was seen stuffing hay into her mouth. Besides, Sunset was pretty particular about her grass and it was hard to find good grass around here that wasn't poorly maintained or covered in pesticides. Still, as she pulled clumps of grass from the floor of the small hiding place and bit into a few pieces, at least the source of grass she was snacking on was all right and it seemed to be devoid of pesticides.
. There wasn't a lot of grass in the clearing but once Sunset was content enough that she could go the rest of the day until she got home after she started her new “job”, she squeezed past the shrubs once more then stood up and dusted off any stray blades of grass off of her hoodie and pants. As she did this, she became aware of a familiar voice. Scootaloo? Stealthily Sunset followed the voice until she got to a exterior wall of the school and peeked around the corner.
Scootaloo, who had been [rightly] pissed off at her the entire weekend and had went out of her way to show her disdain by sneering at her and even once pushing her plate with her meal on it on to the ground, had been adamant about not riding to school with either Luna or Sunset. However, Sunset was convinced it had nothing to do with her really as she often saw the girl come to school on her scooter as she appeared to not like the idea of people knowing she was the daughter of the Principal. In fact Sunset wasn't sure anyone really knew.
As far as she knew, no one knew she was Celestia's legal daughter either [A word she was hesitant to use as she felt undeserving of such a title.] She never brought it up nor did Celestia and Luna whenever they had a public encounter at school which was usually about her behavior or how she had to stay after school for detention because she did so and so to one student or another. Sunset had only been suspended by the pair a few times; she tried to avoid their full wrath and most students she bullied didn't come forward.
Sunset had never really had a relationship with Scootaloo, as she often teased her around school but she had always felt a sense of...something. Scootaloo had always reminded her of herself when she was younger and because of that she teased and pushed her around a lot less than other students. However, even though it perhaps wasn't her place, she was both angry and shocked when she found the eight grader was with a group of freshman's [She had seen those students around school], talking and with a cigarette in her hand, coughing immensely as she took puffs. Her usual group of friends seemed to be elsewhere, where Sunset did not know.
Cigarettes were something Sunset was familiar with. They had existed in Equestria and she had encountered them in this world as well. Like most teens, she tried it during her time as Celesta's personal student and had been pressured by her acquaintances [not really friends] to try it. Needless to say, she never tried the stuff again but another acquaintance of hers got got addicted to it. She had always thought that while it wasn't the worse of addictions it was certainly a nasty one. Despite wanting to avoid people at all costs, Sunset felt a sense of sisterly duty come on to her.
-
Scootaloo had been elastic when the freshmen she had been sucking up to the past month [By carrying her books and doing odd tasks for her like fetch coffee and do her homework] during lunch time had invited her along on her smoke break. Lightning Speed was a freshmen that was on Rainbow Dash's soccer time, a new addition from the early fall try-outs. Scootaloo had hoped that if she looked cool enough and impressed the girl that maybe she could put a good word into Rainbow Dash for her and try to improve her reputation. Sure, she could have maybe tried Rainbow Dash directly but at the current moment, despite Rainbow Dash having agreed to be her honorary big sister, they never did anything together. The girl always claimed she was too busy or that she was too slow and whatever task she suggested they do together was usually shot down as being too boring.
She hoped that maybe since Lightning Speed was one of the most popular girls in her grade and because Rainbow Dash was always talking about her amazing soccer skills for a “dweeb of a freshman”, as she had said in her own terms, that maybe she would be able to help her get her idol to finally realize how cool she was and spend more time with her. Sunset was a bit jealous of Lighting as Rainbow Dash seemed to be acting as more of a sister to her as she was to the girl herself. However, it was just a matter of time. All Scootaloo had to do was prove her swag factor.
However, Scootaloo was a bit flabbergasted and unsure as Lightning and her group of friends egged her on to take the cigarette that she had handed Scootaloo. Since early childhood, Scootaloo had been told over and over by her mother, teachers and other various adults that she should avoid smoking, alcohol and any sort of drugs. And while she didn't exactly find any of those really appealing, she knew for a fact that Rainbow Dash herself smoked on occasion as she had seen her outside school with a cigarette or stuffing her smoke pack into her jacket pocket when she noticed Scootaloo or someone of authority like her mother nearby. Even though she was personally against it, Scootaloo was desperate to get her idol to notice her. Hesitantly she took the cigarette and placed it in her mouth, hoping she had put the right end in her mouth. She felt self conscious as she watched the older girls watch her silently with bemused smiles. Scootaloo took the offered lighter and fumbled with it; trying to remember how Rainbow Dash used it.
“Hold your thumb down on on the metal grinder then move down your thumb onto the button” explained Lighting Speed's friend, Smoking Kiss as she tried to stifle her laughs while she puffed her own cigarette. It took a few tries but she got the lighter light and quickly before she lost the flame she lighted her cigarette. She tried her best to emulate what the girls where doing; breathing in the end of the bud that was in her mouth and then exhaling. Scootaloo tried it and almost instantly the girl was thrown into a fit of coughing as the most disgusting blast of smoke hit her throat. For the love of McCarthy', how could Rainbow Dash or anyone else like this stuff? Despite her desire to spit the offensive item out of her mouth and to run and find a bin to puke in, Scootaloo took another puff. If this is what it took then she was just going to suck up her pride.
“Enjoying your cigarette kid?” asked Lighting, stifling her laughs. Scootaloo removed the cigarette from her mouth briefly to reply. Before she could however a booming voice echoed through the air and filled her stomach with dread.
“Scootaloo, what the hell are you doing!?”
-
Scootaloo stood in shock and horror as She appeared out of nowhere, with her hands on her hips and an angry look. Sunset Shimmer, the mistake her mother had adopted into the family and the source of some of Scootaloo's anguish. The older girl seemed enraged and temporarily Scootaloo forgot that she was holding a cigarette. The girl approached the group of girls and gave each one an icy look.
“What do-” started Lightning Speed before she was cut off by Sunset Shimmer.
“Leave, now. Or I'll make sure Principal Celestia knows you're smoking on restricted area. Not you Scootaloo” said the girl, grabbing Scootaloo as she tried to run. The freshmen were unsure how to proceed. On one hand Twilight Sparkle had kicked her ass and they wanted to know why the hell she was interested in Lightning's little stalker but on the other hand they were still scared of Sunset Shimmer. A sharp look and snarl from the girl however made their decision easier. The older girls ran off towards the school, leaving Scootaloo to face Sunset's wrath.
Once Sunset was sure they were gone, she released her hold on Scootaloo's shirt. The girl tried to leave but Sunset pulled her back by the wrist.
“What the hell do you think you're doing Scootaloo?” demanded the teenager, struggling to keep the girl from running away.
“Let go of me you She-Demon!” snarled the purple haired girl, attempting to remove Sunset's grip. Sunset ignored the insult and gripped the girl's jacket tighter.
“Why the hell do you have a cigarette? Are you stupid? Do you know what would happen if Celestia or Luna found out?” Scootaloo realized that she was still holding the cigarette in her left hand. She quickly dropped it and pretended as though the thing didn't exist.
“It's none of your business, I was just holding it for a friend!” Sunset rolled her eyes at such an obvious lie and sighed.
“Really, then why was it in your mouth and why were you smoking it?” Scootaloo didn't reply, she was much too agitated and annoyed with the situation. In a last attempt to get free, the girl kicked Sunset's shin, forcing the junior student to let go of her shirt as pain registered in her brain. Hair filled her vision as her hands immediately went to her knee in attempt to elevate the pain. Sunset cursed under her breath as she realized that Scootaloo had disappeared. Once her pain had subsided after a moment, the teenager decided her next course of action.
She really couldn't say she had any right to say anything to Celestia about the matter but at the same time the girl was only thirteen; she really shouldn't be getting into this stuff. Sunset decided to put it on the back burner for now. She wanted to try and have a talk with the girl later. Maybe somewhere easier to trap the girl and prevent her from running off. Sunset felt that if she was going to redeem herself; then perhaps building a relationship with Celestia, Luna and Scootaloo would be the best start.
-
The rest of the day passed uneventful. After lunch, the girl had her final two classes of the day, English and Drama. Aside from the stares and insults she was fine. When the final bell of the day rang, Sunset couldn't be happier. She practically ran towards Principal Celestia's office where she was supposed to meet the woman before she started her detention. When she arrived in the waiting area in front of her office, she quickly made her way to the secretary who was sitting idle behind her desk, seemingly bored.
“Is Celestia available? She told me to see her after school?” asked the girl, dropping the woman's title as she asked for her. The secretary, a thirty something mother of two by the name of Alice Fairview with soft green skin and rose pink hair nodded.
“She's expecting you, go right in” said Mrs. Fairview, motioning the girl to the office on her right-hand side which bore Celestia's name. She approached the door and opened the door before stepping inside. Celestia was sitting behind her desk, looking through some folders of some sort. At the sound of her office door opening she lifted her head to greet the girl she had been expecting. The woman quickly shoved the files aside which seemed a little weird to Sunset as it looked like she didn't want her to see what she had been reading. Something about her? Or another student? Deciding it wasn't any of her business, she pushed the topic to the back of her mind.
“Hello Sunset, I'm sorry I wasn't able to drive you too school today. I had... things to do. How was your first day back?” asked the middle-aged woman, rising from her desk to greet Sunset. Sunset hesitated briefly, wondering if she should mention the bullying she had received or Roseluck's threat as well as Scootaloo's new little “habit.” One part of her felt the need to bring it up but at the same time she didn't want to tattle and she also wanted to talk to the young girl nor did she want to get Roseluck in trouble either, she kind of had it coming.
“It was fine” lied the girl, turning her gaze away. Celestia saw through her lie and placed her hands on her hips, clearly not in the mood. Sunset squirmed for a moment before she admitted part of the truth. “Fine, some kids said some stuff and called me names but no one really did anything.” Yet, thought Sunset. Celestia stared at her for a few moments longer before begrudgingly accepting Sunset's statement.
“Well, if you're sure that's all, then that's good. Luna said she had to stop a mob of students from maiming you this morning” Sunset wasn't surprised that Luna had mentioned it; Celestia would have asked if anything like that happened anyway.
“Yeah I have her to thank for that” Celestia smiled and motioned for the girl to sit in the seat in front of her desk; a worn arm chair which was scratched and torn in a few places from abuse over the years. Sunset gingerly sat down; a uneasy.
“So what happens now?” asked the teenager. Celestia sat back down at her desk and folded her hands on the desk before her.
“Now we wait for Hard Hammer and his construction crew to arrive and then once he gets here I will introduce you and you can get to work.”
“Oh....Okay”
Before Celestia or Sunset could converse any farther, there was a sharp knock on the office door. A few seconds later, the secretary popped her head in and motioned out to the waiting area.
“A Mr. Hammer is here to see you Celestia” said the woman, glancing behind her to confirm that the man was still there, which he was. Celestia smiled and thanked her secretary. Turning to Sunset she motioned her forward.
“Well, looks like he's here.”