Where the Sunsets
By Foxgear
The morning sun streamed through her window, grumpily the room’s occupant threw her bed sheets over her head to hide away from the sun but this proved futile, the sun’s rays proving too powerful. She flipped and rolled into a cocoon to escape the menace of the sun. Unfortunately, this led to her falling on the floor.
“Ouch! That’s smarts.” One Sunset Shimmer groaned throwing off her blankets, sleep would be impossible now anyways after awakening like that. Not only that, she needed to get ready for school!
Tossing the bed sheets onto the bed Sunset walked in her red striped bra and panties across her single room home to the kitchen. Tossing some eggs on the skillet she searched around for some fresh clothes, finding it to be a much harder task than she imagined. It was going to be a laundry day after school.
Dressed in a blue jean skirt and red shirt with her cutie mark emblazoned on it, Sunset tossed the eggs on her last clean plate (It was going to be a dishes day too) and hastily ate her meager breakfast and stepped outside into another bright and sunny morning in the south orchard of sweet apple acres!
Stretching Sunset limbered herself up for her ride to school. Pushing her bike out of the attached lean-to Mac had made her, Sunset fired up the bikes engine letting warm up, only for it die…
“I’m out of gas? But I just filled up yesterday!” Sunset looked behind her seeing a trail of fuel leading back to a puddle in the lean-to, great, she had a fuel leak. Her phone beeped, signaling she only had thirty minutes to get to school and the yard was a good ten-minute walk away.
“CRAP!” She screamed running through the orchard as fast as she could. Along the way she passed Sonata and Aria picking some apples, she waved, and they waved back. She was still getting used to them living here after Mac took them in. Mac who was now eighteen and out of school and running the Apple family farm with the sirens as his farmhands, also they did a little monster hunting on the side, not a big deal, story for another time.
Rushing into the yard Sunset was just in time to see Mac and Adagio getting into the truck. She sprints faster, crashing into the door just as Mac put the truck in drive.
“Can you give me a ride to school?” She pleaded after Adagio rolled down the window. Sunset couldn’t help but stare as Adagio’s huge baby bump. Well, maybe not huge, as Adagio would kill her if she said that, but three-month a longish… a vast difference to the former villain's fit figure. Also, something that could get you killed if you dared pointed it out, even in a non-teasing way. Fluttershy was going to be scarred for life after her unintentional slip-up.
“Get in,” Mac drawled opening the driver’s door. “You’ll have to ride in the middle, though.”
“That’s fine,” She chirped running around the other side of the truck, tossing her backpack in the truck bed as she climbed into the cab. Awkwardly she scooted as close she dared to Adagio, being mindful of where her hands were. Rule one to surviving Pregdagio, DO NOT, touch her belly.
Mac climbed back in, nearly squishing her into Adagio as he did and started the truck. They took off at a steady pace. Mac being mindful to watch out for potholes and such, his wife was pregnant after all. That was another thing Sunset (And many others) was still trying to process and that was Mac and Adagio have gotten married, or at least engaged. They got a little ahead of themselves one night and all wedding plans were on hold till the baby was born. Not that anyone minded much, not even Granny Smith, she was just happy there was another generation of Apples, though she did scold Mac and Adagio for getting frisky before the wedding. There is more to the story, but Sunset would rather not remember Granny recounting her courting and marriage, it was very explicit.
The ride into town was a quiet one, not even the radio was pff. The only noteworthy moment was when Adagio stretched out her hand for Mac to take and they held hands for the entire trip; leaving Sunset feeling awkward as she was stuck between them, making her very grateful when Mac dropped her off.
“You sure you want to be dropped off here?” He asked her letting her out. They were a block away from the school. “It’s no trouble to just drop you off at the entrance.”
Sunset nervously fiddled with her backpack. “This is fine. I can walk from here.”
As Mac got back into the truck he looked Sunset square in the eyes, concern clear in his expression. “You’re gonna have to tell them eventually.”
“Tell who?” She replied playing dumb. This wasn’t the first time this subject came up.
“You know who, Aj and her friends, your friends. You can’t keep hiding where you live Sunset. They’re gonna find out sooner or later.” Mac paused looking at his watch; he needed to wrap this up. They were due at the hospital for a checkup with the changeling nurse Nyx; another story for another time. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, remember that.”
He drove off leaving Sunset feeling terrible on the sidewalk. It’s not that she was ashamed… ok, she was a little. She’s been leaving in the south orchard since she arrived on earth. The shack had been made by Mac’s father, who turned out to be from Equestria too. He helped her and then Mac helped her. For all her boasting of being independent and looking out for herself, she was the exact opposite. She’s been living off the kindness of others and has barely done anything to pay it back. She wanted to be the girl she presented to friends, not the girl living for free in a shack in the woods.
Solemnly Sunset walked to school.
Morning classes rolled by without much of interest happening and soon it was time for lunch. Happily, Sunset carried her food to her usual table with her friends, who were chatting quietly among themselves, the chatter stopped once they noticed her.
“Um… what’s up gals?” She asked awkwardly as they all looked everywhere but at her. Meaning they were talking about her… which could be good or bad? Good in the mindset that Pinkie was planning something for her, bad in the mindset that they were once again discussing a certain question she’s been dodging since becoming friends.
“WHERE DO YOU LIVE SUNSET!” Pinkie shouted suddenly, causing Sunset to literary jump and nearly spill her food.
“Pinkie!” Rarity scolded the pink girl. “That is not how ones ask someone a question!”
“Neither is whispering about it in a group,” Sunset muttered under breath, not really liking the fact they were discussing this at all. Usually, they accidentally got on the subject through conversation and she could steer them away with a simple change of subject. Now they were actually discussing it on purpose, meaning their curiosity was peaking and she really didn’t want to give an answer… yet.
“Sorry, but it strange that we don’t know where you live, but you know were live and… um…” Fluttershy trailed off, but the damage was done and now…
“Yeah Sunny, what’s up with that?”
…Rainbow would take over.
“Think of the awesome parties we could have at your place! No parental guidance or Maud!”
“Hey, Maud’s plenty of fun!”
“Sure she is Pinkie.”
Sunset sighed as she pushed Pinkie and Rainbow away from one another before they could start a food fight. “Look my place is just small, nothing noteworthy or mysterious about it. I can barely fit my bed, let alone half of you. I know it’s not fair, but I like my privacy.”
“Come on ya’ll leave her be,” Applejack drawled putting an end to the conversation. For which Sunset was grateful for. “There’s no reason to be barking at her heels about this when she’s ready to show us, she’ll show us. Now let’s get to eatin’ lunch is almost over.”
The rest of the lunch hour was observed in silence with Sunset eyeing her friends suspiciously. She should be more trusting of them, but she knew the subject wasn’t dropped yet. Already they were probably thinking up some scheme to follow her home or something. She’d have to be careful… wait how was she going to get home?
She swore under breath. She would need a ride or walk home, and she also needed to get parts for her bike to fix it and food and other things. There was no way she could do all that on foot, but who could she ask for a ride without drawing attention?
All of her friends were out of the question, lest she reveals her secret, she could probably get a ride out the farm, but they’d probably wait around for her to take her “home”. She could just say she’d get a ride from Mac or the Sirens. Mac was pretty tight lipped, but you could grease the sirens' palms for information if you gave them the right thing. Maybe she could ask Luna or Celestia for a ride or maybe she should just spill the beans and get it over with, but the thought of them walking out to her shack and seeing the dirty dishes, dirty underwear on the floor and dirty everything, made her shiver. She didn’t want that to be her friends’ first impression of her home.
“Sunset, it’s time for class!”
“Coming!”
After school Sunset quickly glanced around the school parking lot. All of the cars were gone, even the Principles’. Sighing in relief she walked out the back door of the gym and made a beeline for the shrubs. Cutting across a few back yards Sunset made it to the cemetery unnoticed just before dusk. From here she would be able to cut across country to the southern part of sweet apple acres and be home by nine hopefully.
Climbing up the cemetery hill Sunset couldn’t help but stop at a particular grave, etched on the stone were the names Applejane and Nico Vega, Applejack’s parents. She knelt down and brushed her hand against the stone, feeling the 088 carved above Nico’s name. He had been Equestrian, a pony like she was who fell through a portal into this world. Only he had been from a thousand years before she was even born. She wondered at times what it must have been like to be in a different body and world filled with things you’ve never seen before. Sure she had the same experience, but she at least had some idea of modern tech, he came from the Dark Ages of Equestria, an age of chaos and constant wars after the sealing of Discord. Apparently, he served in the princesses’ army. Still, one thing bothered her about Nico.
“Why were you there that day?” She asked the stone. It was the day she came through the portal from Equestria. It had been raining and she was soon soaked, cold, and alone in a strange new world, yet he had been there waiting for her. He took her to a café and fed her, got her documented as a distant relative and gave her a place to stay in the south orchard. He did all that for her even with her bad attitude back then. He died only a few weeks later, never answering how he knew she was going to appear there.
She smiled and stretched, “I guess it’s just mystery that will never be solved. Thanks anyway for helping me back then, sorry I was such a bitch to your daughter back then, but I’m making up for it now.”
As Sunset got up she had a feeling of someone watching her. Looking around she saw no one around, making her shiver, maybe she should get home. It’s bad luck to be in a cemetery at night and she needed to get home anyway.
She broke into a light trot and started her way back to sweet apple Acres.
“Oh my god (Heavy breathing) my ribs hurt so much!” Sunset panted breathlessly as she fell to the ground outside her shack. She just made it back after a hard run across the south fields. Her legs screamed in agony as she stumbled for the door and fell inside feeling her way through the dark to her bed. Dishes and laundry could wait till morning, she was too tired. Her eyes drifted shut and she took a long deep sigh of relief as she sank into her bed, fully ready to embrace sleep, and then someone turned on the lights.
“Sonata if that’s you I swear to god I’m gonna drown you in the lake! Adagio can’t save you this time! Not that she tried very hard last time…” Really the pregnant siren just kind of watched laughing silently for several minutes before telling Aria to go stop save Sonata. “I mean Aria can’t save you this time!”
When the blue siren didn’t show up, Sunset opened her eyes and then gasped as the one standing over her with their arms crossed was Applejack and she didn’t look happy.
“I can’t believe you,” Applejack said suddenly, “You would rather hike nearly twenty miles, uphill, in the dark; then rather let us know where you live?”
“By us, do you mean?”
“No, I’m the only one here, but don’t think I won’t give you six times the beating for being stupid!”
Sunset flinched, unable to look Applejack in the eyes, she looked away from the blonde hanging her head in shame. “I just… I just didn’t want you girls, to worry about me. I’ve caused enough trouble for you and the others. Between what happened at the fall formal, the battle of the bands and on top of that I broke up your friendship with everyone, despite living on your farm at the time. I was surviving only because of your dad’s kindness and I just spat on it and then I have the nerve to continue living here. To keep freeloading off your family’s kindness after finally realizing just how awful of a person I was… I just wanted to move and find a place of my own. Someplace where I don’t need to mooch off Mac, a place I could be proud to show you.”
Sunset hugged her knees and bowed her head crying, waiting for Applejack’s response. She was so afraid to look up and face the farm girl; she didn’t notice the side of her bed sink as Applejack sat down and rubbed her back.
Applejack smiled as Sunset’s tear stained eyes looked up at her with surprise. “What, you thought I was gonna be mad?” Sunset silently nodded, making Applejack chuckled. “Ok, ok, I am a little mad, but not about you living here. I don’t know how you yawl do it in Equestria, but if my dad thought you were good enough to stay here, even back then, then I think you are too.”
Warmth filled Sunset’s chest as Applejack’s arm slipped around her shoulders. “You know,” Applejack whispered rocking her back and forth, “Dad used to say you were a good person that just didn’t know she was one yet. I always scoffed him off, thinking he didn’t know you like I did; he didn’t have to deal with you like I had to every day at school, but you know what? He was right about you. You are a good person Sunny, that’s why you don’t need to feel bad anymore, it’s all the past. You can look to the future now.”
A smile broke out on Sunset’s face as she looked out the window, the last rays of the sun disappearing beyond the horizon. She leaned in closer against Applejack enjoying the warmth of the other girl.
“So you feel up to showing the others where Sunset Shimmer settles down after sunset?”
“That was a bit forced,” Sunset snorted breaking into a fit of giggles. “Maybe another sunset, right now, I just want to sleep.”
Applejack smiled as she lay Sunset down on the mattress, the red and gold hair girl fast asleep, tired from her long trek. Quietly Applejack tiptoed across the shack, opening and closing the door with little noise and whispered.
“Good night, Sunny.”