Glowing Embers

by Sun Aura

The First Crown

The Fall Formal was an… interesting event. It was almost like the Grand Galloping Gala, except not as fancy or stuck up. And she hoped something like this would happen at the Gala. It was a bit of a trainwreck, actually. But a beautiful trainwreck you couldn’t help but watch.

It had been those five girls again. Oh, there’d definitely been full on chaos afterward, but it started with them. The rainbow haired one had spent her time chatting with the Coach, who happened to be the old captain from that article Sunset had found, trying to talk up her own skills. It sort of worked, until her enthusiastic air kick managed to hit another student in the face.

Applejack and Rarity sort of worked in tandem, accidently of course. Applejack had been simple, just going far overboard when helping her family do the catering. Rarity was the one who had invited herself as Blueblood’s date. The upperclassmen had very little interest, and seemed to be purposely trying to make her hate him instead of telling her. It worked. And she shoved him into the buffet table, launching food into the crowd and getting a blue stain on the skirt of Sunset’s white dress. Stupid frosting.

Pinkie and one of her other friends, a girl with blue hair and sunglasses, hacked into the music system. It definitely livened up the party, but maybe they shouldn’t have played ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. While Sunset thought the song was actually pretty catchy, something about it sent the crowd nuts.

Then there was the yellow one. Poor girl had been dragged here, but her anxiety seemed to have gotten the best of her by the end. The less said about that the better.

It was definitely a fun night, craziness aside. Just like in Middle School, people had liked her. She still didn’t really have ‘friends’, but it felt like everyone knew her name. Even most of the upperclassmen would talk to her, which only made her more popular with the Freshmen, wondering ‘how did you do that?!’.

It was nice. Nice to be liked, to have people be nice to you, without planning your downfall or expecting something. Okay, a few of the upperclassmen guys had seemed to want more, but she turned them down with just that smile. That ‘sorry, I’m new here and I want to make sure I have everything planned out before I think about a date’ smile.

So she danced and talked and socialized. It was so normal. For a moment, she wasn’t the Interdimensional Unicorn trying to fit into a new world and a new life. She was just her, she was Sunset Shimmer, and she loved it.

Well into the night, Principal Celestia turned down the music and walked on stage. She looked the same as ever, but she did have that bemused smile.

“Despite a few hiccups in the night,” Celestia said, pausing for laughter. “This has been one of the best Fall Formals I’ve seen at Canterlot High!”

Best she’s seen? Sunset would pay to hear how this was less Chaotic than any of the Fall Formals from Celestia’s time as a student.

“Now, for the event most of you have been waiting for,” Celestia announced. “The winner of this year’s Fall Formal Crown. Your Princess of the year is…. Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset stared in disbelief. She-she’d actually won? How the actual Hell? She’d entered as a joke! Because what Freshman could win the Fall Formal crown? She’d even laughed about it with one of the Seniors!

Someone took her hand and dragged her up to the stage. She couldn’t even hear anything over the shock. All she managed to do was smile and say thank you over and over.

Even after the shock wore off, she felt like dancing more. People liked her. They actually liked her enough for a Freshman to win the Fall Formal. And you know what? She liked when people liked her. If felt wonderful.

Author's Note:

Short, but we're getting there. Next chapter starts the fun bits.