Out of the crater, into the light

by Xenont

Sunset's cold, part 2(At Rainbow's house) - Chapter 4

"Hey Sunny! Get up!!" Sunset opened her eyes to see Rainbow Dash shaking her awake. "We're here!" Sunset stood up as she tried to walked a few steps, immediately regretting it as she fell into her friends' arms. "Woah there Sunset. Careful!" Applejack said, catching Sunset by her arms and pulling her up. "Leave the walking to us Sunset." Rarity smiled as she stood at Sunset's other side. As they slowly made their way to Rainbow's main door, Sunset felt tears streaming down her cheeks once more as she sniffed.

"Hey, why are you crying Sunny?" Pinkie asked, worried. "Thank you!" Sunset said. "Thank you all for being there for me...." Sunset's friends smiled. "That's what friends are for, Sunset. You don't have to keep thanking us." Fluttershy said as she looked at Sunset happily, making Sunset cry harder. "How? How do you guys forgive me after what I have done?" Sunset couldn't help but asked softly.

"Aw... that's easy Sunset. We just thought that you deserve another chance to shine and change. We knew that there was a different Sunset in you, a better you that we could bring out." Applejack said, wiping a tear off Sunset's face as Rainbow opened the door to her apartment. "Woah...you live her Rainbow?" Sunset gasped, regretting the moment the rush of air reached her lungs, starting another coughing fit.

"Yeah, pretty neat, huh." Rainbow took Sunset by her shoulder as she led Sunset to her couch, right in front of the telly. "Lie down." Rainbow instructed as she placed a pillow down. "You rest here and we'll go get some lunch." She covered a shivering Sunset with a thick blanket as she turned to her friends. "Okay. So we are getting pizza right? There is a place we can go not far from here." Her friends nodded in agreement.

"Erm.... Rainbow?" Sunset waved her hand, trying not to strain her sore throat. "I only eat vegetables...." Sunset came from Equestria, where she spent her days there eating hay and fruits so naturally, she carried the same eating habits here. "Oh right!" Rainbow said."Nearly forgot! I'll get you mushroom pizza then." Sunset nodded. "You just rest here okay?" Rarity said. "Pinkie has already saved our numbers in your phone so you can call us if you need anything!" Sunset smiled. "You guys have already done so much....I can't ask for anything else...."

"It's okay Sunny, you really need our help now!" Pinkie said. "It's what friends do! We look out for one another!" Sunset felt her eyes filling again she sniffed. "Oh yeah, Sunset, here's a box of tissues." Applejack said as she took a box off the shelf and passed it to Sunset, who took it and placed it next to her. Taking out one, she blew her nose into it. "Thanks..." She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and laid down on the couch, sighing.

As her friends left to buy some food, Sunset leaned against the pillow and stared out of the window. I sure am lucky to have friends like these, forgiving, kind, loving.......I don't deserve them. Sunset's mind wandered to the times when she had started to bully and threaten them.

Well, they seemed like the closest and most trusting group of friends that CHS had.....I knew that they did everything together and never left anyone of them out of the picture......until I came along......Rainbow Dash and Applejack were always the one who stood up for the group when I came along. I always did admire the courage that they had as other students would just give in to my orders....Well, so I decided that if I really wanted to pull them apart, I first had to get those two girls to stop standing up for the whole group by splitting apart their friendship.....So I messed up the date that the netball gream was supposed to show up and boy did it work well, Applejack got so mad that she stopped talking to Rainbow entirely! So then, it became easier to.....tear them apart.... Sunset remembered bitterly.

Soon, I made them hate each other so much that they went to the extent of avoiding one another in the hallways! I am lucky Twilight bought them back together.....if not, Equestria would probably be in a state of distress...... Sunset turned away from the cushions and stared blankly at Rainbow's television. I had always been amazed by this world's items when I first arrived....moving stairs, controllers and the sheer idea that they ate other animals! I was especially shocked with new new hooves when I first stumbled out of the mirror. Sunset smiled to herself as she closed her tired eyes, hoping to get a little more rest before the girls came back.

---

"Sunset?" Rainbow opened the door and stared at the couch. "Hey guys! Sunset's asleep, try no to wake her!" She whispered. "Okay!" Pinkie whispered back loudly, causing her friends to stare at her angrily. "What?" She smiled, shrugging.

Rainbow and Applejack placed the many boxes of pizzas on the table as they joined their friend on the floor near where Sunset was sleeping. "So uh...should ah wake her?" She pointed to Sunset, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "No, of course not! You saw how tired she was in the mall! She needs her beauty sleep!" Rarity whisper-shouted back. "Yeah, I think we should let her wake up by herself.....erm, if that's okay...." Fluttershy said softly.

"Wow! Sunset only has fifty-six on her!" Pinkie said, softer than usual, waving Sunset's wallet in the air. "Pinkie! You are not allowed to go through Sunset's items without her permission!" Rarity scolded. "Yeah, but what would you say about this?' Pinkie said, pulling Sunset's leather jacket out. "Oh my!" Rarity said a bit too loudly, slapping her hand over her mouth. "Sorry....I mean....Oh my....." She took the jacket from Pinkie's hands and looked at it closely. "Hm...I should be able to fix it with the new fabric that I bought today." She pointed to her plastic bag full of leather. "I did buy some leather as well, plus know exactly what leather Sunset wears!"

"How in the world did you find out?" Applejack couldn't help asking. "Well, I did kind of study and feel her jacket yesterday at the formal, when we were walking to the hall to dance...." Rarity replied, blushing. "Good thing too, now I can help her to mend it and she wouldn't have to spend the little amount of money she has left buying a new one!" Rarity began to sit a a corner as she worked on stitching Sunset's jacket together.

"So.....I was thinking we could hold a party for Sunny one of these days both to celebrate our new friendship and her coming to join our awesome group!" Pinkie suddenly said loudly, causing Sunset to wake up

---

'Huh? What?" Sunset sat up on the couch as she stared at her friends, who were all glaring at Pinkie. "Sorry 'bout that Sunset, Pinkie here was just makin a little too much noise." Applejack explained. "Oh, it's okay, I should probably get up anyway...." Sunset muttered as she tried to stand up, instantly falling down.

"Woah, woah! Careful!" Rainbow shouted as she stood up to catch Sunset. "You should sit. I'll get the food for ya!" rainbow said as she walked into the kitchen to get a plate. "Ah....choo! Ah...choo!" Sunset sniffed as she pulled a piece of tissue out of the box.

"Are you feeling any better?" Fluttershy asked as she looked up worriedly as Sunset blew her nose. "Huh? Erm....not really....my head is hurting more in fact...." She sighed and looked up at Rainbow, who handed her a plate and a cup. "Here's your pizza, I also poured you some warm water that may help to sooth your throat. Come on, you can sit at the table!" Rainbow pulled Sunset up and pulled out a chair for her. "Thank you....." Sunset said. "Really."

"Hey, Sunny, do you really only have fifty-six dollars on you?" Pinkie said as Applejack elbowed her. Sunset looked down. "Yeah....it is...." She said softly. "But it is not really mine either....it's the lunch money that I stole over the years..." She sniffed and looked down. "I don't think it would even had been enough...." She added to herself, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Enough for what?" Rainbow asked. Sunset scratched the back of her neck as she said "A new leather jacket....the one I have is broken and I....." Sunset coughed a few times, sniffing as she reached over to drink the water Rainbow held out for her.

"Not to worry dear!" Rarity walked up to Sunset, hiding her mended leather jacket behind her. "As you may know, I love nothing more than fixing broken clothing....." Sunset's eyes widened as Rarity pulled out the jacket and handed it to Sunset, how looked at it closely, realising that it was as good as new. "How....how..." Sunset gasped as tears stung her tired eyes. She looked up gratefully at her friends as tears of gratitude flowed down the sides of her cheeks.

Rarity smiled as she hugged Sunset, "just my little way of saying, welcome to the group." Sunset hugged her back tightly, tears streaming down her face as her friends watched the entire scene unfold. "Aw......" Pinkie said, wiping away one of her own tears. "Okay guys....can we eat now?" Rainbow said as she walked out of the kitchen with five more plates of pizza. "I think we are All hungry now!"

As the girls dug into their meals, they all realised that Sunset had really worked up an appetite. "Hey Shimmer, you really are hungry huh?" Rainbow said as Sunset reached out to grab another piece. "Heh heh....." Sunset lowered her hand. "Well, I haven't actually eaten anything other than salad and fruits since I came to this world...." She looked down, hating the looks of sympathy that showed on her friend's faces.

"Really? Well, in that case, you should eat more Sunset." Rainbow said as she placed another slice on Sunset's plate. "I was just joking about what I said." Sunset smiled as she ate her food, glad that she always had her friends there, looking out for her.

---

Well, that was some nice food...." Applejack said as she checked her watch. It read 4pm. Everyone stood up as Rainbow look the dishes to the kitchen to wash. "Yup...one of the best I've had....." Sunset said as she sat down on the couch, suddenly feeling nauseous. "Oh......" She groaned as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked as she place her arm on Sunset's shoulder. "I.....I...." Sunset began as her heart raced inside her. She stood up, ignoring Fluttershy's question as she raced to the bathroom, slamming the door and leaning down against the toilet bowl. Why is this happening? Sunset thought as her lunch shot up her throat and out of her mouth. "Ow...." She muttered as she leaned forwards again, spewing out more food.

"Sunset?" Sunset heard Rainbow's voice through the door. "Are you...." Sunet heard her open the door and gasp. "Darling...." Rarity whispered as she stared down at Sunset, who was still holding on to the rims of the seat, panting loudly. Sunset slowly stood up, wiping her mouth with a tissue and flushed the toilet.

"I....don't feel so good...." She said as she stumbled forward. "Sunset, I think we need to bring you to a hospital to get you checked." Applejack said as she took Sunset's shivering hand. "Yeah....I think so...." Sunset said as she walked on slowly to the door. "I'll get you a bag for the drive! In case you get sick again!" Pinkie said enthusiastically, rummaging through her bag. "Here!" She said, handing Sunset a plastic bag. "Thanks..." Sunset said as she coughed into her hand, wearing her newly patched up leather jacket.

"Come on!" Rainbow said as she led Susnet to her car. "Here, I know a place not far from here! My mom always brings me there when I get sick!" Sunset nodded gratefully at Rainbow as she sat down once again inside Rainbow's car.

During the drive, Sunset's friends got to know a little more about their friend. "So....Where did you stay when you were living in Equestria?" Rarity asked. "Did you stay in a castle like Twilight?" "Yeah...." Sunset said. "I did....." She blinked the tears out of her eyes as the memory bought back how she had betrayed the princess as it flashed in her mind. "But I was not what Celestia thought I was.....I was not the one she was looking for......Twilight was.......I, on the other hand, abandoned my studies for power because I wanted more of it." Sunset looked out of the window as her friends looked as her with blank expressions on their faces.

"Really?" Pinkie asked as Sunset turned to face them. "Yes, I thought that I deserved the right to be a princess too and I craved power over others. So when I learned about the mirror here, I instantly wanted to know more about this 'other dimension'. When Celestia said I wasn't ready, I got mad and ran away here to find out myself......" Sunset looked away again as she remembered the times she had spent with her mentor.

"Well, at least you are sorry." Rainbow said, hating the silence. "You have changed so much! Stop holding on to the past!" She said as she drove into her car park. "You are a better person now, we all think so!" Rainbow added as she parked her car. "Now, let's bring you for a check-up!"

Author's Note:

Here's the next chapter! Sorry about any spelling or punctuation errors....

More chapter coming!!

Comments

[Charli13]

That was so good

[Xenont]

9195453
tks

[Hoping for death]

I had a cold recently. I also had four shows during that window of time.