Out of the crater, into the light

by Xenont

Sunset's cold ,part 3 (At the clinic) - Chapter 5

As the six girls walked in through the front doors of the clinic, another blast of cold wind made Sunset shiver uncontrollably as her friends struggled to help her keep her balance as Rainbow Dash and Rarity went to help Sunset get a queue number. "Here!" Pinkie said as she led Sunset to a seat not too far away. "You sit here and wait for it to be your turn!" Sunset sat down and sighed, sneezing a few times. "I hate being sick!" Sunset groaned as she clutched her stomach, which was still sore from all the food that she had thrown up.

"Heck yeah! It's the worst feelin ever!" Applejack agreed as she patted Sunset's back. "Okay! We got a number!" Rainbow said as she walked up to where the girls were sitting. "We are number 54." She said as she motioned to Rarity to come over. "So, have you ever visited a doctor before?" Rainbow asked as she sat down. "Not exactly......no." Sunset replied hoarsely. "At least not in this world." She shook her head. "Well, the doc would just check your pulse and maybe stick something down your throat to check." Rainbow said. "But it's not as bad as it seems....." Fluttershy added when Sunset's eyes widened in horror.

"Number 54!" A voice shouted through the clinic via a speaker. "Come Sunny!" Pinkie shouted. "We'll wait for you out here!" Sunset nodded as she stood up and walked towards the open door, coughing. "See you later!!!" Pinkie shouted again as the door shut behind Sunset.

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"So....you are Sunset Shimmer?" The doctor said, not looking up from the table. "Yes....." Sunset said. "Okay....so you have a slight fever, sore throat and a runny nose?" The doctor asked again, now looking up. "Yes?" Sunset said, wondering how the doctor knew.

"Okay. Now, I want you to open your mouth while I check your throat." The doctor said as he wheeled his chair over to Sunset. "Okay...." Sunset opened her mouth as she felt a stick being stuck into her mouth. "Okay...." The doctor said as he sat back down on the chair. "So, when did your cold start?" He said. "Erm...." Sunset looked up and thought to herself. Hmmm, did it start at the night of the Formal or today? "Erm...I think yesterday night? When I was walking home in the wind?" Sunset said.

"Uh huh....." The doctor ran though a few more tests including checking her heartbeat. "Okay, I want you to breathe in deeply and hold." The doctor said as he placed the stethoscope on Sunset's back. Sunset closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, immediately regretting it as the air got caught in her throat as she launched into another coughing fit, this time, it lasted for a longer time than the others. The doctor, however, did not seem to mind as she started to write some notes down on his wad of papers.

After awhile, the doctor turned towards Sunset. "Okay, you would find some medication on the counter outside, a bottle each for your fever, cough, cold and vomiting. I suggest you stay indoors for a few days, as well as eat nutritious food as you are suffering from malnutrition. But in moderation as your stomach is still weak. " Sunset nodded. "Okay..." She croaked as she took a few slips of papers from the doctor. "Also, I would suggest that you do not go to school on Monday and Tuesday, I have written MCs for you on those days." Sunset nodded again as the doctor handed her a mask. "Wear this to prevent spreading your sickness to others." He said, opening the door for Sunset.

---

"Sunset!" Pinkie instantly ran up to Sunset the moment she walked out. "Hello Rainbow Dash!" The doctor smiled,greeting the rainbow haired girl. "Hey doc! How was Sunset?" Rainbow had always been a regular at the clinic, complaining about sore arms and broken limbs everytime her soccer training gets out of hand.

"She is doing fine." The doctor said. "But.....she would need to rest well and stay indoors as much as possible. It is also advisable that she skip school on Monday and Tuesday. By then, she should have recovered enough to be herself again." The girls nodded. "Ya hear that, Sunset?" Applejack turned to her friend, who was shivering slightly from the air-con. "Huh? Yeah...yeah..." Sunset said as she rubbed her hands together. "Ah....choo! Ah..ah..choo!!" Sunset started to shiver violently as Rarity helped to zip Sunset's jacket up. "You girls really know how to take care of her! You are lucky to have friends like these." The doctor smiled at Sunset as she rubbed her nose with a tissue. "I guess...." Sunset muttered as she blew her nose.

I don't deserve it..... Sunset thought for the hundredth time as her friends stopped her from paying for the meds with her own cash, insisting that they helped to pay for them instead. They are so nice to me, it stings! Ever since I came to CHS, and started to meddle with their friendship, life became a living nightmare for them...... Sunet looked up at her friends, who were looking at her worriedly, trying their best to keep her warm. And after the Formal, they are the total opposite of what I have expected from them - forgiveness. They took me in like they have known me as a friend for years, acted like I haven't done any harm to them...... Sunset watched as her friends each took out a bit of money to pay for the medicine, completely denying that Sunset even spent a cent on it.

I am the cause of their sorrow and hurts. I an dangerous towards them, I will hurt them again, I just know it! I have to get away, away, far away, so I can't hurt them anymore. Sunset looked up at her friends, who were walking back to her, medicine in hand, as she blinked back tears.

Run, I must run, to keep them from me, to keep them safe from a demon that could, no....would hurt them........

Without warning, Sunset suddenly took off running towards the clinic doors, leaving her friends in utter shock. With fresh tears streaming down her face, Sunset made a fast dash towards the door. "Sunset!!!" Pinkie shouted. "Hey! Where are you going!" But, Sunset was already miles away, unable to hear her friends frantic voices as they tried to call her back.

"Where do you think Sunset went?" Rainbow asked as the girls dashed out of the clinic and onto the streets. "She couldn't have gone far....." Applejack whipped out her phone. "Ah reckon I could track Sunset down, her phone is on her and ah have done somethin close to connectin our phones together, you know, I was scared she would run away again." Applejack slowed down as she began to track Sunset.

---

Not too far away, Sunset stopped next to a wall, sighing. Sure hope the girls don't find me again, I'm too much of a burden in there lives anyway, in fact, I'm a burden in everyone's lives Sunset rubbed her nose on the back of her hand, coughing slightly. Ooh.......I really shouldn't have ran that fast.... Sunset clutched her stomach as it started to hurt once more, signalling for her to swat down and breathe before she had another 'accident'.

Sunset stood up after a while, the pain subsiding from the rest she had. She leaned against the wall of the alley, closing she eyes and breathing in deeply. Well, at least I'm not their problem now.... Sunset thought as she visualised the looks of reliefs on her friend's faces that they wouldn't have to carry another on their shoulders. But, not far away, was a group of worried girls, frantically trying to find their lost friend.

"Where is she? What's taking so long?!" Rarity asked impatiently. "Almost....." Applejack said as she held up her phone. "Yes! Ah got her!" Applejack waved her phone around. "Sound's good!" Rainbow said, snatching the phone and studying it carefully. "Let's go!"

"Wow! How did Sunset run so far?" Fluttershy said as the group looked at the phone. "Yeah! Won't Sunny get sick again if she runs so much?" Pinkie said, causing yet another wave of panic within the girls. "Then we should hurry!" Rainbow urged, "The sooner we leave, the better! For all we know, she may have fainted!" That last sentence made everyone instantly start running towards where Sunset's phone was located.

"Ah....choo! Ah....ah...choo! AH....CHOO!" Sunset sneezed into her hands as she sniffed loudly. Ugh......I should have bought some tissues with me.... Sunset wiped her nose on her hand and moaned as she coughed roughly, causing her to wince in pain as the air shot through her sore throat. Oww......now even coughing hurts...what is going on? Sunset continued to walk forward slowly, not noticing that her phone had fallen out of her pocket due to her kneeling down a few moments ago.

"Here, she should have been right here!" Applejack said as she stood in the narrow alley. "This is where the tracker states she is!" The girls looked around, discovering a small rectangular object laying face down on the ground. "Hey, isn't that Sunset's phone? " Fluttershy asked as she picked it up. "Yeah! It sure is!" Pinkie said. "It's still quite warm, meaning it must have fallen out of Sunset's pocket just moments ago." Fluttershy said as her friend continued to run down the alley, panting as sweat ran down the sides of their cheeks.

---

Sunset turned a corner, just to be stopped by a group of familiar looking faces. "What do you think you were doing? Running off like that, you had us so worried!" Rainbow shouted in anger and relief. Sunset stopped dead in her tracks, thinking about what Rainbow had just said as she looked at the frantic expressions on her friend's faces. Th....they were.....wor.....worried? But I thought...... There was a moment of silence before hot tears started to roll down Sunset's face as she collapsed on Rainbow's shoulder, unstoppable tears running down her face. Her friends, stunned by her actions, only took a while to recover before they started to comfort their sobbing friend.

"What were you doing? Why did you run?" Rainbow repeated her question, this time, more comforting than angry. "I.....I...." Sunset tried to speak but her words were stuck in her throat, unwilling to come out. "It's okay.....take your time....." Fluttershy said, patting Sunset's shoulder. "I.....thought....I was a......a....." Sunset couldn't get herself to finish the sentence as more tears stung her eyes. "Yes, darling?" Rarity asked as he handed Sunset a tissue. "You can tell us, we are your friends". 'Friends'. There it was, the 'F' word, it made Sunset sob even harder. I don't believe it..... As much as Sunset wanted to, she could not understand how these girls, the ones she hurt, split apart, were actually caring for her. Why? The question lingered as Sunset wiped her tears.

"Do you girls really forgive me?" Sunset said as her crying stopped. "Tell me the truth. Do you guys accept me as a real friend, or as a burden that Princess Twilight handed to you?" The question made the five girls inhale sharply as they shared knowing looks. "We ARE your really friends Sunny!" Pinkie said. "For real!" Sunset looked up. "Really? Even after I insulted every party you ever planned, even when I bullied you guys? Even after I split you apart? Even after I tried to kill you?!" Sunset was now shouting, she felt her eyes filling up again as she looked at each and every one of her friend's shocked faces. Ha! I knew it! They are treating me like a charity case! Someone that they take care of just because they want attention Twilight. Just because Twilight asked them to! Sunset turned away and blinked, sending two drops of tears to run down her face.

Just as Sunset turned to face her friends again, what they did next was unsexpected. They all leaned forward, hugging Sunset, telling her that they truly cared again and again and again, until their words sunk deep into Sunset's mind, replaying over and over again. "Look," Pinkie had said. "Without you bullying and splitting up the whole school, along with bringing the crown here, we would never have learnt the magic of friendship, the magic within us that we could share, we would never have been this close, ever! Without what you have done, Sunset, we would never have made such a brilliant friend like you Sunset. So view it as a good thing and, we All forgive you, multiple times, for everything you had done."

Sunset replayed it again and again inside her mind as the group of six walked slowly towards Rainbow's car, smiles on each of their faces, with Sunset's being the biggest and brightest.

Author's Note:

So yeah....this is the next Chapter. Sorry for the slip-short writing. The next chapter would probably be delayed as I need to study for my upcoming exams.

though, I promise I would upload that next chapter ASAP!

More chapters to come!