A Different Sort of Sunset

by MareDoVVell

Meet Sunset Shimmer

Sunset Shimmer was, as her teachers would put it, a "difficult, but gifted young woman". That description was usually followed by a grimace, much like the one Principal Faust was currently directing at the Truancy Officer standing in front of her desk. Sunset smirked as she watched the grimace turn into a helpless shrug through the open office door.

"Ma'am, this is the third time this week I've caught her wandering around the city when she's supposed to be in school. Are you telling me there's nothing you can do about it?" The Officer asked, crossing his arms with a disbelieving frown.

Principal Faust sighed, dragging a hand down the side of her face. "Sunset is...a special case. You might not believe it, but she has been the number 1 student in her class for 3 years, and she's a shoe-in for Valedictorian. She's also president of the chess and science clubs, and has taken so many AP classes she's practically halfway to a Bachelors degree." the Principal explained with an edge of manic laughter to her words. "It's a little hard to reprimand her for cutting class when she never misses a test or assignment, and she scores perfectly on all of them. At first we assumed she was cheating, but she's proved us wrong on that repeatedly...much to her delight."

Sunset held back a giggle at hearing that particular admission, thinking back to the handful of times they had tried to ambush her with surprise tests, in sterile, locked down rooms, accompanied only by a proctor. God she loved a good pop quiz.

The Truancy Officer gave a disbelieving grunt, casting a suspicious glance out into the hall at the girl in question. "Be that as it may, if it keeps happening..."

Principal Faust held up a hand tiredly. "Look you're welcome to charge her guardians for truancy if you like, but considering she's in the care of a state run orphanage, I'm not sure you'll get very far." Principal Faust let out another heavy sigh. "I know it's unconventional, but she'll be 18, and a graduate, in a matter of months, and we're content to just let her be, as long as she keeps up her academic performance."

The Officer looked thoroughly nonplussed. "There's gotta be something you can do, what about refusing to let her graduate unless she improves her attendance?"

Principal Faust smiled ruefully at the suggestion. "We tried that once. She came back the following Monday with a copy of the test for a GED, filled it out in front of me and had me grade it. She scored 100% of course. I believe her exact words were 'If it's really a problem, I don't mind dropping out, but I'd rather have a good old fashioned diploma, and I'm sure you'd rather not have to explain to your bosses why your top student has dropped out.'"

Now it was the Officer's turn to offer a tired sigh. "Y'know what, fine, they don't pay me enough to deal with this, but I'm still gonna have to bring her in if I catch her just roaming the city, that part of the job is set in stone."

"I understand, I doubt it'll do much good, but I'll try and talk to her, maybe if she knows she'll just keep getting picked up and brought back, it'll curb her desire to leave school grounds." The Principal offered sympathetically.

"Yeah, you do that." The Officer said, his expression a strange mixture of defeated and amused as he turned and walked into the hall.

"See you later Officer." Sunset called cheerily as he walked past.

"Hopefully not." He shot back with a small frown. "...just...keep the grades up kid, or we'll have words."

"That I can do." She shot back with a wink.

The Officer rolled his eyes, the edge of his mouth turning upwards the slightest bit as he walked off towards the main entrance.

"Sunset? Can you come in here for a moment please?" Came the Principal's voice through the open door.

Sunset stood and walked into the office, closing the door behind her. Immediately she dropped into one of the chairs in front of the desk, swinging her heavily booted feet up onto its wooden surface, pointedly ignoring the heavy twitch this caused in her Principal's eye.

Principal Faust gave her a halfhearted frown, then slumped down into her own chair, propping her head up with one hand, observing the teenager before her.

Sunset looked much the same as she had for the past few years, tall and a little scrawny for her age, her head topped with a spiky pixie cut that hung in front of her eyes, hiding the several silver studs that adorned her face. She was wearing heavy black work boots, faded black jeans, a t-shirt, black of course, and it was all topped off by a terribly abused denim vest that was covered in an indiscernible mess of patches and pins.

Principal Faust let out a groan. "Sunset..."

Sunset looked up, giving the woman across from her a quizzical glance as she rummaged around in her vest pockets for a moment, eventually pulling out a small green and white box, along with a lighter.

"SUNSET!!!" Principal Faust roared as her eyes shot to the pack of cigarettes.

"What? I made sure the door was closed, and I brought enough to share." Sunset explained with a small shrug.

"That's not..." Principal Faust ground her teeth for a moment, before letting her shoulders slump. "Oh who am I kidding, it's not like it's the first time..." She moaned, pulling a crystal ash tray from a desk drawer and putting it between them. "Gonna take all day to get the stink out of here..."

Sunset gave her a sympathetic look, which didn't stop her from leaning forward to offer a cigarette, then lighting it for her Principal before doing the same for herself.

Principal Faust took a long drag from the cigarette, taking a thoughtful moment before exhaling, then daintily she tapped it against the rim of the ash tray. Almost immediately she felt slightly light headed, but at the same time she could feel most of the tension in her neck begin to unravel. "Now then..." She began, giving her student a piercing look. "What have I told you about leaving school grounds?"

"Don't get caught?" Sunset offered with a grin, rolling her cigarette between her teeth.

"Yes! I mean, no! T-that's not really..."

"Principal, relax. It won't happen again." Sunset offered soothingly.

Principal Faust blinked in surprise. "It won't? You mean you'll stop cutting classes?"

"Pffft! Absolutely not!" Sunset laughed, almost choking on the smoke in her lungs.

Principal Faust looked rather unamused at that.

"I mean I won't get caught again. I have a plan. This way, you won't get in any trouble, and neither will that cop. He actually seems kinda nice when you get down to it, and I'd rather not make life hard for him." Sunset explained nonchalantly.

"How very considerate of you." Principal Faust grumbled. "Just...I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but keep your grades up, and we won't have a problem, but please be careful, at this point we've bent the rules so much for you that I'm not sure we could help much if you ever got into any real trouble."

Sunset gave a small smile at that, but it was also a bit sad. "Thanks, but don't worry, I can take care of myself, been at it long enough at this point."

Despite herself, Principal Faust reached out and gave the girl's hand a comforting pat, before straightening up and taking another puff of her extremely illicit cigarette. "So what is this plan of yours?"

Sunset's expression morphed into a mixture of mischief and excitement, a look that the entire school staff had learned to dread. "Well I'd explain it to you, but..."

Sunset lifted her hand to glance at a very expensive looking watch, which the Principal had to resist assuming was stolen. The girl may have been a delinquent, but theft wasn't her style.

"Unfortunately I have a bus to catch!" Sunset declared as she stubbed out her cigarette and made for the door.

"A bus?" Principal Faust asked in surprise. "A bus to where?"

"The suburbs, apparently some interesting stuff has been happening out there." Sunset called over her shoulder, before disappearing through the door.

"So that's her plan..." Principal Faust mumbled around her cigarette. "I hope she knows they still have police in the suburbs...those poor sheriffs."

Author's Note:

A few people requested a sequel after The Mis-Test Mystery, and I really wanted to do more with Sunny as a character, so here we are!

I feel like this chapter is a little over the top, but I kinda like that about it. Like what happens if pre-reformation Sunset was a good-natured rebel instead of a huge bitch.

Comments

[DavisSentoV5]

Finally, the Pre-Sequal is finally here!

[OmniFox]

Never smoke.

[Sylica telca]

Good start