Broken Trust
Sunset Shimmer sat in the center of the food court, stirring the ice in her glass of Diet Coke as she glared at all of the happy teens milling about. None of them had a care in the world which really pissed her off to no end. A bunch of carefree fools who thought the world was all sunshine, rainbows and puppies. Well she had news for them, the real world was full of storm clouds with no rainbows and as far as the puppies were concerned, she would much rather kick them than hug them. She hated this world and everything in it.
It was sad to think that it wasn't always this way though, she used to actually be just like those around her laughing with friends and family. Not that they were her real family as she came to this world on her own, but a twelve year old girl can't really do much on her own in this world. She was picked up by the police and put into the system when she claimed she couldn't remember anything.
~{FLASHBACK}~
"Don't worry honey, this is an older couple who love children and they will take great care of you." The hawkish looking woman said, giving the terrified Sunset Shimmer a smile as they slowly made their way up the sidewalk to the door of a lovely single story home. The neighborhood was really nice though there were several people watching from their porches or yards curiously.
"Can't I just stay by myself?" Sunset asked, hugging the plush unicorn tighter to her chest. It was a small comfort, one that the police officer who first picked her up bought for her. The man was really nice and if she had to stay with anyone she wished it was him. There was just something about Shining Armor that drew Sunset to him, feeling as if he was familiar for some reason.
"I'm sorry honey, but you are only twelve. You need to stay with a family that can provide for you and make sure you go to school." The hawkish woman sighed, rubbing her temples as if she was getting a headache. Something she seemed to do often. Sunset couldn't really pronounce her name as it sounded so foreign to her. The way she spoke to Sunset sounded more cold hearted and stiff than comforting which didn't help the young girl's nerves in the least.
"And who is this?" An older woman with a bright smile asked as she opened the door to see the two on the front steps.
"This is Sunset Shimmer." The hawkish woman said, pushing her sharp edged glasses back up her beak of a nose. "Sunset Shimmer, this is one of your caretakers. Mrs. Heart."
"Please, you can call me mom if you like." The woman said, making Sunset's eyes widen in surprise. It was something she tried calling Celestia more than a few times only to be lectured sternly that she was not her mother.
"Are you sure it's okay?" Sunset Squeaked out, hope filling her that maybe running through the mirror was the best thing to happen. It was a spur of the moment thing brought on by the pain of feeling betrayed by her teacher and princess.
"Of course I'm sure honey. I can't wait to get to know you." Mrs. Heart said with a smile.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
The ice was starting to melt in her soda, not that she really cared as she thought about the time with Mrs. Heart and her husband. She stayed with them for maybe six months and they taught her so much about this world. They taught her about computers and everything she needed to know to figure out how to translate what she learned in Equestria to the sciences and math that they used here. Too bad history and biology wasn't as easy. Studying on the computer helped fill in that information which helped her quickly become the top student in her school.
Her foster parents were so proud that she managed so much in such a short amount of time. They showered Sunset with the love she wanted so much and she had the love and respect of her peers. There was a small group of friends that she became a part of and all seemed to be going great. She even meet a great guy over the internet who wasn't put off by her intelligence. It seemed like a lot of guys were intimidated by it, though they respected her.
If only she kept her mouth shut about being from a world of ponies.
~{FLASHBACK}~
"She's a freak and I want her out of my home!" Sunset heard Mrs. Heart snarl at the hawkish woman who was having tea as the young girl eavesdropped on them. She knew that her foster parents were acting more and more distant lately, but she didn't expect that. If only she didn't feel like she could trust them enough to tell them the truth about her past.
Running to her room, she curled up in bed for awhile crying into the stuffed unicorn she still had. When her phone started beeping though she crawled over to her nightstand and grabbed it to see her online boyfriend had just messaged her.
FRUNNER: Hey Sunny, you there?
Free Runner was a promising track team member that Sunset was a little surprised would bother with her. He was actually a little older, two years older to be exact, but he was always there for her. He could have any girl from his school, yet he preferred her when she was from a rival school and they've only talked on the computer and through text messages so far.
SHIMMER: They think I'm a freak, they're throwing me out!
FRUNNER: Maybe you should come stay with us.
SHIMMER: I can't, the hawk lady is here to take me to a new home.
FRUNNER: I'm sure it will be okay, and if worse comes to worse, you can stay with us.
SHIMMER: Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
If only she knew that admitting the truth to the older couple would set her on a downward spiral that would end up with her hating humans. Hating the people of this world as well as herself for everything that had happened. She had been ready to live out her life with that older couple and be happy. Why couldn't she be happy?
Taking a sip of her soda she locked eyes with Fluttershy who was walking towards the food court before seeing Sunset Shimmer. Turning away, Fluttershy hurried away before Sunset would have a chance to get up and go after her. Not that Sunset would bother, not today especially. Not since today was the anniversary of the first day it happened.
~{FLASHBACK}~
"Happy birthday to me." Sunset whimpered, holding her cheek as she walked through the run down looking neighborhood. She passed several groups of teens who gave her suspicious looks, but she ignored them and hurried to her destination. Her cheek stung from when her current foster mother and struck her not fifteen minutes ago. It wasn't the first time either as beatings from the woman came often with the flimsiest of excuses. Hell she was sure the woman made up stuff half the time just to have an excuse to beat her.
She finally had enough though after having Free Runner's address for several weeks debating running away to his family. He promised that they said she would be safe with them, that they would take good care of her. She was hoping that he was right as she just couldn't take it any longer. Finally reaching the house she reached up and rung the doorbell, the door opening a few moments later showing a middle aged balding man looking down at her with a bit of a grin. It unsettled her, but she trusted him being Free Runner's father as Sunset had seen a picture of him that Free Runner had sent.
"Hi Sunset, come on in. Free will be back shortly." The man said, backing away to let her inside. Slowly she stepped into the door only to have it slammed shut with the larger man blocking it scaring Sunset a little.
"Where is he?" Sunset asked, looking around the living room that had pictures of naked women in provocative poses hanging up on the walls, stacks of movies or games around a large television and game console on the floor, and dozens of empty beer cans.
"Well, you see, the thing is that I lied. There isn't a Free Runner." The man said, moving toward Sunset who started to back away in fear of the man. She could tell something wasn't right and tried to scream before he was on her, hand over her mouth.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
Angrily wiping a few tears away, she Sunset glared down at the dark colored drink. The ice was nearly gone, just like her heart. After that week she had lost any love for humans as she learned that humanity were monsters. Not that she blamed only them, she knew if she wasn't stupid enough to fall for that man's schemes then it would have never happened. She hated herself just as much as she hated humans for what happened to her. Even her knight in Shining Armor.
~{FLASHBACK}~
"It will be okay." Shining Armor said softly as Sunset huddled under the blanket covering herself. She couldn't stop crying as his words meant nothing to her as she never thought things would ever be okay again. After her foster parents didn't have a choice but to report her missing, and it was a simple exploration of her computer to come across the emails from Free Runner with pictures and address. From there it didn't take much to locate Sunset being held captive in that bastard's rotten smelling house, tied up with no way to escape.
There was a time that his mere presence would have comforted her a great deal, yet now all she felt was nothing but anger and hatred at herself, the man who hurt her, her foster family and all of the grownups that let it happen to her. She hated them and promised herself that she would never trust them again.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
And she never did trust in humanity since that day, but she had to go back to that foster family. If things were bad before that incident, things became infinitely worse after.
~{FLASHBACK}~
Her foster father got it in his head that not only was it all her fault, but that she wanted it. He claimed he was only doing what she wanted him to do for several weeks before she couldn't take it anymore. When he was on top of her she reached over and grabbed the lamp off her nightstand and hit him in the back of the head. Grabbing the sheet and covering herself she ran from the room to the front door to be shocked to see her new caseworker there. Shocked with her hand raised to push the doorbell, the woman called the police and had the couple arrested and yet again sent Sunset to another foster home.
"So get out then if you don't want to stay here, but I'm keeping the checks." Her new foster father snapped, pointing to the door where Sunset happily took her plush unicorn and walked out. It took some doing but she started doing odd jobs here and there and actually came up with enough money to pay for a small efficiency at a motel. It had utilities and a very tiny kitchenette in the form of a sink, small fridge and a microwave bolted on top It was small, but it was hers.
She went back though whenever her caseworker was scheduled to come by, working with her foster parents to make them look like a happy family. It was far from the truth though as the couple only wanted the check and was happy to leave Sunset to her own devices as long as she didn't ask for money. On the good side, neither of them touched her in anyway and at times were even civil with her. They didn't like her though, not really as she always freaked out whenever he got too close to her.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
She still had her small efficiency with a small bit of money saved. It wasn't a lot, but it was hers and she had peace. There wasn't much filling her apartment, but she had kept one thing all these years that even though she hated the man, something about him still made her feel as if she knew him. As if she met him before, and while she wanted to think it was because of that, she just couldn't think of where. For awhile she thought he could have been the double of one of Celestia's guards who treated her like a daughter, but the only one it could have been was the Captain as she had never seen him without his armor. She also never learned his name, but she didn't think it was the reason for the familiarity.
It didn't matter though, she hated him now just like every other human. Or at least she tried to tell herself that despite him always being there rescuing her. If only he had taken her in maybe none of the things that had happened to her would have happened.
Snorting, Sunset grabbed her drink and got up from the table and tossed it in the trash can. As she walked around the corner she nearly collided with one of the girls at school that she hated the most. It was her competition at the very first Fall Formal for princess, Winter Breeze.
"Look where you are going!" Sunset snapped out at the girl, making the white haired girl go wide eyed in fear. After a hastily rushed out apology the girl scampered off. A part of Sunset smirked in satisfaction, after all if the humans feared you they wouldn't hurt you.
~{FLASHBACK}~
"I've had it with you, how dare you steal my crown? Do you want me to tell everyone what a whore you are?" Winter Breeze hissed hatefully pushing Sunset back into a locked. For a moment Sunset flashed back to being pinned down by those filthy humans and struck out in defense, punching the othe rgirl hard enough to knock her on her ass with a bloody nose.
"How dare threaten me with my past? I'm not the one going behind not only my best friend's back to date her bf while already having a boyfriend! I'm also not the one who has cheated on every exam this year after stealing the answer sheet when volunteering to clean the classroom. Nor am I the one who stole daddy's Vette and wrecked it, blaming it on some nonexistent car thief!" Sunset snarled, lashing out and kicking the downed girl. For a moment she saw herself on the floor, but she quickly stomped that image out. She had enough of this, if the humans wanted to treat her like shit she would return the favor! "Do you really want to fuck with me you pathetic bitch!"
"I'm sorry!" Winter Breeze sobbed out, making Sunset smirk a little. She would make these humans regret everything that has happened to her.
~{FLASHBACK END}~
Walking out of the mall, she felt like crap seeing what day it was. Sure it was her birthday, but it wasn't exactly something to be celebrated. Not that she had anyone to celebrate it with even if she wanted to other than the purple unicorn at home. She had more important things to do anyways such as make plans for stealing that usurper's crown that was the element of magic itself.