Who Am I?

by Penmore

First published 1st of December, 2016

Hit by the ever colorful rainbow caused by the girls who thwarted her plans; Sunset finds herself cursed and abandoned by the pillar of friendship.

Having been hit by the rainbow caused by Twilight and the girls; Sunset finds herself cursed and abandoned in the human world. Not wanting to deal with both the inevitable retaliation of the students and the curse, Sunset makes the decision to transfer. Now she has to deal with the rest of her school life in a new environment until the portal opens once more. All the while dealing with problems the curse has created for her along with unwanted memories of her past.

Facing the Consequences

There was pain; nothing but extreme pain all over from top to bottom. Searing hot and heavy pain caused by being hit with a rainbow with enough force to equal that of a tank. At least, that was what it felt like to Sunset Shimmer. As the blinding light went away the pony turned teen was forced to face the consequences of the choices that led to this point. The one resulting in being face down in a crater as she found herself being stared by the girls who were the cause of it.

The six girls stood at the top of the crater and were soon joined by other students who were curious as to what was going on. They pointed at her and were whispering to each other something. As Sunset climbed up from the crater she found it hard to contain the tears anymore as the hot liquid kept falling down her face.

"Sunset Shimmer?" called the voice of one of the girls who stopped her. It was a voice softer than the rest and knew it had to be the shy one asking.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Is... that really you Sunset?" the same girl asked extending a hand towards her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! No more! Please!" Sunset cried out flinching back as the pain from the rainbow was still ongoing in waves. It felt as if everything she'd ever built to protect herself through her life was gone. She felt vulnerable, unsure, and worst of all weak.

The onlookers whispers once again started in a flurry and people kept pointing at her and staring. Their eyes felt like needles as each gaze seemed to be looking at something beyond her. Something hidden deep inside and beyond her reach. Panic rose in her chest and her breathing became erratic. She could hear someone somewhere calling out to her but she couldn't make it out as her heartbeat clouded all sound around her. Vision began to blur and before she could do anything else darkness took her once again.

---

"S--- ---." Celestia called out to get the foal's attention.

"Princess Celestia?!" S--- stepped back the presence of the alicorn.

"It's impressive for one so young to have such an enormous amount of magic. Though with that kind of power comes the threat of being unable to control it."

"I'm sorry Princess. I didn't mean to set fire to the classroom. Please don't expel me! I don't have anywhere else to go!"

"Relax, S---. I'm not going to expel any pony. I've come to see the one who had such promising potential to be my new personal student."

"Really? Wait... What? Why me?"

The alicorn stepped forward once more as the foal seemed to relax just a tiny bit. "I've known many a pony who've let their fears take hold of them which caused them to lose control of such power. They've destroyed themselves and caused much harm to others but with you I sense something completely different. Something unique; I wish to see where such a gift will take you in the future. What better way than to be the one teaching you to control such a gift?"

---

Soft clouds, that's what it felt like she was surrounded by as Sunset started to regain consciousness. Everything was a blur as she remembered the dream vividly. It was the day Celestia took her as a student and it was one of the best days of her life. Yet, the dream itself felt wrong. It felt as if there was something within it missing; a vital piece that screamed at her each time she remembered it.

"Glad to see you're awake." A voice said from beyond her blurred vision.

Rubbing the drowsiness and make up from her eyes she found herself in the nurse's office laying on one of the beds. She'd never really been sent to the place so she'd found it surprising that the beds were more comfortable than what she was used to at her abode. She looked around as the curtain blocking light into the small space the bed was located was pulled back.

"You?" Sunset croaked in a sore voice as the other pony turned teen came into view.

Twilight sat down on the stool by the bed and waited patiently for Sunset to prop herself up.

"Shouldn't you be at the dance gloating about your victory?"

"There are more important things right now. I think you should-"

"Stop. I don't want to hear it. I know I lost and they've seen who I truly am inside. I may not have been the easiest person to deal with and I know I've been downright malicious to a lot of them but, I've never dreamed that the element would turn me into a demon." She looked away as tears started to form once more. She wiped them before turning back as to not give the other girl the satisfaction of seeing her so pathetic.

"Yes, that was really unexpected from both our perspectives but it's not what I was going to say."

"I'm not going back."

"Wha-"

"I'm not going back to Equestria. I'm not an idiot; I know where the portal comes out. I know that you being here means she's there waiting for you. I'm not giving that nag the satisfaction of being right about me. I'm not letting her know she's won."

"Sunset... There's not much time left before the portal closes for another cycle of the moons. I think it'd be best for you to come back with me and face whatever it is she says."

"What the fuck do you know about what's best for me?!" a pillow flew through the air as Twilight ducked out of it's path. "You think that, just because you're the one who got everything in the end, means you know what's better for me?! You're just like her! You don't give a shit about what I want as long as it goes with your plans. Well, fuck you and her!"

"Please, Sunset! I just want to help you!"

"You want to help me?! Then leave me alone! Get out of my life! I don't need anything from the one she choose as her favorite! I don't need anyone!" Sunset watched as the girl stood and walked away only to stop by the door.

"The portal will close in half an hour. I beg you to reconsider coming with me. Not for me or for her but for yourself." She disappeared just before another pillow was thrown.

Sunset laid back on the bed trying to calm down from her rage only to find herself crying once more. The reality of everything that had happened hit her all at once. The students knowing she was a monster. Losing everything she had worked for in the time she arrived. The thought of coming back each and every day to face the looks and whispers of the other students dug into her mind. The sting of guilt fresh in her heart for everything she'd done. It wasn't enough that the light caused her seemingly unending pain. It had to make her even more receptive to her emotions.

"I can't do this anymore. I just can't deal with this, day after day after day." She covered her eyes with her arm as more tears streamed down. "I just want to go home."

"Sunset?" came a soft voice from the doorway.

The girl in question wiped the remaining tears away in hopes of hiding what she'd been doing only to forget that her eyes were already red.

"Who's there?!"

A pink haired girl stepped in meekly with her head down trying to make herself seem as small as possible. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

"What?"

"Eeep!" the shriek was loud compared to what she said before it as she tried to hide behind a small chair.

"It's fine." Sunset sighed trying to keep herself calm. "I just didn't hear what you said. What do you want? Buttershy, right?"

"It's um.. Fluttershy." the meek girl said as she came from behind the chair. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Everyone was worried when you collapsed outside and it seemed like you were in such pain."

"You did that. You and the rest of those girls."

"I'm sorry. I just... it all just happened so fast."

"It's fine. I deserved it." Sunset started to get up from the bed causing Fluttershy to back away slightly. "Was everyone really worried?"

"Well, maybe not everyone but I know I was."

"Why?"

"Because of how you looked when you came out of that hole."

"What?"

Fluttershy reached for a mirror that was sitting at the nurse's desk and handed it to Sunset who looked at it questioningly. She held it in front of her only to see her image and froze. Her hand was touching everywhere to make sure what she saw was real and when it was confirmed the mirror dropped shattering on the floor as she ran out the room.

She ran past some of the students who were still in the hall ignoring their yells. Past the Vice-Principal who screamed not to run in the halls and through the hole in the front of the school to see a purple leg disappear into the statue surrounded by the other culprits of her situation.

"Wait! Don't go!" She screamed trying to reach the portal only to witness the pink curled girl crash into it as she tried to go through it. "Wait... please...." she whispered as her body felt weak once more and she fell to her knees once again.

"Sunset! Are you alright?" Fluttershy said coming from behind her and causing the other girls to look her direction.

"No... no, no, no, no, no!" Sunset started to slam her fists into the ground causing blood to splatter about as the concrete ripped cuts into them. "I'm not alright! How can I be?! Look at me!"

Fluttershy stepped back as Rainbow and A.J grabbed the hysteric young man. They were struggling in the beginning only for Sunset to finally resign herself to the hand she was dealt. The blast did more than just tear away at her walls; it left her cursed with another body.

---

Sunset found herself in the nurse's office and staring at the ceiling once again. The girls in the room were silent and cautious as they thought even one word would set the new Sunset off in another rampage. They all jumped slightly as the former tyrant let out a deep sigh.

"What do you guys want? Why are you here?"

"We're just worried about you darling." chimed the one she knew as Rarity.

"I'm not! I say we should have just left her alone!"

"Shut up, Rainbow. You heard what Twilight said and you've already agreed."

"What did she say to you?" Sunset asked the farmer.

"She asked us to take care of you since you didn't want to return. I'm not exactly sure what she meant by it and I don't know how we can do anything about your current situation but the least we can do is try to help you cope with it."

"I don't need your help."

"Awww, come on Sunny. It's not every day you get to experience what it's like to be the opposite sex."

"I don't know who you are-"

"Oh! My names Pinkie Pie!"

"Shut up! I don't care who the fuck you are! Get out of my face!" She pushed Pinkie out of her face and sent the girl tumbling back.

Rainbow caught her before she could hit her head and glared at Sunset. She was stopped as Fluttershy stepped forward and slapped Sunset. The rest of the girls stood in silent shock as their usually shy friend confronted the former female.

"She was just trying to help. You have no right to lash out like that regardless of how you feel towards someone who's trying to help you through this!"

"Just... just go away." Sunset rubbed her cheek before turning over and covering herself with the blankets. She could hear footsteps signaling the meddlers leaving her alone. She laid there in silence unable to accurately grasp what to do about her situation, if there was even anything she could do about it.

Besides her very obvious lack of certain assets she had previously gotten used to, she now noticed she was slightly taller as her feet could easily stretch to the end of the bed. Her hair had stayed the same length but she that was nothing to be surprised about as gender spells usually did as much. She also noticed for the first time that the clothes she wore were a lot tighter than they had been.

New clothes, new documents, and quite possibly a new school were the last things she wanted to think about with her current financial situation. Yet, here she... he was faced with the reality of being a guy for an unforeseeable amount of time. Whether the magic would wear off or stay he had no clue. The only sign of hope would be if the portal would somehow open sooner than scheduled and he could sneak back to undo this curse.

"Celestia damn it."

"The principal?"

Sunset sprang up and looked around to find Fluttershy had stayed where the rest had left her alone to wallow.

"Wha... why are you still here?"

"I actually left but I came back because I wanted to apologize for hitting you. I"m sorry."

"I..." Sunset took a moment to look at the girl. She remembered Fluttershy as the one asking for volunteers at an animal shelter each Friday. How she would seem to hide away whenever Sunset approached or cower beyond the point of fear whenever she was bullied. She had been an easy target since everyone knew the girl feared a lot of things. It was easy to get a cheap thrill of domination whenever Fluttershy was around.

Yet, at the same time, whenever Sunset walked away from one of her routine bullying attempts she would stick around long enough to see the girl carry on with what she was doing albeit crying at the same time. It was wonder that no matter how much teasing or how many threats were slung her way she would take it and continue caring about more than just herself.

The gesture alone made Sunset rethink of a small part of himself whenever he bullied the girl. So much so that whenever there was fund raiser for the shelter in question he'd help out in secret; even if it was just standing on the path leading away from the fund raiser. It at least made people go towards the direction of the booth which caused them to either donate or think about it.

"I deserved it. I wasn't thinking clearly due to everything that's been going on."

"We really do want to help you know."

"Your friend Rainbow didn't seem to like the idea much and I don't want help from people that are only doing it out of a obligation to that bitch of a princess."

Fluttershy looked away for a moment but the fire in her eyes seemed to carry on. "I know that Twilight asked us look out for you but that doesn't mean you should reject the help. This can't be a good thing you're going through right now and pushing people away that are offering help will only lead to you falling into a bad place."

"It's fine. I don't plan on sticking around here that long anyways."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Sunset was about to speak about his plans to change identities but held back as it would only complicate matters if these girls came looking for her. He wanted to live through this until the portal opened without anything else happening and having them trying to befriend him would just be a headache in and of itself.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." He said getting up from the bed once more and heading out the door. "Thanks, you know, for trying at least."

Fluttershy sat silently as Sunset left the room and continued down the empty hallways. He walked by the equally empty classrooms and the gym that was being cleaned by the party committee. Stopping only to stand in front of the only other lit room in the building to take a deep breath before opening it.

"Sunset Shimmer? I would have thought my sister would be lecturing you by now." Vice-Principal Luna said looking up from her desk.

"She probably would if I ran into her but I don't want to see her. Not if I can help it at least."

"Well, are you here for your punishment then? I've just finished writing the detention up for you and your two partners in cri-"

"It was all me so just give it all to me if you can. I basically threatened them into it."

"I.. I see. Very well, but I take it that you aren't really here for such things. Does it have anything to do with your... current situation?"

"You could say that." He took a seat but not before checking the hallway for anyone around and closing the door. "I want to transfer to another school."

"Wha- are you trying to run away from your consequences?! Do you think that I'd let you off scot-free after destroying the school the way you did?!"

"No, I plan to pay for it if that's what it takes. I just don't want to be a student here anymore. I can't live with the stares and whispers." He clutched his arms before looking away towards the window. "I can't take going through something like this along with what they have ready."

Luna sat down as her outburst had prompted her to abruptly stand. She took a long look at the school's most known troublemaker and seemed lost in thought about something. Moving the computer's mouse and typing some stuff out; Sunset heard the printer coming to life and several sheets pouring out.

"Give these to your guardians to sign. I'll take care of the rest and my sister."

"I don't have any. Is it fine If I do it myself?"

"You don't have any? How? Never mind, the less I know the better it seems. I don't like the fact you're not willing to face the consequences of your actions so I'll be giving you my number and I want you to call every other week. I expect you to uphold your promise of paying for the damages at least."

"That's fair." The papers were left on Luna's desk as Sunset grabbed the paper the Vice-Principal wrote her number on. "I'll be leaving now; anything I should know about the place?"

"There's a uniform so go buy two or three sets by Monday. I'll be contacting the Dean about your transfer so she'll be expecting you in her office first thing in the morning."

"Alright. I'll call later to check on the price for the entrance."

"Sunset, I may not know what's going through your mind during this time of confusion but I want you to know that you can call for more than just that. You were the worst kind of student in terms of attitude and mischief but you are also the only student to keep such a high grade point average in years despite having such a disadvantage in the beginning. My hope is that you take this opportunity to focus on that instead of your usual hobbies of blackmail and threats."

"Don't worry." he said walking to the door. "I've pretty much lost all motivation for it now that I've got other things to worry about. Goodbye, Vice-Principal Luna."

"Goodbye, Sunset Shimmer."

Author's Notes:

I realize adding another story to my ever growing collection is an extremely bad idea right now but I have a very good reason. I'll probably put up a blog about it later. So check it if you really want to know.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please leave a comment or critique below as any critique will help me grow as a writer. Have a great day!

First Meetings

Arriving in a new world with strange creatures was enough to send even the then female Sunset spiraling into a fit of panic. A new, strange body coupled with being surrounded by unfamiliar creatures and sights sent her even further into a daze. It wasn't until she found herself huddled in some alley that calming down seemed like a good idea. That night was cold and unforgiving as she walked through the streets trying to get a handle of her new appendages.

She had wandered through the city and into this part of the neighborhood only to find herself surrounded by a group trying to rob her. It amounted to nothing as she had run into a relatively well maintained building only to encounter an old lady walking down the stairs.

"What's going here?" the old woman said coming close to Sunset.

"Nothing. Mind your own bus- Ow!"

"That's no way to talk to your elders young lady."

Sunset rubbed her head as the hit from the woman's cane had hit a rather soft spot. She scowled at the woman only to receive another hit.

"Stop that!"

"Then stop scowling. Keep making those kinds of faces and you'll end up being stuck with them. Now, tell me what you're doing here and why you're so dirty." she pointed at the stains on the girl's clothes.

"Some idiots tried to mug so I ran in here to lose them. As for the clothes, well, I was taking a break in an alley. Don't worry I'll be out of here in a bit since they don't seem to have found me."

"Why were you in an alley?"

"Now it's really none of your business."

"Very well, come along then. We need to clean you up."

"I'm not going anywhere with you lady."

"Then I guess I should be calling the cops to let them know some foul mouthed girl is causing trouble in my building."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me kid. I'm old, cranky, and stubborn. I'd like to see you try your best against me."

"You're a hateful old nag aren't you?"

"That's a new one. Now, come along and lose the attitude if you don't want to get to know my cane better."

Time seemed hazy as Sunset was forced to comply with the woman's demands. She didn't exactly have much say in things as she was put to work. Most of the tasks were just simple maintenance that even in her current form she could do easily. It also helped that the woman fed her when she got hungry and not having a proper meal in a while had made it hard to refuse.

As the day came to a close the codger brought her to a room full of junk and was made to clean it out. It was clearly past midnight by the time they'd finished cleaning and the room was left spotless and devoid of anything save for a couch, small table, and two chairs.

"Finally, you're lucky I'm getting food out of this or I'd have sneaked away a long time ago you crazy old bat."

"Yea, yea. Shut up and eat you ungrateful little idiot." she replied from the kitchen.

Dinner was mostly silent as the two could barely talk to each other without having an insult every thrown into the sentence. As the Sunset finished washing the dishes she stepped started to go outside only to trip on the old woman's cane. She stopped herself from falling face first by grabbing hold of the wall and turned to demand an answer from her assailant.

"What the fuck you nag?!"

"Shut it. Who said you were done?"

"I did. It's already past midnight and you still want me to slave away for you? At this point I'd rather face the cops."

"Don't tempt me you little urchin."

"I am not an urch-"

"I said to shut it." the woman hit Sunset with her cane once more. "Follow me."

The angry pony did so but not without complaining. They stopped at a door at the end of the hallway passing by another one of the residents of the apartment. He handed an envelope to the lady and nodded towards Sunset. With a whisper and another nod he left to head downstairs.

"Wait here."

Sunset was left outside as she heard rustling around in the room. She took the time to look around to find a door nearby slightly cracked open only to close as she saw a pair of eyes disappear. Before she could wonder whether or not someone was spying the old woman came out with a pillow and blankets and shoved in her arms.

"Hey!"

"Hay is for horses. Here take this as well." A key was placed on top of the pillow before Sunset could offer a rebuttal.

"Wha- what are you doing you nag? What do want from me?"

"Take the room. I knew from how you looked downstairs that you have nowhere to go. I don't know what happened and I don't really care right now if you want to tell me or not."

"Then wh-"

"What I do know is, if I turned you away I'd be making a mockery of my husband's memory. He'd always be bringing in strays and giving them a home no matter the circumstances. They've come and gone but he never gave up on trying to help them live a better life."

"..."

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not as carefree as him. The room isn't free so I'll have you work about the building like you did today. I also want you to come check with me in case there's more work. Now, good night-"

"Sunset. Sunset Shimmer."

"Bonnie. Bonnie Daleen. Now go get some sleep, I got a lot of work for you in the morning. Oh, and try not to make a mess."

"Right... Uh, listen I-" Sunset was cut off as the Bonnie closed the door once more leaving her outside. "Freaking nag."

"I heard that!"

Sunset walked away in a hurry before a cane could pop out and hit her. She opened the room they were in previously which was in the center of the hallway. Throwing the blankets and pillow on the couch she saw something sticking out from between the sheets. She took it out to find the envelope from before which contained a fair bit of money.

"Thanks, but you're still a nag."

---

The memory was quickly recalled through a dream which led to him waking up only to find himself tied up on the couch he had slept on the previous night. There was gag preventing him from speaking and as he turned to face away from the ceiling finding that same nag sitting down in front of him with a shotgun by her side. He started to panic and struggle free before a cane to hit him squarely in the gut.

"Shut up! I'll take off the gag and I expect you to answer truthfully. What have you done with Sunset?" she pulled the gag off as the young man tried to sit up.

"You fucking nag. What the hell did you tie me up for?!"

"I come in to set up a prank for the girl that lives in this room and I find a strange young man not only sleeping on her couch but with her clothes on. I may be going senile but that there just screams pervert. So, I'll give you one more chance." She grabbed the gun and pointed pointed it towards said pervert.

"Wha- wait."

"What did you do to Sunset? Why are you in her room and why in the name of decency are you wearing her clothes you fucking pervert?!"

"It's me, I'm Sunset! Point that thing the other way you crazy bitch!"

"Wrong answer!"

"Wait! I can prove it! I know that when you took me in you left an envelope between the sheets. I went to give it back but you said it was for the work I'd be doing around the building."

"I'll give you points for knowing that but the Sunset I know is a girl and you clearly are just a pervert."

"I gave you a brochure for a retirement home for your birthday as joke! You thanked me by trying to give me a lesson on how to hobble someone!"

"Well, I'll be damned." Bonnie lowered the gun and stared for a minute only to start laughing. "I... I... Whew, I can't believe you had a sex change and didn't even bother to tell me. I always knew there was something wrong with you and this was it huh?"

"Fuck off, you nag... I mean, can you please let me go now?"

"Good answer." Bonnie lowered the shotgun once again and untied Sunset who grabbed the shotgun only to find it made of wood.

"What the fuck?"

"You like it? My husband made it as a side project to use in case of potential muggers. Even makes a the same sounds due to mechanisms he put inside." Bonnie laughed once more and laid back on the couch as Sunset threw the thing on the table.

"I hate you so much."

"Yea, yea. So care to explain what's going on?"

Sunset gave a heavy sigh and joined her on the couch. "I don't even know where to start."

"Well start somewhere dummy. I'm old so who knows how much time I got left in me."

"Bullshit. I bet you could live on the hate you get from me alone for another fifty years."

"Yea, probably."

The pair laughed once more and Sunset started to feel relaxed considering the events leading to his point. He told Bonnie everything from the very beginning. From the time his time as a mare and his arrival to this world. About the school and the things that he did to the students and teachers. The incident with the crown and the six girls, along with what happened to make him... him.

Bonnie kept silent the whole time only asking a question or two about her childhood. As the recounting of the events ended the silence grew between them. Sunset sat there anxious as to how the old woman would react. It wasn't every day he talked to someone about his life. Let alone his time in Equestria and how he came to be a human.

"Okay. I'll give you some of my husband's old clothes. Go buy some new ones today and take some time off from fixing things around the place."

"Wait. That's it? After everything I just told you that's all you have to say?"

"Sunset, in the time we've gotten to know each other I'm proud to say that I know whether or not you're lying. Whether or not I believe this whole thing of magic and talking horses; I would be lying if I said I didn't think you crazy. But, when I look at you now and back to all those times you were sick. I know that you're far from being crazy. You talk in your sleep stupid. I've always wondered who Celestia was and what she did to you to end up the way you are, now I at least have an answer for it."

"Bonnie..."

"Don't, we're not good with this mushy shit. Just do what I told you and let me process the rest of this for now." Getting up and walking towards the door, she picked up the wooden toy. "Gotta admit though, with the way you're dressed right now; you make a shit crossdresser."

"Fuck you too Bonnie." he sighed.

"That's the Sunny I know." She disappeared beyond the door and the room was silent once again.

With everything that has been going on in his life as of late it was nice to know that some things would stay the same. It was also pretty nice to know that Bonnie accepted him explanation for the most part about what happened and didn't throw him out. Having to look for a new place to stay would be enough to lead even him to thinking of things better left unsaid.

It wasn't long after having showered and cleaned up that Bonnie came to drop off some clothes. It was a three pairs of jeans and some plain white shirts that she gave him along with a rather pristine vintage brown leather jacket.

"Isn't this..."

"Yea, dumb bastard always took care of it more than himself. He wore it during our first date and every time we went out somewhere for a date on that same day."

"Are you sure you want me to have it?"

"Yea, he'd be happy to know someone is getting to use it at least and you're just around his size."

"I'll put it to good use. I can't really wear mine since the size is so different. I'll probably just store it somewhere for now."

As he came out of the bathroom changed and ready he put the jacket on and smiled at the size being just enough to have room even when zipped.

"How do I look?"

"Stupid. Then again you looked that way when you were a girl too so not much has changed."

"Why do I even bother?" he shook his head trying to rub the irritation from behind his eyes.

"Good question. Here." Bonnie handed over an envelope which Sunset already knew the contents of but opened it to be sure.

"An advance?"

"You always did learn quickly. Now, get going and buy your clothes and uniform. The sooner you're all settled the sooner you get to work."

"You're such a generous soul Bonnie."

"And you're a horrible crossdressing brat. Get moving."

They left the room and parted their respective ways. Sunset stood at the bus stop for only a few minutes before it arrived and got a handful of stares from the few passengers already inside. The ride was uneventful other than a handful of stares and whispers from some of the locals. It made him uncomfortable but it was easier to deal with now wearing men's clothing than when he still had his other outfit.

The mall came up and Sunset stepped off the bus just as he heard a familiar voice in the distance. Looking around he spotted Rarity and Fluttershy together off in the distance. They hadn't seen him or they just weren't used to being on the lookout for him as a male instead of the usual Sunset.

"Great, just when I thought I'd at least never have to deal with those idiots again. Better just keep an eye out for the other ones just in case."

He stepped into a crowd of people passing by and slipped past the two girls unnoticed. Once in the mall itself he headed to one of the many clothing stores inside the bustling building. The shop for uniforms was easy enough to find as it was on the first floor, however, it was also near the entrance which meant he'd have to keep an eye out in case the two girls passed by and caught sight of him.

"May I help you?" asked a fairly older and attractive woman with blue curls.

"Yea, can you point me to the uniforms for Crystal Prep?"

"Follow me."

Sunset was led towards the back where a display for school uniforms was spread out across the wall. It ranged from the summer to the winter sets and the gym clothing as well. He took a look at the prices for them and felt his wallet already start to bleed money.

"Is there any chance of a sale going on?"

"No, sorry dear but this is it. Crystal prep is known not to have anything done cheap. Between you and me, most of their students are stuck up brats."

"I'm going to be student there you know. Are you sure you should be saying that to a customer?"

"Sweetie, you might be going there but the way you handle yourself is a far cry from how they act. Trust me when I say that if it wasn't for the fact they left as quick as they came I'd probably be fired for assault."

"Fuck. I think I might have made a mistake if that's true. I'm trying to stay out of trouble, not be tested on my anger issues."

"Tell you what, I'll give you discount on the stuff because you're a breath of fresh air that place might need."

"Thanks, but what's the catch?"

"The catch is coming back and letting me know if you've knocked any of those insufferable brats out."

"Deal."

The two shook and shared a laugh as they gathered the uniforms and proceeded to the check out. It was surprising how friendly the woman seemed despite being older. Then again it wasn't much of a change from encountering some ponies his age back in Equestria. It remained a mystery as to why the portal seemed to spit him out younger than he really was. Where, back home, he'd be in his late twenties and free to do much of what he enjoyed. Here he found himself in his teens with all of it's wondrous restrictions.

"Take care now. Be sure to drop by to let me know what happens."

"You bet. I'm looking forward to getting to know the sap who tries anything first."

The rest of his time in the mall was spent relatively carefree as he only saw the girls once more while passing the food court. He had to sit down and put the bags with the uniforms on the table to hid his face as they walked by and was left alone once he saw them heading towards the direction of the theater. The uniforms, even with the discount, proved to still be where the majority of his funds were spent as he only had enough to buy three more pairs of pants, one pair of shorts, and some plain shirts on sale. All in all it was a peaceful day with no unfavorable events, like running into two of the six girls he regarded as the source of his current situation.

"I think from now on I'll just stick to the mom and pop shops instead of coming around here. There's bound to be less of a chance of running into any of them if I do."

He took out of the uniform shirts only to groan at the sheer tacky design. It was no small wonder that Luna had been able to make the transfer go through as the school was known to accept only the best and brightest and Sunset was certainly all that and more. It was, however, strange that it would be accepted so readily, instead of having it take a week or month, it would only take the weekend.

"There's gotta be something she didn't tell me." He tried to figure out what it was that made the transfer go smoothly but came up short in the end. "Whatever, I'll figure it when I actually get to the damn place. At the very least it's far away from those six... five idiots."

---

The weekend passed with him taking care of the problems that popped up around the apartment and having to "meet the residents for the first time" once again. While it was a bit tedious but it at least let them know he wasn't a stranger and that news would spread outside in the neighborhood so he wouldn't be viewed as much of a target.

The morning of the first day Sunset had put on the uniform along with the blazer and as much an idiot as he figured he looked. Uniforms were always something he hated even back in Equestria. It gave no sense of individuality and forced him to comply with whatever "rules" came with them. At the very least he'd read the rules online and found that his hair didn't have to be cut as much as he thought. Bonnie did the deed free of charge as the long locks were cut just past his shoulders. He tied the rest in a ponytail and was satisfied with the look regardless of the clothing.

"My little Sunny is all grown up into big strong man now. I'm so proud of you." Bonnie said as she stopped short of the academy's entrance wiping a non-existant tear away.

"You just never stop do you? Thanks for the ride you crazy old bat. I'll be taking the bus back and after today. I just need to meet the Dean and see about my schedule."

"I'll stop when I'm dead. Which, if what you said about me living off hate is true, will be never." she laughed as Sunset rolled his eyes and drove away before he could say anything else.

The hall was empty and bigger than Canterlot's by far. Everything seemed to fit the whole crystal theme and it was slightly annoying. They either used an impressive amount of cash on real crystal or did everything possible to make it look real. The classrooms were bigger and there were signs showing which floor held what. The school certainly didn't spare any expense when it came to it's facilities.

"Maybe it won't be so bad after all. I could certainly be in a far worse place than this." he stopped in front of a door that read Dean and knocked.

"Come in." answered a soft voice from inside.

The door opened and a candy colored beauty sat inside behind her desk. It was a bit unnerving to say the least as a wave of unwanted nostalgia overcame him.

"You must be Sunset Shimmer. I received all the paperwork from Vice-Principal Luna and I must say that I'm very impressed with your accomplishments." she said looking over his student file.

"Thanks, I gu-"

"She also told me as to why your file speaks of a girl instead of the young man in front me. It was a little hard to believe but with the videos from the school surveillance backing her I'm finding it hard to disbelieve."

"Uhh..."

"I want you to know that I'll be checking up on you on a regular basis due to your... rather questionable actions during your time in Canterlot High. I also want you to know that the tuition for this academy is being covered by a scholarship for bright young minds. Which means, that the moment you fall below anything less than a 4.0 you'll be forced to pay everything yourself or withdraw."

"I was wondering how I was able to get in to fancy school like this so easily"

"You might also want to thank Luna. I was on the fence about letting you into the academy but she made a sound argument in your place. If she did so much just to give you a second chance then I suggest you don't take it for granted." She held out a sheet of paper with a small key attached and pointed to a stack of books resting on a chair to the side.

"This is your class schedule and locker key. The books there are for your lessons so be sure to look at the schedule to know which to keep at what times."

It was simple enough to understand. The classes here seemed a bit longer than the ones in Canterlot according to the times but there was something else he noticed as he looked at the paper.

"Are all these AP classes?"

"Yes, with your grades you qualify for all of them and just because Auntie Luna is asking to make an exception for you doesn't mean I'm going to give you an easy time."

"Auntie Luna?"

"She's a close friend of my mother so I consider her my aunt."

"So she asked you to keep on eye on me in her place huh? Figures I wouldn't be free of her otherwise. What's this last thing on the list? All it says is lab."

"That, is a free period so to speak. Students with grades like you have the privilege of using any of our facilities to further their studies. You can either use that time doing so or ignore it. Now, since you are new to the school I've taken the liberty to assign you guide. You'll be happy to know she has all the same classes so you'll be seeing her a lot. Any questions?"

"No, I'm good. I guess I really can't expect much of anything else. I'm at least glad I'll have a lot of things to occupy my time. So who's the nerd you're sticking me with?"

A knock came from behind Sunset as the Dean answered.

"You wanted to see me Dean Cadance?" an oddly familiar and sickening voice spoke up causing him to turn immediately.

"Yes, come in. Sunset Shimmer, this is Twilight Sparkle. She'll be your guide for the remainder of your time at Crystal Prep. I do hope you get along."

A slam came as Sunset stepped up to the desk in a fit of anger. "You've got to be fucking kidding me! You said she told you everything! Are you trying to make me fail by sticking me with her?!"

"I'm sorry?" Twilight said taking a step back from the sudden outburst.

"Mr. Shimmer! I am in no ways joking about such a matter. I know the circumstances aren't exactly ideal for you but this is something that I've discussed in length with your former Vice-Principal. So I suggest you get used to it as one more outburst such as this and I'll have to reconsider whether you truly are Crystal Prep material."

Twilight stood by as the two were locked in trying to stare each other down. Neither of them seemed to let up until the young turned in a huff and gathered his belongings. He started to walk out only to be blocked by having Twilight between him and the door.

"H-hi, I'm Tw-"

"A pain in the ass. I suggest you move before I get in an even fouler mood than I am now."

The possibility of what could happen made the bespectacled girl immediately move as Sunset pushed past her and out the room. Twilight took a moment to look towards the Dean who had sat stoically through it all.

"Follow him Twilight. If he causes you any real trouble be sure to let me know."

"Do I have to do this? He doesn't seem to like me much and I'm not really cut out for things such as this."

"You have to interact with the students somehow Twilight. I don't want you cooped up in that lab of yours forever. It's either this or I talk to your parents about that explosion you caused a week ago."

"No! I mean, uh, it's fine. Really, maybe... maybe it won't be so bad?"

"Hurry up four-eyes! I ain't got all day!" Sunset's voice echoed from the hallway.

"Or maybe it'll just be as traumatizing as the time Shining tried to teach me how to play football."

"Try not to kill each other, okay?" a soft smile crossed Cadance's face as the teen looked at her with hesitation.

"Fine." she pouted.

Cadance watched the frail girl leave and heard running as she tried to catch up to her charge. In retrospect the plan was not the best but, with everything she learned about Sunset and that night, Luna had insisted she have someone keep tabs on the young man. It didn't really have to be Twilight but it gave her the opportunity to interact with someone close to her age instead of be buried in her books and hidden away.

She also thought it'd be a chance for a form of rehabilitation. If Sunset truly wanted to change or had no ambition to do anything like he used to do. Then sticking him with the very doppelganger of the one responsible for this forced situation would certainly be a test if he had it in him.

"I just truly hope he doesn't do anything to hurt her. Of course, if it does come to that then he'll be wishing he stayed in that place with talking pastel horses." she rubbed her temples as she sighed. "Be careful, Ladybug."

Sun Baked Books

"Can you at least wait for me? I'm pretty sure you don't even know where you're heading!" Twilight yelled as she tried to catch up to the red and gold haired boy in front.

"The key says 154 so the locker has to be on the first floor. It's not my fault you're out of shape. Too many days in front of books? Is that why you have to wear glasses? How much of nerd can you be?"

"Can you stop calling me that? What did I ever do to you?"

The comment made Sunset stop and turn to face the source of his bad mood. The girl in question was caught off guard as he approached and stared her down. The anger in her disappeared caused by the nickname she'd been called and replaced by a mixture of feelings, one of which she knew as fear.

"Don't. Ever. Yell at me, got it?" Sunset said with a piercing green eyed gaze.

Twilight simply nodded and let out a squeak.

"Good, now I don't want anything to do with you just like you want nothing to do with me. Frankly, the less I see and hear you the better. The Dean might have told you to keep an eye on me but that doesn't mean it has to be from being right next to me. Show me to my classes for now and then leave me the hell alone."

Throughout the small monologue Twilight had been pushed towards the lockers as the boy loomed over her. Students began to trickle in and saw the spectacle only to ignore it as it didn't pertain to them. Sunset stepped back and pointed towards the hall to which Twilight nodded. They stopped by his locker to drop off some of the books and headed to the first of classes on the list. Twilight took her seat as Sunset was left to talk to the teacher.

"Sunset Shimmer, I presume?" spoke a rather uptight looking woman that reminded her of Cheerilee.

"Yea, that's me."

"Hmm." she scrunched her face slightly. "This is the syllabus for the year. Since you've come in as a transfer ignore the first two pages and continue from the fourth activity on page three."

The syllabus was at least twenty pages long front and back and packed with various assignments. There were also dates for tests and labs that seemed to count as mid-terms and finals. It had everything pertaining to each of her AP classes instead of just one.

"Wait a minute. What is this?"

"That is the syllabus for all the classes Mr. Shimmer. You are free to tackle it as you see fit but they all have a deadline. I teach every AP class in this school as there are very few who meet the requirements to join such a course. The lessons given in the classroom are just refreshers for those that feel they need the extra help or those that want to sit in for such things. Otherwise you may use the school facilities to work on your assignments or further your education as long as your work is turned in."

"So I don't have to stay in class at all as long as I get all of this done? What happens if I turn everything in that's on this syllabus early?"

The teacher took a minute to look questioningly at him before responding. "Though not impossible, if you do happen to turn everything in early then you may only show up for the required exams and further your education through individual studies. If you wish to learn more about such things then Twilight Sparkle will be able to inform you as she's the only student thus far to do such a thing."

Taking a moment to look at the only other person in the room he saw Twilight hide behind a book after giving a nervous smile their way.

"How long did it take her to do that?"

"If memory serves, it took her a month to finish everything. She only comes here for the morning's announcements and attendance."

"A month huh? That's pretty good. Nothing I can't beat though."

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused. Now, since you know I'm here and I can work on this as I please, I'll be heading to the library to get started on all of this." he tucked the papers away into one of the textbooks and walked out as the teacher sat slightly shocked.

It wasn't until he was near the end of the hallway that he heard footsteps coming up behind him and turned to discover Twilight following close behind.

"What do you want?"

"I'm in charge of you while you're here so I have to make sure you don't get into trouble. Sunset, you can't just talk to a teacher like that."

"Oh? and why not? It's her job to be teaching me but frankly with the way things are right now it looks like I'm the one that'll be doing that instead. Besides, this suits me just fine in the end. Not only do I get to work on everything early, I get to spend the days doing it on my own without anyone around to distract me. If everything works out I'll be done with this by next week."

"A week? You've got to be kidding. It took me about a month to finish all of that. There's no way you'll be able to do it in just a week." Twilight said with a slight amused look.

"Are you saying I'm dumber than you?" he raised an eyebrow as he tried to bottle the small fury the comment incited.

"What? No! I-I'm just saying that, since you're new and all, you might be underestimating the work. I know that it took me a bit just to clear it and, while I have no doubts you can do it, I'm just saying that it's pretty impossible to finish that quickly."

"So you weren't saying it, you were implying it."

"No! I-"

"Shut it. In case you haven't noticed I have slight anger issues and your voice alone is enough to spark it. I don't want to hear your excuses and I certainly don't want to be around you more than I have to. So, show me where the library is located so I can ignore you and the rest of these idiots."

"You could try asking nicely."

"That was me asking nicely. So hop to it Sparky."

"Sparky?"

"You rather I call you four-eyes instead?"

"No. Fine, whatever. I have business there as well so I'll at least be able to work while keeping an eye on you."

Twilight led the way as the two headed for the library as the halls were quickly being crowded by the students heading towards their classes. Sunset watched as the frail girl kept dodging out of people's paths and being pushed aside without ever saying anything other than an apology towards the culprits. It was a laugh to think that a girl like this was one of the many possibilities the loser of a princess could have been. The thought alone made him smile at the image only to be brought back by some new voices.

"Watch where you're going loser!" A girl with straight silver hair yelled as Twilight fell backwards to the floor.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Twilight said trying to collect herself as the other girl's friends stood around her.

"Well, you did and now my uniform has a smudge on it. I hope you've got your wallet on you because this one was custom made."

"I don't have any money on me right now but-"

"She doesn't have any money on her. Can you believe that Ivory?" a rather snide shorter girl with dark maple pigtails.

"Maybe there's another way we can make her pay for it?" suggested a short haired shapely girl with green and black streaks.

The look from the three of them was one Sunset knew well. It was the same look that he had given to many girls who were the concentration of her anger back in Canterlot High. It would always end with them either running away in tears or being blackmailed for a yet unknown future purpose. It was sickening to say the least as to the lengths he used to go in order to reach his goals. When did everything change for him? Was it when he ran away? Or was it long before that?

"Is there a problem here ladies?" he finally said as the other three were closing in on Twilight.

"Mind your own busi- I mean, hello there." the girl who was the leader of the group said as she faced him. The scowl on her face vanished and was replaced with a slightly seductive smile. "I'm Ivory, I haven't seen you around before."

"Sunset Shimmer, and yea I'm new here just transferred in today."

"Well, I since you're new maybe I can take the time to show you around?" Ivory snaked an arm around his as the other two girls nudged her to introduce them. "Oh, and these are my friends Amber." she said waving a hand towards the girl in pigtails. "And Minty Lace." she motioned towards the other girl.

"Hel-" the two echoed each other only to be cut off.

"That's not important right now. What is important is that I show you around so you can get to know the place better. Maybe even use some of that time to get to know each other?"

Her friends stood by in anger not wanting to cause a scene as Ivory was trying her best to use pretty much the usual tricks Sunset had used to get closer to Flash. It was flattering, to say the least. Very flattering but, the fact of the matter was that he didn't want anything to do with anybody at the school. Still, it was best to just play along in order to not draw any unwanted attention.

"That sounds great, I've been wondering where the library is and Sparky here was showing me the way. Though, now that you're here I guess that means I don't really need her to guide my way."

All three of the girls turned to look at Twilight who was trying to wipe the dust from her skirt. She noticed their stares and looked away trying her best to not be the center of their attention once again.

"You mean to tell me you know this loser?" asked Amber.

"Well, not really since I've only just met her today. She's supposed to be my guide for the rest of my time here since we have all the same classes."

At that statement, Ivory let him go and stepped away next to her friends. They looked at each other and some form of agreement passed between them.

"If that's true then that means you're in the AP course?" The shapely girl known as Minty inquired as she took a step forward.

"Yea, I am. Is that a problem?"

"No! Uh, sorry we have somewhere to be. Don't we girls?" Ivory motioned for them to reply to which they nodded.

"Weren't you going to show me where the library is?"

"No, maybe next time. We have to uh... get to class. Bye."

Sunset watched them walk as fast as they could away from him. The halls were once again empty save for him and Twilight. He turned to the girl with a confused look on his face to which he only got an awkward smile.

"Something's up here. What was all that about?"

"Well... the AP course is pretty much for the top students of the school, and since the school itself is mainly filled with rich kids, the course is pretty much full of the richest and smartest ones. The regular course students tend to leave them alone since they don't want to get involved with anyone with that kind of background."

"Really? Wait, then why were they picking on you? Aren't you like the top student of the school?"

"My family isn't really rich per say. We're more middle-class than rich; I got in through a scholarship so they think I'm pretty much easy prey."

"Well, you certainly act like it. The way you handled that situation screams that you're practically a doormat. Can't say I blame them for trying to get a rise out of picking on you since you don't do anything other than just roll over and take it."

Twilight looked as her body shook slightly. By the looks of it, she was trying her best to hold back tears and it wasn't really working. Sunset felt a little responsible for it but didn't do anything about it. It wasn't his problem and he was going to keep it that way. Whatever happened to this girl was no concern of his and Twilight being who she was made it doubly sure of that.

"Let's go already Sparky. I ain't got all day to wait for you to show me around."

"R-right." she sniffled "Sorry, I just... never mind. Let's go." She wiped her eyes before continuing on with Sunset close behind.

The library itself was a wonder. It was quite possibly twice the size of the one in Canterlot High and unlike that school had several students actually reading the books instead of only utilizing the computers. It sent a shiver down his spine as he walked by a cart with returns to see some limited editions available to the students.

"I'm definitely going to like this place a lot better."

"You like to read too?" Twilight asked with a twinkle in her eyes. "What's your favorite genre? Who's your favorite author? Do you have a specific kind of book you enjoy or do you read anything at all? Is there-"

"Shut up!" he yelled causing the other students to look up from their tasks and a collective hush aimed his way. "I thought I told you to leave me alone. I've got work to do and from what you said earlier so do you. So how about you go and do that before I really lose my patience with you."

"O-okay. I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk-"

"Well, I don't. The less you know about me the better because I certainly don't want to know anything about you. Now, if you don't mind, I have a syllabus to finish before the end of the week. Come get me when it's time for lunch since I'll be stuck with you despite my protests."

He walked away before Twilight was able to protest about being treated like a maid and headed towards the back of the library to sit down near a window. The light of the sun shined through the glass that made the books facing them shimmer slightly. It was a wonder to behold for someone like Sunset. While captivating it was also enough to cause him some mild irritation.

He put down the books and papers he had along with his backpack on the table and sat in huff. Libraries were always one of the few places that would be able to calm him down since his days in Equestria. That line of thought was reinforced once Celestia had taken him in as a student. The days he had spent at the royal library buried in dusty tomes and scrolls in order to further his understanding of magic was something he'd never imagine being able to do. However, the irritation would always creep right up as the memory of those times meant thinking about the nag herself.

"Damn her, even after leaving, she still has a way of ruining everything." he muttered opening the books and flipping pages as he got out pen and paper. "When am I ever going to be free of you?"

He was grateful for the silence the library held while working on the assignments which, even with all the talk of their difficulty, he found rather tame compared to things he was used to when trying to create a spell from scratch. The tasks seemed tailored to outright challenge students at every turn and yet they were easy enough to finish for someone like him.

Time meant nothing as he worked and students came and went. There were some (mostly just the female students) that would interrupt him to talk or try and introduce themselves. At this he would just push them away saying he had more important things to do or used the fact he was in the AP course to scare them off. It was fine with him to be left alone to his work; it was one of the reasons he transferred schools. That and the fact that those girls were waiting for him in order to "look after" him.

"What a joke." he said with deep seated malice. "What the fuck do they know about magic? It was all that meddling princess that even got them to tap into it. Do they seriously think they'll be able to do anything? Bunch of idiots."

The thought of needing help from such a clueless and useless group of teenagers was enough to make him stop working in frustration. He looked around to find himself alone as the tables around him were devoid of people. The shelves hid this side to the rest of the library as the sun indicated it was already past noon. The silence, warmth, and smell of the place calmed him immediately. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he lay his head down on the table as he pushed the piles of paper and books away.

---

"S-----, have you gotten used to your new accommodations?" The large alicorn asked as she walked into the rather lavish room.

"Princess Celestia! I, uh, I was just uh..." the foal stuttered from the middle of the room.

It had been a sudden change of environment. From the being cold and generic walls of the school's boarding house, to the large and intimidating room inside the palace walls. The room itself was filled with silk, satin, and anything else that marked it as a room fit for royalty. It was unnerving to say the least for the child that grew up with practically nothing to their name.

"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked walk closer towards the middle of the room.

"No! I mean, it's nothing. I guess I'm just not used to all of this yet. I've never really truly had much for myself so to speak until they accepted me at the school. Jumping from that place to here is just..."

"What do mean? Where have you been living before you were accepted?"

The child seemed to freeze at the question. Something about it caused a fear rise from within and Celestia could sense it even if it was easily seen. She sat next to her protege and wrapped a wing around the small frail figure.

"S-----, now that you are my personal student I wish to know about you. About your life thus far and about your aspirations for the future. You're free to talk to me about anything and I'll always be there to listen. Can you please tell me where you've been living?"

"I-I didn't have anywhere specifically. I kept moving around because of other ponies constantly trying to pick on me. Sometimes I spent nights under bridges and other times I slept in the woods with a makeshift shelter."

"Were you always alone during such times? Have you never had a home?"

"I've been by myself for as long as I can remember. I don't know who my parents are or why they even had me if they just threw me away. I took the entrance exam for the school because I heard the students lived in a dorm. I was never really interested in furthering my studies. I just wanted a bed to sleep in for the first time in my life. I'm sorry Princess, I don't think I'm the right kind of pony to be your student."

Author's Notes:

Another chapter. I'm surprised that I keep writing more of this story. I originally started it as something fresh due to having become stagnant with my other stories but somehow it's really getting be back in the mood to write again.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please leave a comment or critique below as any critiques help me as a writer.

Sudden Departure

"Hush now child. I did not pick you because of your social standing. I told you that I saw great potential in you. It would be foolish of me not to nurture such a wonderful gift." The alicorn wiped the tears away from the foal's eyes. "I do not fault you for your reason on joining the school. Every pony has different goals in their hearts and yours was for a better life. It breaks my heart knowing that such things happen in my kingdom regardless of how peaceful I keep it."

Celestia motioned for the guards to leave the room and teleported herself along with her student onto the large bed. She kept a winged wrapped around the still crying figure and pulled her closer to her body.

"Do you hate them?"

"H-hate who, Your Highness?" S----- replied with a strained voice.

"Your parents. Do you feel as if you can ever forgive them?"

"I... don't know."

"It's okay. You don't have to think about it right now. For now, how's about you and I get something to eat?"

"Okay. I'm sorry for being such a bother Princess."

"Dear, S-----. Do not think of yourself as a bother. You are still young and have much to learn but you are in no way some kind of burden. Guards?"

The door opened to reveal a the pair of stallions in armor that had escorted her to the room.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Please take young S----- here to the dinning hall and have the maids prepare a less extravagant room. Something simple and filled with books. How does that sound?" she asked looking towards her student.

"Thank you, Princess."

Celestia watched the guards take the foal away and waited for a moment. When she was sure that she was alone she stepped off the bed.

"Captain."

A lone stallion in red and gold armor appeared at once having teleported into the room.

"At your service, Princess."

"Have you found anything out about S-----'s parents?"

"I'm afraid not. It's proving a lot harder than we thought to track them down. We have some leads but nothing concrete."

"Very well, inform me once they are found. I want you to make this your top priority."

"As you command."

She walked out of the now empty room and towards the dinning hall. Her thoughts consumed with knowing the reason why any parent would abandon a child such as her student. Was there a reason for such an atrocity? Did they not have enough in terms of financial stability? Did they encounter some kind of tragedy? Or was that they just didn't care what happened to S-----?

"It's been a long time since I've felt this way about anything pertaining to any pony else. I pray that this does not end badly."

---

"Sun-" a voice softly murmured

"Hmm."

"Sunset?" it repeated his name and something was shaking him.

"I can't eat anymore Princess..."

"Princess? Who are you talking about?"

"What? Huh?" He opened his eyes to see Twilight looming over him with a confused look. "What do you want?" he sprang up and wiped the drowsiness from his eyes.

"You told me to get you for lunch."

"Right..." he stretched and yawned as he looked towards the wall and the clock located to see it was already one in the afternoon. Cracking his neck he started to put everything away as Twilight reached for some of the papers. "Hey!"

"Wha... How did you manage to get this far already?" she kept scanning the pages of finished assignments in disbelief. Sunset snatched them back and stuffed them away before Twilight looked through any more.

"It's not that hard. I honestly thought this place would be a lot more challenging considering how that teacher acted. Did it honestly take you a month to finish all of this?"

"Y-yea..."

"Huh, not what I expected. you're definitely not like her at all."

"Like who?"

"No one. Forget I said anything"

"Is it that Princess you were talking about?"

"Wha- How do you know about that?" he abruptly stood up and glared at the girl causing her to take a step back.

"I-I'm sorry! You were talking in your sleep. You mentioned something about a Princess so I just thought..."

"Well don't! I thought I told you that the less we know about each other the better it'll be!"

"I'm sorry... I just..."

"Whatever, just take me to the cafeteria already."

"Sure, follow me."

The two left stopped by the front desk as Twilight checked out some books. Sunset took a moment to look at the titles and noticed a lot of them had to do with seismic activity and machinery. The books were rather advanced which surprised him to an extent and sparked his curiosity.

"Are you researching earthquakes or something?"

"Huh? Oh, no I'm not really into that. It's part of a side project I'm currently working on. It's still in the beginning phases so I'm really just using these for research."

"Hmm." his tone was slightly apathetic. It wasn't that he wanted to know what she was doing. It was the fact that this Twilight was considered a genius in her own right that piqued his interest and that it involved a subject he had come to love while in this world.

His first month in this world was spent trying to find out as much as possible about how everything worked. The fact that magic didn't exist had caused slight panic but the discovery of there still being science helped to ease his mind. Science was always a subject that ignited his curiosity. As a personal student to royalty it was important to study a slew of different subject matters.

Magic was the first and foremost as the main focus of all his lessons was to control his magic. Of course, that meant looking into the various ways to do so. Where Equestria had only a few fields of Science and was built through the use of Magic; this world was built on it. The ones that really drew him in were Physics, Geophysics, Robotics, and Thermodynamics.

There were many other fields available but none had the same pull as these. There was no such thing as the concept of robotics or thermodynamics. Physics and Geophysics were the two fields he'd already studied back home but they were merely theories compared to this world. Robotics and Thermodynamics were two that he studied out of pure interest. The idea behind making machine capable of free movement and the study of heat and other forms of energy was simply too fascinating to ignore.

"You're not going to make fun of me?" came a soft voice causing him to snap out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Why would I do that?"

"Well, most of the other kids just laugh and call me an egg head... among other things."

"And you just stand there and take it huh? Well, it's your life so if you want to live it as a push over you're doing a great job." he adjusted his pack as he finished putting the books he'd checked out inside. "As for why I didn't say anything about it; I just don't see the point. I may not want to know you or what you do but that doesn't mean I don't have an interest in such things. Let's go already."

Twilight watched him walk past a bit shocked at his statement. It was rare for anyone to understand most of what she did, let alone take an interest in it. She certainly didn't expect such a thing from the boy who'd called her a pain the ass.

"Come on already, Sparky!"

"S-Sorry!" she rushed to stuff her books in her bag and ran to catch up to him only to collide with his back when turning a corner.

"Took you long enough. Now whe-" he was cut off as a chime played through the intercom to grab everyone's attention.

"Will the students Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle, please report to the Dean's office immediately? I repeat, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle, report to the Dean immediately."

"Shit, what did I do now?" Sunset muttered as he turned once more to head to the office with Twilight following close behind.

As they reached the hall containing the location they saw Dean Cadance standing outside her door with a rather worried look. Once she noticed the pair she walked to meet them halfway.

"Twilight, have a seat outside for the moment. I need to talk to Sunset Shimmer alone."

"Yes, Dean Cadance."

Twilight watched as the two stepped into the office and sat down at the only available chair a couple feet away. She kind of hoped to listen in on the conversation but the acoustics of the hallway and the position of the chair made it impossible to make out any of the voices inside.

"So, why was I called back here so quickly? Is there something I need to sign or did you forget to give me something for my classes?" Sunset asked sitting down in front of the desk as the Dean took her position.

"I've heard some very unpleasant rumors about you Mr. Shimmer. It's not been a day and already I have several students saying you've threatened Twilight and even resorted to bullying other students trying to help. Are any of these accusations true?"

"Wha- No! I didn't do any of that!"

"Mr. Shimmer! You will control yourself in my office unless you want to add disrespecting faculty to the list!"

"Fine, but I didn't do any of that."

"Students say that they have seen a boy matching your description looming over Twilight before the first bell rang. They said she looked frightened as you were talking to her. Is this true? Keep in mind that there are several reports of the same thing and that I do not tolerate lying." Cadance said holding several papers in hand and adjusting her glasses.

"Well, it's kind of true but I wasn't bullying her at all! I was just telling her to stay out of my business. I know you set her up as some form of snitch so I made it clear that I didn't want her to be around me 24/7. It's not my fault she can't handle a bit of an elevated voice."

"And the reports of you bullying?"

"Also false, who reported that anyways?"

"Three girls known as Ms. Ivory, Amber, and Lace have submitted a report that you tried to bully them when they tried to stop you from doing so to Twilight. They've also stated that you tried to get a little bit too hands on with your approach."

"They're fucking lying!"

"Volume!"

"Fine!" he yelled in a huff and sat back from his rather abrupt protest.

"I will not warn you again young man. Now, since you've already given me your views on the matter, I will need to talk to the one person present for both. Send Twilight in and have a seat outside. I will call for you when ready and I will ask you to calm down before coming in again."

The boy got up and slammed the door as he left making the bespectacled girl outside jump slightly and nervous. Twilight saw him walk towards her with anger seeping from his body. She swore his normally pristine corneas were now deep pools of darkness which housed his striking green eyes.

"It's your turn." he explained through gritted teeth before taking a seat as she stood.

"A-are you okay? What happened in there?"

"Just go before I lose what little self-control I have left."

Looking back at him one last time as she knocked on the door; Twilight could see Sunset was trying his best to suppress whatever he was feeling. She opened the door once a voice from inside told her to come in and wondered what happened to make him lose it so quickly.

"You wanted to see me Dean Cadance?"

"Twilight, it's always a pleasure to see you but in this case it's more than just checking up on you. Have a seat if you would." The woman waited for her to do so and shuffled around some papers as she let out a sigh. "Twilight, you've been with Sunset Shimmer all day have you not?"

"Y-yes. What's this about?"

"Well, I've received reports from several students that he was seen bullying and throwing threats your way early this morning. Is this true?"

"What?" she yelled before putting a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell Dean Cadance."

"It's fine Twilight. Just tell me the truth if you could, and take your time. I want to know your side of things."

"Who's the one that reported such a thing?"

"A Miss Ivory and her friends."

"He didn't do anything wrong at all! They were the ones that were doing the bullying. If it wasn't for Sunset they might have gone through with what they had planned for me."

"So it's true you were being bullied?" Cadance jumped from her seat and crossed the distance between them in an instant. "Are you okay? Were you hurt? What did they try to do? Why did this ev-" she bombarded the girl with the flurry of questions as she hugged her.

"Cadance, it's fine. I'm alright, really." Twilight strained to get out of the woman's grasp and released a breath of relief once she did. "I bumped into Ivory and stained her clothes so they were going to make me pay for it. Though, since I don't really carry any money on me they said there were other ways to make me pay."

"Wha-"

"It was then that Sunset stepped in to help... I think. It was more like they stopped when they saw him and ran when they found out he was on the AP course. I guess they didn't like the thought of not doing anything in the end."

"So he helped you out?" Cadance asked kneeling next to the girl holding her hand.

"Well, in his own roundabout way. I guess he did but, I think he only did so because of wanting to get to the library as soon as possible and away from me." she adjusted her glasses slightly and gave Cadance's hand a tiny squeeze.

"What about the part in the report saying he threatened you? Was that just false as well.?"

"Kinda? He did sort of threaten me a bit but he really just wanted me to stay out of his way since I'd be keeping an eye on him."

"I'm sorry ladybug. I didn't know something like this would happen to you just appointing you to keep an eye on him. I'll be sure to discipline him accordingly."

"Cadance?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"Can you not be too harsh? He did help me out even if he didn't really mean it."

"I'll try but, honestly speaking, he threatened a student and I warned him about doing something like this so I'm afraid I don't have much room to do so."

"What do you mean?"

"Argh!" Sunset ran a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated growl. He found it hard to contain his anger as the usual method would be to go around and release it on an easy target. Instead, he employed techniques he'd read about online in preparation for attending this school.

The woman at the uniform store gave a pretty clear picture as to the nature of the people that attended but apparently he'd underestimated how annoying they really were. "She did say to come back and let her know if I knocked any of these jerks out. The way things are going I'll more than likely see her by the end of the week."

"I bet Bonnie would get a kick out of me getting the boot from this place." he said leaning back into the chair and staring at the ceiling. "I can't ever seem to catch a break. Is it me? Am I, barring the obvious, cursed? Even back when I was with that nag I couldn't calm down at all. Was I just always this kind of pony? Person?"

The door to the office opened and the Dean stepped out with Twilight. Twilight gave the woman one last hug and walked back towards the classrooms sparing only a small sympathetic glance towards Sunset. He thought nothing of it as Cadance motioned for him to follow her inside. As the door closed and he took a seat he realized that the calming techniques might have done their job since the sight of the older woman didn't annoy him as much as before.

"So, what now? Are you going to take away my scholarship? Kick me out of school? Contact Vice-Princpal Luna?"

"I must admit, I did have something along those lines planned when and if you ever seemed to revert to doing the things you did at Canterlot." the woman responded sitting down at her desk and taking out some papers. "However, according to Twilight, not only did you not bully anyone. You helped stop them from targeting her when things were looking bad. For that, I have to personally thank you."

"Personally?"

"Yes, while I don't actually say anything about it, Twilight is very near and dear to me. I've watched over her ever since she was small and knowing anything bad happened without my knowing is devastating enough. So, yes, thank you Sunset for saving her from those girls."

Sunset was surprised that the Dean of a school as prestigious as Crystal Prep would admit to favoring one student over others. Had he any intention of repeating what he did at Canterlot it would be one of the few tidbits of information he'd use to blackmail the woman. That, however, was the old Sunset Shimmer who had died along with any form of ambition other than to return to normal.

"I didn't rea-"

"Unfortunately, that does not change the fact that you threatened her this morning."

"I knew this was too good to be true. So what are you going to do to me then?"

The Dean finished writing on the papers she'd taken out and looked them over once more before handing them to the young man. She waited in silence as he read them and waited for some form of outburst, which, she was rewarded with right away.

"You're kicking me out of the AP course?" Sunset yelled only to be stared down by older woman.

"You're lucky I didn't take away your scholarship. I warned you this morning that if there was any hint of you regressing to your old ways there'd be consequences. In light of you actually saving a student from bullying and not escalating into anything physical, I've decided that it would be best for you to attend regular classes where a teacher will be able to watch you during your time here."

"But I've already finished a lot of the course work! You're telling me I did all of that for nothing?"

"No. I'll personally see to it that the work you have done is graded and you will be able to take the AP exams if you want but, you will be attending the regular classes and the freedom to use the facilities will be revoked until you've proven to me that you deserve it."

"This is because of that loser isn't it? It's not about me threatening a student at all it's about me doing it to that idiot!"

"Do not raise your voice at me Sunset Shimmer! This is not about Twilight, this is about the fact that you were squandering the opportunity given to you without so much as a second thought! Now, sit down!"

"No! I came here to get away from people trying to mess with me and get through the rest of my time in school without any trouble. Yet, the first thing that happens is you setting me up with her! The fucking double of the person who did this to me! I said you were setting me up to fail and this is proof! You wanted me to fail, you want me to get kicked out!"

"Enough!" Cadance yelled as she stomped her heel on the tiled floor. "I meant what I said about giving you a chance Sunset. I set you up with Twilight because I wanted to see if you truly wanted this for yourself. If this is the way you act with just a minor punishment then it's no wonder Luna wanted someone to keep an eye on you."

"I never asked for anyone to look out for me! All I want is to get through all of this in peace and yet you stick me with the one person that could cause all of that to crumple! Just admit that you never wanted me here in the first place!"

"Mr. Shimmer! Either you calm down now or I'll be forced to have security escort you off campus until you are of sound mind!"

"No need! I'd rather be a drop out if it means I won't have to put up with people like you! You say you're trying to help but you never even thought to ask me how you could and now you're blaming me after setting me in a situation that would be less than ideal for my wanting to change! Be it here or Equestria nothing ever changes!"

He grabbed his bag and walked out ignoring Cadance yelling for him to come back. The feeling that drove him wasn't anger so much as regret. Regret at thinking anything would change if the environment changed. Regret at thinking he could have some kind of chance at a peaceful life before the portal opened up. Anger at the fact that no matter where he went something or someone would always make things work against him. The hallways were empty as every other student was in class which was for the best as any who would have crossed his path might have ended up wishing otherwise.

"Sunset?" a voice called out as he reached for the handle to the school's entrance causing him to pause.

"Not now... please not now..." he whispered before turning to see an unwelcome sight.

"Where are you going? What did the Dean say? Are you okay?"

"Stop. Just stop."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked stepping closer.

"Just leave me alone! My life was fine until you stepped in it! I had everything going my way but then you and those other girls ruined everything! I had a way to get back at her for what she did to me! A way to make her realize the mistake she made when she threw me away! Yet, when you showed up I realized she didn't care! She never did and she never will!"

Sunset had moved Twilight up against a wall all the while ignoring the hot tears flowing down his face. "I hate you. I hate you! I hate that you won! I hate that she choose you! All I ever wanted was for her to acknowledge me once more but now that you're around that'll never happen!" he punched the wall leaving a bloody dent and causing Twilight to flinch away from the small bits of debris that flew her way.

He dumped the books in his bag and turned to leave once more as he heard the girl behind him start to cry. Whether it was because of what he said or the way he said it, he didn't care what she did. "Stay out of my life." he muttered before leaving through the door and down the street.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was originally a lot longer but I broke it up as I felt it could be more than just one chapter. Look forward to the next one coming out quickly. As a sidenote, I will be leaving this story floating as I need to concentrate on the other stories for a while. I will be coming back to this as I try to work on everything at once and burn myself out to get my stories out.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please leave a comment or critique below as any critique helps me as a writer. A like also helps boost my self-esteem and makes me write more. Have a great day!

Pansy Petals

Bonnie Daleen had lived for over 68 years in this world and had regretted only a few of the decisions she made during that time. She was born an only child with her father dying soon after her birth in a mining accident and her mother left raising her alone. Her mother would bring her along when she cleaned houses and when she was old enough left her alone at home. It taught her the value of independence and hard work since she didn't want to trouble her weary mother. She abandoned her education at the age of 12 in order to help provide an extra source of income to their household much to her mother's objections.

At the age of 23, her mother died of an illness as Bonnie had started a proper job with the skills she had gained throughout her years of hard work. Land and a small jewelry box were the only things her mother left behind. She sold the land in order to advance her education and move to the city where she focused entirely on her job and grew into an old maid of sorts until she met an older man by the name of Alistair Daleen.

It was thanks to this man that she realized that life was more than just carving out a niche for only one person. He peeled back the layers of grit that protected the small girl that was left to raise herself at an early age and helped her be the woman she was to this day. His passion for helping anyone he encountered warmed her heart and they soon found themselves married.

Unfortunately, by the time they did get married she was already past her prime to raise children. She had given up the opportunity as her stubborn attitude got in the way of finally answering the man. It was this part of her that she regretted the most in the years afterward. She had no other family as even her husband was an only child abandoned during his infancy. The feeling she recently found herself experiencing was new and it was one that had sprung up when she met a certain red and gold haired girl during the anniversary of her husband's death.

Whether it was pure coincidence or something the old man had planned even after he passed on, she didn't know. She didn't pay the girl any mind in the beginning; only taking her in due to her husband's memory. However, as time passed and she got to know the girl known as Sunset Shimmer she realized how much they had in common. She often wondered, when taking care of the girl during times she was sick or when she would come back with clear signs of fighting, if this was what having a daughter would be like.

Would she be as reckless and idiotic at times? Would she be as passionate about her goals as Sunset? Did she have a chance to be even half as intelligent as the girl? Would she, Bonnie, even be a good parental figure? These questions would pop up every now and again as time passed between the two and she witnessed Sunset go from being confused and amazed at the simplest things to cold and calculating with her plans for what turned out to be world domination.

"World domination... this coming from the same moron who wouldn't move away from the T.V for weeks once after I left it on during dinner. I guess not seeing or hearing anything like it gives her some leeway but it took me canceling my cable to get her outside."

Bonnie sat on her couch pampering her cat formally named Sir Magnifique despite being a female. A name that was given to the poor thing by her husband despite her daily and physical protests. It was already half past three and she was done with cleaning her apartment. It didn't take much as she barely had anything in it due to most of the space usually being taken up by her husband's hideous knick-knacks which were now in storage. She'd usually spend this time preparing some form of prank for her indentured Super but, it didn't feel right anymore.

There was a change in more than just Sunset's gender and Bonnie knew it after talking to the former young woman. Her... His drive appeared to have vanished and replaced with a melancholy attitude. The passion that made up most of his personality had been stamped out for pure complacency. There were times during the weekend when she thought those back only for them to peter out as quickly as they came.

"What am I going to do with that good for nothing? You wouldn't happen to know would you Maggie?" She asked the rather lazy fluff ball on her lap only to receive a purr in response. "Yea, me neither."

There was a familiar slam that echoed through the halls indicating someone was being stupid enough to try and take their frustrations out on her building. She pushed aside the mass of pampered fur and reached for her cane intent on introducing it to whomever made the poor decision to mistreat her building. Opening her door; she was met with a sight that was not completely unfamiliar.

"I thought I told you the next time you slam anything in my building you'd get a taste of what it feels like." she yelled walking towards the clearly frustrated teen cane ready.

"Not now, you crazy old bat. I'm having a bad enough day without you trying to get your daily dose of hate."

"Does it have anything to do with why you're here early?" Bonnie pushed past Sunset to open the door and took a seat on the couch.

"The Dean of that school is a bitch! She set me up to fail and then punished me for shit I didn't even start!" He threw his bag down by the door and joined the old woman as a large and fat cat walked in and tried it's best to climb onto Bonnie's lap. The sight was enough to calm the rage that had built inside him to a small extent as he helped the thing up onto the couch after closing the door.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you were going to start fresh and not be in these types of situations. How exactly did this Dean set you up?"

Sunset sighed before taking a seat next to her and grabbed Maggie. "You remember what I told you about how I got this way?"

"You said something about some horse princess and five other girls blasting you with a rainbow death ray. What about it?"

"Pony, not horse."

"Whatever just get to it already."

"Well, turns out that the school I'm enrolled in has her human counterpart."

"Oh?"

"And the Dean learned everything about me because of the Vice-Principal at Canterlot. So, she thought it would be a good test to see if I was willing to change by sticking me with the sad sack of nerves for my time there."

"Oh... This Dean of yours sounds real stupid. Who puts the source of one's issues in immediate proximity without first easing them into it? However, that still doesn't answer why you're here early."

"Apparently, this bitch does and I'm here early because I was accused of bullying and threatening other students."

"Did you?"

"No!" A cane swung towards him and knocked him square on his head before he could avoid it. "Ow! What the fuck?"

"Don't you yell at me; I'm not the cause of all of this so there's no need to take it out on me."

"Sorry, Bonnie."

"It's fine, just go on with your story."

"Well, apparently these three girls I met didn't take kindly to me for some odd reason and made up the false charges of me bullying them. As for the threats, well, I might have done it... but it was only a small one."

"Who'd you threaten?"

"The pony princess twin they stuck me with; I told her to keep her distance or else. I wasn't really going to do anything but she was such a pushover that it apparently looked a lot worse than I intended it to be."

"So, what? Instead of taking the blame and talking about it, you storm out?"

"Well, no. I did get to explain my end of things to the Dean but I'm the only one being punished by being taken off the AP course. She wants to put me in regular classes since that'll mean a teacher would be keeping an eye on me at all times."

"And?"

"That's it."

Cane met head as Sunset finished complaining and Bonnie reeled back for a second hit only for it to be taken away.

"Fuck! Stop that!"

"You deserve it. Why can't you get a hold of your anger long enough to think things through? She might have done something bad but she went pretty lenient considering what you've done before attending that school. Let me guess what happened next, you yelled at her and stormed out in a hissy fit because you felt cheated. You might have also made someone else's day extremely unpleasant considering you lash out at everything when you're in one of your moods."

"I wasn't throwing a hissy fit!"

"Shut up! Listen here Sunset, I've done a lot of things in my life that I never once second guessed myself about due to thinking it through first but you just do whatever you want at all times and look where it's got you."

"I thought things through!"

"Oh, really? Tell me, what exactly was your plan after leaving school the way you did?"

"I was thinking of just dropping out and just start working. It's not like I have to go to school or anything I'm already old enough to take care of myself."

"Is that so? What job are you even thinking of getting exactly?"

"That's easy, I was just going to work as the Super here. I already do more than enough work around and you know I'm good at it."

"Well, then I guess you're old enough to start paying rent. Seeing as you obviously don't need help from anyone, I don't have to look the other way as a perfectly good room and source of income goes to waste." Bonnie snatched her cane back and got up from the couch as Sunset tried to stop her from leaving. "I expect the rent on the first and you can forget about being the Super, I only let you do that as a way to pay me back for the room. Since you're going to be paying the rent from now on I'm going to hire someone qualified."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me you little brat. This is what you wanted so this is how it's going to be from now on."

"I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to get me to go back, well, it's not going to work! I won't go crawling back to that bitch no matter what!" Sunset ran towards the kitchen and took out a jar from one of the cupboards. Reaching inside and taking out a wad of bills, he shoved them into Bonnie's hands. "In fact, here's the rent for the next two months Mrs. Daleen. You can expect regular payments from now on as I'll be coming into employment very soon."

"Fine, I'll take it. Don't come crying to me when you realize you're in over your head, you damn fool."

Sunset watched the woman walk out and slammed the door behind her. Her footsteps and the sound of the cane striking the floor giving him an indication that she was beyond pissed at him.

"Fuck, that was all my cash. What the fuck am I going to do now?" The realization of the situation hit as quick as the door. "I was banking on her just taking me on full time and not paying rent. Now what?"

He took out his phone and scrolled through the results for part time jobs. Minutes turned to hours and hope turned to frustration as any that were available needed prior experience or were too far and paid less than what he needed to sustain himself now that Bonnie was cracking down.

"Argh!" he threw the phone onto the couch. "Maybe I can find something if I walk around. There's bound to be something or someone out there that needs a smart, capable young wo... man... to help out. That has little to no experience other than being an improvised Super and a potential drop out." he rubbed his temples as the prospect of employment seemed that much dimmer.

---

"Thank you for your time."

It was day two into his job search and things were looking bleak. Everywhere that seemed to have potential asked for things that were impossible for him. A Social Security Number and valid ID were the two things that were requested the most which put a wrench in everything. Canterlot High school was extremely lenient in terms of acceptance and he never really had to worry about money as Bonnie used to give him some as part of being the Super. Now, with the way things were looking it seemed he had indeed jumped the gun once again in terms of actions.

"Maybe, I didn't really think this through at all..." he muttered walking out of the small cafe near his house.

He had walked around the neighborhood and asked for work at any of the places available only to walk out as they requested someone with more experience in the fields or wanted proper paperwork. It was nearing six in the afternoon and he'd ended up close to downtown with absolutely no prospects in his search. The streets were filled with people as most were getting off work or out of school some of which he recognized from Canterlot High. They hadn't recognized him as they passed and it helped that he wasn't wearing his usual attire and stuck with just the jeans and plain white shirt accompanied with the jacket Bonnie gave him.

He ducked into a store in order to avoid a large crowd of Canterlot students and found himself in view of a veritable jungle of flowers.

"Welcome to the Pansy Petals. Are there any flowers, in particular, you're looking for?" a woman with fuchsia hair tied in a bun asked as she put on her glasses to see her new customer. She wore a plain white apron that bore stains from the work she'd been doing and did little to hid her very attractive curves.

"Oh, uh, I'm just looking around."

"Let me know if there's anything I can help you with dear."

"Sure. Thanks."

The shop was bigger than it looked from the outside. The counter was situated at the front and there was a double door leading towards a small greenhouse to the right. Tables were lined up along the middle filled with many different kinds of individual flora and some of the most beautiful bouquets he'd ever seen. The place reminded Sunset of the Royal Garden with its abundance of meticulously maintained flowers. The slight breeze coming from the greenhouse through the open windows did more to remind him of the quiet and serene moments he'd take to study in the gardens.

"Wow." he said barely above a whisper as he stepped outside into the greenhouse to see a sight that would make even the royal gardener jealous with it's wide arrangement of flowers.

"Thank you." a voice came from his left that caused him to jump slightly and see the woman from the front. "Oh my, I'm sorry if I startled you. I was just wondering if you were thirsty." she held up a glass of water.

"Uh... yeah. Thanks for that. Why'd you say thank you?" he asked before taking a sip of the cucumber flavored water.

"No problem dear. I was just thanking you for taking a liking to my little shop. I don't get many young men that seem to appreciate the amount of work I put into this place."

"I can tell you put in a lot of work too."

"Yes, though, I do find it hard to take care of everything at times. Was there anything you're looking for dear? Or did you only come in here to avoid those kids coming down the street?"

"That obvious huh?" Sunset put the glass onto one of the small tables before walking over to the section holding some rather impressive looking Sunflowers.

"Just a bit, I noticed you steering clear of a lot of the students as you came down the street. Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. It's personal if you must know."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Well, unless you're hiring, I don't there's anything you can do for me. Thanks, though, I'll be going now."

"Wait! Please." The woman grabbed Sunset's arm as he walked past her. "It just so happens that I am in need of a worker. I'm not exactly able to take care of everything myself now that I have the greenhouse as well as the plants inside the main part. Are you looking for part-time or full?"

"Well, I was hoping for full but part-time works just as well. It's just... I don't exactly have anything along the lines of ID and stuff."

"I see... What about school? You're obviously still a bit young so..."

"I, uh, dropped out... Look if this is going to be a problem then I'll just go look elsewhere."

"No, it's okay. You obviously have your reasons for being in the situation you're in so I won't ask if you don't feel like telling me. I'll hire you as part-time if it helps you out, someone that appreciates flowers like you can't be a bad person."

"You will?" he shouted which caused her to shrink back a bit. "Sorry, and thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

"It's no problem dear. I just have one condition."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Please think about going back to school. I have two kids around your age and I would hate it if they dropped out and squandered their education."

Sunset hesitated as he felt his anger start to rise from being told what to do but he stuffed it down as Bonnie's reprimand echoed through his mind. "Fine. I'll think about it."

"Wonderful!" she held out her hand and they shook before heading back into the main part of the shop. "Oh! Before I forget my name is Samantha Shy. What's your name dear?"

"Pleasure, thanks for the job Mrs. Shy. Name's Sunset Shimmer"

Author's Notes:

Another chapter up quicker than the last one. I did say I was working on it.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please leave a comment or critique below as any critique helps me as a writer. A like is also much appreciated. Have a great day!

Volunteering

After signing some things and confirming the hours for the job at the shop, Sunset said his goodbyes to his new boss. Things were looking up and he even talked his way into getting an advance on his pay. The good thing about that was now he had money to buy some groceries and cooking utensils since Bonnie was the one that mainly did the cooking in her apartment. The downside was that he was now in debt for the next two weeks so he couldn't just quit if he felt like it. He wouldn't quit either way it was just the feeling of having a way out that made Sunset less anxious about things.

In the search for a job he had traveled further than he realized but the Pansy was well within reach transportation wise. Which, was a good thing due not having any other form of transport besides the city bus and his legs. He could bother Bonnie for a ride but then she'd more than likely charge him for it considering her reaction to not going back to Crystal Prep.

"She'll get over it eventually. I can't just go crawling my way back just because she thinks it's a bad idea. I mean, I don't like the fact that I'm not making the most of my time to learn more but what's the point of it in the end? I'm just waiting for that stupid portal to open so I can fix the situation I'm in. Even if I have to spend time in the Canterlot dungeons for a few years it'll still be better than being stuck as a guy." he stared out the window from the backseat of the bus watching as it had started raining and the water slid down the window.

The forecast did say it would rain but the sheer amount was incredible for a world without magic or pegasi. It was always a wonder, Sunset thought, as to how reliant Equestria was on magic as a whole. So many things relied on it that it made him often wonder what would happen if it suddenly vanished. Would the ponies be half as resourceful as the humans are without such a powerful natural commodity? Unicorns relied on it for practically everything, pegasi relied on it to fly and handle the weather, even earth ponies made use of it to better cultivate the land. Would any of the three races be able to survive through such an event?

Pondering these kinds of what-if scenarios were becoming more of a thing lately for Sunset and he knew it as his head collided with the window when the bus hit a pothole. It snapped him out of the deep thought and had him actually notice his surroundings. As it were, he was so lost in thought that he'd missed his stop completely.

"Shit, there goes that money." he said stepping off the bus and heading for the stop across the street trying to dodge the rain by using his jacket. He passed by the few people still out and avoided the splashing caused by the cars. "Horsefeathers." he said halting near the stop as he spotted an unwanted sight.

Underneath the cover of the structure housing, the stop sat a familiar prismatic girl in a sky-blue hoodie. She was staring down at her phone and hadn't noticed him standing underneath some cover provided by an office building.

"Damn it, she's the last one of them I want to run into."

Sunset never wanted to see any of the girls responsible for his current situation again but Rainbow had to be the only one that he truly never wanted to be around. It wasn't because the girl was a threat. It was simply because he considered her way too much of an idiot to even bother with for anything. Out of all the girls she had to be the easiest to convince they were against her. It took less than a day and one text to have her separated from her friends for the better part of the year. While the other girls would sometimes try to patch things up she was too stubborn to even think of it.

"It sure doesn't help that she yells whenever she wants to get her point across. I've no doubt that if she notices me she'll start arguing and I sure as shit won't be able to hold back if that happens. Though, an assault charge is the last thing I want at the moment. Not when I finally found a job that's willing to look past my lack of identity."

The thought of having to listen to the teenage jock's grating voice about anything without a way to strike back was extremely unappealing. Yet, the store close to his place was going to close in two hours and he didn't want to spend more cash than necessary getting a taxi or going further into town to buy groceries. As he was contemplating possibilities the bus pulled up causing Sunset to drop everything and run. He got on through the back as Rainbow used the entrance located at the front of the bus. The fact that, as a teenager, Rainbow rarely looked away from her phone was the only thing that kept the two from a confrontation as he took a seat at the rear.

The ride was annoying, to say the least as Sunset kept having to duck away with Rainbow looking around the bus for some reason or another. It seemed like she didn't seem to know where she was going by the look on her face. It was the same look most people had when traveling somewhere new looking for some kind of landmark to recognize. As the bus pulled up to his stop it seemed luck was against Sunset even now when Rainbow stepped off.

"What the hell could she want in a place like this?" he hid in an alley before being spotted and watched the athlete walk in the opposite direction. "She's crazy if she thinks nothing is going to happen to her around here with that kind of personality. Whatever, it's go nothing to do with me."

---

"Can you say that one more time?" the farmer of the group said delaying her bite into an apple.

"I said that we should go and find her." Rainbow answered flailing her slice of pizza around to emphasize her seriousness.

"Rainbow, please. Some of us would like to eat without having pizza stains for once."

Rainbow sat back down and took a bite as Rarity wiped away a drop of sauce from her cheek with Fluttershy's help. The cafeteria was bustling with activity and gossip of Sunset Shimmer's transfer. The new school week started with the five girls expecting to encounter the newly male Sunset working off her failed plan of world domination by fixing the entrance. Instead, they were greeted with the sight of Vice-Principal Luna overseeing a construction crew fixing the mess.

When they pressed as to why the school didn't have Sunset helping with the work they were told it would be impractical with her new school schedule. Taking that as her being made to take several individual classes they decided to talk to her at lunch only for them to find out she had transferred schools when Rarity sent a text after asking around her usual gossip circles.

"I don't know Rainbow. Maybe it's best to just leave him alone."

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy. You can't seriously think that bitch can get away with doing all of that and not face justice."

"Rainbow! Mind your language." Rarity yelled pinching Rainbow to calm down.

"Ow!"

"I don't know Rarity. I'm kind of with Dash on this one. I don't like the fact she simply went away without facing the consequences of her actions. I mean, she tore us apart and had the school in the palm of her hand for a long time and now she just gets to forget it ever happened?"

"Yea! I mean, look at what she did to Pinkie when she tried to help." Rainbow pointed towards the usually cheerful girl who had now lost her optimistic demeanor.

Following the events that took place at the school's infirmary Pinkie had apparently taken it upon herself to find ways to reach out the new Sunset in order to gain her trust. It wasn't until she had learned of the transfer that all her plans went down the drain. The fact that Sunset wanted nothing to do with them to the point of completely changing schools was a shock to the friend seeking girl. Being rejected by Sunset that night in the infirmary had caused her to waver slightly as she'd usually received less violent objections towards being friends. It caused her to think about much of her actions might have had something to do with her decision to leave entirely.

"No, it's fine Rainbow. It's my fault for being so annoying. I should have tried to understand that she needed space instead of trying to force anything right off the bat." The demure party girl whispered as she picked at her salad.

"It's not your fault Pinkie. It's all her fault, she deserves to be punished for everything that happened."

"Rainbow, you're scaring me. You're not going to hurt Sunset are you?" Fluttershy asked as she scooted away from her oldest friend when her voice was raised.

"Don't worry none, Fluttershy. I'm sure Rainbow didn't mean anything along those lines, right?" A.J shot Rainbow a look that told her to contain herself.

"Y-yea. Sorry, Shy. I guess I'm just frustrated she got away with it."

"Ignoring Rainbow's obvious temper tantrum."

"It's not a tantrum, Rarity!"

"Rainbow Dash, that is quite enough. Now, as I was saying, despite the lingering feelings of frustration caused by Sunset, she has indeed transferred. I asked Principal Celestia if she knew as to where the transfer was but she said that she couldn't share personal information with students."

"But what about the promise we made with Twi? She asked us to look after the no good troublemaker in case anything happened again."

"I'm afraid we'll have to forget about it for now. We can't very well keep an eye on Sunset unless we know where she went."

"I know where he lives."

All of the girls turned towards the shyest member of the group who tried to make herself as small as visually possible due to the extra attention.

"Fluttershy? How do you know where she Sunset Shimmer lives?"

"Well, I..."

"You know where she lives and you didn't tell us?" Rainbow yelled interrupting Rarity. "That's like the whole point of this conversation. Why did you keep it from us?"

"I didn't think it really mattered."

"Didn't matter?" Rainbow raised her voice once more as she walked next to the girl only to be stopped by Rarity once again.

"Stop it! You're scaring the poor girl." Rarity said holding on to Fluttershy as she shook slightly. "Fluttershy, darling, why do you know where Sunset Shimmer lives?"

"I would see him sometimes when I went around volunteering at different shelters. He would always come in and out of the same apartment building so I thought that was where he lived. I never spoke to him because I was scared of what he'd do."

"Well, if you know where he lives that solves everything just tell us."

"No."

"Pardon?"

"Alright, let's just all take a moment to relax." A.J said stepping in before Rainbow could say or do something she'd regret. "I'm sure Fluttershy has a good reason as to why she won't tell us."

"I don't think we should bother Sunset anymore. He's obviously trying to put this behind him and move on and I think we should do the same."

"Move on?" Rainbow yelled. "You make it sound like she's willing to change. You saw how she reacted to Pinkie Pie even after we beat her. She's not just going to take something like that and walk away. Just tell us where she lives already!"

"No! I'm sorry but I saw the look in his eyes that night and it wasn't one of someone seeking revenge. I'm not about to let you try and ruin whatever it is he's trying to do just because you want him to suffer. I think we've done enough already. Not only did is he here against his will but he's not even a girl anymore. None of us have any idea of what that's like at all and for all we know he could be suffering far worse than any punishment you think is worthy." Fluttershy had stared down her friend in her sudden objection as the rest of the girls watched in awe of the normally shy member of their group.

The bell resounded through the cafeteria signaling to the all the students, some of who had stopped their activities to watch the heated exchange, that class was about to start. Fluttershy fixed herself and grabbed her tray and bag leaving the rest of the girls to watch as she walked away.

"I don't think I've ever seen her that determined about anything before, not even during that time she hit Sunset." A.J grabbed her tray as well and Pinkie followed her out so they could catch their next class.

Rarity sighed and collected her things as well, leaving a stunned Rainbow behind. Rainbow sat and turned to grab her things as well feeling astounded that her friend would try so hard to protect the very person that tore them apart. It was then she noticed that Fluttershy had left her phone at her seat, she grabbed it fully intent to return it only to stop as a thought crossed her mind. Fluttershy tended to take pictures of all the animals and shelters she helped out. Being friends for so long Rainbow already knew the phones lock pattern and searched through to find the images she wanted. There were several possible locations that Sunset could be located and she was determined to see her punished for her deeds. Even if it meant making it happen herself.

She deleted the messages she sent herself with the photos and pocketed the phone. The rest of the day was spent with her paying even less attention than normal in her classes. As the final bell rang she bolted from her seat and ran towards the front of the school where the rest of the girls were already waiting. They had all agreed to meet up there ever since their friendship had renewed in order to talk and hang out even just a minute longer to make up for the lack of communication throughout Sunset's reign.

"Hey, Dash how-" A.J's question was cut short as the Rainbow rushed past her and left a phone in her hand.

"Can'ttalkIhavetogohelpmydadouttodaybeforedoinganythingelsebye." She was already halfway down the street before she yelled back. "I'll call you guys later!"

"Did any of ya'll catch what she just said?"

"She said something about helping out her dad but, she usually only does that when... Whats that in your hand Applejack?"

"Oh, it's a phone. She just shoved it my way when she went speeding by us. Is it yours?"

"Yes, I thought I lost it. Rainbow must have found it for me. But why wouldn't she give it to me in between class." She took her phone back and made a note to thank her friend next time she saw her.

---

It was day three of her search and she had yet to turn up anything in regards to Sunset's place of residence. The other areas that she had tried had failed to help her in the search and Rainbow was beginning to get agitated, more than usual anyways. She had two places left and they were located further into the city than she'd ever traveled. Sure, she passed the areas more than once when going on family trips but she'd never actually walked the streets themselves. Which, if she had taken the time to notice, was for good reason due to the various looks aimed her way as she walked down said streets while the rain died down.

Rainbow tried to ignore most of the guys trying to call out to her and kept walking towards her destination. It wasn't until she noticed a group following close behind her that she sped up, they kept calling to her in hopes of having her stop but she knew better. It wasn't that she was afraid of them or anything. It was simply common sense that there were too many of them even for her to handle. As she rounded a corner she saw another group stop talking and eye her much the same the one behind her had. She ducked into an alleyway and ran through it hearing the sound of several footsteps doing much the same as her.

She looked back to see some of the members of the first group coming closer and failed to notice the person coming out of one of the few stores that lined the street when she came out of the alley. The resulting crash knocked both of them to the ground.

"Watch where you're going you idiot!" Rainbow's victim yelled as she tried to get up.

"Sorry, I was tryi-"

"Rainbow Dash? What are you doing in this part of town?"

"Vice-Principal Luna?"

The older woman helped her attacker up just as the group that had been the cause of the incident came out of the alley as well. They came to a halt to catch their breath and proceeded to move forward towards the pair only to stop as the glare from Luna was far more than just threatening.

"Uh, Vice-Principal Luna?" Rainbow said slightly concerned.

Luna turned towards her immediately and took on a softer look. "Sorry, you were saying Rainbow?" she asked watching from the corner of her eye as the group walked off.

"I, uh, I'm just here to volunteer at a shelter."

"You?"

"Yes?"

"You are here to volunteer? Of your own choice?"

"Yea. Is that so hard to believe?"

Luna took a moment to stare at her which caused Rainbow to start sweating and look away.

"The truth?"

"I'm here to find out where Sunset lives."

"Why in the world are you doing something like that?"

"Well, you and the other teachers aren't any help! You guys let her off by having her transfer and no matter how many times we ask you refuse to tell us anything! You can't seriously believe she won't try anything again!"

"Calm yourself, Rainbow. I understand your confusion but that doesn't give you the right to try and take matters into your own hands. The decision to let her transfer was mine alone and I for one believe that she truly is trying to be better."

"There's no way! She's a manipulative, greedy, evil bitch! She probably used some kind of freaky magic to ma-" Rainbow stopped as the glare Luna was giving her was the same one she had done to the group from before. It seemed to tear into her very being straight into her core sending her into a state of panic.

"Rainbow, there are things one can't understand about a person unless they've been in a similar situation. To be on the outside looking in is one thing but to have some first-hand experience with the same types of problems as someone else makes it far easier to understand. I will ignore your use of language and the fact that you more than likely are here without your parents knowing. Now, you will follow me to my car so I can drive you home."

"But-"

"This isn't a suggestion Miss Dash. You will be going home right now, you were lucky I found you when I did otherwise you might have had more than just the wrath of your parents to worry about."

The two walked across the street to where a jet black Porsche waited. There were several people looking at it but by the way that they acted when Luna came over it seemed to be known not to mess with the car. Rainbow got in when Luna opened the passenger door and put on the seat belt as it was closed. She let out a sigh before the owner stepped inside. The engine roared and they were soon near the edge of the neighborhood. It was then that Rainbow caught sight of a fiery head of hair coming out of a grocery store. She turned her head immediately to see Sunset Shimmer carrying several bags as he walked down the street towards the area she met Luna.

"Something wrong, Rainbow Dash?"

"Hmm? No, nothing. Why?"

"You seem to be smiling for some odd reason."

"Am I?" she touched the edges of her mouth to see it was true. "I guess I am."

Author's Notes:

Another chapter out as a distraction from working on a different story. Not much else to say right now. I might write a blog later but then again I might not.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please leave a comment or critique below as any critique helps me as a writer. A like is appreciated and have a great day!

We need to talk

The job as a part-time florist was harder than he initially thought it would be at first. Thinking it would just be watering some plants and selling one or two to random customers was far from what Sunset ended up doing the first week. Moving tables, getting rid of weeds and pests, moving potted plants even some small saplings located in the back. Not to mention keeping the floor clean of dirt and learning all the names of the flora for sale.

"You did all this by yourself? At your age?" Sunset asked wiping the sweat trickling down only to leave a smudge of dirt on his cheek.

"Yes, its the main reason I'm glad to have hired you. I'll ignore that bit about my age by the way." Samantha said as she handed him a cloth to wipe the dirt off.

"Sorry."

Sunset wiped the dirt and stuffed the cloth into one of the pockets of the apron that was part of the uniform. He took a swig of water from the bottle in another pocket before letting out a sigh and lifting another large pot filled with dirt. Times like this he appreciated the increased muscular strength but loathed the fact it came with a heavier workload.

"Definitely miss having magic when its times like this." he muttered before putting down another large pot.

In the days following his hiring Sunset would not hear from Bonnie at all. Both of them being stubborn with things such as this it would be a while for them to actually feign running into each other though last time it happened it went on for three months of no contact. Well, more like stares of frustration and spite but that was no more than the usual in terms of their relationship.

However, lately it seemed vastly different than all the other times. Sunset hadn't seen hide or hair of Bonnie the past week, usually he would catch her at least sweeping the front lobby but that job was taken by one of the kids from the building in hopes of some pocket money. In fact, the job that he had originally banked on as the handyman had filled quickly towards the end of the week by a rather heavyset man that looked experienced with the work.

"Shes serious about this isn't she?" he muttered as he drank some water in the heat of the greenhouse as the heat of the afternoon Sun was focusing on the place with no clouds to block the way.

The days helping the shop left him with a lot of time to think about what he exactly had happened and in all it just led back to one harsh truth that made his anger flare instantly and just as quickly evaporate to a bout of depression.

"I'm such a fucking idiot."

Saying it out loud made it seem a lot more real than just thinking it. When all was said and done Sunset had never truly taken the time to think about his actions. All his plans were mainly on revenge and how to get what he wanted. Though he did think of the consequences should he fail said plans, it never really dawned on him that he would be stuck in a situation much like the one he was in now. Then again, Sunset doubted anyone could guess that a blast from a magical rainbow caused by an otherworldly colorful horse turned human would switch another colorful horse turned human's gender.

Even then now that he had the time to really focus on the situation it really just boiled down to him being an obvious hotheaded jerk as to why he was stuck doing manual labor and getting a weird tan in the process. It at least helped in saving some money for the eventual bill for the front of Canterlot High came in the mail or through the call.

"Shit, I forgot about the call. Knowing that woman she probably already told VP Luna everything that happened though I'm not exactly sure why I haven't gotten a call from her. I thought the school at least had my number on file."

As he rung up another bouquet of flowers for the last customer in the shop he waved to preoccupied owner signalling a break. Getting a nod back he went straight to the greenhouse and sat on a metal chair located in a small corner behind some palms. It was something even her boss allowed since it made for a nice view of the flowers when needed a moment.

Letting out a sigh of relief from getting of his feet Sunset leaned back only to have the sun glare into his eyes. He closed them for moment and decided to keep them that way enjoying the warmth and smell of the place. It was a nostalgic feeling of being surrounded by nature despite the concrete and metal. Sitting there with the smell of flowers and the silence of some bugs and no cars passing by it really helped to clear his head.

"I might have made a huge mistake just walking out like that but even then I don't want to apologize for it. It was definitely a set up for that Dean to stick me with her of all people but its my fault for blowing up and walking out."

He sighed once more and put an arm over his eyes to shield his face for a moment and wipe the sweat dripping down.

"Why can't I ever catch a break?"

"Its really that bad for you buddy?" a voice came breaking the silence and breaking Sunset's short respite.

Sunset rubbed his eyes a bit and blinked to get used to the shade before getting a good look at guy much his age. His hair was tied in a bun and he was wearing shorts with a buttoned shirt hanging loosely. He was drinking some bottled water and shifting his sandals due to some dirt that might have snuck in.

"Sorry, I'm on break. If you want help, the owner is somewhere inside the main building." Sunset frowned before putting on a fake half smile and remained seated.

"Ah, no I don't need help. I'm her son and I'm just here deliver her lunch. I just came out here because I heard she got some new help and was curious."

Sunset looked at him once more and could tell by the way he carried himself that this guy didn't take much seriously. In the way he looked at Sunset once more before taking out his phone and just flicking through whatever else could catch his interest. It didn't help it seemed like he had enough free time to just come and drop something off but not help the shop run by his mom. It all just rubbed him the wrong way.

"I'm not some exhibit for you to come and look at. If you don't need help then I'd appreciate you don't bother me on my break."

The young man stopped scrolling on his phone and looked up in surprise only to smile and then laugh in an annoying guffaw. He raised his phone again and the sound of the camera went off.

"You're a riot. Listen, I was just curious and wasn't really expecting much but you seem like a fun guy. The names Zephyr be sure to remember it because I'll famous some day." he wiped a hand on his shirt and stuck it out in front of Sunset.

Sunset just looked at it and walked past since his break was practically over leaving Zephyr a bit shocked to be ignored only to smile and turn as the other, rather angry, young man walked past and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Don't be like that. Who knows, if you play your cards right maybe I'll let you be part of my entourage."

The act caught Sunset off guard and just before his fists finished forming a gentle voice interrupted the scene of a future murder.

"Zephyr, I'd appreciate if you didn't bother the new hire. I don't want to lose him just when I found help. If you really want to stick around then maybe you can help with the afternoon pruning." Samantha said in a huff as she walked into the greenhouse with an extra pair of gloves in her hand.

The two boys stopped in their tracks and as Sunset felt his anger dissipate slowly he watched as Zephyr apologize to his mother and make up an excuse before walking out as he got a call. Samantha stuffed the gloves into her apron pocket and let out a sigh in frustration before turning back to Sunset.

"Try not to put my boy in the hospital if you don't mind. I know he can be rather... intrusive but he has a lot on his plate as well." the small woman sighed once more and had a slightly sad look on her face that quickly disappeared as her smile returned. " You can go ahead and take an extended lunch to make up for the ruined break."

Sunset took a minute to breath and shook his head. Wiping the sweat off once more and retying his hair, he took out his gloves and pruning clippers.

"It's fine. I'd rather just get back to it since I'd rather not think about anything for now. Sorry, I almost decked your son."

The two shared a look and chuckled before heading towards the back of the greenhouse to start the work for the afternoon.

---

Luna looked at the file once again as she did the past few days. As the sounds of the students out in the field were muffled by the walls in her office she struggled to think of her next step. Days ago she had gotten a call from Cadence about the incident at Crystal prep and felt a rather tremendous sense of guilt. While she did think that sticking Sunset with Twilight was a bad plan, Cadance had reassured her that she'd do everything possible to make it work. Though after that call she had once again questioned the young woman's experience and her rather unique approach on things.

"I shouldn't have agreed to it so easily. I should have talked to Sunset about Twilight before the transfer."

This were the thoughts her mind had on repeat as she kept looking at the file. The bell rung as she held the file again which caused her to jump a bit and let it drop. The papers inside slipped out and as she collected them she took another look at the photo of the then young girl. The photo of Sunset was very typical of the delinquent Luna had gottan to know. A scowl on her face and looking away from the camera. Angry at everything and everyone around her for no particular reason other than what would be usual teen behavior.

Though looking closely even Luna could see the signs of something more underneath it all. Though it being an evil plot to take control of the school and brainwash teens into an army of sorts to take over another world was certainly not the first thing that came to mind.

"Still, with all the things she had done, we should have done something about her. We should have helped her in some way."

Luna left the paper on top and noticing the emergency contact which held a rather familiar number. She paused for a moment before something clicked and picked up her phone to make a call. The ringing lasted a while before the line connected and a greeting was given.

"Hello Bonnie. We need to talk about Sunset."

Author's Notes:

I'll write a blog so check it out if you want.