Principal Celestia sat behind her desk, rubbing her temples in frustration. Vice-Principal Luna sat across from her on one of the two chairs for visitors.
"What are we going to do with her, Lulu. I had no idea that Sunset would go this far." Celestia said with an exasperated sigh.
"I don't know Tia," Luna said, looking out the window at where Sunset was hard at work clearing the debris for the construction crew that were coming in on Monday. "The least we can do is wait and see."
"I know that Lulu, but I feel as though I have failed her in some way." Celestia said, sadness thickly laced in her voice. Luna reached across the desk and put a soothing hand on hers.
"We will see what happens and then decide, we have already told her that she is suspended for a week starting Monday. We will see if she needs anything by the time her suspension is over." Celestia looked over to her and gave a nod.
"I'm going to check on her, I'll see you tomorrow for brunch Tia." Luna said as she stood up.
"See you then Lulu." Celestia said as Luna walked out.
__________________________________________
Sunset was hard at work, adding rubble to the wheelbarrow that she was supplied for clearing rubbish. She was so busy that she didn't hear Luna walk up to her.
"It makes no sense to work yourself so hard that you collapse, Sunset." Luna said, causing Sunset to jump in fright.
"Vice-Principal Luna, I didn't see you standing there." Sunset said through gritted teeth, barely hidden pain on her face. Luna, however, didn't notice the pained expression on her face.
"Here, take a break to eat. You need to keep your strength up." Luna said, handing Sunset a takeout bag with vegetarian burritos in it.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Sunset said politely, ignoring the growl of protest coming from her stomach.
"Okay, but you can at least go home, you've cleared most of the rubble. The construction crew can take it from here." Luna said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll see you after my suspension." Sunset said, glad to be dismissed. She turned and walked away.
'What is up with that girl. I can never figure her out.' Luna thought to herself with a sad shake of her head.
__________________________________________
Still in her office, Celestia was huddled over a file, the file of one Sunset Shimmer. She had never thought to take another look at it after it was filed, but hearing what Sunset said in the crater made her take another look, and there it was. Sunset's home address was that of a rundown apartment building owned by Filthy Rich. Her parent's information was left out. No wonder the girl had acted out as she did, she had nobody to show her the right path.
"I need to phone Luna. She needs to know about this." Celestia thought to herself as she reached for her office phone
__________________________________________
Sunset was deep in thought on her way back to her rundown apartment. She hardly noticed where she was until she was standing across the road from the apartment building. The rent was fair, so she didn't mind what it looked like.
Sunset walked across the street and into the building. She reached her door, fished out her keys, and as she was about to insert them into the lock, she noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
"Strange, I know I closed and locked the door before leaving this morning." Sunset said to herself as she nudged it open with a toe. What she saw when she walked in broke her entirely. Her apartment was ransacked. All her stuff was gone. All that was left was the beaten up old guitar that Flash had given her when they were dating.
"Just perfect. As if my day wasn't shit enough already, some fucker decides he needs my stuff more than I do." she said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, dialling 911 as soon as she got it out.
"Hi, yes I need the police. I'd like to report a break-in. 2127 Everfree Heights, apartment 3A. Thank you." Sunset then ended the call and went to sit on her couch.
__________________________________________
After half an hour, a squad car stopped outside the building. Two officers climbed out and went up to the apartment. Sunset was still on her couch, not believing how bad her luck had been. She then heard a knock.
"Sunset Shimmer, CPD." one of the officers said.
"Coming." Sunset said as she got up and headed for the door.
"Good evening, Miss Shimmer, I'm Detective Enigma, this is my partner…" the officer said as Sunset cut him off.
"Detective Ace Sentry. I know him, I used to date his son." she said. Looking down at her feet in embarrassment.
"Yes, are your parents here, we'd like to get a statement from them." Ace asked Sunset.
"No, I don't have parents, but I do have someone you can call, maybe she can help out here." Sunset replied.
"Alright, who is it?" Enigma asked, looking at Sunset incredulously.
"Principal Celestia of Canterlot High School." Sunset replied.
__________________________________________
Celestia was about to leave her office when the phone rang. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was eight minutes past nine in the evening.
'Who could be calling here at this time of night' Celestia thought to herself.
"Canterlot High School, Celestia speaking, how may I help you?" Celestia answered the phone.
"Hi, yes ma'am. This is Detective Enigma from Canterlot Police Department. We got a 911 call about a break in at the apartment of one Sunset Shimmer earlier today. Would it be possible to come?"
"Yes, I'm on my way. Thanks." Celestia said, worry plastered on her face.
__________________________________________
"Right, she is on her way. Is there anything in particular that is missing, or is it just the usual stuff that gets stolen in a break-in?" Enigma asked as she put her phone back in her pocket.
"Not as far as I can tell. But all the stuff that was stolen was insured, so I should be able to get it back." Sunset replied. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sunset opened to see a worried looking Celestia standing outside.
"Principal Celestia," Sunset said in surprise as she opened the door. "I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
"Oh, Sunset. After all that happened to you today, you had to come home to the aftermath of a break-in. How are you holding up." Celestia said with genuine concern in her eyes.
'Just great. I don't need this. I can handle it on my own.' Sunset thought sadly to herself. "I'm fine." She lied, not wanting to get Celestia fully involved in the situation.
"Okay, if you say so." Celestia said, not quite believing Sunset. Just then, Enigma walked up to the pair.
"Celestia, am I correct?" She asked.
"Yes, you must be detective Enigma. Pleased to meet you." Celestia replied, extending her hand to Enigma. Enigma politely shook her hand.
"Initial investigation tells of forced entry through the front door of the apartment. We are in the process of dusting for prints in all the areas where stuff was taken as well as the door." Enigma reported to Celestia. "All we need is Sunset's fingerprints so that we can get a match to hers that were already on the door." She turned to Sunset, "If that's okay with you, of course?"
"By all means. Do you wanna do it here or at the station?" Sunset asked.
"If you'll join us later at the station later, we can get the prints and a statement from you." Enigma replied.
Sunset sat down after offering Celestia something to drink, to which she had politely declined. The detectives had long since left,leaving Sunset and Celestia alone. They had decided that since it was late at night, they would both arrive early in the morning to give statements and Sunset's fingerprints.
"So," Celestia said, a look of concern on her face. "What are you going to do now, Sunset?"
"I'm just gonna wait for my case number and claim from the insurance. I may not have much, but I can get by. Nothing that was expressly important to me was stolen, so that's a plus." Sunset replied.
"Okay, but if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask me." Celestia said as she got up, making her way to the door. "It is now time for me to take my leave, I shall see you tomorrow morning, Sunset."
"Goodnight Principal Celestia. See you tomorrow." Sunset said as she closed the door behind Celestia.
__________________________________________
Luna was just getting out of the shower as her phone rang. Wiping her hands dry on the towel, she grabbed her phone.
"Hello, Luna speaking." she answered.
"Hello Lulu. Is this a bad time?"
"Not at all, sister. What's wrong? You sound worried." Luna said, concern edging her voice.
"I am. Sunset Shimmer's apartment was broken into while she was at school today."
"Oh no. The girl just can't catch a break, can she?"
"It would appear so. I have to accompany her to the police station tomorrow to give a statement. I'll talk to you about it afterwards."
"Alright Tia. I'll see you tomorrow." Luna said before ending the call.
__________________________________________
The night was anything peaceful for Sunset. Plagued by nightmares as she tossed and turned in her bed. She finally jolted awake, panting as if she had just run a marathon.
"Great, a whole two hours before Celestia is supposed to pick me up." Sunset grumbled as she turned to her nightstand clock, seeing that it was 7 in the morning. She tried to go back to sleep, but after half an hour of nothing, she growled frustratedly and decided to get up and take a shower. After her shower, she made her way to the kitchen. She filled up the kettle and set it on the gas range to boil. She then got to work making herself two slices of toast. After ten minutes, the kettle started to whistle. She took it off and set it to the side. She then grabbed her only mug and her favourite tea blend. Once again making the remark that it doesn't taste as good as the loose leaves in a pot, as they were teabags. She put one tea bag in her mug along with two sugars. She then poured the water in and stirred it. She took a sip as it finished steeping, savouring the taste.
After she had eaten her breakfast, Sunset decided to check her phone. Turning it on, she discovered that she had several messages.
'Let's see, four new messages from… Pinkie Pie. Two missed calls from Rarity and Applejack. What the actual fuck. I thought they all hated me.' Sunset thought to herself as she read the four messages from Pinkie.
'Hey Sunny, can i call u sunny. Anyway, just wanted to check up on how u doing.'
'I got an odd feeling last night and just had to message u.'
'would it be ok for us to chat'
'just text or phone me ok.'
Sunset was speechless. Someone actually cared about her, despite all the things she had done to them. She decided to check her voicemail. The first one was from Rarity.
"Sunset, darling. I do hope that we can meet later today. I just have to be at work today, so shall we maybe meet at Sugar Cube Corner later today. Just text me your answer. Ta ta."
Sunset was dumbfounded. She decided to listen to the next one, the one from Applejack.
"Hey sugarcube. Jes wanted ta know how y'all are today. If yer feelin' up ta it, jes give me a call back, aight. Bye now."
Sunset couldn't believe her ears. Three people who should hate her calling and texting her to find out how she was doing. She first replied to Pinkie's texts.
'hey pinkie, I'm fine. I'll talk to u later.'Sunset typed in before hitting send. She then started a new chat with Rarity.
'Hey rarity. I'd love to meet. I also have somewhere to be. Can we meet at around one' Sunset typed. She sent it. A moment later, the reply came.
'But of course, darling. I shall see you then.'
Just after she received that reply, her phone started ringing.
"Hello." she said as she answered her phone.
"Hey there, sugarcube. How ya doin'"
"I'm fine Applejack. What made you decide to phone me early this morning. I thought that you would hate me." Sunset replied, dejectedly.
"Now now Sunset. I never hated ya. Angry, yeah, but I couldn't bring myself ta hate ya."
"Alright. Do you also wanna meet in person or are ya fine with talking over the phone." Sunset asked.
"We can meet in person if'n ya wanna, sugarcube. I gotta go now. Be seein' ya."
"Yeah. See ya 'round Applejack." Sunset said before ending the call. Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door.
"I'm coming." Sunset said as she approached the door. Looking at the time, she noticed that it was nine o'clock already. She cursed under her breath and ran to get her keys from the kitchen table. She returned to the door to find a disgruntled looking Celestia at the door.
"Sorry Principal Celestia. I lost track of time. I was gonna meet you downstairs." she said with a sheepish look on her face.
"It's fine, Sunset, but please, unless we are at school, refer to me as just Celestia, okay." Celestia replied.
"Sorry Celestia. I'll try to remember that." Sunset said.
__________________________________________
The ride to the police station was passed in silence, Celestia throwing occasional glances to Sunset, who was staring out the window with a bored expression on her face.
"We are here, Sunset." Celestia said as she pulled into the parking lot at the police station.
They both got out of the car and headed to the main building.
"Good morning. How may I help." the desk clerk said as they entered. Sunset looked at the officer's name tag.
"Uh… yes. We are here to see Detectives Enigma and Sentry. We have an appointment scheduled." Sunset said nervously.
The desk clerk handed Celestia a clipboard. "Alright, just fill in this form and wait in the waiting area. I shall alert them to your arrival and they shall be with you as soon as possible." she said
"Alright, thanks." Celestia said as Sunset moved to take a seat.
__________________________________________
Two hours later, Sunset and Celestia walked out of the police station looking tired.
"Celestia, is it okay if I walk, I'd like some time alone to think." Sunset asked, turning to face Celestia.
"If you're sure that's what you want, then I see no problem with it." Celestia said
"I'm sure. Thanks Celestia. I'll call you when I get home." Sunset said as she waved.
The walk back to her apartment wasn't long, seeing as she lived not to far away from the police station, but the whole way to her apartment, she was deep in thought.
'Why do they care about me so much. I did nothing but fuck up their lives. I'm the last person on earth who should be getting their forgiveness. I'm nothing but a pathetic little screw-up who doesn't deserve a second chance.' she thought darkly. Sunset was so deep in thought that she hardly realised she had arrived before she made to unlock her door.
She decided that she would rather go down to the parking garage than sit in her empty mess of an apartment. She had her prized possession down there that she decided to work on instead.
She got to her allocated spot where a tarp over the silhouette of a bike stood. She pulled it off to see her Kawasaki Ninja ZX14-R waiting for the last parts to be installed. She had picked up the bike at a salvage auction for next to nothing, only minor parts missing. She already had a license, one of the first things she got when she turned sixteen, just a few months ago. It was no trouble to register the bike in her name.
A couple of hours later, Sunset put down her ten millimeter wrench after adjusting something on the carburetor.
"Alright, time to see if you'll start." she said as she straddled the bike, inserting the key in the ignition. It took two tries before the bike came to life with an almighty roar. "Yes! I think we should go for a spin, after I take a shower to get rid of the oil and grease. She turned the bike off and hopped off, covering it with the tarp once again. She grabbed her toolbox and made her way back to her apartment.
Half an hour later, she was back on her bike and speeding off to meet Rarity at Sugarcube Corner. Sunset arrived and went inside. Seeing that Rarity was not there yet, she took her phone out of her leather jacket and checked the time.
"I arrived half an hour before our agreed upon time" she said to herself. "Oh well, might as well order something while I'm waiting. Hi Mrs. Cake. May I please have one chocolate milkshake with extra cream and sprinkles." she asked.
"Oh my. Sunset Shimmer. I'm not used to seeing you here. How are you?" Mrs. Cake said in surprise.
"Hehe… yea. I'm fine. Just here to meet Rarity. She arranged for us to meet here. Although, I think I am gonna start coming around more." Sunset replied while waiting for Mrs. Cake to make her milkshake.
"Oh, of course. You're welcome here anytime. Here you go." Mrs. Cake said, handing Sunset her milkshake.
Sunset took the proffered drink and handed her a couple of bills, receiving a few coins in return. "Thanks Mrs. Cake." Sunset said as she turned and made her way to a booth at the back. Setting her helmet down on the table next to her, she sat down facing the door.
A couple of minutes later, the ring from the door alerted Sunset to a new arrival. Rarity walked in and Sunset waved her over.
"Sunset, darling. How are you" Rarity said as she walked up to the table and sat down. "Oh my, what are you wearing, Sunset. It looks so drab."
"I'm fine Rarity. And it's just Heather, my favourite leather jacket." Sunset replied.
Sunset looked at Rarity with guarded skepticism as she sat down across from her. Heather was special to her as she had come through the portal with it on the first time she came to Earth. Sunset could see why Rarity had exclaimed like she had. Heather was looking a little worse for wear. She had dust and scratches all over from getting hit by the rainbow laser, as well as two holes torn in the back from her transformation into the she-demon.
"Sunset, darling. I meant no disrespect. It's just sad to see a prized possession look like that." Rarity said, holding her hands up in defence.
"It's fine Rarity." Sunset said dejectedly.
"It most certainly is not fine, darling, and I intend to right this wrong." Rarity said, unmasked excitement and determination in her eyes. "Now, I'll admit that I have no experience with leather, but I am willing to try. For a friend." Sunset looked at Rarity in surprise.
'Did she just say friend. How can she be my friend when I did nothing but hurt her in the past?' Sunset thought to herself. 'Must have something to do with that conversation they had with Twilight at the portal before she left.'
"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Sunset asked Rarity.
"But, of course, darling. It would be my pleasure." Rarity replied.
"Ok, here." Sunset said as she shouldered off her leather jacket and handed it to Rarity. "I have to get going now. Got a lot of stuff to do."
"Ok, darling. I'll see you back at school." Rarity said as Sunset walked off. After getting outside, she put her helmet on, straddled her bike and took off, unbeknownst to her, she was being followed by a pink convertible.
__________________________________________
After ten minutes of riding, Sunset finally got to her apartment building. She decided to park in the outside parking lot as she was planning on going out again. Suddenly her phone went off. Opening her text messaging app, she saw it was from detective Enigma. She opened it.
'Sunset Shimmer, your case number is 020914-14659. Use this when phoning your insurer.
Sincerely,
Detective V Enigma'
Sunset couldn't believe how quick they were at giving her the case number.
__________________________________________
Pinkie had just pulled up to where she had seen Sunset pull into. She had decided to follow Sunset, as she looked sad and needed cheering up. She climbed out of her pink Audi TT, that she had gotten with the money she'd saved up, and followed Sunset into the building. Suddenly, Sunset got a text, and smiled. Pinkie wondered what could have cheered Sunset up so quickly. She decided to investigate further.
Pinkie approached the door that Sunset had just gone into. She was about to knock when she heard Sunset talking on the other side.
"Hi, yes, I'd like to make a claim. Sunset Shimmer. Yes. My apartment was broken into. All the insured stuff needs replacing…"
Pinkie couldn't believe her ears. Sunset's apartment was broken into. She pulled out her phone and went to the text thread that she had with Rarity.
'hey Rares, when u spoke to Sunset, what did u talk abt?'
'hey Pinkie, nothing much. Just about her leather jacket, how she was and if I could fix her jacket for her.'
'oh, ok.'
'why?'
'her apartment was broken into yesterday. Just thought that maybe she told you about it.'
'oh, good heavens. She didn't tell me anything about it. Maybe all of us should meet to discuss it. She really needs friends right now.'
'yeah, maybe we should wait and see if she brings it up first.'
'agreed. See you on Monday Pinkie.'
__________________________________________
Sunset had just gotten off the phone with her insurer. All of it had gone well. The money to replace all the stolen items would be in her bank account within the next two days. The only problem was, she now had nothing else to do. She decided to go for a ride.
Sunset spent the next few hours riding, with no clear destination in mind. She came to the abandoned factory where she stayed for the first few months of being here. Seeing the place had jogged up memories of being in a foreign place, with no way to get by. All she had was what she managed to pack when she was still in Equestria.
It reminded her to take a look at her emails. She should have gotten a statement of her account by now. She had sold off a few bits to get enough money to start a new life here. She used some of the money to rent her current apartment and saved the rest in her account. She checked it and almost fell over. The balance brought forward was a lot, but not anything to write home about. She read the email again. She had two hundred thousand dollars in her account. She saddled up on her bike again, started it up, and took off again.
__________________________________________
Sunset got home a few hours later, made herself some food and sat on her couch to eat. She still couldn't believe that three people that she had done nothing but hurt for three years wanted to be her friends. She sat deep in thought until her food was finished. She got up and cleaned her dirty dishes, afterwards she showered. She then got into bed and tried to fall asleep.
After half an hour of tossing and turning, she finally fell asleep. She opened her eyes to see what could only be described as the moments before everything went to shit at the fall formal. She had the crown in her hands.
"No!" She shouted. She threw the crown as far away from herself.
Suddenly, there was a hollow laugh coming from all around her.
"Dear oh dear. Do you really think that would work for something that has already happened."
"Wh-who said that?" Sunset said, spinning around to try to see where the newcomer was.
"Hahahaha. So naive. Look behind you."
Sunset spun around and saw a mirror, but what she saw in it wasn't herself. It was the demon she had transformed into at the fall formal.
"Do you understand now. I am a part of you. No amount of magic from a rainbow laser can change that." The demon said as she grabbed Sunset by the throat.
Sunset tried to fight her way out of the demon's grip, but no matter how many times she kicked or scratched, she could not get free. The demon took off and threw Sunset to the ground. She hit the ground with a thud, tears in her eyes. The demon then flew at her, claws raised. She struck Sunset in the abdomen, blood starting to pool on her skin through the rip that was formed.
The demon made to attack again, but before she could strike, Sunset woke with a start. She felt on her face that the tears from the nightmare had followed her to the waking world, as well as a sharp pain in her abdomen.
'That's weird. Wounds from dreams aren't meant to follow to the waking world. But my abdomen isn't bleeding. It's just sore. What the fuck is happening to me.' Sunset thought darkly to herself
Sunset looked at her nightstand clock, seeing that it was only a quarter to six in the morning. She had never had such a surreal nightmare before, even the one she had had the previous night hadn't felt as real. She had no idea what was going on anymore. She growled in frustration. 'That makes two nights in a row now that my sleep has been messed with.' Sunset thought to herself. 'If this goes on, I won't be able to concentrate on lessons when I get back to school.'
__________________________________________
It was the Monday after the surreal nightmare experience that had woken Sunset with a start, and she was glad that she hadn't experienced one since.
She had woken up at her usual time for a Monday, five minutes past seven, and proceeded with her morning routine. She got out of bed, and went to shower. After she had finished her shower, she proceeded to make her way to her kitchenette to make herself some breakfast. As she sat on her sofa, eating her oats, flavoured with a hint of vanilla and spiced with a dash of cinnamon, she got a text alert.
She opened her text messaging app, and read the message. It was a text alert from her bank saying that the insurance had paid the money to replace the stolen items. She finished her breakfast, and after washing the dishes, went out for the day.
Sunset had decided to go around looking for a cheap used car, as she could never hope to carry all the stuff she would buy on her bike. She sat at a coffee shop and went online to see if she could find a bargain.
__________________________________________
A few hours later, she was back on the road. She had found a cheap used truck for sale for twelve thousand dollars. It was a Ford F-150 Raptor Supercab, and it was in desperate need of some love.
She arrived at the house, seeing the truck standing in the driveway. She parked her bike in the driveway and went to inspect what would soon be her latest purchase. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that a few engine parts were missing, and there were spots of rust all over. She went to the front door and rang the bell.
"Hi, good morning. I spoke to you over the phone earlier about purchasing your truck." Sunset said as the owner opened the door. The owner was a middle aged man, slightly taller than herself, with blonde hair.
"Sure thing miss. I'm sure you saw her sittin' out on the drive when ya came in." he replied, stepping out of the house and fully into the lukewarm fall morning air. "She does need a bit o' work, but she is a fine piece o' machinery."
"Yeah, I saw her there, even did a bit of an inspection before ringing the bell. Hope you don't mind?" Sunset said as they walked to the truck.
"Naw, I don't mind. I'm actually glad that she's gonna go to a person that knows how to look after her." he replied.
"Yeah, there is one small problem though. I can't afford to pay the full twelve thousand dollars for her if I still want to do some repairs. Is there any way in which you would accept nine thousand in cash?" she asked, doing her best to use a tone of voice that suggested she was a teen with no means of paying the full amount.
"I'm sure that'll do, miss." he said.
"Thanks." she said, taking out her wallet and starting to count out the bills necessary to pay the man.
After paying the man, and signing some release papers stating that she was the new owner, she was back on her bike to go get the necessary parts to get it running.
__________________________________________
After a few hours of hard labour, she sat in the cab of the truck, inserting the key into the ignition.
"Alright, time to see if you'll start." she said as she turned the key. The starter motor clicked and whirred, and after a few seconds, the V8 roared to life. She pulled out of the driveway to do a shakedown run to find any more faults that she may have missed.
A couple of minutes later, after finding no more faults, she returned to pick up her bike. She laid out a plank of wood to wheel the bike up onto the bed, afterwards, getting a length of rope, that she had bought while buying the parts, out of her bag and fastened the bike to the bed.
__________________________________________
After a few hours of shopping for the items she needed to replace, and a few that were not listed, she sat at one of the tables outside Blue Wendalls to have a milkshake. She looked at the time on her phone and saw that school had been out for an hour already.
She cursed under her breath as she realised that if she didn't leave soon, she would bump into people from school. She didn't want to have to deal with them on one of the days where she happened to be in a good mood.
She got up, threw her empty take-out milkshake cup in the trash, and started to head towards the exit. She got about five feet away from the table she had been seated at when she heard a scornful voice.
"Ha, Sunset Shimmer. The Great and Powerful Trixie thought she spied you trying to slink away." Trixie said as Sunset turned to face her. "And she was just thinking why the she-demon wasn't at school today. Did she get suspended. That's really too bad."
"Seriously Trixie, I don't have the time or the strength to deal with you right now. Sunset said dejectedly, a scornful look leveled at Trixie. "Just leave me alone."
"Ha, as if, she-demon. Like I would leave the biggest bully in CHS history alone without getting some sort of revenge." Trixie said.
"Please Trixie, just leave me alone." Sunset said as tears started pooling in her eyes. She tried in vain to keep them from spilling
"Ha, are you actually crying, the Great and Powerful Trixie hasn't even done anything to you yet." Trixie said, her voice dripping with venom. Sunset turned and ran, tears running down her cheeks. She could hear Trixie laughing in the distance. She got into her truck and sat, sobbing, for nearly half an hour. After she had regained her composure, she started her truck, and pulled off.
'If that's how Trixie treated me at the mall, how are the rest of the students at CHS going to treat me when I return next week. Maybe I shouldn't return at all' Sunset thought darkly to herself.
She returned to her apartment ten minutes later, and after unloading her truck, decided to distract herself by setting everything that she had bought up.
__________________________________________
Sunset had just finished setting up her new forty inch HD TV and Ponystation 4 and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon playing. In the middle of playing one of the games, she got a text. She paused the game and looked at her phone. It was a message from Rainbow Dash.
'Hey Shimmer. Heard what went down at the mall today with Trixie. You doing alright. I can rip her a new one for ya tomorrow at school' the text from Rainbow Dash read.
'It's fine Rainbow Dash. I don't want you to get suspended for my sake. Just leave it be.' Sunset replied.
'Alright, if ur sure. And pls, call me Dash or RD. All my friends do.' Rainbow replied after a few seconds. Sunset could not believe her eyes. That now made four of the five people whom she was the biggest bitch imaginable to that wanted to be her friends.
'Sure thing Dash. I'll see you guys on Monday when this godforsaken suspension is over.' Sunset typed.
__________________________________________
The following Monday, Sunset was once again woken by a nightmare. This one worse than the one she had last week. The whole week was plagued with nightmares, though they had gradually grown worse. In this one, she had seen her transformation from a bystander's point of view, and watched as the demon had shot the fireball at Twilight and her friends, only this time, the magic that had managed to block the fireball failed to activate, killing all six of them instantly. The demon laughed as she turned on Sunset.
"Do you see now, you foolish little pony. No matter what you do, I will eventually regain control of your pathetic body, and everyone that you call friend will die slowly by my hand, starting with that pathetic little pony princess." the demon said, finishing with a cackle of maniacal laughter. The demon then proceeded to attack her, each punch, kick and scratch getting more and more violent. Sunset woke up after getting hit in the stomach, knocking all the air out of her lungs, trying desperately to get her breath back.
'What the fuck is wrong with me. Ever since my encounter with Trixie, the nightmares have started getting more and more violent. At this point, I don't know if I can make it.' Sunset thought to herself.
Sunset then got out of bed and went through her morning routine. She finished up on time to head out when she got a text from Rainbow Dash again.
'Hey Shimmer, when ya get to school, meet in music room 2. I'll wait outside the school if ya need an escort. See ya later'
Sunset looked at the time and realised that most students were at school at this time. She grabbed her helmet and set off towards the parking garage. She hopped on her bike, turned it over, and shot out of the garage and rode at a blistering pace toward the school.
When Sunset arrived, she saw Rainbow Dash waving at her from a spot next to her own bike. She had a custom Suzuki GSX1000-R painted in the rainbow colours of her hair. Sunset pulled into the spot and cut the motor. She stood and removed her helmet.
"Hey Sunset. Awesome bike. Could use some bodywork though." Rainbow said, enveloping Sunset in a warm embrace.
"Yeah, she still has some work, but she rides nice. I finished working on her over my suspension, gave me something to do other than die of boredom." Sunset replied, doing her best attempt at a fake smile.
Rainbow laughed, levelling a knowing look at Sunset. "Yeah, I hear ya. Let's head inside, the others are all waiting for us in the music room I texted you about." she said. And with that, they headed inside, Rainbow ready for the new day, but Sunset dreading it all the way.
Sunset walked into the school building with Rainbow Dash. Upon opening the doors, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Sunset with barely suppressed hatred.
"Hey Dash, why don't you go on ahead. I'll meet you there." Sunset said, nervously, afraid of what the other students would do to Rainbow if they were seen together.
"Heh, sure Sunset. See ya in a few." Rainbow said as she started to head toward the music room.
Once Rainbow was gone and Sunset started walking to her locker, the whispers started, loud enough to be audible, but not loud enough to let Sunset hear what was being said. Sunset hung her head and walked onward to her locker, a few people purposely running into her and shoving her. When Sunset got to her locker, she saw that the door was rather colorfully decorated with several choice words. Even a crude likeness of her she-demon form was drawn on it with the words 'she-demon' written underneath. She sighed and unlocked the door. Opening it, she found several letters that were filled with hateful words that she didn't have the strength to read, so she stashed them in her school bag to read later. One, however, caught her eye. It was written in a barely legible chicken scratch, but she could decipher it. The first few words were petty insults that were thrown at her, but close to the end, she saw words that she never thought would be aimed at her. 'Nobody wants you, bitch. Why don't you go kill yourself.'
Sunset heard a snicker coming from behind her. She turned and came face to face with Gilda and her lackeys, the Diamond Dogs.
"Like my little letter, she-demon?" she asked Sunset in a teasing voice.
"See now, naive little brat. I told you that no one wants you. Maybe you should have died in that crater." her demon said in her head with a cackle of hollow, maniacal laughter
"Shut up!" Sunset whispered, not knowing that Gilda had heard her, mistaking Sunset's whisper for an answer to her previous question. Gilda shoved Sunset into a closed locker.
"What was that, you little bitch. I could kill you, but where's the fun in that." Gilda laughed as she turned to leave, leaving Sunset sobbing her eyes out on the ground.
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Rainbow waited for Sunset outside their first class, AP English, which they happened to share. She had gotten worried when Sunset hadn't shown up at the music room. She tried texting and calling Sunset, but to no avail. All of her attempts went unreturned. Suddenly the late bell sounded, signifying that Sunset wouldn't be arriving any time soon. Rainbow went inside and took her seat.
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Sunset sat in the disabled stall of the upstairs ladies' bathroom. She chose this one as it was the least used, so she was least likely to be discovered here. Her hands went instinctively into her jacket pockets when Gilda had confronted her, and she felt the cold touch of the blade she had kept since coming to Earth. She now took it out, and hit the release button. The shiny steel of the blade flicked out, and she ran it over her fingers, still feeling the sharpness of the blade after three years of ownership.
She took off her jacket and hung it on the hook. She then levelled the blade to her left wrist.
'Does self-harm even work. I don't know what to do anymore. Fuck it. Anything has got to be better than the pain I am feeling now' Sunset thought darkly to herself as she pushed the blade a little harder. She proceeded to draw the blade across her left wrist twice, deep enough to cut the skin, but careful to not go deep enough to need stitches. She did the same on her right wrist.
'Fuck, that stung. But I oddly feel better now that I've done it. Strange.'
She took some toilet paper to staunch the bleeding, before putting on her jacket and heading to class. AP English, that she shared with Rainbow.
'Hope miss Cheerilee isn't gonna be too mad at me for being late. God knows I don't need anymore bad reflecting on my permanent record.' She arrived at the class and knocked. She heard Miss Cheerilee beckon her in. She walked in.
"Sorry I'm late, Miss Cheerilee. Won't happen again." Sunset said sheepishly.
"Ah, Miss Shimmer. Glad you could join us. I'll let it slide this time, bit don't let it happen again. Take a seat." Miss Cheerilee said as she returned to what she was busy with. Sunset nodded and headed to a seat at the back of the class. She didn't take her usual seat at the front to avoid all the glares and any possible projectiles thrown her way.
'Today is gonna be a long day' Sunset thought to herself.
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The day was progressing far too slowly for Sunset. She just wanted the day to end so she could hop on her bike and leave this place behind until the next day. As lunch rolled around, she saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash waiting for her outside her class.
'Great. What do they want now. I just want to be left alone.' She thought to herself.
"Are you sure that's what you want. You know that you're never alone, not while I'm here.' her subconscious said, taking on the role of the she-demon. "And I can't wait to torment you some more.'
'Shut the fuck up. Why are you doing this to me. Just leave me the fuck alone already.' Sunset shouted internally, on the verge of tears again. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and ran.
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Applejack just stood there, watching in bewilderment as Sunset ran away.
"Hey Dash, where the hay do ya think she's goin' in such a rush?" She said, turning towards her friend.
"I don't know AJ." Dash replied.
"Ah'm thinkin' that maybe we should find out." Applejack said as she ran after Sunset, not waiting for Dash to reply.
Rainbow Dash didn't know what had gotten into Sunset since she left her this morning. She was okay before Rainbow left her, so something must have happened after that. She was going to find out soon enough though. Running after Sunset through the halls of Canterlot High wasn't an easy task as there were a lot of students still milling about on their way to the cafeteria for lunch, but Rainbow managed to keep Sunset in her sights the whole way, Applejack not far behind.
They turned a corner on the third floor in time to see the door to one of the least used bathrooms in Canterlot High swing closed. Rainbow managed to make it all the way there before the door closed fully, bursting into the room to see Sunset standing, staring into the mirror with the cold glint of steel showing through her fingers.
"Sunset, you okay?" Rainbow asked carefully. She didn't need to see Sunset's face to know that she had been crying.
"Do I look okay, Dash?" Sunset deadpanned.
"Oookay. I'm gonna take that as a no then." Rainbow replied.
"Ah can see yer not okay, sugarcube. May ah ask what's eatin' ya. As yer friends, we'll always be there ta listen if ya need it." Applejack said from the door.
"Alright then, get inside and shut the door. I don't want this to leave this room." Sunset said, turning her puffy, red gaze towards Applejack. Applejack did as she was told, and turned to face Sunset, Rainbow doing the same thing. "It all started on the night of the fall formal…"
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The last thing Sunset remembered before putting the crown on her head was a sense of triumph at finally succeeding in her plans. After the crown was on, all she remembered was pain. Al the pain she had caused as a bully over three years. Pain caused by abandoning her mentor in Equestria. Pain as she felt her mind being torn apart. Suddenly, she had more power than she ever dreamed of, and she hated it, but she was no longer in control of her body…
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"That's one of the reasons why I was in tears at the bottom of the crater. I had no control over what I was doing. It was like all my dark desires and arrogance were given sentience and I was pushed to the back of my mind like an afterthought." Sunset said, tears forming in her eyes again. "And don't get me started on the pain from the rainbow laser blast. Imagine that your mind is being stitched together like the hem on one of Rarity's dresses, and having those extra appendages burned off." She said as she turned away from them and lifted her shirt. What Applejack and Rainbow Dash saw, made them gasp in surprise.
"I have these now as a permanent reminder of what happened that night." Sunset said, tears falling down her cheeks, as she lowered her shirt again.
"Sunset, why didn't ya tell us. We coulda helped ya get through this." Rainbow said in surprise at the new information.
"I'm not used to having anybody to help me with anything. I've always been on my own." Sunset said. "But this isn't the end of it. I got home that night to find that my apartment was broken into…" Applejack and Rainbow Dash gasped again.
"How can so much bad luck happen ta one person in a single day. Ah don't understand it, why does it have ta happen ta someone with so much potential for good." Applejack said, half to herself.
"I don't know AJ," Rainbow said, looking a little crestfallen. "I don't know."
"It's fine girls. Insurance paid out, and I now have a neat truck to fix up as well, so it's not all that bad." Sunset said, trying to cheer them up. "That's not the worst of the last week leading up until today. Almost every night, I am plagued by nightmares and my inner demons. And last Monday, when I had gone to get replacements for all my stolen stuff, I was confronted by Trixie. She made me feel bad to the point where I didn't want to leave my apartment, but I fought through it, arriving here today. It took a lot, because the whole week, I stayed in my apartment, I never left once."
Rainbow was fuming. She knew something must've happened, but she never would have thought that it was that bad. She wanted to punch Trixie in the face.
"And to top it all off, after you left me Dash, I got to my locker and found several hateful letters, including this one from Gilda." Sunset said, opening her hand to reveal a crumpled note. Rainbow took it and unrolled it. She instantly recognised Gilda's handwriting. "After I found that, she cornered me. After the altercation, I ran like a bat out of hell to get here…"
Rainbow Dashand Applejack could not believe what they were hearing. Here Sunset was, no longer the arrogant, self-centered bully she once was, but a vulnerable teenager beating herself up for past mistakes.
"And to top it all off, my inner demons, as well as the literal one, are bringing up the past shit I did. I just feel like whatever I do, I'm just not gonna make a difference. It makes me feel that I don't deserve friends like you girls." Sunset said dejectedly. "I just feel so worthless."
"Now Sunset. Ah can't say ah know what yer goin' through, but ah can say that as yer friends, we will help ya get through it, togeth'r." Applejack said.
"Yea, because that's totally what friends are for." Rainbow Dash said in excitement.
"And that is the honest truth." Applejack said while nodding her head. "But… Yer gonna hafta bring this up with the others so we can all help ya when ya need it."
"Thanks girls, this means the world to me right now, but I can't promise to always come to you for help. I'm kinda used to going it alone…" Sunset said with a determined look.
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"I wonder if leaving Sunset Shimmer in that world was really a good idea, Spike?" Princess Twilight said, pacing around in her library while awaiting the delivery of the mirror portal. Princess Celestia tasked her with watching over it for the foreseeable future.
"I'm sure she'll be fine, Twilight. Our friends on that side will look out for her. I'm sure of it." Spike said, walking into the library holding a mug of tea for Twilight.
"I know, but I can't help but worry. This is her home too." Twilight said, stopping her pacing to gaze forlornly out the castle window.
That afternoon, Applejack told the girls to meet at the Wondercolt statue for a little get together. She told Sunset to wait for her to signal before coming over, to which Sunset happily obliged. Applejack and Rainbow Dash waited by the statue for the rest of the girls to show up while Sunset waited just inside the doors for Applejack's signal.
"Hey A.J. Got your text, what's up." Pinkie said as she bounced up to where the other two were waiting.
"Uh… Heya Pinks. Yer just gonna hafta wait 'ntil everyone is here." Applejack replied.
"Oh my dear heavens, darling. I do hope that everything is alright." Rarity said as she walked up to Applejack and gave her a hug.
"Yes," Fluttershy squeaked from behind Rarity. "I do too."
"Well, now that everyone is here, we can begin. It just so happens that Sunset Shimmer is strugglin' right now, and she's gonna need our help to pull through it." Applejack said while motioning for Sunset to join them.
Sunset saw Applejack motion for her to join them.
'Welp, here goes nothing.' Sunset thought to herself. She started walking slowly towards the others.
"Hahaha. Do you really think that they can help you chase me away. I'm a part of you, and I always will be." the demon said to her.
"Shut up." She muttered under her breath.
"Hahaha. I'm willing to bet that the only reason they're trying to be your friends is because the princess told them to. They don't like you. They pitty you." the demon practically hissed at her, venom dripping from every word.
Sunset began hyperventilating the closer she got to the girls.
'I can't handle this. What am I even doing trying. These girls don't want to be friends with me. I'm just a buck up waiting to happen." she thought darkly to herself.
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Fluttershy was watching Sunset walk over to them.
'Something's not right here. She's hyperventilating. She's going to have a panic attack at this rate." Fluttershy thought to herself. No sooner had she thought this than Sunset suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Sunset!" All five girls yelled in unison while running towards her.
'I knew this was going to happen. I know the signs.' Fluttershy thought to herself. "Stand back girls, give her some room. She's having a panic attack." Fluttershy yelled, putting all the strength she could muster into being assertive. She knelt down and grabbed Sunset, cradling her in her arms the way Rainbow Dash always did when she'd had panic attacks.
"It's okay Sunset, I'm here for you. Nothing will get to you here." Fluttershy whispered to Sunset, stroking her hair comfortingly. After a while, Sunset's breathing finally slowed down and she opened her eyes. Seeing the five girls around her with concern written on their faces, made Sunset break down and cry the first time since the original nightmare.
After a few moments, Sunset managed to regain her composure.
"I-i'm sorry to worry you,girls. I'm just not used to having people to talk to about stuff that's bothering me. I've always been alone, even in Equestria. My family had no time for me, so I ended up running away as a filly, and then ended up in Celestia's tutelage. I thought that I had found my family at last, but even she eventually grew cold and distant. I've been on my own since coming here, hence the reason why I tore you all apart, not just because you were a threat. I was jealous of you all for having the one thing I never had. Friendship. A sense of family, and it tore me apart." Sunset said, fresh tears welling down her face.
"Well sugarcube. Ya ain't alone no more. Y'all were right 'bout one thing, we do have a sense of family in this group, and family sticks together, no matter what. Y'all 're part of the family now. Ya have any problems, y'all can talk to us anytime." Applejack said as she moved to embrace Sunset. The rest of the girls followed suit.
"Thank you. All of you. You have no idea how great it feels to finally have a family to call my own." Sunset said, tears still falling from her eyes, though they were not tears of melancholy, but pure joy.
It has been a couple of months since Sunset had a major meltdown in front of the girls, and things have been looking up for her. Most of the school ignored her now, apart from the few that had been causes of said meltdown a few months ago, though everyone looks at her in annoyance or rage everytime someone mentions the Fall Formal. The only people who didn't look at her like she would spontaneously combust under their stares were the girls.
'What did I do to deserve such good friends. I've been nothing but a total bitch to everyone.' Sunset thought to herself. Suddenly, she got a text alert on her phone.
From: RD To: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer.
Meet in the band room before school.
Sunset sat staring at her phone. This was the first time she was ever invited to anything, no thanks in part to her being a shut-in back in Equestria and her bullying streak prior to her transformation into the raging she-demon. Sunset looked over to her beat up old Ibanez electric guitar.
'I should probably wait until she's restored before I take her anywhere.' Sunset thought as she got up. She went and grabbed her helmet and keys and left for school.
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Sunset arrived at school. It had been a few weeks since Principal Celestia had announced the first annual Musical Showcase to be held a few weeks before winter break, and Rainbow Dash had decided to start a band for it. All e others were asked directly if they wanted to join, and Sunset wasn't even an afterthought.
She met the girls in the band room, and instantly regretted it. They were all having fun, jamming to a new song that Rainbow had written over the weekend.
"Ah yeah. My band is sounding awesome. I think I've come up with a name for it, used the name to enter and everything." Rainbow said as they finished the song.
"What is it Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked.
"The Rainbooms." Rainbow Dash replied in glee. "It's totally an awesome name for such an awesome group."
Sunset didn't stay to hear the end of the conversation.
'I knew I never really belonged. They didn't even notice me.'
Her phone suddenly went off with a notification sound.
'Hey Sunny, where'd you go. I saw you walk in and then walk out again with tears in your eyes. Are you alright?
Fluttershy.
'Oh, so the only one who actually cares is the one who has all the reasons to hate me the most.' Sunset thought darkly to herself. She was on her way to the third floor bathroom again, with the familiar kiss of cold steel in the palm of her hand, which was inside her coat pocket...
First of all, I want to say thanks to all my readers. I had no idea when I first posted that first chapter, that it would do this well. Almost a thousand views. I couldn't believe it.
I first got into writing when I myself, much like Sunset in this story, was in a dark place. I want to extend a thank you to Rose Quill. Without your excellent wriitng skills and awesome story telling ability, Struggles would have remained locked in my head. You are an absolute inspiration. I also want to extend my thanks to Jimmyhook19 for the edits on some of the chapters in this one and the sequel. If it weren't for you two and my friends and family, I wouldn't be here right now.
One thing that I have learned through this experience, is that Lauren Faust was right, Friendhip is Magic.
That is all I have to say at the moment, so once again, thank you all for your loyal support.
I couldn't believe it.
I want to extend a thank you to 
I also want to extend my thanks to 