Apple Bloom wearily shut off the annoying clock, then got out of bed slowly. Thanks to the nightmare she had, she barely got any sleep! She had known Sunset's meltdown was not her fault, nor her friends'... but she still felt some sort of responsibility for it. The scream from the day before reverberated in her head, and she shuddered.
There was a knock on her door. "Apple Bloom, y'all decent," Big Mac asked from the other side.
"I just woke up. I'm still in my PJs."
Big Mac entered Apple Bloom's room. "Granny and I got to talkin' downstairs. We figured that after the day you had yesterday, we would understand if you didn't wanna go to school today."
Scootaloo was awakened by a knock at her door. She rubbed her eyes, then stretched with a yawn. She had had more than enough nightmares to last a lifetime!
"Hey slugger, you awake in there," a familiar voice asked from the other end of Scootaloo's bedroom door.
"A... Auntie Lofty?"
The door opened, and in walked a very pale yellow middle-aged woman wearing a lavender turtleneck sweater. She ran a hand through her blue and cyan hair. "You sleep well?"
Scootaloo scoffed. "I wish."
"That's not surprising after what happened yesterday," Lofty said as she folded her arms. "Speaking of which, Aunt Holiday and I had a talk..."
Sweetie Belle stirred in her bed, then slowly opened her eyes with a heavy sigh.
"Because you hate yourself for what happened."
Sweetie shuddered, then pulled at her eye sockets. She considered herself lucky for being able to fall asleep after a dream like that! With a sigh, she got out of bed, then blinked upon hearing her phone buzz. She grabbed her phone and looked at it.
Now Calling: Apple Bloom
Sweetie accepted the call. "Hey Apple Bloom," she said sleepily, then stretched. "What's up?"
Before Apple Bloom could speak, Sweetie's phone buzzed again.
Now Calling: Scootaloo
"Hold that thought, Scootaloo's calling." Sweetie accepted the call, then connected it and put her phone on speaker. "All right, girls," She said as she stretched. "What's the plan for today?"
"Actually, we need to talk about something," Scootaloo said.
What followed was a conversation detailing the nightmares they each had as Sweetie got dressed, then it finished with the offers of staying home for the day.
"Wait... why didn't Mom or Dad come to me with that," Sweetie asked in surprise.
"Ya can't expect the same thing to happen to all three of us all the time," Apple Bloom said. "That'd just be plum weird!"
Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you have a point."
"So? Y'all gonna stay home?"
Sweetie shook her head. "Nah. It'd be silly to stay home over a bad day and a nightmare." She grit her teeth and held onto her arm. "No matter how painful the memory of yesterday might be..."
Silence filled Sweetie's room for a few moments.
"Well, we aren't going to stay home either," Scootaloo said. "The three of us do pretty much everything together, after all!"
"Yeah," Apple Bloom agreed. "Besides, we'll need each other's support to get through the day."
"Then it's settled," Sweetie said, feeling a little better. "See you at school!"
Sweetie hung up, then ran downstairs.
Trixie opened her eyes and stared up at her bedroom ceiling, then sighed heavily as a feeling of emptiness washed over herself. What the hell were she and Wallflower thinking when they cooked up that shitty Anon-A-Miss scheme?! Disgusted with herself, she buried herself under the covers.
Trixie felt a pang of guilt, and she yelped. She groaned, then curled up into the fetal position and hugged herself. Self-loathing began to overtake her and she was assaulted with multiple emotions. Anger. Regret. Sadness. Disgust. Those and more threatened to overwhelm her, and it was all she could do to hold herself back until she grabbed a pillow and screamed into it as tears fell from her cheeks.
Trixie did not feel any better after her crying stopped. She twisted and squirmed, recalling Sunset Shimmer's tale of what she had seen on the other side of the rainbow vortex. For Trixie, it drove home the fact that her and Wallflower's actions not only brought the former bully's guilt back, but amplified it and quite possibly left a mental scar!
If Sunset's guilt was far worse than Trixie's... how on earth did she live with herself?!
Wallflower lied awake in bed, the taste of bile still fresh in her mouth. She felt miserable. Emotionally, physically, and mentally miserable. She hadn't felt this terrible since Sunset shattered her heart! She slowly shook her head, then got out of bed. She stood still and sighed heavily.
What was the point of even getting up? Wallflower was... she was too ashamed of herself to finish that thought. She took a deep breath, then exhaled as she walked up to her mirror. She closed her eyes, afraid of what she would see.
Wallflower stood in place, her hands clenched into fists as she slowly opened her eyes. Her grip loosened as she stared at the young woman in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy from the tears she had shed the night before, and her face was still pale from being sick to her stomach.
Wallflower's reflection gave her a blank stare for several moments, then hardened its expression. "I don't like what you've become," it whispered, then turned away.
Wallflower Blush slowly left her room and went downstairs, descending further into the personal hell she made for herself.
Sunset bolted awake with a loud gasp as the Demonself's malicious laughter finished off yet another nightmare. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and she got out of bed. Looking down from her loft, she noticed six young women looking at her with grave concern.
Sunset put a hand to her forehead. "Feeling kinda shitty, Applejack... feeling kinda shitty."
"The girls and I were talking last night," Twilight said. "And we all agreed that if you want, you can stay here and we'll all keep you company."
Sunset leaned on the guard railing of her loft and cupped her chin. She probably should stay home and continue to rest up, but she'd have to contend with the possibility of more nightmares. If she chose to go back to Canterlot High, she might end up subjecting herself to further trauma.
Sunset closed her eyes and looked deep inside of herself.
The Demonself cackled. "You're damning yourself either way, Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset felt a twinge of fear, but also felt frustrated. She grit her teeth, then opened her eyes and narrowed them in determination. "I'm going."
Sunset's six friends looked at each other, then back up at her.
"Are you absolutely sure about this, darling?"
Rainbow folded her arms. "We don't want you to get any more fucked up than you already are."
"Rainbow Dash," Rarity scolded. "Honestly!"
"What," Rainbow asked defensively.
Sunset smiled. "I'll be okay. I have you guys if I need any help."
"Your mind is made up," Fluttershy asked.
"My mind is made up," Sunset said with a nod.
A silence fell inside Sunset's apartment for a few tense moments.
"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie said, breaking the silence.
Sunset grabbed her clothes and went down to her bathroom to change.
Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie gave each other meaningful looks, then took out their phones and texted.
Sunset finished changing, and each of the girls took turns doing the same. Once they were all dressed, they headed out the door.
Unbeknownst to Sunset Shimmer, a message spread like wildfire:
Trixie's guilt subsided, and she finally found the willpower to get out of bed. She heaved a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, then went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Trixie entered the shower, and a fresh pang of guilt hit her as she imagined Sunset crying to herself. She grit her teeth and muttered under her breath. She hadn't even been awake for an hour and she had spent a majority of it suffering! And this was only the first day!
"How," Trixie whispered, baffled. She felt like she was losing her mind, and yet Sunset Shimmer endured guilt for months! Was it because this whole mess gave her a brush with empathy? She shook her head. That was just part of it. Sunset also had friends... five of them. All she had right now was Wallflower, and they were both forbidden by their parents from communicating with each other for a week!
Trixie put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. If she had to talk to someone, it would have to be her parents... and they were and still are royally pissed at her! She shook her head slowly. This wasn't something she could just hold in. There was no choice for her.
Trixie got out of the shower, got dressed, then headed downstairs.
Wallflower completed her descent of the stairs, dreading having to look her parents in the eye. Would they even be here? Would she be all by herself? She couldn't decide which would be worse: being alone or having to face her parents. Suffering alone would be too lenient a punishment for what she had done.
Wallflower entered the living room and saw the greenhouse from outside the window. She grit her teeth, knowing that one of the few things that kept her together was unavailable as a consequence of her actions.
"Good morning."
Wallflower yelped in surprise, then turned around to see her mother.
"Did you sleep well," Erica asked.
Wallflower looked away and shook her head.
"After that stunt you and Trixie pulled, I'm not surprised."
Wallflower flinched, the memory of Sunset's scream still all too fresh in her mind. "I... I-Is dad at work," she asked quietly, then flinched again as the sounds of Erica's sobbing echoed in her head.
"He is."
The sobbing in Wallflower's head continued, and she clenched a hand into a fist. She wanted it to stop, but knew it wouldn't. "S-So... h-how are you doing?"
Erica folded her arms. "A little better than I was last night."
The sobbing grew louder, and Wallflower's breath stuttered. "Y... You aren't going..." she paused, but the compulsion was too great. "T... To cry again, a-are you?"
Erica raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that? I cried all my tears last night."
A lump grew in Wallflower's throat. "Please... please don't cry." The sobbing persisted.
"Wallflower?"
"Please... don't cry..." Wallflower sniffled, then burst into tears as her mother's sobbing became a wail. He knees buckled, and she collapsed on the floor.
Erica walked up to Wallflower and held her tightly.
"P-Please d-don't cry," Wallflower said between sobs.
"I won't," Erica said softly.
Wallflower buried her head into Erica's shoulder and let all of her emotions flow out.
Trixie reached the kitchen, where both of her parents waited.
"Well," a light blue man said with a raised eyebrow. "If it isn't Anon-A-Miss." His violet eyes narrowed.
Jackpot, Trixie's father, was an illusionist, and the one who had inspired Trixie to become one as well. He took every aspect of his line of work very seriously. While he was normally a good-humored man, he had become appalled by Trixie's plan. Not simply because of the harm that it had caused, but also the fact that she had used her old stage name as an alias! In doing so, he felt that his daughter had brought shame to her craft.
A blonde-haired woman who sat at the table rolled her grey eyes. She put a light brown hand to her forehead with a sigh.
"I saw that, Spectacle," Jackpot said, his irritation clear in every word.
Spectacle, Trixie's mother, was a street magician on par with Jackpot. The two had met after a show, hit it off, and the rest was history.
Spectacle was always a faithful wife and devoted mother, and strived to see the best in people.
Spectacle sighed. "Jackpot, can't you see she's been through enough already," she asked, gesturing to Trixie.
Jackpot scoffed. "She's just being overdramatic to gain sympathy like she always does when she gets in trouble."
Spectacle folded her arms. Jackpot had a point. He had given Trixie the benefit of the doubt many times over, and each time left him frustrated with her.
Trixie heaved a sigh, then remained silent as she opened the cupboard and took out a protein bar.
Jackpot and Spectacle gave each other worried glances. It wasn't like Trixie to stay quiet for this long unless something was truly bothering her.
"Trixie..." Jackpot frowned as he watched her leave the kitchen, then turned back to Spectacle.
"Now see what you did," Spectacle asked as she threw her hands up.
Jackpot put a hand to his forehead as heat rushed to his face. He felt terrible, but not, he imagined, as terrible as Trixie must have felt.
Jackpot sighed. After seeing Trixie in such a state, it went without saying that he needed to apologize to her.
"I'll be back in a few minutes."
Spectacle nodded with a smile. "Take your time. She clearly feels awful about what she and that other girl did."
Jackpot returned the smile. "You know I always right any wrongs of my own doing."
"That you do, honey... that you do. Now go up there and cheer Trixie up. She looks like she really needs it."
With a cleared head and love in his heart, Jackpot cracked his knuckles and neck, then headed towards the stairs in the hopes of comforting his beloved daughter.
Jackpot took a deep breath and exhaled as he reached Trixie's door. He hated knowing she was upset, and it only made him feel worse about how he treated her downstairs. He sighed, then knocked on her door. "Trixie?"
Jackpot was answered with incoherent muttering, muffled by the door that separated himself and Trixie. He tested the doorknob, finding that she had not locked her door. That was a good sign. He would have been even more worried if it was locked.
Jackpot walked into Trixie's room, then scanned around until he found that her bed sported a large lump. He slowly sat down on the bed. The lump stirred, then muttered. "Trixie," he said softly. "You don't have to respond if you don't want to, but I would like it if you listened to the story I'm going to tell you."
Jackpot paused for a moment, then sighed. "Did I ever tell you about the time I robbed a store?"
Wallflower sniffled, having ran out of tears. She looked up, her eyes widened in shock. "W... What?"
"I said that your sheer anger at Sunset had reminded me of when I was a child... when I was a bully," Erica said softly.
Wallflower's jaw dropped. "You were a bully?!"
Erica looked away with a sigh. "I was a very different person all those years ago, my little sprout."
Trixie slowly came out from under the covers, a look of sheer disbelief on her face. "'Different person'?" She scoffed. "That doesn't sound anything like you at all, Dad!"
"I know," Jackpot said softly.
"What happened?"
Jackpot turned to face Trixie. "Well... when I was around your age, I, like you, had a bit of a propensity for mischief. A propensity that gradually got out of hand."
"What do you mean, 'out of hand'," Wallflower asked with a raised eyebrow. "You were a bully. How could that have gotten any worse?"
Erica slowly turned her gaze to Wallflower. "Because I succeeded in driving someone out of school."
Wallflower's heart stopped. The room began to spin as she processed the information. She opened her mouth, but found herself unable to speak.
"Yes," Erica said quietly. "Just like you and Trixie tried to do with Sunset Shimmer."
"J... Just like me and Wallflower," Trixie asked as a chill ran down her spine.
"Yes. I wanted revenge for being wronged. At least, I thought I was being wronged. You know as well I as do that we illusionists take pride in our craft, so at the time I had felt that being upstaged was absolutely unforgivable." Jackpot shook his head slowly. "One day, I had learned that their father owned a local general store."
Trixie nodded.
"So I went inside, then grabbed a pack of playing cards... playing cards, for god's sake," he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Then I ran out of the store, thinking that they'd have less money. I had hoped that loss of profit would cause the store to close for good."
Wallflower still couldn't believe what she had heard. "D-Did Grandma and Grandpa ever find out?"
"Of course they did, Wallflower. And they were absolutely furious. Grandma spanked me so hard I couldn't sit down without feeling pain for a day! Not only was I suspended for a week and a half, but I was in detention and grounded for the rest of the school year!"
Wallflower hissed through her teeth. Was that how bad things would have been for her and Trixie had they succeeded in their plan? ...No. She didn't want to think about it.
"Like you, I felt terrible about what I did. I wanted to make things right."
"Did you," Trixie asked.
"It took some time for me to muster up the courage necessary to return to the store, but yes." Jackpot shuddered. "I'll never forget the evil eye their father gave me when I walked in. They were there too, it just so happened."
"So how did it go?"
"It was... awkward, to say the least."
"I can imagine..." Trixie sighed heavily, remembering the tense atmosphere in the nurse's office when she and Wallflower confessed to Sunset... in front of all of her friends, no less!
"It took me some time, but I managed to forgive myself. The guilt I felt... the guilt that haunted me for months on end, slowly disappeared."
Wallflower blanched. "M-Months?!"
"Yes, my little sprout. Months." Erica smiled warmly. "The fact that the guilt hurts you is a good sign. It means you know what you did was wrong, and you regret it."
"...Was that supposed to make me feel better?"
Erica shook her head. "My point is this: like many wounds, time will heal it. You've learned from this mistake, and you'll grow from it... making you a better person."
"Just like you," Trixie asked.
Jackpot nodded. "Just like me." Trixie smiled warmly, and the guilt she had felt lessened slightly. "You're in for a rough few months, Trixie, my dear, but I want you to rest assured that your mother and I will have your back. Always."
Wallflower nodded. "I know." She hugged Erica tightly. "Thank you."
Erica laughed softly. "You're welcome, my little sprout." She returned the hug with a happy sigh as parent and child enjoyed their mutual warmth and love.
"Can we stay like this forever," Wallflower whispered.
"I'm going to have to let go eventually."
"I know," Trixie said softly. "I'm just enjoying the moment."
"As am I, Trixie... as am I." Several moments passed, and Jackpot slowly broke the hug. "Are you going to be okay?"
"For now," Trixie said as she got off of her bed. "Thanks for the talk, Dad."
"Anytime," Jackpot said as he headed for Trixie's door.
"Before you go..."
"Yes?"
"I love you," Wallflower said.
"I love you too." Erica shut the door behind herself.
Wallflower Blush and Trixie Lulamoon walked to their respective windows and stared outside, grateful for such loving parents. Though their fears and anxieties had been allayed for the time being, one thought took over their minds...
Sunset Shimmer left the bus with her friends close behind her. Her confidence wavered as she neared the inside of Canterlot High, and she looked back.
"We've got your back," Rainbow said, giving Sunset a thumbs up.
"Professional Friend Hugger, reporting for duty!" Pinkie threw Sunset a salute.
"You've got this," Fluttershy said with a supportive smile.
"Even when we go to our separate classes, we'll be thinking of you, darling," Rarity said.
"Just remember, we're all a text away," Applejack said.
Sunset smiled warmly. "Thanks, guys." She turned to Twilight. "What are you going to do? You're not exactly a student here..."
"Oh, I'll be around. You don't have to worry about that."
Rarity yelped, and Sunset turned around to see that her friend's sister, Sweetie Belle, had hugged Rarity from behind. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed shortly after.
"Hey, Squirt," Rainbow said as she ruffled Scootaloo's hair.
"Y'all feelin' any better after yesterday," Applejack asked Apple Bloom.
"A little."
Sweetie Belle let go of Rarity, then looked at Sunset. "What about you?"
Sunset gave Sweetie a faint smile. "I've got great friends. I think I'll be just fine."
...I wish I believed that.
"Hey girls," Twilight said as she waved.
"Twilight?!" The Crusaders' jaws dropped.
"What in tarnation are ya doin' here?"
Twilight gestured to Sunset. "Friendship emergency."
"...Oh." Apple Bloom looked away, frowning slightly.
"Don't look so guilty, Apple Bloom. Rainbow told me everything, so I know you three are innocent."
Apple Bloom smiled. "Well that makes me feel better. Thanks!"
"You know," Twilight said to Rainbow. "You never told me what happened to Trixie and... what was the other girl's name again?"
"Wallflower. Wallflower Blush." Rainbow folded her arms. "Yeah... I don't see them anywhere."
"Twilight Sparkle!" A voice familiar to the Princess called her out.
Twilight turned around to see Principal Celestia. "Principal Celestia! Good to see you again!"
"What brings you back to Canterlot High?"
"I'll catch up with you on that during first period."
Principal Celestia nodded. "Understood."
Scootaloo approached Principal Celestia. "What happened to Trixie and Wallflower?"
Principal Celestia's smile faded. "They were suspended."
Several of the girls hissed through their teeth, while others grit theirs.
"I didn't like having to discipline them after all that. It felt like I was adding insult to injury..." Principal Celestia sighed as she put a hand to her forehead. "...but I had to. Whether or not they felt remorse over their actions."
"Did they," Asked Twilight.
"Yes... very much so, Twilight."
"Oh, I can only imagine what they're going through right now," Fluttershy said softly with a worried expression.
"Speaking from experience, I'd say a lot," Sunset said as she folded her arms.
Flash Sentry hurried down the hall upon seeing Sunset. "Sunset! I just wanted to check in..." He paused upon seeing Twilight, then blushed. "...Hey."
Twilight blushed in return, smiling awkwardly. "H-Hi, Flash."
Sunset grinned. "You two need to be alone for a while?"
"Not in here," Celestia said sternly.
Everyone laughed.
Twilight sighed. "We'll catch up later, Flash. Right now, I'm here for Sunset."
Flash nodded. "I get it. Guess I'll see you later then."
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. "Thanks for checking in on me."
"No sweat, Sunset!" Flash made finger guns, then headed off.
"Hey, that rhymed!" Pinkie giggled.
The school's bell rang, and all the girls exchanged glances.
"Well, I suppose we must now all go our separate ways," Rarity said with a slight frown. "At least, those of us who don't have a class together."
"Just remember", Twilight said as she walked with Principal Celestia to her office. "We're all only a text away."
Everyone went to their classes, and Sunset sighed. She began to walk to her class when a tall, burly blue student walked up to her. His brown eyes twinkled as he waved. "Hey, Sunset."
Sunset blinked. "...Curly Winds?" She didn't know too much about Curly Winds. She had found it a little unusual that he would walk up to her, let alone speak with her.
Curly walked alongside Sunset. "I just wanted to see how you were doing after... well, you know." He put his hands in his pockets, feeling sheepish about bringing up yesterday's incident.
"I'm hanging in there." Sunset stopped for a moment. "Hey, where's..." She trailed off, struggling to remember his boyfriend's name.
"Wiz Kid?"
Sunset nodded.
"He and I have different classes during first period." Curly smiled. "We may be dating, but that doesn't mean we have to be together all the time."
Sunset smiled. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"So what was it like? When you grew those ears and that tail during the Battle of the Bands?"
"It was like a combination of adrenaline and bliss. I couldn't help but smile once I knew I was going to transform! I just felt so..." Sunset sighed happily. "...so accepted. All the hard work that I put into gaining everyone's trust had paid off!"
Curly put a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "You are accepted, Sunset. You always will be."
The warmth of Curly's hand felt assuring to Sunset. "Thank you. It's good to know that."
"Before you go to your class, there's just one more thing."
"Yeah?"
Curly embraced Sunset, who gasped. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"F-For what?"
"Sorry for doubting you'd changed. Wiz and I were part of the mob in the cafeteria." Curly sighed heavily. "When you... when you screamed, we both felt terrible. We wanted to visit you in the nurse's office right off the bat, but Nurse Redheart insisted on a limitation of visitors."
Sunset slowly returned the hug. "That means a lot to me, Curly," she whispered, feeling his love and friendship practically radiate from his body warmth.
Curly laughed softly. "I figured it would." He broke the hug. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. I've got a class of my own to catch, after all! See you around!"
"Say hi to Wiz for me, would you?"
Curly Winds nodded, then headed to his class.
Sunset felt a little lighter as she arrived at the classroom.
Sunset flinched momentarily, then sighed as her teacher walked in.
A middle-aged man with black hair sat down at the teacher's desk. He sat down, then straightened his brown sweater vest and faced the class with his icy blue eyes. "Good morning," he said in a gruff voice.
"Good morning, Mr. Doodle," the class responded.
Sunset frowned. None of her friends were in her classes with Mr. Cranky Doodle. This was probably going to a long, long period. She resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands and let the darkness pass the time for her. Doing so would only get her in trouble, and that was one of the last things she needed!
Cranky began his lesson as he turned to face the chalkboard, and Sunset paid attention.
Sunset sniffled. "This is for the best," she said, then jumped.
Sunset covered her mouth instantly, muffling a yelp.
Cranky paused for a moment, then turned around to look at Sunset.
"Sorry about that... hiccup," Sunset said, blushing.
Cranky shrugged, then turned back and resumed his lesson.
Sunset sighed heavily as she buried her head in her hands. Did she make a mistake in coming here?
The Demonself's cackle resounded through Sunset's mind, and a chill ran down her spine. Her heartbeat quickened, and she struggled to keep her breathing even.
Sunset felt someone tap her hand, and she turned to see a student sitting next to her with a piece of paper in her hand. She blinked, then took it. She opened it up.
Sending positive vibes your way!
- C.C.
Sunset scanned the room and found a student with bright green hair. She raised her pale peach arms, and her fingers wiggled through her fingerless gloves. She drew her arms back, then thrust them forward, repeating the process as though she was casting a spell.
Sunset barely managed to cover her mouth before snorting. She quickly turned back to check if Cranky was wise to Cherry Crash's antics.
Cranky remained fixated on the board as he wrote on it, much to Sunset's relief.
Sunset turned back around to face Cherry and gave her a genuine smile.
Cherry grinned, then mouthed the words 'turn it over'.
Sunset gestured to the piece of paper, and Cherry nodded. She turned it over, then stifled a gasp.
On the other side of the paper was a fairly well-drawn picture of Sunset rising into the sky along with the rest of the Rainbooms. She and her friends were smiling and holding hands as they summoned the giant alicorn that zapped and shattered the Dazzlings' amulets.
Sunset glanced at Cherry, giving her a big smile as thanks. She then turned back to the lesson.
You're a monster!
Sunset grit her teeth and shook her head. No. She wasn't a monster.
Sunset gasped as she began to feel an ache in her chest. She looked back up at the memories being replayed over and over. She began to feel their sadness. Their despair. Their rage... all of their emotions poured into her and she let out a wail of agony as her knees buckled under the weight of her misdeeds. Tears streamed down her eyes as she slowly felt a new emotion emerge: guilt.
Sunset shot out of her chair abruptly, and Cranky turned around. "Are you okay, Sunset? You look a little pale."
Sunset took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I-I think I just need some fresh air."
Cranky smiled warmly. "Take all the time you need."
Sunset nodded, then hurried out of the classroom as she put her winter jacket on. She ran to the exit, then reached the outdoors. She took a deep breath, then exhaled as she put a hand to her forehead.
About a minute later, Sunset heard the door behind her close. She turned around to see Cherry Crash, who walked up to her and gave her a hug. "It's going to be okay," Cherry whispered.
"I-Is it really," Sunset asked as she shuddered.
"Sunset Shimmer," Cherry said sternly as she broke the hug and took Sunset by the shoulders. "You look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you were not at rock fucking bottom yesterday."
Sunset's mouth hung open as she struggled to find words.
"That's what I thought." Cherry reached into her coat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
Sunset blinked in surprise. "You smoke?"
"Eh, not often enough to get hooked. Just once in a while." Cherry took out a cigarette and lighter, then lit the cigarette. "You're not gonna lecture me, are you?"
"Why would I do that?"
Cherry shrugged as she took a drag. "Dunno, but I say that to everybody."
"What do you say to those who do lecture you?"
"'Fuck you, it's my body.'"
Sunset snorted. "Fair enough."
"Listen... before we go back inside."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For saving all of our asses back there during the musical showcase."
Sunset blushed.
"You're an amazing person, Sunset. There shouldn't have been any doubt after that night." Cherry sighed, then took one last drag. "So could you find it your heart to forgive me?"
Sunset's eyes widened. "Forgive... you?" This was unusual. Someone asking for her forgiveness!
"Yeah," Cherry said softly. "After that... that scream of yours, I understood that you were in pain. God, I felt so fucking horrible!" She clenched her teeth, then dropped and put out her cigarette. "I can only imagine how you felt when all that shit went down."
"Worse," Sunset said while looking away. "Way, way worse."
Cherry put her hands back on Sunset's shoulders. "So please... forgive me."
Sunset looked into Cherry's eyes and immediately noticed the sincerity in her expression. "I forgive you."
Cherry shuddered again, then hugged Sunset. "Thank you," she whispered. "I love you... platonically, of course."
Sunset snorted. "I love you too... platonically, of course."
Sunset and Cherry stood still for a few moments, relishing in their newfound friendship.
Cherry broke the hug. "We should get back inside. Don't want to miss too much more of class."
Sunset nodded. "Yeah."
"Oh, one more thing." Cherry reached into her coat pocket and produced her drawing. "You left this back in the classroom."
Sunset took the picture and stored it in her coat. "Let's get back in there, shall we?
The bell signaling the end of first period had sounded off, and Sunset heaved a sigh. Despite Cherry Crash's earlier efforts, she could still feel the Demonself mocking her. Taunting her. Deriding her.
Sunset slowly got up from her desk, and headed for the door.
"Sunset!"
Sunset stopped in her tracks and turned around. "...Yes, Mr. Doodle?"
"Sit with me for a moment," Cranky said as he gestured to a nearby chair.
Sunset paused for a moment, then walked over to Cranky's desk and pulled up the chair. "What's up," she asked a little shakier than she had intended.
Cranky smiled warmly. "Sunset, you don't need to be afraid. I'm not mad at you and you haven't done anything wrong."
Sunset released a breath she didn't realize she was holding and relaxed her shoulders.
"Listen... I know you've been going through a lot lately."
Sunset scoffed. "That's putting it mildly."
"Hold on a second." Cranky got up from his desk, then looked around the hallway. Once he saw the coast was clear, he closed the door.
"What are you-"
"Sunset... what I'm going to say to you needs to be just between you and me."
Sunset blinked. "O-Okay."
Cranky closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Sunset Shimmer..." he opened his eyes. "You remind me of myself when I was younger."
Sunset raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't really have a good life as a kid. I used to lash out at others.... I was so lonely." Sunset opened her mouth, only for Cranky to cut her off by holding up his pointer finger. "I know, I know. That was the old you." He smiled. "Let me finish first."
Sunset nodded.
"It wasn't until I made a friend that I realized I was going down a dark path. I had to make amends with all those I'd wronged. Of course, I'm sure I don't need to tell you it wasn't easy." Cranky laughed softly. "Do you know why I became a teacher?"
Sunset shook her head.
"I became a teacher because I didn't want others to have the hard life I did. I want students to be happy. To teach them skills that'll help them in life." Cranky's smile faded, and he sighed heavily. "That's why it was heartbreaking for me to hear what had happened to you."
"Mr. Doodle..."
Cranky grit his teeth. "I ran as fast as I could to the cafeteria when I heard that scream of yours, not knowing who it was, what had happened or why. When I saw you you unconscious... I felt... I felt like I had failed you."
Sunset's eyes widened.
"Between all the altercations in the hallways, students being sent to detention and the nurse's office, the staff was stretched thin. There was nothing we could have done to stop it... and we tried." Cranky sighed heavily again. "But to me, truth or not, that all sounds like an excuse."
"Mr. Doodle..." Sunset leaned forward and put an arm on his shoulder. "You just said there was nothing you or anyone else could have done."
"I know what I said. Doesn't change what happened yesterday."
"I know," Sunset said softly as she looked away.
"All of that's why I want to apologize to you. For being unable to help you when you needed it most, regardless of whether or not I knew."
"Mr. Doodle... you don't have to apolog-"
"Please, Sunset," Cranky said quietly. "Just... just accept the apology."
Sunset froze up momentarily, caught off-guard. Mr. Cranky Doodle, the most curmudgeonly teacher in Canterlot High, had not only opened up to her, but felt horrible about his inability to stop the mob that had formed!
"I accept the apology, Mr. Doodle."
"Thank you," Cranky said, smiling genuinely. "That means a lot to me, and it feels as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
Sunset smiled and nodded.
"There's something else I need to tell you."
"Yes?"
"I'm surprised you decided to come today, given what happened. If it was me, I'd be at home!"
Sunset gave Cranky a funny look.
"What I'm saying is that you're very brave for coming back. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised." Cranky chuckled. "The Fall Formal, the musical showcase, and yesterday... time and time again, life's been throwing you curveballs. Yet time and time again, you always manage to bounce back."
"Mr. Doodle..."
"Sunset," Cranky said softly. "You are a stubborn, strong, and resilient young woman with a bright and promising future. Students like you are hard to come by." He leaned in close to Sunset. "Just don't tell the others I said that." He winked.
Sunset giggled.
"There you go. That's what I wanted to see."
"Thanks for the pep talk, Mr. Doodle." Sunset got up off of the chair.
"Sunset... just this once, you don't have to call me that."
Sunset blinked in surprise. "Thanks for the pep talk... Cranky."
"Don't mention it... seriously, don't." Cranky changed his smile to a frown. "I've got a reputation to uphold. Hmph!"
Sunset snorted, then opened the door to see Pinkie Pie standing right in front of it.
"Hiya!"
Sunset yelped. "Did you hear anything in here?"
Pinkie tilted her head. "Hear what?"
Sunset breathed a sigh of relief, then gave one last look at Cranky before leaving.
Cranky waved, and Sunset and Pinkie walked away.
"I don't know why Cranky's got such a bad rep," Pinkie said as she skipped alongside Sunset. "Once you get to know him, he's actually kinda nice!"
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. If only Pinkie knew...
Sunset and Pinkie would reach their second period class shortly after the bell for it rang.
It had been a few minutes since class began, and Sunset Shimmer could still feel her Demonself's presence.
You should never have come back.
Sunset slowly shook her head as the teacher wrote on the chalkboard, then glanced over her shoulder to see Pinkie Pie resting her chin on her hands with a look of mild boredom.
Sunset sighed. It would only be a matter of time before Pinkie would get antsy and start tapping on her desk. She loved Pinkie like a sister, but there were times where she drove her crazy!
Sunset sighed as she stared at the teacher, then jumped off the top of the building.
Sunset blinked and shook her head rapidly.
"This is for the best."
Sunset hissed through her teeth, then exhaled slowly. She had to keep her composure.
Six vaguely familiar people went to visit a grave. "Here she is," said a girl with a southern drawl as she took off her cowboy hat and placed it on her chest. A pale yellow girl sniffled, then burst into tears as an elegant white girl hugged her tightly while her mascara ran.
"I-It just happened so fast," A rainbow-haired girl said as she cried.
"We're so sorry!" A pink girl with straight hair wailed.
"I... I can't believe it," the purple girl said, distraught. A tear fell from her cheek.
"Principal Celestia found this in her locker," the rainbow-haired girl said as she handed a book to the purple girl. The book was brown and had a two-toned sun on the cover. "She figured Sunset would have wanted it."
The purple girl looked at the book as her eyes misted over. "Sunset Shimmer," she said, her voice quavering slightly. "I hope you've finally found peace after all of your suffering." She gently propped the book against the tombstone, which read
Here lies Sunset Shimmer
She is in a much better place now
Before Sunset knew it, tears were streaming down her eyes. She covered her mouth and grit her teeth as she struggled to keep her breathing even.
A tapping noise filled Sunset's ears and she stifled a groan as she rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood for this... not today! She turned around to face Pinkie, who was just staring off into space.
Sunset raised an eyebrow, then scanned the desks to see who was responsible for the noise. She eventually caught sight of a student with frizzy orange hair and round brown glasses. Her pale olive finger drummed on her desk.
Sunset shot Scribble Dee a questioning look. This sort behavior wasn't like her...
Scribble smiled, then put her hand to her ear and tapped on her desk again.
Sunset frowned. What was Scribble doing?
Scribble finished tapping, then gestured again to her ear, then gestured to her desk.
Sunset cupped her chin. Ear... desk...?
Scribble tapped on her desk again, glancing at her tapping finger.
Sunset stared blankly at Scribble, who sighed.
Scribble scratched her head for a moment, then her face lit up. She pointed to her eyes, then closed them and pointed to Sunset.
Sunset closed her eyes, and the tapping began anew. It was then that she noticed the tapping wasn't just random. It sounded like it was some kind of pattern... like it was...
Sunset's eyes shot open as realization dawned on her. Scribble Dee was using Morse Code! As quickly and quietly as she could, she tore off a piece of paper and grabbed a pen.
Scribble smiled and nodded in satisfaction, then tapped her finger again.
Sunset listened intently this time, writing Scribble's message. By the time the tapping had ended, Sunset had written the message out:
Passing period was in full swing, and Sunset left the stall in the women's bathroom. She sighed heavily and ran the faucet, then knelt down and splashed water on her face.
"Sunset Shimma!"
Sunset stood upright upon hearing a husky Broncs-accented voice. She turned around to see a light gold teenager wearing a small sequined back dress with a pink bowtie. Her violet-opal pigtails bobbed around as she walked over to Sunset.
"Pixel Pizzazz?"
Pixel Pizzazz was a tough-as-nails, take no shit girl, as well as one of the very few students in Canterlot High who always stood up to Sunset when she was a bully. She was one of the first students to accept her after the musical showcase.
"Oh, thank gawd yer okay," Pixel said, then rushed over to Sunset and hugged her. "Um... are ya okay?"
Sunset returned the hug. "I've been better, Pixel... I've been better."
"I believe ya. Afta a freakout like dat, I'm surprised yer still standin'!" Pixel shivered as she broke the hug. "Dat was one hell of a scream... I'm gonna be hearin' it for weeks!"
Sunset shuddered. "Don't remind me."
"Sorry about dat," Pixel said with a sheepish smile. "I just can't believe someone would put ya tru all dat when everybody knew you'd changed!" She scowled. "If I evah find out who did it..." She made a fist with one hand and punched the palm of her other.
Sunset smiled warmly. "I appreciate the thought, Pixel, but you don't have to worry about them."
Pixel blinked. "'Them'?"
Sunset nodded. "After the... incident..." She stopped as the Demonself's cackle resounded throughout her mind.
"Sunset?"
You're a monster.
Sunset shook her head and grit her teeth.
"Are ya okay?"
Sunset took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I-I think so."
"Do ya need me ta call for Nurse Redheart?"
Sunset shook her head.
Pixel raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "Are ya sure yer okay, Sunset? Last thing ya need is to keel ovah in da middle of da hallways."
Sunset smiled. "I promise I'm okay, Pixel Pizzazz."
Pixel eyed Sunset skeptically for a moment, then shrugged. "If ya say so."
"Anyway, as I was saying..." Sunset gave Pixel a quick recap of what had happened to her after her scream, including what had happened to her while she was trapped in the rainbow vortex. By the time she had finished, Pixel was teary-eyed with her hand to her mouth in shock.
"Oh gawd," Pixel whispered, then sniffled. "I... I can't even imagine. Ta go through what you went through..." She shuddered. "I'm gonna ask ya one more time; are ya sure you're okay?"
Sunset sighed heavily. "I... I don't know."
"Why did ya even come back if it's causing this much trouble for ya?"
"Because I'm sick and tired of my Demonself hounding me. I figured coming back here would do something."
Pixel frowned. "Looks and sounds ta me like it's only makin' things worse for ya."
Sunset narrowed her eyes. "Well I'm not going to back down."
Pixel put a hand on Sunset's shoulder and smiled. "You're a braver person than I am. I woulda stayed home!"
Sunset opened her mouth, then closed it. She almost forgot to keep the conversation she had with Cranky a secret!
"So ya said Wallflowah an' Trixie were suspended?"
Sunset nodded.
"I didn't think Wally had it in her! She seemed like such a nice person."
Sunset heaved a sigh. "I was such a bitch to her... It's no wonder she did what she did."
"Was, Sunset. Past tense. Yer past isn't today."
Sunset laughed softly. "One of my friends said that a while back."
Pixel raised an eyebrow. "No foolin'. My ma used ta say dat."
"Small world."
"How are the girls doin'?"
"The Crusaders? They seem to be a little shaken up, but no worse for the wear I guess."
Pixel heaved a sigh. "Dat's a relief. As for Trixie," she growled.
"Pixel," Sunset said softly. "I totally understand why you're angry, but remember what I said when she and Wallflower fessed up. It would just be kicking a dog when it's down. They clearly feel bad about what they did. And if their experiences are going to be anything like mine..."
Pixel's face fell. "...Oh," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Sunset nodded. "Things are going to be tough enough as it is for them, and even Principal Celestia felt bad about punishing them."
"I see yer point."
The bathroom door all but flew open, startling Sunset and Pixel.
"There you are," Rainbow Dash said as the door closed behind her. "I've been looking all over for you!" She turned to Pixel with a smile. "Hey, Pixie."
"'Sup?"
Sunset barely managed to suppress a snort. "'Pixie'?"
"Rainbow and I've been friends since seventh grade," Pixel said. "An' she's da only one who can call me dat. Got it?"
Sunset nodded.
"Anyway," Rainbow said, "I don't wanna be late for P.E., and I'm not going in without you!"
Sunset checked her phone, then yelped. "Oh shit!"
"Sunset, before ya go," Pixel said as Sunset and Rainbow hurried for the door.
Sunset turned around with a questioning look.
"Give yer Demonself hell for me, would ya?"
Sunset smiled and nodded, then left. She hurried alongside Rainbow, who kept an even pace with her so she wouldn't fall behind. "'Pixie', Rainbow Dash? That doesn't sound like something you'd say."
"You guys sometimes call me 'Dashie', and I don't mind."
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. It wasn't the point, but she wasn't going to argue that right now.
Sunset and Rainbow made it just in time, and the next period began.
Sunset and Rainbow sat next to each other as their P.E. teacher entered the gym. "All right, class," the teacher said, gesturing to the nets around the gym. "Today, we're doing tennis! I want you all to form groups of three. Two to play, and one to ref."
Rainbow grabbed Sunset by the arm. "Awesome! Now all we need is one more."
"I'll be your girl," a confident voice said from behind Rainbow and Sunset. The two turned around to see a light peach student with turquoise hair. Her turquoise eyes glimmered in anticipation.
True to her name, Tennis Match was one of, if not the best tennis players in Canterlot High. She never failed to give Rainbow Dash a true challenge on the courts.
Match returned Rainbow's grin as she cracked her knuckles. "You better be ready for a workout, Dash!"
Rainbow chuckled. "I'm always ready for a workout. You should know that!"
Rainbow and Match walked over to a tennis net, with Sunset following closely behind.
Sunset wiped sweat off of her forehead. Rainbow and Match's game finished, and she had just finished hers against Rainbow.
Sunset was surprised and impressed with herself that she was still standing. Her legs were sore from trying to keep up with her friend... she really needed to get into shape.
"Let's talk," Tennis Match said as she took a tennis ball with her right hand.
Sunset blinked. "While we're playing?"
Match barked a laugh. "Oh, don't worry..." she bounced the ball and let go of her racket, then twirled with her arms outstretched and grabbed the racket with her right hand and the ball in her left. "...I'll go easy on you."
"Showoff," Rainbow said from the referee position.
"You're one to talk," Sunset said with a laugh.
"Just sayin'," Rainbow said as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms.
"So... whaddaya say," Match asked as she bounced the tennis ball again.
Sunset paused for a moment, then shrugged. What did she have to lose? "Eh, why not?"
"Great!" Match bounced the ball, then hit it in Sunset's direction. "Remind me to hug you when this is over."
Sunset raised an eyebrow as she returned Match's serve. "Why?"
Match scoffed. "Do you really have to ask?" She sighed. "Your apocalypse-level meltdown!"
"Why didn't you just hug me when you saw me?" Sunset swung and missed the ball.
"I dunno, I thought you had a thing about personal space or something!"
"Fifteen love," Rainbow called out.
Sunset gave Match an incredulous look as she served. "What gave you that idea?!"
Match hit the ball back. "I figured you'd want some space after nearly getting mobbed to death."
"I guess you have a point, but no." Sunset's breathing became labored.
You're a monster.
Sunset grit her teeth. Dammit, not now! A sudden shout brought her back to reality, and she took a tennis ball to her forehead. She yelped in pain and put her hand on her injured spot.
"Oh, shit," Match said as she ran over to Sunset's side of the court.
"Are you okay," Rainbow asked as she ran over to Sunset.
"I... I think so," Sunset said, removing her hand from her forehead. She hesitated momentarily, afraid to look at it.
"At least you're not bleeding or anything."
Sunset looked at her hand, then heaved a sigh of relief to see nothing on it.
"Do you need to sit down," Match asked.
"I'm gonna ask ya one more time; are ya sure you're okay?"
Sunset quickly took a mental inventory of herself. She probably had a bruise on her forehead. She was still panting from playing tennis. Her legs were starting to feel sore, and she still had to get around school for the remainder of the day.
"I... I don't know. I mean, I feel... kinda fine, I guess?" Sunset sighed heavily. Maybe she did need to sit down. She needed to be honest with herself, and not push herself too far. "You know what? I-I think I should."
Rainbow nodded. "I'll go tell the teacher."
"You do that," Match said, then hugged Sunset. "I'm sorry."
Sunset returned the hug. "You don't have to apologize. I was just momentarily distracted."
"I don't like hurting people, Sunset. Least of all you, after what happened yesterday."
"Yeah... I've been having a rough go of it."
"That's putting it mildly," Match said, breaking the hug. She looked up at Sunset's forehead and frowned. "Wish I could do something about that mark I left."
Sunset gave Match a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about it. It was an accident."
Match made a sputtering noise. "I know it was, but I still can't help but feel responsible."
Sunset laughed. It was a small laugh. "Seriously, you're beating yourself up over nothing."
Match put a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Are you beating yourself up, too?"
Sunset frowned.
"Guilt and regret are very powerful feelings, Sunset Shimmer. Of course, I don't have to tell you that."
"No... you don't," Sunset said as she looked away. "I've been reminded of those very things ever since... ever since that scream. Almost nonstop."
"I can only imagine what that feels like," Match said in awe.
Sunset smiled sadly. "Trust me, Tennis Match," she said quietly. "You don't want to."
"Change partners!"
"I guess that's my cue," Match said, then stood up. "Those asses aren't gonna kick themselves, after all!"
Sunset snorted.
"Good talk, Shimmer. Fight the good fight, will ya?"
"I will." Sunset waved as Match hurried off to find her next opponent.
"Hey, how're ya holding up," Rainbow asked as she approached with two bottles of water.
"Eh, I'm doing okay." She smiled as she watched Match begin to play, grateful for people like her.
Sunset heaved a sigh as she finished changing. The day wasn't even halfway over and she'd already been through so much! She slowly shook her head and headed for the locker room door and opened it.
The first thing Sunset saw as she entered the hallway was a light yellow-gray student. Her dark and light blue hair bounced as she nodded to the beat of her headphones, then stopped as she lowered her sunglasses, revealing her red eyes.
DJ PON-3 walked up to Sunset and took her headphones off. "Hey," she said. "Wanna walk with me?"
Sunset blinked in surprise. She hardly knew Vinyl Scratch, known on the stage as DJ PON-3. "Uhh... sure."
"Great!"
As they both walked down the hallway, Sunset began to feel awkward. Should she say something to break the silence?
"Umm... DJ P-"
Vinyl swiftly put a finger to Sunset's mouth. "On stage, DJ PON-3. Off, Vinyl."
Sunset lowered Vinyl's arm. "Okay, then... Vinyl, why did you want to walk with me?"
Vinyl smiled. "To thank you."
"...Thank me? Why?"
"I'd been suffering from a creative drought," Vinyl said as she put her hands behind her head. "I'd tried several things just regain that special spark! Listening to my older tracks, taking walks, watching stupid HoofTube videos..."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "You gather inspiration from HoofTube videos?"
Vinyl snorted. "Sunset, you can find inspiration in just about anything!"
"I guess you've got a point... but if you know that, then you also know that inspiration can't be rushed."
Vinyl rolled her eyes. "Of course I know that! It just sucks when it happens." She quickly shook her head. "Look, we're getting off track here." She took off her headphones. "I'm thanking you because your scream gave me an idea for a tune... and several more just popped into my head as I made it!"
"Umm... cool, I guess..." Sunset didn't quite know how to react to Vinyl's thanks. It was an odd way to show appreciation.
"Oh, right!" Vinyl gave Sunset her musical device and put her headphones on her head. "Maybe this will help make some sense for you." She grinned and selected a tune. "For your listening enjoyment!"
Sunset blinked, and a slow and steady beat filled her ears. She nodded her head in time as she closed her eyes. Vinyl always had a knack for this kind of music, yet it never ceased to amaze her!
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Sunset's eyes shot open in surprise.
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
Vinyl... Vinyl was singing?!
I know you ain't that schemin' Twisted winged demon Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
The beat stopped for a moment, then kicked back in as Sunset put a hand to her mouth in shock.
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
I've seen you beat the darkness away I know you can do it again today Don't let it linger Give it the finger Those inner demons of yours you can slay!
Sunset felt a lump in her throat... dammit, how many times was she going to cry today??
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
You used to be ultimate queen bitch But your life went through a switch Now you're so much kinder And this is a reminder I've got your back, I promise I won't ditch. Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
I know you ain't that schemin' Twisted winged demon Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
The song ended, and all Sunset could do was stare at Vinyl Scratch, eyes widened and filled with tears. "I-I..."
Vinyl smiled warmly. "You don't have to say anything, Sunset. The look on your face tells me all I need to know." She walked over to Sunset and hugged her. "Seriously," she whispered. "You've got this. Anyone who says otherwise will answer to me."
Sunset returned the hug with a wet laugh. "Thank you for that... just... wow." She wiped her tears away.
Vinyl broke the hug and took back her musical device and headphones. "I was up all night working on that, and I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Sunset's eyes widened. "Wait... that only took you overnight?!"
Vinyl nodded. "With the help of some caffeine infusions. I'm probably going to crash like a motherfucker when I get home," she said as she and Sunset resumed their walking.
Sunset snorted. "Yeah, I've been there before. Last-minute studying accompanied by serious freakouts."
Vinyl barked a laugh. "I think everyone's been through that shit."
"Wouldn't surprise me."
"Oh, hey... before I forget, let me give you the download code for that song so you can hear it whenever you want."
Sunset grinned widely. "I'd like that."
"I figured you would." Vinyl texted Sunset the code. "There ya go!" She glanced at the clock app in her phone. "Yikes! Looks like time's running short! Catch ya later, Sunset!" She made finger guns, then hurried off to her class.
Sunset sighed happily, then took a pair of earbuds out of her pocket, jacked then into her phone and downloaded Vinyl's new tune as she hummed the rhythm to herself. She was very grateful for what the DJ had done for her, and it made her wonder if there was anything she could possibly do in return to show her gratitude.
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
I know you ain't that schemin' Twisted winged demon Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
I've seen you beat the darkness away I know you can do it again today Don't let it linger Give it the finger Those inner demons of yours you can slay!
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
You used to be ultimate queen bitch But your life went through a switch Now you're so much kinder And this is a reminder I've got your back, I promise I won't ditch. Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
Sunset, Sunset, Sunset...
Girl, you got this, got this, got this!
I know you ain't that schemin' Twisted winged demon Sunset Shimmer, you've come one hell of a long way!
As Sunset reached her classroom, the tune ended. Her smile was wide and it seemed, for the moment, that things would work out just fine... but she decided to be cautiously optimistic, as the day wasn't even halfway over yet.
Sunset stared at the bowl of lumpy dough before her as her cautious optimism wavered slightly. She could practically feel her Demonself lying in wait, biding its time... waiting for the right moment.
"Sunset?"
Sunset started, snapped out of her reverie by her cooking partner.
"Are you okay?"
Sunset was met with a golden, wall-eyed gaze of concern as a grey hand touched her shoulder.
Derpy was one of the most popular girls in school due to her kindness, optimism, and empathy towards others. She was nearly a shoo-in for Princess for last year's Fall Formal. She would have won were it not for Sunset sabotaging her chances.
Sunset flinched at the memory, recalling Derpy's tears as she struggled to look her in the eye. Her optimism diminished further, and she clenched a hand into a fist.
"Sunset?"
Sunset snapped out of her thoughts and heaved a sigh. "No, Derpy... I'm not okay." She buried her head in her hands.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Sunset laughed mirthlessly. "No offense, but what could you possibly do?"
Derpy put the dough in an oven, set the timer, then cupped her chin in thought. "Why don't you tell me what happened and we'll go from there?"
Sunset heaved a long sigh. "Are you sure? It's pretty heavy stuff."
"Well I can't help you if I don't know what your problem is."
Sunset sighed again. She had a feeling she'd be telling this story several more times before the day was through. "All right, but don't say I didn't warn you." She took a deep breath, exhaled, then told Derpy everything from her experience on the other side of the rainbow, to what happened in the cafeteria, then finished with everything she had went through over the course of the day. By the time she wrapped up, the timer went off.
Derpy stood still, slack-jawed. Several moments passed before she looked away, holding her arm. "Oh," she said quietly. "That doesn't sound like anything I can help with..." She sat down, wearing an expression of disappointment and defeat. "I'm not used to being unable to help... I don't like feeling powerless..." She sighed.
Sunset frowned. She had never seen Derpy like this before. She was always smiling, ready to help or comfort someone in need. Here, she was deflated. Her head rested on her hands as she sighed again.
Powerless... Sunset almost chuckled despite herself. Derpy's mood and facial expression reminded her of days long gone. The days when she'd spend nearly all of her time at home.
Powerless... Days when Sunset hated everything, and everyone... most of all herself.
Powerless... Days when there was nothing Sunset could do about her troubles except lash out at other students, bullying them to make her feel better about herself and her sorry-ass situation.
Powerless... Days when Sunset wanted to scream and wail because she had been denied what was so rightfully hers.
Powerless... Days when all it took for Sunset to fall asleep was a good cry... which had been every night.
Sunset grit her teeth. Great, now she had memories of her shitty life before she found friendship on top of her Demonself lurking about in her head! Despite all that, however, she felt an urge to comfort Derpy. But what could she say to make her feel better? She hardly knew anything about her!
Muttering under her breath, Sunset racked her brains.
What could you possibly do to help her, the Demonself asked mockingly. You're barely keeping yourself together! Teetering back and forth between stability and another breakdown!
Sunset resisted an urge to slam her fist on the table. As much as she hated it... as much as she wanted to deny it... the Demonself was right. Still... she had to cheer Derpy up.
"Derpy," Sunset said softly as she took her cooking partner by the hand. "Don't feel so down. The fact that you want me to feel better alone is enough to cheer me up." She sighed. "Even after all the crap I put you and the rest of CHS through..."
Derpy's expression changed. "Sunset... how could you possibly say that?" She sighed. "You've been beating yourself up for far too long... and to be honest, it's kind of driving me crazy!"
Sunset's eyes widened.
"You're an amazing person, Sunset Shimmer," Derpy continued as she put her other hand atop Sunset's. "I mean, how many people can say they came from another world or saved a high school? Not to mention that you've become one of the nicest people I know!"
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "But... pretty much everyone around here is nice."
Derpy giggled. "True, but not all the nice people here started off the way you did. You completely turned yourself around, and I can only imagine how hard it must've been!"
Sunset snorted. "You have no idea. It's one thing to tell you happened to me, but if you'd actually experienced it..." She slowly hugged herself.
You're a monster!
Sunset shuddered, then grit her teeth.
"Sunset, you don't have to say any more." Derpy walked over to her, then gave her a hug. "It's clearly making you feel uncomfortable," she whispered. "And I think you've had far more than your fair share of that feeling."
Sunset returned the hug as she inhaled, then let out a long sigh of contentment. Derpy's warmth and love comforted her, despite the fact that she knew this was only a temporary reprieve. Well, she would take what she could get.
"Feel better," Derpy asked.
"F-Feeling better. Yeah." Sunset heaved an inward sigh of relief, having avoided saying 'for now'. She didn't want to worry Derpy any more than she already had.
Derpy broke the hug with a smile, and the timer went off. "I guess that means our session is over," she said, then giggled as she put on oven mitts. She took out the banana bread, then shut the oven.
Sunset took a deep whiff of the banana bread, then licked her lips. "Smells great," she said dreamily.
"Then let's dig in already!"
Sunset and Derpy spent the remainder of the class eating.
Sunset sighed as she left her classroom, holding a medium sized plastic bag with her remaining portion of the banana bread. She was headed towards her locker to store it, when someone called out her name.
"Hey, Sunset!"
Sunset turned to see a heavyset cream-colored female student with orange and purple hair, the beads tied within shining as she walked. A few strands of hair tied together by three beads draped down her face, and her dark pink eyes glimmered.
Sunset blinked, surprised by this sudden interaction. The only thing she knew about this woman was that she was the alto for Rarity's vocal quartet, the Wondertones. She had completely forgotten her name. "Umm... hi," she said, then paused awkwardly.
"Torch Song," the student said.
"Right. Torch Song. So... um..." Sunset paused again, trying to word her thoughts carefully.
"Why am I talking to you even though we hardly know each other?" Torch smiled. "Well, Rarity's a friend of mine, you're a friend of hers. So the friend of my friend could be a friend to me!"
Sunset blinked again, giving Torch Song a quizzical look. "How much time have you spent around Pinkie Pie?"
Torch let out a fairly high-pitched giggle. "Enough for her to rub off on me, apparently."
Sunset snorted. "You'd think she'd have rubbed off on me and the others by now."
"Right?"
The two shared a laugh, then began to walk together.
"So," Torch said. "What's it like? Where you're from?"
Sunset took a deep breath, then sighed.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"It's not that I don't want to tell you, Torch Song, it's just..." Sunset sighed again. "I haven't thought about Equestria for eons."
"...Equestria?"
Sunset nodded. "That's where I'm from. Equestria."
"Equestria..." Torch cupped her chin in thought. "So it's got something to do with horses?"
"Not just something. It's a whole continent of equine life, as the name would suggest."
Torch raised an eyebrow. "Wait... are you telling me you're a horse?!"
"Pony."
"You're... a pony."
Sunset nodded.
"Huh... I guess that makes sense, what with the ears you guys sprout."
Sunset nodded again. "Yep. It's generally a peaceful place, at least from what I experienced."
Torch stopped for a moment. "What did you experience?"
Sunset stopped, then gave Torch Song a sad smile. "It's... a long story. Too long to explain in the time we have before next period."
"Fair enough."
The pair starting walking again, and Sunset spoke to keep the silence away.
"So what about you? I know absolutely nothing about you."
"Oh, there's not much to tell about me," Torch said with a smile. "I'm just an average girl."
"There's nothing 'average' about your singing voice," Sunset said with a smile.
Torch Song blushed and laughed. "Thanks."
You're a monster.
Sunset winced, and Torch took notice.
"Are you okay?"
You're a monster.
"Fatass!"
"I didn't know you had two people as an alto!"
"Just have her sit down, and the three of you'll already have a full audience!"
You're a monster.
Sunset turned to Torch as her guilt reared its ugly head again.
"Sunset?" Torch gave Sunset a concerned look.
"...Why are you talking to me? A-After everything I said to you?"
Torch's expression changed from concern to a warm smile. "Because I believe in second chances," she said softly. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said as she put a hand on Sunset's shoulder.
Sunset barked a mirthless laugh. "I made a shit ton of those..."
"You did, but you know what?"
"What?"
"Look at where you are now. You've been accepted by not only the magic, but the whole student body and faculty of Canterlot High," Torch said, gesturing around herself. "You've come a long way from the selfish, vindictive person you once were. Not mention the fact that you came back from a traumatizing event. From the sound of things, it seems like you're fighting against something else." she stopped Sunset, then hugged her tightly. "You are a very, very strong and resilient person," she whispered. "You have my unconditional support, Sunset Shimmer. As well as Toe Tapper's and Big Mac's... Rarity's goes without saying."
Sunset laughed softly as she returned Torch Song's hug, then sighed contently as she closed her eyes.
"Whatever it is that's eating you, I know you'll kick its ass." Torch briefly tightened the hug, then broke it with a big smile. "I've got faith in you."
"Thanks... I really needed that talk."
Torch nodded. "Anytime." She looked at the clock. "Well, I guess I should get out of your hair." She pointed to the bag of banana bread Sunset was holding. "You've got to get to your locker, store that, and still make it to class on time."
Sunset smiled. "My locker's not too far from my next class. I'll be just fine. I'll see you later."
Torch nodded, then started to walk away.
"Torch Song?"
Torch turned around. "Yeah?"
"Next time, I'll tell you all I remember about Equestria."
Torch giggled. "I look forward to it, Sunset." She gave Sunset a small wave, then walked off.
Sunset made her way to her locker, still feeling Torch Song's love, warmth, and reassurance.
Sunset arrived at the door to her classroom, only to be stopped by a female fuchsia-skinned student with hair several shades darker. She hugged Sunset, patting her on the back.
Sunset's eyes widened in recognition as the student broke the hug. "Hey, aren't you one of the Illusions?"
The student's azure eyes twinkled as she nodded, then opened the door. "Might wanna check your back when you sit down," she whispered, then went inside.
Sunset raised an eyebrow and followed her inside, then sat down at her desk. She reached behind herself and felt a piece of paper taped to her back. With a roll of her eyes, she grabbed it as she paid attention to the teacher, then looked at the piece of paper.
Hey, Sunset. Fuschia Blush here. I was absent yesterday, but I heard the whole story from Lavender Lace. I'd like to apologize for Trixie's crappy behavior on behalf of the Illusions.
Sunset quickly looked upward to see if the teacher saw her, then hid the note and paid attention for a few moments. She felt like she was playing a dangerous game here, but she was curious to find out what the rest of the note said. She grabbed the note and continued to read it.
When I heard the name "Anon-A-Miss", I nearly freaked out. That was Trixie's old stage name before she decided to use her real name. That told me so much. I'm sure you know by now that she likes making her presence and deeds known.
Sunset rolled her eyes. Everybody freaking knew that! She returned to reading.
I knew almost immediately that Trixie had planned something terrible. Something so terrible that she wouldn't want anyone to even know it was her!
That made a lot of sense since Trixie always took pride in her mischief, but even at her worst she was just obnoxious and annoying. At least, she was until yesterday.
After Lavender told me what happened in the cafeteria, I was so pissed I could barely think! I tried calling Trixie so I could chew her out, but I got no answer. Probably means her parents found out and took her phone. Next time I see her, though...
"Sunset?"
Sunset yelped and jumped, falling out of her chair. She looked up at the teacher, who gazed at her sympathetically.
"Sunset, you seem a little tense and distracted. Do you need a moment?"
Sunset slowly nodded, mortified at herself, then left the classroom as heat rose to her face. It took her several minutes to recover and get back to the letter. At least she wouldn't have any further distractions...
Anyway, I've pretty much my said my piece... you might want to check your hair, though. It looks a little messy.
Sunset raised an eyebrow and ran a hand through her hair, feeling a tiny post-it note. She pulled it out.
My bad, maybe check your pockets?
Sunset rolled her eyes and groaned. She knew Fuschia meant well, but she was so not in the mood for this. Yet at the same time, she knew the illusionist put some effort into this. It would be inconsiderate of her to not at least see what else she had in store.
Sunset checked her front left pocket and felt a crumbled up piece of paper. She took it out, then opened it and read it.
Nope. Maybe your other pocket?
Sunset grit her teeth. She had to be patient here.
All right, all right. Last time, I promise!
Sunset checked her front left pocket, then uncrumpled it.
Hey-o, Lavender Lace here. Did Fuschia go overboard with the sleight-of-hand again? She has a tendency to do that.
"You don't say," Sunset muttered under breath sarcastically.
I know Fuschia already wrote an apology letter, but after that bullshit Trixie pulled I thought we should both apologize for her behavior. I know, I know. Neither of us should apologize for something we didn't do or had nothing to do with.
Sunset raised an eyebrow.
'Then why even bother writing apology letters in the first place', you may be asking.
Sunset nodded. Took the words right out of her mouth.
I can't speak for Fuschia, but as for myself, well... I thought it was just another one of Trixie's little pranks. The reason she used her stage name didn't occur to me until well after the fact!
All day yesterday, as fights began to break out, I didn't even think to stop her. All I could think was 'What's she getting out of this?' and 'Why rile up the entire student body for just one person?'
When that last message popped up saying you were Anon-A-Miss, everything became clear to me. I was shocked. Horrified. Enraged. In all the years I've known Trixie, she'd never done anything so heinous!
Your scream in the cafeteria was the most haunting thing I'd ever heard in my life, and it only made me feel terrible. Had I known what would've happened that day, I would've done everything in power to stop it... but I didn't. And I feel like the shittiest person for not doing so.
I only showed up at school today to give this letter to Lavender in the hopes that she'd bring this to you. I just can't bring myself to show my face at school, let alone speak to you directly.
Right now, I'm probably at home with my face in a pillow, soaking it with the tears of my guilt.
When Trixie returns, Fucshia and I are going to have a very, very serious talk with her.
Thank you for reading this. Maybe someday I'll have the courage to face you again, and we can get to know other as friends.
- Lavender Lace
Sunset took a deep breath and heaved a sigh. Trixie and Wallflower's stunt really fucked some people up, and not just herself!
"Hey."
Sunset turned around to see Fuschia Blush wearing a worried expression. "Yeah?"
"Next time you see Lavender... give her a hug or something. She was practically beside herself when she handed me that letter."
Sunset smiled softly. "Don't worry. I will."
Fuschia returned the smile. "Thank you... now let's get back to class."
Sunset followed Fuschia, then stopped in her tracks as she realized the time of day... the next period was lunch. The period when everything spiraled out of control.
"Sunset?"
Sunset snapped back to reality. "Sorry about that, I was just... thinking, that's all."
Fuschia tilted her head, then shrugged as Sunset caught up with her and followed her back to class.
Sunset left her class, then stopped in her tracks.
It was lunchtime.
The mere thought of being in the cafeteria after what happened yesterday sent a chill down her spine. There was no way she'd be going there.
Coward, her Demonself taunted.
Sunset grit her teeth. She wasn't a coward, she simply knew just being near the cafeteria would exacerbate her current mental condition.
Bullshit. You're just scared.
So what if Sunset was? She'd rather be afraid of losing her mind again than actually have it happen! She took out her phone and sent out a group text...
Hey, girls. Not even going to come within a few feet of the cafeteria. Maybe meet and eat in the music room? - Sunset
Rainbow Dash left her class. She hadn't seen or heard from Sunset since P.E., and all she had to go on was what she heard from Vinyl, Derpy, Torch Song, and the Illusions. From the sound of things, she was doing all right. Still... she'd feel better hearing from Sunset herself.
Sunset Shimmer looked straight at Wallflower Blush, who looked as though she was on the verge of bursting into tears. She took a deep breath, then exhaled shakily. "Th-The next day, I saw you, Wallflower. I felt so, so terrible... th-that I ran up to the roof of Canterlot High... and I jumped off!" She broke again, sobbing uncontrollably.
Rainbow felt a sudden wave of dread wash over herself. Maybe she should check in on Sunset, just to be safe. Her phone pinged, and she took it out of her pocket. A sigh of relief escaped her lips once she read the message. Now feeling better, she sent one of her own.
Sure, I'd be up for that. - Rainbow
Fluttershy heaved a sigh in the hallway. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she still hadn't been able to process everything! The Anon-A-Miss incident, her sudden crush on Sandalwood, Sunset's breakdown...
Fluttershy shook her head rapidly. Her problems could wait. Sunset's could not. It was why she was up all night planning Operation: Sunshine with the girls! She wouldn't normally keep herself awake for so long, but it was for a good cause.
Fluttershy yawned as she wondered how Sunset was doing. The poor girl's scream would likely haunt her dreams for a while! She couldn't possibly imagine suffering as much as her friend did when she was unconscious! Just the thought of it caused her to shiver!
Fluttershy's phone beeped, and she took it out of her pocket. She smiled upon reading the message, knowing that at the very least, Sunset Shimmer seemed to be doing okay.
That sounds good to me. See you there! - Fluttershy
Rarity took out her compact mirror and opened it, checking once again to see if the bags under her eyes were gone. She had spent the last couple of passing periods with cucumber slices over her eyes, much to the confusion and amusement of passers-by. Let them scoff her! There was nothing wrong with keeping up one's appearance, no matter how unorthodox the methods may be.
Satisfied with her appearance, Rarity closed her mirror and put it back in her purse. She managed to stifle a yawn, then took a sip of a macchiato she obtained from the school's cafeteria. She was no stranger to sleepless nights, as she had had her fair share of those when she was in what she had called her "Fashion Zone".
When Rarity was presented with the idea of staying awake through the night for Sunset's sake, she did not hesitate. After all, wrinkles and sleep deprivation were small prices to pay in the names of friendship and fashion. She took another sip of her macchiato, and her phone chimed.
Rarity picked her phone up, read the messages, then sent one of her own.
That sounds like a splendid idea! - Rarity
Applejack walked around CHS with her hands in her pockets. She had kept an eye on all the students she passed, worried that another fight would break out. Shaking her head slowly, she felt her blood begin to boil as she recalled yesterday's events.
The nerve of Wallflower and Trixie! Settin' the whole school against each other after Twilight worked so hard to bring everyone back together! Not only that, they nearly suckered her sister and her friends into taking the blame!
Applejack grit her teeth. Sunset shoulda let her give 'em the what-for!
Sunset looked at Rainbow. "Don't misunderstand me," she said. "If were to say what I really, truly wanted to say, I would just be kicking a dog while it's down. And as justified as I'd be, as cathartic as it would feel... it would only make you feel worse." She sighed and looked away. "That's what the old me would do. But that's not who I am." She got up off of the bed. "Not anymore."
"I-I don't understand," Trixie said. "Why are you letting us off so easy?!"
Sunset began to walk towards the two. "In case you've forgotten," she said with a sad smile. "I've been where you two are."
Applejack stopped in her tracks, then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She needed to calm down. As understandable as Sunset's reasoning was, the farm girl had no sympathy for either Trixie or Wallflower... for now.
Applejack's phone went off, and she took it out of her pocket. She read the message, then sent her own.
Count me in! - Applejack
Pinkie skipped down the hallway, happy that nobody was fighting today. Everybody was shouting and being mean yesterday, and she could hardly find her happy place! Not that it was hard for her to find, she knew exactly where it was and how to get there!
Pinkie stopped skipping. If only more people could find their happy place... the world would be a much better and funner place to be! She closed her eyes...
Pinkie skipped down a sparkling road, leading a parade of walking and cheering gumdrops. The air was filled with upbeat music as giant star people beatboxed harmoniously. Tiny geometric unicorns with wide eyes levitated around her as several party cannons fired, causing confetti to rain on her.
Pinkie sighed happily. "Haaaaaaappy plaaaaaaaace," she said dreamily. A chime from her phone snapped her back to reality. She took out her phone, then grinned widely.
That sounds fun-tastic! - Pinkie Pie
Twilight walked around Canterlot High, grateful that nothing magical had afflicted everyone for once... yet there was still an affliction that took place here. She had found that this Anon-A-Miss catastrophe was similar in execution to the Gabby Gums incident. The perpetrators and motives differed slightly, but the fundamental parallel of using media to further their goals fascinated her.
What other sorts of similarities did this world share with hers?
A chime from Twilight's phone jerked her out of her thoughts. She fumbled around with it for a moment, then held onto it. She slowly typed in a response, just how her friends showed her last night. Soon enough, she managed to write a coherent sentence using her fingers.
That makes sense to me. I can't wait to check in with you! - Twilight
Sunset felt a warmth in her chest as she read the messages. She could practically feel the love and support of her friends. Yes... there was no longer any doubt in her mind. They were her friends, and she was infinitely blessed to have them in her life. As she sighed happily, she thought of three others who were in need of friendship....
AJ, Rarity, Dash. Why not invite your sisters over? I think they could use the company after everything that happened yesterday. - Sunset
Apple Bloom made a sputtering noise as she played a game on her phone. Today had been rougher than a rodeo! She paused, then snorted. Her sister's countryisms were starting to rub off on her!
Apple Bloom flinched, hearing Sunset's scream in her mind. It was bad enough that she had that nightmare last night, but that scream just made things worse for her! She heaved a sigh... she was going to be stuck with this for a while.
Apple Bloom's phone chimed, and she noticed a text.
Hey lil' sis! Wanna join me and the girls for lunch? - AJ
Apple Bloom smiled.
Sweetie Belle had been quiet throughout a majority of the day. She was mad at Wallflower and Trixie for trying to set her and the others up... but she also felt some pity towards them. It was true that what they did was horrible, but the fact that they both genuinely felt bad about what they did...
Sweetie Belle sighed. She knew she didn't have it in her heart to forgive Trixie and Wallflower. Not right now, anyway. Not tomorrow, or the end of the week. Truth be told, she didn't know when... but she knew she would. Eventually.
Sweetie Belle's phone chimed, and she took it out of her pocket.
Dearest Sweetie Belle, you have been cordially invited to a luncheon in the Music Room with myself and my friends, as well as yours. Won't you join us? - Rarity
Sweetie Belle laughed softly.
Scootaloo yawned. She was unable to sleep after having that nightmare, and pretty much the only thing that was keeping her awake was listening to music between periods. She yawned again, then selected a tune.
One by one, the girls entered the Music Room with their lunches.
"Thanks for joining me in here, girls," Sunset said as she started to take her lunch out.
"Of course, darling," Rarity said. "How have you been getting along?"
Sunset sighed. "I've been better, but at least everyone's been nice to me."
"After everything ya went through," Applejack said as she raised a forkful of food. "I think that's the least folks 'round here should do."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Sunset looked at Twilight with a slight smile. "So, did you get any quality time with Flash?"
Twilight shook her head. "I came here for you, Sunset. You're more important right now. Besides, I can always visit another time."
"But you're a princess," Rainbow said after swallowing a spoonful of food. "Doesn't that keep you busy, like, all the time?"
"Not all the time."
"Yeah," Pinkie said. "She also has to have time to hang out with pony versions of us, remember?"
"Land's sake, Twi," Applejack said in surprise. "Do ya ever get a moment to yourself?"
Twilight sighed. "Not often."
Sunset frowned. Twilight looked a little uncomfortable to her... maybe it was time to change the subject. "So, how are things back in Equestria?"
"Surprisingly eventful."
"Oh, do tell, darling," Rarity said excitedly as she put her spoon down.
"Well... my friends and I saved a village of ponies from someone bent on stealing their individual traits, I had to get used to an ornate new home, got swallowed whole by a giant slime monster at a dance, organized the Grand Equestria Pony Summit, nearly got into a diplomatic fiasco with yaks, reunited with my old friends, helped our world's Luna through a guilt complex (and fought a creation of hers in a massive shared dream in the process), and found out I'm going to be an aunt."
Twilight was met with wide eyes and dropped jaws.
"Wow," Sunset said in awe. "That's a lot to take in."
"It was a lot to go through," Twilight said with a laugh, then turned to face the Crusaders. "I'm sorry if you three are feeling ignored," she said sincerely. "How have you been since yesterday?"
Scootaloo heaved a sigh. "We’ve been better, but we’ve also been worse.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Sometimes, I can still hear the scream…”
Sunset opened her mouth, only for Twilight to cut her off. “No, Sunset. You don’t need to apologize for that.”
“But-”
“Sunset,” Twilight said as she held Sunset’s hands. “There’s no need to apologize for an understandable psychological response.”
“Twi’s right,” Applejack said as she put down her lunch. “It was beyond your control, and it ain’t your fault!”
“The last thing you need is a guilt complex, darling,” Rarity said after swallowing some food.
“Doesn’t she already ha-” Rainbow was cut off as Fluttershy covered her mouth.
Sunset turned her head to look at her friends, who all simultaneously nodded in agreement. She smiled slowly. “Yeah… I guess you’re all right.”
There were murmurs of agreement, and everyone resumed their eating.
Wallflower Blush poked at her food with her fork. All throughout the day she had shifted between worrying about Sunset, wondering how Trixie was doing, and feeling terrible guilt! When word gets out that she was half of Anon-A-Miss…
Wallflower couldn’t help but laugh mirthlessly at the irony she’d face when her suspension ended. All this time she wanted to be noticed, and when she’d return to Canterlot High, she’d definitely have her wish!
“Fuck my life,” Wallflower muttered under her breath as she held her head in her hands. She grunted in frustration, clenching her hands in fists. She glanced up to see her mother, who for once didn’t seem to mind that she swore. That was fine by her. She’d been through enough as it was! Nevermind the fact that she still had a long road ahead of her…
If only Wallflower could garden right now. That’d be the one thing that could possibly ease her mind. Neither imagining or pretending she was would even come close to cutting it! She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then exhaled slowly in an effort to calm herself. Fortunately, it worked! Unfortunately, however, the guilt and self-loathing would inevitably return.
Wallflower resisted the urge to bang her head on the table. It wouldn’t do her any good anyway. It would only bring her more pain. She sighed, then slowly finished her lunch.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she said to Erica, who nodded. As Wallflower went upstairs, she hoped to get at least a little peace in doing so.
Once Wallflower was out of her sight, Erica frowned, then sent a text to Pallete.
Trixie had been staring at her lunch for the last ten minutes. Having been beside herself ever since she woke up, she had barely been able to eat. Ugh, if only she knew some kind of magic that would give her her appetite back!
Spectacle entered the kitchen. “How are you holding up, sweetie?”
Trixie made a sputtering noise. “I wish I was on stage while being bombarded with tomatoes… at least that would feel better than what I’m going through right now.”
Spectacle walked over to Trixie, then gently ran a hand through her daughter’s hair. “I wish I could tell you it gets easier… but it doesn’t. Not immediately, anyway.”
Trixie grunted and rolled her eyes. “Thanks, mom,” she said sarcastically. “I feel soooo much better now.”
“Like it or not, it’s the truth. I’m sure your father made that clear when he spoke to you.”
“Yeah. He did… it’s just that I hate feeling like this. I hate knowing that I’m going to feel like this for a while to come. I-I’m just... so damned mad at myself!” Trixie punctuated her sentence by pounding her fists on the table in a fit of frustration, causing the water in her glass to ripple.
"That's completely understandable," Spectacle said sympathetically as she took her hand off of Trixie's head. "But you know what? If you can stand to be pelted with tomatoes, you can tough this all out." She winked.
Trixie laughed softly in spite of her misery. "I hope so."
"I know so," Spectacle said as she turned to leave. "You're a stronger woman than you give yourself credit for, Trixie."
Trixie hummed thoughtfully as she watched Spectacle leave, then found her appetite.
Twelve young women finished their lunches that afternoon. Two remained at home, while the other ten went their separate ways.
As Sunset approached her classroom she saw a pale, light blue male student leaning against a nearby locker. He gave her a warm smile as he ran a hand through his dark blue hair. “Hey.”
Sunset blinked in surprise. “Soarin?”
“Wanna go for a walk,” Soarin asked as he pointed his thumb down the hall.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “And ditch class?”
Soarin shrugged as he made a noncommittal noise. “Up to you.”
Sunset paused in thought, cupping her chin as she considered the pros and cons. She’d miss the class, obviously, but she could easily catch up if it was just a day’s worth. She didn’t really feel like sitting down right now either.
Sunset stretched. “Sure, why not? My leg muscles could use some exercise.”
As Sunset and Soarin started walking down the hall, they saw a gold-skinned female student round the corner. Her orange eyes went half-lidded as she smiled, which belied her usual fiery and passionate personality.
“Hey Spitfire,” Sunset said with a wave of her hand.
“Sunset,” Spitfire said with a nod, then walked right up to Soarin. She whispered something in his ear, causing him to blush and shudder with a big goofy grin on his face. “I’ll see you tonight, Clipper,” she said huskily before pecking him on the cheek. She then left them with a slight wave of her hand.
It was common knowledge among the student body at CHS that Soarin and Spitfire were an item, so that interaction between the two didn’t surprise Sunset in the least. In fact, she found it cute!
Soarin sighed happily as he touched the kissed cheek. “She’s one hell of a fireball,” He said dreamily, then shook his head rapidly, bringing himself back to full attention. “Let’s continue.”
Sunset laughed softly as she resumed walking.
“So,” Soarin said. “How are you holding up?”
Sunset sighed. “I’ve been better, Soarin. I’ve been better.”
“But you’ve also been worse… right?”
Sunset stopped, then heaved a long sigh as her mood fell.
“Sorry if I hit a nerve there…”
Sunset shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve just been through a lot… and not just recently.”
“I bet,” Soarin said sympathetically as he put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Sunset sighed again. “Nah, I’m actually getting sick and tired of repeating myself.”
Soarin barked a laugh. “Fair enough. I totally understand.” He took his hand off of Sunset’s shoulder, then went back to walking.
Sunset smiled warmly as she followed.
“You know, Sunset…”
“Hm?”
“If I was in your place, I’d honestly have crumbled long ago.”
Sunset’s eyes slowly widened. “What?”
Soarin slowed down to allow Sunset to walk alongside him. “I mean it. After everything you’ve been through. Whatever happened to you to make you such a mean person. Whatever you were feeling before that night at the Fall Formal. Whatever the hell you saw when you were hit with that rainbow tornado. Whatever struggles you endured… that breakdown you had yesterday.”
“Whatever happened to you,” Soarin continued, “would more than likely have broken me.” He let out a soft, mirthless laugh. “You’re something else… to have endured so much, but still be standing.”
Sunset snorted. “Barely.”
“But you’re still here, trying to be the best person you can be! And if you can turn yourself around after everything you did… that gives me hope for Wallflower and Trixie.”
“Wait, what?”
Soarin smiled. “You heard me. I can see the parallels between them and you. The majority of Canterlot High may despise them now that word’s got out that they were Anon-A-Miss, but I don’t. In fact, I feel sorry for them.” Sunset tilted her head. “You do?”
Soarin nodded. “I could see the looks on their faces. They both definitely knew what they had done was wrong. Much like you when you started to change your ways. That’s why when they return from suspension, I’ll make sure to be the first person to welcome them back with open arms.”
Sunset swiftly wrapped her arms around Soarin, eliciting a yelp from him.
“Thank you,” Sunset said softly. “That means a lot to me, and I can only imagine how much it’ll mean to them.” She sighed as Soarin returned the hug. They stood together, enjoying their friendship and warmth for a few moments, then separated.
Sunset looked around the hallway warily. “Say, Spitfire isn’t the jealous type, is she? I wouldn’t want her to get the wrong idea about what we just did.”
Soarin snorted, then shook his head. “Nah. She knows I wouldn’t dare fool around with other girls.”
"That's a relief." Sunset ran a hand through her hair. "I'd hate to cause a misunderstanding between you two."
"It'd take a lot to drive me and Spitfire apart, Sunset. We've been through a hell of a lot together, just like you and the rest of the Rainbooms."
"Yeah," Sunset said softly with a smile. "And I'm sure we'll all go through a hell of a lot more."
"That's just life sometimes."
Sunset nodded. "That's true, but those trials strengthen our bonds, bringing us closer than ever."
Soarin grinned. "Look at you, sounding like a friendship expert!"
Sunset couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I still have a lot to learn."
"If you say so..."
Sunset and Soarin continued walking, strengthening their own bonds as they talked, joked, and laughed together all throughout sixth period.
Soarin and Sunset neared the classroom just as the bell for the next passing period went off.
"Well," Soarin said. "I guess this is my stop." He winked, then waved as he walked away.
Sunset sighed with a smile. It warmed her heart that so many people would go out of their way to be so nice to her after what happened yesterday!
"Hey," a vaguely familiar voice said from behind Sunset.
Sunset turned around to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, each of them sporting regretful expressions.
Sunset stood still, surprised. Out of all the people she’d expect to want to talk to her today, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were not on her list! “I… don’t see why not,” she said with a shrug.
Diamond Tiara heaved a sigh of relief. “Good.” She looked left, right, then leaned towards Sunset. “Can we go somewhere private? I don’t want anyone else to hear what I want to talk about.”
Sunset tilted her head in uncertainty. From what she’d heard from her friends and the Crusaders, this sort of behavior from her was unusual… all the more reason to give her the benefit of the doubt!
Sunset nodded, and the three walked away from the classroom. On the way, she couldn’t help but glance at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. What could they possibly want to talk to her about?
A few moments later, the trio reached a study room. Sunset opened the door. “After you,” she said as she gestured Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon inside. She closed the door behind herself as the light was turned on, and they all sat at the table together.
“Okay,” Sunset said. “I’m all ears.”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon exchanged meaningful glances, then nodded.
“Sunset… how hard was it for you to change?”
Sunset blinked in surprise. She didn’t expect Diamond Tiara to start off with a question like that! “Um… why do you want to know?”
“Answer my question and I’ll tell you,” Diamond Tiara stated as she folded her arms.
Sunset frowned slightly, then shrugged. “It wasn’t hard for me to change. After everything that happened to me on the night of the Fall Formal, how could I not?”
“But what about forgiving yourself,” Silver Spoon asked.
Sunset sighed heavily. “That’s an entirely different story,” she said softly as she looked away from the two. “I thought I’d done so, but after witnessing yesterday’s chaos all my guilt and self-loathing resurfaced… just like that.” She snapped her finger for emphasis.
“It was bad enough to be a bystander and watch everyone at each other’s throats,” she continued. “But it was even worse knowing that that’s what I did!”
“So you still haven’t forgiven yourself?”
“Obviously not,” Diamond Tiara said softly.
Sunset turned back to face them with a mirthless laugh. “You try forgiving yourself for ruining people’s lives and their relationships, turning your back on your mentor, becoming a power-mad she-demon bent on taking over your home, then being forced to experience every last fucking bit of agony you caused a thousand times over!” She slammed her fist on the table, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon recoiled as her ragged breaths became the only audible noise in the room.
Several moments passed as everyone remained silent, until Sunset shuddered as she covered her head in her hands. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. “I’m just dealing with a lot of shit right now, and I shouldn’t have blown up at you two.”
“It’s okay,” Silver Spoon said. “You clearly needed to get all of that off of your chest.”
Sunset removed her hands, revealing a sad smile. “Yeah. I guess I did.” She made a sputtering noise. “I’m such a freaking mess right now…”
“Why’d you even bother coming here, then,” Diamond Tiara asked.
“Because I’m too damned stubborn for my own good sometimes.”
“It’s your funeral.”
“Di!” Silver Spoon glared at her friend disapprovingly.
“Shit! Sorry!” Diamond Tiara smiled sheepishly.
Sunset once again took note of the duo’s unusual behavior. Something was a little off about all this to her…
“Okay,” she said. “My turn. Why’d you ask that question?”
“Because we want to change, too,” Diamond Tiara said sincerely as she gestured to herself and Silver Spoon.
Sunset’s eyes widened a bit. This wasn’t at all what she was expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise! “Really?”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon nodded in unison.
“That’s wonderful! What inspired this change of heart?”
Diamond Tiara smiled genuinely. “You did.”
Sunset’s jaw nearly dropped. “M… M-Me?”
Diamond Tiara got out of her chair. “Yes,” she said softly, then put a hand on top of Sunset’s.
“How?”
“On the night of the Musical Showcase. When you… what’s that phrase you and girls use again?”
“When I ponied up?”
“Yeah! You just looked so happy. So confident!”
Sunset blushed as she ran a hand through her hair.
Now it was Silver Spoon’s turn to stand up. “The smile on your face that night was something neither I nor Di had ever seen on our own faces!”
“You see,” Diamond Tiara said as Silver Spoon reached them. “Our home lives are, well… less than ideal.”
“Oh?” Sunset could tell this conversation was heading into confidential territory. She’d have to choose her words carefully here!
“It’s true,” Silver Spoon said. “I love my parents to death, but they fight, like, all the time!” She frowned with a sigh. “I’m pretty sure they’re only staying together for the money.”
“I love my daddy,” Diamond Tiara said. “But Spoiled Rich-”
“Wait,” Sunset said. “Don’t you mean your m-”
“I don’t have a mother,” Diamond Tiara spat. “What I have is a wealth and status-obsessed bitch of a woman that I live with!”
Sunset froze momentarily, caught off-guard by Diamond Tiara’s sudden outburst.
Diamond Tiara’s features softened, and she put a hand to her forehead, dragging it down her face. “Ugh… We’re all dealing with a lot of shit, aren’t we?”
Silver Spoon put a supportive hand on Diamond Tiara’s shoulder. “We are, Di, but I think we’re also digressing.”
“Yeah. We are.” Diamond Tiara removed her hand from her face. “The point that we’re trying to make here is that we want to be happy like you are. That’s why we want to change!”
“In other words, Sunset,” Silver Spoon said as she adjusted her glasses. “We want you to teach us what you know about friendship.”
Sunset put a hand to her mouth in shock.
“We’re hoping that our quality of life will improve as a result. So… what do you say?”
Sunset nearly leapt out of her chair. “I’d love to!”
The three embraced each other, and the warning bell for next period rang.
“We’ll have to iron out the details later.”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon nodded, and the three left the study room.
As Sunset reached her next class, she found herself flanked by Snips and Snails. She opened the door and gestured them inside, then followed as the door shut behind her.
Snips, Snails and Sunset entered the classroom and sat down.
Once at her desk, realization dawned on Sunset. She looked to her left to see Snails, then to her right to see Snips. She gently put the palm of her hand on her forehead, then dragged it downward.
Of all the days. Of all the classes. Of all the students to sit between.
Sunset wasn’t upset because of Snips and Snails’ penchant for mischief. She wasn’t upset because they both seemed to be absent-minded. She wasn’t upset because they were mildly annoying to her on the best of days.
Sunset was upset because of what she did to Snips and Snails. How she affected them. How she manipulated them.
When she first met Snips and Snails, she thought they were both well-meaning, but not all that bright.
Sunset laughed a soft, yet mirthless laugh. Some things never change…
Snips and Snails’ lack of intelligence made them excellent lackeys in her eyes… back when-
Sunset grit her teeth. She needed to stop thinking about all the terrible things she’d done! But how could she, when she was sitting between the two people she believed that she hurt the most?
Unfortunately for Sunset, a memory of that fateful Fall Formal’s aftermath surfaced…
Shortly after her sincerest apologies with Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Sunset trudged over to Snips and Snails. She had to will herself to move forward, as she felt a great deal of weight upon her shoulders. If she were to stop, she felt she would simply collapse.
Snips and Snails sat still, staring blankly at nothing as Sunset approached them.
Sunset swallowed nervously as she struggled to come up with words to express her newfound guilt. There were so many things she wanted to say to them that she didn’t know where to start! She took a deep breath, then heaved a long sigh.
“Snips… Snails…”
Snips and Snails remained still, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Sunset glanced away from them. She couldn’t blame Snips and Snails for ignoring her, especially after all she had just put them through. Nevertheless, she had to get this off of her chest.
“I… I-I know you can both hear me,” she said tentatively. “So please. Just hear me out, okay?”
Not a single movement. No nodding. No blinking. The only signs of life coming from them were breathing.
Sunset frowned, then sighed again. “I want to apologize for everything. The verbal abuse, the manipulation… all of it. I’ve been in a really bad place for most of my life. I let my anger and arrogance make a complete monster out of me, and both of you too. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do whatever I can to make this all right again.”
Snips and Snails didn’t budge a single inch.
With her apology finished, Sunset turned away and went back to the five young women she nearly tried to kill a few minutes ago.
Sweet Celestia, Sunset was a mess…
“I’m not surprised by their reaction,” Sunset said quietly as she approached the group. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole of Canterlot High treated me the same way.”
“Um, actually,” Fluttershy said. “They’ve been like that since we broke your spell.”
Sunset’s eyes widened.
“Yeah,” Pinkie chimed in. “They’ve been all catatonic-y ever since they were hit with their own rainbow tornados!”
“WHAT?!” Sunset grabbed Pinkie by her dress. “Please tell me you’re joking!”
Sunset felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Rarity.
“I’m terribly sorry, dear, but Pinkie is telling the truth,” Rarity said softly.
“No,” Sunset whispered as her grip on Pinkie weakened. “Oh, Celestia, no…”
A harsh truth dawned on Sunset at that moment. In her quest for revenge, she took the two most innocent students at school… and corrupted them. Snips and Snails would never quite be the same after tonight, and that multiplied her already immense guilt.
Sunset simply collapsed as tears fell from her cheeks.
Sunset let out a shuddering breath as she covered her face with her hands. She wondered if Snips and Snails received a ‘visit’ from their respective Demonselves…
Suddenly, cacophonous laughter filled Sunset's mind. She shuddered again as a chill ran down her spine.
You rang, the Demonself inquired mockingly.
Sunset closed her eyes and hissed through her teeth. Couldn’t she have a few moments of peace?! Was that too much to ask?
The Demonself cackled. As if you could escape me! We’re connected, you and I… and I have no doubt that our former lackeys are connected to their ‘alter egos’ as well!
Sunset imagined Snips and Snails cowering before their demonic forms, suffering much in the way she did while she was trapped in the rainbow. She was forced to see visions of those she hurt, and worse still, she experienced every last drop of anguish, agony and impotent rage that her victims did!
She wouldn’t wish that on her worst enemy.
Oh, but you are your own worst enemy, aren’t you? After all, you brought this all on yourself!
Sunset was her own enemy. Past tense.
The Demonself burst into a laughing fit.
Who do you think you’re kidding, Sunset Shimmer?! I can feel your self-loathing!
Sunset balled her hands into fists, clenching her teeth as she fidgeted. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snips turn to face her.
No! This was the last thing she needed on top of everything else. To look into the eyes of those she’d wronged right now would likely be more than she could bear!
“Sunset?”
Sunset, against her better judgment, turned her head to meet Snails’ gaze. She froze up momentarily, then looked away as an image of him suffering entered her mind.
“Sunset?”
Without thinking, Sunset turned around to see Snips. The look of concern on his face only made her feel worse as she imagined him suffering.
At that moment, another memory resurfaced for Sunset. She had personally invited Snips and Snails’ parents to Principal Celestia’s office to apologize to them in person for what she had done to their sons.
Even today, Sunset didn’t know what hurt her more that evening. The fact that Snips’ parents didn’t show up, or Snails’ livid mother having to be physically restrained by Vice-Principal Luna.
Sunset suddenly stood up, then, with as much restraint as possible, quietly walked out of the classroom. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned against a locker, then slid down to a sitting position as she covered her head with her hands.
Within moments, the classroom door opened and Snips and Snails walked out together.
“Sunset,” Snails said as he crouched down to meet her at eye level. “Are you okay?”
Sunset slowly raised her head. “Really,” she asked flatly, then lowered her head back down. She let out a sigh. What was she doing? Even if just for a moment, she shouldn't have let her temper get the better of her, let alone take her anger out on Snips and Snails!
"I'm sorry," Sunset said quietly. "I've been through a lot of shit lately."
"We might not be the sharpest tools in the belt," Snips said as he crouched down between Snails and Sunset. "But even Snails and I can tell that!"
"Yeah," Snails chimed in with a nod. "We're just worried about you, that's all."
Sunset laughed softly as she lifted her head. "Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it… but what about you?"
Snips blinked. "What about us?" He scratched his head in confusion.
"How are you both doing? I'm a little worried about you two."
Snails tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because I heard you were both caught in your own rainbow vortexes," Sunset explained. "Mine was a living, nightmarish hell. I can only imagine how bad it must've been for you guys."
Snips and Snails' eyes widened. "Oh, yeah," they said in unison.
"I guess we just kinda forgot about that," Snips said as he put a hand behind his head.
Snails chuckled. "It wasn't anything special, all we saw were our parents mad at us."
Sunset's eyes widened. "What?!"
Snips nodded. “Yeah. It sucked.”
Sunset was dumbfounded. She thought that Snips and Snails would have received the same punishment she had! After everything she did…
Wait.
Everything she did. She had ruined the lives of the entire student body over the course of a couple of years, and in turn experienced all their pain.
Snips and Snails, on the other hand, had virtually done little to no wrong (that Sunset was aware of) outside of property damage. They didn’t hurt anyone, but they did disappoint their parents.
Sunset snorted. It made sense… she guessed. She felt a little better now, knowing that Snips and Snails didn’t suffer like she did.
The bell rang.
“Thanks for the talk, guys,” Sunset said as the three of them stood up together. “I needed something to lighten my mood.”
“You bet,” Snips and Snails said in unison, then walked away.
Sunset smiled warmly as she watched, then felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around.
“Hey,” Flash said with a smile. “Mind if I walk with you?”
Sunset and Flash walked together, ignoring other passers-by.
“So,” Sunset said. “Did you see that Princess Twilight’s here?”
Flash blushed. “Y-Yeah, I did… but let’s not focus on her. Let’s focus on you. How are y-”
Sunset put a finger to Flash’s mouth with a sigh. “I’ve been better, Flash… I’ve been better.” She removed her finger. “Sorry about that, but I’m starting to get tired of being asked that question.”
“Fair enough… but I have to say, I admire your strength and courage in coming here.”
Sunset laughed softly. “Thanks. I’ve been getting that a lot today, actually.”
“Only because it’s true,” Flash said with a wink.
“And here I thought you loved me,” Sunset said as crocodile tears fell from her face.
Sunset grit her teeth, and Flash took notice.
“Sunset? What’s wrong?”
Sunset put a hand to her face. “I’ve been having memories of all the terrible shit I’ve put people through, and it’s not helping all the guilt I’ve been feeling.”
“Huh… I would’ve thought you’d be absolved of all that after the Musical Showcase.”
Sunset frowned. “Yeah… you and me both.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Sunset put a hand on Flash’s shoulder. “Just being here with me is helping.”
“Some boyfriend you are. I guess your band is more important to you than I am.”
Sunset’s grip tightened suddenly, and Flash put his hand on top of hers. “It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. “I’m here for you.”
Sunset smiled. Flash could be such a sweet guy. This comforted her, yet at the same time it also made her feel worse about how she had treated him when they were dating.
“Thanks… I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Anytime.”
As they continued walking, Sunset realized that she had barely spoken with Flash ever since she “broke up” with him. At first, it was just her being petty. After the Fall Formal she only spoke to him once to apologize for everything she’d done. She could hardly bring herself to speak to him since, because of her guilt.
You’re a monster!
Sunset stopped, then hissed through her teeth and balled her hands into fists as she winced. She felt Flash take her by the hand. He gave her a reassuring smile, which lifted her spirits just a little. She wasn’t feeling as guilty anymore, but there was something she had to know.
“Flash… Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I’ve done?”
"If by 'everything you've done', you mean 'apologizing to everyone you've wronged, genuinely working hard to become a better person and saving the world in the process', that's why."
Sunset’s eyes widened. “Flash…”
“Come on, Sunset,” Flash said with a grin. “You’ve got to stop doubting yourself like this! I mean, even the magic accepted you!”
Sunset sighed as she put a hand to her forehead. “I know, I know. It’s just… Ugh, I swear to Celestia, I have some kind of guilt complex.”
Much to Sunset’s surprise, her Demonself remained silent at the mention of guilt this time! She made a mental note of this.
Flash tilted his head slightly as confusion crossed his features. “What does Principal Celestia have to do with this?”
Sunset couldn’t help but snort. “Nevermind that.”
Flash folded his arms, still clearly confused. “If you say so.”
Sunset and Flash resumed their walk.
“So… How have you been?”
Flash turned his head and looked away from Sunset. “I won’t lie to you, Sunset,” he said quietly. “It’s been… hell. All of this magic stuff has really messed with my head.” He swiftly turned his gaze back to her. “Not that I’m blaming you for any of it.”
“But I-”
Now it was Flash’s turn to put a finger to Sunset’s lips. She removed his finger as she rolled her eyes and made a sputtering noise. “Okay, yeah,” she said in a frustrated tone. “That’s a bad habit I need to break.”
“I’m glad you finally think so. It’s been really frustrating, seeing you come so far only for that guilt to return.”
Sunset barked a mirthless laugh. “You’re telling me.” With this newfound perspective, she found herself wishing she’d made an appointment or two with the guidance counselors of Canterlot High sooner. Oh, she knew her friends would be a big help in her recovery process, but none of them had the proper experience and training necessary.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Sunset blinked, then turned to face Flash.
“You kinda looked like you were spacing out there.”
Sunset smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I guess I was.”
“So what were you thinking about?”
“Oh, just the next step to better myself.”
Flash gently punched Sunset on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, you know that?”
“How could you do that to Wallflower Blush?!”
Sunset let out a yelp as another pang of guilt struck. She recovered swiftly, then pinched the bridge of her nose. “Gotta love an uphill battle,” she muttered as she slowly shook her head.
“It may be an uphill battle, but you’ve got a lot of good people rooting for you.”
"I know," Sunset said softly. "And I appreciate it. I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for everyone, and I shudder to think about it."
“Well it’s a good thing you won’t have to.”
A vision of a tombstone entered Sunset’s mind.
Here Lies Sunset Shimmer
She Is In A Much Better Place Now
Sunset gasped, and the world began to spin around her. She teetered, and Flash caught hold of her. Her breathing became ragged as she clenched her hands, and sweat formed on her forehead.
“What happened?!” Flash kept his hold on Sunset as he slowly sat her down on the floor. “Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay,” Sunset snapped, then put her head in her hands with a long sigh. “I… I-I’m sorry, Flash.”
“It’s all right,” Flash said softly. “I completely understand, you’ve been having a very shitty last couple of days.”
Sunset nodded. “Still, I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” She removed her hands, then started to get up.
“Do you need help?”
“No,” Sunset said as she stood upright. “But I appreciate the thought.”
The warning bell rang, and Sunset gave Flash a hug. "Thanks for the talk."
"Anytime," Flash said as he returned the hug.
Sunset broke the hug, then hurried off to her next class.
Ever since Sunset sat down at her desk, she had been unable to stop thinking about that vision of her tombstone.
Her death. One of her few fears. Reminders of her own mortality, let alone anyone else's, always chilled her to the bone.
Sunset couldn't help but flash back to the times she felt she was truly at death's door. When she hadn't gotten used to the food of this world, and nearly died of starvation. When she willingly ended her life out of guilt, only for that to be part of the rainbow's illusion.
She shuddered, and her heart began racing.
Mortality was one of the biggest reasons why Sunset enrolled in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. If the Princesses could be immortal, why couldn't she? Why shouldn't she? She was gifted, so it only seemed right!
"Sunset", Princess Celestia said solemnly. "It's true that Princess Lu-..." She paused, and for the briefest of moments Sunset could have sworn she saw an expression of deep regret. "...It's true that Princess Luna and I have lived far longer than anypony, but I'm afraid there is no 'secret' or 'immortality'. Someday, we too will pass away. Nothing can, nor ever will, change that."
Sunset, being as selfish as she was back then, believed that she was being lied to and that Princess Celestia was keeping the secret of immortality to herself! She decided to give that matter a rest though, as she had found a mirror…
But once Sunset entered the forbidden Dark Magic Library in her search for knowledge about the mirror, she could not resist looking for spells for immortality. She spent countless hours poring through every book whenever she wasn’t being mentored by Princess Celestia.
After having read nearly all the books in the library, Sunset had found nothing. She had just a few books left to read when she found information on the mirror… then got caught.
Just before Sunset ran through the mirror, she began to suspect that Princess Celestia kept the secret of immortality for herself. Well, she’d get it out of her one way or another… but the mirror came first.
Sunset sighed heavily as she covered her forehead with her hand. Why in Equestria was all of this running through her head now?!
Sunset weakly held onto a low-hanging tree branch as she heaved and vomited on the ground. She had been in this strange new world for about a week now, and no matter what she ate she'd throw it back up within minutes. She let out a weak moan, then threw up again as she felt a bout of dizziness. Tears fell from her eyes as anxiety took hold of her, causing her to finish emptying her stomach. Am...am I going to die? She sniffled weakly as she felt her legs give out. "I-I don't want to die...alone..." she fell to the ground as she lost consciousness.
Please.
Sunset opened her eyes slowly as she found herself in what looked to be a hospital room. She felt tired. So very tired. The beeping of the monitor near her kept her attention until a nurse walked in and gasped, then ran out. Sunset blinked in confusion, then realized in shock that that was about all she could do. She began to panic until a doctor came in and stuck with a needle. Waves of calm slowly made their way through her body. She sighed, then fell back asleep.
She didn’t want this. Not now.
With each person she passed, she remembered their feelings and the guilt it brought her. By the time second period rolled around, she caught sight of a particular student. The way Sunset shattered her heart. The anguish nearly consumed her, and she screamed. Unable to take any more, she ran to the roof of the building and stepped to the edge. She turned around to see Twilight's friends, who looked at her with grave concern.
Sunset sniffled. "This is for the best," she said, then jumped.
Sunset took a shuddering breath, then closed her eyes.
Sunset jolted awake with a scream, startling all of her new friends awake.
Here lies Sunset Shimmer
She is in a much better place now
Sunset shook her head rapidly, and she began to seriously question if coming was such a good idea after all.
“You’re a monster!”
Sunset grit her teeth. She was a stubborn woman, she could beat this! She thought of the warmth and friendship between herself, Rarity, Applejack, Princess Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. A wave of calm washed over her, and she felt better. She didn’t know why she hadn’t done that sooner!
Sunset sniffled. "This is for the best," she said, then jumped.
Because it didn’t work, that’s why. “Dammit,” Sunset muttered under her breath.
Sunset woke up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat.
Sunset fell to the ground as she lost consciousness.
Sunset felt her mind beginning to race as she clutched her head. “Stop…”
Sunset plummeted from the rooftop of Canterlot High, then woke up screaming.
“You’re a monster!”
Pushed far, far, beyond her limit, Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath...
...and shrieked in mental anguish, causing everyone to stop.
Then everything went black.
Sunset plummeted to her death, then woke up screaming.
Constant cycles of her snapping screaming dying played in endless loops death rebirth cycles too much for her to handle-
Sunset felt a hand touch hers, and she realized that she had been clutching her desk tightly. She looked to see a light gray hand atop her own, then followed the arm to gaze into violet eyes.
Marble Pie closed her eyes, then took a deep breath and exhaled as she opened them. “Sunset… I-I believe in you. You’re going to be okay.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. For someone as shy and introverted as Marble Pie to speak out in support like that was a big deal!
Marble gave Sunset a sincere smile, and that was when she was struck with an epiphany.
They all weren’t just being nice to Sunset out of pity. They all cared. Genuinely!
“Oh…” Sunset whispered as a tear fell. “Oh, wow…” She now understood that her circle of friends had gone beyond just her six girls. It was comforting. It was heartwarming. And it was overwhelming.
The bell rang, and Sunset shot out of her seat to hug Marble.
“Thank you,” Sunset said between sniffles. “You have no idea how much that means to me coming from you.”
Slowly, Marble returned the hug. The warmth of her embrace soothed Sunset, and she wanted it to last as long as possible.
The sound of a throat clearing caught both Sunset and Marble off-guard, and they broke the hug.
A light gray middle aged woman stood before Sunset and Marble. She adjusted her glasses, and her orange eyes twinkled expectantly.
Sunset blinked in surprise at the appearance of Ms. Raven Inkwell, one of Principal Celestia’s personal aides.
“Sunset?”
“Y… Yes, Ms. Inkwell?”
“Come with me. I’d like to talk to you.”
Sunset nodded, then walked away, but not before turning around and mouthing ‘thank you’.
“Ms. Inkwell,” Sunset said uneasily as the door shut behind them. “A-Am I in trouble?”
“Good heavens, no,” Ms. Inkwell exclaimed with a laugh and a dismissive wave of her hand. “As I said, I just want to talk.”
Sunset heaved a sigh of relief. “Okay, then. What do you want to talk about?”
"Well, first of all, I'd like to thank you for saving us all from the Dazzlings. If it weren't for you, we'd all be stuck worshiping them for the rest of our lives!"
If it wasn't for you bringing the magic here with you, this wouldn't have even been a problem!
Sunset barely avoided wincing. She could practically see the Demonself's smug grin, and she was just so sick and tired of all this bullshit!
Sunset glanced at Ms. Inkwell, worried she might have seen her nearly twitch. If she did, she was given no indication.
“Oh! You’re welcome.” Sunset smiled.
“Now then… What was it like? Saving the world?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t expecting that sort of question from someone who seemed to be so serious about everything. Then again, she hardly knew anything about Ms. Inkwell! Maybe she should take this time to get to know her just a little better…
“Why do you want to know,” Sunset asked.
“Well, if I’m going to be completely honest,” Ms. Inkwell said as she adjusted her glasses. “I…” she paused, and Sunset saw that she was blushing! “I-I’ve always been fascinated with stories about heroes, and I just wanted to know how it felt.”
Sunset barely stifled a giggle. This was actually kind of endearing, seeing someone so professional show a shy side!
“Why are you asking me? What about the rest of the girls?”
“Oh, I already spoke to them. The day after the…” Ms. Inkwell trailed off as she looked away from Sunset. She cleared her throat. “The day after the… Fall Formal.”
Sunset’s smile disappeared, and she winced. For Celestia’s sake, she was never going to live that down, was she?!
Ms. Inkwell cleared her throat, then turned back around. “But, that’s in the past,” she said reassuringly as she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “That isn’t who you are now.”
“I know,” Sunset said softly. “It’s just that I’ve got some kind of deep-seated guilt complex that won’t let me forgive myself.”
“Because of what happened in the rainbow?”
Sunset’s stride broke for a moment. Did the girls tell everyone about that?! “Y-Yes.”
Ms. Inkwell hummed as Sunset caught back up to her. “I could give you a recommendation to a counselor if you wanted.”
“Yes,” Sunset said with a nod. “I’d like that.”
“Excellent! I’ll get right on that after the bell. Now, about my question…”
Sunset reflected on Ms. Inkwell’s question. Saved the world?Had she and the girls actually done that? All they did was save the students and staff of Canterlot High! And yet…
Sunset imagined what could have been had they lost. Knowing fully well that they wouldn’t have just stopped at one school. They would have spread their magic far and wide-
The full force of reality struck Sunset, and her walking gradually slowed to a stop. Her jaw dropped in shock, and she took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Wow…” Sunset was awestruck. She really did save the world… “Right now, it feels surreal.”
Ms. Inkwell laughed softly. “I imagine it does.”
Sunset remained standing as she processed her new realization. She then shook her head rapidly and returned to Ms. Inkwell’s side. Once she did, curiosity struck.
“Ms. Inkwell, what was it like for you?”
Ms. Inkwell paused, then turned to face Sunset. “What was what like for me?”
“When the Dazzlings hypnotized you and the rest of Canterlot High. What was that like?”
Ms. Inkwell frowned, then shuddered. “It was a very unpleasant experience,” she said in a distant voice as she stopped walking. “I was hyperfixated. I wanted to cater to their every whim, my own personal health be damned. I wanted to just stare at them. To gaze at their unparalleled beauty.” She heaved a long sigh. “I… I don’t really want to think about it anymore.”
“I understand.” As badly as she wanted to, Sunset couldn’t hide her guilt.
“Don’t be ashamed, Sunset,” Ms. Inkwell said before Sunset could look away. “You didn’t know how I’d react.”
Sunset smiled sadly. “Yeah. I know. Like I said, ‘deep-seated guilt complex.’”
“I see,” Ms. Inkwell said as she adjusted her glasses.
“It’s been a long road for me, Ms. Inkwell.”
“I can imagine.”
Ms. Inkwell and Sunset turned a corner, and the latter suddenly realized the former had a destination in mind. A destination she had come to visit many, many times over the course of her time at Canterlot High.
Sunset couldn’t help but swallow nervously. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t in trouble.
“Sunset?” Ms. Inkwell snapped Sunset back to reality.
Sunset blushed and laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, just a little anxious… even though I know I have no reason to worry about where we’re going.”
Ms. Inkwell nodded. “I understand. After all, you’ve likely been on edge all day.”
Sunset scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “That’s putting it mildly.”
You’re a monster!
Sunset stopped, then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She resisted the urge to scream not out of anguish, but out of frustration.
“Are you o-”
Sunset cut off Ms. Inkwell as she thrust her hand forward, then held up her index finger. She exhaled slowly through her nose as she lowered her arm, then opened her eyes.
“Please don’t finish that question, Ms. Inkwell,” Sunset said wearily. “I’m getting tired of hearing it, especially since I don’t know the answer myself.”
“Understood.”
“Can we not talk the rest of the way?” “If you feel that’s best, of course.”
“Thank you.”
As the two continued their walking, Sunset couldn’t help but eagerly await the end of the day. It had been rough. Very rough. Celestia knows how much harder today could have been if it wasn’t for the kindness and support of the students and staff!
Sunset waved as she watched her go down the hall, then faced the door.
“There’s no reason for you to worry, Sunset,” She told herself. “Just get in there.” She grabbed the door handle, then opened it to see Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna waiting for her.
“Sunset,” Principal Celestia said welcomingly. “Come, sit with us.”
Despite Principal Celestia’s tone, Sunset couldn’t help but still feel nervous as she sat down.
“We understand you’ve been having a rough day today,” Vice-Principal Luna said softly.
Sunset scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t be the first people to make that understatement.”
“We’re just being sympathetic, Sunset.”
Sunset sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know. I just can’t help being frustrated about all this shit that’s been piling up on me the last couple of days.”
Principal Celestia nodded in acknowledgement. “That brings me to why we both want to talk to you.”
“Oh?”
“We want to know why you came here today.” Vice-Prinicipal Luna said. “After ‘all the shit that’s been piling up’ on you, we thought you’d prefer to stay at home and recover from your trauma.”
“I came here because I was sick and tired of my demonic self’s voice taunting me, and I thought coming here would shut it up!” Sunset frowned. “Obviously, I was wrong and it’s only been making today harder for me.” She paused, then reflected on her day.
It was true that her Demonself had been endlessly harassing herself lately, but it had also been true that everyone had been doing their best to cheer her up.
“Then again,” Sunset said as she perked up a little. “I guess today hasn’t been completely terrible… just very, very rocky.”
“I… see,” Principal Celestia said.
“Do you regret coming here,” Vice-Principal Luna asked.
“That’s actually a tough call,” Sunset said as she ran a hand through her hair. “I mean, I haven’t done my mental health any favors today, that’s for sure… but everyone here’s been so nice and supportive.”
“As they should be. After all, we’re all Canterlot Wondercolts. Unity within the student body is important, as I’m sure you’ve witnessed time and again.”
Upon Vice-Principal Luna’s words, Sunset found herself looking back.
She looked back to the time the girls rallied for Twilight to become Princess of the Fall Formal. She had seen everyone in there singing, dancing and adorning themselves with pony ears and tails. Even then, when she was still in her darkest days, some small part of herself wanted to join in.
Sunset looked back to the Musical Showcase, when the magic had accepted her. Finally, she had been a part of something greater! She was at long last in a better place! Overflowing with joy, she and her friends defeated the sirens.
Sunset would never forget the tears of joy she shed after all was said and done that evening, or the warmth and love she felt from a group hug. That night, she had experienced true unity.
That night, she swore to never again be a loner.
Sunset laughed softly. “Yeah. I have.”
“There’s one other reason we brought you here,” Principal Celestia said. “On behalf of Canterlot High, Vice-Principal Luna and I apologize to you.”
Sunset blinked. “Apologize? To me?”
Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna nodded.
“What for?”
“To put it bluntly,” Vice-Principal Luna said with a remorseful expression. “We feel like we’ve failed you.”
“Failed… me? How?”
“With all of the fighting throughout the school, our staff was stretched thin. We had no way of knowing who Anon-A-Miss was, and we couldn’t help you when you needed it the most.”
“Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna, I honestly don’t think there was that much you could have done.”
“That’s beside the point, Sunset,” Principal Celestia said tersely. Her eyes widened momentarily, then she sighed heavily as she put her head in her hands.
Sunset was surprised at Principal Celestia’s response. She had always seen her with a cool head!
“I’m sorry about that,” Principal Celestia said as she raised her head. “We, too, have been frustrated about all the shit that’s been piling up… and not just over the last couple of days.”
“So much has happened over the past few months,” Vice-Principal Luna said as she put a supportive hand on her sister’s shoulder. “With all the magical incidents, we’ve never felt so powerless, being unable to do anything but sit back and hope for the best.”
Sunset’s jaw nearly dropped. She never even imagined seeing Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna open up to her like this!
“And that’s not even taking into account the mental health of our students!”
“But magic had nothing to do with what happened yesterday,” Sunset said.
“We know,” Principal Celestia said softly. “That only makes it harder on us.”
“I… I had no idea. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Principal Celestia smiled. “You already have.” She put her hand atop Sunset’s. “Thank you for saving us.”
Sunset returned the smile. “You’re welcome… But you don’t have to feel guilty or powerless.”
“Neither do you,” Vice-Principal Luna said with a smile of her own.
Before Sunset could respond, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna got off their chairs, then walked over to her.
Sensing what was about to happen, Sunset eagerly got out of her chair. Instantly, she found herself between the sisters, basking in their hug. She let out a long, blissful sigh.
Her reverie was short-lived, however, with a knock on the door. The hug was broken, but not before Sunset said “Thank you both.”
“Come in,” Principal Celestia said.
The door opened, and in walked Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie, who entered from the ceiling.
"Howdy there," Applejack chirped. "Y'all ready to go?"
Sunset blinked. "Go? Go where?"
"Back to your place, silly," Pinkie said.
Sunset turned to Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna.
"You're more than welcome to stay," Vice-Principal Luna said with a knowing smile as she folded her arms. "But we'd understand if you'd want to leave early... maybe even take the rest of the week off." She winked.
"Or even as long you need to," Principal Celestia added.
Sunset grinned, then gave Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna another big hug. "Thanks again. Really."
"Of course."
Sunset broke the hug, then walked out of the office with her friends.
By the time the final bell of the school day rang, the girls were already long gone.
Sunset closed the door behind her, then let out a huge sigh of relief. “Fuck me, it feels good to be back!” She hurried over to her couch, then flopped onto it with an appreciative hum. “Oh, Mr. Couch… you’re the only one who understands me…”
Rarity cleared her throat, and Sunset turned to face her friends with a sheepish laugh. “Sorry. I was kinda in the moment.”
Rarity tittered. “There’s no need to feel bad, darling. That was quite amusing.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie chirped. “Who doesn’t like to fall on soft stuff after a tough day?”
The girls all murmured in agreement as they all set their belongings down.
“So,” Twilight said to Sunset once everyone got settled in. “How was your day?”
“No matter where you are or what you do, you’ll never be free from me!”
Sunset nearly flinched, then made a sputtering noise as cover. “It was a day, that’s for sure!” She put her hands behind her head as she scooted to the end of the couch. She propped her head up.
“Um… are you feeling any better,” Fluttershy asked as she sat on the stairs leading to Sunset’s loft.
Sunset was about to shrug, but she remembered her epiphany when she spoke to Marble Pie. The warmth she felt in that moment returned to her, along with the warmth she felt when she hugged Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna.
It felt the same as the warmth from her vision within the rainbow vortex!
Sunset nodded. “Just a little bit. Everyone was just so nice to me today! Even Marble Pie gave me words of encouragement!”
“Yes,” Pinkie exclaimed with a fist pump.
Applejack grinned smugly at Rainbow Dash as she folded her arms. “Toldja.”
Rainbow scowled and rolled her eyes as she put her hand into her back pocket and fished out her wallet. “I was so sure she wasn’t gonna say anything!” She took out a five dollar bill, then handed it to Applejack.
“C’mon, Dashie! I know my sister!”
Rainbow grumbled as she took out another five dollar bill, then handed it to Pinkie, who stored it in her hair.
Sunset stared at the girls in confusion as Rainbow sullenly put her wallet back into her pocket. “What was that all about?”
“Well,” Twilight said. “When you were asleep last night, keeping you company wasn’t the only thing we all talked about.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow.
“You see,” Twilight continued as she walked towards Sunset. “We had to consider the possibility that you’d still want to go to school, despite everything that you went through.”
Sunset nodded in understanding.
“So we contacted as many Wondercolts as we could, and they in turn contacted other students. By the time we arrived, everyone in Canterlot High knew you were coming and were willing to lift your spirits!”
“All we had to do was mention your name, an’ everyone was all gung-ho about it!” Applejack sat on the floor with her legs crossed.
“We even came up with an awesome name,” Rainbow said. “Operation: Sunshine!”
Sunset smiled warmly as she put a hand on her chest. It was moments like this that she would treasure for the rest of her life. Her friends would always be there for her, just they’d all be there for each other.
“That’s so sweet of you guys,” Sunset said. “But what does any of that have to do with the betting?”
“Rainbow didn’t think everyone would be willing to talk to you, so I was like ‘Oh, really?’” Pinkie played with her hair until it resembled Rainbow’s. “Yeah, really,” she said in a scarily accurate impression. She then changed her hair back to her own. “Name one person who you think won’t say anything to her,” she said in her own voice. “Your sister Marble!”
“So then I bet Rainbow that Marble would talk to you,” Pinkie finished.
“An’ I couldn’t help myself, I joined in on the bet,” Applejack said with a grin. “Easiest five dollars I’ve ever earned!”
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. Those two with their constant competition! “So what do we do now?”
Pinkie grinned.
“Right,” Sunset said with a laugh. “As if I had to ask.”
“A party,” everyone exclaimed in unison.
“Now let’s get it started,” Pinkie chirped.
Scootaloo opened the door to her bedroom, then closed it. She set her backpack down and walked to her window, then simply stared forward.
Today had to have been one of the most unusual days she had experienced! Yesterday was complete and total chaos, but today? Nothing! It was like yesterday didn't even happen!
That didn't sit right with Scootaloo. Okay, sure, there were some students apologizing to each other for all things that were said and done… but still!
Scootaloo wondered how the rest of Canterlot High was doing. If she was so badly affected by Sunset's scream, how was everyone else handling it?
With a sigh and slow shake of her head, Scootaloo decided it was a better idea not to think about it too much. She turned away from her window, then went on with her day…
Ever since Apple Bloom got home from school, all she could do was lay on her bed, stare up at the ceiling and contemplate the day she had.
Was it strange for Apple Bloom to have wanted today to be out of the ordinary? Even after everything that happened yesterday? Oh, she didn't want anything chaotic, but she sure as shooting didn't want today to be normal. It just plain felt wrong to her!
Normal was what Apple Bloom got, and she didn't like it. She even said so several times throughout the day!
Well, Apple Bloom thought to herself. At least the rest of the day should be normal… right?
She got off of her bed, then left her room…
Sweetie Belle’s mind had been racing ever since she got on the bus back home. After surviving the Fall Formal and the Musical Showcase, why had the Anon-A-Miss incident shaken her the most? She was used to seeing conflict and forgiveness following almost immediately, but the secrets that came out were damaging to relationships and friendships!
Maybe that’s why it shook her up so much. The damage was lasting. She could see the mistrust in some of the student’s eyes as she passed them by. How long would it take for the whole of Canterlot High to fully recover from that? Could they recover?
This was too much for Sweetie Belle to think about. She had to do something else to keep her mind occupied.
Within minutes, she decided to spend the rest of the day watching mindless videos online.
Sweetie Belle flopped onto her bed. Despite her improved mood, her current headache made her question the worth of watching all those videos. Oh, she took a break to eat dinner with her parents, but then she immediately went back to the videos afterward.
Sweetie Belle sighed as she grabbed her phone. What'd be the harm in watching just one more video? One look at the time and she realized there would be harm! It was almost time for bed! She swiftly changed into her pajamas, then turned out the lights.
Sweetie Belle knew it would take herself a few minutes to go to sleep, so she closed her eyes and let her mind wander until finally, sleep came to her…
“Forty-five!”
Ever since Scootaloo returned to her room after dinner, she started exercising. She needed to keep her mind off of the Anon-A-Miss incident, even though she and the other Crusaders had nothing to do with it in the end… they really dodged a bullet not going through with it!
“Forty-six!”
Dammit, Scootaloo told herself she’d stop thinking about Anon-A-Miss! Unfortunately, that was something easier said (or thought) than done.
"Forty-seven!"
For the first time in a while, Scootaloo thought about the future. It wasn't something she did often, as she was more of a 'go with the flow' kind of girl.
"Forty-eight!"
Scootaloo wasn't just thinking about tomorrow, but what might happen to Canterlot High next! With all the craziness that had happened lately, she was positive something else was just around the corner!
"Forty-nine!"
Scootaloo knew not to worry about that stuff too much, though, because she knew that no matter what…
“Fifty!”
…Rainbow Dash and her friends would be there for her and the rest of Canterlot High the next time some serious shit went down!
Scootaloo stood up, then wiped sweat off of her brow. That round of push ups really wore her out! Oh well, at least her muscles weren’t sore. She went into her bathroom and took a quick drink of water, then got into her pajamas. Without wasting any time, she went straight into bed and turned out the lights.
Apple Bloom wearily shut her bedroom door behind herself. After dinner, all she did was help with chores. She had wanted to keep her mind occupied, but also to make herself useful. Washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, cleaning off the table…
Apple Bloom sighed. It felt good getting all that housework done, but boy, was she plum tuckered out! Good thing she was, though, because it was time to get some sleep!
As Apple Bloom changed into her pajamas, she hoped to the stars above she wouldn’t have another nightmare like last night. She needed that like a kick in the head!
She crawled into bed and turned her light off. As she felt herself drifting off to sleep, she wondered…
…How were Wallflower Blush and Trixie Lulamoon doing?
Trixie heaved a long sigh. Never in her life had she ever felt so small.
"It took me some time, but I managed to forgive myself. The guilt I felt... the guilt that haunted me for months on end, slowly disappeared."
Trixie shuddered. She still couldn’t believe she’d have to deal with these feelings for so long! Her hands balled into fists as another wave of anger and self-loathing hit her. Why couldn’t she have fucked up this badly as an adult instead of her goddamn teenage hormones making things even worse for her?!
Sunset’s chilling scream echoed in her mind, and she grabbed the nearest pillow she could find. She took a deep breath, then screamed into it. She screamed again and again, fighting every urge to pound her fists on the floor.
A couple of minutes later, Trixie lifted her head off of the pillow. The emptiness had returned.
All day long she’d been cycling through emotions: anger, frustration, sadness, emptiness, self-loathing. Again and again and again and again. It was driving her insane, and she was powerless to do anything about it.
The next time Trixie saw Sunset, she’d ask her how the hell she managed all of these intense feelings!
Completely dejected, Trixie slowly changed into her pajamas. As she got into bed, she wondered if she would get any sleep tonight. And if she did, how bad would her dreams get?
As Trixie closed her eyes, she wondered which she’d prefer. The waking world, or her inevitable nightmares…
Ordinarily, Wallflower Blush was a clean and tidy woman. Even when she was planning with Trixie, everything in her room was neat and organized. But now?
Her mirror was covered up, as she couldn’t stand to look at herself. Clothes were scattered around the floor, as she took them out of her drawers and threw them around in one of her fits of rage. Her bedroom window was closed and the blinds were drawn shut, as she wanted to close herself off from the world. Her bed was unkempt, as she rolled around in it while squirming with guilt.
A messy, disorganized room to reflect her unfortunate, yet sadly deserved mental state.
God, Wallflower was such a fucking dumpster fire of a mess.
Wallflower buried her head in her hands. How could she have sunk so low? Why on earth did she hold onto her anger for so long?
Wallflower’s hands slowly balled into fists as she grit her teeth. Her heart thundered as all of the negative feelings she had experienced came back. Her breathing quickened as adrenaline flowed through her.
Unable to handle herself for much longer, Wallflower pounded on her mattress. She hit it again. And again. And again. Tears streamed down her eyes as she focused every other erg of her energy into keeping herself from screaming. She’d done more than enough of that today, and she knew she’d do it again tomorrow.
Wallflower pounded harder. Harder. Harder still, until her arms and hands felt numb. Her urge to shriek subsided, and she hunched over with a sniffle. She remained motionless, knowing that if she fell asleep, she would most definitely have nightmares. If she remained awake, she’d still have to deal with all of this self-loathing.
Wallflower never really understood the adage ‘damned if you and damned if you don’t’ until now. She laughed softly but mirthlessly, as she already was damned anyway.
Resigned to her fate, Wallflower mechanically changed into her pajamas and slowly crawled into bed.
Let the nightmares come, Wallflower thought as she turned out her light. Suffering through them would serve as her penance. As if her immense guilt wasn’t enough already…
The party at Sunset’s had lasted from the afternoon all the way to the evening, and everyone was outright exhausted. Even Pinkie looked a little worn out, much to everyone’s surprise!
Sunset yawned, completely drained. “All right guys, I’m going to bed.”
“Are you going to be okay,” Rainbow asked worriedly.
“We’ll see, Rainbow. We’ll see.” Sunset started to walk towards the staircase leading to her loft, then stopped. “Actually, you know what?”
“What,” a half-asleep Applejack inquired.
“I’m going to sleep down here with all of you.” Sunset walked over to her closet, then pulled out her sleeping bag and set it down on the floor.
“If you think that’s best,” Twilight said with a smile.
“I do.”
Sunset shut the lights off, then walked back over to her sleeping bag as Pinkie immediately started snoring.
“Sunset,” Fluttershy said as Sunset got into her sleeping bag.
“Yeah?”
“We’ll be right here if you need us.”
Sunset laughed softly. “I know,” she said as she put a hand atop Fluttershy’s. “And I greatly appreciate it.”
Fluttershy smiled, then put her other hand on Sunset’s as a sign of support before withdrawing both slowly.
Sunset Shimmer gradually fell asleep and began to dream…
Sunset opened her eyes to darkness. This confused her for a moment, as this had never happened to her before. Normally she’d be dreaming already.
Wait, was she dreaming?
Sunset listened closely for any sounds that would give her an indication, like a passing car or someone else from the apartment complex closing a door.
Nothing.
Sunset blinked, and suddenly found that she was weightless. Weightless in complete and utter darkness. This unnerved her for some reason.
A shrill cacophony of laughter filled Sunset’s ears, and her unease turned into fear. A sudden flash of bright light and a wave of heat washed over her, forcing her to close her eyes. The light dimmed enough for her eyes to open, but she kept them shut. She knew who just appeared in front of her…
“If you think that keeping your eyes closed will help you,” the Demonself said in a loud, booming voice. “You’re wrong!”
Sunset opened her eyes, and they widened.
The Demonself stood before Sunset, larger than ever. Its sheer presence sent a chill down her spine, and the fact that it was big enough to crush her beneath those boots only made her feel smaller.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Sunset Shimmer,” the Demonself roared, nearly blowing Sunset back. “You can never escape me!”
“Celestia knows I’ve tried,” Sunset muttered under her breath.
“And no matter what you try, I’ll always come back. After all, I’m a part of you!”
Sunset grit her teeth in frustration as her fear gave way to anger. “I’m so sick and tired of your bullshit,” she roared. “What the hell did I do to deserve…” She trailed off as the answer came to her immediately.
Sunset had been a terrible person at Canterlot High. The people she hurt. The relationships she damaged and even destroyed. Everything she did was what she did to deserve this. Her face fell.
“Hey now, Sugarcube,” a familiar voice said. “How many times do you gotta hear it?”
Sunset whipped around. “Applejack!” She suddenly felt her feet touch solid ground.
“Ooh, ooh,” Pinkie chirped as she skipped forward. “Can I say it? Can I say it?”
There was a familiar scoff as Rarity entered. “Please, darling, wait until we’re all here first!”
“It’s the polite thing to do,” Fluttershy said as she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.
“Aww, yeah,” Rainbow said as she cracked her knuckles. “It’s go time!”
“Sunset,” Twilight said as she materialized right in front of Sunset.
“Your past is not today,” the girls chorused.
Sunset felt that warmth again. The warmth of friendship that she worked so hard to earn and keep. A tear fell from her eye.
“Thanks, girls. I really needed to hear that.” Sunset faced the Demonself, her eyes narrowed in determination. “This is your last warning. Leave me alone!”
The Demonself burst into laughter. “Or what? You’ll ‘friendship’ me to death?”
“We will,” Rainbow snarled. “If that’s what it takes to stop all your fucking guilt trips!”
Sunset gasped. Guilt. It all made sense now.
When she was in the rainbow, the Demonself had shown her everything she ever did. That was the first time she had ever experienced guilt. Since then, the Demonself had haunted her nightmares no matter what she tried.
You’ll never escape me!
That immense guilt had stayed with her for so long, it practically became a part of her!
After all, I’m a part of you!
“I know exactly what you are now,” Sunset said in awe. “You’re a manifestation of my guilt!”
The Demonself sneered. “Good for you. You figured it out! And what are you going to do about it?”
“For starters,” Curly Winds said as he walked in front of Sunset. “Now that she knows, she can take the proper steps to heal herself… and if you want her, you’re gonna have to go through me!” “Not just Curly,” Cherry Crash said. “You’ve got me to deal with, too!”
An abrupt harumph caused Sunset to jump, and Cranky Doodle joined Cherry Crash and Curly Winds.
“As a staff member, it’s my job to ensure the safety of my students from harm,” Cranky said. “You just so happen to fall into that category, so beat it if you don’t want a serious whuppin’!”
“I try to avoid violence when I can,” Scribble Dee said as she adjusted her glasses. “But if it’s to defend a friend, I have no qualms!” She stood with Cranky and Cherry.
“Ya got dat right,” Pixel Pizzaz said with a grin as she joined the group. “Lay offa Sunset, ya bitch!”
“I’ve got a tennis racket with your name on it!”
“Back off of my girl, or I’ll give you a beatdown… and I’m not talking music!”
More and more people appeared alongside Tennis Match and Vinyl. Derpy, Torch Song, the Illusions, Soarin, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, Snips and Snails, Flash, Marble Pie, and Ms. Inkwell. All of them stood in support of Sunset.
Sunset felt that same humbling feeling when she had that revelation while speaking with Marble. It was a feeling she would cherish.
The Demonself stood defiant. “What do you think all of you could possibly do to me?”
“It’s not what we’re going to do,” Vice-Principal Luna said.
“It’s what Sunset’s going to do.” Principal Celestia said.
Upon the sisters’ arrival, the warmth in Sunset’s chest increased exponentially. It was then that she knew exactly what she needed to do.
“And what are you going to do, hmm,” the Demonself inquired mockingly.
Sunset slowly walked to the Demonself. “Like Curly said. I’m getting help.”
The Demonself moved slightly, then gasped.
“Everyone assembled here has been doing their best to help me cope… and it’s been working.”
The Demonself shrank slightly.
“Over time, you’ll grow weaker and weaker.”
The Demonself shrank further, and it noticed itself getting smaller and weaker with each step Sunset took.
“Until one day, I’ll be fully healed.”
By the time Sunset was close enough to touch the Demonself, it was as tall as her.
“But until then?”
Everyone closed their eyes and concentrated. Within moments, the Demonself found itself stuck in place. Trapped and unable to do a single thing.
“You’re going to spend the rest of your existence thinking about what you’ve done. Just like I did.”
Sunset turned around with a big smile. “Thank you... all of you."
Sunset closed her eyes, and as she felt herself waking up she could have sworn she heard a scream of impotent rage.
Scootaloo’s alarm clock went off, snapping her awake from her sleep. She slowly got out of bed, bleary-eyed as she stumbled forward. Upon finally reaching it, she rubbed her eyes.
Having her alarm clock a few feet away from her bed had to have been both one the best and worst ideas Scootaloo had had! Good because it forced her to get out of bed and move around, but bad because she had nearly injured herself a few times before.
Scootaloo yawned, then shook her head rapidly and slapped her cheeks a couple of times before doing a quick set of jumping jacks.
Now that she had gotten a little bit of physical activity, she felt wide awake. She checked the time, then hurriedly took a shower.
As she dried herself off, Scootaloo sighed. No matter how short or long, showers were always refreshing to her!
Sunset’s scream from the day before reverberated through Scootaloo’s head, and she frowned. Okay, so she still had that to deal with.
Scootaloo sighed again, but her frown changed into a soft smile. She knew she'd get better over time, as would Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Sunset. Maybe even Trixie and Wallflower!
With that positive thought, she got dressed, then left her room.
Apple Bloom opened her eyes, then rubbed them with a yawn. She sat up slowly, then cracked her neck. Despite everything that had happened to her and her friends the last couple of days, she had a good night’s sleep and a decent dream to go with it!
She got out of bed, then stretched as she yawned again. As she changed clothes, she thought to herself that maybe things going back to normal at Canterlot High so suddenly wasn’t such a bad thing after all. She should have counted her blessings that yesterday wasn’t anywhere near as intense as the day before!
Apple Bloom put her bow on, and she left her room feeling optimistic for the first time in days.
Upon waking up, Sweetie Belle’s first thought was that she was grateful to be rid of that headache. She was glad that it didn’t keep her awake at night, that would have been terrible! Lack of sleep was the last thing she needed on top of everything else that’d happened lately.
She got out of bed, then ran a hand through her hair as she approached her mirror. She nearly gasped as she saw her reflection.
Sleep was in her eyes, she looked half-awake, and her hair was a mess!
Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but snort. She looked ridiculous! Imagine the looks on everybody’s face if she showed up looking like this! The very thought made her giggle. As funny as the thought was, however, she wouldn’t dare. For many reasons.
She walked into the bathroom, then straightened herself up. Upon another self-inspection, she gave herself a nod of satisfaction.
Sweetie Belle got dressed, then left her room with a smile. She looked forward to what the day would bring.
Last night, Trixie wondered whether she preferred staying awake and hating herself or being asleep and stuck in a hellish, endless nightmare. Unfortunately for her, she had gotten the worst of both worlds.
She had had a terrible nightmare. The kind of terrible nightmare that made her bolt awake, sweating as she looked around herself. She was fearful that she’d see Sunset’s demonic form just out of the corner of her eye. Waiting to strike.
Once she realized she was truly awake, her fear gave way to frustration. Sadness. Anger. It didn’t help that she knew that that was but the second of many nights she’d have to suffer.
Eventually, Trixie would end up falling asleep again only to suffer the same nightmare. Only to wake up with the same feeling of dread. Only to feel her frustration return.
It was a vicious cycle.
Trixie heaved a long sigh as she buried her head in her hands. She had a long and rough road ahead of her…
She raised her head, then shook it slowly as she got out of bed. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to face the day… and she hated it.
Wallflower Blush sat up, hunched over. She had been motionless for the past hour, save for her breathing. She swore under her breath for perhaps the hundredth time since she went to bed, angry at herself for tempting fate just before she fell asleep. She just had to have another reason to hate herself.
She knew the nightmares were going to be awful, but they turned out to be far worse than she could have imagined. Far, far worse. Just thinking about them made her shudder!
Over the course of the night, Wallflower woke up screaming bloody murder several times. Her parents barged into her room the first two times, then after the third took turns watching over her, then consoling her.
It’d been an hour since she gave up on sleep, which was also when she asked her parents to leave her room. An hour that felt like a fucking eternity.
The lack of sufficient sleep had begun to take its toll on Wallflower, and she felt herself getting sleepy. She rapidly shook her head as a tear of terror fell from her eye. She was in the midst of a war of attrition, and she knew it. It would only be a matter of time before hell came back to her...
Sunset slowly opened her eyes to daylight with a wince. Her neck hurt a little, likely because last night was the first time in a while since she slept on a hard surface. She sat herself up, and her eyes widened to see that her friends had slept in the formation of a circle around her.
She put a hand to her chest with a soft laugh as that blessed, loving warmth spread through her core.
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's eyes shot wide open. She sat up quickly with a wide grin.
"MORNING!"
Rainbow, Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy all yelped, startled awake by Pinkie. One by one, they gradually regained their bearings.
"Did you sleep well, darling," Rarity asked sleepily.
Sunset beamed. "Oh man, you guys aren't going to believe the dream I had..."
She told her friends every last detail of her dream, from beginning to end, then grabbed them into a group hug.
"I'm so, so lucky to have you guys," Sunset said as she broke the hug.
"And we're lucky to have you," Twilight said softly.
"So what's the plan for today, then," Rainbow asked.
"I say we keep it simple," Sunset said. "We should just relax. I mean, we've all had enough stress to last a lifetime lately!"
Everyone murmured in agreement.
Sunset sighed happily. Though she wasn't wasn't fully absolved of her guilt for now, she felt free for the very first time in her life.
