Forged in Flame

The first week following the end of the Fall Formal was nothing short of eventful. The front of the school had been fully repaired, though it lacked in colour, and it was still covered in construction scaffolding, making it a rather big eyesore for anyone passing by. With everything back on track, students were enjoying their new social freedoms thanks to the efforts of Twilight Sparkle, making school feel much more lively and exciting. For the majority of the students, the departure from the status quo was more than a welcome one.

It was strange to see all the different crowds conversing with each other. It used to be so easy to distinguish one set of students from another, but now Sunset Shimmer was having trouble keeping up with who belonged to what clique. It was all a chaotic nightmare to her, and now that her perfect system had been thwarted, she felt like the new girl all over again. But at least she had Rarity and Pinkie Pie to keep her company.

"If they keep staring, I swear I'm going to gouge their eyes out." Sunset hissed. She may have been on the road to redemption, but it had only just begun, and she still had that infamous temper of hers.

"Now now, Sunset, there's no need for such hostility. They will come around eventually!" Rarity rebuked.

"But all they do is stare at me! I get it, I was a real piece of work, but they're not making me feel any more guilty! They just make me want to smack their faces clean off!"

"Oooh, that'd be hilarious! I love that gag!" Pinkie giggled. Sunset raised an eyebrow in concern for her mentality, but Rarity simply shook her head at her. She let it slide and slipped her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket.

"Is it just too much to ask for the benefit of the doubt?"

"Well, you have our support, do you not?" Rarity smiled with sincerity. Sunset couldn't answer. She wanted to bring up how it was only because Princess Twilight made them promise, but then accusations weren't going to win her any favours. She looked down to the floor, her silence being her only response. Rarity took what she could get. "I thought so."

"Hey, what're we gonna do for a charity event?" Pinkie piped up. In truth, Sunset had almost forgot about that. It was brought up and dropped so quickly that she didn't give it a second thought. She then remembered this was likely her ticket to win the hearts and minds of her fellow students. That alone was enough to inspire her.

"Well, what are any of us good at?" she asked. Pinkie let out an exaggerated hum while tapping her finger against her lips, all while Rarity looked like she was putting some serious thought into her answer. Sunset did have some suggestions, but she didn't know the rest of the Humane Five well enough to even begin to guess what they would be on-board with.

"I can bake! Oh, and I'm an expert party planner! Oh oh! And I can play the drums!" Pinkie said. Sunset couldn't help but raise an eyebrow once again.

"Wait, you play?"

"Sure do! I drop the beat like a sack of potatoes!"

"A sack of what?" Sunset asked, her bewildered expression the stuff of legends. Rarity quickly cut her off with a dismissive wave. "Um, nevermind."

"She is quite talented with percussions," Sunset pondered on this. The thought of an instrument-based event was an enticing one, and teenagers were all about music. Rarity then spoke out again, "and I must admit, I do have a fondness for playing the piano. But it's just a hobby of mine!"

"Are you kidding? You play with the majesty of a thousand kings and queens!" Pinkie hung her arms around Rarity's neck and grinned over her shoulder. With a gentle push, Rarity slid herself out of her arms, her face a flush of red and her lips stretched out in a sheepish smile.

"Pinkie Pie, honestly!" Pinkie couldn't help but bounce with a giggle, taking great pleasure in embarrassing her friend. Her playful antics were enough to get a chortle out of Sunset.

"With friends like these, who needs anything else?" She thought to herself, scratching an imaginary itch on her arm to distract herself. Such public displays of affection were still so alien to her, but she did feel a little warm inside every time any of the Humane Five expressed themselves so proudly.

******

By the time the lunch bell rang, Sunset was already on her way to the principal's office. She wanted this talk to be over and done with. Then again, there wasn't much for her to get back to, now that she thought about it. Before she could put any second thoughts into it, she instinctively knocked on the frosted glass.

"Come on in." Sunset picked up on Celestia's gentle voice instantly. Even in this alternate world, she was still as warm and inviting as ever, so much so that she obeyed the principal without a second thought and opened the door, walking in and standing before her desk as the door slowly closed behind her.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked. Celestia had her head down, eyes scanning various amounts of paperwork that eluded Sunset's understanding and care. "Likely bills for the repairs to the school. Oh Celestia, she's not going to charge me, is she?!"

"I did." Celestia's head rose, her magenta eyes locked onto Sunset's, keeping her from diverting her gaze. There was always something about her presence that demanded attention and respect, and Sunset was no exception to that. "Please, sit down." Sunset obeyed without pause and placed herself on one of the seats either side of her.

"Okay, well... I'm here." she said, folding her arms and leaning back in the chair. "So what is this about? Because I can tell you right now I don't have money."

"Money?" Celestia lay her arms over the paperwork and gave Sunset her full attention. She then chuckled once the statement had processed. "This isn't about money, Miss Shimmer."

"Then... what do you want?"

"To talk, if you would allow me." she claimed with what sounded like the utmost sincerity. Sunset started to feel rather uncomfortable. She wasn't used to having a normal chat with anyone; conversations never went beyond planning and blackmailing for her.

"Okay...?"

"Wonderful. So, how have you been this past week?" Celestia's smile was gentle and soothing. It was enough to bring down a few guards in Sunset, though she was still hesitant to talk about herself. She could only shrug and look away.

"Fine, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I can't complain. It's just the usual stuff. Come to school, work, go home, repeat." she nonchalantly replied. Her vagueness was enough to draw a look of concern on Celestia's face.

"I see. What about school? Have you had any problems lately?"

"Lady, I could tell you stories." Sunset thought to herself. A side of her wanted to tell her everything, but she still had her pride to think about, and making herself vulnerable now of all times would be a mistake. "No, no problems." She looked to Celestia again and quickly noted her focus. She waited for inevitable prying, but the principal simply leaned back in her chair and held her hands together over her lap.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Just let me know if it changes at all." Celestia cared for her students equally, and despite what Sunset had done, she never let that change her dedication. She was her student, thus her responsibility. "I've noticed you have been making friends as well, Twilight Sparkle's companions, right?"

"... Yes, ma'am." There was a brief delay in Sunset's response, though Celestia didn't seem to catch on. Sunset truly wanted to believe the Humane Five were her friends, but the mere mention of Twilight brought up a sick feeling in her gut.

"You are a very lucky girl, Miss Shimmer. I know you will be happy in their care." Celestia remarked. Sunset crossed her arms and looked to the carpet without a word. The principal frowned but backed down. "Well, I believe I have taken up enough of your time. You'd better get a move on if you want to catch your friends before class." she said with a generous smile. Sunset stood to her feet without delay and walked to the door, and paused before she opened it all the way. She was silent for a moment, then she spoke.

"Thanks... for the talk." she mumbled. Celestia merely nodded, her natural smile still there, and returned her focus to her paperwork. Sunset took her leave and returned to her thoughts. "That was awkward."

******

It didn't take long for some of her friends to find Sunset Shimmer. Pinkie was the first to dart up to her, with Rainbow a close second, and Fluttershy by her side. She couldn't help but wonder if she had some kind of GPS tracking system they snuck on her while she wasn't looking.

"Soooooooo, how did it go?" Pinkie asked with a "hint" of curiosity. She was always a little nosy, but Sunset knew she'd have to get used to that at some point.

"Just a casual chat, nothing serious." she replied.

"Just a chat, huh?" Rainbow snidely asked, frowning at the lack of details.

"What do you want, a script?" Sunset and Rainbow locked a fierce gaze with each other, their faces only a few inches apart. Fluttershy retreated behind Rainbow with a squeak.

"P-Please don't fight...!" she muttered quietly. Rainbow broke her lock from Sunset's eyes and looked back at Fluttershy with a sigh.

"Hey relax, Fluttershy. We're not fighting! See?" she said in her most comforting tone she could manage. Fluttershy slowly came out of her hiding spot and meekly nodded, nervously rubbing her arm.

"Sheesh, how did this girl ever make it on her own?" Sunset thought to herself. It ended up being a terrible idea as she grimaced at the reminder that she was the reason Fluttershy ended up as alone as she did, and then there was the bullying...

"C'mon, girls! Turn those frowns upside down!" Pinkie quickly jumped up and wrapped her arms around both Sunset's and Rainbow's necks. The energy bursting from her could bring a smile to even the most depressed teenager, and despite her attempts to fight it, Sunset couldn't resist how contagious it was. She ended up chuckling alongside Rainbow, both of which made Pinkie giggle too. "That's more like it! Smiles make everything better," she quickly clutched Sunset's cheek and squeezed, bringing her close in and whispering faintly, "especially with frieeeeends."

"Uuuh..." Sunset's eyes were wide as dinner plates, her breathing intensifying. If not for Rainbow quickly pulling her out of Pinkie's hold, she would have had a panic attack. She nodded with a mimed "thank you" and gathered her composure. Fluttershy was the first to change the subject.

"So um... we were talking about the charity event, and... well... maybe we could perform in a band?" she mumbled. Sunset barely caught most of it, but it didn't take long to piece it all together.

"Yeah, we can all play! It'll be superfundaferiffic!" Pinkie clung her arms around Fluttershy and pressed cheek to cheek. Sunset would agree with her, except...

"I don't know any instruments." she confessed. Pinkie pulled away from Fluttershy and stared blankly at Sunset.

"None?"

"None."

"Aww." Sunset could swear Pinkie's hair deflated, a physical impossibility, but then again, this IS Pinkie Pie. "What're we gonna do? This was gonna be Sunset's big break!"

"Ah relax, Pinkie. We'll think of something!" Rainbow was filled with confidence, though Sunset was uncertain how much of it was just her pride talking. Still, she hoped they would. However, before another word could be said, the four friends were interrupted.

"Dash! I've been lookin' all over for ya!" A student a few inches taller than Rainbow approached them. She wore a thick open brown leather flight jacket with matching shorts, a pair of light brown steel toe-cap boots, and a pair of golden yellow fingerless gloves. Her eyes were covered in purple eye shadow, and her short white hair was detailed with purple highlights. Her golden eagle eyes were focused on Rainbow.

"Oh, heh. Hey there, Gilda!" Rainbow nervously rubbed the back of her head and awkwardly looked away.

"Don't you "hey Gilda" me! We had a match yesterday and you totally bailed on us!" she yelled, pointing over her shoulder at the two other students standing behind her, each one glaring as fiercely. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Hey, listen, I'm real sorry, but something came up! Not that you needed me, right? I mean, you girls could take those other teams down no problem!" Sunset could see Rainbow trying to quell the flames, but Gilda looked about ready to start a wildfire.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" one of Gilda's companions chimed in, "We only just barely got ahead by two points!"

"So what's your excuse, Dash? It'd better be a good one." Gilda folded her arms and leaned back, her fiery lidded stare enough to melt the strongest demeanour. Rainbow was speechless. Sunset tried to analyse the situation, but she was at a loss. She leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered.

"What's going on?"

"Rainbow Dash is the captain of the soccer team. I guess they had a friendly match planned, but she was with us all day..." she murmured. Sunset watched the argument with slight concern.

"Well, uh... I had some... important stuff to do! Someone was in trouble, and I got caught up in it! Y'know how it is!" Rainbow's sheepish grin did not help her case. Gilda's fixated gaze didn't move, not even twitch. Sunset could see a bead of sweat trickle down Rainbow's face. She didn't want to see more friendships fall, even if this one wasn't her fault. She had to do something.

"Yeah, it was... me! She was helping me." the fiery haired teen stepped forward beside Rainbow, much to the latter's surprise.

"Sunset?!" Rainbow blurted out in shock. Sunset quickly hushed her and stared Gilda down.

"Wait, you? Dash was helping you out?" Gilda's eyebrow raised in a mix of confusion and scepticism.

"Yeah, she helped me. That's why she wasn't at your match."

"What a load! Who'd help you?" said another one of Gilda's associates. Sunset's eye twitched, but she kept her composure.

"I honestly don't care what you think of me, but as far as Rainbow's concerned, she was helping a friend. I think that's important enough to ditch one stupid football game over." Rainbow glared at Sunset over her snide comment, but she swallowed her love of soccer for now and just took the opportunity out of this. She felt a tug on her arm as Sunset pulled her, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie along past Gilda and her cohorts. "Let's go."

"A friend? Hah! Who'd be friends with a she-demon like you?" Gilda laughed at the very notion. This was enough for Sunset to stop in her tracks, her thousand yard stare piercing through the walls at the far end of the hallway. "Everyone knows what you did at the Fall Formal! And I know Dash was one of the girls who kicked your ass into that crater! Now you're telling me you're best buds? A pity party, more like!"

"Sunset." Fluttershy tugged on Sunset's sleeve, desperate to keep them going. But she wasn't going anywhere. Her feet felt glued to the floor, her fists clenched and sweaty, and her breath speeding up.

"You take that back." she croaked through clenched teeth.

"What's that?" Gilda asked.

"I said... take. It. Back." Sunset slowly turned on her heels, her head turning, and her eyes casting daggers over her shoulder down Gilda's direction.

"Make me." A cocky grin spread over Gilda's face. Pushing Sunset's buttons must have felt like a dream come true for her, because she looked like she was relishing the moment. Sunset, however, was less than amused. Her pupils were small and fixed, her teeth were bare, and her entire body shook with rage. But what caught their attention was the black and purple sparks rising from her feet and circling her legs up to her torso. The girls backed away in fright whilst Gilda and her group took a step back as well, everyone but Sunset filled with uncertainty.

"Take. It. BAAACK!" Sunset's body erupted with powerful magic, cracks forming through the flooring and walls from an invisible source as if someone took a sword and sliced it through with no destination in mind. The lights flickered brightly and burst in sparks from an overload of energy, and the girls couldn't help but shield their ears from the booming volume of Sunset's roar. When the magical outburst finally died down, everyone was too terrified to move an inch. Sunset herself was still, panting and covered in a cold sweat. When her senses returned to her, she shakily scanned her surroundings, the damage all leading back to her as the source. She held her trembling hands before her, feeling her sweat drip from her face into her moist palms, a lump in her throat from the shock.

"Sunset," Rainbow was the first to speak, "what was THAT?"

Sunset stood in silence.