Finding the Spark Within

A loud banging sound rang out repeatedly, as a construction worker hammered the last plank to the row of plywood he had applied to the broken wall in front of him. With no more planks on the top of the ladder he stood on, he carefully made his way down towards the ground. Standing on solid ground, he wiped his brow of the sweat he had accumulated from working under the sun for several hours. On cue, a water bottle, held by a frail yellow hand, appeared in front of him. His eyes traveled along the arm, to find a young girl with pale rose hair, a timid smile spread across her face.

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” The man said to her, before guzzling a majority of the bottle's contents on the spot. She nodded happily, before stepping away, and towards another member of the construction team working outside of the school.

Despite that repairs were nearing completion, it was difficult not to notice the gaping hole in the front entrance of Canterlot High. Those who didn't attend the school might have speculated that a small aircraft might have crashed through the front doors. But those who attended the school, students and staff alike, had seen the real cause of the wreckage firsthand.

Sunset Shimmer, a young girl who had cast away any notions of acceptance or friendship, had strived to obtain a crown embodied with magic she could not possibly comprehend. Once she had acquired it, the magic contained was influenced by the bitterness in her heart, and drove her insane with the power of darkness. In her demonic state, Sunset had crushed the school entrance, and taken over the student body as her own army to control an alternate dimension; a dimension she had once resided in, but forsaken when she felt it no longer served her selfish desires.

Before her wicked plan could be carried out, six girls, with the power of friendship in their hearts, harnessed a power even greater than Sunset's. Their power shined a light in Sunset's heart, and cast out the darkness that had overtaken her. All that remained of her was a powerless girl, with no friends to call her own, left in a giant crater, begging for mercy. And her saviors had granted it to her. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption, after all.

A month had passed after the eventful night, and Canterlot High as a whole had recuperated quite well, despite drawn-out repairs to the school that Sunset had caused. The cafeteria bustled with activity in the afternoon, as students relaxed, and chatted amongst themselves while they consumed their meals. Life had returned to normal for everyone in attendance.

One feature to the cafeteria that had been added that day was a small stand at the back of the cafeteria, with a colorful banner at the top: BAKING FOR BRICKS. On the table tops were assortment of scrumptious looking delicacies, cupcakes, cookies, brownies and candies of all kinds. At the front, a girl with pink skin and hair, curlier than one might think possible, sat in her chair, devoting all of her attention to one very important task: keeping the pencil on her nose from tipping one way or another. She had kept it from falling for almost a minute. All she needed was five more seconds to herself.

Her concentration was broken when she noticed someone standing in front of her. She lit up with a smile as the pencil fell away and landed on the desk with a small tap.

“Thank you so much for helping- oh, hi Sunset!” she exclaimed, looking at the girl with bright red hair, adorned with yellow streaks.

“Hi Pinkie Pie.” Sunset replied, looking over the display and the trays of food next to Pinkie Pie. “What's all of this?”

“You remember how Principal Celestia said that the school might have to make cutbacks to pay for repairs to the school?” Sunset' winced when she was reminded that Canterlot High was threatened with having to pull the plug on some of the students favorite activities because of the repairs. She felt her chest tighten with guilt, knowing that she was the cause of the pinch that the school was in. “Well, I asked the Cakes if they could help us out, and they were thrilled to. They made all sorts of stuff for us, and they're gonna keep making them the whole week. If we raise enough money, the administrators can pay the construction workers without canceling any clubs or programs, or field trips!”

Sunset rummaged around the interior of her jacket until she found some paper money and handed it to Pinkie.

“Hey, thanks Sunset! That's really nice of you.” Pinkie said as she accepted her money. Sunset wasn't sure how nice it was, since she was paying for damage that she herself had caused, but she appreciated Pinkie's good spirits nonetheless. “So what can I get you? Do you want a cookie?” Pinkie Pie lifted a cookie with her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, made it spin around on one side. “Or, maybe you want a cupcake?” She dipped her hand into the tray under a cupcake, and lifted it up so that the round side of the treat rolled along her arm, and across her shoulders. “Ooh, or how about a brownie?” With expert motions, Pinkie Pie flipped the chocolate rectangle between her delicate fingers.

“Geez Pinkie Pie, it all looks so good.” Sunset replied as she watched Pinkie Pie balance all of the snacks on her body.

“I know, right?” Pinkie Pie replied enthusiastically. “The Cakes make the BEST stuff from their bakery. Here, have a cupcake, those are my favorite.” She said, poking her left shoulder up as the cupcake rolled towards it, sending it flying in Sunset's direction.

Sunset Shimmer caught the treat in the air, and looked down at the cupcake in her hand, wondering if she could seek solace in its layers of spongy goodness. She took a bite. Her mouth was filled with soft, yummy frosting, and sweet moist bread. She allowed herself to push away the feelings of guilt, and savor the temporary relief that the treat granted her.

“Mmm...” Sunset hummed in delight as she swallowed. “That's delicious.”

“I know! Just smelling all this stuff is making me hungry.” Pinkie replied, once again resuming her task of keeping her pencil balanced on her nose. “But, I can't eat any of the stuff here, 'cause it's only for those who pay for it, and I don't have THAT much money.” Pinkie gasped, as the pencil once again fell away from her nose. “Hey, Sunset, could you do me a favor? Do you think you could watch the stand for me, while I go get something to eat?”

“Uh, sure?” Sunset replied, caught off guard after she swallowed the piece of cupcake in her mouth.

“Great! I'll just be gone ten minutes or so, you'll have time to eat after I'm done. Here's the cash box,” Pinkie explained, pulling a metal box covered in glittery stickers from top to bottom. She opened and and showed Sunset the different spaces where the various amounts of money were stored away. While it wasn't overstuffed with money by any means, Sunset could see that Pinkie had already made quite a bit of cash from just one day of sales.

“You're... trusting me with this?” Sunset asked, astonishingly.

“Well, of course I am, silly! Why wouldn't I?”

“Because I've kind of got a reputation for not being the nicest girl in school.” Sunset reminded her, while poking her fingers together.

“Aw, I know, but that was in the past!” Pinkie explained, sitting up from her chair and stepping out from behind her counter. “I know you're not like that anymore. Oh, when I saw you crawling out of that crater after me and the other girls magicked you back to normal, with those big sad eyes, saying you didn't know there was another way: eeeee!” Pinkie squealed, bending her knees and drumming her wrists against her own cheeks. “How could anyone say no to that face?” Sunset smiled timidly, light pink circles appearing under her eyes. “You'll do fine, I promise. Just sit tight for ten minutes, and I'll be back, okay?”

Sunset Shimmer waved goodbye to Pinkie Pie before sitting down, and placing the cash box underneath the table where it had been previously. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. What Pinkie had said was true; she had been trying her hardest to make a change for herself. She had thought long and hard about her life, following the night she had been corrupted with power and had it stripped from her completely. Even though she previously had the school wrapped around her finger and could get anything she wanted, she realized that she was never truly happy with her life. How could she be, when all she did was yell at others, and make them miserable when they didn't deserve it? The rush that came with that sort of power blinded her from seeing how unhappy she was deep down.

Since the night she had been saved, Sunset had resolved that she would be a different girl. She strove to find different opportunities to help those in her school, volunteering her time whenever there was a chance to. The staff had warmed up to her very quickly, helping them run packages or letters between offices. Their words of praise lifted her spirits and made her feel that her efforts were being rewarded with their approval and forgiveness. Now she had been granted a new chance by Pinkie Pie to win over the students. If she could do well here, she might be that much closer to redeeming herself. Excited at the thought of putting her past behind her, Sunset bounced her head from side to side, excitedly waiting for students to greet her and buy some sweets for a good cause.

A few minutes passed with zero patrons, and Sunset grew tired of bouncing her head, instead opting to rest her chin on her hand. Out of the side of her peripheral vision, she caught the sight of a particular group of girls sitting at the end of the table on her right, the same group of girls, minus Pinkie Pie, who had saved her from corruption. They all glanced towards her at varying intervals, too afraid to keep eye contact with her at all, as was she. But she was still glad knowing they were there. It wasn't until Pinkie Pie reappeared with a fresh lunch tray and sat down with them that she was able to look at them with more confidence. All of the girls kept their eyes focused on Pinkie Pie as she spoke to them and pointed towards Sunset, most likely explaining to them about how she had placed her temporarily in charge of the stand. Pinkie looked over at Sunset and waved enthusiastically, the others following suit, but with less flair than her. She found a bit more strength knowing they were a short distance away from her, watching her make an effort to change for the better. Sunset lifted her hand and offered a nervous wave and smile back at them.

“What's going on over here?” the voice of a boy called out to her flatly, snapping her attention away from the five girls across from her. Sunset looked to see Brawly Beats, a boy with an orange v-neck shirt looking down at her, with an unimpressed scowl on his face.

“Oh, hi Brawly!” Sunset greeted him, stretching the corners of her mouth to form the friendliest smile she could muster. “This is something Pinkie Pie's running, it's a fundraiser in conjunction with the Cakes-Bakes shop. All the proceeds go towards repairs for Canterlot High!”

“Repairs to the damage that YOU caused, right?” Brawly asked flatly.

Sunset Shimmer's mouth shrunk to hide her teeth, but her smile remained. Her eyes blinked a few times as her mind struggled to process if he had really just said that to her. Keeping herself composed, she took a deep breath before she responded.

“Yes, Brawly... damaged that I caused. That's right.”

“Nice going. Yeah, I guess I'll take a cookie from you.”

Sunset held out her hand to take his money, and then offered him a cookie on top of a napkin. “Thanks for helping.” She said as he walked away, and she put his money into the cash box in its proper place.

Sunset wasn't sure how long she was sitting by herself after that exchange. Her mind was stuck on what she had just heard, and it rang through her head numerous times.

Damage YOU caused.

Sunset thought to herself that what he'd said to her was awfully rude; she had been on her best behavior for a month, without so much as even jaywalking. And he could see that she was trying to help. She didn't understand why he had to act that way to her. It's not like she had even hurt anyone when she was corrupted with darkness. As she thought on it further, she began to think about what she had done. She may not have actually hurt anyone in her darkest hour, but she had no doubt filled them with terror. After ages of bullying them and making them her personal servants, they had finally been given a glimpse of her in a form more suiting to her personality. Something hideous, and terrifying. A monster, bent on destroying anything wonderful and joyous.

Losing the energy to keep her eyes forward, Sunset stared at the table top, and noticed a bit of dried frosting had accumulated there. She lazily picked at it, while she reconsidered that what had been said to her had been appropriate. It was a reminder that she didn't deserve redemption. No amount of package lifting, floor sweeping or fund raising could ever erase the awful things she had put them through. As her finger continued to work at the bit of frosting on the table, she noticed her eyes had begun to sting for some reason.

“All done!” Pinkie Pie's voice cried out from in front of Sunset. She looked up to see Pinkie Pie, but had a hard time making out the features of her face, due to some blurriness in her vision. “Mm, I love the food the school makes for us. And that apple pie Granny Smith made? Boy, it was- hey, are you okay?” Pinkie asked, her voice dropping its bubbly cheer suddenly.

“Huh?” Sunset asked, taking a breath and finding her nose a bit stuffy. “Yeah, I'm okay.” She replied, wiping her eyes of the wetness building in them, clearing her vision as she sniffed a bit. “I guess the pollen's really high today. I'm fine.”

Pinkie's eyes scanned over Sunset momentarily, with a look of worry in place of her usual smile. “Well, I think I can take over again. Why don't you go sit with Applejack and the others?” she suggested as her smile returned, nodding her head towards the group that she had just left.

“You want me to sit with them?” Sunset asked nervously.

“M hm! They're real nice, they'd love to have you join them.”

Looking back and forth between the girls and Pinkie Pie, Sunset wasn't sure how good of an idea that was. Though she admired all of them, and even wished that she could spend time with them, she couldn't deny that she didn't really know them very well, nor they her. But Pinkie Pie seemed very earnest on her mingling with her friends. She didn't want to disappoint the first girl she'd had a friendly conversation with since she had ever been in this world.

“Okay. Thanks, Pinkie.”

“No problem!” She replied, as they traded places. Sunset felt a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder as she passed the pink-haired girl, and looked back to see her face beaming with optimism. It gave her just enough boost to smirk, and she turned to face the other girls with a bit more confidence.

That confidence began to fade when Sunset actually approached the table, and could barely hold eye contact with each girl for more than a second at a time. She had once been the most popular girl in school, even if it was for the worst of reasons. Now these five girls, including Pinkie Pie away from the group temporarily, had taken her place on that mantle. And when she had been bumped off, she had fallen to the lowest slot on the high school food chain, with absolutely no one wanting to talk to her. The weight of how out of place she felt made her stomach turn anxiously. Nonetheless, Sunset gulped and forced herself to speak.

“Hi, everyone.” Sunset offered, forcing herself to smile.

“Well, hey there Shimmer.” Applejack responded with her friendly, warm country accent.

“Um, hi Sunset.” Fluttershy chimed in from Rarity's right, part of her face covered by her hair. Sunset thought it a bit amusing that she wasn't the only girl at the table with some social awkwardness.

But it's a lot cuter when she does it. Sunset thought, as Rarity and Rainbow Dash greeted her.

“So...” Rainbow Dash said aloud, trailing off as she stirred the food on her tray around. “How's, uh... stuff?”

“Stuff's good.” Sunset reacted quickly.

“Good!” Rainbow finished. She turned her head towards Rarity when she heard the fashionista clearing her throat, and received a very disapproving glare from her. Rainbow shrugged her shoulders, acknowledging that she couldn't think of anything better to say at the moment.

“Ain't you gonna get somethin’ to eat?” Applejack asked, noticing Sunset was the only girl at the table who had no food in front of her.

“I'm not really hungry.” She replied.

“Well, I tend to think the food the school provides packs a bit more than what the body needs on a daily basis.”Rarity griped, with her head tilted up. Applejack grunted in frustration, stabbing her casserole rather hard as she took another bite. “All that fat and carbs does not help me keep my figure. I would much rather prepare something at home and bring it with me.” Rarity took another bite of the garden salad in front of her, then lifted a fork full towards Sunset. “Are you sure you wouldn't like some, dear?”

“I said-! Ahem,” Sunset stopped herself as she saw Rarity's eyes widen and her mouth curl in disapproval. “No, thank you. I'm not hungry.”

Rarity took the fork into her mouth and munched quietly. Next to her, Rainbow Dash's face lit up.

“Ooh! Uh, hey, so I saw that Pinkie Pie let you sell some goodies for the fundraiser!” she said excitedly, happy that she finally found something worth talking about to Sunset.

“Yeah, I sold one cookie.” She answered back, unenthusiastically.

“Nice! That's one more than I sold.”

“Dash, I don't think I've seen anyone but Pinkie Pie work the stand.” Applejack reminded her. Rainbow Dash brought her palm to her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. “Oh! Ah, shoot. Uh, yeah! That's nothing to be ashamed of Sunset.”

Sunset didn't have the energy to respond anymore. Even though she admired them for their endeavors in friendship, she felt awkward being around them. They, the most popular girls in school now, as she had once been. They had saved her, purged her of the darkness within, and given her a fresh new start. And it amounted to absolutely nothing. Even if they were willing to give her another chance, they were five girls in the midst of an entire school. Tuning herself away from their conversations, she could pick up bits and pieces of chatter from the surrounding students.

Can't believe they're even talking to her.

Maybe she found a way to brainwash them.

I don't trust her.

Why hasn't the principal expelled her?

Lucky we’re not zombies anymore.

Hey, she might try it again, don't tempt her.

“Um, Sunset? Are you okay?” Fluttershy's voice brought Sunset out of her trance, and she snapped her head towards the pink haired
girl who called her.

“W-what? What do you mean?”

“Geez sugarcube, you're shaking all over.” Applejack pointed out. “You're not getting sick, are ya?”

“No. No, I'm not.” Sunset assured her nervously. “I'm gonna go.” Sunset quickly stood up from her chair and began to step away, but then turned back to face the group of girls who were staring at her intently. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

For saving me. For being the most wonderful girls in the school. For at least trying to make me think I'm worth something after all that I've done.

Sunset Shimmer's shoulders raised as she took a deep breath, and offered a half smile.

“For letting me sit with you for a bit.”

Puzzled, the four girls stared between themselves as Sunset walked away, her eyes glued to the floor as she walked away from them, and out of the cafeteria.

The bright halls of Canterlot High were empty and silent, free of any activity with the students being trapped in class for the moment. The silence was broken by the sound of a pair of boots tapping against the tile floors, as Fluttershy scampered down the quiet hallway, the string of her hall pass draped around her wrist. Turning the corner of the hall of green lockers, her eyes lit up when she saw the door she was searching for: the girls restroom..

Spending her time before lunch keeping the construction workers refreshed on such a hot day, Fluttershy found herself drinking more water than she usually did at once, and it had taken a toll on her body. Just as soon as class had started, she found herself squeezing her thighs together as she felt a mounting pressure building down below. Though it embarrassed her, she raised her hand and asked if she could excuse herself. Luckily, Instructor Doodle was lenient on allowing students with good attendance the privilege to the hall pass.

Pushing the door open, Fluttershy's eyes scanned the checkerboard floor pattern and the space underneath the glossy blue stalls. She was happy to find that just as she had anticipated, the girls bathroom was completely empty, the way she wanted it. This way, she didn't need to worry about any other girls hearing whatever noises she might make, or make fun of her for taking too long. She could be at complete peace for a few moments when she was by herself.

Fluttershy slid into the first stall available, locked the door behind her and ripped off several sheets of toilet paper to make a cover for the seat. After slipping her light pink panties from under her dress to her ankles, she sat back and took a deep breath.

Before her body could fully relax however, her ears caught a small noise, one that made her clench up. Apparently, she wasn't the only one in the bathroom as she had thought. The sound was uneven, and hushed, as if it was trying to conceal itself and doing a poor job at it. She could hear a bit of a whine behind each sound.

Fluttershy realized it was the sound of someone crying several stalls away from her. She felt her heart sink. They were sounds too familiar to her, as she had spent a fair amount of her younger days with her face buried in her arms, weeping as other bigger, meaner girls had made her feel awful for simply being who she was. While the pressure in her bladder had mounted to a near critical level, Fluttershy just couldn't force herself to let it out knowing there was someone with a heavy heart so close to her. She reached down to grab the waist of her panties, and pulled them back up to their proper place.

After opening the door, Fluttershy tip-toed her way down the row of stalls, being careful not to let her boots tap too loudly against the tile. Whoever it was that was crying must not have taken note that anyone else had entered, as their whimpers had not died down in volume or consistency. Fluttershy came upon the last stall, the one for handicapped people, and pressed her ears to it. As suspected, the noise had the most volume coming from the other side of that particular door.

Fluttershy didn't want to trouble whoever it was that was on the other side. Yet, part of her had to know who it was that was so upset. She decided to take one quick peek, just to see who it was. She hoped that they weren't actually using the toilet at the moment, to make her peeping even more awkward than it needed to be.

Seeing just enough through the crack of the door, Fluttershy recognized the mane draped around the arms covering up the girls face. It was the same bright red and yellow hair that she had seen across from her at the lunch table earlier that day. Sunset Shimmer's whole body was shaking as she whimpered and sobbed, her shoes pulled up and resting on the toilet seat so they couldn't be seen from the open space under the door. Her shoulders bounced with each audible sob, and Fluttershy could hear her muttering to herself every so often. It was hard to discern, with Sunset choking and coughing as she cried, but “Stupid” “Horrible” or “Demon” were some of the words Fluttershy's ears picked up.

Fluttershy found herself astonished at what she was seeing. A little more than a month ago, Sunset had been roaming the halls with a sense of entitlement, pushing around those she deemed weaker than her, and barking orders at whoever she considered even a smidgen useful. She'd had the entire student body, as well as a majority of the staff, wrapped around her fingers to do with what she wished. Now Fluttershy watched her curled up in a ball of sorrow, hiding from the school she had once been in charge of, powerless, and without any friends to console her. She wept all alone, Fluttershy being the only witness to her pitiful state.

Fluttershy knew what she was thinking wasn't a good idea. The smart thing would be to leave her be, and pretend she never saw anything.

But, that certainly wouldn't be the kindest thing for her to do. Although her brain told her not to, her heart commanded her to reach out to the girl drowning in her own tears.

With a gulp, Fluttershy lightly tapped her knuckles on the door of the stall. Sunset's body ceased moving, and she lifted her head slightly. Her eyes scanned the door in front of her, wondering if she had just heard the noise against it or imagined it.

“U-um, Sunset?.” she called to her softly. “Are you-?”

Fluttershy hardly had time to react to Sunset Shimmer jumping off of the toilet seat and hurling herself towards the door, pulling it back sharply. She glared at Fluttershy with puffy cheeks covered in smeared make up, her teeth clenched in a growl, and red irritated eyes staring daggers at her.

“What do you want!?” she snarled loudly. Fluttershy's mouth hung open, and she let out a frightened squeak. Seeing Fluttershy reel back in fear, Sunset's face softened immediately. “Oh, Fluttershy! No, no no no no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean- I wasn't thinking!” She pleaded, rushing towards her with her hands clasped together. “Please, please don't be scared of me! I didn't mean to yell at you, you just surprised me! I am so sorry!”

Fluttershy's fear began to subside as she watched Sunset beg for her forgiveness. With Fluttershy still unable to speak, Sunset's eyes glistened as fresh tears rolled down her already wet cheeks, and her mouth began to tremble.

“I-it's okay, Sunset.” Fluttershy stammered, trying to regain her composure. “I know you didn't mean to-!”

“I don't...” Sunset cried, closing her eyes and tapping her wrists against her temple. “I don't wanna be like this anymore!” She bawled loudly, before storming out of the bathroom door, covering her eyes with one hand.

Fluttershy felt her heart broken for the girl who had just run away from her. A part of her demanded that she go running after her, try to calm her down, and explain that things weren't as bad as she thought they were.

But another part of her, the part that had reacted to Sunset scaring her when she was discovered, urged Fluttershy to pick a stall and evacuate her bladder before it did so on its own. In the blink of an eye, Fluttershy jumped in the stall Sunset had occupied a moment ago, closed the door and ripped her underwear down as she sat, breathing out a relaxed sigh as she was overcome with a sense of relief.