Later on that same day, Sunset heard about a new student joining Canterlot High tomorrow. It had come on the speakers, directed towards the whole school. Principal Celestia was looking for a volunteer to show her around, so she wouldn't feel left out.
Sunset brightened even more when she heard this. The new kid wouldn't be aware of what she had done at the Fall Formal, and might be a chance to gain a new friend. The minute the speakers turned off, she was bursting into Celestia's office.
"Principal Celestia, I volunteer." she said. The principal nodded and wrote Sunset's name down on a notepad.
"You sure seem excited about this new student." she mentioned. "Any particular reason?"
"No. I just thought, um, maybe no one would volunteer because they're too busy?" Sunset shrugged.
"I see. Well, off you go. Don't want to be late for class."
The next morning, at school, Sunset had just finished lunch and thrown her trash away, when the speakers came on again.
Sunset Shimmer, please report to the office.
It was Vise Principal Luna's voice. Sunset knew exactly what this was for.
"Gotta run." she told her 5 newest friends. "I volunteered to show the new girl around. It might be a good opportunity to get her on my side." She speed-walked down the hallway to the office, where a yellow girl with blue and black hair, done up in a braid on the side of her head, waited for her.
"Hi! You must be the girl I'm supposed to show around!" Sunset greeted her cheerfully. "What's your name?"
"It's none of your business." the girl answered. "But I will tell you it. Sea Glimmer." Sunset cringed at the rudeness in her voice. It almost sounded a bit like her own had been a few months ago...
"Nice to meet you, Sea Glimmer." Sunset also thought it was weird saying her name, which also sounded like hers. But the thought slipped away since there were probably millions of girls with names that sounded like hers. "I'm Sunset Shimmer." She went ahead and started the tour, pointing out all the rooms and their names.
When Sunset had finished, Sea Glimmer said, "Nice school you've got here. Thanks, I guess." Sunset smiled awkwardly as Sea walked away. When she was gone, Sunset sighed and let the fake smile slip away. That did not go as well as she had hoped. But she still couldn't get over how strange this new girl was...
Sunset Shimmer had done some pretty horrible things in the past. She had earned the title of 'the biggest bully in the whole school', destroyed part of the school on the night of the Fall Formal, and would have taken control of both Canterlot High and Equestria if it hadn't been for Twilight Sparkle and her friends, who showed her about the Magic of Friendship.
Now, Sunset's evil days are over, and Twilight has gone back to her home in Equestria. But not everyone forgives Sunset quite yet. They don't believe that she had made a mistake, which is something everyone does every once in awhile. Twilight's friends are the only reason she still tries to convince them. They help her through things, like real friends do for each other. And she supports them when they need help, as well.
Students mobbed through the hallway after the bell rang. They all shoved past the orange girl with fire-colored hair holding a lunchbox struggling to go the other way, not even pausing to help her or apologize. The girl was used to this, though. She experienced it every day since the Fall Formal. She knew she deserved the angry glares that shot her way and the mean comments whispered behind her back when she passed someone in the hallway.
This girl was Sunset Shimmer. She had only recently been reformed and no one accepted her apologies yet. No one except for Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight, who had gone back to Equestria through the portal in the statue in the front lawn. They're the reason she isn't taking over Equestria right now. It's a long story...
Sunset finally reached where she was going and stopped to catch her breath, leaning against a doorway. There really are a lot of people who hate me right now, she thought. When she looked up, she saw 5 girls waiting for her in the room. She smiled and walked in. At least it isn't everybody.
"Hey, guys!" She waved shyly. "You said you wanted me to join you for lunch, right?"
"Of course!" Rainbow Dash patted the chair next to her for Sunset to come sit down. Sunset did and set her lunch box on the table.
"Why aren't we eating in the cafeteria?" she asked.
"We have something to talk about." Rarity explained. Sunset nodded, waiting to hear more.
"It's just that we all feel really bad about how terribly you're being treated." Fluttershy said. "And we want to do something about it. So, um..."
"What we're trying to say is..." Rainbow said.
"We'd allow ya to be our friends now, If you'd like." Applejack finished. Sunset was stunned.
"B-but I'm the one who first made you all enemies!" she sputtered. "I can't accept it." She looked down at her feet.
"Oh, come on! Do you think we're still angry about that?" Rainbow laughed. "All that's in the past now. All you have to think about right now is, well, right now." She winked at Sunset.
"Actually, we kind of are still angry-" Pinkie started before Rainbow nudged her hard with her elbow, telling her to not say that. She rubbed her arm.
"Really?" Sunset asked hopefully, looking up. "I, never really had any friends before..."
"Well now you do!" Pinkie exclaimed. Sunset smiled. Maybe now she would finally have a chance at changing what everyone thought about her.
