Junior year was starting and the Shadow Five, now Shadow Four after Sugarcoat’s transfer to CHS a short time after Twilight’s last year; were all hanging in their little place in CPA awaiting the first class bell. Things hadn’t really changed, even with Cinch being fired and Cadence becoming the new Principle. The stigma left by Cinch was still ever present in the minds of the CPA students. Principle Cadence attempted opening the year with a speech to break Cinch’s Stigma during Opening Ceremonies the previous week. No one but the Shadow Four had seemed to have taken the speech to heart. So the motley crew of girls sat in the empty classroom they alway stayed in before classes started.
Sour Sweet sat at a desk with her forehead on her crossed arms staring at the desk. The other three were chatting about news from CHS about their old classmates and friends, Twilight Sparkle and Sugarcoat. Sour listened to the others conversation while also conversing with herself in her head. So what if Twilight now has powers. It doesn’t help us. We’re still here with classmates who would throw you down a staircase before helping another student, if it meant having a higher grade. Sour paused her inner monologue to listen to more of her friends conversation.
“Wait Rainbow is still claiming to have beat me during our little Friendship Games re-match” Indigo nearly shouted in exclamation “If Applejack hadn’t closed up the distance after her leg in the race, they would have never won” The girls laughed at the memories of the little re-match they had near the end of summer. The little event had sealed the two groups friendship.
Sour went back to grumbling in her head about how CPA will never change and how school is still hell. Sour was interrupted by Sunny “Sour you’ve been awfully quiet this morning?” Sour rolled her eyes and sat up.
“Well that might be because we’re all acting like everything is sunshine&rainbows. But nothing has actually gotten better around here” the anger was very evident in her voice. Indigo made a motion to retort Sour’s claims. But was stopped by Sunny Flare.
“But Sour dear things have changed. Dean Cadence is now our Principle, Sugarcoat and Twilight are now a thing, we’re no longer being pushed into being competitive, and the Rainbooms are now our friends. How have things not changed for the better?” Sunny noted out. Sour just rolled her eyes and crossed arms tighter.
“Really Sunny? Because other than us, everyone still looks like they’re ready to throw one another to the dirt to get ahead. And Cadence hasn’t really shown much authority in helping the student body shake the acidic competition it has with each other.” Sour was about seething now. Sunny made an attempt to stop Sour’s rant. But was quickly shutdown as Sour continued. “Plus why does it matter if our old friends are happy? Their lives affect us very little now. We’re still here in a school of ice!” The seething in Sour’s breath died a little as she finished.
Sunny took this opportunity to try and clear Sour’s seeming paranoia. “Sour dear that’s your paranoia talking. Everything is not like that.” Sour just slammed her head back into the position she had it in all morning. “The other students seem to be cheerier and more friendly with each other” At this point Sour had had enough and jumped from the desk and out the door. “Sour stop!…” is all sour heard before leaving earshot.
((ToT)/)
Sour in her retreat had secluded herself in one of the fourth story clubrooms. This clubroom happened to be the Film Studies room. Sour had decided to go back to feigning sleep at a desk. The bell had rung at some point in Sour’s escape. Sour could hear the distant commotion of students heading to class. The fourth story rooms were all reserved for the academy’s clubs. Sour mildly jumped when she heard the clubroom door open. She decided to try and stay still in hopes whoever it was would go away. She basically gave up when the lights came on. “WHAT?!” Sour screeched turning around to face the intruder.
“AHHHHHHHHH?!” The intruder fell to the floor in her surprise. Sour immediately froze up noticing it wasn’t a teacher or her friends.
“Sorry! I…I thought you were…a teacher. Yeah a teacher.” Sour stumbled coming up with an excuse for scaring the girl.
“Is that how you treat the teachers? How are not on a suspension?” Accused the girl as she got up, brushed herself off and fixed her glasses.
Sour taken back by the girl’s tone replied meekly with “Sorry, I’m usually not so…so ‘explosive’!” she took a breath before she continued in a more calm voice “So yeah Sorry about screaming. I’m just not in a good mood today. I thought no one was going to come up here. So I came here to be alone”
The girl had taken a seat at the desk next to Sour, as Sour was explaining herself. The girl took a moment to think on how to respond “It’s okay. Just didn’t expect anyone to be in here” the girl paused before introducing herself “I’m Juniper Montage by the way”
“Sour Sweet” was Sour’s quick response
“Yeah I know, hard to not know the names of the top academic students in our school” Juniper retorted. She was right though. There may be a competitive stigma, but it was fueled by the school honoring it’s top students.
“Right, most students know who I am” Sour couldn’t help showing how much she dreaded that fact right now.
Juniper was good at reading body langauge and Sour was giving off an aura of panic “Look you seem to have a lot on your mind and I have a free period right now. If you feel okay, I can be an open ear and help you through what’s on your mind”
Sour was hesitant to respond to Juniper’s offer. Okay I just met this girl. And I met her by screaming at her no less. Now she wants to help me? Do I even deserve this? Well she doesn’t know my past. I guess I can open a little to her “Alright, I’ll accept your offer”
Juniper sat up and smiled and asked “So what’s up girl?”
Sour took a few moments to sort her thoughts “Okay, did you hear about the events of last year’s Friendship Games?”
“I know it ended in a draw and Cinch was fired shortly after it” Was all Juniper could remember having not attended the event.
“Yeah, well a lot happened, and it lead my friends and I to befriend our competition and CPA’s top student, Twilight Sparkle, to switch schools. After Twilight transferred to CHS, one of my friends revealed that she had feelings for the nerd. She took up getting a transfer of schools to pursue her feelings. Well all that happened and now her and Twilight are now dating. The rest of my friends are now acting like everything is better. But all I see is people fighting and still kissing ass to be on top. I just don’t see how anything is better” Sour finished with crashing her head on to her crossed arms.
“Wow, so a lot happened at the Games. And now you feel abandoned by an old friend. And your current friends seem to be oblivious to what still hasn’t changed around school”
“Yeah”
“Well sounds to me you’ve let yourself fool yourself into feeling constantly alone”
“WHAT?! I’m not lonely! I just don’t see what everyone is so cheery about” Sour screeched
“Well the period is almost over. I'll leave you with this: Try talking with other students, you might not be seeing the whole picture” Juniper explained as she got up to leave for her first class.
At this moment Sunny Flare burst through the door “Sour! There you are! I’ve been looking for you all period.” Sunny now noticing the other girl standing at the desk next Sour Sweet. “Uh…Hi, I hope she didn’t bother you to much” Sunny apologized.
“Not at all. Just gave her some advice. Now excuse me I have class” Sunny stepped aside and as Juniper left.
“Look Sunny I don’t want to talk right now. So please leave me alone. Just go to class” Sour let out in a harsh tone. Then briskly made her exit from the room.
((ToT)/)
Sour left the school after the second Period bell rang. She walked down the sidewalk towards one of Canterlot’s many Metroparks. She was sure the truancy officers wouldn’t check the parks. She made her way into the park and took the path that looped the whole park. She stopped when she came to one of the park’s picnic clearings and saw a pink girl entertaining a group of preschoolers. She sat at a table nearby and watched.
Author's Note
WOW been a long time since I posted a chapter let alone a new fic I'm working on. So I don't have any schedule for writing but I'll try to get more chapters out soon. Yes the next chapter is going to be a re-work of another fic I wrote.
Sour had been sitting and watching Pinkie Pie entertain her troupe of preschoolers. It had been about 20 minutes since Sour had sat down. Pinkie had noticed Sour pretty quickly after she had sat down. Pinkie’s little troupe of toddlers time at the park was almost up. Pinkie started herding the kids into a line. As she was leading the troupe to a bus nearby, she signaled to Sour to follow. Sour having gotten calmer and slightly more clear headed, but still a bit frazzled about every thing that had been bothering her, decided to listen to her pink friend's signal.
On the bus Sour sat at the front next to Pinkie Pie. “So where we going? Pinks” Sour asked as the bus started on it’s way.
“The child center at the vocational school” Pinkie replied “But I want to know what’s twitching with you? Sour Sweety” she asked soon after.
“Well just got a little to frazzled at school and decided to play hooky today” Sour confessed.
“I’ve talked enough with Sunshine enough to not tell you to go back Sweety” Pinkie said “So how about you just hang with me, better than risking being grabbed by those meanie officers”
Great now I’m stuck with sugar girl “Okay you have a point, Pinkie” Sour sighed “So what are you doing corralling gremlins? Pinkie” she asked beginning to get annoyed of the noise the kids were making.
“Oh I decided to take childcare classes after having to take care of the Cakes’ twins” Pinkie said in her normal cheery tone “And don’t worry about the teachers I’ll clear you with them”
Well I guess this is better than being dragged back to that ice castle of a school “Thanks Pinkie” The bus was now at the vocational school. Pinkie got the preschoolers into a single file line with a short sound of her voice. Sour and Pinkie lead the kids into the building. Sour amazed how the kids were quiet and behaved the entire walk from the bus to the school’s nursery.
After Pinkie got all the kids situated for a nap, she walked over to Sour at the front of the room. “So Sweets what is actually bothering?” Pinkie asked in a rather serious tone for the girl.
“I don’t know if I need to tell you Pinks. Its not really your business.” Sour defended
“One my friends is hurting and they expect me to do nothing. I’m Pinkamina Diane Pie and I never let a friend stay sad for long” Pinkie said proudly, yet still sounding serious.
“Pinkie I really don’t think you are the best person to be talking to about it” Sour pleaded
“I Pinkie Swear, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake” Pinkie did the motions for her legendary Pinkie Swear “that all that is said here will stay between us”
“Okay, I know how important your Pinkie Swears are to you. I’ll tell what’s been on my mind” Sour replied giving in. “I’ve just been unable to see what the others at CPA seem to see. They keep saying things are better. But all I see is the same competitive atmosphere CPA has always had.”
“Well maybe silly you just need to pretend everything is alright and see how things look then” Pinkie said cheerily, yet still oddly serious sounding.
“Pinkie, What?! How am I supposed to do that?” Sour screamed a little loud. The toddlers thankfully barely moved.
“Time for me to head back to CHS. If you want, you can come with me and you can hang in the Rainbooms Music Room” Pinkie announced
“Well it’d be dangerous to not go with you. So I will come with you.” Sour agreed
((ToT)/)
Sour decided to take a nap and think on the advice she had been given. So Pinkie says act happy and that Juniper girl says talking to other students might help. GAH how is any of this supposed to help. Okay girl! keep it together. Think… how is any of this supposed to help. Sour tried thinking further on her problems. She still kept drawing blanks, so she decided to just finally actually sleep.
Sour was woken up by the voices of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, arguing about some physical feat challenge they just came from. “No no no, I totally made that half court shot” Rainbow argued
“No witnesses, no proof” Applejack retorted shaking her head
“Hey some people were sleeping here” Sour called out slightly irritated
“Sour Sweet! What are you doing here?!” Both girls screamed
“Well so much for my hearing” Sour said rolling her eyes “Any way long story short, I came with Pinkie”
“Okay, I guess we can understand that” Applejack affirmed. It was at this moment the rest of the Rainbooms came into the room.
“Sour, you stayed!” Pinkie yelled happily to the dismay of everyone’s ears.
“Yeah Pinks I stayed” Sour replied shrugging a little and seeming calmer then she was a moment ago. The nap had seemed to have helped to clear her head a bit more.
“So darling what brought you to our part of town?” Rarity asking the question on everyone’s minds.
“Yeah sorry for intruding on you guys.” Sour apologized “I’m here because I was having a bit of trouble this morning, seeing how Crystal Prep wasn’t still the ice castle it had always been”
“Hey don’t feel bad intruding on us. You’re one of our friends and we are always up for helping our friends.” Sunset assured “So what is it that doesn’t seem different? From what Sunny’s been telling us everything sounded like it was on the up.”
“Is it really different? Still looks to me like everyone is at each others throats for being top student. I know Principle Cadence tried getting everyone to back off from being so competitive. But everyone still look like they’re ready throw people to the dirt for that better grade.”
“Sour your letting yourself dwell on the past again. I told you back during freshmen year that you’re really bad at letting yourself see change and you should make effort to change that” Sugarcoat said with her usual bluntly honest tone.
“Well you’re as harsh as always.” Sunset responded to Sugarcoat’s honesty. Taking a breath She turned back to Sour “Any way Sour, what Sugarcoat is trying to say is don’t let yourself dwell so much on what hasn’t changed and let yourself look for what has changed”
“Okay Sunset, I’ll try taking that advice to heart” Sour answered. Everything seemed to get a little lighter around her. Sour was still struggling to put the advice she had gotten together. But with everything looking a little easier, she decide to just roll on through the rest of the day. “So girls, I’m feeling a bit better. But can I still hang here for a little while?”
“Of course you can Sour. Stay as long as you like” Rainbow assured the more relaxed looking girl. Sour stayed till everyone decided to go home, and went home herself.
((ToT)/)
Well it’s been an odd day. But I think I’m starting to get what everyone has been trying to tell me. Sour thought as she got into bed. She was asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.
Author's Note
Okay I still think this needs one more chapter to end things off
