A Bitter Sunsetby x0x011ChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Prologue“You’re kidding me, right?” Sunset Shimmer growled as she pushed herself up off the ground of the crater she currently resided in. She gave a pained hiss as heat lanced through her back, a hand shooting towards her shoulder blade only to receive a sticky welcome as her digits as they slipped through her torn clothes. “W-What?” some loose debris slid down the edge of the hole towards Sunset as the lavender girl who currently loomed above her took a half step back. “You think just cause you won that I’m gonna roll onto my back and accept your stupid offer!?” Sunset’s snarl sounded feral as she brought her fingers in front of her eyes blood oozing down them as she looked up at the supposed Princess. “You really are pathetic, you know that?” she chuckled as she hauled her injured body to its feet, fresh pain lancing through her as she slowly climbed her way out of the hole to stand before the Equestrian Princess. “To let her control you so much… Would you tell your guard puppy to stand down?” “Hey!” came the indignant cry from the rainbow maned youth that stood glaring behind Twilight. “What makes you think you can say anything, Sunset!? We won in case you just forgot!” “How could I forget?” Sunset grumbled darkly under her breath as she tried to take a step forward, only to stagger as a noticeable cracking sound filled the air as one of her boot heels broke, causing her to fall to the concrete roughly, further scraping up her body. “Sunset, please! Let us help you!” Twilight’s annoying voice, filled with Sunset only could describe as pity rang through the air as the other Equestrian once again reached a hand out towards the amber girl. “You’re obviously hurt and alone and-” “Oh nooo,” came the snarky, eye rolling response from the girl who was currently removing her boots with an almost nonchalant apathy. “I’m totally fine. I love bleeding from three different holes in my back as a bunch of monkeys chuckle all around me.” The Princess’ lips grew thin as she watched her fellow countrywoman slowly get up to her feet and glare around at the gathering of CHS students who were pointing at her and and whispering among themselves. There was no doubt in her mind that Sunset was currently running off pure adrenaline, anger and pain, and she wanted nothing more than to help her fellow Equestrian. “Snips, Snails!” the amber hued girl called out to the pair when she spotted them, fingers snapping as her hand raised into the air. The pair stood there, looking at one another before looking back at her and shaking their heads. Of all the days to grow a spine… she thought as the pair disobeyed her for the first time. “Fine. I’m gone.” “Hey! Where are you going?” Twilight called out to the departing girl, finally noticing the bloody state Sunset’s back was in. “I have nothing else here, so why would I stay? Besides, if anyone comes after me, the camera over there is my proof.” the same cocky, self sure grin Sunset had worn during Twilight’s entire stay in this world blazed brightly on the other Equestrians face, but her usually brilliant aquamarine eyes seemed shadowed as she turned back around and started to hobble away from the grounds of Canterlot High School. “Leave her be, shugahcube.” Twilight felt a strong hand rest itself on her shoulder as Applejack came to rest behind the shorter girl. “She’s none o’ our business now, Ah reckon.” “You five.” Twilight surprised the human versions of her friends with how quickly she spun around, a determined look on her face. “Promise me you five will help her!” “What the heck are you-” “Promise me!” Twilight begged, interrupting Rainbow Dash. “She’s hurt and alone in another world. She isn’t fine… Please…” “S-Sure, I guess…?” Rainbow scratch the back of her head with an uneasy chuckle. “But after all she’s done? Does she really-” “Yes. Anypony- one can change. Look, the portals going to close, and I can’t afford to remain here for another thirty moons. I’m sorry, but please… do this for me.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset let out a low groan as she collapsed against the wall of the alleyway, gritting her teeth as she let out a ragged breath. She slowly reached up with a shaking hand to wipe away the tear that was making its way slowly down her cheek. The brave facade she had been wearing back at the school crumbled as soon as she had rounded the corner and headed into the alleyways, the soles of her feet had slowly become raw from rough concrete and pavement she was walking upon. She gave a loud yelp of pain as she put her left foot down, pain exploding from it as she stumbled and slid down the wall, her knee retracting closer to her chest as her hands shot down to her foot, tears now flowing freely down her cheek. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a small, telltale glint emanating from the broken glass on the ground that she had just stepped onto, the sticky warmth of her blood oozing down her injured foot. “Fuck my life…” Sunset’s voice wavered as she struggled not to break down into tears. Everything had gone wrong for her tonight. Her single, overriding objective for the last three years had just been stolen out from under her, she had been abandoned by her minions, and now she was probably infected with some disease thanks to putting a bottle through her foot. Sunset felt something in her head literally snap as she looked down at the various pieces of glass on the ground beside her. She reached out with a shaking hand, grabbing one of the larger pieces of glass as a maniacal grin spread across her face. She had nothing left to lose now, after all. She had no chance of a life in this world, especially after her defeat tonight, and the instant she went back to Equestria… She paused, and turned to the side as the pounding in her mind reached a fever pitch. A trio of shadows stood above her, a menacing aura radiating off of them. “What do you want?” Sunset intended to ask, only for the world to go dark. Chapter 1“At least promise me today's the last day we go looking for her!” came the tired groan from Rainbow Dash as the group slowly piled out of Fluttershy’s van. It had been a full week since the disappearance of Sunset Shimmer following her defeat at the Fall Formal, and the school had been celebrating their freedom from their former oppressor. Her name had been skipped over in attendance checks after the second day of her missing school, and her locker had been attempted to be broken into no less than a dozen times, resulting in the principal's removing her belongings and storing them in Celestia’s office. “I agree. My feet are absolutely killing me because of all this needless searching.” Rarity was her usual self of melodrama as she lagged behind, earning a chuckle from Applejack as she turned to look at the girl. “Well if’n ya went’n wore somethin proper…” the farmer nodded her head down towards the heeled boots the fashionista was tromping around with. “And RD? We promised tha Princess, in case ya forgot.” “But we haven't heard any news all week! Surely someone would have at least responded to missing persons balloons!” Pinkie Pie crossed her arms in mock annoyance as the group gathered around the hood of the creme coloured van. “I’m pretty sure most people would…” Fluttershy started only to quiet down to a soft, indiscernible mumble. “Most people who know her would probably rather kick her ass then tell us where she is.” a dark chuckle emanated from Rainbow Dash as she shook her head. “Rainbow!” Rarity looked shocked at the the athlete’s declaration, shared by the other three members of the group as she chastised the girl. “Not everyone would resort to such brutish actions!” “You’ve not been around the sports teams then, huh?” was the pixie-sized girl’s response. “Anyways can we get going? I want a squishy already.” “Ah still have no idea why’n tarnation ya call slushies that, Dash.” Applejack commented, causing everyone to chuckle at the now blushing Rainbow Dash. “Um… Girls…?” “I do agree that it is a rather adorable nickname for a slurpee, darling.” Rarity managed to get out between flighty giggles. “G-Girls…?” “Hey! You want a bloody nose? ‘Cause I’ll bop ya one right now!” Rainbow’s face was slowly becoming an even more vibrant red than the streaks in her hair. “Girls.” “Oooh! I should totally come up with a nickname!” Pinkie’s face contorted in a way only she could as she somehow sat hovering in the air as she stroked her long, poofy bang in a pensive manner. “Girls!” The other four girls gave shocked cries as Fluttershy’s shout echoed through the air, an out of place look on her face as she gave a slight glower. “Woah, Flutters, no need to shout girl!” Rainbow said as she shook her head, trying to ease the ringing. “Look.” Fluttershy turned around and pointed towards the convenience store the quintet had originally arrived at to purchase goodies. All four formerly noisy girls followed the dainty finger the animal lover had outstretched, watching as the door swung out followed by a disheveled figure stumbling onto the pavement. “No way…” “What’n…” “That can’t be her!” “What happened?” The figure was tall, actually being the fourth tallest student at CHS, though she was currently hunched over in an incredibly awkward manner, her arms dangling low enough that the bags she was carrying were almost dragging on the ground. She appeared more like a marionette with loose strings then an all powerful ruler. “What happened to her hair?” Rarity’s voice was shallow and lost. The figure’s normally vibrant mane of blood and gold sat twisted and snarled, sticking off in random directions, the colours appearing washed out, which only helped emphasis just how pale the amber hues of her flesh had become, almost looking like a member of the walking dead as shambled herself away. “That there’s a feed bag…” Applejack said, pointing to one of the bags dangling from the figure’s grasp. “What’n tarnation does Sunset Shimmer need animal feed fer?” “Um, she’s getting away!” Pinkie hopped up and down as she jabbed a finger repeatedly towards the extremely slowly vanishing form of Sunset. “Er, yes, she is…” Rarity looked around hesitantly at the group of girls, unease washing across her delicate face. “What should we do?” The five stood in silence, each of them unsure of what to do. What could they do? “Let’s follow her…” Applejack said in a quiet, firm tone, turning to look at Fluttershy. “Get tha van goin, Fluttershy. We all got a promise ta keep.” “You can’t be serious!?” Rainbow Dash groaned in disbelief, running her hands down her face. “After all that she did?” “The Princess seemed to be right, darling. Sunset isn’t fine.” Rarity hesitated as she stood in front of the open door to the van, gulping in disgust as she made her way into the mass of shed hair. “We have to at least try talking to her.” “...You all owe me a squishy for this…” Rainbow muttered as she entered the passenger side seat. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “You don’t think she saw us, do you?” “I would know if you weren’t lying across the dashboard, Pinkie!” Rainbow whisper-shouted as she grabbed the party planner and threw her back into her seat. The group had indeed patiently followed the slowly ambling Sunset Shimmer towards wherever she was going, though not without issues. Fluttershy had been reduced to a cowering mess thanks to being honked at no fewer than seventeen times due to slow driving. Now the van and it’s high school girl contents sat in front of an older looking building in an even older part of town. A building that Sunset Shimmer had just stumbled into. “So what's the plan now?” Rainbow asked as she kicked her legs up onto the dash that Pinkie had previously been resting on. “We know where she is, so I say we go and get the squishies you all owe me.” “Ah say we go an’ talk to her.” Rainbow visibly sunk as Applejack opened the side door and exited the vehicle and started walking towards the building. “I can’t believe this is where she has lived the whole time.” Pinkie Pie skipped up to her distant cousin, the other trio of girls following quickly behind. “I mean… This isn’t exactly the roughest part of town, but…” “I still find it hard to believe that she hadn’t weaseled her way into a mansion or estate.” added Rarity with a worried edge to her voice. “The girl could talk a starving man out of his food.” The five shared small talk as they paused in front of the door, leaving Applejack to continue to take charge as she reached forward and turned the knob. “Seein’ as this is an apartment, maybe we should try’n find the landlord first? Ah don’t think we want ta risk gettin’ charged with breakin’ n’ enterin’.” Fluttershy gave a worried yelp as she vanished behind her long mane of hair in reaction to the farmer’s thoughts. “Sign says they’re out until the evening.” Rainbow said lamely as she lent against a wall and jerked her thumb to the door behind her. “And I hiiighly doubt that Sunset’s just gonna let us into her evil lair.” “Come now, Rainbow. Please at least attempt to be civil.” Rarity gave a tired sigh as she straightened her hair. “I do have to agree with her, though. How are we going to get into her apartment? Applejack? Where are you going?” “Findin’ her apartment.” the broadly built girl didn’t even spare a look back as she started tromping up the stairs, leaving her four friends to scamper to catch up. “And how will you know which one is hers?” Rainbow asked as she caught up to the blonde haired girl who seemed to be busy studying the walls. “Name tags.” came the blunt response as a firm orange finger pointed to a sheet of card stock sitting neatly in a brass holder labelled “S. Shimmer”. “None’a ya are ta ever speak a word o’ this, understand?” Applejack’s glance backwards carried the full weight of her death threat as she rubbed firmly on her throat. “What are you-” Applejack’s eyes narrowed even more, shutting Rainbow Dash’s mouth for her before the stetson wearing girl turned towards the door and gave an extremely gentle set of knocks. “Excuse me, Miss Shimmer? The landlord asked us to come and clean up your apartment.” it sounded like a cat was simultaneously strangling itself and cough up a fur-ball as Rainbow Dash attempted to muffle her sudden outburst of laughter. “We are with the Happy Maid Company.” “What the hell did we just hear!?” cackled Rainbow quietly as she watched the farmgirl’s face erupt into red. “You just sounded like Rarity got bent over by that cello chick and had a child!” A resounding crack filled the air as Rarity’s hand connected with Rainbow Dash’s head, the shorter girl pitching forward and laughing through the pain. There was no response from the other side of the door. “Any o’ y’all have any other ideas?” Applejack asked, shaking her head at the pantomiming athlete. “Leave it to me, I guess.” Rarity sighed, breaking the silence as she strode forward, reaching back into her hair and fiddling around with something before withdrawing it. “Wait, our resident rich girl knows how to pick locks!?” Rainbow asked half amazed, half shocked. “My dearest Sweetie Belle has a tendency to lock things that she shouldn’t.” Rarity said as she leaned close to the door, listening and focusing before a large smile spread across her marshmallow coloured face. “Aha! There we go.” “Shall we?” Applejack looked around at the group as she reached out towards the door knob and twisting it. A putrid wave of stench washed over them as the door opened, darkness flooding out of the room in time with the rank smell that caused the group to cry in distress as they covered their mouths and noses. “What the fuck!?” Rainbow retched, bile threatening to fill her throat. “Did something die in there!?” “Why’s it so dark?” Pinkie asked, her eyes watering as her hair appeared to shrivel and deflate. “S-Sunset, darling? Are you alive in there?” Rarity asked as loudly as she could as she took a few steps back, a greenish hue appearing across her cheeks. “This makes shovelin’ manure seem like a spa day…” Applejack groaned as she forced her legs to carry herself into the somehow still pitch black room. “Sunset? Ya in here?” The five slowly entered the room, Rainbow pulling out her smart phone and activating it’s flashlight feature in order to find a light switch. She successfully tracked one down and flipped it up, all the girls getting blinded as light finally flooded into the room, illuminating it. They instantly regretted the decision. “Oh my god…” all of them said in time. All around them sat piles of refuse and clothing, moldering unattended to in their squalor. The thick dust coating the walls and floor seemed to crawl as if alive thanks to the watering of the parties eyes. “Oh… Yay… The ghosts are back…” the five turned away from the rest of the disaster that surrounded them and towards the voice that echoed in the air, its dead, emotionless, yet strangely apathetic tones seeming like a raging waterfall of life compared to the person it belonged to. Various shocked cries came from the group as they took in the form of their former dominator close up. Sunset stood there, an expression that could only be called dead on her face as she stared not at the quintet, but through them. The dark bags under her eyes were simultaneously infinite and singular, here eyes seeming glazed over. The tank top she “wore” was covered in stains of indiscernible origins as it sat crumpled across her immense bustline. It was white, or at least that's what the five girls assumed, as now it was a sickly yellowish-brown mess. There was numerous straps of cloth wrapped around her body, bandages they realized, but ones that hadn’t probably been cared for in at least a week, including one large one wrapped around left foot, up to the ankle. It must have been something major given the thickness of the bandage, but Sunset scuffled along upon it as if it weren’t there. “So, uh… What’s in the bowl, Shimmer?” Rainbow asked, sounding surprisingly worried for one who had so harshly resented coming here. “Hay…” “Hay?” Rainbow’s brow tilted in confusion, only to be shoved aside as Fluttershy bolted past her, sliding into Sunset and tearing the bowl from her hands. “W-Wha- H-Hey…! That’s… Min..e…” Sunset appeared to attempt to struggle with the willowy girl, only for her to start listing to one side before collapsing roughly to the floor. Chapter 2Sunset gave as much of a strangled groan as her parched throat could mustered, her brow furrowing with intense strength to match the raging pounding in her head. She struggled in her attempts to remember what day it was as she shifted around on her… sofa? “W-What…?” Sunset mumbled as she rolled to her side and cracked open her eyes, which surprisingly were no longer caked with grime. All the alcohol must really be getting to her now, passing out without realizing it. “Ah, that must be Pinkie and Fluttershy with the laundry! AJ would you be a darling and get the door?” Sunset froze as a familiar voice rang out through her apartment. “Great… Not this nightmare… Again…” Sunset groaned as she sat up, the blanket covering her the whole way. “Oh, Sunset! You’re up… early?” Rarity’s voice sounded amazed as it grew closer to the sitting girl. “Though to be honest, I have never dealt with a situation such as this before.” “Ya, well why don’t you just shut up and kill me already? Get this nightmare over with already.” Sunset groaned as she attempted to run a hand through her hair, giving a small grunt of pain as it was halted by a seemingly infinite collection of knots. “Erm, pardon me, darling? Whatever do you mean?” the creaking of Sunset’s floor paused at the Equestrian’s comment. Weird… They’re usually more aggressive than this… “You heard me, you stupid nightmare. The five of you always break into my room then take turns-” “Sunset? This ain’t a dream, girl.” And Applejack never talks… “Yeah, did you really bounce your head off the ground that hard?” Rainbow Dash could be heard walking out of Sunset’s kitchenette. “If she’s concussed it would probably mean going to the hospital.” “Look, what the fuck are the five of you doing in my apartment? How did you get in?” Sunset stood up and turned around to face the quintet, only to pause and stagger as blood rushed to her head. “Woah now, girl. Take it easy. You’ve been sleepin’ fer the last… two hours darn near.” Applejack said as she approached Sunset, only to pause when an amber palm was raised towards her. “Seriously, why are you five here? This isn’t one of my nightmares, so I’d appreciate an answer.” Sunset grumbled as her vision stopped swimming. “Um… Do you know what day it is?” Fluttershy asked as she walked over and deposited a hamper on the floor, freshly cleaned clothes pouring over the edges. “Hell if I’d know, but that doesn’t answer my question-” “Sunset, you’ve been MIA for over a week.” Rainbow threw a damp looking towel over her shoulder as she paused beside Rarity. “What happened? Why are you covered in bandages?” “...What makes you think I should tell you- any of you, anything?” Sunset tried her best to pull her former queen bitch persona forth. “Cause we just spent the last two hours cleaning your whole apartment.” came Rainbow’s blunt response. “Look, fucking thanks, or whatever it is that you plebeians want to hear for helping me, but why are you here? Did Twilight coerce you into coming here?” Sunset’s voice became a vitriolic wave as she tried to get some sort of answer from the group that had cost her everything. “Ya, tha Princess had asked us ta help ya, and it seems she was right about it.” Applejack crossed her arms as she stood resolute against the fury coming from Sunset. “Ya need help, Sunset.” “And what in your pathetic little minds would make you think that even if I needed help that I would ask the likes of you? You forget that it’s because of you five that I’m stuck here now, right?” Sunset’s anger had changed to a maniacal cackling before she gave a lunatic grin to the shorter girls. “Maybe because we are the only ones that would try to if you asked.” Rarity said gently, a sad smile on her face. “Sunset… You were a mess when we got in here, why I’m surprised the landlord didn’t evict you for the state of this room!” “It took me an hour just to clean all your dishes for fucks sake!” Rainbow said, reaching out and trying to show Sunset just how shriveled and prune like her fingers had gotten. “We did your laundry for you? Seriously, I had to work some reeeal Pinkie magic to get some of these clean again!” Pinkie pulled out various pieces of clothing that somehow appeared brand new. Sunset’s response was to storm past the group, her left foot burning in agony as she stomped on it over to the fridge, opening it and retrieving a dark brown bottle from it before crashing towards her washroom, slamming the door shut behind her. “S-Sunset?” Rarity called out in worry as the door bounced on it’s hinges. “W-What are you-” “Drinking myself to oblivion, Marshmallow! You should try it sometime!” was Sunset’s mocking response as she slid down along the door until she was seated on the floor. That was only half the truth as tears started to build in her eyes, her voice threatening to start wavering. “Look, just leave me alone…” Sunset said as cries of worry followed by banging on the door she rested against filled the air. “Please…” she begged softly, causing the noise to stop and allowing to take a long pull from the brown bottle, her throat burning in a recognizable fashion as the cold alcohol burned it’s way to her gullet. “We’ll be out here, Sunset. You take your time.” Rarity’s voice could be heard before muffled whispers could be heard depart from the door. Sunset sat there, waiting for the booze to make its way into her system before she started to work at the bandages around her wrists. The dinghy strips of cloth fell away, revealing a vast collection of criss crossing marks of red dug into her flesh, causing the painful memories to come flooding back to her… <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “Ah, you’re awake. Good!” light slowly filtered into Sunset’s eyes as they slowly cracked open. “How are you feeling?” “Out of ten? A solid zero.” came Sunset’s tired response. “Where am I?” “You’re in the hospital, dear. You’ve been here for the last eight hours.” Sunset slowly sat up in her bed, hissing at the burning running through her back. “Oh, careful dear! We don’t need you bursting your stitches!” “Stitches…?” Sunset’s mind was groggy, but she remembered… “Who brought me here?” “They said they were your classmates, I think? I’m sorry dear, I wasn’t on shift at the time, and they apparently refused to leave names.” Sunset wiped a hand down her face as she finished sitting up. She was wearing her shirt, or at least the remains of it, the back was all torn out thanks to her magical transformation from the previous night. She could see her jacket hanging off to the side. “Okay, am I free to go?” Sunset asked, though her attention was elsewhere. “Once we contact your family-” “Don’t have any. I’m an orphan.” “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. Well then we need you to see the doctor and the front desk to get your antibiotics prescription and to book you out.” Sunset slowly stood up, being careful not to put too much weight onto her bandaged up foot. She wasn’t even standing on it and she could feel the stitches in it. “Lead the way.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Once again, Sunset’s confidence composure fell apart as soon as she got into her apartment. She shut the door before feeling the weight of the world crashing down upon her, causing her legs to give up as she fell to the cool surface. Her body erupted into spasms as she silently wailed in despair at her current situation. She had lost her chance to return to Canterlot and prove to Celestia that she was worthy of being a Princess. She had lost her chance at power. She had lost her chance at everything… Sunset didn’t know how long she lay on the floor in an unsightly pile, sobbing away at her new lot in life. She knew she could never return to CHS, not after everything that she had done. Not that she regretted her actions, no, but rather what would happen to her. The students would gang up and assault her most likely, and the school would probably look the other way. She could try to go to the cops, but given her past, as well as the fact that she was more or less someone who didn’t exist in this world, that would be a mistake. So what could she do? She slowly crawled and pulled herself along the floor of her flat towards her kitchenette, dragging herself up the fridge as she opened it and pulled out a dark brown bottle, attempting to take a long pull, only to come up short as the bottle emptied in barely a mouthful. She gave a banshee shriek as she tossed it at the wall, missing it as it went sailing past and collided safely with her sofa and landing on the floor with a dull, glassy thud. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> She didn’t recall when she had passed out, but Sunset slowly pulled herself up off the ground, her whole body heavy and moving as though she was made of lead. She slowly hobbled her way towards the sink, towards the drawer that sat in the counter beside it. Her shaking hand slipped down to the handle pulling it out with such shaking that the silverware inside could be heard rattling as she slowly pulled it out. A single piece glinted brightly in the light from above her, a steak knife, serrated teeth calling to her as she stared at it with dead, glassy eyes. It had been a donation from the landlady when she had stopped by and noticed Sunset had been lacking a lot of cutlery, and though Sunset had tried many time to tell the older lady that she was a vegetarian, she eventually relented, if only to shut the geriatric up. Now though… <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset stumbled out of the liquor store, groaning with the weight of bag she carried. It had been most of the money she had left, perhaps enough for a few days food if she rationed, but it was worth it. The single largest bottle of whiskey she had ever seen, and now ten of them were hers! Sure, her foot burned thanks to Sunset not bothering to ever clean the wound, nor purchase those antibiotics, but at least she had something to drown her sorrows! Her stomach growled. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> How many days had passed? Sunset laid… somewhere in her apartment and looked skyward. At least she guessed it was skyward. She had drawn the curtains shut however many days ago and spent her entire time inside drinking. She had already gone through almost half of the bottles, and was pretty sure she should have been dealing with alcohol poisoning already. She reached around for the bottle, her hand flopping weakly against the floor. Maybe she should just take a nap instead? <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Hay, that’s what her last meal would be, Sunset decided. Sure, the human body had no reason to eat hay, and apparently if one ate too much it would be bad, but it was cheap, and light to carry. Plus she could mumble something about animals to try and deal with the stench she now carried thanks to not showering since… Whenever the Fall Fuck-up was. Yes, one big bowl of hay, her last full bottle of whisky, and then everything could be done. Her eyelids shuddered as she snatched the bag from the cashier, a worried look on the… boys face? She didn’t care as she stumbled towards the door, hissing at the brightness of the sun. Maybe some rocks for her whiskey? <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset hissed as she poured the whiskey on her foot, swearing beneath her breath as she swore she saw her flesh start to bubble. Why were those five here? To taunt her? To remind her just how much she had fucked up? Instead she focused on waiting out the worst of the burning from her foot, before reaching down and dabbing away at the excess with toilet paper. The stitches were almost entirely dissolved before she started, and this only helped eat away at them, though the burning was enough to make tears come to her eyes. She had really neglected the wound, the flesh a sickly red as hardened puss washed away from the wound. But why was she trying to clean it? It’s not like she owed any of those girls anything! Even if they did clean her whole apartment for her… They had left some amount of time ago, Sunset was unsure of how much thanks to all the pain she had been in, but they were at least gone. “Sunset? I know you don’t need help, but please feel free to contact any one of us, okay?” Rarity had said from across the door. “We wrote our numbers on a sheet of paper you had sitting aside, okay?” “And how the hell am I supposed to call you? Assuming I was wasted enough to do so?” Sunset chuckled into her bottle of whiskey. “Um… With your phone?” Rainbow Dash was probably looking around with an idiotic look on her face given the way she sounded. “It’s busted, and I don’t think many places here would accept “Rainbow Lazer Beam” to be a justifiable reason to warranty a piece of slag.” “Oh…” They had thankfully left shortly after that, leaving Sunset to herself. And her bottle of booze. That had been good times, at the moment however, she was busy slamming a hand on the floor as the pain continued. “Mother fucker!” she growled as she poured a fourth time onto her foot. It took a few minutes, but at least the burning and blazing agony died down enough that Sunset could now stand up, if albeit at a glaciers pace, until she was loomed over the sink. Many reflections stared back at Sunset from her shattered mirror, her right hand tingling as the memory came back to her, causing her to growl as she flipped the bottle over one of her wrists. “Fucking HELL!” she bellowed as similar scabby, pussy wounds on her arms sizzled like eggs in a frying pan, repeating the process two more times before shifting over and doing the same with the other wrist. Sunset gave a bestial snarl as she dried off the last bits of burning skin before reaching down and into the cabinet under her sink for her first aid kit, grabbing out the last few rolls of bandaging cloth and starting to wrap her wrists up. There was just enough to wrap up her wrists and foot, her foot ended up being wrapped a little tightly but it helped numb some of the burning. “So. What are you gonna do now, failure?” the reflections from her mirror asked as Sunset lowered her head. “Gonna roll over and play nice? Maybe you can go to a tea party, have a big group hug and sing kumbaya?” “No.” Sunset growled back, shutting her eyes. “Face it. You lost, and now they’re taking pity on you. Awww, poor old Sunset Shimmer! She ran away from home because Mommy never loved her!” the voices mocked and sang around her. “Shut up…” “She’s never had a real friend because she’s sooo much better than everypony else!” “Shut… Up…” “She lost to five teenagers and a real Princess of Equestria, and now she’s drinking her life away! How pathetic!” “Stop it...” “Woe is me, for I lost! Mayhap I shall go to yonder sink and grab the knife to end my pitiable existence!” “Stop it!” “Your washed up, Shimmer. I bet they’re all laughing at you behind your back now!” “STOP IT!” Sunset yelled as she tried put her hand through the mirror once again. She grasped the sink, nearly shaking it loose with how heavily she was breathing, tears streaming down her face. No, she was better than this. She wasn’t gonna roll over just because she lost to some stupid Princess! She was Sunset Shimmer, personal protégé to Princess Celestia herself! And she was not gonna lose face to a bunch of teenagers! She was gonna show them who it was that still ruled Canterlot High School. She was gonna prove to Celestia that she was worth paying attention to… Chapter 3“I hope for my wallets sake that she didn’t break that phone in half…” Rainbow Dash muttered as the five girls walked towards the front entryway of CHS. The Principals had got everything fixed quickly, and to someone who didn’t know better, the front entrance to the school had never actually been torn apart by magic. “Yes, well we all chipped in, in case you forgot, darling.” a tired sigh escaped through Rarity’s pursed lips. The five of them had all banded together to buy Sunset a new phone after leaving her apartment the other night, and when they returned the next day to give it to her she was away, so they were once again forced to break in. “Ya really changed yer tune quick, RD.” Applejack commented, nudging the shorter girl playfully. “Ya were mighty hesitant ta go lookin’ fer her.” “Ya, well none of us knew what sort of state she was in, okay?” the shorter girl shot back, scowling in annoyance. “She seemed fine when she left after the Fall Formal!” “Well we know now that she wasn’t.” the group grew quiet at Rarity’s comment, entering the school and pausing in the middle of the circular hall. “...Have any of heard from her yet?” Fluttershy asked as she looked up from her phone, the other four girls confirming that they hadn't either. “Hm?” Rainbow’s brow furrowed as gasps of shock and noticeable murmuring filled the air. “What’s going on?” The floor seemed to quake as the doors leading in and out of the school flew open, a single, imposing figure standing proudly in the middle, holding the wooden barriers open with unbridled ease. “Denizens of Canterlot High School!” came the booming voice of Sunset Shimmer, the defining grin of self superiority plastered across her face as she looked down, quite literally, at students. “Your Queen… has returned.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset smiled as the doors shut behind her, her eyes closing as a perfectly mixes wave of distress, shock, and anger flowed out of the student body and over her. Yes… It was good to be back. “What the hell is she doing here!?” “Why are you back, Sunset?” “We don’t want you here, freak!” “Freak?” Sunset gave a heartless chortle as she walked over towards the plump, drama club girl. “If you want to see a freak, just get a mirror.” Sunset smiled as she watched the girl start to form a retort, only for the sound of muffled laughter to come from behind her. “Pixie…” Sunset frowned as she walked over to the group, pausing as resting an elbow on the top of Rainbow Dash’s head as she addressed the group of five. “You five need to stop breaking into my apartment.” she narrowed her eyes dangerously as she reached down into the pocket of her leather jacket, pulling out a shiny smartphone. “But at least you pay for your crimes, so I’ll spare you for now. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry.” “W-What are you talking about?” Rarity was scared by just how offhandedly Sunset had turned around and started marching down the hall. All around them students were giving worried or outraged cries at the sight of the former oppressor. “Oh, I just figured I should talk to the Sisters first is all. I suspect things have happened since I left for vacation.” “Oh, is that what your calling it?” Sunset paused and looked down at the source of the flippant remark, glaring dangerously at Rainbow Dash. “If you so much as utter a single word about that, I will force feed you your own cleats…” Sunset turned around and resumed her march without waiting for a reaction. The amber giant made her way through the halls, students quickly making way for her, Sunset giving the odd, sarcasm-ridden comment as she passed, before finally pausing before the front office for the school. “Sunset…?” the girl paused and looked over her shoulder, a cruel smile coming to her face as she addressed the boy looking up at her in awe. “Ah, Flash, have you been practicing that g chord?” she snarked as she addressed the boy. “W-What are you doing here?” he asked cautiously, obviously paying no regard to Sunset’s jab. “I was just about to go see the Principals, actually, before I was distracted. So, ciao!” Sunset waved, but paused when she saw the group of five girls standing on her other side. “Why are you five still following me?” “If’n yer gunna talk ta tha Principals, were joinin’ ya.” Applejack’s tone said that there was no compromising, and rather than try to debate the stubborn fool, Sunset sighed and relented. “As you wish, bumpikin.” Sunset gave an apathetic shrug as she strode forward and into the empty office, a small dinging sound alerting the secretary to Sunset’ presence. “Hi there, what can I- Waahg!” the older lady nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of Sunset looming above her. “Hi there, are the Principals in? I need to talk with them.” Sunset’s smile was more similar to that of a genius talking to a child than actually polite, but the secretary was too busy flailing around to notice. “Um- Er- Ah- Y-Y-Yes! L-L-Let me buzz- er-” the woman eventually put on her wireless headset and pressed a button. “P-P-Principal Celestia? S-S-Sunset Shimmer is here to-” “Sunset Shimmer.” an eternally calm voice called out as the door to the Principal’s office opened. “Please come in, my sister and I were just talking regarding you.” “Gladly, Celestia.” Sunset nodded with a smug smirk before pausing and turning slightly to the side. “Ah, I should mention though that these five are insistent on joining us. I do hope you don’t mind?” “Girls? I do think you should head to class, don't you agree?” Celestia’s smile was visibly strained as she addressed the gathering. “With all due respect, Principal? Tha Princess would’a wanted this.” Applejack’s determined look nearly spoke louder than her resolute tone of voice. Principal Celestia’s lips drew thin and her brow furrowed as she studied the two parties before giving a tired sigh. “All right… Come on in you six.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “So, Sunset… You look… fine…” “Please, Celestia, don’t talk to me like these children. I’m not much younger than you, technically.” Sunset chuckled as she shook her head at the human version of the Goddess of the Sun. “Pardon me?” Celestia shifted around in her chair, a look of bemusement glinting across her features. “Well, you are closing in on your fourth decade, whereas the you back in Equestria is a timeless Goddess able to control the very sun and moon themselves and has been around for almost all of recorded Equestrian history.” Sunset grinned as she rested her hands on her hips. “But that is besides the fact.” “Why have you returned, Sunset?” the amber girl looked over at the Vice Principal, Luna’s face dour. “What makes you think we won’t call the police on you?” “Simple, you would have during the week I was away.” Sunset’s smirk deepened. “You have my address after all, nothing would have stopped you from calling the police on me after the Fall Formal.” “You still haven’t answered why you came back.” Sunset looked back at the other sister. “Surely you were seen by the students, and I have a feeling that you may have intentionally made your presence known. Their reactions alone-” “Were as expected. Boos, hissing, and a few freaking out. Not that I blame them.” her shoulders rose and fell as Sunset sighed. “I actually came here to bargain, actually.” “Bargain? What could you possibly have to bargain with us over?” Luna’s hands slammed down onto the table as she rocket up to her feet, fire flowing from her dark eyes. “I wish to return to Canterlot High School and finish my studies.” Explosive fits of laughter erupted from the two women as they fell back into their chairs, tears starting to stream down their reddening faces as they tried to wipe them away with shaking hands. Sunset stood facing them, her arms crossed gently across her stomach as the other five students stood in amazement at what was occurring in the room. “Y-Y-You want to… To come back?” Celestia managed out between cackles of laughter, her chair threatening to fall over more than a few times. “Why do you think we would let you come back here? Especially after all that you have done to this school?” Luna asked as she calmed down, a bemused smile spreading across her features. Sunset stood there, waiting patiently as the two sisters slowly composed themselves, holding out a single finger to silent the two when they tried to get Sunset to answer them. The teen slowly turned, looking at the five girls behind her, a surprisingly emotional look on her face as she studied each of them, lingering for what felt like aeons on each before moving to the next, before returning back to the Principals. “Because I’m going to ask you kindly.” Sunset said simply, her voice quiet. A silence enveloped the room, its cold pall weaving between each and every party present. “Your going to ask kindly? That’s it?” Sunset looked up from the ground towards the Principal Celestia. “Part of the reason I let these five come with me is that they can verify that I spent the last week in a not good spot. Truth be told, I have nothing else in my life but this school.” Sunset started, her voice low and tone surprisingly humble. “I spent the the last week drinking in my apartment and cutting my wrists, miring in my defeat. Now I’m not blind, I know that I’ve spent the last three plus years being the biggest terror to ever walk this school to everyone present and more. “Now you never spoke up against me before, mainly because I got really good at keeping my presence out of any evidence, but now you have easy proof with the Fall Formal, and what I became that night. I’m not asking for your forgiveness cause I’m not stupid enough to think that you will, but I am asking for a chance to finish my studies here as a student.” The five friends watched as Sunset slowly drew closer and closer into herself, her body clenching in every way possible as her head lowered closer and closer towards the floor. The two women on the far side of the room had sat in silence as Sunset spoke her piece, only moving well after Sunset was finished. “Girls? Can you verify what she is saying?” Celestia asked, her tone cold and neutral as she looked past the girl standing in the middle of the room. “Well, uh…” Rainbow stuttered as she tried to think of something to say, the amazement she felt at Sunset’s transformation shared among her peers. “Y-Yeah, we can. A-Applejack? You’re better at the whole explaining thing than I am.” Applejack looked at Rainbow with a shade of betrayal in her eyes as she strode forwards toward the side of Sunset Shimmer, the amber girl’s face hidden by her long hair. “Principal, ya remember after tha Fall Formal? When we spoke? Princess Twilight asked us to give Sunset Shimmer a second chance... Ta be her friends.” “The five of us most of all had no reason to be her friends.” Rarity added as she walked up beside the farm girl. “After what happened at the Spring Fling, why I stayed home for almost two weeks! But… But when we found Sunset on Friday afternoon…” “She’s different! Even if she did call me Pixie and rest her elbow on me…” Rainbow’s voice grew quiet as she realized what she was saying. “What I mean is, we found her at the end of her ropes- like, her apartment should have been destroyed with fire with the state it was in!” “She was so… Sad.” Fluttershy murmured as she walked up beside her childhood friend. “She spent all that time driving us apart, making us fight… Bullying us…But when we found her, she wasn’t like that at all.” “Even iiif she kept yelling at us, it wasn’t because she was mad!” Pinkie somehow appeared at the side of the snow white woman. “She was all sorts of crazy! Like, you would not believe the amount of Pinkie magic went into cleaning that place!” “When we found her, and saw tha state she was in… We couldn’t find it in ourselves to hate her. We realized that she needs help.” Applejack reached down and grabbed Sunset’s closest arm, the limp extremity rising up as the farmer pulled back the sleeve to reveal fresh bandaging. “These bandages are fresh, tha ones we saw yesterday looked like they were rotten. This itself is proof that Sunset isn’t quite tha same same. Would the old Sunset attempt suicide?” The room remained quiet after Applejack finished, the eyes of the two sisters looking around the room as Applejack slowly rolled Sunset’s sleeve down her arm, gently returning it to the girl’s side. “Sister…” Luna started as she looked over to her elder sibling. “I know that look…” “Sunset… You said you wanted to bargain. It’s going to be one heck of a bargain for you to convince us that you should be allowed to come back to this school.” Celestia slowly stood up and walked over to the Equestrian, crossing her arms. “If we allow you to come back, there could be a riot from the students, let alone the faculty.” “I know…” Sunset’s voice was a muffled whisper. “What sort of bargaining pieces do you think you have?” “...” Sunset slowly lifted her head, her hair blocking her face from the other students in the room. “Nothing except my word.” “As if that amounts to anything!” Luna shouted as she stared at her sister. “Celly, please! You know that it’s for the best to get rid of her! Her word is as vile as she is!” “Luna…?” the night coloured woman paused when she heard Sunset’s voice. “Back in Equestria… Back there, you are one of Equestria’s greatest villains. You’re known as Nightmare Moon, and have been banished in the moon for the last thousand years by your sister.” “So? What does it matter what a different version of me is like?” Luna crossed her arms defensively as she examined Sunset. “Because I’d ask you to think of me as a different person now…” an amused huff escaped from Luna at Sunset comment. “Like I said, I’m not asking for forgiveness, because I know I won’t get it. I’m asking just for the chance to finish my studies here, so that I have a chance to live a life in this world… Nightmare Moon never killed anyone… “Would you?” Luna’s eyes widened in shock as Sunset addressed her, her voice stumbling in indignation as she tried to respond to the girl’s comment. “Because if I leave here without being a student, I have no chance at a life here… I’m an illegal alien by all accounts. I don’t have any family here. I only have a home because I convinced an elderly landlady to help an orphan runaway. “If I’m able to get a high school diploma, and I know I could if I am allowed to stay here- I’m your smartest student after all- I could use that to make sure I get the chance to fully legalize myself in this world.” “And what’s stopping you from returning to the other world?” Celestia asked, slowly walking over to her sister. “Why should you be our problem?” “...Let’s just say there’s a reason I’m still here after all this time.” Sunset’s tone grew bitter as she looked down at her clenched fists. “I know that by you allowing me to stay, it will cause all sorts of problems for the school, and for you. I can promise that the students will come after me, in every way possible, and there is no way to prevent that other than by sending me away.” “And what happens when the students inevitably come after you?” Luna’s tone held a razor edge as she shifted her posture. “They will be justified after all.” “Oh, I’ll defend myself. I’m not gonna let people walk all over me.” Sunset’s tone carried a hint of her smug self confidence that she always exuded for as long as anyone had known her. “I’m better than anyone here, and I know it. Sure, I’m a bully, but that’s just to remind people that they should leave me be. And besides, I didn’t go after everyone here. I had limits.” “You would be one strike away from expulsion if you stayed, you know that?” Celestia said, earning a small nod from Sunset. “If I am allowed to come back, I promise not to go after anyone. I won’t be the initiator- but if anyone comes after me? I will defend myself. Within equal measure of course. Someone says something? I’ll remind them of our difference in intelligence. If someone tries to physically attack me, I will return in kind, but never more.” The two women’s eyes narrowed at the same time as they listened to Sunset’s promise, their minds obviously moving at a kilometer a second as they tried to judge the girl’s strength of word. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy.” each of the five girls stood up as their names were called, snapping to attention as they looked towards Principal Celestia. “Do you think Sunset Shimmer should be allowed to return to our school? You five are part of the reason we still have free will, after all.” Nods and various noises of agreement were issued by four girls. “If it means I don’t have to think that I’m the reason that someone committed suicide, I’m fine with her returning to school.” Rainbow strode forward, breaking the line of students. “Hell! I’ll even keep an eye on her! Make sure she doesn’t get into too much trouble- cause I think we all know she will.” Soft, knowing chuckles came from the amber girl in response. She knew that if she was able to come back that things would be… tense. “...I see. Do the rest of you hold that same conviction?” Celestia turned back to the other four girls who slowly nodded. “Good, because not only will you five be responsible for Sunset Shimmer, but any punishments that should fall onto her shall fall onto you all as well.” Sunset gave the five girls some small amount of credit, they didn’t show too much fear in regards to the Principal’s statement. Well, other than Fluttershy, but that was to be expected. “Now you all won’t be expelled should Sunset make a mistake, but you all will join her for any detentions or suspensions that she is assigned.” Celestia finished instructing, turning slowly onto Sunset once more. “Sunset… You are hereby welcome to rejoin us here at Canterlot High School. But! You will be on a tight leash. If I get proper evidence of you reverting back to your old ways…” “I promise… Only to those who come after me, first. An eye for an eye.” Sunset said as she looked up, a surprisingly warm smile on her face. “Makes the whole world blind.” Luna said as she shook her head. “Celly, I don’t know why you want this, but I will respect your decision…” “I hope you can prove me wrong, Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia said as she walked back to her desk, pausing in front of the intercom to look up at her sister. “Lulu? Would you escort these six girls to the auditorium?” “Auditorium? What do you mean?” Rarity asked in confusion, the five human girls looking at one another in confusion. “We have to have an assembly, dear.” Celestia’s voice grew a delicate edge. “To announce the return of Sunset Shimmer.” Chapter 4“So.” Celestia started to slowly pace atop of the wooden stage that rested in the auditorium. Countless sets of eyes looked up at her as staff and student alike looked up at her in wonder. “As you all must know by now, Sunset Shimmer returned to the school this morning.” the cries from the students confirmed the woman’s statement. “You’re going to get rid of her, right?” a younger, student in the back called out, the two girls beside her nodding in agreement. “Yeah! Kick her out!” another called out, a steady chant starting to call for Sunset’s removal. “Quiet, please.” the students quickly died down at the woman’s tone. “Thank you. Now, Sunset Shimmer came to my office this morning to talk.” Murmurs instantly returned to the student body. “She came to ask us to let her remain as a student of Canterlot High School.” The murmurs ignited into shouts of dismissal and dismay. “As much as I know you all want her gone, Sunset Shimmer is being allowed to return to our school.” That was the final straw, the students regressing into a brutal mob of booing and cursing as Celestia stood up on the stage, a tired sigh escaping through her lips. She slowly brought the microphone back up to her lips and- “Hey! Would you all just shut up!?” a rainbow maned girl dashed out from behind the curtains behind Celestia, coming to a rest standing defiantly on the front of the stage. “Is this what the Princess would have wanted?” “Aww, shake your head, Dash!” “Yeah, what’s up with you? Have you already forgotten what she did?” “Uh, in case you forgot, I’m part of the friggin’ reason we’re all still here, thank you!” Rainbow Dash shot back with as much brimstone as was being thrown at her. “And don’t forget that it was Twilight who reached out to try and help, Sunset!” “She really likes making things more difficult, doesn’t she?” Sunset shook her head as she listened from back behind the curtains, the other four girls looking around sheepishly. “Besides! She needs help, and that’s just what me and the others intend to do!” Sunset froze at the athlete’s next shout-out-loud comment to the crowd. “And that’s my cue to go and stop her from fucking things up even farther…!” the amber girl growled darkly as she strode purposefully out onto the stage, alerting the crowd to the fact that she was indeed here. The boos and shouting reached a fever pitch as Sunset walked forward in a lackadaisical manner. “Yes, yes thank you! Thank you all!” she called out, her booming voice washing over the crowd as she waved at them sarcastically. “Sunset? What are you doing?” Celestia’s voice was rushed and quiet as she turned back towards the girl who was now giving a slow, lazy golf clap. “Doing you a favour.” Sunset said quietly as she maintained her focus on the jeering crowd. “Would you rather the crowd be angry at you, or me?” “...What?” the snow white woman looked utterly baffled st the words coming from the mouth of Sunset. “Think of it as me starting to pay back the favour early.” Sunset turned towards Celestia, before reaching down and grabbing the microphone in the Principal’s grasp. Sunset gave a quick wink and click of her tongue, though her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Thank you.” “Heeeellooo Canterlot High School!” Sunset sang loudly into the mic as she made her way to the end of the stage, grabbing Rainbow by the shoulder and pulling her back. “Go grab the other four and then go stand by Celestia.” she whispered as she removed Rainbow from the center of attention. “Yes, hi! What do you want to ask me?” Sunset smirked as she knelt down and pointed the mic towards one of the many frothing students at the front of the pack. “Fuck you, Sunset!” the student yelled at her, causing Sunset to give a quick bark of laughter. “I appreciate the interest, dear, but maybe you should shoot for someone more along your lower echelon.” the student just continued to repeat his choice sentence at Sunset as she stood back up. “Now as much as I know you all wish to tell me where to go, I figure you should all know that I am fully reinstated here at CHS. And another tidbit of fact that I know all of you standing down there won’t believe is that I’m not here to cause trouble… I’m just here to finish my studies.” Now it was disbelief’s turn to ride rampant through the crowd as they continued to heckle Sunset, the girl’s smirk continuing to grow as more and more hate was thrown at her. “I made a promise that I wouldn’t initiate any sort of trouble while I remained her.” “Then what do you call what you just did?” a student asked loudly. “Ah, good of you to ask! Maybe there are more than five brain cells spread among you all.” Sunset’s comment only added more fuel to the fire as she looked back over her shoulder. “I am allowed to defend myself, so I hope none of you think that I’m going to let you walk all over me. My pride as a superior individual demands so. “Though it is not up to me to decide fully, but rather you should all think of this as my jail, and the five girls back there as my jailers. I’m going to be with at least one of them at all times, and they shall report to Celestia if any trouble arises from any of you. “Oh, and I guess myself as well.” Sunset chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Though I have all the reasons to not instigate anything, believe it or- well none of you believe it, I’m not stupid enough to think that. “Anyways, that’s everything I had to say, so expect to see me back around the halls and in your classes showing you what smart really is.” Sunset gave a small wave to the vitriolic crowd as she walked back towards Celestia and the five girls that were going to be her “friends” for the next nine months. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “Couldn’t you have played that a little more… tactful, darling?” Rarity asked as her and the other Wondercolts struggled to keep up with the long strides of Sunset Shimmer. “Look…” Sunset paused her hands clenching and unclenching as she tilted her head down towards the ground before turning around. “I’m playing “nice”, as it were, with you and the Principals because your playing “nice” with me. Unfortunately I am in your five’s debt, but I wouldn’t mention it if you value… Well, you know.” “Is there a reason you keep trying to threaten us?” Rainbow asked, an amused look spreading across her face. “Cause we aren’t taking it seriously- Fluttershy doesn’t count!” “What Dash means,” Applejack interjected as Sunset started to chuckle in reaction to the buttercreme girl’s sudden fit of fearful shaking. “Ah believe, is that we want to ta help ya Sunset, honest. We get it, ya don’t ta be friends, but that ain’t mean that we can’t help ya.” “Yeah, yeah. Whatever floats your boat.” Sunset shrugged, matching her apathetic response as she returned to walking back to Celestia’s office. The woman wanted to speak with the six of them one last time before they went off to class. “Ah, Sunset. It would probably come as little surprise that the student body attempted to vent their anger on your locker and it’s belongings, so we moved them in here.” the Principal pointed towards a cardboard box that Sunset’s locker had been dumped into. “I doubt it would be safe right now to return them, so feel free to grab what you need from here as you need.” “...Thank you…” Sunset’s voice was quiet as she walked over to the box and started rooting through it, grabbing her binder before pausing and pulling out another book, a large, dual toned sun embossed on the front. “Sunset…? Why are you shaking?” the Equestrian didn’t know which of the humans in the room asked that comment, her attention instead glued entirely onto her journal. She had forgotten that she had even brought it over… With this… “Sunset?” the girl, in a single action, bolted to her feet and grabbed the collar of the girl who had just grabbed her shoulder, before pausing when she remembered where she was. “Woah, what’s up with you so suddenly?” Rainbow Dash inquired as Sunset released the shorter girl and went back to pick up her journal. “It’s nothing… We should get to class…” Sunset said as she deposited the book back into the cardboard box. Her hand tingled as the Equestrian magic left her grasp.
Prologue“You’re kidding me, right?” Sunset Shimmer growled as she pushed herself up off the ground of the crater she currently resided in. She gave a pained hiss as heat lanced through her back, a hand shooting towards her shoulder blade only to receive a sticky welcome as her digits as they slipped through her torn clothes. “W-What?” some loose debris slid down the edge of the hole towards Sunset as the lavender girl who currently loomed above her took a half step back. “You think just cause you won that I’m gonna roll onto my back and accept your stupid offer!?” Sunset’s snarl sounded feral as she brought her fingers in front of her eyes blood oozing down them as she looked up at the supposed Princess. “You really are pathetic, you know that?” she chuckled as she hauled her injured body to its feet, fresh pain lancing through her as she slowly climbed her way out of the hole to stand before the Equestrian Princess. “To let her control you so much… Would you tell your guard puppy to stand down?” “Hey!” came the indignant cry from the rainbow maned youth that stood glaring behind Twilight. “What makes you think you can say anything, Sunset!? We won in case you just forgot!” “How could I forget?” Sunset grumbled darkly under her breath as she tried to take a step forward, only to stagger as a noticeable cracking sound filled the air as one of her boot heels broke, causing her to fall to the concrete roughly, further scraping up her body. “Sunset, please! Let us help you!” Twilight’s annoying voice, filled with Sunset only could describe as pity rang through the air as the other Equestrian once again reached a hand out towards the amber girl. “You’re obviously hurt and alone and-” “Oh nooo,” came the snarky, eye rolling response from the girl who was currently removing her boots with an almost nonchalant apathy. “I’m totally fine. I love bleeding from three different holes in my back as a bunch of monkeys chuckle all around me.” The Princess’ lips grew thin as she watched her fellow countrywoman slowly get up to her feet and glare around at the gathering of CHS students who were pointing at her and and whispering among themselves. There was no doubt in her mind that Sunset was currently running off pure adrenaline, anger and pain, and she wanted nothing more than to help her fellow Equestrian. “Snips, Snails!” the amber hued girl called out to the pair when she spotted them, fingers snapping as her hand raised into the air. The pair stood there, looking at one another before looking back at her and shaking their heads. Of all the days to grow a spine… she thought as the pair disobeyed her for the first time. “Fine. I’m gone.” “Hey! Where are you going?” Twilight called out to the departing girl, finally noticing the bloody state Sunset’s back was in. “I have nothing else here, so why would I stay? Besides, if anyone comes after me, the camera over there is my proof.” the same cocky, self sure grin Sunset had worn during Twilight’s entire stay in this world blazed brightly on the other Equestrians face, but her usually brilliant aquamarine eyes seemed shadowed as she turned back around and started to hobble away from the grounds of Canterlot High School. “Leave her be, shugahcube.” Twilight felt a strong hand rest itself on her shoulder as Applejack came to rest behind the shorter girl. “She’s none o’ our business now, Ah reckon.” “You five.” Twilight surprised the human versions of her friends with how quickly she spun around, a determined look on her face. “Promise me you five will help her!” “What the heck are you-” “Promise me!” Twilight begged, interrupting Rainbow Dash. “She’s hurt and alone in another world. She isn’t fine… Please…” “S-Sure, I guess…?” Rainbow scratch the back of her head with an uneasy chuckle. “But after all she’s done? Does she really-” “Yes. Anypony- one can change. Look, the portals going to close, and I can’t afford to remain here for another thirty moons. I’m sorry, but please… do this for me.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset let out a low groan as she collapsed against the wall of the alleyway, gritting her teeth as she let out a ragged breath. She slowly reached up with a shaking hand to wipe away the tear that was making its way slowly down her cheek. The brave facade she had been wearing back at the school crumbled as soon as she had rounded the corner and headed into the alleyways, the soles of her feet had slowly become raw from rough concrete and pavement she was walking upon. She gave a loud yelp of pain as she put her left foot down, pain exploding from it as she stumbled and slid down the wall, her knee retracting closer to her chest as her hands shot down to her foot, tears now flowing freely down her cheek. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a small, telltale glint emanating from the broken glass on the ground that she had just stepped onto, the sticky warmth of her blood oozing down her injured foot. “Fuck my life…” Sunset’s voice wavered as she struggled not to break down into tears. Everything had gone wrong for her tonight. Her single, overriding objective for the last three years had just been stolen out from under her, she had been abandoned by her minions, and now she was probably infected with some disease thanks to putting a bottle through her foot. Sunset felt something in her head literally snap as she looked down at the various pieces of glass on the ground beside her. She reached out with a shaking hand, grabbing one of the larger pieces of glass as a maniacal grin spread across her face. She had nothing left to lose now, after all. She had no chance of a life in this world, especially after her defeat tonight, and the instant she went back to Equestria… She paused, and turned to the side as the pounding in her mind reached a fever pitch. A trio of shadows stood above her, a menacing aura radiating off of them. “What do you want?” Sunset intended to ask, only for the world to go dark.
Chapter 1“At least promise me today's the last day we go looking for her!” came the tired groan from Rainbow Dash as the group slowly piled out of Fluttershy’s van. It had been a full week since the disappearance of Sunset Shimmer following her defeat at the Fall Formal, and the school had been celebrating their freedom from their former oppressor. Her name had been skipped over in attendance checks after the second day of her missing school, and her locker had been attempted to be broken into no less than a dozen times, resulting in the principal's removing her belongings and storing them in Celestia’s office. “I agree. My feet are absolutely killing me because of all this needless searching.” Rarity was her usual self of melodrama as she lagged behind, earning a chuckle from Applejack as she turned to look at the girl. “Well if’n ya went’n wore somethin proper…” the farmer nodded her head down towards the heeled boots the fashionista was tromping around with. “And RD? We promised tha Princess, in case ya forgot.” “But we haven't heard any news all week! Surely someone would have at least responded to missing persons balloons!” Pinkie Pie crossed her arms in mock annoyance as the group gathered around the hood of the creme coloured van. “I’m pretty sure most people would…” Fluttershy started only to quiet down to a soft, indiscernible mumble. “Most people who know her would probably rather kick her ass then tell us where she is.” a dark chuckle emanated from Rainbow Dash as she shook her head. “Rainbow!” Rarity looked shocked at the the athlete’s declaration, shared by the other three members of the group as she chastised the girl. “Not everyone would resort to such brutish actions!” “You’ve not been around the sports teams then, huh?” was the pixie-sized girl’s response. “Anyways can we get going? I want a squishy already.” “Ah still have no idea why’n tarnation ya call slushies that, Dash.” Applejack commented, causing everyone to chuckle at the now blushing Rainbow Dash. “Um… Girls…?” “I do agree that it is a rather adorable nickname for a slurpee, darling.” Rarity managed to get out between flighty giggles. “G-Girls…?” “Hey! You want a bloody nose? ‘Cause I’ll bop ya one right now!” Rainbow’s face was slowly becoming an even more vibrant red than the streaks in her hair. “Girls.” “Oooh! I should totally come up with a nickname!” Pinkie’s face contorted in a way only she could as she somehow sat hovering in the air as she stroked her long, poofy bang in a pensive manner. “Girls!” The other four girls gave shocked cries as Fluttershy’s shout echoed through the air, an out of place look on her face as she gave a slight glower. “Woah, Flutters, no need to shout girl!” Rainbow said as she shook her head, trying to ease the ringing. “Look.” Fluttershy turned around and pointed towards the convenience store the quintet had originally arrived at to purchase goodies. All four formerly noisy girls followed the dainty finger the animal lover had outstretched, watching as the door swung out followed by a disheveled figure stumbling onto the pavement. “No way…” “What’n…” “That can’t be her!” “What happened?” The figure was tall, actually being the fourth tallest student at CHS, though she was currently hunched over in an incredibly awkward manner, her arms dangling low enough that the bags she was carrying were almost dragging on the ground. She appeared more like a marionette with loose strings then an all powerful ruler. “What happened to her hair?” Rarity’s voice was shallow and lost. The figure’s normally vibrant mane of blood and gold sat twisted and snarled, sticking off in random directions, the colours appearing washed out, which only helped emphasis just how pale the amber hues of her flesh had become, almost looking like a member of the walking dead as shambled herself away. “That there’s a feed bag…” Applejack said, pointing to one of the bags dangling from the figure’s grasp. “What’n tarnation does Sunset Shimmer need animal feed fer?” “Um, she’s getting away!” Pinkie hopped up and down as she jabbed a finger repeatedly towards the extremely slowly vanishing form of Sunset. “Er, yes, she is…” Rarity looked around hesitantly at the group of girls, unease washing across her delicate face. “What should we do?” The five stood in silence, each of them unsure of what to do. What could they do? “Let’s follow her…” Applejack said in a quiet, firm tone, turning to look at Fluttershy. “Get tha van goin, Fluttershy. We all got a promise ta keep.” “You can’t be serious!?” Rainbow Dash groaned in disbelief, running her hands down her face. “After all that she did?” “The Princess seemed to be right, darling. Sunset isn’t fine.” Rarity hesitated as she stood in front of the open door to the van, gulping in disgust as she made her way into the mass of shed hair. “We have to at least try talking to her.” “...You all owe me a squishy for this…” Rainbow muttered as she entered the passenger side seat. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “You don’t think she saw us, do you?” “I would know if you weren’t lying across the dashboard, Pinkie!” Rainbow whisper-shouted as she grabbed the party planner and threw her back into her seat. The group had indeed patiently followed the slowly ambling Sunset Shimmer towards wherever she was going, though not without issues. Fluttershy had been reduced to a cowering mess thanks to being honked at no fewer than seventeen times due to slow driving. Now the van and it’s high school girl contents sat in front of an older looking building in an even older part of town. A building that Sunset Shimmer had just stumbled into. “So what's the plan now?” Rainbow asked as she kicked her legs up onto the dash that Pinkie had previously been resting on. “We know where she is, so I say we go and get the squishies you all owe me.” “Ah say we go an’ talk to her.” Rainbow visibly sunk as Applejack opened the side door and exited the vehicle and started walking towards the building. “I can’t believe this is where she has lived the whole time.” Pinkie Pie skipped up to her distant cousin, the other trio of girls following quickly behind. “I mean… This isn’t exactly the roughest part of town, but…” “I still find it hard to believe that she hadn’t weaseled her way into a mansion or estate.” added Rarity with a worried edge to her voice. “The girl could talk a starving man out of his food.” The five shared small talk as they paused in front of the door, leaving Applejack to continue to take charge as she reached forward and turned the knob. “Seein’ as this is an apartment, maybe we should try’n find the landlord first? Ah don’t think we want ta risk gettin’ charged with breakin’ n’ enterin’.” Fluttershy gave a worried yelp as she vanished behind her long mane of hair in reaction to the farmer’s thoughts. “Sign says they’re out until the evening.” Rainbow said lamely as she lent against a wall and jerked her thumb to the door behind her. “And I hiiighly doubt that Sunset’s just gonna let us into her evil lair.” “Come now, Rainbow. Please at least attempt to be civil.” Rarity gave a tired sigh as she straightened her hair. “I do have to agree with her, though. How are we going to get into her apartment? Applejack? Where are you going?” “Findin’ her apartment.” the broadly built girl didn’t even spare a look back as she started tromping up the stairs, leaving her four friends to scamper to catch up. “And how will you know which one is hers?” Rainbow asked as she caught up to the blonde haired girl who seemed to be busy studying the walls. “Name tags.” came the blunt response as a firm orange finger pointed to a sheet of card stock sitting neatly in a brass holder labelled “S. Shimmer”. “None’a ya are ta ever speak a word o’ this, understand?” Applejack’s glance backwards carried the full weight of her death threat as she rubbed firmly on her throat. “What are you-” Applejack’s eyes narrowed even more, shutting Rainbow Dash’s mouth for her before the stetson wearing girl turned towards the door and gave an extremely gentle set of knocks. “Excuse me, Miss Shimmer? The landlord asked us to come and clean up your apartment.” it sounded like a cat was simultaneously strangling itself and cough up a fur-ball as Rainbow Dash attempted to muffle her sudden outburst of laughter. “We are with the Happy Maid Company.” “What the hell did we just hear!?” cackled Rainbow quietly as she watched the farmgirl’s face erupt into red. “You just sounded like Rarity got bent over by that cello chick and had a child!” A resounding crack filled the air as Rarity’s hand connected with Rainbow Dash’s head, the shorter girl pitching forward and laughing through the pain. There was no response from the other side of the door. “Any o’ y’all have any other ideas?” Applejack asked, shaking her head at the pantomiming athlete. “Leave it to me, I guess.” Rarity sighed, breaking the silence as she strode forward, reaching back into her hair and fiddling around with something before withdrawing it. “Wait, our resident rich girl knows how to pick locks!?” Rainbow asked half amazed, half shocked. “My dearest Sweetie Belle has a tendency to lock things that she shouldn’t.” Rarity said as she leaned close to the door, listening and focusing before a large smile spread across her marshmallow coloured face. “Aha! There we go.” “Shall we?” Applejack looked around at the group as she reached out towards the door knob and twisting it. A putrid wave of stench washed over them as the door opened, darkness flooding out of the room in time with the rank smell that caused the group to cry in distress as they covered their mouths and noses. “What the fuck!?” Rainbow retched, bile threatening to fill her throat. “Did something die in there!?” “Why’s it so dark?” Pinkie asked, her eyes watering as her hair appeared to shrivel and deflate. “S-Sunset, darling? Are you alive in there?” Rarity asked as loudly as she could as she took a few steps back, a greenish hue appearing across her cheeks. “This makes shovelin’ manure seem like a spa day…” Applejack groaned as she forced her legs to carry herself into the somehow still pitch black room. “Sunset? Ya in here?” The five slowly entered the room, Rainbow pulling out her smart phone and activating it’s flashlight feature in order to find a light switch. She successfully tracked one down and flipped it up, all the girls getting blinded as light finally flooded into the room, illuminating it. They instantly regretted the decision. “Oh my god…” all of them said in time. All around them sat piles of refuse and clothing, moldering unattended to in their squalor. The thick dust coating the walls and floor seemed to crawl as if alive thanks to the watering of the parties eyes. “Oh… Yay… The ghosts are back…” the five turned away from the rest of the disaster that surrounded them and towards the voice that echoed in the air, its dead, emotionless, yet strangely apathetic tones seeming like a raging waterfall of life compared to the person it belonged to. Various shocked cries came from the group as they took in the form of their former dominator close up. Sunset stood there, an expression that could only be called dead on her face as she stared not at the quintet, but through them. The dark bags under her eyes were simultaneously infinite and singular, here eyes seeming glazed over. The tank top she “wore” was covered in stains of indiscernible origins as it sat crumpled across her immense bustline. It was white, or at least that's what the five girls assumed, as now it was a sickly yellowish-brown mess. There was numerous straps of cloth wrapped around her body, bandages they realized, but ones that hadn’t probably been cared for in at least a week, including one large one wrapped around left foot, up to the ankle. It must have been something major given the thickness of the bandage, but Sunset scuffled along upon it as if it weren’t there. “So, uh… What’s in the bowl, Shimmer?” Rainbow asked, sounding surprisingly worried for one who had so harshly resented coming here. “Hay…” “Hay?” Rainbow’s brow tilted in confusion, only to be shoved aside as Fluttershy bolted past her, sliding into Sunset and tearing the bowl from her hands. “W-Wha- H-Hey…! That’s… Min..e…” Sunset appeared to attempt to struggle with the willowy girl, only for her to start listing to one side before collapsing roughly to the floor.
Chapter 2Sunset gave as much of a strangled groan as her parched throat could mustered, her brow furrowing with intense strength to match the raging pounding in her head. She struggled in her attempts to remember what day it was as she shifted around on her… sofa? “W-What…?” Sunset mumbled as she rolled to her side and cracked open her eyes, which surprisingly were no longer caked with grime. All the alcohol must really be getting to her now, passing out without realizing it. “Ah, that must be Pinkie and Fluttershy with the laundry! AJ would you be a darling and get the door?” Sunset froze as a familiar voice rang out through her apartment. “Great… Not this nightmare… Again…” Sunset groaned as she sat up, the blanket covering her the whole way. “Oh, Sunset! You’re up… early?” Rarity’s voice sounded amazed as it grew closer to the sitting girl. “Though to be honest, I have never dealt with a situation such as this before.” “Ya, well why don’t you just shut up and kill me already? Get this nightmare over with already.” Sunset groaned as she attempted to run a hand through her hair, giving a small grunt of pain as it was halted by a seemingly infinite collection of knots. “Erm, pardon me, darling? Whatever do you mean?” the creaking of Sunset’s floor paused at the Equestrian’s comment. Weird… They’re usually more aggressive than this… “You heard me, you stupid nightmare. The five of you always break into my room then take turns-” “Sunset? This ain’t a dream, girl.” And Applejack never talks… “Yeah, did you really bounce your head off the ground that hard?” Rainbow Dash could be heard walking out of Sunset’s kitchenette. “If she’s concussed it would probably mean going to the hospital.” “Look, what the fuck are the five of you doing in my apartment? How did you get in?” Sunset stood up and turned around to face the quintet, only to pause and stagger as blood rushed to her head. “Woah now, girl. Take it easy. You’ve been sleepin’ fer the last… two hours darn near.” Applejack said as she approached Sunset, only to pause when an amber palm was raised towards her. “Seriously, why are you five here? This isn’t one of my nightmares, so I’d appreciate an answer.” Sunset grumbled as her vision stopped swimming. “Um… Do you know what day it is?” Fluttershy asked as she walked over and deposited a hamper on the floor, freshly cleaned clothes pouring over the edges. “Hell if I’d know, but that doesn’t answer my question-” “Sunset, you’ve been MIA for over a week.” Rainbow threw a damp looking towel over her shoulder as she paused beside Rarity. “What happened? Why are you covered in bandages?” “...What makes you think I should tell you- any of you, anything?” Sunset tried her best to pull her former queen bitch persona forth. “Cause we just spent the last two hours cleaning your whole apartment.” came Rainbow’s blunt response. “Look, fucking thanks, or whatever it is that you plebeians want to hear for helping me, but why are you here? Did Twilight coerce you into coming here?” Sunset’s voice became a vitriolic wave as she tried to get some sort of answer from the group that had cost her everything. “Ya, tha Princess had asked us ta help ya, and it seems she was right about it.” Applejack crossed her arms as she stood resolute against the fury coming from Sunset. “Ya need help, Sunset.” “And what in your pathetic little minds would make you think that even if I needed help that I would ask the likes of you? You forget that it’s because of you five that I’m stuck here now, right?” Sunset’s anger had changed to a maniacal cackling before she gave a lunatic grin to the shorter girls. “Maybe because we are the only ones that would try to if you asked.” Rarity said gently, a sad smile on her face. “Sunset… You were a mess when we got in here, why I’m surprised the landlord didn’t evict you for the state of this room!” “It took me an hour just to clean all your dishes for fucks sake!” Rainbow said, reaching out and trying to show Sunset just how shriveled and prune like her fingers had gotten. “We did your laundry for you? Seriously, I had to work some reeeal Pinkie magic to get some of these clean again!” Pinkie pulled out various pieces of clothing that somehow appeared brand new. Sunset’s response was to storm past the group, her left foot burning in agony as she stomped on it over to the fridge, opening it and retrieving a dark brown bottle from it before crashing towards her washroom, slamming the door shut behind her. “S-Sunset?” Rarity called out in worry as the door bounced on it’s hinges. “W-What are you-” “Drinking myself to oblivion, Marshmallow! You should try it sometime!” was Sunset’s mocking response as she slid down along the door until she was seated on the floor. That was only half the truth as tears started to build in her eyes, her voice threatening to start wavering. “Look, just leave me alone…” Sunset said as cries of worry followed by banging on the door she rested against filled the air. “Please…” she begged softly, causing the noise to stop and allowing to take a long pull from the brown bottle, her throat burning in a recognizable fashion as the cold alcohol burned it’s way to her gullet. “We’ll be out here, Sunset. You take your time.” Rarity’s voice could be heard before muffled whispers could be heard depart from the door. Sunset sat there, waiting for the booze to make its way into her system before she started to work at the bandages around her wrists. The dinghy strips of cloth fell away, revealing a vast collection of criss crossing marks of red dug into her flesh, causing the painful memories to come flooding back to her… <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “Ah, you’re awake. Good!” light slowly filtered into Sunset’s eyes as they slowly cracked open. “How are you feeling?” “Out of ten? A solid zero.” came Sunset’s tired response. “Where am I?” “You’re in the hospital, dear. You’ve been here for the last eight hours.” Sunset slowly sat up in her bed, hissing at the burning running through her back. “Oh, careful dear! We don’t need you bursting your stitches!” “Stitches…?” Sunset’s mind was groggy, but she remembered… “Who brought me here?” “They said they were your classmates, I think? I’m sorry dear, I wasn’t on shift at the time, and they apparently refused to leave names.” Sunset wiped a hand down her face as she finished sitting up. She was wearing her shirt, or at least the remains of it, the back was all torn out thanks to her magical transformation from the previous night. She could see her jacket hanging off to the side. “Okay, am I free to go?” Sunset asked, though her attention was elsewhere. “Once we contact your family-” “Don’t have any. I’m an orphan.” “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. Well then we need you to see the doctor and the front desk to get your antibiotics prescription and to book you out.” Sunset slowly stood up, being careful not to put too much weight onto her bandaged up foot. She wasn’t even standing on it and she could feel the stitches in it. “Lead the way.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Once again, Sunset’s confidence composure fell apart as soon as she got into her apartment. She shut the door before feeling the weight of the world crashing down upon her, causing her legs to give up as she fell to the cool surface. Her body erupted into spasms as she silently wailed in despair at her current situation. She had lost her chance to return to Canterlot and prove to Celestia that she was worthy of being a Princess. She had lost her chance at power. She had lost her chance at everything… Sunset didn’t know how long she lay on the floor in an unsightly pile, sobbing away at her new lot in life. She knew she could never return to CHS, not after everything that she had done. Not that she regretted her actions, no, but rather what would happen to her. The students would gang up and assault her most likely, and the school would probably look the other way. She could try to go to the cops, but given her past, as well as the fact that she was more or less someone who didn’t exist in this world, that would be a mistake. So what could she do? She slowly crawled and pulled herself along the floor of her flat towards her kitchenette, dragging herself up the fridge as she opened it and pulled out a dark brown bottle, attempting to take a long pull, only to come up short as the bottle emptied in barely a mouthful. She gave a banshee shriek as she tossed it at the wall, missing it as it went sailing past and collided safely with her sofa and landing on the floor with a dull, glassy thud. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> She didn’t recall when she had passed out, but Sunset slowly pulled herself up off the ground, her whole body heavy and moving as though she was made of lead. She slowly hobbled her way towards the sink, towards the drawer that sat in the counter beside it. Her shaking hand slipped down to the handle pulling it out with such shaking that the silverware inside could be heard rattling as she slowly pulled it out. A single piece glinted brightly in the light from above her, a steak knife, serrated teeth calling to her as she stared at it with dead, glassy eyes. It had been a donation from the landlady when she had stopped by and noticed Sunset had been lacking a lot of cutlery, and though Sunset had tried many time to tell the older lady that she was a vegetarian, she eventually relented, if only to shut the geriatric up. Now though… <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset stumbled out of the liquor store, groaning with the weight of bag she carried. It had been most of the money she had left, perhaps enough for a few days food if she rationed, but it was worth it. The single largest bottle of whiskey she had ever seen, and now ten of them were hers! Sure, her foot burned thanks to Sunset not bothering to ever clean the wound, nor purchase those antibiotics, but at least she had something to drown her sorrows! Her stomach growled. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> How many days had passed? Sunset laid… somewhere in her apartment and looked skyward. At least she guessed it was skyward. She had drawn the curtains shut however many days ago and spent her entire time inside drinking. She had already gone through almost half of the bottles, and was pretty sure she should have been dealing with alcohol poisoning already. She reached around for the bottle, her hand flopping weakly against the floor. Maybe she should just take a nap instead? <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Hay, that’s what her last meal would be, Sunset decided. Sure, the human body had no reason to eat hay, and apparently if one ate too much it would be bad, but it was cheap, and light to carry. Plus she could mumble something about animals to try and deal with the stench she now carried thanks to not showering since… Whenever the Fall Fuck-up was. Yes, one big bowl of hay, her last full bottle of whisky, and then everything could be done. Her eyelids shuddered as she snatched the bag from the cashier, a worried look on the… boys face? She didn’t care as she stumbled towards the door, hissing at the brightness of the sun. Maybe some rocks for her whiskey? <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset hissed as she poured the whiskey on her foot, swearing beneath her breath as she swore she saw her flesh start to bubble. Why were those five here? To taunt her? To remind her just how much she had fucked up? Instead she focused on waiting out the worst of the burning from her foot, before reaching down and dabbing away at the excess with toilet paper. The stitches were almost entirely dissolved before she started, and this only helped eat away at them, though the burning was enough to make tears come to her eyes. She had really neglected the wound, the flesh a sickly red as hardened puss washed away from the wound. But why was she trying to clean it? It’s not like she owed any of those girls anything! Even if they did clean her whole apartment for her… They had left some amount of time ago, Sunset was unsure of how much thanks to all the pain she had been in, but they were at least gone. “Sunset? I know you don’t need help, but please feel free to contact any one of us, okay?” Rarity had said from across the door. “We wrote our numbers on a sheet of paper you had sitting aside, okay?” “And how the hell am I supposed to call you? Assuming I was wasted enough to do so?” Sunset chuckled into her bottle of whiskey. “Um… With your phone?” Rainbow Dash was probably looking around with an idiotic look on her face given the way she sounded. “It’s busted, and I don’t think many places here would accept “Rainbow Lazer Beam” to be a justifiable reason to warranty a piece of slag.” “Oh…” They had thankfully left shortly after that, leaving Sunset to herself. And her bottle of booze. That had been good times, at the moment however, she was busy slamming a hand on the floor as the pain continued. “Mother fucker!” she growled as she poured a fourth time onto her foot. It took a few minutes, but at least the burning and blazing agony died down enough that Sunset could now stand up, if albeit at a glaciers pace, until she was loomed over the sink. Many reflections stared back at Sunset from her shattered mirror, her right hand tingling as the memory came back to her, causing her to growl as she flipped the bottle over one of her wrists. “Fucking HELL!” she bellowed as similar scabby, pussy wounds on her arms sizzled like eggs in a frying pan, repeating the process two more times before shifting over and doing the same with the other wrist. Sunset gave a bestial snarl as she dried off the last bits of burning skin before reaching down and into the cabinet under her sink for her first aid kit, grabbing out the last few rolls of bandaging cloth and starting to wrap her wrists up. There was just enough to wrap up her wrists and foot, her foot ended up being wrapped a little tightly but it helped numb some of the burning. “So. What are you gonna do now, failure?” the reflections from her mirror asked as Sunset lowered her head. “Gonna roll over and play nice? Maybe you can go to a tea party, have a big group hug and sing kumbaya?” “No.” Sunset growled back, shutting her eyes. “Face it. You lost, and now they’re taking pity on you. Awww, poor old Sunset Shimmer! She ran away from home because Mommy never loved her!” the voices mocked and sang around her. “Shut up…” “She’s never had a real friend because she’s sooo much better than everypony else!” “Shut… Up…” “She lost to five teenagers and a real Princess of Equestria, and now she’s drinking her life away! How pathetic!” “Stop it...” “Woe is me, for I lost! Mayhap I shall go to yonder sink and grab the knife to end my pitiable existence!” “Stop it!” “Your washed up, Shimmer. I bet they’re all laughing at you behind your back now!” “STOP IT!” Sunset yelled as she tried put her hand through the mirror once again. She grasped the sink, nearly shaking it loose with how heavily she was breathing, tears streaming down her face. No, she was better than this. She wasn’t gonna roll over just because she lost to some stupid Princess! She was Sunset Shimmer, personal protégé to Princess Celestia herself! And she was not gonna lose face to a bunch of teenagers! She was gonna show them who it was that still ruled Canterlot High School. She was gonna prove to Celestia that she was worth paying attention to…
Chapter 3“I hope for my wallets sake that she didn’t break that phone in half…” Rainbow Dash muttered as the five girls walked towards the front entryway of CHS. The Principals had got everything fixed quickly, and to someone who didn’t know better, the front entrance to the school had never actually been torn apart by magic. “Yes, well we all chipped in, in case you forgot, darling.” a tired sigh escaped through Rarity’s pursed lips. The five of them had all banded together to buy Sunset a new phone after leaving her apartment the other night, and when they returned the next day to give it to her she was away, so they were once again forced to break in. “Ya really changed yer tune quick, RD.” Applejack commented, nudging the shorter girl playfully. “Ya were mighty hesitant ta go lookin’ fer her.” “Ya, well none of us knew what sort of state she was in, okay?” the shorter girl shot back, scowling in annoyance. “She seemed fine when she left after the Fall Formal!” “Well we know now that she wasn’t.” the group grew quiet at Rarity’s comment, entering the school and pausing in the middle of the circular hall. “...Have any of heard from her yet?” Fluttershy asked as she looked up from her phone, the other four girls confirming that they hadn't either. “Hm?” Rainbow’s brow furrowed as gasps of shock and noticeable murmuring filled the air. “What’s going on?” The floor seemed to quake as the doors leading in and out of the school flew open, a single, imposing figure standing proudly in the middle, holding the wooden barriers open with unbridled ease. “Denizens of Canterlot High School!” came the booming voice of Sunset Shimmer, the defining grin of self superiority plastered across her face as she looked down, quite literally, at students. “Your Queen… has returned.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> Sunset smiled as the doors shut behind her, her eyes closing as a perfectly mixes wave of distress, shock, and anger flowed out of the student body and over her. Yes… It was good to be back. “What the hell is she doing here!?” “Why are you back, Sunset?” “We don’t want you here, freak!” “Freak?” Sunset gave a heartless chortle as she walked over towards the plump, drama club girl. “If you want to see a freak, just get a mirror.” Sunset smiled as she watched the girl start to form a retort, only for the sound of muffled laughter to come from behind her. “Pixie…” Sunset frowned as she walked over to the group, pausing as resting an elbow on the top of Rainbow Dash’s head as she addressed the group of five. “You five need to stop breaking into my apartment.” she narrowed her eyes dangerously as she reached down into the pocket of her leather jacket, pulling out a shiny smartphone. “But at least you pay for your crimes, so I’ll spare you for now. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry.” “W-What are you talking about?” Rarity was scared by just how offhandedly Sunset had turned around and started marching down the hall. All around them students were giving worried or outraged cries at the sight of the former oppressor. “Oh, I just figured I should talk to the Sisters first is all. I suspect things have happened since I left for vacation.” “Oh, is that what your calling it?” Sunset paused and looked down at the source of the flippant remark, glaring dangerously at Rainbow Dash. “If you so much as utter a single word about that, I will force feed you your own cleats…” Sunset turned around and resumed her march without waiting for a reaction. The amber giant made her way through the halls, students quickly making way for her, Sunset giving the odd, sarcasm-ridden comment as she passed, before finally pausing before the front office for the school. “Sunset…?” the girl paused and looked over her shoulder, a cruel smile coming to her face as she addressed the boy looking up at her in awe. “Ah, Flash, have you been practicing that g chord?” she snarked as she addressed the boy. “W-What are you doing here?” he asked cautiously, obviously paying no regard to Sunset’s jab. “I was just about to go see the Principals, actually, before I was distracted. So, ciao!” Sunset waved, but paused when she saw the group of five girls standing on her other side. “Why are you five still following me?” “If’n yer gunna talk ta tha Principals, were joinin’ ya.” Applejack’s tone said that there was no compromising, and rather than try to debate the stubborn fool, Sunset sighed and relented. “As you wish, bumpikin.” Sunset gave an apathetic shrug as she strode forward and into the empty office, a small dinging sound alerting the secretary to Sunset’ presence. “Hi there, what can I- Waahg!” the older lady nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of Sunset looming above her. “Hi there, are the Principals in? I need to talk with them.” Sunset’s smile was more similar to that of a genius talking to a child than actually polite, but the secretary was too busy flailing around to notice. “Um- Er- Ah- Y-Y-Yes! L-L-Let me buzz- er-” the woman eventually put on her wireless headset and pressed a button. “P-P-Principal Celestia? S-S-Sunset Shimmer is here to-” “Sunset Shimmer.” an eternally calm voice called out as the door to the Principal’s office opened. “Please come in, my sister and I were just talking regarding you.” “Gladly, Celestia.” Sunset nodded with a smug smirk before pausing and turning slightly to the side. “Ah, I should mention though that these five are insistent on joining us. I do hope you don’t mind?” “Girls? I do think you should head to class, don't you agree?” Celestia’s smile was visibly strained as she addressed the gathering. “With all due respect, Principal? Tha Princess would’a wanted this.” Applejack’s determined look nearly spoke louder than her resolute tone of voice. Principal Celestia’s lips drew thin and her brow furrowed as she studied the two parties before giving a tired sigh. “All right… Come on in you six.” <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “So, Sunset… You look… fine…” “Please, Celestia, don’t talk to me like these children. I’m not much younger than you, technically.” Sunset chuckled as she shook her head at the human version of the Goddess of the Sun. “Pardon me?” Celestia shifted around in her chair, a look of bemusement glinting across her features. “Well, you are closing in on your fourth decade, whereas the you back in Equestria is a timeless Goddess able to control the very sun and moon themselves and has been around for almost all of recorded Equestrian history.” Sunset grinned as she rested her hands on her hips. “But that is besides the fact.” “Why have you returned, Sunset?” the amber girl looked over at the Vice Principal, Luna’s face dour. “What makes you think we won’t call the police on you?” “Simple, you would have during the week I was away.” Sunset’s smirk deepened. “You have my address after all, nothing would have stopped you from calling the police on me after the Fall Formal.” “You still haven’t answered why you came back.” Sunset looked back at the other sister. “Surely you were seen by the students, and I have a feeling that you may have intentionally made your presence known. Their reactions alone-” “Were as expected. Boos, hissing, and a few freaking out. Not that I blame them.” her shoulders rose and fell as Sunset sighed. “I actually came here to bargain, actually.” “Bargain? What could you possibly have to bargain with us over?” Luna’s hands slammed down onto the table as she rocket up to her feet, fire flowing from her dark eyes. “I wish to return to Canterlot High School and finish my studies.” Explosive fits of laughter erupted from the two women as they fell back into their chairs, tears starting to stream down their reddening faces as they tried to wipe them away with shaking hands. Sunset stood facing them, her arms crossed gently across her stomach as the other five students stood in amazement at what was occurring in the room. “Y-Y-You want to… To come back?” Celestia managed out between cackles of laughter, her chair threatening to fall over more than a few times. “Why do you think we would let you come back here? Especially after all that you have done to this school?” Luna asked as she calmed down, a bemused smile spreading across her features. Sunset stood there, waiting patiently as the two sisters slowly composed themselves, holding out a single finger to silent the two when they tried to get Sunset to answer them. The teen slowly turned, looking at the five girls behind her, a surprisingly emotional look on her face as she studied each of them, lingering for what felt like aeons on each before moving to the next, before returning back to the Principals. “Because I’m going to ask you kindly.” Sunset said simply, her voice quiet. A silence enveloped the room, its cold pall weaving between each and every party present. “Your going to ask kindly? That’s it?” Sunset looked up from the ground towards the Principal Celestia. “Part of the reason I let these five come with me is that they can verify that I spent the last week in a not good spot. Truth be told, I have nothing else in my life but this school.” Sunset started, her voice low and tone surprisingly humble. “I spent the the last week drinking in my apartment and cutting my wrists, miring in my defeat. Now I’m not blind, I know that I’ve spent the last three plus years being the biggest terror to ever walk this school to everyone present and more. “Now you never spoke up against me before, mainly because I got really good at keeping my presence out of any evidence, but now you have easy proof with the Fall Formal, and what I became that night. I’m not asking for your forgiveness cause I’m not stupid enough to think that you will, but I am asking for a chance to finish my studies here as a student.” The five friends watched as Sunset slowly drew closer and closer into herself, her body clenching in every way possible as her head lowered closer and closer towards the floor. The two women on the far side of the room had sat in silence as Sunset spoke her piece, only moving well after Sunset was finished. “Girls? Can you verify what she is saying?” Celestia asked, her tone cold and neutral as she looked past the girl standing in the middle of the room. “Well, uh…” Rainbow stuttered as she tried to think of something to say, the amazement she felt at Sunset’s transformation shared among her peers. “Y-Yeah, we can. A-Applejack? You’re better at the whole explaining thing than I am.” Applejack looked at Rainbow with a shade of betrayal in her eyes as she strode forwards toward the side of Sunset Shimmer, the amber girl’s face hidden by her long hair. “Principal, ya remember after tha Fall Formal? When we spoke? Princess Twilight asked us to give Sunset Shimmer a second chance... Ta be her friends.” “The five of us most of all had no reason to be her friends.” Rarity added as she walked up beside the farm girl. “After what happened at the Spring Fling, why I stayed home for almost two weeks! But… But when we found Sunset on Friday afternoon…” “She’s different! Even if she did call me Pixie and rest her elbow on me…” Rainbow’s voice grew quiet as she realized what she was saying. “What I mean is, we found her at the end of her ropes- like, her apartment should have been destroyed with fire with the state it was in!” “She was so… Sad.” Fluttershy murmured as she walked up beside her childhood friend. “She spent all that time driving us apart, making us fight… Bullying us…But when we found her, she wasn’t like that at all.” “Even iiif she kept yelling at us, it wasn’t because she was mad!” Pinkie somehow appeared at the side of the snow white woman. “She was all sorts of crazy! Like, you would not believe the amount of Pinkie magic went into cleaning that place!” “When we found her, and saw tha state she was in… We couldn’t find it in ourselves to hate her. We realized that she needs help.” Applejack reached down and grabbed Sunset’s closest arm, the limp extremity rising up as the farmer pulled back the sleeve to reveal fresh bandaging. “These bandages are fresh, tha ones we saw yesterday looked like they were rotten. This itself is proof that Sunset isn’t quite tha same same. Would the old Sunset attempt suicide?” The room remained quiet after Applejack finished, the eyes of the two sisters looking around the room as Applejack slowly rolled Sunset’s sleeve down her arm, gently returning it to the girl’s side. “Sister…” Luna started as she looked over to her elder sibling. “I know that look…” “Sunset… You said you wanted to bargain. It’s going to be one heck of a bargain for you to convince us that you should be allowed to come back to this school.” Celestia slowly stood up and walked over to the Equestrian, crossing her arms. “If we allow you to come back, there could be a riot from the students, let alone the faculty.” “I know…” Sunset’s voice was a muffled whisper. “What sort of bargaining pieces do you think you have?” “...” Sunset slowly lifted her head, her hair blocking her face from the other students in the room. “Nothing except my word.” “As if that amounts to anything!” Luna shouted as she stared at her sister. “Celly, please! You know that it’s for the best to get rid of her! Her word is as vile as she is!” “Luna…?” the night coloured woman paused when she heard Sunset’s voice. “Back in Equestria… Back there, you are one of Equestria’s greatest villains. You’re known as Nightmare Moon, and have been banished in the moon for the last thousand years by your sister.” “So? What does it matter what a different version of me is like?” Luna crossed her arms defensively as she examined Sunset. “Because I’d ask you to think of me as a different person now…” an amused huff escaped from Luna at Sunset comment. “Like I said, I’m not asking for forgiveness, because I know I won’t get it. I’m asking just for the chance to finish my studies here, so that I have a chance to live a life in this world… Nightmare Moon never killed anyone… “Would you?” Luna’s eyes widened in shock as Sunset addressed her, her voice stumbling in indignation as she tried to respond to the girl’s comment. “Because if I leave here without being a student, I have no chance at a life here… I’m an illegal alien by all accounts. I don’t have any family here. I only have a home because I convinced an elderly landlady to help an orphan runaway. “If I’m able to get a high school diploma, and I know I could if I am allowed to stay here- I’m your smartest student after all- I could use that to make sure I get the chance to fully legalize myself in this world.” “And what’s stopping you from returning to the other world?” Celestia asked, slowly walking over to her sister. “Why should you be our problem?” “...Let’s just say there’s a reason I’m still here after all this time.” Sunset’s tone grew bitter as she looked down at her clenched fists. “I know that by you allowing me to stay, it will cause all sorts of problems for the school, and for you. I can promise that the students will come after me, in every way possible, and there is no way to prevent that other than by sending me away.” “And what happens when the students inevitably come after you?” Luna’s tone held a razor edge as she shifted her posture. “They will be justified after all.” “Oh, I’ll defend myself. I’m not gonna let people walk all over me.” Sunset’s tone carried a hint of her smug self confidence that she always exuded for as long as anyone had known her. “I’m better than anyone here, and I know it. Sure, I’m a bully, but that’s just to remind people that they should leave me be. And besides, I didn’t go after everyone here. I had limits.” “You would be one strike away from expulsion if you stayed, you know that?” Celestia said, earning a small nod from Sunset. “If I am allowed to come back, I promise not to go after anyone. I won’t be the initiator- but if anyone comes after me? I will defend myself. Within equal measure of course. Someone says something? I’ll remind them of our difference in intelligence. If someone tries to physically attack me, I will return in kind, but never more.” The two women’s eyes narrowed at the same time as they listened to Sunset’s promise, their minds obviously moving at a kilometer a second as they tried to judge the girl’s strength of word. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy.” each of the five girls stood up as their names were called, snapping to attention as they looked towards Principal Celestia. “Do you think Sunset Shimmer should be allowed to return to our school? You five are part of the reason we still have free will, after all.” Nods and various noises of agreement were issued by four girls. “If it means I don’t have to think that I’m the reason that someone committed suicide, I’m fine with her returning to school.” Rainbow strode forward, breaking the line of students. “Hell! I’ll even keep an eye on her! Make sure she doesn’t get into too much trouble- cause I think we all know she will.” Soft, knowing chuckles came from the amber girl in response. She knew that if she was able to come back that things would be… tense. “...I see. Do the rest of you hold that same conviction?” Celestia turned back to the other four girls who slowly nodded. “Good, because not only will you five be responsible for Sunset Shimmer, but any punishments that should fall onto her shall fall onto you all as well.” Sunset gave the five girls some small amount of credit, they didn’t show too much fear in regards to the Principal’s statement. Well, other than Fluttershy, but that was to be expected. “Now you all won’t be expelled should Sunset make a mistake, but you all will join her for any detentions or suspensions that she is assigned.” Celestia finished instructing, turning slowly onto Sunset once more. “Sunset… You are hereby welcome to rejoin us here at Canterlot High School. But! You will be on a tight leash. If I get proper evidence of you reverting back to your old ways…” “I promise… Only to those who come after me, first. An eye for an eye.” Sunset said as she looked up, a surprisingly warm smile on her face. “Makes the whole world blind.” Luna said as she shook her head. “Celly, I don’t know why you want this, but I will respect your decision…” “I hope you can prove me wrong, Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia said as she walked back to her desk, pausing in front of the intercom to look up at her sister. “Lulu? Would you escort these six girls to the auditorium?” “Auditorium? What do you mean?” Rarity asked in confusion, the five human girls looking at one another in confusion. “We have to have an assembly, dear.” Celestia’s voice grew a delicate edge. “To announce the return of Sunset Shimmer.”
Chapter 4“So.” Celestia started to slowly pace atop of the wooden stage that rested in the auditorium. Countless sets of eyes looked up at her as staff and student alike looked up at her in wonder. “As you all must know by now, Sunset Shimmer returned to the school this morning.” the cries from the students confirmed the woman’s statement. “You’re going to get rid of her, right?” a younger, student in the back called out, the two girls beside her nodding in agreement. “Yeah! Kick her out!” another called out, a steady chant starting to call for Sunset’s removal. “Quiet, please.” the students quickly died down at the woman’s tone. “Thank you. Now, Sunset Shimmer came to my office this morning to talk.” Murmurs instantly returned to the student body. “She came to ask us to let her remain as a student of Canterlot High School.” The murmurs ignited into shouts of dismissal and dismay. “As much as I know you all want her gone, Sunset Shimmer is being allowed to return to our school.” That was the final straw, the students regressing into a brutal mob of booing and cursing as Celestia stood up on the stage, a tired sigh escaping through her lips. She slowly brought the microphone back up to her lips and- “Hey! Would you all just shut up!?” a rainbow maned girl dashed out from behind the curtains behind Celestia, coming to a rest standing defiantly on the front of the stage. “Is this what the Princess would have wanted?” “Aww, shake your head, Dash!” “Yeah, what’s up with you? Have you already forgotten what she did?” “Uh, in case you forgot, I’m part of the friggin’ reason we’re all still here, thank you!” Rainbow Dash shot back with as much brimstone as was being thrown at her. “And don’t forget that it was Twilight who reached out to try and help, Sunset!” “She really likes making things more difficult, doesn’t she?” Sunset shook her head as she listened from back behind the curtains, the other four girls looking around sheepishly. “Besides! She needs help, and that’s just what me and the others intend to do!” Sunset froze at the athlete’s next shout-out-loud comment to the crowd. “And that’s my cue to go and stop her from fucking things up even farther…!” the amber girl growled darkly as she strode purposefully out onto the stage, alerting the crowd to the fact that she was indeed here. The boos and shouting reached a fever pitch as Sunset walked forward in a lackadaisical manner. “Yes, yes thank you! Thank you all!” she called out, her booming voice washing over the crowd as she waved at them sarcastically. “Sunset? What are you doing?” Celestia’s voice was rushed and quiet as she turned back towards the girl who was now giving a slow, lazy golf clap. “Doing you a favour.” Sunset said quietly as she maintained her focus on the jeering crowd. “Would you rather the crowd be angry at you, or me?” “...What?” the snow white woman looked utterly baffled st the words coming from the mouth of Sunset. “Think of it as me starting to pay back the favour early.” Sunset turned towards Celestia, before reaching down and grabbing the microphone in the Principal’s grasp. Sunset gave a quick wink and click of her tongue, though her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Thank you.” “Heeeellooo Canterlot High School!” Sunset sang loudly into the mic as she made her way to the end of the stage, grabbing Rainbow by the shoulder and pulling her back. “Go grab the other four and then go stand by Celestia.” she whispered as she removed Rainbow from the center of attention. “Yes, hi! What do you want to ask me?” Sunset smirked as she knelt down and pointed the mic towards one of the many frothing students at the front of the pack. “Fuck you, Sunset!” the student yelled at her, causing Sunset to give a quick bark of laughter. “I appreciate the interest, dear, but maybe you should shoot for someone more along your lower echelon.” the student just continued to repeat his choice sentence at Sunset as she stood back up. “Now as much as I know you all wish to tell me where to go, I figure you should all know that I am fully reinstated here at CHS. And another tidbit of fact that I know all of you standing down there won’t believe is that I’m not here to cause trouble… I’m just here to finish my studies.” Now it was disbelief’s turn to ride rampant through the crowd as they continued to heckle Sunset, the girl’s smirk continuing to grow as more and more hate was thrown at her. “I made a promise that I wouldn’t initiate any sort of trouble while I remained her.” “Then what do you call what you just did?” a student asked loudly. “Ah, good of you to ask! Maybe there are more than five brain cells spread among you all.” Sunset’s comment only added more fuel to the fire as she looked back over her shoulder. “I am allowed to defend myself, so I hope none of you think that I’m going to let you walk all over me. My pride as a superior individual demands so. “Though it is not up to me to decide fully, but rather you should all think of this as my jail, and the five girls back there as my jailers. I’m going to be with at least one of them at all times, and they shall report to Celestia if any trouble arises from any of you. “Oh, and I guess myself as well.” Sunset chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Though I have all the reasons to not instigate anything, believe it or- well none of you believe it, I’m not stupid enough to think that. “Anyways, that’s everything I had to say, so expect to see me back around the halls and in your classes showing you what smart really is.” Sunset gave a small wave to the vitriolic crowd as she walked back towards Celestia and the five girls that were going to be her “friends” for the next nine months. <(‘-‘<) ^(‘-‘)v v(‘-‘)^ (>‘-‘)> “Couldn’t you have played that a little more… tactful, darling?” Rarity asked as her and the other Wondercolts struggled to keep up with the long strides of Sunset Shimmer. “Look…” Sunset paused her hands clenching and unclenching as she tilted her head down towards the ground before turning around. “I’m playing “nice”, as it were, with you and the Principals because your playing “nice” with me. Unfortunately I am in your five’s debt, but I wouldn’t mention it if you value… Well, you know.” “Is there a reason you keep trying to threaten us?” Rainbow asked, an amused look spreading across her face. “Cause we aren’t taking it seriously- Fluttershy doesn’t count!” “What Dash means,” Applejack interjected as Sunset started to chuckle in reaction to the buttercreme girl’s sudden fit of fearful shaking. “Ah believe, is that we want to ta help ya Sunset, honest. We get it, ya don’t ta be friends, but that ain’t mean that we can’t help ya.” “Yeah, yeah. Whatever floats your boat.” Sunset shrugged, matching her apathetic response as she returned to walking back to Celestia’s office. The woman wanted to speak with the six of them one last time before they went off to class. “Ah, Sunset. It would probably come as little surprise that the student body attempted to vent their anger on your locker and it’s belongings, so we moved them in here.” the Principal pointed towards a cardboard box that Sunset’s locker had been dumped into. “I doubt it would be safe right now to return them, so feel free to grab what you need from here as you need.” “...Thank you…” Sunset’s voice was quiet as she walked over to the box and started rooting through it, grabbing her binder before pausing and pulling out another book, a large, dual toned sun embossed on the front. “Sunset…? Why are you shaking?” the Equestrian didn’t know which of the humans in the room asked that comment, her attention instead glued entirely onto her journal. She had forgotten that she had even brought it over… With this… “Sunset?” the girl, in a single action, bolted to her feet and grabbed the collar of the girl who had just grabbed her shoulder, before pausing when she remembered where she was. “Woah, what’s up with you so suddenly?” Rainbow Dash inquired as Sunset released the shorter girl and went back to pick up her journal. “It’s nothing… We should get to class…” Sunset said as she deposited the book back into the cardboard box. Her hand tingled as the Equestrian magic left her grasp.
