Crystal Rose and Sunset Shimmer Sophmore Yearby CatlovingmermaidChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter SixChapter SevenChapter eightChapter 9Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 10Chapter 1Why don't you do us all a favor and go back where you came from, the voice had continued to echo in her head hours after the words had been spoken to her. Sadly that was also one of the nicest things that was told her today. "Stop giving me excuses and get to work," and, "That's it, you're fired, get out." Being the other two. The rest of what was said to her, well they just weren't worth repeating. All of them were along the lines of the fact she was NOT welcomed there and she was better off dead, mixed in with more foul language and crude names the unicorn turned human even knew existed. After one particularly cruel statement, she had snapped, punching the customer in the face before storming out. It was her fault really, she had been nothing but mean to her peers, she had even tried to turn them into mindless zombies to take over Equestria for her. When she was stopped everyone saw just how vulnerable she really was, and some people wanted to put that information to good, or bad, use. Now she was just wondering the streets wondering if anyone would care if she simply ceased to exist. She pressed her burning forehead against the cool glass of the picture window of Sugar Cube Corner, in the guise of peering inside. Her head was killing her, honestly, it felt like it might explode. Inside something pink rushed past before the door next to her flew open and a pink bundle of energy burst out. "Sunset Shimmer!" The Unicorn girl was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug. Hugging was a foreign concept to her, ponies didn't hug, so this was weird and painful. Even though she hadn't told anybody, during the fall formal three days earlier, when she had turned into a demon and destroyed half the school, she had been injured. She deserved the pain she was experiencing, and it wasn't like anyone could do anything about it. Except, apparently break the cracked ribs and reopen the ugly slashes that had just scabbed over on her back. "I'm so glad you're okay," the pink blob stated, "I haven't seen you since the fall formal." "Hi Pinkie..." Sunset muttered through clenched teeth, how did she get her off? "Pinkie let her breathe," a new voice ordered as Crystal Rose, another one of the princess's friends, appeared with her mom, Principal Celestia. Sunset let out a gasp of air and quickly wiped the tears away that had sprung unbidden to her eyes before her peer saw. She had already help shoot her down with rainbow lasers, she didn't need to see her cry as well. "Did you know you are running a low-grade fever?" Pinkie asked bluntly, slapping a pink hand onto the other girl's forehead. Sunset hissed, Pinkie's hand felt like it had just come out of the freezer, it was freezing! "Yeah, I was on my way home from work, got sent home early because of it." She lied, lying was easy, easier than telling her that she had been fired. "Do you want a ride, my sister Maud is picking me up soon, we will be happy to give you a lift." Sunset shook her head, she didn't want to tell anyone that she lived in an abandoned warehouse building. She did not want to be someone's charity case, again. "No, that's okay, I can catch the bus." She blinked as Pinkie grabbed her and dragged her to the parking lot, "That's not an option," she announced as she opened the door to a car and shoved Sunset into it. "Hey Maud, this is Sunset, We're giving her a lift home." "Hello Sunset please to meet you," the dull colored girl in the driver seat said in a monotone voice, like a text to audio app, "What's your address?" "The Old Hotel Apartment Complex." She said grudgingly, that was close enough to where she really was living, they didn't need to know the truth. " The Old Hotel!" Pinkie repeated, shocked, "But Sunset that neighborhood isn't a safe one, filled with gangs and drug dealers and angry dogs! Are you safe there?" Sunset shrugged, "I've been living there since I came to this world, five years ago, I haven't had to much trouble, mostly if I mind my business and let them mind theirs we leave each other alone." She didn't care what Pinkie said she was fine, and she hoped Maud didn't call child services on her. If there was one thing she learned was she didn't want a repeat of what happened in Equestria. Her parents had passed away when she was a young foal so her earliest memories where of getting dressed up in ridiculous outfits and being paraded around whine being told how lucky she was that she had a loving aunt and uncle willing to take her in. They expected her to be quiet and well behaved while they sat and talked and had a good time with her friends. One day, she was only about two and a half, at the time, one of the visitors brought their son with for them to play, hoping that her good manners would rub off on him. He pulled her mane and ripped the head off her doll. Never being around another pony her age, or really anyone besides her aunt and uncle who fought at least once a week. She hit him back. Long story short, she was dropped off at the orphanage the very next day because she had embarrassed them in front of their friends. ... "Hey, Sunset! Sunset!" Someone was shaking her shoulder roughly. "Sunset Shimmer wake up!" "Wha..." Sunset asked sleepily as she opened her eyes. "You fell asleep," Pinkie announced so close to her she was surprised to find that their noses weren't touching. Sunset blinked, confused looking out the car door window at the old hotel building that Filthy Rich had turned into an apartment building. "Oh... Ummm..." what was she suppose of say? "Thanks?" Was that the word? She was never a social pony and the ponies she did interact with hadn't actually been polite. "No problem," Pinkie piped up, "What are friends for. Hope you feel better soon. See you later Sunset!" As the car drove away Sunset blinked, was Pinkie her friend? Or was she just pretending like the Princess had, only being nice because it made them look good? After all, who would want to be friends with a demon? Author's Note Hi please tell me what you think, getting positive feedback helps me improve my writing and encourages me to write more so please leave some for me. Chapter 2Crystal Rose plopped down at the table her friends had claimed, her pink hair swinging in the high pony trail she was wearing, the darker streaks seemingly glittering in the artificial lights of the cafeteria. Today, the first Monday back to school, was the first time she and her friends could sit down and have a deep discussion about what to do about one former unicorn. "I know that we promised Twilight that we'll keep an eye on her," Rainbow Dash said, "but..." "What if she's just pretending to change?" Applejack finished, "what if she is just pretending to be our friend so she can get our secrets to black mail us." "But," Fluttershy protested softly, running a hand through a lock of hair, "We promised Twilight." "It's not like she's coming back anytime soon," Rainbow stated. Crystal Rose looked at her athletic friend, "I know you guys have a hard time believing that Sunset has changed, but you have to understand that Sunset's a victim here." "Uh, Crystal," Pinkie started, "You do know that a victim is the person who gets hurt, not the person who does the hurting right?!" "That's what I'm telling you, Sunset is hurting more than we have ever been." Rarity stared at her in confusion, "Whatever are you talking about Darling?" Crystal Rose rolled her dark green eyes, "Am I the only person here who pays attention in health class? A lot of the time bullies are often abused at home. Sunset told Twilight she didn't know there was a better way. She believed that the only way to prevent others from hurting her was to hurt them first." "Oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed, although it was still so soft that if the others hadn't been all silent, they probably wouldn't have heard her. "You mean Sunset was never shown how to be nice?" Pinkie asked, baby blue eyes wide in shock as her hair went flat with the sound of a balloon being deflated, "That's so sad." The others nodded their heads in agreement, "But how do we make friends with someone who knows nothing about friendship?" Rarity asked, tapping a long thin finger against her chin, "it's quite puzzling, if you ask me." Just then Pinkie let out a, "Oh!" as her hair bounced up with an audible boing and a huge smile spread across her face. She waved her hand through the air, "Pick me! Pick me! I know what to do!" When she was certain she had her friends attention, and probably half the school as well she said, "We have a 'Welcome to Friendship Party,'" she announced throwing confetti into the air while blowing on a noise maker. Applejack shook her head, pulling a party hat that she wasnt quite sure when Pinkie slapped on her off, "Maybe we can do that later we want to get to know her first. We don't even know where she lives." "I know where she lives!" Pinkie shouted, "Maud and I took her home the other day! She lives in the old hotel apartment complex." "Well, that narrows it down some," Applejack stated, "but there are still a hundred apartments there." "Simple, we knock on one of the doors and ask what apartment she is." Rainbow said. "Talk to someone I don't know," Fluttershy whimpered, "I don't know if I can do that." "We don't have to," Crystal announced, "Mom knows where everyone at CHS lives, I'll ask her." Celestia looked up from her paperwork, "I'm sorry, Crystal, I can't help you. I can't just start giving out students' personal information to anybody who asks." Crystal Rose sighed, "But Mom, this is a good cause!" "And as your mother I am proud of you for helping a fellow student in need, but as a Principal, my hands are tied." "Can you help me as a Mom?" Celestia nodded her head, "Does any of the other students know her address or perhaps her phone number?" Crystal Rose face broke into a smile, "Snips and Snail, Mom your a genius!" she threw her arms around her neck and gave her a quick peck on her cheek, "I'm going out with my friends, I'll call if I'm going to be late." she called out as she hurried out of the office. Well aware that her friends where waiting for her, she hurried down the hall, towards the detention room. Reaching it she burst into the room. "Aunt Luna,' she asked the vice principal, "Can I talk to Snips and Snails for like two minutes. just long enough to ask them two questions?" Luna gave her neice a look, she was one of the few that knew that she wasn't as scary as she acted, and would pester her until she gave in. "Fine but make it quick." "Great thanks," the teen turned to the two eighth graders, "Do you know Sunset Shimmer's address, how about her phone number?" The two younger teens looked at each other, "Gees, we always met her here at the school, we never been to her house," Snips said. "Yeah, and she doesn't have a phone." Snails added. Crystal groaned, another dead end. The friends were at Sugarcube Corner trying to fogure out how to locate Sunset without knocking on strangers doors. Rarity pulled out her phone, "Maybe Social Media?" a few seconds later she shook her head, "She isn't on Mystable and, well, if she isn't on there she isn't on any of them." "So I guess we go knocking on doors until she answers," Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. "Hopefully she isn't at work at the Sushi Place at the mall because then she wouldn't be home when we knock and we wouldn't know it was her place." Pinkie piped up. Everyone turned to look at her, "Why didn't ya tell us ya know where she worked?" Applejack demanded. "Because you wanted to find out where she lived. You didn't ask me where she worked, silly," Pinkie Pie said with a laugh as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe to her it was. Author's Note I want to thank everyone for the likes and follows and comments, I truly appreciate them and hope everyone has a great Easter. Chapter 3Author's Note A/n just so you know this gets a little dark this chapter. Chapter 3 Sunset Shimmer tossed her bag into the corner next to the door, as she entered the old run down office inside an abandoned warehouse that she called home, today had not been a good day, not that she could tell someone what a good day consisted of. She had been unable to find a new part-time job, nobody wanted to hire someone with her reputation and now she only had five dollars to her name. If she didn't find a job soon she would have to drop out of school and find a full-time job at one of the factories that are always hiring. She didn't want to do that but, unless she finds something soon, she wouldn't have much of a choice, she needed money to survive. She crawled into the pile of blankets she used as a bed, piling them up over her in a vain attempt to stay warm. She let out a nasty sounding cough, then again the way she was coughing she will probably die from bronchitis before she finds a job at this rate. Now that would be nice to simply leave due to natural causes. That way the Princess's friends wouldn't have to explain to her why they didn't want to be her friend. They could just explain that she had got sick and passed on before they could even make friends. Heck, she would probably be doing everyone a favor, including herself, if she just helped the process along. ... Crystal Rose hurried through the mall, her friends spreading out as she hurried around. The clue Pinkie gave them had been a bust, Apparently, she had been fired the week before. Luckily there was enough information just by asking around for them to find out which stores she had applied at that day. "Yeah, she was here, about an hour ago," the manager of one store stated, "Not that I was interested in giving her a job. I've heard about her reputation. Nobody who is that mean as to threaten to hurt a fellow student is going to work here, honestly, I'm surprised that your mother didn't expel her." Crystal shrugged, "She's pending expulsion." The manager huffed, "Still," he said, "That girl ought to just go back to where she came from." Applejack grabbed Rainbow as she charged forward, "What gives you the right to talk to her like that?" "All of her peers have told me that she isn't from around here, she should go back to where she is from." he shrugged as if it was the only solution, "Then again they probably don't want her there either." Crystal Rose glanced at her friends, no matter what Sunset Shimmer had or had not done nobody deserved to be talked about like that, behind there backs or to their face it didn't matter. "Come on girls, let's go, we'll check out the apartment duplex Pinkie dropped her off at last week." Applejack shook her head, "Ah hate ta break it ta ya, but we don't have time ta check all of the apartments before ah have to get home ta make curfew." "What if Sunset doesn't actually live there?" Fluttershy whimpered, "we would knock on all those doors for nothing" "If only we could know where to find her." Rarity sighed, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. Applejack tapped her chin, "Y'all remember when Applebloom got lost in the woods near mah place?" "Yeah," Pinkie exclaimed, "And Crystal Rose just started walking and headed straight for her!" "And there was the time Sweetie Bell got lost at the amusement park, why, Crystal Rose, darling, I believe you were the one who found her, weren't you?" "Yeah, and that one time, when I, yah know after that one game, Crystal was the one who found me and brought me home," Rainbow added. "It's like you have some sort of finding six sense," Pinkie stated before quickly pushing everybody out of the way as a couple of pairs of shoes fell from the balcony above, "Sorry girls, my Pinkie sense was tingling." "Do you think you can use your Crystal sense to find Sunset, Darling?" "I don't know Rarity, I know you guys and your sisters a lot better than I know Sunset, besides, I never try to find someone, I just," Crystal shrugged, "find them." "Can you 'just find' Sunset Shimmer then?" Rainbow asked. ... Crystal Rose stopped in front of the old abandoned warehouse building, "She's in here," she stated. "Ah still don't understand why you didn't just use your Crystal sense in the first place," Applejack groaned, "Then we wouldn't be in this part of town this time of night." Crystal shrugged, "I don't like using it as a first course unless it is an emergency, in which case yes I'll use it." Rainbow Dash and Applejack pried the door open and the six friends slipped through. Inside the warehouse was covered in a thick layer of dust, abandoned crates towered over them in stacks with tons of cobwebs clinging to them. Rarity screamed and jumped into Rainbow's arms as a rat scurried pass. Rainbow gave her a look before dropping her, "Get a grip Rarity it was just a rat." "You scared it, poor little fellow," Fluttershy whispered, causing the others to give her a look, they had forgotten just how much she loved animals in the years they have been apart. "I'll hardly deem this place livable," Rarity stated as she grimaced with each step that she took, "This place is a real health hazard." Crystal Rose nodded, "I'll talk Sunset into coming home with me, now that Cadence got married we have a spare bedroom, I'm sure Mom and Aunt Luna know what to do about a homeless student." "First we need to find her," Applejack pointed out stopping at the foot of a set of stairs that lead up to the old warehouse manager officer, "Now which way do we go?" Rarity pointed to the steps, while it was clear that the rest of the room was rather dusty there were footsteps clearly set in the dust of each step, "I suggest we look up there." Chapter 4Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 5Just then a woman in scrubs entered the waiting room, "Family of Sunset Shimmer." Celestia stood up, walking over to the woman, "She was staying with me, her parents aren't part of the picture. Haven't been for a while from what I understand. How is she?" "Lucky to still be with us," the nurse responded, "She has some nasty looking cuts on her back that are infected as well as a severe case of pneumonia." Strong Knight who had stepped forward as well frowned, "Do you have any idea what caused the injuries?" "No," the nurse said, shaking her head, "I can't say that we do." Celestia frowned thinking back over a week ago when the pony princess from the other world shot Sunset Shimmer down with the laser rainbows, "I might know what happened, at the school's home coming dance there was an issue with a rupturing gas line. I didn't think anyone got hurt, but I guess Sunset didn't report her injuries?" Vice principal Luna sat silently in the hard chair that was next to Sunset Shimmer's hospital bed, trying to read the book she had bought with. However, the Sappy Romance Novel just couldn't keep her attention, last time she grabbed a book on from Celestia's side table. She kept looking at the younger girl laying still, the slight raise and fall of her chest the only sign that she was truly alive. Luna was wondering if the younger girl really would get out of the hospital tomorrow like the doctors said, she was starting to think that she wasn't. She hadn't been able to maintain consciousness for more than a few minutes at a time. Suddenly there was a moan, and Sunset Shimmer rolled her head over to one side, certain that she could see something out of the corner of her eye. Someone with dark blue hair was seating in a hard, uncomfortable looking chair reading a book. She obviously realized that she was being watched because she closed the book and smiled, "Good morning Miss Shimmer." "Where am I?" She croaked out. Luna was surprised she had not expected her to ask questions so soon, "The hospital," she explained, "My sister brought you in last night after Crystal Rose and her friends found you. How are you feeling?" "I... hurt," Sunset admitted. Luna chuckled softly, "I can understand that. The others will be glad to hear that you are awake." Sunset frowned, the room spinning as she asked, "Who?" She asked before slipping into bless unconsciousness. Sunset Shimmer looked around the room in awe, too much too much, she screamed silently to herself. She had ended up spending five days in the hospital, which she still couldn't remember going to. Now she had been released, and she just realized that her life will never be the same again. She had been aware that she couldn't return to her warehouse now that Principal Celestia knew about it, but she hadn't been expecting this room at the principal's house. By the look of it they had planned for her to stay a long time. The bed had a comforter spread over it with a red and yellow pattern, her favorite color combination. Her books were on a book shelf that was mostly empty. "I wasn't sure what type of books you liked, maybe we can go to the book store together once you're better," principal Celestia offered as Sunset Shimmer looked at the stack of CDs next to a player, "Your friends all bought you a new CD, I hope they aren't all terribly horrible, I did make sure that there was no foul language, which isn't allowed in my house, by the way." Sunset Sat on the edge of the bed, it was soft, and comfortable, but she wasn't sure if it was because it really was comfortable or because she was use to sleeping on the floor. On the other side of the room was a desk and bookshelf and at the foot of the bed was a tv and some sort of game console. A stack of video games were next to it. "Luna already beat those games and she got the new gaming system that still plays the old system's games. She figured you might want something to do with your time besides sit around and doing nothing." Sunset nodded gripping her head, this was just like when she became the princess's personal student, and that didn't go so well. She remembered being brought into a large bedroom with toys and games galore, something that had, at the time made her feel entitled. After all she had came from an orphanage where she had to share a room with five other girls and now she had a private bedroom twice the size of a dorm room that the rest of the students lived in. She wasn't sure how long she was caught in memories from her time as Princess Celestia's student, all she knew was that it was dark when she was called out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. "Mom says dinner is ready." Sunset swung her legs over the side of the bed with a groan as she got up. She must have looked groggy because Crystal Rose apologized for waking her up. "It's okay," Sunset insisted, "if I sleep all day how am I suppose to sleep tonight?" "Well, actually, Your body needs more rest to heal, so you probably will sleep just find," Crystal insisted, "But even if you weren't sick, it's the weekend, so I guess you could always play video games into the night." "I'll love to but I don't know how to play." Sunset admitted. "I'm terrible at playing videogames, but I'll show you how after dinner." Author's Note Here we go another chapter, not sure about it, what do you think? Chapter SixSunset Shimmer let out a small grunt of satisfaction as she bashed the head of a zombie in. She was really getting the hang of this video game thing. Suddenly the overhead light flared on, temporally blinding Sunset, who hadn't realize how dark it had gotten outside her bedroom window. Her bedroom, that was a strange thought, she didn't remember when she started considering this her room, but sometime during the past two weeks she had started to view the house of the two principals as her home. "Sunset Shimmer, do you have any idea what time it is?" Luna asked. "Miss Luna," Sunset gasped, looking at the clock, was it really ten already? "Please at home you can call me Luna or Aunt Luna. Do you know what time it is." "Ten, but it's not like my game is too loud, is it?" "No, but you have school in the morning." Sunset felt something grip her chest, school, she couldn't go back there, no way, not after what she did. "But aren't I suspended?" Luna chuckled, that had got to be a first, "not for the past week." Sunset thought desperately, "But I'm sick," she pointed out. "You're no longer contagious, your fever broke, and you can't regain your strength moping around bed all day." "I can't go to school, I just can't!" Sunset exclaimed pulling her blanket over her head. She felt the mattress shag a little as Luna plopped down next to her, "it's okay to be afraid Sunset, people weren't very nice to you after the fall formal, but you can't let fear rule your life. You have to get back on the horse." "What?" Sunset demanded, confused, "I've never been on a horse before." "It's an expression, you know like raining cats and dogs?" Sunset looked confused, she never heard of it raining cats and dogs not even in Equestria with all that magic. "It means that it is raining very very hard, haven't you heard these before, they're common enough." "Unicorn from another world." Sunset announced pointing to herself, "remember." "Right," Luna said, blushing a little, it was going to take a little getting use to thinking that Sunset was an alien and was really a pony, "Look what I'm saying is that you can't let fear rule your life, you need to go back to school, make friends. You want to learn about this Friendship magic Crystal Rose told me that Twilight asked her and her friends to teach you. Though I have no idea what that might means." "She asked them to be my friends therefore the only reason they are being my friends is because they promised." Sunset muttered. Luna got a glimmer in her eye, "You know, Crystal Rose does not like video games, no amount of begging and pleading from Rainbow dash can get her to pick up a controller." "What are you talking about?" Sunset demanded, although she had a feeling that she knew what Luna was hinting at. "Crystal Rose is as stubborn as they come, trust me, I helped raise her, if she doesn't want to do something, she's not going to do it. She does not like video games, yet because she wants to be your friend and you like video games she will play them with you. That should tell you something." Sunset frowned, she knew that Crystal Rose didn't let anyone tell her what to do, except possibly her mom. Last year she had everyone vote for her for biggest meanie even though it wasn't a category. No matter how she blackmailed, lied, or tricked Crystal Rose, nothing she did would break Crystal's friendship apart. It had drove her insane. hack into the email and send her one from her friends, she'd call and talk about it. Hack her phone and sent a text, she'll call and talk about it. If she tried doing the opposite, hacking her friends Email and phones, Crystal Rose would hunt them down and talk to them in person. Intimidation didn't work either, Crystal Rose could call out a bluff a mile away, and Sunset hadn't want to cause physical pain, she caused emotional pain and that was it. Threats and blackmailing, Crystal Rose had her on that too. The former Sunset never mentioned it, but the whole reason she broke up that particular group of friends was because she was always a little wary of Crystal and wanted to knock her down a few pegs. "You okay Sunset?" Luna asked, concerned when the teenage girl spaced out. Sunset shook her head, "Yeah I'm fine, just comparing what I knew about Crystal with what you just told me," She paused for a moment to organize her thoughts, "And your right, Crystal was the only one who stood up against me, besides Twilight Sparkle that is, but compared to the creatures she probably faced in Equestria I wasn't even scary to her. She wouldn't let me rule her life like the rest of the school." Sunset ducked her head, "That's why I made such a big deal of breaking up her group of friends, because while I knew that she wouldn't let me push her around. Afterwards I thought that she would force them to talk to each other, I was worried that all of my work would have been for nothing, but..." "Just like how she wouldn't allow you to push her around, she refused to push her friends around, giving advice and council when asked but that is all. She is so much like her mother that way," Luna interrupted, pride for her niece shinning through. Sunset Shimmer sighed, "I still don't know about going back to school." "Just take it one step at a time and stick close to Crystal or one of the other girls. They truly are trying to be your friends." Chapter SevenSunset Shimmer rubbed her arm up and down as she stared at the building towering over her, she never thought a building in such perfect condition could look so threatening, "I don't know Crystal Rose, can't I just do home school?" Luna chuckled, "Let's try going to school first, remember you need to come see my sister during lunch for your antibiotic." Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, everybody seemed to think she would forget something like that, she never had much reading material outside of the school library because you needed proof of address to get a public library card. So what she had read had told her the importance of finishing an antibiotic treatment as prescribed so that you don't become immune to it. "You are eating lunch with me and my friends right?" Crystal Rose asked, or more like pleaded. Sunset shook her head, "I have lunch detention for the next six months." Crystal got a certain look in her eye, "Let's see," she muttered more or less do herself, "If I suggest to Pinkie that she should do that, and have Rainbow do that, and Apple Jack would probably be willing to do that. But Fluttershy, what to do with her." "You are not getting you and your friends lunch detention so that you can have lunch with Sunset," Luna scolded her niece, "However, I understand Why you want to have lunch with her, to work on your budding friendship. Since the reason why Sunset has Lunch detention instead of after school detention was that she had an after school job which is no longer in the picture, I think we can move her detention to after school so she can have lunch with you." "Isn't that bending the rules?" Sunset asked. "Maybe," Luna admitted, "Don't tell anyone that I bent the rules here okay." "Watch out here she comes." "Careful she might turn into a demon." "She's here, I thought for sure that she would have been expelled." With every whispered comment and fearful glance thrown her way Sunset's head dropped lower and lower. How was she suppose to convince them that she wasn't mean any more, that she had changed. Crystal Rose and her friends were giving her a second chance why couldn't the others? They were afraid of her, but how was she going to prove to them that she had changed that there was nothing to be afraid of. The answer came in English where they were reading the Prince and the Pauper, the discussion they had that day was on the different social classes of the day and how one did not interact with one below their own class. Sunset was on the top of the pyramid, she was the queen of the school, well maybe it was time that the school got a new queen, or perhaps an old queen back. Gilda Griffen had been the worst bully until Sunset took that title for herself. Maybe all she needed to do was give that title back. Gilda was still a bully, and a bad one at that. Sunset had just been worst, which was not something she was proud of. Usually when a kingdom was overthrown the original ruler was executed in front of a large crowd. She was sure that Gilda would agree. "That rainbow laser blast to the face messed you up didn't it?" Gilda asked, "There's no way I'm going to beat you up in front of the school just because you asked me to. My mom said that if I get one more suspension for fighting she's sending me to military school." Sunset frowned, she should have known she said no. There had to be something she could do, and the best thing she could do was make Gilda angry. "Okay, it was silly anyway, I shouldn't have asked," Sunset said, walking away, her mind already figuring out a way to trick her into doing what she asked. Gilda looked at Sunset's retreating form and wondered if she should tell the principal or something. She shook her head, no there was no way she was doing that, it could ruin her reputation as a bad girl. Sunset knew how to push buttons, it was her specialty. She wasn't proud of it but she needed to get Gilda Griffin to pound her. She deserved it, it seemed like a fitting punishment, she had pounded on the students of Canterlot high since she got there, it was time to let them pound on her for a change. So all she needed to know was that Gilda had a short fuse, so short that a simple thing like accidentally knocking into her in the lunch line and spilling her lunch on her would insure a punch at least. And if she said the right thing, it could be a pounding. She had everything planned out, and it was working, the pain hurt just as much as the rainbow laser had, and she welcomed it. Sure it hurt, but she deserved it, besides this would be a large blue to her social standing people wouldn't be scared of her anymore. "Break it up," a sharp commanding voice called out as a powerful force caused the crowd to scatter like the wind. Soon whoever it was was standing over them. Miss Griffin! I should have known you were behind this." Sunset gulped, she hadn't thought that vice principal Luna would stop the fight. She had thought that Gilda would simply tire and leave. "My sister would like a word with you Gilda," she snapped, before turning her attention to Sunset, "are you okay?" Sunset nodded as she accepted the principal's hand, she was okay, unfortunately. Celestia closed her eyes before opening them to stare at the teen in front of her, "What do you have to say for yourself?" She demanded. "She asked for it!" The ten exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure that she bumped into you by accident," Celestia said softly peering over her fingertips. "No she did it on purpose," Gilda insisted, maybe if she told the principal about Sunset then maybe she wouldn't get in as much trouble, "She asked me to beat her up, when I told her no she spilled on me and got me mad so I'll do it anyway." Celestia stood up, "I'll be right back hold still." Luna was talking to Sunset in her office, she looked up when Celestia entered the room, "You need me to play bad cop?" She asked, she sounded almost eager. "No," Celestia stated shaking her head, "I needed to ask Sunset something. Did you ask Gilda to beat you up?" Sunset refused to meet her eyes, what was that emotion that choked her voice, worry? She never heard anyone sound worried towards her before, "So what if I did, I deserved it didn't I?" The words were out of her mouth before she even knew she wanted to say them. Chapter eightSunset refused to meet her eyes, what was that emotion that choked her voice, worry? She never heard anyone sound worried towards her before, "So what if I did, I deserved it didn't I?" The words were out of her mouth before she even knew she wanted to say them. Celestia looked stunned, she should have realized that Sunset Shimmer needed professional help. Well, at least she had a good idea of where to find it. Zecora was an old family friend who had helped Luna with some issues when they were teens. She just hoped she'll understand all the magical bits. "You bit off more than you could chew with this one sister," Luna commented shaking her head in amusement. Celestia shot her a look of annoyance, "I don't know, she reminds me a little bit of you when you were her age." Luna opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again, she was right after all. "I need to call Zecora and possibly Discord," Celestia muttered more to herself than her sister. "Discord," Luna gasped, shocked, "You can't even stand the guy." Celestia wrinkled her nose, "That might be true but he has certain talents that come in handy in this type of situation. He can easily get a hold of the papers Sunset Shimmer will need if she wishes to stay in our world." Luna pretended to be surprised, "I can't believe it, you, talking about doing something illegal." Celestia shook her head, "Sunset Shimmer is stuck in our world, it would be a long time before the portal between our worlds opens again." "We also don't know rather or not she can go back, from what I understand, she committed treason." Celestia sighed, she had a point after all, "Well if she can't go back to her world we need to make sure she has everything she needs to stay in this world, including proper education and all the paperwork she'll need to get it. I also need to take her shopping, her good jacket was destroyed during the fall formal and her clothing, while in good condition, are starting to show signs of wear. perhaps tomorrow I can pull Sunset out of school for the day and run our errands." Luna giggled, "You breaking the rules to go shopping, now I've heard it all." Celestia rolled her eyes, "I'm not pulling her out of school to go shopping, she has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I'll set up appointments with Discord and Zecora as well, that will take most of the day." Sunset Shimmer sighed as she tried to sink farther into the hardback chair. She couldn't believe that she was stuck in the principal's office for an hour after school because they didn't think it was a wise decision to put her in the detention room with Gilda and a few others who decided that Sunset deserved to be picked on as punishment for her past misdeeds. She glanced at the clock and groaned, she had about five more minutes to go. "Principal Celestia," a voice came over the intercom, "The Halloween party committee is here to talk to you." Celestia hung up the phone she was using before pushing a button, "Send them on it." Sunset slouched even farther into the chair, great, now she had to hear all about what the other students were going to do during the upcoming holiday. Sunset Shimmer never celebrated the holidays in Equestria and hadn't very cared about how they were celebrated in this world. Pinkie Pie came pouncing into the room, "So we have the plans for the Halloween Party." "We'll decorate the gym like a haunted house," Apple Jack added. "And have a costume contest." Rarity exclaimed. "We'll have mummy dogs and caramel apples and all sorts of candy." "That sounds wonderful," Celestia stated, "Go ahead." "Great, now that we know what we are doing for that we need to cover the important part," Pinkie Pie announced, pounding her fist in her hand, "What are we going to dress up as and the plans for after the party." Crystal Rose nodded her head, turning to Sunset, who had been hoping that she would remain ignored "So Sunset, what do you like doing for Halloween." Sunset shrugged, "Never celebrated, Equestria had a similar holiday but there wasn't enough money at the orphanage I grew up in for costumes and there weren't enough staff members to take us. When I was sent to school I decided that I was too old for it." "Perish the thought," Pinkie Pie shouted, "I guarantee that this is going to be the best Halloween that you ever had, Pinkie promise, cross my heart and hope to fly stick a cupcake in my eye." "If we are going to make this the best Halloween ever we need to get shopping before all the good costumes are taken, " Rainbow Dash exclaimed starting to drag Sunset out the door. " Wait one second Rainbow, " Celestia called out. All the teens froze, "But Mom, " Crystal Rose whined. Celestia smiled, opening up a desk drawer and rummaging through it, before pulling out a wallet. She pulled out two twenty dollar bills and handed one to Crystal Rose and one to Sunset Shimmer, "You need your allowance first." "What's an allowance?" Sunset asked, examining the dollar bill with interest. "Uh, "Rainbow exclaimed, " You're joking right?" "It's money, silly, " Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Sunset gave her a look, "I can see that, but why give it to me?" "While you are living with me you are expected to do chores, by doing this you earn money which you can use any way you want." Celestia explained, " Now go have fun and enjoy spending time with your friends, and I'll see you tonight. Crystal Rose normal curfew okay, it's a school night." Chapter 9Celestia glanced over to the passenger seat of her car at the solemn teenager sitting there, "Would you like to talk about it?" she offered. "There's nothing to talk about," Sunset grumbled, crossing her arms in defiance. "Okay, so how did shopping go with your friends yesterday?" Celestia asked, changing the subject. "Okay I guess," Sunset muttered, looking out the window so that she didn't have to look at her principal. She was sure that Crystal Rose had told her all about how she had freaked out when Rainbow Dash had suggested that they go as Demons. It had just brought back the pain of the transformation. She remembered how she had tried to take off the crown but had been unable to. For a brief moment she had been trapped in the night of the Fall Formal, and it had taken the others awhile to pull her back into the present. By that point she had spoiled the moment and everyone had went home without a costume. "Crystal Rose told me what happened," Celestia offered, hoping that she would open up to her a little bit. "Great, so you know how I ruined everything, great to know," Sunset grumbled. "It wasn't your fault, Sunset," Celestia insisted, "Nobody, not even you, knew that you would react that way." "But I still reacted," Sunset muttered, "It was horrible, I was transforming into that creature again and I couldn't take that stupid crown off, again." "I know, but Rainbow Dash should have been a little more sensitive to your feelings, and that of your other friends," she paused for a second, "I think that I'm going to ban Demon costumes from the school Halloween Party, considering what happened at the last dance. Everyone needs to be a little bit considerate, considering what happened." "Why should they be considerate of my feelings?" Sunset asked, "I never cared about theirs." Celestia sighed, before repeating something her mother use to tell her and her sisters, "An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind, besides, sometimes all someone needs is someone to show them a little bit of love. Isn't that right Sunset?" Sunset blushed, returning her gaze out the window, she really didn't understand what she was talking about but she had a feeling that she was talking about her, and that kind of unnerved her a little bit. Celestia pulled into the parking lot and got out, waiting to make sure that Sunset got out too before locking the car, "Here we go, Zecora is a friend of mine, we went to school together, she might be a little different, but she's good at what she does." "What does she do?" Sunset demanded as Celestia steered her into the building. "She..." Celestia frowned, did they have psychologists where she was from, she wasn't sure, part of her wanted to say that she doubted it because surely her guardian would have taken her in as soon as she noticed her behavioral problems, "helps people understand why they feel the way they do. She won't judge you, and she won't tell anyone anything that you tell her." Sunset crossed her arms as Celestia signed her in, "It's not like she'll believe half of what is true, the only reason that you believe me is because you saw me." "Just give it a shot and tell her everything, I already told her some of the harder to believe things when I talked to her last night while you were out with the other girls." ... "I must confess Tia, that I never dreamed in a thousand year that you would be the one to knock on my office door asking me to do something illegal, always thought it would be your younger sister" Discord said with a laugh as Celestia took a seat in front of his desk. "Luna found it funny as well," Celestia admitted, "But the Circumstances are quite unusual." "So you said over the phone, but you have yet to expound on it, leaving me to gander a guess," Discord said while leaning back in his chair, "I know, this mysterious student is hiding from a gang of murderers." "No." "Then he must be a gang member going straight hiding from his leader." "No," Celestia said, smiling, "The truth is something your crazy mind won't be able to guess." "Ahh, she's an exile princess from a far off country." Discord asked, wagging his eyebrows at her. Celestia sighed, "Please Discord, stop with the guessing, although you are closer to the truth on that last one, I only have fifty minutes before I have to pick her up, and you've already wasted five of them." "Then, by all means," Discord tipped his chair back and placed his feet up on his desk, "Enlighten me." "I don't know if she's an exile for say, I just know that she can't return home anytime soon, or if she even wants to return. I have a student that apparently is an unicorn from another dimension, I don't know all the details but I do know that she fled through a magical portal into our world that only opens once every two and a half years. She has committed treason though, stole one of the princesses crown, a very powerful crown that was actually a magical object. I just don't know if that was the reason she fled in the first place. I don't even know for sure that she knew for sure why she did it." "Oh, do tell me more." "I don't know much more than that, the point is, she's an alien that is stuck in our world and she needs the papers and things so that she can survive in this world and you are the only person I know who can pull it off." "Okay I'll do it for our friendship sake, but if the authorities get wind of this you were on your own, and I want to meet this unicorn person." Author's Note There you go, how did I do writing Discord. Chapter 11Sunset Shimmer hummed to herself as she strummed on her guitar, a present Flash had given her while they were dating. Across the living room Crystal Rose sat at the piano playing along with her. It was fun, and both of them were focused on their music that was until Sunset felt a tingling in her hands. She looked down, the familiar glow of magic covered her hands and was creeping up her arms. She quickly took the guitar off, setting it down, and then fleeing upstairs to her bedroom. Slamming the door shut, she sank to the floor. This could not be happening. Princess Twilight took the element of magic home with her, right? That should mean that all the magic went back to Equestria with her. Unless, somehow, she still maintained some of the magic from her transformation. She shook her head, it didn't matter why she had magic, what mattered was the fact that she couldn't be trusted with it. How was she to ensure that she doesn't go all demon on everybody. Just then there was a knock on her door, and a kind voice called out, "Sunset are you okay?" Sunset groaned, of course Principal Celestia saw her run off like that. "Sunset, if you want to talk about what ever is bugging you, I'll be in the Kitchen cooking dinner, come find me okay," with that Celestia was gone. On the other side of the door Sunset Shimmer was confused, Princess Celestia would have demanded that she open the door and ordered her to talk. This... was nicer, it gave her time to process what just happened, to calm her racing heart. To think about what was going on. Just because she had magic didn't mean she would use it for bad, right, hundreds of unicorns in Equestria and only how many evil ones, Sombra for sure, but she hadn't heard of any others, besides herself that is, but was she really evil, Princess Twilight didn't seem to think so, nor did Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, or Crystal Rose and her friends, no not Crystal Rose's friends, her friends. She took a deep breath, calming herself, ready to go down and talk to her principal. However what she saw in the living room caused her to turn back and flee back upstairs, it's one thing to have magic of her own it is totally another to force magical powers on those who have been so kind to you. In the living room, Crystal Rose had Pony uped while playing the piano. ... "It was totally Awesome," Rainbow Dash informed the group as they waited for Rarity to show up for band practice, "I was just playing this random guitar and next thing I know I have wings and pony ears, plus," she held up the guitar in question, "This suddenly has a custom paint job, making it my colors. I mean how cool is that!" Sunset groaned, Not Rainbow Dash too. "Something like that happened ta me," Apple Jack admitted, "Granny accidentally sold my bass, when I went to get it back, those Flim Flam Brothers wouldn't give it back unless I prove that it was mine, and mah hair went all long and I got ears too." "Oh, Oh, oh," Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up and down waving her arm back in forth in the air, "Pick me, pick me!" Crystal Rose smirked a little bit before calling out, "Pinkie Pie, this isn't a classroom, you don't need to raise your hand to speak." "But this is a classroom," Pinkie pointed out, "This is the band class room," she said slowly as if she was afraid the others might have a hard time understanding what was going on. "Yes," Crystal agreed, "But we aren't in class right now." "Phew," Pinkie exclaimed, wiping her brow with the back of her hand, "I was wondering why no one was yelling at me to get back in my seat." "So what did you want to tell us," Sunset asked. "Remember Yesterday, I went all pony too, when Dashy asked me to play the drums for her, remember that, huh, do you remember that?" "Yah know," Rainbow added, "When I asked if you could play the drums, I was looking for a yes or no answer, not to be dragged to the band room for you to play the drums right that second." "Oh," Pinkie said again, "Sorry," but she didn't act very sorry as she jumped about the room, making Sunset wonder how she could have so much energy and not explode. "I went 'Pony' last night, while I was practicing my piano," Crystal offered. "It happened to me too," Fluttershy whispered, "at the animal shelter, the hamsters got out and somehow I hypnotize them with my tambourine and got the ears and wings like before with Twilight." "Are you saying that the only one who hasn't transformed recently is Rarity?" Sunset asked, panic filling her voice, how was this possible, Twilight took the magic back. "Yeah," Rainbow stated, "And she's late." ... Chapter 12Sunset Shimmer opened her locker with a groan, she was running late, and she wasn't sure if she was late, late or fashionably late. Rarity claimed there was a difference but Sunset didn't know what it was. Suddenly someone shoved her hard in the back, causing her to stumble into her locker. She twirled around quickly, just in time to see the door click shut. Despite the fact that the Fall Formal had been two months ago by this point in time, people hadn't forgotten what had happened, and her friends were the only ones to have forgiven them, well, them and the principals. Most of the students were mostly no longer afraid of her, and that just made matters worst. To help minimize attacks on her Aunt Luna had rearranged locker assignments so that Sunset Shimmer was in the middle of her friends, and, because that wasn't enough, she also had a new security camera trained on her locker installed. Too bad that Aunt Luna and Mom were no doubt in the gym with everyone else getting ready for the musical showcase that would raise the money to replace what was taken out of the budget to fix the school after the Fall Formal. She was probably stuck here. At least for now. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching out in the hallway. She started banging on the door to the locker, in the hopes that it was one of her friends, or someone who didn't have a mean bone in their body, like Marble Pie. The footsteps stopped and there was the sound of jingling keys. Only one person in the school had a key to all the lockers. "Vice Principal Luna!" she called out, "I'm in here!" "Yes child I know," Luna sighed, "You're lucky that I was in my office when the whole thing happened, I came as soon as I could." There was the sound of the key scrapping in the lock and then Sunset was flooded with light as the door swung open, "Thanks," she offered. "No problem dear," Luna said, her face stern as she looked ahead, "As soon as I escort you to the gym I will escort the hoodlum responsible for this to detention." "No don't!" Sunset cried, "You'll just make matters worst!" "What ever do you mean?" Luna asked, looking at the teenage girl. "Everyone says that you are giving me special treatment because you and Principal Celestia are my legal guardians." "Like what?" Luna asked. "The fact you didn't expel me after I destroyed half the school and enslaved the student body," Sunset pointed out. Luna shrugged, "That happened before we got custody, you were apologetic, That was what we cared about." "Others don't see it that way," Sunset pointed out, "And there is the fact that I haven't attended detention hardly at all since the incident." Luna gave her a look, "All the other students in detention these day are there for picking on you, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of all the students, having you attend detention would be counter productive." Sunset shrugged, "If you say so." Luna shook her head, even though she had been against it to begin with, maybe that special assembly about bullying would help, but she, and Celestia feared that it might just paint a target on Sunset's back. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scooterloo were busy working on their poster when Sunset Shimmer appeared next to them. "Can I help?" she asked, trying to sound friendly, she had to prove to herself that she could make friends on her own, without the help of Princess Twilight. "Nah," Apple Bloom said, "We're good." "Sunset Shimmer," a voice called out from across the gym, "Over here!" Sunset forced a smile and tried to ignore the dirty looks everyone gave her as she headed over to her friends. "Look at our poster, isn't it great," Pinkie asked, holding up the poster they had designed, "It even smells like cake." "It does?" Fluttershy asked softly which resulted in Pinkie shoving it into her face. "I used frosting instead of paint," Pinkie explained, pulling it back to reveal Fluttershy having her face coated in frosting. "Uh, Sugar Cube, you have a little something on your face," Apple Jack announced. Fluttershy quickly wiped the frosting off one cheek, "Did I get it?" "Not exactly." Sunset pulled out a handkerchief that she had in her pocket and helped Fluttershy clean up. By this point Celestia had stood up and was telling the student body how proud she was with how hard they were working to make this musical showcase happen, and that it was promising to be the most memorable school event since the Fall formal. Crystal Rose glanced at Sunset, who had a pained expression on her face, "Mom shouldn't have said that," she muttered to herself. The next day the seven friends were having lunch together in the cafeteria, "So how did showing the new girls around go?" Crystal asked. Sunset Shimmer had volunteered to show a group of new students around the school in the hopes to make a good impression on them before others could tell them about her less than perfect past. "I don't know, they acted weird," Sunset confessed. "Were they weird like this?" Pinkie asked, arranging her salad so that it looked like a beard on her face, "Or like this?" she asked, this time with carrot sticks for vampire fangs. "Why don't we let Sunset tell us." "I don't know, maybe someone told them about me, so much for making a good first impression." Sunset said with a sigh. Just then the doors opened and the new girls walked in. Sunset and her friends watched in horror when they cast a spell on the student body causing them to fight with each other. "Oh," Pinkie announced, "That kind of odd!" Chapter 10Sunset Shimmer head was pounding, and she felt a little dizzy, but she wasn't going to tell Celestia that. It was bad enough that she had passed out while getting her blood drawn at the doctor's office. "Do you feel like you need to sit down Sunset?" Celestia said, noting how pale the girl was, she had had a lot of blood work done this time. Sunset shook her head, and then wished that she hadn't as the world spun around her, "No, okay maybe I should." Luckily they just happened to be in the shoe aisle, so they didn't have to go far to sit down. Celestia rummaged through her purse and pulled out some hard candy, "Here, try shucking on this," she offered. It didn't take long after that for her head to stop spinning and her to look around. She reached up and pulled down a boot that was on display, "Now that's a cool boot." Celestia glanced over at it, it was an ankle boot with leather straps, buckles and chains going across the top, "Why don't you try them on?" she offered. Sunset looked confused, "What's wrong with the boots I have on right now?" she asked, pointing to her knee high boots with the purple stripe. "Nothing, you just like those boots so you should try them on," Celestia insisted, "I believe Crystal Rose has five pairs of shoes, and I don't even want to know how many pairs of shoes Rarity has, you should have a spare pair of shoes anyway, in case something happens to the ones you have on." "You mean I can get them?" Sunset asked, shocked, she never just got something because she liked them before, there just hadn't been money for that kind of stuff. Sunset walked into Sugar Cube Corner with a smile, "Hi Guys," for some reason she was excited to show off the new outfit she had bought. Talking to Zecora that morning had helped a lot, and she now could see that they really were trying to be her friends, at least at the moment. "Sunset," Rarity exclaimed, "That outfit is simply stunning!" "You think so Rarity?" Sunset asked, smoothing her light blue shirt as she glanced down at what she was wearing, a light blue shirt, a new faux leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and the boots she had found at the mall. "Of course Darling," Rarity said, "Your new outfit says that you are happier now and trying hard to change." "You can tell all of this just from what I am wearing?" Sunset asked. "You'll get use to it," Crystal Rose stated, "She always knows when we are having a bad day because of the way we dress and do our hair and make up." "And so far she has never been wrong," Pinkie announced grabbing Sunset by the shoulders, "It's like she can read our minds!" she shouted before turning to the purple haired girl, "Wait one minute," she jabbed a pink finger in her face, "What am I thinking right now?" "Pinkie, Darling, can you please give me my personal space," Rarity asked, taking a step back from the energetic pink girl, "I'm afraid I'm not Telepathical like you so wish I was." "Wow," Pinkie exclaimed, "That proves it, you really are a mind reader." she then whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "I was thinking she could read my mind." "Ya don't say?" Apple Jack drawled, "So, Sunset, what's in the bag?" Sunset jumped, she had totally forgotten about the bag in her hand, "Oh, Celestia asked me to give it to Crystal Rose," she handed the bag over to the other girl who peeked inside. "Cool, this is the jacket I asked for," she said, pulling out the rose colored fabric, "Mine from last year is missing a button." "Oh you couldn't have worn that old thing this year anyway, it is so last season." Rarity insisted. "Now Rarity there is nothing wrong with wearing an old jacket if it's cold out," AJ insisted, tucking uncomfortably at the old denim jacket she was wearing. "Oh yeah!" Crystal Rose exclaimed, "Aunt Luna announced something this morning at school." "We're doing a Musical Showcase!" Pinkie shouted, as she jumped up and down in excitement. "The money is going towards repairing the front entrance," Fluttershy whispered. "And I'm forming a band to compete," Rainbow insisted. "Ya mean we're forming a band?" Apple Jack asked. "Yeah yeah yeah," Rainbow said, waving a blue hand at the Cowgirl, "That's what I said." "Well can I..." Sunset begun but Rainbow Dash interrupted her. "Of course you can sit in on our practices, I need someone there to tell me how awesome I sound." "We sound?" Apple Jack stressed. "Yeah, that's what I said." "No, I was wondering, well you see..." "I need to go to the store and buy a new guitar, the neck on mine is broken." "Oh," Crystal exclaimed, "Sunset has a..." "And I've already wrote like five songs already." "I would like to write a few songs too," Fluttershy whispered. "That's a great idea Fluttershy," Rarity beamed, "And I shall work on our wardrobe." "Puh-lease nothing to fufu? okay?" Apple Jack asked, "We don't need a wardrobe change every five minutes or so." "Don't forget, we still need to buy our Halloween costumes." Pinkie announced. Crystal Rose placed a hand on Sunset Shimmer's shoulder, "Look they're excited, that's all, once they calm down some, I'm sure they will welcome you into the band full heartedly." "I wasn't really interested," Sunset lied, she use to watch Flash Sentry and his band practice and she would always imagine being up on stage with them, "Zecora and your mom want me to branch out a little, you know try something new, figured this could be it."
Chapter 1Why don't you do us all a favor and go back where you came from, the voice had continued to echo in her head hours after the words had been spoken to her. Sadly that was also one of the nicest things that was told her today. "Stop giving me excuses and get to work," and, "That's it, you're fired, get out." Being the other two. The rest of what was said to her, well they just weren't worth repeating. All of them were along the lines of the fact she was NOT welcomed there and she was better off dead, mixed in with more foul language and crude names the unicorn turned human even knew existed. After one particularly cruel statement, she had snapped, punching the customer in the face before storming out. It was her fault really, she had been nothing but mean to her peers, she had even tried to turn them into mindless zombies to take over Equestria for her. When she was stopped everyone saw just how vulnerable she really was, and some people wanted to put that information to good, or bad, use. Now she was just wondering the streets wondering if anyone would care if she simply ceased to exist. She pressed her burning forehead against the cool glass of the picture window of Sugar Cube Corner, in the guise of peering inside. Her head was killing her, honestly, it felt like it might explode. Inside something pink rushed past before the door next to her flew open and a pink bundle of energy burst out. "Sunset Shimmer!" The Unicorn girl was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug. Hugging was a foreign concept to her, ponies didn't hug, so this was weird and painful. Even though she hadn't told anybody, during the fall formal three days earlier, when she had turned into a demon and destroyed half the school, she had been injured. She deserved the pain she was experiencing, and it wasn't like anyone could do anything about it. Except, apparently break the cracked ribs and reopen the ugly slashes that had just scabbed over on her back. "I'm so glad you're okay," the pink blob stated, "I haven't seen you since the fall formal." "Hi Pinkie..." Sunset muttered through clenched teeth, how did she get her off? "Pinkie let her breathe," a new voice ordered as Crystal Rose, another one of the princess's friends, appeared with her mom, Principal Celestia. Sunset let out a gasp of air and quickly wiped the tears away that had sprung unbidden to her eyes before her peer saw. She had already help shoot her down with rainbow lasers, she didn't need to see her cry as well. "Did you know you are running a low-grade fever?" Pinkie asked bluntly, slapping a pink hand onto the other girl's forehead. Sunset hissed, Pinkie's hand felt like it had just come out of the freezer, it was freezing! "Yeah, I was on my way home from work, got sent home early because of it." She lied, lying was easy, easier than telling her that she had been fired. "Do you want a ride, my sister Maud is picking me up soon, we will be happy to give you a lift." Sunset shook her head, she didn't want to tell anyone that she lived in an abandoned warehouse building. She did not want to be someone's charity case, again. "No, that's okay, I can catch the bus." She blinked as Pinkie grabbed her and dragged her to the parking lot, "That's not an option," she announced as she opened the door to a car and shoved Sunset into it. "Hey Maud, this is Sunset, We're giving her a lift home." "Hello Sunset please to meet you," the dull colored girl in the driver seat said in a monotone voice, like a text to audio app, "What's your address?" "The Old Hotel Apartment Complex." She said grudgingly, that was close enough to where she really was living, they didn't need to know the truth. " The Old Hotel!" Pinkie repeated, shocked, "But Sunset that neighborhood isn't a safe one, filled with gangs and drug dealers and angry dogs! Are you safe there?" Sunset shrugged, "I've been living there since I came to this world, five years ago, I haven't had to much trouble, mostly if I mind my business and let them mind theirs we leave each other alone." She didn't care what Pinkie said she was fine, and she hoped Maud didn't call child services on her. If there was one thing she learned was she didn't want a repeat of what happened in Equestria. Her parents had passed away when she was a young foal so her earliest memories where of getting dressed up in ridiculous outfits and being paraded around whine being told how lucky she was that she had a loving aunt and uncle willing to take her in. They expected her to be quiet and well behaved while they sat and talked and had a good time with her friends. One day, she was only about two and a half, at the time, one of the visitors brought their son with for them to play, hoping that her good manners would rub off on him. He pulled her mane and ripped the head off her doll. Never being around another pony her age, or really anyone besides her aunt and uncle who fought at least once a week. She hit him back. Long story short, she was dropped off at the orphanage the very next day because she had embarrassed them in front of their friends. ... "Hey, Sunset! Sunset!" Someone was shaking her shoulder roughly. "Sunset Shimmer wake up!" "Wha..." Sunset asked sleepily as she opened her eyes. "You fell asleep," Pinkie announced so close to her she was surprised to find that their noses weren't touching. Sunset blinked, confused looking out the car door window at the old hotel building that Filthy Rich had turned into an apartment building. "Oh... Ummm..." what was she suppose of say? "Thanks?" Was that the word? She was never a social pony and the ponies she did interact with hadn't actually been polite. "No problem," Pinkie piped up, "What are friends for. Hope you feel better soon. See you later Sunset!" As the car drove away Sunset blinked, was Pinkie her friend? Or was she just pretending like the Princess had, only being nice because it made them look good? After all, who would want to be friends with a demon? Author's Note Hi please tell me what you think, getting positive feedback helps me improve my writing and encourages me to write more so please leave some for me.
Chapter 2Crystal Rose plopped down at the table her friends had claimed, her pink hair swinging in the high pony trail she was wearing, the darker streaks seemingly glittering in the artificial lights of the cafeteria. Today, the first Monday back to school, was the first time she and her friends could sit down and have a deep discussion about what to do about one former unicorn. "I know that we promised Twilight that we'll keep an eye on her," Rainbow Dash said, "but..." "What if she's just pretending to change?" Applejack finished, "what if she is just pretending to be our friend so she can get our secrets to black mail us." "But," Fluttershy protested softly, running a hand through a lock of hair, "We promised Twilight." "It's not like she's coming back anytime soon," Rainbow stated. Crystal Rose looked at her athletic friend, "I know you guys have a hard time believing that Sunset has changed, but you have to understand that Sunset's a victim here." "Uh, Crystal," Pinkie started, "You do know that a victim is the person who gets hurt, not the person who does the hurting right?!" "That's what I'm telling you, Sunset is hurting more than we have ever been." Rarity stared at her in confusion, "Whatever are you talking about Darling?" Crystal Rose rolled her dark green eyes, "Am I the only person here who pays attention in health class? A lot of the time bullies are often abused at home. Sunset told Twilight she didn't know there was a better way. She believed that the only way to prevent others from hurting her was to hurt them first." "Oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed, although it was still so soft that if the others hadn't been all silent, they probably wouldn't have heard her. "You mean Sunset was never shown how to be nice?" Pinkie asked, baby blue eyes wide in shock as her hair went flat with the sound of a balloon being deflated, "That's so sad." The others nodded their heads in agreement, "But how do we make friends with someone who knows nothing about friendship?" Rarity asked, tapping a long thin finger against her chin, "it's quite puzzling, if you ask me." Just then Pinkie let out a, "Oh!" as her hair bounced up with an audible boing and a huge smile spread across her face. She waved her hand through the air, "Pick me! Pick me! I know what to do!" When she was certain she had her friends attention, and probably half the school as well she said, "We have a 'Welcome to Friendship Party,'" she announced throwing confetti into the air while blowing on a noise maker. Applejack shook her head, pulling a party hat that she wasnt quite sure when Pinkie slapped on her off, "Maybe we can do that later we want to get to know her first. We don't even know where she lives." "I know where she lives!" Pinkie shouted, "Maud and I took her home the other day! She lives in the old hotel apartment complex." "Well, that narrows it down some," Applejack stated, "but there are still a hundred apartments there." "Simple, we knock on one of the doors and ask what apartment she is." Rainbow said. "Talk to someone I don't know," Fluttershy whimpered, "I don't know if I can do that." "We don't have to," Crystal announced, "Mom knows where everyone at CHS lives, I'll ask her." Celestia looked up from her paperwork, "I'm sorry, Crystal, I can't help you. I can't just start giving out students' personal information to anybody who asks." Crystal Rose sighed, "But Mom, this is a good cause!" "And as your mother I am proud of you for helping a fellow student in need, but as a Principal, my hands are tied." "Can you help me as a Mom?" Celestia nodded her head, "Does any of the other students know her address or perhaps her phone number?" Crystal Rose face broke into a smile, "Snips and Snail, Mom your a genius!" she threw her arms around her neck and gave her a quick peck on her cheek, "I'm going out with my friends, I'll call if I'm going to be late." she called out as she hurried out of the office. Well aware that her friends where waiting for her, she hurried down the hall, towards the detention room. Reaching it she burst into the room. "Aunt Luna,' she asked the vice principal, "Can I talk to Snips and Snails for like two minutes. just long enough to ask them two questions?" Luna gave her neice a look, she was one of the few that knew that she wasn't as scary as she acted, and would pester her until she gave in. "Fine but make it quick." "Great thanks," the teen turned to the two eighth graders, "Do you know Sunset Shimmer's address, how about her phone number?" The two younger teens looked at each other, "Gees, we always met her here at the school, we never been to her house," Snips said. "Yeah, and she doesn't have a phone." Snails added. Crystal groaned, another dead end. The friends were at Sugarcube Corner trying to fogure out how to locate Sunset without knocking on strangers doors. Rarity pulled out her phone, "Maybe Social Media?" a few seconds later she shook her head, "She isn't on Mystable and, well, if she isn't on there she isn't on any of them." "So I guess we go knocking on doors until she answers," Rainbow Dash said with a sigh. "Hopefully she isn't at work at the Sushi Place at the mall because then she wouldn't be home when we knock and we wouldn't know it was her place." Pinkie piped up. Everyone turned to look at her, "Why didn't ya tell us ya know where she worked?" Applejack demanded. "Because you wanted to find out where she lived. You didn't ask me where she worked, silly," Pinkie Pie said with a laugh as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe to her it was. Author's Note I want to thank everyone for the likes and follows and comments, I truly appreciate them and hope everyone has a great Easter.
Chapter 3Author's Note A/n just so you know this gets a little dark this chapter. Chapter 3 Sunset Shimmer tossed her bag into the corner next to the door, as she entered the old run down office inside an abandoned warehouse that she called home, today had not been a good day, not that she could tell someone what a good day consisted of. She had been unable to find a new part-time job, nobody wanted to hire someone with her reputation and now she only had five dollars to her name. If she didn't find a job soon she would have to drop out of school and find a full-time job at one of the factories that are always hiring. She didn't want to do that but, unless she finds something soon, she wouldn't have much of a choice, she needed money to survive. She crawled into the pile of blankets she used as a bed, piling them up over her in a vain attempt to stay warm. She let out a nasty sounding cough, then again the way she was coughing she will probably die from bronchitis before she finds a job at this rate. Now that would be nice to simply leave due to natural causes. That way the Princess's friends wouldn't have to explain to her why they didn't want to be her friend. They could just explain that she had got sick and passed on before they could even make friends. Heck, she would probably be doing everyone a favor, including herself, if she just helped the process along. ... Crystal Rose hurried through the mall, her friends spreading out as she hurried around. The clue Pinkie gave them had been a bust, Apparently, she had been fired the week before. Luckily there was enough information just by asking around for them to find out which stores she had applied at that day. "Yeah, she was here, about an hour ago," the manager of one store stated, "Not that I was interested in giving her a job. I've heard about her reputation. Nobody who is that mean as to threaten to hurt a fellow student is going to work here, honestly, I'm surprised that your mother didn't expel her." Crystal shrugged, "She's pending expulsion." The manager huffed, "Still," he said, "That girl ought to just go back to where she came from." Applejack grabbed Rainbow as she charged forward, "What gives you the right to talk to her like that?" "All of her peers have told me that she isn't from around here, she should go back to where she is from." he shrugged as if it was the only solution, "Then again they probably don't want her there either." Crystal Rose glanced at her friends, no matter what Sunset Shimmer had or had not done nobody deserved to be talked about like that, behind there backs or to their face it didn't matter. "Come on girls, let's go, we'll check out the apartment duplex Pinkie dropped her off at last week." Applejack shook her head, "Ah hate ta break it ta ya, but we don't have time ta check all of the apartments before ah have to get home ta make curfew." "What if Sunset doesn't actually live there?" Fluttershy whimpered, "we would knock on all those doors for nothing" "If only we could know where to find her." Rarity sighed, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. Applejack tapped her chin, "Y'all remember when Applebloom got lost in the woods near mah place?" "Yeah," Pinkie exclaimed, "And Crystal Rose just started walking and headed straight for her!" "And there was the time Sweetie Bell got lost at the amusement park, why, Crystal Rose, darling, I believe you were the one who found her, weren't you?" "Yeah, and that one time, when I, yah know after that one game, Crystal was the one who found me and brought me home," Rainbow added. "It's like you have some sort of finding six sense," Pinkie stated before quickly pushing everybody out of the way as a couple of pairs of shoes fell from the balcony above, "Sorry girls, my Pinkie sense was tingling." "Do you think you can use your Crystal sense to find Sunset, Darling?" "I don't know Rarity, I know you guys and your sisters a lot better than I know Sunset, besides, I never try to find someone, I just," Crystal shrugged, "find them." "Can you 'just find' Sunset Shimmer then?" Rainbow asked. ... Crystal Rose stopped in front of the old abandoned warehouse building, "She's in here," she stated. "Ah still don't understand why you didn't just use your Crystal sense in the first place," Applejack groaned, "Then we wouldn't be in this part of town this time of night." Crystal shrugged, "I don't like using it as a first course unless it is an emergency, in which case yes I'll use it." Rainbow Dash and Applejack pried the door open and the six friends slipped through. Inside the warehouse was covered in a thick layer of dust, abandoned crates towered over them in stacks with tons of cobwebs clinging to them. Rarity screamed and jumped into Rainbow's arms as a rat scurried pass. Rainbow gave her a look before dropping her, "Get a grip Rarity it was just a rat." "You scared it, poor little fellow," Fluttershy whispered, causing the others to give her a look, they had forgotten just how much she loved animals in the years they have been apart. "I'll hardly deem this place livable," Rarity stated as she grimaced with each step that she took, "This place is a real health hazard." Crystal Rose nodded, "I'll talk Sunset into coming home with me, now that Cadence got married we have a spare bedroom, I'm sure Mom and Aunt Luna know what to do about a homeless student." "First we need to find her," Applejack pointed out stopping at the foot of a set of stairs that lead up to the old warehouse manager officer, "Now which way do we go?" Rarity pointed to the steps, while it was clear that the rest of the room was rather dusty there were footsteps clearly set in the dust of each step, "I suggest we look up there."
Chapter 5Just then a woman in scrubs entered the waiting room, "Family of Sunset Shimmer." Celestia stood up, walking over to the woman, "She was staying with me, her parents aren't part of the picture. Haven't been for a while from what I understand. How is she?" "Lucky to still be with us," the nurse responded, "She has some nasty looking cuts on her back that are infected as well as a severe case of pneumonia." Strong Knight who had stepped forward as well frowned, "Do you have any idea what caused the injuries?" "No," the nurse said, shaking her head, "I can't say that we do." Celestia frowned thinking back over a week ago when the pony princess from the other world shot Sunset Shimmer down with the laser rainbows, "I might know what happened, at the school's home coming dance there was an issue with a rupturing gas line. I didn't think anyone got hurt, but I guess Sunset didn't report her injuries?" Vice principal Luna sat silently in the hard chair that was next to Sunset Shimmer's hospital bed, trying to read the book she had bought with. However, the Sappy Romance Novel just couldn't keep her attention, last time she grabbed a book on from Celestia's side table. She kept looking at the younger girl laying still, the slight raise and fall of her chest the only sign that she was truly alive. Luna was wondering if the younger girl really would get out of the hospital tomorrow like the doctors said, she was starting to think that she wasn't. She hadn't been able to maintain consciousness for more than a few minutes at a time. Suddenly there was a moan, and Sunset Shimmer rolled her head over to one side, certain that she could see something out of the corner of her eye. Someone with dark blue hair was seating in a hard, uncomfortable looking chair reading a book. She obviously realized that she was being watched because she closed the book and smiled, "Good morning Miss Shimmer." "Where am I?" She croaked out. Luna was surprised she had not expected her to ask questions so soon, "The hospital," she explained, "My sister brought you in last night after Crystal Rose and her friends found you. How are you feeling?" "I... hurt," Sunset admitted. Luna chuckled softly, "I can understand that. The others will be glad to hear that you are awake." Sunset frowned, the room spinning as she asked, "Who?" She asked before slipping into bless unconsciousness. Sunset Shimmer looked around the room in awe, too much too much, she screamed silently to herself. She had ended up spending five days in the hospital, which she still couldn't remember going to. Now she had been released, and she just realized that her life will never be the same again. She had been aware that she couldn't return to her warehouse now that Principal Celestia knew about it, but she hadn't been expecting this room at the principal's house. By the look of it they had planned for her to stay a long time. The bed had a comforter spread over it with a red and yellow pattern, her favorite color combination. Her books were on a book shelf that was mostly empty. "I wasn't sure what type of books you liked, maybe we can go to the book store together once you're better," principal Celestia offered as Sunset Shimmer looked at the stack of CDs next to a player, "Your friends all bought you a new CD, I hope they aren't all terribly horrible, I did make sure that there was no foul language, which isn't allowed in my house, by the way." Sunset Sat on the edge of the bed, it was soft, and comfortable, but she wasn't sure if it was because it really was comfortable or because she was use to sleeping on the floor. On the other side of the room was a desk and bookshelf and at the foot of the bed was a tv and some sort of game console. A stack of video games were next to it. "Luna already beat those games and she got the new gaming system that still plays the old system's games. She figured you might want something to do with your time besides sit around and doing nothing." Sunset nodded gripping her head, this was just like when she became the princess's personal student, and that didn't go so well. She remembered being brought into a large bedroom with toys and games galore, something that had, at the time made her feel entitled. After all she had came from an orphanage where she had to share a room with five other girls and now she had a private bedroom twice the size of a dorm room that the rest of the students lived in. She wasn't sure how long she was caught in memories from her time as Princess Celestia's student, all she knew was that it was dark when she was called out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. "Mom says dinner is ready." Sunset swung her legs over the side of the bed with a groan as she got up. She must have looked groggy because Crystal Rose apologized for waking her up. "It's okay," Sunset insisted, "if I sleep all day how am I suppose to sleep tonight?" "Well, actually, Your body needs more rest to heal, so you probably will sleep just find," Crystal insisted, "But even if you weren't sick, it's the weekend, so I guess you could always play video games into the night." "I'll love to but I don't know how to play." Sunset admitted. "I'm terrible at playing videogames, but I'll show you how after dinner." Author's Note Here we go another chapter, not sure about it, what do you think?
Chapter SixSunset Shimmer let out a small grunt of satisfaction as she bashed the head of a zombie in. She was really getting the hang of this video game thing. Suddenly the overhead light flared on, temporally blinding Sunset, who hadn't realize how dark it had gotten outside her bedroom window. Her bedroom, that was a strange thought, she didn't remember when she started considering this her room, but sometime during the past two weeks she had started to view the house of the two principals as her home. "Sunset Shimmer, do you have any idea what time it is?" Luna asked. "Miss Luna," Sunset gasped, looking at the clock, was it really ten already? "Please at home you can call me Luna or Aunt Luna. Do you know what time it is." "Ten, but it's not like my game is too loud, is it?" "No, but you have school in the morning." Sunset felt something grip her chest, school, she couldn't go back there, no way, not after what she did. "But aren't I suspended?" Luna chuckled, that had got to be a first, "not for the past week." Sunset thought desperately, "But I'm sick," she pointed out. "You're no longer contagious, your fever broke, and you can't regain your strength moping around bed all day." "I can't go to school, I just can't!" Sunset exclaimed pulling her blanket over her head. She felt the mattress shag a little as Luna plopped down next to her, "it's okay to be afraid Sunset, people weren't very nice to you after the fall formal, but you can't let fear rule your life. You have to get back on the horse." "What?" Sunset demanded, confused, "I've never been on a horse before." "It's an expression, you know like raining cats and dogs?" Sunset looked confused, she never heard of it raining cats and dogs not even in Equestria with all that magic. "It means that it is raining very very hard, haven't you heard these before, they're common enough." "Unicorn from another world." Sunset announced pointing to herself, "remember." "Right," Luna said, blushing a little, it was going to take a little getting use to thinking that Sunset was an alien and was really a pony, "Look what I'm saying is that you can't let fear rule your life, you need to go back to school, make friends. You want to learn about this Friendship magic Crystal Rose told me that Twilight asked her and her friends to teach you. Though I have no idea what that might means." "She asked them to be my friends therefore the only reason they are being my friends is because they promised." Sunset muttered. Luna got a glimmer in her eye, "You know, Crystal Rose does not like video games, no amount of begging and pleading from Rainbow dash can get her to pick up a controller." "What are you talking about?" Sunset demanded, although she had a feeling that she knew what Luna was hinting at. "Crystal Rose is as stubborn as they come, trust me, I helped raise her, if she doesn't want to do something, she's not going to do it. She does not like video games, yet because she wants to be your friend and you like video games she will play them with you. That should tell you something." Sunset frowned, she knew that Crystal Rose didn't let anyone tell her what to do, except possibly her mom. Last year she had everyone vote for her for biggest meanie even though it wasn't a category. No matter how she blackmailed, lied, or tricked Crystal Rose, nothing she did would break Crystal's friendship apart. It had drove her insane. hack into the email and send her one from her friends, she'd call and talk about it. Hack her phone and sent a text, she'll call and talk about it. If she tried doing the opposite, hacking her friends Email and phones, Crystal Rose would hunt them down and talk to them in person. Intimidation didn't work either, Crystal Rose could call out a bluff a mile away, and Sunset hadn't want to cause physical pain, she caused emotional pain and that was it. Threats and blackmailing, Crystal Rose had her on that too. The former Sunset never mentioned it, but the whole reason she broke up that particular group of friends was because she was always a little wary of Crystal and wanted to knock her down a few pegs. "You okay Sunset?" Luna asked, concerned when the teenage girl spaced out. Sunset shook her head, "Yeah I'm fine, just comparing what I knew about Crystal with what you just told me," She paused for a moment to organize her thoughts, "And your right, Crystal was the only one who stood up against me, besides Twilight Sparkle that is, but compared to the creatures she probably faced in Equestria I wasn't even scary to her. She wouldn't let me rule her life like the rest of the school." Sunset ducked her head, "That's why I made such a big deal of breaking up her group of friends, because while I knew that she wouldn't let me push her around. Afterwards I thought that she would force them to talk to each other, I was worried that all of my work would have been for nothing, but..." "Just like how she wouldn't allow you to push her around, she refused to push her friends around, giving advice and council when asked but that is all. She is so much like her mother that way," Luna interrupted, pride for her niece shinning through. Sunset Shimmer sighed, "I still don't know about going back to school." "Just take it one step at a time and stick close to Crystal or one of the other girls. They truly are trying to be your friends."
Chapter SevenSunset Shimmer rubbed her arm up and down as she stared at the building towering over her, she never thought a building in such perfect condition could look so threatening, "I don't know Crystal Rose, can't I just do home school?" Luna chuckled, "Let's try going to school first, remember you need to come see my sister during lunch for your antibiotic." Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, everybody seemed to think she would forget something like that, she never had much reading material outside of the school library because you needed proof of address to get a public library card. So what she had read had told her the importance of finishing an antibiotic treatment as prescribed so that you don't become immune to it. "You are eating lunch with me and my friends right?" Crystal Rose asked, or more like pleaded. Sunset shook her head, "I have lunch detention for the next six months." Crystal got a certain look in her eye, "Let's see," she muttered more or less do herself, "If I suggest to Pinkie that she should do that, and have Rainbow do that, and Apple Jack would probably be willing to do that. But Fluttershy, what to do with her." "You are not getting you and your friends lunch detention so that you can have lunch with Sunset," Luna scolded her niece, "However, I understand Why you want to have lunch with her, to work on your budding friendship. Since the reason why Sunset has Lunch detention instead of after school detention was that she had an after school job which is no longer in the picture, I think we can move her detention to after school so she can have lunch with you." "Isn't that bending the rules?" Sunset asked. "Maybe," Luna admitted, "Don't tell anyone that I bent the rules here okay." "Watch out here she comes." "Careful she might turn into a demon." "She's here, I thought for sure that she would have been expelled." With every whispered comment and fearful glance thrown her way Sunset's head dropped lower and lower. How was she suppose to convince them that she wasn't mean any more, that she had changed. Crystal Rose and her friends were giving her a second chance why couldn't the others? They were afraid of her, but how was she going to prove to them that she had changed that there was nothing to be afraid of. The answer came in English where they were reading the Prince and the Pauper, the discussion they had that day was on the different social classes of the day and how one did not interact with one below their own class. Sunset was on the top of the pyramid, she was the queen of the school, well maybe it was time that the school got a new queen, or perhaps an old queen back. Gilda Griffen had been the worst bully until Sunset took that title for herself. Maybe all she needed to do was give that title back. Gilda was still a bully, and a bad one at that. Sunset had just been worst, which was not something she was proud of. Usually when a kingdom was overthrown the original ruler was executed in front of a large crowd. She was sure that Gilda would agree. "That rainbow laser blast to the face messed you up didn't it?" Gilda asked, "There's no way I'm going to beat you up in front of the school just because you asked me to. My mom said that if I get one more suspension for fighting she's sending me to military school." Sunset frowned, she should have known she said no. There had to be something she could do, and the best thing she could do was make Gilda angry. "Okay, it was silly anyway, I shouldn't have asked," Sunset said, walking away, her mind already figuring out a way to trick her into doing what she asked. Gilda looked at Sunset's retreating form and wondered if she should tell the principal or something. She shook her head, no there was no way she was doing that, it could ruin her reputation as a bad girl. Sunset knew how to push buttons, it was her specialty. She wasn't proud of it but she needed to get Gilda Griffin to pound her. She deserved it, it seemed like a fitting punishment, she had pounded on the students of Canterlot high since she got there, it was time to let them pound on her for a change. So all she needed to know was that Gilda had a short fuse, so short that a simple thing like accidentally knocking into her in the lunch line and spilling her lunch on her would insure a punch at least. And if she said the right thing, it could be a pounding. She had everything planned out, and it was working, the pain hurt just as much as the rainbow laser had, and she welcomed it. Sure it hurt, but she deserved it, besides this would be a large blue to her social standing people wouldn't be scared of her anymore. "Break it up," a sharp commanding voice called out as a powerful force caused the crowd to scatter like the wind. Soon whoever it was was standing over them. Miss Griffin! I should have known you were behind this." Sunset gulped, she hadn't thought that vice principal Luna would stop the fight. She had thought that Gilda would simply tire and leave. "My sister would like a word with you Gilda," she snapped, before turning her attention to Sunset, "are you okay?" Sunset nodded as she accepted the principal's hand, she was okay, unfortunately. Celestia closed her eyes before opening them to stare at the teen in front of her, "What do you have to say for yourself?" She demanded. "She asked for it!" The ten exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure that she bumped into you by accident," Celestia said softly peering over her fingertips. "No she did it on purpose," Gilda insisted, maybe if she told the principal about Sunset then maybe she wouldn't get in as much trouble, "She asked me to beat her up, when I told her no she spilled on me and got me mad so I'll do it anyway." Celestia stood up, "I'll be right back hold still." Luna was talking to Sunset in her office, she looked up when Celestia entered the room, "You need me to play bad cop?" She asked, she sounded almost eager. "No," Celestia stated shaking her head, "I needed to ask Sunset something. Did you ask Gilda to beat you up?" Sunset refused to meet her eyes, what was that emotion that choked her voice, worry? She never heard anyone sound worried towards her before, "So what if I did, I deserved it didn't I?" The words were out of her mouth before she even knew she wanted to say them.
Chapter eightSunset refused to meet her eyes, what was that emotion that choked her voice, worry? She never heard anyone sound worried towards her before, "So what if I did, I deserved it didn't I?" The words were out of her mouth before she even knew she wanted to say them. Celestia looked stunned, she should have realized that Sunset Shimmer needed professional help. Well, at least she had a good idea of where to find it. Zecora was an old family friend who had helped Luna with some issues when they were teens. She just hoped she'll understand all the magical bits. "You bit off more than you could chew with this one sister," Luna commented shaking her head in amusement. Celestia shot her a look of annoyance, "I don't know, she reminds me a little bit of you when you were her age." Luna opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again, she was right after all. "I need to call Zecora and possibly Discord," Celestia muttered more to herself than her sister. "Discord," Luna gasped, shocked, "You can't even stand the guy." Celestia wrinkled her nose, "That might be true but he has certain talents that come in handy in this type of situation. He can easily get a hold of the papers Sunset Shimmer will need if she wishes to stay in our world." Luna pretended to be surprised, "I can't believe it, you, talking about doing something illegal." Celestia shook her head, "Sunset Shimmer is stuck in our world, it would be a long time before the portal between our worlds opens again." "We also don't know rather or not she can go back, from what I understand, she committed treason." Celestia sighed, she had a point after all, "Well if she can't go back to her world we need to make sure she has everything she needs to stay in this world, including proper education and all the paperwork she'll need to get it. I also need to take her shopping, her good jacket was destroyed during the fall formal and her clothing, while in good condition, are starting to show signs of wear. perhaps tomorrow I can pull Sunset out of school for the day and run our errands." Luna giggled, "You breaking the rules to go shopping, now I've heard it all." Celestia rolled her eyes, "I'm not pulling her out of school to go shopping, she has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I'll set up appointments with Discord and Zecora as well, that will take most of the day." Sunset Shimmer sighed as she tried to sink farther into the hardback chair. She couldn't believe that she was stuck in the principal's office for an hour after school because they didn't think it was a wise decision to put her in the detention room with Gilda and a few others who decided that Sunset deserved to be picked on as punishment for her past misdeeds. She glanced at the clock and groaned, she had about five more minutes to go. "Principal Celestia," a voice came over the intercom, "The Halloween party committee is here to talk to you." Celestia hung up the phone she was using before pushing a button, "Send them on it." Sunset slouched even farther into the chair, great, now she had to hear all about what the other students were going to do during the upcoming holiday. Sunset Shimmer never celebrated the holidays in Equestria and hadn't very cared about how they were celebrated in this world. Pinkie Pie came pouncing into the room, "So we have the plans for the Halloween Party." "We'll decorate the gym like a haunted house," Apple Jack added. "And have a costume contest." Rarity exclaimed. "We'll have mummy dogs and caramel apples and all sorts of candy." "That sounds wonderful," Celestia stated, "Go ahead." "Great, now that we know what we are doing for that we need to cover the important part," Pinkie Pie announced, pounding her fist in her hand, "What are we going to dress up as and the plans for after the party." Crystal Rose nodded her head, turning to Sunset, who had been hoping that she would remain ignored "So Sunset, what do you like doing for Halloween." Sunset shrugged, "Never celebrated, Equestria had a similar holiday but there wasn't enough money at the orphanage I grew up in for costumes and there weren't enough staff members to take us. When I was sent to school I decided that I was too old for it." "Perish the thought," Pinkie Pie shouted, "I guarantee that this is going to be the best Halloween that you ever had, Pinkie promise, cross my heart and hope to fly stick a cupcake in my eye." "If we are going to make this the best Halloween ever we need to get shopping before all the good costumes are taken, " Rainbow Dash exclaimed starting to drag Sunset out the door. " Wait one second Rainbow, " Celestia called out. All the teens froze, "But Mom, " Crystal Rose whined. Celestia smiled, opening up a desk drawer and rummaging through it, before pulling out a wallet. She pulled out two twenty dollar bills and handed one to Crystal Rose and one to Sunset Shimmer, "You need your allowance first." "What's an allowance?" Sunset asked, examining the dollar bill with interest. "Uh, "Rainbow exclaimed, " You're joking right?" "It's money, silly, " Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Sunset gave her a look, "I can see that, but why give it to me?" "While you are living with me you are expected to do chores, by doing this you earn money which you can use any way you want." Celestia explained, " Now go have fun and enjoy spending time with your friends, and I'll see you tonight. Crystal Rose normal curfew okay, it's a school night."
Chapter 9Celestia glanced over to the passenger seat of her car at the solemn teenager sitting there, "Would you like to talk about it?" she offered. "There's nothing to talk about," Sunset grumbled, crossing her arms in defiance. "Okay, so how did shopping go with your friends yesterday?" Celestia asked, changing the subject. "Okay I guess," Sunset muttered, looking out the window so that she didn't have to look at her principal. She was sure that Crystal Rose had told her all about how she had freaked out when Rainbow Dash had suggested that they go as Demons. It had just brought back the pain of the transformation. She remembered how she had tried to take off the crown but had been unable to. For a brief moment she had been trapped in the night of the Fall Formal, and it had taken the others awhile to pull her back into the present. By that point she had spoiled the moment and everyone had went home without a costume. "Crystal Rose told me what happened," Celestia offered, hoping that she would open up to her a little bit. "Great, so you know how I ruined everything, great to know," Sunset grumbled. "It wasn't your fault, Sunset," Celestia insisted, "Nobody, not even you, knew that you would react that way." "But I still reacted," Sunset muttered, "It was horrible, I was transforming into that creature again and I couldn't take that stupid crown off, again." "I know, but Rainbow Dash should have been a little more sensitive to your feelings, and that of your other friends," she paused for a second, "I think that I'm going to ban Demon costumes from the school Halloween Party, considering what happened at the last dance. Everyone needs to be a little bit considerate, considering what happened." "Why should they be considerate of my feelings?" Sunset asked, "I never cared about theirs." Celestia sighed, before repeating something her mother use to tell her and her sisters, "An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind, besides, sometimes all someone needs is someone to show them a little bit of love. Isn't that right Sunset?" Sunset blushed, returning her gaze out the window, she really didn't understand what she was talking about but she had a feeling that she was talking about her, and that kind of unnerved her a little bit. Celestia pulled into the parking lot and got out, waiting to make sure that Sunset got out too before locking the car, "Here we go, Zecora is a friend of mine, we went to school together, she might be a little different, but she's good at what she does." "What does she do?" Sunset demanded as Celestia steered her into the building. "She..." Celestia frowned, did they have psychologists where she was from, she wasn't sure, part of her wanted to say that she doubted it because surely her guardian would have taken her in as soon as she noticed her behavioral problems, "helps people understand why they feel the way they do. She won't judge you, and she won't tell anyone anything that you tell her." Sunset crossed her arms as Celestia signed her in, "It's not like she'll believe half of what is true, the only reason that you believe me is because you saw me." "Just give it a shot and tell her everything, I already told her some of the harder to believe things when I talked to her last night while you were out with the other girls." ... "I must confess Tia, that I never dreamed in a thousand year that you would be the one to knock on my office door asking me to do something illegal, always thought it would be your younger sister" Discord said with a laugh as Celestia took a seat in front of his desk. "Luna found it funny as well," Celestia admitted, "But the Circumstances are quite unusual." "So you said over the phone, but you have yet to expound on it, leaving me to gander a guess," Discord said while leaning back in his chair, "I know, this mysterious student is hiding from a gang of murderers." "No." "Then he must be a gang member going straight hiding from his leader." "No," Celestia said, smiling, "The truth is something your crazy mind won't be able to guess." "Ahh, she's an exile princess from a far off country." Discord asked, wagging his eyebrows at her. Celestia sighed, "Please Discord, stop with the guessing, although you are closer to the truth on that last one, I only have fifty minutes before I have to pick her up, and you've already wasted five of them." "Then, by all means," Discord tipped his chair back and placed his feet up on his desk, "Enlighten me." "I don't know if she's an exile for say, I just know that she can't return home anytime soon, or if she even wants to return. I have a student that apparently is an unicorn from another dimension, I don't know all the details but I do know that she fled through a magical portal into our world that only opens once every two and a half years. She has committed treason though, stole one of the princesses crown, a very powerful crown that was actually a magical object. I just don't know if that was the reason she fled in the first place. I don't even know for sure that she knew for sure why she did it." "Oh, do tell me more." "I don't know much more than that, the point is, she's an alien that is stuck in our world and she needs the papers and things so that she can survive in this world and you are the only person I know who can pull it off." "Okay I'll do it for our friendship sake, but if the authorities get wind of this you were on your own, and I want to meet this unicorn person." Author's Note There you go, how did I do writing Discord.
Chapter 11Sunset Shimmer hummed to herself as she strummed on her guitar, a present Flash had given her while they were dating. Across the living room Crystal Rose sat at the piano playing along with her. It was fun, and both of them were focused on their music that was until Sunset felt a tingling in her hands. She looked down, the familiar glow of magic covered her hands and was creeping up her arms. She quickly took the guitar off, setting it down, and then fleeing upstairs to her bedroom. Slamming the door shut, she sank to the floor. This could not be happening. Princess Twilight took the element of magic home with her, right? That should mean that all the magic went back to Equestria with her. Unless, somehow, she still maintained some of the magic from her transformation. She shook her head, it didn't matter why she had magic, what mattered was the fact that she couldn't be trusted with it. How was she to ensure that she doesn't go all demon on everybody. Just then there was a knock on her door, and a kind voice called out, "Sunset are you okay?" Sunset groaned, of course Principal Celestia saw her run off like that. "Sunset, if you want to talk about what ever is bugging you, I'll be in the Kitchen cooking dinner, come find me okay," with that Celestia was gone. On the other side of the door Sunset Shimmer was confused, Princess Celestia would have demanded that she open the door and ordered her to talk. This... was nicer, it gave her time to process what just happened, to calm her racing heart. To think about what was going on. Just because she had magic didn't mean she would use it for bad, right, hundreds of unicorns in Equestria and only how many evil ones, Sombra for sure, but she hadn't heard of any others, besides herself that is, but was she really evil, Princess Twilight didn't seem to think so, nor did Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, or Crystal Rose and her friends, no not Crystal Rose's friends, her friends. She took a deep breath, calming herself, ready to go down and talk to her principal. However what she saw in the living room caused her to turn back and flee back upstairs, it's one thing to have magic of her own it is totally another to force magical powers on those who have been so kind to you. In the living room, Crystal Rose had Pony uped while playing the piano. ... "It was totally Awesome," Rainbow Dash informed the group as they waited for Rarity to show up for band practice, "I was just playing this random guitar and next thing I know I have wings and pony ears, plus," she held up the guitar in question, "This suddenly has a custom paint job, making it my colors. I mean how cool is that!" Sunset groaned, Not Rainbow Dash too. "Something like that happened ta me," Apple Jack admitted, "Granny accidentally sold my bass, when I went to get it back, those Flim Flam Brothers wouldn't give it back unless I prove that it was mine, and mah hair went all long and I got ears too." "Oh, Oh, oh," Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up and down waving her arm back in forth in the air, "Pick me, pick me!" Crystal Rose smirked a little bit before calling out, "Pinkie Pie, this isn't a classroom, you don't need to raise your hand to speak." "But this is a classroom," Pinkie pointed out, "This is the band class room," she said slowly as if she was afraid the others might have a hard time understanding what was going on. "Yes," Crystal agreed, "But we aren't in class right now." "Phew," Pinkie exclaimed, wiping her brow with the back of her hand, "I was wondering why no one was yelling at me to get back in my seat." "So what did you want to tell us," Sunset asked. "Remember Yesterday, I went all pony too, when Dashy asked me to play the drums for her, remember that, huh, do you remember that?" "Yah know," Rainbow added, "When I asked if you could play the drums, I was looking for a yes or no answer, not to be dragged to the band room for you to play the drums right that second." "Oh," Pinkie said again, "Sorry," but she didn't act very sorry as she jumped about the room, making Sunset wonder how she could have so much energy and not explode. "I went 'Pony' last night, while I was practicing my piano," Crystal offered. "It happened to me too," Fluttershy whispered, "at the animal shelter, the hamsters got out and somehow I hypnotize them with my tambourine and got the ears and wings like before with Twilight." "Are you saying that the only one who hasn't transformed recently is Rarity?" Sunset asked, panic filling her voice, how was this possible, Twilight took the magic back. "Yeah," Rainbow stated, "And she's late." ...
Chapter 12Sunset Shimmer opened her locker with a groan, she was running late, and she wasn't sure if she was late, late or fashionably late. Rarity claimed there was a difference but Sunset didn't know what it was. Suddenly someone shoved her hard in the back, causing her to stumble into her locker. She twirled around quickly, just in time to see the door click shut. Despite the fact that the Fall Formal had been two months ago by this point in time, people hadn't forgotten what had happened, and her friends were the only ones to have forgiven them, well, them and the principals. Most of the students were mostly no longer afraid of her, and that just made matters worst. To help minimize attacks on her Aunt Luna had rearranged locker assignments so that Sunset Shimmer was in the middle of her friends, and, because that wasn't enough, she also had a new security camera trained on her locker installed. Too bad that Aunt Luna and Mom were no doubt in the gym with everyone else getting ready for the musical showcase that would raise the money to replace what was taken out of the budget to fix the school after the Fall Formal. She was probably stuck here. At least for now. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching out in the hallway. She started banging on the door to the locker, in the hopes that it was one of her friends, or someone who didn't have a mean bone in their body, like Marble Pie. The footsteps stopped and there was the sound of jingling keys. Only one person in the school had a key to all the lockers. "Vice Principal Luna!" she called out, "I'm in here!" "Yes child I know," Luna sighed, "You're lucky that I was in my office when the whole thing happened, I came as soon as I could." There was the sound of the key scrapping in the lock and then Sunset was flooded with light as the door swung open, "Thanks," she offered. "No problem dear," Luna said, her face stern as she looked ahead, "As soon as I escort you to the gym I will escort the hoodlum responsible for this to detention." "No don't!" Sunset cried, "You'll just make matters worst!" "What ever do you mean?" Luna asked, looking at the teenage girl. "Everyone says that you are giving me special treatment because you and Principal Celestia are my legal guardians." "Like what?" Luna asked. "The fact you didn't expel me after I destroyed half the school and enslaved the student body," Sunset pointed out. Luna shrugged, "That happened before we got custody, you were apologetic, That was what we cared about." "Others don't see it that way," Sunset pointed out, "And there is the fact that I haven't attended detention hardly at all since the incident." Luna gave her a look, "All the other students in detention these day are there for picking on you, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of all the students, having you attend detention would be counter productive." Sunset shrugged, "If you say so." Luna shook her head, even though she had been against it to begin with, maybe that special assembly about bullying would help, but she, and Celestia feared that it might just paint a target on Sunset's back. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scooterloo were busy working on their poster when Sunset Shimmer appeared next to them. "Can I help?" she asked, trying to sound friendly, she had to prove to herself that she could make friends on her own, without the help of Princess Twilight. "Nah," Apple Bloom said, "We're good." "Sunset Shimmer," a voice called out from across the gym, "Over here!" Sunset forced a smile and tried to ignore the dirty looks everyone gave her as she headed over to her friends. "Look at our poster, isn't it great," Pinkie asked, holding up the poster they had designed, "It even smells like cake." "It does?" Fluttershy asked softly which resulted in Pinkie shoving it into her face. "I used frosting instead of paint," Pinkie explained, pulling it back to reveal Fluttershy having her face coated in frosting. "Uh, Sugar Cube, you have a little something on your face," Apple Jack announced. Fluttershy quickly wiped the frosting off one cheek, "Did I get it?" "Not exactly." Sunset pulled out a handkerchief that she had in her pocket and helped Fluttershy clean up. By this point Celestia had stood up and was telling the student body how proud she was with how hard they were working to make this musical showcase happen, and that it was promising to be the most memorable school event since the Fall formal. Crystal Rose glanced at Sunset, who had a pained expression on her face, "Mom shouldn't have said that," she muttered to herself. The next day the seven friends were having lunch together in the cafeteria, "So how did showing the new girls around go?" Crystal asked. Sunset Shimmer had volunteered to show a group of new students around the school in the hopes to make a good impression on them before others could tell them about her less than perfect past. "I don't know, they acted weird," Sunset confessed. "Were they weird like this?" Pinkie asked, arranging her salad so that it looked like a beard on her face, "Or like this?" she asked, this time with carrot sticks for vampire fangs. "Why don't we let Sunset tell us." "I don't know, maybe someone told them about me, so much for making a good first impression." Sunset said with a sigh. Just then the doors opened and the new girls walked in. Sunset and her friends watched in horror when they cast a spell on the student body causing them to fight with each other. "Oh," Pinkie announced, "That kind of odd!"
Chapter 10Sunset Shimmer head was pounding, and she felt a little dizzy, but she wasn't going to tell Celestia that. It was bad enough that she had passed out while getting her blood drawn at the doctor's office. "Do you feel like you need to sit down Sunset?" Celestia said, noting how pale the girl was, she had had a lot of blood work done this time. Sunset shook her head, and then wished that she hadn't as the world spun around her, "No, okay maybe I should." Luckily they just happened to be in the shoe aisle, so they didn't have to go far to sit down. Celestia rummaged through her purse and pulled out some hard candy, "Here, try shucking on this," she offered. It didn't take long after that for her head to stop spinning and her to look around. She reached up and pulled down a boot that was on display, "Now that's a cool boot." Celestia glanced over at it, it was an ankle boot with leather straps, buckles and chains going across the top, "Why don't you try them on?" she offered. Sunset looked confused, "What's wrong with the boots I have on right now?" she asked, pointing to her knee high boots with the purple stripe. "Nothing, you just like those boots so you should try them on," Celestia insisted, "I believe Crystal Rose has five pairs of shoes, and I don't even want to know how many pairs of shoes Rarity has, you should have a spare pair of shoes anyway, in case something happens to the ones you have on." "You mean I can get them?" Sunset asked, shocked, she never just got something because she liked them before, there just hadn't been money for that kind of stuff. Sunset walked into Sugar Cube Corner with a smile, "Hi Guys," for some reason she was excited to show off the new outfit she had bought. Talking to Zecora that morning had helped a lot, and she now could see that they really were trying to be her friends, at least at the moment. "Sunset," Rarity exclaimed, "That outfit is simply stunning!" "You think so Rarity?" Sunset asked, smoothing her light blue shirt as she glanced down at what she was wearing, a light blue shirt, a new faux leather jacket, black skinny jeans, and the boots she had found at the mall. "Of course Darling," Rarity said, "Your new outfit says that you are happier now and trying hard to change." "You can tell all of this just from what I am wearing?" Sunset asked. "You'll get use to it," Crystal Rose stated, "She always knows when we are having a bad day because of the way we dress and do our hair and make up." "And so far she has never been wrong," Pinkie announced grabbing Sunset by the shoulders, "It's like she can read our minds!" she shouted before turning to the purple haired girl, "Wait one minute," she jabbed a pink finger in her face, "What am I thinking right now?" "Pinkie, Darling, can you please give me my personal space," Rarity asked, taking a step back from the energetic pink girl, "I'm afraid I'm not Telepathical like you so wish I was." "Wow," Pinkie exclaimed, "That proves it, you really are a mind reader." she then whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "I was thinking she could read my mind." "Ya don't say?" Apple Jack drawled, "So, Sunset, what's in the bag?" Sunset jumped, she had totally forgotten about the bag in her hand, "Oh, Celestia asked me to give it to Crystal Rose," she handed the bag over to the other girl who peeked inside. "Cool, this is the jacket I asked for," she said, pulling out the rose colored fabric, "Mine from last year is missing a button." "Oh you couldn't have worn that old thing this year anyway, it is so last season." Rarity insisted. "Now Rarity there is nothing wrong with wearing an old jacket if it's cold out," AJ insisted, tucking uncomfortably at the old denim jacket she was wearing. "Oh yeah!" Crystal Rose exclaimed, "Aunt Luna announced something this morning at school." "We're doing a Musical Showcase!" Pinkie shouted, as she jumped up and down in excitement. "The money is going towards repairing the front entrance," Fluttershy whispered. "And I'm forming a band to compete," Rainbow insisted. "Ya mean we're forming a band?" Apple Jack asked. "Yeah yeah yeah," Rainbow said, waving a blue hand at the Cowgirl, "That's what I said." "Well can I..." Sunset begun but Rainbow Dash interrupted her. "Of course you can sit in on our practices, I need someone there to tell me how awesome I sound." "We sound?" Apple Jack stressed. "Yeah, that's what I said." "No, I was wondering, well you see..." "I need to go to the store and buy a new guitar, the neck on mine is broken." "Oh," Crystal exclaimed, "Sunset has a..." "And I've already wrote like five songs already." "I would like to write a few songs too," Fluttershy whispered. "That's a great idea Fluttershy," Rarity beamed, "And I shall work on our wardrobe." "Puh-lease nothing to fufu? okay?" Apple Jack asked, "We don't need a wardrobe change every five minutes or so." "Don't forget, we still need to buy our Halloween costumes." Pinkie announced. Crystal Rose placed a hand on Sunset Shimmer's shoulder, "Look they're excited, that's all, once they calm down some, I'm sure they will welcome you into the band full heartedly." "I wasn't really interested," Sunset lied, she use to watch Flash Sentry and his band practice and she would always imagine being up on stage with them, "Zecora and your mom want me to branch out a little, you know try something new, figured this could be it."