Expectations of Reality

Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship was enraged. Her fists were clenched tight as she stepped towards the large smoking crater at the front of Canterlot High School. For the first time in a very long time, Twilight wanted revenge. She wished Sunset was dead.

The thought surprised her. She wasn't even sorry it crossed her mind. Sunset Shimmer betrayed her mentor. Sunset Shimmer stole her crown. Sunset Shimmer tried to kill her and her friends. Sunset Shimmer...

Twilight stopped at the edge of the crater cliff to see the young teenage girl laying at the bottom of the crater. Sunset groaned as she slowly moved her aching joints. Her body, from what Twilight could see, was covered in cuts and bruises. Some of her cuts were bleeding but they weren't too bad. She cried out in pain for a moment as she rested her hand on her shoulder. Twilight was starting to feel guilty...

She hated it. But she was the Princess of Friendship. She believed anypo- Anyone could change. Just because she was in a different universe, didn't mean it didn't also apply there. She took in a deep breath as Sunset looked up at her. Her light aqua eyes reflecting deep emotional and physical pain that made Twilight want to hug her right then and there. No.

No. At that moment, Sunset was still evil. She tried to kill her.

"You will never rule in Equestria. Any power you may have had in this world is gone. Tonight, you've shown everyone who you really are. You've shown them what is in your heart." Twilight snapped with rage, her fingernails leaving marks against her palm as she squeezed her fists tighter.

"I-I'm sorry." Sunset stammered. Her voice cracked under intense emotions as tears started streaming down her cheeks. She let out an ugly sob before continuing. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way."

Twilight bit her lip. Now she was really starting to feel guilty. Moments ago she wanted her dead, now she feels very bad for her. Twilight turned her head slightly towards her friends. If anyone could help Sunset Shimmer, it would be them.

"The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria. It's everywhere. You can seek it out, or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours."

"But..." Sunset took in a deep breath before wincing. Taking in a sharp breath from the pain. "But all I've ever done since being here is drive everyone apart. I don't know the first thing about friendship."

Twilight smiled as she gestured towards her human friends who moved to stand around her with soft smiles.

"I bet they can teach you."

Sunset looked down at the dirt in shame as the rest of the school surrounded the crater. Sending hateful glares at the girl below. Sunset slowly moved towards the wall of the crater, she favored her left leg as she limped. She began attempting to climb up but her strength was mostly depleted. Twilight held out her hand to her.

Sunset hesitantly took it. Twilight grunted as she used her strength to help bring Sunset back to the surface. Sunset crawled onto the ground, taking in deep breaths as Twilight knelt down on one knee and started rubbing circles against her upper back. Sunset yelped in pain. Choosing to move away from the comforting gesture as if Twilight's touch hurt her.

She kept mumbling apologies under her breath. Twilight cringed as she stepped away, unsure of her next move when Principal Celestia with a strained smile came out from the crowd towards her, followed by Vice-Principal Luna.

"I believe this belongs to you," Celestia announced, extending the Elements of Harmony crown towards her. Twilight gracefully knelt on one knee as Celestia placed it on her head. "A true princess in any world leads not by forcing others to bow before her, but by inspiring others to stand with her. We have all seen that you are capable of just that. I hope you see it too, Princess Twilight."

"I do."

The crowd cheered in celebration as there was a silent decision that the night must go on. Twilight followed the crowd back inside with her friends. Fully expecting to ask Flash Sentry to a dance. As everyone else went back inside the school through the now destroyed front doors, Twilight looked back to Sunset Shimmer.

She saw Principal Celestia sitting down next to her on the ground. Sunset refused to make eye contact as Celestia calmly explained in a quiet voice that Twilight could not hear. Twilight looked up to the Moon. She still had time before she had to go back to Equestria. Might as well enjoy it at least.

"Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset didn't dare look at her. She didn't need to see Principal Celestia's disappointed glare to make her see flashbacks of Princess Celestia banishing her because she was a disappointment. Because she couldn't make friends. She was dealing with enough...Emotions right now. She didn't need flashbacks to add to that.

She was surprisingly thankful for her injuries. They supplied her with pain. Enough pain for her emotions to not overwhelm her to the point of a complete breakdown. She would be fine. She had to be fine. She saw Celestia sit down next to her on the ground. Sunset looked to the cement when Celestia rested a hand on her shoulder. An attempt to comfort her. In a strange way, it almost reminded her of when Celestia would use her wing to cover her back in a comforting gesture. Sunset felt nausea now.

"Sunset, what you did...Can not go unpunished. You understand that, correct?"

Sunset nodded without speaking a word. Afraid of what she would say. She knew she had to be punished. She knew she deserved it.

"Come. We should go to the main office."

Celestia slowly helped Sunset onto her shaky feet. She held the younger girl's arm as they slowly approached the school. Celestia noticed she was limping. Covered in scratches and bruises. It concerned her greatly. Maybe she should call her parents to pick her up?

"When we get inside, I will see if I can call your parents to come to pick you up. Alright?"

"Th-They aren't in town." Sunset muttered. Celestia had the gut feeling she was being lied to but decided to let the matter drop for a few minutes. They had work to do. Celestia nodded towards Luna as a greeting and a signal for her to follow them. Luna, who had been leaning against one of the inside walls of the school, looking pretty angry nodded back before following her sister and Sunset into the main office.

"She turned into a DEMON!" Vice-Principal Luna shouted in Principal Celestia's office. Luna slammed her hands down on her sister's desk as Celestia pinched her nose, trying to calm a growing headache.

"Keep your voice down, Luna." Celestia hissed. "She is sitting right outside the office. I would rather she didn't hear the Vice-Principal insult her to make her feel worse."

"She deserves it." Luna snapped back. "She had done horrible things is every single one of the students here and we just sat here. Having to listen to the horrible things. What did we do? Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing. She has gone far too long without any formal punishment. This is our chance to expel her. Maybe even turn her over to the po-"

"We are doing nothing of the sort!" Celestia fired back. "Yes. It's true she did awful things. I am not going to deny that. But she might change. Probably will change based on her reaction. Sunset Shimmer isn't you or me, Luna. We paid for our sins. She will too. Just...Let's...Let's just find out how we will...punish her."

"I have an idea," Luna said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Expel her."

"Luna..." Celestia said in a warning tone.

"Then turn her over to the police."

"Absolutely not. She is from another world. She probably doesn't have records of any kind. We would need to explain why she was even here in the first place! We might lose our jobs because we let someone with no records other than one page she filled out two years ago, enroll in this school. Do you really want that?"

Luna bit her lip. She did not. Celestia sighed as she got up from her desk and walked over to her cabinet filled with student files. It took her a minute or two before she found Sunset Shimmer's file, pulled it out, then place it on her desk.

Celestia sat back down and then opened the file. It contained suspension forms, report cards, and her personal information. Celestia had never actually read Sunset's file. She had this bad habit of trusting what students put down on their own information forms.

Celestia opened her computer, then opened google maps. Quickly typing Sunset's given address into the system when a result came up. Celestia shook her head, then leaned back in her chair with a worried scowl.

"Tia?" Luna asked with concern. "What is it?"

"The address Sunset gave us is wrong. It's to an old Chinese restaurant that was abandoned two years ago. I can only assume the rest of the information she gave us is false as well." Celestia explained as she grabbed the form and started to read it once again. "It says her mother is...Scarlet Fireglow. Her father is unknown."

Celestia typed the Mother's name into google before her eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Oh my god." She mumbled.

"What? What is it?" Luna asked.

"She...Is dead." Celestia whispered. Before Luna moved to look at her sister's screen to see a news article about a car crash, killing Scarlet Fireglow and an unknown child who was too badly burned to identify. Luna backed away from the screen, turning her head to look out the window of Celestia's office door to the girl with red and yellow hair sitting in the office under the supervision of Raven Inkwell, the school administrator.

"Does that mean she is...homeless?"

"I don't know for sure. There is no emergency contact either. W-What are we supposed to do now?"

Luna shrugged and she walked to the couch against the farthest wall before flopping into it.

"I don't know. I really don't know."

Celestia ran a hand through her hair.

"Let's focus on what we can do right now...Let's start with punishment. A punishment that doesn't lead to her being expelled or thrown into jail preferably."

"Alright. Fine." Luna agreed.

---End of Chapter One---