Shadows Over CHS

Sunset Shimmer

That night, Sunset Shimmer lay in her bed unable to fall asleep. The day's events still lingered in her mind, and left a feeling of disquiet building up inside of her. It was hard enough hearing her gym partner publicly accuse the rugby players of sexual assault in the middle of the cafeteria, giving some credence to her concern that those boys were out of control and at risk of ruining the entire experiment. Then there's the potential human cost in all of this.

Then there was the event this afternoon. She was almost certain now that she hadn't imagined that magical build-up. She'd been asked by Red Heart this evening if she'd seen the boys doing anything unusual when it happened, and when Sunset confirmed that they were only doing the shuttle run, she seemed rather worried. Nothing about that exercise should have been able to build up the force necessary to shatter the boy's kneecap, snap his tendon, and bend his leg ninety degrees the wrong way. It pretty much had to be tied to that build-up and discharge.

Sitting up in bed, she tiredly rubbed at her temples. I never did study local phenomena in the weeks leading up to the portal opening, she thought to herself. It's entirely possible that due to the portal's nature as a stable artificial worldgate, or wormhole as the humans describe the concept, that the magical build-up could create eddies and anomalous gravity pockets. If someone were to hit one the right way, it might explain what happened to his knee.

Deciding that she wouldn't be getting any sort of rest for the time being, Sunset got out of bed and made her way out to the kitchenette and grabbed a glass of water. The only problem with that theory is that surely such anomalies would have been noticed before now, if not by me, then someone else, she thought as she sat herself down at her table. I wish I had Starswirl's notes on the mirror. If anyone, or rather, anypony knew more about this sort of thing, it would have been him. He created it, so surely he would have extensively studied all phenomena related to it.

She leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. She wished there was someone she could ask about this. Then a stray thought began to work its way up in her mind. The journal... Maybe I can ask Princess... She blinked as the thought fragmented and dispersed before it could complete itself. Why did I think there was another princess? Princess Celestia's the only princess. That wasn't entirely true. There was also that upstart pegasus-turned-alicorn that Celestia sought to replace her with—the one she blamed for her falling out with her adoptive mother. She knew of course that Cadenza was no mage, and likely never would be, no matter how much time passed in Equestria.

As her thoughts drifted towards her former family, she once again found herself asking what the Princess would think—really think—about all she was trying to achieve. Putting aside her methods and cruelty for the moment, would she be able to see the value in what she was trying to accomplish? Would she recognise that her efforts to introduce magic and recreate cutie marks were the first steps needed to guide humanity down the path of Harmony? Or would she see it simply as an attempt to seize power?

Sunset set her glass down with a sigh and rose from her chair. Maybe it was a side effect of what that apparition said in her dream, but she actually felt a strong desire to reach out to the solar alicorn, so she found herself subconsciously drawn to her computer desk. That was where her tired mind told her that the magical journal that she once used to keep in contact with the alicorn was, but she quickly dismissed that as some sort of mental contamination from that vision.

Instead, she made her way over to the hidden safe, retrieved the book, and then sat down at the desk. As she grabbed a pen, and opened the heavy leather-bound tome to the last message that her adoptive mother wrote, she froze, unable to tear her eyes away from it. She'd read it many moons ago, but she'd still been so angry and self-righteous that none of the words ever truly sunk in. Now though...

My Little Sun,

I've turned the events of that night over and over in my head so many times over the years. I find myself asking what I could have done differently in raising you. How did I fail you, or make you believe you were in any way inadequate? To this very day, I regret losing my patience with you, and it is only now that I realise that your anger over Cadance's ascension wasn't just about whether or not I thought you worthy of power. You were angry because you thought that I was replacing you.

I regret showing you Starswirl's mirror, and even more, I regret telling you that night to get out of my sight. You were never a disappointment to me—I hope you know that. That night, when you exited through the portal, I followed you through in hopes to find you, to apologise, and bring you home. Every night until the portal closed, I went through in search of you. I never gave up hope that if I just kept searching, I might find you. Ever since, when you would not answer my letters, I worried that something happened to you there, that you were hurt there in that strange world, or worse...

Sunset, if you are still alive, if you're still out there, please, just give me a sign. It hurts so much knowing that I drove you away, so please let me know that you're okay. Though years have passed here, I want you to know that I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive me. You still have a place here, in Equestria, at my side. Please, just come home, My Little Sun. I want us to be a family again.
With love,
Princess Celestia

Now that she read the last message from Celestia with a clearer head than she had, she found her eyes misting. I really was a brat. Lifting her quill-style pen to a fresh page, she paused, pondering what she wanted to say. A week ago, she might not have even considered this course of action, but with her new doubts and this strange phenomena, she wasn't so sure. Again, she was beginning to feel guilty over all she'd done for the sake of her experiment. Steeling herself, she pressed the tip to the page and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I apologise for not writing to you sooner. I don't know how long has passed in Equestria since I came to this world, but from my perspective, six years have passed. There was no excuse for me to not at least let you know that I am alive and well. Back then, I was so angry and so self-righteous, convinced that you didn't see me worthy as your daughter any more. I was convinced that I had to come home with something to show for myself, to show that I was still worthy of your love.

It is somewhat ironic, because now... I'm not so sure that I am worthy to call myself your daughter. When I came to this world, I found myself but a child once more, and in order to blend in, I was forced to attend school and learn of this strange place. The funny thing is that the school I attend now—the building outside which the portal to Equestria stands—is run by your counterpart in this world, although she is but a high school principal and nothing more.

This world has so much potential and is full of technology, yet it is so full of hurt, and everyone is so divided. There's magic here, but it is so weak that it can't have been used in centuries. I thought that if I could bring the magic of Harmony to these people, and unify them, you might take me back... that you would be proud of me. Yet I was so hurt and full of anger back when I set out on my plan, leading me to take unethical action. I became a bully or maybe a tyrant, and broke the school into its base cliques and kept them all in line through lies, threats, and blackmail.

Although the division of the school has begun to foster something akin to our own special talents, there is nothing magical about it yet. Those in their little groups began to excel at what they were passionate about. I've even considered introducing magic through the use of Equestrian artefacts in a later stage to see if cutie marks might be possible here. Yet for all I've accomplished, I find things lacking. By my own hand, or hoof, there is no unity, and I worry that this progress will go to waste if I begin unifying them.

It is for that reason... for all I've done and what I've become, I don't think I am worthy of that title.

This is not entirely the reason I am writing to you, however. You know that in the past I have put little stock in prophecies, visions, and divination, but I find myself at a loss. Two days ago I felt a magical surge that I can't explain in this world, following which I glimpsed a vision. Later that day, there was an incident at a nearby school that defies explanation, causing massive injury and the loss of several lives. That very night, I experienced a vision of an intermural event that would have happened later this academic year if not for the incident that day... I saw myself protecting the students of both schools from a girl who had become drunk on magical power. The Sunset in that vision saved the girl and purged the darkness from her, but then I found myself in a void, with that darkness trying to take me... but the iteration of myself from the vision saved me from it. She actually reminded me a lot of you... and she seemed genuinely happy.

I don't know why, but since that experience, I haven't been feeling entirely myself. I detached myself emotionally from the student body as I conducted my experiment, but now I can't help but question whether I was ever doing the right thing. There's this sense of guilt over what I've done and become, and I feel that same desire to protect my peers as I felt in my dream. It's possible that I'll need to protect them, from something, because today I felt another magical build-up, and at the very point that it discharged, a boy's leg was snapped in a way that shouldn't have been possible given the activity he was doing. I fear the possibility that my dream and what happened at the other school aren't unrelated, and that something dark has leaked into this world.

Why do I suddenly feel this way? What should I do, Princess Celestia?
Your former student,
Sunset Shimmer

Jinx Charm

It was Friday morning now, and Jinx was emotionally exhausted. Although the majority of the school was no longer staring or whispering behind her back, there were still some glares. That and some boys still didn't get the message that approaching her for sexual services was not cool. That wasn't the worst part, though. She'd gotten detention yesterday for slapping a guy that got fresh with her.

When she opened her locker door, a slip of paper fell to the floor. Evidently, after she left yesterday, someone slipped it into her locker. When she bent down to pick it up, she couldn't help but cock an eyebrow. Although she hadn't yet read the paper, the method of communication was unmistakable. It looked like someone cut letters out of a magazine, pasted it on paper, and then photocopied it. Someone's been watching too many movies, she thought as she adjusted her glasses to read the message. Seriously, ransom note typography? Any amusement she might have felt at the absurdity of it quickly died away as she read the message.

If you know what's good for you, you'll stop saying shit about what happened. We know where you live, and we have plenty of unflattering pictures of you that we can share if you don't keep quiet. If you don't believe us, here's one of the cutting scars on the inside of your right thigh. Unless you want everyone to see those fat tits of yours or worse, you'll back the fuck off.

Sure enough, at the bottom of the page was a close-up picture of several thin crisscrossing white lines standing out on the grey inside of her thigh. They weren't the sort of thing anyone could notice unless they were staring in the locker room, and her spats always did a good job of hiding them from the rest of her peers. The only person she ever wanted knowing about those scars was her therapist.

No... No no no... She whimpered as she felt her heart-rate began to pick up, and it felt like she was going to throw up. Why are they doing this? Was raping me not enough?

Slamming her locker shut, Jinx slapped her lock on it and rushed for the bathroom. Tears began to run down her cheeks so quickly that she didn't even see who she barrelled into; she just slammed into the person, stumbled, and tried to wipe her face with her forearm. It was all she could do to not hyperventilate on the way down the hall.

She dropped her bags the moment she got into the bathroom, and rushed into the nearest stall. Most days, she would have regretted not eating breakfast, but when her stomach purged itself, she was definitely thankful that she skipped breakfast today. The taste of bile wasn't all that reassuring, but it beat some other tastes.

When flushed and made her way back out of the stall, she made her way over to the sink and ran the cold water. Jinx then removed her glasses and splashed cold water onto her face. It wasn't the best way to calm her, but it helped. There'd been something she'd read about splashing water activating the vagus nerve, triggering a decrease in heart rate and breathing.

As she slipped her glasses back on, she was startled to find none other than Sunset Shimmer leaned against the bathroom counter. Whether she was her gym partner or not, it would've been unnerving to have the school's queen bee showing up after the incident the other morning. The more alarming part was that the fiery redhead was looking at a very familiar piece of paper in her nitrile gloved hands.

There was a dark look on her face as her eyes flicked across the threat Jinx received. "I take it this is the rugby team's retaliation for what happened on Wednesday?" Sunset asked in a flat voice. When Jinx only flinched and looked away, the young woman sighed. "Don't look so surprised. There very little that goes on in this school that I don't know about." She tapped the threatening note with the back of her hand before continuing. "If something happens that I think will affect the school, I make it my business to know."

Jinx wrung her hands as she struggled not to make eye contact. What did Sunset want from her? Was she going to offer her help, only to expect something in return? Or was she going to use this to get rid of the boys and then keep her cutting as leverage? She doesn't seem like the type to help out of the goodness of her heart... Even if the rumour, that she was behind the school's new fundraiser for the Crystal Prep families affected by Monday's incident, was true.

"When you've calmed down, we're going to Celestia and Luna with this," she said in a firm voice as she folded the paper and slid it into her pocket. "You might not be the first girl they've done this to, but you're the only one to actually speak out. Even if Score's father is a police lieutenant, this—" She tapped her pocket with emphasis, anger furrowing her brow. "—isn't something that can be ignored. Even if we can't prove it came from them, a threat like this has to be investigated. He can't just make them drop it without raising suspicions."

Although her anxiety was still high, it was finally dawning on her that Sunset Shimmer was wearing medical gloves. The entire thing gave her mental whiplash. Why does she have...? Before she could voice that question, Sunset seized her by her hand and started leading her toward the door. Jinx barely had time to snag her own backpack and purse on the way past. Wait... she's taking me to the office? She shook her head and weakly tried to pull free. Doesn't Sunset know what'll happen if we go to the police?

The hall was packed with students by this point, and she couldn't help but wonder what they thought as the pair swept through the halls. On the one hand, there was Jinx, who looked like she was on the verge of another panic attack. On the other, you had an angry Sunset Shimmer dragging the poor girl along. Given that just days ago people were calling her a slut, Sunset probably looked like she was wearing gloves so as not to touch her.

Ms. Inkwell was certainly surprised when Sunset stormed into the office. Casting a look between the unlikely pair, she asked, "Sunset, Jinx, is there something the matter?"

While Jinx quietly shook her head, as she really did not want to be there, Sunset nodded. "We need to see Ms. Luna and Ms. Celestia, ma'am," she said in a formal voice that did not belie the gravity of the situation. The last thing Jinx heard before her legs gave out and the world went dark was, "This situation is getting out of control."

Luna

The Vice Principal Luna's office was quiet, and the lights were kept dim. Luna sat at her desk, awaiting the arrival of the police, occasionally glancing at the youth huddled in the corner, hugging her knees. She didn't press Ms. Charm for details, though. She'd been informed by her sister that Jinx didn't have any faith in the police, and given what had happened last year with Lily Valley, she shared the girl's doubts.

At the same time, though, Sunset Shimmer was correct when she said this was out of control. After the blow-up in the cafeteria on Wednesday, and the harassment that triggered it, a threat like the one Jinx had found in her locker was beyond mere high school drama. This was blatant blackmail, with a thinly veiled threat of further retaliation. Although there was nothing to tie it to the previous event, and Jinx Charm wasn't sure she wanted to chance the police, the school had no choice but to get them involved.

Her eyes drifted down to the threatening note in question, now sealed in a clear bag. As her gaze lingered on the self-mutilation depicted on the page, she worried for the student in the corner. As it stood, Jinx barely looked to be holding herself together. She held none of the furious vitality she displayed in that very office two days ago, instead looking like a scared animal. Did those marks indicate that she might resort to self-harm if pressed? Had it already started once more?

As much as this situation was a nightmare, the head disciplinarian was thankful that Sunset dragged Jinx in and brought this to their attentions. It was no secret to the staff that the redhead was a borderline problem student who seemed to have a finger in all of the pies, but beyond some disciplinary issues in the seventh grade, her record was spotless. A counsellor described the girl as a destabilising influence in the eighth grade, but in recent years she'd become the queen bee, ensuring the hive stayed stable.

Now, though, they seemed to be seeing another side to Sunset. It was clear that up until now she was acting out of self-interest, although to what end Luna had no idea. Now, though, she was showing more compassion and empathy. The fundraiser idea was a good example, straying outside her established pattern of behaviour. It wasn't the first time that she'd gotten herself involved when bullying seemed to be getting out of control, but this was the first time she'd seen the young woman angry on someone else's behalf.

"It's disgusting that they're doing this to her," Sunset had argued while Celestia and Raven saw to Jinx during her fainting spell. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't have anyone else to rely on, and those pigs are doing everything they can to destroy her emotionally, like they want to make her..." Though she was clearly trying to hide it, Luna couldn't have missed the glimmer of unease in the girl's eyes.

It must gall her to no end having to rely on others for a change, she thought with a shake of her head. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a knock at her door. With the blinds drawn, she couldn't see who it was, so instead Luna called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and in stepped a uniformed police officer. As she caught sight of the man's face, she couldn't help but thank her lucky stars that they'd sent him to interview Jinx Charm. "Vice Principal Luna," said Officer Shining Armour. "We received a call that a student had found a threatening letter in her locker this morning. They didn't give me any of the details, but it must be quite the threat that you are getting us involved."

The woman nodded at her soon-to-be nephew, but when she glanced at Jinx, she saw the girl was staring wide-eyed at the police officer as she got up off the floor. "Officer Shining Armour, this is Jinx Charm," she explained, pointing to the girl. "She's the one that received the threat."

When he turned to regard the young woman, Luna caught a look of recognition on his face. "We've met," he responded, grabbing one of the free chairs and dragging it over to the desk. His expression grew to one of concern as Jinx began to fidget and tried to look anywhere but at Shining. Turning his attention back to Luna, he raised an eyebrow. "I take it she wasn't entirely on board with the involvement of police?"

With a shake of her head, Luna let out a sigh. "Jinx, I know this is hard for you, and you might not trust the police very much right now—" That got another worried look from the police officer. "—but Shining Armour is one of the most incorruptible men I've ever met. It's okay... You can trust him."

For the first time since the young woman had come to after her little episode, she spoke. "C-can you stay while we talk, Ms. Luna?" There was a horrified look on Jinx's face as she raised her hands defensively. "Not that I think you'd do anything to me, it's just..." Her hands fell, and soon she began to fidget with the bottom of her shirt. "It'd make me feel better."

As Jinx began answering Shining Armour's questions, the vice principal couldn't help but feel for the young woman. It must've taken a lot of willpower to get over her fear that the police wouldn't be of any use as she explained who she thought left the message, why she thought it to be a credible threat, and why she thought she'd received the threat in the first place. Nobody should have had to face this sort of torment, especially not at Canterlot High School.

Hearing the girl talk about how she'd been invited to a party, drugged, and sexually assaulted, Luna was taken back to her own college years. After all, she'd nearly had a similar experience at the hands of Celestia's ex-boyfriend at a frat party. If not for my sister, who knows what that bastard Sombra would have done to me? Just nearly being assaulted left her having nightmares for weeks. I can't even fathom what she's going through right now.

To her surprise, Jinx actually produced documents the hospital had given her just when Shining said he thought he had everything he needed from her. After the man gave the young woman his card, Luna dismissed her to her next period. She couldn't help but shake her head as she watched the girl go.

"I'm going to need to interview those she accused, but my partner should be able to assist in that, if he's finished with that witness girl," Shining groaned, heaving a sigh as he too watched the door shut behind Jinx. "I don't get why she's so reluctant about this, though. She almost seemed afraid to even hint at it."

"It's because of the father of one of the boys that she's accused," Luna answered with a sigh. "I understand that Score's father, Even Playing Field, is a lieutenant with the Canterlot P.D."

That got a grim look from the young officer, and she thought she heard a muttered, "Son of a..." before he stared up at the ceiling. "I'm gonna be honest, Luna. Ideally, I'd stay away from this case once it gets passed up the chain in order to avoid any sort of conflict of interest, since I've got some history with Jinx... but knowing that Lt. 'Get Even' is the father of one of the suspects, I might have to keep an eye out regardless. At least with your heads-up, I can contact the I.A.B. if he tries to torpedo the investigation."

He stood up from his chair, and collected all of the documents into one neat stack. "Since many of those she accused are minors, I won't be able to interview them without a parent present," he concluded. "If you could forward me the contact information for those families that'd be great."

As the officer turned to exit the office, Luna called out, "I hope your sister gets better soon, Officer Armour."