Sunset
I propped my head up with a hand as Mom continued writing on the white board, idly watching my classmates and the few friends in this class hastily writing down notes.
“Sunset Shimmer? Are you paying attention?” Mom called out and I jumped.
“Yeah M- yes Miss Cheerilee,” I corrected instantly. “Yes I am.”
“Good because this will be on the test,” Mom announced and I nodded sheepishly.
“Yes ma’am,” I muttered and picked up my pen. A paper ball slammed into the back of my head and I jumped, spinning around to glare at Velvet Sky smiling sheepishly. “What in God’s name was that for?”
“Trying to get your attention,” Velvet whispered as she continued writing.
“By assaulting me with paper?” I asked flatly as she turned red.
“Sorry. Anyway, what’s with you? Normally you’re always paying attention in her class?” Velvet jerked a thumb forward at Mom.
“Just tired recently is all,” I answered and paused. “Is it that noticeable?”
“Mhm. Derpy?”
“You know about that?” I asked as Velvet gave an exasperated sigh.
“Sunset, everyone knows about that. You’re very open about it.”
“Oh. Yeah, we’re all good. Just busy with school work as is everyone else in the house and here. You know how it goes,” I commented as Velvet nodded. “Plus, we were all together at Pinkie’s last night. Hey, can I borrow your notes after class?”
“Yeah sure. Just give them back after, I need to pass this test too.”
I gave a thumbs up and focused back up front where Mom was watching with a frown.
“Oops.”
“Alright,” Rainbow announced as she sat down with her tray and all of us looked up at her. “This test is gonna be bullshit.”
“Felt that sister,” Indigo sighed as she pushed some apple sauce around on her tray.
“Agreed,” Applejack sighed as I continued copying Velvet’s notes, the girl sitting at the table behind us.
“Where’s Fuchsia?” I asked curiously as I continued.
“Trixie isn’t sure. She was supposed to met us here,” Trixie commented as Watermelody patted her hand.
“She told me something about plants and a garden so she won’t be here this time. Lavender is apparently trying to convince her cousin to play an instrument, Fluttershy is doing Fluttershy things and Twilight stayed behind in the classroom to talk to Cadence,” Watermelody answered as we all nodded.
It wasn’t unlike for all of them do those things so I wasn’t necessarily worried.
“How’s the notes going?” Derpy asked as she, Rarity, Bon Bon and Velvet looked over my shoulder.
“It’s going. Velvet is a freaking life safer for letting me borrow them. Mom is gonna kill me when I get home though I can already tell you girls that much.”
“Probably,” Fluttershy admitted as I sighed and Derpy hugged me.
“Derpy, I love you more than life but I really need to get these notes down so Velvet can get her paper back. We should watch a movie when we get home with ice cream, just us.”
“I’m down,” Derpy shrugged. “As long as you’re still alive of course.”
I hoped to be. Being dead well, sucks I would guess. I’ve never been dead before and I don’t entirely plan to be dead until at least decades from now. That would be preferable of course.
“It feels weird to sit at this table,” Velvet admitted as we all gave her confused looks. “This is pretty your guys table, most of us know it’s off limits.”
“That’s not the case love,” Octavia set down a water bottle with some red liquid. Knowing her, probably prune juice or something equally gross. “Anyone can sit here, we just usually get here first. Indigo Zap and our other friends sit else where in the lunch room. You and anyone else is more than welcome to join us.”
“Wonder what Aria, Sonata and Adagio are up to,” Lyra commented as she leaned back in her chair. “It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen or even heard from them last. Are Aria and Adagio still not on speaking terms?”
I frowned slightly and looked down at my book. It had a been awhile since I had heard from them too and from what I heard last, Sonata’s taco had taken off pretty well.
“I believe so yeah,” I answered after a moment and flipped my book open. “Aria said and I quote, fuck that poofy orange haired sister of mine getting on my damn nerves. End quote.”
Rainbow let out a long, drawn out whistle as Fluttershy sighed.
“Wonder what Princess Twilight thinks about all this. Probably is a bit frustrating.”
“If I remember correctly, she’s more so worried. She’s not used to siblings fights like me or you are. She and Shining Armor get along pretty well if you don’t consider the Canterlot wedding incident,” I took a bit of my sandwhich mom had made for me.
“The what?” Applejack asked as I shrugged.
“Believe me, you don’t wanna know. It’s a whole story based on what I was told briefly by that world’s Fluttershy. Something about an imposter Cadence and an invasion of changelings, the elements thinking Twilight was possessive and yeah, it’s a whole thing.”
We all shuddered slightly and Velvet gave us confused looks. Even though the whole getting kidnapped thing by changelings had happened months ago, it still was pretty uncomfortable to sleep at night. Especially for Pinkie and Rarity I was told. They weren’t even there. I can’t imagine how Lyra and the rest feel.
“Anyway, here’s your notes back Velvet. I owe you big time for this,” I said as I handed the papers back to their owner. “I’ll paint you a picture or something, anything you want.”
“You down for a game of chess?” Velvet asked and I paused. I hadn’t played chess since, God I can’t even remember. Had to have been when I was still Celestia’s student.
“Yeah sure I’m game.”
“Okay cool. This weekend at the mall. I do tournaments there occasionally. You seem to be the type to be good at chess,” Velvet commented as she turned back to her lunch.
If only she knew how wrong she was. I oddly was looking forward to it. I knew she was going to beat me though. Velvet is the best chess player in all of CHS. She’s unbeaten. Not even Twilight could beat her, which honestly stunned us all. Her and Twilight became pretty fast friends after that. Even with Velvet teaching her techniques to Twilight, she still was unbeaten. I’m willing to bet her cutie mark is a chess piece or something back in Equestria. Kinda wanna find out one day.
But first I had to survive lectures at home.
Lightning Dust
I gave a yawn as I flopped down on my couch, flipping through TV shows on Netflix as Rainbow Dash continued to hit the punching bag in the corner.
“What’s with you?” I asked finally and she shrugged, only stopping to wipe some sweat off her face.
“Bad mood. Spitfire got in my face earlier. If my chemistry grades don’t go up, I’m off the team. Mom and dad got on my ass about it later. Gotta blow off some steam,” Rainbow answered and slammed her fist into my punching bag again harder than before.
I winced at that as she shook her fist and groaned. Spitfire was pretty damn intimidating, even to me. And I don’t get scared often. I’m not a little kid anymore after all. I’d never admit this out, but I got scared so easily as a child.
“Have you asked Twilight or Sugarcoat for help?” I asked idly and paused on a thriller investigative show, tapping my pointer figure against my chin in thought.
“No. Twilight would laugh at me and Sugarcoat is a really difficult person to be around. She has an attitude problem,” Rainbow commented and hit the punching bag again as I hung an arm over the back of the couch and stared at her in disbelief. “What? Why are you looking at me that way?”
“Are you of all people judging someone based on them having an attitude problem?” I asked and raised an eyebrow as I made air quotes around the word “attitude problem”. “I gotta say, that’s a bit hypocritical.”
“Meh I guess you make a fair point,” Rainbow conceded after a second and started taking the gloves off. “Sugarcoat isn’t that bad surprisingly. I still think Indigo and Lemon Zest are my favorite former Shadowbolts.”
I shrugged and gave a brief nod. She and I loved those two. Platonically, of course. I’m straight. Vinyl, Lyra and Pinkie were cool with Lemon too. Bon Bon, Rarity and Octavia got along best with Sunny Flare.
Sugarcoat and Applejack oddly got along the best even if the two argued a lot about their different forms of honesty. Sugarcoat was more blunt and rude about her honesty compared to Applejacks kinder honesty.
Sunset, Derpy, Fluttershy, Trixie, Lavender and Fuchsia surprisingly spent more time with Sour Sweet. I didn’t expect them to really hang out with her on their own free will.
Gonna be honest, I never thought I’d be friends with Shadowbolts, former or not. Then again, I never thought I’d consider Sunset a friend either.
“Try Lavender. She’s actually pretty intelligent. She does make all of Trixie’s fireworks, after all,” I commented as I slung an arm over the couch. “She’s really good with chemistry. Scarily good.”
I wasn’t exaggerating either. There’s a reason the girl was chosen alongside Applejack and Fluttershy for the chemistry section of the Friendship Games. You know, the section we absolutely murdered Crystal Prep.
I will admit, even I was impressed. The girl had moved so fast and with such skill. I was mindblown. Lavender had spent all week leading up to the Games bragging about her skills in the lab and well, she sure as shit backed them up.
“Maybe. But Lavender kinda hates me so,” Rainbow sighed and jumpped over the couch to sit down. “Like, wishes I was dead or something, I think. She’s Fuchsia friend, remember? Fuchsia doesn’t like Fluttershy anymore. Trixie and Lavender are super tight with Fuchsia so they aren’t gonna help me or the other Rainbooms excluding Sunset, of course. Those three would follow Sunset to hell and back if they had to.”
She had a point there. Practically all of us would, especially Derpy and Lyra.
“Here, I’ll call Lav and we can ask,” I picked up my phone and I ignored Rainbows protest as I started swiping through my extensive contacts. I really should clean up this shit. I haven’t talked to half these people in years. Literal years.
Lavender surprisingly picked up immediately. She normally let’s it ring twice. Makes her seem busy, or so she claims.
“Hi.”
“Hey Lavender,” I set my phone down I’m between me and Dash. “I’m here with Rainbow.”
“Oh, yay.” Lavender did not sound happy about that. “What are you two up to?”
“Hanging out, hitting the punching bag,” I answered and propped my feet up on my coffee table. “Listen, Dash needs some help with her chemistry homework. You’re the expert on that topic.”
A moment passed before I got a response.
“No.”
I winced slightly at her cold tone. I I expected that, honestly. Didn’t make it any easier to hear.
“Come on,” I pleaded and sat up straighter. “You know begging isn’t my style. Help her out and I’ll make it worth your while. Whatever you want is yours.”
I honestly expected her to say no again. What she actually said blew me away more. And Rainbow too, I think.
“Have Rainbow Dash ask me instead,” Lavender answered with a smirk audible in her voice as she sat down on either her bed or couch. “If she begs enough, I’ll consider it.”
“Absolutely not. I don’t beg,” Rainbow scoffed and folded her arms across her chest and she leaned back. “I’ll ask Sunset.”
“Then I guess you don’t want my help because Sunset comes to me for help with chemistry all the time so,” I could imagine Lavender shrugging. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like you still or your friends, but I’m still willing to help you.”
“Fine. Lavender, will you please help me with my homework?” Rainbow growled and I bit back a laugh.
“As much as I want you to ask again for my enjoyment, that was good enough. We start tomorrow afternoon after class. Don’t mess around or I’m done,” Lavender warned. “I’m serious. And no Fluttershy. Fuchsia will be there and she isn’t on speaking terms with Fluttershy still, deal?”
“Okay, that works. And uh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome?” Lavender sounded genuinely surprised. “And bring Lightning.”
That honestly went better than I had thought it would.
