Talking To My Friends.

Twilight assumed Applejack would be gone for a while. She assumed Applejack went to class and would not talk to Sunset until the end of the day if at all. When she heard music coming from another room she had no reason not to investigate.

Rainbow Dash sat alone in a small music room. She was almost as tall as Applejack but only half as big. She played a blue electric guitar. When she saw Twilight she slowly ran her fingers through her long rainbow hair and tried to look cool.

"Does no one in this school go to class?" Princess Twilight asked as if she took personal offense to the rampant disregard for learning.

Rainbow Dash cocked her head and stared at Twilight. "First period was canceled. Mrs. Harshwinny broke her wrist and the sub never showed."

"Oh." Princess Twilight blushed. She cleared her throat then asked, "Why are you playing alone? Why not play with your classmates?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Do you even go to this school?"

"There is no need to be sarcastic," snapped Princess Twilight.

Rainbow winced. "Sorry."

Twilight softly asked, "Why are you alone?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Just am. Why are you alone?"

"I am a princess from the pony world. Sunset stole my crown and I came here alone to get it back."

Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, that's Sunset for ya."

"You know Sunset?" asked Princess Twilight with excitement and hope. She was glad she may not have to rely solely on Applejack.

"Everyone knows Sunset. She is a celebrity. A loveable orphan who was betrayed by a princess escapes to another world but still can't find happiness." Rainbow spoke as if she was reading a headline. "Now she ruins peoples lives. Not their whole lives. She ruins their days."

"Betrayed?" Twilight crossed her arms over her chest. "Celestia and Cadance would never betray any pony."

Rainbow shrugged and went back to strumming her guitar. "According to Sunset they would. Her story has not changed by a word in four years. I believe her."

"What did Sunset tell you?"

"Personally? Not much. I heard her tell other people Celestia always prioritized everything over her. Cadance loved nothing more than reminding her how easy it should be for anyone at all to love her. Twilight will only become princess if Celestia does not get bored and replace her." Rainbow jumped up. "You are not Cadance are you?"

"No. I am Twilight."

Rainbow looked disappointed. "Oh. I was hoping you were Cadance. Meeting her would be like meeting Daring Do."

"I think you mean A.K Yearling. Daring Do is a fictional character she created."

"Sure." Rainbow dropped back into her chair. "Why did Sunset steal your crown? She hates Cadance way more. She only kind of hates you."

"My crown is the concept of magic," explained Princess Twilight. "With it Sunset could do anything."

"Cool." Rainbow resumed strumming her guitar. "Anyway, Celestia was neglectful despite knowing Sunset was abandoned as a child. Her birth parents were a mess."

"Can you tell me more about her birth parents?" Twilight asked a little too eagerly. She didn't want Rainbow Dash to say any more mean things about Celestia or Cadance.

"No. She never said much about them. Every time someone asked about them she went off a tirade about Celestai with out fail. You are breathing kind of heavy. Do you want to talk about something else?"

Twilight didn't notice the room was spinning. She didn't notice her heart was racing or the sweat dangling off her chin. "Yeah. Lets talk about you."

"Okay. Lets get you some water first." Rainbow Dash put her guitar on the floor and pulled a backpack out from under her chair. She took a bottle of water out and handed it to Princess Twilight.

Twilight drank a few small sips and got her breathing under control.

"How long have you been playing guitar?" Twilight asked in an effort to hide her unreasonable embarrassment.

"About four years." Rainbow picked up her guitar, but she didn't play. "Sunset taught me when we were all still together."

"You were friends with Sunset?"

Rainbow looked at the ceiling. "No. I was her shadow. I am surprised she let me follow her around as long as she did. Everthing she did I had to do too. She joined the yearbook community so I joined the yearbook community. She learned to play guitar. She dated two girls at the same time so I dated one girl for a week. She dated Flash Sentry so I dated Bass Solo. She went through a bad girl faze so I went through a bad girl faze. She ditched all of her friends and I... never had any friends. I spent so much time trying to be Sunset no one ever got to know me."

"Wait, a bad girl faze?" Twilight asked. "She was not bad when she arrived? What made her turn evil?"

"Nothing happened. The new and interesting world distracted her from being bitter and spiteful, but her interest in the world eroded."

"You think it is Celestia's fault Sunset is evil?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Sunset made her own choices. Regardless of her past Sunset chose to steal your crown today. It is no ones fault Sunset is who she is not even Sunsets. It is no ones fault I like running. It is no ones fault you are a princess."

"You think Sunset was born evil?"

"You are the only one using the word evil."

Twilight felt like she was on fire. "I should go back to the gym and wait for Applejack."

Rainbow let out a quiet laugh. "That is a name I have not heard in a while. She and I always used to compete for Sunset's attention. AJ won every time. Why are you waiting for AJ?"

"Applejack is helping me get my crown back."

Rainbow Dash looked away from the ceiling and toward Princess Twilight. "Applejack could not get Sunset to give her the time of day. What you need is someone Sunset likes. Let me introduce you to Rarity."

"Rainbow, thank you for your objective point of view. Thank you for reminding me Sunset is a pony just like the rest of us."

"Yeah. One more thing. A word of advice. If you want Sunset to like you she never will."