Sunset Shimmer leaned against her locker, listening to her friends laughing and chatting about the upcoming Friendship Games. After Principal Cinch was fired due to her… less than legal actions on the students of not only Canterlot High, but Crystal Prep Academy, (including her most prestigious student: Twilight Sparkle) Dean Cadence took her place. And while Cadence took the role of Principal, Shining Armor took the role of the Dean.

It was great for Twilight, considering after her transfer to Canterlot High, she had greatly missed not only her brother but she had also missed Cadence as well. The reunion would be amazing, considering Pinkie Pie was already prepping ideas for decorating the gymnasium.

“I can’t believe the Friendship Games are already here! We’re going to show Crystal Prep what we’re made of!” Rainbow Dash was already stretching, preparing for the games that were supposed to start today.

Applejack chuckled, “Yup! We’re gonna need all the teamwork we can get. Just like the time we faced off against those—uh, what were they called again? The Dazzlings?”

“Right! And we were so brave! Unlike, um, certain other creatures that needed a bit of… you know, extra help to defeat.” Rarity cleared her throat, taking a quick glance at Sunset before turning a cold shoulder.

Sunset blinked at the sudden implication, unable to ask her what she meant before Fluttershy ended up speaking for her.

“We’re not talking about that again, are we? She’s changed so much since then!”

“Oh. It’s about me.” Sunset mumbled.

“Yeah! But you went from being a scary demon to our amazing friend! It’s like a total glow-up!” Pinkie Pie was quick to hug Sunset, ignoring how she squirmed in her grasp.

“Thanks… I uh… appreciate it. But sometimes I wish we could just forget that part of my life…” Sunset mentioned, hoping it would imply she disliked the constant reminders.

“Come on, it’s just part of your story! You’re way cooler now! Like twenty percent cooler!” Rainbow Dash stood up straight after doing a hand-stand.

“I know, but sometimes it feels like that’s all people see when they look at me in the hallways…”

“But we see you for who you are now, that’s the important part.” Rarity replied.

“Mhm! We wouldn’t trade you for anything! Demon or not!” Applejack interjected.

Sunset cleared her throat, “Let’s just focus on winning the games, okay?”

As the Friendship Games progressed, excitement filled the air at Canterlot High, but after a while an unsettling tension began to creep its way inside. During the birdhouse making competition, Sunset noticed that some of their classmates were falling ill one by one, showing symptoms that ranged from mild fatigue to more alarming chills and dizziness.

While the competition raged on, a sense of unease settled over the school, including the faculty. After the birdhouse competition was finished, the staff called a “break” where students could chill out in the gymnasium and chat while they discussed the situation in private.

But as Sunset walked down the deserted hallway to head to the bathroom, she ended up catching a snippet of conversation from an open classroom room. Peering inside, she saw Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna of Canterlot High, and Principal Cadence and Shining Armor of Crystal Prep gathered in a tense huddle.

They looked… terrified almost. Sunset assumed the sickness was just a cold passing around, although the quick-spreading virus did seem to catch her off guard.

“We might have to consider canceling the games,” Principal Celestia began, her voice laced with concern. “I don’t know how much further we can let this go on… more and more students are getting sick.”

Vice Principal Luna nodded, her brows furrowed as she fiddled with the pens on one of the student’s desks. “Nurse Redheart informed me that students are exhibiting signs of hysteria, and it’s only getting worse. We need to ensure their safety.”

“How bad are we talking here?” Shining Armor asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna.

“The students may or may not need medical attention if it gets any worse.” Vice Principal Luna replied.

Sunset's heart began to race. The situation was much more serious than she had thought; it seemed that the competition could no longer be the focus, and the well-being of her friends and classmates took precedence. Determined to help, she knew she had to act quickly before things spiraled further out of control.

As Sunset hurried back toward the gymnasium, the weight of worry settled on her chest. The loud yelps and screams caused her to glance into the nurse's office… half out of curiosity and the other half out of fear. What she saw made her stomach drop.

Some of the students were laying down… sick and restless, but the school nurse struggled to hold down one of their classmates, who was thrashing violently. A few of the “not-so-sick” students tried to help, but the terror on their eyes was unmistakable. The student they were holding down looked completely unrecognizable. Their nose bleeding predominantly, eyes bloodshot, foaming at the mouth…

It was clear something was very wrong; this wasn’t just a case of a simple cold or the flu, but a deeper turmoil that was affecting her friends.

“No more distractions.” Sunset told herself, immediately running to the gymnasium.

As she shoved the gymnasium doors open, the cheerful chatter and laughter of her friends felt like a jarring contrast to the horror she had just witnessed. They were gathered in clusters, discussing strategies for the next event and sharing light-hearted jokes, seemingly oblivious to the possible chaos coming next.

Sunset's heart raced; she needed to warn them. “Guys, you have to listen! Some students are acting really strange—like they’re completely out of control!” she urged, but her friends exchanged puzzled glances, brushing her off with reassuring smiles.

“It’s probably just the flu going around, Sunset,” Pinkie replied, dismissively. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing we can’t handle!” Feeling increasingly isolated, Sunset’s insides twisted with dread. She knew something far more sinister was at play, and if they didn’t take it seriously, they could be next.

As the chattering continued, Sunset grew restless and frustrated.

“Shut the fuck up!” she bluntly yelled, startling both the students of Canterlot High and Crystal Prep all in one go. “I just saw Wallflower being held down by Nurse Redheart because she was thrashing around and acting like a feral raccoon. This shit isn’t normal, I’m telling you—”

“Not everything is a conspiracy. Chill out; it’s probably just a bad case of the sniffles!” Scootaloo shrugged.

“You really expect us to fall for this? Sounds like you’re just trying to relive your ‘bad girl’ days!” Applebloom joked, but it was obvious it wasn’t intended to be one.

“Bad girl days??”

“Yeah! Like when she used to be a big scary demon!” Sweetie Belle added.

“What?! No! I’m not lying I swear—!” a loud bang at the door behind Sunset snapped all of their attention… and for a split second the Cutie Mark Crusaders regretted their playful retorts. Sunset flinched as she turned to face the door. Reluctant, she stepped forward before yanking the doors open… but no one was there?

“Rah!” Flash Sentry suddenly popped out from behind the wall, scaring Sunset to the point she had landed on her back. Flash giggled before offering to help her up, but Sunset kicked his leg, causing him to fall onto the ground.

“Hey! Alright now calm down, Sunset. Him scaring you ain’t a big deal.” Applejack interjected. “And I ain't gonna sit here and watch you bash on him because everyone thinks you’re overreacting.”

“I-I don’t think she’s overreacting…” Fluttershy mumbled, but as Applejack glared at her, she squeaked and hid in her sweater.

“I’m not overreacting! I’m trying to warn you!” A few screams alerted the group again, but this time Sunset wasn’t falling for it. “Oh and what now, Flash? Got your little buddies to try to scare me again?” She crossed her arms.

“That’s not me.” Flash bluntly stated, causing Sunset’s eyes to widen as she tried to close the doors. Flash helped her, but the doors suddenly swung open as Bulk Biceps barged in.

At first it seemed like he was just doing it for show… like always, till Sunset noted the same symptoms that Wallflower had. Bloody nose, bloodshot eyes, foaming at the mouth… but Bulk was on all fours like a wild animal. Out of nowhere he charged at Sunset, but before he could reach her, a baseball bat suddenly smacked him in the head—hard enough to where Bulk had been completely thrown out of the gym.

When she looked up, Sunset realized Pinkie was the one who did it, her eyes wide with concern and terror as she shook. In a second, Sunset jumped up before slamming the door shut, watching as the others scrambled to grab anything to barricade the door.

Once it was safe, Sunset backed up and nearly began hyperventilating. “Do I look crazy now?!” She suddenly yelled, glaring back at the others, but as she saw their terrified faces, her expression softened. Now wasn’t time to prove a point… now was a time to survive.

Author's Note

New fanfic! I have big plans for this one and I really hope this one doesn't go on hiatus or end up getting cancelled. Please let me know if you like it or even have any ideas for future chapters!