“Owwww…my head…” Sunset whimpered, sitting up and holding her head in her hands. It seemed like the room was spinning wildly for a few moments, but it thankfully didn’t last too long. Slowly cracking her eyes open, she found herself in a dark room with a red hazy light coming from the side. A part of Sunset started to freak out believing it to be the demon from her nightmares finally come to finish her off. After a few steadying breaths, she realized she was panicking over nothing as the light was coming from the clock on a small night stand. Not that there was much light to show much detail of the room, but she could feel that she was in a very soft, and very comfy bed.

Once again her panic began rising again as she realized she was in somebody’s bedroom. Did that creep from the club catch her and drag her here? She should have known better to grab that creep, but she was getting desperate. A part of her was wishing that she was just dead, that she was finally free and safe of the pain of the last week. Of all the pain and loneliness she felt since she ran from Canterlot. Sure she always did her best to make sure she stayed on top, even if she hurt others to do it. She still cared though, no matter how the darkness in her heart had tried to tell her otherwise.

That darkness was banished with the rainbow colored lasers that had both destroyed her life and gave her a second chance. She always knew something was there, a dark thing taking residence in her soul ever since she tried to make contact with the Mare in the Moon. Ever since Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony against her, she felt so guilt ridden and self hating as she remembered every little detail of every wrong thing she had done.

Maybe this was what she deserved, a worthless excuse for a human being or pony becoming this creeps plaything. After all the humiliation and pain she caused others, maybe it was time she felt the same. Maybe it was time that she was punished for it all. A small whimper of fear escaped Sunset since while a part of her believed she deserved it, she really didn’t want it to happen.

‘Stop moaning and get up!’ A voice inside Sunset’s mind cried out, sounding very much like Sunset’s own. She couldn’t help smiling a little as she thought she was finally cracking up. The voice was right, she wasn’t really sure where she was and the only way to find out was to get up.

“Thank Heaven, I thought I heard you up.” A familiar voice said as a small shaft of light filtered into the room giving it some light. As Sunset looked up to see who it was, the lights flared on in the room making her temporarily blind. As the spots faded and she could see the worried expression on Celestia’s face, she finally stopped shaking. She couldn’t help mentally berating herself for shaking in fear like that, though she really didn’t realize she was doing so until she actually stopped. “Ever since I found out about what you were, I was afraid to take you to the hospital. I wanted to talk to you about that Monday, but you never came to see me…I’m so sorry Luna turned you away like she did.”

“Why? Why do you even care?” Sunset choked out, her throat raw and voice hoarse. She was a little shocked by just how bad she sounded, but should have realized all the crying and no drinking water didn’t help all that much. She couldn’t keep looking at Celestia as the woman sat down in the bed next to her, legs crossed and hanging off the bed while she turned to brush some of Sunset’s hair from the girl’s eyes.

“Because sweetie, you are one of my students.” Celestia said softly, yet her voice held the tone of conviction to it as well as a heavy dose of concern. “I love all of my students.”

“Yeah right, Molestia!” Sunset snapped out, immediately regretting it when she saw the brief flash of pain in the older woman’s eyes. Sunset wasn’t sure why she said it, she never believed those stupid rumors of idiots like Gilda and Lightning Dust. “I’m sorry…you didn’t deserve that…”

“No, I didn’t, but it’s understandable. You’ve been hurt very badly and you are scared.” Celestia said, putting a finger on the girl’s lips to cut off the coming protest. “Please don’t deny it, Sunset. I know you are scared, anybody would be in your position. You’ve lost everything, haven’t you?”

“Y-Yeah.” Sunset sniffled, nodding her head as Celestia pulled her hand back with a heavy sigh. “I deserved it though because of everything that I’ve done.”

“Nobody deserves having everything they have stripped from them because of greed. That disgusting pig that ran your apartments is being charged with a lot of things that I can’t even begin to begin listing. I have a contact in the police force that can’t be bought off like the last ones, and he’s finally getting what’s coming to him.” Celestia said, happy that she was able to share that bit of news. Shinning Armor had called her yesterday to inform her of the quick investigation, and he was sure that the more in depth one was going to turn up a lot more things to be added to the already long list of charges. “I did get a lot of your things from there, but I’m not sure if it’s everything.”

“Why go through all that trouble for me?” Sunset asked, looking up in disbelief at the older woman who was giving a gentle, caring smile.

“I love all of my students, especially those that has so much potential in them. Such as yourself, Sunset Shimmer. You have the potential to truly shine, and I intend to see you do so.” Celestia explained, all the while giving an encouraging smile to the teen.

Sunset couldn’t help feeling some doubt, especially seeing exactly who was offering such hope. Hope wasn’t something that came cheap to Sunset, and seeing that the human version of her old mentor was the one offering it, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to accept it. She knew that Celestia had betrayed her once in her home world, and she was sure the one from this world would do the same.

‘You were the one who betrayed her first.’ The voice from earlier accused Sunset, making the girl wince at the brutal truth of it. Yet, there was a hint of doubt still lingering. It was something Sunset doubted she would easily overcome, but maybe…just maybe, everything would be okay.

“Thank you for helping me.” Sunset sighed, clutching the sheets that were pooled around her waist in her fists. “But I dug my own grave. What ever happens…I deserve it. I deserve to suffer.”

She couldn’t deny hurting all those people who were close to her, even in this world which started with Flash Sentry and even her two servants who were her friends all along, only to have hurt them time and time again. She was ashamed to admit it now, yet at the time a part of her took joy in hurting them. It was something that was as confusing as it was the truth.

‘My fault…all my fault…’ The voice piped in, sounding so full of sadness and regret, even in Sunset’s own mind.

“Sunset?” Celestia asked, sitting up straighter as she switched from caring and nurturing into a more serious, impending lecture mode. “How long have you been in our world?”

“Three…maybe four years. The first year I studied how humans acted so I would fit in better while studying at the library to learn everything I could about this world. Next year I’ll be a senior…and after that…I’m not sure. I can’t keep faking paperwork that I need to make a real life here.” Sunset sighed. After high school was over, she had no illusions of being able to make it after this week. She had learned that nobody wanted to hire her, well mostly nobody since a few would have given her a chance if she could have provided documents proving who she was. After she lost everything, even her faked documents, she no longer had those papers and no place would hire her.

“That must have been awful…all alone here with nobody to help you.” Celestia sighed, the saddened and worried look on her face bothering Sunset a little. There was pity clearly written across her expression that sent a chill up the teen’s spine as she shifted in the bed.

“Yeah…I made it though. I brought over some things that was basically worthless back home, but I was able to sell for a lot of money in a pawn shop.” Sunset explained, not really wanting to get into everything that she did. Some of it she wasn’t too proud of, but nothing that she was really ashamed of until… “Oh no…please…please tell me you didn’t…where did you find me? What happened?”

The panic in Sunset’s voice was rising quickly as humiliation washed through her. She knew what she was going to do would be humiliating, but she was hoping that she could work through it. What she didn’t want was somebody that she actually knew seeing her there…especially Celestia herself. Despite a part of her hating the woman, blaming her for what the pony version did to her…she also loved the woman. Loved her like the mentor and mother figure the pony version was to her for so long.

“Have you…been doing that for long?” Celestia asked softly, shifting her eyes so she wasn’t looking at the girl. She was worried that Sunset had actually been doing it for a long time and had gotten involved in the darker aspects of that life. Especially the drugs…she wasn’t sure what she could do if Sunset was addicted to drugs…but it would explain the girl’s wild mood swings at times over the last few years. Then again, they always happened during the same time of year…so hopefully it was something else. Maybe some kind of anniversary or something.

Sunset just wanted to run away and never look back or just lay down and die at that very moment. She had never felt such embarrassment, such humiliation in her entire life. There was no hope that Celestia didn’t know about her going to that club now, and she had no idea how the woman was going to react. Or even if Celestia would believe her if told the truth. Shaking a little, she decided to just tell the truth as she clutched her eyes shut trying to fight back the tears.

“I was given a card and offered a job there…I…I didn’t know what else to do! I was so cold…so hungry…I didn’t know…what…to do…” Sunset said, tears leaking out from under her eyelids as she shook. “That was the first time…the first time I went there…and I didn’t even make it to the door!”

The tight, yet comforting embrace that Sunset found herself in shocked her, yet comforted her so much. It felt so familiar, something that she had been missing for years. There was something that was unsaid in the air, something in the woman’s eyes that Sunset had been seeing since waking up as well as in her actions. Something that was so…familiar. It took a few moments to understand what it was, but she finally did at the same time the voice in her head said it.

‘She’s lonely…’

How was that possible? Sunset had her sister and all the students at the school looking up to her. How could the woman be lonely? How could she feel such loneliness when she had true admiration and love from those around her?

“Well we can fix two of those problems right now.” Celestia said with a smile, brushing Sunset’s dirty hair back and kissing the top of her head.

“Wh-what? What do you mean?” Sunset asked in shock, looking up to the returned smile that offered so much encouragement.

“Well you can be warm here.” Celestia said softly, all of a sudden becoming a little nervous. Sunset wasn’t sure why she would be nervous all of a sudden, but she seemed sincere. There were no hints at deception anywhere. “And second, we can get you something warm to eat. We can talk about other matters later.”

“Th-Thank you.” Sunset said softly, unable to say anything else. She was deeply grateful for the chance to have a real meal, and a place to stay for the night. The sudden growl from Sunset’s stomach caused the teen to blush in embarrassment while Celestia giggled lightly. Sunset wasn’t sure how long her good fortune would last, but for the moment things were actually looking up. She wasn’t sure for how long though, good things hardly ever really happened to her…and when they did, it didn’t last for long.