Author's Notes:

Yoooo, another story because I'm trash~~

This chapter takes place when Sunset first arrives in the human world, so she will act a bit differently. Don't worry, our Sunset will be back soon... though that may not be especially good, now that I think about it...

EDIT:: Story has been severely edited and updated!

"And remember, you'll need the book by Friday and be through chapter five by Monday. " Cheerilee scribbled the note down onto the board in front of her as her students groaned. She rolled her eyes to herself at their enthusiasm and snapped her book closed in her hand before she turned to the class.

"Hey," She reminded them with a small, strained smile, "At least you don't have to annotate like the juniors and seniors."

There was a general murmur of agreement through the class at the statement. Cheerilee glanced at the clock and saw they had only a few minutes until the end of class. Already students began to inch out of their seats, and backpacks began to get stuffed. With a sigh she said, "Okay, that's all I have for you today--" The rest of her sentence was cut off as the class immediately spiraled out of control, with excited chatter and backpacks being zipped up. Her eye twitched and she decided to have a seat at her desk, not bothering to keep her class in check.

She often did that with her seventh period class; it wasn't favoritism per se (though, not that she was allowed to say so, they were her favorite class.) It was more that by that time, she was too tired to corral them back in. They were pretty well behaved for a last period class, too, so she didn't much mind if they lost it, so long as it was as close to the bell as possible.

"Ms. Cheerilee?" A voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see one of her favorite (again, not that she would say it out loud) students looking at her with a sheepish smile.

"Yes, Miss Shimmer?" Cheerilee asked gently. The girl was new, and a quiet sort. A bit of new-student-itis she would figure. She was obviously smart, though, and she had high hopes.

"About that book... Do you have a copy of it that I could borrow?" She wouldn't look at Cheerilee, which made the teacher furrow her brow.

"Hm, I do not, but there might be a copy of it in the library. Can you not get one on your own?"

Sunset shook her head and looked at Cheerilee with a frown, "My--my parents are still busy with the unpacking and stuff, and they can't really buy it for me. They were hoping maybe you had a copy from a past year, but the library could work as well."

Being a teacher for several years (and an older sister on top of that) had taught Cheerilee when someone was lying. And Sunset seemed to be giving her half-truths, which made her feel uneasy. Sunset wasn't a bad student, so she didn't have a reason to think she was lying just to be malicious, but she wondered what she could have been hiding.

She wondered if maybe the girl's parents weren't really busy, and just wouldn't buy her the book for some reason. Or maybe they couldn't afford it. Cheerilee didn't like the lie, but she could understand if Sunset had family issues.

"Do you have a bus to catch? I could help you look for it after school, or perhaps I could get it to you later this week?"

"I walk home." Sunset assured her with a smile, "You don't have to help, I can probably find it."

"If you're sure. Let me know if you need help and can't find it, though. There may be somewhere around here with another copy."

"I will, thank you Ms. Cheerilee."

Cheerilee was about to say something else when the bell rang. The thought flew out of her head, just as her students flew out of her class. She sighed and shook her head. When she had gone to school to become a teacher she had been warned about how kids acted; she was even a kid herself, and had experienced it. It still amazed her, though, how quickly students would leave.

She sighed and rubbed her temples as she was faced with the empty room. Thoughts of grading tests all evening filled her mind, and she rubbed her forehead. A sound in her purse made her turn and pick up her phone.

Berriezzz: Yoo!! We still on for tonite?

Cheerilee groaned as she remembered it was Wednesday night, their girls night out. Honestly she didn't have the energy for an outing, but Berry Punch wouldn't take no for an answer, she knew. She texted her friend back the affirmative (with an added "stop changing your name in my phone") and glanced back at the papers.

It was going to be a long night.

**************************

It was an hour later that Cheerilee finally left her classroom. With a stack of graded tests on her desk and even more in her bag, she wondered if she should cancel with Berry. She sighed to herself as she locked the door and walked down the silent hallway. A few teachers were still around, some with students for tutoring or detention. The occasional kid walked through the halls, but otherwise the school was still.

Berry wouldn't like if she cancelled, and she certainly wouldn't understand why. As much as Cheerilee loved her friend, the other woman had little to no sense of responsibility. She was much unlike her sister, Berryshine, who at least had a real job. The two were hardly comparable, despite being twins.

She tuned back in to her surroundings when she heard faint laughter in the halls.

It was amazing, she thought, how quickly the school emptied. Even kids with nothing to do after school would rocket out of the building, which always confused Cheerilee. The library was open until five, and the soccer and football fields were open (technically) until dusk, but hardly ever did anyone stay. It made her wonder why they bothered keeping the library open, actually.

Thoughts of the library soon led to thoughts of Sunset Shimmer, the girl who had appeared in the middle of September. It had been quite abrupt, and even Celestia hadn't been expecting a transfer student. Her paperwork had been spotty, as well, and Celestia had planned to talk to Sunset's parents about it further, but trouble with Luna had put those plans off for an unknown amount of time.

Sunset was a good student; hardworking and quiet. She didn't seem to interact with other students, however, which concerned Cheerilee a bit. The others all seemed to think highly of her, and she had overheard several asking her to hang out. But Sunset never took their offers, as far as she could tell. She hoped it was just because Sunset was new and shy, but even Fluttershy hung out with her friends. The longer Sunset was silent, the more Cheerilee began to worry.

It was her job as a teacher to worry, she assured herself. If a student showed signs of a problem, it was her job to help. She just... couldn't tell if Sunset had a problem. And that worried her.

A seed of an idea began to sprout in her mind and she wandered towards the library. She wondered if Sunset had found the book and headed home. Probably, considering it was past four already. Even someone as studious as her probably wouldn't spend too much time in the library, or so Cheerilee assumed.

She glanced in the window of the library with her hand on the door handle. She didn't see Sunset immediately, and began to release the handle when she saw a streak of yellow and red between two aisles.

She glanced around the hallway behind her before she opened the library door and stepped inside.

The absolute silence that greeted her made her ears ring. She noticed Celestia wasn't around, which seemed odd. Before she could focus on that, though, she heard footsteps behind the same aisle she had seen Sunset disappear into. Cheerilee wondered if Sunset was still looking for the book, or if she had moved on. She was sure Sunset would have found it by now, and wondered if there was something else she was looking for.

"Sunset Shimmer?" Cheerilee called in a friendly voice, "I was just about to leave. Do you need any help looking for that book?"

"Uh--Ms. Cheerilee! Ow--" A loud thunk sounded from behind some books, which made Cheerilee wince.

"Sunset? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah fine! Um, I found the book, actually." She appeared from around the corner, a hand over her forehead, "I was just--hanging out."

"Oh..." Cheerilee said, uncertain but with a smile, "Okay, then. Would you like a ride home, then? I only live a few minutes away, but--"

"No, that's okay!" Sunset said quickly, "I actually want to look for one more thing, first. And I don't live far away, either, so I don't mind walking."

Cheerilee considered the girl before her. She seemed nervous, almost scared. She knew something was wrong, and Cheerilee didn't want to just leave the girl. Her heart ached at the thought of one of her students being in trouble some how. She reached out and lifted Sunset's hand to reveal a red mark, presumably from where something had fallen on her.

"Ooh, that looks like it hurt." Cheerilee said sympathetically. Sunset only shrugged and pulled away slightly.

Cheerilee pulled a face as she considered her options. Finally she let out a breath and went with her gut. In a gentle voice she asked, "Is everything okay at home? Is there a reason you don't want to go back?"

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, and Sunset froze up. Her sky blue eyes went wide in fear, and her whole body stiffened. Cheerilee could have sworn she saw a sparkle of light reflect off of her watery eyes, and it broke her heart. She had no way of knowing the pain and sadness that her question had caused.

"Sunset, you can tell me if there's something wrong. I'll help you."

"I don't need help." Sunset's cold tone sent a shiver up Cheerilee's spine. "I can handle it on my own."

"I... I understand you may think so, Sunset, but sometimes we need help. We need friends." She offered a smile, "I can be your friend, and I can help you. But only if you let me."

Sunset eyed the woman for a couple moments. She shifted slightly and turned to look down the aisle she had come from, which made a question burn in Cheerilee's mind.

"What are you doing here, Sunset?"

Sunset sighed and rubbed her forehead, which had begun to bruise. "I just... Don't want to go home yet."

Cheerilee hesitated, but it seemed to be the truth as far as she could tell. She gave Sunset a sympathetic smile and nodded. "I understand. I was a teenager once too, you know. How about we see if the nurse is still here? That looks like it could use some ice." When Sunset nodded Cheerilee put a hand on her shoulder and gently lead her towards the front of the building.

There was more going on, that she was sure of. But asking Sunset further could push her away, and that was something Cheerilee didn't want to risk. There was a great chance that asking more questions would only bring up more lies.

For the time being, Sunset let her get an ice pack. For now, at least, that would have to be enough.

**************************

Days passed, and Cheerilee almost forgot about the library incident. Not to say she forgot about Sunset's situation, she just didn't consider the library itself was related to it. Sunset managed to find the book she needed, and things seemed to be going well. She even began to talk to a boy in the class, Flash Sentry.

Cheerilee was glad that she seemed to have over thought Sunset's situation. Surely her parents were just busy, or perhaps they didn't have much money to spare. Many students and parents complained about the cost of supplies, so it wasn't as if it was an odd thing.

Part of her, however, still felt like something was off with the girl. She seemed to not be familiar with certain aspects of school, like the crowded halls and the desks with connected seats. Cheerilee mused that she must have been home schooled. She had nothing against home schooling, but she figured it would explain some of her behavior and mannerisms.

It still bothered her, though, how Sunset had reacted to talking about her parents. She wanted to imagine that the girl was fine, or her family was just a bit short on cash. But that wouldn't explain how Sunset reacted, and it made her anxious. What if something was wrong? Cheerilee could give up on the situation, but she couldn't stand it if Sunset ended up suffering because of it.

She sighed quietly as her class scribbled down notes from the lecture. She didn't often rely on the overhead, but she told them she had a sore throat and couldn't lecture that day. It wasn't far from the truth, she felt pretty bad, but really it gave her time to focus on what to do with the situation at hand.

On the one hand, she had no proof. On the other, did she really need it to raise a concern? She could run it by Celestia, who could keep an eye out as well. That seemed like the best plan, and she nodded to herself. Distance, but help.

Of course, her mind turned dark as she wondered if it would be enough. Or if it would be too late. She had no idea if Sunset's situation was one that needed immediate help, and Sunset certainly wasn't about to tell her. So what did she do?

When the bell rang she watched the students filter out of the room in groups. Sunset was in the middle, however, alone.

With that, Cheerilee made up her mind. She would offer Sunset help, and then tell Celestia. If she was over reacting, well, that was fine. It was better than being ignorant to the situation.

She just hoped Sunset could appreciate the gesture.

*********************

It was a week after their first real conversation that Cheerilee got up the courage to talk to Sunset. She had thought long and hard about what she was going to say, and finally had a good plan. She preemptively pat herself on the back for the argument she had thought up, and was almost excited to talk to Sunset, despite the grim tone the situation might have.

Unfortunately, Sunset didn't seem to be as mentally prepared as her. The girl bolted out of class faster than normal, and Cheerilee didn't have the chance to talk to her. She ran into the hall and called out to her, but she was already gone.

Heck. Cheerilee frowned as she wandered the emptying halls. So much for that plan.

Punch Berry: Hey w r thinking The Place tonit what do u think?

Cheerilee scoffed and leaned against a set of lockers as she read her friend's horrible text. Did she know she was texting an English teacher? Well, English and math (which she was told was impossible, and yet there she was) but still. Such disrespect for the English language bothered Cheerilee to a degree that was almost embarrassing.

She frowned as she answered and glanced around the hallway again. She would have to talk to Sunset some other time. Maybe this was a good thing, though. She could talk to Celestia about what to do should things go South...

As she turned to leave, she saw a flicker of red and yellow out the side of her eye.

Bingo.

Cheerilee grinned to herself as she walked quickly into the library. On the second floor in the back she just barely caught the brightly colored hair dip behind the shelves. She quickly walked up the stairs and walked around the other side to meet the girl half way. What she didn't expect, however, was to see a backpack and sleeping bag in the middle of the isle.

What... Why are these...? Her train of thought was interrupted when Sunset appeared on the other end of the isle. Twenty feet away stood the child Cheerilee was determined to help, and she saw fear flash in her eyes.

When Sunset bolted, Cheerilee acted on instinct and ran back to the stairs. They stood opposite each other, and Cheerilee saw the wild look in Sunset's eyes that showed panic and fear, maybe even anger. When Sunset glanced over the railing Cheerilee wondered for a mad moment if she was going to jump.

"Sunset!" Cheerilee said, sternly, "Please, just talk to me! Let me help. Please."

Sunset fixed her with a glare, but it soon melted away. The girl looked tired and dejected, and Cheerilee knew something was seriously wrong. She slowly walked forward with an outstretched hand. "I can help you. Just talk to me, okay? You don't need to--"

And like that, Sunset was gone. Slipped around Cheerilee's side, and out the door before she could even blink.

Cheerilee feared Sunset may have been worse off than she had originally thought.

*********************

Cheerilee shoved the sleeping bag and backpack into the back of her car and snarled to herself. Of course Celestia was already gone, probably to help her sister. But where did that leave her? What was she supposed to do? It didn't seem like a good idea to call the cops simply because what could they do? On the other hand, though, she didn't want to get in trouble for hiding any evidence that there might be.

And yet, there she was, with an old ratty backpack and sleeping bag in the back of her car as she hunted for one of her students.

She couldn't have gotten far. It was windy and gloomy, so she would seek shelter. What around here is good for shelter? A building?

She really didn't know what to do, and it was only panic that made her move. Later she might regret it, but she knew she couldn't let a scared little girl run off on her own. It wasn't smart, and she couldn't live with herself if she let her go.

She just hoped it would work out, eventually.

After almost an hour of searching, however, she wanted to give up. There was no where Sunset could have gone that she hadn't checked, and a steady rain had begun to fall. There was no way she would find Sunset, and she feared that meant she was lost forever. Frustrated tears began to flow from her eyes.

Why would Sunset run away form home? If things were that bad, then Cheerilee had been right about there being problems. She had never considered, though, that her parents weren't in the picture. Of course she could have been a recent runaway, but the ratty bag suggested a few weeks at best.

A few weeks. In a new city. In the middle of fall.

There was newfound determination in Cheerilee.

She was going to find Sunset.