Sunset Shimmer walked down the halls of Canterlot High, her mind elsewhere as her friends gossiped about the day's events. She piped in from time to time, but it only came out as forced; it wasn’t like her and her friends knew that. As they walked the rest of the way, passed all the oncoming traffic, and people rushing to get their belongings from their locker in order to get home sooner. They made their way out of the school building, stopping before the steps to confront their friend about her odd behavior.

“Sunset, dear. Is something the matter, you’re not acting like your usual self?” Asked Rarity, putting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder in concern. Sunset, in return, just looked into her friend's eyes for a moment before staring off to the side.

“Come on Sunset, you’re in good company. If there’s anythin’ funny going on, you can tell us.” Applejack added, giving her friend a soft smile.

Sunset looked at Applejack for a moment, and then to the rest of her friends. They all had the same concern looks on their faces. They were waiting in anticipation for Sunset to answer their pleas, hoping that they could do something to remedy her sorrows.

“It’s nothing girls, really. I just need some alone time, is all. I promise I’ll tell you tomorrow after school, is that okay?”

Sunset waited for a reply, but was greeted with Pinkie Pie’s usual response towards promises. “Only if you Pinkie Promise!” The frizzled haired girl bounced around Sunset, making sure that her words reached Sunset’s ears.

Sunset let out a small sigh, “fine. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” That little song and dance always made Sunset feel slightly embarrassed, but she endured it for her friends sake.

“Okie doki loki, we’re holding you to it.” Pinkie Pie replied, joining in with her friends as they began to walk down the steps of Canterlot High.

As they were about to reach the end of the steps, Fluttershy spoke up. “Just remember Sunset, we care for you, and you can always come to us if you need anything.”

“I know, it’s just… Thanks guys, it means a lot that you care for me so much. I just need to handle this on my own, if you understand.”

Sunset stopped once again, this time it was Rainbow to speak. “It’s no problem at all, we totally understand, just make sure that you get this done, and come to us if anything bad happens.”

“I will Dash, thanks.” Sunset waved goodbye to her friends before she began her walk home. She lived in an apartment complex not to far from Canterlot High. She didn’t have family here, and she was technically an adult, so she had no problem fending for herself.

The walk was a little comforting, it still didn’t get her mind off what was troubling her. It clouded her head like a particularly bad stormy day, bringing her emotions to the lower end of the emotional spectrum. She kicked a rock across the street, anything to just get the subject off her mind, but it was futile; it was there to stay.

As she made her way up the apartment stairs to her room number, she took a key out of her jacket pocket, and opened the door to her domicile. Entering and dropping her bags on a couch she had in the main room of the living quarters. She sat down next to it, and let out a long, drawn out sigh of relief to be home. She then groaned as she realized that she had a large amount of homework to take care off. “Whatever, I’ll do that later…”

She made her way to her room, saying to herself along the way. “I got some things to take care of first.” As she entered her room, she rummaged through her bookcase looking for a particularly important book. She gave a triumphant, “Aha” as she found what she was looking to find.

She sat on her bed and opened the book. It was the one she used to use to get a hold of her old mentor, Celestia. The wave of nostalgia already hitting her hard. As she grabbed a pen off the desk next to her; she began to write.

*  *  *  *

Dear Princess Twilight,

                  It’s been a while since I messaged you, but I’m afraid this letter is not for you. Before you continue reading this, I must ask of you, bring this letter to Princess Celestia. Do not read the contents of this letter, for I wish only for Celestia to see them.

Dear Princess Celestia,

                  I Really Miss you… I know you may not want to hear from me, especially after all I’ve done. It’s just, I’m so very sorry for what I’ve done, I apologize for being so selfish, I know you knew I wasn’t ready to be a princess. I know you knew that it was best for me to learn how to befriend other ponies, and you know what? I have five wonderful friends now, and I’m making more!

Celestia, I write to you for more than just apologizing, I also wanted to thank you for all the time we spent together, it really means a lot to me. So much so, that I’ve been really homesick lately. Celestia, I want to return, if only a little bit, I can’t leave my friends here by themselves now, can I?

Expect to see me in the next couple of days, I should have made my journey to Canterlot by then. You can lecture me, you can punish me, the alternative of never seeing you again is far worse than anything you can throw at me…

                                                                                                  Your former student,

                                                                                                             Sunset Shimmer

*  *  *  *

Sunset laid the book on her bed, tears in her eyes, and a fist clenched around her pen. She set it down on the desk, before punching her pillow, and plomping her face right into it. She let her tears be soaked into the absorbent sheet, letting her pent up sorrows drain out.

She let this go on for another minute, or so, before sitting up again. She wiped her eyes, and turned her pillow around. That way it wasn’t soaked when she laid her head back down. This time she wasn’t face first, she stared up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths, and internally counting to ten to calm herself down.

It was then that she realized that she still had homework to do. With another groaning complaint, she went up to receive her backpack from the the couch she laid it on, and returned to her room to do her work.

After finishing her homework, she looked out her apartment window. The sun was setting, and it was cascading beautiful shadows onto the streets of the town she lived in. She sighed as it reminded her even more of Celestia, but she soon smiled as she remembered she would be visiting her soon, even if it wasn’t on the best of terms.

Making a quick costume change into her pajamas, and eating a quickly made microwave dinner. She made her way into bed, looking to the ceiling once more before passing out into a somber rest. Her dreams filled with ponies that she once knew from her time in Equestria.