Thunder crashed and clapped from out the window of the Shepard Household as Sunset Shimmer tossed in her guest bed. Light flashed through her shut eyelids, indicated by the lightning bursting from the clouds. Her sleep was disrupted as a result and she tossed and turned to fall back into it with no success. Pulling her legs to her chest, her arms hugged them like a twin set of teddy bears as sniffles took up her soft breathing.

“I know why you didn’t take me home Twilight.” Tears began to trickle down her cheeks like sap from a tree as Sunset ran her fingers over her right forearm and the brand she had just below her right wrist. “It's because I don’t deserve to go home. I am a monster thus you chose to banish me from your world forever”.

Looking out the window she saw the rain was falling hard, showing it would not be a good idea to go outside. Not that this mattered to Sunset as she didn’t have any intentions of staying longer than she needed to. It wasn’t like it was her home anyway. And it was only due to being the friend of the owner’s nephew that she was even here. Well, now she felt like her time here was up and was fully intent on getting back to her old place as quickly as possible.

“I gotta be as quiet as possible” she thought “I can’t risk waking them up”.

Quickly making the bed up and putting on her boots, Sunset began gathering up her homework, placing it into the opening of her backpack. Taking her coat from the back of the chair, she went to put it on only to see it had several holes in the back of it. A flash of a certain demonic girl went coursing through her head, causing her to nearly drop her jacket as she looked at the floor.

“I’ll need to find a way to fix this when I get back to my shack,” Putting it on and zipping it closed as best as she could, Sunset pulled the collar close around her neck before picking up Snails’ own schoolwork. “Need to leave this where he’ll find it before I head out.”

Heading for the door, Sunset quietly opened it before glancing back at the clock on the dresser behind her. Eyes widening as if she remembered something, Sunset went over to switch it off. It would certainly be bad for her if it were still on, and that was the last thing she wanted right now.

“Good thing I stopped to take care of that,” She whispered, taking her hand away from the clock. “No way it would be good to have the clock go off and wake up Snails’ dad. I have bothered him and Snails’ enough tonight.”

“Bothered who enough?” A soft voice came from behind her.

Jumping in surprise, Sunset whipped around to see Snails standing in the doorway. “Snails! What are you-”

“Where are you going Sunset”? He asked, scratching at his pajama pants while stretching out his green t-shirt “It’s two in the morning. Curfew doesn’t end until six.”

“I um, was going to head...” Sunset glanced down with a look of shame. “Home. Back over to my… home.”

“Home? You’re not going to stay the night?” Snails softly asked, tilting his head like he was a little preschooler confused by a lesson.

The older girl shook her head. “No… I’m not. I’m not… feeling comfortable being here and I would rather be back at my hut. It has nothing to do with you, but… I just don’t want to be her anymore.”

“Oh, I see…” Snails muttered, fumbling with his hands. “I’m sorry for asking.”

Quietly turning around, the boy went back down the hall to his room before Sunset had a chance to say anything else. She stood there for a time even after hearing his door close, like Snails’ action alone was rooting her in the doorframe. Gathering her wits, she slowly followed where he went, a hand lifting to knock at the door.

“Come in,” Snails meekly replied.

Opening the door and stepping into his room, Sunset locked eyes with the younger boy.

“Listen Snails, I know you wanted me to stay at least until the storm’s gone, but I can’t,” Walking up to his bed, Sunset sat down on the edge of it, setting her backpack down. “I appreciate what your father has done for me I really do it's just that--”

“It’s alright,” He interrupted, giving her an understanding but sad smile. “You’re not a part of my family so you feel as if you're taking advantage of my father, right?”

“Y-yes,” She replied looking down while she desperately fought off her tears. “Look, there is no need to be sad alright? I’ll be fine. You know how I am, being the ‘Big Bad Shimmer’ and all. A few hours out on the streets won’t be able to get me down.”

“Yeah, I get that, but I’m still pretty sad about it. I was actually going to see if my dad could make you breakfast before you left.” Snails commented, taking a close look at her. “You look like you hadn’t eaten in days.”

“Heh, aren’t you the sweet sidekick?” Sunset chuckled with a coo while rubbing Snails on the head. “I’m touched that you’re worried about me, but you have your own issues to worry about. You don’t need my own piling on of them. You just focus on yourself and try to keep yourself out of trouble.”

Snails still looked a bit unsure. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay till the morning? My Dad will understand, I swear.”

“The longer I stay, the more I’ll feel like I’m burdening you and your father, and I don’t want you to deal with it,” Sunset rejected, a hand on Snails’ back. “You can just tell your dad I left early because I wanted to get to class without being late. Trust me Snails, it’ll be better this way.”

“…Well, okay. If you’re really sure about this. Just please be careful out there okay?” Snails finally submitted. “If you end up getting hurt, I’m gonna have Dad bring you back here. And it’ll be until we’re sure you’re better!”

“Understood,” Sunset smiled with approval equivalent to an older sibling finding out the younger one succeeded in something. “Now, go get some sleep. I’ll see you at school in a few hours once the sun is up. I’ll place your homework in your backpack for you before I head out. Be sure to have it with you so you don’t get a zero, alright?”

“Alright,” Snails nodded, settling back into his bed. “See you in the morning Sunset.”

“You too Snails,”

Once she was sure he was again fast asleep Sunset and headed out of Snails' room quietly closing the door behind her. Tiptoeing down the hallway she soon found herself standing at the front door and Snails’ backpack hanging on a rack attached to the door. Taking it down, she placed his homework into it and hung it back on the door before opening it and stepping out into the cold chilly night.

“Huh… I was expecting it to be chillier, but it feels good,” She muttered to herself stepping off the front porch. “It’ll take at least an hour and a half to get back to the shack… might as well go now since I’m gonna get soaked anyway.”

Quickly making her way down the street, Sunset stopped to look both ways before crossing the street. Getting across the road safely she continued to head back to her shack keeping her head bowed low. Her thoughts began to dwell on a past, not like that of the one in this world. One she would sooner forget and never have to worry about. Even with the rain giving her a comforting feeling, it did little to assuage her anger or guilt. Feelings Sunset knew she would need to confront sooner or later.

Feeling the wind begin to pick up, the rain began to fall harder, stinging Sunset’s face with each tiny droplet like tiny pebbles from a cliff’s edge. Before the orphan girl even realized it, she was standing in front of the shack she called home. Having gotten there at the same time she thought she would. Going inside, he fished through her coat pockets, trying to find the phone Garble had given her the day earlier.

“Come on! Which pocket did I place that phone into?” she whispered to herself finally finding it she quickly turned it on opened the door to her shack and stepped inside. Water dripped off her clothing forming a small puddle on the cement floor taking her coat off she let it fall in a heap on the floor before sitting down leaning her back against the cold metal frame of the shack.

“I’m soaking wet but at least I am out of that storm. I’m sure to get sick from this weather but at least I won’t have to go back to school,” Taking her wet clothes off, Sunset leaned against the wall of her shack, placing the phone next to her. “I wonder if Garble would actually want to hang out before school starts… oh, who am I kidding? Like he would ever-”

Her words were interrupted by the ringing of her phone, causing her to look at the device resting in her hand. Feeling she should answer it, Sunset pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.

“Hey Shimmer!” She heard him greet her over the other end of the line. “Nice to hear from you! didn’t think you’d actually pick up for a while there.”

“Me neither. I honestly wasn’t sure if you’d even want to call me at all. Given my rep at school and everything,” Sunset murmured, one arm wrapping around her knees like a snake around a tree. “Anyway, what’s with the call? You’re not here to talk about who would call who, are you”

“I would if that was why I was doin’ this shit in the first place.” Garble chuckled, the sound gently thumping against Sunset’s ear canal. “I actually wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with me.”

Sunset blinked like he had said something alien to her. “Hang out… with… me?”

“Yeah, why not? I’m feelin’ kind of bored and wanted to know if the Big Bad Shimmer of Canterlot Junior High and High School wanted to chill with the Big Bad Dragon.” Garble explained casually. “It’s cool if you decide not to, given the shit you’re dealing with, but I’m sure you could use the company.”

“Uh, sure… I guess. But it's raining like cats and dogs outside and I don’t think it’d be a good idea to meet up in this weather.” Sunset replied, glancing out the open gap in her shack that held the window. “And what about the city's curfew? Aren’t you worried you’ll get tossed in jail for being out past curfew?”

“Nah, I’m not. Besides, my stepfather Torch and my stepsister Ember could care less about me so I don’t see any reason to care about the rules,” Garble murmured. “Look, just tell me where you’re at and I’ll have someone drive me to you.”

“I don’t really have a location, but I’ll meet you in the park in about an hour if that’s okay,” Sunset said, thinking it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell him where her shack was. While she didn’t think he’d sell her out in that regard, Sunset preferred to keep this part of her life private no matter what. “You’d better not be late either.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. He grumbled, his tone telling the girl he heard that statement about a hundred times. “What side of the park should I meet you at? South or North?”

“Hmm...North Side. It's quicker to get back home that way than the south.”

“Cool, I’ll see ya there then!”

---

It took an hour longer than Sunset would’ve liked, but she managed to make it to the Northern Canterlot Park. It was a little marred by how much mud she got on her because of how wet the dirt paths were from the rain. Due to that same water washing her clean of the dirt though, she did put up much of a fuss. It would have been a different story if it were her jacket because that’d have been truly upsetting.

Once she entered the north side of the park, Sunset found a bench and sat down to relax while waiting for Garble to show up. Glancing at her phone she saw it was four-thirty in the morning. Only a few hours before she would have to head to school. Not aware of just what she would find when entering the school grounds.

‘Why am I even bothering to meet with him? I hardly even know him outside of the fact he’s one of the bullies I brought down.’ Sunset thought as she looked at the sky. ‘Garble has no reason to see me either, and yet he’s acting and treating me as if I’m already his friend. Was he always like that or has he had a change of heart? It’s pretty weird either way.’

A groan left her lips as her eyes went from the sea of blackness above her to her lap. ‘I don’t know why, but I’ve got a strange feeling about this. Whatever Garble’s planning, I hope it won’t involve the police. No way they’ll let me go as easily the first time if they find me doing something illegal.’

“Hey Sunset!” She heard Garble’s voice in the distance. “Over here!”

Looking in the direction he had called; she saw him walking towards her carrying in his hands a small plastic bag. She saw that Garble had an excited smile on his rather smug looking face, making the feeling in her chest tighten to discomforting levels. Sunset would not have the chance to think on it more for the other had already started the conversation.

“Glad you came! Thought you might want to play hooky from school today!” He said, setting the back down in front of them. “I brought some food with us too in case you were hungry. alongside a few other things we’ll need.”

“What other things?” Sunset asked, taking the back and taking it apart to look inside.

“Some spray cans and whatnot. Got something rather funny planned that I wanna do before we go off to school.” Garble replied, crossing his arms as if proud. He then saw Sunset’s frown and got one of his own. “What’s up? Having second thoughts?”

“No, it’s just… I can’t eat the peanuts, cause I’m allergic to them, but I can take the crackers.” She explained, finding boxes of crackers, two jars of peanuts, and spray paint cans in the bag. “I‘m not sure what you want me to do with the spray paint though. Don’t really see any use for it.”

“Not to worry, the spray paint isn’t for you. I’m heading to the city to mark up a few….buildings.” Glancing back at her as he turned around, Garble smirked. “You care to join me, Shimmer?”

Sunset shrugged her shoulders while taking the crackers in her hand. “Might as well. Not like I’ll have anything better to do. I doubt anyone would care if I don’t show up at school today anyway.”

“Took the thoughts right out of my head.”

Following him out of the park the two walked side by side each other for an hour before stopping at an old building. Sunset instantly took notice of the building having broken windows on the second and third floors. Along with peeling paint on the side and the roof looked like it had been struck by the earlier thunderstorm. Another building stood a few feet away, it looked just as badly damaged as the first one. Between the two, an ally darker than a cavern gave Sunset the creeps as she watched Garble take out a spray paint can and shake it.

“I don’t know about this Garble. What do we do if we get caught?” She asked nervously, staring at the gang symbols covering the buildings. “Isn’t this illegal or something? I can see gang symbols on those buildings and it’s giving me the creeps. What if some of their owners happened to be nearby?”

“Relax, none of the gangs will be here. They have been here for a long time, and it’s just been the Griffins and no one else,” Garble assured, looking and sounding nowhere near as nervous as his companion did. “Not like the Griffins will care if I leave a little message anyway. But it’ll definitely be one worth remembering.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that Garble. You never know if groups like that are still around.” Her words and tone showed she was not willing to throw out that possibility. “What message are you even gonna leave?”

“Not sure, but I’ll make sure it’ll be one that’s cooler than any of the ones here!” Garble said as he took hold of one of the spray bottles. “Alright, I’m gonna make my move. You stay here and be my lookout while I do my thing. If someone comes, let me know!”

“Alright, fine… just be care-”

Hearing the approach of a car she turned around seeing a police car coming down the street, much to her horror and terror. Grabbing Garble by his right arm, she pulled him away from the building, causing him to drop the spray paint bottle.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing, Sunset?!” He cried out. “Come on, let go already!”

“Police! Police cars are here!” She warned, her words making him freeze. “Get back down here now! Before they see you!”

Pulling him towards the alley, Sunset quickly found a large metal dumpster and guided the boy to it so they could duck behind it. Sticking her head around its corner, she watched while the police car pulled to a stop near the entrance. One of the officers got out and turned on their flashlight, shining it towards the alley where the duo was.

“Please don’t see us,” She pleaded, more to herself than anyone else. “Please, please go away!”

Both teens watched the officer begin to walk into the alley moving his flashlight from right to left and back again. Gulping, Sunset curled up into Garble's chest, gripping his shirt tightly in her hands as she shivered in his arms. Smiling softly, he pulled her a little closer as if he was a dad trying to calm his child from a nightmare.

“It’ll be alright, Shimmer. I won’t let those oinks take you,” He comforted. “I’ll take care of them while you just stay here alright?”

Letting her go, her eyes snapped in shock as he pulled out an actual switchblade. Quickly grabbing his right hand, she leveled him with an intense glare that rivaled an active heatwave. Receiving a confused look, Garble prepared to push Sunset off when they both heard over the officer’s radio.

‘All officers we have a Ten-Ten at Canterlot Square all officers, possibly Ten-Seventy-two suspects fleeing the scene. Ten Fifty-five suspects are considered armed and dangerous; all units respond to Ten-Twenty’.

Garble watched as the officer stopped and turned around from where they were looking, going back in the direction he came. While he ran to his squad car, the bigger teenager turned back to Sunset to give him a glare of his own. Nothing was said by her as she got up, still holding his hand in her own as she watched the officer leave.

“What the hell was that Shimmer?!” He shouted angrily as soon as the officer was out of sight and out of earshot. “I was about to take care of him for you! Why did you stop me?!”

“You’re holding the reason, dumbass!” Sunset angrily pointed to the blade as if it was a gun made for killing multiple people instead of one. “Why in all of Stygia would you have a knife?! You do realize officers carry Tasers and guns, right?!”

“Yeah, so what? I have a nice one so that counts as having a weapon too!” Garble argued, putting the knife away. “Sure, he may have had a gun, but he was close enough to where I could have gotten a good enough hit on him! That way he wouldn’t have been able to shoot me at all!”

“Try saying that after getting past his bullet proof vest or try to get him in the neck!” Sunset retorted. “And it’s not that he may have had a gun, he did have a gun! Officers carry guns on them for a reason! To protect themselves from idiots like you!”

“I’d say you’re the idiot for stopping me when I had the chance.” Garble snorted with a cross of his arms. “You worry way too much about stuff like this.”

“And you need to try thinking before acting!” Sunset shot back, her comeback holding more fire than the other former bully’s own. “Please promise me that you’ll never do something so stupid like this ever again. I’m not going to be hanging out with you if this is the stuff you’re gonna be dragging me into.”

“But I was gonna-”

“Promise me, Garble!

“Fine, fine! I promise I won’t do something that stupid again!” Garble finally relented, crossing his left index and middle finger behind his back. “Are you happy now?”

“…That depends on how sincere your promise is.” Sunset replied after a second. “If you’re being sincere at all.”

“Well, you’ll just have to see it for yourself huh?” A smirk drew itself across Garble’s face, which earned an eye roll from the girl in front of him. “Anyway… you wanna head over to my house and play some video games? I got some really cool ones I think you’ll like!”

A feeling of uneasiness suddenly washed over Sunset. “Go over… to your house?”

“Yep! It’s a pretty rundown house but it’s still cool, nonetheless. At least when you go inside of it,” Garble nodded. “Trust me, it’s a really awesome house with lots of things to do there! You’ll be in for one heck of a time!”

“Um… actually, I think I’m gonna go ahead and pass on this one.” Sunset responded, taking a step away from Garble. “It’s not gonna be long before school starts and I wanna get there without a tardy.”

“You wanna go to school instead?” He asked with a snap of his head and clear confusion plastered on his face. “What for? I mean yea sure it’s school but I think we could do a few… things here that you might like.”

“Uh-huh! I remembered that I forgot something there anyway, and I need to get it back.” Sunset quickly replied with a hastily thought-up excuse. “You can go on without me!”

“But I-hey wait!” Garble shouted as the bacon-haired girl ran down the street. “What about the games?!”

“I can come by to play some other time!” Sunset shouted over her shoulder. “Gotta go now!”

“Wait, hold on!” Garble yelled out as Sunset vanished out of sight. “Damn it… and here I thought I’d be able to play New Mario Bros U with her.”

---

A half hour later and Sunset found herself within sight of Canterlot Junior High and High School. Unlike with the trek to the park, Sunset found this one easier as it allowed her to think to herself. About the little exchange that happened between her and Garble with him inviting her to his home.

Sunset was not sure what it was, but something about that request felt off to her. It wasn’t that she believed Garble had any ill intentions – at least not from what she saw – but she couldn’t help but feel discomfort from it. Like what Sunset was being offered was more than she would be able to handle.

“I can’t believe he wanted me to go to his home and play ‘video games’ with him” she thought “Sure games yeah probably some code for something”

She didn’t know what was in store for her accepting Garble's invitation but she felt it had been wise to turn it down. At least for the time being, since she was not in a mood, or mindset appropriate for something like a gaming session. Sunset hoped Garble wouldn’t be mad at her later on and find another sort of activity not involving going to an acquaintance's home. If he chose not to, that is.

“I’ll have to remember to read up on this subject later on when I am alone at school”. Sunset muttered to herself as she approached the school's entrance which was still covered in plastic and still had a giant gaping hole in it. “Yeesh I really did make a mess of things during the Fall Formal. Why couldn’t you just let me have what I wanted Twilight? Why?”

Deciding to save any further thoughts on the subject for later, Sunset stopped just short of entering the school's entrance taking note of a police car parked in the front parking lot of the school. Turning her head in the general direction of the officer she noticed a few faculty members coming down the sidewalk one stopped and nodded to the officer. Paying neither the school's faculty members nor the officer any attention she began to make her way inside the school and to a not so nice surprise.

“What the bucking Stragoth?!” She screamed, causing several faculty members to turn their heads to her general direction.

Cunt.

Demon.

Bitch.

Whore.

Skank.

It was these five words that were crudely drawn on her locker in permanent marker that caused her to scream. Done in a way that showed it was in no way cordial or playful. She didn’t know who did it, but she did know that it had to be from some of the people who she messed with before The Fall Formal. Sunset figured that some would still have a bone or two to pick with her, proven by the fight with Lightning Dust. But for them to do something like this?

It was honestly more insulting than having the stuffing beaten out of her.

“Who did this to my locker?!” She cried out again, not noticing – or ignoring – the crowd that was forming all around her. “I… I-I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t even trying to mess with anyone. Why… why would they target me like this?!”

“Why do you think?” One student called out to her from within the crowd that had formed around her. “We all hate you Sunset!”

“Yeah why don’t you just leave and never return”. Another student called out from the crowd that had started to form around her. “You should have left when you had the chance to bitch”.

“You don’t belong here” Still another voice came from the crowd “How dare you stay here when you're not welcome here!”

Liquid began to bubble within Sunset’s eyes like bubbles from boiling water as her eyes shut to keep them in. It was made futile thanks to the laughter she heard coming from the crowd of students that had now almost completely formed around her. Feeling the need to get away, Sunset pushed her way through the crowd and ran down the hallway, hands covering her face.

Had she been paying attention she would have realized she was running towards Cheerilee, who saw her coming long before she escaped the crowd. Her arms opened to catch the distraught teen before they wrapped around her with the protectiveness of a first-time mother. Gazing up at the students still laughing and pointing to Sunsets locker, her green eyes sharpened to an edge so razor-like it was like looking into twin blades of fauna.

“I think you’d all better be on your way,” She advised softly, an undertone sharper than her eyes covering her normal one. “And I’d suggest you do it now… before I decide to call the principal who is in her office as well as the police who are currently if I am not mistaken outside at this very moment. The choice ladies and gentlemen is yours to make”.

Watching the crowd disperse, one of Cheerilee’s hands went to stroke the crying girl’s hair, her glare still on the shrinking group. Once the last one was out of her sight, her hand went down to Sunset’s head as she whispered softly and gently to the sobbing girl held tenderly in her arms.

“There, there Sunset… I’m here, they’re all gone now.” She cooed. “It’ll be alright, sweetheart… I promise.”

“Why… w-why is this happening? They already saw me get beat once… twice even! How much do they need to see me suffer before they’re satisfied?!” Sunset sobbed; face buried in the librarian’s shoulder.

Cheerilee sighed. “I don’t know honey… some students – er people are just like that. No one knows why they do things like this.”

That was more or less a lie. She and everyone else knew the exact reason why the students at this school were doing what they did. For the same ones they had for despising Sunset Shimmer, even before the aftermath of her fall from the top. While the students had full reason to feel upset and hurt for what they were put through, their actions were just deplorable. Cheerilee just could not fathom why they would let their hate and vengeance push them so far. It probably had to do with them having different perspectives on what counted as revenge and what didn’t. But one fact was known for certain to the librarian.

No matter how much of a bully one was to you, that was never an excuse to be one yourself. And if you ever did get to that point, you’re really no better than the one who hurt you.

“I… I don’t want to be here.” Whimpers crawled from Sunset like lava from open soil. “I want to be somewhere else… a-anywhere else. Please… just please take me away.”

“Why don’t you let me take you to the library.” Cheerilee offered. “You can calm down there and get a nice cup of tea before you start your day. Does that sound good to you?”

Sunset gave a sniffle before giving her response. “Y-yeah… I think I’d like that.”

Beaming at the acceptance of her request, Cheerilee took the girl by her hand and led her to where the library was. She didn’t look behind her at her new guest, for she felt Sunset did not want her to look at how broken she was. It was not aware to Cheerilee just how much pain she was in, but she was nonetheless determined to do something about it. Even if it meant just giving her a silent place to talk to someone, with some to ease her worries.

Next Chapter: Chapter 6 – Dimming Suns Part 2 of 9 Wednesday August 3rd, 7:45am Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 2 Minutes