Her alarm went off again, and Sunset knew this was when she had to decide: get up and try to go in, or take another “sick day” from school. It was extremely tempting to stay home again, to hibernate the day away wrapped up in her blanket and watching some of the stuff backlogged on her Netflix…but she knew she couldn't hide forever. She had to go back—there were three tests in her schedule today, one of them a major history test for several chapters that was worth a huge chunk of her grade for the semester. With her struggles in that class, she could not afford to miss that test.

Sunset let out a grumpy sound, and crawled out of bed on all fours before rising begrudgingly to two. In her mind, there was absolutely nothing about this day she was looking forward to dealing with. It was almost a certainty that by now Luna had told Principal Celestia everything the former unicorn had shared with her, and she dreaded how they would look at her from now on. Probably with pity, which she hated. She didn't want or need pity. Or sympathy. Or for them to do anything to acknowledge the story at all—it would be better for everyone if they just pretended they’d never heard it at all.

Slumping against the cold tile in her shower, Sunset turned on the water, setting the temperature to as hot as she could stand. There was a brief few seconds of frigid cold that did a lot to clear the cobwebs from her brain, before the water heated to a wonderful scalding hot temperature. It felt good, the heat seeping into her, and she soaked it up for a long time before reaching for her shampoo.

The pair of administrators had deserved an honest explanation for her meltdown, given how poorly she had reacted to her Principal’s genuine concern, and everything she’d told Luna had been the truth…but at the same time, she didn't want it to be seen as an excuse to all the things she had done, all the crimes she had committed. The Elements had been right: those choices were made of her own volition. “I still did it to myself. Tragic backstory doesn't justify any of it, Shimmer,” she told herself, a hint of bitterness in her voice. After all, she’d done that song and dance for years, and it was what had put her where she was today. That thought repeated as she scrubbed away two days of misery and let it wash down the drain.

Thirty minutes later she was walking to school, hands in her pockets. She didn't feel like driving today, the chill air helping to clear the last bit of fog from her mind, and she ducked into the Sugarcube Bakery to pick up breakfast for herself.

The bakery was decorated with fall colors, with pumpkins wearing spooky faces and the cutouts of black cats and bats stuck to the walls and windows. A string of black and orange letters proclaimed “Happy Halloween!” on the display case, making Sunset blink. She’d really lost track of days if the human version of Nightmare Night had snuck up on her like this. A glance at her phone confirmed the date, and she shook her head. She would just have to be extra on guard today, since teenagers seemed to view it as a day to engage in mischief as well as frightening the daylights out of anyone they could.

Blue-green eyes stared through the glass, trying to decide what she wanted for her breakfast—besides a very strong coffee with extra cream and sugar in it. Her eyes roved over the danishes and tarts, slices of cake and cheesecake, to the sweet pastries and donuts she enjoyed. What she saw hit her with a wave of bittersweet nostalgia, especially because she’d dredged up memories of her foalhood the other day.

Displayed there were a selection of holiday themed goodies, cookies and donuts and other baked treats shaped and decorated to look like pumpkins, black cats, bats, spiders, witches, ghosts, and...bat-ponies. They came in all kinds and flavors, so there was something for everyone to enjoy. In an instant, her mind was transported to another time and place.

“Happy Nightmare Night, Princess!” she cried gleefully, prancing happily in place, the mock guard armor over the tiny filly body bordering on comical to any adult eyes. Not that Sunset cared—at five, it was the best costume ever! “I’m your guard for Nightmare Night!”

Princess Celestia knelt down before her, a soft smile on her face. “A most fierce and powerful warrior, my little sun. I shall be more than protected from any danger when we go out to leave our offering.” One wing extended to tip Sunset’s chin up. “Of course, we both know there’s no court today, so we have plenty of time to prepare that offering. Is my noble guardspony prepared to help me bake this afternoon?”

This was her favorite part of the whole day! All the other foals went and collected candy to offer Nightmare Moon, but the Princess always baked with her, and they left cookies instead. The Princess told her she thought Nightmare Moon might like bat-pony cookies more, and if those cookies just happened to be cookies Sunset liked too? That just helped make this the best holiday EVER!
“Yes! Cookies for Nightmare Night! Can we make some shaped like a raven too? Raven helped me with my costume. Were you surprised Mm—Princess Celestia?”

Sunset found herself caught in a warm wing-hug that drew her close to the large white mare. “Oh, little sun, I love your costume. It was such a wonderful surprise....”

Sunset dashed the tears that had built in her eyes during her trip down memory lane, and in a moment of whimsy, decided to not just get her breakfast donuts, but some of the cookies as well. She stepped up to the line, already reaching for her wallet.

A few minutes later and she had resumed her trek to school, a large coffee and a bag with a few boxes of baked goods stacked inside in her hands. All but her breakfast and one of the boxes she tucked away in her study room retreat, locking the door on the way out. That last box and her breakfast was taken to her first class, where she took the time before her peers arrived to prepare herself for the day.

She was still finishing her last donut and nursing her coffee when Rarity slid into the seat next to her. “Good morning, darling. We missed you yesterday…are you…alright?”

There it was. The questioning and concern, though it did feel nice that someone even put on the appearance of caring. “I’ll live. Rainbow Dash didn't say anything the rest of the school wasn't already thinking. I was a bitch for a long time, and it’s not a surprise that no one wants me around now.”

“That’s not the point, Sunset. You had done nothing wrong at the table—you were keeping to yourself and not bothering a soul. Rainbow Dash’s concerns may or may not have had merit, but her outburst was inappropriate and unfair.” She made a sound of annoyance, likely at Rainbow. “I do hope you will give us another chance; We gave Rainbow quite the stern talking to about the matter.”

“Why?” Sunset demanded, her tone edging towards harsh.

“Why what, darling?” Rarity responded with patient, level calm.

“Why yell at Rainbow Dash? She wasn’t wrong—I tormented everyone for years, broke apart your friendships, terrorized, manipulated, humiliated, or blackmailed most of the school into submission, and that doesn't even touch on what I put Fluttershy through.” Bitterness and self-loathing made her hands shake, and she gripped the edge of her desk to hide it. “You were right, in the bakery. I don't deserve any kind of second chance from anyone in this school, and Rainbow shouldn't be yelled at for feeling that way.”

Rarity opened her mouth to answer, but Sunset pressed on. “Why am I given a chance I don’t deserve, but Rainbow Dash isn't allowed to voice her feelings about it? Doesn’t she deserve to be heard by her friends?”

“And what about Fluttershy?” The redhead’s heart ached with guilt. “Doesn’t she deserve to eat lunch in peace with her friends, not mere feet from someone who spent years making her cry and live in fear? And what about everyone else in the school?” Tears of shame burned in her eyes. “Don’t they deserve to eat lunch without looking at me?”

The pale skinned tailor sat in silence for a minute, studying Sunset with the same scrutinizing stare she had used in the bakery several weeks prior. “It might interest you to know that the first person to address Rainbow Dash’s inappropriate outburst, Sunset, was Fluttershy herself. She was quite adamant in her belief that Rainbow was out of line, that while she has a right to be upset, there are appropriate ways to go about voicing her displeasure.”

“She also wanted me to tell you that she is hoping you will give us another chance.”

Emotions warred within the former bully, and she didn't know how to respond. After several long heartbeats of silence, she mumbled a response, “I…I don’t know, Rarity. I think me being in the lunchroom at all is a mistake. I’ll…think about it.” Then, before she could back out, she shoved the box of cookies towards the other girl. “Here. Could you...these are for Fluttershy. I...wanted to...make up for ruining her lunch...but...”

Rarity peeked into the box, surprise written on her face at the cookies shaped like cats and bat-ponies. “These are Fluttershy’s favorite flavor. How did you—?”

“I know a lot more about people in this school than they know...I had to, to get where I was. Just, maybe don't tell anypon—anyone the cookies came from me. No reason to ruin the day.” She fell silent staring into space, and the other girl left her alone, a frown on her face as she fiddled with her phone.

A brief glance at her own phone showed her daily morning exchange with Twilight, but nothing new, so she tucked it away in favor of doodling on a piece of notebook paper, sketching Equestrian glyphs amidst rough representations of magical creatures. It distracted her from thinking about lunch.

An hour and forty minutes to lunch, and she still hadn't made her decision. She was, instead, stuck on an essay question halfway through her history test, writing furiously in an attempt to answer a question she didn't fully understand. “Stupid murder monkeys and their weird values,” she griped under her breath.

A paper ball hit her in the back of the head as she turned the page, and she exhaled in irritation. She wasn’t even allowed to take a test in peace.

She weighed her choices as she stopped by her locker to grab her lunch, only to stare at the artwork adorning the door. It wasn't museum worthy by any means, but she could get its meaning easily enough. It was the cafeteria tables, with the center one holding a demonic caricature of herself tied to a post while stick figures threw things at her. Words were scrawled below it:

Sunset opened the door to grab her lunch, and then set off for the library. She slipped up the stairs, to the dimly lit reference area that time forgot, and unlocked the door to her private sanctuary that had once been a study room. Over the last few years she’d transformed it into her own little retreat, complete with a pile of beanbag chairs and overstuffed pillows. It was there that she collapsed, digging into the bag for her lunch.

It was there that Applejack found her, a few minutes later. The farmer stepped in to the room, and sat across from her. “Cozy. Little lonely though. Ya ain’t gonna come join us fer lunch?”

“Nobody really wants me there. Rainbow Dash was right.”

Applejack looked at her for a long time, silent and thoughtful. “It's not really about what they want, now is it? The important question: is what do ya want, Sunset? Is this, here, eatin’ alone in the dark what ya really want? Be honest now.”

Sunset looked around the dim room, before looking to Applejack. She had enjoyed their talks during detention, had slowly started to feel the comfortable camaraderie forming between them. Did she want to have more of that during the day? And what about her interactions with Rarity in the morning? Those too had become increasingly pleasant distractions from the nightmare that was the rest of her day. Her body sagged limply into the beanbag chair. “…It’s not. I…don’t want to be alone anymore.” She pressed her fingers to the center of her forehead against a sudden painful pressure there, the sense of faint magic building in the air. “…but it doesn’t matter what I want. I learned my lesson about that, the hard way, and I’m trying to not be a selfish, horrible person anymore.”

“Horseshit.” When she gave the farmer an annoyed look, green eyes refused to look away. “…Ah mean it. That’s horseshit, an’ Ah’m gonna tell ya why.” She tipped her hat back. “There’s a huge difference between bein’ selfish an’ bein’ yerself. An’ at the end of the day, bein’ true ta yerself is the most important thing ya kin do. It’s not selfish ‘r wrong ta want ta be yerself if it ain’t hurtin’ nobody; the way Ah see it, what’s yer sittin’ with us at lunch got ta do with anyone but us? Ya were there fer ten whole minutes an’ nothin’ exploded, no one got hurt, an’ it was nice, right? Then, pardon me fer borrowin’ Dash’s language, but ‘fuck ‘em.’”

Sunset blinked, nostrils flaring in a snort of surprise partially due to the crude bluntness, but also from magic she was sure she was sensing, magic far stronger than the human world should have. Applejack held up a hand to forestall comments and continued amidst the sensation of swelling magic that was putting painful pressure on Sunset’s head where her horn used to be. “Ah’m serious. Don’ matter what they think’r’want. Ah’ve gotten ta know Sunset Shimmer in the last few weeks—ya kin learn lots about someone by workin’ with ‘em—an’ Ah wouldn’ have invited ya iffin Ah didn’ like ya. Fact is, Sunset, when yer not being a witch an’ tryin’ ta knock folks down, yer more’n alright. Yer fun and easy ta talk ta, yer pretty smart, an’ ya don’t dominate a conversation with yer ego and the need ta be the center of attention. That’s a damned sight better’n half the students in this school, an’ ya only been at this fer a month. ‘S far’s Ah’m concerned, yer my friend, just as much as Rainbow is, an’ she kin kindly sit down, shut the hell up, an’ color fer once in her life—Ah learned a lesson about bein’ pigheaded an’ not given someone a chance when Ah found out Ah spent a year and change mad at Dash fer no reason.”

“So Ah’m gonna ask again, Sunset. Whaddya really want? D’ya wanna eat lunch with us from now on? The seat’s yers if ya want it, but Ah ain’t gonna force ya. All Ah ask is that ya be honest—with yerself an’ with yer friends.”

The former unicorn straightened, shoulders back, and met Applejack’s gaze. “…I…I would like that. A lot…”

“Then don’ worry about what other’s think. Just be the Sunset Shimmer ya are when yer tellin’ me about Magic Pony Land, or laughin’ at how many times Applebloom an’ her friends come back ta the house covered in treesap. People will like ya or not no matter what, but at least yer gonna like yerself.”

She shook her head. “I wish it was that simple, but it's not…I…I would like to sit with you and Rarity but...” A shudder rippled through her. “...I’m afraid of what might happen...Rainbow Dash doesn’t want me there, the rest of the school doesn’t want me there. They hate me, and they have good reason to.”

“Why’re ya afraid?” Applejack asked her, resting her hat on one knee. “Ah mean, sure...they’re givin’ ya dirty looks, but ain’t like they gonna lynch ya.”

Sunset sighed and set down her water. “Because I feel like I’m...trapped in a room full of hungry timberwolves and pony is on the menu.”

The farmer considered, tapping her fingers on the leather of the hat, thinking. “Ah guess that makes sense...Ah got an idea though: a compromise.”

“What kind of compromise?”

“Mebbe we kin eat lunch with ya somewheres other than the lunchroom. Like...by the statue? Or Ah know places like the music room are empty during lunch.”

The former unicorn nodded slowly. “...I could do that...but...some days I...might just come here. Sometimes I need the chance to be by myself?” Sunset cringed, hoping that wouldn't upset Applejack.

“That’s fair nuff, Ah reckon. Still wanna see ya tomorrow fer lunch though, even if we go ta the statue fer lunch instead. Meet me outside the lunchroom tomorrow—no runnin’ again.”

Sunset gave her a shaky nod. “Right...I’ll be there...”

Applejack glanced at her watch. “Can’t make detention today—Mac needs mah help settin’ up the hay maze fer tonight’s Trick’r’Treaters. Pinkie wanted me ta ask iffin ya wanted ta join us fer the festivities. No pressure, o’course, but yer welcome ta join us.”

She frowned and shook her head. “I...think I’ll pass. It's...I’m still kind of...weird about human holidays.”

AJ put the hat back on her head. “Ah kin respect that. Ah should prolly get goin’ afore the bell rings, but Ah’ll see ya in gym later.”

The magic flared one final time and was gone without even a trace, leaving Sunset with no answers, a headache, and more questions than before, as the farmer slipped out with the lunch bell.

At the same time, the words echoed in her head, bouncing around inside her skull. Her eyes found the boxes of cookies she’d bought.

“Be true to myself? To what I want and what I feel?” Sunset chewed her lip. An idea began to take root in her mind, one she pondered on for her last few classes of the day.

Tried to make Applejack's accent both reasonably easy to read and also phonetically accurate to the way someone with a drawl like hers speaks. Just be glad she's more Texas than Alabama or Georgia. I'm not sure I'd be able to write that with a straight face.

And yes, I do think tiny filly sunset is absolutely made of adorableness. She's supposed to be. *casually plays with peoples emotions*

Lastly, "Sit down, shut the fuck up, and color" is a bit of a nod to an old Werewolf LARP I used to go to.