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Early December
Canterlot High School
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With the Musical Showcase Fundraiser happening on the coming Saturday, the whole school was overflowing with school spirit and the energy of participation. The pre-lunch free-period shared by most students was being used by many to head to the large open space of the gym to make up posters and flyers to hang up around both the school and nearby neighborhoods to advertise for the event in an effort to drum up hype.

Sunset crept around the gym, not seeing her friends yet, and hoping to find someone she could offer her assistance to in the meantime. She had been the reason the school needed this fundraiser, after all, and she felt like she should do something to help. Hope bubbled up as she spotted three students who might be more willing to give her the time of day than most, and she padded quickly and quietly to where they were making a big banner. She bent down to pick up a paint brush, took a deep breath, and plunged right into the deep end. “Want some help?” she asked with as much cheer in her voice as she could muster, trying to cover the trepidation that made her voice nearly crack.

Scootaloo looked up at her in surprise, but it was the other two that made the hope die in Sunset’s chest. Despite their sisters having embraced Sunset Shimmer as a friend, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked at her with open wariness and mistrust. “Uh…No thanks. We’re good,” Applebloom said, her tone implying that she would have appreciated Sunset speaking to literally anyone else in the room, and Sweetie looked worried, as if she were afraid that the former queen of the school would get angry at them for the refusal. Scootaloo just looked back and forth between her two compatriots, not sure how to handle the situation.

Sunset looked away, fighting to keep her face from showing the hurt. “Oh…Okay…” she said, putting the paintbrush back. All around she could feel eyes on her, and she felt the familiar sense of judgment and exposure that left her spirit aching and a pit in her stomach.

“SUNSET SHIMMER! Over heeeeeeere!” a voice echoed loudly through the room.

Her head shot up in surprise, a short snort flaring her nostrils before she recognized Pinkie Pie’s eagerly waving form from across the gym. Scattered around a big poster near Pinkie were the other girls, all grinning her way. She felt a half smile creep onto her face, and she started carefully picking her way through the bodies scattered around towards them. The yell had drawn everyone’s attention to her, and as she moved, she could hear the whispering begin—still better than being tripped or harassed, but it killed the smile before she’d taken a dozen steps. She shrank into her jacket and wished she’d chosen to wear jeans that day instead of one of her skirts—maybe then she would feel less exposed than she did right now, with the illusion of something covering her legs to offset the way the pointed stares and frowns and lingering resentment dug into her flesh to get to her psyche. By the time she got close to her friends, her shoulders slumped and her head was tilted towards the floor to avoid meeting people’s eyes. “….I had no idea the whole school would be here,” she lamented with a heavy sigh, feeling Fluttershy put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She glanced up, trying to smile at the five girls around her, but the expression was as hollow as she felt.

Rarity exchanged looks with Pinkie, and the two of them picked up the poster, holding it up for Sunset to see. “Quite the eye-catching advertisement, if I do say so myself,” Rarity noted smugly, as she presented it with a flourish of her free hand.

“And it smells like cake!” Pinkie chirped gleefully.

Fluttershy took a step forward, amused and puzzled. “It does?” she asked, leaning forward to sniff the air, only to get a face full of poster as Pinkie brought it into contact with her excitedly. When the poster was pulled away, bits of glitter and something colorful and sticky was plastered to animal lover’s face.

“I used frosting instead of paste!” Pinkie proclaimed.

The rest of the girls giggled, even Sunset—Pinkie’s antics could be counted on to make her smile when she felt rough these days, and she was grateful for it. Without this kind of support, she knew she’d be in far worse shape than she was. It was still a tough road, but things were slowly getting better. With a long weekend away from school for Thanksgiving—three wonderful days spent at Twilight’s house, eating delicious food, being treated like she was part of the family and having plenty of chances to cuddle up with her girlfriend in private, plus it being four and a half days away from school—coupled with the several weeks since Rainbow Dash’s defiant message and Principal Celestia’s thinly veiled threats at the assembly, Sunset’s days at school were no longer the hellish swamp of hostility, harassment, and malice that had been her reality for several months. People still despised her, but they did it quietly and without throwing things at her in the halls, so Sunset would count it as a small victory.

Applejack chuckled again, and pointed to her nose. “Uh, Fluttershy? Ya gotta little somethin’ uh…”

The girl wiped her cheek, knocking some of the glitter off her skin. “Did I get it?”

“Heh…not exactly,” was the response.

Sunset reached into her jacket’s internal pocket, retrieving a handkerchief she kept there for emergencies, before leaning over and cleaning the mess of sugary frosting and glitter off the other teen’s face, bemused. She was still trying to figure out where she fit in with them, but it did feel good to be useful and helpful, something she never would have felt when she was the old Sunset.

Footsteps sounded behind her as she wiped away the last of the glitter, followed by the ringing and pleasant voice of the Principal. Sunset turned towards her, listening.

“Good afternoon, students!” she called, despite the fact that it was still before lunch. Though if the Principal was anything like her counterpart, she was the absolute definition of a morning person, so for her, it was pretty much afternoon. Sunset shook away memories of being a very young filly, watching the sun be raised before hiding back under Celestia’s pillow, her rump in the air, trying to go back to sleep while the Solar Princess tried to coax her out of bed with the promise of happy pancakes. Surely if she’d been meant to be a morning pony, she would’ve been named ‘Sunrise.’

“I just wanted to tell you all how pleased I am that so many of you are going to participate in the first ever Canterlot High School Musical Showcase!” the Principal continued, causing the students to raise their voices in a hearty cheer. “This is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for all our after-school programs here at CHS. So keep working on those signs and posters. I think it's going to be one of the most exciting events we've had at CHS since the Fall Formal.”

It wasn’t meant to be a dig at her, Sunset knew, but the mention of the formal made her flinch back against the collapsed bleachers, especially as the cheer and positivity in the room gave way once more to thinly veiled anger directed at her. She groaned and slid into a sitting position, curling her knees to her chest, wishing again she was in pants (the floor was frigid), and begging the universe for enough magic to make herself invisible. She rested her head on her knees, doing everything she could to control her breathing and not show weakness in front of the bulk of the school’s population.

How long she sat there, she didn’t know, but it couldn’t have been long. Her friends crowded around her, easing her to her feet, and put her in the center of the group as they walked her to the music room so they could practice a little before lunch—and so they could get her away from the rest of the school’s judging stares.

“We got you, Shimmer. You’re with us, girl.” Rainbow nudged her into the room. “Ignore those losers.”

Sunset smiled wanly at them, hoisting herself up to sit on the piano. “I am never going to live that down,” she moaned, resting her chin in her hands, elbows on her knees. As fickle as teenagers usually were, the students at CHS were clinging especially hard to the Fall Formal.

“You were pretty bad at the Fall Formal,” Fluttershy noted, reaching up to retrieve a tambourine from the shelf. It was obvious she was trying to be truthful but also not hurt the redhead’s feelings any worse.

The former unicorn wasn’t going to sugarcoat it for herself or her friends. She was very much aware of her crimes. “A demon,” she corrected, crossing her arms over her chest. “I turned into a raging she-demon.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow looking at her with obvious concern, and she closed her eyes to avoid seeing it any longer. It was the truth, and she wasn’t going to deny it—they’d been there, they’d lived through it, she’d almost killed them. She might not be as much of a monster as she’d been that night, but she still didn’t think she’d made up for her mistakes yet.

Pinkie Pie put on a show of lurching with her arms out in front of her stiffly. “Aaaaand tried to turn everyone here into teenage zombies for your own personal army!” she pointed out cheerily, doing her best impression of an extra from the Walking Dead. Sunset cringed again, this time from the weird way the party planner arched her spine to look back at her, her face nearly upside down. She would never get used to the weird way humans could bend—although maybe that was just the insanity that was Pinkie. She wasn’t entirely sure.

“Oh, darling,” Rarity tutted at her. “You have us, and we’ve forgiven you for your…” she glanced away, clearing her throat. “…booboos.”

Applejack joined in the encouragement. “Ta be honest, Ah’d say the entire experience brought everyone at Canterlot High closer than ever before!” She fiddled with the strings on her bass, before flashing a thumbs up to the rest of the group that she was ready to play.

Pinkie bounded eagerly over to her drum kit, excitedly calling out, “One! Two! Three!”

Weeks of twice daily practice had transformed the “Rainbooms” from an awkward and accidental band into an actual competent set of performers, though it hadn’t been entirely intentional. However, after the magic manifestation and subsequent transformations, Sunset had encouraged them to practice often, especially when she could watch in an attempt to gather more data on the phenomenon. (It wasn’t going particularly well, as any attempts to jury rig human technology to measure magic ended with her being plastered to a wall, buried in magic apples, levitated to the ceiling, or absolutely covered in rainbow goo. She had given up on that angle and was hoping inspiration would strike in some other way.) All the extra practice had brought them into harmony, at least, and they would sound great during the showcase…though she still heard the empty space in all their songs where a rhythm guitar would complete the sound, and at night in her apartment she would practice on her own electric guitar, playing the music that could fill that blank space as she replayed the songs in her mind.

She knew that she could have volunteered the knowledge that she played, and that the group of girls would have likely fought to include her, even if it meant defying Vice-Principal Luna’s mandate about her suspension from school based activities. Sunset didn’t want to do that to them though—her presence would cause them more trouble, and so she was content to sit on the sidelines for now, no matter how much she might’ve wanted to play with them. She was still trying to find her place with the group as it was—she was learning that it was one thing to be welcomed into the group, it was another to figure out what one’s role within the social dynamic was. Until she did, it was better if she didn’t rock the proverbial boat.

Magic swelled in the room, and Sunset couldn’t help but smile. The wonderful, amazing feeling of home, as layered as the Equestrian energy was with those other magics, felt good, and with the moods of the musicians being filled with joy and friendship and love—who Rarity and AJ thought they were fooling she didn’t know, but any doubts were erased in her mind when the magic flooded her soul—it buoyed her up, washing away the pain and doing something to fill the aching hole in her that nothing else besides her Twilight could manage to affect.

Ears relocated to the tops of their heads, hair extended down into ends that evoked the image of a pony’s tail, and impressive wings burst from Fluttershy and Rainbow’s shoulders at the same time that perfect unicorn horn formed on Rarity’s brow. Sunset was still a little envious, every time it happened, but she resisted the urge to rub her forehead, lest someone pick up on the habit. Tension drained out of her as the two pegasi influenced humans turned their attention on her, the lyrics in that moment meant for her, letting her know that even if she wasn’t playing with them, she was still one of them.

It made her hop off the piano, head bobbing and foot tapping to the music, the rhythm guitar playing in her head with them, and she played off the unconscious raising of her hand into position on the imaginary frets by snapping her fingers a few times, before forcing the appendage to her side. When it happened a second time, she settled for clapping along with the beat, keeping her hands busy as she soaked up music, magic, and emotion. These sessions, long or short, always left all of them feeling invigorated, and she needed it today.

As the song ended, the magic faded away with their transformations, and Sunset applauded the performance heartily. Rarity laughed. “I still can't believe that happens when we play,” she gushed, having taken fairly well to the transformations once it became apparent they weren’t hurting any of them. She set her keytar down, before she jolted up. “Ooo! I've got to look into some new accessories!” It was clear she was going into what Sunset was starting to mentally label as ‘Designer Mode.’ “Something that looks good in a longer ponytail. Ooh! Maybe some clip-on earrings for when I get those adorable pony ears.”

Sunset chuckled, not wanting to point out that the ears were the last thing one looked at on an attractive mare for rating ‘adorableness.’ That would open up a conversation she still wasn’t ready to have with her companions. If she would ever be ready to have that conversation with them or any one else. Ever. At least…on this side of the mirror. And speaking of awkward conversations…

Applejack watched Rarity with an expression that seemed both annoyed and amused, but glimmering in green eyes was a deeper emotion that Sunset thought she caught a flicker of. They really weren’t that subtle, and she wondered sometimes if she should broach the subject with one or both of them. She wasn’t sure it was her place to say anything. The farmer sat up more. “Ah just wonder why it happens. Princess Twilight took her crown back to Equestria. Shouldn't that mean she took all the magic back with her?” She looked to Sunset for answers.

That was a question that had already been plaguing Sunset, though not for the same reasons. In her case, it wasn’t puzzling over why the magic hadn’t been taken back—she knew it wouldn’t have been, not all of it. However, the magic had been dispersed in a wave, so it should have traveled along in an increasingly weak outward trajectory until it was too diffused to be much of anything…what of it didn’t traverse through the pathetic examples of leylines that existed in this world where the lack of magic felt like an icy void. At best, the local area should have become more infused, bringing its ambient magic to a higher level for a time….but the ambient level hadn’t changed. Instead, it seemed like the magic was being generated inside the five girls themselves, something which, according to all theory and knowledge Sunset had on the subject of magical energies said should not be possible to the degree and frequency with which they were producing the energy. Not as humans with no inherent magic, anyway. The levels they were producing was on par with an average unicorn foal in Equestria…and it had been increasing little by little.

Rainbow huffed. “Who cares why it happens? It makes my band totally awesome!” Sunset frowned at the arrogance dripping from the athlete’s voice.

Rarity made a sound of indignation, whipping around with an offended expression. “Your band?” she demanded archly.

Rainbow grinned smugly. “Duh! It was my idea to start the Rainbooms so we could be in the showcase. Plus I'm the lead singer and guitarist.”

The redhead rolled her eyes—she could practically taste Dash’s ego in those words, and she could feel the rising irritation from all the other girls in the room. She wasn't sure what had gotten into Rainbow lately, but ever since she’d roped the girls into the showcase, she’d been getting a bit of a swelled head. She opened her mouth to comment, but someone knocked loudly on the music room door, gaining their attention and halting an impending argument.

The door swung inward and Flash Sentry stepped into the room, his voice friendly but a little hesitant and awkward. “Uh…Heard you outside,” the blue haired boy began. “You guys are sounding really tight.” He offered a goofy smile that Sunset knew from past experience he thought was charming. Mostly she’d always thought it made him look like a Labrador puppy—over eager to please but pretty stupid. Even now that she was not quite the caustic bitch she used to be, she still couldn’t see what other females would find appealing about the expression. Still, she didn’t want to cause a scene—Flash hadn’t caused much in the way of problems for her after her fall, but he also hadn’t sought her out to make amends either. The former unicorn felt that in the meantime, avoiding her ex-trophy boyfriend was the best course of action…especially given his current crush.

She tried to make herself small and unobtrusive by the piano as he walked into the room, hands in his pockets. The rest of the girls felt the tension in the air, even Dash, and she tried to break it by responding directly to his compliment for the group.

“Uh, we're getting there.” She glanced around to further the statement, before adding hastily, “Rarity's still coming in a little late on the second verse, and Applejack's bass solo could use a little work. They'll get it together in time for the showcase.”

The two girls in question scowled at the back of Rainbow’s head, then exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Sunset resisted the urge to groan and tell the athlete to put the shovel down before she really dug her own grave.

Flash rubbed the back of his head bashfully, finally getting around to the real reason he’d bothered to try and talk to them. “Uh…I don’t suppose any of our friends from..uh…out of town…might come?” His cheeks darkened slightly as he tried to keep from stammering. “…it being a special…charity event and all?”
And there it was—the elephant in the room: Flash’s crush on Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack had stood up and stepped forward to answer as truthfully but as gently as she could to the love-struck boy. “…Sorry, Flash. Ah don’ think Twilight’s gonna be back at Canterlot High anytime soon.”

The guitarist wilted, laughing to cover his embarrassment and disappointment.”Oh, yeah. Okay.” He scuffed his feet, starting to walk backwards towards the exit. “I just, you know, thought I'd ask,” he tried, only managing to make the room more awkward as all six girls watched him go. Even Sunset felt a little bad for him. “Uh, k-keep on rockin' it!”

THUD!

Especially when he backed right into the wall instead of the door and had to slide sideways, cheeks flushed in shame as he hightailed it out of the room.

Once his footsteps had faded, Rarity laughed—not a mean laugh, but one that belied her amusement and was meant to get rid of the weird feeling that had come over the room. “Weeeell….Someone is quite the smitten kitten…”

Sunset sagged against the piano, guilt and awkwardness creating an odd sensation in her innards, one that was at war with another urge: defensiveness. She knew that Flash’s feelings were towards the Equestrian Princess, not the human girl who shared her name and face, but by this point she’d spent far more time around the adorably dorky girl with glasses than she ever had the Princess, and so that was who she associated the name ‘Twilight Sparkle’ with…her Twilight Sparkle. Her Sparky. The girl that she held in her arms on the weekends and that snuck kisses with her on her sofa. As nice a guy as Flash may have been, it would be a frosty winter in the bowels of Tartarus before she let him transfer his crush onto Sparky and look at her girl with that stupid smile.

Rarity mistook her expression’s meaning and offered an apology. “Oh. Sorry. I always forget you and Flash used to be an item.”

Sunset hurriedly tried to reassure them all, rolling her eyes and waving her hand. “It's okay. Flash is a great guy and all…” That was very true at the least—Flash Sentry was genuine and kind, and it had been the whole reason she’d picked him for her machinations. “…but I never really liked-him liked him. I was just using him to become more popular.” Her voice and expression fell again as she found herself admitting it all out loud, and she made a disgusted sound, feeling more than a little sick. She rested her face in her hand as the shame won out against all the other emotions. “The old me really was just awful, wasn't she?”

Despite it being a mostly rhetorical question, the other girls murmured agreement, before Applejack broke in with something positive to try and perk her mood up, coming over to put an arm around her. “But the important thing is ya’ve turned yerself around.”

“Thanks, Applejack…but I’m not sure everyone else at CHS feels the same way…” She sighed, staring at the floor again and trying to search for some manner of positive.

The PA system let out its tinny sounding feedback as it crackled to life, and Vice-Principal Luna’s voice echoed through the halls. “Sunset Shimmer, please report to the main foyer.”

She jolted. “Gotta run,” she explained. “I volunteered to show some new students around the school. Thought it'd be good for them to get to know the new me before they heard all the stuff about the old me.”

As she trotted away, she could hear the chatter resume in the music room.
“We've still got a few minutes before lunch starts. What do you say we do ‘Awesome As I Wanna Be?’” Rainbow’s voice was eager, upbeat.

Fluttershy’s response was almost too quiet for her to hear. “Um, Rainbow Dash? I was wondering if we could maybe play the song I wrote?”

The athlete’s response was incredibly dismissive, and Sunset frowned as she started to turn the corner.. “We'll get to it.”

I know, fairly close to the script, but...It’s important long term.

And...yes...I’m aware she has...opinions...about Flash. Baby steps, Sunset, baby steps.

(Believe it or not, I actually think of Flash as “a good character who received unfair amounts of hate by fans for all the right reasons.” The forced—yet dangling, since in the first two movies Sunset makes her lack of emotional investment clear—attempt at a romance subplot are terrible, but the notion of a decent male character who acts as a supporting cast member to the group is a neat one that i feel like couldve been used more. So if youre one of those folks who likes him, dont worry, I’m not turning this into one of those stories that draws and quarters him.)