What was that obnoxious buzzing in her ear? Sunset snorted irritably, tightening her arms around Twilight and nuzzling deeper into her neck. She just wanted to sleep, cuddled up with the warm body in her arms that felt so good and right when they were tucked together in the cocoon of blankets. The parasprites or whatever it was making that noise could go somewhere else…they were interrupting something more important.

“Sunny…”

“Whuh?” she mumbled into dark hair. “…lemme sleep…”

A giggle. “I need to get up for school.”

Sunset tightened her arms once more. “…no school…snuggle time…” she countered with a childish whine in her voice, still mostly asleep.

“Sunset...I have an exam today. I can’t miss school.” Twilight pressed their lips together. “Let me up, and then you can go back to sleep. Mom said she’d call your school for you if you want. As much as I can’t stand the idea of missing school, you still look like you are on the verge of coming down with an illness.”

“...why’re you such a morning pony?” Sunset slurred.

“Some people are just morning people. I take after my father.” Twilight kissed her again and wriggled free of the embrace despite Sunset making grabby hands for her.

The redhead pried her eyes open to watch her girlfriend get her things together for school, half pouting in disappointment that she couldn’t convince Twilight to stay longer. Once Twilight left the room—Sunset got one last lingering kiss out of that, at least—she grabbed her phone off the nightstand and sent a message to the girls.

-Overtaxed my magic Saturday, still not 100%. taking today off for recovery. Just glad I’m in a human body, because I’d be in need of more than sleep and food otherwise. Be in tomorrow for exams. Let VP know?-

Then she grumbled and rolled herself back into the blankets. If she couldn’t hold onto Twilight, she could at least surround herself with Twilight’s scent.

Twilight Velvet poked her head into her daughter’s room not long after her husband had left with their youngest to drop her at school on his way to work. A messy shock of fiery hair stood out amidst the cooler colors of the bedding, her daughter’s best friend curled up and snoring around a pillow with a contented smile on her face. The older woman tiptoed forward, reaching down to straighten the blankets and cover the teen back up. She paused for a moment, hand outstretched towards the blanket that was half off the bed and took the time to study the lonely girl who had crept into the family’s hearts over the past few months.

Sunset looked more relaxed and unguarded than Velvet had ever seen, her hands loosely fisted around the pillow she was snuggling into, the tension and ever present ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ anxiousness having given way to a much happier, carefree expression. Given love, acceptance, and half a chance, Sunset Shimmer was an intelligent, good-hearted, and sensitive girl—so how anyone could neglect or abuse and then toss her away like an old pair of socks was mind-boggling. Especially since she had retained those traits after having been orphaned and then forced to survive on her own with no adult guidance or care, even after having supposedly acted out like many lost children did, bullying and blustering to prevent others from getting too close.

She pulled the blanket back up to cover the girl, smiling softly when the redheaded teen cuddled into the added warmth with a sigh. Whatever the past had been, the Sunset that Velvet and her family had grown to care about was a wonderful young woman who had seen and done far too much for one so young, things that left her shadowed and haunted at an age when her only concerns should have been pop quizzes and prom dates, and both Velvet and her husband had spoken at length on it, coming to the same conclusion. Their house was clearly the girl’s refuge from the outside world, and they would do everything they could to make sure that when she was there all she had to be was a teenage girl—albeit one utterly smitten with their daughter.

Velvet leaned forward, dropping a motherly kiss to the top of Sunset’s head, adjusting the blankets once more before slipping out of the room to go track down her cell phone. She intended to let her sleep as long as possible to help her body recover from the abuse Sunset had put herself through the week before, and that meant someone had to call Sunset’s school and let them know she would be absent for the day.

It took her a few minutes to find the number for the right school, and Velvet sipped her coffee as she listened to it ring on the other end. Just when she was about to give up, someone picked up and a harried sounding woman spoke.

“Canterlot High School, Vice-Principal Luna speaking. My sincerest apologies for the delay—how may I assist you this morning?”

It was a bit surprising to get the administration’s upper echelon answering the office phone, but Velvet chalked it up to exam season. “Yes...I wanted to call in a student absent from school today, and your site didn't list a specific number for attendance.”

“This number is fine for that. Student’s name?” The Vice-Principal sounded fairly exhausted, even over the phone.

“Sunset Shimmer.”

Silence reigned, long enough for Velvet to wonder if the call had dropped. At last, the woman on the other end spoke, and her tone was sharp and worried. “Who is this, and how is it you know Miss Shimmer?”

It was nice to know that other adults in Sunset’s life were looking out for her well-being, Velvet decided, before hastening to calm the educator. “I’m actually the mother of one of her friends—she’s stayed over the last two nights. My name is Twilight Velvet—”

“Wait. Velvet? Shining’s mother?” The Vice-Principal sounded both hopeful and relieved.

“....Yesss...” Velvet trailed off, unsure how to react to this sudden recognition by someone she’d never spoken to before. “Shining Armor is my eldest.”

There was a tired sounding chuckle on the other end, and the stiff, formal tone eased into something much more relaxed. “I’m sorry—we’ve never spoken directly before! I was Cady’s roommate back in college...you sent me that beautiful quilt for my birthday one year?”

That was when it clicked, and she found herself joining in on the laughter. “Oh! That’s why your name seemed familiar! You’re that ‘Lu!’ The one who had a soft spot for my homemade stew!”

“That was definitely me—that stew was exactly what I needed during winter exam week,” Luna replied.

Velvet found a smirk playing across her lips. “You’re also the one who got Shiny over his nerves enough to finally propose to Cadence! You have no idea how much we all appreciate that—I thought he was going to pace a hole in the carpet!”

“The lunkhead just needed some motivation is all. I lit the right kind of fire under him.” Luna's mood sobered, the concern back in an instant. “Sunset is at your house? Is she alright?”

Stirring a bit more sugar into her coffee, Velvet considered how to answer. “She’s...exhausted. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, and I’m concerned she might get sick because of it. We’ve been trying to make her rest and recover.”

A heavy sigh came through the phone. “I cannot stress how much of a debt this school, its students, and its staff owe Sunset Shimmer for last week—though I very much wish she had not been put into such a position at all. I’m glad to know she is safe and alright. I’ll take care of the matter of her attendance here...just...please, Velvet, make sure she is doing alright? The troublemakers responsible for the fiasco last week targeted her in a particularly vicious manner, and my—the principal and I are worried about her mental health.”

Velvet stared into the swirling coffee in her mug as she listened to Luna talk. That the woman was concerned bled through clearly, and with the knowledge that this was the same woman that had been close friends with her son and Cadence for a decade, Twilight Velvet felt much better about Sunset’s well-being when she was off at school. “You...aren’t the only ones who have been concerned. Sunset has been struggling over the last few months a great deal with things no child her age should ever have to put up with. I’m just glad she has principals who care about her as much as we do.”

Luna gave a hum of agreement. “I...concur. I am still quite sour with the behavior of some of my students, and had I been able to offer a greater punishment than I did to some, I would have.” There was another long moment of silence, before she spoke again. “Ma’am, I do not mean to impose, but could I ask a favor of you, about Sunset Shimmer?”

“Ask—the worst I can tell you is ‘no.’”

“Indeed,” the younger woman replied with wry humor. “It is...I am certain you have noticed Sunset’s tendency to take upon herself a burden of blame for things that are neither her fault nor responsibility. I...am concerned that she might do so with the actions of the troublemakers and their antics from last week. I intend to make sure she knows otherwise once she returns to school, but in the meantime, if she does so in your presence, would you please do your best to discourage that line of thinking? She is in no way responsible for the actions of those three wretched, horrid individuals with no sense of remorse, and both the principal and i are incredibly proud of her actions this past week.”

“That is something you didn’t even need to ask—my daughter brought Sunset’s mentally self destructive tendencies to my attention, and if we see her doing so we try our best to turn the negative behaviors into more healthy and positive ones.” Velvet frowned, though she was relieved to know that the admins knew about Sunset’s proclivity towards guilt and self recriminations. “She’s in good hands here, I assure you.”

“That...does a great deal to put my mind at ease. Thank you.”

There was something in Luna’s voice that made her sound as exhausted as Sunset had looked the day before, and Twilight Velvet found herself inquiring, “Are you alright, Luna? You sound utterly exhausted.”

The administrator exhaled a tired sounding sigh. “Just still dealing with the fallout from last week’s fiasco—it’s...not been an easy year here at CHS, and I foresee it being just as trying in the months to come.”

Tapping her coffee cup with a finger, Velvet frowned. “You know, I happen to have some leftover stew frozen in our freezer. I’ll send Shining by after he gets off shift with a care package. A hot, homemade meal will do you some good.”

“I—you—That is really not necessary, Velvet,” came the protest.

“No, I insist. You need it, dear—I can hear it in your voice. Hot food, some time to relax, and a good night’s rest, to keep you from getting sick.”

Another laugh, but this one the exhausted, desperate sound of someone who had reached the end of their rope and knew it. “I...thank you, ma’am. That does sound like exactly what I need right now, but I’ll settle for the first one.” There was a pause, during which Velvet could hear murmured voices in the background. “I need to get going, as I have duties to attend, but...thank you for letting us know about Sunset staying home for the day. We would have worried greatly if you hadn’t.”

“Of course, Luna. You have a good day, and rest assured we have Sunset well in hand here.” Velvet hung up the phone and returned to her coffee, thoughts dwelling on the girl still fast asleep in her daughter’s bed.

Brightness leaked under her eyelids, making Sunset seek to bury her face under the pillow. “...do you have to raise the sun so early?” she grumbled drowsily. Softness, warmth, and a familiar scent tickled her nose, making her want to relax her way back into dreamland, but there was no way that would happen without turning off the sun first.

Bleary eyes creaked open, squinting against the glare, as reality filtered into Sunset’s brain. She was still at Twilight’s house, but sans her adorable nerd, a vague recollection of trying to get the other girl to stay in bed and snuggle teasing through her mind, followed by the memory of her successful attempts at snuggling the night before.

Stretching and yawning, Sunset flexed and twisted until she felt her various joints realign themselves now that her body didn’t feel tightly wound and battered. It was amazing how a few good nights of rest had improved her state of being, she mused while running a brush through a mane of frizzy bedhead and finding her slippers in her bag. The position of the sun and Twilight’s alarm clock both agreed that it was almost noon, and her stomach voiced its displeasure at going so long unfed.

Wandering out of the room and downstairs after a stop in the bathroom, Sunset rubbed her face and found Velvet working on her laptop at the kitchen table. The older woman gave her a warm smile. “Good morning, Sunset. How are you feeling? You look better today.”

One hand gripped her elbow, and she hung her head sheepishly. “I...feel better now that I’ve caught up on sleep, but...” Her stomach snarled angrily again. “...but I’m really hungry...” she finished, cheeks darkening with embarrassment.

Laughing, Velvet rose from the chair. “I’ll say! It sounds like you’re keeping a bobcat in there! What can I make you to eat? Breakfast? A sandwich? I was going to do roasted vegetables and potatoes tonight for dinner to go with chicken for the rest of us, and I thought if you were up to it, I’d sear up one of your salmon steaks for you...but it's only lunchtime and it sounds like your stomach won’t last that long!”

“You don’t have to cook for me, Mrs. Velvet,” Sunset countered worriedly. “I don’t want to bother you while you’re working—I was just gonna have some cereal or something.”

In no time at all, she found herself wrapped up in one of the warm, soft hugs that she associated with Twilight Velvet—the hug had the same feel as when she was a tiny foal and Princess Celestia had swept her up in her wings to hold her close. “Sunset, sweetie, you are never a bother to us. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to do it, and it’s not anything I haven’t done for Twily or her brother or Cadence. Okay?”

Face pressed into Velvet’s shoulder, the redhead fought against the sharp prickle of tears and a lump in her throat, nodding when she realized speech would take too long. The emotions and memories the hug and Velvet’s words triggered were just too much for her process right then, fresh out of bed and still raw from the ups and downs of the previous week, and she fought back a sob, hands digging into Velvet’s shoulders.

A hand smoothed her hair, the touch gentle and motherly. “Sunset...” Velvet soothed. “...you aren’t just Twilight’s friend here. We care about you. No matter what anyone says, you are a wonderful young woman with an incredible strength of character, and we want you to know you are always welcome and wanted here. No expectations, no judgments.”

The words were like a soft, warm quilt wrapping around the former unicorn’s soul, assuaging old wounds Sunset had long since stopped paying attention to. A second sob managed to fight past her control, and the tears broke free to soak into the older woman’s shoulder. She could feel something in her soul shift, something shattered and long broken beginning to mend.

“Thank you,” she rasped around the lump in her throat, unable to voice anything beyond her gratitude before she gave in to the tears. Sometimes it felt like she’d done more crying in three months than she’d done her whole life, something she once regarded as a horrible weakness, never to be done where anypony or anyone could see her. Yet, in that moment, being held in a hug that felt so much like the caring, motherly embrace from her oldest memories, all she felt was relief, not the burn of shame or the flare of anger that usually accompanied her tears.

Velvet murmured soft and soothing sounds, stroking her hair until Sunset managed to bring herself back under some measure of control. Stepping back from the hug, Sunset scrubbed furiously at her face with one hand. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Velvet...I...” She sank into a kitchen chair on wobbly legs. “I didn’t mean to...”

A warm hand patted her shoulder. “Sweetie, it's okay. You have nothing you need to apologize for, I promise. You're allowed to cry if you need to. Now—what do you want to eat?”

“May...may I have a sandwich?” Sunset still felt weird asking, but her empty stomach growled and prompted her to speak up.

“Of course!” Velvet snagged the loaf of bread from its basket. “Hot sandwich? Cold? What do you want on it? We’ve got a bunch of deli cheeses, and I just bought fresh vegetables yesterday, or if you wanted a breakfast sandwich, there’s fresh eggs...and we also have peanut butter and jelly if you want that instead.”

Sunset chewed on her lip for a moment, a craving for a specific treat in mind now. “I...like to make them at home sometimes with lettuce and tomato and cheese and an egg, and...it just sounds really good right now...” she put forth tentatively.

“I think I can do that,” Velvet assured her, reaching into the refrigerator for the eggs.

Blue-green eyes dropped to study the tabletop intently. “...thank you...” she said quietly. “...not just for the food...” She traced her finger along the grain of the wood. “...everywhere else...people remember the old me. My school, my other friends, the other students...and...” The former bully sighed heavily. “It's like I can’t escape what I’ve done, who I used to be. I...wasn’t a good person, at all, and I hurt a lot of people. I’m trying to make up for it, to be better and make things right...but it’s still there, this shadow that everyone sees, like I’ll never be good enough to overcome what they think I should be. Even my other friends—they’re great, don’t get me wrong, and they mean so much to me—they remember and sometimes they mention things that I’ve done in the past, not out of malice, but it hurts still, and then they say ‘No offense,’ like that’ll make it not sting so bad...”

Velvet cracked an egg into the pan. “That doesn’t seem very nice of them. Have you told them that it hurts your feelings?”

She shook her head. “I can’t—I was a horrible, terrible person for so long, and I did so many bad things to them and others...I ruined their friendships on purpose. I...I don’t have the right to complain.”

“Sunset.” Velvet turned towards her. “I want you to listen to me—no matter what mistakes you made in the past, that does not make it okay for them to do things that hurt you. What they are doing and saying is insensitive and hurtful, and it bothers you, and you have every right to ask them to not do it.”

The redhead fidgeted in her seat under the serious gaze. “...it’s my own fault though,” she confessed. “I did this to myself—I chose to be a selfish, self centered, arrogant, manipulative po—person, and it...it took a lot to make me see the monster I had become.” Like literally becoming a she-demon, her mind added. “...and now that I am trying to change, to be better...I...” she paused, trying to find an appropriate metaphor. “It’s a cage of my own making,” she said at last.

The older woman flipped the egg, then cut the burner off to let it finish cooking from residual heat. Then she crossed back across the kitchen to kneel next to Sunset’s chair. “It shouldn’t be,” she pointed out gently, tucking some loose strands of hair behind one amber colored ear. “There's a very big difference between learning to be a better person and pretending to be someone you aren’t or lying about how you feel. The same goes for making mistakes or not always being perfect. You aren’t going to be perfect, sweetie, no matter how smart you are. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to do things that sometimes hurt other's feelings, and sometimes, you’re going to absolutely make a wrong decision...but that’s life. Punishing yourself for things that are part of being a person, learning to fear your flaws isn’t going to help you be a better person—it’s just going to make you afraid of living your life in a way others might disapprove of—which means you’ll be denying yourself happiness.”

Sunset met Velvet’s eyes, feeling tears well up again. “If I don’t, how will I stop myself from being a monster again? I don’t want to go back to feeling that way, to hurting others!”

“You do what most of us do—you learn to curb your negative impulses, to work on overcoming your flaws, and learn how far is too far.” Twilight Velvet patted one of Sunset’s hands lightly. “And you rely on people you trust to help you learn and keep you on track. I know you trust Twily a great deal, and I want you to know you can always come talk to me or Night, and I’m certain Shining and Cadence would tell you the same thing. We will listen, and try to offer the best advice we can. You aren’t alone, Sunset, I promise you.”

Blinking the tears away, the unicorn-turned-girl hugged herself, fingers gripping her elbows tightly. “...do you think...should I really tell the girls that it hurts? It’s...not something that they’re doing to be malicious, and...I...it doesn’t...make me want to run and cry or anything...it just—it brings up bad memories, things I’m trying to move beyond...things I keep wishing others would let stay in the past. I don’t want to seem like I’m pretending those things never happened, because I’m not, they did, and I really was so awful...and it’ s taken so much to be friends with them, I just don’t want to lose that.”

Velvet considered for a moment before answering. “I believe that if they really are your friends, they would be very upset to learn you’ve not said anything when they do something that hurts your feelings, accident or not. More than that...if they’re your friends for real, then they should like and accept you for who you really are, no matter what. This includes whatever lies in your past, and everything about who you are as a person.”

Something nudged Sunset’s mind, and the things she’d told the others when she’d snapped them free of the Sirens' magic echoed in her ears. She found herself repeating them aloud, realizing that while she’d provided the advice to her friends, she had failed to apply it to herself. “...if you don’t work through the smallest problem, right at the start, the magic of friendship can be turned into something else...”

Her girlfriend’s mother let out a soft laugh. “An unusual turn of phrase, but you aren’t wrong. If it bothers you, talk to them, let them know. You can be tactful but still speak up for yourself.”

Sunset felt her lips turn up in a slight smile. “...I can see where Twilight gets it,” she told Velvet as the woman stood and returned to fixing the former unicorn’s lunch.

“Believe it or not, she takes after her father a lot more than she takes after me...but I like to think she’s gotten a few things from me too.” She winked at Sunset.

“...Yeah...but even when I talk about what I’ve done, who I used to be...you’re still nice to me. You haven’t thrown me out on my hindquarters. None of you have. Twilight’s the same...I tried to discourage her the night we met, you know that? Told her how awful I was, that I was a terrible person who she shouldn’t be friends with because I’d make a regular mule of myself...” Sunset shook her head. “And she didn’t care. Told me that she thought I’d be a good friend and that she wanted to be my friend.” She met Velvet’s eyes as the woman set the sandwich on its plate in front of her. “You guys are the same—you make special food for me, you let me join in your holidays, you let me stay over all the time...and there’s no shadow hanging over me here. You know—I know Twilight told you about what I’ve done, and I’ve admitted it too...and it doesn’t matter to any of you. I’m not Sunset Shimmer, She-Demon of CHS, when I’m here, I’m just Sunset...I’m Sparky’s best friend, who drives that motorcycle I know you wish I didn’t let her ride on, who doesn't eat meat like a normal human, who —”

Velvet interjected, “—who is a caring, sensitive, sweet girl with a big heart who has been dealt some seriously rough cards for someone so young, and despite some stumbling, has managed to keep that heart despite the odds. You were never a monster, Sunset, not compared to the real monsters in this world. You made bad choices, you lashed out in anger and hurt, and you fell, hard—you're not the first child to do so, and you won't be the last. But you wised up. You realized what you were doing was wrong, and you wanted to change.”

She sat down in her chair again, still smiling warmly. “You mentioned at Thanksgiving how you were grateful for second chances. I was always taught that giving someone a chance should be without bias or reservations, because sometimes, all a person needs to be better than they were is a chance to prove it to themselves.”

Biting her lip, Sunset squeezed her elbow to help steady her emotions. “That...means...more to me than I can ever explain,” she responded in a small voice.

“You don’t have to—there are ways to make a point without words, Sunset. Now eat before your sandwich gets soggy.” With that, Velvet reopened her laptop and resumed typing, giving Sunset the opportunity to make short work of the sandwich...though she readily paused in her work to craft two more sandwiches. And if someone had asked Sunset, she would have happily called those the most delicious sandwiches she’d ever eaten.

No, Sunset does not do mornings. I dont blame her. I'm convinced mornings only exist to keep night and afternoon from running back into each other.

So this chapter touches on something I've given a great deal of thought to, all things considering. Its something that people bring up a lot, about why the adults barely seem to care about things like Sunset's past actions and how horrible she was. I've touched on this briefly with Celestia and Luna too, but Velvet has a completely external perspective that makes it much easier to separate the "Sunset turns into a demon" from "everything sunset did as queen of the school."

Fact is, while all of Sunset's actions as Queen of Canterlot High were pretty shitty, she was a high schooler. A mean girl who wasn't even the worst out there. She...did bad stuff, she made other teens suffer, and to those teenagers, that's huge. But to adults? To people old enough to have grown up and matured? She was a stupid kid, doing stupid kid things. That's it. Teenagers are pretty stupid, driven by impulse and hormones and brains that arent completely developed, and they do stupid shit. They make mistakes. Up until that last weekend of the formal? Sunset was just a stupid kid. Turning into a demon made her a threat, but up until then it was stupid kid shit.

Now, on the flipside, Sunset sees herself as the worst of the worst, mostly because she's riddled with guilt, but also because she's never quite grown up--even when she ran away and got some years shaved off her life, she was still only a young adult in Equestria. She might consider herself "older and wiser" than her friends, but she's...not an adult yet, not developmentally, not in her human body. (Since the human brain doesnt finish maturation until something like mid twenties.) Plus, Equestria doesnt have the same kind of social problems we see in the human world. Someone like Sunset Shimmer WOULD be a threat there, because she was cunning and powerful and THEN turned into a demon. So from Sunset's perspective, she was a monster.

This puts that conflict front and center--to ponies, she would have been horrid. To humans, especially adult humans, she's not even worth calling the cops on, for the most part. Ergo, Velvet is not going to have this girl calling herself names, and will be pulling the "mom" card to discourage it. And of course, we see Sunset's developing attachment to her girlfriend's family.

Also, I am highly amused by how few points separate Sunset's secret romance from Luna's realization that the girl Cadence always calls "Ladybug" is in fact a Twilight Sparkle. Wonder who will be more shocked when things get found out. Bruhahah.

Lastly, and this is more some "not-entirely-chapter-related" rambling. I know a couple of readers have hit me up for some 'world-building'/'background lore' based content, expressing interest. Was wondering how interested people might be in me putting up some rambling blog posts on this account to fill in some of the "behind the scenes" stuff going on in the world. So yeah. Interest check? Yes or no? I wouldn't be doing anything to spoil the story yet to come, so dont worry about that.