Work Text:
It had been one week since the Fall Formal. Seven grueling days of waking up, going to Canterlot High, helping reconstruct the entrance, and going home. As Sunset Shimmer placed the last brick in her pile, moon high in the sky, she felt like this was going to be the rest of her life.
Officially, school hadn't been in session due to the repairs at the school and the "emotional harm that came to the students at the Fall Formal." In reality, Sunset's meetings with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna knew that they were trying to figure out if she was still dangerous and how to cover the Fall Formal incident up. Teachers had sent out homework to be done in the meantime. Sunset found most schoolwork to be a breeze compared to her private tutelage with Princess Celestia, but this was insultingly easy. If any other students hadn't finished it in half an hour, they were never going to do it.
No school and no homework meant that students hung out all over Canterlot every day. Meanwhile, Sunset was doing construction work.
She asked for it, literally. During her first meeting with the principals, Vice Principal Luna hesitantly brought up the idea of calling the police and trying to find some official punishment. Sunset herself offered to work with a construction company to fix what was destroyed as de facto community service. The two principals quickly agreed — everyone in that room knew calling the police would only cause more questions than help. Sunset also didn't want them looking into where she was living or where her official paperwork was. It seemed that her manipulative ways wouldn't end.
When Twilight Sparkle and her magic hit Sunset, she relived the lives of everyone she hurt. It was agony. Before, all she could think about was her pain, her humiliation, her revenge. Instead, in that moment, she felt all of the pain she caused to everyone else. Every cruel joke, every manipulative word, every physical blow. The delusion that she was an underdog, out to bite the world back for every indignity she experienced, was shattered. She was a bully. She barely had any idea of what right and wrong was. She didn't trust herself anymore.
It seemed like the others didn't either. While she spent her days atoning alone, no one had reached out to her since the Formal. Not Snips and Snails, not Twilight Sparkle, and not Twilight's group of friends. She couldn't expect them to, but it still hurt.
A gruff voice brought her back to the real world. "Sunset!" it said. "Let's go."
She turned from her work, brick still in hand, to find the construction supervisor standing next to the piles of bricks and mortar. He was the only member left and he didn't look happy about it. Even in the dim light, the bags under his eyes were visible and his shoulders slouched. Was Sunset making his life worse? Was she messing up her redemption already?
"Sorry!" she said, quickly spreading mortar on the last brick. "You can go ahead, I'll finish up!"
He sighed. "Not happening. We've got safety regulations for a reason."
"Sorry!" she said again. Once she put the brick in place, she quickly walked away, not meeting the supervisor's eyes. From experience, she knew he didn't want help closing down the construction site, so all she could do was leave. Go back home and get ready for tomorrow.
Before she even reached the edge of school property, however, she saw a third person leaning on the statue containing the portal. The multicolored hair was unmistakable — it was Rainbow Dash. She had on sweatpants and a sweatshirt instead of her usual school outfit and she was carrying a small backpack. "There you are!" she said. "I was wondering where you've been."
Sunset didn't approach her, but she didn't leave either. She stood right where she was. "This is my punishment, Rainbow Dash. Of course I've been here," she said.
Rainbow shrugged. "Yeah, but I figured you would've gotten out of it by now. Like blackmailing the supervisor or something."
"I don't do that anymore! What are you even doing here?" Sunset said.
"Bored. Going for a walk. Wanna come with?"
Sunset didn't, really. She was exhausted and sweaty. It was late. Still, it was an offer. "Whatever."
As they silently walked through back streets, Sunset thought about Rainbow Dash. Her memories of the past came through ambiently, the same way they did when she thought about anyone from the school. She felt the sting of betrayal when she thought Applejack lied to her. She felt the anger that came whenever she saw her former friend's face. Sunset caused all of that. If it wasn't for the fact that Rainbow invited her on this walk, Sunset didn't know if she would have shown her face in front of Rainbow at all.
"Here we are!" Rainbow Dash said, the first words they had spoken in half an hour.
Sunset blinked in surprise. "Rainbow, this is a streetlamp."
To be fair, it was a nice streetlamp. They were at the corner of the city limits: one road going out into the forest, one road encircling the dark, abandoned buildings. The orange glow of the streetlamp was the only visible light. The sidewalk and streets were cracked and worn down. It was the picture-perfect scene for some sort of crime.
"Yeah, I know," Rainbow Dash said proudly.
Sunset walked over into the light. "I didn't know Canterlot even had places like this. Everywhere else is so sanitized."
"Yup," Rainbow said. "No one goes around here. Great for getting out of the house."
The two of them leaned against the pole for a quiet moment, Sunset facing the city and Rainbow facing the forest. Sunset looked at the stars. They weren't as bright as they were in Equestria and there weren't any of her familiar constellations. But this was the first time she could see them clearly, now that they were away from all the light. The warmth in her chest mixed with the nausea that came from feeling like she didn't deserve this.
"Soooo..." Rainbow Dash started, turning to Sunset and interrupting her thoughts. "You're not evil anymore, are you?"
Sunset wanted to glare at her, but settled for a long-suffering stare. "No," she said.
Rainbow Dash put her hands up. "Alright, alright! Sheesh! The last time we were together, you became a demon and tried to take over the world and we blasted you with friendship magic. Can you blame me for being confused?"
Sunset sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She was awful, wasn't she? "No, I guess not," she said.
Rainbow wasn't paying attention. She had taken her backpack off and was rummaging through it, tongue stuck out. Finally, she found what she was looking for and pulled it out. It was a can. "There we go!" she said, pulling the tab and taking a sip. "Want one?"
"What is it?" Sunset asked. Upon seeing the label, Sunset recoiled. "Rainbow, that's a beer! We're underage!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Oh, like you've never had a drink," she said.
"Of course I have! But that was..." Sunset trailed off, thinking about all her experiences with alcohol. It was double vision: the anticipation from giving Lyra Heartstrings a nip of whisky and the gratefulness that Lyra felt when receiving it. The glee and fear when Lyra was caught thanks to Sunset. The eagerness and confusion when she kept giving Flash Sentry beers to get him talking about his friends, mentally recording whatever she could use against them. "That was wrong!" she shouted.
Rainbow jerked back, startled, as Sunset hunched over and started to cry. "Woah, Sunset! What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry!" she yelled, her heart racing, all her emotions coming out. "I hurt so many people and I'm sorry! But I can't fix it! I don't know what to do! I don't deserve it! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Eventually, her voice started to give out, but she kept repeating, "I'm sorry," over and over again. It was all she could think to do. How could she forgive herself when she hurt so many people? How could she be dumping all this on Rainbow Dash? What was wrong with her?
Suddenly, cold liquid was splashed all over her face and back. It was sticky and when it dripped into her mouth, it was bitter. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was standing there with her beer can in her outstretched hand and a panicked expression. "Rainbow Dash, did you–"
"You were freaking out!" Rainbow interrupted. "I didn't know to do! Can you like... take a deep breath or something?"
In her surprise, Sunset did. She breathed in, held her breath, and breathed out. Her heart started to slow down and the full-blown panic she was in devolved into plain misery. She slid down to the bottom of the streetlamp, sitting down, head on her knees. This was something she should've dealt with on her own, not dragged other people into.
Rainbow said, talking slowly like Sunset was a dangerous animal, "Sunset. This is just a beer. Do you want some?"
"It's not about the beer," Sunset said quietly.
"Yeah, I figured." Rainbow sat down, not next to Sunset, but nearby, facing the same way. She put her beer can down too. "You really are trying to be better, huh?" When Sunset nodded, Rainbow continued. "I haven't really talked to the girls since the Fall Formal, we've all been busy, but I don't think they'd get it. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack – I don't think they've ever really tried to be mean. Even Rarity, who can be scary, hasn't done something actually wrong."
"And you have?" Sunset asked.
Rainbow snorted. "Captain of all the sports teams. Jocks can do some really awful stuff. And I've... you do stuff for the team, for your friends, you know?"
Sunset had some idea of what she was talking about. She had nasty blackmail on a few of the men's basketball team, stuff Sunset should've been reported. But she never imagined Rainbow knew about it.
"Just... I get it, is all," Rainbow said.
The two sat in silence. Even though Sunset still felt awful and guilt-ridden, knowing that Rainbow was feeling the same way made her feel less alone. If Rainbow Dash could still have friends, still be team captain, still do things for fun, maybe she could too.
"Anyway!" Rainbow said, standing back up and picking up her beer can. "Who's underage drinking really hurting?"
Sunset couldn't think of an answer. She stood up, reaching out her hand. Rainbow grinned at her accomplice and handed her a beer. It never tasted better.