Luna walked behind Sunset's wheelchair as she pushed her new charge along the halls of the hospital. Celestia walked alongside her to her right, reading emails from her phone and answering texts from Doodle and Zecora. As for Sunset, she leaned against the back of the chair with a pair of headphones in her ears. She leaned against it lightly, being mindful of her stitches in her back. She had a fluffy blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a light blanket on her legs. She was quiet as she stared ahead. The group entered the elevator at the end of the hallway. Sunset looked at her bandaged hands, deep in thought, while music played from her headphones.
Before leaving her room, Chrysalis gave her a list of activities that she would need help with for the first six months or until she grew accustomed to her new lifestyle. The list of extensive, especially for the first couple of weeks while she had stitches. It was overwhelming and made her question if she could even do it. Could she really move on with life? The list was so overwhelming that she wondered if she could do anything at all. She never realized who much walking was a part of daily life and all the struggles she'd now face in her everyday life. Sunset questioned if she was strong enough. Sure, she was, intellectually speaking, leagues above most people she knew, but that'd mean nothing if she could get in the building. Not to mention she somewhat feared where her thoughts could lead her. She wasn't naive enough to believe that her mind wouldn't go down that path. It terrified her because what once was her greatest asset could now be the thing that kills her. Like a poison prescribed as a medicine, she had read the stories about using one poison to treat another, but the person had to continue to use that poison to live, and it slowly killed the person.
She wondered if she could trust her thoughts or if it would be better to become numb to not feel anything at all. At that thought, six teenage faces appeared, as did the faces of Celestia and Luna. She lightly shook her head to banish any more thoughts from her mind. In an attempt to stop more thoughts, her hands reached shakily to her phone and pressed the volume button to try and block out her thoughts. Sunset couldn't help but remember a saying Zecora said, "The mouth is quiet, yet the mind, screams like a riot, this I will remind." Sunset looked ahead as the elevator opened with dread hidden in her eyes, using the music to drown out her mind. This would be more challenging than she thought, as she now feared the future more than ever.
Luna pushed Sunset out the doors, and it took a lot not to storm ahead of Luna. Not because she was excited, but she didn't want Luna's pity. She hated pity, loathed it, really. She wouldn't allow others to pity her. Sunset didn't let her mother pity her with money sent to her. Why would she let Luna? Yet, Sunset couldn't find the energy to complete the action. All she wanted to do was sleep. At least in her dreams, she could pretend she was still in her pony form.
Sunset was wheeled to the front passenger seat. Luna opened the door for her and gently removed her legs from them their holders. She looped Sunsets around her neck as she quickly transferred Sunset from her chair to the passenger seat. Sunset unwrapped her arms from around Luna's neck before she began to fold the chair up. Luna lifted it up on the rack and strapped it down. She walked around the front, opening the driver's seat. As Luna sat down and began to check her mirrors, Sunset removed her earbuds.
"Alright, you set to go?" Luna asked as Luna put her seat belt on.
"Yea, I guess? Do you live far?" Sunset asked as she too buckled her set belt, a small frown built at the tingling in her hands.
"Not at all. We live about a mile from the school. We walk everyone morning except during the winter. It helps keep the environment a better place and keeps both my sister and me in shape. Especially with Celestia's diet, mine isn't that much better, what with the junk food I eat late at night, but at least I don't have cake with every meal, like Tia," Luna said in an attempt to lighten the mood and joke at her sister expense.
Sadly, Sunset wasn't quite in the joking mood, "She really eats cake with every meal?"
Deciding to roll with it, Luna laughed, "Yes, a fruit cake for breakfast and a cup of chai tea. For lunch, it's a tiramisu with whatever she decides to have, for the "caffeine boost," as she claims. For dinner, it's usually whatever she wants when she goes to SugarCude Corner before and after dinner."
"Sounds like she eats a lot. How is still in such great shape?" Sunset asked in genuine curiosity.
"I'll tell you it's completely unfair she has such a high metabolism. Though considering how little I move around, it's probably a good thing. I usually skip breakfast except for coffee. I have a small salad with some chips or baked chicken wrap with a small side of rice at lunch. For dinner, that's usually when I eat the most. Then I had a bag of chips throughout the night while I'm up. What about you whats your eating habits?"
Sunset shrugged, "I eat whatever is served in the cafeteria for breakfast or lunch. I usually eat the leftovers from my job at the sushi restaurant at the Canterlot Mall."
"Then what are your favorite meals? Surely you've branched out with eating, right?"
"No, not really. I like to eat fish, but I don't like any other meat because of my home culture. I do like eggplant parmesan. I was introduced to it by someone," Sunset said, growing more reserved towards the end.
Frowning, Luna asked the first thing that came to mind, "What do you crave the most to comfort yourself?" Luna wanted the ground to swallow her when she realized what she asked.
Sunset did a double-take before growing red in the face that matched Luna's face perfectly, "Wha-"
"Forget it! Forget it! Forget I said anything! I'm so sorry," Luna spoke fast and nervous as her face and neck flushed with shame. This was her newly adopted daughter and one of her students! She can't just ask that question! What is wrong with her brain?!?
A tense silence overtook the two as Luna focused her full attention on the road. Sunset twiddled with her thumbs and debated with herself if she should just put her music in. However, just as she was reaching for them when a wave of anger overtook her. It wasn't directed at Luna, though. No, the anger was directed at herself. She could answer a question! Sure it was uncomfortable, but to Tartarus, with that feeling, she wasn't so weak. Besides, she can deal with that topic. She was a few years older than Twilight back in Equestria. She could talk about her cycle if needed.
"I... I usually like honey-rhubarb ice cream when it's in season. Otherwise, I like lemon and whatever berry is in season, with mint leaves to chew."
"I see... do you take any pain relievers for the cramps?" Luna asked quietly.
"No... I never knew how much I needed to take, so I stayed clear of medicine."
"You mean you've never had pain relievers?"
"No."
Luna frowned, "Why didn't you ask one of your seniors for help?"
"Well, besides the part where everyone hated me, I couldn't ask for help that would make me weak," Sunset explained.
"I'm not sure I follow," Luna said as she turned right.
"Well, if I asked for help, they would know I don't know a lot about...that. I didn't want anyone to know where I came from, and if I asked, then people would start looking. It was safer for me not to mention it, plus they would have something over me. If that happened, I would lose my hold on the school. I couldn't, wouldn't allow that to happen. That's why on some days, I was more irritable than others."
Luna glanced over at Sunset, her eyes filled with sadness, "Why didn't you ask any of your teachers or me for help?"
"I don't know. Well, no, I do. It was because I thought I was stronger on my own. Who cares about a little pain? So long as I kept my kingdom and power, I would go through anything. No pain, no glory, though I suppose I don't have to worry about that in either case, do I?" Sunset tried to joke in a light tone, but it came out like a broken sob. Sunset fiercely wiped at her tears.
Luna quickly glanced at Sunset, and her heart broke for the girl that was desperately trying to appear strong, calm, and collected. She looked forward, watching the road as she spoke, "Sunset. You know that you can cry without care around me, don't you? This isn't an easy series of events to swallow. You can cry whenever you want to me. You don't need to be strong around me. That's my job, not yours."
"I-I'm fine," Sunset stuttered out.
"Sunset, I think," Luna stopped mid-sentence when she thought of the event today. She decided that was enough pushing on Sunset for today. Luna vowed she'd try to make this day end on a positive note. Luna cleared her throat before speaking again in a soothing tone, "Okay, Sunset. I respect your judgment, but if you need anything, and I mean it anything, I will be right here for you."
Sunset was quiet for a moment before a hushed, "Thank you," made its way to her.
Luna smiled as a quick glance towards Sunset showed her staring out the window pointedly, keeping eye contact to a zero. Which was fortunate when Luna a shop that caused her to adopted a look of horror. Looking back up and taking into account her surroundings. Luna tensed when she confirmed her fears by passing a familiar traffic cop. In her flustered and distracted state, she had unconsciously head home on her usual route. Which she was supposed to do, but along another route, and now it was too late. For a certain building was just around the bend behind the trees and bushes. That building was none other than Canterlot High School. It loomed in front of them like a dark shadow, and Luna wasn't prepared for the fallout, this lapse in attention could cause. Luna didn't even want to imagine how Sunset would respond. The light of day did little to make the courtyard and front entrance look any better.