Sunset Shimmer had learned to let go of the past. Or at least, she liked to think so. But when she caught herself staring at you across the cafeteria, she realized maybe she wasn’t as over it as she thought.

You were laughing with your friends, completely at ease. It was frustrating how effortlessly you fit into Canterlot High, how people gravitated toward you. Back when you were together, she had always known you had that charm—but seeing it now, from a distance, made something uneasy stir in her chest.

—“Sunset?” Applejack’s voice pulled her back to reality. “You okay? You’ve been starin’ at ‘em for a while now.”

—“I—” Sunset blinked, quickly looking down at her tray. “I wasn’t staring.”

—“Oh, darling, you absolutely were,” Rarity chimed in, following her gaze. “Honestly, I can’t blame you. They are rather captivating.”

Sunset frowned, crossing her arms.

—“I was just… thinking.”

Rarity smirked.

—“Thinking about what, exactly?”

Sunset didn’t answer, but Twilight adjusted her glasses, picking up on the tension.

—“You never really talked about them much,” she pointed out.

Fluttershy hesitated before adding softly, “Did things end badly?”

Sunset exhaled, tapping her fingers against the table.

—“No. It wasn’t bad. It just… ended.”

The truth was more complicated than that. You had been one of the first people to see through her back when she wasn’t exactly the nicest person. Even after the breakup, there had always been this unspoken understanding between you two. A history that neither of you ever addressed but never truly disappeared.

And now, here you were, smiling and talking like nothing had ever happened. Sunset told herself that was a good thing.

Then why did it still bother her?