Awesome / Long Road to Friendship

• Sunset Shimmer taking on not one, but two thugs, effortlessly rendering them immobile, and even disarming one who had a knife, all while coming out of it without even a loss of breath. Say what you will about her bark, it certainly isn't without bite. Did we mention she was doing this while protecting Earth's Twilight Sparkle? Sure, it was against her will, but Sunset Shimmer admitted later on that Human!Twilight didn't deserve what they were planning to do, not even Equestria!Twilight.
• Chapters 11 and 12 feature the fights between Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash, and later, the two team up to fight Rainbow Dash's old gang, led by Gilda.
• Chapter 29, "Vendetta," has Trixie smoothly admit she stole the science fair project created by Sunset and Human Twilight as an attempt to make Sunset feel what it's like to be a victim of that kind of abuse. Trixie also demands to be waited on hand and foot to make the situation go away, or else she'll tell the police that Sunset's homeless, which would get her arrested. After a few moments of nearly boiling with rage, Sunset outright defies Trixie by telling Trixie to turn her in, followed with a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
  Sunset: Go ahead, Trixie. Do your worst. Tell everyone that I’m homeless, I don’t care. I won’t be intimidated by you. Do whatever it is you want to make my life miserable. Just remember: I’ve been where you are now. Stealing and blackmailing? That makes you no better than what I was. So take a good, hard look in the mirror before you do what you’re going to do. If you can live with being compared to me, then by all means, rat me out. I’m sure Artemis would be proud.
• Chapter 30's science fair is one long string of things going right for Sunset, and things going wrong for her rivals.
  • First, Sunset shows not just intelligence but cunning by developing a generator in just two days with Twilight. Her reasoning was that since Trixie stole their science fair project, an EMP that would block out electricity, it only makes sense to make something that generates electricity.
  • Second, Trixie suffers a massive Humiliation Conga when she activates the EMP without giving time for everyone to turn their electronics off. The resulting mess destroys several more projects and knocks out the lights in the school gym, causing Trixie to lose. Dexter and Quick Wit also lose when Twilight beats their chess-playing robot in a game, complete with Bond One-Liner: "Your algorithm needs work."
  • Third, Sunset and Twilight win the science fair by using their new project - a hydroelectric generator - to restore power to the gym. Sunset even notes that, even if everyone in school thinks she cheated, she didn't. She and Twilight worked hard to create their project in just two days, without cheating or cutting corners, and they won fair and square.
  • Finally, Trixie gets embarrassed again by being a Sore Loser. She storms the stage, intending to tell everyone in the school that Sunset is homeless, and thus get her arrested. But Trixie can't go through with it due to the Death Glares of the Humane Five, Twilight, and even her parents, causing her to slink away in defeat.
• Sunset's second fight with Gilda's gang, in Chapter 33, brings out the full awesomeness of Trixie's family. When Gilda pushes Sunset off a building, one or more of them (hinted to be Trixie) use telekinesis to catch her and lower her safely to the ground. Artemis uses his spells to fend off the gang, and Selena draws on her fencing experience to disarm and subdue them without any permanent damage. They also keep a bottle of magical spring water at home that heals a deep stab wound on Sunset's leg in seconds. This Pre-Asskicking One-Liner sums it up nicely:
  Artemis: Lulamoons never run, Sunset. Strategically retreat, maybe...but never run.
• In Chapter 40, much like the science fair, the Winter Ball manages to ultimately go smoothly, albeit with a few hiccups.
  • After it looks like everything will collapse, Sunset manages to get the Crusaders to sing "Shine Like Rainbows," which brings the Humane Six back together as friends. So, her plan actually worked.
  • Though Twilight wins the crown, it's what she does afterwards that really sets the tone. She forfeits the crown to Sunset, and asks her to "please come on stage." Only this time, Sunset doesn't move. She broke the curse.
  • Sunset sums up everything with a "No More Holding Back" Speech about how much she's learned, and sincerely apologizes for all of the pain and heartache she'd caused the school over the years. It looks like Lyra is going to take that all away since the Winter Ball didn't make enough money, and ban Sunset regardless. But Principal Celestia says "My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours," pointing out that the rule that lets Lyra ban people was outdated over ten years ago. Then, when Lyra tries pushing her luck one last time, Twilight slaps her across the face.
  • After explaining the curse to her friends (the final proof that the curse has been broken), Sunset and Twilight get The Big Damn Kiss in the middle of the dance floor, complete with a Relationship Upgrade.