Day: Friday
Weather: Rain
Time: 2:00pm
After learning Pinkie Pie didn't need my help, I went to assist both Rarity and Fluttershy with their contributions to the fundraiser. My only goal was to get a better understanding of my friends and have them, in turn, provide some concrete evidence of their magic. Everything was going perfectly. It wouldn't last. Principal Celestia revealed to me how things really went. The kitchen was a mess, as was the art room. I had accidentally let the animals at the shelter escape. The athletes refused to participate in the fashion show, hating Rarity's designs. I had broken my promise to Principal Celestia, but I wasn't about to give up. I began to fix the mess I had made by helping my friends in the right way, but there was another problem. Ticket sales for the fashion show were abysmal, my school image being the reason. Someone was spreading nasty rumours about me, and I suspected Trixie of being behind it. After all, she still had a grudge over how I almost choked her.
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
January 17, 2016
Chapter 43: The Trouble With Trixie.
" Trixie again!?" Twilight exclaimed. I was surprised that she was surprised. I expected her to have seen it coming, considering Trixie had been causing problems for the Rainbooms during those two weeks. Trixie usually had an issue with Rainbow Dash, but this time she was fixated solely on me. I knew why she made my life miserable. My past had come back to haunt me much sooner than expected. " Why is she so insistent on causing so much trouble? I mean, I understand she was upset about not winning the Battle of the Bands, but she should've accepted her band's defeat with dignity." Twilight said.
" Oh, she did." I said.
" What do you mean?"
" Trixie quickly got over not winning, but there was another reason for her actions. She accepted her defeat, but not what I almost did to her. Remember when I said that I nearly choked her after she accused me of being jealous? That was the source behind Trixie's grudge with me. Everyone had forgiven me for my past actions, yet only she believed I was still a bully. If you had been in her shoes, and if I almost choked you to death, you'd still think I was nothing but a monster." I answered. A monster... Trixie accused me of being one despite how I'd changed, yet she had a valid point. I blame myself for losing control of my emotions. Had I tried to reason with her instead of lashing out, there would have been no further problems with the fundraiser. Instead, I had to do some damage control, otherwise our hard work would have been for nothing. Unlike other problems, this one didn't involve magic in any way.
" Sunset..." Twilight said.
" I made good on my promise to help our friends with their contributions, but the only thing that remained was selling the tickets to the fashion show. We had printed out at least several hundred, with the goal being to sell them in a single day, and the show would happen that Thursday night." I said.
" Did you?" Twilight asked.
" We sold roughly ten tickets from Wednesday afternoon to midday Thursday."
" Only ten!?"
" The student body may have forgiven me for what I did to them, but my school image was still pretty bad. It would take a couple of months for it to improve. Everyone knew that I was in charge of the fundraiser, as Principal Celestia informed them. However, my image worsened when rumours started to spread that vilified me. That was why ticket sales was so low. No one wanted to watch something that I helped organize." I answered. Forgiveness was one thing, but trust was something else. When I discovered what those rumours depicted, I was beside myself with horror. I wanted to finally put my past behind me, but it proved difficult when it continued to find new ways to get under my skin. Trixie didn't know everything about my past, which was a relief, but what she did know would prove damaging.
" What kind of rumours?" Twilight asked.
" Trixie claimed that I was only pretending to be a nice girl and was secretly planning on ruling the school again once things calmed down. She also accused me of scaring away Princess Twilight from CHS twice out of fear that I knew her greatest secret. None of that is true. First of all, I would never hurt my friends. Second, I didn't know everything about Her Highness. I still don't even now, and I'm fine with that! She has every right to have some things about her remain private." I answered.
" How did our friends react to the rumours?" Twilight asked.
" I was with them when they were being spread, so they knew I wasn't doing it deliberately." I answered.
" And Principal Celestia?"
" She didn't know what was happening."
" Oh?"
" Her assumption was that ticket sales were bad because of a lack of interest."
" Sounds like everything was always stacked against you."
" I'm used to it."
After our meeting, Rarity printed off several hundred tickets for the fashion show and asked a fellow fashionista she trusted to handle ticket sales. With that small problem taken care of, I would spend the duration of the afternoon and evening helping my friends with their contributions. I accompanied Rainbow Dash to speak to the athletes. It took some convincing from her in addition to an apology from me to get them on board for showcasing the outfits during the show. Using my computer skills, I created a special application that showcased Rarity's outfits in a more positive light than what I uploaded onto the Rainbooms' website. I aided Applejack with baking, helping her clean up after she had prepared one of her dishes. I even got to bake, although I went with something really simple; I wasn't ready for anything complicated. Pinkie Pie allowed me to blow up some extra balloons for the fashion show, and she even allowed me to use her party cannon. I'm not sure when she got that, nor did I know if it was legal, but I'll admit it was a blast to fire that thing, pun intended. Finally, I accompanied Fluttershy to the animal shelter before closing time and apologized for letting the animals out. I even got to see which animals would be part of the pet parade.
Principal Celestia offered her congratulations when she witnessed my hard work on fixing the mistakes I made. Hearing her words of encouragement was exactly what I needed. I even got additional encouragement from Princess Twilight via an unexpected message in my magic journal. If there was one disappointment, it would be that I still didn't know what to contribute to the fundraiser. Then again, after almost ruining the current contributions, perhaps it was best that I stuck with helping my friends.
That night, I was able to get a good night's sleep. Everything had really come full circle. By taking responsibility for my actions and fixing the problems I caused, I had proven myself to be quite the capable leader. Of course, I couldn't have done it if my friends hadn't been there to help me. Maybe this whole leadership thing wasn't a bad idea. It was something I could consider as a possible career, although in what capacity, I couldn't figure out. As I slept, one image danced about in my dreams. I was standing there in front of a large audience, and performing on stage with my friends. The audience were chanting my name, and in response, I thanked them for giving me a second chance. I followed up by dedicating the Rainbooms' next song to them. Was it a coincidence that I would be dreaming about performing as a Rainboom? Perhaps it was a premonition?
Throughout this brief ordeal, I kept the urge to work on solving the magic problem at bay. I already allowed my obsession with it to cause problems, and I wasn't about to let it happen again. There would be better opportunities for me later to really get my hands dirty and focus on figuring it out. The next day, I spent my free period walking around the neighbourhood where CHS was situated. I rarely did anything like this, as before, I felt this world was beneath me. It shows that once you take the time to appreciate something, you get a better understanding of not only your surroundings but of yourself, as well. When I got back to school, my friends were waiting for me. They looked jittery, but as I got closer, I could see they were actually panicking.
" Are we glad you're back, darling!" Rarity said.
" I just thought I'd take the time to appreciate the neighbourhood." I said.
" Reckon you should have come back a lot sooner." Applejack said.
" Why? What happened?" I asked.
" We checked to see how many tickets for the fashion show have been sold, and we only counted ten purchases." Applejack answered. Ten? That didn't sound like a bad number to me, but my friends obviously knew something that I didn't. Otherwise, they wouldn't be freaking out on me right now.
" Has that been within the last hour or two? I know the tickets started going on sale late yesterday afternoon, so perhaps people didn't hear about it?" I asked.
" Oh, they heard, all right." Applejack answered.
" We've only sold ten since yesterday, and the show is supposed to be tonight!" Rainbow Dash shouted. What!? Only ten have been sold since last night? That couldn't be right. I know the fundraiser had experienced problems because of how I screwed up, but things had gotten much better within the last twenty-four hours. How could this have happened? Why were students and the local residents hesitating? What was going on? Once again, there were plenty of questions, but no answers for them.
" This is an absolute disaster! The worst possible thing!" Rarity shouted.
" Now calm down, Rarity. No need to start panicking." I said.
" Of course we have to panic, Sunset! Because of the lack of ticket sales, we'll need to postpone the fashion show until tomorrow. That means having to reschedule the pet parade as well, and I don't think the doctors there are going to be happy about that." Rainbow Dash said. I wasn't sure why we needed to postpone things, but Rainbow quickly explained that we now needed an extra day to make up for poor sales. I had a feeling if things continued like this, a single day wouldn't be enough. " Shoot! Why are these things happening? It's so frustrating, especially since you've done such an awesome job of turning everything around." Rainbow Dash said.
" Um, I'm sure I can explain things over at the shelter." Fluttershy said.
" Do ya need any of us to come with you?" Applejack asked.
" No, I'll be fine. It won't be easy for me to explain, but I think I can manage." Fluttershy answered.
" Does Principal Celestia know about this?" I asked.
" Not yet, as far as we know." Applejack answered.
" That's probably the only bit of good news we have." Rarity added. I then turned my attention to Pinkie Pie, and she had a look on her face that told me she was dying to tell me something. I tilted my head at Rarity a few times to get her attention; she had since starting overreacting by dropping to her knees in despair. " Huh? Oh yes! There is something you need to know, Sunset. While it would be prudent for me to explain things, I'll allow Pinkie to handle it. After all, she looks like she is about to burst."
" Rumours have been spread about you!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
" I'm sorry, what?" I asked.
" I said rumours have been spread about you." Pinkie Pie answered. That's what I thought she said. I couldn't quite catch it the first time, as she spoke too quickly, but hearing that made my heart shatter. What did that have to do with the lack of ticket sales? Why would anyone want to spread false rumours about me? Granted, I probably deserved it, considering I did the same thing, but I don't do that anymore. I began shaking Pinkie's shoulders out of desperation. I needed to know why this was happening. " Okay, I get that you really want to know. You look so excited about it." That wasn't what I'd call it. " Earlier, I overheard some students say they originally planned on buying tickets, but chose not to when they found out that the fundraiser had been your idea. In fact, the entire student body were the same way."
" They aren't buying tickets because I was put in charge?" I asked.
" Well, no, it doesn't have to do with that, really. They refuse to buy tickets because of the rumours about you. Someone said that you're still a bully and that your whole reformation was a sham. That person also insists that you plan on ruling CHS again once everyone has completely forgotten what you did." Pinkie Pie answered. Ridiculous! I had no intention of taking over the school again. I've learned from my mistakes and have become better for it! Whoever was spreading these false rumours really had an axe to grind with me.
" Your reputation is sunk." Rainbow Dash said.
" Not really helping." Applejack said.
" There's more." Pinkie Pie announced.
" What next?" I asked.
" Finally, this person says that you caused Princess Twilight to run away twice from CHS and go back to wherever she came from. It has something to do with you knowing her greatest secret." Pinkie Pie answered.
I couldn't believe it! My efforts in the last twenty-four hours to fix the mistakes I made had just amounted to nothing. I dropped to my knees and buried my head in my hands, bursting into tears. These rumours had effectively frightened students into not buying tickets to the fashion show. Rainbow Dash's dream was crushed! The athletes would never get their uniforms now, and everyone was going to blame me for this. Why? How? What could I do?
" Sunset! Snap out of it!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
" How can I when these rumours have ruined everything?" I asked.
" We can still fix this! You were helpin' each of us the other day. If anyone thinks these rumours are true, then we'll back ya up. You're our friend." Applejack answered.
" Now it's our turn to help you, darling." Rarity added.
" Thank you." I said. I got back up onto my feet, and Fluttershy wiped away the tears on my face with a hankerchief. My friends were right! We could easily fix this problem before it spiraled even further out of control. I started to think about what Pinkie said regarding those rumours. Whoever it was must have had a grudge against me. They also had to have known some things about me to have come up with rumours that related to me. At first, no one in particular fit the description I was thinking of, so I had to dig a little deeper, focusing on those I had wronged during my time here. Unfortunately, that narrowed things down to pretty much everyone. Already, this was proving itself to be a daunting task, but there was a solution. " I have an idea that might work to nip this rumour thing in the bud."
" What did you have in mind?" Fluttershy asked.
" Remember how I apologized to every student in the gym after the Fall Formal? Well, I was thinking that I should befriend all of them this time and prove that I'm not the same person who once bullied them for three years. If I can get everyone to gather in the gym, then the one student who doesn't show up is the one behind this." I answered.
" And if they don't want to meet there?" Applejack asked.
" I could always walk about the halls and befriend them that way." I answered.
" Do you need our help, darling?" Rarity asked.
" I think this is something I need to do on my own." I answered.
" Reckon that's a good idea, Sunset. The rest of us need to focus on finishing our contributions for the fundraiser, but if y'all need any kind of help, just give us a holler and we'll come a-runnin'." Applejack said. My friends then walked inside, leaving me to come up with a way to get everyone else to go to the gym. The most obvious solution would have been to make an announcement on the P.A. system, but that would have meant informing Principal Celestia about this. It wasn't a good idea to have her get involved. While this one student had made me feel miserable, I held no anger towards them. Instead, I felt sympathetic and believed that I could resolve this problem without further conflict. Perhaps I was getting better at understanding friendship than I initially thought.
So then, how do I get everyone to the gym? I realized that wouldn't be a good idea anyway. The gym was currently being used for the fashion show, and Pinkie had filled it up with countless decorations. No one would have any room to maneuver about in there, so it looked like my second option was the way to go. It would mean taking a long time to get through this, but I had plenty of time on my hands. Besides, I wanted to make a good first impression without coming off as desperate. There were about fifty-six students attending CHS, so if I spend about two or three minutes getting to know them, that would take one hundred and twelve to one hundred and sixty-eight minutes. Roughly three hours.
" Guess I'd better get started. It'll take the rest of the afternoon. I know I have class to attend, but I'm going to do this." I said to myself. My first students to talk to happened to be approaching the school at that moment. There were a dozen of them, and when they came up to me, I began a conversation, explaining that the rumours about me were false. They appeared skeptical initially, but I reassured them that my intentions were noble. I said that if I were as bad as the rumours claimed, then why would I take the time to talk? I would have bullied them. The students then started talking back, and we discussed school life and future careers. When we finished talking, they walked inside with smiles on their faces. That went rather well. Would it be just as easy with everyone else, or would it only get harder from here?
" Why did you stop right there?" Twilight asked.
" I'm thirsty. I could do with some more cider." I answered.
" Sometimes I think you're just being cruel by stopping at such inappropriate moments." Twilight moaned before folding her arms and pouting. I know that my interruptions were annoying, especially when going into the real juicy bits, but my throat can only take so much.
One thing that remained adorable was Twilight's face whenever she pouted. She would scrunch up her face, which made me smile. It's like she were a little girl who was upset that she wasn't getting her way. Taking the bottle of cider she had provided, I poured another three cups, gulping down one at a time until my throat felt better. I then urged Twilight to have some, but she insisted on maintaining her pout. This was something about her I had learned from our meeting tonight. Whenever she pouted, it was impossible to deal with her. Luckily, I had plenty of patience, despite having to endure so much anguish.
" Okay, we can continue now." I said.
" What was it like talking to the students on more friendly terms as opposed to apologizing to them?" Twilight asked.
" Despite having to prove that the rumours about me were false, I didn't feel like I was being judged. In fact, once they started to get to know me, they wanted to know if I could hang out with them in the future. To think that a month ago back then, they would have been afraid to speak with me. I had come a long way in a short period of time. With each student I spoke to, I grew more confident in myself. I just wish I could have spoken to everyone in the gym. It would have saved some time." I answered.
" What about Trixie?" Twilight asked.
" She was the last one I talked to."
" Is it because you approached her last after figuring it out?"
" No. When I walked around talking to everyone, Trixie was the only one that I never ran into. When she ended up being the lone student I hadn't spoken with, I figured she was the one who had spread the rumours. If she hadn't been guilty, she would have spoken to me much sooner." I answered. It also paid to ask the right questions, especially to those who knew her best. Despite her self-righteous attitude, Trixie was popular at CHS. I had asked the other students why someone like her had been avoiding me. Her popularity meant in theory she would have been one of the first students I approached to further her own credibility. When they told me they didn't know where she was, I grew suspicious, but ignored it. That was idiotic of me. If I had followed my suspicion, she would have been found out immediately.
" Did she admit or deny having been responsible?" Twilight asked.
" Neither."
" What's that supposed to mean?"
" All she said was 'maybe' when I asked."
" That sounds like a guilty response to me."
" I guess."
" At least you managed to befriend everyone in the span of an entire afternoon."
" Actually, it took a lot longer than that. I still had classes to attend at the time, so I had to squeeze in greeting my fellow students in-between. I ended up spending the rest of that Thursday and much of Friday talking to everyone, but it was worth it. I got to appreciate them a lot better than I had in the past. It's kind of funny. A lot of them had similar anxieties as mine when they first came to CHS, and it took them several months before finally fitting in. Of course, they didn't come from a magical world filled with talking ponies, but that's not important. It felt nice knowing I had so much in common with them." I said. The only drawback was the rumour issue and the lack of ticket sales forced us to delay the fashion show until the following Monday.
It still amazes me that Principal Celestia never once suspected that the delay involved me being made to look bad. I had to give Trixie some credit when she made sure every loose end had been covered up when she spread the rumours. Turning my attention to Twilight, she was pointing down at the journal, a glum expression on her face. When I looked down to see what she was complaining about, I was surprised to see that she had turned the page without me noticing. On this page, there was yet another photo, this one a selfie of Trixie complete with her autograph on the bottom of it.
" Why would you have a selfie of her?" Twilight asked.
" Because I did the right thing."
Talking to the other students and befriending them proved to be more difficult than I thought. I had to speak to them during the five-minute gaps in-between classes, meaning I needed longer than one afternoon. By the time school finished for the day, I had spoken to roughly fifteen students, and there was still another forty remaining. Of the students I had spoken to, it felt invigorating to hear what they were thinking about. Initially, my assumption was that they didn't want to talk out of fear that I would bully them. I was surprised when roughly half of the students initiated the conversation upon seeing me approach. Through my conversations, I learned the students were always worried about what they were going to do after graduating from CHS, among other things, including puberty, romance, and financial stability. The students of CHS were generally laid-back, but I guess I never knew what had been on their minds. Just thinking about how I used to bully them while they had such thoughts made me sick to my stomach. I also learned that the one who had been spreading rumours about me thought highly of themselves.
Perhaps the strangest thing I experienced during my meet-and-greet was that the more popular students wanted me to speak with them before anyone else. Popularity... At one time, it was something I strove for, my mind consumed with wanting to rule over everyone else. It didn't matter who I crushed beneath my heel on the way to the top. My goal was to rule the school through fear and intimidation. I never want to go back there again. All popularity does is hurt those less fortunate by others who are nothing more than bullies who view themselves as perfection. When the popular students desired my friendship, I needed to make sure they were sincere about it. If they only wanted my friendship just to further their own popularity, I'd refuse their requests because they weren't worthy. If they insisted, I'd teach them about humility, something I lacked, the catalyst that lead me down the path that consumed my life for many years.
The next day came, and I continued speaking with students and becoming friends with them. Ticket sales for the fashion show were still abysmal, the number sold not rising past ten, but I wasn't about to let that get in the way of making friends. It soon became apparent that one student had been avoiding me. For some reason, I hadn't seen Trixie since I started talking with the student body. Given how she claimed herself to be incredibly popular--along with great and powerful--I was certain she would have wanted to become my friend. Yet, I knew she still hadn't gotten over what I did to her when I lost control of my emotions. I still felt bad that I almost did something terrible all because she said something mean. Maybe I should find her instead and apologize for acting so irrationally.
One thing I still wished could have happened was having spoken with everyone in the gym. Having to go around the school proved exhausting, and being in-between classes meant having to get right to the point. I'd say my efforts were working despite how restrictive it felt. When I spoke with more students, I asked them if they had seen Trixie lately, and their responses were surprising. She had been avoiding everyone and not just me. Why would she do something like that? Trixie loved showing off, as she needed to entertain her "audience". The thought of her hiding from everyone made no sense, but I paid it no mind. That feeling wouldn't last very long, however.
I started growing suspicious of Trixie's actions. Why was she avoiding everyone? Why do it now? I made sure to keep those questions in the back of my mind as I continued with my meet-and-greet. Eventually, I spoke with everyone... except for Trixie. Now I really felt suspicious. The only reason she was avoiding me was because she had something to hide. " Why would Trixie want to avoid me? She's the only student in school I haven't talked to. Did I really scare her that bad when I freaked out on her?" I asked myself. That's when it all suddenly clicked in my head! The one spreading the rumours had a huge ego, according to the students. I know Rainbow Dash didn't do it. That left one person: Trixie. " She's responsible! But why?" I asked myself. It didn't take long for me to find her. In fact, I could have sworn she had been looking for me.
" Trixie..." I said.
" Sunset Shimmer..." Trixie said.
" I've been looking all over for you." I said.
" Oh, have you, now?"
" Isn't it strange that you have been avoiding everyone including me?"
" That's because I don't feel the need to speak to anyone."
" Ha! I knew it!"
" Knew what?"
" You've been spreading rumors about me so that nobody wants to come to the fashion show." I answered. I was expecting Trixie to flat out deny my accusations and accuse me of trying to vilify her. Instead, she just stood there with a blank expression on her face.
" Maybe." Trixie said. Maybe? Maybe!? That was her response? She neither admits nor denies that she was responsible for making me miserable and sabotaging the fundraiser. Did she even care that she was hurting the entire school with her actions? While I continued to grow angry, Trixie remained stoic. I quickly realized that I needed to remain calm before I did something stupid. Could Trixie be intentionally trying to rouse my anger all because of what happened during the semi-finals of the Battle of the Bands? No! I'm better than that!
" Trixie... I want to know why." I said.
" Why what?" Trixie asked.
" Why you've been spreading those rumours? You do realize that no one is buying tickets to the fashion show. Because of that, it had to be rescheduled for tonight, although I think it might need to be rescheduled for next Monday now. The Wondercolts teams really need those new uniforms, and by sabotaging the fundraiser, we won't raise enough money to get them." I answered. I had a feeling Trixie had planned every last detail of her plan. She must have. After all, she continued to give me that stoic look. It was like she wasn't afraid of what could potentially happen to her. If Principal Celestia were to find out about this, Trixie could very well be suspended. Despite how much she had hurt me emotionally, I couldn't let her be punished. This was my chance to talk to her and discover the kind of person she really is. In turn, I could share things about me--even the things about Equestria. " Trixie, I want to talk to you. I want to know what compelled you to do this. I want to help you."
" You? Help Trixie? That's a laugh!"
" Why?"
" If you think this has to do with the Rainbooms beating my band, then you're dead wrong!"
" Then why?"
" I still recall what you did when you blew up at me, Sunset Shimmer. How could I ever forget your face when you grabbed me by the collar? You could have choked me to death!" Trixie answered. So this was about what I almost did to her. I was hoping it didn't have to do with that moment. But, it appeared fate wasn't being kind to me. I looked into her eyes and saw fear staring back at me. I could have throttled Trixie out of revenge, but that would accomplish nothing. She would then get back at me and I would get back at her and so on in an endless cycle. That was something I must not allow to happen. Hatred had driven everyone apart at CHS for far too long! I had to end it!
" Trixie... I'm sorry." I said.
" You're... sorry?"
" I never meant to hurt you. I did lose control of my emotions and lash out at you in rage. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. It's just that you were testing my patience, but that's no excuse for my actions." I answered. Trixie winced in response. I suspected she feared that I would tell Principal Celestia about what she had done. I had no desire to do anything of the sort. That would make me no better than her and would only serve to continue the hatred. " You can relax. I'm not going to tell anyone that you were behind the rumours. You were targeting me because of my mistake, and I have no right to judge you."
" Are you serious?" Trixie asked.
" More than I've ever been in a very long time. I'm so very sorry."
" Trixie's not sure she can believe you. After all, you happen to be friends with her!"
" I'd like to be friends with you, Trixie."
" Huh?"
" You’ve got a lot of energy. You really do. It's kind of amazing. But I'm also friends with the Rainbooms--including Rainbow Dash. After all, they've stayed friends with me despite everything I've done. They could have left me to be alone, yet they chose to give me a second chance. I'd like to give you that same chance, and, perhaps, you could do the same for me." I answered. My words made Trixie start thinking really hard. I wanted to stop the cycle of hatred not just between her and myself but also between her and Rainbow Dash. The two of them could learn to appreciate one another and gradually blossom into friends, but they had to put and end to their rivalry once and for all. All they needed to do was take that first step.
" I don't know what to say." Trixie said.
" Yes or no."
" Alright. I accept your friendship."
" I was hoping you'd say that."
" But, what about the ticket sales for the fashion show? You've only sold a small amount, which isn't going to be enough. It will be a disaster and the fundraiser will be ruined all because of me." Trixie said.
" We can fix this if we work together." I said.
" You... want Trixie's help?"
" I do."
" Trixie appreciates that." One thing I would never get used to was Trixie constantly referring to herself in the third person. She would prove herself to be an invaluable friend almost immediately when she assisted me in selling tickets. To get people interested in purchasing tickets, Trixie opted to perform some magic. While her magic was simple when compared to Equestrian magic, I appreciated her efforts. I kept what she had done a secret and went on record to say to everyone that the one responsible for spreading the false rumours couldn't be determined. While some suspected that I was trying to protect the perpetrator, I maintained my story. Trixie couldn't believe that I had saved her from being found out and punished.
The good news was that we would eventually sell more than enough tickets for the fashion show. We even needed to print out another hundred because interest in the show had grown thanks to Trixie's magic show. The bad news was that it now had to be postponed until the following Monday. Despite the sudden surge in ticket sales, there wasn't enough time to get everything ready. Rarity could do a lot of things, but some miracles were beyond even her capacity. Principal Celestia believed that no one was interested in the fashion show, hence the poor ticket sales. I thought it was for the best that she didn't know the actual reason. She would approach me after the last tickets were sold, and I could tell she wanted some answers.
" I'm very impressed with how you managed to turn things around with the ticket sales, Sunset. I have no doubt that the fashion show will be very successful and would provide enough money for the fundraiser to also be a success. You should be proud of your accomplishment in such a small period of time." Principal Celestia said.
" I couldn't have done it without all of my friends." I said, pointing to Trixie to indicate that she was my friend.
" However, I am not happy about one thing."
" What's that?" I asked. I quickly turned towards Trixie. She began to sweat profusely, clearly thinking that I was going to reveal that she was the reason why ticket sales were slow to begin with. With a gesture of my hand, I assured her that everything was going to be fine.
" I want to know why the fashion show had to be delayed on two occasions. It was supposed to have happened last night, but then it got delayed until tonight. Now I'm being told that it has been delayed until next Monday. Would you care to explain what happened?" Principal Celestia asked.
" I'm not going to lie to you. We needed more time to get things organized." I answered.
" No need to feel ashamed about it. Not everything can go according to plan, but you persevered despite having to fix quite a lot of problems. I do believe that you have the potential to become a princess in your own right someday. A princess unlike your reign as Princess of the Fall Formal. A princess who appreciates those around her, and relies on their strength to help her through tough times. Keep up the good work." Principal Celestia said. As she walked back to her office, I cringed over what she had just said about me. Me? A princess? I wasn't ready to have that honourific bestowed upon me. I'll stick with being just a regular student who is trying to figure things out about the world.
What I had said about needing more time wasn't just a lie to protect Trixie. We really were behind schedule. Pinkie wanted to add more decorations and said she needed about a day before what she had ordered some time ago would arrive. Fluttershy wanted to make sure that the animals for the pet parade had been given their shots, and the shelter was behind its own schedule. Rarity wanted to make something extra special and needed more time. Only Applejack and Rainbow Dash stuck to their respective schedules. All that remained now was the fashion show itself. I had no idea what was going to happen, but hopefully there wouldn't be anymore surprises.
" Guess I had Trixie all wrong." Twilight said.
" Once you get past the bravado, she can be a nice person. You do have to get used to her referring to herself in the third person." I said. That response caused Twilight to start laughing, and I couldn't help but join her. Trixie was the only student at CHS who spoke in the third person. It did make her unique, but it also made her someone who you could laugh at for the fun of it. That said, neither of us were showing any disrespect towards Trixie. Far from it. She deserved plenty of respect. If she hadn't helped me to sell those tickets, the fundraiser would have been an utter disaster.
" At least you two are friends now." Twilight said.
" Yes, but even friends can get into disagreements."
" You mean you and Trixie argue in the future?"
" I wrongly suspected her of something she had no involvement in." I answered. That accusation was one of my more embarrassing moments. I should have known Trixie would never have stooped to spreading secrets about other people. Twilight then gave me another puppy dog pout, trying to convince me to explain what I meant. I raised my non-injured hand to refuse her expression. " You'll find out soon enough what happened, Twilight. I'm not looking forward to it if I must be completely honest."
" It must be really bad for you to say that." Twilight said.
" The holidays were nothing short of a nightmare."
" That bad? Usually they're a time of cheer."
" Not when you're someone like me."
" Anyway, what happened during the fashion show?"
" I would receive a surprise that I wasn't expecting, yet it was the calm before the storm. The fundraiser fiasco was just a minor blip in the CHS school year. What happened at the end of the actual year destroyed my life and left me broken and alone." I answered.
" I'm sure you meant to say that it almost destroyed your life." Twilight said.
" No, I meant what I said. My life was destroyed." I said.