The drive to Sweet Apple Acres was silent again. That in and of itself wasn't unusual- Applejack often drove alone, or with Big Mac (who tended to enjoy the quiet time when there was nothing to do) or Apple Bloom. (who would either be chattering away or silently staring at a book or her phone.)
Today, however, Applejack found herself in focused on the road with little to say. Rarity sat in the passenger's seat, her head hanging low. The sketchbook on her lap wasn't as neat as it normally was, and had been open earlier to be filled with words, not images. Applejack had stolen a glance at the last red light on the way out of town, and had noticed the crumpled pages inexpertly smoothed, taped back into the book. Images of a tall, proud, red-gold haired girl.
The words scrawled on the last blank page had been drafts, each I'm Sorry and Sunset, can we talk attesting to the difficulty the normally dramatic girl had with her current predicament. Rarity had given up trying to plan her apology, however- the fashionista was having trouble finding the right words.
When Applejack had explained her revelation about Sunset's home life, Rarity had been aghast- and then had started berating herself yet further. Her shock and dismay had turned into a fervor as she hashed out plan after plan to make things better for Sunset, only to have her plans toppled when Applejack explained what she'd done to fix things between them. Rarity had also dismissed a gift- she needed to make this reconciliation without something as overt as a bribe. But that left her bereft of her normal tactics; drama nor giving would help in this instance.
Applejack looked up at Rarity as they pulled into the driveway, and pulled the car to a halt. The freckled girl glanced at her friend, whose shoulders had hunched forward as they approached the house. Rarity may not be having her normal histrionics, but her anxiety was clear. Applejack hesitated, then nudged the fashionista. As Rarity glanced up, Applejack offered the only advice she could.
"Just say what yah mean, Rares. Sunset was willin' to listen to me. She'll hear ya out."
Rarity stared at Applejack for a moment, then squared her shoulders. She opened the door and stepped out into the sun, moving briskly towards the front door. Applejack killed the engine, and followed her out.
Rarity moved up to the front stoop, then stood beside the door, her stance firm. She motioned to the door. "You first darling. Please." Applejack nodded, then swung the door open. From inside, the clatter of a spoon on a mixing bowl could be heard.
Granny's voice echoed through the room. "Now, Sunset- yah gotta beat dough rougher than that. It's gotta stay cool long enough to put over the pie. Gimmie a minute to see who's home and I'll-" Granny left the kitchen, her voice cutting off as she spied Applejack and the girl behind her. Her gaze narrowed for a moment. She glanced at Rarity's face, then turned back to the kitchen. "Sunset? Someone's here to talk to you, Ah reckon."
Sunset emerged from the kitchen, flour dotting the simple shirt and apron she wore. The trepidation on her face was joined by a hint of fear as she walked out into the hall, catching sight of Rarity. Both girls looked nervous, silence hanging between them. As Applejack opened her mouth to speak, Granny grabbed her elbow.
"Leave em' be, Jackie. Come on, we got pie to make."
"But, Granny-"
"This is something she's gotta do alone- both of em'." She turned her glare to Rarity. "Speak your mind, girl- Ah can tell you've got somethin' important to say." She dragged Applejack into the kitchen, and the door closed behind her.
Rarity stood in silence a moment longer, her composure briefly broken. She pressed her lips together, then exhaled. "You know, when Applejack told me about her realization- about how someone might be trying to drive us apart- that thought hadn't crossed my mind."
Sunset looked up and said softly, a bitter edge to her words "Yeah? So she convinced you to give me a second chance?"
"No, darling. I thought you might have been testing us. And we'd failed." Sunset looked shocked at the revelation. "I've been thinking, darling; thinking about past times I was... exploited." She looked up, her expression somber. "You- last year at the Fall Formal. Suri- she wanted my work to win the contest. Quick Stitch, my first teacher, used my time and talent to reduce her workload. But..." She looked down again. "You've asked for nothing. And that set me thinking."
Sunset followed Rarity as she walked into the family room nearby. "Since the formal, you've never asked for anything- or taken anything." She hesitated, then continued, "You've helped us a lot, but never asked for anything in return- not even a home." Her voice cracked on the last words, and she sniffed. "When Anon-A-Miss started, I thought this was another manipulation- but there's no payoff, is there? No gain for you, at any rate."
She turned back to Sunset, and spoke quietly "And even at your worst, you've always been driven."
Sunset spoke for the first time in a while. "Driven to do wrong..."
"Perhaps, darling. But always working towards something. It's... the one thing I admitted to myself to admiring about you, before the Fall Formal." Sunset's gaze snapped up, even as Rarity stared out the window. "Your ambition... it shone through. It made you more, darling. The whole school knew you were great, knew you could do great things- and we knew it, too." Rarity looked down. "It wasn't the best motivation, but you wanted respect. And nothing you did worked against that."
"But Anon-A-Miss? There's no gain for you there. The only thing I could think of was that you were testing us." She sobbed, a few tears retracing old paths down her face. "Four MONTHS! Four months of living alone, on the STREETS, and I never realized what you needed, never thought what you might want- what I could afford to give." She spun, and in her eyes Sunset could see the tears pooling in her eyes. "If you were faking it- if you weren't trying to really be our friends- you would have asked! But you didn't. You never took advantage of my generosity."
"And if you weren't faking it... maybe you wanted to see whether we returned your friendship." Rarity collapsed into a couch, her mascara running, her hands clenched. "If you were testing us, I don't care anymore. We failed you as friends long before this started. And if not, I ruined a friend whose drive I respected, over gossip that doesn't really matter. Please Sunset-" she looked up, seeing eyes whose tears matched hers -"I need to say I'm sorry. I need to make this right."
Applejack had moved to the door when she'd heard Rarity shouting, and glanced in then she heard no response. She was greeted by she sight of two girls sobbing in each others' arms, Rarity whispering apologies while Sunset cried.
She softly shut the door. Rarity had messed up, but her guilt was genuine. Sunset would choose whether to accept her apology or not. But at least Rarity had come to her senses.
And what she had to say made sense. Sunset ain't got a motive for doin' this... Question is, who would? Applejack snorted. Heh. Half the school has a grudge on Sunset. Good thing she's here- and I can probably get Rarity to stay silent.
She heard footsteps climb up to the front door, and a small, bow-capped head came in. Applejack turned around, and watched her little sister walk through the door.
She might be a bit more difficult, though.
Back in town, a rainbow haired girl took out her rage on a punching bag, occasionally taking glances up at a poster on the wall. The six Rainbooms- FIVE Rainbooms and Sunset Shimmer- smiled back at her. Stupid Sunset. Stupid Dashie, for trusting her. Stupid Dashie, for letting her...
Rainbow Dash froze. Stupid Dashie... Stupid, stupid Dashie... where have I head that before...
And why do I feel like I've forgotten something important?
She glanced around the room, then looked back up at the poster. Her eyes settled on Sunset, but her snarl died as she saw a second face peering over the bacon-haired girl's shoulder. Fluttershy's gaze peered at Rainbow Dash, and she felt her heart lurch. Fluttershy! Oh man, if I'm this mad, she's gotta be...
A cool feeling settled into her gut. Stupid Dashie. Forgot about Fluttershy as soon as you got mad again, huh? Dammit. Last time it was so obvious she didn't have anything to do with it...
Obvious. Rainbow Dash frowned. It hadn't been obvious that Fluttershy had had anything to do with the falling out. It also hadn't been obvious who the texts had come from. Anon-A-Miss was obviously Sunset.
But when was Sunset ever obvious? The old Sunset would never pull something like this. But... the fake.. new... augh REAL Sunset wouldn't do it at all!
Rainbow ditched her gloves and moved to her laptop. Maybe I need to have another look at Anon-A-Miss' page...
hmmmm.... is dash gonna use her head?
8436976
Maybe if she hits the punching bag hard enough with it
Hmm? You know what:
First crusader: 50 Bucks on Apple Bloom!
Second: Same amount on Sweetie Belle!
Why, is this story going to be one of the all-time greats? The chances are very good indeed...
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There are far too many good stories on this site for mine to make the all-time greats. Alone, the epics that begin with Foal of the Forest, When the Man Comes Around, and the classic Past Sins get top booking. My work is innovative, not inventive- theirs is.
Still, I really appreciate the praise. I'm no changeling, but a bit of love for my work is always appreciated.
8436997
...huh. You'll break even.
8436990
...That's unfair to Rainbow. Sure, she's rash, brash, and uncouth- but I've never thought of her as stupid. Unmotivated and temperamental, but not stupid. When she actually bothers to think, she's right more often than not.
And have you ever actually punched a punching bag? Headbutting one of those would give her a concussion, if nothing else.
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It was meant to be a joke
I think slowly all of her friends are gonna come to their senses
I confess one thing: the stories about Anon-a-Miss have never really liked me. Because many of these are or become too gloomy for my liking, then rainbooms literally become heartless bastards, in short they are not stories that inspire me except for some exceptions. But yours I like because despite the rainbooms they did not believe in Sunset at first, they are slowly understanding that there is something wrong, and it is before they find out who the Anon-A-Miss is, so I'll keep following this history hoping it will not disappoint my expectations.
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It's one for each so I can at least end up with a half. I'll be surprised if I get doubled but, it's your story so we shall see soon enough.
I love this story. I can't tell you how sick I am of people rehashing the same story with only minor alterations. You my friend join the short list of authors who dared to do something different.
Not gonna lie, I expected Dash to be last.
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Actually, in my first draft, Dash was slated to be second. However, after... certain considerations and timeline alterations, I placed Dash as third, and moved up Rarity to the second slot. Applejack was always going to be first, even in my earliest considerations. Everyone else has shifted positions, and more players are joining the game than I had planned.
Very well done encounter between Sunset and Rarity and nice to have seen right beforehand Granny and Sunset were making pie together liek family.
And quite a good revelation with Rainbow Dash starting to rethink her views on Sunset. Having her call herself "Stupid Dashie" and then from there getting to thinking about how Sunset was never obvious and this time it seemed "obvious" it was here made Rainbow consider looking at the page again. Really fits with Rainbow's character, as we've seen in the show when she falls she hits hard, but she learns, even if it takes some time for her to get it.
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Yep! One of the things I like about Rainbow. Her character will shine through in another way, though- I'm looking forward to releasing the next chapter tomorrow.
Oh man, this story so far has been quite the emotional roller coaster to forgiveness. So glad I found this & I can't wait for more.
I am truly hooked on this story and your writing style. I need more
So, Applejack realized that she threw away a friend once without hearing them out and she was going to do it again.
Rarity realized that if Sunset did this, she would gain nothing, and manipulators always have an end goal.
Now Rainbow Dash is thinking that Sunset was never obvious with anything she did, so why would she be obvious now?
Your characterization is very good, the way Rarity, AJ and Dash acted and came to their own conclusions is very in character.
Also, I spotted a little typo:
you missed the R in heard.
I really love how they started realising that Sunset doing it made no sense, it was so out of character for her to do this.
Yes, thank you! This is brilliant! People actually thinking, once they've had a chance to cool off, and realising that it makes no sense for Sunset to be Anon-a-miss for exactly the reasons in this chapter. Thank you for writing this triumph of rationality rather than a vengeance fic or a grim-dark tragedy-fest.
It feels like things are moving a tad quickly, but I'm still enjoying myself. And it's not by too much, either. The quick pacing, I mean.
9382232 The fast pace makes sense. What the humane five said when they abandoned Sunset, they said in the heat of the moment, feeling angry and humiliated. It makes sense that once they'd gotten past the anger, when they'd cooled down and saw what it had done to Sunset, they would start to have second thoughts. Four months of Sunset becoming their friend, and then the events of Rainbow Rocks. That wouldn't just be thrown away, even if it felt like it at that moment.
Friends can get angry at one another and say mean, vicious things, but regret it after they cool down. So it makes sense that as soon as they did cool down, things might progress fast.