Winter Break(2)
Well, that writes Sweetie off of the possible real Anon-A-Miss list...
Rarity sighed heavily as she looked up to find her friends deep in their original conversation for a new song. She hadn't done much to contribute as she was more busy into looking at her phone, trying to figure out the real Anon-A-Miss. She, at first, thought it could be Sweetie Bell but one of Sweetie's secrets had just been posted, so that was a no-go.
She snapped out of her thoughts when Rainbow snapped her fingers in front of her.
Goodness, I hope they didn't notice...
She payed more attention as Rainbow explained the new song idea, what lyrics, and what tone would come with the song. Fluttershy had already began writing out the lyrics, Pinkie helping her out in anyway she could.
Rainbow had finished explaining the entire song when Fluttershy asked her about one set of lyrics, and Rainbow moved to see what she could do. Applejack, on the other hand, kept looking at her phone as well. Probably texting away with Big Mac and Applebloom, having her siblings on a group chat so they could always know what their grandmother wanted from them.
"Applejack, what do you think about the new song?" Rarity asked as she took her cup and sipped it lightly.
"It's good," replied Applejack.
"Oh? You always have something to say about a new song being written. After all, you are the honesty element of our group, perhaps you tell us what you think," Rarity said.
Applejack sighed and put her phone away before grabbing the sheet when Fluttershy offered and she took a few minutes to look over each line and began mumbling the words. A small smile appeared on the farm girl's face as she handed the paper back and nodded.
"Ah like it," Applejack smiled. "It's good."
"Ooh! We should talk Christmas now!" Pinkie piped up, jumping a bit in her seat. "Who's place are we going to stay at!? And ooh! What should we get each other!? We should make groups to see what team can get the better gifts!"
Rainbow laughed. "Pinkie, firstly, we're at AJ's." To which Applejack agreed. "And secondly, who cares what we get each other?"
"I do!" Pinkie said, smiling. "I wanna get you all the very best gifts!"
"Ya always go all out," Applejack laughed, shaking her head. "Do what ya always do, Pinks. We'll love 'em anyways."
The Rainbooms laughed before grabbing their items and leaving Sugarcube Corner, ready to head over to Rarity's place for the day before they left for their own homes. They all agreed they wouldn't see each other until their sleepover arrived, giving them enough time to buy and wrap the gifts.
When Rarity got home, she noticed her sister with her own friends and smiled at them before heading up into her room. She prayed her parents would be home in time from their vacation in time for Christmas this time, they had always been at work or away around the time of Christmas, leaving Rarity to take care of Sweetie Bell.
Rainbow sat down in Rarity's chair.
"When are your parents coming back?" She asked. "When was the last Christmas when they were even home anyways?"
"I believe... it was three christmas ago," Rarity replied, "And I hope they'll be back before Christmas. Sweetie will be thrilled to know our parents are back for the holiday."
Applejack sat down on her best friend's bed. "Ah bet they will be. But aren't they always off on a vacation?"
"More or less," Rarity sighed. "Sometimes it work."
Fluttershy played with her hair. "Is Sweetie going to be spending Christmas will her friends too if they're not back?"
"Most likely."
No one seemed to notice the CMC gazing into the room by the small crack in the door before vanishing into Sweetie Bell's room to talk more about their plan to ensure they weren't found out.
The next day, Rarity took Sweetie with her to the mall to buy their friends presents. While Sweetie was finding her presents with ease, Rarity was taking a bit longer than she normally did, and it didn't go unnoticed by her little sister.
"Rarity, what's wrong? You're just staring at the piece of clothing, you're usually buying it or you're moving onto another piece," Sweetie said, worrying masking her voice.
Rarity sighed. "I don't know what's wrong, Sweetie."
"Are you going to buy Fluttershy the shirt or are you going to get her something else?"
"I might as well buy her the shirt. I know she'll look good in it, and if I decide otherwise, I'll just make her one myself. A much better version now that I think of it."
Sweetie smiled softly as they left the store, and headed towards the video game shop to buy Rainbow's present. "I'm going over to Scootaloo for Christmas Eve with Applebloom, okay?"
Rarity nodded. "Alright, Sweetie. It seems like we're both staying with our friends, yes?"
"Yup."
Rarity was quick to buy the game Rainbow wouldn't stop talking about during their schooldays. She looked over the back to see what it was about and snickered. It seemed like a game Rainbow would enjoy and she hoped she would be able to have fun with the game before suddenly being done with it.
Rainbow always did go through her video games quickly.
After buying Rainbow's gift, they moved onto the gifts for Applebloom and Applejack, and then to Pinkie's gift, and finally to Scootaloo's present.
When driving home, Sweetie asked next to her in the front, and Rarity bite her lip as she kept gazing back at her little sister and took a few breaths before speaking up as she turned right.
Time to test something out...
"Sweetie, may I ask you something?" asked Rarity.
"Uh... okay," Sweetie nodded slowly. "What is it?"
Rarity gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles began to turn even whiter than they already were. "Anon-A-Miss hasn't posted anything today, and they haven't posted anything about Applebloom and Scootaloo... weird, isn't it? One of your secrets have been posted, but it isn't too bad unlike everyone else."
"Y-Yeah, I noticed," Sweetie gulped. She had a bad feeling.
"Any idea as to why your secret that was posted wasn't bad like all the other students? Any idea at all?"
Sweetie shifted, and gazed around. "No." She shook her head. "I have no idea... maybe it's all they could find out about me?"
"But they managed to dig up dirt on everyone else to the point of humiliation," Rarity pressed, "Yet all they could find out about you was some uninteresting secret. I expected much more from Anon-A-Miss than that secret. Maybe something more like everyone else's secrets."
"Rarity... where are you going with this?" asked Sweetie, almost afraid to know the answer.
Rarity took a huge breath before keeping her eyes on the road, trying to make it seem like nothing was wrong. It was clear her sister was uncomfortable, and it made her think twice about her sister being off the list.
"I'm not going anywhere with this. I'm just confused."
"I am too. I expected more as well, but... they didn't go more with my secret."
"When we get home, I'll help you warp your friends' presents and then I'll do my own, okay? Then, we'll make lunch together, alright?" Rarity offered and Sweetie nodded.
She didn't miss how Sweetie was quick to pull out her phone.
Not clever enough it seems.
oooooh your into deep sweetie its all gonna go down hill!
( don't care how many dislikes i get I'm a sadistic person deal with it)
I knew it! SUSPICIOUS!!!
i hope rarity does realize there is no miracle redemption here, she's already shot the foot, it's been amputated, it's not gonna miraculously grow back.
Sweetie's mind right now- CODE RED!!! CODE FLUFFIN RED!!
Only she didn't think the word fluffin.
9704532
It's been shot, amputated, fed to a dog, and then the left over bones were eaten by a bearded vulture. There is nothing left, the redemption is impossible.
I doubt there's anything to salvage from her, or her fellow friends, relationship with Sunset, but Rarity can at least ensure that those who set up the situation which caused the Rainbooms to turn against everything they were supposed to represent in Friendship also face the consequences they've earned.
5 bucks says Rarity actually knows, but she just doesn't want to say it.
9704228
They probably wouldn't be that idiotic...
(0:44-0:53)
Sorry, I couldn't resist it...
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9704634
I'm curious. Does either of you believe "redemption" for the Rainbooms is impossible, or possible?
Especially compared to what Sunset did back in the day?
9705099
Im talking about the CMC.. I’m pretty sure Rarity has a good guess as to who Anon-a-miss is. As for the Rainbooms, while they can redeem themselves, they will never be able to fix that broken friendship.
9705126
That might be for the better. If they just can't trust Sunset after everything that's happened, then forcing it may just not work. There's an argument to be made that everyone, including them, might be better off now. They are still friends among themselves.
9705099
9705126
9705130
the issue to me is that rarities only real motivator for this is her guilt, she isn't doing this because she gives a rats hind end about how they made sunset feel, she's doing this because that little voice in the back of her head she ignored prior is now poking her with a stick going 'hey hey, your an idiot, hey hey" to me doing anything simply to appease ones guilt isn't a true attempt at redemption but rather a selfish attempt to help oneself feel better. in the original comic the main characters got away with a 'oh our bad' kinda situation and thats legitimately not okay for a multitude of reasons.
rarity finding out there all idiots and looking for the true culprit doesn't magically heal over what her and the others did and for sunset to out-rightly or even forgive them within the next year or so would be a sign of terrible psychological health. even if sunset does eventually forgive them she'd be unlikely to truly trust them ever again. admittedly rarity and fluttershy arguably have done nothing totally unforgivable, but for sunset to ever forgive applejack or rainbow again would also be completely unhealthy.
sometimes the healthier option is too cut people from your life completely and i feel that might be the best case for sunset here.
9705538
Of course, considering what Sunset did to them and how Sunset was motivated by guilt to better herself, it's only fair to apply the same to her. Perhaps her actions poisoned whatever relationship she could've had with the Rainbooms too much. She only changed after she got literally beaten into the ground. That's how little she was motivated by anything BUT guilt.
There's so often a double standard regarding Anon-A-Miss fics and I can't stand it. It's shallow and often just silly.
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it also is the issue that sunsets smarter then anon-a-miss and the cast is aware of this, it was seriously too amateurish to be her.
9705595
She was one of a tiny number of possible suspects. Regardless, it doesn't change how she undermined their capabilities to trust her for years. So maybe it's really more healthy for everyone if they go their own ways, again, including the Rainbooms. Years of trauma might not simply poof into thin air.
looks like Rarity has put some points into perception
9704727
Maybe she won't admit it, it's her sister after all.
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Hey, hey, you're an idiot
You had nothing to sa-ay
When your friend was taunted
And knew there was no way
That Sunset could be Anon-A-Miss
It's not too late
To say what the truth is
And remind them not to hate
9716238
That's just sick.