A girl stood, her back to the doors of Sugarcube Corner, with heavy snow blanketing the earth, turning the city white. The flakes collecting on the shoulders of her leather jacket, her boots sinking into the snow, her red and yellow hair dusted. An overhead light provided a soft glow, catching the snowflakes in the dark. Many would fall for the sight. An onlooker would think that she was just enjoying the weather or waiting for someone, when, upon closer inspection, would realize that she was crying. Her shoulders were shaking from heavy, silent sobs as tears made their way down her face. The girl was shivering, not just of the cold, but, of the loss that she felt.
Turning around, facing the bakery, she saw five girls sitting down around a table. One, was a farmer, Applejack. Another an athlete, Rainbow Dash. There was a fashionista and a party planner, whose names were Rarity and Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie for short. Then there was Fluttershy. All of them were talking, purposefully ignoring the girl that stood outside, while Fluttershy was the only to cast a glance her way. At the counter, the Cakes had just finished giving another order to a customer when they shot a glare her way. Making her shrink even farther from the window. In a corner booth, the Canterlot Movie Club are sitting, enjoying hot chocolate and playing on their phones. They also shot looks at the door, although one seemed more concerned than the other two glares that were sent her way.
Wiping her face to clear her eyes, the girl caught her reflection in the window. Tear tracks down her face, a red nose and bloodshot cyan eyes with dark bags under them from the lack of sleep. “Sunset” She said to herself “Why did this happen?” She knew why. Anon-A-Miss.
The next day
“Hey Sunshit!” Lightning Dust called out the moment she saw Sunset. Turning around only revealed that three more people blocked her way. “Let's show her boys.” Sunset soon found a blindfold over her eyes and a gag over her mouth. “Can't let the demon speak, now can we?” Sunset could feel herself being dragged, not sure where though. Suddenly she heard a door open and found herself face down on floor tiles, in a bathroom. Then, she heard a lock click. “You know, I think you looked better as a demon. Shall we?” If she could, Sunset would have screamed. They poured something onto her, it felt thinner than molasses but, thicker than water and smelled like… Paint! Sunset began struggling against her captors. “Looks like the demon can fight but, we expected that.” Four hands wrapped around her arms, they dragged her father back, something wrapped around her wrists probably tieing them to the bar above the stall door. “Now that your demon colors are showing… Why don't I give you the crown you love so much” Next Sunset could feel something being forcefully pressed onto her head, shaking her head did nothing to take it off. Laughter was ringing in her ears, and she heard a click. “Have fun demon.” Then she felt an explosion of pain on her face, more exactly her eye. The lights turned off and someone removed her blindfold, but not the gag.
It had taken her hours to clean the red paint from her body, another hour to remove the gunk from her hair when her attackers glued a cheap plastic crown onto her head. It had been easy enough to slip out of the zip tie. Tears were streaming down her face, sobbing. “Is it worth it?”
The next day Friday
Sunset sat, facing the only table in her “Home” On it was her damaged cell phone, her calendar, and one other thing. Starting from the left was her cellphone, the glass was cracked. So much so that the screen was barely visible, the charging port was crushed, unable to charge it as she watched the battery go from three percent to two. Sunset just sat there, looking at her screen saver. The girls had taken a picture without her knowing.
It was a picture of her and Fluttershy, taken shortly after the Battle of The Bands. The crowds had made the shy girl nervous, so instead of having everyone leave Sunset volunteered to go watch the rest of the concert with Fluttershy from the hill, where it was far less crowded. She closed her eyes as she recalled the memories.
Rather than watching the rest of the concert, the two had opted to sit on a bench and look at the stars. Thanks to the school being in a less busy part of the city the stars were visible, overhead was the Ursa Major constellation. It's stars acting like a beacon, points of light in the dark sky. Sunset looked over to Fluttershy, the girl clearly tired, her eyes barely open. “You know Fluttershy, for all the differences in our worlds some things are the same. Some days in Canterlot you could look up at the sky and see the same stars, yet our moon never changed. For a thousand years, the moon was full, with the imprint of a pony on the surface….”
Sunset stopped talking when she felt Fluttershy's head hit her shoulder, she continued to stare up at the stars until her eyes also grew heavy. They both awoke to the sound of awws, giggles and the flash of a camera. She really cared about the girl, not that it matters anymore.
Sunset reached up to her face, wiping fresh tears away, surprised that she had any left. Skipping the object in the middle Sunset began flipping through her calendar, taking note of all the dates. The Fall Formal, sleepover, study session, another sleepover, helping at the animal shelter, helping Applejack at her farm, sleepover, study session, Battle of the Bands, animal shelter, animal shelter, study session, sleepover at Fluttershy's, Christmas, Sunset and Fluttershy's dat... Sunset shook her head, ending that train of thought.
Christmas was tomorrow, her friends had kicked her to the curb. Literally, she could feel the knot on her head where Rainbow had kicked her. That's not the only one, however, she had a few bruises on her ribs, arms, and legs. Lightning Dust had taken the liberty to give her a black eye. She began to mutter the hateful words that her peers had said. “She-demon. Bitch, demon bitch, slut, whore. Spawn from hell, worthless, waste of space, retarded, useless, Sunshit, Anon-A-Miss, Anon-A- Bitch…”
Anon-A-Miss
Tears were once again falling down her face, Anon-A-Miss, the Mystable user that single-handedly took everything that she had from her. Everything that she cared about, being a member of the Rainbooms, Fluttershy won't talk to her, the friendships she thought would last forever went up in smoke. Sunset screamed and threw the calendar across the room, knocking over an empty picture frame, she had taken the photo out earlier. Then she looked at the object in the middle through blurry eyes, picking it up, was heavy in her hands.
This had taken her almost a year to save up for, not being able to get a job due to her being a bully and student, costing nearly three hundred. The metal gleamed, it was a small M200 revolver. “What's the point of staying? no one wants me here.” Checking the cylinder only one bullet, six chambers. Sunset hoped to never use it, buying it for self-defense, never did she think that she would use it on herself. Sunset put the gun back down and sat back, ‘Is it worth it?”
"Demon"
"Liar"
"Secret Stealer"
"Traitor"
"..."
"Find your friends"
"I'm here for you"
The only person that hasn't betrayed her was Twilight and she probably wasn't welcomed in Equestria. She continued to think. Picking the gun up again, looking some more, then placing it back on the table. This went on for an hour, she picked the gun up, pressing the barrel against her head, the cool metal acting like an ice pack against the knot on her scalp. Pressing the barrel against the underside of her chin and over her heart. Putting the gun back on the table, all the time she was walking around, with tears streaming down her face. Then suddenly, Sunset screamed and threw the gun at a wall. It fired on impact, shooting its only bullet into the floor.
“No, it’s not worth it. I'm going back to Equestria”
Dear Twilight….
Meanwhile...
"Apple Bloom, why don't we let Scootaloo in on Anon-A-Miss?"
"Why else Sweetie Bell? She's being' stupid, just like allah' our friends and' our sisters. She thinks that snake has changed, but, ah' know better. Were' just gonna' expose her before she gets a' chance to hurt them.
"We already got our revenge, what's the point of continuing?"
Apple bloom's eyes lit up as she found a picture, one that would get the last of the Rainbooms on their side. "Sweetie Belle were not done, not by a long shot."
Two days later, Monday
“You just can't learn, can you? You bitch.” Sunset felt another kick in her ribs as Rainbow Dash pulled back for another kick, while LIghtning Dust and Dumbell held her arms in place. She had braced for a kick to the face when Vise-Principal Luna rounded the corner.
“Halt!”
“Oh shit, run!”
The three students ran, however, due to her distinct hair coloring Luna recognized Rainbow Dash at once. “Rainbow Dash I will be seeing you after school” Then turning to Sunset, “Can you get to the the nurses office on your own?” When Sunset nodded, Luna went after the student.
Shortly after...
Rover and Grover were in an empty room when they took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, "I don't know why school don't allow smoke, hows it harm others?
"yes brother, it very strange. You smell that?"
"What, not me!"
"No, big brother, it smells like gas."
Meanwhile
School had just ended, students were filling the halls when suddenly, An explosion could be heard. A gas line had exploded for real this time in the left wing of the school. A small piece of shrapnel flew into Sunsets arm but otherwise, she was ok. Getting out fine.
A doctor was bandaging Sunsets arm, telling her how to take care of it and stop infection when a scream ran through the yard. It was coming from inside the school, she knew that scream, it was Fluttershy!
The Rainbooms recognized it too, as they tried to get back in the building but, were stopped by the paramedics and security guard claiming that they will get her out. Sunset knew better, thanking the paramedic who had bandaged her arm, she snuck past the wall of officials as her ex-friends created a scene and tried to push through. When they noticed Sunset behind the wall they stopped, releasing that they won't be able to get through and the red-haired girl was Fluttershy's only hope.
Sunset moved around collapsed support beams, shattered ceramic, dented lockers and entire sections of the second floor. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy where are you?” Sunset was only looking for a few minutes but, the left wing of the school was growing increasingly unstable, the second floor beginning to sink into the first. Reaching the stairs, they were collapsed and likely so were the others. That's when she heard it…
“S-sunset? Please help me.” Looking to the quiet voice overhead was Fluttershy, not just her but and unconscious freshman, Scootaloo. Opening her arms, she caught the small girl as Fluttershy carefully dropped her. Laying her on the ground, next she caught Fluttershy, her light frame was trembling. That's when time seemed to stop for Sunset and seemed to speed up for Fluttershy.
For Fluttershy, she felt hands push her back and saw Sunset slide Scootaloo away from her stirring up dust. She watched a pipe fall from the ceiling, impaling itself in the floor and in Sunset. Then she watched the rest of the second floor fall on top of her.
Time came to a crawl for Sunset. Watching a begin to fall above Fluttershy, pushing her back and sliding Scootaloo away from where it could land. Suddenly she was on her back, with a two-inch pipe impaled into her stomach, a dull pain in her body as she watched the second flood follow the pipe. More joined the first, Another pipe going through her hand as support beams, lockers, tiles and broken glass all falling on top of her. The pain spreading before it was gone. She felt nothing and saw something, a light. Surrounded by a familiar blue pony.
A few minutes later a sobbing Fluttershy walked out of the school, carrying Scootaloo, both covered in dust. All she was saying was “Sunset” Gasping in out, “Sunset… Sunset”. Rainbow raced towards them both, she had been looking for her sister with tear filled eyes. Fearing the worst for both of them.
“Shy? Are you ok? How did you get out?”
“Sunset”
“She saved you? Good! Let's go see her.”
“She’s gone”
“What do you mean, she left the school?”
“No”
“Then what!”
“THE BUILDING FELL ON TOP OF SUNSET AFTER SHE SAVED US!”
Every head in the yard turned, looking to Fluttershy in disbelief and shock. “We were stuck on the second floor when she found us and helped us down, the next moment we were both pushed back and Sunset had a beam through her, then… The rest of the second floor fell on top of her.” The tears were streaming in earnest now, falling from her face and onto the grass below. That's when a sound that they will never forget came from their phones.
DING
Students almost reluctantly checked their phones, Anon-A-Miss updated. “But…” One student started speaking and said the thing on everyone's mind. “If Sunsets d- you know… Then who’s Anon-A-Miss?”
It was a picture of Fluttershy kissing some girl, who? Was not clear,
Rainbow Dash looked to Fluttershy, along with everyone who could see her. “Shy…”
I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T HER, but, you didn't listen, did you? DID you! No, no one did. I told ALL of you that Sunny was innocent but, YOU STOPPED ME! I wanted to help her but every time I tried you all tried to stop me! To the point of trying to find MORE helpless critters so I HAD to spend more time in the shelter!”
"Shy?"
"Yeah! I knew that!"
"Shy…"
No! I-I wanted to help her… I wanted to be there for her… But, y-you STOPPED me…” She could no longer continue, she was sobbing, tears streaming down her face as her shoulders heaved with strangled cries.
Fluttershy stared out of her window into the night sky, she had cried all the tears that she could. Sunset was gone, after two days the officials recovered her only a few hours ago. The sleepless nights were taking its toll on Fluttershy, as she drifted off to sleep.
She found herself in a fog-covered dreamscape, surrounding her was a circle of pillars, below her was a cracked stone plate and above her was an eclipse. All was silent until she heard the clopping of hives, two figures emerged from the fog, both familiar. One, a princess the other, human Sunset.
“Shy…”
“Sunny!”
They embraced in a long deserving hug. “Shy, listen. I don't have long, Luna and Discord helped me speak with you one last time.”
“Sunny, I'm so sorry if I had just bel-”
Sunset silenced her, reaching a hand up to her own face, Fluttershy could feel the cold Sunset had left. “Shy… Never think that this was your fault, did you know that there was going to be a gas leak?”
“N-no?”
“Did you believe that I was Anon-A-Miss?”
“N-no.”
“Did you want me to die?”
“NO!”
“Then why are you blaming yourself?”
“It's my-”
“Shy, nothing is your fault. You are one of the only reasons I didn't turn a gun on myself. I care about you so much. I knew you would blame yourself for everything, it's why I had to beg Luna to let me talk with you… I just wish… I had… More time... Take this… and...Awake” As Sunsets form faded, along with the surroundings, she held out her hand. In it was an envelope. Then she was gone.
Fluttershy sat upright and stood up, losing her balance and tripping over her discarded jacket. It was morning, with the school closed for repairs she had been avoiding almost everyone. Choosing to take care of her animals from sun up to whenever the owner of the shelter made her go home. Putting her jacket on, something was wrong, no, not wrong, different. Reaching into her pocket there was an envelope. The same envelope that… The dream! Fluttershy had just remembered the dream she had with Sunset… Opening it revealed a letter and a locket. It was a butterfly, much like the ones on Fluttershy's skirt. However, it was red and yellow with two cyan crystals on the back. Opening the locket was a picture, the same one as Sunsets wallpaper. On the back was five words, To the Shy I love. Fluttershy read the letter, in the end, she was crying.
Meanwhile at Sugar cube corner
“What the BUCK where you thinking!” Twilight was pacing around Sugarcube corner and she was furious. At least, she wanted to be. After Fluttershy had written to her what had happened at the school and a much more detailed report on Anon-A-Miss then what Sunset had asked to come back. Twilight wishes all she could feel was rage, but, the news of Sunset has filled her with a sense of loss and grief. She wanted to yell at the four girls in front of her, she wanted to give them Tartarus for what they did. She was just too tired. She just sat down and cried. Unable to yell, unable to fight, she just cried. No words needed to be said, the four Rainbooms looked down in regret? Shame? Sorrow? It no longer matters it's too late. They know that, they understand that, all too late. No one even knows who Anon-A-Miss was, the account had been taken down when news of the gas leak had reached home. No one stepped up. One thing is certain, however, no one thinks Anon-A-Miss is Sunset. In a way, Anon-A-Miss failed, too late. Everything. Everyone. Was too late.
Twilight, Fluttershy and Equestria Celestia stood on a hill, overlooking what was the school. In Front of them, under a tree was Sunsets gravestone. Her body had been taken to the Canterlot royal garden in Equestria, Fluttershy had Sunsets letter, reading it out loud to the two in front of her.
Hey, wish I could talk more but, well, I can't. I planned to write a long letter but clearly, it's a short one. Listen, this, my death, it was no one's fault. Anon-A-Miss should never have happened but, it did. You can't change the past, but, the past is not today. Fluttershy, you WILL become the best vet in the world, Twilight, you will be and are a great princess, I remember you telling me about that pony… Starlight? If she comes back, can you teach her what you taught me? Friendship didn't work out for me but, the same cannot be said for her. Celestia, thank you for everything that you did for me, you took me out of that “home” you taught me magic, best of all, you showed me the mirror. Without it, I would never have met Fluttershy. Thank you, all of you. Goodbye.