//------------------------------// // Not Going to Bed OR Anon-a-Mess // Story: Not Another Anon-a-Miss Fic // by Justice3442 //------------------------------// With a sigh laden heavy with the many, many aggravations that she had borne witness to over the last few days, Vice-Principal Luna pulled back her fingers from her office window blinds. She turned, eyes squinting and forehead creasing; more from the frustration she felt from what she had witnessed rather than the sudden shift in light. “Mr. Doodle and Mr. White are fist fighting in the middle of the soccer field,” she announced in dry, even tone. It suggested that something should be done, but that her expectation was that nothing would be. Slouching in the black plastic chair in front of the desk, much like many of the bored high schoolers that had been called into the Vice-Principal’s office for one wrongdoing or another they didn’t particularly fear the consequences of, Luna’s sister sat in the chair with an expression to match her body posture. “Well, they’ve been something of rivals for years,” Celestia said in a bored tone. “It was really just a matter of time before those two hot heads let their fists do the talking.” Luna narrowed her eyes. “But at the school, Celestia? Mr. White shouldn’t even be allowed on the premises after he was fired! Or need I remind you of what he did?” Celestia flung her head back in an exaggerated manner and sighed. “Yes, yes. You’ve told me many times about the unwanted advances he made on you…” Flopping her head forward as she let her hands dangle at her sides, Celestia grumbled out an annoyed, “… poor schmuck hit on the wrong sister…” “What was that?” Luna asked, her face tightening. “Nothing!” Celestia replied innocently. She lifted a palm in a sort of half shrug, manner. “Look, I’m sure they’ll get this out of their system soon enough and we can send a couple students to drag their tired and beaten bodies inside.” Luna rolled her eyes and walked over to a different window, she once again used her fingers to part the blinds briefly and look outside. “That seems quite unnecessary, Nurse Redheart seems to be actively waiting for the fight to conclude.” Luna’s eyes looked at the nurse in question who had seemingly set up a parasol to sit under on some of the school’s outdoor bleachers as Redheart watched the two men fighting. Redheart remained motionless as she rested her elbows on her thighs and steepled her fingers in front of her face, a cooler marked with a red cross sitting alongside her in the shade. “See!” Celestia said. “Once again a solution has presented itself!” She shook her head. “I keep telling you that you put in way too much effort into trying to control everything that happens at the school.” With a sharp snap of blinds falling back into place, Luna turned, eyes narrowed, lips pursed for a frank, serious talk. “And I keep telling you that your laissez-faire method of dealing with problems at the school has some deep and apparent flaws!” Celestia let out a scoff of great incredulousity. “Blood drive participation from the students is higher than it’s ever been!” “That’s because the students keep on getting into fights and Redheart is insisting they need a transfusion despite that fact that most everyone is just receiving a series of contusions, so we keep running out.”  Luna shook her head. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re having so many blood drives, then!” A vein began to bulge on Luna’s forehead, growing to such a size one might think it’d burst and she, herself, might need a blood transfusion.  Celestia threw her hands in the air. “Look, if you’re wondering about the frequent donations,” —“I AM, but that’s not the issue…”— “Nurse Redheart said…” >-~ooo~-< Slamming her palms on the wooden desk in front of her, the school nurse beamed enthusiastically across the plank of wood at Principal Celestia. The ‘beaming’ in this case not so much resembling a happy smile and much closer to the gleam a guillotine would have if it caught the sun. “Look, so… you know how there’s talk that six weeks might be a gross, and I mean gross, overestimation of how long blood lasts, right?” “… For the sake of expediting this conversation, I’m going to say yes,” Celestia replied, a terse smile on her face. “Right!” Nurse Redheart replied as she began to pace back and forth in front of the desk. “So, the new timeline suggested is two weeks,” Redheart thrust an index finger into the air. “However, if doctors were wrong about the old time, who’s to say they’re not wrong about the new time?” Celestia began to nervously drum her fingers on her desk. Taking no notice of the Principals unease, Redheart continued, “So! I figure since they were wrong about a full two-thirds of the time last time, we should assume that they’re wrong by two-thirds again. Meaning it’d be safest to assume that even properly cared for blood will last, at most, 4 days and 16 hours.” Laughing to herself, she added. “I mean… That’s just basic math, and we’re in a school, so d’uh!” Celestia pursed her lips. “Well… that certainly SOUNDS like a bunch of words and numbers arranged to form a few coherent sentences…” Redheart slammed her right fist into her left palm as she continued to pace back and forth in the small office. “SO! That means if we’re too keep our local supply of blood safe for student use, we need to be having twice weekly blood drives!”  Celestia’s face tightened. “Wait… Isn’t the required time between blood donations like two mon—” Redheart turned and once again slammed her palms on the table, electing a small, terrified shriek from Celestia as the nurse favored her with a rictus grin. “And that means lots of cookies and juice boxes for the students! Who doesn’t love a good sugar cookie and juice box?!” Her teeth set on edge, Celestia could only watch in wide-eyed horror as Nurse Redheart leaned across the desk, going so far as to place her nose a few inches from Celestia’s neck. Inhaling deeply through her nose, Redheart breathed out a soft, moan-like sigh. “Oh, baby, baby…” she whispered. “Is that O negative I smell in you? I can’t wait to get all up inside that skin and suck you dry with two needles.” Celestia gulped. “If I agree to whatever it is you’re asking, will you leave me alone in my office for some relaxing terror sobs right now?” Leaning back, Redheart brought her fists under her chin and let out a high-pitched squeal of delight. “And how!” <-~ooo~-> Luna fixed her sister with an unamused glare. “What! She’s terrifying!” Celestia said as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly. “Well, YOU hired her!” Celestia nodded. “She’s also a very good nurse…” Luna let out a groan. “Let’s try to stay on topic here. This Anon-a-Miss kerfuffle has nearly everyone in the school at each other’s throats and we should, oh I don’t know, try and put a stop to it, by say… finding the person responsible?!” She said, her last sentence hissed out through clenched teeth. Celestia gave Luna a sad pout. “Well, certainly you don’t suspect Sunset Shimmer.” Luna sighed. “I already questioned her. Sunset did an excellent job of convincing me she’s not the one responsible.” >-~ooo~-< *Knock. Knock!* “Yes, come in,” Luna said as she sat solemnly behind her desk, her hands folded neatly in front of her. The door slowly creaked open, the light from outside the much dimmer room casting the woman standing in the doorway in silhouette. A silhouette Luna was starting to regard as all too familiar. “There’s no easy way to say this, Sunset Shimmer” Luna began, “however, I have reason to believe you are the person behind this recent ‘Anon-A-Mess’ if you will.” Sunset let out a slow, deep laugh, though not of joy. This laugh came from somewhere much different than jollity. In fact, one might say it was born more of madness and sorrow than mirth. Unable to keep the confusion from her face, Luna continued. “I assure you, clever pun aside, this is not a lau—” Sunset was practically on top of Luna’s desk in an instant. The student’s hair looked like it hadn’t been washed or even brushed in some days, corresponding with how little sleep it looked like Sunset had gotten. Additionally, the shirt Sunset wore looked dirty from smudges of filth, the least of which not being a large smear of dried blood that started at the shirt’s neckline. Likewise, it smelled dirty, likely from days of being worn and unwashed. “HeheheheheHahahahaha… Yes… it all makes sense now...” Sunset crowed. Recoiling ever so slightly with a marked look of surprise on her face, Vice-Principal Luna was quick to regain her composure. “Sunset, I wish to formally retract my previous statement and instead would like to offer my help in this no doubt tryin—” “It was YOU all along!” Sunset accused as she stood up tall and leveled a rigid index finger at Luna Luna motioned to the seat in front of her desk. “Sunset, if you just have a seat, I’ll call my sister and—” “You don’t like me, you’ve never liked me!” Sunset cried. “You were always jealous of the fact that your sister took care of me and practically treated me like family!” She leaned forward and slammed both her palms on Luna’s desk. “Admit it!” Luna’s lips pursed into a tight line. “Sunset, while it’s true I think Principal Celestia’s sympathy and adoration of you has clouded her judgment from time to time, now hardly seems like the bes—” Sunset slammed a fist on Luna’s desk. “You wanted her to take down the pictures of me in her office!” Luna’s eyelids dropped slightly. “The second and third-year pictures taken after your Fall Formal victories, yes. Let’s be honest here… Your expression on the second comes off as a bit… smug… The third one is well…” Luna frowned heavily. “…truth be told, I considered having my sister committed after she put that one up…” Sunset retracted her fist and clenched it in front of her as she began pacing in front of Luna’s desk. “Yes, yes… I see! Hahahaha! I see! It was you! Who else would have access to student’s secrets but the Vice-Principal?!” Luna gave Sunset a scrutinizing look and reached into her dress jacket. She pulled out a smartphone and flicked at the screen a few times. “While it’s true my position allows me knowledge to many student’s misdeeds, that wouldn’t explain where these pictures came from or…” Luna squinted “…Or why I’d have opinions on ‘fruit-loop colored, sub-par, Dimethylphenethylamine’…” A sudden rustling of her blinds caused Luna too to look up. “Sunset Shimmer?” A split second later, Sunset had opened one of the windows in Vice-Principal Luna’s room and was halfway out it. “You!” She shouted at a familiar peach-skinned male student wearing a gray beanie. “IT was you! Wasn’t it?!” “You already accused me!” Luna stood up and approached cautiously. “Sunset, if you just come sit down, we can straighten this—" Sunset suddenly bolted outside as the window blinds fell back down with an angry protest of the hard slates rubbing against each other. “YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY THIS TIME!” Sunset shouted. “Not again!” ‘THUMP!’ “AaaaaHHH!” Luna simply raised fingertips to her forehead and let out a sigh. <-~ooo~-> Celestia smiled. “I knew Sunset must be innocent… this time!” Luna pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an exasperated sigh. She removed her hand and stared Celestia directly in the eye. “Sister… Celestia… Again, I feel you’re missing the bigger picture here… Students are fighting! Faculty is fighting! I even have reason to believe some girl from Crystal Prep has shown up to take advantage of the chaos and try to start some sort of quality socialist revolution here at the school…” As Luna took a quick, short breath, she remembered the musical number said student began as she tried to rally the students of Canterlot High. “You can’t have a nightmare if you ne~ver dream…”~ She shuddered as the eerie melody echoed around the recesses of her brain, threatening to haunt her subconscious for the rest of her days. “Uh… Luna?” Celestia said with a marked tune of concern. “Are you alright?” Celestia squinted in the dim light of her sister’s office. “It’s hard to tell in this light, but you almost look pale.” Luna shook her head as if to clear it. “I’m pretty far from alright, sister, but what troubles me is a problem for another time.” Celestia let out a large sigh, not unlike one belonging to a student who was about to be asked something they didn’t want to do. Luna fixed Celestia with a small scowl. “Perhaps if you don’t want to help me find the culprit, you can at least seek out and comfort Sunset Shimmer? Or maybe even arrange with the school nurse to measure out the proper tranquilizer dose and dart Sunset Shimmer? For the safety of the other student’s as much as Sunset’s?” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not a wild animal, sister!” Celestia spat out. “No, but if you saw the current state of her, you’d be inclined to agree she’s well on her way.” Celestia let out a knowing sigh and finally got to her feet. “Luna, Luna, Luna…” Luna’s left eye twitched in irritation as if she had heard this opening far too many times. Smiling sweetly, if knowingly at her sister, Celestia continued, “You know you can’t baby the students so!” She placed a gentle, but firm hand on Luna’s shoulder. “I mean… If we don’t let anything happen to them, then nothing would ever happen to them.” Luna shrugged off the hand. “You stole that from a movie and, frankly, I’m appalled by your lack of action to help the students, especially your adored Sunset Shimmer!” Celestia’s expression tightened. “Sunset is stronger than you know! She’s dealt with being a demon and magical mind-controlling sea-monsters, for Christ sake! I’m sure she can handle a little tough-love from the school!” Luna threw her hands up in the air. “What is it with you and Sunset?! You were like this after the last Fall Formal, too! Celestia, the school doesn’t love Sunset right now; everyone, even her friends actively seem to hate her!” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I swear, I know you have a giant soft spot for her, but the way you’re treating her now you’d think you hated her!” Celestial’s face became all the more rigid.  Luna continued, “If this is how you treat a child you like heaven help any of your own children you might have…” Celestia’ right eyebrow lifted so quickly there was practically an audible ‘snap.’ Irritated scowl on her face, she reached into her dress jacket, turned, and pulled out her phone. She began to frantically tap at it with her thumbs. Luna sighed, “Sister, I know this is hard to hear, but now is not the time to pretend you have a text—” *Buzzzz! Buzzzzzz!* Frowning, Luna reached into her own jacket and pulled out her phone. Swiping at the screen a few times, her already vexed features suddenly exploded in rage. “She… how… did…” Gritting her teeth Luna glared at Celestia. “How did Anon-a-Miss find out I still sleep with my Mac Tonight plushy?!” Celestia snickered to herself. “Gee, I wonder how!” “Tia, you absolute cuntmuffin!” Lune exclaimed. Growling, Luna began to tap at her phone. “That’s it! I’m telling Anon-a-Miss you slept with a nightlight until you were sixteen and cried at every slumber party you went to without it!” Celestia gasped and turned. “You wouldn’t dare!” Grinning wickedly to herself, Luna smiled. “Aaaaaand, sent!” Celestia swallowed. “You… you’re bluff—” *Buzzzz! Buzzzzzz!* Slowly, and with a terrified look on her face, Celestia brought her phone up to her face. A slow tick starting about her eyes, this grew to a slight quivering of her head, followed by her entire body quaked as rage over-took her from head to toe. “Hah!” Luna exclaimed with a chuffed expression on her face. “Perhaps now you’ll think twice about—” With a blood-curdling scream, Celestia dove onto Luna, bringing both women to the ground where they began to exchange blows. “I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TOLD THE *POW* WORLD MY DEEPEST-OUCH-SECRET!” Shouted Celestia “ME?! LOOK WHO’S *SMACK* TALKING YOU FREAKISHLY-OW-TALL HYPOCRITE!” “Control Freak!” “Lazy Placenta Loaf!” “Sour puss!” “Queef Stain!” The door to Luna’s office suddenly slammed open. “Vice Principal Luna?!” Nurse Redheart exclaimed as she looked around the room. “I heard a crash and brought a couple blood packs just in—” Redheart gasped as she looked down at the grappling women and let out a squeal of girlish glee. “Jiminy… it must be Christmas…” Slamming down her baby-blue cafeteria tray full of healthy but formless brown mush, slightly less healthy but equally formless brown mush, and an apple, Rainbow Dash took a seat next to Fluttershy. “Hey Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash greeted grumpily as she raised her left hand to her face. “H-hey, Dash,” Fluttershy replied as she got over her momentary surprise. Fluttershy let out a sad sigh as she picked up her milk carton, a white plastic straw poking out of the top. “…Yeah.” She admitted. “I have to run to the animal shelter after school every day. At least the animals won’t make fun of me.” Regarding Fluttershy with a sympathetic glance, Rainbow Dash looked out into the cafeteria. “Well, at least we’re not the only targets.” Fluttershy’s brow tightened slightly. “I don’t see how that makes any of this bette—” “Anon-a-Miss is posting about everybody now,” Rainbow Dash added as she gestured out into the cafeteria. Fluttershy followed Rainbow Dash’s finger. “Don’t lie to me!” Diamond Tiara shouted. “You took my necklace!” she added as she held up a smartphone to show the one she was accusing. “Anon-a-Miss posted your picture with it!” Gritting her teeth, Silver Spoon glared at Diamond Tiara. “Why should you care? It didn’t look any good on you!” Rainbow Dash took a bite of her apple, chewed, and swallowed. “Seems like she wants to spill everyone’s secrets now,” she quipped nonchalantly. “Oh, my…” Fluttershy murmured before putting on a contemplative expression. “Why would Sunset rile up the entire school if she just wanted revenge on u—” Rainbow Dash continued as she motioned out the cafeteria full of angry shouts belonging to students pointing fingers at each other and holding up phones, “I haven’t seen so many arguments since… Well, since before Twilight Sparkle came here.” “Erm… the first or the second time?” “The second time, of course!” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean… with the Sirens stirring up the entire school, of course there were as many arguments then!” Fluttershy nodded. “Okay, because the way you phrased it, it sounded like you meant the first time.” “What? No way!” Rainbow Dash said. “That’d be a stupid thing to say!” “Uh… right… Hence why I brou—” Rainbow Dash turned away for a moment, returning her hand to her cheek. “All because of Anon-a-Miss…” she said in a gloomy tone. “… I’m not sure why you keep stressing names and words at me, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe because I’m stressed out!” Rainbow Dash fired back. “Erm… okay…” Fluttershy took another look around the cafeteria. “Do you really think Sunset Shimmer is Anon-A-Miss?” Muttering to herself, Fluttershy added, “I’m really starting to question why Sunset would do this… erm… any of this…” “I don’t know!” Rainbow Dash said as she rotated her palm upwards.  “I don’t want to believe it, but… Well… That being said, I was still willing to believe it enough to bold-faced accuse Sunset Shimmer in public, possibly inducing long-term; some might say, unrepairable- emotional scars as some of the only friends who’ve tried to look past her past all simultaneously turned their backs on her figuratively and literally, leaving her a broken wreck on the school floor.” Fluttershy’s butter-yellow face practically turned white as her turquoise eyes shot open wide. “I don’t… I don’t think I can do this anymore…” she muttered to herself. “This can’t be right…” Rainbow Dash continued, seemingly taking no note of Fluttershy’s change of attitude. “Who else could’ve gotten all our secrets?” With a very slight jerk of her head, the color returned to Fluttershy’s face as her eyes took on a slightly glazed over look. “I know what you mean,” Fluttershy said in a sad tone. “We let her into our hearts, and now…” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Wait… is that what I sound like? Uh, RIGHT!” Rainbow Dash agreed. “She was our friend! More than a friend-she was family! I… okay, yeah… that does sound weird…” “Maybe… Even family can make mistakes,” Fluttershy said. “Okay, now you’re just making fun of me!” Rainbow Dash countered as she narrowed her eyes slightly. “Though…” Rainbow Dash took a moment to rub her temples. “I’m not sure why I’m even talking like this.” Something in Rainbow’s head began to stir, like a slow, dull-pain accompanied by a low-pitched hum, both slowly growing in intensity. “Or why… Or why I just went along with everyone kicking Sunset out of the group in the first place… I…” Rainbow winced slightly as the dull-ache became a sharp pain stabbing out from the inside of her head. Fluttershy simply watched with a dead-eyed expression. Rainbow Dash sucked air in through her teeth and pressed her palms hard and flat against her head as the intensity of noise and pain increased. “Sunset... Sunset… she’s our friend… our family… She doesn't deserve…” And just like that, the noise and pain hit a crescendo and was gone, taking with it the clarity in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. She lowered her hands from her head and stared back at Fluttershy for a moment, mirroring her friend’s empty stare. “I’m sorry… What were you saying?” “Maybe… Even family can make mistakes,” Fluttershy said in the same exact tone as before, this time adding, “Mistakes like… accidently releasing your family members secrets all over school and then releasing everyone else’s secrets for… reasons…” She added evenly as a small trickle of blood dripped from her right nostril, blood that neither Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy seemed to take notice of. Rainbow Dash sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know if you can forgive them, though…” Rainbow Dash paused for a moment and smiled to herself. “Which I’m sure isn’t a statement steeped in irony for me that I’ll regret saying later!” ‘…So that’s the whole story.’ Sunset penned sadly into her journal as she sat on her knees atop a makeshift bed made from books. She continued writing, ‘Nobody will believe that I’m not Anon-a-miss…’ Slightly less flowery looking words appeared in a golden glow on the page in front of Sunset. ‘Sunset, why are you writing out each ellipsis? I mean, if you just pause while writing I’ll wai’ ‘…not even my friends.’ ‘Okay, not even going answer me, it seem’ ‘My former friends, I guess.’ Sunset Shimmer stared at the page expectantly. Waiting, and waiting, her expression becoming increasingly impatient. ‘…’ ‘There you go with the elip’ ‘WELL?! Don’t you have anything to say?!’ ‘Right! Sorry! First, let me say that your story is basically the saddest one I’ve read! Of all time! And I read a lot of stories!’ ‘Well… that’s some comfort… more than’ Words again began to appear on the page in front of Sunset, causing her to stop her own writing. ‘I’m reading like four, no five stories right now!’ ‘Wait… You’re READING as I pour my heart out to you?!’ ‘Just some light reading! You have my full attention. I promise!’ Sunset began to shake with frustration, ‘HOW CAN I HAVE YOUR FULL ATTENTION IF YOU’RE READING FIVE STORIES WHILE TALKING TO ME?!’ There was a pause as Sunset waited impatiently for a reply  ‘…TWILIGHT!’ ‘Right! Sorry! You have over 50% of my full attention. I promise!’ Though clearly somewhat irritated, Sunset took a deep breath and continued writing. ‘Ugh… Well… As I was saying. At least your words are more comfort than these books I’m going to sleep on.’ ‘More eplispsWait?! Why are you sleeping on books?!’ ‘I’m sleeping in the library, Twilight…’ ‘WHAT?! Why?! You’ve been in the world for years! You should have to have your own place by now! Besides, if you slept in the library every night, you would have run into me the first night I stayed there!” “…” “Ugh, stop’ “Why didn’t you just go across the mirror and sleep in your bed that night?!” ‘Why are you sleeping on books when you have a bed that doesn’t require a dimensional trip?!’ ‘I… Okay… truth be told I haven’t slept or even really left the school for DAYS and I’m starting to CRASH and BURN, HARD! Now why didn’t you go home?!’ ‘……..’ ‘Twilight?’ ‘……………………………………………’ ‘Twilight, stop DOTTING at me and answer the question!’ ‘I bucking love books, alright?!’ Sunset paused and pondered this response for a moment. ‘… Alright, fair. I guess we should talk about the situation I’m having with or friends erm… Like I guess I should have discussed with you a few days ago?’ ‘Right! I’m so sorry, Sunset.’ ‘No really… How the hell has this now just occurred to me?!’ ‘I wish there was some way I could help you.’ Sunset looked at the pages in the book below as her world began to tear itself apart. ‘It’s never easy to lose good friends.’ Tears began to stream down Sunset’s face as she let out several tortured sobs. Mustering the last ounce of her strength, Sunset ran her pen across the page in a barely controlled, haphazard manner as her hand shook with grief, ‘TwiLIght? Are YoU AbanDoning ME, too?!’ ‘What?! No! I could never do that to you! Sunset, you saved your world, and me, and our friends alongside it! The very idea that you’re capable of this Anon-a-Miss stuff at this point is patently ridiculous!’ Relief flooded through Sunset as she dried her eyes with a filthy, tear stained sleeve.  Relief was soon replaced by anger as Sunset’s pen began to fly across the page. ‘Then what are these horse apples about you “wishing you could” help me?!’ ‘Well, I’m more than happy to offer moral support, but I what you really need goes so much further than that!’ ‘YEAH! LIKE YOU MAYBE WALKING A FEW DOZEN YARDS TO THE MAGIC MIRROR AND TALKING TO EVERYONE OVER HERE!’ ‘Oh! Well, that’s certainly an idea!’ ‘WHAT THE FLYING FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?’ ‘Well, okay. It’s just that I came up with this really pertinent story about Windigos and since it’s about that time of year, I thou’ Sunset suddenly rose to her feat and snagged her backpack, putting it on in a couple swift motions before she continued writing so hard she was practically ripping through the magically enhanced parchment of the book. ‘TWILIGHT SPARKLE! I AM GETTING UP AND MARCHING TO THE MIRROR RIGHT FUCKING NOW! IF YOU’RE NOT THERE TO MEET ME, I’M GOING TO MAKE MY TRANSFORMATION AT THE FALL FORMAL LOOK LIKE A NEWBORN THROWING A TEMPER TANTRUM BECAUSE IT’S PACIFIER FELL OUT OF ITS MOUTH!’ ‘Okay! Okay! Just… Let me finish these five chapters I’m on and I’ll be right’ ‘JUST GRAB FIVE BOOKMARKS!’ ‘Or, right! Just… give me a few seconds.’ Sunset stopped in her tracks and spent the next few seconds angrily glaring at her book. ‘WELL?!’ ‘I can’t find them.’ ‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE A FEW DOZEN BOOKMARKS OVER THERE!’ ‘I’m checking in a drawer, but there’s just cutlery in this one.’ ‘WELL THEN CHECK ANOTHER DRAWER! Wait… cutlery?!’ ‘It’s no good! There’s just more cutlery in this drawer, too!’ ‘...Twilight…’ ‘Checking another drawer… Nope… more cutlery.’ ‘Twilight, where the fuck are you in the castle?!’ ‘Oh, in the kitchen.’ ‘WHAT?!’ ‘I’m in the kitchen! Oh, I guess you could have just reread that bit…’ ‘...WHAT ARE YOU DOING LOOKING FOR BOOKMARKS IN THE KITCHEN?! WHY ARE YOU READING IN THE KITCHEN?!’ ‘I got hungry, alright! I guess I can just go walk back to my study and get some bookmarks.’ Sunset let out a growl of absolute rage and began marching once more as her pen once again began nearly violently dancing across the page. ‘TWILIGHT! I’VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE AT THIS POINT! ‘FIRE! DEATH! COMPRENDE?!’ ‘Right! Friendship first! Books a close second… A close one and one half…” The pen snapped in Sunset’s hand. ‘Meet you there!’ Soon, Twilight Sparkle found herself practically ejected out of the swirling limbo between worlds and onto Canterlot High’s hard and unforgiving walkway, left even colder than usual thanks to the absence of the sun above. Groaning to herself, Twilight rubbed her behind slightly. “We really should install some padding there… Like, maybe a carpet? Or heck, I bet Pinkie would be happy to get some pillo…” Twilight trailed off as she noticed an orange hand dangling in front of her, offering to help her up. She followed the hand visually to the owner, a filth caked Sunset Shimmer with tangled, unwashed hair. “AH!” Twilight yelped as she scooched back a bit. Sunset stared at Twilight with a look of absolute sadness and loneliness. “I… I knew it! You don’t want to be my friend! No one wants to be my friend!” Twilight quickly got to her feat. “Sunset! No! Sorry, it’s just…” Sunset placed both hands over her mouth and gasped. “Unless… Of COURSE! It’s YOU! It has to be! THAT’S why you didn’t want to come over!” Twilight gave Sunset a disbelieving look “What?! Sunset, that’s crazy! How would I even…” Sunset began to pull at her face with her left hand, digging her nails into the skin under her eye and hooking her ring finger in her lips. “You… You must have used magic!” “I… Okay, I’m good, but I’m not THAT—” “Of COURSE! It all makes sense now! You got JEALOUS of the fact I was spending SO MUCH time with our friends and that you couldn’t because it means you’d have to WALK all the way to the mirror portal!” Twilight’s forehead tightened. “…Are you listening to the words you’re saying? Because I am… and they sound pretty insane.” “You’ve ABANDONED ME!” Sunset raised both her hands to the side of her head. “Everyone ABANDONED me!” Sunset began crying openly. “Just like my-sob-parents! Just like-choke-LIKE MOMMY! WELL, FINE!” Sunset balled her fist at her side. “IF NO ONE WANTS ME I’LL JUST GO OFF AND—” Something seemed to suddenly snap behind Twilight’s eyes as if she was hit with a clarity she had been lacking just moments before. She immediately lunged forward as she extended her arms outward, she practically let her body crash into Sunset’s as she wrapped her arms around the distraught girl. Then, Twilight simply held Sunset. For several long moments, neither woman said anything. Sunset simply standing in place as if she couldn’t make sense of the current situation, Twilight holding onto Sunset as if someone’s life depended on it. The sounds of night filled the air, crickets chirping, a slight chilling breeze that rustled the trees of Canterlot High. Finally, Sunset broke the silence, “Twilight?” “Yes, Sunset?” “What are you doing?” “… Hugging some sense into you?” “…Oh… well… Okay… but you’re supposed to slap sense into someone whose delirious.” “…No… I like my way better.” “Oh… Erm… Twilight?” “Yes, Sunset?” Sunset's turquoise eyes filled with tears, she managed to murmur out a faint, "I do too," before the maelstrom of sadness and frustration overtook her. The only sounds uttered were the distraught choking sobs and cries of an exhausted child as she clutched at and tore into Twilight's shoulders. Twilight continued to do nothing. To say nothing. Instead, she simply held on to her friend as Sunset let out the emotion that had built up over these past few unforgiving days. Finally, after several minutes of nearly uncontrollable crying, Sunset took a deep breath. “Okay… Thank you… I… I feel better…” Sunset smiled to herself. “Now… let’s go to the school where you can help me convince everyone that I’m not Anon-a-Miss.” “Erm… right… Uh… Sunset?” Sunset clutched Twilight tightly. “Thank you so much… I love you…” she choked out. “Uh…” Twilight momentarily tightened her squeeze. “I love you, too… it’s just… erm…” Sunset frowned heavily. “You’re… you’re not going to help me?!” she cried, her voice breaking once more. “Of course, I’ll help you! It’s just… It’s night time… I’d be amazed if anyone is here…” If Twilight or Sunset had been listening a little longer, they might have caught the squeaky “Acheew!”  belonging to one Nurse Redheart. “Oh…” Sunset said as the gears began to turn from behind her turquoise eyes. “Right…” Twilight inhaled through her nose before it wrinkled in disgust, “Also… things might go over well if you’ve cleaned up a bit… It smells like you haven’t had a shower in a few days…” Sunset cringed then sniffed the air herself. “Uh… Twilight?” “Yes, Sunset…” “It kinda smells like you haven’t showered in a few days either…” Twilight cringed and broke the hug. She gave Sunset a sheepish look. “Sorry! I’ve been a bit preoccupied with reading. Like… Okay… Did you know that Windigos—” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Twilight?” “Er, yes, Sunset?” “No more talk about Windigos tonight.” Chuckling to herself, Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Right, okay…” For another few moments, neither woman said anything. Instead, both just in stood in front of the large horse statue. Twilight rubbed her left arm with her right hand as Sunset looked down at her feet and shuffled them. “Erm…” Twilight motioned to the mirror portal behind her with a thumb. “Did you erm… want to get cleaned up back at my castle…? Maybe sleep in a bed tonight?” “Oh, sweet baby Christ on a trampoline, yes!”