//------------------------------//
// A New Anon-a-Miss 
// Story: Sunset Among Shadows 
// by RedPegasus 
//------------------------------//

That morning, something was… different.

For some reason, Sunset woke up feeling strangely calm. When she got up, her body felt light, as if she had freed herself from a weight on her back that she did not even know she had.

Something urged her to open the curtains, and she was greeted by a bright day. Those icy clouds had abated enough to allow the sun to transmit its rays of light.

When she opened her window, a cool breeze caressed her face, seeping into her apartment, but the tingling prevented her from focusing on the cold. In a way, it was nice.

Sunset did not know why—maybe it was the fact that Twilight had a good time with the sirens, maybe it was the fact that she herself got to know the sirens a bit more intimately, maybe it was the fact that she didn’t get stabbed, but she felt good.

She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, a smile infiltrates her face. Gently, she touched her cheeks, feeling the stretch in the muscles.

How much time had passed since a smile like that had been on her face?

Without erasing that smile on her face, Sunset had breakfast and prepared for the day.

As she leaves her apartment, Sunset takes a deep breath of the fresh air. Once again, the sun shines its rays down, warming her face.

With her smile still present, she locks her door and makes her way to school.


*S*A*S*


Her smile remained present even on the school grounds.

The first thing she notices is that several students scattered around the front yard are keeping themselves entertained on their phones or laptops, when usually, those same teens would be focusing on their books or homework, but Sunset does not pay much attention to that. After all, it is not uncommon for teenagers—even teens at Crystal Prep—to focus so much on their phones.

Still, Sunset can’t shake the slight feeling of déjà vu. Her smile fades slightly but not completely as she enters the school.

With some surprise, she sees the scene repeated in the halls; every single student is focused on their digital device. But once again, she tries to pay it little attention.

While walking through the corridors, she realizes some of the students looking or pointing at her. That bothers Sunset; the last thing she wants is more people paying attention to her. Sunset shrinks into herself slightly but continues her walk.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary; since her arrival, she had caught such attention more than once. So... this was nothing new… right?

As she walks, she notices a certain detail; the students looking at her keep flitting their glances between her and their phones or laptops.

Her ears begin to catch a couple of snickers. Her eyes turn in their direction, and she begins to notice that some of the students are laughing at her.

"Okay, this is new," Sunset thinks.

The students begin to whisper to each other between laughter, and a couple of glances even turn mocking. Keeping her eyes forward and trying and failing to puzzle out why everyone’s laughing at her, she gets to her locker and proceeds to prepare for her classes.

"Sunset!"

Sunset turns to the direction of the voice and is not surprised to see Sonata running toward her. "Hey, Sonata."

"It’s awful! It’s terrible! It’s a little funny, but it’s still horrible! You!" Sonata tries to reorganize her thoughts to form a complete sentence. "Someone put a link on the school page that leads to an internet blog about you."

There is a curious silence from the former equine. "I didn't know that the school had a page on the internet."

"Well, of course, they do! What place doesn’t in this day and age? You can see the dates of exams and holidays, the lunch menu for the week, stuff students publish, and tons of other stuff."

"Okay," is Sunset's only answer, “and…?”

There is a pause while both look at each other, until Sonata shouts, "But it's terrible!"

"Yeah, I think that we already addressed that part." Sunset sighs softly. "Now, what’s this about a blog about me?"

Sonata hurries to pull out her cell phone and puts it right Sunset’s face.

"It's awful! It reminds me a lot of what Adagio sent us to do around when newspapers were big, which is really, really bad."

Sunset, ignoring the siren’s comments, turns away from the phone and pulls out her own phone.

-Behind Sundown: Days of Shimmer-

Sunset raises her eyebrow at the title. “Is that supposed to be poetic?” Ignoring it, Sunset continues to look down the page.

Photographs and captions about her fill the page. The first ones she sees—the most recent post—is a photo of her yawning tiredly in class with the caption, -Work removes energy. Sleep brings wisdom.-

Next is a photograph of her eating an apple, her cheek bulging from the food in her mouth.

-An apple a day keeps the doctor away.-

Afterward is a photo of her watching a music video on a school computer.

-Who needs education when you have today’s top hits?-

There was little more besides this, suggesting that the page was set up very recently, but even with how few posts there are, it’s not hard to guess the idea behind the blog.

Sunset quirks an eyebrow. "Well, now I know why everyone’s looking at me."

"It´s terri—" Sonata begins before Sunset covers the siren’s mouth.

"You’re exaggerating. It's not that bad."

Sonata removes Sunset's hand from her mouth. "It's not that bad? Sunset! Somebody’s making you look ridiculous all over the school!"

Sunset wears a very calm look. "... Yeah," is her only answer.

Surprised by Sunset’s nonchalance, Sonata opens her mouth, but someone beats her to it.

"Sunset!" Both turn around to see Twilight running toward them.

"Hey, Twi."

"Sunset! It's terrible! It’s—"

"I get it!"


*S*A*S*


The three decide to go to a more secluded corridor to talk a little about the matter.

Twilight looks at her phone with concern. "I don't understand. Who would do this?"

"Someone who wants to hurt our Sunsite!" Sonata responds angrily. "But I'll catch him, and I'll make him watch a '13 Reasons Why' marathon! That’ll teach him!"

Sunset spends her time looking at the blog again.

It was not a big deal. They were simply candid pictures of her accompanied by “witty” or sarcastic captions. In part, it reminded her of the things she used to do in her dark times, just… softer.

It was a pretty pathetic job, overall, just some photos that weren’t very humiliating and lame jokes. But, Sunset knew all too well that it could be enough to have a school turn on someone.

Sunset sighs.

Whoever has done this, for whatever reason, is was more than clear that he wanted to make her look bad.

"It's Anon-a-Miss all over again..." Sunset says aloud, not realizing that she does so.

Instantly, Twilight and Sonata turn to look at her, confused, and just as quickly, Sunset slaps her hand over her mouth, looking back at the girls with wide eyes.

"Anonymous? Anonymous what?" Twilight questions.

Sunset gets nervous, not wanting to touch the subject. "Um, nothing... Nothing important... I was just... thinking out loud. Forget you heard anything."

From their faces, it is clear they are unconvinced. Sunset tries to smile disarmingly, but in the end, she can only sigh, having to explain herself.

"When I was at Canterlot High... someone created an account on the internet with the name 'Anon-a-Miss' and began to spread rumors and secrets about all the students, and everyone in the school decided I was responsible."

Twilight and Sonata listen intently, even the normally talkative Sonata staying quiet.

"Since that day, everyone at school hated me. They insulted me, they shouted at me, some even hit me. Even the girls who had been my closest friends turned their backs on me and blamed me for everything."

Twilight’s face radiates sympathy. "Sunset..."

Sonata seems almost terrified, her entire body stiff for a moment. "That's horrible! And I'm the evil one?!" she says, aghast, before throwing herself at Sunset, hugging her tightly.

"It's fine, Sonata. It's doesn’t matter anymore."

"Of course, it matters!" Sonata almost yells. "You’re so nice! I can't believe they did that to you!"

Twilight remains silent for a moment. "Was that why you left?" she finally asks.

Sunset stifles a sigh. "Girls, seriously, it doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past, and the past is not today. Now, I'm here in Crystal Prep with you two. I'm better off, now."

Sonata tightens her hug and rubs against Sunset as if she were a puppy. The act is strange but oddly cute, enough so that Sunset cannot help but chuckle a little, the tension in the room easing up. Twilight also laughs at Sonata’s attitude and gives Sunset a friendly smile.

Sunset allows herself to smile with them for a moment before turning her attention to the subject in question. "Anyway, like that time, someone is using the internet to make me look bad, which is weird; it's not like I’m popular here."

"We have to find the one who did this and force him to eat broccoli!" Sonata exclaims, releasing Sunset.

"I agree," says Twilight. "Regardless of their lackluster effort, this goes beyond simple joking. It borders on harassment, and I'm pretty sure it violates at least three school rules."

Sunset looks at her phone for a moment. "Can’t we just… let it go?" Sonata and Twilight look surprised at Sunset’s suggestion. "I mean... it's not like I really care. Besides, how would we find who did this?"

"If you’ll allow me," a fourth voice says from the side. The sudden voice makes everyone turn around, meeting a familiar face. Sunny Flare stands in front of the group, smiling. "Maybe, I can help you."


*S*A*S*


"You want me to do what?"

Our favorite trio watches as their impromptu guide converse with another student, a girl with mostly rose hair with a few greenish highlights tied in a high ponytail. Small freckles dot her yellow cheeks under her indigo eyes.

They were gathered in a fairly large room decorated with a long, oval table. A laptop sat at each place at the table, with the new girl sitting in front of the only one powered on, which she was working on before Sunny interrupted her.

"I want you to give us administrative access to the school page."

There is silence.

"~Oh, Sunny Flare, you're so funny!~" the new girl says sweetly, smiling. "But I don’t have time for your stupid jokes!" she finishes, her voice bitter and her expression angry in a flash.

And with that, she returns to her work on the computer.

"This isn’t a joke, Sour Sweet," Sunny Flare says pleadingly. "Someone’s harassing Sunset, and we need to check the page to know who."

Sour continues her work without paying much attention. "You know perfectly well that that kind of access prohibited for every student."

"Not for the school board president. That’s you."

Sunset and Sonata are a little surprised to learn about the girl's position.

Sour continues her work while responding, "Right, and why would I help you? What would I gain by violating school rules?"

Sunny puts on a somewhat victorious smile. "Well, I'm sure Cinch would appreciate being made aware that she has a stalker in her school. Think about it: What would she do for you if you were to bring to light who the perpetrator is?"

Sour stops working and falls silent the moment Sunny finishes her sentence. Our trio wait on bated breath for Sour’s answer, and finally, Sour gets up and turns around, giving everyone an extremely sweet smile.

"~You should have started out there. I'd be more than happy to help you!~"


*S*A*S*


"Alright! With Sour on our team, we’ll find the person responsible for this in a flash." Sunny Flare smiles confidently as the group leaves the student council room.

"Um, thanks," Sunset says unenthusiastically.

"No need to thank me, honey. It's my pleasure to help."

Sonata smiles with malice, or an attempt at malice, at least. "We'll find that criminal, and I'll make him pay. Nobody messes with my friends!"

Sunset looks curiously at Sonata at the siren’s comment, and Sonata, realizing what she said, turns away, grinning sheepishly.

Twilight is still doubtful. "It's good to have Sour Sweet's help, and I’m eager to learn who did this, but I don’t understand whythey’ve done it."

Sunny just smiles. "Don't worry about that, Twilight. We'll figure it out when we catch the perpetrator. For now, it's almost time to go to class, so we'd better leave."

Twilight looks at her cell phone and realizes that it's true. She gives a quick goodbye to everyone and leaves. Sonata follows suit, giving a happy farewell as she goes her own way.

Sunny Flare turns to leave, but Sunset stops her.

"Sunny Flare."

Sunny turns to look at her. "Yes, Sunset?"

Sunset comes a little closer and asks quietly, "Why are you helping me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you helping me? You and I, well... We don’t know each other. We've hardly ever talked, and now, you’re offering to help me catch someone making a ‘hit piece’ about me. I..." Sunset trails off, having difficulty expressing her doubts.

But Sunny just smiles. "You're interesting," she answers simply.

Sunset is somewhat confused by that response. “Wh-What?”

"There’s something… attractive about you. I don't know if it's your brain, your attitude, your looks, or some combination of the three, but I think we can get along very well."

There is no response from Sunset, just more confusion. However, Sunny says no more, just giving Sunset a wink before leaving.

Sunset finds herself alone in the hall, trying to piece together the events of the last half-hour. When the school bell rings, signaling the start of the day, she decides to leave as well.


*S*A*S*


At lunch, our favorite trio gathers at their customary table.

"So, Sunsite," starts the siren, "any idea who could hate you?"

With food in her mouth, Sunset just shrugs. In the corner of her eye, though, she sees someone passing by the table. Sunset turns to get a better look and realizes it’s Lightning Dust, who glares at her as she walks by with her lunch tray.

Both, Sonata and Twilight also notice the presence of the girl. "Lightning Dust?" Twilight asks. "Do you think she...?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Sunset answers before taking another bite to her food.

Sonata takes the floor. "But she's evil!" She hesitates a moment. "Well, not evil like me, but she's evil, and she hates you."

"But I already fixed that when I let her beat me up."

"You what?!" Twilight shouts, shocked.

"Thank you, mouth. That’s the second time you betrayed me today," Sunset grumbles.

"What happened?" Twilight demands.

Sunset explains, trying to stay calm, "After the incident with her in the hallway, she came to me on the way home, wanting to fight. I thought that if I let her kick me around, she’d calm down and leave me alone."

"Sunset, that plan is ridiculous!" scolds the scientist, but she suddenly says, "Wait! What am I saying? You know what you’re doing. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Sonata changes the subject. "Anyway, we already know who’s likely behind this torrent of lies."

They all look at Lightning Dust sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by other athletes. Sunset keeps eating, and although she also looks at Lightning, she is neither convinced nor, honestly, very interested.


*S*A*S*


In the last break before the final class hour, Sunset finds herself drinking from one of the water fountains. While there, she can see and hear a couple of girls laugh at her as they pass by, but she ignores them.

"Sun-Shim!" shouts a familiar voice.

Sunset turns around, facing Lemon Zest, who takes off her headphones as she approaches. "'Sun-Shim'?" the fire-haired girl questions.

"I have everything ready!" Lemon says excitedly.

“What do you mean? What’s ready?” Sunset asks.

"The band, duh!” Lemon says. “I've got awesome instruments, an amp, and I've already written a couple of songs. They’re works in progress, but we're ready to start our band!"

Sunset takes a little time to absorb Lemon’s words. "Oh, yeah, the band. I forgot about that."

"I’ll see you and Duskie after class. Prepare your fingers to rock!" That's enough of a goodbye for Lemon, who puts her headphones back on and half-walks, half-dances off, head bobbing with the beat of her music.

Sunset watches her leave, and after drinking another pint or so of water, she thinks aloud to herself, "I’ve got people who hate me on the internet, again, and now I'm in a band, again. And it’s only Wednesday."

With that idea in mind, she heads to her last class.


*S*A*S*


For the first time since Sunset arrived at school that day, things seemed normal. The practice room was exactly what Sunset would have expected.

Sunset looks around the school’s music room, repurposed to be Lemon’s practice room for the evening. Several classical instruments—violins, flutes, clarinets and similar instruments—and a few, more contemporary instruments—mainly guitars and percussion instruments—line the walls and edges of the room.

While Sunset tunes an electric guitar Lemon is letting her use, she watches Sonata run through some vocal drills while Lemon guides her a bit with her hand.

Sunset observes the guitar a little better, the faded paint on the neck and lower edge attesting to its frequency of use. It’s painted red some whitish-purple, lightning-shaped details, but it’s nothing outstanding.

Even so, having it in her hands brought a series of feelings Sunset wasn’t ready to deal with.

Sunset shakes her head, driving them away.

She shifted her thoughts to another topic, and for a moment, she wondered where Lemon had got the instruments from. That train of thought quickly went nowhere, though, as Sunset couldn’t really force herself to care enough to consider it.

"Alright!" Lemon exclaims suddenly, surprising everyone a bit. "Duskie will be our singer, and Sun-Shim the guitarist!"

"And what will you do?" Sunset asks.

"I’ll write and compose the songs and play bass," Lemons replies, hefting a bass that almost matches Sunset’s guitar.

"Do you know how to play that?"

"Nope, but I learn fast." As if to demonstrate, Lemon places her fingers on the strings and begins to play. It’s… not very harmonic.

Sunset looks away wearily. "... I'm starting to have serious doubts about this."

Twilight, who was sitting nearby, says, "Well, the practice looks somewhat disorganized, but that's why it's called practice. I'm sure, in the end, you three will get the band to work."

Sunset turns to look at the scientist, who, unlike them, holds no instrument and practices no vocals. "I've wanted to ask, Twilight. Why are you here? You said you don’t know anything about bands."

"Um... I came to give... moral support...?" Twilight responds with a somewhat nervous smile.

The answer does not seem to convince Sunset, but before Sunset can press the issue, an off-key note from the siren distracts them all.

Sonata reviews the scores in her hands a little. "I'm not sure about this song. The times seem off to me."

Lemon replies, "Like I said, they’re works in progress. You're the singer. Do you have any critiques?"

"Umm, Adagio is the one who wrote most of our songs,” Sonata says, embarrassed, “so... um..."

To everyone's surprise, Twilight decides to comment on the subject. "Can I see that song?" The siren gives her the music sheets, and Twilight looks it over for a moment. "I see a lot of high notes. Maybe adding some low notes—either for Sonata to sing or for a back-up singer to supplement—would make the melody more harmonic. I would also add a pause here and here," Twilight says, pointing to the indicated spots.

While she talks, she approaches a piano in the corner of the room.

Sunset is intrigued even more. "Twilight?"

Twilight puts the score to the side and sits at the piano. "Maybe something like this?"

Out of nowhere, and to everyone's surprise, the scientist starts playing that piano, recreating the whole song without so much as looking at the sheet, arranging some times and placing lower notes throughout the piece, forming a much more pleasing melody.

After a few minutes, she stops playing and looks at the group with a smile. "There, that sounds much better."

Nobody says anything. Not even Twilight. The silence is palpable, and although Twilight keeps smiling, the nervousness in her eyes is clear as she replays the last few minutes in her head and realizes exactly what she’s done. Gulping, she looks down, twiddling her fingers.

"Sparkle!" Lemon exclaims with a smile. "I didn't know you could play!"

"… Me neither…" Twilight mumbles.

"Wow, Twi-Twi, that was amazing!" Sonata announces, beaming. "I didn't know you had a musical side."

"... Musical side?"

"Twi, how did you do that?" Sunset asks, surprised herself.

"I... don't know... I don't know! I can't play the piano!"

"Well, you just did," Lemon says calmly.

"But I’ve never touched an instrument in my life! I can’t even play the triangle!" Twilight protests. “The only keyboards I’ve ever used are computer keyboards!”

Sonata is surprised but still cheerful. "Do it again! I'll write down the changes!"

"I don’t think I can—"

The siren does not let her finish, taking the scientist’s hands and placing them on the keys. Almost immediately, Twilight’s fingers move seemingly on their own, playing a perfect replica of her earlier melody.

Sonata wastes no time in penciling in the changes on the music sheets.

Lemon gets even more animated. "This is awesome! You’re in! Tomorrow, I’m getting you an electric keyboard!"

Twilight screams with terror. "Help! I don't know what I'm doing! Sunset, help me!"

Sunset just looks tired. "I should’ve gone to Trottingham."