//------------------------------// // Lunch // Story: Anon-A-Miss Aftermath: The Day After // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// One by one, the girls entered the Music Room with their lunches. "Thanks for joining me in here, girls," Sunset said as she started to take her lunch out. "Of course, darling," Rarity said. "How have you been getting along?" Sunset sighed. "I've been better, but at least everyone's been nice to me." "After everything ya went through," Applejack said as she raised a forkful of food. "I think that's the least folks 'round here should do." Everyone nodded in agreement. Sunset looked at Twilight with a slight smile. "So, did you get any quality time with Flash?" Twilight shook her head. "I came here for you, Sunset. You're more important right now. Besides, I can always visit another time." "But you're a princess," Rainbow said after swallowing a spoonful of food. "Doesn't that keep you busy, like, all the time?" "Not all the time." "Yeah," Pinkie said. "She also has to have time to hang out with pony versions of us, remember?" "Land's sake, Twi," Applejack said in surprise. "Do ya ever get a moment to yourself?" Twilight sighed. "Not often." Sunset frowned. Twilight looked a little uncomfortable to her... maybe it was time to change the subject. "So, how are things back in Equestria?" "Surprisingly eventful." "Oh, do tell, darling," Rarity said excitedly as she put her spoon down. "Well... my friends and I saved a village of ponies from someone bent on stealing their individual traits, I had to get used to an ornate new home, got swallowed whole by a giant slime monster at a dance, organized the Grand Equestria Pony Summit, nearly got into a diplomatic fiasco with yaks, reunited with my old friends, helped our world's Luna through a guilt complex (and fought a creation of hers in a massive shared dream in the process), and found out I'm going to be an aunt." Twilight was met with wide eyes and dropped jaws. "Wow," Sunset said in awe. "That's a lot to take in." "It was a lot to go through," Twilight said with a laugh, then turned to face the Crusaders. "I'm sorry if you three are feeling ignored," she said sincerely. "How have you been since yesterday?" Scootaloo heaved a sigh. "We’ve been better, but we’ve also been worse.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Sometimes, I can still hear the scream…” Sunset opened her mouth, only for Twilight to cut her off. “No, Sunset. You don’t need to apologize for that.” “But-” “Sunset,” Twilight said as she held Sunset’s hands. “There’s no need to apologize for an understandable psychological response.” “Twi’s right,” Applejack said as she put down her lunch. “It was beyond your control, and it ain’t your fault!” “The last thing you need is a guilt complex, darling,” Rarity said after swallowing some food. “Doesn’t she already ha-” Rainbow was cut off as Fluttershy covered her mouth. Sunset turned her head to look at her friends, who all simultaneously nodded in agreement. She smiled slowly. “Yeah… I guess you’re all right.” There were murmurs of agreement, and everyone resumed their eating. Wallflower Blush poked at her food with her fork. All throughout the day she had shifted between worrying about Sunset, wondering how Trixie was doing, and feeling terrible guilt! When word gets out that she was half of Anon-A-Miss… Wallflower couldn’t help but laugh mirthlessly at the irony she’d face when her suspension ended. All this time she wanted to be noticed, and when she’d return to Canterlot High, she’d definitely have her wish! “Fuck my life,” Wallflower muttered under her breath as she held her head in her hands. She grunted in frustration, clenching her hands in fists. She glanced up to see her mother, who for once didn’t seem to mind that she swore. That was fine by her. She’d been through enough as it was! Nevermind the fact that she still had a long road ahead of her… If only Wallflower could garden right now. That’d be the one thing that could possibly ease her mind. Neither imagining or pretending she was would even come close to cutting it! She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then exhaled slowly in an effort to calm herself. Fortunately, it worked! Unfortunately, however, the guilt and self-loathing would inevitably return. Wallflower resisted the urge to bang her head on the table. It wouldn’t do her any good anyway. It would only bring her more pain. She sighed, then slowly finished her lunch. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said to Erica, who nodded. As Wallflower went upstairs, she hoped to get at least a little peace in doing so. Once Wallflower was out of her sight, Erica frowned, then sent a text to Pallete. Trixie had been staring at her lunch for the last ten minutes. Having been beside herself ever since she woke up, she had barely been able to eat. Ugh, if only she knew some kind of magic that would give her her appetite back! Spectacle entered the kitchen. “How are you holding up, sweetie?” Trixie made a sputtering noise. “I wish I was on stage while being bombarded with tomatoes… at least that would feel better than what I’m going through right now.” Spectacle walked over to Trixie, then gently ran a hand through her daughter’s hair. “I wish I could tell you it gets easier… but it doesn’t. Not immediately, anyway.” Trixie grunted and rolled her eyes. “Thanks, mom,” she said sarcastically. “I feel soooo much better now.” “Like it or not, it’s the truth. I’m sure your father made that clear when he spoke to you.” “Yeah. He did… it’s just that I hate feeling like this. I hate knowing that I’m going to feel like this for a while to come. I-I’m just... so damned mad at myself!” Trixie punctuated her sentence by pounding her fists on the table in a fit of frustration, causing the water in her glass to ripple. "That's completely understandable," Spectacle said sympathetically as she took her hand off of Trixie's head. "But you know what? If you can stand to be pelted with tomatoes, you can tough this all out." She winked. Trixie laughed softly in spite of her misery. "I hope so." "I know so," Spectacle said as she turned to leave. "You're a stronger woman than you give yourself credit for, Trixie." Trixie hummed thoughtfully as she watched Spectacle leave, then found her appetite. Twelve young women finished their lunches that afternoon. Two remained at home, while the other ten went their separate ways.