//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Back to Normal, No // by Revanius //------------------------------// "There there darling, let it all out." Rarity said gently rubbing Sunset's back as the crying girl sobbed into her shoulder. The other girls had already pulled away but Sunset refused to let go of Rarity and only seemed to cry harder with each attempt the others made to get her off. "Come on Sunset enough crying," Rainbow said. "I know your happy we said we'd forgive you but you don't need to turn into a human waterfall. You admitted to being Anon-A-Miss, now let's just put it behind us." At that Sunset only sobbed even harder at the reminder that she had just lied to her friends to get them back. Applejack, misreading the reaction, punched Rainbow over the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?" Rainbow asked. "Fer not helping." Applejack said flatly before turning to Sunset. "Though Ah doesn't agree with her way of sayin' it. Ah, think we've all had enough tears tonight. Come on, let's get ya up and to our table." She grabbed Sunset under her arms and hoisted her to her feet while Rainbow helped Rarity back to her legs, the fashionista going even paler than normal when she saw the state of her tear-stained shirt and dust-covered pants. Rainbow neglected to tell Rarity her mascara was running a bit from the tears she herself had shed thinking it better not to panic Rarity anymore. Applejack led Sunset over to their table while Sunset tried to get control of herself, shuddering while wiping the tears away. They waited until she finally stopped before talking. "Good, now that that yer a bit calmer we can just relax." Applejack said taking her seat. "We'll still be havin' a talk about what you did over break but that can wait till the Christmas Party." "You mean I'm still invited?" Sunset asked genuinely surprised. She had thought she would not be invited even after they forgave given how mad they were. "Of course you're still invited you apologized. We're not going to leave a friend alone on Christmas. That wouldn't be right." Pinkie said like it was obvious. "I just thought you would want to keep me at a distance since I just confessed and all. Like you did after the formal." Sunset said looking down. "This isn't like after the formal Sunset." Rarity said. "I'm not sure if this whole Anon-A-Miss fiasco was an elaborate prank gone wrong or if you were angry at us for some reason but we know you are a good person, we were not so sure after the formal but the Sirens proved it." "But you said we were no longer friends in the hallway," Sunset said now confused as her friends seemed to be contradicting themselves. At that Applejack gave a guilty look. "Ah might have overreacted a bit in the hall, the plan was to show ya yer actions had consequences. In the heat of it Ah went a bit overboard, sorry about that." "It's fine." "Alright enough with all the sadness," Pinkie spoke up, eyes narrowed at Applejack and Sunset. "Sunny's back, this should be a happy moment, we need to celebrate. Maybe a sleepover, we could continue from where we left off." "Not a bad idea Pinkie, it's my turn and we could even invite the CMC's," Rainbow said. "I bet they would enjoy seeing us all together again. What do you say Sunset? Sunset?" When the five looked at Sunset she had a look of terror on her face, eyes wide, and backing away in her seat. Rainbow cocked her head at the odd behavior. "Hey, what's wrong?" "Um, well, you see, I'm not sure if I'm feeling up for a big sleepover tonight you know," Sunset said avoiding their eyes. "Well if not a sleepover you could at least spend the night at my place tonight." Rarity suggested, Sunset looked like she was going to reject so she continued. "I do not think it would be best for you to be alone tonight. It would be just me and Sweetie Belle since mother and father are away for the week." "I'm not sure-" "Do not worry darling you will love it. I just need to text Sweetie Belle about it and oh! Would look at that they're here." She said just noticing the CMC's sitting a few tables down. "Sweetie Belle, would you be okay with Sunset staying the night with us." Rarity said moving over to their table. Sweetie Belle did not answer looking away from her older sister, Sunset could not tell well from where she sat but it seemed like the middle schooler was trying to hide something from Rarity. Eventually, it was Scootaloo who spoke for Sweetie Belle. "I thought you two weren't talking since she posted those pictures," Scootaloo said. "Yes, but she apologized for it and took down the page, and she will be paying for those pictures but in the end it really was just some silly pictures, it is not like she attacked my store or anything." Rarity said with a dismissive wave. "Okay, well Sweetie Belle and Applebloom are sleeping over at my place tonight so it should be fine. Right girls?" "Y-yeah, fine." Sweetie Belle stuttered, Applebloom just nodded. "Really? I did not know you had a sleepover planned. I guess I forgot in all the excitement. Well have fun girls and do not stay up too late, it is a school night even if Christmas break starts in a few days." Rarity said patting her sister on the head before turning back to her friends. "Well even if Sunset and Rarity can't come can we still have a sleepover at Rainbow's?" Pinkie Pie asked with stars in her eyes. "Fine by me." Applejack shrugged. "If Rainbow is still okay with it," Fluttershy said softly. "Sure we can still have fun with just the four of us." "Then it is settled come along Sunset." Rarity said linking an arm around Sunset, pulling her along to her car. "You know Rarity I'm not complaining but I thought you would be madder about the whole clothing photos," Sunset said nervously as she buckled up. "Oh I am still plenty mad about that but I can think of more productive ways to act on that anger, by creating." Rarity explained. Rarity was pulling out of the parking lot when she heard something drop into her purse, looking over she saw it was Sunset's beaten up old phone. "Why did you do that?" Sunset shrugged. "Thought it best for me not to have it on me around you until you can trust me again." "While that is a nice gesture I am sure it will not be necessary now that you have deleted Anon-A-Miss. Though I guess I can accept it for now. But I am still expecting some form of penance for your actions." Sunset cringed at the words. "And that would be." "Oh, you will find out soon darling." *** "Thanks for the cocoa, Aunt Holiday." Scootaloo thanked her aunt accepting the three hot chocolate's. Aunt Holiday smiled down at her niece. "Of course dear though I thought you said the sleepover was canceled." "We thought something was going to come up but it turns out we had the time," Scootaloo said hurriedly. "Anyway, we have crusading to plan, thanks again for the coco, love you." Scootaloo passed out the hot chocolate, Applebloom took hers and set it down without saying a word and went back to sulking as she had ever since they got to Scootaloo's house. Sweetie Belle accepted hers with a small smile, sipping it while fighting nervously as she looked at Applebloom and Scootaloo. Finally, after sitting in silence for near an hour Applebloom stood up. "Ah can't take it, what we did was not right. Ah'm calling Applejack and telling her the truth." She moved to grab her phone which she had tossed on Scootaloo's bed when they arrived. "No! You can't," Scootaloo said tackling her friend to the ground. "If we tell the truth now it will be even worse than before. We let Sunset take the fall for us, if we confess now they might actually not forgive us." "But the longer we hide the truth worse it'll be when it comes out," Applebloom said staring up at Scootaloo not trying to get loose. "If it comes out. And if we let it get out Applejack will never trust you again." Scootaloo reasoned, she the looked at Sweetie Belle. "And you saw how Rarity reacted to those pictures when she thought it was Sunset who posted them, imagine how mad she would be if she found out her sister betrayed her and blamed a friend for it. And if Rainbow finds out I betrayed her... well I think I can say goodbye to her being my honorary sister." "That might be true, but it does not make it right," Applebloom said dejectedly looking away from Scootaloo. "Sweetie Belle, what do you think we should do?" Sweetie Belle looked up from her hot chocolate. "I do not know, we put Sunset through a lot and I did not like letting her take the blame. But, I've heard what some of the students say when they talk about Anon-A-Miss, I am scared they will hurt us." "Yeah think about it that way Applebloom," Scootaloo said latching on to the idea. "Half the school wants to payback for Anon-A-Miss and think the only reason they haven't attack Sunset yet is that they are still scared of her. And now that she has our sisters and the others back she'll be safe. But we might not have any protection. And do you remember how mad Lightning Dust was about that picture I posted of her, if she knew we were Anon-A-Miss she'll tear me apart!" "Ah guess ya have a point there, we could at least wait to see how people act after the break." "Great!" At least her friend was starting to see reason. "Now could you please get off me!" *** As it turned out Rarity's idea of penance was having Sunset be her living mannequin which, given everything she had been through the last week, was not so bad. So far she had modeled three different gowns a ballerina costume that she would die of embarrassment if it ever got out, and what had to be the poofiest dress in two dimensions. Her current outfit seemed to be a half-completed prom dress with Sunset keeping her arms outstretched while Rarity moved around her with pins. "I was honestly expecting something a lot worse from the way you were smiling at me," Sunset said as Rarity stuck another pin in the dress. "I was going for that feeling really," Rarity said though her focus seemed more on the dress than talking. "I plan on having you model for me for a long time after those pictures, and I expect to agree without complaint." "Uh, sure no problem." "Hmm," Rarity took a step back to look over the incomplete dress. "I think that will do for now it could still use some work. You can get down now." Sunset stepped down from the stand and started removing the dress. "Once you finish putting the dress back we can have dinner," Rarity called from the kitchen. "Okay, be right there," Sunset responded hanging up the incomplete dress smiling at how well the night was going for her. She had her friends back, even if they did not truly trust her anymore, and Rarity was being very accepting considering how mad she was about the pictures. She had thought it would be hardest to get Rainbow and Rarity back, Rainbow for her stubbornness and Rarity because of just how mad she seemed. But it seemed Sunset had nothing to worry about, things were finally starting to look up for her. Just because it feels right does not make lying right. A voice in Sunset's head said. Sunset froze and shook her head wondering where that came from. "It doesn't matter if it's right or not," Sunset answered the voice, "Anon-A-Miss is gone and I already confessed. Let them believe what they want to believe, as long as they are still my friends I don't care." That's not healthy. "Shut up." She said shaking her head again. When the voice did not answer she shrugged and headed to the kitchen. Dinner was simple for Rarity's standards, Sunset guessed do to not having enough time to make something fancier, and was just some reheated pasta with tomato sauce. They ate in silence with Rarity occasionally making a comment one of her dresses before they went back to the awkward silence. Then Rarity asked a question Sunset had been dreading. "I just want to know something darling," Rarity asked Sunset, Sunset looked up from her dinner. "Why did you create Anon-A-Miss?" Sunset's eyes widened slightly and nearly choked on her food at the question before she calmed down. She had been expecting someone to ask her that eventually, she just hoped to have a few days to think of something. "Oh, well, um..." Sunset scrambled to think of a believable lie but she was not the lier she once was, Rarity looked at her expectedly. Sighing she said. "Well, I really don't know." "You don't know?" Rarity asked an eye raised. "What I mean is that I uh guess I just felt an urge to do something destructive," Sunset said thinking that might sound like a good reason. "I guess maybe there is still a bit of the old me hiding around and she decided to come out again. Reak a little havoc." "Yeah, I guess that works." Sunset thought hoping she would believe the lie. "You almost make it sound like it was a different person." Rarity said thinking. Sunset had a mini panic when she realized it did sound that way like she was trying to deflect the blame. If it came off that way Rarity might suspect her. "No no no it was all me no one else. What I meant was there was just a voice telling me to do stuff I did not want to do." Rarity stared at her with a suspicious look on her face. "Well, maybe there really was something telling you to do that. Perhaps we could ask Twilight about it over break or try to work it out so something like this does not happen again." "Yeah I'll ask her later, can we change the subject though please, its a little uncomfortable," Sunset said poking her food with her fork. "Of course Darling it was just a thought." After dinner Sunset and Rarity took turns showers before turning in for the night. Since Sunset staying over was a sudden decision she did not have a sleeping bag so she took the couch for the night. Before she turned the lights off she thought it would be best to tell Twilight what had happened. Dear Princess Twilight I tried one last time to get the girls to see that I'm innocent. It did not work, but I was able to make up with them, though you probably won't be proud of how I did it. I told them that I was Anon-A-Miss after they said they would forgive me if I admitted to it. I know it's wrong to lie but I'm tired of being alone and this was my only way out. At least I don't have to worry about Anon-A-Miss anymore. Get this, whoever she was decided to delete the page so now all I have to worry about is how the school will react when they hear I confessed to it. Maybe someday I can tell the girls the truth, maybe if I can really earn their trust they would listen. Anyway I should probably try to get some sleep. I have to face the music for what I did not do tomorrow so I might as well be rested. As always, your friend Sunset Shimmer Sunset had chosen not to put in the private message she had gotten from Anon-A-Miss or the fact the page had gone down immediately after she got it. She just wanted the whole mess behind her and raising the princess's suspicion that the real Anon-A-Miss had been watching was not something she wanted to deal with. Closing her journal she placed it in her bag and curled up on the couch, hoping the coming days might finally see some improvement.