Sunset walked through the halls of Canterlot High School but she could not remember when she got there or where she was walking to. Thinking for a moment it came to her, she was supposed to be meeting the girls, they wanted to tell her something, something urgent. Picking up the pace she turned down a very long, seemingly endless, hallway, as she walked more and more students passed her by. She couldn't see their faces even when they were inches away and while the crowd grew thicker none bumped into her, one word though was on all their lips.
"Anon-A-Miss, Anon-A-Miss, Anon-A-Miss." They all chanted their voices mixing together into an indistinguishable mess as they all pointed at her repeating the name over and over again.
Sunset didn't care what they said or believed, it didn't matter to her. She knew she was innocent and even though her friends believed her to be guilty they still stood by her. As long as she had them she knew she could take anything the school threw at her. The chant grew louder and louder as she walked until it was the only thing she could hear and it was still growing, then suddenly, it was gone.
Sunset looked around to see the hallway was now deserted except for herself, the hall they had been so crowded seconds ago was empty and silent. She didn't know why but for some reason the silence was even more unnerving and she felt her breathing quicker and she spun around looking for someone, anyone. She could feel a slight pressure in her hand but when she looked there was no one but it still calmed her down. She was ready to go looking for the girls again when they appeared across the hall, only a few feet from her.
The five Rainbooms were gathered in front of her open locker, she assumed one of them had opened it since they all knew each other's combinations. There was something off about them but she could tell from where she stood so she moved to join them.
"Hey girls," She said waving. As she got closer they became clearer and she stopped waving as she saw what was off about them. Rainbow Dash was leaning against the wall, one hand in her jacket holding something Sunset couldn't see, Rarity and Fluttershy looked like they had been crying, Applejack had her hat pulled over her head. Pinkie Pie stood out the most, her pink skin grey, and hair flat to her head. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
Applejack lifted her hat, her eyes red but dry. "E'yup." She said moving to the front of the group, only inches from Sunset. "We need to talk Sunset."
"About what?"
"'bout New Year's Sunset, and how ya ran from the house." Applejack said flatly.
"Yeah, sorry I ran out on you. I just got a little scared." Sunset admitted.
Dat's the problem." Applejack said Rarity joining her.
"How so?" Sunset was growing more nervous by their expressions, the pressure in her hand increased.
"You ran from us dear, we tried to help you and you ran." Rarity said.
"I was scared!" Sunset protested.
Of what? The idea of there bein' a demon in ya or us wanting to get rid of it?" Applejack questioned getting in the red head's face.
"No! Neither I swear there is no demon in me, I'm telling the truth." Sunset pleaded the situation feeling very familiar to when Anon-A-Miss first appeared.
"You said the same thing when we said you were Anon-A-Miss and yet you confessed to it, why should it be any different now?" Rarity asked. "We know you are a good person Sunset but we can't trust you if you won't let us help you."
"No, nononono I am telling the truth please believe me!"
Applejack looked at her sadly, Fluttershy bursting into tears again. "Ah'm sorry Sunset but we can't believe dat and until ya let us help ya we can't be around you. Not when the demon could take over again."
"We're really sorry Sunset," Pinkie said solemnly. "We can still be friends again when it's over though. Just not till then."
It was happening again, she was going to be all alone again. Perhaps it was actually time to ask Twilight to come over and help her. Just as Sunset finished the thought Rainbow Dash stepped forward pulling her hand out of her jacket, in that hand was Sunset's journal and only link to Twilight.
"We're gonna hang onto this till you tell us the truth." Rainbow said as Sunset looked on in horror. "We already talked to Twilight, and she agreed it's for the best."
The five Rainbooms turned away from Sunset, heading down a dark hallway. "Wait," Sunset said reaching out as she moved to follow only to fall on her face as something stopped her from following them. She looked behind her to see a chain attached to her leg, holding onto the chain was a tall shadowy figure with a large toothy smile that seemed to mock Sunset as it tugged on the chain pulling her further away from her friends who were fast vanishing into the darkness.
"Please don't leave me, please, please please..." She muttered desperately as the darkness closed around her, her ex-friends now gone. Sunset was totally alone with only the smiling shadow continuing to tug, keeping Sunset from going after them. Still, Sunset continued to mutter hoping they would come back, that they would finally believe her.
***
Sunset woke with a shudder, eyes flashing around to see she was in her bed in her loft and nowhere near the school or the Rainbooms. "Just a dream." She muttered as her breathing came back under control. She felt a pressure in her right hand, the same pressure she felt in her dream. Fearing she might still be dreaming she jerked her head to see her hand, and another hand gripping it. Looking up Trixie was holding her hand with a sympathetic and slightly concerned look on her face.
"You were muttering in your sleep." She explained letting go of Sunset's hand. "All tensed up and begging not to be left alone and mother taught me to grip someone's hand when they are having a nightmare, can reassure someone without scaring them. So Trixie did that."
Sunset smiled giving a small laugh that cut off the magician's rambling. "It's fine thanks but I'm up now and dreams can't hurt me." Sunset got out of bed stretching away the tension. Checking her phone for the time she saw it was past nine, she would need to call her boss soon, though another thought was on her mind. "Do you need to be getting home soon? I wouldn't want to worry your mom."
"That's not likely to happen," Trixie said waving the concern away. "After a big show like New Year's mother is not likely to notice me gone till Wednesday. I could stay here if you wanted."
"If you really think she'll be fine with it then sure," Sunset said. "But what about clothes, we might be of similar size but my style doesn't really seem to be yours."
"I keep spare clothes in my jeep in case I need a quick change, don't worry. I'll go get them." Trixie said leaving Sunset alone in her apartment. Once She heard the door close Sunset dove to her bag where she kept her journal hidden while at home. Despite knowing it had just been a dream she still breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the journal sitting in her bag, glowing and vibrating with a message from Twilight.
She reached for it only to pull her hand back as she remembered what dream Rainbow Dash had said about Twilight agreeing with them to leave her alone. Again, she knew it was all just a dream and Twilight wasn't the kind of pony that would leave someone in need. But she could still be disappointed by Sunset running from the girls at the party instead of really trying to defend herself. And on the off chance that was what was in the journal she didn't want to read it just after waking up.
Instead, she pulled out her phone, she really needed to call her boss before he sent someone to investigate in person and Sunset could not have that. And if Trixie would be staying in her loft for at least the day then she had best call him now while the magician was getting her clothes. She did not want her new friend to hear this conversation.
The other end of the line answered almost instantly. "Hello, this is Sunset Shimmer. I need to talk to the boss."
***
Trixie blushed slightly when she got to the lobby realizing she was wearing borrowed pajamas from Sunset. While Trixie hated to admit it to anyone she had her fair share of embarrassing moments, mostly failed magic tricks that she tried to play off, one of her most notable being her ill-conceived exit after the Battle of the Bands. To her luck though the lobby was empty except for the clerk at the desk reading a magazine and the older woman Sunset had been talking with before the party.
Wishing she had brought a smoke bomb or two with her as the older women noticed Trixie's arrival, raising an eye at her. "I guess Sunset did have fun at your little party." She said as Trixie passed, the magician freezing in place.
"Pardon?"
"She brought you home, she hasn't brought someone home since she broke up with that spiky-haired boy." The older woman continued. "Must have had some time for you to be leaving now."
"Actually it did not go well at all if you must know," Trixie said miffed at the implication. "Trixie was here as a friend and as emotional support, nothing else you might imply."
The older woman held her hands up in placating gesture but her smile remained, though a bit softer than before. "I'm sorry to hear it went bad for her, she needed some actual fun. It's nice to know she has such a good friend to help her home and stay and help. She'll need a friend like you given her circumstances."
"Circumstance, you mean school?" Trixie asked wondering how much Sunset told this old woman about Anon-A-Miss.
"School? She's having trouble there too? No, I mean here, always alone up in that apartment of hers, and that man she's been working for. It's only gotten worse really since she broke up with that boy, she seemed to lose her fire not long after that and her employer has been leaning harder on her...I hope she'll be better soon."
"Me too," Trixie said.
The older woman clapped her hands together. "Well I think I've waylaid you long enough dear, let you get back to what you were doing." She turned to leave only to stop again. "Oh and you might want to bundle up, it's still snowing outside." She chuckled as she walked away while Trixie stared sourly out the window.
***
When Trixie got back to the loft, clothes in hand and still shaking from her brief run through the snow, Sunset was on the phone and going by her tone, Trixie could tell her friend was not happy with whoever she was on the phone with. The redhead paced around the loft kitchen, not noticing Trixie's return, her free hand shaking as she talked. "Yes, I'll be there, okay," Sunset said as the call ended. She slumped her shoulders, the phone nearly falling from her grip.
"Who was that?" Trixie asked, Sunset jumped slightly when she heard her.
"Trixie! I didn't hear you get back, find your clothes okay? No problems?" She asked.
"Yeah, I talked with one of your neighbors for a minute but it was otherwise uneventful," Trixie said noticing Sunset's attempt to change the topic but went with it.
Sunset relaxed a little, sliding her phone out of sight into her pocket, pointing to her room. "You can change in there, I'll make something to eat."
Once in Sunset's room, she quickly changed into her more usual blue jacket and skirt, with jeans for the cold weather, happy to be back in her familiar clothes. She was about to go back and join Sunset in the kitchen when something caught her eye in the far corner of the room. Sunset's bag was open and something from it was glowing and she could hear a faint vibrating noise. Her first thought was that it was Sunset's phone but she had seen her friend with her phone so it could not be that, peaking into the bag she saw it was an old looking journal, surrounded in a violet glow.
She knew she should leave the book alone, it was Sunset's and she doubted the redhead would appreciate her poking around her personal property. But her curiosity was peaked and she was pretty sure this was magic, and Trixie wanted to know about as much magic as she could. So she pulled the journal out of the bag turning it over in her hands as she examined the glowing book with the sun mark on the cover, she thought it was Sunset's usual duel colored sun symbol but this one was more like an actual sun design.
"Wonder what would happen..." She opened the journal just a bit and the glow instantly faded and Trixie was afraid she had somehow broken the magic book. "Trixie probably shouldn't have done that." She admonished herself.
"Trixie, foods' ready if you're done!" Sunset called from the kitchen. Trixie jumped in place nearly dropping the journal she looked to the door to make sure Sunset wasn't standing there.
She couldn't hide this from Sunset nor would she, even if her new friend got mad at her, bracing herself for shouting she left the room, journal held behind her back. Sunset was in the kitchen humming a song, though Trixie thought her smile seemed a little forced. "I made vegetarian bacon with eggs, hope you don't mind. I don't have meat here."
"It's fine, Trixie's not a big fan of meet herself," Trixie said standing by the door.
Sunset noticed her not taking a seat. "Something wrong?"
"Uhhh yes. Something is and before I show you I just want to say I know I was wrong and I am sorry if what I did caused you any trouble." Trixie said, Sunset raised an eye confused. Sighing Trixie held out the journal Sunset's eyes going wide, her face flushed in anger.
"MY journal!" She shouted running over snatching it from Trixie's hands. "What were you doing looking through my stuff?" She demanded clutching her journal to her chest like it would disappear if she took her hands off it.
"I'm sorry! I saw your bag was open and I saw the glow and..." Trixie made a shrugging motion. "I just let my curiosity get the best of me. And I'm sorry I opened it but I swear I didn't read it."
Sunset backed away from Trixie but her anger seemed to melt away after a few breaths as she calmed down. "Thank you for not doing that, though I wish you left it alone."
"Sorry I just thought it was magic."
"Well it is and it's very precious to me." Sunset hugged the journal tighter to her. "It's the only thing I have to remind me of my home. And my only link to Twilight."
"Twilight? The magic princess I met while she was trying to kick a vending machine?" Trixie asked wondering how the journal was a link to her.
Sunset snorted at the comment. "She tried to do that too? Well, at least I wasn't the only one. But yeah this journal allows me to communicate with her, she actually sent me a message today that's why it was glowing."
If she wasn't worried about provoking Sunset just after she calmed down Trixie would have asked so many questions about the magic of that journal, but she thought that would not be a good idea considering how defensive Sunset seemed about it. "Do you want me to leave so you can read it?" She asked, she thought that was a safer question.
Sunset looked down at the journal then back at Trixie. "No, it's fine I just need a minute before we do. Want to eat first?" Trixie nodded taking a seat. The two ate largely in silence with Sunset constantly stealing glances at the journal, like it was going to run away or something. She also seemed rather nervous about opening it.
"What kind of message are you expecting from her?" Trixie asked.
"Advice, hopefully," Sunset said picking up the journal. "She's been on my side since the beginning of Anon-A-Miss, tried to help me make up with the girls. She was not happy when I told her about my false confession."
"Trixie would think so."
"And I doubt she'll be happy I ran away from my problems at the party."
"Perhaps, or perhaps she'll understand why you ran," Trixie said. "Only way to know it to open it."
"Yeah, I guess so," Sunset said opening the journal to the latest message, reading it aloud.
***
Dear Sunset
I am furious at what you have told me. To make such an accusation as to say your old self is coming back without any proof at all is far worse than when they abandoned you before, at least then there was circumstantial evidence. And under no circumstances should you make any more false admissions to them, it will only cause you more pain. And while it pains me to say, for they are still my friends and almost certainly don't mean to harm you, but I must say that as long as they believe you are Anon-A-Miss and refuse to see the truth it would be best if you avoided them. Perhaps they will see the truth eventually and you can build a true friendship with them but right now they are only causing you pain and forcing you to lie, that is not what friendship is.
You should not think of yourself as a failure Sunset, you have done everything possible to be a good friend to them, nor should you fault yourself for running when forced into a situation like that. For now, my best advice is to find friends that believe and trust you. Find the ones that you do not have to lie to. I'm sure it will get better then. And do know you have not failed a student and if you ever need any help just tell me.
As always, your friend, Twilight Sparkle
Sunset had to reread the message again to make sure she hadn't misread it, Twilight was telling her not to try and make things better with the girls. She wanted her to put distance between them and try and find new friends. But Sunset had thought she was never supposed to give up on her friends but now Twilight was telling her to do just that. It didn't make sense. Trixie meanwhile had moved over to sit next to her friend, she didn't try to touch her since Sunset looked so tense the magician was worried Sunset would attack if startled.
"Sunset, you going to be okay?" Trixie asked knowing the redhead was certainly not okay going by the look she had.
"Okay? Yeah, I'm okay, I've just been told to abandon the friends I gave up everything for and to find new friends. Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"She didn't say to abandon them," Trixie said, though she was not entirely opposed to the idea considering how things had gone so far. "Just to give them some distance until they realize the truth, and finding some new friends that believe you can't be too hard. You already found one. And she is a pretty good one."
"Still they were my first real friends and helped me realize that it was nice to have friends. I don't want to give up on them, not after all they've done for me."
"And you won't just do what the princess said, find some friends that know your innocent, and maybe they'll realize you really were too. Then if you really want to be friends with them you can be." Trixie kind of hoped she wouldn't but that would be Sunset's choice in the end.
Sunset glanced down at the journal rereading the message once more. "I guess so," She closed the journal.
Trixie nodded. "Good, and I think that's enough deep thinking for today, and as it's our last day before school starts back up how about a little fun?"
"What you have in mind?"
"Well I have a few magic tricks with me and I saw your guitar, I'm sure we can think of some way to have fun." The magician pulled out a trio of smoke bombs from who knows where juggling them in hand.
Sunset laughed at the site. "Sure, I think we can." She made to get up but then she thought to move her journal into one of the drawers, she wasn't sure why but she had a feeling it would be best to keep her precious journal out of any harm's way. She just closed the drawer when Trixie dropped one of the smoke bombs setting off a cloud of smoke. Sunset knew she made the right choice.