It was time.
The student body filtered slowly into the assembly, still subdued. Gone were the usual boisterous banter and hijinks. Everyone quietly found a place to sit; with their friends, if they still had them, alone otherwise. Anon-a-miss had been rough on the school’s friendships. More than a few long-time friends were currently not speaking with one another. Or near one another.
Everyone found their seats. The whispers died down as Vice-Principal Luna took the stage.
“Good afternoon Canterlot Wondercolts.
“I am sure you have all heard of the activities of a certain blogger, who has been targeting students in this school with cyber-bullying posts, disrupting our school spirit, and harming the emotional welfare of our student body.”
“She should be arrested!” someone yelled out.
“She should be expelled!”
“She should be beaten!” yelled out another.
“Silence!” exploded Vice-Principal Luna. “Can you hear yourselves! Is this the way Canterlot Wondercolts behave!”
Luna glared at the assembled students. “Be silent!” Taking a deep breath, she continued.
“It has come to your Principal’s and my attention that many of you believe you know the identity of the person making these posts. Some of you may have decided to take matters into your own hands.”
“And good riddance!” shouted another voice from the back of the auditorium.
“I said silence!” yelled back Luna.
Complete silence wrapped the entire room. “Not one more word! I said silence and I meant it!”
Luna continued. “Sunset Shimmer, a long-standing student of this school, honor student, and friend to many of you was brutally attacked right before the holiday break on these very school grounds.” A pin could be heard hitting the floor.
“She was taken to Canterlot General Hospital with serious, possibly life-altering injuries, and is currently there receiving treatment.”
Scootaloo started quietly swearing. “Bacca bacca bacca bacca…”
“We will find out who was responsible for her injuries. And rest assured we will be joining Sunset in filing the appropriate charges for the brutal assault that was carried out on her person.”
Luna paused. She took a deep breath. “Her person! A fellow student. A friend. Something clearly many of you here have forgotten.”
“My sister and I have been visiting Sunset. And I assure you, she is not, nor ever was, this anon-a-miss many of you assume her to be.”
Luna scanned the faces of her students, shocked expressions on most of them.
“That’s a LIE!” shouted a girl to her right.
“I! SAID! SILENCE!” screamed Luna.
Shaking with rage, she clasped her hands to her head. Taking several slow breaths, she lowered her hands and continued. “I said silence.
“My sister and I have been visiting her throughout the holiday break. She did not, and would not post ANYTHING on that infernal account! This morning, while you were all reading this anon-a-miss person’s latest trove of toxic filth, my sister, your Principal, was with Sunset.
“With her. The. Entire. Time! The entire time these posts were coming out, Principal Celestia was with Sunset Shimmer. She DID NOT post these posts! She IS NOT this anon-a-miss person. AM I CLEAR!”
Shocked nods and murmurs drifted through the assembly.
In the corner, Scootaloo passed out.