Sunset Shimmer waited nervously in front of the Wondercolt statue, a small part of her feared that the other world versions of her ex-friends might reject her as well. Twilight assured her that they genuinely wanted to help her after she explained what happened, but that same small doubt reminded her that the human counterparts that Twilight had entrusted to take care of her had let her down. She didn’t think any further as the portal started to ripple and Rainbow Dash emerged, she flailed her arms around as she isn’t properly used to walking on two legs. Sunset acted quick and held onto the rainbow-haired girl so she didn’t fall.
“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash thanked Sunset.
The portal rippled again as Applejack stumbled out, followed by Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Sunset opened her arms to catch the girls as they lost balance.
“That was fun!” Pinkie said with a big smile, she loved the swirling colors.
“Sweet Celestia!” Rarity shrieked as she noticed her new form. “What happened to my hooves?!”
“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash is shocked at what she has become, she stares at her new hands and flexes her fingers.
“Mah muzzle is gone!” Applejack cried out as she touched her face with her closed fists.
“Ooooh!” Pinkie looked in wonder at her transformed self.
“My muzzle, my manicured hooves, my tail!” Rarity wailed, her mascara running down the sides of her face at her beauty being diminished.
“Girls, calm down.” Sunset tried to calm down the Equestrian versions of her former friends. “It’s okay, you’re supposed to look like this here.”
Rarity stopped her wailing and looked at Sunset.
“I’m sorry darling, but who are you?”
“My name is Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset introduced herself in her native Equestrian language to emphasize that she’s from Equestria.
“Sunset!” Pinkie cried out as she wrapped her arms around Sunset to hug her. “We heard about what happened to you from Twilight, I’m sorry for what my counterpart did!”
“Thanks,” Sunset thanked Pinkie as she patted her back.
“Hello darling, my name is Rarity.” Rarity introduced herself as she wobbled a bit on her two legs.
“Um, my name is Fluttershy,” Fluttershy introduced herself timidly.
“Ah’m Applejack,” Applejack tilted her hat up slightly in greeting using her closed fist.
“I’m Rainbow Dash, I’ll give you my autograph later,” Rainbow said, grinning cheekily.
“It’s nice to meet all of you, even though I’ve already met your counterparts,” Sunset said with a small smile. “How about we take this conversation back to my place?”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Rarity agreed. “I believe I need some time to adjust to this strange form.”
Sunset guided her fellow Equestrians back to her apartment while holding hands to keep each other balanced. Once in her apartment, Sunset helped them remove their coats. As she helped Applejack and Rainbow Dash pull their sweaters over their heads, she noticed the diamond ring with a string going through the ring hole to make a necklace around their necks.
“Glad this came out okay,” Rainbow Dash said in relief as she held the ring in her closed palm.
“I didn’t think you two would wear jewelry,” Sunset commented, she knew that the human versions of Rainbow and Applejack wouldn’t be caught dead wearing any kind of jewelry unless it was a special occasion or part of Rarity’s outfit she designed for them.
“This is from a very special occasion,” Rainbow Dash smiled proudly.
“It’s our engagement ring,” Applejack said with a serene smile as she looked down at her ring.
“Engagement ring?!” Sunset said in shock, that was the last thing she expected them to say. “You two are engaged?! To who?!”
“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash and Applejack answered in unison.
“Twilight?!” Sunset said in disbelief, Twilight never mentioned being engaged.
“It’s truly wonderful but let’s focus on you, darling.” Rarity said in a serious tone. “Twilight has told us what has been happening but I want to hear it from your side.”
“Right,” Sunset agreed as she leads the girls to her living room couch where she explained what had been happening since the sleepover at Pinkie Pie’s home.
The girls listened very closely as Sunset described how she once again became the most hated student at CHS. When she is finished, her fellow Equestrians had a mix of emotions, from Pinkie and Fluttershy’s saddened looks, Rainbow Dash’s look of frustration at her human counterpart, Applejack’s look of shame, and Rarity’s thoughtful look.
“You poor thing,” Fluttershy said in tears as she went to hug Sunset. “You’ve been through such a horrible thing all by yourself!”
Pinkie also joined the hug as she wailed, Sunset enjoyed the comforting hug, she needed this.
“Darling, before you were publicly abandoned did anyone else believe you were this Anon-A-Miss?” Rarity asked.
“No,” Sunset answered. “It was only after everyone else’s secrets were posted did they all blamed me.”
“I thought as much,” Rarity said with a sigh.
“What are yah getting at Rarity?” Applejack questioned, her interest peaked as Rarity might have picked up on something.
“That the only reason Sunset is being blamed is because this world’s version of ourselves said she did it,” Rainbow Dash answered, understanding what Rarity was saying.
“Precisely, they pointed you as the obvious suspect and everyone followed suit as soon as their secrets were posted.” Rarity said, a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry, darling. It appears that our counterparts are to blame for your suffering.”
“Oh,” Sunset said in a soft voice, she saw Rarity walk closer and put her closed hand on Sunset’s shoulder.
“Not to make excuses for your former friends but I don’t think they realized what they had done,” Rarity said, trying to assure Sunset that her former friends didn’t mean for this to happen.
“Then we better tell them what they had done and make them realize what a mistake they made,” Applejack said, determined to fix this mess.
Rainbow Dash stood up from the couch and hugged Sunset.
“It’s going to be okay,” Rainbow Dash gently assured Sunset. “We’re here now.”
“Thank you,” Sunset thanked E-Rainbow Dash, returning the hug and tears stinging her eyes.
The rest of the girls joined in, their fellow Equestrian has suffered enough and they are determined to fix this mess no matter what.
The Rainbooms are in The Sweet Shoppe, they had a rough week with the students teasing them about their secrets, and especially Rainbow Dash who’s failed test paper has been posted for everyone to see and laugh at. They heard the chime of the door opening and turned to see the last person they wanted to see.
“Hey! Get out!” Rainbow Dash yelled angrily at Sunset.
“Yer not welcome here!” Applejack told her as she rose from her seat and glared at Sunset.
“Wait! I know that you don’t want to see me right now but I brought someone to convince you that I’m telling the truth!” Sunset quickly said as she stood aside to reveal the Equestrian versions of the Rainbooms.
“What in sam hill?!” Applejack said shock at seeing her counterpart.
“Howdy yall,” E-Applejack greeted everyone.
Both groups of girls walked forward until they were standing in front of their counterparts.
“This is so freaky,” Rainbow Dash commented as she inspected her double.
“It’s like looking in a mirror,” Applejack commented.
“A fun mirror!” Both Pinkie’s said in unison before laughing.
“I do say you are looking fabulous, darling!” Rarity complimented her counterpart.
“Thank you, darling. Although I can’t say the same since I’m not familiar with what’s beautiful here,” E-Rarity said. “I hope I’m right in saying that your outfit looks Magnifique! Did you design it?”
“Of course!” Rarity answered with a smile.
“Hello there,” E-Fluttershy greeted her human counterpart.
“H-hello,” Fluttershy timidly greeted back.
“They are your counterparts from Equestria,” Sunset explained.
“I’m surprised you didn’t rope Twilight into this,” Applejack said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
“Twilight had a serious emergency to deal with,” Sunset explained.
“Oh my, I hope everything is alright,” Rarity said with worry.
“It will be, Spikey-Wikey is in good hooves,” E-Rarity assured her counterpart.
“Spike’s in danger?!” Fluttershy gasped. “Can I help in any way?”
“Sorry, darling but only magic can help him,” E-Rarity said. “While she helps Spike, we will help you see reason.”
“What do yah mean by that?” Applejack narrowed her gaze at Sunset. “Did she convince yah with her lies that she is innocent?”
“I’m not lying!” Sunset raised her voice. “Why would I do this to you girls!”
“Revenge fer one,” Applejack answered as she crossed her arms.
“Revenge for what?” Sunset questioned.
“Fer beating yah at the Fall Formal,” Applejack answered.
Sunset was about to say something in response when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t waste yer breath sugarcube, she aint budging no matter what yah say,” E-Applejack said with a sigh. “Ah am pretty stubborn.”
“Darling, let us deal with them. You run along and figure out who this Anon-A-Miss is.” E-Rarity instructed, giving her fellow Equestrian an assuring smile.
“How can you be so sure you aren’t being deceived?” Rarity questioned her counterpart.
“Because we’ve sadly been through this same song and dance,” E-Rarity answered, frowning at the memory of them abandoning Twilight and believing the fake Cadance.
“Are you girls sure?” Sunset asked in concern. “You don’t know your way around here, what if you run into trouble?”
“Don’t worry, we can handle whatever this world can throw at us,” E-Rainbow Dash assured her.
Sunset still wasn’t so sure.
“We’ll be with them so ah’m sure they’ll look out fer us,” E-Applejack said.
“Didn’t work out so well for me,” Sunset whispered sadly. “Okay, I’ll call you later to check how you’re doing. Good luck.”
Sunset and her fellow Equestrians hugged each other before Sunset left the Sweet Shoppe.
“Now then, shall we get started?” E-Rarity smiled at the Rainbooms.
‘Yer not changing our minds,” Applejack stubbornly said, looking at her counterpart. “Like yah said, yer wasting yer time.”
“Um, why don’t you explain to us your side of things,” E-Fluttershy suggested. “That way we can get the full picture.”
“Great idea, Fluttershy.” E-Rainbow Dash said.
“Alright, we’ll tell yah. Maybe our version will help expose the lies Sunset told yah,” Applejack said as she and the Rainbooms sat down with their counterparts and told them what happened.
Like with Sunset E-Rainbow Dash and E-Rarity listened very closely and analyzed every detail, they already noticed similarities with how they accused Sunset to how they falsely accused Twilight.
“Now do yah see why Sunset is lying?” Applejack asked, she’s confident that her counterpart will realize the mistake she made in trusting Sunset.
“All ah got from yer story is that yah acted rashly in accusing Sunset,” E-Applejack said.
“We acted rash?!” Applejack said in disbelief. “She betrayed us by posting mah secret and those photos!”
“Keep your voices down please,” Mrs. Cake said from behind the counter before doing a double-take when she noticed the two identical groups of girls.
“Sorry,” Applejack apologized. “Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere.”
All the girls agreed as they left the Sweet Shoppe.
“Yah told Sunset yer secret and the next day Anon-A-Miss shows up with yer secret being the first thing in it. Doesn’t that seem a little suspicious?” E-Applejack questioned.
“The same goes for the photos of the slumber party,” E-Rarity added. “It makes it very obvious that the culprit is Sunset Shimmer.”
“A little too obvious,” E-Pinkie Pie said, rubbing her chin in a thinking pose.
“I don’t think Sunset is dumb enough to make it obvious she’s this Anon-A-Miss,” E-Rainbow Dash pointed out, crossing her arms.
“That makes sense,” Fluttershy admitted.
“C’mon Fluttershy, this is Sunset we’re talking about. That snake manipulated us into severing our friendship and controlled the whole school, ah wouldn’t put it past her to make it look obvious so that she wouldn’t be suspected but we didn’t fall for it,” Applejack said. “The whole school knows she’s Anon-A-Miss.”
“Because yah accused her in front of everyone!” E-Applejack raised her voice, glaring at her human counterpart. “If yah hadn’t done that then probably not everyone would immediately accuse her!”
“Easy there, Applejack.” E-Rainbow Dash placed a hand on Applejack’s shoulder as she tried to calm her down.
“Sunset’s the one who brought this on herself an’ yall can’t see that she’s using yah!” Applejack shouted back, getting close to E-Applejack’s face but Rainbow Dash held her back.
“Why can’t yah see the truth in front of yah?!” E-Applejack shouted back.
“Girls! Stop!” E-Fluttershy raised her voice as she stood between the two Applejacks. “Shouting at each other isn’t getting us anywhere.”
“Sorry,” Both Applejack’s apologized as they gazed at the ground.
Pinkie’s phone suddenly rang and when she pulled her phone out of her pocket the caller ID showed Sunset.
“Sunset’s calling!” Pinkie announced as she answered the call. “She’s asking how we’re doing?”
“Not good,” E-Applejack said.
“Maybe we should call it a day?” Fluttershy suggested.
“Might as well, we’re done anyway.” Applejack said as she put her hands inside her pockets and walked away.
“You girls just don’t know Sunset as we do,” Rainbow Dash sadly said as she walked away.
“Darlings, I know your hearts are in the right place but take it from me that Sunset is taking advantage of your kindness.” Rarity said. “Maybe you should return home and think carefully about who it is that you’re trying to help.”
“Why are you writing off Sunset’s innocence so easily?” E-Rarity asked.
“As Applejack said, Sunset has done something like this to us before.” Rarity answered. “We’ll take you back to the statue.”
“Thank you,” E-Fluttershy thanked Rarity.
The remaining three members of the Rainbooms escorted the Equestrians back to the school after informing Sunset. The Equestrians were a little disappointed and frustrated that they failed to convince their human counterparts to see reason.