The CMC stood in front of Sunset’s statue, their cheeks stained with tears, as they looked at what they had done with miserable looks.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Applebloom spoke softly but her friends heard her. “Ah just wanted to break up Sunset and our sisters….ah wanted to spend more time with mah sister.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hugged Applebloom as she was getting choked up.
“Ah did this.”
“It wasn’t just you,” Sweetie Belle said as she started to cry again.
“Yeah, we’re equally responsible for this,” Scootaloo cried.
The Crusaders cried for a few minutes before returning to stare at the statue.
“Ah think we should come clean about Anon-A-Miss,” Applebloom suddenly said.
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle agreed without hesitation.
“It’s the least we could do for Sunset,” Scootaloo said sadly.
The three made their way out of the clearing, sparing one last glance at Sunset before leaving the woods.
“Ah’m home,” Applebloom announced as she entered her home.
“Welcome home sis,” Applejack greeted her little sister with a smile, she’s wearing an apron and holding a mixing bowl. “Yer just in time to help me make some cookies.”
Applebloom helped Applejack make cookies like they do every year, she would normally be very happy and try to taste the cookie dough but considering what happened earlier and what she had to tell Applejack, sapped any joy she had.
‘How do yah tell yer sister that her former friend is turned to stone and that it’s all your fault?’ Applebloom thought sadly.
“Is somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, a hint of concern in her tone.
“Huh?” Applebloom was brought out of her thoughts and looked at her sister.
“Yah’ve been quiet since we started making the cookies, normally yah would be telling me about yer day with yer friends and trying to get some cookie dough,” Applejack said, fully turning to face Applebloom.
Applebloom avoided her sister’s gaze which only made Applejack more worried.
“Did Anon-A-Miss post something about yah?” Applejack asked, getting angry. “Ah swear ah’m gonna have a long talk with Sunset to make her stop.”
“Yah don’t have to worry about that?” Applebloom whispered.
“What was that?” Applejack asked.
“Applejack, how would yah feel if somethin’ bad happen to Sunset?” Applebloom asked, trying to see what her reaction will be.
“Somethin’ bad happened to Sunset?!” Applejack’s eyes widened in shock.
“Ah’m just saying if somethin’ bad did happen to her, would that be a good or bad thing considering what she has done?” Applebloom clarified, trying to keep her voice from cracking.
“Of course, it would be a bad thing!” Applejack said. “Ah know Sunset betrayed me and mah friends and went back to her old ways but that doesn’t justify wanting bad things to happen to her.”
Applebloom started trembling which worried Applejack.
“Applebloom, what’s-”
“Somethin’ bad happened to Sunset!” Applebloom blurted out, tears now streaming down her face.
Applejack was taken aback by Applebloom’s outburst as she broke down and fell to her knees.
“H-hey, what’s the matter Applebloom?” Applejack knelt to comfort her sister. “And what’s this about somethin’ bad happening to Sunset?”
“S-someone that looks like Principal Celestia came through the Wondercolt statue and turned Sunset to stone!” Applebloom cried.
“Turned Sunset to stone?!” Applejack couldn’t believe what she just heard.
“Me and mah friends saw it happen, Applejack,” Applebloom said. “Sunset begged her not to do it but she…”
Applebloom didn’t finish as she continued to cry, Applejack held on to Applebloom, she rubbed her back to comfort her as she tried to make sense of what she just told her.
“Yah said that yah and yer friends saw Sunset be turned to stone?” Applejack asked.
“Yes,” Applebloom answered, her voice slightly muffled as she cried against Applejack’s shoulder.
“Where is Sunset?” Applejack asked.
“The other Celestia and Twilight took her in the woods behind the school,” Applebloom explained.
“Wait! Twilight is involved in this?!” Applejack said in shock, Applebloom merely nodded. “Did she say anything?”
“She said she was sorry about Sunset and gave us her journal to give to yah,” Applebloom explained as she pulled back to wipe her eyes.
Applebloom got up and went upstairs to her room, Applejack waited until she came downstairs with Sunset’s journal.
“She said that yah can contact her anytime,” Applebloom conveyed as she handed Applejack the journal.
Applejack took the journal and stared at the cover, there was no doubt that this was Sunset’s journal.
“Applebloom, can yah show me where Susnet is?” Applejack asked to which Applebloom nodded.
As they both got ready, Applejack sent a text to her friends to meet her by the Wondercolt statue. She informed Granny Smith and Big Mac where they were going before they left the house and got in the family truck. Applejack drove the truck out of the driveway and started making her way towards the school, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she feared what she might find.
Rarity tried to cal down her distraught sister, she had just told her that Sunset had been turned to stone by someone who resembled their Principal.
‘Just what is going on here?’ Rarity thought before she heard a familiar text tone, she checked her phone and saw that it was a group message from Applejack telling everyone to meet her at the Wondercolt statue, she had a strong hunch as to why.
“Listen, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity tried to get her sister’s attention. “I have to meet Applejack at the school, will you be alright by yourself?”
“I want to go with you,” Sweetie Belle insisted. “I’m sure Applebloom and Scootaloo will be there too.”
Rarity thought about it for a moment before agreeing, they both got ready before they headed towards the school. Sweetie Belle held her sister’s hand tight the whole way.
When Applejack pulled into the school she saw her friends along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waiting. The girls hurried to the truck once it parked.
“Applejack is what Rarity and Rainbow Dash saying about Sunset being turned to stone true?!” Pinkie Pie asked as she got right in Applejack’s face.
Applejack leaned back a bit when Pinkie got too close, she looked around Pinkie to see the worried looks of all her friends.
“Ah’m not entirely sure but Applebloom will show us where Sunset is,” Applejack said as all eyes turned to Applebloom.
Applebloom shifted nervously before she and her friends led them all behind the school, there was a nervousness in the air as the Crusaders led the Rainbooms into the woods towards the clearing where Sunset’s statue was located. When they finally reached the clearing, the Rainbooms gasped in horror as there stood a statue of Sunset Shimmer frozen in horror. The Crusaders looked down in shame as their sisters ran towards the statue, they couldn’t believe what they are seeing.
“T-this is some horrible prank right?” Pinkie asked, her voice trembling. “That’s not funny, Sunset!”
Rarity’s keen eyes looked at every inch of the Sunset statue, the amount of detail it would take to create something like this would take a considerable amount of time, especially for a master craftsman. The detail in Sunset’s eyes and expression that captures the horror, panic, and a hint of betrayal in her eyes sent a shiver down Rarity's spine.
“Pinkie’s right,” Rainbow Dash said in a soft tone. “This isn't funny, Sunset!”
Rainbow looked around her, she looked like she was on the verge of panicking.
“Come on out!” Rainbow Dash demanded, when Sunset didn’t answer she tried something else. “If you come out right now, I’ll forgive you for being Anon-A-Miss and we can be friends again!”
The Rainbooms were surprised at this but seeing how desperate Rainbow looked, they understood why she said it and hoped Sunset did come out and say this was all a horrible prank. They waited for a bit and when no one answered, Rainbow Dash decided to make the deal more enticing.
“If you come out right now, I’ll share with you a deep secret of mine!” Rainbow Dash said as she took out her phone, found Sunset’s contact, and started typing a message. “I’ll text you the secret right now!”
Rainbow Dash hit the send message, a few seconds passed before an alert told her that the message failed to send. Rainbow Dash hit resend but the same message popped up, she kept hitting resend again and again. Tears started sliding down her face, every time she saw the failure to send the message. She fell to her knees, her vision was so blurry from the tears that she couldn’t see her phone. Rainbow Dash never cried in front of people, especially her friends if she could help it but on the very rare occasions where she could no longer hold in her despair, she openly wept. Scootaloo had never seen or heard Rainbow Dash cry and seeing her big sister look so devastated pained her, her cries are like knives stabbing at her heart.
Rainbow Dash heard the crunching of the snow before feeling several pairs of arms wrap around her, she didn’t hesitate to grab on to them as she and her friends cried in front of the statue. They cried for several minutes before Rainbow Dash looked at the Sunset statue.
“You know,” Rainbow Dash sobbed, gaining everyone’s attention. “As mad as I am at Sunset of how she betrayed us, I didn’t want to see her get hurt. Which was why I kept an eye on her to make sure no one tried anything.”
“To be honest, I’ve been keeping an eye on Sunset myself,” Rarity admitted, her mascara leaving ugly black lines down the sides of her face. “As hurt and humiliated as I was when she posted those photos of us wearing my outfits from my closet of shame, I kept an ear open for any gossip that involved Sunset to make sure no one was planning to retaliate. I also noticed how she didn’t have any winter gloves or her scarf requires repairs so I fixed her scarf and made her a new pair of gloves…before telling her that even a witch needs to stay warm.”
“I’ve been leaving positive messages in Sunset’s locker,” Fluttershy spoke up. “But she probably didn’t notice them an account of the hateful messages that were also in her locker.”
“I’ve been giving her cookies to make her smile…but I had Maud give it to her for me,” Pinkie said as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.
“Ah give Sunset warm, homecooked meals,” Applejack said. “But ah wasn’t very nice when ah gave her the food, sayin’ that even traitors need a good meal.”
“Did Sunset deserve this?” Pinkie Pie asked. “All she did was post everyone's secrets to be laughed at, it’s still bad don’t get me wrong but is it worth being turned into a statue.”
“The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime,” Rarity said as she turned to her sister. “Sweetie Belle did the person who turned Sunset to stone say anything else?”
“We heard her say something about her crimes in Equestria,” Sweetie Belle answered. “Before she turned Sunset to stone.”
“Do you think she was from the same world as Sunset and Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
“Twilight!” Applejack suddenly shouted as she pulled out Sunset’s journal from her back. “We should write a message to Twilight, asking her what’s going on and to turn Sunset back!”
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Rainbow Dash asked a big smile on her lips, her eyes filled with hope. “Write the message!”
Applejack nodded as she started writing a message to the Princess.
Dear, Princess Twilight,
We have an emergency and could really use your help, please respond to this as soon as you can.
“There,” Applejack said as she closed the journal. “Now we have to wait fer her to respond.”
“We should go wait in by the Wondercolt statue then,” Rainbow Dash suggested.
The rest of the Rainbooms nodded and went back to the front of the school, they gathered in front of the Wondercolt statue where they waited anxiously for the Princess to reply. They huddled close together to keep warm, the CMC is being held by their sisters. Applebloom glanced at her sister who is reading Sunset’s journal, she’s trying to work up the courage to confess to being Anon-A-Miss and just as she was about to, Applejack spoke up.
“Girls,” Applejack spoke up. “Yall might want to take a look at this.”
Applejack passed them the journal and told them to read from the date of Pinkie’s slumber party, the girls started reading and Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity started crying.
“Oh Sunset,” Rarity sobbed.
“She cared about us,” Fluttershy cried.
“She did think of us like family!” Pinkie wailed.
“I was the one who’s the traitor,” Rainbow Dash realized as angry tears fell down the sides of her face.
“Ah don’t think Sunset was ever Anon-A-Miss,” Applejack stated, she started crying as she realized what she had done. “She tried to tell us but ah was too stubborn to listen!”
As the girls were berating themselves for not believing Sunset, the portal started glowing as Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia stepped out.
“Princess Twilight!” Applebloom called out gaining everyone’s attention.
“Twilight!” everyone shouted.
“Hey, girls, sorry for not responding but I came as soon as I read your message,” Twilight said, smiling apologetically. “What’s your emergency?”
“Twilight, Sunset has been turned to stone!” Rarity said in a panic. “You have to help us turn her back.
Twilight’s smile fell at that.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?!” Applejack questioned, not understanding why Twilight can’t help them.
“Because this is her punishment for the crimes she has committed,” Celestia spoke up.
The girls turn to Celestia and are surprised by how much she looks like their principal.
“She's the one who turned Sunset to stone!” Scootaloo pointed out.
“Who do yah think yah are turning people yah don’t know to stone?!” Applejack angrily demanded.
“I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and personal mentor of Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia introduced herself. “The reason I turned Sunset to stone was to stop her nefarious plan to take over your school.”
“Isn’t that a little extreme for just posting people's secrets?” Rarity questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Sunset is also being punished for attempting to overthrow me,” Celestia said in a serious tone. “Beleive it or not I was willing to forgive her past transgression if she proved to be a changed pony but she hasn’t.”
“She has!” Pinkie Pie argued. “Sunset is a very nice person!”
“Then why was she spreading the secrets of her fellow students?” Celestia questioned. “Why after everything you’ve been through she turned her backs on you?”
“It wasn’t her!” Applejack argued, walking up to Celestia and showing her the journal. “It’s all right here, Sunset loved us! She is genuinely happy being with us!”
“She was lying,” Princess Celestia said with a sigh. “Girls, it's obvious that you are all very kind creatures but I’ve known Sunset for a long time and I know her tricks.”
“But she’s not lying!” Rainbow Dash raised her voice.
“Your royal highness, you have to believe us. Sunset has changed, she’s not who you think she is!” Rarity tried to argue.
“Wasn’t it you and your friends who accused her of being this Anon-A-Miss?” Celestia questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Well yes but-”
“Wasn’t it you who cut ties with her?” Celestia inquired further, as she teleports them all to where the Sunset statue is located.
“Yeah-”
“Wasn’t it you who outed her to the rest of the school when you publicly denounced her?” Celestia questioned.
“We were wrong!” Applejack raised her voice. “We were wrong to accuse her of being Anon-A-Miss, we were wrong fer not hearing her out, we were wrong fer cutting ties with her!” Applejack started sobbing. “Ah was wrong.”
“Princess, please free Sunset,” Rarity begged as she got on her hands and knees.
“Let me take Sunset’s place!” Rainbow Dash suddenly offered.
“Dashie, no!” Pinkie Pie said in shock.
“I’ve been a lousy friend while Sunset has been an amazing friend to me, I wasn’t there for her when I should have been and I want to be there for her now,” Rainbow Dash explained.
“You do realize what you are asking right?” Celestia asked, crossing her arms.
“I do,” Rainbow Dash said very seriously.
“Very well,” Celestia agreed, which caused everyone to gasp.
“Rainbow, you can’t!” Scootaloo said as she ran to her big sister.
“Sorry Scoot’s, but I have too,” Rainbow Dash told her honorary little sister. “It’s the only way to prove to her that Sunset isn’t Anon-A-Miss.”
“Princess, please don’t do this!” Scootaloo begged Princess Celestia.
“I’m sorry but she volunteered to take Sunset’s place,” Celestia reminded her.
“Then take me instead!” Applebloom volunteered. “Because ah’m Anon-A-Miss!”
Everyone was shocked to hear Applebloom confess, but none are more shocked than Applejack.
“Applebloom, what are yah sayin’?!” Applejack questioned.
“Ah’m sorry, Applejack,” Applebloom apologized in tears.
“Applebloom, is what you are saying true?” Celestia asked.
“Yes,” Applebloom sobbed as she took out her phone, logged into the Anon-A-Miss account, and showed Applejack. “Mah sister can confirm that ah’m telling the truth.”
“Applejack?” Twilight looked at her friend questioningly.
“She’s tellin’ the truth,” Applejack confirmed, looking like she had been stabbed in the back. “Oh, Applebloom.”
“It wasn’t just her!” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “It was me too!”
“And me as well!” Scootaloo said, already crying.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity is aghast.
“How could you, Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash said, feeling betrayed that her little sister would do this.
“Why would you girls do this?” Celestia asked her expression calm.
“Because ah was jealous of how much time Sunset spent with mah sister,” Applebloom answered. “She used to do our holiday traditions but she missed them because she was hanging out with Sunset.”
“I wanted to get back at Rarity for kicking me out of her slumber party,” Sweetie Belle confessed.
“I’m in the same boat as Applebloom, Rainbow Dash broke a promise to hang out with me and when I found out that she broke it to hang out with Sunset I got jealous,” Scootaloo said through her tears.
“Ah never meant for Anon-A-Miss to go as far as it did,” Applebloom tearfully said.
“It got out of hand!” Scootaloo added.
“We’re so sorry!” Sweetie Belle apologized as she tried wiping away her tears but they kept on coming.
“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” Celestia said with a smile. “Did you get all that Sunset?”
“Loud and clear,” Sunset said from the statue as it faded to reveal her in the flesh.
“Sunset!” the Rainbooms shouted as they rushed towards her and engulfed her in a big hug.
Sunset smiled as her friends cried in relief that she was okay.
“Oh, darling. We’re so glad you’re okay,” Rarity said through her tears.
“We were afraid that we were never going to see you again,” Pinkie said as she hugged Sunset tightly.
“Sorry about that but I needed a way to get the girls to confess to being behind Anon-A-Miss,” Sunset apologized as her friends backed up a bit but still held on to her. “I figured out it was them when I was messaging Twilight and she mentioned family, I thought back to Anon-A-Miss's first two posts and how only Applejack’s family knew her nickname and the only other person at Rarity’s slumber beside us was Sweetie Belle.”
“But how did you come up with this idea?” Rarity asked.
“It was mine,” Celestia raised her hand as she smiled at the group. “Twilight informed me about what was going on, Sunset had already figured out who Anon-A-Miss is and just needed a way to get them to confess, so I devised a plan to have the girls witness me accuse Sunset of being Anon-A-Miss and punish her by turning her to stone.”
“We figured that witnessing me be punished for something I didn’t do would cause you, girls, to feel guilty enough to confess,” Sunset finished explaining.
“That’s pretty risky, how can you be sure it will work,” Rarity asked.
“I have faith that the girls would do the right thing,” Sunset said as she winked at the Crusaders.
“Sunset, I’m so sorry for accusing you of being Anon-A-Miss,” Rainbow Dash apologized as a sobbed rocked her body.
“I’m sorry too,” Rarity cried. “I’m so sorry for everything, accusing you of something you never did, how I treated you!”
“We were so cruel to you Sunset!” Fluttershy cried. “I’m so sorry!”
“We understand if you can never forgive us but we’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you, Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie promised as she did the motions for the Pinkie promise.
“Sugarcube ah’ve been such a stubborn fool, yah have every right to hate me,” Applejack sobbed. “Ah'm sorry yah had to suffer because of us.”
“I’m so sorry Sunset!” Sweetie Belle said as she tackled Sunset in a hug.
“Ah’m sorry fer even starting this stupid blog,” Applebloom apologized. “Ah never meant to hurt yah.”
“We deserve your hatred,” Scootaloo said in defeat.
“It’s alright, I’m not too mad and I forgive you all,” Sunset said with a smile.
“How can yah forgive us after what we did?” Applebloom said in shock.
“After what we did?” Applejack added.
“I saw and heard what you said while you were here,” Sunset said as she looked at everyone, “How you felt about me, and what you were willing to do to free me.” Sunset bent down and place a hand on Applebloom's shoulder. “I know what it’s like to feel lonely and do things that you regret.”
The entire group including the two Princesses hugged Sunset, the Rainbooms and CMC cried as they thanked Sunset. Sunset herself got teary-eyed as she looked at Twilight and Celestia.
“You have great friends,” Celestia commented with a smile.
“I know,” Sunset agreed, she had the biggest smile she Celestia had ever seen, Sunset looked to Twilight. “Thank you, Twilight.”
“That’s what friends do,” Twilight replied, smiling.