//------------------------------// // Chapter 32 // Story: Severed Ties // by Carol Heart //------------------------------// “Maybe you should,” Gilda said, opening the journal to a back page and laying it in front of the pony. Teal eyes roved over the page as she saw a myriad of notes crammed in anywhere they could fit in a variety of colors and scripts. Turning the page, she found the next ones to be just as jam packed until she had quickly leafed through the entirety of the journal and found only a few pages left blank at the back in hopes of a reply to the messages that had never reached her. Flipping back to where the notes began, Sunset began to read. “Sunset, I am so sorry. I never should have started Anon-A-Miss. When Applejack ignored me the night of the sleepover, I was just so angry. I wanted to get back at her and I thought that sharing her nickname would teach her a lesson. I never meant for it to go as far as it did, or for you to get hurt. Please come back, I want to make it up to you, to help make things right again.” - Apple Bloom “I am so sorry for what we did. I know it was my fault my sister and the other girls suspected you. If I hadn’t stolen your phone, they never would have believed it was you. I just missed being able to spend time with Rarity like I used to. Her kicking me out of the slumber party made me wish for it to be like it used to be back when you were the Queen Bee and Rarity spent all her nights at home making dresses and hanging out with me. I don’t know if you can ever forgive us, but please come back and give Rarity and the girls another chance. They really miss you.” - Sweetie Belle “Sunset, it was all my fault that this all got out of hand. I was the one that pushed A.B. and Sweetie to keep posting. It was just so nice to be the center of attention for once, even if it was secretly, that it took a while for me to notice the kind of attention Anon-A-Miss was getting wasn’t the good kind. I’m sorry we dragged you and the whole school into our stupid attempts to get attention. We never thought it would turn out this way. Please come back, everyone misses you and wants to say they’re sorry. I know you might not believe us after everything but I can prove it.” - Scootaloo And prove it is exactly what she seemed to do. The following pages were full of messages and apologies from what looked like the entire school. Skimming over them, a few caught her eye. “Sunset, I’m sorry I ever thought it was you. It was very uncool of me.” - Sandalwood “Sunset- the way that we treated you was completely unacceptable. I’m so sorry, and I hope that someday I’ll get the chance to make it up to you.” - Octavia Melody “I guess part of me never really forgave you for what you were like before the Fall Formal, looking back I can see how hard you were working to change and I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance.” - Lyra Heartstrings “The Great and Powerful Trixie is sorry she treated you so horribly...When I believed you were behind the Anon-A-Miss, I was just so mad when those pictures got out I just couldn’t control myself. Please forgive me.” “Huh, that actually seemed rather subdued coming from Trixie,” Sunset thought, but then she noticed the postscript. “PS- Don’t you think The Great and Apologetic Trixie is the most magnificent, humble person to write to you. No need to respond. We both know it’s true.” Shaking her head, she continued to flip through the entries until one caught her eye. “Sunset, I always knew you could be so much more than the Queen Bee. You make wherever you are a little brighter and CHS is a little colder for losing you. I hope you’re happy now, but we would love the chance to show how sorry we are.” - Flash Sentry Sunset stared at the page. Of all the people she had hurt, she never thought that Flash Sentry would forgive her. She had used him as nothing more than a pawn in her scheme for power at school. Something he eventually figured out, something she knew had hurt him deeply. The fact that he had reached out to her left her dumbstruck. The next messages were from the Rainbooms, and they were ones that Sunset wasn’t sure she wanted to read. Glancing back at Flash’s entry, she knew what it must have taken for him to pen such kind words, and if he could give her a second chance, she could at least see what her former friends had to say. “Sunset, I don’t know how we could have ever doubted you. You worked so hard to learn friendship from us, and we were the ones who totally blew it. At the first test of loyalty, we automatically thought the worst and ditched you when you needed us the most. We were terrible friends, and I can understand why you’d never want to talk to us again, but please if you can give us another chance, we want to do whatever it takes to make it up to you and be the friends you deserve.” -Rainbow Dash “Darling, there are no words strong enough to express just how truly sorry we are for how we treated you. When we were asked to give you a second chance, I said yes but I think part of me was still holding a grudge and was unable to give you a real chance. I always worried that this might be another act., but in the time we spent together you had more than proved how genuine your change of heart was and I'm sorry I let my fears cloud my judgment when you were in such need. I know we do not deserve another chance from you after everything that happened, but I do hope that you’ll grant us the opportunity to do whatever we can to prove ourselves to you.” -Rarity “Sunny, I’m so so so SO sorry for what I did. Being such a meanie pants to you when I should have been the one helping you get through such a tough time is something I can never make up for. I said that I’d be your friend and help you learn about the Magic of Friendship, but I didn’t and I took away your smile. Me, Pinkie, broke a Pinkie Promise, and hurt you so much. Please come back, Sunny. I want to help bring back your smile. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy again.” - Pinkie Pie “Sunset, what we did to you was more than just unkind, it was downright cruel, and I am so very sorry that I ever thought you weren’t our friend. If anyone could see a change in you after the Fall Formal it should have been me. I saw you at your worst when you were a bully, but I also saw how hard you worked to make up for everything you had done and tried to help others. I always regretted not showing you kindness when you were the Queen Bee. I thought you might have just needed a friend, but I was too scared to reach out. I was happy to get another chance after the formal, but at the first hint that you might be have gone back to being a bully, I got scared and ran away instead of helping you and showing you the kindness you needed. I am truly very sorry, and while I know I cannot make up for what I did, I hope someday I’ll get the chance to try.” - Fluttershy “Sunset, I’ve thought about this a lot. When I said you were family, I meant it. Now I know you don’t have a whole lot of experience with family or siblings, but I can tell you from experience, even the most loving families fight, and as you can see by Apple Bloom’s actions, sometimes they even lash out at each other. Now I’m not tryin’ to excuse what she did or what I did to you, I just wanted to be honest. Something I seem to have had trouble with lately. The truth is, sugarcube, you are family. You’re like a sister to me, and you know how seriously we Apples take family. When I thought you were posting those secrets, I saw it as you turning on that very idea of family that I’d just admitted to you, and it hurt so I lashed out and left you. I don’t know how I can ever make that up to you or show how truly sorry I am. I don’t know if it means anything to you, but when I found out that it was Apple Bloom and her friends behind Anon-A-Miss, I wanted to go off on her too for everything she did. Then I remembered that acting like that had already cost me one sister, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing another. I only wish I’d learned that sooner. Please come back, Sunset. We miss you so much.” - Applejack “Miss Shimmer, The path to redemption is never an easy one to walk. That is something I’m sure you know well. It is full of hardships and self-doubt wondering if you can do it, and if you’re truly worthy of the forgiveness you seek. But the most difficult part of seeking redemption is being granted the opportunity by those we hurt to make amends. While it seems like many here might not have given you a true opportunity to earn your redemption, the question now is will you allow them the opportunity to apologize and show how much they regret their actions? You may not have been forgiven, and you may not want to forgive them, but I can tell you from my own experience, that it is better to be honest and get your feelings out in the open. Though confronting those who have hurt you in the past is never easy, if you let the pain and hurt others cause you build up inside, it will only cause you more pain and heartache until you lash out at someone and begin the cycle anew.” - Vice Principal Luna “My dear Sunset, I don’t know how to apologize enough for what happened to you. Please know that Luna and I never believed you were behind the Anon-A-Miss account. We were working tirelessly to discover the one behind the account, and I’m afraid we did not see just how bad the situation was growing for you. I am truly sorry, not just for that, but also that you felt you had no other option but to return through the portal. You are not the first person I have failed when they needed someone to step in and stand by them, but I truly hope you are the last. “For years now I have watched you grow from a slightly shy, curious girl to the Formal Princess. I worried about you, but any time I wanted to step in, to help you, I saw something in your eye. Fear? Hatred? Sadness? I’m not sure what it was, but I allowed it to push me away. After the Fall Formal I knew it was wrong, that you’d needed someone to be there for you all those years, but you quickly filled that void with your friends while that same look still haunted your gaze whenever I was around you so I continued to keep my distance. I saw you grow and find friends and even step up to save CHS when things were at their worst. You have come so far, do not let this incident turn you away from friendship, and please know I am always here for you should you need it. I should have told you in person, but I am so proud of you, Sunset Shimmer.” - Principal Celestia *** Twilight snuck out of the chaos of the gym and let the doors close on the din of the party. Letting out a sigh she slumped against the wall. That was not at all how she had expected the encounter to go, but she supposed Sunset had told her to be prepared for anything when it came to Pinkie Pie. The brief moment of peace was shattered by the clack of heels on linoleum and a stern voice. “Lying down on the job, Miss Sparkle,” Principal Cinch snapped. “I thought I had impressed upon you the urgency of your situation. Now, have you located Canterlot High’s source of the energy?" “I…well…” Twilight stammered out, panic beginning to build as she was stared down by the stern woman. “Were my instructions unclear? You were expected to locate their source of the power that Canterlot High possesses and report back to me, immediately,” Cinch said coldly. “Yes, but you said I had until the end of the Games,“ Twilight squeaked out. “That was before I learned you were wasting time at frivolous parties. Now, you will lead me to the source of this energy now, or I shall be forced to make use of the source I already have available to me.” “No!” Twilight shouted, causing the principal to glare down at her apparent refusal. “I-I mean ‘yes’, Principal Cinch, I know where the power source is. If I had just a little more time, I’ll have all the data you need to siphon the energy. Please, just let Spike go.” "You will have that canine miscreant back after you procure the energy source and not a moment before.” With a cold sneer she added, “I do believe some of your classmates are taking special care of him as we speak. Should you fail, I will be forced to run every test and collect every sample from mangy mutt until there is nothing left to experiment on. Do I make myself clear?” “Y-yes, ma’am,” the teen croaked in despair. “Good,” sneered Cinch, “Now do you still require more time?” “No, ma’am.” Hanging her head in defeat, Twilight led Principal Cinch, toward the front door. As they left, some of the other Shadowbolt team members took notice and followed Twilight and their principal out to the courtyard in front of Canterlot High. *** Unbeknownst to the group from Crystal Prep, they had not been alone in the hallway. Waiting impatiently for the party to end was a trio of girls with a penchant for being unnoticed and overhearing things not meant for their ears. It was after all what had gotten them banned from the party in the gym and left waiting for cleanup duty. “Girls, did ya hear that?” asked Applebloom, turning to her friends. “I can’t believe it,” replied Sweetie Belle, “that human Twilight isn’t just stealing our sister’s powers…” “She’s stealing them for Crystal Prep!” Scootaloo finished disgustedly. “We can’t let them get away with it,” the youngest Apple said firmly. “Yeah,” growled Scootaloo, “if even half the stuff Rainbow Dash has said is true, there’s no way they should have friendship magic.” “Well, what are we supposed to do?” asked a nervous Sweetie. “We need ta find our sisters,” replied Applebloom, “and quick.” Sharing a resolute nod, the plan was set, and the trio hurried off to find their siblings and their friends.