The graduation was surprisingly somber without the laughter of Pinkie. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna were calling out names, bringing said people up, and presenting their certificates. When they got to Pinkie Pie, they thought the cleaning lady would have to clean up more confetti. However, when they called her name, Pinkie walked up on stage, dragging her feet, a heavy scowl on her face, and her usually exotic hair style was now flat and long.
"Are...are you alright?" Principal Celestia whispered, concerned for her student.
Pinkie didn't reply, instead snatched the certificate, went up to the microphone, and yelled, "SUNSET IS A BITCH!" Leaving the entire audience in shock, including the Principals, Pinkie went back to her seat, her scowl somehow even more terrifying.
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Sunset was walking through the halls, she wasn't sure what to feel. Depressed? Angry? Content? After Pinkie announcement, Sunset knew that she had to get the other girls to somehow forget what conspired just a few hours ago. She turned the corner then backed away immediately.
The problem with being best friends, is that your lockers are right next each other. Fluttershy was smack-talking Rarity, while the fashionista was trying to hoard stuff from other lockers. Rainbow was standing far away as possible, glaring daggers at everyone. Applejack was blatantly telling lies to Pinkie, while she just looked as somber as could be. Twilight was trying to take back stuff that Rarity took.
Sunset had no care for them, but she didn't want to waled upon, so she turned around, deciding to wait until they were gone. However when she was heading down, she spotted a concerned Vice-Principal Luna walking purposefully. Sunset cursed her luck and dove in the bathroom, hoping that Luna didn't notice.
"Hello new friend!" Sunset almost jumped out of her skin. Behind her was the teenager that gave her the bell. This time however, she was holding a very familiar stone. 'Looking for something?"
"Wha...what, how? We destroyed that! Where did you get that?" Sunset tried to snatch the Memory Stone, but the girl pulled back with a sadistic grin.
"I have my ways. If you want this little stone, I have only one condition!" The girl smiled mischievously, her blue hair bouncing around due to her bouncing in place. 'You'll be my friend."
Sunset frowned, the way the girl said it, sounded like the most malicious thing anybody could do. "All right, I'll be your friend. Now give me the stone."
The girl handed it over with a satisfied smirk, "it's been a pleasure, Miss Shimmer."
"The pleasure was never mine, Miss...?"
"Cozy Glow."
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Sunset burst from the bathroom the second Luna disappeared. She walked more confidently with a self-satisfied smirk. She turned the corner and saw Luna talking sternly with the rest of the girls. Twilight saw her walking up and pointed her out. Luna turned around and started to see something. Sunset didn't listen and just raised the stone.
Before the gasps could leave anybody's mouth, the stone lit up and the entire day was erased. One by one, the now confused girls went to their lockers, packing everything they had into their bags. Despite their confused looks, Sunset could still see their eyes were a whole lot harder than they were before.
Vice-Principal Luna stood up, looked around, confused as to why she was surrounded by equally confused students. She pondered for a bit, then decided to leave, wishing the girls good luck on their time outside school. Sunset tilted her head. Luna still remembers the graduation, even though it happened just a few hours earlier. Did the Memory Stone malfunction? No, it works. Luna couldn't remember why she was here in the hallway; she also doesn't remember everybody saying those horrible things about Sunset.
The orange girl decided to figure it out later. She picked her way through the other girls; they muttered apologies, but nothing hostile. She did get a strange look from Pinkie, though. Sunset decided to ignore that and packed her bags as well.
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Sunset paid no heed to her friends breaking up, falling from society, and failures over the years. She moved from place to place, setting up businesses and managing other companies, and all the while, showing no empathy. Her cold attitude has gain her several nicknames throughout her several workplaces. 'Sunshit Summer,' or 'Sunbitch,' and her personal favorite, 'The Overlord.'
Sunset was strolling down the streets of Prance. It's been a full year since she started her wine company; Miroiter. She decided to celebrate with a walk around the neighborhood. She took a deep breath and smiled. A genuine smile, one that said she was content with life.
Sunset looked around, that blissful smile growing wider, as she saw trees filled with chirping birds, parks filled with happy people and dogs playing around, cafes and bars filled with boisterous patrons. A small crack opened up in the hard shell that covered her heart. Then she stopped dead. Across the street, she saw a bakery.
A single tear rolled down Sunset's face. She questioned herself as to why she stopped. She has seen many bakeries before, why was this one different? She looked closer, that crack growing wider, and saw the customers and waiters all had joyous expressions on their faces. Sunset kicked a nearby rock and forced herself to turn around. Bakeries are not important; her business is. Besides, she knows how much work it takes to maintain the place; she's been by Sugarcube Corner many times with her friends...
Sunset choked. Her friends... When was the last time she called them that? 8, 10 years ago? Suddenly, Sunset felt a horrible urge to go see where her friends were. She quickened her pace, determined to get home and start looking her friends up. She was sure they would become successful, especially Rarity and Twilight. Sunset's brain flicked to the bakery and wondered how Pinkie was doing and wondered if she had realized her dream of owning such a bakery.
The dam broke, memories and and thoughts started flooding her brain. Tears of loneliness and joy started streaming down her face as she started recalling those happy memories, and that shield that resided over her heart shattered into tiny pieces.
Memory after memory. Sunset remembered Pinkie vouching for her after the Fall Formal. She remembered helping the baker find inspiration for art. The chaos of the Starswirled Music Festival. The dumb heists to retrieve bags of toys from the school. When she finally made it to her house, her face was covered in snot and tears, but she was smiling.
Sunset wiped the mess off her face and picked up her phone. She dialed something, "uh, yes hello? Is this Dirty Secret? Yes, I've got a job for you. Do you know of a Pinkie Pie?"
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Pinkie watched her friends go, one by one, to who knows where. Dashie was the first to go. Pinkie was not surprised. What did surprise her, however, was that Sunset seemed to disappear for a couple of days when Dashie left, then came back. She offered no explanation, but Pinkie didn't need any. Her behavior when the other girls decided to branch off on their own, explained everything.
She felt her sanity cracking; living life without laughter can do that to you. Sunset was the only left who was in touch with Pinkie, when the last girl left to find their purpose. Pinkie decided to leave without telling the orange girl, just in case she might do something else.
With help from the Cakes, Pinkie managed to snag a ride to Van Hoover, for no reason at all. There, she met some nice people who helped her some more, getting a job and a home. However, none of it felt real. Life just didn't hold any beauty in Pinkie's opinion. Her only comfort was baking.
That joy was ripped from her when someone forgot to turn off the stove, resulting in a block-wide fire. By the time the fire department came, there was nothing left. That may have been the turning point for Pinkie. She declined any help from others and packed her remaining stuff and went on a journey.
In Baltimare, the local police decided that she was too crazy for her own good and tried to apprehend her. She gave them quite the chase, resulting in the destruction of three houses and a crane. In the end, it was the 'twitchy tail' that saved her, despite lacking the appendage.
From then on, she announced herself as Pinkamena, and got in the nasty sort. A few weeks in Las Pegasus, she got admitted into a serious drug cartel. There she rose through the ranks, using her natural skill at baking to her advantage. Within two years, she claimed the title 'Drug Queen.'
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"So Pinkie, what are we going to do now?" Sunset asked, munching on a scone. The two girls sat at the same table after the little gigglefest.
"Silly, we're not going to do anything! You are going to help me with your connections in Prance to help me start a bakery!" Pinkie smiled brightly, like it was the best idea in the world. Sunset just stared, dumbfounded. "No need to hide the truth, Shimmy! I know everything..."
"Uh...ok, uh, yeah! That's a brilliant idea Pinkie! I'll help you as best as I can, and once you're settled in, I can look for the other girls!" Sunset exclaimed, throwing her scone into the air. Before she realized that fact, Pinkie snatched it from the air and munched on it herself. Sunset didn't even bat an eye.
"And once you do, we'll have a Pinkie party! The biggest one ever! We'll have streamers and balloons and cake and glitter and party cannons and jell-o and guests and Gummy and confetti and cupcakes and a DJ and banners and punch and..."
"Alright alright! I get it Pinkie, it's going to be great." Sunset interrupted her breathless rant. Pinkie just smiled sweetly.