“You know, you’re all acting like a bunch of idiots.”
It was after the Rainbooms had turned their backs on Sunset and let her wallow in her despair. They were sitting at their usual cafeteria table when someone decided to break the silence.
They didn’t recognize him from their classes, but if he was here then he was obviously a student.
Then what he said finally registered. Rainbow Dash, being the hothead that she was, immediately stood up defensively.
“What did you just say!?” she yelled.
Unintimidated, the boy repeated, “I said you’re all acting like a bunch of idiots.”
The way he just bluntly said that made Rainbow Dash angry, but Applejack pulled her friend to sit down.
“Excuse me, pardner, but who are you and why did you just call us idiots?” Applejack asked.
“My name’s not important, and I just call it like I see it,” he answered. “I just saw that little drama in the hallway earlier, and really, you’re all just being idiots.”
“Say that again!” Rainbow Dash challenged.
He said it slowly, “You. Are. All. Acting. Like. Idiots.”
Rainbow Dash wanted to lunge at him, and it took great effort from Pinkie Pie and Applejack to hold her back. Soon, the attention of every student was on their table.
“Excuse me, but what gives you the right to insult us like that?” Rarity asked.
“Oh, simply because none of you are using your heads. I mean, you actually believe Sunset Shimmer is ‘Anon-A-Miss’,” he said.
“Well she is!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “It has to be her, nobody else!”
“Alright, then answer this question and I’ll agree with you,” he challenged and Rainbow Dash smirked. Finally, a chance to shut this jerk up.
“OK, shoot.”
“What’s her payoff?” he asked.
Rainbow Dash blurted out, “She wanted to hurt us!”
He added, “Why?”
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to retort, but no answer came. It was Pinkie Pie who backed her up.
“Because she’s a dirty, no-good, secret stealer!” Pinkie Pie confidently answered.
He gave her a deadpan look, “So, basically, you’re telling me that she did all this just so she could go back to being alone? To having no friends? To having the whole school hate her after she worked so hard to build up a better reputation? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Er...” Pinkie Pie couldn’t respond.
“So, you’re saying the payoff was to hurt you to hurt herself?” he asked, tilting her head. “That does not sound like Sunset Shimmer at all.”
“You don’t even know her!” Applejack cried.
“Maybe not, but I know her by reputation. Even back when she wasn’t so good, she was popular enough to win the Fall Formal Princess crown, several times in a row. From what I know, she never does anything unless it’s to benefit herself. This whole Anon-A-Miss thing just seems like she’s taking a few steps backwards,” he answered.
“So you’re saying she can’t be Anon-A-Miss?” Fluttershy asked doubtfully.
“Well, let’s face it, Sunset Shimmer is way too smart to be caught in one of her own schemes,” he pointed out.
“So she simply got sloppy,” Rarity scoffed.
“Sunset Shimmer is never sloppy,” he countered. “I mean, look at you now. Before the last Fall Formal, none of you were sitting at this table. You were all by yourselves, in your own cliques, not speaking to each other. It was only because of Twilight Sparkle that you reunited.”
“Sunset Shimmer was the one who messed up with our friendship!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“She turned you against each other, that’s true, but part of it was your fault as well,” he pointed out. “From what I’ve heard they were small, simple matters you could’ve talked over, but instead you just assumed the worst in each other and that was it. None of you trusted each other.”
The girls fell silent at that. It was true. That was a painful memory.
“And because Sunset Shimmer was the cause of it, none of you could ever forgive her for that. None of you could let go of the fact that she was the one that tore your friendships apart. You’re not abandoning her because of Anon-A-Miss. The whole Anon-A-Miss thing is just an excuse because you can’t let go or even forgive her,” he explained. “And now you’re turning your backs on her like you turned your backs on each other. Talk about history repeating itself.”
He saw the looks of shame they wore, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked stubborn and didn’t want to admit that they did anything wrong. They still wanted to believe that Sunset Shimmer was Anon-A-Miss but they were having doubts.
“Are you absolutely sure Sunset is Anon-A-Miss?” he asked. “Like you all were sure that you were all at fault in the past? Or maybe, just maybe, someone else is using Sunset as a convenient scapegoat?”
“Who would do something like that?” Applejack asked.
“You’re not the only ones she’s hurt. There are plenty of people in this school who would want to get back at Sunset Shimmer. Anyone can make a MyStable account and make it look like Sunset did it, but she’s too smart to make it too obvious. And like I said, she doesn’t benefit anything at all from doing this. So she spreads secrets and hurts other people. What does she get out of it except for some cheap thrills? Nothing but pain and loneliness, which I’m sure isn’t what she wants.”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack began to look uncertain now.
“But maybe she’s better off without you anyway,” he added.
“What do you mean?” Pinkie Pie asked nervously.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to be friends with a liar,” he said, looking at Applejack.
“Hey, wait a minute! I’m no liar!” yelled Applejack.
“Maybe, but you haven’t been completely honest. You still resent Sunset Shimmer for what she’s done. Doesn’t matter that she fixed your friendship,” he told.
“That was Twilight!” Rainbow Dash corrected.
“I meant during the Battle of the Bands when you were at each other’s throats. Who was it that rallied you all together? Who was it that helped you in the end? Who was your trump card that allowed you to overcome the Dazzlings?” he asked. “Go on, you know the answer, or don’t you want to admit that you needed her to save the day?”
“I...I...” Rainbow Dash was tongue-tied.
“So much for loyalty. You betrayed her, Rainbow Dash. You didn’t trust her and betrayed her,” he spitefully said. He turned his gaze to Fluttershy, “And you’re so cruel as to turn your back on her like that.”
“Please...stop...” Fluttershy pleaded as she started to cry.
“And you so selfishly cling onto your own image while Sunset Shimmer’s reputation is being dragged through the mud,” he turned on Rarity who blanched at the accusation.
“And then there’s you,” he pointed at Pinkie Pie. “The girl who claims she wants everyone to be happy just left a poor girl, alone, in tears.”
Pinkie Pie wilted.
“Take a moment to think and just let go of the past. If you won’t, then maybe she’s better off without you. I mean, if you’re supposed to be her friends then maybe she doesn’t deserve you at all,” he said as he stood up. He looked at the rest of the student body and said, “And really you should all judge yourselves before judging someone!”
He left the cafeteria after that, not bothering to look back. He said all he needed to say.