The Other Journal

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 50: False Accusation

Day: Tuesday
Weather: Snow
Time: 12:00pm

It's over... Everything I've worked hard for had been taken away from me. My friends believe that I was Anon-A-Miss after the photos I took at Rarity's slumber party were posted online via MyStable. My efforts to prove my innocence failed. They refused to listen and ended their friendships with me. My life had been destroyed. Just like that! Anon-A-Miss had made me out to be the person I used to be, and it wasn't my friends--former friends--who would become victimized by her. Within the following days, more of my former friends' secrets got published on her MyStable page, but these would soon by joined by secrets of other students. It seemed everyone was so enthralled with secrets being exposed, they wanted to contribute to the ever-increasing madness. As for me, I tried to salvage what little remained of my life and attempted to figure out who was really behind all of this. My first suspect would be someone who I offered friendship towards.

The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
February 4, 2016
Chapter 50: False Accusation.

" Oh that's right! I recall you mentioned that you wrongfully accused Trixie of something." Twilight said.

" And the accusation related to Anon-A-Miss. I knew that Trixie could never have posted so many secrets online, yet my mind was distraught with how my friendships had suddenly come to an end. Anyone could have been responsible for Anon-A-Miss, yet I focused squarely on Trixie. I thought she had only pretended to be my friend and secretly engineered my downfall for revenge." I said. The truth was that I wanted to find someone to blame. It didn't matter who it was! I needed someone, anyone, to vent my frustrations towards, and she was the ideal target. Trixie had a reputation for causing trouble so students were leery towards her. While she had changed her ways, not everyone believed her sincerity. I placed my trust in her after I discovered she spread those rumours to discredit my reputation, yet I would target her based on petty reasoning. Frustration can cause anyone to suddenly become misguided and question their own thoughts.

" Was that the end of it?" Twilight asked.

" What do you mean?"

" Anon-A-Miss had posted those photos online and had destroyed your life. So, was that all she did?"

" Unfortunately, no."

" I'm afraid to ask what happens next, but I know you'll tell me anyway."

" Throughout the next few days, Anon-A-Miss would post more secrets about our friends, yet something didn't seem quite right. Some of the secrets were ones I didn't even know had happened. I kept tabs on our friends because of the magic problem, yet I didn't watch over them every waking moment. An example would be an essay Rainbow Dash had written. She got it back a couple of days after our falling out. It wasn't the most glamourous of grades, yet I didn't know she had written it until I looked on MyStable. I was surprised that she didn't even suspect anything was amiss--pardon the bad pun--but in her eyes, I had published her essay." I said.

" I'm surprised you didn't notice that." Twilight said. I couldn't agree more. If I had paid more attention to that essay, I would have figured out who was responsible much sooner and avoided a lot of grief. What was unfortunate was that Rainbow's essay would actually be how I pieced the puzzle together in the end. I only had myself to blame.

" Our friends continued to be humiliated as their secrets continued to be made public." I said.

" Did they confront you about it?"

" No. They were done with me."

" They could've done something, right?"

" Oh, of course. If they had put the problem aside and listened to me, we could have worked together to solve it. Instead, I was left to figure it out on my own. All they did was hide in shame over their personal information being made known." I answered.

" At least they were the only ones to suffer." Twilight said.

" Not the most comforting statement there."

" Sorry, but I couldn't come up with a nicer way of saying it."

" However, you'd be wrong about it confined to our friends."

" You don't mean...?"

" Anon-A-Miss would soon begin posting secrets of other students." I answered. I looked up at the ceiling and thought back to what happened. Students were at each other's throats, disharmony was running rampant, friendships had been broken, and trust was next to impossible to find. The entire school had been thrust back to the days where I had been exposing secrets in my bid to remain dominant over everyone. All of Princess Twilight's hard work had been shattered. Just seeing all that madness would have broken her heart. Yet, through it all the students pinned the blame squarely on my shoulders. Anon-A-Miss made sure I was the one responsible. She'd get away, leaving me to take the fall for what she had done.

" How did she uncover so many secrets?" Twilight asked.

" She didn't."

" Then how did she post so much information?"

" Remember when I said Anon-A-Miss made a fatal mistake?"

" Yes."

" This was it! By exposing our friends' secrets, she unknowingly inspired the curiosity of the student body. They were so engrossed with those secrets being spilt, they began sending her additional secrets in the hopes that she would make them public. What had initially been a plan to cause me misery had suddenly transformed into something that affected everyone. It all spiraled out of control and went beyond what Anon-A-Miss expected." I said.

" Yet you were still blamed, right?" Twilight asked.

" That was the unfortunate thing." I answered. I noticed Twilight tried to comfort me, but I raised my hand to let her know that I was fine. " You don't need to be concerned for me this time, Twilight. Being accused of doing something had become somewhat of a cliché around CHS. Most students would point the finger at me whenever anything bad happened. I got used to the accusations, yet they still hurt deep inside. I'm thankful no one blames me for anything these days. This incident would prove that I had truly changed and that any misconceptions about me were purely false." Twilight tried comforting me again by pushing her hand forward, but after a few hesitations, she pulled her hand back before nodding her head. I knew she wanted to make me feel better, but I didn't want her to become too protective. She still had problems of her own to deal with, and having to be bogged down by my own problems would be unhealthy.

" Let's go back to Trixie for a moment." Twilight suggested. I was surprised by her sudden change in subject, but maybe this would do her some good. Flipping the journal back several pages until I reached the page that featured the selfie Trixie gave to me, Twilight placed her hand on it before looking downwards at it. " Was she surprised that you accused her of being Anon-A-Miss?"

" It was difficult to determine."

" How so?"

" Trixie's mood often changed without warning, so I couldn't tell if she was surprised or sarcastic when I approached her."

" But she did talk to you, right?"

" Yes, and she had a lot more to say other than respond to my accusation."

" Did you find her right away?"

" No. I had no intention of looking for Trixie, but that would change when I overheard students mentioning her name."

---

Just like that, my life was over. Everything I had done, everything I had worked hard for, all the sweat and tears proving to everyone that I had changed had all been shattered to pieces in a matter of moments. I tried convincing my friends that I wasn't Anon-A-Miss, but they refused to listen to me. Instead, they decided to stand with the physical evidence posted online by the true mastermind behind all of this. I was alone once again... just like before. The only difference was that I had not been hit with the Magic of Friendship. My friends--no, my former friends--left me to wallow away in tears, and other students who had been walking by chose to ignore me. None of them desired to comfort me. In their eyes, I was guilty of committing a heinous crime. The sentence: my life destroyed. I knew that no words could convince them otherwise.

After picking myself up off the floor, I gathered my belongings and headed straight for my locker. I could have run after the girls, perhaps try one last time to prove my innocence, but I knew that wouldn't work. Applejack had already denounced any association with me, and the others followed suit. All I could do now was salvage what remained of a once-promising life.

Walking down the hallway, everyone passed by without uttering a single word. Already, I was reminded of what happened after the Fall Formal. The student body viewed me with contempt, and I was left isolated and alone. It was like everything that happened during the past month never existed. All the fun times I had with my friends, my struggles with finding my place in this world, building friendships, and saving the world. It all seemed like a distant memory.

When I reached my locker, I was expecting it to have been vandalized by my former friends, but I knew they wouldn't stoop that low. Despite believing in the increasing evidence against me, they still had their honour.

When I opened my locker, I was greeted with a familiar sight: the guitar Rainbow Dash had given me when she gave me that crash course on playing it. Just staring at it filled my heart with frustration. How could they have done this to me? We were supposed to be best friends! I didn't get a chance to prove my innocence! I had every mind to take that guitar and smash it on the ground! Grabbing it by the handle and taking it out of my locker, I raised it above my head and held it there for a few minutes before lowering my arm and putting it back. No... I could never do something like that. Despite what had happened, they still meant so much to me. I can't give up on them now, even if they refuse to listen. Closing my locker, I turned to the students who continued walking about. One among the girls had to be Anon-A-Miss. The question was who.

I thought things were going to blow over, but it only got worse regarding my former friends. Everywhere they went, students ridiculed them over the photos and videos I took, and they tried desperately to ignore it all. They couldn't even have a private moment to themselves without someone following just so that they could taunt them. I used my cellphone to see what the fuss was on MyStable, and my heart broke upon seeing the results.

There was a video of Fluttershy singing along to what Pinkie Pie sang during Rarity's party. What made it truly heart-wrenching was how there were so many likes and comments posted in favour of it. How could the students of CHS be so cruel? Did they actually get pleasure of seeing others suffer? Would they have that same feeling if they were the victims? It reminded me that humans were flawed creatures. Anything that was different would be ridiculed. They took friendship for granted and were ignorant of the consequences.

There was another photo posted by Anon-A-Miss that struck me as odd. The photo depicted an essay that Rainbow Dash had written some time ago and only now had gotten it back. I don't recall her ever writing one of those. Then again, she might have mentioned it somewhere while I wasn't paying attention. The grade wasn't very good either, and I suspected that was why it was posted online.

Things were relatively calm during the weekend, but on Monday and Tuesday, the problem only worsened for my former friends. Rarity had spent much of her time walking around school while wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a casual suit, trying to hide from her tormentors who ridiculed her fashion sense, yet she knew that she could never truly hide from them. Her Closet of Shame had become known to everyone, a harsh reality which all of us caused, though I had the most guilt. I should never have taken those photos and videos in the first place. My actions condemned the girls.

Applejack, in the meantime, continued to be called Piggly-Wiggly, and now she had to deal with a drawing of a cartoon pig's head that students had taped to lockers, walls, and doors. It looked like Pinkie Pie had gotten off scot-free, but I had seen students laughing at her. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they suddenly reached a new level that Tuesday.

I was walking towards my locker when I overheard someone mention Anon-A-Miss.

" Did you hear? They say Anon-A-Miss is starting to post secrets that aren't about those five losers!"

Had I heard that student correctly? The one who destroyed my life and my former friends' lives was now starting to target other students? I needed to know more, so I crept forward slightly and pressed my back against some nearby lockers before listening in on the conversation. I knew my actions were wrong, but I needed to know this stuff. Hopefully, these students wouldn't notice me. I could cause myself even more grief should I be discovered.

" Really? Since when did she decide to do that?"

" Just the other day."

" Guess she's gonna be really popular now."

" She's gotten over three hundred friend requests in the last hour alone!"

" Wow!"

" Some students must have really liked reading about those losers' secrets that now she's posting what they send her."

" Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

" I'll give you an example. Do you know Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?"

" Those two rich kids? Yeah, I've seen them hanging around together all the time. They look like they're best friends."

" That friendship just got broken."

" How!?"

" Apparently, Silver Spoon stole Diamond Tiara's favourite necklace. She claimed it wasn't her, yet a photo of her clearly wearing the necklace for all to see popped up several minutes ago on Anon-A-Miss' MyStable page. I've never seen Diamond Tiara so absolutely livid. You could hear those two arguing across the entire cafeteria! Silver Spoon said that the necklace didn't look good on her anyway, and that's when the two of them went their separate ways."

" Over a piece of jewelry?"

" Sad, isn't it?"

" I'll say."

" Did you hear about Vinyl Scratch?"

" Isn't she that girl who never says a word?"

" Yeah."

" What about her?"

" According to a photo made public by Anon-A-Miss from 'a fellow musical enthusiast', Vinyl Scratch lives like a total slob at home. Her place looked like it had never been cleaned before, yet she comes here as one of the fancier-looking students. When she learned that her poor habits were revealed, she freaked out and yelled non-stop for several minutes. No one had any idea what she was saying. She only made herself look even more pathetic by doing that. I don't think anyone is going to take her music seriously again."

" What about the student who exposed Vinyl?"

" There's only one other student who is that much into music, so I'm guessing Vinyl is going to get back at her."

" I shudder to think if my secret gets exposed."

" Same with me. I wouldn't be able to show my face around here if that happened."

" I... um... have something I need to do right now, so I'll see you later."

" Err, yeah, same here."

The two students then went their separate ways, and I stepped out from my hiding spot a few moments later. I couldn't believe it! I knew they were going to expose the other's secrets by sending them to Anon-A-Miss. How could they jeopardize their friendships like that? Then again, from what they said about Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Vinyl Scratch, and, I assume, Octavia Melody, no one cared who was getting hurt so long as secrets continued to be made public. This was just like what I did when I was a bully. No! This was even worse! Anon-A-Miss had proven herself to be a heartless monster who took pride in her work. She wasn't going to stop until every student at CHS had their life ruined. I had to find out who she really was and quickly.

That proved to be more difficult than I initially thought. I doubted she was stupid enough to leave behind an obvious trail of clues. That meant I had to rely on a little sleuthing in order to uncover the truth. Taking out my notepad and pencil from my leather jacket's pocket, I started walking around to listen in on other conversations.

At first, the students I eavesdropped on didn't have anything important to add to what I already knew, but I would soon strike pay dirt. Three students had said that not everyone had been victimized by Anon-A-Miss. Some had made sure to keep their secrets under lock and key. One then said that Anon-A-Miss had been getting private messages at a rate of fifty per half-hour with new tantalizing secrets for her. I'd soon leave them in order to listen in on someone else. I also left because one of them might have spotted me, and I didn't want to take that chance.

It would be the next two students who provided me with an answer. One was Bulk Biceps, a large, muscular student who looked more like a man than a teenager. The other student was Captain Planet, one of the eco kids. I found it strange that these two were hanging out with one another, but I suppose all friendships became possible no matter what kind of differences existed. I had Princess Twilight to thank for fixing the damage I caused.

" Hey! Like, did you hear about those secrets being passed around?" Captain Planet asked.

" YEAH!" Bulk Biceps answered, his mouth wide open and veins protruding on his lower jaw. Bulk Biceps was quite vocal when he needed to be. His responses to anything usually consisted of him shouting "yeah", but sometimes he could be very philosophical. You just had to get past all that bravado to truly understand how he operates as a person.

" I know, right? Can't believe so many are, like, trying to spread such negative vibes just because they want to. Their ebbs and flows are all seriously out of whack! I don't get why they have such a fascination in making people suffer." Captain Planet said.

" As long as it's not them, they'll eat anything up!" Bulk Biceps said.

" Like, a major bummer or what? That Anon-A-Miss character has been working overtime just to make them secrets become non-secrets, you dig? I don't think I've ever seen so many people logging onto MyStable and sending so many messages her way." Captain Planet said. He darted his head back and forth several times, as though he didn't want anyone to notice what he was doing. He then opened up his backpack and took out a laptop. Upon lifting up the front part and revealing the screen, I was shocked to see it was already on MyStable. It didn't take a genius to figure out his next move.

" Don't tell me you're gonna get in on the action?" Bulk Biceps asked.

" I'm, like, on the fence right now."

" Unlike you and everyone else, I'm not going to stoop that low."

" At least there's still one good person around."

" Do you think Sunset Shimmer could be Anon-A-Miss?"

" She says she changed her ways, and like, I totally dig that she worked so hard to make amends. Not sure why she'd throw it all away, but I guess people like her are tough to figure out. Many students are starting to say she's the one behind all that bad karma, but I don't think it's fair to judge her so quickly." Captain Planet answered. Knowing that not everyone was sending secrets to Anon-A-Miss was a relief, but I didn't like hearing how many were agreeing with Applejack's accusation. Now I really needed to find out who was framing me. I had to save what little of my school image remained.

" Everyone at CHS has been victimized by Anon-A-Miss." Bulk Biceps said, flexing his muscles.

" That's not, like, you know, true, dude."

" What do you mean?"

" I've seen so many things posted on MyStable about everyone, except for Trixie."

" YEAH! Wait, yeah? Are you sure?"

" Dude! Of course I'm sure! Although, I think, like, a few others haven't been targeted yet."

" Coincidence?"

" Maybe."

" YEAH!"

That was all the information I needed to hear. I walked away, leaving Captain Planet and Bulk Biceps to continue their conversation, and I immediately began to think about everything I had heard. Not everyone was jumping on the "sending Anon-A-Miss secrets" bandwagon. However, those who were clearly had no qualms with their actions. All they cared about was seeing others suffer. Despite feeling angry towards Captain Planet for his abhorrent behaviour, he gave me a vital clue that could prove very useful to me.

Trixie had yet to be victimized. Could she be the one behind Anon-A-Miss? Why would she? I offered her my friendship, but could it have been a lie? I had to find out if she was involved in this.

My mind was filled with images from the fundraiser, particularly ones involving Trixie. She had spread rumours about me to get back at for how I lost my temper with her. I had chosen to take the high road, yet it looked like she had regressed back to her tricky ways. Now I knew how my former friends felt. They think I betrayed and spat on their friendships, and now I felt that way about Trixie. Finding her would be a simple enough task. She was most likely by her locker, so I started heading that way to confront her. If she had betrayed our friendship by being Anon-A-Miss, I had no idea what I was going to do.

---

" Quite convenient that you overheard the right pair of students." Twilight said.

" I was just lucky. That's all." I said.

" Does that Bulk Biceps seriously scream 'yeah' like that?"

" It makes him appear intimidating to those who don't know him, but he's as gentle as a lamb. He does get a little overexcited, though. Sometimes, I think he forgets to breathe whenever he shouts, but to each their own, I suppose." I answered. Twilight started chuckling to herself, and a warm smile appeared on my face. It felt nice knowing she was feeling better despite what happened earlier when she broke down in tears. Still, I knew she would do that again. It was inevitable. There was one remaining moment of despair I experienced, which is coming up soon. I had something in mind to ensure everything would be alright.

" How does a student get all that muscle?" Twilight asked.

" Working out?"

" You think so?"

" I honestly don't know. I don't interact with him all that much."

" Oh. So, Anon-A-Miss was posting the secrets of every student on MyStable?"

" She had to post everything she received."

" I'm not sure why she would do that."

" The whole point behind Anon-A-Miss was to make me look bad. Those responsible had covered their tracks well. However, she soon realized the price you have to pay when you suddenly start becoming popular. You have a certain obligation to live up to, and not doing so could easily reverse your popularity. I was the greatest victim of all during this time, but everyone suffered instead of just our friends." I said. Twilight then looked at me, eyes wide open, like I had said something wrong. Quickly running through what I said in my mind, I stopped when it hit me that I referred to Anon-A-Miss as more than one person. It merely was a slip of the tongue, but I knew she wasn't going to buy that. Well, we'd come pretty far in this unfortunate part of the journal, so at the very least, she deserved to have a small answer.

" Did you just say 'those', as in, more than one?" Twilight asked.

" Yes."

" She was more than one person?"

" Three people, actually."

" Did you know that?"

" I was under the assumption that she was just one person. I didn't find out the truth until right at the very end, when I pieced everything together. After what you've just been through, combined with my unintentional slip-up, I figured you deserved a tiny answer regarding Anon-A-Miss' identity. You'll still have to wait until I'm done with this section to find out who she really was." I answered. Twilight nodded without taking the issue any further. Turning the page of the journal, I slapped my forehead at the photo that was staring right back at me. Of all the photos that I glued into this thing, why did this one have to be included? I'd completely forgotten it was there to begin with. Curiously, Twilight took a peek and looked at me for a brief moment before looking back at the photo.

" Um, what in the world is this?"

" That would be my other photo of Trixie."

" She looks... happy here, I think?"

" With Trixie, you can never tell what her mood is."

" When was this photo taken?"

" During my conversation with her when I accused her of being Anon-A-Miss. She proved to me that she had nothing to do with it and insisted I take a photo of her as a reminder that I was wrong. Why she insisted on a photo is beyond me." I answered. I remember that conversation vividly. At first, Trixie sidestepped my questions and pretended to have a little fun at my expense, but once I got serious, so did she, and she told me the truth I was too ignorant to accept. She must have known I was coming to find her. It made sense she'd know.

" What are you thinking about?" Twilight asked.

" My conversation with Trixie."

" Did it go well?"

" To be honest, it could have gone better."

---

While I still felt awful about eavesdropping on other people's conversations, it had proven to be very lucrative. I had learned that it wasn't just my former friends who had been victimized by Anon-A-Miss. Almost everyone in the entire school had been affected by her actions. Also, not everyone desired to expose other people's secrets in order to have fun at their expense. However, all of this was going to be redirected back at me. Anon-A-Miss had effectively pinned the blame on me and would likely get away with it. I wasn't going to let that happen. I was going to find out her identity no matter what I had to endure in the process.

Captain Planet and Bulk Biceps had perhaps given me the best information of all. It seemed Trixie had yet to be a victim. The signs were pointing towards her being involved in this, but I'll admit that it wasn't a well-thought theory. I didn't really care if Trixie was responsible or not. I was just fed up with being blamed for something I didn't do. My former friends were one thing, but to have other students believe me to be the cause? I needed someone to blame. Anyone would do. Trixie was going to be that someone. This problem needed to be resolved before it could get even worse than it already had.

Unlike last time, where Trixie proved difficult to find, this time, she didn't even try hiding from me. I suspected she was by her locker, and sure enough, when I reached its location, there she was, putting something away. Was it evidence that could prove her guilt, or was it something else? Either way, I didn't care, so long as I confronted her about this and put an end to it. At first, I simply glared at Trixie's back, hoping she would sense my presence with her so-called magic. That amounted to nothing, so I coughed softly to get her attention. That idea didn't work either. When I attempted a third plan, Trixie suddenly stopped what she was doing and, in a calm voice, began to speak to me. I sensed she knew I'd be paying her a little visit.

" I've been expecting you." Trixie said.

" Cut the talk, Trixie! You know why I'm here!" I said.

" Really? Is that any way to greet your friend? Trixie thought you had much better class than that. She'll talk to you, but first, you must acknowledge her with the standard greeting or a reasonable alternative." Trixie said. She had a lot of nerve! I didn't want to bother with all this, but I knew I had no other choice. Trixie enjoyed running people around for her own amusement. " Well? I'm waiting for a greeting. If you don't give me one, then I've nothing to say to you, and I'll be on my way. Come on! You know you have to if you hope to get some answers." My eyes opened wide in shock when she said that. No doubt she knew something about Anon-A-Miss. Why else would she mention that? " Oh? Did I strike a nerve? I honestly had no intention of doing so." Trixie turned around, and I could see the sarcasm in her eyes. While she may have accepted my friendship, her attitude didn't appear to have changed all that much since then.

" Fine! You win!" I said, cursing her under my breath.

" That's more like it, and Trixie will forgive you for mumbling."

" Hello, Trixie."

" See? Wasn't that so much better than just starting a conversation without a greeting?"

" Can we talk now?"

" Yes, but first, Trixie must give you a greeting in return. Ah, Miss Sunset. How are you, dear? Whatever it is you need to speak to me about, please make it quick! I do have a class to attend to in exactly ten minutes, and I refuse to be tardy. I do have a perfect attendance record to maintain, after all." Trixie answered. She turned back to her locker and resumed her activity prior to my arrival. She had been putting a large book away. I still assumed it was evidence until I caught the words written on the front of it: Magic Spells for Advanced Magicians, 8th Edition. I'd forgotten Trixie was aspiring to become a famous magician. That little misconception aside, I knew she was involved with Anon-A-Miss, and I was about to prove it.

" Save it, Trixie. I know what you're doing." I said.

" Of course you do. You've been watching my actions for the last few minutes." Trixie said.

" Not that!"

" Then what, pray tell, is on your mind?"

" You're Anon-A-Miss, aren't you?" I asked. Trixie suddenly stopped what she was doing and immediately turned around to face me. I could already imagine what she was going to say to me in response to my accusation. She would criticize me because pinning the blame on her would have been too easy. Then, she would likely walk away and declare that we weren't friends anymore.

At first, Trixie looked at me with scorn, but then she started laughing before turning around again. Something wasn't right here. Why would she laugh at being accused? Shouldn't she be furious instead?

" Why are you laughing, Trixie? Are you trying to convince me that you're not responsible for exposing students' secrets? You're not doing a good job of it!"

" I'm not trying to convince anyone." Trixie said.

" Then what's with the laughter?"

" You seriously think that Trixie has something to do with Anon-A-Miss?"

" Yes!"

" Wow! You must be really paranoid to accuse someone just because of what they used to do."

" What's that supposed to mean?"

" Anon-A-Miss has made you the most hated person at CHS right now, and in response, you've been looking around for someone to blame for framing you. It doesn't take a genius to read you like a book, Sunset. I also see that you still have a temper. You really should consider getting that under control." Trixie answered. She was right. My emotions have been causing me problems but I still refused to admit it. What in the world have I just done?

" Then, does that mean--" I began.

" Trixie may be a lot of things, but Anon-A-Miss isn't one of them. If she was this Anon-A-Miss, as you falsely claim her to be, she would have used much more flare, not simply pretending to be someone else. Despite the fact that I could become one of her victims at any moment, I actually have to thank her for her work. Anon-A-Miss has caused more trouble at this school than Trixie ever could. Whoever she really is, she is clearly a genius." Trixie said.

Just like that, my accusations had fallen apart, but then, they weren't that strong to begin with. I was accusing her because I needed someone to vent my frustration towards. I should have gotten the facts straight before coming here and opening my big mouth. I wasn't not sure if Trixie was going to forgive me for thinking she was responsible, but I had to try and salvage this friendship.

" So, you don't know who she is?" I asked.

" Not a clue."

" I'm sorry for accusing you, Trixie."

" It was an honest mistake. I can tell you're simply frustrated! If it's any consolation, Trixie actually assumed that you were the one behind Anon-A-Miss. You tricked your friends, stole their secrets, and posted them for everyone to see. That's what I've been hearing students say for the last couple of days. I honestly don't know if I should believe them. After all, they have been sending secrets to Anon-A-Miss themselves. Trixie hasn't resorted to such pitiful tactics as sending secrets to someone she doesn't even know. I may still view myself as 'Great and Powerful', yet you showed me friendship, which I took to heart. I'll never deny how I used to behave, but I'm not the same as I once was." Trixie said.

" My former friends now hate me." I said.

" They're just lashing out in the only way they know how."

" I wish this was all just a nightmare."

" Does it remind you of anything?"

" The status quo of the school has gone back to the way things were before Twilight Sparkle first came here, and students are bullying me again. It's like what I did to everyone before has come back, but it's now even worse." I answered.

" History has repeated itself for you, Sunset, but at least you didn't hear what your former friends were talking about. Now, if you'll excuse Trixie, she must make her way to class, as she doesn't want to be late." Trixie said.

She closed her locker and was about to walk away when I slammed my hand onto the metal door with a loud thud. Did she just say something about my former friends? I had been so busy trying to find out Anon-A-Miss' identity, my mind lost track of keeping an eye on them. Trixie wasn't surprised at my sudden reaction. It seemed that she had expected me to do that.

" Oh my! I think Trixie has hit another nerve. You still have concern for your former friends? I must say that you're loyal despite how they cast you aside like trash."

" You listened in on their conversation?" I asked.

" You're not the only one capable of eavesdropping around here." Trixie answered. I blushed, knowing she had found me out. Trixie then walked around me a few times, which made me feel uneasy, but she then stopped before flicking back her head and chuckling slightly. " Alright! I'll tell you, Sunset, but you'll have to do something for me in return. Don't worry, it's only a small thing. It'll only take a few seconds." Was she really serious!? I thought she had gotten over that bad habit. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a position to argue with her, so I had no choice but to agree. I nodded my head in acceptance. " I knew you'd say yes."

" This had better be worth it."

" It is. I was in the cafeteria a short while ago before coming here to my locker. I overheard Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy talking about you after seeing so many students arguing with one another. It seems they doubt you're Anon-A-Miss, but they are struggling to accept that. I don't know what you've been through with them, but it must be really special if they think of you as family." Trixie said.

" They... think of me... as family?" I asked.

" That's all I overheard. The other students were starting to get rowdy, and I wasn't about to let their bickering upset me." Trixie answered.

" I... I'm not sure what to make of it."

" Trixie is going to leave you to figure that one out."

" You don't want to help?"

" I'd love to, Sunset, but I'm going to be late for class if I stick around any longer. I'm afraid you'll have to find your own answer, unless you've still got that magical ringer from the Battle of the Bands to talk to--wherever she is. I'd be surprised if she were still willing to associate with you after all that's happened these past several days. If Trixie were still her old self, she'd wouldn't be jealous of what Anon-A-Miss has done around here. After all, she couldn't have done a much better job." Trixie answered.

She then turned and walked down the hallway, leaving me to look at her with scorn. I couldn't tell if she had been serious or had just been playing around to test my patience. I was surely convinced that she was responsible, but I should have known better than to go after the most obvious suspect in my eyes.

" Oh wait! I almost forgot!"

" WAAAAH!" I yelled as Trixie re-appeared out of nowhere.

" You didn't carry out your end of the deal."

" What do I have to do?"

" Take a picture of me on your cellphone and have it on display somewhere."

" Seriously?"

" Trixie is always serious."

Choosing to go along with her idea--arguing over taking a photo would have been pointless--I took out my phone and snapped a single photo. It took some time for me to take it as Trixie was insistent on striking a really fancy pose. I could tell she loved tormenting me, but it was something I just had to grin and bear.

Once the photo was taken and Trixie looked to see I had done it, she walked off once again, only to start running when she checked her watch. Once she was gone, I began to think about where to go from there.

Who else among the female students could be behind this? I know that I gave them a hard time when I was a bully, yet they forgave me for my actions when I proved that I had changed from who I used to be. Had one of them harbored a hidden grudge against me and waited until now to act? It made sense since the holidays were right around the corner. However, simply accusing someone like that for those reasons wouldn't look good.

Despite her attitude, Trixie had given me some food for thought. My former friends are doubting that I'm responsible for exposing so many secrets. However, it was a pitiful victory at best. They could easily ignore the facts, decide that I'm to blame, and leave it at that. I needed some other way to prove that it wasn't me. I wracked my brain for several minutes in an attempt to come up with an answer, but my mind was drawing a complete blank. Everything was stacked against me, and Anon-A-Miss wanted that to happen. Just when it looked like a silver lining had been discovered, it quickly disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

It then occurred to me that Trixie was referring to Princess Twilight when she mentioned "magical ringer", her name for Her Highness during the competition. I hoped she could help me come up with a solution to this mess. I should have given her the opportunity to come here to make sure things were going alright. Instead, I claimed everything was fine and that we didn't need her help. I was an idiot for rejecting Her Highness like that. Hopefully, she still views me as a friend. I'd say Princess Twilight would soon become my only friend before Anon-A-Miss has finally run out of secrets to expose. For now, all I can do is go about my business until tonight, which is when I'll make contact with Her Highness. In the meantime, I'll just have to endure the eventual hatred that was going to be coming my way.

---

" Trixie... I still find her intolerable." Twilight said.

" She just has a unique personality that you really need to understand before you can truly converse with her." I said.

" At least she proved that she wasn't Anon-A-Miss."

" Part of me actually doubted her at first when she said that."

" Can't say I blame you."

" I thought she was trying to take advantage of how distraught I was over the falling out I had with our friends. We may have patched things up between us, but she was still as egotistical as ever. It'd be a few more months before she finally got that out of her system. Hearing what she said about Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy filled me with hope, yet I knew not to take it seriously." I said. Had I tried to approach them, they'd have walked away from me. If I insisted on speaking to them, they'd have chewed me out. If I had told them what Trixie had said, they would have really taken it the wrong way and would have accused me of spying. No matter what, nothing I could've said or done would've been effective.

" What did Princess Twilight have to say?" Twilight asked.

" I had trouble dealing with that problem."

" Why? I assume she showed up and helped you sort things out, right?" Twilight asked. My lack of an answer told her everything she needed to know, and she slapped her forehead in frustration. Her Highness still had her obligations in Equestria, so she couldn't just come over and help me. I knew that prior to sending her the initial message. " You had to sort everything out on your own, didn't you?" Twilight asked. I nodded my head, and she responded by pinching the bridge of her nose before sighing. " I can understand why she couldn't come, what with her duties in Equestria, but wasn't she able to make an exception? I mean, you were her student, and you were desperate."

" Back then, I was ignorant of what it meant to be a princess. I had always cared about it because of the power and prestige, yet I didn't care for the responsibilities that came with it. Her Highness understood that and had proven herself worthy of her status. I thought she could just pop through the portal whenever she wanted, but I knew doing so when Equestria needed her would have had dire consequences." I said.

" This might sound inappropriate, but couldn't she have chosen to give up her title?" Twilight asked.

" You'd be surprised at how many times she has thought of doing that." I answered.

" Really? I thought she loved being a princess."

" It was never in her future plans."

" Do you think you'll ever become a princess like her?"

" After everything I did before discovering friendship, I think the chances of me becoming an alicorn are slim to none. I'm not bothered by it, though. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to become one, since Princess Celestia did train me for the position. But, I'm happy with being who I am." I answered. Being a princess was a big responsibility and one I'm not ready for just yet. I still lack the maturity, thanks in no small part to my temper, and I still need to learn more about humility. Maybe someday, my time will come, but not right now. First things first, and that's going back to Equestria to find out if I won't be exiled to the desolate wastes. " Anyway, I would send a message to Her Highness that night."

" What did she say?" Twilight asked.

" More than what I was expecting."

" Did she give you a lecture?"

" You could say that."

" Really? What was it about?"

" Tell me, Twilight. Have you ever heard of Windigos?"

Comments

[Jakomi of the Rose]

You don't need to be concerned for me this time, Twilight. Being accused of doing something had become somewhat of a cliché around CHS. Most students would point the finger at me whenever anything bad happened. I got used to the accusations, yet they still hurt deep inside. I'm thankful no one blames me for anything these days. This incident would prove that I had truly changed and that any misconceptions about me were purely false.

This part was italics.