The Other Journal

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 53: New Look

Day: Thursday
Weather: Snow
Time: 7:00pm

I knew the students would give me a hard time that morning, but I wasn't expecting them to go to the extreme. They towered over me and treated me like an unwanted outcast. The experience threatened to break me mentally, but the words Princess Twilight wrote gave me strength. Guessing where my friends would be, I left CHS for Sugarcube Corner, yet the lack of a welcome was to be expected. My friends didn't want to talk, but I convinced them otherwise by showing the magic journal. Our discussion revealed important clues that allowed me to finally put it all together and reveal who Anon-A-Miss was. It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They wanted to make me look bad out of jealousy and anger at being left alone. I knew I could've made them suffer for hurting me, but that would accomplish nothing. I had easily forgiven them, as I knew what they were going through, but now they needed to atone for their actions. That meant apologizing to everyone, something I once did.

The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
February 12, 2016
Chapter 53: New Look.

" Yep! I did write something down about the CMC's punishment!" I exclaimed. On the page with the symbols that represented them, there was a small amendment at the bottom that revealed what happened to them. Applejack's name was listed as having informed me about Principal Celestia's decision. I knew the girls were sorry for everything they did, but I do feel that they got off relatively light. They received detention--standard punishment many students face--but it just wasn't enough for me. I'd have preferred at least eight months as opposed to six, which is what they received, but the remaining conditions were pretty stiff. The hardest thing they had to do was apologize to the entire student body. I've done that myself, so I know how it feels to have to go in front of so many people and beg for forgiveness.

" Mind if I read them for myself?" Twilight asked. I nodded, and she took the journal and began to read it. From what I remember, Applejack told me what Applebloom told her about the punishment she was given. It was something I had a right to know, as I had been the biggest victim of all. My reputation--bad as it was--had been reduced to a smoldering heap. While everyone apologized for the way they acted towards me, I knew they all weren't being sincere. Some felt like I had tricked the CMC into coming up with the whole Anon-A-Miss scheme as a means of getting sympathy. Why would I do something like that? What compelled them to think such stupid thoughts? These were questions that didn't need answers, and I for one wouldn't mind just leaving them be.

Twilight finished reading the amendment before giving the journal back to me, and I could tell she was just as frustrated as I was about their punishment. It was the detention length that most likely annoyed her.

" They only got six months!?"

" It's what Principal Celestia decided to give them on top of everything else." I said.

" I'm surprised they weren't suspended."

" Applejack told me that had been considered early on, but Principal Celestia went easy on them, as it had been their first offence. Taking down Anon-A-Miss' account over on MyStable was minor at best. Telling Principal Celestia what they did proved challenging, as they didn't want to say anything out of fear of being expelled. Their actions were a serious crime according to school conduct, but it was apologizing to everyone that really did them in." I said.

" What were reactions like from the students?"

" Outrage, anger, hatred, shock, disgust--those were some of what they expressed."

" I feel sorry for the CMC."

" That's why it was easy for me to forgive them, Twilight." I said. I had been in a similar position. After the Fall Formal, everyone treated me like I was still a monster and refused to associate with me. That kind of rejection really hurt, and it made me long for a time where I'd be viewed as one of them. The Battle of the Bands showed everyone that I was sincere about changing for the better, yet this perception was shattered during those days before winter break. I wouldn't allow my hatred to blind me, but that was just my own opinion. The rest of the students had their own thoughts that the CMC needed to win over. It's like Scootaloo said: Anon-A-Miss got out of hand. They thought they could control what was happening, but it ended up controlling them until it became its own entity.

" You've come a long way." Twilight said.

" I know, and I have all of my friends to thank for that. Without them, I'd still be alone right now, wallowing away in the shadows." I said.

" What about our friends? How did they feel about what the CMC did?"

" It wasn't easy for them to forgive them."

" How come?"

" Our friends said some really hurtful things about me and accused me of something I didn't do. They felt like they had betrayed their friendship with me by falling for the nonsense being posted on MyStable. It took them a few days before they could stand before me and beg for forgiveness. I told them they didn't need to, but they insisted. If I recall correctly, Applejack was the only one who had issues forgiving the CMC." I answered.

---

On the outside, I displayed no emotion when we learned that Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were the ones behind Anon-A-Miss. However, deep in my mind, I was seething with anger over how they had hurt me. They were jealous over being left out while their sisters spent time with me, so they decided to make me look bad, which damaged my reputation--what little of it there was.

I understood what it meant to be ignored by everyone around you, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders were much younger than I was. They didn't deserve to go through such pain at their age, as it would affect them in the future. Since I was much older than most people suspected, I had grown accustomed to being alone. Yet, I never enjoyed it, as all it did was remind me of how much I yearned for comfort. In that sense, there was no need to hold a grudge. The three girls would be punished for their actions by a higher authority than me.

However, that same anger was trying to assume control of my thoughts. I felt a strong desire to throttle each of them for how they made me suffer. I didn't care if it meant losing the only friends who truly understood me. I wanted revenge! I could picture it now! The satisfaction of striking fear into their hearts! Fortunately, friendship had since entered my heart, so the desire for blood was easy to suppress. To lash out against them would just prove that I was still a monster, a heartless beast who lacked no morals. To go back down that dark path would be a betrayal of the chance Princess Twilight had given me. She believed in second chances and was nice enough to give me one. I proved that I could change once and I aim to do so again. It would certainly take some time for everyone to gradually warm up to me again. I knew some students would be hesitant towards accepting me after what had happened.

My friends asked for my forgiveness over how they treated me after I had forgiven the CMC. I told them that they didn't need to be worried about it, but they insisted because of how they had wronged me. If I had been in their shoes, I'd have done the same thing. I may have accepted their apology, but I knew that it would take time for the wounds to heal. Words take much longer to heal compared to injuries. Sometimes it can take forever and even carry over from one generation to the next. Before I could say anything else after forgiving the CMC, Sweetie Belle suddenly tackled me, and I almost fell over.

" Oof!"

" We're so sorry! We had no idea what would happen to you!" Sweetie Belle said.

" You've got quite a powerful tackle!"

" It's because I help Rarity by lifting up and carrying around her clothes."

" Doesn't that bother you?"

" As long as I get to spend time with my sister, it doesn't matter what kind of manual labour I have to do for her." Sweetie Belle answered. My eyes then focused on Rarity before I glowered at her. No doubt she knew the reason behind my sudden reaction. Her sister did everything she asked in exchange for being noticed. She felt incredible guilt over taking her sister for granted, but I think this was a good experience for them. Rarity needed to be more appreciative and Sweetie Belle needed more attention. " I'm so glad that you've chosen to forgive us for what we did, Sunset. Um, you did say that you forgave us, right?" Sweetie Belle asked.

" You don't need to worry. I've forgiven you, but I want the three of you to believe me when I say this. I know what's it like to feel like you're all alone. It's a feeling no one should ever have to experience in their lives." I answered.

" Do you think everyone else at school will ask you to forgive them?" Sweetie Belle asked.

" I know it's going to take some time before they can muster up the courage to say that to me. Not everyone is going to ask straight away; there are still some leftover grudges from my past that linger about the school. I hope those will be resolved one day. Besides, I'm not the one who'll be getting apologies. That honour goes to the entire student body, and you don't need me to tell you what that means." I answered.

" No... I guess not."

" If you want, I could help you three come up with a proper explanation for Principal Celestia."

" Thanks, Sunset, but I think the three of us need to figure that one out for ourselves." Sweetie Belle said. I was hoping she would say that. It wouldn't have been right of me to assist them with something they must do. They caused all this pain, so they must resolve it by going before everyone and apologizing. I then looked around and saw that Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had reconciled with one another. I turned back towards Sweetie Belle, who started talking with Rarity before they hugged one another. The only ones who were having trouble were Applebloom and Applejack. It wasn't surprising to see the older Apple sister showing hesitation. I could even tell exactly what was going on in her head right now. Her little sister had been dishonest with her and she took honesty very seriously.

" You girls... I can't believe y'all did this." Applejack said.

" It was a huge mistake!" Applebloom said.

" Maybe so, but you lied to everyone in school and betrayed their trust by posting their personal secrets. Heck, you even posted my secret! What's even worse is that you dragged Sunset's good name into the mud and left her to wallow in it until she lost everythin'. I know y'all were feelin' upset about bein' ignored, but that doesn't give you the right to blame it on someone who did you no wrong." Applejack said.

" We realize that now."

" Still, Sunset is right about you three havin' to apologize to everyone for hurtin' 'em. You've caused a lot of damage by pullin' this here stunt. Friendships have been broken, trust has been shattered, honesty got thrown out the window, and even worse things have happened this past week. The holidays are supposed to be a time where everyone from all walks of life come together to celebrate. What we have at CHS is disharmony of the worst kind." Applejack said. Her words were true, and there was no way of trying to sugarcoat their meaning. The CMC had ruined people's lives, regardless of whether they intended to or not. Granted, those same people ruined their own lives by sending secrets, but it should have been obvious to them that what they were doing was wrong.

" We'll do that and more." Applebloom said.

" What really makes this uneasy for me is the fact that I lied to Sunset." Applejack said.

" How do you figure that?"

" I called her Anon-A-Miss by believin' in false evidence and said some other things which I now regret. If it hadn't been for you and your friends, little sis, none of this woulda happened, and we coulda spent these past few days havin' fun at the remaining slumber parties we promised her. That was also a lie! In fact, all of us, her friends--no, her family--lied to her throughout all of this, and that's just wrong!" Applejack answered. Her expression became cold, which made Applebloom cower away in fear. I thought she was taking things too far, but then, she suddenly began smiling, placing her hand on Applebloom's shoulder. I had a feeling things were going to be alright between them. " But, y'all also confessed, which took a heck of a lot of courage to do." Applejack was correct. Most people who do what the CMC did would never consider owning up to their actions. They don't want to be punished, so they either cover it up, blame someone else, or disappear until things calm down.

People like that are cowards. And yet, Applejack's words also resonated with me. I used to do those things when I was a bully and relished in it. While it was another example of how much I hated myself, I'm not that person anymore. My friends--newly restored--now realize that I'm the real Sunset Shimmer, the one I was always meant to be, not the old one who hopefully never comes back again.

" Please forgive us, big sister! We're really sorry!" Applebloom said, tears trickling down her face.

" 'Course I forgive you, Applebloom. You're family, and you've reminded me that I shouldn't take it for granted. It's a lesson I'll never forget." Applejack said. The two sisters then hugged one another, which brought tears to my eyes. This is exactly what family meant, and mine had six members who truly cared about me. One of them doesn't come by as often as the other five, but I know she's always there for me whenever I need her. I also finally understood how humans celebrated this holiday, and I liked it. All those years of being on my own never did me any favours, but that's all in the past now. There were some customs I still needed to figure out, but I'm sure to get a firm grasp of them by next year.

A couple of days had passed, and everyone had been invited to Sweet Apple Acres to celebrate the holidays together. This had been Applejack's original plan from the start, yet her family would get additional members. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were going to be the last ones to arrive--not surprising, because it was Rarity--and hopefully the snow didn't cause too much of a delay. The weather forecast said even more snow would fall over Canterlot, and they weren't kidding. Walking out there almost seemed impossible with how deep it was.

My concern wasn't on when the final guests would arrive, but rather on Applejack, who wanted to talk to me in private. At first, I assumed she wanted to apologize on behalf of herself and our friends for what they said to be. It turned out she wanted to tell me about what happened with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. A part of me desired to know what their punishment would be for everything they had done. No, I didn't feel sadistic over their suffering. I was legitimately concerned for their well-being. It was possible that they could be expelled from CHS, but I'm sure it wouldn't come to that. Principal Celestia was a lot of things, but merciless wasn't one of them. I knew she had to dish out reasonable discipline to prevent others from trying the same thing in the future, but even then, expelling them would be too drastic.

" So, what kind of punishment did they receive?" I asked.

" From what Applebloom told me the other night, it could have been a whole lot worse." Applejack answered.

" How so?"

" Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna weren't happy that the teachers were kept out of the loop regardin' what happened. We should have confessed to them that somethin' was wrong instead of tryin' to figure it out on our own." Applejack answered.

" If anyone should have confessed, it should have been me. I was afraid that students would shun me even more than they were if they found out I had decided to get the teachers involved. Also, they would've freaked out over the loss of MyStable on school grounds. You know that would've been taken away as punishment for using it for deceitful purposes, so I decided against my better judgment and kept quiet." I said.

" Not fair y'all were stuck like that."

" Just like your sister."

" Good point."

" Okay, so what did Applebloom tell you?"

" First of all, they took down Anon-A-Miss' profile on MyStable, which doesn't sound like much, but it means no one will be sendin' any messages to that account. They then had to tell Principal Celestia everythin', and that, according to Applebloom, was very stressful. She and the other crusaders were afraid Principal Celestia was gonna blow her top, but they discovered she wasn't that scary. No, she was very understanding while being disappointed that three of her youngest students caused so much trouble. They also had to apologize to every student who they made miserable in a manner I'm guessing was somethin' like you did." Applejack answered. I shuddered when she said that last bit. It made me remember when I had to go to the gym to apologize for my actions. I'd never forget that experience for as long as I lived. But, it's something I'd rather not talk about.

" Does that include me?" I asked.

" They'll be apologizin' to you later, before we head to bed."

" In all things considered, they got off pretty light."

" Oh, and they got six months detention." Applejack said.

Wait, what!? They were given just six months of detention? If anything, they deserved to have eight months at the very least, but I suppose the other punishments made up for it. The worst one was having to apologize to everyone for exposing their secrets. I doubt the girls enjoyed staring at so many angry faces all that much, but they had no other choice, as Principal Celestia handed down her judgment. There was one other drawback that came from this experience. Those secrets had become public now, and there was nothing we could do to delete them. They had been spread throughout the online world for far too long, so it meant everyone now had to live more discreetly. It was the price we all had to pay for relying so much on a convenience we took for granted.

Anyone could take advantage of something as innocent as a simple website and turn it into a full-blown nightmare. Despite what the CMC had done, they also owned up to their mistakes and tried their best to fix what they could. That was better than simply doing nothing. If Princess Twilight were here, she'd be proud of how everything had resolved itself even when things looked bleak.

One thing still needed to be solved, though, and that was the magic problem. This whole Anon-A-Miss business made me forget that Equestrian magic continued flowing about this world unrestrained. I was thankful it never came up, but now, I had to focus on understanding it. That meant continuing with my research in the hopes of uncovering all that I could.

---

" So, the holidays last year turned out to be very interesting." Twilight said.

" I could've done without my life being shattered, but it certainly was a good experience. It helped me understand friendship a lot better than I used to, and our friends and I became even closer than ever. Sure, we still had our occasional arguments, but that's expected to happen among friends. We haven't had any incidents since the holidays where our relationships were truly tested. Not even the Friendship Games brought out the worst in us." I said.

" Will we be skipping over some things until we arrive at the games?"

" No. There are some things that happened beforehand."

" Like what?"

" After the holidays, most believed that I now had everything: friends, family, a good education, a roof over my head--they didn't know about my living in the library--and having a good future to look forward to. Those who knew me the most understood the truth. It looked like everything was going swell, but I was still just as miserable as ever. I had overcome many obstacles, yet there was still one that continued to linger about. I had come to terms with my past, yet it felt like I needed to truly accept what I had done. Everywhere you'd walk throughout CHS, remnants of what I did could still be found. The worst of these offences were three framed portraits of me winning the Fall Formal. Each was worse than the previous one, and they reminded me that my past haunted me wherever I went." I answered.

" Didn't you try asking to have those removed?" Twilight asked.

" I didn't want to see those photos ever again, but Principal Celestia insisted on keeping them around for a while longer." I answered. The photos were originally located outside of her office, but she was forced to bring them inside for a while after the most recent formal. At that time, students weren't exactly thrilled with me and wanted to make an example by using those photos for target practice. I had no problem with them doing that, as I deserved it, but Principal Celestia didn't see things that way. Did she preserve those photos all that time in order to prove a point? Was it to teach me a lesson about humility? Or, was there some other reason? Even now after personally throwing them into the garbage, I still don't have an answer. I could've asked Principal Celestia, but I just never felt compelled to say anything.

" Are they still there?"

" I personally took them down and tossed them away."

" Did you get in trouble?"

" Vice Principal Luna scolded me for throwing away school property, but I knew Principal Celestia was okay with what I did. It was my way of finally coming to terms with my old life and moving on with my new one. I never asked why she wanted to keep them around, though." I answered.

" I'm sure she had her reasons." Twilight said.

" It doesn't bother me if I never find out those reasons. Principal Celestia is entitled to her privacy on such matters, and I wasn't about to start asking questions I didn't care about getting answered. Anyway, there was one other thing I needed to do to truly move on from my past." I said.

I turned the page of the journal. Another photo had been glued there, but it was different. It had been spliced together from two other photos and depicted me wearing two different outfits. Twilight looked at both outfits carefully to see what kind of reaction I had. The photo on the left gave her the impression that I was miserable. The one on the right showed me smiling away. She then turned towards me in confusion, but I merely chuckled before explaining what it all meant.

" I wanted a new wardrobe that reflected my new outlook on life. I enjoyed wearing my leather jacket, yet it represented the old me, who used to be a monster." I said.

" When did you come up with the decision to change?" Twilight asked.

" A couple of days after the holidays. Our friends started questioning me whenever we walked by a certain clothing store on the main shopping street in our area. I was never good at being subtle with my approach, so they quickly figured it out. I don't know what compelled me to constantly look through that window, but they knew that I wanted something from there. Sadly, money proved to be a problem. They also made a decision for me." I answered.

" What kind of decision?" Twilight asked.

" They wanted me to have a new outfit as well, but not in the manner that I was thinking of. All I wanted was something simple, yet they wanted me to have much more than that." I answered.

---

With the holidays having come and gone, things slowly returned back to normal at CHS. The damage caused by Anon-A-Miss still lingered about, what with people's secrets now being made public, but life for the student body was better. However, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna didn't have the same experience.

Apparently, one student's parents accidentally looked at their profile on MyStable. They had posted a response to what Anon-A-Miss posted about them, and this resulted in a firestorm that embroiled CHS in another scandal. What the parents of this student looked at prompted them to spread the word to other parents, and the two sisters found themselves trying to calm down parents who were outraged that something like Anon-A-Miss hadn't been resolved much sooner. There were talks about a potential lawsuit that could've cost the school millions in damages, but luckily, it never went that far.

Principal Celestia was skilled with dealing with problems like that. After all, she had dealt with two magical-based problems and a fundraiser fiasco. It was easy for her to come up with an ideal solution the students didn't appreciate. MyStable, the website that was the source of Anon-A-Miss' posting abilities, had been banned from school grounds, but it wasn't a permanent ban. It would be allowed to come back once parents were convinced their kids had matured enough--and got better grades. It could have been a lot worse than that, so we're thankful everything worked out for the best. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna did receive a visit from members of the School Board regarding the ordeal, something no authority figures in a school ever want to experience.

My reputation had taken serious damage courtesy of the CMC--who were eventually forgiven by the other students after a couple of weeks--yet it didn't bother me. I no longer cared about whether I was popular or not. Popularity always had a drawback most were ignorant about, but I knew it all too well. Never strive to become popular, as it places a target on your back.

Anyway, my friends quickly accepted me back into the fold and even agreed to help me deal with the magic problem. I didn't think they would want to help me with it given what happened during the fundraiser, but it was their way of asking for forgiveness. There was still much that needed to be figured out, and ponying up would prove invaluable towards our research. Princess Twilight, on occasion, would provide her own input, which was appreciated.

Ever since we rang in the new year, my friends and I hung out like we always did, effectively putting the Anon-A-Miss fiasco behind us. At Rarity's insistence, we go to the main shopping street in the area each afternoon. While she was at home with such surroundings, the rest of us didn't feel the same way. Rainbow Dash didn't enjoy it one bit and wanted to do something else. I happened to agree with her. Shopping wasn't high on my list of priorities, yet that changed one day when we passed by a clothing store. There was a mannequin in the window, and it was wearing the finest jacket I'd ever seen. It made the current leather jacket I wore pale in comparison. Since then, I always had the others walk by the store so that I could stare at the jacket. I really wanted to wear it for myself, but I knew it could never be mine. Money was something I lacked. My friends quickly figured out that I desired the jacket, yet they didn't know why.

In truth, I wanted to change my image. The whole leather jacket and wearing clothes that looked like they came from the 1970s was fine and all, but they made me feel like I was trapped. They represented my troubled past, and I wanted to show everyone a new me. I believed the jacket would make a good start, yet my friends had other ideas.

Rarity had somehow anticipated that I wanted a new outfit, so she spent her recent evenings putting together something she felt I'd enjoy. I was completely unaware that she was doing that for me, so I chalked it up as a late Christmas present. The others wanted to do something similar, and they had the perfect gift in mind for me. A couple of days later, we all met in the school library by going to our favourite spot. I assumed it involved us working on the magic problem, but I soon discovered one thing new about my friends: Like me, they had trouble hiding their subtlety.

" Okay, so what's up with this meeting, and why did you bring a suitcase?" I asked, my eyes fixated on what was next to Rarity's feet.

" This? Why, um, it's just an ordinary suitcase, darling. Nothing at all to be curious about." Rarity answered. Her awkward smile betrayed the fact that she was obviously hiding something, but I chose to ignore it.

" Well, we wanted to have this meetin', Sunset, to discuss where we're goin' with that there whole magic problem." Applejack said.

" I'll be honest. Things haven't been good on my end. The magic which was unleashed during the Fall Formal has completely dissipated, but at least that confirms that magic can't sustain itself for very long in this world." I said. In Equestria, magic was always there, even if it had been several months since a spell had been cast. The human world had a different makeup that caused magic to only last for a period of time. When it vanishes, it doesn't return.

The magical residue in the storage room we were all trapped in during the Battle of the Bands is still there, but it's not as strong as before. I suspected the residue would fade away within a couple of days, so I had to make one more trip there to see what else I could uncover. It wasn't easy to gain access to the storage room because of how much snow had fallen these past few weeks. No one could even open the door to that room below the stage, so hopefully the weather warms up long enough to melt the entrance open.

" We could pool our resources together." Fluttershy suggested.

" That sounds like a good idea to me." Applejack said.

" I'm still surprised you all decided on helping me figure this out." I said.

" What's so surprising about your friends doing something like that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" It's just... During the fundraiser for those new uniforms, you all provided me with important data regarding our ability to use magic. Yet, you were hesitant about it because you were focused on your contributions, and I accepted that after I almost ruined everything by trying to do too much. Why change your minds now? What brought on the desire to help with deal with a problem that's actually beyond your understanding--no offence." I answered. Magic was something I was an expert in, while my friends often struggled with coming to grips with how it all worked. Unlike regular magic, which consisted of illusions designed to trick one's perception, Equestrian magic had unusual properties that made it powerful in anyone's hands. I was living proof of that when I became a demon. Despite ponying up a few times here and there, the girls still had their doubts about the whole spectacle. It fell to me to educate them accordingly.

" I think y'all know the answer to that." Applejack said.

" Does it have to do with Anon-A-Miss?"

" Even now, we all still feel guilty for blaming you for something you had no involvement with at all." Rarity answered.

" You may think we're doin' this to return a favour, but we're not! We betrayed your friendship, Sunset, as well as your trust. We didn't believe what you said. We were fixated on what we just thought was the truth. We shouldn't have allowed our feelings to make us doubt the person who had gone to great lengths in order to prove to everyone that she had changed for the better. No matter how many times each of us apologize, the fact remains that we wronged you." Applejack said.

" So, we want to make amends for the way we treated you." Fluttershy added.

" Working on this magical problem also helps us. We won't need to keep asking you to repeat yourself when you explain magic stuff." Rainbow Dash added.

" Just let us help you, Sunset." Pinkie Pie added.

" How could I refuse such enthusiasm?" I asked. My eyes then turned towards Rarity, who suddenly knocked over her suitcase with her foot. I couldn't tell if she did that on purpose or not, but now my attention was once more on the suitcase. " Okay! What is up with bringing that here? Don't tell me it's just an ordinary suitcase. You're not very good at being subtle."

" Fine! I admit it! This suitcase isn't normal!" Rarity shouted.

" Keep your voice down!" Applejack said.

" We don't want to disturb the other students." Fluttershy added.

" It looks normal to me." I said.

" Of course it looks normal, darling, but what's contained inside of it is anything but that." Rarity said.

" It has absolutely nothing to do with fashion!" Pinkie Pie said. Everyone else's eyes suddenly turned in her direction, and she smiled with a goofy grin before quickly running behind one of the bookcases.

I was confused with what just happened, but I knew something was wrong. Why scold Pinkie for stating something that was out there? She usually did that to make us laugh. Rarity often carried outfits inside of suitcases like the one she had with her, so it wasn't exactly a big deal for me. A few minutes later, Pinkie came back to the table, where she sat down and darted her eyes back and forth. Was she looking for a sympathetic ear? I didn't think my friends were really here to discuss the magic problem, so I started packing my things into my backpack.

" No! You mustn't leave, darling." Rarity said.

" I might as well, since you're not obviously taking the magic seriously." I said.

" Shoot! We should just come clean, y'all, and tell her." Applejack said. This meeting had been for something other than magic, and it involved that suitcase. No wonder they looked coldly at Pinkie when she made that statement. Did Rarity have a new outfit to show off? I didn't see why they wanted to keep that a secret. When it comes to new outfits, Rarity always keeps them under lock and key until she's ready to reveal them. " Sunset, do you regret wearing that jacket of yours?" Applejack asked before sitting down at the table. She began tapping her hand to indicate I sit down, as well, so I did. I then caught Rarity picking up the suitcase and placing it onto the table with a loud thud.

" What? You mean this old thing? I've been wearing it every day since I first came here." I answered.

" That's not the answer I wanted."

" Oh, right. I suppose wearing it these days brings back painful memories of what I used to do to the five of you and everyone else. This jacket represents the old me, a bully who enjoyed inflicting pain on others for my own personal amusement. I've been thinking for these past few days about maybe changing the way I look. I mean, my personality has changed, so why not go the full distance and wear something new?" I asked.

" Like that jacket in that store window?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" So you knew I was interested in it?" I asked.

" It was pretty obvious; you were ogling it every time we walked by." Applejack answered. I couldn't help but be fascinated by that jacket. It represented everything I wanted to showcase in my new look, but I knew that I could never afford something that expensive. Money wasn't exactly easy for me to procure in this world. Without any proper records, I couldn't get a job if my life depended on it. It was the price I had to pay for choosing to remain in this world and not going back home. Aside from the magic journal and the clothes which appeared on me when I came out of the portal, everything else in my possession were either given to me or found through sheer luck. I felt like a hobo for relying on such demeaning methods instead of doing things for myself.

" The moment I saw it, I knew that I wanted it, but it's impossible." I said.

" Why is that?" Fluttershy asked.

" It's expensive." I answered.

" That store does have some of the highest prices when it comes to clothes, darling, but they make up for the cost with excellent quality. I happen to be a regular there and get discounts for being so devoted to their business." Rarity said.

" $200 is a lot to someone like me." I said.

" Unless you happen to be fancy and rich." Applejack added.

" So, what's in the suitcase?" I asked.

" I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." Rarity answered before pushing it forward until it was right in front of me.

My mind was telling me two things. One, this was some kind of prank designed to make me smile, but I wouldn't be if that were the case. Two, there was an outfit inside that suitcase, and Rarity wanted my opinion on it. I heaved a heavy sigh before opening up the suitcase, and to my surprise, the very jacket I had been looking at these past few days was nestled within. At first I couldn't believe my eyes, but then it dawned on me that Rarity must have purchased it for herself. This was as close to holding it as I'd get.

" You bought it?"

" We paid $25 less than the asking price thanks to my discount, but it was well worth it."

" Wait! Did you say 'we'?"

" All of us pitched in some money to buy it." Applejack answered.

" Why would you do that for Rarity?" I asked.

" I never said anything about that jacket being for me, darling. If you want my opinion, I could never wear anything like that; it clashes with my complexion. However, I know for a fact that it will look absolutely amazing on you." Rarity answered. Did my friends seriously buy this jacket for me? Using their own money? I had no words to describe my emotions, but did they get it in order to ask me to forgive them? No, that would be too petty. Then, what was the reason? " I know you probably think we got you the jacket as a means of apologizing for how we treated you, but you're wrong. We all realized that you mean so much to us, Sunset. We could have lost you forever had we not come to our senses, so we decided to pool our resources together and get you the jacket you desired." Rarity said. I then started crying over her words. I truly underestimated my friends' values. They got this for me out of the kindness of their hearts and because I meant the world to them. Pinkie made sure to pull the suitcase out of the way just in case my tears ended up ruining the fabric.

" This is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me." I cried.

" There was something else underneath the jacket, and Pinkie took it away from you before you could see it. I won't take offence to what she did, as she didn't want your tears ruining your new jacket. I knew it would look fabulous on you, but your current attire clashes with the material. So, I spent... You know, I think it's best if I stop talking and allow you to see what was underneath." Rarity said.

Pinkie pushed the suitcase back to where it was while I wiped away the tears from my eyes. Lifting up the jacket from the bottom of the suitcase, my jaw dropped upon seeing a brand new outfit hiding underneath. I could tell Rarity had made it. I just got that feeling.

It consisted of a light-blue, short-sleeved shirt with a white frill on the bottom to simulate a skirt, pants that were slightly darker than the shirt and tight enough to pass off as tights, and a new pair of shoes that Rarity probably had stashed around in her home somewhere. I doubted she could make shoes; she's never talked about it before. I was, once again, speechless over what I was looking at. My heart felt like it was going to swell to bursting.

" Thank you... I don't deserve to have friends like you." I cried. I then hugged Rarity as hard as I could, before everyone else decided to join in. If there were any doubts about their sincerity, they had finally been put to rest. From this point onward, I now had a new outlook on life, complete with a new outfit that I planned on wearing from then on, starting tomorrow.

There still remained something else which I needed to take care of, though, but it involved asking Principal Celestia permission to go through with it. I had no idea if she was going to agree with my request, but I planned on asking anyway. There was a certain something in her office that needed to be removed permanently from the school, and I'd do whatever was necessary to see it done.

---

" What happened to your old outfit?" Twilight asked.

" I still have it, as well as my old jacket. They're stored away inside that cardboard box over there next to my bed." I answered, pointing towards a box--the kind used by movers--before Twilight took a good look at it herself. There was a label taped to it which read, "Do not steal the contents under any circumstances! Please refrain from donating this to charity or anything else." She was confused by what it meant, so I explained that I didn't want those old clothes and jacket to go anywhere.

" If you're never going to wear them again, then why bother keeping them?"

" That's actually a difficult question to answer."

" Why?"

" I can answer it for you, but you might not understand the reason."

" Try me!"

" As you know, when I left Equestria to come here for the first time, I left as a unicorn who wore no clothes. When I stumbled out of the other side of the portal, I was suddenly wearing the clothes, boots, and jacket you see in this photo. Even now, after all this time, I don't know where this outfit came from. My only explanation is that they came to be on my body through sheer willpower." I said. It wasn't the best explanation, and Twilight's expression further cemented that fact, but then this was something that didn't happen to just me. Princess Twilight and the Sirens also went through a similar experience of suddenly finding themselves wearing clothes. Whatever the actual reason behind our getting clothes, I didn't want to get rid of my old attire. They could be carrying magical residue, which would be dangerous in the hands of someone unfamiliar with how Equestrian magic works. Or, they could represent some kind of extension of my being.

" That's not a very good answer." Twilight said.

" It's all I can think of. Not even Her Highness knows why it happens, and she has been trying to figure out how the portal truly works. There are still many mysteries about it that continue to plague her, and I know she has spent many a late night conducting tests." I said.

" Maybe I could help?"

" Do you have any experience in understanding magical portals that connect between two different dimensions in the multiverse?"

" Well, no."

" I have no such experience, either. In fact, the only one who probably knew anything about how the portal worked was Star Swirl the Bearded. He did create the portal that connects this world to Equestria, and he did write down this information in one of his many books. Princess Twilight told me a few days ago that she has been visiting the section of the Royal Canterlot Library that houses his works in hopes of finding what he wrote." I said.

" If it's not there?" Twilight asked.

" She may have to go to one of the many sanctums Star Swirl constructed throughout Equestria." I answered. Star Swirl the Bearded may have been the most powerful unicorn wizard Equestria ever knew, yet he always was paranoid when it came to the spells he worked on. According to what I remember from history books, he had close to a dozen different places to focus on his work. Most of them were known to ponies, yet legend says there was one location which was known only to him until recently. This hidden location contains his greatest work in life. Princess Twilight said it was the location for something personal and planned on visiting it again in the future in hopes of finding some answers about the portal.

" Why would anyone have more than one?" Twilight asked.

" Paranoia."

" Oh."

" Princess Twilight can explain it better than I could. After all, even though she's a princess now, she still wishes to be like Star Swirl one day."

" So, how did your conversation with Principal Celestia go?"

Comments

[Jakomi of the Rose]

So, what more is there? Gotta be near the end of her journal.

[BoringChaos]

My explanation for the clothes would be that they're the human equivalent to fur.

[Ganondorf8]

6943964

There's still "My Past is Not Today", "The Science of Magic", "Pinkie Spy" (referenced), "All's Fair in Love and Friendship Games" (what the short doesn't show), and "Friendship Games". I'd say there will be at least another dozen more chapters to go before this is finished.

[Ganondorf8]

6946122

I never thought about that as a possible explanation. It actually does make a lot of sense when I take a deeper look into it.

[Jakomi of the Rose]

6948096 *Claps hands a la Chrysalis* Oh goody, goody, goody!