Anon-A-Fix

by Soufriere

Chapter Three: Anon-A-Miss

The next morning, just as cold as the last, all six girls walked into CHS together, looking very much the worse for wear, especially Sunset, who sported noticeable bags under her eyes. Even Pinkie Pie was unable to suppress a great yawn.

“Ya sleepy, Pinkie?” Applejack asked with a knowing smirk.

“Never!” Pinkie replied with less-than-full enthusiasm. “Parties give me energy! Parties are my… my… my something important!” She thrust up her finger in conviction, then promptly fell forward, faceplanting in the snow, snoring. Sunset helped her up.

As Applejack rolled her eyes, she heard a male voice call out, “Hey, Piggly-Wiggly!”

That woke her up. As she turned her head to the crowd of random students, nearly smacking Pinkie in the face with her ponytail in the process, she asked herself, “What? Did someone seriously just—??”

“Sis, ya need ta see this!” Apple Bloom said as she ran up to Applejack, grabbing AJ’s cell phone, punching a few buttons, and shoving it back in her face.

On the screen was Applejack’s MyStable profile page (985 friends, mostly family). An account Applejack had never seen before, titled “Anon-A-Miss”, had posted three hours earlier about her silly nickname in an extremely demeaning tone:

Hi everyone! Did you know when AJ was a kid she loved playing with her pigs? OMG! She flopped in the mud for hours! Her whole family calls her “Piggly Wiggly” because she loves them so much! Guess it takes a pig to know one!

The post had several dozen upvotes and a few comments agreeing the nickname was worth making fun of.

“W-WHAT?!? How th—? What th—?” In what might have been a first, Applejack was rendered unable to form a complete sentence as she took her phone back.

Apple Bloom said simply, “It just got posted a couple hours ago.”

“Who’s this ‘Anon-A-Miss’?” asked Pinkie Pie upon seeing the phone.

“The profile was created the same time as the post,” said Apple Bloom pointing out the poster’s information in the sidebar. “No idea who it is. And she made the post public; it’s on my page, your page, everyone’s pages. The whole school probably knows by now.”

“How do you know a girl did this, Apple Bloom?” asked Sunset, but then sighed. “…Actually, it makes perfect sense. I could have pulled off something like that back in the bad old days, had MyStable existed. Tch,” she spat in obvious self-loathing.

Apple Bloom pointedly turned her back to Sunset, ignoring her.

Applejack pursed her lips as she heard the soft knowing laughter of her classmates. “W-well, it’s fine. I won’t let it bother me. After all, I ain’t so delicate that I can’t take a little teasing,” she insisted.

“Fine, but what about this ‘Anon-A-Miss’?” Rainbow Dash asked. “How did she know about your stupid nickname?”

“And why would she post it online?” Fluttershy chimed in sadly. “That’s… that’s just cruel.”

The warning bell rang, putting an end to the conversation.

“Guess any questions or answers are gonna have to wait ‘til after class,” said Applejack as she adjusted her backpack.

Sunset Shimmer placed her hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “Let us know if we can help, A.J.”

“Sure thing, Sunset,” Applejack replied as Sunset turned to head up the stairs toward the library. Once she was gone, Applejack felt a tug on her shirt sleeve.

“Uh, about this Anon-A-Miss…” said Apple Bloom.

“What about her?”

“Y’know,” Apple Bloom began, “The only people who knew your nickname were your family an’ your friends. You sure ya didn’t tell anyone else?”

“What’re ya gettin’ at, Apple Bloom?” asked Applejack, her eyes narrowing.

“Well, look at Anon-A-Miss’s profile. It’s Sunset’s colours,” Apple Bloom said as she pulled up Sunset’s sparse profile to prove it. “And Sunset only found out yer secret last night, an’—”

“Now you just stop right there!” Applejack interrupted gravely. “Sunset’s my friend and she promised she wouldn’t tell anyone. A promise is sacred; she knows that.”

“Fine, fine. Just a thought,” Apple Bloom said. “See ya after class.”

With that, she turned towards CHS’s junior high annex on the far south side of the campus, her long red hair swishing behind her as she walked away.

Comments

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If AJ had given it just a bit more thought, she would have realized the obvious. (Heck, it was obvious to me the first time I read an 'Anon-A-Miss' story)

AJ: The only ones who knew are my friends... and my family. Apple Bloom is so gonna get it.