Anon-A-Miss Aftermath: The Day After

by CapNTilfy

Seventh Period

Author's Note:

Hey all! I'm going to try to focus almost exclusively on this story so I can finally finish this puppy! Here goes nothing but it better be something

Snips, Snails and Sunset entered the classroom and sat down.

Once at her desk, realization dawned on Sunset. She looked to her left to see Snails, then to her right to see Snips. She gently put the palm of her hand on her forehead, then dragged it downward.

Of all the days. Of all the classes. Of all the students to sit between.

Sunset wasn’t upset because of Snips and Snails’ penchant for mischief. She wasn’t upset because they both seemed to be absent-minded. She wasn’t upset because they were mildly annoying to her on the best of days.

Sunset was upset because of what she did to Snips and Snails. How she affected them. How she manipulated them.

When she first met Snips and Snails, she thought they were both well-meaning, but not all that bright.

Sunset laughed a soft, yet mirthless laugh. Some things never change…

Snips and Snails’ lack of intelligence made them excellent lackeys in her eyes… back when-

Sunset grit her teeth. She needed to stop thinking about all the terrible things she’d done! But how could she, when she was sitting between the two people she believed that she hurt the most?

Unfortunately for Sunset, a memory of that fateful Fall Formal’s aftermath surfaced…

Shortly after her sincerest apologies with Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Sunset trudged over to Snips and Snails. She had to will herself to move forward, as she felt a great deal of weight upon her shoulders. If she were to stop, she felt she would simply collapse.

Snips and Snails sat still, staring blankly at nothing as Sunset approached them.

Sunset swallowed nervously as she struggled to come up with words to express her newfound guilt. There were so many things she wanted to say to them that she didn’t know where to start! She took a deep breath, then heaved a long sigh.

“Snips… Snails…”

Snips and Snails remained still, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Sunset glanced away from them. She couldn’t blame Snips and Snails for ignoring her, especially after all she had just put them through. Nevertheless, she had to get this off of her chest.

“I… I-I know you can both hear me,” she said tentatively. “So please. Just hear me out, okay?”

Not a single movement. No nodding. No blinking. The only signs of life coming from them were breathing.

Sunset frowned, then sighed again. “I want to apologize for everything. The verbal abuse, the manipulation… all of it. I’ve been in a really bad place for most of my life. I let my anger and arrogance make a complete monster out of me, and both of you too. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do whatever I can to make this all right again.”

Snips and Snails didn’t budge a single inch.

With her apology finished, Sunset turned away and went back to the five young women she nearly tried to kill a few minutes ago.

Sweet Celestia, Sunset was a mess…

“I’m not surprised by their reaction,” Sunset said quietly as she approached the group. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole of Canterlot High treated me the same way.”

“Um, actually,” Fluttershy said. “They’ve been like that since we broke your spell.”

Sunset’s eyes widened.

“Yeah,” Pinkie chimed in. “They’ve been all catatonic-y ever since they were hit with their own rainbow tornados!”

“WHAT?!” Sunset grabbed Pinkie by her dress. “Please tell me you’re joking!”

Sunset felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Rarity.

“I’m terribly sorry, dear, but Pinkie is telling the truth,” Rarity said softly.

“No,” Sunset whispered as her grip on Pinkie weakened. “Oh, Celestia, no…”

A harsh truth dawned on Sunset at that moment. In her quest for revenge, she took the two most innocent students at school… and corrupted them. Snips and Snails would never quite be the same after tonight, and that multiplied her already immense guilt.

Sunset simply collapsed as tears fell from her cheeks.

Sunset let out a shuddering breath as she covered her face with her hands. She wondered if Snips and Snails received a ‘visit’ from their respective Demonselves…

Suddenly, cacophonous laughter filled Sunset's mind. She shuddered again as a chill ran down her spine.

You rang, the Demonself inquired mockingly.

Sunset closed her eyes and hissed through her teeth. Couldn’t she have a few moments of peace?! Was that too much to ask?

The Demonself cackled. As if you could escape me! We’re connected, you and I… and I have no doubt that our former lackeys are connected to their ‘alter egos’ as well!

Sunset imagined Snips and Snails cowering before their demonic forms, suffering much in the way she did while she was trapped in the rainbow. She was forced to see visions of those she hurt, and worse still, she experienced every last drop of anguish, agony and impotent rage that her victims did!

She wouldn’t wish that on her worst enemy.

Oh, but you are your own worst enemy, aren’t you? After all, you brought this all on yourself!

Sunset was her own enemy. Past tense.

The Demonself burst into a laughing fit.

Who do you think you’re kidding, Sunset Shimmer?! I can feel your self-loathing!

Sunset balled her hands into fists, clenching her teeth as she fidgeted. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snips turn to face her.

No! This was the last thing she needed on top of everything else. To look into the eyes of those she’d wronged right now would likely be more than she could bear!

“Sunset?”

Sunset, against her better judgment, turned her head to meet Snails’ gaze. She froze up momentarily, then looked away as an image of him suffering entered her mind.

“Sunset?”

Without thinking, Sunset turned around to see Snips. The look of concern on his face only made her feel worse as she imagined him suffering.

At that moment, another memory resurfaced for Sunset. She had personally invited Snips and Snails’ parents to Principal Celestia’s office to apologize to them in person for what she had done to their sons.

Even today, Sunset didn’t know what hurt her more that evening. The fact that Snips’ parents didn’t show up, or Snails’ livid mother having to be physically restrained by Vice-Principal Luna.

Sunset suddenly stood up, then, with as much restraint as possible, quietly walked out of the classroom. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned against a locker, then slid down to a sitting position as she covered her head with her hands.

Within moments, the classroom door opened and Snips and Snails walked out together.

“Sunset,” Snails said as he crouched down to meet her at eye level. “Are you okay?”

Sunset slowly raised her head. “Really,” she asked flatly, then lowered her head back down. She let out a sigh. What was she doing? Even if just for a moment, she shouldn't have let her temper get the better of her, let alone take her anger out on Snips and Snails!

"I'm sorry," Sunset said quietly. "I've been through a lot of shit lately."

"We might not be the sharpest tools in the belt," Snips said as he crouched down between Snails and Sunset. "But even Snails and I can tell that!"

"Yeah," Snails chimed in with a nod. "We're just worried about you, that's all."

Sunset laughed softly as she lifted her head. "Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it… but what about you?"

Snips blinked. "What about us?" He scratched his head in confusion.

"How are you both doing? I'm a little worried about you two."

Snails tilted his head. "Why?"

"Because I heard you were both caught in your own rainbow vortexes," Sunset explained. "Mine was a living, nightmarish hell. I can only imagine how bad it must've been for you guys."

Snips and Snails' eyes widened. "Oh, yeah," they said in unison.

"I guess we just kinda forgot about that," Snips said as he put a hand behind his head.

Snails chuckled. "It wasn't anything special, all we saw were our parents mad at us."

Sunset's eyes widened. "What?!"

Snips nodded. “Yeah. It sucked.”

Sunset was dumbfounded. She thought that Snips and Snails would have received the same punishment she had! After everything she did…

Wait.

Everything she did. She had ruined the lives of the entire student body over the course of a couple of years, and in turn experienced all their pain.

Snips and Snails, on the other hand, had virtually done little to no wrong (that Sunset was aware of) outside of property damage. They didn’t hurt anyone, but they did disappoint their parents.

Sunset snorted. It made sense… she guessed. She felt a little better now, knowing that Snips and Snails didn’t suffer like she did.

The bell rang.

“Thanks for the talk, guys,” Sunset said as the three of them stood up together. “I needed something to lighten my mood.”

“You bet,” Snips and Snails said in unison, then walked away.

Sunset smiled warmly as she watched, then felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around.

“Hey,” Flash said with a smile. “Mind if I walk with you?”

Comments

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

You rang, the Demonself inquired mockingly.

Just what she needed, her demon self to make things worse.

Even today, Sunset didn’t know what hurt her more that evening. The fact that Snips’ parents didn’t show up, or Snails’ livid mother having to be physically restrained by Vice-Principal Luna.

Damn!

"We might not be the sharpest tools in the belt," Snips said as he crouched down between Snails and Sunset. "But even Snails and I can tell that!"

Doesn't he mean, sharpest tool in the shed?

"I guess we just kinda forgot about that," Snips said as he put a hand behind his head.

Not surprised they did.

“Hey,” Flash said with a smile. “Mind if I walk with you?”

Looking forward already to the next chapter.

[CapNTilfy]

11527943

Doesn't he mean, sharpest tool in the shed?

He does, but he's not the sharpest tool in the "belt". =P

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

11527945
Oh...

[The Sleepless Beholder]

Oh, had kind of forgotten about this one. I guess that payoff is on its way.

Was gonna be really angry if Sunset's fears were confirmed but at least the two did get a lower punishment.