Chapter 3
Morning came for Sunset earlier than expected when she rolled off the couch, flopping to the floor shocking her awake. She groaned as she got to her feet, she had never spent a night on a couch, and though it was not uncomfortable she would have preferred sleeping on the ground, at least then she would not have to worry about falling. When she opened the curtains she saw that the sun had not started rising yet and judging by the light snoring she could hear coming from the halls Rarity was still asleep. Stretching Sunset thought it would be good to make breakfast before her friend woke up.
As she got started on making some pancakes she thought about the day she would be having. First, she would have to tell Principal Celestia that she was Anon-A-Miss. Lying to the world's counterpart of her old mentor sent a pain in her chest like when she lied to her friends but she would still have to do it. Then two days of dealing with the angry students who would now feel even more justified in tormenting her now that she claimed to be the one who posted their secrets. She sighed trying to push those thoughts out of her head and instead focusing on the one positive of her false confession, she got her friends back. She held onto that thought as she made the pancakes telling herself over and over that she got her friends back and she could survive anything as long as she had them.
But you are still lying to them, maybe now that Anon-A-Miss is gone they would be willing to listen to the truth. The voice from last night told the girl.
"I'm not doing that, they'd never understand," Sunset muttered.
Fluttershy might listen if you got her alone, or maybe Applejack will see that you are being honest. The voice countered. Then they could convince the others that you are innocent.
"Or they might turn on me again and we would both be alone," Sunset argued her voice rising.
So instead you're just going to lie to them for the rest of your life? Just going to stand there and take the abuse you did not deserve? We might have regretted what we did but we never would have stood for being blamed for something we are actually innocent of.
"Just SHUT UP already!" Sunset shouted slamming the pan down on the stove. Luckily the pancakes only jumped slightly so she did not have to deal with a mess.
"Sunset?" She heard Rarity from the hallway. "Who are you arguing with?"
"Oh! uhh, it's nothing. Just making breakfast." Sunset kept her eyes firmly on the pancakes and not at her confused friend.
"Certainly did not sound like nothing." Rarity commented entering the kitchen. "You were arguing with someone and you just shouted at it to 'shut up' when I saw you." She air quoted the 'shut up'. When Sunset turned to face her Rarity had a look of concern.
"Was it the voice you mentioned last night?" She asked. "The one that was telling you to make Anon-A-Miss, if so then do not listen to it, darling. Do not let it win."
"Yeah don't worry, I'm not planning on doing anything that voice tells me to do," Sunset assured taking the pancakes off the stove. "Now I made breakfast, you want some?"
After breakfast the two prepared for school, Sunset wore her usual clothes but with glaves and a scarf she borrowed from Rarity since she left her own at school, Rarity, however, was dressed in heavy furs and a sparkling jacket with a fur hat and lace gloves. Sunset took a look at the clock showing that they needed to leave if they were going to arrive early enough for Sunset to speak to Principal Celestia before class. She let out a small groan as she thought about that upcoming meeting. Rarity put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I know it will be tough but it has to be done. Maybe Principal Celestia will go easy on you as she did after the formal, remember just a month's detention." Rarity said trying to encourage her friend.
"That was only because she cut it short after the Sirens, if they had not come around I'd probably still have detention."
"Oh, well maybe there will be another magical threat that we can stop."
"Heh with our luck I would really not be surprised." Sunset pulled her scarf a little tighter and closed her jacket. "Well let's go, I have a date with destiny."
The other girls were waiting for them at the school, Rainbow still looking asleep as she slumped against Fluttershy by the statue, Pinkie and Applejack looked fully awake and stood waiting for them. When Sunset and Rarity stepped out of the car Pinkie ran over while Fluttershy tried to gentle wake Rainbow Dash. Pinkie tried to lunge at them for a hug but was held back by Applejack gripping her collar.
"Hey, Sunset you excited for the last two days of school? I guess not since everyone might still be grumpy at you but once they see how sorry you are I'm sure everything will be nice again. You looking forward to the Christmas party tomorrow cause it's going to be awesome! Now that everyone's happy again it'll be even better." Pinkie rambled on at Mach speed.
Sunset suppressed a laugh as she pressed a hand to Pinkie's mouth silencing her. "Hi Pinkie, no I'm a little nervous about school but I have to deal with it. And yes I am looking forwards to the party, I plan on being there early to help out. That is if Applejack is fine with it." Sunset looked to the farmer.
"Fine by me," Applejack shrugged. "Granny Smith always sayin' to accept help when offered."
Sunset's smile faded when she looked at the school. Rainbow Dash, who was finally awake, noticed the look. "Do you want us to come with you to see Principal Celestia?"
"No, I need to face her alone. Thanks for being here for support." Sunset said taking a deep breath before she went to the school."
"We'll see ya at lunch." Applejack assured her.
***
Vice-Principal Luna was not a morning person which made some question why she worked at a High School, though no one dared ask the disciplinarian why she became an educator. This morning was already turning out poorly, first, the coffee maker in Celestia and Luna's house broke then she found out the school's coffee maker was somehow out of coffee! So she had to go through the morning without her favorite drink, she hoped the donut shop across the street still had coffee when she got on break or she might pass out before the school day was done.
Luna was waiting in her office for Celestia to get back from her car with the files they needed for the day when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in." She called out wearily.
The door opened and Celestia's secretary Raven Inkwell peered through. "Vice-Principal, Sunset Shimmer is here. She said she needs to speak to you and Principal Celestia, something about Anon-A-Miss."
Luna groaned at the name, Anon-A-Miss. That accursed MyStable account had torn her sister's school apart turning the students against each other and framing Sunset as the culprit. She could only guess Sunset was here to talk about the account's sudden deletion. "Tell her to take a seat in the waiting room she can see Celestia and me when she returns."
Raven nodded and closed the door, ten minutes later she heard Celestia enter her office followed by Sunset Shimmer. When Luna entered her sister's office Sunset was already sitting in the chair across from her, fidgeting nervously, while Celestia looked at her concerned by the student's anxiety. Luna made to stand by her sister in her usual place. "You had something to tell us Sunset?" Celestia asked.
"Yeah, I came to tell you something about Anon-A-Miss' identity," Sunset said head down eyes glued to the floor.
"We heard the account had deactivated itself," Luna said sternly. "Did you discover the true identity of Anon-A-Miss?"
"Uh, yes I did." She mumbled.
"Well?"
"Me."
"What?!" The sisters exclaimed together.
"Me," Sunset said again. "I am Anon-A-Miss."
Luna raised a disbelieving eye at Sunset, Celesta frowned. "Sunset, why are you lying to us."
"What? I'm not lying, I'm Anon-A-Miss, I deleted the account last night and I'm here to confess for it. I tore the school apart again."
"Sunset we both know that is a lie, I can see it in you that you do not believe what you are saying." Celestia continued. "So I ask again, why are you lying to us."
"I'm not lying, I-I really am Anon-A-Miss and-and you can tell everyone that, punish me, and the whole mess can be behind us." Sunset stammered out visibly sweating.
"Child you are clearly lying. Tell us why you are trying to take the fall for another, are you being blackmailed?" Luna asked confused why Sunset would claim to be something she was not.
"No."
"Threatened, are you or your friends being threatened?"
"No."
"Then why child? Why are you lying to us!"
"Because it's the only way to get my friends back," Sunset shouted before she realized what she had said. "I-I mean, what I mean is..."
"Your lying about being Anon-A-Miss to get your friends back," Celestia said gently. "What did they say?"
"They said, they said. They told me that if I confessed to being Anon-A-Miss, that if I took the account down they would take me back. They would forgive me."
"Oh Sunset," Celestia said gently. "You know this is not right."
"But they took me back everything is finally back to normal," Sunset said with a desperate glint in her eyes. "Who cares if it's a lie?"
"It is wrong because you can not take the blame for another's actions," Celestia said gently. "And certainly not just to get your friends back. Look I'll call them in and explain to them that you are not Anon-A-Miss and-"
"NO please!" Sunset shouted jumping out of her seat. "They'll turn on me and I'll have no way to get them back. Please just tell people it was me, Anon-A-Miss is gone and it's impossible to find them now. So what if the students blame me, they never trusted me to begin with. Please please Principal Celestia, just say it was me and everything can go back to normal."
Luna could not believe what she was hearing, a student actually wanted to be punished for something they did not do. She knew her sister would have to refuse Sunset's request, no matter how much it hurt Sunset it was for the best, and maybe her friends could be made to see reason. She only hoped Sunset did not react too badly to what Celestia had to do.
Celestia sighed retaking her seat. "Fine Sunset if that is what you wish."
Both Luna and Sunset looked at Celestia, Sunset in uncomfortable relief and Luna in shock at her sisters' words. Celestia smiled sadly at Sunset folding up a few papers. "You mean it?" Sunset asked.
"I will not lie to my students and announce that Anon-A-Miss is you Sunset." Celestia said, "but I will say the account has been deleted and that someone has come forward as Anon-A-Miss. I will also make it clear that neither I nor my sister will tolerate any retaliation against any suspected of being Anon-A-Miss. Also, I'm afraid you will have a month after school detention in my office for an hour after each school day. Starting at the beginning of next semester."
"If only for her own safety." Luna thought knowing what some of the students would do if they got their hands on who they believed to be Anon-A-Miss outside of school. "I only hope these friends you are willing to risk so much for can protect you, child."
"You'd best get ready for class Sunset," Celestia told the student, "I will wait till the start of break before announcing on the school website."
Luna waited till after Sunset Shimmer had left the office before speaking her mind to her sister. "Tia, why are you allowing this? If the superintendent found out we are allowing a student to take the fall for another's actions. Well..."
"She won't Luna and it was I who allowed this to happen, not you so there is no we," Celestia told her getting ready for the day. "As for why, well, for now, I believe it would be best for the students to believe that Anon-A-Miss has been caught. That does not mean I won't try to find the true culprit. You don't need to be involved in this though, I'll take the fall if it gets out."
"No Tia, I stand by you and your decisions. If I support this then I am at as much fault as you." Luna stated sternly telling her she would not do otherwise. "What will be our first action?"
"For now we will observe the students until something turns up. The account is gone and we have no way to track it down. Until then we watch the students and take action if they become violent."
Luna sighed, heading to the door. "I just hope if we do need to take action it won't be too late for Sunset Shimmer."
"We are of the same mind on that sister."
***
Sunset had hoped that the animosity she would face would be the same until after Principal Celestia's announcement but the students seemed to take the accounts closing and no one being caught as an admission of guilt from Sunset. No one had attacked her or even spoken to her directly yet but she did seem to be getting jostled by other students' shoulders more often. It seemed every few feet someone would bump into her nearly sending her sprawling or dropping her supplies, and everyone seemed to be glaring at her, though that was nothing new at least.
Sunset started veering away from any student she saw getting too close, hoping to avoid as much contact as she got to class. She was almost to her class when suddenly someone threw an orange liquid in her face. She blinked away the liquid and, against her better judgment, she tasted the sweet-smelling liquid to confirm it was just orange juice. Looking around to see if she could find who had juiced her she looked down to see a pink-skinned middle schooler a little younger than Applebloom and her friends with long braided blue hair. Sunset vaguely recognized her as a member of the High School chess team, an impressive feat for a seventh-grader, and one of the few who had been left alone by Anon-A-Miss.
Which called into question why she had flung juice at Sunset, or why she looked so shocked. "Oh golly," The middle schooler exclaimed, "I am so sorry about spilling juice all over you."
"It's fine, really," Sunset said wiping the juice out of her eyes. "I guess I deserved it or something."
"Oh no, I promise that was an accident." The girl said hurriedly. "I was just walking along when I tripped on something and my juice just went flying. Do you need help cleaning up?"
"No just need to get some water," Sunset assured her glad that this incident was an accident. "No need to trouble yourself."
"But the juice is getting all over your nice jacket, it could get it all sticky." She pulled out a card. "I have a friend who works at a dry cleaner, tell him Cozy Glow sent you and he'll give you a discount."
Sunset accepted the card hesitantly. "Uh thanks, Sunset Shimmer." She held her hand out.
Cozy Glow's smile did not falter at the name. "Oh I know, the former queen of the school who ruled it longer than I have been here. Now the biggest social outcast of the school."
Sunset flinched at being called a social outcast, mostly due to how true it was and how Cozy said it without any malice. "Yep, that's me."
"You don't look like the evil witch everyone says you are."
"Thanks, I try."
"Well, I have to get to class. If you ever need a friend to talk about your lack of social life stop by the chess club, always accepting those with brains." Cozy said widening her smile. She skipped away down the hall.
"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be offended by that or not." She said confused. She sighed heading to the restroom. "Got to get this cleaned off."
At least the restroom was empty, she had no desire to be harassed at the moment. Setting her jacket on the counter she splashed some water in her face and hair. "Least I don't wear makeup." She said examining her face for any orange juice she missed. Confident she got it she turned to leave only to see she was not alone.
Standing by the door was someone Sunset really did not want to deal with, pale blue skin, even paler hair, purple eyes, and dressed in a blue jacket and a purple and blue skirt with her usual confident smirk was Trixie. "What do you want?" She asked.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie has something to tell you," Trixie exclaimed raising her hand to the heavens. Sunset rolled her eyes folding her arms in front of her.
"What, you here to curse me, call me a monster, if so I really don't have time." Sunset sighed. "We'll both be late if that's what you're here to say."
Sunset's words took some of the confidence out of Trixie. "Oh uh no, Trixie is not here to say that."
"Really? Then what?"
"Trixie is here to say that she knows you are innocent. She believes you are not Anon-A-Miss."
"Wait what?"
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Trixie said she knows you are not Anon-A-Miss."
"But I am Anon-A-Miss," Sunset responded instinctively with her lie.
"No your not."
"Okay, what is with you people," Sunset groaned facepalming. "First everyone says I'm Anon-A-Miss and no one believes me when I say I'm not. And the moment I say I am everyone I meet says I'm not. Make up your minds already."
"Trixie doesn't know what you mean by that. She only knows that you are innocent and came to say that. So again, the Great and Powerful Trixie knows you are innocent and wants to help prove it."
"Okay, how about first you tell me why you think I'm innocent."
"Well, you did accuse Trixie of being Anon-A-Miss just a few days again," Trixie said.
"But I could have just told you that to take the blame away from me."
"Yes Trixie did consider that but Trixie could see it in your eyes that you believed what you said, you truly believed Trixie was the culprit."
"And you could tell that how?"
Trixie's smirk returned holding a hand over her chest. "You do not become president of the drama club without being able to tell what is an act. And Trixie can always tell when someone is acting." She cocked her head. "What Trixie does not understand is why you are trying to lie and claim you are Anon-A-Miss when you have been denying it all week."
Sunset flinched, she really did not want to go over her reasons again just after explaining them to the principal and vice-principal, especially considering Trixie couldn't keep a secret to save her life. "It's not important, thanks for telling me that you believed me. But could you not go around telling people that."
Trixie shrugged. "If you want to deny your own innocence then Trixie won't stop you, even if she does not understand why."
"Thanks," Sunset said putting her jacket back on. "Well see you around Trixie."
She made to move past her when she felt a tug on her sleeve, she looked around to see why Trixie stopped her. "You need to tell me something else?"
"Yes Trixie wanted, what she means is, uh if you wanted to then Trixie could, No!" Trixie said stomping her foot on the ground.
"Okay what's gotten into her all of a sudden?" Sunset thought eye raised as Trixie calmed herself down.
"What I meant," She said putting emphasis on the 'I', "Is that if you wanted to be, you know friends."
"Friends? Why would you want to be friends with the school's biggest social outcast?" She asked using that middle schooler's term for her.
"Because Trixie, cause I can understand the feeling of everyone not believing you when you try to deny being something your not. Also, Trixie can understand not being very popular. So if you wanted a friend who could understand you well Trixie is available."
It wasn't the worst thing Sunset could think of. It would be nice to have a friend who actually believed her to be innocent, even if Trixie was more than a little odd. Still, she was a little worried that if she said yes and brought Trixie to see her other friends she might let something slip and get Sunset in trouble with them.
Still maybe you should have at least one friend you won't have to lie to. Besides, you could always use more friends to watch your back.
"You are annoying, you know that right?" Sunset told the voice in her head before answering Trixie. "If your fine with the risks then sure, we can be friends."
And like that Trixie's confidence was back, she lept in place spreading her arms wide. "Of course you accept, who would not want to be the Great and Powerful Trixie's friend? Trixie knew she was right when she chose you."
"Yeah okay Trixie, now come on we need to get to class or we'll both be late," Sunset said just as the first bell rang. The two new friends looked at each other before bursting out of the restroom, running for class at full speed.
***
Sunset's first day after her false confession was surprisingly the best day she had had since the whole Anon-A-Miss thing got started. Sure she still got glared at and bumped into in the hallways, but she had her friends watching out for her between classes they shared, so it was not as often. She noticed a lot of the students were shocked to see the account down and were not sure how to react, she only hoped they would calm down once they took a few minutes to think. The only unwelcome change Sunset noticed was at lunch when she noticed both Lightning Dust and Gilda glaring at her from opposite sides of the cafeteria.
As far as Sunset knew neither of them had been gossiped about by Anon-A-Miss, at least they hadn't the last time she checked two days before the account went down. It was a little unnerving having two of the toughest students in the school joining the glares but she tried to push it out of her head and instead focus on her lunch. At the end of the day she was able to get a ride home with Rarity, they both agreed that with the number of glares Sunset had been getting it was best for them not to be able to follow her home.
The next day most of the students had gotten over their shock and had turned to anger. The first thing she noticed when she opened the doors was that now almost everyone was glaring at her, she could hear them muttering, somehow they knew. They knew she had claimed to be Anon-A-Miss. The next sign the last day before the break would not be a good one was when she got to her locker.
By now she was used to seeing graffiti on it, normally in marker or on a taped paper, often calling her the same things. Normally the janitor would clean it but save him some time he decided to clean it over the break so he didn't have to do it every day. But today it was different.
Monster
Witch
Demon
Anon-A-Miss
Get our of town
Secret Stealer
And a bunch of other insults were drawn all over her locker, what concerned Sunset was the last one at the bottom that had been scratched into the locker.
Die
She was still staring at it when she heard someone approach. "Hey Sunset what you looking at?" Rainbow Dash asked jogging up to her. She frowned when she saw what was scratched into the locker. She pulled Sunset away from it. "Come on don't look at it, I'm sure people will get over it after break, just try and put this behind you."
"I don't think people will let it go that easy."
"Then we'll just keep a close eye on you till they do. Don't worry I promise we'll look after you." Rainbow assured her.
"What are you two doing out in the hallways?" Vice Principal Luna asked turning the corner. "I know it is the last day of class but that does not mean you can loiter in the hallway."
"Sorry Vice-Principal Luna, Sunset was just distracted by what was scratched into her locker." Rainbow explained.
"What? Vandalism what did they do?" Luna moved past them to see the locker, frowning at what she saw. "I see, this can not stand. Do not worry Sunset we will have this fixed before school starts."
"Thanks, Vice-Principal Luna," Sunset said. The two left her as she glared at the locker.
"Hey, see you at lunch okay," Rainbow said.
"Yeah, okay."
Lunch could not come soon enough for Sunset. The classes she shared with one of the girls were not so bad now that they were friends again people left her alone in them. It was the class she did not have with any of them that was really bad, she was pelted constantly with paper every time the teacher turned her back, after opening the first hateful message she decided to just gather them up to be tossed away at lunch. When the bell rang she headed to her locker to deposit her books before heading to lunch. The graffiti was cleaned away and someone had placed tape over the Die message, Sunset just closed her locker when someone grabbed her from behind slamming her against the lockers.
"Hey Anon-A-Miss, you got some nerve showing up here like nothing happened." A furious voice whispered in her ear. Sunset tried to turn her head to see who was pinning her, her attacker pinned her head before she could do so. "'I've been waiting for the chance for us to have a little chat."
"And you are," Sunset said attempting to sound nonchalant while her heart was thumping in her chest. She felt the pressure lift for a second and her attacker spun her around repining her against the locker so she had a clear view of her attacker. Lightning Dust.
"You're going to pay Shimmer." She said threateningly. "Did you really think I would not get you back for what you did?"
"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about," Sunset said racking her brain as she tried to think of anything Anon-A-Miss posted about Lightning Dust, nothing came.
"Really! You get me suspended and possibly kicked off the team, shut down your little account the day after posting that picture, and then you say you have no idea what I'm talking about." Lighting Dust gripped Sunset by the shirt lifting her inches off the ground. "Well, you're going to pay."
She pulled her fist back, a sinister smile on her face as Sunset started to panic. Before Lightning could strike a voice called from around the corner. "Sunset? You around here?" Rainbow called.
Lightning Dust glared around the corner then at Sunset before setting her down. "If you have any brains in the demon head of yours you'll skip town before school starts up again. Cause your friends won't be able to protect you forever." She cast one last glare at Sunset as she disappeared around the corner walking past Rainbow Dash.
Sunset sighed. "It's fine, you dealt with their anger once you can do it again. Just push through it and soon everything will be back to normal." She told herself before heading to meet with Rainbow, hoping she was right.
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think Sunset should break off her bonds with the Rainbooms, It not worth what she be going thru, if they believed she was guilty.
also everyone assumed she was guilty because of the rainbooms, I hope that pointed out to them.
Man she's is going through some tuff shit
Friend aren't worth this much pain. Here's hoping she'll be okay
loving it so far.keep it up
static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightsmile.png
Are you gonna finish this cause I like it but the original of this story didn’t finish it
10581047
I have every intention of finishing this, I actually have plans for sequals.
Ok thank you I’ll be counting on it
You promise
In my opinion, I prefer when Applejack's accent isn't written down lakh dis. It is enough with her countryism (simile).
10576615
really hoping the author covers the illegality of the CMC's actions.
The Great and Perceptive Trixie! Give that girl peanut butter crackers.
I get where Sunset is coming from...but a relationship built on a lie, no matter how well-meaning, isn't one that will last.
I kind of figured that was going to happen especially for a couple of hot headed s*** bags like Lightning Dust and Gilda Griffin