Or how Sunset regained herself
A cold winter breeze gently blew on the streets, while many people walked with haste through the various shops to buy everything they needed for the upcoming winter holidays.
People carried bags, while smiling and happily chatting, without noticing a lonely girl, slowly walking with a sad yet resigned look on her pale face.
Her fiery red and blond hair were covered by a worn purple wool knit cap, but were softly moved by the wind, while her cyan eyes told everything about her emotional state: she cried her soul out.
Pressing her scarf on her neck and on her mouth gave her a little bit of heat when she passed near a store she always entered with her, now former, friends, the "Sugarcube Corner"; thoughts of an hot cocoa with sweet cream and a cupcake were quickly averted: she couldn't face anyone inside there, and this thought alone almost made her tears fall again.
She quickly walked away, while the breeze gained speed and power: a storm was coming, and the girl needed to get home as soon as she could, because no-one would've searched the streets if she disappeared; and if this thought tempted her, she still had some things to do before.
Almost running she arrived at her so-called house, a small flat in a rundown building, with just the basic necessities to live: electricity, water and LPG. Turning up the small electric stove, she took off her cap, her scarf, her boots and her padded jacket; then she went over the kitchen to make herself a tea.
During the infusion of the tea leaves, she started talking to herself, mimicking her past "evil" voice:
"Oh, Sunset Shimmer, you poor deluded soul. Did you really think they would've supported you? Did you really thing they forgave you, even after the Dazzlings incident?"
"They tried… I tried. It was all going well, until this 'Anon-a-Miss' incident."
"Are you listening to yourself, Sunset? They 'tried'? The put up a façade while waiting to dump you like an old sweater full of holes. They were never your friends, they never believed you could change, they just followed orders from the Princess."
"Don't bring her up! She would've helped me!"
"Oh yeah, nice try. If she really cares, why don't you write up something on your little diary and see if she responds?"
Even Sunset was disgusted by herself, saying that with a mockingly tone, but unconsciously, she had that fear; she took up her cup of tea and moved over to the poor excuse for a sofa she had, taking also that diary with her. Opening it up, she took the pen and started to write.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
things are going bad. Like, really bad. Some dumb MyStable account named Anon-a-Miss started spreading photos and secrets about everyone, and they all think it's me! Even the Rainbooms! I'm alone, I've cried countless tears trying to prove my innocence. What can I do? Nobody cares about what happened with the Dazzlings, they all think I went back to my old Fall Formal self, they even started whispering about me being a 'she-demon'. And judging by what am I thinking, maybe that part of my self isn't really gone. I've no-one to talk to here, and I need help. Please write back as soon as you can.
Your faithful student, deeply troubled
Sunset Shimmer
Sipping her tea, she expected an answer that didn't came. Either Twilight was busy, or the Rainbooms found another way to communicate with her and already told her the damn thing.
She stood up and started making dinner with what she had in the fridge: stir-fried vegetables with grilled cheese.
'Ok, mental note: I really need to get some food tomorrow. Might as well ditch school, it's not like someone will miss me there.'
Turning up the old television, she ate while seeing a stupid movie about the joy of spending the winter holidays with your family and your friends, and she thought that in an ideal world, it would be like that: everyone would've guessed she wasn't Anon-a-Miss, say sorry about that and laugh together drinking chocolate and singing merry songs. A small trickle of tears started falling, like the snow outside, but unlike the snow, which covered everything with a soft and peaceful white mantle, this tears only brought forth sadness and sorrow.
Sunset tried to wipe away the tears, and only at the third time she could do it. After seeing no answer from Twilight, she heard the loud buzz of her electric stove: she unplugged it fast, fearing a short circuit that could've set the whole flat on fire.
'Well, probably nobody cares if I die in a fire in such a stupid way…'
Putting up her sleepwear, she turned her head to the mirror. Its glass was cracked, broken: she had to change it or at least repair it, but the reflected image Sunset saw was the literal state of her mind and of her emotions. A cracked and broken Sunset Shimmer, with probably no chances to be repaired. Starting to sob again, she fell asleep in a dreamless night, letting her mind be covered by the same snow that was clearing every color outside, leaving nothing but a white canvas.
Sunset woke up fairly late for her standards, nearly 10 AM: school was already out of the question, so she dressed as heavily as she could after eating a light breakfast and walked down the street. The snowplows made their work during early morning so the streets were fairly clean, even if the sidewalks where still covered in snow. She walked without a real destination, trying to avoid places with too much people near them, fearing that some particularly talkative students at CHS could've spread the word. Eventually, she arrived in a huge park not really far from CHS itself, but with really few people inside, mostly elders taking a walk in the chilly weather.
Sunset walked inside the park until she found an empty bench in a secluded place, where she stopped to sit, and she began to think again about the incident with Anon-a-Miss. It certainly was true that she used secrets to blackmail in the past, but she never exposed them, in some sort of moral code; also, the first secrets were all about the Rainbooms, and the photos were from her phone. But she didn't post them, the Rainbooms probably neither, because they could've cut their friendship with Sunset everytime. Realizing something, Sunset bolted up saying:
"Wait a second…"
Sunset knew now what to do. Honestly, she was now glad that she didn't throw away her phone.
After running back home, she got in more comfy clothes and she set up her phone in the recording function: the show was about to begin.
The next morning, Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna found a little box on the desk of Celestia's office: they opened it and they found a DVD and a written message, which said:
Principal Celestia, this will be probably the last you and all CHS will hear of me. Please play the video in the auditorium, and let all school be present. I found out everything.
Sunset Shimmer.
Celestia and Luna didn't know what to think: they knew about Sunset's behaviour before the Fall Formal, but they also noticed how much the girl tried to redeem herself, including the incident with the Dazzlings. They nodded together.
All the students were assembled in the auditorium when the lights were turned off and the video started.
"Hello everyone."
The face of Sunset appeared on the screen, showing no feelings. The students tried to raise their voices, but the video stopped them.
"I know you now hate me, just like after the Fall Formal. Honestly, even I believe that you never accepted me after the Battle of the Bands. But I hoped it could go well. An armed truce is still better than a war. But no, you had to start this Anon-a-Miss thing, and of course you blamed me, forgetting that when I was the bad girl, I knew your secrets, but never spread them."
All the students went quiet after that: they knew Sunset was right.
"Well, this whole thing made me figure out a couple of things: first, I had the time to think about who is really Anon-a-Miss, and I will tell you that; second, I saw the real faces of my so-called friends; third, I might be better off this world."
A gasp oh shock eventually appeared on the faces of many students: did they just vent their frustrations into bullying a fragile girl who saved them all not long ago at the point of her suicide?
"But before I unveil the real names of Anon-a-Miss, I got something to say to some of you. I'll start with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna: I thank you if you are streaming this video and I'm sorry for everything I did before and during the Fall Formal. I was crazed with power and you could've kicked me out after my defeat. Yet, you didn't, because I think you saw something in me. But it's clear that only you two saw it. But now I'm getting too emotional."
She faked a cough to clear her voice for the next part.
"I'm really disappointed though, thinking that the five who proclaimed to be my friends were my first and most vocal adversaries. Yeah, I'm talking about you, Rainbooms. You disgust me beyond words, but I'l try my best to counter all the shit you've thrown to me. You've left me broken, alone, shattered in a million pieces like a mirror. But unfortunately for you, behind the broken glass there was something. My freedom."
The five girls gulped, while Pinkie's hair were starting to turn flat.
"Let's start with the first, or the most simple, if you want. Pinkie Pie, the one who brings joy, being the element of Laughter: I guess I should've laughed at your petty 'big meanie', 'faker', 'fun-stealing' insults. But the only thing I can laugh about now is you. How could you turn on me after we enjoyed so mush time together. I can fairly say that laughing at you now should be a national sport, because you're the real faker between us.
Now it's Rarity turn, the element of Generosity. Oh, I can clearly see how much generous were you, letting all of us use your dresses, but I guess no-one imagined how much money you made selling them, while we were basically a walking advertising. You think I'm a 'manipulative bitch'? Well then, you must be my boss, because there's no-one more manipulative and gem-obsessed freak than you.
On Fluttershy, I really can't say anything. Your insults were almost non-existent, I can see you just followed the trail of the others; maybe being the element of Kindness helped too. But I'll offer you this piece of advice: stop being so kind for your own good. Otherwise you'll end up like me now, alone. Maybe less of a smug bitch, though. You'll probably the only one I'll forgive.
But I saved the best for the last, of course. Rainbow Dash, you wrote that I'm a 'she-demon'. I cried so much for that, you know, I literally cried until my eyes were dry. Such a deep insult, from the element of Loyalty; but yes, now that I think about it, I was a she-demon and probably I still am in some parts of my soul: you don't know how much I'd like to bash your stupid face into a wall, repeatedly. They say that loyalty is its own reward: so I must guess you are empty handed at the moment?
And now, the one who hurt me most. Applejack. The element of FUCKING HONESTY. I don't even know where to start with you. You should know when a person is honest, yet why the hell you didn't believe me? Did you forget how to use your brain? You were really the worst amogst them. While I could pass off their accusations and their insults for a bit, I couldn't do it with yours. Because they were honest. You honestly believed that I was the culprit. You honestly thought that I could be again the villain to defeat. I now honestly think that you should fuck off and think about what honesty stands for, because you clearly forgot it."
Sunset stopped for a second, as to recollect her thoughts, the continued.
"But hey, I'm not really mad. Just so you know, of course the first photos and secrets were from my phone. That's why everyone accused me. But at that sleepover, we weren't alone, Rainbooms. I think that, if you're not stupid, you should've guessed who is the real culprit. I don't know their motives, nor I could care less. But yeah, they did it, the Cutie Mark Crusaders did it. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They knew your secrets, yet they shared them blaming me. I really want to pick them up and bend their necks in the most unnatural ways. And no, I'm not evil again. I'm finally free from the good-bad meter you had on me. But alas, I'll never get that chance. When you'll see this video, I already will not be on this world anymore."
The silence in the hall was more eloquent than any kind of shout. It was really a lot to take in.
"Yeah, I'm going back to my original world. I'm still a criminal and an exile there, but I could probably pull something off. I'm on my own, like I should've been forever. And yes, I blame you Rainbooms for it. I still don't know if that was only you following orders from Twilight or a real attempt at friendship, but I kinda think it's the first hypothesis. Otherwise, none of you would've left me alone in my time of need. I honestly hope I'll never come back. Shimmer out."
The video ended, as the first voices started to whisper, and as Celestia and Luna took the CMC for further questioning. The Rainbooms were a mess: Fluttershy was shockingly watching the other four with an eye of disbelief, Pinkie was crying rivers, her hair as much flat as possible; Rarity was petrified by the outburst of Sunset's video, while Rainbow Jack and Applejack were accusing each other of being the head of the 'blaming Sunset plan'.
On the other side of the mirror, an amber coated unicorn emerged from the looking glass, and stumbled a bit on her four legs. After some tries, she could use her magic decently and she wrote on her diary:
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
I'm home. I know I'm technically still a criminal and an exile, but at least, I'm free. Don't bother looking for me now. I need some time alone to get back everything I've lost: magic, walking on four legs, my self control, and so on. I'll keep this diary if you ever want to contact me, but since I received no answer from my last entry, I guess being a princess takes too much of your time. Still, don't worry. Judging on how I'm handling myself right after the portal, we'll see each other very soon.
And probably I'll have to finally face Celestia too. But I'll be ready for that, because nobody will ever take away my freedom again, not even myself.
Your faithful student, broken but reforged
Sunset Shimmer
As she put away her diary, she teleported outside, on a huge prairie. She started walking, humming to herself, into the horizon.