Riddle Me This

Two months. It only took two months for things to stir up again after the whole Anon-a-Miss ordeal. Things were calm for a short period of time, but things can quickly change, and hell can quickly break loose.

Every student at CHS who had a mobile device was taking a picture of the front of the school. As soon as each one got their desirable amount of photos, many of them posted the photos on social media, such as MyStable.com, where Anon-a-Miss’s account had existed. They had not done this to boast that they had gone to the same school as Sunset Shimmer, a victim of battery due to the whole Anon-a-Miss situation (which was now very well known across the nation), who was now recognized by many for being strong and holding through, and having to go through betrayal, rather than being recognized as the ‘She-Demon.’

Students were actually taking pictures of the big, green statements that were spray-painted on the front of the school, which was also bedazzled in green question marks (which were also spray-painted on).

??????If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you no longer have it.????????

This was not normal. Even though this school has had visitors from alternate worlds, and demons trying to learn of magic, the riddle on the school was abnormally eerie. It felt almost like a distraction to some, while to others it seemed like nothing more than an act of vandalism.

The riddle was fairly easy, so people had posted their guesses and answers on social media WITH the pictures in the same post. After about ten minutes, the students actually walked inside of the school. Chatter about the strange, unexpected riddle filled the halls as students began to open their lockers and retrieve things they'd need for their classes.

As they walked to their classes, more chatter occurred, but some about different subjects. Many of the students were speaking about the once popular athlete known as a Rainbow Dash, who had helped set up a plan to harm Sunset Shimmer. She hadn't known that Sunset would nearly die, but she still was in on it. What she had done was unforgivable, and it had caused her friends to go into a great period of contemplation about whether or not they should accept Rainbow as their friend or not.

Rainbow on the other hand was more than depressed. She had hated herself to the point where she nearly began to inflict damage on herself. She got closer to cutting herself every night, but just couldn't bring herself to do it for some reason. She had considered talking to Sunset about what happened, but she had it burnt into her mind that Sunset more than likely hated her.

As students sat down in their respective seats in their respective classrooms, teachers began taking attendance for that day’s homeroom period. When each teacher finished, the loudspeaker in each classroom made a tolerable ‘beep’ noise. This was the beginning of daily announcements.

“Good morning, students of Canterlot High. Will teachers please do a quick dress code check?” Principal Celestia said over the loudspeaker. After a moment, she continued. “Our first announcement; there will be no condiment packets today at lunch due to late shipping. Second; we ha-” Celestia was cut off by the sound of a door opening, and the gym teacher’s voice, which was barely audible due to his distance from the microphone. A few moments passed before Celestia continued announcements.

“I'd like to apologize for that, but it seems as though these… question marks… found outside of the school were also seen in the gymnasium. We will have an announcement covering that topic sooner than later. As I was saying, our second announcement; we have applications for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the office of anyone is interested. And lastly; there will be an assembly during fifth period which will extend to about thirty minutes before the final bell rings. Thank you, and have a marvellous Monday.” With that, the loudspeaker turned off.

As minutes passed by, Rainbow stared mindlessly at her desk. She had abandoned herself in her thoughts about her mistakes. She didn't want to live like this. She figured that tonight would be as good of a time as any other time to end it all; slash the blade across her smooth wrists in hopes of death by blood loss. No one would care, right? Sunset hated her, her friends didn't know what to think of her, and her dad had been drinking heavily ever since the night her mother passed away.

The bell rang, cutting off her chain of thought. She slowly stood up and began walking to her next class, still having an immense, painful hatred towards herself. She was sorry for what she had done, but she couldn't help but believe that she wouldn't be if she never knew Sunset was innocent. Burning tears full of rage and sorrow streamed down Rainbow’s face as she hung her head. Her fists tightened, and her breathing quickened as she became closer, and closer, and closer to breaking down.

To avoid being seen by anyone, she ran into the restroom. She was bawling at this point, having no control over the volume of it. She tried her best to hold in her feelings, but all she could make of them were more tears and cries of negative emotion.

She turned on the sink and splashed her face with the school’s water. As she slowly regained control, she looked into the mirror, only to see what she had looked like for the past two months. Her hair was a mess, and it almost reeked of sweat from the nightmares she had every night. Her eyes had bags under them due to her loss of sleep while she cried her eyes out silently every night in her bedroom. Her eyes were bloodshot as well, thanks to her endless crying. She was shaking like she was plucked straight from the insane asylum.

“Look at yourself. You're pathetic. You may as well be a killer. You helped Gilda do those things to sunset.” A voice in the back of her head hissed. It was still her own voice, though.

"N-no… I d-didn't know t-that Gilda would d-do that…” Rainbow responded to the voice, stuttering madly.

“Did you care what happened to her at the time? Would you have really cared if she turned out to be Anon-a-Miss?” The voice asked, it's creepy tone implemented greatly.

“S-shut up… I wasn't fe-feeling like myself t-those few d-days…” She said, her voice slightly louder than before. She looked up and gasped at the sight. She saw herself in the mirror, but there were tally marks cut into her flesh. The tallies practically covered her to the point where she almost looked like someone completely different. Her eyes looked dead, and her smile was wide, scars even covering her lips and her tongue.

“W-what the h-hell are you?!” She asked, practically shouting at the mirror. The reflection didn't follow her movements, but sat there, smiling at her.

“But you still would've loved it, wouldn't you? And that's who I'm saving this spot here for…” The reflection said, pointing her scarred finger at a smooth spot on her palm of the opposite hand. “Every time I move my hand, I'll feel pain until this cut heals. Just like how Sunset healed from her she-demon phase.”

“S-SHUT UP!!!” Rainbow screamed.

“You know you want nothing more than the sweet satisfaction of the drizzling of blood as it spills from those who treat you in a way you wish not to be treated. Embrace it.” The reflection said once more before the mirror was shattered by Rainbow’s fist meeting against it.

“I SAID SHUT UP!!!” Rainbow screamed even louder this time, her lungs pained from doing so as well as her throat. Her hand was also in pain, cuts all over it. Somehow, she didn't notice. She panted, terrified of the reflection she saw. Her heart was beating at an almost alarmingly fast rate, but it slowed to something much more tolerable after a moment. She sat down, her back against the door of an empty stall, tears of high temperatures spilling from her eyes.

And after a moment, she noticed that no one had opened the door to see why there was an ear-piercing scream. She didn't want to accept it, but she knew she had it coming.

No one checked because no one cared.

First period was as boring as ever for students around campus. Teachers rambled on and on about the subject they taught while students struggled to pay any attention. Some of them were having fun discussions about the question marks through small pieces of paper torn from a normal sheet of paper.

One of the students had said that the question marks were spray-painted on by the three who admitted to being Anon-a-Miss as an act to continue gossip, but others knew they wouldn't make that mistake again.

Another student suggested that it was the Illuminati.

While a few students were fiddling around, passing notes, there was one who was paying close attention, despite the pain of some of her still-healing cuts and bruises.

Sunset Shimmer was at the top of her class, having the highest grades in school. She payed much attention to her subjects, and had even managed to block out any new gossip. She was constantly supported by Snips and Snails, who helped her get out of the old factory she was tied up in.

Her former friends, however, were suffering greatly. Not only were they completely sorrowful about how they there Sunset out like trash, but they had been sickened that Rainbow was in on Gilda’s plan.

Applejack watched Sunset from the back of the math classroom, hoping to have a friendly word with her before she went to second period. Just as Applejack was getting deeper into thought about what she'd say, the loudspeaker turned on again.

“As we promised, we'd like to discuss these odd question marks that have appeared around campus. First of all, if our culprit for this vandalism would like to turn themselves in, we'd be glad to make the punishment the least harsh as we can. But we would also like to know why these question marks have appeared. Please, report to the office of you are or know who has left these marks around campus. Than-” A nasty screeching sound was heard from the loudspeaker, which made every student in the school flinch. The sound was absolutely nerve-wrecking.

“Salutations, Canterlot Cretins.” An voice oozing of arrogance said. There was a highly audible, distorted echo in the background of this interception. “Now, you dim-witted high-school jocks and tree-huggers may be wondering why these odd, peculiar question marks have so suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Well, those are to let you know that there is a riddle somewhere around the corresponding areas in which that specific set of question marks have been found.” The voice said, acting as though he were the smartest being in existence. “Oh, and congratulations to Lyra Heartstrings for solving the riddle on the front of the school which could have been easily solved by a mere toddler!!! It says so on MyStable.com. I guess she's the smartest one here! But what's this?! The student with the highest grades in this school full of monkeys is Sunset Shimmer?! Sunset Shimmer as in the raging monstrosity that destroyed the entrance to the school?! My word!!! That should give you imbeciles something to ponder about. Oh, but instead you'll be pondering about how ‘Generic Teen 1’ kissed ‘Generic Teen 8’ at a party full of generic teens!”

Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were freaking out. They couldn't switch the loudspeaker system off. It was as if it were being manually controlled by a second party.

“So, you may be wondering why I've planted these mind-boggling riddles all over the campus? Well, I'd be glad to tell you!!! That is… if you solve four more of my amazingly put-together riddles and post the answer on MyStable. Oh, and if you answer incorrectly on any of these, I will ruin your feeble reputations worse than the rainbow garbage’s one already is. Or maybe... I'll do even worse." His voice darkened, then immediately piped up. *"Well, Tata for now, primitives.” The voice said, the irritating screeching sound commencing once again.*

Whoever this man was, he had just taken Anon-a-Miss to a new level.