When the bell rang, Rainbow Dash slipped out of class and headed straight to the bathroom. She didn’t stop to talk to anyone, not even her friends.
She didn’t think she deserved them after what happened.
Anon-A-Miss was a huge scandal in CHS. Someone was posting secrets of Canterlot High Students. The first post was about Applejack referring to her nickname as ‘Piggly Wiggly’. That got the blonde cowgirl teased.
Then more and more secrets were posted like Rarity’s wardrobe of shame, Dash’s failed science quiz, and finally the pictures they took at the slumber party.
That was the last straw. And all evidence pointed to Sunset Shimmer.
But they were dead wrong. They thought they were right, it was so obvious that it looked like Sunset Shimmer was doing it all, that she was Anon-A-Miss.
But they were wrong.
Then the picture of Gilda and Rainbow Dash kissing got out, and Rainbow arranged for Sunset Shimmer to be beaten up out of revenge.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t thinking at the time. She thought she was giving a traitor her just desserts.
But the traitor wasn’t Sunset Shimmer, it was Rainbow Dash herself. And not just her, but Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack. They had all betrayed Sunset Shimmer and broke their promise to Princess Twilight.
The police got involved and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo confessed. Then they managed to get Gilda and the students involved in Sunset’s assault to confess as well. They could be charged with manslaughter. Even if they didn’t intend to kill Sunset, what they did couldn’ve resulted in her death.
And Rainbow Dash felt sick when she heard that. She never intended things to go that far, but they had, and all because of some stupid posts.
And Rainbow Dash felt that she was worse than Anon-A-Miss.
Gilda’s group were punished and had to act as bodyguards for the three girls who started Anon-A-Miss. Since they revealed they were behind it all, it painted a target on their backs. Students who didn’t appreciate their secrets being leaked would want revenge.
Honestly, this just couldn’t get any worse.
But Rainbow Dash’s involvement got out. Everyone in her sports team looked at her like some kind of monster.
She had no choice but to quit all the sports team. Nobody wanted to play on the same team as a girl that would do that to one of her best friends.
And now Rainbow Dash didn’t have any friends anymore.
She hadn’t spoken to the other girls since Sunset Shimmer cut ties with them. Rainbow couldn’t blame her. Sunset Shimmer had trusted them and they had pretty much tossed her aside like garbage.
Her friends didn’t know what to say to Rainbow Dash after that and they just drifted apart.
Rainbow Dash looked up at the mirror. She got a good hard look at herself. The guilt was eating her up inside.
She gripped the sink and let out a cry of frustration. How could all this have happened!? How!? How could everything become so messed up!?
Why hadn’t she trusted Sunset!? How could she have not trusted her own friend!?
Letting out another scream, Rainbow Dash punched the mirror. She cut her hand as glass shards fell to the floor.
And then she saw only black.
When Rainbow Dash woke up, she saw staring up at a ceiling fan.
“Ugh...” Rainbow Dash groaned as she raised her right hand to her head. She then saw the bandage that was wrapped around it.
“Oh, you’re awake,” Nurse Redheart said as she checked up on Rainbow Dash.
“What happened?”
“You passed out in the bathroom. Fortunately, someone came and brought you here.”
“Who?”
“It was Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset Shimmer? Why? Why did Sunset Shimmer help her?
“She did?” Rainbow Dash asked, wanting to be sure.
“Yes, she did. She brought you here, told me to look after you, then left.”
Rainbow Dash was quiet. Even after everything that she’d done to her former friend, Sunset Shimmer still decided to help her. If the same had happened to Sunset, would Rainbow had helped her?
Rainbow didn’t know the answer to that, but she was sure of one thing.
Sunset Shimmer was a better person than her.
Rainbow Dash was let out of Nurse Redheart’s office and decided to go look for Sunset. By the time she woke up, school was already over for the day.
How long had she been passed out?
Rainbow Dash walked by the music room where she and her friends used to practice. Used to. The Rainbooms were pretty much dead after Anon-A-Miss. They would no longer gather and jam. It just wasn’t going to happen anymore.
As Rainbow Dash walked by, she heard the sound of a guitar being played. Curious, Rainbow Dash peered inside and saw Sunset Shimmer practicing on her guitar. She was alone and for a moment Rainbow Dash wanted to leave her alone.
But Rainbow Dash shook her head. This was something she needed to do.
With a shyness that was completely out of character for her, Rainbow Dash entered. As soon as she did, Sunset Shimmer stopped playing.
“Hey, Sunset,” Rainbow Dash greeted meekly.
“Rainbow Dash, what do you want?” Sunset Shimmer responded.
Rainbow Dash flinched at the cold tone, but it was expected. They didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.
“I just wanted to thank you. Nurse Redheart told me you helped me.”
“Well, I couldn't just leave you lying on the bathroom floor, bleeding now, could I?”
“No, of course not.”
Rainbow Dash looked down on the floor.
“Look, Sunset, I’m sorry-”
“Stop,” Sunset Shimmer interrupted. “Stop apologizing. I’ve already moved on. I just don’t want to be reminded of what happened.”
“Right, I guess me being here was a huge reminder.”
They shared an awkward silence.
“So, how are the girls?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I...we haven’t talked since, you know,” Rainbow Dash answered.
“Really? I thought you guys were close. So much for friendship, huh?”
“Yeah, we’re horrible at being friends,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “So, you still play guitar, huh?”
“Why not? Some of my best times were spent playing with you girls. I don’t want to give it up,” Sunset Shimmer replied. “Just because there’s no band, that’s no excuse to stop playing.”
“Well, it’s no fun playing alone.”
“It can be if you’re used to it. So, I heard you quit sports.”
“You know, I couldn’t handle the pressure.”
Or the guilt.
“That’s so unlike you, Dash. You used to love sports, even with all the pressure. That was what pushed you to do better.”
“Well, I just have new priorities, I guess. I...I just couldn’t keep on playing sports and-”
“Alright, Dash. That’s enough.”
Sunset Shimmer put down her guitar.
“We may not be friends anymore, Rainbow Dash, but here’s some friendly advice. You gotta pick yourself up and move on. You feel guilty and you hate yourself, I get it. I’ve been there. Believe me, there are things I’m not proud of.
“But wallowing in guilt isn’t healthy. Just look at your hand. You hurt yourself and I’m afraid you might do something worse if you don’t let go of your guilt.
“But how can I let go!? You nearly got killed because of me! You could’ve died and it would’ve been my fault! If Scootaloo and the others hadn’t confessed about being Anon-A-Miss, I would’ve probably been happy that you were gone!”
“Well, I’m not dead and neither are you, so just live your life.”
“How?”
“I guess you should start forgiving yourself,” Sunset Shimmer answered with a shrug. “And reach out to your friends and talk. You may think they don’t want to talk to you, but maybe they’re just giving you space.”
“How can I talk to them?”
“That’s up to you. Someone just has to take the first step.”
Sunset Shimmer put away her guitar.
“I have to go now. Snips and Snails are waiting for me at the arcade.”
Sunset Shimmer headed to the door but stopped.
“Oh, and Rainbow.”
“Yeah?”
“If you need to talk to me, just give me a call. I know a thing or two about dealing with guilt.”
“Thanks, Sunset.”
Author's Note
OK, so I read Dainn's Anon-A-Miss fic and how it ended. It was bittersweet, to say the least. So, I decided to write this if I was Rainbow Dash and how I felt after making a terrible mistake. I think it came out OK, even if it was done very quickly.
