Run Number Five. The first time I ever tried to take control of my situation. When I still believed maybe there was something I could do to get my life back. But looking back, what would that even be? Complete a task and suddenly BAM! Life's back!

Yeah right.

Sunset tapped her pen against her chin, her mouth drew into a small grin as she stared down at her notebook. The notebook itself was not anything unique. Just a thin notebook with a red cover. However, within its pages were the labors of hours of work.

It had been eight weeks since the first heart shattering event had occurred. So nearly two months now. It had been an... interesting couple of weeks. On the first week of her first 'loop', she'd been so far buried underneath the sadness and regret that she...

She wanted - no needed - to talk to someone. And even though CHS was supposed to be out for Christmas Break, chances were that Principal Celestia was still there and would be for a few days. And, much to her surprise, there were already a large majority of the students there. Maybe she'd missed a memo?

After reaching her locker, she was greeted with a very familiar scene. One that was burned into her mind. All her "friends" glaring her down with eyes full of rage and betrayal. And then...

"Sunset, where's your phone?"

"H-Huh?" What?

"Ah said, where's your phone?"

Oh she remembered vividly where it was. Probably shattered into miniscule fragments in the alleyway beside her apartment building. But her phone was the least of her worries. Her friends were talking to her without screaming at her! Maybe she could-

"Well?!"

Scratch that...

Flinching a bit, Sunset stuttered a bit. "Um, I-I don't have it..."

"Where is it?"

"I... I d-dropped it..." Sunset managed to mumble out. While not a complete lie, she was pretty sure saying that she crushed it under the heel of her boot while sobbing and punching the wall of an alleyway could only end badly for her. The last thing she needed was to have more... comments... like that...

Snapping out of her daze, Sunset was shocked to see their anger and betrayal die down a bit. She felt her stomach begin to knot itself while her breathing began to pick up. What had she said?

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. "Hoo wee. That's a relief."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Never mind that for the moment." Rainbow approached her and calmly slung an arm around her shoulder. "We'll explain after school. We're just a bit happy at the moment, right girls?" All of her other friends nodded in agreement, most of their anger now completely dissipated. Rainbow and Applejack even had small smiles on their lips.

Just standing next to her friends once again without them yelling accusations and insults was almost too much for Sunset.

And she couldn't help but cry.

Shaking her head, Sunset focused back on the page in front of her. On it, she had a list of all the students that attended CHS as well as the times of all the Anon-A-Miss posts. When in her classes and a post was made, she could mark off all of the students in the room with her. That had nearly gotten rid of all the students her age and older, as she was in the more "advanced" classes as well as the massive "class" that was gym.. However, there was still the younger students to worry about. Narrowing those down would be much more of a challenge.

The qualifications for being Anon-A-Miss were far too steep. All the secrets that had only been told at their sleepover were only known among them and their families. That is unless someone had wiretapped one of their homes, which was highly unlikely.

"I guess I can start by getting rid of the... ehem, lesser intelligent students." Snips and Snails were the first to go. Sure, she might've used them, but anyone who'd even laid eyes on those two could tell they were, well, morons. After crossing out a few more names, she pulled out her phone.

"I guess they'd have their own MyStable account. Unless they're just awful at covering their tracks. But someone would need at least a moderate level of intelligence to pull... this farce off." It wouldn't be difficult to find out who didn't have an account. Only students from CHS could access the section of the site that Anon-A-Miss had used. So anyone that didn't have an account could be marked off.

It was a bit risky, getting rid of those who didn't have an account under their name. However, when the site was first allowed in school, students who entered it were required to put their full name as their username. There were some loops you could jump through to get past this, but the most common and easiest way was to create another account - mostly under the guise of a sports group or other extracurricular activity - and keep your other one up as to not draw suspicion. While most students changed their names later - with or without permission - it was still fairly easy to tell which students belonged to what account, whether it was from their previous posts or just their names.

With a list of around forty now, she only had one more qualification. Any connection to Applejack or any of her friend's families. Without any connection, no matter how small, it'd be impossible to know those first few secrets posted.

Soon, Sunset had a relatively small list of people who could be Anon-A-Miss suspects.

Diamond Tiara
Silver Spoon
Button Mash
Twist
Dinky
"Nyx"
Rumble
Pipsqueak
*Scootaloo
*Sweetie Belle
*Applebloom

Sunset paused as she read the last three names. She even went back over her criteria again. But sure enough, those three passed.

She put a star next to their names with an eye roll. "Pfft, yeah right." Closing her notepad, she set it on her bedside table before crawling under her covers, confidence radiating from her.

"Time to see who you really are, Anon-A-Miss."

After school, Sunset stood by the CHS, statue, eyes locked on the door. The first one's she'd want to talk to should be arriving soon. Going down the list from the very top made the most sense, both because of logic and who's name was written there. And lastly because who was written at the top would be the hardest to deal with.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Not only did they match the criteria, with Silver Spoon's parents apparently being very close to Rarity's and Diamond Tiara's father being business partners with the Apple family, it wouldn't be a stretch to say they'd share any dirt with each other. And finally - the most damning reason: they also had a motive. It wasn't particularly a good one, but it was one she was very familiar with.

Respect through power. Bullying. Having others under the heels of their shoes.

Seeing the last few students trickle out of the building, Sunset spotted a familiar swirl of pink and white hair just at the back of the crowd. No doubt with Silver Spoon by her side.

Turns out, it was much easier to get them to come over than she'd anticipated.

"Oh, it's Sunset Shimmer!" Diamond said as their eyes met, a very familiar style of smile on her lips. "Or maybe you'd prefer to go by Anon-A-Miss in real life too?" A couple of the other students turned to look after hearing that name before walking off, a glare in Sunset's direction. Soon, however, most of the students went off on their own business, leaving only Sunset and Diamond Tiara.

"Where's Silver Spoon?" Sunset asked, a bit suprised by the lack of the girl who seemed to worship Diamond.

"None of your business." She spat, arms folded over her chest. "Get to the point. You obviously want to say some shit, so spill."

"Okay then." Her gaze hardened, she leaned closer to Diamond, taking a small step forward. "Go ahead and tell me who Anon-A-Miss is."

"Pfft, that's it? It's you, Sunset Shimmer-"

"Wrong answer." Grabbing the edge of Diamond's pink jacket, she pulled the smaller girl closer, casting an anger fueled gaze over the girl's features. "I suggest you give me the right one next one."

Fear cut into Diamond's features as she began squirming in her grip. "Let me go!"

"I'm done playing nice!" Sunset growled, making her flinch in response. "I've tried that, and look what it did for me? Now tell me! Who. Is. Anon-A-Miss?" Her voice hardened as she brought the girl close enough that she could feel the girl's ragged breaths against her cheek, her own eyes glaring harshly into the dilated pupils of Diamond Tiara's.

"I-I don't know!" Tears were forming in the bully's eyes. "I swear, I don't know!"

For a few seconds, Sunset studied her face, looking for any sign of indication, of it being a façade. Any sort of upturn in her lip, obvious fake stuttering, a break in fake rough breaths, anything. But all she could see was genuine fear in the girl's eyes.

She's innocent.

With a heavy sigh, she let go of Diamond Tiara, watching her take several steps back. "Tell nobody about this. Got it?" She responded with a hasty nod. "Get out of here."

As Daimond sprinted away from her, Sunset's shoulders sagged and she slumped down the statue. "Man, that was harder than I thought..." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small notepad with all the suspects on it and crossed out Diamond Tiara's name.

"That's one down, I suppose..."

Sunset grimaced as she glared down at the notepad resting in her lap. With a begrudging sigh, she struck off the name "Pipsqeak". Her eyes went to the name below Pipsqeak's and she bit the inside of her cheek.

Scootaloo.

Drumming her fingers on the side of her chair, she mulled over the name. While most, even Rainbow, considered Scootaloo to be the rainbow-haired girl's "honorary sister", she had no biological connection to any of her friends, as well as a much more aggressive and . Of any of the three names remaining, Scootaloo would be the most likely to do something like this.

"Ugh... Maybe I missed something..." And with that, Sunset whipped out her phone, checking the time. "8:32 huh? Oh joy..."

Going back over her "criteria" proved to be a good idea. Not because she'd missed someone. She had missed something very obvious.

Anon-A-Miss obviously wouldn't post secrets about themselves.

Scrolling through the posts once more, she said a silent prayer that she would find something on Scootaloo. Anything at all that she might've missed...

But found nothing.

"Shit..."

Searching through the posts, she saw posts on each of the names she'd crossed off. The only names that were on the list that also didn't have a secret exposed were Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Checking the date, she winced when she saw that tomorrow would be last school day before Christmas Break. So only two days before she became useless and had to wait for the reset.

"Scootaloo... I hope I'm wrong..."

Sunset was a bit worried that she couldn't find Scootaloo, even as it was nearing the end of the day. Against her better judgement, she went to Princ~~e~~ipal Celestia and was pleasantly surprised to find out that she believed Sunset was innocent and was happy to do anything to help with her "investigation".

Celestia pushed the intercom button. "Would Scootaloo please report to my office immediately. I repeat, would Scootaloo please report to my office immediately." Releasing the button, Celestia stood up, casting Sunset one last look over her shoulder. "I'll leave you to it Sunset."

Sunset nodded, watching Celestia walk out of the room. Taking a seat at the principal's desk, she closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. This was going to be tough.

It only took another minute before a knock on the door made Sunset's head snap up. Clearing her throat, she said in a calm voice; "Come in."

She could practically see the person behind it flinch at her voice. Nonetheless, the door slowly opened up to reveal Scootaloo, a look of fear and shock etched onto her face. "W-What-"

"Shut the door behind you, please." The younger student gulped nervously before stepping into the room, gently closing the door. "Take a seat. This could take a while."

Sunset stared into Scootaloo's eyes as she took her seat. Pupils slightly dilated, a few beads of sweat on her cheek, fidgeting...

"Why are you so nervous?"

"W-Well... um..."

"Suprised to see me? Or..." Sunset leaned slightly over the desk. "Are you hiding something?"

"N-No!" Pleased with the reaction, Sunset returned to her seat, pulling out her phone.

"Do you know why you're here? Be honest." Scootaloo quickly shook her head. "I see... No reason at all as for why you'd be called to the principal's office?" Another shake, this time a bit more urgent. "Interesting..."

Setting her phone on the desk where Scootaloo could see it, she hid a grimace as Scootaloo flinched at what was on the screen. "You're familiar with this page?"

"A-Anon-A-Miss, yes..."

"How familiar, I wonder... Tell me, Scootaloo. Who do you think is Anon-A-Miss?"

"W-Well... I... I don't know-"

"Oh, come on, Scootaloo." Standing up, she put a hand on the desk and stared down at Scootaloo. "Nobody at all? Surely you can think of a bully who would do something like this. Diamond Tiara, perhaps?"

Or me?

Scootaloo seemed to relax a tiny bit. "Maybe... I guess..."

"I thought so too. So I did a bit of "research", I guess you'd call it." Grabbing a notebook - her notebook - off the desk, Sunset opened it up to the first page. "I wanted to find out who Anon-A-Miss was. And she was one of my suspects. However," She tore the first page out, tossing it to the floor. "I have reason to believe she was innocent."

"So I continued down my list. As I reached the bottom, though, I was very suprised at who I saw there. Care for a guess?" Scootaloo was nearly trembling at this point. "No? Well, I'll tell you."

"I think that Sweetie Belle is Anon-A-Miss." Sunset buried her smirk under her cold mask of calmness when Scootaloo's eyes went wide and their eyes met.

"W-Wha-"

"It hurts, I know. To think that one of your closest friends could do something so horrible. Sadly, the evidence is there." With a sigh, she tossed the notepad back on the desk. "What hurts more is that she could go to jail over this-"

"WHAT?!" Scootaloo nearly jumped out of her seat. "Jail?!"

Sunset nodded, sighing again. "If she gets caught, this could be catastrophic for her. However, prison is only the most severe of punishments only used in certain places. I'm not familiar enough with the law around here to know for sure how things work with these cases. I know that she's a good kid, but if she doesn't come forward, she could get several years of jail time. That's why I called you here, Scootaloo."

Staring into Scootaloo's eyes, she pointed at her. "If she doesn't confess, it will be devastating for her. I need you to convince her to confess." Tears formed in the corners of Scootaloo's eyes. "If she comes forward, the sentence could be less harsh. Can you do that?"

Scootaloo stood up, eyes staring down at her shoes. For a few minutes, she said nothing. "Y-You said you needed a confession...?"

"Yes."

Raising her head up, Scootaloo, in a trembling voice, said, "W-Well, I have one! Sweetie Belle isn't Anon-A-Miss! I am! It's me!"

Sunset stared down at the desk she was seated at, emotions conflicting with each other. On one hand, she wanted to jump for joy. She'd found the real Anon-A-Miss!

But at the same time, to think that someone as close as Scootaloo would actually do something like this sickened her beyond belief.

"Why?" The simple, one worded question stumped the younger girl, knocking away any of her previous vigor she'd built up.

Cold night air blew in through an open window in Sunset's apartment. Having not even bothered to take her "school attire" off, she lay prone on her bed, eyes staring at the blank ceiling hanging above her.

She'd done it. She knew who Anon-A-Miss was! But... this couldn't just be it. No... She needed to have proof. Physical, legitimate proof, didn't she? Whatever was making her relive these days... It had to be doing it for a purpose. But what? Did it want to see Scootaloo punished and exposed for her actions?

Well, that certainly couldn't be achieved this round. After an... extensive talk with Scootaloo that left her in tears, Sunset couldn't muster up any actual anger. All the anger she'd felt after this whole incident had faded away by her want to uncover the menace responsible. But then it turned out to be someone she thought was her friend! Instead of anger, the returning emotion was... betrayal.

It had happened again. She'd been betrayed by the ones who were close to her. And even though the person who was the root of all of that pain and hurt was sitting right across from her...

All she could do was cry.

Reaching over to her bedside table, she grasped her notebook she'd been keeping. Flipping it to the last page she had written on, she stared at the three last names.

*Scootaloo
*Sweetie Belle
*Applebloom

Those other two... They would feel just like she did, wouldn't they? Their best friend, sharing secrets about their own sisters...

No... This couldn't be how things were supposed to be. It couldn't. All those students effected by those posts... They'll be livid. The outrage could be worse than when people thought it was her.

Was the only way this could end was with somebody suffering under the bludgeoning of others?

There had to be another way. Another way that this could turn out.

And she was going to find it. Even if it took a hundred whole weeks to find it, she would!

"I won't let them end up like I did."

...

Heh...

How delusional I was back then...

Why do people deny who or what they truly are? Do they hate themselves and wish to be rid of it? Do they put up this guise just to get close to others? Is any of what these people do... true? Or is it all just a façade? A mask that holds no blemish or disfigurement. Everyone has one. But what they do with it is their own choice.

Most discard it, moving onwards with their lives as a much more happy individual. Yet others cling desperately to this make believe world. Wanting - no, needing - this layer of protection to shield them from the harshness of reality.

People don't change overnight. Some never change at all. Some pretend to change. But why? Out of fear? Very plausible. But it matters not why. It only matters about the who

Sunset Shimmer. An alien that came into my world and tried to tear it apart. Out of what? Greed. She was a greedy, spoiled creature. She thought the world revolved around her. She looked at others as inferior beings. She tortured beings she deemed beneath her to get her way.

And she just changes in an instant? Don't make me laugh. I showed her what she truly was on that night. Upsetting the balance will not be tolerated. And yet... She enjoyed what what she saw as her inside. She relished in being able to live as an exaggerated version of her own hate and spite.

A Demon

And then bam? A rainbow "friendship" blast and then suddenly she's sorry? No. If these... 'things' think they can alter this world's natural course with their magic, they're sorely mistaken. Sunset Shimmer has a demon inside her. It's just biding it's time.

And it's time for an exorcism.

She will cry. She will beg. She will wail. But it will all be for naught. Her well-being is none of my concern. Sunset Shimmer is not special. She is still that same spoiled brat. To believe that she deserves forgiveness while others who are just as corrupted and damaged as her do not. To believe that others that have done things that pale in comparison to the things she has done aren't worthy of the same courtesy she was given.

It's disgusting hypocrisy.

No. She's not the hero of her little story. Maybe she'll view me as the villain once I am finished. It matters not to me. But this is not about her. It's about fixing the world that was so selfishly fractured by her... Twilight Sparkle. Her actions will forever have consequences on this world. It will never be the same.

And it was all for this one girl that still believes she is above consequences. That she can just magic her problems away.

But that won't happen.

She will be humbled. She will be forced to face herself. To see herself for the monster she really is. To see through the eyes of a victim how it feels to be in constant fear. To be in constant sadness.

Only then can she be free.

She was supposed to see herself as a demon and realize just what she had become. It would've happened eventually. But instead of helping Sunset, they made it worse.

It's time to fix this mistake.

I wonder how fast you can run while in the depths of Hell, Sunset Shimmer.

<{*\/*}Wish Redeemer{*/\*}>

Author's Note

This won't be the last time we see this Sunset Shimmer, trust me.

After all, not everyone involved has been caught yet...

Thanks for reading as always! Sorry for this taking waaaaaaaay longer than it should have! Don't hurt me please!

...

Criticism is greatly appreciated.