(Friday, December 14th 2012)
(2:00 / 14:00 PM)

"And...done. Anon-a-Miss is no more...and nobody will ever know it was us."

Apple Bloom nodded in satisfaction at her friend's work well done. She knew that Sweetie Belle was clearly a master when it came to technological hacking, but she never thought she was this good. Scootaloo seemed to agree as she high-fived her friend, an action which she herself mimicked as her way of saying "Good Job".

"So, what do we do now?" Sweetie Belle scratched the back of her head.

"Well..." Scootaloo shrugged after a minute of uncertain silence, "Now that Sunset Shimmer is out of the picture, our sisters spend more time with us now, so...nothing, I guess. We accomplished our goal anyway. What do you think, Apple Bloom?"

The young country girl couldn't help but notice a sinking feeling nagging at her from the back of her head, but she shook it off for now. "Let's go to the Sweet Shoppe to celebrate our victory! Hopefully, our sisters will feel the same when they learn Sunset finally stopped posting secrets."

The three girls exchanged smiles, gave each other high-fives once more, and left the computer lab...unaware of the hell they've unleashed not just onto the school...but the entire town...

Meanwhile, the three girls were feeling good as they were practically skipping their way towards the Sweet Shoppe. Well, two of the three were. It's not that Apple Bloom was feeling good; in fact, she was feeling glad of her accomplishment and separating Sunset Shimmer from her sister. So what was the problem? Well, she wasn't exactly sure, but she did know that sinking feeling from the back of her brain was back with a vengeance and three times stronger than before. In addition, her stomach was feeling much lighter than before, as if there was a void down below. She was starting to get an idea of what exactly the sinking feeling was...and she didn't like it. Not...one...bit.

Did...did Sunset really deserve this?

Apple Bloom barely managed to stop herself from walking straight into active traffic. Glancing back and forth between the stoplights and the traffic, she then did a double take at the road signs above her. One in particular was labeled "110th Street". Hmm... I never saw that before. Must be a new renovation here... She shrugged and continued walking with her friends once the light reverted to green. As they were, Apple Bloom did another double take – this time, at an electronics store that played a certain peculiar song that accompanied a certain peculiar movie. Okay, something's wrong here... First that road sign, then this movie... Is the world trying to tell me something? Eventually, she probably realized what the world was trying to tell her and shook her head in disbelief. No... No, it can't be. It couldn't be. Sunset deserved everything to happen to her and her only. After all, she enslaved the school, mistreated us all horribly, and stole my sister from me. No...stole our sisters from us. Even if she did apologize, everyone will know her for the cruel person she really is. Everyone will see it. Yes, they have to know her name. No, I don't care if it's illegal, I just did it! Like a devil cast from the sky, I'll show them all the evil you can't deny... You don't know what your future holds, so hear me when I say...

That your past will always bind you.... That your past is here to stay...

"Yo, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo called from a distance, "Come on, the Sweet Shoppe ain't waiting any longer!"

Apple Bloom snapped out of her dark, deep thoughts and ran off after her two friends. When the girls arrived at the Sweet Shoppe, they noticed the married owners were in a relatively good mood. The atmosphere was equally fair, with a few customers ordering their concessions, minding their own business, and not letting one small thing like Sunset Shimmer and her "Anon-A-Miss" antics deter them from having a good day. It truly was...until it wasn't.

"Hello, girls," Mrs. Cake greeted the trio, "The usual, I suppose?"

"Yes, please!"

When the three girls got their usual order, Apple Bloom noticed her sister and her friends (minus Sunset, of course) sitting in a circle, their own orders forming a separate sub-circle within as they sulked. She decided to comfort her...in her own way.

"Sis?"

"Oh, hey, sugarcube. What are you doing here?"

"My friends and I were just getting some drinks. What are you doing here?"

"Well, the girls and I are just...hanging out here, for lack of a better term." Applejack smoothed her nose bridge and sighed solemnly, "I still can't believe that Sunset switched back to her old self, after everything we've been through..."

Apple Bloom suddenly felt a pang of guilt(?) tap against her chest as she bit her lip. "It's...not your fault, sis. I tried to warn you about her; it was going to happen eventually."

"Thanks, Bloom." Applejack rubbed her younger sister's head as Apple Bloom felt another wave of regret wash over her, something that went unnoticed by her older sister. Just then, her iPhone went a-buzzing and so did Rarity's. Then Rainbow Dash's...then Fluttershy's...then Pinkie Pie's...then...well, you get the idea. Applejack opened up her device and clicked on a new update, which read in big, bold letters:

It's Time You Have A Confession... A REAL Confession...

"Well, well. It looks like Sunset is finally going to take responsibility for all of this crap." Rainbow Dash said, smirking at the thought. Applejack couldn't help but let a sly grin of her own – Good job, Sunset. You finally wised up. – before that slowly fell in confusion – But why? Why now? – and Fluttershy offered her insight on the matter.

"I don't know about this, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy hugged her arms in uncertainty, "Sunset isn't the type of person to do something like this, no matter how bad it got."

"Well, darling, I see no other reason for this post to labeled as such." Rarity said, softly huffing in contempt. "Besides, Sunset can't outwit the authorities forever."

"We have to be careful, girls," Applejack warned, "This could be a trick for all we could know."

"Let's hope not," Pinkie took small sips of her hot chocolate.

The three girls, meanwhile, both exchanged surprised and nervous expressions. Apple Bloom in particular seemed appalled at the title of the MyStable post. This...was not what we were expecting at all. Had we finally done it? Had we really broken Sunset so far that she would admit to being guilty of a crime she didn't do...just to gain her friends back?

She didn't have enough time to answer that question, as Applejack played the video:

Nothing more than 30 seconds of black screen appeared until an outline of a familiar person came into view. A light switch was then flipped on, revealing a suit-and-tie clad Sunset Shimmer. Her eyes were red that came with the crying, contained bags that came with the insomnia, and took the appearance of a empty gaze. This blank stare completely contrasted with her forlorn expression worn on her face. A few minutes of silence later, Sunset finally spoke:

"This is...not easy for say the truth, even though you all know it already. It's true, though, what everyone is saying about me. Not just the school, but everybody in the town. I am Anon-A-Miss, the one and only person who has been posting secrets for all of social media to see. My reason of posting these secrets is fairly simple: Nothing can stay secret forever. Sooner or later, everyone will find out about them, good or bad."

A smile(?) crossed Sunset's face as she continued:

"That's where I come in. I created the Anon-A-Miss account in a jealous rage, out of pure existential frustration. A few weeks ago, my parents got a new job in Manhattan and were planning to move there 'tout suite', so I figured to get a little revenge on those who've wronged me...and especially those closely associated with me. Yeah, it may have hurt quite much when they abandoned me like I always knew they would, but I wasn't the top thespian in my acting class for nothing."

Her completely calm manner when revealing such details completely creeped out the people watching, but that didn't deter her from continuing on:

"I know this was a stupid decision, but I chose to do it with the best intentions in mind. Then again...doesn't all the worse things come with the best intentions? That being said, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for every piece of torture and heartbreak I've put you all through. I completely regretted any action I put into this Anon-A-Miss misconduct. I may not deserve your forgiveness, and that's okay. It's all right...because only God forgives. And, uh...for those who don't believe me, well...you know where to find me. This is probably the last you'll hear of me, so...goodbye, farewell, and amen. May God have mercy on my soul."

Sunset covered the lens of the camera, signifying the video's end.

Overall reactions to this confession video was...understandably split, but most agree that their sympathies for their supposed tormentor were at an all-time high. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, and nobody even breathed. A tsunami of crystal clear guilt crashed upon them all: not just the shop, but the entire town. Everyone regretted their rather harsh treatment of Sunset Shimmer: The Cakes who had threatened her to call the authorities on her on more than one occasion, the students who made her last few days a living hell inside and out just because they now had a "justifiable" reason to, the teachers and staff who would fail every piece of homework, quiz, and test taken to show her how much they hated her and harassed her at every ample opportunity, and (last but not least) the Rainbooms, also known as the Humane 5, a group of girls whose very name was now very much ironic because of the situation they've currently found themselves in. They befriended a former bully and showed her the path of friendship is a far better route than the path of loneliness, only to turn on her at the first sign that says "She's guilty beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt", despite how many holes in all of the pieces of the so-called "evidence" acquired.

They didn't deserve to be her friends. Nobody did.

Apple Bloom suddenly lost her appetite as she ditched her hot chocolate and exited the Sweet Shoppe, daring to run into the path of ongoing traffic if it meant one step closer to Sunset's apartment...and naturally ignoring the concerned call-outs of her friends and older sister in the process.

Meanwhile, at the school, Celestia and Luna made their way to the teacher's conference room, a expression of blunt determination worn on both women's faces. In the center of the room stood a smooth wooden circular table, where the teachers summoned were seated around by the time they arrived. Closing the door behind them, the sisters took their place in the middle facing every teacher and authoritative member of their respective section.

"I would like to thank you all for attending this meeting, especially on such short notice. I am well aware that many of you in here have plans already, so I will make this quick: As you all may know, Anon-A-Miss has finally ceasing posting any more secrets and causing any more harm on this very day. Luna feels something is amiss, so I have arranged this meeting to hear your insight on the matter. So, tell me...what shall we do now?"

It was decided on a special assembly at seven in the evening. As much as this short-noticed announcement surprised and even irritated some of the students, the others were somewhat more forgiving and agreed to show up. Little did they know...

Indeed, the main topic was Anon-A-Miss and the quote "reveal of her true identity". Needless to say, when half of the student board cheered at Sunset's decision to finally own to her fatal flaw, they were genuinely shocked when Principal Celestia banged on the podium and basically yelled out a command for them to cease their misguided applause, effectively silencing them into a fearful whirlpool of...well, silence. Thus began the seemingly never-ending speech of why one should not jump to conclusions ever so quickly.

Apple Bloom alone snuck out unscathed before the madness ever started, feigning her escape as an excuse to use the bathroom. Slipping on her blue denim jacket, she exited the school and entered the frozen landscape of Canterlot City. Approaching the apartment complex where Sunset stayed, she picked up her pace and burst into the building, catching the attention of the landowners.

"Excuse me, miss," the middle-aged man called out, "This building is closing; you can't be here."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Apple Bloom ran towards the counter, "I need help! Have either of you seen a girl named Sunset Shimmer lately? She used to live here!"

"Miss Shimmer?" The woman approached and kneeled down to Apple Bloom's level, "Oh, I'm sorry, dear, but...we haven't seen Sunset since two weeks ago. She left because her parents received a new promotion in Manhattan."

"... And who were her parents?"

"She never said."

Apple Bloom blinked a few times in horrific realization. "Call...call the police! I think Sunset's in trouble!" She then bolted out of the building, leaving a confused and concerned couple in her wake. Not holding a care in the world about the decreasing temperature and the piling snow above her knees, she only had one objective: to find Sunset and make amends with her, no matter what. She searched everywhere and asked any bystander she encountered. Taking a seat on a nearby porch in front of an abandoned warehouse under foreclosure, she took several deep breaths before her eyes watered up. What have we done? Did we really cause Sunset to...disappear?

"Congratulations...you've found me."

Apple Bloom's head shot up and turned to find Sunset herself in the flesh. That same empty stare into the distance from her "confession" was ever so present as she gazed at her for a moment's notice before turning tail and walking back inside. She decided to follow her inside as she called out, "Sunset, wait!"

Suddenly, Sunset swiftly turned and pulled a Beretta 92FS on a now stunned Apple Bloom, who was stuck in a terror-induced standstill upon noticing the firearm. She was then instructed through gestures to close the open door behind her. After she did just that, she turned to be greeted with the barrel of the handgun once more. She wanted to cry, yet she couldn't. Instead, she listened. She listened out for the sound of the gun going off and the feel of the bullet going in...but it never came.

"I know you three did it, Apple Bloom."

"What?"

"I may have been selfish, but I was not stupid. Who else would've known about Rainbow's D better than Scootaloo? Who else could've efficiently downloaded the pictures and videos from my iPhone better than Sweetie Belle? Who else could've known Applejack's Piggly Wiggly nickname...better than you? It wasn't that hard figuring out who Anon-A-Miss was."

"Wait, if you knew...why didn't you say something?"

"Well...if I did reveal the true identity of Anon-A-Miss, everybody wouldn't believe me. And if they did, they would've just apologized to me and beg for forgiveness. None of this is worth recovering from." Sunset then lowered the Beretta, much to the relief of Apple Bloom, who remained unaware of the devastation that would soon follow, "Look, I understand why you three did what you three did, but frankly...revenge is a cruel mistress, and – let's face it – somewhat petty."

"I know, Sunset. I just didn't realize it until..."

"Until it was too late? I figured." Sunset smiled a sad smile as she glanced toward her pistol, "I'm sorry."

"... For what?"

"For stealing your sister. For stealing Sweetie Belle's and Scootaloo's. For potentially angering all of Canterlot and exposing all of their secrets. For...destroying a friendship that was once considered unbreakable. The worst part? They won't even know the truth. I'll give you the liberty of apologizing for me."

Sunset cocked the hammer of her handgun, just as Apple Bloom realized what she meant.

"Goodbye, Apple Bloom. May I see you on the other side..."

"NO!"

Alas, it was too little too late.

BANG!

Apple Bloom yelped and looked away in sudden alarm as Sunset pulled the trigger. She heard a body collapse onto the floor, but it wasn't her own. When she dared to look and discover the deceased, she instantly wished she hadn't...for there sprawled out on the stone cold concrete with a smoking handgun in her hand and a puddle of blood forming around her head was a now lost Sunset, whose cyan eyes remained open but pupils dilated. She may have been young, but she was old enough to know what death was. And so, she did any high school freshmen would do when faced with a situation like this.

She screamed in absolute horror.

Author's Note

This first chapter contains elements of Chapter 3 from "Walking Through The Sun" (by The Toaster Repair) and Chapter 5 of "Home or Hearth?" (by keroko). I don't own those stories; only their respective authors do.

If this feels rushed, then I would like to apologize. I wrote this around ten, hesitated publishing it around eleven, and finally adding (and deleting) some new (old) scenes around twelve/one. It's been of a rough day/night...