The Numbers Don't Lie: Anon-A-Miss Edition

Chapters

A Rare Slumber Party
Anon-A-Miss Assembly
With Wand in Hand
Prologue: The Wand

A Rare Slumber Party

“Alright, girls! It’s time for an age-old slumber party classic! It’s time to play ‘Truth or Dare’!” Rarity suggested.

The Rainbooms, consisting of six girls, were in Rarity’s room for their usual sleepovers. They were a girl band in Canterlot High, not to mention the school’s own heroes.

There was the aforementioned Rarity, Canterlot High’s top fashionista. When it came to style, elegance, and fashion, she would always know what was in and what was out. Some may see her as vain, and oftentimes she might act a bit conceited, but she had a generous heart.

Before Rarity suggested the game of Truth or Dare, they had done some pretty silly things, with Sunset taking pictures with her phone. Rarity showed off a wardrobe full of her failed projects and the girls also partook in some embarrassing slumber party activities, which would not leave this room. Sunset took pictures anyway.

“Oh, I have so many dares!” Rainbow Dash rubbed her hands eagerly. This girl with blue skin and rainbow-colored hair was none other than Canterlot High’s top athlete. She was captain of all the sports clubs and had the talent and skill to back up her position.

“Let’s keep them tasteful, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity warned.

“Boo! Boring!” Rainbow Dash jeered.

“Yeah, boo!” Pinkie Pie joined in. The pink girl with fluffy hair was Pinkie Pie. She was a girl who enjoyed parties and she also enjoyed organizing them. She loved attending them and making sure everyone had fun. She was also a talented baker. “Lighten up, Rarity! Truth or Dare ain’t fun without risks!”

“Yeah, you tell her, Pinkie!”

“Now, now. This here is Rarity’s slumber party, so let’s respect her rules,” Applejack spoke reasonably. The blonde and freckled cowgirl wore her stetson everywhere, and it looked like she also wore it to bed even in pajamas. This girl was not just as competitive as Rainbow, making the girls rivals at athletics, but she also had a good honest heart.

“Come on, Applejack! There’s so much fun we can have with Truth or Dare,” complained Rainbow Dash.

“Nope,” Applejack denied, shaking her head as she quoted her big brother.

“Yes, Applejack is right. I know Truth or Dare is a chance to get into some risky business, but I feel like we should not crossing any lines tonight,” said Rarity. She was thinking of Fluttershy, the shyest member of their group, who seemed so nervous she was nearly hugging the stuffing out of the stuffed rabbit toy she had brought with her.

Fluttershy had butter yellow skin and long pink hair that was a shade lighter than Pinkie Pies and also straight. Often she would hide behind her large pink locks to avoid any stares. She was not always so extroverted like Pinkie Pie, but she did enjoy spending time with her friends. Her friends had been trying to get her out of her shell, bit by bit.

She was not too keen on Truth or Dare, but she was eager to play if things didn't go too far.

“Yeah, I’d be careful about playing Truth or Dare,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Maybe I’ll use what I learned in this room to mess with you all.” She meant it as a joke. Sunset Shimmer was a teen with orange skin and hair the color of red mixed with yellow. Originally, she was Canterlot High’s top bad girl, but after the Fall Formal, she decided to change for the better. It took hard work since most of the students believe she had not changed, but at least she had her friends at her side.

She was not always comfortable mentioning her past deeds, but she was able to just look back and leave it all behind to move on. Sometimes the girls would mention it, but there was no offense intended.

The girls were having a slumber party to cheer Applejack up. Recently, some MyStable user called ‘Anon-A-Miss’ had somehow learned about a childhood nickname of Applejack’s and had spread it to the students of Canterlot High. It was Piggly Wiggly, and the students had fun making ‘oinking’ noises in Applejack’s presence. It was upsetting and annoying. After a week of suffering through all that, it was nice of the girls to throw another slumber party so that Applejack could take her mind off the matter.

Still, something was bothering her. It was something Apple Bloom had suggested. She glanced over at Sunset Shimmer who had popped another piece of marshmallow into her mouth. There was no way one of her friends could’ve been responsible for spreading that nickname, but then only the girls in this room and her family knew about the old Piggly Wiggly. It would be so easy for one of them to create that Anon-A-Miss profile then post the story, and it did seem to be like something Sunset would’ve done in the old days.

Applejack shook her head. There was no way. It just had to be a coincidence. Maybe the nickname slipped out somehow and someone decided to have fun at her expense. Sunset Shimmer was their friend. She had proven herself when she helped them defeat the Dazzlings.

Rarity set some ground rules for their little game of Truth or Dare. They would not ask any questions that were too personal or issue dares that were too humiliating. It would all be pure and wholesome.

Rainbow Dash thought that was lame, but she was pretty much vetoed. The girls sat in a circle on the floor, with a bottle lying in the middle, some eager and some nervous about their game of Truth or Dare. For this game, they would take turns spinning a bottle. Whoever the bottle pointed to would be asked a question they would have to answer truthfully or to complete a dare issued.

“OK, so we’ll start with clockwork order, starting from me,” Rarity started as she took hold of the bottle.

“Alright, fine,” Rainbow Dash huffed. She had so many fun dare ideas, but she would have to keep them to herself.

Rarity smiled and spun the bottle. It went around and around and around, with Pinkie Pie’s eyes following its rotation. Its spin soon slowed down before it finally came to a halt in front of Fluttershy.

“Oh, my,” Fluttershy blushed.

“Well, Ms. Shy. Guess I’ll just have to ask: Truth or Dare?” Rarity challenged.

“Um...truth?” Fluttershy answered with a hint of uncertainty.

“Oh, well...” Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she asked her question. “Is your brother, Zephyr Breeze, adopted?”

Rainbow Dash groaned.

“Seriously? Out of any question you could ask, you ask that?”

“Just wondering, darling. So, Fluttershy, can you answer?”

“Zephyr is not adopted,” Fluttershy answered with a sigh. “Trust me, he’s my brother.”

“Yeah, I can vouch for it, even if he does not take after his parents,” agreed Rainbow Dash. “Dude’s a bit of a slimeball, but he’s still Fluttershy’s little brother.”

“Unfortunately,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Yeah, he tried to ask me out on a date once a long time ago,” Sunset Shimmer added. “I told him I wasn’t interested, but he would not stop bugging him, so I threw him into a dumpster to make my point.” She noted the way the others were looking at her. “Look, I’m sorry about a lot of things I did in my past, throwing Fluttershy’s brother into a dumpster is not one of them.”

“Yeah, I’d give this to Sunset. Even I’ve been tempted to do some nasty stuff to Zephyr,” Rainbow Dash agreed. She was usually the focus of Zephyr’s unwanted attention. He thought he was some kind of ladies man, but he just came off as some kind of creep. Hard to imagine that he was related to Fluttershy by blood.

“OK, so with that mystery solved, I guess it’s your turn, Pinkie Pie,” said Rarity as she offered the pink party-lover the bottle.

“Oh, sweet! This will be so much fun!” Pinkie Pie spun the bottle and it spun fast like a blur. It was a miracle that it hadn’t flown off the carpeted floor. The bottle’s spin slowed down before it eventually came to a stop in front of Sunset Shimmer. “Oh, Sunset Shimmer! Truth or Dare!”

“Dare! Try me!” Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms.

Pinkie Pie pulled out a can of whipped cream from her poofy hair and handed it to Sunset Shimmer.

“I dare you to eat whipped cream from your hands, and make it look sexy!” Pinkie Pie challenged.

“Do you always carry a can of whipped cream with you?” Sunset Shimmer asked quizzically.

“Only for whipped cream emergencies! Now, eat it! And make it sexy!”

Sunset Shimmer shrugged. The first thing she did was to pull off her pajama top, revealing a black tank top with her cutie mark emblazoned on it. Then, she sprayed the whipped cream across the fingers off her left hand and began to eat it, digit by digit, in a slow and teasing manner. She even let out a moan of satisfaction with each lick and she also sucked on her fingers.

Fluttershy blushed, fanning herself as she watched the display. Nobody blinked as they watched Sunset perform Pinkie Pie’s dare.

And once Sunset Shimmer was finished, she smiled.

“So, how was that?” she asked.

“That was perfect!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Wow, I had no idea you could make eating whipped cream seemed so sexy!”

“Well, I did keep Flash wrapped around my finger for a long time,” Sunset Shimmer confessed and then her mood dropped, remembering how that relationship ended. She might’ve been using him to raise her popularity, but she did kinda like him. It was a bit complicated. Right now, they were trying to be friends even with all the excess baggage.

“...Alright, so after that very interesting display, I guess it’s your turn, Applejack,” Rarity said as she wiped her handkerchief across her forehead.

“Alright, here we go,” Applejack reached for the bottle but then paused as her eyes went up to the window. “Um, girls?”

“C’mon, Applejack! Spin the bottle!” Rainbow yelled impatiently.

“Yeah, spin! Spin! Spin!” Pinkie encouraged.

“No, look out the window!” Applejack pointed. It was Sunset who first turned to look out the window and she saw an emerald glow in the distance. Soon, the girls crowded around the window to see what it was.

“Ooh, shiny!” Pinkie’s eyes sparkled.

“Hey, isn’t that in the direction of the school?” Rainbow inquired.

“Oh, my! What do you think is happening?” Fluttershy asked, panicking inside.

Before any other comments could be made, the green glow they saw pulsed outward and rushed toward them. The group leaped back as the green pulse washed over them. It did not feel harmful. In fact, it did not feel like anything. They didn’t burst into flames and the flash was not so bright as to cause blindness. It was just completely harmless. Then, as soon as it happened, it stopped.

The Rainbooms took a moment to gather themselves from the experience.

What just happened?

“OK, I have to ask, what the heck was that?” Rainbow demanded.

“Magic, I believe,” said Rarity.

“Well, I know that! But what did it do?” Rainbow questioned. She had experienced more than enough magic in her young life, but she was no expert at it beyond using it to blast their enemies with rainbow lasers.

“You’ve got a halo, and you’ve got a halo, and you’ve got a halo,” Pinkie pointed at each girl. Pinkie was always so random, but sometimes she was worth listening to.

“Pinkie Pie, what are you doing?” Sunset asked.

“Pointing at everybody’s new halos,” Pinkie answered.

“Wait, halos?” Sunset’s eyes went up above Pinkie’s head and there floating over her was a big white ‘0’. She did a quick scan and saw that everybody had the same number ‘0’ hanging above their heads. “Well, guess we know what that magical pulse did.” Everyone soon noticed the 0’s.

“Wait, so it just put 0’s above our heads?” Rainbow waved her hand over her head.

“Are you sure it’s nothing dangerous?” Rarity asked worriedly.

“What could they mean?” Fluttershy asked anxiously.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with this kind of magic,” Sunset confessed. She might’ve studied a lot of forbidden magic before she left Equestria, but she had never come across anything that would cause this phenomenon.

“Well, maybe it’s nothing to worry about,” said Pinkie Pie jubilantly. “It’s just some numbers. If it’s nothing else, let’s get back to the game?”

“You seriously want to get back to Truth or Dare even after this?” Applejack pointed at the 0 hanging over her head.

“We can’t let every magical mishap ruin a good slumber party,” Pinkie Pie smiled like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Maybe I should write about this to Twilight when I get back home,” Sunset suggested as she took her journal out from her backpack.

“You actually brought a book to our slumber party?” Rainbow asked. Besides the Daring Do series and the occasional comic book, Rainbow’s opinions of books were not very high. And bringing a book to a slumber party just seemed lame.

“It’s a magic journal that lets me write to Twilight back home,” Sunset deadpanned as she took out a pen.

“I know, but do you take it with you everywhere?” Rainbow questioned.

“Just in case something like this,” Sunset said as she pointed at the 0 hanging over her head. “Happens and we need to figure it out. At least in Equestria, Twilight has access to books that can shed some light on the subject.”

“Do you think she knows how to make these zeroes go away?” Fluttershy asked, not comfortable with having a big number 0 floating above her.

“She might,” Sunset started writing. “We’ll just have to wait until she answers.”

“Well, if there’s no problem, then let’s continue! Applejack, it’s still your turn,” Pinkie said.

Applejack cocked an eyebrow but seeing as the pulse had not caused any negative effects. They soon sat back in a circle and Applejack took hold of the bottle. She soon spun it and it went around and around before stopping, pointing at Rainbow Dash.

“OK, lay it on me, AJ!” Rainbow dared, folding her arms confidently across her chest.

“Truth or Dare, RD!” Applejack challenged.

“Well, usually I’d go with a dare! But I think I’ll mix it up a bit, so how about truth!”

“Truth, huh?” Applejack cocked an eyebrow as she considered what to ask Rainbow. “Alright, here we go. Rainbow Dash, have you ever had a crush on Big Mac?”

Rainbow’s blue face suddenly turned bright red as she sputtered at the question. Well, she did choose truth, so she had no choice but to answer, but it wasn’t like she’d have to be completely truthful, right?

“What? No! Of course not!” Rainbow Dash denied. “A crush on Big Mac? No way!”

As soon as she finished giving her answer, an audible chime was heard in the room. Everyone jumped a bit at the sound when they heard it.

“What was that?” Rarity asked.

“It wasn’t me,” claimed Pinkie. Usually, when something weird and/or random happened that was not magic related, she would be the cause.

Sunset looked over to Rainbow and then at the flashing number hanging over the rainbow-haired girl’s head. Instead of a 0, it was now a big flashing 1.

“Rainbow, your number just changed. It’s ‘1’ now,” Sunset pointed.

“Wait, what?” Rainbow asked. “Hey, I can’t see! Does anybody have a mirror?”

Rarity pointed to the full view mirror hanging on her wall and Rainbow Dash went over to it. She saw the 0 had changed to a 1.

“Well, that’s weird,” Rainbow murmured. “Maybe this means I’m number 1!”

Applejack was not convinced. It happened soon after Rainbow Dash answered her question. She needed to check something.

“Rainbow, when you told me you didn’t have a crush on my brother Big Mac, were you telling the truth?” Applejack asked.

“Of course I was!” Rainbow answered. There was another chime and the 1 above her flashed into the number 2. “I don’t like Big Mac like that!” The chime rang again, and this time the 2 turned into a 3.

Sunset was starting to see a pattern. Each time Rainbow denied her attraction to Big Mac, the number above her went up. It was like a counter, but what was it counting?

“Applejack, could you stop grilling Rainbow Dash about her non-attraction to your brother for a bit? I want to try something,” said Sunset.

“Try what?” the cowgirl asked.

“Just trust me for a moment,” Sunset responded as she thought about what she wanted to say. “Alright, here we go. My name is Sunset Shimmer.” The red-yellow haired girl paused as she waited for a chime to ring but there was none. “I am a human girl that was born in Canterlot City.” As soon as she finished her sentence, there was a chime similar to the one heard each time Rainbow Dash denied her attraction for Big Mac, and the number 0 that hovered over Sunset flashed and became a number 1. “I was never a student of Princess Celestia.” This was followed by another chime as the 1 morphed into a 2. “And I never turned into a she-demon.” This was followed by a third chime as the 2 changed into a 3. “I thought so.”

“Wait, what was that?” Applejack asked. “You just said some things that we know aren’t true and the numbers changed.”

“I had a theory and it was proven, Applejack,” answered Sunset. “These numbers aren’t just numbers. They’re lie counters.”

“Lie counters?” Pinkie asked. “So, wait, when Dashie said she did not have a crush on Big Mac, that meant she was lying?”

“Well, I told a few lies and my number went up,” Sunset pointed above her. She could not see the number, but everyone else could.

“3 for three lies,” Fluttershy counted.

“Fine!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “OK, so I fibbed a little! I kinda have a crush on Big Mac, but can you blame me?”

“I think a lot of girls at school have crushes on Big Mac,” said Pinkie. “It’s not much of a secret, Dash.”

Applejack took in everything she heard. She did not really care if Rainbow had a crush on Big Mac, only that she lied, but the revelation that the numbers floating over them were lie counters made her think of what she could do with them. She looked at Sunset while biting her lip. There was something that was just something she had to know.

“Say, Sunset,” Applejack spoke up.

“Yes, AJ?” Sunset asked.

Applejack remembered how Sunset used to be. All the girls in the room had been her victims during her rise to power. She had manipulated them, split them up, broken their friendship and nearly killed them during the last Fall Formal. It was Twilight Sparkle who asked them to befriend her, and while Applejack had her doubts about Sunset ever being their friend, she had proven she was during the final battle with the Sirens. But this whole thing with Anon-A-Miss was casting doubt on Applejack’s mind, so she needed to know.

Applejack took a deep breath and asked the question.

“Sunset, you’re not Anon-A-Miss, are you?” Applejack asked. Everyone became silent and Sunset’s eyes widened as if she had been stricken.

“Why do you ask, Applejack?” Sunset asked.

Applejack took out her phone and brought up the MyStable page to show Sunset.

“Remember when I said the ‘Piggly Wiggly’ thing got out?” Applejack asked. “Well, Apple Bloom suggested it might’be been...you.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed as she took the phone and looked at the profile picture. It was her silhouette over a background that was the same color as her hair. Sunset let out a sigh. Of course, her past would catch up to her. The other waited for her to answer.

“OK, I think I can understand why she’d suspect me,” Sunset said as she handed Applejack her phone. “I was a terrible person. I did bad things and I hurt you all. But trust me, AJ, when I say that I did not do this.”

Applejack looked at Sunset. There was no chime ringing and the number 3 hanging over Sunset had not changed. She was telling the truth. Everyone looked relieved.

“It’s not you.” Applejack was happy. “Thank goodness.”

“Yeah, I mean, even at my worst, I was never this obvious,” said Sunset. “I mean, the silhouette as the profile pic, kinda points right at me. When have I ever been that blatant?”

Everyone shared thoughtful looks. Sunset was smart and she was always careful when she was bad. There was suspicion, but never proof. This Anon-A-Miss page just seemed to want to point at Sunset as the obvious culprit.

“You’re mad, aren’t you?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, I am, and not at you,” said Sunset. There was a chime and the 3 turned into a 4. “OK, maybe I’m a little mad at you for doubting me. I’m just mad at this Anon-A-Miss for trying to frame me.”

“So, now that we know it ain’t Sunset, what now?” Rainbow asked.

“I suggest we sleep on it, darling,” said Rarity.

“Wait, what about the game?” Pinkie asked, disappointed.

“I doubt any of us will be playing with these numbers hanging over our heads,” said Rarity.

“Do you think it only happened to us? I mean that pulse did seem like it covered the whole city,” inquired Fluttershy.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Sunset replied. “We know what these numbers are for, at least. Now we have to wait for Twilight to tell us what’s causing them.”

After exchanging good nights, the Rainbooms turned in for the night.

As the Rainbooms slept in their sleeping bags, none of them noticed as someone opened the door and entered, silently tiptoeing across the floor. The person had their phone’s flashlight app on and using it to light their way.

They were looking for something as they scanned the room and finally came across Sunset’s backpack. The person knelt down and carefully opened it. They started to rummage around it for something.

Smiling triumphantly, the person found Sunset Shimmer’s phone.

Anon-A-Miss was going to be getting some new posts.

It was a new day in Equestria as Princess Twilight Sparkle woke up in her crystal castle. It took some getting used to, seeing that she lived in it with only Spike, but the huge space did have its advantages. But she still missed the Golden Oak Library. It had been cozy. Some might say that the crystal castle was the perfect home for a princess, but Twilight would much rather be in a nice cozy library.

At least the castle had its own library, with so many books on various subjects. Speaking of which, maybe she should pay it a visit this morning. There were some books she wanted to take a look at again.

As she entered the library, she noticed lying on the table was her copy of the magic journal that allowed her to communicate with Sunset in the other world. It was glowing and vibrating.

“That must be Sunset again,” said Twilight. She approached the table and opened the journal to see what other news Sunset had to share. Twilight read the latest entry and she let out a gasp of surprise. She picked up a quill and began to write a reply. Sunset was smart, she would be able to figure out the purpose of the numbers, but Twilight had experienced the same phenomenon as well. “How can there be another Wand of Walling?”

Author's Note

So, basically, the Rainbooms and probably the whole of the city now has numbers above their heads. And Anon-A-Miss is going to the next step. Will it work?

Anyway, this is just a beta chapter for now. I may edit it later on to perfect it. Pls, enjoy it and I'll see what I can do next.

Anon-A-Miss Assembly

The girls sat around the island in Rarity’s kitchen. Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie had woken up before the others to make everyone a delicious pancake breakfast. Just like the night before, they still had numbers above their heads. Rainbow (3) and Sunset (4) still had their numbers displayed from the night before, while everyone had told no lies since everyone was hit by the mysterious magic.

“You know, I have to say, this lie counter thing might be the best thing to happen to us,” said Applejack as she cut into her banana pancake.

“What do you mean, Applejack?” Fluttershy asked, still feeling nervous about the numbers.

“Well, this will stop people from lying, right?” Applejack was an honest girl who detested lies, so something to catch people lying would seem like a good thing.

“I don’t know about that,” said Rarity with uncertainty. “Sometimes we need to fib a little and tell white lies to spare others’ feelings.”

“OK, I understand that, but I’m talking about big lies. I reckon the boys in blue are going to have an easier time nabbing crooks who can’t get away with lying.”

“So, any word from Twilight?” Rainbow asked while eating her chocolate chip pancakes.

Sunset opened the journal to where she had written last night and sighed.

“No,” Sunset answered, but then the book glowed and writing began to appear on a blank page beside Sunset’s message. “Wait, hold on. Twilight just answered.”

Everyone else abandoned their breakfast to crowd around Sunset and read over her shoulder. Thankfully, the written language of this world and Equestria were similar, so they had no trouble understanding what Twilight had written back. Twilight had even drawn a picture alongside her message to illustrate what she was talking about.

“OK, it looks like Twilight has experience with something like this. The cause for the numbers is an ancient Trudian artifact known as the Wand of Walling,” Sunset explained, pointing to the diagram that Twilight had drawn for them.

“Looks like a totem pole to me,” said Applejack. The unicorn faces stacked atop each other to form a tower seemed like the one she had seen back when she visited the Buffalo tribe in Appleloosa.

“So, wait, the Wand of Walling is here?” Rainbow asked. “Seriously, do all you ponies love throwing away your bad stuff into our world?”

“Hush, darling,” Rarity chided.

“Anyway, the Wand of Walling is one of the four Wands of Bindings. Basically, the wand’s magic exposes the number of lies spoken by each person as a way to deter them from lying,” Sunset explained.

“Well, you pretty much figured that out, Sunny,” Pinkie smiled.

“When it happened to Twilight, the magic affected the whole of Ponyville,” Sunset said as she closed the journal. “We may need to head out to see if this affected more than just us.”

Sweetie Belle met up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at the park.

“So, you got the pictures?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yeah, I sent them to my phone from Sunset’s,” Sweetie Belle answered as she handed her phone over to Apple Bloom. The redhead opened the photo gallery. There was a collection of embarrassing photos from last night’s slumber party.

“Good, we just post these on Anon-A-Miss, and by Monday everyone will think Sunset’s the one who posted these,” Apple Bloom said in approval.

“But, what are we going to do about these numbers above our heads?” Scootaloo asked as she pointed above her own head where a number 5 was displayed. Apple Bloom had a number 4 while Sweetie Belle had a number 1. They had noticed them appear last night, first as 0’s but the numbers had gone up since. “Just what are they, exactly?”

“Don’t know, but seeing as they don’t seem to be doing anything, it might just be some harmless magic,” said Apple Bloom dismissively.

“Are you sure? Maybe we should wait before we post these pictures, at least until after our sisters and their friends solve this problem,” said Sweetie Belle nervously.

“That means letting Sunset play hero again. You know she knows a lot about this magic crap,” Apple Bloom scowled.

“But what if it’s important?” Sweetie Belle questioned.

“It’s just numbers, Sweetie. Like the scores on a quiz. They don’t matter,” Scootaloo dismissed.

Sweetie Belle was not so sure about that.

“OK, thanks! Bye!” Pinkie Pie hung up. “OK, so I talked to some of my party contacts, it’s not just us.”

“So, the magic of this Wand of Walling pretty much hit the whole town then,” Applejack concluded.

“Won’t be long before this hits the news,” Rarity stated. Something strange like this, affecting the whole town, it would most definitely be in the newspapers.

“Yeah, but who activated it?” Sunset asked as she crossed her arms. The girls were gathered in Rarity’s bedroom. “I mean, according to Twilight, they already took care of the Wand of Walling and I doubt she’d throw it through the portal to get rid of it.”

“Maybe it’s some kind of copy?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, maybe these Trudian ponies made copies of their wands just in case they lost any of them.”

“Pinkie, making magical artifacts is not like baking a cake,” Sunset frowned before she immediately apologized. “Sorry, no offense.”

“Oh, it’s OK, Sunny. I know I make baking seem easy,” Pinkie beamed good-naturedly.

“So, how did they fix this problem back in Equestria?” Rarity asked.

“Well, Twilight contacted Celestia, I mean Princess Celestia, and she took care of it,” Sunset answered, frowning uncomfortably at the mention of her former mentor.

“You OK there, sugar cube?” Applejack asked.

“You know, what you girls call Christmas, we ponies back in Equestria Hearth’s Warming,” Sunset answered, recalling happier memories before she got carried away by her quest for power. She remembered the many Hearth’s Warming spent with Celestia and how special they were. “I didn’t have friends back then, but I did enjoy spending Hearth’s Warming with Princess Celestia.”

“Ever thought of going back home for a visit, dear?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t know...” Sunset gazed down guiltily. “We did not part on good terms and it’s been a while. I just don’t know if I could ever face her.”

“Don’t you miss her?” Fluttershy asked.

“Of course I do,” Sunset answered. “It’s just...I’m not ready. I bet Twilight has told her about the things I did. I don’t think she’d want to see me.”

“Well, maybe she would. Sounds like Princess Celestia was more than just your mentor. She was like your mom, right?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah...I guess...” Sunset smiled fondly.

“And you’ve come really far since your evil bitch queen days,” Rainbow Dash put in. “I mean you helped us beat the Sirens.”

“It was a team effort.”

“Yeah, and you were our MVP during the Battle of the Bands.”

“I don’t think MVP’s are a thing for a Battle of the Bands,” Rarity pointed out.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m sticking to what I say.”

“So, Twilight is going to ask her Celestia to help?” Fluttershy asked. “Does that mean she’ll come over here?”

“She might,” Sunset frowned. “Or maybe Twilight knows the spell. She may need to do something to make it work. Magic still works different here.”

“I say we pick up our instruments and sing the spell,” said Rainbow, grinning. “It should work like when we beat the Sirens.”

“Yeah, maybe. But until Twilight figures out a way to fix this, we just have to deal with these numbers,” said Sunset. “I just hope this town is still standing until then.”

As it was Sunday, after breakfast, the rest of the girls left Rarity’s to go back home. As Sunset headed to her apartment, she looked around and noticed the numbers hanging over everyone’s head. She saw some single digits, like a 7, 8, 9, but then she also saw a lot more people who had numbers in the double digits like 15, or 34. She even saw a woman who had 65. How could someone have told so many lies since last night?

It seemed everyone was behaving like normal, still unaware what the numbers meant. With the whole town affected, then there was no doubt that the students of CHS were just as affected as well. When Monday came, Sunset would need to speak to Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna about these lie meters. They would need to hold an assembly so that everyone would be informed so they could tell their parents. Maybe even get the word out.

But how exactly were they supposed to explain magic to a whole town and not seem crazy? Before, the magical incidents had been isolated incidents, surrounding only CHS. Celestia and Luna, not to mention all of CHS, did well to keep all things magic quiet, but it seemed just a tad bit naive that such things would remain contained for long.

Hopefully, when Twilight showed up, things would go back to normal. Maybe the people would even forget. Sunset had noticed that most people would rather explain away weird happenings than just accept them. They would rather live in a rational world than accept magic was a real thing. As far as they were concerned, magic was just a parlor trick.

Honestly, Sunset would much rather focus on the upcoming Christmas party at Applejack’s place. She had bought presents for her friends and was looking forward to the gift exchange they would have. She never really celebrated Christmas since she arrived in this world, so this would be her first Christmas ever and this time she’d spend it with friends.

And then there’s Anon-A-Miss. Hopefully, whoever they were, would not cause any further trouble.

It was Monday morning and Sunset stepped through Canterlot High’s doors to a new day. Like the previous day, the lie meter numbers were still hovering over everyone’s heads.

“Lyra, let me explain!” Bon Bon cried as she walked after her best friend.

“I can’t believe you’d lie to me like that!” Lyra snapped.

“But I wasn’t lying!” Bon Bon defended, only for a chime to ring and the 12 above her head to morph into a 13. “Please, I didn’t mean to!”

Sunset met up with her friends who were crowded around her locker. They seemed unhappy.

“So, I just saw Bon Bon and Lyra. Seems to be like there’s trouble in paradise,” Sunset joked.
Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Show her, Rarity,” said Applejack and Rarity took out her phone to open her MyStable app. She then showed it to Sunset. “It seemed Anon-A-Miss struck again.”

Sunset looked at the latest posts and her eyes widened. They were pictures from their slumber party accompanied by not-so-nice captions. She also saw the comments which were very mean and unflattering.

“OK, how is this possible?” Sunset asked.

“Sunset, you have your phone, right? You didn’t lose it or something?” Applejack asked.

“It’s right here,” Sunset answered. “Wait, what are you saying?”

“The pictures came from your phone, Sunset,” Fluttershy frowned.

“Sunset, you said you’re not Anon-A-Miss, and we believe you,” said Applejack. “But something’s going on. Somehow Anon-A-Miss got the pictures from your phone.”

“Well, if I find Anon-A-Miss, I got a few things to say to her,” Sunset scowled. She looked at everyone’s numbers. Fluttershy had an 8, Pinkie Pie had a 5, Applejack had 0, Rainbow Dash had a 9 and Rarity had 6. “So, even though you girls knew the lie meter would show you lying, you still lied.”

“I needed to comfort a sick animal,” Fluttershy answered. She knew the poor dog was dying, but she could not help but lie to make it feel better.

“Yeah, I kinda broke something at home,” Pinkie Pie blushed. “I only a fibbed a bit until I could fix it.”

“I kinda exaggerated a few things when I spoke to my parents,” Rainbow Dash frowned.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Rarity muttered.

“Well, at least Applejack seems to be our bastion of honesty, no surprise there,” Sunset remarked.

“Told the truth and nothing but the truth,” Applejack nodded. “Even explained to the family what the deal is with these numbers.” She remembered Apple Bloom’s reaction. The redhead went pretty pale after she heard what the numbers were about.

“Anyway, I was planning to talk to Principal Celestia so she can tell the students about these numbers. Maybe we can find this Wand of Walling if we ask the student body,” said Sunset.

The students were all gathered in the gymnasium for an emergency assembly. Each of them had a different number hovering over their heads. Up on stage, Celestia was with Luna along with Sunset Shimmer.

“Students, please settle down,” said Celestia as she tried to speak over the chatter of the students. When her pleas did not work, Luna snatched the microphone out of her hand.

“HEY, ZIP IT!” Luna yelled, causing everyone to go silent instantly. Smiling smugly, Luna handed the microphone back to her sister. “You’re welcome, Celestia.”

“Yes, thank you very much, Luna. Alright, so you are all aware of the numbers that have appeared above your heads,” Celestia started. “Here to shed some light on the subject is our own Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia handed the microphone over to Sunset.

“OK, everyone. I know you’re a bit weirded out by this. I mean, the last time something magical happened you all got brainwashed,” said Sunset.

“Yeah, by you!” a random student shouted, causing Sunset to scowl. Well, she would not give whoever it was the satisfaction.

“Yes, by me,” Sunset admitted. “And also the Sirens, but we’re not here to talk about the past but about what’s happening right now. I spoke to Twilight and she told me the numbers above your heads are the result of an Equestria artifact known as the Wand of Walling. Basically, the numbers are... a lie counter.”

Instantly, the gymnasium was filled with a cacophony of noises from the students. They were demanding an explanation or a solution. Meanwhile, nobody noticed three freshmen slipping out of the gymnasium.

Luna went to do some crowd control, took the microphone from Sunset, and let out a loud shout that would make her counterpart proud. It was nearly as loud as the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“SHUT YOUR HOLES!”

And the gymnasium was once more filled with silence.

“Wow, Vice-Principal Luna is scary,” Pinkie Pie whispered to Fluttershy who was trying to hide behind her hair.

“Meep,” the yellow-skinned girl squeaked.

Sunset was given the microphone so she can continue.

“Look, I know that these numbers are going to a huge inconvenience, but until Twilight figures something out from the other side, we’re stuck with them. All we have to do is to try and not lie,” Sunset said. “Which, I know, is not exactly going to be easy for us since, let’s face it, we’re teenagers so we lie all the time.” A few chuckles followed. “Anyway, first we need to find the Wand of Walling, which should look something like this.” Displayed on the screen was an image of the totem-like wand with grimacing unicorn faces. “Twilight might need this to break this spell. So, if you have any information, please come to me, my friends, Principal Celestia or Vice-Principal Luna.”

The Crusaders locked the bathroom door as they gathered inside.

“A lie meter? These numbers are a freaking lie meter?” Sweetie Belle cried.

“We’re boned! We’re so boned!” wailed Scootaloo as she gripped her head.

“Settle down, girls,” Apple Bloom tried to talk the girls down.

“Settle down!?” Scootaloo snapped. “Because of these numbers, we can’t lie! What if your sisters ask us if we know who Anon-A-Miss is? We’re screwed!”

“We just have to avoid them,” Apple Bloom answered weakly.

“Apple Bloom, how long can we avoid them?” Sweetie Belle whimpered.

“After this spell wears off, which should be soon, I hope,” said Apple Bloom, biting her lip.

“I saw them in the hallway. They asked if Sunset was Anon-A-Miss and they believed her when she said she wasn’t because of these stupid numbers!” Scootaloo yelled.

Apple Bloom planned to use Anon-A-Miss so that the Rainbooms would shun Sunset Shimmer. They believed the girl was stealing their sisters’ attention from them. Also, they felt that Sunset did not deserve a second chance, even though she helped to defeat the Sirens. But now their plan was going to be ruined by Equestrian magic.

“So, they don’t think it’s Sunset, that means they’re going to be looking for other suspects,” Sweetie Belle said worriedly.

“And pretty soon, they’ll find out it’s us. Rainbow is gonna kill me when she finds out,” Scootaloo worried.

Apple Bloom was at a loss for words. The plan seemed like it would work, but it would appear that Anon-A-Miss had been stopped. Thankfully, the school was more focused on these numbers than Anon-A-Miss, but she was more worried about her sister figuring out her part in the whole mess.

It was only a matter of time before Applejack confronted her about what she said about Anon-A-Miss, trying to pin the blame on Sunset. She shivered, and not due to the cold weather.

With Wand in Hand

“So I asked Trixie if she might be Anon-A-Miss,” said Rainbow Dash.

“And...?” Sunset Shimmer prompted.

“Nope, it wasn’t her,” Rainbow shook her head. “Didn’t hear the ping or see her number change. It only changed when she bragged to my face again.”

“OK, so that scratches Trixie off the list,’ Sunset Shimmer murmured. They thought it might be her since she loved attention, but it looked like she was innocent.

The Rainbooms were gathered at their usual lunch table in the cafeteria. After Sunset’s announcement, the students were trying to live with the fact that all their lies would be displayed above their heads.

“You know, come to think of it, it would’ve been silly for us to believe you were ever Anon-A-Miss, darling,” Rarity said to Sunset.

“Really?”

“Yes, because this just isn’t your style. Everything you did serve a purpose. You wouldn’t post secrets to hurt anybody. In fact, you would use it as blackmail material.”

“Thank you for reminding me of how much of a bitch I was.”

“I apologize, but what I mean is that this mess does not benefit you in the slightest. You were never one to take risks for fruitless endeavors or for fun”

“Yeah, I really have a lot to lose now if I went back to my old ways,” Sunset smiled fondly at her friends.

“See? These numbers ain’t so bad then,” Applejack reminded.

“So, if there weren’t any numbers, would you still believe I wasn’t Anon-A-Miss then?” Sunset asked sharply.

“No, I trust you,” Applejack said, but as soon as she did, the number above her chimed and the 0 morphed into a 1. So much for Applejack’s perfect record for honesty. Sunset looked stricken and Applejack blanched.

“Applejack...”

“OK, honestly, I had some doubts,” Applejack confessed with a sigh. “I just got so mad that I wasn’t thinking straight, I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven, and honestly after the stuff I did for you, I would be surprised if some of you weren’t holding a grudge. I mean, I tore your friendship apart,” Sunset said apologetically.

“Yeah, you did,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “But we kinda let you do it. I mean, we only managed to patch things up because of Twilight. If we’d just talked instead of hating and ignoring each other, maybe we could’ve made up a long time ago.”

“A lot of hurt feelings and bruised egos got in the way,” Rarity sighed. “Honestly, we were so stupid then.”

“We’re teenagers,” Sunset said. “It happens. We’re known for making not so smart decisions when our emotions get the best of us.” She remembered the argument she had with Princess Celestia and how heated things got. Things were said, things that could not be taken back.

“Hey, check out MyStable!” Pinkie exclaimed as she checked her phone. “Anon-A-Miss is gone!”

“Well, then that’s that, right?” Rarity smiled approvingly.

“Guess whoever it was didn’t think they could get away with it for much longer with the lie meter hanging over them,” Rainbow grinned.

Sunset, however, did not look unhappy.

“What’s the matter, Sunset?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, you should be over the moon right now! Anon-A-Miss is gone and they can’t drag your name through the mud again! You’ve won!” Pinkie cheered. “We should have a No-More-Anon-A-Miss victory party!”

“This isn’t a win, Pinkie. Whoever set up Anon-A-Miss decided to delete the profile to hide what they did. They’re still getting away with it,” Sunset said.

“Oh,” Pinkie wilted. “Then the party’s postponed.”

“Well, the profile’s gone, but Anon-A-Miss is still out there,” Applejack said, understanding Sunset’s issue. “Yeah, it’s like they’re getting off scot-free and we still don’t know who it might be.”

“Could it be the Dazzlings trying to get revenge?” Rarity suggested. “I mean, we did thwart them and Sunset was our trump card for victory.”

“Still would not explain how they got to the pictures in Sunset’s phone or found out my childhood nickname,” Applejack countered.

“And we still need to find that Wand of Walling,” Rainbow crossed her arm.

“Right, the wand,” Sunset nodded. She knew that lying was part of people’s nature. Sometimes they needed to hide something so they would tell white lies or fibs. While a world of honesty did seem ideal, it could cause problems if people spoke truths that needed to be hidden. She could see how stressful it could get to try not to lie. People just couldn’t cope if they didn’t have the freedom to lie without being judged for it.

“So, you found this while you were fixing the yard?” Celestia asked as she examined the Wand of Walling. The groundskeeper had come and handed it over to the principal.

“Yeah, found it in a hole next to the statue. Looks like it was dug up or something,” the groundskeeper said.

“Must be the Diamond Dawg Boys again. They must’ve found it and accidentally activated it,” Luna sighed. They were notorious for digging holes around Canterlot High. “Guess I need to give them another detention.”

“But we first need to call Sunset Shimmer and tell her this magic wand has been found,” responded Celestia.

Sunset was called the Principal Celestia’s office. Was she in trouble? She did not remember doing anything and she knew that nobody suspected her of being Anon-A-Miss. So, why was Celestia calling her?

“You wanted to speak with me, Principal Celestia?” Sunset asked as she walked into the office. Sitting behind her desk was Principal Celestia with her sister Vice-Principal Luna. They were quite the administrative pair. Celestia was warm and welcoming while Luna was the stern disciplinarian.

Sunset remembered when she first came to this world and met Princess Celestia’s human counterpart. The similarities had stunned the Equestrian, but she soon learned that while Principal Celestia was only in charge of a school and not an entire kingdom, and she lacked the sun-raising powers of her former mentor. Still, it took awhile for Sunset to get used to Principal Celestia and not associate her with Princess Celestia.

“I believe this is what you were looking for,” said Celestia as she put the Wand of Walling on her desk. Sunset’s eyes widened as she saw the artifact. It was a match of the picture that Twilight had sent her. The totem-like wand with grimacing unicorn faces. That was definitely it.

“How...where...?” Sunset asked, stunned. She had only asked about it this morning. She never thought it would be found so quickly.

“Our groundskeeper found it,” Luna informed Sunset. “It was in a hole next to our horse statue in front.”

“... Seriously?” Sunset asked but that would explain the mound of freshly dug Earth next to the statue.

“Have I lied to you?” Luna asked, pointing to the lie counter. There was no chime nor had her number changed.

“No, it’s just that I never thought it would’ve been found so quickly, and on school grounds too,” Sunset replied as she went and picked up the Wand of Walling. “Well, in any case, we now have a way to break this spell.” Sunset let out a disappointed sigh at that.

“Why do you sound so disappointed?” Celestia inquired. Shouldn’t Sunset be thrilled?

“Cause I’m worried that as soon as the spell is broken, Anon-A-Miss will strike again,” Sunset informed the principal.

“Anon-A-Miss? I’ve been hearing about it but I haven’t looked too into it,” Celestia replied.

“Basically, somebody’s been posting my friends' most embarrassing secrets and trying to make it look like I did it,” Sunset explained, giving a brief summary on Anon-A-Miss.

“That sounds like cyberbullying,” Luna said, eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, tell me about it. Honestly, I don’t know what would’ve happened if the Wand of Walling hadn’t activated during this time,” said Sunset, sounding oddly grateful that unexpected Equestrian magic had done something good for the school.

“Do you have any suspects?” Celestia asked.

“Not yet,” Sunset answered and then her lie meter went up. “OK, we did have a few suspects, but nothing confirmed. We do think it could be someone in the school who might have access to our information.”

“Well, if a student is harassing others using MyStable, then they need to be brought in. Cyberbullying is a serious crime,” Luna instructed.

“Yeah, once we figured out who it is, you’ll be the first to know,” Sunset said. Then her chime rang and her number went up again. Sunset scowled.

“You were thinking of taking matters into your own hands,” Celestia concluded.

“Well, can you blame me? I’m mad at this Anon-A-Miss for trying to ruin me!” Sunset snapped before she quickly apologized, “Sorry, it’s just, I think this Anon-A-Miss is determined to break our friendship and it’s opened some old wounds.”

“Maybe they were counting on old grudges to turn your friends against you,” Celestia suggested.

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I’ll hold onto the wand until Twilight shows up.”

“Good luck on finding out who Anon-A-Miss is, Sunset Shimmer.”

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were gathered in the back of the school where nobody would bother them. In Apple Bloom’s hands was her phone.

“And so Anon-A-Miss is gone,” Apple Bloom said with finality.

“So, what’s the plan now?” Scootaloo asked.

“Lay low until this blows over and avoid our sisters until these numbers vanish,” Apple Bloom answered. Anon-A-Miss seemed like old news now, forgotten since everyone was being careful not to lie, and failing. Apple Bloom had seen Diamond Tiara try to claim she had done her own homework, but the rising numbers said otherwise. Diamond probably had Silver Spoon do it for her, not really bothering to do her own work. It had been funny watching Diamond Tiara dig an even bigger hole for herself as she tried to make excuses, all the while her lie counter kept going up.

“Easier said than done,” Sweetie Belle replied with a frown. “Besides Scootaloo, we live with our sisters.” Scootaloo was Rainbow Dash’s honorary sister. She had a family, but her parents were away on business, she stayed with her aunts. Chances of avoiding their sisters were low, and Applejack would suspect something if Apple Bloom suddenly stopped talking to her.

“Who’s to say they haven’t figured it out yet?” Scootaloo asked nervously. They had done some damage to the Rainbooms’ reputation and Rainbow Dash would hate her once she found out her role in Anon-A-Miss. Technically, Scootaloo had not done anything, but since the embarrassing photos of the Rainbooms were put up, other students were sending in secrets for Anon-A-Miss to post.

“Look, we just need to stay calm. They won’t find out who Anon-A-Miss as long as we don't blab,” said Apple Bloom calmly, but she was shaking nervously inside. She leaned against the wall to take deep breaths. The plan was to drive Sunset Shimmer away. It seemed so simple, but thinking back, they had hurt their sisters to try to get what they wanted. That did not make them any better than how Sunset used to be. Apple Bloom began to feel guilty and wished she could apologize to Applejack for revealing the ‘piggly wiggly’ story, but she was just too afraid to do it.

How much worse could things have gone if these magic lie meters had not appeared?

Prologue: The Wand

The Diamond Dawgs--a trio of brothers who were fond of digging around Canterlot High with their shovels--were at it again. No matter how many verbal warnings they got from Vice-Principal Luna, they could not help themselves and just kept on digging. But, in order to avoid another reprimand which could include detention, the Diamond Dawgs decided to do it at night. With no security guard, the three could dig to their heart's’ content.

Two of the big members of the Diamond Dawg Brothers--Rover and Fido--were digging by the horse statue where the portal to Equestria was. Odd that nobody seemed to investigate it because of its magic. Since the last time Twilight was here, the portal was kept open in case Sunset Shimmer ever felt the need to return to Equestria.

Anyway, back to the Diamond Dawg. Spot was not digging. Instead, he was holding a metal detector and it seemed to have found something interesting by the horse statue. He instructed his big brothers to dig until Rover’s shovel hit something that felt metallic.

Thinking they struck gold, Fido and Rover continued to dig and dig until they found something shiny hidden in the dirt. They tossed their shovels aside and used their hands to dig all the way toward their treasure.

Fido was the one to pull it out of the ground and the three Diamond Dawg Brothers stopped to admire it. It looked like a long metal rod, but it was no normal metal rod. It was carved. There were three grimacing unicorn faces on the surface of the rod, stacked on top of each other like a totem pole.

“What is it?” Fido asked.

“Dunno,” Rover answered.

“Lemme see!” Spot went to grab it, but Fido kept a firm grip on it.

“No, it’s mine!” Fido refused.

“I found it!” Spot insisted.

“We did all the work!” Fido snapped back at his little brother. The two pulled at the mysterious item, arguing and fighting. Rover soon joined in the tug-o-war, but only to end it.

“Let go!” Rover shouted.

“You let go first!” Fido snapped.

“Yeah, you both let go!” Spot agreed, snapping.

They argued as they pulled at the item, but then it started to glow green. The three Diamond Dawgs cried out in shock and released the rod as it felt to the ground, the green glow around it intensifying.

“Is it radioactive?” Fido asked. Spot and Rover could offer no answers as the mysterious rod’s glow became bright and blinding. All of a sudden, it released an explosion of green energy which spread out in a circle, sweeping over Canterlot High and all across the city in a single swoop. The three Diamond Dawgs, freaked out, screamed and ran away, leaving behind their unburied treasure as it lay in the hole in the ground.

None of the Diamond Dawgs noticed the 0’s which now hovered over their heads like halos, nor would they realize what their actions had caused.