Prologue: Left in the Snow
Sunset ran out of Sugarcube Corner, the girls' accusations still ringing in her ears. Tears poured down her face. She'd been through so much with them, come to call them her family... But in the end, they'd been some of the first to turn on her.
Sunset was so sure that her friends would listen to her and how she had figured out the Crusaders were behind this. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash all leapt to their sisters' defense before Sunset could even finish her sentence. Scootaloo wasn't even related to Rainbow Dash but she was still trusted more than Sunset was. That stung more than Sunset would admit to herself.
Even after all of what they'd seen Sunset go through, they'd still had the gall to stand there and feign innocence. Their wide-eyed, innocent stares annoyed Sunset so much.
"We wouldn't dream of doing something like that!"
"It ain't us Applejack, ah promise!"
"Everyone knows it's Shimmer anyway. Why's she even bothering to defend herself?"
The three Crusaders were better actors than Sunset could ever have imagined, when she looked back on what had happened in Sugarcube Corner. She'd seen the smirk they'd sent her way when their sisters were looking the other way. That confirmed to Sunset that they were the anonymous cyber bullies. What puzzled her was why. Why had they done this? What did they hope to gain?
Sunset found an empty alley and sank down, her head in her hands. She had been kicked out of her apartment by the landlord, whose daughter had been one of the many victims of anon-a-miss. She didn't have many possessions, and what little she did have was in her locker at CHS (except the journal).
The snow was falling heavier now, becoming the blizzard that the meteorologists had promised. "The coldest winter for decades" the news had predicted. Sunset could believe that, as she sat shivering in the mouth of the alley. She drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. This was going to be a long night...
Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat in their usual booth in Sugarcube Corner. Sunset had just left, soon followed by the CMC who wanted to get to Sweetie Belle's house as soon as possible so they could play video games (Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were staying at their friend's house for the night).
The group was unusually silent. Even Pinkie was quiet, lacking her usual hyperness that was part of her bouncy demeanor.
"What if we're wrong?" Fluttershy spoke up suddenly.
"What's that shugarcube?" Applejack looked up from the table.
"What if we're wrong?" Fluttershy repeated. "What if Sunset really is innocent?"
Rainbow slammed her hand down on the table, making everyone jump. "Really, Shy? I get your thing is kindness, but come on! That account screams 'Sunset' all over it. She's gone back to her old ways, but this time I'm not falling for her rubbish. If she isn't anon-a-miss, who is?"
"Are you accusin' mah sister of bein' anon-a-miss? I thought you were better'n that Shy." Applejack's emerald green eyes glared at Fluttershy, making the quiet girl tremble.
"No! No, I wasn't!" the girl retreated into her long, pale pink hair. "I just thought... maybe... you know..." her voice trailed off. Nobody said anything. Rarity stared down at her fingernails, Pinkie Pie had face-planted on the table, Applejack pulled her hat down and stared at the floor and Rainbow Dash tapped her fingers on the table. Fluttershy continued to hide in her hair, scared to look at anyone.
Eventually, the five girls mumbled goodbyes and filed out the door one by one, walking briskly throught the snow to get home before the worst of the blizzard hit. Nobody felt like a slumber party that night.
Fluttershy shivered in her thick winter coat. She was thinking hard, something about that conversation didn't add up. What had Rainbow said again? That the account was obviously Sunset and that she was reverting back to her old behavior. Fluttershy couldn't think what it was, but something about that seemed... off...
Sunset was freezing. She wasn't sure how long she had been sat there, but she guessed it was going to be a long night. What was she planning to do when morning came anyway? There was nowhere for her to go, nothing for her to do. It was so cold, Sunset wasn't sure she'd even last till morning. Her tears froze on her face as she thought of her old home, Equestria. She wondered if Princess Twilight had given up on her too, since there were no new messages in the journal. Was Princess Celestia still disappointed in her? Would either of them care, if they heard that Sunset Shimmer had frozen to death in an alley in Canterlot City? Sunset's head drooped as a wave of tiredness overcame her. However, the bitter cold and the howling wind stopped her from getting any actual rest.
Fluttershy could see her house in the distance, as she pushed against the heavily falling snow. The thought of hot chocolate by a warm fire did little to brighten her spirits. The door was opened as she got there by her mom, a middle-aged lady with light yellow skin (similar to Fluttershy), raspberry coloured hair and a shy yet sweet smile.
"Welcome home honey!" her mom gave her a small hug. "Uhh honey? Is something wrong?" she asked tentatively as Fluttershy suddenly went wide-eyed and seemed to be thinking hard.
"Fluttershy?" her mom asked again, a worried look on her face.
"Mom, I think I really messed up." Fluttershy looked horrorstruck.
"Oh sugar, whatever's wrong, I'm sure it's fixable." Mrs Shy reached out a hand to pat her daughter's arm consolingly, but Fluttershy was already heading back towards the front door. "Fluttershy! Where are you going? You can't go out there, there's a blizzard starting!"
Fluttershy looked at her mom, a look of determination that was unusual for the shy girl. "I have to mom, I have to fix this."
"Fix what?"
Fluttershy sighed and walked back towards her mom. "Have you heard of the MyStable account 'anon-a-miss'?" the older woman nodded. "Well, everyone thought it was Sunset Shimmer changing back into her old self."
Mrs Shy looked confused, "I thought she had changed and was part of your little group of friends now?"
"She was. But we turned her out after accusing her of bring anon-a-miss. We didn't even give her a chance to defend herself." Fluttershy closed her eyes as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "But I realized something. This page is not something the old Sunset would do. It's much too obvious for her. The old Sunset was devious and manipulative; she would never create something that makes all evidence point to her."
Her mouth slightly agape, Mrs Shy stared at her daughter. "I can see you want to fix this dear, but is running outside in this weather going to help? Sunset's probably safe at home by now."
Flutter shy buried her face in her hands. "She *sniff* hasn't *sniff* got one." She fell to her knees as she continued to sob pitiously. Looking up for a second through a haze of tears, she saw her mom had a confused look on her face. "She lives alone. I heard Diamond Tiara say at school that her dad has kicked Sunset out her apartment because of what anon-a-miss did to her friendship with Silver Spoon.
Mrs Shy bent down to comfort her distraught daughter. "Do you mean Sunset's all alone out there in this weather?" Fluttershy nodded and wailed louder. "I'll get the car."
"Are you sure it's safe to drive in this weather? Fluttershy asked, a concerned look on her face. They were driving slowly through the snow, hoping to find Sunset and get back home before the worst of the blizzard hit. It was getting late as well, night had fallen already because it was winter.
"The roads aren't that bad yet. This car is sturdy as well, so it can survive a bit of Mother Nature." Mrs Shy kept her eyes on the road while Fluttershy scanned the sidewalks for Sunset. The streets were pretty much empty due to the weather, which made everything quiet and a little eerie.
"If you drive towards Sunset's old apartment, something tells me she'll be somewhere along that route." Fluttershy had stopped crying now and was instead praying Sunset was safe.
Neither mother or daughter spoke for several minutes, until suddenly Fluttershy gave a small shriek. Her mom hit the breaks and the car skidded to a halt.
"I think I saw a flash of red and gold as we drove past the alley back there." They both leapt out the car and ran to the alley, their feet making crunching sounds when they trod on the snow on the sidewalk.
Fluttershy got to the alley first. Sunset was slumped against the wall, snow starting to gather on her hair and legs. Her mom caught up. "I think she's passed out from the cold..." Fluttershy said to her mom while still staring at Sunset.
"Let's get her in the car." together, the two managed to get Sunset strapped into one of the back seats.
Mrs Shy turned the car around slowly and then drove back home. Fluttershy, who had chosen to ride in the back with Sunset, held her friend's hand, warming it up a little.
A lone tear rolled down her face.
"Please be alright Sunset..."
Author's Note
This is my first fic, I really wanted to try writing one so I hope it turned out ok. 
If anyone could give me some help with what tags I need, I'd be grateful. The violence tag is going to be explained in a later chapter hopefully, and if I find it doesn't fit anymore, I'll remove it.
Thank you for reading!
Chapter 1: Flashback- Last Day of School
It was the last day of school at Canterlot High School, but holiday cheer was almost impossible to find. Anon-a-miss had successfully torn apart the school, spreading distrust and disharmony everywhere– even the usually easy-going students were unhappy.
Sunset Shimmer paused outside the front doors of CHS. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Was she ready for this? Another day of insults and abuse from people she once helped to unite? Her eyes snapped open, blazing with fury and newfound determination.
She pushed open the doors and marched inside. The shouting inside stopped. All heads slowly turned to face Sunset. Eyes narrowed; fists reached into pockets. Sunset walked briskly, almost jogging, trying to get somewhere a little safer before–
An empty soda can hit her in the shoulder.
–that.
Suddenly, rubbish was flying towards her from all directions. Wads of paper, tin cans, bottles, even things like pens and erasers. Everyone wanted to show their distaste for the anon-a-miss scapegoat.
Sunset shielded her face with her arms and stumbled forwards. "Too slow... again." she sighed to herself. The rubbish throwing was becoming a daily occurrence. She was pretty certain people deliberately hoarded their trash to attack her...
At least today was the last day; Sunset consoled herself with that thought. Then a wave of horror hit her as she realized: she had nowhere to go. Mr Rich had given her ten minutes to gather all of her belongings that morning before warning her to "STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY AND ME!"
Her only possessions in this world were in the tattered rucksack and the large sports bag attached to her rucksack. She thought it kind of lucky she didn't have much to pack, being extremely poor. She hadn't had many bits on her when she came to this lousy world from Equestria.
Sunset found it funny to wonder if her landlord would still have kicked her out if he knew she was the adopted daughter (kind of) of a magical pony princess who could control the sun and was practically a goddess. An amusing thought, but she knew that wouldn't help her now.
Sunset made it to her locker and deposited her heavy bags inside, only filling her backpack with the books she needed for class. She picked up the leather-bound book with the two toned sun on it. Her cutie mark... Her journal... Sunset debated taking the book with her, but decided against it. There was no point; Twilight hadn't been replying lately so there was no help coming from Equestria.
Slamming the locker shut, she was just turning around when a hand grabbed her shirt and pulled her almost off her feet. She found her face less than two inches away from one of the most feared girls in Canterlot High.
Gilda.
The girl in question smiled a menacing grin. "I think it's time someone taught you a lesson, huh Anon-a-Miss?" She slammed Sunset back into the locker, still holding her by the rim of her shirt.
Sunset growled. Fighting for air, she choked out "How... many times... do I have... to... say... I'm not... ANON-A-MISS!" she swung her leg and kicked Gilda painfully in the shin. The bully let go of Sunset, who quickly regained her balance and raised her fists defensively.
"You just made a big mistake, and here I thought you were supposed to be smart..." Gilda also raised her fists. "Bring it."
Sunset easily blocked Gilda's first few punches, thanking Celestia that she took self-defence classes when she first came to this world. However, Gilda's next effort was more strategic; when Sunset went to block the swing, her opponent's other fist landed in her gut, leaving her winded.
"And that was just the first of many," Gilda smirked. Striking whilst Sunset was down, the bully landed two swift kicks and a punch to her opponent before Sunset got back in the fight.
Sunset knew she had to get her brain in gear if she wanted to stay in one piece. A crowd was quickly starting to gather, eager to see who would prevail, and Sunset knew that it had to be her if she was to stay relatively uninjured.
Gilda kept throwing punches (and the occasional kick) but Sunset was ready for her now. Before Gilda knew what was happening, Sunset's fist had connected with her eye, causing it to explode with pain.
"You'll pay for that you little-" Gilda narrowed her good eye while holding the other in her hand. "Boys? Now."
Three boys elbowed their way roughly to the front of the crowd. Sunset recognized then immediately as Hoops, Score and Dumbbell– or more commonly known as Gilda's three henchmen. This could only go badly.
Chuckling darkly, Gilda gleefully watched as Hoops and Dumbbell seized Sunset's arms and pinned her against the locker behind her. She didn't even get a chance to resist.
Struggling in the boys' strong grips, Sunset felt her inner fire of determination start to go out. Gilda was walking towards her slowly, ever so slowly. However, there was nothing slow about the fist that flew forward and into Sunset's rib cage a second later.
Sunset could see how this fight was going to play out. The crowd were starting to yell out encouragements to Gilda which made each hit sting more. It was beginning to turn from a fair (ish) fight into a merciless beating– with her on the receiving end. "No..." she murmured. "Somebody... please..." her voice trailed off.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow Dash's distinctive hair at the front of the crowd, although she could not see her facial expression. It did not matter. Rainbow could see for herself the predicament Sunset was in, yet she hadn't lifted a finger to help.
Rainbow wasn't the only familiar face Sunset could see. Nearby, Applejack's trademark Stetson was also visible, and still no help came. Sunset bent her head down and any last trace of hope she still had vanished into thin air. A lone tear crept down her face.
As Gilda was about to point out this emotional weakness of Sunset's, a stern voice filled the corridor:
"I hope you have a good reason for this, Miss Griffin."
Sunset had never been happier to see Canterlot High's rather mysterious Vice-Principal. The woman's normally impassive look had been replaced by one of thunder; her eyes were narrowed and her mouth was drawn in a thin line.
"In my office. Now."
Gilda knew better to refuse, but under her breath she growled "This isn't over yet Anon-a-Miss. I'll get you for what you posted about me."
Hoops and Dumbbell finally let go of a Sunset and tried to slip into the crowd, but Vice-Principal Luna was not about to let them get away that easily.
"You don't get away that easily boys. Office. Now. You too Score." She addressed the third boy, who was trying to sink into the wall in an attempt not to be noticed.
Luna walked off with the four bullies in tow. The students who had gathered to watch were quickly dispersing and heading to class.
The fight itself had lasted less than ten minutes, but to Sunset it had felt like much more then that. Her left cheekbone ached, as did multiple places on her rib cage and stomach. Her arms also felt sore from where the boys had been pinning her against her own locker. Really though, Sunset felt she had gotten away lightly. She knew if Gilda caught up with her again, she wouldn't be so lucky.
Since she wasn't terribly hurt, Sunset chose to ignore the injuries she had and try to get on with her day. Picking up her bag from where she had dropped it, Sunset walked as fast as she could to get to her first class of the day (maths) before the bell rung. She made it just a few seconds before the bell rung, and sighed in relief.
Her day passed as normal, the usual glares she received being more triumphant than usual because she had 'gotten what she deserved' that morning. The only person not to glare at her was Fluttershy who shot her a look of concern as she sat alone in the cafeteria before quickly returning to her own lunch.
In the corridors, people took delight in shoving past her roughly, although Sunset could deal with that. It just made her feel sour.
Eventually, after many hours of emotional torture, the school day was over. The winter holidays were finally here– not that Sunset was happy about that. She had nowhere to go, nothing to do and no one to spend Christmas with. Not any more.
Sunset paused outside Canterlot High's entrance. "Maybe it's worth trying to talk to the girls one more time..."
She headed towards Sugarcube Corner.
Author's Note
Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed that chapter 
and sorry I left it so long! 
This chapter was a flashback to what happened on the last day of school; the story will go back to Fluttershy and Sunset in the next chapter (whenever that will be ).
Thanks for reading!
