Magical Pony Happiness Theory

Chapters

Dolls
Dear My Friend
The Mother, The Daughter, The Broken Spirit

Dolls

Author's Note

Tw: Blood, Violence, Mental instability, a bit of OOC that will be explained in the chapter and later on in the fanfic

Yeah, I saw all of the Anon-a-Miss fanfics here on this site but I don't think I've ever seen it done in this angle before. I know that Sunset is usually mentally sound, but I hope that the explanation I gave here is satisfactory for now. Don't worry! I got additional explanations as for why the OOCness is there.

I look forward to seeing your reviews!

Dolls

I got your text, Rainbow Dash. Did something come from the portal? Is Equestrian magic on the loose? Did Twilight come back with a problem only we can solve?
Well, Sunset, ah was just tellin' Rainbow Dash here that a broken guitar string doesn't really qualify as an emergency.

Date: December 20th
Time: 2:00 pm

Flash Sentry observed the building in front of him with great thought. He knew that the inner area of Canterlot City was run down and a little economically depressed, but this was too sobering to bear. This is where Sunset lived nowadays? If he had already felt sorry for her before, there was no amount of words to describe the sympathy flowing within him now.

The building itself was a rotting husk of faded bricks, chapped cement, and a mixture of rats and mice running to and fro. As he was mentally preparing himself, a hunched figure opened the door and squinted at him. She was middle-aged, wearing a faded green shawl around her red hair, wrinkles that strangely enough accentuated her hazel eyes and pink lips, and a soft-teal shirt and tulle green dress complete with brown loafers. In her callused hands was a broom that had seen better days.

"May I help ye, laddy?" Contrary to her appearance, her demeanor and voice, thick with an Irish accent, was soft and gentle.

"Oh, I'm Flash Sentry." He stammered. "I, uh, I'm visiting a friend. Her name is Sunset Shimmer."

"Flash Sentry, is it?" The woman smiled. "I'm Clover Field. It's a good thing ye came. Someone needs to help that poor girl move out of this rotten building anyway."

The inside of the building certainly matched the exterior. What was even worse was that it was a confined space, so the lingering smell of garbage made Flash's nose crinkle in disgust. Clover Field could only chuckle in amusement before motioning him to follow up some stairs. After about two flights, she stopped before a faded yellow door and reached for her back pocket.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why does she need to move out?" Flash timidly asked.

"It's because the landlord's wife, Spoiled Rich, decided to tear down the whole apartment complex so that she could build a sprawling mall." Clover could only reply in disgust. "Filthy Rich agreed with her and decided to move every resident to a new place so that he could get to work." She sighed before leaning in to whisper. "And, truth be told, I don't think she can live in this environment."

"Function?"

"Oh yes." As Clover was fumbling about with the key, she looked at him squarely in the eye. "Just a week ago, I saw her coming into her apartment, almost beaten to a bloody pulp. I tried to call a hospital, but she refused, saying that it was her punishment for every terrible thing she done before." She put the key in the lock. "Before that, I heard her break both her laptop and cellphone with a heavy bang."

"When was that?"

"A week before that."

A week before that? So, then that would place her on the day when she and her friends supposedly had that spat about the dreaded Anon-a-Miss. Flash felt a chill up his spine and a fire in his gut. How could he even remotely think that she would regress back to her ways again? Well, whatever the case, he needed to help her in any way he could. But first, he needed to get her out of this place!

"Sunset dearie, a visitor has come!" Clover called out, a hint of desperateness in her voice. Then, turning to Flash Sentry, a look of indescribable pity was etched in her face. "Please be gentle to her, okay? I know that she has done wrong things in the past. But give her the benefit of the doubt just once, alright?"

Flash only nodded in reply. He was watching her carefully before, given how their class schedules ran parallel to each other. But still, he needed to scope out the situation in order to truly clear Sunset's name. So, with a deep breath, he entered the apartment.

The apartment itself was devoid of any furniture, kitchen utensils or bathroom utilities and for a moment, Flash thought he was pranked as he walked further inside the apartment. However, when he reached the end of the hall, he saw that the door was closed. So, he opened in and sure enough, Sunset was inside. But the state he found Sunset in, along with her bedroom, reeled him into further shock.

The bedroom, if one could call it that, had only a minimal of belongings inside. The bed was nothing but a mattress, a broken computer as well as a broken phone lay askew in one corner of the bedroom, school supplies were thrown in a similar manner without any care save for a familiar leather-bound book, and Sunset herself was sitting in the middle with her back turned to him, occupied in something. Even though it was from a rear view, her clothes were fairly beaten and frayed with tear damage while the majority of her hair was dulled and straightened.

Not good. Not good.

Flash tapped her once on the shoulder, hoping that it would get her attention. When that didn't work, he tried another few taps before clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Hey, Sunset. It's me, Flash."

Still no response. With his fear rising in his chest, Flash gently took the girl by her arms and whirled her around, only to reel back in shock. He had an inkling that she was in bad condition, but he didn't expect this. Her head was covered in two deep gashes that certainly required bandages, judging from the dried blood. Her face was covered in a myriad of bruises, cuts, and even a scratch that came from elongated nails. Her hands, holding a doll that eerily looked like Rainbow Dash, and knees were discolored in a mix of ugly puce and blue bruises. With all of these wounds, it was a miracle that she was still alive, much less coherent.

But that wasn't the biggest shock of them all, oh no. The biggest shock were her eyes. They used to be alert, quick, and on the move. But now, they were dulled to the point where it seemed that she couldn't see anyone except her dolls anymore. Just as Flash absorbed this information, Sunset's eyes blinked before looking up. She squinted, trying to register who was in front of her, before she smiled.

"Oh Flash. Hi. It's a surprise to see you here." Sunset smiled before turning to the Rainbow Dash doll. "Sorry, but Rainbow Dash said that there was an emergency with her broken guitar string. The other girls came with me as well, so..." She trailed off, seemingly lost in her own little world.

Flash leaned slightly to find dolls of Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sitting in upright positions. All of them looked to be in great shape, as if a lot of love and care were put into their creation. Flash stared at the creations in abject confusion before shaking his head and sitting down to talk to Sunset.

"Hey, Sunset." He began in what was hopefully a soothing voice. "I see that you've been doing..." Well? Alright? Those were lies, all lies. "...good, I guess." This was awkward. "Um, where were you guys going again?"

Sunset threw him a funny look before smiling once more. "The hallways. Rainbow Dash said that there would be great acoustics there. Of course, the real reason of why we're playing in the hallways is that because the music rooms are closed." She ended with another chuckle. "Isn't that right, Rainbow?" The look-alike stayed silent in all of its felt glory, which Sunset took as a response. Did he have the heart to tell her that it was just a doll? ~~Probably not~~

"Sunset." Ever since the Battle of the Bands, he'd never been good at talking to either Twilight or Sunset without a slight air of awkwardness underlining the conversation. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of the whole..." He hesitated. "...Anon-a-miss ordeal."

"The what?"

"The Anon-a-miss thing at school. You know the one where someone's posting rumors at school and framing you to be the perpetrator. You know that thing." There was no need for him to get into further detail than that, no need to tell her that her friends were the ones to cast her aside, no need for her to relive all those painful memories and him ~~coward that he was~~ not doing a thing, a single thing, to help her.

"That was a thing?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah."

Sunset looked at the dolls sitting in place and asked, "Do you remember a thing called Anon-a-miss?" When the dolls didn't reply, she turned back to Flash. "Sorry, Flash, but none of us remember or even heard of a thing called Anon-a-miss." What? "Is it some new magical threat like the Sirens?" When all that came out of Flash was a shake of his head, she frowned before shrugging. "I guess I'll let Twilight know. Trust me, I'd think I would be the first to know about this thing."

Yes, yes you would...If you were aware of what was going on.

"Yes." His voice was oddly strained. "Yes, Twilight should know about this. Sunset, is it okay if I borrow the journal and be the first to tell her? After that, I want you to come with me."

"Why?"

"I think you should sleep over at my house for some time. Clover Field wants you to be in a much better place than this old apartment, so is that okay?"

Sunset looked confused, but nodded anyway. Flash then took the journal carefully and perused through its contents very carefully. At first, the journal looked to be completely normal but after that..., no, he came to do a job. So, scouring for the cleanest page available, he took out a pen from his backpack and began to write to Twilight while Sunset still played with the dolls.

Dear Twilight,

Hey. It's me, Flash. I know that this is supposed to be from Sunset, but unfortunately we have a bit of a situation here. It seems like everything after Sunset was framed by Anon-a-Miss got worse. I wish I could tell you the full scope of what's been happening, but honestly I don't think I give the situation full justice by just writing it to you. I'm just gonna tell you to meet me at Canterlot High's statue base as soon as this message reaches you. Meanwhile, I'll try to help Sunset as much as I can. See you soon!

Sincerely,

Flash Sentry

An hour later...

Bright Shield looked up from her laptop as soon as she heard footsteps through the threshold. A licensed psychologist by career, she certainly didn't look the part of the professional, being dressed in slacks and everything. Why does this matter? Well, because if your son was hauling a girl who looked to be half-dead, dressing in slacks wouldn't be a problem if there was blood involved.

"Flash! What on Earth-!"

"Later, Mom!" Flash snapped in an unusual manner. "Can we just get Dad on the phone? We have a big emergency on our hands."

A bit miffed by his behavior, Bright Shield nonetheless walked over to the phone and called up her husband, Dr. Purple Heart. A retired Army medic, he had successfully built a career out of being a hospital surgeon and then opening up a general clinic. As soon as she called the office, she took a closer look at the girl Flash brought in and frowned. How long had she been having those wounds? Shouldn't she have gone to a hospital? A few moments of just telling Purple Heart the situation at hand later and then she put down the phone, intending to get Flash to tell her the truth.

"Flash, what on earth is going on? Why didn't you bring her to a hospital?" Her blue eyes turned over to Sunset, who was obliviously playing with her dolls.

"Mom, I need your help." With a deep breath, Flash began to tell the whole day, of what Clover Field told him, of what Sunset was doing, of the Anon-a-Miss situation, everything. When he finished, Bright Shield looked at him in concern before going over to Sunset.

"I'll try to do a psychiatric evaluation on Sunset, so we can figure out her diagnosis from there. However, it seems that there are a lot of factors at play." Bright Shield then looked at her son in sadness. "Poor girl. It's clear that whatever she did in the past, this was too much. I'm just glad that you were able to help her as fast as you could. I hope she can stay with us..."

Flash smiled wearily. "It was no trouble. And it was a good thing you said that. I gotta get Sunset's things out of the car. She needs to stay here as long as she's like this." Then, with a long sad look at Sunset, he thought to himself.

I hope we can bring you back to normal as fast as we can, Sunset.

Dear My Friend

🎵What you see is what you get🎵
🎵Don't you ever forget🎵

Date: December 21st
Time: 9:50 am

Would Flash Sentry please report to the Principal's Office.

Flash sighed before grabbing his backpack and walking out of the classroom. Nearing the principal's office, he could hear an agitated voice muffled by the office door. Scratching his head in confusion, he opened the door to find Twilight Sparkle near conniption levels while her dog stayed hidden in her backpack, cringing a bit. In front of her were the principals struggling a huge deal to maintain their composure if their somewhat mortified looks were anything to go by.

Ah, okay. That made sense.

"Hey, Twilight." Flash greeted, waving at her. "How're you doing?"

"Flash!" Twilight nearly screamed. "You wrote to me in Sunset's book?! How?! That was supposed to be a secret! Ugh, never mind that! Sunset! You said that the Anon-a-Miss situation got worse, right?! What happened?! Where is Sunset?!" Grabbing him by the arms, she leaned in close so that their noses were touching. "Tell me!"

"Easy, Twilight." The smooth voice of Principal Celestia cut in. "Thank you, Flash, for coming here."

"No problem." Flash said. "Let me guess. It's about Sunset, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Vice-Principal Luna chimed in. "It seems that the Anon-a-Miss fiasco has elevated to such a degree that some of the students are willing to use physical means to deal with their problems. We've had to deal with two instances of bathroom fights, four gym fights, and Lord knows how many lunchroom fights. The only thing that united this school in one aspect, however, is pinning Sunset as the culprit."

"We've tried to contact Sunset to get to the bottom of this, but she's nowhere to be found." Celestia added. "Twilight arrived here just a few moments ago, saying that you know of Sunset's whereabouts as of this moment. Would you like to explain?"

Flash drew in a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy, he could tell, but it needed to be done. So, he slowly recounted all of the events leading up to today. As he retold them, the memories began to crop up in excruciating detail from the hospital ride to Sunset's surgery. He could actually smell the disinfectant, feel his eyes sting from the bright fluorescent lights as well as Sunset's soft hand as they walked into the hospital. He could hear her sobbing for them, the Rainbooms, for help as they wheeled her into surgery. ~~He couldn't do anything about it, why couldn't he do anything about it?~~ Swallowing the newly formed lump in his throat, he slowly breathed in and out in order to continue.

The medical reports were mixed. Physically, Sunset was fine apart from the stitches that she needed on her head. All of the bruises were superficial at worst and by a week's time, the stitches would also fade. Mentally was another story. Due to the mixture of physical trauma on her head and unsolved emotional trauma, her mind suffered from a severe psychotic break through which only intense therapy could heal along with a few medications to get her started. If that didn't work, then the only other option was institutionalizing Sunset at the local mental hospital, which nobody wanted to take.

"...She's probably at home by now." Flash finished. "Mom's there taking care of her while Dad's sending you the paperwork and the medical records later today."

The room was like a frigid tomb. Twilight looked absolutely horrified with her hand over her mouth. She sunk down into a chair while her dog opened the backpack and leapt onto her lap. He was nuzzling her while looking at Flash with an equally pained expression. The principals, meanwhile, had equal looks of rage, sadness, and guilt etched onto their faces. After one too many minutes, Principal Celestia decided to break the silence.

"Flash." Principal Celestia began. "You can leave early today. The vice-principal and I need to discuss a few topics before we move ahead with Anon-a-Miss." She looked towards Vice-Principal Luna with a determined look in her eyes.

"Agreed. We cannot have anymore of this nonsense." The vice-Principal returned with equal vigor.

As Flash turned to leave, a hand stopped him. He glanced to see Twilight holding on to him with one hand while cradling the pooch with the other. Her face harbored a devastated look, complete with fresh tears threatening to drip down her face. He gently pulled her into a hug, being mindful of her furry companion nestled within her arms.

"Flash, is it okay if I see Sunset?" She whispered.

"Say no more, Twilight. I think she'd be delighted to see you."

30 minutes later...

When they arrived there, Bright Shield was on the couch taking a nap, glasses askew and papers strewn all over the place. A small smile sprung on Flash's face as he turned to Twilight, who showed slight disapproval at the scene. After tucking her in carefully, the trio made their way upstairs. When they reached the end of the hallway, Flash opened the door slowly so that he wouldn't startle the occupant inside. Twilight made her way inside eagerly only to be stopped cold by the girl on the bed.

Sunset Shimmer was lying there peacefully, breathing softly to the rhythm of the clock. The white bandages stuck out in the tresses of the red-yellow hair strewn all over the pillow like a sore thumb. Her eyes, closed in drugged bliss, developed light bags and the visible bruises all over her skin were mixed in a ugly shade of puce. Twilight's hands clenched in agitation and worry. Who would do this to Sunset? Why did this happen now of all times? Most importantly, why did her friends, the same friends that she trusted with all her heart to take care of Sunset, just abandon her and left her to the wolves? She shook her head. That would come later.

Kneeling next to the bed, she smiled sadly as she stroked Sunset's head, being mindful of the bandages that covered it. She felt Spike jump on the bed and nuzzle Sunset's undamaged cheek. For a few minutes, the only sounds that were heard were the soft pangs of the clock and Sunset's breathing. Twilight looked outside to see white, crisp, tiny snowflakes fall delicately outside.

"It's so nice outside, Sunset." She whispered as she continued to stroke the other girl's head. "I wish you could see it." Tears began to fall down her cheeks and she hurriedly wiped them away. She couldn't lose herself like this; her pupil needed her. "You were waiting for me, weren't you? Waiting for me to reply, to help you out in your time of need. But I didn't and now it has gotten worse. Much worse than what we both expected." Her voice trembled with each word. "I failed you as a teacher, but I'm not going to fail you as a friend. Not anymore."

With new determination, she looked to her pupil and gave her one last stroke on the head before getting up and motioned her loyal assistant to follow suit. Giving one more nuzzle, Spike followed her to the door where Flash waited for them. For a few seconds, nobody exchanged a word, opting for silence as the two made their way downstairs to the kitchen. At first, the princess declined bashfully but Flash and Bright Shield insisted with Spike wagging his tail enthusiastically. Eventually, she'd relented and the four were gathered around the table, drinking hot cocoa (with a special one made just for Spike).

Despite the warm cheer exuded by Flash and his mother, Twilight was still incredibly seethed at the whole school and most importantly, her friends the Rainbooms. Her knuckles turned white with cold fury and tears pricked at her eyes once more. It was hard enough seeing her friend in this state, but now she needed to tell Princess Celestia of how her one of her pupils lay in dire straits.

"Twilight, dear, are you alright?" Bright Shield's voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's just that Sunset is a really close friend of mine." ~~Then, why didn't you reply? Why did you leave her there to fend for herself?~~ "I just arrived today and this information has been a lot to take in. On top of this happening to her, I have to inform her former teacher of this situation as well as address a school worth of monsters of their actions recently. Which happens to include her former friends unfortunately. So, please forgive me if I'm not as cheerful during this holiday as I want to be." At this, everyone else flinched at her words and looked at each other nervously.

"I just wish I could turn back time and prevent this from happening." Twilight mumbled to herself. "Maybe if I brought her to Equestria again, then none of this would've happened. She would've been sane and happier under the Princess again."

"Twilight, you didn't know this was gonna happen." Flash retorted.

"No. But it doesn't ease the pain of knowing that I failed her in her time of need." Twilight replied wearily. "If I could, I would just send the whole of Canterlot High to Tartarus or at least a dungeon for the next hundred years. If I told the Princess, she wouldn't disagree one bit, seeing what happened to Sunset."

"N-Now, Twilight. Don't you think that's going a bit far?" Bright Shield asked. "What they have done is appalling, yes, but why would a dungeon bring them back to their senses?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't fight fire with fire." Twilight barked. "They took it upon themselves to maim Sunset's reputation, ego, and sanity at a time where she was building her reputation from scratch and with genuine intentions. Why shouldn't I punish and hurt them the same way that they hurt her?"

"Because it isn't going to bring Sunset back, Twilight."

It was a simple statement, yet it was one that rocked her to her core. Flash was looking at her with a hardened stare, though he was a bundle of nerves on the inside. He knew that if he continued to oppose her while she was on a rant, the possibility of him dying due to magical lasers would increase tenfold. Yet a small voice in the back of his head told him that he needed to stop her in her tracks before she did something that she would regret.

"I told you about her screaming for the Rainbooms. But you didn't get to hear them as I did. It hurt, Twilight, it stung. I never thought that she could scream like that, like a banshee, when they took away the dolls. But she did. And I don't think getting revenge on her behalf is going to make her feel better in any way, shape, or form. Especially not when she still thinks of the Rainbooms as her friends."

Twilight's lips pursed in dark recognition and she glowered into her mug. He was right, she couldn't risk Sunset's happiness and mental health in pursuit of revenge disguised as justice. It didn't stop her from being angry, but she'd have to control it for now. Besides, she needed to keep a cool head if she wanted to inform Princess Celestia of the situation. She'd also need to control herself in front of Sunset when she wakes up, considering the state that she was in. Flash noticed and softened in reply, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Sunset's under the best care this side of Canterlot City." He assured. "I promise that she will get better."

At this, Twilight nodded and finished the rest of her cocoa. At first, her plan of action was to meet with Sunset and take her to Sugarcube Corner to get this Anon-a-Mess resolved. However, seeing her pupil's state, she decided to head for Princess Celestia immediately. She needed to be informed sooner or later and although she wouldn't have been keen to be the one to deliver the news, it would at least give Sunset another platform of support in her recovery. But before that...

"Flash, Mrs. Bright Shield, let me be the first to say thank you on both my behalf and Sunset's behalf." Twilight smiled softly. "This must not have been an easy thing to do and the fact that you stepped up for Sunset gives me relief that at least some people here care about Sunset's well being." She paused, then continued. "Like I said, I must return to Canterlot and inform her previous mentor about her condition, but rest assured that I will be back to help Sunset's recovery. If I somehow cannot return for some days, then I will at least write in the other journal to monitor any updates."

"Okay, Twilight." Flash said, with a nod. "We'll keep you posted."

"Alright." Twilight picked up Spike and began to head out the kitchen. However, a new thought occurred to her and blinking back tears, she turned to Flash. "Before I go, I want to see one more thing. The dolls. Is it okay if I see them?"

Twilight traced her finger over the yarn and felt that was the Rainbow Dash doll, noticing how every stitch was handled as if it was crafted by a professional. In some aspects, it was as if Rarity abandoned her dreams of making dresses to pursue doll making. She bet that both versions of Rarity were shivering in thought at their names being used for improbable metaphors and quelled a grin itching on her face.

Studying the doll, she noticed how everything, from the individual strands of hair to the details on the clothes, eerily reflects that of the real Rainbow Dash. She then inspected the Rarity doll, the Applejack doll, etc. and saw such uncanny details. She shivered at someone stalking her friends and using their likenesses for objects that fueled Sunset's imagination. Glancing at Sunset, Twilight briefly wondered Sunset's reaction if she was normal.

"Dolls? That's creepy, Twilight. Maybe we can use the book to see whether or not it contains magic from Equestria.

If only magic could fix her mind.

Shaking her head, she carefully placed the Fluttershy doll down and walked over to Sunset. She smiled, stroked her hair one more time, and headed for the doorway, aiming to tell Princess Celestia what happened. Before she did, she also made one mental note to her plan about finding out the creator of the dolls and how this tied in with Sunset.

Author's Note

Phew! That was a doozy! Sorry if this chapter wasn't as good as the last chapter. It was hard to gauge how I wanted this to go: Flash yelling at the Rainbooms, Twilight yelling at the Rain booms, or Twilight and Sunset having a conversation by writing their replies down. In the end, I went with this as it show cased some of the Twilight anger, but not all of it. I wanted to make her more rational when she actually meets the Rainbooms, for better or for worse in this chapter. Oh, don't worry! The juicy bits are coming soon! *insert evil laughter here*

As for why Bright Shield is going along with Twilight being from Equestria, she doesn't. She's just humoring her son and his friend for the time being.

Alright! Poll Time! Who should be the first Rainboom to see Sunset?

A) Fluttershy
B) Pinkie Pie
C) Rarity
D) Rainbow Dash
E) Applejack
F) All of them

The Mother, The Daughter, The Broken Spirit

Sunset felt that eerie chill down her spine as she walked over to the band room with her friends. She looked at the entrance of the school in concerned thought, her mind going back to last night's events. Someone was trying to extract magic at their statue's base, but for what purpose? What could they hope to gain by extracting the magic out? Was it one of the Sirens, but she hadn't felt any magical presence from the intruder. So then, who or what was it? In addition, something else gnawed at her stomach. Something that Flash said...Anon-a-...

"Sunset, are you okay?"

She blinked at Fluttershy's words. She looked over to the rest of the group and realized that they'd stopped talking minutes ago. They were all looking at her with the same expression: concern. She could only nod; for some reason, she was anxious about something. Something that she couldn't remember. It twisted at her nerves, assaulted her head with anxiety, swirled her gut, and shook her hands. Was it from lack of sleep? She couldn't tell, she couldn't tell at all.

"Are ya sure?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "Because you look like you haven't gotten much sleep. Like at all."

"...Do I?" She unconsciously rubbed under her eyes, feeling for any bags, and frowned in thought. "Huh. Sorry, girls. I guess I didn't get any sleep last night. Something happened at the base of the statue and I want to figure it out as soon as possible, if not immediately."

"What is it?" Rarity whispered urgently. "What happened last night?"

"I saw someone at the base of the statue with some kind of device. She was definitely doing something to extract the magic of the portal...or was going to." She hesitated. Truth be told, that last part seemed more of an excuse to cover up the other thing that was bothering her. It was something that Flash said, something about Anon-a-Miss. For some reason, that name brought a sickening pain to her chest. She couldn't remember why though.

"Sunset?" Fluttershy's soft voice questioned, a hand caressing her shoulder. Despite the touch being tender, she flinched as if she was burned. "Is something wrong? You're so jumpy."

"...It's something that Flash said a few days earlier. About Anon-a-Miss." Sunset replied truthfully. "There's something about that name that's unsettling to me and I don't remember why."

"Why should you be worried?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, if Anon-a-Miss was real, then it would've been defeated by now."

"Yeah, Sunny!" Pinkie Pie chimed, pulling Sunset in a one-armed hug. "We would've sent that monster a-packing!"

"I don't think it's the person itself that I'm worried about." Sunset said somberly despite smiling at Pinkie's gesture. "I'm worried more about the effect that it'll have on all of you." That sent a wave reaction throughout the group. They looked at each other for a couple of moments and Sunset was beginning to regret what she said given their blank faces before Rarity looked over to Sunset and smiled tenderly, gently caressing her hand.

"Sunset, it is true that previous encounters such as the Dazzlings have tested our friendship." Rarity began soothingly. "But both you and Twilight have proven to us that Friendship Is Magic and that nothing will ever tear our friendships apart."

"Yeah, Sunny!" Pinkie chimed in once more. "We'll always be here for you! That's what friends do, right? You've been there for us even when we were being meanies to each other!"

"Yeah, and if that Anon-a-Miss decides to mess with you, then she's messed with all of us!" Rainbow added. "She's forgotten that we're a team that never splits apart, even at the worst of times!"

"Sunset, remember what ah said?" Applejack spoke. "You're part of our family. I meant what I said that day. Family never, ever, ever turns their back on each other. That includes us. You'll always be part of our family. You have my word and my promise."

Sunset smiled genuinely, a little exhausted and still worried but nevertheless grateful that she had such wonderful friends by her side. "Thanks, girls. I'm so sorry for ever doubting you. This lack of sleep has really gotten to me. I guess I'll head on home. Sorry about that."

"It's no trouble at all, Sunset." Fluttershy smiled.

Reluctantly pulling away from Pinkie's hug, she waved her friends goodbye before exiting the school. After a few minutes of tense atmosphere, the Rainbooms nodded to each other and headed for the band room. Once inside, Pinkie Pie locked the door and they all faced each other with stony expressions. The minutes that followed were filled with a silence so thick that one can cut it with a knife.

"I thought we were supposed to stay on script." Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak.

"It's best not to rush these things, Rainbow Dash." Rarity pointedly replied. "On the contrary, Sunset's bound to spend more time here in this world now that things are at a slower pace."

"Right, Rarity, right." Applejack agreed. "After all, wasn't that our mission when Sunset created this imaginary world? To make sure that Sunset never left. I mean, all we have to do is assure her that we'll never leave her and she'll never leave."

"It's best if she didn't leave anyway." Fluttershy said, sounding sad. "Nobody liked her out there in the real world, not even the real Rainbooms. It doesn't make sense! Why now, of all times, do things have to turn out this way? We were just a tiny step away from making real friends, a tiny step to being happy again! We weren't going to harm anyone anymore! Demon Sunset shouldn't be a thing on their minds!"

"I guess it wasn't enough." Pinkie Pie murmured, hair going flat. "I guess our redemption wasn't enough in their eyes and who could blame them? In their eyes, we were let off easy. We should've gone to jail in their minds, let us know what true punishment is like. Well, in a way, this is our punishment. Sunset goes to a mental institution, away from society that was hurt by her cruel actions. No contact with the outside world and things will go back to normal. The Rainbooms gain their reputations once more and the world will never have to see Demon Sunset ever again."

"Can we really say that this is punishment?" Rarity asked. "After all, this is an idealized world where Sunset still has friends, has gained everyone's trust, and is starting to uncover other magical secrets. Can you really call this a punishment?"

"Well, it is the only thing keeping the darkness at bay." Applejack chimed. "If the darkness were to truly come out of hiding, then Sunset would die. It might be poetic to some of the students, but I think having people sigh in relief that the demon is locked away in a prison where she belongs is good enough for us."

The five turned their eyes to the ground, where dark tentacles of energy radiated from the ground...

On the other side of the portal...

Twilight Sparkle landed with a graceful plop of her hooves, Spike riding on her back. She levitated the folder above her, the contents inside extremely important for the task at hand. No doubt that Princess Celestia would want some physical proof concerning the whereabouts of her student. With a sigh, she placed them on the table, placed Spike gently on the ground, and then sat herself down, trying to absorb the situation. It was all too much to take in really and the worst part was that it was partially her fault for not being there for Sunset when the fiery-haired girl needed her.

"Twilight...?" Spike asked timidly.

"Yes, Spike?" She replied gently. Ah, she'd forgotten that Spike was there with her as well. This was a hard blow for him too. She gently took the dragon under her wing and they sat there for a few minutes, taking in the silence of the room. It wasn't going to be easy to tell Princess Celestia of what happened to one of her students, but it was for the best after all. The duo reluctantly parted from each other and Spike took it upon himself to retrieve quill and parchment, ready for the go-to. With a deep breath, Twilight began.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

An hour later...

Twilight didn't realize she dozed off until a gentle pat on the shoulder woke her. Glancing around in confusion, her eyes had widened dramatically when she found that Princess Celestia was there, smiling down gently at her. Turning her head a little to the side, she also found that Princess Luna was there as well. She squealed in delight seeing her mentor and an enemy-turned-friend at her side before realizing the real reason that they were here, which dampened her mood considerably. The princesses noticed the change in mood and subsequently, their faces were somber as well.

"I take it that things on the other side of the portal have not been going well?" Princess Luna ventured.

"No, they're not." And so she launched into explanation about Sunset's situation as well as what Flash told her. She felt the tears well up in her eyes again which Princess Luna took upon her to gently erase. Twilight smiled in appreciation, thanking her before turning to Princess Celestia, afraid of what her reaction was going to be. Princess Celestia looked to the portal in a mixture of emotions: rage, sadness, etc. But when she turned to Twilight, a lovingly sad smile was in place.

"Thank you, Twilight." She spoke. "I imagine that it was difficult for you to tell me the news and I'm grateful that Sunset is in safe hands for now."

"Me too." Twilight said, smiling a little at the memory of Flash. "But I wish I could've come here sooner! If I did, then I might have convinced the Rainbooms that Sunset was telling the truth."

"You didn't know that this would happen, Twilight." Princess Celestia assured. Then her tone hardened. "But I will not deny that action against this student body would've been appropriate. In fact, I'm appalled that they would resort to such action in the first place. The only reason as to why I'm not banishing them to Tartarus myself is because Sunset is thankfully safe."

When Twilight deigned to speak, Princess Luna picked up the slack. "Twilight Sparkle, there is more to this than first written in your letter? What ails you?"

"I...I've been thinking about this whole debacle, about how I couldn't be there for her." Twilight admitted. "I was here where I was having a great time when Sunset slowly slipped into madness. I..." She felt a catch in her throat as if she might cry. "I...I could've been there for her...I could've supported her in her time of need...I...I..." She felt herself slip slowly into tears once more and she bawled her heart out.

"Twilight, if you are to blame..." Princess Celestia stated. "...Then I am to blame as well."

"P-Princess Celestia!" Twilight stammered through her tears.

"Twilight, I was supposed to be her mentor, her teacher. I thought that I could give her the guidance that she needed as one of my students. But I failed. While she chose the path that led her, I should've seen and given her more of that guiding hand than I gave."

"Besides, Twilight..." Princess Luna chimed. "...Hindsight is better when it hits you later on. The important part is Sunset and her recovery through the madness that binds her. This Flash Sentry and his family has given us the path to lead to Sunset's path towards recovery and we must follow suit. However, we must also address these Rainbooms as well as the rest of the humans in this school."

"Believe me, I will." Twilight growled, startling the Princesses. "I want to rip into them for what they've done to Sunset. But I can't. They don't know of Sunset's condition and I don't know whether telling them is going to make things worse for those involved."

"That is true." Princess Luna mused.

"Tell them, Twilight." Princess Celestia said in a hard tone. "I want them to know exactly what they did to my little Sun and I want them to clean up part of the mess that they made. I'm not sure whether this will spur them to feel the same emotions that Sunset felt when they casted her out like a leper, but hopefully it will. No one hurts my students and gets away with it. If they can't get the message through their heads when you talk to them, I'll make sure that they'll understand." Celestia's voice softened. "I would like to meet Flash Sentry and his family in the meantime as well as see Sunset, if you wouldn't mind."

"I would like to come along as well." Princess Luna added. "I wish to meet Sunset too."

Twilight nodded, glad that everyone was on the same wavelength. Motioning Spike to come over, she picked up the baby dragon and entered the portal with the two princesses at her side.

Author's Note

Whew! That was a doozy! So, this intermission was put in place so that I could configure the polls. Of course, I also wanted the plot to pick up at this speed. Hopefully, it's to your guys' liking!

Poll time!

Fluttershy won by 10 votes, with Rarity only at one vote and the rest tied at two. Of course, I did say that Fluttershy was the first to meet Sunset, but not the one to meet Twilight! Haha! Now ain't that a loophole? The next chapter is roast of the Rainbooms!