Chapters The Sunset of Hell Valley
Rainbow Dash scowled as she threw the basketball into the hoop. Currently, it was 8:20 a.m. on a Saturday, so nobody but her would be here at the gym. Not even her trusted sister, Scootaloo, could be motivated enough to get up before 9. But it was good in a way. At least when she was alone, she could vent without anyone stopping her or looking at her weirdly. But the weird looks that she'd get was nothing compared to the betrayal that she felt.
She knew that Sunset was behind all of this, she just knew it! After all, who else would be there to take those embarrassing pictures or knowing about Applejack's childhood nickname? And Sunset Shimmer was not only a liar, but she was also real self-centered about the whole thing. She was only thinking about herself while other people was suffering from the secret messaging board. She was always a rotten apple and as soon as they told Twilight, she would pay for it.
In her seething anger, she missed the shot and it bounced off of the headboard. The athlete turned to see it land perfectly into the hands of an older boy. He had silver hair, purple eyes, and a smile on his face. His baggy sweats were too short on him and his shoes were untied. The boy handed the ball over to her, to which she accepted without question. It was a nice change of pace to not get mocked at by somebody who wasn't her friends, parents, or sister.
"Those were some pretty nice shots," The boy complimented. "I wish I could do that."
"Well, you can," Rainbow Dash smirked proudly. "As long as you take some lessons from me, you'll be a pro in no time! Are you thinking of joining the team?"
"Well, I'm thinking of joining next year," The boy replied. "After all, I heard that the Canterlot High school sports team has a star player by the name of Rainbow Dash on their team." He then gasped. "No way! You're the famous Rainbow Dash?!"
"That I am!" Rainbow Dash beamed, relieved that someone knew her for her positive qualities and not for her bad grades.
"I heard that you were famous for being the top athlete at Canterlot High!"
"Heh, yeah. I am."
"I heard that you defeated the Dazzlings at the Battle of the Bands along with the Rainbooms with that sick guitar solo."
"Mhmm."
"I also heard that you are a violent traitor. "
A cold chill flooded the gym, causing Rainbow Dash to hunch in on herself for shelter. Why did the boy say that? How dare that boy say that, especially to her of all people? She frowned. Wait, that wasn't right. Why was she thinking that? A whistle shook her out of her reverie, where she faced at least twenty players on the other side of the basketball line. Some glared, some grinned evilly, and a couple of them were in tears. Looking around herself, Rainbow Dash paled as she realized that she was tightly bound to a pole on a rotating center.
"W-What's going on?"
"FIRE!"
The center spun rapidly and she was soon pelted by baseballs, dodgeballs, soccer balls, and footballs. It then changed into rotten food such as soggy pizza slices and half-eaten apple cores. Every part of her felt like they were being set on fire and trampled by a herd of angry elephants. She could feel the bruises form on her skin and underneath her clothes. She could feel tears flowing freely in her eyes. She wanted the pain to stop!
After what seemed like an eternity, everything from the pole to the players vanished in the blink of an eye. All that was left was a sobbing Rainbow Dash, curling up in pain after what had happened. After a moment or two, the boy reappeared, an expression of gentle disappointment on his face. He knelt down and clutched Rainbow Dash by the face, holding it firmly.
"So," The boy asked politely. "Are you ready to confess your sin?"
"Sin," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trying to wriggle free from his grasp. "What sin?!"
"The sin of betraying one of your friends to leave her to the wolves."
"I'd never betray any of my friends!" Rainbow Dash spat. "I'm the Element of Loyalty!"
"What about Sunset Shimmer," The boy countered calmly. "Is she not one of your friends?"
"Her ?!"
Now it made sense what was happening. Now she knew why she was being tormented. Her blood boiled. Sunset Shimmer was up to her old tricks and she even got this guy to play along with her. She glared at this guy, who only looked back with nothing but disappointment in his face. Either he didn't know what Sunset was actually like or he did and was playing along this scheme so that she could rule the school again. Well, it wouldn't work on her! She was Rainbow Dash! She was a Canterlot High school superstar and the Element of Loyalty! She was amazing!
"In case you haven't noticed, Sunset Shimmer is a bully," Rainbow Dash explained. "She made everyone's lives hell for two years at the very least! Nobody but Twilight Sparkle stood up to her and she decided to spit that back by pretending to be our friend and then reveal our secrets online as Anon-a-Miss!"
"Why?"
"Why," The athlete sputtered. "It's because she's nothing but a backstabber!"
"You say that and yet, some things just doesn't make sense," The boy calmly rebutted. "Think about it, Rainbow Dash. Why on earth would she post those secrets, knowing that she would lose her friendship in the end? Why would she endure the days of torment alone rather than go to the Principal or Vice-Principal, knowing that nobody in this school would take her side on the matter? Does any of this make sense to you at all?"
Rainbow Dash scowled. "Are you saying that I'm stupid?"
"No," The boy smirked. "You are perhaps smarter than I give you credit for. After all, you play the reckless knight in shining armor, becoming the hero in the eyes of many. You play up your image as something that others should aspire to. You do this because if people saw the real you, they would be afraid of you or possibly hate you. You cast Sunset out due to spite. Not just spite, but cowardly spite. I wonder what people would think of you when they find out your real self."
"M-My real self," Rainbow Dash stammered, scared. "My real self is-..."
"Your real self is a cowardly traitor who nearly killed Sunset because of someone else's petty jealousy."
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash's shadow came to life. It was a mirror reflection of herself except it wasn't at the same time. The shadow was hunched over and thin to the bone. It had ugly, puce eyes and sallow blue skin hanging off its bones. Its jaws opened and rats and insects crawled out. Rainbow Dash wanted to escape but it felt as if she was being held in place. She could only watch in horror as the thing that claimed to be its real self cackled like a madwoman as it crawled over to her.
"I hate Sunset Shimmer," It shrieked. "I hate her so much! She should've just died in the crater that Twilight made! I wish she was never born! I wish she was dead! I hope she's dead! I'll celebrate her death when they tell me!"
"No! No! NO! NOOO," Rainbow Dash screamed in horror. "Stop it! Stop it! Please!"
"Still not admitting your sin," The boy said, disappointed. "Very well. This is only the beginning, after all."
With a snap of his fingers, the creature disappeared out of sight. For a few moments, Rainbow Dash panted and breathed heavily, trying to process what happened. Then, she yelped as a burning pain engraved itself on the top of her left arm. It hurt like the devil! She pulled off the sleeve of her jersey and found a mark. The mark was that of a large grey circle. Inside that circle was a broken chain. She looked up at the boy, who wore a bright blue and red robe.
"That's the mark of a traitor," The boy calmly stated. "That mark will stay on you until you do what is right. And if you wish to know my name, I am called Dyllan. That name means loyalty. Remember it if you will."
Dyllan vanished, leaving Rainbow Dash crumpled on the floor. She looked at the mark on her arm and wondered what she did to Sunset to deserve this torment.
On another side of town, Fluttershy was busy doing her homework before the Christmas Break started. Her eyes wavered towards a picture sitting at the corner of her desk. She frowned and picked it up, analyzing it. It was after the Battle of the Bands where all seven of them were hanging out at the Sweet Shoppe to celebrate their victory over the Sirens. Her frown deepened as she saw Sunset grinning with them innocently. She placed it down and rubbed her temples.
Perhaps what she said was too harsh? But how could she get it through Sunset that her kindness had her limits? To reveal such secrets indiscriminately on a Mystable page and for what? To get a laugh out of that misery? She clenched her fists; a price was there and Sunset had to pay for her crimes. After all, this wasn't the first time that Sunset did such things just to get a rise from people. She sighed. Right now, she needed to concentrate on her homework. Just then, a knock at her door startled her out of her thoughts.
"Who is it?"
"A classmate," A small voice answered. "I need some help with the homework. May I come in?"
"Oh, sure," Fluttershy replied, willing to help in any way she could. "Come in."
The door opened to reveal a small girl with blue hair and black eyes wearing a oversized pink sweater and baggy jeans. An extremely small smile was visible on the girl's face and she nervously played with her hair. Fluttershy waved a hand for her to come in. She did and closed the door behind her. Smiling a little bigger now, she softly padded the room and sat across from Fluttershy on a tiny velvet chair.
"What do you need help in?"
"Well..."
For a half-hour, the room was filled with soft laughter and whispers about the homework. The girl looked at the picture of the Battle of the Bands victory and grew silent. Fluttershy noticed and gave a bitter smile. Picking up the picture, she gave it to the girl, who took it as if it was a precious treasure. The pink-haired girl knew it wasn't intentional, but it stung like an open wound that had been treated with the combination of salt water and lemon juice. Still, she let her guest look at her picture in awe.
"Wow," Her guest remarked. "The Battle of the Bands? Which instrument did you play?"
"Pardon," Fluttershy squeaked, taken aback. "Oh. I, uh, played the tambourine."
"Oh, the tambourine," Her guest spoke in awe. "I heard that it's a rather difficult instrument to play expertly! You've played and mastered a difficult instrument and yet, you are so modest!" Her eyes then turned to Sunset smiling. "Who is she? She looks real nice."
Fluttershy's smile dropped a little. "Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She was a part of our group before Anon-a-Miss."
"Oh, right," The girl nodded. "I've heard about Anon-a-Miss. I also heard that Sunset was the prime suspect behind this. I'm not mistaken, am I?" At Fluttershy's nod, she sighed. "Poor girl."
"P-P-Poor girl," Fluttershy stuttered. "Poor girl?!"
"Poor girl," The girl barely flinched at the outburst. "It sounds like nobody was on her side when she was implicated in this case. And nobody bothered to comfort her or support her in her time of need. Doesn't that sound familiar?"
She looked towards Fluttershy with a pointed glare, which unnerved the pink-haired girl. The animal lover squirmed a little with eyes darting about. What was her guest getting at? Was she honestly equating what they did to what Sunset did? That couldn't be possible. They were cutting out a toxic friend out of their lives while she did things for her own amusement. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air before Fluttershy's guest sighed and moved in closer to her.
"You can try and justify it all you want, dear," The girl sternly said. "But you are not the Element of Honesty."
"W-W-What are you talking about," Fluttershy stammered.
"The truth is, for as much as you are all about kindness to others," The girl continued, looking down at her. "You certainly couldn't spare a single tear for Sunset Shimmer. After all, she was a bully to you in the past. So, naturally, when the time came, you decide to be a bully yourself in order to extract revenge on her. You never forgave her at all. You used her so that she could contact Twilight Sparkle and be used as a weapon for your convenience."
"T-T-That's not true," Fluttershy whimpered. "She was a bully, yes, but I wouldn't dream to hurt her!"
"Yes, you did," The girl said, grabbing Fluttershy's hand. "You wanted her to suffer like you did. You felt like she was let off too easily after the Fall Formal, so you and your friends did everything you could to make her dependent on you while she was cut off from people who would actually like her."
"No," Fluttershy gasped and shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.
"Yes," The girl continued, grabbing Fluttershy's other hand. "Then, when Anon-a-Miss happened, you cast her out into the darkness for the wolves to feast on her while you could play the suffering victim, the damsel in a cage ready to be saved."
"No," Fluttershy squeaked, tears flowing freely.
"You weep for yourself now, but where were those tears meant for Sunset Shimmer? You must have seen her at the Sweet Shoppe, did you not? You said some words to her, words that are unlike your Element. Of course, your element is merely a mask. A mask to hide your true self. Do you know what your true self is right now? Do you?"
"No, no, no," Fluttershy pleaded.
"Your true self is a cruel bully who nearly killed Sunset because of a deep-seated grudge."
At that moment, the Battle of the Bands picture flew out of its picture frame and ripped itself in seven pieces. Fluttershy's picture then became lifelike, which made it all the more horrifying when it twisted and changed. The doppelganger's skin was jaundiced, her eyes bloody and vacant, and a snake's tongue flicked from her lips. She smiled hideously and when a movement was made, the sound of bones breaking could be heard.
"Sunset Shimmer should've been dead," The doppelganger screeched. "She should be dead! Nobody likes her! Everybody hates her! It's all her fault! Twilight forced us to be her friends, but Sunset Shimmer would've been dead by my hands and everyone would rejoice! The world is better off without her!"
Fluttershy could say nothing. All she could was curl in on herself and cry bitter tears at how terrifying this creature was. It felt like an eternity before the girl knelt before her and held the butterscotch girl's arms firmly. Her blue eyes were as cold as ice.
"Now, do you admit to your sin, Fluttershy?"
"I...I...I...," Fluttershy whimpered, too afraid to speak.
"I didn't want to have to do this," The girl sympathetically said. "But you left me no choice. In your anger, you have become the bully that you've always hated. And it seems that despite your fright, you still believe Sunset to be the bad girl in this. A disappointing venture, but this is unfortunately just the beginning."
The doppelganger disappeared and Fluttershy winced as she felt a burning sensation on her right arm. Removing her arm sleeve, she saw a red circle with a knife stabbing a broken heart. In horror, she looked up to the girl who merely looked at her in disappointment. She now wore robes of pink and white with red adorning the hem.
"The mark on your arm," The girl began solemnly. "Is the mark of cruelty. That mark will stay on your arm until you rectify your sin. My name is Charity. I would figure you would wish to know my name since we will see each other in the future."
Charity vanished and Fluttershy whimpered and curled into the fetal position. She cried bitter tears at not only what had just happened, but in horror at what she had become on the inside.
Author's Note
Whew! And we are done with the first two of the Rainbooms! Next chapter is a 3-for-3! And yes, the CMC will get their just dues but the Rainbooms need to have a taste of vengeance first!
Were these two lessons from Hell too subtle or were they too extreme? I'm trying to find a balance due to the fact that the Rainbooms were hurt but they were also quite mean in all their hurt despair!
So, thanks for the comments! And see you in the next chapter!
EDIT: This was edited due to a couple of grammatical mistakes. This is what happens when I do this in one take.
The Sunset of Hell Valley
The Selfish Tears of Dishonesty
Pinkie Pie hummed a merry tune as she wrapped a perfectly delectable Mont Blanc to a patient customer. She was excited for the upcoming Christmas party at Applejack's place and nothing was going to dampen her mood at all. Not even Sunset Shimmer, as horrible as she was, would ruin her excitement over the holidays. She frowned a bit as she remembered that girl and how she was this close to tricking everyone again. She had to admit that Sunset nearly got to her with Twilight and her tears. But she deserved to feel bad after everything that Canterlot High School had been through thanks to her.
Shaking her head, she smiled as Mrs. Cake delicately topped delicious pink frosting to an equally delicious vanilla cake. It's a miracle that the Cakes took the Rainbooms' side on this matter for she knew that many employers would still pursue the art of making a quick buck over anybody's feelings and safety. Then again, they knew that Pinkie Pie would have no reason to lie whatsoever. So, they went with their gut and everyone was better off for it, right? Right.
"Excuse me, miss," A boy called out to her suddenly.
Pinkie Pie gave an award-winning smile as she bounced merrily towards the customer. He had golden hair, black eyes, and was wearing fancy prep clothes. Her smile slipped a little as she briefly wondered whether the boy went to the rival school known as Crystal Prep. She cleared her head of those thoughts and she beamed at the customer.
"Yes," Pinkie Pie batted her eyelashes. "What can I help you with?"
"It's about the food," The boy frowned. "I've had the unfortunate experience to find that there are roaches in it."
"Roaches?!"
That scream got the attention of Mrs. Cake, who put down the vanilla cake and marched towards the counter. Not once in her many years as a confectioner had she ever had someone complain about both the hygiene or the food that she made. In fact, for at least a decade, the establishment that she and her husband set up had been ranked the highest in the whole of Canterlot City. Who was this person to say something like this?
"Excuse me," The older woman began professionally. "I heard that you have a complaint with the food. Is there something wrong with it?"
"Yes," The boy nodded. "I'm here to complain about the roaches found in my food." He finished by holding out the pastry.
The two women looked inside and was instantly greeted by a giant roach leaping on to Mrs. Cake's apron. They screamed, which grabbed the attention of Mr. Cake. As soon as he entered the room, there were a multitude of pests ranging from a colony of rats to an army of maggots. The Cakes were quickly swept away into the backroom by the giant roaches, leaving Pinkie Pie with this scary boy. The boy in question looked down at Pinkie as if she were an insect.
"It's just you and me now," He cooed.
With a snap of his fingers, strings attached themselves to Pinkie's limbs and squeezed tightly. Suddenly, she was on a little stage where she could see nothing but the glint of eyes staring at her. As her mind tried to process what was happening, a sudden jolt hoisted her into the air. She slammed into the back of the stage hard and she swore that she saw stars circling about her head. Her arms were then awkwardly thrusted upwards while her legs uncomfortably stretched apart.
"Ow, Ow, Ow," She yelped. "Stop it! Please stop it!"
"Come on, come on," A rough male voice heckled. "Be funny, why dontcha? Ain't that your trademark, girl?"
"Honestly," A low female voice sighed. "What was the point of coming here? This is making me sleepy."
Pinkie whimpered as she felt her limbs being stretched for god knows how long. They were twisted and mangled in places that she didn't even know about. Then, food was being thrown in her direction. From milkshakes to tomatoes, they landed on the pink-haired girl while she dangled helplessly, tears rolling down her face. She wondered why she did to deserve the torment. All she wanted was to make people smile!
After a while, it stopped and she was on the floor, shivering as the boy approached her. He snapped his fingers once more and the Cakes were brought in, unconscious. The vermin disappeared from sight and he squatted down to her eye level. A moment of solemn silence passed before he grabbed her face in both hands and stared directly into her eyes.
"So, do you admit to your sin?"
"Sin," She sobbed hysterically. "I didn't do anything! They didn't do anything! Why are you doing this?"
"You shed heavy tears right now," The boy sighed. "But where was your anguish when Sunset Shimmer was involved?"
"Her," Pinkie Pie squawked angrily. "She's a meanie secret-stealer! She was the one who posted those secrets online! She's the one behind this! Why aren't you punishing her?!"
"So," The boy smiled wickedly. "It seems that the sugary-sweet employee is nothing more than a mere mask. Sunset is in a place of pure limbo right now, brought on by those who wished to harm her. Of course, you and your friends don't care at all, do you? For someone who plays the part of a joyous clown, baking delicious treats, you hide a bitter interior. That's the reason why I found roaches in your confections. They are just as bitter as your real self."
"My...My real self," Pinkie Pie stammered, eyes shrinking to pinpricks. "No! My real self is the Element of Laughter!"
"No, Pinkie Pie," The boy shook his head, holding a doll that eerily resembled Pinkie Pie. "That's not your real self at all."
"Your real self is a cynical heel who nearly killed Sunset because of a group's desire for blood."
The doll grew larger until it was the exact height of Pinkie Pie. Its skin changed to a drab puce, its eyes were the size of tiny needles, and its jaw was loaded in cavities. She moved at a sluggish pace and she pointed a finger at the real Pinkie Pie. At her doppelganger's point, Pinkie Pie scooted away but ultimately, she was frozen as the double's gaping maw screeched a laugh.
"Ding Dong, Sunset's probably dead," The double shrieked. "And we'll throw a party to celebrate! While we're at it, we can dance on her dead body at the morgue! Wouldn't that be a fun party to be at? Maybe Twilight will come too! Wouldn't she be happy that Sunset's dead too?"
"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT," Pinkie screamed. "Please! Pretty please!"
"You still don't want to admit to your sin, do you," The boy raised an eyebrow in disappointment. "Very well. This is just the beginning of your punishment, after all."
With a clap of his hands, the doppelganger disappeared and there was nobody left in the store but Pinkie Pie, the boy, and the Cakes. Pinkie Pie shivered as she looked up at the boy in fear. Suddenly, she screamed as she felt a burning sensation. She looked at her right hand to see a dark blue circle with the symbol of a clown's mask in tears. She looked up to see that the boy had changed into an orange robe with a white hem.
"The mark of gloom," The boy explained with a bow. "Until you confess your sin and do what's right, that mark will stay on your hand. My name is Isaac, a name that means laughter. I would stop with you but since your employers also treated an innocent girl with disrespect, they will suffer retaliation as well. It would be a nice lesson for them to not jump and attack a person just because of what their employee says. Ta-ta for now."
He vanished and the Cakes woke up to Pinkie Pie crying hysterically at the shameful mark on her hand.
Rarity tapped her fingers as she tried to brainstorm new design ideas for the upcoming winter pageant. Her mind was in a huff, it seemed, so she decided to take a short break and take a walk through the boutique. As she browsed through short skirts and long dresses galore, she stopped at a certain item within the store. It was a hand-crafted doll made by Sunset. A wave of bitter anger rippled through as Rarity took the doll in her hand. It was supposed to be for good luck.
How could Sunset do this to them after everything that they'd been through? Was their friendship not enough? What more did she want out of them? They did everything that they could to support her. Yet, she decided to repay that with mockery and deceit. Now, Rarity couldn't stand things that reminded her of the red-and-yellow haired witch, including the doll. She threw it in the trash and turned around, leaving the forsaken thing.
"You shouldn't do that, miss," A voice called out to her.
Rarity turned to find a young man picking up the doll from the trash. He had long red hair tied back in a ponytail, hazelnut eyes, and wore a tied-dyed shirt with white jeans. He was examining the doll, seemingly marveling at its craftsmanship. To be extremely honest, she found him a little unhygienic considering that it was placed in an area where bacteria congregate to make people sick.
"This is such beautiful craftsmanship," He mused. "Why would you wish to throw it away?"
"Because that doll was made by a bully," Rarity answered. "I refuse to endorse work that was made by people who hurt others."
"Even if you yourself hurt someone?"
"What do you mean?"
Before the young man could answer, a girl walked in angrily, carrying a shopping bag. Without warning, she threw the bag at Rarity. Rarity stood agape at the girl, trying to process why this girl was angry with her at all. The fashionista looked into the bag and was horrified to see one of her dresses torn to shreds. Upon further inspection, she noticed that there were a cluster of white flakes attached to the dress.
"What happened?"
"Your dress gave me a rash," The girl shrieked, removing her sleeve to reveal raw, patched skin. "I specifically told you that my skin is allergic to polyester fiber! Why on earth would you put that on my custom order? Are you trying to kill me?!"
"I, I," Rarity stammered, flabbergasted at the accusation. "I would never do that! I would never harm my customers!"
A boy came into the shop with patched skin on his head. He was in tears as he handed out the bag that contained a pretty fedora hat laced with beautiful red silk. Soon after, more customers were heading into the boutique. They were bawling in buckets or demanded their refund angrily. Rarity had to back away as the swarm of customers increased in size, making it difficult to breathe. She escaped to the back room, trying to take in heavy gulps of air.
'What's going on ', She thought to herself. 'Why is this happening? '
Suddenly, her computer glowed brightly with the signals of multiple emails surging her inbox. She stared at the screen for a moment before sitting down and checking them. Of course, they were just another barrage of angry complaints about a metric ton of issues that she wasn't even aware of. The complaints ranged from gossip of her products being produced of cheap quality to her products actually harming the skin. There were even angry threats of closing her boutique for good!
"Why is this happening," Rarity mumbled to herself.
She heard an ominous scuffle come from the boxes of her new clothing designs. Opening them with hesitation, she felt an extreme surge of horror when she found moths infesting and consuming her hard work. They then latched on her clothes, eating at the ends of her skirt and shirt. She shrieked and ran as fast as she could, trying to find her emergency mothballs. But it seems that even mothballs couldn't deter the beasts as they nipped at her skirt, shirt and even her skin. It felt like an eternity of the moths tearing into her before they left for the vents. This left Rarity on the floor stunned with her clothes in disarray.
"Have you learned your lesson," A soft voice taunted behind her.
Clenching her fists in anger, she turned to the red-headed boy who smirked at her. Without warning, she stood up, walked up to him, and tried to slap him. But he grabbed her wrist before it could make contact with his face. Holding her hand, he snapped his fingers to return her ensemble back to normal. He then shoved her back and glared at her coldly.
"My lesson," She shrieked. "Why do I have to learn a lesson?!"
"Isn't it obvious," He replied coolly. "You attacked Sunset Shimmer due to your selfish need of saving your own reputation. When Sunset was accused, you didn't think twice of casting her out like a plague. You exist for nobody but your own self."
"That's not true," Rarity snarled. "We gave Sunset Shimmer a chance and she threw it away by posting our online secrets! She brought her own misery to her own self!"
"Oh, I see," The boy glared. "You're too perfect to ever make a mistake, am I right?" He moved closely towards Rarity. "You have prided yourself as being a lady with depth and not like those shallow girls who backstab each other when the chance arises. But whenever someone like Sunset is accused of wrongdoing, you found a perfect opportunity to hurt her. Are you sure that you are not one of those shallow girls you despise?"
"How dare you call me shallow," Rarity growled, even though she was stung by his words.
"You are," The boy continued, unfazed. "And the fact is that instead of pondering my words for even a second, you decide to retaliate with anger over your own self. That is quite selfish of you. But then again, that has always been your real self. After all, why care about Sunset Shimmer when your inner self is nothing more than a mere puddle of water."
"No, that's not true," Rarity screamed. "I'm the Element of Generosity!"
"Tis but a mask to hide your real self," The boy declared. "Do you know what your real self is?"
"Your real self is a selfish witch who nearly killed Sunset due to the need of protecting your own reputation."
A mirror appeared with a snap of his fingers and Rarity peeked into it, unsure. The reflection stepped out and immediately began to transform into something horrible. Her skin sagged and drooped from her face, her eyes were bloodshot, and an filthy, chipped nail was pointing at the real Rarity. She grinned wickedly and began to move closer to the petrified girl.
"Sunset Shimmer should lie rotted and stinking into the earth," The doppelganger cackled. "I'm glad she's dead! Otherwise I might have to rely on Twilight Sparkle to make sure she stays dead! I'll even make sure to burn her body in the morgue!"
"Stop it," The fashionista shrieked, now scared. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"
"You still won't learn your lesson, then," The boy sniffed. "This is just the beginning after all."
The doppelganger disappeared, leaving Rarity stunned beyond words. Then, she winced as she felt a burning sensation on the back of her left hand. She looked down to see an ugly puce circle with a broken diamond with blood pouring from it. A slight breeze caused her to look up at the boy who wore robes of green. She backed away from him until she felt her back hit the wall.
"The mark of selfishness," The boy declared solemnly. "Until you make things right with Sunset Shimmer, it will never wash away. My name is Ithel. It is a name that signifies generosity. It would be wise of you to remember it for we will meet again in the future." He placed the doll made by Sunset next to her. "Keep this out of the trash. It was someone's hard work, you know. Someone who still loves you even if you never loved her."
He turned on his heel and vanished, leaving Rarity shivering and hugging her knees to her chest with the doll lying sadly at her side.
Applejack let out a relieved sigh as she heaved the last of the apple crates onto Big Mac's truck. She was thankful that the work was completed before the snow storm set in. From what she could gather, the snowstorm would start in two hours, which meant that she had to get up early to set the crop for distribution. She was glad as it gave her some distraction on the whole Anon-a-Miss ordeal.
It just made her blood boil that Sunset would turn on them like that. She was given their friendship, given their hospitality, and even given her a family so that she wouldn't feel lonely during the Christmas Break. What ended up happening? They were betrayed by her and for a cheap laugh with other people. Luckily, her ma and pa didn't know much about her or this might've broken their hearts. Her ma especially would've been real devastated by this; she was always soft at heart. It had reminded her of Fluttershy in a way. Her fist clenched. No matter what happened, that snake wouldn't worm her way into their lives ever again.
"Excuse me," An authoritative voice called out behind her.
Applejack turned around to see a girl around her age looking quite stern. She was wearing a police uniform, had stern red eyes, and had white hair up to her waist. Applejack briefly wondered why a girl so young was on the police force before an eerie and unsettling feeling churned in her stomach.
"Sorry," Applejack apologized. "What seems to be the problem, officer?"
"Are you Applejack of the Apple Family," The officer asked, eyes never leaving Applejack's.
"Yes, yes ah am."
"Turn around," The officer barked. When Applejack did so, she cuffed the cowgirl's hands behind her back. "You are under arrest for attempted murder and verbal assault. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Now, come along."
"What," Applejack shrieked, stunned by the charges presented. "Those are all lies!"
"Tell it to the judge," The officer said, dragging Applejack along.
They walked for at least ten minutes before entering a courthouse. Applejack was trying to take it all in. This had to be one huge mistake, it had to be. She didn't assault anyone, verbal or otherwise. And she definitely didn't attempt to murder any single person. She looked down and saw that she was no longer in her regular clothes, but instead a smart business dress and shoes.
"These are all lies, yer honor," Applejack began.
"Quiet down, Miss Applejack," The judge banged his gavel. "You'll get your turn to speak. Prosecutor, what are the charges on Miss Applejack?"
"The People request remand, your honor," The prosecutor stated. "The defendant attempted to murder one of her friends in addition with the verbal assault."
"Lies," Applejack protested.
But those protests fell on deaf ears as the scene changed. Now, she was sitting in a chair while a lie detector was attached to her. The officer sat across from her with a neutral look in her eyes. The judge and prosecutor were nearby as well. Then the officer sighed and picked up a stack of papers. Applejack tried to move but she couldn't much to her horror. She could only watch in anticipated fear as the officer took out three pages out of the stack.
"This is different from a normal lie detector, Applejack," The officer said. "This lie detector is to make sure you tell nothing but the truth to us. Otherwise, it will deliver a painful electrical shock. Are you ready?" At Applejack's uncertain nod, it felt as if the temperature dropped. "Applejack, are you friends with the person named Sunset Shimmer?"
"Ah'm not friends with her," Applejack snarled. "Not after what that snake did. She posted all those secrets online, startin' with mah childhood nickname."
"Ah yes," The officer replied with a curl of her lip. "The dreaded Anon-a-Miss profile. Do you honestly believe that Sunset Shimmer would ruin her chances of redemption as well as her friendship just for a cheap laugh?"
"Yes," Applejack retaliated. "Ah don't see why yer not goin' after Sunset Shimmer."
"That's because, to our knowledge, she's not an accessory to attempted murder. Let's continue. Were you friends with the victim before this incident?"
"Yes,"
The minute Applejack answered, though, a painful shock coursed through the electroshock nodes and into her body. It felt like the pain was setting her nerves on fire. While it stopped after a mere 30 seconds, it left the cowgirl rattled all the same because apparently she told a lie. No, she wasn't lying, right? She was the Element of Honesty, for crying out loud. But why then was she electrocuted?
"Strike one," The officer called out. "Did you believe that Sunset Shimmer was redeemed after the Fall Formal aftermath?"
"Yes,"
Another bolt of electricity shot out, making Applejack convulse painfully. She slammed onto the desk, twitching in agony. A bucket of sweat poured out of the cowgirl's skin. As soon as she stopped spasming, she looked up at the officer. The older woman did not seem to have a trace of mercy on her face. Indeed, she looked like the Angel of Death.
"Strike two," The officer said. "Applejack, it would be easier for you to tell the truth."
"Ah AM tellin' the truth," Applejack retorted. "We did trust Sunset Shimmer until this Anon-a-Miss blog came along! It's all her fault!" She shuddered as that last sentence came tumbling out of her mouth. She sounded so spiteful at Sunset, even if the former bully deserved her ire.
"I see," The officer replied. "Because everything bad that happens is immediately Sunset's fault, right? It's never your fault for believing that Sunset is back to her old ways even though it isn't logical for many reasons. Why should she hurt you at all if all she's ever going to be is an outcast for all of Canterlot High School?"
"Sunset is guilty," Applejack protested feebly.
"Have you never heard of 'innocent until proven guilty', dear? Surely with you being the Element of Honesty, this would be at least a silver rule in your books. But with one action, you disregarded that rule and became judge, jury, and executioner without consulting her side on this matter."
"Why...Why should we listen to her," Applejack asked, her stubbornness clinging desperately like a lifeline.
"Because she listened to your problems during the Battle of the Bands? Because she actually admitted to being cruel after she was redeemed? Because she put all her problems and feelings aside so that she could comfort and support you in the darkest hours of your life? She has no illusions of her own self anymore. You, on the other hand, are so self-righteous that you can't ever fathom being wrong. Your Element has masked your true self to everyone around you, including your kin."
The officer took the cowgirl by the arms and pointed towards a miniature statue of Applejack looking proudly over the bull in the rodeo a couple of years ago.
"Your true self is nothing more than a lying snake who nearly killed Sunset because of foolish trust and petty grudges."
The statue grew until it was Applejack's height, then transformed into something horrible. Its skin was scaly and speckled with measles all over, it had tiny, cat-like pupils that were a mixture of white and grey, and it slithered a bit like a snake. A wicked grin formed when she spotted the true Applejack and she cackled a hair-raising cackle.
"That no-good snake should be out of our lives for good! Why don't ah just murder her? Maybe ah can shove her down an elevator shaft! She should be dead and the world would be better off for it! Ah hate her fer comin' into mah life! She's just nothin' but a plague on everyone she comes across! She should just die and lie in the stinkin' earth!"
"No! NO! NOOOO," Applejack howled in fear. "Ah...Ah...Ah'm not...Ah'm not..."
"You still won't admit to your sin," The officer sighed. "It's to be expected given your nature. After all, this is only the start of your punishment."
The statue, along with the environment and other people, disappeared in the blink of an eye. Applejack was in her room, a light flickering above her. She breathed heavily as she tried to process what just happened. Suddenly, she yelped as a pain akin to burning carved into both of her palms. She looked down to find a horrible black and red mark shaped like a forked tongue. She looked up at the officer who was now wearing turquoise robes.
"That is the mark of a liar," The girl declared. "Until you make things right with the one known as Sunset Shimmer, that will never come off."
"W-Who are you," Applejack rasped out.
"My name is Maemi. From what I am told, it is meant to symbolize the truth. It's good that you ask me of my name as this is not our last meeting with each other. Farewell for now."
With that, she vanished and a somber silence settled over the room. A few moments, the door opened and she turned her head to find Applebloom entering.
"Ma says that dinner's ready," Applebloom said before her eyes widened. "Sis, what happened to ya?! Are ya okay?"
"No..." Applejack admitted. "No, Ah'm not."
Author's Note
Phew! This was a long time to write out. Tackling three people instead of two can take a whole lot out of you!
Yeah, Applejack's family is alive in this universe. Why? I just think it would be a little more cathartic when the ball drops on them on what their daughters did.
Next chapter focuses on Flash and Sunset's conversation in the dream world as well as Twilight Sparkle entering the arena. This is going to not end well in some ways.
Thank you guys for waiting patiently for this chapter. Hope this didn't disappoint!
The Sunset of Hell Valley
Avenging Sunset's Grievance
Sunset Shimmer ran as fast as her legs could carry her into the dark of Everfree Forest.
One part of why she ran to the Everfree Forest was because she needed a quiet place to think. Although Everfree Forest at night looked spooky with its looming trees against a backdrop of indigo sky, it still provided a nice ambience to quietly and rationally reflect on one's inner thoughts. Sunset definitely needed somewhere nice and quiet so that she could rationalize her current situation and plan on what she could do next.
Another part was survival. Ever since Anon-a-Miss framed all of its antics on her, everyone was out for her blood. At first, it was metaphorical, with most of the student body whispering all sorts of demeaning things behind her back, spray painting her locker with cruel names such as She-Demon , or just coldly rebuffing her. Then, a week before Christmas Break, its physical appearance showed in real ugly terms. From body-checking her in the hallways to throwing things like paper balls or rotten food at her. Those things were basically becoming routine until today, five days before Christmas Break.
Today, a good portion of the school wanted her dead.
Sunset flinched as she felt a branch cut into the skin of her bare leg but she pressed on, hoping that she would find a good place for an overnight shelter. Her prayers were answered as a tiny hut sheltered by a large tree sat besides the lake. Then she felt someone grab her arm and pull her right into the direction of the hut. Her fear of being caught by the mob plus all of her hurt and exhaustion easily overpowered any common sense or stranger wariness that she might've had normally.
As soon as she entered the hut, she looked back to find that the mob that was pursuing her looked around them in angry confusion. It was as if she disappeared in front of them. They continued milling about, whispering like angry hornets. But then, they decided to clear out, fuming and stewing in their anger. Sunset let out a huge sigh of relief and backpedaled in the hut further. She lay on her back, exhaustion taking over her senses. Closing her eyes, she recalled yesterday's events.
Sunset took in a deep breath as she stood in front of the Sweet Shoppe. Up until this point, she had been trying to get her friends to try and understand that it wasn't her behind Anon-a-Miss. They were the first ones to accuse her, yes, but that didn't mean that they couldn't be reasoned with. And they needed evidence that she wasn't Anon-a-Miss? Okay, she could do that.
She opened the door and could feel the temperature drop by 15 degrees. Cold stares were all around and for a moment, she contemplated on leaving. But she steeled her nerves and headed over to the Rainbooms' table with a special book in her hands. It was the journal that secured communication between her and Twilight.
"What are yah doin' here, ya no-good snake," Applejack snarled. "Didn't we tell yah yer not welcome here?"
"Yeah, what do you want, traitor?" Rainbow Dash growled.
Sunset flinched but she was determined to see this through. "You girls wanted proof that I wasn't Anon-a-Miss, right? Well, here is proof." So saying, she opened the book for them to see. "I talked about this with Twilight and she thinks this wasn't my doing!"
"So?" Rarity curtly asked.
"So, shouldn't this be enough proof for now that I'm not Anon-a-Miss," Sunset asked. She knew that she was grasping for straws here, but if Twilight believed in her, shouldn't they believe in her as well?
"You might've tricked her, though," Fluttershy countered. "Like you tricked us. Well, when she comes over here, we'll tell her the actual truth."
"Why do you girls still believe that I'm lying," Sunset cried. "I'm not lying! You should know that!"
"Stop it, Sunset," Pinkie Pie screeched. "Just stop! You post secrets and hurt everyone in the process! Why should we do anything that you say?"
"You haven't changed at all, have you," Rarity stood up. "You're nothing more than a two-faced psychopath who's willing to ruin lives all for your sick amusement! You shouldn't have been reformed at all!"
"How could you, Sunset," Fluttershy asked, sobbing. "We trusted you and you lied to us! You're...You're nothing to us!"
"To think ah actually called ya mah family," Applejack scowled. "You're an insult to the words 'family member'! Ah bet that your own parents would be ashamed of having yah as a daughter!"
"You're nothing but a meanie secret stealer," Pinkie Pie snapped. "You shouldn't come out of that hole when we blasted you that time!"
"You're nothing but a traitor, Sunset," Rainbow Dash finished. "You'll always be that terrible person! Nobody wants you here!"
"Why don't you get out of our lives for good?!" The Rainbooms screamed.
Sunset stood still, shocked. Even though she opened her mouth, no sounds would come out. What could she do at that moment? She was briefly taken out of her stupor by someone roughly grabbing her arm. She looked up to see that Mrs. Cake dragged her out of the shop while Mr. Cake trailed timidly behind with her things, gently putting the journal in her backpack. She was thrown out unceremoniously into the cold, looking at the couple with unshed tears in her eyes.
"You've caused quite a scene here, Sunset," Mrs. Cake growled. "You have five minutes to get out before I call the police on you."
"We believed in you, Sunset," Mr. Cake sighed disappointedly. "But I guess we had to learn the hard way that you're still the same bully as you've always been."
With shaky legs and despair overwhelming her, Sunset ran back to her apartment.
"My, my, dearie," A soft voice cut into her thoughts. "You've been through quite the ordeal."
Sunset opened her eyes at the speaker looking down at her with a gentle smile. She had auburn hair that cascaded to the small of her back, baby blue eyes that sparkled and shone, and a long minty green dress that seemed to flow to the wind. She was currently stroking Sunset's hair in a tender manner and for a brief second the teenager felt her sadness and grief disappear. But a new emotion washed over her: suspicion. She quickly sat up and turned towards the maiden.
"How did you know what I've been through? Who are you?"
"Oh," The girl blushed bashfully. "My apologies. My name is Sera. I've lived in this hut for a very long time, you see. And it's a bit unbelievable but I swear it's the truth. You see, love, I can read minds ranging from thoughts to dreams."
"Like an esper of sorts?"
"Yes," Sera frowned a bit at Sunset's casual tone. "You don't seem surprised or disbelieving when I told you that."
"Let's just say that I've been through some crazy things involving the supernatural."
"Ah, I see," Sera sadly smiled. "You poor dear. Those friends of yours believed that you were something quite awful, didn't they? And now it's gotten to a point where there's a whole mob after you."
"Well," Sunset scratched the back of her head. "It's not entirely unjustified because I was quite the bully before I reformed. It's not like I didn't have that for a long time coming."
"Does that really make it better," Sera asked. "They should've heard you out still. To accept that without doing so seems a little disingenuous on their part."
Sunset could only shrug casually. She was fully resigned to her fate it seems. To be honest, nobody should have to forgive her for all the things she pulled. That was their business and she had no problem in accepting that. She looked outside to find a full moon shining down on the lake. She smiled as she reminisced about Princess Luna. Come to think, Luna had an equally hard time fitting in after Nightmare Moon was defeated. Maybe, she could pretend that they were comrades once more. Her attention was diverted at someone pulling up her sleeve.
"Oh my gosh," Sera gasped, eyes twinkling. "Who did this to you?"
Sunset looked down. Her arms had two long cuts that led from her carpal to her elbow. Luckily, they were only shallow but they still hurt. She only blinked and bit back a bitter chuckle. She escaped from the mob, yes, but that didn't mean that she escaped unscathed. An incredibly vengeful member had her first shot and did so with careful deliberation, as if she waited a long time to hurt Sunset.
"I see," Sera mused. "How awful. They hurt you for their own feelings." She leaned forward a little, meeting Sunset's eyes. "I can tell that you need help and someone in your corner. Would you like me to help you?"
"I appreciate the help, Sera," Sunset gratefully smiled. "But I can't put you in danger because of me. Besides, it's not like we can convince them that I'm not Anon-a-Miss. They're as stubborn as mules."
"We could, actually," Sera countered. "We can make it so they will have to believe you no matter what. We can also do it in a way that makes them see the errors of their ways."
"What," Sunset blinked, a little unnerved by that statement, "How? If this puts them in real danger..."
"Oh no no no," Sera waved her hands frantically. "Of course not. They won't be put in real danger at all, you can trust me on that. But look at you," She smiled. "You're willing to keep your tormentors out of harm's way. Not many are like that. I was proposing a plan that involves only one thing: your acceptance."
"Why my acceptance?" Sunset asked, suspicion creeping in her voice again.
"The thing is this plan will need some time to get them to understand and I need your acceptance to be patient in that."
"That's it?" Sunset queried.
"That's it." Sera replied back, smiling.
Sunset mulled over this. On one hand, it was pretty daring to put her life in the hands of this stranger who she'd just met. It would be foolish to trust Sera because she was kind and easy to talk to. On the other hand, she didn't judge her at all. It was nice talking to someone who wouldn't rake her over the coals later. Besides, she was right. There weren't any options that were deemed good as alternatives at her disposal right now. Twilight was probably too busy with her duties, Princess Celestia was probably still too angry with her to consider seeing her, and everyone else, even the adults, hated her. If she waited, the mob wouldn't let her live to see Twilight again.
"Okay," Sunset smiled. "I accept."
"Good," Sera said. "Here, drink this." She gently pushed a little cup in Sunset's hands, taking great care to not further hurt her.
"What's this?"
"Just a little cup of tea to get you to sleep. You hit a rough patch lately, so you must be exhausted."
Sunset smiled gratefully and drank the tea. It tasted nice, like a mix of cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla wrapped in a nice honey glaze. Sera gently led the teenager to a bed where she soundly slept on. For a few moments, the hut stood still in silence with the auburn-haired girl looking down at the sleeping red-and-yellow haired girl. She wore a grimaced on her face but it wasn't directed at Sunset.
"Poor girl," she spoke sincerely. "I hate to do this, but you need your name cleared. And, unfortunately, this is the only way I know how."
She held out two items in her hands. One was a phone pre-dialed to 9-1-1. She knew that as much as she hated doing this, dialing 9-1-1 would protect her new charge from those who wished ill on her. Besides, she knew that the magic in Sunset's body would stabilize her without letting her out of the hospital for a little while. She could enact Sunset's revenge on those who ill-treated her and wanted her to die and that included the Rainbooms. But the plan itself would need blood.
She glanced down at the other item, which was a long knife. Sunset wouldn't feel a thing due to the drugs in her tea, which were enough to briefly knock out an elephant, and the exhaustion that she was feeling. Sera knelt down and uncovered all of the wounds that Sunset bore on her arms. She gently plunged the knife into Sunset's arms so that while blood spilled, it wouldn't cause permanent damage on said girl. Sera then put the knife in Sunset's hand so that it would look like she hurt herself.
"Sorry, Sunset," Sera whispered as she touched the call button. "But this is the only way to clear your name." She waited for a few moments before a voice answered.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
Flash Sentry looked at the clock anxiously while strumming his guitar. It was 9:15 p.m. and his father still wasn't home. He hoped that he would come home soon, for it was quite unusual for him to come home late. He tried to calm himself down by rationalizing that he was probably stuck in traffic or something else came up. A knock jostled him out of his thoughts. A relieved smile came on his face when he saw Purple Heart enter the room.
"Hey, Flash," He smiled tiredly.
"Hi, dad," Flash put away his guitar and turned towards the older man. He frowned slightly as he saw his mother behind in tears. "What's wrong?"
"Flash, this isn't going to be easy to explain to you," Purple Heart began. "But we need to tell you this. Do you know Sunset Shimmer?"
"Yes," Flash replied without any hint of anger or aggression. "Why? What happened? Is she okay?"
"No, she's not," Guarding Shield tearfully shook her head. "The reason Purple Heart was late, dear, was because there was an emergency at the hospital. They found her with blood dripping down her arms. Luckily, she's still alive but..." She trailed off, wringing her hands.
Flash's brain briefly stopped. Sunset was in the hospital? Sunset was injured so badly that it was an emergency? Sunset cut herself? No, he didn't want to believe it. Sunset was the one of the bravest, determined people he knew. She stood her ground even in the face of both the Fall Formal's aftermath and the Battle of the Bands. She held her resolve through the hardships and the pain. Was Anon-a-Miss too much for her? Flash cursed himself now. If only he stood up for her. He knew that she wouldn't throw her redemption away for Anon-a-Miss! Why didn't he stand up for her?
"Both the doctors and nurses at the hospital found that she'd lost a significant amount of blood," Purple Heart continued. "While it seems that the cuts won't do any permanent damage, she's not going to exit the hospital for some time, son."
"What do you mean?" Flash asked, dreading the answer.
"It means that she'll be in a coma for an unknown period of time."
Author's Note
I wanted to add some more warnings to the story, but the blood cutting scene itself didn't warrant enough to add a gore warning.
So, this is based on an old anime series known as Hell Girl . It's basically a revenge fantasy story where the unrepentant douche get sent to Hell for their crimes. While the series does have moments where either a victim is innocent or a punisher is just as bad, the series is also a mark of wishing revenge comes with the price of damning oneself to hell when they die.
It's a good series even though the description I gave it didn't do justice.
Even though the Rainbooms are, admittedly, OOC in this chapter, it should be noted that this is coming from Sunset's POV. At that moment, she just outran a mob that wants her head and she's not having a good time being framed. Another note to add is that even a sweet person can say things nasty enough when they are angry. Combine that with one who is deeply sensitive and that's a volatile experience.
Poll time! Who do you think should be the first to experience Sera's wrath? Don't worry! She won't do too much damage, but just enough to scare them.
a) Rainbow Dash