Similitudes and interventions

Principal Celestia was right. The rumor mill of the school was quite fast and it didnt took too long for all CHS to know what had happened alongside the true identity of Anon-A-Miss.

Students whispered and pointed as they passed by the empty hallways where the confrontation had taken place. The news of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's betrayal spread like wildfire, and the atmosphere in the school shifted from fear of Anon-A-Miss to a mix of shock and pity for Sunset.

"I mean...who could have not suspected Sunset" Microchips said to his friend Sandalwood. "I mean she has done stuff like this before"

"Yeah but not after she had changed so much" said Sandalwood, "It just seems so out of character"

"Rarity and Applejack´s sisters...I cant believe it" Rose told Lily and Daisy.

"It's...it's just unbelievable," Lily agreed, shaking her head.

Daisy nodded in agreement.

“It’s like a soap opera around here lately,” she commented with a sigh.

"Well who would have thought those two had it" said Diamond Tiara to Silver Spoon as they walked by "It's like they couldn't handle not being their sister´s center of attention" she mocked

"Three actually" said Silver Spoon "Scootaloo was also called to the office so bet she also helped them"

"Guess Sunset's friends aren't that good after all" smirked Diamond Tiara with a smile "Or maybe its true and they also wanted to get rid of Sunset" she added with a snicker.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Rarity went to find their friends to explain the truth of the mess they all were in.

Needless to say...none was happy about what they learned.

Rainbow Dash slammed the door of her locker with frustration as she and the rest simply looked down in various degrees of shame, sadness and regret.

"How could we be so blind?" asked Fluttershy with a small voice. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of all the times she had doubted Sunset.

"It's not your fault, Fluttershy," Rarity assured her. "Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are the ones who did this to us all."

"And Scootaloo" added Rainbow feeling betrayed.

Applejack sighed as she lent on the lockers.

"Is it?" she asked "True, they made Anon-A-Miss and humiliated us and the rest of the school" she said "But blaming Sunset? bashing her like we did? calling her names and treating her like a criminal? that was all on us" she said with a sad look.

The hallway remained silent for a moment as the reality of their actions sunk in.

"I feel awful," said Pinkie Pie, her normally cheerful voice filled with genuine sadness as she leaned against the locker next to her friends. "I can't believe we acted so...so...mean to Sunset"

"Yeah, we really messed up," agreed Rarity, her voice barely a whisper.

"We should talk to her," said Pinkie, breaking the silence. "We need to apologize, explain everything, and tell her we believe in her."

"Bit late for that Pinkie" said Rainbow Dash. Loyalty was something that defined her, yet the moment one friend needed her was the moment she drop all and decided she was guilty no questions asked. "Just what were we thinking?!" she yelled in frustration "We were so eager to believe the worst of her that we didn't even gave her a chance to defend herself"

Everyone flinched.

"Its...its not like with her history..." began Rarity.

"Even at her worst she wouldnt have made it so obvious!" Rainbow interrupted her "all the evidence pointed at her yet that should have been the first clue someone was trying to frame her!!"

The group remained silent, the weight of their hasty judgement heavy on their shoulders. Because yes Sunset have done things like this, but that was in the past! before she redeemed herself and became a friend.

By helping saving the school from mind controlling sirens! After all the school were against her she still saved them!

To go from that to become a bully again was just too much of a stretch, yet they all just needed a couple of pictures to start believing it was true.

Fluttershy looked at the ground.

"Could...could it be..." she started "we...we wanted to truly believe that?" she asked with some fear "That...deep down...we still hold some grudges against her?"

Rainbow Dash face was one of anger at the mere thought.

"No" she said firmly "We know her better than that, she isn’t that person anymore!" she stated "And I refuse to let her think that!" she added. She wont lose another friend because her own stupidity, ego and lack of communication "Im going to go find her! and doesnt matter if she hits me or curse me for the rest of my life, Im going to tell her how sorry I am" she declared with determination.

The others looked at each other before nodded.

"You right" said Applejack "we cant let her think we still see her as the monster she was. We need to show her we are better than that" she took a deep breath "and maybe, just maybe, we need to be honest with ourselves too" she said looking at her friends "because if we hold on to the past, we can't truly move forward"

"You right darling" said Rarity "I've always known that a friendship isn't perfect, especially with someone that has had such a...troubled past like Sunset" she said with a sigh "but she has proven time and time again she is not that person anymore" she took a deep breath "and we owe her the same trust she gave us" she said with a nod.

"Yes!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, bouncing with excitement "We all need to apologize and show her we're here for her, no matter what!" she will plan the biggest more amazing apology party for Sunset Shimmer that Canterlot High School has ever seen!

Fluttershy smiled and nodded too, wiping away a tear.

"Yes, you're right. We've all learned and grown together. We can't just throw that away over something like this."

The group nodded in agreement and began to walk out of the hallway, ready to face Sunset and ask for her forgiveness. They knew it was going to be a tough conversation, but it was one they needed to have.

Now the only question was...where was she?

No one have seen her since the confrontation, and the tension in the air was palpable as they searched the school.

They split up to cover more ground, each feeling a sense of urgency to find their friend and set things right. Rainbow Dash dashed through the hallways, checking the usual hangouts while Applejack took the more secluded places where Sunset might be seeking solace. Meanwhile, Rarity and Fluttershy checked the library, a place they knew Sunset had grown quite fond of, and Pinkie Pie bounced from classroom to classroom with her usual enthusiasm, hoping to bring a smile back to her friend's face with some party supplies.

However their efforts came empty as they couldnt find her anywhere. Not in the library, not in the cafeteria, not even in the school's garden. Sunset had disappeared.

And curiously, Twilight was also absent.

Finally they decided to go to the principal´s office as she was the last one to talk with them.

Knock-Knock

"Principal Celestia?" asked Applejack nervously as they all stepped into the office.

The principal wasnt alone as Vice-principal Luna was with her.

"Girls, what brings you here?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the serious look on their faces.

Rarity took a deep breath.

"We need to apologize to Sunset. We were wrong to doubt her."

Principal Celestia nodded solemnly.

"I understand your feelings, but Sunset isn't here right now."

"And I dont think she want to talk with you after what you make her past" said Luna in gelid tone glaring at the group.

The girls flinched.

"Luna, please" called Celestia in soft tone "they are kids, they made a mistake and are trying to fix it"

"A mistake that could had been prevented if they had actually talked with her first" the Vice-principal retorted "Plus I dont think they will be able to apology anytime soon" she added making the girls look at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Applejack with a hint of worry.

Principal Celestia gained a resigned look and sighed.

"Sunset asked princess Twilight to return to Equestria" said the Principal with a sad look.

The group of friends gasped.

"What?!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her eyes wide with shock. "But why?!"

"It appears she felt that she had no place here anymore," said Principal Celestia sadly. "After everything that's happened, she thought it best to leave."

The room was filled with a heavy silence as the reality of their actions hit the group of friends. They had pushed Sunset away, so much so that she felt the need to leave her home and the life she had worked hard to rebuild.

"But we can't just let her go like this!" exclaimed Rarity, her voice shaking with emotion. "We have to find her and tell her we're sorry, that we believe in her!"

Applejack frowned. She also didnt like it but...

"Maybe...we should" said the country girl "After all we did, maybe a time away from us is the best for her" she said "give her time to rest and recover...maybe when classes resume after the holidays we can talk with her"

The room remained silent. The idea of not being able to talk with Sunset was quite daunting for them all, but the look of regret in Applejack's eyes spoke volumes of her sincerity.

Pinkie Pie was the first to break the silence with a defeated sigh.

"Okay, okay," she said, slumping into a chair. "Maybe you're right, Applejack. Maybe she does need some space."

The others nodded slowly, each feeling a mix of sadness and regret. They had hurt someone they cared about deeply, and now they had to deal with the consequences.

"Maybe...we could use this time to plan how not only fix things but also show her how much she means to us" suggested Fluttershy with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Her friends looked at each other before nodded. That was a good point.

"Alright," said Rainbow Dash, "We'll give her some space and in the meantime, we can think of the best way to apologize and show her we're here for her."

Everyone smiled at that...only for Vice-principal Luna to wash their hopes away.

"That is..if she even return" said Luna with a hint of sadness and anger in her voice. "Dont know whats more mess up, the fact she will spend Christmas behind bars or that she might be locked up after"

The girls looked up at her in shock and horror.

"What do you mean, 'behind bars'?" gasped Applejack.

Celestia was the one to explain.

"You see girls, on this side Sunset might have been a bully...however what she did on the other side of the portal..."

"Steal a precious artifact, attack one of the princesses, plan to conquer the realm" Luna listed.

"These are serious crimes" said Celestia "Sunset ordered to remain on this side wasnt just so she could amend for her mistakes here...it was also her punishment...exile from Equestria" she added with a sad tone.

"And she returning there..." added Luna "means she will be arrested and jailed for her crimes there"

The room was silent, the words of the Vice-Principal echoing through their minds like a dark omen.

"But...but she's changed!" Pinkie protested, her voice filled with desperation. "Surely they can see that!"

Principal Celestia's expression remained solemn.

"Pinkie, I understand your concern, but the laws of Equestria are quite clear on this matter. Sunset has to face the consequences of her actions, regardless of the progress she's made here."

"But Twilight certainly..." Rarity started only to be interrupted.

"I'm sorry, girls," said Principal Celestia, her voice firm but understanding. "But as a princess, Twilight has a duty to uphold the laws of Equestria. She may not have the power to overturn them, especially not for someone with Sunset's history."

The friends looked at each other, the weight of the situation settling in. Rainbow Dash clenched her fists.

"At this time" Luna continued "Twilight must be guiding Sunset to the portal" she added with a hint of sadness "It's not something she wishes to do, but it's necessary"

The friends looked at each other with a mix of shock and fear. They had to act fast, they couldn’t just let her go like this. They had to talk to her, explain everything and make things right.

"We can't just let her go through with this!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, her eyes wide with determination. She bolted out of the office without another word, her friends quickly following after her.

However once they were away Luna and Celestia shared a smile and a conspiracy look and high-five.

"You think they will be in time?" asked Luna.

"I believe in their friendship," Celestia replied with a knowing smile. "The bonds they've formed here are stronger than any barrier we could have placed between them."

Out in the hallway, the friends rushed to catch up with Rainbow Dash. They had to stop Sunset before it was too late.

"Rainbow wait up!" Applejack called after her.

The rainbow haired girl pushed the front doors open. As the cold winter wind hit her face she was able to see the figures of Twilight and Sunset walking towards the Wondercolt statue.

"There they are!" yelled Rainbow pointing at them.

And with that she rushed in pushing Twilight away from Sunset, almost making her stumble. The alicorn looked surprised by the sudden aggression and had to make an effort to not end up falling on a puddle of mud.

“Rainbow what are you doing?!” she exclaimed.

"You cant take her!" Rainbow yelled, standing in front of Sunset with a fiery determination in her eyes. Twilight stumbled back, surprised by the sudden aggression. "we wont let you! I dont care what laws you have to follow but we wont let you!"

Sunset looked confused and slightly scared at the scene unfolding before her. More as the others rushed and form a wall in front of her.

"Rainbow Dash, what's going on?" she asked, her eyes wide in shock at her friend's behavior.

But none seems to listen as they began talking at the same time towards the princess.

"You cant do this to her!" Applejack said with a firm voice.

"We made a mistake but she doesnt need to pay for it!" Rarity declared.

"We are her friends!" Pinkie added with anger instead of her usual enthusiasm "And we stick together no matter what!"

Fluttershy nodded furiously.

"Yes exactly!" Rainbow called "If..If you want to take her you will need to take us in too!" she added with a fierce look.

Twilight was taken aback by the sudden confrontation. She looked at Sunset, who seemed equally confused by the scene.

"In fact..." Rainbow continued eying the mud puddle behind Twilight "Attacking the princess is a crime right?" and before anyone could blink she pushed her into the puddle.

The group gasped as Twilight got up with a splurt and a face full of mud, her eyes wide with shock and surprise.

But she didnt had much time to think as Applejack and Pinkie Pie began bombarding her with snowballs.

"What the...?" Twilight began to sputter as she was pelted with the cold projectiles.

Fluttershy also tried to throw one (but as she closed her eyes and she was..well..Fluttershy...the ball simply fell some inches from her).

For a moment Twilight just looked at them in shock as the snowballs continued to hit her without. But soon the shock was replaced by a look of...understanding?

Rarity stepped forward, a look of regret in her eyes.

"Twilight, I'm sorry," she began, her voice quivering slightly. "but...your hair is horrible! " she declared "And those...those clothes you're wearing!" she gestured to the mud-splattered garments with a look of feigned disgust. "They're so...so last season!"

The princess's expression went from shock to bewilderment. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she took a moment to brush off the clumps of mud from her clothes, looking down at the soggy mess she had become.

"Well, I can't say I expected this," she murmured, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Sunset seems to have had enough.

"STOP!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, and the flurry of snowballs halted immediately. Her friends looked at her with surprise, their hands mid-air, snowballs frozen in their grasp.

The sudden confrontation had left Sunset bewildered and a bit scared, she hadn't seen her friends so worked up since the Siren incident. But before she could ask Rainbow began apologizing.

"I'm sorry Sunset," Rainbow said, her voice shaking with emotion. "We all are. We shouldn't have doubted you, we should have talked to you first. We're your friends, we should have had your back!"

Sunset's eyes grew wide with shock as the other girls caught up to them, each one looking at her with a mix of regret and sadness. Before she could even begin to process what was happening, they all started talking at once, their words tumbling out in a rush of apologies.

"We're sorry, Sunset!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "We had no right to believe those rumors without hearing you out first!"

Fluttershy looked down at her feet, her voice barely a whisper. "

We know you're not that person anymore, and we're so sorry for making you feel like we didn't trust you."

Rarity stepped forward, her usual poise replaced by a tremble in her voice. "

You've become such an important part of our lives, Sunset," she said, "and we were wrong to doubt you. We should have come to you first, we should have been there for you."

Applejack was next.

"Im sorry Sunset. I really am!" Applejack's voice was desperate yet sincere "You were right, I acted silly, no I acted stupid! I jumped into conclusion and instead of seeing the person you became I still judge you as the one you were and that wasnt fair!"

Sunset felt a knot in her throat loosening as she saw the regret in Applejack's eyes.

"We were being stupid!" Rainbow Dash yelled "we let our old grudges and fears cloud our judgment!"

"We should have listen to you instead of acting so mean!" Pinkie Pie cried.

"Please Sunset dont go!" begged Fluttershy.

"Even if you dont talk to us ever again you dont deserve to be locked away!" Rarity declared with a sob.

The red haired girl was touched by their words. But then that last part...

"Wait...locked away?" she asked "what are you talking about?"

The girls exchanged glances before Applejack spoke up. "It's about what we heard from Principal Celestia," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "that you planned go back to Equestria, and that when you do you will be arrested for your past crimes."

Sunset blinked confused. she do was planning to return to Equestria (maybe for a LONG time) but the whole arrested part?

"That...would have be more my fault" Twilight said with a smile as Flash Sentry helped her to stand from the puddle. "I asked Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna to...lie a bit" she added looking at the two teachers who walked out the school with with a mix of guilt and a smug look.

"What?!" the group of friends looked at each other in confusion.

"A bit extreme...and certainly wasnt expecting the mud bath" added Twilight as she brushed some mud off her "but it worked" she said with a grin "you all came to stop me"

The group of friends looked at each other, their expressions a mix of relief and confusion.

"Sunset, you were ready to walk away when you thought you really werent wanted here" said Twilight "And dont try to denied it, you asking me if it was possible for you to get back to Equestria was a big clue for me" she added with a knowing look. "You thought you didnt had any friend left yet here they are" she pointed at the group of girls "willing to fight for you, even if it meant throwing snowballs at me"

The red haired girl looked down with a blush forming on her cheeks. That was true, she had felt like she had no one and that was why she had reached out to Twilight, hoping for a way out. Yet she didnt expected those she thought no longer cared about her to come to her rescue.

"And you girls" continued Twilight looking at the group "I could tell you do felt terrible about what you did, but also you had doubts about your own feelings..you needed a little push" she added "can you now tell me...tell us...do you think of Sunset as a real friend?"

The group of friends looked at each other before nodded, tears of happiness running down their faces.

"Yes Twilight," said Rarity "We do consider Sunset a real friend, even if we messed up really badly."

"We should have try talk things up instead of letting those old grudges to come between us," Applejack admitted, her voice crackling with emotion. "We're family and families stick together."

"We shouldnt even had those grudges anymore" added Rainbow Dash "after all she has done to proof she had change" she looked at the ground in regret "We should have know better than to doubt her"

"Old wounds are hard to heal" said Twilight "If not treated correctly they can come open again" she told the girls "you guys accepted Sunset yet you still felt those old fears of her" she looked at each of them "Friendship can be hard to hold when its build in shaking feelings, but a true one knows to address those issues by not letting silence make things worst"

Sunset felt a mix of emotions. It was true she had been feeling lonely and unwanted, but she had no idea how much her friends had been hurt by her past actions, and even though she had changed she had never really talked about it.

At the same time the girls also decided to keep silence of their own past feelings, thinking that if ignoring them they would simply disappear. But as the situation grew worse, they realized that the only way to truly move forward was by addressing them.

“I’m sorry Sunset, for not trusting you from the start," Rarity spoke up with a tremble in her voice, "but I guess we all have our fears from the past."

Sunset took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at her friends, their eyes filled with remorse and understanding. It was time to lay her own cards on the table.

"I'm sorry," she began, her voice cracking. "I'm so, so sorry for everything I put you through." The words spilled out like a dam had broken, a torrent of emotion behind them. "For the way I treated you, for the pain I caused, for the doubt I made you feel about me now... I never wanted you to think I was still that person."

Her friends exchanged glances, each one feeling a mix of guilt and understanding. They had all been through so much together, but Sunset's past had always loomed like a shadow, a specter they couldn't quite shake. But here she was, standing before them with raw, exposed vulnerability, and suddenly their anger and doubt melted away.

"You are not that person...not anymore" Applejack said with a firm voice that left no room for doubt "We might had let our fears guide us for a bit but we know the truth now" she added giving Sunset a comforting smile "You are our friend and we stand by you" she declared making the red haired girl's heart flutter.

Sunset felt a tear roll down her cheek as she looked at them all, her heart swelling with love and gratitude. And before she could even try to say anything else, she was engulfed in a group hug. Applejack’s strong arms were the first to wrap around her, followed by Rarity's gentle embrace, Rainbow Dash's tight squeeze, Pinkie's energetic bounce, and Fluttershy's tender touch.

Twilight saw this with a smile and stepped back, giving her friend the space she needed. The group held each other tight, the warmth of their embrace contrasting sharply with the cold winter air. They had come so far, and it was clear that their bond was stronger than any misunderstanding or fear from the past.

"You did great Twilight" Flash told her with a proud smile at seeing his friend reunited with her friends again.

"Indeed you did" Principal Celestia added as she and Vice Principal Luna approached the group with a knowing smile "You've shown that the bonds of friendship can overcome even the most stubborn doubts"

"Hehehe well...Im the princess of friendship, its kinda what I do" Twilight replied with a cheeky smile to Flash.

However a quick breeze made her shiver making her remember her actual state of dress.

"Brr...although think I need a long wam bath to clean up" she added looking down at herself covered in mud.

"Ummm..so...our plan to go skate are..." Flash scratched his neck in some worry it would be postpone.

"Plans?" asked Sunset as she and the others broke the hug and tuned to the princess.

"Flash invited me to ice skate at the mall..but..." Twilight pointed at herself. Part of her worried that if went back to Equestria to get clean something on that side will need her attention.

"Oh! umm we...sorry about that Twilight" said Dash feeling quite bad for having shove her friend into mud.

"We...well we didnt thought about this..." Pinkie Pie added awkwardly, looking at Twilight's mud covered form.

"And sorry for the..snowballs" added Applejack, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"And for insulting you" said Rarity "your hair is quite pretty and soft and your outfit its just...fitting of you" she said trying to fix the mess they made.

Fluttershy nodded also feeling bad.

Twilight just chuckled and waved it off.

"Its ok dont worry, but yes, a warm bath would be heavenly right now" she added with a smile.

"Well since you came all the way here, why dont take a bath at my home" offered Sunset with a genuine smile "Think will be quicker than going back to Equestria"

"And I have a winter outfit that will look divine on you" Rarity exclaimed, already envisioning the transformation.

"And the time could be use by someone to get some flowers" Applejack said with a teasing shove at Flash.

The group laughed, the tension dissipating into the chilly air.

"I think an afternoon of fun is what you all need after the last days you had so go on" said the principal "I'll handle the school stuff" she added with a smile.

The group of friends nodded in unison, their spirits lifted. They turned to leave, with Pinkie and Fluttershy each taking one of Sunset's arms and leading her away with cheerful chatter about the skating rink and the fun they were going to have. The others fell into step behind them saying goodbye to Flash sho promise meet Twilight at the mall.

"Hehehe excited darling?" asked Rarity with a smile.

"I am...this will be a nice experience for sure" said the princes.

"Hehehe because you date?" Applejack teased.

Twilight blushed.

"I..ehem..yes? that and well....I will be able to learn more about this Christmas tradition of yours!" Twilight said, trying to keep her cool. "I mean, I have so many questions...starting with what kind of magic this Santa Claus person use to fly and deliver all those gifts in one night" she said with a smirk.

They all chuckled at Twilight's curiosity.

The group continued their way to the bus station, the cold air a stark contrast to the warmth they felt towards each other. Sunset felt a weight lift off her shoulders with each step she took away from the school, smiling as Applejack and Rarity took places on her side, eagerly discussing their skating outfits. Pinkie Pie chattered with Twilight as the pink haired girl tied to explain all she knew about Santa Claus while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash talked about their plans for the holidays.

All and all, Sunset felt a strange mix of emotions, as if she was floating on a cloud of relief and warmth amidst the chilly winter day. The way her friends had come to her defense, their willingness to fight for her even when they believed she had betrayed them, it was a powerful reminder of just how much they had all grown since she had first arrived in this world.

But she sweared she will treasure this and never EVER betray their trust.

Still...as she turned to the school one last time, she couldnt help but feel there was one last thing she needed to do.

And that was talking with the three responsible of the whole mess.