I gave a sigh as I walked down the hall with a arm around Sunset as we walked to the auditorium where the CMC were going to confess. Students were giving us dirty looks but I gave them glares back. We had Sunset’s friends with us along with my two sisters and niece.

“What do you think this special school meeting is for?” Lily whispered to Daisy.

“Maybe Sunset will apologize,” Roseluck said hopefully.

“Hope so. She should after what she did,” Daisy scoffed quickly as I gave them a glare. They all three paled at my glare and Derpy’s disapproving look. Derpy had put her friendship with Roseluck on hold during anon a miss.

We entered the auditorium and worked our way to the stage. We quickly sat down on the chairs Celestia had made the cmc set up. Twilight folded her arms and regarded the students with cold indifference. I had specifically requested the Rainbooms get a first row seat and I gave them cold looks.

Sunset stared at them sadly and quickly shook her head. I gave her a reassuring hug with one arm and smiled. Earth Minuette and Equestrian Minuette made eye contact and froze. Both Lyra’s and Bon Bons were sitting next to each other and talking, occasionally glancing out at the student. They were obviously enjoying the stunned looks they were receiving from the students.

“You got this,” I whispered. Sunset gave a nod and stepped to microphone on the table set up and instantly people were booing and yelling insults. We all glared at them as I covered Ruby’s ears so she didn’t hear the words. I opened my mouth to speak but Twilight beat me to it.

“Silence!” She shouted and we all froze. So this was the feared Royal Canterlot Voice Sunset had spoken fearfully about. The Rainbooms flinched and looked away as students stared at her with mixed reactions of shock and fear. Sunset gave her a grateful nod.

“Hello. You all know who I am. These past few weeks I’ve been insulted, abused verbally and physically. I’ve been stuffed in a locker along with one of my friends Trixie. All because she tried to save me and she chose to suffer the same fate as me even when told to leave. I tried to tell you all that I wasn’t anon a miss but no one believed. My friends abandoned one by one except for a certain few that I’d like to name. Both worlds Lyra, both Minuettes, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, Twilight, Moondancer, Octavia, Vinyl, Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Trixie, Lavender Lace, Fuchsia Blush. My mom, my family and the principals. Why would I make anon a miss? There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I was homeless for God sake!” Sunset shouted as shocked expressions crossed the students faces. “Cheerilee adopted me after she found me in a bush outside our school! Even when I was a bitch to her in her own house, she still gave me a chance! Do you know what I did for money? I was a prostitute on the freaking corner!”

Rarity turned slightly green as Rainbow and Applejack looked at each other. Fluttershy pressed a hand to her mouth as Pinkie slumped in her seat. Her friends behind her stared at her in shock as Derpy and Lyra looked to each other.

“Lyra you knew about that?” Earth Bon Bon hissed.

“Yes,” Lyra admitted. “Me and Derpy both knew. We were in the car when Cheerilee caught her. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Sunset didn’t give us permission.”

“We will talk about this later,” Bon Bon grumbled.

“I had to fight every day to survive!” Sunset continued her tirade. “In this world and in Equestria! I grew up poor in a farm town with nothing. I watched my mom die for God’s sake. I had to steal so my mom and siblings could eat. If I had to, I’d do that everyday of the damn week! If I was really anon a miss, would I have done this?” She yanked up the sleeves of her shirt and I wanted to vomit at the sight of cut marks on her wrists. I pressed a hand to my mouth and felt tears in my eyes. Some were clearly old but a majority were new. Pinkie turned even paler as a loud gasp went through the crowd. “I thought I was forgiven after the battle of the bands. But clearly not since you all threw me aside like yesterday’s trash. Like I meant nothing. I have nothing more to say. I just hope you all are happy with yourselves.” She quickly sat back down between me and Cherry. I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as Cherry squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.

“I’m very proud of you,” Cherry whispered as Celestia stepped to the microphone.

“I have nothing more to add on what she said. I’m going to call the real anon a miss to stage. Can Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo please join us?” She asked and Rarity looked confused with Applejack.

“It can’t be them!” Rainbow stood up. “They are just kids! They wouldn’t ever do something like this!”

“It was us,” Apple Bloom announced.

“We did it,” Sweetie Belle admitted.

“We were jealous Sunset was spending so much time with our sisters and stealing her from us. So we created anon a miss to keep them away from each other. We wanted to delete the account but soon enough, other students started sending in secrets and we were in over our heads,” Scootaloo sighed.

“Prove it’s you!” Mystery Mint stood up and shouted.

“The password to the account is cmconetwothreefour. Numbers, not spelled out,” Sweetie Belle clarified and looked down. It went dead silent as a few students pulled their phones out. It exploded as they started shouting at each other and the three girls.

“Fuck you!” Amethyst Star shouted angrily. She glared at Bright Ideas with a clenched fist as Dinky started pulling on her leg worriedly. “Don’t you ever insult either of my sisters!”

“Amethyst!” Derpy snapped. “Dinky is sitting right next to you!”

“I stole Sunset’s phone and sent the pictures to myself,” Sweetie Belle admitted and Rarity turned angry red.

“Ah told them Applejacks nickname!” Apple Bloom announced as Applejack looked away. Rainbow stared at Scootaloo with a slackjawed expression.

“Scootaloo?” She asked quietly.

“I told them Rainbow was having trouble with her grades,” Scootaloo looked down. Rainbow glared at her before looking away from her.

“It wasn’t just these girls!” Luna snapped. “It was you all too. We want to see Bright Ideas, Blueberry Cake, Aqua Blossom and Rose Hearts after school. Those are just a few students who gave secrets about their friends!”

“Now Lyra and the others have something they want to say at the outside stage. You are all required to attend,” Celestia announced.

We sat and watched as the students glared at each other and started shoving their way out.

---‐---------------------------------------------------------

I smiled as I sat down in my seat at the edge of the stage where the battle of the bands had concluded. Ruby sat on my lap as Berry and Cherry sat on either side of me. Minuette sat next to Berry and held her hand. I could see the Equestrian Minuette in the back of the seating with her Equestrian friends. Their worlds Lyra and Bon Bon sat with curious looks as they talked, looking around. The Rainbooms sat a few seats away looking dejected. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were sitting behind me. I nudged Ruby to look ahead as Earth Lyra stepped forward on the stage.

“Recently one of my best friends went through something nobody should ever go through. She was scorned, abused, assaulted repeatedly, insulted and framed for something she didn’t do. Not only did she get a target on her back, but we did too. Her friends. Only a few of us stuck by her and that shouldn’t have been the case. I for one am very glad I know Sunset and I am proud to call her my friend. So this is for her. Bon Bon wrote this,” Lyra announced into her microphone.

Everyone quietly stared at her as she lifted her guitar and started playing it. Surprisingly, we had gotten the whole school here for this. How, I don’t know. I expected a few to sneak out.

“Run your car off the side of the road, get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere. Get yourself in a bind, lose the shirt off your back, need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare,” Lyra sang as her soft voice flowed over me.

“This is where the rubber meets the road,” Bon Bon stepped forward and sang into her microphone.

“This is where the cream is gonna rise,” Derpy sang into her microphone set next to her drum set as she played her instrument of choice.

“This is what you really didn’t know,” Vinyl sang as she stepped next to Bon Bon and Lyra.

“This is where the truth don’t lie,” Octavia sang as she stood next to the three standing girls and Derpy’s drums.

“You’ll find out who your friends are. Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car. Hit the gas, get there fast. Never stop to think “What’s in it for me?” or “It’s way too far.” They just show on up with their big old heart. You’ll find out who your friends are,” the five girls sang in unison.

“Everybody wants to slap your back, wants to shake your hand when you’re up on top of that mountain. But let one of those rocks give way, then you slide back down. Look up and see who’s around then,” Aria sang as she stepped forward from the wings on the opposite side of the stage.

“This ain’t where the road comes to an end,” Sonata sang as she joined her sister.

“This ain’t where the bandwagon stops,” Adagio sang as she stepped forward.

“This is just one of those times when,” Twilight sang as she joined them.

“A lot of folks jump off,” Lightning finished as she stepped forward into the light.

“You’ll find out who your friends are. Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car. Hit the gas, get there fast. Never stop to think “What’s in it for me?” or “It’s way too far.” They just show on up with their big old heart. You’ll find out who your friends are,” the ten girls sang in unison.

“When the water’s high,” Trixie sang as my eyes flicked up to look at her. She sat with her arms around Lavender and Fuchsia as the three sat on a suspended moon above the stage.

“When the weather’s not so fair,” Lavender sang as she smiled at the two girls next to her.

“When the well runs dry,” Fuchsia sang with a warm smile.

“Who’s gonna be there?” The three girls sang together. Ruby turned around and looked at me.

“I like Sunset’s friends singing but when is her part? She gets to sing right?” Ruby asked impatiently. I chuckled and gently turned her head back to the stage.

“Right now,” I reassured my niece. Sunset stepped out on the stage as she played her guitar.

“You’ll find out who your friends are. Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car. Hit the gas, get there fast. Never stop to think “What’s in it for me?” or “It’s way too far.” They just show on up with their big old heart. You’ll find out who your friends are,” the fourteen girls sang together as Berry and Cherry started grinning at Sunset. Minuette smiled and clapped softly.

“Run your car off the side of the road,” Lyra and the four other girls on the middle of the stage sang.

“Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere,” Aria and her group on the left side sang.

“Man, I’ve been there. Get yourself in a bind, lose the shirt off your back,” Trixie and the girls sitting with her sang with in perfect unison with Sunset below them.
“Need a floor, need a couch, need a bus fare. Man, I’ve been there. Man, I’ve been there.”

A firework exploded above the girls in what I instantly recognized as Sunset’s cutie mark and face. Lavender gave a triumphant smile as I joined my sisters and Minuette in clapping. Berry smirked at me.

“Now that was my bad ass niece and her friends.”

Author's Note

All rights belong to Tracy Lawrence https://youtu.be/JREouTHpyJE

Figured the song worked perfectly here.