//------------------------------// // Monday Part 7.5 - Obligatory Flashback Chapter // Story: Equestria Girl. Wait, What's Equestria? // by Bysen //------------------------------// Twilight left her room and headed down the stairs, Spike following right behind her. Down the stairs and towards the front door, she grabbed his leash and attached it to Spike’s spiked collar. Just a second to lock the door and… they were gone. Practically sprinting down the street. Spike was full of energy as always and Twilight was only just keeping up, holding his leash tight to keep him from getting too far ahead. She loved it as much as she hated it. Sprinting was fun and horrible at the same time. Twilight tried to keep in shape, and succeeded at it, hated the process, but loved the results. It was a contradiction, she didn’t understand but didn’t care either. After about ten minutes and three kilometres, she was exhausted. Luckily so was Spike. They’d run to a small shopping village as always. Spike knew the place, knew that it meant he was about to get a treat, and slowed nearly to a stop. Just walking now, Twilight was breathing heavily, covered in sweat. She tied Spike’s leash to a pole and left him be while she went in and got him his treat. Along with a drink for herself. Unlike driving, running was simple: plenty of time to think. So this time, when she stopped at the shops, she’d had all of what happened running through her head for nearly half an hour. It was all horrifying to her. Literally ALL of it. Sil was nice but she already knew ‘her’ and that in itself should’ve been enough for Twilight to freak out but she held it together through the revelation that she interdimensional doppelganger not only existed but apparently fought raging she-demons and weird singing-seahorse-mermaid-things. Because she had totally been told that part by Sil today and not just the first movie’s stuff. Being up on stage in front of nearly a thousand people, all of which knew ‘her’ too. The thought alone made her stomach churn anew. Those five girls that had caused her to go through in the first place… and the sixth. How she’d cornered her right before he’d come along and… and… and that’s what scared her the most. That she could feel so helpless and out of control of a situation. Granted she had knocked him the fugg out and gotten out of there within seconds of it happening. But even if she had taken control of it, it certainly hadn’t felt that way to her at the time. Sure, she later found out neither of them had intended anything like she had feared and it had all been just a big misunderstanding. The thought… the possibility… the probability of something like that actually happening just kept niggling at the back of her mind. And that, scared her far more than anything else that had happened today. But if it were to ever happen for real, she wasn’t going to make it easy for them. She hadn’t today and she’d be damned if she would in the future. She approached the checkout. Her usual bottle of Rainbow Factory brand bottled water [available at all good retailers for only 7 bits] and dog treat for Spike in her hand along with something extra today. A whistle and a can of capsican spray. She’d originally wanted a taizor but couldn’t find one in the store and eventually came to the conclusion those are probably illegal for civilian use anyway. Also apparently the same is true of proper pepper spray and only capsican spray is avaialble for over the counter purchase. Her only hope was that the cashier wouldn’t take note about it. There were two registers open at this time of day and though she didn’t know the person by name, she’d been here enough time to know which of the cashiers was most and least talkative to the customers. Luckily the one that spoke the least was on today, even if on a slightly longer queue. Even if she was the one of fewer words, the cashier still saw what was being bought and hesitated for a brief moment before continue to scan the items. “That’s eleven bit.” she said as she handed Twilight the bag. Twilight reached for her purse but stopped before pulling it out. Only eleven bits? That’s how much the the drink and snack normally cost by themselves. She looked up at the cashier with an obviously confused look. In a low voice “On the house. Keep safe.” she told Twilight who had decided to avoid eye contact. It was odd… she felt like a victim somehow even from just this. She was grateful but at the same time felt ashamed. Ever polite though “Thank you.” she said hastily before grabbing the bag and leaving. There was just something about it. Something that felt wrong. And even once outside the store, now walking slowly towards Spike she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly. Maybe she felt like a victim or maybe she felt like the cashier felt she was a victim. Just in general it was a sucky feeling. She didn’t feel scared, she didn’t feel weak or vulnerable. If anything it was the exact opposite. Anyone ever tried anything on her she was ready now. Then it hit her. What if she wasn’t? What if everything she tried failed and even with these preventive and defensive/offensive tools she still lost. What if, what if… suddenly she knew what it was she had been feeling: exposed. Everyone around her, every single one of them, was someone she didn’t know and a person who could potentially be thinking anything. Male, female, it didn’t matter. She’d seen both of them from that perspective today. People. People she didn’t know wh- She caught herself. She was panicking and she realised it. Rationalisation began doing its job and she thought through scenario after scenario. That guy is just walking to his car. That woman is just going to the bakery. That creepy fat dude with the beard only growing under his chin wearing a fedora was actually just walking over to meet his ridiculously attractive girlfriend. No one here was going to get her. No one… here. There it was again. Try as she might, no matter how much she told herself that she was being paranoid, said paranoia wouldn’t let up. Hence: paranoia. Maybe there was more. But what? She’d done everything she could to defend herself if the worst came to worst. There just wasn’t anything else she could do. If they got past that then she… Roughly half a step away from where Spike was leashed up she stopped and turned around, leaving Spike sitting there with a sagged face… which was actually completely unchanged from his usual saggy pitbull face. Twilight had realised what else she could do. It wasn’t something she liked the idea of but it was the smart thing to do. Take every measure. She walked into the store, a different one to before, and scoured the shelves looking for what she was after. Soon enough she found them and once more headed towards the register, which in this store was actually at the back of the shop. There wasn’t a line here this time and she proceeded right up to the attendant. As she placed the round packet on the counter she was greeted with “May I see your prescription please?” “Prescription?” Twilight asked the chemist. “I’m sorry, you’re required to have a doctor’s prescription to buy birth control pills at your age ma’am.” the woman whose name tag read ‘Nurse Redheart' answered. Twilight’s eyes widened slightly but then sank again in disappointment. She could book a doctor’s appointment easy enough. However she was on her parent’s medicare plan and would need them to do it for her. Naturally she didn’t want them to know she was buying birth control pills. Even if she wasn’t having sex, the real reason, well, it almost felt more shameful to her. “It’s alright.” Redheart added. “It’s not uncommon for girls your age to come in here looking for the pill. It’s just a quick evaluation and we can prescribe them to you. Coldheart, would you mind the storefront for a moment?” she called to the other chemist. “Sure.” she replied, only saying it so I could break apart two very long paragraphs. Redheart nodded appreciatively towards Coldheart and turned back to Twilight “Would you follow me back here, we can start the examination right away.” “Uh…” Twilight replied. She expected some sort of gynaecological examination and this woman saying she could do it right here and now, and with the mind set she was already in. Needless to say she nearly pissed herself. Not literally of course. Not this time at least. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Redheart stammered. “I completely forgot to ask if you actually wanted to be tested, simply assuming so. My apologies. Rest assured, it’s nothing invasive. Just a few forms, a few questions and tutorial on how to use birth control pills effectively. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Now. Would you like to take the examination?” she clarified with a small but genuine smile. It calmed Twilight. Calmed her dramatically. Twilight wordlessly nodded and followed her back.