Fluttershy had pinned Gilda to the floor, desperate to again protect her friends.

“Pinkie, get out of here and call the police!” Fluttershy told her. Pinkie jumped out of her bed and tried her best to go wake find one of the nurses. Fluttershy then realized Gilda had a knife in her hand, and hesitated for a moment. This gave Gilda a perfect opportunity to strike and she broke free of Fluttershy’s grasp and sliced the left side of her face. Thankfully, Fluttershy instinctively turned away from the blow, but it would still be sure to leave a scar there. Fluttershy fell over and Gilda took the offensive, getting up and leaping on top of Fluttershy. She rolled out of the way, however, and got up on her hooves, while Gilda crashed to the floor. Fluttershy got a moment of rest while Gilda recovered from the fall she wasn’t expecting. When Gilda did get up, she lunged toward Fluttershy and this time she wasn’t so lucky. She was pinned against the wall and Gilda laughed maniacally. It was clear that she was losing insanity.

“Now you’re going to die, you little bitch!” Gilda growled. “This time, I will have my revenge on you, and your friends!” She brought the knife to Fluttershy’s throat, about to cut her, when her hand stopped moving. A gunshot rang through the night air. Gilda spit blood and it splattered against Fluttershy’s chest. It seem time had frozen, and when it returned, Gilda fell over onto the floor, dead this time. Fluttershy turned her head to see the pony that had saved her life. It was Pinkie Pie, standing there with a .357 Magnum, smoke coming from the barrel. She dropped the gun and Fluttershy and Pinkie embraced in a hug, crying tears of joy and of being so frightened.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were taken into custody by the police for questioning and to ensure their safety for the next few days. Fluttershy was treated for shock therapy, but she insisted that she was fine and she didn’t need it. Pinkie Pie was temporarily arrested and was tried before a court and jury to see if charges were to be pressed for murder. However, both the judge and the jury agreed it was not an act of violence, but an act of self defense. Gilda was going to be put to death anyway due to the fact of her latest and previous crimes. She had no known relatives and therefore Pinkie had an easy court. When the final day of being questioned came and went, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were again released back to the hospital for final check-ups for wounds, each had a personal bodyguard that switched at six hour intervals, guarding their houses.

“Pinkie, thank you for saving my life.” Fluttershy told her.

“Hey, it’s what friends do, right?” Pinkie said. That was the same thing she had said to Rainbow Dash only a few days ago. “Now we’re even.” Pinkie smiled. In an odd way, this experience had brought their friendship even closer than it already was. They were at Fluttershy’s house, waiting for their friends to come so they could tell of their… adventure. They hadn’t seen them in a week and a half, after all. Pinkie Pie, of course, was throwing a party in celebration. Fluttershy thought she was mainly throwing the party in happiness of finally getting out of the hospital, and not because they saved each other’s and Rainbow Dash’s lives. Oh well, a party is a party. She rubbed her cheek, and her hoof ran across the scar that had formed there from the slash of Gilda’s knife. Just then, Applejack walked in through Fluttershy’s door.

“Hey ya’ll!” She said, and came over to hug Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy.

“Ow, ow! Careful of the wing!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Oops. Sorry.” Applejack giggled. Rainbow Dash did too. “How are ya’ll doin?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m as good as the cupcakes at Sugar Cube Corner!”

“Awesome, like always.”

The three said in unison. The all stared at each other and started laughing again. It felt good to be hanging out with friends again.

“I wonder when Twilight  and Rarity will be here?” Applejack said at last, gasping from laughter. She didn’t need to say it twice, because Rarity and Twilight walked in together.

“Yay! We’re all here so we can get this party started!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “Just let me get my party cannon first!”

“Goodness, that guard outside your door is such a ruffian, Fluttershy.” Rarity said. “When does he switch out?”

“Oh, in a few hours. They switch at six hour intervals.” Fluttershy replied.

“My darling, what happened to your face?” Rarity asked suddenly. Fluttershy had been expecting this.

“It was from when Gilda cut me. I have a scar there now.” Fluttershy muttered. She knew it wasn’t very attractive.

“PARTY TIME!” Pinkie Pie yelled. She pressed the button to her party cannon and confetti went all over the place. It was in everypony’s mane, but they were all having such a good time that they didn’t care all that much. Pinkie Pie brought cupcakes, Rainbow Dash brought the Daring Do series to give back to Twilight, as she had already finished the series again. Applejack brought Apple tarts, and Rarity even brought some jewels for Spike to munch on, as he wasn’t a big fan of pony food.

“Oh I forgot to tell you girls! I talked to Blueblood the other day. We’re on speaking terms again.” Rarity said excitedly. “He apologized for his awful behavior on the night of the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“That’s great Rarity!” Twilight said. She knew that Rarity still had feeling for him.

“Hopefully it goes better than last time!” Rainbow Dash said. Applejack nudged her hard in the ribs. “What? I’m just saying!”

“Oh, its fine Rainbow Dash. I’m hoping for the same thing.” Rarity smiled. “So how have your weeks been going, Girls?”

“Well, Applebloom finally got her cutie mark.” Applejack said.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s a paint can and paint brush. She got her cutie mark in Interior Decorating. How woulda thought?” Applejack answered. “What about you, Fluttershy? Besides the Gilda disaster?” Fluttershy thought deeply. She had been having a lot of nightmares recently, and the seemed to be continuations of the dream she had at the hospital. She also had been in a foul mood a couple of days ago. It’s probably just stress, Fluttershy thought. Should she tell her friends about what was going on?

“Oh, nothing much.” Fluttershy decided not to tell them. It was her problem, not theirs. Nothing to worry about over a few silly nightmares. “I’ve just been taking care of my animals mostly. Tidying up my house a little, too. You’d be surprised how much dust there was.” She had been lying an awful lot lately.

“Alright, then.” Applejack said.

“So tell me, Pinkie. What was it like to, you know, shoot Gilda?” Rainbow Dash finally asked the question everypony wanted to know. Twilight looked nervously at Pinkie Pie, looking for her reaction.

“Well, I have shot a gun before. My dad had one on our rock farm. It was just, firing it at somebody. I was already mad at Gilda, so I kinda just… did it.” Pinkie said. “Gilda deserved it.” They all nodded. It was clear Pinkie didn’t really want to talk about it. The silence was broken by Pinkie Pie.

“Well, let’s or something!” Pinkie Pie cheered up. She put on a record of Vinyl Scratches. Wubs filled the air. Rarity was not particularly fond of this kind of music, neither was Applejack. However, the rest of them enjoyed the music and small talk ruled the rest of the night.

When the party was over, Pinkie Pie packed everything into her party wagon and she left with her bodyguard who was to escort her to her house. Then Rarity left, she had to go her ready for her date with Blueblood. Twilight and Applejack stayed for a bit longer than everypony else, and they talked to Fluttershy about Gilda a little bit.

“No, honestly! I’m fine. That’s what I’m going to the therapy sessions for!” Fluttershy said. “You can go now. Enjoy the rest of your night!” Fluttershy called as Applejack and Twilight trotted away. Her bodyguard had switched out now and it was one she had never seen before. She made sure to close and lock her door behind her as she went upstairs to her room. It was time for her to have a little relaxation time. When she opened her door, however, and turned on the light, there was somepony there already.