A Time of Reckoning: Seven Days in Sunny June, Book IV

by Shinzakura

August 12, PM: Tears of a Clown

In the depths of space, four planets spun around a white ball of gas in the center, as each of the rocky spheres hurtled in their orbits towards a predestined location that would change the course of things to come.

Standing on an asteroid in the orbit of the blue world carrying the dominant lifeform of this system, a figure watched. A sad look came over her eyes. She knew what was to come, though she did not know how it would play out.

“This has been willed where what is willed must be,” the figure said sadly, “but I have done enough. And now it must begin.”

She looked at the blue ball and the hell that it would experience in a few days, and thought of the long game she’d played. A game that should never have been played, but she did anyway, for a reason that no living being could forgive…but one she needed to.

Because that’s what love meant.

Sunset sat at the edge of the Sundial bridge, looking at the ducks swimming by on the river. She tried to enjoy their little ducky ways, but she couldn’t.

“GOOD!” a scream repeated in her mind. “YOU SHOULD BE!”

Sunset froze as the scene played once again in her head, seeing those friendly blue eyes become virtual fireballs of hatred. For the first time, Sunset had seen how much Pinkie had once truly hated her, and it scared her shitless. She recalled the weeks of the immediate aftermath of the Homecoming disaster, when nearly the entire school had hated her, and only nearly because she wasn’t sure if she hated herself enough during that time.

I hurt Pinkie. I hurt one of my friends so much that she remembered that hatred and finally showed me. Sunset couldn’t even fathom what she did that would have turned such a friendly girl against her with that level of intensity. She knew Pinkie had the hots for Royal Atlas, but frankly, she didn’t give a shit about that guy. If I recall correctly, he was a stuck-up motherfucker, but that was probably how I saw him through the lens of the person I used to be. She tried to think about that year, but couldn’t come up with anything – she’d done too many things to too many people to remember anything other than the “hits”. I really never did anything significant to Pinkie, because frankly, I didn’t care. I’d always thought of her as some druggie.

Sunset looked up to see a loving couple walking on the bank. The girl had frizzy hair like Pinkie, though in tones of light brown and magenta, while the guy looked nothing like Atlas. Still, there was something about them that reminded Sunset of the pair. There’s something there, something that I just can’t remember, and it hurt Pinkie bad. Bad enough that the others wouldn’t tell me and enough that she practically bludgeoned me with just its existence.

For the first time in a long time, she almost wished that Princess Celestia had actually ordered Sunset’s execution. Because right now, not knowing what she did? She felt almost as numb as death itself.

“Mind if I sit here?” Sunset turned to look and saw Compass Rose standing there. She looked like she’d been crying.

“Hi, Rose. You okay?” Sunset asked, patting the spot next to her. The other girl brushed aside her skirt and sat down as well.

“No. I…I just needed to get away for a while. Berry and I were going through my room, going through my old childhood pictures, and I just kept seeing Scotch and Matchie over and over, and it reminded me of what I lost,” she started to sob as she started to break down again. Sunset immediately put her arms around her friend and Rose complied, crying against Sunset’s chest. “I just miss her so much,” Rose sobbed. “Why…why would anyone do that to her?”

“I don’t know, Rose. I wish I had the answers,” Sunset replied. She tried to brush aside the fact that at the funeral, Rose had begged her to solve the case that the police were clearly stumped on. Sunset hadn’t given it much thought, other than there was something out there that was wrong, and she’d been so focused on her own personal issues that she’d given it short shrift.

“Why? She was family to me, Sunny! Why would they take away someone I cared about so much?”

“The world’s not fair, Rose. It never was. Look at me. I’m an orphan, and yes, I have a family now, but I have things in my life – things that happened to me long ago – that give me nightmares now and then, things that no child should ever see.”

“Really? Is that why you were so sad when we were younger?” Rose asked. “It seemed as though you never had a smile during second grade, and then you vanished until eighth.”

Sunset bristled slightly, the realization filling her mind. She knew my counterpart? Sunset had never given much thought about her, given what little she’d discovered. But to find out someone she counted as a friend knew the other Sunset Shimmer put her at definite unease. It made the girl whose life she stole a little more physically real, no longer just an abstract on paper.

Rose moved away slightly. “I hope I didn’t make you recall something unpleasant. It’s bad enough I’m out of sorts.”

“Just that kind of day, I guess.” Sunset looked at the ducks once more, then at the loving couple, which were busy setting up. “What else do you remember about me when I was that young?” Rose looked at her in confusion, and Sunset shrugged. “I…I really don’t remember, Rose. Trust me, I would’ve remembered someone like you.”

Rose blushed. “You’re a tease, you know that?” She laughed and said, “I remember that you used to dress very nicely, and that you had all the toys that everyone our age wanted…but you looked so sad. I remember we used to play together occasionally, and I think you played from time to time with Minuette, too, but…most of the time you just read. And then at the end of the school year, you left.” Rose looked at Sunset oddly. “You really don’t remember?”

“Trust me, Rose, I can assure you that it feels like it happened to someone else.”

“Sweetheart, you seem troubled,” Sable said to Celestia. “Want to tell me about it?” The two were enjoying a nice afternoon together just lazing around the house. Somewhere along the way, he plugged a videogame console into the TV and started to goof around with it while Celestia leaned against him, reading a book in Italian; the cover read La Tragedia della Regina by some author named Stellaturbinio. However, she was too engrossed in her book to answer. “Tia?” Still nothing.

“‘So what’s that?’ he asked the ravishingly gorgeous woman,” he said offhandedly, but she still didn’t respond. Finally, he paused the game and snarked, “Tia, sometimes I secretly turn into a werewolf and worship Sombra like an ancient evil god.”

“That’s nice, dear,” she finally said, clearly having not heard a word she’d uttered.

He then went for the ultimate ploy: he then pushed aside her hair and placed tiny kisses on the nape of her neck. He’d found out it was one of the spots that turned her on. Sure enough, she dropped the book and hummed contentedly. “Sable, I thought you weren’t in the mood,” she breathed.

“I’m not,” he said, backing off, “but it got you to finally pay attention to me.”

She looked disappointed for a second, but then said, “I do pay attention to you.”

“What did I say last?”

“I….” She sighed. “Okay, I didn’t hear what you had to say. Sorry. Just wrapped up in my thoughts is all.” She set down the book. “I don’t even like this book.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah – it’s a book by an Italian fantasy author about a royal family. A princess inherits the kingdom from her mother and becomes queen. But her beloved little sister becomes jealous, and instead of talking it over, the two wage a civil war with the younger sister being defeated and exiled. The queen never finds love, because she’s considered untouchable by everyone she knows; there are no suitors from the other countries around, as they despise her kingdom’s success and fear her military might. To ward off her loneliness, she adopts two young girls and a boy, and absolutely loves them but in the end, she’s distant to them because she must remain queen first rather than a parent. The older daughter is surprisingly well-adjusted and falls in love with one of her bodyguards, but the queen never really notices this, and one day said princess runs off with a guard to a distant land; they become king and queen there, but now the first queen has an unintended rival, because her daughter is approachable in the ways her mother never was. As for the queen’s son, he becomes a wastrel, always sleeping with the maids and boasting about how he is the most important man in the lands. But it is her youngest daughter, the one that adores her mother and wishes to follow in her ways, that troubles the queen most.” Celestia set down the book. “I can never really finish the book. There’s something about it that feels too personal.” She finally turned to him. “What did you want?”

“It’s more along the lines of what you wanted, hon,” he told her. “You’ve been quiet all day since we got back from brunch and been buried in that book you say you dislike. If you ask me, I think that it has something to do with those girls you talked to earlier.”

“I think I went too far,” Celestia said. “I embraced one of my students in public.”

“That’s not a shame, hon. Shows you’re human.”

“No, it shows favoritism. Remember my friend Velvet? That girl – Sunset – is her older daughter. If that becomes publicly known, that could be a problem for me. Furthermore, those girls are her best friends. And I acted—”

“You acted like someone who cares about those girls, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sable told her. “Tia, I obviously haven’t been an educator as long as you have, but it’s clear that you care about them. It’s not a shame to admit that you have favorite students over another – everyone does. It’s only when you favor them over others in a school setting – in a school setting – where it would be wrong. And personally, I don’t recall Mexican restaurants being exactly known for their educational qualities.”

“Sable, I’m being serious here!” Celestia huffed.

“So am I. I know you’re concerned about doing the right thing, because you’re under a microscope right now since you might be promoted. But you also have to realize that you are human, and you need to be one, hon. Sombra’s told me the number of times that you’ve been somewhat…unapproachable because you were worried that you would prioritize one thing over another, and I have seen that in you.” He frowned. “Let’s be honest: if I hadn’t saved you that day, would you have gone out with me if I asked?”

“Sable….”

“Would you have?”

A pause. “No.” She turned away. “It would’ve been…improper…for a superintendent to fraternize with a teacher.”

He sighed. “No, it would be improper for a superintendent to fraternize with a teacher directly in the chain of command, which only happens almost never. And that certainly doesn’t apply to summer school employees, given that it’s only a temporary job. And lastly, even if it did, Sombra oversees me, not you. Sure, it’s a bit of fraternization given that Sombra and I are friends, but I’m not exactly sleeping with him.”

Celestia laughed. “I think Chrys might have something to say about that,” she teased. “But yes, you’re right. Maybe sometimes I do feel like the queen in that story, pushing away everyone by the virtue of constantly trying to do the right thing. Maybe it’s why I couldn’t help Sunset for so long.” She then fell silent for long time, long enough that Sable started to worry.

“Hon?” he asked.

“I want a child,” she said softly. “I want to be a mother. That’s what it is. I want a child of my own, Sable!”

He slightly backed off. “Tia, our relationship is strong – I mean….”

She laughed. “I know what you mean, you dork. We’ve only been together a little bit and we’re already living together, but even I think it’s a little too early to discuss marriage, much less what comes after.” She leaned over and kissed him quickly, then backed off. “It’s just…I’m well past the point that I should have children. And—”

He placed a gentle finger on her lips. “We have all the time in the world to talk about this later, Tia. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. Let’s take this one step at a time and we’ll get there eventually.”

“Love, I might age gracefully, but even I grow older – I’m not some ancient immortal, you know. Sooner or later the biological clock is going to run out.” She looked heartbroken right now, though he knew it wasn’t her fault. “I’ve had so many chances for love and I blew it all. I’m not letting this one slip by.”

“You’re not, Tia. I’m here. I promise.” He reached over and held her and the two stayed like that for a while.

“Oh, I just remembered something,” she said. “Are we doing anything this weekend?”

“Not that I’m aware of, why?”

“Luna wants to have a barbeque over at her place. Her, us and her boyfriend. Apparently, Moni’s noticed that Lu and I now have ‘lives’, and she wants us to introduce you both to the family. Fortunately, Lu and I agree that we should give you two a bit of warning, so she’s having us all get together so you and Shadow can figure out how you two are going to protect yourselves when Mama, Papa and Moni tear into you.”

“Trust me, sweetheart, I’ve been through the worst street-to-street internecine warfare ever. This should be a walk in the park by comparison.”

“Trust me: it’s worse than you think,” Celestia insisted. “At least be glad that Luna and I love both of you enough to give you a metaphorical sword before we throw you to the lions.”

Why do I need to adult right now? Octavia muttered silently. I’m too young to have to adult. “Sunny, would you please come downstairs now? The others should be here in a few minutes and frankly, this isn’t fair to our friends.”

It had started around noon, when Rarity called Octavia to find out if Sunset had come home. She hadn’t, and that began several hours of her calling Sunset to find out what happened as well as all their friends calling to find out if Sunset had yet returned, the answer in either case being no. Finally, about an hour ago, Sunset came home looking worse for wear and emotionally exhausted, but before Octavia could ask her what happened, she walked past Twilight without a word, upstairs into her bedroom and shut the door.

“Sunny, I’m coming in,” Octavia said as she opened the door, and she found Sunset, lying on the bed, looking as if she’d been crying.

Sunset looked at Octavia right now as she lay on her bed, feeling and looking frazzled. “I…I just can’t deal with it right now, Tavi. I can’t.”

Octavia sat down next to Sunset. “Want to tell me what happened over there?”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, okay?” The look in Sunset’s cyan eyes was one of sorrow; Octavia knew that look too many times. “Just tell them that I’m feeling under the weather and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Look, if this is about what Twily did—”

“No, it’s not. And I appreciate you talking to her, even if it blew up in your face,” Sunset began.

You have no idea, the raven-haired teen thought, recalling the conversation she’d had with her younger cousin just a few hours earlier. It did not go well at all, but that was something Sunset didn’t need to hear right now. “Whatever happened, hiding isn’t the answer, and you know it. If you argued with them because you defended your sister, there’s no shame in that.”

“It wasn’t about her, okay? My past came to bite me in the ass again, and there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Talk to me, please?”

Sunset said nothing, however, and just turned around. A second later, Octavia left the room. “I cannot believe the drama around here,” she grumbled. “I’m the one who needs medical help and my cousins just went insane. Why me?”

Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen. “Almost done with the cookies,” she said to Octavia. “Made enough for everyone, even the freeloader upstairs.”

“Twily, not now, okay?” Octavia grunted, though she had to privately admit that was the closest thing Twilight had made to a positive comment about her sister so far today. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang. Octavia walked over and opened the door, grumbling, “Welcome to Drama Central, where the one being medicated for DID is apparently the sanest teenager in the house.”

Standing outside, five girls had sobered looks on their faces, Pinkie strangely most of all. “I take it she doesn’t want to speak to us,” Rarity said softly.

Octavia moved aside so the others could come in. “She told me to lie and say she’s not feeling well, but she’ll be okay in time for the trip,” she said non-chalantly. “What the fuck happened?”

Rainbow sighed. “We gave her an ultramatum,” she said.

“Ultimatum, Rainbow, not ultramatum,” Fluttershy clarified.

“Whatever, Flutters. Anyway, we told her that she wasn’t being fair to her family by keeping her secret and making us keep it as well, so we told her that she had to tell you by the time we got back from our trip, or else we were going to tell you guys. And then shit got worse.”

Octavia’s eyebrow shot up. “Got worse?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. By coincidence, Ms. Celestia just happened to be there, and she overheard us. She then came over and insisted she’d help enforce it, too.”

“Wait – Ms. Celestia was there?” Octavia asked and the other girls nodded. “And there really is a secret – and she knows?” Another nod. “Fuck, and we all thought Twily was overreacting to those letters after Ms. Luna explained what they really were.”

“Well….” Fluttershy began, “In a sense, she was, but Sunny did herself no favors by not telling everyone the truth a long time ago. And I hate to break a promise like this, because it’s a great way to lose a friend….”

Everyone looked at Pinkie for the inevitable outburst, but instead she had a heartsick look on her face. “I fucked up,” was all she could say.

“Anyway, Octavia, darling,” Rarity interjected, “We are all just as guilty as her for letting this sit too long, and we all agreed that enough is enough. We cannot let her make a mistake that would damage the relationship between herself and those she loves. And even if we end up losing her as a friend because of this – though I sincerely hope it won’t come to that – we’re doing to do it anyway, because we care.”

“Care about what?” Twilight asked as she came out of the kitchen with a tray of cookies and sodas. “Hi girls. Want any? Also made a second batch just for you, Pinkie. I’ll make it double if you can get rid of the pest upstairs.”

“TWILY!” Octavia barked.

Applejack looked at Twilight. “Sugarcube, you know we never meant to hurt you like that. We’re all friends, and friends go through rough spells. But in the end, we all back each other up, and we try to do what’s right for one another. And that’s why we’re trying to do what’s right for you and Sunny.”

“Me, I guess – she’s not family,” Twilight said. Everyone there just gave her a stare, and Twilight folded her arms. “Fine, whatever. Look, I don’t know how to feel about that right now, but I’ll accept your apologies. As it is, I’m far angrier with my supposed sister.”

“No, not ‘supposed’, Twily,” Pinkie snapped, her voice rising. “She is your sister. Despite how angry you may be with her, she loves you and cares about you. You didn’t see her go through all the Goddamn shit when you were under the Vibe’s aftereffects. She lost sleep, got in trouble in her classes – she was losing it because she loves you and she didn’t know how to help! If you really knew what the hell she had to go through to save you, you wouldn’t be so Goddamn high and mighty about it – she went through her own personal hell, just for you! SO IF YOU THINK I’M GOING TO STAND HERE AND LET YOU SLAM HER, YOU BI—”

Rainbow immediately grabbed her and pulled her back. “Hey, hey ease up on the throttle there, Pinks. We’re all cool, okay?”

Pinkie had a disgusted look on her face. “Sorry,” she said to no one in particular.

“Can we please all get back to being friends?” Applejack asked.

Octavia ushered the others to the couch. She and Twilight sat on the loveseat, while Applejack and Rainbow purposefully sat on either side of Pinkie on the couch. Fluttershy and Rarity took the plush chairs on the far side.

“Ladies, it’s fair to say that these have been a trying few days for us,” Rarity said, “and we are all due a vacation. Now, since we know our little sisters are not coming after all, I think it’s safe to say we can just rent a large passenger van that can transport us all.”

“Or maybe just a small one – remember that I have a minivan that I transport my instruments in,” Octavia pointed out. “Well, used to, at any rate.” The room fell into an awkward silence before she added, “In any case, I don’t mind switching out driving duties with someone else.”

“I suppose so, but it probably makes more sense to just get one so we don’t have to spend so much money on gas,” Rarity suggested.

“Actually, if that’s the case, no need,” Applejack told her. “Pa just bought a new van for the store, so he said we can use it before we get rid of the old van. Since it doesn’t have the store markings on the side, shouldn’t be a problem. But it should fit all of us and the gear we’re taking with no problem.”

“Well, that’s unexpectedly fortuitous,” Rarity commented. “Any problem with the foods, Pinkie?”

“Nope! Uncle Carrot said that he and Auntie Cup need a vacation anyway, so he’s just going to close both cafés for the week and give me, Sunny and Blossom full pay – says we deserve it for all the business we’ve brought to both cafés.”

“Dad said he was going to see about getting us some camping gear from some of the stores he oversees,” Rainbow said, “but then I told him we got a group cabin. So he said he’s going to lend me his access card in case we need anything from the Main6 store in Modesto.”

“Access card?” Octavia asked.

“Yeah, it’s a special manager’s card that lets him get free camping or sports gear whenever he needs to. It’s something that regional managers and above have, so he tends not to overdo it.” He sighed. “The one time he gives me the card and I can’t get all the soccer stuff in the universe.”

“You’ll live,” Fluttershy teased. “And speaking of the cabin, I called the campgrounds and confirmed our reservation.”

“I’ve got all the bedding, so we should be fine bunking together.” Octavia coughed and said, “Twily, not now, okay?”

“Fine, I’ll bring a sleeping bag just in case,” Twilight muttered.

“Well, it sounds like we’ve got everything in hand then. I suggest we all meet here then. If you want, I can pick up Pinkie and Rarity. Flutters, if you pick up Rainbow, I don’t think my aunt and uncle will mind you leaving your car here,” Octavia suggested.

“That works for me,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

The next few minutes were spent just chatting about all the things they wanted to do down there. As they did, Twilight started to relax around her friends again, glad that she had them. She’d felt isolated from them just because they were her friends first, but now she realized that didn’t mean they would cut her out of their lives – they weren’t that petty. A part of her mind told her that word better suited her right now, but she ignored it. Eventually, she sincerely apologized and Pinkie bearhugged her in return, saying that everyone has their moments and not to let it get her down.

Several minutes later, Fluttershy announced, “Okay, I’m going to call for the pizzas now. Should we think about what we want? Also, do you know what kind of pizza your parents want, Twily?”

“Oh, don’t worry about them, Flutters. They called earlier in the day to say that since we moved our meeting, it would be a great time for them to have a date night. And as for Spike, my brother and Cady are taking him to go see the Stars play the Blue Jays tonight, so we have the house to ourselves.”

Cantata felt both giddy and charmed. This was what she wanted. After all, admittedly, in the end she was a woman and like any woman she just wanted to feel some affection from the guy in her life. And right now, that affection was magnified by the absolute humor she was watching.

“What?” he asked, as the tailor continued to adjust the outfit Divine had ordered. An authentic replica of the military uniform of his ancestor, the Emperor Bonaparte I of France. Back in the day, it probably looked both imposing and regal. Nowadays, however, it looked more than a little bit silly.

He saw her grin and smile. “But I must, my dear. After all, I am of the House of Bonaparte.”

“Mister,” the tailor said, “for all the money in the world you’re paying for this costume, you could be Emperor Presidio himself. This costume party you’re planning to attend must be swank for all the accuracy you want in this.”

“Ah, costume party. Yes, it will be quite a show,” Divine pronounced.

Cantata smiled; she only planned to wear her formal dress blues when the time came, though she supposed she’d need to promote herself once she became ruler. Admiral of the Fleet Cantata Blast, Empress of the World? She liked the sound of that – liked it a lot. “You need something a little more casual, just in case it gets too hot. What about a cravat as well?”

“A cravat? What do you take me for, some commoner?” he gasped.

“You’re really good at that imperious tone – you must be a professional actor,” the tailor laughed. “You know what? I’m having so much fun off this commission, I’ll throw one in, free of charge. This has been a fun venture – you won’t believe how many people only have tailors for just tweaking stuff. They tend to forget, we can make clothing and costumes, too.”

“Well, he is quite the performer,” Cantata admitted.

“You seem quite taken with my performances, my dear,” Divine told her.

“Wouldn’t be marrying you if I wasn’t,” she told him. “But you’d better make good on your promise to me, buster!”

“You hear that? You don’t want to piss off the lady,” the tailor told Divine, the smile of one too many memories coming onto his face. “Once you get the wifey pissed, well, you don’t know what she can do.”

“Oh, I assure you I do,” Divine told him. “It’s why she’s in my life to begin with.”

As Sunset heard the goings-on downstairs, she felt isolated, alone. She wanted to belong, but at the same time, she felt she couldn’t. As strange as it was, she felt…anonymous, as if she didn’t exist.

She thought about firing up her computer, but gaming really didn’t feel fun without one’s friends. Same with surfing the net and chatting on Facebook. And she was never one for Twitter. She didn’t feel like reading and everything there made her feel all the emptier for what was occurring at this very moment in the opposite end of the house.

And then her eyes set on the dragonfire candle. There was at least one friend she could talk to right now. She went over and tapped the dragonfire candle, and as it lit and then switched over from normal orange flame to magical green, she picked up her phone and dialed a phone number. Ostensibly the phone number in question was officially a Google Voice line attached to her phone, it was actually attached to her old phone, which was on the other side of the dimensional veil.

“C’mon, pick up the phone,” Sunset whispered, hearing everyone laugh downstairs. “Pick up the phone….”

After a second, someone did. “Uh, hello?” a young, halting voice said.

“Hey, Spike, it’s me – Sunset Shimmer. Is your sister home?”

“Oh, heya, Sunny. This thing is weird. What did you call it again? A sailcone?”

“Cellphone,” she told the dragon. “And you can walk it over to her. The range to the candle should be enough to keep up the LTE signal. Just make sure your candle stays lit.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he told her, “but she’s in her office.” The dragon walked along and the two talked about various things, from how everypony was doing, to Twilight’s latest endeavor with the mirror. “She and Princess Luna work on it whenever they can. I think they’re anxious for you to be able to come home whenever you want.”

“I appreciate that, but for me, home is here, Spike. I do get what you mean, though.”

“Well, I’m here,” he told her and there were a few seconds of muffled conversation before a new voice came online.

“Heya, Sunny!” Princess Twilight chirped.

“Heya, Twi. Hope I didn’t call at a bad time,” Sunset commented.

“No, the girls and I just got back from our latest misadventure,” the alicorn replied. “We took a trip to Sibearia – always wanted to visit the polar bear lands, and Celestia, Luna and Cady all couldn’t go for various reasons. Anyway, the polar bears were on the verge of a diplomatic spat with Yakyakistan, but fortunately we were able to help the Sibearian prime minister with her friendship problem, so it worked out. But that’s enough about me. How’s things going on your end?”

“It could be better. Do you have time to talk?”

“We’re friends, Sunny – I always have time to talk to friends. Is your sister okay?”

Sighing, Sunset then went into a detailed explanation of how her life had gone to hell in the past few days and how she had no clue to fix it. That she’d managed to horribly reveal to her friends that they had counterparts, and that somewhere along the way she’d infuriated Pinkie. And as things stood now, her sister hated her, her cousin didn’t – but only because Octavia didn’t know yet – and she wasn’t sure where she stood with those she cared most about. If anything, she felt she was on the verge of losing everything she loved.

There was a pregnant pause before Twilight spoke. “I know you didn’t mean to, but I think you made things worse,” the alicorn stated. “And I know it can be scary to reveal important secrets, especially in a unique situation such as yours, but the others are right: it’s time to tell your family the truth.”

“Twi, ‘I used to be a unicorn’ isn’t going to go over well, especially when I change into one.”

“Have you already?”

“Pinkie, AJ and Rarity know what I really look like, so yes.”

“And that means you can do it. If they can deal with it, why can’t those who love you?”

“Because my friends have known what I am for close to a year now, so they were prepared.”

“But they didn’t know when you changed into….” Twilight politely left off the rest of her sentence, then started again. “Regardless, despite seeing it for the first time, they managed.”

“You were with them when they ponied up, Twi. They didn’t have a choice but to manage, and for a while afterwards, they felt weirded out by it and me. And you know what Pinkie said to you.”

“I do. And truthfully, I have a hard time reconciling the happy-go-lucky pony I know with what your Pinkie told me. Obviously, there’s differences between my friends and yours, but in the end, she forgave you, right?”

“I thought she did, but after today, I don’t really know anymore.”

“That’s not true. If she forgave you, then she forgave you and even the bitterest of memories won’t change that.” Sunset could practically hear her friend’s smile in her words. “You have ponies and humans that care about you and want to be there for you. All you have to do is just open your heart and believe.”

“I wish it were that easy, Twi. But the human world isn’t that simple.”

“Yes it is – friendship always is. We might not be as advanced technologically as you, but we are in magic. And regardless, humans and ponies are both sapient and sapient beings are always complex. You just have to let yourself believe.”

The conversation eventually moved onto other topics, with Twilight briefly talking about Rarity’s new “Anthro” fashion line based on the fashion magazines Sunset had sent her. The critics were raving about how bold and avant garde the outfits were, especially the hoodies. Pinkie was loving the cookbooks and the Cakes were thinking about adding an additional site to the business given how much the party pony’s unique new recipes were bringing business hoof over hoof. As for the others, Applejack had planted the apple seeds from Earth and couldn’t wait to see how they fared; Fluttershy was grateful for the extra veterinarian books, especially since the town vet had recently moved; Rainbow had plans to see if she could create a pony version of soccer based on the stuff Sunset had sent her; and Raspberry appreciated the cleaning supplies Sunset had sent – ponies were amazed to see the inn spotless without any use of magic whatsoever. And last but not least, Twilight had of course appreciated all the books and Spike the comics.

“Well, I hate to end this call – it’s called a ‘call’, right? – but I have a lot of paperwork to do. The Princess fun never ends,” Twilight moaned. “Sometimes I wish I was just still the town librarian.”

“Thanks for listening, Twi. I appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. But before I go, I want you to remember something I told you before: if your sister’s anything like me, she’s tougher than she looks. Twily might be shocked to find out what you really are, but she loves you, I know it. And she’ll be there for you, because she’s your family, and family always looks out for each other.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Anyway, goodnight!” A pause. “Uh, how do I turn this off?”

“Just press the button with the red crescent pointing down. Anyway, night!” Sunset hung up the phone, then deactivated the dragonfire candle, the flame reverted back to a normal one and filled the room with a pine scent. She then lay down back on her bed, wondering if she should brave going downstairs to get food or risk teleporting to the nearest Burger Shack.

That option vanished when someone knocked on the door. “Sunny?” a familiar voice sounded from the other side of the door, and Sunset froze – it was Pinkie. “Can I come in?”

“Uh, I’m feel—”

“No, you’re not,” Pinkie insisted. “I brought dinner for you – thought we could eat together.”

A growl from Sunset’s stomach suddenly uttered, and she knew she was trapped. “Sure, come in,” she said, and Pinkie walked in the door with a pizza box, a six-pack of Cherry Coke, some napkins and paper plates.

“It’s just you and me,” Pinkie said as she set the pizza and soda on Sunset’s desk. “Besides, we need to talk.”

“I…uh….” Sunset began, then took a breath and said what was on her mind: “Pinkie, do you hate me?”

“No,” Pinkie said, taking some napkins and a plate, then opening the box and throwing two slices on it before passing those and a Coke to Sunset. “I never could now. I was just overcome by my memories earlier, sorry,” she said.

“I see,” Sunset told her, taking the pizza. “Pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms – my favorite.”

Pinkie smiled. “Mine, too.” She took a bite, and then looked at Sunset. “I told the others that if I was going to expect you to come clean to your family, then I had to be honest with you as well. Frankly, Rarity thinks it’s a bad idea, but I told her I needed to, that you and I are big girls and that if we want to be technical, you’re already an adult.”

The two sat there and ate in silence for a few minutes, before they set down their plates. “Can I sit next to you?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure,” Sunset said, sitting up and scooting over, and Pinkie slowly moved over.

Pinkie was silent for a long time before she spoke. “When I was a freshman, I started dating Royal Atlas. And I thought the world of him. In fact, you could argue that he was my only world, given that you had started to destroy the bonds between me and the others, and I was on the auxiliary cheerleading group since there were so many that tried out that year so I had no real friends there, either. I loved him more than I could say, and he was good to me. Auntie Cup and Uncle Carrot trusted him and even when I told him about my health problems, he stood by me.”

“Health problems?” Sunset asked. “I didn’t know you had health problems. Sure, I knew you had something when you were a kid, but—”

“There are two things that run in my family. The first was degenerative nerve disease, which they were thankfully able to cure with the experimental treatment I got. My name’s somewhere in a medical textbook as a footnote,” Pinkie said with a small smile. “But eventually they found there was a price to be had for that treatment: somehow, it triggered another disease that runs in my mother’s side of the family: bipolar disorder. I have it – I know, shocking, huh? – but I’ve kept it mostly in check with regular doses of lithium.”

“I…I didn’t know,” Sunset admitted.

“I know you didn’t know. Maybe – just maybe – it would have stopped you from stealing my bookbag – and my monthly supply of lithium pills – if you had.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as she suddenly remembered. She’d wrangled Snips and Snails into her plans, and the two guys, desperate to impress a girl, followed along willingly, stealing just about every bag in the school, including their own, just to avoid suspicion. They’d brought it to an abandoned building – not the one Sunset lived in, but one closer to the school and Sunset had told them that she’d return them in two days. Instead, she raided them all for money, food and things she could sell. It was one of the many things she had regretted, and she was lucky she hadn’t been arrested for it.

But now, as she found out she had greatly harmed one of the girls that had become her friend, it was all she could do to look at Pinkie. “I’m sorry,” she said, meaning every word of it.

“It wasn’t entirely your fault, Sunny. I’d picked up the pills the day before and my aunt and uncle had warned me to separate them into those weekly pill containers, and I was too dumb to do so. In any case, I’d lost all my pills, and I could feel myself coming onto a low end. Fortunately, Atlas noticed and said he would cover for me. He even went to go buy me some generic ones.” She gave Sunset a smile. “At the time, as young and stupid as I was, I thought I found the guy that I’d be with forever. I used to dream of being the wife of Royal Atlas.”

But the smile came off her face as she said, “And then I met Sweet Cicely.”

“Who?”

Pinkie looked out the window at the trees. “Sweet Cicely, his stepsister. Apparently, she used to live with her father, but then something happened and she came to live with Atlas’ family. Because I was dating Atlas, we got to know each other. And for a while, I had a new best friend. Cicely and I were close, and because I thought she’d be my sister-in-law someday, she also meant the world to me. Atlas later told me it was Cicely that had been the one to get me the pills and I loved her for that. I would have done anything for her, because I knew I could trust her.

“She told me about a party coming up, one that she had promised to go to, but was afraid of attending alone. She asked me to go, and after I got the go-ahead from Auntie Cup, I said sure. I’d stay the night with Cicely, and we’d go to the party. Atlas was on the JV baseball team, so he’d be out of town. And she promised me I’d have the best night ever.”

“I didn’t.” Pinkie began to cry, and Sunset instinctively put her arms around Pinkie, only to have them batted away. “You know, when I heard about everything you did for those girls affected by the Club, I was so happy. Because you protected all of them and put down the motherfuckers that needed to be downed.

“You saved all of them, Sunny. All of them except the very first girl.

“Me.”

Sunset gasped, and Pinkie looked at her with a sad face. “The party Cicely took me to wasn’t what I thought it was. For that matter, what I thought she gave me, new lithium pills, weren’t what I thought they were, either. The pills were placebos, and I was sliding into dependency without even knowing it. And Atlas? He never loved me – in fact, he’d made a bet with his sister to see which of them could bed me first. And Cicely? Cicely thought she’d give a present to all the guys she’d been sleeping with since she arrived.

“I was the first victim of the Club, because many of those boys there later started that group. I honestly don’t know if you know this, but you might not have been the first girl Flash slept with. That was probably me – and ‘sleeping with’ is putting it nicely.” She briefly shivered, though the room was nowhere near cold. “And I will never forget that moment, being…being degraded by Atlas and Flash at the same time, while Cicely laughed at me because I dared to take her boyfriend from her. And guess who that was?” Pinkie laughed bitterly. “Some things stay in the family, I guess. And after they were done, she….” Pinkie started to cry again, and Sunset reached out once more. This time, Pinkie accepted the hug and the pair stayed motionless for several minutes, the only sound being Pinkie’s sobs.

Finally, Pinkie managed to recover herself and said, “The day after, I found out that they’d been ‘checked out of school’ because their parents had to suddenly move. In all that time, I’d never met their parents. Nowadays? I have to wonder if there honestly were any, or if Atlas and Cicely were actually stepsiblings…or even underage, like us.” Pinkie looked at Sunset with a glance that suddenly made her feel guilty. “They wouldn’t have been the first people I knew who turned out to be far older than they claim to be.”

“Pinkie, I—”

“Sunny, please, let me finish. I don’t know if I have the strength to ever talk about this again, but I need to tell you.” Sunset nodded and Pinkie continued. “It was a few weeks later that I started to feel sick and bloated in the mornings. To this day, I’m amazed that Auntie Cup never figured it out, because she was going through the same things that I was at the same time.” Pinkie looked away again. “Morning sickness.”

“Morning sickness? I don’t know what that is.”

Pinkie nodded. “Guess it must be different for ponies, then. Well, for humans, morning sickness happens in women when their hormones start to change in preparation for the months ahead.” She shook her head and said, “It’s the first indicator that you’re pregnant.”

That almost broke Sunset’s mind. “What?”

Pinkie looked at her friend. “Sunset, I was gangraped by your boyfriend, my supposed boyfriend, several guys at the school and one twisted girl who laughed at me all the while. Do you think they were actually concerned enough to wear condoms?”

Sunset looked at her in shock and added, “But you don’t….”

“I know. And I’ll hate myself forever for it. And nothing you can say will make me forgive myself, or you, or Atlas or anyone else involved for what happened next. Rarity, thanks to all those romance novels and teen magazines figured it out after she saw me throw up on two successive days. And even though we were at odds, for the sake of our old friendship, she helped me take care of it.” Pinkie leaned against Sunset again and said, “There’s a clinic in Norville that all the teens in town joke about where you go when you were, and I quote, ‘fucking stupid’. Well the place is no joke, and I was fucked in the ‘nicest’ way of putting it. I suppose you could say I was stupid, given that I’d fallen for the worst guy possible.

“I still have nightmares from that day. The doctor says you don’t remember what happens, but that’s a lie. I did. I do. And that day I flushed what would have been my child down the memory hole.” Pinkie started to cry again and Sunset put her arms around her once more. “It’s funny, you know? I’ve never really bought into the hyper-religious crap my mom spews every time I’m over there, and for the most part, I’m pro-choice. But…every time I see a girl around that age, or a girl I think would look like her, I die a little inside. People tease Blossom about deciding not to have an abortion, but I swear to God I will beat the Goddamn shit out of anyone who says that in front of me, because she’s braver than I will ever be. I don’t have the courage to do what she did, and I never will.”

Sunset was silent for a long time – what could she say? “Pinkie, I’m speechless right now. I didn’t know and I don’t even know where to begin saying anything.”

“How can you? You were indirectly responsible for me being raped and having an abortion. And truthfully, maybe not even that. Maybe Atlas would have switched my pills, or slipped me a roofie, or maybe Cicely would’ve just hit me over the head with a baseball bat and let everyone do their thing while I lay there with a concussion. I don’t know – I don’t want to know. But after Atlas and Cicely bailed, I had to focus my blame and hatred somewhere, and you were the most obvious target, given the bitch you were and what you did to me. It got as bad as I told you. And I’m sorry I did that.”

“Sorry?” Sunset immediately pushed a hand back and blasted the door with a privacy spell, her hand glowing with cyan fire. She immediately turned back to Pinkie with a look of horror and gasped, “You’re sorry? For what you did to me?” Her eyes started to fill with tears and she wanted to die. “Pinkie, I ruined your life! I don’t know anything about abortions, but I know with the magical equivalent, they’re so dangerous they run the risk of a mare never being able to foal again! And I did that to you! You don’t have anything to apologize to me for!” Sunset wailed as she realized even if she’d been possessed by a demon, she’d been a horrific monster long before that.

But it was Pinkie who reached over and wiped the tears from Sunset’s eyes. “Please don’t cry, Sunny. It’s a pain that I will never be rid of, and one I’ve learned to live with. I will always be Pagliacci, with a smile on my face despite all the pain. And now, I don’t have to cry as much anymore, because I have someone that saved me.”

“What? Who?” Sunset asked, desperate to know. She had to thank this person at any cost. “I owe this person.”

“So do I!” Pinkie said, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I owe this person so much.”

“Who is it? Pinkie, if this person saved you, I think I’d do anything for them.”

“Really?”

Sunset nodded. “Really.”

“You promise?”

“I promise. Even your Pinkie Promise, if that helps.”

“Will you hate me if I tell you?”

“Pinkie, I could never hate you. Frankly, I’m stunned that you still don’t hate me.”

“I can’t hate you, Sunny.”

“Why not? I deserve it.”

“Because you’re the one that saved me.”

“What?”

Pinkie, for a second, looked as if she was going to regret something. “Please don’t hate me for this.” Pinkie then pushed Sunset down on the bed.

And kissed her.

As Pinkie broke off the kiss, Sunset briefly looked as if her mind had short-circuited. “Wha?”

“Sunny, I can’t ever hate you now, because when you feel so strongly about someone, and they change, sometimes your feelings do, too.” She blushed as she hovered over Sunset and admitted, “And I’ve not-hated you for a long time now.”

“Huh?”

Pinkie laughed, and as she let Sunset up again, the flame-haired girl couldn’t tell if Pinkie’s laughter was joyful or bitter. “I finally work up the courage to tell you that I’m in love with you and you don’t get it. I swear, my life is so fucked up.”

“Wait – you’re in love with me? How? Why?”

“Sunny, you can’t control the human heart, even with all your magic. And I know you don’t and never will feel the same way about me, and I can deal with that. But after you were defeated, I wanted to die.” The look on Sunset’s face was one of confusion, and Pinkie didn’t wait for her to ask. “I’d metaphorically slain the monster that had caused my pain. And promise to Princess Twilight or not, I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to fulfill it, because of my deepest shame. You see, the night I was raped, I found out three things. One, I wasn’t sure I could trust anyone, even some who loved me. Two, I was defiled, and I couldn’t tell anyone, because who was going to believe me, the cloud cuckoolander on a perpetual sugar high? And the third one? When Atlas had his way with me, and then Cicely, it was a fucked up way of finding out I’m bisexual.” Pinkie wiped her eyes and laughed bitterly. “There I was, getting raped and there’s a part of me still in love with Atlas…and realizing I’d fallen for Cicely as well. Do you know what that does to a person? I was being defiled and a part of my brain was happy, because I had them both and they had me and I didn’t have to choose which one would be my lover.

“And then once your, ahem, ‘prison sentence’ began, I had honestly considered suicide and I talked it over with the girls, who swore they’d keep it silent – as you can guess, our circle of friends is good at keeping secrets. And they begged me to reconsider, because if a girl like you could change, there was something worth living for. And so I did. And eventually, I started living for you. Eventually, love came from that.”

“Pinkie, I don’t know what to say. I’m a little overwhelmed right now, honestly.”

“Welcome to my life. And like I said, I know you’re completely straight, so what I want won’t happen. And to be honest, I mostly lean towards guys, myself…though there are a few girls that I’d go out with if they ever asked. Still, count yourself lucky: you’re probably the only girl I’ve really ever fallen for, Sunny.” Pinkie smiled, and Sunset was glad to see that for the first time since the conversation had begun, it was a true Pinkie smile. “Besides, none of us are normal – I don’t think there’s even a need for that word.”

“So, does anyone else know?”

“I think Auntie Cup knows; I don’t know about my uncle. Your parents always know something about you even if you don’t say it, and honestly, my mom and dad really aren’t my parents – my aunt and uncle are.” She gave another sincere smile. “I think that’s why she fights tooth and nail to keep me here – not just because I don’t fit in there, but because my mom is homophobic. Found that out last Christmas, though I suspect Auntie Cup’s known for longer. I also think my sister Maud knows; older sisters tend to know that sort of thing, too.” She then looked at Sunset, slipping back into timidity. “Um…Sunny, if you….”

Sunset blushed, knowing what Pinkie was about to ask. “Yes, if I were gay I would. Pinkie, I’m flattered. Really.” A thought suddenly came to mind. “Uh, when we were in the kitchen on Twily’s birthday….”

Pinkie blushed furiously. “Yes, I almost confessed. I guess I sorta did, given what I told your mom.”

“Um…okay.” Sunset looked at the clock. “Oh wow, it’s almost midnight. I guess the girls already went home. Guess I should drive you home?”

“Naaah,” Pinkie replied. “I told Uncle Carrot I was going to stay over the night.”

“Not that I mind, but why?”

“It was Rarity’s idea.” The look on Pinkie’s face became sly. “She said it was the best way to sleep with you.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide, then realized what Rarity meant. She started laughing, and in turn Pinkie did as well, and both girls leaned against each other, their giggles breaking out into full gelotologic reactions.

And for the first time in years…

…Pinkie Pie finally felt whole.

As the other four girls pulled up in front of Rarity’s house, the fashionista got out of the back seat. “Thanks for the ride, Fluttershy.”

“Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Pinkie behind?” Fluttershy asked.

“She needed this, Fluttershy, dear, and you know it,” Rarity said. “She’d been carrying around her heart for so long, it was tearing her apart. Maybe it’s just my romantic senses tingling like Spiderman, but I knew that her confessing to Sunset would give her the closure she needed. Plus, probably more than anything, her admission will be the catalyst that will really get Sunset to think about a confession of her own to her family.”

“Playing with fire, Rares,” Rainbow warned her.

“Yes, but some of us have our specialties, right?” Rarity insisted.

“Ah just hope you know what you’re doing, Rares,” Applejack insisted. “Or else one of these days, you’re going to bite off more than you can chew.”

Rarity’s smile was that of the cat that ate the proverbial canary. “If you remember that letter that my counterpart sent Sunset, you could argue that I already did. So that means she can make all the mistakes and leave the expertise to me, n’est-ce pas?”

Applejack shook her head. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”

“Of course I do.” She winked. “Isn’t that why we’re all friends?”

As Octavia picked up the last of the pizza boxes, she looked at Twilight. “Wow, that was fun. Should do this more often.”

“I’m just glad we got a chance to,” Twilight replied. “We have some good friends.”

“Yes, we do.” Octavia picked up the final Coke and started to walk towards the kitchen. “Twily?”

“Yes.”

“I know you don’t want to hear this….”

“I already know what you’re going to say. She hurt me, Tavi. Maybe she didn’t mean to, but…she’s supposed to be my older sister. She’s supposed to trust us! What am I supposed to say to her that I haven’t already said? Besides, it wasn’t all that long ago that you said you were jealous of her and wanted her gone.”

The raven-haired girl looked crestfallen. “I…I was wrong, Twily. I thought that she was stealing my place as your older-sister type. But that’s never really been my place. That’s always been Cady, for both of us. And now Cady’s got her own life and she can’t do it as much anymore, and Sunny’s stepped in. For both you and me.” They opened the door to the garage and put the boxes in the trash can. “I never really thought about it, but I like having an older sister to rely on, Twily. And now I have Cady and Sunny. And so do you. Please don’t forget that.”

“I’m trying not to,” Twilight replied. “It’s not easy.”

Octavia put her arm on her cousin’s shoulder. “We’ve fought dozens of times before. Why is this so much harder than all those other times?”

“Because I really thought she loves us, Tavi, wanted to be a part of our family,” the plum-haired girl said, embracing her cousin in a much-needed hug. “And now? I honestly don’t know anymore.”

Lyra Heartstrings and Evergreen Pine looked across the table at each other. “Thanks for meeting me, Golden Harp. I really appreciate it.”

“Golden Harp” waved it off. “Hey, just glad to talk to a fellow aficionado about all this. Anyway, I gotta go.”

“You need a lift? It’s dangerous out there with that killer,” Evergreen said with genuine concern. Not only did she feel guilty that her fellow SIRENs were committing the murders, but she genuinely didn’t want this nice girl with a genius talent for information on the Lost Unicorn Civilization to be a victim.

In turn, the celeste-and-ivory haired girl pointed to a guy with shaggy hair the same colors as her. “Naah, got my big brother to drive me here. He’s visiting for a couple weeks from college, so I get free muscle.”

Evergreen laughed. “Anyway, thanks again for coming. Bill’s on me.”

“No, thank you, Milk Chocolate. I appreciate everything.”

Evergreen went over to the cashier, paid the bill, gave a friendly wave at the guy, then walked out of the restaurant and right over to the big Cracker Barrel sign, where she’d parked her car. She looked into the bushes and called out, “Brought you dinner; might be a little cold, though.”

“I’ll manage, somehow.” Sonata, wearing all black and a ski mask, slipped off the latter and slung Aria’s sniper rifle around her shoulder as she crawled into the back seat. Looking completely unconcerned, Evergreen got into the car and drove off. Sonata pulled off her military top and body armor, revealing a normal t-shirt underneath. She wiped her facepaint off, then as they pulled up to a stoplight with nobody around, she got out of the backseat and slipped into the front. “So, how’d it go, ‘Ms. Milk Chocolate’?”

As the light turned green and they drove off, Evergreen reached into her pocket and pulled out a flash key. “Got everything I expected, and more. She’s great at what she does, seriously.”

Sonata opened the doggie bag and pulled out the lukewarm burger and fries, munching with gusto. “I hope so. We’re taking a risk on this, Greenie.”

“I know, but what choice do we have left? We have to stop Cantata and the Prince before they commit to their plans, and if this is the road we need to travel down, as horrifying as it is, so be it.” The look on Evergreen’s face became sober. “We’re SIRENs, after all. We don’t do easy.”

“Fuckin’ A,” Sonata agreed.

They made it two more blocks before another empty traffic stop and another dark figure slipped into the car, quickly removing facepaint and the bow and quiver she’d brought with her. “Hopefully someone picked something up for me.”

“We weren’t sure when you were joining us,” Evergreen said, making a left at the signal, “but we can stop somewhere for you.”

“Sure, I think the local Del Taco’s 24 Hours,” Aria said, wiping off the last of the face paint and removing her top to reveal a camisole underneath. As she pulled away the back seat to stow all their stuff in the trunk access, she added, “It was interesting. Apparently, the library lent all their stuff to ECMAH for a special event going over there, so I had a change in plans. The museum apparently just upgraded their security, too, so that was a challenge. Plus, had to knock out the guard on duty. Shame; he was cute.” She held up a backpack. “Here’s the stuff, though.”

As they pulled up to the Del Taco, Sonata looked at her phone. “Just got a text from Dagi. They got everything we asked them to, and they’ll be back late morning tomorrow.”

“Well then, we better call it a night as soon as we get home,” Evergreen advised. “Going to be a long day tomorrow.”

“Roger that,” Aria said. “By the way, get me two chicken quesadillas and a Diet Coke, if you would.”

“Sure thing,” Evergreen said with a grin as she pulled up to the menu.

A black BMW pulled up in front of a gated home in the wealthy Northside district of Canterlot. It was one in the morning and a magical date had just come to a close.

“Thanks for a wonderful night, Jet,” Upper Crust said to her boyfriend.

Jet Set smiled. “Anything for you, honeybuns,” he said to her, flashing her a smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to come over? My parents won’t be home for the rest of the month, and as I recall, yours are out of town for the week, aren’t they?”

She was tempted, so much so that she showed a brief moment of weakness by biting her lip in front of him. Part of her imagined herself at his place, her on top of him, sweaty and breathless and she didn’t care. It was her biggest weakness, and she hated herself for it: as much as she wanted to be a master of manipulation and largely succeeded at being so, she genuinely loved Jet. So much so that she honestly wrestled with giving her maidenhood to him.

She looked at him, mentally undressed him with her eyes. His house wasn’t that far….

Sometimes I hate my life.

“Jet, I would love to,” she said, “but Mom asked me to look into something for her early in the morning, so I need to get up early,” she said with regret. “But after I’m done, I’ll come over, and we can play house, just you and me.”

“You tempt me so,” he said as she undid her seatbelt.

“Just think of it as a preview of what you’ll be getting tomorrow,” she said, giving him a kiss of desire and promise and then getting out of the car. It was all she could do right now to get out before she gave in. They looked at each other longingly, then she closed the door, letting him go.

As she watched his car disappear down the road, she gave herself a satisfactory smile. She might not be the perfect person when it came to control but she was trying. Besides, she had Jet where she wanted him. True, he had her much in the same way as well, but didn’t that make them ideal for each other?

She looked at the night sky, feeling its warmth as it were all for her. Things were almost perfect, and each day that passed inched that much closer to nirvana. One day, she knew she would get everything she wanted and deserved.

As she opened the gate to her home, she heard a rustle in the bushes that served as a perimeter fence for the home. “You really don’t want to get closer,” Crust warned. “I have mace and a stun gun on me.”

A voice spoke from behind her; it was female and taunting. “You probably have pepper spray, since mace isn’t widely available. And your stun gun is probably one of those cheap double-A models – they pack a short punch, but if you know what you’re doing, you can dissipate the charge with no effects.” Hearing that, Crust turned around to see a girl standing there. She had short hair the colors of a rave, eyes that seemed to look at Crust with naked lust, and she was literally dressed in lingerie and only that.

“You know, you really shouldn’t be dressed right now,” the stranger said. “Hard to do what comes naturally when you’re wearing all that.”
Crust rolled her eyes; she knew this type. Claimed to act like a female rapist, but in truth was nothing more than an exotic mugger. “So what do you want?” she asked. “I don’t carry cash – too gauche – and you can’t use my credit card; it’s a high enough one that you’ll be caught in a heartbeat.”

“Who says I want any of that?” the girl said, stretching; what little clothing she wore seemed to flaunt her curves as she did. “You came born with everything I want.”

Okay, this is a weird one, Crust thought to herself, but nothing I can’t handle. “Look, you’re being entirely too blatant; has anyone taught you the fine art of negotiation?” Crust took a few steps onto her family property and sat down in a bench by the fountain. “I could call 911 in a second and the cops would probably shoot first and ask questions never. There is a reason rich neighborhoods are very safe, you know. Even with the police resources stretched thin from the hurricane cleanup, they’d be here in an instant.” Crust smiled. “Or…you could let me go and I could make it worth your while.”

“Oh?” the girl asked. “How so?”

Crust smiled; she had the idiot right where she wanted her. “Let’s speak honestly, shall we? You probably came here thinking you were going to have your way with me. And frankly, the only one I want doing that to me is my boyfriend. And while I feel sort of flattered, the fact is that clearly all you care about, as boys would say, is pussy.” She reached in her purse and pulled out a phone that wasn’t her normal one. “I have a few connections on this phone and one of them is, ahem, a ‘gentleman’, shall we say, who has a few employees on hand. You let me go, and I’ll make a call. Trust me, I’ll get you so many paid girlfriends for a week that you won’t be able to walk for a month.”

The strange girl took a step closer and as she did, the thin thread on what could be called her top threatened to break, exposing what could already be seen anyway. “But then I’d have to wait,” the girl said, “and I really don’t want to.” She sat down next to the girl and ran a finger across her dusky skin. “You have everything I need, and I can smell you. You were just turned on very recently. You need something and I can give it to you.”

It took everything for Crust not to back away, but she wouldn’t show weakness. She’d lose if she did, and she never lost, especially to freaks like this girl. “You’re making a big mistake, you know that?”

In the distance, a dog – probably the neighbor’s – started to bark, and then suddenly yelped in pain before going silent. Crust jerked at that and the girl laughed. “Oh, don’t mind that,” she laughed. “That’s just my friend. She was probably hungry and Fido was available. I’m hungry, too, you know.” The girl’s finger traced a trail down Crust’s cheek, past the pearl necklace she was wearing, and stopped just at her collar. “Can I tell you a secret?”

As carefully as she could, Crust reached for her phone and tapped it three times, activating its recording function. She’d had it specifically programmed in her phone for this purpose and it never failed her. “Sure. What is it?”

The girl smiled and Crust suddenly noticed that she had unusual teeth – at least four of them had been filed down to look like fangs. She’d heard some of the dance club freaks who listened to techno and shit did weird things like that, but she didn’t believe it was true until now. The girl leaned conspiratorially close and whispered in her ear, “I figured something out that Alto didn’t.”

“And what would that be?” Crust asked. She didn’t know who or what Alto was, but if something happened to her, at least there would be a phone recording. Plus, she still had her mace and stun gun on her and if she had to use it, this drugged-out slut wouldn’t stand a chance, not how she was dressed. Either way, Crust would make sure she had enough information on this whore to put her behind bars for the remaining days of her life.

The girl giggled slightly and sighed. “The serum’s changing us,” she said. “I always want it now – always,” she cooed, rubbing her hands sensually across her body. “I can’t stop, even if I wanted to – and I don’t. And Canzy? She’s always hungry now and she doesn’t care what she eats. She’s started to acquire a taste for raw meats – I wouldn’t doubt if the rat population at the base started to go away.”

“What?” Crust gasped, starting to feel a bit afraid. The words this girl was speaking was that of a madwoman, no way close to normal.

As if she didn’t hear her, the girl continued. “And dear sweet Alto herself. She’s always filled with an animalistic rage, raw and primal. Did you know she nearly killed one of the gate guards this morning? Saw the poor girl with her gig line out of whack and with one punch, snapped her spine. She’ll probably never walk again, but Alto probably thinks she deserves it for being out of standards.” The girl tapped her hand to her cheek. “I wonder if she’ll need some cheering up sex as a result? Eh, I’ll give it to her anyway; I’ll need a new partner.”

Now Crust was really worried. Whatever was going on, this girl wasn’t normal and she wasn’t drugged. She’d heard about the serial killings that had gone on before the hurricane hit and had thought that was only a problem for the poorer neighborhoods, but now, she wasn’t so sure. Could a girl be a serial killer? Crust didn’t know, but right now, she didn’t want to know. She wanted to run.

“Look,” she said, trying to gain one last semblance of control. “Let me call my, um, assistant and I’ll get you all the girls you want. Hell, I’ll pay to fly you out to Nevada. There’s a brothel there, if I recall and I’ll rent you all the girls in the building for free if you just let me go.”

“Are you scared?” the girl said with a smile. “Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon.”

“NO!” Crust screamed, losing control for the first time in her life. She lunged forward and stabbed the girl straight between the breasts with the stun gun. The girl didn’t even bother to block as the prongs went right into her chest, sending a blue blast of electricity into her body. The jolt of power ripped away the remainder of her shirt, leaving her topless, but otherwise did no harm, not even leaving a mark.

“What?” Crust asked, and at that moment, the girl leaned forward, kissing her. Crust fought at first, but then slowly stopped as something passed through her. The girl broke the kiss, and as she felt her consciousness slipping, she asked, “What…what did you…do to me?”

Medley Trance looked at her the remains of her top, fallen away from her and burning on the ground. She then decided that why should she bother hiding what she was born with and quickly removed the rest. She then looked at her new playmate, and as the girl looked her with dazed but frightened eyes, Medley started to remove her clothing. “Well, this is a bit complex, but keep up with me,” she said with a smile. “I don’t think I’m human anymore, because I just pumped a neurotoxin into you that makes you highly suggestive to my requests. Apparently, my body creates it now,” she giggled. “I do have to be careful about it, though, because otherwise you’ll end up in a coma like poor Petty Officer Guitarstrings. Honestly, I didn’t mean to do that to her and if she ever wakes up someday I hope I can make it up to her.”

As she removed the last layer of Crust’s clothing, she looked at the girl’s flawless skin. “Bet a girl like you’s never seen a bit of dirt in your life,” she said. “So you know what? The Prince promised that I get to have all the girls for at least a few hours before well, you die. So as much as I want to do you right now, we’re going to wait until we get back to base. There’s an obstacle course filled with mud and dirt and grime and all the things you’ve never touched in your life, and I bet that’s exactly where a girl like you deserves to be taken.” She then spat in Crust’s face. “You actually insulted me. I have standards, you know. I’d never pay for sex – why pay for what you can get for free?”

She then saw the girl’s pearl necklace. “What is this?” she asked.

Crust, though she screamed in her mind, couldn’t help but answer. “A gift from my boyfriend,” she said.

Medley took it off and put it around her own neck. “Not anymore,” she said. “Now it’s a gift from you to me. And believe me, you’re going to be giving me a lot of things in the next few hours.”

Upper Crust, in a last-ditch chance, tried with every bit of her willpower to run and escape, to scream and plead for help. The most she could do, though was to fall to the ground and gurgle a half-uttered subvocal gasp.

Medley looked at the girl, wondering if she could actually wait until she made it to the base when a police van rushed up to the house. “GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!” Contralto Rush ordered her subordinate.

At that point, Medley decided that no, she couldn’t wait. “Be right there, but first, let me have some fun, okay? I want to get to know my new temporary girlfriend better.”

Contralto responded by pulling a pistol. “Get in the car now, Petty Officer – that’s an order.”

“Or what?” Medley asked.

“I’ll shoot you in the fucking twat, you whore,” she said, her eyes filled with rage. “Then I’ll shoot your fuck toy’s arms and legs.”

“You do that and she’ll die, and the Captain won’t be happy with you.”

“She doesn’t have to be intact to be alive,” the senior SIREN said, cocking the hammer. “Last warning.”

“Fine, ruin my fun. You know, just for that, I’m not going to sleep with you.”

“I can live with that,” Contralto growled.

As Medley picked up Crust and threw her in the van, she looked at her friend. “What the fuck’s got your panties in a bunch?”

At least I’m wearing some, you whore, Contralto thought, but decided to be diplomatic for a change. “I was two blocks away, and some asshole cop pulls me over for being parked by a fire hydrant. So I shot the fucker, but his partner was still in the police van. Went over and the bastard tried to shoot me, but little fucking moron was shocked that I caught his bullets. So I took him in the back and that’s his blood spilled in the car.”

“Ooh,” Medley squealed, thinking of an idea. “What about the other car?”

“Bodies are in it,” Contralto explained. “Rigged it to blow up in—” Her words were cut off as a massive fireball lit up the sky a block or two away.

As if it were a predetermined signal, Canzione Burst appeared from the bushes. She had blood around her mouth and a small patch of fur sticking out of her lips. “Sorry, for being late,” she apologized. “Got hungry.”

“Feeding again, Canzy?” Medley teased.

“Was hungry,” she repeated. “You want to sit in front?”

“Hell no! There’s some fun fluid in the back, and I want to introduce my new girlfriend to a world of new experiences.”

The three got into the stolen vehicle and Contralto gunned the engine. In the far distance with her now better than human hearing, she could pick up the blare of sirens as emergency responders and police started to arrive.

“FUCK!” Contralto screamed, throwing a punch at the dashboard in frustration and putting her fist through it and the police radio. “FUCK FUCK FUCK!”

“Doing just that,” Medley said. “Now let me have some privacy.” She then closed the privacy screen and a few seconds later, the two other SIRENs could hear Medley’s exertions in the back.

“Hungry? I get angry when I’m hungry, too.” Canzione offered her friend some of her latest meal.

Contralto looked at it in disgust. “I’ll just wait until we get back to base,” she said, starting to calm down once more as she focused on her driving. She heard mastication next to her and said, “Hey, tell you what: you throw that out the window and I’ll stop at a Burger King for us, okay?”

“Sure, this tastes kinda gamey anyway,” Canzione said, lowering the window and tossing the remains out.

As the three SIRENs drove off, their latest mission complete, Contralto looked for a fast food joint, feeling something in the pit of her stomach rise once more. To her side, she could still smell the blood on Canzione’s lips as she sat there in contentment. In the back, she heard Medley promise the newest girl to be sacrificed that for as long as she still lived – which wasn’t long – the perpetually-horny SIREN would be the best girlfriend the girl – what was her name? Upper Crisp, or something like that? – would ever have.

Things were starting to spiral out of control, Contralto thought, but she couldn’t feel her mind wrap around the problem anymore. Whenever she did, something animalistic took over and she’d lose it again.

What’s happening to us? she thought as she moved down the darkened streets of Canterlot.

Author's Note:

Been planning this chapter all the way since Book I, Chapter 1. If you read through all of the parts of 7DSJ where Pinkie's involved or mentioned, you should see the clues.

Donate to the Patreon, folks! It gives me nacho money!

Also, don't forget to tweak the TVTropes page. Definitely a big one this time around.

Comments

[KcDash]

GOD DAMN man that was fucking incredible cant wait for new chapter AWESOME STUFF

[AceRevolutions]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I.

Can't.

WAIT!

[alexandria2k]

*stunned silence*
Wow.

[Basement Dweller]

Does human Sunset not have a French accent? I sort of assumed she did. Or does everyone at school think she managed to lose it completely between 2nd and 8th grade?

Sunset being able to call up Pony Twilight for a chat was sort of surprising. Doesn't time in Equestria run something like 5x faster than on earth?

As far as "big reveals" go, the part with Pinkie Pie certainly did not disappoint.

Seems like the Black Team has started noticing a few downsides to their new abilities. That certainly makes things more interesting, compared to when they were just super-powered killing machines.

[AnoneMouseJr]

7795190

*stunned silence*
Wow.

You said it.

Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.

[Zekromic]

........
HOLY FUCK . That's some seriously dark backstory for Pinks, then again, I thought it would've been a good plot element that any of the Mane5 would've fallen victim of the Club... I guess got my wish

[ToaofTwilightZ]

I'm starting to love the new Tavi. Or is she the same as the old non-psycho Tavi, and it's just been too long since we've heard from her?
I also loved when Pinkie snapped at Twilight. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but Pinkie was 100% right, and even I'm starting to get tired of the ungrateful little twat.
I also wonder whether we're going to see some new-yet-familiar faces from the most recent EqG movie at the campsite?

And who the hell is that lady on the asteroid?

One more question, I recognized the name the moment I heard it. Is Sweet Cicely the same chick from the Treasure sidestory, the former prostitute? Because that would make Pinkie's story even more interesting, if the club instead pair her to fuck Pinkie over, instead of her doing it of her own desire.

[namar13766]

I don't know whether I should be mad that my guess was partially accurate or that it didn't go far enough.

[shy sad jaded shard]

I knew there was something with her but that was not it not it by halves

[Zekromic]

7796102 How could I not see it?
Now that I remember, Pinkie had a boyfriend who she mentioned quite often. Then she stopped, and hardly any explanation was given, but damn

[shy sad jaded shard]

7796134 I just thought it was a sub plot thread got lost in all other threads that make up this frankly terrifying realistic world(s)

[BlueBastard]

7795758

Is Sweet Cicely the same chick from the Treasure sidestory, the former prostitute?

You're thinking Sweet Pea, a.k.a. 'Amelia' who is the focus of Shining's Treasure chapter, who ultimately gets taken in by Buck Withers and Lemony Gems. She's the main character of the Innocence Lost side story to 7DSJ.

But you're closer in a sense than you think. There is no relation between this Sweet Cicely and the person who originally had the name - I'll let Shin explain why he used the name again - but Sweet Cicely was the birth name of Scootaloo.

[namar13766]

7796192 but if Aria and Adagio went to San Fran, perhaps they might have interacted with Sweet Pea in some manner?

[Shinzakura]

7795337
Why would Shimmer have a French accent? Sure, she lives in France, but she spent her formative years in California, she attends an American school (technically the American wing of a French school) in Paris and has American friends that she attends school with.

And it's not that time in Equestria is 5x faster, it's that it's not matched because the mirrors (Platinum and Cavalcanti/Sombra) aren't synchronized.

7795758
That's normal Tavi. Melody doesn't have complete control yet....

And while Twily needed to hear it from someone, Pinkie's definitely got a bias.

7796409
Aria never went to San Francisco. You're thinking of Sunny Side.

[Shinzakura]

7796140

I just thought it was a sub plot thread got lost in all other threads that make up this frankly terrifying realistic world(s)

I might let plot points percolate, but i don't forget about them. There's stuff going on now that may have impacts later on in later stories in the Berylverse.

[Basement Dweller]

7797113

And it's not that time in Equestria is 5x faster, it's that it's not matched because the mirrors (Platinum and Cavalcanti/Sombra) aren't synchronized.

I don't know what that means in practice, but hey, it's magic, I know better than to worry about it too much. But time does generally pass more quickly in Equestria than on Earth, right? I seem to recall Sunset exploiting the difference to get a custom necklace made at the last minute for Twilight's birthday. (Plus I'm pretty sure some kind of time dilation is necessary if you want EqG canon to make any kind of sense.)

[Zekromic]

7796140 Yeah, it was often mentioned, but was deliberately given little importance. Never, EVER, expected this. Seriously, I don't remember if any fic made me go W00T like this. Hell, I wonder if Shinzakura and BlueBastard had that planned from the start

[Twilight_Shimmer]

Awesome updates, keep up the great work!

[ThePoneDrome]

Aw man, it's been a few days since I read this chapter and that Pinkie reveal still gets to me. I just want to give her all the hugs.

Probably the darkest Mane 6 backstories I've ever read. And I've read Silent Ponyville.

[Blazeblast4]

Honestly, I'm finding it harder and harder to sympathize with any of the humane 5 or Twilight. Twilight has become beyond insufferable, especially after all the shit Sunset has done for her, Twilight still decides to hit where it hurts the most. Then, the humane 5, instead of actually giving support or trying to help Sunset come out at any point (as in actually help, not just telling her to), they decide to basically corner her and force her into her greatest fear. Then there's the scene with Pinkie. It was more brutal than I expected (the abortion and the boyfriend leaving I saw coming, but not the gang rape and Sunset love), but it shows just how full of shit the humane 5 are. First, they're complete and utter hypocrites, no two ways about it. They all knew Pinkie's secret, but they all went with the same cryptic only when she tells you bullshit that happened in book 2. At least it wasn't as bad as book 2's case (hey, instead of telling you anything whatsoever about Rasberyl or telling her about you, we'll just speak in cryptic bullshit, giving you no reason to trust her, while something with her exact appearance has been causing your sister to suffer to the point of attempting suicide. And of course it's your fault that you attack the pony you have every reason to distrust and no reason to trust (especially since cryptic answers seem to be possible to force with dark magic) after seeing what looks like her trying to attack Twilight. Oh, and in the end it was technically her fault everything happened...). Sunset's secret has a good chance of damaging the relationship she has with her family (Twilight seems like she won't be able to handle it at all, and Octavia's condition isn't exactly helping). Pinkie revealing hers could only help both parties. Yet they never expected Pinkie to do anything (plus the entire Discord being Fluttershy's father secret), but are blackmailing Sunset...

To make matters worse, Sunset is dealing with Twilight's complete bullshit (the person she was closest to and risked everything for multiple times), Octavia's condition (her cousin tried to kill her, oh and another secret that Rarity knew but did nothing about, with disastrous results), and a death she feels responsible for. Adding blackmail from her friends (and worse from Celestia), hypocrisy, and Pinkie's story on top when the most Sunset had in her corner on Earth was a few neutral parties... I hope at least part of this blows up hard in the humane 5 and Twilight's faces, but at this rate, it will probably all blow up on Sunset and she'll receive all the blame. Unfortunately, at this point it seems that Octavia is going to be used as the singer, so Sunset's secret will come out too late for her to attempt curing Tavi. Honestly, I can't wait for this part of the arc to be over and finally have Sunset reveal the secret, but it doesn't seem like it will happen that way. Just to be clear, I have nothing against Pinkie's actions (hell, she even realized she was being a hypocrite and unfair towards Sunset), but the actions of all those surrounding her pressuring Sunset. At least the stuff with Octavia, the Dazzlings, and Earth Sunset are still really good.

[BlueBastard]

7827723

Honestly, I'm finding it harder and harder to sympathize with any of the humane 5 or Twilight. Twilight has become beyond insufferable, especially after all the shit Sunset has done for her, Twilight still decides to hit where it hurts the most.

Twilight doesn't understand why somebody she's grown to consider a close sister, who has gone to such great lengths to protect her, is still keeping things from her. Twilight opened up to Sunny fully, but she knows Sunny has not really done so in turn and Twilight is taking that as a sign Sunset doesn't trust her. It makes their sisterly bond more of a falsehood and Twilight is feeling betrayed by that.

Then, the humane 5, instead of actually giving support or trying to help Sunset come out at any point (as in actually help, not just telling her to), they decide to basically corner her and force her into her greatest fear.

Because Sunny has to be the one to tell her adoptive family the truth. And yes, that is her greatest fear, but unless she faces it head on it is something she'll never get over. This isn't saying her friends won't be there to support her every step of the way, but they can't make her start conquering that fear - she has to make the first step of her own volition. And given she risked death at the hooves of Princess Celestia for Twily's sake, expecting Sunny to just get to the point and tell her human family her real origins isn't nearly as dangerous - not to mention she was given the choice of staying in Equestria or going back to her human family, and she chose the latter.

Then there's the scene with Pinkie. It was more brutal than I expected (the abortion and the boyfriend leaving I saw coming, but not the gang rape and Sunset love), but it shows just how full of shit the humane 5 are. First, they're complete and utter hypocrites, no two ways about it. They all knew Pinkie's secret, but they all went with the same cryptic only when she tells you bullshit that happened in book 2.

Would you tell other people secrets of your close friends without their permission?

At least it wasn't as bad as book 2's case (hey, instead of telling you anything whatsoever about Rasberyl or telling her about you, we'll just speak in cryptic bullshit, giving you no reason to trust her, while something with her exact appearance has been causing your sister to suffer to the point of attempting suicide. And of course it's your fault that you attack the pony you have every reason to distrust and no reason to trust (especially since cryptic answers seem to be possible to force with dark magic) after seeing what looks like her trying to attack Twilight. Oh, and in the end it was technically her fault everything happened...).

Okay.

Sunset's secret has a good chance of damaging the relationship she has with her family (Twilight seems like she won't be able to handle it at all, and Octavia's condition isn't exactly helping).

And you wonder why the H5 have to basically push Sunset toward revealing her secret to her family? They're about to adopt her, best to get everything on the table now before this inevitably turns up later (especially given they don't know Human Sunset Shimmer is around and if Twily or her family actually meet her somehow, pony Sunset's cover is blown sky high) and even more shit occurs as a result.

Pinkie revealing hers could only help both parties.

Yeah, because anything Pinkie was keeping secret wasn't at all extremely personal and should be aired out like laundry to everyone, right?

Yet they never expected Pinkie to do anything (plus the entire Discord being Fluttershy's father secret), but are blackmailing Sunset...

How are they blackmailing her? If anything they're staging an intervention.

To make matters worse, Sunset is dealing with Twilight's complete bullshit (the person she was closest to and risked everything for multiple times), Octavia's condition (her cousin tried to kill her, oh and another secret that Rarity knew but did nothing about, with disastrous results), and a death she feels responsible for.

You did read the tags on this story, right?

Adding blackmail from her friends (and worse from Celestia), hypocrisy, and Pinkie's story on top when the most Sunset had in her corner on Earth was a few neutral parties... I hope at least part of this blows up hard in the humane 5 and Twilight's faces, but at this rate, it will probably all blow up on Sunset and she'll receive all the blame.

How the hell is it blackmail when all that was said was 'if you don't tell them the truth in two weeks, we'll all tell them ourselves" just to get the whole matter resolved one way or another? Blackmail implies they're manipulating Sunset for their own gain when all they are threatening to do is tell the family her secret if she won't - the exact opposite of blackmail given they don't benefit in the slightest by telling the secret to the family.

Unfortunately, at this point it seems that Octavia is going to be used as the singer, so Sunset's secret will come out too late for her to attempt curing Tavi. Honestly, I can't wait for this part of the arc to be over and finally have Sunset reveal the secret, but it doesn't seem like it will happen that way. Just to be clear, I have nothing against Pinkie's actions (hell, she even realized she was being a hypocrite and unfair towards Sunset), but the actions of all those surrounding her pressuring Sunset. At least the stuff with Octavia, the Dazzlings, and Earth Sunset are still really good.

Story's not done yet, what is to come may not be what you predict.

[Blazeblast4]

7827985

Twilight doesn't understand why somebody she's grown to consider a close sister, who has gone to such great lengths to protect her, is still keeping things from her. Twilight opened up to Sunny fully, but she knows Sunny has not really done so in turn and Twilight is taking that as a sign Sunset doesn't trust her. It makes their sisterly bond more of a falsehood and Twilight is feeling betrayed by that.

First, Twilight went above and beyond any reasonable amount of distrust way too fast. Yes, Sunset is keeping something from her, and yes that's bad, but treating the girl who did so much for you (including being the only one supporting her through her nightmares, and saving her from the truck) as the villain and not as family over something that goes beyond personal. This isn't a case like Octavia, who was literally losing her mind, Twilight is just being an unbelievable asshole, not giving Sunset the benefit of the doubt.

Yeah, because anything Pinkie was keeping secret wasn't at all extremely personal and should be aired out like laundry to everyone, right?

How the hell is it blackmail when all that was said was 'if you don't tell them the truth in two weeks, we'll all tell them ourselves" just to get the whole matter resolved one way or another? Blackmail implies they're manipulating Sunset for their own gain when all they are threatening to do is tell the family her secret if she won't - the exact opposite of blackmail given they don't benefit in the slightest by telling the secret to the family.

What her friends did wasn't just say Pinkie had a secret. They told Sunset that she did something horrible to Pinkie and that she should feel terrible about it. Applejack told Sunset she put Pinkie on the edge of a cliff and Pinkie chose to jump. Frankly, Sunset had very little to do with what the others did to Pinkie, yet she kept being bombarded by the others trying to guilt her and not telling her anything. To make matters worse, no one encouraged Pinkie to tell the truth to Sunset. They weren't just keeping a secret, they were using it to hurt Sunset, and the secret was hurting Pinkie, but no one pushed her into saying anything. Hell, at some points Sunset started fearing Pinkie, and they did nothing to help. Instead, they are telling Sunset that they will spill her secret, not because it's hurting her, but because they don't want to deal with covering for her. Frankly, they never really gave her the emotional support to take the first step (all they did was tell her she had to do it), they never gave her advice on how to do it, and they never considered how the others would react (all they did was say it's going to go fine). While the mane 5 didn't truly blackmail her (though Celestia came pretty damn close), especially after how they dealt with Pinkie's secret (and Rarity with Octavia's which could have gotten Sunset killed), what they did wasn't much better. It's an ultimatum that will potentially shatter Sunset's life, and they had zero tact or sense on how they've acted on the situation since day one. If Sunset's secret is mishandled, it could shatter her life, and that's what her friends are basically threatening her with.

[BlueBastard]

7828104

You're assuming Teenagers aren't anything but 100% rational people.

Oh wait they're not.