After seeing the terrible consequences of their selfish actions first hand, the Shadowbolts are horrified with their selfish actions and feel sick to the core.
After seeing the terrible consequences of their selfish actions first hand, the Shadow bolts are horrified with their selfish actions and feel sick to the core. Feeling horrified with themselves, they each vow to do better in the future. But first, each must come to terms with their grief and apologize to the friends they wronged. Meanwhile, not everything is as it seems. Who is this mysterious "Lightning Dust" who darts from alley to alley, trying to keep out of sight of the so called "police and authorities". And why is a certain pink haired Wondercolt discreetly observing the Shadow bolts from a distance, away from her other friends. And can the Shadow bolts reach a peaceful solution with their former rivals after first coming to terms with their own grief and regret.
Ever since the friendship games had ended, she hadn't been the since that awful, awful day when her friend Twilight was very nearly lost to her forever. She called Twilight her friend. "Friend?" a voice in her head said again and again "well you certainly didn't treat her like your friend"
She saw it when she closed her eyes and in her sleep. That devastating incident which could well have destroyed millions and millions of innocent lives had it not been for the kind intervention of her newfound friends from that lovely school across the city.
She called them her friends now, but not then. They were only rivals in her mind, and she didn't like rivals outdoing her at anything. She was determined to remain the best, to come first in any competition or contest. Determined to trump them once more in the friendship games like her school had done so many times before. And it was that pride, that stubbornness and obliviousness to what was really important that cost her dearly.
By sheer luck no damage was caused to any buildings and most of the students from the other school were quick to forgive and forget. She faced no verbal berating, her friends did not hold anything against her most likely because they too felt guilty for their own part in the catastrophe which they each contributed to. No one gave her any stern lectures and no one insulted her. They even seemed willing to comfort her but far from making her feel better and less ashamed, she only felt worse.
"Its alright" Sunset Shimmer said "It's fine. We forgive you" The kind, forgiving words of an angel stung her far worse than any insult would in that moment, and Indigo Zap could not bring herself to face the speaker. "Leave me in peace" was all Indigo could bring herself to say in that moment. She could have apologised or tried to confess her terrible feeling of regret like a mature and honest grown up would have, but as hard as she tried she could not bring herself to form the words she intended.
"I can see you're hurt" Sunset said "Talking about it will make things better".
Indigo Zap gulped as the sheer embarrassment of what she was about to do, fell upon her like an avalanche but that was not enough to stop her from dashing away as fast as her legs would carry her. She just wanted to be as far away as possible from those she wronged.
She could hear Sunset calling to her pleadingly but that only caused her heart to race even faster and the adrenaline surge she felt in that moment to more than treble in potency. She sprinted quickly, hunted by her fears and guilt as she ran into an alley where she was sure no one would think to look. And she waited there, clutching her sore head until the night was fully come before gingerly sneaking home, looking back several times to check she was not being followed.
She locked the door and drew the curtains before creeping upstairs into her room and burying her face in the pillow, glad for once that her parents only came back once a year to visit her for a matter of days before bidding her a sad goodbye and returning to their oversea jobs, not to return for at least another long and tedious year.
One word described Indigo's feelings in that moment better than sad or angry ever could. Indigo Zap felt as if she had been zapped, electrocuted by a jolt of electricity far worse than any discharge of lightning from the sky could ever be. Her entire body shook uncontrollably and her head felt as if it would burst as she continued to writhe in agony as she cried out all the grief that had gathered inside her for who knew how long.
She felt as if the world was pulling away from her as she continued to sob until fatigue finally overcame and she gave in to the brief respite of a short, uncomfortable sleep which was bound to be filled with terrible nightmares.
"Now I know why Twilight was crying" she whispered to herself sorrowfully as sleep came "I'm sorry Twilight. I'm so very sorry. Sorry"
She woke to the sound of her cellphone. She sighed as she took it out of her pocket with a trembling hand and checked the number. It was Sour Sweet, her friend and teammate from the friendship games. Very reluctantly she pressed the accept button and put the phone to her ear, expecting at any moment the feigned sweet voice of Sour Sweet which would quickly turn sour and sarcastic. Indigo didn't blame her, Sour Sweet had always been like this due to some sort of mental disorder she had gained during her troubled childhood.
And if anyone were to walk up to Sour Sweet and start insulting her for her outlandish mannerisms or berate her for having a screw loose, Indigo would make sure they had a bad, bad time.
The voice on the other end of the phone was neither sweet, nor sour. It held no hint of sarcasm, no sign of exaggeration and nothing to indicate a bipolar personality belonged to the speaker. It was grave, serious and spoken in a quiet, concerned voice hardly louder than a whisper.
"Indigo Zap? Are you there?"
"Yes. Yes I'm here."
"Is everything alright, you seemed really upset earlier and we were so worried when you just ran off like that. I just wanted to make sure everything was fine"
To reply yes to that question would have comforted her clearly worried friend, but even Indigo Zap knew it didn't take an element of harmony bearer to know that to lie to her friend was to show disloyalty and there was no place for disloyalty in a real friendship.
"No. I'm not alright. I'm not alright. I'm sorry Sour Sweet, I'm really not alright"
"I'm so sorry to hear that" Sour Sweet replied, her tone still serious and very worried "Do you want to talk about it? Or maybe come and pay us a visit so we can try and make you feel better. Time with friends always helps you with your grief right?"
"To be honest" sighed Indigo Zap, tears welling in her eyes once more "I prefer not to talk about it. But if you have time, there is one small favour I'd like to ask of you. Please."
"Anything to make you feel better"
Indigo Zap had to make a huge effort not to cry as she whispered with a trembling lip into the phone "Tell Twilight if you see her anytime soon, Indigo Zap apologises. Tell Twilight, she's always been one of the nicest people I ever had the chance to meet. Tell her, I'm sorry for all the horrible things I said to her and that its okay if she doesn't want to forgive me. Please, do that for me Sour Sweet. I hope I'll see you again soon. I love you"
And before Sour Sweet could reply, Indigo Zap rang off and switched the cell phone off with a trembling hand.
She then took out a photo of her parents and held it close to her chest. "Mom, dad. I'm so sorry I did such horrible things to my friend. I'm sorry I cheated to win, and most of all I'm sorry I ignored your advice. You were right mom and dad. You were right when you said that pushing ourselves in the right direction was more important that just pushing ourselves." She shook as she placed the photo on a table by her bed "If you ever find out about what I did, then I promise I won't blame you when you tell me I don't deserve to be your daughter"
She spent the rest of the day lying in bed, tears trickling from her closed eyelids even as she slept.
2 weeks later
Lightning Dust sighed to herself and slapped herself in the face hard as she placed the phone down once more. It was the tenth time today that Indigo Zap had refused to answer her call. She had been trying to call Indigo Zap for a week now and still received no reply. She knew Indigo Zap to be a strong, determined individual who rarely showed fear, but this was beginning to worry her deeply.
But as much as she wanted to, Lightning Dust could not go to see Indigo Zap. She was miles away from the town where Indigo Zap lived and even a trip by plane would take several hours. Never mind the fact she had hardly enough money to live from day to day without starving, let alone pay for a ride to the nearest airport or a plane ride.
Nor could she simply notify the police about Indigo Zap. The police would be far more interested in putting her behind bars than in helping her friend.
"I hope she's safe" was all Lightning could say as she put her phone away and quickly walked away from the empty train platform she had been standing on, knowing the police or a local who would not hesitate to call the police would be there any second.
Sour Sweet and Indigo Zap's other friends were not having much luck getting to her either. Their calls went not answered and when they knocked on her door, the only response was a loud "Leave me in peace. Fine, I'm fine."
The way the voice sounded, it really did sound like Indigo Zap would break out in a seething rage if any of them tried to talk further to her and so with a guilty conscience, they trudged away. They knew that even if they did call the police, all the police would do was lock their friend in a disgusting mental institute filled with disgusting people who would surely do terrible things to her. Since when did the police in this city ever do anything to help the situation.
But today they knew that Indigo Zap could not go on living like this. It was today they had an epiphany and after a lot of careful reasoning, had finally agreed upon what should best be done to help their suffering friend though the decision was desperate and somewhat hasty.
They hired a taxi and rushed to Twilight's house. They knew what Indigo Zap needed to make her feel better. But by the time they got to the house, Twilight had already gone. Far from looking crestfallen, Sour Sweet and the others shared one of the first smiles they had shared in a long time. A small one but a smile still.
Twilight rushed to Indigo's house, huffing and puffing. She felt anger with herself for being so vindictive with some of her fellow pupils after their antics at the friendship games. All Indigo Zap was determined to do was to win, she simply wanted to encourage Twilight to win with her as her teammate and now Twilight understood that after careful reflection.
"Are we gonna win" was Indigo's catchphrase which she would yell in a loud booming voice to Twilight every morning and evening on the bus, giving Twilight a splitting headache.
Twilight thought at first that Indigo Zap constantly yelling that phrase was for no purpose other than to make her feel worse about herself or simply to annoy her. But looking back, she slowly began to understand that Indigo did genuinely value Twilight as a teammate and friend. Now that her initial anger at Indigo Zap and the others for peer pressuring her into doing something they should have known could have been very dangerous had began to dissipate, she could look at each of them inside and out more clearly and with less bias.
All Indigo Zap wanted was Twilight's cooperation and loyalty in return for her loyalty. Loyalty was a two way street after all. Perhaps she didn't go about it in the best or most sensitive way, but when such fierce competition was present and so much was at stake for their school, Indigo's actions were very relatable.
Ever since Sour Sweet had called her days ago to tell her just how sorry Indigo Zap felt, and a few days later, about how Indigo seemed to be getting worse and worse by not coming to see her friends and shunning all company, Twilight had felt only more empathy with Indigo.
She was angry with herself as she finally got to Indigo Zap's house at having not come here sooner, but just managed to stop a fresh flow of tears from trickling out when she told herself that late was better than never.
She knocked. There was no response. She knocked louder. "Just, leave me in peace" came a frightened, shaking voice from within which Twilight barely recognized as being the once confident and proud Indigo Zap.
"It's me, Twilight. Your friend" replied Twilight shyly "Please. Just let me see you."
"Look" replied Indigo Zap apologetically "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. Honestly"
"I've forgiven you. Its okay. I don't hold anything against you. If anything, it was mostly Principal Cinch's fault that you acted the way you did"
A long, tired sigh came from inside. "You want to make me feel better by persuading me it wasn't my fault" the voice said in a breaking mutter "That's what I always loved about you Twilight. You always try to see the good in others and to treat them as nicely as possible even when they don't treat you the same way. But it was my fault. If I hadn't pressured you so much about winning the games. If I listened to you and, hadn't joined the others when they asked you to unleash the dangerous magic in that necklace you had. If I hadn't been so insensitive and disloyal to a good and caring friend like you, none of this would have happened. So don't shift the blame Twilight, don't shift the blame"
Twilight was shocked. She had heard from the others that Indigo Zap had been unwell but she never expected her to become this much of a shut in and recluse with so little confidence in herself.
"Are you hungry?" asked Twilight trying to change the subject "You must be starving by now. I have a sandwich in my backpack which I can give you"
"I'm not. I'm not hungry."
"Just please, let me see you" begged Twilight realizing her only hope was to convince Indigo Zap she was truly forgiven "I forgive you, really I do. We can still be friends like we were before the friendship games. Just please, let me see you once more so we can put this sad incident in the past and move forward together as friends"
It took a while for Indigo Zap to reply. But when she did, she slowly opened the door with a shaking hand so that Twilight could see what two weeks alone in voluntary solitary confinement had done to a once brash and energetic athlete.
Indigo Zap seemed to shuffle uncontrollably as she walked and with each step she took, her eyes blinked rapidly and her once strong and well built muscles seemed to contract involuntarily. She held a palm in front of her hands as if to shield her eyes from the dimming light of the bleak, winter evening.
Her skin was pale and it was clear that in these two weeks she had not eaten even a morsel. But more clear to Twilight than all of these observations put together was the fact Indigo Zap despite doing her best to make direct eye contact with Twilight, seemed far away in another world.
She took her hand away from her eyes, and with a great effort managed to stop her eyes from blinking. "Tell me" she pleaded, mad with hope as she spoke. "Tell me that your feelings for me as a friend haven't died. And please. Give me, give me one more chance to keep you satisfied. Keep you satisfied"
Twilight opened her mouth to reply but Indigo cut her off. "Please, Twilight. Don't be this way. Don't leave our school behind hating us."
Twilight knew Indigo Zap could not take no for an answer. And to show just how dedicated she was to being friends once more, she took hold of Indigo Zap's freezing hands tightly and shook them. "I'm your friend Indigo Zap" she said as she rested her other hand on Indigo Zap's shoulder to comfort her.
Indigo Zap was at a loss for words as she slowly nodded. Tears of joy and relief trickled from her now no longer blinking eyes as she wrapped her arms around Twilight and embraced her in a gentle hug.
"I promise to be more loyal from now on" she promised"I vow from this moment on to treat you with the same respect, dedication and most importantly loyalty that a friend deserves. I promise never to betray you like the untrustworthy Principal Cinch did. And when you need me Twilight, call me, I will be there for you."
That night as Lightning Dust sneaked through the alleyways she knew would be totally deserted, her cellphone rang. She didn't waste a second in picking up.
"It feels good" came Indigo Zap's cheerful and cathartic voice "It feels good to be forgiven and given a second chance. I feel better now. She forgave me. Twilight forgave me."
"That's great my dear Isotope" replied Lightning Dust quietly, knowing that noise would quickly draw attention from the police who were bound to be tailing after her "That's good. I'm glad you're finally ready to move on and glad you got another chance" Lightning Dust could not help but sigh slightly with envy.
"I'm sure one day you'll get another chance too. I'm sure one day they'll forgive you and let you go" soothed her isotope on the other end of the line, clearly reading her mind.
"Maybe I will. But for now, I have to keep on running if I'm ever going to see you again. I can't talk now but I'm really happy for you. So goodbye for now my dear isotope"
"Goodbye".
Lightning Dust glanced around cautiously to check no one had seen her before slipping the phone back into her pocket and continuing to creep forward as quietly as she could.
She liked to think of Indigo Zap and Rainbow Dash as her isotopes, with all three of them being competitive, proud and at times stubborn and accidentally arrogant.
But now was not the time to stop and reflect, but to keep running and not look back.
She wondered how things had changed in the time she spent away from Canterlot high and how long it would be before she saw her friend and isotope indigo Zap again.
But for now, her one goal was to run and hide, else that day would never come.
Indigo Zap lay on her sofa, a soft smile on her face, the first she had smiled in a long time. She had tried walking outside but she could not take more than a few steps without collapsing onto Twilight's shoulder for support and Twilight decided it might be best if they returned to Indigo's house as Indigo was clearly not well enough to go back to school yet and a few more days of rest might do her good. It was clear a mixture of poor diet, lack of exercise and most of all a large heap of stress and depression combined with horrible nightmares which made Indigo wake up more tired than when she managed after a colossal effort to fall asleep each night, was beginning to take its toll on the once lively and energetic athlete who was one of the only students to give the rival school's champion Rainbow Dash a run for her money.
Twilight helped Indigo Zap inside where she carefully lay Indigo's trembling body on the sofa and quickly found a thick blanket to cover Indigo's Zap with. Indigo nodded gratefully as Twilight ran to the kitchen and returned minutes later with a heated bowl of soup which she carefully fed to Indigo Zap, a spoonful at a time.
"Th, thank you" Indigo Zap whispered weakly "you, you do value me as a friend even after everything I've done to you" Twilight nodded modestly. "It'll probably be a few days before you can get out of bed again" she stated "I'll stay here with you when I don't have to be at school. Now get some rest."
"I will right after I call my friend". Twilight left the room to give Indigo the privacy she needed as Indigo picked up her phone and dialled Lightning Dust's number. She needed Lightning Dust to know she was safe.
2 days later.
Crystal prep had never been known to be particularly lenient, but then again since it was considered the leading academy, if not one of the leading academies in the state if not the country, this was common enough.
The last two weeks however took the meaning of the word strict, to new extremes. Starting with detentions every single break and lunch time and double, and for some more unlucky students, triple the amount of homework each night as well as after school detentions to one group of students who the principal really seemed to have it in for with starting with Crystal Prep's loss in the friendship games. This was not so common.
Most of the canteen staff in fact, were sent home with how little the canteen was actually being used. The atmosphere around Crystal prep as a whole had never been particularly lively or cheerful, one could say it was rather grey. The last two weeks and a bit however, made the school seem more like a cemetery for funerals than a establishment for educating eager learners.
The playground once filled each break and lunch with excited students running up and down, some gathered in circles to chat with each other, was no more. Now it was nothing more than a desolate, no man's land. The large grey cloud that seemed to hang over the empty playground each day really helped to brighten the mood. No one went there anymore, not even the teachers.
Crystal prep was an attractive place, with beautiful architecture and a vivid history for anyone interested. It could in fact be said that one of the least attractive things about it was the principal herself. Not that the principal was an unattractive figure to look at, tall, slim but well built and very neatly dressed with neatly combed hair.
Principal Cinch seemed respectable enough at first glance, with well polished manners when first introducing herself with a stern and serious tone. But it was a short lived facade that quickly wore off when she felt the slightest displeasure.
To her students, though they never said it to her face, she was extremely strict at best and plain sadistic at worst. But whether it was because she disliked them or she came from a background where this kind of treatment was considered normal and fair, they neither knew nor cared.
Cinch had always been quick to take her anger out on her devoted students, but it seemed that after Crystal prep's defeat at the friendship games she had dug to a new depth then never thought she would. This was a new low even for the students most used to her perfectionist attitude. But otherwise things went on as normal. Whether the students felt badly treated or not was hard to say, since not one of them had been seen complaining despite several clutching their rumbling stomach's when they sat during lunch in their classrooms, barely able to keep their eyes open as they continued to scribble down page after page of work with a clearly fatigued hand.
Indigo Zap had been reluctantly sent home by Cinch after she came to school one morning barely able to walk without tripping and barely able to say a sentence without clutching her aching head and grimacing in genuine pain as she trembled uncontrollably unable to make proper eye contact. This meant she did not have to join three of her five closest friends as they sat staring blankly at the huge pile of worksheets laid in front of them each day after school. They were ordered not to leave until all the worksheets were finished and they had gotten every single question correct. This meant that they often stayed until 7 in the evening, more than 3 hours after everyone else had left, and sometimes even until 9. The supervisor was an alert man who never fell asleep or seemed to feel sleepy , so simply sneaking out was not an option.
Twilight had of course, left the school some weeks back to go to Canterlot high instead so she too was exempt from this. As was Sunny Flare, who despite being both a senior student in Crystal prep and a participant in the friendship games, the group of students Cinch seemed the most angry with, she received no consequences.
She was free to go as she pleased during the breaks and lunches the rest of the school spent cooped up in classrooms working, and even given Fridays off since Principal Cinch insisted that some extra rest after such a stressful event might do her good. It didn't, and she would sit during break and lunch alone in the hall, playing tune after tune on the piano lamenting her loneliness, too depressed to step out onto the empty playground or go to the canteen at lunch knowing she'd sit alone in the lunch hall when before she had always sat by her friends. And she would trudge wearily home each evening, silent since there was no one to talk to anyway.
She saw very little of her friends even before the friendship games, they had different classes and breaks and lunch where she could escape the watchful eye of the principle, and occasionally after school were their only chance to talk freely to each other. But now she felt more distant from them than ever and she could not help but feel that during the few times she did catch a glimpse of her friends in the hallway, that they were sneering and cursing her out of jealousy that she was being given much better treatment than they were. But she couldn't be sure since there was no time to talk to them before the lesson bell rang and she had to dash to her next lesson.
Sunny Flare had never been a particularly social person with many friends. Being the Principal's daughter did indeed give her privileges many who did not understand her situation would kill for, but it seemed much more than a burden to her than a blessing.
Unbeknown to all but perhaps her closest friends, she could indeed feel emotions such as guilt or empathy. And she could feel sorry for others and most of all regret for her actions when she saw the damage they caused. Which is perhaps why during her Friday off, she chose to sit silently in her bedroom sighing irrepressibly as she scribbled sentence after sentence into her diary, stopping occasionally to take another glance at that photo of her and her friends she had on the wall. She could easily have turned on the television or the radio or better yet gone out,but felt like none of those things.
To say she hated her mother for what was happening would be a blatant lie. She did not hate her mother since that would be cruel and selfish, something she tried without success not to be. Her mother was the only family she had after her father left. And so she kept her disappointment bottled up, trying very hard to enjoy the lonely lifestyle that was hers since the friendship games. Her part in the games, she preferred not to talk about. It wasn't a pleasant subject.
But today, something within her pleaded with her to do what she knew to be right. This feeling had grown inside her, but the joy in her friend Indigo Zap's voice when she called Sunny yesterday to reassure Sunny that Twilight held no grudge had been the finishing blow. Indigo had been promised another chance by Twilight despite her failings and Indigo had vowed in earnest to change for the better. It was the inflections in Indigo Zap's tone over the phone that really showed how serious Indigo Zap was about her promises.
And if Indigo Zap was that willing to go back and amend her flaws despite everything, then Sunny Flare as one of Indigo's closest friends could do no less. Enough was enough she decided as she walked in the direction of the principal's office with a steadfast expression. It was time to stop being the selfish bastard she had been for so long, and to stop taking orders from her mother when she knew them to be both immoral and painful to others. For once in her life, she was determined to form her own opinion.
She took a deep breath as she gently knocked on the door. It was polite, something she was not during the friendship games, especially to Twilight. She tried not to dwell on those painful thoughts. "If it's not urgent then go" came the strict, rough voice of the principal "You've probably got enough work to be getting on with anyway so don't try to waste my time". "It's me miss" replied Sunny quietly "Sunny Flare. And yes, it's urgent. Very urgent. Please let me in, I promise this won't take long." Even though the principal was indeed her mother, now was not the time to address her as such, especially on school grounds. She received enough resentment and jealousy as it was.
Long seconds passed as Sunny anxiously waited for a reply, hoping the principal was not in one of her tempers today. "Very well" the voice on the other side of the door eventually sighed reluctantly "enter, and make it quick. I haven't got all day".
Sunny Flare breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she gently took hold of the doorknob and opened the door. She crossed her fingers and with a great force of will, just managed to stop her teeth from clattering and her eyes from blinking as she slowly stepped into the room.
The imposing figure of her mother, the principal sat staring at her with an air of scrutiny as she cautiously stepped forward and slowly sat down on a chair in front of the principal's desk, trying all the while not to shudder. She could not show weakness.
"Say what you have to say, and say it quickly. I'm very busy" requested the principal bluntly.
Sunny Flare did not know where to start. But she knew for once she had to be tactful, something she never was to dear Twilight. Simply asking that the principal let all the other students out of detention and go back to giving them the standard amount of work simply wouldn't work. Even if she was the Principal's daughter.
"I can see you're still very cross miss" Sunny began. "And I'm sorry. I'm very sorry"
"Get to the point" said Cinch a little crossly, cutting her off. Though it was clear that Cinch was a tad disappointed Sunny had chosen to address her simply as "miss".
Sunny nodded obediently "Very well miss. I promise to be quick."
The principal gestured for her to continue speaking with an air of ill contained impatience. She had in her hand a heavy Biro which she was trifling with.
Sunny took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and stared up at the ceiling for a few brief seconds before she could bring herself to continue.
"It involves the friendship games" she explained sadly.
Cinch's lips tightened and appeared to quiver very slightly. "I do not care to hear more" she stated disappointingly "I thought this is a matter we agreed to drop."
Sunny resisted the urge to apologise profusely before backing bashfully away. She intended no rudeness but for once she could not show weakness in front of her mother.
"With all due respect ma'am. It's urgent. Very, very urgent. It's a problem that's worsened for several weeks now and not one that I can ignore any longer. I am sorry."
"Perhaps you misunderstood me... Sunny. This is a topic we agreed not to talk about and leave in the past. Some things are better forgotten about and I believe this is one of them. Now, I think you have other matters to attend to, so I suggest you return to them. Idle chatter is but a waste of time and this conversation has gone on long enough."
Sunny shook her head sorrowfully and remained seated. "I understand you are busy ma'am and I have no intention to waste your time. But I'm afraid its very urgent. This is a serious matter that involves the entire school and more importantly, your reputation (which I know for a fact you find very important) and credibility as principal. So with all due respect, I implore you once more to listen to what I have to say."
Cinch grunted, but very reluctantly gestured for her to continue.
"I understand me and my friends, we did you a great wrong when we failed to live up to your expectations during the games" admitted Sunny apologetically "And I understand how upset you must have felt when we lost."
"So you came to apologise" inquired Cinch. "While, I do admire your modesty, it's not you who is to blame. You see, you did not fail your team, rather it was your team that failed you. And the rival school too was to blame for not playing fairly"
"I'm sorry to interject ma'am. But what exactly do you mean by unfair" asked Sunny Flare. She knew the reason but she wanted to hear it from the principle.
"They used magic" was the sarcastic response "And that was cheating."
"I sort of agree with you. But, by that logic we were no better than they. And if there's one thing I've learned during this whole experience its that two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs never made a right."
Cinch opened her mouth to reply, but Sunny continued. It was now or never that she made her point. "We didn't destroy our reputation by losing the games. We ruined our reputation by mistreating our own teammate. Being mean and unfair to Canterlot High was bad enough, but when we betrayed our own teammate, it brought our actions from bad, to abysmal. And though I don't want to say this, I have to. I'm sorry. It sunk our reputation not just as a school, but as good and respectable people, from ruined, to irredeemable. We sunk to a new depth that day to try and win."
"Have you quiet finished" demanded Cinch quietly, who had listened in silence. "So is this what you came here to tell me. To tell me that you double crossed us and went over to their side?" A slight frown appeared on Cinch's contorted face, and there was a quiet anger in her voice. "And after all I did for you? after all I did for you?"
Sunny raised her hands up as if to shield herself from Cinch's rising anger. "No. You've got it all wrong mother, I would never do that." Though Sunny knew she had made a vow earlier not to address her mother in this manner while on school site, she did not regret breaking it. It was necessary after all to show she was still sympathetic with her mother even if she was upset with her actions. "I only want what's best for our school. And most of all, I only want what was best for you. And I don't mean to sound rude, but blackmailing your pupils simply because you can, and not treating them well despite their best efforts to please you isn't good for your legacy. Is this really the path you want to go down? Is that really how you want to be remembered?"
Despite Cinch's coarse and unflappable expression, it was clear Sunny's words stung her. "You don't understand" she protested "I did what I did for the good of the school, to preserve its reputation which took so many decades to build."
"I don't doubt it. But these things you do, I know you want what's best for the school but some of these things, they're not very friendly. And though I never said it, I'm afraid I have to say it now. Sometimes I find it hard to see how doing so many mean and selfish things to your pupils is in any way helpful. And I, I find them wrong. I find what you did to Twilight wrong. I'm very sorry if I offend you and I know that no matter what I say now, it'll be too little too late. But you really shouldn't have treated Twilight so harshly, especially when she was your star student. She was your star student, and you punished her for it. As your students, we thought that you knew what was best for us. We thought you cared about your students, all of your students. And so we had no idea what we were getting into when we told Twilight to unleash the magic" Sunny shivered as she said the last three words. A horrible melody which she hoped never to remember or hear off ever again rang in her head. "We should have known the risks, we should have listened to Twilight. But we listened to you because we thought you cared. It was all of our fault and we should all take responsibility for what happened."
Cinch shook her head.
"It's my fault as well" explained Sunny "And taking your anger out on the other pupils and my friends while you let me off without any consequences, it doesn't make me feel good. It really doesn't. Please try to understand. Please mother, for my sake, try to understand"
And Sunny Flare nodded gently to show she had said all she needed to say.
Cinch put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. It was clear Sunny had given her a lot to think about and whatever decision she made next would not be made lightly. Sunny began to tremble once again, as the suspense brought by the silence continued to linger for what seemed like an eternity but was in reality only a minute.
Cinch sighed wistfully and in a somewhat regretful tone broke the silence. "So what do you want from me?" she asked, her voice soft and dangerous. She was clearly testing Sunny.
Sunny knew that whatever she said next would inevitably change her already troubled relationship with her mother, the only family she had left. Whether this was the change that would finally set things right, or the mistake that would shatter them apart perhaps forever, it was hers to decide. As Indigo Zap would say if she was here, this was no place for reckless behaviour. There was no second chances this time, and it was now or never that Sunny said what she wanted to say. "But with high risk" Indigo Zap's voice said in her mind "comes high reward. And choosing not to choose sometimes, isn't a choice."
"Speak now" ordered the clearly frustrated Cinch who clearly thought this conversation had dragged on far too long "or forever hold your peace."
The problem was you only had one chance.
And as Sunny sat trembling gently in the chair, trying without success to take her eyes away from the hard set eyes of her mother the principal so that she could think clearly, her mind fell back on all the horrible things she did to Twilight during the friendship games.
And the one word that summarised those actions better than any essay or sentence ever could, that one word was "selfish".
Sunny Flare had been selfish, perhaps not deliberately but all the same, she had been selfish.
As clear as crystal, Sunny began to fathom what the solution to the problem was. The problem was her selfishness and lack of empathy for others beneath her, and the solution had been staring her in the face all along. The solution, was generosity, a virtue Sunny neglected partly due to bad influence, but mostly down to her arrogance and reluctance to admit her own faults, a trait she shared with her friends and was only now beginning to come to terms with.
Sunny looked hard into her mother's eyes with her own. And in a clear unbroken voice that was soft but passionate, she replied, choosing her words carefully. "So let me go" she begged.
Cinch looked puzzled, and confused. It was clear she was not expecting this response.
"Let me go" explained Sunny "I don't want to be your hero. I'm just as wrong as everyone else, and I'm just a kid like everyone else. I make mistakes like everyone else, and I don't think I'm ready to handle the responsibility of being your hero yet. I'm sorry I failed to live up to your expectations mother. All I can ask for now, is forgiveness, and a chance to walk with everyone else."
It was difficult to tell whether Cinch's expression was sympathetic or angry in that moment.
"I understand you want me to be better than everyone else mother" continued Sunny "But I'm afraid I don't think I'm ready to be a part of your masquerade yet mother. I don't think I'm ready to be a part of your parade"
"I don't understand..." protested Cinch.
"You've done a lot for me mother. You raised me and made me the person I am today. For that mother, I could never thank you enough. But if Twilight deserves a chance to walk with everyone else, I believe I do too. You've given me a lot, and I appreciate that. But now, I think it's time I need some space, some time to be my own person and start making my own decisions in life. You have to understand me mom, when I say, there can't be one set of rules for me and another for everyone else. It's bad for other people, and bad for me as well. "
And Sunny stood up slowly, nodding softly. "I rest my case. I've said what I meant, and meant what I said. Thank you for your time mother, I leave you with your duties. And please mom, please realize that as the only family I had since daddy...left, you mean a lot to me. And please, realize that I only want the best for this school, and more importantly, for our family. Please believe me."
Cinch was at a loss for words as Sunny politely bowed and slowly left the room.
"You've, you've changed. Sunny" confessed Cinch clearly astonished and deep in thought "You're a different person now.
Then for the first time in a long time, Cinch allowed herself a soft smile as she closed her eyes, clearly trying to reflect on Sunny's piercing words. "You'll be a good person when you grow up. I know you will. You've, grown. And your father. He would be proud of you if he was here." Cinch took out her planner and scribbled a few words into it before slowly returning to the papers she had yet to mark.
Sunny wearily trudged to the empty playground. She needed some fresh air after that heated discussion and somewhere quiet to sit to reflect on whether she did the right thing. But when she heard loud noises ringing from the halls, she stopped.
Loud cheers rang as students charged forward and she was surrounded by a crowd of tired students, rushing out from their classroom. She stood still as she continued to watch as the students rushed for the playground, like prisoners being let of a prison after being trapped for a century. Like moths to a flame.
The students cheered and whooped as they sprinted away. And when last but not least, her friends stepped slowly towards her each wearing a relieved and grateful expression, she cheered and jumped in the air too.
It felt good to be generous and doing the right thing for once. It felt good to use her position as the principle's daughter for a good cause rather than a selfish one. There was still a lot to be dealt with for Crystal Prep academy to be restored to its former glory largely due to the bullies which escaped attention and could continue tormenting innocent scapegoats. But today, she had solved one of the many problems with the school. Today she had taken one small step to be proud of. That made her happy.
A pink haired girl stood outside the school fence, watching as Sunny Flare walked toward the playground to join the rest of her peers. The girl nodded happily, clearly pleased. "The assumptions I had about you are indeed true" the girl admitted cheerfully "you are a nice person who cares about their friends."
The girl's face was covered in bruises and a large red scar ran down her right cheek. One hand had to clutch her bleeding nose to stop it from bleeding any further. The other arm hung limp, clearly not in good condition.
The girl watched for a few minutes more as Sunny Flare and her friends sat talking to each other, unaware of the pink haired girl's presence. Then she nodded and slowly walked away, careful not to reveal her presence. So far her assumptions she had after the friendship games were proving to be very accurate, but she still wanted more proof.
Sour Sweet shook uncontrollably as she sat in the empty school corridor, waiting for the next lesson to begin. Tears blurred her vision and there was a loud ringing in her ears which she was sure was deafening her by the second. The voices, the voices were terrible. Pain, so much pain...
She was deaf to the loud tolling of the school bell which announced the start of the last lesson and it was not until she felt a vigorous tugging of her arm as a tall, muscular jock much larger than her found her hiding place, that she finally came to.
She ran, trying her best not to stagger in her dizzy state, and only just managed to avoid bumping into several students all of which shouted angrily at her. It was only thanks to a miracle that she eventually managed despite her blurring vision to make it to her class.
"Sit down, miss Sweet" ordered the teacher, clearly blind to the blank, cold look in Sour's reddened eyes. "I said sit down" repeated the teacher, raising his voice more than a little. Sour Sweet tried without success to walk forward towards her seat but it was clear her numb and senseless muscles would not cooperate as she succeeded only in staggering into another student by accident, causing him to drop the folder he was holding onto the floor. "Sit down NOW!" bellowed the teacher, dropping his facade of civility completely "SIT OR I'LL MAKE SURE EVERY LAST ONE OF YOUR SUBJECTS GETS A FAILING GRADE AND YOU GET EXPELLED FROM THIS SCHOOL AND NEVER SEE YOUR PRECIOUS FRIEND AGAIN!", he stared at her with eyes of flame that made him look more of a serial killer than a serial killer.
"Escort this troublemaker to her seat" he barked, salvaging a touch of composure, still breathing heavily. Two large and muscular students quickly got up from their seats and grabbed Sour by her arms ,and like policemen they marched her like a prisoner towards her seat where they waited until Sour Sweet had sat down before finally releasing their iron grip on her.
"Face the front" barked the teacher "and get out your textbook troublemaker. One little peep from you and I send you to detention after school for a week." The minutes crawled by like years as Sour Sweet tried without success to take in everything the teacher was putting up so quickly on the board and to copy all of it down. It was difficult for her to copy even one sentence down before the teacher changed the slide. The pen felt like ice in her already freezing hands and the room which said 25 degrees Celsius on the thermostat, felt like the arctic.
And when the worksheets were given out, consisting of work she had done all this year, she still had 3 pages left blank when the bell rang as opposed to everyone else who had finished long before the bell. The teacher growled at her like a savage animal but by now even her ears seemed to loose function as she heard nothing at all.
She felt nothing as the teacher shoved her senseless body out of the classroom and threw her bag at her so that it hit her in the shoulder hard.
For several minutes she stood completely still, unable to utter even a whisper as the pounding on her skull felt harder than ever before. She waited for Indigo Zap to come and shake her arm, to touch her cheek gently and beg her to say something. She waited for Indigo's warm and intimate embrace as she wrapped her arms around Sour and let Sour Sweet sob into her shoulder until the tears finally dried up, and Indigo patted her several times gently before asking if she was alright.
But Indigo didn't come. In desperation she called Indigo's name several times, but Indigo didn't come. "Stop ignoring me Indigo. Please. It's not funny" demanded Sour Sweet as she searched up and down the corridor frantically to find that she was completely on her own.
Indigo wasn't there. Indigo had left the school without her for some inexplicable reason. But perhaps if Sour Sweet ran quickly enough she could still catch her friend, the only thing she felt at that very moment could bring her out of this terrible nightmare. She dashed outside with speed that would drive the cross country champ to tears of envy and shame, and stared frantically. No one was there. Indigo Zap had gone home without her, and betrayed her.
"But" protested Sour Sweet "I thought we were friends". Her tone was neither sour nor sweet, only regretful and desperate. But Indigo Zap was a loyal friend and she would trust Indigo Zap with her very life. Common sense told her that Indigo Zap could not have deliberately have left her and she slapped herself hard in the face for accusing Indigo Zap of doing such terrible things. Indigo Zap wasn't like that.
Sour Sweet sighed. Indigo Zap wasn't here and there was no telling where she had gone or why she had left. But Sour Sweet knew that whatever Indigo Zap's intentions for leaving her were. they must have been good and noble. But then, Indigo Zap hadn't been in the last lesson either. If Indigo Zap had, then she would have given that teacher a blow he would not soon forget and told that bully from earlier to shove off and mind his own business.
But then come to think of it, she hadn't seen Indigo Zap all day today, or yesterday for that matter. Sour Sweet took a deep breath and tried without success to clear the ringing in her head as she tried to recall when exactly Indigo Zap had really left. She tried very hard to play back the events of the previous few weeks, but they would not come, hard as she tried. It was as if for the previous weeks, she had seen the world through a broken windscreen, as she was unable to recall anything in the last two weeks before yesterday clearly.
Sour Sweet sighed. Staying here to try and puzzle out this unsolvable mystery was useless and Indigo Zap would not come here anytime soon. So she shrugged as she began the long trek home, since she had forgotten to bring money once more. Her memory had been very poor as of late. If Indigo was here, she'd have reminded her.
It was late by the time she had gotten home, and every muscle in her body felt on fire. Sweat trickled from her head, soaking her uniform and her head burned with exhaustion. With what seemed like the last ounce of her breath, she made it to her apartment door and somehow managed to fish her key card from her cluttered backpack and swipe it successfully into the scanner. But not before she was hit with a hail of raindrops as the treacherous grey clouds that gathered in the sky betrayed her.
She staggered inside and somehow despite her blurring vision managed to make it up the stairs onto the top floor where she lived. Then she swiped the key card once more when she arrived at her room, and stepped inside, collapsing onto the floor from fatigue.
It was Friday today, but what was the point. If Indigo Zap wasn't here with her, all her weekend would be spent doing was sat alone in her room looking occasionally at the world outside through the window, sighing in pain and agony.
She looked at her pill bottle. It had run out again today. No wonder her brain felt so frazzled. She had been so lonely and upset that she had long forgotten to go get more medicine to sooth the ailments of a troubled mind. Like what happened at the friendship games. Only that time, it was because she was so engrossed in training and preparing herself for the games, with Indigo Zap encouraging her forward every step of the way.
She slapped herself hard in the face. She treasured each pill like a bar of solid gold. Without them, the very last thing she had to remind herself that she was just a normal person like everyone else, was lost to her. Her sanity, her ability to think clearly and coherently but most of all, her chance to prove not just to herself but to others that she did kind of have a heart and at the end of the day, that she was in fact simply trying to be as good a person as she could like the neurotypicals. The pharmacist never seemed to have more than one pill bottle each week since her condition was so very rare in these "modern times".
Her condition had no known cure, only treatments that were temporary at best. The surgeon also stated it would likely worsen with age. The surgeon said something else too that she never fully understood. Something about a harsh childhood and low self esteem being key things to watch out for. But the session ended before she had a chance to ask what he meant.
She sighed. If Indigo Zap was here now, she'd say something along the lines of "keep moving forward. What's done is done. You did what you could and you should not be upset." It was those short but meaningful phrases Indigo would drop to show the rest of the team how respectable a leader she was. Unlike many so called "leaders" Indigo Zap did not simply barge in one day yelling "I'm the leader. Do everything I say or else". Nor did she lure her teammates through lies and illusions, Indigo Zap was upfront about everything she did and would answer any question honestly telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing else when asked by her friends. That cowboy hat girl from the other school could suck it, Indigo was more trustworthy than her.
Indigo Zap was an elected leader, elected by the rest of the team to lead. Unlike most votes, it was not a vote where the person who got the most votes won. It was a vote where when the voting time came, everyone agreed and not one vote was cast against Indigo Zap, who stepped up meekly and humbly, promising to act only in the best interest of her beloved friends when she won the election.
Sour Sweet's tears slowly began to dissipate as she took from her pocket, her most valued possession and held it up to her eyes so she could see it clearly in the dim lighting of her cheap room. It was a picture of Indigo Zap, that Indigo Zap gave to her on their first trip outside of school together as friends. The photo was worn, having been in Sour Sweet's pocket for a long time. The image was clearly defacing, and several rips were visible on it. Yet it lost none of the value in Sour Sweet's eyes. She closed her eyes, and thought.
"No, don't leave me. Don't leave me" begged Sour Sweet. "Stay with me. Please. I can't survive without you for that long"
"I have to go" admitted Indigo Zap shamefully. "If I don't go, it'll be at least year before I can see them again and not for this long either. They normally only come back for a couple of days each year."
"You don't understand" Sour Sweet explains, clearly desperate "When you hold my hand, I feel, I feel safe. When you walk with me, I feel that I'm not just a sick girl with mental issues. The bullies leave me alone when you stand by me as a friend. But now that you go, I'll go back to being the "psycho" everyone thinks I am. I'll go back to being the bipolar girl who can never decide whether to be sweet or sour, and everyone'll... mock me"
Indigo Zap said nothing. She only nodded sullenly. "Wait. please. I'll be back soon, I promise." she said as she dissipated back into the nearly closing mall.
"She won't come back" sighed Sour Sweet wistfully "She won't come back for 2 weeks and when she does, she'll probably have found another girl much nicer than I could ever be and I, I won't have her anymore. I don't blame her." Sour Sweet said as she buried her face in her palms.
20 minutes later and Sour Sweet had long wanted to go home and forget she had ever had a friend as good as Indigo Zap. She didn't know her other friends back then and Indigo was the only friend she had. The only one who didn't just ignore her when the bullies came back for yet another go at the weak and helpless bipolar one with no parents and no one to miss her. Only grief kept her sat on that cold, stony bench, unable to move as she continued to sob and sob.
"I'm sorry I took so long" shouted a voice. But Indigo Zap had already left for her vacation. "Its okay, please don't cry. I'm here. I'm here." the voice pleaded.
Very reluctantly, Sour Sweet looked up. She frowned. She didn't need illusions. She needed her friend back.
"I'm really sorry for the delay. I just wanted to get you this present. But I'm sorry I took so long" Indigo Zap said as she put her hand on Sour Sweet's Shoulder to comfort her, something only loving mother's and father's would normally do.
"You didn't think I would just leave you behind like that. Please say you didn't best friend" asked Indigo Zap.
Sour Sweet quickly dabbed at her eye discreetly and quickly changed her expression. "Not for a second. You're not like that. You're loyal and you do care."
Indigo Zap blushed slightly at the compliment as she took from her pocket, a photo. "I'm sorry I couldn't get anything better. You told me you don't like sweets and all the other stuff, I didn't have enough money for it, I'm sorry. I really am"
Indigo Zap's hands trembled with embarrassment as she held the present up, it was clear she expected rejection and rage. It was clear she had hoped to do much better and was very apologetic for what she perceived to be a failing. It was that flustered expression that made Sour Sweet love Indigo Zap all the more.
"Photo finish took it for me. I, I hope you l, like it. It was all, all I could afford. I, h, hope it helps you, feel less lonely"
"You didn't have to give me anything. You're friendship is more than I could ever ask for" Sour Sweet took a long, lasting look at the picture, which seemed more valuable in that second than all the diamonds in the world ever would be.
It was a picture of Indigo Zap. That alone made it award worthy, and worth a place in every national arts gallery in the world. But that wasn't what made it special. Indigo was not smiling in the photo, and that was great. Sour Sweet never liked people who were really, really smiley since she believed them to be evil. Smiles reminded her of the bullies who smiled when they bullied her and Indigo knew that and to make her happy, avoided the temptation to smile at the camera. But that didn't make it special either.
What was special was the outfit Indigo wore as she took the photo. It was not her usual outfit (her very formal school uniform) nor a more casual outfit. It wasn't a dress either despite how much Indigo Zap loved dresses and dressing in style. "Rainbow Dash always dresses in style" was Indigo Zap's catchphrase which she would sing at least 15 times a day on the bus to emphasise. It made Sour Sweet smile upon hearing it.
The outfit wasn't even one for a girl, and Sour knew that if Indigo Zap was seen wearing it in public, she'd be laughed at and thrown in the mental asylum without delay. Indigo Zap's outfit in the photo, was a black tuxedo. A black tuxedo complete with a very snazzy white shirt, a very neatly arranged bow tie, trousers and to top it all off, a bowler hat.
Sour Sweet knew why Indigo chose that outfit out of the hundreds of others, and it filled her heart with sunshine all the while, yes it did. And for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself a gentle smile.
"I hope you can think of this photograph as a symbol of our friendship" begged Indigo Zap pleadingly "So you can keep me, inside the pocket of your ripped jeans and so you can understand, that you will never, ever be alone again"
Sour Sweet only nodded. She had nothing to say to that.
"I have to go now, I'm sorry. But please, promise me just one thing. Please"
"Anything for you. Anything."
"Wait for me to come home. Wait for me. I'll be coming back for you one day. I give you my word." Indigo Zap sighed as she slowly let go of Sour's hand, and even more slowly began to trudge wearily away.
Sour Sweet only nodded once more still at a loss for words.
How a person as pure and devoted as Indigo could be so hated in a school which preached love and tolerance, she would never know. But Indigo was insulted more times a day than she could count by the students of Canterlot high, their rival school. They sang hateful songs about Indigo, and even made a hate website filled with slander and claiming Indigo committed all sorts of unspeakable crimes against humanity.
"I wanted to go to that school" Indigo once said to her. "The students there seemed so much more open to each other and the rules, so much more fair". But if that school was so fair, why did they allow the students to say such awful things about the saviour who saved her from those bullies when no one else would. Why did they hate Indigo despite her doing nothing wrong to them. And why did the fair teachers do nothing to stop all this.
Indigo had been called many horrible names by Canterlot High. "Bitch, Fucker, pile of shit" were some of the worst ones. But one insult took the cake. One insult was enough to drive anyone with a heart and soul to tears. Enough to make the person insulted commit suicide. That insult was "Flanderized". "A flanderized Rainbow Dash who tries and fails to accomplish what the great and wonderful real Rainbow Dash did" the hate website claimed Indigo Zap was.
Sour Sweet rolled her eyes and face palmed as she put the photo away slowly. The good memory always turned sour when she thought of that one bit.
She lay on her bed, too exhausted to do much else. And with quivering fingers, she opened her drawer to a section where she kept all of the special cards Indigo gave to her, on birthdays, during Christmas and well you get the picture. They were worth much more than the presents they came with, and till this day, Sour Sweet hadn't lost a single one somehow. If one was to get lost or ripped, Sour Sweet preferred not to think about that. Indigo was never late with sending them either.
They did not say merry Christmas, or happy Easter or anything trivial, unimportant or superficial like that. They were special and each word that Indigo carefully chose to write on them was worth taking at face value. The messages were short, but it did not make them any less meaningful.
Sour Sweet took the one she got last Christmas and read it, trying very hard not to cry. "All that you touch, you change" it said. She had to steel herself before reading the next one which she got last Easter. "The past is never dead. It isn't even past." it read. What a positive message to give. It was never too late to go back and change. Priceless both to read, and read again.
The one from black Friday last year was longer, but still very catchy and memorable. "When thunder clouds start pouring down, light a fire they can't put out. Carve your name into the shining stars. Go venture far beyond the shores, don't forsake this life of yours, I'll guide you home no matter where you are" She thought back to it whenever she was about to do something she had never done before, and was nervous about. It calmed her like a narcotic.
Two more and she would be too tired to read any more. The one from Halloween was a good one that took her way back. "When you get older, your wild heart will live for younger days. Think of me if ever you're afraid". There was a reason she put it next to the one she got on black Friday.
But which one was last. Which one. All of them were so good but one had to be the one to end a sad, lonely day on. It was a tough choice, but it didn't take long for her to decide that the one from the Saint Valentines day massacre from the year before last year would be best to cheer her up, if only slightly.
This one was special even compared to the other ones. Sour Sweet's eyes closed with a yawn as she used her last ounce of energy to read the sentence even a genius like Einstein would do well to learn. And the message was not even trying to teach a moral, but trying to give a compliment.
"People who don't like you for their own selfish reasons when you did nothing wrong, are selfish freeloaders who would only like you for the services you'd provide for them. In essence they want the good without the bad and you cannot have that. At least in my opinion if you can't stand a person at their worst, you clearly don't deserve them at their best. No one can be happy and calm all the time, and when your friend isn't happy, you should be trying to cheer them up. Friendship is about give and take, and people who don't like you simply because of your changing moods, are selfish and not worth your friendship."
Sour Sweet was too tired today to write anything further in her diary which she kept in another drawer. Perhaps if she did, she would see that on the page a few days ago, she had written a note saying Indigo Zap was still sick and needed a few days to recover, and on another page 2 weeks before that it would say that Indigo Zap had not come to school because of her depression which would take a long time to recover from. But most of all, on the page for yesterday she had scrawled in large, bold yet very messy handwriting "I am afraid I will do something terrible. Someone help me."
Perhaps if the stress of Indigo Zap not being with her had not been so great, she would not have lost her step a few days ago while walking with a blurred vision, which had caused her to fall down a set of stairs and smack her head quiet hard on the ground below. It wasn't fatal and the damage certainly not permanent, it wasn't a major injury. But it wasn't painless either.
Her last thought as sleep came, was that things would have been different at the friendship games if she remembered her pills. Just as her head would not be so painful and her vision so blurred if she remembered her pills today. But these things were hard to remember when she was so busy panicking about the bully who could come for her any day now that Indigo Zap was not here.