//------------------------------// // Shape of Things to Come // Story: As the World Falls Down // by HudsonHawk //------------------------------// "There are changes lying ahead in every road There are new thoughts ready and waiting to explode When tomorrow is today, the bells may toll for some But nothing can change the shape of things to come..." -Max Frost and the Troopers, "Shape of Things to Come" "Silver?" "Yes?" "Why can't you look at me?" It had been ten minutes since Luna had Silver and Sunset deposited in the waiting area of Principal Celestia's office, Babs having been sent home beforehand. In that time sitting on the small bench, Silver had not looked at Sunset once. He had stared at the secretary's desk, the window, the red Swingline stapler on said desk... but not her. "I... I can't..." "Why?" Sunset took Silver's hand, but he still didn't look over. "I've never been more ashamed of myself in my life." Silver said as he looked at the floor. "I never misjudged anyone quite as badly as I did you." "Silver, you had every right to be angry at me." Sunset started. "I didn't give you any reason either to believe me." She put an arm around Silver, her other hand still holding his, and pulled him over to lay his head on her shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. I forgive you too, Silver. I want to try again, if you'll let me." There was silence. A long silence. Then... "They're going to lock me up, aren't they?" Sunset saw tears start forming in Silver's eyes. His breathing grew erratic and stressed. "What? What do you mean?" Sunset asked, confused. "I tried to kill myself... I brought a knife to school... I'm so fucking stupid..." Silver started to rock back and forth, trembling. "They're going to certify me... they're going to lock me away in some asylum like I'm a psycho... like I'm some animal that shouldn't be in public... I don't want to go..." Silver's voice grew lower, almost to a whisper. He was barely holding back his sobs as he pulled his hand away from Sunset's and started to hug himself, shifting away from her to the other end of the bench. "Don't let them lock me away... please... I'm not a psycho..." "Silver..." Sunset started as she attempted to shift closer. "Please don't touch me right now..." Silver said, rocking back and forth with increased frequency, his breaths growing more panicked and now sobbing in earnest. His shaking caused his glasses to fly off, but he didn't care. Sunset was wondering what she could do when the office door opened and Principal Celestia stuck her head outside. "What's going..." Celestia started to ask before she saw Silver rocking, crying and trembling. She immediately rushed outside and knelt in front of Silver. "What's wrong with him, Miss Celestia?" Sunset asked, concerned. "He's having a panic attack, Sunset." Celestia answered, not looking away. "What happened?" "He's afraid that he's going to go to some asylum because of what happened. I tried to help, but he didn't want me to touch him..." "It's not you, Sunset." Celestia said. "It's the attack. Unwelcome touches can make it worse. Does he take any medicine?" "Not that I know of." Sunset replied. "Silver... honey..." Celestia asked, her voice calm and motherly, "...do you have a panic disorder? Do you take medicine for it?" "...no..." Silver got out between sobs. "Okay..." Celestia said. "Breathe. Take a deep breath through your nose..." Silver managed to stop sobbing long enough to take a deep breath. "One... two... three... four... let it out through your mouth." Celestia said softly. Silver did so. "Again. Through your nose... one... two... three... four... exhale... keep going..." Silver's sobs started to subside as he concentrated on controlling his breathing. "Silver, why do you think you're going to be locked up?" "I... I... tried to... kill myself..." "Is it okay if I hold your hand?" Celestia asked. Silver managed to nod in the affirmative as he kept controlling his breathing. Celestia took his hand in hers and held it. "Don't let them take me away..." Silver begged. "Please..." "Silver, honey... shh..." Celestia cooed. "...nobody is going to lock you up." "I... I tried to cut my wrists..." "You made a mistake. You're not crazy. You're not psychotic. You're not dangerous. You're a scared, sad boy who made a mistake." Celestia managed to ease Silver into a hug. "I'm not going to punish you for what happened. I want you to promise me that you'll get help so you won't do this again." Silver weakly returned the hug, still trembling. "I... I promise." Celestia continued. "I do have to inform your parents of what happened..." Silver's eyes widened in fear. "No... please..." Celestia looked him in the eyes. "Why?" She asked, curious. "My mom... she'll have me committed... she won't want a crazy person living with her..." Silver said, hugging tighter. Sunset started to rub Silver's back. Taking his lack of pulling away from her as a good sign, she started to speak. "Silver... I don't think your mom would do that." "Why?" Silver asked, still holding Celestia. "I'll admit, I don't know her, but I think that someone who makes sure that you're fed, clothed, and at school every day wouldn't be the kind of person to lock you away the first chance she got. Since she does all three, I think she'd be the kind to make sure you got better." She ran a hand through his messy brown hair and continued. "Besides, I can see that she raised a caring, sensitive, and good-hearted guy. There's no way she'd shape you into such a genuinely good person and then take everything away from you. She cared enough about you to help you become a good, honest person with a heart of gold. And if she cares about you that much, there's no way she'd do that to you." As she spoke, she walked over to where Silver's glasses lay on the ground and picked them up. "And I have a feeling she cares that much. Because I'd never do that to you... and I care about you, too." Sunset knelt down next to Silver, his glasses in her outstretched hand. Slowly, ever so slowly, Silver reached out and grasped them. He slowly turned his head, finally able to look Sunset in her teal eyes. "Thank you." Silver said, softly. And for the first time in a long while, something wonderful happened. Silver Screen smiled a genuine smile. "Is your mother at home?" Celestia asked as Silver finally let go. "No..." Silver said. "She's at a theater owners' convention in Manehattan until Monday." Celestia frowned. "I'll have to talk to her Monday, then. As promising as this looks right now, I still wouldn't feel right sending you off by yourself." "I understand." Silver said, looking down. "Sunset..." Celestia started. "...do you have any homework this weekend or any plans?" "No, and no." Sunset replied. "Can you take him home and look after him until Monday?" Sunset frowned. "I would, but my car keys disappeared after first period..." "They look like these?" Celestia asked as she produced a set of keys, complete with a red-and-yellow rabbit's foot, from her pocket. "YES!" Sunset said with excitement. "Where'd you find them?" "That's why Miss Luna had to leave you two alone for a bit during detention." Celestia said, stone-faced. "My nephew was caught trying to key her car with them. I guess he figured he'd frame you for it." "Lousy son of a..." Sunset started. "Language, Sunset." Celestia said sternly. "I'm sorry I didn't believe those kids before about how he acted, but I figured my own nephew wouldn't act like that. Don't worry, because he's pulling groundskeeping duty with Mr. Discord all summer, and I'll be keeping a much closer eye on him from now on." "Good to know." Sunset said, then turned to Silver. "Gotta get anything out of your locker?" "Yeah." Silver replied. "Just my backpack." "You'll need this, too." Celestia said, handing Silver his Maltin's Movie Guide. "You left it in detention." "Thank you, Miss Celestia." Silver said, "I'm sorry about all this..." "Silver, you have nothing to be sorry about." Celestia said. "You had a bad run, but I can see that you'll come out of this better than you were. And I know Sunset will make sure of it." Sunset smiled sheepishly at the compliment. "...there's still one thing bugging me..." Silver began. "I brought a knife on campus to slash my own wrists..." "What knife?" Celestia asked, feigning ignorance. Silver, however, didn't catch that. "The one I used to-" "What knife?" Celestia repeated. This time, Silver saw her wink. "Ohhh..." Silver said as he realized before hugging her once again. "Alright, you two, go on home." Celestia said as she broke the hug. "I'll be talking to your mother on Monday, Silver." "Yes, ma'am." Silver replied. "And Sunset... I'm very proud of you." Celestia said, smiling brightly. "Thank you." Sunset said, humbly. "Oh!" "What is it, Sunset?" "I gotta get my bag, too. My locker's over in the next hall. Can I leave you alone for a couple of minutes?" "Sure." "Okay. I'll be back." With that, Sunset quickly walked down the hall and around the corner to the next row of lockers. Silver turned back to his locker and started grabbing what he needed: his backpack, into which he loaded his Maltin guide, and his old Members Only jacket. He shut his locker and turned around... "Leaving so soon?" Silver was roughly shoved against his locker, dropping his bag and his jacket. Two arms pinned his to the row of lockers behind him. Silver looked up to see the furious, beanie-clad face of Blueblood. "I was hoping I'd find that bitch Sunset here so I could take out some frustration... but then I remembered... I owe you some broken teeth for what you did to me." Silver struggled to break free as Blueblood pulled back for the first punch in the mouth. Silver shut his eyes and mentally braced himself for the incoming pain... And braced... And... braced...? Silver opened his eyes. Blueblood was frozen in place, with a shocked look on his face. His head was turned to see a very pissed-off Sunset behind him, her hand having caught Blueblood's fist in mid-swing. "You need to relieve some frustration, creep?" Sunset said, seething. "Then either use a punching bag or buy some hand lotion. You touch him again, and I'll kick your ass." Blueblood turned around to face Sunset, his fist still in her hand. His other released Silver. He smiled an arrogant shit-eating grin. "Well... if it isn't the former queen bitch." "Three words, Blueblood: Under. My. Protection." Blueblood pulled his fist away from her. "You don't scare me, not anymore. Not since you lost your edge." "Is that what you call it?" Sunset asked. "You call being a bully and a prick 'having an edge?'" "It means we were better than anyone at this school. We never asked, we took. We had our fun with whoever we wanted whenever we wanted. We were superior... well, I am still, at least." "Superior? YOU'RE superior?" Sunset shook her head in disbelief. "You'll never get it, Blueblood. It's the strength of your character and the size of your heart that makes one great... six girls taught me that... and as far as I'm concerned, that boy you were about to punch is better than you'll ever be." Silver blushed slightly. "That nothing needs to learn his place, and apparently, so do you..." Blueblood started toward Sunset, his eyes radiating pure malice. "DAAAGHHH!" It was then that Sunset let her knee be the judge and drove it into Blueblood's tallywhacker. Blueblood staggered back, clutching his testicles in pain. "You... BITCH!" His arms shot out and shoved Sunset as hard as he could against the locker. Sunset groaned in pain as she hit her funny bone against the locker along with the back of her head. Blueblood laughed, but didn't see Silver behind him, fuming. He grit his teeth hard, he balled his hands into white-knuckled fists... "Through dangers untold... and hardships unnumbered..." Silver began, his voice taking on a sinister tone. Blueblood whirled around "Shut up, twerp!" "...I have fought my way here to the castle; beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you have stolen..." "I said, shut up!" Sunset looked at Silver in confusion. "My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great..." "Stop it, freak, or you'll be sorry." "My kingdom as great... my kingdom as great... damn, I can never remember that line." Silver looked Blueblood right in the eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Silver finally got into Blueblood's scared face, and said to it the words he always wanted to say. "You have no power over me!" In one quick movement, Silver grabbed the beanie on Blueblood's head. Before Blueblood could stop him, Silver yanked the cap off. Sunset was first stunned by what she saw, then started snickering. Where once there had been long, flowing blonde hair, Blueblood was as bald as a baby's ass. "So... heh heh... trying out the Jason Statham look, BB?" Sunset said, failing in her struggle to not laugh. "Shut up-" Blueblood started. "Or what, you'll use your phaser on me, Captain Picard?" "He looks more like Lawrence Tierney." Silver said, tossing the beanie to Sunset. "Give it here, Sunset." Blueblood said. "Or what, Bruce Willis? You gonna grow hair?" Sunset said, tossing the beanie back to Silver. "Come and get it, Kojak!" Silver said. As Blueblood went for it, he frisbeed it to Sunset. "Over here, Howie Mandel!" "Give it back!" Sunset underhand tossed the beanie to Silver. "Amazing." Silver said. "Patrick Stewart here is really good at dishing out abuse, but when it comes to taking it..." "You don't give it here, freak, I'm gonna beat the piss out of you." Blueblood said, seething. "I know you're not, Blueblood." Sunset said. "You're not going to do it because he's not afraid of you anymore. You pick on those who don't fight back, like the coward you are. But you know what? Silver's the first victim to stand up to you, and he damn well won't be the last." Silver tossed the beanie to Blueblood, who eagerly put it on. "Is THAT what I was afraid of?" Silver said in defiance as he picked up his backpack and jacket. "By the way, I heard you're going to be pulling groundskeeping duty this summer." Silver said. "All I can say is... good luck... Mr. Clean!" Silver started snickering as Sunset threw her arm around him, laughing loudly. The two of them walked through the doors of Canterlot High... enemies no more.