//------------------------------//
// Little Beeps and Hanging Blood 
// Story: Twilight Sparkle Was Shot 
// by Coyote de La Mancha 
//------------------------------//

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…
It was hard just keeping her eyes open. Impossible, even. Was that her alarm? She needed to get up. Running late for school. Was she hung over? Maybe she was still drunk? Strange, she didn’t remember drinking anything.
Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…
She had been going to fix breakfast for Sunny today. Wait. Was she? What day was it? 
“Twilight?”
Twilight frowned a little. Mom? What was she doing here? It felt like she was wrapped in the world’s most massive, warm, fluffy blanket. Somewhere past the blanket, there was a little discomfort in her stomach, but somehow she didn’t care. She tried to sit up, but nothing happened. Why couldn’t she move?
Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…
She got her eyes open again, kind of. The ceiling was bright, white, and had fluorescent lighting. Huh. Weird. 
Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…
“Somebuddy turnov th’ alrm,” she mumbled.
“Honey?” her mother said. “It’s Mom. And your Dad. And Sunset is here. She’s been with you the whole time.”
“Course she was. How’d you know?” Twilight managed to shift her half-focused eyes over to her right, saw a crimson IV bag and some blurry device beyond it. Hanging blood. She remembered reading that whole blood in an IV bag was called hanging blood. Huh. What a weird name. Past all that, the open window showed the blackness of night outside.
“Hey,” Sunset’s voice was strained. “Hey, beautiful. Can you hear me?”
Twilight blinked and looked to the left where the people were, clearing more of the fuzz out from her head. 
“We were at the mall,” she said. “We were eating. And I saw…” Her frown was incredulous. “She shot me.”
Sunset bit her lower lip, hands on her lover’s arm, fighting back tears.
“Weird,” murmured Twilight. “But it wasn’t… you know,” she sighed, looking at Sunset. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Tears streamed down Sunset’s face. She put a gentle hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “I thought I’d lost you,” she said, her closed throat reducing her voice to a whisper.
Twilight managed a smile and wormed her arm out from Sunset’s other hand enough to reach for her face. Sunset leaned forward a little, and Twilight cupped her cheek as she managed an exhausted smile. 
“Not getting rid of me that easily,” she said.
“The doctors say you’ll be fine,” her father said. “Just get some rest. One of us will always be here.”
“I’m all over it.” She thought for a moment. “So, where was I hit?”
Sunset and Night Light shared helpless glances. Of course she would ask.
Her mother answered, “The abdomen. Through the side. It went into your upper intestine, but it’s out now. It never went near your spine, and the doctors say you should have a speedy recovery. So don’t worry, okay?”
“Right or left side?”
Velvet looked to her husband and Sunset.
“Right,” said Sunset.
Twilight seemed to process this. “That’d avoid th’ abdominal aorta ‘n’ keep bleedout dangers to a min… imum,” She said sleepily. “And th’ ovaries, I think. Tha’s good.” She smiled at Sunset. “Wanna have kids someday.”
Then, her eyes closed, smiling. Her breathing became deeper, more regular. 
Sunset made a sound, almost like a cough. Then, the tears she had been holding in for so many hours finally burst forth. She covered her face with her hands while she sobbed uncontrollably, in part from sheer relief. It took several moments for her to register that Night Light had put his arm around her, and turn to bury her face in his shoulder.





The rest of the Rainbooms were in the waiting room, looking almost as exhausted as Sunset herself. Surprisingly, Celestia and Luna were there as well. Well, maybe it’s not that big a surprise, Sunset thought. Sirens, the Friendship Games, not to mention the Fall Formal and the months that followed… It’s not like we’ve exactly been normal students.
“She was awake for a minute. Not long, but… she’s going to be okay,” she said.
There was a flurry of relieved sighs and grateful hugs.
After a few minutes, the Vice Principal put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “May I borrow you for a moment?”
Sunset smiled at the inevitable. “Sure.”
Together, they went to the nearby chapel. Luna closed the door after them.
“And how are you holding up?” Luna asked as she embraced her. 
Sunset nodded. “Getting there.”
Luna nodded as well. “Good. Look, I know you’re tough. Nobody’s doubting that. But… please call us, alright?” she said quietly. “Keep us posted? Just what’s going on, and that you’re still basically okay. And let me know if there’s anything I can do, or you just want to talk. About anything.”
“I will.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Vice Principal Luna doubled as Canterlot High’s counselor. Sunset had always been more at ease with her when she’d first started at CU, since Luna hadn’t reminded her of her old mentor. And after the Formal, Luna had helped her through a lot of the worst times. Sunset had no intention of sharing a damned thing with her about what was coming, of course. But still, the older woman genuinely cared, and dialing her number was the least Sunset could do.
Luna seemed to sense at least part of Sunset’s decision. She sighed as they pulled apart, smoothing out Sunset’s hair. “You take so much onto yourself. This wasn’t your fault. None of it.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “This your idea of pep talk?”
“For anyone else? No. For you?” The woman shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re a very unusual person, Sunset. You’re more sophisticated, in many ways, than anyone your age should be. You’ve had experiences that are unique this side of that magic portal of yours.” Her eyes pleaded. “But you’re still eighteen. And nothing you’ve done, in either world, has prepared you for this.”
“It’s cool. I’ve got this.”
Luna’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Alright. Just, let me ask one last thing?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve studied a little psychology. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what you’re going through right now. So please, don’t make any major decisions while you’re feeling like this. Give yourself a year before changing any plans. At least.”
Sunset shook her head, feeling her mask starting to crack. “I told you, I’ve got this.”
Luna grimaced. 
The girl before her managed a knowing smile, crossing her arms as she leaned on the wall. “So, is this the part where you drop the conversation to avoid turning it into a conflict?”
Luna ran her hand through her hair, looking down. “Actually, I was going to remind you that my sister and I are your friends. You have our numbers, and there is no such thing as a bad time to call. School hours, three a.m., whatever. It doesn’t matter.” She looked over her glasses at her student. “Because we give a damn about you, and we love you. Fair enough?”
Sunset sniffled as she pushed away from the wall. “Dammit, I was done doing this…”
Luna hugged her fiercely, and Sunset clung to her for several minutes. 
“You know, you’re really good,” Sunset teased.
And, still embracing, they both laughed through their tears.





There were more farewell hugs exchanged between the Rainbooms and the sisters – especially between Sunset and Celestia – and the six friends soon found themselves at Sunset’s place. 
The living room, always a welcoming hangout before, now seemed full of shadows. Fluttershy turned on all the downstairs lights, even the bathroom. It didn’t help much. Sunset watched them from the base of the stairs as they spread around, arranged themselves as they had in the past. Only now, there was no talking, no smiles. 
No Twilight.
Sunset cleared her throat. “Um, you guys aren’t planning on staying here all night, are you?”
The five girls glanced at one another.
“Maybe kinda,” Applejack admitted.
“Look, guys, I’m not going to be good company,” Sunset said, putting out her hands to ward off the idea. “Seriously. My company is going to be for shit, and I don’t want to be comforted. I’m feeling, like, a major bitch fit coming on, and I’d rather you guys weren’t in the splash zone.”
“That’s not where we’re heading,” Rainbow said, raiding the fridge for sodas. 
“Oh?”
“You know who did it,” AJ said. “I could see it, when y’all were talkin’ to the cops. You kept it t’yerself. Which means you got a plan.” She crossed her arms. “We want in.”
“Um,” Fluttershy interjected, “to make sure they get turned in to the police, of course.”
Rarity’s eyes narrowed from where she sat, resting her elbows on their customary table. “Speak for yourself, dear. Someone tried to kill Twilight. I, for one, am not terribly picky about what state he ends up in.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow tossed a soda to Pinkie while she pointed around her own “They may have a gun, but we’ve got magic. Why risk cops getting shot? I can outrun anything they’ve got, Rarity’s got shields—” 
“I got a cousin runs a pig farm,” Applejack supplied, “nobody’d find the body.”
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. “I was thinking more of your super strength, but yeah, that too.”
Fluttershy stared at them, aghast. “Girls, what are you saying? This isn’t what our magic is for! It’s for helping people!”
“Um, yeah, I hate to bust this particular bubble, Fluttershy,” Pinkie observed after drinking, “But my magic blows stuff up…?”
Fluttershy frowned, hands on her hips. “That doesn’t make it a weapon!”
Pinkie slammed her half-empty can on the table. “And it doesn’t not make it a weapon!”
“Okay, stop!” Sunset stepped forward. “Just… just stop. I… I can’t…” She took a moment, waved her concerned friends away. She’d shed enough tears for awhile. She took a deep breath, grabbed the pain with her mind, and with practiced ease sealed it into a tightly locked box to deal with later.
She cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said, her breathing normal again. “No. No to everything you all just said. No to all your plans. No to all your ideas. And no to however you think you’re going to help.” Her face was grim. “None of you need this. This isn’t a movie or a video game. This. Is. Real.”
“No disrespect, but we’ve done real,” Applejack pointed out. “Coupla times. You were there.”
“This is different.” Sunset made it a point to make eye contact with each of them as she continued, “Never mind that I was trained to fight in ways you weren’t, to deal with monsters and other threats. Never mind that I was raised with the idea that I might have to kill sentient beings, for any number of reasons, and you weren’t. Never mind that you could fucking die because you hesitated at the wrong time, and your enemy didn’t!” 
The room was silent.
“This is a dark place I’m going, and there’s no getting out,” she said flatly. “It’s not some pony-up band battle, or an impromptu magical rescue mission. This is the kind of shit that stays with you. It’s a mark on your soul that never goes away. And I’m not dragging you down with me.”    
“No, you’re not,” Applejack agreed.
“We’re going with you voluntarily,” said Rarity.
“Or we could just follow you,” Pinkie suggested hopefully.
“You’re not getting rid of us,” Rainbow pointed out. “You can’t. Besides, she’s our friend, too.”
“I’m in, too,” Fluttershy sighed. “Sunset’s right. None of us need to go where this is heading.” She looked pointedly at Sunset. “Any of us. But if I’m there, I can help make sure none of you get hurt, and maybe help you see reason before it’s too late.”
“Not gonna happen, sugar cube.”
Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed in determination. “Then whatever your fate, I will share it with you.”
“You really want that?” Sunset demanded. “You really want every day, having your own reflection looking back at you, reminding you of what you’ve done? Because I don’t want that for you!”
“If we were to allow you to perform this deed alone, my dear,” Rarity said softly, “We would have that anyway.”
Sunset looked over them all. Every one of them, equally unwavering. If she had to lay siege to Tartarus itself, the only one she’d rather have by her side than these girls was in a hospital bed. And with everything the seven of them had been through…
And just how would she shake them, anyway? She couldn’t outrun Rainbow, even in a car. All the animals in the world were Fluttershy’s spies. And even if Sunset did somehow outmaneuver them both, Pinkie Pie’s ‘guesses’ tended to be supernaturally accurate.
“Shit.” 
She stared at the ceiling, feeling her eyes start to leak again. Within her mind, her love for her friends, her desire to protect them, and her resentment towards them all raged against one another. 
“God damn it. God damn it.”
And surging through it all, fueling every neuron as they surged, was the fear and hate she’d been nursing since the previous afternoon when that single shot had been fired.
“Okay,” she acknowledged at last. “Okay. I guess we all have a right to revenge. And I know I can’t fucking stop you. Because make no mistake, if I thought for one second I could, I absolutely fucking would.” She took in another big breath, and let it out. “I think you’re all making a huge mistake, and I still don’t want you fucking involved. But okay. We do this together.”
“Tomorrow.” Fluttershy addressed them all sternly. “My first act to keep all of you from getting hurt or killed, and hopefully get you to see sanity again, is to point out that we’re all too exhausted for any of this. We’re not doing Twilight any good if we get shot ourselves. We get sleep first. And then we do whatever we do next.” She turned to Sunset. “Arguments?”
Sunset grimaced. “Okay. Logical. We sleep.” She turned, started up the stairs. “Then we find the bitch. And we fucking make her pay.”
“Um, quick question,” AJ interjected. “Who’re we after? You see her face?”
“Yeah, was it one of the Sirens?” asked Rainbow Dash. 
Sunset stopped. “No. And yeah, I saw her face.”
Rarity frowned. “And you recognized her, correct?”
Sunset’s expression was stone when she turned to face them again. “Hard not to,” she said quietly. “It was my face.”
Then she turned away from her friends, and ascended into darkness.