Consequences

by shallow15


Regrouping, Reassessing, and Regret

Tempest mused to herself as she drove back to her hotel. Despite a rocky start at the school, and the consistent calls from the director, the day had been productive. Several leads checked out, some samples for the lab, and then there was Adagio and her friends.

They know more about what's going on around here than they're telling. They were right in the middle of it at one point.

Adagio had asked for time to consider. Tempest had considered declining, but agreed to twenty-four hours. Aria was being stubborn, and the STORM agent knew the girl would be more likely to change her mind if she wasn't around. She had gotten Adagio to agree to meet her at the coffee shop in town the next day to get her answer. The meeting was scheduled for late afternoon, so Tempest turned her attention to her other lines of investigation.

I need to talk to that clerk at the mall tomorrow. And while I'm there, I should swing into the movie theater looking for Juniper Montage. Even if she doesn't work there anymore, someone might know where I can find her.

A grin slowly spread across her face as another idea came to her. Rarity. Her parents should be home this weekend. I might be able to get to the bottom of this without having to deal with the damn principal. Yes, that should--

“SHIT!” she yelped. Her feet slammed on the brakes, bringing her car to a screeching halt. Something darted out of the trees lining the road, right in front of her. Her seat belt locked painfully against her chest, knocking the wind out of her. She braced herself with her arms and barely managed to keep from banging her head on the steering wheel.

She looked up and stared. Caught in the headlights were four teenage girls. Four teenage girls she recognized from the Chance to Prance video. A purple girl with glasses and a pony tail. A yellow girl with long pink hair. A blue girl with a shocking head of rainbow hair.

And the pink girl. Tempest grinned. Now what are you doing out here at this hour?

Before she could get out of the car to talk to them, the four girls bolted across the street and into the trees. Tempest quickly got out of the car, trying to track them. She heard laughter in the trees but they had vanished into the shadows. She snorted and got back into the car.

There's no good reason those girls should be out here, she thought. Something's going on.

She put the car back in gear and headed down the road towards the center of the city.


“Stop yelling at me!” Twilight Sparkle yelled at Sunset Shimmer.

“I'm not yelling at you!” Sunset Shimmer yelled back. “I just want to know why in Celestia's name you would do something so mindboggingly dangerous and stupid!”

“You were paying a visit to a crime boss!” Twilight's fists clenched at her sides. “How is that any less dangerous and stupid that what we were doing?!”

“She does have a point, Sunset,” said Pinkie Pie, from where she was sitting on the couch between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“Stay out of this, Pinkie!” Both girls shouted. Sunset turned back to Twilight.

“I knew what I was getting into! I had a plan! We weren't in any real danger! You, however, not only risked your life, but their lives as well!” Sunset swept her arm in the direction of their friends.

“Sunset,” Applejack frowned, a warning note in her voice. But the redhead was too far gone in her rant.

“You get so caught up in trying to figure out what's going on that you don't think about anyone's safety, not even your own! This is the Friendship Games all over again!”

The other girls let out a gasp. Twilight's eyebrows shot up. Sunset's brain caught up to what had just come out of her mouth and she slapped her hands over it briefly before holding them out toward Twilight.

“Twilight... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean it!”

Twilight stared at her, her eyes watering. She turned away and began heading for the door. “I'm going home. Fluttershy, can you give me a ride?”

“Um, I can,” said Fluttershy. “But don't you think... ?”

“Thank you. I'll be in the car.” Twilight went to the front door and left. Sunset slumped into a chair, burying her face in her hands. Fluttershy got to her feet.

“I guess I'll go take Twilight home.” She walked over and touched Sunset's shoulder. Sunset looked up, her face haggard. “It'll be okay, Sunset. She knows you didn't mean it.”

Sunset nodded, then looked back at the floor. Rainbow Dash stood up and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah... I think I'm head home too. Think you can give me a lift as well, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded and the two girls made their goodbyes and left. A few moments later, they heard the car start up outside and drive off. Pinkie and Applejack looked at each other, then back at Sunset, who hadn't moved.

“Figure we probably oughta go too,” said Applejack. She walked over and touched Sunset's shoulder. “C'mon, sugarcube, it's been a bad night for all of us. A good night's sleep and we can figure out where to go from here.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie said. “I'm sure Twilgiht will be fine and totally not emotionally scarred by the fight you just had and you'll be able to work it out just fine!”

Sunset groaned and got to her feet. “I need to use the bathroom. I'll be out in a minute, Applejack.”

Applejack and Pinkie watched her head down the hall. Pinkie looked over at Applejack.

“It is going to be okay, isn't it, Applejack?”

“I hope so, Pinkie,” Applejack sighed. “I really do, 'cause I gotta bad feelin' about this whole thing.”


Sunset splashed water on her face and turned the faucet off. She braced herself on the sink and took a deep breath. She turned and dried her face on the towel hanging from the rack. She turned back to the large mirror above the sink. Her expression hardened as she looked at the clothes she was wearing. The old clothes. The clothes of the old Sunset. The Sunset she hated. The Sunset she thought she had forgiven during her time in the coma. The Sunset who, no matter how hard she tried, still kept coming out at the worst times.

Sunset's fist clenched at her side. She brought it up and pulled it back. She glared at her hated reflection, felt the anger rushing through her veins, and let the punch fly.

She let out a grunt of pain as it smashed into the side of her face. She pulled her arm back and punched herself again, relishing the the pain that flowed through her jaw. She took another deep breath, checked her face for any signs of bruising, nodded when she saw nothing but a little reddening of the skin, and left the bathroom.