"Please say your name for the record," Garda said.
"Cecil Sandalwood," Sandalwood muttered nervously. "I normally go by Sandalwood."
"OK Sandalwood," Garda said. He then dropped the shawl on the table. "Does this look familiar to you."
"I've never seen that in my life," Sandalwood protested. Garda pulled out the poster.
"But we did find one of your postahs in it," he said, flashing the piece of evidence in front of him. Garda suppressed a smirk as the green-haired kid began to shake with fear.
"M-maybe it was, um, planted there," Sandalwood muttered nervously.
"That is a possibility," Officer Garda said. "Or you could've left it in there by mistake!"
"Yes," Sandalwood said. His mouth dropped when he realized what he just said.
"So you did leave it in there," Officer Garda said, this time, not hiding his smirk.
"I didn't," the boy stammered.
"You said 'yes'," Officer Garda almost gloated.
"I was just...nervous," Sandalwood looking down.
"Why would you need to be nervous," Officer Garda said, "I don't hate you, Sandalwood. I'm your friend here."
"You're accusing me of something I didn't do," Sandalwood said bitterly.
"I never accused you," Officer Garda said. "I merely said you are a suspect."
"How can I be," Sandalwood protested, "I'm all about peace and love."
"Well, you do have a motive," Officer Garda said. "I was told how Sunset Shimmer sabotaged one of your clubs by framing you for stealing instruments."
"Yeah, it was an uncool thing for Sunset to do," Sandalwood admitted, " and I was a bit peeved, but I never wanted her dead over it. I see that Sunset's cool now."
"But you did pour soda over her, on November 2, between 12:00PM and 1PM," Officer Garda replied. "Something other people witnessed."
"It was an accident," Sandalwood said. "Someone, or something, shoved me and it fell on Sunset."
"Or you could've poured it on her to get her to go to the bathroom," Officer Garda surmised, "where you were prepared to knock her lights out and drown her."
Sandalwood watched with a vicious smile as Sunset left the cafeteria to go get cleaned up. His face brimming with satisfaction, Sandalwood followed her into the bathroom, clad in a mask and a shawl, his smile revealing he was eager for some retribution.
"Sounds like the perfect crime to me," Officer Garda observed. "What were you doing when Sunset was being drowned?"
"Having lunch with my hombres, of course," Sandalwood said. Officer Garda jotted things down.
"Apple Bloom told me you were asking about her school schedule on November 5, around 9:00 AM," Officer Garda said. "And she shooed you away."
"What does that mean?" Sandalwood said.
"You could've been trying to get information on Sunset," Garda said. "However, you were frustrated that the Apple family was getting in your way, and so you took out the only obstacle to getting that information and getting revenge. Namely Jacqueline Smith, aka Applejack."
"Wow, that's weird," Sandalwood said.
"What's weird?" Officer Garda asked. "My conclusion?"
"I didn't know Applejack had two names," Sandalwood said with a goofy smile. Officer Garda sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Why were you asking for her schedule?" Officer Garda asked Sandalwood.
"Oh that," Sandalwood said sheepishly. "I lost my science textbook. I knew I had it in one of the classes I take with Sunset, but I was trying to remember which one, so that's why I asked for it."
"What class did you find it in?" Officer Garda said.
"Art 202 with Professor Canvas," Sandalwood said.
"And you share that class with Sunset?"
"Yes," Sandalwood said.
"Fine," Officer Garda said, "let me just call your teacher to confirm it." After a minute, Garda confirmed it. Sandalwood was allowed to leave.
"OK, son, you can leave," Officer Garda said.
"Really?"
"I don't have any hard evidence," Officer Garda said,"yet. So there is no point in keeping you around."
Sandalwood came out of the room feeling good. His good feeling soon died, as everyone kept staring at him with a nervous expression.
"Why are you guys staring at me?" Sandalwood asked. Everyone still eyed him suspiciously. "I didn't do it." He looked to Bon Bon with some hope. "You believe me, don't you Bonnie?"
"Yeah," Bon Bon said with a fake smile and a wooden tone. "Sorry," she said with shifty eyes, "I actually have to be over... there."
"Bon Bon, dude," Sandalwood said sadly, "I swear it wasn't me."
"I know," Bon Bon said in a falsely sweet tone, backing away slowly from the tall nature lover. "I just got to be...somewhere else." Sandalwood watched with more than a bit of pain as Bon Bon pretty much ran away from him. His hurt only grew as he saw everyone continued to give him suspicious looks and fearful faces.
"Well, well, well, time to disinfect my skin of potentially lethal microbes," Micro Chips said as he walked into the boy's bathroom. He heard the sound of flushing as he walked in. As he washed his hands, he noticed the sound of flushing happened several times. He knew what that meant. Someone was crying in the bathroom and didn't want anyone to know. He looked down and noticed the brown shoes in one of the stalls, and realized who it was.
"Sandalwood," Micro Chips said. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm not dude," Sandalwood said in a hoarse voice. "I'm just...thinking about all the endangered animals."
"Sandalwood," Micro said in a soft voice, "I'm your friend. You can talk to me." After a moment of hesitation, Sandalwood came out of the bathroom. Micro Chips' jaw dropped in horror. He usually cheerful friend looked utterly miserable. No broken.
"Sandalwood, what happened?" Micro Chips said.
"Everyone thinks I did it." Sandalwood said.
"Did what?"
"Tried to kill Sunset," Sandalwood said.
"That's crazy," Micro Chips said with a smile, "you wouldn't even hurt a-,"
"Everyone is staring at me like a monster," Sandalwood said miserably, "Bon Bon was treating me like some plague, everyone was trying to move their desks away from me in Mr. Cranky's class, this one girl who I was trying to get to sign a "Save the Tigers" petition asked me if I was gonna kill her if I didn't sign-," Sandalwood began whimpering and started breaking into tears again.
"I didn't do it," Sandalwood said in between sobs. "I didn't do it, and almost no one will believe me."
"Don't worry buddy," Micro Chips said, putting a comforting shoulder on his sobbing friend. "I'm sure when they catch the guy, the rumor will go away." Sandalwood continued to bawl. "How about this. Tonight we'll go to that vegan place you love so much."
Sunset and her friends were enjoying a genial lunch together in the cafeteria, when suddenly a pair of blue hands swiped Sunset's lunch off the table.
Sunset looked up and saw an unusually angry Micro Chips glaring at her.
"What did I do?"
"Sandalwood is hiding in the bathroom, and it's all your fault," Micro said.
"What?" Fluttershy asked, her voice quivering.
"Sandalwood is unhappy?" Pinkie Pie asked with concern.
"How's it my fault?" Sunset asked.
"Everyone thinks he's the psycho you brought to the school," Micro said. Sunset flinched at his earlier words. "Even when you aren't causing trouble, you still hurt everyone!"
"OK Micro," Rainbow said. "I know Sunset was a jerk, but you're taking this too far."
"Please be reasonable," Rarity admonished. "I'm upset about what's happened but we can't-,"
"If you just told her to leave, then we wouldn't be having this problem," Micro yelled. "But you idiots just had to keep her around just for your stupid egos?"
"Don't tell us who we can hang out with," Rainbow said, her voice getting a dangerous edge. "Sunset's our friend now!"
"Maybe Applejack wouldn't be in the hospital if you told the little putz to scram." Sunset started tearing up at that.
"What did you say!" Rainbow said, rising from her chair. "Don't you dare bring Applejack into this!" Before Micro Chips could respond, someone else stepped into the fiasco.
"L-l-leave S-sunset al-lone," Quick said, striding up to Micro Chips. The short 13 year old was glaring defiantly at the computer nerd.
"Oh," Micro said, standing condescendingly over the short track runner. "Does the d-d-d-dwarf who can't finish a sentence have something to say," Micro Chips said, mocking the stammering short kid. Quick's bravado faded, and he looked down in shame.
Rainbow's face twisted in disgust at Micro Chips mistreatment of Quick. Rainbow was about to rise before she was once again beaten to the punch by someone tall, red, and angry.
"What did you say to Quick?" Twinkle Toes asked, his voice full of strained patience. Micro's bravado died, as Twinkle Toe's angry eyes seemed to burn through his very soul. Micro whimpered when he noticed the rest of the track team giving him angry looks too. He was utterly quiet with fear.
"What happened?" Twinkle Toes said sarcastically, crossing his muscular arms. "You were throwing all that shade a minute ago." Micro looked around and noticed everyone staring at him. "Did your balls just go away when someone stronger than you shows up."
"I-," Micro said.
"How dare you make fun of Short Stack," Twinkle Toes admonished in quiet but furious voice. "How dare you blame Sunset for everything? She's been through enough already."
"Oh that's rich coming from you," Micro Chips said with a sneer, "you and your buddies were the ones hurting Sunset the most."
"Yeah, your right," Twinkle Toes said with some shame. "We were acting like assholes to her. But then she made up what she did by letting herself get soaked. You threw cake at her. You got your revenge. Why can't you give her a chance?"
"Because she humiliated me!" Micro screamed. Micro's anger made Sunset hide under the table. "And nearly made me a pariah."
"And you humiliated Quick," Twinkle Toes threw back. "You think he hasn't already been made fun of for how he looks and talks?" Micro Chips looked back at the nervous newcomer, saw his downcast expression, and felt shame flood through his body. "You call Sunset out for being a bully. But right now, the only bully is you."
"Your right," Micro Chips said, sounding honestly remorseful. He turned to Quick with a sad face. "I'm sorry Quick. I was out of line."
"Its OK," Quick said, looking at Micro with a reassuring smile.
"Ahem," Rainbow said, gesturing to a nervous Sunset. Micro let out a sad sigh.
"I'm sorry Sunset," Micro said, albeit more reluctantly. "It is just...Gilda got hurt, and now Sandalwood is hiding in the bathroom, and-"
"I know," Sunset said empathetically. "You're scared. I wish I could take it all back. I really do."
"But being scared doesn't give us a right to hurt each other," Twinkle Toes said, his voice becoming loud enough for everyone to hear. "You can't just accuse other people of something they didn't do either. You have no right to blame Sandalwood without definitive proof. This isn't the way we deal with our fear. We're only tearing ourselves apart. When we tear each other apart, we let the other side win. Some of you may not like Sunset, but the more you let your anger control you, the more power you give this monster, and the more he'll keep doing it. We don't win by hurting each other. We win by working together. When we stand together, we can show this creep that us Wondercolts can never be defeated!"
"He's right!" Bulk Biceps said, rising from his chair. "Are we a bunch of idiots?!"
"Of course we are!" said one random student. Everyone had a good laugh.
"But are we the idiots who will let nothing bring us down!" Bulk Biceps said.
"Yeah!"
"I can't hear you!"
"YEAH!"
"One more time!"
"YEEAAAHHHH!"
"Alright, just checking," the white muscular teenager said.
"I do owe you for how I acted Quick," Micro said. He took out a pen and paper and wrote a number down. "I'm taking Sandalwood out to eat. Do you want to join us?"
"Sure," Quick said, sounding honestly grateful. "Don't worry about it."
"See," Twinkle Toes said to Micro. "Isn't this better than being an angry idiot?"
"Yeah," Micro said, sounding relieved. "Your right it does."
"Even though you threw cake at me, I still owe you," Sunset said.
"Why don't we talk about it tomorrow," Micro said. "I've got to each lunch."
"Sure," Sunset said. "I'd like that."
"And I've got to plan Sandalwood a nice 'cheering up' party," Pinkie Pie said happily. After a few moments, everything calmed down. Sunset watched as Quick and Twinkle Toes returned to their seats. Just a few weeks ago, Twinkle Toe had been mercilessly bullying Sunset. But now he had saved her and maturely defused the tense situation. For some reason, Sunset couldn't pull her eyes away from the red-skinned athlete.
Sunset began getting ready to go home. Since her motorcycle was still being repaired, she was relying on the Big Mac to drive her home. As she walked into the parking lot, she came across something really upsetting.
She saw exhaust coming from the hood of Big Mac's truck.
"What happened?" Sunset asked Big Macintosh.
"Engine burned up," Big Macintosh said stoically.
"You can't get it fixed today," Sunset asked.
"Nope," Big Macintosh said. "I'm gonna call mah cousin Turnip to pick us up," he said, pulling out his cellphone.
"Where's Apple Bloom," Sunset said.
"Hanging out with her friends at Sweetie's house," Big Mac said as he called his cousin. Sunset silently waited while the phone went through.
"Hey Sunset," a voice said. Sunset turned around and saw Twinkle Toes approaching her. The athlete was wearing a green coat over his body.
"Hey Twinkle Toes," Sunset said. "How's it going?"
"Good," Twinkle Toes said. "How's it going with you?"
"Better," Sunset said. "I mean, you stood up for me. Thanks."
"I mean, you've...had it rough," Twinkle Toes said.
"I guess," Sunset said with a sigh.
"Anyways," Twinkle Toes continued, "There's this café over by Carriage Street. I was wondering if I could treat you."
"Me?"
"Well, if you don't want to," Twinkle Toes said nervously, "its fine, you know." Sunset glanced at Big Mac's totaled truck and back at Twinkle Toes. "I just figured you need a break."
"Sure, that sounds fine," Sunset said.
"Why did you stand up for me?" Sunset said. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Twinkle's used red sedan. To her surprise, the 16 year old kept his car clean, unlike most boys his age. "I already paid you back."
"Well, it is partly that," Twinkle Toe said.
"What's the other part," Sunset said.
"I didn't appreciate Micro talking that way about Quick," Twinkle Toes said, his face still growling with rage. "And...I wanted to make up for how we treated you."
"You don't have to make anything up to me," Sunset said in a reassuring tone. "I kind of deserved it."
"You didn't deserve to have paint thrown at you," Twinkle Toes said. "Especially during your community service. The fact that you were doing that hard work should've told me you weren't a mean bitch anymore. But we-I was so angry-,"
"Look, its water under the bridge," Sunset said reassuringly. "You've more than made it up to me with how you acted today."
"The other thing was....Officer Garda telling us we were no better than that nut," Twinkle Toe's said with a frown. "I think that...maybe we made that monster, by acting the way we did."
"Well, I probably provoked him somehow," Sunset said. "So I think I helped make that monster in one way too."
"Yeah well," Twinkle began, before seeing the café he wanted to go to. He closed his mouth and pulled in.
"I can't wait to see what's on the menu," Sunset said, getting out of the car. Unbeknownst to her, Twinkle Toes began to narrow his eyes as he stepped out of the car.
"So do you know what you want to order," Sunset said. She turned around, and to her horror, she saw Twinkle Toes pointing a gun at her.
"Don't move," he said forcefully, a serious look in his eyes. Sunset gasped.
"Twinkle please," Sunset said, feeling a mixture of fear, anger, and betrayal.
"Hold still," Twinkle said, aiming the gun at her. Time seemed to slow down. Sunset's life began flashing before her eyes. Her time as Celestia's student, her betrayal, her flight to Terra Prime, her rise to becoming Queen Bee, her brutal defeat, her brutal community service, her newfound friendship with Applejack, at her attempt at making amends at CHS, and her torment by some mysterious sadist.
In the final milliseconds, she reflected on her hopes that today, she would final bury the hatchet with someone else. Her last thought was that maybe she hoped for too much.
BANG!
Sunset closed her eyes, waiting for the pain of the bullet to reach her. After a few moments, she neither the pain nor the impact of the bullet. She sat in a blur for a few minutes, only hearing someone saying over and over "I got it."
After a moment, she saw Twinkle Toes standing to her right, looking pleased.
"I got it," Twinkle Toes said again. Sunset looked at him in confusion.
"What did you get?" Sunset said.
"The racoon that was about to bite you," Twinkle Toes said. Sunset felt a headache forming in her brain.
"Racoon?" Sunset stared down and saw a racoon lying unconscious on the ground.
"Yeah it was about to bite you," Twinkle Toes said, a proud smile on his face. "It is a good thing tranquilizer gun."
"Tranquilizer gun," Sunset parroted, her brain going numb as her headache became a stroke, seeing the dart in the unconscious racoon.
"Yeah, pretty clever," Twinkle Toes continued. "Anyways, let's go-," he felt himself being roughly shoved by Sunset.
"YOU IDIOT!" Sunset Shimmer yelled.
"What?"
"What?! What?!" Sunset Shimmer yelled incredulously. He grabbed Twinkle Toes by his jacket. "You pointed a gun at me, when there is someone trying to kill me. What did you thinkI was gonna do?!"
"You really think I was gonna shoot you?!" Twinkle Toes yelled. "After all the shit you pulled, don't you think I would've done it already."
"Oh yeah, I should be thankful for that," Sunset Shimmer yelled. "One should expect that the person treating you should have the common sense to give me a heads up before they pull out a pistol."
"I didn't want to startle the racoon."
"You startled me!"
"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. The two turned to see some old man looking at them with a wry smile. "You lovebirds are disturbing the peace. Can you please use your indoor voices?"
"We're not lovebirds," Twinkle Toes said with a blush.
"He point a gun at me," Sunset yelled, also with a blush.
"It starts with violent fights and it ends with your honeymoon at Neighara Falls," the old man mused with a nostalgic smile. "Just keep on the downlow. They're making noise complaints about ya' in Autoville [1]". The two calmed down, and stood awkwardly for a few moments.
"Why do you even have that thing," Sunset said to break the ice, gesturing to the tranquilizer gun.
"My dad got it for me on our first camping trip," Twinkle Toes. "He insisted we use it. I told him he was being ridiculous. A bear attacked, and this thing saved us." His face was filled with pride. "This thing has really come in handy against thugs, thieves, and the occasional Girl Scout." Sunset couldn't help but snicker at that.
"OK, fair point," Sunset said. "The food better be good, or I'll shoot you with that thing myself," she said playfully.
"Don't worry," Twinkle Toes said. "The food absolutely blow you away."
"Dork."