//------------------------------// // Bop the rainbow, taste the rainbow // Story: In the wake of Anon-A-Miss // by General Alduin //------------------------------// What are you doing here?” Rainbow growled, walking towards Scootaloo threateningly. She was stopped when Sunset got in her way and glared down at her. “A better question would be what are you doing here Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow stopped, surprised Sunset was being so protective of Scootaloo. “Like I said, I need to talk to you.” “Yeah? What about?” Rainbow eyed Scootaloo, the girl wilting even further and whimpering in response. “I can’t tell you while she’s here, she already thinks I’m stupid.” “I don’t think you’re-!” “Explain ‘buoyancy of her head’ then Anon-A-Bitch!” Rainbow Dash yelled, holding up a finger towards Scootaloo.  Scootaloo recoiled as if struck and looked down to hide the tears welling in her eyes. “Rainbow!” Applejack growled. “What is the matter with yah!?” Rainbow didn’t get a chance to respond as Sunset grabbed her hand and pushed it away. “One more outburst like that, and you aren’t telling me shit. I don’t care how important it might be.” “Why are you defending her? Shouldn’t you despise her or something? She practically ruined your life!” “My super complicated relationship with Scootaloo is none of your concern.” Sunset placed her fists on her hips and glared at Rainbow Dash. “But fine, if you won’t tell me while Scootaloo is here, then perhaps she will talk to me first.” Scootaloo looked up as Sunset turned towards her, an expectant look on her face. “I-I would but it’s rather… private. I’m not sure if you’d want anyone knowing.” “Private? What the hell could be so private it needs to be discussed between you and Sunset alone?” Rainbow Dash asked suspiciously. “Something so private, it’s none of your concern.” “You don’t even know, do you?” “Not a clue.” Sunset admitted. “But I’m not going to force it out of her just in case. At least, not in front of you.” She turned and grabbed Scootaloo's arm, dragging her away. Scootaloo looked at Rainbow Dash and saw a sad look on the older girl's face as she stared after Scootaloo. She noticed Scootaloo was staring and quickly regained her composure and glared at her instead. Scootaloo merely frowned, not sure what to make of Rainbows sad look, and looked to Sunset when she stopped dragging her. “Now, what is it that’s so ‘private’ you couldn’t say it in front of my friends?” Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, stopping momentarily in surprise at Sunset calling Rainbow her ‘friend’ before continuing. “It’s about the Valedictorian, I want to help.” Sunset sighed and shook her head. “I thought we talked about this. It’s fair that they removed me from being considered for Valedictorian, you don’t need to do anything. Besides, how are you going to help me exactly?” “It’s not fair! You’re a changed person, you’re one of the smartest girls in school, you’ve worked for this since freshman year. You should at least be considered!” Scootaloo declared defiantly. “And this is why I didn’t want anyone else knowing. I wanted to make sure you were ok with the rest of the school knowing before I did anything.” “Rest of the school knowing? What are you talking about?” “I’m going to tell the school what’s happening and try to convince them to not walk at graduation in protest. If we can get most of the school behind this, it should anger parents enough to light a fire under the school boards ass.” Sunset sat there in silence for a few seconds. “Oh, Scootaloo, I really appreciate you wanting to help me, but I dunno. I don’t want you to get involved in my problems.” “Plleeeasssee Sunset?” Scootaloo laced her fingers together and begged. “It would mean a lot to me if I could at least try to help. What’s the worst that can happen?” Sunset bit her lip anxiously and looked off to the side. After a few more seconds she sighed in exasperation and looked back to Scootaloo. “Fine. But don’t do anything crazy, ok? I don’t want you to get in trouble just for trying to help me.” Scootaloo beamed brightly and wrapped Sunset in a tight hug, which the older girl awkwardly reciprocated. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you! I promise you’ll be Valedictorian Sunset! Just watch!” Before Sunset could say anything, Scootaloo let go and ran off. Sunset stared for a few more seconds before walking back to Rainbow and Applejack, the former being angrily berated by the latter. “Alright Rainbow, make it quick.” The two girls looked to Sunset. “What do you need?” It was Rainbow's turn to wilt under Sunset's gaze, the sporty girl clearing her throat awkwardly and stepping forward. “Um… so there’s no easy way to go about this but… I need a tutor-” “No.” Was all Sunset said as she began walking to her first period. Both Rainbow and Applejack were rather surprised by how curt Sunsets response was, both girls running after her. “Now come on Sunset, can’t yah just hear her out?” “Nope.” “Please Sunset! I really need a tutor.” Dash begged. “If I don’t improve my science grade, I’ll be put on academic probation!” “So?” “So? Sunset! She’s captain of half the school’s sports teams! Our teams will suffer without her! She won’t be able to participate in the Friendship games!” Applejack grabbed Sunsets sleeve and forced the red head to look at her eyes. “Do yah really want those rich snobs to win again?” “Well I never really cared about the Friendship games anyway, it just seems like pointless school rivalry.” Sunset answered before freeing herself from Applejack's grip. Rainbow Dash and Applejack stared at each other, unsure of what to do as Sunset continued walking. “My college career could be affected!” Sunset stopped. “What?” “I said ‘my college career could be affected.’” Rainbow Dash walked up to Sunset. “If I can’t do sports until my science grades are up, then I might not be able to get a scholarship. Any scholarship. You know I’m not smart enough to get one of those egghead scholarships, and my family doesn’t have the kind of money to send me to college.” “Can’t you just get someone else to tutor you?” “Not one that knows me, won’t cost my family too much to hire, and could actually teach the subject so I understand it. Plus…” Rainbow shifted uncomfortably, Applejack coming up behind her. “I really want to talk to you again.” “I’ll… I’ll think about it, Dash.” Sunset stepped forward to continue walking. Rainbows head perked up at Sunset calling her Dash and she immediately got in front of Sunset before she could run off. “Look, I know you’re still upset with me, and rightfully so! So, I’ll do whatever you want to convince you to tutor me.” Rainbow smiled and held her right cheek out. “Look, you can even punch me to make us even.” “Ah don’t think that’s-” POP! Rainbow Dash was sent flying backward and was left sprawled out on the floor after Sunset punched her, clutching her nose which began to bleed profusely. “SUNSET!” Applejack skidded to a stop next to Rainbow. “Why did yah do that!?” “She offered, so…” “That does not make it ok! A good Christian would’ve turned the other cheek!” Sunset was about to point out the major flaw in that statement before Applejack beat her to it. “A good Faustian would’ve too!” “She offered…” Sunset merely crossed her arms poutingly.  Applejack was about to continue berating Sunset when Rainbow Dash held up a hand. “No, it’s fine AJ, I did offer after all. It’s fair she gets a good right hook in after I did the same thing.” Rainbow Dash sat up, blood trickling from her hands. “So? Feel better?” “I do actually.” Sunset nodded, earning an annoyed glare from Applejack. The warning bell rang and Sunset continued walking. “Meet me at lunch and we’ll discuss the details. I’m assuming you want to get started immediately.” “See?” Rainbow smiled and looked at Applejack cockily. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” “Yer hopeless.” Applejack groaned and helped Rainbow Dash up. “Let’s get yah to the nurses office and get yah cleaned up, Ah hope yer gonna tell them what Sunset did.” “What? And rat out a friend? Hell no! I offered, remember? It wouldn’t be fair for her to get in trouble for doing exactly what I asked.” “She shouldn’t have done it anyway!” “And I shouldn’t have punched her in the first place!” “Two wrongs don’t make a right, Dash!” The two bickered the whole way to the nurses office, students staring at Rainbow's bloody clothes and hands, wondering just what Applejack did to Rainbow Dash. Lyra angrily applied the last of her makeup in front of the little mirror in her locker. She thought about what happened between her and Bon-Bon yesterday, furiously thinking over what she had learned. “Hi Lyra!”  “What do you want!?” Lyra slammed her locker shut and was met with an extremely startled Derpy. Lyras anger immediately faded and she put a hand to her mouth. “Oh Derpy I’m so sorry! I’m just… going through a rough time right now.” “That’s… alright.” Derpy seemed confused but straightened herself out. “Is everything ok Lyra?” “No.” Lyra flattened her back against the lockers. “Me and Bon-Bon are going through a rough patch.” “Really?” Derpy tilted her head and flattened her back against the lockers next to Lyra. “What happened? She cheat on you or something?” “No, she’d be dead if she did that.” Lyra huffed. “Turns out she was the one who gave my secret to Anon.” “What?” Derpy's head snapped towards Lyra. “She framed me?” “No… well, not intentionally.” Derpy stared at Lyra expectantly, waiting for her friend to continue. “She thought she was helping me by revealing my secret to the school. Turns out those girls edited it to make me look worse. She didn’t frame you, but she didn’t clear your name either.” Lyra looked at Derpy guiltily. “Guess I have yet another thing to be sorry for...” Derpy looked away and rubbed her eyes as she let out a long breath. “Ok, something else to talk to her about. Explains why she’s been the nicest to me…” An awkward pause fell between the two girls. “So what happened after you found out?” “I yelled at her. Told her she lost me and broke up with her.” Derpy gasped. “You broke up with her!?” “No! I just wanted her to think that!” “Lyra!” “She hurt me so I wanted to hurt her back! Don’t know why you’re not angry with her too.” “I am angry with her, furious even. But you went way too far.” Derpy got in Lyras face with an angry scowl. “You are going to go up to Bon-Bon and tell her you didn’t mean what you said.” Lyra awkwardly looked off to the side so she didn’t have to face Derpy. “I mean, I’m going to in a few days-” “Not in a few days, now. You can’t just put her through emotional distress out of revenge.” She got even closer to Lyras face. “I worked too hard to get you two together.” “I’m not doing it out of revenge! I just… need her to simmer a bit with guilt so she doesn’t do this to me again.” “Lyra…” Derpy grabbed Lyras shoulders and shook her lightly. “You can’t just do that to someone you love. What Bon-Bon did was wrong, but you leaving her to hurt like that is also wrong. It might even be considered abuse.” Lyra looked down in shame and shifted anxiously. “You really think it’s abuse?” “I’m no expert, but lying to your partner to hurt them and leaving them to hurt doesn’t sound very loving to me.” Derpy let go of Lyras shoulders. “She may also hook up with someone else while you two are on your ‘break’.” “What? No she won’t!” “And why not? She thinks you broke up with her, what’s to stop her from hooking up with someone else for a rebound? It probably wouldn’t even be considered cheating.” Derpy saw she was getting to Lyra and pushed onward. “Hell, Maybe she’ll like this new person so much, she’ll actually break up with you when you try to clear things up with her. Wouldn’t that be an ironic twist?” Derpy said innocently. “It might even happen today-” “ItwasnicetalkingtoyouDerpyIneedtofindBon-Bon.” Lyra said sloppily as she turned around and sprinted through the halls. Derpy smirked happily as she watched Lyra run out of sight. “Derpy, you’ve done it again.” She turned on her feet and pulled out a container of bubbles, taking out the bubble wand and blowing into it to create a trail of bubbles as she walked. “Note to self: kill Bon-Bon at lunch.”