//------------------------------// // 6. Up the Ante // Story: This Game of Mine // by Swan Song //------------------------------//   “Light can reveal mysteries. But even a foal knows not to stare into the sun.” —Bond of Focus        We sat outside the Headmaster’s room. Bulwark, the olive Guardsman, stood at the door, barring entry. Muffled voices were conversing in terse tones through the doorway. Despite the situation, I felt oddly calm. I was sitting on a pretty comfy chair, in a pretty nice room, and the sun shone pretty brightly through a window. It didn’t really feel like I had just beat a filly up. I wonder if this was what psychopaths felt like. I looked at Guardsman Bulwark. He looked back. We held each other’s gaze for a moment. “What’s gonna happen to me?” I asked him. “I don’t know,” he responded gruffly. “Oh. Okay.” My eyes left him and began dancing lazily across the room’s decor. I was surrounded by lots of books and dark wooden furniture, and there was a painting of a sunflower field hanging on the wall. It was quiet. “Am I gonna get arrested?” I asked the Guard. “I don’t know,” he repeated. “Oh. Okay.” I looked back at my hooves again, unsure of what to do. I had been sitting here for about fifteen minutes now, and to be perfectly honest, I was getting kinda bored. I began twiddling with my forehooves. A few minutes had passed when the Headmaster’s door finally opened, and Miss Cheerilee poked her head out. “Sweetie Belle? Please come in.” Finally. I hopped off the chair, stretched my legs, and trotted through the doorway. The Guard outside shut it behind me. “Take a seat, Miss Sweetie Belle,” said the Headmaster from behind her desk. I climbed up onto a chair and sat down. Captain Romana stood by the Headmaster’s desk, and Miss Cheerilee stood behind me. For some reason, I couldn’t look my teacher in the face—so instead I just stared at the Headmaster. “Can I expect you to be calm?” she asked simply. “Yes,” I replied curtly. “Very well.” She adjusted her leopard-print glasses. “Do you know why the Guard is here?” “No.” “If you recall from our discussion from this morning, Miss Diamond Tiara requested their presence so that we could discuss the incident that occurred before school,” she explained. “I had summoned them, intending to speak with them during your lunch break. They just so happened to be passing by as you were attacking Diamond in the yard.” “Oh. Okay.” She and the Captain raised an eyebrow at that. “You seem… awfully non-responsive to this whole ordeal.” “Yeah.” “Why is that?” “You asked me to be calm,” I pointed out. “But you express no regret, and you do not appear to feel the gravity of your actions. Why is that?” I sighed heavily. “Headmaster, may I speak freely?” “You may.” “And by that, I mean without you interrupting to tell me I have no right to a defense, or that I have nothing of value to say?” I gave Captain Romana a knowing glance. For once, I had witnesses. The Headmaster saw where my eyes had wandered. “…Go ahead.” “Okay.” I leaned forward in my seat. “Imagine this for a moment: you get bullied by a filly who refuses to let up, and she continues this for several years. Then, within the span of a single week, this bully attempts to drop a heavy object on your head, decorates an entire chalkboard with a rather imaginative list of alternative applications for your horn—” “Sweetie Belle, there is still no evidence—” “I wasn’t finished,” I growled, slamming a hoof on the armrest beside me with a loud THUMP. “Then, she corners you in an alleyway with a friend and tries to beat you up, forcing you to defend yourself. Then she runs to the authorities claiming that your self-defense was actually assault, which gets you in trouble instead of her. Then she surrounds you and your friends in the yard and proceeds to humiliate you with every offensive slur in the damn dictionary, plus some that aren’t.” I leaned closer, fixing my gaze on the mare. “Tell me, Headmaster, after all that, do you know how you would feel?” She had no response to that. “Yeah, I can’t imagine ‘regret’ is very high on that list either,” I reclined in my seat again, before suddenly remembering something, and turning to the guards. “Oh, and for the record, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon did in fact corner me in an alleyway this morning, and I smacked her in the face to prevent her from cutting me up with glass.” I put extra stress on the last word. That was how bad it was gonna get. “So yeah, just wanted to get my side of the story out there before she could get hers.” “Noted,” said the Captain with a stoic nod as I reclined back in my seat. “If the situation was as severe as you suggest,” said the Headmaster, making all eyes turn back to her, “then you should have gone to the school administration instead of attempting to ‘deal’ with it on your own.” You had to be kidding me. “Headmaster, I did. For the last three years. All that would happen was a suspension here, a slap on the fetlock there. Nothing permanent, nothing effective, nothing real. They’d just come back a day or three later and start doing it again, except worse, because at that point they’d know I tried to get them in trouble. Sometimes you’d even give them a free pass, for Sun’s sake, because there was ‘no evidence’. Or, like today, you’d pin it on me just because Diamond got to you first. “So I hope you can understand, after years of getting almost no reliable results from you, exactly why I find your suggestion utterly absurd, and why I instead opted to punch Diamond Tiara in the face. Because she wouldn’t stop harassing me and my friends until I did.” Finally finishing my tirade, I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized I had been holding. I leaned back again with a sigh. “And so, here we are.” “…Here we are, indeed,” she echoed softly. Another moment of silence. “I think I know why I’m so calm, now,” I said, looking up at her. Our eyes met, and I gave her a resigned smile. “It’s because I’m tired, Miss Headmaster. I’m so very, very tired.” Again, she did not respond. Fortunately for her, she didn’t need to. Seconds later, the door opened, and in a spectacular moment of deja vu, in walked Filthy Rich, followed by a bruised Diamond Tiara holding an ice pack to her face, who was being nudged in by Silver Spoon and… a mare I didn’t recognize. "Mister Filthy Rich, Miss Diamond Tiara, Miss Silver Spoon, Madame Proper Place," the Headmaster greeted them as they trotted in. All of them nodded at the Headmaster, before their gazes snapped suddenly to the Guard Captain standing beside her. Hah. Bet you didn’t expect that. Mister Rich slowly turned to look at me, and I felt the corners of my mouth curve upward. He responded with a disapproving glare. Shove it, old man. Breaking eye contact, I instead looked up at the unfamiliar purple mare identified as Proper Place, who must be Diamond Tiara's mother. She had a straight mane that alternated between purple and white. The look in her icy blue eyes was sharp and narrow. "Headmaster," she greeted curtly, before looking at me. "And you must be Miss Sweetie Belle. I have heard so very much about you." "A pleasure," I said with a smile, nodding my head politely. She bore into me with her icy stare. "I'm afraid I cannot share your pleasure," she replied, frowning. "After all, you're responsible for this." She waved a hoof at Diamond, who I turned to get a good look at for the first time since I, well, punched her in the face. She had a swollen cheek, one of her eyes was blackened, there was a blood-soaked tissue in one of her nostrils, and she had a few other shallow cuts and scrapes on her face. All in all, she looked… better than I expected her to look. She looked back at me, and did something that set my blood aflame. She smiled. It was a haughty little smirk, one that simply said: “I've got you now.” “I disagree,” I said, slowly turning to her mother. “I believe she’s responsible for that herself.” Her mother gave me a perplexed glare, but whatever she was about to say was quickly cut off by the Headmaster. “Ahem. Please take a seat, Miss Diamond. You've had quite a day.” She climbed into the seat to my immediate left, and her parents fell into place behind her. As that was happening, the door opened once more to reveal… my sister. Well, that was new. “Hey sis,” I said, waving to her with unmasked cheer. “Er, hello, Sweetie,” she replied uneasily, pausing at the doorway. She glanced at Diamond, still holding the ice pack to her face, bruises clearly visible—impossibly, Rarity's face paled even whiter. “Good afternoon, Esteemed Lady Rarity,” said the Headmaster, drawing Rarity’s attention to her. “As you’ve been informed, your charge, Miss Sweetie Belle, was involved in an incident with a fellow student. You’ve been summoned to speak on her behalf.” “For the first time in forever,” I sing-songed under my breath, though if anypony had heard, they made no indication of it. “Yes, I was made aware of this,” she affirmed, trotting in and falling into place behind me, next to Miss Cheerilee. Guardsman Bulwark stepped in as well, closing the door behind him. “Were you told exactly what had happened?” asked the Headmaster. She glanced uneasily at Diamond. “The summons did not provide any… specifics, no,” Rarity replied. “Very well.” The Headmaster cleared her throat. “Earlier this morning, I was informed by the school nurse that Miss Diamond Tiara here—” she waved at Diamond with a hoof “—had come into her office with a bruise on her face. She stated that she had been assaulted by Miss Sweetie Belle on the way to school.” Rarity bristled at that. “I see.” She turned to me. “Is this true?” “What, that I smacked her in the face? Yeah.” “What brought this on?” “She and Silver Spoon cornered me and tried to beat me up.” “Liar,” came a voice to my left. My head snapped to Diamond, who looked at me with a scowl. Rarity’s face lost a bit of color, but it quickly returned when she realized the implications. She turned to the Headmaster. “Er… well, if what Sweetie Belle is saying is true—” “It’s not.” “Diamond, be silent,” said the Headmaster. “I will call upon you when it is your turn to speak.” By the Sun and Stars. I never thought I would see the day. “Ahem,” continued Rarity. “If what Sweetie Belle was saying is true, then it was self-defense, yes?” “There isn’t yet any proof supporting that notion,” replied the Headmaster. Oh hey, familiar territory again. “When I saw Sweetie Belle earlier today, there were no cuts or bruises, nothing indicating that she had been engaged in a fight.” “That could simply mean that she was faster,” Romana stated flatly from beside the Headmaster. “This is assuming,” came Madame Proper Place’s floral tone, “that it is as the young Miss claims. Diamond, what would you say happened?” “I was there on the way to school,” Diamond said. “We take the same path.” You’re full of shit. “We just happened to see each other.” You were waiting for me. “And she came up to me, called me names, and smacked me.” “There you have it,” said Miss Proper, as if this were all the evidence they needed. “My daughter was victim to an unprovoked assault.” “So she says,” said the Captain, before the Headmaster could open her mouth. “Were there any witnesses?” “I was with Diamond and saw everything,” said Silver Spoon immediately. “It’s just as she described.” “Anyone else? Surely the path to school was rather populated.” “We were… in a small path between homes,” she admitted slowly. “There was no one else around.” “Then, unfortunately, it's just your word against hers,” the Captain said simply. “We cannot jump to any conclusions based on the information we have on hand.” “I beg to differ,” said Miss Proper. “Why don’t we move on to the next incident? Perhaps that will shed some light on the type of person we’re dealing with.” She turned to look at me with a piercing gaze, and I rolled my eyes at her. I knew what I did and I knew why. “Very well,” said the Headmaster. “Captain Romana, you told me that you were present when the incident occurred. Would you be so kind as to share what you saw?” “Of course.” The Captain stepped forward. “At noon today, the Town Guard received a summons requesting our presence at the school, on behalf of Miss Diamond Tiara. My Lieutenant and I were stationed nearby, so we answered the summons. As we neared the schoolhouse, there was a crowd of children growing around what appeared to be a fight, and we heard someone shouting profanities.” Wait. Profanities? “Lieutenant, if you may?” Guardsman Bulwark stepped forward. “If you’ll pardon my language: ‘Three fucking years. I am going to kill you, you piece of shit.’” “Wait, what?!” I blurted out loud as the entire room flinched. “I actually said that out loud?!” “You didn't just say it, you yelled it,” he corrected, fixing me with a hard stare. “At the top of your lungs. I heard it all the way from the street, and so could everyone nearby. Do you deny it?” Everypony, including Rarity, Miss Cheerilee, and the Guards, was staring at me with either shock or dismay. “I…” I didn’t remember saying that. “…No, sir. I don’t deny it. It had merely slipped my mind.” “Slipped your mind? Very troubling,” said Madame Proper Place. “What happened afterwards, Captain?” “As soon as I realized what was going on, I immediately rushed to the growing crowd and saw Miss Belle standing over Miss Tiara, who was on the floor, shielding herself with her forelegs. I ordered Miss Belle to stand down, but she ignored me and spat on Miss Tiara’s face.” Everypony winced and turned to me, and I looked down at my hooves, crumbling under their glares. “I… I didn’t hear her at all,” I mumbled under my breath. “That wasn’t the end, either,” continued the Captain. “I saw Miss Belle raise her hooves again, preparing to strike Miss Tiara as she lay prone.” I didn’t remember this. “Realizing Miss Belle would not comply, I was forced to physically restrain her. At first she resisted, swearing at me, demanding I let her go, and attempting to strike me.” That didn’t happen. “But after repeated orders, I managed to get her to remain still.” There was a moment of silence before the Captain then turned to us. “To those who were present at the time, are there any inaccuracies in my account?” “No,” said Diamond immediately. “No,” affirmed Guardsman Bulwark. “No,” said Silver Spoon. “…No,” came Miss Cheerilee’s voice behind me. I whirled around and was met with a solemn gaze from my teacher, expressing more disappointment than I had ever seen in all my years under her tutelage. What had I done? As I slowly turned back around, I realized that every other eye in the room was on me. “Miss Belle?” asked the Captain again. I tried to visualize the fight again. Barely any of the details stuck out. All I remembered was throwing my lunchbox—after that, everything had gone red, and the next thing I could clearly remember was my face getting smashed against the pavement by Guardsman Bulwark. “Sweetie…” came Rarity’s imploring voice. So many questions hung off that pregnant pause. Calm down. I began shaking in my seat as the weight of my actions finally bore down on me. Calm down, you idiot. My blood began to boil. My throat closed up. HEY. My eyes shot open, and I stopped shaking. Calm the fuck down. This isn’t over. Answer her question. I slowly looked up. Everyone was silent as the night, waiting with bated breath for my answer. I breathed in, and I breathed out. Just like Rarity taught me. “…No, Captain Romana,” I finally said. “There are no inaccuracies in your account.” There was a hesitant shuffling of hooves. “But,” I continued, “it doesn’t take into consideration what happened before.” “Before?” the Captain quirked an eyebrow. “Yes, before.” I sat straighter, forcing my heart to slow its rapid-fire beating. I began recalling details as quickly as I could. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came up to me while I was eating lunch with my friends. The two began using incredibly foul language to berate me about my cutie mark and my personal hobbies.” “She’s lying,” Diamond said quickly. “There were plenty of ponies watching at the time,” I snapped back. “They can verify my statements. They can also prove that Diamond then turned her words on my friends, who rose to my defense. The insults became extremely foul, such that I can’t really repeat them in this room.” “Liar!” Diamond said again, not once looking my way. “Repeat them,” said Captain Romana sternly. I barely restrained a grin. Now this is something I can remember. “They called me a gay-mare, Apple Bloom a hillbilly hick, accused Button of being Apple Bloom’s ‘breeder’—” the entire room flinched at that slur, but I continued without missing a beat “—and threatened to geld him.” The entire room paled. “LIAR!” Diamond shouted. “Silence!” ordered Captain Romana. “Was there anything else?” “Nah,” I said, grinning. “I threw my lunchbox at her after that.” “You threw your lunchbox at her?!” exclaimed Rarity. “So she does admit to striking first!” exclaimed Miss Proper. “Actually, I admitted to no such thing,” I replied smoothly, a key detail lighting up in my head. “Diamond struck first. She rammed my friend Apple Bloom out of the way and got into Button’s face.” “LIAR!” “Based on what happened this morning and yesterday,” I said, staring intently into the Guard Captain’s eyes, “and considering how she threatened my friends at lunch, I got scared that she was gonna hurt him, so I acted first to protect my friends.” “She’s LYING!” “With the entire school watching me,” I finished, crossing my forelegs. “And then she proceeded to beat my daughter senseless!” shrieked Miss Proper suddenly. “Whatever my daughter had done, the amount of force she used was completely uncalled for—” “I disagree!” retorted Rarity. “If your daughter presented a clear and present danger to other children, then it’s was absolutely justified for my sister to use as much force as she did! She acted to disable Diamond, thereby minimizing harm to everyone around them!” “Oh yeah?!” interrupted Silver Spoon. “Then why did she ram into me, after she had already put Diamond in the ground?!” Wait, that happened? Oh fuck it, just assume it happened and roll with it. “You came out of nowhere,” I said simply. “I didn’t mean to run into you, and I’m sorry, but you jumped in while I was trying to stop Diamond. I was just gonna force her forelegs down so that she couldn’t cause anyone else any harm before more help arrived. Thankfully, the Guard was there, and even though they took me down instead,” I glanced up at Captain Romana, “it stopped the fight anyways. Problem solved.” “Then explain you wailing upon my daughter's face and screaming that you wanted to kill her!” demanded Madame Proper. “I was angry,” I said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “No, you’ve practically been conditioned to be violent,” she replied. I quirked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” “Don’t think I don’t see your cutie mark,” she spat. “You’re one of those violent video game players.” Are you serious right now? “What I do in my spare time has nothing to do with—” “It has everything to do with it,” she interrupted. “Honestly, I’m shocked no one else in here has made the connection! Of course a brutish little filly with such a savage little hobby would easily fall prey to violence and threats of equicide, when she conducts those very acts every day in the safety of her own living room!” Oh my Stars, she actually was serious. I glanced around the room—Rarity and Miss Cheerilee had rather perplexed faces, but… the Headmaster was nodding in agreement. “It does bring to question the nature of your hobbies,” agreed the Headmaster. “They may make you susceptible to certain mindsets that actively promote violence.” “Are you all kidding me?!” I shouted. “Shoot first, ask questions later!” Miss Proper cried. “How could we expect any less!” “This is completely unrelated and has nothing to do with this!” I yelled. I could feel my blood boiling. “I agree completely with Sweetie Belle,” said Miss Cheerilee. “This is an ad hominem line of reasoning. She sought to defend her friends. Video games have absolutely nothing to do with it.” “Of course they do!” screeched Miss Proper. “Diplomacy is obviously a foreign concept to her! If her immediate reaction to such a ‘threat’ is violence instead, then we should question what influences might be affecting her deranged thinking process!” “What influences?!” I retorted. “How about the fact that this has been going on all week, or, Stars above, for years, with no end in sight?! Is that not ‘influence’ enough?! Sure, maybe I said some things I didn’t mean to, but I didn’t have any intention of actually killing her or anything like that! I was just angry, I wanted her to stop, and no amount of negotiating had worked up to this point—” “Hah!” she guffawed. “As if you knew anything about negotiating, you—” “Enough,” interrupted the Captain. “This line of reasoning is getting us nowhere. Diplomacy is only effective if both parties are open and willing to negotiate, and clearly there was a failing in this regard, otherwise a fight wouldn’t have happened. At this point it matters not, as the event has come and gone, and all we can do now is ensure it doesn’t happen again.” She turned to me. “You mentioned ‘yesterday’ and ‘this morning’. I assume you’re referring to the flower pot and and the alleyway? Did this influence your thinking?” “I didn’t do that!” Diamond yelled. “Yes!” I confirmed, ignoring her completely. “I mean, of course I would assume that she’d try to attack my friends, especially after she tried to drop a flower pot on my head, then next morning cornered me in an alleyway so she could have a go at me with a broken bottle—” “She what?!” squealed Rarity. “She picked up half of a broken bottle and threatened to cut me up.” Something snapped inside Rarity’s head at that point, her face contorting in silent rage she caught up with the bombshell I had just dropped. Every eye in the room turned to Diamond. “She’s LYING!” Diamond yelled nervously. “She’s a filthy liar! Tell them what happened, Silver…!” She turned to her friend… who remained dead silent, only staring back with an expression I wasn't sure I could describe with words. …No, there was a word. Haunted. “Silver? Come on, speak up! Tell them what a psychotic, pathological liar—” “I have heard ENOUGH!” said the Headmaster, slamming a hoof onto the desk. “It is clear that this situation has escalated completely out of control!” “And whose fault is that?” piped a voice, one that had lain silent for such a long time that I had completely forgotten she had been there. Slowly, Miss Cheerilee stepped past my chair. “I-I do not—” “Headmaster, you have seen what has come of inaction,” Miss Cheerilee said sternly. “It is time you end this, regardless of whatever external influ—” “Do not utter another word!” hissed the Headmaster, making Captain Romana quirk an eyebrow. Glancing over, I was surprised Diamond’s family hadn’t already drowned in their own nervous sweat yet. “Then act,” said Miss Cheerilee with finality. “I… very well.” The Headmaster straightened her frazzled suit. “It is clear that both parties present have had an ongoing conflict that has spanned quite some time.” “Three years,” I repeated dully. Miss Cheerilee threw me a warning look, which shut me up real fast. Okay, let's not piss off the pissed-off teacher, Sweetie. “Ahem. Clearly, there are many more factors at play which we have not taken into account.” She glanced at Diamond’s half of the room before continuing. “To that end, I believe we must conduct a much more thorough investigation of the related parties and their behaviors.” What?! You were seriously trying to stall this? I didn’t think so. “I want the Guard involved,” I declared. The Headmaster’s eyes widened in alarm. Gotcha. “T-that is not in your place to demand, Miss Belle! This matter is beyond the jurisdiction of the Town Guard!” “I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree, Headmaster,” said the Captain, stepping forward. “As you have allowed the conflict to escalate to this degree, I have determined that the school administration has proven incapable of maintaining a safe environment for these two students. With the authority granted to me by the Mayor of Ponyville, I declare the Town Guard’s official involvement in this matter.” I grinned as the Headmaster went completely pale, and it took only moments for Diamond’s family to follow suit. I wondered what such an investigation could dig up, hmm? “So be it!” said Madame Proper angrily, stepping forward. “Then, as Diamond Tiara’s mother, I formally express my intent to press charges against Miss Sweetie Belle for assault and battery, and demand her immediate arrest!” Oh HORSEAPPLES. Captain Romana stiffened, and every head jolted to Madame Proper, who smirked in response. “V-very well!” declared Rarity, who placed a hoof on my shoulder and strode forward to face her. “As Sweetie Belle’s legally-recognized guardian, I hereby move forward with my previously-expressed intent to press charges on her behalf against Miss Diamond Tiara for attempted assault and battery, both of which have already been discussed prior with the Guard!” “Previously-expressed?!” uttered Miss Proper, who stepped back in shock. “Indeed! We’ve already filed a report to the Town Guard and have begun investigating your daughter’s misbehaviors! She will be forced to see justice!” The Headmaster suddenly stood up, stammering. “I-I assure you that none of this will be—” “I’m afraid your ‘assurances’ will not deter me from protecting my charge, Headmaster,” Rarity said coolly. “You said it yourself—this has gone on for far too long, and I demand action!” This was getting out of control! How could I get them to stop?! I desperately looked around the room—Miss Cheerilee was stunned speechless, Rarity and Miss Proper were glaring daggers at each other, and Diamond was shaking in her horseshoes, clearly panicked. I did a double-take. What had her so frightened? I watched as a brown hoof pressed against the pink filly’s shoulder to steady her shaking. I looked up at Mister Rich, who stood silently over her with a grim expression. I couldn’t help but stare at this small gesture of comfort, a bastion of calm in a sea of fury. Suddenly, like he knew I had been watching, he looked up at me. As our eyes met, his face contorted into one of pain, and a memory of his voice faded into my mind. “Nothing good can come of this.” It sounded like a threat. But what if it really was a warning after all? I shook my head at him gravely, resigning myself to his whim and doing everything in my power to communicate to my very last and unexpected lifeline that this was not the outcome I wanted. "Please, you can stop this! Do something!" He blinked at me, as if deciphering the meaning behind my gesture. He then looked down at the floor but for a moment, working out something in his mind, before meeting my gaze once more and nodding curtly. I returned the nod, then waited with bated breath for him to make his move. Suddenly, he burst forward. “Ladies!” he said loudly, striding between the two snarling mares. “Ladies, if you would please compose yourselves. Perhaps there is a better solution available to us.” Both mares pivoted to him. “And what, pray tell, is that?!” snarled Rarity. “Stay out of this, Richie,” snarled Proper, “This is between me and this harlot—” “Harlot?!” Rarity shrieked. “Why you—” “Actually,” I interrupted loudly, “it’s between me and Diamond!” “Is that so?!” Miss Proper whirled on me. “Yet you chose to bring all of us into this!” “Miss Proper, stand down!” warned Captain Romana. “The core of this issue still lies with Miss Belle and Miss Tiara!” “And I am Diamond Tiara’s legal guardian,” Madame Proper growled. “As is your husband,” I countered, “and personally, I would like to hear what he has to say.” “I agree,” said the Headmaster somewhat shakily. “Mister Rich, if you would kindly.” Crisis momentarily averted. I turned to Mister Rich, wondering what he had in store for us. “Thank you, Headmaster,” said Mister Rich. He cleared his throat, then spoke. “It’s transparently clear that this prolonged conflict has severely impacted both my daughter and Miss Sweetie Belle, such that we have both resolved to commit to legal action. If we move forward with these claims, I fear this would become a rather drawn-out problem, and I would rather not have such a thing occur.” “And how do you propose to resolve it?” asked the Guard Captain. “Simple.” He turned to me, staring intensely. “Miss Sweetie Belle, my wife and I are willing to drop our charges against you if you agree to drop your charges against Diamond.” Really. “Absolutely not!” snapped Miss Proper. “I will not stand for—” As much as I wanted to finally put Diamond in her place… I couldn’t risk everything we had to do so. “Preposterous!” snapped Rarity. “After everything she’s done?! How could you even possibly—” “I agree.” “Err… what?” Rarity turned to me, as did everyone in the room. “Sweetie Belle, what are you—” “It’s fine, sis,” I told her, then turned back to Mister Rich. He was throwing me a bone, and I had to play this right. I mentally counted the cards I had in my hand. “I agree to drop all charges against Diamond—I’m not even going to ask for an apology. But I do want some kind of promise that she won’t start trouble with me again in the future.” I glared at Diamond, who refused to meet my gaze. I turned back to Mister Rich. “If that can happen, I won’t need to bring this up ever again. I’d rather avoid making it any bigger than it needs to be.” “I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” spat Madame Proper. “After all, the Guard Captain is present.” “Yeah, and if this had been dealt with sooner,” I countered, “it wouldn’t have gotten this bad. Surprisingly enough, Mister Rich actually has the right idea.” “That’s quite the backhoofed compliment,” he remarked stiffly. Oops. Let’s not bite the hand that feeds, yeah? “Forgive me, Mister Rich,” I quickly said to him with a slight bow of my head. “I’m just bitter about this whole mess. But I’m sincerely grateful that you’re willing to help me lay this thing to rest peacefully.” “I can understand that,” Mister Rich said with a curt nod. “And I’m likewise glad that you’re willing to see reason. For my part, I will do what I can to curb my daughter’s behavior.” He shot a glare at Diamond, who quailed. Unbelievable. I never thought I’d see the day. He turned back to the rest of the room. “Is this arrangement agreeable to the congregation?” No one said anything. Miss Cheerilee sat in open-mouthed shock, and Miss Proper was pointedly avoiding her husband’s gaze. He smiled brightly. “Splendid! Then we can table this discussion, and this entire conflict, once and for all. Headmaster, are there any further issues that require our attention?” “Unfortunately, yes,” she replied, a little steadiness returning to her voice now that she was out of the proverbial fire. “Because of the extremely inappropriate behavior that both Miss Diamond Tiara and Miss Sweetie Belle have exhibited today, I will still have to issue suspensions.” She turned to us. “I implore both of you to use this time to reflect on your actions. Hopefully, by the time you are ready to return, you will be prepared to assist us in seeking a long-term solution to this problem. Is this agreeable?” “Yes,” I said immediately. “I agree as well,” responded Mister Rich. “I’m glad we could reach a consensus.” Ushering Diamond out of her seat, he made to leave. “Thank you for your time, Headmaster. Thank you, Miss Sweetie Belle, for seeing reason. And thank you, Guardsmares, for your presence.” With that, he left. I stood up as well, sparing a glance at Rarity and Miss Cheerilee, who returned it with silent nods. Together, we moved towards the door. However, I turned around to look at the Headmaster once more—she had fallen silent and was staring off into the distance. I addressed her. “We will find a solution to this, right?” She turned slowly to me and nodded grimly. “I would be remiss in not seeking one. We’re clearly past a point of no return, Miss Belle.” “Glad to hear it. That’s further than we’ve ever been in years.” And without another word, I trotted out. “By the Stars!” exclaimed Rarity as we walked through the hall. “I could barely tell whether that was a disciplinary hearing or a royal tribunal.” “Actually, that went better than I expected,” I said with a sigh, stretching my legs and neck. Rarity stared at me. “You’re joking, right?” “Oh, it’s usually much worse than that,” said Miss Cheerilee. “It likely would have ended much differently had the Guard not been present.” “Oh?” asked Guardsman Bulwark, who had followed us out. “Why is that?” “Generally those are a lot more one-sided,” I explained grimly. “Usually Diamond just gets away with it. You guys being there basically prevented that from happening.” “That’s… troubling to hear,” he replied slowly. “Yes, indeed,” agreed Rarity. “And… I have to admit, that’s essentially what just happened now, as well.” Rarity gave me a rather confused look. “Sweetie, I must ask exactly why you were so quick to accept Mister Rich’s offer.” “We talked about it this morning, Rarity,” I told her. “We really can’t afford a legal battle, especially not with their family.” “Then why did you ask the Guard to get involved?” asked Miss Cheerilee. “Errr…” I struggled to find the words to explain. “It was… to scare the Headmaster into doing something useful?” “It was a bluff,” explained Guardsman Bulwark. “She was hoping our involvement would intimidate Diamond’s family into a more desirable course of action.” “Unfortunately, it backfired for Miss Belle,” came the voice of the Captain as she approached us from behind. “Madame Proper called you on your bluff by countering with a legal threat.” “Yeah, that could have gone really badly,” I muttered. “For a while, I thought we were screwed, until Mister Rich made that offer.” “You still have much to learn about diplomacy, little Belle.” She ruffled my mane. “You even managed to drag your elder sister into it.” “Captain, I made that decision on my own,” assured Rarity. “Quite frankly, justice needed to be dealt.” “Yeah, but it’s not a fight we can win for sure.” I looked at my hooves. “I don't know enough about court to know if it would work, and I don’t know if the explanation I used today would have been enough. It’s not a gamble I wanted to make.” “The little Belle is wise to be cautious,” said the Captain. “Miss Diamond’s family is very powerful. No doubt their legal counsel would be of the absolute highest caliber.” Rarity sighed heavily. “I suppose you’re right.” “I’m still surprised Mister Rich made that offer in the first place,” I muttered. “Indeed. You should consider yourself lucky that he was willing to head it off before things got worse,” said the Captain. As we approached the door, she turned to us. “This is where we must part. Little Belle, I trust you will stay out of trouble?” “I can make no guarantees, Captain Romana,” I said with a smile. “I am not joking, Miss Belle.” Her expression hardened, and I froze under its intensity. “Your behavior today was grossly inappropriate, regardless of whatever pretense you may have used to justify it. Had that conversation gone any worse, I would be leading you out of this school in fetlinks right now.” I shivered under the scrutiny of the Captain’s gaze. The Crusaders and I had been admonished for our antics many times, but never had the Captain spoken to us like this before. I’d been saying that about a lot of ponies, lately… “I… I understand, Captain,” I responded quietly. “And I’m sorry. I should have known better, and acted less rashly.” “Yes, you should have. I hope to expect more rational behavior from you in the future.” “Of course.” “Lady Rarity, Miss Cheerilee,” she nodded at each of them, then briskly trotted out the door with Guardsman Bulwark in tow, leaving the three of us alone in the school hall. It was then that the weight that had building up all day finally overwhelmed me like a rushing tsunami. My legs gave way, and I suddenly collapsed to the floor on my belly. “Sweetie?!” “Whatever’s the matter, dear?!” I barely noticed the faces of the two mares leaning down in front of me as I gazed forward into nothingness. The day’s events flooded into my head, bursting to the forefront like a volcano that could no longer suppress its fury. I shuddered as I was overcome by hundreds of emotions at once. Get a grip on yourself, Sweetie Belle. For a few moments, I struggled to control my emotions—but finally, I was able to take a deep breath. In. Out. Just like Rarity taught you. “I’m… I’m okay,” I finally said, my voice trembling slightly. “I just… I just need a bit. Gimme a moment.” “Are you sure?” asked Rarity in concern. “Let’s give her some space,” said Miss Cheerilee. “Take your time, Sweetie Belle.” I weakly nodded at Miss Cheerilee in thanks, and submerged in my thoughts as my mind slowly began to process the day’s events. The alley. I struck Diamond and revealed my trump card early, which she used against me as soon as she got the chance. Lunch. I lost control of myself, went berserk, and attacked Diamond, not only causing the Guard Captain herself to get involved, but almost completely discrediting my case against Diamond. The office. I impulsively made a demand that allowed Miss Proper to escalate the situation completely beyond my control. Mister Rich. I put myself at his mercy, allowing him to end on his terms and resulting in a stalemate that changed nothing in the end. So many mistakes. I stared at my hooves—these stupid, clumsy hooves, which only hours ago had been attempting to crush a filly’s face to a pulp. When would it end? When would I stop screwing up? “Sweetie Belle…?” ventured Rarity’s voice cautiously. Enough. What’s done is done. The charges have been dropped both ways. Yeah, and we were right back where we started. Better than jail. Take what you’ve been given and go. With a deep sigh, I rose back to my hooves again. “Okay. I think I’m ready.” “Are you sure you’re alright?” asked Rarity again. “I dunno about that,” I mumbled with a deep sigh. “But there’s not much else we can do now.” “You’ve had a long day,” said Miss Cheerilee, putting a hoof on my shoulder. “Go home and get some rest. It’ll be a couple days before you can return, so you might as well take advantage of it.” “Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.” I smiled weakly up at my teacher. “Thanks so much, Miss Cheerilee. For everything.” “What are friends for?” She smiled back at me, then stepped back. “Go on.” “Come along, dear,” said Rarity, her hoof taking Miss Cheerilee’s place. “Farewell for now, Cheerilee.” She waved a final goodbye, and we stepped outside. “Mister Rich? What are you doing here?” The stallion, whom I had expected to be long gone by now, was standing just at the edge of the school yard, facing away from us towards something in the distance. When he did not answer, I approached, but found myself deterred by an alabaster hoof. I looked towards Rarity, who shook her head. “Let’s just go home,” she pleaded. Somehow, she seemed more exhausted than I was. “I’m sorry, Rarity,” I said quietly, “but I need to know what’s going on. Go ahead without me. I’ll talk to him on my own.” I softly pushed her hoof out of the way. When she made no move to stop me, I walked past her and approached the stallion slowly. “Mister Rich?” “Miss Belle,” he said, not turning to me. His gaze was focused towards the street. I trotted up next to him to see what he was looking at, and noticed the distant figure of Miss Proper storming away, Diamond Tiara in hoof. What in Sun’s name was going on? “Why are you still here?” I asked him. “Why aren’t you with your family?” “They went ahead of me,” he replied simply. “Miss Belle, do you have a moment?” What was this about? “I suppose I do.” “Good. Then let’s dispense with the formalities, shall we?” he replied, finally turning to glare at me coldly. “Because I very much would like to ask just what in Sun’s name you were thinking today.” I stepped back a bit at that. “About what, specifically? A lot happened—” “Everything!” he threw his forelegs into the air. “Attacking my daughter? Filing charges?! I thought I warned you that nothing good could come of this. Clearly you did not take my warning to heart!” “Mister Rich, look, I’m sorry,” I said, holding my hooves up placatingly. “I tried, I really did. What happened at lunch was… a serious mistake. Something in me snapped. I lost control.” “That goes without saying,” he snarled. “But she wouldn’t stop!” I shot back defensively. “I was tired! I was tired as all Stars, and I just couldn’t take it anymore! What else could you possibly have expected me to do?” “I don’t know!” he said in exasperation, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Deal with it?” “Deal with it?” I repeated disbelievingly. “Are you insane?! Mister Rich, ever since I got my cutie mark, Diamond’s been making things worse and worse for me and my friends. If she hadn’t started this whole mess, we wouldn’t be here!” “Ergh! I know, I know! I just… ergh!” He began pacing madly. This was… really weird. I had never seen the level-headed businessman so out of sorts before. “I just wish we could have at least avoided this all until you graduated.” I stared at him uncomprehendingly. “Why are you so worried about my graduation?” “I’m not worried about yours, I’m worried about my daughter’s.” He buried his face in a hoof, then started pacing erratically. “For Sun’s sake, we’re only a few months away. Having to deal with this on top of everything else is not good for my heart, no ma’am.” “So… you just wanted your daughter to be able to make it to graduation.” “Of course,” he grunted. “Is it not fair for me to simply want the best for her?” Not if it meant I had to deal with the worst of her. But I held my tongue back as the memory of his comforting gesture towards his daughter flashed in my mind, along with a nagging question. “Is that why you offered to drop all charges if I did?” At this, he suddenly stopped his pacing, throwing me an irritated stare. “What’re you talking about? I only did that because you let me. You clearly had us right where you wanted.” Huh?! I stared up at the significantly-taller stallion. “…I don’t think I quite understand, Mister Rich.” He could clearly see the confusion on my face. “…Didn’t you? When you shook your head at me, I assumed you were… giving me a chance to stop this. That you were offering me a way out.” …WHAT. I could barely comprehend the mere suggestion that, at any point, I had held the richest man in Ponyville at my mercy. “…Mister Rich,” I said slowly, “the honest truth is that I was begging you to offer me a way out.” “I… What?” He stepped back a moment. “Begging me? Why? What in Equestria did you have to lose? You would have had justice over us!” “Rarity and I can’t afford a legal battle against your family,” I admitted shakily. “And we can’t afford better lawyers than you. I figured you would have just run us over. I thought that’s what you wanted.” He flinched. “Who do you take me for, Miss Belle? I have no desire to bankrupt your family.” Could have fooled me. “That’s not what I meant, Mister Rich. You would have been able to protect your daughter.” “I’m not foolish enough to try protecting my daughter by risking her future in a legal battle,” he muttered almost sarcastically. “How would it have been a risk? Surely, you would have won had you done so?” He paused, clearly struggling to decide whether it was wise to speak further. “I… can almost guarantee you that we wouldn’t have,” he replied hesitantly. I blinked. Then another piece clicked into place. “Oh, right, of course, you lining the Headmaster’s pocket.” I rolled my eyes. “Isn't that your fault for putting her in your pocket in the first place?" “It wasn’t my decision!” he spat back defensively. “Then why is your name on the memorial plaques in the hall?!” "I assure you, those are there for perfectly legal reasons!” he countered defensively. “I helped fund and organize the expansion of your school! On top of helping to expand Ponyville's infrastructure, it was to ensure my daughter had a quality place of learning! Everything I do is for Diamond's sake!” “Really,” I said skeptically. “Like bribing the Headmaster to keep Diamond out of trouble.” “Ergh!” he stomped a hoof angrily. “Do you think I want to be in that position? It’s not my choice!” “Of course it is! Instead of bailing your daughter out of trouble every time it hits, why don’t you just do the logical thing and get her to behave?” “Do you think I haven’t tried?!” he said in frustration, and he started pacing again. “That girl is just… insatiable! Uncontrollable!” “And whose fault is that?” I challenged. “She doesn’t respect me,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Doesn’t listen to me at all. Just uses me as a crutch to escape all her problems.” “And you let her!” “As if I have a choice!” he retorted, whirling on me. “Between her and my wife, I just—” “Your wife?” I asked, and he froze suddenly. “What does Miss Proper have anything to do with this?” “I…” he opened and closed his jaw repeatedly, struggling to come up with words. “Mister Rich?” I asked. He sighed heavily, breaking our gaze to stare at the dirt beneath his hooves. “…It's complicated.” There it was again. “Mister Rich, please,” I implored. “Please just tell me. What in Sun's name is going on?” A moment of silence passed. “I… I’ve said too much,” he said uneasily. “But I believe it’s time we laid this matter to rest. After all, we reached an agreement—all charges dropped, both ways.” “Yeah, which is great for you,” I said bitterly, “since it means Diamond gets away scot-free, once again, and I go back to square one, wondering whether I’ll be hassled by her tomorrow.” He frowned. “Miss Belle, you’ve both been suspended. There won’t be a tomorrow.” “You know what I mean,” I said flatly. “And I have already assured you that I will do what I can to curb my daughter’s behavior.” “I hate to say it Mister Rich, but to be honest, after everything I’ve seen you and Diamond do, I find that very hard to believe.” He sighed, then he gently rested a hoof on my shoulder—whoa, I don’t think so. I immediately backed up a step, leaving his hoof to hang in the air. He stared silently at me for a moment before letting his leg fall to the floor, and he gave me a sad smile. “Miss Belle… I’m sorry,” he said softly. “For everything. Believe me when I say I didn’t want this for my… for either of you.” I blinked back at him, taken completely by surprise from this sudden attitude change. But I couldn’t help a slight tinge of angry skepticism. If that were true, why didn’t you try harder to prevent it? His expression hardened. “That being said… I tried to warn you, and you still chose to move against my daughter. I hope you are prepared for the consequences.” I broke into a scowl. “Are you threatening me again?” “This is not a threat, this is a warning, just as before,” he growled. “I did what I could to prevent it, but you have stirred the hornet’s nest, and I cannot predict what will happen next. I can only pray to the Stars that this will end well… for either of us.” That last, cryptic statement hung in the air. What in Sun’s name did you have to lose? He didn’t elaborate further. “I’m sorry, Miss Belle, but I must be leaving. I bid you good day, and…” He paused. “Thank you for this conversation. Despite the unpleasant circumstances, it was… illuminating.” With that, he nodded his head and turned to walk away towards the street. I opened my mouth to call out to him, but stopped myself. Was there really anything left to say? No. I’ve done all I could. The rest was up to the school. I sighed heavily, and, staring out towards the street, I began the long walk home. The sun was setting over the mountain ranges beyond the City to the west, bathing the roof of the Tower in a bright orange glow. I stood in the center of the main plaza as dozens of Everfree Crusaders all around me went about their business, flitting between the various shops and other market stalls. A few waved to me, recognizing me as the guild leader of Sanctuary, and I barely spared them a wave as I trotted briskly through, seeking my friends. It took only a moment for me to spot them relaxing in our usual spot by the balcony overlooking the city. As I trotted up to them, I noticed they were having a rather animated conversation. “…and then the Captain had to tackle her to the ground to get her to—” I winced. “You have to be kidding me,” I growled. All of them jumped, turning quickly towards me as I approached. “Button,” I glared at the colt, who shrunk as I stepped up to him. “Why in Sun’s name are you telling everypony what happened today?” “…Sorry, Sweetie,” muttered Mash. “Please do not blame Mash,” said Stranger. “We noticed he was rather distressed, and asked him what was wrong.” “Yeah, Freya wouldn’t stop railing on him until he told us,” said Zaid with a chuckle. “Then when he said you had kept someone from beating him up, we were like, ‘duuuuude, you have got to tell us this story—’” I sighed. “Please just give it a rest, guys. I just got home, and I spent the entire last two hours trying to keep myself from getting arrested.” “Stars, was it that bad?” asked Mash. “I got tackled by the Captain of the Town Guard,” I muttered sullenly. “What do you think?” “But you didn’t get in trouble, right?” asked Zaid. “I managed to get out of it by the skin of my teeth,” I said with a sigh. “I explained to them that I was just protecting my friends.” “Were you?” asked Stranger. “Yes… and no,” I admitted reluctantly. “After I threw the first punch, I kind of… winked out.” “‘Winked out?’” asked Zaid. “I don’t know how to explain it,” I shrugged helplessly. “It’s like, my mind went blank, and my body started moving on its own.” “Sounds a lot like bloodlust,” said Freya simply. I quirked an eyebrow. “Is that a gryphon thing?” “Only the name is,” she waved a talon. “Most other species call it ‘fight-or-flight’. Legionnaires are trained to control it, but it’s just a thing that everyone does. If you feel threatened or pressured enough, your body’s instincts take over.” She looked up at me. “Though to be honest, I’m surprised it turned out that way for you—a fight response isn’t common in a non-predatory species like ponies, and especially not in kids your age.” That didn’t make me feel any better. “Whatever it was, it took me over. Diamond Tiara was on the ground already, and I would have kept going had the Guard not stopped me.” “And you’re lucky they did,” came Shadow’s voice. “I’m surprised they didn’t arrest you.” I flinched. We all looked up at Shadow, who was leaning back against a planter. The umbra had been silent this entire time, and didn’t meet my gaze as he polished away at his sniper rifle. “Would you rather they did?” I asked him. “No,” he replied gruffly. “But I would not have disagreed.” “Shadow’s right,” said Freya, making us look back at her. “Whatever reason you had to lose control, you lost control, and it could have ended badly.” I sighed heavily. “What am I supposed to do about it?” “Be better,” he remarked bluntly. I turned to the stallion. Out of everyone on my team, I could always rely on him for a straight, unfiltered opinion. Didn’t matter what it was about—a strategy I was planning, or a gun’s stats, or even me—he would never sugarcoat his answers. After having spent so many of my early months in the game being coddled by other players, I had found his biting honesty refreshing. And, at this particular moment, somewhat irritating. “Shadow, do you have something you wanna say to me?” He finally looked up at me. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” He put down his rifle, stood up, and trotted to me. “Don’t get me wrong, Dovetail. You’re our guild leader, and I respect that. You do your job, and you do it damn well better than anyone I know. “But you’re short-tempered and impulsive. You’re quick to anger. You lose control of your emotions too easily. And sometimes it affects not only your attitude, but your ability to lead us.” I blinked. “That was… ouch.” “I’m not even done yet. You get angry in the Crucible. Furious. You’re a sore loser, and your mood sours if you aren’t winning.” “It’s just a video game,” I replied defensively. “Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “You and your behavior is real. And we see it all the time. Sometimes you even turn it on us, especially if it’s a cooperative mission and we’re not doing too well. Do you ever notice?” “I… I mean, yeah, I guess sometimes I do get a little short with you guys,” I admitted sheepishly. “Is it really that bad?” “You can get a little scary,” admitted Mash. “You were downright ferocious during the Infinite Citadel,” said Freya with a grin. “Some of your more imaginative swears can be rather… alarming,” noted Stranger. “I actually think it’s kinda adorable, in a badass sort of way,” quipped Zaid. All of us turned to glare at him. “Err… I’ll shut up now.” “My point is,” continued Shadow, “your impulses are something you need to learn how to keep in check, or it’s gonna get you in serious trouble.” “Hel, it sounds like it almost did,” said Freya. “And I don’t want to see that happen to ya, kid.” I sighed heavily. “I know, I know.” I slumped down on the stairs sullenly. “I’m starting to realize that there’s a lot of things I need to learn how to keep in check.” “I have full faith that you will,” said Stranger, trotting over to sit down beside me. “You’re a bright young filly, and you’re still growing. Restraint is something that will come to you in time, but only if you let it.” “Yeah. I’ll try.” I gave everyone a weak smile. “Well… thanks for being honest with me about this, I guess.” “Hey, what are friends for?” said Zaid cheerfully. “Well, aside from being totally useless target practice for the enemy team. Speaking of which, feel like carrying us through the Crucible for a few rounds today?” “Aw, c’mon, you’re not that bad,” I grinned. “But sure, why not?” “Sorry, I think I might be out for this one,” said Shadow, standing up suddenly. “Just got a summon.” “Sure thing,” I said. “I’ll see you around, Shadow. And… thanks.” I held out a hoof to the stallion. “Don’t mention it,” he replied, bumping my outstretched hoof. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders—just remember not to lose it.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied with a smirk. He chuckled back. “Take it easy, Dove.” Shadow logged off, and his character winked out of existence. – – – – – – – – – – I logged off, and my character, Shadow Song, winked out of existence. The stratoscreen’s ethereal image dissipated, shrouding my room in total darkness. All things considered, Sweetie Belle received that quite… well? I was rather stunned she didn’t lash out at me. I let out a soft yawn, stretching my forelegs a fair bit to loosen the stiffness my body had produced through hours of inaction. I then detached the communications headset from my lobe, delicately placing the advanced piece of modified hardware upon the end table beside me. Now, wherever had that summons come to rest…? Unable to pinpoint the piece of paper in the darkness, I trotted over to the curtains, pulling them open with a tug of the drawstring. My eyes had to adjust from the abrupt change in brightness as sunlight streamed through the screen window that dominated most of the western wall. In the sitting area of my room, several pieces of ornate jeweled tableware reflected the light from the setting sun, producing a dozen points of dazzling color that danced across the walls. It was a rather breathtaking spectacle that could only be achieved at this hour of the day, one that I never grew wary of. It set my mind at ease, and I stood motionless for a few moments, idly partaking in the beauty of the fleeting light show. But alas, I was being entreated by somepony, and they likely expected a reply. Best I not tarry. I glanced over to the door, where a piece of paper had quietly slid under the crack perhaps a quarter-hour ago. Considering how much time had passed, I imagined the sender must have been rather anxious for my reply—Mash’s retelling of the day’s events had demanded my full attention, and Dovetail’s sudden appearance had only delayed me further. I trotted past my stratoscreen—ah, silly me, I nearly forgot, I thought suddenly as I passed my Hoofbox, tossing a quilt over the game console to obscure it from view—and made my way to the door, finally picking up the piece of paper and unfolding it. With a hoof, I adjusted my glasses slightly to bring the writing into focus. The floral cursive script was immediately recognizable. We pegged the journalist who ran the interviews from this morning’s newspaper article, and I think he’s gonna help us write something using some of what he knows about that harlot and her friends. Want in on the action? Swing by in 15. It took a few moments for me to realize that my jaw was agape. I shut it, and quickly re-read the short summon. If she meant the article about our guild this morning… then she must have been referring to Noteworthy. A sudden burst of panic surged through my body. I was interviewed by him as well, and I was quite certain I didn’t let anything slip regarding my identity… but if she pieced some of the information together… I dropped the paper as I realized what was at risk. No. This could not end well. I could be linked to Shadow. Immediately, I slung a saddlebag onto my back and rushed out the door, brushing my mane behind my head and barely acknowledging the servants I passed in the halls. “Is everything alright, young miss?” called one, the Head Servant, as I approached the door. “You seem troubled.” “I’m heading out tonight,” I replied curtly. “An emergency came up that I must attend to immediately. Please inform my family that I will not be available for dinner this evening.” “As you wish.” He bowed as I trotted briskly past him. I turned a corner and burst through the front door. "Celestia grant me speed," I whispered silently as I galloped into the sunlit streets of Ponyville.