Seven Days in Sunny June, Book III

by Shinzakura


July 1: Cat's in the Cradle

In a quiet, private room in a bar in San Francisco’s Embacadero district, a man sat, looking at the rest of the place through a one-way mirror. Drunk as hell, he watched the bodies writhe and twist to the music, as though the beats were the mating call to a virtual carnival. But that was part of the problem: the man knew if he walked out there, he could have his pick of any – and certainly more than one – and have them in bed practically instantly. Hell, just wagging his eyebrows would probably get a couple hot and bothered, such was his fame.

But he didn’t want that. No, he sighed, what he wanted he knew he could never have – and that was his own fault.

“If I were you,” he crooned, his voice seeming to slur from the how-manyth whiskey on the rocks that he’d had. “I’d be straight and true, just for you, a heart true blue….”

Sitting on the other side of the table, Tirek groaned. “Dee, you’re drunk.”

Running a hand through his shaggy platinum-blonde hair, Discord looked at his best friend with red eyes that seemed to shift to yellow when the light hit them just right. “Dude, I’m drunk right now and do not fuck a give, so please allow me to sing stupid half-written lyrics to all three of you until I vomit on the floor and you can have someone in our record label-hired entourage to take me back to my hotel room where I can scream the next morning about a Goddamn hangover.”

“Well, if it helps, my wife hired two girls to serve as our bodyguards,” Tirek said with a girn. “They’re out there right now, half-naked and assigned to lean all over us until we can make it to the limo. Heck, just to make it realistic, one of them is supposed to stick her tits in your face and tell her that she wants your baby.” The other ivory-haired man looked out the mirror before saying, “Fortunately for you, she’s a happily married lesbian with a family and is doing this just for the job, else you could be worried.”

“Look, only tits I want to grab right now are Poe’s,” Discord sighed, his head leaning back against the leather sofa he sat on as his hair fell into his eyes. “Did I ever tell you that I composed a song about how perky Poe’s tits are?”

“No, and I don’t want to hear it, either,” Tirek said. “Skies will kill me, then she’ll kill you, then she’ll tell Pose, and then your wife will kill all of us.”

“But do you know what I want more than anything else?” Discord slurred.

Tirek groaned. “Great, here it comes,” he said, taking a drink from his rum and coke.

Ignoring him, Discord said, “More than anything else…I want to hold my little girl and tell her I’m sorry. That I’m a bad daddy and I don’t des….” Discord suddenly stopped. Tirek was wondering what the hell happened, when a snore suddenly came out of the other man’s mouth. Tirek shook his head as he watched his best friend drink himself stupid…again.

A second later, a knock came at the door, and a girl with barely any clothing on came in. “Mr. Tirek? Just checking up on you two.”

“Thanks…uh….”

“Javelin,” the woman said. “I know that I was introduced to you as ‘Tender Sighs’, but that’s all a part of the job, sir.”

“Thanks. Anyway, Discord’s out like a light, so would you mind getting your partner and…?”

“Sure thing,” Javelin said with a grin. “Arbalest – she was introduced as ‘Sweet Touch’ – has been joking about it all night. She says that if she has to, y’know, it’ll be the first time any guy has ever seen them.”

Tirek rolled his eyes. “Okay. I’ll call the chauffeur and have him set up to pick us up outside in five.”

“Will do, sir. Be right back,” Javelin said as she went to get her partner.

Tirek got up and looked at his drunken friend. He knew Discord was hurting, especially after he and Skies had told the rocker about what happened a couple of weeks back. He hoped that the next few days would mend all the years of pain. There was no guarantee that it would, but Tirek believed in his friend, and he believed in Fluttershy.

If anyone can do it, it’s Shy, he thought with a grin as the two bodyguards slunk in, the eager and willing looks on their faces as much a lie as the lives Tirek and Discord lived.

As the private plane lifted off from CJV, the passengers, mostly teenage girls, were giggling and enjoying the whole thing. “This is the life!” Rainbow cooed as she leaned back in the plush seat. “You know, I could get used to this.”

“At least you can, Rainbow,” Octavia said with a smirk before pointing to the chattering, somewhat panicked person in the seat across the cabin. “Some people can’t.”

Applejack looked at Octavia with annoyance. “Y’know, you could be a li’l nicer, sugarcube. She is yer cousin.”

“Yeah, but she was this bad to and from LA,” Octavia told Applejack. “She’s just one of those people who can’t stand flying, is all.”

“That’s a shame!” Pinkie replied. “My favorite part is when there’s turbulence and the thing goes jiggy like a rollercoaster and the pilot says everything’s fine but you don’t know if he really has control or not an—”

“And now you see why I insisted on Pinkie sitting with us instead of over there,” Octavia told the others.


On the other side, Twilight took her sister’s hand and said, “It’s okay, Sunny. I’m here with you and you’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” Sunset said, looking at her sister with worry. “Have you been on one of these deathtraps before?”

“About a month ago,” Twilight drolled, “and for far longer than you did. It’s just a 90 minute flight from Canterlot to San Francisco, Sunny. Relax, okay?”

“Sunset, dear,” Rarity told her, “It’s quite alright. Remember that flying is the safest form of travel that people have developed. Why, when I was in a child, I was even in a plane crash, and as you can see, I survived.”

“You were?” Twilight asked.

Rarity nodded. “Yes. We were flying back from my grandmother’s place in early 2001 – this was before 9/11, mind – and we had to make an emergency landing in Boise because the hydraulics had lost power or something. Anyway, the pilot had to make a belly landing, and though we were all shaken, we managed to make it okay. The flight was later proven to be an accident, not a pre-terrorist attack or what have you. But I assure you, Sunset, those sorts of things are astronomically….” Rarity didn’t say anything further as Sunset got out of her chair and raced to the restroom.

“Rarity? That might have not been the best of topics to bring up right now,” Twilight said sternly. The apologetic smile on Rarity’s face made it clear that she hadn’t intended to have quite the effect on Sunset that she did, and a couple of seconds later, the teens could hear the sounds of retching in the restroom.

“Sorry,” Rarity said, flushing from embarrassment.


In a third set of chairs, Fluttershy, Posey and Angel occupied those. Angel had worn himself out from the excitement of being on a flight and had since fallen asleep. At the moment, Posey was reading from a tablet, and Fluttershy was wearing her Grados; from what Posey could tell, the music her daughter was listening to was probably the Cardigans’ Emmerdale – father and daughter, despite their differences and the former’s vastly different music style, had much the same taste in music.

Setting aside her tablet, Posey looked at her daughter. “You know, dear, neither your brother nor I are going to be offended if you go sit with your friends.”

Fluttershy hit pause on her phone and removed the headphones so she could hear her mother’s words after her reply. “I…don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Mom. I….” The teen’s face scrunched up in a sort of helpless look. “I don’t want them to think differently of me.”

“Why would they do so? With the exception of Twily and Tavi they’ve all known you for years, dear. Even Sunset, who was once your biggest enemy, has turned out to be a good friend as well, right? Plus, if you want someone who’s life has become different, that would be her.” After Sunset’s birthday, Fluttershy had told her mother of what had happened and Sunset’s reaction; Posey had commented that it was good for the troubled teen to finally find a place where she belonged.

“I know,” Fluttershy replied, “but this is different. None of them has a secret that makes them more important than anyone else – not that I think I am, but that they might think so.” Even still, Fluttershy knew this was a lie, and once again, it pointed back to Sunset: with the secret of what she really was, she had the “right” to say she was more important than anyone else, but…given how that had turned out and the past year she’d spent getting over that, she would be the last to make such a claim now.

“Sweetie, these are your friends. They’re never going to think badly of you, I’m sure.” Posey gave her daughter a smile and said, “If anything, once you meet up with your father, I’m sure they’ll be right there to support you.”

Sure, right after Sunny and Rainbow squee because they’re meeting their idol, Fluttershy sighed. Of course; that was unfair of her as well, as she had no idea if her friends would do the obvious or take the higher road and back her up regardless. Inwardly, she knew it would probably be the latter, but her friends were, after all, just teenage girls like herself. Or at least Rainbow is; I think Sunny told us in private that she’s thirty now? That made the chiffon-haired teen shake her head just from that fact: one of her friends was in her thirties and was still in high school. Of course there was more to it than just that, but that’s how the world worked, she guessed.

“Something on your mind, dear?” she heard her mother say and inwardly, Fluttershy swore. She let her mind wander when she shouldn’t have, and now she probably missed something that she probably needed to know.

“Not really,” Fluttershy said hesitantly. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I know you, dear,” Posey said with a smile. “That’s your ‘I have something on my mind but I can’t tell my mother’ look. And before you ask, yes, I’ve known that look for a long, long time.” When the younger woman blushed, Posey laughed and said, “Trust me, just rely on your friends. They won’t let you down. Now as for me, I’m going to get back to my book and I think you should go talk to the others.” Posey leaned over and watched as a very green-looking Sunset walked out of the restroom and back to her seat.

Posey reached over into her purse. “Give Sunny these, and tell her to have some water and relax. Apparently flying is not her forte.”

“You have no idea, Mom,” Fluttershy said as she took the pills and went over to join her friends.

Thirty minutes later, Sunset all but collapsed in relief on the tarmac at San Rafael Airport, north of San Francisco. The others tried to both shield Sunset from view while simultaneously trying not to laugh at her. Needless to say, it was not an easy move.

“Are you feeling better, Sunny?” Fluttershy asked as she bent down to help her friend up.

In a soft voice that only Fluttershy could hear, she admitted, “All the times I flew with Princess Celestia when I was a filly and I was fine. But I get into one of those metal tubes, and I’m as terrified as an earth pony 40,000 feet up.” She blinked away the nervousness, looking at Fluttershy with gratitude. “Thanks. I know I must look like an embarrassment.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy clarified. “I know I’m probably going to look more than a mess a few times this weekend.”

“Tell you what then,” the (supposedly) younger teen told the older one. “You keep me out of trouble and I’ll do the same for you?”

“Deal,” Fluttershy said as they walked towards the concourse building with the others. As Sunset looked around, she noted that the place didn’t seem too different from where she lived. Granted, this was California wine country and not the NorCal she was used to, but she could deal with it. She’d already dealt with the much busier life that was Los Angeles, a good few hundred miles more to the south so putting up with this was just as normal, right?

The group walked in to get their bags, only to note a bunch of men putting their luggage onto racks. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Posey asked.

“Not at all, ma’am; just making sure that you get the five-star treatment,” a young woman seemingly in her teens said with a smile. She had wavy blue hair and expressive red eyes.

Rainbow turned her head at that voice. “Melancholy Rose? That you?” Before she could get an answer, she went to go hug her friend and Scootaloo’s biological sister. “Hey, long time no see, girl! What brings you here?”

“Dad’s the producer for the charity concert,” Rose explained. “When he found out who was on the passenger manifest for the private flight, he thought it’d be best if family got involved you know? So, Scoots come with you?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, but then again, if we’d known you were going to be here, she probably would’ve come. C’mon, let me introduce you to some friends and you can say hi to the ones you already know.” With that, Rainbow took Rose over to her friends and the teen got to say hello again to those she already knew as well as get to meet the others. Within no time flat, Pinkie had made Rose an honorary member of the Eightmazing Eight (Plus One!) and the nine girls idly chatted along like they’d been together for their entire lives.

It was at this point that Posey’s phone went off. Reaching into her purse to get it, she had a simple text from an unknown number: Did you make it to San Raf safely?

We did, she typed. It will be okay, I know it will. She’s a wonderful girl and you have every reason to be proud of her.

That’s what scares me, Discord texted back.

On the stage of Candlestick Park, Discord’s band practiced, with the time allotted to them today. They were the headlining band for the final day of the festival and thus they had to get everything ready.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be Discord himself.

Freebase, running his hand through his white and silver dreadlocks, looked at Screwball. “Hey, SB, you know what’s up with the bossman? He seems out of it.” Both looked at him and watched as the tousle-haired rock star seemed to have his eyes focused into the distance, particularly into the stadium’s industrial entrance on the other side. “I mean, I know all that public image shit is just that, but…I dunno, he looks like he’s trippin’, if you ask me.”

Screwball looked back at the bassist. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” a woman in her middle-age looked at the pair, brushing the locks out of her unkempt hair. “He’s thinking about his family right now. It’ll be the first time in years that he’s seen his daughter.”

“Wait…the D-Man has a family?” Freebase asked.

Screwball rolled her eyes. “And I thought I was out of it. Free, you really gotta pay more attention. I’ve been with the band the least amount of time and I even knew that.” She picked up her guitar, checked the cable on it, then where it connected to the audio setup. It seemed off, so she fiddled with it a bit before replacing it with a new cord.

Screw Loose looked up from her drums. “Hey, SB, you know his daughter, right?”

“No, but I know a couple of her friends, and I’m cousins with one of those,” Screwball replied. “I’m guessing this is the part where you want me to go talk to him?” When both Freebase and Screw Loose gave her an even look, she shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, got the message. Bee are fuckin’ bee.” With that, she set the guitar down and walked over to the edge of the stage, plopping down next to him. “Hey, boss, you got a second?”

“So what’s she like?” Discord said, utterly serious and without a trace of a smile. “I know you met her friends, so please, don’t keep me in the dark. I know that somewhere my little girl came into the conversation.”

Seeing this side of Discord, the happy, silly man she’d performed with for the past few years, surprised her. He’d been absolutely goofy when he hired her as the replacement guitarist for the band. He’d danced a waltz on stage with Sugar Lips when she presented them with the 2013 Grammy for Best Rock Performance, not caring that the whole world was watching. Discord was a man who really didn’t care about his public image, because his public image was based on him not caring. And yet, here he was, milquetoast as could be due to the daughter he’d left behind and hadn’t seen in person for years, because he thought he was protecting her.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Screwball said.

He sighed. “I know. I’m sure Fluttershy will have much worse to say to me. Since I found out she was coming I haven’t slept much, worried about what she’ll say. Hell, I spent about two of those days in an alcoholic coma, if you believe Tirek—”

“I do. Had breakfast with him and his wife this morning. He craves a normal life just as much as you do.” Screwball chuckled. “So many people bust their asses to get where we are and what do we dream of? Being where they are. It’s a fucked up world.”

Discord nodded. “Yeah, that it is. Sometimes I wonder if all this fame is like a drug – if I can really walk away from it or just have one more hit and the rush’ll make me forget again. I mean, I’ve recorded an album nearly every year? Hell, I’m busy even for a rock star. And I keep telling myself the more I make myself a target, the more they’ll leave my wife and children alone. And then I wake up one morning and realize I’m doing that, too. Sure, I’m not doing what the tabloids accuse me of, but…where’s my chance to be at my son’s Little League games? When do I get to scare the hell out of my daughter’s first boyfriend? Where’s that Happily Ever After that all marriages are supposed to have?”

“Couldn’t tell you – you know how my parents are,” she told him. “Hell, part of me thinks I need to have Midnight move in with me to save her ass from them.”

He patted her on the shoulder. “You’re a good sister.”

She laughed. “Don’t get maudlin on me. I’m a bitch and I know it. I’m just a good bitch instead of a bad one.” She looked into the clear July sky. “So, you know what you’re going to do when you see them again?”

“Hug them and never let them go?” he said, chuckling. “No, I’m going to piss my pants with fear. Because I’ve never been here before – being a real dad. I’m not even sure seeing them again makes me one.”

She got up from her seated position. “It doesn’t,” she told him. “What comes after will determine that. But hey, you’re Discord, right? You’ll figure it out.” Seeing a limo pull into the area, she said, “Looks like the next band’s here for their practice session. We didn’t do shit.”

Discord shook his head, the shaggy white mass looking like a psychotic tribble with the shakes. “Fortunately, we still have tomorrow in the underground conference room to practice. We’ll get it right, we always do.”

“Yeah,” she said, walking back towards the other band members.

He turned his head to watch her wander off before he added under his breath, “Now I just wonder if I’ll get it right.”

As the group walked through the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco, they were completely floored by the opulence of it all. From the expensive seating to the marble floors and elegant chandelier lighting, it made them feel more than a bit small.

“This is amazing,” Applejack said, her jaw one movement away from falling off, she was so awestruck. “Ah can’t even believe this place exists!”

Rose laughed. “Yeah, I’m so used to this kind of stuff that I forget how fancy it can be. No offense, girls, but this is just old hat to me. In the meanwhile, let’s get you guys checked in.” The blue-haired beauty walked over to the concierge, getting the girls checked into their room. “We’ve got you two each to a suite – that okay?”

Pinkie nodded. “I call dibs with Applejack!” Before the blonde could even comment, Pinkie rocketed over, grabbed one of the keycards and grabbing Applejack’s hand, cheerfully dragged her towards the elevator.

“Well, I guess I’ll stick with Fluttershy,” Rainbow said. “She could use her oldest friend right now, and I’m all too happy to help.” Fluttershy nodded, grabbed one of the keys, and the two were off.

Octavia saw Twilight sidle closer to Sunset, and decided to make her move. “C’mon, Twily, let’s go get our room!” Before the plum-haired scholar could complain, her cousin grabbed the nearest key and wandered off towards the elevators, Twilight reluctantly following.

Sunset looked at Rarity. “So, losers get chosen last?” the flame-haired girl said with a laugh.

“Of course, darling. I’ll get the key if you’ll be so kind as to grab my bag,” the fashionista told her friend and then the two were off.


Posey looked at Rose. “Well, I’m afraid my son and I aren’t planning to share a room with you, Rose.”

Rose laughed as she reached into her purse, giving Posey a keycard. “You’ve already been checked into an executive suite with your husband. There’s an adjacent room for your son, so he’ll be close by.”

“I appreciate that, Rose,” Posey told her. “It’s nice to have someone who can assist with this sort of thing.”

“No need to thank me; I’m going into the family business and so I have to know how to handle these sorts of things,” Rose replied. “Truthfully, this was easy; the hard one was last year when Dad asked me to help arrange a rendezvous with a notoriously – at least in public – heterosexual oversexed R&B star and his long-time not-heterosexual partner. They actually make a nice couple but….” She put her hands up helplessly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that image is all in this industry.”

The older woman nodded sadly. “Entirely too much, if you ask me. Well, I’m going to go check into the room and make sure me and Angel are okay. Will you be okay here?”

Rose nodded. “Yeah. I’ll call Rainbow in about ten minutes and see if the girls want me to arrange a tour of San Francisco. I’m sure they’ll like running around Chocolate Square and the Embarcadero, as well as some of the other sights.”

“That sounds good. So I’ll see you around?”

The teen nodded. “Rainbow has my phone number; just get it from her if you need anything from me; likewise, feel free to call my Dad since you have his number and I’ll do what I can to help. See you later,” Rose said with a wave as she pulled out her phone and made her way over to the seats to contact her friend.

As Posey and Angel made their way to the elevators, the mother pulled out her phone and dialed a specific phone number, hoping it would answer. The first ringthrough connected to voicemail. She tried again and the second time around was answered with, “Poe?”

“Hello, love,” she said, a smile on her face. “We’re all checking into the hotel room now. Flutters is bunking with a childhood friend of hers, and Angel’s still a bit drowsy from the flight, but he’ll wake up later, I’m sure.”

“And Fluttershy?”

“Well, since you were hyperventilating instead of listening, I’ll say it slowly,” Posey teased. “She’s…with…her…friends…right…now—”

“And I thought I was the comedian in the family.”

She giggled. “Anyway, they’re probably going to tour the Embarcadero. She’ll be back tonight,” Posey told him, “and then we can talk.”

"Fuck yeah we would!" Rainbow responded, though kinda embarrassed to admit that she had no idea what the Embarcadero was.

“So, think you can get a hold of the girls and see if they want to go?”

“Oh hell yea! No worries there, Rose. See you in ten, okay?” As soon as the other girl disconnected, the spectrum-haired athlete looked at her old friend. “So, whatcha think?”

Fluttershy, as always, smiled sweetly and nodded. “Oh, that sounds like a great idea, Rainbow. Do you think the others will come?”

“Flutters, we’re here for you,” Rainbow reminded her, “and that means that you’ve got charge of this whole shindig. If you want to go, we’ll go, okay?” Rainbow stood up and hugged the chiffon-haired girl. “Yeah, okay, so I’m not as good at the mushy stuff as the others, but I do know when you need a hug, okay?”

Fluttershy giggled in response then pulled out her phone to send the others a text. “So Rose said to meet downstairs?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. She also said that if tickets are still available, we can go see Alcatraz, which is totally cool.”

Rarity looked at the two twin beds. “So, Sunset, dear, which one would you prefer?”

“I really don’t care,” Sunset said as she made her luggage vanish. Technically she hadn’t brought anything except for her hammerspace backpack – originally cornucopic saddlebags that Princess Celestia had commissioned for and given to Sunset prior to her departure from Equestria; upon its arrival in Earthspace, it had changed to a normal-looking backpack, complete with IKEA tag and stupid UPPTÄCKA name – and that was more than enough. She could have actually carried everyone’s luggage, but obviously explaining all of that would have been a tall order. Besides, she was trying to be a normal girl and normal girls weren’t usually the most powerful magical thing on the planet.

“Well, as long as you’re not trying to cuddle with me, everything should be okay,” Rarity commented. Sunset froze in her tracks while the fashionista giggled. “Oh, don’t worry, Sunset, dear, I actually find that sweet. Sweetie used to fall asleep in my arms all the time when she was younger; unfortunately, you know how they get when they reach a certain age. It’s nice to see that you and she get along so well.”

Sunset blushed. “Maybe it’s just me, but after being an only foal for the majority of my life, having a family – a real family – just cannot compare. I feel like I’ve been missing out for so long and that everything I ever wanted I now finally have.”

Rarity went over and patted her best friend on the shoulder. “And that is why I’m so happy for you, darling. Forgive the saying, given what you really are, but having family that loves you and always wants the best for you…well, it’s what makes us human, so to speak.”

The flame-haired girl laughed. “Hey, you know me: I’m just a normal girl living in a mixed-up world.”

“Except you aren’t, not really,” Rarity said. “You’re a thirty-year-old mare, if I recall correctly. Your ‘older brother’ is four years younger than you.”

The statement had a sudden impact on Sunset. In a quiet voice, she said, “I still don’t know how I’m going to tell them the truth.” She plunked herself down on the bed dejectedly. “The people I love most in this world – the people that I should have no secrets from – and to this day, they really still don’t know me. They only know the person they think I am.”

Rarity realized she’d just opened a wound that she hadn’t intended. “Oh, my…Sunset, I apologize! I hadn—”

“No, it’s not your fault. This is all my doing,” Sunset told her. “It’s just that….” The pseudo-teenager sighed. “I finally have parents, siblings, a real life, and it can fall down on me at any minute. I’m living a lie, Rarity, a house of cards that I don’t know how I’m going to get out of.”

“Sunset, they love you,” Rarity answered honestly. “They plan to adopt you and finally make you truly a part of their family. Families can forgive anything, dear, and this too will pass, I assure you.”

“I hope so,” Sunset sighed. “I love them too much to lose them.”

“So, Twily, any ideas of what we want to do while we’re here?” Octavia asked her.

Twilight crossed her arms. “Yes…you can start by telling me why you didn’t want me to share a room with Sunny.”

“Only two to a room,” Octavia said, “and I’m shy when it comes to the others.”

Twilight didn’t buy that for a second. “Please don’t tell me you’re becoming jealous of your cousi—”

“She’s not my cousin.” The tone was so cold and brutal that it seemed as though the room had turned into the arctic tundra during a mid-winter blizzard. Less than a second later, Octavia added, “Well, not legally yet, but you know I think of her the same way as I do you.”

Twilight blinked, wondering if she’d just imagined what she’d just heard; it wasn’t like Octavia at all to make comments like that, but then again, it wasn’t like Octavia to be acting the way she had been since Twilight’s return from Italy. “Tavi, is there something that you need to tell me?”

“Not really.” She dropped into a seat and looked at her cousin. “Look, honestly: I just felt uncomfortable about sharing a room with one of the other girls, and the choice broke down to you or Sunny. Since Sunny’s comfortable around Rares, you were the obvious choice.”

“We were just over Rarity’s place the other night,” Twilight reminded her, “and you didn’t seem to have trouble then.”

“Because you were there,” Octavia replied. “If not…I probably wouldn’t have. Look, they’re our friends and they’re wonderful girls, but…they’re not you, okay?”

Twilight went over and hugged her cousin. “Tavi…and here I thought you were the brave one all this time. Look, they’re our best friends, okay? Everything’ll be okay, I promise. I know you’re going through a hard time right now….”

The musician gave her cousin a lidded look. “That obvious?”

“I don’t think anyone expected that your parents would have to leave early,” Twilight said. “Hell, Mom and Dad had hoped to have your bedroom done by the end of this month, and now the change in schedule? Dad said you feel a little adrift.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if it was Sunny who was always with you and it’s me who’s the girl on the outside looking in.”

“Yay! Bed bounce!” Pinkie called out the moment she stepped into the suite. She took a second step, then backflipped before landing perfectly on the bed.

Applejack just shook her head in wonder before realizing that as usual, Pinkie was being Pinkie.

After a few minutes, the others got their texts and everyone agreed as one to meet downstairs, just in time for the escort van to arrive. “Okay girls, here’s the plan: they’re going to drop us off by Pier 39 and we can walk around the area the whole afternoon. The Embarcadero’s a pretty close around location, so we should be able to get around on foot with no problem,” Rose commented.

“And if not Sunny can just throw us in her magic backpack so we don’t have to walk, right!” Pinkie burbled excitedly. Immediately thereafter, eight pairs of eyes looked at her. “Uh, I just said something I wasn’t supposed to say again, didn’t I?”

Sunset just facepalmed at that point, while Twilight said, “Pinkie…what are you talking about?”

“Uh…nothing! Nothing at all! No, not like Pinkie would ever break a Pinkie Promise!” the cotton-candy-haired cheerleader said, laughing awkwardly before muttering sotto voce, “I really need to keep my big mouth shut.”

“Um…okay! So, if you guys will head outside,” Rose said, “we’ll get in the van and get going to Pier 39!”

Deciding to just forget about Pinkie’s latest bout of Pinkieness, the nine girls headed towards the Econoline van parked in the pickup area. But as Sunset was about to get in, she felt a tap on her shoulder; she turned to see Pinkie give her an apologetic look. The former unicorn gave her friend a forgiving and understanding smile as they all got into the vehicle. And with that, the van drove off from the hotel, headed towards their destination.

“…and looks like we’ll be stuck here in Boston for a few more days. Sorry about that; we hadn’t intended to be trapped here, but the whole conference is running overtime and…. Yeah, I know, you don’t want to hear that, but you know how it is. Look, I’ll put some extra money into your account so you can go enjoy the concert, and…when we get home, we’ll make it up to you, little sis. I promise.”

A voice sighed as a delicate finger traveled the distance of the smartphone’s screen to the off button. Slipping it into her purse, the girl sighed, running her fingers through her green-and-blue locks then adjusting the glasses on her face. She was still adjusting to the short hair, since she was told that she looked more girlish with it; and the glasses were the result of her last physical, and frankly the idea of contacts – where you shoved glass right up against your eyeballs – made her admittedly squeamish. Looking at the sea lions seated on the actual slips below calmed her down slightly, but wasn’t going to be enough of a force to brighten her day.

Six and a half months of living here in San Francisco with her brother and his wife – well, technically legal guardian, but since said “parent” felt odd about “adopting” a girl less than a decade younger than him, they just agreed to treat each other as siblings – and she still didn’t feel like she belonged here. Granted, her life was leaps and bounds above what it had been just months ago during the holidays, but…she was still being privately educated, which meant she hadn’t attended school yet, which meant that she had no real friends other than those she lived with. Even the neighborhood she lived in with them were mostly young married couples, and some of the men she’d seen tempted her more than once to return to her old life – but she swore she’d never go ba—


“Oooh! There’s an antique bookstore there! Can we go look?”
“Yeah, figures she would get interested in old books.”
“No kidding. Anyway, let’s humor her and check it out, okay? I’m a little interested, myself.”
“Great! Now we have eggheads in stereo!”


Two of the voices immediately caught the girl’s attention as recognition set in, and she looked in the direction of the sounds. Sure enough, a group was coming in this general direction: one girl in front who acted as tour guide, while the ones behind her seemed as though they were tourists. And sure enough, two of them looked familiar, she was sure of it. She’d only met them once, and that dinner had been very awkward, but…as embarrassing as it was, she was feeling a little lonely right now, and better the presence of an acquaintance than absolutely nobody at all, right? Besides, it was her sister-in-law that told her often enough that “friends are mystical” or words to that effect.

Waving to them as they approached, she called out, “Hi! Sunset…Shining, right? And Twilight Twinkle?”

“Hey, Amel—”

Sweet Pea, if you please,” the girl said with a smile that seemed more than a bit forced. “I’m not eager to relive that part of my life again.”

“Yeah, and for the record, it’s ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and ‘Sunset Shimmer’,” Twilight reminded her. “But it’s good to see you again…I think. Anyway, what brings you here to San Francisco?”

Sweet Pea laughed. “I live here! ‘Bout a quarter-mile away on Bay Street over by Russian Hill,” she said, pointing in the direction. “I come here all the time on the weekends to read and feed the sea lions. What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here for the Rock Gods Rule Festival,” Sunset spoke, entering the conversation before Pinkie could slip up again. “But since it doesn’t start until tomorrow, our friend Rose here thought she’d show us around San Francisco a bit.”

“Wow, what a coincidence – I’m going there as well! Where are you guys going to sit? If I remember my ticket correctly, I’m in the centerfield stands.”

“Um….” Sunset scratched the back of her head and looked with embarrassment at the other girl. “We’re in….”

“VIP seating in the front row, oh fuckin’ yeah!” Rainbow squealed, only to suddenly meet a stare from a bunch of the others. “What’d I say?”

“Oh,” Sweet Pea said dejectedly. In response, Twilight and Sunset merely looked at Rose and Fluttershy. The latter, who could do little given her current situation, said nothing, leaving Rose to come to the rescue.

Rolling her eyes, the businessgirl said, “You guys are lucky that I got a ticket for Scoots just in case, so….” Looking at Sweet Pea, Rose said to her, “Okay, give me your info and I’ll have your new ticket waiting for you at the box office when you show up. We’ll be there for the first concert, so if you want to meet with us early enough, we can all have breakfast together.”

“Yay!” Sweet Pea cheered. “So, to make up for that, I think I should show you all around this place – what a real local does around here. Let me go flirt with the guy who has the tickets to the Alcatra—”

Twilight and Sunset gave Sweet Pea a glazed look.

“Um…he’s…my neighbor’s kid. Here for the summer. I’m…no, really! I’m not…I mean….” The girl suddenly flushed the largest shade of embarrassment that either had ever seen.

“I’m guessing there’s a story here regarding your friend, dears,” Rarity said to both of her friends.

“No comment,” both sisters replied at the same time.

“Oh, the mother and child reunion, is only a motion away….” Discord sang, his eyes nearly tearing up at what he saw before him.

“This is normal,” Posey said to her husband as she smiled, picking her dozing son off the floor. It had been a beautiful afternoon: though her husband hadn’t returned in time to see Fluttershy, he arrived just as she and Angel had finished unpacking and were thinking about lunch. Their reunion had been nervous to say the least, as Angel barely remembered him, but to her surprise, Discord had taken the time to learn sign language – his guitar tech, it turned out had been hired specifically because he knew it – and within minutes, the father had started talking to the son. A hug had happened soon after, as well as Discord’s tears of joy.

They’d spent the day together, having lunch in a secluded restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, where Discord introduced his family to the current incarnation of the band. Posey had chatted along with Skylark – or Screw Loose, to use her stage name – as well as meeting Freebase and Summer Violet (or Screwball, as her stage name went.) The five goofed around, and it was an especially touching moment when Screwball brought Angel over and started to teach him a little bit about how to play a guitar. Needless to say, he absolutely enjoyed it, and the tender look that Discord had on his face was something that she would treasure for the rest of her life – it certainly brought pause to the faces of all but Skylark, whose husband was here, though her college-age son couldn’t make it.

The afternoon had been even better, as Discord thought ahead and bought a game system so he and Angel could play. Watching as her husband and son gamed along, she wasn’t very surprised that her husband was more than a bit skilled with them…even though he knew exactly how to lose to Angel without making it seem like he was throwing the game. Around dinnertime, they’d ordered room service, letting whatever time and distance that had existed between Angel and Discord become a thing of the past, with the two platinum-haired males chatting along as though they’d never been apart.

Now evening had beckoned, and Angel had fallen asleep watching movies lying next to his father as both drank huge peanut butter and chocolate shakes. Posey stayed slightly distant, giving them both this moment, enjoying the moment as if it were a slice of pure paradise, and the closest thing to the fulfillment of her heart’s desire.

Still it was just that: only "close". One member of the family still remained absent from this reunion, and that was the part that was going to be the hardest. Fluttershy – I have no idea how she’s going to react to all this, Posey mused silently. She knew Discord was ready to see his daughter again…but did the same apply in reverse?

Unaware of his wife’s thoughts, Discord bounded up from his prone position and asked, “Poe, do you mind if I put him to bed?”

“Hon, I—”

“The last time I did, he was barely longer than my forearm,” Discord said in a soft voice, looking at the young boy dozing on the floor. “It’s not going to be more than a few more years before he’s into girls, fast cars, and arguing with his parents. I…I just got him back today. I want to enjoy what little I see of his childhood before it’s all pissed away by the exterior of an angsty teen. Because after that comes the college years, then the ‘Dad, I’m wild about this girl,’ and then my grandkids will be making fun of me because I look like the Rolling Stones on their annual Decrepit Tour.”

“Angel would never do that, sweetheart.”

“He’s my son, so he’s gotta be as much of an imp as I was,” Discord said, his red eyes shining. “Besides, I’m sure I’ve told you how bad I was during my teenage years. My old man and I fought all the time, then I’d go over and…well, nevermind. She’s not in my life anymore.” Posey then laughed, and Discord asked, “Something funny?”

A grin came onto the doctor’s face. “Celestia, right?”

“Well, yeah, I think I mentioned her name once or twice, but sweetheart, she was ages ago!” the rocker pled as Posey fished out her smartphone, brought up the gallery app, then showed her husband a picture.

“This was taken at the science fair back in early March,” Posey said. “Our little girl won third place for her studies in animal behavior.”

He blinked once. Twice.

“We’re not exactly friends, but Celestia keeps me up to date on Flutters’ progress,” Posey said with a grin. “And yes, she knows who Flutters’ father is.”

The look on Discord’s face was somewhere between a mild panic and a warped pride. “Too late to think about sending her to a private school in the area?”


A few minutes later, after Angel had been put to bed, both parents sat down on the couch, and it wasn’t long before Posey leaned into her husband. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed this,” Posey replied, as her husband snaked an arm around her shoulders. “There have been days when I miss you so much,” she said, reaching up to caress his face.

“I miss you every moment I’m not with you,” he said in return, taking her face in his hands.

“That a lyric from your next song?”

He smiled. “Only the truest words for my beloved wife,” he told her as he brought his lips to hers.

The two briefly leaned into kiss, stopping from going further only due to their sleeping son in the other room. Finally, satisfied, Posey collapsed with her head on her husband’s lap. “Have I ever told you that you kiss wonderfully?”

“As compared to whom?” he asked impishly.

She, however, was prepared for that question. “Um…Double Diamond, guy I knew in fifth grade. Good looks, but a sloppy kisser. Then there was Party Favor; he was a really adorkable kind of guy but a bit…well, he kissed weird. After that, well, then I swore off dating until I met you. But you already know all of this.”

Discord grinned. “I do…which makes me feel all the more lucky that I have you, Poe.”


The two were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Posey’s cellphone chiming – a particular ringtone that she only assigned to one person. Though Posey didn’t get to the phone in time, a second later a text arrived telling her where to meet. “She’s here. Are you ready?

Discord sat up in surprise. “You mean…?”

“It’s time, love. Angel will be fine here, and I can always come back.” She reached down and took him by the hand. “You have been waiting for this moment forever, Discord. It’s time to reunite with your daughter.”

“You sure you can walk home okay, Sweet Pea?” Sunset asked.

“Not really, but there’s a taxi outside, and I have plenty of money, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” the other teen replied, as she waved goodbye to the others. “Look…thanks for not telling them about…you know.”

“Look, my brother told me about it, and I don’t feel that’s anyone’s business but yours, unless you decide to tell anyone else – and I know my sister won’t say anything either. Besides,” the flame-haired girl replied, “I know how you feel.”

“You do?”

“I’m adopted, and when Shiny first met me – he was the one I first met in the family, since he kinda sorta arrested me.”

“Arrested?”

Yeah. He, uh, kinda thought the same thing about me as he did you,” Sunset awkwardly admitted. “Fortunately, he’s more interested in fixing the situation than gaining points or whatever it is cops do. That’s why he asked his mother – now mine – to get me the help I needed. That’s why he was willing to go to bat all the way for you. Because he cares.”

“I know, and I appreciate that. Don’t take this the wrong way, but…if he breaks up with Cadance, I’m first in line to fuck his brains out,” Sweet Pea vowed. “I’ll even marry him afterwards.”

Sunset facepalmed. “I did so not need to hear that.”

“Look, I mean that sincerely—”

“I’m sure you do.”

“—and I have nothing against Cadance,” Sweet Pea interjected. “Just…think of it as an insurance policy for your brother if he ever needs it.”

“Um…yeah. Anyway, I’d rather change the subject. Meet us here at eight in the morning, and then we’re going to the Hippo for breakfast, and then we’ll head to the concert. That work for you?”

“Works great. See you tomorrow, then.” With that, Sweet Pea headed to catch a taxi outside while Sunset watched her walk off. Once she was gone, the flame-haired teen yawned and decided to go up to her room. Tomorrow was going to be tough enough of a day seeing all the acts, but the one who would have it hardest, without a doubt, would be Fluttershy.

“Do I look okay?” Discord ran his hand through his hair once more. “I can go put on a suit, if I need to.”

Posey rolled her eyes. “Since when do you own a suit?”

He grinned. “I have some in case of an emergency. Haven’t found an emergency that requires one, to be honest, but I’m sure there’s going to be one sooner or later, right?”

“Probably not,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “But…you’re fine. It’s not that kind of emergency.”

Discord, the famed “Chaos God of Rock”, the man who graced the current cover of Spin magazine, looked as though he was ready to hide behind his wife’s metaphorical coattails. “I think I should look my best for my little girl—”

“No,” she said, stopping and taking his face in her hands. “No, there’s been enough hiding behind images and everything else, love. Fluttershy needs to see you as who you are, not your stage persona.” She then poked him in the chest as she added, “She needs Discord, not Discord, got that?”

He chuckled. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed that little bit of sanity in my insane world,” he said with a grin.

She leaned in to kiss him. “I promise there’ll be more where that came from.”


As the two kissed, the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing nine girls headed to their respective suites. “Well, Ah don’t know ‘bout y’all, but Ah’m completely worn out,” Applejack admitted. “Think Ah’m gonna get some shuteye.”

Pinkie then chirped, “Oh, but I thought we can just watch the stars over and over and over and over and over…”

“Yes, Pinkie, darling, I think we all quite get the idea,” Rarity replied, “but I don’t think that’s possible.”

“It’s not,” Twilight pointed out. “All the light pollution prevents it. We might have been able to see it from Alcratraz, but that’s not a given.”

“Yeah, but running around Alcatraz was awesome!” Rainbow chirped. “I mean, just seeing all that neat pri – wait, is that your Mom, Flutters? And she’s making out with…O Dios Mio!”

All eyes suddenly turned to the two adults kissing passionately in the hallway. Recognition suddenly dawned on both Sunset and Rainbow’s face as huge grins came onto their faces. A split second later, both girls shouted out, “It’s Discord!”

As if flicking on a switch, the man suddenly broke from his kiss, then looked around, saying, “Where, where? Oh, I’ve got to get that guy’s autograph; he’s just fucking awesom…oh, wait, that’s me.” Shifting his shoulders back briefly as if stretching, he said, “Well, I suppose you guys-who-are-not-quite-men have to be talking about me, because Mr. Disco Red isn’t here – I should know, I checked.” Affably and clearly in his element, he pranced over to the girls without so much as looking at them, he said, “Now, now, I suppose I’ll sign on the dotted line for you – sorry, not making deals with the devil at the moment; he’ll have to see my agent – and then I’ve got to get you all to shoo before the nice sec…ur…i….” He suddenly trailed off as he finally fixed his eyes on the gaggle of teens in front of him – and in particular, the chiffon-haired girl in the middle of them.

“Dad….” Fluttershy whispered, the word uttering from her mouth unexpectedly, as if she’d never meant to use it.

“Fluttershy….” he replied, hesitantly.

She looked at him again, as if recognition suddenly set in…

…and then her eyes hardened, taking on a cold fury.