//------------------------------// // Outings // Story: Dawn of the New Day // by QueenOfTheSilence //------------------------------// Before everyone knew it, it was Saturday. Scootaloo and Sunset had spent the last few days in solitary confinement, though it was mostly a personal choice for both of them. One felt guilty and the other felt sad. However what was different aside from the sad atmosphere was that while they usually clashed when they talked, they had been surprisingly calm towards each other, not a single fight concurring since neither of them were in the mood. Though, they hadn't spoken much due to them hiding away in their respective rooms. Celestia had also been off during the last few days, a lot more snappy and she always tired. If Luna was to guess, her sister was getting no sleep. And she would be right. When Saturday morning came around and Luna watched her sister throw her overnight carrier into her trunk, she could tell that her sister was a ball of nerves and was running on fumes. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Celestia just shook her head as she closed the trunk and made her way around to the front of her car. "And who would watch the girls? I'll be fine sister, I love you." "I love you too sister. Come home soon." The younger sister had watched as her sister drove away in the early morning light, wondering if she would be fine on her own or able to handle the trip. Luna however wasn't too concerned because she had a back up plan. She had a feeling her sister would need someone to lean on, even if it wasn't her. - Celestia stared at the building in front of her, fingers clenching her steering wheel and knuckles beginning to turn white and hurt from her grip. The building was large, very large with thick concrete walls and high barbed fences that she would guess were also electrified. She glanced around and tried to take it all in, it had been a long time since she had stepped foot in this place. If she craned her head up a bit she could see watch towers and various personnel walking the ground. Memories began flooding back to the middle-aged woman and she felt the growing desire to upchuck beginning to form in her stomach. "Ma'am? Identification and car registration please. I've already asked you twice." Celestia jerked her head around. A concerned looking man with sandy brown hair and light lilac colored skin stood inside a tool-both window, placing his hand on his taser out of habit and concern. She shook her head and sighed as she stared into the rear-view mirrors. From the enraged expression of the driver behind her, she assumed that they were not happy about being forced to wait. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to space out....it's been a long time, since I've been here." "No need to apologize, you're not the first Ma'am. I've seen that look on many faces before. I still need your I.D and registration though." Celestia said nothing, she just reached over and grabbed the required items off of her dashboard where she had put them earlier and handed them over. Several cars behind her started honking but she ignored them. The man took the documents and read them over for a moment before handing them back and handing Celestia a ticket. "Put it in your front window and make sure the number serial is facing upwards so that parking lot security can see it. You can go in." said the man as he handed back the items. She still didn't speak, she just shoved the items into her glove compartment and drove through the gate, entering the parking lot out front of the building. Parking was easy to find and she found one close to the front doors. She turned off the ignition and sat in her car for a few minutes, staring at the building once more. This was it, this was the day. She was....not ready. Not one bit. But she had no choice, well she did but she knew it was time she faced this and if she didn't then it could mean that his chances of freedom were greater. Celestia grabbed her purse and open the door of her car. The air was a lot like her emotions. Cold, numbing and biting. With the grace of a newborn kitten, Celestia began her walk towards the large doors, their presence intimidating. Once she stepped through those doors, there was no going back. Slamming the car door behind her, Celestia began the walk towards the doors to Cloudsdale Maximum Security Prison. - "Where's Celestia?" Celestia's disappearance did not go unnoticed by Sunset and it would have been surprising to Luna if it had. Luna set down her coffee and her newspaper briefly to glance over Sunset who stood in the kitchen doorway, dressed in a purple tank top and black yoga pants; her choice of pajamas. She rubbed her eyes as she entered the kitchen, confused as to why the woman who always was up before dawn making breakfast wasn't there. "Cloudsdale." "Cloudsdale? Why is she all the way in Cloudsdale? Isn't that two hours away? It's only eight o'clock in the morning." "She had....business to attend to. Which is why she's already gone; as you said it's four hours away. Don't worry about it, it's nothing important." That was a lie of course but what Celestia was really doing was no ones business but her own and to an extent Luna's. Sunset locked eyes with her and both knew Luna was lying but thankfully, Sunset didn't seem too concerned or interested in getting to the bottom of the mystery, which Luna was grateful for. "Now. Can you go wake up Scootaloo please and get ready?" "Ready? Are we going somewhere?" "Yes, the outlet mall in Wakefield to start, we have a full day of things to do." "Why are we going to Wakefield?" Luna sighed, this girl and her natural curiosity! She had no time to play twenty questions. She sipped her coffee and gestured for her to leave with a wave of her hand. "Celestia wants me to buy you both new school clothes and I thought it would be fun. Besides, Wakefield has that old fashioned 50's diner. You know the one with the roller-rink? It will be fun. Now, Sunset please go wake up your sister. I want to be out of here by nine thirty at the very latest." - Not soon long after, they piled themselves into Luna's 1994 Saturn SL. Honestly she could use a new car as the current one barely ran and cost thousands of dollars in repairs but Luna was attached to it. It brought back memories, both good and bad. The trio flew down the highway with Sunset and Scootaloo in back and Luna in front. Luna, who rarely wore anything but business suits in public, was wearing jeans and a soft blue sweater and she had also put her hair in a ponytail. It was a quite rare sight to see her hair up and in such casual clothing....Well outside of the house anyway, she was always in her underwear or pajamas at home. The car was silent save for the sound of chewing; Luna had decided McDonalds would make a better breakfast then whatever she could make. There was a reason why Celestia made most of the meals. It wasn't that Luna didn't try cooking for the family, it was that every time she did an angel died. Sunset finished off her breakfast sandwich and placed the wrapper into the bag Luna was using as their trash bag. With her breakfast over, she found herself wondering what to do. She had no music to listen to nor had she thought to bring a book to read. Plus, she wasn't one for staring out at the window at the scenery. So that meant either sitting in awkward silence for the duration of the trip or attempting to talk to Luna and Scootaloo. "So uh.....You said we're going to be doing other things, like what?" Luna glanced back at her in the mirror briefly; trying not to spend too much time looking away from the road. "Well, Celestia says we need to make arrangements to get the rest of your personal items from the landlord and give him the release form." "Release form? What is she, some sort of criminal?" spoke up Scootaloo who was still eating her own sandwich. Bits of food flew out of her mouth as she spoke, hitting Sunset in the face. Her face was grimace as she rubbed her face with the sleeve of her jacket in an attempt to clean it. "You don't need to spit food at me. And no, it's a legal document to protect a tenant and their landlord. By signing it, I can't go and file a claim saying I was kicked out with no cause but it also prevents Mr. Rich from charging me with additional fees or holding my items hostage. Not that he would but he likes making sure everything is airtight." "What happens if you don't sign it?" "Well I don't sign it. I'm a minor, Celestia signed it, we just have to give it to him. But if we don't give him the form, then Mr. Rich could continue to charge rent or maintenance and all that, legally until the release form was signed or the lease ran out." "Huh." The car lapsed once more into silence and it stayed that way until they arrived in Wakefield, a small little town roughly an hour away from Canterlot, in between the city and the town of Poneville. Wakefield had everything a small town usually had; a few churches, restaurants, plenty of businesses and residences even a police station, town hall and fire station. It however did not have a high school oddly enough. It had a two daycares and two elementary schools but no high school. Meaning teenagers had to go to one of Canterlot's schools or to the high school in Poneville. Buildings in Wakefield were a tad on the shabby side but not in a bad way; the old stone buildings covered in ivy gave off the feeling of coziness and quaintness. However, one building stood out, with it's smooth, new walls that didn't fit in with the other buildings. The Wakefield Outlet mall, a recent addition to the town that had been welcomed eagerly by the residents because it meant more jobs and revenue. The mall had sixty-two businesses inside, ranging from clothing stores, to video game and tech stores , to various fast food outlets that offered their food in the food court. One of the most popular stores in the mall was Silence. A clothing store that tailored to males, females, kids and elders. What made it so popular were the prices; Silence resold items but not like a second-hand shop did, they bought sale items and various leftover items from other stores for cheap and sold them for a higher price. Though the prices were still lower then what they would be if in another store. The only downside was that sometimes sizes or choices were limited depending on what the store managed to get in but most of the time there were some really nice things. Like any other weekend, the mall was full of students and people alike, going about their business. Luna managed to find a parking spot though it took them a good ten minutes and then they headed inside towards the Silence, which was their intended target. As they stepped into the store they discovered that it wasn't any less filled with people, all trying to get the best deals. The changing rooms and check outs were both backed up. Luna sighed. Nothing she could do; they would just have to deal with it. "Okay. Game plan girls. Your mom has instructed I buy you clothes. School clothes. So, here's what's going to happen. I know you're both teenagers but I'm still responsible for you, I don't mind if you run around the store but please don't leave it without telling me. I don't need your mother finding out I lost her children. Now, let's get this over with before the afternoon wave of people start arriving and we have to deal with longer lines." - Celestia stood awkwardly as she felt a female prison guard pat her up and down, looking for contraband and any item that could be potentially dangerous. It was awkward to say the least, to be felt up even if it was for legitimate reasons. After a few minutes and many instances where a hand was placed in an area where she preferred it wasn't, the guard was satisfied that she wasn't a risk. "You're clear ma'am. You can now return to the waiting room and wait for someone to get you for the hearing." Celestia nodded and followed the woman out of the small room, one of many that they used to search visitors in and into the waiting area. It looked like any other waiting room with plush looking chairs that were actually uncomfortable, potted plants and old magazines. She didn't bother to pick up a magazine like she would normally do when in a waiting area. Instead sat down and began clenching her fists and breathing heavily. It was going to be okay, it had to be. But yet, as she stared at the door that separated visitors from the rest of the prison, she knew that it wasn't. For the first time in thirteen years, she was going to see him. Panic was beginning to set in and she was feeling as though she could collapse or find herself bolting at any minute though she would have welcomed either at that moment. "Well if it isn't Celestia! Oh and I see you're trying a new look! Loving the startled deer look!" Celestia didn't have to even look up to see who was talking to her, she could recognize that voice anywhere. She turned her head towards the entrance of the waiting room. In the doorway stood Discord. Discord was an old friend of Celestia's who happened to be an abstract painter and a talented one at that, though they did have their problems. Like always, the man with the white hair and scraggly beard was wearing an odd outfit. Today it was a brown tweed suit that looked a little wrinkly. Under his suit, he wore a purple polka-dotted shit and looking down, she discovered he was wearing sandals with socks. And not matching socks either, one had stripes and the other simply blue. Under one arm he held a black top hat and the other he held a suitcase. His odd attire attracted the attention of everyone else in the room who in turn looked at him warily. Celestia however was used to it; Discord had always been eccentric and strange but she had grown used to the artist's attitude ages ago. "D-Discord what are you do-doing here?" "Well my dear Celestia, nice to see you too! I am doing great, thank you for asking!" said the man in return, making his way over to Celestia and sitting down next to her. "Discord it's not that I'm not glad to see you it's just....unexpected." "My dear, my middle name is Unexpected! Or was it Sheogorath? I can never remember." "Sheogorath? What type of middle name is that?" "Oh well, my parents were very insane you could say. Liked giving their children odd names like the one they gave my brother, Cthulhu. You'd like him." Celestia raised an eyebrow at that statement because as far as she knew Discord was an only child. "I didn't know you had siblings." "Hmm? Siblings? Oh no, I don't have any." "But you just....never mind..." Celestia always forgot how confusing and odd conversations with Discord could be. And disturbing as well, honestly sometimes she wondered what went on in that brain of his but she preferred not to know. "You never answered my question." "Hmm? Which one? Oh, why I'm here. Well why else, to see my dearest friend Celestia! What other reason would I have?" Celestia stared at him, her eyes burning into him. He sighed and awkwardly relented. "Okay, okay. Luna sent me. She knew I would be in the area because of one of my art exhibits so she asked me to keep you company." Discords voice got quiet and silence entered the space between the two. Celestia was honestly surprised Luna had sent someone to watch over her and while she wanted to be angry with her sister for treating her like a baby, she didn't have enough energy to be angry. She was too exhausted from the emotional toil that this day had caused her in the days leading up to it. Nightmares, paranoia, crying every time she found herself alone with her thoughts. "Celestia?" She didn't reply, she just looked at him in response to her name being said. Discord took that as a silent 'what?' and continued speaking. "It'll be fine. Don't worry!" "N-No. No Discord, I don't think it's ever going to be over." Her lips quivered and her body began to shake as the first of the tears began spilling forth from her eyes. Celestia let out pitiful sobs as Discord let her rest her tired head on his shoulder. It was going to be a long day, he could just tell. - "For the last time no!" "Oh come on!" Sunset stood a few feet away from Scootaloo and Luna who were engaged in a heated argument. Their argument was situated around a very nice looking scooter that stood on display inside Scootalong, a store that sold bicycles and scooters. The scooter was apparently called the Mars: LLX Supreme. It was twice the size of Scootaloo's scooter which was a little dinky thing that was barely held together by it's nails and bolts. This scooter was made of a light-weight steel frame and it had a chrome finish with fire painted on the sides. The box next to the display item read that it was one of the fastest scooter models on the market and it had precision breaking and steering. "No, no, no, no! I will not spend money on a Scooter for you! Not only am I not, your mother, nor do I have the money!" "But Aunt Luna, I don't need clothes! Can't we return them for money? Please? I'll love you!" "Are you deaf? I've told you nearly twenty times; no! I'm not getting yelled at by Celestia when she finds out I spent the money on a three hundred dollar scooter!" "But my current scooter is useless and I need this! It's worth it Aunty!" "Scootaloo, ask me again and I will call your mother!" "But..." "No! Now if you don't stop I'm taking you home and I will ground you." "You're not my mom, you can't ground me!" "Your mother left me in charge!" Sunset at this time had lost all interest in the conversation and now was instead looking at the other various display stands. Honestly, bicycles and scooters didn't interest her much and she found herself bored as looked through the merchandise. She briefly turned back to look at Scootaloo and Luna but was not surprised to find that they were still fighting. She also doubted they noticed her walk off. A soft gurgle attracted Sunset's attention. Her stomach was growling and that meant she was hungry. She took a second glance at her family. Perhaps she should get some food? If she recalled there was an ice cream shop a few stores down and her purse had a twenty dollar bill in it. Satisfied they wouldn't notice her in the short time it would take to get a cone, she headed out of the shop and into the mall. Besides, maybe if she brought them back some ice cream Luna wouldn't be too mad. - Sunset smiled as she stepped up away from the counter to Dairy Queen, a tray of hot, delicious chocolate sundaes in her hands. Maybe the sundaes would put them all in a better mood, she knew everyone had been a bit down the last few days. Happily she began the short walk back to the store, hoping that Luna and Scootaloo were in the same place as before. 'I hoped they aren't still fight, it's really-' Sunset's train of thought was cut off when she found herself tripping on a seemingly invisible object, sending her and the sundaes flying. Sunset hit the ground with a thud and her delicious frozen treats made a large 'splat' sound when they hit the ground with force, spilling everywhere. Sunset growled as she grasped her shoulder which stung from the force of hitting the ground. She turned to examine the cause of her fall but found that it was a person rather then an object that was responsible. More specifically it had been someone's foot. And that someone was Beatrix Lulamoon. The girl grinned down at Sunset and not in a nice way, no her expression was malicious and dark. Sunset snarled and started to get up but Trixie pushed her back down with her foot, resting it on her stomach. "Hey, fuck off! Let me up! "Not so tough when you're on the bottom now are you Shimmer?" The blue teen grinned as she kicked Sunset in the ribs. She gasped as pain racked her body. Trixie smirked as she watched her nemesis roll over and grab her sides. She reached out to kick her again but instead found herself against the floor, letting out a small scream as a object hit her in the back of the head. A few feet away from the pair, a young woman stood, with a high heel in her hand. A woman who seemed incredibly familiar yet unplaceable. Her other high heel was missing from her foot though Sunset surmised that was what used to hit Trixie. Her hair was a light pink and flowed gracefully down her back and her skin was snow white and incredibly smooth and unblemished. The new girl had light purple eyes which were furrowed in an angry expression. Her face was beautiful, unlike anything she had seen with full lips, large eyes and a slender nose and a heart shaped face. Sunset knew her, at least she was sure she had seen the girl somewhere. Then it clicked in her mind. She didn't know her! Not personally but still! It was.... "Fleur De Lis?!?" Trixie gaped in amazement as she too recognized the young supermodel. Sunset had seen her fashion spreads in a few magazines like vogue. She was a recent, up and coming teenager who had been catapulted from rich heir to even richer supermodel. Oddly enough, she was still in school and eager to go to college and become a doctor. Or so the news article she had read about her had said. Sunset was surprised that a model like her would be at a mall and not shopping at some high end boutique in upper Canterlot. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she said, yelling at Trixie. The girl gaped in horror and astonishment as the beautiful woman made her way over to the pair. "I-I don't know what you mean!" "No! I saw you tripping and kicking her!" "But...I..." "I suggest you get out of here, I'm sure security is on their way." Trixie scrambled to her feet and dashed away, pushing past people who had been watching on the scuffle but hadn't gotten involved which was a little annoying. Once she was gone, Fleur reached out her hands towards Sunset, gesturing for her to take her hands so that she could let her up. Blushing from embarrassment, Sunset accepted the help up. "U-uh thank y-you." said Sunset, looking away to hide the redness in her cheeks. Fleur gave her a full smile which seemed to be practically glowing given how white her teeth were. "No problem. Here, you have blood on your face." said Fleur, opening her Louis Vuitton hand bag and pulling out an elegant embroidered handkerchief, handing it to Sunset who sheepishly took it. "Is that her?" Both of them turned and noticed a group of security guards that were looking at them. Next to them was an annoyed Luna who had her arms crossed and an amused looking Scootaloo. 'Aunt Lulu' was not happy and none of the security officers seemed happy other. "Sunset, what did you do?" she said as she approached the girl. Of course, Luna naturally assumed that just because she had disappeared that Sunset was responsible for the scuffle between her and Trixie. "Nothing, believe it or not. I was just getting ice cream for us, when guess who suddenly appeared and decided tripping me and kicking me in the ribs would be fun? Don't answer, I'll tell you. Trixie Lulamoon." "So she just attacked you out of nowhere? I find that hard to believe." "Actually that is what happened. I witnessed the entire event." Luna jerked her head and took notice of the girl next to Sunset, looking her up and down with a critical eye. "And who would you be?" she asked after a moment, suspicious of this mysterious woman. "Fleur De Lis, Crystal Empire Academy junior student and local model." Her response was meet with a blank stare from everyone. Clearly they seemed to be unconvinced or unimpressed by her answer. Silently, Fleur reached into her hand bag and pulled out a card and a magazine and handed them to Luna. The card was a student ID card for Crystal Empire Academy and read Fleur's name as well as displayed her picture. The magazine was a recent issue of the Canterlot Socialite, a local magazine which had a picture of the girl on the cover sitting in a a chesterfield chair in an elegant sleeveless sundress and expensive looking jewelry. Inside the magazine there were a few more pictures of her and a small article about her rise to stardom in the short time she had been a model. Luna blinked and handed the items back to Fleur after a moment of studying them. "You look a lot older then your age." "I get that a lot. Most people assume I'm in my mid-twenties and can't believe I'm nearly seventeen." "Uh I hate to intrude, but we need to know what happened." They turned their attention to the security officers who were standing around a bit impatiently. They obviously were not happy. "Like I said officers, I can tell you what I saw. I'm sure others can collaborate or at least hopefully they will. I was headed towards Starbucks when I looked up in time to see that a girl with blue skin following around this girl. At first I thought nothing of it, assuming they were friends but I noticed that she seemed to actually trying her best to make sure that s...I'm sorry, this is is rude. I don't even know your name and I feel awful referring to you as 'she' or 'this girl.' Can I get your name?" "Oh, um..it's uh...Sunset Sh-shimmer." "Right, well Sunny here was being followed by that other girl....Trixie right? Who was going out of her way to make sure that Sunny didn't see her. Every time she turned around or looked up, she would hide behind other people or the kiosks. Honestly, it made me suspicious so I started following them and then when Sunny bought some ice cream, the girl slipped behind her as she walked away and deliberately tripped her by putting her foot in front of Sunny's. Then she started kicking her when she was down then I admittingly threw my shoe at her which was not exactly the smartest thing to do and then she ran off. And now we're here." "Okay....Uh can anyone disprove this story?" Silence greeted Mark, the security guard asking the questions and the head of the mall's security force. He sighed and shook his head. "Well no one seems to be objecting to the story so I won't throw you out of the mall today. And I'll keep my eye out for the other girl but next time we might not be so forgiving. Uh, don't worry about the ice cream. I'm sure some one from the cleaning crew has already been paged. Carry on." The guards left quickly, returning to their stations and patrols. Once Luna was sure they were gone she turned to Sunset and began ripping her a new one. "Didn't I tell you not to run off?!?" "I'm sorry! I just thought I'd get us some ice cream because we've all been a bit...off these last few days." "Well why didn't you tell me?" "You seemed to be pretty....engaged with Scootaloo." Luna scowled and rolled her eyes. Honestly, she was in no mood to fight. They still had so much shit to do that day and she actually thought Sunset's intended gesture was a bit touching though she would not admit it. "Well, we should be going but I'm afraid we must be going. Good day Ms. De Lis." said Luna, dismissing the teenager who was in the midst of putting her shoes back on and straightening her dress. "Actually, I was wondering if you three would like to have lunch with me." "What?" Aunt and nieces all looked confused to as why they were being offered a meal invitation. Sunset was grateful for her help but they were essentially strangers and usually it was the person who had been attacked that offered the meal, awarding their hero for saving them. Not the other way around. "I don't think that that would be appropriate." "Why not? My treat. If you're worried about me being some crazy murderer, might I remind you that I'm just a teenager and you know who I am?" "Still, we cannot accept your offer. It would just not be right." - Luna smiled politely as the waiter showed them to their table. A very posh waiter who was wearing an expensive suit and seemed to be turning his nose up at the sight of her and her nieces in normal, middle-class clothing. Obviously this place was for rich people and the little family couldn't be more out of place with their attire. Luna and Sunset felt while their host and Scootaloo who seemed completely comfortable. One of them because she was used to expensive dinners in equally expensive buildings and the other not being really impressed by a expensive outfits and little appetizers that contained foreign ingredients. Luna sighed, this was going to be a long lunch, she could just tell. - "Celestia Solaris?" Her heart was in her throat and her body was shaking with fear. Celestia removed her head from Discords shoulder which she had been laying against for the past twenty minutes and got up to greet the security guard holding a clipboard. This was it, it was time. Discord got up to follow her as they began entering the actual prison but the guards stopped him." "Sorry, sir you're not allowed in. Unless....you are a Ms. Solaris correct?" asked the security guard to Celestia who let out a bitter laugh in response. "Are you asking if we're married? No. Not by a long shot." said Celestia. She loved Discord intensely but the thought of being intimately involved with him made her shudder. It wasn't that he was unattractive, he was actually very handsome in his own way but it was the fact that she thought of him as a brother and like any actual siblings would, it was extremely disturbing think about your brother or sister naked or being in love with them. "Well then, he is going to have to wait here." "Don't worry Celestia, I'll be here when you get back and when you do we can discuss what color yarn to braid into our hair when we have our sleepover tonight!" She tried giving him a smile but she failed to do so. With no further words, Celestia allowed herself to be lead through the halls of the prison. The entire time, she had begun sweating and she felt the hysteria setting in. It was going to be fine. Completely. He would be in cuffs, sh'd be sitting away from him and she didn't even need to look at him. All she had to do was read the letter she had written and stuffed into her pocket and then she could fade away and never come back. It was going to be easy. "We're here." Celestia shook her head clear of any thoughts and took in the site of a new door. They had passed many doors to get to this one but this one stood out because it contained her greatest foe on the other side of it. Outside, waiting for them was a single individual. Well, prison guards were outside but they weren't waiting for Celestia like the man in the dark grey suit and slicked back hair was. The two shook hands as Celestia came to a halt in front of him. "Celestia, great that you're here. I honestly didn't know if you'd show up." "Neither did I." "Well, before we go in, we sh-" the nameless man was cut off by Celestia. "No, I already know what I need to say and do. I don't need any more preparation. Let's get this over with before I upchuck and start crying like a little baby." "Are you sure? He is already inside with his lawyer." "No but let's get this started Mr. Leroy." The man who who went by the name of David Leroy glanced worriedly at her but other wise kept his mouth shut. He opened the door and gestured Celestia inside. When she entered, she was essentially faced with a miniature court room. Around her, people were waiting, silently watching her. Out of all the faces, the members of the parole board, the guards and the lawyers, one face stood out among the rest. His face. He was staring at her with such amusement and happiness. He was enjoying the tormented look on her face as their eyes locked. "Hello Celestia. It's been a long time hasn't it?" "Tirek." -- Thirteen years had changed them both. Celestia was older, worn and not nearly as carefree and spirited as she had once been. She had once been a happy woman without a care in the world. During high school she had been a stereotypical dumb cheerleader who cared more about her weight then her grades. Now, most of her spunk had died away, replaced with sobriety and determination. Once she wore short skirts and low cut shirts, now she mostly wore mom jeans or suits. Tirek who had once been a fit, attractive man with large muscles and a charismatic bastard was now a lot thinner though he still had some of his muscle mass left. The man had let his white and black hair to go from luscious to dirty and flat. For the occasion, he was dressed in a black suit and surprisingly he was clean shaven. In all the time she had seen him in the past, he had always had some sort of beard whether it was a goatee or a full beard. He also no longer wore his nose ring which was odd but not unexpected because prisons didn't allow inmates to have piercings. The two held direct eye contact for a few seconds before Celestia looked away. Staring at him was a lot like staring at the sun. Not because he shone brightly but because when she looked at both of them, it brought on pain. Tirek gave a small smirk but Celestia greeted him with silence. Mr. Leroy stepped into the room and took Celestia's arm, directing her over to one of the seats that was placed facing a table that sat six individuals, all holding papers and looking important. The parole board members. They would decided how this hearing would end and whether or not Tirek would continue to wasting away or his freedom, which he did not deserve. Next to the table for the members was Tirek's table but thankfully it was also set forward. She wouldn't have to deal with him staring at her during this thing, not until the end when they dragged him back to his cell. One of the people on the parole board got up, a man with a short salt and pepper hair cut and a fine grey suit and faced the people in the room. He motioned for Tirek to sit and face forward and urged every to find their places. Tirek and his lawyer sat and Mr. Leroy took his place next to Celestia. He said something to Celestia but she didn't hear it, she was too busy staring off into space, trying to will herself away and focusing on keeping her emotions inside. - Any one who said that the more expensive something got, the better it was, happened to be right. Scootaloo moaned contently as she popped a fork full of lobster in to her mouth. Fleur laughed as she watched the girl devour the food with such vigor. Nearby a middle aged couple looked at them with disgust but if any of them had noticed, they wouldn't have had cared. "So, you're a CHS Student?" asked Fleur, turning her attention to Sunset who was trying her best to eat her salad without embarrassing herself like Scootaloo was. She nodded as she stabbed a baby tomato with her fork and popped it in to her mouth. "Yeah, so is Scootaloo." "Let me guess, freshman and senior?" "Actually, eight grader and junior." "Really? Well I guess I was close." Small talk had been relatively awkward for Sunset and Scootaloo at first, with both awkwardly trying to think of something to say. When their food arrived, it had been slightly better because they had an excuse to focus their attention elsewhere. It had been Luna who had initiated small talk with Fleur, both talking about Crystal Empire Academy and various other things. Along the way they managed to rope in the two girls and slowly the awkwardness died away. Sunset was surprised about how nice the girl was. During the course of their lunch she learned that Fleur was not only a model and a rich heiress, she also was extremely compassionate and almost all of the money she made from modeling, interviews and photo shoots went towards a multitude of charities. She had originally taken up modeling for that purpose, not out of the desire to be adored by all like Sunset had imagined. And to top it off, she was also from France and live there until her freshman year in High School. Honestly, that confused her as Fleur seemed to have a perfect American accent. "It'z all about zee practice. Most American', 'ey all seem to 'ate foreign accents so I mask my accent." she had said, switching to her true, unfiltered voice when Sunset asked. It was surprising how different she sounded with the French accent but it made Fleur seem even more gorgeous and lovely then she already was. Sunset would admit, there was a small possibility she had a crush on the other girl. After all, how often did a beautiful French model come to your rescue and then take you out to lunch? Not often, that was sure! "In truth, I've got it down to an art. I actually no longer have to think about it. I do occasionally have a slip up but for the most part, it's as natural as breathing." "I actually think your accent is quite lovely, it's a shame that accents hold such a stigma in our country." said Luna, shaking her head and sighing. "Oui. But at least it allows people to understand me better. Besides, I don't mind much anymore. Oh, this salad is divine, no?" said Fleur, changing the subject. "Yes, it is quite delicious." said Sunset agreeing. Excluding Scootaloo, who had decided to get lobster of all things, everyone else had decided on the same salad for lunch along with a soup, though they all got different ones. Sunset couldn't remember the fancy name for it, but it had thick lettuce leaves, some sort of vinaigrette dressing and a variety of vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers. It had to be one of the best salads she had tasted, and Sunset had lived in a castle! 'It goes nice with my mushroom soup' she thought, which was sadly nearly gone. Soon, everyone was done their lunch and reluctantly everyone got up to leave, gathering their things. "So this is where we part ways I suppose?" said Sunset to Fleur as they watched towards the exit of the resturant, Café Lune Rouge. "Perhaps....Say do you like pool parties?" "Pool parties? In the fall?" "It wouldn't be outside silly, My family has an indoor pool and garden. My parents are having a pool party next week and I would love for you all to come." "I don't think that would be right Ms. De Lis. I highly doubt your parents would appreciate us at your...soiree." spoke up Luna. "No, no! They would love it, trust me. I expect to see you all there, don't worry you won't be out of place. And bring some guests!" Before anyone could say anything, Fleur opened her purse and pushed a small card into Sunset's hands. "My mother's business card; not really important, it has my address! See you soon!" No sooner then she had, did she turn on her heel and leave through the large, ornate doors to the parking lot, leaving Sunset with a blush on her face. One thing was clear though, she most certainly did have a crush on the model! - "Mr. Tirek, would you like to give a statement in conjunction with your appeal for parole?" Celestia was pulled back from her imaginary world that she had spent the last hour in, as both the Tirek's and his lawyer debated with the board on what they wanted out of the hearing and what his release had entailed. She had barely paid attention, more focused on mapping out constellations with the dirt stains on the ceiling. She quietly directed her eyes towards Tirek, the chains on his cuffs clanking as he straightened his tie and stood up at his table. "Yes I would, if you'd allow me." "Very well, you may proceed." Celestia couldn't read what was on it, but she saw him take a piece of paper from his lawyer, no doubt his testimony wrote out on paper. She wondered if the lawyer had written it for him, or he had done it himself. It didn't matter either way at the end of the day. Celestia watched, or rather listened as he gave his speech. "Members of the Parole Board. I have spent a little over thirteen years in this prison, wasting away and paying for my crimes. I won't lie, I feel I deserve to be here after all that I've done but I also feel like I'm a changed man and I should have my chance at freedom, to turn over a new leaf and have a life outside out of these walls. In the last few years, I have found god and have taken the steps to repent my sins. I know I ha-" Celestia zoned out once more. Found God? Changed man? She honestly had never heard bigger bullshit in her entire life. Did any one actual believe his lies? She knew Tirek hadn't changed, she could see it in his eyes and demeanor. A person like him, did not change, they merely developed new ways to fool people. "Celestia?" She glanced to her left, Mr. Leroy was staring at her, concerned. She realized that she was gripping the arm rests of her chair and her teeth were clenched. She scanned the room and realized most everyone had their eyes on her, including him. She released her grip and straightened her back. "Yes, Mr. Leroy?" she asked, trying to feign that anything had been wrong by dusting off imaginary dirt from her pant leg. "The board members want to know if you're going to put forward a victim testimony." he said, whispering to her. Ah, that would explain why everyone was looking at her expectantly. She stood up, her back stiff from sitting, both in the room and in the car and began walking towards the parole board members." "Yes, yes I would." - Discord was absolutely bored. There was nothing to do beside read old magazines in the little prison waiting room and old magazines did not interest him in the slightest. Sure, there was an old, barely functioning coffee machine that gave out watered down espressos or teas, if they could even be called that due to the fact that it was absolutely horrendous stuff but that was it. Still, it had been the only thing remotely interesting enough to distract him. So he had taken to sitting on the uncomfortable seats, sipping away at a coffee while trying to entertain himself by pretending that all the prison guards and staff were all characters on a soap opera. So far, he had came to the conclusion that the cranky old woman behind the secretary desk was secretly the mother of the other, younger secretary and had been forced to give up her daughter because she had been the result of an affair with a rich sugar daddy. The two guards guarding the door to the actual prison, were actually twins Discord decided. The bigger one, had been in a tragic accident, perhaps involving a hot woman and a jet-skii and had been thought to have died but in truth he had lived and received facial surgery. His brother most likely had no idea that his dead twin was standing next to him or that he was secretly plotting his demise because he wasn't actually his twin but his evil uncle who was planning murdering him. The young woman with the brown hair and pink skin, dressed in sunglasses and a dark grey suit, was most likely there to blackmail the warden of the prison into leaving his wife and marrying her by revealing their affair to the wife if he didn't. Too bad she didn't know that the warden never had a wife to begin with and it was all a guise to learn all her secrets and exploit her when the time was right. Discord was just about to create a background story for the old man in the checkered suit when the door separating him from the rest of the prison swung open and Celestia stepped out, followed by a prison guard. In a matter of a few hours, she seemed to have aged ten years, the bags under her eyes more prominent and the creases on her face wider then before. She paid him no attention as she entered the room, she just walked past him and made her way out of the prison. Discord scrambled after her, trying to get her attention. "Celestia...Celestia?" The woman with the multi-hued hair paused briefly and swung herself around to face Discord. There was a coldness in her eyes, in her face. It was as if all the life had been sucked out of her and been replaced by a never ending void of darkness. "I have to get home Discord." "But-" "I'm going home. I suggest you do the same. Have a good day Discord." With no final words, she turned on her heels and quickly continued on her journey back to her car, leaving Discord behind to figure out her sudden change of demeanor. He could only guess that something went wrong with the hearing. He just hoped it wasn't as bad as he feared. - "...god damn it, that's cheating!" "Using a blue shell isn't cheating, if it was cheating it wouldn't be in the game!" The woman known as Luna Equuis laughed as she watched her nieces fight over the game of Mario Kart Double Dash that they were playing. After returning from their shopping trip and lunch with Fleur De Lis, they had stopped by Mr. Riches office and made arrangements to have the apartment furniture dropped off on Wednesday afternoon while they took the smaller things like Sunset's books and bedding. It was while they were shifting through her closet did they discover an old Nintendo Gamecube complete with cords, controllers and a few games. Sunset had been honestly confused to find it, not sure where she had acquired it. Still, they brought it home with them anyway and with none of them with anything to do, they had decided to fire it up in the living room. It surprisingly still worked and they soon found themselves lost in the game of Mario Kart Double Dash. That was when Luna realized something, that her nieces were worthy competitors. Luna prided herself on being an extensive gamer even if she would never admit it to anyone outside of her sister. If one were to start up her Xbox or PlayStation, they would realize she had many awards and achievements for her superior skills in games. Regardless if she was playing against others in Halo or Call of Duty, she had always been a fierce player and only occasionally came upon someone she couldn't defeat. So the fact that her nieces had managed to beat her in several races so far was both unacceptable and prideful. Still, no matter what the cost, she would destroy them. So far they had played through many of the classic maps like Luigi Circuit but now they were going toe-to-toe on the infamous Rainbow Roads map. No guardrails, no smooth track, just sheer insanity. Currently, Sunset was in the lead, after having used a blue shell to knock Scootaloo out of first place and off the track. Luna was close behind and Scootaloo was struggling to catch up with them after she had been knocked off. Luna smirked as she approached Sunset, merely centimeters behind her cart. Her grin became bigger as they passed over the item blocks and she picked up a red shell. She let out a loud cackle, the finish line was close and she was about to secure her victory. Sunset let out a small whimper as she realized that Luna was about to unleash the shell upon her. With only a banana at her disposal, Sunset knew there was a chance that if she didn't use the banana quickly and if she didn't place it properly behind her, she could lose the race, allowing Luna victory. A silent match took place between the two, as both got ready to unleash their attacks on the other and cross the finish line which was visible up a head. With a shout of triumph, Luna released her shell, sending flying towards Sunset. But at that moment, Sunset also had thrown the banana behind her. In a matter of seconds, Sunset was hit with the shell and Luna drove into the Banana. Both of them went spinning and flying, throwing them off the side of the road. "NO!" screamed Luna as she watched her character, Toad, plummet to his death. She had been so close to securing victory! Sunset wasn't fairing any better as she sadly watched Peach and her cart respawn. Unfortunately for them, Scootaloo had managed to catch up in the small time it took for their characters to respawn on the track and by the time they did, Scootaloo had zipped by them and across the finish line. "YES! HA HA! VICTORY IS MINE, ALL MUST BOW BEFORE MY AWESOMENESS!" screamed the purple haired girl, going from sitting on the sectional couch to standing on it. She thrusted her arm in the air and held her controller up like a warrior would with a sword. Luna pouted as she crossed the finish line behind Scootaloo. This was not acceptable, she was the Queen of Gaming! Like a child, Luna threw down her controller and crossed her arms. Sunset wasn't as a sore loser as her aunt but she still felt a little bummed out. However, as she watched Scootaloo do her victory dance, an idea began forming in her head. Scootaloo had won fair and square buy who said they couldn't dethrone her? Quickly, Sunset leaned over to Luna and mumbled something in her ear, a large grin on her face. Scootaloo at once noticed this, her euphoria from winning dying down as she watched a feral smile grow on her aunt's face as she listened to whatever Sunset had to say. What was going on? Scootaloo was getting a bad feeling, that something was about to happen. And she was right. No sooner did Sunset remove her mouth from Luna's ear, did the two launch themselves at her. With a strangled cry, Scootaloo found herself being pinned down on the couch by Luna. "W-What are you doing?!" Her attackers said nothing. They just gave her some smirks and then began tickling her, laughing as they watched her try to escape. "You traitor-Heh hehe he, stop tickling m-me!" "Never! Your boasting will not go unpunished!" cried her aunt as she continued to attack her young niece with tickles. The continued their assault for a few minutes before it came apparent that she was becoming agitated. And very close to accidentally peeing herself if they continued any further. She glared at her sister and aunt as she pulled herself upright and got off the couch. She quickly created a plan in her head to get back at them. If she was quick, she could take down Sunset and return the attack. As she got ready, a soft thud echoing from outside the house attracted all of their attention. "That's probably your mother." said Luna as she glanced at the clock above the television. It was nearly six o'clock in the evening. Scootaloo seemed to perk up exceptionally at the idea of her mother being home. "Great, now I can get her to buy me that scooter!" she said, running towards the front door with Sunset and Luna not far behind. No sooner did they reach it, did the door swing open and in step Celestia. "Hell...." greeted Sunset , trailing off mid word. Something was wrong. Celestia who was usually as vibrant as the sun seemed dimmer then a dying flame. Her hair was messy, her eyes were blood shot and she seemed rather out of it. Never in her three years of knowing Celestia, this Celestia, had she seen her in such a state. Sure she was occasionally angry, and once or twice she had seen her sad, but never like this. Sunset glanced over at Luna, who seemed to be just as aware of Celestia's demeanor as she was but was weird was that Luna seemed to gain her own weird look on her face, as she looked her sister up and down. Did Luna know why Celestia was like this? She seemed to by the way she was reacting to her sister. Scootaloo seemed to be oblivious, distracted at the idea she could possibly get a new scooter if she played her cards right. "Mom, you're home! Hey mom, you'll never gues-" "Not now Scootaloo." Celestia's cold voice hit Scootaloo in the face, stopping her in her tracks as she attempted to give her mother a hug and speak with her. The woman quickly walked past her children and sister and disappeared up the upper staircase, leaving everyone standing in the foyer. Luna followed after her sister a moment later but not before turning to Sunset and pulling her wallet out of her back pocket. "Sunset, Scootaloo, why don't you go get some ice cream from the corner store?" she said as she handed the older teen a crisp twenty dollar bill. Sunset took the money reluctantly and looked back at her aunt in confusion. What was going on here? "But what about Celestia? I don't think she's okay." "She's fine." "Bu-" "Ice cream, go now!" The two teenagers looked at each other. None of them really wanted to leave but they could tell that it was none negotiable. Whatever was going on, Luna wanted to keep it between her and Celestia. Reluctantly, they put on their jackets and shoes and left for the corner store, leaving Luna to deal with the woman upstairs. Once she was sure that the two were gone, she quickly climbed the stairs and made her way to her sisters door. "Tia'?" For a few minutes, she merely stood outside the door, waiting for her sisters reply or any sound of movement. With each passing second that she was greeted with nothing but silence, she was becoming more and more concerned. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that the hearing had went the opposite way that they intended. She hoped she was wrong, she honestly was but with the way her sister was acting was making her believe otherwise. Finally, Luna couldn't take it anymore, the silence killing her and her worry for her sister building. She reached for the doorknob and jiggled it, happy to find that the door wasn't lock. She pushed open the door and poked her head inside, not sure how to proceed. Celestia was laying on her bed, her face buried in her pillows. From across the room, Luna could see her body shaking and hear the muffled sobs. She approached slowly, unsure if she would face backlash by entering the bedroom without an invitation. Quietly, she climbed onto the bed and sat next to her sister. No words were spoken between the two as Luna pulled Celestia's head into her lap and began petting her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Celestia let out a strangled series of sobs as she let the other woman comfort her. Her fingers latched onto Luna's shirt, and she "Is he getting released?" said Luna, after a while had passed. Celestia gave a small nod then after a few seconds gave a small shake. "I...I don't know. Th-he parole board members are undecided Lu'. They reached a tie. A tie! They said that the had to adjourn the hearing and that they would make a decision in the next few weeks. He's going to be free Lulu, I know it." She let out a whimper and buried her face deeper into the embrace. "Hey, hey no, don't speak like that big sis. I'm sure they'll come to their senses, you're going to be fine, we're all going to be fine. I promise." Yet as Luna spoke these words, she knew that her sister didn't believe her and honestly, she didn't believe herself either. They both know what Tirek was like and that if he got free, that it would be only be a matter of time before he sought revenge and finished what he started thirteen years ago.