//------------------------------// // Friends // Story: Aftermath of the Games // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Twilight woke up to see Spike laying next to her. Adjusting her vision, she saw Shining Armor asleep in the chair he had brought in. Apparently he had decided to keep watch. Twilight rose, trying not to wake Spike. But the dog sensed the shift in the bed immediately, coming to. He licked Twilight’s face again. “Morning, Twilight,” Spike said. Twilight smiled, giving Spike a scratch behind the ears. As she did, the smell of cooking pancakes came to her. Cadance must have been cooking breakfast. Getting up, Twilight shook her big brother awake. Shining Armor stirred, looking at his sister. “Twiley?” “Did you stay at my bed all night?” He nodded. “Cadance and I thought it would be best if one of us sat with you until these nightmares died down.” “Shiny, you didn’t have to...” Twilight was cut off as her brother hugged her again. “Yes we do, Twilight. You need help, and since Mom and Dad aren’t around anymore, that falls on us.” Twilight started to speak. “But...” “None of that,” he said. “We’ll do whatever it takes. We’d have you see a counselor, but then we realized you can’t exactly talk to anyone about what happened.” Twilight broke apart. She reached to readjust her glasses, but remembered they weren’t there anymore. “That’s going to take some getting used to.” Shining Armor smiled. “Come on, Cadance should be done with breakfast.” The three left Twilight’s bedroom to find Cadance had indeed almost finished cooking breakfast. Twilight greeted her with a hug. Then she pulled a can of dog food out of the pantry and put it in Spike’s bowl. She began to set it on the floor, but stopped. “Um... do you want to eat at the table, Spike?” Spike tilted his head. “Why would I want to do that?” “It just... seems undignified to make someone I know is intelligent eat off the floor.” Spike shook his head. “You humans worry too much,” he said. “Now come on, I’m hungry.” Smiling, Twilight set the food down, and Spike went at it. Twilight sat at the table, her stack already there. As she began pouring syrup over her food, Cadance spoke. “Eat up quick, some of your friends are going to be here soon.” That got Twilight to stop, looking at her sister-in-law in confusion. “Huh?” “Rainbow Dash called. She and Fluttershy will be over soon. They told me to tell you to dress for running, they’re going to put you through a work out.” Twilight’s eyes bulged. “What? Why?” “They said it would be good for you. And honestly, you should exercise more.” “Shiny...” Twilight turned to her brother. “I have to agree, Twiley,” he said after swallowing a bite. “You should exercise more.” Twilight widened her eyes and began quivering her lower lip. Seeing this, Shining looked at his plate, desperate to avoid the look that always melted his heart. “Th... that’s not going to work this time.” Twilight kept it up, to her brother’s chagrin. Cadance laughed. “Twilight, I’m not asking you to be an athlete, but exercising would be good for you. And I told you to spend time with those girls. This will be healthy for you both ways.” “But...” “Not buts. Now eat up, then go get dressed. Oh, and pack a bag. They told me they planned to keep you for a slumber party tonight.” At that, Twilight stopped her pout. A slumber party? She had always wondered what those were like. But why get her so early? Twilight ate while her family talked. Spike eventually came to beg, but Twilight always refused. People food was bad for dogs. After eating, she went to her room. She pulled out her Crystal Prep gym uniform and changed quickly. Then, finding her backpack, she put in a uniform, some hygiene products like her toothbrush, spare headbands, and a book she was only half-finished with. When she returned, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were already there. Spike ran up to greet the yellow girl. “Hey, Fluttershy,” he said. The girl knelt down and scratched under his chin. “Glad you’re ready. Come on, we have only two hours before the others want to meet us.” “Uh, Rainbow Dash, don’t you think you could have told me about this last night?” Twilight asked as she put Spike on his leash. “It didn’t occur to me then. Come on, let’s get started!” Twilight looked back at her family, hoping for some last-minute intervention, but they just waved her off. “Sorry, but we think it’s for the best,” Shining Armor said, before handing her a roll of money. “Here. They said you’d be going to the mall today. Spend it however you like.” Twilight looked at the wad and began counting it out. Her eyes got progressively wider. When she finished, she just stared at her guardians. “This much?” “We hardly ever dip into the inheritance or the life insurance when it isn’t on raising you, and we think something to treat you is a worthwhile cause,” Cadance said. She gave her charge one last kiss goodbye. “Be sure to text us whenever you get somewhere. We’ll call in to check up on you.” Those words uplifted Twilight a little, but she quickly remembered what she was being roped into. With a heavy heart she walked out, Spike by her side. It wasn’t until they got to the bottom floor that she spoke. “Okay, why are you two dragging me on this?” “You need to work out more, Twilight. Even Fluttershy managed to beat you in the Friendship Games.” The three girls got at a brisk run. “No friend of mine is getting out of shape.” “Then why aren’t the others here?” “Applejack gets her workout doing farmwork, Sunset and Rarity have their own workout schedules, and Pinkie... well, if there’s anyone who doesn’t need a workout, it’s her. I swear, I don’t think it’s possible for her to get fat, with how much sweets she downs.” Fluttershy laughed. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I was reluctant at first, but I’ve felt better, doing this every day.” Twilight sighed. “Well... if you insist...” By the time they had reached Fluttershy’s house, Twilight had tripped over her own feet ten times, and was exhausted to boot. “Relax. All your coordination will get better with some work,” Rainbow Dash assured. “I’m... in... pain...” “Well, no pain, no gain!” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight collapsed in a chair, but before she could rest, Fluttershy spoke. “Um, Twilight? Since you’re the guest, you can take the first shower.” Twilight groaned at the thought of having to get up, but did as asked. When she returned to Fluttershy’s bedroom, she was giving Spike’s stomach a scratch while talking to Rainbow Dash. “Uh... Twi? Why are you wearing your Crystal Prep uniform?”. Twilight shrugged. “I just never bothered to get anything else. I usually only go to school.” Rainbow Dash looked at her with a surprised expression. Then she snickered. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing. Well... wait until the others get here,” Rainbow Dash said, then went to take her shower, leaving the rest to talk. “Is she always this pushy?” Twilight asked. “Oh, yes, but it’s always for a good cause. Rainbow Dash is really nice, even if what she’s doing can seem mean. It was her making me exercise that meant I could compete in the Friendship Games.” Twilight blushed, remembering just how hard that particular event had been. “Well, why was she laughing at me?” “Twilight, trust me, she was laughing at something else.” Twilight blinked. “Wha?” Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, Twilight. Sometimes a friend might seem like they’re laughing at you, but they’re just trying to get you to laugh with them.” “It’s true,” Pinkie said. “There’s a lot more good laughter than bad laughter.” “Well, it seems kind of weird, but... wait a minute...” ... Twilight and Spike suddenly jumped. “Pinkie? When’d you get here? What are you doing here?” “That’s a good question, Twilight. I mean, what are any of us doing here?” Pinkie stared off into space. “Wha? But...” Fluttershy giggled. “That’s Pinkie Pie for you.” “Oh? Did I scare you?” Pinkie asked. She then reached to her dress and pulled a balloon design off of it. Then she blew it up, causing it to hang in the air. Tying it off, she handed it to Twilight. “Balloons make me feel better.” Twilight and Spike gaped as Fluttershy giggled. “Um... wow. The magic must have really affected you.” “What? No silly, I’ve always been like this.” Twilight blinked. What had she gotten herself into? After a bit more talking, Rainbow Dash emerged, and Fluttershy went to take her shower. Spike fumed, as this meant no more of Fluttershy’s affection, though Pinkie took up petting him. Then, just as Fluttershy emerged fully dressed, the doorbell rang. The others had arrived. “We’re here!” Applejack announced, coming in. She looked at Twilight. “Hope Rainbow didn’t wear you out.” “Only completely.” “Twilight, dear, why on earth on you wearing your school uniform?” Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t hear Rainbow Dash’s laugh before she spoke. “I don’t really own much else. ...Rarity? Rarity? Why is your eye twitching? Wh-what are you doing? Rarity? Rarity?” Twilight could barely remember getting thrown into Rarity’s elegant car while others piled around her. While some followed in Applejack’s truck, they eventually made it to Carousel Boutique, a store owned by Rarity’s grandmother. She was immediately measured and then had an outfit thrown at her. Knowing protesting would do no good, she started to put it on. “Rarity, are you sure about this? My uniform worked fine.” “It simply did not! Don’t get me wrong, Twilight, you looked good in it, but you simply can’t wear it everywhere! There’s more to you than your schoolwork, isn’t there?” Twilight actually stopped. “I... I don’t know.” The other six looked at each other with concerned looks. Rarity spoke up. “Well we need to change that, and first things first, you need to look the part. Now come on, let’s see it!” Sighing, Twilight came out from behind the changing screen. She was now wearing a pink top with a light blue skirt. She looked at herself in the mirror and gaped. “Twilight?” Sunset asked. “I... I look great.” “You sound surprised, darling,” Rarity said. “Anyone can see you were beautiful.” Twilight looked down. “Not the kids at Crystal Prep.” “Forget them, they’re meanies,” Pinkie said. Sunset sighed. “Twilight, take it from someone who was a school bully... if they say you’re ugly, they’re probably afraid you’re prettier than them.” Applejack put a hand on her surrogate sister’s shoulder. She never liked being reminded on what she used to be, even if she had learned to smile about it. “Come on, Twilight, let’s see what else we can find you.” Twilight left the Boutique with bags full of new clothes, all at a discount at Rarity’s insistence. The next trip was a spa appointment, which Rainbow Dash moaned at but didn’t complain when the masseuse was working her back. After that it was to the mall, where the first step was the food court. Twilight ordered a hamburger, then sat down with the others. Bringing up her backpack, she unzipped it to let Spike poke his snout out. “Oh man, thank goodness. Tell me we’re going to a place I can get out soon.” “We’re going to be at the mall for a few hours, Spike. But after that, we’ll be going to Pinkie’s for the slumber party.” “Okay... can I have a taste of that hamburger?” “No, Spike. No people food.” Rarity laughed. “Well, at least Spike can understand you when you tell him things.” “What do you mean?” Spike asked confused. “That spell didn’t make me any more intelligent.” The girls paused. Except for Fluttershy and Sunset, who actually looked smug with their vegetarian meals, they looked down at their food. “Uh... Spike... are all animals as intelligent as you?” Applejack asked. “Nah, don’t worry. Cows and chickens and pigs are mindless. Eat away.” “Aren’t pigs considered intelligent?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Who are you going to believe? Human tests, or another animal?” Rainbow Dash looked down at her hot dog before shrugging and taking a bite. After a few more moments, the others started eating again, to Fluttershy and Sunset’s disappointment. “Well... I guess that’s one complication that won’t be happening,” Sunset said. “That’s a relief. A lot’s about to change.” “You really think so?” Applejack asked. Sunset nodded. “We can’t keep magic a secret forever. Twilight found out, how long until the government looks in?” “That’s true,” Rarity said. “That’s why we need to figure it out before anyone else. Can you imagine what would happen if this came out when no one knew how to control it? They might not react well to Equestria after that.” “And that could mean a war...” Twilight realized. “Exactly,” Sunset said. “That’s why I can’t go back to Equestria. After causing magic, I can’t just go home.” “Sunset, you didn’t mean to...” Pinkie started. “You’re right. I meant much worse,” Sunset replied flatly. Then sighed. “I’m sorry.” Twilight poked at her food a bit before continuing. “Um, Sunset? I’ve been wanting to ask you something.” She smiled. “Anything, Twilight. What is it?” Twilight was silent for a moment, clearly trying to find the words to voice her question. “You told me you were given a second chance, and you keep saying I deserve one. So... why should Principal Cinch get the same thing? Why doesn’t she get a second chance?” “Because she doesn’t want one.” The others looked at her, and Sunset went on. “Cinch doesn’t want a chance to improve herself. She wants to be right, even after she’s been proven wrong. I know from experience how people like that are.” “But... you changed after being proven wrong.” Sunset shook her head. “I didn’t. For years I bullied everyone in school and thought I was popular. I wasn’t. Everyone hated me, they were just too afraid to stand up to me. When Princess Twilight came through the portal, everyone thought she was weird, but she still became the most popular girl in school in a couple of days by being the complete opposite of what I was. She proved me wrong right then, and I refused to see it.” “But... then what changed after the others beat you?” “Simple: I wasn’t just defeated, I was broken. I had failed, and I knew nothing I could possibly do could get me out of it. Then... Princess Twilight showed me mercy. She begged Principal Celestia not to have me arrested, and told the school to give me a second chance. If I had been my old self, I’d have refused it. I needed to be torn down before I could be rebuilt. “If you went to Cinch now, she’ll still deny she did anything wrong. Maybe someday something will happen to break her, but until then there’s nothing we can do but keep her away from us.” Twilight sighed. “I guess that makes sense.” Sunset nodded. “Don’t worry about Cinch. It won’t be long before she’s out of Crystal Prep where she can’t hurt you. After that, what she does next is her decision.” Applejack nodded. “We haven’t told ya about the sirens, have we?” Twilight looked at her. “The sirens?” “Trio of troublemakers banished here from Equestria. We’ll tell you the full story later, but we beat 'em good. Afterward, we went to ‘em and offered the same chance we offered Sunset. They wouldn’t do it.” Rarity nodded. “We discussed doing something, but we couldn’t exactly force them to stay in Canterlot. They left town, and we haven’t seen them since. We couldn’t force them to change, they had to want to first.” Twilight took another bite of her meal. “Okay, so there’s one other thing. You said there were other versions of everyone in this other world. Does that mean there’s another Sunset Shimmer somewhere?” At that, Sunset looked at her meal. “...There was.” The rest group looked at her. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “When I saw Principal Celestia, I figured there were alternates to everyone. So as soon as I learned how to use a computer, I looked up my name. The first thing was an article about a girl that was...” She swallowed. “That was killed in an accident.” They all looked at her shocked. “Sunset...” Applejack began, but Sunset talked over her. “Her parents died of grief a bit later. There was no one that would recognize me, so I kept my name. It didn’t really bother me. I knew my parents in Equestria dumped me at an orphanage and flat out stated they didn’t want a foal.” There was silence as everyone processed the information. Fluttershy moved to hug her but Sunset stopped her. “I never cared. The only parent I needed was Princess Celestia and... well, you know how well that turned out.” There was another tense moment. “I’m sorry I brought it up,” Twilight said, her voice barely raising. Sunset shrugged. “It was bound to come up. I’m surprised none of you asked sooner.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “We were... a little afraid to.” Sunset looked at her. “Why?” Pinkie giggled a little. “It sounds silly now that we know the truth, but... you were evil when you came here. We figured you might have... well...” Sunset looked appalled. “I wasn’t even willing to hurt the other Spike when I was evil. I couldn’t kill anyone.” “Yeah... our bad,” Pinkie said. Sunset groaned. “So how did you manage to enroll in school with no records?” Twilight asked. “I brought enough gemstones from Equestria... they’re common there... and I paid for some false identification. It was from... the Changelings.” That got attention. “The Changelings?” Applejack said in a harsh whisper. “Who are they?” Everyone looked at Rainbow Dash. “What?” “Rainbow, do you ever keep up with anythin’ that isn’t sports, music, or those fantasy books you pretend not to read?” Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash blushed at that last one. “Why bother?” Twilight made a habitual move to readjust her glasses, once again realized she wasn’t wearing them, and spoke. “The Changelings are an infamous mafia group. They get their name because they specialize in creating false identities for people. It lets them pull off some big crimes.” “They’re trouble,” Pinkie nodded. “Which is why you shouldn’t deal with ‘em,” Applejack said. “Relax. As far as they knew, I was just a runaway teen who managed to shoplift something good. They had no reason to keep me around after our business was over.” They looked at her. “Well... if you’re sure,” Applejack said at last. “I am. Now how about some happier conversation...” “Hey!” Twilight jumped as Spike suddenly reached out and snapped the last bit of burger from her meal. “Spike!” “Hey, when you have to stay in a backpack for hours, then you can judge me.” He munched his prize. The next few stops were all one made at the request of one person, yet Twilight found herself having fun at all of them. First it was a sports store where Rainbow Dash picked out a few pieces of equipment and, after some consideration, new workout clothes for Twilight. Then Fluttershy insisted on a stop by the pet store. While Fluttershy picked out a few things, Twilight was able to find a few treats for Spike to munch on. Then it was a stop at a novelty shop where Pinkie managed to get the others to make complete fools of themselves, with all of them giggling at every turn. Then to an outdoors store for a new lantern for Applejack’s next camping trip. After Twilight mentioned always wanting to go stargazing, they spent the next thirty minutes picking out a good camping set for her. Finally, they made their last stop at the music store. “Hey, Vinyl!” Pinkie greeted the girl behind the counter. “You remember Twilight?” Seeing her, the girl nodded and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Vinyl nodded. “...You don’t talk much, do you?” The girl shook her head. “She can’t talk,” Applejack explained. “Her vocal chords never developed.” “Oh. Sorry.” Vinyl gave a dismissive wave to show she wasn’t offended. Twilight, still feeling awkward, went to Sunset, who was looking at a selection of microphones. “Do you sing?” Twilight blinked. “What?” “Princess Twilight could sing. You have her voice. Have you ever sang before?” “Well... I sang in choir a few times. I never really did it as a hobby.” Sunset smiled. “Maybe the Rainbooms could use a new member.” “The Rainbooms?” “Our band. If you sing half as good as Princess Twilight does, you’ll be a great addition.” She handed Twilight a microphone. “Top-of-the-line model, it will do you well.” Twilight took it. “Well... why not? I do have plenty of...” A rough shove sent Twilight to the ground, sending the microphone and her bags skidding across the floor. Spike yipped in surprise from inside her backpack. “Whoopsie.” Twilight froze at the voice, her heart racing. She turned and saw Fleur looking at her, the same look that always made Twilight feel small. “Didn’t see you there.” She turned, only to find Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset blocking her way. “I think you’re going to pick her things back up,” Applejack said, her tone making it clear that her prediction was going to come true one way or another. Fleur raised an eyebrow. Then she started to move, only for Sunset to grab her roughly by the arm. “Let go of me, you-” Sunset pulled her back, which ended up sending Fleur to the ground against Sunset’s intentions. Still, it worked to their advantage. “Applejack told you to pick up her things.” “You can’t do this to me, you piece of...” Much to everyone’s shock, Rainbow Dash kicked Fleur in the stomach. Not as hard as she could, but enough to make the normally collected girl wheeze. “Pick. It. Up.” The now-terrified Fleur did as instructed. After handing Twilight her things, Rainbow was in her face again. “If she tells me you’re bothering her again... I’ll put you in a coma. Got it?” Fleur nodded in fear. She turned to sprint from the store, only to find Vinyl now blocking the way. She handed her a note. I saw you pick a fight. You’re banned, six months. I catch you in here again, I’ll get you banned from the mall entirely. “Aren’t you going to do anything about them? They assaulted me!” Sunset stepped forward. “What you did to Twilight could easily be assault. It’s eight to one you attacked her.” Fleur looked around, realizing how outnumbered she was. She turned her glare on Twilight. “Well, looks like you found people who like you. Figures that trash school would be where you fit in.” Rainbow Dash took a step forward, and all of Fleur’s courage vanished. She bolted from the music store. She stopped ten feet away, turned to glare, then walked away like the mall was lucky she had decided to come. As Fluttershy and Rarity helped Twilight up, she could only gape. “How... um... thank you.” “Hey, no problem,” Rainbow Dash waved it off. “Though, really, did you have to kick her?” Rarity asked. “Don’t you think that was going a bit too far?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Maybe. But she’ll think twice before harassing Twilight again, won’t she?” “Who was she, anyway?” Fluttershy asked. “That... was Fleur De Lis. She’s a girl at Crystal Prep who hates me. She doesn’t do much at school since Cadance is the dean, but it usually ends badly when we run into each other outside Crystal Prep.” “Why?” Pinkie asked. “I don’t know. The same reason everyone at Crystal Prep hates me: I’m there.” Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder. “Former bully speaking: it doesn’t seem like that. She seems to have a grudge against you.” “Well... she is the worst out of everyone. But I don’t know why.” “Doesn’t matter. We scared her off, and we’ll do worse if she tries anything,” Rainbow Dash said. “Now come on, it’s getting late. It’s slumber party time!” Twilight awoke with a loud gasp. Taking a few deep breaths, she looked around. She was still in Pinkie’s room, filled to the brim with people. Vinyl had joined in as a last-minute attendee, and the night was merrier for it. Pizza, video games, and karaoke where they all sang fairly well still bounced around in her head. But so did her nightmare. This time her demonic self had dangled her on marionette strings as she tore apart her family and friends one by one. It had been horrible. Then an arm wrapped around her and pulled her into another warm embrace. “Sunset?” “Another nightmare? Figures. That is why I got the bed with you.” Twilight took a deep breath. The room had been so crowded they’d needed to share a bed to fit everyone in. “It was horrible.” “I know. I’ve been where you are. And I made the mistake of not telling anyone because I thought I deserved to suffer. But I was just making sure my wounds never healed.” “...When does it go away?” “For me? It wasn’t until eight months later, a little while after we defeated the Sirens. But you have family, and us, who are going to to help you through it.” Twilight cried into Sunset, who just held her close. After she had calmed down a bit, she turned and looked around the room again. The six other girls in sleeping bags around the room, and Spike still asleep at her side. She turned back to Sunset and moved in closer. As the other girl’s grip tightened, Twilight made up her mind. She’d ask Cadance to write up the transfer papers tomorrow.