//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Doubts // Story: The Students from St. Everfree // by Morex25 //------------------------------// “Darn! You are heavy!” Trixie complained as she helped the injured Sombra walked down the street using her body as support. In the end Trixie reluctantly agreed to not call an ambulance, and instead help Sombra walk towards the nearest safe place she could think of. Not before she notified the proper authorities about the unconscious thugs they left behind. “Will you really be able to make it without proper medical attention?” Despite her complains, she really felt bad for the guy. He received a heck of a beating and was still insisting that he was fine. “Despite my current state of look, I am still quite capable of surviving, woman.” “If you call me that again, I will drop your injured ass on the asphalt.” Trixie warned him as she was very tired of his superiority attitude. Seriously, someone with an ego so inflated was so infuriating. “I told you, I do not own a beast of burden.” He replied making Trixie wonder once again this was his idea of a joke or if he was completely serious. “You are so… obdurate.” Trixie sighed in momentary surrender, not wanting to spent mental energy on such a non-issue right now. Really, why did she even bother anyways? “I’ve been called worse things” “Of that I have no doubts.” She rolled her eyes as the two kept on walking. “Come on, we are almost there.” “There?” Sombra repeated, having no idea as to which location the platinum haired girl was taking him. “My home.” [x-x-x] “Darn it! Where is he?” Rainbow Dash said as he looked all around her with no avail. “How can someone that big is so difficult to find?” After she had seen that Big Red Guy passed by the window of Sugar Cube Corner, Dash wanted nothing more than to give chase, gauge him up, and see if he was a menace to Canterlot High and her friends. Unfortunately she couldn’t come up with something clever enough to bail on the hangout with her friends without raising too many questions. So there she spent so much time hearing Rarity go on and on about love and romance and how much she would like to hear more about this “supposed relationship” between their Physics teacher Time Turner and his secret admirer Muffins. When they finished with their chats, everyone decided it was time to leave and they all said their goodbyes and their “See you girls at school tomorrow”, Rainbow didn’t waste any time and lived up to the Dash part of her name to look for the Biggest Transfer Student from Everfree. Thankfully, the guy she was after made enough of an impression with his appearance alone that she was able to get directions from people who saw him pass by. But now she was at the edge of Applejack’s Family Orchard with no sight of the Red Guy or any person that could've seen him. “What now…?” Rainbow clenched her fist frustrated. If only she had followed him as soon as she saw him, she would’ve caught up to him by now. With no other clues to go on, Rainbow was about to turn back and leave when she heard the earsplitting sound of a couple of ambulances and police sirens coming from behind. It didn’t take a full minute before the emergency vehicles passed next to her and continued forward. She didn’t know why, but seeing the convoy compelled her to give chase feeling that they would take her to where she needed to go. Dash ran full speed after the fading sound of the sirens and it didn’t take much long before she finally caught sight of the emergency teams working and dragging people out of the Apple Orchard. She quickly approached to take a closer look at the whole thing but it didn’t take long before an officer caught sight of her nosing around. “Hey kid, get out of here! There’s nothing for you to see here!” “But…!” “No but’s, turn around and …” And before he could finish telling Rainbow to leave, a hand on the shoulder stopped him. “Hey, go easy on her. She’s my daughter!” The officer turned around and saw a paramedic with blue hair and pink coloration. “If you vouch for her that’s fine, she can stay, but she’s your responsibility…” The officer warned before he looked at the name tag in the paramedic’s vest, “…Firefly.” He finished and then left to return to his duty. “Thanks officer!” The paramedic, Firefly, said before turning to her daughter. “What are you doing here, Dash?” “A friend of mine lives near here,” Rainbow didn’t exactly lie but she didn’t tell the truth either, that was the best way to deal with any of her mom’s questions she didn’t want to answer. “This orchard is part of her family’s property.” “Applejack, was it….?” Firefly asked trying to remember all the names of her daughter’s friends. “That’s the girl you wanted to start a band with, right?” “I STARTED a band with her and the others weeks ago, mom!” Rainbow corrected rolling her eyes in annoyance and crossing her arms in front of her. “We even won the Battle of the Bands at my school, remember?” “Oh! Yeah! Now I remember. Congratulations on your win!” Firefly patted her on the shoulder. “Maybe we should go out and celebrate.” But her offer only received a mutter in return. “That’s what you said last week.” “Look Dash, I’ve been very hectic lately.” Firefly explained. “Ever since that Everfree school collapsed we have been very busy…” “If you’re so busy then why aren’t you doing your job instead of talking to me right now?” Rainbow rudely shot back. “I know that you are upset but I won’t tolerate that tone.” She may give her daughter a lot of leeway in many things, but she wasn’t going to allow her to talk to her like that. “In fact…!” “Hey! Firefly, come give us a hand here!” The voice of a fellow paramedic called out for her, interrupting her. “Be right there!” Firefly called back before she turned back to her daughter. “We’ll continue this conversation later when I get home, Dash.” “IF, you come back home…” She sass back. “You’re father will hear about this, Dash!” Firefly warned as she turned to go where they needed her, leaving Rainbow Dash behind. “Whatever…” Rainbow muttered somewhat bitter. She hadn’t expected to run into her mom like this and their little “chat” had left a poor taste on her mouth souring her mood enough that she decided to leave her self-imposed “mission” completely. That is until he heard a scream. “LET GO OF ME, YOU!” Rainbow could see that the owner of the voice as a guy around her age trashing around while being dragged by some officers. “Relax, we just need you to come with us for questioning!” “I said let me go! I didn’t do anything! It was that Big Red Assh*le!” The guy resisting yelled again. “He’s the one responsible for this not me!” At the mention of the words Big and Red, Dash already knew as to which person he was referring to. “We need you to relax so we can take your statement!” The officer proposed with no avail. “NO! LET GO YOU F******* PIGS!” He shouted as the officers had no other option but to put the hysteric lad on the backseat of a police car. “Hurry! We have several wounded people!” One paramedic shouted as he carried the unconscious body of a guy no older than Dash. “There are around nine; we need all the help we can get!” After hearing that plight, both paramedics and officers went through the orchard to find more people in need of help. Rainbow Dash stood there as more and more people were brought from within the trees and unto the ambulances or police cars. All of them weary and beaten with cuts and bruises everywhere. Then the last one that they brought up looked the worst of them all. “Hurry, this one needs urgent care now!” Firefly yelled as she brought the guy up to a stretcher. The face, dear god, the face was mangled and bloody beyond belief, it made Rainbow Dash stomach churn. “To the hospital now!” She got up inside the back and closed the doors, not even glacing towards her daughter. Not that Dash could care, at that moment she was more preoccupied with the implications of all of this. Ten people. The new transfer student she followed beat up ten people, and some of them were in very bad shape; especially the last one that look like a goner. The level of violence and brutality to leave another human being in such state was unbelievable. It was inhuman. It was… it was… “Evil.” No doubts about it. [x-x-x] Tirek tried not to wince as Granny Smith, or crazy old bat as he called her, burrowed a needle through the skin of his arm. “Are you sure you know what you are doing?” He asked masking his pain perfectly. “My boy, I’ve lived on a farm all of mah life.” She answered almost offended. “I seen more injuries than you have seen fights. I can put on some stitches with my eyes closed.” “Well that’s what it looks lik…OW!!” He yelped in pain as the old lady looked at him humorlessly. “Ya were sayin’?” “You…! You are doing a great job.” Tirek managed to say. It wouldn’t do him any good to antagonize the woman who was currently piercing his skin with a sharp object. “Why thank you.” Granny smiled as she continued to patch him up inside the comfort of her kitchen. After saving him from possibly being killed. Granny Smith with the help of her grandson, an orange haired guy around Tirek’s age, dragged him all the way to their home at the edge of the Apple Orchard, after he profusely refused to be taken to the hospital. “You certainly are quite stubborn.” She told him when she finished suturing the last of his injuries. “Even more so to remain conscious after that beating you took.”Certainly, it was a miracle in itself that he didn’t die out of blood loss or head trauma, let alone been awake throughout all of that. “You look as if two angry bulls stomped all over you!” No kidding. Besides several other wounds that required sutures, she had to tend several cuts and bruises, not to mention, putting bandages all over his body. Good thing she had some special hard cider at hand to try and numb the immense pain the, albeit huge, boy should be feeling. “I had worse.” Tirek said ominously. “Of that, I have no doubt.” Not even doubting his claim as some sort of front to appear tougher in front of her. And frankly that made her feel even sorrier for the boy. [x-x-x] “You know…” Sunset said with her face a little bit red. Being carried around was a little awkward and even more embarrassing was all the glances people directed at hem when they passed by “I’m capable of walking the rest of the way.” “I know that.” Discord answered with a little smile before he dropped it a second later. “I’m just being careful…” “Careful of what?” She asked when the boy carrying her trailed off and didn’t continue his answer. “No, it’s nothing… just thinking out loud to myself.” He excused only making Sunset more curious about it. “Careful of what?” “Well…” He was about to begin when suddenly he came to a stop. “Hey look! The animal shelter!” Indeed, the animal shelter was a block away from them. “Great, now please let get off and…” “Not yet.” Discord interrupted as he suddenly dashed again. This unexpected acceleration caused Sunset to grab him for dear life until they were finally right in front of the place. “Last stop on the Discord Express, please disembark in an orderly fashion and do not forget any personal objects behind. We thank you for choosing us as your preferred mode of transportation, thank you and have a nice day!” “Um…thanks… I guess…” Sunset said as she was put down by him not really knowing how to respond to any of Discord’s eccentricities. “So, shall we enter?” Discord offered as he opened the door for her. With a nod of appreciation, both teens entered the animal shelter. The place looked nice and clean and on the side there was the hamster habitat where dozens of little rodents crawled and played all day. “Hello? Anyone in here?” Sunset called out when she didn’t see anyone sitting behind the reception desk. “Hey look! They have one of those quaint little call bells!” Discord pointed out as he immediately tapped the top to make it ring. The he tapped it again to make it ring. Again. And again. And again. And… you get the idea… “Hey stop that!” Sunset said raising her voice a bit which she instantly apologize for when Discord sent her a little look. “Sorry…” “Hey, don’t be so…” “May I help you with something?” “Whaah!” Discord jumped a little, frightened by the unexpected appearance of a third voice. “Oh! You are one of Fluttershy’s friends right?” A girl with light harlequin complexion and long light amaranth dreads with vermilion highlights under a nice flower pattern bandana, said looking at Sunset in a very relaxed and laid back way. “Yes I’m a friend of her. My name is Sunset Shimmer.” She introduced herself before asking. “Is Fluttershy here yet?” “Nice meeting you. I’m Tree Hugger. Blessings.” The “Hippie” fashioned girl introduced herself back. “Flutterhy isn’t here yet. She told me she was gonna be at SCC with her friends so she was gonna come in later.” “Oh, that’s right…” The reunion with the girls at Sugar Cube Corner, she had forgotten about it. With everything that had happened today and how distracted she had been during the day, it was no wonder it had slipped out of her mind. “May I wait for her here?” “Yeah, I don’t mind.” “Actually, it would be better if we could wait in a more secluded place…” Discord pointed out. “We are trying to lay low.” He said in a very obvious ploy to sound cool and mysterious in front of them. “Whoa, dude. I’m really digging your vibe.” Tree Hugger said after taking a good look at him. “My…vibe…?” “Yeah, I like how your clothes totally express the chaotic nature of your innermost feelings, and desire for creating a path of your own.” “Uh…thanks…?” Now it was Discord’s turn to not know how to respond. This wasn’t the reaction he was expecting from his words and appearance. “I understand your burning desire to be unique.” The girl continued. “But you might be going at it in the wrong way… your aura is somewhat mudded.” “My aura…?” “In fact I have this great Tea that will clear out all the muddiness in your aura and help you reconnect with your chakras.” “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m fine.” Discord put up his hands, declining whatever this girl wanted to push unto him. “A shame… it goes really well with rice cakes.” Tree Hugger ‘lamented’ and with her laid back tone, it was difficult to gauge her emotions. “Yes… about this secluded place…” Discord said trying to get the conversation back on track. “Do you have some sort of back room we can use? We kinda need that. No questions asked.” He added at the end. “Sure, you can use the storage room if you like.” Tree hugger pointed at a door behind her with her thumb. “I’m no one to judge motives. You are not the only one who had clashes with ‘the Man’ before.” “I don’t doubt it.” Discord rolled his eyes at the Hippie girl, not knowing bothering to correct her. “Come Sunny, to the Storage Room.” “Why?” She asked somewhat curious with a little bit of suspicion about his intentions. “Because…” He drew out for a bit. “…there’s much to talk about…” And if it could be done privately the better. “Between you and I.” ‘Should’ve seen this coming…’ [x-x-x]