House that Heartbreak Rebuilt

by Jet_Black1980

Come Run With Us

Chapter 45

Come Run With Us.

The three fillies lay in the bed staring at the ceiling. The Prance style bed felt like its mattress needed fluffing, and the blankets lay over them as heavily as the day’s events.

None of them could even understand what had just happened. Or, judging from the volume of shouting, what was continuing to happen in H.B.’s room. They didn't even have the words. What did you even call a cutie mark that could burn through clothing? Both mares seemed to know, but they weren't sharing. And what might any of it mean?

It had started out as an adventure, and had felt like it at the ice cream parlor, at the hardware store, and on the way here. It had really felt like an adventure when they were trying to get a look at HB's cutie mark! Up until Scootaloo had actually touched it. It didn't feel like an adventure any more. Adventures ended up with them in trouble, or covered in tree sap, or both. Right now, they wished they were just covered in tree sap.

Unlike all their other adventures, this one had just ended in heartbreak.

At first, meeting Heartbreak was just like meeting any other pony. She had her quirks, her problems and her issues. The other colts and fillies around Ponyville said that she was great at telling stories though. So what if she had a hole in her hoof? So what if she was more tomcolt than most of the other mares in Ponyville? Applejack was somewhat of a tomcolt, Rainbow Dash was even more of a tomcolt. Heartbreak was a pony, warts and all.

And when they first met her, that’s all she appeared to be. Just a pony. A closed off, pretty shut in - not all that fun - weird pony with a hole in her hoof and a bit of an attitude. But still a pony. Now, with what had just happened to Scootaloo, the three were not so sure about that.

Yeah, she had told a cool bedtime story. But after the event happened? Nothing was said. Rarity had told them to go to bed and they would talk about what happened in the morning. Heartbreak wasn’t happy with this. The two of them could be heard through the nearly paper thin walls arguing.

The most perplexing thing for the little fillies wasn’t the sudden argument between the two mares. That had been going on the whole time they had been together. It was how the argument between the two ended. When most adults got into fights or arguments, there was yelling and slamming of doors and then apologies. Not so with these two. This argument started loud and then ended quietly.

Not with a bang, but a whimper.

Oppressive silence was filled the room with the otherwise normally vocal Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was spell of deafening, stifling and almost suffocating silence. Finally, Sweetie Belle broke the enchantment that seemed to be cast over them.

“W-what do you suppose is wrong with her?” She asked curling, under the blanket, almost as if she was afraid of the very question itself.

“Ya mean... H.B.?” Applebloom mulled the question over in her mind and looked down at the blanket. It was a well worn heirloom of a family that no longer lived here, and no longer cared to live here. A place that most ponies wouldn’t care to live. Right outside the edge of the Everfree Forest along a dirt road that ponies rarely seemed to travel down. Then again, Fluttershy’s cottage was practically a hop skip and a jump away from here, so Heartbreak couldn’t be completely alone.

“More like Heartbreak,” Scootaloo corrected, shaking her hoof. It felt almost like it had fallen asleep. Numb with pin pricks and tingles.

“Ah... Ah don’t know,” she finally replied. How had Crab Apple, a pony known in Hoofthorne for spotting dangerous threats to other ponies, not seen what horrible danger lurked within Heartbreak? Had he been blinded by her somehow? Did he like her?

“An’ not just like-her-like-her, but really like-like her...” She shook her head. That was just stupid grown pony talk. “Ah just don’t know.”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong with with her,” Scootaloo said darkly. “Even if she can tell a good story?” The little pegasus held her knees close to her chest, her wings were flittering and threatening to open as she shivered and shook. “She’s still a monster...”

Just then, there was the clatter of hoofbeats and the crackingly sounds of sobbing could be heard in the hallway. The three looked up just in time to see a flash of a black broken heart and the brown of a messy tangled tail rush by the open door.

“Scootaloo!” Applebloom scowled.

Sweetie Belle looked concerned. “Do you think she heard us?” She whispered frightenedly.

“Of course she heard us,” Scootaloo said angrily. “All monsters ca-”

“Now just stop it, Scootaloo!” Applebloom got up from the bed and closed the bedroom door. As she did so, she could hear the muffled sounds of sobbing coming from the guest room. A part of her wanted to go and reach out to Heartbreak, tell her that Scootaloo didn’t mean what she had said. The other part was afraid.

Afraid that Scootaloo was right.

“But monsters don’t cry like that an’ they most certainly don’t stick up for little fillies against ponies like Diamond Tiara like that!” Applebloom glared at Scootaloo before getting back into bed. “Ah don’t think that she’s a monster, Scootaloo. Just that somethin’ really bad happened ta her.”

Scootaloo glared back at Applebloom. “And what happened to me wasn’t really bad either?! You don’t know what it was like, Applebloom! It was awful! Terrible! Worse than the worst thing you can imagine!”

“Keep yer voice down, Scoots!” Applebloom said sternly. “These walls here are mighty thin now!”

Sweetie Belle leaned forward between Applebloom and Scootaloo. “What’s worse than the worst thing I can imagine? Because I saw the worst thing I could imagine when you were...” She swallowed hard. “Touching her mark...”

Scootaloo forced herself to remember. To see what was there in that horrible moment. “Nothing... Just...nothing.”

“Nothing?” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “So there’s nothing I can imagine that is worse than what you saw?”

“Ah think somethin’ of H.B. is rubbin’ off on ya there, Scoots,” Applebloom said, her eyebrow quirked. “Because it kinda sounds like yer talkin’ in riddles..”

Scootaloo practically snarled. “No! It isn’t that! At all!” She wanted to scream, she wanted to shout, she wanted to let it all out. But she knew what her friends would do. They would tell her to keep it down. “They care more about that... thing’s feelings than they do mine...”

“Then tell us what happened,” Sweetie Belle said sympathetically. She looked at Scootaloo with tears in her eyes. “Please?”

“Yeah, don’t be bottlin’ that stuff up inside! We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We share everythin’ with each other!” Applebloom’s expression softened and she joined Sweetie Belle. “Even the bad stuff...”

Scootaloo’s first reaction to the outreach of emotion was to jump back and fight it. But... these were her friends. They always would share everything. They did everything together. They had been on so many adventures together. Faced so many dangers together. And she was shutting down because of this? Was it the mark she touched? Had she somehow been tainted by it? Or was it her inability to fully comprehend what she had seen in those moments?

“It was ...Nothing...” She finally said.

“Hey now, it couldn’t have been nothin’ otherwise-” Applebloom began.

“No!” Scootaloo almost shouted. “I mean, ugh... it’s so hard to describe! Maybe if I was a smarter filly like you Applebloom, or better with my words like you Sweetie Belle, I could describe it better. But that’s what it was...” She looked forward blankly. “Nothing. I know this isn’t like me to just... think like this, I’m not an egghead, I’m not the smartest of ponies...” she sighed sadly.

“Hey now, stop beatin’ yerself up, Scoots...” Applebloom looked at her friend as she struggled to explain. For some reason she almost looked older. More tired. Like the whole of the experience had taken a year or two off her life. “Just explain the best way ya can.”

“Alright... here goes...” Scootaloo snickered. “Nothing.” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other in confusion at the joke that Scootaloo had made. “Have you ever tried to imagine... nothing before? Just... Nothing? Up till today, I never tried to. I was too focused, too driven, always on the move and always on the go. Like Rainbow Dash always says, ‘Be awesome and do awesome.’” She shook her head. Just an hour ago those words would have propelled her to the highest of highs. “Anyway, there was always... something happening! Something for us to do! I mean the closest that I ever came to imagining ‘nothing’ was that one time when we tried to earn our cutie marks by thinking we could be ambassadors to Puuuunda Meelia Ardhi? Or where ever it is that Zecora comes from. You know? When she had us sit in that one spot for nearly half an hour meditating?”

Applebloom thought about it. “Ah yeah... Ya ended up fallin’ asleep!”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Yeah, but just before that moment I passed out... I think... I think I almost saw... nothing. No sounds, nothing to feel, no needs or wants or all that fancy stuff she was talking about, just ...nothing. It was like that. Well, not at first... I was in the middle of Ponyville and confused how I got there. Everypony was walking around, talking like normal. But then I tried to talk to one of them and it was like they didn’t even see me. I kept trying to get their attention, but still...” She paused. “Nothing.”

“How was it worse?” Sweetie Belle asked. She felt the need to get Scootaloo to tell them all of it. To get it all out. She didn’t want to keep tugging at her friend like this. But she wanted her friend back.

Scootaloo bit her lip and remained quiet before she sniffed hard.

Applebloom put a hoof on her friends’ shoulder. “We’re here fer ya, Scoots. Remember? Crusaders forever.”

Scootaloo nodded and whimpered. “I saw Rainbow Dash and tried to get her attention, but she acted like she didn’t even know I was there! Then... I saw you girls and tried to talk to you, and tell you that Rainbow had given me a cold shoulder. The two of you payed attention to me and asked who I was talking about. You were like, ‘Rainbow-who?’ So I pointed turned to point her out, but she wasn’t there! I turned back to you two, but then you two weren’t there! I kept looking around, and ponies left and right kept vanishing! Then everything disappeared around me! From there it’s so hard to explain! I-i-it was like I was screaming, but nopony could hear me because there weren’t anyponies to hear me. Not only that, but I couldn’t hear myself screaming. I mean, I knew I was screaming, it was the only thing that I could sort of feel, but nothing was coming out. And I know it doesn’t make any sense but,” she shook her head. “there was no Rainbow Dash, no Equestria, no Ponyville and worst of all...”

Scootaloo looked up with tears in her eyes. “No us!” She sniffed hard and tried to look brave. But it was no use. “I’m sorry... I know it doesn’t make any sense but it’s the best way I can explain it... And that’s what I saw in that moment when I was touching her scar...” She frowned and swallowed hard. “Because like ...fet... am I calling that thing a cutie mark.”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked forward blankly. How could they respond to that? No Crusaders? No ponies? No Ponyville? No Equestria?

“Ah-” Applebloom started.

“And it’s all her fault!” Scootaloo seethed, her expression turning dark. “If she wasn’t here, or didn’t have to spend time with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and her friends, then we wouldn’t have to deal with her!”

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Stop that!”

“Yeah!” Applebloom yelled as quietly as she could. “Ya think that what ya’ll saw was bad? Sweetie Belle an’ me where the ones watchin’ it! Fet! Ah was the one that told ya to do it cause we wanted ta know which one of us was right about how it looked! I was the leader here! How ya think we feel!?”

Scootaloo looked down. “I’m... sorry girls, it’s just I feel so angry and upset and hurt... Heartbreak didn’t even really apologize or say that she was sorry for whatever happened... Not that she would... I don’t think she even likes us...”

There was a pause in the room. Taken at face value, Scootaloo was right. Heartbreak’s apology seemed half hearted, like she knew that this sort of thing could happen and that if it did happen ‘oh well, we can’t do anything about it.’ But the comment about H.B. not liking them? That seemed to come out of left field.

“Ah think whatever that mark did, it’s messin’ with ya. ‘Cause while her apology wasn’t the greatest... She’s been nothin’ but nice ta us.” Applebloom said, looking down at the blanket.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah! If she didn’t like us, why would she be doing all that stuff for us?” the filly scowled. “Most of the adults either tell us ‘no’ or find ways of hoofing us off to somepony else.”

“And what’s more?” Applebloom put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “If she didn’t like us, why would she go and tell a story about us?”

“Huh?” Scootaloo replied with a confused look on her face.

“Oh come on,” Applebloom replied rolling her eyes. “Skeeterroll - Scootaloo? Silver Bell - Sweetie Belle? And I’d bet apples to oranges that that ‘Bud’ in her story was an ‘Apple Bud!’”

“Oh my gosh!” Sweetie Belle said with a wide eyed jaw dropped expression. “How did I not see that!?”

Scootaloo sniffed hard and looked frustrated. “That still doesn’t explain why she didn’t say that she was sorry for what happened!”

“Ah...” Applebloom started. “Ah think she is sorry, Scootaloo. She just might be afraid to actually say it because she knows she hurt you... Granny Smith says that ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ And boy, her actions were speakin’ real loud. Ya should have seen how she reacted ta Sweetie Belle an’ me, she wanted Sweetie Belle ta get that chocolate right away, an she was yellin’ an screamin’ an hollerin’ at ya ta come back! She was terrified... not terrified that she had done somethin’ wrong, but at losin’ ya...”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said. “And she doesn’t even know us!”

Scootaloo sniffed hard. Were her friends right? All she remembered was waking up in Heartbreak’s arms with the taste of chocolate in her mouth. She was looking really frightened, there were tear stains down her face. Then she started to smile and was hugging her tightly. She was whispering something, something that was hard to make out through the choked up words.

“F-f-forgive me, Scootaloo...please...please...forgive me...”

Scootaloo bit her lip. “Still! She should put a warning sign on it... I would say that she should cover it up or something, but we all saw how that went. It’s just so hard... I thought she was strange before, what with the hole in her hoof, but now I have all these weird feelings about her and none of them are good... And all because of that... mark.”

A moment of clarity flickered over Applebloom’s face. “How do ya think she feels, Scoots?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Not this again. Look you already got me with how she felt about me touching the thing, you don’t-”

Applebloom waggled her hooves. “No, no, no! Not that...” She looked at Scootaloo intently. “How do ya think she feels with that thing on her rump? Ah mean, ya only touched it for a few moments... She has ta live with it everyday.”

The three little fillies looked horrified at the prospect of that idea.

“Wow... That’s like the one time you gave yourself cutie pox, Applebloom,” Scootaloo commented. “Only far worse.”

“Maybe that’s why she acts the way she does... Her mark is forcing her to?” Sweetie Belle asked her head falling to greet her pillow. She almost jumped up right away. “Hey! Maybe Zecora can help! Maybe-”

Scootaloo shook her head. “That... mark... it’s different, Sweetie Belle. I should know, remember?” She waved her hoof at her friend. “My leg is still kind of numb. Besides, didn’t you two say that she’s been living with Twilight ever since she arrived here in Ponyville? Don’t you think that the Twilight Sparkle would have done something by now, if she could have?”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked down disappointedly at the blanket in front of them. Twilight was the expert on magic and Heartbreak had been in Ponyville for over four months now! If she couldn’t have figured it out by now... Either she was still working on it, or there might not be any hope.

“I-I guess I hadn’t thought about that,” Sweetie Belle said quietly. “You think that’s why she wants to be out here away from the other ponies?”

“It could be...” Scootaloo replied biting her tongue on a few choice phrases that she could say at the moment.

“That’s just awful... Always havin’ ta watch out where yer goin’ in cause ya accidentally bump inta somepony...” Applebloom stated her head falling down to meet her pillow. “Gorsh-Dern it!” Her hoof smacked down hard on the pillow.

“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“All of this is so unfair! An’ ah feel so powerless!” Appleboom replied.

“Do you think Applejack knows about it too?” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she did... I bet all of the six of them know about it...” Scootaloo looked distantly at the wall in front of her. “Even... Rainbow Dash...”

Applebloom let out a frustrated groan. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders! If anypony knows anythin’ about cutie marks, it’s us! We ought ta be able ta do -somethin’- about this!” Applebloom turned back over and stared at the ceiling. “Ah mean, a cutie mark that not only makes you sad, but anypony who touches it sad? That’s gotta be the worst special talent ever! An’ all cause she told some super sad story!”

“I said that I didn’t buy that whole story about her getting her mark because she told a sad story, Applebloom. And I think that just what happened just confirms it...” Scootaloo said. “I think she was just making that part up so we wouldn’t ask any more questions. If I said it before, I’ll say it again. That thing isn’t a real cutie mark.” Sweetie Belle’s lip quivered and she started sniffling. “What’s wrong now?”

“W-w-what if... What if that thing keeps her from getting her real cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle whimpered. “What...what if she never gets her real cutie mark? Or learns what her real special talent is?!”

Applebloom’s eyes widened and her mouth frowned so hard that it hurt. “Sweetie Belle, j-j-just stop it now! Wow, that’s just even more depressin’!”

“I can’t help it!” Sweetie Belle sniffled hard. “At least we have the chance to earn ours...”

Scootaloo tried to process that only to receive a flood of horrible emotions. “Whoa... I never thought about that before... I mean, Twilight once said that there isn’t any magic that can give you a cutie mark, but she never said that there wasn’t magic that would stop you from getting one!”

Applebloom glared at the ceiling, that little revelation only furthered the depressing mood of this whole situation. It was like there was no hope for Heartbreak. “An’ if anypony could use some hope... It’s her.”

Then she shot up in the bed as an idea suddenly dawned on her. “That’s it girls! Ah know a way we can help her!”

Scootaloo sat up and looked confused at Applebloom. “I thought we just agreed that we couldn’t do anything to get rid of that fake evil mark, ” Scootaloo said.

Applebloom looked at her friends. “That’s true, but it don’t mean that we can’t help her some other way! After all, ya’ve been saying it yourself there, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo looked confused. “Buh? I did?”

“Yeah!” Applebloom hushed her voice and a bright smile creeped upon her face. “That mark might not come off, but it isn’t a real cutie mark! And if it isn’t a real cutie mark...” She waited for one of them to finish her thought.

“Then... it’s like she doesn’t have a cutie mark...” Sweetie Belle blinked as she caught on. “But that would mean... She’s just like us!”

“That’s right!” Applebloom said. “An’ if that’s the case...”

The two smiling fillies looked at Scootaloo. “What?” Suddenly it hit her. “Oh no... That’s not going to work either...”

“Oh, come on!” Sweetie Belle cried out.

“Yeah! Ah know ya have some harsh feelings towards her ‘cause of what just happened, Scootaloo. But everypony needs a little hope, an’ sure, she can be a bit of a ... what was that word she used in place of... Uhm ya know...” Applebloom scratched her ankle, not wanting to say that word. After all, like her sister had said, ‘Ya might not be a sophisticate like them there Canterlot ponies, but that don’t mean ya ought ta be muddin’ yer language up like other ponies who will not be mentioned.’

“Cankernag?” Scootaloo replied rolling her eyes.

“Scootaloo! Keep yer voice down!” Applebloom said scolding her friend. Half of her was worried that Heartbreak could still hear them. The other half was flinching at the mention of those two words together.

“Come on, Scootaloo... We did let Babs in!” Sweetie Belle said pleadingly.

“Maybe... but look how old she is!” Scootaloo said, grasping at straws. Her two friends gave a, ‘are you serious?’ expression. She sighed. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea! I mean, seriously, you two keep going on about what you saw, and you’ve seen how she acts! She can be a bit of a bully for an adult!”

Sweetie Belle got up and went over to the other side of Scootaloo. “Maybe... but we got Babs to turn over a new leaf too, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Applebloom looked at Scootaloo. “Besides Scoots, yer never too old ta be crusaderin’ fer somethin’...”

Scootaloo sighed and shook her head. “I just don’t think it will work, girls.” She could already see Sweetie Belle’s mouth forming a protest. She quickly put up a hoof. “And It’s not for any of those lame reasons I just said either... After thinking about all that... You might be onto something... But-” She paused.

“But what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“She’s not going to go for it. I mean we can ask her, but you’ve seen how she reacts to other ponies giving her gifts or things. Didn’t Rarity say that Twilight had to practically trick her into taking this house? And she’s most likely taking it because she wants to be away from other ponies. Plus, she keeps going on about not wanting to be a, ‘Mary Sue,’ whatever that means. And if we just ask her or offer what I think you two are thinking, she’s most likely just going to turn us down flat.” Scootaloo explained.

Sweetie Belle frowned. “Yeah... you should have heard the huff that Rarity made when H.B. turned down a dress being made for her... And she was really reluctant about the bicycle, not to mention the gem pens! And Rarity would never just give those things to just anypony!”

Applebloom looked down at the blanket and then at the wall in front of her. A determined expression crept onto her face. “Well then girls, we’re just going to have to make her an offer that she can’t refuse. Y'all with me?” She put her hoof out.

Sweetie Belle put her hoof out. “I am!” The two looked at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. This was why she was friends with these two. Even through the horrible things? They could remind her about what they really were all about. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Trying new things is what we do,” She rolled her eyes again and put her hoof forward. “but you better have a plan to pull this off, otherwise she’s just going to turn us down.”

“Oh, ah have a plan alright.” She huddled close to her friends in a circle. “Super Cutie Mark Crusaders Ninja Force Team Go, take two!”

==============================================================

I am feeling nothing but pain right now.

Horrible, searing, heart-wracking pain. “That might be a bit over dramatic-” Shut up! It hurts! There’s no minimizing this! It hurts! It hurts worse than when Mars berated me, it hurts worse than when Applejack chided me! It hurts damn it!

There are ponies who I looked up to on this show. Ponies that I...found... Damn it. I can’t think this without it sounding weird. And it shouldn’t sound weird. Seriously, what the fuck brain? Can’t you just say that you... liked the character? There were characters on the show that I liked.

Scootaloo was one of them.

Before she earned her mark, when I first learned more about that little tomboyish filly, I thought she was cool. I wondered about her, if she had a family or if she was an orphan, if she would ever really fly. She could perform amazing tricks on her scooter and was always determined never to show fear.

She was the least girly of the three crusaders and the one who I was always rooting for. She was struggling with her flying and I was like, ‘Come on, Scoots. You can do it!’ She got covered in tree sap and I’d laugh while she washed off before going onto the next adventure. I watched as she learned how to flit and kinda fly. Not like the other pegasi, mind you, but still. How she became more brave, bold, and daring. How she faced her fears on a camping trip and got Rainbow Dash to be a sister.

I wish I had micron of the self-confidence that that little filly possesses... or possessed. I wish I could face my fears here. But I have so many of them I wouldn’t know where to start. My fear of Celestia, my fear of interacting with these ponies, my fear of what I am, of what I will have to become just to keep my mind, what I could become. The fear of the thing on my flank, the fear of others finding out what I really am on every level. The fear of never seeing Her again. The fear of failing Princess Luna. Fuck, my fear of failing all the ponies here.

The fear that that little filly is right. I’m a monster. I’ve been turned into a monster or maybe I always was a monster but just didn’t know it or just didn’t see it…

As I curl up on my blanket less couch, I am reminded of the many nights and years that I spent on other people’s couches. First, on my mom’s couch when I had to move back in with her, then on a roommate by the name of Telegrand, then on her couch. Alright, so that’s only three couches that I can think of. But give me a fucking break! I have a weird evil mark on my ass that has reminded me three times that it can suck the joy and happiness from others who touch it!

A cold draft wafts in through the room causing me to shiver some. “Good, monsters like you don’t deserve to be warm they deserve to be-” Shut up, Goth Bunny!

“What? I’m only stating the truth, no need to get you overwear in a bunch,” Shut up, Goth Bunny! Stop trying to make me cry! I am perfectly capable of doing that to myself!

“Don’t you remember? I am you! This is you making yourself cry! Just like you make everypony, and every being that you encounter cry...” Shut... up, Goth Bunny…

“See? Even you know it’s true... You made Rarity cry, and Sweetie Belle cry, and Applebloom cry, and worst still, Scootaloo...one of these days you’ll make Spike cry and Starchaser cry and -”

I said shut up!

“Just... let me sleep... Let me sleep... I can’t handle your..” Shit, “Right now... Just let me sleep...please?” I whimper, my eyes darting towards the mark. Does it talk to me? Is that why my little goth bunny here is so strong? I didn’t used to talk down to myself this much... I really didn’t…

“Fine fucker, see you in the funny pages...” My breathing finally slows down and I feel relaxed. Today was horrible. Just... horrible. I doubt that the face beneath my skin talks to me. But I’m sure the thing that the Nine put in my flank is alive. I can feel it writhe, I can feel it twinge, I can feel it burn, I know it changes... Though for the moment, all that subsides and I feel a calmness flow over me…

“Take me Sleep, be mine lover for but this night, caress me, hold me tight and tell me that everything will be alright...” I let out a small chuckle as my eyes grow heavy and I lose consciousness. “That could be a good poem one of these days...”

==============================================================

Rarity sat in what had to be the worst looking sewing room that this house had to offer. Before she came in, there were cobwebs everywhere, dust on the floors and in nooks and crannies, all the cloth was moth-chewed and smelled like mildew.

Even with some time to mull things over in her mind, she still felt at odds with herself. And the recent visage in the nearby mirror did not help matters any.

She hates manipulation and reverse psychology, yet almost uses them on a regular basis just to help her push others away! Rarity sighed and sniffed hard. But am I any better for using the same tactics to draw others to me? Am I a horrible attention seeking- She shook her head as a vile word slithered its way into her thoughts. -cankernag as well?

She slammed her hooves on the old looking sewing table. No! That is that horrible mark talking! She should let Twilight look at that thing! I would look at it myself... but with what it did to my lovely pair of pants? There’s no doubt now that some form of dark magic is writhing in it. Was this the reason why Celestia wanted to erase Heartbreak’s memories? After all with the memories gone, so went the pain of the experiences and maybe even the mark...

That’s horrible... The only way to remove the mark is to remove who she is? Then again maybe- Rarity caught herself. No! That isn’t for the best! That is no form of mercy! That’s horrible to even dare think! Rarity! You fiend! You beast! You monster! How could you even think that!? Has Heartbreak pushed you this far out of your own character?

Rarity’s head fell to the sewing table and she sniffed hard. Is there no hope for her? Nothing that can be done?

Just then, a beam of light shone through the window. The moon was slowly rising over the treetops of the Everfree Forest. No! There can be something that can be done! If Princess Luna believes that a pony like Heartbreak can be redeemed, that she can be brought back to harmony, then so can I! Away with you, depressing thoughts! We can do this! We will do this!

Rarity smiled for a moment, but then that moment passed as a question nagged at her mind. But what is it we are meant to do? Everything else I have tried has only been met with rejection or failure... How am I ever to teach her of my element of harmony?

Rarity’s ears suddenly swiveled backward towards a knock that she heard at the door. It was too light of a knock to be Heartbreak’s hoof. It had to be one of the girls. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. Put on a brave face, Rarity. There’s no need for Sweetie Belle to see her sister a nervous wreck! Not after what happened.

The unsure young voice came through the door. “Rarity?”

Rarity took a deep breath and turned around. “Yes, Sweetie Belle?” As Sweetie Belle came in, she looked at her sister with big, scared, sad looking eyes and Heartbreak’s words came back to haunt her.

“That could have been your sister who had touched my mark. Maybe you ought to think about that.”

Almost instantly, Rarity rushed to her sister’s side and picked her up with her magic before embracing her tightly. “Oh, Sweetie Belle!” She began sobbing. “I am so sorry!”

“Ah!” Sweetie Belle yelped. “Rarity!” Scootaloo and Applebloom peered into the room.

“What’s going on?” Applebloom asked, however she too was grasped up in a lilac haze.

“Oh, Applebloom! Scoot-a-loo!” Rarity cried, nearly clutching all three fillies. “I’m so sorry, girls! What in Equestria was I thinking!?”

“Rarity...” Sweetie Belle gasped out as her friends looked at Rarity and then back at her.

“I put you all in such unnecessary danger!”

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried out.

“It was so careless of me! What was I doing bringing you all here!? I’m a terrible sister!” Rarity sobbed in near hysterics.

“Rarity!” The three fillies cried out the best they could without getting too loud.

Rarity sniffed hard and looked at the girls. “I-I”

Sweetie Belle put her hoof on Rarity’s mouth. “It’s ok, Rarity. We’re okay.”

“A-a-are you sure? Heartbreak said that Scootaloo wasn’t responding, that she-” Rarity stopped and bit down on her hoof.

“We’re fine, Rarity.” Sweetie Belle said pushing her sister back. Her friends looked at her awkwardly.

“Are you sure you three are all right? You all look a bit frightened and - maybe I should contact Twilight,” Rarity stated as she put the three down.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said in a firm tone. “We’re fine, it’s just...”

“It’s just what Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked looking intently at her sister.

“Miss Rarity? We all want to help,” Applebloom said getting Rarity’s attention.

“Help?” Rarity blinked and looked confused.

“Yes,” Applebloom stepped forward. “We want ta help ya all with H.B.,”

Rarity looked at the three fillies in front of her. Normally if they had said something like this, she would have laughed and thought about how cute it was for them to take on something far bigger than themselves. All in the name of earning their cutie marks. But this time seemed different, there was a sincerity in their eyes, a... generosity that was coming right from their hearts.

“Girls...” Rarity felt a terrible pain passing through her as she thought about the fact that she may have to crush whatever hopes they had. “I’m sure that your hearts might be in the right places, but I’m not sure that Twilight would allow it. And don’t misunderstand me when I say this, but with what’s happened? I think that you would be in over your heads... I should know...” She said sadly. “With what H.B. has been through -”

Scootaloo had been looking away at the ground sadly this entire time. But then she turned and looked at Rarity with determination and tears in her eyes. “Look! We don’t care what she’s been through! We don’t know what it was, but whatever it was, nopony should have ever had to go through it! Ever!” She sniffed hard and wiped her face.

Applebloom comforted her friend. “It’s alright, Scoots.” She looked at Rarity. “Ma’am? Look, we ain’t asking to be let in on the full story about what’s going on with H.B. And we know that there isn’t somethin' right with that there pony.”

“Kinda hard not to know after...” Scootaloo looked at her hoof. The ankle was still a bit numb and there was a streak of black still in the nail. “Something like that happening.”

“But we want ta help, cause it just ain’t right not to! It just ain’t fair!” Applebloom cried out.

“Girls...” Rarity began in a soothing manner. “At least this event has done nothing to tarnish their spirits...”

Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity with the biggest, saddest most pleading eyes she could muster. “Would you at least hear us out, Rarity? Applebloom has come up with a plan that she thinks is sure to help H.B.! We know it won’t fix whatever’s broken inside her, but it wouldn’t hurt to listen to what she has would it? After all, you’re a part of it! You get to help too!”

Rarity found herself at odds for but a moment. She was finally understanding why Heartbreak was wanting to avoid the little fillies with the faces that they could make. On the one hoof, she wanted to protect her sister and her friends to make up for the mistake that she made by bringing them here. On the other hoof, she had been at her wits end about helping Heartbreak. Maybe a fresh perspective could finally -

Suddenly she found herself fighting the urge to turn away from those wide, dewy, pleading eyes in front of her. Gah! I see what she means about 'that face'! I can’t stand looking at Sweetie Belle when she’s giving me that face for too long! She thought.

“I suppose,” Rarity sighed. “it wouldn’t hurt to see what you three girls have come up with.”

Sweetie Belle gave her friends a smirk as to say, ‘still got it!’ “Applebloom, you came up with this idea, why don’t you show her, ‘the plan?’”

Applebloom reached up and pulled a slightly tattered and folded up piece of paper from out of her bow. “Ah think yer gonna like this...”

Rarity magically lifted the paper up and unfolded it. The reaction was almost instant as large tears started to form in her eyes. “Oh...girls... this is ...perfect! But...” her voice dropped. “You know how she is about accepting things, how do you ever hope to-”

Sweetie Belle held up her hoof to her sister. “You just leave that part up to us, Rarity...”

Scootaloo folded her arms and looked at Rarity. “All we want to know is: Will you help us?”

“Will I help you?” Rarity refolded the paper and hugged the three fillies. “Just try and stop me! Oh! I'll get started right away!”

==============================================================

The room was still and quiet, save for the sound of a soft snore. Heartbreak was now finally fast asleep on the couch, her face was crumpled in sadness, her cheeks still stained with tears.

As the door slowly opened, a totem pole of three faces with big bright eyes popped into the moonlit room. They watched and waited for a moment to see if they had awoken their target. After a few brief minutes, the two on the bottom of the pole looked at the top and nodded.

Scootaloo flipped off the backs of her two friends and dove into the room. Her wings fluttered to slow her descent and give her a near soundless landing. In her mouth was clutched something large that made a light nose as the wind whipped against it.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle cringed and fought the urge to whimper. Everything needed to be done just so, otherwise Heartbreak would have woken up, and most likely their plans would be spoiled.

Scootaloo quietly zipped closer to the sleeping mare. “Alright, you can do this Scootaloo, just have to-” Just then, something moved out of the corner of her eye.

It was the mark.

Cracks in the mark started to shift and change like they did the first time she touched the thing. On either half of the upper part, wide almost diamond shapes opened up, taking on the appearance of a set of creepy looking eyes. On the lower half of the broken heart a long, narrow crack formed into that of some twisted smile.

Scootaloo froze in horror. Heartbreak’s mark looked like it was... happy to see her. It kept twisting and moving. It was trying to lure her in again…

“Come clossssser....Come-”

“Scootaloo!” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle whisper shouted.

“Huh?” Scootaloo said in a normal volume voice. Almost instantly she covered her mouth. Had she woken Heartbreak?

The mare grimaced in her sleep and turned her back to the little filly. As she turned, the mark went to facing the couch. Heartbreak let out a contented sigh and her sleeping continued unabated.

Scootaloo wiped a small drop of sweat off her forehead. She shuddered and shook her head. No way that fetting mark was going to get the better of her this time! She took the cloth out of her mouth and with a sudden quickness, jumped onto Heartbreak’s back tying the girls’ precious gift around her neck.

Heartbreak almost shot awake instantaneously. “Gah! Aaah! What’s happening? What’s going on!?”

==============================================================

I scream out in a panic as I feel like something just attacked me. I realize that there is a tightness coming from around my neck as I fumble around for the lamp beside my couch.

“I! I! I!” I shout trying to make sense of the first five seconds of awareness I am experiencing. Just then the light is tapped on, not by my hoof but by someone else’s. I blink as my eyes painfully adjust and attempt to recognize anything around me. Gaining my wits, I hear the fluttering of wings pass over me and then two shapes registering in front of the couch. It’s Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. I try to shake off the feeling of tiredness and irritability that has grasped me.

“Surprise!” I hear the three shout.

“Gah! What’s going on!? What are you three doing here?! Didn’t you have enough the first time?! And, and what’s this around my -” I look over and am stunned by what I am seeing.

It’s a cape.... a red cape with the CMC emblem sewn neatly on the corner.

“What’s... this?” I ask completely mystified. The girls are looking at me with big sad eyes. Fuck, please don’t tell me they are going to do-

Applebloom clears her throat and gives me a serious look. “H.B., as leader and founder of the first chapter of the Cutie Mark Crusaders-”

“Oh no...” I facehoof. Fuck, it is. “Girls, what do you think you’re doing?”

Scootaloo peers up at me from over the back of the couch and looks down at her friends. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom look at each other.

Applebloom gives me a really sad look. “We’re offerin’ ya membership into our here club...”

Her saying that is kind of flooring me. Maybe it’s the fact that I just woke up combined with the fact that the girls have surprised me with this, but I’m not sure what to say.

“Girls... that’s really... nice of you,” I start. Fuck, I can feel myself growing a bit choked up about this. “I’m not sure what to say...”

“Ooo! Ooo! I know! I know!” Sweetie Belle raises her hoof. “Say, ‘yes!’”

Good grief, the adorableness factor is going through the roof. Right, try to handle this tactfully, I’ve already hurt them once. I don’t want to hurt them again... I look over at the clock. Ten thirty-seven. It has only been about an hour and a half from when the, ‘incident,’ happened.

“Girls... You three should be in bed... and... away from me...”

“We couldn’t sleep...” Applebloom replies.

“Don’t you think that I’m a little too... old for your club? I mean if I get a job, I won’t have enough time, and besides, I already have my mark...” I ask fighting off my emotions.

“H.B.,” Applebloom steps forward. “We all know that your situation is...” She rolls her hoof and looks to the side.

“Special,” Sweetie Belle pipes.

“Yeah! Special. An we know that there are things about ya that are weird,” Applebloom continues.

“Like the hole in your hoof,” Scootaloo comments.

“But we also know that there is something not right with ya, an we would like to do our darndest ta help ya!”

Fuck, this version of the CMC is smarter than I give them credit for. Either that or they just were able to put the pieces together really easily.

“Officially there isn’t an age limit, an we’re the ones that get ta agree on who gets in and who doesn’t. After all...” Applebloom looks at me square in the eye. “Like ah told Scootaloo here: Yer never too old ta be crusadin’ fer somethin’.”

Fucking-a, that slogan sounds like it belongs on the inside of a Cutie Mark Crusaders Hallmark Card. It’s so smoltzy! So tear jerking! Gah! I bite my lower lip hard to keep from tearing up. “I-I don’t know-”

“We’re not saying you have to join our club.. Or be a full time member!” Sweetie Belle interjects. “And even if you turn us down, we will still let you keep the cape!”

“We will?” Scootaloo asks. The other two fillies shoot her a glance. “Heh! Yeah! We totally will.”

Heh, seems like they still have their sense of humor even after dealing with a pony like me. I look down sadly. “Girls...I’m not sure how joining your club is going to help me... After all, it’s all about earning cutie marks and -”

I feel a hoof on my shoulder. Scootaloo is giving me a serious, sad, and determined look. It’s an expression I don’t expect from a filly her age. Fuck, I wouldn’t expect it from a human her age. “Look, you and I know that that thing isn’t a real cutie mark. And like my friends helped me understand, if it isn’t a real cutie mark, then you’re just like us. A blank flank.”

“Girls... I don’t think just crusading for whatever my,” I roll my eyes at the notion of what I am about to say. “Special talent is, is going to get rid of this thing.”

“If ya never try, then ya’ll never know if it will or won’t!” Applebloom protests.

“Yeah! I mean, we’ve tried hundreds of times to earn our cutie marks and came up empty hooved! But that doesn’t mean we’ve failed.” Sweetie Belle exclaims.

Scootaloo leans forward more, her head nearly right next to mine while she hangs over the back of the couch. “Yeah!” She laughs a bit. “It just means that we know hundreds of ways how not to earn our cutie marks!”

Geez, their hope, their attitude, their cheerfulness and even that strange reference that sounds almost like Thomas Edison is a bit infectious. I am finding myself wanting to join them! But something is still holding me back…

“I just don’t want to be...a sue...” I reply weakly. The girls around me start to look disappointed.

Scootaloo retreats back behind the couch. “I told you she’d say something like that, Applebloom...” She mutters looking at her friends. Fuck, their sad faces are becoming too much for me…That’s the time that I hear hoof beats enter the room. Looking up I see Rarity. And surprise, surprise: she’s frowning at me.

Her expression softens rather quickly. “May I come in?” She asks.

I search my feelings. Maybe it’s the fact that I just got an offer by the CMC to join them, maybe it’s the fact that there’s three fillies in front of me and I don’t want to set a bad example or maybe the sudden shift in Rarity’s body language that says that she’s readying for an apology or just maybe all three. Whatever it is, she’s not setting me off, so I nod but avoid eye contact. Her last words to me are still burning in my ears despite all those aforementioned things.

“Girls, you don’t mind if I interject something, now do you?” Rarity asks in a very polite tone. They shake their heads and she smiles before clearing her throat. “H.B., I feel the need to apologize for our little spat." She takes a deep breath. "It’s just that I so much wanted you to learn the lesson that I thought you should have learned, that I became blind to what I was doing. Much like trying to force you into a dress that you didn’t want.”

Rarity apologizing isn’t a new thing or anything that is flooring me. The way she’s doing it after all this constant bickering and fighting that is. There’s a true sincerity that I’m picking up that I hadn’t before. Then again, maybe I was blinded by my own confirmation bias and - fetlocks. Why am I having an internal monolog about this?

“It’s... alright, Rarity.” I reply. “You weren’t the only one a bit blind in all this. I had certain assumptions about you before I met you. I would like to apologize for acting on those assumptions,” Yeah, that sounds like what I should say and what I am feeling. If Rarity can apologize for what’s been going on our little spat? So can I.

“Now with that said-” Rarity begins.

I let out a little groan and roll my eyes. Fuck, I should have known that this was a two part thing.

“With that said,” She repeats, bending down and looking at me in the face. “I would like to point something out. If I may, that is?”

I kinda want to point out that her tone is rather condescending, but right now? It’s the middle of the night and I was just woke up from my sleep by three fillies that want me to join their club for reasons that are still baffling me.

“I suppose I can’t do anything to stop you, Rarity...” She quirks her brow at me. “I mean... Yes. Yes you may.”

“These girls are generously offering you a place as one of their club members because they feel the need to help you, H.B., in whatever way they can,” Rarity states.

“I get that part already, Rarity... I’m just worried that if I do-”

“That you’ll be a, ‘sue.’” Rarity takes a deep breath. “H.B., when you were trying to explain to me what a, ‘sue,’ was, I wasn’t terribly sure if I was fully grasping the concept. But there was one thing that stood out to me. You said that there is a sue for anything?”

“Yeah.” Alright, that’s weird, I’m not sure where Rarity is going to go with this question. “There’s the general sue who always gets her way for no explicable reason, there’s the Einstein sue that just knows everything and has all the answers just at the right time, the god sue that has no problems to solve because they’ve, ‘magicked them away.’ The-”

Rarity puts a hoof up near my mouth. “That’s quite enough,” She takes a deep breath. “I just want to know something about all these Sues.”

“Alright...” Again, not seeing where this is going.

“If there is a sue for everything, then anypony could claim any character to be a sue, couldn’t they?” She asks.

“I guess they could, but that wouldn’t be right because most sues don’t have flaws...”

“Right, but they could make the claim anyhow if they wanted to, correct?” She looks at me with an almost knowing look in her eyes.

“If they wanted to be wrong about things from time to time, I suppose,” I reply, sighing. My eyes dart to the old clock on the wall. Ten-fifty. I really wish she would just get the final destination with this train of thought already.

“And you have protested pretty much the whole time that you and I have been working together that you want to avoid being a sue.”

“Yes, Rarity,” I roll my hoof at her hoping that she’ll get to her point already. “Look, you’re really starting to sound like a broken record here. And I would like to point out that it is still the middle of the night and I am very drained. So, what are you trying to get at?”

“Well,” She taps her hoof on the ground. “It just seems to me, and keep in mind, darling that this is just my opinion and I could be completely wrong about this. Could it be possible that constantly pushing ponies away. Constantly isolating yourself, constantly turning down any interaction in fear that it might lead to a friendship forming and even constantly worrying about being a, ‘Mary Sue-’”

“Yeeeeeeeeeees?” I ask growing frustrated.

“Could that lead you to becoming the very thing you are attempting to avoid? Could that be considered a form of Mary Sue in of itself?” She asks. “That you simply have no problems due to the fact that you never face them?”

I blink and tilt my head as the concept of what she has just implanted in my brain comes to realization. “Fffffffetlocks!”

Sweetie Belle taps Rarity on the shoulder. “What’s she mean by that this time?”

Rarity’s expression turns smug. “It means that I’m right.”

I roll my eyes and glare at Rarity. “Gee, thanks for turning this wonderful profound zen moment into a ‘Rarity is finally right’ moment.”

She laughs a bit and then gives me a serious look. “Darling, I do apologize, but I have been so utterly wrong with you on so many levels for the time we’ve been together, that I can’t help but celebrate just a little.”

“I haven’t exactly made it easy for you, have I?” I ask regretfully.

“No you haven’t,” She puts a hoof on my shoulder. “But Rainbow Dash isn’t the only pony here who can be up for a challenge.”

“I guess she isn’t,” I reply.

“So, does that mean that you’ll join us?!” Sweetie Belle rings out. I drop my head and groan a bit.

“You do know that they are fairly persistent, Darling...” Rarity quips with a slight giggle.

I weigh the options in my head. Join the crusaders or sulk alone in my house. This bears repeating, but you know they are never going to give you up.... I swear brain. You start singing that song... I open my eyes to see that not only are all three CMC’s giving me the big eyed expression, but Rarity has joined in as well.

==============================================================

“Aaaaargh! Fine! Alright! Just stop with the puppy eyes already!” Heartbreak shouted. The small group cheered and smiled. “BUT!” She held up a hoof and looked at them sternly.

“But?” Applebloom asked.

“But, my house rules still apply when you’re at my house... This place still needs lots of work. And!”

“And?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“And I’m not a full fledged member... I’m an ‘Honorary Member.’” The three little fillies smiled and nodded at Heartbreak. “So that means that you can’t bug me all the time. Just... drop by once every two weeks or something like that...”

“We’ll do that, but ya got ta promise that ya’ll come by Golden Oaks Library every Tuesday ta read ta the colts and fillies there!” Applebloom interjected.

Heartbreak sighed. “Geez... put me on a schedule why don’t-”

“It’s all part and parcel to make sure that you are living up to the Cutie Mark Crusader way of life!” Sweetie Belle chirped. “Besides, Rarity said that our plan to get you to join was almost perfect! It just needed a few added touches.”

Heartbreak eyed Rarity. “She did, did she?”

Rarity hummed and attempted to look innocent. Finally, she broke and turned to Heartbreak. “Well, we can’t have you cooped up in your house all the time doing projects, plus you seemed really good with them last time... and I’m sure that you don’t want them wandering out so close to the Everfree Forest just to find where their favorite reader is.” she fluttered her eyes a bit. “Do you?”

“Gah... it is too late to be thinking about these things, Rarity... but I guess not. Just as long as none of this requires that I have to wear a dress.” Heartbreak replied.

Sweetie Belle put a hoof to the side of her mouth. “You don’t have anything to worry about there, H.B.” She smiled gleefully. “While you were asleep, I was able to whittle my sister away from the idea of having you wear a dress.” Rarity merely shook her head and chuckled at her sister.

“Good to know. Thank you, Sweetie Belle.” Heartbreak’s hoof shot up. “ALSO! One more thing!”

“Uuuuuugh! One more thing?!” Scootaloo groaned, rolling her eyes. “Why can’t we just swear you in and be done with it already!?”

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk about,” Heartbreak sighed and looked over at Scootaloo. “Can I not do the long winded, extended swearing in with the drums?”

“But that’s the best part!” Scootaloo protested.

“Fffffine, we’ll keep the drums but how about I write my own oath and present it to you tomorrow?” Heartbreak rolled her eyes and turned her head, looking at the little filly behind her. “You know, after we’ve all gotten some actual sleep? I don’t know if you three got my memo... but H.B. is getting tired..” She said, letting out a wide yawn.

Just then she felt something latch onto her. Looking down she found herself nearly freezing at the sight of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle hugging her around the neck.

Scootaloo proceeded to reach over the couch and joined her friends in the awkward display of affection. “Deal!”

At first, Heartbreak looked like she didn’t know what to do, after all the last time she had a filly hugging her, it only ended in tears. But as the hug continued, she slowly began to smile, a small blush passing over her face. Almost without thinking about it, her hoof reached up and touched Scootaloos.

“Thank you girls.” She whispered. “Now,” Her voice rising slightly. “Can you please, please, please go to bed? It’s way past any filly’s bedtime and one of the rules of my house is that you need to be in bed by at least... whatever the fet the time is right now.”

The little fillies laughed and hugged a little tighter before letting go. “Come on girls! We still have a big day ahead tamarrow, what with a new member an all!” Applebloom cheerfully beamed as she waved them out of the room.

“Yeah, new member...” Heartbreak shook her head and chuckled.

“Good night, H.B.! Good Night, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle chimed, following Applebloom out of the room.

“Hey! Wait up!” Scootaloo called out, as she hopped carefully over the back of the couch.

Heartbreak looked up at the three leaving fillies. “Scootaloo?”

The orange filly paused and looked back at Heartbreak. “Yeah?”

“A-a-are you alright?” She asked, biting her lip. “Cause, I didn’t mean to... I mean I didn’t want-” She took a deep breath before letting it out. “I-”

“I get it, H.B.” Scootaloo replied. “You didn’t mean to hurt me. And you’re really sorry.” Heartbreak responded by nodding and sniffing rather hard.

Scootaloo glared at Heartbreak’s flank. At that mark... that horrible dark twisting thing. “It’s ok, H.B.”

“A-a-are you sure?” Heartbreak asked, practically whimpering.

“Yeah... ‘Cause as far as I’m concerned?” Scootaloo shot a glance at the mark before looking back at Heartbreak. “It wasn’t you that hurt me.”

Heartbreak smiled. “Alright, you have a good night there Scoots.”

“You too, H.B.” The little pegasus paused in the doorway. “Oh, and H.B.?”

“Yeah, Scoots?”

“You’re terrible when it comes to apologies, you... might want to work on that.” Scootaloo replied.

Heartbreak’s ears drooped slightly. “Oh...”

“But hey, at least you’re great at telling stories, and that’s got to account for something right?” Scootaloo said, walking out the door to join her friends.

“Right...” Heartbreak replied.

==============================================================

After the three of them leave, I look up and shake my head at Rarity. “Alright, I’m confused. Did I just get shanghaied into joining your sister and her friends’ little club?”

“I’m afraid you did, Darling.” Rarity is looking at me proudly. Like I’ve done something.

“Alright, I must be thick as mud, ‘cause, really? I have no idea why they just did that. I mean other than to give me a cape and get me out of the house so I don’t become a shut in.”

Rarity smiles softly at me. “H.B., I could explain to you the reasons that the girls gave me before I helped them sew up your new cape, but you’ve expressed that you’re a very tired mare right now, so I’ll give you the abridged version.”

“Heh, how generous of you...”

“Quite simply put, I’m afraid that while we girls have been trying to get you what you need to survive here in Equestria, we haven’t been very...” she puts her hoof up to her chin in thought. “Welcoming.”

“That’s not altogether true, Rarity. There have been plenty of times where Twilight, Spike and even Applejack have given me things. Or let me into their homes or-”

“But do you feel at home? Do you feel welcomed here?” Rarity asks me.

“I...” I scratch my head. Twilight let me stay with her out of necessity, as did Applejack. But overall, I still feel like an outsider of sorts. I’m still a human trapped in a pony body after all. A man trapped as a mare. “I... don’t really have a place to fit in Rarity. You know my situation, I’m struggling to find myself, let alone a place in the world...”

Rarity puts a hoof on my shoulder. “And that’s what these three fillies are offering you, H.B. A starting point from where you can belong and a way to help find yourself. The girls and I have found a way of giving you a house, my sister and her friends are trying to help that house feel more like home. After all what is a house without the feeling-”

I put my hoof on Rarity’s mouth. “Alright, alright, I get it. Enough with the smoltzy stuff, you’re going to wreck the feeling by making it that sugary sweet.”

She smiles at me, geez, her mane is looking all sorts of frazzled and her mascara is running. “Sorry.”

“You know,” I blink. “You could say that those three fillies were better at teaching me about your element than you were.”

“Bwha?” Rarity gasps taken aback.

Great, now I’ve killed the moment by insulting her. Cleanup on aisle Heartbreak. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Rarity. You brought them here and you said some pretty profound things. But... those girls did a better job. And that’s not a bad thing. In fact it could be lesson in of itself to write about.”

“Alright, now I’m the one who’s confused...” Rarity says, cocking her head.

“This whole time, I was looking to you for a lesson about Generosity. I mean that seems like the logical place to start. And not only were you six charged with teaching me, but you were so set on teaching it, and no offense by my next statement here, our narrow mindedness got in the way that, while you are known for being generous. Anyp-p-pony can be generous.”

The both of us blink in a rather zen of that thought. Either that or it was confusing as fuck.

“I...think I get what you are saying. We girls maybe the wielders of the Elements of Harmony, but the elements themselves exist within the hearts-”

“And minds-”

Rarity gives a light laugh. “The hearts and minds of all ponies.”

“Maybe even all beings,” I conclude, reaching over for my saddlebags. “And, despite my exhaustion, I believe those things are lessons worth writing about to the Princess.” I raise my eyebrows. Fuck, I realized most of this lesson myself. That might actually be a sign of progress. “Don’t you?”

Rarity smiles. “Please, let me help you this time.” She plucks a sheet of paper and my mechanical pencil out of my saddlebag. As the pencil floats in the air, she looks at the device in confusion. “Uhm, how does this work?”

“Let me look at it,” She floats it over and I tap the pencil button. “There. I take it that after this, we’re going to fire up the magical fireplace and test to see if it works?”

“I don’t see why not... If it doesn’t, we can always take the letter to Spike tomorrow,” She smirks at me. “After your initiation ceremony of course.”

“Of...course,” There is a bit of embarrassment to joining a club meant for little fillies without their cutie marks. But hey, if the horse shoe fits? I cough. “Are you ready?”

Rarity has my pencil to the paper. “Whenever you are, darling.”

“Alright, copy me word for word, no abridging or editing...”

“Darling, you have my word that I won’t change a dot or tittle!” she replies.

I take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. Looking up, I see my hourglass on the high shelf where I had Rarity place it. “Mind bringing that thing down first?” I ask nervously.

Rarity floats it down and sets it on the nightstand next to the lamp. “Alright, I’m ready, H.B.”

"Dear Princess Celestia,

This month, I was told to spend time with Rarity. I will admit that she and I are very different individuals with few things in common. Though, sometimes we have more in common than either one of us wants to admit.

We both love art and creating things, but how we express ourselves and what we do is very different. I will admit that it has caused some rather harsh chafing between the two of us, and that I would have much rather learned from her farther down the road than at this juncture in my life. But after much trial and tribulation, I have learned a few things to write to you about.

I learned that while the mane six may be known as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, that doesn't mean that I have to learn lessons about the Elements from them directly. Sometimes, you can learn about these things from the most inconspicuous and surprising places. What I mean by this is, that while Rarity is known for her generosity: It was her younger sister, Sweetie Belle and her two friends, Applebloom and Scootaloo that I learned about the element of Generosity.

That while the act of generosity might involve giving something, it isn't always about giving things that are tangible. After all, a house is a house, but without the feeling of being welcomed? Without realizing that you can belong somewhere? Or the feeling behind the act of being given something, the feeling of Generosity is lost and it becomes a dry obligation. Doing something because that’s what you’ve been told to, or because you feel like you have to. Not because you actually want to do.

What I mean to say is: A house is just the materials it’s made of and it's far from ever being a -home-. And these three fillies have made me feel welcomed to Equestria by inviting me to join their little club. You’re hearing from the first honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Right, back to the matters of Harmony. What I guess I am trying to say is that the Elements of Harmony aren’t in just One pony, or even One being for that matter. They are in everypony and in every being.

The profound thing I learned about myself is what came from Rarity. As of late, I have been finding myself worrying over being a, ‘Mary Sue.’ An individual who all other ponies lives revolve around. When the girls were offering me a place among their little club, I was hesitant because of the various number of things that I have seen around me that are making me feel like things are revolving around me in some way.

It’s most likely made me look rather closed off from everypony else. However, when this was happening, Rarity pointed out that if I over worry about being a, ‘sue,’ and continue to push others away? Then in some strange way, I will eventually become the very thing that I want to avoid. A form of Mary Sue. An, ‘Avoidance Sue,’ if you will. I can’t make any promises about this, but I will attempt to be less closed off and more open to others company.

I also learned, that while I’m terrible at apologies, I’m great at telling stories. And that’s got to account for something, right?

Sincerely Signed,

A pony named Heartbreak."

I look at Rarity. She’s looking at me questioningly. “There’s nothing wrong is there?”

“Not... Really...” She replies.

“Rarity, when somep-p-pony says, ‘Not really?’ Usually it means that it means that there is,” I point at myself. “Remember who you’re talking to? H.B.? Master of denial?”

“Don’t you mean, ‘Mistress?’”

“I’m tired, Rarity. So sue me,” I gaff at the horrible pun I just made and give her a questioning look while waving my hoof back and forth.

She sighs, setting my pencil back in my backpack. “It was just... I was rather hoping at the end of all this, that we would be ...well... Friends.”

“Rarity, do you really want to be...fffriends with me? ‘Cause we really tend to rub each other the wrong way. And you don’t have to be... I mean if you don’t want to be...”

“I...” She pauses. I think she’s trying to spare my feelings here. “I do on some level, I can’t help it. As I said before, you’ve been through so much... And all of it has been so unfair...”

I sigh. “Rarity, It’s late, so how about I cut a deal with you.” I give her a pleading look. A part of this look is genuine, a part of it is a ‘please, please, pleeeeease let me go to sleep you crazy unicorn!’ and the last tiny part is just me being a slight bit manipulative. Maybe. “Let’s be frienemies.”

“Frienemies?”

“You’re not quite a fffriend, you’re not quite an enemy. I snark at you, you snark back. I make sarcastic quips and jabs, you make them back. I bring my artwork to you and ask what you think could use improvement, you give me a few pointers and maybe even pose for me every once in awhile.”

Rarity frowns. “Is this a common thing in Minneighsota? Having, ‘frienemies?’”

“Not sure, but I can assure you that you would be my first, ‘frienemy.’” I reply.

“Well... I’m not sure about just having some pony that I only have around to say mean things to...” She replies questioningly.

“We won’t always say mean things to each other. And if we do, we’ll only mean it in jest. Deal?”

“I...suppose that could be fun,” Rarity shakes her head at me. “Still it just seems a lot easier to just be friends.”

“If you’ve learned anything about me in our time together,” I eye the fireplace, I push myself up reluctantly from the couch, almost tripping on my new cape. “It’s that sometimes I’m rather hard on myself.” I tiredly tap at the fireplace. “We can start snarking at each other tomorrow. Right now, let’s send that letter. How does this thing work?”

Rarity smiles and walks over to the fireplace “Well, I give the fireplace a spark to start it up,” She casts a small spell, the fireplace starts up with a burst of green flame. “Then we put it in an envelope with the pony whom it is addressed to and placing your hoof on this square here-”

I put up a hoof. “What if this thing is faulty? Will my letter get lost?”

Rarity looks worried. “It would just burn up, so yes, I suppose it would get lost...”

I can feel my ears droop. “Fet.”

Rarity smiles. “I have an idea. A simple object duplication spell.” She says her horn glowing as a beam of energy zaps my letter. The letter floats in the air and then divides like an amoeba. “There. A copy for Princess and a copy for you. It’s a very useful spell when it comes to doing paperwork.”

“I can only imagine.” As the letter floats over to the fireplace, I feel hesitation and worry creep back into my mind. The question that has peered over the last to two letters looms like a vulture. “Will she accept it? Will this be the time I lose something? Is this even a lesson worth telling her?” I feel a hoof on my shoulder. It’s Rarity.

“Are you sure that you’re ready, darling?” She asks me. I look over her overall body language. Everything is telling me that she is as worried as I am. My fears and concerns about this letter have become her fears and concerns. The two of us have fought and reacted so much, that without either of us realizing it? In a weird way, we’ve sorta bonded. “You still have a few weeks to hammer out any details that-”

I hold up a hoof. “No, it’s as ready as it’s going to be. Fussing over it and over thinking it is going to just destroy the message. Let’s do this.” Rarity nods and sends the letter into the fire. Now comes the waiting game. The moments of free fall that still are robbing me of my breath. I dare not breathe too loud, I want to know the moment.

Rarity reaches over and hugs me. “What...whatever the outcome, darling. I’ll be there for you...”

Fuck, this is getting far too emotional for me. I just want that-

My ears perk and I hear the twinkling of magic being performed. Looking up, I see the hourglass illuminate with what is unmistakably Celestia’s golden glow. The iris opens and a small red marble starts to fall. Rarity grabs me and starts to cry. I know exactly how she is feeling.

I hug her back tightly but keep my eyes fixed on that marble. “Shh, Rarity. Keep your eyes on the birdy.” She whimpers in those few seconds of it falling and her eyes go wide as the thing bursts into a brilliant white in the middle of falling.

“D-d-does it always do that?” Rarity asks, shaking and nearly sobbing. I kinda want to smack her and tell her to pull herself together. However, I know that feeling. That first time. Fuck, even I am shaking a bit right now. Course Rarity getting this way- Shut your inner monolog and answer her question, darn it!

“It’s done it at least once before,” I reply. “I don’t know why, but the thing to know about my marbles is that you don’t make any judgements until they are done falling.”

She gives me a grimacing look and sniffs hard. “You knew and you didn’t say anything?” Rarity pushes me away. “I was on the verge of tears, you know!” Fuck, did I just unwittingly upset- Wait, she’s grinning a bit in that frown she has on her face. Is she messing with me? One way to find out!

“Well, excuuuuuse me, Princess! I thought I was trying to build a moment of suspense!” I have been waiting forever to use that line on Rarity. She gives me an odd look and then smirks at me. I hope that wasn’t too over the top for an opening snark.

“Humph! More like trying to give me a heart attack!” She counters, looking up at the air in a fake snootie manner.

“Well,” I roll my eyes at her. “If you are going to be that way about it,” I counter her little nose in the air move with one of my own, while trotting over to the couch. “Then maybe I should just go to bed!”

“Well, maybe you should!” She blinks and her tone turns sympathetic. “Darling, that is a funny looking bed. Are you certain that you want to sleep on it?”

I smile back at her. Time to lighten the snark. “It’s my house, and in my house one of my rules is that I sleep where I want. And my guests sleep where I insist that they sleep.”

“Well! If you insist! But,” she scratches her head. This must be a little strange to her. “If you insist on using that dirty, dusty, musty, old couch as your bed. Then as one of your stewards, I will have to insist that you at least have a blanket!” She turns and gives me a grin. “After all, if ever you caught a cold? I would be up to my ears in filling out paperwork for the hospital.”

I chuckle and roll my eyes while hopping on the couch. “Of course! But what if I suffer from a neck problem because lack of a pillow? That’s only going to add to the heap!”

We give each other a weird quazi-fake-glare for a few moments but then are sent into a fit of giggles as we can’t keep it up for long. Rarity smiles at me while a blanket and pillow float into the room. “Goodnight, H.B. And don’t have too many nightmares. You still have an initiation to attend.”

Lifting my head, I feel the pillow fill the empty space below it. Getting comfortable, the blanket is not too far behind. Rarity goes to the extra effort of attempting to tuck me in with it. “I’ll try.” She starts to walk out the door. “Rarity?

Her head peeks in. “Yes, darling?”

Fuck... I feel a little embarrassed as I realize what I am about to say! “Could you get me a glass of water? Please?”

She gives me a ‘really?’ face. “Oh, but why not get it yourself, Darling?” She coos gently.

“But... I just got comfortable!” I exclaim attempting to flutter my eyes. Hey! Stop that! Noooo! Stoooop it.

She snerks and a glass of water floats to my lips. I am taken a bit by surprise but drink my fill. “There. Better?”

“Yes...” Alright, that is the last time I ever act like that. You’re an adult for cripes sake. However, you ought to thank her. “Rarity?” She looks over at me.

“Hmmm?”

“Thanks, and goodnight.” I start to turn over. “Frienemy.”

I can practically hear her smirk. “You too. Frienemy.”

==============================================================

Heartbreak stood in the crusader’s club house, her ears at half mast, and an embarrassed look on her face. The three fillies stood exactly where she expected them to. Applebloom was on her left, Sweetie Belle at the podium straight in front of her, and Scootaloo was slowly playing on the bongo drums.

She sighed. Once again, she had let Rarity touch her mane and tail. It didn’t look as fancy as before and it was already starting to curl and get messy, but there was something about the act that unnerved her. She looked at Rarity who was sitting on a small red pillow stool. “I still don’t get why you-”

Rarity put a hoof to her lips and adjusted Heartbreak’s cape. “Shh!”

Scootaloo began to wail on the drums for a moment but then stopped when she saw Heartbreak glaring at her. “What? It’s part of the initiation!”

Sweetie Belle looked at the paper in front of her before clearing her throat. “E-hem! Do you, Heartbreak, also known as, H.B. promise to adhere to the Code of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? To constantly strive towards earning your cutie mark? To never give up on yourself or your fellow Crusaders or honorary Crusaders, whomever they be? And that we, the Cutie Mark Crusaders agree that-” she looked up at Heartbreak questioningly. “-the events that lead to this and fact that you are one of the honorary members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders will not be shared with anypony else by the five individuals in this clubhouse without your permission?”

“Please?” Heartbreak let out a small pleading meeping noise. The three fillies smiled rather sinister looking smiles. “I do?”

“Then we hereby welcome you into our club, and deem you the first honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Sweetie Belle cried out.

==============================================================

Gawds. This is so fucking smoltzy. The joining of the club, the girls trying to make me feel like I belong somewhere, the little party that they are having afterwards.

“I seriously hope that we don’t do this every time I succeed.” Then again? If ever there was a reason to celebrate, it would be because I get to keep a part of my brain, right?

The ‘party’ is small. The picnic table has been decked out with cookies, a cake, and a tray of vegetables mixed with fruit. Mostly apples, pears, celery stalks and carrot sticks.

The girls are sitting at a small table chattering and eating away loudly. Which is good. That’s what I want them to be doing. I don’t want them to be all depressed over my problems. They’re young, and full of life and potential. They still have time to do things and find out what it is they are meant to do.

I’m sitting off to the side with my journal open and my pencil in my hoof. With my fireplace active, I’m going to send a letter off to Dib sometime today. Right now however, I want to capture this moment and all my feelings about this event. After all, at the end of all this, how I remember everything might be different from what is actually happening. Suddenly, I feel a slight tickle in my nose and give a sneeze. Stupid pollen in the air.

Alright, enough inner monolog. Sniffing, I set pencil to paper, me to write.

“Junior, I’m not sure what to say right now. I think I may have made a positive step forward. But I’m not sure. However, it’s funny to think that today’s adventure was set in motion by a fight with Rarity, and a ride on a runaway train.

Scootaloo came over earlier and asked if I was going to join them. I told them that I was, but I just needed to write everything down. She rolled her eyes at me and told me not to take too long.

After all, the day was young and they wanted to present me with some of the ideas they had in earning their marks. Though I shouldn’t be too helpful. They need to earn their marks when they’re meant to earn them.

Although, I have a bad feeling that by the end of all this, I am just going to want to flop in my bed or somehow end up covered in tree sap.”

THE END

Author's Note:

I would like to thank all my editors, proofreaders and prereaders. This story has been kind of a hell on some level.
Somebadauthor, Anticarrot , Rudari Domhnail, Dennis Connolly, Ikion Star and others.
And here is the chapter art!

http://orig11.deviantart.net/8df8/f/2017/213/7/1/chapter45comerunwithus_by_sabertooth1980-dbighe3.jpg

Comments

[Kenny]

How'd I miss this get uploaded?

And here I was thinking I'd have to wait another month!

Insane laughter is justified.

[Jet_Black1980]

4670479 If you mean "Don't have to wait too long" I can see it now, then you're right! Chapter 45 is up! Right now! WAITING FOR YOU!

[Crimson Sparks]

Well this addition ended nicely.

[Jet_Black1980]

4670580 Go figure, right?

[TBear]

Is the last story in the series?

[ferret]

Poor H.B. drowning in schmaltz... I'm fairly sure it's spelled schmaltzy, but I'm not well learned in bastardized English-Hebrew slang.

I guess you could say the Cutie Mark Crusaders are just too ...sappy for her!

[Jet_Black1980]

4670629 Nope! There are going to be 13 stories! Nine more to go! Along with crossovers!

[Fresnor]

Now I'm curious as to which pony is next, Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash. The first has all the animals that hate him, though I expect something interesting from Angel. The second though has so little patience and will probably be constantly clashing with HB. Of course that then brings the next question of who will really teach the lesson to her. Also thinking back, have any of the episodes happened yet with HB around? Be interesting to see how she handles that happening... Ooh Discord could really make things interesting around her.

[Wheelwright]

Thank you for another chapter. Some of the previous scenes now make a bit more sense in context, though it all seemed to be getting away from you for a while there. Me, I'm still hoping she earns a real cutie mark at some point though! I look forward to the next step.. I'm betting on Kindness. Laughter is still a tough sell, and Loyalty seems like it should come last to my mind.

[ABitterPill]

You know the Fae are exceedingly petty little shits, aren't they? They do everything in their power to make sure she is as miserable as possible. Take her name, her gender, her life and family entirely, her species, etc. Not only that, they literally brand her with a cursed mark that not only tortures H.B, but also those who touch it and won't let itself be covered by clothes. A sentient thing that is sadistic. And not only that, H.B. can't even off herself to find peace in death because she's a walking, ticking time bomb of chaos magic. The next Discord.

And all of this because apparently H.B was their ex and they were miffed at being dumped? I don't think it's possible to be any more petty and vindictive than the Fae have proven to be.

[Voltaje]

Yeah¡¡ another story finnished, this ride has been totally enjoyable, and very pleasing on the eyes, and to publish two chapters in a day? yeahh, you should've put them at the same time, I thought I would wait for a couples of weeks to read this one, you got us there, or at least me, anyway, thanks for giving us this awsome series, they are full of life; now we just has to wait for the next lesson, who it would be, mmmm, I think it would be Rainbow Dash according to the story, although I could be wrong, Pinkie Pie is in Nightmare Night, wich probably would means that you are planning in putting her at last, leaving Flattershy before her, yep, my money is in Reinbow now, good luck, and don't keep us waiting too much

[Voltaje]

>>Jet_Black1980

Nope! There are going to be 13 stories! Nine more to go! Along with crossovers!

THAT'S ...SOO....AWSOME¡¡¡

[Bast]

Great ending to this arc of the series <3 I swear the CMC can be masterminds with their abilities xD , especially those damn freaking adorable eyes of doom

[Melusine]

Love this story, can't wait for the next!

[VcSaJen]

Oh, can't wait for the next book that you're talked about .

[Ebonheart]

4670943 4670667
Still waiting for some foreshadowing of the obvious problems the fae caused.
-messed with time and space for petty retribution. ( Seriously, this is like swearing and your block explodes.)

Celestia, Luna, and every other Equestrian power player cannot be pleased that sanctimonious NOBODIES, decided to punish this guy in an outrageously overkill manner then dump him on their laps.

Transformation into a non human creature of the opposite gender.
(Historically standard punishment)
Banishment from your home reality.
(Banishment is standard, the reality part not so much.)
Mental / Physical Rewiring just to be inconvenient in talking to others or living a life.
( That is just petty salt in wounds.)
Rewrite reality / Mass mental rewrite so you never existed if you ever did get home.
( One thoughtless cad and you band together to erase him from existence. )
And a Cursed Brand that is self aware and clearly malevolent.
( ... You cut off all contact and control [supposedly] of what is basically a walking bomb of cursed evil? What, local regents not supposed to notice or care?)

Clearly Celly was expected to deal with these loose ends with a mental whammy, except Celly plays the long game.
Celly may seem hamfisted, but that seems to be a foil masking the silky smooth overarching plans.
My money is on the 9 getting in deep shit with Oberon ( or whoever) when Equestia's ruling bodies shows up demanding answers and recompense.

[VcSaJen]

4671370
I'm still confused what happened when they're (Council of Nine) cutted open their wrists in Chatep Six of "My Little Heartbreak: Heartbroken".
Did they forgot him instantly? Or un-loved him? Or it was suicide?

[ANTIcarrot]

Finally. About time this showed up.

[cvvvrt]

In an AU, HB arrives a decade earlier, gets rewritten by Celestia, and becomes Button's Mom.

Well, at least the colors are close.

[Jet_Black1980]

4671791 D: Not even close.

[ANTIcarrot]

4671370
Personally I was half expecting the first story to end with Celestia dragging the Fae to her castle and then bitch slapping them around for using HER kingdom as their dumping ground! Sadly it was not to be...

Though what problems are you expecting? The whole idea of magic is that you can flout physics without consequence. Celestia is (presumably) very unhappy - but that is overridden by the victim being a ticking time-bomb. They don't know about the gender bending aspect. Nor has anypony really had a chance to examine HB or Mark in detail. (HB has been distinctly uncooperative in this regard!) Speaking of which, they also don't know the precise reason HB was banished either. (Point of order: we don't either.) In Celestia and Luna's experience, this kind of thing only happens when the pony HAS done something to deserve it.

Clearly Celly was expected to deal with these loose ends with a mental whammy, except Celly plays the long game.

Actually I believe Sunbutt was all ready and willing to start pouring the brain bleach, until Luna stopped her. It has been hinted that this disagreement is a source of on-going friction between the two.

My money is on the 9 getting in deep shit with Oberon ( or whoever) when Equestia's ruling bodies shows up demanding answers and recompense.

Interesting theory, but I'm not sure that's where the story is heading, nor how Fae society works. The Nine are loyal and noble Faey after all, and the Princess are just a pair of upstart horses...

[TBear]

4670667 So is each story going to be about HeartBreak and another pony? :)

[Genbu]

that was nice... ok, first of all congratulations on finishing your next book... it's really inspireing and remarkable how much effort you keep on putting in your project... besides you i feel like a really lazy guy

next the last two chapters... i'm happy how nicely all things have wraped up. i always like the endings of your books the most. even though i sometimes get the feeling that in the middle of the book you get a little to sidetracked but in the end everything feels like it has come full circle and everything seems harmonious. As a reader i get a feeling of accomplishment just like HB does.
"New Achievement Unlocked: congratulations, you will not become a crazy, shut in, cat lady" ( cats don't even like you what it would have made even more awkward )
it's only a pity that she always seems to learn her lesson in a moment of epiphany and not gradually over the time of the month... but i guess HB is to thickheaded for that... well, maybe next time.

Strangely the thing that most surprised me in the last chapters was not that her mark seems to have a mind on it's own, but that i totaly forgot about the mysterious alicorn, even though it was an obvious moment of foreshadowing... but that's just me i guess
anyway, i personly hope that HB isn't afraid of being a "sue" anymore, it kinda became old and it was strange to begin with. We get it Anthony, even though she got a house and money for free and joined the CMC and all the things that are totally cliché, you want to make sure she is no Sue. But for me everytime she thinks about that it kinda breaks the 4th wall and that bugs me, it destroys the illusion of her as a living being, at least for me. I never thought her to be a "Sue" in the first place. Anyway that's just a minor thing.

Finally it's time to reflect on the book as a hole i guess...
i think of it a bit as a transition-book if that makes any sense... many new things get established for the reader to be explored at a later time. From the beginning of the book we gradually learn that her mark is "evil" and what its powers are.. Her abillity to be a good storyteller get's more established ( i think writing and drawing picture books for little foals would be the perfect job for her ) and she gets her house which is a big step for her to become more independent and, hopefully more explored in the next book, her struggles with that... aaand maybe some neighborly interaction between HB and Fluttershy And of course now that HB is a honorable Member of the CMC we get to see more CMC-action in the future
so with all of this introductory-stuff out of the way the next book got to be good... i know i am hyped

lastly i think i have realised that i too may have been a bit to shut in the last few weeks and that i should change that... so i got a little grain of personal truth too

[Boss_Hoss1]

4671848
..Fey that set a walking doomsday suicide bomb loose in the domain of two mares who bested a literal Ghod of Chaos who quite possibly erased or rewrote the visible universe around Equestria.* -Mares that should be quite miffed at the whole motive of the bomb being the destruction of something HB loves, THEMSELVES AND THEIR SUBJECTS. I think the Unseelie Court should be quite worried if these worthies appear in their midst.

*(Lets face it, if 'Tia has to manually move the primary source of light and heat for the planet and Luna has to arrange the night sky like joe sixpack hangs up Xmas lights on his trailer, something is seriously broken..)

[Ebonheart]

4671543
The wording and tone left that unverified.
They claimed to have cut HB out of memory entirely. Be that rewriting reality or rewriting memories retroactively.
They claimed to cut all connection to HB, screwed him up and left him to rot...
Yet they are also Fae. They can lie, cheat, steal, murder, rape and pillage... and as long as they spin it right be totally "innocent" of wrongdoing.

The world at large doesn't remember, but they never actually outright stated THEY would forget.
( The resulting cascade of retroactive history adjustment makes my head hurt, and terrifies me.)

4671848
While Celly may have seemed hamfisted, I suspect it was closer to an act. Manipulating everyone, Luna included, into taking HBs side.
While she may not care much for HB in general, she could not possibly think that mind wiping would go over well for anyone.
Celly is ancient and experienced, and has thus far proven to be manipulative as hell. As we haven't seen anything from Celly's side save falling marbles, she could be doing anything.

Celly manipulated the Nightmare Moon events. Manipulated the Mane 6 into dealing with Discord and Sombra. Twilight Becoming an Alicorn was entirely due to Celly's decades long manipulations. ( She even sang a song about watching Twilight grow into it.)
She is patient, confident and skilled. She plays the long game.
Its an ongoing Xanatos gambit. Every outcome will ultimately benefit Celestia and Equestria as a whole.

Luna seems to play things much quicker and emotionally. Since she cannot see the whole game board like Celestia ( and Celly doesn't like explaining things in general) she cannot grasp / appreciate the machiavellian schemes Celestia has in motion.
img-cache.cdn.gaiaonline.com/4857eb3061328850efe6d40e1ab62330/http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d82/shadowswrath2/XanatosGambit.jpg

[ABitterPill]

4671370

My impression was that the Nine displayed a power that Celestia said she could not duplicate when they literally threw HB across universes/dimensions. So the Nine as I understand it are more powerful than Celestia and Luna. Hard to hold those more powerful than yourself accountable when they're not feeling like owning up. Not to mention being petty little cankernags with their actions.

Individually some of those things might not be "so bad", but pile them all together into a single punishment and that's what makes it so cruel and devastating for H.B. and all those involved with. The Fae claimed they were being merciful when they didn't just outright kill him, but that's not the case. They wanted to draw this out and be as cruel as possible, and they've done a pretty fine job of it.

[Ebonheart]

4673679
9 fae in unison utilizing celestial empowering events and rituals. I would have to reread it, but something like full moon of the favored month of the favored year.
Magic numbers and magic math, leading to a one time massive boost in united power... all to screw over a thoughtless ex-boyfriend.
The 9 are not super powered or special; just clever, patient and vindictive.

You and your 8 best buds get a single wish. Any wish you could want. You wish that nerd you didn't like from 3rd grade gets eaten by fire ants everyday and resurrected every night for the rest of eternity.

[Jet_Black1980]

4672875 Yupperunies!

[Jet_Black1980]

4673104 There's so much here... And I love it all. Thank you, Genbu!!

[Jet_Black1980]

>>Boss_Hoss1 >>Ebonheart >>AbitterPill >>ANTIcarrot Have I mentioned how much I love watching you guys poking around at speculative details?

[Jet_Black1980]

Also. You three who keep down voting my inane comments, I predict that you are going to down vote this inane comment.

[TimidClef]

Jet, you've done it again. Another great ending to another great book. And like all the others, the climax and resolution got me right smack-dab in the fetting feels. HB may not care for the smoltzy stuff, but I sure do.

[Dravkwn]

MOAR. That is all.

Seriously though, this is probably one of my top 10 favorite stories to read.

[Tephera]

This was... some what satisfying in some levels. Friendenimies I can take. But I think It's more Enemy than friend-enemies... Still, tis is great! I await more good sir! You played at my heart stings. made me angry to no ends, sadder than a bucket full of Flash Sentries, I applaude you! This is a masterpiece of a story. and don't take that lightly, because you sir. are in my favorite list so be wary! Good luck and keep it up!

[Havok88]

It's been long due for me to actually comment on this story again. And I have to say, I still love it!

Spotted some minor spelling mistakes and some missing words, but good lord this story plays with my emotions like a sick and twisted person playing The Sims. A single chapter making me feel like I'm bi-polar.

I implore you to continue writing, it's well thought out, carefully constructed and masterfully delivered. If I had the ability to make an animation of this story, I wouldn't waste time writing this praising comment.

One thing I do need to mention though is that I miss conversing with you Jet_Black1980.

To you I wish all the best.
Thank you for a wonderful read.

Kind regards.
Havok88 (Heinrich Barkley)

[Jet_Black1980]

4684152 We should talk more!

[dargondarkfire]

yay! this book has finally finished! I eagerly await the next book which you say you were working on while working on this one! I hope to see it soon.

[Leviatah-13]

will have MOAR!? ?

[Jet_Black1980]

4688654 In good time.
Work, the PJRunaway, and laziness are little banes that need banishing. Well, Work is a necessary evil...

[Leviatah-13]

4689317 EVILLL!!! EVILLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but you can't be chaotic without a little evil powder/or whatever

[Barry From Mars]

4682100

Yes.

[Vaalintine]

4673405
I really don't think it was an act. Given how she reacted to HB, there was nothing to suggest ulterior motives for other than consigning her to utter oblivion. Even if she WAS doing it to make everyone take HB's side and support her, it was a downright reprehensible was to do so. It's not at all reasonable to expect someone to turn around and genuinely thank someone for deliberately traumatizing you.

When all of this began, Rarity was my favorite pony out of the mane 6 for how she seemed really sympathetic towards HB. But later on that majorly soured, what with how she kept stringing along and manipulating HB to teach her about "Generosity" without seeming to at all care that she was offending and pushing HB away. But with this ending with Rarity realizing just how she had been acting has redeemed her in my eyes some (but not completely), but I really don't think Rarity (or Applejack, for that matter) could really be someone HB could call friends given how they've acted towards her. Hopefully later on they could at least try to accept her for who she is, not who they want.

[IkioStar]

Jet. Some of the commas, question, and exclamation marks are misplaced or used too often in certain contexts.

And then there's this:

She was finally understanding why Heartbreak was wanting to avoid the little fillies with the faces that they could make.

This line is awful, don't you remember what I said about tense errors?

[IkioStar]

4684220 Ameba=amoeba. Not ameba.

[Jet_Black1980]

4700076 I have no idea how to fix that line...

[IkioStar]

4700955 Change the separate tense errors. The tense of a sentence needs to be one full whole. I don't think you want future or present tense in your story, despite the so-called 'style' you like to use, so change it to past.

[Jet_Black1980]

4700985 I don't understand what you mean by 'so called style' but I attempted to fix that little naggling bit that you were talking about.

[IkioStar]

4702339 Okay, aside from that, look for question marks. When you have time, we'll look over them and why some need to be commas.

[Balthasar999]

Awright, check another one off the list. What pony is next, I wonder? Looking forward to it.

These are a lot of fun, and I found the last two chapters with the Scootaloo incident and resulting CMC induction surprisingly affecting, schmaltz or no.

The bit with the mark is interesting—I hope we start exploring that whole angle and the original curses again, along with hints and foreshadowing regarding the overall..."situation." I think more regular tie-ins to that would make the individual "episodes" stronger, since in an installment format like this it's so easy for the reader to mentally lose track of things between segments, while at the same time they have longer to chew on and more fully assimilate what they just read, so each scene has a little more mileage. On the other hand, if you're coming to them later and reading them in one go, those reminders would be repetitive and grating and a little insulting, so I guess there's a sweet spot somewhere in the middle.

In any case, I'm still enjoying these and will keep an eye out for the next one.

[Jet_Black1980]

4721756 Dreams are funny like that.