> Persona EG
>  by MythrilMoth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 8/22 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, August 22, 2015 / Afternoon
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your journey may lead to a place you were not expecting.

Airports are the same no matter where you go. They're noisy, they're crowded, and there are people who are either suspicious of you or want to screw you out of your money.

There are also scenes of happy reunions all over the place. Family, friends, lovers...people are hugging, laughing, and crying no matter where you look.

I don't have anybody to hug, laugh, or cry with me.

After what feels like hours, my suitcase, my laptop bag, and my guitar case show up on the baggage carousel. I didn't bring much with me to Canterlot. My parents gave me an expense account to buy what I'll need for the next year.

As I head for the airport's main entrance, I see a pair of slender pink hands holding a sign over the heads of the crowd. The sign says "Flash Sentry".

Well, it's nice to know I won't have to pay for a cab or something. Not that I even know exactly where I'm supposed to go.

As I approach, the shifting sea of bodies gives me brief glimpses of the beautiful woman who's waiting for me. The word 'knockout' doesn't begin to describe her. She's tall, slender, and graceful, wearing tan slacks, white flats, and a cream-colored tank top. Her skin is a light pearl pink, and her long, wavy hair is layered in bands of deep lavender, rose pink, and cream. Her warm amethyst eyes sparkle from a beautiful face.

She's also wearing a wedding ring. Oh well. She looks like she's in her twenties, and I'm only sixteen. Well, turning sixteen next week.

I walk up to her and introduce myself. She smiles. "Hello, Flash. My name is Cadance. I'm here to take you to the dorm."

Cadance offers to help me carry my bags, but I refuse. Even so, she takes my laptop bag from me; I decide not to argue the point, as I'm tired from the long plane trip. Once we're out the doors and the noise has died down a bit, Cadance starts talking. "So how was your trip?"

"Long and boring," I say. "I tried to read, but I ended up falling asleep on the plane."

That's right...

I fell asleep on the plane...

And I had a dream...

A blue door is flying right at me. As I'm about to slam right into it, it opens. Behind the door is a vast round room. The walls are covered with bookshelves, crammed full of tomes of all colors, shapes, and sizes. In the middle of this room is a low black table, with a curved sofa on each side. On the side farthest from me sits a man...at least, I think he's a man. He's small, roundish, and ugly, with bulging eyes, thin, graying hair, and a long, hooked nose. He wears a black suit, and his white-gloved hands are steepled beneath his chin. He looks up at me and grins a crooked, secretive grin.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." He gestures at the couch in front of me. "Please, sit down."

I sit. The man waves his hand and a piece of paper appears on the table, along with an expensive-looking fountain pen. "How did you do that?" I ask. "Who are you? How did I get here?"

The hook-nosed man chuckles; the sound sends shivers running down my spine. "Right now, you are dreaming. But this is no ordinary dream...the Velvet Room is very much a real place, and...well, that's not important right now. My name is Igor." Igor gestures to the piece of paper. "If you would please...sign your name on this contract."

"Contract? What...?"

"It merely states that you accept responsibility for the choices you make...that you will face the consequences of your own actions."

I'm confused, but as this is a dream, I pick up the pen and sign my name to the contract. It promptly vanishes and is replaced by a deck of cards.

"Excellent," Igor says. He waves his hands, and the cards spread out in a row on the table. "Please...draw one card and lay it face-up on the table."

For some reason, I feel nervous. I reach out, draw one card, and lay it upon the table...





"Ahh...now this is interesting," Igor says, leaning forward. "The card you have chosen is The Fool. This card represents you." He must sense my indignation, because he chuckles. "No, it's not what you're thinking. The Fool Arcana represents the beginning of a journey. It simply means that...you have unbridled potential. You are a traveler, facing an open road, ignorant of your destination. Along the journey, you will attain wisdom. And, if you are very fortunate, you will forge bonds with others you meet upon that road. These bonds will help strengthen you and prepare you for the hardships of life."

Igor waves a hand over the cards, and all except The Fool vanish. "Now, we have very little time, for you are about to awaken. I will summon you again soon...oh! Forgive me, I have not introduced my assistant." He gestures to his left...there's someone sitting there who wasn't there before! It's a woman...she seems young and old at the same time. I can't determine her age. Her skin is dark and unlined, she wears a crisply-pressed blue uniform with a high collar and no sleeves, and a long braid of white hair with black streaks trails down her shoulder from beneath a small blue cap. She regards me with a neutral expression and nods once. "This is Zecora. You will find her services invaluable in the very near future." Igor smiles secretively. "Farewell until we meet again..."

"Flash? Are you alright?"

Cadance is looking at me worriedly. I realize that I stopped walking in the middle of the parking lot. "Sorry," I say. "Just...a little jet-lagged, I guess."

Cadance frowns, but doesn't press the issue. "Well, anyway..." She digs her keys out of her pocket and presses a button on her keychain remote. A nearby SUV's lights blink twice, and the back opens. "I'm the manager of the dorm you'll be staying in," she says. "I'm also the school nurse." I put my guitar and suitcase in the back of the SUV, and Cadance sets my laptop bag beside them before closing the back door. We climb into the front, and soon we're on our way out of the airport parking lot. "I should warn you about something before we get to the dorm," she says.

"Oh?"

"It's, well..." She signals to turn onto the main road. "You see, all the dorms except one are full. The dorm you were originally going to be assigned to burned down in July. It's caused a major problem for the school."

"Burned down? Really?"

"Faulty wiring," Cadance says. "Anyway...the boys' dorms filled up pretty fast, as most of the boarding students are boys, and we don't have co-ed dorms, so..."

This is going somewhere either very scary or very sweet. "Don't tell me...they put me in a girls' dorm?"

"That's right," Cadance says. As we coast to a stop at a red light, she favors me with a stern glare. "Don't even think about trying to take advantage of the situation," she warns me. "You do and you're out on your butt."

"Yes ma'am." I pause. "So...do you live at the dorm? With your...husband?"

"Adjoined housing," Cadance replies. "Shining Armor and I have our own little apartment, separate from the main dorm but still on the property. He teaches P.E., by the way."

"Cool."

It's starting to get late. "There are six girls living in the dorm," Cadance says. "They're all in the same year as you."

"That's weird," I mutter.

"It's a funny coincidence, I agree," Cadance says. She smiles. "Maybe one of them will be your girlfriend!" She winks at me, then returns her attention to the road. "But behave yourself. Seriously."

"I'm not that kind of guy," I say, looking out the window.

I can't help but stare in wonder.

We're passing in front of a gargantuan school building with a giant statue of a horse in the front courtyard. "Is that...?"

"Yep, that's Canterlot High," Cadance says. "We're almost to the dorm."

The sun's beginning to set. A few minutes after we pass the Canterlot High campus, we pull up in front of a modest three-story building. "Here it is," Cadance says as she parks the SUV and kills the engine. "Your new home."

Saturday, August 22, 2015 / Evening

We walk through the front doors into a cozy, well-furnished lounge. There are comfortable-looking chairs, a big sofa, a coffee table, a bookshelf with an assortment of books, and a large flatscreen television which is mounted in the corner. The television is currently on and tuned to the news, where a perky weather girl is giving the forecast for the rest of the weekend.

A girl is sitting in a recliner in the lounge. She has pale lavender skin and long, straight, shiny violet hair with a thin stripe of hot pink that starts just above her left eye and runs the length of her hair. Her razor-straight bangs hang to just above her eyebrows. She's wearing red shorts and a white T-shirt, and idly rocking her bare feet back and forth on the footrest of the recliner. Her deep purple eyes are focused on the book she's reading.

I won't lie: she's incredibly cute.

"Well, here we are, Applewood Dorm," Cadance says. "Your room's on the third floor, at the end of the hall on the right." She calls out to the girl. "Twilight! Could you come here a second?"

The girl puts a bookmark in her book and puts down the footrest on the recliner, tosses her book onto the coffee table, and stands up. Stretching, she walks over to join us. "Sure, Cadance! What's u—" She stares at me, doing a double take. "Gah!" she cries. "What're you doing in the girls' dorm?!"

"Twilight," Cadance says in that tone you use when you're telling somebody something you know they aren't going to like, "this is Flash Sentry. He's going to be living here."

Twilight takes a step back, eyes wide in shock. "What?! No! No no no..." She shakes her head repeatedly. "You can't—he can't stay here! This is a girls' dorm! For girls! There are girls here!"

"Twilight," Cadance sighs in a suffering tone, "you know what the housing situation is like after the Golden Oak Dorm burned down. Everything else is full up. This is the only dorm left with open rooms."

"But...!" Twilight protests feebly. She looks at me, then tugs down on the hem of her shirt, shuffling her feet awkwardly and blushing.

Damn, she's cute!

"Hey, would you calm down?" I say. "I promise I'll behave myself." I set down my suitcase and hold out my hand. "Flash Sentry."

She looks up at me, then down at my hand, uncertainty on her face. Finally, she reaches out and takes my hand. "I'm Twilight Sparkle," she says.

I shake her hand once, firmly, then let it go. "Pleased to meet you," I say. "I hope we can be friends." I pick up my suitcase again, fighting back a yawn.

"You must be exhausted," Cadance says. "Come on, I'll show you to your room." As we climb the stairs, I feel Twilight's eyes on my back.

"Twilight's my sister-in-law," Cadance says. "You'll have to excuse her, she's...not really very social. I don't even think she has any real friends other than me and Shining Armor."

"Really? That sucks."

"Yeah. I'm hoping maybe she'll make friends with the other girls here."

My room—my home for the next year—is small, empty and yet cramped at the same time. There's a closet, a bed, a desk and chair, a small bookcase, and a small utility cart with a mini-fridge and a cheap microwave oven. Above the bed, a set of shelves is mounted on the wall; there's a bulletin board on the wall over the desk with a calendar pinned to it, and a small flatscreen television mounted over the bookcase.

"Well...I'll let you get some rest," Cadance says. "We'll go over the house rules tomorrow." She sets my laptop bag down by the desk, then leaves, closing the door behind her.

I'm too exhausted to unpack now. I put my suitcase down next to the closet, lay my guitar down next to my laptop, kick my shoes into the corner, and flop down on the bed.
> 8/23 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, August 23, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): People you meet may not take a liking to you at first. Don't get discouraged.

The sun is already shining through my window when I wake up. I feel like a zombie, and my head is killing me. I dig through my pocket and pull out my phone to check the time. It seems I've been asleep for about thirteen hours or so.

No wonder I feel like crap.

I sit up and look around the room. I really need to unpack, but right now all I want to do is wash my face, get something to drink, and maybe find some aspirin or something for my headache.

A knock sounds from my door. "Flash? Are you up yet?"

It's Cadance. I push myself to my feet and shuffle over to the door, opening it.

"Good morning!" she says perkily. "We're about to have breakfast in the dining room in a few minutes. Do you want to get some...thing...to...eat..." Apparently, she realizes I'm among the walking dead. "Are you...alright?"

"I overslept," I mutter. "Like, a lot. I just woke up."

Cadance frowns. "You weren't kidding when you said you were jet-lagged."

"I haven't really slept much the last few days," I say. "I've been busy wrapping up a few things in Seaddle and getting ready to come here." My parents put me in charge of turning off the power, water, and gas at our house, among other things. Between that and getting ready for this move, I really haven't had much time to rest.

"I see," Cadance says. "Well...why don't you freshen up a bit and come down for breakfast? I'll get some headache medicine for you."

"Thanks," I say. "Err...where's the bathroom?"

"Right across the hall and one door over," Cadance says, pointing. "You're the only one on this floor, so you shouldn't have to worry about any...accidents." She smirks.

"I get a whole floor to myself, huh...?"

"Well, unless we get any transfer students or something." She walks off down the hall. "Don't take too long!"

I round up my shoes, put them on, and head for the bathroom. Hopefully I don't smell too bad, because I don't really have time to take a shower right now. My clothes are all still in my suitcase anyway. I splash some water on my face, wash my hands, and dry off, then head downstairs.

I hear voices coming from the left as I reach the first floor. I look through a doorway and see four girls seated at a large table. One of them is Twilight. She already has her nose in a book.

"There you are!" Cadance says from behind me, making me jump. As I turn around, she presses a cold glass of orange juice into my left hand and two coated caplets into my right hand. "This should help with the headache. Go on in and sit down. We'll be bringing out breakfast in just a minute."

I swallow the pills; the cool sweetness of the orange juice wakes me up a bit more. I can smell something wonderful cooking nearby. I walk into the dining room and sit down. Almost immediately, all conversation at the table stops as three sets of eyes fall upon me.

"You lost or somethin', dude?" This comes from a girl with pale blue skin and wild hair in several different colors. Her rose-colored eyes are boring into me, challenging me. She's wearing a blue and white hoodie and blue track pants.

Seated across from her is a gorgeous girl with pale white skin and long purple hair styled in elaborate curls. She's wearing a black silk blouse, a long navy blue skirt, and high-heeled black sandals. "Elegant" is the word that comes to mind. A cup of coffee sits in front of her, and her deep blue eyes are focused on me, full of suspicion and curiosity. I get the feeling she's measuring me.

Next to Twilight is a pale yellow girl with ridiculously long cherry blossom pink hair and blue-green eyes. She's wearing a baggy green sweater and a loose green skirt. She looks terrified of me.

As far as first impressions go...I think I screwed this one up big time.

Twilight looks up from her book, blinks, and says, "Good morning, Flash." She looks at the others. "Girls, this is Flash Sentry. He's living here at the dorm now. He just got in last night."

"...WHAT?!" the girl with the rainbow hair yells. She stands up and slams her palms on the table. "Whaddya mean he's livin' here? Have you totally flipped, egghead? This is a girls' dorm! He's NOT A GIRL!"

Twilight shrugs. "I don't like it either, but the other dorms are all full. Cadance said this is the only place he can stay."

"Oh, that's right," the yellow girl says in a quiet, timid voice. "The Golden Oak dorm burned down." She looks at me. "You were supposed to stay there, weren't you?"

"I think so, yeah," I say. "That's what Cadance said anyway."

The elegant girl seems to be about to say something, but Cadance and two more girls walk in. One of the girls is pushing a cart loaded with serving trays, another is carrying stacks of dishes, and Cadance is carrying silverware and napkins.

"Breakfast is ready!" the girl carrying the dishes says in a cheerful sing-song voice. "Oooh, there's somebody new at the table! Hey there!" This girl's skin is a slightly different shade of pink than Cadance's, and her hair is a giant mess of bubblegum pink curls. Her bright blue eyes are full of good cheer, and she's wearing a striped T-shirt and cutoffs.

The girl pushing the cart has skin almost the same color as mine, dotted with a healthy smattering of freckles. Her long blonde hair is tied in a loose ponytail which hangs over one shoulder. She's decked out in a knee-length denim skirt, a green and white Western shirt, cowboy boots, and a brown Stetson that looks like it's been run over with a tractor a few times. Her green eyes widen as she catches sight of me.

As Cadance begins passing out napkins and silverware, she introduces me to each of the girls: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. She explains my situation while Pinkie Pie passes out plates and bowls, then helps Applejack lay out the serving trays. "So Flash is living here with us," Cadance concludes as she, Pinkie, and Applejack sit down. "I want everyone to be on their best behavior and get along, alright? I'm pretty sure you can all trust Flash."

"I swear I'll keep to my own floor except when I'm down here," I promise the girls. I wait until they've all taken food before loading up my own plate with toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, a glazed donut, and a couple of apple turnovers.

"Yeah, well...you better," Rainbow grumbles as she shovels bacon into her mouth.

"It's...nice to meet you," Fluttershy says quietly as she spreads cream cheese on a piece of toast.

"We'll have to have a welcome party for you!" Pinkie exclaims as she pours milk on a bowl of sugary cereal while cramming a whole donut into her mouth.

After breakfast, the girls all head off to do their own things. I help Cadance clear the dishes. While we wash the dishes, she goes over the house rules with me. It's pretty standard stuff: the dorm has its own wi-fi, we can keep some food items and snacks in our rooms and use the microwaves, hot plates aren't allowed, there's a ten P.M. curfew on school nights that extends to eleven on weekends, and small pets are allowed as long as we clean up after them.

I have the rest of the day to myself, but all I really feel like doing is unpacking and maybe doing a little websurfing. Tomorrow is the first day of school.

Sunday, August 23, 2015 / Early Afternoon

After I put away my things and take a shower, I decide to kick back in my room, watch some television, and play around online for a while. I'm finishing up an email to my folks when there's a knock at the door.

"Hey, we got pizza downstairs if'n yer hungry," Applejack's voice calls through the door. Realizing it's lunchtime, I close my laptop and head downstairs.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight are in the lounge, eating pizza off paper plates. "We can eat in the lounge?" I ask.

"We're not really supposed to," Twilight says, "but as long as we don't make too big a mess, Cadance doesn't mind."

I help myself to some pizza and a cola and sit down. The television is on. "So, what're you watching?" The volume is turned down; two men are flailing around animatedly on the screen. They're twins with red and white hair; one of them has a thick mustache. They're both wearing striped vests and straw hats.

"Eh...it's just some corny shopping show," Rainbow says. "The Flim Flam Hour. The stuff they sell is pure crap." She picks up the remote and changes the channel; an old Daring Do movie is on. Rainbow turns up the volume a little.

"So, what's there to do in town?" I ask.

"Oh, there's a few things. Mainly shoppin' though," Applejack says. "There's a movie theater a quick train ride away, an' a few good places fer grub."

I finish my pizza and wipe my hands on my jeans. "Thanks for the pizza," I say. "I should go up and practice my guitar for a bit." I pause. "That won't bother you girls, will it?"

"You play guitar?" Rainbow asks.

"Yeah. I only brought my acoustic with me from home, though. I figured it'd be a bit much to bring an electric guitar to a dorm, even if I could sneak an amp in here."

Rainbow chuckles. "Sweet. You any good?"

"I guess. I've been playing for six years."

"Cool. Play something for us sometime!"

"We'll see."

I spend the rest of the afternoon playing my guitar up in my room.

Sunday, August 23, 2015 / Evening

I join my dormmates for dinner. Cadance's husband, Shining Armor, is eating with us. He has white skin, and his messy blue hair is a lighter shade than mine; much like his sister, he has a streak in his hair—in his case, a very light blue. He's tall, broad-shouldered, and well-muscled.

"So, you're the odd guy out, huh?" he asks when Cadance introduces us. "Man, you're one lucky dog. The one guy in a dorm full of cute girls." He chuckles. Then, with a serious, almost terrifying expression, he adds, "Watch yourself around my sister, got it?"

Twilight facepalms.

"Now Shiny, behave," Cadance says, slapping her husband playfully on the arm.

There's a lot of food on the table: barbecue beef brisket, fried chicken, baked beans, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, cole slaw—it looks more like a picnic or a barbecue than dinner at a school dorm.

Shining Armor must be reading my mind, because he grins and says, "I thought it'd be cool to give you kids one last taste of summer before school starts."

As we load up our plates, Cadance asks, "So Flash, have you checked out Canterbook yet?"

"Canterbook?" I ask.

"It's the school's social media network," Twilight says.

"It's pretty much Canterlot High's heart and soul," Cadance explains. "Every student and teacher is on Canterbook. It has the school bulletin board, the community boards, study groups, study reminders, assignment reminders, chat rooms, private messaging, and even some stuff that's just for fun, like the daily horoscope app."

"Oh yes, the horoscope app is very popular," Rarity says.

"We're all on it, even the shy kids like Fluttershy here and the eggheads like Twilight who don't talk much," Rainbow says.

"This is the first I've heard of it," I say.

"You have your student ID, right?" Cadance asked. I nod, pulling out my wallet and the plastic student ID card that was mailed to me in Seaddle. "Just download the app onto your phone and your laptop and log in with your student ID. You should already have an account."

I pull out my phone; it only takes thirty seconds to find the Canterbook app and start downloading it.

"You kids have it so easy," Shining Armor says, chuckling as he stuffs macaroni into his mouth. "Everything's digital now. You don't have to carry around textbooks or workbooks or notebooks or paper or anything. All you need's a computer. Remember what it was like when we were in high school, Cadie?"

Cadance rolls her eyes. "Yes, we had to carry our books and go to our lockers between classes..."

"That must have been ever so difficult for you," Rarity says with a smirk.

The conversation moves on to favorite classes, teachers everyone hopes they either do or don't get, and what they're all looking forward to this year. For the most part, I choose to eat and listen in silence. After dinner, I return to my room, where I download the Canterbook app on my laptop. As soon as it's installed, I log in using my student ID. A message appears:




Greetings from Canterlot High School!
We're pleased to welcome you to the family of Canterlot Wondercolts! Using Canterbook, you can connect with friends, teachers, and classmates in a safe, secure social environment! We hope you'll use Canterbook for all your social and academic needs. Please take a moment to explore Canterbook's features, and don't forget to fill out your profile!




I've barely closed this message when a notification pops up:




Friend Request!
Pinkie Pie wants to be friends on Canterbook.




I accept Pinkie's friend request, then I spend a little time filling in my basic profile. Canterbook shows me a list of students I might want to add to my social circle based on my interests. I don't know a single one of them, so I ignore that for now.

I notice the horoscope app, which I recall hearing about at dinner. Even though I don't believe in horoscopes, I decide to check it out on a whim. I'm a Virgo, so I look at my own horoscope first.




Virgo: People you meet may not take a liking to you at first. Don't get discouraged.




I reflect on the day I've had. At breakfast, some of the girls in the dorm were pretty hostile to me, but they seem to have accepted me fairly quickly.




Friend Request!
Rainbow Dash wants to be friends on Canterbook.




I click 'Accept'. After a moment's thought, I type Twilight Sparkle into the search bar and send a friend request. I then peruse the rest of the horoscopes listed, just for fun.




Aries: Be careful around members of the opposite sex. You aren't ready for the pressure and you could end up getting hurt.
Taurus: It's alright to worry about your family, but don't forget to worry about yourself too. Trust your family to take care of themselves.
Gemini: Leave your attitude at the door. You're not going to get people to like you by being condescending and rude.
Cancer: Be careful of new people in your sibling's life. They're in a vulnerable place and could get hurt easily.
Leo: Everything is going exactly the way you want it to, but don't be overconfident. Use caution and good judgment and you'll succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
Virgo: People you meet may not take a liking to you at first. Don't get discouraged.
Libra: A new romance may be in your future. Keep your heart and your mind open.
Scorpio: It's good that you want to make friends with everyone you meet, but you need to be careful. Some people aren't as nice as they seem.
Sagittarius: No matter what you think, you are not God's gift to the world. Keep your ego under wraps or you'll alienate everyone close to you.
Capricorn: Doing favors for others isn't always to your best interest. Be careful; someone is bound to take advantage of your generous nature.
Aquarius: Don't meddle in the love lives of your family and friends. Let whatever happens happen on its own.
Pisces: You need to appreciate what you have instead of pining for things you want. Accept that some things are out of your reach.




...Interesting. Still, I've never put much stock in horoscopes. But as it takes all of five seconds to read a horoscope, and it might be good for a laugh, I subscribe to my daily horoscope. Before I close the app, I notice that there's also a special "Your Birthday Horoscope" feature. My birthday's coming up in a few days. I may have to pay attention to that.

Pinkie Pie sends an invitation to play something called Cupcake Party Legend. It's a cutesy yet strangely addicting puzzle game. I spend a little while playing that, then head out to the bathroom to brush my teeth. It's getting late, and tomorrow's the first day of school...I should get to bed early.
> 8/24 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, August 24, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will have a mix of good luck and bad luck today. Don't be discouraged. Take each experience and learn from it.

Today is the first day of school.

I went to bed early last night, so I'm up a bit early today. Before I head to the bathroom for a shower, I check Canterbook.




Friend Request Accepted!
Twilight Sparkle is now your friend.




I smile at that, then glance at my horoscope. It seems rather generic for a horoscope—more like a fortune cookie message.

I select the nicest clothes I brought with me and lay them out on the bed. There are towels and a few toiletries in the bathroom, but I'm going to need to go shopping for a number of things. Perhaps after school. I could probably use a few more clothes too.

I brush my teeth, take a shower, and step out into the hall wrapped in a towel. In a television show, this is where I'd run right into one of the girls living in the dorm.

Thankfully, this doesn't happen, and I return to my room, where I get dressed. I head back to the bathroom to comb my hair, then I pack up my laptop to take to school with me and head down to the dining room.

Assorted pastries, juice, milk, a coffee pot, a platter of toast, and boxes of cereal are all over the table. Pinkie walks in, carrying a serving plate of bacon and a big skillet of scrambled eggs. She's wearing blue jeans, sneakers, and a white T-shirt with blue sleeves; on the front of her shirt, there are three balloons, two blue and one yellow. "Hiya Flash!"

"Mornin' Pinkie," I say. "Who else is up?"

"Rarity's doing her makeup, I think. Applejack's trying to wake up Rainbow. Fluttershy's probably in the shower. Twilight..." She taps her chin with a finger.

"I'm right here," Twilight says from behind me as she walks in, sits down, loads various foods onto a plate, and mechanically starts eating. Today, she's wearing a blue vest over a white blouse, a short purple skirt, knee-high white socks, and brown loafers. There's an interesting pattern on her skirt: a large pink six-pointed star, surrounded by five smaller white six-pointed stars.

I sit down and help myself to eggs, bacon, and toast, making a sandwich out of it. I pour myself a glass of orange juice. "What about Cadance and Shining Armor?" I ask.

"Oh, they usually eat breakfast together at their place," Pinkie says. "And I'm pretty sure they left for school already. They kinda have to get there early." She pauses, then adds, "By the way, it's kinda the school year now, so call Shining Armor 'Coach', okay?"

"And Nurse Cadance, right? Got it." I take a bite of my breakfast, washing it down with some juice.

Applejack ambles in, wearing an outfit identical to what she wore yesterday. I think. I'm not sure if that trio of apples embroidered on her skirt was there yesterday or not. She sits down and pours herself some coffee. "Howdy y'all," she says.

"Not eating?" I ask.

"Already et," she says, taking a sip of coffee. "Ah'm always up at sunrise...old habits an' all."

Twilight stands up suddenly. Her plate is empty except for a mess of crumbs. She turns and heads upstairs.

"What, did she forget something?" I ask.

"Nah, she's gotta walk her doggy before she leaves," Pinkie says as she sits down and starts shoveling cereal into her mouth.

Rarity walks in, wearing a white silk blouse, a knee-length royal purple skirt with three glittery diamonds embroidered on it, and knee-high purple boots. She takes a medium-sized pastry and pours herself a cup of coffee.

"So...question," I say as I make myself another bacon and egg sandwich.

"Yes?" Rarity asks, as she's the only one present whose mouth isn't full.

"I can't help but notice..." I pause. "You all have some kind of...thing on your clothes."

"Thing?" Rarity asks.

I point at her skirt. "You've got those diamonds, Pinkie's got balloons on her shirt, Twilight has stars on her skirt, and Applejack's got apples on hers..."

"Oh, that!" Rarity says. "It's...sort of a thing we do here. Everyone likes to come up with a little emblem, as it were, something that's personal to them. We put them on most of our clothes, we use them on Canterbook..." She smiles. "It's just one of our little traditions."

"Yeah, we've all been doing it since elementary school," Pinkie says. "New kids who come here from other places pick up on it pretty quick." She smiles. "You'll probably come up with something by the end of the week."

"Even a lot of the teachers do it," Rarity says.

I hear a commotion from the stairs and turn to see Twilight setting down a small purple dog with big, floppy green ears. The dog starts running around at the end of his leash, sniffing at everything. Twilight nudges him with her toe. "No, Spike. Come on, we're going outside now." She starts walking toward the front door, and Spike obediently runs ahead of her, wagging his tail.

Rainbow Dash shuffles in, wearing a loose tank top and rumpled pajama bottoms. Her hair is a mess and her eyes are bloodshot. She yawns and slumps down at the table.

"Took ya long enough," Applejack says. "Yer a mess, girl."

"Bite me," Rainbow says. "I haven't gotten up this early in two months." She blinks sleepily at me, then frowns. "Crap, I forgot. Just...watch where you're lookin', okay?"

I wish she hadn't called attention to herself like that. Her tank top is really loose. I decide I've had enough breakfast and stand up. "So uh...need me to help clean up this mess or anything?" I ask Pinkie.

"Nope, I'm good," Pinkie says cheerfully.

"Then...I think I'll head to school a little early," I say. "I mean, I should probably learn my way around school, find out where all my classes are..."

"Just use the campus map and GPS on Canterbook," Rainbow says. "That's what I do."

"Yes, and your class assignments will be on there as well," Rarity says. "It really does make school life ever so much easier." She brightens suddenly. "Oh! But by all means, don't let that keep you from going ahead early anyway. After all, it couldn't hurt to meet some of the teachers. There are probably some other students there by now already too."

"Well...see you girls at school then," I say, picking up my laptop bag and heading for the door.

I'm halfway to the street when Twilight walks past, holding a baggie full of dog poop and a pooper-scooper in one hand and Spike's leash in the other. "Oh, are you already headed for school?" she asks.

I nod. "I thought I'd leave early, get a feel for the place."

"I'm just about to leave too, as soon as I deal with this and feed Spike," she says.

I pause. "Why don't I wait and walk with you?" I offer.

She blinks. "I...umm...okay." She looks down at Spike. "I'll...just be a few minutes."

I fiddle with my phone while I wait for Twilight. A few minutes later, she's back, carrying her own bag.

As we walk, she says, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you send me a friend request?"

I frown. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no...it's fine," she says. "I was just wondering why." She blushes, then adds, "Other than my brother and Cadance, I've...only ever gotten two friend requests. One from you, and one from Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie friends everybody." She looks up at me. "I know it's not because I'm related to Cadance, because I checked and you're only friends with me, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash. So...why?"

I honestly don't know how to answer that. I'm afraid if I tell her the truth, it'll offend her. But I don't think I can come up with an excuse that'll fly...

I decide to be honest. "Because I think you're really cute and I want to get to know you better," I say.

She stares at me, eyes wide. "You...think I'm...what?"

I sigh. "Man, you must think I'm lame."

She stops walking. In a small voice, she asks, "You...really think I'm cute?"

"Well, yeah," I say.

She blushes. "Thank you." She starts walking again. "I mean, I barely even know you and you don't know me at all, so...I really hope you just want to be friends...but nobody's ever called me cute before. So...thank you." She frowns. "Just...don't start stalking me or anything, okay?"

"I'm not like that!"

"Good."

Monday, August 24, 2015 / Morning

My very first class of the day is history. There couldn't possibly be a worse way to start the day. Of course, teachers don't really do much teaching on the first day of school, so I snap the lesson outline the teacher is reviewing with us on one side of my screen and open Canterbook on the other.

And what a weirdo our history teacher is! For some bizarre reason, Mr. Turner is wearing a conquistador helmet. Just the helmet...with a regular suit and tie.

Mr. Turner suddenly stops talking. "Really?" he asks flatly. "All of you? Even the new kid? You're all on Canterbook instead of paying attention?"

"I'm multitasking!" a girl pipes up. "See? I've got your outline open."

"Me too," someone else says. A few others chorus agreement.

Mr. Turner sighs. "I'll ignore it today," he says. "But for future reference—and most of you should know this by now—every teacher in this school monitors Canterbook access inside the classroom. We'll know if you're not paying attention in class."

The PA suddenly lets out a chime. A female voice says, "Good morning, students and faculty. At this time, I would like everyone to log into Canterbook for our start-of-term orientation livestream."

For the next twenty minutes, the principal of Canterlot High, Principal Celestia, rambles on about success and dedication and doing your best and making friends and setting goals and things I've heard since seventh grade. I very nearly doze off in the middle of the orientation.

Monday, August 24, 2015 / Lunch

When the lunch bell rings, I make my way to the cafeteria.

As I grab a tray and wait in line, I look around. Lunch, like everything else at Canterlot High, has its own unique style. The tables are arranged in loose groups which appear to be populated by like-minded students: Rarity is sitting with a number of well-dressed, primped kids, Rainbow is laughing and chatting with a bunch of jocks, Fluttershy is sitting with a bunch of kids who look like they stepped out of the sixties, and Applejack is at what can only be called the most country table. There's a table full of emo kids, another full of wannabe rockers, one that looks like the Drama Club, and a table way in the back is populated by, for want of a better term, nerds. There are also tables with no discernible theme; it dawns on me that the freshmen all seem to be sitting together, and there's one long table full of assorted misfits.

Then there's a small table, near the front of the cafeteria, where a lone girl sits with two boys. Something about this table feels off to me. The girl is smoking hot, with amber skin, smoldering teal eyes, and long copper and gold tresses that shine like the sun. She's wearing a black leather jacket over a purple T-shirt that has a two-tone sun emblem on the front.

The girl's a total fox, but there's something about the look in her eyes that sets me on edge.

Then there's the company she's keeping. The two boys with her look...well...dumb. And they're kind of on the ugly side. I can't put my finger on it, but seeing two dumb, ugly boys sitting at a table with a really hot chick...and nobody else is at that table...

"Oooh, just don't even go there," Pinkie's voice says quietly from just behind me. I jump in surprise and turn around. Pinkie Pie is...frowning. She has a serious look in her eyes. She looks up at me. "Whatever you were thinking, don't."

"Actually, I was thinking of finding Twilight and sitting with her," I say.

"Oh! Okay, that's a good thing to think about. I think she's still in line, though."

The line moves ahead a bit. "So uh...what's up with the chick in the leather jacket?"

"If you know what's good for you, avoid her. Totally."

"Is she in a gang or something?"

"No, it's...she's just...really mean," Pinkie says. "She bullies people. She's super nasty to people that get on her bad side. Sunset Shimmer is the only person here I won't friend on Canterbook."

A few minutes later, I see Twilight wander off to a mostly empty table and sit down with her tray. It's a good five minutes before Pinkie and I have our lunches and we join Twilight. She seems happy enough to have the company, and Pinkie starts talking about the party she wants to have for me at the dorm tonight.

All through the rest of lunch, I feel like somebody's watching me. I really hope I'm just being paranoid.

Monday, August 24, 2015 / After School

Rainbow is in my last class, and she catches up with me at the door as we're leaving. "Hey Flash! Gonna join any teams or clubs this year?"

I shrug. "I dunno. Maybe."

"Cool." Rainbow stretches. "I'm on the soccer team, we're having tryouts this Saturday. You wanna come watch us practice?"

"I would, but I need to do some shopping. I only brought like, four changes of clothes with me, and I've gotta get bathroom stuff."

"That's cool. Well...think about it, okay? Later!"

Monday, August 24, 2015 / Evening

I've just finished putting away the last of the new clothes I bought today when Pinkie barges into my room and drags me downstairs. "Hey! Do you mind?"

"Not really!" she says with a cheerful smile.

Everyone is gathered in the dining room. There's a bunch of pizzas, a cooler full of sodas, and a couple dozen cupcakes. There's a banner hanging from the ceiling that says "WELCOME TO CANTERLOT HIGH, FLASH!" and another that says "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WRAP PARTY!" There are streamers and balloons everywhere.

I'm a bit rattled. "Wha...what?"

Cadance smiles. "Pinkie Pie put all this together on very short notice," she says. "She does that a lot...you get used to it."

"Pinkie doesn't need much of a reason to throw a huge party," Rainbow says.

I've never been one to say no to a pizza party, so I join everyone. We all talk about our first day of school.

"So, Flash," Rarity says, "have you given any thought to your emblem?"

"Emblem? Oh, that..." I shake my head. "Not really."

"I'd be happy to help you come up with something," Rarity offers. "And once you've got one you'd like, I'll be more than happy to help you put it on your clothes."

"Uhh...sure, thanks."

Come to think of it, I never saw Rainbow's emblem, or Fluttershy's. I steal a quick glance at them; Rainbow's is a puffy cloud with a tri-color lightning bolt, and Fluttershy's is a trio of butterflies.

"So did anybody else notice those two little trolls sitting with Sunset Shimmer at lunch?" Rarity asks suddenly.

"Rarity! That's not very nice," Cadance says.

"Oh yeah, I saw those kids. They're freshmen, aren't they?" Rainbow asks.

"I believe so." Rarity frowns.

"I honestly thought those three were in a gang," I say. "I mean, that Sunset girl looks like she's in a gang."

"Yeah, you gotta watch out for that'n," Applejack says. "She's...trouble."

"Pinkie Pie already warned me."

Shining Armor sighs. "As a teacher, I should be telling you all not to badmouth other students, but...Sunset Shimmer does worry a lot of the faculty." He pops open a soda and chugs. When he comes up for air, he continues, "Thing is, Principal Celestia seems to think she has potential. She doesn't see what a lot of other people see..."

"So, Flash!" Cadance suddenly says in a bright, overly-cheerful tone. "Making friends yet?"

"Starting to," I say.

Rainbow has her phone in her hand. "Looks like so far he's only got me, Pinkie, and Twilight." She blinks. "Twilight? Seriously?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asks defensively.

"Oh, uh...nothing!"

"Well, you are new in town," Rarity says to me in a consoling tone. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of friends in no time! In fact..." She pulls out her phone; mine chimes a moment later.




Friend Request!
Rarity wants to be friends on Canterbook.




"Aw, heck," Applejack says. "Might as well."




Friend Request!
Applejack wants to be friends on Canterbook.




The girls all turn to look at Fluttershy. She shrinks back in her chair. "Oh. Um. Oh my." She pulls out her phone; her hands tremble slightly.




Friend Request!
Fluttershy wants to be friends on Canterbook.




I accept all their friend requests. "Thanks," I say. "You're all really making me feel welcome."

By the time almost all the food is gone, the party winds down. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack are watching television in the lounge, Rarity has wandered upstairs for a bath, Fluttershy disappeared into her room halfway through the party (Pinkie mentioned something about Fluttershy's pet bunny rabbit), and Twilight is reading again. I've had a busy day, so I say goodnight to everyone, then head up to my room. I haven't had a chance to do any guitar practice yet, so I spend an hour playing my guitar before I go to bed.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

This place...

Why am I here...? Is this...a dream?

"Do not fear. You are asleep in the real world."

Igor sits before me, Zecora to his left.

"I see you have begun to make new friends! That's good...it's important to make friends during the course of your journey. It is the bonds you share with others that will give you the strength to overcome the trials that lie ahead.

"I've summoned you here tonight to tell you that very soon, you will face an ordeal...a test of your inner strength. I believe you have the will to overcome the challenges fate has placed before you. I very much look forward to the outcome.

"Your birthday approaches, does it not? It is very curious that you are a Virgo...for a Virgo to have drawn the Fool...that is most intriguing."

"We will meet again. Until then..."
> 8/25 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will take great strides toward establishing new friendships today. Don't be afraid to speak your mind in awkward social situations.

"Seriously, Rainbow...put on a T-shirt or something before you come downstairs."

It's breakfast time at the dorm again. Again, Rainbow has come downstairs half-awake, rumpled, and in a loose tank top. It's actually worse today than yesterday because she isn't even wearing pajama bottoms, just panties.

Rainbow flips me off. Applejack snickers.

"Really, Flash," Rarity says, "whatever happened to being a gentleman?"

"Sorry, but I'd rather not have to get up and leave the room just because Rainbow can't remember to cover up her tits when she wakes up."

Twilight snorts and covers her mouth. I can't be sure, but I think I almost saw a smile.

Rarity chuckles. "He does have a point, darling," she says. "Like it or not, this is a co-ed dorm now...and really, you've developed some...oh, how can I put this delicately? Fairly deplorable habits about modesty."

"Ooh! Ooh! Remember that day she came to breakfast totally butt naked?" Pinkie says.

Rarity arches an eyebrow at Pinkie. "You're one to talk, you spent a whole day in your underwear."

"It was a bikini!" Pinkie protests.

I think I really, really love this dorm.

Rainbow sighs. "FINE. I'll be more careful about coverin' up from now on." She smirks at me. "Your loss." She pads back upstairs.

After breakfast, I join Twilight as she walks Spike.

"You know, that little scene with Rainbow could've gone really badly for you," Twilight says. "If everyone wasn't so tired of her doing that, they all could've turned on you."

"Yeah, I guess," I say. "I just don't wanna have to worry about...well..."

"Sneaking a peek and getting caught?" Twilight suggests. There's a teasing smile on her face.

"More like being accused of doing that," I mutter. "I've read enough comics where the guy in my situation gets called a pervert by every single girl he knows and goes through hell because of it."

Twilight giggles. "This isn't a comic, Flash. We all know Rainbow has bad habits. It's a miracle my brother hasn't walked in and seen something like that yet."

"You know, this is the longest conversation we've ever had," I say.

Twilight blushes and looks down. "You're the first person who's made a real effort to be friends with me," she says. "Everyone else just...doesn't seem to notice me."

"Maybe you need to make them notice you," I say.

"Maybe..."

Spike pees on my shoe. Twilight gasps. "Bad Spike! No!" She looks mortified. "Oh my gosh...Flash, I'm so sorry!"

I shrug. "At least he didn't hump my leg." I frown and shake my leg. "I'd better go change shoes. Meet you out here to walk to school?"

"Okay."

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Lunch

I eat lunch with Twilight and Pinkie again.

"So Flash," Pinkie says, "tomorrow's your birthday. What kind of cake do you want?"

I blink. "How'd you know?"

"Canterbook," Pinkie says.

"Oh, right." I shrug. "Eh, don't worry about it."

Pinkie gasps. "But you've gotta have a birthday party! With cake, and...and fun! And presents! And..."

"Seriously, don't go to any trouble," I say.

"Oh, it's no trouble, silly!"

"A birthday party sounds like fun," Twilight says.

I roll my eyes. "Okay, okay. And it doesn't matter what kind of cake. Surprise me." I have to admit, it'd be nice to have a little birthday party at the dorm.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / After School

I run into Twilight on my way out of the school building. "Hey Flash!" she says. "I'm headed to the book store before I go home. You wanna come with me?"

All the books and comics I own are back in Seaddle, and it'd be nice to have something to read, so I join Twilight.

"Come to think of it, you've always got your nose in a book," I say.

"I really love reading."

"What kind of books do you read?"

"Pretty much all kinds," Twilight says. "Reference books, novels, history books, classics...I read at least three books a week."

"Wow." I shake my head. "I read maybe one book every two weeks, if that. Well, and I read a lot of comics. Especially the ones from Neighpon." Twilight laughs.

When we get to the book store, Twilight runs off to a section full of big, thick books. I shake my head and search for the comics and manga section. I spend about half an hour browsing; the latest issues of two or three comics I follow are out, as well as a new volume of a manga I like. I also pick up the first volumes of two more manga I've never read, and a cool-looking graphic novel.

Once I'm done, I look around, but I can't see Twilight anywhere. Wandering around takes me to the store's guide, and something catches my eye.

I remember my recent dreams...

The Velvet Room. Igor. The Fool.

I find the shelves of books related to fortunetelling and such things, and pick up a book about Tarot. I also find several sealed decks of Tarot cards, and on a whim, I grab one.

As I leave that section, I see Twilight standing near the front of the store. She has a truly staggering stack of books in her arms. I walk over to her. "Think you got enough?" I ask.

She grins. "I think I can get by until Labor Day." She studies the comparatively pitiful armful of comics I'm carrying and espies the Tarot deck and book. Her brow wrinkles. "Tarot?"

"Something happened the other day...before I got here...that got me interested. I thought I'd do a little research..."

Twilight snorts. "Fortune-telling is pure nonsense. Cards are cards, stars are stars, horoscopes are silly nonsense..."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to read about it, even if it is nonsense."

Twilight's nose crinkles cutely, and she looks like she's about to retort, but instead, she shrugs. We head to the counter. The clerk here apparently knows Twilight very well, because she greets her warmly. We each pay for our books, then head back to the dorm. I offer to carry her books, which turn out to be insanely heavy. She seems embarrassed about it, because she winds up carrying mine.

When we get back to the dorm, Pinkie and Rarity are in the lounge. Rarity is reading a fashion magazine, and Pinkie is watching a silly cartoon while writing something in a notebook. They look up as we walk in. Pinkie gets this sly grin on her face. "Were you two on a daaaaaaate?" she asks.

Twilight turns red. "N-no! Of course not! We just went to the bookstore!"

"Together," Rarity observes, a pleased, catlike grin on her face.

Twilight practically throws my books at me, yanks hers out of my hands, and hurries upstairs. There's a bang as her door slams, followed by a startled bark from Spike.

"So innocent. So clueless. So sad." Rarity shakes her head. "Good luck, Flash."

I hang my head as I trudge up to my room.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015 / Evening

I decide to do the small amount of homework I have and read one of my new comics, then spend the rest of the evening in the lounge. I take my guitar, my Tarot book, and the Tarot deck with me.

Pinkie is still there, engrossed in her phone. Rainbow is in one of the recliners, her computer in her lap, watching television. None of the others are around. I sit down on the sofa, lay my book and Tarot deck on the living room table, unpack my guitar, tune it, and start strumming aimlessly. 

"Play 'Escalator to Elysium'," Rainbow says absently.

"Not on this old thing," I say. With a smirk, I strum the opening riff to "Opium".

Rainbow raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Well, I am from Seaddle."

I don't know how long I sit there, strumming bits and pieces of various grunge songs on my beat-up old acoustic guitar. At some point, Fluttershy has turned up, and is sitting and listening. Applejack wanders through, sits for a bit, then leaves to do whatever it is she does. Pinkie also gets up and leaves at some point, and Twilight wanders in and takes her place. I finish up my little session with "Smells Like A Pep Rally", then put my guitar back in its case and stretch.

"You're pretty good at that," Cadance says from just inside the doorway. When exactly she arrived, I'm not sure.

"Thanks."

Cadance looks around. "Where's everybody else?" she asks Twilight.

"Pinkie and Applejack are cooking, Rarity's upstairs."

Cadance nods. "Well, I just wanted to set up a new chore assignment schedule," she says. "Flash needs to pull his weight around here."

"Uhh, yeah," Rainbow says, "I vote for him doing his own laundry, and not doing any of ours."

"I agree," Fluttershy says quietly. "It's...it's embarrassing enough having other girls handle my...umm..." She turns red. "Or...or handling theirs..."

Cadance laughs. "I don't think that'll be a problem." She raises an eyebrow at me. "You're okay with that, right?"

"MORE than okay with that," I answer quickly.

"Actually, I was thinking of having Flash responsible for everything on the third floor, since he's the only one up there, and as far as stuff everyone can do..." She sucks on the inside of her cheek. "Well, adding him to the garbage detail shouldn't be a problem...Flash, do you cook?"

"Not unless you count microwaving frozen foods." I shake my head. "I can help with the cleaning and stuff down here, though."

Cadance nods. "That's fine. Okay, I'll put up the new chore sheets in the morning."

Pinkie suddenly appears out of nowhere. "Ooh! Nurse Cadance! You're coming to the party tomorrow, right?"

Cadance blinks. "What party?"

"Flash's birthday party!" Pinkie says.

"Wait, tomorrow's your birthday?" Rainbow asks. "Crap, dude! You shoulda said somethin'!"

"It's not that big a deal," I say.

"I'll tell everybody about the party at dinner," Pinkie says. "By the way, dinner's almost ready." She disappears as abruptly as she appeared.

"So, Flash, are you settling in alright? Any problems?" Cadance asks.

"I'm good," I say.

"Great! Well...I gotta run. Take care!" Cadance leaves.

Twilight picks up the Tarot deck I bought and unwraps it, flipping through the cards. "I still think you shouldn't waste your time on this silly stuff," she says.

"What's that?" Rainbow asks, leaning in curiously.

"Tarot cards," I say. "I've...taken an interest recently."

Twilight shakes her head as she holds up a card depicting a black-robed skeleton upon a white horse. The top of the card reads XIII. DEATH. "It's stuff like this that scares people into thinking all kinds of bad things are going to happen to them just because some silly old lady in a bunch of shawls with a fake accent goes booga-booga at them." She loses the Death card in the deck, then pulls out another. This one depicts a robed man standing in a garden, clutching a wand or something in his right hand. There's an infinity symbol floating over his head. This card reads I. MAGICIAN.

For a brief moment, the world seems to freeze; the color fades from my surroundings. As Twilight's fingertips touch the Magician card, a ripple of light flows from her fingers across the surface of the card.

Then, she's making some derisive comment about Tarot and losing the card in the deck, and everything's normal.

What the hell just happened? Did I imagine that?

"Flash? You okay dude?" Rainbow asks.

"Huh? Oh, uh...yeah. Yeah." I reach over and take the cards from Twilight, placing them back in their box. "Let me just...take this stuff up to my room. I'll be back in a minute."

Behind me, I hear Rainbow say, "I think you pissed him off, egghead. Maybe you shouldn't shit all over the stuff he's into, y'know?"

I don't hear Twilight's response. Once I'm in my room, I pull out the Tarot deck and find the card that...

I imagined that. Surely I imagined that.

I toss the deck carelessly on the bed. As it lands, a card slides out of the deck. It may not look the same, but the image is familiar. A man in simple clothes, his belongings slung over his shoulder, a dog at his heels.

0. THE FOOL

I shudder and head downstairs. Everyone's already heading into the dining room. I bump into Twilight at the dining room door, and she looks away sheepishly. "I'm sorry," she says.

"No, it's alright," I say. "You're right...the whole Tarot thing is pretty silly."

Pinkie and Applejack have put together a nice dinner spread. Everything looks pretty healthy and tasty. As we all sit down, Pinkie announces that tomorrow is my birthday and she'll be throwing a party. Conversation over dinner turns to school, classes, teachers, and such. I feel like I'm starting to get to know these girls a little better.

After dinner, I go back to my room to read some of my new comics and watch a little television. I decide to leave the Tarot stuff alone for now.
> 8/26 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today will be a day of transition for you. Everything you think you know will be tested and proven false.

Today is my birthday.

My phone is beeping. I have messages on Canterbook.




System Message
Happy Birthday from Canterbook!







New Message From: Pinkie Pie
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Don't forget, big party for your birthday after school!

New Message From: Rainbow Dash
Hey, happy birthday!

New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
Happy birthday, Flash!

New Message From: Rarity
Hope you have a splendid birthday!

New Message From: Applejack
Happy birthday!

New Message From: Fluttershy
Happy birthday!

New Message From: Nurse Cadance
Happy birthday, Flash! We'll be seeing you at the party later!




I send replies thanking everyone for their birthday wishes, then check the horoscope app. Today's horoscope is strange and daunting.

The horoscope app is blinking, and I remember that there is a special birthday horoscope feature. I tap the blinking icon and a new horoscope appears.

Birthday Horoscope (Virgo): You are going to die today.

I nearly drop my phone in shock. What kind of sick joke is this?

I go through my morning routine, all the while thinking about that horoscope. It really bothers me, and I think I should probably report this to the principal. Telling someone they're going to die...that's just sick!

When I walk into the dining room for breakfast, everybody wishes me happy birthday in person. Pinkie has a special breakfast laid out: waffles with maple syrup and whipped cream, sausage patties, fresh strawberries, and orange juice. I sit down and have breakfast with my friends, trying not to think about that bizarre horoscope.

"So, Flash," Pinkie says, "when you come back to the dorm after school, I need you to stay up in your room until I come get you. I'm gonna need time to set up the party, and everyone else is either gonna be helping me or shopping for a birthday gift for you."

"Uhh...okay, sure," I say. "I guess I'll get my guitar practice for the day in before the party."

"And homework!" Twilight says. "Don't forget your homework!" Everyone laughs.

"What would you like for your birthday, Flash?" Rarity asks.

"Oh, don't go to any trouble on my account," I say. "Really. Just the party and having...having friends to celebrate with me is enough."

"Oh nonsense, darling!" Rarity says with an airy wave of her hand. "It's no trouble at all, really. Well, I suppose we'll just have to surprise you."

Once again, I head out with Twilight after breakfast as she walks Spike. She seems pensive. "I did a little research online before I went to bed last night," she says.

"Yeah?"

She looks down. "I learned that Tarot isn't just about phony fortune-telling. It's also about symbolism. The Major Arcana are representations of a person's journey through life." She gives Spike's leash a subtle tug, pulling him away from the sidewalk and back into the grass. "For example, the Fool card represents—"

"The beginning of the journey," I say. "Innocence and the potential for growth and change."

"Oh, you've already read your book?"

I shake my head. "No...I just...heard that somewhere." I watch Spike sniff at an anthill. "I was too tired last night to get into the Tarot stuff."

"Oh, okay." Twilight pulls Spike away from the anthill. "And the Death card...it doesn't always mean literal death. It can mean change, or loss, or..." She trails off. "Well, it should all be in that book you got."

As she falls silent, I decide to confide in her about the strange horoscope I received. "So, you know that horoscope app on Canterbook?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, today I checked my birthday horoscope." I pull out my phone. "It...it's...weird." I pull up the app, and show it to Twilight.

Her eyes widen in horror. "That's...that's really not okay," she says. "You should show that to Principal Celestia. That kind of thing is totally inappropriate!" She smiles at me. "Don't let it get to you. Today's your birthday, you should enjoy it!"

I decide to find Principal Celestia and show her the horoscope when I get to school.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Morning

During the break between second and third periods, I head for the principal's office. As I walk, I take out my phone, open Canterbook, and pull up the horoscope app.




System Message
This app is currently down for maintenance.




"Huh. Wonder if somebody already reported it." Without the evidence of the strange horoscope, there's no longer any reason for me to visit the principal, so I head to class.

Besides, Principal Celestia probably already found out. That's probably why the horoscope app is down.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / After School

As soon as I get back to the dorm, I'm ushered upstairs by Pinkie Pie, who reminds me I'm not to come down until she fetches me. It's still only the first week of school, so homework still isn't taking very long. I finish it up quickly, then start practicing my guitar.

I've been at it for about an hour and a half when Pinkie comes up. "Are you ready to party?" she asks.

I smile and set my guitar aside. "Lead the way!"

The dining room is once against festooned with streamers and balloons, as well as a banner that says "Happy Birthday Flash!" The decor has spilled over to the lounge as well. There are wrapped presents piled up on the coffee table, and a number of folding tray tables have been set up. A Mexican buffet has been set up: there are tacos, nachos, and taquitos lined up in paper trays, with bowls and bottles of toppings such as cheese sauce, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and salsa. There are big bowls of chips and snack mix, as well as a bowl of colorful candy-coated N&Ns, and Supperware containers full of carrot sticks and apple slices.  There's a cooler of drinks sitting on two chairs. At the very center of the table, there's a big rectangle cake with lavender icing, with violet decorator frosting around...the...edges...

Oh, ha ha, Pinkie. Very funny.

"Happy Birthday Flash" is written on it in pink icing, and there are sixteen candles.

All the girls are here, as is Cadance, and they're all wearing shiny paper party hats. Everyone applauds as I walk in, and Pinkie puts a party hat on my head.

"Okay everyone, help yourselves to whatever, then head for the lounge!" Cadance says as she grabs a paper plate and piles it with apples, snack mix, and candies. I fix myself two tacos, some nachos, and a drink, then head for the lounge.

Once everyone's sitting in the lounge and has a tray table to put their food on, Pinkie hands me one of the presents. "This one's from me!" she says. The wrapping paper is bright, shiny pink foil. I tear into it; the box inside contains three manga I've never heard of and five small boxes of different kinds of candy.

"I figure everybody loves candy, and those are some really good manga," she says.

"Thanks, Pinkie," I say with a smile.

"Ooh, here's one from Twilight!" Pinkie says, handing me another package. This one is irregularly-shaped and a bit lumpy. I give Twilight a quizzical smile as I open it.

Inside is a dark grey windbreaker with two horizontal stripes across the middle: one white, one red.

Twilight ducks her head. "A couple of us snuck into your room while you were in the shower this morning and took a look in your closet. I noticed you didn't have a jacket. It's only a few weeks until it starts getting cooler, so..."

"Wow. Thanks, Twilight." I examine the jacket. It looks like a perfect fit. I stand up and try it on.

"Oh, it looks quite good on you," Rarity says.

"Do you like it?" Twilight asks.

"I love it," I say. I take it off and carefully fold it up, laying it down out of the way so it won't get anything spilled on it.

"That was a very thoughtful gift," Cadance says with a smile.

The next present, from Rarity, is a very expensive black silk shirt. "I couldn't quite swing some matching slacks this time," she says apologetically. "Still, I thought it would be nice for you to have something a little...dressy. Just in case."

"Thank you. Wow, this is nice."

Rainbow Dash got me a set of three Daring Do movies. Fluttershy's gift is a reusable metal water bottle with a belt strap. Applejack's gift is a book of guitar tabs for popular country hits. "Y'know, just in case you ever wanna play somethin' a mite different," she says. She also gave me a huge bag of dried, spiced apple slices and a belt buckle with my initials, so the guitar tabs must've been her idea of a gag gift.

Last up is Cadance, who gives me a suite of mixing software for my laptop. "I've heard you playing and I think you should record yourself sometime," she says.

"Wow, this is awesome," I say. "Thank you."

"There's one more present, but it'll have to wait until after cake!" Cadance says.

"One more? Who from?"

Cadance smiles. "Your parents."

There's a lot of food to eat and nobody wants it to go bad, so we spend the next hour or so stuffing our faces and talking and watching television and having a good time. Pinkie declares it's time to light the candles and cut the cake. We all migrate to the dining room, where Cadance dims the lights while Pinkie lights the candles. The girls all sing "Happy Birthday" to me. After I blow out the candles, Cadance turns the lights back on as everyone claps.

As Pinkie starts cutting the cake, Twilight shoots her a frown. "Uhh...Pinkie..."

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"I can't help but notice that the cake...well..."

I cough. "Ahem. I'm sure it never crossed her mind..."

"Wow, Twilight! I have no idea what you could possibly mean!" Pinkie says, trying and failing to sound innocent while covering her mouth with a hand.

Cadance blinks. "What?" Then she takes a second look at the cake. "Oh. Oh my."

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Real subtle there, Pinkie Pie."

Fluttershy looks around at the others. "What? I don't...what's everybody talking about? Oh, am I missing something again? Oh, I just know I should know what's going on..."

"Flash wants to 'eat' Twilight," Rainbow says with a shit-eating grin.

I facepalm.

"Rainbow Dash! Honestly!" Rarity says. However, she can't entirely suppress the giggle that's threatening to escape.

I grab a fork from the table, using it to cut off a large bite of the cake. I walk over to Rainbow and shove the fork into her mouth.

Rarity loses it and doubles over laughing.

"Oh-KAAAAY," Pinkie says, giggling as she cuts the cake and places a piece on a paper plate for each of us.

I sit down next to Twilight, whose face is beet red. "So, uh...how mad are you?"

"I'm not mad," she says. "Well, maybe at Rainbow Dash. Pinkie's little 'prank' is embarrassing, but I don't think she meant any harm by it."

Cadance sits down on Twilight's other side. She leans in close. "Is there something I should know about?" she asks.

"I've been hanging out with Twilight a lot this week," I say. "Walking Spike with her, going to the bookstore, sitting with her at lunch." I take a bite of cake, then continue, "I do have a crush on her. I told her that straight out the other day."

Twilight's blushing even harder now. "We're really just friends," she says. "I mean, I could...maybe...when I get to know Flash better. We haven't even known each other a week yet, and you know I don't really have many friends. I'm not...ready for a..." She ducks her head. "A boyfriend. Yet."

A twinkle enters Cadance's eyes, and she smiles in a way that scares me a little bit. "And the others are egging the two of you on?"

I look at the cake in front of me. "You could say that."

"Don't tell Shining Armor any of this, okay?" Twilight asks. "I don't want him acting all...big brothery."

"I won't say anything to Shining," Cadance says. "But I expect you to. When you're ready. You know, if something does happen."

There's a knowing look in her eye.

A little bit later, once everyone's had their fill of cake, Cadance leaves to get my present from my folks. The rest of us start cleaning up some of the mess, then head for the lounge.

Five minutes later, Cadance returns. "It...isn't wrapped," she wheezes. I turn, and I can't believe what I'm seeing.

"Oh, wooooooooow," Pinkie says.

It's a brand new candy apple red electric guitar, complete with a compact amp. She sets the guitar and amp down, then ducks back outside and returns with a gig bag and a medium-sized box. "The other stuff that goes with this is all in the box," she says. She drops heavily into one of the recliners. "Now, don't play it too loud, and no playing at night," she warns. "Well, except tonight. Or if the girls all want you to play. But keep it at a reasonable volume."

"Sure thing," I say. I pull out my phone, e-mail my folks a quick thanks, then hurry over to start setting up the guitar. The box has the amp cable, a whammy bar, and a wah pedal, as well as a box of picks. I tune up the guitar, then spend the next hour breaking it in while the girls listen, talk, and finish off the rest of the food.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Evening

By the time the party winds down, it's almost eleven at night. Twilight helps me carry my presents up to my room. She stands right outside the door, digging a toe into the floor and wringing her hands in front of her. "Well...goodnight, Flash. See you in the morning. Happy birthday...again."

"Thanks," I say. "Goodnight, Twilight."

She heads down the hall. I watch her until she reaches the stairs, then I close the door. I look over all the awesome stuff I got—especially my brand new guitar—and sigh contentedly. This was a pretty awesome birthday.

I put up my new stuff, then turn down the bed. I'm tired from partying so hard on top of a full day of school.

I'm just about to start undressing when my phone chimes. I pull it out and look at the screen.




System Message
A new app is available.




On the main screen of Canterbook, I see that to the left of the horoscope app, which seems to be working again, there's a new tile:





I've seen this before, of course. It's a Zodiac wheel. Is this a new horoscope app?

Whatever it is, I'm too tired to worry about it right now. I exit out of Canterbook...

...Canterbook won't let me exit!

The Zodiac tile begins glowing. The Zodiac wheel starts to spin. The wedge for Virgo starts flashing red.

A wave of dizziness washes over me...

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Zodiac

I'm in my room at the dorm, but everything looks wrong.

All the color has drained from the world around me. Everything is in shades of dark red and black. The usual noises of Canterlot are absent. There's a still, oppressive hush of white noise. It surrounds and pervades me.

A string of glowing text floats across the surface of my bed:

Did you see him hanging out with Twilight Sparkle? OMGLOL

It's almost immediately followed by another, which travels along the ceiling:

Loser's living in a girls' dorm, bet he's a fag

What the hell?!

Dude's so lucky, bet he gets so much pussy

All over my room, these glowing lines of text are floating and crawling all over the place. They're all terribly mean-spirited and cruel.

I open my bedroom door and head out into the hall. Even the hall is red and black, with nasty glowing words running around. I rush down the stairs to the second floor. I swore I'd stay off the girls' floor, but this is an emergency. I start pounding on doors and yelling. There's no response. All I can hear is the rush of white noise.

It takes me a minute to realize the text here is different. Shorter, more pointed phrases are hovering over each of the girls' doors.

Dyke

Prissy bitch

Crybaby

OMG so annoying

Inbred hick

Loser nerd

I run for the stairs, headed down to the first floor. I've got to get to Cadance. This is completely freaking me out.

The walkway that connects the dorm to the manager's apartment is past the dining room. I throw open the door and run down the short walkway, hammering on the apartment door. Once again, there's glowing text crawling across the door.

What a dork

 I heard he was a total loser in high school.

What does she even see in him?

She's a total slut

I hear she sucks every dick she sees

There's no answer. I run back into the dorm. My heart is pounding. I can't breathe. I lean against the wall just inside the door.

"Flash?!"

Cadance has just come up the walk. Her hair is a wet mess, and she's clutching a bathrobe around her body. Her eyes are wide and fearful.

"Nurse Cadance!" I yell. "I need help! I...I think I'm going crazy! Something's...something's wrong..."

"You need to get back upstairs!" she cries, looking around in terror. "Oh God..."

I notice her eyes are following the glowing text. "You...you see it too?"

Cadance turns and starts to run back to her apartment, but a red and black wall appears in her path, blocking her. "No!" she screams. "My phone! I can't—!"

"I've got my phone," I say. "Do you want me to call the police?"

"No, it's not..." She stops, puts a hand on her chest, and takes a deep breath. "Get upstairs. Hurry. It isn't safe to be here."

We run for the stairs. Another red and black wall springs up in front of the stairs before we can reach them.

Cadance presses her back against the wall behind her. "We're...we're trapped..."

"Bullshit!" I grab her hand and run for the front doors, throwing my weight against them. They burst open, and we topple out into the night.

The sky is a miasma of dark red and black. There is no wind, no moon, no stars. Everything is dark, except for the lines of glowing text which are floating freely in the dead, silent air.

"We shouldn't be out here!" Cadance cries. She turns and tries to run back into the dorm...

The door is blocked.

A low moaning fills the silent void.

"It's coming," Cadance whispers.

A patch of shadow writhes on the front walk. It stretches upward, dripping motes of blackness as it takes shape.

"The...HELL?!"

A figure towers above us. It's pitch black and shaped like a woman. A nude woman, but with no discernible..."features"...and an iron belt with a heavy padlock strapped over her hips and crotch. Heavy iron chains trail from this belt, attached to spikes driven into the ground. The left half of her face is concealed by a bright white mask with an empty black eye socket. The right half of her face shows a curved smile painted bright red; her right eye is milky white. Bright red blood flows from both her right eye and the eye socket of her mask, as though she is crying blood. A curtain of coppery red hair cascades down her back, pooling around her feet. The symbol for Virgo has been carved into her left breast.

"It's Virgo," Cadance says shakily. "The Virgin."

This can't be real. This has to be a nightmare.

"What...what's going on here?"

"It's a Shadow," Cadance says. "We're inside its world...we're inside Zodiac." Her eyes never leave the...whatever that thing is. She looks terrified.

I can't say I'm feeling very calm right now myself.

The monster's arms turn into inky, shadowy whips, which lash out at me. I cross my arms over my face, feeling the biting sting of those whips against them.

"RUN!" Cadance yells.

I break left, trying to run off into the trees where Spike likes to do his business. I hear the rattling of chains behind me.

Cadance screams.

I turn back around, staring in horror. The monster has grabbed Cadance by the neck and is holding her up, choking her.

No...!

I pick up a rock and run back toward Cadance and the monster. I hurl the rock as hard as I can. It strikes the monster right in the head; she turns and stares at me with those empty, bleeding eyes. She releases Cadance, who slumps to the ground, massaging her abused throat.

The monster's arms lash out again. Before I can move, she's grabbed me around the ankles. The world spins around me as I'm whipped through the air and slammed into the front wall of the dorm. Stars explode in my vision.

I fall to the ground. The monster's arms have retracted; she raises her right hand above her head and lets out a feminine grunt. The tang of ozone fills the air, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I feel a jolt...like static electricity times a thousand. My entire body goes numb. I try to stand up, but I end up flat on my face.

I don't know what's going on here. I don't know if this is real or if it's a dream. All I know is...

My horoscope was right. I'm going to die. I'm going to die, and then Cadance is going to die, and nobody will ever know what killed us.

I'll never see the smiling faces of my new friends again. I'll never sit down to breakfast with them. I'll never see my parents again. I'll never play my guitar again.

I'm Flash Sentry, sixteen years old, a junior at Canterlot High School, born and raised in Seaddle. Today is my birthday. Today I'm going to die.

The air around me begins to crackle.

I feel a pressure in my head...like something's trying to get out...

My phone starts chiming insistently.

Somehow, reaching my phone seems to be the most important thing in the world right now. More important than this impossible thing which is about to kill me, more important than the indescribable pain I'm feeling.

Somehow, I'm able to pull my phone out of my pocket. There's an image on the screen:





I've seen this before...

In the Velvet Room...

On the back of a card...

The pressure in my head is building. Something is screaming at me from inside my own mind.

A single word...over and over again...

"Per...so..."

I reach out and, just as the tingle of static electricity crawls across the back of my neck again, tap the screen on my phone.

"...na!"

The image on the screen explodes into fragments of blue light, and suddenly the pressure in my head is gone. The sensation of being shocked is gone. I'm able to push myself to my hands and knees, but only just barely.

I look up...and up...and nearly fall to the ground again.





Some...thing...is standing in front of me. It looks like a centaur, but...

Its body is a mix of shining gold and pale flesh. Its gold hooves are connected to its body by mechanical pistons and joints. Broad wings flare from the shoulders of its human torso, ending in massive feathers that look more like sharp blades. A gold helmet with a deep blue crest rests upon its head; pointed equine ears poke up around the crest of the helm. It's holding a funky-looking blazing axe. A cape which covers its horse half flutters in a nonexistent breeze. There's a coat of arms emblazoned across the cape...a blue shield with a stylized yellow lightning bolt.

It turns its head to look at me, and I feel like my brain is going to explode. Apart from its glowing eyes, its face looks...looks like I might look if I were some kind of cyborg horse...man...thing.

Thou art I... and I am Thou. From the sea of thy soul, I come...

What...?

I am the hunter, the bard, the reader of the stars...I am Chiron, come to lend thee my strength...

The monster...no...the Shadow...screams shrilly, her hair fanning out behind her. Chiron turns and paws the ground with a hoof, bringing his halberd to bear. With a snort, he charges; the blade of his axe flares brightly. He gallops past the Shadow, slashing her torso with the burning blade. She screeches; arcs of electricity pop, snap, and arc over Chiron's body. I feel the faint tingling of static as I watch.

Chiron slings his axe across his back and holds his left arm out; a bow appears in his hand. He draws back the string with his right hand as a glowing arrow forms out of nothing. He looses the arrow, which strikes the Shadow directly in her mask. She staggers, hands clasped over her face.

Chiron's bow vanishes, and he charges the Shadow full-force, tackling her with his massive body. The chains holding her down snap and she falls to the ground. Chiron unslings his axe and buries the blade in what I assume to be the Shadow's heart. With a final, ghastly scream, she explodes into boiling darkness, then fades into nothingness.

Chiron regards me with calm, steady eyes. He bows once, then fades out of existence. My phone goes dark.

The glowing text winks out, and slowly, the colors and sounds of the world return. Cadance walks toward me, her eyes wide and her face pale. "Flash?" she asks.

I try to say something...I try to stand up...

But I can't.

The last thing I see is the ground rushing up to meet me.
> 8/29 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

The round blue room and its two occupants slowly fade into view. I feel like I'm floating, as though I don't have a body.

The last thing I remember...

"You have been asleep in the real world for some time," Igor says. "It would seem awakening to your potential placed a great deal of strain upon your mind and body..."

"My potential?"

"I speak of course of the facade used to overcome life's hardships...or, as we call it, Persona."

Persona...

Chiron...

The Shadow...

"Did...did any of that...was it real?"

"Real is a matter of perspective. The mind creates and shapes reality." Igor lays a card on the table. The Fool. "Do you remember this card? You drew it the day we first met."

"I remember..."

"The Fool is an unusual card. Do you know why? It represents limitless potential. Most humans hold within their heart a single Persona. Whether they ever awaken to this power depends entirely upon the strength of their will. You, on the other hand...you hold within yourself a vast number of Personas. That, I believe, is why we were destined to meet."

"I don't understand any of this...what was that thing? What...happened?"

"I believe those explanations are best left to others," Igor says. "We have but a few moments remaining. I am at your service, to help you develop your potential...to help you call forth the many Personas which sleep within you.

"We will meet again soon. Remember that your friendships with others are the source of your strength..."

Saturday, August 29, 2015 / Afternoon
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll be asked to make a difficult choice today. What you decide will have profound consequences not only for yourself, but for others around you.

"Ah think he's comin' 'round, y'all..."

My eyes hurt like hell. My head hurts like hell. Basically, everything hurts like hell.

A forest of blurs swims in my line of vision. "Flash? Flash! You're awake!"

That was Twilight. "Not so loud," I say. "Headache..."

"Sorry!"

"Girls, could you excuse us?" That's Cadance. "I know you're worried about Flash, but right now it sounds like he needs a little time to get himself together."

"Do you want us to get the doctor?" Twilight asks.

"That'd be great," Cadance says.

I hear the girls leave. I try to sit up, but Cadance holds me down.

"I was starting to get worried," she says.

"What...happened?"

"You've been unconscious for three days," Cadance says.

Three days?!

"After your Persona killed that Shadow, you collapsed. You've been in the hospital since that night. It's Saturday afternoon now."

Persona...

Shadow...

"That was real?!"

"Yes," Cadance says.

My vision is starting to clear a little. I sit up slowly, and this time she lets me. "What the hell was that crazy crap?"

"I'll explain later," Cadance says. Footsteps are approaching.

A doctor enters and spends several minutes examining me. As my head clears, I realize I have an IV in my arm. The doctor injects something into the tube, and the pain I'm feeling dulls. My vision clears up a bit more, and my headache ebbs away into a dull throb.

The doctor leaves. Cadance smiles at me and squeezes my hand. "Now that you're awake, I should be able to get you out of here in a day or two. Rest for now. I'll be back later this evening, and then I'll explain everything."

Saturday, August 29, 2015 / Evening

I'm not hurting anywhere near as much when I wake up this time, but I still feel pretty crappy.

Twilight is sitting next to the bed. "Hey Twilight," I say.

She blinks. "Oh! You're awake." She smiles. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck, but I don't feel as bad as I did."

She looks down at me, worry on her face. "What...what happened?" she asks. "Cadance won't say anything except she found you unconscious...I think she isn't telling us the whole truth."

There's no possible way I can explain what happened to Twilight. Especially since I don't even understand it. "I don't know," I answer honestly. "The last thing I remember clearly was getting ready for bed after the party."

That part isn't strictly true, but everything that happened after the party is so confusing and strange...

"Twilight? You need to go back to the dorm now," Cadance says from the door. "I'll look after him, I promise."

Twilight looks hesitant, but nods. She takes my hand and squeezes it. "I'll see you tomorrow," she says.

As she leaves, Cadance takes her place. "She's been very worried about you," she says. "She spent most of the afternoon Thursday and yesterday here, and she's been here all day today. The others have been in and out too, but not as much as Twilight." She smiles. "It's pretty cute, actually."

I sit up. "You were gonna explain what happened," I say.

Cadance sighs, looking down at her lap. "Do you use the horoscope app on Canterbook?"

I nod.

"Did your birthday horoscope say something...strange?"

"It said I was going to die," I say. "I wanted to report it to Principal Celestia, but when I was on my way to her office, the app went down."

Cadance nods. "I thought so." She fiddles with her wedding ring. "My birthday is Valentine's Day. That afternoon, after school, I was waiting for Shining Armor...we were just engaged then, we got married in June." Her eyes are clouded. "My horoscope said I was going to die. I tried to show it to Principal Celestia too. The same thing happened.

"Anyway, I was waiting for Shining in the faculty lounge. I was alone. The Zodiac app appeared on my phone. And then..."

"And then...everything got dark?" I ask.

Cadance nods. "And the nasty messages started floating around. Just like the other night." She shudders.

"What was up with that, anyway?"

Cadance shakes her head. "I think...I think it's all the nasty things people say about you behind your back. You know, text messages, stuff they say to their friends when they think nobody can see it." She sighs. "Anyway...I was terrified. I couldn't find anyone. I couldn't leave the school. And then..." She wraps her arms around herself and starts rubbing her shoulders. "And then it started hunting me."

"That thing from the other night?"

"No...that was Virgo. The one that came for me was Aquarius."

"Aquarius..." I frown. "So what did you do?"

"I ran. I ran until it trapped me. I kept trying to call for help, but I couldn't get a signal. And then..." She looks up at me. "And then...I awoke to the power of Persona.

"I don't know how it works entirely, but...I was able to summon my Persona, Aphrodite. It isn't strong enough to fight Shadows, but...it helped me escape Zodiac.

"I was sick for two days after that. I wasn't sure any of it had happened, but...the Zodiac app was still on my phone, and for some reason, I was the only one who could see it. I couldn't convince anyone there was an app on Canterbook that..." She shakes her head. "Anyway...ever since then, I've been able to enter Zodiac at will through the app, and summon Aphrodite using the Persona app. I've been investigating Zodiac ever since. I don't completely understand it, but I've learned a lot." She looks up. "I stay away from the Shadows and use Aphrodite's scanning abilities to learn about them from a distance. I've learned that the appearance of Zodiac changes depending on where you enter from and what time of day you enter, and that there are many different types of Shadow. I've only sensed a few of the really strong ones, like Aquarius or Virgo. They're all dangerous, though. Also, the strong ones aren't always there. I think they only appear when they're attacking someone on their birthday." She looks me straight in the eyes and frowns thoughtfully. "You're the only other person I've ever met who can summon Persona. And yours can fight."

"Hey, I hope I never have to see that crazy place or any crazy monsters ever again," I say. "We nearly got killed!"

Still...even as I say that, I have to admit to myself that I want to know what's going on. What is Zodiac? What are Shadows? What is Persona, and why do I have this power?

"We're the only ones who know about all this," Cadance says. She looks away. "The Shadows...they've killed people. I've watched two people die in Zodiac. I couldn't help them."

People have died...

"Think it over, Flash," Cadance says. "You don't have to decide right away. Just...think about it."

She gets up and leaves. I have a lot to think about...
> 8/30 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, August 30, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will forge deeper connections with those close to you.

I don't really understand why people complain about hospital food. These pancakes are pretty good, and the sausage is a bit milder than I like, but it still tastes like what you'd have at home.

The little tub of orange juice is kind of a let-down, though.

Breakfast was half an hour ago, and they already cleared out my tray. Nurses have been in to poke and prod me and change my IV. I'm trying to find something halfway decent to watch on television when Twilight shows up. She's carrying my laptop bag. "Hey Twilight," I say.

"How are you feeling today?" she asks.

"Better. Mostly bored out of my mind."

"I have a solution to that." She unpacks my laptop and sets it up on the little hospital bed table. "I've asked all your teachers to send you notes and assignments over Canterbook so you won't be behind and have to catch up when you get back to school."

"Thanks," I say. Studying and homework isn't exactly my idea of fun, but Twilight has a point. Better to get it over with. "You'll help me catch up, right?"

"Of course!"

For the next hour, I feel like I'm in school, but I don't mind. Twilight is lecturing me on history, calculus, biology, and literature, moving from topic to topic so fast it's a blur. I don't mind that either, because her obvious enthusiasm for study and learning is...well...adorable.

"Hey egghead, you're supposed to be helpin' him get better, not puttin' him in a coma!"

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack just walked in.

"Some of us care about our grade point average and proper study habits, Rainbow Dash," Twilight scoffs.

"Y'all settle down now," Applejack says. "Ain't no call for friends t' be fightin'. Especially not in a hospital." She plops herself down next to my bed with a grin. "How ya feelin', pardner?"

"I've never missed school so much in my life," I say. "Or anywhere else. I can't wait to get out of here."

Applejack chuckles. "Well, Ah've got just th' thing," she says. She produces a brown paper bag and pulls an assortment of items out of it: a ripe, shiny red apple, a bottle of apple juice, and some kind of...pastry or something? Whatever it is, it's all wrapped up in plastic wrap. "A nice juicy apple, some of mah family's best apple juice, an' an apple brown betty!"

That's a heck of a lot of apple.

"So when are they lettin' you out of this lame place?" Rainbow asks.

"Probably tomorrow or the day after," I say. "So, have I been missing much at school?"

"Not really," Rainbow says. She doesn't quite look directly at me.

"School's...school," Applejack says. Her eyes are wandering all over the room.

I turn to Pinkie. She isn't smiling. "What aren't they telling me?" I ask her.

Pinkie sighs. "Sunset Shimmer's trying to spread a rumor that you caught an STD from one of us."

Rainbow coughs. Applejack facepalms. Twilight looks upset.

I roll my eyes. "Wow, that's pathetic." I frown. "Why's she even trying to spread rumors about me? I haven't even been at Canterlot High a week yet. I've never even talked to her!"

Twilight shrugs. "That's just how she is. She doesn't need an excuse to hurt people."

"That's really sad," I say. "Well, I'm not gonna let it bother me. I've got good friends who care about me, and she's got a bad attitude and two little trolls that are probably only hanging around with her thinking maybe they'll get laid."

Rainbow snickers. "Heheh, that's so true!"

"That ain't very nice," Applejack says. After a pause, she adds, "You're probably right though."

"You're right," Pinkie says. "She's not worth worrying about." She beams. "I'll have to throw a party when you come back to the dorm!"

The girls all stay and chat for a bit. After a while, they all leave...except Twilight. She seems subdued as she sits next to the bed.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I think I'm the reason Sunset Shimmer is trying to hurt you," she says.

"What makes you say that?"

Twilight sighs. "Sunset wants to be valedictorian when we graduate, but my GPA is higher and I'm taking more honors classes. She'd need to take two more honors credits and score higher than me on every test for the rest of this year and next. But she knows that'll never happen because I ace every test. I always have." She looks at her lap. "She's always hated being second best. She always wins at everything...usually by playing dirty. But this is one thing she can't win. So..." Twilight looks up at me, and her eyes are sad. "She's made it so...nobody wants to be my friend."

"She's been trashing your rep? Just because you're smarter than her?"

"Yeah..."

"That sucks! Why do you put up with it?"

Twilight looks away. "Because...up until recently, I didn't really care. I've never had many friends to begin with. I'd always rather study than spend time with people." She looks at me. "The girls in the dorm...I guess they've been my friends, more or less, for a while. Even Rainbow, in her own way. But I never...really made an effort to get to know any of them.

"And then you came. And you wanted to be my friend." She blushes. "Well, okay, you want to be my boyfriend, and..."

"Being your friend is enough," I say with a smile.

She smiles at me. "You're a bad liar," she says. "But thanks. Anyway...spending time with you has made me realize...I want to have friends. I want more out of life than just studying. Don't get me wrong, I'll never stop studying and learning and reading, and I'm still shooting for valedictorian, but..." She brushes a lock of hair out of her face. "I think I'm starting to understand something my brother and Cadance have been telling me for years. I'm starting to see how important having friends is." She reaches out and touches my hand. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Twilight..."

For a moment, the world freezes. The television, which has been on and muted in the background, goes still. Twilight's hair stops moving in mid-swing. Everything dims, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm being pulled into Zodiac.

But instead of the terror of that night, I feel a warmth. Behind Twilight, I see a faint image...





I hear a voice, whispering in my mind...


Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Magician Arcana...


And then, just as suddenly as it began, everything returns to normal. The television is working again, Twilight's hair is swinging as she leans forward, I can feel the warmth of her hand on mine, and hear her breathing.

What WAS that?

"Anyway, I'd better get going," Twilight says. "I've got chores back at the dorm, and I need to spend some time with Spike. He gets lonely without me. Talk to you later!"

"Later," I say.

Sunday, August 30, 2015 / Evening

Cadance drops by after dinner.

"Sorry I haven't been in today," she says. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think," I say. "I spent the morning catching up on some schoolwork with Twilight."

I tell her about the things Twilight told me about Sunset Shimmer.

Cadance sighs. "Yeah, I thought that's what was happening."

"Why isn't anybody doing anything about her?" I ask. The more I think about it, the more it upsets me.

"It's not that simple," Cadance says. "Apart from having very little proof..." She runs her hands through her hair. "Sunset Shimmer's father owns Canterbook. Their family has connections that run deeper than just Canterlot High School."

I groan. "You mean the real reason she hasn't been punished for bullying is because..."

"Yeah." Cadance shakes her head. "And Principal Celestia still thinks there's good in her. She still believes someone as talented and intelligent as Sunset Shimmer has to have merit." She throws her hands up. "She can be...a little blind sometimes."

"Wonderful."

"But the thing is...Sunset Shimmer only has as much power over you as you let her. That goes for your friends too. So...just don't let her hatemongering get the better of you, okay? You're better than that. So are the girls. Just live your lives and do your own thing...everyone else will see what you really are, and see that she's just trying to make trouble for you, and they'll stop paying attention to her." She smiles and pats my shoulder. "Anyway...I talked to the doctor before I came in, and they're discharging you on Tuesday. So just keep your chin up and catch up on your lessons. I've already asked your teachers to stream all of tomorrow's classes to your Canterbook account."

"Great, so I'll be in the hospital and at school at the same time."

Cadance laughs. "At least it's one less day of make-up work."

Once she leaves, I decide to get some sleep. I can't help but think about what happened earlier...

As I drift off to sleep, I wonder if it has anything to do with what Igor keeps telling me about friendship being my strength...
> 9/1 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 1, 2015 / Evening
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will make a critical resolution today.

The entire school day has come and gone, and the doctor has finally released me from the hospital. I was supposed to be out of here this morning.

Cadance is driving me back to the dorm. I'll be going back to school starting tomorrow.

When we arrive at the dorm, the girls and Shining Armor all cheer, and Pinkie tosses at least five pounds of confetti in the air.

This dorm certainly has lots of parties.

This time we're having another pizza party. As I take the "place of honor" in the lounge with a soda and a plate of pizza, Rainbow sits down across from me. "Well, it sucks that you missed soccer tryouts," she says.

"Eh, I'm not that good at soccer," I say. "I wouldn't have made the team anyway."

"You can still try out for the tennis team," Pinkie says. "You look like you'd be good at tennis."

"I'll think about it."

"You know, there's other things to do at Canterlot High besides sports," Cadance says. "You're all signing up for clubs next week, right?"

"Of course!" Pinkie cheers.

We spend the rest of the evening talking, eating pizza, playing games, watching movies, and having fun.

After everyone has gone to bed, I help clean up and go to my room. I've been in a hospital bed for days, so I'm a little restless. I can't practice my guitar at this hour, so I sit on the bed and open Canterbook on my phone. I spend a little while going through my friends' profiles, taking note of each of their birthdays.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in."

Cadance walks in. "Are you alright?"

I nod.

"Look..." she says. "About...what we talked about the other day...I don't want you to think I was trying to put any pressure on you. I—"

"It's alright," I say. I take a deep breath. "I've been thinking...I have this power for a reason." I look down at my phone, which is displaying Twilight's profile. Her birthday is later this month. "If...if these Shadow things are hunting people...killing people...and I have the power to stop it..." I look up at Cadance. "I have to do what I can."

Cadance looks relieved. "Thank you," she says. "You won't be alone. I'll be there to provide support."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Fool Arcana...


"Saturday, after everyone's gone to bed, we should go to Zodiac. You need to get some experience using your Persona, and it would be better to do it before the next Shadow, Libra, awakens."

I nod. "That sounds good."
> 9/2 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Tempers will run high today. Don't let it get you down. Everyone has bad days from time to time.

I was up half the night thinking, so I'm a bit listless this morning. I woke up after only a couple hours of sleep, so when Pinkie comes downstairs to start breakfast, I'm already sitting in the dining room with a spiral notebook which I've been doodling in for the past half hour.

"Hey Flash! You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," I say.

"Oooh. I hate that. You end up all groggy and RAAAAR all day long." She peeks over my shoulder. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Coming up with my little emblem thing," I say. The page is full of various versions of the same symbol: a shield with a lightning bolt.

"Huh. Cool. Well, I'm gonna cook breakfast now. I think I might make biscuits for everyone this morning, how's that sound?"

"Sounds good." I look up. "Come to think of it...you cook pretty much every day, don't you?"

"I love to cook," Pinkie says. "I mean, what I really love is baking, especially cakes and cupcakes and cookies. But I love cooking other stuff too." She disappears into the kitchen, and I continue refining the design, trying to make it look like what I remember of...of the coat-of-arms on Chiron's cape.

A little while later, I hear swearing from the stairs. "Where the f—oh, for...who the hell did the laundry yesterday?!"

That'd be Rainbow Dash. Making all the noise, I mean. I have no idea who did laundry yesterday.

I hear Rainbow pounding on a door. "Applejack! HEY, APPLEJACK! Get the hell up!"

I hear a door open. "Ugh, Rainbow...th' dang roosters ain't even up yet! What th' heck's yer problem?"

"I can't find my towel!"

"You woke me up this early over a dadgum towel?!"

"I kinda need it right now..."

"Why're you even up this early?"

"My room was all hot and sticky, okay? I couldn't sleep! Now where the hell's my towel?!"

"Ah dunno...didja check th' laundry basket? Ah mighta left it down there..."

"Could the two of you please stop yelling in the hall? SOME of us need our beauty sleep!"

"Hey, what's all the yelling out here?"

Pinkie walks in, sighing as she pours me a glass of juice and puts a plate of biscuits and sausage in front of me. "Looks like everybody's gonna be all RAAAAR today," she says before heading back to the kitchen.

Rainbow walks past, grumbling and muttering. I hear the muffled sounds of her bumping around in the laundry room, then more swearing. She walks into the dining room. "Hey Pinkie, you got an extra tow..." She stops talking as she spots me sitting at the table eating.

Well, I was eating. Now I just have a piece of biscuit in my hand. My brain's kind of locked up.

Rainbow is dripping wet and completely naked.

Holy crap, that hair color is natural.

Pinkie appears out of nowhere, wrapping a huge fluffy pink towel around Rainbow and pushing her out of the dining room. About two minutes later, Rainbow lets out a frustrated scream that shatters any semblance of early morning quiet that might have remained.

My brain unlocks, and I return to my breakfast.

A minute later, a sleepy, bedheaded Twilight shambles into the dining room, wearing blue pajamas and rubbing at her eyes. "Uuuuuugh....why's Rainbow making so much noise at this time of morning?" She peers sleepily at me. "Hey."

"Uhh...hey," I say, waving a half-eaten biscuit at her. "Pinkie's got breakfast ready..."

Rainbow storms into the dining room, still wrapped in Pinkie's towel, throws a shoe at me, then stomps off in a huff.

Twilight blinks. "What the heck was that about?"

"She uh...just walked in here naked," I say. I feel my face heating up. "I uh...I saw everything."

Twilight frowns. "You saw Rainbow naked?"

"It was kinda hard not to," I say. "I was sitting here eating breakfast and she just walked right in."

"Oh," Twilight says. She grabs a biscuit off my plate and tears it in half. "You'd think she'd know better."

Pinkie walks in and gives Twilight a plate. "Rainbow'll calm down," she says. "She's just totally embarrassed right now." She smirks at me. "Especially after what you were staring at."

Twilight coughs suddenly. "WHAT?!"

"Oh, I saw where Flash's eyes were looking," Pinkie says in a teasing tone. "Perv."

"It's not...I didn't—!" I fumble for something to say. "The color's natural! It's hard not to notice something like that!"

Pinkie giggles. Twilight stares at me, eyes half-lidded. Pinkie reaches over and grabs a lock of Twilight's hair, lifting the pink streak up. "FYI, this is natural too," she says, winking before she heads back to the kitchen.

Twilight splutters, face flaming.

I push my plate away and bang my head against the table a few times. "Is it too late to hit reset and get a do-over on this whole morning?"

One by one, the others come down for breakfast. Once I finish eating, I head to the lounge. It's still ridiculously early, so I pass the morning watching television and working on the coat-of-arms. It'd help if I could draw for crap.

Rainbow, now dressed—overdressed for a warm day like today, actually—shuffles into the lounge, looking surly. "Hey," she says.

"Rainbow, I'm sorry—"

She cuts me off. "Nah, it's my bad," she says. "You were mindin' your own business an' I was runnin' around like that..." She smirks. "Even if you did totally get an awesome show out of it."

"So we're cool?" I ask.

"Yeah, we're cool."

As it grows closer to time to leave for school, I join Twilight in walking Spike for the first time in a week. Spike barks happily and runs around my feet when he sees me, wagging his tail.

"Wow, I thought he didn't like me."

Twilight giggles. "I think he missed you."

Spike pees on my shoe again.

"Nope, that's a direct hit."

"Gah! Spike!" Twilight guides Spike away from me. "Flash, I am so, so sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. Really." I sigh. "This has been one crazy, messed-up morning..."

Twilight rolls her eyes and smiles. "Welcome home, Flash."

"Home. Yeah." I can't help but smile...

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Morning

My first day back to school is...tense.

It starts in my first class. A lot of kids are staring at me. I glance around the room and I see some of my classmates engrossed in their phones.

I remember what happened that night, a week ago. I remember Cadance's explanation. I wonder how many of them are texting each other, gossiping about me.

Mr. Turner walks into the room, still wearing his inexplicable conquistador helmet. "Alright, phones away," he says. He notices me. "Welcome back, Flash. Feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good." I notice half the class is staring at me. Their expressions are a mix of amusement, disgust, and suspicion.

Mr. Turner clears his throat. "Right, well..." He checks his computer. "Let's sign out of Canterbook, class..."

Between the lack of sleep the night before, the anxiety about Zodiac, and the realization that these rumors about me aren't something I can just brush off, it's hard to concentrate on classes. By the time the bell rings for lunch, I'm exhausted and frustrated and in a bad mood.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Lunch

The first thing I notice when I arrive in the cafeteria is my dormmates gathered at the table where I'd started eating lunch with Twilight and Pinkie last week. I can't help but notice a lot of kids giving me suspicious, dirty looks as I load up my tray.

I head over to the girls' table and sit down. The eyes following me are almost physically painful.

"This has been going on since Friday," Twilight says miserably, poking absently at her lunch with a fork. I can't even identify what's on her tray.

"Yes, we've...taken to sitting together. As a sign of solidarity," Rarity says.

"That an' all th' dirty looks we're gettin'," Applejack mutters, chomping into an apple.

Fluttershy shrinks into herself.

I'm starting to get angry. "This is stupid! What the hell is wrong with this school?!" I take a vicious bite of my hamburger.

"It's all her," Rainbow says. "She started that stupid rumor."

I shake my head. "No...no, there's more to it than that."

"What makes you say that?" Twilight asks, tilting her head.

Damn. I can't tell them what I know. I can't tell them what I saw in Zodiac. "Well...it takes more than just one nasty person spreading lies to cause all this!"

There's an uncomfortable silence.

"Well...you've got a point there," Rainbow says. "The rumors about me don't even have anything to do with Sunset Shimmer."

"What rumors?" I ask. I already know the answer.

Rainbow looks down at her tray. "I got into it with some of the guys on the soccer team last year," she says. "I...don't wanna talk about what happened, but...it got two guys kicked off the team. One of them got suspended." She sighs. "Their friends decided to get even with me. They started a rumor that...that I'm a..." She squeezes her eyes shut. "Lesbian." She looks around wildly. "But I'm not! You all know that, right?"

"Of course we do," Rarity says with a smile.

"Yeah, totally!" Pinkie says. "You've never hit on me even once!"

Rainbow blinks at her. "Uhh..."

I cough. "So some asshole guys started talking shit about you? How many people actually believe it?"

Rainbow sighs. "Most of the school."

"Funny thing is, it wasn't like this freshman year," Applejack says. "Ah mean, there's always been gossip an' rumors an' all, but...it didn't really start gettin' nasty like this until last year."

"Yeah, even Sunset Shimmer wasn't always like this," Pinkie says. "She's never been nice, but until last year, she just kept to herself. Then out of nowhere, she just started bullying people."

Nobody says much of anything for the rest of lunch.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / After School

School is over for the day. I stop by the bathroom before heading home.

I'm washing my hands when four guys crowd around me.

"So which one was it?" one of them asks.

"I bet it was Twilight. They say you spend a lot of time with her."

"How'd you catch something from that nerd? Is she like, secretly super-freaky?"

"Nah, I bet it was Pinkie Pie."

"Yeah, she seems like she'd be easy."

All day long, I've been putting up with people staring at me. I've been tense and on edge. I've been angry at the way this school's gossip and rumors hurt people I care about.

This...is more than I can take.

I grab the guy who called Pinkie easy by the collar of his shirt and punch him in the nose. Then I throw him at the guy behind him, the one who insulted Twilight. The others back up defensively.

"Listen, you assholes," I snarl. "Those girls are my friends. They have done nothing to you. They have done nothing to anyone. And I don't care what you heard from that bitch Sunset Shimmer, nothing like that happened. What makes you think it's okay to go around talking shit about girls you don't even know?"

The guy I punched stands up, wiping blood from his nose. "Tch. We were just askin' a question. Loser."

"Yeah," one of the others says, "why you gotta be like that? You're the luckiest guy in school, havin' all that pussy right there in the same dorm..."

I've had it with this. I push one of the guys out of my way and leave.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 / Evening

I go straight up to my room when I get back to the dorm. I collapse on the bed, not bothering to take my clothes or even my shoes off.

I don't know how long I just lie there. I don't know if I was awake the whole time, or if I fell asleep. A knock on the door brings awareness of the world back to me.

The door opens slightly, and Twilight peeks in. "Flash?" She sounds concerned. "Are you okay?"

I sigh. "Hey Twilight."

She walks in. "You didn't come down for dinner...we haven't heard you practicing your guitar..." She frowns. "You don't look so good."

"I'm just exhausted." I sigh. "Today...really sucked."

Cadance walks in. "Flash?" she prompts gently. "You need to come downstairs...Vice-Principal Luna is here. She wants to have a word with you."

"Vice-Principal Luna?" Twilight asks. There's a note of fear in her voice. "What—?"

I stand up and follow Cadance downstairs. Twilight follows behind me.

The rest of the girls are gathered in the lounge, along with Shining Armor, who has a stern look on his face. Seated in one of the recliners is a woman with pale blue-grey skin and long, wavy hair in two shades of blue. A black crescent moon pin is affixed to the lapel of her blouse. She doesn't look terribly happy.

As soon as we enter the lounge, she stands up, folding her arms. "Flash Sentry?" she asks.

I nod.

"Four students came to my office after school. They claim you assaulted three of them in the restroom."

Twilight gasps. "There's no way Flash would...!"

Vice-Principal Luna holds up a hand to silence her. "Well, Flash?"

I stare right into her eyes, willing myself to be calm. "Did you know your students are spreading rumors about the girls in this dorm?" I ask.

Luna frowns. "Flash, I'm here about an assault—"

"There's a rumor going around that I was in the hospital because I caught a disease from one of these girls," I say. I wave my hand around at the girls for emphasis.

Luna stops short. "Is...is this true?"

"It's true," Rainbow says with a scowl. "The rumor, I mean. Not the...other thing."

Luna frowns. "Be that as it may...I'm here to address the matter of an assault on students."

I explain, in detail, exactly what happened in that bathroom. Twilight looks horrified. Pinkie's hair falls limp. Rainbow has a satisfied smirk on her face. Rarity looks grim. Fluttershy looks terrified. Applejack's eyes are narrowed. Cadance has her hands over her mouth.

Shining Armor looks pissed.

"So yeah, I got pissed off," I say. "I was tired, I was frustrated, I was angry. They pushed me over the edge. I couldn't take it. Those jerks saying stuff like that about my friends..." I look down, feeling my hands ball into fists. "I just couldn't take it."

Luna's mouth is set in a thin line. "Thank you for clearing this up, Flash. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you would come to me or my sister when such...filth is being spread about one or more of our students."

"I will."

"That goes for the rest of you as well," she says. "As for this incident...I'll be having words with those four boys tomorrow." She gives me a warning look. "I'll overlook what happened today, but if it happens again, I won't be so lenient next time."

"Thank you," I say. "I promise, it won't happen again."

Luna nods. "Goodnight, everyone."

As soon as she leaves, everyone lets out a tense breath. Pinkie jumps up and hugs me. "Our hero!" she says.

Rainbow grins. "Didja break his nose? Please tell me you broke his nose!"

"You don't happen to...know the names of those four guys?" Shining Armor asks.

"Sorry, Coach."

Shining frowns. "Well...at least I'll know to look for a guy with a jacked-up nose tomorrow. I can at least put one of them through hell." He stands up and claps a hand on my shoulder. "Good job, kid."

Cadance frowns. "Shining...don't encourage this. This was not okay."

I sigh. "Yeah...I totally lost my cool. I'm just so..." I shake my head. "Why do people have to go and say stuff like that?"

Twilight gets up, walks over, and hugs me. "I'm sorry your first day back was so awful," she says.

"Alright...it's getting late, so I want everyone upstairs," Cadance says. "Flash, you should eat something before you go to bed. They tell me you skipped dinner."

Everyone leaves. I head into the kitchen and make a sandwich, which I take up to my room. I should probably get a few things to put in my mini-fridge. After I finish eating, I try to do my homework. It's hard to get my mind off everything else, and I have a feeling I'm not going to get very good grades on any of it.

It's half past ten when I turn off the lights and go to bed. It's nearly midnight by the time I finally get to sleep.
> 9/3 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Honesty is not always the best policy.

There's a change in the atmosphere at school today. Where yesterday was scornful stares and a tense atmosphere, today nobody is looking at me. I look around the room, and faces turn away from me. Most of the class looks...afraid.

Mr. Turner is late to class. When he arrives, there's a grave expression on his face.

"Everyone, sign into Canterbook," he says.

We all do so. There's a countdown.

When it hits zero, a streaming video window opens. Principal Celestia appears, seated behind her desk.

"Good morning," she says. "It has come to my attention that there are a number of disturbing and frankly disgusting rumors going around about several students. The severity of these rumors led to a confrontation on school grounds which ended, I am sad to say, in violence.

"Vice-Principal Luna has investigated the situation, and determined that the instigators of yesterday's incident are entirely at fault. One student has been suspended for three days. Three others have a week's detention.

"I want to make it clear to everyone: rumors of the kind that have been going around lately will not be tolerated. This is a school, and every student and teacher in this school deserves, and will be treated with, respect and dignity. If either myself or my sister catches wind of this kind of malicious gossip circulating again, the perpetrators will be dealt with severely."

The stream ends. A faint ripple of noise fills the room.

"Right then," Mr. Turner says. "Now that that's out of the way, let's try to learn some history..."

Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Lunch

The girls seem to be happier today. We're all sitting together at the same table, just like before, but none of us are getting the ugly looks from yesterday. In fact, nobody seems to want to look at them. Or me. There's an aura of shame in the cafeteria.

The only person glaring daggers at us is Sunset Shimmer.

"A lot of people have been coming up to me and apologizing in the halls," Twilight says.

"Me too," Pinkie says. The others nod agreement.

"They've all just been avoiding me," I say.

"Well of course, darling," Rarity says. "The entire school knows about your little scuffle in the boys' restroom. I'm certain more than half of them knew about it before they even went to bed last night."

I sigh. "Wonderful."

"Eh...it just means they'll leave you alone for a while," Rainbow says. "It'll blow over." She frowns at her lunch. "After those rumors about me bein' a lesbian started goin' around, people didn't wanna talk to me. They got over it." She looks over at the jocks' table and sighs. "They'll get over this one too."

"Wait a second," Pinkie says suddenly. "If everybody thinks you're gay, why is this whole thing even..." She scratches her head. "I mean, I get why it landed on me and Twilight, but aren't you kinda...immune?"

Twilight groans, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Pinkiiiiiiiiie..."

"But you know," Rarity says somewhat loudly, "it would go a long way towards killing these ugly rumors once and for all if the whole school knew why you were in the hospital." She gives me a pointed look. "You haven't even told us that yet. And don't say you don't know."

They're all looking at me expectantly. This isn't good. "Uhh...can it wait until after school?" I ask.

Rarity and Twilight frown. "I suppose so," Rarity says.

Crisis averted for the moment.

Thursday, September 3, 2015 / After School

Before I leave school, I swing by the nurse's office.

"Hello, Flash!" Cadance says, smiling. "How was your day?"

"Better," I say. "Listen...I have a little problem."

"Oh?"

"The girls want to know why I was in the hospital, and I don't think they're gonna let me off the hook. I told them I'd tell them after school, but I can't tell them the truth. So..." I shrug helplessly. "I thought maybe you'd have some idea."

Cadance sighs. "I was afraid of this," she says.

"I hate to lie to the girls, but...I can't tell them I had the crap kicked out of me by some freaky shadow monster."

"The best excuse I can come up with is anemia," Cadance says. "It probably wouldn't hold up to scrutiny, but I think you can sell it."

"Thanks," I say.

Remembering that I wanted to stock some food in my room, I decide to go by the small grocery store a couple blocks from the dorm before heading home.

Thursday, September 3, 2015 / Evening

I'm sitting in the lounge practicing my guitar. One by one, the girls have been coming home. Applejack is the last to get in, carrying two big bags of groceries.

"Okay, Flash, spill it right quick," she says. "Ah gotta put this stuff up an' get dinner started, an' we've waited long enough."

"Right," I say, setting my guitar down. I tell them the story I've been rehearsing in my head since I left school:

"Turns out I was anemic and didn't know it," I say. "I was working myself too hard the week before I left Seaddle and wasn't eating right. I've been pretty busy ever since I got here too, so..." I shrug. "I was pushing myself too hard, wasn't eating right, and didn't know I had an iron deficiency. That's pretty much it."

"Well shucks, why didn't ya just say somethin' sooner?" Applejack asks. "T'ain't nothin' t' be embarrassed about." She rolls her eyes, then heads for the kitchen.

Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy seem to accept my explanation without question, and go about their business. Twilight, however, is watching me, and has that little crinkle to her forehead. I still haven't known her very long, but I do know one thing:

She's not buying it.
> 9/4 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 4, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll meet someone today who needs a helping hand. It's in your own best interest to be a friend to this person.

"Hey Flash!" Pinkie says when I come downstairs for breakfast. "Tryouts for the tennis team are this afternoon. Are you gonna go for it?"

"I'm not sure yet," I say.

"Well...think it over," Pinkie says. "I was on the team last year." With a teasing grin, she adds, "It's co-ed~!"

Hmm. Cute girls in short skirts...

I guess I could use the exercise.

Friday, September 4, 2015 / After School

Tryouts for the tennis team are fun, but exhausting. Pinkie is a natural, and looks really cute in her tennis outfit.

There are roughly ten guys and ten girls present. After an hour and a half of matches and drills, the coach calls a halt to practice.

"Okay! Good job, everyone! I'll put up the list of who made the team on Canterbook. Everyone who's on the team, we meet on Wednesdays and Fridays after school."

I made the team!

"That was fun!" Pinkie says. "Congratulations on making the team!"

"Thanks," I say.

"I'm gonna hit the showers," Pinkie says. "I'm all sweaty and gross. Ew!"

She hasn't broken a sweat at all...

As for me, I'm sweating terribly. I sit down on the benches to catch my breath and towel off.

"Umm...excuse me...would you like something cold to drink?"

I look up. A girl is standing nearby, hands cupped against her chest, holding a bottle of sports drink. She's very short, with pale cream skin and light green eyes. Her seafoam green hair is cut in a short, cute pageboy style, and her round, cute face is red. She's wearing a short-sleeved white shirt with a red collar and baggy red shorts, as well as white tennis shoes and red socks.

She ducks her eyes. "Umm...I'm the team manager...my name is Coco..." She thrusts the bottle at me, trembling. "Here!"

I accept it. "Thanks," I say. "You're the team manager, huh? Are you a freshman?"

"Umm...I'm a s-sophomore," Coco says meekly.

"THERE YOU ARE!" a girl's voice roars. A tall girl with pinkish-lavender skin and reddish-brown eyes storms up. Her dark lavender hair is swept artfully in front, while in the back it's tied into a long ponytail, save for three highly improbable, tightly curled knots that stick up from the back of her head. She's wearing a tennis outfit, and has three buttons sewn onto the hem of her skirt, each a different color: purple, light yellow, and pale blue-green.

Coco lets out a frightened squeak.

"WHAT are you doing standing around when there's work to be done?" the other girl snaps. "There are loose balls everywhere, the school rackets need to be put back in the equipment closet, and you don't want to keep me waiting for my mango smoothie!"

"S-sorry!" Coco stammers. "I-I'll get r-right on it!" She rushes off and starts scooping up loose tennis balls.

The tall girl turns her attention to me, flipping her bangs. "You've got pretty good skills. Been playing long?"

"First time, actually."

"Oh, really? Well, I'm Suri Polomare, and I'm the team captain." She smooths out her skirt. "I'm the ace of Canterlot High, hmhm, mmkay? Just come see me if you need any lessons, hmhm, mmkay."

"I'll...keep that in mind."

Coco trips and falls against the fence with a loud clamor. Suri turns and lets out an irritated snarl. "YOU! MANAGER! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!"

"S-sorry!"

"Idiot," Suri groans. She heads off for the showers.

Frowning, I walk over and start helping Coco pick up loose balls. "O-oh! Y-you don't have to...i-it's alright..."

"Don't worry about it," I say. "Why do you let her yell at you like that?"

"W-well...she's a senior...and she's the team captain, and...well..."

"That doesn't give her the right to treat you like crap."

I help Coco put away the equipment. "Th-thank you for helping me," she says. "Oh! I-I'd better go get the captain her smoothie..."

"Let her get it herself," I say. "If she gives you grief, just tell her you're not her slave."

"I-I'm not...I c-can't..." Coco stammers. She looks down. "I...I'm not brave..."

"You don't have to be brave," I say. "She can't hurt you. She's just loud and bossy. Just ignore her." I smile. "And if she does try anything, I've got your back."

"R-really?" Coco asks.

"Sure." I offer my hand. "Friends?"

She smiles shyly and timidly takes my hand. "F-friends...I...I'd like that..."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Hermit Arcana...


With my help, Coco is finished and gone before Suri comes out of the locker rooms, and I shower and head home.

Friday, September 4, 2015 / Evening

"Whoo!" Rainbow Dash says as she walks into the dorm, stretching. "Three day weekend!" She flops on the sofa in the lounge and turns on the TV. "Time to veg!"

"You're not planning to waste the whole weekend doing nothing, are you?" Rarity asks.

"Of course not," Rainbow scoffs. "I'm gonna have fun!" She changes channels. "But tonight, I'm gonna chill in front of the TV."

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Well...I suppose relaxing on a Friday evening after a stressful week of school is appealing..." She looks up at me. "What about you, Flash? Any plans?"

"Just the usual," I say. "Reading, guitar practice...might go out and buy a tennis racket tomorrow." I grin. "I made the team."

"Awesome!" Rainbow cheers.

I go upstairs and get in a little guitar practice before dinner. After dinner, I sit in the lounge with the girls. Fluttershy has her little white bunny rabbit, Angel, in her lap. Rarity's fat, grumpy cat Opalescence is curled up in a basket in the corner, glaring at the room at large. Spike is curled up by Twilight's feet.

Rarity has a sketchpad in her lap. That jogs my memory. "Hey Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"I've come up with an emblem. Well, more or less. I may need a little help with the finishing touches."

"That certainly won't be a problem," Rarity says. "Would you like me to help you add it to some of your clothing?"

"That'd be great. If you have the time, I mean."

"I'm not especially busy this weekend," Rarity says.

"Awesome, thanks." I run upstairs and get my own notepad, then come down. I show the cleanest, best sketch I've got to Rarity. "It needs to be...a little more even than this...this part should be blue, this should be very light yellow, almost white..."

Rarity examines it and nods thoughtfully. "Yes...I see. I believe I can even this out for you."

Once she's finished cleaning it up, it looks almost exactly like what I saw that night. "Looks great," I say.

"Let me see!" Pinkie exclaims, grabbing the notepad from Rarity. "Mm-hmm...uh-huh...nice!" The others take turns looking at it. Fluttershy offers to make a Canterbook icon out of it for me.

The rest of the evening passes quietly. Rarity asks me to lay out a few (clean) clothes to put the emblem on in the morning, and Fluttershy e-mails me the finished Canterbook icon.

I'm uploading the icon to Canterbook when I get a new message.




New Message From: Nurse Cadance
Don't forget, we're going to Zodiac tomorrow night.




I reply, then head up to bed.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Igor sits across from me, Zecora to his left. Zecora is holding a thick, leather-bound book.

"I've noticed you've begun forging bonds with those around you. These bonds will help you develop your potential.

"When next we meet, you will come to this place of your own free will. You are about to discover the many Personas that sleep within the sea of your soul. Here in this place, I will help you awaken the new Personas you've created through your bonds. In turn, they will help you open paths to ever stronger Personas."

"When you awaken new Personas on your own, bring them to me, and I will fuse them into new, stronger Personas."

Zecora speaks up for the first time I can recall.

"This tome is a guide to the sea of your soul. Recording your inner growth within is my role."

"You will understand all of this soon enough...return here when you obtain new Personas." Igor smiles crookedly. "I look forward to our next meeting."
> 9/5 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, September 5, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may not think you're being watched, but you are. You should exercise vigilance and caution today.

I decide to sleep in late since it's Saturday.

After showering and getting dressed, I select a few shirts from my closet and take them downstairs to the lounge. I then head into the dining room, where two boxes of donuts and a pot of coffee are on the table. The only one in the room is Twilight. As usual, she's absorbed in a book. Her face is covered in donut glaze. With a smirk, I grab a napkin and walk up behind her.

"Don't even think about it," she says.

"Think about what?" I ask innocently.

"Whatever you were thinking about," she says.

"I was thinking you've got donut crap all over your face and it's bad for your skin," I say, handing her the napkin.

She blinks. She reaches up and touches her face. She blushes. "I think I'll just go wash my face," she says.

I grab a donut and pour some coffee. It's still warm.

Rarity walks in. Her hair is as meticulous as always, but today she's wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt. She's also barefoot. I raise an eyebrow. "Laundry day?" I ask.

She frowns. "What? I'm relaxing today. I can dress casually if I want to." She grabs a cup and pours some coffee, stirring creamer and low-calorie sweetener into it. "So, did you pick some clothes for me to work on?"

I nod. "I left them in the lounge."

"I may have to go out and buy material for the patches," she says. "I don't really have much room to store fabric here at the dorm."

"There's really no rush," I say.

"Oh, don't fret," she says with a smile. "This is the sort of thing I do to unwind, after all. Fashion and sewing and design...it's my life, really. I plan to open my own boutique one day."

"That's cool," I say.

Twilight walks back in, face clean. I check the time on my phone. "So, is everybody already up and doing...whatever it is they do?"

"Everyone except Rainbow Dash," Twilight says as she sits back down. "She'll probably sleep until noon." She picks her book back up. "Fluttershy's gone to the park with all our pets, Applejack's brother picked her up a little after sunrise, and Pinkie has a part-time job on Saturdays." She gestures at the donuts. "Hence the donuts and coffee."

"Pinkie Pie has a job?" I ask, incredulous.

"She spends Saturdays working at Sugar Cube Corner. It's a little cafe run by a nice couple. It's a pretty popular hangout." She sips her coffee. "Mrs. Cake is pregnant, and weekends are pretty busy, so Pinkie Pie started working there to help out. Sometimes she works Sundays too."

"What was that about Applejack's brother? Did something happen?"

Rarity shakes her head. "Sweet Apple Acres is about an hour's drive out of town. That's why Applejack lives in the dorm and her little sister is homeschooled. Nobody in her family can afford to spend four hours a day hauling them back and forth to school."

I grimace. "Not to mention that'd be a heck of a lot of wasted gas."

Rarity nods. "But since it's a three day weekend, she's going to spend it at home with her family."

"That's cool." By this point, I've eaten three donuts. I grab one more and pour some more coffee; it's starting to get cold and nasty.

"So, you said something about going shopping today?" Rarity asks me.

I nod. "Yeah...I need a tennis racket."

Twilight looks up. "Oh, that's right. I heard you made the team. Congratulations."

"Thanks." I finish my coffee and wipe my hands with a napkin. "Hey, wanna go shopping with me?" I ask Twilight. "We can maybe swing by the bookstore while we're out...grab some lunch..."

Rarity quirks an eyebrow and smiles behind her coffee cup.

Twilight shrugs. "Sure, I was just planning on reading today. Actually, I could use a few more books..."

A half hour later, we head into town.

Saturday, September 5, 2015 / Daytime

"It's important to choose a racket that has a comfortable, ergonomic grip and the right tension on the strings," Twilight says as I examine a rack of tennis equipment at the local sporting goods store. "Also, you don't want to get the cheapest they have, but you also don't want the most expensive. The expensive ones are either for professionals or are overpriced because of the brand name or celebrity endorsements. You want to pick one that's somewhere in the middle."

"Anything else I should know?" I ask with a lightly teasing tone, smirking at her.

Twilight blushes. "Sorry," she says, putting her hands behind her back.

Once I've chosen a decent racket, we head for the bookstore. I buy some more comics and an adventure novel. Twilight buys a half dozen thick books. After that, we head to McBurger for lunch.

Twilight is a terribly messy eater. The donut glaze at breakfast was bad enough, but she manages to get so much ketchup on her face she looks feral. And the crumbs...crumbs everywhere!

Funny thing...thinking about it, she isn't usually this messy back at the dorm, or at school.

She must have noticed me staring at her, because she ducks her head and grabs a napkin, wiping her face. "I must look like a total pig," she says with a sheepish giggle.

"Nah, not a total pig," I say. "But seriously, what's up with you today?"

She blushes. "Eheh...sometimes I..." She looks at the messy napkin and grimaces. "Sometimes I just...have piggy moments. Usually when I'm eating junk food."

"I see..."

After lunch, we head back to the dorm. I spend most of the afternoon practicing my guitar in the lounge. Twilight is there listening and reading. Fluttershy comes back in the middle of the afternoon with Spike, Opalescence, Angel, and two animals I haven't seen before: a tortoise in a little red wagon and a tiny alligator that's sitting on the tortoise's shell, staring vacantly with huge, bright purple eyes. Rainbow spends half the afternoon shuffling around the dorm barefoot and wearing baggy shorts and a loose tanktop; she's on laundry duty today and doesn't look terribly happy about it.

"Are you sure you have a crush on me and not Rainbow?" Twilight asks sharply after the third time Rainbow wanders past. "You sure are staring at her enough."

"I can't help it," I say, trying not to sound defensive. "I see a cute girl, I look. It's hard not to when I'm surrounded by cute girls."

Twilight arches an eyebrow.

"B-but...that's not all I care about, of course," I say hastily.

"Uh-huh," Twilight says.

Saturday, September 5, 2015 / Evening

A little while later, Pinkie comes home, carrying huge bags of Chinese takeout. She looks tired...well, relatively speaking. A short while later, everyone (minus Applejack) is in the dining room.

"I'll have your shirts finished up tomorrow, Flash," Rarity says as she breaks apart a set of chopsticks.

"Thanks," I say. I turn to Pinkie. "So, how was work?"

"Exhausting," Pinkie says. "I never thought I'd be sick of whipped cream, but I topped off enough lattes today to float a battleship."

After dinner, I grab a book and sit in the lounge. A little over an hour before curfew, I receive a text from Cadance.




New Message From: Nurse Cadance
Say you're going out for a walk, then head over to CHS




Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie are the only ones in the lounge. "I'm...gonna go for a walk," I say.

Twilight frowns. "It's awfully late, isn't it?"

"I won't be gone long," I say. "I just need to stretch out a bit."

"Do you want some company?"

"Nah, it's cool. Thanks anyway."

I leave the dorm and walk to the school. Cadance is waiting in front of the statue in the courtyard. There are some things leaning against the statue: a knapsack and a fire axe. "What's with the axe? Are we breaking into the school?"

"Of course not," Cadance says. "I...I know your Persona will be doing the fighting, but...I thought it might be a good idea if you had something to protect yourself with. Just in case."

I pick up the axe and test its weight. "Alright, I'll buy that. Will this even work on Shadows, though?"

"It should." She hands me the knapsack. "Here...there's some bandages and ointment and stuff. Again, just in case."

I sling it over my shoulder. "So, we're doing this?"

She nods, pulling out her phone. I pull mine out as well. I'm about to open Canterbook when something catches my attention:

My phone has another new app on it, which has appeared out of nowhere. A glowing blue door...

The Velvet Room?

"Ready?" she asks, pulling me back into the moment.

I take a deep breath and nod. We both tap the Zodiac app...

The world goes still and dark...

Saturday, September 5, 2015 / Zodiac

Canterlot High looks like an edifice of blood in the red-black stillness of Zodiac. Once again, the crawling text is everywhere.

Man I wanna tear his balls off

Fuckin snitch

See Nurse Cadance if you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours lol

"Ignore it," Cadance says, hugging herself tightly and looking down. "Just...ignore it." She sighs and slides the Persona app onto her phone's screen. "I'll have to provide support from here...I can't really move around once I call Aphrodite." She takes a deep breath and touches her phone. "Persona!"

The card image on her phone explodes into glowing blue fragments, and Cadance is surrounded by a pillar of light.





A giant, heart-shaped crystal clamshell appears in the air above Cadance. Standing inside it a gorgeous woman with pale skin and impossibly long hair, in the same three colors as Cadance's, but translucent and crystalline, which fans out all around her, just barely covering her otherwise bare breasts. The only article of clothing she wears is a wispy sarong wrapped loosely about her hips. A tattoo of a crystal heart is positioned just below her navel, with a pair of gold branches tattooed on her stomach surrounding it—I recognize it as the same crystal heart brooch Cadance wears almost every day. She has a serene expression on her face, her eyes are closed, and a large, glowing pearl hovers above her outstretched hands.

I stare at Cadance's Persona. "Whoa."

I hear what sounds like radio frequency static, then Cadance's voice is echoing in my head. //Can you hear me?// she asks.

Huh? "How are you doing that?"

//I don't really know,// Cadance says. //I just...know it's something I can do, somehow.//

"Well, it's working."

//Good. I'm not picking up any strong Shadows, but this is your first time exploring Zodiac, so be careful, okay? Remember: don't summon your Persona until you need it to defeat a Shadow.//

"Got it." I look around. "So, um...where do I...?"

//Go inside the school,// Cadance says. //The front doors are open. Be careful, there are Shadows inside.//

"Right." Holding the fire axe at the ready, I walk up to the front entrance and open the doors. I walk through and stand in the entrance hall. The inside of the school looks just as creepy as the outside. Almost immediately, the glowing text starts parading around the walls.

This school sucks

Celestia can eat a dick

I wanna kick Luna's ass

Interesting.

//I'm picking up a Shadow on your left.//

I turn to the left and creep along the wall, wary and alert. Up ahead, illuminated by the glow of a rather vulgar text about Principal Celestia, I see a bulging mass of shadows which appears to be moving along the floor.

Suddenly, the shadowy mass turns around, letting out a rumbling gurgle as it splits into three writhing blobs. Ghastly hands sprout from each blob, along with a pale mask fixed in an expression of sorrow.

//I'm detecting three Shadows! They're not very strong, but don't let your guard down!//

One of the Shadows launches itself forward, swiping at me with its claw-like hands. I dodge and bury the blade of my axe in its mask. The Shadow collapses like a souffle, scattering into a black mist which fades away with a rush of noise.

The other two Shadows slurch back warily. One of them starts to glow a faint blue.

A terrible, numbing cold surrounds me. I look down to see ice crystals forming on my arms and the handle of the axe.

//Are you alright?//

"Yeah," I grunt. I won't lie, it hurts, but compared to what Virgo did to me on my birthday, it's nothing.

//The enemy's weak against fire. Try summoning your Persona.//

I pull out my phone and tap the Persona app. "Chiron!"

The card on the screen of my phone explodes into glowing blue fragments, and Chiron emerges in a rush of blue light. Snorting steam, he raises his flaming axe into the air. He swings it at the nearest Shadow, loosing a tiny fireball which engulfs the Shadow. It lets out a hideous screech as it melts into nothingness.

The third Shadow screams in terror and flees, melting into a dark wall. Chiron fades from view. I let out a shaky breath.

//Good work!//

"Thanks." I set my axe down to rub warmth into my arms. Once I'm ready, I pick up the axe again and make my way carefully down the hall.

A short while later, Cadance warns me that another Shadow is nearby. I press my back to the wall and look around warily. A blob of darkness drips down from the ceiling above me. As it falls, it morphs into the shape of a head without a face. Long, tangled hair grows out of it, topped by a giant crown that's twice as tall as the head itself. A butterfly mask with the Roman numeral II stamped on one of the wings covers the top half of the "face". It bobs in the air, regarding me stonily.

"Hey Cadance? This one's...different."

//I'll see what I can find out.//

It's hovering out of reach, so I can't hit it with my axe. I summon Chiron once more; he unleashes another fireball. The flames singe the edges of the Shadow, but it remains intact. It returns fire; I brace myself to be burned, but the flames impact Chiron, who braces the attack stoically.

//It doesn't look like fire is much good against this one...//

"No kidding!"

Chiron stows his axe and, just like that first night, pulls a bow out of thin air, firing an arrow of light at the floating Shadow. The arrow pierces it just beneath the mask, knocking it out of the air.

As the Shadow lands on the floor, I rush past Chiron and smash my axe right into its mask. The Shadow melts away into inky nothingness.

Chiron salutes me with his axe and disappears again.

I'm starting to feel winded. My arms ache, and my heart is pounding.

"I can't be this out of shape," I huff. "I didn't feel this bad after an hour of tennis practice yesterday!"

//Hang on a second,// Cadance says. I lean against the wall to catch my breath. //Flash! I think using your Persona to fight places physical and mental strain on you. Your Persona seems to draw its strength directly from your mind and body.//

"Great...so what does that mean?"

//It means you probably shouldn't spend too much time fighting Shadows. At least, not until you get used to this power.//

In the time we've been talking, I'm already feeling less winded. "I think I want to spend just a little while longer here tonight," I say.

//Are you sure?//

"Yeah...I'm okay," I say.

//Alright, but stick close to the exit,// Cadance says. //You won't be able to leave Zodiac if there are Shadows nearby.//

"Aren't there any out there with you?" I ask.

//Most of the Shadows I've seen only appear in enclosed spaces. It's only the ones like Virgo that show up anywhere they want. I'm not sure why that is.//

I look around and notice the glowing text. It seems to be ignoring me entirely; every text message streaming past me is about Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna, or some other teacher. I tell Cadance this.

//I've notice that too,// she says. //It's strange, because out here, it's all still about me.//

I remember something from that night...

"Hey, the night that first Shadow appeared, I tried to wake up the girls. The stuff on their doors was insulting them. And the stuff on the door to your apartment was insulting you and Coach."

//Hmm. That's interesting.//

Suddenly, two more of those blob-and-mask Shadows erupt out of the wall right in front of me. Without wasting any time, I tear into them with my axe. One hit each is all it takes, but the second one actually manages to claw at my arm before I kill it. Cursing, I sit down and rummage in the knapsack, pulling out a roll of gauze.

//Are you alright?//

"Yeah, just a scratch." Once I've bandaged my arm, I get up and walk back toward the entrance.

Cadance gasps. //Be careful! There's a Shadow right inside the entrance, and it's stronger than the others!//

As I near the entrance, I see...a table.

It's a freaking table.

A square, four-legged wooden table with a checkered tablecloth. There's a mask affixed to the tablecloth on one side, with the Roman numeral I engraved into it. Above the top of the table, four objects are dancing...or being juggled? A sword, a gold coin, a wand, and a shining cup.

"What the fuck?!"

//Flash!//

"No. Seriously. It's a table. A flippin' table."

The sword dancing above the table suddenly darts out at me. I narrowly dodge; it cuts a shallow gash in my right arm.

"Oh hell no. I am not getting beat up by a goddamned table." I charge forward, letting out a yell as I raise my axe over my head and smash it into the table.

The blade skids off without even leaving a mark on the tablecloth.

"Nngh..." I try again, hacking away at one of the legs. It's no good. I can't even chip the thing.

The wand floating over the table points at me, unleashing a blast of wind that sends me tumbling down the hall.

//Careful!//

I gingerly push myself to my knees, pulling out my phone. "Persona!"

Chiron appears. He charges the table, bright flames wreathing his axe. He slams the blazing axe into the table.

Nothing happens.

//It doesn't look like fire is any good against this one!//

"Well if chopping it with an axe doesn't kill it, and fire doesn't kill it, what the hell does?!"

//Give me a second, I'm trying to find a weakness!//

The table slams Chiron with another blast of wind. As Chiron is sent flying, I double over, clutching myself in agony. That...that really hurt!

//I've got it! Its weakness is...oh no...//

"What? What is it?"

//It's weak against ice! But...//

"But all I've got is fire."

Chiron turns to me and shrugs helplessly, then disappears.

The table's sword lashes out at me again. I manage to parry with my axe, but my strength is flagging.

I need to get past this stupid table! But how...? If only I had some way to exploit its weakness...

Just like that night, I feel a pressure in my head. It feels different...it feels...cold?

My phone's screen flashes. I look down at it. The Persona app's card image flips over, revealing...





I tap the screen. "Persona!"

The Magician card explodes into shards of blue light, and...

Hee-ho!





What.

There's a fat little snowman...jester...thing standing between me and that obnoxious table.

I'm Jack Frost, hee-ho! Chill out and let me take it from here, hee-ho!

//Uhh...Flash? What...what's going on? I'm picking up a strange reading...//

"I'm...not entirely sure..."

Is...is this what Igor meant?

Is this...really...another Persona?

The table tries to impale Jack Frost with its sword. Jack Frost laughs as it dances out of the way, making goofy faces at the table. Then, it takes a deep breath and breathes a thick plume of frost and snow at the table. The stuff dancing around in the air falls flat as a thin crust of ice forms over the table. Jack Frost snaps his thick, stubby fingers, and the table explodes into shards of ice and tendrils of blackness.

Jack Frost vanishes, and the Persona app on my phone returns to normal.

//Are you okay? What happened? I'm not picking up the Shadow anymore!//

"It's...it's dead," I say. "I think...that's enough for tonight."

I'm sore all over. I'm exhausted. My head is killing me. With the way clear, I trudge toward the doors and leave the school. As I do so, the normal colors, sounds, and smells of night return, and Cadance rushes over to me.

"Let's...let's go home," I grunt.

It turns out Cadance drove over to the school, so I ride home with her. She's glancing at me worriedly on the drive home. I pull out my phone to check the time. "Huh. That can't be right."

"What?"

"It should be a lot later than this. I was in there for a while..."

"Oh, about that." Cadance pulls up to the dorm. "Time doesn't pass normally in Zodiac. It's like...when you're inside Zodiac, everything stops. Or...maybe it's more like..."

"Zodiac exists outside of normal time?"

"Yeah, that's a good way to put it."

"That's good to know."

Cadance enters her apartment through the back way. I go into the dorm. Twilight is sitting in the lounge.

"Were you waiting up for me?" I ask.

She opens her mouth to say something, then stops. Her gaze drifts to my bandaged arm, and she gasps. "Oh my God! What happened?"

"Just a scratch." I yawn. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

I can tell she wants to ask more questions, but right now, I just want to sleep...I'm completely exhausted.
> 9/6 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, September 6, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll become closer to someone you care about today, but that closeness will come with a price.

I'm still tired from last night.

At breakfast, Rarity informs me that she'll have my shirts ready by the end of the day, and if I have any extra clothes I want worked on, she'll still have time to do some of them before Tuesday. I tell her I'll look and see. I have to do laundry first...

Rarity and Pinkie both ask me how I hurt my arm. Twilight seems to be upset that I'm just sidestepping the issue.

There's a new message on my phone.




New Message From: Nurse Cadance
Are you alright? I may be able to get hold of a better weapon for you for next time. If you want to go back in again, I mean. We should wait a while.




A better weapon, huh? Sure, I can go for that. I reply, then round up my dirty clothes and head for the washing machines.

Sunday, September 6, 2015 / Daytime

I decide to read in the lounge while my clothes are washing. Twilight is also in the lounge reading. She's dressed pretty much the same way she was the day I first met her. "Are you ever going to tell me how you hurt yourself last night?" she asks.

"I told you, I just got cut on something," I say. "Accidents happen."

She frowns. "How did you manage to get it bandaged before you came home? You weren't gone long enough to have gone to the emergency room...or even a pharmacy..."

Okay, Twilight, enough is enough.

I think back to last night. The key to battle is to find the enemy's weak point and exploit it. I look at Twilight.

Attack the enemy's weak point...

With a smirk, I get up from my chair and walk over to Twilight. She looks up at me uncertainly.

I crouch down in front of her...and tickle her bare feet.

"H-hey...? Eek!" She squirms, pulling her feet away from me. "C-cut it out!"

I lean in closer and start tickling her belly. She wriggles around, flailing her arms and laughing. "S-stop...! Heheheh...Flash, knock it off!"

After countless seconds of tickle torture, I back off, flopping down next to her. She smooths out her shirt and tosses her hair. "What the heck was that all about?" she asks.

"I can't help it. I see cute bare feet, I want to tickle them."

Twilight lets out an adorable little squeaking noise and whaps me with her book. "Weirdo," she says.

Pinkie comes downstairs, and she looks upset. "Twilight! You've gotta see this!" She's brandishing her phone at us.

"What's up, Pinkie?"

Pinkie holds her phone in front of Twilight. I lean in to look.

It's a video of Twilight at McBurger. It's been dubbed over with pig noises.

Twilight turns pale.

I'm disgusted and angry. "That's sick." I look up at Pinkie. "Who posted this?"

"No idea. It was posted anonymously." Pinkie frowns. "But I'm guessing it was Sunset Shimmer or one of her stooges."

Twilight buries her face in her hands. "Oh God..."

I gently pull Twilight to her feet and wrap my arms around her. "Shh...it's alright." I guide her over to the couch and sit with her for a while, consoling her.

Shining Armor walks in. He spots us and frowns. "What's going on?"

"Someone posted a...very wrong video of Twilight online," I say. "She's really upset."

Shining's expression changes to one of concern and anger. "What kind of video?"

It doesn't take me long to find the video with my own phone. I show it to him. He snarls. "What the hell?"

Twilight buries her face in my shoulder.

"We're pretty sure it was Sunset Shimmer," I say. "She's been bothering Twilight for a long time now. Either she did it herself, or got one of those two guys she hangs out with to do it for her."

Shining frowns. "Snips and Snails? Yeah...I don't like those two. I'll...I'll lean on them Tuesday in gym class." He sighs. "Thanks for telling me about this. And..." He looks away awkwardly. "Thanks for...for being here for Twiley."

After Shining leaves, Twilight looks up at me, sniffling. She wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Her eyes are red and puffy. "Th...thank you," she says.

"You don't need to thank me," I say. "I care about you."

Sunday, September 6, 2015 / Evening

The mood at dinner is subdued. Twilight is still upset about the video. Rarity has to take Pinkie's phone away from her to keep her from refreshing the view count.

This has to stop before it gets any worse.

"Okay everyone, into the lounge," I say once the dishes are cleared away. "Especially you, Twilight."

"What's up, Flash?" Pinkie asks. Twilight looks at me curiously.

I herd everyone into the lounge, then load up the funniest movie I can find on our streaming service.

After twenty minutes, we're all laughing. Twilight has cheered up considerably. She's sitting next to me on the couch, leaning against me.

"Thanks, Flash," she says. "I...I needed this."

"So you're feeling better?"

She sighs. "I'm still upset over what happened," she says. "And...and on Tuesday, I'm going to have to put up with a lot of teasing at school. But...I know I can count on my friends to help me." She smiles at me.

Later, as I'm getting ready for bed, Shining Armor walks into my room. "Hey Coach," I say.

He leans against the door frame. "I just want to know...is something going on between you and my sister?"

I shrug. "We're friends," I say. "But I want to be more. I really like her."

He nods. "I kinda thought so." He squares his shoulders. "Just...watch yourself around her, alright? If I find out you—"

A pink hand lands on his shoulder. "That's enough of that." Cadance pokes her head over his shoulder and smiles at me. "You can trust Flash. And you should trust Twilight."

Shining sighs. "Yeah. You're right." He turns and leaves. Cadance shakes her head at his back, then looks at me.

"Don't pay any attention to him. That's just what big brothers do." In a quieter voice, she adds, "I heard about what happened. Is she okay?"

"She will be."

Cadance sighs. "Celestia can't possibly ignore this."

"We can't prove Sunset Shimmer had anything to do with this," I point out.

"Yeah..." She looks down. "Well...goodnight."

I have a lot on my mind. It takes a while to get to sleep.
> 9/7 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, September 7, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take stock of your life today. You may discover something about yourself.

Today is Labor Day. There's no school.

Cadance and Shining Armor have decided to take us all out for brunch this morning. There's a buffet place that's open early and serves all kinds of good food: heaps of scrambled eggs, croissants, ham, bacon, sausage in patty and link form, bagels, crepes, Pranch toast, regular toast, omelettes, biscuits, Trottingham muffins, waffles, hash browns...it's a thing of beauty.

We're all seated around a pair of large tables we've pushed together. Everyone has heaped their plates with massive amounts of food—even Rarity and Fluttershy, who are usually fairly light eaters.

As we all start in on our food, Cadance asks, "So, Flash...how are you liking Canterlot so far?"

I smile. "I love it here," I say. "I won't pretend there aren't things that could be better, but..." I look around at the girls. "It's way better here than back in Seaddle."

"Y'know, I don't think you've ever actually told us why you left Seaddle," Pinkie says, heaping eggs and sausage on a biscuit. I'm more than a little surprised at the complete lack of anything sugary on her plate.

"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow says. "I mean...all we really know about you is you're an awesome guitar player and you've got a thing for Twilight."

Everyone leans in close.

I shrug. "There's not really much to tell. My folks are on an extended research project in Zebrica. They're studying recent changes in the migration habits of some or other something...I don't really know much about it. I know they're also part of some project about charting the spread of certain diseases that most of the rest of the world usually doesn't need to worry about." I gesture with my fork. "There aren't exactly any top-notch high schools where they are, and they didn't want to leave me all by myself in Seaddle, so they decided to send me to Canterlot."

"What about your friends back home?" Twilight asks.

I look down at my plate. "I...didn't really have any friends back there," I say. "I mean, yeah, there were a couple guys I'd hang out with, and a college student I got together with on weekends for jam sessions, but...I was never really close to anyone." I sigh. "Not even my folks."

"That's awful," Fluttershy says quietly.

"It never really bothered me," I say. "I had my comics, I had my guitar...I kept myself busy." I chuckle. "Actually, in Seaddle, it's good to have stuff you can do indoors by yourself."

"Why's that?" Rainbow asks.

"Because of the rain, right?" Twilight asks.

I nod. "It rains like, all the freaking time up there." I chuckle. "They say Seaddle's only known for three things: coffee, grunge, and rain. It's pretty much true."

"Wow, that must suck," Rainbow says.

I shrug. "Eh. It is what it is." I take a sip of juice. "Anyway...the last couple of weeks here in Canterlot have been..." I smile. "I've never spent so much time with other people...with friends...before." With a cheeky grin, I add, "And the girls in Seaddle don't compare. The only girl at my old school that comes close to being as cute as all of you was this chick named Sonata, and she's a total airhead that confuses everyone who tries to talk to her."

Twilight blushes. Rainbow smirks. Fluttershy ducks her head over her plate. Pinkie giggles. Rarity smiles and tosses her hair.

Cadance laughs. "Well that was smooth," she says as she spreads jelly on a biscuit.

"So, Flash, are you signing up for the music club tomorrow?" Rarity asks. "It would seem to be your thing..."

"Hmm. Maybe."

"I've been trying to get Fluttershy to join," Rarity says. "She has the most incredible voice..."

Fluttershy squeaks and ducks her head. "I...I don't...like people hearing me sing..." She pokes her fingers together. "Besides, I...I'd rather volunteer at the animal shelter..."

For the next forty minutes or so, we all eat and chat idly, talking about clubs, sports, classes, and all sorts of things. I feel like I'm really getting to know everyone better.

Monday, September 7, 2015 / Evening

We have another big dinner at the dorm. Nobody ate lunch, since we all stuffed ourselves at brunch. Shining Armor spent half the afternoon grilling burgers and hot dogs, while Pinkie and Cadance worked in the kitchen, making homemade fries and onion rings. While all this was going on, I set up my guitar in the lounge and played for a while, with the others sitting and listening. Rarity worked on the last of my outfits while listening to me play; most of my shirts now have the shield-and-lightning emblem on them.

Twilight is noticeably trying to eat neatly. In my opinion, she's trying a little too hard. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash is getting ketchup everywhere.

We're all stuffed, and there are still leftovers. It's dark out when Applejack returns, looking happy and a little more tan. She helps herself to some of the leftovers and tells us all about how much fun she had on the farm with her family, her favorite apple trees, and her old farm dog Winona.

Today was a good day. I had a lot of fun, a lot of good food, and I feel like I've gotten a little closer to everyone here.

I think back to what I told the girls this morning, about my old life in Seaddle. Even with the strange things that have been going on here, I have to say I'm happier now than I've been in years...
> 9/8 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be wary of people you meet today, but don't shut them out. Keep a close rein on your temper today.

After breakfast, I go with Twilight to walk Spike.

"Are you nervous?" I ask.

Twilight sighs. "Yeah. That video's had a lot of time to go around now. Today's...not going to be fun."

Spike whimpers.

I put my hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Twilight nods and smiles at me.

On our way to school, I overhear two girls talking.

"Club signups are today. I'm thinking about Art Club."

"I think I'll check out the Drama Club. I'd check out Music Club, but..."

"Oh God, her...yeah..."

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / Morning

A couple of guys in the back of Mr. Turner's class are laughing. They notice me walk in, nudge each other, and crowd around my desk.

"Hey, Flash...it must be tough, huh?"

I look up. "What must be tough?"

The other guy chuckles. "Your girlfriend's a pig, dude. Heheh, oink oink..."

I groan. "Get lost, loser."

"Don't talk so tough, pigfucker! We can kick your ass!"

I stand up and slam my hands on the desk. They flinch.

The whole class is staring at us.

I take a deep breath. In a loud, clear voice, I say, "Yes. Twilight occasionally has bad table manners. But a nice girl with bad table manners is a hell of a lot better than two assholes who shit out of their mouths."

The room fills with "oooohs" and chuckles.

The two jerks stare at me, then look around at the rest of the class. "You...!"

"Problem, boys?"

Mr. Turner and his helmet have arrived.

"Sit down, I'm about to start class."

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / Lunch

At lunch, a lot of people are staring at Twilight, snickering, and making pig noises. She barely has any food on her tray, and what little she has, she's picking at it halfheartedly.

Two girls walk over, giggling. "Hey, Twilight Porkle," one of them says. "We thought you might need this." She tosses a bib in front of Twilight. The two girls explode in bitchy laughter and walk away.

I start to stand, but Rainbow Dash beats me to it. The whole cafeteria is treated to a bizarre, somewhat frightening display as Rainbow tackles the two girls to the ground, pins them down with her knees, and starts violently pulling their hair.

"Oh Rainbow, why?" Twilight moans, burying her face in her hands.

The cafeteria is in an uproar. Applejack's eyes widen. "Whoa nelly."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Principal Celestia storms in, walking rapidly over to the scuffle on the ground. The bitch twins are screaming and screeching, and Rainbow is swearing up a storm. Everything slows to a halt as Celestia walks up. Rainbow looks up at her, gulps, and lets the girls' hair go.

"Rainbow Dash," Celestia says in a stern, deadly tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

"She just jumped us and started...started trying to..." one of the girls sniffles.

"Call the cops! She needs to be arrested!" the other wails.

Celestia crosses her arms. "Young lady, I demand an explanation."

"Umm...excuse me...Principal Celestia..."

I never saw Fluttershy get up from the table, but she's standing next to Rainbow.

"These two girls...they came over to our table..." Fluttershy looks at the two girls, who glare spitefully back at her. "They...they called Twilight...'Twilight Porkle'...and threw this at her." She holds up the bib.

"She's lying!" One of the girls says, throwing up her hands. "We—"

Celestia holds up a hand. "Enough." She looks at Fluttershy. "Is this true?"

"Yes."

Celestia looks over at our table. She walks over, frowning. "Did those two girls insult you, Twilight?"

Twilight nods.

"They sure did," Applejack says.

"We all heard it," Rarity adds.

"This kind of thing's been going on all day," I add. "I'm even getting crap over that stupid video."

Twilight's eyes widen in horror. "They're...they're bullying you too?"

I shrug. "I can handle it. I'm more worried about you."

Celestia frowns. "The video Nurse Cadance brought to my attention?" She pinches the bridge of her nose. "I don't know what's going on with this school lately..." She looks over at Rainbow and the bitch twins. "You two. Detention for the rest of the week. Rainbow Dash..." She sighs. "I'm sorry, but I can't let two incidents of assault pass, even if it was provoked. I'm sorry, but...you're suspended for three days."

Rainbow bows her head.

Celestia looks around. "All of you, listen carefully: the kind of behavior I've been seeing lately is completely unacceptable. You're old enough to understand that your words and actions affect others. I don't want to hear of rumors going around about students' private lives. I don't want to see humiliating videos of students circulating, or hear of people bullying them because of it. If I have to start sending you kids back to kindergarten to learn to behave, so help me that's what I'll do." She fixes the entire cafeteria with a stern glare, then stalks off.

Once she's gone, we all get up and gather around Rainbow. "Rainbow...I'm so sorry..." Twilight says.

Rainbow waves her off. "It ain't your fault," she says. "I blew my top. I shoulda known better." She sighs. "See you guys back at the dorm. Don't worry about me. I wanna hear about club signups when you all get home!"

As Rainbow leaves, I sneak a look at Sunset Shimmer's table. She's wearing a smug, self-satisfied grin.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / After School

Afternoon classes feel heavy and slow in the wake of the cafeteria incident.

I don't think I'm really in the mood for it, but I decide to swing by the music club room.

There are about fifteen students in the club room, many with instruments. Several of them look away as I walk in.

"Well well, if it isn't the new kid."

A girl with pale blue skin and long, wavy platinum hair walks over to me, examining me from every angle with her dark purple eyes. She wears a blue hoodie and a purple skirt embroidered with a star-tipped magic wand and a wisp of glittery blue smoke, and has a blue guitar in one hand.

"And what makes you think you're worthy of joining the Canterlot High Music Club?" she asks.

A girl with mint green skin and silvery hair groans. "Give it a rest, Trixie." She smiles at me. "Come on in. Are you joining?"

I nod. "I was thinking about it, yeah."

"Cool. Do you play anything?"

"Guitar, actually."

Trixie scoffs. "Hah! The Great and Powerful Trixie doubts you even know how to tune a guitar, much less play one."

There are a few electric guitars in the back of the room. I grab one, wipe it down, plug it into an amp, tune it, and start playing one of my favorite songs.

Trixie's jaw drops.

When I'm done, everyone else applauds. "You're good!" the green girl says. "I'm Lyra, we're glad to have you in the club." She picks up a big harp...a lyre?...and starts strumming it. "We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you have your own guitar, you can bring it. Or you can use one of these."

The club meeting lasts an hour, during which time I meet the rest of the club and we jam for a while. As everyone packs up, I start putting away the school instruments. I'm about to leave when Trixie gets right in my face. "You must think you're something special."

"Not really."

"Well you're right! Trixie is the greatest guitar player in all of Canterlot! If you think for one second you can simply upstage Trixie and not suffer the consequences..."

"Yeah, you know what? I've had a shitty day, and I'm not in the mood for this." I step past Trixie and leave.

"Wait! Come back! Trixie isn't finished with you! ...come back? Please?"

Holy crap she sounds pathetic.

As I'm headed for the entrance, a man's voice calls out to me. "Excuse me, son, would you mind giving me a hand here?"

I look to my left. In an open classroom door, there's a man wearing brown coveralls. His skin is grayish and unhealthy-looking, and his eyes are jaundiced and bloodshot. A patch of thinning black hair sticks out from under his brown cap, but his thick eyebrows and scraggly beard are a dirty white. A name patch on his coveralls says "Juan".

"I hate to trouble you, but...I could use a hand moving this table," he says. "I'm not as young as I used to be, you know."

He's been trying to move a rather solid-looking table out of a classroom, apparently.

"Sure, I'll help."

We begin moving the heavy table.

"I..." He grunts and strains. "I really appreciate this, kid."

"It's no problem."

It takes fifteen minutes to get the table to the storage room. When we get there, I lean against the wall to catch my breath.

He sits on the table we just moved. "You're the new kid, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"I've heard you're having some trouble."

"A little," I admit. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Is that so..." He twiddles his beard. "I remember when I was your age. Oh, the trouble I'd get into!" He chuckles. "Of course, that was before we had social media and mobile phones and such." He fixes those beady eyes on me. "Your girlfriend is that Twilight Sparkle girl, right?"

"Well...she's not my girlfriend as such, but...we're close."

He nods thoughtfully. "Sunset Shimmer has it in for that girl. You'd better be careful." I must look surprised, because he grins. "I know a lot of things about this school...about the students here. Even about the teachers." He stands up and claps a hand on my shoulder. "I can help you out...give you advice...tell you things..." He smiles crookedly. "It'd be worth your while to drop by and talk to old Juan the Janitor once in a while..."

With that, he walks off, whistling tunelessly.






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Devil Arcana...


That's enough creepy for today. I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015 / Evening

Nobody's in the lounge when I get back to the dorm.

I already got enough guitar practice at club, so I get an early start on my homework. By the time I've finished, it's around the time we usually have dinner, so I head downstairs.

Everyone's in the dining room except Rainbow. I ask where she is.

"She was in her room napping when I got home," Pinkie says. "But when I went to tell her dinner's ready, she wasn't there..."

"She's not in the bathroom, maybe?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I was just in there."

"She ain't nowhere in the dorm Ah know of," Applejack says.

"She isn't answering her phone," Rarity says.

Twilight looks down. "She must be upset about today..."

"I'll go look for her," I say.

As I leave the dorm, it occurs to me that I have no idea where Rainbow Dash might be. She could be anywhere in Canterlot...

I'm about to go knock on Cadance's door and tell her Rainbow's missing when I hear noises coming from around back.

I walk around to the back of the dorm and find Rainbow, wearing bicycle shorts and a sports bra, kicking a soccer ball against the brick wall of the dorm. With every kick she lets out a loud, frustrated grunt.

As I approach, I can see tears glistening in her eyes.

"Rainbow?" I call.

She stops and turns. "Oh. Hey." She scrubs at her eyes with the back of her hand, but she's so sweaty that's probably not really helping. "What's up?" she asks, trying to sound tough and aloof.

"Everyone's worried about you," I say.

"Oh," she says. "Eh, tell 'em I'm cool."

I step closer. "No, you're not," I say. I reach up and wipe tears from her eyes.

She bats my hand away. "Cut it out! I don't need...I'm not..."

"Is it because you got suspended?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "No, that...that doesn't bother me..." She sniffles. "Well, yeah, it bothers me, I don't really need that on my record, but..." She sighs. "I just...what happened today really sucks, you know?"

"Yeah, it does."

She looks away. "It's not fair...people talkin' shit about you when they don't even know you...callin' Twilight a pig...callin' me gay..." She looks at me. "Sayin' you caught th' clap from one of us...it just makes me so mad when people talk shit! Why? Why they gotta...?" She bows her head. Tears are still spilling from her eyes. "I hate when I lose it like I did today. I get mad...like when I threw that shoe at you an' you didn't even do nothin'..." She sniffles again. "Coach...Coach says I gotta work on my temper. When I get upset, I get sloppy...he says I gotta keep it together if I wanna go pro..." She looks up at me again. "I do, y'know? Wanna go pro. I wanna play in the World Games. I want people to know who I am and talk about how cool and awesome I am. But..." She sighs. "All anybody's talkin' about right now is how I'm a dyke that goes nuts in the cafeteria and gets kicked outta school." She sniffs again, running her hand through her hair. "Look at me...I'm a mess...I'm cryin'...this isn't awesome..."

"So what?" I ask. "You had a bad day. We all did. It's okay to cry when it hurts."

She snorts. "Yeah, I guess. I just..." She sighs. "Sorry I dumped all that on you."

"Hey, we're friends, right?" I smile at her. "Friends listen to each other when they have problems. Any time you want to talk..."

She wipes her eyes again. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Chariot Arcana...


"Come on, dinner's getting cold."

We go back inside and join the others for dinner. It's been a rough day, so after dinner, I head up to my room and fall asleep watching television.
> 9/9 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Let your worries take a back seat today. Stress is bad for your health.

Rainbow Dash's suspension officially begins today. I've learned that at Canterlot High, suspension also means being locked out of Canterbook for the duration. Additionally, Rainbow isn't allowed to leave the dorm until her suspension ends.

I have a feeling she's gonna be climbing the walls by the weekend.

At least given the circumstances, she isn't having any priveleges revoked. Twilight's pretty sure Rainbow's planning to spend the week parked in front of the television.

After breakfast and walking Spike with Twilight, I grab my laptop and my tennis racket and head for school.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is today.

Practice is exhausting but fun. I pair off with Pinkie as my practice partner.

All throughout practice, I notice how Suri berates and bullies Coco.

After practice, I hang around to help Coco clean up. She looks flustered.

"Oh...h-hello again..." she says timidly.

"You've really gotta stand up to Suri," I say.

"I...I want to. She's just..." Coco sighs. "Oh! By the way, I noticed you have a new racket."

"Yeah, I went shopping over the weekend," I say. "A friend helped me pick it out."

"Can I see it for a second?" she asks.

"Sure." I hand Coco my racket. She examines it, turning it this way and that and testing the grip. She picks up a ball, bounces it a couple of times, then walks over to the practice wall and serves.

Her serve leaves a visible mark on the wall.

She walks back over to me. "I think you picked a pretty good racket," she says. "You might need to change out the wrapping on the grip, though. It feels a little too grabby." She ducks her head. "I can help you with that if you want."

I know I'm staring at her, but I can't help it. "That...how did you..." I point at the wall. "That was some serve!"

She frowns. "Oh, that?" She blushes. "I...I guess..."

"Why aren't you on the team?" I ask. "You should be on the court!"

She looks down again. "I...I don't mind being on the sidelines." She idly kicks at the ground. "Really, it's fine. I'm happy to help everybody else..." She turns away. "I have to go...see you at practice on Friday..."

She leaves.

Pinkie comes out of the locker rooms, her wet hair hanging straight. "What's up?" she asks.

"Pinkie, why isn't Coco on the team?"

Pinkie frowns. "I don't know. I mean, she tried out last year as a freshman, but..." She tilts her head. "Why?"

"I just...think she might be really good, and I don't know why she's the manager and not..." I shrug. "Nevermind."

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 / Evening

I'm working on my homework when Cadance visits my room.

"I've been putting together a list of Libras at CHS," she says. "There's seventeen students and two teachers."

"Libra..." I frown. "You're sure there's going to be an attack?"

"Absolutely," Cadance says. "There's been one attack during each sign since...since at least February." She looks hesitant. "The...the first Libra on the list is—"

"Twilight," I say. "I know."

Cadance raises an eyebrow. "You already know when her birthday is?"

"I checked everyone's birthdays after...after what you told me," I say. "I...I just need to know that...if my friends are in danger, I can be ready for it."

Cadance sighs. "Aww, and here I hoped I could tease you a little bit about Twilight."

I roll my eyes. "Why bother? Everybody knows how I feel about her. Hell, I told her straight up how I feel."

Cadance smiles. "Give her time. She's just shy, and...just be patient with her." She stretches. "So, has living in a dorm full of girls driven you crazy yet?"

I laugh. "Nah, it's cool. I mean, there's been a few...weird moments..."

"Oh?" Cadance tilts her head curiously. "What kind of weird moments?"

I blush. "Oh, just...you know...girls...not used to a guy being in the dorm...forgetting there's a guy in the dorm..."

Cadance raises that eyebrow again. There's a teasing smirk on her face. "So you're basically saying you're really enjoying yourself."

"I'm behaving myself! Honest!"

Cadance laughs. "So, do you think you'll want to visit Zodiac again sometime soon?"

"Yeah," I say. "There's a lot of questions I need answered, and I have a feeling the only way I'm gonna find answers is...is there."

"Speaking of questions that need answering..." Cadance trails off. "Something about the other night has been bothering me. How did you destroy that Shadow? My data on your Persona and that Shadow...it just doesn't add up."

I wonder if I should explain what happened that night. As I'm trying to decide how to approach the subject, Twilight walks in.

"Flash, could you—oh. Hey, Cadance."

Cadance smiles. "I'll just leave you two alone." She gives me a wink. "Behave yourself!"

As she leaves, Twilight frowns at her back.

"What's up, Twilight?"

"Oh. Um." Twilight fidgets. "I was just going to ask you to walk Spike with me. But if you're busy..."

"No, it's fine."

It's chilly out tonight, so I wear the jacket Twilight gave me for my birthday. Spike frolics happily in the grass.

Twilight gives me a measuring look. "So what was Cadance doing in your room?" she asks.

"She was just checking in on me," I say. "And teasing me a little."

"Teasing you?"

"About you," I say. "I mean, about..."

Twilight sighs. "Yeah, I get it."

I know I'm playing with fire here, but I can't resist. "Why, you're not jealous, are you?" I ask with a playful smirk.

"Wh-what?!" Twilight stares at me. "Of course not! We're not...and she's married to my big brother!"

"I was just joking."

Twilight sighs. "I'm sorry," she says. "It's just...Cadance has been acting a little odd lately. I think..." She looks down. "I'm wondering if maybe...something's not okay with their marriage."

"What makes you think that?" I ask.

"Well, Shining Armor's been really tense since school started."

"With all the crap going on? Who could blame him?"

"It's not that," Twilight says. "It's..." She sighs. "Cadance...she's a natural flirt. She can't help it. Flirting and teasing...it's just who she is. I know she loves my brother, and I know she'd never hurt him, but..." She trails off, looking up at me. "Just...don't egg her on, okay?"

She doesn't seriously think...?

"You're worrying over nothing," I tell her. "Trust me, she's totally shipping me with you."

Twilight blushes. "Oh," she says quietly. "Well...that's...good. I guess..." She looks away. "Oh, look! Spike's done his business. I guess I'll clean up here and...head up...I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

I head up to my room and get ready for bed.
> 9/10 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 10, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today you will feel a disturbance in the Force.

Music club is today. After walking Spike with Twilight, I pack my guitar up in my gig bag and head for school.

Thursday, September 10, 2015 / After School

Trixie is about as much fun during music club today as she was Tuesday. As everyone is leaving, I pack up my guitar.

Trixie walks over to me. "Trixie is...actually somewhat impressed. Don't misunderstand...you are still far from a match for Trixie." She sits on a desk. "But...Trixie would like to know where you learned to play."

"I taught myself," I say. "I grew up in Seaddle. It's hard not to learn how to play something."

"Seaddle...that explains your taste in music." Trixie shakes her head. "Trixie prefers glam rock and power ballads. They have more...style." She tosses her hair. "Still...Trixie might consider jamming with you sometime."

"Uh-huh. Well, I gotta go."

"Wait...!" Trixie calls. "Ahem. A moment, please."

I stop and turn.

Trixie looks away. "Trixie has noticed...you have been in this school for only a short time...and yet you have several friends."

"Yeah, and a lot of enemies. Or at least people who can't mind their own business."

"Trixie...has not always been successful in convincing others to admire her greatness," Trixie says. "Trixie was wondering...if perhaps..."

"You want to learn how to make friends?" I ask. "Here's a tip: drop the attitude." I walk out.

"Trixie WILL learn the secrets of influencing others from you!" Trixie yells behind me. "Trixie will see you Tuesday!"






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Moon Arcana...


...oh you have got to be kidding me.

Thursday, September 10, 2015 / Evening

When I walk into the dorm, Twilight looks up from her book and gasps. "Flash? But...I thought you were already home!"

"Huh?"

"W-well...I was getting a book from my room earlier and I heard...guitar playing from your room..." Twilight trails off, a perplexed frown on her face.

How's that even possible? Did I leave something on? I have my guitar in my hand, so...

I head upstairs. As I hit the second floor landing, I hear it, faintly. Someone is haltingly strumming the major chords for the song "Re: A Girl" on my old acoustic. Curious, I head up to my floor and down the hall to my room. I open the door...

Rainbow Dash is sitting on my bed in a tank top and panties, tossing her hair around wildly as she plays the same few chords over and over again.

She looks up and waves. "Hey." Even from here, I can see how jacked up her fingers are.

I facepalm. "Seriously?"

I set down my laptop and guitar. I calmly take the acoustic from Rainbow, lean it against the bed, then pick Rainbow herself up by the back of her shirt.

"H-hey!" she squawks, flailing her arms.

I carry the squirming, flailing Rainbow all the way downstairs. I walk into the lounge. Twilight stares, wide-eyed.

"Look what I found in my room," I say dryly as I set Rainbow down on her feet.

Rainbow turns to me, face flaming, and slugs me in the shoulder. "Jerk!" she cries.

I hold up a hand, extending a finger as I cover each point I need to make. "One: ask before you mess with my stuff. Two: Don't hang out in my room in your underwear. Or naked. Or anything else I'd probably get kicked in the nuts for. Three: Get Cadance to bandage up your fingers, they're a mess. Four: Don't play guitar for more than an hour at a time until you get used to it. Five..." I pause. "You can borrow my acoustic. Just...play it in your own room."

"I can? Sweet!" Rainbow says. "Did you see how I was rockin'?"

"I saw how you were playing the same three chords over and over again. Which...actually isn't bad for a beginner. I'm surprised your fingers aren't bleeding, though."

Rainbow looks down at her hands and realizes how messed up her fingers are. "Gah!" She sighs. "Yeah, okay, I'll go get Nurse Cadance to fix me up." She starts to walk to the connecting hall leading to Cadance's apartment.

Twilight clears her throat. "Maybe put some clothes on first?"

Rainbow blinks, then looks down at herself. "Oh. Yeah. Clothes. Heh." She heads upstairs.

I shake my head and flop down next to Twilight. "That girl. Sheesh."

Twilight arches an eyebrow at me. "That's not how I'd expect a guy to react to finding a half-naked girl in his room."

I sigh. "I guess I'm just so used to Rainbow wandering around like that I don't even care anymore." I look over at Twilight. "Now if it was y—"

"Don't even go there," Twilight says flatly, turning a page in her book.

Oh crap. Did I just push too far?

"So are we going out on Saturday?" Twilight asks, not looking up from her reading.

...huh?

"Uhh...huh?"

She glances up at me. "Last Saturday...that was kind of a date, wasn't it?" she asks hesitantly. "I mean we never said it was a date, but..." She blushes. "I was just...wondering if we're spending time together on Saturday."

"Sure...I'd love to."

Rainbow comes back down in shorts and a T-shirt and heads for Cadance's apartment. She comes back a little while later with her fingers wrapped in gauze. I go upstairs and grab my acoustic, then bring it down and give it to Rainbow. Her reaction is...adorable, and almost kitten-like. I can't help but smile.

Cadance joins us for dinner.

"So, Flash...you're teaching Rainbow to play guitar?"

Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie turn to me with interest.

"Eh...more like she's trying to teach herself," I say. "But I am letting her borrow my old acoustic. And...I guess I might show her a thing or two, when I'm not busy."

"Learning an instrument sounds like fun!" Pinkie says. "Maybe I should think about trying to learn something."

Rarity clears her throat daintily. "I took piano lessons for four years," she says. "Pity I haven't really had a chance to keep my skills sharp."

"Ah wouldn't mind pickin' out some country, maybe on th' guitar or banjo..." Applejack muses.

I glance at Applejack's hands and frown. "No offense, AJ, but...you don't really have the hands for guitar." At her confused, slightly offended look, I add, "You've got bass player hands."

"Bass? That's...kinda like a guitar, right?"

Cadance smiles. "Maybe you could all learn to play something! You could start a band!"

We all laugh.

After dinner, I help wash the dishes. When I go upstairs, I find Cadance sitting on my bed.

I can feel an eye twitch coming on.

At least she isn't half-naked.

...now there's a mental image...

"We should go to Zodiac this weekend," Cadance says. "I was thinking...Saturday night?"

"Saturday's no good for me," I say. "I have a date with Twilight."

Cadance gasps happily and claps. "Yay! Congratulations!"

"It's weird," I say. "She seems like she doesn't want to be a couple, and then she goes and asks me out. She even says last Saturday was a date. I tried not to think of it as a date."

Cadance giggles. "Want some advice? Just...don't worry about things like that. Twilight likes to rationalize things. She goes a little overboard sometimes. Regardless of what she says? She's your girlfriend." She stands up and pats me on the shoulder. "We'll worry about Zodiac later."

"Maybe on Sunday? Like, after breakfast? Depending on how Saturday goes." I frown. "You did say it works any time of day, right?"

"Yes, it works any time of day. In fact, it might be a good idea to go at a time other than night." She smiles and saunters out. "Goodnight, Flash!"

A minute later...

"Am I ever going to come up here and NOT find my sister-in-law in your room?"

"Oh, hey Twilight." I look up from turning down the bed to see Twilight standing in the door, arms crossed. "Come on in. Apparently my room's Canterlot Central Station today."

"What was she doing here this time?"

Need a good lie. Need a good lie... "We were talking about your birthday."

"Oh," Twilight says in a small voice. Her face turns beet red.

I walk over and take hold of her hands. "You don't really think I'd cheat on you with a married woman, do you?"

"Of course not! I just don't—" Twilight breaks off abruptly.

I raise an eyebrow at her.

She looks down. "I wish you'd stop doing that," she says. "I...I can't even figure out if...if I want to have a relationship with you yet. Teasing me like that just...makes it harder."

I wrap my arms around her. "I'm sorry," I say. "I can't help it. I've only known you for a few weeks, but you're already the most important person in my life."

Twilight looks up at me. "Flash..."

Our eyes meet. I can feel her trembling. I think she's actually expecting me to kiss her!

Instead, I poke her in the nose. "Boop!"

"Uwaah!" Twilight wobbles on her feet, pinwheeling her arms. "Hey!"

I can't help but laugh. "Man, you're so cute." I help her steady herself, then give her hand a squeeze. "We'll talk in the morning, alright? Maybe figure out what we want to do together on Saturday."

Twilight rubs her nose and sticks her tongue out at me, but smiles. "Alright. Goodnight, Flash."
> 9/11 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 11, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Relationship concerns will be at the forefront of your mind today.

"You're not wearing those shoes to school, are you?"

I look down at the ugly, cheap canvas shoes I'm wearing. "Nope," I say. "This is a pair I bought the other day, just for our little walks with Spike."

Twilight frowns. "Why?"

Spike pees on my shoe.

"Oh."

Spike wags his tail and barks happily.

"So, where do you want to go tomorrow?" I ask as I playfully nudge Spike with my toe. He bounces around my foot, growling and wagging his tail.

"Huh? Oh, um..." Twilight shrugs. "I don't know. Just...someplace we can have fun together?"

"How about a movie?" I ask, pulling out my phone. Canterbook has listings for the local cineplex. "Ooh, Biskit Bloodbath 3 is playing."

"That movie with the creepy twins?" Twilight asks, pulling a face. "Bleah."

"Aww, but those movies are so much fun to make fun of. Okay then, how about My Small Squirrel: Nutopia Girls?"

"Pee on him again, Spike."

"I've heard good things about Cashiers..."

Twilight shrugs. "I guess that's as good as anything. It's not like there's really much of a choice this time of year..."

Spike finishes his business, and we go back inside to get ready for school.

Friday, September 11, 2015 / After School

Suri is absent from tennis practice today. Coco seems relieved.

Practice is fun. I'm getting less tired each time now.

When I come out of the locker room, Pinkie is waiting for me, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. "Wanna go do something?" she asks. She smiles at me. "Just the two of us, as friends!"

What brought this on all of a sudden? "Shouldn't...we be getting back to the dorm?"

Pinkie waves a hand dismissively. "It's Friday, silly! Plus, it's AJ's turn to cook tonight, and it's not like we have to eat dinner at the dorm." She grabs my hand and yanks me after her. "Come on, let's have some fun!"

I quickly realize I have no choice in the matter, so I decide to just go with it.

Pinkie takes me to an arcade, where we spend half an hour playing Dance Hero Turbo Hyper Mix. I honestly spend more time watching Pinkie shake her butt than I do playing the game myself, as it only takes ten minutes before I'm almost too sore to stand up.

Hey, I may have a girlfriend...I think...but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a cute butt.

When Pinkie finally winds down, we go to Sugar Cube Corner. I haven't actually been here yet myself.

A tired-looking man with orange skin and an angular jaw stands behind the counter. "Oh, hey Pinkie!" he calls. "So is this your boyfriend?"

"No, silly!" Pinkie says. "This is Twilight Sparkle's boyfriend! We're just hanging out because we're both on the tennis team."

"Oh, today was practice, wasn't it? How'd it go?"

"It was fun!" Pinkie suggests things I should try. The owner, Mr. Cake, serves us, and we find an open table.

"So this is where you work on Saturdays?" I ask.

Pinkie nods. "Yepper. Mr. and Mrs. Cake really need the help, with the twins just a couple months from being born and all, and..." She sips her excessively sugary coffee beverage. "It's nice to have a little extra pocket money over what my sister gives me."

"Your...sister? You get an allowance from your sister?"

Pinkie looks down. "Mom and Dad are barely covering my dorm fees and necessities."

"Wow. That's harsh."

"Yeah..." Pinkie sighs. After a moment, she looks up, a bright smile on her face. "So hey, you and Twilight are going out tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah, but...how'd you know?"

"Eh. I just have a sense for these things." She giggles. "You know, if this were some harem comedy, right now would be when Twilight walks in, sees us together, and gets mad."

Twilight walks in. She sees us.

"Hey Pinkie...hey Flash." She tilts her head. "Are you...are you on a—?"

"Nah, we're just hanging out," Pinkie says. "I kinda wanted to spend time away from the dorm today, me and Flash are tennis partners, I thought he could use some fun time too..." She gives Twilight a smile. "I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend. I'm just borrowing him a little. You know, like bubblegum!"

What.

"That better not mean I'm getting him back all sticky," Twilight says, rolling her eyes.

WHAT.

Pinkie giggles. "Good one, Twilight!" She gestures to the open seat next to her. "Wanna join us?"

"I'll pass," Twilight says. "I just felt like picking up a couple eclairs on my way home. I've got a lot of homework, and I want to get it done before..." She blushes. "Before tomorrow."

Twilight buys some eclairs and leaves. I give Pinkie a look. "Okay, what was that all about?"

Pinkie giggles. "Twilight can be pretty funny sometimes. You just have to know how to get past all the layers of awkward nerd armor." She toys with her straw. "I figured out how to make her smile two weeks after I met her. Up until you came here, I was the only one who could get her to smile other than her brother and Nurse Cadance." She looks up. "Now she smiles a lot more...even though things have been kinda sucky lately."

"That's good," I say. "A girl that cute should always be smiling."

Pinkie giggles. "Everybody should always be smiling," she says. "That's why...I try to make everybody smile as much as I can."

Her eyes aren't quite as bright as usual right now.

"Hey..." I say. "If we don't get some protein in us after eating all this sugar, we're gonna crash." Well, I am. I don't think Pinkie knows what a sugar crash is.

"Hmm...yeah, it's good to eat right," Pinkie says. "Ooh! That buffet place we went to Monday has a good dinner buffet!"

We head to the buffet and eat a lot of very tasty food. It's late when we get back to the dorm.

"I had a lot of fun hanging out with you today," Pinkie says. "We should really do it again some time!"






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Star Arcana...


Pinkie heads upstairs. I go up to my room to start on my homework.

Friday, September 11, 2015 / Evening

There's a knock at my door. "Come in."

"Hey." I turn around. Shining Armor is standing in the door. He looks pensive.

"Hey Coach."

Shining Armor walks in, closing the door behind him, and sits on the bed. "I uh...I heard you're...you're going out with Twiley tomorrow."

"That's right."

Shining Armor frowns. "Try not to let anything...bad happen to her, alright?" He wrings his hands. "It just...it just seems like ever since you came here, Twiley's been a target for a lot of...stuff."

"So have I," I point out.

"Yeah, that's...that's the thing. I..." He sighs. "Don't get me wrong. You're an okay kid. It's just...I..." He looks up and pierces me with a fierce gaze. "There's no easy way to say this: I think you're bad luck."

I don't know how to reply to that.

"I just...haven't seen Twilight this emotionally...weird before," Shining Armor says. "I'm worried about her."

I sigh. "Look, Coach...I care about Twilight. I...I felt something for her the moment I laid eyes on her. And...I think..." I look down at my hands. "I hope she feels the same way." I look back up. "I know all you want is to look out for your sister. But I want to see her happy."

"I want to see her happy!" Shining Armor says hastily. "I just also want to see her safe."

"I can keep her safe," I say. "I want to keep her safe. And make her happy."

Shining Armor doesn't say anything for a while. Then, he sighs. "Just...be careful, okay? I..." He trails off, then stands up. "She's my sister," he says roughly. "It's hard...having to worry about her like this."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Emperor Arcana...


"I'll do my best to trust you," Shining Armor says. "Don't make me regret it."

He leaves.

Suddenly, I don't feel like working on my homework anymore. I decide to turn in early.
> 9/12 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, September 12, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your relationships with others may progress significantly today.

Today, Twilight and I are going out on our first official date.

After I shower, I put on the nicest jeans I have, then put on the shirt Rarity gave me on my birthday. A little splash of cologne and I'm good to go.

It's a little after ten when I meet Twilight in the lounge. She's wearing a dark purple knee-length dress with a black belt, black stockings, and purple flats. She has on just a touch of makeup and small amethyst earrings.

Wow.

"Wow."

Twilight blushes and plays with her hair. "How do I look?" she asks.

"You look...incredible," I say.

She looks down demurely. "I know we're not...doing anything fancy or anything, but I wanted...I wanted to look nice."

Mission accomplished. Just...wow.

Rarity pops into the room. "Pic-tuuuuuures!" she exclaims, holding up a camera.

"Gah! Rarity!" Twilight yelps.

Rarity smiles. "I promised Pinkie Pie I'd document this momentous occasion," she says. Then, with a giggle, she adds, "And...I'd do it even if Pinkie hadn't asked."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Fine," she says in a mock suffering tone. She takes hold of my arm and smiles. Rarity takes a few pictures of us.

"Well, don't let me keep you two. I'm sure you have quite the fun and romantic day planned!" With a cheery wave, Rarity disappears back upstairs.

I turn to Twilight. "Well...shall we go?"

Saturday, September 12, 2015 / Daytime

We'll have to take a train to the cineplex, which is on the other side of Canterlot. As we walk to the train station, Twilight asks, "So...how are your classes and things going?"

"Okay, I guess," I say. "After that little stunt at lunch on Tuesday, people aren't bothering me as much."

"Me either," Twilight says. She looks down. "I do still hear them snickering at me, though."

I frown. "Don't let it bother you, okay? People who don't know you and say stuff like that and treat you like that...they're not worth it."

"I try," Twilight says.

Damn. This is not the best way to start the date. "So hey...there's this real weirdo in Music Club."

"Oh?"

"Her name's Trixie."

Twilight raises an eyebrow. "You mean the 'Great And Powerful' Trixie?"

"Yeah. What's up with that?"

"I have no idea." Twilight giggles. "All I know is she's always been full of herself. So how's tennis going?"

"I'm getting the hang of it."

"Is Pinkie cute in her tennis outfit?" Twilight asks. I know she's baiting me.

"Of course she is," I say. "I don't think there's anything Pinkie wouldn't be cute in." I smirk at her. "I thought we'd already established that every single girl in the dorm is cute."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Yeah, alright."

Speaking of cute... "I think I've got a little project on my hands, though."

"A project?"

I nod. "The team manager. Do you know a sophomore named Coco Pommel?"

Twilight shakes her head.

"Well...she's very shy and doesn't have much self-confidence. And...the team captain is kind of bullying her. The poor thing is practically her slave."

"That's not right," Twilight says.

I nod. "Thing is...I was talking to Coco the other day, and when nobody else was around, I saw her make an amazing serve. I don't think she should be on the sidelines."

"So...you're going to try to help her out? Maybe get her on the team?"

"It's worth a try," I say. "I mean, Suri's graduating, so she won't be around to bully Coco next year. Maybe with my help, she can be on the team."

Twilight smiles. "I think that's sweet. Good luck."

We make it to the station less than two minutes before the train arrives. Once we're aboard, I ask, "So, how are your classes going?"

"Just fine," Twilight says. "I think Mr. Waddles needs to retire though. When I get bored during a lesson, that's not a good sign."

"Mr. Waddles?"

"You don't have him for history?"

I shake my head. "I have Mr. Turner for history."

Twilight lets out a laugh. "Mr. Turner? You mean the guy who thinks he's a conquistador?"

"Yeah, he's my homeroom teacher. You didn't know?"

Twilight shakes her head, giggling. "Ouch. How...what kind of a teacher is he?"

"He's actually a fun teacher," I say. "I mean, the helmet thing is weird, but his lessons are interesting and easy to follow."

Twilight's brow crinkles. "Hmm. Maybe I can ask Principal Celestia if I can get a schedule change..."

"So," I ask, "are you living in the dorm because your brother and Cadance are there?"

"That's part of why," Twilight says. "I mean, I've been in the dorm since freshman year, and Cadance and Shining Armor just got married in June, but they've been together since they were in high school." She wrings her hands. "They didn't want to get married until they'd both finished college and found jobs, and then they needed a little time for some other stuff to settle down..."

"So what about your parents?" I ask.

"They travel a lot," Twilight says. "Dad's a travel photographer, and Mom's an editor. She mostly handles A.K. Yearling's books right now."

"Your mom is the editor of Daring Do?" I ask.

Twilight nods. "Yeah. The thing is, Mom can work from anywhere, but Dad's job takes him all over the place, so...they travel together."

"I know how that goes," I mutter. Twilight puts a hand on my arm and gives it a gentle squeeze.

A little bit later, we reach our stop, and walk the three blocks from the station to the cineplex. Once we have our tickets and our overpriced popcorn and sodas, we find seats near the sweet spot in the theater.

Cashiers turns out to be a profanity-heavy "docu-comedy" about two jerks working in a convenience store, and basically amounts to two hours of dick jokes, pop culture references, and cutaways to two retarded drug dealers hanging out on a wall.

As we leave the theater, I remark, "Well that sucked as a date movie."

"Yeah," Twilight agrees. "I mean, some of it was kind of funny, and I got that the theme of the movie was about maturity and accepting responsibility for your life, but...most of that was just random cursing and being vulgar. And I didn't really like either of the protagonists."

"Me either," I agree. "Those two idiots outside the store though...a whole movie about just them might actually be funny. If I was like, really really drunk."

Twilight giggles. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat lunch."

I pull out my phone and search for a map of restaurants in our vicinity. "There's a Neighponese place that's open for lunch, and it's only two blocks from here."

"That sounds great," Twilight says.

We walk to the Neighponese restaurant, where we're quickly seated. Twilight frowns at the menu. "I...don't really know much about Neighponese food," she admits.

I look over the menu. "Half of this isn't Neighponese food anyway," I say.

"Will you...will you order for me?" Twilight asks sheepishly.

I smile. "Sure." This shouldn't be too hard. I've watched Twilight eat. She will eat pretty much anything.

After we order, we make small talk while waiting for our food. "So...what are your plans?" I ask. "For life, I mean. After school."

"I...don't really know," Twilight says. "Honestly? All I've ever really thought about was studying and reading. I don't...really have any career goals." She blushes.

"Well, you could always work in a bookstore. Or a library."

"That might be nice. It's not really a career, but..." She looks up at me. "What about you?"

I shrug. "Pretty much the same. I figure I might try to put a band together while I'm in college. Maybe sooner than that. Playing the guitar is all I'm really good at."

"Well...we've both got plenty of time to worry about that," Twilight says.

"Yeah."

We talk about other, inconsequential things until the food arrives. The food isn't bad exactly, but it's hardly what I'd call great. I pull out my phone and give the place a three-star review on Burp.

"What're you doing?" Twilight asks. I show her. Her brow furrows. "It's not that bad..."

"It's not that good either," I say. "I've had a lot better back in Seaddle."

"Well, I like it," Twilight says.

"Eh, the pork fried noodles are pretty good."

After we finish lunch, we get ice cream. In my opinion, the ice cream is better than the meal was.

"So...is there anything else you want to do?" I ask. "Anything at all."

Twilight shakes her head. "I can't think of anything." She checks the time on her phone. "Besides, we should be heading back now."

Crap, it's that late already...? "Yeah, you're right."

She smiles and touches my arm. "I enjoyed spending time alone with you today," she says. "I'd like to do this again."

"Really?" She nods. My heart skips a beat. "I-I'm glad."

Neither of us says much on the way back to the dorm. The silence is comfortable, not awkward. At the entrance, Twilight leans up and kisses me on the cheek, then heads up to her room to change clothes.

I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I go upstairs to change and get in a little guitar practice before dinner.

Saturday, September 12, 2015 / Evening

It's Rarity's turn to make dinner tonight. The meal is surprisingly good. I didn't figure Rarity as being domestically inclined.

As we all sit down to eat, Pinkie looks from me to Twilight with a broad grin. "So," she asks in a sing-song voice, "how was the da~ate?"

"We had a good time," Twilight says, blushing faintly.

"What'd y'all do?" Applejack asks.

"We went to a movie neither of us really liked, we ate at a place I didn't care for much, and we had ice cream. And we talked a lot," I say.

"That hardly sounds like much of a first date," Rarity says, frowning.

"We had fun together, that's the important thing. ...isn't it?" Twilight says.

"Of course it is!" Pinkie agrees happily. "So, did you ki~iss?"

Twilight's blush deepens. "N-not yet..."

After dinner, I sit in the lounge with Twilight and watch a much better movie than the one we watched on our date. One by one, the others disappear; Rainbow seems content to stay in the lounge with us, but Pinkie reappears long enough to drag her upstairs. Twilight and I are sitting together on the couch; she leans into me and puts her head on my shoulder.

"I've decided...we can be boyfriend-girlfriend," she says sleepily.

I end up spending the night on the couch because Twilight has fallen asleep on me.
> 9/13 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, September 13, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Secrets—yours and others'—will come out today.

I wake to the sound of quiet giggles and whispers.

"Aww...I've never seen anything so adorable!"

"Shh! You're gonna wake 'em up!"

"Did you get the picture?"

"I certainly did, darling!"

"Oh crap, he's wakin' up!"

There's a warm, soft pressure on my left side. It takes me a minute to realize I'm on the couch in the lounge. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are crowded together in the middle of the room, giggling. Rarity has her phone out and pointed at me.

I look to my left and see Twilight's hair.

It takes a few seconds for my brain to catch up. "Uhh..."

Cadance walks in. She looks like she's about to ask the girls something, but then she catches sight of me and Twilight. She covers her mouth with her hands and giggles. "Please tell me one of you girls got a picture of this," she says.

Rarity raises a hand and giggles.

I roll my eyes, then brush Twilight's bangs aside with my right hand and kiss her on the forehead. "Hey. Twilight. Wake up."

Twilight stirs. "Uhh...? Wha..." She blinks awake, groaning a little as she tries to stretch. She frowns, then looks over at me. Her eyes fly open.

The girls explode in giggles. Twilight whips her head around and stares at them, wide-eyed. "What...what?!"

"You uhh...fell asleep on me last night," I say. "I didn't want to wake you up, so..."

"Oh," Twilight says softly, blushing.

"You two looked soooo cute like that," Pinkie coos, giggling.

"You really did," Fluttershy says with a silly smile.

"And I captured the perfect picture of the moment for posterity!" Rarity adds.

"Gah!" Twilight scoots away from me and flails around. "Don't—!"

"Relax, darling," Rarity says with a smile. "We just wanted to commemorate such an adorable moment, didn't we girls?"

The others nod agreement.

Cadance smiles. "So I take it you two are official now?"

Twilight blushes and nods. "Y-yeah..."

"You should totally share that on Canterbook, Rarity!" Pinkie says. "There's no way anybody could spread bad rumors about two people who look so adorable together!"

"HEY!" Twilight protests.

"Can I see the picture?" Cadance asks Rarity. Rarity hands Cadance her phone. Cadance covers her mouth and giggles again. "Oh, that's a very cute picture." She walks over to us and shows it to Twilight.

Twilight looks at it and blushes, ducking her head. She's also smiling. "Oh...we...we do look...pretty cute together, I guess..."

I take a look too. Twilight asleep is even cuter than Twilight awake.

Cadance gets an impish, teasing smile on her face. "And...send!"

"Wahh!" Twilight flails. "You didn't...!"

Cadance pokes Twilight in the nose. "Silly Twilight."

Twilight lets out a sigh of relief.

"Of course I did!"

"Gaaah!"

Cadance giggles. "Come on, you two, I'm sure Applejack has breakfast ready."

Twilight starts muttering under her breath as she stands up and follows the other girls into the dining room. I get up and walk behind her. Applejack is just setting out plates as we all sit down; there's several serving platters, bowls, and pots on the table.

"Welp, dig in y'all!" Applejack says. "We got apple cinnamon oatmeal, apple pancakes, applewood smoked bacon, crescent rolls with apple butter, an' apple juice!"

"So appley!" Pinkie says as she sits down.

"Applejack, sweetness...do you suppose perhaps...sometimes you go overboard with the apples?"

"Ah don't even know whut that means," Applejack says smugly.

After breakfast, during which the girls mercilessly but good-naturedly tease me and Twilight, Cadance says, "Flash, I need to borrow you for some errands in town."

"Sure," I say.

"I can go too, if you need help," Twilight says.

"No, I think we can handle it. Meet me outside in five minutes, okay Flash?"

"Okay."

Sunday, September 13, 2015 / Morning

We get in Cadance's SUV and drive for a while. "We're not going to the school?" I ask.

Cadance shakes her head. "I thought we'd enter from somewhere else today." She smiles. "I told you Twilight would come around."

I blush. "Yeah."

"I found an axe with a little more heft to it," Cadance says. "It's in the back."

"But it's still an axe?" I ask. "It's not like, a chainsaw, or a gun or something?"

"You seemed to handle the fire axe alright, I thought it'd be best to stick with what works."

After driving for almost half an hour, we pull into the parking lot of a boarded-up building. "This is the old roller rink," Cadance says. "It went out of business years ago. It used to be popular when I was in junior high." She sighs. "It's sad to see it all boarded up like this."

"We're not about to break in or anything, are we?"

"We don't have to," Cadance says. "The back door to this place has been busted down for years. Squatters come and go from here all the time. A bunch of skaters have it staked out now, but nobody'll be here this early on a Sunday."

We get out, and Cadance opens the back of the SUV, pulling out the knapsack of first aid supplies and a huge, two-handed axe that takes some obvious effort for her to lift.

"Here, let me get that," I say. I reach past her and grab the axe. It's heavy! I take several steps back from the car and lift the axe, giving it a few test swings.

"Can you handle it alright?" Cadance asks.

"Yeah, I think so."

We walk around to the back of the building. The entire thing is covered in layers of graffiti. In the back, there's a rusted old steel door. It was padlocked shut at some point, but the lock has long since been cut off. The door hangs slightly ajar.

We head inside; Cadance leads me down to the skating area. "Since a skating rink is a wide open space, I thought it'd be a good place for you to practice fighting Shadows," Cadance says. "Also, since we'll be able to see anything coming before it attacks, and you're here to protect me, I can sit out on the floor and watch."

"Are you sure that's safe?"

"Not really, but I don't mind taking the risk. Besides, I trust you. You won't let anything happen to me, right?"

"Right." Holding the axe between my knees, I pull out my phone. Cadance also pulls out her phone. Nodding to each other, we tap the Zodiac app...

Sunday, September 13, 2015 / Zodiac

The already-dark skating rink is nearly pitch-black, save for the glowing texts which start crawling around almost immediately upon entering Zodiac. Cadance summons Aphrodite, and the area around us brightens considerably.

I look up at her Persona. "Hey, Nurse Cadance? Question."

//Yes?//

"Why is your Persona a naked chick?"

//Perv.//

I look away from Aphrodite and ready my axe, looking around.

Dude's got weird taste in girls

Wonder if she's ever done porno

"And here we go," I mutter.

I like him, but...he's hiding something...

This one floats right in my face.

Another one appears right under it.

Something weird's going on with him and Cadance.

I jump away from this message. "Nurse Cadance...this one..."

//Flash, just ignore them and stay focused...//

"No. You NEED to see this."

I hear Cadance gasp. //What?!//

I turn to look at Cadance. "That...that's Twilight..."

//Why would Twilight be texting somebody about something like that?//

I frown. "Is...is Pinkie working at Sugar Cube Corner today?"

//She is! I remember her saying she'd be working all weekend!//

"Damn..."

//Worry about it later. Shadows incoming!//

Two Shadows emerge from the floor of the rink. These are different from anything I've seen: they're disembodied gloved hands, "walking" on their fingertips, with masks bolted to their "wrists".

//I'll scan for weaknesses,// Cadance says.

One of the hands "runs" toward me and leaps into the air, rearing back to slap me. I twist out of the way, then slam my axe into it as it passes. The blade cleanly splits it in half; it dissipates into boiling black vapor.

The other Shadow snaps its fingers; I feel frost forming on my arms. I tap the Persona app; something's changed about it. Instead of the usual display, it's showing the Fool card, as well as a smaller icon of the Magician card. "Persona!"

Chiron appears and shoots a fireball at the Shadow, which burns away to nothing.

//Nevermind.//

"Bring it on!" I yell. I don't know why, but suddenly I'm really in the mood to kill Shadows.

Two more hand Shadows appear, as well as three of those blob-and-mask things. Now that I know how to fight them, it's easy; I summon Chiron, who cuts down a hand and a blob with one swing while I cleave another blob with my own axe. The remaining blob claws at me, but misses. I stomp on its mask, cracking it; it seeps into the floor.

The other hand slaps me upside the head, staggering me. Chiron shoots it with an arrow, killing it. Chiron disappears.

//Are you alright?//

"Yeah." I lean on the handle of the axe, taking a deep breath.

Two blob Shadows burble up out of the floor. I'm just getting ready to attack when they float up off the floor and change shape, becoming black-and-white striped balls. They turn their masks away from me; huge, red-lipped mouths open, long black tongues dangling out of them. One of them divebombs me; I get a solid hit in with my axe, but all it does is wobble slightly before floating up out of reach.

//These seem to be a little stronger than the others.//

"Chiron!"

Once again, Chiron appears, unleashing a fireball at the nearest Shadow. It opens its mouth wide and...eats it.

//Fire isn't working!//

"I noticed!" The first Shadow divebombs me again. I try to take another swing at it, but my foot slips and I go down in a heap. The Shadow snickers at me and floats up, bobbing in the air. Chiron nails it with an arrow, and it bursts into black mist.

//Be careful!//

I stand up, watching the other Shadow warily. Chiron is tensing.

//It's weak against ice, but that isn't really helpful...sorry...//

"The hell it isn't." I look down at my phone.

I know what that icon is.

I tap it.

Chiron vanishes, and the Fool card is reduced to an icon, swapping place with the Magician card.

I glare up at the Shadow as I tap my phone.

"Jack Frost!"

Jack Frost appears, dancing in place.

//WHAT?!//

The Shadow tries to divebomb me. I dive to the side. Jack Frost unleashes a blast of icy breath. The Shadow is encased in ice; it drops to the floor, twitching and struggling.

I walk over, dragging my axe. I lift it up and swing. The frozen Shadow is shattered; bits of black ice scatter all over the floor, vanishing into nothingness.

//Flash? What...what IS that? What...what's going on here?//

Jack Frost fades. I turn to face Cadance. Aphrodite disappears, and she stares at me, eyes wide.

"I have more than one Persona," I say. "I don't understand it, but...that's how I beat that table the other day. I couldn't do anything to it...I didn't have any way to hurt it. And then...and then a new Persona appeared. Jack Frost."

Cadance gasps. "That's even possible?!"

"It is for me." I show Cadance my phone. "Do you see this icon?"

She frowns. "What icon? Your alarm?"

I look down at my phone. There is no alarm icon. "So...you can't see it..." I think back to what she told me about Zodiac. "It's like other people and Zodiac...other people can't see the Zodiac app, you can't see this one..." I look back up at Cadance. "I don't suppose you know what the Velvet Room is, or a man named Igor?"

She shakes her head. "No, I don't..."

Either I'm going crazy, or this is all starting to make sense. I take a deep breath and explain everything: the room I keep seeing in my dreams, the man named Igor who made me sign a contract, and being told I have more than one Persona within me. At the end of my explanation, Cadance looks shaken. "This...okay, I can...I can deal with this. I can deal with an alternate world full of Shadows that hunt people, I can deal with having a Persona...I can deal with this."

"Look, I'm as confused as you are about all this. But...the important thing is, I have a power that can protect people from these Shadows. As long as I have this power, I'm going to use it. I don't have to understand it. I just have to trust in it."

Cadance nods. "I...I feel the same way...about my Persona..."

Three more Shadows surround us.

For the next hour, I fight off sporadic attacks by groups of weak Shadows, alternating between Chiron and Jack Frost. Cadance observes every battle, collecting data.

//Alright...I think that's enough for today. Let's get out of here.//

Sunday, September 13, 2015 / Daytime

I'm pretty tired, but it's not as bad as it was the last time. After we get in the SUV, Cadance says, "I actually do have some errands to run. It won't take too long."

We're driving back into a less run-down area of Canterlot. "You're definitely getting better at fighting Shadows," Cadance says. "And your Persona...both of them, I mean...seem to be getting stronger."

After we head to three different stores to do some shopping—some of which is resupplying laundry detergent, toilet paper, and so forth for the dorm—we stop at Hinny's for lunch. It's fairly empty and quiet.

As we wait for our meals, Cadance says, "Are you okay? You seem a little...bummed."

"It's...Twilight," I say. "She couldn't seriously think..."

"I don't know," Cadance says, frowning. "I'm sorry, Flash. Neither of you should be having to go through any of this. This stuff we're doing, the bullying Twilight's been suffering...none of it. You should just be two happy, carefree teenagers, going to school, going on dates...having safe sex..."

"I don't think THAT'S going to happen any time soon," I say after choking on a sip of iced tea.

Cadance smirks.

Our food arrives. Hinny's here is like Hinny's anywhere: a little overcooked, more than a little greasy, but edible.

As I'm drowning the fries that came with my club sandwich in ketchup, I say, "I wonder how and why something like Zodiac is connected to Canterbook."

"I've been wondering that myself," Cadance says as she pours dressing over her salad. "It's...it doesn't make any sense."

I frown at my sandwich. "It sure does tell you just how nasty everyone around you can really be."

Cadance sighs. "Yeah..." She looks down at her plate. "I...had to learn to ignore it, and...you really should too..."

I look up at her. "What happened?" I ask. "I mean, I've seen some of the crap they say about you, so I can understand why it'd upset you, but...you always seem..."

Cadance picks at her salad. "I...guess it'll help if I finally talk about it," she says. "I mean...I haven't been able to talk to anyone about...any of this..." She looks up. "Back when...back when this all started..." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "I...I found out two guys were talking about..." She looks away. "About wanting to rape me."

Oh my God.

"They were...really graphic about it. Really elaborate." Cadance's eyes are filling with tears. "I was so horrified I left Zodiac before I finished scanning. I threw up all over everything." She's trembling. "After that...I faked a stomach flu for three days. I couldn't...I couldn't go to work. Not knowing...not knowing that somewhere in that school, there were two sick little bastards that wanted to do something like that to me."

"Oh God...Cadance..." I reach across the table and give her hand a squeeze.

She wipes at her eyes with her napkin and sniffles. "I...I put it behind me. It was hard, but..." She sighs. "I learned...I learned it was best to ignore the texts in Zodiac and focus on the Shadows and my scans. I...sometimes, I can't really ignore them, and I have to stop, but I try really hard." She smiles tearfully at me. "Thank you...for listening. And...I'm sorry to put something like that on you so suddenly."

"It's alright," I say. "I can't even begin to imagine how you felt..." I take a sip of my tea. "Any time you need to talk...I'm here."

"Thank you, Flash. That means a lot to me." She takes a bite of her salad. "And...you know you can talk to me too...right?"

"I know," I say. "And...thanks."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Lovers Arcana...


We finish up our lunches and head back to the dorm.

Sunday, September 13, 2015 / Evening

I'm practicing my guitar in my room when Twilight walks in. "Flash? Can I talk to you a minute?"

I put my guitar down and pat the bed beside me. "Sure."

Twilight sits down. She looks at her lap. "Flash...can I ask you something?"

I know what's coming. "Sure."

She looks up at me. "What's really going on with you and Cadance?" She wrings her hands. "Tell me the truth. Please. I need to know. Not...not just because of us, but because..."

I take Twilight's hand and squeeze it. "We're friends," I say. "She needs a guy friend she can talk to who isn't your brother. I need..." I pause to think about how to word this. "Cadance is a lot more...well...my mom's never really..." I can't find the words.

Twilight seems to understand, though. "Oh," she says quietly. "Oh, Flash...I'm sorry...I was thinking something...terrible..."

I hug Twilight. "It's okay," I say.

She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly, laying her head on my shoulder. After a moment, she lets go. She looks up at me. "What do you mean she needs a guy friend who isn't Shining Armor?"

Crap! I have to say something, but...

I decide I have to be as honest as I can without breaking Cadance's trust. "You know...those nasty things people were saying about you girls, and about me?" Twilight nods. "Well...they say nasty stuff about teachers too."

Twilight's hands fly to her mouth. "Really?"

"It's not...it's not the kind of evil crap Sunset Shimmer's been stirring up," I say. "But...well...Cadance is very pretty, and very..." I trail off. "And...a lot of the guys at school...they like to talk about how much they'd like to...you know..."

Twilight pales. "Oh my God!"

"It's...it's just locker room bullshit," I say. "Guys being dicks. The thing is, they say stuff like that and they think it doesn't get back to the people they're talking about, but...it does. So she has to put up with that all the time." I fold my hands in my lap. "If she told Coach, he'd go nuts and start kicking ass left and right."

"Yeah, he probably would..."

"And, well...she knows I'm not like that," I say. "She knows I'm not the kind of jerk that says crap like that. So...she decided to confide in me." I look Twilight in the eyes. "Don't tell her I told you any of this, okay? Don't even let on you know."

Twilight nods hesitantly. "A-alright..." She stands up. "I...I think I need to go take a shower now..."

I can't say as I blame her.

I put my guitar away and get ready for bed.
> 9/14 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, September 14, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You've had enough excitement in your life lately. Take it easy and stick to the routine today.

Rainbow Dash is going back to school today. She comes down to breakfast wearing an oversized T-shirt and nothing else.

Cadance is eating breakfast with us this morning. She sees this and freezes up. "Uhh...Rainbow Dash? You, um...should probably..." She motions at me with her head.

"Haven't showered yet, running low on clean underwear," Rainbow mutters as she pours milk over cereal.

"But...you realize there is a male in the dorm..."

"He's already seen it all," Rainbow says. "Don't really care." She starts shoveling cereal into her mouth, dripping milk everywhere.

Cadance splutters. "Wait, WHAT?"

I roll my eyes. "Rainbow's got some bad habits about wearing clothes in the morning," I say.

"Hey! I'd just taken a shower! It was five in the friggin' morning! Nobody else was supposed to be up and I couldn't find my towel!"

Cadance's cheeks flush. "Oh...oh my..."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain the being-in-my-room-in-your-underwear thing from the other day," I say.

Rainbow pauses with a spoonful of cereal halfway to her mouth. "Ah...heheh...yeah..."

Cadance raises an eyebrow at Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash? You...DO know Flash is Twilight's boyfriend, right?"

"Look, sometimes I just don't feel like wearin' clothes, okay? Sheesh!"

Twilight rolls her eyes and giggles. "Just forget it, Cadance. As long as she doesn't leave the dorm naked, it doesn't really matter."

"Yeah, we're used to seeing the pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow," Pinkie says, laughing and snorting.

Rainbow stands up and slams her palms on the table. "Friggin'...!" She grabs her bowl, angrily wolfs down the rest of her cereal, slams it back on the table, and storms upstairs.

Applejack slaps Pinkie upside the head. "Way too far, sugarcube."

Pinkie sticks her tongue out.

Cadance shakes her head. "Well...that was...interesting."

"Welcome to mornings at the Applewood Dorm," I quip.

"Speaking of which, you put on the wrong shoes this morning," Twilight says.

I look down at my feet. I'm not wearing the Spike-walking shoes. "Crap! Thanks for catching that, I'll change them after breakfast."

"What's wrong with his shoes?" Cadance asks, frowning.

Twilight blushes. "Flash bought a special pair of shoes for when we walk Spike," she explains. "Spike...sort of...really likes peeing on him."

"Oh. Oh my."

"This is the BEST DORM EVER!" Pinkie exclaims, tipping her chair back so far she loses her balance and crashes to the floor. "I'm okay!"

Monday, September 14, 2015 / Lunch

At lunch, Twilight is practically glowing red. "Everybody's seen that picture of us," she says.

"Yeah they have!" Pinkie says. "It's got like, four hundred likes!"

"I haven't heard a single dirty word about either of you all day," Rarity says. "Quite the opposite, in fact." She looks at her own phone. "Quite a few people are saying Flash may be the luckiest guy at CHS." She raises an eyebrow. "There are also several who want to steal Twilight from you."

"And a bunch more that want to steal you from her," Pinkie says. "Congratulations, you're popular!"

"Yay," Twilight mutters, ducking her head.

"Hey Twilight, did you talk to Principal Celestia about that thing?" I ask.

The others look to Twilight with interest.

"Oh! Right, that." Twilight nods, smiling happily. "I managed to talk her into letting me change my schedule. I'll have Mr. Turner for history starting tomorrow." She frowns. "It won't be until fifth period, though. Can't change my homeroom."

"Oooh, I have Mr. Turner that period," Pinkie says. "He's fun!"

"He certainly is...eccentric," Rarity says.

"He's...nice," Fluttershy says.

Rainbow groans. "Who cares who's teaching history? History's lame."

Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Who do you have for history, Rainbow Dash?"

"Mr. Waddles," Rainbow says, pulling a face.

"Ah got ol' Waddles too," Applejack says. "Hardest class t' stay awake in ever."

"I had Mr. Waddles too, until now," Twilight says. "Flash told me about how much fun Mr. Turner's class is, so I decided to see if I could switch."

"Huh. Maybe I should switch too."

"Me too."

"I don't think she'll let more than one student transfer," Twilight says. "Besides, I only got to do it because Mr. Turner's fifth period is a student short."

"Crap," Rainbow says.

Monday, September 14, 2015 / After School

As I leave the school, I spy Pinkie standing by the horse statue in the courtyard. She peels away and walks over to me. "Hey, Flash!"

"Hey, Pinkie."

"You know Twilight's birthday is next week, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm about to go shopping for her birthday present! Have you bought her anything yet?"

Actually, I haven't...

"Not yet."

"Wanna go together?"

"Sure."

We head into town. Our first stop is, of course, the bookstore.

While we're searching for something Twilight might like to read that she hasn't already read, a tall, older girl with grey skin and darker grey hair appears out of nowhere. "Hello Pinkie," she says in a flat, toneless voice.

"Oh, hi Maud!" Pinkie beams. "Flash, this is my older sister Maud!"

Maud looks at me and blinks slowly. Her face is expressionless.

"So, looking for a book, Maud?" Pinkie asks.

Maud looks back at her. "Yes. A book about rocks."

"Of course," Pinkie says with a strained laugh. "Well, we're just looking for something for our friend Twilight's birthday."

"You should get her a rock," Maud says.

"Uhh...we'll think about it," I say.

Maud walks off into the reference section.

"Wow. Your sister is...so different from you," I say.

Pinkie looks down. "Yeah. I'm...not really like the rest of my family." She sighs. "My family is kind of..." Her hair seems to sag a little. "They don't really understand me, you know? They don't really get the whole 'fun' thing."

Given Pinkie's hyperactive personality, I could be forgiven for thinking she's exaggerating. But then, there's Maud...

"Anyway, we should...we should really get back to looking for Twilight's present," Pinkie says.

She doesn't really seem like herself at the moment. I think I've just seen a side of Pinkie Pie she tries to hide from the world...

I don't end up buying anything, but I make a list of a few things Twilight might like. There's still over a week until her birthday to decide.

Monday, September 14, 2015 / Evening

After guitar practice and dinner, I decide to do my homework in the lounge. Twilight is there too, and we study together and talk for a while. Rainbow wanders in looking bored, and the three of us watch television together until bedtime.
> 9/15 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may find yourself in an awkward situation today.

Music club is this afternoon. I can only hope Trixie is less of a pain in the ass than she was last time.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 / After School

Trixie is sitting in a corner of the room sulking today. Her bad mood is permeating the room.

Half the club leaves early for one reason or another. The rest finally pack it in after only about forty minutes. I decide to finish out the song I'm playing, then pack up and leave; I should still have time to go shopping before heading back to the dorm.

Trixie suddenly stalks over to where I'm playing and plugs her guitar into the amp next to mine. She starts playing a slow opening riff to a familiar song. Her eyes are directly on me.

Eh, what the hell. I wait until I'm supposed to jump in, and start playing the accompanying melody. Even though we don't have anyone handy to play rhythm or bass, we play the entire song, just the two guitar lines, straight to the end; Trixie plays the ending solo.

As the final notes ring out from our guitars, Trixie looks down and says, "Trixie feels like...I feel like I'm alone sometimes." She looks back up at me. "Seeing that picture that's going around...of you with Twilight Sparkle...the two of you look so happy...it hurts." She looks down at her guitar, running her fingers along the length of the strings. "I should have friends. I should have somebody close to me like that. I'm beautiful, I'm talented...I can play guitar and I can do magic...why am I all alone? Why am I all by myself?" She stands up, unplugs her amp, grabs her gig bag and her bookbag, and runs from the room.

Well that was depressing. I pack up and stop by Sugar Cube Corner for a pick-me-up, then I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 / Evening

Upon returning to my room, I find a small paper bag sitting on my bed. Curious, I set my things down and open it up.

There's a box of condoms inside, with a post-it note attached that says "Just In Case!" and has a heart drawn on it.

Oh, for...

Instead of throwing them away, I hide them in the sock drawer in my closet. I like that the closet has a small built-in dresser along the side for socks and underwear and stuff. It saves space, and these dorm rooms are cramped enough as it is.

After dinner, it's my turn to take out the trash. As I'm hauling three heavy bags of trash out to the curb, I hear yelling coming from Nurse Cadance's place. It sounds like she and Coach are really getting into it...

A door slams, and Cadance storms out, looking furious. She sees me and looks uncomfortable, hesitant. She walks over, grabs one of the bags of trash from me, and throws it in one of the plastic pickup bins hard enough to split it.

I stash the other bags more sedately.

Cadance turns to me, hands on her hips. "Is it me? It's him, isn't it."

"Uhh...problem?" I ask sheepishly.

Cadance sighs, running her hands through her hair. "It's...it's nothing."

"That didn't sound like nothing," I say.

She sighs. "You...you heard all that."

"I just heard yelling, I couldn't tell what you were yelling about. It's none of my business anyway."

Cadance digs her keys out of her pocket and heads for her SUV. "I need to bail for a bit," she says. "I could use some company."

It's getting late, but...

I decide to go with her. We drive to a donut place which is open late, where Cadance orders us both coffee and donuts, then she drives out to the park. We sit in the car, drinking coffee and eating donuts.

"I don't know what his problem is," she says after almost fifteen minutes of silence. "We're practically still newlyweds. Things were going great until about a week before school. I mean, it was like, almost every night." She sighs. "We haven't had sex in a month. A whole fucking month!"

I'm not sure I should really be hearing this...

Cadance wolfs down a donut, then takes a long sip of coffee. "You'd have sex with me, right? If we were married."

How the hell am I supposed to answer that?

"Of course you would," she says. "Any sane man would. I don't get what his problem is." She starts the engine and drives back to the dorm. "Promise me something?" she says after several more minutes. "Twilight's lucky to have a guy as sweet and considerate as you. Don't turn into an asshole, okay?"

"I won't," I say.

We reach the dorm. Cadance leans over. "Thanks for listening to me," she says. "I just...needed to vent." She kisses me on the cheek, lingering a bit longer than is really comfortable.

I head up to my room, feeling blood rushing to my face and...elsewhere.

Twilight peeks her head in. "You were gone an awfully long time for just taking out the trash," she says.

"Went to get a donut," I say. I waggle my fingers at her, which are still sticky with donut glaze.

"Oh. Okay." She pauses, frowning. "Wait...the donut place is..."

"With Nurse Cadance," I say. "She was headed out while I was taking out the trash, asked me to go with." Remembering I still have a donut in a paper bag, I offer it to Twilight. As she accepts it, I remember the conversation in the car. "Twilight? Sit with me for a bit. Let's cuddle."

She gives me an odd look, but sits down next to me. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close.

She stays until nearly eleven, then heads down to her room. I remember I haven't done my homework yet, but I'm too tired right now...I'll do it in the morning.
> 9/16 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Try not to let your worries and fears get the better of you today.

When I head down to breakfast, Pinkie has a knowing, teasing grin on her face. "Sooo...Twilight was up in your room an awfully long time last night," she says. "Did you two make use of my little gift?"

"Your little..." It takes me a second to realize what she means. "That was you?"

"Uh-huuuuh," Pinkie says. "So...did you?"

"Nothing like that happened!" I say.

"Awww...too bad," Pinkie pouts.

"You're lucky I didn't bring my tennis racket down yet," I mutter.

"Ooooh, why, gonna spank me?" Pinkie teases.

Twilight walks in at about this point, and looks from Pinkie to me questioningly.

"She's being naughty," I say.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "I can believe that." She sits down and opens a book. Pinkie giggles and goes back into the kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be spanking other girls when you're in a relationship," Twilight says without looking up.

"She was teasing me about you being upstairs so late last night," I say.

Twilight blushes. "Oh."

"She also left a box of condoms in my room yesterday afternoon."

Twilight's blush intensifies. "I'll go get your tennis racket."

"I think that'd just encourage her," I say. "Or turn her on."

"Gah!"

After breakfast, we walk Spike, then head for school.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is mostly fun, but I'm distracted by Coco, who looks so nervous and sad it hurts.

Halfway through practice, the coach leaves to take a call. As soon as she's gone, Suri tells us all to practice serving on the court. Then...

"You! Manager! Keep the court clear of balls!"

Is she...seriously ordering Coco to run into the line of fire to scoop up balls?

I walk off the court. Pinkie stops serving and watches me. A few others do also.

"Ignore her, Coco!" I yell. "Stay off the court until we're done!"

"Excuse me?!" Suri snaps, glaring at me.

I walk right up to her. "Being team captain doesn't give you the right to bully that girl!" I point at Coco. "There's absolutely no reason for her to be on that end of the court until we're out of balls! For that matter, there's no reason she has to pick up all the balls herself!"

"She's the team manager," Suri says venomously. "It's her job, mmkay."

"Last I checked, her job wasn't to be yelled at by you and forced to walk right into the middle of a dozen tennis balls flying right at her head!"

Coco runs up. "I-it's alright, I don't..."

I hold up a hand to silence her. "Coco is a human being," I tell Suri. "She deserves respect. You're the team captain. You're supposed to respect everyone on the team, whether they're on the court or not."

Suri's seething.

The coach returns. "Is there a problem here?" she asks. "Why isn't anyone practicing?"

"The new guy is questioning my authority," Suri says. "He's disobedient and insubordinate."

The coach glances at me. "Yeah, I stopped practice," I say. "Because Suri was bullying the team manager."

The coach frowns at Suri. "Again? I thought I told you to stop that."

"Tch..." Suri clicks her tongue in annoyance. "All I asked her to do was pick up some tennis balls, mmkay."

The coach pinches the bridge of her nose. "Everyone, we're stopping early today. No, Coco, don't worry about...don't worry about any of that. I want the whole team to pick up the balls and straighten things up. Suri, when you're done here, come with me."

We spend the rest of practice picking up balls and putting everything away.

As I'm preparing to leave, Coco walks up to me. "Umm...thank you for...for sticking up for me, but..." She looks down at her feet. "Why...did you have to make a scene like that?"

"Because what she was trying to do was wrong!" I say.

"Oh, well...it...wouldn't have really bothered me..."

I sigh. "You've got to stop being a doormat, Coco. The way she treats you is not okay, and you can't just let her do things like that."

Coco sighs. "I...I'll try. It's hard...it's hard to stick up for myself. I've..." She looks away. "I've never...stood up to anyone before..."

"Well, don't you think it's time to start?"

"M-maybe..."

Since practice ended early, I head into town to do a little window-shopping, then go back to the dorm.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 / Evening

Everyone's pretty much doing their own thing this evening. Applejack is up in her room talking to her family on her computer, Pinkie decided to work the late rush at Sugar Cube Corner on a weeknight, Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy are all busy with homework, and Rainbow Dash is out back kicking around her soccer ball.

I spend a little while practicing my guitar, then take care of my homework and go to bed. I still need to get Twilight a birthday present, but I figure I'll probably take care of that over the weekend.

Also, I'm worried about...

I'm worried about...the next attack.

Sleep is long in coming.
> 9/17 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 17, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Something unexpected will happen today.

Twilight isn't eating much breakfast this morning. She looks queasy. "Are you alright?" I ask.

She grimaces. "I'm...just not hungry this morning," she says. "Say, would...would you mind walking Spike for me?"

"Sure," I say. I head upstairs with her; she lets me into her room, then ducks into the bathroom. Spike looks up and barks happily, wagging his tail. I put his leash on and take him down.

As I'm passing the kitchen, Pinkie walks out, drying her hands. "Where's Twilight?" she asks.

"Bathroom," I say. "She doesn't seem to be feeling..." I frown. "She didn't eat much breakfast...I hope she's not getting sick."

Pinkie tilts her head; her brow scrunches up cutely. After a minute, she giggles. "Oh. She's got cramps."

"Cramps?"

"You know. Cramps."

It takes me a minute to get it. "Oh."

"Yeah." Pinkie makes a face. "You're lucky you're a boy. Periods suck."

On reflection, it occurs to me that I was bound to be privy to the...feminine issues of one or more of my dormmates sooner or later. I take Spike out for his walk.

Surprisingly, he doesn't pee on me today.

By the time I've cleaned up after him and taken him back inside, Twilight is downstairs, looking a bit peaked but ready for school. "You okay?" I ask.

She nods. "Y-yes, I'll be fine. Thank you...for taking Spike out."

"No problem," I say.

Twilight rubs her arm. "Can you...go on ahead?" she asks. "I'm going to have to ride to school with Cadance this morning. I, uh...I need to—"

"Drug store?" I ask before I can stop myself.

She frowns. "Uhh...yeah, something like that."

"Pinkie...explained."

"Oh." Twilight's frown deepens. She shakes her head. "I'll kill Pinkie later. I need to catch Cadance before she leaves."

Thursday, September 17, 2015 / After School

After classes, I head for Music Club.

Trixie is unusually quiet today. Half the club is talking about a new pop album that just came out. I'm not big on pop, so I stick to guitar practice.

About a half hour into the meeting, a girl with pale skin and electric blue hair walks in. She's wearing huge purple shades and seafoam-green headphones. The rest of her outfit looks...how best to describe it? Kind of like a bargain sale exploded.

"Hey Vinyl!" Lyra calls.

The girl takes off her headphones. "Hey Lyra," she says. She looks around. "Scene's kinda quiet today." She cocks her head in my direction. "Except for those sweet riffs over there."

Lyra giggles. "Let me introduce you." She brings the girl over to where I'm practicing. "Flash, this is Vinyl Scratch. She's Canterlot High's resident DJ and party girl."

"Waddup?" Vinyl asks. "You've got some skillz."

"Thanks," I say.

Vinyl looks around the room. "So, hey," she says loudly, "The football team's throwin' a party Saturday night, I'm spinnin' like I always do...my set's beggin' for a little live accompaniment. Like, maybe a keyboard and a guitar. That'd really kick the party into overdrive. Anyone cool?"

"I can totally do keyboard for you!" Lyra says happily. "I'd ask Bonnie, but I know she's got a thing with her family."

"Sweet." Vinyl looks at me. "How about you? A little of that action would be rockin'."

I don't really have any plans Saturday night...

"Sure," I say.

"Awesome! I'll give you the deets over Canterbook." She puts her headphones back on and walks out.

A little bit later, we break for the day, and I head back to the dorm.

Thursday, September 17, 2015 / Evening

At dinner, I tell everyone about what happened at music club.

"Ooh, Vinyl wants you to play with her?" Pinkie asks. "That sounds fun!"

Rarity pulls out her phone. "Let's see...oh! The party's open invitation!" She looks around. "We should all attend!"

"Sounds good to me," Rainbow says.

I check Canterbook. The party is indeed posted on the social notices board. It has an RSVP button so the organizers will know the guest list. I'm already listed under Vinyl as 'Music Provided By'. I also have a message from Vinyl with details about the set, the time, and so forth.

Some of the others have their phones out and are RSVPing to the party. The only two who aren't going, it seems, are Applejack and Fluttershy.

Pinkie's noticed this too. "You're not going?"

Fluttershy shrinks in her seat. "I...I don't like crowds and loud noise," she says.

"All that dubstep an' rock ain't really my thing," Applejack says.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow cries. "Live a little! Even TWILIGHT'S going!"

Twilight blushes. "Only because my boyfriend's playing at the party," she says.

"I...I'd rather stay here and keep everyone's pets company," Fluttershy says. "I mean...if you don't mind."

"Yeah, me an' Shy'll hold down the fort here, watch th' critters...y'all have a good time."

"Well...if you're sure..." Pinkie says.

After dinner, I walk Spike again, do my homework, then brush up on the set Vinyl's picked out for the party before bed.
> 9/18 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 18, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today you may find out that the grass is greener on your side.

After breakfast, Pinkie pulls me aside. "Have you bought Twilight a birthday present yet?"

I shake my head.

Pinkie nods. "Yeah, I'm still figuring out what to get her. But her birthday is Thursday, so we'd better hurry up. Let's go shopping after tennis practice, okay?"

"Sure."

Friday, September 18, 2015 / After School

Pinkie and I stop by Sugar Cube Corner after tennis practice before we go shopping.

"Have you thought about what you're gonna get her?" Pinkie asks as she sips a thick, creamy milkshake.

I sigh. "I've got a few ideas, but..." I shake my head. "I've never bought a girl a present before. I mean, you know...I've never had a girlfriend before. I want to get her something that's...you know? But not something that's too...you know..."

"Yeah, I think I know," Pinkie agrees, nodding.

"I don't want to get her a book," I say. "I know she'd probably love a good book, but..."

"Who can even tell what she has and hasn't read, am I right?" Pinkie asks. "I took a peek in her room and holy cow, there's books everywhere!"

"No kidding," I say. I remember how every available space was packed with books when I took Spike out for a walk.

"So what's your budget for this?" Pinkie asks.

"Pretty high," I say. "I, uh...I told my folks I've got a girlfriend. They're pretty happy. I mentioned her birthday, and they said I could get her something really nice...as long as I send them the receipt, I don't really have a cap here." I chuckle. "Well, within reason. I mean, obviously I can't go completely crazy here."

Pinkie giggles. "Wow, that's nice of them." She sighs. "I wish my parents were like that."

I shake my head. "They've always been fairly loose with the pocketbook. I think that's how they make up for their..." I frown. "Their really hands-off style of parenting."

Pinkie frowns. "I know what you said about your life back in Seaddle, but...honestly? You've got it a whole heck of a lot better than I do." She toys with her straw. "'Pinkamena, your skirt is too short!' 'Pinkamena, turn off that noise!' 'Pinkamena, why is your room full of balloons?' 'Pinkamena, why can't you be more like your sisters?'" She looks down at the table. "They kinda hate me. Just because I'm not all..." She shakes her head. "I love my family, I really do. Especially Maud. We just...we just don't really have..."

We go shopping, but Pinkie's heart doesn't really seem to be in it any more. I narrow my list down a bit more, but decide to wait and talk to Cadance before I buy Twilight's present.

Friday, September 18, 2015 / Evening

"So, crazy party tomorrow, huh?" Rainbow asks at dinner. "Lookin' forward to playin' for the whole school?"

"Oh, I don't think the whole school's going to be there," Rarity says.

"It's still gonna be a pretty big party," Pinkie says.

"I've never really played for a crowd before," I say. "I'm a little nervous." I grin. "But I'm also excited."

"You're nervoucited!" Pinkie declares.

Twilight raises an eyebrow. "That's...not a real word."

"Anyway, I'm only playing on about a third of the set," I say. "Most of it's dubstep." I look over at Twilight. "So we'll have plenty of time to hang out, dance, whatever when I'm not playing."

Twilight smiles. "That'd be great," she says. She frowns. "Oh...we need to get a curfew extension from Cadance," she says. "Parties like this usually run late."

"We'll talk to her in the morning," I say.

After dinner, I head up to my room to practice for the party. This should be a fun weekend...
> 9/19 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, September 19, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't let tense, uncomfortable moments ruin your day. There's too much fun to be had to let things get to you.

Twilight seems to be feeling better this morning. We walk Spike together. It's getting chilly; she's wearing a sweater, and I'm wearing the jacket she bought me.

"So...looking forward to your birthday?" I ask.

Twilight blushes faintly. "You're not all going to make a big fuss over me, are you?"

"Of course we are," I say. I pull my foot out of Spike's line of fire; he whimpers. I shove my hands in my jacket pockets. "Tonight ought to be fun."

Twilight nods. "I'm looking forward to it."

After walking Spike, we decide to spend the day in the dorm watching movies on television.

Saturday, September 19, 2015 / Evening

The information I received from Vinyl said she'd be providing the instruments for the party, so I wouldn't need to bring my own guitar. I'm honestly a little relieved by that. I don't think I want to risk having something happen to my sweet new guitar at a party.

Cadance has lifted our curfew for tonight, on the caveat that none of us had better come home drunk or get arrested. When the time for the party draws near, we all pile into her SUV; she's offered to drive us there.

The party's at the CHS football stadium, which is ten city blocks away from the school. How they got Principal Celestia to agree to this is anybody's guess, but...

As soon as we arrive, Lyra and Vinyl grab me and drag me off to the impressive bandstand, which three huge, hulking linebackers with sickly grey skin and jaundiced eyes are setting up at the 50-yard line. There are enormous speaker towers at all four corners, including two honest-to-God bass cannons. Lowered stages have been set up for me and Lyra, with lighting rigs set up above them. The center stage has four turntables and three computers set up and running. Cables and wires are running every which way.

"Wow, this is some setup!" Lyra exclaims.

Vinyl grins. "Yeah, this is my ultimate party rig. Not as portable as the Scratchmobile, but a heck of a lot better for a stadium like this." She picks up a tablet and lets her fingers glide over the surface. "And it's all voice-controlled from this baby. Lights three," she says.

The lighting rigs come on, casting red and blue strobes over the side stages.

"Lights off," Vinyl says. The lights turn off.

"Sweeeeeeet," Lyra says, grinning.

I frown. "How's the voice control gonna work when the music's going?"

"Don't sweat it," Vinyl says. "I know what I'm doing." She shrugs. "Besides, I can run it by touch too. It's just more convenient to run it by voice." She glances over my shoulder. "That the crew you came with?"

I turn to see my friends milling about not too far away. "Yeah."

"Twilight Sparkle's his girlfriend," Lyra says playfully.

"Awesome," Vinyl says. "Come on, let's do a sound check."

I get up on the stage, where a maple top Les Paul guitar awaits me. I take a moment to tune it, then plug in the amp cable. Adjusting the knobs, I play the opening of one of my favorite songs. The linebackers stop working to listen, my dormmates gather closer to the stage, and Vinyl nods her head, grinning.

After a minute, I stop playing. "Uhh...yeah, I think I'm good here," I say.

"Yeah you are!" Vinyl says, pumping a fist. "Hey, rock the rest of that song while I finish setting up, okay? I love that one."

Lyra rushes up and sticks a wireless microphone headset on me.

Oh crap, they want me to sing?

Twilight and my friends are staring at me expectantly. I mean...yeah, I can sing. I'm not great, but...

I start playing again, singing the song. Without bass or drums or anything, it's a little weak to my ears, but everyone seems to enjoy it anyway.

By the time I'm done, several dozen students have already gathered on the field. Vinyl cuts on her mic. "Whoo-hoo! How's that for a start to the party, huh? Give it up for Flash Sentry!"

Nearly everybody claps. I feel a heady rush. Is this what it's like to be a real rock star?

Vinyl kicks in her set, Lyra jumps on her keyboard, and we play three straight songs, with the party getting into full swing, and everyone dancing and laughing and having a good time. Twilight is sticking fairly close to the stage. Pinkie is all over the place, laughing and dancing and having fun. Rarity is chatting with some of the other Fashion Club members. Rainbow Dash is thrashing around with a bunch of the other jocks.

After the third song, I have a four-song break, so I climb down and join Twilight.

"You're amazing," she says.

"I'm also thirsty, let's get something to drink."

We walk over to a row of coolers and grab a couple of ice cold colas. "So, enjoying the party?" I ask.

"A little bit," Twilight says. "The best part is the music."

"Well, well...if it isn't the happiest couple of Canterlot High."

I've never heard that voice before, but somehow, I know who I'm going to see when I turn around. The way Twilight has stiffened up next to me confirms it.

Sure enough...

"Sunset Shimmer," I say.

Sunset Shimmer smirks at me. "You and your little girlfriend sure have had some tough times, haven't you?"

"And whose fault is that, I wonder?"

"Who knows..." Sunset Shimmer has a smug look on her face. I really want to punch her. "Kids can be...so cruel."

"Sunset Shimmer...please leave us alone. We've never done anything to you," Twilight says.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I not allowed to speak to the King and Queen of CHS?" Sunset Shimmer takes a mocking step back. "I wasn't aware." She gives Twilight a smarmy little bow. "I'll leave you two to enjoy the party. Oh, by the way...your birthday's coming up next week, isn't it? I hope you get everything that's coming to you." With that, she stalks away.

"What a bitch," I mutter.

"Flash!" I turn to see Lyra rushing up to me. "You're almost up, get on stage!"

I shift uncertainly, looking at Twilight. "It's okay," she says. "Go on. I think I'll stick with Pinkie Pie for a little while."

It's almost an hour before I'm able to put our little encounter with Sunset Shimmer out of my mind and simply enjoy being at the party and playing music.

After my third set, Vinyl steps away from her turntables as I'm setting the guitar down. "Hey, I gotta take five," she says. "I need you to keep an eye on the set for me, okay?"

"Sure," I say.

She shifts. "Actually...would you mind coming with me? You can track the set and run the lights and stuff from anywhere. I...might need a little help in a sec."

I'm a little confused, but I agree. I text Twilight that I'm joining Vinyl for some air, then we head for the stadium entrance. She ducks into the concession stand and rummages through her bag. I turn on the lights.

"Turn those back off," Vinyl says. "I...I gotta have the lights off."

I turn the lights off, glancing down at Vinyl's tablet to make sure everything's going okay. Vinyl comes out of her bag with what I can just barely make out to be a bottle of eye drops. She takes off her glasses and sets them on the counter, then tips her head back and puts drops in her eyes. She keeps her head back for almost a full minute, blinking rapidly, before putting her glasses back on.

Vinyl sits down on a stool and leans over the counter as she puts her eyedrops back in her bag. "Gotta wait five minutes before I can go back out there," she says with a sigh. "Damn, this sucks."

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Vinyl shakes her head. "It's nothin'."

"Come on, tell me."

Vinyl sighs. "I've got...this freaky eye disease. I was born with it, but it only really kicked in last year. They can't do anything about it." She taps her fingers on the counter in time with the beats we can still hear from here. "My eyes are goin'," she says. "It's one of those slow burn things. I can still see, but bright light hurts. Like, really hurts."

"So that's why you wear sunglasses all the time?"

"Shades," she corrects me. "And yeah." She shakes her head. "By the time I graduate high school, I'll be blind."

"Oh God...I'm sorry..."

"Eh." Vinyl shrugs. "All I care about is music, so as long as I can still hear..." She shakes her head. "Still...it's hard riggin' up equipment a blind DJ can use. Everything's digital now, all touchscreens and shit. I mean, turntables are turntables, but..."

"So that's why your rig is set up for voice control?"

"Yeah." Vinyl sighs. "I mean yeah, okay, there's lots of stuff out there for a blind person now...but the tech isn't where it needs to be. I don't wanna be limited by a handicap." She stretches. "Well...I think we can go back now." She looks up at me. "Hey, thanks for listenin'."

"Don't mention it."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Sun Arcana...


The party goes on for another two hours. By the time Cadance picks us up to take us back to the dorm, even Pinkie Pie can barely stay awake.
> 9/20 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, September 20, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The more you know about the people closest to you, the less you'll wish you knew.

I'm still tired from the party last night.

I'm not alone. The only ones who were up before noon today were Applejack and Fluttershy. Even Pinkie Pie slept in; she was too tired to go to work this morning.

After a late breakfast (or lunch?), most of us are sitting in the lounge, save for Rainbow, who's taking a nap, and Pinkie, who's getting ready to work this afternoon. I need to talk to Cadance about Twilight's birthday present, but getting rid of Twilight is going to be...

"Isn't today your turn to do laundry, darling?" Rarity asks Twilight.

Twilight blinks. "Oh, that's right!" She puts a bookmark in her book and gets up. "Thanks for reminding me!"

...apparently, very easy.

I text Cadance, then head out to the connecting hallway. She comes out a minute later, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, hair mussed. "What's up, Flash?"

"Uhh...you okay?" I ask.

She blushes. "I was working out," she says. "Having a body like this is hard work." She smiles. "So...you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah, actually..." I glance back over my shoulder to make sure none of the others are anywhere near the doorway. "I'm having trouble deciding what to get Twilight for her birthday."

"Ooh, that's a tough one," Cadance says, running a hand through her hair. "She's hard to shop for even for me and Shiny."

"I want to get her something that shows I put thought and effort into it," I say. "And...I want to get her something..."

"Something a boyfriend would give his girlfriend?"

"Yeah." I wring my hands. "And...I've got a pretty decent spending cap here, so I want it to be something really nice..."

"Like...jewelry nice?" Cadance asks. "Because Twilight doesn't usually wear—"

"I know she doesn't," I say. "But...I was thinking if it was something...really personal."

Cadance smiles. "If it's from you, I'm sure she'd love it. So long as it's not too overstated." She taps her chin. "Something silver...a locket or a pendant, maybe? I think she might like that." She nods. "There's a shop about a block from the bookstore that does silver. I don't think they're open on Sundays, but maybe if you go after school tomorrow?"

"I think I'll do that. Thanks."

"Happy to help," Cadance says, before turning and walking back to her apartment.

Sunday, September 20, 2015 / Evening

Twilight looks especially cross at dinner. When Rainbow comes down, less than half-dressed as usual, Twilight glares at her. "Rainbow, the next time you throw a pair of panties that nasty in the laundry basket, I'm setting fire to them."

"Don't do that," Fluttershy pleads. "You'll make the entire dorm smell like...like..." She ducks her head.

"Like Rainbow Dash's pussy, but on fire?" Pinkie says.

Rarity coughs delicately. "Ladies, please. This is hardly appropriate dinnertime conversation."

"You know, it's nice to know girls can be just as gross as guys," I say.

"You wanna talk gross, let's talk about your girlfriend shaving her legs with my razor," Rainbow Dash says.

"Hey, you're one to talk!" Pinkie says. "You shaved your armpits with MINE!"

I cough loudly. "Girls? As good as dinner is tonight, I don't think I wanna know what it tastes like coming back up. So...could you maybe NOT talk about this right now? Or actually ever again? Thanks."

"Sorry," Pinkie, Rainbow, and Twilight say.

After dinner, I head upstairs to read and watch something I know the girls won't want to watch. A little while later, Twilight pokes her head in. "Flash?"

"Come on in," I say.

Twilight walks in and sits on the bed. "Umm...I'm really sorry about...what happened at dinner." She ducks her head. "It's just...the girls and I..."

"I'm not mad or anything," I say.

"I know, but...we shouldn't have carried on like that," Twilight says. "There are six girls sharing one bathroom...we kinda get on each other's nerves sometimes." She blushes. "And Rainbow Dash's laundry...is really, really nasty and we all hate washing it."

"I've kinda noticed Rainbow Dash isn't easy to live with," I say. "She pretty much has all the social graces of a cat with ADHD, doesn't she?"

Twilight giggles. "Well, I have some reading to catch up on before bed," she says. "I'll see you in the morning."

I keep reading and watching television for another hour, then go to bed.
> 9/21 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, September 21, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today could be your lucky day.

After school, I search for the shop Cadance told me about.

There's a girl behind the counter who looks like she's in middle school. She has light grey skin, silvery hair in a long braid, and blue-framed glasses. She looks up from her phone as I walk in. "Hi, can I help you?" she asks boredly.

"I'm looking for something for my girlfriend," I say. "A pendant or a locket, something like that."

The girl points at a display case. "Try there, if you don't see what you want, there's another case at the back."

As I'm browsing, a man comes out of the back room. There are acid burns all over his hands and arms. "Sil, where's the—oh, a customer! Finding what you're looking for?"

Honestly, none of the stuff in the first case I'm looking at makes me think of Twilight. "Everything here is nice, I'm just...not sure it's really..."

"He's shopping for something for his girlfriend," the girl at the counter says.

"Oh?" The man tilts his head. "We don't really get many high schoolers in here. Everything in this shop is high quality, hand-made silver."

"Daddy, do you want to make a sale or not?"

I look at the prices on the items in the case. They are expensive, but... "I can afford it."

The man rubs his chin, which has a scraggly growth of silver-white stubble. "Hmm."

"But I just...don't really see anything here that makes me think of her."

"You could ask for a custom order," the girl at the counter suggests. "Daddy loves doing custom orders."

I frown. "That'd be great, but...I don't know if it'd be ready in time. Her birthday is Thursday."

The man nods thoughtfully. "I can do that, but it'll cost extra. Rush fees, hours over..."

I think it over for a minute. There's a very nice locket in the display case.

A locket...but one that'd be perfect for Twilight...

I pull my phone out and pull up her Canterbook profile. "Could you do a locket like that one, but shaped like this?" I ask, pointing to Twilight's six-pointed star emblem.

The man's brow furrows. He pulls a notepad out of his smock and sketches the shape. "It's an unusual shape for a locket, but..."

His daughter walks over and takes a look. "Maybe with a swivel cover instead of a hinge, Daddy?"

"That'd work, that'd work," the silversmith says. He nods, then quotes me a price.

Ouch. My parents might not be happy with me, but...

"Alright," I say.

"I can have it ready by...Wednesday evening," he says. "I'll call you when it's ready or if there's a problem. If I can't deliver on time, I'll let you pick anything in the shop, half price."

I give him my number, then head back to the dorm.

Monday, September 21, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Rainbow Dash asks me to help her with guitar practice. She's made a lot of progress in a short time, but still has trouble with speed.

While we're working on a few easy riffs, Rainbow asks, "What did you get Twilight for her birthday?"

"A locket," I say. "I'm having it custom made."

"Sweet," Rainbow says. "I still gotta get her somethin'...and it's gotta be somethin' good after last night." She tilts her head. "Maybe I could get her a new razor?"

"I think that'd probably insult her."

"Oh. Yeah. Huh." Rainbow frowns. "Maybe a book?"

"You don't wanna go there," I warn. "There's no telling what she's read and what she hasn't."

"You're right," Rainbow agrees.

"Just get her a gift card for the book store," I say. "She'll appreciate that."

"Yeah, but I don't wanna feel like...I'm the only one who didn't put any effort into her present. I mean..."

"Look...even Cadance says Twilight is hard to shop for," I say. "Don't worry about it. Just get her a gift card, maybe something to snack on, and that'll do it." I grin. "You've seen Twilight eat, right?"

Rainbow snorts. "Who hasn't?" She shakes her head. "Okay, gift card and snacks it is."

We continue practicing quietly for a little while longer before Rainbow speaks up. "Hey, Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"I..." She seems like she wants to say something important, but falters. "Thanks," she says.

"No problem."

"Not just...this," she says. "Thanks...just..." She trails off. "Thanks," she finishes lamely.
> 9/22 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone close to you will suffer a blow to their pride today.

Today is Music Club.

Everyone is crowding around me and Lyra, congratulating us for Saturday night. Trixie is sulking in the corner, glaring at me.

After the club meeting breaks up, Trixie stalks over to me. "Why do you get all the glory? What makes you so special?"

I sigh. "Look...Trixie...Vinyl asked me to play at the party because she heard me playing and liked it. If she'd heard you playing instead of me..."

Trixie turns up her nose. "Spare Trixie your false modesty. Everybody likes you. Everybody says you're lucky. Everybody thinks your relationship with that Twilight Sparkle girl is so wonderful. You haven't even been here a month yet, and you're already one of the most popular people here! Trixie demands to know what your secret is!"

"I don't have a secret," I say. "I'm just a regular guy. I've put up with a lot of crap since I came here. I've also made a lot of friends and have an amazing girlfriend. And I guess people really enjoy hearing me play guitar."

"You aren't answering Trixie's question! Trixie plays guitar! Trixie performs captivating feats of magical greatness! Trixie is the most talented girl at Canterlot High School! And yet Trixie is...Trixie is..." Trixie looks away. "Trixie is...treated like a joke." She clenches her fists. "How is it that you are everything Trixie deserves to be?"

"Maybe because I don't go around bragging about myself all the time? That's why people don't like you. All your bragging annoys everyone."

"Why shouldn't Trixie boast of her skills and greatness?"

"Yeah, okay, you can play the guitar alright. And whatever else it is you think you can do, maybe you can, maybe you can't. But..." I walk around to catch Trixie's eye; she turns to look at me. "Nobody's going to care about what you can do if you keep acting like you're better than them."

Trixie sniffs haughtily. "Trixie IS better than them!"

"No, you're not. Nobody is. Everybody's the same." I sigh. "You asked why people like me. It's because I'm not an asshole. There's your answer. See you next Tuesday."

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / Evening

I decide to do my homework in the lounge. It's strangely quiet. I don't know where everybody is.

I hear a shrill scream from outside and run to the door. Fluttershy is standing there, eyes wide in terror. "Flash! Help..."

She points a trembling hand.

Rainbow Dash is sitting against a tree, eyes squeezed shut, tears leaking out. She's grasping her left ankle.

Her left leg is covered in cuts, bruises, and blood.

"Oh my God...Rainbow, what happened?"

"Couple of jerks...after practice...jumped me and messed up my leg," Rainbow says. "I'm...alright..."

"The hell you are." I pull out my phone and call for an ambulance, then I call Cadance.

Thirty minutes later, I'm sitting in the waiting room with Fluttershy. We've let the others know what's going on.

Cadance and a doctor walk in. "She's going to be alright," Cadance says. "She doesn't have any broken bones...she did sprain her ankle, though. And there's...there's some muscle tearing." She looks down. "She's going to have to sit out most of the season...it's going to take a while for this to heal properly." She scowls. "I have to file a report with the police and let Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna know what happened. Would you go sit with her?"

"Of course."

"I'll wait here for the others," Fluttershy says.

I follow the doctor back to Rainbow's room. Her leg is propped up, with her ankle in a brace. There's gauze and bandages all over her leg. She has an IV in her arm and looks miserable.

"Hey," she says. "Thanks for..."

"Why did you try to walk home on that ankle?" I ask. "And don't tell me you didn't. I know you did. You should've called an ambulance yourself."

Rainbow sighs. "I didn't...I didn't think it was that bad."

"Bullshit."

Rainbow looks away. "I hate bein' weak, alright? I gotta be tough."

"Rainbow...this isn't tough. Risking messing up your leg so bad you'll never play soccer again? That isn't tough, that's stupid."

Rainbow snorts. "That all you came in here for? To tell me I'm stupid?"

"No, I came in here because I'm worried about you." I sit down. "What happened?"

Rainbow sighs. "The team captain had to transfer to Baltimare," she says. "Me and a couple guys were nominated to replace him. Coach picked me. The other two guys were pissed...decided they'd..."

"That's messed up."

"Yeah."

I squeeze Rainbow's hand. "Cadance is handling it. Those guys are gonna get expelled for this. Or at least kicked off the team."

"Yeah, but that doesn't help me," Rainbow says. "I won't be able to play for a long time...they didn't break anything, but the doc says they messed up my leg so bad it'll take a month to completely heal, and even after that, they'll probably bench me..." She starts to cry. "All I wanna do is play soccer. Why's everybody got a problem with that?"

I sit with Rainbow for a long time, holding her hand while she cries herself to sleep.
> 9/23 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): "An eye for an eye" may seem tempting, but there are better uses of your time. Let go of your anger.

Twilight's birthday is tomorrow.

Breakfast is a somber affair this morning. We're all worried about Rainbow Dash.

"I can't believe Rainbow's gonna miss Twilight's party," Pinkie says sadly as she picks at her cinnamon toast.

"Her missing my birthday party is kind of a lot less important than her losing her place as captain of the soccer team," Twilight says.

"Dammit," Applejack growls, slamming a fist on the table. "Ah wanna get hold'a them varmints that did this an'...an'...!"

"It's already being handled," Cadance says as she walks in, Coach behind her. They plop down at the table; they both look miserable.

"The police are going to be waiting for them when they arrive at school this morning," Shining Armor says.

I frown. "Couldn't they have picked them up last night?"

Shining Armor smiles grimly. "Vice-Principal Luna didn't want this to go down quietly. She talked Principal Celestia into making a big scene about the whole thing."

"Good," Rarity says viciously, stabbing her grapefruit half with a spoon. "They deserve to be arrested in front of the entire school."

Fluttershy looks sad. "I...I wish you all wouldn't be so...vicious about this. Isn't it enough that they're being kicked out of school and sent to juvenile hall? Do we...do we really have to be so..." She pokes at her toast. "I mean...yes, I'm upset about what they did to Rainbow Dash too...she didn't deserve that. But...all this anger doesn't help anybody..."

An uncomfortable silence descends.

"Fluttershy's right," Cadance says softly. "It's handled. We need to focus on cheering up Rainbow Dash." She smiles. "And getting ready for Twilight's party tomorrow."

"So how long's Rainbow gonna be in the hospital?" I ask.

Cadance sighs. "At least a week. Then she'll be on crutches for a few weeks. The doctor doesn't want to take any chances. The sprain is bad enough, but the tissue damage...if she puts any weight on that leg before it's completely healed, her ankle or her knee could go. Then she'd really be through with soccer for good."

We all sit and eat quietly after that.

"Yeah, still kinda wanna kill those guys." I'm honestly not even sure which one of us said that. Nobody comments.

"I'm...not gonna go to tennis practice today," Pinkie says. "I think cheering up Rainbow Dash is more important."

"Yeah, I agree," I say. "I'll skip today too. Coach'll understand."

Twilight and I walk Spike, then get ready for school.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 / Morning

There's a huge commotion in the courtyard when we arrive. A few dozen students are gathered around. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are blocking the doors. There's a man in a trenchcoat standing beside them, as well as a serious-looking woman in a suit. Looking around, I can spot four uniformed police officers stationed around the school entrance.

"What's going on?" I hear someone ask.

"I don't know," someone else says.

Across the courtyard, I see Sunset Shimmer and her two friends standing at the edge of the crowd. Sunset Shimmer looks nervous. That's interesting.

Principal Celestia holds up a megaphone and blasts a squeal of feedback. "Students, quiet please," she says. As everyone falls silent, she continues, "Yesterday afternoon, a student was assaulted and seriously injured. The two students responsible for this assault have been identified. As soon as they arrive, they will be arrested and removed from the premises by police. They are to be expelled from Canterlot High School."

Murmurs ripple through the crowd.

"An assault?"

"Wow, expelled?"

"Wonder who it was?"

"I didn't hear anything about this..."

Two burly jocks amble up the sidewalk and turn into the courtyard, talking and laughing. One of them has light amber skin and a mop of messy brown hair which covers his eyes. He's wearing a CHS letter jacket over a T-shirt with a trio of basketballs on the front. The other has light grey skin; his shaggy black hair also hangs over his eyes. He's wearing a green T-shirt with a football field print and three footballs in the center.

Vice-Principal Luna nudges Principal Celestia and points. The man and woman standing with them stir to action, and the uniformed officers around the yard close ranks.

Celestia raises her megaphone again. "Hoops! Score! Stay right where you are."

The two jocks freeze, whipping their heads left and right.

The man in the trenchcoat strides purposefully toward them, reaching into his coat and pulling out a badge. "You two are under arrest," he says.

"What? Why?"

"We ain't done nothin'!"

"You've been charged with assault," the detective says. "You attacked and crippled one Rainbow Dash yesterday afternoon."

"We...no...we didn't...!"

"This is a mistake!"

"We'll discuss that at the station," the detective says. The uniformed cops walk up, cuffs ready. The jocks keep protesting feebly, but are subdued and cuffed.

Principal Celestia raises her megaphone again. "Hoops, Score...you're both expelled from Canterlot High."

The police lead them away. The crowd is buzzing excitedly.

Vice-Principal Luna takes the megaphone from her sister. "To class, everybody. It's a school day. There will be time to discuss this later."

When I get to homeroom, everyone is restless and anxious. Mr. Turner is already at the head of the class. "Settle down, everyone," he says.

The class doesn't seem interested in settling down. People are trying to get my attention. My computer is flashing Canterbook message notifications constantly.

After a few minutes, Mr. Turner lets out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine. You're more interested in current events than history right now..." He shakes his head. "Flash? Everybody seems to think you have the answers."

I stand and walk to the front of the room. Everybody falls silent, staring at me. Even Mr. Turner seems interested. Has he not been informed?

"Those two guys that were expelled this morning assaulted Rainbow Dash after soccer practice yesterday," I say. "The soccer team's captain just transferred out of CHS. The coach picked Rainbow Dash as the new captain. Those guys didn't like that very much, so they tried to break her leg."

Everybody gasps.

"Her leg's all torn up, her ankle's sprained, and she's gonna be healing for about a month," I say. "They pretty much benched her for the season." I sit back down.

Mr. Turner seems stunned. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Flash."

Class resumes, but nobody's really interested in learning today...

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 / Lunch

As with every other time some huge incident has happened, the cafeteria is buzzing with conversation and gossip today. My friends and I aren't really talking much, though. We're too distracted and worried.

Pinkie Pie is on the phone with Rainbow Dash, making sure she's alright. I'm checking my messages, most of which are about the incident.

Twilight frowns at the heap of grey slop on her tray. "What is this?"

"You're probably better off not knowing," Applejack says. "Here, have half of mah sandwich."

"Thanks," Twilight says. "I guess I wasn't really paying attention..."

"Wow, something even you won't eat," I say.

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me. "Jerk."

"Speaking of eating, what do you want at your party, Twilight?" Pinkie asks. "I've gotta get a cake ready and get the food together after school tomorrow."

"Well, I like red velvet cake," Twilight says. "And...honestly? I'm okay with pizza."

"Pizza and red velvet cake it is," Pinkie says. "I hope they'll let me sneak a piece of birthday cake into the hospital for Rainbow Dash."

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 / After School

Earlier today, I let the coach know over Canterbook that I'd be missing tennis practice today. As soon as the final bell rings, I meet up with the others at the front of the school, and we head for the hospital.

Rainbow is sitting up in bed watching television when we arrive. Her computer is in her lap, and it looks like she's halfway through a math assignment. "Hey guys," she says.

"How are you feeling?" Fluttershy asks.

Rainbow blows upward on her bangs. "I hate sitting still, and this brace is makin' my foot sweat."

"Well, the ruffians who did this to you are in police custody," Rarity says. "They were expelled from school and arrested this morning in front of a rather large crowd of students."

Rainbow grins. "Yeah, I heard. I've been gettin' messages on Canterbook all day." She sighs. "Sucks that people only start bein' nice to you when some crap like this happens."

We spend time visiting with Rainbow. About a half hour after we arrive, my phone rings. I excuse myself into the hall to answer it.

It's Sterling Silver, the silversmith. Twilight's present is ready.

I duck back into the room. "Guys, I've got an errand to run," I say. "I'll head back to the dorm after I'm done. I'll text you later, okay Rainbow?"

"Cool," Rainbow says.

It's a long walk to Sterling Silver's shop. When I arrive, his daughter calls him into the front room. He presents me with a velvet-covered jewelry box, inside which is a highly polished silver locket on a fine silver chain. "I'm throwing in the chain for no charge," he says. "If the chain's not quite right, it's easy enough to change."

I nod. "I'll let her decide," I say. "It's beautiful...it's perfect."

Sterling Silver shows me how the swivel-front cover works, as well as the sliding back piece for inserting photos. It's an amazing piece of work. After I pay, he bags the locket.

"Your girlfriend's lucky," Sterling's daughter says. There's a faint blush on her cheeks.

I grin. "Nah, I'm the lucky one."

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 / Evening

After I pick up Twilight's present, I grab some takeout from McBurger and head back to the dorm. I'm already in my room when I realize I don't have any wrapping paper. Hopefully one of the other girls has something...I'm sure Pinkie Pie does.

By the time I've eaten and finished my homework, the others come back to the dorm. They grabbed takeout on the way home too.

"Hey Flash," Twilight calls as I poke my head into the dining room.

"Hey. Sorry I ducked out early like that. I had to pick up something."

Pinkie looks up and grins. "Something...like a birthday present?"

Twilight looks up at me.

"Yeah," I say. "Speaking of...Pinkie, you got any wrapping paper? I spaced and forgot to buy any."

"Sure, no problem," Pinkie says. "I'll bring it up in a bit."

"Thanks." I look at Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. "You'll keep Twilight from trying to peek, right?"

"Of course, darling," Rarity says with a grin.

"I—I wouldn't try to..." Twilight stammers, blushing. We all laugh.

A short while later, Pinkie brings some wrapping paper to my room, and I wrap Twilight's present. Pinkie asks to see it first, and squeals in delight. "Oh my gosh, she's gonna LOVE that!"

"I hope so," I say.

"She will," Pinkie says with a grin.

I didn't manage to get any guitar practice in today, but...it's late, and I've got too much else on my mind. After I put Twilight's present away in a secure place, I spend a few minutes chatting with Rainbow over Canterbook, then I turn in for the night.
> 9/24 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Libra): You are going to die today.

I wait at the bottom of the stairs for Twilight to come down to breakfast. As soon as I see her at the top of the stairs, I duck out of sight. As she reaches the bottom, I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug. "Happy birthday," I say.

"Eep!" She squirms. "Flash! Don't scare me like that!"

I turn her to face me and kiss her on the forehead. She blushes and plays with a lock of her hair.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie calls from the kitchen entrance. "Happy birthday! Ready for your special birthday breakfast?"

Twilight smiles. "Sounds great, Pinkie."

Fluttershy offers to walk Spike this morning so that Twilight can relax and take her time getting ready.

I want to know whether or not Twilight's birthday horoscope is...is that, but...the app is set up so it only shows the birthday horoscope if it's your birthday. I would only be able to check if I somehow lifted Twilight's phone.

I'll just...have to wait...

I could ask her to check it herself, but I don't...I can't.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 / After School

I duck into the Music Club room on my way out. "See you guys Tuesday," I say. "Got a birthday party to go to this afternoon."

"Sure thing," Lyra says. "How's Rainbow Dash doing?"

"She's bored," I say. "And mad."

I hurry back to the dorm, where Pinkie Pie is setting things up. "Need any help?" I ask.

"Sure," she says.

I help Pinkie set up the party decorations. "Pizza should already be on the way, I placed the advance order at lunch," she says.

"Where's Twilight?"

"Upstairs talking to her parents."

As the others return to the dorm, the pizza arrives. Cadance goes upstairs to fetch Twilight. We all sing "Happy Birthday" to her, then start helping ourselves to pizza and drinks while Pinkie lays out Twilight's presents on a table. All except mine, that is, which I'm deliberately saving for last.

While we're all eating, Twilight starts opening presents. Cadance took care of picking up Rainbow Dash's gift for Twilight, since Rainbow never had a chance to go shopping: a $25 gift card for the bookstore and a large tin of assorted nuts, crackers, dried fruits, and cookies. Twilight pulls out her phone and texts Rainbow, then moves on to the next gift in the pile.

Pinkie's gift is a $30 gift card for Sugar Cube Corner. Rarity gives Twilight a sparkly pink knit top with a layered skirt in three shades of violet, as well as a pair of high-heeled purple sandals.

"I...don't know when I'd ever wear this," Twilight says with a sheepish look, "but...it's really nice. Thank you."

Fluttershy gives Twilight a purple waterproof vinyl book tote and a tug toy for Spike. Applejack gives her a huge book called The Applepedia: 1001 Facts About Apples.

"Oooh, this'll be fun to read!" Twilight says, beaming.

"This is from your parents," Cadance says, handing Twilight a package. "They thought it might come in handy."

Twilight unwraps it, and we're all impressed. It's one of those brand-new, high-capacity, full-HD bookpads.

"It's a lot less to carry around than a stack of books, and you don't have to worry about running out of shelf space," Shining Armor says with a chuckle.

Twilight nods thoughtfully. "To be honest, my room is getting a little too full," she says. "I could probably repurchase half my collection on this and donate the hard copies to the library or a bookmobile..." She taps her chin. "I won't want to go all-digital, though. I do like the feel of a good book."

"Well, I got you a two-year subscription to the digital library," Shining Armor says, handing Twilight an envelope with a ribbon tied around it.

Twilight squeals. "Thanks, B.B.B.F.F.!"

"B.B.B.F.F.?" I ask.

"Big Brother Best Friend Forever," Twilight says. "It's...my little nickname for Shining Armor."

"And I got you something I think you might appreciate," Cadance says. She hands Twilight another envelope with a ribbon. "Six months of spa treatments. You can go twice a month."

"Oooh, that sounds absolutely divine!" Rarity says.

Cadance leans in close and stage-whispers to Twilight, "It'll make you feel wonderful, and make you even more beautiful for your boyfriend."

Twilight blushes, but laughs. "Thank you, Cadance."

Well, it's my turn now. I cough. "And here's mine."

I hand Twilight my present. She sets everything she's holding down and takes it, tilting her head curiously. She unwraps it, and her eyes widen.

"Oooh, it is jewelry?" Rarity asks, leaning in curiously. The others all watch with interest.

Twilight finishes unwrapping the box, running her hand over the velvet. "Flash, you didn't..." She opens it. When she sees the locket, she gasps.

"Oh my...that's so pretty!" Fluttershy says.

"It's positively gorgeous!" Rarity declares.

Twilight lifts it out of the box and studies it. "How...where did you find...?"

Cadance examines it. "You had it custom made, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Twilight gasps. "This...this is...?" She fingers it. "You had this made...just for me?"

"Of course I did. Happy birthday, Twilight." I stand up and move over to her, taking it from her. I unclasp the chain and brush her hair away from the back of her neck, then put the chain around her neck. As I let her hair fall back into place, she looks down at the locket, which rests just above her chest.

"Is it a pendant or a locket?" Cadance asks.

"It's a locket," I say. "It has a swivel cover."

Twilight fingers the front of the locket and figures out how to open it. "Wow," she says. Suddenly, she stands up and throws her arms around me, then kisses me. "Thank you," she says. "I love it."

"I think I have just the picture to put in it, too," Rarity says.

"Not the one where we're asleep," Twilight says, giving Rarity a cross-eyed look.

"No, heavens no!" Rarity says with a laugh. "Remember when you two had your first date? I can print out the picture I took that day."

"Oh." Twilight blushes. "That'd be nice."

After that, we all head to the dining room for the birthday cake. Pinkie had the good taste not to pull the same stunt on Twilight she pulled on me; this cake has simple buttercream frosting, with alternating pink and lavender candles.

It's already getting pretty late, but we decide to head to the hospital and check in on Rainbow Dash. Cadance helps Twilight take her presents upstairs while Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I clean up the lounge and dining room, and Pinkie gets a piece of cake ready to take to Rainbow. Shining Armor isn't coming with us, saying there's already too many of us going as it is.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Evening

"So, have a good birthday?" Rainbow asks Twilight as we crowd into her room.

"I sure did!" Twilight says. She tells Rainbow what she got, then shows her the locket. "Flash gave me this."

Rainbow's eyes bug out. "Whoa. That's awesome."

We've been at the hospital for about twenty minutes when I realize I have to go to the bathroom. I excuse myself and head for the nearest men's room. Unfortunately, it's out of order; I'm going to have to go two halls over to the other one.

By the time I get there, I'm about to explode. It takes nearly a full minute to empty my bladder. I'm in the middle of washing my hands when...

Thursday, September 24, 2015 / Zodiac

No.

Oh God no.

A message crawls across the mirror.

Say goodbye to that little purple whore of yours!

What the...?!

That's...!

I don't know how you and that bitch nurse have survived this long, but your girlfriend WILL die tonight!

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

//Flash! Flash, can you hear me?//

"Cadance! Don't tell me you let Twilight out of your sight!"

//...I had to go to the bathroom, alright? I wanted to wait for you to get back, but...//

"Damn...where is she?"

//She can't be too far from Rainbow Dash's room, but there's Shadows all over the place! And...oh no...! Flash, I'm sensing Libra!//

"Shit...Cadance, I'm unarmed!"

//There's no time to worry about that. Hurry back to where Twilight is!//

I rush out of the bathroom. I make it all of three steps before a Shadow undulates right in front of me: a large, twisting black snake wearing a red mask atop its head, engraved with the number VI. It's coiled up in a large metal Mars sign, which is in turn entangled in a metal Venus sign. It catches me in the shoulder before I can do anything; it doesn't even manage to tear my jacket, but the hit sure hurts. "Persona!"

Jack Frost appears and exhales plumes of ice. The snake crusts over with ice and falls to the ground. I grab it and slam it against the wall until it shatters, then take off running.

//Flash! Twilight isn't near Rainbow Dash's room! I'm reading Libra...it's approaching the lobby!//

"Crap!"

//Turn right!//

I turn and run in the direction of the lobby. Three Shadows appear in my path; they're floating in midair and have big round gold crowns with books floating inside. I summon Jack Frost, who unleashes a blast of icy breath. It doesn't knock the Shadows out of the air, but they do recoil. I change to Chiron, who obliterates the Shadows with a swing of his axe.

I lose track of how many Shadows attack, or how I fight them. All I can think about is getting to Twilight.

I hear her scream.

I push onward, ignoring the Shadows closing in around me. I find her with her back pressed against a vending machine, glowing text messages swarming all around her. A half-dozen weak blob Shadows are surrounding her.

"Twilight! Hold on!"

"Flash...?! Flash, what's going on here?"

The Shadows turn their attention on me. Snarling, I tap my phone. "PERSONA!"

Chiron appears, cleaving the weak Shadows with his blazing axe.

I run up to Twilight, who's staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. "F-Flash? Wh-what IS that?!"

"Shh...just...hold tight," I say, wrapping my arms around her. "Cadance? Is there ANY way out of here?"

"Cadance?! Where is—?"

//I'm sorry, Flash! It's just like that night...we can't leave Zodiac as long as Libra is here!//

Twilight blinks. "What..." She looks around. "Cadance? Where...where are you? How..." She grabs her head. "What's going on here?"

//Look out, Flash! Libra's closing in on you!//

I look around. There's absolutely nothing here I can use as a weapon! "Dammit...!"

"Flash...I'm scared...what's—"

I take hold of Twilight's shoulders. "Twilight...we're in danger. I need you to hold still, stay safe, and let me deal with it." I turn and look around warily.

//Here it comes!//

A column of shadow boils out of the ground, becoming a feminine arm that stretches to the ceiling. The hand holds aloft a set of ornate brass scales, with the sign of Libra engraved in the balance bar. A dark idol stands in each of the dishes: the one on my left has an angry face, baring sharp fangs; the one on the right wears a serene expression, hands folded in prayer.

Twilight gasps. "What...?"

"Cadance, scan it!"

//I'm trying, but the Zodiac Shadows always interfere with my scans! You may be on your own here!//

"Wonderful." I summon Chiron; he charges forward, leaping high into the air and striking the chains holding up the left balance with his axe. Libra shudders as the left balance wobbles.

Suddenly, the eyes of the angry idol glow and the scale holding it drops to the ground. A massive, glowing gust of wind blows Chiron back toward me. I stagger, nearly falling into Twilight.

//Be careful! Chiron is weak to wind attacks!//

"I...noticed," I grunt. It's time to switch Personas. "Jack Frost!"

Chiron vanishes, replaced by Jack Frost. Jack Frost charges forward, driving a powerful punch into the angry idol's face. The idol wobbles and rises back off the floor; the scales are in balance again.

Jack Frost uses his ice attack; frost creeps up the arm holding the scales. The right balance drops, and the serene idol opens her eyes. A pale light washes over Libra, and the frost recedes.

"The one on the left attacks...the one on the right looks like it heals..."

That wasn't Cadance. It was Twilight.

"I...I don't know what's going on here, but..."

"You're right, Twilight...that's exactly what it's doing. So I need to break the one that heals it!" I swipe the Fool Arcana card back onto my phone. "CHIRON!"

Chiron appears, then rushes forward, bringing his axe down on the serene idol with a tremendous swing. The idol cracks; Libra's hand opens, dropping the scales.

"AGAIN!"

Chiron rears, whinnying and snorting steam as he readies another blow. However, the mighty hand of Libra backhands him away; he crashes in a heap in front of me.

The serene idol shudders; a weak wave of healing light washes over Libra. The hand picks up the scales again, and the angry idol drops to the ground.

//LOOK OUT!//

I don't have time to change Personas again before Chiron is buffeted by a blast of wind. I double over; I feel like I'm about to throw up.

Twilight grabs me around the middle and holds me tightly. "Flash...!"

The left scale rises again. Both idols' eyes glow. A pressure wave spreads out from Libra...

Suddenly, I can't seem to feel my Persona. I look up; Chiron is becoming frayed around the edges. He thrashes in mad panic before scattering like a reflection in a pond when a pebble is cast into the water.

"What...what did that thing just...do to me?"

//I don't know!// Cadance sounds frantic. //It's disrupted your Persona somehow! Flash, you and Twilight need to run!//

"We can't!" Twilight cries. "All the exits are blocked! We're trapped in here!"

I look around; glowing red-and-black walls have appeared at every exit.

"Twilight...I'm sorry...I can't...I can't protect you..." I look down at my phone. The Persona app is completely distorted.

Without my Persona, we're dead.

Twilight's arms slip from around me. She stares at the Shadow, which is regarding us coldly. The left balance slowly starts to fall...

"I think..." Twilight says ponderously. "I think...it's my turn to protect you now."

She pulls out her phone. The screen lights up brilliantly.

The Persona app appears on her phone!

Twilight glares up at Libra. "You came here to kill me, didn't you?" she says. There's a hint of steel in her voice. "Well I'm not ready to die!"

Twilight taps her phone.

"PERSONA!"

The image on her phone's screen explodes in blue shards...





Standing between us and Libra is what appears to be Twilight herself, only older, larger, and with her skin and hair colors reversed. She's wearing Greek robes and sandals, with a huge gold helmet with a tall crest on top and sweeping gold wings on the side. She has a spear in one hand and a pile of books at her feet; a small brown owl is flying around her head. She extends her free hand in front of her, and several of the books fly up off the ground, fusing together to form a huge book-shaped shield. The owl hoots and perches atop the shield.

I can only stare in wonder. "What...?!"

//Flash? What's...what's going on? I'm reading something...did you awaken another new Persona?//

"No...Twilight did."

//WHAT?!//

Twilight's Persona raises her spear aloft. A bolt of lightning arcs from the tip, slamming into Libra's hand; the hand spasms, dropping the scales.

The Persona app on my phone snaps back into sharp relief. I can feel Chiron and Jack Frost again! I tap my phone. "CHIRON!"

Chiron reappears, glaring furiously at the collapsed Shadow. Libra's hand is scrambling frantically, trying to pick the scales back up.

"Together, NOW!" I yell.

"Right!" Twilight agrees.

Chiron and Twilight's Persona charge, unleashing a combined assault on the serene idol. The idol screams in pain as it shatters. Chiron draws back his axe and slams it into the chains holding the left dish; the chains shatter.

The angry idol stares in bewilderment at the two Personas and unleashes a gust of wind. Chiron is driven back, but Twilight's Persona is barely affected, her shield having absorbed most of the impact. Another jolt of electricity strikes the dark idol, which topples over. The Persona then twirls her spear and leaps into the air, impaling the grasping palm of Libra's hand.

Libra melts into a pool of darkness.

Twilight's Persona turns to regard her calmly with blank, glowing blue eyes. Twilight looks up at her, eyes wide in wonder.

"You're...Athena..." Twilight whispers.

The Persona nods, then vanishes. Chiron vanishes as well.

And just like that, we're standing in the lobby of the hospital, the sounds of intercom pages and nurses going about their rounds rushing back in. Twilight doubles over, grasping her head. I catch her.

Cadance comes running. "Are you two alright?"

"We need to get Twilight back to the dorm," I say.

"I...I'll be alright," Twilight says. "I just...have a terrible headache..."

She faints in my arms.

A nurse rounds a corner.

"Nurse! This girl just fainted!" Cadance says.

The nurse looks alarmed. "Bring her this way," she says. I pick Twilight up, and we follow the nurse to a triage room. Cadance and the hospital nurse hover over Twilight, checking her vitals and examining her while I sit in the corner.

After a few harrowing minutes, the hospital nurse sighs with relief. "Well, she seems to be healthy," she says. "I'll draw some blood to send to the lab. It looks to me like she just overexerted herself."

"She is on her period," Cadance says.

The nurse laughs. "Oh, well...that'd explain it." She shakes her head. "You should've just told me that in the first place."

"It's been a long day," Cadance says tiredly.

"Well...let's let her rest here for a little while, just in case. If she wakes up and seems fine, you can take her home."

Once the nurse is gone, Cadance turns to me. "Twilight has a Persona?" she asks.

"Yeah...she just saved both our lives." I stand up and walk over to Twilight, brushing her bangs away from her forehead. "I can't believe...I almost lost her tonight..." I remember what happened in the bathroom. "Cadance...I think we have a new problem."

"What is it?"

"You know those messages we see in Zodiac?" Cadance nods, frowning. "Well...tonight...I saw one that was talking to me. It...it wasn't like the usual ones." I take a deep breath. "I think somebody's controlling these Shadows. And they're after me and Twilight."

Cadance gasps. "What?!"

I explain what I saw. Cadance looks horrified. "But...that's..."

"Yeah," I say. I look at Twilight, then bow my head. "Why can't we just be left in peace? Things were just starting to go our way..."

Cadance looks like she wants to cry. She sniffles. "I...I'd better round up the girls...it'll be time to go back to the dorm soon..."

"What about Twilight?" I ask. "She's...she's not gonna be out for three days, is she?"

"No, but...I think I might have to stay home from school tomorrow..."

We both turn to see Twilight looking at us. She looks tired, and her voice is weak.

"Twilight!" Cadance cries. "Are you...?"

Twilight sits up, clutching her head. "I...didn't dream all that, did I?"

Cadance sighs. "It wasn't a dream," she says.

I take Twilight's hand. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all this," I say. I frown. "Hey, how come she woke up so fast, when I was out for three days?"

Cadance shrugs. "I woke up a few hours after I summoned Aphrodite the first time. I guess it's different for everybody." She tilts her head. "Or maybe..." She looks at me. "Maybe you were out longer because of that power you have."

My power...

...the Fool Arcana...

...multiple Personas...

"What WAS that thing?" Twilight asks.

Cadance rubs her back. "We'll explain in the morning," she says. "We need to get you home so you can take something for that headache and sleep."

"I'm fine," Twilight insists.

"No, Twilight," I say. "You're going home and you're going to bed. Worry about it tomorrow...Libra's gone. We killed it. We're safe for now."

Twilight looks from me to Cadance uncertainly. After a minute, she sighs. "I am pretty tired," she admits.

I "borrow" a wheelchair while Cadance calls the girls and tells them to meet us in the lobby. They're worried when they see Twilight in a wheelchair; moreso when I tell them she fainted. Twilight assures them she's fine, just a little worn down.

"That's a sucky way for your birthday to end," Pinkie says with a frown.

We all pile into Cadance's SUV and return to the dorm.
> 9/25 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, September 25, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cherish every precious second of your day today. You don't know how lucky you are to be alive.

I haven't slept a wink all night. It's four in the morning. My door opens.

It's Cadance.

"Hey," I say.

"Oh good, you're awake." Cadance frowns. "I thought you probably would be. Couldn't sleep?"

I shake my head.

"I think Twilight's awake too," Cadance says. "I saw a light on in her room."

I get up. "Let's go check on her."

We head down to Twilight's room. Cadance quietly opens the door and peeks in. "Twilight? Can we come in?"

"Yes," Twilight says from inside.

We walk in. Twilight is sitting up in bed, her bookpad in hand. She looks up at us and smiles. "Hey Cadance, hey Flash."

In the basket at the foot of her bed, Spike pokes his head up, looks at us, then puts his head back under his tail and goes back to sleep.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

Twilight sighs. "Tired," she says. "But I can't sleep. I just...what happened last night was too..."

Cadance sits on the foot of Twilight's bed. I pull up Twilight's desk chair.

Twilight looks at me, then at Cadance. "What was all that last night?"

Cadance explains Zodiac, the Shadows, and Persona. I pitch in a few things I've seen. When we're done, Twilight looks thoughtful, upset, and afraid.

"So...that thing...it was there to kill me?"

"Yes," Cadance says. "I'm sorry, Twilight."

Twilight shudders. "Why would...why me?"

"I used to think it was just random...the past victims didn't seem to have any connection with each other," Cadance says. "But last night...was different."

"There's someone or something at work here," I say. "When...when we got pulled into Zodiac last night, I saw messages that were...directed at me rather than about me. There's..." I take a breath. "Whatever's going on, whoever or whatever's controlling the Shadows...it knows about me and Cadance, it knows we've survived being hunted. That's...that's why it went after you."

Twilight looks down at her lap. "But...who would want...?"

"I've been thinking about that myself," I say. "I have a hunch, but..." I shake my head. "It's...I could just be projecting. I don't see how it could be..."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight suggests.

"Yeah," I say. "I know, it's stupid, right?"

Twilight shakes her head. "It's not very likely, but I can understand why you'd think that. Especially after what she said to us at the party."

Cadance frowns. "I know Sunset Shimmer hasn't been..." She shakes her head. "We shouldn't accuse anyone of trying to kill us without solid evidence. Especially since there's no way we can prove it."

Cadance is right. We have to find evidence if we're going to find out who tried to kill us.

Twilight sighs. "So...when you were in the hospital for three days, that was because of this Zodiac stuff?"

I nod.

She looks thoughtful. "And...that night you went for a walk, and then came home injured?"

"Yeah," I say. "Cadance and I went to the school so we could go into Zodiac and train." I pause, then add, "That morning we went to run errands together, we also went to Zodiac."

Twilight nods. "Alright, that clears up a few things I'd been wondering about." She pauses. "And that night you were gone so long taking out the trash?"

Cadance and I share a look. "Uhh..."

Cadance sighs. "No, we didn't..." She shakes her head. "I had a fight with Shiny that night, and I needed somebody to vent to. I ran into Flash outside..."

"Oh." Twilight nods. She frowns. "You had a fight with my brother?"

Cadance shifts uncomfortably.

"Just tell her," I say. "Hell, you told me."

"Yeah, but you're not my husband's sister," Cadance says.

"Cadance? Please..." Twilight looks upset. "Please...trust me?"

Cadance sighs. "Shiny doesn't..." She frowns. "I mean, he hasn't..." She wrings her hands.

She's never going to spit it out.

"He hasn't made love to her in weeks," I say.

"Yeah, that," Cadance says.

Twilight turns red. "Oh." She frowns. "Well that...sucks?"

Cadance stands up. "We'll talk some more later," she says. "You need to get some rest now. I'll excuse you from school today." She looks at me. "I know you probably want to stay here today and look after her, but..."

"No, I'll go to school today," I say. "As long as Twilight promises to stay in bed and rest."

Twilight yawns suddenly. "I uhh...don't think that'll be a problem," she says sleepily.

A little while later, after a shower, a shave, and a change of clothes, I head downstairs. Pinkie's already en route to the kitchen. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?" she asks.

"Not really."

"I'm not surprised," she says. She frowns at me. "What really happened to Twilight?"

"She fainted," I say. "Like Nurse Cadance said, it's a period thing."

Pinkie makes a face. "Yeah, I'm not totally buying that, even if Nurse Cadance says so," she says. She shrugs. "Oh well. It's just...really funny that you and Twilight both ended up passed out on your birthday." With that, she heads into the kitchen to start breakfast.

Unfortunately, Pinkie isn't the only one who thinks it's strange Twilight and I both collapsed on our birthdays. Rarity in particular has a singularly unpleasant take on it.

"Flash, dear," Rarity says as she presses some scrambled eggs onto a piece of toast, "is Twilight pregnant?"

I nearly spit out a mouthful of coffee. "Dammit, Rarity! No! We're not—we haven't—!"

"I was just curious," Rarity says.

"Umm...she had her period," Pinkie says. "I was there."

"Ew," Applejack says, making a face.

"You know what I mean!"

"Not usually."

After breakfast, I take a plate of food and a glass of juice up to Twilight, then walk Spike alone. It takes forever for him to get around to doing his business; he keeps sniffing me, then looking back at the dorm and whimpering.

When I take him back upstairs, Twilight is still eating, much more slowly than usual. "I'll come straight home after classes," I say.

Twilight frowns. "You have tennis today," she says.

"I'll skip."

"No, don't," Twilight says. "You've already skipped once this week. Besides, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." She smiles. "Come home right after tennis practice, okay? I promise I won't faint or explode or anything until you're back."

I roll my eyes. "Okay, okay. Just...stay in bed, okay? You've got that new bookpad, so just...stay in bed and read."

"I will," Twilight says, smirking.

I head back to my room, change shoes, grab my laptop and my tennis racket, then head off for school.

Friday, September 25, 2015 / Morning

The fatigue from last night's battle, combined with a restless night with no sleep, finally gets to me during second period. I fall asleep in class. The teacher lets me off with a warning, but I feel embarrassed.

It's so hard to concentrate on school today...

Friday, September 25, 2015 / Lunch

Several girls come up to our table at lunch.

"Flash, we just heard...we're so, soooo sorry."

"Yeah, it must be...it must be so hard for you."

I frown. "Heard what?"

"We heard...your girlfriend is dying."

"Yeah, we heard she collapsed and now she's on her deathbed."

"Honestly, I'm surprised you even bothered to come to school today."

"Oh, good grief," Applejack mutters.

I bury my head under my hands and take a deep breath to calm myself before I look up at the girls. "Who's spreading that ridiculous rumor?" I ask. "Is it Sunset Shimmer?"

The girls look at each other. "Well...we don't..."

"Really...know who started it."

"It's just...what everybody's saying..."

"Of course it is," I mutter. "Look...Twilight's fine. She just fainted last night."

"She's having a rough period," Pinkie supplies. "You girls know how that is, right?"

One of the girls flushes brilliantly. "Uhh...y-yeah..."

"She's just resting at home today, she'll be back on Monday," I say. "Now, will you please stop believing every bullshit rumor you hear at this school?"

The girls hastily scurry away. "Dumb little bi..." I catch myself before I say anything that'll piss off my friends.

"Really, the gossip at this school is simply out of control," Rarity huffs. "I mean, I'm all for juicy gossip, but things have just gotten ridiculous!"

"It's all that bitch Sunset Shimmer's fault," I say. "It has to be." I look at my tray and sigh. I don't really want any of it. "Screw this, I'm going for a walk." I leave the cafeteria.

One of the connecting halls of the school has the windows open, letting in the autumn breeze. I lean against the windowsill.

"Shouldn't you be having a nutritious, barely edible school lunch right about now?"

I look to my left to see Juan the Janitor standing next to me, his yellowish eyes twinkling with amusement. "I needed some air," I say.

"Ah, yes," Juan says, nodding. "Understandable, given what you've been through lately. One of your closest friends put in the hospital, your girlfriend fainting..." He studies me for a moment. "The terrible rumors that are already going around."

I sigh. "Yeah."

"I don't know which is more ludicrous," he says. "The one where she's dying, the one where she's pregnant, or the one where her brother raped her."

"What?!"

"I know. The imaginations children these days have...it's truly frightening." Juan shakes his head. "I'm certain Twilight Sparkle is quite well, is she not?"

"Yeah, she's fine, she just needs rest. She's not pregnant or...or anything else stupid."

"Now, now...being pregnant is hardly stupid. I'd wager you'll want her to be pregnant...someday." He frowns, tilting his head. "Oh, that's right...you're going back to Seaddle at the end of next summer, aren't you?"

I'd actually almost forgotten that.

"Honestly, you'd think the one starting all these rumors would know that being a teenager is chaotic enough. I should know." Juan sighs. "Well...it's almost time for next period, and I'll have quite the mess to clean in the cafeteria, as usual. Some days, it seems like I've been cleaning up messes for Celestia for as long as I can remember...I do so tire of it, but it's my lot in life, I suppose."

Juan leaves. I'm so lost in thought I almost don't hear the bell.

Friday, September 25, 2015 / After School

By the time tennis practice rolls around, I'm in a spectacularly bad mood.

"Well well...look who decided to grace us with his presence," Suri says, smirking haughtily at me as I emerge from the locker rooms. She tosses her hair. "Try to show up for practice once in a while if you want to stay on the team, mmkay?"

"Hey! He missed one practice," Pinkie says. "And that's only because a friend of ours got put in the hospital by a couple of creeps!"

"That's hardly an excuse to miss practice," Suri says. "Keep up like this, and you'll be picking up balls with Coco."

I've had just about enough bullshit today. I pick up a ball and serve it right at Suri's face.

"OW! Hey! What's your problem?!"

"You're my problem," I say. "I've had it with your snotty attitude and the way you bully Coco. She deserves to be on this team a hell of a lot more than you do!"

The coach runs up, blowing her whistle. "Hey, HEY! What's going on here?"

"Flash Sentry just assaulted me!" Suri screams. "I want him off the team!"

The coach looks at me, hands on her hips. "Explain yourself!"

"It isn't his fault," Coco says suddenly, so quietly we almost don't hear. She rushes up to stand next to me. "She...she was giving him a hard time for missing...for missing practice the other day to visit a sick friend."

The coach frowns. "Yeah, Sentry and Pie messaged me about their friend. She was gonna be the soccer team's captain until those two jerks took her out." She looks at Suri. "It was an excused absence. And it's not your place to reprimand team members for missing practice. It's mine."

Suri scowls. "Of course."

The coach looks at me. "Now, you...work on that temper." She claps her hands twice. "Okay people! Let's all settle down and get some work done here, alright?"

After practice, I walk over to where Coco is collecting balls. "Hey, thanks," I say.

She smiles at me. "I...don't know what came over me," she says. "I just...I saw she was about to get you in trouble, when it was really her fault..." She looks down.

I pat her on the shoulder. "You're standing up to that bitch," I say. "That's good." I smile at her. "Now, keep it up!"

Suri stalks over, her face twisted in rage. "You. Manager." She gets right in Coco's face. "If you ever speak out of turn again..."

Coco shrinks back, but I put a hand on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath, then stares right into Suri's eyes. "If you ever threaten me again, I'm going straight to Vice-Principal Luna."

Suri's eyes widen fearfully. She takes a step back, pointing a shaking finger at Coco. "Just...mind your own business from now on!" She turns on her heel and stalks away.

I stare at Coco, impressed. "Wow, Coco! That took guts!"

Coco lets out a shaky breath. "M-my knees were shaking...I felt like I was going to throw up..."

I help her finish, then get cleaned up and changed to go home.

Friday, September 25, 2015 / Evening

I check in on Twilight as soon as I put my things away. She's asleep, with Spike curled up on her stomach. Spike looks up at me, lets out a snort, then lays his head back down. I smile and head back to my room, determined to get in some guitar practice.

A little while later, Cadance pokes her head in. "Hey," she says. "I'm taking the girls to the hospital to visit Rainbow Dash. We're all just going to eat out tonight...do you want to get something and bring it back for Twilight? Or...there's still a lot of leftover pizza in the fridge. It might be a better idea to heat that up and eat it..."

I nod. "I think me and Twilight'll eat leftover pizza."

"Okay." Cadance nods. "Oh, and Shining Armor'll be here. I think he's picking up some of Twilight's favorite ice cream. He's...been pretty upset all day."

"Him and me both," I say. "Please tell me he didn't hear that one rumor."

Cadance tilts her head. "Which one rumor? The pregnant one?"

"The rape one."

Cadance cringes. "Oh God...there's a rape rumor?" She frowns. "They think...they think you raped...?"

"No, they think he did."

"GAH!" Cadance looks like she's about to throw up. "No, I know he hasn't heard that one. He hasn't killed anybody. Please, please don't tell him they're saying something like that."

"Are you kidding? Why would I say something that stupid to him?"

"Okay. Well...we'll be back later."

"Tell Rainbow Dash I said hi."

A few minutes later, I head down to the kitchen and turn on the oven. I rummage around in the refrigerator. There's enough leftovers to make a whole pizza and then some. I arrange most of it on a baking sheet, then stick it in the oven. While the pizza is heating, I line the inside of one of the empty pizza boxes with aluminum foil, then round up some paper plates, napkins, and a couple of sodas from the fridge. Once the oven timer dings, I take the pizza out, then arrange it in the foil-lined box. I carry everything up to Twilight's room; it's a bit of a fumble to get the door open, but I manage.

Twilight must've smelled food, because she's sitting up in bed, sleepy-eyed and bedheaded. Spike is sitting at the foot of the bed, wagging his tail. "Dinner time," I say as I drag Twilight's desk chair to the side of the bed with a foot. I get everything more or less arranged, shooing Spike off the bed so I can put the pizza down without him diving right into it. He makes a very annoyed noise at me, then curls up in his basket to sulk.

"Mmm, smells good," she says.

"It's leftovers from yesterday," I say.

She giggles. "I liked yesterday's pizza, so I'm sure I'll love this."

I serve both of us, giving her some napkins and a drink. "Your brother'll be coming in a little later," I say. "Until then, we've got the dorm to ourselves."

"I think I'm good here," Twilight says. "How was school?"

"Eh...I was too exhausted to pay attention," I say. "And there's more rumors going around. As usual."

Twilight makes a face. "I'm getting so tired of the gossip at school."

"You and me both." I look down at my lap. "Twilight...I'm sorry you got mixed up in all this. I really am. I...I had hoped...when I found out what was going on..." I take a deep breath. "Somehow, I...I knew you'd be the one Libra would go after. I hoped like hell I was wrong, but..."

Twilight sighs. "If you're right, and...and somebody's controlling all this..." She toys with her napkin. "We need to figure it out before anybody else gets hurt."

"We have some time," I say. "There won't be any more attacks until Scorpio."

"That's so weird, that these Shadows are...are tied to astrology..."

"I wanted to ask you to check your birthday horoscope yesterday, but..." I sigh. "I really should have just asked."

Twilight shakes her head. "I probably wouldn't have. I never believed in all that stuff." She frowns. "But if...if the Canterbook horoscope app is somehow connected to all this..."

"Anybody who gets that creepy birthday horoscope is a target," I say. "Cadance and I already figured that out."

Twilight nods shakily. "Well...by the time...by the time there's another attack...I'll be ready to fight."

"Twilight, no...! You don't have to—"

Twilight places a finger on my lips. "I want to," she says. "I...I want to help you. You can't do this all by yourself."

There's a knock on the door.

"We'll talk about it more later," she says. "Come in!"

Shining Armor walks in. "Hey, Twily. Oh...hey, Flash."

"Hey Coach," I say. "Want some pizza? There's still a slice or two."

"Err...no, but thanks," he says. "I...just wanted to check in on..." He looks down at a carton in his hands. "Oh, and I bought you some ice cream, Twily."

Twilight smiles happily. "Can you put it in the freezer for now, please?" she asks. "I'll send Flash down to bring it up when I'm ready for it."

"Sure thing," Shining Armor says. He looks like he wants to say something else, but he frowns and leaves.

I groan. "I am so on your brother's shit list."

Twilight pats my hand. "He's just...not used to the idea of me having a boyfriend. Give him time."

I turn on Twilight's television and find something for us to watch while we finish off the pizza. I break up a crust into bite-sized pieces and leave it on a plate on the floor for Spike, who hungrily goes after it. I head downstairs to get the ice cream and a couple of spoons.

Shining Armor is in the lounge watching television. "Hey Flash. Come here a second."

I walk into the lounge. "Umm...hey Coach."

He looks down at his hands. "Look...I know Twily trusts you, and...and Cadance trusts you." He sighs. "But...I think...maybe you shouldn't be seeing Twilight. I...I want you to stop...you know..."

I shake my head. "No," I say. "I'm not doing that."

He frowns. "You don't want to cross me, Flash."

"I'm not going to stop seeing Twilight. Or caring about her. Or..."

"You're going back to Seaddle in a year. You're going to break her heart no matter what."

Damn. He's got me there.

"Look...for right now, we're happy," I say. "Even though all this stuff is going on, we...we're enjoying spending time together. That's not going to change."

"I just don't want her hurt any worse than she's already been!" Shining Armor says.

"So you want me to hurt her by breaking up with her? Is that going to make her happy?"

"Well...I..." Shining Armor falters. "You're bad for her."

"Then who's good for her?" I ask. "Tell me."

Shining Armor hesitates.

"Nobody is, am I right? Because she's your sister."

Shining Armor doesn't say anything.

"Let her live her own life and make her own choices. She's old enough to decide who's right for her and who isn't." I grab the ice cream and the spoons and go back upstairs, leaving Shining Armor and the stick up his ass to stew.

"You were gone an awfully long time," Twilight says as I walk back into her room.

"Bathroom," I say.

"You washed your hands, right?"

"Of course."

We polish off the ice cream as we watch television together. I'm getting sleepy, so I say goodnight and head to my room.
> 9/26 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, September 26, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You should try to relax today.

By mid-morning, everyone is gone except me, Twilight, and Cadance. Shining Armor went to the gym, Fluttershy is taking care of everybody's pets as usual, Pinkie Pie is at work, and Applejack and Rarity are with Rainbow Dash at the hospital.

Twilight comes downstairs to have breakfast with me and Cadance. "How do you feel?" Cadance asks.

"Better," Twilight says. "My head's stopped hurting."

"Well, I still want you to take it easy today, just to be safe," Cadance says. "Stay here at the dorm, don't exert yourself..."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "I was just planning to catch up on what I missed at school yesterday, do some reading." She wolfs down a pancake, then drains a glass of orange juice. She looks at me, then at Cadance. "So...that Zodiac thing...you said we can go in there whenever we want, right?"

"From the app on your phone, yes," Cadance says.

Twilight nods. "Next weekend, I want...I want to go in."

"Twilight..." Cadance says warningly.

"No, listen to me," Twilight says. "I have the same power the two of you have. Somebody tried to kill me. Somebody tried to kill the two of you." She looks down at her plate. "I want to know what's going on. I want to help." She looks back up at us. "Don't try to talk me out of it."

Cadance frowns. "I...don't know..."

"Oh, so you're willing to risk Flash's life, but not mine?" Twilight asks. She shakes her head. "I'm in this now. We need to work together to figure this out."

"And to protect people from those Shadows," I say. "I don't like the idea of you being in danger, but...I saw your Persona fight. Honestly, I'd love the help."

Cadance sighs. "Alright...fine."

"There is one thing, though," I say, holding up a finger. "We need to do something about making sure we don't get caught without weapons. That mess at the hospital would've been a lot less of a pain in the ass if I'd had my axe."

Twilight stares at me. "You have an axe?"

"You don't know everything about me," I say with a teasing grin.

Cadance frowns. "That's going to be tricky," she says. "It's not like you two can just walk around armed. That's assuming we can even predict when we're going to have to rescue someone."

"About that," Twilight says. "I have a hunch Pinkie Pie may be the next target."

I stare at her. "Pinkie Pie? What makes you say that?"

"She's a Scorpio," Twilight says. "If you and I are being targeted, it stands to reason our friends..." She looks down. "Our friends are going to be targeted too." She sighs. "I spent all day yesterday thinking about this. If I'm right, then Pinkie Pie's going to be the next target." She frowns. "And...and if she is, then that proves my theory...and everybody in this dorm is going to be targeted."

Cadance and I look at each other. She's visibly shaken.

"Twilight," I say, "I really, really hope you're wrong."

"So do I," Twilight says glumly.

Cadance sighs. "Twilight's never been wrong in her entire life," she says. "But...just to be safe, I'll put together a list of all the students at CHS who are Scorpios." She turns to Twilight. "When's Pinkie's birthday?"

"October 28th," Twilight says.

Cadance nods. "Then...then we have time to prepare. We should definitely go to Zodiac next Saturday to train." She frowns. "I'll have to find a weapon for you, Twilight. What do you think you'd be comfortable with?"

Twilight shrugs. "I don't really know how to use weapons..." She trails off. "Well, no...there was that time when I was thirteen and I took fencing for three weeks." She plays with her fork. "It's better than nothing."

Cadance frowns. "Yeah...okay, I'll see if I can find you a rapier." She looks sternly at Twilight. "Are you absolutely sure you want to get involved in this?"

"I'm already involved," Twilight says. "I'm not about to just ignore this. I'm going to fight, and we're going to figure this thing out together."

Saturday, September 26, 2015 / Evening

Everyone returned to the dorm by late afternoon. Rarity is in her room working on some project or another, while Fluttershy decided to turn in early.

Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and I are sitting in the lounge watching television.

Or trying to.

"Man, there is just nothing on tonight," I mutter.

Twilight has the remote. As she goes through the listings guide, the girls comment on everything that's on.

"Phi Beta Cannibal...sounds really gross...Extreme Knitting..."

"Fluttershy watches that, but I never really got into it," Pinkie says.

"Just Add Fleur...why are these stupid reality shows so popular?"

"Hillbilly Shotgun Weddings," Applejack mutters sourly. "Now some stuff just ain't necessary."

"Who Wants To Marry A Fetus?" Twilight exclaims, turning green. "Bleah! What is WRONG with these people?!"

"Oh hey look!" I say. "It's that old Neighponese cartoon that's really a Pranch cartoon!"

"Ooh, the one about a bunch of kids running from conquistadors?" Pinkie asks.

"Yeah, and they flew around in a big gold bird!"

"Oooh, I remember that!" Pinkie says happily. "Let's watch it!"

Twilight shrugs and puts it on.

Pinkie's as excited as I am when the show starts, and we both start singing the theme song. "Children of the sun, see your time has just begun!"

I can't believe I still remember the whole theme song after all these years, but neither of us misses a word.

When it's over, Twilight and Applejack are staring at us.

"Y'all are weird," Applejack says flatly.
> 9/27 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, September 27, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will meet somebody today who may play an important role in your life later.

After breakfast, Twilight and I go with Cadance to visit Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Twi," Rainbow says as we walk in. "Feelin' better?"

"Yeah," Twilight says. "Just needed to take it easy for a bit. How about you?"

Rainbow shrugs. "They say I'll be outta here on Tuesday. I'll still be on crutches and painkillers for way too long, though." She sighs.

"And..." Cadance looks apologetic. "You're going to have to stay at the dorm for two weeks. You'll be doing all your schoolwork over Canterbook."

Rainbow nods. "Yeah, the doctor told me I'd have to stay off my leg as much as possible." She frowns. "They're also gonna be sending a physical therapist out every day."

Cadance winces. "That won't be fun."

"Well...on the bright side..." I say, "This'll give you plenty of time to practice the guitar." I grin. "I bet by the time you go back to school, you'll really be rockin'!"

Rainbow smiles. "Yeah...guess I'll need somethin' new to do, since I can't play soccer anymore..."

"Don't talk like that," Cadance says sternly. "Your soccer career is not over."

"She's right, Rainbow Dash," Twilight says. "Professional athletes get hurt a lot worse than this all the time and they recover and keep playing. This is just a temporary setback."

"Yeah, don't you dare give up on your dream," I say. "You don't wanna give those two assholes the satisfaction of knowing they beat you, do you?"

Rainbow grins. "You're right...I gotta get better, and I gotta bounce back from this. I will be the captain of next year's team!"

"You're still the captain of this year's team," Cadance says. "Just because you can't play right now, doesn't mean you lost your title. You earned that title."

Rainbow's eyes widen. "I'm...I'm still...even though..."

"Of course you are, silly," Cadance says.

Tears fill Rainbow's eyes.

"Nobody told you?" Twilight asks, tilting her head.

Rainbow shakes her head. "First I've heard of it." She smiles. "Still, I can't be much of a team captain if I can't even play..."

"Let your coach and the others worry about that," Cadance says.

There's a knock on the door. "Come in!" Rainbow calls.

Two tall, lanky boys walk in. They're carrying the biggest card I have ever seen between them. Pasted to the front is a huge print-out of Rainbow's cloud-and-lightning emblem, surrounded by the words "GET WELL SOON, CAPTAIN!" cut out from construction paper.

The two boys look a bit apprehensive that there are so many of us in the room. "Uhh...hey Rainbow Dash," one of them says.

"Hey guys," Rainbow says, staring at the card.

"We, uh...the whole team...we made you this card," the second guy says. "The whole team signed it..."

Rainbow smiles. "Th-thanks, guys," she says. "That...that's awesome."

"We, uh...we wanted you to know...what those two di—err, guys did...we're all really upset about it."

"Yeah, we're all behind you a hundred percent."

Rainbow sniffles. "You guys..."

"So, uhh..." One of the guys shuffles his feet. "I don't know how long you're out for, but...you will be coming back, right?"

"You bet I will," Rainbow says. "It'll take time for my leg to heal, but once it does, I'll be back better than ever."

"Why don't you guys sit and keep Rainbow company for a while?" I suggest. "Me and Twilight need to bail anyway."

"We do?" Twilight asks.

"Hey, you just spent two days cooped up in the dorm," I say. "We need to do something."

"Yeah, you two go do date stuff," Rainbow says, grinning.

"Yeah, okay," Twilight agrees. We leave the hospital.

Sunday, September 27, 2015 / Daytime

After taking a walk around town, Twilight and I decide have lunch at Monster Waffle. We've just arrived when we run into Applejack, who's with a group of people I've never met before: a young girl with long red hair topped with a big pink bow, a tall, broad-shouldered, heavily-muscled man in his twenties with messy blonde hair, and a wrinkled old woman with silver hair in a tight bun.

"Didn't spec Ah'd see y'all here!" Applejack says, grinning at us.

"Hey Applejack!" Twilight says.

"Hey Flash, you ain't met mah family yet!" Applejack says happily. "This here's Granny Smith, this is mah big brother Big Macintosh, an' this is mah little sis Apple Bloom."

"Hey," Big Macintosh greets.

"Pleased t'meetcha!" Granny Smith says.

"Howdy!" Apple Bloom says.

"They come inta town t' do some shoppin' today, so Ah thought Ah'd meet up with 'em an' we'd go out t' eat fer a change," Applejack says. "Hey, why don't y'all join us?"

"Oh, we couldn't impose," Twilight says.

"Heck, it ain't no big deal," Applejack says. "Ah'd love fer mah friends t' get t' know mah family!"

Twilight looks at me. I shrug. "Okay, we'll join you," I say.

Once we've ordered, we make small talk while waiting for our food. "Flash Sentry here just moved t' Canterlot from Seaddle 'round th' start'a school," Applejack tells her family. "He's Twilight's boyfriend." She grins. "See that purty thing 'round her neck? He done give 'er that for her birthday."

"Oh wow, that's really pretty!" Apple Bloom says.

"Well now, ain't you a smooth fella," Granny Smith says, chuckling. She elbows Big Macintosh. "This'n could learn you a thing or two." Granny Smith gets a sly look on her face, and stage-whispers, "Boy's twenty-two, ain't never had a girlfriend."

"Granny," Big Macintosh rumbles tiredly.

"Hey now, Ah wanna see some great-grandkids runnin' 'round th' farm afore Ah pass on," Granny Smith says.

"Granny, you're healthy as a horse an' you know it," Applejack says.

"So? Ah still want one'a y'all t' have chil'ren while Ah can still enjoy 'em!"

"Well it won't be me," Applejack says. "You know Ah got way too much t' do t' worry about that."

"So! Apple Bloom!" Twilight says brightly. "How are you doing in school?"

Apple Bloom shrugs. "Not bad," she says. "Ah wish Ah could actually go t' school."

That's right. I remember Rarity telling me a few weeks ago that Applejack's sister is homeschooled.

"Well, you'll be in high school in a couple years," Applejack says. "Then you can move into th' dorms an' go t' CHS like me."

"And you'll be off to college by then," Apple Bloom says.

"Well, yeah...but them two gals you play with over th' summer an' talk to all th' time'll be there, won't they?"

"Well, yeah," Apple Bloom says.

Our food arrives. While we eat, I learn more about Applejack's family. Her mother passed away two years ago, and her father is sick. By the time she graduates high school, he'll have to stop working on the farm. Right now, he and Big Macintosh do all the work on their apple orchard themselves, and Applejack's father handles all of the farm's business. Applejack says that before long, her father won't be strong enough to work like he does now, and he'll have to let Big Macintosh handle all the farm work while he does the business, which is still pretty stressful work, but not as physically demanding. Applejack's going to an agricultural college, where she'll learn how to run a farm so she can take over the business end and let her father retire. I also find out that Apple Bloom's best friend is Rarity's little sister Sweetie Belle, but they only really get together to play during school holidays.

"So how about you, yung'un?" Granny Smith asks me. "Tell us somethin' about yourself other than you know how t' get yerself a real cutie!"

Twilight blushes furiously while Applejack chuckles. I tell them, briefly, about my parents' work, why I'm in Canterlot, and that my main interest in life is guitar.

"Gee-tar, huh?" Granny Smith says. "Big Mac here can pick a mean banjo when he wants. Got that from his pappy."

"Eeyup."

"Flash plays all that rock 'n' roll music," Applejack says. "Ah guess it ain't too bad t' listen to, when he's playin' in th' dorm an' all, but Ah still like country better."

"I'm starting to really like rock," Twilight says, smiling at me.

"Ah'm more inta pop," Apple Bloom says. "Ooh, like Sapphire Shores! Ah could listen t' her all day long!"

"YOU DO," Big Macintosh and Granny Smith both say. We all laugh.

After we finish eating, Twilight and I excuse ourselves.

"It was nice meeting you all," I say.

"Likewise," Big Macintosh says.

"See y'all back at th' dorm later," Applejack says.

As we leave, Twilight says, "The Apples are really nice people, aren't they?"

"Yeah," I say. "It must be nice to have a family like that..."

Twilight grabs my arm and leans into me. We spend another hour just walking around town before heading back to the dorm.

Sunday, September 27, 2015 / Evening

I spend the evening practicing guitar in the lounge, with Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity listening. Pinkie comes in late from work, irritated. Her hair isn't as poofy as usual.

"What's wrong, Pinkie?" I ask.

"Some JERK came into the shop and kept trying to grope me," Pinkie says.

"Eww," Twilight says, making a face.

"He put his hand up my skirt and was feeling all around my thighs and it was just really annoying."

"Good heavens!" Rarity exclaims. "Whatever did you do about it?"

"I screamed at him until he left," Pinkie says. "I got a good picture of the guy, too. He's banned from Sugar Cube Corner for life."

"Good for you!" Rarity says.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and take a really long bath," Pinkie says.

Applejack comes home later, tired but happy. She fixes herself a sandwich, then goes upstairs.

The rest of us spend a quiet Sunday evening in the lounge before turning in early.
> 9/28 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, September 28, 2015 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't hesitate to do a friend a favor today. Kindness is its own reward.

Sunset Shimmer seems agitated to see Twilight at our table, happy and healthy.

Monday, September 28, 2015 / After School

After classes, I head to the bathroom before walking home. As I'm leaving, I almost bump right into Vinyl Scratch, who looks upset.

"Whoops, sorry about that."

Vinyl looks at me. "Oh...hey, Flash-man," she says. "Hey, you don't happen to have your license, do you?"

"Yeah, but I don't have wheels."

"I've got the wheels, I just need a driver," Vinyl says. "You're not busy, are you?"

"No," I say. "Why, what's up?"

"I've got an eye doctor appointment," Vinyl says. "It was supposed to be Wednesday, but they just called me like, twenty minutes ago and said I have to go in today. The ride I had lined up isn't free today." She frowns. "I can drive myself there, but...I can't drive home, y'know?"

I nod.

"So, uhh...hate to ask, but..."

"Sure, I don't mind," I say.

"Sweet."

I follow Vinyl out to the parking lot, where she leads me to a sweet little white two-door convertible with blue paint deco on the bumpers and doors, music-themed decals on the doors and hubcaps, and a purple hood ornament shaped like a unicorn...wearing the same shades Vinyl wears? Uhh...okay.

"Like my ride?" Vinyl asks.

"It's pretty sweet," I say.

"Shame I won't be able to drive it for very long," Vinyl says. "I know, it must be pretty silly to spend so much money on customizing a car when you're going blind, huh?"

I shrug.

"I just...I just wanted to enjoy...you know...being able to...while I could."

I get in the passenger's seat. Vinyl gets behind the wheel.

I have to admit, I'm a little apprehensive about riding with Vinyl, knowing about her vision problems. But, well...her folks wouldn't be letting her drive if...

...right?

Vinyl starts the car and carefully exits the parking lot. Immediately upon the engine starting, the car's amazingly powerful subwoofers thud to life, shaking the ground.

Vinyl looks over at me and grins. "Pretty kickin', huh?"

It's roughly a fifteen-minute drive to the eye clinic. I'm grateful when we reach the parking lot and Vinyl shuts off the car; I love music as much as, if not more than, the next guy, but DAMN.

I can't hear for a few minutes, so I just follow Vinyl into the clinic.

The receptionist seems to know her, as she greets her warmly. There's a touch of pity in her eyes as Vinyl signs in, then sits down to wait. There's a television mounted in the corner that's showing some game show where people dress up in lame costumes to call attention to themselves so they can get screwed over by the host's misdirection. It's actually pretty funny watching people pass up on huge amounts of cash, hoping to win a car, only to wind up winning something like a bucket of donkey crap.

Twenty minutes after we arrive, Vinyl's called back. I decide to stay in the waiting room, half-watching the silly game show while I look for a decent magazine to read.

The receptionist calls out to me. "Are you her boyfriend?"

I shake my head. "No, just a friend. We barely know each other, actually. I only met her like, a week and a half ago."

"Ah." The receptionist sighs. "That poor girl. You know, sometimes I hate this job...I've worked here for fifteen years, and it's never easy when there's a patient that young who can't be helped."

"Yeah...I can't imagine what she's going through."

About thirty minutes later, Vinyl comes out. She's walking a little unsteadily. "Bad enough they gotta dilate my eyes, but shit, that light they shine right in there..."

"You okay?" I ask.

She sighs. "Define okay," she mutters. "Yeah, the doc says the meds are slowing it down a little." She digs around in her pocket, then tosses me her keys. "Let's roll."

Vinyl tells me her address; I input it into the "Scratchmobile"'s GPS. In ten minutes, I pull into the driveway of a modest little suburban house.

"Thanks," she says. "I'd have been so screwed if you hadn't helped."

"No problem," I say. "Honestly, it's kinda nice to be able to drive again."

She grins. "I hear that." As I hand her back her keys, she stretches. "Come on in. You'll have to take a cab home, but I'll totally cover the fare."

"Thanks."

Nobody's home; it turns out both of Vinyl's parents work late. She grabs me a cold drink from the kitchen while I call a cab.

She sits down across from me in the living room and kicks her feet up. "So, Flash," she says, "Would...would it be okay if I ask you to..."

"Drive you back from the eye doctor and stuff?" I say. "Sure, when I'm able."

"Thanks," she says. "I've only got a couple people I can rely on for that, y'know? Anyway, I go back to the doctor once every two weeks...I know you're busy with clubs and stuff, but I hope you'll be able to help me out once in a while."

"Just let me know ahead of time," I say.

"Twilight Sparkle's lucky, you know," Vinyl says. "You're an awesome dude."

A short time later, my cab arrives, and I return to the dorm.

Monday, September 28, 2015 / Evening

There's a history test tomorrow. Twilight and I spend the evening studying for it. I go to bed early so I'll be well-rested. I hate having tests first thing in the morning...
> 9/29 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your words have a more profound effect on others than you might realize.

Rainbow Dash will be returning to the dorm today.

"So, are you ready for the history test?" Twilight asks me as we walk Spike.

"I think so," I say.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Morning

Mr. Turner's test is brutal, but I think I did alright.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / After School

All throughout the Music Club meeting, Trixie is giving me a sullen, almost pouty glare.

After the meeting, Trixie approaches me. Her fists are balled up, and she won't quite look me in the eye. "How dare you just...just walk out without giving Trixie a chance to...to...to have the last word?"

I groan. "Seriously?"

"Trixie is..." Trixie stops and takes a deep breath. "I am not an asshole." She looks down. "I just...I just don't know how to..." She sits on a desk, facing away from me. "I've...always had trouble making friends. I just...if I tried to go up to someone and talk to them, I didn't...I didn't know what to say. And they'd look at me like I was...some kind of weirdo, then walk away.

"Then I started learning magic from my dad, and guitar from my mom. I'd do little magic tricks for the other kids at school, and they'd clap and be impressed, and...and I felt like maybe...

"But then I realized...if I wasn't performing, if I wasn't showing off...I didn't really have anything to talk about." Trixie turns to look at me. "I had to be The Great And Powerful TRRRRIXIE!...or I wasn't anything." She looks down. "I thought...that would be..." She shakes her head. "But...everybody started...laughing at me. Saying things...calling me a loser, a joke, a loudmouth..." She sighs. "I just...don't know how to be anything else..."

Trixie starts sniffling. Without another word, she gathers her things and runs out of the room.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 / Evening

I return to the dorm to see Rainbow Dash sitting on the sofa in the lounge, covered in confetti, a big piece of cake on a plate in front of her. Pinkie Pie is bouncing around like a superball on crack; the others are all gathered as well.

"Hey Flash! You're home late!"

"Sorry," I say. "Hey Rainbow, welcome back."

"Thanks," Rainbow says. She sighs. "It's so lame I gotta be stuck here a whole two weeks, though..."

"Well, you'll have all the critters to keep you company during the day," Fluttershy says.

"And you can message us on Canterbook!" Pinkie says. "And after school and on weekends, we can totally watch movies and play video games and stuff!"

"Yes, darling...the next two weeks will fly by before you know it," Rarity says.

"Yeah, and I'll have trouble goin' to th' bathroom, an' I can't even take a bath by myself," Rainbow says, grumbling.

"Oh, well...I'll help you with the bathing," Fluttershy says. "Umm...if...you want me to." She blushes. "N-not that I...I mean...I just want to...to help..."

Rainbow smiles. "Thanks, Fluttershy. I appreciate it."

"Can you make her actually wear clothes around the dorm?" Twilight asks. We all laugh.

After Rainbow's welcome-back party, Applejack helps Rainbow up to her room, while the rest of us take care of homework and cleaning up the lounge. It's nearly midnight when I finally go to bed.
> 9/30 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cold showers may be in your future.

I wake up to a piercing shriek from downstairs.

As I'm trying to wake up enough to process this, and wondering if perhaps somehow we've misjudged the Zodiac situation and there's about to be another attack, I hear feet thudding down the hall, and my door opens. "Flash? We've...got a little problem downstairs."

It's Twilight. She's still in her pajamas.

It's barely daylight yet.

"What's wrong?" I ask, sliding to the edge of the bed.

Twilight looks embarrassed. "Umm...the shower's kinda...busted on our floor. There's no hot water."

I frown. "If there's no hot water on your floor, then there's probably not any on mine..."

"No no, this dorm uses electric on-demand heaters," Twilight says. "There's a separate heater for each floor. This isn't the first time the second floor heater's broken." She looks down, tugging at the hem of her pajama top. "It's just...the first time it's broken while the third floor was occupied."

I get up and head to the bathroom. I reach into the shower and turn on the hot water, waiting a few seconds with my hand under the spray.

It gets warm quickly.

I sigh. "Alright, fine...just let me go first, okay?"

"Thanks," Twilight says, kissing me on the cheek. "You're a lifesaver."

"So that scream a minute ago?"

"Pinkie Pie."

As if on cue, Pinkie yells from downstairs, "Twilight! Is there hot water up there?"

"Yeah, it's working up here, but Flash wants to go first, okay?"

"Okay!"

I grab my stuff and hurriedly take a shower while Twilight shuffles back down to the second floor. After a quick five minute shower, I wrap my towel around my waist and head back to my room.

Pinkie's standing in the hall holding a towel, a bottle of body wash, and a bottle of shampoo.

She's completely naked.

I can't help but stare. Who wouldn't?

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells, snapping me out of it. She's standing just at the top of the stairs, her face crimson.

"What?" Pinkie whines. "I was already wet!"

I very quickly duck back into my room.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is...very businesslike today. Suri doesn't say a single word to anybody, the coach doesn't leave during the entire practice, and all we do is exercises and return drills against ball launchers.

After practice, Pinkie's waiting for me outside the locker rooms. Her hair is still damp and drooping, and when she sees me, she strikes a saucy pose. "See anything you like?" she asks in a teasing tone.

I groan. "Pinkie..."

"Oh, lighten up, Flashie!" she says, giggling. "Come on, let's go do something fun." With a smirk, she adds, "Like maybe go to a love hotel..."

"Pinkie!!"

Pinkie giggles again. "Just kidding!" She tilts her head. "Of course, if you really wanted to...I might!" She winks at me.

I groan. "You're worse than Rainbow Dash."

Pinkie rolls her eyes. "Come on, let's go grab a taco or something before we head back to the dorm. I'm hungry!"

"Sure," I say.

We head for a restaurant that's only a few blocks away from the school, Taco Tuesday's. It's a tiny but relatively popular place, run by a guy whose name is, believe it or not, Taco Tuesday. He's a cheerful but odd fellow who wears a T-shirt with a taco on it and a big taco-shaped hat.

We order a couple of tacos each and find a table that isn't terribly dirty to sit and eat. Pinkie sighs. "I may have to drop tennis soon," she says. "Guess I'll have to give up some of my little after-school outings too."

"Huh? Why?"

Pinkie opens a hot sauce packet and squirts it onto her taco. "You remember how I told you my sister Maud gives me an allowance?" I nod. "Well..." She sighs. "Maud's about to move away for a few years. Like, really far away."

"Oh?"

Pinkie nods. "She's moving to Vanhoover to take geology and mineralogy courses at the university there."

"Vanhoover? Why? There's schools a lot closer..."

"Yeah, but there's a certain professor she wants to study with, and he's at Vanhoover." Pinkie shrugs. "This is a really big opportunity for her, and she was lucky they accepted her application with the term already underway. Thing is, I won't get to spend any time with her for a really long time, and she probably won't have much time to talk to me, and, well..." She sighs. "She won't be able to spare the extra money to help me out, either. So I'm gonna have to take more shifts at Sugar Cube Corner." She takes a huge bite of her taco.

"Wow. And...you can't ask your parents..."

Pinkie glares at me. "I'm not asking them for one fucking thing."

I stare at her. Where did THAT come from?!

Pinkie deflates. "Sorry," she says quietly. Her hair is rapidly going flat. "I...I had a fight with my dad..." She toys with a hot sauce packet. "It was...it was pretty bad." Her eyes fill with tears. "All my dad cares about is rocks. All my mom cares about is rocks. I have three sisters. Rocks, rocks, rocks. That's all they care about! Stupid, stupid rocks!" She sniffles. "I hate rocks."

"And that's why you got into a fight with your dad?"

"Pretty much," Pinkie says. "I kinda hinted at what I wanted for my birthday this year...oh, my birthday's coming up next month...and he said he wouldn't waste his money on something so useless that had no practical use."

"What...did you ask for?" I ask.

"This amazing cookbook full of cake and cupcake recipes and baking and decorating tips," Pinkie says. "It's like, the biggest and bestest baking book ever...but it's really expensive. I just thought, with my birthday coming up..." She sighs. "But when I mentioned it to my dad, he..."

"Ouch." Pinkie's dad must be the world's biggest dick. I kind of want to punch him in HIS rocks.

Pinkie eats the rest of her taco in silence. "Sorry," she says after a few minutes. "I...I didn't mean to dump all this on you."

"Hey, what are friends for?" I say. "I'm always here for you if you need to talk, vent, whatever..."

Pinkie smiles at me. "Thanks," she says. She dabs at her eyes with a napkin. "We should probably get back to the dorm. I promised Rainbow Dash I'd..."

"Yeah."

Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / Evening

Rainbow is sitting in the lounge with her bad leg propped up when Pinkie and I return. "Hey guys," she says.

"Hi Dashie!" Pinkie calls out. "How're you doing today?"

"Eh...better," Rainbow says. "Worn out from physical therapy."

"Aww...so no orgy then?" Pinkie says with a playful pout.

"Gah! What the—?!" Rainbow splutters.

I roll my eyes. "She's been like this all day."

Pinkie giggles and bounces upstairs. I sit down in one of the recliners. "Feel up to a guitar lesson after dinner?" I ask.

"Sure," Rainbow says.

I pull out my laptop and do my homework while I chat with Rainbow. I'm halfway through my homework when Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight start bringing dinner into the lounge. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie show up, and we all eat and talk about our day.

After dinner, I go upstairs and grab both my guitar and Rainbow's, then spend nearly an hour giving her a guitar lesson.

"Whew...that's still pretty hard work," Rainbow says as we finish up.

Fluttershy walks in. "Rainbow Dash? It's time for your bath..."

Rainbow grimaces. "Yeah yeah..."

"Oh!" I say. "Did they fix the water heater on the second floor yet?"

Fluttershy shakes her head sadly. "Not until tomorrow," she says.

"Crap." I guess I'll have to get up early in the morning and get done fast so I don't have any more...hallway accidents.

...wait a second...

I help Fluttershy get Rainbow upstairs, then I return to take the guitars and my laptop upstairs. I finish up my homework, watch a little television, then go to bed.
> 10/1 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 1, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Difficult times are ahead for you and those you care about.

I set my alarm for just before sunrise; I want to have my shower and be off the third floor before the girls invade my bathroom.

The first thing I see when I open my bedroom door? Twilight wrapped in a towel.

She sees me and freezes, her face turning red. "Oh," she says meekly.

I step back into my room and close the door.

Five minutes later, I peek out. The coast is clear, I don't hear anything out of the bathroom, so I take my shower.

After I shower and dress, I round up my guitar and laptop bag and head down to the lounge. Twilight's already in the dining room, reading. When I walk in, she blushes furiously. "I...I wanted to be through with...before you got up..." she stammers.

"I set my alarm early so I could be finished and downstairs before any of you got up," I say.

Twilight looks away, playing with her hair. "Oh..." She laughs nervously. "Well...they'll fix the water heater on our floor today, so..."

"That's...good..."

Pinkie flounces in. "Morning, you two!" She tilts her head, a smirk on her face. "Twilight's blushing and playing with her hair...did Flash see you naaaaaaaked?"

"N-no!" Twilight stammers.

"She had on a towel," I say.

"Aww," Pinkie pouts. "Why'd you have a towel on, Twilight?"

"Because I was afraid exactly what happened might happen!" Twilight cries.

"You don't want your own boyfriend to see you naked?" Pinkie asks. "That's just silly talk!"

"We...we're not there yet, okay?" Twilight stammers. "Don't you have breakfast to make or something?"

Pinkie sighs and pats Twilight on the head. "I have so much to teach you," she says. She bounces off into the kitchen.

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack join us a little while after Pinkie's embarrassing entrance. Rarity gives me a displeased look, wrinkling her nose. "Flash, your bathroom smells like stale corn chips," she informs me.

"I didn't notice anything," Fluttershy says.

"Neither did I," Twilight says. "And I was in there first..."

Applejack coughs. "Uhh...aheh...mah bad."

"You were eating corn chips in my bathroom?" I ask.

Applejack ducks her head. "Ah got, uhh...stinky feet...problems...boots..."

"Ewwww!" Rarity and Twilight chorus.

"Oh my," Fluttershy says. "You should really try a powder for that..."

I make a mental note to disinfect my bathroom when I get home. "Isn't Rainbow Dash coming down?" I ask.

"Oh, we're letting her sleep in," Fluttershy says. "I've made sure she has enough food in her room to last her today."

"And if she needs anything else, my brother'll be in today," Twilight says. "He's taking the day off to wait for the plumber."

Thursday, October 1, 2015 / After School

Today's Music Club meeting passes without any drama. Those of us with instruments jam; Trixie joins in without any showboating, simply playing in harmony with me to the best of her abilities.

Thursday, October 1, 2015 / Evening

Immediately upon returning to the dorm, I pick up on a tense vibe. Rainbow is on the sofa looking miserable. Twilight has her bookpad in her lap, but she isn't reading.

"What's going on?" I ask.

Twilight and Rainbow exchange miserable glances.

"Cadance and my brother just had a huge fight," Twilight says.

"She was throwing stuff at him and everything," Rainbow adds.

"She just ran upstairs crying," Twilight says. "I...I don't know what to do..."

"Go talk to your brother," I say. "Maybe he'll actually listen to you." I sigh. "Did you see which way she went?"

The girls look at one another.

"I think...she went up to the third floor," Rainbow says.

With a groan, I head upstairs. I don't want to be dragged into this...

I already know before I even open my door that I'm going to find Cadance on my bed. I'm right; she's there, crying and blowing her nose. "I...I didn't know I married such a—a je-heeerk!" Cadance wails.

I set down my things and sit beside her.

"It...it isn't even just the sex thing anymore," Cadance says, sniffling. "He...he's been so angry lately..."

"That may be my fault," I say. "He's...not happy with me and Twilight being together."

Cadance sniffles. "Yeah...he's told me that." She looks at me. "Has he...has he..."

It's probably going to do more harm than good, but...

"After...that night at the hospital...he tried to intimidate me into breaking up with Twilight."

Cadance covers her mouth. "And...?"

"I basically told him to shove it," I say. "Not in so many words, but..."

"Good for you," Cadance says. "He has no right to interfere with Twilight's love life." She grabs a fresh tissue and wipes her eyes.

"What do you even see in that jerk?"

Cadance sniffles again. "He...he wasn't always a jerk." She looks down. "He didn't...he didn't start acting like this until just before...well, I already told you about that. Before that, he was...he's always been kind of a dork, but..." She smiles. "He's always been a loving, adorable dork." She shakes her head. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately..." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "I can't even stand to look at him right now." She looks at me, wiping her eyes again. "I...I'm moving into the dorm. I'll...I'll be across the hall from you, since there's no more rooms on the second floor."

WHAT?!

"I just...I just need some space from my husband for a bit. Maybe...maybe this'll give him time to think about...what a jerk he's turned into." Cadance sniffles.

"Uhh...why are you the one moving into the dorm again?"

"Because if I kicked him out and made him live up here, he'd probably kill you," Cadance says.

She's got a point.

"Besides, I'm the dorm manager, not Shining Armor." Cadance scrubs her face with the hem of her shirt. "I'll get Twilight to help me bring some of my things up." She stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I...I hope you don't mind..."

I think Cadance is making a big mistake, but...

She smooths out her shirt, then leaves. I try to put all this out of my head and do my homework, then head down to dinner. Dinner is awkward, because Twilight looks upset, Cadance is still miserable, and everyone else is uncomfortable.

It's hard to get to sleep, because I can't stop thinking about how just my being here is tearing apart Twilight's family...
> 10/2 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 2, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Changes are in store for you and those around you today.

A few minutes after I wake up, there's a knock on my door. It's Cadance.

"Hey, Flash," she says. "Go ahead and use the bathroom before me, okay? It...it takes me a while."

I get myself ready to face the day, then grab my bag and my tennis racket and head downstairs. Applejack is still making breakfast. Rainbow Dash is in the lounge already, her laptop in her lap.

"Hey Rainbow," I say.

"Hey Flash," she greets.

"Working on schoolwork?" I ask.

"Yeah," Rainbow says. "The teachers say I can go at my own pace, but...I wanna keep up." She rolls her eyes. "If I don't, I'll have Twilight ridin' my ass...you know how she is."

I laugh. "Yeah." I sit down. "How's therapy going?"

Rainbow pulls a face. "Don't ask." She sighs. "Still...they say everything's going really well, so..."

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. He's stopped trying to pee on me all the time, so I don't have to wear different shoes in the morning.

"We're still going to Zodiac tomorrow, right?" Twilight asks quietly.

"I think so, yeah," I say. "It depends on whether or not Nurse Cadance..."

Twilight looks down miserably. "Yeah..."

"Did...did you try talking to your brother?" I ask.

Twilight's cheeks puff up. "He wouldn't even talk to me," she says. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but he's being a real idiot."

"I've been thinking about that," I say. "I think...there's more than just you and me bothering him."

"Well, yeah, there's gotta be," Twilight says. "Cadance said they started having problems before you even got here."

"She said she's been investigating Zodiac ever since she was attacked back in February," I say. "I can't help but wonder..."

Twilight looks at me expectantly.

"Well...from what she's told me, this whole Zodiac thing has been really stressful on her. She hasn't had anybody to talk to about it." I shrug. "Maybe he saw how stressed she was, tried to get her to talk, and..."

"And when she wouldn't, he got upset," Twilight nods. "Yeah, that sounds about like him." She sighs. "Maybe that's it, maybe not..."

"That's not all of it," I say. "There's a lot more to this than just one secret she's keeping from him. I mean, he's still been a pretty okay guy up until now. He's only started turning into a real jerk since...since..."

"Since what?"

I swallow. "Uhh..."

Twilight glares at me. "Flash..."

I sigh. "I don't want to say. It'll...it'll just make things worse."

"He tried to pressure you into breaking up with me, didn't he?"

I stare at Twilight.

She stares right back at me. "He's my brother," she says. "You think I don't know how he thinks?"

I sigh again. "Yeah. He...he wants me to break up with you. I told him no."

Twilight hugs me. "Good for you."

"I just...I don't want to be the cause of..."

"You're not," Twilight says firmly. "Don't think that for a second. None of this is your fault. My brother's being an idiot."

We head back inside and get ready to leave.

Friday, October 2, 2015 / After School

Pinkie isn't at tennis practice this afternoon. She's working a shift at Sugar Cube Corner.

The coach looks us over, frowning. "I had planned to have doubles practice today, but...we're short one, with Pie out today." She taps her clipboard thoughtfully. "I suppose we can do trade-offs, but..."

"Coach? I have an idea," I say.

"What is it, Sentry?"

"Coco can fill in for Pinkie."

The coach tilts her head. "Seriously?"

Coco rushes up, looking nervous. "Flash...that...that isn't...I mean..."

I look right at her. "I know you can do this. Besides, it's just practice, right? Just...just enjoy yourself."

"Well..." Coco frowns. "I...I guess..." She looks at the coach. "Alright, I-I'll fill in."

The coach nods. "Okay, grab a racket."

After practice, there's a considerable level of noise from the rest of the team. The coach walks up to us. "Pommel, why didn't you try out for the team?" she asks. "You're better than Polomare."

Coco looks down sheepishly. "I...I'm not very good with...with people paying attention to me."

"Really? Because most of the team was watching you today."

"Th-they were?" Coco shrinks into herself.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Coco...you were amazing. You should be proud."

Coco flushes. "I...!"

"Pommel," the coach asks suddenly, "did Polomare know you could play like that?"

"W-well..." Coco stammers. "I-in junior high, I was...I used to play a little. Just...for fun. I don't know if...if she ever saw me play, but..."

The coach frowns. "Hmm." She shakes her head. "Pommel...next year, I expect you to try out for the team."

Coco ducks her head. "A...alright..."

As the coach walks away, several members of the team rush up. "Coco, you're amazing!"

"We didn't know you could play!"

"You should've been on the team, not me!"

"Why are you on the sidelines? You should've been on the court this whole time!"

Coco looks like she's about to faint. Her face is glowing. And yet...

She does seem to be...happy.

I leave Coco to her adoring fans and head for the showers.

Friday, October 2, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Cadance texts me and Twilight, telling us to meet in one of the unused rooms on the third floor.

We find Cadance inside, as well as the axe I used when we went to the roller rink, a shiny basket-hilted rapier, and two backpacks, each of which have our individual emblems on them.

"From now on, this room is our secret base," Cadance says. "I'll be keeping our equipment here, and we'll meet to discuss Zodiac stuff here."

"A secret headquarters?" Twilight asks. "What, are we superheroes now?"

"It's a good idea," I say.

Twilight picks up the rapier and turns it over in her hands. "This is a nice piece," she says. "I hope I can remember how to fight with this."

"Can't be that hard," I say. "The pointy end goes in the monster, right?"

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me. Cadance giggles.

"So, are we still going tomorrow?" I ask.

Cadance nods. "You two go out on a date tomorrow," she says. "Take as long as you want, do whatever you want...time doesn't pass when we're in Zodiac, so there's no hurry. When you're done, meet me in the park. I'll have your stuff, and...we'll go in from there."

"So...we're going on a date as a pretext?" Twilight asks, frowning.

"No, you're going on a date because you would've gone on a date anyway," Cadance says with a smirk. "We're just doing this after because we can meet up in the park without attracting attention."

"Sounds good to me," I say. I check to make sure the coast is clear, and we all leave, headed for our respective rooms.
> 10/3 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, October 3, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Unexpected confrontations may lead to disastrous consequences.

Today, I'm going on an impromptu date with Twilight. We're also going into Zodiac together for the first time to train.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I ask Twilight. We're both dressed casually; neither of us want to wear anything we might get messed up when we're in Zodiac.

She shrugs. "Let's go see a movie and have lunch somewhere," she says.

"Sounds good," I say. "How about The Halfling? I've kinda been wanting to see that."

"Sure," Twilight says. "I really like the book that's based on."

With that decided, we head for the cinema.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 / Afternoon

The Halfling was four and a half hours long. Twilight and I each made two bathroom trips and three snack counter trips during the movie, and really didn't miss much.

"That...was as long and rambling as the book itself," Twilight says.

"I thought you said you like the book?"

"I do, but it's long and rambling," Twilight says. "But the effects and the action were good. The acting and set designs and...well, it was pretty good overall."

"Yeah." I stretch. "I'm ready for some lunch. Pizza?"

"Sounds good." Twilight checks the time. "Wow, seriously?"

It is the middle of the afternoon, but... "We can take our time eating. Cadance will understand, and it's not like time passes while we're in Zodiac."

"Right," Twilight says hesitantly. "Well...let's go to that one pizza buffet. I'm really hungry."

When isn't she?

We get to the pizza place, and I pay for two full buffets. Gotta love a pizza place that includes the pasta, salad, and drink in the buffet price, even if it adds four bucks to the whole thing. I make a small salad at the salad bar and drown it with ranch, then plate myself a helping of lasagna, then select four slices of pizza, fill my cup at the fountain, and scout us a table.

When Twilight joins me, she has lettuce spilling over the sides of her salad bowl, a pile of angel hair pasta and marinara sauce on her pasta plate, and at least seven slices of pizza on her pizza plate.

I stare at her. "Seriously?"

She blushes. "What?"

I shake my head. "You know, it amazes me that of all the girls living at the dorm, you're the bottomless pit."

She sticks her tongue out at me and digs into her pasta.

"Well, that movie gave me some new ideas about fighting," I say.

Twilight pauses in mid-inhale. "How much actual fighting do we have to do?" she asks. "I mean, don't our Personas just...?"

I pick a particularly skunky-looking piece of mushroom off a piece of pizza and flick it onto the corner of my tray. "You'll want to fight the Shadows yourself whenever you can," I say. "Using your Persona puts a strain on your body and mind. It gets easier over time, but still...every time you summon your Persona, it tires you out a little."

"Oh," Twilight says. She sprinkles red pepper on her salad and starts eating it. "I'm...honestly a little scared," she says.

I nod. "That's normal. This Zodiac stuff is scary. If it weren't for the fact that these Shadows are hunting and killing people...I wouldn't even be doing this." I take a bite of pizza.

"Well...you won't be doing it alone anymore," Twilight says with a smile.

I feel my cheeks heat up. "Thanks," I say.

Twilight frowns. "I guess I'd better start taking fencing lessons after school again," she says. "That'll really cut into my reading time..."

"So you'll read two less books a week," I say. "The extra exercise'll be good for you."

Twilight abruptly stops shoveling pizza into her face. "Are you calling me fat?"

"No, I'm saying you spend too much time cooped up inside reading. It isn't healthy."

Twilight frowns. "That's true," she admits, before going right back to eating.

We talk about inconsequential things while we eat. I finish what's on my tray and go back for seconds. As I'm headed to the pasta bar, I notice Snips and Snails, those two flunkies of Sunset Shimmer, in a corner both, their phones out. They're both snickering. Snips has a particularly malignant look in his beady eyes.

Neither of them is looking in my direction...but I see Snails looking over at Twilight. He swings his phone around...

I set my tray down and walk over to their table. I stand right in Snails' line of "fire". They look up at me.

Snips chuckles. "Well well well...if it isn't Ass Entry."

"Huhuh, yeah, good one, eh?" Snails says.

I grab Snails' phone.

He's been recording a video of Twilight.

I erase it and hand it back to him.

"HEY!" he shouts.

I hold out my hand to Snips. "Phone."

"Fuck off," Snips says.

I lean down and stare right into his beady eyes. "Let me explain something," I say. "If even one more video or picture of Twilight shows up on Canterbook, or anywhere else on the Internet...if you losers do anything to try to humiliate her...I will kill you. No cops, no Vice-Principal Luna or Principal Celestia. I will kill you. And your friend Sunset Shimmer won't be able to protect you from me. Got it?"

Snips gulps and hands me his phone. I look through it, find several photos of Twilight, and delete them.

"I think you two have someplace else to be," I say.

"But we weren't finished eating, eh?" Snails says.

I glare at him. "I think you are."

I walk back over to the buffet and finish loading food onto my tray, then stalk over to the table. Twilight's looking at me with concern. "What just happened?" she asks. Her eyes follow the two boys skulking out of the restaurant.

"I caught them in the act," I say. "They were taking pictures and videos of you."

Twilight pales.

"It's taken care of. I deleted that crap off their phones and told them exactly what I'd do to them if they pulled anything like that again."

Twilight sighs. "Flash..."

"No, Twilight. I'm sick of this shit. I will not let this keep happening to you. To us."

Twilight looks down at her almost-empty plate. She sighs again.

"There's some tasty-looking dessert pizzas up there," I say. "Wouldn't wanna miss out on that, right?"

Twilight smiles. "Yeah, that'd be a shame." She gets up and walks back to the buffet. I'm halfway through some fettucini alfredo when she comes back with a slice of chocolate chip cookie pizza, a slice of apple pizza, and three cinnamon rolls.

I shake my head and snort.

After we finish eating, I text Cadance to let her know we're on our way to the park. She replies with the meet-up place.

Canterlot has a very large public park, which is enclosed by a beautiful Neighponese-style covered walkway. At the south end of the park, there's a large activity center...sort of an indoor pavilion, with a counter that has city maps, tourism guides, and information on area merchants, as well as a huge bulletin board for advertisements, lost pet flyers, and so forth. There's a pond at the center of the park bordered by smooth, round stones. Benches sit around the pond; several ducks are loitering near the benches. I suppose people must feed them from here.

Cadance is waiting on one of these benches, a large, long sports bag and two backpacks at her feet. We walk up to her. She smiles at us. "Did you two have a good time today?"

"More or less," I say. "We were enjoying ourselves until we ran into Sunset Shimmer's little dickwad friends at the pizza place."

"They were taking pictures and video of me again," Twilight says. "Flash caught them."

Cadance gasps. "So...it really was them?!"

"Yeah," I say. "Don't worry...those two won't be a problem again."

Cadance eyes me warily. "What did you do?" she asks.

"I told them what I'd do to them if I caught them pulling this shit again," I say.

"Which is?"

Damn. "I...threatened to kill them, actually," I admit.

Twilight gasps, hands flying to her face.

Cadance frowns. "Don't make threats like that, Flash. I can understand why you did it, and...hopefully it'll put a stop to this, but you don't need the kind of trouble that could bring."

I sigh. "I know. I was just...really pissed."

Cadance sighs. "So what was Twilight doing that they thought was so funny?"

Twilight blushes.

I chuckle. "Oh, nothing much. She was just trying to put a pizza buffet out of business." I look at Twilight. "Seriously, where do you put it all?"

Twilight rubs the back of her head. "I, uhh...have a fast metabolism?"

"Or a tapeworm," Cadance mutters. "Honestly..."

I look around. "So, uhh...are we doing the Zodiac thing here?" I ask. The park is surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. I hear some kids laughing and playing over in the playground area on the east side, and I can see a couple of people walking around a short distance away.

Cadance nods. "I've never gone into Zodiac from the park before, and the border walk and activity center should have Shadows. If not, we'll try from someplace else." She looks directly at Twilight. "Now, Twilight...there's something very important I need to tell you before you go in."

Twilight gives Cadance the look of intense concentration I can only imagine she gives her teachers. "Yes?"

"When we go in..." Cadance takes a deep breath. "Do you remember...those text messages floating around in there?"

Twilight shudders. "Yeah..."

"Do your best to ignore them," Cadance says. "They'll just upset and distract you, and you can't afford that kind of distraction once the Shadows come."

Twilight nods. "I-I'll do my best."

"Good." Cadance looks around. "Alright. Let's do this." We all pull our phones out and open Canterbook. The Zodiac app is glaring at us from the entry screen. "Ready? One...two...NOW!"

Saturday, October 3, 2015 / Zodiac

I coulda kicked his ass!

You couldn't kick a dead pig's ass. Lie low. I'll deal with Flash Sentry.

"The hell you will, bitch," I mutter.

Twilight's eyes widen. "That's...Sunset Shimmer, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, all the glowing texts floating around shift, blur, and disappear in pixellated bursts. Without them, the park is a stark red-and-black wasteland with a cold red sun frozen in the sky.

Cadance looks around. "What...just happened?" She taps her phone. "Persona!"

Aphrodite appears. Twilight stares, her face flaming. "Uhh...Cadance?"

//Yes, Twilight?//

"Your Persona is...really, really naked..."

//I know. Now shush. I'm scanning.//

"You know, I really love the fact that both of you have hot Greek goddesses for your Personas," I say.

Twilight pokes me in the shoulder. "Perv."

"What? It's true. Your Persona is almost as sexy as you are."

Twilight blushes furiously and makes a strange squeaking noise.

//Are you two done flirting?//

"Sorry. So what's going on?"

//I'm not sure. I can't explain why all the texts suddenly—//

Did you see them going into that nerd movie?

That girl is such a pig! How does she eat all that and not get fat?

What's so special about that guy?

How does Twilight rate such a cute boyfriend?

//—nevermind.//

Twilight's eyes dart around rapidly, looking at the floating texts. "Is...it is always like this?"

"Usually it's worse," I say. "Ignore it."

//Hmm. I'm not sensing very many Shadows, and they're all fairly weak. Most of them are in the walkway.//

We put on our supply backpacks; I open up the tote bag Cadance brought with her and pull out our weapons. I hand Twilight her rapier; she steps back and takes a few practice thrusts. She nods to me. "Let's go."

"So, the activity center or the walkway?" I ask.

Twilight frowns. "The walkway might be a little narrow to fight in, don't you think? Also, we don't want to wreck it..."

//Fighting in Zodiac doesn't affect the normal world,// Cadance says. //It's like everything in reality is frozen. Or more like...we're inside a reflection of reality.//

"Oh," Twilight says.

//In any case, the only Shadows I'm detecting are in the walkway.//

"Well, that settles that," I say. Twilight and I head for the west gate. The ricepaper doors slide open, as though expecting us.

Once we enter the walkway, the door slides closed behind us. "Stay alert," I say.

"Right."

Two blob Shadows appear. "These are mostly harmless," I say. "Try summoning your Persona."

Twilight nods and pulls out her phone. "Athena!"

Athena appears; the tip of her spear glows white, and a bolt of lightning strikes the nearest Shadow. It explodes in a shower of black motes. The second Shadow shuffles warily away; Twilight lunges forward and skewers it with her rapier. It melts into the floor.

As Athena disappears, I look at Twilight. "Are you okay?" I ask.

Twilight nods. "I have a little headache, but I'm fine."

For the next half hour, we patrol the walkway, only occasionally encountering weak blob Shadows. I let Twilight do most of the fighting, taking over only when she obviously needs to rest. "This...isn't so bad..." Twilight pants, leaning against the wall as she catches her breath after taking out three Shadows in quick succession.

I frown. "These are the small fry. I've run into tougher ones than this..."

A few more blob Shadows appear, and I take them out using Jack Frost. Once Twilight recovers, we spend another fifteen minutes hunting Shadows.

Twilight looks tired. "We should probably leave," I say.

Twilight nods and pulls out her phone. I shake my head. "We can't leave Zodiac until we're in the open," I say. "Come on, we're closest to the north gate."

We're about to round the corner onto the north side of the walkway when...

//I'm detecting four VERY powerful Shadows! Two of them are coming up behind you and two of them are closing in from ahead of you! You're surrounded!//

Twilight turns to look behind us...and screams. "LOOK OUT!"

I suddenly feel a white-hot pain in my back. It passes out through my side, and I feel dizzy and light-headed. I try to turn, but slump against the wall.

"PERSONA!"

Athena appears. She gazes upon me with compassion. Her owl companion leaves his perch and flitters about my head, shedding pale green light. I feel my pain ease. Taking a deep breath, I stand up straight and ready my axe.

It doesn't take long to figure out what just happened as I gaze upon our new enemies.

The four Shadows surrounding us are samurai in bronze armor. The dark masks covering their faces bear the Roman numeral 'XI'. Their swords are drawn and ready, and they are watching us dispassionately.

"Cadance?"

//I'm scanning now, but something's interfering...give me a minute to punch through...//

I summon Jack Frost, who unleashes his frosty breath at the nearest samurai. It swings its sword, and the ice blast is reflected back at Jack Frost. He makes a disappointed sound and vanishes.

"Let me try," Twilight says. "Persona!"

Athena reappears, pointing her spear at the same samurai. A bolt of lightning strikes forth...

...and is sent flying right back at Athena. Twilight staggers, letting out a whimper of pain.

"Twilight! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," Twilight says. "That...that hurt...but I'm alright..."

"CHIRON!"

Chiron appears and charges in, swinging his blazing axe. The samurai Shadow dodges, then swings its sword. A pressure wave slams into me and Twilight; we're both driven back toward the two samurai behind us. I turn around just in time to parry a strike with my axe; Twilight takes a slash to the shoulder and cries out.

Chiron lobs a fireball at the samurai that attacked Twilight, but a swing of its sword sends the attack right back at Chiron. I feel it hit; it feels like my stomach is on fire. I ignore the pain and charge, swinging my axe. The samurai slides out of my way.

Now Twilight is trapped on all sides, and I'm stuck behind two Shadows I can't seem to hurt.

"Flash!" Twilight cries, looking around fearfully.

//It looks like elemental magic won't work against these!// Cadance says. //Also, even if you can hit them with your weapons, it won't do much damage...you'll need to find some other way!//

Some other way...but what?

Chiron fires off an arrow at the nearest samurai. It impacts the back of its armor, but the Shadow doesn't even seem to feel it. They're all staring down Twilight. It's only a matter of time...

I have to save her...

I need a way to save her!

The Persona app on my phone begins to flash; a new card appears: the Devil Arcana. I slam my hand down on the screen and scream the name that's burning through my brain like a fever:

"YEE NAALDLOOSHII!"

The card image on my phone shatters into shards of blue light. A dark form bursts forth; it starts off as a twisted, dark-skinned man-shape, before becoming something that looks more like a malformed coyote with abnormally large paws, standing on its hind legs. It wears a ragged buckskin loincloth and tattered shreds of a buckskin vest; a long lock of matted fur trails down from its left ear, woven with a number of colorful beads. In its right paw, it holds a small, crude flint knife. It snarls, baring fangs dripping with toxic saliva.

I am the dark one...known to my people as the Skinwalker. The curse of the trickster is upon me...if you wish it, I will walk beside you and share my cursed power...

Yee Naaldlooshii lets out a piercing howl, throwing its paws up in supplication to a phantom moon. Bubbling coils of blackness rise up from the ground, ensnaring the four samurai. In the blink of an eye, they cease to exist. Yee Naaldlooshii turns its fevered yellow gaze upon me, growling before fading from view.

Twilight looks at me shakily. "What...what just happened...?"

"A new Persona," I say. "One that...apparently can destroy Shadows without even touching them..." I shudder. "That kind of gave me the creeps. Are you alright?"

"Yes..." Twilight looks pale. "Let's...let's get out of here."

Saturday, October 3, 2015 / Evening

Cadance patches up our wounds, which were thankfully minor, and we return to the dorm, stopping just long enough to pick up a few buckets of fried chicken and a buttload of sides and biscuits to feed the dorm.

As we're driving home, we discuss what happened in Zodiac.

"Those Shadows...I don't think that was a random attack," I say. "Remember how all the texts suddenly disappeared right after we went into Zodiac? I think whoever is trying to kill us had something to do with that. And those samurai."

Twilight shudders. "Maybe...maybe we should stay out of Zodiac."

I shake my head. "We need to get stronger," I say. "We need to be able to protect our friends. Or anyone else that the Shadows go after." I take Twilight's hand and squeeze it. "I know you're scared. I'm scared too. Today...I was afraid I was going to lose you. But I also saw you fight. I think...with a little more training..."

"Flash is right, Twilight," Cadance says. "There are still ten more Zodiac Shadows, and Flash can't handle them all by himself. We need you. I see that now."

Twilight sighs. "O-okay...I'll keep training." She leans against me; she's trembling. "I just...I just hope..."

"Yeah..."

After dinner, I practice guitar with Rainbow Dash, then watch television with her, Pinkie, and Applejack. Twilight goes to bed early. It's almost midnight when I finally go to bed.

Cadance is standing outside my bedroom door. She looks concerned. "Flash...be careful." She wraps her arms around herself. "I...after those texts we saw today, and what you told me about those two boys...I believe everything I've heard about Sunset Shimmer. Just...be careful, okay?"

"After what we just went through today? Sunset Shimmer is nothing," I say. "She's just a petty, bullying little bitch. If I can handle a bunch of badass Shadow samurai, I can deal with a girl with a bug up her butt."

"I hope so," Cadance says. "Just...don't do anything that'll get you expelled or worse, okay?"

"I won't," I say.

Still, as Cadance returns to her room and I start getting ready for bed, a stray thought occurs to me:

Why did the texts in Zodiac suddenly disappear when Sunset Shimmer was texting her goons?
> 10/4 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, October 4, 2015 / Early Morning
Horoscope Service Down For Maintenance

I wake up to a warm sensation, feeling a light pressure against my side. I open my eyes...

Twilight is curled up against me, wearing flannel pajamas.

I poke her in the belly. "Twilight."

She stirs and smiles at me. "Hey."

"Forget what floor your room's on?" I ask.

She blushes. "I...couldn't sleep," she admits. "I kept worrying about...everything yesterday. I...I needed..."

I brush her hair out of her face and kiss her. "I understand," I say. "But we'd better get up and out of here before you get caught."

"Oh, Cadance knows I'm in here," Twilight says. "She...saw me come in." She blushes. "She's gonna tease the crap out of me about this." She sits up and swings her legs over the edge of the bed, stretching. "I think I'm gonna just stay in my PJs and read today," she says. "I don't really wanna do anything."

"Lazy Sunday?" I ask. "Sounds good to me."

I debate sharing my thoughts about Sunset Shimmer, and my suspicions about her connection to Zodiac, but I decide against it. I want Twilight to relax today.

Sunday, October 4, 2015 / Daytime

With the exception of Pinkie Pie, who left for work before most of us even got up, the entire dorm seems to be thinking along the same lines as Twilight. Nobody bothers to get dressed all day, and we all spend the day either reading or watching television. I don't even bother with guitar practice, and Rainbow spends almost all day napping.

A lazy, do-nothing day is good every now and then...

Sunday, October 4, 2015 / Evening

"Aww, I missed lazy pajama Sunday?" Pinkie complains at dinner. "Bummer!"

"So, how is Mrs. Cake holding up?" Rarity asks.

Pinkie smiles. "The twins are due any day now." She sighs. "I'm probably going to quit the tennis team this week. The Cakes need the extra help now more than ever, and I need the extra money."

"That sucks," Rainbow says. "You shouldn't have to quit the team..."

"It's...it's okay," Pinkie says. "Besides, from what I've been hearing, I'll be leaving an opening for somebody better to take my place!"

I spend the rest of the evening lounging around doing nothing, then go to bed early. I can't shake the feeling that something ugly is going to happen tomorrow...
> 10/5 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 5, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today will not be a good day for you.

As soon as I walk into the school, I'm pulled aside by Vice-Principal Luna. "A moment of your time, Flash Sentry."

I follow Vice-Principal Luna to her office. It's dark, with the blinds half-closed. She sits behind her desk; I sit in the uncomfortable wooden chair across from her. She steeples her fingers. "It's come to my attention that you have been threatening other students." She glares harshly at me. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"They were stalking my girlfriend," I say.

"I see," she says. "Nevertheless, I want to make it clear that this behavior is unacceptable. Since this did not happen within school hours or on school property, it's outside of my jurisdiction, and without concrete evidence that you do in fact intend to harm other students, I'm not willing to involve the authorities at this time." She frowns. "However, consider yourself on notice. Even the slightest infraction of school rules will be dealt with severely. If I hear of you threatening other students again, on or off campus..." She stands and turns her back to me. "I'll be forced to alert the police. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now, go to class."

Monday, October 5, 2015 / Lunch

As soon as I enter the cafeteria, I see Sunset Shimmer, Snips, and Snails leering at me, smirking. I load up my tray and sit with my friends.

Twilight looks at me with concern. "Are you alright, Flash?"

"Those little bastards snitched on me to Vice-Principal Luna," I say. "I'm on her shit list now."

"Oh no," Twilight moans.

"Umm...a lot of people are pointing at us and laughing," Fluttershy said, ducking her head below the edge of the table.

I groan. "Of course."

Twilight frowns. "Well, other people were talking about—"

I cough loudly. Twilight shuts up.

"About what?" Rarity asks.

"About...seeing Flash get called into the vice-principal's office?" Twilight offers.

"Oh. Yes, of course."

I spend the rest of the day in a bad mood.

Monday, October 5, 2015 / After School

After school, I go to Sugar Cube Corner with Twilight. We work on our homework together while overindulging in sugary treats. Spending time with Twilight (and Pinkie Pie, who's working today) makes me feel a little better.

Monday, October 5, 2015 / Evening

I spend the evening practicing guitar with Rainbow Dash.

After dinner, I go to my room. I don't really feel like watching television or reading. I have my phone out, and I'm playing with it.

My attention is drawn to the Velvet Room app. On a whim, I tap it.

A glowing blue door appears in the middle of the room. I slide off the bed and open it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Zecora says.

Igor looks at me over his folded hands. "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever visit us," he says. "I see you have awakened additional Personas. Would you like to avail yourself of my services?"

"Remind me again exactly what it is you do here?" I say.

Igor chuckles. "I combine two or more of the Personas within you to awaken a new Persona," he explains. "The other Personas are not lost...you may call them forth again as you wish. Simply select them from a new app which will appear on your phone as soon as you leave this place, and download them to your Persona app." He smiles. "Now, would you like to try a Persona Fusion?"

I nod.

"Excellent. You have three Personas. You can fuse together all three, or you can combine two." He smiles. "Keep in mind that Personas you have more experience using may yield better results..."

Three cards appear in midair before me. Each shows one of my Personas: Chiron, Jack Frost, and Yee Naaldlooshii. I choose Chiron and Jack Frost.

Igor nods; with a wave of his hand, the two cards began floating toward the ceiling, orbiting one another in a helix pattern. As they near the ceiling, there is a bright flash of light...






I am Ara Mitama...I am an extension of your anger...


A floating comma with an angry face? Really?

Ara Mitama becomes a card and drifts back down, then disappears.

"This Persona should prove quite useful to you," Igor says. "You should call it forth the next time you enter Zodiac." He smiles. "If we have no further business, goodbye for now..."

I find myself back in my dorm room, the blue door gone. I look down at my phone and check the Persona app. A new app called "Compendium" has appeared next to it. So that I don't forget later, I download Chiron and Jack Frost back to the Persona app, then get ready for bed.
> 10/6 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may feel your bonds with others deepening today.

Music Club is enjoyable. Trixie is making some awkward attempts to include herself. She seems to want to say something to me as I'm packing up to leave, but leaves ahead of me.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 / Evening

There's a math test tomorrow. I spend the evening studying with Twilight. With her help, I feel like my chances of passing the test are much higher.
> 10/7 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A time of transition is upon you and those close to you.

Pinkie is not quite her usual cheerful self at lunch today.

"Well..." she says with a sigh. "I've made up my mind. I'm quitting the tennis team this afternoon."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asks. "I thought you loved tennis!"

"Eh," Pinkie says. "I just joined the team for the exercise and because I wanted to be in at least one after-school thing." She shrugs. "It was fun while it lasted."

"But...you never even got to play an actual match!"

Pinkie shrugs. "Maybe I'll join the team again next year."

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / After School

I walk to tennis practice with Pinkie Pie for the last time.

"I'll miss having you on the team, Pinkie," I say.

She smiles. "Thanks." With an impish grin, she adds, "Bet what you'll miss the most is my cute little bootie."

I roll my eyes. "I'm sure I'll see plenty of that at the dorm."

She giggles. "Maaaaybe."

We reach the tennis courts, and Pinkie walks up to the coach. "Hey Coach," she says. "I kinda have to quit the team."

The coach frowns. "Seriously? Why?"

Pinkie shrugs. "My part-time job. Mr. and Mrs. Cake need more help and I need more money."

The coach sighs. "Well...I'm sorry to hear that."

I walk up to them. "Coach? I think you should put Coco on the team in Pinkie's place."

The coach frowns. "That'll leave us short a team manager, but...you're right. Pommel has the skills." She turns to the equipment shed and yells for Coco.

Coco comes running out. "Y-yes, Coach?"

"Pie's quitting the team. You're taking her place."

Coco's eyes widen. "M-me? P-play on the team?"

"You're better than half the team, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"O-oh...w-well...I..."

I put my hands on Coco's shoulders. "You can do this," I tell her.

"Yeah, Coco! Grab that racket and swing for the heavens!" Pinkie cheers. "Believe in the Flash Sentry that believes in you!"

Coco blinks. "Umm...w-what?"

I groan. "Don't mind her. Just...try your best, okay?"

"W-well..." Coco looks from me, to Pinkie, to the Coach, then takes a deep breath. "O-okay..."

"Great!" Pinkie cheers. "Well, I'm off. Bye! Oh! If you need a racket, you can borrow mine..."

"That's okay, I've...I've got my own. I'll bring it Friday. I'll use one of the school rackets today."

"Awesome. Okay...bye everyone!" Pinkie takes one last, sad look around the court, then leaves.

The coach sighs. "Alright. Get warmed up, Pommel. You too, Sentry."

Practice is a little less fun without Pinkie, but I keep my attention on Coco, gently encouraging her.

Suri seems to be pretty pissed.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 / Evening

Twilight went to bed early tonight. She has a sore throat and doesn't look like she's feeling too well. Cadance forbade me from hanging out with her in case she's contagious, so I decide to watch television in the lounge with Rainbow Dash while doing my homework.

Pinkie comes home from work pretty late. She looks exhausted.

"Hey Pinkie," Rainbow calls from the lounge.

"Hey everyone," Pinkie says.

"Rough shift?" I ask.

Pinkie sighs. "We had a false alarm with Mrs. Cake. She started having contractions. I was in charge of the whole store until they came back."

"Wow." Rainbow frowns. "So she's gonna pop pretty soon, huh?"

"Looks that way," Pinkie says. She smiles. "Looks like I quit the tennis team just in time. They'd have been totally screwed without me today..." She looks at me. "How's Coco handling it?"

"Shaky, but she'll adjust. I have faith in her." I frown. "As long as Suri doesn't do something...bitchy."

"Yeah, she's not very nice," Pinkie says, frowning. She stretches. "I could use a naked hot oil rub. Flash, would you like to give me a naked hot oil rub?"

"Uhh...why don't you just take a nice hot bath instead? Alone."

"Your loss," Pinkie says, heading upstairs.

"What was that all about?" Rainbow asks.

"Pinkie's being a tease."

I decide to go to bed. I have some very vivid dreams about Pinkie and hot oil...
> 10/8 (Thu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 8, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may learn more about a friend today than you're really comfortable with.

Twilight has a full-blown cold. Cadance is staying home today to take care of both her and Rainbow Dash. I walk Spike before school.

Thursday, October 8, 2015 / After School

I'm on my way to Music Club from my last class when Trixie stops me in the hall. "Would...would you do me a favor?" she asks.

"What is it?"

She looks down. "Trixie would—I would like to try...to try to make friends," she says. "But everyone has this...this opinion of me..." She looks up at me. "I...I need help to...to talk to..."

"I...think I might know how to help," I say. We walk to the club room together.

When we get there, some of the members are talking about a new album by Deer Antler Bridge. I head over, motioning for Trixie to join me. Despite everything that's happened lately, I did actually find time to listen to a few songs from that album online. "I don't really like their sound right now," I say. "They were so much better back when Sticky Sapp was their frontman. You know, back when they were actually popular."

"Ouch!" Lyra says.

"I...actually like their sound now," Trixie says. "But they shouldn't be releasing studio albums. They're...they're really more of a live band. They don't sound right on their studio recordings."

"You've been to their concerts?" Lyra asks.

"Oh yes, I've been to three of their concerts," Trixie says. "You should look up videos of their live shows. They just sound so much better...their records are overproduced, and it really hurts their sound."

I sit back and listen, only occasionally contributing to the conversation. It turns out Trixie has quite an extensive knowledge of contemporary and classic rock—she might know as much as I do, and she certainly knows things I didn't know. I can tell that the others are impressed. It's obviously the longest actual conversation any of them have had with Trixie. Certainly it's the longest she's ever gone without referring to herself in the third person.

When the club meeting breaks up for the day, Trixie walks over to me. "Thank you," she says. "I...I really feel like they were interested in talking to me today."

"That's because you were just being yourself for a change," I say.

"Being myself..." Trixie smiles. "I...I think I might like that."

Thursday, October 8, 2015 / Evening

"How's Twilight?" I ask as soon as I walk through the doors and see Cadance headed upstairs.

Cadance smiles. "She's resting," she says. "I was just about to check in on her." She gives me a stern look. "You keep away from her room," she says. "Colds spread like wildfire, and I don't want this whole dorm sick!"

"Yes, ma'am." I pull out my phone and text Twilight.




Message To: Twilight Sparkle
How are you? Cadance won't let me check up on you




It's nearly two minutes before I get a reply.




New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
My head feels like it's full of lead and I'm miserable. How was school?




I spend a few minutes texting with Twilight as I head up to my own room, then I tell her to get some rest and start on my homework.

When Pinkie comes home from work, she brings a box of eclairs to share with all of us. We have them after dinner, with Cadance taking Twilight hers.

"It sucks that Twilight's sick," Pinkie says. She tilts her head. "Hey, do you think she'd let me borrow you until she gets better?"

Everyone stares at her. I choke. "Pinkie!" I feel the girls' eyes on me. "What is it with you lately?"

Pinkie blows up on her hair. "I just feel kinda sucky right now and I could really use some boy love, but I'm not really interested in anybody...and the one really nice boy I wanna make time with is taken." She sighs.

I have no idea how to respond to that.

"Oh well," Pinkie says. "Guess I'll just go play with myself. Goodnight everybody!"

OH MY GOD PINKIE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

"Far too much information, darling," Rarity says.

"Yeah, don't share that kinda thing!" Rainbow cries.

"Did not need that mental image," Applejack says.

I think Fluttershy has actually fainted.

Pinkie sticks her tongue out at us and heads upstairs.

An awkward silence descends in her wake. A few minutes later, I head up to my room and stay there for the rest of the night.
> 10/9 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 9, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Exciting, life-changing events are just around the bend.

Pinkie seems rather contrite when she comes down for breakfast. She sits meekly at the table. Her hair isn't quite as puffy as it usually is.

Once everybody's gathered, she looks around at all of us. "Guys, I...I'm sorry about last night." She fiddles with a napkin. "I just...I'm not really feeling very Pinkie-keen lately, and..." She sighs. "I guess maybe I'm just a little out of control, and...and I shouldn't have acted all...you know, wacky oversexed and stuff." She bows her head. "Sorry."

"It's alright, darling," Rarity says. "Everybody has their off days."

"Yeah, Pinkie," Rainbow says. "We're not mad at you. You just...kinda grossed us out a little."

Pinkie smiles. "Thanks." She looks at me expectantly.

I shrug. "After all the crazy stuff you girls have done since I got here? I'm used to needing to take cold showers when I least expect it. It's cool." Everybody giggles.

Cadance walks in. "Twilight's still sick," she says.

"Is it bad?" I ask.

"If her fever doesn't break sometime today, it could be," Cadance says. "I think it will, though."

"I hope so," I say.

Friday, October 9, 2015 / After School

The tennis team has already gotten changed, and Suri is already putting us through stretches when the coach arrives, a girl I've seen around campus in tow. The girl has light grey skin and blond hair; one of her golden eyes is drifting lazily, and she has a placid smile on her face. "Alright everyone!" the coach yells. "We've got a new team manager!" She claps the wall-eyed girl on the shoulder. "Do your best!"

The girl salutes and wanders off to the benches.

"Right," the coach says. "So...uhh...let's do twenty minutes of return drills, then doubles matches for the rest of the day."

Coco is still nervous about playing in front of others, and a few shots from the ball machine hit her. Suri's snickering and smug glances don't help. After five minutes, I say, "Ignore her. Ignore everything but the balls. Just...do what I know you can do. You're an amazing player. Just shut everything out except the returns."

Coco nods. Her nervous expression changes to one of determination. She starts hitting balls back over the net with more confidence. After another five minutes, she's returning with force and accuracy. Some of the other team members are getting hit with balls from their own launchers, because they've stopped to stare at Coco. A lot of her returns are hitting the launcher itself, and it's actually wobbling a little each time she hits it.

Five minutes later, the coach calls a halt to the drills. Our new manager runs up and down the other end of the court, trying to shut off the launchers...from the wrong side. A couple of the guys rush over and help her.

"Pommel!" the coach yells suddenly, making Coco jump.

"Y-yes?" Coco stammers.

"That was VERY impressive." The coach frowns slightly. "You need to work on your return force a bit, though. You could hurt somebody with that kind of power."

"S-sorry," Coco says.

"No need to apologize," the coach says, smiling. "Just...don't let that killer backhand become a literal killer backhand. Besides, you could sprain your wrist hitting the ball that hard."

"I-I'll work on it," Coco says, blushing.

We spend the rest of practice playing doubles. Our opponents seem to be afraid of hitting the ball to Coco, and with good reason. Every time she hits the ball over the net, it's a point. Even when she softens up her serve, the others are rattled by her sheer skill.

After practice, half the team gathers around Coco. "Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"Do you have a private teacher?"

"Is your mom or dad a pro or something?"

"Have you ever killed anyone with a tennis ball?"

Coco shrinks into herself, her face red as questions batter her from every side. I put a hand on her shoulder. "You did great out there, Coco," I say. "We're all glad to have you on the team. Right, guys?"

"Totally!"

"You bet!"

"I can't wait for your first match!"

Coco blushes. "Th-thank you," she says. "But...you know the girls' season isn't until spring, r-right?"

That's right...

Even though the tennis team practice is co-ed, competition is split into the boys' season and the girls' season.

The coach runs up and claps her hands to get our attention. "Good job, everyone! Don't forget, the boys' first match is next Saturday, so I want you guys to work extra hard next week! We haven't made the playoffs in two years, and I want this to be Canterlot High's year to shine!"

I've never played on a school team before...I'm a little nervous.

I hit the showers and head home.

Friday, October 9, 2015 / Evening

I'm practicing guitar with Rainbow Dash when Cadance comes downstairs, smiling. "Twilight's fever just broke," she says. "She still needs rest, but I think she'll be back on her feet tomorrow."

"That's great!"

Pinkie suddenly bursts through the front door, frantic and sweating. "You guys...!" She pants for a minute.

"Pinkie? You're off work early."

"Had to...close the shop...for the rest of the day..." Pinkie gasps out, bracing her hands on her knees. "Mrs. Cake...she's in labor!"
> 10/10 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, October 10, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may find you don't have as much free time over the next few days as you thought you did.

Applejack is just serving breakfast when Twilight comes downstairs, dressed in jeans and a royal purple T-shirt. She stretches and yawns. "Good morning, everybody!"

"Twilight! You're feeling better?"

"Yep!" Twilight smiles at me. "But you already knew that, right?"

"Of course," I say. "I just...was worried."

"Aww." Twilight kisses me on the cheek. "You're so sweet." She sits down at the table. "So what's for breakfast? I'm starving!"

Applejack chuckles. "Everybody eat up now. Ah even made some stuff that ain't got apples in it this mornin'!"

Rarity gasps theatrically. "Why, Applejack! Are you ill?"

Pinkie looks up from her phone. "Mrs. Cake is still in labor," she says. "Ohh, I'm so nervous. And excited! I'm nervoucited!"

Rarity frowns. "Still? Oh dear."

"Is...is that normal?" I ask.

"Labor can last a long time," Twilight says. She looks at Pinkie. "How long's it been?"

Pinkie fiddles with her phone, brow furrowing. "About...fourteen hours?"

"Gaaaah," Rarity says.

"Yyyyeah, remind me NEVER to have kids," Rainbow says, shuddering.

Pinkie's phone suddenly rings. She gasps. "It's Mr. Cake!" she answers. "Is it over? It is? They are!" She lets out a loud squeal. "Congratulations! I'm on my way—huh? Oh. Okay. Yeah. I can come like, this afternoon though, right? Okay! I can't wait to see them! Okay. Bye!" She hangs up and looks up at all of us. "The twins are born!"

"We kinda figured that out," Rainbow says.

"I'm gonna go down to the hospital this afternoon to see the new babies," Pinkie says. "Who wants to come with?"

"Oooh, I will!" Rarity says. "I simply must see the new babies!"

"Sure, I'll go," Twilight says, smiling.

"I'm going too, then," I say.

"I'll go," Rainbow says.

"Uhh...aren't you still...?" Applejack asks.

Rainbow blows on her bangs. "That's just for school. Besides, I'm goin' back to school on Tuesday. I'll be fine walkin' around the hospital on crutches. Heck, or a wheelchair." She shrugs. "Besides, I kinda gotta get outta here, y'know?"

"I'll definitely come along," Fluttershy says. "I'm sure the critters won't be too upset if I miss one Saturday playdate. And babies are sooo adorable."

"Well then Ah guess we're all goin'," Applejack says, grinning.

Saturday, October 10, 2015 / Afternoon

Once again, we're all piled into Cadance's SUV. Pinkie is practically vibrating with excitement. She's been texting Mr. Cake all day long; the poor guy must be positively sick of her by now, but he's apparently been answering, because we already know that the twins are a boy and a girl, and their names are Pound and Pumpkin, respectively.

We arrive at the hospital and head for the maternity wing. A smoking hot nurse with long, honey-colored hair takes note of us as we arrive; she looks a bit nonplussed at the presence of a small army of teenagers.

"Hello, Love Tap," Cadance says pleasantly. "We're here to visit the Cakes."

Nurse Love Tap smiles warmly. "Right this way," she says. "So, one of you must be Pinkie Pie?"

"Ooh! Me! I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie says excitedly.

Nurse Love Tap gives her a slight frown. "Would you keep your voice down, please? We have babies and very tired mothers here."

"Oops...sorry," Pinkie says more quietly.

The nurse stops in front of a room and knocks on the door. Mr. Cake peeks out. "You have some visitors," Nurse Love Tap says quietly.

Mr. Cake looks past her at us and smiles. "One sec," he says. He retreats back into the room; a moment later, he comes out. "Pinkie Pie said she was bringing a couple of her friends to see the babies. I didn't expect her to bring a whole crowd!" He chuckles.

"We simply had to come, Mr. Cake," Rarity says. "After all, Sugar Cube Corner is the finest little coffee shop in Canterlot, and we all simply adore you and your wife." With a smile, she adds, "And, well...babies! Who can resist adorable little babies?"

Mr. Cake laughs. "Well, alright then...let's go to the nursery."

We follow Nurse Love Tap and Mr. Cake to the nursery, which has a large bay window. A few people are peering in at the babies being kept there. Inside, we can see a nurse moving about, writing things on a clipboard. We gather at the window.

I've seen hospital nurseries on television, but I guess those must just be sets designed to approximate a hospital nursery, because what I'm looking at right now is nothing like what I was expecting. The one thing this has in common with television is that there are tiny little waist-high enclosed hospital cribs arranged in rows. About a dozen of them are occupied.

"Oh my, are those them?" Fluttershy asks. She's looking at a pair of cribs near the front.

"Yes, that's Pound and Pumpkin," Mr. Cake says fondly.

"Ooooh, they're so cuuuuuute!" Pinkie says. "Can we go in and—"

"Sorry, no," the nurse says. "Hospital policy." She smiles. "You'll have to wait until the Cakes bring them home for a closer look."

"Awww!" Pinkie whines.

Mr. Cake chuckles. "Don't worry, it won't be long."

A woman in a pink blazer comes along. "Mr. Cake?" she asks. "Just need you to come with me for a minute to take care of some paperwork..."

"Yes, of course." Mr. Cake smiles at us. "Thank you all for coming," he says before walking away.

We all look at the babies.

"So..." Rainbow Dash says quietly, "why are they so...freaky-lookin'?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy whispers harshly.

"Well they are!"

I have to agree with Rainbow Dash. The Cake twins, who are swaddled in pink and blue blankets, look red, wrinkly, and deformed. There's nothing at all cute about them. They're also, for some reason, baking under heat lamps.

Nurse Love Tap laughs. "Let me guess...first time seeing a real newborn?" She shakes her head. "I hear it all the time. Usually from new parents who freak out when their baby comes out looking like that."

"You mean all babies...?" Rainbow asks.

"Yep," Nurse Love Tap says. "Thing is, people expect babies to look like they do on television and in the movies, where they're all clean and cute and perfect right out of the womb. That's just not how it works. The 'newborns' you see on TV are actually several months old already. Partly because it's not safe or ethical for real newborns to be on a studio set, but mostly because real newborns are...well..."

"Ugly as sin?" Applejack says.

"Less appealing than babies that've had a few months to finish cooking," Nurse Love Tap says.

We spend a few more minutes watching the babies sleep. Nurse Love Tap wanders off to do her job. Mr. Cake returns after a few more minutes.

"Hey, guys?" Pinkie says suddenly. "I'm gonna go chat with Mr. and Mrs. Cake for a minute. Why don't you all go get a snack or something?"

Pinkie follows Mr. Cake back to Mrs. Cake's room. The rest of us head to the hospital lobby, which has drink and snack vending machines.

"So, you kids have Monday off from school," Cadance says. "Any plans?"

"Aww, shoot!" Applejack says. "Ah plumb forgot Monday was a holiday! Ah shoulda gone out t' th' farm again! Dang it all..."

We discuss various things we can do with a day off from school as we sit around munching on stuff out of the vending machines. A little while later, Pinkie bounds into the lobby, full of enthusiasm. "Good news, everyone!" she says.

"What is it, Pinkie?" Twilight asks.

"We're gonna run Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow and Monday!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

"Wait, what?" Twilight says.

"Well, all of us except Cadance and Rainbow Dash," Pinkie says.

"Uhh...wanna rewind an' try this again?" Applejack asks.

"Well, Mrs. Cake and the twins won't be going home until Tuesday, and Mr. Cake wants to spend time with his family, obviously, but they can't really afford to close the shop for three whole days, I mean today alone they lost like, a whole lot of business even though it couldn't be helped, so..." Pinkie takes a breath. "I volunteered all of us to run the shop for the next two days!"

"Uhh...Pinkie," Twilight says. "Don't you think...maybe you could've asked first?"

Pinkie gives us all a wide-eyed, innocent stare. "What? It's not like you have anything better to do." She smiles brightly at us. "And you're gonna get paid, of course!"

"Oh my...I don't know the first thing about running a coffee shop!" Fluttershy says.

"It's easy!" Pinkie says. "You, me, and AJ will work in the kitchen. Flash, Twilight, and Rarity will work out front! I know how everything's supposed to go, I can have you all up to speed in a couple of hours..."

Rarity coughs delicately. "Still...there is the matter of you, well...not asking us if we wanted to do this."

Pinkie wilts slightly.

"Your heart's in the right place," Cadance says. "But you really should've discussed this with everyone first."

Pinkie's whole face droops into a pout.

Rarity sighs. "Oh well. We can't very well disappoint the Cakes by saying no now, can we? Even if we were put on the spot."

Twilight shrugs. "I guess it's alright with me."

"Heck, Ah'd have said yes anyhoo," Applejack says.

Pinkie brightens.

"I...I'll try to help," Fluttershy says, playing with her hair.

"If all I have to do is work the register, I think I can handle that," I say.

Pinkie explosively returns to her normal, cheerful self. "Oh, thank you thank you THANK YOU!"

"But next time, Pinkie darling? Ask first," Rarity says.

Pinkie laughs weakly. "Okay."

Cadance smiles. "Why don't I take you all over there before we head home?" she suggests. "Pinkie can give you a little crash course in running Sugar Cube Corner while the shop's still closed."

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Pinkie says. "It'll be a lot easier to teach you how things are supposed to go when the place isn't busy." She frowns. "And yeah, Sunday mornings are the worst."

"You have the keys, right?" Cadance asks.

"Yep!"

"Then let's go."

Saturday, October 10, 2015 / Evening

We spend a little over an hour at Sugar Cube Corner, where Pinkie gives us a crash course in running one of the most popular little coffee shops in Canterlot. After we're done, we all go out for pizza, then head back to the dorm.

We all turn in early, because we're going to have to be up before dawn. I'm nervous about trying to run Sugar Cube Corner, and I really wish Pinkie hadn't roped us all into this, but...

At least the next two days won't be boring.
> 10/11 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, October 11, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Eye-opening experiences are in store for you today.

I'm up at four and dressed and ready to go by four-thirty. The girls are taking a little more time, but all of us are gathered in the lounge just after five.

"Alright," Pinkie says seriously. "We open at seven. It gets busy really fast. We're going to have to eat breakfast while we're getting the store ready to open, which means we're pretty much eating whatever's left from Friday. Sorry, but that's the way it is. Don't worry, though, I put everything in the fridge, so it'll still be good."

The walk to Sugar Cube Corner takes nearly twenty minutes. As soon as we arrive, Pinkie brings out a tray of assorted refrigerated muffins and pastries, which we pounce on like starving wolves. By a quarter of five, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack are busy at work in the kitchen, while Rarity is getting in some practice with the coffee machines, having appointed herself as our de facto barista. Twilight and I spend some time cleaning the shop and getting it ready for customers, then I spend some time familiarizing myself with the register and the price list.

At a quarter of seven, the girls in the kitchen come out with trays of pastries, which they begin placing in the display cases under Pinkie's direction. It amazes me how organized and in control Pinkie is, since she's usually so...random and free-spirited.

At exactly five minutes to seven, Pinkie takes a deep breath and unlocks the front doors, turning on the "Open" sign.

All hell breaks loose.

Sunday, October 11, 2015 / Daytime

We're managing to keep Sugar Cube Corner running...but just barely.

Some of the customers can be quite...demanding. I had no idea there were so many coffee snobs in Canterlot, but apparently they're out in force on Sundays, and Rarity clearly has no idea what she's doing, because her orders are piling up, and she's growing increasingly twitchy. A lot of the customers are snappish, angry, and rude, and Rarity's gone from being apologetic to pitching a fit every time somebody complains at her.

Applejack is intimidating some of the customers, trying to push apple crunch muffins on them. Fluttershy runs whimpering into the kitchen several times whenever a customer with a complaint tries to catch her attention. Twilight is trying to be calm and reasonable in dealing with the customers, but her composure is severely fraying.

The worst part is that a lot of kids from Canterlot High are here, and if their smirks, laughter, and the phones being aimed at us are any indication, we're all going to suffer for this for some time to come.

By noon, it's gotten so bad that Rarity's hair is in complete disarray, Twilight has developed a twitch, and Fluttershy won't even leave the kitchen. With a dozen customers pressed against the counter, trying to scream over each other, Pinkie storms out of the back with an airhorn, which she blows for a good fifteen seconds.

In the ensuing silence, she says, "Everybody listen! I know there are problems today, and I'm sorry about that, okay? But the owners—you all know Mr. and Mrs. Cake, right? I know a lot of you are regulars—they just had twins yesterday. The shop wouldn't even be open today if we hadn't agreed to take care of it for them. We're all a little new at this, so...go easy on us, okay?"

This seems to calm everybody down a bit. A lot of the customers become far more understanding. The Canterlot High kids look at each other guiltily and put their phones away. There are a couple of people who decide they're still going to be jerks despite all that, but for the most part, everything settles down.

For about thirty minutes. Then a new wave of customers comes in, and things get crazy and tense again.

The only bright spot is that every Canterlot High student who comes in for the rest of the day is very patient and understanding. Some of the kids who were here at noon must've put the word out over Canterbook. Still, even when things quiet down in the middle of the afternoon, the stress of the day has everybody on edge.

Pinkie decides to close the shop at six in the evening. We're all relieved; once the last customer is served and ushered out the door, we clean the store and lock everything up in silence.

Sunday, October 11, 2015 / Evening

By the time we return to the dorm, we're all exhausted, stressed out, and if the dirty looks the others are shooting Pinkie from time to time are any indication, she's on everybody's shit list.

"You all did a really good job today!" Pinkie says cheerfully. "Okay, sure, there were some slip-ups...Rarity...and Applejack, maaaaaybe you could've been a little less aggressive in pushing the apple crunch muffins, but...I think today went okay considering none of you had any idea whatsoever what you were doing!" Pinkie smiles. "I think tomorrow will go a lot better!"

"Screw tomorrow," Twilight groans. "I quit."

"The shortcomings of the pedestrian patrons are hardly my fault," Rarity complains. She's been complaining all day.

"Oh come on, guys!" Pinkie says. "It's for the Cakes! Think about little Pound and Pumpkin! Think about how sad they'll be if they don't get to go to college because we abandoned our posts!"

Rarity glares at Pinkie. "You are being ridiculous," she says.

"Am I, Rarity? Am I really?" Pinkie looks at a point just above and behind Rarity's head. "Oh look. I see something. It's...Pumpkin Cake's college fund! It's flying away! She's going to have to live on the streets, selling her body for money to feed her five illegitimate crack babies. And her own brother is her pimp!" She grabs Rarity by the shoulders and shakes her. "Her own brother, Rarity!"

Twilight facepalms. "Pinkie, just...just stop."

Pinkie pulls out the most powerful weapon in her arsenal...the sad, pleading eyes. "Pleeeeease, you guys? It's just one more day..."

Everybody sighs. "Fine," Rarity says. "But if you ever try to rope us into anything like this ever again..."

"Come on, everybody," Twilight says. "Let's just...eat some dinner, watch a little TV to unwind, think about how to make Pinkie's life a living hell for the next week or two, then go to bed."

"Sounds good to me," I say.

"I like that last part. Before the going to bed part, I mean," Fluttershy says.

Rainbow is watching us bemusedly from the sofa in the lounge. "Wow. You guys are really whiny."

Cadance, sitting in the recliner, arches an eyebrow. "Just so you know, murder is prohibited in the dorms."

"Oh, none of us want to kill Pinkie," Fluttershy says.

"Whew," Pinkie sighs, wiping her forehead.

"Dead people can't suffer," Fluttershy adds lightly before wandering off to the kitchen.

Pinkie decides to go straight to her room, and doesn't come back down. The rest of us go to bed about an hour after we eat dinner.

If tomorrow's anything like today was, Pinkie may have to build herself a doghouse to move into.
> 10/12 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 12, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Hard work is its own reward.

Today is Faust Day. There is no school.

We're working at Sugar Cube Corner again today.

Monday, October 12, 2015 / Daytime

Work at Sugar Cube Corner progresses much more smoothly today. Pinkie seems to be making an extra effort not to get on anybody's nerves, and the shop isn't nearly as chaotic today as it was yesterday. Rarity's doing a little better with the coffee orders today, and the general atmosphere is less stressed and tense.

It's still tough work, and we're all still tired when we go back to the dorm, but we're not as eager to tie Pinkie Pie down and skin her with rusty potato peelers as we were yesterday.

Monday, October 12, 2015 / Evening

"Good work today, everybody!" Pinkie says. "Mr. Cake is taking over again tomorrow, and his cousin's coming in from out of town to help." She beams. "He said to tell you all to come by the shop on Friday to get paid!"

At dinner, Cadance asks, "So, Rainbow Dash...are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?"

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow says. "I'm gettin' pretty sick of the dorm. I mean, bein' cooped up."

After dinner, Twilight and I meet up with Cadance in our "secret headquarters".

"Pinkie's birthday is in a little over two weeks," Cadance says. "If Twilight's theory is right, and she's the next target, we need to be ready. We should go to Zodiac this weekend."

"It'll have to be on Sunday," Twilight says. "Flash has a tennis match on Saturday."

Cadance nods. "Sunday it is."

Twilight frowns. "Cadance...have you spoken to Shining Armor? At all?"

Cadance sighs. "He's been whiny and moody since I moved into the dorm. He whines at me and asks me to come back, but he hasn't apologized for anything, and when I try to talk about why I left in the first place, he...he doesn't want to talk. Until he's ready to be a man..."

Twilight gives me a look that says: "She doesn't have any room to talk." Out loud, she says, "Well...maybe you should give him a chance to...I dunno, maybe you..."

"You think I'm being immature, don't you?" Cadance asks.

Twilight frowns and looks away.

"I thought so," Cadance says. She looks at me. "What about you? Do you think I'm being immature?"

I don't want to be dragged into the middle of this...

I take a moment to think carefully about what I want to say. "I think...you wouldn't have married him if you didn't love him. Maybe you just...need to really think about why you're married in the first place?"

Cadance sighs. "Yeah...you're probably right..."

Twilight and I leave to head to our rooms. Once the door is closed behind us, she whispers to me, "Nice save." She kisses me on the cheek and goes downstairs.

I head for my room. I'm just getting ready for bed when I get a phone call from Vinyl. "Hey dude, what's up?"

"Not much."

"Hey listen...I've gotta go to the doctor tomorrow...will you be free to drive me?"

The only thing I've got going on tomorrow is Music Club, but helping Vinyl out is more important. "Sure."

"Great...thanks!"

I'm tired...

It's time for bed.
> 10/13 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): People close to you may lose confidence in themselves today. They'll be relying on you to be their rock.

Today, Rainbow Dash is going back to school.

Fluttershy and Rainbow are the last down to breakfast. Rainbow still needs some assistance, because her leg is still in a brace and she's still on crutches. Still, she looks excited to be going back to school.

"So how much longer are you gonna be on them crutches?" Applejack asks.

"Two or three weeks," Rainbow says. "I've got a doctor's appointment once a week to check on it. In two weeks they're gonna do another X-ray and ultrasound and stuff, see how it's goin'. With luck, I'll be outta this brace and offa these crutches before you know it."

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 / Morning

We all walk to school together as a group, pacing ourselves for Rainbow's sake.

Once Rainbow walks through the doors, everybody in the hallway claps. Principal Celestia comes out of her office and smiles broadly at Rainbow. "Welcome back, Rainbow Dash. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Rainbow says. "Few more weeks and I'll be good as new!"

"I'm glad to hear it," Celestia says. "We were all horrified to learn about what happened to you. I just want you to know...those two boys who did this will never set foot in Canterlot High ever again."

"Thanks," Rainbow says. "That's...that's good to know. Not that I'm scared of those jokers or anything. I mean, it took two of them to gimp me and they didn't even do a good job of it!"

A lot of people laugh.

"In any case...until you're off your crutches, don't worry about being late to class," Celestia says. "All tardies will be excused until your leg is healed." She looks around the hall. "The rest of you, though, should get to class before the bell."

We all wish Rainbow well, then head to our classes.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 / After School

I drive Vinyl to her eye doctor appointment. After she's done, she says she's hungry, so we drop by McBurger for a quick bite.

"So, how's it going?" I ask.

Vinyl sighs. "Not so good," she says. "There's this lady comin' out to my place Friday afternoon, she's got stuff to talk to me about...about apps and help stuff for...for the blind." She swallows. "It's...it kinda sucks, you know? Havin' to make all these plans...gettin' ready to lose my eyes..." She sighs again, swirling a fry in ketchup.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through," I say.

She laughs. "Good, that makes two of us. I'm just...totally snowed under by all this." She shrugs. "The sucky part? There's...there's somebody I kinda dig on. If...if things were different, I'd...I'd go for it, y'know? But..." She sighs.

"But?"

"Well...if I did...then what? Even if she's...you know..." She shakes her head. "I can't ask anybody to put up with a blind girl draggin' 'em down."

I don't really have anything to say to that. I could tell her that's ridiculous, that if somebody saw something special in her, they wouldn't care about that, but...

It sounds hollow in my head, so I'm not about to say it.

Also, Vinyl's gay? Wow.

Once we're done eating, I drive her home, then take a cab back to the dorm.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 / Evening

When I get back, I grab my guitar and head to the lounge. Rainbow's sitting there, doing her homework.

"How'd today go?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Eh. Those crutches are a bitch, and my leg hurts like hell even though I didn't put any weight on it. I just took some painkillers. They're pretty strong stuff, I'm probably gonna sleep through dinner."

"I'm sure there'll be plenty left over for you when you wake up, then."

"Heh." Rainbow frowns at her laptop. "I hate that I can't unwind from this school crap with a little soccer practice."

"Just hang in there," I say. "You'll be back on the field in no time."

"Yeah, I guess..." Rainbow sighs. "I just...I just feel like I'm not gonna have the stuff anymore, you know?" She shakes her head. "I've been out of action so long...I've still got so long until I get this stupid brace off and can walk...and even then, they won't actually let me play soccer yet, because I gotta get the strength up in this leg again..." She slumps forward, burying her face in her hands. "What if I suck? What if I can't play the way I always did after this? What if...what if I'm done for good?"

"Rainbow...don't do this to yourself." I put a hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna be fine. You'll heal up, and you'll get strong again, and you'll play soccer. You can't give up!"

Rainbow looks up at me and smiles. "Heh. Yeah...you're right. Thanks. I...I needed that."

I let Rainbow play my guitar for a little bit. When the pain medication kicks in, I take it away from her and carry her up to her room. I put her to bed, tucking her in.

I turn around to see Twilight standing in the doorway, smirking at me. "What?" I ask. "She fell asleep downstairs."

"You had your hand on her tit," Twilight says.

What? Oh crap...

Twilight laughs. "Gotcha," she says.

"That's not funny!"

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me and runs. I chase her downstairs. She lets me catch her, and giggles as I tickle her.

"Okay, I surrender!" she says. "Cut it out!"

Cadance walks downstairs. She raises an eyebrow at us. "No foreplay in the lounge," she says.

"Gah!" Twilight yelps, blushing furiously.

Cadance grins and heads for the dining room. We follow her after a moment, Twilight still red.

After dinner, Applejack fixes a plate for Rainbow Dash and takes it up to her room. I head up to my room and do my homework, then head for bed.
> 10/14 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Share your good fortune with others today. It's the right thing to do.

Tennis practice is murder today. The coach is working the guys extra-hard while the girls are pretty much goofing off. Our first matches are on Saturday.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015 / Evening

By the time I get home from tennis practice, I'm exhausted. I still have homework to do, so I grab a snack in my room and get started.

I'm just starting on my history homework when I get a video call from my parents. I've only spoken to them a few times since the start of the school year.

"How're you doing, son?" Dad asks.

"Pretty good," I say. "My friends are crazy, my girlfriend and I are getting along well, and I'm teaching one of the girls to play guitar. Got a tennis match Saturday."

"You play tennis?" Mom asks. "Since when?"

I shrug. "Since one of my dormmates convinced me to join the team."

"Oh, okay. Well...do your best!"

I talk to them for a few minutes, then get back to my homework. I don't know why they bother calling. I've already told them about tennis twice. They don't really listen. The only thing I've told them that they really took interest in was my having a girlfriend.

When I go downstairs for dinner, Twilight looks concerned. "What's wrong?" she asks.

I sigh. "My folks called. They still suck."

Twilight hugs me. "Don't be like that. They're still your family."

"Yeah..."

After dinner, I go upstairs and find a notification on my computer that an extra four hundred dollars has been added to my account.

Sometimes it seems like that really is all my parents are good for...

I think about Pinkie's problems with her family.

I remember what Pinkie said about wanting a cookbook.

I fire up the website for an online bookstore. While I do so, I pull out my phone. "Hey, Twilight? Do you happen to know the name of that cookbook Pinkie Pie wants? It's some kind of book about baking cakes and cupcakes...she said it was pretty expensive. Could you maybe find out, like fast? No, don't just straight out ask her. Maybe like...ask her what the best book about baking is? Yeah...the kind of question you'd be likely to ask. Cool, thanks."

I put my phone away, and idly browse the website. About five minutes later, Twilight comes into my room. "It's Mulia Milds' 507 Perfect Desserts and How to Make Them Shine."

"Wow. That's a mouthful." I type that into the search bar.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asks.

"What do you think?"

I open the page for the book.

Twilight gapes at the price. "OUCH! For a cookbook?!"

"I'm pretty sure it's for professionals...or at least serious bakers..."

"You're not going to..."

I click Add to Cart.

Twilight gasps. "Seriously?"

"She quit the tennis team to save up for this book because her parents are dicks and won't buy it for her for her birthday. My parents do nothing but give me money. I figure it balances out."

Twilight wraps her arms around my shoulders. "You're too sweet for your own good, you know that?"

"I know," I say. A little typing later, and the order is placed.

There's a knock at the door. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Crap...it's Coach.

"Hey Shiny," Twilight says. "We're just doing some birthday shopping for Pinkie. Well, Flash is. He asked me to do some recon."

"I see," Shining Armor says. "Well...it's getting late. You should probably go back to your room, Twily."

"I will in a minute," Twilight says. "Did you come upstairs to bother us, or did you come to apologize to Cadance?"

Shining Armor is silent.

Twilight walks over and closes the door.

I sigh. "Don't provoke him."

"He's my brother. I'll poke him with a stick if I want." She picks up my television remote and turns it on, then grabs a soda from my fridge. "I think I'll stay here a while."

I shake my head and grab a drink of my own and a bag of chips, which we share as we watch some hilariously cheesy old martial arts movie.
> 10/15 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 15, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be careful about who you provoke today.

Twilight spent the night in my room. We didn't do anything except sleep—after eating up almost all my snacks and staying up way too late, of course.

Cadance is just coming out of the bathroom, wearing her fluffy red bathrobe, when Twilight leaves my room to go downstairs. She raises an eyebrow at us.

"We didn't do anything naughty!" I say hastily.

Cadance smirks. "You think I don't know that? I'm right across the hall, I'd have heard it." She rolls her eyes. "I'm almost disappointed in you two. You know if you want to have sex, you can, right? Just...be careful."

Twilight turns furiously red. "We're not doing anything like that! Honestly, why is your mind always in the gutter?" She covers her mouth with her hand as Cadance flinches and looks away. "Oh my gosh...Cadance, I'm sorry...!"

"No, it's...it's alright," Cadance says. "I shouldn't be teasing you two...or encouraging you. I just think you're a cute couple, and...well..." She sighs.

Twilight hugs her. "Did he...did he apologize?"

Cadance shrugs. "Kind of. I don't think he really knows what he's apologizing for, though. He also looked pretty ticked off...he was on edge, so it was less an apology and more, well..."

"That's...probably my fault," Twilight says, ducking her head. "He saw me in Flash's room and got upset, and I decided to be a brat about it."

Cadance shakes her head. "What you do and who you do it with is your business, so long as you're not doing anything illegal or irresponsible." She smirks. "And we all know you wouldn't do stuff like that."

Twilight ducks her head. "I...I'd better go get ready for school."

"Me too," I say hurriedly, ducking back into my room to get my bath things together.

Thursday, October 15, 2015 / After School

At Music Club, Trixie is chatting animatedly with Lyra and some of the others. She's showing off a couple of magic tricks, and everybody seems to enjoy them. I have to admit, she's actually pretty good...especially when she isn't bragging. She slips into her stage persona from time to time, but catches herself before she kills the atmosphere.

As I'm watching her, a thought occurs. As club is letting out, I walk up to her. "Hey, Trixie."

"Oh...hello, Flash. I saw you watching me earlier. Do...do you think they were enjoying my tricks?"

"I think they were, yeah. I know I was."

Trixie smiles. "Thank you."

"Actually, I wanted to ask a favor."

"Yes?"

"You know Pinkie Pie, right?"

Trixie tilts her head. "That impossibly cheerful and hyperactive pink girl who pretty much is the school's party planning committee?"

"Yeah. Her birthday's in a couple of weeks." I take a deep breath. "She's been in kind of a funk lately, and...I think some of your magic might be just the kick her birthday party needs to cheer her up."

Trixie blinks. "You...want me...to perform at Pinkie Pie's birthday party?"

"It'd be a good idea. And a great way for you to make more friends outside of the music club."

Trixie chews her lip thoughtfully. "Trixie will consider it. You said the party is in two weeks?"

I nod.

"Trixie w—I will let you know next week if I can make it."

"Cool. See you Tuesday."

Thursday, October 15, 2015 / Evening

I return to the dorm to find Shining Armor waiting in my room.

"We need to talk," he says.

I put my things down and cross my arms.

He looks at me. He stands up and takes a step closer. "I'm going to have you evicted from this dorm," he says.

"Really?" I ask. "May I ask why?"

"Inappropriate conduct," he says. "It was a mistake to put you here in the first place."

"Not my fault," I say. "You know exactly why I was assigned here."

"Even so," he says. "I don't want you here. You don't need to be here."

"I don't give a flying f—" I take a deep breath. "You don't have any say in the matter. And I haven't done anything 'inappropriate'."

"My sister was in your room all night!" he shouts in my face. "ALL NIGHT! That's inappropriate!"

"The dorm manager knew she was here. She also knew we weren't doing anything but watching TV and sleeping."

"That doesn't...Cadance is..." Shining Armor shakes his head. "Look, she shouldn't be in your room at night! Or ever!"

"She's my girlfriend," I point out. "There's no rules against that."

"YES THERE ARE!"

"No there aren't," I insist. "I checked. There are no rules against boys and girls being in the same dorm room, in any dorm on campus, so long as the dorm manager allows it." I point a finger at the door. "Your wife is the dorm manager. She allows it."

Shining Armor looks like he's going to take a swing at me. "I say it stops. Here and now."

He tries to glare me down. I'm not backing down. I'm sick of this asshole. I'm sick of the way he tries to push me around, I'm sick of the way he's a jerk to his wife. "You know, if you stopped being an asshole for five minutes—"

The next thing I know, I'm on the floor and the entire left side of my face hurts. Shining Armor is standing over me, his chest heaving.

There's a loud gasp from the door. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO?!"

It's Cadance, and she looks horrified.

I hear feet running up the stairs. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity appear behind Cadance. They all look confused, stunned, and horrified.

I stand up, rubbing my cheek. "Is that all you wanted to say, Coach?"

Shining Armor's face suddenly turns more pale than normal. He looks from me, to the crowd at the door. His jaw drops and his eyes widen.

That's right, you stupid son of a bitch. Let it sink in.

Shining Armor shakes a finger at Cadance. "I...I want him out of this dorm," he says, before pushing past the girls and walking quickly to the stairs.

Twilight and Cadance rush in. "Oh my GOD!" Twilight says, eyes wide. "Did he...did he..."

"He has a hell of a punch," I say, probing my teeth to see if any are loose.

Cadance frowns. "Rarity? Get an ice pack, if you please."

"Right away, Nurse," Rarity says, hurrying to the stairs.

"I—I'll get the first aid k-kit," Fluttershy stammers, rushing after Rarity.

"Flash, what happened?!" Twilight asks.

"Shining Armor tried to evict me from the dorm," I say. "I told him I'm not leaving." I wince as Cadance runs her fingers over my tender cheek. "I should've told him to go fuck himself."

"Shining Armor can't evict you from the dorm," Cadance says. "I can't even evict you from the dorm. Only Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna can authorize a student's eviction from housing." She frowns. "Why did he want you out?"

"Because he doesn't like Twilight being in my room."

"That's stupid!" Twilight says.

"He's been stupid about a lot of things lately," Cadance sighs. "He'll probably complain to Celestia about you. Don't worry about it if he does. I've got your back."

"So do I," Twilight says. She frowns. "I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind." She leaves before either of us can stop her.

"Flash...I'm so, so very sorry about this," Cadance says. "This...this just isn't like him at all. I don't know why he's gone so...so crazy lately..."

Fluttershy and Rarity return, and help Cadance tend to my face. "This may hurt for a day or two," Cadance says. "You're definitely going to have a nasty bruise."

Once they leave, I do my homework. I'm angry and my face hurts like hell, so it's hard to concentrate.

Dinner is tense and awkward. Applejack and Rainbow Dash got a confused second-hand account of what happened; when Pinkie Pie comes home from work in the middle of dinner, I have to tell everyone the whole story of the encounter again.

Twilight isn't eating as much as usual, but she's attacking her food way more viciously than usual. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but this is going too far," she says. Her voice is hoarse; from what I gather, she spent a solid half hour screaming at her brother.

Cadance sighs. "I...I'll move back into the apartment tonight."

"No," Twilight says. "Stay right where you are until he comes to his senses. He deserves to be alone right now."

Nobody says anything else for the rest of dinner. I head to bed early after taking some medicine for the pain.
> 10/16 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 16, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Awkward subjects will be brought to light today.

My face is still swollen, and the beginnings of a truly hideous bruise are forming around the inch-long cut Shining Armor left on my cheek. I'm very careful when washing my face; I put some antiseptic ointment on the cut and bandage it back up after I shower.

When I go down for breakfast, everybody is wincing as they look at my bandaged face. "How bad does it hurt?" Twilight asks.

"Eh. I'll manage."

"I'm so, so sorry about—"

"Twilight...it's alright," I say.

"No it's not!" Twilight says. "My brother shouldn't have..." She sighs. "I just don't know what's gotten into him lately..." Tears fill her eyes. "He...he isn't like this. Really. He's always been..." She looks down. "Something's wrong. This isn't like him at all." She looks up sharply. "Do you think...do you think it has something do to with..." She looks around, then leans in and whispers, "Zodiac?"

I frown. "I don't think so," I say. "From what I've seen, it's only gossip and rumor-mongering that make people here in Canterlot act like assholes. If...if he was keeping up with half the shit kids are saying at school, he'd...he'd have started doing stuff like this before I even got here."

Twilight sighs. "Then what is it?"

"He probably just really hates my guts for some reason," I say, shrugging.

Friday, October 16, 2015 / Morning

My jacked-up face causes a lot of stir as soon as I walk into the building. I can only imagine what kind of rumors are flying around already.

During second period, I'm called out of class by Principal Celestia.

I'm almost to the office when Cadance comes running in the opposite direction. Not far behind her is Twilight.

I walk into the office to find both Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna waiting for me. Celestia raises an eyebrow as Cadance and Twilight follow me in. "Twilight Sparkle," Vice-Principal Luna says, "you were not called to the office."

"If you called Flash for what I think you called him for, I need to be here," Twilight says.

Celestia frowns. "You appear to have been fighting, Flash."

"Actually, he was punched in the face," Cadance says. "By my husband. I saw it happen."

Celestia tilts her head. "Shining Armor did this?"

"He sure did," Twilight says.

Celestia and Luna share a look. "He neglected to mention that," Luna says.

Celestia shrugs, then turns her attention to me. "It's come to our attention that you living in the Applewood Dorm may not be in the best interests of the other residents."

"That's ridiculous!" Twilight says. "Flash is our friend! None of us have any problems with him!"

"According to what I've been told by Shining Armor, he's prone to making inappropriate advances on female residents, and not respecting the boundaries of privacy."

Cadance laughs. "Oh. My God. He's really pushing this that far?"

Celestia frowns. "Nurse Cadance...you are the manager of the dorm in question. Would you mind shedding some light on this matter?"

"Gladly," Cadance says. "First off, Flash is a complete gentleman. And that's not always easy when some of the girls in the dorm...are a bit careless."

"Cadance!" Twilight says, flushing.

"Second, Flash has never once gone into one of the girls' rooms without permission, and even then, I'm only aware of him ever having actually been in Twilight's room."

"And that was just when I was sick and asked him to walk my dog," Twilight says. "Usually, it's us going into his room." She pauses. "That didn't help, did it?"

"Not particularly, no," Luna says.

Cadance pats Twilight on the shoulder. "The girls have pretty much decided, and I believe he has tried to discourage this, that Flash's room is come-as-you-please. Even so, the girl who's in there most often is Twilight, and that's because they're dating."

"And we're not...doing anything in there," Twilight says. "I just...like to spend time alone with him when I can."

Celestia's eyes soften. "Understandable."

"If somewhat inappropriate," Luna says with a mild frown.

Twilight ducks her head.

"If I may," Cadance says, "who's allowed to be where in Applewood Dorm is at my discretion, and since I trust the two of them, I allow it."

"You're right...you do have discretion over the house rules," Celestia says. She steeples her hands in front of her. "Still, I'm forced to wonder precisely what has led to Shining Armor's request to evict Flash from the dorm. Although I think I'm starting to get the picture."

Cadance frowns. "This is actually my fault," she says. "Or at least, part of it is. Shiny and I are having...marital problems at the moment. He's been angry and tense for a while now."

"He's taking it out on Flash because he's my boyfriend," Twilight says. "And after I chewed him out for that last night, I can't believe he had the nerve to pull a stunt like this."

Luna and Celestia exchange a glance. "I see," Celestia says. "So...Shining Armor assaulted you?" she asks me.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Assaulting a student is a severe infraction," Luna says, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes. "Why was this not reported immediately, Nurse Cadance?"

"Because he's still my husband, and Twilight's brother...even if he's being a complete asshole right now." Cadance sighs. "I don't want Shining Armor to be in trouble over this...none of us do. Right, Flash?"

I shake my head. "I get where he's coming from. Sure, I'm pissed, but I can take a punch."

"Still, this cannot go unchecked," Luna says. "Sister? What do you think?"

Celestia frowns. "Under the circumstances...I'm not certain what to do."

There's a long, tense moment of silence.

"Umm...may I make a suggestion?" Twilight offers.

"You may," Celestia says.

"Well...Cadance actually moved out of the manager's apartment some time ago," she says. "She's been living in the dorm itself for a couple of weeks now."

Celestia blinks. "It's that bad?" she asks.

"I'm trying to force an apology out of him," Cadance says.

"Oh my."

Twilight clears her throat. "Right, so...how about this...instead of doing what you'd normally do under the circumstances, because none of us want my brother to lose his job...how about forbidding him from entering the student resident areas of the dorm until he pulls his head out of his butt?"

Luna lets out a snort. Celestia raises an eyebrow. "Interesting. Cadance?"

"It'd get the point across," Cadance says. "Besides, he really shouldn't be in the dorm in the first place. Some of the girls...well..." She coughs.

Celestia's other eyebrow goes up. "Maybe we should be considering moving Mr. Sentry out of that dorm..."

"No!" Twilight cries hurriedly. When the adults all look at her, she blushes furiously. "I-I mean...there's no need for that," she says. "Besides, it's not his fault a couple of the girls wander around naked sometimes." Her blush intensifies. "It's not like...they care if he sees, either."

Luna loses her composure and lets out a giggle I would never expect from such a stern woman. "Oh my...that certainly reminds me of you back in college, Celie!"

Hey, thanks, I really needed that mental image!

Celestia gives Cadance a pained look. "Please don't let your dorm get too out of control," she says.

Cadance smiles. "I promise, aside from my husband's little temper tantrum, Applewood is exactly the right amount of out of control."

Luna doubles over laughing.

Celestia groans in irritation. "Alright, fine," she says. "Effective immediately, Shining Armor is prohibited entry to the dorm proper and all student resident areas. I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear ANY of what I heard here today. You two, please return to class."

Twilight and I leave very quickly. "Well that was embarrassing," Twilight says.

"For everybody," I say. "I wonder if her legs were that long when she was in college..."

Twilight punches me in the shoulder. "Pervert!"

"Oh, like you weren't thinking it too."

Twilight stops short, her face pale. "Uhh..." She coughs. "...alright, I'll admit, I had the same mental image." She ducks her head.

I wrap an arm around her shoulders. "We'll have to do some digging on the Internet later," I say. "For now, we'd better get back to class."

"Y-yeah..."

Friday, October 16, 2015 / Lunch

The girls all look tense and anxious when Twilight and I join them for lunch.

"Did...did Principal Celestia kick you out of the dorm?" Pinkie asks.

"Nah," I say. "But she did ban Coach from the dorm."

"Oh, phew," Pinkie says. "I'm glad."

"What do you mean banned him from the dorm?" Rainbow asks.

"It means he'll still be living in the manager's apartment, but he can't enter the dorm itself," Twilight says.

"It was Twilight's idea," I say. "If she hadn't come up with that, they'd have fired him for hitting me."

"So it's safe to be naked in the dorm again?" Pinkie asks.

Twilight stares at her. "Excuse me? Since when have you cared about that?"

"Also, please don't start walking around naked," Fluttershy says.

"So, Flash...you have a tennis match tomorrow, right?" Rarity asks loudly.

"Yeah," I say. "I'd almost forgotten about that..."

Friday, October 16, 2015 / After School

Practice is intense. The coach spends half the practice yelling and berating us like a drill sergeant. At the end of practice, she tells us to meet at the front of the school at eight in the morning to take the bus to Hoofington.

Coco walks up to me as I'm leaving. "Good luck tomorrow," she says.

"Thanks." I head back to the dorm, tired.

Friday, October 16, 2015 / Evening

When I walk into the dorm, Twilight and Cadance are sitting in the lounge.

"Hey Flash, I went grocery shopping for you," Twilight says. "I restocked all the stuff we ate up the other night."

"Thanks, Twilight." I look at Cadance. "How'd he take the news?"

She rolls her eyes. "He came by the nurse's office after school and announced he's going out of town for the weekend and won't be back until Monday morning."

"That means he's going home to Mom and Dad to pout," Twilight says, shaking her head. "I hope they knock some sense into him."

"So, are you guys coming out to Hoofington tomorrow for the matches?" I ask.

"Of course we are!" Twilight says. "We're all coming. Well, except Pinkie. She's working. But I'll be recording it for her!"

"Good," I say. "I could use some support. I've never been on a sports team before, let alone in an actual match against another school."

Twilight gets up and hugs me. "You'll be fine," she says, kissing me.

Pinkie returns at dinnertime. "Hey guys," she says. "Listen...Mr. Cake said to tell you all that he'll be paying you for working at Sugar Cube Corner on the thirteenth of next month. He says he's really sorry it'll be so long, but money's really tight right now. I'm not even getting paid this month!"

"That's quite alright," Rarity says. "We understand...having a baby costs a lot of money. Having twins...must be ever so much more expensive."

Pinkie flounces over to sit next to me. "So, excited about tomorrow?" she asks.

"Mostly nervous," I say.

"Yeah, I can see that," Pinkie says. "Don't worry, you'll be alright." She gives me a sly smile. "Wanna cop a good luck feel?"

"Pinkiiiiiie," Twilight growls.

Rarity coughs. "I do believe it would be inappropriate for Flash to fondle anyone he isn't presently dating," she says.

"Awww," Pinkie pouts.

After dinner, Twilight and I spend some time relaxing. She's obviously still upset about either her brother, or Pinkie, or both.

To distract her, I enlist her help in searching the web for old college photos of Principal Celestia. After almost an hour's searching, we manage to find some spring break photos of Celestia and Luna. Celestia, for her part, was wearing an indecently skimpy string bikini that day.

Holy crap, her legs were always that long...

"Stop drooling," Twilight says, slapping me upside the head. She shakes her head. "School's gonna be awkward for a while after seeing that..."

I have to agree. Wow.
> 10/17 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, October 17, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may find yourself in a no-win situation today. It's important that you handle it with grace and maturity.

Breakfast turns into a small party, as Pinkie and Applejack work together to create a breakfast designed to give me maximum energy for the day ahead. Twilight and Fluttershy, meanwhile, are stuffing my sport bag with energy snacks, sports drinks, first-aid supplies, and sport tape.

After breakfast, I grab my bag and my racket. Twilight rushes up to me and kisses me. "Good luck," she says.

"Thanks." I leave for the bus to Hoofington.

Saturday, October 17, 2015 / Daytime

The bus ride to Hoofington is long. The mood on the bus is excited. Twilight and Pinkie are texting me constantly from Cadance's SUV.

When we arrive, the coach puts us through warm-up exercises. We head to the warm-up court for an hour of practice, then take a short lunch break before the matches begin.

The other team is good. Every member of our team plays hard, including me, but we're outclassed. I play singles against a guy who's probably been doing this since junior high school, and lose badly. At the end of the day, we've lost our first team tennis meet by two points.

As we're cooling down, the coach comes up to us. She's obviously disappointed. "Okay, guys. Shake it off. First match of the season, someone has to win, someone has to lose. One loss isn't the end of the season, but we know what we need to work on. We'll focus on our problem areas. Everyone who won their matches today, good job, but don't slack off. Everyone who lost..." She gets a particularly evil look on her face. "Look forward to Wednesday."

Crap.

Twilight and the others are all waiting when I come out of the locker room. The coach notices them and her brow furrows.

"Don't mind us, we're Flash's cheering section," Cadance says. "Or support squad, I suppose."

The coach shakes her head. "Good grief."

Some of my teammates have their own opinions.

"Dammit, Flash! You're hogging ALL the cute girls!"

"You are one lucky dude."

Twilight flushes. Rarity giggles. Fluttershy ducks her head behind her hair. Rainbow just grins cheekily. Applejack shakes her head, smirking.

I end up going back to Canterlot with the girls, to the hoots and lurid suggestions of my teammates and the coach's obvious irritation.

"So, uhh...sorry you didn't win, dude," Rainbow says. "Don't let it get to you. It happens."

"I think you did very well," Rarity says.

"You'll get 'em next time," Applejack says.

We stop for dinner on the way back to the dorm and have a great time together as a group.

Saturday, October 17, 2015 / Evening

I'm utterly exhausted from today, so as soon as we get back to the dorm, I head up to my room to rest. Pinkie's already back; I can hear the others talking to her about the day's matches as I head for the stairs.

I can't quite get to sleep, so I'm just lying in bed thinking and relaxing. I've been home for an hour when there's a knock on my door. Cadance peeks in. "Hey," she says.

"Hey."

Something's a little off about her. Her cheeks are flushed. She sits on the edge of my bed. "Tired?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"I enjoyed watching you play today," Cadance says. "Reminds me of when me and Shiny were in high school." She giggles. "Of course, he wasn't on any sports teams. So I guess it doesn't really." She wriggles around a bit and puts her hand on my knee. "You know...if I were younger, I'd be so jealous of Twilight." She grabs my hand and starts caressing it.

"Uhh..."

She shifts around and leans over me. Her top is very loose, and she isn't wearing a bra. Her hair frames her face like a curtain. "It'd be so easy to steal you from her, too. Every straight guy in CHS wants me." She giggles and leans very close, close enough that I can feel the heat of her breath on my face.

She's drunk.

"All I'd have to do...is this." Before I can protest, Cadance has pressed her lips against mine. My brain has completely frozen up. I know she's drunk and not in her right mind, but I feel like I'm trapped by my own panic.

And, admittedly, hormones. I mean, I'm being kissed by a gorgeous, sexy woman...

A married woman. Who's my girlfriend's sister-in-law. And drunk.

We're already well into the tongue part of the kiss by the time I come to my senses enough to push her away. "You're drunk."

She giggles. "I had a glass of wine when I got home, yeah..."

"You should...uh...you should...your room..." My brain is still short-circuiting.

"I'm good here," she says. She leans close and whispers in my ear, "You're way better than Shiny."

Her hand is somewhere it really shouldn't be.

I'm not really sure what to do anymore.

"Cadance..."

"Just..." She starts crying. "I need this. I need this so much."

An hour later, Cadance is asleep. I spend the rest of the night in our "secret headquarters" down the hall.

I don't think I'm going to be able to look Twilight in the eye tomorrow. Or possibly ever again...
> 10/18 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, October 18, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today is a day for forgiveness. Come clean with the people around you. You'll feel better if you do.

When I wake up, it takes me a few minutes to realize I'm not in my own room.

It takes a few more minutes to remember why I'm where I am. Once I do, I'm wide awake and panicking.

There's a timid knock on the door. My heart is pounding in my chest.

The door opens. Cadance steps in. She's wearing loose jeans and a baggy sweater. Her hair is in disarray, and she looks miserable.

"Flash...I'm sorry," she says. "I shouldn't..." She looks down. "What I did last night..." Her eyes are bloodshot, and there are tear tracks on her face. "I'm so stupid..."

I sigh. "So am I," I say. I run my hands through my hair. I'm pretty sweaty and nasty. "Umm...look...last night..." I swallow. "If...if anybody figures out what happened...I'm pretty sure Twilight's never speaking to me again."

Cadance laughs weakly. "Or me," she says. "And Shining Armor would kill both of us." She sighs. "We can't...pretend that never happened." She grimaces. "But you're right...absolutely nobody needs to know what happened last night."

"I agree completely," I say.

Cadance picks at the hem of her sweater. "I'm...I'm going to call Shining Armor in a little while," she says. "I'm still mad at him for the way he's been acting, but..." She sighs. "I think...I think I should make up with him. Try to get things back to normal." She rubs her arms. "I haven't been talking to him lately so much as screaming at him..." She shakes her head. "After...after I woke up, and remembered what...what happened last night..." She flushes scarlet. "I realized...I'm doing exactly the same thing he's doing. I'm self-destructing, just like he's self-destructing." She looks up. "Maybe...maybe it's time to just..."

I stand up. "Yeah," I say. "I, uh...I'm gonna grab a shower now, so..."

"Yeah," Cadance says, heading back to her own room.

Sunday, October 18, 2015 / Morning

When I go downstairs, I find Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy sitting in the dining room. Cadance comes downstairs a few minutes after me.

Twilight studies Cadance. "Rough night?" she asks.

"Huh? What...why do you ask?"

"You do look rather as though you've been crying, darling," Rarity says.

Cadance sighs. "Yeah. I just...did a lot of thinking, is all."

Twilight gives her an odd look. "Well...anyway. I just got a call from Mom. Mom, Dad, and Shining Armor are coming in a few hours. They want us to meet them over at the apartment." She looks at me. "They want you there, too."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Mom says...she says Shining Armor wants to clear the air. With all of us."

Cadance sighs. "That's...that's good," she says. "Because...because I want to...I need to apologize to him, and...I want things to go back to normal."

Twilight smiles. "I'm glad to hear that." She tilts her head. "What happened? What made you decide to...?"

"Just...a lot of thinking." She sighs. "Well...I guess we'll just have to postpone our other plans for the time being."

"Other plans?" Rarity asks.

"Shopping," Twilight says quickly. "For Pinkie's birthday."

Sunday, October 18, 2015 / Daytime

Since I'm actually meeting Twilight's parents today, I decide to head upstairs, put on nicer clothes, and make myself a little more presentable. Once I'm satisfied, I head back downstairs.

I'm nervous enough about meeting Twilight's parents. The fact that I'm still wrestling with guilt over last night and that this is likely to be a rather tense meeting because of the whole Shining Armor thing isn't helping.

Downstairs, Twilight is waiting for me. She must be picking up on how nervous I am, because she squeezes my arm and smiles.

Oh God...I am the worst boyfriend ever.

"Just relax," she says. "Don't tense up...don't stress out. I...I know things will work out today. I can feel it."

I swallow heavily. "Y-yeah."

We head over to the apartment, where Cadance is already waiting. She's cleaned herself up some more, but it's still obvious she's been crying. Cadance blows her nose on a tissue, throws it away, and sniffles. "So...umm...will you two be free to go to Zodiac tomorrow evening? I mean...we really do need to get ready for...for the next..."

"Only if you're up for it," Twilight says.

"Alright," Cadance says. She tries to settle herself, folding her hands. "So...have you two been thinking about what to get Pinkie for her birthday?"

"I've already ordered her present," I say. "It should be coming tomorrow."

"Good," Cadance says. "Twilight?"

"Still thinking it over," she says. "I'll probably go shopping after school tomorrow." She looks at me. "Will you go with me?"

"Of course," I say.

We try to talk about inconsequential things as we wait, but it's a bit awkward. Fortunately, Twilight hasn't picked up on the real reason for the awkwardness.

The front door opens. Shining Armor walks in. He's wearing slacks, a pressed white dress shirt, a black tie, and a navy blazer that looks like it's been altered a few times; it has a patch sewn onto the left breast. He looks pretty miserable.

Cadance bursts out laughing. "Your old chess club blazer, Shiny? Really?"

"Oh, but he looks so handsome in it," a woman's voice says from behind him. Shining Armor steps aside to allow two older people, who I assume must be Twilight's parents, into the room. Twilight's father is a bit on the short side, with a thin face, cornflower blue skin, and parted royal blue hair. He's wearing a black suit and square, black-rimmed glasses; all in all, he's giving off a Neighponese salaryman vibe.

Twilight's mother has very light grey skin, light blue eyes, and hair in broad alternating stripes of lavender and white; in the front, it's in exactly the same style as Twilight's, but in the back, it's shorter and curled. She's wearing a somewhat frumpy pink dress and a pearl choker.

I can't help but notice that Twilight and her mother look a lot alike. It's almost scary how similar they are.

Twilight jumps up and runs over to her mother, flinging her arms around her. "Mom!" she says. Then she hugs her father. "Dad!" She steps back, smiling. "It's so good to see both of you."

Cadance stands up and walks over. "Vel," she says, taking the older woman's hands and squeezing them.

"Cadance, dear," Twilight's mother says. "Have you been crying?"

Cadance sniffles. "Y-yeah," she says. She looks over at Shining Armor, who shifts uncomfortably.

Twilight's father gives his son a stern look. "Now, son...what have I told you about—"

"Dad," Cadance says abruptly. "It's...it's alright." She looks around. "Umm...listen...I need to have a word in private with my husband. I..." She looks at Shining Armor. "We have things to talk about."

Shining Armor swallows. "Y-yeah," he says.

"Do you want us to leave?" Twilight asks.

"N-no...we'll talk in the bedroom," Cadance says. "You four stay out here..." She smiles. "I do believe some introductions are in order."

"Yes, yes they are," Twilight's mother says with an amused smile, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

Cadance takes Shining Armor's hand and leads him to the bedroom. Once the door is closed behind them, Twilight takes a deep breath. "Mom, Dad," she says, "this is my boyfriend, Flash Sentry."

I stand up. "Ma'am," I say. "Sir."

Twilight's mother laughs. "Don't be so stiff, Flash." She smiles. "I'm Twilight Velvet, and this is Night Light. We've heard a lot about you. All good things."

Night Light grins. "I was honestly expecting a leather jacket and...I dunno, a mohawk or something, the way she goes on and on about you playing rock music."

"Daaaaad," Twilight groans, blushing. "He's joking, Flash," she says.

"Night Light does like his jokes," Velvet says. "He's the only one that likes his jokes..."

I can't help but laugh at that.

"You seem to be a nice boy," Velvet says. "We're so happy Twilight has a boyfriend. Or friends at all, for that matter." She shakes her head. "Growing up, all she ever wanted to do was hole up in her room with her books...never wanted to go out and play with the other children..."

"Moooom!" Twilight whines.

"Well, it's true, dear," Velvet says.

"Oh, she's still got that whole holed-up-with-books problem," I say. "But we all make sure she gets out to play from time to time."

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me.

Night Light studies me with concern. "Wow. Shiny really did a number on your face, huh?"

Velvet eyes my still-bandaged cheek with concern. "Oh...I'm so, so sorry for that, Flash," she says. "My Shining Armor isn't usually...I mean..." She sighs. "He's never been violent before. He...did explain to us that he's been very stressed out for a while now, and...well..."

"As long as he apologizes to Flash, that's all that matters," Twilight says. "Well, that and getting off Flash's case about dating me."

"Oh, we had a long talk with him about that," Velvet says. Her tone of voice is suddenly very sharp. "You needn't worry about that ever again." She sighs. "We do need to have a word with Cadance, though. Some of the things Shiny told us about her behavior over the last several months worries us. We...we really do want to know her side of things."

The four of us talk for almost an hour before Cadance and Shining Armor come out of the bedroom. Cadance is actually smiling, and looks genuinely happy. Shining Armor looks relieved...he looks more like the man I met when I first moved to Canterlot than the hostile jackass he's been lately.

"I'll be moving back in with Shining Armor this afternoon," Cadance says. "I'm...still going to keep that one room on the third floor ready for use, though, but...but not to get away from my husband. It'll just be for..." She shrugs. "You know, just having girl time with Twilight or the others." She giggles. "I may be twenty-six, but I'm still a teenager at heart. I like spending time with my girls."

Twilight giggles.

Shining clears his throat. "Uhh...Flash," he says. "I, uh...I need to have a talk with you. Man to man. In private." He twiddles his thumbs awkwardly. "I'm not gonna threaten you or hit you again or anything, I just, uh..."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Shiny..."

I stand up. "It's cool," I say. I follow Shining Armor into the bedroom.

Once he closes the door, he walks over and stands next to the bed. He has his arms at his sides and doesn't quite seem to want to look me in the eye. "Look, first of all...I should never have hit you," he says. "And...I'm sorry. That was a real dick move on my part. You...you're an okay kid, and I've just been projecting a lot of crap..." He sighs. "I'm sorry."

"Okay," I say.

"The other thing..." Shining Armor frowns. "Cadance told me what happened last night."

Oh crap.

"I'm not...well, yeah, okay, I'm a little mad, but..." He sighs. "I kinda expected it."

...what?

"Back when...when we started dating, any time she got mad at me, she'd...she'd usually do something like that. Then the next day she'd feel all guilty and tell me about it and apologize. And I forgave her. The first couple times I was really pissed, but then I realized something." He shrugs helplessly. "That's...that's just who she is. That's what she does." He shakes his head. "I've been so worried about...about why she's been freaking out so much the last several months, I forgot that for a while." He chuckles. "Hell, she even did it once while we were engaged."

Whoa.

"But the point is...that's just how she deals with stress. And...and if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own stress, I'd have remembered that, and I'd...I'd have taken care of my wife the right way. Done...done what I should've done." He chuckles. "Man, I'm the lamest dork in the world. What kind of idiot do I have to be to have a hot wife like that and not...you know?"

"Yeah."

"So yeah...I'm bothered by what happened, but..." He sighs. "It's not your fault. So...I'm gonna try not to hold it against you."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. That...that means a lot to me. I've been freaking out all day about that whole thing."

Shining Armor laughs. "Yeah, I'll bet. And that's good. You've learned a lesson from all this, right?"

"More than one," I say.

He snorts. "Yeah." He shakes his head. "The one person who never needs to know about what happened last night is Twilight. She would never understand, and..." He sighs. "She really, really likes you. Don't screw it up. If you break her heart, I will have to really hurt you." He smiles. "But...I'm not gonna try to stand between the two of you anymore."

"Thanks," I say. I hesitate, then ask, "So, uhh...did she tell you exactly why she's been...you know...so stressed out and stuff?"

Shining Armor sighs. "Yeah, she did. And I know she's told you all about it. Probably told you more than she told me, but...but that's okay. I'd rather she not keep secrets from me, but as long as she has somebody she can trust..." He frowns. "I can...kinda see why she didn't tell me, though." He shakes his head.

"What exactly did she tell you?" I ask.

"She told me about overhearing two asshole kids talking about wanting to rape her," Shining Armor says with a scowl. "That the 'stomach flu' she had was just her not wanting to be anywhere near those kids. And that she's been chasing around a lot of gossip and rumors and finding out just how sick the kids at CHS can be." He shakes his head. "Man, I really need to pay more attention to the gossip at school." He sighs. "Anyway...I know why she never told me about that. She was probably afraid I'd kill those little shits. And...I probably would have. But...she asked me to trust her to take care of herself and handle...whatever, and that if she needs me to back her up, she'll ask. She's...she's always been like that, you know?" He shrugs. "So anyway...we're cool." He pauses. "One thing, though."

"Yes?"

"What happened last night...has anything like that happened with you and Twily?"

I shake my head. "No, not...not yet," I say. "But if it does, well...that's our business. Hers and mine. And it'll be her decision."

Shining Armor takes a deep, shaky breath. "Fair enough." He sighs. "Sorry, I'm...just having a hard time realizing my sister is...is..."

"Dude...we've barely even kissed. I mean, yeah, she spent that one night in my room, but we just cuddled and watched TV."

"Well, if you ever do anything more than that...I don't want to know about it."

I laugh. "Deal."

We head back out into the living room, where Cadance, Twilight, and Twilight's parents are apparently deep in an intense discussion. They look up when we come out; Twilight seems to be searching my face for any new bruises.

"Everything okay, guys?" Cadance asks.

"Yeah," I say. "We're cool."

"We cleared the air," Shining Armor says. "I'll stop being a jerk to Flash and start trusting him and my sister." He walks over and wraps his arms around Cadance. "And my wife."

After that, the six of us go out to lunch together. I get to know Twilight's parents a little better. I'm still feeling pretty guilty about what happened last night, but...

Every time I look at Twilight, I think about what Shining Armor told me.

If Twilight ever does find out what happened, I hope...I hope it won't be the end of us. Because I don't want to lose her.

Sunday, October 18, 2015 / Afternoon

After lunch, we take Twilight's parents to the train station, then head back for the dorm. Twilight and I help Cadance move most of her stuff back into the apartment, leaving behind just a few touches for her "girl time" room. After that, we head up to my room to rest and watch television for a little while before dinner.

As I'm flipping through the channels, Twilight asks, "Flash...did something weird happen with you and Cadance?"

I tense up. I feel like my blood has turned to ice.

I turn to see Twilight looking at me, her brow furrowed. "It did, didn't it?"

I swallow heavily. "Uhh..."

She sighs. "Yeah, I thought so." She gives me an intense look. "Be honest with me...how many times have you and Cadance done something you shouldn't have?"

"Just...just last night," I say.

Twilight nods thoughtfully. "Okay."

I blink. "Okay?!"

Twilight shrugs. "What, you want me to scream and hit you and storm out of here?"

"Well...no, but..."

"I know Cadance," Twilight says. "She cheated on Shining Armor three times while they were engaged. She can't help it. She's kind of a slut. But she's faithful...more or less...I mean, she really loves my brother. And me. And my parents. Ever since they got engaged, she only does stuff like that when she's really mad at him or really stressed out." She sighs. "Ever since...well...the whole Zodiac thing explained a lot, but...I still pretty much figured something was going on between you. If it only happened once, and she was drunk when it happened, then..." She shrugs.

Wow.

"But yeah, I am mad at you for doing something like that with my sister-in-law," Twilight says. "So you're on thin ice."

I sigh. "Yeah..."

"So just...watch yourself, okay? I really, really like you and...and I don't want to have to break up with you because I can't trust you." Twilight wraps her arms around me and starts silently crying. "Don't make me break up with you."

I wrap my arms around her and kiss her hair. "I promise," I say. "All day long, I've felt horrible about what I did last night. I...I was sure I'd lose you...I don't think I could take that."

Twilight cries herself out and falls asleep in my arms.
> 10/19 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 19, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Others' trust in you will be tested today.

When I head downstairs for breakfast, I find a grim-faced group of girls sitting in the dining room. "What's up?" I ask.

Twilight looks up at me miserably. "Check Canterbook," she says.

I pull out my phone and open Canterbook. Immediately upon logging in, I receive this message:




New Message From: Principal Celestia
All residents of Applewood Dorm, as well as Nurse Cadance, are to report to my office a half hour before the first bell.




"Uhh...wow," I say. "Are we...in trouble?"

"I don't know how we could possibly all be in trouble," Fluttershy says shakily. "I haven't done anything..."

"Nor have I," Rarity says.

"Yeah, we've only got two troublemakers here, plus that drama with Nurse Cadance and Coach," Applejack says. "Uhh...no offense."

Cadance comes rushing in a few minutes later, face pale. "Did you all—"

"Yeah, we know," Twilight says.

"Hurry up and get ready," she says. "I'll drive us all over to the school."

We arrive at the school a short while later. We're all nervous.

Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are waiting for us in the office. When we enter, Celestia stands. She looks straight at me. "Flash Sentry," she says.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Before I say anything else, I must ask: are you the one who posted that picture to Canterbook?"

I frown. "What picture?"

Vice-Principal Luna glares at me, arms folded. "Do not feign ignorance," she says.

"I...really don't know what you're talking about," I say. "I've been way too busy this weekend to post anything to Canterbook."

"What's this all about?" Twilight asks.

"A rather embarrassing and candid photograph of my sister and I, from our college days, has found its way onto Canterbook," Luna says. "The poster of the image is identified as Flash Sentry."

Twilight's eyes widen and she stares at me. "You didn't!"

"Of course I didn't!" I reply. "Twilight, you follow me on Canterbook. If I'd...posted something like that..."

Everybody has their phones out. They're all looking at their feeds. "Nope, no pictures from Flash," Pinkie says. "Oh, no, wait...I see it now. It's on a public..." She blinks. "Holy cow!"

I pull my phone out and search the public boards. Sure enough, there it is...the spring break photo Twilight and I found on Friday. And it's posted under my name.

"I didn't post this," I say, looking up and around. "I didn't!"

"Um...excuse me," Fluttershy says quietly. "Flash's name has a lowercase L in it..."

"You seem to recognize that picture, though," Celestia says, frowning.

"I've seen people on the Internet use an uppercase I to spoof accounts..."

I only faintly hear Fluttershy. The weight of Celestia and Luna's accusatory stares feels like a mountain. The others are staring at me curiously...except for Twilight, who has her face in her hands.

I cough. "Umm...yeah. Twilight and I...sort of ran into that picture Friday night. But I didn't post it on Canterbook!"

"It's possible maybe...somebody spoofed Flash's name..."

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Exactly what were you two up to that you found a picture like that?"

"It's Vice-Principal Luna's fault!" Twilight shouts.

Luna blinks. "My fault? Exactly how is this my fault?"

Twilight blushes. "On Friday...you were talking about...about the two of you in college..." She ducks her head. "We...we were just curious...what you two looked like when you were younger. And...we needed a distraction after that whole thing with my brother, so we looked you two up on the Internet. And...we found that."

"That's pretty much the whole story, yeah," I agree. "It was just one of those 'what your teachers were like back then' things."

Cadance stares at us. "Both of you?"

Twilight shrugs. "We thought we'd find like, a yearbook photo or something, not something like...that."

Fluttershy raises her hand. "Excuse me," she says.

Celestia looks at her. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy fiddles with her phone. "Umm...I just...names with lowercase Ls in them can be easily spoofed on the Internet...you just use a capital I in the username..."

Luna nods. "That's true, except that Canterbook is a far more secure system, and administrative access is severely restricted. It's not possible to change user names at all on the system..."

"Unless it was hacked," Celestia says suddenly, a look of dread on her face.

Then it clicks. I look at Twilight. "And if Canterbook was hacked..."

"So was your computer," she says. "Somebody hacked into your Internet history."

"Luna," Celestia says, looking at her sister.

"I'm on it, sister," Luna replies, her phone already out. She walks over to the corner.

Celestia sighs. "Alright...for now, we're going to assume this is a cyber attack. But that brings me to the second part of why I called all of you here this morning." She sits behind her desk again, folding her hands. "Since the beginning of the year, there have been an inordinate number of incidents involving the residents of Applewood Dorm." She scans each of us with her eyes. "This latest incident is disturbing on a number of levels. Combined with all the previous incidents, and the numerous reports of bullying and harassment you've all been subjected to..." She takes a deep breath. "Luna and I have decided to monitor all of you more closely. Beginning this week, one of us will stay at Applewood Dorm on weeknights. We're going to alternate weeks observing all of you and interviewing you in detail about your activities and any altercations you've had with other students." She looks at me and Rainbow Dash in particular when she says this. "It's our duty to provide a safe and secure environment for our students, an environment that's conducive to learning. At the moment, your situation seems to be conducive to chaos and confusion. We're going to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of everything happening with all of you." She sits back in her desk. "I'll be staying at Applewood Dorm this week, starting tonight."

"We'll...we'll prepare a room for you," Cadance says.

Luna walks back over to the desk. "They're switching services over to the backup server in five minutes," she says. "Canterbook will be down for about twenty minutes."

"Good," Celestia says. "And the investigation?"

"Will begin as soon as the main server is taken offline."

Outside, we hear the dull roar of students flooding the halls.

Celestia rubs the bridge of her nose. "Today is going to be hell," she mutters. She looks up at us. "All of you, get to class. And Flash, Twilight? Please don't go looking for old pictures of your teachers again."

"We won't," Twilight says, ducking her head.

"Yeah, no worries there," I agree.

Monday, October 19, 2015 / Morning

All morning long, I get dirty looks from most of the girls and a few of the boys, while a lot of boys are laughing and trying to pal around with me, like I'm some great hero.

I seem to be on most of the teachers' shit lists.

By third period, I give up proclaiming my innocence. Nobody believes me anyway...

Monday, October 19, 2015 / Lunch

I join my friends at lunch. The attention I've been getting all morning is magnified a hundred fold, with a wave of applause and laughter breaking out as I enter the cafeteria, and the dirty scowls of over half the girls at school following me.

Twilight gives me a miserable, sympathetic look. "Has it been like this all day?"

"Oh yeah," I say. Out of habit, I glance over at Sunset Shimmer's table. She's watching me with a cold, superior smirk.

Twilight follows my gaze. "You don't think...?"

"I don't know," I say. "But it'd make sense."

Pinkie gasps. "Her dad owns Canterbook! It totally makes sense!"

"But we'd need to be able to prove it," Twilight says. "And one thing I know about Sunset Shimmer is she's very good at covering her tracks."

Monday, October 19, 2015 / After School

I head straight back to the dorm after school. There's a package waiting in the lounge. It's addressed to me...it's Pinkie's cookbook. I take it upstairs and hide it in my closet. I'll buy wrapping paper and wrap it later.

I'm practicing my guitar when Twilight and Cadance walk in. "Are you alright?" Twilight asks.

I shake my head. "Not really, no."

"I don't think we should go to Zodiac today," Cadance says. "We do need to go before Pinkie's birthday, but..." She looks at me. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go when you're this wound up."

I nod. "Yeah, I agree."

Twilight fidgets. "Hey, um...Cadance?"

"Yes?"

"While I've got you alone...well, alone enough..." She looks Cadance in the eye. "I know something happened with you and Flash." She frowns. "I've forgiven you for a lot in the past...probably more than I should have. And...I guess I'm probably going to forgive you for this too. But..." She looks down. "You doing what you did...with my boyfriend...that hurts. It's pretty much the worst thing you've ever done, and you've done some pretty messed up things."

Cadance sighs. "Twilight...I'm sorry..."

"I don't want an apology, I want a promise," Twilight says. "I want you to stop acting like a slut whenever you're mad at my brother. You're a married woman now, Cadance. You need to start acting like it." She shifts her weight. "I'm going to go get a room ready for Principal Celestia." She turns and leaves.

Cadance hangs her head. "Leave it to my favorite sister-in-law to make me feel like the world's biggest whore," she says.

"She loves you," I say. "She's just upset and disappointed." I sigh. "She's upset with me too...she doesn't show it, but I'm gonna be on eggshells around her for a while now."

"It's all my fault," Cadance says with a sigh. "I—"

"Hey, it's not like I didn't..." I pause. "I could've..." I shake my head. "I'm just as much to blame as you are." I look up at her. "But if...if what Twilight and Coach have told me is true...maybe you should...get some help."

Cadance wilts. "I hate therapists." She sighs. "I'll...I'll think about it though. Twilight's probably right..." She turns to leave. "I'm sorry I put you in the middle of all this. Umm...we'll go to Zodiac tomorrow...probably."

Monday, October 19, 2015 / Evening

An hour before dinner, Celestia arrives with two suitcases. Twilight and Cadance show her to her room, which is down the hall from mine. A little while later, Pinkie comes home from work, right as Applejack and Fluttershy finish preparing dinner.

Everybody is nervous. Fluttershy looks like she's afraid to even eat.

Celestia looks around at us. "Please, don't be nervous," she says. "I didn't come here to treat you all like criminals. I came here to try to find out why so many unusual things are happening to this group of students specifically. I don't want you to act any differently than you normally do while I'm here."

Right, like that's going to happen...

"With all due respect, Principal Celestia," Twilight says, "that wasn't what it sounded like in your office this morning."

Celestia sighs. "My apologies," she says. "I was upset and I was tense." She looks around the table. "I do think something strange is happening here, but I don't necessarily think any of you are bad kids. It's just that...it does seem like most of the trouble at school lately seems to center around residents of this particular dorm, and it troubles me. That's why Luna and I are doing this. We want to get to the bottom of whatever's happening."

"You should be investigating Sunset Shimmer," I say. "She's behind at least half the crap we've been through."

"But none of you can prove that," Celestia says. "I'm well aware that Sunset Shimmer is frequently accused of bullying and other activities—"

"You mean like hacking her dad's network?" Rainbow says. "Because she sure was acting smug at lunch today."

"That isn't proof that she's the one who hacked Canterbook," Cadance says. "It's just proof that she's a mean-spirited little bi—" She trails off, flushing. "Sorry," she says.

"I'm well aware that Sunset Shimmer has an attitude problem," Celestia says. "I've tried to reach out to her. But I can't take disciplinary action against a student when I can't prove she's done anything wrong. And so far...there just isn't any evidence for me to go on."

"We understand," Twilight says.

"So, I understand you've reconciled with your husband?" Celestia says to Cadance.

"Yes, we...we took some time this weekend to work out our differences. I've moved back in with him."

"Yeah, and he cleared the air with me too," I say. "We've come to an understanding."

"That's good to hear," Celestia says. "I'm relieved you've been able to make peace. Both for your own sakes, and because it's one less issue I need to address." She frowns. "Still, I don't think I can lift the restriction keeping him out of the dorm at this time."

"Actually, he and I have mutually agreed that him staying out of the dorm is for the best," Cadance says. "If only because he could walk in on something really awkward around here." She looks at Rainbow Dash. The others do as well.

Rainbow blinks. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Pinkie says with a giggle.

Celestia smirks. "I've been led to believe that from time to time, this dorm has a habit of being...shall we say...clothing-optional?"

"Hey now. That's just Rainbow an' Pinkie," Applejack says. "The rest of us ain't like that."

"Way to throw me under the bus, AJ!" Rainbow cries.

"Jes' bein' honest," Applejack says with a shrug.

"Hey!" Pinkie says. "I've only ever walked around naked one time, and that was when the hot water heater on our floor broke! I wasn't gonna get my towel all wet before I took a hot shower!"

Twilight rolls her eyes. "You knew Flash was in there," she says. "You did that on purpose and you know it."

Cadance facepalms. "Girls...don't do this...not now..."

Celestia laughs. "It's quite alright," she says. "I remember quite well what it was like living in a dorm with other girls..." She sips her water. "Ahem. As the entire school is now aware, I was exactly like all of you once."

"Especially like Pinkie," Rainbow says with a smirk.

"Hush, Rainbow Flash," Pinkie says, sticking out her tongue.

"Still, it is surprising that you'd carry on like this when the dorm is effectively co-ed now," Celestia says.

"Oh, we don't mind Flash at all," Rarity says. "True, when he first arrived, some of us were rather...confused and put out, but we adjusted to him rather quickly. None of us are the least bit afraid to be ourselves around him." She looks at Rainbow Dash. "Although some of us could stand to be a bit less..."

"Okay! I get it!" Rainbow cries. "And I ain't gone around without underwear in like, over a month! Jeez!"

"Yes, this is exactly like my old college dorm," Celestia says, shaking her head.

After dinner, I head upstairs to do my homework. I've just started on history when there's a knock at the door. "Come in."

"I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment?"

It's Principal Celestia.

"Of course," I say. I move to sit on the bed and offer her my desk chair.

She sits down. "That's quite a nice guitar," she says, looking over at where my guitar and amp are set up in the corner.

"Thank you," I say. "It was a gift from my parents."

Celestia nods. "I've been looking over your transcripts and records from your old school and speaking with some of your teachers from Seaddle," she says. "Everybody says the same thing. You never stood out. Your grades were decent, but not outstanding, you weren't involved in any extracurricular activities, and if you had friends at all, none of your teachers were aware of it. Your entire history of discipline boils down to two tardies." She tilts her head. "I find it curious that a student who, for all intents and purposes, faded into the background at his old school has found himself in some of the situations you've been involved in here."

I sigh and shrug. "I didn't have friends in Seaddle. I didn't...really have anything I cared about, except my guitar."

"And then you came here."

"And I made friends," I say. "I became involved in their lives...I have friends, I have a girlfriend..." I look up. "I caught the attention of a lot of the jerks running loose at CHS. Your school is diseased."

Celestia sighs. "I know," she says. "That's...actually why Luna and I are doing what we're doing here." She looks up at me. "Flash...I'm sorry for accusing you of posting that picture, and for letting the entire school believe you're the culprit."

"Huh?"

"Luna and I already knew Canterbook had been hacked," she says. "I'm afraid we're using you to draw out the individuals responsible."

"Using me?"

"Not just you," Celestia says. "As I said earlier...it does seem that the negative elements at CHS have it in for the students in this dorm. Whether it's coincidence, or..." She shrugs. "We don't know. That's what I intend to find out."

"So...you knew I didn't post that picture...but you acted like you thought I did?"

"Yes, and again, I apologize for that," she says. "Although..." She raises an eyebrow. "I was surprised to learn you had in fact seen that picture. That...caught both my sister and I off guard. Although...learning that your own computer has been compromised is certainly useful to the investigation." She tilts her head. "Would you mind answering a question, honestly?"

I nod.

"You and your girlfriend both said you were just curious what my sister and I looked like when we were younger. Is that the whole truth? Is that really what led you to that particular picture?"

I cough. "Umm...it's part of the truth," I say. "I...don't want to make you mad at me, though..."

"I won't be, I assure you," Celestia says calmly. "So long as you're truthful with me."

"Well..." I can't quite meet her eyes. "We were actually...the reason we did that Internet search was because...we wondered if your legs were always that long."

Celestia blinks. Then, she starts laughing.

"I'm sorry!" I say. "It...it was just..."

"There's no need for apologies," Celestia says, wiping tears from her eyes. "It's hardly the first time that particular topic has been addressed, and I'm certain it won't be the last." She smiles. "Even if you were only looking into that particular issue for...reasons of personal interest..." She raises an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be offended. I've long since learned to accept the attention my legs tend to draw with grace and dignity. After all, I do run a high school where half the student body is composed of hormonal teenage boys."

"That wasn't why...!"

"Of course it wasn't," Celestia says mildly. "In any case...yes, I've had unusually long legs since I was about eleven years old. Sometimes it's awkward, sometimes I'm proud of them...most of the time, it's just a fact of life. There are some vascular issues I have to contend with, but..." She stands. "In any case...I appreciate your honesty, and I'm sorry to have put you through all this, but it was necessary. Goodnight, Flash."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Justice Arcana...


Once she leaves, I finish up my homework and go to bed.
> 10/20 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Life is not a video game. You can't hit reset if you lose.

Celestia joins us for breakfast, still clad in a nightgown and robe. Her legs and feet are bare, and she crosses them primly as she sits. I'm not the only one staring at this particular spectacle.

She looks around at all of us as she takes a sip of coffee. "Just so you know, if any of you calls me 'Longlegstia', you'll have double detention for a month." She quirks a smile.

Pinkie ducks under the table suddenly...rather uncomfortably near my seat.

"Uhh, Pinkie? What are you doing?" Twilight asks.

"Checking for boners," Pinkie says matter-of-factly. Her head pops up over the table and she smiles broadly. "Nope! One hundred percent boner-free!"

"HEY!" I shout, pushing Pinkie away.

Twilight groans. "Pinkie..."

As Pinkie heads to the kitchen to bring out the food, Celestia stares after her. "Is...is she always like this?"

"Lately? Yes," Twilight says. "She's always...random, but she's never been quite as..."

"Dirty-minded?" Rarity suggests.

"Yes, that," Twilight says. "That's...pretty much a recent development."

"I see," Celestia says. For some reason, she's eyeing me speculatively. "Well, as long as it doesn't develop into a more serious problem..."

"I think it might just be her way of venting frustration," I say. "She's having family problems and she had to give up tennis for her part-time job."

"Ah," Celestia says, nodding thoughtfully. Pinkie returns, and the conversation abruptly ends.

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. "This is too weird," she says. "Having the principal at the dorm, just...being..." She flails a hand expressively. "It's just weird."

"I found out something interesting last night," I say. "They already knew I didn't post that picture."

"What?!" Twilight cries. "Then why—"

"There's something going on here," I say, shrugging. "Something bigger than just some bullying. I don't know what it is, but..." I look down at Spike. "We need to be careful."

Twilight nods. "So, are we...going to Zodiac today?"

"After school, yeah," I say. "We'd best arrange for Cadance to meet up with us as soon as I'm out of Music Club. We can do a Zodiac run then be back at the dorm without raising any suspicion."

"Okay," Twilight says.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 / After School

At Music Club, Trixie approaches me. "Do you still wish for Trixie to perform at Pinkie Pie's birthday party?"

"Yeah, if you're free. It's next Wednesday."

Trixie nods. "My schedule is open that day."

"Great," I say. I smile. "You might even make some more friends."

"New friends..." Trixie takes a deep breath. "I hope...I can make a good impression."

"You'll do fine," I say. "Look how much progress you've made with the Music Club!"

"This is true," Trixie says.

The rest of the club meeting passes uneventfully. After the meeting, I pack up my things and head out to the parking lot, where Cadance and Twilight are waiting in the SUV. I stow my gear in the back; Cadance and Twilight get out. We all nod to each other and pull out our phones...

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 / Zodiac

Once the familiar red-and-black stillness of Zodiac settles in, we gather around the back of the SUV while Cadance pulls out our supplies. "I have a new Persona to test out today," I say.

Twilight blinks. "Huh? But...how? I thought you only got new Personas when you couldn't fight whatever Shadows you're dealing with..."

"Remember when I told you about that Velvet Room place, and the man there?" Twilight nods. "Don't ask how, but he's able to take two of my existing Personas and create a new one."

"What, like breeding toy monsters in that one video game?" Cadance asks.

"I guess," I say, shrugging.

"But...do you lose your other Personas?" Twilight asks.

I look at my phone's Persona app to double-check that I have not, in fact, lost any Personas. "They're all still there."

Cadance shakes her head. "I don't know which is the bigger mystery, Zodiac or you."

"Right now I'm more worried about who the fuck hacked my computer," I say. "This shit, I can deal with." I smile. "Shame I can't summon Chiron in the real world. Nobody would ever mess with any of us ever again."

Twilight frowns. "Flash...don't say things like that. It's...it's a little creepy."

I sigh. "Sorry. I'm just..." I pick up my axe. "Let's just do what we came here to do."

Cadance summons Aphrodite. "Hmm...the Shadows are a little stronger today, but nothing worse than you've already fought. Just stay on your guard."

A text suddenly floats in front of the three of us.

You're all going to die next week.

We look at one another uncertainly.

You can't defeat Scorpio. You should give up.

"That's not gonna happen," I say.

You're fools. If you think you're making a difference...

"I'm still alive, so he's already made a difference!" Twilight says.

Zodiac is stronger than you. You're wasting your time...and you have so very little left...

Twilight and I ignore this and head into the school. We spend the next hour and a half fighting Shadows; we don't run into anything we haven't faced before, but the texts foretelling our deaths keep following us all over the school.

My new Persona may look strange, but it turns out to be quite useful; it has both fire and ice skills, as well as the ability to weaken the Shadows' defense. Twilight's Persona gains the ability to target multiple Shadows with her lightning at once.

Once we're done for the day, we leave Zodiac, stow our gear in the SUV, and return to the dorm.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 / Evening

After spending so much time in Zodiac, I don't have the energy for much more than dinner and homework. Twilight is similarly worn out; she eats half again as much as usual at dinner, then heads straight for her room, hardly saying a word to anyone.

"Goodness," Celestia says once Twilight is gone. "Does...does she always eat like that?"

"She's a frickin' black hole," Rainbow Dash says, shaking her head. "I don't know where she puts it all. I'm an athlete and I don't pack it in the way she does."

"At least she isn't wiping her face with her food anymore," I say. "Don't get me wrong, I love Twilight, but...watching her eat can be terrifying." I smirk. "At least I can afford to feed her when we go out."

The others laugh. I finish up my own dinner, then head to my room. While I do my homework, I think back to today's odd little "conversation" in Zodiac.

I'm not entirely sure if that was supposed to intimidate us...or if somebody genuinely doesn't want us to die...
> 10/21 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, October 21, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Just as you rely on others, others rely on you.

I very nearly have an awkward encounter in the hall this morning after I wake up. Principal Celestia is just coming out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Fortunately, she doesn't notice me.

Her towel just barely covers her breasts, groin, and butt...and not entirely the last.

I really hope Pinkie Pie doesn't do another boner check this morning...

Wednesday, October 21, 2015 / After School

At tennis practice, the coach puts us through hell. Coco patiently helps me, explaining the things I need to improve on from my last match and encouraging me.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015 / Evening

As soon as I get home, I round up my guitar and amp and head down to the lounge.

Celestia is in the lounge, reading a magazine, while Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack are working on their homework. I recall that Rainbow Dash had a doctor's appointment today.

I hesitate. "Oh," I say. "I'll...practice upstairs today..."

"Oh, don't be silly, Flash!" Rarity says. "You haven't played in the lounge in quite some time...I've actually gotten quite used to your taste in music."

"Yeah, don't mind us," Applejack says. "Let 'er rip."

Celestia looks up, smiling. "If it's alright with them, it's alright with me," she says. "I've only heard you in passing once or twice, on Music Club days...at least, I assume that was you."

"It was either me or Trixie, or both of us," I say. I set up, then sit on the couch and play. "Speaking of Trixie," I say as I tune the guitar and start aimlessly strumming chords, "I've invited her to perform at Pinkie's birthday next week."

"The 'Great And Powerful' Trixie?" Rarity asks, arching an eyebrow.

"That gal that brags over ever' little thing she does?" Applejack asks.

"She's gotten better," I say. "I've...been helping her learn how to get along with people."

"Really?" Rarity asks.

"She's getting along with the rest of the Music Club," I say, shrugging. "She says she does a magic act...I thought Pinkie might like that."

"That sounds like a great idea," Twilight says. "We really need to work on planning Pinkie's party."

"We can work on that this weekend," Rarity says.

Rainbow returns from her doctor's appointment in high spirits.

"The doc says I can probably come off the crutches by the end of next week," she says happily. "I'm still gonna be restricted to light exercise, but I can start working on building strength back up in my leg."

"That's great!" I say. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations indeed, Rainbow Dash," Celestia says.

I wrap up my practice and put my guitar and amp back upstairs, then come down for dinner. During dinner, Celestia asks each of us a variety of questions; even though her tone is conversational and the questions are innocent, it's easy to tell we're all a little nervous. Having Celestia at the dorm isn't as awkward as it was on Monday, but it's still very...unnerving. After dinner, I head upstairs to do my homework.

I've just finished my homework when there's a knock on the door. "Uhh, can I come in?"

It's...Rainbow Dash?

I get up and walk over to the door, opening it. I step aside and let Rainbow in; it takes her a minute because of her crutches.

"Hey," she says awkwardly.

"Hey," I reply.

"Umm..." Rainbow looks around the room; she's clearly stalling. "I was...umm...I kinda wanted to ask a favor."

"A favor?"

"When...I finally get off these stupid crutches..." She looks down. "I'm, uhh...I'm gonna need some help...y'know...gettin' back to normal. And...you've been so awesome to me, and you're the only other one in the dorm that's on a team, so you get it..." She swallows. "Askin' for help is hard, but..."

"I'll be happy to help any way I can," I say.

"Thanks," Rainbow says. "Umm...I know you've...got your own stuff an' all, but...everybody keeps tellin' me not to try to do everything myself, and..." She sighs. "I hate needin' somebody else, but..."

"You're afraid you'll mess up and hurt yourself."

Rainbow grimaces. "Yeah."

"Don't worry," I say. "Why me, though? Just out of curiosity."

Rainbow blushes furiously. "Umm..."

Uh-oh.

"You do know I'm taken, right?"

"Gah! Dude, I am SO not...that!" Rainbow cries. She looks down at the floor. "It's..." She idly swings her injured leg back and forth. "You're...a lot like my dad."

She turns around and hobbles away as fast as she can.

Wondering what she meant by that, I get ready for bed.
> 10/22 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 22, 2015 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Helplessness is one of the worst feelings a person can experience. Don't give in to frustration and despair.

On my way to lunch, I'm approached by Shining Armor.

"Hey, Flash," he says. "Can you meet me after school? I want..." He shifts uncomfortably. "I want to start over...maybe just hang out for a bit, get to know you a little better."

It would probably be good to keep Shining Armor on friendly terms...

"Sure, after music club."

Thursday, October 22, 2015 / After School

Music club is uneventful today. Trixie demonstrates a few minor tricks, which impress the others.

Afterward, I head out to the faculty parking lot. Shining Armor is waiting for me by his dark blue muscle car. I put my stuff in the trunk and get in. We leave the parking lot.

Thursday, October 22, 2015 / Evening

Coach takes me to the batting cages. "I heard about Canterbook getting hacked," he says. "And your computer, too..." He looks at me. "What was up with that picture of Principal Celestia?"

I shrug. "Me and Twilight just had a crazy idea to see what the principal looked like in college, and we found that." I take a swing and make a terrible hit.

"And somebody found that in your Internet history?" Shining Armor shakes his head. "Ouch." He swings and cracks a solid hit. "I'm a little weirded out that Twilight was looking at something like that with you, though."

"It's not like we were looking for a picture like that," I say. "So, how are things with you and Nurse Cadance?"

"We're good," Shining Armor says. "Something Twilight said really bothered her, though. She's...seeing a therapist starting tomorrow." He sighs. "I just wish I knew why she's been acting so tense and stressed. It's been going on for months..."

"There's lots of weird shit going down at CHS," I say. "More than you know..."

"But why won't she tell me?" he asks. "I ask her, and she...just doesn't..." He sighs. "Doesn't she trust me?" He leans on his bat. "I just...sometimes, I feel so...useless. I don't provide for her, because she has money...she's only working because she enjoys it. I can't protect her from things she won't tell me she needs protecting from. She won't share her burdens with me..." He stops talking to slam a hit with more force than is strictly necessary. "What am I to her?"

"You're the person she loves," I say. "I think that's all she really needs you to be."

Shining Armor lets out a short, rueful laugh. "I've been doing a pretty shit job of that lately," he says.

We spend a little while longer at the batting cages, then grab a burger before heading back. Once I'm back at the dorm, Twilight follows me up to my room and hangs out while I do my homework.

"So Cadance is about to start seeing a therapist," I say.

"Yeah," Twilight says. "Did my brother behave himself today?"

"Yeah. He just needed to get some stuff off his chest. Not about me...about him." I look at Twilight. "He said Cadance doesn't need to work?"

"Her family's very well-off," Twilight says. "She doesn't like flaunting it, though."

I nod thoughtfully. "I think I finally get where your brother's coming from," I say. "He feels like Cadance doesn't even really need him...that really messes with a man's pride."

"I...never thought of it that way," Twilight says quietly.

"Yeah," I say. "I—"

I notice something out of the corner of my eye.

The light on my laptop's webcam just came on.

I stand up and walk over to my gig bag, where I keep a roll of electrical tape.

"Flash? What—"

I put my hand over Twilight's mouth. "Shh." I point at my computer. Her eyes widen.

I tear off a piece of tape and cover the camera lens. Twilight runs down the hall to get Principal Celestia.

A moment later, Twilight and Celestia rush in. "What's going on?" Celestia asks.

I look at my computer. The light has gone off on the camera.

"I think somebody tapped my webcam," I say. "It came on all by itself."

"Why would they...?" Twilight asks. "Sunset Shimmer has to know we already know your computer was hacked. Why...why would she go after it again?"

"To make you paranoid," Celestia said, frowning. "And for the last time...please refrain from accusing Sunset Shimmer without evidence. We will find out who's behind this. In the meantime..." She sighs. "I'll warn the others, just in case."

I hand her the roll of electrical tape. "This should take care of the webcam problem. If any of the others are being watched."

"Good thinking, Flash." Celestia leaves.

Twilight hugs herself and shudders. "Why?"

"I don't know," I say. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. "I just don't know."
> 10/23 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 23, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It isn't a good idea to encourage others to enter competitions today.

For some reason, Celestia is wearing an unusually short black skirt, a white silk blouse, and black high heels this morning.

"Why, Principal Celestia!" Rarity says. "You look positively smashing today!"

Celestia smiles as she sips her coffee. "Thank you," she says.

"I've never actually seen you wear a skirt before," Twilight says. "You usually wear slacks."

Celestia shrugs. "The incident with the photograph..." Her cheeks turn faintly pink. "While...rather embarrassing...it's had unexpected positive effects." She looks chagrined and somehow flattered at the same time. "It seems having a sexy principal is...trending. Very favorably. So...I've decided to, as I believe the saying goes, own it."

Twilight laughs. "Good for you," she says. "You know...you're not nearly as intimidating as..." She ducks her head. "You're...a lot more approachable than most of us thought you'd be."

Celestia smiles. "The reason I became an educator in the first place was to help my students reach their potential," she says. "It's never been my wish for the students at my school to be intimidated by me." She sips her coffee again. "If it takes showing a little leg to gain their trust, well..."

"That's not a little leg, that's a LOT of leg!" Pinkie says. Everyone laughs.

"So, will Vice-Principal Luna be taking the same...ahem...softer approach?" Rarity asks.

Celestia laughs. "Hardly! It's her job to scare the living hell out of you all." She daintily wipes her mouth with a napkin. "Changing the subject...the Fall Formal is in three weeks. I know Flash and Twilight already have dates, but...the rest of you shouldn't wait too long."

"Goodness, is it time for the Fall Formal already?" Rarity asks. "Why, wherever does the time go? I must begin planning my ensemble this weekend!" She looks around the table. "And...perhaps I should take time to select appropriate outfits for the rest of you as well."

"So, will any of you be running for Princess of the Fall Formal?" Celestia asks.

"Twilight should totally run!" Pinkie says.

"I believe I may as well toss my hat into the ring," Rarity says.

"Oh, well...if Rarity's running, I wouldn't want to—"

"Oh, nonsense, darling! I welcome the friendly competition."

"Do it, Twilight," I say. "You know you've got my vote."

Twilight smiles. "A-alright," she says. "I think I will."

"You know you'll both be running against Sunset Shimmer, right?" Fluttershy asks quietly.

Rarity waves a hand dismissively. "Puh-lease, darling. With Twilight's good-natured natural charm and the advantage of an attractive boyfriend, and my elegance, grace, and beauty...there's simply no competition! Ahem. Except between the two of us, of course."

Celestia stands. "Well, I'd best be off," she says. "See you all at school!"

Once she's out the door, Rainbow Dash says, "You know...legs like that almost make me wish I was gay."

"She's our principal!" Twilight cries.

Rainbow shrugs. "So? Still totally hot. Uhh...I'm still not gay though."

School is going to be interesting today...

Friday, October 23, 2015 / After School

Halfway through tennis practice, I twist my wrist hard. Even though Coco is no longer the team manager, she drops what she's doing and heads over to the bench to help me.

"Pommel! You should let what's-her-name take care of Sentry!"

"She doesn't know how to deal with this kind of injury," Coco says. "I do. And if you let me take care of it, he won't have to sit out tomorrow's match."

The coach nods. "Alright, fine."

Coco looks at my wrist. "I did this to myself once when I was twelve," she says. "It hurts, but if you rest it, you'll be good to play tomorrow, so long as you tape it up before you play." She blushes. "Umm...if you like, I can tape it up for you before the matches tomorrow. Since they're here in Canterlot this time."

"Thanks," I say. "I appreciate it." I watch her work. "Wow. You really do know what you're doing."

"I learned from my dad," she says. "He's a professional player."

"Is that why you're so good?"

Coco nods. "I don't...really like to brag, but...I've learned a lot from him, even though I've never actually played all that much."

"You could probably go pro too," I say.

"Oh...n-no, I don't really want..." Coco blushes. "I don't think I could handle the attention. It's...it's a really stressful life, you know? I...I think I'd rather do something more...low-key. Like...maybe be a tennis instructor, or...or work in a sporting goods store, or write reviews of equipment. Something...where I'm not really out there in front of people."

Coco finishes taping up my wrist. I pack up my gear and head home to rest up. I won't be playing my guitar today...

Friday, October 23, 2015 / Evening

Twilight is worried about me when she sees my wrist taped up, but I assure her I'll be fine.

At dinner, Celestia says, "I want you all to know I've enjoyed getting to know each of you better this week. Having spoken to each of you at length, I fully believe that every person in this dorm is a victim, not a culprit, and none of you are under suspicion for any reason."

We let out a collective sigh of relief.

"However, my sister and I will still be alternating weeks living here at this dorm," she says. "We're still determined to understand exactly why so many awful things have happened to, or been blamed on, this particular group of students. There's also the matter of the ongoing case of the webcam hacks. There's still much for us to learn, and so few true leads. So, I hope you'll be patient."

"Of course we will," Twilight says.

"We'll do whatever we can to help," Rarity promises.

"Splendid," Celestia says. She looks at me. "You'll be representing Canterlot in tomorrow's tennis matches, right?"

I nod.

"I wish you the best of luck." Celestia stands. "I have some work to attend to before I turn in. I'll be leaving early in the morning. My sister will take my place here at the dorm on Monday evening."

We're all nervous about that. Celestia has proven to be a warm, sociable, and friendly woman, but every student at CHS fears Luna.

I watch television in the lounge with some of the girls for a little while, then head upstairs to send my parents an e-mail before bed.

There's a knock on my door, and Celestia enters. She's changed into a set of peach silk pajamas decorated with suns.

"We've run into a wall in the investigation," she says with a sigh. "Our hacker is covering their tracks extremely well."

I frown. "That...sucks."

"I'm telling you this because I feel at least one student in the dorm deserves to know, and, well...you are the one who's been blamed for a crime you didn't commit." Celestia picks at a thread on her pajama top. "My sister is beginning to subscribe to your theory that Sunset Shimmer is the mastermind behind everything."

"Maybe because she's an evil witch that loves tormenting everyone and has her little freshman flunkies take embarrassing pictures and videos of people she doesn't like?"

"All circumstantial," Celestia says. "The only thing that even comes close to substantial evidence is that Sunset Shimmer has second-tier administrative access to Canterbook, but that's only because she manages the horoscope app. She doesn't have access to accounts or—"

"Wait," I say. "Say that again?"

Celestia blinks. "Sunset Shimmer manages the horoscope app." She shrugs. "Canterbook has a lot of nonessential apps...horoscopes, games, the public notice boards...most of them are run by student volunteers. Sunset Shimmer has a love of astrology, so she runs the horoscope app."

I feel a chill run up my spine.

"In any case, as I said...her access doesn't give her enough priveleges to mess with accounts, and the secure workstation she uses in the faculty room has been thoroughly investigated. It hasn't been used for anything illegal."

I frown. "But...doesn't she need to update the horoscope app on weekends and holidays?"

Celestia shakes her head. "She inputs a week's worth of horoscope data into the system at a time. She's usually only in the faculty office once or twice a week, and never unsupervised. She doesn't have outside access to the system." She shrugs. "I'm sorry, Flash, but...I just don't see any way she could be the culprit."

You're wrong, Celestia. Sunset Shimmer is absolutely the culprit...

...but only two people know enough about what's really going on to believe me.

Celestia stands and stretches. "Whoever it is, we'll find out eventually. They can't avoid being caught forever. Goodnight, Flash. Good luck tomorrow."

As soon as she leaves, I pull out my phone and call Twilight, then Cadance, to tell them what I just learned.

I have a hard time getting to sleep...
> 10/24 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, October 24, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll find yourself with a lot to think about today.

My wrist doesn't hurt as much this morning as it did yesterday, but it's still a bit sore. I'll have to be careful at the tennis matches today.

After breakfast, Cadance says, "Let me check that wrist for you."

We head upstairs, Twilight following us. Once we're all in my room, Cadance begins examining my wrist...but that's not the reason we're up here.

"Is it true?" Twilight asks. "Sunset Shimmer runs the horoscope app?"

"According to Principal Celestia," I say. "And she's into astrology."

Cadance frowns. "That's...disturbing," she says. "It's...connecting a lot of dots."

"Whatever Zodiac is, I'm more sure than ever that Sunset Shimmer has something to do with it," I say. "It would explain why Twilight was attacked, and those creepy messages."

"And that death horoscope," Twilight adds.

"Well...this helps with the Zodiac investigation, even though it raises a lot more questions," Cadance says. "But..." She sighs. "It still doesn't help solve anything. We can't go to Celestia with this because she'll think we're insane, and..."

"If we try to go after Sunset Shimmer ourselves, we'll be the ones in trouble," Twilight says. "Yeah...all this does is give us a real reason to be afraid of her."

"I'm not afraid of her," I say. "I'm pissed. I want to find something we can use to end her."

"We will," Twilight says. "But right now, you just need to worry about tennis."

Saturday, October 24, 2015 / Daytime

As soon as I arrive at the tennis courts, Coco undoes the tape job Cadance did on my wrist this morning and tapes my wrist with what looks to be some very expensive, professional-grade sports tape.

Today's matches go much better than last week. At the end of the day, our team wins by five points. Afterward, the team goes out to celebrate.

Saturday, October 24, 2015 / Evening

At dinner, Rarity abruptly asks, "What are everyone's plans for Halloween?"

"Oh crap, I totally forgot!" Rainbow Dash says.

I'd also forgotten, and it's only a week away.

"There's a Halloween party in the school gym next Saturday night," Pinkie says. "I'm taking off work next week to help set up for it. You'll all come, right?"

"Of course!" Rainbow Dash says. "I might even be off these crutches by then!"

"Wouldn't miss it," I say. "Right, Twilight?"

"We'll definitely be there," Twilight says. "Now we just need to decide what kind of costumes we want to wear..."

"I'll be more than happy to help everyone with their costumes," Rarity says. "I'm not sure how much I can do on such short notice, but..."

We all decide to sleep on it, then talk to Rarity individually tomorrow about our costume ideas.
> 10/25 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, October 25, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Others may insist on violating your personal space today.

Today it's just me, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity at the dorm. Pinkie Pie went to work before anybody woke up, Cadance and Shining Armor are taking a "mini-honeymoon" day up at the lake, Applejack met up with her family in town to do some shopping, and Fluttershy is volunteering at the animal shelter.

"Have you given any thought to what you might dress up as for Halloween?" Rarity asks.

"I'm goin' as Daring Do!" Rainbow declares proudly. "Already ordered my costume last night, I should have it by Thursday."

"I...have no idea what to go as," Twilight says.

"Me either," I say. "Even as a kid I never really dressed up for Halloween."

"Oh, your poor dear!" Rarity says. "Well..." She looks the two of us over, and gets a starry look in her eyes. "I-deeeee-aaaaa!" she sings, clasping her hands together.

I'm suddenly getting a shiver down my spine. I look at Twilight, and she looks similarly nervous.

"Yes, I know exactly what to dress the two of you up as," Rarity says. "I'll just need to take some fine measurements...Flash, I'll start with you."

Before I can protest, Rarity has pulled me up off the couch and dragged me upstairs to her room.

"Strip to your skivvies, darling," Rarity says as she begins rummaging around in her desk.

"Uhh...what?"

"Well, you want your costume to fit perfectly, don't you?" Rarity asks. "Don't be embarrassed. I assure you, I'm a complete professional."

I swallow nervously, but strip to my boxer shorts. Rarity turns around, now wearing red-rimmed glasses and holding a long measuring tape, a notepad, and a pencil. "Very well then, let's get started."

Rarity begins measuring me, giving me instructions and writing down numbers. Being in my underwear, with a gorgeous girl who's barefoot and wearing a T-shirt and extremely short, tight shorts invading my personal space, produces an embarrassing reaction that, try as I might, I can't prevent.

Rarity looks up from measuring my inseam, frowning. "I'm not measuring that," she says flatly.

I feel my face heating up. "I'm sorry!" I say. "It's—"

Rarity laughs. "I'm not offended, darling. Quite the contrary, I'm flattered." She continues taking measurements; I can tell she's trying very hard not to stare at my general groin area. As soon as she announces she's finished, I scramble to get dressed and flee.

As soon as I'm in the lounge, I grab a random magazine off the coffee table and sit down, opening it in my lap. "She's ready for you now, Twilight," I say.

Twilight gives me a funny look, then shrugs, sets down the book she's reading, and goes upstairs.

Once she's gone, Rainbow smirks at me. "That's one heck of a boner ya got there."

I finally manage to get myself under control by the time Twilight returns to the lounge, which is almost twenty minutes later. She's completely crimson. "That was...really embarrassing," she says.

"Yeah, having Rarity tell you to strip to your underwear then getting all...up close and personal...is a little weird," I say.

Twilight's blush actually deepens. "Underwear? I, uh..." She coughs.

Rainbow Dash busts out laughing. "She made you get naked?!"

"She needed to take measurements!" Twilight cries.

"What, was she measuring your camel toe?" Rainbow asks, snickering.

Twilight doesn't say anything. She just sits down, squirming and pressing her thighs tightly together.

Rainbow Dash stares at her. "OH. MY. GOD."

Oh, hi there boner. Didn't expect to see you again so soon.

"Let's talk about Pinkie Pie's birthday party!" Twilight says very loudly.

"That's a good idea!" I say, equally loudly. "Let's do that!"

We spend the rest of the day making plans for Pinkie's party, only stopping when the others begin returning to the dorm around dinnertime.

Sunday, October 25, 2015 / Evening

As bedtime approaches, I'm headed for my room when Twilight calls out to me. She rushes up the hall, stopping inches away.

"I've been thinking," she says. "On Pinkie's birthday, I don't think we should leave her alone. Not even for one second."

I think back to Twilight's birthday, and how she was attacked and nearly killed because she was alone...

"Good call," I say. "We'll have to stick to Pinkie Pie like glue until midnight."

Twilight goes back to her room, and I get ready for bed. Whatever happens on Wednesday, we'll be ready...
> 10/26 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, October 26, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Expect the unexpected today.

Vice-Principal Luna is moving into the dorm for the week this evening.

I have to take Vinyl Scratch to her eye doctor appointment today.

Monday, October 26, 2015 / After School

I wait for Vinyl at the school entrance. As soon as she arrives, she hands me her car keys, and I drive her to the eye doctor.

"So how's life treatin' ya?" Vinyl asks as we drive.

"Oh, you know..." I say. "The usual." We chat about music and stuff for a bit.

After Vinyl signs in and we sit down, a very unusual woman walks into the clinic. She looks to be in her late forties; she's tall and spindly, and her skin is black as coal. Her long, stringy hair is a very dark blue-green. She's dressed in a deep emerald green business suit, and wears green-tinted glasses. Immediately upon sitting down, she opens her black leather handbag, pulls out a bluetooth headset, and starts discussing something very business-sounding with someone.

"I hate when people do that at the doctor's office," Vinyl whispers.

A few minutes later, Vinyl is called back. I sit, half-watching the television and half-reading a magazine I don't have any real interest in.

The woman with the bluetooth falls silent, then crosses over to the table nearby to pick up a magazine. She sits next to me. "Your girlfriend?" she asks.

"Just a friend."

"Uh-huh." Her phone rings, and she sighs. "Yes? No. No, don't...look. I don't care what that half-wit says, he isn't...he what? No, listen...you tell him...no, wait, don't do anything. Don't do ANYTHING. I'll...yes. No. Just...just...fine. Look, I'm at the eye doctor right now. Don't let...no...look, SIT ON HIM if you have to, but do NOT let...yes. Do that." She hangs up angrily and groans in frustration. "I swear I would KILL that son of a bitch if I could..." She trails off, looks and me, and frowns. "Sorry."

"Problems at work?" I ask awkwardly.

She gives me a death glare. "Don't go there, kid."

A few minutes later, she's called back. Another twenty minutes later, Vinyl comes out, and I drive her home.

Once we reach Vinyl's house, I help her round up a snack for us while I wait for the cab. "So, how's it going?" I ask.

She sighs. "The medicine's not as effective as it was. They're gonna try something else, but..."

I decide to change the subject. "Hey, Vinyl...remember you said there's somebody you like? Who is it? If you don't mind me asking."

She blushes. "You know Octavia, right?"

Octavia...sounds familiar...

"You mighta seen her hanging out with Lyra."

"Long hair, Trottingham accent?"

"Yeah, that's her." Vinyl sighs. "She's...I dunno...I just..."

"So go for it," I say.

"Dude, I don't even know if she's into chicks," Vinyl says. "And...and even if she..." She looks away. "Why would she go out with me? I wouldn't go out with me."

"Why? Because of your eyes?" I shake my head. "Lots of people have problems with their eyes, or their ears, or their legs, or..." I wave a hand. "That doesn't get in the way of them finding somebody to be happy with." I take a sip of my drink. "Actually, that's all the more reason to want somebody special."

Vinyl leans back, speechless. "Huh," she says. "Y'know, I never thought of it like that." She shakes her head. "Still...we don't have anything in common except music, and we're not even into the same stuff. I'm into dance and dubstep, she's all into classical..."

The cab pulls up outside and the driver honks his horn. "Well...I gotta go," I say. "Take care. And think about what I said."

"Yeah," Vinyl says. "Hey...thanks."

Monday, October 26, 2015 / Evening

As soon as I arrive at the dorm, I pick up on a rather strained atmosphere.

Twilight, who's sitting in the lounge reading and watching the news, looks up. "Vice-Principal Luna's here."

I sit down next to Twilight and start working on my homework, while occasionally glancing up at the television. I do a double-take when I see the woman I met at the eye doctor pictured on the screen. "What the...?" I find the remote and turn up the volume.

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

"...mbra, CFO of Crystal Enterprises, has called for the dismissal of the company's CEO Chrysalis. Chrysalis could not be reached for comment at this hour, but a representative told us that she has no intention of allowing the board to force her out, and will file injunctions against them in the coming days."

"No wonder that lady was so pissed," I say.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asks. I tell her about seeing the woman they were just talking about at the eye doctor. Her eyes widen.

"Wow, you met somebody famous! Well, infamous. You do know who she is, right?" I shake my head. "Chrysalis is the CEO of Crystal Enterprises. It's a huge company. It started up in the north, but Chrysalis moved the headquarters to Canterlot after she took over the company. The old CEO got in some legal trouble over some labor practices..." Twilight shakes her head. "That's what I've heard, anyway. That happened years ago. Anyway...Chrysalis has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. They say she's made bad decisions that have cost the company hundreds of millions." Twilight pauses, giving me a sheepish look. "It's all pretty boring stuff," she says. "It's just...it's been in the news a lot lately."

It's the first I've heard of it, but I don't really watch the news...

At dinner, we're all nervous. Luna sits at the table, regarding us all impassively.

Even Twilight's a little scared to eat.

Luna frowns. "You need not fear me, children. I am not here to pass judgment on you. I am here to watch over you."

For whatever reason, Applejack decided to make enchiladas for dinner tonight. Luna begins eating. After a bite, she looks up. "These are quite good," she says. "Applejack, you cooked dinner tonight, yes?"

"Uhh...yes ma'am," Applejack says.

Luna nods. "As expected...you must have learned to cook from your grandmother." She looks around at all of us. "Are none of you hungry? You are growing young people...you should eat!"

The enchiladas are really good. Soon, we're all eating, but we're also all more than a little nervous about Luna. We got used to Celestia fairly quickly, but Luna has a particularly fearsome reputation...

After dinner, Luna says, "I...have brought something to share with you all." She goes into the kitchen, then returns with a large lidded container, a stack of dessert plates, and a pile of dessert forks. "A personal favorite of mine. It took a very long time to perfect this recipe." She opens the container and begins cutting into its contents and placing servings on each plate, then passing them around the table. "It is an ice cream sandwich cookie cake. The bottom crust is made of chocolate graham cracker crumbs, the filling is vanilla ice cream, and the topping is crushed chocolate sandwich cookies." She smiles. "Please, enjoy!"

We all look at one another, wide-eyed, then dig in. "Whoa, this is awesome!" Rainbow Dash says.

"This is really good, Vice-Principal Luna!" Twilight says.

"Please...when we are not in school, you may simply call me Luna," Luna says.

There's enough of the ice cream sandwich cookie cake for everybody to have two pieces. Once it's all gone, Twilight and I do the dishes.

"That was unexpected," I say.

"Yeah," Twilight says. "Who knew Luna had a sweet tooth?"

Twilight suddenly lets out a long, wet, whining fart. She freezes up, her eyes wide and her face red. "Oh no. Oh my gosh." She buries her face in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed..."

"Don't be," I say, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "It happens."

Then the smell hits.

"Umm...I've still got a little homework to do. See you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Twilight says meekly, ducking her head and running out of the kitchen. I head upstairs quickly.

About an hour later, Applejack's enchiladas start doing horrible things to my stomach. If the whining and banging I'm hearing downstairs are any indication, it's an epidemic.

It's a very interesting end to the day...
> 10/27 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo):  Enjoy the quiet times while you can. Disaster looms in your immediate future.

Tomorrow is Pinkie Pie's birthday.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 / After School

During Music Club, a beautiful, elegant girl with light grey skin and long dark hair walks in and spends several minutes conversing with Lyra.

When she leaves, I walk over to Lyra. "That was...Octavia, right?"

"Yeah, Octavia Melody. Why?" She gives me a teasing grin. "Bored with Twilight Sparkle already?"

"No!" I say. "I just...have a friend who's expressed an interest."

Lyra laughs. "Your friend's gonna need a lot of luck," she says. "Tavi's shot down every single boy that's ever asked her out."

Lyra and Vinyl are friends...

I decide to scout out Vinyl's chances without betraying her trust. "It's...not a boy."

Lyra blinks. "Oh," she says. "Huh..." She tilts her head. "I...honestly don't know if Tavi's...hmm. Want me to find out?"

"No!" I say. "I mean...don't ask her something that embarrassing."

"Who is it that likes her, anyway?"

"Not saying."

Lyra shrugs. "Okay. Well...tell your friend...can't hurt to try."

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I'm treated to an unusual sight:

Luna and Rainbow Dash are locked in a furious game of Mane-iac Grand Prix.

"Ha-ha!" Luna shouts. "Behold as I immobilize you with the Hairspray Ray of Doom!"

"Yeah, right!" Rainbow retorts. "Eat my thunderbolts!"

I shake my head and go upstairs to do homework.

After dinner, I meet up with Cadance and Twilight in our "secret headquarters".

"Do you two have a plan for tomorrow?" Cadance asks.

"Yeah. We're gonna keep an eye on Pinkie all day long. We're not letting her out of our sight until midnight."

Cadance nods. "Good plan. If she's never alone, she can't be sucked into Zodiac. Assuming she's the next target."

We spend some time talking about Zodiac, Sunset Shimmer, and the hacking investigation. After that, I head to my room.

Luna is sitting on my bed.

"I wanted to speak with you for a moment, Flash," she says.

"Okay," I say, taking a seat in the desk chair.

Luna folds her hands in her lap. "My sister...stubbornly refuses to see what a bad element Sunset Shimmer is," she says. "I have tried, repeatedly, to convince her that the girl should be kept under close scrutiny, but..." Her eyes are downcast.

"Well...it's not like anybody can prove she's done anything," I say. Even as I say it, I feel anger at the fact that I have evidence against Sunset Shimmer and can't do anything with it.

Luna nods. "Yes..."

"I was surprised to hear you suspect Sunset Shimmer," I say.

Luna frowns. "I know the signs when I see them," she says.

"Because you've had to deal with problem students before?"

Luna looks away. "Because I was one." She sighs. "That may be why Celestia refuses to admit that Sunset Shimmer is a bad element. It reminds her of things...she wants to forget." She shakes her head. "Or perhaps I simply suspect Sunset Shimmer because she reminds me of..."

She stands suddenly. "Stay on your guard, Flash Sentry." With that, she leaves abruptly.






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Hierophant Arcana...


Tomorrow's going to be a busy day...

I'd better get to bed early.
> 10/28 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Scorpio): You are going to die today.

Today is Pinkie Pie's birthday.

When Pinkie comes downstairs, everybody is already waiting.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PINKIE!" we all shout.

Her eyes sparkle and her mouth stretches into a huge grin. "You guys...thank you soooo much!" She runs around the room hugging everybody.

"Ah made all yer favorites fer breakfast, sugarcube," Applejack says. "Plop 'er down an' eat up!"

We all sit at the table, and Applejack serves Pinkie first, heaping huge amounts of food on her plate.

"So, Pinkie," Twilight says, "you're taking this afternoon off work, right? We're kinda planning you a party..."

Pinkie gasps. "Wow! How'd you manage to plan a party without me catching on? Usually I can sense a party coming a week away!" Her eyes well up with tears. "Of course I'll come right home after school!"

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. Spike seems agitated.

"I'm skipping tennis today," I declare. "We don't have a match this week, so I can afford to miss a practice."

"Good idea," Twilight says. "Pinkie could be attacked while we're split up. We should both walk her home."

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 / Lunch

On the way to lunch, I run into Trixie in the hall. "Ready for this afternoon?" I ask.

Trixie grins. "The Great and Powerful TRRRRRRRIXIE will dazzle and delight you and your friends!"

"Great," I say. "Get over to Applewood Dorm as soon as you can after school."

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 / After School

After the last bell, I message the coach over Canterbook to tell her I'll be missing practice today, then I head for the front entrance, messaging both Twilight and Pinkie Pie to meet me there.

A few minutes later, they both walk up to me. "I'm ready to party!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

We walk back to the dorm. We're halfway there when Cadance's SUV passes us by. When we arrive, Cadance, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Luna are all piling out of the SUV.

"Oh, there you are!" Cadance says. "Would you two keep Pinkie occupied while we set up in the lounge?"

"Sure," Twilight says.

The three of us head up to Twilight's room, where we watch one of Pinkie's favorite shows and play with Spike. I get a text from Trixie saying she's on her way. After about an hour, Rarity texts Twilight to tell her we're ready.

I run up to my room to grab my present for Pinkie, then follow the girls downstairs.

The lounge and dining room are decorated with streamers and balloons and banners. Twilight and I add our presents to the pile of colorfully-wrapped packages on the coffee table. In the dining room, there's a big fancy cake on the table, pale yellow and creamy-looking, with pink decorator icing and candy flowers around the edges. I look around, but I don't see Trixie...

"The Cakes went all out on your birthday cake," Cadance says. "They said it's the..." She frowns, tapping her chin. "Mascarpone...meringue...something..."

Pinkie gasps loudly. "The Mascarpone Marzipan Meringue Madness? But...but that's the secret recipe they've been working on for six months!"

"Well, they wanted to try it out on you, since you've been such a big help to them," Cadance says. "Now, everybody get some pizza and take it to the lounge, because Flash has arranged something special for us."

"Oh?" Pinkie asks, looking at me.

"You'll see."

Once we're all seated, there's an explosion of glittery blue smoke in the middle of the room.

"Watch and be AMAZED!"

The smoke fades to reveal Trixie, dressed in a dark blue corset, a violet tuxedo jacket, fishnets, and dark blue high heels, complete with a white shirt collar and dark blue bowtie...as well as a big pointy wizard's hat covered in sparkly moons and stars.

"The GREAT and POWERFUL TRRRRRRRRRRRRRIXIE! ...is here."

Pinkie blinks. "Ooooh, a magic show?"

"Indeed," Trixie says, tossing her hair. With a flourish, she produces a bright blue balloon from nowhere and blows it up. She hands it to Pinkie. Pinkie reaches out to take it...

The balloon pops, and a dove flies out of it, fluttering around Pinkie's head before flying back to Trixie. She sweeps her hat off her head; the dove flies into it. She turns her hat upside down, and a shower of confetti and glitter falls out. "Voila," Trixie says.

"Wow!" Pinkie cries, clapping. I look around the room. The others are watching with varying degrees of amusement and curiosity. A few of them actually seem impressed.

While we eat pizza, Trixie performs a variety of small-scale illusions and card tricks. She's pretty good, and everyone is impressed.

After nearly an hour of this, Trixie disappears in another cloud of smoke, then walks into the room wearing normal clothes a few minutes later. We all give her a round of applause.

"Thank you for that amazing magic show, Trixie!" Pinkie says.

"You're actually kinda cool with that magic stuff," Rainbow says.

"Yes, it was most enjoyable," Rarity agrees.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Trixie says.

"Who's ready for cake?" Cadance asks.

"Ooh! I am! I am!" Pinkie cheers. We all laugh, then head to the dining room. Pinkie blows out her candles while we sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Then Cadance cuts the cake. Pinkie takes the first bite of the cake, and her face lights up. "Ooooooooh," she moans. "This is soooooo gooooooooooooood."

We all sample the oddly-named cake. It's...there are no words. I don't even know how to describe this cake. All I know is, it's the richest, most interesting cake I've ever tasted.

Luna, for her part, looks like she wants to melt into a gushy puddle. "I've never had anything like this," she says. "You said this is a secret recipe?"

"Uh-huh!" Pinkie says. "They're competing in the Best Bakers Bonanza in February. This cake is going to be their entry."

"They'll win!" Luna declares. We all laugh.

Once we're done with the cake, all of us head to the lounge except Trixie, who helps herself to some of the remaining pizza. Pinkie starts opening her presents. The first thing she opens is from her parents. It's a tiny hammer with a sharp spike on the back. She rolls her eyes. "Figures."

"That's a geologist's hammer, right?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah," Pinkie says. "My parents are always giving me rock stuff. I just roll with it." The next package she picks up is a fairly large sealed bag. "This one's from Maud." It makes a lot of noise as she hefts it into her lap and opens it. She smiles. "Rock candy!"

"That stuff is terrible for your teeth," Luna says.

"Oh, I know, but...it's kind of a family tradition," Pinkie says. "Besides, Maud and I came up with our own really special rock candy recipe. We're the only two people in the whole world that know the secret!"

The next present she picks up is mine. She opens it, then stares at it, as though she can't believe her eyes. "Is this...?" She peels all the wrapping off, turning it over in her hands and studying it from every angle.

"Is that the right one?" I ask.

Pinkie launches herself at me and ensnares me in a rib-cracking hug. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" she says.

"You're welcome," I gasp out. "Need...air..."

Pinkie lets go, then kisses me all over my face several times. She darts back over to her seat and picks up the cookbook, looking it over and flipping through it. "You didn't need to spend so much on me," she says. "And don't say you didn't, I know how much this cost."

"I wanted to," I say.

Luna is gaping openly at the book. "That...is a very expensive cookbook," she says. She looks at me curiously. "How does a high school student with no part-time job afford...?"

"My folks...are pretty generous with money," I say.

Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. "Twilight, you okay with your boyfriend spending that kind of money on another girl?"

"How do you think I found out which cookbook she wanted?" I ask.

Pinkie's head snaps up. "Wait. That's why you asked me about that?" she asks Twilight.

Twilight smiles and nods. "Mm-hmm."

Pinkie tackles Twilight and hugs her too. "You guys...are the bestest friends EVER!"

"You've still got quite a few presents to open," Cadance says.

Pinkie pops back over to her seat and picks up a small package wrapped in midnight-blue paper.

"I had very little time to shop for a present for you," Luna says. "I hope you enjoy it."

Pinkie unwraps what turns out to be three extra-large dark chocolate bars. "Ooooh, fancy," she says. "Thank you!"

The next present, which is from Cadance, is wrapped in pearl pink paper. It turns out to be a pink heart-shaped makeup compact. Rarity gives Pinkie two pairs of sparkly leggings, one in medium pink and the other in dark purple, and a pair of pink platform shoes with ribbons. Twilight got Pinkie a set of sparkly glitter pens and a five-year schedule planner. Fluttershy's present is a charm bracelet. Applejack's is a bag of apple flavored hard candies, a case of fizzy apple cider, and two big bags of apple chips.

There's only one present left: a wide, long box wrapped in blue paper. "This has been such an awesome birthday!" Pinkie says. "I wonder what Dashie got me?"

She reaches for the package. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash yelps. "Uhhh, Pinkie? Maybe you should open that later..." She turns red. "I kinda didn't expect—"

It's too late. The wrapping paper is off, revealing a black box. Pinkie takes the lid off and looks inside. Her eyes grow huge, and her jaw drops. She blushes dark red. "Uhh...yeah..." She gives Rainbow Dash an odd look. "Umm...wow, Dashie...I really don't know what to say..."

"What is it?" Rarity says. "You must show us!"

"It must be somethin' fancy," Applejack says.

"Or expensive," Fluttershy says.

"Come, let us all see!" Luna says.

"Uhhh..." Pinkie looks panicked. "I—"

Cadance walks over and lifts the lid, peeking inside. She lets out a startled yelp. "Whoa!" She looks at Rainbow Dash. "What in the world...?"

Rainbow blushes furiously. "L-look, i-it's..." She trails off.

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

Cadance has the same panicked look as Pinkie now. "Umm..."

Luna walks over, peers into the box, and raises an eyebrow. "I was not aware the two of you had such an intimate relationship."

"It's NOT LIKE THAT!" Rainbow Dash howls.

"Really?" Luna asks. She reaches into the box and pulls out what's inside.

Twilight gasps. Fluttershy squeaks. Rarity stares, cheeks red.

It's a huge sex toy.

Pinkie snatches it back from Luna and stuffs it back in the box, then puts the lid back on it. "ThanksDashieI'lljustgoputthisupinmyroomnow!" she says, zooming upstairs.

We all stare at Rainbow Dash.

"Look, her room's right next to mine, okay?" she says. "I hear...stuff..."

Pinkie comes back down, a wide-eyed, overly-large smile on her face. "Umm...thank you, Rainbow Dash. Seriously."

"You needn't be so flustered, Pinkie Pie," Luna says. "It's perfectly normal for girls your age to own certain...toys. Although admittedly, being given such a thing by a friend for your birthday...it's not unheard of, but..."

Cadance, Twilight, and I do our best to salvage the party after that, and before long, the whole messy business of Rainbow Dash's present is largely forgotten in the midst of music and party games and fun. Trixie hangs around for about another hour before cleaning up the mess left over from her magic act and heading home. It's late in the evening by the time we all start cleaning up. Twilight offers to help Pinkie take her presents up to her room. She gives me a meaningful look, and I follow them.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 / Evening

Pinkie's room is very...pink.

Twilight and Pinkie are sitting on the bed. I pull out the desk chair and sit across from them.

Pinkie smiles at us. "You guys are great," she says. "Thank you again, so much, for that book." She picks up the cookbook and cuddles it. "You really shouldn't have..." Tears start to spill from her eyes.

"Pinkie? Are you alright?"

Pinkie sets the book aside and starts to wail. "I'm a terrible person!" she cries.

"No you're not," I say. "You're a wonderful person!"

"Yeah, you were one of my first real friends!" Twilight says.

"But..." Pinkie sniffles. "I..." She swallows, then grabs a tissue and blows her nose. "This whole time, I've been so jealous of you two!" She breaks into sobs.

We both blink. "Jealous?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie nods, snot pouring from her nose. "I...I wanted...so many times...to try and steal Flash from you..." She sniffles. "Especially...especially since Maud said...she was moving away...and I've just...been so upset lately..." She launches herself at me, clutching me in a death grip and getting tears and snot all over my shirt. "I just wanted to throw you down and...and...because..." She sags into me. "I don't know," she says. "I just...I'm just..."

I hug her awkwardly, looking at Twilight. Twilight, for her part, is shellshocked.

"And I just keep thinking...if I'd just been first, I coulda had you..." Pinkie rambles on. "But you two are such a cute, sweet couple, I...and then...you're both my friends, and I..." She throws back her head and wails loudly. "I'm just so horrible and I don't deserve friends like you!" Her hair deflates with a balloon-like sound and falls flat.

"I-it's okay, Pinkie," Twilight says, hugging her and wiping her eyes. "We're not mad at you, and we both care about you."

"Yeah, Pinkie," I say. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had." I move over to sit next to her and take her hand. "Settle down...it's okay..."

Pinkie sniffles again. "Y-you guys...I don't deserve friends like you..."

"We're the ones who don't deserve you," Twilight says. "You go out of your way to make everybody around you happy...you don't do it for yourself, you do it just because..." She smiles. "There aren't many people who'd do the things you do for other people." She blushes. "And...I guess...I can understand why you'd be...jealous..." She looks at me and ducks her gaze. "But...it's okay. Really."

Pinkie wipes her eyes. "R-really?"

There's a knock on the door. Cadance peeks in. "Is everything okay in here?" she asks.

"We're fine," Twilight says. "Pinkie's just a little emotional right now."

"Okay," Cadance says, giving Pinkie a worried look before closing the door.

Twilight gets up and goes over to Pinkie's closet. She rummages around inside and pulls out a board game. "Hey, how about we all play Mouse in the House?" she suggests. "We can watch some TV and have fun...just the three of us!"

Pinkie noisily blows her nose. "I..."

Twilight sets up the board, putting the four purple mouse tokens on her own start square, the four pink ones on the one nearest Pinkie, and the four blue ones on mine. "You go first, Pinkie," she says as she shuffles a deck of small, cheaply-made yellow cards and puts them on the Mystery Cheese square. "I'll be the Cat this turn," she adds as she places a big black cat token in the House. While she's doing this, I find Pinkie's remote and turn on the television.

Pinkie smiles. "O-okay," she says. She grabs the dice that Twilight hands her and rolls them.

Mouse in the House is a simple game. Each player has four mouse tokens that they have to move from the Start square to the House in the middle of the board. Each player takes turns moving the Cat. If the Cat lands on a square with any mice on it, those mice go back to Start, and if a mouse lands on a square with the Cat on it, the same thing happens. There are also spaces marked "Mystery Cheese", where you draw a card that either tells you to roll again or skip a turn, or moves you forward or backward, or sends the Cat right to your space.

Playing the game distracts Pinkie and calms her down, and having fun with us seems to return her to her usual happy, cheerful self, even though her eyes are a little bloodshot. It also kills a lot of time, as each game we play takes a good forty minutes or so.

We're on our sixth game when I glance at my phone. It's ten minutes to midnight. Twilight catches me checking the time, and checks it herself. "We'll finish this game, then we should all get to bed," Twilight says.

"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun, but I'm getting kinda tired," Pinkie says. "And it's almost midnight." She smiles. "You guys are the best, you know?"

Pinkie wins the last game. Twilight takes her time putting the game pieces away. It's 11:59...

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 / Zodiac

"NO!" I yell.

Pinkie gasps and looks around, eyes wide. "Whaaa...what's going on?"

Twilight looks terrified. "But...but I don't understand! We never let her out of our sight! We've stayed right here with her this whole time!"

"Could somebody else be the target?" I ask.

"No!" Twilight says, shaking her head. "Pinkie's the ONLY CHS student whose birthday is today!"

"Then how?" I ask.

"I don't know!" Twilight says.

"What're you two talking about?" Pinkie asks.

The texts start to crawl around the room, and Pinkie yelps.

Freak

LOL what a loon

She's so silly and obnoxious

"Ignore it, Pinkie!" I yell, pulling out my phone again. Twilight pulls hers out as well. "We need to get up to the third floor and get our weapons!"

"Right," Twilight agrees.

"Weapons?" Pinkie asks. "What?"

"Pinkie," I say, grabbing her shoulders. "Listen to me. You need to stay with me and Twilight. No matter what happens, don't wander off on your own. It's dangerous."

Pinkie swallows. "O-okay," she says. She watches the texts roaming around the room. "What's with all the glowy writing?"

"We'll explain later," Twilight says. "For now, just...just ignore it..."

You didn't think you could really save her, did you?

This one catches my attention. And Twilight's.

You're so stupid. You don't even know what you're dealing with here. Just die already!

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Twilight screams. "Stop screwing around with us!"

Yeah, right. With Scorpio hanging around waiting to kill that little pink bimbo? Not gonna happen.

"HEY! I am NOT a BIMBO!" Pinkie shouts indignantly.

"Dammit, Sunset Shimmer! What's your problem?" I ask.

...

ROFLMAO. Oh my GOD you're retarded.

"We know it's you, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight says.

LOL...just hurry up and die...

//Flash! Twilight! What happened?//

"Cadance!"

Pinkie blinks. "Huh? Nurse Cadance?" She looks around the room, then up at the ceiling.

//Is Pinkie safe?//

"She's with us," I say. "We're still in her room. Our plan failed."

//But...I don't understand...//

"We don't either," Twilight says.

//I'm up on the third floor. Your weapons are ready and I left the door open. There aren't any Shadows inside the dorm, but I'm detecting Scorpio. Hurry!//

"We're on our way!" I grab Pinkie's hand and haul her to her feet. "Let's go, Twilight!"

"Right!"

"Hey, waaaaaait!"

Twilight runs out ahead of me, her phone at the ready. I drag Pinkie behind me as we head for the stairs. She pulls her hand free from mine, but stays behind me. "What's going on, you guys?" she asks.

"Something's about to try to kill you," I say. "We're gonna stop it."

"Kill me?!" Pinkie shrieks. "But...but why? And what happened to the dorm?"

"We're not really in the dorm anymore," Twilight says. "We're in a parallel space called Zodiac. It's connected to Canterbook somehow. There are dangerous creatures here. One of them tried to kill Flash on his birthday, and another one tried to kill me on mine. Now the next one's coming for you."

As we reach the top of the stairs, Pinkie stares at us. "Is that why both of you got sick on your birthdays?"

"Yeah," I say. "But don't worry, we'll protect you." We head down the hall to the one open door. Inside, Cadance is kneeling beside the bed; Aphrodite hovers serenely above her, glowing brightly enough to illuminate the entire room.

Pinkie stares up at Aphrodite. "Who's THAT?"

//Nevermind that right now,// Cadance says. //I'm picking up a few Shadows starting to gather downstairs. Scorpio is outside the dorm...just like it was with Virgo. I'll be fine up here, but you three need to get out of the dorm before those Shadows block the way out.//

"Shouldn't we leave Pinkie here with you?"

//Don't risk it.//

"Are you sure you'll be—?"

//HURRY!//

Twilight and I grab our weapons. Twilight hands Pinkie one of the backpacks we carry. "There's first-aid supplies in there," she says. "Just in case."

Pinkie nods. "Got it," she says.

With me leading the way, the three of us head downstairs. There are several Shadows writhing around in the lounge and the hall. We run for the front doors, throwing them open and bolting out into the stagnant night air. Behind us, the Shadows merge to form a barricade.

Pinkie looks up at the sky, eyes wide. "Okay...this is just too weird," she says.

hahahahaha...look at you...you're so brave...

//Scorpio's closing in! Get ready!//

We hear a whirring, grinding, clanking sound. Pinkie screams as a massive Shadow drops out of the sky right in front of us.

It's a giant scorpion, covered in rusted armor plates. Its claws are serrated; the sign of Scorpio is engraved into its right claw. Its tail, curled up over its head, drips hissing acidic venom onto its armored back. Burning yellow eyes glare out of its black, malformed head.

I pull up the Chariot Arcana on my Persona app. "ARA MITAMA!"

Ara Mitama appears in midair, bobbing up and down agitatedly. Scorpio's armor blurs.

Twilight taps her phone. "ATHENA!"

Athena appears. A bolt of lightning lances into Scorpio, but does no visible damage.

//Its armor is too strong!// Cadance says. //Give me a minute, I'll try to find a weakness...//

Scorpio's tail lashes out, striking at Pinkie. I push her out of the way and hack at the stinger with my axe. It just barely misses me and bites into the ground. Ropy black flesh is just visible between the armor segments of the tail...

I switch Personas. "CHIRON!"

Chiron appears, rearing as he smashes his fiery axe into the exposed Shadow. Scorpio roars, flailing with its tail. I'm hit and knocked off my feet; Pinkie helps me up as Scorpio retracts its tail.

"FLASH! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I grunt, leaning on my axe. "Just got the wind knocked out of me."

Twilight summons Athena again, firing a jolt of electricity straight into Scorpio's stinger. Scorpio twitches, then belches a fireball at Twilight. She scrambles out of the way, falling to the ground. Scorpio's tail lashes out again...

It pierces Twilight's shoulder, and she screams.

"TWILIGHT!" I yell. I leap forward and hack away at Scorpio's tail with my axe. It wrenches the stinger free and takes a swipe at me, but only catches my shirt tail.

Twilight groans and fumbles for her phone. "Persona," she rasps. Athena appears; a cool, soothing wave of green light washes over Twilight. She stands up, gingerly testing her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Twilight?" Pinkie asks.

"I...I think so," Twilight says. "It...it poisoned me, but Athena can...can cure poison..."

//I'm sorry! I can't find any weaknesses!//

"I have an idea," Pinkie says.

I turn to her. "You do?"

"Yeah," she says, staring at Scorpio. "I don't really understand what's going on here, but you keep trying to attack it alone...you should maybe try to fight it together, at the same time."

Twilight looks at Pinkie, then at me. The look on her face is almost comical: 'Why didn't we think of that?'

"Yeah!" Pinkie says, suddenly excited. "You should better have your big purple Greek lady ride your big robo-horsey-guy and like, charge that thing!"

"Can we even do that?" Twilight asks.

"It's worth a try!" I say. "PERSONA!"

Chiron appears, axe at the ready.

"PERSONA!" Twilight echos; Athena appears before her.

I reach out and take Twilight's hand, intertwining our fingers. We look at each other and nod. "CAVALRY CHARGE!"

Athena leaps atop Chiron, who rears and charges. A corona of flames and lightning builds up around them, crackling and scorching. Chiron charges right at Scorpio's head; it raises its claws to protect itself, but Chiron and Athena knock them away with their weapons. The electrified fireball surrounding them explodes as Chiron makes contact; Athena leaps straight up into the air, flips upside-down, and delivers a spinning spear thrust to the back of the armored Shadow. Lightning explodes out from between the armor plates, and Athena leaps clear, landing on Chiron as he turns and rushes back toward us. The two Personas fade from view as they ride.

Scorpio's tail thrashes about weakly as ichor gushes from its head and back. With a terrifying screech, it begins to melt, its armor chipping and flaking away like so much rust.

"Whoa," Twilight says. She staggers, clutching her head. "That was..."

I'm feeling very light-headed myself, and I lean into Twilight for support, even as she leans against me. "Let's...never do that again..."

"Are you guys alright?" Pinkie asks, eyes wide.

"That...took a lot out of us," I say.

Pinkie looks back over her shoulder. "I think you got it," she says. We look past her, and see that Scorpio is little more than a patch of black mist and some thin red haze.

"Let's...get back upstairs," Twilight says. "I need...to pass out..."

I frown. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Pinkie asks.

I look down at my phone. I try to exit Zodiac. Nothing happens.

"We should be able to leave Zodiac," I say. "Why can't we...?"

//Flash? Twilight? Are you alright?//

"We're fine, just...a little exhausted," I say. "Why can't we leave Zodiac?"

//I don't know! I'm not reading any trace of Scorpio...you definitely destroyed it, but...// Cadance gasps suddenly. //There's somebody else there with you!//

"What?"

Twilight gasps. "Look!"

The three of us turn to see a black shape approaching us through the misty remnants of Scorpio.

The shape is vaguely feminine, but wrapped from head to toe in black cloth and leather. She's wearing a hood that covers her face; in the darkness of Zodiac, it's impossible to even try to make out who she is. She has a phone in her gloved hand.

A text message winks into existence in front of her.

I thought for sure Scorpio would kill you.

"You thought wrong, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight says.

...wow, you ARE stupid. How the hell are you even valedictorian?

"We know it's you!" I say.

You don't know a goddamn thing.

But I know you can't do that little attack again. You're both too worn out.

That's why I'm going to finish you off myself.

Twilight and I tense up, watching her warily.

She touches the screen of her phone...

...and with a loud, shattering sound, shards of red light fly away from the screen.





"That...is pretty freaky," Pinkie says, eyes wide. "And really skanky." She gasps. "It's freakanky!"

The thing hanging in midair in front of us looks, for the most part, like a pale-skinned woman wearing a long-sleeved black leather jacket with a matching thong and knee-high boots which end in strange, curved talons. Her arms and hands, completely encased in leather, have unnatural joints and end in long, sharp claws. She has what look like speakers over her breasts, and sharp, angular shoulderpads. Her head looks like it's made of metal, with an expressionless steel face and a long steel spike where a nose should be. Her head rests on a ball joint, and numerous thick black cables snake out of the back of it, ending in various plugs and connectors. A halo of holographic Canterbook screens circles her head.

"Another Shadow?" Twilight asks nervously, clutching her rapier.

//Hold on, I'm scanning...// Cadance gasps. //That isn't a Shadow! It's a Persona!//

"A Persona?!"

The Persona extends her hands, and a terrible wind buffets us. I can't stay on my feet; I feel like my head is about to split open.

"FLASH!" Twilight cries. She summons Athena; I feel the gentle touch of her healing magic wash over me. Then, Athena gathers a lightning bolt, which she fires at the enemy Persona...

The cables trailing from her head suck up the attack, which courses up into her head. The Canterbook screens floating around her head glow more brightly.

//Electric attacks are no good!// Cadance cries.

"JACK FROST!"

Jack Frost appears, blowing a torrent of ice at the Persona. She recoils, the screens around her head spinning faster. Her speakers let out a sharp, throbbing bass pulse, and Jack Frost is blown away in a jagged mass of pixels. The Persona app on my phone goes dark.

"Not this again!"

Another powerful blast of wind buffets all of us. I feel like I'm about to black out.

Pinkie pushes herself to her feet. "Stop...stop hurting my friends!"

She pulls out her phone. "You want me? COME GET ME! PERSONA!"

She slams her hand on the screen of her phone...





In a whirl of color, Pinkie's Persona appears. She looks a lot like Pinkie herself, except with silvery skin and hair that looks like a raging bonfire of pink and gold. She's wearing a blue, pink, and red belly dancer costume and, for some reason, a single roller skate. Her blue eyes are huge and happy, and she wears a big, bright smile. A torrent of rainbow-colored liquid flows from a golden pitcher she holds in her right hand, crossing behind her and pouring up into an upside-down goblet in her left hand. Streamers and balloons explode out of her hair, flying up into the night.

"H-how?" I ask.

"I've been watching you guys fight," Pinkie says. "I more or less figured it out."

Her Persona spins on her skate, pouring some of her rainbow liquid over me and Twilight. I feel my headache ebbing, my fatigue fading slightly. I look over at Twilight, and she looks like she's feeling a little better too.

The Persona app reappears on my phone as I stand up.

Pinkie glares at the enemy Persona. "This is my party," she says.

Pinkie's Persona dashes across the ground on her one skate, arms spread out behind her. As she approaches the enemy Persona, the enemy's cables snake out, attempting to ensnare her. Pinkie's Persona dodges and weaves between the cables, then dances between the enemy's claws as she attempts to shred her to pieces. Pinkie's Persona spins around, leaping into the air and slamming into her with a hip. The enemy Persona is knocked to the ground. Behind her, the girl who summoned her falls down as well, clutching her head.

//This is your chance!// Cadance cries.

Twilight, Pinkie, and I run forward. We're just a few feet away...

This all ends tonight...

The enemy Persona abruptly vanishes, and a wall of Shadows forms between us and our enemy.

She picks herself up.

Screw this. There's still nine more Hunter Shadows. There's no possible way you cunts can kill them all.

She abruptly vanishes.

The Zodiac app on my phone begins to flash white. "Looks like we can go now," I say.

Pinkie and Twilight nod, and we exit Zodiac.

As the normal world returns around us, Pinkie lets out a cheer. "Yay! I'm in on a big secret! With my bestest of bestest friends!" She throws her arms around us. "Best. Birthday. EVER!"

Then she faints. Twilight and I look at one another, roll our eyes, and haul her back into the dorm, where we find Cadance waiting for us, looking worried.

Once we've taken Pinkie to her room, we each return to our own rooms. I barely have the strength to fall into bed before I pass out...
> 10/29 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, October 29, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Get over yourself. You're not that special.

I wake up feeling horrible. My eyes feel tight, my throat feels scratchy, and my head is pounding. Considering how late I was up last night and how fatigued I was after fighting Scorpio and...

That had to have been Sunset Shimmer. I have to keep telling myself that. At the same time, I feel a nagging sense of doubt...

Was that Sunset Shimmer? Was it somebody else? Whoever it was...they have the same power...Persona...

My door bursts open, and Cadance walks in, holding a couple pills and a cup of water. "Take this," she says in a rush.

I take the pills and swallow them with a frown. "What was that?" I ask.

"Bannaflu," Cadance says. "Fluttershy's burning up and puking all over the place. I'm giving everyone in the dorm Bannaflu just to be safe."

"Ugh," I groan. "I do have a sore throat and a headache this morning, but I thought it was just from last night..."

Cadance feels my forehead, then pulls a thermometer out of her pocket and slips one of those little plastic things on it. She shoves it in my mouth and waits for it to beep. "No fever," she says. "I'll give you something for the symptoms. Unless you want to be excused from school today...I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "Just gimme something for the headache and I'm good. I need to be at school today."

"Alright," Cadance says. "I'll have it waiting for you when you come downstairs. Take your time."

I glance at my phone. It's less than an hour until time for school. "Crap!"

"Don't worry about it," Cadance says. "Pinkie and Twilight are still getting ready too." She frowns. "Twilight looks like hell, and...Athena's magic healed up that shoulder, but it's not pretty. It may take that a couple of days to fully heal. I might even have her go back into Zodiac after school just to use her Persona's power again...maybe speed up the healing."

"Is that a good idea?" I ask.

Cadance shrugs. "Dunno." She heads out.

I take a quick shower, dress, and get my stuff together, then head downstairs. There's a platter of cold bacon and egg sandwiches on the table. Pinkie's already eating. I sit down and grab one. Cadance comes in a moment later with another dose of medicine for me. Twilight comes down shortly after this. Her eyes have dark circles under them and her hair isn't in the best shape. I reach over and smooth it out a bit for her as she grabs three sandwiches off the platter and crams one into her mouth.

"I really hope none of us get Fluttershy's flu," Pinkie says. "That'd really suck with Halloween on Saturday."

The gruesome sound of a stomach being emptied rips through the silence, making me shudder.

"Wow, Fluttershy throws up really loud," Pinkie says, eyes wide.

"I hope she'll be alright," Twilight says around the mangled remains of her third sandwich. How she managed to eat two already is beyond me...

"Hey, you okay, Flash?" Twilight asks.

"I just have a really bad headache," I say. "And...kind of a sore throat."

"Uh-oh," Pinkie says, sliding away from me. "I was all over you last night, and you caught the Flutterflu...gyaaah!"

"You were what last night?" Twilight demands sharply.

"You know, we did all that hugging and making sweet sweet friendship? You were there too, you know..."

"Pinkie," Twilight groans, facepalming. Shaking her head with a sigh, she stands up and brushes crumbs off her...everything, actually. "Cadance is waiting for us, let's get going."

The three of us head outside and pile into Cadance's SUV. Once we're buckled in, Cadance looks into the back. "Everyone okay?"

"Just a little headachey," Pinkie says.

"I'll be alright," Twilight says.

"Just waiting for that cold medicine to kick in."

Cadance starts the engine. "This evening after dinner, we need to meet in the secret headquarters. Pinkie, Twilight'll show you where it is."

"Okay," Pinkie says. "Are we gonna fight monsters again?"

"No, we're just going to talk about fighting monsters," Cadance says. "By the way, this whole Zodiac and Persona thing is a secret, alright?"

"Yeah, I figured as much," Pinkie says. "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret, Pinkie promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"Good," Cadance says. "Twilight? How long do we have until the next target?"

"I don't have the list with me," Twilight says. "It's in my desk. I didn't feel safe keeping it on my phone or my computer. But..." Her face scrunches up. "Rainbow Dash's birthday is after November 20...so we have less than a month."

"Dashie?!" Pinkie exclaims.

"So far, every target has lived in Applewood Dorm," Twilight says. "After I was attacked, I predicted you'd be next, and...I was right. So...Rainbow Dash will probably be the next target."

"We'll need to do some training," Cadance says. "Especially if that other Persona user shows up again."

We pull into the parking lot. "We'll talk about this tonight."

Thursday, October 29, 2015 / After School

By the end of the school day, I'm mostly feeling better, but I'm still tired from last night.

Trixie is full of energy and life when I arrive at the Music Club. When I enter, she rushes up to me. "Flash! I...I wanted to thank you for asking me to perform for your friends." She smiles. "I...I had a lot of fun."

"I'm glad," I say.

"I recorded my performance," Trixie says. "I've been showing it to some of the Music Club members, and pointing out how different...how different I am from my stage persona. They...well..."

"We think when she's putting on a show, her 'Great And Powerful Trixie' schtick is fun," Lyra says from behind her. "We're just glad she doesn't act like that all the time anymore."

I grin. "Yeah, the Real And Friendly Trixie is better for every day," I quip.

Trixie laughs. Then, looking down, she says, "I...I also took the things you said about how I used to be and...and incorporated them into my stage act," she says. "I cut out the bragging and boasting and playing myself up, and...and just let the magic speak for itself." She looks up hopefully. "It...it seemed like your friends warmed up to me after a while."

"They did enjoy your show," I say. "Especially Pinkie."

"That makes me...happy," Trixie says. "I...think I forgot that's the real reason I wanted to learn to do magic in the first place. Because...because it feels good to see other people smile and laugh at a trick." Suddenly, she shakes her head. "Hey, aren't we here to play some music?" She picks up her guitar and starts playing something really energetic. I laugh and join in; the other members of the Music Club start singing along.

After the club meeting, I'm headed for the school entrance when I run into the janitor.

"Well, hello there, Flash!" Juan says. "How's life treating you?"

I shrug.

"I hear things have been rather interesting lately," he says. "That rather revealing picture of Celestia that showed up on Canterbook...oh, surely you didn't have anything to do with that, right?"

"No," I say. "Canterbook was hacked."

"Of course it was," Juan says. "Between you and me, Canterbook's security is incredibly sloppy. Why, you'd need little more than an entry-tier login to do some serious damage...it's a pity Celestia believes her precious social scholastic network is so perfect when it's so incredibly flawed." He raises an eyebrow. "Did you know there are dozens of hidden apps on Canterbook that don't even seem to do anything? And all of them are keyed to tier one access."

"How...how do you know that?" I ask.

He chuckles. "I have tier three access," he says.

"You?!"

"What, a janitor isn't important enough to be trusted with Canterbook's secrets?" Juan smiles. "Celestia and I have a...complicated past. Suffice to say that...I wasn't always a janitor."

I stare at him. He simply grins toothily. "So...how are things with you and your girlfriend?"

"Fine," I say.

"She looked rather tired when I saw her earlier today," Juan says. "I heard your dormmate Fluttershy has the flu. I hope you're all being careful."

"We took Bannaflu this morning," I say. "We do have the school nurse looking out for us."

"Oh yes, Cadance. Such a sweet girl." Juan nods. "Well...don't let me keep you. I'm sure you have places to do and people to be."

As I'm leaving, he calls out, "Oh, by the way...something very interesting happened this morning." I stop and turn. "I had to extract a freshman from a locker. I asked the poor kid who stuffed him in, but...he wouldn't say." He tilts his head. "Funny thing...that Sunset Shimmer girl seemed to be in a very bad mood when she came to school..."

I suddenly realize something: I didn't see Sunset Shimmer in the cafeteria at lunch today.

"Well...there's messes to clean up. Adios!" Juan says, waving jauntily. I leave and head back to the dorm, thinking about what he said.

Surely the school janitor couldn't possibly have that kind of access to Canterbook...

What kind of screwed-up system is this school running?

Thursday, October 29, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Pinkie, Twilight, Cadance, and I gather in our secret headquarters. We take some time to explain everything that's been going on to Pinkie Pie.

"That girl we saw last night...was she Sunset Shimmer or not?" Twilight asks.

"I honestly don't know," I say. "I'm still convinced she's connected to all this..."

"She said she wasn't, though," Pinkie says.

"She could've been lying," Twilight points out.

"There's something else," I say. "I've heard that Canterbook's security isn't anywhere close to what it should be. If what I heard today is true, Sunset Shimmer's tier one access is more than enough to screw up all kinds of stuff on the system."

"Tier one?" Pinkie asks. "She's the daughter of the guy that made the thing. They really think she's just got tier one access? She probably knows where her daddy keeps all the access codes..."

We stare at Pinkie. She blinks innocently. "What?"

Twilight sighs. "It keeps coming back to Sunset Shimmer," she says. "And we still can't do anything or even prove anything."

"I need more Personas," I say. "If we run into that bitch from last night again, I can't use Chiron. Her wind attacks almost killed me."

"We need to figure out what works for a weapon for Pinkie," Cadance says. "And then we need to find a good time to start training."

"Rainbow Dash's birthday is on the 21st," Twilight says. "I looked it up as soon as I got home."

"And...and you really think...she's next?" Pinkie asks.

"I'm afraid so," Twilight says.

Pinkie looks down, her eyes sad. "Then we gotta be ready." She looks up at us with a small, determined smile. "You can count on me," she says. "Me and Euphy won't let you down!"

"Euphy?" Twilight asks.

"Well...her name is Euphrosyne, but that's like, really long to say, so...I just call her Euphy," Pinkie says.

"Ooooo...kaaaaaaay," Twilight drawls.

"So what's everybody going as for Halloween?" Cadance asks brightly.

"We...don't actually know yet," Twilight says. "Rarity hasn't told us what she has in mind...she just said our costumes would be ready Saturday morning..."

We talk about things unrelated to Zodiac and the mystery Persona user for a while, then head to our own rooms. I'm too tired to think...I go right to bed and go to sleep.
> 10/30 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, October 30, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be wary of the moon.

Rainbow Dash is grinning maniacally when she comes down for breakfast. "Today's finally the day," she says.

"You mean...?" Twilight asks.

"Yep!"

Cadance smiles. "I'm driving Rainbow Dash to the doctor in about an hour. He's still got a few little tests to do, but she should be off the crutches and out of that brace today."

We all cheer.

"That's great!"

"Way to go, Rainbow Dash!"

"It'll be good t' see you on yer feet again, sugarcube!"

"Yeah, I'm ready to be awesome again."

"And how's Fluttershy doing?" Luna asks.

Cadance sighs. "She's still sick. She isn't throwing up, and it looks like her fever could break any time, but..."

Fluttershy shambles down the steps. She's pouring sweat and looks clammy. Her eyes are bloodshot, with heavy bags underneath them. She looks into the dining room at us, then shuffles past into the kitchen.

"Ouch," Twilight says, grimacing.

"Poor Fluttershy," Pinkie says sadly.

Fluttershy shuffles past again holding a glass of orange juice. Twilight calls out to her. "Fluttershy? Is there anything we can do for you?"

Fluttershy stops to look at her and frowns slightly. "No," she says hoarsely. "I can take care of myself." She then retreats upstairs.

"Poor dear," Luna says.

After a moment, Rarity shakes her head. "Flash, Twilight, I'll need to do a fitting for your Halloween costumes this evening. Don't forget!"

"Oh, cool, what are you two going as?" Rainbow asks.

"Actually...we don't know," I say. "At least, I don't."

"Me neither," Twilight says. "Rarity hasn't told us yet."

"Oh, you're going to love them," Rarity says with a smile. "They're simply perfect for you!"

Friday, October 30, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is routine. Even though we don't have a match tomorrow, the coach is yelling at us not to slack off.

Friday, October 30, 2015 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I see Rainbow Dash walking around the lounge. She's limping a little, and frowning each time she takes a step on that leg, but she doesn't seem to be in any danger of falling over.

"Now, don't push yourself, Rainbow," Cadance says. "Take it slow."

"I know, I know," Rainbow says. "Gotta build the strength back up." She sees me watching her. "Hey."

"Hey. Good to see you on your own two feet again."

Rainbow chuckles. "Heh, yeah. More or less."

"How's Fluttershy doing?" I ask.

"Better," Cadance says. "Her fever broke, and she's still pretty hoarse, but..." She frowns. "Whatever she had, it wasn't the flu. I don't think." She shakes her head. "Strange."

"Such a shame, too," Rarity says from the lounge entrance. "She worked so hard on her costume for Halloween, too. She was going to go as a vampire queen. It was really quite magnificent."

Cadance looks thoughtful. "She might not have to miss the party," she says. "If she makes as much of a recovery by this time tomorrow as she did from yesterday, I think she can go. If she wants to." She grimaces. "I didn't peg Fluttershy for one of those kids who gets moody when she's sick."

"Yeah, she has been actin' a little bitchy since yesterday," Rainbow says. "Then again, I guess if I was throwin' up like that, I would too."

Twilight comes downstairs. "Rarity, I don't know about that costume," she says. "It's..."

"Oh, but you look so wonderful in it, darling!" Rarity says.

"But I—"

"It's Halloween, Twilight," Rarity says patiently. "Don't worry so much! You'll be with Flash, and...I dare say he'll appreciate your costume." She winks. Twilight flushes.

"What's she got you dressing up as?" I ask.

Twilight opens her mouth, but Rarity rushes over and puts her hand over it. "Hush now," she says. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Umm..." Twilight pulls Rarity's hand away. "You said Flash's costume complements mine, though, right? Won't he...well...know?"

"Oh. Yes. Good point." Rarity coughs. "Ahem. But the others don't know yet, and don't you want to surprise them?"

Twilight sighs. "I guess..."

"Good!" Rarity claps her hands. "It's settled. Come along, Flash. It's time for your fitting..."

With a sudden feeling of dread, I follow Rarity upstairs.

As soon as I see the outfit spread out on her bed, I know exactly what Twilight's going to be wearing tomorrow.

...I kinda can't wait to see it.

After Rarity finishes up my fitting, I head to my room to practice my guitar. After dinner, Luna volunteers the two of us to do dishes.

Remembering what I heard yesterday, I ask, "Is Sunset Shimmer's Canterbook access really as restricted as Principal Celestia thinks it is?"

Luna frowns. "I honestly don't know," she says. "But it would make sense to me if she were able to exploit the system's security holes." She sighs. "Eschewing traditional scholastics for this completely digital education system was a mistake. My sister believes herself to be progressive, but she does not always see the flaws in her plans..." She scrubs at a spot on a plate. "When we were young, schools taught cursive writing, and even into high school, you were graded on penmanship."

It suddenly occurs to me that I don't even know how to write in cursive...

"Does the janitor really have tier three Canterbook access?" I ask.

Luna nods. "Yes," she says. "And don't ask why. I don't know. My sister met him while I was..." She sighs, bowing her head.

"While you were...?"

She looks down at the dishrag in her hand. "While I was in prison."

...what?!

She looks up at me ruefully. "That's why I know Sunset Shimmer is a troubled teenager. Because she reminds me of myself when I was younger." She dries her hands and looks around. "Well...I'd best be turning in now. I'll be leaving early in the morning."

I finish up the dishes and head out to the lounge, trying to wrap my head around the thought of Vice-Principal Luna having a prison record...
> 10/31 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, October 31, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Some use Halloween to reveal their inner selves. Food for thought.

It's Halloween.

The big Halloween party is tonight and lasts until past midnight.

Most of us decide to stay in at the dorm and watch scary movies all day until time to get ready for the party. Pinkie's at the school helping set up.

Fluttershy comes downstairs for lunch looking like she's feeling better. She sits in the lounge and plays with Spike and Angel.

"Do you think you'll be feeling up to coming to the party tonight, Fluttershy?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy nods. "I'll be there," she says. "I paid too much money for my costume to let it go to waste." She gasps. "Oh! I'd better get upstairs and start working on my hair..." She rushes off.

"Well, she seems to be feelin' better," Applejack says.

Pinkie returns. "Wow, we got the gym set up in record time!" she says. "You guys are gonna love it!" She heads upstairs. "I gotta start getting ready. It's gonna take a while to do my costume!"

"I suppose the rest of us had best start getting ready as well," Twilight says.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 / Afternoon

I've never worn a tuxedo before. I'm not sure I like it. It's not exactly comfortable.

Granted, most tuxedos aren't as elaborate as this, but...

The black pants and jacket aside, I'm wearing a white dress shirt that feels like a strait jacket, and between that and the tuxedo jacket is this white vest that only buttons up at the bottom...is this what they call a waistcoat? I know nothing about formal wear. Except that wearing it sucks. There's something gold, pointless, and on a chain hanging from one of the buttonholes of this thing.

Rarity adjusts my white bow tie, then attaches some sort of medal to it. She steps back, then looks me over. "Be careful with the cape," she says. "Especially on the stairs and while dancing."

Yeah...then there's that.

I'm wearing a full-length black opera cape with red lining.

I adjust the white formal gloves I'm wearing. Rarity hands me the final two pieces of the costume: a black top hat and a white silk domino mask. I put on the hat, then, with difficulty, figure out how I'm supposed to wear the mask.

Rarity's cheeks turn pink. "You look...positively breathtaking," she says. "Twilight's going to be so surprised...oh! I need to go check on her. Her costume is...rather more difficult to work with."

I'll just bet.

I head down to the lounge, mindful of my cape. Rainbow Dash is lounging around. She's wearing a beige and olive green explorer's outfit and pith helmet, and has done something to her hair; instead of the usual vibrant rainbow hues, it's several shades of grey. She looks at me and busts out laughing. "Dude, the Fall Formal isn't for another two weeks!"

Fluttershy walks downstairs, and we both stare at her.

She's wearing a layered black Gothic dress with black stockings and calf-high black leather boots with stiletto heels. The fake fingernails she's wearing are long and blood red. A very dark red lipstick has been applied to her lips, and she's wearing very convincing false fangs. She's dyed black streaks into her hair.

"How do I look?" she asks.

"Like a vamp...ire," Rainbow says.

The next to enter the lounge is Euphrosyne.

...wait, what?

"Pinkie? What...what the heck are you wearing?" Rainbow asks.

Pinkie is dressed as, well...her Persona. Her entire body is covered in light silver body paint, half her hair has been dyed in vibrant, fiery colors, and she's wearing the blue, red, and pink belly dancer outfit. She's even wearing just one roller skate, and her left foot is bare. All that's missing is the cup and pitcher and the balloons exploding out of her hair.

"Oh...my..." Fluttershy says, eyes wide.

"Won't...won't you be cold?" I ask, trying very hard not to stare.

"Nah, it'll be warm in the gym," Pinkie says.

"What the heck are you even supposed to be?" Rainbow asks.

"Fun personified, of course!" Pinkie says, giving her chest a generous bounce.

"Yeah yeah, we can all see your fun hanging out," Rainbow says, sticking out her tongue.

"Speaking of fun, I'm really enjoying Buzz Lightyear," Pinkie says to Rainbow.

"Buzz Lightyear?" I ask.

"You know, that toy Dashie gave me," Pinkie says. "I call him Buzz because he takes me to infinity and beyond," she adds with a playful wink.

"AUGH!" I should've known better than ask...

"Nobody laugh," Twilight's voice calls from the stairs. We all turn.

Twilight walks into the lounge. Her costume draws every eye in the room:

A white sleeveless leotard with ribbed cuffs at the shoulders, cut low enough at the front to show decolletage and topped with a blue naval collar flap. A swishy blue miniskirt with a large red bow at the small of her back. A matching bow on her chest, with a gold brooch in the center that has four small round gems at twelve, three, six, and nine. Knee-length high-heeled red boots with white trim and small yellow crescent moons at the top. Elbow-length white gloves with red ribbed cuffs. A red choker around her neck with a gold crescent moon at the front, from which dangles a smaller version of the brooch on her chest. A slim gold tiara on her forehead, with a red oval gem in the center. Pearl-and-moon earrings. A blond wig with two small, intricate buns on top, from which trail long golden ponytails. Round red ornaments on the fronts of those buns, and two small clips with three white feathers in the front.

Pinkie gasps. "WOW, Twilight! That's an amazing Sailor Moon costume!"

"Ooooh, NOW I get what Flash is dressed as!" Rainbow says.

Twilight looks at me and covers her cheeks, blushing. "Oh wow," she says.

"Wow right back at you," I say. "That...really looks good on you."

"Awww..." Pinkie coos.

Twilight looks at her, and her eyes bug out. "PINKIE! What...?!"

Pinkie does a turn around the lounge on her single skate. "This is fun! Whee!"

"Wouldn't Sailor Mercury make more sense for you though, Twilight?" Rainbow asks, tilting her head. "I don't really remember much about that show, but she was the egghead, right?"

"But then my costume wouldn't match Flash's," Twilight says. She looks around. "Where's Applejack? I know Rarity isn't ready yet, she had to help me first..."

"Ah'm right...*cough* I'm here," Applejack says, forcing her voice into a lower register and trying to use a different accent. She walks in from the hallway connecting Cadance's apartment to the dorm.

Applejack is wearing black pants and a high-collared black jacket with white piping, as well as rugged black men's boots. A silver pocketwatch with a chain hangs out of her right pants pocket. She's also wearing a red longcoat and white gloves. Her hat is absent; she's restyled her hair, which is tied in a tight braid instead of the usual ponytail, and she's wearing gold contact lenses.

"Whoa, kick-ass costume, Applejack!" Rainbow says.

"What are you supposed to be?" I ask.

"You don't watch near enough anime," Applejack says in that cocky, more masculine voice and different accent. "I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"I've heard of that show," Twilight says. "Never watched it."

"It's really violent and scary," Fluttershy says.

"Hey Flash, heads up," Applejack says, tossing something at me. I catch it. It's...a set of keys?

"Coach and Nurse Cadance had to go on ahead since they're chaperonin'," Applejack says. "Since you've got your license, Cadance wants you to drive the rest of us over in her SUV."

"Got it," I say.

"Where the heck's Rarity?" Rainbow wonders. "We gotta get this show on the road!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting, darlings!"

Rarity enters the lounge, dressed in a dark blue kimono patterned with diamonds, with a white sash and black lacquered sandals. Her hair is tied up in a stiff, shiny bun, pinned with chopsticks.

"Nice kimono," Twilight says.

"Yeah, you look...really Neighponese there," Applejack says.

I check the time. "Everybody ready? We should get going."

Everybody checks to make sure they have their phones and aren't missing anything. I lock up the dorm, then we all pile into the SUV.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 / Evening

I pull into the school parking lot and cut off the engine. As we all get out of the SUV, I look at the school's entrance and see that it's been completely decorated in orange and black and spooky bats, spiders, and pumpkins. We make our way inside, passing a number of other students in various costumes, and head for the gym.

Just inside the gym entrance, we run into Shining Armor. I have to struggle not to laugh out loud.

Twilight doesn't bother. She busts out laughing right in his face.

"Heeheehee...h-hi, Big Brother...hahahaha...y-you look...ridiculous!"

Shining Armor crosses his arms and frowns. "Oh, come on! I worked really hard on this outfit!" This actually makes Twilight giggle harder.

I honestly can't blame her. Shining Armor is barefoot, dressed in patched, dirty white Saddle Arabian pants that are so oddly ballooned it looks like he's got a bad case of elephantitis of the nuts, tied with a red sash at the top, and a sleeveless blue vest that's wide open, baring his entire chest. He has a tiny little red fez on his head, and his hair is all mussed up.

I tilt my head. "Couldn't you have at least gone with the prince costume? Or at least the outfit from the end of the movie?" I ask.

Shining Armor blushes and looks away. "I wanted to, but Cadance said no..."

Twilight completely loses it and has to lean against the wall for support.

Rarity smiles. "So then Nurse Cadance must be dressed as..."

Cadance walks up, wearing Saddle Arabian pants that are pale blue and ever so slightly sheer, matching slippers with curled toes, a matching off-the-shoulder top that bares her midriff, a matching jeweled hairband, and a gold necklace and earrings. She looks at me and Twilight and smiles. "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, now why didn't I think of that?"

"Yeah Cadie, why didn't you think of that?" Shining Armor grumbles.

Cadance laughs. "You all look ama...zing..." She does a double-take at Pinkie. "Umm...are you...sure you want to walk around like that?"

"It's warm enough in here," Pinkie says, shrugging.

"That's...not quite what I meant..."

Shining Armor turns very red. "Uhh...yeah, Pinkie, you...probably shouldn't..."

"It's not like I'm naked or anything!" Pinkie huffs. "Besides, I need to catch a guy tonight. Pinkie needs a boyfriend!" With that, she skates off into the gym.

"I'll...stick close to Pinkie Pie," Rarity says. "Make sure she doesn't...ahem..." With that, she minces off after Pinkie.

"I'm gonna hit the snack table," Rainbow Dash says. "You comin', AJ?"

"Yeah, I'm starvin'," Applejack says, still keeping up her fake accent. They wander off to the refreshments.

Cadance looks Fluttershy up and down. "That's an interesting look for you," she says. "I'm glad you're feeling well enough to be here."

Fluttershy smiles shyly. "Thank you," she says. "I...umm...I'm just going to stand over there with...with some of the other eco kids..."

That just leaves me, Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor. "Wanna dance?" I ask Twilight.

She smiles sheepishly. "Love to," she says. I lead her out onto the floor.

We do more people watching than we do actual dancing. Looking around the gym, I see a lot of people I know...

Vinyl Scratch is, unsurprisingly, handling the music. At least, I think it's her. She's dressed as one of those Daft Punk guys, so I can't be sure.

Trixie is dressed as a Playboy bunny. It's a good look for her.

Lyra is dressed as Korra. Her friend Sweetie Drops is dressed as Asami. Interesting choice...

Coco Pommel is dressed in a cute lamb costume. Our new team manager is dressed as a classic mummy.

Sunset Shimmer is dressed as Blackfire. I don't see her two goons anywhere...

Lyra and Sweetie Drops wander over to us when we take a break to get some sodas. "Hey, awesome costumes, you guys!" Lyra says.

"Thank you," Twilight says. "You too."

After about an hour, we regroup with the other girls and make the rounds, having a good time showing off our costumes and seeing what everybody else came as. It's a night for forgetting about things like hackers and deadly Shadows and school stress and all that...it's a night for having fun.

And tomorrow, there'll be pictures of a half-naked Pinkie all over Canterbook, but she seems strangely okay with this. She spends half the night flirting with assorted boys...

Even though the party's going to last until well past midnight, most of the girls from the dorm are tired by half past eleven. Twilight falls asleep a couple of times on a folding chair. Rainbow is sitting more than standing and dancing; her leg is bothering her. Fluttershy has been sitting down for over an hour.

I gather all the girls together. "If anybody wants to stay late, you'll have to go home with Cadance," I say. "I'm taking Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash home now."

"Hey! I wanna stay!" Rainbow says.

"And what, sit by yourself? You've already overdone it tonight and you know it."

Rainbow sighs. "Yeah..."

"Ah'm gittin'...pretty tired," Applejack says. She gave up on the fake accent a while ago.

"This kimono is...growing uncomfortable," Rarity admits. "And I do need my beauty sleep."

"I think I'm ready to go," Pinkie says. "My butt's getting sore from all the grabbing."

"Hey, if you hadn't dressed like that—" Rainbow says.

"Oh, I don't mind the butt-grabbing," Pinkie says. "I just wanna be able to sit down tomorrow."

"...yeah, you need to be hosed down, girl..."

"And disinfected."

"And dunked in holy water."

I cough. "Ladies? Let's...just go home."

I'm glad the drive back to the dorm is a short one, because I'm tired...

I don't even bother peeling off my costume when I get back to my room. I just flop onto my bed and crash.
> 11/1 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, November 1, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): People are talking about you behind your back.

It's late in the morning before everybody is up and around...except for Pinkie, apparently, who went to work before anybody else woke up. The only one who has any real energy today is Rarity, who's preoccupied with gathering up everybody's costumes from yesterday and taking them out to be cleaned and stored.

As soon as I'm done changing into casual clothes and getting Rarity out of my hair, I grab a pop tart and a glass of juice, then flop back into bed. I think about turning on the television, but decide I'd rather go back to bed.

A little while later, Twilight walks in, wearing a tank top and shorts, and flops down next to me. "I'm so tired," she says.

"Me too."

She snuggles up to me and falls asleep...

Sunday, November 1, 2015 / Evening

Twilight wakes me up. Her stomach is growling like an angry monster. "Dinner," she says.

We head downstairs; someone ordered pizza for the whole dorm. We seem to be doing a lot of that lately...

"Well, there's lots of pics and video from last night on Canterbook," Rainbow says. "Including pics of Pinkie making out with like, three different guys."

"What's gotten into that gal lately?" Applejack wonders.

"She just...wants a boyfriend," I say. "And you know Pinkie, she throws herself into everything she does..."

Pinkie comes back from work a little while later, looking exhausted. She eats a few slices of mostly cold pizza, then goes upstairs without really saying a word to anybody. Twilight and I decide to watch a couple of movies before going to bed...in our own separate rooms this time.
> 11/2 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 2, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't try to make excuses for your friends today.

Principal Celestia will be returning to the dorm this evening.

After breakfast, I head out with Twilight to walk Spike. It's getting pretty cold; Twilight's wearing a royal purple sweater today. I'm wearing the thickest shirt I own and my light jacket; I probably need to go shopping for heavier clothes soon.

"We've only got a few weeks to get ready for the next Shadow," Twilight says.

I nod. "We should go to Zodiac soon."

"Yeah." Twilight sighs. "I hope Pinkie's gonna be okay at school today. There's a lot of pictures and video of her from Halloween flying around on Canterbook."

"I'm pretty sure that's what she wanted," I say.

"Yeah, but aren't you worried she might go too far with this?"

I frown. "I think she'll calm down sooner or later. Besides, Pinkie can handle herself." I laugh. "If anything, anybody that tries something with Pinkie might not survive it..."

"Flash!" Twilight snaps. "This is serious! You saw her Wednesday night..."

"Twilight, I really think this is just her way of dealing with stuff. Just...if she needs us, we'll be there for her, but..."

Twilight sighs.

Monday, November 2, 2015 / Morning

Ten minutes into homeroom, Principal Celestia makes an announcement over the PA.

"Good morning, everyone! The Fall Formal is next Friday. If you're interested in running for Fall Formal Princess, please sign up on Canterbook. Voting will open on Wednesday."

The Fall Formal...

I'll need to find an outfit for that. Something that isn't a tuxedo.

Monday, November 2, 2015 / Lunch

When I join my friends for lunch, Rarity is already going on about dresses and planning. "Did you sign up to run for Princess?" I ask her.

"Well of course, darling," she says.

I look at Twilight. "How about you? Did you sign up?"

Twilight blushes. "I...I don't think..." She looks down into her mashed potatoes. "I...think I shouldn't run..."

"Aww, but you said you were gonna run!" Pinkie pouts.

"I-it's just..."

"It'd be awfully nice if my date to the Fall Formal was the Fall Formal Princess," I say. "I mean, assuming you'll be my date..."

"Of course I'm going with you," Twilight says. She runs her fork through her potatoes. "I..." She sighs and pulls out her phone. "Alright, I'm in."

We all cheer.

Monday, November 2, 2015 / After School

After school, Rainbow Dash asks me to help her exercise. We kick the soccer ball back and forth for half an hour, then go for a light jog. After that, I work on homework until time for dinner.

Monday, November 2, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, I head out to do a little grocery shopping, since I'm almost out of sodas and need some more snacks.

When I get back to the dorm, I notice Celestia's door is ajar. I hear Cadance and Celestia talking in Celestia's room.

"I'm just concerned about her," Celestia says. "The videos that went up all over Canterbook today...you must admit it's a bit alarming. And my sister tells me she received a rather...graphic present for her birthday..."

"Pinkie's just...a little..."

I knock on the door. Celestia looks up. "Yes, Flash?"

I walk in. "Listen, about Pinkie..." I explain to them everything I know about Pinkie's difficulties with her family, her having given up on tennis because her parents aren't giving her money for nonessentials, her sister moving away, and the revelations from Wednesday night about Pinkie's crush on me.

"Wow," Cadance says. "I...I had no idea so much was going on with her..."

"I recall Maud," Celestia says. "Very odd girl." She sighs. "She's the only member of the Pie family Pinkie gets along with?"

"Apparently," I say. "I'm worried about Pinkie too...she's my friend. But as to the way she's been acting lately...I think I kinda get it." I look Celestia and Cadance both in the eye. "Pinkie's stressed out and frustrated. She's looking for some kind of release valve. I think she's, well..." I shrug. "I know sometimes when I get frustrated, I get, you know..."

"Horny?" Cadance suggests. She smiles. "Yeah...I can understand that."

"I can too," Celestia says. "Still..."

"The thing is...I haven't known Pinkie that long, but I do know she, well...really throws herself into whatever she does," I say. "But...I don't think she's going to do anything stupid. I mean, really stupid. If she finds a boyfriend or something else to distract her, she'll probably settle down."

"I hope you're right, Flash," Celestia says.

I leave Celestia's room...and find Pinkie standing just outside, out of view, her eyes full of tears.

I grab her hand and pull her to my room.

"Pinkie..."

"Everybody thinks I'm a slut now, don't they?" she asks.

"No, of course not!"

Pinkie sighs, rubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I'm so stupid..."

"No, you're not," I say. "Look...you're going through a lot lately. Everybody has their own way of dealing with stuff."

"Yeah, I heard you telling Cadance and Principal Celestia that," Pinkie says. "Do...do you really believe that?"

"Of course I do," I say. "I think you're just blowing off some steam...it's just that, well...you can be a little over-the-top."

Pinkie smiles and sniffles. "Yeah..." She looks down at her hands, which are now folded in her lap. "You know," she says quietly, "I...I really did want to have sex with you...so many times, I thought about just coming up here and..."

"Pinkie, don't," I say.

"No, I have to," she says. "There are a lot of cute boys at school, but...but until I met you, I never even thought about..." She sighs. "I guess...I just wanted to do something selfish. I like making people smile and laugh...seeing somebody else happy makes me happy...but lately, I...I haven't been very happy." She frowns. "I guess I've been a little crazy this past month or so..."

"It's not selfish to want to do something just for yourself," I say. "But...maybe tone it down a bit?"

Pinkie laughs. "Yeah..." She gets up and hugs me, then heads out. I practice my guitar with the amplifier unplugged for a little while, then go to bed.
> 11/3 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Popularity is hard work. Not everybody is suited for it.

Music Club is uneventful today. After an hour of jamming with my friends there, I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 / Evening

Twilight is waiting for me when I get back. She's shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"Umm...hey, Flash," she says.

"What's up?"

Twilight's cheeks are red. "Umm...so I just found out...I have to make a video..."

"A video?"

"All the candidates for Fall Formal Princess have to make a video and post it on Canterbook. To, umm...why everyone should vote for them..."

"Oh." I shrug. "I'll help you."

"Thanks," Twilight says. "I...I'm nervous about this..."

"Don't be!" I say. "Just be yourself. Show everyone how smart and cute you are. Your natural charm is all you need!"

"In other words, go naked," Rainbow says as she walks past.

Twilight's cheeks turn very red. "Hold that thought," she says. She walks up behind Rainbow...and kicks her right in the butt.

"Ow! Hey!" Rainbow skips a bit in place, then turns and gives Twilight the finger.

I laugh. "You had that one coming, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow gives me the evil eye...then laughs. "Yeah. I guess I did. Good one, egghead." She heads upstairs.

"Tell you what," I say. "After dinner, pick out a nice outfit, then meet me in the lounge and we'll see what we can come up with."

Twilight smiles. "Thanks."

It takes a while to convince everyone to vacate the lounge after dinner, a bit longer for Twilight to decide on an outfit (she opts for the one she wore on our first date), longer still to decide on exactly what she's going to say as we shoot the video, and even longer to keep random residents of the dorm from popping up and screwing us up. By the time we finally have a workable video, it's past ten and Twilight's cranky.

"You go ahead and get some sleep," I tell her. "I'll edit this and give it to you in the morning before school."

"Thanks," Twilight says. She heads upstairs.

I browse through the footage I recorded and sigh. This is gonna take all night...
> 11/4 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If you don't have your health, you don't have anything.

I was up until one in the morning editing Twilight's video. Waking up at seven and not having a lot of time to get ready for school is bullshit. But...it's for Twilight...

When I head downstairs for breakfast, Twilight hugs me. "Thanks," she says. "I love what you did with this."

"You're welcome," I say. "Can I have coffee now?"

Twilight looks at me with concern. "Oh, Flash..." She frowns. "How late were you up?"

"Late," I say. "Coffee?"

"Here you go, cup of joe!" Pinkie says, shoving a coffee cup in my hand. I drink it, not even paying attention.

Hooooooooly fuck what was in that.

I think I'm vibrating.

"Better?" Pinkie asks.

"I think I see the air," I say.

"Yeah, that'll wear off in a few minutes." Pinkie wanders off to tend to breakfast.

"Flash? Are you okay?" Twilight asks.

"Are you in ultra HD? Your pores are like...whoa..."

"Pinkie, what the hell was IN that coffee?"

"Uh-oh...I miiiiiight've put a little too much Party Dip in there..."

"PARTY DIP?! Pinkie, that's stuff's ille—"

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / Morning

A bell ringing jerks me to my senses. I look up. I'm in homeroom. How did I get here?

Wasn't I just about to have breakfast with Twilight?

My head feels broken.

"You okay, Flash?" the guy who sits next to me (what's his name?) asks. "You didn't look so good when your girlfriend brought you in, and then you just like, crashed..."

The fog in my head is slowly beginning to clear. "Bubble," I say. Why did I say bubble?

The intercom buzzes. "Good morning, students. At lunch, the promotional videos for the four students competing for the coveted Fall Formal crown will be available for viewing on Canterbook. Remember, voting begins at lunch today and runs through to the day of the Fall Formal. Each student can only vote once!"

Fall Formal...videos...

I remember now...I was up all night editing Twilight's video...

I still can't remember anything that happened at breakfast this morning, or how I got to school.

Mr. Turner is ready to start the lesson. I'll worry about it later...

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / Lunch

At lunch, the videos for the four Fall Formal Princess candidates are posted to Canterbook.




Twilight Sparkle sits on the sofa in the Applewood Dorm lounge, wearing a dark purple knee-length dress with a black belt, black stockings, and purple flats. Her legs are crossed and her hands folded in her lap demurely.

"Umm, hello...my name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm running for Princess of the Fall Formal. I'm not in any clubs, and...I guess I'm not all that popular, really...but I love studying and I...well, from what I've read, these things are popularity contests and you vote for the pretty girl with the cool boyfriend, and...well...I have a cool boyfriend, and he tells me I'm pretty, so...yeah...

"I don't really expect to win, but...if you want to vote for me, that'd be great. I'd kind of like to win, it'd be nice to win a popularity contest and...

"Umm...thank you for your time."




"Wow. That...was pretty lame," Rainbow Dash says.

"It was supposed to be," Twilight says. She gets a sneaky smile. "See, we...we worked it out..." She blushes. "Flash says my main appeal point is my...what was that word you used?"

"Adorkableness."

"Right, that...he says when I'm being awkward and dorky, I'm at my cutest. So we just...played to my strengths." She blushes. "That, or we just made me look like the biggest dork in school..."




Rarity sings a song about becoming popular, with a catchy pop beat, all while going through about a dozen wardrobe changes.




"Wow. How much did you spend on that?"

"Oh, that? It's been sitting around on my computer for months, darling. I, ah, made it during the summer, when I was bored..."




Sunset Shimmer sits in a throne-like plush velvet chair, wearing her usual attire, legs crossed; she holds a wine glass in one hand. She gives the camera a sultry smirk.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, and I am your Fall Formal Princess."




"Confident, isn't she?"

There's one more candidate...




The replacement tennis club manager sits on a stool, her lazy eye drifting as she plays a musical saw. Behind her, a girl periodically bangs on a cowbell.




"..."

"..."

"..."

"...needs more cowbell."

We all pull out our phones and vote, then turn our attentions to our lunches.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is exhausting, as usual. We have a particularly tough match coming up this weekend. By the time the coach is finished working us, I'm so exhausted I can barely walk home.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 / Evening

I'm tired...

Between staying up too late last night, the crash from this morning, and tennis practice, I'm not feeling well...

Homework can wait until in the morning. I'm too tired for my guitar. I'm too tired to eat dinner. I feel like crap.

As soon as I make it to my room, I strip to my boxers and crawl into bed.
> 11/5 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, November 5, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may be in for a rough few days.

"Flash?"

A gentle but insistent shaking wakes me up. I open my eyes; they hurt. My head hurts. Everything hurts. "Ugh..."

"Flash? Are you okay?"

It's Twilight. She stops shaking me. I sit up. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eight," Twilight says. I feel her hand press against my forehead. "Oh my gosh!" She rushes out of my room.

My head's fuzzy...

Wait, it's what time? Crap!

I push myself to the edge of the bed. I still feel tired...actually, I feel worse than I did when I went to bed last night.

Cadance enters, with Twilight right behind her. She touches my forehead, then jams a thermometer in my mouth. After a minute, it lets out several shrill beeps. Cadance pulls it out of my mouth, looks at it, and frowns. "Twilight, out. Now. You're not to set foot in Flash's room again until I say otherwise. And I'd better give you some Bannaflu. Again."

Twilight gasps. "Is...is he...?"

"He has a pretty high fever," Cadance says. She looks sternly at me. "How sick do you feel?"

"I feel like crap," I say. "Really tired...kinda achy."

Cadance sighs. "It's going around, alright. I'd better make another announcement about flu shots...not that it'll do any good." She looks at Twilight and snaps her fingers. "Out!"

Twilight eeps and ducks out of the room, pausing only long enough to call out "Feel better!" to me.

"Back in bed," Cadance orders. "I'll bring you up some breakfast and some medicine."

"Did I catch Fluttershy's flu?" I ask.

"I don't think Fluttershy had the flu," Cadance says. "I think she had...something else."

"Something...female?" I ask.

"Yeah, more or less," Cadance says. "But you have the flu. Probably. I've sent three kids home this week with high fevers. It's going around."

I sigh. "Great."

"Rest up...I'll bring you something to eat and some orange juice. Take the meds I give you then go back to sleep. I'll come back at noon to check up on you."

I lie back down, adjusting my pillows to prop myself up. Going back to bed sounds good...

Several minutes later, Cadance returns with a bed tray containing a bowl of oatmeal, some toast, some scrambled eggs, and a tall glass of orange juice, as well as more Bannaflu and a small cup of NyteNyte. She leaves; I eat breakfast and take my medicine, then lay back down.

The NyteNyte kicks in pretty fast...

Thursday, November 5, 2015 / Lunch

I wake up to the sounds and smells of Cadance bringing me lunch. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Miserable." I'm hurting worse now than I was this morning. I have a chill.

Cadance must have picked up on this, because she spreads an extra blanket over my bed. "I brought you a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup," she says. "I need to take your temp again first, though." She sticks her thermometer in my mouth again; it makes the same series of shrill beeps. She frowns at it. "101.4," she says. "I'll get the doctor to come by this evening." She lays out some more medication on the tray, then sets it up over me. I sit up. "Eat up, take your medicine, go back to sleep...if you can't sleep, just watch TV...don't get up unless you have to go to the bathroom." She heads out again.

I eat my lunch and take my medicine, then turn on the TV and find something to watch...

The only thing on worth watching is some old cartoons. I fall asleep watching them. As I'm drifting off, I wonder at the fact that Cadance knows a doctor who still makes house calls...

Thursday, November 5, 2015 / Evening

I'm still feeling as miserable as I was earlier today.

I'm watching the evening news when Cadance walks in with an older man with dusky blue skin and salt-and-pepper hair who's wearing a white lab coat. The man walks up to me and starts feeling my lymph nodes, then shines a light in my mouth. He takes my temperature with an ear thermometer, then listens to my chest. "Yep, this kid's got the flu," he says. "You didn't need to call me all the way out here to tell you that, Cadenza."

"I had to," Cadance says. "Procedure, you know..."

"Right, right..." The doctor shakes his head. "You know what to do. Keep him in bed at least three days...if his fever goes over 103, take him to the emergency room." He claps a hand on my shoulder. "Take it easy, kid." He takes a moment to scribble something on a prescription pad, which he hands to Cadance, then leaves.

Cadance shakes her head. "Well, you heard him. I'll let your coach know you're not playing on Saturday. What do you want to eat for dinner?"

"Not really hungry," I say. "Maybe just some more tomato soup."

Cadance smiles. "Alright."

"I didn't know doctors still made house calls," I say.

Cadance looks sheepish. "Umm...well...that was my dad," she says. "He'll make house calls for me."

"Oh." I frown. "He called you...what?"

"Nevermind that," Cadance says. "I'll go get your soup."

"Thanks."

Celestia peeks in. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks.

"Actually, could you run to the pharmacy for me?" Cadance asks, holding out the prescription.

"Sure," Celestia says. She looks at me with pity. "I hope you feel better soon," she says.

"Thanks."

Cadance leaves. I pull out my phone and scroll through a dozen or so messages from friends, all wishing me well. I reply to most of them.

Cadance comes back with more soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, as well as a big glass of juice. She also puts an entire bottle of orange juice in my fridge. "You need to drink as much of that as you can stand," she says.

A little while later, Celestia returns with the medicine the doctor prescribed, as well as a quart of vanilla fudge swirl ice cream. "Ice cream always makes me feel better when I'm sick," she says, handing me the ice cream and a spoon.

"Thank you." The ice cream is good...it does feel good to my throat, which has gotten a bit sore since this afternoon.

"Get some rest," Celestia says.

After I finish my ice cream, I spend some time texting Twilight. Feeling tired and weak, I go to sleep at about nine...somewhere around there.

I haven't had the flu since I was ten. Man, it sucks...
> 11/9 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 9, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You never know what someone is capable of just by looking at them.

I spent the entire weekend in bed with the flu.

My fever broke early yesterday afternoon, but I still had sweats and chills and still felt like crap. I dragged myself downstairs for the first time in days around dinnertime, but stayed clear of everyone else. I didn't spend very long downstairs.

Today, I'm feeling a lot better, but Cadance says I can't go back to school until tomorrow. I'm going to spend today catching up on schoolwork I've missed and practicing my guitar. Vinyl had an eye doctor appointment today, but she had to make other arrangements. I did text her for moral support, though.

Monday, November 9, 2015 / Evening

I join everyone for dinner.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Twilight says.

"Me too," I say. "Now I'm starting to know how Rainbow Dash must've felt when she was cooped up in the dorm."

"Yeah, it gets old pretty fast...but at least I wasn't stuck in bed with the flu," Rainbow says, wrinkling her nose.

I'm still supposed to rest so I don't relapse, and Cadance still doesn't want the girls hanging around with me too much yet, so after dinner, I head back up to my room to watch a little television before bed.

Luna opens my door and peeks in. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" she asks.

"Of course."

She walks in. "I'm sure the others didn't mention it while you were ill, but...Sunset Shimmer's accomplices have been up to some underhanded tricks to undermine the other candidates for Fall Formal Princess."

"I'm not surprised."

"I didn't think you would be," Luna says. "At the moment, the voting is very close...only two-thirds of the student body have voted. My concern is that Sunset Shimmer may attempt some last-minute trick to alter the vote count." She sighs. "We should be counting votes by hand, not electronically."

"She could stuff the ballot box," I point out. "They used to do that, right?"

"True." Luna sighs. "Technology just...makes it easier for girls like that..."

"Can I ask a personal question?"

"That depends."

"You said...you'd been in prison."

"And you want to know why?"

I nod.

Luna chuckles ruefully. "I...was very jealous of my sister growing up," she says. "As we grew older, our relationship grew more strained. I was spending more time with...the wrong crowd." She looks down. "One day, Celestia decided she needed to intervene in my life...I saw it as meddling, as her trying to control me. I...stabbed her."

I gasp.

"Repeatedly." Tears fall from Luna's eyes. "I very nearly killed her. My sister..." She shakes her head. "I saw the shock and pity in her eyes, and I broke. I couldn't believe what I had done...

"I did three years of a five year sentence after Celestia herself begged the prosecutor to decrease the charge from attempted murder to assault. After I got out...Celestia had just become principal of Canterlot High, and she offered me a job at her side. I...wondered how she could possibly forgive me after what I'd done, but..." She looks away, wiping her eyes. "Every day since then, I've worked to earn my sister's forgiveness, even though she forgave me long ago. I...haven't really forgiven myself yet." She looks at me. "I look at Sunset Shimmer and I see the angry little bitch that tried to knife her own sister to death. I wonder...does Celestia see me in Sunset Shimmer as well? Is that why she's...trying so hard to ignore what's right in front of her?

"You should be getting to bed now, Flash. You don't want to get sick again...the Fall Formal is on Friday." Luna leaves.

It takes a long time for me to get to sleep, because I keep envisioning that horrible scene...
> 11/10 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't push yourself too hard. You have big things waiting for you in the near future.

Getting up to get ready for school is hard after several days of downtime. Still, I manage to be out the door with Twilight on time.

What I heard from Vice-Principal Luna last night still disturbs me...

"We don't have school tomorrow," Twilight points out. "It might be a good idea to go to Zodiac."

"Yeah...that sounds good..."

"I'll talk to Pinkie about it later," Twilight says.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / After School

Music club is the same as always. Everyone is glad to see I'm over the flu.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, I spend some time out in the yard helping Rainbow with her training. She's recovering from her injury with remarkable speed and determination.

By the time she's worn out and ready for bed, I'm exhausted. I'm still not completely back at full speed after being sick, so I decide to go to bed early.

We'll be going to Zodiac tomorrow...I need to be ready.
> 11/11 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't bite off more than you can chew.

Today is Veteran's Day. There is no school.

Twilight, Pinkie, Cadance, and I are going to Zodiac later today.

Before that, though, there's another matter to attend to: Rarity is taking all the girls shopping for dresses for the Fall Formal. Instead of getting dragged along for what will likely be a boring and innuendo-filled day of that, I'm going to go shop for my own outfit.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 / Daytime

It doesn't take me long to find a suit I like: a charcoal sport coat and matching pants with a navy blue dress shirt. I opt not to buy a tie, but I do buy new dress shoes. After I pay for my new suit, I text Twilight to see how the girls are doing.

They've been shopping for almost three hours and so far none of them has decided on a dress yet. I don't want to get roped into watching the girls shop all day, so I claim I have some more shopping to do, then put my phone away.

I swing by the dorm to drop off my purchases, then head out to lunch. That pizza buffet Twilight and I went to on a date is a good place, so I make my way there.

Surprisingly, it isn't very busy today, and there's plenty of food to choose from. However, one table in particular catches my attention.

Chrysalis, that CEO I met at Vinyl's eye doctor and have seen on the news a couple of times, is sitting at a party booth with seven other people. Most of them are children; the youngest looks to be about seven or eight, while the oldest is slightly older than me...probably around twenty. Curious, I decide to sit down at a table not far from their booth.

Chrysalis' gaze drifts to me, and she does a double-take. Then she returns to a conversation with the oldest person at the table. They all look like her, for the most part. The oldest is a guy; the second oldest is a girl who's probably still in high school, wearing fashionable clothes and not looking up from her phone even as she eats. There isn't much pizza on her plate; it looks like she's more into salad than carbs. Two slightly younger girls who appear to be twins are chatting animatedly as they swap pizza slices back and forth. The other three—the youngest—are all making a huge mess and running around laughing.

Chrysalis sighs. "Papillon, put down that phone and take those kids to the game room."

"Whatever, Mom," the fashionable girl with the phone says.

"Now," Chrysalis says impatiently.

"Ugh. Fine! Come on, brats." The girl stands up—not bothering to put her phone away—and leads the little kids off to the game room.

"She should show you more respect, Mother," the older boy says peevishly. "And can you really afford her ridiculous phone bill?"

"It'll be fine, Skeeter," Chrysalis says tiredly. "We're not exactly on the way to the gutter."

"No, we're just on our way to losing everything we have! She's texting away her college fund!"

Chrysalis rolls her eyes. "Like Papillon's going to bother with college," she says. "She'll latch onto some guy and bleed him dry like a tick." She gives Skeeter a dark look. "Like some of your fathers tried to do to me."

Skeeter looks angry. "That...was uncalled for, Mother," he says. He stands up and heads for the buffet line, his walk stiff and angry.

"Wow, harsh, Mom," one of the twins says.

Chrysalis sighs. "I'll apologize later. Right now, I just want him to shut up for a little while."

"Who could blame you?" the other twin says.

Skeeter returns, slams his tray down, and announces he's going to the bathroom. The twins wander off to see what their siblings are up to in the game room. Chrysalis sighs. She notices me watching them, and gives me a halfhearted smile. "I love my children, I really do. It's just..."

"You have seven kids?" I ask.

"Yes...and I never married any of their fathers. Well...for more than a week or two." Chrysalis smirks. "I'm not one for commitment...always focused on my career and my children." She sighs. "My career..." She laughs. "I guess that's...not going to be an issue for much longer..."

"I heard about that," I say. "I don't really follow financial news, but...you're about to lose your company, right?"

She nods. "It's not a question of if anymore, it's a question of when. I can only stonewall that asshole Sombra for so much longer." She sighs. "Then I'm going to have to sell everything I own and liquidate all my stock options just to make ends meet." She looks in the direction of the game room. "It's going to be hard on them..."

"So that's why you're here at the cheapo pizza place?" I ask. "Because of money troubles?"

Chrysalis laughs. "No, no! I'm here because my children love it. Well, most of them." She wrinkles her nose. "Skeeter hates eating at 'common' places, even though he's the most worried about our money, and Papillon...well...she's always on a diet for no reason whatsoever."

It occurs to me that this must be an amazing and formidable woman, to balance the stress of managing a major corporation with the stress of being a mother of seven without a husband...

"I'm Flash Sentry," I say, extending a hand. "I go to Canterlot High."

Chrysalis takes my hand and shakes it. "Nice to meet you," she says. "Take some free advice, kid: enjoy being young while you can. When you get older, life will eat you alive."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Tower Arcana...


All of Chrysalis' kids return at once, like some kind of bizarre human swarm. I go back to eating my pizza, watching the way they interact with each other and their mother.

I'm just about full when I get a text from Twilight. She wants me to meet her, Cadance, and Pinkie at the mall in two hours.

I decide to head to the mall early and kill time shopping for a birthday present for Rainbow Dash. I note down a number of things she might like, then head to the food court to meet up with the others. I quickly find Twilight and Pinkie seated at a table; Cadance is nowhere in sight.

"Hi Flash!" Twilight says as I join them. "Find anything good to wear Friday?"

"Yeah," I say. "How about you?"

"Oh, we all found just the right dresses," Twilight says, smiling. She looks around for a minute, then lowers her voice. "Cadance is waiting outside with our equipment," she says. "She didn't think bringing that stuff into the mall was a good idea..."

I nod. "How about Pinkie?" I look at Pinkie. "Do you have a weapon yet?"

Pinkie grins. "Uh-huh!"

"What'd you decide on?"

"Oh, you'll see..."

Twilight finishes up her hot dog, drains half her soda in one gulp, and crams most of a soft pretzel into her mouth. "Leffko," she mumbles around the pretzel, standing and heading for the exit.

"You know you're gonna go broke feeding her, right?" Pinkie says as we follow Twilight.

"Nah...she eats a lot, but she eats cheap." Pinkie giggles.

We find Cadance's SUV after a few minutes of roaming the mall parking lot. She greets us, then we look around to make sure the coast is clear...

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 / Zodiac

Pinkie watches the glowing texts floating by, enraptured. "So...this is all the really nasty stuff people say behind your back on Canterbook?" She shudders.

"Ignore it," Twilight and I both say.

"It's hard to ignore sometimes, but try," Cadance says. "Trust me...you're better off. Just...let it become a blur."

Pinkie nods, swallowing heavily. "So...where are the monster thingies?"

"Inside the mall," Cadance says. "That's usually how Shadows operate. It's only when the Zodiac Shadows show up that they wander around outside of buildings. I'm...not really sure why that is."

"You think we'll run into that other Persona user?" Twilight wonders.

"I hope not," I say. "She's part of the reason we need to train."

"If I pick up any sign of her, I'll let you know," Cadance says. She taps her phone. "Persona!"

Aphrodite appears. //I'm not sensing her,// Cadance says. //There's a lot of Shadows in the mall...some of them are pretty strong. Stay on the first floor...the stronger ones are on the second and third floors.//

"Got it," Twilight says. "Let's get our stuff together."

I reach into the back of Cadance's SUV and pull out three backpacks, handing Twilight and Pinkie theirs before shouldering my own. I hand Twilight her rapier, then pull out my axe. I frown. "I don't see a weapon back here for Pinkie..."

"Oh, mine's in my bag," Pinkie says cheerfully. She opens up her backpack and pulls out a long, shiny black leather whip.

Twilight stares at her. "You're kidding."

Pinkie takes a few steps away, winds up, and lets fly with her whip; it makes a sharp whu-krak! sound.

"I'm...sort of terrified now," I say.

"Me too," Twilight says, eyes wide.

Pinkie smirks at us, looping her whip around her waist with a flick of her wrist.

I shake my head. "Okay. Let's...let's just go fight some Shadows..."

We enter the mall, which looks absolutely creepy in the dark monochrome red wash of Zodiac. Several of the weak blob Shadows are lurking near the entrance; upon seeing us, they rush with a horrifying gurgling noise. These are wearing red butterfly masks with a Roman numeral 'II' engraved on them.

I charge in, cleaving one with my axe. It shudders under the blow, but doesn't disappear. "Huh...these things have gotten stronger..."

"I've got it!" Pinkie declares. She slings her whip around, then cracks it against the Shadow's mask. It explodes into bubbles of dark mist and evaporates.

Twilight shakes her head and summons Athena; Athena unleashes an electric attack that strikes the remaining Shadows. They all twitch and shudder as they melt halfway into the floor, looking like pools of spilled ink with masks floating in them.

//They're all stunned...you can finish them off now!//

The three of us charge in, weapons swinging. In a matter of seconds, the Shadows have all been destroyed.

"Whee, that was fun!" Pinkie says. "I was kinda hoping for more of a challenge, though..."

At precisely that moment, a furious-looking black lion slams into her, sending her flying.

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells. She rushes over to check on Pinkie, leaving me to face down the lion. Strangely, it's chained to a giant iron ball; the ball has a blue mask bolted onto it with the number XI etched upon it. It roars and swings the iron ball at me. I jump out of the way and summon Chiron, who rushes the lion with his flaming axe, slashing at its neck. It staggers, its paws sliding out from under it. I charge in and use my own axe to finish it off, cleaving its head in half. It melts into the floor and dissolves.

"Is Pinkie okay?"

"Yeah, I'm...just a little rattled," Pinkie says. She's already on her feet. "Uhh...we've got a little problem here, though..."

I look up and around.

Six more of those lions have surrounded us.

//It's okay! They're weak to fire!//

Then, I hear a strange sound...almost like motorcycles.

Three huge...things show up, joining the lions. They look like giant motorcycle wheels with huge steel spikes jutting from the hubs. The top half of each wheel is covered by a brown metal fender in the shape of a lion's mane. At the front of each is a golden lion-shaped mask with the Roman numeral "VII".

"Okay...I think I want the little blob thingies back," Pinkie whimpers.

//I'll see what I can find out about those new Shadows,// Cadance says. //Just...do your best!//

"I can't fight this many at once!" I yell. "Chiron can't do that hit-them-all thing Athena does!"

The app on my phone flashes; the Fool card is replaced with the Chariot card.

A new Persona?

"PERSONA!" I yell, slapping the phone's screen. The image explodes into blue shards of light, and...





Thou art I, and I am Thou...I foresaw this battle, and have come to aid thee...know that my name is Eligor, young warrior...

A red-armored knight on a magnificent steed appears, lance at the ready. His horse rears, and he spins his lance above his head; a ring of flames sweeps out from it, striking all the Shadows. The lions all fall to the ground; the wheels recoil slightly, but seem largely unfazed.

//The wheels are weak to electricity!// Cadance says.

Twilight nods. "Athena!"

Athena appears, unleashing her electric assault on all our enemies. The wheels crash to the ground, but the lions seem to be agitated by the electric assault, as one by one, they stand back up.

"Oh no you don't!" Pinkie cries. She charges forward, snapping her whip against one of the lions. It explodes into motes of shadow. "Hyaa!" Pinkie darts over to the next lion, once again snapping her whip at it. It connects soundly, and the lion falls to the ground and melts into shadow.

The next lion lunges at Pinkie, attempting to tear out her throat. She dances out of the way, striking it in the flank with her whip. It staggers, then turns and stalks her.

Twilight lunges in behind it, skewering it with her rapier. It dissipates into an inky mist and vanishes.

I summon Eligor again, unleashing the wide-scale fire attack once more. The remaining lions explode into wisps of black smoke, but the three wheels rise from the ground and rev angrily, bearing down on us.

"AH!" Pinkie cries. "How'd they get back up? They're big dumb unicycles!"

One of the wheels rushes forward, slamming into Pinkie. She screams as she's flung several yards.

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells. She summons Athena, using her electric attack to stun the wheels again. She then rushes over to Pinkie to heal her.

Pinkie gets up, looking pissed. "That HURT," she complains. "EUPHROSYNE!"

Pinkie's Persona appears, arms spread behind her like an airplane as she charges straight for the nearest wheel, which is getting back up. She hip-checks it, knocking it back down, then leaps into the air, spins around, tucks into a somersault, and drops her butt right on the idly spinning wheel. It dissolves into dark motes and sinks into the floor.

Pinkie staggers, and Euphrosyne disappears. "Whoa," she says dizzily.

The remaining two wheels get up. One of them rushes right for Twilight. I yell for her to dodge, but it's too late; she's down. Before I can reach her, the other one has hit me, sending me flying. I struggle to stand up, but I took a pretty solid hit...

Pinkie pulls something out of her bag and throws it. A bright flash lights up the entire room, blinding me. I feel a hand wrap around my wrist, followed by the sensation of being dragged.

When my eyesight clears, I'm outside the mall, lying next to a dazed Twilight. Twilight sits up, looking around. "What?"

Pinkie collapses next to us, panting heavily. "Whew...almost...didn't make it..."

"Are you three okay?" Cadance asks, rushing toward us. Her face is pale, and she's shaking.

Twilight groans and summons Athena. Waves of healing light spill over each of the three of us. I push myself to my feet; I'm sore as hell, but I don't seem to be injured...

"Get in the car," Cadance says. Suddenly, the world around us returns to normal. "I'm taking you three to the emergency room to get checked out..."

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 / Evening

"It was a hit-and-run," Cadance says. "They're lucky to be alive..."

Her father is hovering over the three of us, frowning. "Well...I'll have to see the X-rays to be certain, but...just by examining them, they don't seem to have any broken bones...no concussions..." He shakes his head. "People these days drive like idiots..."

The three of us spend a miserable two hours in the emergency room, being X-rayed, poked, prodded, and examined by Cadance's father. Finally, he gives us the all-clear to go home, advising us to rest and take it easy.

"Those Shadows could have killed us," Twilight says. "They were way stronger than anything we've faced before."

"Maybe you're levelling up, so the enemies are levelling up too?" Pinkie suggests.

"This isn't a game, Pinkie," Twilight grouses.

"You know," I say, "it's pretty weird that those Shadows were all...well..."

"Lions?" Twilight says. "Yeah...that was strange..." She frowns. "Do you think somebody sent those Shadows after us?"

"I'm willing to bet on it," I say.

Back at the dorm, we endure a lot of questioning, but we stick to our cover story: we were at the mall with Cadance doing some shopping, we got hit by a crazed hit-and-run driver in the parking lot, and we're all just shaken up and sore. We eat dinner and head up to our rooms to rest.

I can't help but worry about our enemy. It doesn't really matter whether it's Sunset Shimmer or not...whoever's gunning for us is dangerous, and they showed us just how dangerous they are today.
> 11/12 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, November 12, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your fidelity may be put to the test today. Cheap thrills aren't worth the risk of losing something meaningful.

At breakfast, Cadance and Luna both ask Twilight, Pinkie, and me if we're really up for going to school today.

"I've got a test I can't miss," Twilight says.

"I'm okay, really," Pinkie says.

"I gotta go. I've missed enough tennis practices lately. Not to mention the last match..." Since yesterday was a school holiday and tomorrow is the Fall Formal, tennis practice was rescheduled for today this week.

"Very well then," Luna says. "But do take it easy, alright? You all want to be well enough to attend the Fall Formal tomorrow night." She looks around, then gives us a secretive smile. "After all...someone in this dorm might just be the Fall Formal Princess."

Twilight and Rarity both gasp, looking at one another with wide eyes.

Thursday, November 12, 2015 / After School

I arrive at tennis practice to find most of the team gathered around what appears to be a shouting match. As I draw nearer, I'm not surprised to learn that one of the girls shouting is Suri.

What does surprise me is that the other one is Coco.

"—a liability!" Suri was shouting. "He blows off practice all the time, he skips matches—"

"He had the flu, you, you...stuck-up, bullying witch!" Coco retorts, trembling.

Suri glares at her. "You...will pay for that."

"For what? Telling the truth? Everybody hates you, Suri! They hate you because you're mean and rude and bossy!"

Suri lets out a screech and rushes Coco. Several members of the team step in to restrain her.

"HEY! HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" The coach jogs up, blowing her whistle repeatedly.

The crowd starts to part, leaving Suri, still being held back by a girl and a guy, glaring daggers at Coco, who's staring her down.

I walk up to one of my teammates and whisper, "What brought this on?"

"You weren't here for it, but Coco grew a spine last week," he says. "Suri's been badmouthing you left and right, and Coco just snapped and went off on her. We all thought it sort of cooled down after the matches, but as soon as they saw each other, they went right at it again."

Coco...actually getting in a fight with Suri? Whoa.

Coach blows her whistle again. "Alright, what the hell is wrong with you all?" she demands.

Suri points at me with a trembling hand. "I want him off the team!" she declares. "He's constantly missing practices and matches!"

"He can't help that he had the flu!" Coco declares.

"And I want this little joke of a girl off the team too!" Suri shouts. "She's rude and insubordinate and too full of herself!"

The coach sighs. "Polomare...how many times do I have to tell you? You don't get to ask me to kick people off the team. In fact, I'm getting sick of you. Now, I want you two to stop going at each other like this..."

"I challenge you!" Coco suddenly shouts, pointing at Suri.

Everything goes still.

"...excuse me?" Suri asks coldly.

"A singles match!" Coco says. "If you win, I'll quit the team and try to talk Flash into quitting too! But if I win, you quit the team and never bother me or Flash or anyone else ever again!"

Excited murmurs ripple through the rest of the team.

The coach pinches the bridge of her nose. "What the hell do you two think this is, Princess of Tennis? This is ridi—"

"FINE!" Suri shouts. "I accept your challenge! It'll be worth it to destroy you in front of everyone AND be rid of you once and for all!"

The coach sighs. "Are you even listening to yourselves? Or me?"

"Coach!" Coco says suddenly. "I need to do this. Please. I'm sick of Suri bullying me and everybody else and getting away with it. I need to put her in her place!"

The coach stares at her. She shakes her head. "You know what? Fine. I'll see the two of you here Sunday morning. If this is the only way to stop all this distracting garbage without kicking both of you off the team..." She scratches something on her tablet with her stylus. "But just so you know, you both have detention tomorrow." She frowns. "Also, no matter which one of you wins, leave Sentry out of it. He's got nothing to do with this."

After that, practice tries to begin as usual, but there's a nervous tension in the air that's keeping any of us from getting anything done.

When practice is over, I head over to Coco, who has her head between her knees. "Oh god, what did I do?" she moans. "I can't believe I did that!"

I rub her back. "I'm proud of you for standing up to Suri like that," I say. "Kick her ass on Sunday."

Coco laughs nervously. "I...I don't know if I—"

"You know you can beat her, or you never would've challenged her like that," I say.

Coco sighs. "Well...yeah..."

"Just...do what you know you have to do," I say.

Coco smiles. "Thanks," she says. She rubs the back of her head. "I...I guess I got a little carried away though, huh?"

"A little bit, but...I think it's good to get a little carried away sometimes. Look at it this way...you're coming out of your shell."

"Yeah...I guess I am..."

I chat with Coco for a little while, then head back to the dorm.

Thursday, November 12, 2015 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I'm greeted by a truly bizarre sight.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Luna are using the lounge TV to play some kind of gruesome FPS. They're all furiously hammering away at wireless gamepads and wearing wireless headsets. Applejack is still dressed like she was this morning, but Rainbow Dash and Luna are both wearing tiny shorts and loose tank tops, and both are barefoot.

Nope. Too sexy for me. I have to get out of here before I pop a boner. I hurry upstairs, hoping some guitar practice will take my mind off it.

Unfortunately, both Rainbow Dash and Luna are still scantily dressed when dinnertime comes around. At least Luna is wearing a bra...

"I do enjoy my weeks here at the dorm," Luna says. "I feel almost as though I'm in college again!"

"Just...don't get drunk," Twilight says. "Please."

Luna lets out a derisive snort. "Please, give me some credit. I know better than to bring liquor onto the premises of a school dorm! After all, I'm the one who made that rule." She lets out an impressively loud belch, then scratches her bare stomach. "Besides, I enjoy behaving like a slob, not like a drunken slob."

Pinkie laughs. "You know, you're super funneriffic, Lunie!"

After dinner, I head upstairs to start on my homework. Twilight comes in almost as soon as I have my laptop open. "Enjoy the view at dinner?" she asks archly.

"Huh?"

She smirks. "I saw you staring at Vice-Principal Luna, you perv."

"It's not like I could help it," I say. "She was making a spectacle of herself."

"Uh-huh." Twilight shakes her head and sits down next to me. "You know, you're perverted with just about everyone at this dorm except me."

"I've never been perverted with Applejack or Fluttershy," I retort. "And I have too been perverted with you."

"When?" she asks. Her eyes widen. "You're not...coming into my room at night and..."

"I mean that time I tickled your feet," I say. "I had a boner like you wouldn't believe."

Twilight blinks. "When you...that was a pretty long time ago," she says.

I smirk. "Maybe it's time for another go?"

She flushes. "Jerk," she says, slapping me lightly on the shoulder.

I pull her into a hug and kiss her lightly. "I won't cop a feel until I have permission, I promise," I say.

"Yeah, well...I don't think I'm ready to be felt up just yet," Twilight says, ducking her eyes. "Especially not after I caught you staring at the vice-principal's bra!"

"I can wait," I say. I poke Twilight in the forehead. "I've got homework to do still. We're still on for the Fall Formal, right?"

"Of course," Twilight says. She stretches and yawns. "Guess I'd better—"

"Speaking of bras, you're not wearing one," I say.

Twilight slaps me upside the head. "Perv!" She gets up and heads for the door. "Goodnight, Flash."

Chuckling, I finish my homework, then go to bed. I have a feeling I'm in for some very interesting dreams...
> 11/13 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, November 13, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Relationships with others may progress significantly today.

Tonight is the Fall Formal.

Considering everything that's been going on lately, it bothers me that today is also Friday the thirteenth. But hopefully I'm just being superstitious...

When I arrive in the dining room, the girls already gathered there are chatting animatedly about tonight.

Pinkie enters with breakfast. "Hey everybody, don't forget to stop by Sugar Cube Corner after school," she says. "Mr. Cake's gonna pay us all for that weekend we ran the shop."

I'd forgotten all about that...

Friday, November 13, 2015 / After School

After school, the six of us who worked at Sugar Cube Corner last month meet up at the gates and head over to Sugar Cube Corner together. Mr. Cake greets us warmly. "Hey kids! Come to get paid?"

"How're the twins?" Twilight asks.

"They're fine," Mr. Cake says. "It's...not easy. Late night feedings, diapers, crying tantrums..."

"I can well imagine," Rarity says.

"Well, anyway...now that things are more or less settled down, we can pay you kids what we owe you. Well, most of what we owe you. I rounded it down a little."

"Most is fine," Twilight says. "We're not greedy."

"Come into the back," Mr. Cake says. He leads us through a back hall into a business office with a safe. He unlocks the safe and removes six stacks of bills, stuffing each into an envelope after counting it. He stands up and hands each of us an envelope. "There you go. Two hundred each."

Whoa. That's...more than I expected, actually.

Applejack's eyes bug out. "That much?!"

"Well, you all put in two full days, and a full day here is a lot of hours," Mr. Cake says. "Wanted to make it a nice round number, and since you aren't actually on the books and I don't have a time sheet for Pinkie for those two days...yeah, two hundred isn't the full pay I owe you, but it's close enough."

I can see Twilight doing the math in her head. She nods. "I don't think any of us will really miss that other fourteen dollars and fifty cents. Thank you very much, Mr. Cake."

"No, thank you for all you did for us," Mr. Cake says. He smiles. "Now, don't you kids have a dance to get ready for?"

"We totally do!" Pinkie declares. "Come on, everyone! Let's get back to the dorm and get ready!"

We thank Mr. Cake again, then return home. An extra two hundred in cash...

Well, for me, it doesn't really mean that much, but for the others, I can't even begin to imagine what's going through their minds right now.

We head back to the dorm, the girls talking animatedly about what they might do with their pay. Once we arrive, I head up to the third floor to get ready. I hope Twilight likes the new cologne I bought. I'm a little nervous about tonight...I've never actually been to a formal dance.

Friday, November 13, 2015 / Evening

I've been waiting in the lounge for almost two hours.

Cadance, Shining Armor, and Luna left a while ago. Cadance gave me her keys and asked me to drive the girls to the school.

The girls finally come downstairs, and all I can say is...wow.

Rainbow Dash is the first down the stairs. Of all the possible outfits I could imagine Rainbow Dash wearing, I certainly never would have pictured her in a classic little black dress...and yet, there it is. She's wearing a backless black dress that only goes down to about mid-thigh and shows off a modest bit of cleavage, as well as very dark purple stockings and black pumps. She has on elbow-length black silk gloves and a little gold neckchain. Simple, small gold hoops dangle from her earlobes.

The next one down is Fluttershy. She's wearing a calf-length sleeveless green dress with a pleated skirt; the collar and skirt of the dress are a deep forest green, while the bodice and elbow-length gloves are a bright spring green. Bracelets designed to look like twining ivy are fastened around the tops of her gloves. She wears slippers with low heels that match the skirt of her dress. A large aquamarine butterfly sits upon her chest, with a smaller butterfly ornament of the same color affixed to her hair, holding her bangs out of her face. She's wearing just a touch of makeup.

Pinkie Pie enters next. Her dress consists of a black corset which pushes her breasts up and forward, a two-layered powder blue skirt with a violet sash, sheer black pantyhose, dark blue pumps, and blue sleeve...puff...things that aren't even attached to anything (there's not even anything there for them to attach to!); from these, sheer black sleeves that match her pantyhose extend down to her hands, ending in sort of fingerless...pantyhose...gloves. I gotta admit, I have no idea where she came up with those, but they're kinda sexy. She's also wearing a dark blue velvet choker and dangly earrings.

Applejack is the next girl down. She's wearing a sleeveless, knee-length red dress with a brown suede bodice and a high collar, which has one of those antique cameo brooches pinned to it. Instead of her usual boots, she's wearing high-heeled sandals with red leather straps. She's wearing her hair piled high atop her head, pinned with a ruby and gold hairpin. This may be the first time I've ever seen her without her hat.

Rarity enters behind Applejack. She's wearing a sparkly sky blue dress that looks like something a fairy tale princess would wear to the ball. It's an off-the-shoulder affair with a loose scarf-looking thing that gathers just below her bare shoulders and fastens with a jeweled clasp at her cleavage. The skirt is floor-length but split in the middle, showing off her sexy legs and the shimmery high-heeled sandals she's wearing. Her elbow-length gloves match her dress, and she has a sapphire hair clip in her hair. Her makeup is slightly heavier than usual, but not by much; the most striking addition is the deep purple lipstick she's wearing.

And finally, Twilight descends the stairs. She's wearing a clingy royal purple satin evening gown that's ankle-length, backless, sleeveless, shoulderless, and slit up the right side. The front of the dress is held up by a strap that wraps around the back of her neck, leaving an absolutely incredible amount of cleavage visible. She's also wearing spike-heeled, open-toed slippers that match her dress. A belt made of slim silver hoops rests about her hips, and she's wearing the locket I gave her, as well as a slender, shiny silver bracelet on her left wrist. Small silver star-shaped earrings peek out from behind her hair, which is extra-shiny and extra-sleek. She isn't wearing very much makeup, but what little she's wearing makes her look more beautiful than ever.

I stand up, straightening my jacket. "Wow," I say. "You girls look incredible."

"Why thank you, darling," Rarity says.

Twilight walks over to me, blushing slightly. "You look...really nice," she says.

I take her hand. "You...look amazing. You just went from cute to sexy."

She ducks her head. "Thank you..."

I look around at the other girls. "So, uhh...do you girls have dates?"

The girls shift awkwardly, looking away and coughing or clearing their throats.

"I'm...keeping my dance partner options...open," Rarity says delicately.

"I just wanna have a good time," Rainbow Dash says.

"You know I'm still on the hunt," Pinkie complains.

"I'm...just going to watch everybody else," Fluttershy says meekly.

"Ah'm jes' goin' t' be goin'," Applejack says.

Well, that killed the mood really fast...

"Okay, well...I'm driving us all over, so...let's get going."

We all head out to the SUV. It takes the girls a bit longer to get in without messing up their dresses. After the short drive to the school, we all head for the gym. Twilight clings to my arm.

The lights are dimmed and colorful spotlights are roaming around the room. Vinyl Scratch is already playing a mix of popular songs.

Cadance and Shining Armor wander over to our group as we enter. Coach's eyes bug out as he sees Twilight. "Wow, you all look incredible!" Cadance says.

She doesn't look so bad herself in a white-and-lavender gown.

I look at Twilight. "So...wanna dance?"

She smiles and nods. I lead her out onto the floor and we start dancing. With a flush, she says, "I might have to sit out any really fast songs. I'm, umm...a little loose in this thing..."

No kidding.

At that moment, a slow dance starts. I take Twilight into my arms and gently sway with her in a small circle.

"You smell nice," she says, leaning into me.

We spend about a half hour on the dance floor. A faster song starts, and we stake out a small table to rest at. I head over to the refreshments table to get us punch.

As I'm headed over to the punch, I look around the gym. Most of the guys are either dressed like me or wearing slacks and dress shirts. The girls are wearing a variety of different dresses in all styles and colors.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Snips leaning against the wall near the back exit. He's wearing one of those trashy black T-shirts with a tuxedo print front and a top hat. I don't see Snails anywhere...

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice purrs from behind me.

I turn around and find myself face-to-face with Sunset Shimmer. She's wearing a sparkly magenta evening gown which is slit high in the front and has a diamond window cut out of the midriff, baring her navel and most of her stomach.

"Don't think for a minute your little girlfriend is going to be Princess," Sunset Shimmer says. "That crown is all mine."

I roll my eyes and walk away. I'm not giving that bitch the time of day.

I return to Twilight with two cups of punch. She looks worried. "What did Sunset Shimmer want?"

"The usual," I say. "Bragging, taunting..."

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash join us. Pinkie looks upset, and is dabbing at her chest with a napkin.

"What happened?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie lets out a disgusted snort. "Well, I scored a dance with this cute guy, but...he started drooling on my boobs."

"Eww!" Twilight says.

I roll my eyes. "This surprises you?" I ask.

"No, but it's still gross!"

"You gotta stop flashin' your tits all over the place, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow says.

We all stare at her.

"I mean on purpose!" Rainbow adds, face flaming.

A few minutes later, Twilight and I get up and dance again. We dance through two slow songs and four pop songs, then sit down again. This time, Applejack joins us. "You two look like you're havin' fun," she says.

"We are," Twilight says, smiling at me.

Two fast songs and one slow song that we decide to sit out later, Principal Celestia takes the stage. "Your attention, please," she says. "It is now time to announce the winner of this year's Fall Formal Princess."

"Good luck," I whisper to Twilight, taking her hand.

"The winner of the coveted Fall Formal crown is...Twilight Sparkle!"

The crowd breaks into applause. Twilight gasps, hands flying to her mouth. "I won?" she squeaks.

"Come on up, Princess Twilight!" Celestia calls.

I help Twilight up and escort her to the stage. Luna brings out a box, from which Celestia removes a small, gaudy tiara encrusted with glitter and rhinestones. She places it upon Twilight's head. "Congratulations, Princess. And now, we'll have the Fall Formal Royal Dance, led by the Princess and her partner of choice!"

Twilight receives another round of applause, and I guide her out into the center of the floor, where room is made for us. A spotlight shines on us, and a slow, soft song plays. We dance, and are soon joined by other couples.

This song lasts for several minutes. After it ends, the faster, more popular songs resume. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity crowd around us.

"Congratulations, Twilight!" Pinkie says.

"You rock, Twi," Rainbow says, grinning.

Rarity extends a hand to Twilight. "Well, I lost, but...you deserve your victory. No hard feelings, I assure you."

Twilight smiles and pulls Rarity into a hug. The other girls pile in on them, and a group hug ensues. I steer clear of it, not trusting my hands with that much female flesh...

When the group breaks up, Applejack looks around, frowning. "Hey, anybody seen Fluttershy?"

"I saw her headed towards the back a while ago," Rarity says. "Haven't seen her since."

Pinkie pulls out her phone and texts Fluttershy. She stares at it, waiting.

"She might be in the restroom," Twilight says.

"I'll go look for her," Rainbow says. "You guys get back to the party."

An hour and a half later, the dance is starting to wind down. About a third of the students have already left, and more are headed for the exit. Many come over to us to congratulate Twilight before they leave. We've taken a lot of pictures with a lot of our fellow students, not to mention our friends.

Rainbow Dash runs up to us. "I found Fluttershy," she says. "She's hiding in the bathroom in the science wing."

Twilight gasps. "What's wrong?"

"She won't say," Rainbow says with a shrug. She looks around. "Looks like the dance is just about over, anyway."

I check the time on my phone. "Yeah, it's...getting pretty late."

As if on cue, the music dies, and Vice-Principal Luna takes the stage. "Thank you all for coming out tonight. We hope you've had a wonderful evening. As it's getting late, we're now going to play one last slow dance. Take care on your way home, students."

A slow song starts up. Twilight and I dance, surrounded by a few straggling couples and some random hookups. After it ends, our little group gathers at the entrance to the gym. Apparently, Rainbow Dash coaxed Fluttershy out of the bathroom during the last dance, because she's waiting there too. She looks upset, and her mascara is running.

"What happened?" Twilight asks her.

Fluttershy shakes her head and wipes her eyes and nose.

We all look at one another in concern.

Fluttershy sniffles. "I...I just shouldn't have come," she says. "I didn't really...enjoy myself...as much as I thought I would..."

Pinkie Pie pats her on the shoulder, frowning. I sigh. "Let's go home."

Friday, November 13, 2015 / Late Night

As soon as we enter the dorm, the girls all start heading for their rooms. Twilight, however, stops me at the foot of the stairs. "Umm..." She ducks her head, blushing. "Is...is it okay if I come to your room?"

It's strange of her to suddenly ask...

She digs her toe into the floor. "I just...want to be alone with you. For a little while. Right now." She looks up at me shyly. "Alone."

Is she...?

I smile, take her hand, and lead her upstairs. At the door to my room, I take her by the shoulders, lean in, and kiss her gently. She wraps her arms around the back of my head and kisses me back, clumsily but with urgency.

I open the door and lead her inside.

We spend most of the night together...
> 11/14 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, November 14, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A wise man once said: "Love is all you need."

When I head downstairs for breakfast, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, and Pinkie are all at the table. As one, four sets of eyes turn and lock on me, matched by four wide, scary grins.

Twilight hides her face in her hands and shakes her head.

"So? How was it?" Pinkie asks.

"How was what?" I ask.

"You know," Rainbow says. She stands up and bucks her hips back and forth in a rather lewd manner. "That. With Twilight."

"What!" I look at Twilight, then back at the others. "We didn't!"

"Yeah, right," Rainbow snorts.

"Protest all you like, darling, but when Twilight came down to our floor holding her dress in one hand and wearing one of your T-shirts, well..." Rarity smirks. "It's not hard to figure out."

"We didn't do...that," Twilight says. "I've been telling you that all morning!"

"Yeah, we did NOT do...that," I agree.

"Look, we're happy for you two," Pinkie says. "If you wanna screw each other's brains out, that's your business. You don't need to be embarrassed or pretend you didn't—"

"We didn't!" I insist. "We just, y'know...cuddled."

"Yeah, we cuddled," Twilight agrees.

Pinkie gives us the single most evil, smug look I've ever seen on a person's face. "Naaaaaked cuddling?"

"Yes! Naked cuddling!" Twilight shouts. Then she lets out a squeak and covers her mouth. "Eep."

"I heard naked cuddling," Cadance says suddenly, rushing into the room. "What'd I miss?"

"Naked cuddling, apparently," Rarity says.

"Darn," Cadance says, snapping her fingers. "Twilight and Flash?"

"Yep," Applejack says, smirking.

"Figures. Shiny nearly fainted when he saw you in that dress."

"I'm burning that dress," Twilight mutters.

"No!" I shout. Everyone gives me a smug look. "What? She looks great in it."

"And out of it, right?" Rainbow asks.

"Can we drop this, please?" I beg. "I need to eat breakfast so I can get down to the school. Gotta catch that bus to today's match." I decide to change the subject. "Where's Fluttershy?"

The girls suddenly look uncomfortable.

"She's...holed up in her room with her pet rabbit and Spike," Twilight says. "She won't talk about last night, but we all think something really bad must've happened to her."

Cadance looks alarmed. "How bad?" she asks. Quietly, she adds, "Not...rape bad?"

"Nah, nothing like that happened," Rainbow says. "Her dress wasn't messed up at all, and I...checked, just in case." She turns red. "Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, that just upset her worse."

"Gee, Ah wonder why," Applejack says.

"Whatever happened to her, she's not talking about it," Pinkie says sadly. "Probably best to give her some space." She sighs. "Well, I better get to work. Good luck today, Flash!"

The others wish me luck. I head upstairs, gather my tennis gear, and rush out the door. I wish they were coming out to support me today, but everybody has stuff to do.

Saturday, November 14, 2015 / Daytime

Today's matches are long and exhausting. Our host city, Rainbow Falls, is experiencing an unseasonable heat wave. With all the practices and matches I've missed in recent weeks, I feel like I'm playing my personal worst today. Canterlot wins today's match, but it sure isn't because of me.

It's very late when the bus pulls up to Canterlot High...

Saturday, November 14, 2015 / Evening

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack are watching television in the lounge when I get back. "Whoa, you look beat," Rainbow says. "How'd it go?"

"I lost, but Canterlot won," I say.

Twilight gets up, rushes over to me, and hugs me. "Sit down, I'll get you something to eat."

Applejack takes my gear up to my room as I collapse into a recliner.

A short while later, Twilight returns from the kitchen with a plate and a can of soda. "It's...leftovers," she says. "Is that okay?"

"Leftovers are fine," I say. Twilight made me a meatloaf sandwich with some carrot sticks on the side.

"There's more in there if you want more," she says.

"This'll be fine," I say. "Thanks."

As I eat, Twilight sits down on the arm of the chair and starts rubbing my shoulders. "Mmm," I say. "That feels good."

"Is the food okay?"

"Yeah, it's good."

"I mean, I didn't make it or anything, I just reheated it, and—"

"It's fine, Twilight." I smile up at her. "Really. Thanks." I take her hand and squeeze it.

Rainbow makes gagging noises. "Ugh, get a room!"

Twilight blushes. "I'm just being a supportive girlfriend!"

"Yes, you are," I say. "And I love you for it." I finish eating, then set my plate down on the side table and pull Twilight into the chair with me, wrapping my arms around her stomach and burying my face in her hair.

"That's it, I'm outta here," Rainbow says. "Later!" She heads upstairs.

"Her birthday's next Saturday, right?" I ask.

"Yeah," Twilight says. "We need to be ready..."

I crack a huge yawn. Twilight pries herself out of my arms and gets up, picking up my plate. "You should go to bed," she says. "You really do look tired."

"I really am tired," I say. I stand up, stretching. "See you tomorrow..."

Twilight heads for the kitchen with my plate. I go upstairs, shedding my sweaty clothes as soon as I've closed my door. I flop down on the bed, which still smells like Twilight, and in seconds, I'm asleep.
> 11/15 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, November 15, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't charge recklessly into the future. You need to plan ahead.

Even though we still need to prepare for Saturday, and I still need to buy Rainbow Dash a birthday present, I don't really feel like going out and doing anything today, so I decide to spend a lazy Sunday in. Maybe later I'll get up and head out, but right now, I just want to lie in bed and watch TV.

Twilight peeks in. "Hey," she calls.

"Hey," I say.

"I'm headed out with Cadance and Shining Armor for a little while," she says. "Kinda some family bonding time."

"Have fun," I say.

"You could come along, if you want..."

I shake my head. "I'm pretty tired," I say. "Besides, I kinda planned to just stay in today."

"Oh. Okay."

"You need to spend time with your family without me hanging around anyway," I say.

Twilight smiles. "See you later, then!"

She leaves. I pull up the program guide on the TV to see if anything good's on. There's a couple of weak movies, some cartoons...a lot of church stuff...some political talking heads stuff...

I pick a badly dubbed kung fu movie and settle in.

Sunday, November 15, 2015 / Afternoon

Two cheesy martial arts movies interspersed with naps of varying length later, I finally get up and head downstairs to get some lunch.

As I'm heading to the lounge with another leftover meatloaf sandwich and some potato chips, the front door to the dorm opens. I look around, wondering if Twilight is back early, or if it's one of the others.

To my surprise, it's Coco Pommel.

"Hey Coco," I say. "Surprised to see you here."

"Oh, umm...i-is it okay for me to be here?"

I shrug. "No rule against it. Come on in."

"Oh...you're eating lunch. I could come back—"

"Nah, it's cool." I sit down on the sofa, then motion her to one of the various chairs. I notice she has her tennis racket slung over her shoulder.

Crap...the match!

"Oh crap, I forgot about your match with Suri this morning!" I say. "I meant to come out and support you..."

"It's okay," Coco says, smiling. "I know you must've been tired from yesterday. Rainbow Falls is a long way away, and I hear it was really hot there."

"So how'd it go?" I ask.

Coco looks down at her lap, cheeks red. "I...I won," she says. "Suri tried to back out of our bet, but...the coach told her since she agreed to the challenge, she had to abide by it." She looks up at me. "Suri's no longer our team captain."

Whoa. "Way to go, Coco!" I take a bite of my sandwich, then chase it down with some iced tea. "So, uhh...what happens now?"

"Umm...about that," Coco says, squirming nervously. "Coach...wants me to replace her. I don't know if I can handle that, but..."

"Of course you can!" I say. "You're the best player on the team!"

"W-well, that may be," Coco says, "but it takes more than just being the best to be a team captain." She swallows nervously. "I...umm..."

"You didn't say no," I say.

"I...talked Coach into putting it to a vote on Wednesday. She agreed, so...she's going to pick a couple of others who might be good replacements for Suri, then...let everybody vote."

"You know you've got my vote," I say.

Coco smiles. "Thank you." She swallows. "Thank you...for everything. If it wasn't for you, I...I'd still be getting bossed around by Suri, and...I wouldn't be playing on the team at all..."

"Just promise me you'll always do your best," I say.

"I will," she says. She stands up. "I've gotta get home...I just wanted to stop by and let you know how it went."

After Coco leaves, I finish eating my lunch, then do my laundry. By the time I'm done, most everyone has returned, and it's almost dinnertime. I decide to practice my guitar in the lounge for a little while before dinner.

Sunday, November 15, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, I meet up with Twilight, Cadance, and Pinkie in the secret base.

"We should probably try to go to Zodiac one more time before Saturday," Cadance says. "We can't let what happened the other day scare us off. We need to be ready."

"How about tomorrow, after we finish shopping for birthday presents for Rainbow Dash?" Twilight suggests.

"Oh crap, I haven't gotten her anything yet!" Pinkie gasps.

"You're not planning any kind of silly revenge for the dildo, are you?" Twilight asks nervously.

Pinkie laughs. "Of course not!" she says. "Though I might hire Bulk Biceps to jump out of a cake..."

"OH GOD DON'T," Cadance and Twilight scream in unison. They look absolutely horrified. I can't honestly blame them. That dude is butt ugly.

"I could always get Trixie to jump out of a cake," Pinkie says.

"How about nobody jumping out of cakes? Or anything else?" Twilight suggests.

"Awww," Pinkie whines.

"Okay, so we'll go to Zodiac tomorrow after school," Cadance says. "Why don't we go in from the school this time? Less chance of running into those Shadows that nearly killed you."

"Hey yeah! We could probably even go in before we go shopping," Pinkie says. "I mean, instead of heading back to the school after we wear ourselves out shopping, let's just get it over with and then take our time and relax?"

"Sounds good to me," I say.

"I guess that makes sense," Twilight agrees.

Cadance nods. "Okay. Meet me in the nurse's office after school tomorrow. We'll go directly to Zodiac from there."

With that, we all head to our own rooms. I turn down the bed and lay down, tossing fitfully for a little while before I doze off...

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Zecora sits alone at the table; Igor is nowhere to be found.

"Long time no see, as the saying goes. There is something we must discuss, young chaser of Shadows. So far you've done well against difficult foes, but the road you tread now leads to sorrow and woe.

"Your Personas are not ready for what lies in store. Why have you fused Personas only once before?

"Tomorrow, my master will return, so you see...so as well should you, to set your soul free.

"If you persist in your struggles without planning ahead...you won't be the only one Sagittarius strikes dead."
> 11/16 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 16, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't try to shoulder the burdens of the world by yourself. Relying on others is not a sign of weakness.

As soon as classes end for the day, I head towards the nurse's office. On the way, however, I duck into the boys' restroom. Checking that the coast is clear, I tap the Velvet Room app on my phone...

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I've been expecting you."

Igor sits at the table, Zecora at his side. I have a seat across from them; Igor spreads a series of cards out on the table which represent the five Personas I have so far. "Hmm," he says. "I'm honestly surprised you've come as far as you have, young customer. You haven't even begun to explore the vast depths of your soul..." He looks up at me with a creepy smile. "Are you aware that the strength of the Personas you can call forth is connected to the strength of your bonds with others? Lately, you've been quite busy...your connections to the people in your life have grown remarkably strong in such a short time.

"Ordinarily, I leave it to those with whom I create contracts to manage the growth of their inner self and the discovery of new Personas," Igor continues, "but in your case...I believe I will make an exception. I am going to fuse a set of new Personas for you, based on the strength of the bonds you have created. These Personas will reflect the power of your friendships...use them wisely, and you may yet survive what lies in store for you."

I watch as the five cards before Igor begin circling on the table, arranging themselves along points on a glowing diagram. Then, before my eyes, the cards begin rapidly multiplying...



"Some of your connections to others...you've already awakened the strongest possible Persona for," Igor says. "As for the rest...before you are the results of my special service. These Personas represent the bonds you share with those you have chosen to surround yourself with. Use them well..."

In a rush of light and sound, I'm back in the restroom. My mind is reeling.

Squaring my shoulders, I head to the nurse's office, where Twilight, Pinkie, and Cadance await. "Sorry to keep you waiting," I say.

"Huh? You didn't keep us waiting," Pinkie says. "We just got here!"

Oh... that's right...

Time doesn't pass when I'm in the Velvet Room...I don't think...

There's a locked steamer trunk standing in the corner, partially obscured by a divider. "Is that our stuff?" I ask.

Cadance nods. "I've got some new surprises for you and Twilight," she says. She locks the door to the office, then unlocks the trunk. First, she pulls out our regular backpacks, which she hands out. Then, she pulls out a sheathed sword attached to a leather baldric. She hands this to Twilight.

Twilight unsheathes it, studying it curiously. "It's a little heavier than the other one," she says, stepping away from us and testing its grip. "Longer, too."

"That's supposed to be made from the highest-quality steel on the market," Cadance says. "I imported it from Horcelona."

"Ooh, nice," I say.

"Thanks, Cadance," Twilight says.

"Now, for Flash..." Cadance struggles to pull a large, flat box out of the trunk. I rush over to help her. Together, we lay it on a bed, where I open it.

"Whoa."

I reach in and pull out a heavy black double-bladed battleaxe. The handle is fairly short, about two and a half feet long; the black blade has a shape strongly reminiscent of the trademarked and copyrighted logo of Batguy. Inside the box, there's also a leather harness; I set down the axe and pull out the harness, strapping it on before carefully stowing the axe.

"Is it going to be too heavy?" Cadance asks.

I shrug. "I'll get used to it."

"Thanks for the new weapons, Cadance," Twilight says.

"You're welcome." Cadance looks at Pinkie. "I'm sorry I don't have anything new for you."

"That's okay," Pinkie says. "I'm good with what I've got."

"Well...shall we begin?"

Monday, November 16, 2015 / Zodiac

You don't give up, do you?

Wasn't almost dying enough?

What's it going to take to get you idiots to stay away?

If you try to interfere with Sagittarius on Saturday, I'm going to kill all of you. Just let Rainbow Dash die. She's not worth it.

"Well someone had their bitch flakes today," Pinkie says.

"Strange that she'd just flat out say Rainbow Dash is the next target," Twilight says.

Why shouldn't I? It's obvious you've figured it out by now.

"Why are you doing this?" Cadance demands. "What's the reason?"

That's my business. Not yours.

Didn't you come here to "train"? Better get to it.

I want you to at least be worth the effort of killing.

Or you could do me a huge favor and just die right now.

Pinkie sighs. "You know, I...don't like it when people tell me they want me to die..."

"Yeah," I agree. "Let's...let's just do what we came to do so we can go shopping." I grin. "I've got some new surprises of my own to show you..."

Cadance unlocks the door, then summons Aphrodite. //Hmm...there's a lot more Shadows than usual, and some of them are pretty strong...be careful, kids...//

With our weapons at the ready, the three of us step out into the hall.

The first Shadows we encounter do their best to stay out of range of our attacks, hurling bolts of fire and ice at us. "Time to go to work," I say, stowing my axe and tapping my phone. "Let's start with...LEGION!"

The Persona that appears is a massive ball of red, twisted, distorted flesh. Hideous faces, stunted limbs, and odd, inhuman tendrils cover the floating, freakish mass, which gibbers, screams, cries, and moans.

"Legion, of the Fool Arcana, representing the many voices made one..."

"Oh my gosh that's really gross!" Pinkie says.

Legion launches itself into the mass of Shadows hovering ahead of us, slamming into each of them repeatedly, resembling a grotesque, squishy pinball made of mulched-up mutants. The Shadows fall out of the air; Pinkie and Twilight make short work of them.

The next Shadow we encounter seems to be made of fire. We can't get close to it. Bursts of flame snap out at us, driving us back.

"JINN!"

A wispy blue genie appears between us and the fire Shadow. As its flames lick out at us, Jinn absorbs them all; the fatigue I've felt since summoning Legion begins to ebb.

"Jinn, of the Magician Arcana, representing the fulfillment of desires and the cost of obtaining that which you seek..."

Jinn exhales a powerful gust of wind, which blows the fire Shadow away into nothingness.

After we battle several weak Shadows, we run into a huge, armored tank with a Shadow mask on the turret. "Oh, COME ON!" Pinkie yells.

//It's weak to electricity!// Cadance says. //Just zap it and don't let it attack you!//

Twilight summons Athena. Her electric attack stuns the tank, which shudders as it tries to lock onto us.

I slide the Emperor Arcana card onto my Persona app. "TAKE-MIKAZUCHI!"

A red-skinned figure dressed in white and holding a sword appears.

"Take-Mikazuchi, of the Emperor Arcana, representing the insurmountable power of thunder..."

Take-Mikazuchi's eyes glow white-hot, and a massive thunderbolt slams into the tank. Pieces of its armor break off and fly away as thick black smoke pours out of the turret. A second thunderbolt causes the entire tank to explode, its fragments dissolving into black mist.

"How many of those do you have?!" Pinkie gasps.

I smile grimly. "I'm just getting warmed up..."

"I haven't seen you use any of those before," Twilight says.

"They're new and improved." More Shadows appear. "ANZU!"

A creature that looks like a reversed griffon—the body of an eagle and the head of a lion—appears, roaring and unleashing a wind attack that rips the Shadows to shreds.

"Anzu, of the Hierophant Arcana, the chimera that predates the modern griffon..."

"Hey! Save some for us!" Pinkie yells.

A dozen Shadows surround us.

"O-on second thought...help yourself," Pinkie says.

"UNDINE!"

A beautiful woman made entirely of water appears, rippling serenely. She unleashes a spreading wave of ice which freezes the Shadows solid.

"Undine, of the Lovers Arcana...the flawless beauty who can never truly feel unless she marries a mortal man..."

Working together, Twilight and Pinkie make short work of them, Twilight skewering them with her saber while Pinkie's whip shatters them with precision strikes.

A samurai Shadow charges around a corner, nearly taking Twilight's head off; only Pinkie's quick reflexes save her. As the girls go down in a tangle of limbs, I summon my next new Persona. "ANGEL!"

A beautiful female angel with pale white skin and long golden hair, blindfolded and with her torso bound in strategically-placed leather straps and chains, appears.

"Angel, of the Justice Arcana, sent by God to watch over His children..."

Angel snaps her fingers. A pure, white light shines from beneath the samurai Shadow. In a flash, it simply ceases to exist.

"Wow, that one was really kinky," Pinkie says.

"Flaaaaaaash..." Twilight growls. I look back at her. Her left eye is twitching.

More samurai Shadows appear, surrounding us. "KURAMA TENGU!"

A muscular blue-skinned demon with huge wings appears.

"Kurama Tengu, of the Hermit Arcana, the patron of exorcism and bringer of good luck..."

A ring of pure white light encompasses all the samurai Shadows. Most of them wink out of existence in blinding white flashes. The stragglers are felled by Euphrosyne and Athena.

"FINALLY we're getting in this fight," Pinkie complains.

//Flash, aren't you overexerting yourself?//

"I don't...mind this pain at all!" I grunt.

"Flash..." Twilight says softly.

"BRING IT ON!" I yell. My body is in agony, but I can't stop...I need to use this new strength...all of it!

Wave after wave of Shadows appear. One by one, I call forth my new Personas to deal with them.

"CU CHULAINN!"

"Cu Chulainn, of the Tower Arcana, the carrier of the sacred spear..."

"GARUDA!"

"Garuda, of the Star Arcana, the immortal vassal of Vishnu..."

"GIRIMEHKALA!"

"Girimehkala, of the Moon Arcana, the giant whose baleful gaze spreads misfortune..."

"QUETZALCOATL!"

"Quetzalcoatl, of the Sun Arcana, the great feathered serpent..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Monday, November 16, 2015 / Evening

"Flash?"

I look around. I'm in the nurse's office. Twilight, Cadance, and Pinkie are standing worriedly over me. Twilight's been crying.

"What...what happened...?"

"YOU IDIOT!" Twilight screeches, grabbing me by the shirt and slapping me. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Twilight? What...?"

"You...kinda went a teensy bit out of control in Zodiac," Pinkie says. I look at her and notice that her hair is flat and limp and her eyes are full of worry. "You just...you just kept summoning all those Personas, one right after another...you wouldn't stop...and then you just...passed out."

"We dragged you back here," Twilight says. "We had to fight without you...you were out cold..."

"But...the Shadows didn't...really put up much of a fight after you fell," Pinkie says. "I think you scared them as much as you scared us...they just kinda..."

Twilight grabs my collar with both hands and twists it, burying her face in my chest. "Don't you EVER do that again," she sobs. "Don't..."

I wrap my arms around her awkwardly. "I...I'm sorry," I say. "I don't...I don't know..."

What happened?

I...can't remember...

Everything's a black haze...

"I want to go home and sleep," I say.

Twilight sniffles and nods. "Yeah. Let's...let's take you home and let you sleep..."

Twilight and Pinkie help me out to Cadance's SUV. Once we're at the dorm, Twilight half-carries me upstairs. The others are giving us worried, concerned looks, but I'm too exhausted, mentally and physically, to worry about that right now.

Let Twilight and Pinkie deal with that...

I need rest...

The last thing I remember before I fall asleep is Twilight looking into my face with worry, confusion, and fear.
> 11/17 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Again...

"I must apologize...in my zealous haste to prepare you for what lies ahead, I overlooked a crucial factor. Your mind and body were not prepared for the strength of your new Personas.

"The power of those Personas is still yours to command as you will, but be warned: you must not overtax yourself when using them. You've seen the results. Drawing out an excessive number of Personas in a short amount of time will drive you into a berserker frenzy, in which you will continue summoning one Persona after the other until your mind and soul fracture completely.

"That you survived this experience is remarkable...you are more resilient than even I foresaw...but your resilience has its limits. If you damage yourself beyond repair, those close to you will suffer...remember that...

"You are asleep in the real world...rest now, for soon it will be time to awaken..."

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Love is a unique thing that can take many forms. You should always embrace it, even if it seems strange.

I sit up in bed and glance at the time. It's a little early...

I have homework I didn't do last night. I decide to take a shower first, then take care of that.

I strip off my clothes, round up my bath stuff, and head for the bathroom. I open the door, walk inside...

...and almost literally run into Principal Celestia, who just got out of the shower, and is dripping wet and naked.

She lets out a loud gasp, eyes wide. "Flash!" she cries.

"Principal Celestia?"

That's right...it's her week at the dorm...

She looks me up and down, cheeks red. "Um."

I'm not really awake enough to figure out what I'm supposed to do right now. As it is, I'm barely able to process the fact that I'm standing naked in front of the school principal with a serious case of morning wood.

Celestia wraps her towel around her body. "I, um..." Her eyes flick to the door behind me. "I believe I'd like to finish drying off...perhaps in my room?"

In her room...

Oh!

"Sorry!" I say. I duck out of the bathroom, letting her past. Once she's gone, I close the door, then duck into the shower, turning on the hot water.

I spend longer than usual in the shower this morning...

After doing my homework, I head downstairs. Applejack is up making breakfast, and Celestia is seated at the dining table, fully dressed, reading something on her tablet. She looks at me and smirks. "Twilight Sparkle is a very lucky young lady," she says.

"Uhh...thank you?"

"I'm pleased to see you're so...healthy this morning," Celestia says. "You looked terrible last night...may I ask what happened?"

"I, uh...just kinda passed out," I say. "It happens sometimes..."

Celestia frowns. "Nurse Cadance said you have a tendency to be anemic. Perhaps you're under too much stress?" She leans close and whispers, "It wouldn't have anything to do with Fluttershy's recent perturbed state, would it?"

I blink. "Fluttershy?" I frown. "She was...I mean, she looked pretty bad after the dance, but she won't say..."

"I've been listening in on the girls around here," Celestia says. "They seem to think Sunset Shimmer did or said something to her at the Fall Formal that upset her."

I frown. "I wouldn't put it past her," I say. "She was so sure she'd won the crown...taunted me about it, even..." I shake my head. "Whatever happened, she's been keeping to herself ever since. More than usual, I mean. And she seems to be pretty mad at Rainbow Dash..."

Celestia groans, facepalming. "That, I can understand. Apparently, Rainbow Dash took it upon herself to play rape crisis nurse. I commend her good intentions, but...she really should've left that to Nurse Cadance." She sighs. "I still think you and Luna are way off about Sunset Shimmer, but I'm going to be keeping a closer eye on her."

"Luna told me...about what she did to you," I say. "That landed her in prison."

Celestia pales. "I see," she says. "Then you should realize that she's projecting her own past onto Sunset Shimmer..."

"Funny, she says the same thing about you."

"I see..."

The others start coming downstairs. Before long, breakfast is served.

"How are you feeling this morning, Flash?" Twilight asks.

"Better," I say. "Sorry I worried you like that."

Twilight frowns. "Yeah, well...don't scare me again," she says. "I was up half the night worrying about you...I only managed to read one book before I went to sleep..."

"And she ate all the ice cream," Rainbow Dash grumbles.

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. "I'm...sorry," I say, hugging her. "Really."

She looks at me, worry in her eyes. "Ever since...all this Zodiac stuff started, and you explained to me about...why you have so many Personas..." She looks down at Spike. "I've seen some scary things happen in Zodiac, but...I've been keeping count. You had five different Personas before yesterday. Yesterday...you summoned eleven new Personas." She looks me right in the eyes. "I know what just having one Persona feels like. The pressure in my head when I let out Athena..." She takes a step back. "How can you..." She swallows. "I'm...a little scared of what I saw yesterday."

I sigh and wrap my arms around her. "It was just...a little side effect," I say. "It won't happen again, I promise."

"But...how do you know?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you, so I'm not going to let it happen." I smile. "Let's get ready for school, okay? We still need to go shopping for Rainbow's birthday." I sigh. "I'll skip Music Club today and we'll go."

"Okay," Twilight agrees.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 / After School

Twilight, Pinkie, and I go to the mall together after school. Pinkie looks as worried about me as Twilight is, but she's putting on a brave face.

After an hour and a half of shopping, during which we all find something for Rainbow Dash, we head for the food court to get something to eat. While we're eating, I suggest, "Let's watch a movie tonight. Just the three of us."

"A movie?" Twilight asks.

I shrug. "We're already here at the mall, might as well. It's on me. What do you say?"

"What, like a double date except without an extra guy for me?" Pinkie asks, a teasing grin on her face.

I point a french fry at her. "Sure, why not?" I say. "You can be both of our girlfriend. We can take turns playing with you, stick you in the closet when we're bored with you..."

"Oooh, sounds like fun," Pinkie says, giggling.

Twilight gives us both a flat, level stare. "You're both perverts, you know that?"

"Oh, we're just joking," Pinkie says. Then, with a coy blush, she adds, "But...I actually wouldn't have a problem with that..." She looks from me to Twilight shyly. "If I can't find somebody for myself...it's nice to know I have two really good friends...you'll always be there for me, right?"

"Of course we will," I say.

Twilight's eyes soften; she reaches out and puts her hand on Pinkie's. "Always."

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 / Evening

It's almost curfew when we return to the dorm. The movie was okay...it was honestly more fun being with two of the people I care most about.

Fluttershy is sitting in the lounge, Spike in her lap. When Spike sees Twilight, he barks happily and runs over to us. His tail wags as he skips around Twilight's feet, jumping playfully up at her.

Pinkie yawns and stretches. "I had fun hanging out with you guys," she says. "I'm gonna go do my homework then hit the hay. See you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight, Pinkie," I say.

"Goodnight!" Twilight says. She giggles at Spike, crouching down to scratch his ears, then looks up at me. "Guess I'd better..."

"Yeah," I say. I look at the stairs, where Pinkie just disappeared.

Twilight follows my gaze. Her brow furrows. "Is she alright?"

"I think...she just needs us right now," I say. "We can't give her the love she wants, but...we can give her the love she needs."

"The love she needs, huh..." Twilight stands up. "We're not taking her on dates and stuff though, right?"

"Of course not. We do need our alone time." I pull Twilight into a kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she says.

As I head for the stairs, I can't help but notice the stare Fluttershy is giving us, or the mild frown on her face.
> 11/18 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A friend's fortunes may make a turn for the better today.

Once everybody has arrived at the practice courts, our coach blows her whistle. "Alright, everyone, listen up! You probably already heard, but Polomare resigned as captain and quit the team on Sunday."

A massive cheer goes up from most of the team. Suri doesn't have many supporters...

"Alright, alright...settle down," Coach says. "Two things. First, we're going to need a member to replace Polomare before the girls' season."

"I'll try to talk Pinkie into rejoining the team," I say. "She can probably afford to drop two shifts now." In fact, Pinkie's been taking a lot of shifts off lately...

The coach nods. "It'll be good to have Pie back," she says. "Okay, we'll table that for now. Now, the other thing is, we need a new team captain. I'm putting it up to a vote. I'm personally nominating Pommel as team captain. If anybody else wants to nominate a captain?"

Two juniors nominate a senior—one of the few friends Suri seemed to have. A couple of seniors nominate me. Another junior nominates herself, and is seconded by a sophomore.

"Alright, so we have four candidates," Coach says. "I'll set up a vote on the team's Canterbook page and lock the voting to team members only. After practice, I want you all to vote for your new captain. I'll announce the results on Friday."

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 / Evening

When Pinkie comes home from work, I pull her aside. "Hey," I say.

"Hey Flash!" she says cheerfully.

"Pinkie...we need you to come back to the tennis team." I explain what happened between Coco and Suri, and that we're down a member on the girls' side.

Pinkie frowns thoughtfully. "Well...if I can get someone to cover for me on those two days...oh, plus Saturdays once matches start..." She shrugs. "Tell Coach I'll think about it, but I won't be able to commit until after Thanksgiving."

I nod. "Got it. It'd be great to have you back on the team."

"Well, I don't need the money as badly anymore...mostly because of you..." She smiles bashfully, then gives me a peck on the cheek.

Speaking of Thanksgiving...it's next week. With everything that's been going on, I'd almost forgotten. I won't be spending it with my parents this year...not that we ever really did much about it.

At dinner, Celestia broaches the topic. "So, what's everyone here doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Spendin' it with mah family," Applejack says. "We always put out a big spread, git all our cousins an' what-not together...yes ma'am, it's a big affair out at Sweet Apple Acres."

"I'm going back home too," Pinkie says. "I wouldn't even go if it weren't for Maud, though. This'll be my last chance to spend time with her for a really long time."

"Going home," Fluttershy says quietly, but doesn't elaborate.

"Same here," Twilight says. "Cadance, Shining Armor, and I are going up to my parents' place for Thanksgiving."

"Likewise," Rarity says. "Though I expect we'll be buying a pre-made Thanksgiving dinner. My dear mother, bless her heart, can liquefy toast."

"Yikes," Rainbow says. "Eh, I guess I'll kick around the dorm. Dad's stuck overseas, won't be back until Christmas."

"I don't have any plans either," I say. "My parents...aren't coming home until next year."

"Not even for Christmas?" Pinkie gasps.

"Nope."

Twilight leans over and wraps an arm around me. "You're coming home with me for Thanksgiving," she says. "I won't take no for an answer."

"An' Rainbow's more than welcome t' come out t' mah place," Applejack says. "Heck, we've got plenty'a room an' plenty'a food."

"Thanks!" Rainbow says, grinning.

After that, conversation turns to the subject of Rainbow's birthday. Rainbow lets us know in no uncertain terms that she wants barbecue.

Nobody has a problem with that. I certainly don't. Celestia mentions that she has a personal favorite barbecue restaurant that caters, and offers to take care of the catering arrangements for us, so long as she's invited to the party.

Nobody has a problem with that either.

After dinner, I head up to my room to finish my homework and watch a little television before bed.

Tennis, a birthday party, and fighting for our lives against supernatural monsters...Saturday's gonna be busy.
> 11/19 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, November 19, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your lucky color today is blue.

After Music Club, Trixie approaches me. "I've learned that Rainbow Dash has a birthday coming up," she says.

"Yeah, on Saturday."

Trixie looks down at the floor. "You didn't invite me to perform," she says in an accusatory tone.

I grimace. "I...wasn't sure Rainbow would appreciate a magic show at her birthday party as much as Pinkie would," I say. "And, well...I've been dealing with a lot of stuff lately. I honestly didn't even think about it."

"I see," Trixie says.

"Do you want to come to the party?" I ask. "As a performer or just as a guest? We'd be happy to have you."

Trixie sniffs haughtily. "Trixie does not beg for invitations to parties," she says.

I sigh. "Trixie...really, I'm sorry. Look...between having the flu, and tennis, and Twilight and I moving our relationship to the next level, and other stuff..." I shake my head. "If I've offended you or insulted you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I've just...had a lot on my mind."

Trixie gives me an appraising, thin-lipped look. Finally, she sighs. "I guess I just didn't think about what you might be going through," she says. "I still have a lot to learn about this whole having friends thing."

I laugh. "Don't we all..." I shrug. "So, you wanna come to the party? We're having barbecue."

"Sure," Trixie says. She then tilts her head. "Now what was that about you and Twilight?"

Crap!

"Uhh..."

Trixie smirks. "Trixie's amazing mystic senses tell her...it happened on the night of the Fall Formal, did it not?"

I stare at her.

Trixie laughs. "I saw that dress Twilight Sparkle was wearing. I even got..." She blushes. "A fairly good look at her breasts. Trixie is...somewhat jealous."

"I didn't know you swung that way."

"I don't!" Trixie insists, stomping a foot. "I just became...momentarily confused!"

I laugh. "See you Saturday."

Thursday, November 19, 2015 / Evening

"Hey, Rainbow, Trixie's coming to your party on Saturday," I say at dinner.

"Oh?" Rainbow asks. "Another magic show?"

"As a guest," I say. "Though I imagine she'll be willing to do a few tricks, if you want."

"Hmm...nah," Rainbow says. "Maybe. I dunno. I guess having her around would be cool, though. She's not so bad."

"If you want, I'm sure I could talk her into jumping out of a cake," I say.

"GAH!" Rainbow's face flushes.

Pinkie tilts her head. "You know...two girls with blue skin wrapped around each other would be...kinda trippy."

The others stop eating, eyes wide. Blushes creep up their faces.

"Oh my," Fluttershy says softly.

Applejack coughs. "That's uhh...that's quite th' mental image," she says.

"Leave me out of your sick, perverted fantasies!" Rainbow cries.

"Now now," Celestia says mildly. "Let's not tease the birthday girl."

"It's like this whole dorm is obsessed with sex!" Twilight says.

Pinkie grins. "This from the only girl here who's actually had—"

"NAKED CUDDLING!" Twilight interrupts loudly, face red as a tomato. Then, her eyes widen as she glances at Celestia. "Umm..."

Celestia smiles. "As long as you're cuddling responsibly," she says.

Twilight covers her head in her hands. "Good grief..."

"Oh, you needn't be so embarrassed, darling!" Rarity says, reaching across the table to pat Twilight's shoulder. "We couldn't be happier for you and Flash, really. You are, after all, an absolutely adorable couple!"

The other girls offer agreement with this sentiment. Twilight looks around, smiling. "Thank you all..."

I have to admit, having the girls all say Twilight and I are adorable together gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling...

> 11/20 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, November 20, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today you will realize the impact you have on the lives of those close to you.

Tomorrow is Rainbow Dash's birthday. The fourth Zodiac Shadow...

Will we run into that other Persona user again?

...will we find out whether or not it's Sunset Shimmer...?

Friday, November 20, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice...

Coach hustles up to us. "Alright everybody, listen up!" she calls. "I've got the results of the vote." She smiles. "Congratulations, Pommel. You're the new team captain."

Coco gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. Everybody applauds.

Coach claps loudly for attention. "I'll be getting Pommel settled in today. Guys, pair off for singles practice. Girls, drills. You know the routine. Let's go!"

After a long, tiring practice, Coco walks up to me. The others are congratulating her and patting her on the back as they head to the lockers.

"Congratulations," I say.

"Thanks," Coco says. "I'm a little nervous, but..." She smiles. "I owe this all to you. You've...you've really helped me." She looks up at the sky. "Just a couple months ago, I...I didn't have any confidence. I let other people push me around."

"You just needed someone to believe in you," I say.

"Someone to believe in me..." Coco echoes. She nods. "You believed in me, even though I didn't believe in myself...I just want to thank you for that." She wrings her hands. "I still don't know for sure what I'll do after high school and college, but..." She shrugs. "You've helped me realize that...that I don't have to..." She looks at me. "That I don't have to hide away from other people. That I can stand up and face the world. That nobody can walk all over me unless I let them. And I'm not going to let people walk all over me ever again.

"Oh! There's something I wanted to give you." Coco rummages through her sport bag, producing a pair of dark blue tennis gloves. "I noticed you play without gloves...you'll probably need these soon. The weather's getting colder, and the boys' season runs through the coldest part of winter." She smiles. "Besides, it's better to play with gloves anyway..."

Now that I think about it, I've noticed Coco wearing gloves lately... "Thank you," I say, accepting the gloves. "You really shouldn't have..."

"Oh, it's nothing," she says, blushing. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for me." She gives me a sudden, fierce hug, then backs away.






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Hermit Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Arahabaki, the ultimate form of the Hermit Arcana...


"Good luck tomorrow!" Coco says, waving as she heads off. I put the gloves in my bag, shower and change, then head back to the dorm.

Friday, November 20, 2015 / Evening

Rainbow Dash is in high spirits about her birthday tomorrow. I can tell Twilight and Pinkie Pie are apprehensive.

After dinner, I pull the two of them aside. "The attack could happen during the tennis match," I say quietly. "Be on your guard."

They nod. "But...we'll all still be in the same place, right?" Pinkie asks. "I mean, we'll be at the school watching the match..."

"You'll get pulled into Zodiac with us if it happens, right?" Twilight asks.

"As far as I know," I say. "But we won't have our weapons, and I'll be separated from the group. I don't...I don't want you to have to fight without me."

Twilight squeezes my hand. "We'll be fine. Whatever happens, we'll hold out until you can reach us."

I decide to go to bed early, because tomorrow's going to be a busy day. Just as I've finished stripping down to my boxers, my door opens, and Celestia peeks in. "I hope I'm not dis...turbing...oh," she says.

I hastily grab some pants and a shirt from the closet and throw them on. "Come on in," I say.

"I'm sorry, I should've knocked first," Celestia says. "I just...wanted to tell you something important."

"Don't worry about it," I say. "What's up?"

Celestia sits down in my desk chair and looks down at her lap. "I...can no longer ignore the evidence that Sunset Shimmer is involved in the recent incidents at CHS," she says.

"What happened?"

Celestia grimaces. "What I'm about to tell you...you're not to repeat to anyone. Especially not any of the girls here." I nod. She takes a deep breath. "You're familiar with a freshman by the name of Snails, correct?"

I nod. "He's one of Sunset Shimmer's flunkies."

"He was caught leaving one of the girls' restrooms at the school this evening," Celestia says. "He was installing miniature surveillance cameras."

Holy shit...!

"Luna and I interrogated him thoroughly. He was nervous, of course...anyone would be, under the circumstances." Celestia frowns. "Luna asked him straight out if he had been coerced by another student. Then we had to explain to him what 'coerced' means."

I snort.

"Luna dropped Sunset Shimmer's name directly after that. She told him that all he had to do was implicate her, and he wouldn't be expelled from school." She looks down. "He insisted he was acting alone, that he just wanted to watch girls using the bathroom, and accepted expulsion."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Of course."

"Ordinarily, that would have been the end of it, but..." Celestia looks up. "When Luna tried to get him to rat out Sunset Shimmer, I saw real fear in his eyes. And it wasn't because of us, or because of the trouble he's in. He's afraid of her." She shakes her head. "Unfortunately, because he confessed to planting cameras for his own enjoyment and wouldn't implicate Sunset Shimmer, my hands are still tied. I can't do anything except watch and wait." She looks me in the eye. "But I wanted you to know...all this time, you've been right to suspect that girl, and I see that now."

She stands to leave. When she reaches the door, however, she pauses. "Oh, and what Luna said, about me looking at Sunset Shimmer and seeing her at that age? She's wrong. That's not it at all. It isn't because she reminds me of my sister...it's because I genuinely want to believe everybody is a good person at heart. Even though I know how naive that is."

Once she's gone, I strip back down to my boxers and crawl into bed, mind whirling.

Sunset Shimmer was really going to go that far...?

What power does she have over Snips and Snails, that Snails took the fall for her?
> 11/21 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, November 21, 2015 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Sagittarius): You are going to die today.

I have to be at the tennis courts by nine for practice. The rest of the dorm is planning to head over at about eleven.

I head downstairs for breakfast as soon as I'm dressed and have my gear together. Everybody is already at the table except Fluttershy. "Where's Fluttershy?" I ask.

"She had to work at the animal shelter today," Pinkie says. "Some big emergency down there or something."

"That's a shame," I say. "Hey, happy birthday, Rainbow!"

"Thanks!" Rainbow's playing with her phone as Applejack and Pinkie start serving breakfast. Suddenly, she lets out a strangled yelp, dropping her phone. "What the FUCK?!"

"What's wrong, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asks.

"I checked my birthday horoscope," Rainbow says. Her face is pale. "It says...it says I'm gonna die today."

Rarity shakes her head. "Oh, puh-lease, darling," she says. "You simply can't put any stock in those silly horoscopes!"

"You check yours every single day," Applejack points out.

"Well, yes, but..." Rarity frowns.

"What kinda sick joke is this?" Rainbow cries. Twilight picks up Rainbow's phone, looks at it, and goes pale.

"I...wouldn't worry about it," she says soothingly. "Horoscopes are silly, don't you think?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Don't let it getcha down, sugarcube," Applejack says, sliding a heavily-loaded plate in front of Rainbow. "It's yer birthday! Don't sweat th' little stuff...jes' worry about havin' a great day!"

"You're right," Rainbow says. "Thanks."

"Happy birthday, Rainbow Dash," Twilight says. We all echo her.

Rainbow smiles. "Heh. Thanks, guys." She sighs, looking at her phone. "Yeah, it's just a stupid Canterbook app. I don't know why I even bothered to look..."

After breakfast, Twilight announces she needs to walk Spike, and asks me to join her. Pinkie offers to join us.

Once we're outside the dorm, Twilight asks, "So what's the plan?"

I shrug. "It depends on when Sagittarius attacks," I say. "Keeping Rainbow Dash from ever being alone won't work...we found that out with Pinkie."

"Yeah, but we shouldn't let Dashie be alone like, at all today," Pinkie says. "We gotta be right there when the icky monster attacks."

"And what about that other Persona user?" Twilight asks.

I frown. "If she shows up again, it'll be a problem," I say. "But...some of my new Personas should be good against her." I scroll through my Persona app, which displays helpful information about the Personas at my disposal. "Using Chiron against her put me at a huge disadvantage, but..."

Twilight looks over my shoulder. "Wow," she says. "Mine doesn't do that!"

"Probably because you don't have like, a bajillion Personas," Pinkie points out.

Twilight takes my phone from me and starts scrolling, but immediately the Persona app crashes. "Hey, what—?"

I take my phone back and relaunch the Persona app. It takes a moment for it to load. "This stuff's in my head," I point out. "I don't understand much about all this stuff, but that part, at least, I know."

"Oh, right," Twilight says. She frowns. "A phone app that can scan your mind...I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Eww! SPIKE! Stop humping my leg!" Pinkie suddenly yells. "At least buy me a drink first!"

Twilight and I turn and stare at Pinkie. Spike lets out a happy bark and wags his tail. It might just be my imagination, but he looks exceptionally pleased with himself...

I shake my head. "I gotta get going," I say. "Warn Cadance. We need to be ready...the attack could happen at any time today."

The girls nod. I run back to the dorm, grab my gear, and jog to the school.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 / Daytime

By half past eleven, we're ready to start the matches. I look out into the stands and see Twilight and Pinkie seated to either side of Rainbow Dash. Rarity and Applejack are also in the stands. I don't see Cadance...

She rushes up to the group, carrying a big plastic bag, and starts passing out drinks to the girls. She takes a seat, notices me looking at the stands, and waves.

I'm in a doubles match right off the bat. I adjust my new gloves and get ready to play...

Despite how tense I am, I manage to do a lot better today. I have two singles sets and one doubles set, and win (or help win) all of them.

It's four in the afternoon when the matches end. I head for the lockers, shower, and change. I'm looking forward to Rainbow Dash's birthday party, but I'm also nervous about...

Saturday, November 21, 2015 / Zodiac

...that.

I look around the locker room for anything that I can use as a weapon. I don't think a tennis racket will do much good against a Zodiac Shadow...

My phone rings. It's Twilight.

...our phones work in here?

"Flash! We're in trouble!"

"Where are you?"

"Still in the stands," Twilight says. "We were waiting for Rarity to come back from the bathroom."

"I'm on my way," I say. "How's Rainbow holding up?"

"She's a little freaked out, but we're with her." A pause. "Flash...Cadance isn't here."

"What?"

"She left to take a call a half hour ago, and never came back."

Damn...! "If we're in Zodiac, she has to be here too. We just have to wait for her to contact us...look, sit tight. I'm on my way."

"Hurry...it's coming!"

Twilight hangs up. I frown as I look around again. There's no time to find a weapon...

I head for the door to the locker room. I have to cross the practice court to get to the main court. I can't see the stands from here.

As I'm running across the practice court, a hexagonal red-and-black barrier suddenly forms all around me, cutting off the practice courts from the rest of the world.

Where do you think YOU'RE going?

Suddenly, the Persona user from that night is standing in front of me. Only she looks...different. Where before, she was shrouded in a loose, ill-fitting mish-mash of black cloth and leather, today...

She's wearing knee-high black leather boots, a short black skirt, a black crop top, and black leather gloves, as well as a hooded black cape. Her legs, arms, and midriff are covered in dark grey nylon. Her figure is trim, fit, and toned. Her face is hidden behind a blank white mask with narrow red eyeslits.

She's holding a metal staff in her right hand.

Without you, those girls are dead. They don't have a hope in hell of beating Sagittarius. But YOU...you're dangerous.

She twirls her staff like an expert.

So I'll just deal with you myself.

"Who ARE YOU?" I yell. There's nothing around here I can use as a weapon...it's just me, my own strength, and my Personas...

I'm your executioner.

"Are you Sunset Shimmer? ANSWER ME!"

You're STILL stuck on her? What, do you have a boner for her or something? LOL...

"Well if you're not Sunset Shimmer, then who are you?"

Like I'd tell you.

She tilts her head.

I guess you can call me Eris. Not that it's going to matter in about five minutes.

Eris charges at me, swinging her staff. There's nothing I can do except...

"ARAHABAKI!"





The massive stone form of Arahabaki appears between me and Eris. Her staff impacts it with a loud clang.

As Arahabaki fades from view, I lunge forward, punching Eris in the midsection. She doubles over, but tries to sweep my legs with her staff.

It hits with the same loud ringing noise. I don't even feel it.

She backs away warily. I fold my arms.

"I don't actually have to use my Persona," I explain. "As long as it resides in my mind..."

You share its strengths and weaknesses.

Eris mocks my folded-arm pose.

Clever. So you've managed to learn how things work in here.

She pulls out her phone. In a flash of red, her Persona appears. A powerful gust of wind buffets me. I cross my arms in front of my face, grunting against the force of her attack.

Hm. Looks like your Persona isn't immune to wind.

"No, but this one is! GARUDA!"

I switch Personas just in time; Eris' second powerful wind attack rebounds, scattering as it strikes her. Garuda soars up into the sky and rains down a storm of arrows. Eris covers her head with her arms; her Persona moves to cover her, shrieking as she takes multiple hits.

"One more!" I yell. Garuda lets out a triumphant cry and unleashes a white-hot torrent of pure mana, which blows Eris' Persona away and knocks her off her feet.

My head feels like it's about to split open. I can't use that attack again...

I walk over to Eris, picking up her staff, and jab it into her chest. "Who are you really? Why are you doing this?"

I feel my legs go out from under me. I realize, too late, that Eris has swept my legs. She stands, retrieving her staff, and raises it to deliver a deathblow. I barely roll out of the way, grabbing her ankle and yanking her leg out from under her. She crashes to the ground, her staff rolling away. I straddle her and try to pull off her mask, but she lets out a piercing shriek and tries to claw my eyes out. Then, she summons her Persona again. There's a tremendous wave of pressure...

Even though I don't have my Persona out in the open, I can feel the scrambling effect...I look down at my phone, which I've dropped, just in time to see the Persona app glitch out.

You're mine now.

Eris throws me off of her, surprising me with her strength. I feel the wind from her Persona buffet me, driving me into the ground. Black spots are dancing in my vision.

I struggle against the wind, barely managing to rise to my knees. I glare up at Eris, who is standing over me. She places the end of her staff underneath my chin.

It's a pity I can't let you live. I was going to upload some very interesting videos of your girlfriend to Canterbook...

I grab her staff and yank hard, knocking her off balance. I punch her right in the face; her mask is very solid, and it hurts my hand.

You'll pay for that.

With two quick strikes, she slams the end of her staff into my chest and groin. She just barely misses my nuts...it hurts almost as bad, though.

I'm in a lot of pain, and I need to end this fight so I can get to the girls...

If Eris is going to fight dirty, then so am I.

She lashes out again, a strike that would probably shatter my sternum if it connected. I manage to stagger out of the way, then grab her wrist and twist, trying like hell to snap a bone. She lets out a cry of pain and drops her staff. Her thumb is flying across the screen of her phone in her other hand...

Her Persona is fading into view...

I reach past her shoulder, grab her breast, and squeeze as hard as I can.

Eris shrieks, pulling free of my grip and covering her chest. She drops her phone, which clatters noisily on the clay surface of the court. I stagger over and crush it under my foot. Her Persona vanishes abruptly...

...as does Eris herself.

The barrier around the practice court falls apart, dissolving into black mist. My Persona app returns, and I can feel my Personas in my head again. Despite the pain, I pick up Eris' dropped staff and run as fast as I can for the main court and the stands. Shadows are gathering around me, but I don't have time to deal with them. I have to keep running...

Ahead of me, on the main court, I see an enormous black centaur with insectoid legs and chitinous armor. Each of its arms ends in a large black longbow, and a crossbow is sticking out of the joint between its human half and its horse half. It doesn't have a face; instead, the symbol for Sagittarius is engraved into its featureless black head. Massive, curved black horns jut upward from the sides of its head, and a large ball of fire is burning between them.

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash are standing in a loose semicircle, facing it. I can see Athena, Euphrosyne...

...and one other Persona I've never seen.





This Persona looks like a girl in a skintight blue spandex outfit with racing stripes up the side. However, she has no arms, and her legs end at the knees; from there down, she has gold afterburners for feet, and instead of arms, she has massive, glowing neon blue wings. Her head is encased in a purple helmet with a gold breath filter; bright white eyes glow from behind the light blue visor. A rainbow crest and two glowing lightning bolts top the helmet. A rose-colored scarf trails behind her as she flies around the Shadow, strafing it with wind blasts.

I run up to the girls. Twilight notices me. "Where the hell were you?" she cries.

"Fighting Eris over on the practice court!"

"Eris?"

"The bitch that attacked us last time! She ambushed me!" I look up at Sagittarius. "How are you girls holding up?"

"Not so good," Twilight says. "Even though Rainbow awakened her Persona, it's still..."

An arrow hits Twilight and she screams, dropping to the ground. Athena bursts into fragments of light. "TWILIGHT!" I kneel down next to her, checking her over. There's no blood or any sign of a wound, and she's breathing, but she's out cold.

Burning with rage, I switch Personas. "UNDINE!"

Undine appears, unleashing a freezing torrent of water at Sagittarius. Sagittarius staggers as thick ice spreads over his torso. The fireball burning above his head begins to dim.

"Whoa, dude," Rainbow says as she runs over to us, staring up at Undine. "Your Persona's a naked chick made out of water?"

Ignoring her, I change Personas. "TAKE-MIKAZUCHI!"

Take-Mikazuchi appears, pointing his sword at Sagittarius. A massive column of blue-white lightning explodes forward with a tremendous thunderclap that shakes the ground, striking Sagittarius in the chest. Sagittarius collapses to his knees, chunks of seared, frozen Shadow falling to the ground. The ball of fire between his horns is almost completely gone now...

Rainbow Dash stares at Sagittarius, then at Take-Mikazuchi, then at me. "What...the..."

Twilight sits up, groaning. "Ugh..."

"Twilight!" I kneel beside her and help her up. "Are you alright?"

"Just...a little stunned..." She looks at Sagittarius, eyes wide. "Did...did you do all that?"

"Yeah, but..." I grimace. "That's all I've got..."

Sagittarius pushes itself back to its feet. The fireball is growing stronger...

Pinkie rushes up to me. "Flash? Can you summon your naked water lady one more time? I've got an idea."

I frown. "I'll...try..." I tap my phone. "UNDINE!"

Undine hovers in the air above us.

"EUPHROSYNE!"

Euphrosyne appears next to Pinkie, who crouches down and wraps her arms around my neck. "SEXY REFRESHMENT!" she yells.

Euphrosyne jumps up into the air and wraps herself around Undine. The rainbow drink flowing from her gold pitcher pours into Undine, turning her into a glowing rainbow naked water chick. Undine lets out a loud moan of pleasure and explodes, showering the four of us in a colorful, glowing rain.

The fatigue begins to ebb from my mind and body. Pinkie stands up and backs away. I stand up, helping Twilight to her feet. Twilight looks uninjured, but seriously disturbed. "Pinkie...we're having a very long talk about this later," she says.

"Can we please finish dealing with this mess and go home?" Rainbow asks. "I wanna open presents and eat barbecue, not watch glowing naked chicks make out or...or fight big ugly monsters...even though the fighting big ugly monsters part is kinda cool..."

"Freezing it and then shocking it seems to work," I say. "Twilight?"

Twilight nods. "Ready!"

"UNDINE!"

"ATHENA!"

Undine unleashes a relentless torrent of freezing water, completely soaking Sagittarius even as it locks onto Twilight to fire another killer arrow. Athena appears, lightning dancing from her spear, coursing along the stream from Undine. Sagittarius bellows in rage as it begins to freeze over, even as electricity courses over its body. The fireball between its horns abruptly swells; I can feel its heat from the ground.

Then, the fireball explodes, taking the entire top half of the Shadow with it. The rest of Sagittarius explodes into chunks and shards of black ice.

Our Personas disappear, and the sky of Zodiac is replaced by the sky over the tennis court.

Pinkie looks around, frowning. "Where is everybody?"

Twilight looks at her phone and gasps. "It's...it's after five..."

"What?!" But...that's impossible!

Rainbow frowns. "So? We were fighting that thing like, forever!"

"Time doesn't pass in Zodiac," I say. "It...it should still be..."

"Four twenty-seven," Twilight says. "We lost a little over half an hour."

"That's...that's not possible..."

"Worry about it later, guys," Pinkie says. "We need to get back to the dorm." She wraps an arm around Rainbow. "Somebody's got a party they're gonna be late for!"

"Yeah, let's go back to the dorm and enjoy Rainbow's birthday party," I agree. "Besides, I don't know about you girls, but I'm starving."

"You guys...owe me a really, really big explanation," Rainbow says. "After barbecue. And presents. And cake."

On our way out, we run into Cadance. Her head is wrapped in gauze, and her eyes are a little glazed. "Cadance!" Twilight cries. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Cadance groans, holding her head. "Some ninja girl knocked me out...shoved me in a closet. I don't think I have a concussion, but my head's killing me."

"Ninja girl?" Rainbow cries. "Oh man, now there's ninjas?"

"That must've been Eris," I say. "She probably took you out before she came after me."

"Eris?" Cadance asks.

"The one who attacked us when we fought Scorpio," I say. "She showed up again. Separated me from the girls. They had to fight without me."

Cadance frowns. "And...Rainbow...?"

"Is one of us now," Twilight says. "Her Persona kept Sagittarius busy until Flash caught up." Twilight frowns. "Cadance...time passed while we were in Zodiac."

Cadance blinks. "That's...odd." She shakes her head. "We'll worry about it later. Flash, can you drive us all back to the dorm?"

"Sure." I take her keys, and we all head out to her SUV.

"So how long've you guys been fighting monsters and stuff?" Rainbow asks. "And why didn't you let me know sooner?"

"You know that horoscope you saw today?" Twilight asks. Rainbow nods. "Each of us have gotten that same horoscope on our birthday this year. And then this happened."

As I'm adjusting the mirror, I can see Rainbow's brow scrunching in thought. "So...every single birthday at the dorm this year, shit like this happened?"

"Yes," Twilight says. "Each of us has been attacked on our birthday."

"Rainbow Dash," Cadance says, "it's important that you not mention any of this around anybody who isn't in this car. Nobody else knows what's happening...they wouldn't believe you if you said anything."

"Yeah...you gotta keep this under wraps, Dashie," Pinkie says.

"So...we're like...superheroes?" Rainbow says.

"If you want to look at it that way, then yes," Cadance says.

"Cool," Rainbow says. "But you all really gotta tell me what the hell's goin' on."

"We will, after the party," Twilight says.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 / Evening

We return to the dorm, which is already decorated for the party. Rarity, Applejack, Trixie, Luna, and Celestia are gathered in the lounge.

"What KEPT y'all?" Applejack demands. "Th' food's gettin' cold!"

"Cadance fell and hurt her head," Twilight says. "We had to make sure she didn't have a concussion."

"And you didn't think to call one of us?" Rarity asks.

"Sorry," Twilight says. "We honestly didn't realize how late it was getting."

"Are you alright, Cadance?" Celestia asks.

"Yeah, just a really bad headache," Cadance says. "And a nasty bump." She smiles. "Nothing a little birthday party for Rainbow Dash won't fix."

"Hey, where's Fluttershy?" Pinkie asks. "Didn't she come home yet?"

Applejack and Rarity exchange glances.

"Yeah, about that..." Applejack says slowly.

"We received a call from her a short while ago," Rarity says. "Her family wanted her to come home early and spend the whole week, so..."

"She's already on her way t' Cloudsdale," Applejack finishes. "She won't be back 'til after Thanksgivin'."

"Oh," Pinkie says. "She didn't...come back to pack a bag or anything?"

"Said she didn't need to," Applejack says, shrugging. "Got all th' clothes an' things she needs at home, another laptop, all that. She'll do her Monday an' Tuesday schoolin' from home over Canterbook."

"She...didn't even want to stay for my birthday party?" Rainbow asks. "I mean, I know she's mad at me, but...I thought..."

"Give 'er time, sugarcube," Applejack says. "Give 'er time."

Celestia claps her hands loudly. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I've been waiting all day for some barbecue. Rainbow Dash, you did ask for barbecue, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Rainbow says, brightening. "I'll...I'll call Fluttershy later."

We all head into the dining room, where there is a truly massive amount of barbecue and fixings spread out. There's sliced brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, pork, baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob, hamburger and hot dog buns, sliced bread, potato salad, fries, numerous containers of barbecue sauce...

With ten of us at the table, the food goes fast. Cadance sets some aside for Shining Armor before the rest of us eat everything up.

"You know," I say, "for things like this...we should probably lift Coach's ban from the dorm. It's not fair he has to miss out on this."

Celestia shrugs. "That's entirely up to you," she says. "All of you."

"Yeah...I think he's learned his lesson," Twilight says. "As long as he behaves himself."

Trixie frowns. "What's this about a ban?"

"Long story," I say.

"You know Coach Shining Armor?" Pinkie asks. Trixie nods. "Well, he's Twilight's big brother and Nurse Cadance's husband. One day he...kiiiiiinda punched Flash in the face."

"And we banned him from the dorm instead of firing him," Luna says.

Trixie blinks. "Overprotective brothers..." She shakes her head. "Trixie is relieved to be an only child and does not envy you that particular aggravation, Twilight Sparkle."

"Well, we've sorted it all out," Cadance says. "A long time ago actually...I really should've thought about getting his ban lifted sooner."

"The general ban remains," Celestia says. "He really doesn't need to be wandering around in this dorm. Especially this dorm."

There's a lot of laughter over that, as well as some blushing.

After dinner, we move into the lounge, where Rainbow Dash starts opening presents. The first gift she opens is from Rarity. It's a set of lacy black lingerie and a home pedicure kit.

Rainbow blushes. "What the hell, Rarity?"

Rarity smiles. "You have no idea how amazing you looked at the Fall Formal, darling. I'm hoping I can convince you to dress more like a lady from time to time...you might even catch a boyfriend, or at the very least, do away with those awful rumors about you." She frowns. "Oh, and the pedicure kit is because your feet are in absolutely horrid condition. It's a disgrace for your heels to be so callused and your toenails to be so...rough."

"Umm...okay...thanks?"

Applejack gives Rainbow Dash a copy of Monster Truck Zombie Jamboree. Rainbow grins. "Cool! Who do I get to grind into paste first, you or Luna?"

The next present Rainbow opens is from me. It's a new pair of soccer shoes and several pairs of reinforced socks. She smiles. "Thanks," she says.

Next up is Trixie's present: a book of guitar tabs. "Sweet!"

Next, Rainbow opens Pinkie's present. "Oh, ha ha," she says. "Very funny, Pinkie."

Pinkie gives her a shit-eating grin. "That's payback for my birthday," she says.

"Umm...I don't think we all need to see this one," Twilight says hastily, panic on her face.

"Why not?" Trixie asks.

Rainbow Dash holds up a long string of pearly pink beads with a pull ring at one end.

"Oh dear," Celestia says, eyes wide. "That's...slightly inappropriate..."

"Put it away!" Rarity cries, cheeks flushed.

Rainbow snickers and puts the beads back in their box, then sets them aside.

Trixie tilts her head. "Were those ana—"

"Yep!" Pinkie declares happily. "Have fun with 'em, Dashie!"

The next present Rainbow opens is from Twilight. It's a set of high-quality noise-cancelling headphones. Luna and Celestia went in together on their present: a huge assortment of chocolates, half dark chocolate, half white chocolate. Next is Cadance's present: a new towel, a bathrobe, fuzzy slippers, and some flannel pajamas, all in matching deep navy blue.

The last present, from Rainbow's dad, is a $200 gift card and tickets for four to the next three Wonderbolts home games. "Oh, sweet!" she says. "How the heck did he score these?"

"Soccer tickets?" Twilight asks. "Well...I mean, I guess they're expensive, but...not so hard?"

"No, it's..." Rainbow shrugs. "He's overseas with the national team."

"Oh," Twilight says. She shrugs. "Internet?"

"I guess..." Rainbow chuckles. "Heck, who cares how? Tix for the Wonderbolts! And I can bring friends! Awesome!"

After that, it's time for birthday cake. Rainbow's cake is one of those confetti cakes, with seven different colors of icing and big, puffy whipped cream "clouds". Pinkie serves it with chocolate ice cream, and we all have a good time, laughing at Pinkie's suggestion of spanking the birthday girl. After that, Luna and Applejack take turns playing Rainbow's new game with her, while Trixie bids us all goodnight and heads home, and Cadance goes back to her apartment to rest up and take Shining Armor the leftovers and some cake. As she's leaving, she takes me and Twilight aside. "We'll meet up in the morning to talk about what happened today," she says. "Do you think Rainbow Dash will mind waiting until tomorrow?"

I look at Rainbow, who's grinding zombies into gory paste with a monster truck and laughing at Luna. "Yeah, I think we're good."

The rest of us clean up the mess. I head up to bed early...today's events have finally caught up to me, and I'm about to crash.

Not long after I'm in bed, Twilight comes in, wearing her pajamas. "No naked cuddling tonight," she says. "Just sleep." She crawls into bed with me and snuggles up against me.

I could've lost her today...

Whoever Eris is, the next time I see her, I'm going to kill her.
> 11/22 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, November 22, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You should really keep your hands off things that don't belong to you.

After breakfast, Twilight, Pinkie, Cadance, and I take Rainbow Dash up to our "secret headquarters" on the third floor.

As we squeeze into the room, Cadance frowns. "You know...there's way too many of us now...we're gonna need new arrangements before long."

"Yeah...it's getting a little crowded in here..." Pinkie agrees.

Rainbow sits down on the bed, bouncing up and down. "So, what the heck's goin' on around here?" she asks. "Yesterday was...way too freaky. Has stuff like that been happenin' all year?"

"Pretty much," I say. I look at Cadance. "Wanna start at the beginning?"

Cadance nods. "On my birthday, back in February, I was pulled into Zodiac and attacked by Aquarius. I almost didn't survive...that's when my Persona, Aphrodite, awakened."

"You've got a Persona too?" Rainbow asks.

"That's right," Cadance says. "I was the first one here to awaken to Persona. But...Aphrodite can't fight. When I'm in Zodiac, all I can do is scan...and, if I'm the only human present, I can escape whether there are Shadows around or not. That's how I got away from Aquarius."

I remember something Cadance said the day she told me all this... "You said you couldn't get a signal the first time you were in Zodiac," I say.

"That's right."

I frown. "We were able to use our phones in Zodiac yesterday. Twilight called me."

Cadance blinks. "Huh. Weird. I guess...you can only call phones that are in there with you? Or have the Zodiac app installed?"

"Maybe. Anyway...sorry to interrupt...keep going."

"Right." Cadance toys with her wedding ring. "Anyway...after that, I went into Zodiac from time to time to explore. I...saw things I wish I had never seen. There were other victims...I figured out that the Zodiac Shadows only appear when they're hunting, and they only hunt victims on their birthdays. I was able to help some victims escape, but..." She looks down. "I also saw people killed by the Shadows.

"For six months, I had to deal with this mess by myself, unable to do anything except watch..." She looks over to me. "Then Flash came to the dorm. And...on his birthday..."

"I got the same horoscope you got yesterday," I tell Rainbow. "Telling me I was gonna die. Then, that night, I was pulled into Zodiac and attacked. Cadance was there with me. We were about to die...then, my first Persona, Chiron, awakened."

"Watching Flash fight the Shadow...watching him kill one of these terrible hunters...it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Cadance says. "I couldn't believe his power."

"And then I ended up in the hospital for three days," I say.

"Whoa, so that's why..." Rainbow says.

"After I recovered, I agreed to help Cadance explore Zodiac and fight the Shadows," I say. "At first, I didn't want anything to do with any of it, but when I thought about it...I realized I wanted to find out what was going on. I wanted to know what Zodiac is, where it came from, and why that Shadow tried to kill me. And..." I look at Twilight. "I wanted to protect people from those monsters."

"We suspected Twilight would be the next target," Cadance says. "We were right."

"I was attacked at the hospital while we were visiting you," Twilight says. "I had no idea what was going on, and I was scared out of my mind. Then Flash showed up, and..."

"I fought Libra, but it did something to me that messed up my Persona app. We would've died if Twilight hadn't awakened her Persona."

"After Flash and Cadance explained everything to me..." Twilight looks down. "I had a theory that the others in this dorm would be targeted. We planned around Pinkie being the next victim, and...she was."

"We tried to cheat Zodiac out of its victim by staying with Pinkie every minute of her birthday, right up until midnight," I say. "But at the last possible second, we were all pulled into Zodiac."

"We fought Scorpio, and we beat it," Twilight says, "but then..."

"But then that nasty girl with the skanky Persona showed up and things got ugly," Pinkie says.

"Eris," I say, clenching my fists.

"Who's Eris?" Rainbow asks.

"We don't...really know," Twilight says. "We thought she might be Sunset Shimmer, but..."

"She isn't Sunset Shimmer," I say. "I don't think so, anyway. I don't know who she is, but...I'm pretty sure Eris is not Sunset Shimmer." I frown. "I do still think she's involved in all this, though."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Rainbow asks. "Seriously?"

"We've...got a lot of reasons to suspect Sunset Shimmer is somehow connected to Zodiac," Twilight says. "Though I'll admit, most of it is circumstantial and prejudicial."

"She runs the horoscope app," I say. "That's a hell of a lot more than circumstantial."

"Wait...Sunset Shimmer runs the horoscope app?" Rainbow asks. "Then...she's the one who told me I'd die yesterday?" She scowls. "I'm gonna tear that little bitch a new—"

"No," I say. "We can't confront Sunset Shimmer directly until we have proof she's tangled up in all this. Believe me, I'd have broken her face by now otherwise."

"Flash is right," Twilight says. She frowns at me. "Except about breaking her face. Seriously, Flash...calm down, okay?"

"Okay, so Eris isn't Sunset Shimmer and you don't know who she is," Rainbow says. "But other than that, who is she?"

"She's a Persona user, like us," I say. "Except she wants to kill us all. She attacked us on Pinkie's birthday...Pinkie didn't awaken her Persona until after Eris attacked us." I look down at my lap. "Yesterday...when the three of you were fighting Sagittarius...I was on my way to help, but Eris showed up and attacked me. The reason I was so late...I had to fight my way past her."

"But you kicked her butt, right?" Pinkie asks.

"Uhh...more or less," I say. "We haven't seen the last of her." I look at the others. "Last time, Eris just used her Persona, but...this time, she meant business. She's...she's strong. Skilled. She's a real fighter. She very nearly killed me without her Persona."

Twilight gasps.

"So that ninja girl that attacked me, that was that Persona user?" Cadance asks.

I nod. "We need to be careful," I say. "Whoever she is, she's more dangerous than the Zodiac Shadows. And..." I look down. "I'm pretty sure I pissed her off..."

"Uhh...dude? If she was trying to kill you, she was already pissed off to begin with," Rainbow says. "Or, you know, psycho..."

Cadance frowns. "So, wait..." She looks at Twilight. "You and Pinkie had to fight Sagittarius? Without Flash?"

"Yeah," Pinkie says. "It was rough...even after Rainbow's Persona awakened, we were barely holding on..."

"Hey, we weren't doin' THAT bad," Rainbow says indignantly. "Even if Flash hadn't shown up, Nike woulda kicked its ass!"

"Nike..." I say. "So your Persona is Nike..."

"So hey, question," Rainbow says. "You uhh...summoned more than one Persona." She looks at me curiously. "Can I do that?"

I shake my head. "No," I say. "For some reason, I have the power to awaken and summon multiple Personas."

"You shoulda seen him the other day!" Pinkie says. "It was like, one right after another after another...oh, and then he went all RAAAAAA! and passed out." Her hair droops.

"Yeah, that's...not gonna happen again," I say. "I found out I have limits, and...I pushed my limits pretty hard yesterday, but not like I did that day..."

"As far as we know, Flash has sixteen Personas," Twilight says.

"Seventeen," I correct her. "I have one more you haven't seen yet."

Twilight stares at me. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday." Technically since Friday, but how do I even begin to explain that?

"Dude, that's so not fair!" Rainbow cries. "Are you sure the rest of us can't do that?"

"Nope! Flash is special," Pinkie says.

"We're also pretty sure that's why I was out cold for three days when the rest of you recovered almost immediately," I say. 

"One thing still bothers me," Twilight says. "Why did time pass when we were in Zodiac yesterday?"

Cadance frowns. "That's never happened before," she says. "Actually...now that I think about it...I wasn't even pulled into Zodiac this time. Is it because I was unconscious?"

"Could be," Twilight says. "But I'm really worried about this time-passing thing...that should not have happened, based on what we know..."

"I wonder if it has anything to do with me ejecting Eris from Zodiac?"

Twilight and Cadance look at me. "What do you mean by 'ejecting'?" Cadance asks.

"After I incapacitated her, I smashed her phone. She disappeared."

Cadance blinks. "So...if your phone's damaged...your connection to Zodiac is broken?" She frowns. "That's interesting." She taps her chin. "Though it also makes me wonder about the night you were attacked. I got pulled into Zodiac and I didn't even have my phone on me, I was in the shower..."

Twilight's frown at that doesn't escape my notice.

"I don't think we have enough information about Zodiac to worry about any of this right now," I say. "I think...our best bet is to wait until Eris shows up again. If we can subdue her...maybe we can interrogate her. I get the impression she knows a lot more about Zodiac than we do."

"Yeah, she sure seems to," Pinkie agrees.

I look at Twilight. "So who's the next target?"

"Rarity," Twilight answers immediately. "But we've got a bit more time to get ready. Her birthday is on January 2."

"Hmm. That could be a problem if she isn't back from winter break by then," Cadance says.

"Her family's probably going to throw her a birthday party before she comes back to the dorm," Pinkie says. "We'll just have to make sure we're all invited."

"So...you really think Rarity's gonna be next?" Rainbow asks. "And...Fluttershy and Applejack, they'll...?"

"At this point, it's almost guaranteed, unless we can find a way to end all this Zodiac business before then," Twilight says. She looks at Cadance. "And...I'm not ruling out the possibility that...Aquarius will come after you again."

Cadance grimaces. "Yeah, I...considered that. At least this time, we'll be ready...right?"

"Sure we will," I say.

"You bet we will!" Rainbow says. "So this Zodiac thing...we can go in whenever we want, right?"

"Well, yes, but..." Cadance holds up a finger. "We all need to go together, and we need to pick and choose our times to go in carefully." She frowns. "If you're asking if we can go in today, no. We're not going in today. Everybody still needs to rest from yesterday, and..." She reaches up and touches the back of her head. "Until I heal up from this, I'm...not sure I want to summon Aphrodite. Using her takes a lot out of me."

"Why don't we just spend today playing that new game you got?" Pinkie suggests. "Or breaking in that other little present," she adds with a mischevious grin.

"Gah!" Rainbow cries, a sick look on her face. "Game, definitely game!"

"Pinkie, I think we should get you spayed," Twilight says, shaking her head.

"Nooooo! Not my lady parts!" Pinkie whimpers, covering her crotch with her hands and making a sound remarkably like a whining dog.

"Actually, don't the two of you have some shopping and packing to do today?" Cadance asks me and Twilight. "Better to do it today than put it off until Tuesday night, right?"

"Oh, right!" Twilight says. "We've gotta pack for the trip up to Mom and Dad's place!" She gasps. "Oh my gosh, I've gotta get our train tickets!"

"I've already taken care of the train tickets," Cadance says. "Our train leaves at ten Wednesday morning."

"Okay, that leaves packing, and..." Twilight looks at me. "My parents like you, and I know you have some nice clothes..."

"Oh, I'll get some new clothes for the trip," I say. "I don't mind at all." I frown. "I could use some new luggage, too..."

"Great, you guys go to the mall, me an' Pinkie'll hang out here and kill zombies with monster trucks," Rainbow says.

"Hey! You should get Rarity to go shopping with you!" Pinkie says. "You wanna really impress Twilight's parents, right?"

I look at Twilight and shrug. "What do you think?"

"Hmm..." Twilight tilts her head. "Yeah, I guess...if she wants to."

We decide to look for Rarity. We find her in her room, working on a dress design.

"I'd absolutely love to go shopping with you!" Rarity says with stars in her eyes. She studies me in the way I imagine a sculptor studies a block of clay. "I don't mind saying, I relish any opportunity to work with such an attractive model..."

"We're just shopping, not...not modelling!" Twilight cries heatedly.

Rarity rushes over to her, looking her up and down. "Oh, but you MUST let me strip you down and dress you from head to toe, darling! Every inch of you needs the Rarity touch!"

"Meep," Twilight says, face burning red.

A catlike smirk crosses Rarity's face. "Besides, I daresay the two of you will appreciate a...thorough fashion makeover..."

"Meep!" Twilight repeats.

"TO THE MALL!" Rarity declares dramatically, pointing to the door.

I'm beginning to think this was a mistake...

Sunday, November 22, 2015 / Evening

By the time the three of us return to the dorm, Twilight and I are both exhausted and embarrassed. Rarity completely wore us out with her constant measuring and piling stacks of clothes on us.

It was even worse this time. She DID measure it.

I head up to my room, depositing several large bags of clothes and two new suitcases in the corner. I reflect that I'll still need to buy some toiletries and personal items, but I can do that tomorrow after I take Vinyl to the eye doctor.

Two days of school this week...then it's off to Twilight's parents' place for Thanksgiving.
> 11/23 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 23, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Server Error — Try Again Later

On my way to homeroom, I run into Juan. He pulls me aside into a dark hallway where the lights are going out.

"Shouldn't you be changing these lights?" I ask, looking up at the flickering tubes.

"I happen to think this particular corridor is nicely dramatic," Juan says. "But that's beside the point." He smiles. "I hear things have been interesting for you lately."

"What do you mean by that?"

He shrugs. "Tennis, birthday parties, your girlfriend being crowned Fall Formal Princess...that sort of thing." He gives me a crooked smile. "Why, it's almost as if you're being pulled in...oh...seventeen directions at once." He laughs. "Oh, to be young again..."

"Uhh...look, the bell's about to ring, so..."

"Oh, yes, of course. School, classes...rather boring if you ask me. Life's real lessons aren't found in a classroom...any fool knows that." He gives me a measuring stare. "Then again, only a fool would assume everyone around him is exactly what they appear to be." He shrugs. "Well, I've got gum to clean out from under bleachers...have a good Thanksgiving!"

That guy's creepy...

Monday, November 23, 2015 / After School

After I drive Vinyl back to her house, we sit and talk for a minute. I'm not going straight back to the dorm today, because I have some shopping to do.

"So...I thought about what you said," Vinyl says. "About...y'know...goin' for it with Octavia."

"And?"

Vinyl takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes. "I...I wanna talk to her...but I think I need moral support." She looks at me. Her eyes look terrible. "Can you be my wingman?"

"Of course," I say. "When do you wanna talk to her?"

"That's just it...I'm not really sure..."

"Hmm..." I think about this while Vinyl puts her glasses back on. "The Music Club's having a little party tomorrow. If I can get Lyra to invite Octavia, and you drop by..."

"Hmm." Vinyl thinks about that for a minute. "Right before a holiday? I dunno, but..." She shrugs. "Heck, why not."

I pull out my phone and compose a text to Lyra.




New Message To: Lyra Heartstrings
Will you invite Octavia to the party tomorrow? Asking for a friend.




A minute later, I get a reply.




New Message From: Lyra Heartstrings
Don't have to, she's already coming. What's up?




"She's already coming to the party," I say.

"Oh...cool," Vinyl says. "That'll...make it easier."




New Message To: Lyra Heartstrings
Playing matchmaker.







New Message From: Lyra Heartstrings
Ooh. Good luck! Who?







New Message To: Lyra Heartstrings
You'll see...




I put my phone away. "Well, I've got some shopping to do."

Vinyl nods. "Cool. See you tomorrow."

I leave Vinyl's house and head into town to buy the things I still need for my trip.

Monday, November 23, 2015 / Evening

Because there are only two days of school this week, there's no homework, and Vice-Principal Luna isn't at the dorm. I spend longer than usual on guitar practice, then head downstairs for dinner. Everyone's busy getting ready to leave for the holiday...

After dinner, I finish up my packing, then watch television for a couple of hours before bed.
> 11/24 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, November 24, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A failure in one area may be a success in another.

School today was mostly goof-off time, or teachers showing movies in class. Only one or two teachers even bothered to try to teach anything.

After classes, I head for the Music Club room. I didn't bring my guitar with me today, because we're having a party—a party at which I'm supposed to be on a mission for Vinyl.

"Hey, Flash-man!" Speaking of Vinyl, she just walked up behind me.

I turn and face her. "Hey."

She takes a deep breath. "So...we're gonna do this, huh?"

"That's up to you," I say. Something seems a little off about her today... "Are you alright?"

"Eh," she says, shrugging. "My eyes kinda really hurt today. It started Sunday, actually. The doctor gave me some meds..." She frowns. "I...didn't drive to school today. Mom dropped me off. Not a good idea for me to drive right now."

We continue on to the club room. Inside, members of the club are gathered, talking and laughing. Not everybody is here, but most of the club is—actually, more of the club than usually shows up on any given day is here today, since a lot of the members have other things to do on either Tuesday or Thursday. Trixie's in one corner, doing card tricks for some freshmen. Lyra's in the back with her friend Bon-Bon. I guide Vinyl over in that direction.

"Hey Lyra," I say.

"Hey Flash." She smiles at Vinyl. "Hey Vinyl."

"Hey," Vinyl says. She grabs a cup of punch and leans against the table, looking around the room.

Lyra looks at her, then at me. Her eyes widen. "Seriously?" she mouths at me.

I cough. "So...you said Octavia's coming, right?"

"Yeah, she'll be back in a sec. She had to go to the bathroom."

A moment later, Octavia enters.

"Hey, Tavi! Over here!" Lyra calls, waving. Octavia walks over.

"This is quite the crowd," Octavia says in a Trottingham accent.

"Heh, everybody loves a good party," Vinyl says.

"Tavi, you haven't met Flash Sentry, have you?" Lyra asks, motioning to me.

Octavia looks me over. "No, we haven't met, but I certainly know who you are," she says. "You've become rather popular for having only been here a few months."

"Tavi would've joined the Music Club, but she doesn't like popular music. Only classical," Lyra says.

"Now, that's simply not true!" Octavia says. "I do enjoy popular music! It's just that I have practice four days a week."

"She plays...what was it again, Tavi? Cello or double bass?"

"Cello," Octavia says. "Really, Lyra...you're classically trained, you should know the cello is the one you can play sitting down. Which I do."

It doesn't escape my notice that Octavia has a treble clef on her skirt. Which confuses me; isn't the cello a bass instrument?

"And of course you know Vinyl," Lyra says.

"Of course I do," Octavia says, nodding to Vinyl. "I'm not a fan of the more bass-heavy music you're into, but I do respect your skills. Disc jockeys may not be musicians per se, but it takes a deep understanding of music to do what you do."

Vinyl grins. "Heck, I just spin what sounds good," she says.

"Hey Lyra," I say, "I think Trixie's about to do that one cool trick. Let's go check it out!"

"Huh? Oh! Oh yeah! Bon-Bon, you haven't seen that trick, right? Let's..." She looks at Octavia. "Why don't you stick around over here with Vinyl and chat? We'll be back in a bit."

"Alright," Octavia says.

"I'll be right over there if you need anything," I tell Vinyl.

The three of us walk over to where Trixie is making ping-pong balls vanish, then pulling them out of her audience's ears. I lean back against the wall and watch Vinyl and Octavia.

"Okay, what's going on?" Bon-Bon asks.

Lyra turns to me, eyes wide and excited. "O-M-G! You're kidding, right?"

I shake my head. "Nope."

"Holy crap," Lyra says, grinning like an idiot. "Tavi's not gonna know what hit her..."

"You think Vinyl has a shot?" I ask.

Lyra shrugs. "Probably not, but this'll be fun..."

"What's going on?" Trixie asks as her audience wanders off to get snacks.

"Matchmaking," I say. Trixie follows my gaze. Her eyes bug out.

"Are you serious?"

The four of us watch Vinyl and Octavia talk for several minutes. Then, suddenly, Vinyl doubles over. She reaches up so fast she knocks her glasses right off her face; they skid across the floor. Several people turn to stare as she clutches her eyes. Octavia asks her something, then bends down to pick up her glasses. She pats Vinyl on the back and leads her out of the room.

"What...just happened?" Trixie asks.

I grimace. "Vinyl's eyes have been hurting her since Sunday. Talk about rotten timing..."

Lyra looks alarmed. "Is it serious?"

"You know she's going blind, right?" Lyra nods. "Pretty sure this is related."

I decide to follow them; I know Cadance hasn't left yet, so they're probably headed for the nurse's office. "You guys stay here," I say. "I'll text you when I find out anything."

I head for the nurse's office. The door is closed but not locked; I peek inside and see Octavia sitting by the counter, hands folded in her lap.

I knock on the door and open it, looking inside. I see Cadance hovering over the bed in the corner; Vinyl is stretched out on it, a cold compress over her eyes. Cadance looks up. "Oh, Flash," she says. "Did you need something?"

"Checking on Vinyl," I say. "She's been having this problem since Sunday."

Cadance frowns. "Should I call somebody, or—?"

"Just let me rest," Vinyl says. "The meds I took after class just haven't kicked in yet. I'll be alright in a little bit."

"Okay..."

"Octavia...would you come with me for a minute?"

Octavia nods, brow furrowed. She stands and follows me out into the hall. "You seem to know what's wrong with her," she says.

I sigh, and explain to her what I know about Vinyl's condition. Octavia's eyes widen.

"Goodness," she says. "That poor girl...that's absolutely dreadful..."

"Before she had her attack, what were you two talking about?" I ask. "This is important."

Octavia frowns. "We were just talking about music...just making conversation. Why?"

I take a deep breath. Under the circumstances...I might have to do this for Vinyl.

"Octavia...Vinyl came to the party today just to talk to you."

Octavia blinks. "To talk to me?"

"She's...been interested in you. Sounds like for a while now."

Octavia gasps. "Interested? You mean as in...?"

"Yeah."

Octavia looks down, wringing her hands in front of her. "That's...unexpected..."

"Does that bother you?"

"Yes," she admits. "I...I'm used to rejecting boys. I've never...another girl being interested in me...it's not something I've ever had to deal with."

"Yeah, I heard you always shoot down guys who ask you out," I say. "May I ask why?"

Octavia frowns. "Most of the boys at this school are only interested in one thing, and I'm certainly not giving it to them." She grimaces. "Umm...present company excluded, of course. At least I think so..."

I laugh. "So if there was somebody who was interested in you for you, and not for sex...would it matter if it was a boy or a girl?"

Octavia's brow furrows. "I..." She looks down at her shoes. "I've never actually thought about it," she says. "I...I just don't know..."

"Look...I'm not gonna tell you to do something you're not comfortable with, or try to guilt-trip you, but...I will tell you that Vinyl's cool, and...and she needs all the friends she can get."

Octavia gives me a flat, level stare. "You're asking me to consider becoming romantically involved with another girl, and one who's going blind and will require...quite a bit more from those around her than most," she says.

I flinch. "Well...yeah."

Octavia sighs. "This is...this is just too much, all at once." She smooths out her skirt. "I just can't deal with something like this right now..." She starts to walk away.

I completely screwed that up...

Octavia stops and turns. "Tell Vinyl...I hope she feels better. And...I hope she has a good Thanksgiving." She pauses. "And...you too."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana...


"Thanks," I say. "Happy Thanksgiving, Octavia."

She leaves. I go back into the nurse's office. Vinyl is sitting up and has her glasses back on. "What's up?" she asks.

I grimace. "I might've just blown your chances with Octavia," I say. "But...she did say to wish you a happy Thanksgiving for her."

Vinyl slumps. "It wasn't gonna happen anyway," she says.

"Just give her time to think about it," I say. "Don't give up..."

Cadance blinks. "Wait. You were playing matchmaker for Vinyl? And...Octavia?!"

"Yeah, and I totally screwed it up."

Cadance giggles. "You should leave the matchmaking to the experts," she says, poking me in the nose. "Go on back to the dorm. I need to have a little girl talk with Vinyl..."

I'm out the door before she even finishes the words "girl talk".

Tuesday, November 24, 2015 / Evening

We all decided to get sandwiches from a sub shop for dinner because nobody really wants to cook tonight. Tomorrow, we're all leaving for Thanksgiving break.

"It will be good to spend some quality time with my darling little sister," Rarity says.

"Yeah, Ah'm lookin' forward t' spendin' time with Apple Bloom," Applejack says. "An' gittin' some work done out on th' farm." She looks at Rainbow and grins. "Ah'm gonna put you t' work too, y'know."

Rainbow grimaces. "Oh man...maybe I better back out..."

"Hey, you wanna work off all that apple pie an' pumpkin pie an' ham an' turkey an' corn casserole an' dressin' an' potatoes an' all so you don't get fat, right?"

Rainbow's eyes grow wider and wider as Applejack rattles off her list of Thanksgiving foods. Drool trails from her mouth all the way to the table. "Farm work! Sure! No sweat! Piece of cake!"

Pinkie sighs. "The next four days are gonna suck ass," she says. "You'll all text me, right? When you have time, I mean."

"Of course we will," Twilight says. "But...you're not looking forward to going home at all, not even a little bit?"

Pinkie blows upward on her hair. "I'm looking forward to seeing Maud. That's about it."

I feel terrible for her...

Rainbow grins at me. "So, Flash. Four whole days...just you an' Twi. And her folks. And her brother."

"Thanks, I wasn't already nervous enough," I say.

"Oh, don't be nervous!" Twilight says, taking my hand and squeezing it. "Mom and Dad really like you. We're gonna have a good time!"

After dinner, I head upstairs for some last-minute packing before going to bed early. Between loading everything up and the trip to the train station, we have to be up early in the morning...
> 11/25 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Make time for the loved ones of the people closest to you today. You're important to them even if you don't realize it.

Everybody is left to their own devices for breakfast this morning, as the girls are all in a mad scramble to get ready for their trips. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the first to leave; Applejack's brother picked them up almost before anybody else was awake.

Twilight and I load all our bags into the SUV, then return to the lounge to wait for Cadance. Rarity is sitting there, reading a magazine. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave?" I ask.

"Hm?" Rarity turns a page idly. "Oh...my parents live right here in Canterlot," she says.

Twilight and I exchange a surprised glance. "Your family...lives in Canterlot?" I ask. "Then...why...?"

"Independence, darling," Rarity says. "Simply put, I needed my own space, and...well..." She grimaces. "I do truly love my dear little sister, but...actually living in the same house with her? It's...simply impossible."

Wow. I knew Rarity could be a stuck-up drama queen, but...wow.

Pinkie Pie trudges downstairs. Her hair isn't quite as puffy as usual, and her eyes are a bit dull. She has one suitcase and one overnight bag. "Well...goodbye," she says.

"Uhh...see you Sunday?" Twilight offers.

"Huh? Oh...yeah...Sunday," Pinkie says. The way she says it makes it sound like it's decades away instead of just four days.

"So...where exactly does your family live?" I ask.

"Salt Lick City," she says. "It's two hours away by bus. Well...seeya." She trudges to the door, takes one last, sad-eyed look back at us, and leaves.

"Wow. That was...depressing," I say.

"Yeah..." Twilight's eyes are wide. "Does she really hate her family that much?"

"Apparently..."

Cadance walks in. "We're ready," she says.

We say goodbye to Rarity, then head out to the SUV.

On the drive to the train station, I ask, "So where are we going exactly?"

"Baltimare," Twilight says.

Baltimare...that's about four hours from Canterlot by bullet train...

Once we're on the train, we talk about inconsequential things while playing cards to pass the time. Twilight has absolutely no poker face...it's hilarious.

All during the ride, Shining Armor is giving me this odd look...

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 / Afternoon

The train pulls into the station at Baltimare. After we've disembarked and collected our things, we find Twilight's parents, who are waiting for us with their own SUV. We load our luggage into the SUV and pile in; with six of us plus luggage for four, it's pretty cramped.

"It's good to see you again, Flash," Twilight Velvet says. "Twiley gushes about you constantly."

"Really?" I ask, glancing at Twilight. She blushes.

"Oh, yes," Velvet says. "When she isn't talking about her studies or books she's read, she's talking about you..."

"Moooooom," Twilight whines.

"So how's school going for you, Flash?" Night Light asks.

"It's going alright," I say. "Classes are fine, my grades aren't bad...homework's easy enough. I'm on the tennis team, I'm in the Music Club..."

"Hey, you didn't bring your guitar with you!" Twilight suddenly says. "I just realized..."

I shrug. "I didn't want to deal with it," I say.

After a half hour, we pull up to a rather large house in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. "Cadance, you'll be with Shiny in his old room," Velvet says. "Don't worry, I cleaned it, deodorized the bed, put fresh sheets on it, and hosed the whole room down to get rid of that teenage boy smell."

"MOM!" Shining Armor yelps. Twilight snickers.

Cadance giggles. "I kinda like teenage boy smell," she says.

We all give her an "okay, that was really creepy" look.

Velvet coughs. "Right, well...Twiley, you're in your room, of course...I've kept it just like you like it. Flash, I've got the guest room ready for you, Twiley can show you where it is."

The guest room is tasteful if plain, with a comfortable bed, an armoire, and a bedside table with a clock and a lamp. It doesn't take me long to get unpacked and settled in. Twilight shows me around the house. It's an old but comfortable house, well-worn and lived in, but cared for.

Not long after we've arrived, Velvet calls us all down for a late lunch. We sit around the kitchen table, eating sandwiches and potato chips.

"I'll have something more...home-cooked for dinner," Velvet says. "It still won't be much, though. I'm...a little busy with tomorrow's cooking..."

"Why don't I make dinner tonight?" Cadance offers.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Velvet says, relief evident in her voice.

Cadance heads into the study and comes back with a legal pad and a pencil. "Shiny, can you run to the store for me and get a few things? After we're finished eating."

"Sure," Shining Armor says. He looks at me. "You'll come along and help, right?"

"Uhh...of course."

"I'll come too," Twilight offers.

"No, dear, let the boys handle this," Velvet says. "It'll give us girls some time to catch up."

Night Light frowns. "And what about me?"

"Take a nap," Velvet suggests firmly.

"Can do!" He hands Shining Armor the keys to his SUV.

After we finish eating, Cadance hands Shining Armor her list, and the two of us head out.

Once we're on the road, Shining Armor says, "Hey Flash...I wanna ask you something. And be honest with me."

"Okay?"

"And I promise I won't kill you or punch you out again. I just...something's been bothering me for a while now."

I don't think I like where this is going...

"Are you and Twilight...you know..." I can see his jaw working, as though he's having difficulty saying what he wants to say. We reach a stop light. "Are you having sex with my sister?"

"No," I say. After a moment, I admit, "We've...gone a little farther than holding hands and kissing, but we haven't...that."

He frowns. "I see," he says. He sighs. "I know, it's none of my business, Twiley can make her own decisions. I just...worry." He remains silent for a long moment. We reach the next stop light, and he looks at me. "That dress she had on at the Fall Formal...I've never seen Twilight wear anything like that. It kinda freaked me out. And...I knew she was dressed like that for you."

I blush. That night...

"She's growing up," Shining Armor says. "And I keep telling myself that's normal, and this is just what happens...hell, I remember Cadance at that age..." Now he's blushing. "But..."

"Yeah, I understand," I say. "Just...trust her, alright? And trust me. If...we do start...that...we'll be careful."

"Be sure you do," Shining Armor says. I'm amazed there was only the slight hint of a twitch in his cheek at the suggestion that I might actually have sex with his sister at some point...

We arrive at the store. Dividing the shopping between us, we finish our chore quickly and return to the house.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight, Shining Armor, Night Light, and I sit around in the living room watching television. Cadance joins us after helping Velvet with something for tomorrow. Velvet goes to bed early because she has to get up at four in the morning to put the turkey on.

A little after ten, I'm getting tired, so I say goodnight to everyone and head to the guest room. Behind me, the others are starting to head off to bed as well.

I can't believe I was so nervous about this. Twilight's parents are awesome, and they're making me feel very welcome. As I turn off the bedside lamp, it occurs to me that this might actually be the best Thanksgiving I've ever had...
> 11/26 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, November 26, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cherish what you have today. You never know when it might be taken from you.




System Message
Happy Thanksgiving from Canterlot High School!

New Message From: Pinkie Pie
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you and Twilight are having fun...

New Message From: Rainbow Dash
Happy Thanksgiving! Bet it doesn't smell half as awesome there as it does here!

New Message From: Applejack
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Rarity
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Principal Celestia
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Vice-Principal Luna
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Trixie Lulamoon
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Vinyl Scratch
Happy Thanksgiving!

New Message From: Coco Pommel
Happy Thanksgiving!




Enticing smells permeate the entire house. Cadance commandeered the bathroom first thing this morning; Shining Armor called second, while everyone else offered me third crack at it. While waiting for my turn, I reply to all my friends' messages on Canterbook. I decide to put on the dress shirt Rarity gave me for my birthday, as well as a new pair of slacks I bought the other day and some nice shoes.

When I'm done, I head into the living room. Cadance announces that she's getting breakfast ready for everybody, but it'll take some time since half the kitchen is taken up with Thanksgiving preparations.

Twilight walks in, wearing jeans and a dark red sweater. "So, who else is coming besides the six of us?" I ask.

"It's just us this year," Twilight says. "Grandpa has the flu so he and Grandma can't come, Nana's camping for Black Friday, and Cadance's dad objects to Thanksgiving because his grandparents on his mother's side were Buffalo Tribe." She shrugs. "I like it better this way...it's more fun the fewer of us there are, and we can relax and enjoy everything."

Sounds good to me. I think meeting a whole slew of Twilight's relatives all at once would be a little...much.

"Come on into the kitchen if you want breakfast," Cadance calls. We head into the kitchen; Shining Armor and Night Light drift in after us, with Velvet not far behind. She looks like she's barely awake and has serious bedhead.

"Trouble sleeping?" I ask her.

She groans. "The part I hate about all this? Turkeys are like babies."

"You...have to get up in the middle of the night to change their diaper?" I ask.

Twilight breaks out laughing, as do the others. Velvet rolls her eyes. "More or less," she says. "If you want it ready by one in the afternoon, it has to be in the oven at four in the morning."

"Ouch. I didn't know that..."

Velvet looks at me curiously. "Surely you've seen your mother cook a turkey before, right?"

I snort. "My mom can barely make macaroni and cheese. Even when my parents are around for holidays, we buy everything pre-made."

"Oh," Velvet says with a mild frown.

Cadance serves each of us a sandwich...the most unusual "sandwich" I've ever seen. It's crumbled pork sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, and hash browns stuffed between two pancakes.

Velvet raises an eyebrow. "Already trying to one-up me, dear?"

"You're gonna love this, Mom," Shining Armor says, cutting his in half and picking one half up, taking a huge bite.

I do likewise. It's...it's amazing. The others seem to agree, as there's very little conversation while we all wolf down Cadance's incredible breakfast creation.

"We only get one each?" Twilight asks.

Cadance laughs. "Sorry, Twilight...we've gotta leave something in the fridge for breakfast tomorrow." Everybody laughs.

"Besides, there'll be plenty to eat this afternoon," Velvet says with a smile.

Night Light gives me a serious look. "I'm amazed you didn't run away screaming the first time you saw Twiley eat," he says.

"Dad!"

I laugh. "Actually, I think it's cute," I say. Twilight blushes.

"Wow, you must have it bad," Night Light says, shaking his head.

"Dad, cut it out!" Twilight whines.

After breakfast, Velvet and Cadance shoo the rest of us out of the kitchen so they can work. Night Light turns on the television and puts on the Thanksgiving parade in Manehattan. Shining raids his room and returns with a few board games; we decide to play Scrabble to pass the time.

I think we all sort of forgot we were playing against Twilight...

Thursday, November 26, 2015 / Afternoon

At one, Cadance asks Shining Armor to set the dining room table. At one-thirty, Velvet announces that it's time to eat.

The six of us gather around the table, which is laden with an astonishing banquet. In the center is an enormous golden-brown turkey. A huge bowl of stuffing sits to the side; on the opposite side is a pot of scalloped potatoes. A casserole dish contains green bean casserole; another has cream corn casserole. There's a serving dish full of okra and stewed tomatoes, another one with green peas and carrots, yet another with yellow squash, and a basket of piping hot dinner rolls. Lastly, a gravy boat which is issuing steam into the air, and a plate with sliced cranberry sauce.

"There's plenty to choose from, so eat whatever you like...if there's something you don't like, don't feel like you have to eat it. I wanted to make sure there was a variety," Velvet says as Night Light carves the turkey. Shining Armor pours everyone a glass of ginger ale. I raise an eyebrow at that; that's...not exactly traditional.

Shining Armor and Cadance sit next to each other across from me and Twilight. Velvet is sitting on Twilight's other side, while Night Light is sitting next to Shining Armor. For several minutes, we load up our plates; I place two large slices of white meat on my plate, ladel some gravy over it, then add some peas and carrots and a large spoonful of green bean casserole beside it. I take a couple spoonfuls of okra and tomatoes and one spoonful of the potatoes, then heap a large dollop of stuffing on my turkey. There's just enough room left to put a roll on my plate.

I look over at Twilight's plate. As expected, she's managed to take some of everything. It's all mixed together, too. The only thing she doesn't have is gravy, but that's because she's completely covered the mix of white and dark meat on her plate with other food.

"Don't forget to leave room for dessert, everybody," Cadance says as she butters her roll, then passes Shining Armor the butter. When it comes around to me, I pass it back to the center of the table; I'll just use my roll to sop up gravy.

We all dig in, silverware clinking against plates and the sounds of chewing, murmurs of appreciation, and repeated utterances of "This is good" the only accompaniment for some time. Everything is delicious; I know I'll regret it, but I'm sure I'll end up having thirds.

Twilight is, for a change, not inhaling her food, but savoring it. Relatively speaking; she's still eating a lot faster than the rest of us, but nowhere near the speed at which she usually eats. I smirk at her. "Well, Twilight definitely loves your cooking, Mrs. Velvet," I say.

"Twilight loves anything that sits still long enough for her to eat it," Velvet says. We all laugh.

"True, but she's eating a lot slower than usual," I say. "That means she's really enjoying it."

Twilight stops eating and looks at me, wide-eyed. The others glance at me. Cadance smiles. Shining Armor's jaw drops. Night Light raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asks, looking at Twilight.

Twilight blushes. "You...actually noticed something like that?"

"I'm her mother and I never picked up on that," Velvet says, eyes wide.

I return to my own plate. "This green bean casserole is awesome," I say.

"Oh, you like it?" Velvet says. "I used cheese-flavored onions for the topping, and I added a little more paprika than the recipe calls for."

"We should have this at the dorm sometime," Twilight says. "It's not hard to make, is it?"

"Oh, not at all," Velvet says. "You pretty much dump everything in and throw it in the oven."

"So Flash," Night Light says, "I hear your parents aren't even coming back for Christmas."

"They can't," I say. "They won't be coming back until August."

"That's awful," Velvet says. "Not seeing your parents for that long?"

I shrug. "Even when they're around, they're not around, you know? Honestly, I talk to them about as much right now as I ever did. We're not...close."

Velvet and Night Light look at one another.

"Well, you're more than welcome to come back for Christmas if you want," Night Light says.

"Yes, we'd be happy to have you," Velvet says.

"Thank you, I think I'd like that," I say.

"So Dad," Shining Armor says, "who do you think's gonna win the game this afternoon?"

Shining Armor and Night Light get into a lively discussion about football, while I load up my plate again. It suddenly dawns on me that as happy as I am now, come August, I'll have to go back to Seaddle...

Once everybody has had their fill of the feast on the table, Shining Armor and Night Light clear away the serving dishes while Cadance and Velvet bring out the desserts. There's an apple pie, a sweet potato pie, a pecan pie, a blackberry cobbler, a fig cake...

I decide the stomachache I'll have later is worth it and have some of each. Twilight's on the same page as me, of course, while the others pick two or three desserts to sample and call it a day.

After that, Shining Armor helps Cadance and Velvet clear away the dishes and put away the leftovers while Twilight, Night Light, and I head to the living room to watch the game. Twilight and I occupy one end of the couch; she leans heavily into me, and I wrap an arm around her, holding her close.

By halftime, all the heavy food I've just eaten kicks in. I can't seem to keep my eyes open...

Thursday, November 26, 2015 / Evening

The living room is dark and quiet; the only light is from a single table lamp. I look around; Twilight is still beside me, sound asleep. Cadance is sitting across from us, alone on the love seat, reading.

"Ugh...what time is it?" I ask quietly.

"It's after seven," Cadance says. "Vel went to bed about an hour after dinner, Dad and Shiny went upstairs to pass out right after the game." She giggles. "You two have been asleep for a few hours now."

Twilight is completely out for the count. I brush her hair out of her face and shift around to hold her more snugly. My left arm is half asleep; I try to adjust my hold on Twilight so I can get some circulation back.

"What about you?" I ask.

Cadance shrugs. "I didn't eat as much as everybody else. I did doze off during the last quarter of the game, but that was more because football bores me."

"You ate more than Mrs. Velvet did," I point out.

Cadance smirks. "She was also up at four in the morning cooking all that food."

"True." I sigh as I look at Twilight.

"What's wrong?" Cadance asks.

"It's..." I look down. "Talking about my folks...just reminded me that what I have now isn't gonna last." I swallow heavily. "In August, when my parents come back, I...I have to go back to Seaddle." I feel my eyes starting to sting. "And...that'll be the end of...of all this." I look at Twilight again. "When I moved to Canterlot, I...I didn't have anything. Now, I have...I have so much...I've fought so hard to protect what I have..." The tears are coming. "And...I can't hold on to any of it."

"Flash..." Cadance looks sad. "Don't think like that. You don't know for certain what the future holds. And...your friends are never going to forget you. None of us will. Twilight sure won't." She smiles at me. "Even if you do go back to Seaddle for senior year...you can always come right back to Canterlot for college, right? And to stay?" She stands up, walks over, bends down, and kisses me on the forehead. "Don't worry so much about what's going to happen that you forget to enjoy what you have right now. When...when August comes...you can deal with it then, but...if you start worrying about all that now..." She brushes tears away from my eyes. "All you'll be doing is hurting yourself. And Twilight. And everyone else." She stretches and yawns. "I'm gonna go take a long bath and go to bed. I figure Shiny'll be up in a couple hours raiding the fridge." She smirks. "Maybe if I'm there when he wakes up, he'll have something better than food to think about." She winks, then heads upstairs.

I look over at Twilight, who's still sound asleep. I lean in and kiss her, then pull out my phone and surf the web, all while holding Twilight close.

It's past nine when Twilight finally wakes up, and predictably, she's hungry. We both raid the fridge, then turn on the television with the volume down and find something to watch.

We have to turn the volume up before long to drown out the sounds of Cadance and Shining Armor making love upstairs. Twilight's face is completely red.

Before long, Velvet and Night Light come downstairs in their robes, looking slightly put out. "I'd better get a grandchild out of that," Velvet mutters, shaking her head.
> 11/27 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, November 27, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may learn something unexpected about somebody close to you today.

Cadance made breakfast again. After that, she and Shining Armor left to do some shopping.

I have no intention of getting caught up in today's nonsense. I'm doing all my Christmas shopping online...

Twilight and I are watching television while I do a little online browsing. "Heh, look at some of these lightning deals," I say. "Who'd even want this crap?"

"Oh, I don't know," Twilight says. "I'm sure somebody out there would want a watering can shaped like a lawn gnome holding a mushroom."

"That's not a mushroom, Twi."

"It's not? Then wha—oh my God...that's gross!"

"Hmm. Modular rabbit hutch...think Fluttershy would like that?"

"I don't know..." Twilight frowns. "Speaking of Fluttershy..." She looks at me. "Did you get a text from her yesterday at all?"

"I'm sure I did," I say. I open Canterbook and check all my messages from yesterday. "I know I texted her..."

Going through the list of messages I received yesterday, I realize something I didn't even notice before: Fluttershy is the only one who didn't text me to wish me a happy Thanksgiving. "Huh."

"She didn't text me either," Twilight says. She frowns. "It could be she can't get service at home, or..."

I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's right...there could be a lot of reasons Fluttershy didn't text either of us yesterday.

"Maybe she just didn't think about it." I rub Twilight's hand. "She's not exactly the most social person...I mean, she's not even really close to any of the rest of us, is she?" Off the top of my head, I can't remember having a conversation with Fluttershy that lasted more than five minutes.

"True..." Twilight sighs. "It's just...have you noticed how she's been...really weird since the Fall Formal?"

I grimace. "Something happened to her that night," I say. "Something that probably involved Sunset Shimmer, I'll bet. And...then, well...Rainbow Dash didn't exactly help matters."

"Fluttershy didn't get Rainbow Dash anything for her birthday," Twilight says.

"She left before the party," I remind her.

"Yes, but...wouldn't she have told Rarity or Pinkie Pie that she had something for Rainbow Dash, and it was in her room?" Twilight's brow crinkles. "It isn't like her to just...I mean, she's usually very nice, even if she's shy and...doesn't talk much." She frowns. "Now that I think about it...she's been really hostile towards Rainbow Dash ever since the Fall Formal."

"Can you blame her?"

"Well, no, but..." Twilight sighs. "It just bothers me...something's not right with Fluttershy."

I wrap my arm around Twilight. "How about this? When we go back home, we'll figure out a way to get her alone and talk to her."

"Maybe..." Twilight sighs. She looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "Back 'home', huh?"

I laugh. "Well...you know what I mean."

A little while later, I get a video call from my parents.

"Hey, Flash," Dad says. "Sorry we missed you yesterday...that derecho we had here took out pretty much everything. We didn't get Internet service back until...must've been around two in the morning over there?"

"Happy Thanksgiving, Flash!" Mom says.

"Hey, happy Thanksgiving," I say. "You had a derecho, huh?" I look at Twilight. "What's a derecho?" I whisper.

"Big windstorm," she replies. "Does lots of damage."

"Oh hey, who's that there with you?" Mom asks. "Is that your girlfriend?"

"Yeah Mom. This is Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight leans in closer and waves. "Hi! Nice to meet you!"

"So, hope you had a good Thanksgiving...did you do anything at the dorm?"

"Actually, we're in Baltimare," I say. "I'm staying with Twilight's family until Sunday. I told you that last week, remember?"

"Oh, I see...that's good," Dad says. "So, you're having a good time?"

"Yep."

"That's good...wish we could see you at Christmas, but..."

Mom smiles. "Will you be spending Christmas with your girlfriend and her family too?"

"Probably," Twilight says. "We're not really sure what our Christmas plans are yet."

"Well...you kids have a good time. We gotta go, the Internet's not very stable right now here. We'll call you again next week!"

"Okay. Bye Mom, bye Dad."

The call ends.

"Well, they seem nice," Twilight says.

"Yeah, they're always nice," I say. "Like, Christmas card nice."

Twilight grimaces. "Your dad did seem a little...distant? Distracted?"

"Indifferent," I grumble. "Trust me, apart from making sure I have money and presents, I'm very much an afterthought for them."

I hear a cough from behind me. We turn around to see Velvet standing there, a sad expression on her face.

"Mom!" Twilight says. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," she says. She swoops in and hugs me.

Friday, November 27, 2015 / Evening

Velvet and Cadance dress up some of the leftovers so that we can have a nice little family dinner together.

"Never seen anything like that," Velvet says furiously.

"Mom," Twilight says tiredly, "cut it out..."

"How could they not remember where you said you'd be spending Thanksgiving?" Velvet rants. For about the fifth time. "You said it, right? That you told them you'd be here?"

"Yeah, I told them I'd be here," I say. "They get distracted and forget I tell them stuff all the time."

"That's inexcusable," Velvet says. "Just...inexcusable."

"Now, dear," Night Light says. "Calm down..."

I sigh. "Like I said...we're just not close. Never have been."

Cadance frowns. "That's terrible," she says. "Your parents are the people you're supposed to be closer to than anybody else..."

"Not everybody's cut out to be parents," Night Light says. "Remember Firefly?"

Velvet pulls a face. "Yeah," she says. "How could any woman run out on her own child like that?"

"Wait, who's Firefly?" Cadance asks.

"We went to college together," Velvet says. "She liked jocks...hooked up with at least one guy from every team."

"She got knocked up by a soccer player she was dating," Night Light says. "Friend of mine, Blaze." He takes a sip of his beer. "He wanted to get married...start a family. Good man. Tried to do the right thing."

"Firefly didn't want that," Velvet says. "Cramped her style. Thought being pregnant was lame, but...at least we managed to talk her out of getting an abortion."

"Soon as she had the baby, she skipped town," Night Light says with a frown. "Left a note saying the kid was Blaze's problem, not hers."

Cadance gasps. "That's terrible!"

"What happened then?" Twilight asks.

Velvet shakes her head. "Well, Blaze raised his daughter, of course. He couldn't put his career on hold, so they moved around a lot...where was he last, dear?"

"Cloudsdale or Fillydelphia, I think," Night Light says. "I know he's on the national team and they're playing abroad right now, so I imagine he found someone to take care of her while he's away." He frowns. "Or maybe boarding school. He can afford it..." He looks at Twilight. "She'd be about your age, actually. Wouldn't she, hon?"

"Yeah, Twilight was only a couple months old when Firefly had her baby," Velvet says. "That poor child never even knew her mother...that's terrible for a girl. How could anybody abandon a cute little baby girl like Rainbow Dash?"

Wait...WHAT?!

Twilight spits stuffing all over the table. "Rainbow Dash?!"

"You're kidding!" Cadance cries.

Velvet blinks. "What?"

I clear my throat and take a sip of ginger ale. "Umm...Rainbow Dash...goes to CHS," I say. "And lives in our dorm. We're her friends."

Velvet's hands fly to her mouth and her eyes widen. "Really?!"

"Wow, small world, huh?" Night Light says.

"I could've sworn I mentioned her to you at some point," Twilight says, brow furrowed. "I didn't say anything about any of my friends other than Flash?"

"Only friend I remember you talking about is Pinkie Pie," Velvet says.

"So Rainbow's mom just...ran out on her and left her with her dad?" I ask.

Velvet sighs. "Yes, she did."

"Whoa." Suddenly, my parents don't seem all that bad...

Friday, November 27, 2015 / Late Night

Twilight comes into the guest room in her pajamas and snuggles into the bed next to me.

"I can't believe something like that happened to Rainbow Dash and we never knew," Twilight says.

"Yeah..."

"Your parents...they're not much better than that, are they?" Twilight asks. "I mean, obviously they take responsibility for you and make sure you have everything you need, but..."

"Can we not talk about this anymore?" I ask.

"Sorry," Twilight says.

I pull her close. "No, I'm sorry. I just..."

"I understand."

I sigh. "I'm...not looking forward to going back to Seaddle," I say. "I'm happier now than I've been in my entire life. Even with all the Zodiac stuff and the rumors and crap..."

Twilight frowns. "Do...do you have to go back?" she asks.

"I'm pretty sure they'll want me to come back to Seaddle when they get back," I say.

"When...when are they...?"

"August."

Twilight lets out a sigh of relief. "Good. Then we still have plenty of time to be together." She puts her head on my shoulder. "I don't want to think about you going away..."

"I don't either," I say.

"But if you do have to go back to Seaddle..." Twilight pulls away and looks at me imploringly. "You'll...you'll come back, right?"

"Of course I will," I say.

"Good," Twilight says. She kisses me, then snuggles up close.

Down the hall, we hear Cadance giggling. Then we hear her let out a squeal.

Twilight groans. "Oh, come on! Not again!"

Cadance and Shining Armor are definitely at it again...

"UGH! I do NOT need to hear my brother doing that!" Twilight complains.

"I know how to take your mind off it," I say.

"How?" Twilight asks.

I kiss her and start unbuttoning her pajama top.

"Oh..." Twilight giggles and turns off the light.
> 11/30 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 30, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It usually isn't a good idea to meddle in things that don't concern you.

Thanksgiving break is over, and we're going back to school today.

Everybody still has vacation hangover. We all got in at different times yesterday...

Twilight and I were both too tired to talk to anybody last night, so I don't really know how everybody else's vacation went yet other than what they posted on Canterbook. We both want to talk to Fluttershy, and we definitely need to talk to Rainbow Dash...even if that's going to be a little awkward.

Twilight and I head out to walk Spike. "So...what's the plan?" I ask. "How're we gonna deal with Fluttershy?"

"I guess...just try to talk to her?" Twilight suggests. "After school would be best...you're not doing anything today, right?"

"Nope." I frown. "And after dinner, we should...talk to Rainbow Dash."

"I...don't know if that's a good idea," Twilight says. "I mean...yeah, I want to talk to her about, you know, all that...but...maybe it's a sensitive subject for her, and...and maybe she'll feel betrayed or embarrassed or something if we bring it up?"

I sigh. "Maybe, but...we can't just ignore this, pretend we don't know."

"Yeah..."

"Tell you what," I say. "I'll talk to her by myself first. Test the waters. How's that sound?"

Twilight frowns. "I still don't know if it's a good idea, but...okay."

Monday, November 30, 2015 / After School

Twilight and I meet up at the school entrance, and hurry to make sure we're the first ones back to the dorm.

We wait in the lounge; after about twenty minutes, Fluttershy walks through the front doors, absorbed in her phone. She heads for the stairs; we stand and follow her.

As Fluttershy reaches the door to her room, Twilight rushes forward and touches her shoulder. "Fluttershy? Can we talk to you?"

Fluttershy spins around, eyes wide, and shrinks away from Twilight. "Wh-what?" She puts a hand to her chest. "Twilight...umm...can it wait? I...I...I have to brush Angel, and..."

"Fluttershy, please," Twilight says. "This'll just take a few minutes. We're just...worried about you."

Fluttershy frowns. "I'm fine," she says.

"No you're not," I say. "You haven't been fine since the Fall Formal."

Fluttershy cringes. "D-don't," she says.

Twilight takes hold of Fluttershy's upper arm and gently guides her to her room. Fluttershy makes a token effort to pull free, but slumps and allows herself to be pulled along. I follow close behind, placing myself right in the middle of the hall.

Spike looks up from his basket and barks happily. Fluttershy seems to soften slightly, as she squats down in the middle of the room and beckons to Spike, scratching behind his ears and tickling under his chin.

Twilight sits down on her bed; I close the door and lean against it.

"Did you have a good Thanksgiving?" Twilight asks pleasantly.

"Oh...umm...yes," Fluttershy says softly. "It was good. My parents were happy to see me...I was happy to see them...we had a wonderful dinner, just the three of us and my grandmother..." She blinks suddenly. "Oh! I'm sorry. I forgot to message everybody on Thanksgiving, didn't I? Is that why you're worried about me?"

"That's part of it," Twilight says. She looks at me.

"Ever since the Fall Formal, you haven't been..." I debate how to say this. "Well...to be honest, you're...always a little bit...you don't say much to anybody, and you don't really post to Canterbook very much either. We just...haven't really gotten to know you."

"But we know that you haven't been yourself since that night," Twilight says. "What happened? What made you run off and hide?"

Fluttershy sighs. "It's...it's nothing, alright? I was just being a crybaby and...and somebody said something that wasn't really nice but wasn't really mean either, and I just...I just took it the wrong way and ran off crying. I..." She sighs. "You don't need to worry about me."

"No...it's more than that," Twilight says. "You've really been acting strange since that night. And this whole thing with Rainbow Dash...you've sort of been treating her like..." She takes a deep breath. "Like shit."

Fluttershy's eyes harden; her hair falls over her right eye. "I'll never forgive Rainbow Dash for what she did to me," she hisses.

"Fluttershy, she was worried about you," I say, throwing my hands up. "She thought somebody tried to rape you!"

"Oh, so what, that gives her the right to...to put her hands all over me like that?" Fluttershy snaps, glaring up at me. There's genuine hatred in her eyes...

"She made a mistake, Fluttershy!" Twilight says. "But she did it because she was worried about you! She thought...she thought somebody had done something horrible to you, and..." She shrugs helplessly. "If...if they had, she probably woulda...I dunno..."

"Remember when Rainbow was hurt by those assholes?" I ask. "Remember how you helped her? You took really good care of her. She told me herself she never would've made it through that without you." I squat down and look Fluttershy in the eye. "She was scared shitless that somebody had...had really hurt you. You know how Rainbow is. She doesn't know what tact is. If you'd been...if you'd been raped, she'd have made it her entire mission in life to punish whoever did it." I sigh. "She feels awful about the way she upset you, but...you're just hurting her more by..." I look at Twilight.

"You not even coming to her birthday party really hurt her," she says. "Don't say you couldn't help it. You could've left Sunday instead of on her birthday."

Fluttershy doesn't look either of us in the eye.

"Look...we're her friends, and we thought you thought of us as friends too," I say. "But...this thing with you hurting Rainbow and...and hating her like this? When she's just worried about you? It's not cool."

"I'll talk to her, alright?" Fluttershy says softly. "I'll...I'll talk to her. If I think she's really sorry for what she did, then...we'll see." She stands up. "I'm going to my room now."

I look to Twilight, who sighs. I step out of the way and let Fluttershy past. Once she's gone, I sit down beside Twilight. "That went well," I mutter.

Twilight shakes her head. "I don't understand her at all..."

I put an arm around Twilight and pull her close. We sit like that for a little while before I remember I should probably do my homework and head for my own room to study.

The hatred in Fluttershy's eyes...

I've never seen a hateful glare like that before. It felt like she was trying to cut me down with just her eyes...

I finish my homework and head down to dinner. I've still got one more uncomfortable conversation to have today...

Monday, November 30, 2015 / Evening

At dinner, Vice-Principal Luna asks, "So, did everybody have a good Thanksgiving?"

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow laughs. "Applejack's family is awesome! All that food..." She pats her stomach. "Good thing AJ made me do so much crap around the farm, I coulda put on five, maybe ten pounds!"

Applejack chuckles. "We enjoyed havin' ya, RD," she says.

"We had a good time," Twilight says, reaching over and squeezing my hand.

Luna raises an eyebrow. "Flash, you spent Thanksgiving with Twilight Sparkle's family?"

"Yeah," I say. "Her mom and Cadance are amazing cooks." I grin. "Hey, that reminds me...we've gotta have that green bean casserole here at the dorm sometime."

"You mean that stuff with mushroom soup and onions?" Rainbow asks. "Yeah, that stuff's not bad."

"You should've tried Mrs. Velvet's recipe," I say.

"Really now?" Applejack takes an interest. "Twilight, mind gettin' yer mom t' e-mail me that there recipe?"

"Sure," Twilight says.

"I wish my mother could cook," Rarity says. "Once again, we purchased our entire Thanksgiving repast pre-made. I, of course, had to oversee the heating up of packaged, prepared food...really, I'm the only one in my entire family who can be trusted anywhere near a kitchen appliance other than the refrigerator." She blinks. "Oh, but I did enjoy spending time with my parents and my dear little sister," she adds.

"Hey Fluttershy, how was your Thanksgiving?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy gives her a cold look...then shrugs indifferently. "It was nice," she says.

"Well mine sucked," Pinkie says huffily. "I mean the food...wasn't terrible, and I loved spending time with my sister Maud, but..."

Twilight looks at Pinkie with sad eyes. "Problems with your parents?"

"And my younger sisters," Pinkie says. "But mostly my parents, yeah. It's just..." She looks around the table helplessly. "It's not that they say anything—much—it's just that every time they look at me, it's...they just go out of their way to show me how much they disapprove of everything about me, you know?" She slouches down in her seat. "I hate going home..."

The rest of dinner is rather silent and uncomfortable after that.

After dinner, Twilight goes upstairs with Pinkie to try to take her mind off her family, while I pull Rainbow aside. "Hey, wanna practice guitar together?"

She nods. "Sure."

"Come up to my room."

I head to my room and set up my guitar, tuning it while I wait for Rainbow Dash. When she arrives, carrying the old acoustic, she sits down in my desk chair and tunes hers. I start playing a song I've liked for a long time. Rainbow taps on her guitar's body, nodding her head.

"So, Rainbow Dash," I say. "I remember you telling me I remind you of your dad."

Rainbow blushes furiously. "Uhh...y-yeah," she says. "Sorry about that. I was bein' lame."

"No, it's cool," I say. I take a deep breath. "Rainbow...I found out something the other day."

"What?" She leans forward. "About Zodiac? About...about Sunset Shimmer?"

"No, none of that," I say. "Umm...I don't know how to say this..."

"What?"

I stop playing and look Rainbow in the eyes. "Twilight's mom and dad knew your mom and dad in college," I say. "It...it came up when we were talking about something else entirely..." I swallow. "Twilight, Cadance, and I all know about...about your mom."

Rainbow looks down, clenching a fist. "Shit," she says.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't," she says. "I don't care about...about that." She looks up. "How'd that even come up?"

I grimace. "Twi's mom was bitching about my parents," I say. "Then her dad dropped the name Firefly, and Mrs. Velvet went off on this rant about the whole thing. We...we didn't know it was about you until she mentioned...your name." I shrug. "So yeah...Twi's parents knew yours in college, and..." I wave my hands helplessly. "So...yeah."

Rainbow laughs ruefully. "My dad's awesome," she says. "He's...he's always had time for me, y'know? Except when he couldn't be around. And even then, he...he always makes sure I've got everything I need. He calls, he sends e-mails...he's involved in my life. I talk to him every day unless he just can't." She sniffles. "He taught me to play soccer. We...we have the same hair and everything.

"I was six before I even bothered wondering why I don't have a mom," Rainbow says. "I asked, and...and Dad said she just wasn't around, but...maybe I'd meet her one day." She chuckles. "He never said 'you don't have a mom' or anything, just 'maybe you'll meet her one day'.

"Then, about two years ago...he told me the truth. Figured I was old enough to know." Rainbow sighs. "I was so mad...I cried myself to sleep. Me! Cryin' myself to sleep like a dweeb. Fuck..." Tears well up in her eyes. "Dad said...he said I'm...a lot like my mom..." She looks up at me. "He said I'm a lot like some bitch that just squirted me out and ran off! I know he didn't mean to hurt me with that shit, but...it fuckin' hurt, you know? Like, what, I'm supposed to LIKE that I remind him of...of..." She drops her guitar and buries her face in her hands.

I set aside my guitar, get up, and walk over to her. I kneel down and pull her into a hug. "It's okay," I say. "I'm sorry..."

"What the hell?" Rainbow screams. "Why did she..." She pushes me away. "Dad said he wanted to make a life with her! And she just..."

I wrap my arms around her again and pull her close, patting her back. "Let it out," I say. "It's okay."

"Fuck you," Rainbow sobs. "Fuck you..."

I just hold her while she cries.

After several minutes, she sniffles, wipes her eyes, and says, "Thank you..."

She pushes herself to her feet and picks up her guitar. "I gotta...I gotta go," she says. "I...later."

I sit staring at the door for some time after Rainbow leaves, then put my guitar away and get ready for bed. Today's been exhausting, physically and mentally...
> 12/1 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be a good listener today.

Today is the first day of December...

It's cold and rainy this morning...

Cadance drives us all over to the school.

I study Fluttershy during the short drive. She's watching Rainbow Dash with an unreadable expression.

"Is it going to rain like this all week?" Rarity wonders.

"Off and on," Twilight says. "They say it'll be wet in the mornings and dry in the afternoons...it'll be cold all the time, though."

"So, are you all ready for exams?" Cadance asks. "You know it's just two weeks away, so you'd better study!"

"Oh crap!" Rainbow yelps.

That's right...the semester exams are coming up...

Pinkie looks out the window. "I hope it's not icky like this tomorrow," she says. "It'd suck for my first day back at practice to be in this."

"You're back on the tennis team?" Rainbow asks.

"Yeah, Flash talked me into it," Pinkie says. "The Cakes can make do without me two days a week, and I don't need the money as bad as I did, so..."

"Cool," Rainbow says.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / After School

Octavia shows up to the Music Club meeting.

"Hey Tavi!" Lyra calls. "What's up?"

"I've rearranged my schedule," Octavia says. "I have Tuesdays free now, so I thought I might join the club."

"Sure, we're happy to have you!"

Music Club proceeds as normal. That is to say, it's a mix of impromptu jamming, lots of gossip, and general goofing off. When things wind down and I'm putting my guitar away, I notice Octavia hanging back, a pensive look on her face.

Once my guitar is packed away, I walk over to her. "What's up?" I ask.

She toys with her skirt. "I...I spent part of the weekend talking with Vinyl over the phone," she says. "We talked...she told me that she's fancied me for quite some time...she also told me about what's wrong with her, what she's going through..." She looks down at the floor. "I'm...confused and nervous," she admits. "I've been lying awake, wondering...what if I try dating another girl, and...and I find I'm comfortable with it? What then? I know there's still...some people who aren't very nice to...to same-sex couples. And...I don't know what my parents would think...

"And...and then there's...the other thing." She looks at me, worry in her eyes. "If I...if I did start seeing Vinyl...if we were to become more than friends...she's losing her eyesight. She told me herself that she's going to be blind before she graduates high school. Can I..." She wrings her hands. "Could I...really commit to being with somebody, knowing...?"

"You're thinking about it," I point out. "You're really giving it a lot of thought."

"Well...yes," Octavia says. Her cheeks are faintly pink. "I...don't know why," she admits. "I...there's just..."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you've already decided to give her a chance, and you're scared," I say. "My advice? Don't be scared. Let whatever happens happen."

"That's...not easy," Octavia says. "My entire life has been planned out...where I'd go to school, my cello lessons, diction lessons, private tutors to prepare me for college..." She shakes her head. "This is something...this is something that's not in the plan. But I can't stop thinking about it..."

Octavia lives a carefully planned life...

I've heard of this kind of thing. I wonder what her parents are like...

"So just...go out with Vinyl sometime," I say. "See what happens. You can't plan for life. It doesn't work that way."

"But my entire life is planned," Octavia says. There's a note of trepidation in her voice...

Her phone rings. She pulls it out, looks at the screen, and pales. "I need to go," she says. "Thank you for...for listening to me ramble."

"Don't mention it..."

It's not raining...I walk back to the dorm.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight holes herself up in her room to study for the upcoming exams. I offer to walk Spike for her.

Outside, I find Applejack leaning against a tree, hat tilted down over her eyes. "Hey Applejack," I call out.

She looks up. "Oh...howdy," she says.

I head over to her, mindful of Spike. "Aren't you cold out here?"

She shrugs. "Little bit. Ah jes' needed some air...thinkin' some mighty long thoughts."

She sounds pretty down...

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Applejack takes off her hat and scratches the top of her head. "Well...Ah didn't wanna say nothin', don't want everybody worryin' about me none, but..." She sighs. "Papa's lookin' pretty ragged."

I remember her saying her father was ill...

"Oh, he's puttin' up a good front, an' Big Mac an' Granny are actin' like everything's right as rain an' all, but..." Applejack looks down at her hat, turning it over absently in her hands. "Ah remember when...when Mama got sick." She looks up at me. "Now, Mama went all sudden-like, but...there were signs somethin' weren't right for a couple weeks before she got sick. Ah jes' didn't notice." She shakes her head. "But Papa...he's got leukemia. Oh, they're doin' all they can, but it won't stay in remission more'n a few months at best. An' ever since Mama died, well...Papa jes' ain't fightin' like he used ta." She shakes her head. "Ah done tol' Big Mac he needs t' keep Papa outta th' orchard, make him focus on th' books, but Papa's stubborn. He's gonna do what he wants t' do, even..."

Applejack falls silent, looking down. Spike whimpers, pawing at my leg.

"Shoot...sorry, sugarcube. Didn't mean t' go on like that."

"It's fine," I say. "You probably needed to get all that off your chest."

Applejack chuckles. "Heh...yeah, maybe so." She looks up at me, putting her hat back on. "Thanks," she says.






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Strength Arcana...


In the dark, I can't even find where Spike pooped. With Applejack's help, I round up the doggy donuts, then we both head back inside. I decide to play with Spike in the lounge for a little while before taking him back upstairs, then head to my own room to study before bed.
> 12/2 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone close to you needs help. Find this person—fast.

At tennis practice, Coach is in a serious mood.

"Okay, listen up!" she calls. "This weekend's match is the last regular match. We're in good standing for regionals, but we need to give it everything we've got on Saturday to lock it up!" She pauses. "Oh, and Pie's back. Welcome back, Pie."

Everybody applauds Pinkie Pie.

Practice runs late...

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 / Evening

The sun is already setting by the time practice ends. I come out of the shower, breath frosting in front of me. It looks like it's about to start raining...

Pinkie walks up to me, rubbing her hands together. "Hey. Let's go on a date. Right now."

"Huh?" I stare at her. "Uhh...Pinkie..."

"I wanna go somewhere tonight, but I don't wanna go alone," she says. "Please?"

Pinkie hasn't been as cheerful as usual since Thanksgiving...

"Okay."

I follow Pinkie to the park. Upon arrival, we're joined by Maud Pie.

"Hello again," Maud says.

"Uh...hi," I say.

Maud is studying me with interest...I think. It's making me uncomfortable.

"Flash..." Pinkie takes a deep breath. "Things are...bad for me. Really...really bad."

Pinkie's hair has been flat all evening. I thought it was just from showering after practice, but now...

Her eyes are dark and sad.

"Pinkie's moving to Vanhoover with me after exams," Maud says.

...what?!

"What...? I don't...understand..."

Pinkie buries her face in her hands. Her shoulders start shaking.

Maud shows the first emotion I've actually seen from her: Anger.

"Papa disowned Pinkie," she says. "He's cut her off completely."

"What the fuck?" I stare at Pinkie. "But...you just joined the tennis team again..."

"I wanted to have...one last good time at Canterlot High," Pinkie says.

"No..." I shake my head in disbelief. "This isn't...!" I look between the two of them. "Why?!"

Pinkie's eyes are cast down and away. "Remember the Halloween party?" She sighs. "My family...they saw the videos of me..." She turns away. "They said...they're ashamed of me. That I've disgraced the family. That...that no child of theirs...would ever..."

Maud wraps an arm around Pinkie's shoulders as Pinkie begins sobbing.

I feel my eyes tightening with anger, and a dull throb in the back of my skull. "How could...how could they...?"

"Our parents are very strict," Maud says.

"But...this isn't even legal! Is it?"

Maud sighs. "It doesn't matter if it's legal," she says. "They're not paying for her to stay in Canterlot and they don't want her back home. That's...all there is to it."

No...

Pinkie is my friend. Mine and Twilight's...and everyone's...

This isn't right...

And also...we need Pinkie Pie...

"You're not going anywhere," I say.

"But...Flash..." Pinkie looks up at me. "I can't...even if I quit tennis again and spent every spare minute working, I couldn't...afford to stay..."

"And I can't afford her tuition and boarding," Maud says. "Or even her incidentals. It'll be tight enough having her with me in Vanhoover as it is..."

"Let's go to the dorm," I say. "I'm fixing this. I don't know how, but I'm fixing this."

I already have a half dozen scenarios in mind. I'm not about to ask my parents for this...it's a bit much to ask of them...

But I know who can help...

When we arrive at the dorm, we find everyone except Fluttershy in the living room watching television. Twilight looks up. "Wow, you guys are back late," she says. She sees Pinkie, and her eyes widen. "Pinkie? What...?"

Vice-Principal Luna looks up with a frown. "Pinkie Pie? What's happened?"

"Twilight? Would you get Cadance, please? And Vice-Principal Luna, can you call Principal Celestia? We've got a major problem."

"What's goin' on?" Rainbow asks. "And who's this?"

"This is Pinkie's older sister Maud," I say. Maud blinks once.

"I'll...go get Cadance," Twilight says shakily. "Be right back."

Luna pulls out her phone, shooting worried glances at Pinkie.

A couple minutes later, Twilight and Cadance return to the lounge. In the meantime, Rainbow Dash has turned off the television, and Rarity has gone to the kitchen to make tea for everyone.

Five minutes later, Celestia arrives. "What's going on?" she asks. "Has there been another incident?"

"Not exactly, but there's a real problem," I say. "In fact...Twilight? Would you get your laptop and get your parents on a video call with all of us? I think we might need them to be part of this too."

"My parents?" Twilight asks, confused.

"Hurry, please," I say.

"Okay..." Twilight rushes upstairs, then comes back a minute later with her computer. It only takes her a couple of minutes to get her parents on the screen.

"So is anybody gonna tell us what's goin' on?" Rainbow asks.

Maud takes the initiative. "My sister has been disowned by our parents," she says. "She's going to have to leave Canterlot because nobody's paying her tuition or board anymore."

A collective gasp escapes everyone present.

Celestia blinks. "This is the first I've heard of this..."

"Papa didn't decide until today," Maud says. "I've been fighting with him since Sunday about this."

"Disowned?" Velvet shrieks from Twilight's laptop. "Why? How? What parent would do such a horrible thing?!"

Luna narrows her eyes. "This is an outrage!"

"This is bullshit!" Rainbow cries.

"Pinkie..." Twilight whispers. She moves to hug Pinkie, who leans into her, shaking.

"I didn't know such a thing was still done..." Rarity says quietly.

"Why?" Celestia asks. "Why would your parents do something so horrific?"

"Because they didn't like what Pinkie wore for Halloween," I say.

"It's a little more complicated than that, but...more or less," Maud says. "They were embarrassed by the videos from the Halloween party."

Twilight gasps. "What?!" She shakes her head. "Okay, I admit, Pinkie's costume was way over the top, but...that's no reason to..."

"You don't know my folks," Pinkie says, sniffling.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Cadance asks.

"I...didn't want you all to worry..." Pinkie whimpers.

"Worry? Of course we're worried!" Twilight says. "You're my best friend, Pinkie Pie! How could you not tell me?"

"Because...I knew I'd have to leave..." Pinkie sniffles. "I wanted...everything to stay just the same...just for a little while longer..."

"You poor dear..." Velvet says.

"We're not letting Pinkie leave," I say firmly. "It isn't right."

"Damn straight it isn't right!" Rainbow cries. "I say we all go to Pinkie's place and beat some sense into her dad!"

"That won't do any good," Maud says. "Papa's mind is made up. He isn't paying for Pinkie to stay in Canterlot, and that's his legal right."

"And that's why I wanted Twilight to call her parents," I say. "Mrs. Velvet? Can you and Mr. Night Light front half of Pinkie's tuition and board?"

"We can front all of it," Velvet says.

"Half will be fine," I say. "Cadance? You can cover the other half, right?"

"Of course," Cadance says.

Pinkie sniffles and looks up. "Wh-what?"

"And her pay from Sugar Cube Corner will take care of her incidentals," I say. "And whatever else she needs, I can help with."

Pinkie looks around. "N-no...I couldn't..."

"Pinkie," Cadance says with a smile, "we don't want you to go away."

"We care about you," Twilight says. "I can't imagine this place without you!"

"It just wouldn't be the same," I say.

Pinkie's face transmutes from sadness to hopeful, tearful joy.

"Don't worry about a thing, dear," Velvet says. "You'll be taken care of. All you need to do is concentrate on your studies, and...whatever else it is you do."

"Yes, just calm down and let us handle it," Cadance says. "We...we can't do anything much for the emotional trauma of all this, but keeping you in Canterlot? That's easy enough."

Pinkie's eyes are wide and shining, and her hair isn't quite as dark and limp. "Thank you...thank you so much..."

Celestia frowns. "This...is a very complicated situation," she says. "I'm going to need to have a very long talk with Mr. Pie tomorrow. In person." She looks around the room. "But...under the circumstances, if this is what everybody wants to do, I'm certain the arrangements can be made...whether they're entirely legal or not doesn't particularly matter to me at the moment." She looks at the laptop. "Mrs. Velvet? Can you come down to Canterlot to iron out the details?"

"I can be there by tomorrow afternoon," Velvet says.

"Good. I'll meet with you and Cadance in my office as soon as I'm back from Salt Lick City." She stands. "I'll need to get home and get to bed early, that's not a short drive and I want to catch Mr. Pie unawares. Goodnight, everyone."

"I should go," Maud says. "I have a long drive ahead of me."

"Maud? Could...could you stay the night?" Pinkie asks. "Please?"

Maud smiles slightly. "Alright."

Pinkie takes Maud upstairs. Cadance turns to me, smiling. "That was a wonderful thing you did," she says.

"I didn't do anything except think up a way to keep Pinkie around," I say. "It's you and Mrs. Velvet who have to do the hard part."

"But you're the one who thought of it," Velvet says. "And took the initiative." She smirks. "And you remembered that neglectful parents are a pet peeve of mine. Very sharp."

"Mom! Flash would never—"

"I'm teasing," Velvet says, laughing. "Mostly, anyway. You've really found yourself a special young man, dear," she says. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"G'nite, Mom."

Cadance yawns. "I'd better get to bed as well. Shiny's going to be wondering what's going on." She waves, then leaves.

I feel like every nerve ending in my body is burning up and freezing cold at the same time...I think I'm in shock over everything that's happened tonight. "I...I'm going to bed now too," I say.

I head up to my room and sit on my bed, wrapping my arms around my knees.

We nearly lost Pinkie...

Her dad must be the biggest asshole in the entire world...

"Flash? Are you okay?"

I look up to see Twilight standing over me. I stand up and pull her into a hug.

Pinkie walks in. "Flash? Can I borrow a shirt? Maud needs something to sleep in and none of my pajamas fit her..."

I look over to Pinkie. "Sure," I say. I grab a random T-shirt out of my closet and hand it to her.

Pinkie looks at me. Her eyes are still wet. "Flash...thank you," she says softly.

Suddenly, she throws her arms around me and kisses me.

Twilight clears her throat.

Pinkie lets go of me, then rushes over to Twilight and kisses her too. Twilight flails around, eyes wide. When Pinkie lets go, Twilight's hyperventilating and patting her chest wildly.

Pinkie looks at the two of us. "I...I wouldn't have known what to do with myself...if I had to leave..." She swallows. "I don't know if I could make it without the two of you..."

She turns to leave.

Twilight's face is burning. "Umm...I'm going to bed too," she says. "Goodnight..."

I'm exhausted...
> 12/3 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, December 3, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Try to keep your foot out of your mouth today.

Maud left before breakfast. Pinkie returned the shirt she borrowed right around the time I woke up. As I put it in my laundry basket, I can't help but notice that it smells like rocks...

The mood at breakfast is anxious this morning. Everybody's nervous about what's going to happen today. Even though Cadance and Twilight Velvet have already agreed to work together to keep Pinkie in Canterlot...there's a lot of things that need to happen first.

Pinkie made an enormous breakfast, pulling out all the stops. I'm not sure if it's because she feels like celebrating, or because she's got too much nervous energy and needs something to do with herself. I'm betting on the latter, because she doesn't look excited or happy right now. She looks like she's about to throw up...

Rarity isn't eating any of the huge breakfast spread, opting for a simple cup of tea and a piece of toast. She doesn't look like she's feeling very well either.

"You okay, Rarity?" Applejack asks.

Rarity grimaces. "Ahem..." She glances briefly at me, then turns her attention back to her tea. "Just slightly...out of sorts," she says.

"She's OTR," Rainbow stage-whispers, earning a lethal glare from Rarity.

"Rainbow Dash!" Luna chides. "Honestly! Such things are not the subject of public discussion!"

Fluttershy frowns at Rainbow. "When are you ever going to stop?" she asks sharply.

Rainbow flinches. "Sorry," she says. "Sorry, Rarity."

"Hmph!" Rarity tosses her hair and sniffs haughtily.

When Twilight and I head out to walk Spike, I comment, "Rainbow's feet must taste like blueberries."

Twilight lets out a snort of disbelieving laughter. "What?!"

"Well why else would she constantly be sticking them in her mouth?"

Twilight takes a minute to think about this, then doubles over giggling. "Flash!"

Spike lets out a happy bark and chases his tail.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 / Morning

The morning drags on...

My worries over Pinkie make it difficult to focus on classes.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 / Afternoon

During sixth period, I receive a message asking me to head for the principal's office. The teacher receives the message as well, and excuses me.

When I reach Principal Celestia's office, I find Vice-Principal Luna, Pinkie, Cadance, and Twilight Velvet there. "Hello, Flash," Celestia says. "I asked you to join us because you have a vested interest in Pinkie Pie's situation."

"How'd it go with Mr. Pie?" I ask.

Celestia frowns. "That man is...stubborn, angry, and infuriating," she says. "He refused to even speak about Pinkie. Even when I threatened him with legal action." She shuffles some papers on her desk. "I decided to speak to Mrs. Pie instead. She at least would talk about this, but..."

Pinkie looks like she wants to cry. Velvet squeezes her hand. "So what did she have to say?" Velvet asks.

Celestia sighs. "Nothing that bears repeating," she says. "I don't understand the level of...of outright hatred these people have for their own daughter, who has done nothing to hurt anybody...Pinkie's never been in trouble, has no criminal record, does nothing but try to help people and make people happy...and from what I hear, has sacrificed a lot of her personal time to help out the owners of Sugar Cube Corner, especially during Mrs. Cake's pregnancy."

"They just don't understand me," Pinkie says. "And anything they don't understand, they hate."

"I don't think that's very fair to them," Celestia says mildly. "After all, they did enroll you in Canterlot High School and spend quite a bit of money boarding you at the dorm."

"To get rid of me," Pinkie says poutily, folding her arms.

"Yes, well..." Celestia coughs. "Mrs. Pie did indicate that she had convinced her husband to send you away to school when she realized you simply...didn't fit the Pie family mold. The bone of contention seems to be that, well..." She grimaces. "That video from the Halloween party upset them. Severely."

"Everything I do upsets them severely."

"I tried to mediate the situation," Celestia says. "Upon seeing the video, I agreed that perhaps you did not exercise the best judgment that night—and quite honestly, you didn't—but the best solution would be to talk to you and explain to you why you should be more...modest, have more of a sense of, well...propriety..." Celestia shakes her head. "But Mrs. Pie wasn't having it. She said, well..." She grimaces.

"We need to hear this," Velvet says.

Celestia sighs. "She said, and I quote, 'If she wants to prance around naked like some whore, she can do it on the corner with all the other whores.'"

Pinkie buries her face in her hands. Cadance rubs her back.

"WHAT?!" Velvet shrieks. She's trembling with rage. "How could ANY mother say such a..."

I cough and hand Velvet my phone, where I've already pulled up the video in question. She blinks and looks at it. Her cheeks turn red.

"Alright, if Twiley had gone out in public like that, I'd definitely have a long talk with her, because that's..." She coughs. "But really, Pinkie Pie is a teenager, and teenagers do silly, stupid things!" She hands my phone back to me. "That's still no excuse for...for a mother to say something like that...!"

"What happened next?" Cadance asks, looking at Celestia.

Celestia adopts a mildly sheepish expression. "Well..." She coughs. "After that, I...left."

"Sister," Luna says in a stern tone. "Tell them the truth..."

Celestia ducks her head. "I slapped Mrs. Pie, screamed at her for about ten minutes, then told her she didn't have to worry about Pinkie Pie anymore because decent human beings offered to take care of her. Then I left."

"Good for you!" Velvet says viciously.

Celestia looks at Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie...if I had known what kind of home life you had before now...I would have done everything in my power to help you..."

Pinkie sighs. "Thank you," she says.

"You don't have to worry about anything else," Velvet says soothingly. "Just be yourself and keep doing what you always do. Nurse Cadance and I will see to things."

Pinkie looks up and smiles. "Thank you," she says. Her eyes are still troubled. "I do appreciate it, and...and I'm kinda glad I don't have to deal with my mom and dad ever again. I just..." She sighs. "It...it still hurts...that they'd do something like this."

"Of course it hurts," Velvet says, pulling Pinkie into a hug. "If you ever need to talk, you just call me, okay?"

"Or me," Cadance says.

Pinkie sniffles. "Thank you." She buries her face in Velvet's shoulder.

Celestia smiles. "Pinkie Pie...you're excused for the rest of the day. Why don't you go with Mrs. Velvet and...do something fun? We can finish ironing out the business end of things tomorrow."

"Come on, dear," Velvet says, guiding Pinkie to her feet. "I'd love to do some shopping in Canterlot while I'm here." She smiles. "I've heard an awful lot about this Sugar Cube Corner place where you work."

"Okay," Pinkie says.

After they leave, Cadance stands and stretches. "I should get back to work," she says. "School day's not over yet." She too leaves.

The bell for seventh period rings. The sounds of students stampeding in the halls shakes the office. Luna leaves to monitor the halls.

"Well, Flash," Celestia says, "it seems you've done quite the good deed. I appreciate you bringing this situation to everybody's attention the way you did." She smiles. "You truly are dedicated to your friends...Pinkie Pie is very fortunate to have a friend like you."

"There's still one thing that bothers me," I say. "How did Pinkie's family get hold of that video?"

Celestia looks down at the desk, frowning. "Yes, about that..." She grimaces. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, because I believe this falls into the realm of the investigation into the attacks on Applewood Dorm." She adjusts her sun brooch. "I asked Maud Pie about how this all started. The video was e-mailed to every member of the Pie family," she says. "She said that the sender was anonymous...she admits she knows very little about how e-mail works, but the headers didn't look normal to her."

"And the sender's name?" I ask. I feel a gnawing dread in my stomach...

"The sender used the name 'Mephistopheles'," Celestia says. She studies me intently. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Mephistopheles...

"No," I say, shaking my head.

Celestia frowns, eyes narrowing. "You were expecting to hear a different name, weren't you?"

I take a deep breath. There's no reason not to answer...even though I can't explain the answer...

"Yes," I say.

"You do realize Sunset Shimmer would not sign her own name when perpetrating a cruelty of this nature, do you not?" Celestia asks sharply.

I shake my head. "No, I wasn't...that isn't the name I was thinking," I say.

"Then what is?"

Principal Celestia is expecting an answer...

If I tell the truth, she's going to ask questions I can't answer...

If I lie...she's going to know I'm lying...

"The name I was expecting to hear was Eris," I say.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "Eris?" she asks. "Would you care to explain that?"

Damn...

How do I answer that...?

Celestia fixes me with a penetrating stare. "You understand that I can't help you if you don't help me help you," she says.

I take a deep breath. "The week before Thanksgiving, I was confronted by a girl wearing a mask who called herself Eris. I have no idea who she is, but she's connected to the attacks on me and my friends."

Celestia's eyes widen. "And you didn't tell me this before why?"

"Because it was a girl in a mask," I say. "How stupid would that have sounded two weeks ago?"

Celestia sits back. "Point," she says. She frowns. "If this masked girl confronts you again, you will tell me," she says in a tone that brooks no argument.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good." Celestia sighs. After a moment, she asks, "This masked girl...do you think it was Sunset Shimmer?"

"I honestly can't be sure," I say.

"You'd best get to class. I'll let your teacher know to excuse your tardy."

I head for class.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 / After School

I don't feel like going to Music Club today...I decided to head back to the dorm early.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 / Evening

Before dinner, Luna visits me in my room.

"My sister told me you've had an encounter with a...girl in a mask?"

"Yeah," I say.

Luna frowns. "This whole situation is getting stranger and stranger," she says. "And frankly...that's a bit too theatrical for what I assume to be Sunset Shimmer's modus operandi..." She shakes her head. "Now, this 'Mephistopheles' business...that sounds more like what we know about Sunset Shimmer's tactics."

"I can't imagine why anyone would do something like that, though," I say. "It's just...I mean, bullying people and making them look like fools on Canterbook is one thing, but this is..."

"I know," Luna says, sighing. "If Sunset Shimmer is responsible for what happened with the Pie family..." She shakes her head. "I wish I only had to deal with students running in the halls, or smoking in the restroom, or...you know, ordinary high school infractions. This year...it's been terrible, and I honestly don't know how to deal with this." She looks down. "I feel like...I know who to punish, but I can't do anything...it's frustrating."

"She'll slip up," I say. "Sooner or later, she'll slip up."

"They always do," Luna says. "I just hope it happens before somebody gets hurt..." She rubs her arms, an uncomfortable look on her face.

After dinner, Twilight and Cadance drag me into the secret headquarters.

"You told Principal Celestia about Eris?!" Twilight cries, shaking me. "Are you crazy?!"

"I didn't mention Zodiac, or...or anything else that's been going on," I say. "I just said I was confronted by a masked girl."

"Flash, WHY?" Cadance moans.

"I backed myself into a corner!" I say. "She said that Pinkie's family got that video through an anonymous e-mail, and I asked how it had been signed. She...she could tell I thought I'd recognize the name..."

Cadance sighs. "Well...what's done is done. Be more careful in the future, okay?"

"Yeah..." I look down. "Sorry."

Twilight frowns. "But this...actually raises even more questions," she says. "It's bad enough we've got this Eris to deal with, and we know Sunset Shimmer is screwing with Canterbook, but now we've got this Mephistopheles?"

"Which could still be Sunset Shimmer or Eris," I point out.

"Assuming Sunset Shimmer isn't Eris, you mean," Twilight says.

"I really don't think Sunset Shimmer is Eris," I say.

"How can you be so sure?" Cadance asks. "Just because she told you?"

I cough. "Well...there's another reason," I say.

"What?" Twilight asks. "Tell us!"

I look down. "Eris...the outfit she was wearing when we fought was pretty...form-fitting," I say. "Her...her chest isn't big enough for her to be Sunset Shimmer."

Cadance covers her mouth and giggles. Twilight gives me an evil stare.

"What?" I ask. "Guys notice things like that, okay?"

Twilight shakes her head and leaves.

"Nice one, Flash," Cadance says with a smirk.

I sigh. "I shoulda kept my mouth shut..."

"Yep!" Cadance pats me on the shoulder. "She'll calm down."

Seems like foot-in-mouth disease is contagious today...

I decide to go to bed early.
> 12/4 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, December 4, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take care when planning your weekend.

When I wake up, I find a new message waiting for me on Canterbook.




New Message From: Pinkie Pie
Let's all go to Zodiac this weekend, okay?




We haven't been to Zodiac since Rainbow's birthday...it's probably a good idea to train. Also, we need to see if we can find more information...

Friday, December 4, 2015 / After School

Tennis practice is tiring...

Pinkie's giving it a hundred and ten percent, putting all her enthusiasm and energy into practice...it's like she never quit the team at all...

Friday, December 4, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, I help Applejack clean up the kitchen. "How's it going?"

She sighs. "Talked t' Big Mac this afternoon. Papa's doctor told him he can't work th' farm no more." She looks down, eyes squeezed shut. "Papa...he's been pushin' himself too hard. He might not..." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "Well..." She grimaces. "Anyway...Big Mac's on his own workin' th' farm now, an' Papa's gonna hafta stay in th' house an' handle th' business end." She sighs. "Even that's more work than th' doctor wants him doin', but somebody's gotta do it."

"Can't your brother...?"

Applejack laughs. "Big Mac? He's terrible with stuff like that. Mama used t' do all that, before she passed. Papa's not great at it, but he's keepin' things under control." She looks down. "They're countin' on me t' go t' college...learn all that stuff so Ah can take over from Papa." She sighs. "All Ah wanna do is pick apples an' tend th' pigs an' th' chickens...Ah hate all that fancy math an' paperwork. But...it needs t' be done."

She dries her hands and heads upstairs.

I go up to the third floor, but before I reach my room, I'm pulled into the secret headquarters by Rainbow Dash. The others are there as well.

"We're going to Zodiac on Sunday," Cadance says.

I nod. "Good. We need to."

"I can't wait to kick some Shadow butt!" Rainbow says, pumping a fist.

"We need...we need to search for more information," Twilight says.

Cadance nods. "We do. That's why we're going in at the school."

I still have studying to do before bed, so I head back to my room. It's almost midnight when I finally go to bed...
> 12/5 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 5, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't do anything today that'll get you put on the naughty list.

Our final match of the year is against Palomino Prep. The bus ride there is three hours. I wish I had my cheering section in attendance today, but...

Canterlot loses by a slim point margin, but it doesn't matter...we're going to regionals.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 / Evening

I return to the dorm to find what appears to be an impromptu party in full swing. Twilight grabs me and pulls me into the lounge as soon as I'm inside, then spins me into a chair and sits in my lap.

A grinning Rainbow walks over and hands each of us a cold drink. "Congrats on goin' to regionals!" she says.

"We're having a little 'this week started out sucky but turned out pretty good' party," Twilight says. "That's what Pinkie called it, anyway."

Pinkie wanders in, wearing a slinky, low-cut red velvet minidress with white fur trim, with matching boots and a Santa hat. "Welcome home, Flashie!" she says. She walks over, bending low...

Twilight pins her with a flat glare. "You'd better not be about to use some double entendre that involves, in any way, shape, or form, 'ho ho ho'."

Pinkie blinks, then stands up, smoothing out her dress. "I...have no idea what you're talking about!" she says, giggling. She then reaches down her cleavage and produces two candy canes, handing one to each of us before wandering away again.

Twilight stares after her, then shrugs and starts licking the candy cane.

"Uhh...Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"You know that was between Pinkie's breasts, right?"

"Yes..."

"It...it wasn't even wrapped..."

"Your point?"

"Nevermind..." I give up. I break off a piece of the candy cane and pop it in my mouth.

"Dinner'll be up in a speck, y'all!" Applejack calls, sticking her head in.

Twilight gets off of me and we migrate to the dining room. Her candy cane is completely gone...

Not long after everybody's seated in the lounge, Applejack wheels out the serving cart and begins assembling tonight's dinner: sloppy joes with pickles on pretzel bread rolls, with potato chips on the side. I'm starving, so I dig in right away. The others aren't long in following. Twilight, predictably, makes a huge mess eating, as does Rainbow Dash. Even Rarity, who's normally a fastidious eater, doesn't seem to be too concerned about neatness—although she is covered in multiple napkins to protect her clothes.

I manage to polish off four sandwiches before I'm full. Twilight stopped at five. Everybody else had at least two. After the food, we all head back to the lounge to continue the party. I'm pretty tired, so I just sit in a recliner, with Twilight in my lap.

Tomorrow, we're going to Zodiac...
> 12/6 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, December 6, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take care not to let Death find you today.

Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, and I leave the dorm on the pretext of Christmas shopping, then walk over to the school.

We find Cadance parked on the street, waiting for us. "Is everybody ready?" she asks as she opens the back of her SUV and pulls out her phone.

"Let's do this!" Rainbow says confidently, pulling out her own phone. We all take our phones out...

Sunday, December 6, 2015 / Zodiac

Still don't see what's so special about that dyke

did u hear? pinkie's parents kicked her out

Can U blame them? LOL

I'm glad Rainbow Dash got beat up, she needs it again

twilight only won fall formal b/c celestia likes her

Rainbow is watching all this float around; her eyes are full of anger. "Ignore it, Rainbow," I say.

Yes, Rainbow Dash, ignore it. Why should you care what other people think and feel? You just say and do whatever you want...

I groan. "Hello, Eris. Why don't you come out so we can kick your ass again?"

"While you're at it, you can tell us who the FUCK Mephistopheles is!" Pinkie shouts.

A fight? Sorry, not in the mood today. Oh, but we'll meet again soon, Flash Sentry. I owe you for that little stunt you pulled. Why don't you stick to grabbing your girlfriend's chest and leave mine alone...

The girls stare at me. Twilight's jaw drops. "WHAT?"

I had bruises for a week...you're gonna pay for that.

"Stop jerking us around, Eris! Who's Mephistopheles?"

Aww, you're still mad about Pinkie's family cutting her off? That's so cute...

Go away! I'm handling this!

I'm sorry, did you just try to tell me what to do?

...

That's what I thought. Don't forget, you're MY bitch.

...

The text messages abruptly vanish completely, plunging Zodiac into darkness.

"What...was that?" Pinkie asks, eyes wide.

"I think that was Mephistopheles," I say.

Twilight shoots me a look. "What was Eris talking about?"

The others look at me. I suddenly feel like a worm under a microscope.

"It's not like that!" I say. "I couldn't outfight her, I needed to get to you girls! She tried to hit me in the nuts, she could've done some real damage..." I wave my hands around. "I needed to get rid of her, so I did the only thing I could think of!"

"What, you grabbed her tit?" Rainbow asks skeptically.

"Girls," Cadance says tiredly, "Eris is trying to drive a wedge between us. Let's...let's just ignore this whole thing and do what we came here to do, alright?"

Twilight crosses her arms. "We're having a long talk about this later," she says icily.

We each retrieve our equipment packs from the SUV. I grab my axe, Twilight grabs her saber, Pinkie grabs her whip, and Rainbow grabs a belt with two sheathes, from which she produces a pair of short, wicked-looking knives. She straps the belt on, then juggles the knives for a minute, looking around at us with  cocky grin. "Pretty sweet, huh?" She sheathes her knives.

Cadance closes the SUV, then sits on the ground beside it. "Persona!"

Aphrodite appears above her. Rainbow stares. "Umm...wow," she says. "And you guys complain about me?"

//Hmm...this is strange,// Cadance says. //I'm not detecting any Shadows at all...//

"What? But...Zodiac is always crawling with Shadows!"

//I know. It doesn't make any sense...Rainbow, would you summon your Persona so I can scan it, please?//

"Sure thing!" Rainbow says. "NIKE!"

Rainbow's Persona appears again. Aphrodite glows more brightly for a moment. //Got it. Thanks.//

Nike vanishes. We look at one another awkwardly. "Umm...so..." Rainbow begins.

"I don't understand," Twilight says. "There are always Shadows..."

"Does anybody hear that?" Pinkie asks suddenly, looking around.

"Hear what?" Rainbow asks.

And then I hear it...

Faintly, from the direction of the school...

The sound of chains rattling.

"What...?" I ask. "Chains?"

Cadance suddenly lets out a loud, piercing scream.

"Cadance!" Twilight yells, rushing over to her. "What..."

//We need to go! NOW!//

The doors to the school burst open, and something glides out. It's wearing a long, tattered suede trenchcoat. A pair of steel chains are crossed over its torso. It has a blood-covered cloth sack tied over its head, with only one baleful eye visible. It's holding a pair of revolvers with barrels as thick as my arms and twice as long.

I can feel a sensation of dread piercing me to my core...

Sunday, December 6, 2015 / Daytime

The cold, quiet, cloudy December sky returns. Cadance slumps over, shaking and hugging herself. Twilight crouches next to her, wrapping her arms around her.

"Huh?" Rainbow asks, looking around and blinking. "That's it? We're done?"

"I...I used Aphrodite's power to pull us out," Cadance says, shivering. "That...was close..."

"Didn't we go in there to fight monsters like that?" Rainbow asks. "Why'd we run away?"

Cadance stands up with Twilight's help. A fine sheen of sweat stands out on her forehead. "Because that thing would've killed all of us," she says shakily. "It's...it's more powerful than anything I've ever seen..."

Pinkie's hair is wilting. "What...what was that thing?"

Cadance looks around at us. "I don't know," she says. "All I know is...that thing is why there were no Shadows."

"They were...afraid of that thing?" Twilight asks.

If the monsters are afraid of that thing...

"Let's get back to the dorm," I say. "Cadance needs to rest."

I drive us back to the dorm. Luckily, we don't run into anybody else; Twilight heads over to Cadance's apartment with her to take care of her. The rest of us meet up on the third floor.

"Seriously, we didn't even try to fight it?" Rainbow asks.

"Dashie...this isn't a game," Pinkie says. "Didn't you feel it? That thing was...terrible."

"I've never felt a presence like that in Zodiac before," I say. "That...whatever it was..." I swallow. "We're lucky to be alive right now."

Rainbow looks between us. "So...that wasn't normal?"

"No," I say. "No, it wasn't."

Rainbow sighs. "Well this sucks," she says. "I was lookin' forward to kickin' some ass..."

Twilight enters. "Cadance is lying down resting," she says. "I think she'll be okay. She's just...really freaked out." She frowns. "Well...we didn't get any training done today, but at least we learned something." She looks at me. "Now, about this whole thing with Eris..."

She's not letting this go...

I explain, in detail, what happened when I fought Eris.

"Ouchie," Pinkie says, wincing and crossing her arms over her chest.

Rainbow shakes her head. "Eh...it makes sense," she says.

Twilight sighs. "I don't like what you did," she says, "but...you're right. You were fighting for your life...and our lives. You did what you had to." She raises an eyebrow at me. "At least...I'll just tell myself that." She shakes her head. "So any ideas about that thing we saw today?"

"Just one," I say. "As long as that thing's there? We can't go back." I sigh. "Which...is a problem."

"We'll have to check again later in the week, see if it's still there," Twilight says. "If we can't go to Zodiac to train, we're in real trouble."

"Hey, why don't we go play some two-on-two?" Rainbow suggests. "I gotta do somethin' today."

The four of us head around back, where there's a basketball hoop and a small patch of blacktop. We spend a while playing...

Sunday, December 6, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, everybody gathers in the lounge for a group study session. With snacks, music, talking, and general goofing around, we don't get much actual studying done, but at least we have a good time...

Fluttershy seems to be easing up on Rainbow Dash a little bit, but still isn't really talking to her.

As I get ready for bed, I spend some time thinking about everything that happened today.

That person Eris was arguing with...was that 'Mephistopheles'?

Whoever it was, Eris seems to answer to them...

That thing we saw...was it a Shadow, or something else? Did the enemy send it after us?

There's still so much we don't know...
> 12/7 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, December 7, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It's okay to put others first, so long as you don't neglect yourself.

Five minutes after the bell during homeroom, Principal Celestia makes an announcement over the PA.

"Good morning and happy Monday. I just want to remind everyone that exams are next week. There will be no club or team activities this week or next week, so that all of you may concentrate on the exams. Do your best!"

"You heard her, class," Mr. Turner says. "Now, we're going to spend this week reviewing..."

Groans meet this statement...

Monday, December 7, 2015 / After School

I'm driving Vinyl to the eye doctor today.

Waiting at the school entrance, I see Vinyl headed my way, with Octavia steadying her. "Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Havin' a grayout," Vinyl says. "It happens...thanks, Tavi."

Octavia frowns. "I wish I could take you myself, but I've got—"

"It's cool," Vinyl says. "Besides, I..." She trails off, digging through her bag and pulling out her keys, which she hands to me. "Let's roll," she says.

I share a look with Octavia, who seems concerned...and somewhat hesitant. She nods to me, then turns and leaves.

On the drive to the eye clinic, I ask, "How are things going with Octavia?"

Vinyl grimaces. "Frosty," she says. "She says she wants to give me a shot, but...she's scared, you know? I don't blame her."

"She does seem to care about you."

"Yeah...but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get friendzoned." Vinyl sighs. "And these grayouts aren't helpin'."

"I'm...not sure what a grayout is," I admit.

Vinyl sighs again. "Everything's gray. All I can see is blurs."

Ouch.

When we arrive, I help her inside, then sign in for her. The receptionist gives her a concerned look. "Vinyl? Are you alright?"

"Grayout," Vinyl says.

The receptionist pales. "I'll let the doctor know. We'll get you right in."

Before I can even guide Vinyl to a seat, the nurse bursts through the door and leads Vinyl to the exam room. I look around the waiting room...

Chrysalis is sitting there with one of her younger children. She notices me and gives me a nod. I decide to sit down beside her.

"We meet again," she says. "Here you are, once again at the eye doctor with your 'just a friend'."

"She really is just a friend," I say. "I have a girlfriend. So does she."

Chrysalis' eyes widen in surprise. "Oh."

"How's it going?" I ask.

Chrysalis sighs. "Bad," she says. "I called in every favor I have left with everyone on the board, but all I've done is buy myself another month at best. The board doesn't like to make major changes in the fourth quarter to begin with, so..." She shrugs. "Come January, February at the latest, my neck will be on the block."

"That's harsh."

Chrysalis nods. "I'm going to give my children the best Christmas I can this year, and Skeeter can complain all he wants...my family comes first."

We chat for a little while. I learn that the boy sitting next to her is her youngest son, Gnat. Apart from her oldest, whose names I already know from the time I ran into her family at the pizza place, her twin daughters are named Cricket and Katydid, her second-oldest son is named Ant, and her youngest daughter is Flea.

"So, what are your dreams and plans?" Chrysalis asks.

I shrug. "I haven't really made any yet. The only thing I'm really good at is playing guitar, so I'll probably do something with that."

"Hmm...music careers often are not the most stable..."

"Right now, I just want to survive high school and enjoy being with my girlfriend."

Chrysalis smiles. "I envy you, if that's all you have to worry about..."

If only she knew...

After a short while, Chrysalis and Gnat are called back to the exam room. I sit reading a magazine until Vinyl is led out by the nurse. I guide her out to the car and drive her home.

Once we arrive at her house, I help her sit down in the living room, then get her something to drink. "What did the doctor say?" I ask.

Vinyl frowns. "It's getting worse," she says. "A few months ago, they said there was a chance I might be able to last until after graduation. Now..." She sighs. "I might not make it to next summer." She shakes her head. "It's just goin' faster than they can keep up with."

"I'm sorry..."

"Eh. It's not like it matters when I go blind," Vinyl says. "I mean...there's no stoppin' it no matter what." She takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes. "Hey...I hate to ask, but...do you mind stayin' a little while? At least until Mom comes home?"

"Of course," I say. I text Twilight to let her know what's up, then Vinyl and I spend the rest of the day studying.

It's late when her mother comes home. "So, you're the young man who's been driving Vi to her appointments," she says. "I appreciate it. I've been trying to arrange more time off from work, but..."

"I don't mind at all," I say. "I...might not be available for the next one, though. I mean, winter break and all..."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Vinyl's mother says. "I'm using some vacation time I've saved up."

She invites me to stay for dinner, but I need to get back to the dorm...

Monday, December 7, 2015 / Evening

It's pretty late by the time the cab drops me off at the dorm. I walk in right in the middle of dinner.

"Good evening, Flash!" Celestia calls. I'd forgotten it was her week at the dorm...

"You were out late," Rainbow remarks. With a sly grin, she adds, "Hot date?"

"Rainbow!" Twilight chides.

"I was helping Vinyl study until her mom got home," I say. "She's having trouble with her eyes. Didn't seem like a good idea to leave her alone."

"Goodness...I hope she's going to be alright," Fluttershy says.

"That poor girl," Celestia says.

I fix myself a plate and sit down. After dinner, I head up to my room; I've studied enough for one day, so I spend some time reading before bed.
> 12/8 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 / Afternoon
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be careful about butting into your friends' lives today. You may do more harm than good.

Every class today has been review for the exams. Even though my grades are decent and I have the best possible study partner for a girlfriend, my brain feels like mush...

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 / After School

I spend the afternoon studying with Pinkie and Twilight in Pinkie's room. While we work, we start talking about other things: Zodiac, Christmas, and other things that have been on our minds lately...

"Fluttershy's still not really talking to Rainbow Dash," Twilight says. "She still gives her that really cold look most of the time..."

"Y'know, I had a funny thought the other day," Pinkie says. "I didn't say anything because...it's silly even for me." The look in her eyes is anything but silly; Pinkie looks serious and slightly disturbed. "Have you guys noticed how this Eris skank really loves trashing Rainbow Dash?"

"Now that you mention it...yeah," Twilight says.

"Well..." Pinkie frowns, drumming her fingers against the top of her computer, "Didn't all that start after the Fall Formal?"

I think back to our encounters with Eris...

"Well...the only time we really ran into her before then was on your birthday," I point out.

"Yeah, but isn't it weird that she seems so obsessed with Rainbow?" Pinkie asks.

Thinking back...

When all this started, it seemed like Twilight and I were the main targets...

"What are you getting at, Pinkie?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie frowns. "Nevermind...it's too dumb."

"Out with it, Pinkie," I say.

"It's just..." Pinkie takes a deep breath. "Could Eris be Fluttershy?"

Twilight's eyes widen. "What?!"

"Well, think about it," Pinkie says. "All the hating on Rainbow Dash, the moodiness...the way she keeps to herself so much..." She ducks her head. "Nevermind. I told you it was a stupid idea."

I shake my head. "I just...can't picture Fluttershy trying to kill anyone," I say.

"But you know..." Twilight says thoughtfully. "This whole thing with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash has gone on way too long. I mean, talking to Fluttershy about it didn't seem to help..."

"Do you think we should hold, like, an intervention?" I ask.

Pinkie frowns. "Not an intervention. That's way too hostile. Interventions are bad."

"We just need to...to get them to sit down and clear the air," Twilight says. "Maybe...maybe we can try after dinner?"

"Shoot! Dinner!" Pinkie jumps up. "It's my turn to cook! Gotta go!"

Pinkie leaves.

Twilight frowns. "Just the thought that somebody in this dorm could be Eris..." She shudders. "I really wish Pinkie hadn't said that."

Of the six girls in this dorm, three of them aren't part of the Investigation Team...

Could one of them be Eris?

Whoever Eris is, she definitely has a grudge against Rainbow Dash...

Thinking about this has me too worked up to study. I decide to go for a walk until dinner.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight asks everybody to gather in the lounge.

"What's up, Twi?" Rainbow asks.

"Is this going to take long? I...I have studying to do," Fluttershy says.

Twilight takes a deep breath. "I know we're all busy studying, and I promise this won't take up too much of your time, but...we need to get something cleared up, and I'm afraid if we just leave it alone, it's never going to go away."

"What's this about, Twilight?" Celestia asks mildly.

Twilight looks at Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash...you remember the night of the Fall Formal, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Rainbow says.

"After you found Fluttershy, you were worried something had happened to her," Twilight says. "Do you remember what you did?"

Rainbow grimaces. "Yeah..." She looks at Fluttershy, who scowls and ducks her head.

"What did you do, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia asks.

Rainbow looks down. "I...I checked, to um...to see if Fluttershy had been...y'know...assaulted. Um...y'know...raped."

"Instead of asking Nurse Cadance to examine her," I say.

Rainbow winces. "Yeah."

Celestia frowns. "Exactly what did this...entail?"

"Please...don't get into this..." Fluttershy begs.

"No," Twilight says firmly. "We're clearing this up once and for all. I'm sick of watching you glare at Rainbow Dash and act all cold to her. The two of you are supposed to be friends, and...and she was just worried about you..."

"Hold up, Twilight," Rainbow says, raising a hand. She turns to Fluttershy. "Look, I...I messed up, okay? I freaked out...I thought some asshole had...had..." She swallows. "And...and I needed to know. I needed to be sure..."

Fluttershy refuses to look at her.

"You took care of me after I was hurt," Rainbow says. "I...I was worried..." She sighs. "I...I didn't know...you were still mad about that..."

"You didn't KNOW?" Fluttershy snaps, suddenly glaring at Rainbow. "You didn't KNOW?!" She stands up, hands balled into fists. "It's been almost a month since then and you never even apologized! You never even once thought maybe..." She bows her head.

"Fluttershy, I was scared shitless somebody had raped you!" Rainbow cries.

"Somebody did rape me," Fluttershy says in a harsh whisper. "Somebody named Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow looks like she's been slapped.

Celestia frowns. "Alright...Fluttershy, that's enough of that," she says. "I understand how you feel...and if I'm understanding the situation, then you have every right to be angry, but...you also need to understand Rainbow Dash's feelings." She looks sternly at Rainbow Dash. "And you, young lady...it's commendable to worry about your friend and want to defend her honor, but you need to think before you do things that could hurt somebody else."

Rainbow looks down. "Crap," she says. "Fluttershy...I'm sorry. I really...I really messed up..." She looks up again. "I...I didn't think. I was just...so scared you'd been...and..." She looks down again. "I'm sorry..."

Twilight walks over to Fluttershy and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Fluttershy," she says quietly, "don't you think you should let it go? Don't you think it's time to forgive Rainbow Dash? Start over?"

Fluttershy sighs. "I...need to be alone right now," she says. She pushes Twilight away and runs upstairs.

A long, uncomfortable silence lingers in her wake.

"You just haaaaaad to make it an intervention, didn't you?" Pinkie says, shaking her head. "Didn't I tell you that was a bad idea?"

Twilight bows her head. She looks miserable. I stand up and wrap my arms around her. "You did your best," I say.

"I've...I've never seen Fluttershy act that way," Rarity says, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"I'm going to ask the school counselor to see her tomorrow," Celestia says. "I can understand why she'd be angry at Rainbow Dash, but..." She looks around at all of us. "From now on, would you kids please come to me, or Luna, or Cadance with problems like this, instead of playing amateur psychologist?"

"Sorry," Twilight says sheepishly.

"This is my fault," Rainbow says. "I suck..."

Everybody drifts off to their own rooms after that. Celestia heads for the second floor; I think she went to talk to Fluttershy.

Twilight is distraught. I take her upstairs and spend an hour comforting her before she falls asleep in my lap.
> 12/9 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It's in your best interests to keep everything low-key today.

The mood in the dorm is chilly this morning...

Nobody says a word during breakfast.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 / After School

We decide to have a group study session in the dorm after school. The mood has improved since this morning, and it's a lot more fun studying with everybody. Fluttershy is mostly ignoring Rainbow, and Rainbow still looks glum. Nobody says a word about it...

I haven't gotten much guitar practice in lately. After dinner, I decide to practice without my amp until bedtime.
> 12/10 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, December 10, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your own shoulders.

Things feel a little more normal in the dorm this morning.

When I head out with Twilight to walk Spike, she says, "Fluttershy...actually talked to Rainbow Dash last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't think they're okay yet, but it's a start."

"That's good..."

Thursday, December 10, 2015 / After School

Today, I'm studying with Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow.

"Ugh...! I'm so tired of studying," Rainbow complains.

"You gotta study, Dashie," Pinkie says. "Even if it's boring."

"Hey, why don't we go to Zodiac this weekend?" Rainbow suggests. "We still gotta train, and it'll be a good way to blow off some steam after all this lame studying."

Twilight frowns. "Well...we do need to train..."

"Yeah, if we don't run into that freaky monster again," Pinkie says. "Oh, but I gotta do some shopping on Saturday."

"I, uh...actually wanted to take Twilight out on Saturday. We haven't had a real date in a while."

Twilight blushes. "I...I think I'd like that," she says.

"So...Sunday then?" Rainbow asks.

"Or Saturday evening..." I shrug. "Wouldn't be the first time we've gone to Zodiac after a date."

"What, you couldn't afford a love hotel?" Rainbow asks. Pinkie snickers.

I roll my eyes. "You're a brat, you know that?"

Rainbow sticks her tongue out at me.

"So, we're agreed? Saturday night?" Twilight asks.

We all nod. Twilight texts Cadance, then we get back to work.

Thursday, December 10, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Celestia visits me in my room. "How's the studying going?" she asks.

"Let's just say I'm ready for the weekend," I say.

Celestia laughs. "I can imagine. Just don't let all that work you've been doing all week leak out of your head this weekend." She sobers. "We still don't have any leads on who's been causing trouble for you kids," she says. "I can tell Fluttershy's hiding something about what happened at the Fall Formal, but..." She sighs. "The sad truth is that you can't force a bullied student to tell you who's bullying them."

"So you think somebody was definitely bullying Fluttershy?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Celestia says. "All throughout her freshman year, Fluttershy was..." She looks away. "The teachers suspected, but...Fluttershy never came forward, nor did any witnesses...until Rainbow Dash got in a fight with a girl named Lightning Dust who was picking on Fluttershy.

"Well...after that, Luna and I paid more attention, but nothing seemed to be happening on school grounds...or on Canterbook." She sighs. "That doesn't mean the bullying stopped, of course. It just means the bullies got smarter.

"That's the one thing I hate about being a principal," Celestia says. "I want to help every student at school with all of their problems...but I'm only human. I can't be everywhere and see and know everything. Much as I want to...I can only take care of the problems I see, or the ones students come to me with." She looks up at me. "Do you have anything you want to tell me?"

I shake my head. "Just...trying to put all this drama with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash behind me so I can get through exams."

Celestia sighs and nods. "Alright. Just...don't forget, my door is always open." She stands and leaves.
> 12/11 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, December 11, 2015 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Birds of a feather flock together.

I'm on the way to the cafeteria when Rainbow Dash walks up to me.

"Uhh...hey," she says. "Wanna hang out after school? I...kinda wanna do some shopping. You know, Christmas stuff mostly. And..."

"Sure," I say.

"Great, thanks," she says. "Meet me at the school entrance, okay?"

Friday, December 11, 2015 / After School

Canterlot Mall...

Rainbow's leading me all over the mall, asking my opinion on things to buy for everybody at the dorm.

After an hour of shopping, we drop by the food court to get a snack and rest up.

"So...Fluttershy's easing up on me a little," she says. "Man, I really screwed up..."

"Your heart was in the right place," I say.

"Yeah, but my hands were all over her pu—" Rainbow catches herself, grimacing, and smacks her forehead with a palm. "Dammit! I really gotta think before I say stupid shit."

"Uhh...yeah," I say, taking a long sip of my soda. "So, uhh..."

"Well well, if it isn't Rainbow Trash!"

"Craptain of the Blunderdolts!"

Two girls just walked up to us and are flanking Rainbow. One has pale jade skin and slicked-back orange hair with lighter orange streaks, and is wearing green boots, green shorts over black tights, and a green jacket over a black T-shirt. The other has tan skin, short white hair which is swept forward and frosted lavender at the tips, a hawklike face, and cruel gold eyes. She's wearing fatigues and heavy combat boots.

Rainbow groans. "Oh, for the love of..."

The white-haired girl pushes me off my chair. "Take a hike, nutsack," she says.

I stand up and get in her face. "Excuse me?" I ask. "Exactly who do you think you are?"

"We're old friends of Rainbow Derp here," orange-hair says.

"We were never friends, Lightning Dust," Rainbow says.

Lightning Dust...?

The girl that Rainbow got in a fight with?

"So this is Lightning Dust," I say, eyeing the orange-haired girl.

Lightning Dust smirks. "Heard of me? What, Dash can't stop talking about the way I kicked her ass?"

"Actually, I heard about you from Principal Celestia," I say. "I heard you used to pick on Fluttershy and Rainbow kicked your ass for it."

Lightning Dust snorts. "SHE kicked MY ass? Tcheah." She eyes me up and down. "So, you some kinda teacher's pet?"

"What are you two losers even doing in Canterlot?" Rainbow asks.

The white-haired girl snorts. "Like it's any of your business."

"It is when you start messing with me and my friends!"

"Causing problems, girls?"

A tall, muscular man with light blue skin and long orange-and-gold hair just walked up behind Lightning Dust and her cohort.

Lightning Dust stiffens. "Oh, uh...hey Dad..."

"You know, if you're gonna cut school and skip town, you miiiiiight wanna turn your phones off so we can't find you," the man says. "Do you know how screwed you are right now, young lady? And you, Gilda," he says, glaring at the white-haired girl, "your mother's so pissed off she says she doesn't even want you to come home."

"Tch...like I give a fuck," Gilda says.

"So it's okay with you if I hand you over to the cops?"

Gilda scowls. "Fuck you," she says.

The man sighs. "Have it your way..." He grabs both girls by the arm and drags them away.

I stare after them. "What the hell was that?"

Rainbow sighs. "Gilda and Lightning Dust," she says. "They're army brats. Emphasis on the brat part. That was Lightning Dust's dad that just hauled them off. He's in the service. So's Gilda's dad, but he's deployed." She looks down at her cold, soggy fries. "Gilda used to be my friend...but she was always kind of a bitch. Lightning Dust...she's just a selfish piece of shit that thinks she's better than everybody else.

"Back when we were freshmen, Lightning Dust used to pick on Fluttershy all the time. I'd find Fluttershy crying in bathrooms all over school. She never talked about it, but...but I knew.

"Then one day...Fluttershy was feeding a stray dog, and...Lightning Dust came along and kicked the dog. Hard. She nearly killed it. It was just a puppy." Rainbow frowns. "Fluttershy screamed and cried and...and she slapped Lightning Dust...and Lightning Dust just started laughing at her and calling her all kinds of names, saying...saying really awful stuff."

"And then you had enough and got in a fight with Lightning Dust," I say.

"Yeah," Rainbow says. "Celestia really told you about that?"

I nod.

"I gave her a split lip and two black eyes. She cut my face up pretty bad. I needed stitches...I'm lucky I don't have scars." Rainbow sighs. "I was so afraid Dad would kick my ass for fighting at school, but when I explained what happened, he...he just smiled. He said that sometimes, you gotta do something wrong to stand up for something right.

"Anyway...that summer, Gilda's dad got transferred to Cloudsdale, and the next year, Lightning Dust's dad moved to Cloudsdale too. Everybody was happy to see Lightning Dust and Gilda go..." Rainbow sighs. "I...realized, after what happened with Lightning Dust, that Gilda was a bad seed, and..." She shakes her head. "Anyway, they're both on the Cloudsdale team, so...they like to gang up on me, talk shit, get me all stirred up." She sighs. "They musta heard about my leg, thought they could kick me while I'm down."

"Well then they missed the mark by a couple of months," I say. "You're not down anymore."

Rainbow grins. "Yeah. You're right." She stands up, stretching. "Let's get some more shopping done, okay?"

I finish off my soda and we get back to shopping. I've already done most of my Christmas shopping online, but I pick up a few things for a few special people...

As we pass by a jewelry store, it suddenly occurs to me that I should drop by Sterling Silver's shop again sometime and place another custom order. I've already bought Twilight's Christmas present, but...maybe for Valentine's? I take out my phone and make a note of it.

Friday, December 11, 2015 / Evening

Twilight, Cadance, Rarity, and I are watching television in the lounge after dinner. Everyone else is upstairs.

"So where are we going on our date tomorrow?" Twilight asks. "I hope you've got something better in mind than a movie." She blushes. "I mean, I don't mind, but..."

"We've kinda done that bit, yeah," I say. "I'm kicking around a few ideas...I'll have something planned by tomorrow morning, but I'll keep it a surprise."

"Okay," Twilight says with a smile.

"Wherever you go, you'd better dress warm," Rarity says. "We're supposed to have the first snow of the season tomorrow."

"Oooh, snow," Twilight says.

"A date in the snow sounds positively romantic," Rarity says, smiling. "I'm taking my darling little sister out for the day tomorrow..." She tilts her head. "Perhaps I'll take her ice skating...it's been quite a while..."

Ice skating, huh...?

Now that I think about it, ice skating is a great date activity...

I head upstairs to do some research on Canterbook, then turn in early.
> 12/12 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 12, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Ice is not your friend today.

It started snowing just after daybreak. It's not a heavy snow, just light flurries.

Twilight comes downstairs for breakfast wearing jeans and a thick sweater. "Hey," she says.

I stand up and hug her, giving her a quick kiss. "Hey," I say. 

"So, figured out what we're doing today?" she asks.

"Yep. We're going ice skating."

She draws back, eyes wide. "Ice ska—" She tilts her head. "So you're just copying Rarity?"

I shrug. "Well...yeah. But I've always seen couples having fun skating on dates, and, well..."

Twilight giggles. "Okay. I've never done it before, but...it could be fun." She sits down.

Pinkie walks in with a tray bearing a half dozen mugs of hot chocolate. "Brr!" she says. "This'll warm you up. I'll have breakfast out in a bit."

"Thank you, Pinkie," Twilight says. We each take a mug of hot chocolate.

I frown as I look outside. The window is frosted with snow. "I know we need to walk Spike before we go, but..." A particularly horrifying image enters my mind involving yellow icicles, and I shudder.

"Oh, I've got some puppy pads for weather like this," Twilight says. "It's...a little messier than the usual, but..."

Pinkie shows up again, serving us each a ham and cheese omelette and hash browns. "Oh wow," Twilight says. "Thanks!"

"I need to go get the others up so I can make theirs," she says. "Can't let omelettes sit!" She heads upstairs.

When the others all arrive and Pinkie returns to the kitchen, Twilight turns to Rarity. "Well, looks like you and your sister are getting a little company at the ice rink today," she says.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I decided to take Twilight ice skating," I say. "You were talking about it, it sounded like fun..."

Rarity smiles. "Now that is a perfectly lovely date activity, and I'm certain my darling little sister would be delighted to meet you both." Her eyes suddenly sparkle. "Twilight! You should wear the outfit I gave you for your birthday! It would be wonderful for ice skating!"

"Really?" Twilight asks. "It wouldn't be too, umm...cold?"

"Oh nonsense," Rarity says. "I've got the perfect tights to go with it, I'll lend them to you...oh! And a scarf! Yes, a fabulous scarf!"

Twilight looks like she just got hit by a bus. "Um. Okay. After breakfast and after I deal with Spike, umm...I'll get changed, and you can...accessorize me..." She blushes. "Just...no measuring, okay?"

Rarity giggles. "It's a deal."

After breakfast, Rarity and Twilight head back upstairs.

Pinkie leans over the table and smirks. "Sooooo..." she says. "Have you and Twilight done it yet?"

"Pinkie Pie!" Applejack cries. "Land sakes, girl!"

There's a bag of marshmallows on the table. I throw one at Pinkie. "I'll get you for that later. Gotta finish getting ready now." I head upstairs.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 / Daytime

I'm waiting in the lounge when Twilight and Rarity come downstairs. Twilight is wearing the pink knit top and layered violet skirt Rarity gave her for her birthday, along with dark pink tights and a cute pair of white winter boots. She has a navy blue scarf spangled with gold glitter wrapped around her neck. She poses coquettishly. "How do I look?" she asks.

"Really cute," I say.

Twilight smiles and wraps her arm around mine. "So, are you ready?"

I nod. I look to Rarity.

"I need to pick up my sister," she says. "My family lives in the opposite direction of the ice rink, so I'll meet the two of you there."

"Alright." I'm glad I bought new heavy winter wear at the mall yesterday; Twilight and I collect our coats from the dorm's coat closet by the entrance, as well as our gloves and wool hats. Once we're geared up, we step out into the cold, white morning.

"So...we've got some time to kill if we're gonna meet Rarity and her sister at the rink," I say. "Anything in particular you wanna do?"

"Hmm..." Twilight taps her chin. "Ah! Why don't we stop by the park on the way to the rink? They always have amazing decorations up this time of year!"

We walk to the nearest bus stop, then catch a bus to the park. The Neighponese walkway has snow built up in the crevices of the roof. "I don't see any decorations."

"They don't put them on the walkway," Twilight says. "They're all inside the park."

We enter through the east gate. Inside the park, it seems like every single tree is covered in gold or silver tinsel and twinkling lights. Dotted here and there along the walkways are various standees: reindeer, elves, Santa Claus, sleighs and so forth.

"How long does it take them to do all this?" I wonder.

"They've been setting it up all week," Twilight says. "I don't know if they have the big tree up yet, though..."

Twilight leads me through the park, past the pond, to the activity center. About fifteen feet from the main doors, there's a twenty-foot-tall Christmas tree with hundreds of lights and ornaments and a huge star on top that changes colors every five seconds.

"That's a pretty big tree."

"I love the big tree," Twilight says. "I've come to see it every year since I came to Canterlot." She grabs my hand and tugs me toward the tree. "Come on! You haven't seen the best part yet!"

We circle around the base of the tree. There's a kiosk set up where a woman in a white fur-trimmed dress and a hat that's about fifty years out of style is greeting passersby and giving out candy canes.

I look at Twilight and raise an eyebrow. "The best part, huh?"

She blushes. "It's...it's not the candy canes," she says. "Well, not just the candy canes...just...come see!"

Rolling my eyes and chuckling, I follow Twilight to the kiosk. The woman smiles warmly at us. "Hello!" she says. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Twilight says.

"Care to try your luck at the Lucky Santa?" the woman asks.

"Yes, please!" Twilight says, reaching into her purse and pulling out a five dollar bill. "Two tickets."

The woman accepts her money and stuffs it into a brass kettle beside her, then tears two gold foil tickets off a roll and hands them to Twilight. She then reaches into a big bag next to her and pulls out a candy cane for each of us. "Here you go," she says. "Scan your ticket with your phone on Christmas morning to see if you win. Good luck!"

Twilight puts her ticket in her purse, hands me the other one, and unwraps her candy cane. "Mmm, cotton candy flavor," she says.

"What's the Lucky Santa?" I ask as I put the ticket in my pocket. I unwrap my own candy cane and take a lick. It's butterscotch flavor...not bad.

"It's a charity raffle," Twilight says. "They give away about fifty prizes. Some of them are pretty cheap, some of them are pretty nice. I didn't win anything the first time, but last year I won this cute little plushie of a baby dragon." She giggles. "I didn't have it very long. Spike got hold of it. He sure loved playing with it...he tore it to shreds." She smiles. "I was pretty mad, but...it was so cute watching him play with it, I couldn't stay mad. Besides, it's not about the prizes, it's about...giving, you know?"

"Yeah." I smirk. "And gourmet candy canes, right?"

Twilight blushes. "Don't make fun," she says, pouting.

I shake my head and laugh, and we continue our slow tour of the park. Near the northwest corner, there's a table set up, staffed by three cute young girls in adorable little fur-trimmed red versions of the Outdoors Girls' famous uniform, with troop number patches and sashes and all the trimmings. The table has a cash box and piles of boxes of cookies; there are large boxes behind the table.

I look at Twilight. I know where this is going.

...Who am I kidding, I want the cookies too.

We walk up to the table. One of the girls smiles broadly. "Wanna buy thome cookieth, Mithter?"

I can't help but wonder if the lisp is real, or just an act.

"Ooh, the holiday assortment," Twilight says. "I've never actually had any of these..."

I pull out my wallet. "Pick three you like," I say. "And I'll take one each of the white chocolate fudge crunch, the mocha mint, and...hmm..." I tap my chin. "What do you recommend?"

"The coconut marshmallow wreaths are pretty good," one of the girls says.

"Okay, one of those then," I say. Twilight picks out the three she wants, and I hand over several bills to the girl at the cash box.

"Wow, thankth, Mithter!" She pulls out a plastic bag; one of the girls helps her put all the cookies I just bought in it, then hands it over to me.

"Merry Christmas, girls," Twilight says with a smile.

"Merry Christmas!" the girls chorus back.

I check the time. "We should probably head for the ice rink now."

We make our way for the park exit and the north bus station. Once we're through the walkway gates, Twilight holds out a hand. "Gimme."

I shake my head. "When we get home."

"Meanie!"

I laugh. "Patience is a virtue, Twi."

She pouts. "You bought a lot of cookies," she says. "You're not going to try to snack me under the table, are you?"

I shake my head. "I only bought one box for myself. The others are gifts for Rarity and her sister."

"Oh." Twilight smiles. "That's nice of you."

It's several minutes before the bus arrives. On the entire ride to the stop nearest the ice rink, Twilight keeps pestering me for a cookie. Her pouting and whining is too adorable, but I refuse to let her have one until we get back to the dorm.

When we arrive at the rink entrance, it's only a few minutes before Rarity approaches, along with a girl of about twelve or thirteen, whose skin is a similar shade to hers. She has bright green eyes and curly pink and lavender hair. "Flash, Twilight, this is my sister Sweetie Belle," Rarity says.

Twilight smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Sweetie Belle."

"Hi!" Sweetie Belle says in a very high, squeaky voice.

"Have we kept you waiting long?" Rarity asks.

"We just got here," I say. "We decided to go by the park on the way."

"Ooh, the park!" Sweetie Belle says. "Did you get tickets for the Lucky Santa?"

"We sure did!" Twilight says.

"We also picked up something for the two of you," I say. I open the bag and pull out the box of mocha mint cookies and the box of coconut marshmallow wreaths. I hand the former to Rarity and the latter to her sister.

"Oooh, thank you!" Sweetie Belle says.

"I didn't know the Outdoors Girls were selling cookies today," Rarity says, tucking the cookies into her bag. Sweetie Belle hands hers to Rarity as well, and she puts them away. Rarity tilts her head. "I'm guessing the rest of those must be for Twilight," she says.

"Most of them," I say.

"And he won't let me have one," Twilight whines.

"You wouldn't stop at one, you'd eat all three boxes. You don't handle sugar the way Pinkie Pie does," I point out. "I don't want to have to drag you home."

Sweetie Belle giggles at the face Twilight makes.

Rarity coughs to cover a smirk. "Well...shall we be going in, then?"

The four of us enter the rink. There's a broad entrance foyer which branches to the snack bar on our right and the cashier's counter and skate rental on our left. A catchy K-pop piece is playing, and groups of people—couples on dates, families, friends, and even what appear to be some professionals in training—are gliding, twirling, slipping, stumbling, and falling from one end of the rink to the other.

Once we've paid admission and rented skates, we stake out a table near the rink to stash our stuff. Sweetie Belle quickly exchanges her shoes for her skates, while Rarity shows me and Twilight the proper way to put on ice skates. Twilight shivers a little. "I should've worn that sweater," she says.

"You'll be fine," Rarity says. I can't help but notice that she IS wearing a sweater...

With my skates laced up, I try to stand on the ice. It's not anywhere near as easy as it looks on television, but with a little experimentation, I'm at least able to stay upright.

"Come on, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle yells, whizzing past me backwards on her skates.

"Coming, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity calls. She steps out onto the ice and skates gracefully past me. Sweetie Belle spins around, and once Rarity catches up to her, they skate down the length of the rink hand-in-hand.

Twilight steps out onto the ice, her knees wobbling. "Oh...oh, I don't know if I can..."

Down she goes...

I help her to her feet. "Ow," she says, rubbing her butt.

"Let's...use the wall," I say. "Hold onto me...we'll see if I we can get the hang of this..."

For the next half hour, Twilight and I try our best to stay on our feet while moving in a generally forward direction, never straying far from the wall. Twilight falls down four more times, and drags me down with her twice.

"Let's take a break," I suggest after her fourth fall.

"Good call," she says, wincing.

We change back into our shoes, then head over to the snack bar, where we each buy a piping hot Luau roll and a cup of warm spiced cider. We head to our table and sit, enjoying the warm, sweet snack, and watch Rarity and her sister skate effortlessly.

"We suck at ice skating," Twilight says.

"Yeah..." I look at her. "It's fun trying, though."

Twilight giggles. "Yeah." She blushes. "Sorry I kept pulling you down..."

"It's okay," I say.

We go back for another roll and more cider. By the time we're back at the table, Rarity and Sweetie Belle are there resting. "Oh, hello," Sweetie Belle says.

"Those look quite delicious," Rarity says. "I believe I'll go get us one." She heads over to the snack bar.

"You're an awfully good skater, Sweetie Belle," Twilight says.

"Thanks," Sweetie Belle says. "Rarity taught me when I was eight. She says it's something all elegant, graceful ladies need to be able to do." She rolls her eyes.

"Don't you enjoy it?" I ask.

"Well, sure, it's fun," Sweetie Belle says. "And it's something I enjoy doing with Rarity. We don't spend as much time together as we used to...not since she moved to the dorms."

Rarity returns, handing Sweetie Belle a roll and a cup of cider. Twilight's already finished her second roll, but she's drinking her cider slowly.

A very soft song plays, and Sweetie Belle starts swaying back and forth, eyes closed as she nibbles on her roll. Twilight smiles and leans into me. We sit for a while, listening in silence. When something more classical plays, I decide it's time we took another shot at skating. "Ready to try again, Twi?"

Twilight makes an 'ick' face. "I...guess so," she says. "Falling down so much is kind of embarrassing..."

"Why don't me and Rarity teach you how to skate?" Sweetie Belle pipes up.

"'Rarity and I', Sweetie Belle," Rarity corrects. "But yes, that is an excellent idea."

"Thanks, but we wouldn't want to cut in on your sister time," Twilight says.

"Oh, it's no trouble! After all, we're already horning in on your date," Rarity says.

After a half hour of their patient help and coaching, Twilight and I are able to skate in straight lines, if a bit on the slow side. By the time another half hour passes, we're both a lot more confident on skates.

We return to our table, exhausted. "I think that's enough skating for one day," Twilight says.

"Yeah, it wears you out fast," Sweetie Belle agrees.

"Well, Sweetie Belle and I need to go shopping once we've rested up," Rarity says. "I shall see you back at the dorm!"

"It was fun!" Sweetie Belle says. "Thanks again for the cookies!"

Twilight and I gather up our things, return our skates, and head off to find a place to eat lunch.

It's still snowing a little...

Twilight rubs her arms through her coat. "If we're going to train tonight, we should probably head back to the dorm to rest after we eat," she says.

We settle on a place that has hearty homestyle food for lunch. Interestingly, they have baked sweet potatoes. We each have one, and they're delicious.

After that, we head back to the dorm, where Twilight finally gets her cookies.

Saturday, December 12, 2015 / Evening

It's stopped snowing, but it's still cold.

After dinner, I meet up with Cadance, Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow.

"So where are we going to train?" Twilight asks. "I don't think we should go back to the school for now, just in case we run into that...thing again."

"The abandoned roller rink?" I suggest.

Cadance shakes her head. "Not this time of night," she says. "Drug dealers use it after dark. It isn't safe."

"How do you know something like that?" Twilight asks.

"After I found out about Zodiac, I started searching every nook and cranny of Canterlot," Cadance says. "I've seen a lot more of the seedy side of the city than I ever really wanted to."

"So where DO we go to train?" Rainbow asks.

Cadance thinks about it for a minute. "The hospital parking garage," she decides. "It's big, it's open, it's probably crawling with Shadows, and more importantly, even in winter it's hotter than hell in there."

"Sounds good to me," Twilight says. "I've had enough of the cold for one day."

Cadance already has our equipment stashed in her SUV, so we head downstairs.

"An' jes' where are you lot goin' this time of night?" Applejack calls from the lounge.

It's a bit hard to explain five of us leaving the dorm all at once...

"Orgy," Pinkie says in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.

"Big orgy," Cadance agrees quickly.

"Nasty orgy," Rainbow Dash adds.

"Secret orgy," I say. "Don't tell anybody."

Applejack has a disgusted look on her face, and her eyebrow is trying to become part of her hairline. "Uhh...okay then..."

We head out.

As soon as we're outside, Twilight slaps Pinkie upside the head. "Pinkie!" she shouts. "Honestly!"

"What? She totally bought it!"

Rainbow snickers. "That was kinda funny," she says.

Cadance rolls her eyes. "You are the strangest girls I've ever known..."

We drive to the hospital parking lot and park on the third floor, which is the lowest floor for visitor parking. Once we're all out of the SUV, we get out our phones...

Saturday, December 12, 2015 / Zodiac

did u c ?

omg she looked so stupid tryin 2 sk8

im gonna fake sick out of my 1st exam

lol so u can look at cadence's butt?

lol & her boobs

"Somebody needs their ass kicked," Rainbow says as she straps on her knives.

Cadance frowns. "Somebody's going to be in trouble when they come to the nurse's office and there's nothing wrong with them," she says coldly. She shakes her head. "But nevermind that now."

dude omfg u wanna fuck rainbow? srsly?

dude did u see her @ ff? shez hawt

and gay! omfg

dude stfu

"Gah!" Rainbow cries.

"Hey, somebody wants to have sex with you and it's not a girl!" Pinkie says. "That's a good thing!"

I sigh. "Ignore it," I say. "I know it's damn near impossible, but...let's just do what we came here to do, okay?"

"On the bright side, Eris doesn't seem interested in us right now," Twilight says.

I do have a life outside of you idiots.

Are you going to take too long with your little training thing?

Because I was just about to go to bed and I can't while you assholes are here.

"Sorry to inconvenience you," I say. "Actually, no I'm not."

Twilight, what do you even see in this asshole?

Oh well. Bored now. Have fun getting killed!

"Bitch," Cadance mutters. "Oh well. Let's get started." She sits in the back of her SUV and locks it. We can just barely hear her call out "Persona!"

Aphrodite appears, and the parking garage gets brighter. //There are definitely Shadows here,// Cadance says. //A lot of them. Some of them are pretty tough, so be careful!//

We set off down the rows of frozen blood-red cars. Blobs of blackness are writhing between the cars and behind the support columns. A pair of blobs creep out and resolve into hand-shaped Shadows wearing pink gloves. Another pair of Shadows appears in midair; these look like mostly-nude women wearing butterfly masks and long, flowing blood-red veils seated atop inverted pyramids.

"Okay, seen the hands before, but not the creepy nuns," I say. "Cadance?"

//Give me a minute,// Cadance says.

"Relax, I got this," Rainbow says. "NIKE!"

Rainbow's Persona appears and flies toward the nearest floating Shadow, slamming recklessly into it. The Shadow wobbles a bit, but Rainbow seems to have taken the worst of the impact, as she staggers.

"Careful!" Twilight says. "You're still not used to this, and every move your Persona makes takes something out of you!"

"Right, right," Rainbow says.

The Shadow Rainbow attacked looses a ball of ice at her. She yelps as it hits, crossing her arms over herself and shivering.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asks.

"Shit!" Rainbow hisses. "That stung like crap!"

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie has already killed one of the hands with her whip. I summon Chiron, who kills the other one with fire.

//Flash, their weakness is Darkness,// Cadance says.

"Darkness...got it," I say. "YEE NAALDLOOSHII!"

The Skinwalker boils up out of me, morphing into his coyote form, and howls. Darkness engulfs the floating Shadows, and they cease to exist.

"Dude," Rainbow says, staring at Yee Naaldlooshii with wide eyes. "That's messed up."

Five more hand Shadows skitter out into the open and begin hurling balls of crystal frost at us. I switch back to Chiron; Rainbow Dash takes a Shadow on one-on-one with her knives, while Pinkie goes to work with her whip again and Twilight practices her fencing moves against another Shadow.

Suddenly, something swoops down from the ceiling, too fast for me to see what it is. Whatever it is, it shoots Rainbow Dash in the head with a glowing white arrow.

Suddenly, Rainbow's eyes go empty and she stops fighting. She turns toward me, her face devoid of expression.

Twilight notices this. "Rainbow Dash? What...?"

"Persona," Rainbow says in a dreamy voice.

Nike appears and starts unleashing wind blast after wind blast at me. Caught unaware, I'm knocked on my ass.

//RAINBOW DASH!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!//

"RAINBOW, STOP!" Twilight screams.

Pinkie frowns and snaps her whip right in Rainbow's face. Rainbow doesn't flinch.

I stand up, quickly switching Personas. "GARUDA!"

Rainbow's next attack rebounds on her, staggering her.

I catch a flicker of movement above us. "That thing did this," I say.

"What thing?" Twilight asks.

I point up at the silhouette flitting around above us. "I didn't get a good look at it, but it shot Rainbow with an arrow. Then she went all...this."

Rainbow rushes at Pinkie, her knives flashing. Pinkie yelps and dances away, trying to trip Rainbow with her whip.

//Do something!// Cadance cries frantically. //Twilight, I think you can cure Rainbow!//

"Huh?" Twilight blinks. "Oh...um...okay...ATHENA!"

Athena appears. Her owl flaps around Rainbow's head, hooting madly as it sheds a soft light over her. Rainbow stops moving, shaking her head furiously.

//Don't let that Shadow shoot you!// Cadance says. //Flash, you'll have to deal with it, it's weak against Ice!//

I look at the hand Shadows which are still milling around. "Alright," I say. "Cover me."

The others begin fighting the hands while I summon Jack Frost, who jumps high up and blows out a tremendous breath of ice which freezes the ceiling.

Three Shadows drop to the concrete like dead flies. I get a good look at them for the first time: they're ugly little cupids with bows and arrows. Shaking my head, I smash them to nothingness with my axe.

//Is everyone alright?//

"I'm okay."

"Yeah, I'm good," Pinkie says. "A little freaked out, though."

"What...just happened?" Rainbow asks.

"Those cupid things shot you with something that made you go nuts and attack us," I say.

Rainbow grimaces. "Oh damn...sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Are we ready to move on?"

The others nod. We head toward the ramp up to the next level. More of those floating nuns show up, as do a lot more hands and a few more of those obnoxious cupids, but now that we know what they can do, killing them is easier.

Once we're at the top of the ramp, however, the ground begins to shake.

//Careful! There's a group of powerful Shadows approaching!//

And just like that, three massive wrestlers charge us, surrounding us.

"What...the...?" Rainbow asks, jaw scraping the floor.

"Wow, these guys look really familiar," Pinkie says.

The Shadows are coal black, heavily-muscled wrestlers in gold trunks and boots, with drooping white mustaches and long white hair. Cobalt blue masks cover the top halves of their faces, stamped with the Roman numeral XI.

One of them stomps his foot, points at me, and lets out a deep, rumbling laugh.

//I'm scanning for weaknesses...//

"ATHENA!" Twilight cries. Athena appears, zapping the Shadows with lightning. They don't even flinch.

"JACK FROST!" Jack Frost appears and tries to freeze them. One of them rushes Pinkie and punches her right in the chest, sending her flying into a car.

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells. She rushes over, summoning Athena again to heal her.

"Oh, that tears it!" Rainbow yells. "NIKE!"

Nike appears, circling the Shadows and unleashing a sweeping circle of wind. The huge wrestlers all crash to the ground, shaking the floor.

//Here's your chance!// Cadance says.

With Pinkie back on her feet, we all rush in, slashing and smashing and stabbing and whipping away at the Shadows.

All three jump to their feet, throwing us clear across the garage.

"Ow, shit!" Rainbow cries.

//They're weak to Wind, but...// Cadance pauses. //Wait, they're also weak to Light!//

"Wind and light, huh?" I slide the Sun card onto my Persona app. "QUETZALCOATL!"

Quetzalcoatl appears. Columns of shining white light erupt around the three wrestlers. The light explodes outward...

One of the Shadows is gone, but the other two are still there.

"You got one!" Pinkie cheers.

"Yeah, but that should've gotten all of them," I mutter. "Let's try this then!"

Quetzalcoatl unleashes a glowing tornado that lifts one of the wrestler Shadows off the floor, slams him against the ceiling, then flings him into the wall.

Rainbow Dash summons Nike and adds her own contribution. The wrestler groans thunderously before slowly dissolving into nothingness.

The remaining wrestler stomps his foot and points at Rainbow, letting out a deep, grating laugh.

"Laugh this off, asshole!" Pinkie yells. "EUPHROSYNE!"

Pinkie's Persona appears. A fountain of glowing white confetti explodes out of her hair, surrounding the Shadow. It vanishes in an explosion of light.

"Oh, hey! I got a new power!" Pinkie says happily, jumping up and down as her Persona disappears. "Oh, but I feel a little dizzy..."

We head back down to the other floor, wading through several more Shadow attacks. By the time we're back at the SUV, we're all getting pretty tired.

//Give me a second, I'll get us out of Zodiac,// Cadance says.

The stifling air of the parking garage returns. We climb back into the SUV. Cadance, breathing heavily but seemingly alright, drives us back to the dorm.

"So..." Rainbow says. "When are we doing that again?"

"I'd rather not mess with Zodiac stuff during winter break," Twilight says.

"Yeah, same here," I say. "Besides, we already know when the next attack is, and it's not that far away."

"We can discuss it later," Cadance says.

Nobody is in the lounge when we get back. We all head back to our own rooms. I'm asleep before my head even hits the pillow...
> 12/13 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, December 13, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): One of the sturdiest people you know will show a rare moment of weakness today. Be a rock for that person.

Exams begin tomorrow and last for four days...

After a week of studying and last night's training, today seems like a good day to rest up.

Sunday, December 13, 2015 / Daytime

At lunch, I make myself a sandwich and head to the lounge. Applejack is the only one there at the moment. She's engrossed in something on her laptop.

"Cramming for exams?" I ask.

Applejack sighs. "Nah...Ah'm readin' up on farmin' stuff...economics an' what-not." She grimaces. "Ah dunno if Ah'm gonna be able t' do all this..."

"Sure you will," I say.

"Ah got a call from home last night," Applejack says. "Papa, he's...he's gittin' worse. Quick-like. That's why Ah'm bonin' up on this stuff. Ah might hafta...might hafta do some'a his work. When Ah have time." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "Also, it's...it's mah li'l sis."

"Apple Bloom? What's wrong with her?"

"It ain't like that. It's..." Applejack frowns. "Big Mac...don't want her around t' see Papa wastin'. They been homeschoolin' 'er, but..." She tilts her hat. "What's goin' on at home right now...it's hard on a yung'un, y'know? An' Big Mac an' Granny Smith are so dang busy all the time..."

"So she's...not getting the attention she needs?"

"Somethin' like that," Applejack says. "We're thinkin' about tryin' t' work it so she can live here at th' dorm with me an' go to Canterlot Junior High."

"I'm sure Principal Celestia won't have a problem with that."

"Yeah, but...Apple Bloom can be a real handful..." Applejack frowns. "If Ah got mah schoolwork, th' farmin' stuff, an' her t' deal with all at th' same time..."

"You think we won't help you out?" I ask. "You don't have to do everything by yourself. You've got a whole dorm full of friends here."

Applejack smiles. "Well, yeah..." She frowns. "But...there's also, well..." She gives me a hard look. "To be blunt...this dorm ain't th' most kid-friendly place."

"Neither is junior high school," I point out. "At least, it wasn't back in Seaddle."

Applejack winces. "Well...yeah...you got a point there. Heck, CJHS has condom machines in th' bathrooms..."

"Maybe with a younger girl around, things will tone down a bit here?"

Applejack snorts. "Riiiiiight." She sighs. "But...there ain't much Ah can do about it. Ah mean...they're right. Apple Bloom don't need t' watch...t' watch Papa die." She bows her head; her shoulders begin to shake.

I walk over and put a hand on her shoulder. She sniffles and wipes her nose. "Damn it all," she says. "It ain't fair..."

Sunday, December 13, 2015 / Evening

Because exams begin early in the morning, I go to bed early.
> 12/17 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, December 17, 2015 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): In folklore, the season of winter has always been associated with death. Keep this in mind.

Exams are finally over. Tomorrow is the last day of school for the semester...

I meet up with my friends at the entrance so we can walk home together.

"Man, I'm glad that's over!" Rainbow says. "I am so over this testing crap!"

"I hope I did alright..." Twilight says.

"Of course you did alright! You're the top egghead!" Rainbow says.

"That last exam was an absolute nightmare," Rarity says.

"Cheer up, everybody! Winter break's almost here!" Pinkie says.

"Heheh, yeah! Two whole weeks of nothing to do but have fun!" Rainbow cheers.

"Two and a half weeks," Twilight points out.

"Even better!"

We discuss exams a bit more as we approach the dorm. Once we're there, we all decide to veg out in front of the TV until dinnertime...

Thursday, December 17, 2015 / Evening

Nobody feels like cooking, so we pool our resources and order pizza.

Vice-Principal Luna asks us all how our exams went. She endures our complaining with good humor. "I always hated final exams when I was your age," she says.

Principal Celestia shows up just as we're all full and sleepy. "Hello, everyone! I have an announcement. A new transfer student will be moving into this dorm after Christmas."

"A new transfer student?" Twilight asks.

"That's right," Celestia says. "I've been in conference with her family most of the day today." She gives me a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry, but...you'll have to put up with a girl sharing the third floor with you."

I shrug. "This is new how?"

"We should throw her a welcome party!" Pinkie says. "Oh! What's her name? Where's she from?"

"I'll introduce her to you all when she arrives," Celestia says, smiling. "She does have one thing in common with Flash Sentry, though. She's from Seaddle."

Another transfer student from Seaddle...?

"Whoa. What are the odds?" Rainbow asks.

After that, Celestia leaves, and the girls begin speculating about the new transfer student. They pester Luna for details, but she doesn't seem to know anything about it.

Not long after dinner, I get a call from my parents. I head upstairs to talk to them for a bit, then read a comic book before bed.
> 12/18 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, December 18, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cherish the time you spend with friends today, because you might not see them again for some time.

Today is the last day of school this semester. It's also a half day. Winter break is almost here.

Vice-Principal Luna cleared out of the dorm last night. Neither she nor Celestia will be around until after Christmas. I recall hearing something about a ski trip...

With a week of exams behind us and two weeks of holiday ahead of us, the teachers are no more interested in being here than the students. In homeroom, Mr. Turner passed out Trottingham style Christmas crackers, all of which produced ridiculous paper hats, as well as little candy canes. After that, we spent the rest of homeroom watching a Professor When Christmas special.

The rest of the morning's classes are along a similar vein: candy, movies or games, and general excitement. I spend most of third period on Canterbook, chatting with friends I won't see again until next semester.

Friday, December 18, 2015 / After School

After school, we all go to Sugar Cube Corner. It's packed, so it's way too noisy to really have a conversation or any elbow room, but at least we get to try Mrs. Cake's pumpkin spice cupcakes and non-alcoholic eggnog coffee.

When we get back to the dorm, we all spread out in the lounge. "VaaaaaCATION!" Rainbow Dash cries, throwing her hands up in the air.

Pinkie giggles. "Yeah! Time to party!"

Rainbow rolls her eyes. "Is it ever not time to party?"

Pinkie thinks about that. "Eh...sometimes."

Twilight's phone rings. "It's Mom," she says. "Excuse me a second." She gets up and leaves the room.

Applejack looks around at us. "Ah better give y'all your Christmas presents right now, 'cause Ah'm headin' home in about an hour or so."

"Already?" Rarity asks, blinking.

"Yep," Applejack says. "Big Mac's probably already on his way t' pick me up. Ah won't be back until after New Year's."

"Well then...Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, darling," Rarity says.

We all wish Applejack Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. She ducks her head, blushing. "Shucks, y'all..." She gets up and heads upstairs. "Back in a minute."

Twilight comes back in. "My parents are coming to Canterlot for Christmas," she says.

"We're not going to Baltimare?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "The weather's about to get really nasty up there, and..." She frowns. "Mom says the weather people on TV are saying there's about to be an ice storm, and we may get a blizzard here too. It's either they come down here before the storm hits, or nobody gets to go anywhere for Christmas."

Fluttershy gasps. "Oh my...! I'd better call home right away then." She gets up and leaves the room.

Cadance walks in. "Got your text, Twiley. What's up?"

"Mom and Dad are coming here for Christmas," Twilight says. "They can stay with you and Shining Armor, right?"

"Of course," Cadance says. "It's because of the weather, right?"

Twilight nods.

Rarity taps her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I'd probably better pack to go home. I would like to spend most of the holiday with my family..."

Pinkie sighs.

Twilight looks at her. "You know you're spending Christmas with us, right?" she says. "Even if we were going to Baltimare, you'd have come with us."

Pinkie brightens. "Really?"

"Of course!"

Pinkie's eyes shimmer. "Thank you..."

"So, Rainbow, what about you?" I ask.

Rainbow grins. "Dad's gonna be back in town tomorrow," she says. "I'm gonna spend Christmas and New Year's with him."

"That's good," Twilight says, smiling.

Applejack comes downstairs with an assortment of gift bags, which she sets next to the coffee table. "Now, don't none'a y'all open these 'til Christmas," she says with a grin.

"Oh! We'd better give you our presents too," Twilight says.

"Hmm...actually, we should probably all exchange presents with everybody who's leaving for Christmas," Cadance says. "Who's staying and who's going again?"

"Me, Pinkie, and Twilight are staying," I say. "Everybody else is leaving."

Rarity nods. "I'll be headed home in the morning."

Fluttershy walks back in. "I'll be taking the train home tomorrow," she says.

"We're all about to exchange presents," Twilight says. "We're not opening anything until Christmas though, right everybody?"

"Right," we all agree.

"Ooh! Ooh! We should better get a tree for the dorm!" Pinkie says excitedly. "And put all the presents under it!"

Cadance laughs. "I'll go tree shopping with Shiny later this afternoon," she promises.

We all gather up our presents for everybody and bring them back to the lounge. The gift exchange quickly becomes a scene of mass confusion as an enormous pile of gift bags and packages of assorted shapes and sizes overtakes most of the lounge. Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy gather up their presents; the three who are leaving tomorrow take theirs back upstairs, while Applejack piles hers in the entryway, then goes back upstairs to get her bags.

"I'll take the rest of these over to the apartment for safekeeping until we can get a tree put up," Cadance says. Twilight helps her carry the presents to her apartment.

A short while later, Big Macintosh arrives. Applejack looks around at us with a smile. "See y'all next year," she says. Her brother helps her take her stuff out to his truck.

With Rainbow, Rarity, and Fluttershy all upstairs packing, Pinkie, Twilight, and I decide to spend the rest of the afternoon watching television.

Friday, December 18, 2015 / Evening

Around dinnertime, Cadance and Shining Armor come in carrying a huge, flat package.

"Aww, a fake tree?" Pinkie asks.

"Real trees are a pain to clean up after," Shining Armor grunts as he sets the box down. Cadance opens it and starts dragging out pieces of an artificial tree while Shining Armor goes back outside. He comes back a few minutes later with boxes of lights and ornaments.

Shining Armor starts putting the tree together while I open up the lights and start sorting them out. Twilight and Pinkie start unpacking and sorting the ornaments. With the five of us working together, it only takes an hour to erect and assemble a fully decorated Christmas tree, with the lights twinkling merrily. Cadance and Twilight go back to the apartment to haul all the presents out and pile them underneath the tree.

Rainbow walks in, staring at the tree. "Whoa," she says. "That was fast."

Rarity enters from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready, everyone," she says.

Cadance and Shining Armor join us for dinner. I look around the table and realize that this time tomorrow, it'll be a different group of faces around this table for a while...
> 12/19 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 19, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): There's still time to end up on the naughty list, so watch yourself.

Today is the first official day of winter vacation. Even though half the dorm is leaving for home today and Twilight's parents are coming into town, nobody's in much of a hurry to do anything.

We have one last big breakfast together as a group, after which Fluttershy takes a taxi to the train station and Rarity's parents pick her up.

Cadance and Shining Armor are busy getting their spare bedroom ready for Twilight's parents. The rest of us decide to sit around in the lounge. Twilight puts on the weather news; the radar images and live reports paint a dire picture for the Baltimare area, and within the next twenty-four hours, Canterlot may be under a blizzard warning...

"Man, that weather's gonna suck," Rainbow says. She's flipping through a comic book.

"When's your dad coming in?" Twilight asks.

"His plane's supposed to get here at around three," Rainbow says. "So I'll be outta here by five."

"What are the two of you gonna do about Christmas dinner?" I ask. "Do you have like, grandparents and stuff, or...?"

Rainbow shrugs. "Dad doesn't have any family but me," she says. "It's just us."

"Oh, Rainbow..." Twilight says.

"Eh," Rainbow shrugs indifferently. "Makes Christmas more fun, you know? We can do what we wanna do." She grins. "We pretty much pig out on junk food and watch action movies or whatever."

Saturday, December 19, 2015 / Daytime

A little before noon, Cadance and Shining Armor walk in. "Okay, so here's what we're gonna do," Shining Armor says. "Cadance and I are gonna go pick up Mom and Dad at the train station. The rest of you need to figure out what to do about lunch. Everything needs to be ready or almost ready when they get here, because after we all eat, Mom and Cadance are going grocery shopping to stock up for the week."

"And to get stuff for Christmas dinner," Cadance adds.

"Ooh! I'll go with you two to do that," Pinkie says.

Cadance smiles. "Thanks, it'll be easier with three of us."

Cadance and Shining Armor leave.

Pinkie frowns. "There's not really a lot to work with in the kitchen," she says. "What do you guys think we should do?"

"How about sandwiches?" I suggest. "We've done the pizza thing to death..."

"Hey, yeah!" Twilight says. "SubLime delivers and they've got those catering specials..."

I pull up the ordering app on my phone; we start discussing what we should get. With eight of us, and considering the appetites of some of us, we decide to order the twenty sub assortment so everybody will have at least two sandwiches. The whole thing is a pretty big hit to my debit card, but I don't mind.

While we're waiting, we sit down in the lounge. Twilight has a serious, thoughtful look on her face. "Rarity's birthday is the day after New Year's, so we're going to need to plan ahead," she says.

Rainbow grimaces. "She's gonna be with her family and I'm gonna be with my dad...that's gonna make this one tough."

"We'll need to do whatever it takes to be as close to Rarity as possible," I say. "If we're lucky, we'll all be invited to her birthday party."

"I could smuggle myself in inside a cake," Pinkie suggests. Nobody comments on this.

The sandwiches arrive almost an hour later. Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight's parents show up at almost the same time as the delivery driver.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad!" I hear Twilight say as Rainbow, Pinkie, and I carry the sandwiches, chips, and sodas to the dining room. "Just leave your things in the lounge and come sit down, we're about to have lunch..."

We've just about got everything spread out on the table when everyone else walks in. "Flash! So good to see you again!" Velvet says. Then she looks past me and gasps, hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my God..."

I follow her gaze and see a confused Rainbow Dash. "What?" Rainbow says.

Velvet walks over to Rainbow, looking her up and down. "You have your father's hair, but other than that, you look exactly like Firefly..." She sweeps her up in a hug. "I haven't seen you since you were a baby..."

Rainbow shifts uncomfortably.

Twilight coughs. "Mom?"

Velvet backs off. "Sorry, dear," she says. "It's just...I knew your parents, and what your mother did...it's bothered me for years..."

"Uhh..." Rainbow seems at a loss for words.

I cough. "We'd better eat," I say. "You guys have a lot of grocery shopping to do, and Rainbow's dad is coming to pick her up in a few hours."

The sandwiches are all labeled; each of us takes two (except for Cadance and Velvet, who take one each), as well as chips and a drink.

"How come you only got six-inchers and not footlongs?" Twilight asks.

"Six inches is more than enough for you, Twi," I say. About five seconds later, what I just said catches up to me.

Everybody else is staring at me. Twilight has an "I cannot believe you just said that" look on her face. Rainbow is grinning like an idiot. Pinkie falls off her chair, laughing like a hyena. Shining Armor has a pained look on his face.

Cadance breaks out into a giggle fit. "Oh-KAY!" she says loudly. Velvet smirks. Night Light just shakes his head and takes a bite of his meatball sandwich.

I decide to eat my sandwiches and keep my mouth shut.

"So Blaze is coming to pick you up, huh?" Night Light asks.

"Yeah," Rainbow says. "You really knew my folks, huh?"

"We sure did," Night Light says. "Blaze and I were good friends. We used to go out drinking..."

Rainbow frowns. "Dad doesn't drink..."

"Oh, he quit while Firefly was pregnant with you," Night Light says. "Decided he needed to be responsible, get himself ready for fatherhood."

"He was determined to be the best husband and father in the world, even if he knew he might have to travel a lot," Velvet says. She sighs. "Your mother was a fool to just run off like that..." She pales. "Oh God...I'm sorry, dear..."

"Nah, it's cool," Rainbow says listlessly, toying with a potato chip. She looks down at her sandwich, eyes dark.

"Rainbow, you have to understand...your mother, well...she was a party girl," Velvet says. "She lived by the motto 'live fast, die young'. Oh! I don't mean...I mean I'm sure she's alive and..."

"I don't care if she is or not," Rainbow says. "Why should I?"

"Now don't be that way, Rainbow Dash," Cadance says. "There may come a day when you'll want to find her..."

"Yeah, find her and kick her ass," Rainbow mutters.

Night Light clears his throat. "How's Blaze doing these days?" he asks. "We lost touch after college."

"He's doin' great," Rainbow says. "Sure, I don't get to see him as much as I'd like, but he taught me to play soccer, we talk every day if we can..."

"I wonder if he'll remember me," Night Light says.

"I'm sure he will, dear," Velvet says.

"Hey Mom, are Grandma and Grandpa coming? Or Nana?"

Velvet shakes her head. "Nana's going west to visit your great-aunts. It...might be their last Christmas together."

Twilight's face pales. "Which one?" she asks quietly.

"Twinkle Star," Velvet says. "Cancer." She shakes her head. "And Grandpa and Grandma, well...they're not coming because they don't want to get snowed in. You know how Grandpa gets when it's cold..."

"Oh yeah," Twilight says.

"Well my dad's coming for Christmas dinner if we're not buried under snow," Cadance says. "He'll only be here for dinner, though."

"Speaking of Christmas dinner," Velvet says, "what would everybody rather have, turkey or ham?"

"Either's fine with me," I say.

"I like ham, but I like turkey too," Pinkie says.

"Why don't we have both?" Twilight suggests. "I mean we've got two ovens here in the dorm and another at Cadance's place..."

We all stare at Twilight, who ducks her head. Her hand slowly, sheepishly snakes out to grab one of the extra sandwiches.

I shrug. "It's not a bad idea," I say. "Especially when you think of the leftovers."

"Hey, yeah!" Night Light says brightly. "Turkey and ham sandwiches..."

Velvet laughs. "Okay, okay. We'll do both." She looks at Twilight. "The leftovers had better last a few days, though."

Twilight blinks. "Hffwfh?" she mutters around her sandwich.

Cadance looks at the remaining sandwiches which are still on the table. "Hey, wait a second," she says. "Who even paid for all this? We didn't leave any money..."

"I did," I say. "Don't worry about it."

Velvet frowns. "You...paid for lunch? All of it? Yourself?"

I shrug.

Night Light shakes his head. "No, that's no good," he says. He takes his wallet out of his pocket and counts out thirty dollars. Shining Armor does likewise.

"No, really, it's fine," I insist.

"No, we're chipping in," Shining Armor says. "It isn't right for a high school kid to feed eight people out of his own pocket, and we all know how much all this cost you."

I decide not to argue the point and pocket the money. My cash reserves were getting a bit low anyway since I paid cash for most of my Christmas shopping.

Rainbow shakes her head. "Man, Twilight...you lucked out, landing yourself the rich boyfriend."

"I'm not rich," I say. "I just...don't have money issues."

Rainbow gets up, walks over to Twilight, and hauls her locket out of her blouse, holding it up so it catches the light. "Yeah, we noticed," she says. With a smirk, she heads back to her seat.

"Rainbow!" Twilight cries.

I shake my head. "Yeah, but once I'm on my own, I'm gonna have to work hard just like everybody else," I say.

"Most everybody else," Shining Armor mutters, giving Cadance a sharp, playful poke.

Velvet shakes her head. "It still amazes me you chose my son sometimes," she says.

"Mom!" Shining Armor protests.

Cadance giggles. "Let's just say he has something...special," she says with a playful, naughty smirk.

Velvet facepalms. "Not now, Cadance," she moans.

Not long after that, Cadance, Velvet, and Pinkie head out to do the shopping. The rest of us finish off the sandwiches, then clean up. Night Light and Shining Armor put the presents Twilight's parents brought with them under the tree, then carry the luggage over to the apartment. We pass the rest of the afternoon playing board games.

Saturday, December 19, 2015 / Afternoon

It takes nearly three hours for the ladies to get the shopping done. At a quarter of four, Rainbow gets a call from her dad announcing he's at the airport and will be on his way as soon as he can rent a car. She rushes upstairs to grab her stuff, then brings it down to the entrance while the rest of us help unload Cadance's SUV and put away the groceries. And there are a lot of groceries to put away...

Velvet hands Rainbow a plastic grocery bag. "Didn't have time to wrap these," she says. "And I'm sorry it isn't much, but there wasn't much notice. There's one for you and one for your dad."

Rainbow looks in the bag. "Ooh, good chocolates," she says. "Thanks!"

"Merry Christmas, dear," Velvet says, smiling.

A few minutes later, there's a knock at the entrance. Rainbow opens it. "Dad!" she exclaims happily. "Come in for a minute!"

Rainbow leads a tall, slim, athletic man with slightly darker blue skin and the same wild rainbow hair into the lounge. "Hey everybody, this is my dad!" she says excitedly.

"We can tell!" Pinkie giggles.

"Dad, these are my friends!" Rainbow says. "This is Flash, this is Twilight, and this is Pinkie!"

"Hey," Rainbow's dad says. "I'm Rainbow Blaze." He grins. "Rainbow's told me all about you kids. I'm glad she's got such good friends." He looks around. "Where are the others?"

"They left already," Rainbow says. "These guys are staying over for Christmas. I'm the last one out."

"Blaze? Is that you?" Night Light's voice calls from the hall. He walks in.

Blaze looks at him, blinking. "Night Light?" His grin practically splits his face. "Holy shit! Look at you!" He rushes over and grabs Night Light's hand. "Haven't seen you since college, man!"

Velvet walks in from the kitchen. "Hello, Blaze," she says.

Blaze's brow furrows. "Give me a sec," he says. "Vera, Velma, Vul—"

"Velvet," Velvet says. "Twilight Velvet."

Blaze snaps his fingers. "Right! Sorry, it's been forever..."

Velvet rolls her eyes. "Bullshit. You used to pull that on me every time you saw me."

Blaze chuckles. "And it never gets old." He blinks. "Wait..." He looks back at Twilight. His eyes widen. "Holy shit," he says. "You mean that's your daughter?"

"Yep," Night Light says.

Blaze shakes his head. "I thought the name Twilight Sparkle sounded familiar," he says. "What are the odds, huh?"

"Why don't you and Rainbow Dash stay for dinner?" Velvet suggests.

Blaze sighs. "I'd love to, but we've got a two hour drive ahead of us, and it's already getting dark out. I wanna make the most of what little light's left since I haven't driven in Canterlot in a while."

"I understand," Velvet says. "I do hope we'll all get a chance to catch up soon, though."

Blaze tilts his head. "Well...I was gonna bring Dash back on the second, but..." He looks at Rainbow. "Whaddya think? New Year's? We come back early, I hang out here?"

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow cries. "See you guys on New Year's!"

Blaze grins. "What she said. Come on, Dash! Let's get your stuff in the car." He looks around at all of us. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" we all chorus. "Goodbye, Rainbow Dash!"

"Bye everybody! Merry Christmas!" Rainbow replies, grabbing half of her bags. Blaze grabs the rest, and they head out.

"Same old Blaze," Night Light says with a grin. "Hasn't changed a bit."

Saturday, December 19, 2015 / Evening

Twilight's parents, Cadance, and Shining Armor are all pretty tired, so they head for the apartment and turn in early. Twilight, Pinkie, and I make hot dogs for dinner and veg out in front of the television.

"Your family's so wonderful, Twilight," Pinkie says wistfully. "You're so lucky..."

"Yeah," Twilight says. She gets up from beside me, walks over to Pinkie, and hugs her. "You know...you're part of the family now," she says. "If you want to be."

Pinkie smiles. "That'd be nice..."

I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little jealous of Twilight's relationship with her parents...

Twilight turns on the weather.

"Temperatures in Baltimare have dropped fifteen degrees in the last hour," the weather anchor reports. "Residents are advised to take precautions, as late night precip is expected to cause ice accumulation on roads, trees, and power lines. Be advised to stay off the roads and be prepared in case the power goes out. We'll have more on that in a minute, but first, let's look at this storm system which is forming more rapidly than forecast models predicted. The weather advisory service just released a statement that a blizzard warning may be issued for the Canterlot area as early as tomorrow morning..."

"Wow, you usually don't see weather like this until the middle of January," Twilight says, eyes wide.

It looks like Twilight's parents got out just in time...

We might be snowed in for most of Christmas week...
> 12/20 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, December 20, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Talking about the future with others today may lead to a realization.

It's cold this morning. My bed is warm and cozy...

I don't have anything planned today...

I decide to sleep in.

It's a quarter of ten when I finally decide to get up. As soon as I'm dressed, I head downstairs to find Cadance and Velvet in the kitchen. Sausage is sizzling in a skillet and Cadance is tending a saucepan. Shining Armor and Night Light are in the lounge watching the weather news.

"Good morning, Flash," Velvet says. "Would you mind waking up the girls?"

"Twilight and Pinkie aren't up yet?" I ask.

"Nope," Shining Armor calls from the lounge. "The rest of us just got up a little bit ago."

"It's so cold we all just stayed in bed," Cadance says.

I laugh. "Yeah, same here..." I head upstairs to wake up Twilight and Pinkie.

Twilight comes downstairs, still in her pajamas and wearing heavy socks and fuzzy slippers. Pinkie's also wearing thick pajamas, as well as a bright pink Blankeez.

"We're having biscuits and gravy and sausage," Velvet announces. "I just put the biscuits in a few minutes ago, so—"

The doorbell rings.

We all turn to stare. "Who could that be?" Twilight wonders.

I head for the door and unlock it, then open it.

On the other side is Maud Pie. She blinks once, slowly. "Hello," she says.

"Umm...hi," I reply. "Come in..."

Maud walks in. Her heavy grey coat is dusted with snow, as is her hair. She has a slate grey suitcase in one hand and a large brown paper shopping bag in the other.

Behind me, Pinkie lets out a loud gasp. "MAUD?!"

Maud sets down her things and removes her coat. "Hello, Pinkie," she says.

"Oh my gosh, what're you doing here?" Pinkie asks.

"I want to spend Christmas with you," Maud says. "That's alright, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!" Pinkie says. "But...you're not...with Papa, and—"

I've only met Maud a couple of times, but I'm familiar enough with her usual lack of expression to notice the faint anger on her blank, placid face. "I want to spend Christmas with you," Maud says. "If it's alright, I'll stay the week, then leave for Vanhoover next Sunday."

"Are you kidding? Of course it's alright!" Pinkie says happily, sweeping her sister up in a hug.

I take Maud's coat and hang it up. "We're just about to have breakfast," I say. "Pinkie, show Maud to the dining room, okay? I'll take her bags up to the third floor. She can use the room Celestia and Luna use."

"Thank you," Maud says, following Pinkie.

Maud's suitcase is incredibly heavy, as is the brown paper bag. It's a bit of a struggle to get up to the third floor with them.

When I get back to the dining room, Shining Armor and Night Light are chatting with—or rather, at—Maud. Pinkie's answering more of their questions than Maud is. Twilight is watching Pinkie with a smile.

Cadance and Velvet bring out two big pans of biscuits, a platter full of sausage patties, and a saucepan full to the top with thick, creamy white gravy. Velvet is very warm to Maud, as is Cadance.

"How come you didn't let us know you were coming?" Cadance asks.

"I wanted to surprise Pinkie," Maud says. She takes a bite of biscuit and gravy and blinks. "This is good," she says in an almost surprised tone.

"Thank you, dear," Velvet says. "You must've driven through some terrible weather getting here."

"It isn't snowing that much yet," Maud says. "Just flurries. The blizzard isn't hitting until tomorrow."

"Yeah, we just heard," Night Light says. "Canterlot's under a blizzard warning starting tonight. They say it could last clear to Christmas..."

"Well, at least we'll have a white Christmas," Twilight says. "That's good, isn't it?"

"We can build a snowman!" Pinkie says. "And a snowwoman! And snowchildren! And a little snowdoggy!"

"I'll build a snowrock," Maud says.

Sunday, December 20, 2015 / Daytime

After breakfast, I show Maud where she'll be staying. While she starts unpacking, she hands me the brown paper bag. "These are presents," she says. "Could you put them under the tree for me?"

"Sure," I say. I take the bag back down to the lounge. Twilight and her parents are watching television. "Where's everybody else?" I ask.

"Cadance is cleaning up the kitchen and Shining Armor went to buy salt and shovels," Velvet says.

"We really should've done that yesterday," Night Light says with a frown. "The hardware store's going to be a madhouse..."

"And Pinkie?" I ask.

"She went out for a little bit," Twilight says. "Said she had something to take care of really fast."

"Probably getting something for Maud," Velvet says. In a quieter voice, she says, "Strange girl, that one."

"She's a little creepy," Night Light agrees.

I shake my head and put Maud's presents under the tree. They're heavy...

"Hey Flash, why don't you bring your guitar down?" Twilight suggests. "My parents haven't heard you play!"

"Oh, yes, please do!" Velvet says.

I shrug. "Sure. I need to get in some practice anyway, I've been slacking off lately." I head upstairs to get my guitar and amp.

When I return, Maud is in the lounge with the others. I plug in the amp, get set up, and pause. "Any requests?"

"Oh, whatever is fine," Velvet says.

I give it some thought, then play something a little older and softer than my usual repertoire.

"Wow, I haven't heard that song in forever," Night Light says.

Velvet raises an eyebrow at me. "You know, that's the kind of stuff our parents listened to..."

I shrug. "So? It's good music."

"True," Velvet says with a grin.

"But if you want something a little more...familiar..." I start playing possibly the most famous song from when Twilight's parents would have been in college. I even decide to sing...as do Twilight's parents.

"You're pretty good," Night Light says.

"You should hear him play grunge," Twilight says. "That's his speciality."

"Well, he is from Seaddle," Night Light says with a grin. We all laugh.

"Do you know any songs about rocks?" Maud asks. "There should be more songs about rocks."

I think about that. "Well...closest thing I can think of is..."  I play the first thing that comes to mind.

"Close enough," Maud says.

After that, I spend another hour playing, picking songs at random. By the time my hands are getting tired, Pinkie walks back in carrying a big canvas shopping bag and looking pretty rumpled. "Aww, did I miss a concert?" she asks.

"Just a little guitar practice," I say, unplugging the amp and packing the guitar away.

"Where'd you go off to, Pinkie?" Velvet asks.

"Oh, just had something to take care of really fast," Pinkie says. "I'll be down to make lunch in about twenty minutes or so!"

"You don't have to make lunch, Pinkie," Cadance calls after her.

"I want to!" Pinkie calls back.

I take my guitar and amp back upstairs, then return to the lounge. A short while later, while Pinkie is making lunch, Shining Armor walks back in, rubbing his arms. "It's getting colder out there every minute," he says.

"We're having lunch soon," Cadance says.

"I think I'll go help Pinkie," Velvet announces, heading into the kitchen.

"So Flash," Night Light says, "are you planning to start a band or anything? You're really good. It's amazing how you can play so many different styles!"

I shrug. "I've thought about it, but..." I look at Twilight, then think about Rainbow Dash and how she hardly ever sees her dad...and how my own parents have always cared more about their own work. "Honestly? I'd be fine doing session work, parties, stuff like that. It'd be a good living and I could stay in one place instead of going on tour all the time." I shake my head. "Not that I wouldn't like being famous and all, I just...think I'd like to stay close to home."

Twilight blushes and ducks her head. Night Light smiles. "Well, there certainly are enough recording studios in Canterlot...and Seaddle...and Baltimare..."

"Hey, you could be like, a wedding singer," Shining Armor says. "You know, like in that one movie?"

"Oh, I love that movie!" Twilight says happily.

A little after that, lunch is ready. After lunch, everybody wanders off to do their own thing for the rest of the day.

Sunday, December 20, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, we all gather in the lounge to watch television together. Well, more or less—Twilight is reading, Maud and Pinkie are having a quiet conversation in the corner of the lounge, Shining Armor is tracking the blizzard headed for Canterlot, and Night Light is tracking the weather in Baltimare.

It's getting colder...

Before bed, we turn on the weather news. The blizzard is going to hit by the middle of the day tomorrow...

Once the adults have all gone over to the apartment, the rest of us start to head upstairs. Twilight grabs my arm and hangs back, waiting for the Pie sisters to head up. She looks pensive. "Flash...can I spend the night with you?"

My heart is pounding. It's not like we haven't slept in bed together before, but...

She winces. "I'm not...talking about...you know," she says. "It's just...it's going to be really cold tonight, and..."

I smile and pull her close. "Go get your pajamas on," I say. "Bring Spike up with you."

Twilight smiles. "Thank you," she says.

A short while later, Twilight and I are curled up together under two heavy blankets, while Spike is curled up under two blankets of his own in his basket.
> 12/21 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, December 21, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Expect the unexpected today.

I wake up with severe morning wood.

Twilight, unfortunately, notices. "Flash!" she grumbles, slapping me playfully upside the head. Shaking her head, she heads down to the second floor to shower and get dressed. I sniff myself and realize I need a shower too, so I head to the bathroom.

I open the door and literally run into a very naked Maud, who's drying her hair with her towel. She doesn't even budge a millimeter.

"Good morning," she says. "Shower's yours." She pushes past me and heads for her room.

After breakfast, Shining Armor and Night Light go out to put tarps over the cars in advance of the blizzard. The rest of us watch the weather news in the lounge.

The doorbell rings. "Who's making a surprise visit this time?" Twilight wonders.

I head to the door and answer it. It's a delivery driver. "Package for Flash Sentry," he says, holding out his tablet and stylus for me to sign.

I wasn't expecting a package...

I sign for it. The driver brings in a large box and sets it down. "Merry Christmas," he says before hurrying to his van and driving off.

I carry the package into the lounge. It's a little on the heavy side...

"What's that?" Twilight asks.

"Dunno," I say. I look at the label; it's from one of the larger online stores. "Everything I ordered came in already..."

My phone rings. It's Mom. "Hey," I say.

"Hi hon, how's it going?"

"Fine," I say. "We're about to get snowed in. How are you?"

"Fine...you got the package just now, right?"

Oh, so that's what it is... "Yeah, it just came," I say.

"Go ahead and open it early if you want," Mom says. "There's stuff in there for your friends, too. You're going to Baltimare again, right?"

"No, we're staying in Canterlot," I say. "Twi's parents came down because of the ice storm and the blizzard."

"Oh, okay. So her family's there with you?"

"Yeah, and a couple others."

"Good...I hope you have a good Christmas. We'll call you on Christmas!"

"Okay. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, hon. Love you."

"Love you too, Mom." I hang up and look around at everyone. "It's from my folks," I say.

Shining Armor and Night Light come back in and walk into the lounge, rubbing their hands and arms for warmth. "What was that delivery?" Shining Armor asks.

"Package from my folks," I repeat. "Mom said to go ahead and open it because there's something in there that's for all of you too."

"Well that's nice of them," Velvet says.

I open the box and start unpacking it. Two of the items inside are gift-wrapped and have tags:




To: Flash
From: Mom & Dad




I put these under the tree with everything else.

"You're not opening those now?" Twilight asks.

I shrug. "They're Christmas presents, I'll open them on Christmas." I pull out the next thing in the box: a large package of fancy chocolates. I put this on the coffee table. There's another box of candy under it, which I also place on the table.

Underneath that are two assortments of smoked meats and cheeses. "Well, guess we have some snacking to do," I say.

"Oooh, I love summer sausage and cheese," Night Light says.

"Me too," Shining Armor says.

"Then you're welcome to it," Velvet says.

I laugh. "If we can guard it from Twilight," I say.

Twilight shrugs. "Actually, not really big on man snacks," she says. "I might taste some of it, but you, Dad, and Shiny can have that stuff." She brightens. "Love candy though!"

"Man snacks?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"You know," Twilight says, waving her hands expressively. "Man snacks. Jerky and dry summer sausage and those weird little crumbly cheeses and such. They're man snacks."

Pinkie opens her mouth to say something...

"If you say 'man meat', I'm ending you," Twilight says.

Pinkie snaps her mouth closed. We all laugh.

The front windows of the dorm begin to rattle. Shining Armor pulls out his phone and checks the weather app. He grimaces. "Here we go," he says.

We all head to the windows to look outside. It's white out there. The snow is just starting to blow in, but it's blowing sideways and heavy. The rushing noise of the wind is picking up...even inside the dorm, we can hear it.

"I'll go make us all some hot chocolate," Velvet says.

"I'll help," Pinkie offers.

"Wish there was a fireplace in the dorm," Cadance says.

We decide to spend the day in the lounge watching television, playing board games, and snacking.

Monday, December 21, 2015 / Evening

Twilight spends the night with me again. We turn in early, snuggling up together in bed and listening to the wind outside until we fall asleep.
> 12/22 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 / Daytime
Cannot connect to Canterbook...

Everything is white today. We can't even see out the windows.

There's not much to do but sit around watching television, which is exactly what we all do. Twilight is reading, as usual.

"We're going to have to start on the cooking tomorrow," Velvet says.

"If the power doesn't go out," Cadance agrees.

The power goes out.

Everybody stares at Cadance. She blinks. "Oh, don't blame this on me," she says.

"That...was pretty freaky," Pinkie says.

Shining Armor pulls out his phone. After a minute, he grimaces. "Wow, the power company's outage map looks like a murder scene."

"Well that explains why Canterbook's been down all day," Pinkie says.

Twilight sighs and shuts her bookpad down. "I'd better save the battery," she says. She stretches and looks around. "So...any ideas?"

Maud stands up. "I'll be right back," she announces, heading upstairs.

"Wonder what she's up to," Night Light says.

"This would be an excellent time to learn more about Flash," Velvet says. "We still know so very little about you."

I shrug. "You actually pretty much know everything worth knowing about me," I say. "My life before Canterlot was...pretty dull."

"Yeah, to hear him talk, it's like he's some video game character who didn't even exist until the player pressed start," Pinkie says.

Maud thumps heavily back down the stairs, then disappears into the kitchen. We hear glass clinking and rattling.

"Do you need any help, Maud?" Pinkie asks.

"No thank you," Maud replies. The next sound is a plastic bowl filling with ice.

"What in the world is she doing?" Night Light wonders.

A minute later, Maud walks into the lounge carrying a tray, which she sets in the middle of the coffee table. On the tray are eight glasses, a bowl full of ice cubes, and a large glass bottle full of a dark amber liquid.

Velvet blinks. "Is...is that...rum?"

"Yes," Maud says. "This'll help keep us warm." She blinks once, slowly. "And entertained."

"Uhh...Maud? These three are, well...underage..." Cadance says.

"It'll be fine," Maud says. "I think they can handle it."

A particularly sharp blast of wind rattles the windows. It suddenly feels a good five degrees colder in the lounge.

"Pour," Night Light says. "Forget the ice."

Maud fills each glass slightly less than halfway with rum and passes them around. "Drink it slowly," she advises. "It's potent."

Once everybody has their glass, I take a sip of rum. It's spicy-sweet and feels like liquid fire going down, but in a good way—less "oh God I'm on fire" and more "this feels nice"—and has a strong afterbite.

I've had hard cider before, and a margarita once, but this is my first taste of strong drink...

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 / Evening

I wake up feeling a bit numb and disconnected. My hands are also very warm. There's fuzz in my brain...

The lights slowly come on in the lounge. I look around.

Twilight's sitting on my left. Pinkie's sitting on my right.

I have a hand down each of their pants.

That's why my hands are so warm...

I hear a door open. I quickly pull my hands out of the girls' pants. Twilight stirs and groans softly. Pinkie snuggles up closer to me.

"Got the generator going," I hear Shining Armor call. "We can at least have a hot meal tonight."

"I'll get started cooking right away," Velvet calls from a different direction. "Are the kids awake?"

"I don't think so." That was Cadance. "I almost hate to wake them, it's so cute..."

"Not the word I'd use," Shining Armor mutters.

I extract myself from between the girls and stand up. "I'm awake," I say, looking around. Shining Armor is peeling off several layers of snow-encrusted outerwear. Night Light walks in behind him, also shedding hats and coats and scarves.

"Definitely gonna need some more rum," Night Light says.

Cadance walks in. "Aww," she says, snapping her fingers. "I missed the look on your face when you woke up..."

"What...happened?" I ask. My brain's a little fuzzy.

"The rum made you all horny," Maud says. I didn't even notice her there...

Cadance giggles. "You started making out with both Pinkie and Twilight, then decided their pants were a good place to keep your hands warm."

"Oh crap." I look at the girls, who are still asleep. "How dead am I when they wake up?"

Cadance shrugs. "They probably won't even remember it," she says. With a sly grin, she adds, "Besides, they were both pretty into it too..."

"Umm..." I swallow. "And...and everybody saw...?"

"Oh, the rest of us were..." Cadance blushes. "We pretty much...followed your lead actually," she says. "That's why Shiny and his dad just now cut the generator on." She hides a snicker. "At least the rest of us didn't pass out after one glass." She gives Maud a curious glance. "The rum didn't seem to affect you the same way it did everybody else..."

"I don't get drunk. Or horny."

"I can believe that." Cadance shakes her head. "Go wash up for dinner, Flash. I'll get the girls up."

At dinner, Pinkie is blushing and giggling like crazy. It turns out she remembers everything. Twilight doesn't remember anything except us kissing. I don't even remember that...what the hell was in that rum?

Velvet is giving me a look that's half-reproachful, half-amused.

Night Light coughs. "Flash, you're not...two-timing my daughter, are you? The way you and Pinkie were..."

"No sir, I'm not," I insist firmly. "I pretty much actively discourage Pinkie from—"

Twilight blushes. "Actually, at this point, it...doesn't really matter anymore," she says, looking at Pinkie. "I think Pinkie's crushing on both of us now. Aren't you, Pinkie?"

Pinkie has a small, silly smile on her face. "Yeah," she says. "I...yeah."

The others all blink at that.

"Um. Okay. Wow," Cadance says. "I...somehow totally missed that."

"What do you mean by 'it doesn't really matter'?" Shining Armor asks, eyeing Twilight with faint alarm.

Twilight ducks her head. "I don't know," she says. "It just...doesn't bother me." This draws raised eyebrows from Twilight's parents. Twilight shoots Pinkie a sharp glance. "That wasn't permission to sleep with my boyfriend," she adds.

"Aww," Pinkie whines.

"Or with me," Twilight stipulates, poking Pinkie in the nose.

Pinkie rolls her eyes. "I'll be good..."

After dinner, Shining Armor shuts the generator down again to conserve fuel. We all go to bed early to huddle up under blankets. Twilight spends the night with me again. I think Pinkie and Maud are sharing a bed tonight too.

"What was all that at dinner about Pinkie?" I ask.

Twilight sighs. "We've been talking when you weren't around. I just...get the feeling she kinda wants...us."

I think back over some of Pinkie's more earnest moments over the last couple of months. Even some of her less earnest moments. "Oh."

"Worry about it later," Twilight says. "Goodnight..."
> 12/23 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Daytime
Cannot connect to Canterbook...

The wind and snow are beginning to subside.

We're using the generator to run the lights, refrigerators, and ovens, but not much else.

"I think we should sing Christmas carols today!" Velvet says brightly.

"Oh no," Twilight says. "God no..."

"Hey, you're right, Vel," Night Light says. "It is tradition..."

"Mom...Dad...don't do this to me...please..." Twilight looks like she's going to have a panic attack.

Shining Armor gets an evil smirk. "Hey, that's right...we do have that one family tradition..."

"I will bite somebody!" Twilight says. She's completely freaking out...

Pinkie blinks. "What's gotten into Twi-Twi?"

"Twi-Twi?" I ask.

"That's my new nickname for her," Pinkie says.

Velvet smiles sunnily. "I did happen to bring it," she says. "Even made sure it'll still fit..."

"Oh God Mom NO," Twilight moans.

"You know, on the one hand, I feel really sorry for Twilight and want to stop you guys from doing this to her," Cadance says. "On the other hand..." She covers a smirk. "It...it is pretty funny...and so cute..." She looks at me and grins. "And wait until Flash sees it!"

"CADANCE!" Twilight howls. "NOT YOU TOO!"

"Let's take Twiley upstairs and get her ready," Velvet says with a smile. She and Cadance frog-march Twilight upstairs, with Twilight flailing and whining the whole way.

"What the hell was that all about?" I ask.

Shining Armor grins. "You'll see..."

Ten minutes later, Velvet calls out, "We're ready!"

Twilight shuffles into the lounge.

I can't believe what I'm seeing.





Pinkie breaks into giggles, clutching her stomach and doubling over. "Oh...oh my gosh, Twi-Twi, you..."

"Ha. Ha," Twilight says flatly.

We spend the rest of the day singing Christmas carols. Twilight is incredibly surly the entire time. I honestly can't blame her. This is just cruel...

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, the lights flicker briefly. Shining Armor's phone chimes loudly.

"Power's back on," he says. "I'll go shut off the generator."

"Thank goodness," Velvet says. "We've got so much cooking to do tomorrow..."

"We'd better get started on some of it tonight," Cadance says.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve...
> 12/24 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today is a good day to be with the person you love the most.

It's Christmas Eve.

Canterbook is back online. Twilight, Pinkie, and I spend most of the morning checking in on our friends. Everyone seems to be enjoying being with their loved ones...

Velvet and Cadance are busy in the kitchen. The rest of us are in the lounge. Night Light and Shining Armor are playing chess, and Pinkie and Maud are talking quietly in a corner.

For most of day, Twilight stays by my side, snuggled up against me. A little while before dinner, Cadance takes a break from working in the kitchen. Twilight stands up suddenly. "Cadance? Can...can I talk to you, alone? For a little bit?"

Cadance nods. "Let's go over to the apartment," she says.

"Wonder what that was all about?" Shining Armor muses once they're gone.

"Girl talk," Night Light answers. He eyes me speculatively.

Twilight and Cadance don't return until dinnertime. Twilight takes Pinkie aside and speaks to her for a minute, then heads to the dining room. Pinkie has a silly little smile on her face...

What's going on?

Thursday, December 24, 2015 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight spends several minutes going up and down the stairs.

Velvet and Cadance go to bed early so they can get up early to cook. The rest of us watch a couple of Christmas specials until past nine. Pinkie wants to stay up to wait for Santa, but Maud tells her she should go to bed early so we can all get up early to open presents.

"Ooh, presents!" Pinkie zooms to the stairs. "Goodnight everybody! Come on, Maud!"

Maud smiles slightly. "Goodnight, everyone." She heads upstairs with Pinkie.

At around ten, Shining Armor and Night Light say goodnight and head over to the apartment.

Twilight fidgets. "Flash? I...I have something important to talk about...when we get upstairs." She stands and heads up to the third floor. I turn off everything in the lounge and follow her.

Twilight is sitting on my bed, fidgeting. I sit down next to her and put an arm around her. "What's up?"

"I...I have something I wanted to give you," she says. "It's...a little silly, but..." She hands me a small box. I open it; inside is an old, yellowed library card.

"That's my first library card," Twilight says. "It was issued when I was five years old. I've kept it all this time...it's always been one of my greatest treasures." She smiles at me. "I want you to have it."

"Twilight...why?"

Twilight looks out the window. "Before...before you came here, I hardly had any friends. I mean, I wasn't really close to anybody but my family. Pinkie Pie went out of her way to be my friend, and I'll always be grateful to her for that, but..." She looks at me, then looks down at her lap. "Until you...until you came...until you told me you wanted to be my boyfriend..." She blushes. "All I cared about was reading and studying...but having you in my life changed all that. You've...you've really changed me. I'm more comfortable around people now...I enjoy having friends and spending time with them." She leans into me. "And...for the first time in my life, I feel like I really have something to look forward to." She blushes. "When...when you go back to Seaddle...you're coming back to me, right?"

"Of course I am," I say. "As soon as I graduate, I'm leaving Seaddle forever. I want to be here with you..."

Twilight smiles and kisses me. "Thank you..." She ducks her head. "You know, I...when you first came here, I wasn't sure I even wanted to let you into my life..." She takes a deep breath. "Watching the way Cadance would...would just go off and..." She looks down. "Seeing how Shining Armor just...resigned himself to that...I didn't want to risk...you know...getting hurt like that. And..." She looks at me. "There have been times when I've doubted you. When...when I've thought that you might..."

I cut her off with a kiss. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

"I know that now," Twilight says with a smile. "And...you even helped fix Cadance and Shining Armor's problems...Mom and Dad really like you too. You're...the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know? The best thing that's ever happened to my whole family." She looks into my eyes. "I love you, Flash. I really love you..."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Magician Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Merlin, the ultimate form of the Magician Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Twilight, I see her Persona, Athena, tall and proud...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Athena changes!





The moment passes. Twilight smiles shyly at me, hand on my chest. "Flash..." She takes a deep breath. "Make love to me?"
> 12/25 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, December 25, 2015 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Merry Christmas!

The first thing I see when I wake up is Twilight's eyes. She smiles at me. "Merry Christmas," she says.

"Hey, Merry Christmas," I reply. I run a hand through her hair. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm...yeah," she says, snuggling up against me. "Last night was amazing..."

"Yeah," I say. I kiss her. "Are you sure you're okay with—?"

"Yes," she says firmly.

"We'd better get cleaned up and dressed. And strip this bed."

Twilight takes a deep breath and her face scrunches up. "Whoof. Yeah."

We strip the bed and stuff the sheets in my laundry basket. After that, she heads down to the second floor to shower and get ready for the day, while I round up my own bath stuff and head to my own shower.

Friday, December 25, 2015 / Morning

After I shower and get dressed, I head downstairs, phone in hand. Every single person I'm friends with on Canterbook is posting "Merry Christmas" messages; I post one of my own.

As I'm walking into the lounge, I nearly stumble when a new post from Rarity pops up.




Rarity has posted a new photo to Canterbook.

Merry Christmas, darlings!







Wow. Just...wow.

Twilight walks in, dressed in jeans and a sweater. "Did you check Canterbook yet?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Rarity?"

"Rarity," Twilight agrees, blushing.

I shake my head. "Well, you know what they say. When you've got it, flaunt it."

Twilight looks at her phone again. "She's definitely flaunting it," she says.

"Heeeeey, you two!" Pinkie calls from behind us. She throws an arm around each of our shoulders. "Did you have fun last night?"

"Pinkie!" Twilight groans.

Maud walks in, studying us impassively. "It's Christmas," she says.

Pinkie gasps suddenly. "PRESENTS!" She zooms over to the tree.

Twilight and I share a glance, laugh, and follow her.

Everyone else shows up within a few minutes. Amazingly, Pinkie hasn't opened anything yet; she's just sorting everything into piles. "Is Pinkie playing Santa this morning?" Cadance asks.

"Yeah, but I wish I'd thought to put on my sexy Santa outfit," Pinkie says. She tilts her head. "Then again, I don't look as good in mine as Rarity looks in hers..."

"Yeah, Rarity's pretty much the queen of sexy Santas today," I agree.

"Oh?" Cadance asks, tilting her head and arching an eyebrow.

"Check Canterbook," Twilight says.

Cadance pulls out her phone and opens Canterbook. Twilight's parents and Shining Armor crowd around her. "Oh my," Cadance says.

"Wow, she should be a model," Velvet says. She slaps Night Light and Shining Armor upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Mom! What was that for?"

"General principles," Velvet says with a smirk. "Come on, everybody, let's open presents!"

Once Pinkie finishes sorting everything into piles, we all start opening them, making a huge mess of paper and ribbons and gift bags.

From my parents, I got a brand new phone and laptop. From Twilight's parents, I get a cologne and shaving set. Pinkie Pie, for some bizarre reason, gave me a copy of Fifty Hues of Greyscale. Rainbow Dash gave me a few packs of soccer cards. Cadance and Shining Armor got me the complete series of HeisenBerg. Rarity gave me a charcoal pork pie hat. 

(Geez, one all-night marathon of an awesome show...)

Fluttershy gave me a couple of interesting zoology magazines. One of them is about rams, the other is about lions. Applejack gave me a gift card for music downloads. Maud gave me a fist-sized chunk of rock encrusted with different shapes and colors of mineral crystals.

From Twilight, I got two sets of lavender sheets and a set of violet satin pajamas.

Pinkie stares at those, then gets a sly smirk on her face. "Wow, and you thought that joke I pulled with the birthday cake was bad," she says.

"What joke?" Velvet asks.

"You don't wanna know," Twilight says, blushing.

I shake my head. "On my birthday back in August, Pinkie made a cake with icing the color of, well...Twilight," I say.

Velvet lets out a whooping laugh. "Oh my God, you didn't!" she yells, doubling over.

"She did," Twilight says, covering her face.

Cadance raises an eyebrow. "So...Twilight...about those sheets and those pajamas..."

Twilight tries to curl into a ball. Everybody just laughs. Shining Armor shakes his head. "What is with this family?" he mutters.

I thank everybody for their presents, and they in turn thank me for what I gave them. My big gift was a pair of pink topaz earrings for Twilight. I gave her mom and dad a sampler box of fancy coffees and teas. I gave Shining Armor and Cadance tickets to a Five Doors Back concert coming up in the middle of January. I gave Pinkie Pie another cookbook with recipes and decorator tips for fancier, more formal desserts. For Rainbow Dash, I got a new set of knee and elbow pads, as well as a framed portrait of herself at the Fall Formal. The latter, Rarity put me up to; lately, she's been on a quest to get Rainbow Dash to embrace her femininity, and somehow dragged me into her convoluted scheme which is almost guaranteed to fail.

Speaking of Rarity, I gave her a gift card to a fabrics and crafts store. For Fluttershy, I got a massive poster which depicts nearly every type of butterfly known in the world. I gave Applejack a new photo album.

None of us got Maud anything because we weren't even expecting her, but it turns out that was the thing Pinkie Pie left to take care of so suddenly before the blizzard hit. Evidently, she went all over Canterlot looking for the most interesting rocks she could find, and gave Maud one from each of us.

Once all the presents are opened and everyone, present or elsewhere, has been thanked repeatedly, each of us loads up our haul and clears it out of the lounge, then we all spend half an hour cleaning up the enormous mess we've made.

By now, the fabric refresher I sprayed on my bed this morning has dried, so once I'm upstairs, I make the bed with the new sheets from Twilight, then arrange all my new stuff on the bed so I can deal with it properly later. After that, I head back downstairs to join everyone for breakfast and a Christmas toast with a mug of hot spiced cider.

After breakfast, Cadance and Velvet head into the kitchen to work on Christmas dinner, while the rest of us scatter to deal with this and that. For my part, I've got a new phone and laptop to plug in, charge, and get set up...that could take a while.

Friday, December 25, 2015 / Daytime

Twilight decided to hang out in my room with me while I was setting up my new phone and laptop. "This thing's really high-end," she comments, looking over the new computer.

"Heh...yeah, I can always count on my folks to get the best of the best, at least," I say. "Speaking of which..." I pull out my old phone and call Mom.

"Hey, hon! Merry Christmas!"

"Hey Mom. Thanks for the new computer and the new phone."

"You're welcome, hon. How's it working?"

"I've still got everything charging and, you know, setting stuff up," I say. "Got a lot of data to transfer. Looks awesome, though."

"That's good," Mom says. "Had a good Christmas?"

"Pretty good," I say. "Just hanging out with Twilight while her mom and sister finish Christmas dinner."

I spend a few more minutes talking to Mom, then hang up and put my phone away.

"Are you going to be able to do Zodiac stuff with your new phone?" Twilight wonders.

I shrug. "Should be able to. I mean, the Zodiac stuff is linked to Canterbook, not to the phone..."

Pinkie wanders in. "Hey guys!" she calls cheerfully. She closes the door behind her. "So? How was it?"

Twilight blushes. "Pinkie..."

"Aww, come on! I wanna know."

"It...it was amazing," Twilight says, ducking her head.

Pinkie smiles. "I'm glad," she says. "You're such a cute couple..."

"Say, Pinkie...I just gotta ask. Why that book?"

Pinkie smirks. "Oh...I just thought it might give you some ideas," she says. "Well, I think dinner should be ready in about an hour. Twi-Twi, your dad and brother are in the lounge watching the parade, I think I'm gonna join them."

"That sounds good," Twilight says. "Flash?"

"Sounds good to me."

As we head out, Twilight suddenly stops. "I almost forgot! The Lucky Santa tickets!" She rushes to her room.

The Lucky Santa tickets...

Right! I head back to my desk and pull mine out of the desk drawer, then scan it with my phone.




Please wait while we determine if your ticket is a winner...

Congratulations! You've won a


Dinner for four at Portobello Grill


Please fill in your name, address, and phone number and your prize will be delivered in two to three weeks.




Huh. That's...not bad, I guess.

I head downstairs. I meet Twilight at the bottom of the stairs. "I didn't win anything," she pouts.

"I won dinner for four at Portobello," I say.

"Oh, nice!" Twilight says. We head into the lounge and sit down.

Cadance walks in a few minutes later. "Dad isn't coming," she says with a sigh. "He's snowed in and his car won't even start."

"That's a shame," Shining Armor says.

Cadance rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you're real broken up about it," she says, sticking her tongue out.

I give Twilight a questioning glance. She leans close and whispers, "My brother and Dr. Fermata don't really get along. Dr. Fermata kind of...well...looks down on Shining Armor."

I frown. "Why? Because he isn't as—"

"No, it's not a money thing," Twilight says. "I think Shining Armor just made a bad first impression. Mind, I don't think any man would be good enough for Cadance as far as he's concerned."

Cadance's dad seemed okay to me the two times I met him. A little gruff, yeah...

While Velvet and Cadance finish the preparations for dinner, the rest of us watch television and chat for a bit. About an hour later, everything is ready, and we gather around the dining room table.

The spread is incredible.

There's a huge turkey and a large glazed ham. There's two serving bowls full of stuffing. There's a pot of mashed potatoes, as well as a pot of whole boiled new potatoes in cream sauce. Then there's beets, sweet peas with pearl onions, marshmallow fruit salad, greens, okra and stewed tomatoes, broccoli and cheese, yams, and corn casserole. There's gravy for the turkey, stuffing, and potatoes. There's cheese sauce for the ham. There's a basket of crescent rolls and a basket of garlic cheddar biscuits. There's also cranberry sauce and mint jelly, and each of us has a large goblet of cranberry juice.

"Wow, you really went all out," Night Light says.

"Well, it is Christmas after all," Velvet says. "Everybody load up! Don't hold back, there's plenty of everything for everyone."

"And we've got some desserts for later," Cadance says.

Good lord...when did they find the time to make all this with the blackout?

I take a little bit of everything I can fit onto my plate, determined to try as many of the things on the table as I possibly can. Twilight overloads her plate to the point where everything's going to run together. Pinkie mostly shies away from the green vegetables. Maud doesn't put any gravy on anything.

All throughout dinner, Velvet is giving me and Twilight a knowing look.

"So Maud, you're off to Vanhoover after Christmas?" Night Light asks.

"Yes," Maud says. "I'll be studying geology and mineralogy."

"I'm sure gonna miss you, Maud," Pinkie says.

"I'll miss you too, Pinkie," Maud replies. "But we'll be in touch all the time."

"Have you spoken to your parents today, Flash?" Velvet asks.

"Yeah, I called Mom a little while ago."

We make light, idle conversation over dinner. I fill my plate four times before I decide I barely have enough room for dessert.

And what desserts! There's a fig cake, a chocolate cherry cheesecake, two sweet potato pies, angel food cake with strawberry sauce, and desserts I can't even identify but which are absolutely delicious. I have a tiny piece of everything—just enough to taste.

"This is incredible," Shining Armor says.

"Pinkie Pie handled all the desserts," Velvet says.

"Wow, seriously?" Twilight asks. "I mean, I know Pinkie's a good baker, but ALL of this?"

"That's amazing," Night Light says.

"Aww, shucks," Pinkie says, blushing.

"Papa's an idiot for not wanting you to do this for a living," Maud says. "Even I can tell how good all this is, and I don't really like sweets."

"Yeah, well...Papa can go lick a turd," Pinkie says. "I know where I belong now." She smiles at me and Twilight. "And I'm gonna do whatever I want with my life, because it's my life."

"You said it, girl!" Cadance says.

"But maybe...cut down on the exhibitionism a little?" Maud suggests.

Pinkie ducks her head. "Heheh...yeah..."

Once everybody's eaten all they're going to, we all pitch in cleaning up the dining room, putting away leftovers, and washing dishes. After that, Pinkie and Maud head upstairs to have some sister time, Cadance and Velvet go to bed because they've been up cooking since the early morning hours, and Shining Armor and Night Light watch a football game in the lounge.

Friday, December 25, 2015 / Evening

Twilight and I head up to my room. Twilight clears my Christmas haul off my bed, putting most of it away neatly, while I put the first disc of HeisenBerg on to play.

"That show's awfully violent, isn't it?" Twilight asks as she's headed for my closet with the pork pie hat Rarity gave me.

"Well, yeah...and none of the characters are especially nice people, but...it's compelling." I snatch the pork pie hat out of her hands and put it on. "Now...say my name."

Twilight smirks. "You're Flash Sentry."

"You're goddamn right." I pull her down onto the bed with me and kiss her deeply. We spend the next half hour or so making out, then fall asleep side by side with the television still playing.
> 12/26 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 26, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Quiet, peaceful days of relaxation are fleeting. Make the most of them.

It's no longer snowing. Canterlot is still white; it's going to be a while before the snow either melts or is cleared.

Twilight, Pinkie, Cadance, and I decide to make the most of it by playing outside in the snow. We have a snowball fight, build snowmen, and make snow angels.

After we wear ourselves out and risk freezing our noses and fingers off playing in the snow, we go back inside for hot chocolate. "Maud's leaving tomorrow," Pinkie says sadly.

"I know how much you'll miss her," Twilight says.

Pinkie sighs. "Yeah, but...I have you guys now, and...and I don't have to put up with my stupid parents ever again." She smiles. "I think...I think I can cope with Maud going away. I mean of course I'll miss her, but...I don't need her as much as I did before."

Other than our little day of fun in the snow, nobody really has any energy for anything today, so we all pretty much sit around relaxing, napping, and eating leftovers.

In the back of my mind, however, I remember that Rarity's birthday is in one week...
> 12/27 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, December 27, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Love is a stronger bond than blood. Someone close to you needs to be reminded of that today.

Today, Maud is leaving for Vanhoover. We're all going to the airport to see her off.

Cadance and Velvet whip us up a large brunch to send her off in style—ham and cheese omelettes, croissants, spiced apples, the works.

"It's been a pleasure getting to know you, Maud," Velvet says.

"Thank you," Maud says. "I've really enjoyed staying here this past week."

That flat, creepy, emotionless monotone...

The rest of us clean up after brunch while Pinkie and Maud spend a few extra minutes together.

"Well," Cadance says as we all gather at the entrance, "it's time."

We all bundle up in our heavy coats, gloves, and hats and head out to the SUV.

Traffic around the airport is bad, so it takes us a while to get into the parking lot and even longer to find a space. It takes us fifteen minutes to walk to the terminal.

We've beaten Maud's flight by almost an hour. "You don't need to wait at the gate with me," Maud says. "You should get back before the traffic gets any worse."

"Are you sure, dear?" Velvet asks.

"It's fine," Maud says. She hugs Pinkie. "Be good," she says.

Pinkie sniffles. "Take care, Maud," she says. "I love you."

I hold Twilight's hand as we watch the Pie sisters say their goodbyes. Maud turns, carry-on slung over her shoulder, and heads for the gate. I turn around to walk back to the exit with the others...

Maud is right in front of me. How the hell?

"Take care of my sister," she says. "I know you have a girlfriend, but Pinkie is in love with you. Don't...don't hurt her."

"I won't," I promise.

Maud looks at Twilight. "She might be in love with you too. I'm not sure." Her brow furrows. "It bothers me when I can't tell for sure with Pinkie."

Twilight smiles and blushes. "We'll take good care of her," she says. "Pinkie is special to us."

Maud...smiles.

She can do that?!

"Goodbye," Maud says.

This time, when I turn back to the others, Maud is really gone...

We hike back to the SUV and head back to the dorm. It takes even longer to get back than it took to get to the airport in the first place.

Sunday, December 27, 2015 / Evening

Dinner is a quiet, subdued affair. After dinner, Twilight and I take Pinkie upstairs to spend time with her.

"Cheer up, Pinkie," Twilight says. "You can talk to Maud every day, right?"

"Yeah, but..." Pinkie sighs. "I won't see her again for a really long time." She's been crying ever since Maud left...

I scootch over and pull Pinkie into a hug.

Pinkie leans into me. "It's just...Maud's the only family I have left now..."

"That's not true," I say. I look at Twilight, who nods. "We're your family now, Pinkie. Me and Twilight. And her mom and dad, and Cadance...all of us."

"You're not alone, Pinkie. You'll never be alone," Twilight says. "Don't be sad." She adds herself to the hug. "Come on, where's that Pinkie Pie smile?"

Pinkie smiles slightly. "You guys..."

"Come on, you call that a smile?" Twilight says, poking Pinkie in the forehead. "You can do better than that!"

Pinkie sighs. "I just—"

I start tickling Pinkie's stomach. Pinkie lets out a yelp and curls into a ball, giggling helplessly. "Eep! S-stop!" she cries, laughing.

"That's better," I say, letting up on her.

Pinkie giggles a little bit longer, then throws her arms around both of us. She kisses me, then Twilight. "I love you guys," she says. "I really do." She looks at both of us. "You'll...you'll really always be with me, right?"

"Of course we will," I say.

"You bet we will," Twilight agrees.

Pinkie smiles. "Thank you," she says. Then, with a naughty smirk, she adds, "You know what'd reeeeeaaaally cheer me up?"

"Pinkie," Twilight says in a warning tone.

"A game of strip poker!" Pinkie declares cheerfully.

Twilight rolls her eyes. She looks at me. I shrug. She looks at Pinkie and smirks. "You know what? Why not..."
> 12/28 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, December 28, 2015 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Death approaches. You should welcome it.

After lunch, Celestia and Luna drop by the dorm.

"Did everybody have a good Christmas?" Celestia asks.

"Yeah, we had a pretty good Christmas," Cadance says. "What about you two?"

"We had an absolutely wonderful time skiing in Coltorado!" Luna says. "Celestia very nearly broke her leg, and each of us made time with these handsome ski instructors..."

Celestia clears her throat. Twilight and Cadance giggle. "Yes, and we'll be posting many photos of our ski trip to Canterbook," Celestia says. "But our visit here is not only a social call. You remember what I told you before winter break, right? About the new transfer student?"

"Oh, that's right!" Twilight says. "I'd almost forgotten about that..."

"Well...she'll be moving in tomorrow," Celestia says. She looks at Cadance. "She has some...unique medical issues," she says. "Nurse Cadance, I'd like to discuss this with you in private."

"Of course," Cadance says. The two of them head over to the apartment.

Luna joins the rest of us in the lounge. "So, did everybody get what they wanted?"

"We all got pretty good stuff," I say.

For the next fifteen minutes, Luna regales us with tales of their ski trip, some of which are obviously engineered to embarrass the hell out of Celestia.

Cadance and Celestia return in the middle of Luna giving us her rendition of Celestia getting entangled with a snowboarder and ending up with her head in a particularly embarrassing position. Celestia arches an eyebrow. "So, Luna, did you also tell them about the morning you decided to drink half a bottle of champagne and then go rolling down a hill naked?"

Luna's mouth snaps shut and she gives Celestia a hard, pouty glare. We all bust out laughing.

"In any case...take good care of your new dormmate," Celestia tells me, Twilight, and Pinkie. "She's going to need a lot of support."

We exchange confused, worried glances at that.

Once Celestia and Luna are gone, we circle around Cadance. "What did she mean by that?" Twilight asks.

Cadance grimaces. "I don't know how much I should say right now, but...the new girl was involved in a horrible car wreck a while back. She's still recovering."

Velvet gasps. "That's terrible!"

"There's more to it, but...I think I'd rather wait until tomorrow, when she arrives."

"We understand," Twilight says.

"Would you all help me get a room ready for her?" Cadance asks.

"Of course!"

We spend the rest of the day preparing a room on the third floor for our new resident. As we're working, Cadance says, "You know...one of you girls should probably move up to the third floor too. The new girl...might need some help."

"That's not a problem for me," Twilight says. "Flash, will you help me move up to the third floor?"

"Sure," I say.

"Use my 'girl time' room," Cadance suggests. "It's not like I've been using it lately."

"Thanks," Twilight says. She giggles. "The third floor sure is getting lively, isn't it?"

That's right...

When I moved in, the six girls lived on the second floor, and I lived alone on the third.

Now, with Celestia and Luna alternating weeks, the new girl and Twilight living on the third floor, and one room set aside for our Zodiac stuff...

As soon as we're done setting up the new girl's room, Pinkie and I help Twilight move all her stuff upstairs. It takes the rest of the day, and by the time we're done, we're all exhausted.
> 12/29 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, December 29, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Helping people overcome their challenges will make you a better person.

At ten in the morning, Celestia arrives at the dorm. "Good morning, everyone," she says. "I'd like to introduce your new classmate."

A woman with enormous neon green hair that looks like she dyes it with piss mixed with lime gelatin, wearing a heavy black fur coat, pushes a wheelchair into the dorm. The girl in the wheelchair is wearing a wine-colored coat and has a thick black fur hat on her head, as well as a dark purple muffler wrapped around her face. A pair of thick blankets are in her lap, pulled up to her chest.

Twilight and I exchange nervous glances. We were told the new girl would need a lot of support and that she'd been in an accident, but...I wasn't expecting something like this!

The woman ducks back outside and returns a moment later with two large suitcases and a laptop bag. As soon as she closes the door behind her, the girl in the wheelchair takes off her hat and unwraps the muffler from her face, shaking out her long ponytail, which is glacier blue with darker blue stripes.

I can't believe it...

I went to school with this girl back in Seaddle!

...this is Sonata Dusk!

"Sonata?!"

Sonata's raspberry eyes widen in recognition and she smiles shyly, giving me a little wave.

Twilight stares at me. "You know her?"

The green-haired woman blinks at me. "You know my daughter?"

"Well, yeah," I say. "I just moved here from Seaddle in August. We used to go to school together."

Pinkie lets out a gasp. "Hey. HEY! I remember now!" She points from me to Sonata. "When you were telling us about yourself! Remember, Twi-Twi?"

"Huh?" Twilight asks, tilting her head.

"Yeah!" Pinkie says. "Flash said there was only one really cute girl at his old school and her name was Sonata! Right?"

Sonata's eyes widen and she blushes furiously, playing with her hair.

I rub the back of my head. "Heh...y-yeah, that...sounds about right." Did I really say that?

...Pinkie actually remembered me saying something like that?

Sonata's mother smiles. "Well, it's good to know Sonata will have a familiar face around here," she says. She gives me an appraising look. "And a cute boy, at that..."

Twilight coughs and steps forward. "Hello, Sonata!" she says brightly. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm Flash's girlfriend."

Sonata's smile drops slightly. She looks up at her mother and makes a gesture.

"Oh! Right, sorry dear." Sonata's mother reaches into her coat and pulls out a large tablet computer bound in a vinyl protector, which she hands to Sonata. Sonata spends a moment writing, then holds up the tablet for all of us to see.

It's very nice to meet you all. I'm Sonata Dusk.

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie says happily.

I frown. "Sonata? What's...with the tablet?"

Sonata's eyes turn sad. She reaches up to the collar of her blouse and unbuttons the top two buttons, spreading it open.

Twilight gasps. Pinkie screams.

The ice-blue skin of Sonata's throat is covered in horrific scars.

Sonata's mother sighs. "I don't know if your principal told you all, but...Sonata and her sisters were in a terrible accident on Halloween night. My other two daughters, Adagio and Aria...they were killed. Sonata almost didn't make it." She puts her hands on Sonata's shoulders. "She only got out of the hospital two weeks ago. Her throat was torn apart...the doctors worked miracles on her, and at least she won't need a breathing tube, but...they don't think she'll ever speak again."

"Oh my God," Velvet says, hands flying to her mouth.

Sonata is crying...

Pinkie rushes forward and envelops Sonata in a hug. Sonata stiffens, eyes wide.

"Pinkie, give the girl some space," Cadance says.

Pinkie backs away, eyes wet and sad. "That's so terrible," she says quietly.

Sonata's mother starts to cry silently. "While...while she was in the hospital, we decided to leave Seaddle. There's just too many bad memories there now. Plus, Canterlot has better hospitals and doctors, and...I've heard good things about Canterlot High School and its online curriculum. I want Sonata to be in school and have friends, but...I also want her to be able to get an education even if she's...not able to go to school. Canterlot seemed like a good place for that."

"It's also an excellent place for a girl with Sonata's handicap to keep up an active and healthy social life," Celestia says. "With Canterbook, she can talk to everybody she wants to all the time..." She smiles at Sonata. "And let's be honest. Teenagers these days prefer texting to talking anyway, right?"

Sonata smiles at that and nods.

"Is she already registered?" Twilight asks.

"She is," Celestia says. "We set up her Canterbook access on the drive over here."

Twilight pulls out her phone. A moment later, Sonata smiles down at her tablet and taps the screen.

Pinkie and I pull out our phones as well.




Friend Request Sent!
You sent a friend request to Sonata Dusk.




Sonata smiles, wiping her eyes and sniffling.




Friend Request Accepted!
Sonata Dusk is now your friend on Canterbook.




"Let me message everybody else in the dorm," Pinkie says. "Just because they're not here right now doesn't mean you can't be their friend already!"

Sonata nods happily.

"I'm actually surprised there are so many kids here during winter break," Sonata's mother says.

Velvet puts a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Well, with the weather the way it's been, it made more sense for us to come down here to spend Christmas with our daughter and her boyfriend than for her to come to us, and Flash's parents are..." She frowns.

"Overseas," I say. "That's why I transferred here to begin with."

"And I'm in between families!" Pinkie says cheerfully, linking her arms with me and Twilight.

Sonata's mother blinks at that. "You know...I think you and Sonata are probably going to be best friends," she says.

Sonata shoots her mother a mildly irritated look.

Twilight frowns. "Umm...Mrs...?"

"It's Pizzazz," Sonata's mother says. "Just Pizzazz."

"Err...right," Twilight says. "It's just...there's one little problem here. There aren't any first-floor rooms, and, well...we've set Sonata up with a room on the third floor..."

Sonata pushes herself out of the wheelchair and stands, throwing her hands up as if to say "ta-daaa!" She then sits back down, rearranging her blankets.

"Sonata can walk," Pizzazz says. "In fact, it's good for her to get a little exercise each day. But she's still very weak, so she needs to take it easy. The doctors want her to use the wheelchair as much as possible for about another month."

"Oh," Twilight says with relief. "That's good. I thought that might...be a problem..."

Night Light tilts his head curiously. "Say..." he says, looking at Pizzazz. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Pizzazz shifts uncomfortably. "I...I don't think so," she says.

"No, I'm sure you look familiar," he says. "Honey, doesn't she look like the singer from that one punk band?"

"You know, she sort of does," Velvet says.

Sonata begins making VERY frantic shushing gestures.

Pizzazz draws her coat more tightly around herself. "Sonata, I have things to do," she says brusquely. "I'll leave you to get settled in and get to know your new friends. I'll text you in a little while, alright?" With that, she sweeps out of the dorm.

"Whoa. That was..."

Sonata writes something on her tablet and holds it up for all of us to read.

Mommy REALLY doesn't like it when you bring up her old music career.

"I don't blame her," Night Light says. "Her band really sucked."

"Night Light!"

"Uhh...no offense..."

Sonata rolls her eyes and writes on her tablet again.

None taken. They really DID suck.

We all laugh. Velvet shakes her head. "Well, I'd better get started on lunch while you all get Sonata settled in. I hope you like Christmas leftovers, Sonata. We're still working through ours..."

Sonata gives her a thumbs-up and a big smile.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015 / Daytime

Twilight and Pinkie help Sonata upstairs while I carry up her things. Pinkie sits her down at the desk chair while I set her bags down on the bed.

"Would you like me to unpack for you, Sonata?" Twilight asks.

Sonata nods vigorously.

"Would you like Flash to leave while we unpack?" Twilight asks. "I know I wouldn't want a strange boy seeing my underwear all over the place."

Sonata lets out some raspy, weak snickers. She shakes her head and smiles, writing on her tablet.

It's cool. I kinda want more company right now.

I sit down at the foot of the bed. "Hey...I'm sorry about your sisters," I say. "It...it really sucks."

Sonata sighs and bows her head.

Yeah.

"Did you know Sonata's sisters very well, Flash?" Twilight asks.

"Only by reputation. I actually don't really know Sonata all that well either. I just remember having a few classes with her, seeing her at lunch and stuff...you know." I give Sonata a sheepish smile.

"But you did say she was cute," Pinkie says.

Sonata smiles brightly at that.

"You also said she was an airhead," Pinkie adds. "Oh...sorry."

Sonata blushes. She writes for a minute.

Yeah...I know I'm an airhead. Aria never let a day go by without telling me how dumb I am.

"Well that's not very nice of her," Twilight says.

I snort. "Aria wasn't a very nice girl," I say. "She was always rude to everybody. Never smiled. Real grump."

Pretty much. She really was the worst. Sonata's eyes fill with tears.

Pinkie puts a hand on her shoulder. Sonata sniffles and looks up at her gratefully.

"What about your other sister?" Twilight asks. "What was she like? If...if it's too painful to talk about, then..."

Sonata shakes her head and writes.

Adagio...she was in charge and she never let any of us forget it. She was...

Sonata looks at me, tilting her head.

I shrug. "Like I said, I mostly only knew Sonata's sisters by reputation." I tilt my head back, thinking back to Seaddle... "Adagio Dazzle. Mostly I remember her stupidly huge hair and bitchy attitude." I look at Sonata. "Sorry."

Sonata's actually smiling happily, even though her eyes are still wet. She fiddles with her tablet for a minute, then holds it up to display a girl with a very curvy figure in a tight-fitting purple outfit with a miniskirt and tights. Her frizzy orange hair is larger than her head and torso combined.

"Wow-wee," Pinkie says. "That's a lot of hair."

"How did she even keep her head up with all that?" Twilight wonders, staring.

Sonata snickers again, then looks down and sighs. She swipes the photo off her tablet, then writes again.

The thing is...we fought all the time, but we were always together. Always. Now they're gone, and...I'm all alone. I just...I don't know what to do...

She lets the tablet slide into her lap and buries her face in her hands. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs.

Sonata Dusk...

She used to be a cheerful, bubbly airhead...

Now she's a broken mess who's lost her most precious people...






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Death Arcana...


The three of us do our best to comfort Sonata. When she's finished crying, Pinkie takes her to get cleaned up, while Twilight and I finish unpacking her stuff. By the time Sonata is presentable again, if a bit puffy-eyed, it's time to go downstairs for lunch.

By unspoken agreement, we avoid asking Sonata anything too personal for the rest of the day, instead letting her direct the conversation. She asks us all kinds of questions about us, the other dorm residents, and Canterlot High.

A couple hours after lunch, Sonata is visibly tired, so Cadance takes her upstairs and puts her to bed.

"That poor child," Velvet says.

"What she's been through...it's terrible," Twilight agrees.

"It's hard to believe that's the same girl who used to spaz out over Taco Tuesdays at the school cafeteria," I say.

"Huh?"

"There...was this one video that went viral at my old school," I say. I pull out my phone and do a search for 'taco tuesday girl'; it takes a few minutes to find it because the video is so old, but once I find it, I show it to the others.

Pinkie giggles.

Velvet stifles a laugh. "Oh...my..."

Twilight's cheeks puff out with a restrained giggle. "I...I see what you mean," she says.

Pinkie draws in a huge gasp. "Hey! Hey wait a second!" she says. "You guys! Today is Tuesday!"

We stare at her. Twilight frowns. "Pinkie...I'm not sure that's such a good idea..."

"She might be...a bit embarrassed about that..." Velvet says.

"Actually, I think she enjoyed the whole thing. She sure giggled whenever anybody brought it up."

We all sit and think about that for a minute.

"You know..." Twilight says slowly. "I...could use a change from leftovers."

"I'm so over turkey right now," Pinkie agrees.

Velvet looks at us. "Well...me too, honestly," she admits. She pulls out her phone and starts texting.

A minute later, Night Light and Shining Armor walk in from...wherever it is they've been all afternoon. "Yeah, hon?" Night Light asks.

"Boys, we've decided we're having a taco party tonight," Velvet says. "We're going to need a couple dozen tacos...get an assortment. Also nachos and beans and whatever else."

"Dear, it's...it's not even four yet..."

"I didn't mean go right now," Velvet says. "I just wanted you to be ready to go out and get the food at dinnertime."

"Sure, Mom, we can do that," Shining Armor says. "I thought we still had leftovers to—"

"We're sick of them," the girls all say flatly.

"Can't argue with that," Night Light says.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015 / Evening

At dinnertime, Shining Armor and Night Light walk in with four huge bags of tacos. We all work to spread out the huge feast in the dining room, as well as plates, silverware, and drinks, while Cadance goes upstairs to wake up Sonata and bring her down.

When Sonata sees the taco banquet waiting for her, her eyes go wide and she lets out several squeaky, muted giggles, then wheels herself up to the table.

We don't "hear" much out of her all during dinner. The eight of us utterly demolish the crunchy, beefy feast. After we've had our fill, while Night Light and Shining Armor are cleaning up the garbage and Velvet is dealing with the leftovers, Sonata pulls out her tablet.

Thank you.

I shrug. "It was Pinkie's idea, really."

No, you had to have told them about me and Taco Tuesday.

"Well, yeah..."

After that, Pinkie, Twilight, Sonata, and I watch television together in the lounge until bedtime.

Sonata may not be able to talk anymore, but her butt sure can...

We may need to re-wallpaper the lounge tomorrow.
> 12/30 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): As the New Year approaches, reflect on endings and beginnings.

There are only a few days left of winter break...the second semester begins on Monday.

Rarity's birthday is on Saturday.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 / Daytime

Everybody's doing their own thing today. Sonata has a physical therapy session and won't be back until evening.

Cadance, Twilight, Pinkie, and I gather in the secret headquarters. "So...three days until the next attack," Twilight says.

"Rarity's rented a hall for her party," Pinkie says. "She wants a really big fancy-pants thing. You know how she is."

"We're all invited, right?" I ask.

"Of course! She's sending the invites out tomorrow."

"Well, that'll make this easier," Cadance says. "Rainbow Dash'll be back in time, right?"

"Friday," I say. "Her dad's coming by for New Year's."

"Well, good," Cadance says. "So we'll all be where we need to be..." She frowns. "Assuming Rarity's attacked during the party."

We all share a nervous glance. If Rarity's attacked when we're not nearby...

"Pinkie can find something to do near wherever Rarity is all day on Saturday," I suggest. "Twi and I won't be free until later in the day, because Twi's parents are going back home Saturday morning..."

"I don't like this," Cadance says. "If we're all scattered all over Canterlot..."

"Rarity's still going to have to be alone when Zodiac takes her though, right?" Twilight says. "I mean, alone except for anybody else who knows about Zodiac?" She looks around at all of us. "The only targets that haven't been completely alone so far were Pinkie and Rainbow..."

"That's right," Pinkie says. "You two were with me when I was attacked, and me and Twi-Twi were with Rainbow when her turn came!"

"Hmm..." Cadance frowns. "That does seem to be the case..." She sighs. "But we can't make assumptions. We don't know for sure it works that way."

"We just need to be really careful and alert," I say. "Ready to move at a second's notice."

"Cadance, what's your Persona's range?" Twilight asks. "If we are all scattered when Rarity's attacked, will you be able to guide us all to her?"

"I'm not sure," Cadance says. "The farthest away I've ever sensed a Zodiac Shadow was three miles. It...was over quickly." She closes her eyes.

"I'll glue myself to Rarity's butt then," Pinkie says. "We'll just see the Shadow get her alone then."

"Where the hell is everybody?" we hear from the hall. It's Shining Armor.

"Crap!" Twilight says, eyes wide.

The door starts to open. If Coach catches the four of us in here, there's no way we can explain it.

I pull out my phone...

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 / Zodiac

"What the HELL, Flash?" Cadance demands as Zodiac forms around us.

"Did you really want Coach finding all of us in a vacant room?"

"Well, no, but—!"

"Flash..." Twilight says. "Time isn't passing outside Zodiac. This...this won't help us..."

My phone rings. It's Rainbow. I put her on speaker.

"What's goin' on?" Rainbow asks. "Is there an attack?"

"No, everything's fine," I say. "Sorry about this. We'll all be back in the real world soon enough. Just stay put. Don't move an inch."

"Wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

"Not right now. See you Friday." I hang up. I walk over to the door and open it. The hall stands on the other side, red and black and empty.

"Oh," Twilight says sheepishly. "Yeah, that...that would help..."

"Everybody spread out," Cadance says. "I'll stay put here. If Shining Armor finds one of us here, he won't go looking for everybody else. I'll give you all the signal to exit."

"Wait a sec," I say. "Scan for Shadows. Just in case."

Cadance nods. "PERSONA!"

Aphrodite appears. A tense moment passes.

//Nothing inside the dorm,// Cadance says. //Don't take too long getting spread out, though. Who knows whether or not Eris is nearby.//

"Or that thing," Pinkie says.

We spend five minutes spreading out around the dorm as though we're playing hide-and-seek. //Okay, I think that's good,// Cadance says. //Everybody exit Zodiac now.//

We all return to the real world, then regroup in the lounge...minus Cadance, and I don't really want to know what she's doing up there with Coach.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 / Evening

Everybody is spread out doing their own thing. I'm in my room, practicing my guitar.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in."

Sonata walks in.

"Should you be up walking around?"

She shrugs, then appropriates my desk chair. She gestures to my guitar.

"I'm sorry, was I disturbing you?"

She shakes her head.

"You wanted to listen to me play?"

She nods.

"Okay." I play for a little while. Sonata sits and listens, eyes closed, swaying back and forth.

After a little while, I stop and set the guitar aside, stretching. Sonata pulls out her phone and fiddles with it, then hands it to me. Curious, I take a look.

There's a video...it's Sonata and her sisters.

They're singing...

It's beautiful. Almost hypnotic.

"I didn't know you sang," I say.

Sonata sighs.

"This is...amazing." I listen a little while longer, then hand it back to Sonata. "You really love singing, don't you?"

She nods. Tears are starting to leak from her eyes.

For a brief, horrible moment, I picture what my life would be like if my hands were crushed and I couldn't play guitar ever again...

"Sonata..." I grab a tissue and wipe her eyes, then help her to her feet and guide her back to her room. "Any time you want to listen to me play, just let me know, okay?"

Sonata smiles. She grabs her tablet off her bed.

Thank you.

Tomorrow's New Year's Eve...

I decide I've practiced enough for today, and read until I'm ready to sleep.
> 12/31 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, December 31, 2015 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Beware of goats. They may attract chupacabras.

It's New Year's Eve.

Since we threw out the last of Christmas leftovers yesterday and the rest of the food is running low, Cadance, Velvet, Pinkie, and Shining Armor are making a big grocery trip later today. For breakfast, however, we're all headed to that one buffet place with the big breakfast spread.

This morning, Sonata is using a notepad and fine-point marker to "talk" to us instead of her tablet, which is recharging back at the dorm.

I'd really love to see more of Canterlot today.

"Do you feel up to it?" Cadance asks.

Sonata rolls her eyes. I'm sick of staying cooped up inside. I need to get out for a little while.

"We can all relate to that," I say. "How about me, Twilight, and Mr. Night Light take you around town while everybody else is running errands?"

Sonata nods happily. I'd like that.

"Sounds good to me," Night Light says. "I've got a little case of cabin fever myself."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "That's because you've been sitting around playing computer chess and solitaire," she says.

"And because it's colder than a snowman's butt out there," Night Light counters. The girls giggle at that.

My phone rings, as do Twilight's, Pinkie's, and Cadance's.




Invitation From: Rarity
You're invited to Rarity's birthday party at Haflinger Hall!
When: January 2nd at 2:00pm
Where: Haflinger Hall (Map it!)
Dress: Formal attire preferred; semi-formal attire required




"Well, there's the invite," I say.

Sonata blinks curiously at us.

"Oh no! Sonata needs an invite!" Pinkie says. She hurriedly texts Rarity.

Invite to what? And it's no big deal really...I mean I haven't met anybody except all of you yet...

Sonata's phone rings. She looks at it and smiles.

"You really should go, Sonata," Cadance says. "It'll be a great way to meet a lot of your new classmates."

"Do you have something to wear?" Twilight asks. "Leave it to Rarity to require formal dress for her birthday party."

Formal attire...that's going to make the Zodiac situation interesting...

I've got party dresses and stuff, Sonata writes. I'll text Mommy and have her grab something and bring it over.

"I guess the rest of us can just wear what we wore to the Fall Formal," Twilight says.

"Umm...can't you...find another dress, Twiley?" Shining Armor asks, a slightly nervous and sick look on his face.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Shining Armor..."

I clear my throat and lean in close to Twilight. "You probably should," I whisper. "If we get pulled into Zodiac at the party...I don't think you can fight in that thing."

Twilight flushes. "Okay, I'll, umm...see what I can come up with."

"See? Even Flash agrees you shouldn't be wearing something like that in public," Shining Armor says, folding his arms in satisfaction.

Cadance slaps him up the backside of the head. "That's enough out of you," she says.

Twilight's parents look bemused and concerned. "What shouldn't Twiley be wearing in public?" Velvet asks.

"There was nothing wrong with what Twiley wore to the Fall Formal," Cadance says, rolling her eyes. She pulls out her phone, slides through a few pictures, and shows it to Twilight's parents.

Night Light frowns. Velvet blinks. "Okay. Well. I honestly never thought my little Twiley would wear something that...sexy," Velvet says.

Twilight blushes. "I...was kind of talked into it by Rarity," she says. "I said I wanted to look...really nice for Flash. Then...well, that." She giggles. "I don't regret it, though."

I really need to thank Rarity later...

My phone rings. I answer it.

"We wish to speak with you as soon as you're able. If you wouldn't mind, please stray from the table." It's Zecora...

I look around at the table. "Excuse me for a minute."

"Of course."

I head for the restroom. Zecora has already hung up. I notice the Velvet Room app on my phone is flashing, and tap it. The door to the Velvet Room appears in front of me, and I go in.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor says. I take a seat at the table.

"A new year approaches...you have come a long way on your journey, and yet there is still so far to go. Your connections to others grow stronger...have you realized the importance of these connections?

"As you grow stronger, so do those closest to you, those who stand beside you in times of peril. You have already witnessed the ultimate form of this growth..."

That vision I had on Christmas Eve...

Twilight's Persona changed...

"Each person who faces the darkness beside you has the potential for growth, the potential to awaken a greater power sleeping inside them. They rely on you to draw this power out. Do not forget this.

"Also do not forget that ever greater challenges await you. If you do not properly prepare yourself for what is to come, your journey will end at Death's doorstep.

"Before you leave, I would like to fuse a Persona for you which may come in handy in your immediate future." Igor waves his hands over the table; two cards appear. A magic circle spins into existence beneath them. The cards rise into the air, circling one another...then clash together in a bright flash of light. A new Persona appears...





"Please return here whenever you require my services. Until then..."

I head back to the table.

"Everything okay, dear?" Velvet asks.

"Yes ma'am. Just didn't want to take a call at the table."

We finish up breakfast; Velvet, Cadance, Pinkie, and Shining Armor pile into the SUV and head off to do the shopping, while Twilight, Night Light, Sonata, and I head out to explore Canterlot.

Thursday, December 31, 2015 / Daytime

We spend the day showing Sonata several points of interest around town: the school, Sugar Cube Corner, the park, the mall, a few of our favorite places to eat. She takes everything in with interest.

After five hours of walking, bussing, and taking trains all over town, we're all pretty tired, so we decide to have lunch at Grici Pizza, then head back to the dorm. Twilight helps Sonata upstairs so she can lie down, Night Light goes to the apartment to take a nap, and Twilight and I watch television in the lounge. Everyone else got back while we were out, and they're all sleeping so they can be up at midnight.

It's late in the afternoon when Twilight and I decide to get a nap in ourselves...

Thursday, December 31, 2015 / Night

At around ten, everybody is up. It's still a little too cold to go anywhere to watch fireworks, so we're going to watch the New Year's thing on TV.

Cadance and the others bought stuff to make homemade pizzas, so we have a little pizza party while we wait for midnight. Even though we had pizza for lunch, the ones we all made together are so much better...

As midnight approaches, Cadance breaks out a bottle of champagne to toast the new year. We gather in the lounge, glasses of champagne in hand, as on the TV, the ball is about to drop in Manehattan. We chant along with the crowds on the screen:

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!"

Friday, January 1, 2016 / Happy New Year!
> 1/1 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 1, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): With the end of the holidays comes the return of a more chaotic pace. Steel yourself—the party's over.

Friday, January 1, 2016 / Daytime

The party lasted well past midnight. After that, Twilight and I returned to my room for some alone time...

It's already past eleven in the morning by the time I wake up next to Twilight. After taking a shower and getting changed, I check Canterbook.





System Message
Happy New Year from Canterlot High School!

New Message From: Rarity
Happy New Year! Looking forward to seeing you at the party!

New Message From: Rainbow Dash
Happy New Year! See you in a little bit!

New Message From: Applejack
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Fluttershy
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Sonata Dusk
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Principal Celestia
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Vice-Principal Luna
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Coco Pommel
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Vinyl Scratch
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Lyra Heartstrings
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Octavia Melody
Happy New Year!

New Message From: Trixie Lulamoon
Happy New Year!





I head downstairs to find Velvet and Cadance just walking in from the apartment. Neither of them look like they slept well, and both have bags under their eyes and are pretty rumpled. "Happy New Year," I say.

"Happy New Year," they reply.

"Were you guys up late, or...?"

They look at each other, then back at me. "Pretty late, yeah," Cadance says.

"Only because Night Light was snoring and Cadance and my son were...you know," Velvet says crossly. "And I drank a little too much champagne."

"So did I," Cadance says. "The boys are still asleep."

"Well, we'd better get started on brunch..." Velvet frowns and glances at her phone. "Or lunch, I guess. Rainbow Dash and her dad are already on the way over—"

The doorbell rings.

"Scratch that. Already here," Cadance says. She and Velvet head for the kitchen. I head for the door and unlock it.

"Hey Flash! Happy New Year!" Rainbow is all smiles and full of pep. Her dad looks like roadkill.

"You okay?" I ask.

Blaze shakes his head. "First time in sixteen years I've gotten drunk," he says. "Now I remember why I quit."

I point at Rainbow. "I thought that was why you quit."

"Hey!" Rainbow cries. "I'm not a 'that'!" Rainbow grins. "Anyway, I got to drive over here. Pretty cool, huh?"

Cadance walks in. "Everybody make yourselves comfortable, we'll have some lunch out in a little bit...holy crap, how hung over ARE you, Mr. Blaze?"

"Grenade in my skull."

Cadance sighs. "I may have some hangover medicine, give me a minute to check..." She bustles off to the apartment.

"Anyway, Flash! You gotta check out the AWESOME thing Dad gave me for Christmas!" Rainbow says. "Oh, and can you help me unload the car?"

"Sure."

Blaze gives us a half-hearted wave, then shambles into the lounge and sinks into a recliner.

"So what's this awesome thing?" I ask.

Rainbow grins. "You'll see..."

As we reach the car, Rainbow pops the trunk. The trunk has Rainbow's suitcase, two large gift bags, and a fairly large cardboard box. I lift out the suitcase and the cardboard box, which turns out to be pretty heavy. Rainbow reaches into the back seat and pulls out a gig bag the color of her eyes. She slings it over her shoulder, then grabs the other stuff out of the trunk. With some difficulty, I manage to carry both the suitcase and the cardboard box and follow her inside. I leave the box at the foot of the stairs and head up behind her with just the suitcase.

Rainbow rushes over to her bed and sets down the gig bag, then opens it. Inside is a shiny blue electric guitar. "Isn't it awesome?" she asks.

"Oh, sweet!" I look it over; it's just as good as mine.

"Now we can really jam!" Rainbow says.

Now I know what that cardboard box is. I head back down and grab it, carrying it upstairs. Rainbow digs into it and pulls out her own compact amp, which she plugs in. She hooks up her new guitar and plays the one riff every guitar player knows, fiddling with the knobs on her guitar until it sounds just like she wants it to.

Pinkie wanders in. "Hey Dashie! Wow, sweet guitar!"

"Thanks, Pinkie!" Rainbow leans back and shreds aimlessly for a few seconds.

"Come on, you've gotta meet the new girl." I recall that although Sonata has already friended everyone in the dorm on Canterbook, she said she didn't want to share the details of her condition until she met them in person.

Sonata's wheelchair wasn't parked by the stairs when I brought up Rainbow's stuff, which means she's already downstairs. We find Sonata in the lounge watching TV. "Hey, Sonata!"

Sonata turns and waves.

"I want you to meet one of the other girls here. This is Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, this is Sonata Dusk."

"Hey!" Rainbow calls cheerfully. "Nice to meetcha!"

Nice to meet you too!

Rainbow shakes her head. "Must suck bein' in a wheelchair, huh? I had to sit around with a busted leg for weeks a while back...drove me crazy!"

Sonata giggles. It's the worst, isn't it?

"Sonata can walk, but she's still pretty banged up from the accident, so they don't want her to overdo it just yet," I say. "And her throat got torn apart in the crash, so...she can't talk."

Rainbow winces. "Yowch. That sucks."

Yeah.

"Is it...is it ever gonna heal?"

Sonata wilts. No, it's...they say it's probably permanent.

"Oh man. That...that's just..." Rainbow trails off.

Twilight walks into the lounge. "Hey Rainbow! Welcome back!"

"Hey Twilight!"

Cadance walks back in with a cup of coffee and some pills, which she hands to Blaze. "Here," she says.

"Thanks," he says gratefully, taking the pills and swallowing them with a sip of coffee.

Velvet pops in from the kitchen. "Hello, Rainbow Dash! Hello, Blaze."

"Hey Velvet," Blaze says.

Velvet looks at him. "I thought you quit drinking?"

"I did," Blaze says. "Last night was the first and last time since Dash was born."

Velvet rolls her eyes. "Cadance, could you come back and help me, please?"

"Of course." Cadance stretches, yawning. "Twiley, can you go wake up your dad and Shining Armor?"

"Sure thing." Twilight ambles off to the apartment while Cadance heads for the kitchen. Rainbow and I sit down in the lounge. Pinkie walks in a few minutes later. 

Twilight returns, joining me on the sofa. A little while later, Shining Armor and Night Light walk in. "Hey, Blaze!" Night Light says.

"Hey," Blaze replies. He's looking a little less zombified.

The front doors open. Fluttershy walks in, carrying her luggage. Her white rabbit, Angel, is perched on her shoulder.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow calls out. "Welcome back! Happy New Year!"

Fluttershy jumps as if startled. "O-oh...Happy New Year, everybody," she says softly. She looks around at all the people present and seems bewildered.

"Hey, come meet my dad!" Rainbow says.

"And mine!" Twilight adds. "And our new dormmate!"

"Oh...a-alright," Fluttershy says. "Just let me take my things upstairs..."

"Eh, you can take 'em up later," Rainbow says. "Come join us!"

"I'll take your stuff," I offer.

"No, that's alright," Fluttershy says. "I need to get Angel Bunny settled in anyway. I'll be right back down." She heads upstairs with her things. It's almost five minutes before she returns. We introduce her to everybody. When we explain Sonata's problems, she seems upset.

"That's awful," Fluttershy says. "You poor thing..."

"Something's sure smelling good," Blaze says suddenly.

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow agrees.

Now that they mention it...whatever Cadance and Velvet are cooking up in the kitchen, it's making me pretty hungry...

Cadance peeks in. "Lunch will be ready in about fifteen minutes or so," she announces. "Oh, hello Fluttershy! Welcome back!"

"Thank you."

"So, Fluttershy, did you have a good Christmas?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy says. "By the way, thank you for that book." She looks at me. "Oh, and thank you for that poster. I love it."

"You're welcome."

"I'm surprised you're already back," Twilight says.

"Oh, well...I needed to come back early so I can go shopping for a birthday present for Rarity tomorrow," Fluttershy says.

We spend the next while making idle conversation, catching up on what we did over winter break. Velvet and Cadance announce lunch, and we all head to the dining room.

The ladies went to a lot of trouble; lunch is fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, and green beans. We're all starving, so we all dig in.

"Do you eat like this all the time around here?" Blaze wonders.

"Not all the time, but pretty often," Rainbow says. "Applejack and Pinkie Pie do most of the cooking, and they're not bad at it."

"Say, when's Applejack coming back?" Twilight wonders.

"Not until Sunday," Pinkie says. "Oh, but she'll be at the party tomorrow."

"Speaking of which," Velvet says, "Twilight? Don't worry about seeing your father and I off at the train station tomorrow. You need to go shopping for a new dress for the party, right?"

"Mom!" Twilight shakes her head. "I couldn't—"

"Nonsense," Velvet says. "Your brother and Cadance can handle getting us to the train station just fine. You and Flash can go shopping."

"Man, Rarity...jeez," Rainbow mutters. "What's up with that 'formal attire' crap?"

"It's Rarity," Pinkie says with a shrug. "You know how she is..."

"I think it's good for you to dress more like a girl once in a while," Blaze says to Rainbow. "You look pretty when you dress up."

Rainbow blushes. "Dad!"

The rest of lunch passes with light conversation about various topics, such as school, with Blaze and Twilight's parents catching up and reminiscing. After lunch, we migrate into the lounge to watch the bowl games.

Friday, January 1, 2016 / Evening

We loaded up on so much junk food watching football that nobody really has an appetite for dinner.

After the last game ends, Blaze stands and stretches. "Well, I'd better get on home," he says. "I've gotta get up early for my flight."

Rainbow jumps up and hugs him. "Bye Dad," she says. "Have a safe trip."

Blaze musses her hair. "You be good, you hear? Night Light, Vel, it was great seeing you again."

"You too, Blaze."

"You kids take care of Dash, alright?"

"You can count on us," Twilight says with a smile.

"I'll call you on Sunday!" Rainbow says.

"Got it!" Blaze waves, then heads out.

Velvet sighs. "Well, I'd better get started on the last of our laundry so we can get packed," she says.

Night Light scratches his head. "Yeah, I'd better start packing what's already ready to pack," he says. They stand up and head for the apartment.

Shining Armor looks around the lounge. "Well...guess I'd better go help Dad," he says. "Besides, now that everybody's coming back, I guess I'm back to being banned from the dorm..."

Twilight winces. "Sorry, BBBFF."

Shining Armor shakes his head. "I did it to myself," he says with a chuckle. "And I don't really need to have free run of a girls-only—" He glances at me and coughs. "—girls-mostly dorm anyway." He stands up and follows his parents to the apartment.

Sonata lets out a loud yawn. I'm pretty tired...can someone help me upstairs?

"I'll help you," Fluttershy offers. Sonata smiles gratefully at her and wheels herself over to the stairs, then stands up. Fluttershy walks right behind her as she gingerly climbs the stairs.

Twilight lets out a sigh. "Well...I guess that's it then. The holidays are really over..."

"Yeah..."

Cadance looks around at us. "Get plenty of rest tonight," she says. "Rarity's going to be attacked tomorrow...we need to be ready for anything."

We all nod seriously. Twilight turns to Rainbow. "Rainbow, Pinkie's going to stick close to Rarity all day tomorrow. Will you go with her?"

"Of course," Rainbow says, pumping a fist.

I frown. "There's a problem with that," I point out. "If they're tailing Rarity all day, at some point they have to change for the party..."

"Yeah, the rest of us will too," Twilight says, shifting uncomfortably. "That's...that's gonna leave an ugly window where Rarity is defenseless..."

Cadance sighs. "We'll just have to deal with whatever happens," she says. "For now, we should all get to bed."

If Rarity's attacked when we're all getting ready for the party...

Tomorrow's going to be tense.
> 1/2 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 2, 2016 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Capricorn): You are going to die today.

"Flash, wake up."

I stir and look up. Rainbow and Twilight, both in their pajamas and bedheaded, are standing there.

"Rarity just called," Rainbow says. "She got the horoscope."

I'm instantly alert. I sit up. "So we're on Zodiac watch."

"Yeah." Rainbow scratches herself. "Listen...I'm gonna grab Pinkie and get cleaned up, then we're gonna pack up our dresses and head over to Rarity's place. I already told her we're coming." She takes a deep breath. "We're gonna tell her everything."

"I agree," Twilight says. "She'll probably think Pinkie and Rainbow are crazy, but it's better for her to be prepared than..."

I frown. "Well, yeah...but the important thing is she won't be alone." I nod. "Alright. Twilight and I will do whatever we need to do as fast as we can, then head over there. That sound good, Twi?"

Twilight nods.

"Pinkie's already in the shower," Rainbow says. "We're gonna head over as soon as I get cleaned up." She heads out.

Twilight sits down next to me. "I'm nervous," she says. "We haven't done enough training since the last Shadow..."

"We'll be fine," I say. "We have to be."

"I don't know if Rainbow's plan is a good idea or not..." Twilight says worriedly.

I shrug. "At least it's a plan."

"You go ahead and get showered," Twilight says. "I need to talk to Pinkie while she's getting ready."

"Okay."

After my shower, I head downstairs. Pinkie and Rainbow rush past me, garment bags and tote bags in hand, and fly out the door. Sonata's wheelchair is parked by the kitchen door; I take a look in the kitchen and see her microwaving something.

"Hey Sonata."

She waves, then pulls out her phone.




New Message From: Sonata Dusk
Hey...the adults are already gone, and Pinkie said it's everybody for themselves for breakfast. BTW what's going on? Pinkie and Rainbow left already?




"Yeah, it's..." I shake my head. "Nevermind. Listen, Twilight and I are headed out early to do some shopping, will you be okay?"

Sonata nods.




New Message From: Sonata Dusk
Fluttershy's taking me shopping for a present, Mommy's bringing over a dress before the party, Nurse Cadance is driving us over to the hall, I'm good.




"Okay." I scrounge up some toaster pastries for breakfast, as well as an apple and a glass of milk. Once Sonata's breakfast is done microwaving, I carry it to the dining room for her, then wheel her in there. I take my own food to the dining room and eat quickly.

By the time I'm done eating, Twilight comes downstairs. She fixes herself a quick breakfast, small by her standards, and eats quickly.

I check the time. Nothing will be open for over an hour yet...

"Let's get going," Twilight says. "We can walk the mall a little bit while we wait for the stores to open."

"Alright."

As soon as Twilight's ready, we say goodbye to Sonata and Fluttershy, who comes down just as we're leaving.

Saturday, January 2, 2016 / Daytime

Getting to the mall only eats up about half the time until the stores open. We do get some walking around the mall done, as Twilight suggested—roughly the exact amount of time it takes for us to get to the place that makes the soft pretzels, at which point Twilight spends the rest of the time until the stores open stuffing her face.

Yeah, okay, she's not the only one. Toaster pastries aren't very filling, and soft pretzels are good.

Twilight isn't as clothes-minded as some girls. To my surprise, she wants to buy the first thing that fits her and call it a day. I actually have to persuade her to do a little more shopping and try on a few dresses to find something that really works. A little over an hour after we started shopping, we both finally agree on a hip-hugging shimmery royal blue sleeveless dress that hangs down to mid-calf but is slit up the sides. In contrast to her Fall Formal dress, this one has a high collar and no cleavage whatsoever. Another fifteen minutes later, and she has shoes that match the dress.

"We still have a couple of hours to kill," I say as we leave the store; I'm carrying a garment bag over my shoulder, and Twilight has the bag with her shoes in hand.

"So let's eat," she says.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I think I'm gonna get a new suit that matches your dress."

"Why? The suit you wore at the Fall Formal looks nice enough."

"I just have a hunch it's a good idea," I say.

Fortunately, it only takes me forty minutes to find a dark blue suit that's just right. After that, we have to hustle back to the dorm to get ready for the party. By the time we're both cleaned up again, dressed, and Twilight's done her makeup, Cadance and Shining Armor are ready to drive us all over to Haflinger Hall.

"You all look great," Cadance says. She's wearing a red qipao with a jade and gold dragon embroidered from front to back.

"Thanks," I say.

"I have to admit, I'm glad I got this dress," Twilight says.

It looks nice on you.

"Thanks. Yours looks good too, Sonata," Twilight says. Sonata is wearing a wine-colored dress with dark purple stockings and lilac sandals. She's still in her wheelchair, of course, but she looks really pretty. A gauzy shawl that matches her stockings is wrapped fetchingly around her neck to hide the scars on her throat. She's carrying her notepad and marker instead of her tablet today. Fluttershy is wearing a knee-length green party dress with white trim and white low-heeled sandals.

"I'm glad to see you in something a little more...modest," Shining Armor says to Twilight. He's wearing a dark blue suit very similar to mine.

"Shiny," Cadance growls.

Mercifully, the drive to the hall is short, and we're there a good fifteen minutes early. Once we've parked, Shining Armor and I help Cadance unload the presents, while Twilight and Fluttershy head to the doors with Sonata. We catch up to them before they enter, and go in as a group.

Haflinger Hall is a medium-sized party hall. It's nicely appointed but not too ostentatious. A bandstand is set up to one side; a string quartet is warming up. Octavia is playing with them! She notices me and gives me a small wave, then goes back to her music. There are several tables arranged along one side of the hall, and flowers and decorations everywhere.

"What is this, a birthday party or a wedding reception?" Shining Armor wonders.

Rarity sweeps up to us, wearing a dark red velvet dress that sweeps the floor, but is parted in the front in such a way that it leaves most of her left leg bare. It's also rather low-cut, affording a generous amount of cleavage. Her hair and makeup are perfect as always, and she's wearing a wide, fine gold necklace with a cameo pendant, in addition to three slim gold bracelets on each wrist. She beams broadly. "Welcome, welcome everyone! Thank you for coming, darlings!"

"Happy birthday, Rarity!" Twilight says. The rest of us follow suit, with Sonata writing on her notebook:

Happy birthday! I'm Sonata, by the way. It's nice to meet you.

"Thank you all," Rarity says. She smiles at Sonata. "It's nice to meet you as well. You're living in the dorm now, yes?"

That's right.

"Sonata was in a car accident a while back. Her vocal cords were badly damaged, so she can't talk," Cadance explains.

"Oh, you poor dear!" Rarity says. "Well, I hope you all enjoy the party! Do excuse me for a moment, would you? I have to see to..." She trails off, makes a frustrated noise, and sweeps off in a different direction.

Is she the queen bee around here? Sonata writes.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Twilight says. "Rarity is very...focused on appearances and...well..." She shakes her head. "But she's also very friendly and very easy to get along with. She's just...a little eccentric."

"Boy, I'll say," Rainbow's voice says. We turn to see Rainbow and Pinkie walking up to us.

I can't help but stare at Rainbow. She's wearing the same little black dress and pumps she wore to the Fall Formal, but without the stockings or gloves. Her hair has been styled, and cascades in a glossy wave over her right eye, the separate colors shining like some kind of rainbow waterfall. The back of her hair has been gathered into a loose ponytail with a twist, and she's wearing more makeup than I've ever seen her wear—which still isn't a lot, but it makes her look...wow.

"Wow," I say.

"I agree," Shining Armor says. "WOW."

Rainbow blushes furiously and ducks her head. "Cut it out, you guys..."

"You look amazing, Rainbow Dash!" Cadance says. The other girls agree.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Pinkie asks, pouting. She's wearing a clingy, sleeveless raspberry red gown with gold trim that's slit up the right side and has a heart-shaped cleavage window in the front, with a matching choker and slippers. She has a charm bracelet on her right wrist and small, simple earrings, and her unruly mop of pink curls has been straightened out and tamed into a sleek curtain of glossy pink. Usually, when Pinkie's hair is straight, it means she's upset or angry, but she's her usual cheerful self at the moment, and her tasteful makeup highlights her natural beauty.

"You look great, Pinkie," I say.

"Aww, thanks."

A man in a tuxedo with white gloves walks up to us. "If you have presents, I'll take them and put them on the gift table now," he says. We all hand over the presents, and he takes them to a table piled with colorful, wrapped packages.

Rarity glides back over to us. "Sorry about running off like that, darlings," she says. "I've got you all at a table over here, right next to my family's table...if you'll just follow me..."

Rarity leads us all to a table, and we take our seats; Rarity removes a chair to give Sonata a space. "I'll be back to catch up with you all soon," Rarity says before wandering off again to talk to an older couple at another table.

"Good grief, what the hell kind of birthday party is this?" Shining Armor wonders.

A throaty chuckle from behind him draws our attention; we turn to see a man with brown hair, thick eyebrows, and a cheesy handlebar mustache, dressed in a white tuxedo. "She did go over the top just a bit, didn't she?" he says. "I'm Rarity's father. So you're her dormmates, are you?"

"That's right," Twilight says.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be insulting or anything," Shining Armor says. He looks more than a bit nervous; I don't blame him. Rarity's dad is huge.

Rarity's dad laughs. "Not at all," he says. "After all, this party is my birthday present to my daughter. It's what she wanted—a big fancy party, really hoity-toity. But between you and me...it's not my style. I hate wearing a tuxedo..."

"Howdy y'all!" Applejack walks up to the table, dressed exactly the same way she was at the Fall Formal. She takes a seat. "Ain't seen y'all in a dog's age...everybody have a good Christmas?"

"We sure did!" Pinkie says. She introduces Applejack to Sonata.

The party officially gets underway at this point. The whole thing is...frankly an incredible bore; most of us spend it catching up with each other. We learn that Applejack's sister Apple Bloom will be moving into the dorm tomorrow.

"She can have my room now that I'm on the third floor," Twilight says.

"Sounds good," Applejack says. "Ah didn't right fancy sharin' a room with mah sis."

Rarity joins us at our table as some rather unappetizing fancy food is served. About an hour later, she excuses herself to the restroom.

"I'll go with you!" Twilight says. "I need to, um...powder my nose."

Rarity and Twilight leave the table and head for the ladies' room.

My phone vibrates in my pocket.




New Message From: Sonata Dusk
I didn't want to say anything in front of Rarity, but...this party is terrible!




I smirk.




New Message To: Sonata Dusk
It really is.




Rainbow looks around the table. "Hey, has anybody seen Fluttershy?"

Cadance frowns. "I think she slipped away a little while ago..."

"Really?" Pinkie asks. "I didn't notice."

"Well, she's usually so quiet, I guess none of us noticed her leave," I say.

Shining Armor scratches his cheek. "I wonder if she's in the bathroom, or if she j—"

Saturday, September 5, 2015 / Zodiac

The classical music, the hushed conversation, whatever else Coach was about to say...it all stops as the hall turns red and black.

Cadance, Pinkie, Rainbow, and I look around at one another.

"Well...here we go."

Cadance pulls out her phone. "APHRODITE!"

Aphrodite appears above her.

//Twilight and Rarity are together...I don't sense Capricorn yet, but there are Shadows here...// Cadance suddenly gasps. //I'm sensing Eris!//

"Wonderful," I mutter. "Like this wasn't gonna be bad enough..."

//Everybody be quiet a minute, I'm going to tell Twilight to bring Rarity here. We all need to stay together.//

A few minutes later, Cadance sighs. //They're headed this way. The Shadows are increasing in number...everybody get ready.//

"Get ready with what?" I ask. "We're stuck without weapons. Again."

"I don't even have my whip this time," Pinkie says.

//Do the best you can...let your Persona do the fighting.//

Twilight and Rarity come running up to us. Rarity is staring around wildly at the shifting, glowing text floating all over the place.

"Ignore the texts," I say. "Believe me, you don't want to waste any time reading them."

Rarity shudders, rubbing her left forearm with her right hand. "I...I think I understand..." She frowns. "These texts...they're coming from the other students, are they not?"

"That's right," Twilight says.

Rarity sags. "Was my party really that terrible?"

Nobody answers her.

"I see..."

//No time for that now. Incoming!//

A powerful blast of wind sends us all flying.

I pick myself up, readying my phone.

Hello again, Flash Sentry. You and I have unfinished business...

Eris walks toward us, her metal staff in hand.

Twilight stands up and glares at her. "Eris! We've got questions, and we're gonna make you answer!"

Eris tilts her head at Twilight.

I'd really like to see that, Twilight.

Pinkie takes a step forward. "Are you Fluttershy?"

Eris looks at her.

Well, that came out of nowhere.

What makes you think I'm Fluttershy?

"Lots of things!" Pinkie says. "Well?"

Do you think I'd tell you if I was? But I must admit, this little guessing game you keep playing is hilarious. First you thought I was Sunset Shimmer, now you think I'm Fluttershy?

Eris charges Pinkie and sweeps her legs, then plants the end of her staff right between Pinkie's breasts.

Seriously, could weak, pathetic, cowardly little Fluttershy do something like this?

"W-well...when you put it that way..." Pinkie wheezes.

"LEGION!"

Legion appears in all its misshapen glory and slams into Eris, sending her flying. Pinkie jumps to her feet and brushes herself off.

Ugh...a cowardly sneak attack...just like I'd expect from Mr. Tit-Grabber.

"Stop screwing around, Eris!"

A terrible, high-pitched, trilling scream fills the air.

//I'm sensing Capricorn! It's...it's absorbing all the Shadows! No...it's been here all along! LOOK OUT!//

We're all knocked off our feet as the Shadows which have been circling the room suddenly all rush together, coalescing into a giant, monstrous form. The front half is a broad-chested, wide-shouldered goat with long, curved horns and a twisted beard. The astrological symbol for Capricorn is branded into the top half of its face, and its maw is full of sharp, rending fangs. Its rear half is a coiled mermaid tail, covered in rust-red scales.

Capricorn lets out a shrill scream, and a barrier made of red hexagonal tiles spreads around the entire hall.

NO! DAMMIT! NO!

"What's the matter, Eris?" Pinkie asks. "Afraid of the big bad goat-fish?"

Capricorn isn't supposed to be able to create this kind of barrier! I...I'm trapped!

"Gee, that must be awful for you," I say.

Capricorn rears, kicking its hooves in the air, and opens its mouth wide, unleashing a massive blast of fire that catches all of us off guard. Pinkie and Rainbow move to shield Rarity and take the worst of it; they collapse to the ground, blistered and smoldering.

Rarity screams.

//No! They're...they're dying!//

Capricorn swings its tail, unleashing a wave of jagged ice crystals which strike Eris and Twilight. Twilight screams and collapses.

"TWILIGHT! NO!" Before I can do anything, Capricorn rams into me, slamming me to the ground. I feel like every bone in my body is broken...

This is it...

We weren't ready...

I'm sorry...Twilight...

I feel something slimy, dark, and wrong trying to crawl out of my skull. Weakly, I reach out and tap my phone. "Persona..."

The new Persona Igor fused the other day, Chupacabra, appears. It sprints toward Capricorn and leaps onto its chest, latching on with its sharp claws and fangs. Capricorn thrashes and screeches as Chupacabra drains its essence.

I feel strength flowing back into my body...my bones don't feel as broken as before. I get up and rush over to Twilight, who's sprawled out on the ground. She's still breathing...

"UNDINE!"

Undine covers Twilight in soothing, healing waters. Twilight's breathing becomes easier; I cradle her in my arms.

"Rainbow...Pinkie..."

I look over at Rarity, who's kneeling over...over the bodies.

There's no question now: Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are dead.

"You tried to warn me...you came to protect me..."

Rarity looks up at me. "You...you all came to protect me..."

"Of course we did."

Rarity looks down at Rainbow and Pinkie, horror and dread on her face. "And...and this happened..."

I swallow heavily. "If...if they were still alive...I could heal them..."

"If they were still alive..." Rarity repeats.

The power to cheat Death...it does exist...

Eris is standing in front of me, looking at Rainbow and Pinkie.

"Eris?"

Within Zodiac, nothing is impossible.

I stand up. "How?"

It's a power you have to find for yourself.

Capricorn has thrown Chupacabra off; Chupacabra has faded away, but I feel stronger...

Twilight sits up, rubbing her head. "What...what's going on..." She looks over at Rainbow and Pinkie and gasps sharply, covering her mouth. "No..."

Rarity stands up. "The power to cheat Death..." She bows her head, clenching her hands into fists. "For my dear friends who died protecting me..."

Rarity pulls out her phone, then looks up, eyes full of determination.

"...I will have that power...and share it with all of my friends!"

The Persona app appears on her phone!

"PERSONA!"

Rarity slaps her phone's screen, which explodes in blue shards of light...





The Persona that appears looks like a dark-furred Egyptian catgirl version of Rarity, with pale lavender stripes in her elegantly curled hair, wearing an opaque red domino mask. Her two-piece white outfit is low-cut, accentuating her curves, and trimmed in gold with colorful accents. A gold tiara with an opal at the center rests upon her brow, and three cut diamonds dangle from gold chains attached to a gold clasp affixed to her long tail. For some reason, she's seated upon a giant ball of yarn.

Rarity's Persona extends a hand over Rainbow and Pinkie. Glowing threads trail from her fingertips, weaving themselves around Pinkie, then Rainbow. The worst of their burns fade, and they sit up, taking deep, gasping breaths.

"What...just happened?" Rainbow asks.

"Whooooa...my head hurts like crazy...owie...I hurt all over..."

"GIRLS!" Rarity screams, throwing herself at them and wrapping her arms around them.

"OW! Hey! Watch it!" Rainbow screams.

"Oh, I'm...I'm terribly sorry!" Rarity replies.

I pull Twilight to her feet, then lead her over to the others. "UNDINE!"

Undine appears again, shedding her gentle healing upon all of us. The burns Rainbow and Pinkie have suffered heal almost completely, and the girls stand up.

"Did...did we just...die?" Pinkie asks, a sick look on her face.

"You did," I say. "Rarity brought you back to life."

Rarity smiles, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Think...think nothing of it, girls..."

Pinkie throws her arms around Rarity. "Yay! Thank you thank you thank you!"

"So Rarity has a Persona too?" Rainbow asks.

Have you all forgotten we're all in mortal danger here?

We all turn around to face Capricorn, who's thrashing madly in midair and snorting steam.

Pinkie wilts. "Yeah, too early to celebrate."

"I got this," Rainbow says. "NIKE!"

Nike appears and unleashes blasts of wind at Capricorn. Capricorn doesn't react.

Wind doesn't work on this one. Why do you think I haven't already killed it? I have no intention of dying here.

"Then do SOMETHING to help us!" Twilight yells. "Or are you just going to stand there?"

Fuck off. I told your friends they could bring those two back to life if they tried. What more do you want?

"Eris...look. Either we all survive this and walk away, or we all die. Can you stop being a bitch for five minutes?"

Eris glares at me, but her shoulders sag with a soundless sigh.

Yeah, OK. Here, maybe this'll help.

Eris does something with her phone. Lines of blue pixels rapidly begin to form in front of each of us, resolving into the shapes of weapons: a plain but functional axe for me, two knives for Rainbow, a sword for Twilight, a whip for Pinkie, and a handgun for Rarity.

Twilight stares at Eris as she takes hold of her sword. "How did you...?"

Please. I've known about this place a LOT longer than you losers.

"Thank you, Eris."

Thank me by killing this thing so we can all go home.

Twilight sets her jaw. "It's a mergoat, so let's see how it likes lightning. ATHENA!"

When Twilight taps her phone, the screen, instead of exploding in shards of blue light, emits a ringing chime and concentric rainbow-hued rings of light. What appears isn't the same Athena as before.





The vision of a transformed Athena I saw on Christmas Eve...

Twilight gasps as she stares up at Athena. "What...?"

//Twilight? What...what's going on?//

"Whoa," Rainbow breathes, staring at Twilight's Persona.

"Woooooow," Pinkie says. "Pretty..."

"What...what happened?" Twilight asks.

Your Persona has changed? But that's...that's impossible!

//Twilight...your Persona is a LOT more powerful now...!//

"Really?" Twilight smiles. "Let's find out!"

Athena spreads her wings wide and swings her spear at Capricorn. An enormous blast of lightning shoots out, slamming into Capricorn with enough force to blow it clear across the hall. Capricorn drops to the ground, curling in on itself.

Now's our chance! Everyone, together!

We all bull-rush the Shadow, hitting it wherever we can with our weapons, while Rarity empties her clip point-blank into Capricorn's skull. After several seconds of this, Capricorn flails its tail, sending us all flying.

As we pick ourselves up, so does Capricorn. It opens its mouth wide to unleash another wave of fire...

Eris' Persona appears and cuts loose with a powerful blast of wind which intercepts the fire, scattering it before it can strike.

If it's weak to electricity, then...

"TAKE-MIKAZUCHI!"

Take-Mikazuchi appears and unleashes another mighty thunderbolt; Capricorn swims out of the way in midair.

"NIKE!"

Rainbow's Persona appears and performs a screaming dive straight at Capricorn's head. Once again, it moves out of the way before the attack connects.

"This one's good at dodging," Twilight says.

"I think I can do something about that," Rarity says. "BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona reappears. With an imperious gesture, she sends dozens of strands of yarn hurtling toward Capricorn, which wrap around it. It struggles against the yarn, but is held fast.

"Nice one!" Rainbow says.

"Twilight, you're up!"

"Right! ATHENA!"

Athena appears again, loosing another mighty thunderbolt at Capricorn. No longer able to dodge, Capricorn takes the blast and is thrown against the wall again.

//Everyone! One more time!//

We all charge Capricorn again, slashing and striking and shooting. This time, when it sweeps us with its tail, we're able to stay on our feet, and Capricorn struggles weakly to get up, its tail flapping uselessly.

We can't let it recover!

"I'll finish this," I say. With a grim smile, I add, "CHUPACABRA!"

Chupacabra leaps upon Capricorn, claws and fangs bared. The girls—even Eris—all flinch away as Chupacabra tears into the Shadow with zeal. Globs of black ichor are flying in every direction, and with every drop of blood and scrap of Shadow flesh Chupacabra ingests, I feel myself growing stronger...

With a final, bleating scream, Capricorn melts into inky motes of blackness.

Rarity blinks. "Is...is it over?"

"Looks that way." I turn to Eris. "Thank you for your help today."

Eat shit.

Eris runs away as Zodiac begins to dissolve around us. Our weapons dematerialize in our hands.

I take in the girls' appearances: dresses torn and blackened, skin covered in soot, blood, and lingering traces of burns.

"We need to get the hell out of here," I say.

"There's a service entrance over there," Rarity says, pointing. We run; the real world is beginning to intrude upon Zodiac.

"Why isn't this all goin' away all at once?" Rainbow asks.

"Just be glad it isn't!" Twilight yells. "We don't need to have to explain the way we look!"

Zodiac is almost gone, and we're close to the entrance to the kitchen...

"I have an idea!" Pinkie yells as reality fully reasserts itself and the sounds of the party return. Pinkie runs up to a fire alarm next to the kitchen door and pulls it.

The din of the alarm fills the air. We keep running, bursting out through the back entrance of Haflinger Hall and into the bright afternoon sunlight.

"Everybody split up," I say. "Make your way back to the dorm however you can."

"Me and Pinkie need to swing by Rarity's to get our stuff," Rainbow says.

"I'll be back at the dorm tomorrow!" Rarity says.

Saturday, January 2, 2016 / Evening

Twilight and I return to the dorm, having shared a cab ride. Shining Armor is waiting at the entrance.

"Where the HELL were you two?" he demands. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

We exchange glances. "Uhh..."

"Everybody just...just disappeared in the middle of the party!" Shining Armor thunders. "Cadance tried to feed me some bullshit about me passing out, but I know better! Sonata and Applejack saw it too! One second you were there, the next you were gone! Then Rainbow and Pinkie showed up back here and they looked like...like they'd been in an actual fire..." Shining Armor scowls. "Why weren't you answering your phone, Twilight?"

"Left it...on vibrate...in my purse?" Twilight suggests.

"No, because Cadance has your purse, and your phone isn't in there!"

"Really? Huh..." Twilight frowns.

I pull Twilight's phone out of my pocket. "You handed it to me, remember?" I say. "Only it hasn't been vibrating at all..." I look at her phone. "Oh, that's why. It's off."

"Whoops!"

Shining Armor frowns. "Nice try. I'm not that stupid."

Twilight and I exchange a glance. There's no way out of this...

"Whenever you're ready to tell me the truth, I'll be waiting," Shining Armor says. "Until then...I don't want to talk to either of you." He walks around to the apartment; we can hear the door slam violently.

Twilight sinks to the ground and starts crying.

I help her up and lead her inside, gently guiding her upstairs to her room. I sit next to her on the bed; she collapses into my chest and starts sobbing.

I feel hollow and cold inside...

Lying to Shining Armor is wrong, but there's no possible way we can tell him the truth...he'd never believe it...

How do we fix this? Can we fix this?
> 1/3 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 3, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your situation may seem hopeless, but don't despair—a fresh perspective may be all you need.

After Twilight cried herself to sleep, I texted Rainbow and Pinkie and called them upstairs. I told them about what happened with Shining Armor.

Twilight looks terrible this morning. She's not eating...

Rainbow and Pinkie are miserable too. Sonata is still in bed. Fluttershy took Spike for a walk in the park.

Cadance walks in. She looks awful too. Twilight looks up at her. "Is he—"

Cadance sighs. "He's...pretty mad," she says. "It's almost as bad as it was back when..." She looks at me.

Pinkie deflates. "This is awful," she says miserably.

Twilight lays her head on her arms.

Cadance sits down. "I just...don't know what to do," she says.

We hear the front doors open. Rarity storms in a few minutes later, Opalescence tucked in the crook of one arm, the morning newspaper in her other hand. Her father walks in behind her, burdened with suitcases, bags, and Opal's bed. As Rarity's dad trundles up the stairs with Rarity's luggage, Rarity slaps the paper down on the table, spreading it out so we can see the headline.





FIRE ALARM PRANKSTER CRIES WOLF


Fire consumes Haflinger Hall after fire alarm pulled





"Whoa," Rainbow says.

"After Pinkie Pie pulled the fire alarm, someone snuck into the kitchens and started an actual fire," Rarity says. She sighs. "Alas, all my birthday presents went up in smoke, but...at least nobody was hurt."

"Oh, Rarity..." Cadance says. "I'm so sorry..."

Rarity waves a hand. "I feel bad for everyone who took the time and effort to buy me a present that I never even got to open," she says.

"Eh, we'll all get you something new," Rainbow says. "No big."

"Yeah, we'll birthday you up all over again," Pinkie says.

"Don't trouble yourself on my account, dears. I won't say no to a heartfelt gift, of course, but the sentiment and the effort you've already put in are enough for me." Rarity looks away with a sigh. "After that...fiasco of a party, I don't deserve even that..."

"But who...who could've started the fire?" Cadance wonders.

"Eris," I say. "Has to be."

"Maybe..." Pinkie says. "I mean, she could've slipped past us when we all took off, doubled back and started the fire..."

Rarity's dad stumps back down the stairs. "Well...I'd better be off," he says. "Early tee time this morning and all."

"Thank you, Father," Rarity says. She hugs him.

Once he's gone, Rarity sits down and helps herself to some of the coffee on the table. She glances at Twilight. "What's wrong with Twilight?" she asks.

"Shining Armor is pissed at us," I say. "After we all disappeared...well, it took us a while to get back to the dorm, neither of us were answering our phones because we couldn't decide what excuse to use, and..." I shrug. "We tried to run a line on him about Twi's phone being off, he didn't buy it, and now he's...just really pissed."

Rarity frowns. "So...let me see if I understand. When we were all...dealing with that horrible business..." She taps her finger on the table. "After all that, you just...took off? You didn't think to double back and rendezvous with Nurse Cadance and Coach Shining Armor?" She frowns. "I mean, Twilight's dress wasn't that badly damaged..." She smirks. "Quite frankly, the both of you could've pretended you had a quick...ah...tête-à-tête in the restroom and nobody would have questioned it."

Twilight looks up, eyes wide. She stares at me.

Now that Rarity says it like that...

"Well now I feel stupid," I say.

Cadance shakes her head. "That wouldn't have worked," she says. "Shiny, Sonata, and Applejack all saw these three just...disappear from the table. Even if he'd bought that Flash snuck off to have sex with Twilight, it still wouldn't have explained everybody vanishing like that."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose that would be rather harder to explain," Rarity says sheepishly. She frowns. "I don't suppose being honest with him is likely to work either..."

Cadance shakes her head. "There's no way he'd believe us," she says.

"Yeah, Rarity," Rainbow says. "We tried to explain it to you, remember?"

"True..."

"Maybe..." Twilight says quietly. We all look at her. She looks up and around. "Maybe...we should try to tell him the truth," she says. "And not just him, but...but Applejack, and Sonata...and Fluttershy too, since she'll be attacked too when her birthday comes around."

"Yyyyeah...I don't see that going over well," Rainbow says.

"What if we have proof?" Pinkie asks.

We all look at her.

Pinkie looks around at us. "We all have smartphones, right? I mean...the cameras don't stop working just because we're in icky monster world, right?"

Cadance's eyes widen. "Cameras..."

Twilight blinks. "Cameras."

Rarity looks around at all of us. "Have none of you ever thought of collecting evidence that all this is real?"

We all have smartphones that can take pictures and record video...

...why haven't we been documenting Zodiac?

Rarity frowns. "You're not a very well organized team, are you?"

"I guess...we're really not," Twilight says.

"Hey, lay off, Rarity!" Rainbow says. "We're doin' the best we can, alright?"

"Evidently we're not," Cadance says. She sighs. "I should've thought of using my phone to record what I saw in Zodiac months ago...even before Flash came."

Twilight looks up. "Rarity," she says seriously, "you're joining us, right? You'll fight alongside us in Zodiac from now on?"

Rarity grimaces. "About that." She toys with a napkin. "I must admit that this...power is...invigorating..." She looks around at all of us. "But...two of you actually died yesterday."

"More people have died in Zodiac than you think," Cadance says. "Before Flash came along, it was just me. I...I don't have the power to fight. I can scan, I can even escape Zodiac or hide victims from the Shadows, but...if I can't reach them in time to protect them, or...or if I can't open an escape route..." She bows her head. "Last year...Pisces, Taurus, and Gemini all killed their victims."

"What about Aries, Cancer, and Leo?" Twilight asks.

Cadance shakes her head. "I was able to rescue the victims for Aries and Cancer. Leo..." She frowns. "Leo never appeared. I kept waiting for Leo to show, but...it never did. I honestly thought it was all over at that point...and then Virgo came after Flash."

"And Aquarius?" Rarity asks.

"I was Aquarius' target last year," Cadance says. "My birthday is Valentine's Day."

"Oh, yes, of course," Rarity says. She sighs. "Alright, so...the very real possibility of death is a very good reason for me to decline," she says. She looks around at us. "At the same time...you all came to my rescue, and I can't simply ignore that. After all, you are my dear friends, even if...even if I'm not as close to any of you as I guess I should be..."

Rainbow frowns. "Doesn't she kinda like, not have a choice?" she asks. "I mean, isn't that how Zodiac works? Once you're in once, you get dragged in every single time?"

"That...is how it works, yes," Cadance says. "Or rather...if you have a Persona, you're pulled in whether you want to or not."

Rarity blinks. "I see," she says. "Well then..." She clears her throat. "I guess it's settled. I'll be joining your little team of heroes." She frowns. "But really, we simply must become more organized, and..." She takes a sip of her coffee, grimaces, and sets it aside. "You'll need to tell me everything."

We spend the rest of the morning telling Rarity everything we know about Zodiac, including our suspicions about Sunset Shimmer's involvement. We toss around theories about Eris; Rainbow Dash thinks Pinkie's insane for ever suspecting Fluttershy, but I can see from the way Twilight's temples are twitching that she's starting to have her own doubts.

Once Rarity is up to speed, Rainbow Dash asks, "So Twilight...how'd you get a new Persona? I thought only Flash could do that."

Twilight shakes her head. "I don't know," she says. "And I don't think I have a new Persona. I mean..."

"It's still Athena," Cadance says. "It's just...Twilight's Persona has become more powerful and undergone a change in form. I can't explain it."

"Will that happen to the rest of us?" Pinkie wonders.

"Who knows?"

Sunday, January 3, 2016 / Daytime

By the time we're done discussing Zodiac stuff, it's almost lunchtime. Fluttershy returns with Spike, and Sonata comes downstairs. Pinkie and Cadance make lunch for everyone, then we all break to do our own things—Rarity goes upstairs to unpack, Rainbow goes upstairs to practice her guitar, Pinkie leaves for Sugar Cube Corner, and Twilight and I go over to the apartment with Cadance to try to talk to Shining Armor.

Shining Armor glares at us as we sit down across from him. "So are you ready to tell me the truth?" he asks.

Twilight takes a deep breath. "We...do want to tell you what really happened yesterday," she says. "The problem is...you won't believe it. Not yet."

"There's...things I haven't told you," Cadance says. "I know you know I've been keeping secrets from you." She sighs. "These two...are in on it. All of it."

Shining Armor's scowl deepens. "So you're telling them things you won't tell me?"

"It's more complicated than that," Cadance says.

"Look, Coach...the thing is, until we have proof, we can't tell you what's going on," I say. "But we've...we've decided you do need to know what's going on. We just...need to get the proof first."

"Proof of what?" Shining Armor asks.

We all look at each other. Cadance takes a deep breath.

"Proof of the danger everyone at Canterlot High is in," she says.

Shining Armor sits forward. "Danger?" He frowns. "Does this have anything to do with that hall burning down after we all left?"

"Part of it, yes," Twilight says. "We...actually didn't even know about the fire until this morning." She rubs her arm. "Look, Shining Armor...I know you're upset with all of us, and none of us want to keep secrets from you, but...there's some really weird, really bad stuff happening that most people don't know about. Will you...will you please just trust us?"

Shining Armor sighs. "I can't trust you until you're honest with me," he says. "But...if there's really something happening...if this isn't just all of you running around being..." He shakes his head. "Whatever..."

"We're going to prove it to you," Twilight says. "I promise. Just...be patient, okay?"

Cadance checks the time. "We need to head back over to the dorm," she says. "Applejack should be getting back any minute now, and her little sister's moving in today."

Cadance, Twilight, and I head back to the dorm. Twilight sniffles and leans into me. I wrap my arm around her and hold her close.

As we pass back through the lounge, we see Sonata watching TV. She waves at us.

You'll have to explain that little disappearing trick to me.

"Uhh...yeah. We will. Just...not right now, okay?"

Sonata shrugs.

No worries. I'd just like to know how you did it. Might come in handy someday.

We hear a loud bang outside which startles us all. We exchange glances, then Cadance, Twilight, and I rush to the door.

As soon as we open the door, we hear Applejack yelling.

"Consarnit, Big Mac! Ah done TOLDJA this was gonna happen! Ain't you got half a brain in that head?"

"Hey!"

"Come on, Applejack...at least it got us here, right?"

"You stay outta this, Apple Bloom! Go on...git inside..."

Apple Bloom walks up the front walk, casting odd glances back over her shoulder. Outside, we can hear Applejack berating her brother. "What's going on?" Twilight asks as Apple Bloom reaches the door.

Apple Bloom sighs. "Our old truck jes' blew its muffler. An' Ah mean really blew it. It went shootin' off down th' street like a bottle rocket."

"Yikes."

"Yeah..." Apple Bloom sighs. "That ain't all. Thing's spewin' smoke, suspension's gone, Big Mac can barely even steer it..." She shakes her head. "It's a total piece of sh—"

"Hey y'all," Applejack says, walking up behind Apple Bloom with two suitcases in one hand and a milk crate balanced on her shoulder. "Y'all hear about that crazy fire at th' party hall? Sounds like we all got outta there just in time."

"Applejack, is your brother having car troubles?" Cadance asks calmly.

Applejack rolls her eyes. "Don't even go there. Ah jes' called a wrecker. Don't reckon Big Mac can bunk with you an' Coach a night? Ain't no way we can afford a cab ride back t' Sweet Apple Acres right now."

"Sure, it's no problem," Cadance says. "I'll just go tell Shining Armor, then show Big Macintosh inside...Flash, Twilight, can you help Apple Bloom get settled in?"

"Sure, no problem."

I help Applejack carry all their things upstairs, and Twilight leads Apple Bloom to her old room. While Applejack gets settled back in, Twilight and I help Apple Bloom unpack and give her a rundown of the house rules, the chore schedules, and such. We also spend a little time getting to know her better; we learn that she's in the seventh grade, that this semester will be the first time she's ever actually gone to school, and that Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle is one of her two best friends.

Nobody's really in the mood to do much this afternoon, so we all sit around until dinnertime.

Sunday, January 3, 2016 / Evening

Tomorrow is the first day of the new semester...

With everything that's happened this weekend, and with school starting again tomorrow, I decide to go to bed early.
> 1/4 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 4, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Settling back into a routine can be tiring, but stay on your toes. You need to pay attention and keep up with what's happening around you.

The second semester begins today.

We'll also receive our exam results today.

Vice Principal Luna will be staying at the dorm this week starting tomorrow.

We need to decide on a day to go to Zodiac so we can collect evidence for Shining Armor...

Are we really doing the right thing with that?

Monday, January 4, 2016 / Morning

Our teachers are going over the exam material this morning and outlining the lesson plans for the semester. I got a mix of As and Bs on my morning exams...

Monday, January 4, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, we all compare exam results. Twilight aced every single exam, of course. Rarity has the second best grades of all of us. Fluttershy's grades are right behind hers. Pinkie's are surprisingly good. Applejack's are average. Rainbow's are terrible...

"So, Sonata, are you enjoying Canterlot High so far?" Twilight asks.

I'm getting a lot of funny looks. I don't like it...

"Eh, don't worry about it. They'll get used to you soon enough..."

I guess...

Monday, January 4, 2016 / Afternoon

Our teachers are going over the exam material this afternoon and outlining the lesson plans for the semester. I got mostly As for my afternoon classes...

Monday, January 4, 2016 / After School

Vinyl and Octavia walk up to me in the hall after classes.

"Hey Flash," Vinyl says. "I don't need a ride this afternoon. My appointment got bumped to Thursday morning, and Mom can take me."

"Okay." I look at the two of them. "How was your Christmas?"

"Pretty good," Vinyl says with a grin. "Hey, Tavi, I'm gonna go warm up the car. You said you have to get something, right?"

"Yes. I'll be there in just a moment."

As Vinyl walks off, Octavia pulls me off to the side. There's a serious look on her face. "What's up?" I ask.

"Vinyl's eyes are getting worse," she says. "I'm very worried about her. She's been getting terrible headaches..."

"Ouch." I look at her. "Are you two...?"

Octavia blushes. "I'm...open to the possibility," she says. "But...there's so many factors working against it..." She blinks. "Oh! I've got to hurry. Excuse me!"

Octavia rushes off. I shake my head and continue on my way.

"Excuse me, Flash Sentry."

It's the janitor.

I turn to see him stumping up to me, pushing his cart. "Yes?"

"I hear you had a narrow escape this weekend," he says.

"Yeah, that hall where Rarity's party was burned down right after someone pulled the fire alarm."

"Someone, eh?" Juan smirks.  He chuckles. "If you say so. Funny thing...Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were seen looking like they'd just run out of a burning building, even though they disappeared long before the fire broke out...or so I've heard." He shrugs. "Strange, the rumors that go around in this school."

"You don't say..."

"You really should be very careful who you trust, you know," Juan says. "Not everyone is who—or what—they appear to be. Well...I've got toilets to scrub. Farewell!"

With a grunt, Juan pushes his cart down the hall. I shake my head and make my way back to the dorm.

Monday, January 4, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, once Applejack is upstairs talking to her sister, Sonata is resting in her room, and Fluttershy is taking a bath, the rest of us gather in the lounge.

"So, when're we gonna go to Zodiac?" Rainbow asks. "We need to train and we need to get that evidence so you guys can get off Coach's shit list."

"I think our best chance will be Wednesday," Twilight says. "That is, if everybody else is..."

"Well, Pinkie and I have tennis practice, but we should be good to go after that," I say.

"I have Wednesday free," Rarity says.

"Yeah, Wednesday's good for me," Rainbow agrees.

"Alright then...Wednesday it is," Twilight says. "I'll let Cadance know."

"Who's the next target, anyway?" Rainbow asks.

Twilight frowns. "To be honest...I'm not sure," she says. "The only Aquarius in the dorm is Cadance. I don't know if Aquarius will come after her again or not..."

"We need to assume it will," I say. "But make a list of other possible targets, just in case."

Twilight nods. "I'll do that."

"What about everyone else in the dorm?" Rarity asks.

Twilight pulls out her phone and taps the screen a few times. "Sonata is a Pisces, but I'm not sure if she'll be attacked. It...it just doesn't seem like she would be. After that...Fluttershy is an Aries, her birthday is during Spring Break. Applejack's birthday is in April, she's a Taurus."

"Hmm. That leaves a lot of wiggle room, as well as some uncertainty," Rarity says. "What about your brother?"

"Shining Armor? His birthday is July fourth," Twilight says.

"So a Cancer," Rarity says. "And he wasn't attacked last time?"

"If he had been, he'd know about Zodiac already."

"So that leaves Gemini and possibly Pisces unaccounted for," I say. "And Cancer, if Coach isn't a target."

"And Leo," Twilight points out. "It bothers me that Cadance didn't detect Leo last year. Something doesn't seem right about that..."

"It could just be there are no Leos at CHS," Pinkie says.

Twilight shakes her head. "No, there's ten." She frowns. "One of them is Sunset Shimmer."

Rainbow narrows her eyes. "Now that's suspicious."

"Yeah, it kind of is," Pinkie agrees.

It's been a long, tiring day, so we all head to our rooms to study until bedtime.
> 1/5 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Past mistakes may come back to haunt you when you least expect them.

Trixie walks up to me the second I enter the Music Club room. She looks excited.

"There's something I want to tell you, but...it'll have to wait until Thursday," she says. "I have a few things to take care of first and I don't want to jinx it."

"Umm...okay?" I look her over. "You seem happy."

"Oh, I am! I really, really am!" She bounces away to grab her guitar and starts happily shredding away.

I shake my head and tune my own guitar. Octavia walks up to me. She cocks her head and frowns. "You need new strings," she says.

"Yeah..." I sigh. "I've been trying to get as much mileage out of this set as I can, but I'm gonna have to restring it tonight." Shaking my head, I set my guitar aside. "How are things with you and Vinyl?"

Octavia sits down on the desk next to me. "I..." She trails off; her brow knits. "I've been enjoying talking to her and spending time with her when I can. I'm also worried about her..."

"So am I."

"The thing is..." Octavia looks down at her feet. "Mother met her by chance the other day. She...doesn't approve of her as a friend." She frowns. "Heaven knows what she'd say if..."

Ouch. "Yeah..." After letting a silence hang between us, I ask, "So...what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Octavia says. "I'm not even sure how I feel about Vinyl yet. Or if...if I even can feel...that for another girl." She sighs. "And if I do..." She shakes her head. "Mother and Father will be absolutely furious if..."

"If you decide you're a lesbian?"

"Yes, that." Octavia picks at her skirt. "They're not very open-minded."

"That sucks..."

I don't really feel like playing anything, so I decide to leave early.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Evening

I walk through the front doors of the dorm and hear crying.

I find Rarity sitting alone in the dining room, eating ice cream. Her mascara has run, her eyes are puffy and bloodshot, and she's sniffling.

I sit down across from her. "What's wrong?"

Rarity sniffles. "Everybuh-buh-body huh-huh-HAAATES me!" she wails.

"Is this about the party?" I ask.

She nods. "I..." She picks up a handkerchief and blows her nose. "I..."

I reach across the table and take her hand. "Come on, settle down," I say.

"When...when we were in Zodiac..." She pauses to shovel another large spoon of ice cream into her mouth. "I s-saw those...h-horrible messages...abuh-bout my party..." She sniffles again and rubs at her eyes with the other side of her handkerchief. "Was it ruh-really th-that buh-buh-bad?"

I grimace. "It...wasn't for everybody," I say. "But what's important is whether or not you enjoyed it."

Rarity sighs, hanging her head. "No," she says hoarsely. "It...it wasn't what I thought it'd be at all."

"Why didn't you say something about this sooner? Talk it over with all of us?"

"Because...." Rarity sniffles. "I refuse to be seen as anything less than elegant and...and refined. That's who I am..."

"Bullshit," I say. "That's the mask you wear. That's not what the rest of us really see."

Rarity looks up at me. "What...what do you mean?"

I take a deep breath. "Rarity...you're amazingly strong-willed. After everything that went down, it was you who pointed out how messed up our little team is. And don't forget...if not for you, Rainbow and Pinkie would be dead. I had no idea what to do. All I could think about was that Twilight was almost killed..." I look down. "God, I'm a terrible person..."

"Not at all, darling...she is, after all, your true love..." Rarity sighs. "I...I do try to remain...unruffled when life doesn't quite go according to plan—"

"I've seen you throw a tantrum over dropping your fork at dinner, Rarity."

"—alright, yes, I can be a bit of a drama queen over minor things," Rarity says a bit testily, "but when serious problems arise, I do my best to keep it together. Because that's what a true lady does." She sighs. "And I do so wish to be a truly elegant, refined lady..." She looks down into the ice cream tub. "But...yesterday and today, I've...I've endured a lot of whispering and snickering behind my back, and..." She bursts into fresh tears. "I'm a laughingstock!"

"So what?" I ask. "One thing I've learned since I moved here is most of the kids at CHS are dicks. It's even worse when...when you've been to Zodiac enough to see some of the really nasty things they say."

Rarity's face pales. "Gah."

"Did you know last year, some assholes were talking about wanting to rape Cadance? And she found out about it in Zodiac."

Rarity gasps, covering her face with her hands. "Oh my God..."

"Yeah. And...fighting alongside us, you're going to find out just how ugly things really are around here," I say. "But it's just talk. Talk can't hurt you. Not if you don't let it."

Rarity takes another bite of ice cream. "Y-you're right, of course." She sniffs. "So what if...if my party was a complete fiasco in every conceivable way? I'm stronger than this. I...I can move past this." She smiles faintly at me. "Thank you, Flash. Really."

"What are friends for?" I ask.






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Empress Arcana...


Rarity dabs at her face. "I...should go get freshened up," she says. She gets up, puts the rest of the ice cream back in the freezer, and goes upstairs.

Shaking my head, I pick my stuff up and head to my room. I have homework to do...

After I finish my homework, I head downstairs for dinner.

"It's wonderful to be back in this dorm with all of you again," Luna says.

"Vice-Principal Luna and Principal Celestia have been alternating weeks staying at the dorm for a while now," Twilight explains to Sonata and Apple Bloom, who seem surprised at her presence.

"You get used to them," Rainbow says.

Luna looks at Apple Bloom. "You're Applejack's sister, are you not?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Apple Bloom says nervously.

Luna smiles. "I look forward to seeing you at Canterlot High in a couple of years," she says.

"Why's this squirt livin' here again?" Rainbow asks cheekily.

"Hey! Ah ain't no squirt!"

"Sorry. I meant to say turd."

"Ah'll turd you...!"

"Ewwww," Pinkie says.

Luna laughs. "I'd forgotten how lively this dorm can be!"

"We all decided Apple Bloom needs t' go t' school instead'a jes' homeschoolin' online," Applejack says. "An' since it makes more sense for her t' live closer t' her school, we worked it out so she could live here at th' dorm."

Apple Bloom glares at her sister. "Tell everyone th' real reason," she says.

Applejack blinks. "Ah...don't rightly follow, sugarcube," she says. Her eyes are looking anywhere but at her sister.

"Y'all don't want me t' hafta watch Papa die," Apple Bloom says. "Ah know that's th' real reason Ah'm here."

Applejack sighs and closes her eyes.

Apple Bloom looks down. "Ah don't wanna watch Papa die neither," she says softly. "So...thanks."

Dinner is a quiet, tense affair after that. As soon as I'm done eating, I head upstairs to change my guitar strings.

Twilight pokes her head in just as I'm about to get ready for bed. "Don't forget, we're going to Zodiac tomorrow."

I nod.

She sighs. "Poor Apple Bloom..."

"Yeah..."

"We should do something to cheer her up," Twilight says.

"Maybe see if Pinkie has any ideas?"

Twilight smiles. "Yeah...well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Twilight goes back to her room.

I'm just about to turn off the light when my e-mail alert goes off.




From: MEPHISTOPHELES
IF YOU ATTEMPT TO EXPOSE ZODIAC, I WILL SEND THIS VIDEO TO CELESTIA, LUNA, AND TWILIGHT SPARKLE.




Attached is a video...

...oh my God...

...it's from that night when Cadance...

This is bad...!
> 1/6 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't give up. Your situation isn't as hopeless as you think.

I couldn't sleep at all...

As soon as Twilight is up, I pull her into my room. "We have a problem."

"What's up?"

"I received a threat from Mephistopheles last night."

Twilight gasps. "What?"

"Mephistopheles sent me a video...and told me that if we expose Zodiac..."

"You're being blackmailed?" Twilight asks. "What...what's the video?"

I shake my head. "Nevermind. The important thing is, if we expose Zodiac, that video is going to Celestia and Luna, and...it's going to cause a lot of trouble."

"Flash...what's the video?" Twilight asks, crossing her arms.

I sigh. "It's...from that night when Cadance was drunk..."

Twilight's eyes widen. "You mean...that night...?" She covers her mouth with her hands.

"Yeah."

"Oh my GOD..."

"I can't risk that video getting out. I'd be kicked out of CHS, Cadance would be fired..."

"Yeah..." Twilight looks down. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know..."

"We...should talk to Cadance about this," Twilight says.

"Yeah..." I grab my phone.

We head downstairs and find Cadance already in the lounge, nursing a cup of coffee. She doesn't look like she's slept at all, and she's been crying...

She looks up at us, and she looks absolutely terrified.

"Mephistopheles?" I ask.

Cadance nods miserably. "You too, huh?"

"I couldn't sleep at all last night."

Cadance stares down into her coffee. "This...this is bad. Really bad."

Twilight sinks into a chair. "What are we going to do?" she asks.

I sigh. "We...we can't tell Coach about Zodiac now," I say. "If we do..."

"But if we don't..." Twilight shakes her head. "He'll never trust any of us ever again..." She starts to cry.

I can't stand to see Twilight cry...

Taking a deep breath, I head for the corridor connecting the dorm to the apartment.

"Flash?" Cadance asks in alarm. "What...?"

I head straight for the apartment. The door isn't locked; I walk right in.

I find Shining Armor in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He frowns. "What is it?"

I call up the e-mail from Mephistopheles and lay my phone in front of him. "Don't open the video," I say. "You...really don't want to see it."

He stares at the message, blinking. "What?" He rubs at his eyes. "What the hell's this about?"

"You know about what happened to Pinkie Pie, with her family, right?"

Shining Armor frowns. "Yeah. Her dad's a real dick."

"This Mephistopheles is the one that sent her family that video of her at Halloween. The one that caused all that."

Shining Armor blinks. His brow furrows.

"Cadance and I both got this threat," I say. "The video is from...that night, back in October."

"That night...?" Shining Armor asks.

"The night before you two made up."

He frowns. It takes him a minute to get it. "Oh," he says. His eyes widen. "Oh."

"Look, Coach..." I take a deep breath. "What happened Saturday...where the girls and I disappeared to...we were going to tell you everything. But we can't now. If we do..." I tap my phone. "Cadance loses her job, I'll probably get expelled from CHS..."

Shining Armor grimaces. "I don't want that to happen," he says. "I just...don't like it when the people close to me keep secrets from me." He looks at the message again. "What the hell's this Zodiac thing?"

I take a minute to think of a way to explain it without risking everything. "It's...malware, hidden in Canterbook," I say. "Deep in Canterbook. Someone's using it to fuck with people's lives. The webcam hacks, Pinkie's family disowning her, THIS shit...all the secrets we've all been keeping from you...it's all connected. I can't say any more than that right now, and we can't...we can't show you proof of any of this." I take a deep breath. "You're...just going to have to trust me. And Cadance, and Twilight."

Shining Armor looks at me for a minute. I can't read his expression. He looks back down at my phone.

Before I can stop him, he hits play on the video. After about ten seconds, he pushes the phone away across the table. I quickly pick it up and stop the video.

He swallows heavily. "I believe you," he says. "Only a really sick person would blackmail you and Cadance like this." He looks up at me. "I want to help, but...if I get involved, this Mephistopheles person sends this video to the principal, right?"

"If you even ask questions," I say. "I can't even be sure talking to you right now is safe." I sigh. "But...I had to do something. Twilight's sitting in the lounge right now crying, Cadance didn't sleep a wink, I didn't sleep a wink...Twilight's heartbroken over the idea that you'll never trust her again."

Shining Armor pales. "Oh God..." He shakes his head. "I...I was just so worried," he says. "I don't know...I didn't know where she was, and she wasn't answering her phone..."

"As long as Twilight's with me, she's safe," I say. "I can promise you that. I won't let anything happen to her."

"You can't promise that," he says. "You can't promise you can protect her." He points at my phone. "Not from this."

I sigh. "You're right," I admit. "And that scares the hell out of me."

Cadance and Twilight burst in. "Flash, what—?"

"It's okay," Shining Armor says. "Whatever it is you guys aren't telling me...it's okay. Just...just be careful, alright?"

I look at the girls. "I told him about the blackmail threat," I say. "I told him it's from the same person that messed with Pinkie's life."

"Whoever this Mephistopheles is...you guys are trying to find out, right?" Shining Armor asks.

"Yeah," Cadance says.

Shining Armor nods. "Be careful. I don't want..." He swallows. "I don't want any of you getting hurt." He takes a deep breath. "I won't get involved. The less I know, the better, apparently. But..." He looks at us. "Don't try to lie to me again, okay?"

"We won't," Twilight says. She rushes forward and hugs her brother. "I'm sorry, Shining Armor."

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 / Morning

I'm exhausted...

I keep dozing off in class...

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 / After School

After classes, I down two sodas before heading to tennis practice. Regionals are this Saturday...

I can't concentrate today. Halfway through practice, Coco asks the coach to put me on the sidelines.

"Get it together, Sentry," Coach says.

"Sorry, Coach. I had a rough night."

"Well...show up to practice looking this sloppy Friday and you're out on Saturday, got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

She frowns. "You look like hell. Get changed and go home."

"Thanks..."

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I discover I have mail. It's the prize from the Lucky Santa!

I have homework, but I'm too tired to concentrate...I decide to have a nap before dinner.

After dinner, Cadance calls everyone involved in Zodiac over to the apartment. "I know we said we'd go to Zodiac today," she says, "but we're going to have to put it off."

Rainbow frowns. "Yeah, you and Flash look like hell," she says.

"Neither of us slept last night," I say.

"Also, we...we've patched things up with Shining Armor," Cadance says, "but we can't...we can't collect evidence about Zodiac."

"Whyever not?" Rarity asks.

Cadance and I look at each other. Neither of us want to say anything...

"Mephistopheles is blackmailing Flash and Cadance," Twilight says. "Remember when our webcams were hacked?" The girls nod. "Well...Mephistopheles has a video that..." She grimaces. "Could cause a lot of trouble."

"What kind of video?" Pinkie asks quietly.

"The kind we're not talking about," Cadance says.

"No, they need to know this," Twilight says. "I'm sorry, Cadance. I'm sorry, Flash." She takes a deep breath. "Back in October, Cadance...did something really stupid. With Flash. It was after my brother hit Flash...while Cadance and my brother were fighting."

"Something stupid?" Rainbow asks. "What, did she f—"

Rarity covers Rainbow's mouth. She frowns at Cadance. "Say no more," she says. "I believe...I believe we get the picture." She looks at Twilight. "I take it this is not news to you."

Twilight sighs. "I knew...the day after it happened," she says. "I was upset, but...not surprised."

Cadance looks away, head bowed. I can't look anyone in the eye...

"Anyway," Twilight continues, "Mephistopheles is using that as blackmail material. If we try to expose Zodiac, that video is going to Principal Celestia."

The girls gasp.

"That's just dirty," Rainbow says.

I look around. "This doesn't change anything," I say. "We're going to keep training in Zodiac. We're going to keep fighting the Shadows. We're going to find out who Eris is...and who this Mephistopheles is. And then we'll put an end to all of this."

Everyone nods. "Right!" Rainbow says.

"This Mephistupid person's gotta pay!" Pinkie agrees.

"I'm still with you, of course," Rarity says.

"But for today...Flash and Cadance need to rest, so...we're not going to Zodiac," Twilight says.

"Yeah, you guys go get some shut-eye," Rainbow agrees. "We'll be ready whenever you are."

After that, I head back to my room. I'm getting ready for bed when Twilight walks in, carrying her pajamas. "I'm staying here with you tonight," she says. She quickly changes into her pajamas. Without a word, we both crawl into bed, Twilight spooning against my back.
> 1/7 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 7, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today is a good day to make plans for the weekend.

I wake up early...

Twilight is still asleep.

I remember that I never did my homework last night. I manage to get out of bed without waking Twilight. The sun's been up for almost half an hour by the time I finish my homework.

Twilight wakes up. "Mmmnnn...what? Flash?!"

"I'm over here," I say. "Just doing my homework."

"Oh. Okay." I hear Twilight shuffling around behind me. "Do you think everyone might want to go to Zodiac today?"

I shrug. "Maybe. We'll ask later. We do need to get some training done."

"Yeah..."

I look away from my computer to see Twilight roaming around the room, stretching and gathering up her clothes. She sees the envelope lying on my desk. "What's that?"

"Oh, that? That's that dinner for four at Portobello I won in the Lucky Santa."

Twilight picks up the envelope and takes out the vouchers, looking them over with a frown. "They're only good through the middle of February," she says.

"Yeah..."

"Hey, I have an idea!" Twilight says. "Why don't we double date with Cadance and Shining Armor? It might...help smooth things over with him."

"Hmm...that's a good idea. Talk to Cadance about it."

"Okay." Twilight wraps her arms around my shoulders and presses close to me. "Need any help?"

"Almost done," I say. I have two questions left on my economics homework. It doesn't take long to finish those and submit the assignment, after which I shut down my computer. I stretch. "You want to use the shower first, or...?"

"Hmm..." Twilight sniffs herself. "Eh, I can wait." She looks at the time. "You'd better hurry, though...who knows when Sonata or Vice-Principal Luna will wake up and want to use it."

I stand up and wrap my arms around Twilight. "We could shower together," I say with a teasing grin.

Twilight blushes furiously. "Flash!" She slaps me on the shoulder. Then, with a coy look, she says, "M-maybe on the weekend..."

After breakfast, Twilight and I pull Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity aside to ask about Zodiac.

"I can't today," Rainbow says. "I'm trying out for the softball team. Just because I'm out of action for soccer doesn't mean I can't do something, and I need a little action, y'know?" She grimaces. "I mean, a little...not-getting-in-fights-with-monsters action."

"I've got a late shift at Sugar Cube Corner, sorry," Pinkie says.

Rarity sighs. "Well, I'd be free, but...if I understand the situation correctly, it's all or nothing for Zodiac, is it not?"

"Yeah," Twilight says.

"How about Sunday?" Pinkie asks. "I'm taking the day off to put together Rarity's rebirthday party, so we can go sometime then!"

"Sunday's good," Rainbow says.

"Yes, I can do—" Rarity trails off, staring at Pinkie. "Rebirthday?"

"What? It's better than afterbirthday," Pinkie says.

Rarity makes a pained face. "Yes. Yes it is. Very well then."

"Okay, so...we're decided? We go to Zodiac on Sunday?" Twilight asks. We all nod.

Thursday, January 7, 2016 / After School

At Music Club, Trixie approaches me excitedly. Two girls I've never met before are with her. "Flash, this is Fuschia Blush and Lavender Lace."

"Hello," they say, waving.

Trixie grins. "Over winter break, I had a good idea. You know how much I love music, and you know how much I love magic, right?" I nod. "Well...I thought about combining the two! So...I decided to put together my own band!" She throws her arms around the two girls. "They answered my ad! We're going to be a pop rock act, and we'll be doing music and magic!" She throws her arms out wide; sparks shoot out of her sleeves. "We're...TRIXIE AND THE ILLUSIONS!"

"That's awesome!" I'm happy for Trixie...

"We're having our first show on the sixteenth," Trixie says. "I admit...I'm a little nervous..."

"I'll be there," I say. "I'll bring everyone at the dorm, too."

"Hey Trix, we gotta split," Fuschia Blush says. "Don't forget, practice at Lav's place!" Trixie's bandmates leave.

Trixie sits down on the table next to me.  "I can't believe...just a few months ago, I didn't have friends...everybody thought I was a joke..." She smiles. "Now, it's like I'm a whole new person..." She leans close and kisses me on the cheek. Blushing, she adds, "I'll make a Canterbook post about the concert. Be sure to let all your friends know!"

After Music Club, I head to the mall to buy a replacement birthday present for Rarity, then return to the dorm.

Thursday, January 7, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, I notice Sonata seems particularly lonely. I've still got homework to do, but it can wait. I decide to spend the evening texting with Sonata. We reminisce about Seaddle, and she talks about the difficulties she's having fitting in at CHS. She doesn't seem to want to get into anything having to do with the accident, or what's really bothering her, so I keep the conversation light.

When she signs off to go to bed, I finish up my homework, then turn in for the night.
> 1/8 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 8, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today you'll be reminded that emotional intimacy is more important than physical intimacy.

I'm getting my bath stuff together when Twilight walks in. "Hey," she says. "I talked to Cadance, and we're good to go on that double date thing. How's tomorrow night sound?"

"Sounds great to me," I say.

"Good, I'll let her know."

Friday, January 8, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice is intense today. Tomorrow, we've got regionals...

After practice, I'm surprised to find Twilight waiting on the bench. She smiles and waves. "Hi."

"Hi," I say.

Pinkie jogs up to us, still drying her hair. "I thought the three of us could go somewhere and do something," Pinkie says.

"What, like a group date?" I ask.

Pinkie blushes. "Y-yeah," she says quietly. "I—"

"I'd love to go out and have some fun with my best friend and my boyfriend," Twilight says cheerfully.

"Yeah, spending time with you girls is always fun."

Pinkie smiles happily. "There's a Neighponese-style karaoke box that just opened up in town," she says.

Twilight tilts her head curiously. "Isn't...karaoke...Neighponese to begin with? How's that any different from—"

"You'll see," Pinkie says. I've read enough manga to know exactly what she's talking about...

The karaoke box is pretty much what I expected to find when we arrive: you pre-pay to rent a karaoke room in thirty minute intervals; I pay for an hour and a half, then we head for our assigned room. The room has a long sofa bench that circles one end of the room, with a table in the center, while the other end has a large screen, speakers, and wireless microphones, as well as a touch display for selecting songs. The table has a touch menu for ordering drinks and snacks, which a waitress delivers.

"I wanna sing first!" Pinkie says. "Order me whatever, okay?"

Twilight and I order from the menu while Pinkie goes over the song selections. "Oooh, they've got Neighponese songs too! Eh...I'll go with something easier first, though." Pinkie chooses a pop song that got old a few years ago, but it's catchy and Pinkie sings it well. When she's done, she flounces over to the table, handing Twilight the microphone. "You go next, Twi-Twi!"

"Oh...well...okay..." Twilight stands up and heads to the selector. "I don't really sing, though..." She looks over the song list. "Oh...I don't know what to pick..."

"Just put it on shuffle then!" Pinkie says. "Random is fun! Whee!"

"Well, okay..." Twilight touches the screen and waits. After a moment, her song starts. She starts off hesitantly, but as the song goes, she starts getting into it, and finishes strong. The food and drinks arrive while Twilight is singing, and as soon as she sits down, she dives into her nachos.

"That was really good, Twi-Twi! Your turn, Flashie-pants!"

"Flashie-pants?" Shaking my head, I head up to the stage and put the selector on shuffle. The song that comes up is one of the Neighponese songs; I muddle through as best I can. When the song's finished, Twilight and Pinkie cheer and laugh wildly.

"Hey, let's all do one together!" Pinkie says. "I know just the song!" She bounces up to the selector. "Come on, get up here! I'll tell you when it's your turn, okay?"

We join Pinkie just as the song she wants to do starts. Twilight does the first spoken-word part, I sing the bridges, and Pinkie does the rap.

After that, we decide to do a couple of duets. Pinkie and Twilight do one in Neighponese, which Twilight flubs terribly, but it's so much fun watching her look dorky up there I can't help but smile. Twilight wants to sit down, but I convince her to do one with me, and this one goes much better. Pinkie is smiling at us when we finish.

"That was beautiful," she says quietly.

We end up paying for an extra half hour once our time is up; by the time we finally decide to head back to the dorm, we've gorged ourselves on junk food and worn our voices out singing and laughing.

"I had a great time with you guys," Pinkie says, slinging an arm around each of our shoulders. "I love spending time with all my friends, but...I'm happiest when I'm with the two of you."

"Pinkie..." Twilight says.

"We should totally do this again soon!" Pinkie declares brightly.

"Yeah, we should," I agree.

Friday, January 8, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Vice-Principal Luna asks to speak to me in private.

"Flash...what do you think about the fire at Haflinger Hall this past weekend?"

"I think we're lucky nobody got hurt," I say. "Whoever decided to pull the fire alarm did us all a favor."

"Hmm." Luna frowns. "What I mean is..." She pauses. "That fire's been ruled an accident, not an act of arson, but..." She shakes her head. "I can't help but think that..."

"That someone was trying to kill us?" I ask.

"Yes," Luna says. "Every resident of this dorm was at that party, were they not?"

"Of course we were. Rarity's our friend."

"And it doesn't strike you as odd that the party hall where every resident of this dorm was gathered just happened to burn down less than an hour after you all evacuated it?"

"It's suspicious," I admit. "But if the investigators ruled out arson, well..." I shrug.

"Hmm." Luna shakes her head. "I can't understand what would motivate anyone to terrorize you all this way. Bullying has been around forever, and..." She grimaces. "I understand anger, frustration, and resentment, and the lengths that they can drive a person to, but..."

"So you're convinced that fire was arson? That it was intended to kill us?"

"Yes," Luna says firmly. "I can't bring myself to think otherwise. It just doesn't add up." She gives me a stern gaze. "If there's anything you're not telling me..."

"You know as much as I do," I say. Perhaps a bit too quickly; Luna's eyes narrow slightly.

"Well...if you ever need to talk about someone threatening you, or any of the others...you know where to find me." She heads back to her room.

An important tennis match is coming up tomorrow, and I have to leave early...

I set my alarm and get ready for bed.
> 1/9 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 9, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes the small victories matter more than the large ones.

Today we have the boys' tennis regionals meet.

Even though I'm up before most of the rest of the dorm, Pinkie has a high-protein, high-energy breakfast ready for me as soon as I'm downstairs with my tennis gear.

"Good luck today," Pinkie says.

"Thanks."

I have to be at the school early, so I leave before everybody else is even up.

Saturday, January 9, 2016 / Daytime

Today's matches are grueling, and by the time I'm done for the day, I'm aching all over. I did better than I expected...

We won the regionals!

After the last match ends, Coach gathers us all together. "Good job, guys," she says. "But now the real work begins. Be ready for hard practice next week, because we've got the nationals qualifiers next."

It's almost dark by the time I get back to the dorm...

Saturday, January 9, 2016 / Evening

After a second hot shower to ease the soreness in my muscles, I put on my charcoal suit and head down to the lounge. Twilight shows up a bit later, wearing the same outfit she wore on our first date.

"Bit overdressed, aren't you?" Twilight asks. "I mean, Portobello is casual dining..."

"It's not the atmosphere, it's the company," I say.

Twilight rolls her eyes. We head over to Cadance's apartment. Cadance is dressed similarly to Twilight, except in dark red and dark pink; Shining Armor is wearing a navy suit and a black tie.

Cadance and Twilight start giggling. I share a perplexed look with Shining Armor, who shrugs.

Portobello is a twenty minute drive from the dorm. When we arrive, I hand the server our voucher. She smiles. "Okay! Come right this way." She grabs a basket of breadsticks and four menus and leads us to a corner booth. "Okay, your voucher covers two appetizers, one soup, salad, or pasta bowl each, one entree each, and one dessert each. And beverages, of course. Let me just get your drink orders, and would you like any dipping sauces for your breadsticks?"

We place our drink orders and ask her to bring marinara sauce and garlic sauce for the breadsticks, then look over the menus.

"What appetizers should we order?" Cadance asks.

"I've heard good things about the breaded meatballs," Shining Armor says.

"I want to try the fried mushrooms," Twilight says. "They're supposed to be the specialty here."

We decide on those for our appetizers, then spend some time deciding what to order. Everything on the menu looks good...

The server returns with our drinks and sauces, then takes our orders. She hasn't even taken two steps away from the table when Twilight attacks the breadsticks. We all quickly dive into the basket. The breadsticks are savory, well-seasoned, just crispy enough on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. The marinara isn't as sweet as I'd like it to be, but doesn't taste bad.

While we're waiting on our appetizers, Cadance gives Twilight and me a teasing smirk. "I saw the video Pinkie posted to Canterbook of you two at the karaoke box," she says.

Twilight blushes furiously. "I can't believe she posted that," she says.

"Oh, come on, Twilight," Cadance says with a giggle. "You were pretty good."

Shining Armor tilts his head. "What video?"

"The three of us went to a karaoke box after tennis practice yesterday," I say. "You know, that Neighponese karaoke box a few blocks from the mall?" I break a breadstick in half. "Pinkie recorded me and Twilight doing a duet."

Twilight ducks her head. "I wish she hadn't posted that," she says. "I can't sing, it's so embarrassing..."

"Hey, you were pretty good," I say. "Except when you and Pinkie did that Neighponese song, but that's...well..." I shrug. "You don't speak Neighponese, so...yeah."

"You did a lot better on your Neighponese song," Twilight accuses.

I shrug. "It's phonetic," I say. "I don't speak it, but I know that much at least."

"That and you can actually sing," Twilight says as she swirls a breadstick around in the garlic sauce.

Our appetizers arrive; I sample one of the fried mushrooms. They're well-seasoned and have an earthiness to them.

"So anyway," Cadance says as she cuts a meatball in half with her fork, "how's Pinkie doing, really? I know she seems like she's gotten over all the mess with her family, but..."

"She's pretty much back to her old self," Twilight says. She sighs. "The reason Pinkie was acting all...crazier than usual for a while there..." She snatches a meatball, pops it into her mouth, and chews.

"She was lonely," I say. "There aren't a lot of people who are close enough to Pinkie to really know her."

Twilight nods. "Pinkie's really opened up to us. Especially on her birthday. I think the only person who really knows her as well as the two of us is Maud."

"I think Pinkie was desperate to find somebody she can love," I say. "That's why she was acting all...wild for a while. She...well..."

"She has a thing for Flash," Twilight says. "But since he's taken, she..."

"I think I understand," Cadance says.

Shining Armor frowns at me. "You know, sometimes...you seem to be about as interested in Pinkie as you are in Twilight..."

"Don't start that, Shining Armor," Twilight says. "Look, the thing with Pinkie...it's complicated." She blushes. "I...I've talked to her a lot lately. I'm not really sure what to make of it, but..."

"She seems to be happiest when she's with the two of you," Cadance says.

"Yeah, that's...pretty much how it is," Twilight says. "We're her best friends..."

"I think it's more than that," Cadance says. "Remember back during winter break, when you said Pinkie is crushing on both of you?"

Twilight grabs a fried mushroom and busies herself with it.

"The important thing is...we're her family now," I say. "That's all that really matters."

Cadance and Twilight both smile.

Our next course arrives. Cadance is the only one who ordered a salad; the rest of us ordered pasta bowls. Mine is sausage ravioli alfredo with sliced braised portobello mushrooms. Twilight ordered cheese tortellini with meat sauce. We talk about how the first week back to school has been.

"So, Flash," Shining Armor asks, "planning on joining any of the spring sports teams now that tennis is winding down?"

"Not really. I'm pretty much just in it for the exercise, and we'll still be practicing even when our season's over." I stir my ravioli around a bit. "Besides, tennis is already cutting pretty heavily into my guitar practice as it is."

Guitar practice...

That reminds me...

"Oh, crap! I completely forgot to tell everyone!"

"What is it, Flash?" Twilight asks.

"The concert next Saturday!"

"What concert?" Cadance asks.

"Trixie's concert!"

"Trixie? The magician?"

"Well, she plays guitar too," I say. "She put together her own band. She introduced me to her bandmates on Thursday. They're having a concert next Saturday. Crap, I can't believe I forgot to tell everybody..." I pull out my phone and start mass-texting all my friends to let them know about the concert. By the time I'm done, our entrees have arrived. Coach and I both ordered the same thing: a twelve-ounce strip steak brushed with herbs and olive oil, with a side of roasted potatoes with garlic and herbs. Cadance ordered baked tilapia with shrimp, and Twilight ordered the lasagna entree, which...is a truly massive slab of lasagna, dripping with meat sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and black olives.

"I'm stealing a bite of that," I tell her.

Twilight laughs and cuts off a slim chunk of her lasagna, laying it on my plate. In turn, I cut off a couple bites of my steak to put on her plate.

While we're eating, Shining Armor asks, "So, uhh...any progress on dealing with that whole...thing? You know, with the blackmail and whatever?"

Twilight frowns. "Shining Armor...we're not talking about that," she says. "Not tonight."

Shining Armor sighs. "Sorry." He cuts his steak into thin slices. "I just...I worry."

"I know you do," Twilight says.

"Just...one question." Shining Armor looks at Twilight. "Does this have anything to do with why you suddenly decided to take up fencing again?"

Twilight grimaces. "I didn't know you knew."

"Of course I know. I had to sign the permission form."

Twilight sighs. "I just...felt like I need to be able to protect myself, okay? And I'm not a good fit for martial arts classes, so..."

I cough. "It's just a precaution," I say. "After all, we've got some pretty aggressive stalkers to deal with. It never hurts to be prepared."

"Fair enough."

Cadance pats Shining Armor's arm. "Shiny...you just need to trust us. Twilight is stronger than you think, and Flash...he won't let anything happen to her." She smiles. "Don't you realize how much better all our lives are since Flash showed up?"

Shining Armor studies me. He sighs. "Yeah...I'll admit it. Flash has changed us all for the better. I just...have a hard time letting go and accepting that there's somebody else looking out for my little sister now."

The rest of dinner is fairly quiet. When we're finished with our entrees, the server brings out our dessert orders. I ordered the tiramisu, Cadance and Twilight both ordered the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and Shining Armor ordered gelato.

After we're done with the desserts, Shining Armor and I agree to split the tip, each leaving ten dollars for the server.

I've had such a long, exhausting day and am so full of rich food that I fall asleep on the ride home. When we get back to the dorm, I peel out of my suit and go straight to bed.
> 1/10 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 10, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Working to improve yourself doesn't just benefit you, it benefits everybody around you. If you don't strive to surpass your limits, you'll never get anywhere.

Today, we're having a make-up birthday party for Rarity. We're also going to Zodiac.

Through a series of mass texts, we coordinate our day. The party will be this afternoon. Everyone involved in Zodiac will leave the dorm this morning in staggered bursts, to "go shopping" or "to pick up something for the party". We'll all meet up at the mall parking lot, then proceed into Zodiac.

Twilight and I are the third group to leave. We take our time getting to the mall. It takes us several minutes to find Cadance's SUV, and another fifteen minutes for Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity to rendezvous with us. As soon as we're all gathered, Cadance hauls the trunk containing our gear out of her SUV.

"Alright...is everyone ready?" Cadance asks.

We all nod.

"Then let's go." Cadance pulls out her phone...

"If you could wait just a moment," a familiar voice intrudes. "I assure you it will be time well spent."

Zecora steps around the side of the SUV!

What's she doing here...?

"Who are you?" Rainbow demands in a challenging tone.

Zecora chuckles. "I apologize if I startled you, dear. I assure you, I am no one to fear." She looks at me. "A moment of your time is all I ask before you begin your lofty task."

"Flash?" Twilight asks. "Who is this woman?"

"An associate, nothing more," Zecora says. "From the room beyond the unseen door."

"Don't we usually have these little chats when I'm asleep?" I ask.

Zecora smiles. "Circumstances have changed today, mostly because my master is away. I wish to impart some strong advice. Heed it, or your friends might pay the price." She glances significantly at Rainbow and Pinkie.

"Was that a threat?" Rainbow says dangerously, taking a step forward.

"No, it wasn't," I say softly. "It was a reminder." I feel a cold pit in my stomach.

"Indeed," Zecora says. "Your negligence may lead to a dire fate, but at this stage, perhaps, it is not too late."

"My negligence?"

"The services offered to you are valuable and rare," Zecora says. "Yet you seem to ignore them with nary a care. Thus far, you have muddled through battles that should have been easy for you. Your potential is wasted, and that is no lie." She narrows her eyes. "Take heed: Develop your Personas, or you will die."

Twilight frowns. "Flash has...what, eighteen Personas? How can you say he hasn't—"

Zecora produces the Compendium from thin air. "Nineteen Personas have awakened within, but for the Wild Card..." She shakes her head. "You have yet to begin."

"Excuse me, but...are you capable of speaking without rhyming?" Rarity asks.

"Rarity!" Cadance snaps. "Don't be rude." She turns to Zecora. "What do you mean, 'yet to begin'?"

"The well of your soul is deeper than deep...yet you rarely enter the Velvet Room except while you sleep." Zecora stares at me, pointedly ignoring the others. "Your bonds with others are strong, and yet...the benefits of those bonds, you seem to forget."

The benefits of those bonds...

"Greater power still lies within your soul," Zecora says. "You must attain this power to achieve your ultimate goal." She closes the Compendium, which disappears. "For today, reflect on the potential within. Tomorrow..." She turns away. "Seek out the Velvet Room when you are truly ready to begin." She walks around the corner of the SUV.

"Hey! Come back here!" Rainbow cries. She runs around the SUV, then skids to a halt. "What the...?! She's gone!"

"Who WAS that?" Twilight demands. "What was all that about?"

"Is that woman friend or foe?" Rarity asks.

"Friend, obviously," Cadance says. She studies me. "If...I understand what she was saying, then essentially...she was telling you to stop screwing around and get serious."

I take a deep breath and nod. "That's...pretty much it," I say. "How many times have we actually gone into Zodiac? I've lost count, but...it isn't enough. And then..." I look down at my hands. "I almost never go into the Velvet Room on my own. I should..." I pull out my phone and open my Persona app. "How many more Personas would I have by now? If I hadn't been so caught up in..." I shake my head. "How many warnings have I ignored? How much advice? What...would things be like right now, if..."

Twilight puts a hand on my shoulder. "Flash..." She sighs. "Let's...let's just do what we came here to do, alright? We all need to get stronger."

"Yeah," Pinkie agrees softly. "It's not just you. We're all in this, and we all need to train. If we don't..." She looks down sadly. "Things could get really, really bad..."

I look around at my friends, who all meet my gaze with determination and resolve. I nod. "Alright...let's do this."

Sunday, January 10, 2016 / Zodiac

As the texts begin crawling around, Rarity starts scanning them, a look of mortification on her face. "Ignore it," we all say.

"Right," Rarity says. She doesn't look too convinced; her eyes are troubled, and keep flicking to the floating text.

Cadance opens the trunk; we each pull out our supply packs and put them on. Pinkie pulls her whip out of hers as Twilight and I grab our weapons. Rainbow straps on her knives. Rarity buckles a belt with a holster around her waist, then checks the clip on a semiautomatic pistol before holstering it. She slides four additional clips into loops on her belt.

"I never woulda pegged you for knowing how to use a gun, Rarity," Rainbow says.

Rarity smirks and flips her hair. "Hidden depths, darling," she says.

"Just be careful with your ammo," Cadance says. "I can only get so much at a time without raising too many questions." She looks around. "Is everybody ready?"

"Ready," we all say.

"Alright." Cadance summons Aphrodite. //I'm reading lots of Shadows in the mall. I don't sense Eris or anything too tough for you to handle. But be careful you don't get overwhelmed.//

"Let's go," I say. We all head for the doors and walk in.

Shadows are milling about all over the place. Several near the entrance boil up to form four pairs of human-shaped figures clad in brown burlap robes, linked together by numerous spears piercing their limbs and torsos. Each figure in each pair is wearing a mask with the Roman numeral 'V' engraved on the forehead. One pair glows brightly and unleashes a lightning bolt at Twilight. The lightning courses over her body harmlessly and dissipates into the ground. The Shadows reel.

I charge forward and swing my axe at the pair that shot at Twilight. They drop to the ground. I charge the next pair in the line, dropping them with another swing. The third pair avoids my strike and counters with a lightning blast that knocks me back to the girls.

Pinkie rushes forward and snaps her whip at the pair that got me as I brace myself on my axe. They go down. She summons Euphrosyne, who hip-checks the last pair, knocking them flat.

//Now, everyone! Here's your chance!//

We pile in on the Shadows, pummeling them into nothingness. As they dissipate, a massive horned beetle drops down from above. Its wings buzz, and it suddenly plows into all of us in a sweeping circle, striking us all with its horn.

"Ewww, big icky bug," Pinkie complains.

Rarity draws her gun and fires a round at the beetle's eyes. Before her bullet even strikes, a huge, semi-translucent mirror appears; Rarity's bullet rebounds and hits her in the shoulder. She cries out in pain.

"Rarity!" Twilight cries. "ATHENA!" Athena appears and heals Rarity.

"Are you okay?" Pinkie asks.

Rarity nods sickly. "Y-yes...just...thankful that only hit me in the shoulder."

//It looks like this one repels physical attacks,// Cadance says.

"We noticed," Rainbow says. "Let's see how it handles wind. PERSONA!"

Nike appears and unleashes a massive wind blast at the beetle. It staggers.

"My turn!" Pinkie declares. "EUPHROSYNE!"

Pinkie's Persona appears. A fountain of glowing white confetti explodes out of her hair, surrounding the beetle. The confetti falls to the ground, disappearing and leaving the Shadow completely untouched.

"Aww," Pinkie whines.

"My turn." I scroll through my Personas as the beetle regards us dispassionately. One Persona I have yet to summon catches my eye...

I choose the Persona I was granted on Christmas Eve...the ultimate form of the Magician Arcana.

"MERLIN!"

At first, a cold, grey stone appears in front of me. Then, as if drawn by watercolors, a sword appears in the stone, its blade shining, its hilt gilded but tarnished. Then, years' worth of ivy and vine creep up the length of the sword, completely ensnaring it. Gradually, an ancient, wizened figure rises like smoke from the meeting of sword and stone. Clad in colorful robes depicting moons, suns, and stars, and a pointy, broad-brimmed hat festooned with bells, the ancient wizard holds a gnarled wooden staff in one hand; a gold crown floats above the other. A flowing white beard falls from his face in long, swirled waves, and the sunken eyes in his wrinkled face glow with power.





With a sweep of his staff, Merlin unleashes a searing wave of flames which engulf the beetle, incinerating it.

"Whoa," Rainbow says. "When the hell did you get that one?"

"Umm..." I scratch the back of my head. "I've had that one...since before Rarity's birthday..."

"And you didn't think to use it then?" Rarity demands.

"Uhh..."

Rarity shakes her head. "I can see now why that mysterious rhyming woman showed up when she did. Forgive me, but..."

"I know, I know," I say as Merlin faded away. "But we're going to change all that, right?"

"Right," Twilight says, wrapping her arms around my right arm and squeezing it. "All of us. Together."

For the next two hours, we fight every wandering group of Shadows we approach. Whenever any of us get tired and need to rest, we hang back while the others do the fighting. By taking turns fighting and resting, we're able to clear dozens of Shadows; some of the battles are pathetically easy, while others are more difficult. A few times, one of the girls is seriously hurt, and has to hang back to be healed.

By the time we're all starting to get tired, we've taken out more than half of the Shadows in the mall.

//You're all looking pretty tired...head for the entrance. It's time to call it a day.//

"Yeah, I'm beat," Rainbow says.

"I need time to rest up and freshen myself up before my party," Rarity says.

"I need time to set up your party," Pinkie says.

As we return to the wing of the mall we entered from, Cadance suddenly calls out to us. //Be careful! I'm sensing five powerful Shadows converging on—//

With a terrifying roar, five lion Shadows surround us. They're larger than the lions we've faced in the past...and there's something else different about them.

Each of the five Shadows is a different color: black, red, yellow, green, and blue. The massive balls they're chained to are solid gold, and the masks bolted onto them are metallic red.

"Not more lions," Pinkie moans. "The lions were bad enough last time..."

"Lions again," Twilight says seriously, settling into a defensive stance. "We need to be careful..."

"Cadance, can you scan them?" I ask.

//There's some interference...sorry. I can't get a read on them. Just...be careful, okay?//

"I've got this," I say. "YEE NAALDLOOSHII!"

Yee Naaldlooshii appears, howling as bubbling coils of blackness rise up from the ground, ensnaring the five lions. When the darkness fades, the lions remain unscathed.

"You don't got this," Rainbow says.

//That's not going to work on these!//

The black lion unleashes a bolt of lightning at me. Twilight jumps in front of me; the lightning courses across her body and dissipates harmlessly.

The blue lion roars; dozens of icicles stream out of its mouth, striking Twilight. She screams as she crumples to the ground.

"TWILIGHT!"

Rarity steps forward. "BASTET!" Rarity's Persona appears and heals Twilight.

Twilight sits up, shaking her head groggily. "I...I'm alright."

The red lion belches a gout of flames at Rainbow which she barely manages to dodge. "PERSONA!" Nike appears, returning fire with a wind blast which drives the red lion back.

The green lion steps forward and howls, unleashing a powerful wind blast which drives all of us back.

"Bad kitty!" Pinkie yells, snapping her whip at the green lion. The yellow lion charges forward and slams into her, sending her flying.

Twilight stands up, rubbing her shoulder. "Electricity, ice, fire, wind, and direct attacks," she says, pointing at each of the lions in turn. "That means their weaknesses are probably..." She taps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears, blasting the green lion with a powerful thunderbolt. It roars as it falls to the ground. Twilight follows up with a shaky thrust of her rapier. She's looking tired...

"PERSONA!" Rarity yells again. Bastet appears and unleashes an ice attack against the red lion. She shoots it twice in the head, then slumps over.

The blue lion leaps at Rainbow, mauling her before she can summon her Persona. Rainbow goes down in a heap. I rush over and smash my axe into the lion's head, then swing my axe up underneath its chin in an uppercut that sends it flying. "UNDINE!" Undine spreads a healing wave across all of us, soothing our aches and pains, but not our fatigue.

Rainbow grimaces as she picks up her knives and looks at the various bruises covering her arms. "Ugh..."

The black lion suddenly roars forcefully, shaking the ground. The lions all retreat, gathering around it.

//Something's happening...! LOOK OUT!!//

The five Shadows begin to glow red and rise into the air. The golden balls they're chained to intertwine, and the lions blur and change shape...

With a painfully bright flash of light, the five lion Shadows are replaced by a giant, gleaming robot with a massive sword.

"Oh, FUCK THIS!" Rainbow yells.

"Oh. My. God." Pinkie stares up at the robot, her hair going completely flat.

"This...isn't good," Twilight says, staring in horror at the robot.

"You have got to be kidding," Rarity says.

"Cadance? What the hell's going on?"

//I don't know! I'm trying to figure it out...hang on!//

The robot swings its sword, unleashing a pressure wave which sends us all flying.

"We...are so...incredibly...screwed," Rainbow moans as she picks herself up.

I summon Undine to heal all of us again. Twilight summons Athena, who attacks with a lightning bolt. Sparks explode across the robot's body, but it remains steady.

Rarity frowns as she stares up at the Shadow. "I'm...afraid...I'm all tapped out, darlings," she says.

"Don't worry, we've got you. Just...just try to relax," Pinkie says. "PERSONA!" Euphrosyne appears, speeding toward the giant Shadow with a deadly hip-check...

...which does absolutely no damage.

"Lightning seemed to work," I say. "TAKE-MIKAZUCHI!"

Take-Mikazuchi appears, blasting the robot with lightning. This time, absolutely nothing happens. It glares at me and raises one arm, firing several sharp ice crystals at me. The pain from the attack is excruciating...

"There's...there's just no way to beat this thing," Rainbow moans. "We're all too tired..."

"It's not like you to just give up like that, Rainbow Dash," Twilight says.

"Uh, hello? I've never had to fight a giant robot when I'm totally exhausted before! Even I have my limits!"

"What'll we do?" Pinkie whines.

"Okay...it's big, but it's slow," Twilight says as she pulls me to my feet. "If we can...if we can just protect ourselves and get around it, we can escape..."

We all look at the mall entrance. There are no other Shadows around...the only thing standing in our way is the giant robot, and it's not really made for blocking the entrance...

"Rainbow, can you give us a little speed boost?" I ask.

"I think so," Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears and does a quick fly-by over our group. Each of us start to blur.

The robot raises its sword again, swinging it wide. The pressure wave spreads out...

We're all just barely able to avoid the attack. As the robot recovers, we sprint toward the exit.

Forty feet...

Thirty feet...

Twenty...

//LOOK OUT!//

With a roar, the five lions are surrounding us again.

"It's vulnerable now!" Twilight shouts. "Whatever you've got left, now's the time!"

"I've got this!" I slam my hand on my phone. "MERLIN!"

Merlin appears and torches the blue lion with a blast of fire. He then unleashes a powerful thunderbolt at the green lion. Next, he encases the red lion in a massive block of ice. After that, he buffets the black lion with a roaring green gale.

With four of the lions down, and only the yellow lion left, Merlin's eyes glow ferociously. He raises his staff high above his head, then slams the butt of it into the ground with a resounding striking sound. The sword in the stone glows brightly. The light spreads out, washing over the five lions with a rush of white noise.

When the light fades, the lions are all twitching on the ground, dazed and battered. Rarity fires one shot at each lion, and they melt into bubbling pools of inky blackness, which fade into the ground.

Heaving a sigh and clutching at a stitch in my side, I lean on Twilight for support, and we all walk out of the mall and into the parking lot. As soon as we're outside, we exit Zodiac; the bright, cold January sun shines down on us as the noise of Canterlot returns.

The bright sunshine is immediately replaced by blackness and an absence of sound...

Sunday, January 10, 2016 / Evening

"Flash?"

I open my eyes and squint up at the ceiling of my room. My head hurts...

I look to my left and see Twilight sitting beside me. She smiles. "Oh, good...you're awake."

"Ugh...what happened?"

Twilight squeezes my hand. "You passed out after we left Zodiac," she says. "Cadance examined you...she said you were just exhausted. You fought a lot harder than the rest of us." She sighs. "I'm sorry..."

"What time is it?"

"It's after six," Twilight says.

It's after six...?!

"The party...!"

Twilight sighs. "Yeah...you missed it. We saved you some birthday cake, though. Oh, and I gave Rarity your present. She liked it."

There's a knock at the door. Cadance peeks in. "Is he awake?"

"I'm awake."

"Good. I brought you some dinner." She walks in with a plate of food, setting it on my desk. I get out of the bed and head over to the desk, sitting down. Twilight hands me a soda out of my fridge. "How are you feeling?" Cadance asks.

"Sore," I say.

"Yeah..." Cadance grimaces. "Everyone's still pretty banged up. The others...the others noticed. We tried to hide it, but..."

I sigh. "It's getting harder and harder to keep all this a secret, isn't it?"

"Don't worry about that right now," Twilight says. "Just...eat up, then get some rest."

After I eat dinner and the two pieces of cake Twilight put in my fridge, she insists on giving me a rubdown with some medicated rub. It feels good, and the heat of the medicine working its way into my muscles makes me nice and sleepy...
> 1/11 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 11, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today is an excellent day for group activities. You should make the most of it.

When classes end, I head for the restroom. Once I'm certain it's vacant, I summon the door to the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Igor smiles at me over his folded hands. A spread of cards appears on the table in front of him, representing all the Personas I have to date. "Please...choose which Personas you wish to fuse, and I will describe the results of such a Fusion."

I sit down across from him. Using my phone to check the properties of each Persona I have available, I study the cards arrayed before me. Igor patiently explains each potential Fusion result. After careful consideration, I fuse several new Personas: Titania, of the Empress Arcana; Flauros, of the Hierophant Arcana; Virtue, of the Justice Arcana; Titan, of the Strength Arcana; Orthros, of the Hanged Man Arcana; Lich, of the Death Arcana; Succubus, of the Devil Arcana.

Zecora records the new Personas in the Compendium.

"Until next we meet, then," Igor says. I exit the Velvet Room.

I have a lot of homework...

I decide to head back to the dorm to do homework and practice my guitar.

Monday, January 11, 2016 / Evening

The entire dorm decides to go out and see a movie as a group after dinner. We unanimously agree on Space Wars Chapter VII. We have a blast poking fun at the fifty minutes of trailers that air before the movie, especially the trailer for a particularly crappy-looking horror movie called Roosterwolf, whose tagline is "Cock Goes Were".

"Don't they know there's kids at this movie?" Apple Bloom complains as the rest of us laugh like hyenas at that tagline. "Sheesh!"

The movie itself is a lot of fun, and lasts until very late. We find an ice cream place that's still open, get cones to go, and head back to the dorm. All in all, it was a pleasant evening spent with friends, and I feel like we've all gotten a little closer...
> 1/12 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Make yourself available to your friends today. A friend may need a sympathetic ear.

Music Club is lively as usual. Vinyl Scratch has joined the club; I spend most of the afternoon chatting with her, Octavia, and Trixie.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I run into Rainbow Dash, who's just on her way out. She has a sports bag in one hand and a bat slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, Flash," she says. "Wanna do a little practice with me?"

I shrug. "Sure, let me put away my stuff."

A short while later, Rainbow and I are taking turns pitching and batting. I've never played softball in my life. I'm not especially good at it...

Rainbow's honestly not great at it either, but she's a lot better than I am.

After spending about an hour practicing pitching, batting, and catching, we go for a little run around the field. After half an hour of running, we sit down to rest.

"I just barely made the team," Rainbow says with a grimace. "If anybody who tried out had actually been any good, I wouldn't have made it."

"Well...it's not your sport, right?"

Rainbow shrugs. "Yeah, but still."

"The important thing is, you're getting exercise." I look at her leg. "How's the leg?"

"Hundred percent," Rainbow says with a grin. She takes a deep breath. "Hey, Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," she says. "For everything. This year...it's been rough, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"I don't know if I'd...if I'd have made it this far without your support," she says. "If you hadn't encouraged me, I might...I might've given up on everything." She laughs. "Me, give up..."

"You don't give up," I say. "It's not who you are."

"Yeah..." Rainbow sighs. "I mean...I guess Dad woulda talked me down from, y'know, all the times things have sucked lately, but..." She shrugs. "It's good...havin' a friend who's got your back."

She still looks down about something...

"Is anything wrong, Rainbow?"

"Huh?" She shakes her head. "Nah. Just thinkin'..."

We sit quietly for a few minutes.

"I just...I kinda wonder if maybe I am gay, like the rumors say..."

I stare at her. "Uhh...Rainbow? What other people say about you doesn't affect who you are. You know that, right?"

Rainbow frowns. "Yeah, I know!" She looks down. "It's just..." She wrings her hands. "You know how Principal Celestia's been wearing short skirts an' sexier shoes an' stuff lately, right?"

"Yeah...it's kinda hard not to notice."

"Yeah..." Rainbow blushes. "I've just...been havin' some really weird thoughts about..."

I stare at her. "You've got the hots for Principal Celestia?!"

Rainbow ducks her head. "Kinda...maybe..." She sighs. "I dunno..."

I take a moment to think about that. "But...you're not attracted to other girls normally, right?"

"No," Rainbow says immediately. "Then again, I never paid much attention to guys either..."

I shrug. "Then maybe it's just a special case," I say. I give her a smirk. "And besides, it's kinda hard not to have pervy thoughts about Celestia, you know?"

Rainbow snorts. "Better not let Twilight hear you say that."

We get a little more practice in, then grab some burgers before heading back to the dorm.
> 1/13 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take time out today to help someone who's going through a rough time.

Tennis practice...

Coach is in serious business mode. "Okay, everyone! I need you all working extra hard today! We're going an extra hour, because we've got qualifiers for the nationals coming up on Saturday! Let's hustle!"

Practice is brutal...

I'm exhausted when I return to the dorm.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 / Evening

I'm just getting started on my homework when Twilight knocks on my door. "Flash? Could you do me a favor and walk Spike? I've got a really big essay to write..."

I don't really feel like doing homework right now, so I grab my jacket and collect Spike and the pooper scooper.

As soon as I'm outside in the chilly night air, I hear somebody crying. Spike looks up at me, head cocked and ears pricked up. He gives a whimper.

We follow the sound of the crying and find Apple Bloom sitting against the base of a tree. Spike runs up to her and climbs into her lap, then starts licking her face.

"Apple Bloom?" I crouch down in front of her. "What's wrong?"

Apple Bloom sniffles. "Ah..." She scratches Spike's ears absently. "Ah jes' found out Papa's been in th' hospital since Monday..." She wipes her nose with her arm. "Applejack didn't tell me...Ah was gonna ask her for help with mah homework, an' Ah heard her talkin' t' Big Mac..."

Spike whines.

I sit down. "I'm sorry," I say. "I can't begin to imagine what you're going through...what you and Applejack are both going through."

Apple Bloom looks down. "Ah know Papa's dyin'," she says. "Ah...Ah don't wanna accept it, but that's what's gonna happen...he's goin' away, jes' like Mama did..." She sighs. "Ah jes' don't wanna be lied to or...or have mah family keepin' secrets from me. Ah jes' wanna know what's goin' on..." She sniffles again. "Ah don't want Applejack an' Big Mac babyin' me! Not about this..."

"Maybe..." I look at Apple Bloom. "Maybe that's not the case at all."

She looks up at me. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well...maybe they're not telling you because...because it's hard for them to talk about it."

Apple Bloom tilts her head. "But she was talkin' about it with Big Mac..."

"Because Ah had to, little sis," Applejack says. We both look up to see her standing nearby, wearing a light brown windbreaker and shivering. Her hat is tilted down over her eyes.

Apple Bloom looks up at her sister, frowning. "What's that supposed ta mean?"

"Big Mac had t' tell me because...because Ah've got work t' do. Fer th' farm. You know Ah'm takin' over th' business stuff from Papa, right? Well..." She sighs. "Ah got a right truckload t' do while Papa's in th' hospital." She sits down next to Apple Bloom and pulls her close. "You're jes' now gittin' t' go t' school with kids your own age, Apple Bloom. You should be havin' fun with your friends...you don't need this hangin' over you."

"But...it is hangin' over me," Apple Bloom says.

"Ah know," Applejack says with a frown. "An'...Ah wasn't tryin' t' keep stuff from you. Ah just...didn't wanna upset you. Ah didn't think..." She swallows. "Ah didn't stop t' think maybe not tellin' you would upset you more."

"Applejack," Apple Bloom says. She sobs and throws her arms around her sister, who hugs her fiercely.

I feel uncomfortable witnessing something so private...

I get up to leave.

"Flash," Applejack says suddenly. "Ah hate t' ask, but...can you help Apple Bloom with her homework when she needs it? Ah know you get pretty good grades, an' Ah don't...an' Ah'm gonna be a peck busy with th' farm business for a while."

"Sure," I say. "I don't mind."

"Thanks," Applejack says. She stands up and stretches. "Reckon you was jes' out walkin' Spike, huh?"

Spike lets out a bark and runs around my feet. "Yeah, and I'd better get back to that." I smile down at Apple Bloom. "Just let me know when you need help with your homework, alright?"

Apple Bloom nods. "Thanks," she says.






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Fortune Arcana...


Applejack takes her sister back inside, and I wait for Spike to do his business, then clean up after him and go back in. After I drop Spike off in Twilight's room, I head down to the lounge to help Apple Bloom with her homework. By the time it's all done, I'm pretty worn out myself. I do as much of my own homework as I can before I'm too tired to think, then go to bed.
> 1/14 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 14, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone close to you is depressed. Keep a close eye on this person.

Trixie is buzzing with excitement at Music Club. She's running around asking everybody if they'll be there for her concert Saturday...

Thursday, January 14, 2016 / Evening

Sonata isn't with us at dinner. She had a late appointment with her doctor...

After I finish my homework, I take a bathroom break. Coming out of the bathroom, I hear music from Sonata's room. Her door is open. I peek in and find Sonata sitting on her bed, with her computer in her lap. She's staring at the screen and crying.

I knock on the door. "Are you okay?"

Sonata looks up, wipes her eyes, and shakes her head. She beckons me to enter.

I miss my sisters.

"Of course you do," I say.

I miss my voice. I miss singing...

I sit down next to her. She looks down at the video again.

I'm scared.

She leans against me and cries. I don't think I can say anything that'll help, so I just let her cry.

After a few minutes, she sits up, sniffling, and wipes her nose and eyes. She looks up at me.

I don't feel like I have a purpose in life anymore.

"Sonata..."

It's like I'm a ghost, except I'm not dead.

She looks down at her computer again, then closes it.

Sonata Dusk is gone...I don't know what I am.

Her shoulders shake as she buries her face in her hands. I gently take her computer and tablet and set them aside, then hold her until she cries herself to sleep.

As soon as she's asleep, I pick up her tablet, cross out what she just wrote, and write two words:

Stay strong.

I head back to my room to read until time for bed.
> 1/15 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 15, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Try not to push yourself too hard. There's only so much stress the human body can endure.




New Message From: Sonata Dusk
Thanks for last night. I've just been having a rough time lately...




I text her back, then head down to breakfast.

When I go out to walk Spike with Twilight, she asks, "Are we going to Zodiac on Sunday?"

"That depends," I say. "Tomorrow's gonna be a real busy day. Tennis, Trixie's concert...I don't know how tired I'll be on Sunday." I frown. "We do need to go if we can, though."

"Yeah..."

Friday, January 15, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice runs late again today...

"Alright, listen up!" Coach says. "Go home, rest up, because you need to be at the train station at six in the morning. We've got a long train trip to Baltimare ahead of us!"

We all groan good-naturedly. I shower as quickly as I can, change, and head back to the dorm.

Friday, January 15, 2016 / Evening

I walk into an impromptu "Good Luck" party. Everyone wishes me good luck tomorrow. I have to turn in early because I'm going to need to be up at around four in the morning, so I eat dinner quickly, spend about half an hour chatting with everyone, then head to bed.
> 1/16 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 16, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You and those close to you will have exceedingly bad luck today.

My alarm wakes me up at four. I'm still tired, but I need to get ready...

By the time I've gotten cleaned up, gotten my stuff together, and eaten a small breakfast, it's time to head to the train station. Cadance got up early too so she could drive me over.

"Good luck today," she says.

"Thanks," I mumble. "I hope I can get an extra nap on the train..."

I also hope we'll be back from Baltimare in time for Trixie's concert...

The entire team meets up at the train station a few minutes after six. We board the first express train to Baltimare.

Saturday, January 16, 2016 / Daytime

During the train ride, I get a text from Trixie.




New Message From: Trixie Lulamoon
We have to push the concert back to next Saturday because the venue's having electrical problems and won't be ready in time. Posting it to Canterbook. Let your friends know. Good luck today!




Well, that sucks...

When we arrive in Baltimare, Coach puts us through an hour of warm-ups. The competition is more intense than anything we've faced so far...

We try our best, and while we don't exactly embarrass ourselves...a lot of the other teams are just way better than we are. The last slot for Nationals comes down to us and the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts...

Despite giving it everything we've got, we don't qualify for Nationals.

After the matches, Coach gathers us together. She looks glum. "You all did a good job today," she says. "You won Regionals, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. You made it this far...you're all winners in my book. Don't think you can slack off in practice just because we're out for the season. We've got next year to think about..." She frowns. "Well, except for the seniors. If you guys wanna quit after this...I don't blame you."

The four seniors on the team look at one another and shake their heads. "We've gotta help the girls get ready for their run," one of them says. The others agree.

"Yeah, just because we didn't go all the way..."

"Hey, the girls are gonna take it all!" a third senior shouts. "They've got Coco!"

We all applaud that statement.

Coach smiles. "Good. Alright, let's...let's go home."

Saturday, January 16, 2016 / Evening

It's very late when I get back to the dorm. I texted Twilight before we even left Baltimare, so the whole dorm knows; it turns out Pinkie had planned two different parties in advance, one for if we qualified, the other for if we didn't.

"We're all terribly sorry you won't be going to Nationals, darling," Rarity says.

"But hey, considering you'd never even picked up a tennis racket until four months ago, even getting this far is amazing," Rainbow adds.

Twilight and Pinkie are both determined to fuss over me. Seeing as I've been up since four this morning, played the hardest I've played ever, and spent over eight hours on trains today, I decide to let them. I'm too exhausted to do much more than sit and eat...

As the party's winding down, Rarity's phone rings. She pulls it out, looks at the screen, and answers it. "Good evening, Mother!" After a moment, her expression shifts to confusion. "What? But..." Then, to worry. "Mother, what are you..." Then, to abject horror. "WHAT?!" she shrieks. "Oh, no no no no NO! Mother, please! That's simply--!" She frowns, chewing at her lip. "Well, yes, but..." Her eyes start to water. "But, Mooooootheeeeeer!" she whines. After another long minute, she sighs. "Very well, if you insist," she says petulantly. "Goodnight, Mother."

Everyone's staring at her. "What was that all about?" Rainbow wonders.

Rarity sniffs daintily and flips her hair. "Ahem. My little sister Sweetie Belle...is moving into the dorm tomorrow."

Apple Bloom gasps. "Sweetie Belle's moving here an' she didn't tell me?" She pulls out her phone and runs upstairs.

"Aww man, we're gonna have another munchkin runnin' around?" Rainbow groans.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight snaps. "I've met Sweetie Belle and she's a very nice girl!"

"Where are we gonna put her?" Pinkie wonders. "It's...not exactly kid-friendly up on the third floor..."

No kidding. Even the shower isn't safe anymore.

Everybody stares at Sonata's tablet, then at me and Twilight. "EWWW," Rainbow says, pulling an exaggerated grossed-out face.

Applejack frowns. "Ah did not need t' know that," she mutters.

Rarity shakes her head. "You two lovebirds...honestly!"

Twilight turns furiously red. I would too...if I had the energy to care.

Rarity coughs. "I'm certain Apple Bloom won't mind sharing a room with Sweetie Belle. In any case...we'll sort it all out tomorrow." She stands up. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Are you gonna go throw a tantrum?" Rainbow asks.

"I am most certainly not going to throw a tantrum!" Rarity declares snootily, turning her nose up and stalking stiffly toward the stairs.

Once she's gone, Rainbow smirks. "Yeah, she's gonna throw a tantrum."

My eyelids are growing heavy...

The easy chair I'm sitting in is comfortable enough to spend the night in...
> 1/17 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 17, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You should relax and take it easy today. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

When I wake up, my head hurts like hell and my eyes are tight and blurry.

I'm in my own bed. I don't remember going to bed last night...

Twilight's lying next to me, sleeping soundly and wearing her favorite pajamas.

I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in the lounge...did someone carry me up to bed?

It's two-thirty in the morning...

My bladder lets me know it needs to be emptied. Groaning, I sit up. My entire body is sore...

Taking care not to wake Twilight, I head for the bathroom. Once I've taken care of business, I return to my room. Twilight's still asleep, but I don't think I'll be able to fall back asleep right away, so I turn on the TV with the volume down, grab a soda from the fridge, and try to find something halfway interesting to watch until I feel like going back to sleep.

I've been watching some old movie for about an hour when I feel sleepy again. I slip back into bed next to Twilight...

Sunday, January 17, 2016 / Morning

It's past nine when I wake up again. I'm still sore all over...

Twilight's gone. I sit up. My head still hurts...

Twilight walks in, dressed for the day. "Oh, you're up?"

"More or less." I rub my shoulder.

"Rainbow and Applejack carried you upstairs after you fell asleep in the lounge," Twilight says. Blushing, she adds, "I, uhh...changed you for bed."

I didn't even notice that... "Thanks."

Twilight sits down next to me. "You don't look so good," she says.

"I'm aching all over and my head's killing me."

Twilight frowns and wraps her arms around me. "Just rest today," she says. "I'll let everybody know there's no way we're going to Zodiac today." She giggles. "I don't think Rarity needs to deal with that right now anyway."

Pinkie walks in. "Hey Twi-Twi, hey Flashie."

"Hey Pinkie."

"Oooh, you look like you don't feel so good, Flashie-pants..."

"I'm sore all over."

Pinkie smiles. "I've got massage oils! I can give you a nice oil rub..."

Twilight groans. "Pinkie..." She shakes her head. "How about you just bring him breakfast in bed?"

"Can do!" Pinkie says, saluting. "Be back in a bit."

Twilight frowns. "But you know, she's right about one thing...you probably need a rubdown. Not...the kind she was suggesting, though." She blushes. "I'll go see if Cadance has anything that'll help."

Fifteen minutes later, Pinkie returns with a big, hot breakfast for me, and Twilight comes back in with a big jar of ointment. After I eat, Twilight rubs ointment into everywhere I'm sore. The deep heat of the ointment is very soothing and relaxing...

Sunday, January 17, 2016 / Daytime

My bladder wakes me up. It's past noon. I feel a lot less sore...

After I use the bathroom, I wash my face, then head back to my room to get dressed. I go downstairs to find everybody in the lounge. Sweetie Belle has already arrived, and is getting the full Pinkie Pie treatment.

Rainbow's the first to notice me. "Hey Flash!"

Twilight looks up. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"You're just in time for lunch," Twilight says. "We're about to eat in a few minutes."

Over lunch, we all get to know Sweetie Belle a little better. I learn that she's going to be rooming with Apple Bloom.

"I'll put in the order for a bunk bed tomorrow," Cadance says. "Until it arrives, you'll have to make do with a sleeping bag..."

"It'll be like a slumber party!" Sweetie Belle says.

"Hey, yeah!" Apple Bloom says excitedly.

The girls spend the rest of the day getting Sweetie Belle settled in. I spend most of the afternoon doing laundry and watching TV.

Sunday, January 17, 2016 / Evening

Pinkie decides we need to have a pizza party for dinner. We all sit around in the lounge watching TV and eating pizza.

"Oh hey look, here's Scootaloo's commercial!" Sweetie Belle shouts excitedly. She grabs the TV remote and turns up the volume.

"Scootaloo?" Twilight asks.

"Our friend from school," Sweetie Belle says.

On the screen, a flock of cartoon chickens is running away from a cartoon chef who's waving around a meat cleaver like a psycho. An anvil falls on him, and an orange chicken with a purple comb drops into view.

"Run for your lives, everychicken!" the orange chicken says.

The chef tosses off the anvil and grabs the orange chicken by the neck. She squawks, then shoves a lit stick of dynamite in his mouth. When it explodes, she runs away. "Don't cluck with me!" she yells behind her.

A professional commercial voiceover begins: "Well, Clucky the Plucky Pullet got away again, but you'll always find plenty of hot, crispy, delicious chicken at Chick-N-A-Bucket!"

Clucky the Plucky Pullet pops up over the bright, garish restaurant logo. "Chick-N-A-Bucket, where we really pullet out for you!"

Everyone is staring at the screen. "What...the heck...was that?" Rainbow Dash asks.

"Scootaloo's dad owns Chick-N-A-Bucket," Sweetie Belle says. "Scootaloo does the voice of Clucky the Plucky Pullet." She giggles. "And sometimes, on the weekend, she wears the mascot costume outside the store..."

"I'm...pretty sure that qualifies as child abuse somewhere," I say. That commercial was...holy crap that was lame.

As the evening wears on, I realize how tired I still am from yesterday, so I decide to go to bed early.
> 1/18 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 18, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Good things may happen to you this week.

Pinkie joins Twilight and me in walking Spike this morning.

"I've been talking with Rarity and Rainbow Dash," she says. "It looks like our best chance to do Zodiac this week won't be until Thursday."

"Thursday..." Twilight sighs. "Well, it's better than nothing." She looks at me. "You have to take Vinyl Scratch to the eye doctor today, right?"

"Yeah..."

Monday, January 18, 2016 / After School

I meet Vinyl at the entrance after school. She doesn't look so well...

"What's up?" I ask. "Been a while since we really talked."

Vinyl shrugs. "Let's roll."

Vinyl spends longer than usual in the doctor's office today...

After I drive her home, I help her get settled in the living room and round up something for us to drink while I wait for my cab.

Vinyl sighs, taking her glasses off and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I had a rough weekend," she says.

"More of those...grayouts?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Nah, but...everything's kinda darker than normal for me now. Kinda faded." She shrugs. "Anyway...I spent the weekend doing 'blind training'."

"Blind training?"

"The lady that comes once a week tied a blindfold around my eyes and taught me how to memorize my path around the house," Vinyl says. "I'm also starting to learn to read Braille, even though there's not really much use for it. Not with all the things that can read to you and shit."

"Well..." I fumble for something encouraging to say. "At least you're going into this prepared?"

Vinyl sighs again. "Prepared...yeah." She bows her head. "Prepared to have to use my hands to see Tavi's face...instead of just lookin' at her..."

"How are things going with you two?"

Vinyl shrugs. "Okay, I guess. I dunno if she wants to be more than friends for real...we haven't really talked much about that. We've mostly just been...y'know...gettin' to know each other. We can't even really hang out because of her crazy schedule and how afraid she is of her mom." She puts her glasses back on. "Hey...sorry, but d'you mind if I just...put on my headphones and chill?"

I nod. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

I stay until my cab shows up, watching Vinyl. The lights are off in the room, so I can't be sure, but I think she's crying...

Monday, January 18, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Rainbow asks me to help her with guitar practice. We spend a little over an hour playing. She's getting pretty good...

After guitar practice with Rainbow, I take care of my homework, then watch TV until bedtime.
> 1/19 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone you've recently befriended is going through a problem you've already faced. Show solidarity and support; it will deepen your bond with that friend.

While I'm tuning my guitar in the Music Club room, Octavia walks in. Her posture is stiff and angry. Everyone gives her a wide berth.

She grabs one of the electric basses nobody ever really touches, plugs it into an amp, and just starts...playing a really angry-sounding bass riff. Everybody stares at her.

Lyra wanders over to me. "I didn't even know Tavi could play one of those," she says.

"She can't," I say. "Not that I'm about to tell her that..."

Octavia's foul mood poisons the atmosphere to the point that everybody leaves early. After I pack up my guitar, I walk over to her. "Octavia? What's wrong?"

Octavia looks up at me with a scowl, then sighs. "Today has been...horrible," she says. She looks down at the bass. "Vinyl wouldn't really talk to me at lunch. She wouldn't even take off her headphones. It's the only time I can really spend time with her at all, and she wouldn't..."

I sigh. "Yeah...she was kinda like that yesterday, too. I think this whole business of learning how to be blind has her down."

Octavia nods. "I suppose so." She frowns. "Also, I had...a fight with my mother. She's been getting on my case lately about how she refuses to let me ruin all her careful plans and hard work by making the wrong kind of friends."

"Ouch."

"I..." Octavia swallows. "I said something very rude to her this morning. I've been screening her calls and ignoring her texts all day."

"That...probably wasn't a good idea," I say. "I mean, it's going to be that much worse when you go home, right?"

She looks away. "I know..." She sighs. "I'm just...so frustrated with her! My friendship with Vinyl is the one choice I've ever made for myself! Do I not have the right to make one stupid choice for myself?"

"Of course you do," I say. "You can't let your mother control your entire life. It isn't right. It isn't normal."

"It is in my family," Octavia says. "My grandmother did the exact same thing to her. And her mother before her..." She sighs. "That's just...the way it's been."

I hesitate before asking, "What...what about your dad?"

Octavia snorts. "He might as well have 'Welcome' tattooed on his arse," she says.

"Yikes."

Octavia's phone rings. She pulls it out, looks at it, and grimaces. "I...I guess I should...face the music." She puts down the bass. "Thank you...for listening."

"It's what friends are for."

"I just wish Vinyl had felt up to listening," Octavia says.

"Hey...don't hold it against her if she gets like that sometimes," I say. "Neither of us can really even begin to imagine what she's going through."

Octavia sighs. "You're right, of course." She collects her things and leaves. I take a few minutes to straighten up the room, then head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 / Evening

Apple Bloom asks me for help with her homework when I get back.

We're sitting in the dining room because Luna and Rainbow Dash are making entirely too much noise in the lounge.

"Is she like that at school?" Apple Bloom asks. "Ms. Luna, Ah mean."

I shake my head. "At school, she's the scariest teacher in the world. You do not get on her bad side." I laugh. "But here at the dorm, she's an entirely different person."

"Why're yer principals hangin' out at th' dorm, anyway?"

I sigh. "We've had...some problems this year. Your sister didn't tell you about any of it?" When Apple Bloom shakes her head, I shrug. "There's been a lot of bullying centered around everyone in this dorm, especially me, Twilight, and Rainbow, and somebody even hacked our computers and our webcams."

Apple Bloom's eyes widen. "Y'all git bullied too?"

I frown. "What do you mean 'too'?"

Apple Bloom flinches, then looks down and sighs. "Ah'm havin'...problems at school," she says. "Don't tell Applejack, alright? There's...there's this girl, Diamond Tiara...she's like, super-rich, an' a lotta kids hang around with her because of it."

"And she's been teasing you."

Apple Bloom nods. "Ah don't even know why," she says. "She just picks on me all th' time fer bein' so...country."

"Then she's an idiot," I say.

"But...she gets other kids laughin' at me...she's got this friend, Silver Spoon, they're like, attached at th' hip or somethin'...whatever Diamond Tiara says, Silver Spoon laughs at it, then says things that...that really cut me deep." Apple Bloom looks like she's about to cry. "An' Ah don't know why," she says. "Ah ain't never said one word t' them girls. They jes'...started in on me outta nowhere!"

"Hey, I know what you're going through," I say. "This bi—" I cough. "Nasty girl I had never even spoken to started spreading rumors about me as soon as I transferred here, for no reason."

Apple Bloom gives me a cross look. "You can say bitch if you wanna say bitch," she says. "You think Ah don't know them words?"

"I think I don't want Applejack smashing my head in."

Apple Bloom giggles.

"Anyway..." I shake my head. "Don't let those girls bother you, okay? You've got friends, you'll make more friends. The people who matter will see you for who you really are...not for what some dumb little rich girl wants them to think you are."

Apple Bloom sighs and nods. "Thanks," she says. "Ah...Ah'll try not t' let them gals bother me so much..." She looks down. "It's jes'..."

"I know," I say. "Believe me, I know."

Apple Bloom has just finished her homework by dinnertime. After dinner, I have my own homework to deal with; I have more than usual today, and by the time I'm done, I'm ready for bed.
> 1/20 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Some books would rather be judged by their covers, even if the cover says nothing about the book itself.

Tennis practice...

We have seven weeks to get the girls ready for their season. Today, I spend the entire afternoon practicing with Pinkie. Coco is occasionally moving around and giving everyone pointers and advice.

After practice, I sit down to rest and drink a sports drink before heading back. Pinkie sits down next to me, a towel slung around her neck. "Coco sure has changed since the start of the school year," she says. "She's so confident now..."

"Yeah," I agree. "I'm happy for her."

"It's because of you," Pinkie says. "You really do change people."

"Eh..." I shrug. "Sometimes all people need is a friend."

"Yeah..." Pinkie falls silent. After a few minutes, she eeps. "Oh crap! I've gotta go. I'm working the evening shift today...eep! In fifteen minutes! Bye!" She gathers up her stuff and zooms away.

I sit for a few more minutes before heading back to the dorm.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Evening

As soon as I walk through the door, Rarity runs up to me. "Flash, could I trouble you to help me in the kitchen?"

"Uhh..."

"It's my turn to make dinner, and I just need an extra set of hands," she says. "Applejack is busy, Pinkie is working, and...well, absolutely everybody else is busy. I just...need the teensiest bit of help, since there are so many to cook for."

I shrug. "Alright. I'll try."

Rarity's dinner menu for tonight is chicken cordon bleu, stuffing, seasoned green beans, and stewed tomatoes with herbs. "So...tomorrow we're going to Zodiac again," she says as we work.

"Yeah."

"I do so hope everything goes better than last time," she says.

"It will." I check the recipe to make sure I'm not messing up.

Rarity lets out a sigh. "The last time...I tried my hardest to ignore those horrible messages floating around, but..." She looks down at the chicken breast she's folding. "How do you stand it?" she asks. "How can you stand having everything horrible everyone says about you laid bare like that?"

"It's...not easy," I admit. "I mean...the only real way to deal with it is to remember that if you let yourself get distracted, the Shadows will kill you."

"I suppose that's sufficient motivation," Rarity says with a grimace. "It's just..." Her shoulders sag. "It's difficult to maintain one's poise and composure when one knows what one's peers really think of her."

"Why are you so hung up on this?"

"Because...image is very important to me," Rarity says. "My parents...I love them both dearly, but they're rather...well..." She frowns. "Embarrassing. Father has made a small fortune on investments, but chooses to behave like any blue-collar, bowling night once a week, beer and a basketball game—"

"Regular guy?"

Rarity looks at me. "Well, yes. He has no appreciation for the finer things in life. And mother, well...she comes from old money, but she acts, and forgive me, like those obnoxious women on that one reality show."

I frown. "So...you're embarrassed by your parents because they're rich and don't act like rich snobs?"

Rarity takes a step back. "Well...when you put it like that...it does sound..." She shrinks into herself. "It does sound rather small of me," she admits.

"Why are appearances so important to you?" I ask.

Rarity falls silent. "Let's...let's concentrate on cooking, shall we?"

From that point, the only thing we talk about is what we're cooking. Rarity is efficient and skilled; by dinnertime, we're ready to plate perfect food. Rarity insists on an artistic presentation; it takes a few minutes longer, but I guess it's worth it in the end.

The chicken cordon bleu is a big hit with everyone, even Rainbow Dash. Then again, despite the fancy name, it's pretty much just chicken, ham, and swiss cheese.

After dinner, I head to my room to practice guitar and do my homework. It's almost ten when Pinkie Pie returns from work; she drops in to give me a couple of cookies from Sugar Cube Corner. The cookies are a nice little bedtime snack; after I finish my homework, I spend about fifteen minutes or so reading in bed before going to sleep.
> 1/21 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 21, 2016 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't allow yourself to be taken advantage of today.

During lunch, I receive a text from Cadance, telling everyone to meet at the old roller rink as soon as we can after school. It includes a map with directions to the rink from CHS.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 / After School

"So Trixie, your concert on for Saturday?" Lyra asks.

Trixie grins. "It's going to be amazing! That little problem with the venue on Saturday turned out to be a blessing in disguise, too. It gave us an extra week to rehearse, and I came up with a couple new tricks for the show."

"We're all looking forward to it," I say.

I only stay for a little while, telling everyone I have something to do and leaving music club early. I make my way to the old roller rink; I'm second to last to arrive. Once Rainbow Dash shows up, we head into Zodiac to train. During the two hours we spend training, I put each of my new Personas through their paces; Succubus is met with a variety of reactions from the girls, including a raised eyebrow and patronizing smirk from Rarity, and a cross glare from Twilight.

Fortunately, today no unusually strong Shadows appear, and we are able to accomplish what we set out to do without incident. After we're finished, we all return to the dorm.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 / Evening

"Wow, y'all look plum wiped out," Apple Bloom says at dinner, looking around the table.

Yeah, you guys all look like you ran a marathon. What's up?

Luna frowns. "Indeed...you do all seem rather—"

"Softball!" Pinkie says suddenly and brightly. "We were playing softball."

"Softball? Really?" Sweetie Belle asks, looking at Rarity. "I didn't know you played softball."

"I needed a little fresh air and exercise," Rarity says. "Much as I deplore getting sweaty, I've...gained a pound or two recently."

"Yeah, and Rainbow needed people to practice with, because she kinda sucks right now," Pinkie says.

"Hey!" Rainbow yells.

"So we all went to play softball. Yeah."

Luna, Sonata, Applejack, and the younger girls all study us with varying degrees of scrutiny and skepticism.

"Oh goodness, was Nurse Cadance playing softball with you all too?" Fluttershy asks softly. "Is that why I saw all of you getting out of her SUV outside a little while ago?"

"Yes! Cadance wanted to play too. She used to play softball," Twilight says readily.

I cough. "So, are you all looking forward to the concert on Saturday?"

"Concert?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"Oh, that's right, you don't know about it yet," Apple Bloom says. "Ah kinda forgot t' tell you..."

"What concert is this?" Luna asks.

"Trixie's concert."

Luna brightens. "Oh yes! I saw the announcement on Canterbook. Hmm...perhaps Celestia and I should attend as well."

"I think it's gonna be a fun show," I say. "Trixie's going to mix stage magic with music...I can't wait to see what she's put together."

We spend the rest of dinner talking about lighter things; the earlier topic of conversation doesn't come up again. After dinner, the girls and I gather in the lounge to do our homework while watching TV.

Later, when I'm getting ready for bed, Twilight walks into my room. "You," she says, "are a pervert."

I look at her. "Huh?"

She shakes her head. "How many Personas do you have now that are naked or half-naked women? Seriously, Flash."

"It's not like I have any control over that!"

"They're coming out of your mind," Twilight says. "That...slutty demon chick from today...what's wrong with you?"

I can't believe we're even having this conversation...

"Maybe I'm just surrounded by too many gorgeous, sexy women," I say. I grab her and pull her into a kiss. "Especially this one right here."

Twilight pushes me away. "You're not smooth-talking your way out of this," she says.

I sigh. "Okay. Fine." I walk over to the fridge and pull out a double fudge caramel swirl pudding cup, which I hand to Twilight.

She frowns at me, but accepts the plastic spoon I offer her and digs into the pudding. After she finishes the pudding cup, she holds out her hand in a 'gimme' gesture. Shaking my head, I get a second pudding cup out of the fridge.

After Twilight finishes the second one, she rolls her eyes. "Okay. Okay. I forgive you. This time." She tosses the empty cups and spoon into my garbage. "Goodnight, Flash."

It occurs to me, as my head hits the pillow, that that entire scene was just so she could scam me out of two pudding cups...

I have the weirdest girlfriend ever.
> 1/22 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 22, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will experience significant growth in your personal relationships over the next couple of days.

Tennis practice is pretty much the same today as it was on Wednesday, except we worked on doubles instead of singles.

After practice, I'm packing up to head back to the dorm when Pinkie walks over. "Hey, Flash?"

"Yeah?"

Pinkie fidgets. "Can we go somewhere together?" She blushes. "Alone? I...I wanna talk to you...alone..."

Pinkie seems unusually subdued...

I'm reminded of the last time Pinkie suddenly wanted me to go somewhere alone with her, and my heart races.

"Of course."

I follow Pinkie to a small playground several blocks from the school. There's nobody else around. Pinkie sits on a bench and motions for me to sit down next to her.

Once I'm seated, Pinkie begins fidgeting, shuffling her hands in her lap nervously.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Pinkie turns red. "N-nothing," she says. "It's just...I have something really important to say..." She ducks her head. "And...I've got to have this same talk with Twilight later..." She looks up at me, a small, nervous smile on her face.

"Flash...I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. You've...you've really made a difference in my life...more than anybody else ever has.

"Since I was little, all I ever wanted was to make people happy, to see people smile. But...coming from the kind of family I have, that...it was so hard. The only one who ever understood me was Maud, and...and I was okay with that, but then my parents started getting all nasty and stuff, and...and I saw less and less of Maud...

"I really kinda hit bottom this year, but...you saved me. You saved me from having to leave all my friends, you saved my life..." Pinkie looks up at me. "You and Twilight...you're the most special, most important friends I've ever had. No...you're more than friends. You and Twilight...you're my new family."

"Pinkie..."

Pinkie pulls something out of her pocket. "I wanted you to have this," she said. She hands me an old photograph. In it, Pinkie is sitting in a room decorated (a bit clumsily) for a party; two younger, straight-haired girls are sitting to either side of her, looking awkward and uncomfortable. A younger Maud is sitting off to the side, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

"That's the first party I ever threw," Pinkie says. "For my sisters. It wasn't a special occasion or anything...I just wanted to have a party." She looks down. "Maud understood. My other sisters...they didn't.

"But that day, I had so much fun, just putting everything together...even if my no-fun sisters didn't get into it, that didn't stop me from wanting to make people happy.

"The past several months, I've been so..." Pinkie sighs. "I've had a hard time really being happy. But now...with you and Twilight..." She looks at me and smiles. "For the first time in a long time, I'm really, truly happy. I really feel like I can be my real self now, and that it's okay for me to be myself.

"And..." Pinkie ducks her head and blushes. "There's one other thing..."

She takes hold of my chin, leans in, and kisses me.

"I love you, Flash," she says. "I love you...and I love Twilight." She folds her hands in her lap and looks down at them. "As long as you and Twilight are in my life...as long as I know I can count on both of you...I'll never be sad again." She looks back up at me. "Thank you, Flash. Thank you for everything."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Star Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Kuma, the ultimate form of the Star Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Pinkie, I see her Persona, Euphrosyne...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Euphrosyne changes!





"We should probably get back to the dorm," Pinkie says. She lets out a shaky, nervous laugh. "I've gotta talk to Twilight too."

We walk back to the dorm together.

Friday, January 22, 2016 / Evening

Applejack and Apple Bloom aren't at dinner tonight; they're out spending time together.

After dinner, Twilight and Pinkie disappear upstairs. I decide to hang out in the lounge with Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Sonata, playing video games late into the night.

When I go upstairs to go to bed, Twilight catches me at the door. "Did...did you talk to Pinkie earlier today?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"We need to do something really special for her soon," she says.

"That's a good idea..."

Tomorrow night is Trixie's concert...

I don't have any other plans for tomorrow, but I'll worry about that in the morning.
> 1/23 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 23, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Friends and music are the perfect combination today. Enjoy music with your friends.

Pinkie decides to take the day off from Sugar Cube Corner today so that she can go to the karaoke box with me and Twilight. We invite Rainbow Dash and Rarity to tag along; Twilight invites Sweetie Belle, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom have plans to spend the day with their friend Scootaloo. Applejack is spending the day with her dad and Big Macintosh, and Fluttershy is out doing her usual Saturday animal playdate.

We didn't invite Sonata along for...obvious reasons. We didn't even tell her we were going to a karaoke box. I hope she's not too lonely back at the dorm...

After three hours of karaoke and a late lunch at the pizza buffet, we head back to the dorm to rest up before Trixie's concert.

Just before we leave for the concert, I get a text from Trixie.




New Message From: Trixie Lulamoon
Would you come backstage after the show tonight? I'd like to talk to you for a minute.




Saturday, January 23, 2016 / Evening

Trixie's concert is booked at a large hall on the north side of Canterlot. With everyone going, it takes two vehicles to get there. When we arrive, we run into Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna at the ticket gate.

"It's so exciting to see my students living their dreams!" Celestia says.

We all find seating near the front, having arrived early. The hall is quickly filling; most of Canterlot High turned out for the show.

Our tennis team manager runs out onto the stage, dressed like a roadie. It takes her a minute to find the microphone, and then only after she trips over a cable. Once she finds the microphone, she grabs it and takes a deep breath...

...then disappears in a bright purple puff of smoke.

The disembodied voice of Trixie fills the arena:

"Put your hands together for TRRRRRRRRIXIE AND THE ILLUSIONS!"

Three spotlights pan over the stage, which has a thin layer of fog clinging to it. Suddenly, multiple explosions on the stage send up fountains of sparks and brightly colored plumes of smoke. The spotlights converge on the center of the stage; as the smoke begins to clear, Trixie and her band start playing their first song. Each of the girls is wearing a purple hat and cape covered with stars and moons.

The first song...sounds a lot like the old, boastful, contemptuous Trixie. But even as she's singing, she's smiling and tossing handfuls of colorful party favors out into the crowd, even as impossible amounts of confetti and glitter burst from her sleeves.

After the song, Trixie steps forward and throws out her arms, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Canterlot! The Great and Powerful TRRRRRRIXIE! welcomes you! We have a lot of music and a lot of magic to delight and amaze! I hope you're ready to be ABRACADAZZLED!"

The Illusions immediately launch into their next original song, which I suppose is called "Abracadazzled". It's catchy; the crowd seems to be getting into it. All during the song, Trixie and her two bandmates perform simple illusions, such as pulling strings of scarves from their sleeves and doves out of empty hats.

In between songs, Trixie performs larger, more elaborate illusions, occasionally asking for a volunteer from the audience. She saws one of her bandmates in half; amusingly, she doesn't do the "putting her back together" part of the trick until after their next song, leading to the rather bizarre spectacle of a sawn-in-half girl playing and singing. Trixie herself goes through several wardrobe changes, including a very sexy corset-and-nylons outfit that draws much approval from the male half of the audience. The approval for this outfit is so great, in fact, that she remains in it for the last third of the show.

All in all, the show is a success; the audience seems to love the music and the magic, and after the last song and the grand finale, Trixie receives a standing ovation.

Trixie and her bandmates take a bow. "Thank you, Canterlot!" Trixie says. "You've been a wonderful audience! Trixie would love to do an encore, but we need to get the doves out of here before they make a mess!" Everyone laughs. "Goodnight everybody!"

And with a last eruption of fireworks and smoke, Trixie and the Illusions leave the stage.

"Wow, that was a lot of fun!" Pinkie says.

"Yeah...who knew Trixie could put on a show like that?" Rainbow agrees.

"It was most impressive," Celestia says.

"Combining music and magic like that is simply amazing!" Luna cheers.

Everyone starts to head out. I lag back, telling Twilight I'll head out to the parking lot as soon as I talk to Trixie. I head backstage; the tennis team manager slash roadie smiles and waves at me, then lets me in.

I find Trixie in her dressing room; she's already changed into a blue track suit. She smiles happily at me. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asks.

"Hell yeah!" I grin. "That was amazing! Everybody loved it!"

"I'm so glad," Trixie says, letting out a shaky breath. "I was so nervous up there..."

"You sure didn't show it."

Trixie laughs. "Well..." She shakes her head. "Listen...I wanted to say thank you...thank you for everything.

"It's hard to believe that just a few months ago, everyone hated me...everyone thought I was a total joke. And...I guess I was. I'd convinced myself I was so much better than everybody else...I didn't have friends because I didn't deserve friends.

"You gave me a wake-up call and helped me learn how to make friends, and reminded me why I started learning music and magic in the first place. It wasn't so I could prove how much better I am than everyone else. It was so I could reach out to people..."

Trixie walks over to the dresser and picks up a box. "I wanted to give you something," she says. She hands me the box; I open it and find a black plastic wand inside.

"That...was my very first magic prop," Trixie says. "It's just a cheap plastic wand; it used to do the fake bouquet of flowers trick, but it broke a long time ago." She smiles fondly. "I used to put on magic shows for my dad. I never quite got the tricks right, but he always smiled and clapped...he was a great audience, and he was patient, and...and eventually I did get the tricks right, and I moved on to bigger and better tricks...but I always kept this, because this is where it all started." She looks up at me. "I want you to have it...to thank you for helping me remember what's really important."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Moon Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Ursa Major, the ultimate form of the Moon Arcana...


Trixie stretches. "You think maybe I can get you to play with my band sometime?"

"I'd love to."

Trixie smiles. "Maybe I'll even saw you in half!" She laughs. "See you at Music Club on Tuesday!"

I head out to the parking lot, where everybody is waiting for me. When we get back to the dorm, we all have sandwiches for a light late dinner, then head to bed.

It was a good day...
> 1/24 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 24, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You should pay close attention to the weather this week. Rain and thunder can ruin your plans if you're not careful.

I have a massive pile of laundry to do today, as well as various chores. I'm not the only one; most of the dorm is busy doing one thing or another.

After cleaning the bathroom and sweeping the hall, I decide to take a break until it's time to put my laundry in the dryer. I find Sonata in the lounge and sit across from her. "Hey," I say. "How's it going?"

Sonata holds up a hand and makes a 'so-so' gesture.

"Did...did you enjoy the concert last night?" I ask.

Sonata nods with a happy smile.

It was a lot of fun! I mean, the music wasn't all that great, but I really loved the magic!

"Yeah, Trixie can do some amazing tricks," I say. "We had her here at the dorm for Pinkie's birthday party back in October."

Sonata's eyes widen.

You think you can get her to do something on my birthday? It's in March.

"Sure," I say. "I'm sure she'll be happy to."

Sonata claps happily.

I make a note of it on my planner. "So...how much longer do they want you to stay in the wheelchair?" I ask.

A couple more weeks. I'm sick of it. I wanna get up and move around...

She sighs.

I hate being like this.

"I can imagine. Did Rainbow tell you about what happened to her a few months ago?" Sonata shakes her head. "Some punks jumped her, messed up her leg. Tore up the muscles. She couldn't walk for a while, and then had to be on crutches. It kept her out for the soccer season...right after she made team captain."

Sonata winces.

Ouchies. Why would anyone do that?

I shrug. "Jerks." I smile. "You know what, though? She got better, and she came back stronger."

Sonata looks down.

I won't get better. My voice...it's gone. Even if I ever got it back, I couldn't sing again.

I sigh. "Yeah..." I shake my head. "But that doesn't mean you'll never find something you enjoy doing. Heck, the only reason Rainbow can play guitar as well as she does now is because she had lots of time to practice when she was out with her leg."

Sonata looks thoughtful.

I don't know if I want to learn an instrument. It...it might be...

"There are lots of things you can do. There has to be something you like besides music."

Sonata thinks about this.

Tacos?

I laugh. "Well...it's a start. Point is...try to move on. Just because you can't do something you really love doing anymore, doesn't mean you won't find something else you love doing."

Sonata smiles.

Yeah...

She sighs.

But I still miss Adagio and Aria. Nothing's ever gonna make up for that...

I frown. "Yeah. It...I imagine it's gonna take a lot of time before..."

The timer on the washing machine goes off.

"I'd...better get that," I say. "One of the girls might be waiting on the washer."

Sonata nods.

Thanks for talking to me.

"Any time."

I put my clothes in the dryer, then go back upstairs to do some more cleaning.

Sunday, January 24, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I go for a run with Rainbow Dash and Applejack. We talk about various things as we run. We've been out for about forty minutes when it starts to drizzle, so we head back to the dorm. By the time we're back, the drizzle has turned into a full-on near-freezing rain, and we're all soaked. I head straight upstairs to take a hot shower. After that, I read for a little while before going to bed.
> 1/25 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 25, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It's cold and flu season. Don't take any chances with your health.

It rained all night. It's still raining this morning.

I'm just getting up when Twilight walks in, bedheaded and in her pajamas. "Wow, it's...really coming down out there," she says.

"Yeah..." I turn on the TV and change over to the weather news channel. After a few minutes, the local weather information comes on.




Today: A steady rain. Highs in the mid 40s. Chance of rain 90 percent.
Tonight: Periods of rain. Lows in the mid 30s. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Tomorrow: Periods of drizzle. Highs in the mid 40s. Chance of rain 40 percent.




The forecast for the rest of the week shows rain, rain, and more rain, with temps in the forties all week.

"Ugh," Twilight says. "Do you want the shower first, or—?"

"I showered last night. You go on ahead."

Monday, January 25, 2016 / After School

After school, I head straight back to the dorm. It's still raining...

I'm chilled to the bone when I get back to the dorm. Once I shed my rain gear, I head to the kitchen to heat up some tomato soup. I decide to heat up enough for everybody to have some when they get in.

I'm sitting in the lounge drinking a cup of soup when Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walk in. They look miserable. At first I think it's because of the weather...but then I notice Apple Bloom's been crying.

"Apple Bloom? What's wrong?"

Apple Bloom sniffles. Sweetie Belle pats her shoulder. The two girls shuck their rain slickers and galoshes, then sit down in the lounge.

I get up and get each of them a cup of hot soup. "What's wrong?" I ask again.

Sweetie Belle sighs. "It's just...these two girls at school," she says.

I frown. "The same two you told me about last week?" I ask Apple Bloom.

She nods. "Yeah. Diamond Tiara found out about...about mah mom bein' gone, an'..."

Oh my God. "That's dirty. That's...that's just..."

Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes. "Yeah. Diamond Tiara was all 'Hey Apple Bloom, don't worry. Once you're an orphan, I'm sure Daddy will hire you to clean my personal toilet.' And then that little four-eyed freak she hangs out with started laughing her head off like it was the funniest thing in the world."

"You need to tell someone about that," I say.

Apple Bloom snorts. "Yeah, right. Tattlin'll just make it worse."

"It really will," Sweetie Belle says miserably. She takes a sip of her soup. "Hey, this is good."

"It's just canned soup," I say. "Apple Bloom, you should drink some too."

Apple Bloom drinks her soup. "Ah'm...Ah'm gonnna go lie down," she says. "Ah don't feel none too good..." She gets up and heads for the second floor.

"Umm...I guess I should go do my homework," Sweetie Belle says glumly. "Thanks for the soup." She finishes her soup, then heads upstairs.

The others all walk in a few minutes later. "Flash?" Twilight asks. "Why didn't you wait to ride home with Cadance with the rest of us?"

...

That's right...Cadance said she'd drive everybody home so we wouldn't have to walk in this rain...

"I derped," I say with a shrug. "There's hot tomato soup in the kitchen."

As everyone helps themselves to soup, I pull Applejack aside. "Your sister's being bullied at school," I tell her. "I think she's keeping it from you because you've already got enough to worry about, but...you really need to know."

Applejack frowns. "Thanks fer tellin' me," she says. "Ah'll have a talk with 'er."

Monday, January 25, 2016 / Evening

While Pinkie Pie is making dinner, the rest of us, except for Applejack, are in the lounge watching television and doing our homework. Applejack suddenly bolts downstairs and runs over to the apartment. A minute later, she rushes past again with Cadance in tow.

We all look at one another.

Five minutes later, Cadance and Applejack come back downstairs. Applejack heads for the kitchen, while Cadance joins us in the lounge. "Sweetie Belle, you need to stay with Rarity in her room for a while," she says. "Apple Bloom has a fever. I may need to call my dad out to look at her tomorrow."

"Oh no," Fluttershy says softly.

"Will she be alright?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"I'm sure it's nothing too serious, but I'd probably better pass out some Bannaflu for everyone at dinner just to be safe." Cadance sighs. "Bet I'll run out of that this week..."

Thunder booms long and loud. "Whoa," Rainbow says, eyes wide.

When Pinkie has dinner ready, everyone except Apple Bloom gathers in the dining room. Twilight frowns. "Isn't Principal Celestia supposed to be here?"

"She won't be staying at the dorm this week," Cadance says as she passes out Bannaflu. "She and Luna both have things to take care of."

Throughout dinner, the lights flicker from time to time, even going out entirely for a few seconds at one point. It's such a rainy, miserable evening that nobody really feels like doing anything after dinner, so most of us go to bed early. Twilight changes into her pajamas and snuggles up with me in my bed, and we listen to the rain and the thunder until we're both nice and sleepy.
> 1/26 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Stand up for what's right today, even if it puts you in an awkward situation.

Apple Bloom has a cold. Applejack's staying home from school to take care of her.

It's mostly stopped raining, but it's still cloudy and cold. The weather forecast for the week is still pretty ugly...

I walk Spike with Twilight. Keeping him from rolling around in the cold mud is a chore...

"It doesn't look like we'll have a chance to go to Zodiac this week," Twilight says. "Not with the weather like this."

"Yeah..."

She frowns. "We don't have much time until Cadance's birthday, either. It's less than three weeks away..."

"It's Valentine's Day, right?"

"That's right." Twilight pauses. "Speaking of which..." She blushes.

Spike suddenly starts barking his head off. A filthy stray cat with matted fur is wandering around. It looks at us, meows, and skulks off, jumping up onto the fence.

"Spike!" Twilight says sharply. "Cut it out!" Spike looks up at her and wags his tail. Twilight shakes her head. "Anyway..."

"Valentine's Day...yeah..." I shove my hands in my pockets. "I'll come up with something..."

That reminds me...I need to shop for Twilight's Valentine's gift...

I think I'll go back to that place I bought her birthday present from.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 / After School

It's rained off and on all day. I didn't bring my guitar to school. Checking the weather, it looks like another batch of rain will arrive in a couple of hours...

I head to Music Club, where everyone is talking excitedly about Trixie's concert. Trixie is very much the center of attention, and she's all smiles.

"Hey Flash!" Lyra calls. "We're just talking about Trixie's concert. Wasn't it awesome?"

"Yeah, it was." I spend about half an hour talking with everyone, then leave early to go shopping.

The sky is looking ominous by the time I reach that silver shop. I walk in to find that silver-haired girl, Silver Spoon if I remember correctly, behind the counter, just like before. She's talking and laughing with another girl. This girl has pink skin, wavy lavender hair with a broad white stripe, and is wearing expensive clothes and jewelry; she has a hair clip shaped like a tiara in her hair.

"If we're lucky, she caught her daddy's cancer," the girl says with a snide laugh.

Silver Spoon giggles. "You're too hysterical, Diamond Tiara!" She looks up at me. "Oh! Hi! I remember you! Did your girlfriend like the locket?"

"Yeah, she did," I say absently. I look at the pink girl. "Your name is Diamond Tiara?"

"Yeah? What's it to you?" Diamond Tiara says indifferently.

"Apple Bloom and her sister are friends of mine. I've heard about the way you treat her."

Diamond Tiara snorts. "You're friends with that hayseed?"

"Uhh, Di?" Silver Spoon looks mildly panicked. "This guy's a customer. Like, a really well-paying one..."

I remember what Sweetie Belle said yesterday...

"And then that little four-eyed freak she hangs out with started laughing her head off like it was the funniest thing in the world."

Sterling Silver comes out of the workshop in the back, scrubbing his hands on a rag. "Oh, hello!" he says. "What can I do for you today?"

I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I don't think I'll be doing any more business with you."

His face falls. "Your girlfriend didn't like the locket?"

"No, no...the locket is amazing and she loved it." I look at the two younger girls. "The problem is that your daughter and this other little girl are bullying a friend of mine."

Silver Spoon's eyes widen. Sterling frowns.

Diamond Tiara gasps, offended. "Bullying? What? That's like...no! And you can't prove it!"

"Umm...right as I walked in, you were saying you hoped a girl caught her father's cancer. I'm pretty sure you were talking about Apple Bloom."

Sterling glares at Diamond Tiara. "What?" he asks dangerously.

"And your daughter was laughing."

Silver Spoon ducks her head.

"So...as much as Twilight and I both loved the locket I bought here..."

Sterling nods, a frown on his face. "I understand. I'm sorry about this. I had no idea..." He puts his hands on his hips. "Diamond Tiara? Leave. I never want to see you in here again."

Diamond Tiara glares at me and stalks out.

"Sil? Phone. Now."

Silver Spoon meekly hands her phone to her father, who pockets it.

"We're going to have a very long talk about this at home," Sterling says. He looks at me. "Again...I'm terribly sorry. I assure you, Silver Spoon will be apologizing to this friend of yours."

I nod to him, then leave.

Guess I'll need to come up with something else for Twilight's present...

I know it's not Sterling Silver's fault, but I can't really bring myself to buy anything from him right now.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 / Evening

It starts raining before I get back to the dorm. Everybody else is already home.

"What kept you?" Twilight asks.

"I was doing some shopping," I say. "I guess I forgot it was about to rain..."

"Well...dinner's almost ready," Twilight says.

I nod and go upstairs to change and wash up, then head down to the dining room. Everyone is already there; Applejack is setting out the serving dishes. "How's Apple Bloom?" I ask.

"Better," Applejack says. "Keepin' 'er home tomorrow, but her fever's down. She's asleep right now, Ah'll take 'er up some supper later."

"That's good." I look at Sweetie Belle. "You'll never guess who I ran into in town today."

"Who?"

"Diamond Tiara."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widen.

"Who's Diamond Tiara?" Rainbow asks.

"The bully that's been bothering Apple Bloom."

Applejack frowns.

Twilight covers her mouth. "Apple Bloom's being bullied?"

"Yeah."

"Diamond Tiara's a total bitch," Sweetie Belle says.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cries.

"Sorry."

"Bitch doesn't even begin to describe that girl," I say. "I overheard her saying she hopes..." I trail off.

"Hopes what?" Applejack asks.

I shake my head. "Nevermind."

"Oh no, you can't just build it up like that then drop it," Rainbow says.

"Maybe...we don't need to hear this," Twilight says.

I sigh. "Let's just say she said she hopes Apple Bloom is dying and leave it at that." Everyone reacts with horror; Applejack looks furious.

"That's horrible!" Pinkie gasps.

"And you were right, Sweetie Belle. Silver Spoon laughs at everything Diamond Tiara says." I sigh. "And she seemed like such a nice girl the first time I met her..."

Twilight frowns. "Where the heck are you going that you're meeting junior high girls?"

"That shop I bought your locket at," I say. "Silver Spoon's dad owns the place. I went back there today, Diamond Tiara was hanging out there..."

"Oh."

"I, uh...may have made a scene," I say as I cut up a pork chop. "Silver Spoon's in pretty deep shit..."

"Good for you," Rarity says with a dainty sniff.

Sweetie Belle frowns. "I don't know," she says. "Something tells me Diamond Tiara's only going to be even meaner after this..."

"So what?" Rainbow says. "All she can do is say nasty things, right? I mean, can she really do anything to you girls?"

"Well...no, not really..."

"So just tell her to go fuck herself and then ignore her," Rainbow says with a shrug.

Rarity coughs. "Ahem...perhaps not in quite such vulgar terms?" she says sharply.

"Rainbow Dash, you really should watch your language," Fluttershy says, giving Rainbow a disapproving look.

Rainbow looks away. "Sorry," she says.

Pinkie Pie tries to change the subject to something lighter; the rest of dinner is a bit awkward.

After dinner, I do my homework. By the time I'm done, I'm feeling stuffed up and headachey. I decide to take some cold medicine before bed, just in case...I don't want to get sick again.
> 1/27 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be firm but forgiving with people that have done you and your loved ones harm. You never know what might happen as a result.

The day starts off wet, and the forecast says it'll stay wet all day.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 / After School

By the time school lets out, over an inch of rain has fallen. Tennis practice is cancelled...

There's nothing to do except head home early with everyone else.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Apple Bloom asks me to help with her homework. We're in the lounge; I already did my own homework when I got home, and everybody else is upstairs doing their own thing.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

"Better," she says. "Applejack said I should go ahead and stay home tomorrow since it looks like they might be closing school early anyway."

"Ugh, yeah..." The weather is getting worse...the faculty chat board on Canterbook has been full of discussion about school closings all day.

There's a knock at the front door to the dorm. Frowning, I get up and answer it.

To my surprise, Sterling Silver and Silver Spoon are standing outside in rain slickers; Sterling is holding a large golf umbrella.

"Is...is Apple Bloom here?" Silver Spoon asks in a small, contrite voice.

"Yeah."

Silver Spoon looks down. "I...I came to apologize to her..."

I fold my arms and step out of her way. She walks in; her father remains outside. He gives me an awkward but respectful nod. "So...I hope, given time, you'll consider remaining a customer..."

I sigh. "Yeah. That wasn't very fair of me. I...I just wanted to make a point."

He snorts. "You made a pretty effective point alright."

"Still, I don't think I'll be back before Valentine's Day. It's not because of...this. It's because, well..." I give him a sheepish laugh. "My girlfriend doesn't really wear much jewelry in the first place. Heck, that locket is pretty much the only piece she ever wears."

"Ah." Sterling nods. "I know a few women like that."

I scratch my chin. "I might pick something up for another friend of mine, though. I'll think about it and let you know..." I look past him and grimace. "Whenever the weather settles down."

I turn to find Silver Spoon still standing behind me, looking sick to her stomach. Sterling frowns at her. "Sil," he says.

"I know," she says. "I just...wanted to wait for this guy. I...can't face her alone."

I lead Silver Spoon into the lounge. Apple Bloom never got up to follow me to the door, but she clearly knows who was there, because she looks pretty upset. She glares at Silver Spoon when we walk in.

Silver Spoon flinches and looks away. "Umm...Apple Bloom..." She takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay? I...I shouldn't have laughed at all the mean things Diamond Tiara said about you. I just..." She sighs. "I never thought about...about how much she was hurting you. About how wrong the stuff she was saying was." She looks at her feet. "Diamond Tiara's been my best friend since we were little," she says in a small voice. "I—"

"Don't make excuses for her," I interrupt. "She's a worthless bully, and defending her isn't scoring points here."

Silver Spoon looks up at Apple Bloom. "I just never stopped to think about how wrong it was...how awful it is to make fun of somebody because their parents..." She looks away again. "I'm sorry."

Apple Bloom sighs. "Do you really mean it, or are you jes' sayin' it 'cuz you're in trouble?"

Silver Spoon flinches. "I...I really do mean it," she says. "Daddy sat me down and had a really long talk with me, and...and I'm going to try to stop Diamond Tiara from...from being as mean to you as she is." Her shoulders slump. "I don't think it'll really help, but...I'll try."

Apple Bloom smiles slightly. "Alright," she says. "Ah accept your apology."

Silver Spoon lets out a sigh of relief.

Apple Bloom smirks. "Jes' one thing," she says. "How long're you grounded for?"

Silver Spoon rolls her eyes. "Three weeks," she says. "No phone, no computer."

"Good," Apple Bloom says.

"Apple Bloom, be nice," I say.

"No, it's okay. I deserved that," Silver Spoon says. "Umm...see you at school..." She turns and heads back to the entrance. I follow behind her to lock the front doors, then head back to the lounge.

Apple Bloom's shoulders are shaking. She looks up at me. "You had somethin' t' do with that, didn't you?" she asks.

I nod. "I ran into Diamond Tiara at Silver Spoon's dad's shop yesterday. I told her dad what those girls were saying to you."

Apple Bloom sighs. "Thanks," she says. "Ah jes' hope...Ah hope she really meant all that...an' she can get Diamond Tiara off mah case."

"I wouldn't hold my breath," I say. "I hated that little brat the second I laid eyes on her." I shake my head. "I think Silver Spoon's different, though. She seemed really nice the first time I met her."

"Well...she does only follow in behind Diamond Tiara," Apple Bloom says. "She never actually starts anything." She shrugs. "We'll see. Anyway...thanks. That means a lot to me." She looks down. "Ah gotta be honest...th' reason Ah got sick in th' first place? Ah think...Ah think Ah jes' got so upset over them two pickin' on me, Ah..."

"Stress lowers immunity," I say, nodding. "That's something Twilight told me when I came down with the flu back in November."

Apple Bloom looks at her computer. "Ah'm jes' about done here," she says. "Think Ah'm gonna go on t' bed now."

A particularly loud rumble of thunder shakes the dorm. We both jump. "Dang that was scary," Apple Bloom says, eyes wide.

I head up to my room. I find Twilight reading in my bed. She sees me, smiles, and sits up, letting the covers fall away.

She's naked.

I have exactly two seconds to register this fact before the power goes out.
> 1/28 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 28, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

Outside the window, lightning is flashing frequently. The clock radio is blinking; judging by the display, the power's only been back on for two and a half hours.

A great rolling boom of thunder rattles everything. I extract myself from Twilight's embrace and get up. I look around for the remote, but hesitate to grab it. My hands aren't exactly clean...

The TV sets in the dorm do have voice control, but I hate using it. Sighing, I speak up: "TV on. Channel 211."

The TV comes on; after a moment, it changes over to the cable weather. There's an angry red ticker scrolling a warning about severe thunderstorms in the area. The clock in the corner of the screen says it's a quarter of seven.

I glance back at the bed. In the glow of the TV, I can see two lumps under the covers. A flash of lightning illuminates a mass of pink hair.

"Good grief..." I gather my bath stuff and head for the bathroom to shower.

Once I'm clean, I return to my room. The lights are on; Twilight is alone. She's sitting up in bed, covers pulled over her chest, and her face is red as a tomato. "Umm...school's closed today," she says. While I was out, she must've changed the channel to the local news; the morning anchor is rattling off lists of school, road, and government office closings.

"Wow, it's that bad?"

"Yeah..." Twilight shrugs. "It's not like CHS can really have school with the power going off all day anyway."

"This is true."

"And then there's the three inches of rain we got overnight," Twilight says. "It isn't even safe to drive right now, and it's still coming down."

"Oh well." I grab my phone and sit down in my desk chair. Canterbook is giving error messages left and right. "Hey, Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"Last night...did we really, y'know...with Pinkie?"

"Umm...y-yeah..." I turn to see Twilight, who's still blushing furiously. "We, umm...cuddled her. Naked. Naked cuddling. With Pinkie."

"Wow."

"I should...probably go take a shower," Twilight says meekly, standing up and walking out of the room naked. I shake my head, chuckle, and watch the news for a little bit.

At a quarter of eight, Twilight peeks her head back in. She's dressed for a day of staying in. "I smell breakfast," she said. "We'd better get downstairs."

Thursday, January 28, 2016 / Morning

I follow Twilight downstairs. It turns out Rarity made breakfast for the dorm this morning. It's really more of an elaborate brunch than breakfast.

When Twilight and I walk into the dining room, everybody but Pinkie is staring at us. Varying looks of amusement, irritation, and disgust meet the two of us as we sit down.

"Y'know...that ain't th' kinda education Granny done sent Apple Bloom t' th' city t' git," Applejack says frostily.

Sonata writes something on her notepad—apparently, her tablet isn't charged this morning—and holds it up.

Twilight, you're louder than Adagio, and our neighbors called the cops on her once!

Twilight ducks her head. "I'm sorry!" she says.

A spike of lightning strobes against the walls of the dining room, and the lights go out. Nearly twenty seconds later, they come back on.

Rainbow groans. "Is it gonna keep doin' that all day?" she asks. "Bad enough the lights kept goin' on and off all night..."

I can't even charge my tablet. Don't wanna risk it.

We take our time eating breakfast, then we all pitch in cleaning up. There really doesn't seem to be much to do today...

The lights go out for nearly a full minute. Shortly after they come back on, Cadance walks in from her apartment. "So, you kids enjoying the day off from school?"

Another blinding flash of lightning illuminates the dorm, followed by another roll of thunder.

"This blows!" Rainbow cries. "We can't play video games or even watch TV with the power going out all the time, can't go outside..."

"I've got lots of board games we can play," Pinkie says. "Twister, Mouse in the House, Operation, Cards Against Humanity..."

"Whut's that last one?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Never you mind," Applejack says. "It's fer big folks, an' it's mighty obscene." She frowns at Pinkie. "Whut're y'all doin' with a game like that, anyhoo?"

Pinkie shrugs. "It was in the lost and found at Sugar Cube Corner. After like a week, the Cakes said I could have it."

"There's way too many of us to play any one board game," Rainbow points out.

"Why don't you bring them all down?" Sweetie suggests. "We can pick whatever we want to play and we can all split up and play in groups."

"Hey yeah! That's a good idea!" Apple Bloom says.

"Okay!" Pinkie rushes upstairs. She comes back down a few minutes later carrying a massive stack of board games, which she piles on the dining room table.

"I haven't played any board games in forever," Cadance says. "I think I'll join you kids."

"Do you think Shining Armor would like to join us?" Twilight asks.

Cadance laughs. "Nah, he's busy working on his model kits."

Rainbow snickers. "Coach builds models like some egghead?"

"He sure does," Cadance says with a giggle. "He loves building models of those Neighponese robots..." She shakes her head.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 / Daytime

For the rest of the day we keep ourselves busy with board games, switching games between our groups and shuffling group members around as we get bored. Applejack and Rainbow Dash make the mistake of playing Twister with Pinkie, Fluttershy plays Mouse in the House with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, Sonata and Rarity play Operation, and Twilight, Cadance, and I play Scrabble.

Yeah, we still don't know better.

After about an hour with each game, give or take, we all swap around. There are bowls of snacks set out for everyone, so we can graze throughout the day instead of trying to make lunch. The thunder continues to rumble, and rain lashes against the windows in huge, fat drops.

"I can't believe we're having weather like this in January," Cadance says, shaking her head.

Twilight shrugs. "It's weird, but it happens."

"Well, school's out tomorrow too," Cadance says. "This weather isn't letting up until Saturday."

"Ugh," Twilight groans.

Once everyone is tired of board games, we all head to our own rooms; I can hear Twilight and Cadance giggling across the hall from me. I roll my eyes and change the sheets on the bed, then lie down to sleep.

I hope we don't all go stir crazy before the weather lets up...
> 1/29 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, January 29, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

The thunderstorms have given way to a persistent, heavy rain. The constant sound of falling rain and the bone-numbing chill in the air have everybody in a sleepy, dismal, all-around blah mood. Canterbook is down until Monday, possibly longer...we learned at breakfast that the sysadmin had to brave the storm to physically unplug the server yesterday.

I spend most of the day in my room, watching TV in bed. I doze off frequently throughout the day, missing huge chunks of TV shows I'm only half-watching anyway. Twilight and Pinkie are in and out; everybody seems to be restless, lethargic, and generally disinterested in anything.

I don't know if anybody bothers to cook lunch or dinner for the dorm. I have food in my room and I'm not that hungry anyway, so I only get up to use the bathroom or stretch and walk around a couple of times.

The rain keeps pouring down...
> 1/30 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 30, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

The rains let up considerably overnight. All morning long, a light, gentle rain falls.

By mid-afternoon, the rain tapers off to occasional light drizzles. On the news, they're showing an end to the rain by nightfall. It's still going to be cloudy for a few days, but the horrible weather we've had all week long is finally coming to an end.

It's a good thing, too, because we're all going a little stir-crazy.

Looking out the windows on the third floor, we can see just how bad the flooding is. The roads are covered in standing water. Even though the rains are over, nobody's going anywhere for a while. Canterlot's drainage system wasn't designed to handle this kind of flooding.

Saturday, January 30, 2016 / Evening

Everybody's a little snippy with each other today. Dinner is awkward; the only people who are really getting along are me, Twilight, and Pinkie. Apparently, Applejack's mad at Rainbow Dash because Apple Bloom walked in on Rainbow flicking the bean. Also, Apple Bloom's apparently been using up Applejack's tampons, so she's on thin ice too. I'm not entirely sure why Rarity is mad at Sweetie Belle, but the dozen or so band-aids on Rarity's face and arms probably have something to do with it. Fluttershy's irritated because all the pets in the dorm are irritated...I think. Sonata's irritated because she can't beat stage 135 on Pokemon Shuffle.

"Jes' sayin', you don't need t' be doin' that where mah impressionable li'l sis can see," Applejack says.

Rainbow Dash gasps in offense. "What...ME?! Seriously?! The third floor's turned into a fuckin' love hotel and you're bitchin' me out?"

"What Ah wanna know is where you even got that picture of Principal Celestia," Apple Bloom says.

Rainbow Dash turns red and splutters. We all stare at her.

"So much for your protestations at not being a lesbian," Rarity says.

"I AIN'T GAY!" Rainbow screeches. "It's just...it's Celestia! I can't help it!"

"It is possible to be heterosexual and have a crush on a member of the same sex," Twilight says. Her eyes dart to Pinkie; she ducks her head and blushes.

"And anyway, you walked in on me in my room," Rainbow says. "So don't you dare bitch ME out about what I do in the privacy of my own room!"

Everybody leaves the table as soon as they're done eating. The girls are all over each others' nerves, and it's making life in the dorm tense.

Once everybody has gone back to their own rooms, Twilight, Pinkie, and I remain at the dining room table, sitting in awkward silence.

"So, uhh...what do you guys wanna do tonight?" Pinkie asks. "The same thing we do every night?"

"Every night?" Twilight asks, sticking her tongue out at Pinkie. "And no...I'm actually a little, umm..." She ducks her head. "A little worn out on that for a while."

"Me too," I say. "Besides, maybe we've been...overdoing it a bit lately." I start clearing the table. "How about a movie? There's gotta be at least one good movie on TV tonight. Or maybe an on-demand movie..."

"Sounds good to me," Twilight says, helping me with the table. "Looks like we'll have the lounge to ourselves."

"I'll make the popcorn!" Pinkie says.

The three of us spend the rest of the night watching movies in the lounge.
> 1/31 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, January 31, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

It's finally stopped raining. The clouds are still thick and grey. It's still cold and gloomy. We still can't leave the dorm for all the waters.

The city has pumping trucks out in the streets today. I spend a little while watching workers pump water out of the street outside the dorm, and the rest of the day playing Mouse in the House with Twilight and Pinkie.

Everyone else is holed up in their own rooms today...all things considered, it's probably for the best.

Sunday, January 31, 2016 / Evening




System Message
Canterbook has been restored. Not all apps are available at this time. Basic services should be functioning normally. Full service will be restored within 24 to 48 hours.




Maybe some sense of normalcy will return now...
> 2/1 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 1, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): ERR script not loaded — contact administrator

Everybody walks to school together in one big group. We're all wearing heavy galoshes and slickers, because the streets still have standing water.

Monday, February 1, 2016 / Morning

Everyone, students and teachers alike, are hung over from the last several days. Mr. Turner doesn't feel like teaching us anything this morning, so he puts on an episode of Trottingham Nobles Are Interesting and dozes off at his desk.

That title is a lie, by the way. There's not one interesting thing about this show.

About halfway through second period, Principal Celestia makes the morning announcements. One announcement in particular catches everyone's attention:

"Valentine's Day is in two weeks. As always, we are hosting our annual Valentine's Dance at CHS. The dance will be held on Saturday the thirteenth. The details will be made available on Canterbook as soon as the public notice boards stop giving me 'Invalid Account' errors."

We all laugh at that. Canterbook has developed some interesting bugs since the restart...

Looks like I'll need to pull out that suit again.

Monday, February 1, 2016 / Afternoon

Halfway through English, I get a text from Cadance, telling me to report to the nurse's office immediately. The teacher apparently gets the same message. She looks up in concern. "Mr. Sentry? What's this message from Nurse Cadance about?"

"I'm not sure," I say. "Nurse Cadance wouldn't call me out of class without a good reason..."

The teacher nods. "Very well. You're excused."

Confused eyes follow me out of the room.

When I reach the nurse's office, a very worried-looking Cadance is waiting for me. A million possibilities run through my mind, all of them bad. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"Your friend Vinyl Scratch," she says. "She had an episode in the girls' bathroom at lunch. Another student just found her unconscious." She leads me inside.

Vinyl is lying on the cot in the nurse's office. She's out cold; her glasses are sitting on the counter next to her, and Cadance has bandaged her head.

"Octavia had to school from home today, or I'd have called her in too," Cadance says.

"Octavia isn't here?"

Cadance shakes her head. "Their house suffered flood damage. Her mother decided she was needed elsewhere today."

"Tavi's house flooded?"

We both look at Vinyl. Her eyes are open. "That sucks," she says. "I'd better...call her..." She groans.

"Vinyl? How are you feeling?"

"My head's killing me," Vinyl says. She sits up, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh fuck," she says.

"Your glasses!" I grab Vinyl's glasses and hand them to her.

She takes them and fumbles with them for a minute before getting them on. "Thanks," she says. She looks in my direction. "Umm...problem," she says.

"What is it?" Cadance asks. "Where does it hurt? Do you need me to call someone?"

"Actually, I need to..." Vinyl pats herself down. "Crap, where's my phone?"

"Here it is," Cadance says. "It fell out of your pocket when you...well, tripped or hit your head or whatever happened to you."

Vinyl grimaces. It takes a few tries for Cadance to successfully press the phone into her hands. She runs her hand over the surface with a frown.

"Vinyl? That's the wrong side."

"Huh? Oh...thanks." Vinyl turns the phone over, then holds it up to her ear. "Call Mom."

"Calling 'Mom'," her phone says.

After several long seconds, Vinyl says, "Mom? I'm in the nurse's office at school. I can't see. At all." She takes a deep breath. "I think my eyes just died."

Oh my God...!

Cadance presses her hands to her mouth, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Okay, cool." Vinyl hangs up and turns her head in our direction. "Mom'll pick me up as soon as she can," she says.

"Vinyl?" Cadance asks quietly. "You...?"

I reach out and put a hand on Vinyl's shoulder. "Are you sure? This isn't just one of your greyouts?"

Vinyl sighs. "Y-yeah...I think this is it." She takes a deep breath. "Nurse Cadance? Can...can I have a minute alone with Flash-man?"

"Of-of course," Cadance says. "I'll be right outside..."

Cadance leaves, making sure to close the door loudly.

Vinyl takes off her glasses and toys with them. "Fuck," she says. "Fuck fuck FUCK."

"You'll be alright," I say. "You've been getting ready for this, right?"

"I guess," Vinyl says. "This isn't fair, though! I wanted..." She hangs her head. "I wanted the last thing I ever saw to be Tavi's face. Or...heh." She smirks. "Well...you know."

"I think I can guess, yeah."

"Instead, the last thing I saw was a toilet with a goddamn turd in it."

"Ouch." Also, gross...

Vinyl's shoulders shake. "I'm scared," she whispers.

I put my hands on her shoulders. "I would be too," I say. "I'd be freaking out."

"I am freaking out," she says. "Will...will you stay with me until my mom comes to get me? I know you probably ought to go back to class, but..."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks." She takes a deep breath. "I...I gotta call Tavi..."

"Calling 'Tavi'," her phone says.

"SHIT!" Vinyl looks like she's about to have a panic attack. I take the phone from her hand and hold it up to her ear.

After a moment, she says, "Uhh...hey, Tavi. What...what's up? Uh-huh. Damn. Yikes. How bad is it...? Holy shit."

I give Vinyl a sharp nudge.

"Okay okay!" she says. "Listen, Tavi? I just...I'm in the nurse's office at school, with Flash, waitin' on my mom. I uhh...I can't see. I think so, yeah. I know they said it'd be around April. Yeah, I know. I know! Tavi! Listen. I'll probably be in and out of the doctor's office and the hospital all week, but...this happened all at once in the bathroom here at school, okay? My eyes went, I panicked, I fell down, I hit my head, I blacked out, I woke up in the nurse's office totally blind. I'm pretty sure this is it. Yeah...okay. Listen, I...I'll talk to you later, okay? I think...I think I'm about to b-bre-break..."

Vinyl can't finish whatever she's saying, because she's started crying. Her phone slips out of her hand; I catch it. "Uhh...Octavia? It's Flash. Yeah. She's...yeah. Don't worry, I'm staying with her until her mom gets here. Will you be at school tomorrow? Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Okay. Bye." I hang up, put Vinyl's phone on the counter, and move her around so I can sit next to her and hold her. She buries her face on my shoulder and cries for several minutes before passing out. I'm not sure if she's fainted or fallen asleep, but I lay her back down on the cot, then go to get Cadance.

Cadance takes Vinyl's blood pressure and checks her pulse, then sighs. "Poor kid," she says. "God, what a fucked-up thing for a girl her age to have to go through..."

Principal Celestia walks in. "Cadance? I'm here. What's going on?"

"It's Vinyl Scratch," I say. "She's blind."

Celestia pales. "Poor girl..."

"We're waiting on her mom to come get her," I say.

"I'll wait with you."

Ten minutes later, Vinyl wakes up. I help her sit up and put her glasses back on.

"Vinyl?" Celestia asks. "It's Principal Celestia. How...how are you...?"

"My head's killing me, but that's mostly from hitting it on the bathroom floor," Vinyl says hollowly. "And I can't see, so there's that."

"I am so terribly sorry, Vinyl," Celestia says. "If...if there's anything I can do for you..."

"Just promise me I can still DJ the Valentine's Dance," Vinyl says. "I might need a little help, but I'll be damned if I miss out on that."

Celestia smiles. "Do you think you'll be up for it?"

"Her equipment is set up so she can run it by voice," I say. "She showed me how it all works months ago." I squeeze Vinyl's shoulder. "Besides, I'm sure Octavia will help her."

"Then by all means," Celestia says. "I'll inform your teachers. How long do you think you'll need to be out of school?"

Vinyl shrugs. "That's up to the doctor and my mom," she says. "I hope it's not too long. I hate not bein' around people."

Vinyl's mom walks in. She rushes over to Vinyl and sweeps her up in a hug. "Vi," she says. She's obviously been crying all the way here. "I've already called the doctor. He's meeting us at the hospital." She looks around at all of us. "Thank you for taking care of her," she says. She helps Vinyl to her feet.

Vinyl holds her head for a minute, then leans into her mother's side. "Guess I'll s—" she stops. "Umm...later," she says. "Hey, Flash-man? Thanks..."

We watch them leave.

"Flash?" Cadance says. "Why don't you go on back to the dorm? I don't think you'll be able to concentrate in class after all this anyway."

"I agree," Celestia says. "If you need to talk about this, I'll be at the dorm later this evening."

"Yeah..." I say. "I think I'll head back. Besides, it's not like anybody's actually teaching class today..."

Celestia grimaces. "So I've noticed. Luna's holed up in her office playing Pokemon Shuffle."

I can't help but laugh at that. I text Twilight to let her know what's going on, then head back to the dorm.

Monday, February 1, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, I tell everyone what happened today.

"That poor dear!" Rarity says.

"That totally blows!" Rainbow says.

Sonata frowns. She holds up her tablet.

I can sympathize. I know exactly what she's going through.

After a moment, she smacks her face with her palm and pulls a pained grimace.

Dammit, I can't do anything to help her!

"Whyever not, darling?" Rarity asks.

Sonata gives her an 'are you kidding me?' look, then writes something else on her tablet.

I can't talk without this stupid tablet, and she can't SEE!

"Oh...oh yes..."

"Eh, we'll figure something out," Pinkie says. "She could use a friend like you right about now."

"Aren't there text-to-speech apps on those things?" Rainbow points out.

Oh yeah...! Man, I feel silly. I'll see if I can download one tonight.

"The one who really needs to help her through this is Octavia," I say. "I just...I just hope she's up to it." And that her mother doesn't cause any problems...

Celestia coughs delicately. "Vinyl is determined to DJ the Valentine's Dance if at all possible," she says. "You girls had better find dates. I don't want to see anybody going stag for this one."

"Ugh," Rainbow groans. "Pass."

Applejack gets a truly evil grin. "Oh, come on, Rainbow," she says. "We all know who you wanna ask..."

"Huh? What're you talkin'...about..." Rainbow's eyes wide. "Oh, FUCK YOU, Applejack."

"Rainbow Dash!" Celestia snaps.

"Uhh...sorry..."

"We're trying to break her of that," Twilight says. "This past week, Rainbow's potty mouth has gotten a lot worse."

"I'm learning a lot of new words!" Apple Bloom says with a bright smile.

"You most certainly are NOT!" Applejack says sternly.

Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes. "Please," she says. "Rainbow Dash hasn't said anything that isn't written all over the walls of the girls' bathroom at school."

"Ah didn't know what a queef was until Ah read it off th' bathroom wall," Apple Bloom says.

Celestia frowns. "I need to have a little talk with your school's principal," she says darkly. "His janitorial staff is not doing their job."

"Tell me about it," Sweetie Belle complains. "There's never any tampons in the machine when you really need one!"

Rarity clears her throat loudly.

Hey Flash, do you have any scary crazy bathroom stories?

"SONATA!" Twilight yells, face red.

I don't want to get dragged into this weird-ass conversation, but...

"Well, back in Seaddle, there was that one urinal that had the red tape all over it."

"Red tape?" Celestia asks.

"Out of service," I say.

"It was broken?" Twilight asks.

"No, it was condemned. Among other things, someone took a shit in it."

"Umm...isn't that what you're supposed to do in a bathroom?" Rainbow asks, tilting her head.

I stare at her. "Urinal, Rainbow. Not toilet. Urinal."

She gives me a blank look.

"You know, the thing only guys can use? That you stand up to pee in?"

"Wait...someone pooped in one of those?" Pinkie asks.

"Oh, that is so nasty!" Sweetie Belle says.

"HOW?" Apple Bloom wonders.

I shrug. "Hell if I know. There were pics of it all over the Internet and everything."

"EWWWW!"

Rarity pushes her plate away and stands up, then heads upstairs without a word. A moment later, Fluttershy does the same.

Celestia frowns. "Perhaps...we shouldn't talk about public restrooms at dinner," she says.

A little while after dinner, I'm in my room reading when I get a call from Vinyl.

"Hey Flash-man," she says weakly.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Tired," Vinyl says. "I'm in the hospital. I'm stayin' overnight for tests an' stuff." She sighs heavily. "It's the real deal," she says. "I'm blind. Doc says it was a sudden aggressive degenerative episode. I might get like, flashes of grey or flickers of blurry light, but..."

"I'm sorry," I say. I take a deep breath. "Listen...there's someone you need to meet, when you're able. I think she can help you. She's going through something a lot like what you're going through."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Sonata Dusk."

"The wheelchair girl?"

"She's only in the wheelchair until she finishes recovering from the car crash," I say. "Her throat got torn up in the crash. She can't even talk."

"Ouch." Vinyl pauses. "It's permanent?"

"Yeah. And she used to be a singer."

"Yeesh." Vinyl's quiet for a minute. "So if she can't talk and I can't see..."

"She's looking for a text-to-speech app for her tablet."

"Cool." Vinyl yawns. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Let you know how it's going."

"Okay. Goodnight, Vinyl. Hope you can sleep well."

Vinyl laughs. "Oh, I will. They're...giving me enough...stuff..." She trails off sleepily.

I disconnect the call, then read for a little while longer before bed.
> 2/2 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You're in for a shitty week.

Canterbook seems to be mostly back to normal this morning.

As I'm rounding up my bath stuff, Twilight walks in. "We really need to go to Zodiac as soon as we can this week," she says.

"Yeah. We don't have much time to train before Cadance's birthday."

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 / Morning

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes an announcement.

"Good morning, students. I have some unfortunate news to share with you all. Vinyl Scratch, one of our juniors and Canterlot High's resident DJ for dances and parties, has lost her eyesight. She's been battling a degenerative eye disease her entire life, but a sudden downturn in her condition has left her completely blind. She's going to be out of school for a few weeks while she recuperates and adjusts. If you would like to leave a brief audio message wishing Vinyl well, feel free to drop by my office at your earliest convenience."

The reaction to this news makes any kind of meaningful lecture impossible, so Mr. Turner gives up and makes homeroom "self-study" so we can get it out of our systems. Enough people know that I'm friends with Vinyl that I find myself surrounded and answering dozens of questions.

During the break between second and third periods, my friends and I all meet up by Celestia's office and record a group message for Vinyl.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 / After School

Music Club is quiet today. Everyone is upset about Vinyl.

I pull Octavia aside when she enters. "Have you been talking to her?" I ask.

"When I can," Octavia replies. "With me in classes and her having all sorts of tests and such today, I've only gotten in a couple of quick calls. She's...she's holding up well." Her voice is trembling. She sits on the edge of a table and grips the tabletop hard enough to turn her knuckles white. "I...I don't know what to do," she says. She looks at me. "I..." She swallows. "When Vinyl called me yesterday, when she told me..." She looks down at her knees. "I felt...I felt hollow. It felt like..."

"Like you'd gone numb, like your whole body was turning to ice?"

She nods. "Something like that." She looks at me curiously.

"Twilight...got hurt once," I say. "That's...that's how I felt."

"Oh." Octavia sighs. "I haven't been able to think about anything but Vinyl since I got that call. I couldn't even sleep last night. I..."

I give her hand a squeeze. "You care about her."

"Of course I care," Octavia says. "She's my friend..." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "She's...she's my girlfriend," she adds in a whisper. She looks back down at her lap. "She's my girlfriend...and she's just lost her eyesight. And...and I want to be with her. I need to be with her. I need to help her through this, but..." She trembles. "I'm scared. This...this is something I don't know how to deal with. And..." She swallows. "And...I don't know how my mother will..."

Her phone rings. She answers it. I can tell from her face that it's Vinyl. I step away to give her some privacy. After a few minutes, she hangs up.

"How's she doing?"

"She's exhausted," Octavia says. "And...I think she's..." She sighs. "She wants me to come see her. But..."

"Do you want to see her?"

"Of course I do. It's just...my mother..."

"You can't let your mother control you forever," I say. "Vinyl needs you right now."

Octavia studies her phone for a long moment. She takes a deep, shaky breath, then...

"Mother? I'm going to be home late this evening. I have something to take care of. No, no...please, just..."

After a moment, she turns pale. "A-alright, Mother. Alright." She lets her phone fall into her lap. Silent tears spill from her eyes. "I...I have to go home," she says. "Will...will you call Vinyl, please?" Without waiting for an answer, she runs from the room.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 / Evening

After I do my homework, I help Apple Bloom with hers.

"How are things going with the bullying?" I ask.

She sighs. "A little better. Diamond Tiara is still messing with me. At least Silver Spoon isn't—"

"Flash?" Twilight calls. "Sorry to bother you, but...could you come upstairs please?" She looks a bit panicked, as well as embarrassed. "Umm...quickly?"

"What's wrong, Twi?"

"I need your help..." She clears her throat. "Toilet. Umm...clogged."

"Oh crap." I shoot to my feet and race upstairs.

It's a bad clog...

It takes me ten minutes to unclog it, by which point the bathroom floor is...ugh.

It takes another half hour for me and Twilight to clean and disinfect the bathroom once the toilet is cleared. "What the hell, Twilight?" I ask as I throw the bathroom rug into a garbage bag to carry down to the laundry.

"It was Taco Tuesday!" she exclaims.

"This shit isn't funny, Twi."

"I know it isn't!" she says, throwing her hands in the air.

"Son of a..." I extract a sodden clump of toilet paper from the corner. "Why am I here doing this again?"

"Because you love me?" Twilight offers sheepishly.

"Love only goes so far," I mutter. This is so messed up... "You owe me one hell of an apology date for this shit."

"I'm sorry, really!"

I skip dinner...

So does Twilight.
> 2/3 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Let your generosity shine today through small gestures and simple gifts.

Tennis practice is cancelled because the surface of the practice court was badly damaged by the recent flooding. Coach says it's going to take the rest of the week to repair it. Since I don't have anything better to do, I decide to get my Valentine's shopping done. I decide to swing by Sterling Silver's shop to look for something for Pinkie Pie. Silver Spoon gives me a small, hesitant smile as I walk in. After browsing for a bit, I decide on a cute charm bracelet that I think Pinkie will like. After that, I head to the mall to look around for something good for Twilight.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Evening

I end up staying at the mall until almost closing time, doubling back to the food court twice for lousy but edible food and watered-down drinks. I find a few nice things for Twilight, for myself, and for the others. I almost don't make curfew at the dorm; as soon as I stash everything I bought in my closet, I hit the sack.
> 2/4 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 4, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't take on responsibilities someone else may be better suited for.

At Music Club, we discuss chipping in to get something nice for Vinyl Scratch. I'm nominated as head of the gift selection committee, but I defer to Lyra, who's known her longer.

Thursday, February 4, 2016 / Evening

Pinkie's working tonight, and Twilight has a test to study for. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are out of the dorm; they went with Rarity to see a movie. Applejack is so busy with her farm's finances that she never came downstairs for dinner; Fluttershy took her up a plate. Celestia is over at the apartment with Cadance and Shining Armor.

Rainbow Dash and Sonata are playing video games in the lounge. I decide to join them. We spend the entire evening goofing off...
> 2/5 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, February 5, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone close to you has a secret they may choose to confide in you.

At breakfast, Sonata is still in her pajamas.

"Uhh...Sonata? Shouldn't you get ready for school?" Twilight asks.

Sonata picks up her tablet and writes on it.

I've got a doctor's appointment and a physical therapy session today.

"Oh. Okay."

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike. The ground is still damp and muddy, so keeping him from getting completely filthy is a challenge. "I've been talking to everybody," Twilight says. "We're going to Zodiac on Sunday."

"Good." I grimace. "I could use the exercise. I think all this skipped tennis practice is messing with me."

"Skipped?" Twilight asks.

"I didn't tell you? The court's trashed. It won't be fixed until next week."

"Oh." She yanks on Spike's leash. "No!"

Spike reels back from the mud he was about to dive into and whines.

Friday, February 5, 2016 / After School

Since the tennis court is still being resurfaced, I head back to the dorm. I feel like having a snack, but there's nothing in my own stash that appeals to me, so I head downstairs to root around in the kitchen.

As soon as my feet hit the bottom of the stairs, the front doors open and Sonata bounds in, a huge smile on her face. She sees me and rushes over to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and jumping up and down.

"You're in a good mood," I say.

Sonata nods rapidly, her head bouncing up and down like a ping pong ball.

"I was about to fix a snack," I say. "Wanna join me and tell me what you're so excited about?"

Sonata grins and nods. Then she steps back and waves her arms over herself. I blink. "What?"

She rolls her eyes and slaps me upside the head, then pulls her tablet out of the knapsack slung over her shoulder.

I'm out of the wheelchair, you dummy!

...Oh!!

"Wow, congrats!" I hug her. "I didn't notice because you only use it at school and stuff..."

I head to the kitchen and search for something decent to snack on. We have pizza rolls. I microwave enough for both of us. We head to the lounge with them; I turn on the TV. "So, this is a big thing for you," I say.

Sonata is bouncing in her chair with excitement. Yeah, getting rid of that wheelchair makes me feel a little more normal. You have no idea how sick of that thing I was getting.

"So, planning on trying to join any of the spring season teams now that you're up and around?"

Sonata shakes her head, grimacing. I'm not big on sports. I hate getting sweaty.

"But you'll do something to keep in shape, right?"

Of course! I've already gained five pounds since the crash. She looks at her pizza rolls. This isn't helping, but I'll burn these off in no time now that I can run around silly and everything like I used to.

"Run around silly and everything?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Sonata giggles sheepishly.

That's what Aria used to say, anyway. She sighs. I kinda miss the way she used to diss me.

"That's a strange thing to miss, but...I think I get what you're saying."

Sonata sighs. If only...

"If only your sisters were still here?"

She looks down at her lap. A moment later, she looks up. She writes something on her tablet, very slowly.

Can you keep a secret?

"Of course."

She looks hesitant, but after a minute, she writes:

I should've been driving that night. If I had...they'd still be alive, and I'd still have my voice.

"What do you mean?"

Sonata sighs heavily.

Adagio was driving that night...drunk.

"Oh my God..."

Sonata nods. I'm the only one who knows, because they blamed the other guy for the accident, and...well... She swallows heavily. I...I couldn't bring myself to tell anybody the truth.

She sets her tablet and her plate aside and puts her face in her hands.

"You didn't want anybody to know..."

She nods miserably.

"And they didn't find out when they did the investigation?"

Sonata shakes her head. There were only two witnesses, and they both said the other guy ran a red light. They didn't really look into it too deep.

I sigh. "You'll have to tell someone the truth eventually. Your mom, for one."

Sonata sniffles.

Why? I'm the only one who survived the crash.

"But the other driver..." I trail off at her expression. "Oh."

Yeah. She sighs. Can you blame me for not telling anybody? I don't want the last memory everybody has of my sister to be her killing three people and crippling me.

She looks down.

And...and I'm scared.

I sigh. "Your secret's safe with me."

She looks up at me, a guilty expression on her face.

You don't think any less of me, do you? For lying about what happened?

I shrug. "Honestly? I...can't say I wouldn't do the same thing in your place. It's an awful situation." I stand up and stretch. "Want some more pizza rolls?"

Sonata smiles. Sure, why not.

We eat some more pizza rolls, then I grab my guitar and amp and bring them down to the lounge to practice. The others trickle in over the next hour or so, some sitting to listen to me play.

Friday, February 5, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, everybody congratulates Sonata on being out of the wheelchair. The overall mood is cheerful and happy, and Sonata's earlier revelation to me didn't dim her good cheer for very long.

After dinner, we all sit in the lounge to watch TV.

There's a few good shows on Friday night that are all on the same channel. Every single commercial break, there are two commercials for something called Tiderippers. By the third ad break, it's getting pretty annoying.

After an hour, Rainbow Dash lets out a scream of frustration. "I hate when they do that! Why do they gotta show that thing twice every break?"

"It's pretty annoying, yeah," Pinkie says.

Twilight frowns. "It's...counterproductive," she says. "By overpromoting something, they make people lose interest in it because they're so disgusted with all the ads..."

"Yeah..."

I have no plans for tomorrow, so I stay up late watching TV with whoever's still up.
> 2/6 (Sa) [1/3]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 6, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A sudden epiphany today will have a tremendous impact on your future.

I wake up far too early for a Saturday, especially considering I went to bed past midnight. After taking a piss, I decide to head downstairs and make myself some bacon and eggs.

On the way to the kitchen, I see Applejack sitting in the lounge, nursing a cup and looking completely miserable. I swing into the lounge. "Rough night?" I ask.

She looks up blearly at me. "Thinkin' some mighty long thoughts," she says. She gestures to her cup. "Ah think better with some hot spiced cider, is all."

"I was about to make some breakfast," I say. "Want some?"

She shrugs. "Sure."

I fry some bacon and make scrambled eggs for two, as well as toast. Once everything's ready, I grab a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge and two glasses, then carry first AJ's plate to the lounge, then my own.

Once we've both got our breakfast in front of us, along with a glass of juice, Applejack sets aside her cider cup and starts eating without any real gusto. "Thanks," she says.

"No problem. I'm not really any good in the kitchen, but bacon and eggs are hard to mess up."

She chuckles. "Nah, it's okay. Ah'm jes'..." She lets out a sigh.

"What's wrong?"

Applejack breaks a piece of bacon into thirds and arranges it on a piece of toast, then scoops some eggs onto it. "Things...with mah family," she says. "Ever'thin's jes' a big ol' mess right now." She gestures with her fork. "Papa's...well...they done put 'im in a nursin' home fer a spell, on account of it's th' only way t' keep 'im in bed an' not tryin' t' do stuff he can't do no more. An' 'cuz Granny can't..." She shakes her head. "Big Mac, he...he's got th' farm t' take care of all by his lonesome. He can't take no more time comin' in an' outta th' city, so Ah gotta look in on Papa when Ah can. Granny...she's thinkin' about comin' t' town t' git herself a job, but Ah don't really see how that's even possible right now." She takes a bite of bacon, egg, and toast. "Then there's Apple Bloom. That stankin' twat bully done made her fittin' in up there that much harder, an' she's got enough t' worry about without kids teasin' 'er for no good reason. An' then....an' then there's me." She looks down at her plate in misery. "Ah'm plumb sick of this crap Ah got dumped on me, but Ah gotta do it even if Ah don't understand a lick of it. Ah'm gittin' help where Ah can, but...Ah gotta learn t' do it mahself, y'know? Cuz it's...it's what Ah gotta do." She slumps. "Ah jes'...Ah ain't had nowhere damn near enough time t' myself lately. Ah'm gittin' mighty wore out workin' an' worryin'." She eats about half of what I gave her, then stands up. "Ah think Ah'm gonna go back t' bed...Ah got stuff t' do, but Ah jes'...Ah jes' wanna curl up in bed an' rest. Jes' for today..." She stands up and shambles to the steps.

I want to say something, anything, helpful or encouraging, but I can't think of anything, so I watch her leave. I finish eating, do the dishes, and head back upstairs to see if there's anything good on TV.

Saturday, February 6, 2016 / Daytime

Around mid-morning, Rainbow Dash knocks on my door. "Hey, I'm gonna head out and get some exercise. I could use some company. You game?"

"Sure."

I change into something more appropriate for exercise and head downstairs. Rainbow's waiting there, bouncing a soccer ball on her knee. "We're not gonna play softball?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I'm doin' enough softball practice at school. I gotta keep my soccer game in shape for next season."

Halfway to the entrance, we run into Principal Celestia. She looks somewhat unhappy. "Rainbow Dash, just the person I wanted to see," she says.

Rainbow stops short, swallowing nervously. "Uhh...what's up? Am I in trouble?"

"That depends," Celestia says. She grimaces. "Rainbow Dash...I got your message on Canterbook. While I am...flattered..." She sighs. "You should know it's completely inappropriate. Leaving aside matters of...orientation..." She coughs. "I am your principal, you are a student at my school—"

"Wait wait whoa whoa whoa," Rainbow says. "What...what're you talking about?" Her eyes are wide. It may be my imagination, but I think I can hear her heart pounding.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "I'm talking about your message asking me to be your date to the Valentine's Dance."

The silence that drops after that feels like an atomic bomb.

"Uhh..." Rainbow's face turns very red. "I...uhh...didn't...send a message like that," she says. "I mean it! I really didn't!"

Celestia blinks rapidly, then facepalms. "Of course you didn't," she says. "I should have realized...I am very sorry, Rainbow Dash." She blushes. "I feel so foolish...this is very, very awkward."

"Yeah...heh...real awkward," Rainbow says.

Celestia frowns. "Another practical joke from our mysterious hacker...this is no longer amusing."

"Was it ever?" I ask.

"No, not really." Celestia sighs. "Nevermind...forget I ever said anything about..." She blushes, then turns and hurriedly leaves.

Rainbow sinks to her knees. "OH! MY! GOD!" she screams. "That. Was. AAAAAHHHHH!!"

I pull her to her feet and drag her out the front doors. "Maybe we should talk about this outside," I say quietly. "For one thing, AJ's sleeping upstairs and I know you want to scream and yell a bit."

Rainbow sighs. "Nah, I...okay yeah, I kinda do..."

Twilight pokes her head out the front door. "Rainbow? You okay?"

"She got pranked by one of our hackers," I say. "Either Eris or Mephistopheles."

"Oh God," Twilight says. "What did they do?"

"Faked a message from Rainbow to Celestia asking her out."

"Eep," Twilight says, eyes wide.

"Yeah." I pat Rainbow on the shoulder. "Listen, Twi...we're gonna go kick the soccer ball around a bit, maybe that'll help Rainbow get over this. If anybody asks—"

"Okay," Twilight says, nodding. "Hang in there, Rainbow."

I lead Rainbow away from the dorm. We walk in silence until we get to the practice field, where Rainbow absently starts dribbling the ball. I jog along beside her, making no effort to steal it from her.

"I can't believe that happened," she mutters. "What the fuck, man? What the actual fuck?" She kicks the ball so hard it sails clear to the other end of the practice field. "Shit." We head after it at a fast walk.

I sigh. "I am so sick of people messing with us. All of us."

"Yeah..." Rainbow sighs. "I mean, bad enough that whole thing about me bein' gay is still goin' around, but..."

"Rainbow, you are gay," I point out as we reach the spot where the ball came to rest a few feet from the concrete retaining wall. "Not trying to be a dick about it, but your friends—your real friends—kinda already know that about you."

Rainbow ducks her head. "I'm...still not sure if I am or not," she says. "I mean, yeah, I've got it bad for Celestia, but...it's not like I've never, y'know..." She blushes. "I mean, it's not like...like I only think about girls, or I think about other girls, or..." She grabs her head. "Ah, dammit!" She lashes out and kicks the ball again. It strikes the concrete wall with such force that it makes a loud sound, almost like a truck backfiring or a gunshot.

"Feel better?" I ask.

Rainbow sighs and watches the ball roll off in a different direction. "Not really." She sighs. "A little. Agh...! I'm just so embarrassed, and havin' Celestia think..."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait a second."

Rainbow stops talking and looks at me questioningly. "What?"

"Rainbow..." I say slowly. "Who all knows about your crush on Celestia?"

Rainbow frowns. "Well, everybody at the dorm except, y'know, Celestia and Luna, probably not Coach either..." She trails off, eyes wide. "Heeeeeey..."

I frown. "Somebody at the dorm is a rat."

"But...but that's crazy!" Rainbow says, eyes wide. "None of the girls would...would..." She shrinks into herself. In a small, fearful voice, she continues, "Right? Our friends wouldn't...wouldn't try to hurt us, right?"

A lot of things haven't been making sense for a long time...

I sit down on the cold ground, letting my mind replay events from the past several months. I start thinking about things I've seen and heard, straining to remember certain things that stood out.

"Flash? Dude?" I look up at Rainbow, who looks concerned. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not." I shake my head. "But I think...I think I've figured something out."

"What?"

"Some things have been bothering me for a while now." I pull out my phone and call Pinkie. "Pinkie? What's the earliest you can get off work today? Everybody needs to get together. We've got a problem. A Zodiac problem. Yeah. No, it can wait until you can get off...I've gotta call Cadance and get her to get rid of Coach at some point anyway. I've gotta call everybody else too...yeah."

Rainbow is watching me with a puzzled frown. I call Cadance. "Cadance? We need to have a meeting with the others this evening. I think your apartment is the best place now. Can you get rid of Coach for a few hours? Cool."

I call Rarity and Twilight, then I call Pinkie back. Rainbow has her hands on her hips. "Are you EVER gonna tell me what's goin' on?" she asks.

"Not until everybody's together," I say. "Let's finish up here and get something to eat."

"Okay..." Rainbow says hesitantly.

We spend a couple more hours kicking the ball around and jogging, then grab a burger and head back to the dorm.

Saturday, February 6, 2016 / Evening

The sun went down an hour ago. Rainbow, Twilight, and I have been with Cadance in her apartment since before the sun went down. Pinkie joined us a half hour ago.

Finally, Rarity arrives, carrying bags of Chinese takeout. "Good evening, darlings," she says. "Are we planning tomorrow's excursion into Zodiac?"

"Not exactly," I say.

"Flash, what's going on?" Twilight asks. "You've been acting strange ever since you got back to the dorm."

"He's been actin' strange all day," Rainbow says.

"Rainbow, tell everyone what happened this morning."

Rainbow turns red. "Uhh..."

"It's important."

Ducking her head, Rainbow tells the others about the prank message Celestia received and the awkward encounter.

"That's absolutely obscene!" Rarity declares.

"Poor Rainbow," Pinkie says. "That really sucks!"

"Our hacker has a very sick sense of humor," Cadance says with a frown. "I'd heard that you were a little...infatuated with Celestia, but this is..." She shakes her head. "This is getting out of hand."

"It's also the last piece of the puzzle I needed," I say. I take a deep breath, then look at each of the girls. I brace myself.

"Fluttershy is Eris."
> 2/6 (Sa) [2/3]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I did...what you asked."

"Good."

"Please...please don't make me do anything like that ever again."

"Aww, what's wrong? Is your conscience bothering you?"

"It's just...why did you want to do that? That was just...sick..."

"So?"

"And it, well...they're going to know. They'll figure it out..."

"Are you kidding? They're idiots. If they were going to figure out who's been doing all this to them, they'd have done it by now."

"They have, you know. A couple of times. You're just lucky I'm good at thinking on my feet."

"Heh...yeah, right."

"I hope they do figure it out. I'm tired of this. I..."

"You WHAT?"

"..."

"Don't forget what I know. I can ruin you. I can make your life a living hell."

"..."

"You're going to keep doing everything I tell you to do. Or else. Got it?"

"You're a bitch."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I'll keep...I'll keep doing what you tell me to do..."

"That's better."

The call disconnected.

"Eris" curled up in a ball on her bed and cried. "I hate you...

"...

"...I hate myself..."
> 2/6 (Sa) [3/3]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 6, 2016 / Evening

"Fluttershy is Eris."

Everyone is staring at me...

Twilight groans. "Not this again..."

"What the hell, dude?" Rainbow cries, throwing her hands in the air.

"Didn't we already do this?" Pinkie asks. "I mean, I thought it was her too, but..." She shrugs. "I'm silly, so..."

Cadance looks at me. "Flash...that isn't funny."

I look around at everyone. "No...listen. I'm serious." I take a deep breath. "A lot of things haven't been making sense ever since all this started. But today..." I look each girl in the eyes. "Nobody outside of this dorm knows about Rainbow's crush on Celestia."

Everyone's eyes widen. "Is this true?" Cadance asks.

"Yeah," Rainbow says. "I..." She blushes. "There's no way I'd go around tellin' anybody about that. And...and the only people I really trust are right in this dorm. Right in this room." She frowns. "Well, and AJ. And...and Fluttershy..."

"Unless Eris or this Mephistopheles are the kind of hackers you see in movies," I say, "then there's no possible way they could know about Rainbow's thing for Celestia unless they heard it from somebody living in this dorm."

"Or unless it is somebody living in this dorm," Twilight says. "I see where you're going with this."

"And unless one of you girls is Eris," I say, looking around, "which we know you're not, because we were all in the same place at the same time on Rarity's birthday, and I know none of you would betray Rainbow's trust like that..." I lean forward. "That leaves exactly five people who aren't in this room and know about Rainbow's thing for Celestia." I hold up one finger for each name I say. "Applejack. Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Sonata. And Fluttershy.

"Now, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle...that's crazy. Who would they talk to? I mean, they might've said something to that friend of theirs, the chicken girl, but really...it's stupid to think they could be the leak.

"Applejack? There's no way. She's honest to a fault, and...and she's got way too much to worry about to waste time screwing with us like this." I frown. "I mean, yeah, she's fit enough and strong enough to be Eris, but I can't honestly see her trying to kill anyone, or being some kind of genius hacker, or even just a spy."

"Yeah, that doesn't make any sense," Pinkie agrees.

"And Sonata, well...she just got here at the end of December. And she's been in a wheelchair until yesterday. Eris has been screwing us around since October. So there's really no way she could be involved in all this.

"And then there's Fluttershy." I look down at the table. "Fluttershy keeps to herself a lot. She's moody a lot. She was furious with Rainbow for a long time after the Fall Formal."

"Hey, we settled that!" Rainbow cries. "We're cool now!"

"I know, but I saw something in her eyes that scared me," I say. "And then there's that weird 'flu' she had right after Pinkie's birthday."

Twilight's eyes widen. "That was...the first time we fought Eris...!"

"Exactly. And after Rainbow's birthday, she was giving me dirty looks a lot. I didn't notice it at the time...I guess I kind of did, but thinking back..." I shake my head.

"But...but Eris said she isn't Fluttershy, right before she beat the pink outta me!" Pinkie says.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, because there's no possible way Eris would lie about her identity. 'Oh, you're right, Pinkie Pie, I am Fluttershy! I live right next door to you and I take all your little pets for playdates in the park and now I'm trying to kill you, I hope you don't mind!'" I shake my head. "I'm telling you, a lot of things are pointing to Fluttershy being Eris."

Cadance frowns. "Rainbow? When you...ah...'examined' Fluttershy...did you happen to notice if she was, well...fit enough to be...?"

Rainbow frowns. "Fluttershy's in pretty good shape," she says. "Crazy ninja assassin, though? I..."

"There's something else." I toy with a wrapped pair of chopsticks. "Eris didn't try to kill us the last time we ran into her. And...she's the one who clued us in on being able to bring Rainbow and Pinkie back to life."

Everyone looks around. "So...what does that mean?" Twilight asks. "I'm sorry, I'm just not following this."

"Remember when we saw Eris arguing with that other person that one time?" Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow nod. "I think..." I unwrap the chopsticks and break them apart. "I think maybe...Fluttershy's having a change of heart. She doesn't want to hurt us anymore. I think she's...being forced to do bad things to us."

"Assuming she IS Eris," Cadance says.

"Right, assuming that."

Rarity frowns. "So...if Fluttershy is that wicked girl..." She looks around the table. "What exactly do we do about it?"

I sigh. "I was kind of hoping one of you might have an idea about that." I shake my head. "It's...it's not like we can throw her at a wall and force a confession out of her."

"She'd deny it and then run to Celestia and tell her we all assaulted her," Twilight says.

"Yeah, and then we'd have an even bigger mess on our hands," Pinkie says, her hair drooping. "But...whether or not Fluttershy is Eris..." She looks at me sadly. "We...we can't really trust her anymore, can we?"

"It's Fluttershy," Rainbow says numbly. "She's...she's just Fluttershy. Sweet, helpless Fluttershy. She's never done a mean thing in her life...not to anybody..." She looks at me, tears in her eyes. "It can't be her! It just can't!"

"Look...I'm not saying these things to be mean to Fluttershy," I say. "It's just...everything we know about Eris and everything we know about Fluttershy..."

"It...it all fits," Twilight says miserably. "It...it really does all fit..." She lays her head on her arms. "She's been right in front of us this whole time, and we didn't have a clue..."

Cadance takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "Everyone? Let's...let's all get some sleep. We need to sleep on this, think about it...think about where we go from here. And..." She frowns. "This whole question of whether or not Fluttershy is Eris...it doesn't change the fact that we need to train in Zodiac tomorrow. My birthday's a week away..." She turns pale. "It's coming after me again. I can feel it. You kids have to...have to fight Aquarius."

"Oh crap, I totally forgot about that," Rainbow says. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah, we'll kick its butt," Pinkie agrees. "You just worry about having a good time with your hubby-hubby." She grins and waggles her eyebrows. "A really good time. Like, Fifty Shades good."

"Pinkie!" Cadance yelps, blushing. "I'm not into bondage!" She pauses, then adds, "Well...handcuffs maybe..."

"DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS!" Twilight declares loudly, grabbing a container of cold, congealed rice and shoveling it into her face.

"I'm...I'm gonna go to bed," Rainbow says, standing up. "I..." She frowns. "Oh God, I'm kinda scared to go to my own room now."

"I'm staying with Twi-Twi tonight," Pinkie declares.

"I hardly believe you'll be murdered in your sleep," Rarity says with a roll of her eyes. She sighs. "Still...I must admit that even the thought of our enemy living right down the hall from us is...disturbing."

"Just...try not to think about it," Cadance says. "We all need to be rested for tomorrow. We can...we can worry about all this business of who Eris is later."

We all head back to the dorm and up to our own rooms (or in Pinkie's case, to Twilight's room). I get ready for bed, then turn the lights off and lie down.

I can't stop thinking about all the times Fluttershy has seemed off. About all the little glances, the little moments...

I really want to be wrong. I really hope I'm wrong. And yet...

I feel nauseated...

It's a long time before I'm able to sleep.
> 2/7 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Taking rash action before you have all the facts could be a costly mistake.

The sun is barely up when I'm forced awake by Pinkie Pie bouncing on my stomach. "Ugh...what the hell, Pinkie?"

"I told you not to do that!" Twilight snaps from my desk chair.

Pinkie sits down on the end of the bed. I can't help but notice that all she's wearing is a long T-shirt...

Actually, it's one of my T-shirts...

I sit up. "What's going on?" I ask.

"Pinkie had an idea she wants to run by you," Twilight says with a frown. "I told her it's a terrible idea, but..." She sighs. "When it comes to dealing with Zodiac stuff, you're more or less in charge, so—"

"Okay how's this sound?" Pinkie asks, cutting Twilight off. "When we go down for breakfast, everybody's all together, right? And that includes Fluttershy. So..." She throws her arms up and opens her eyes wide. "At breakfast, we tap into Zodiac!"

"In front of everybody?" I ask, frowning.

"Exactly! If Fluttershy is Eris, she'll be pulled in right alongside us! It's the perfect plan!"

"It's a terrible plan," I say without hesitation. "If I thought that was a good idea, I'd have done it as soon as I figured it out."

Pinkie deflates. "But—"

I take a deep breath. "Pinkie...remember the last time we ran into Eris? She can make weapons out of nothing." I push off the edge of the bed and stand up. "We can't exactly walk into the dining room downstairs armed and ready to fight. If Fluttershy IS Eris, and we try to ambush her like that—"

"It'd be like that time you decided the vacuum cleaner was the best way to get Opal out from under Rarity's bed," Twilight says. "Remember that?"

Pinkie turns ghostly white. "So many claws," she says in a tiny, frightened voice.

I sigh. "I agree that the best way to flush Eris out is an ambush. But...we need to be smart about it. And we absolutely must NOT do it in front of the rest of the dorm. It's bad enough we had that whole mess with Coach to deal with."

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot about that." Pinkie grimaces. "And you're right...Eris can kinda kill us pretty bad, huh?" She looks miserable. "I just...I just wanted to help..."

Twilight gets up and hugs Pinkie. "We know," she says. "But we need to be careful with this. For one thing, we don't know for sure Fluttershy even is Eris. And if she is, and we do expose her..." She swallows heavily. "It's...not going to be pretty. We need to be completely prepared." She looks down. "Not just for battle, but...we need to be prepared to lose a friend."

"Umm...if Fluttershy's Eris, doesn't that mean she isn't really our friend to begin with?" Pinkie asks, tilting her head.

"I don't know!" Twilight exclaims, throwing her hands in the air. "I barely got any sleep last night, I was so busy thinking about it! For crying out loud, we've borrowed tampons from each other! The very thought that all this time, she's been..." She sits down heavily on the bed and draws her knees up to her chest, burying her face between them. "I just don't...I don't know what to do..."

"On the other hand, if Fluttershy is Eris, maybe we can get some answers out of her. Like who Mephistopheles is, for starters."

The girls look at me. Twilight frowns. "Yeah...there's that. But...still..."

"Actually, that's pretty obvious," Pinkie says. "If Fluttershy's Eris, then Mephistopheles is Su—"

There's a knock on the door. "Excuse me? Flash? Is Twilight in there?"

It's Fluttershy.

We all look at each other.

"Uhhh...yeah, she's here," I call. "What do you want?"

"Could I...I mean...are you decent in there?"

Pinkie suddenly lets out a loud moan. "Ooooh, TWILIGHT!" she yells.

The door opens. Fluttershy peeks in. "That was a pretty terrible fake orgasm, Pinkie Pie," she says with a frown. "Twilight? I just wanted to know if you want me to take Spike to the park today. I'm taking a bunch of dogs from the shelter. I thought he might like to make some new friends."

Twilight frowns. "Uhh...actually, I think I'd like to keep Spike here today," she says. "I haven't really had a lot of Spike time lately."

"Oh. Okay." Fluttershy looks at the three of us. "Well...have a good day then."

She closes the door behind her.

I grab my pillow and beat Pinkie over the head with it. "What. The. HELL. Pinkie."

"I panicked!" Pinkie protests, covering her head with her arms.

With a sigh, I toss the pillow back onto the bed. "We need to get you fixed, I swear..."

Pinkie whimpers.

"Well, at least now we know where Fluttershy's going to be today," Twilight says. "That means we can make a plan."

Pinkie sits up straight. "You're right!" she says. "We can get everybody together and go to the park, find Fluttershy, go into Zodiac...!"

"That's a much better plan," I say. "Of course, there's still the problem of our weapons..." I frown. "I mean, you, Rainbow, and Rarity can go in armed, since you can conceal yours, but me and Twilight...we'll be pretty much shit out of luck."

"I think I'd rather fight Eris from a distance," Twilight says. "Her staff has too much reach."

I frown. "Yeah...me too, honestly. She's got a lot more skill than I do, and my axe...it's way too slow to hit her with."

"I don't really wanna, y'know, kill Fluttershy," Pinkie says. "If we can beat her without hurting her too bad..."

There's a knock on the door. We look at each other.

"Come in," I call.

Cadance, Rarity, and Rainbow walk in. "What's the plan?" Cadance asks without any preamble.

"Fluttershy's going to the park today," I say. "So are we. We'll have her isolated, we go into Zodiac...we'll find out for sure one way or the other."

Cadance nods. "Alright. I'll take you kids to breakfast once everyone's ready, then we'll head over to the park and start searching for Fluttershy."

"Won't she...suspect something's up? If all of us leave together?" Twilight asks.

Rainbow shakes her head. "She just left a couple minutes ago."

"She's gone already?" Pinkie asks. "Then we should hurry!"

"She'll spend all day in the park," Rainbow says with a frown. "You...you know how she is when she's around animals."

We all sigh.

"I still can't believe we're seriously suspecting Fluttershy of being our enemy," Rarity says. "It just...it doesn't feel real."

"That's why we need to know for sure," Twilight says. She sighs and stands up. "I'll go get ready. Everybody else, get ready as quick as you can."

"I'll go stash our gear in the SUV," Cadance says.

"Twilight and I won't be taking our weapons today," I say. "We can't conceal them like the others can, and neither of us can take Eris in a close fight."

Cadance nods. "Alright. Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie...be sure you're carrying."

Considering we're all about to get pretty dirty, nobody wastes time with a shower—not even Rarity. Once we're all ready, we meet downstairs in the lounge.

It's still pretty early, so nobody else is up yet...

"Let's...let's go," Cadance says.

We drive to Hinny's for breakfast. Cadance tells us to make sure we get something high in protein, and makes us all order both orange juice and coffee.

"I'm going to gain so much weight from this," Rarity complains as she looks at her heavily-laden breakfast platter.

"Not likely," Rainbow says as she tears into a thick ham steak drowned in maple syrup.

"So...what exactly is our plan?" Rarity asks as she delicately slices up a deep-fried mini-sausage.

"The park's pretty big," Pinkie says. "I doubt she's gonna stay in one place all day."

"Our best bet is to split up and search for her," Twilight says. "We shouldn't enter Zodiac until one of us has found Fluttershy."

"And then, it'd probably be a good idea to text the others with her location," Cadance says. "It's...probably not a good idea to go in until we're all there to corner her."

"Yeah...corner Fluttershy...who might be Eris...and if she isn't..." Rainbow stops eating, staring at her plate. "Does...does anybody else feel like..." She sighs. "Like we all suck for thinkin' Fluttershy's a bad girl?"

"None of us want to be right about this, Rainbow Dash," Twilight says. "But...we need to know for sure. We can't..." She trails off, breaking a piece of bacon in half. "We just have to know for sure."

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / Morning

Once we're done eating, we drive over to the park. Cadance passes out our backpacks; Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow have their weapons in their packs.

We enter the park from the north gate. "Alright, everybody...spread out," Twilight says. "If you spot Fluttershy, stay out of sight, text everyone else."

"Secret ninja mission, go!" Pinkie declares cheerfully.

We all stare at her.

She drops her head. "Sorry...wanted to lighten the mood..." She slinks off toward the south end of the park.

I shake my head and head west. The others fan out in every direction.

For the next hour, I comb every inch of the park. Every so often, I see one of the others. A couple of middle-aged women I pass a couple of times give me a look like I'm up to something. I get several texts from the others saying they haven't found her yet.

After an hour, I've been around the entire park twice. Frowning, I pull out my phone and mass text everyone to meet up by the activity center at the south end of the park, then head in that direction.

Ten minutes later, we're all gathered in front of the activity center. "Did anybody see her?" Pinkie asks.

"Nope," Rainbow replies.

"I've been walking simply everywhere, and no sign of her," Rarity says.

"I didn't see her either," Twilight says. "Maybe she left already? Or...or maybe she changed her mind about where to go, or—"

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / Zodiac

Twilight stops in mid-sentence as the sky turns red and everything goes still.

We all look at one another. Nobody has their phone out.

"What...what just happened?" Rainbow asks.

"Why are we in Zodiac?" Twilight asks, looking wildly around. "Were we wrong? Is somebody other than Cadance the target? Is...is Aquarius here?"

Cadance pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!" Her Persona appears. After a moment, she says, //I'm sensing strong Shadows nearby, but not Aquarius...// She frowns. //I'm also detecting Eris, but she's...she's miles from here!//

We look at each other. "But...if Aquarius isn't attacking, and none of us..." Rainbow says.

"It's a trap!" Twilight says suddenly.

//Twilight's right! There's a whole group of strong Shadows headed right this way!//

Twilight, Pinkie, and I pull out our phones; Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow pull out their weapons. We form a circle around Cadance.

Hello losers.

You look bored.

Here's something for you to play with.

Pinkie screams as eight huge, burly Shadows lumber into view.

"BEARS! BEARS!" Pinkie yells.

The Shadows are all bears of various types, with masks situated atop their heads bearing the Roman numeral 'XI'. Two of the bears are black, two are brown, two are polar bears, and two are red bears.

"Oh man, those bears look like bad news," Rainbow says.

"Anybody got any salmon?" I ask.

The bears surround us.

//Stay calm, guys! I'll scan for weaknesses. Just...do your best for now!//

Rarity takes aim at the nearest brown bear and fires several shots. It barely seems to notice.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna do much good here," Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Rainbow Dash summons Nike, who unleashes a veritable windstorm that surrounds us and engulfs the bears. Only the polar bears seem to be affected at all; the black and brown bears don't even flinch...

The red bears, on the other hand, actually repel Nike's attack, which rebounds onto us. We all brace ourselves as the winds tear into us.

"PLEASE do not do that again, Rainbow Dash," Rarity says.

"Heheh...my bad," Rainbow says weakly.

"ATHENA!"

Twilight's Persona calls down thunderbolts that strike all the bears. All the bears are visibly affected, but the two polar bears groan loudly and drop to the ground. Encouraged, Twilight singles one of them out and strikes with a single, blinding thunderbolt. The bear lies in a twitching heap on the ground.

"Nice, Twilight!" Pinkie says. "My turn?" She taps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Pinkie's new Persona appears, rainbow eyes sparkling as she spins in the air, streamers and confetti and droplets of shimmering rainbow flying away from her.

The girls stare at her.

"Uhh...Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asks. "What...?"

Rarity blinks. "Oh my," she says, cheeks pink. "Pinkie, darling...your Persona is wearing...rather less than usual..."

"Oh wowsie!" Pinkie says. "It's a big naked me covered in ribbons and body paint! Hi big naked me!"

Twilight frowns. "First me, now Pinkie...what's going on here?"

One of the red bears roars; waves of power wash over us.

//Worry about it later!// Cadance advises. //Your defenses are down!//

"Then we just need to hit harder!" Pinkie says. Her Persona spins around, waving a lit sparkler; glittering sparks fall all around us. I feel strength flowing into my body and mind.

As Pinkie's Persona disappears, I think about the new Personas I've gained recently. "Let's try fighting fire with fire," I say. Sliding the Star Arcana onto my phone, I slap the screen. "KUMA!"





A comical-looking blue bear...thing...in a red clown suit appears. It unzips the zipper around its neck, and an icy wind pours out, hundreds of thick, sharp icicles spearing the bears. The red and brown bears crash to the ground, but the polar bears repel the ice shards back at me. Kuma absorbs the ice harmlessly.

//Looks like those two types are weak against ice!// Cadance says. //Hit them again!//

"Cool!" I ready myself to will Kuma to perform the same ice attack...

Kuma suddenly drops down, long metal claws extended from one paw, and reaches right into my skull!

My own Persona is attacking me?

"What the hell?" Rainbow cries.

"Flash!"

Come out of there, you major pain in the butt!

With a roar that shakes the ground, a second Persona emerges from within me!





"That's...a LOT of bear," Pinkie says quietly.

"Flash? What...what's going on?" Twilight asks nervously.

"I don't know!"

Kuma perches atop the enormous purple starbear's head, pointing forward with his steel claws.


COSMIC BEARRAGE!!


Roaring, Ursa Major rampages through the eight bear Shadows, Kuma dropping giant ice crystals left and right as the two bears tear through the enemies.

After almost fifteen seconds of this, Ursa Major fades away into glittering nothingness, and Kuma leaps back into my head. I have a splitting headache...

One each of the white, brown, and black bears are gone. The rest of the bears don't appear to be in beary good shape.

I can't move...

//Girls, Flash is stunned! You're going to have to protect him until he snaps out of it!//

The remaining white bear rises to its feet and charges us, surrounded by a cone of force. It slams into the girls, sending them flying in every direction. It somehow fails to hit me...

The red bears stand up, grunting. One of them glows, waves of shimmering heat rising up from the ground around it; the other lets out a roar.

The other white bear reappears.

"No way!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears again, slicing into the white bear that just reappeared with sharp blades of wind. The bear staggers.

"BASTET!" Rarity calls. I feel healing magic wash over me; I look around and see the others are all recovering.

"Okay, these bears suck," Pinkie complains.

//Focus on the red ones!// Cadance instructs. //They can bring the others back to life!//

"Wonderful," Pinkie mutters. "Okay, we need Flashie back in this fight. EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears and hovers over me. She does...something...and I feel the headache from before fading. I'm able to move again...

Twilight summons Athena again, striking all the remaining bears with lightning. The revived white bear explodes into black mist; the other one crashes to the ground with a roar. Athena repeats her spell, and the second white bear dies.

//The red ones are weak against ice,// Cadance says. //Rarity, go for it!//

"Right! BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona appears and rains deadly ice down on the remaining bears. The two red bears collapse.

"Now, let's see if we can stop these dreadful bears from resurrecting each other," Rarity says. "PERSONA!"

Bastet gestures at the bears, the diamonds on her tail jingling. Threads of light shoot out, winding around the surviving bears. One of the red bears stiffens where it lies; the brown bear also seizes up.

The other red bear stands up and roars. The second black bear reappears.

"Oh, COME ON!" Rainbow yells.

"Okay, I'm sick of this now!" Pinkie yells. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria reappears, pointing one of her ornate wine jugs at the bears. Blinding white light fires out of the jug, ensnaring the bears. Both black bears cease to exist, as does the standing red bear. Now, only one brown bear and one red bear are left. The brown bear charges Pinkie, slamming into her like a truck and knocking her to the ground.

"GET! OFF OF HER!" Rainbow yells. She charges up to the Shadow, grabs it around one leg, and HAULS with all her might. The Shadow grunts and kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying.

"LICH!"

Lich appears, black smoke pouring out of its empty eye sockets as it extends a hand toward the brown bear. The bear is engulfed by darkness and collapses into itself, disappearing.

Pinkie sits up, groaning as she rubs her head. "Ooohhhh..."

"ATHENA!" Twilight heals Pinkie, then helps her to her feet.

//One enemy left, guys!//

The red bear suddenly begins sniffing the air. It grunts and turns, running away; it makes it about fifteen yards before dissolving into black mist.

Rainbow scratches her head. "...huh?"

Cadance gasps. "We have to leave! Now!"

"What is it, Cadance?" Twilight asks.

Then we hear it...

...chains rattling...

"Oh no, not AGAIN," Pinkie moans.

"We're getting out of here!"

The real world snaps into place around us just as that horrifying THING floats into view...

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / Daytime

We trudge back to Cadance's SUV. We're all pretty tired. It was a short battle, but it was an exhausting one...

"Those bears were...were..." Rainbow says.

"Unbearable?" I suggest.

"Dreadful," Rarity supplies.

Twilight frowns. "I think we got very lucky," she says. "Did...did anybody else notice that the bears weren't...actually doing much of anything?"

"Are you kidding?" Pinkie yells. "That bear tried to maul me!"

"No, Twilight's right," Cadance says. "Those bears could have hurt you all a lot worse. I got a pretty good read on them...you shouldn't have won as easily as you did."

"Now that you mention it, the bears were more or less just standing around letting us pummel them," I say.

"So...what?" Rainbow asks. "They were pacifist bears?"

"No," Twilight says sudddenly. "They were a diversion."

"I thought they were a trap?" Pinkie asks. "I mean, that whole thing felt like a trap." Her eyes narrow. "A Fluttertrap."

"It was absolutely a trap," Rarity says. "We didn't enter Zodiac ourselves. We were pulled in. Presumably by Eris."

"And she had those Shadows there waitin' for us," Rainbow says.

Twilight shakes her head. "Something still doesn't add up here," she says. "I'm just...not sure what. But something about that battle felt...wrong."

"Yeah...those Shadows weren't as tough as they should've been," I agree. "Now you've got me wondering what really just happened."

"Perhaps...perhaps Eris knew Death would appear in the park today, and the bears were a stall tactic?" Cadance suggests.

"But why would she even need to lure us into a fight with that Death thing?" Rainbow demands. "She coulda sicced a whole pack of bears on us!"

"She DID," Pinkie points out.

Twilight sighs. "Whatever. We can worry about all this later. The important thing is, Fluttershy lied about where she was going to be today. That means..." She frowns. "That means she..."

"We can't assume that," Cadance says. "We just...we can't assume anything until we see it with our own eyes. For all we know, she stayed at the animal shelter or something." She sighs. "Still...we need to be careful." She shakes her head. "At least we got some practice in..."

When we get back to the dorm, there's a note on the front door from Sonata saying she took Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to the movies, and another from Applejack saying she's visiting her father at the nursing home.

"Good, nobody's here," Twilight says. "We don't have to answer any awkward questions." She stretches. "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat and go lay down. Flash? You should probably go take a shower."

"Oooh, I'll take a shower with you, Flashie!" Pinkie says.

"How about you take a shower on your own floor, and I'll take one on mine?" I suggest. "Because I'm gonna crash as soon as I'm cleaned up a bit."

"Aww..."

"Well, you and Rainbow need to take your showers quickly," Rarity says, "because I fully intend to take a very long bubble bath after."

"Sure thing, Rarity," Rainbow says.

I take a quick shower, then head back to my room. As soon as I'm dry, I flop onto the bed naked.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Igor and Zecora are seated in front of me. Igor is smiling wickedly.

"You are asleep in the real world," he says. "I have summoned you here to discuss an interesting new ability you unlocked today."

Igor waves his hand over the table. The cards for Kuma and Ursa Major appear.

"From time to time, it will be possible for you to summon two compatible Personas at once for a special combination attack. This is similar to the combination skills you have used with your friends, except that these skills unlock hidden reserves of power that dwell within your own soul. However, using these special skills is far more draining, so use them sparingly.

"Before you return to the waking world, I regret I must impart one unfortunate piece of information." Igor looks unusually grave. "I'm afraid that while you and your allies were diverted elsewhere today, a life was taken by the Shadows."

What?!

"I will admit, it is a turn of events I myself was not expecting. I fully believed the pattern you and your friends have established would remain consistent. But, alas...it has not. One can only wonder: Has your friend's fortuitous escape conferred upon her an immunity from further attacks...? That is only a guess...I do not pretend to fully understand the mysteries of the Shadows. Nevertheless...there is one less human in your world at this hour.

"Learn from this. You have done much good since awakening to your power, but the unfortunate truth is that you cannot save everyone.

"And now, I must bid you farewell...until next we meet..."

I wake up in a cold sweat. I scramble out of bed, throw open the door, and run across the hall, bursting into Twilight's room. She's sitting at her desk, reading. "TWILIGHT!"

Twilight looks up and blushes. "Gah! Flash! Put some pants on!"

I look down at myself, realize I'm still naked, and shake my head. "Nevermind that! We screwed up! Cadance isn't the target!"

Twilight frowns and puts down her book. "What do you mean?"

"That battle in the park with the bears was a diversion! Aquarius attacked today! Twilight, somebody's dead!"

Sunday, February 7, 2016 / Evening

Once again, we're all gathered in Cadance's apartment. Shining Armor looks around at all of us. "So, you're having another secret meeting?" he asks.

"Yes," Cadance says. "I'm sorry, Shiny, but—"

"No, I get it," Shining Armor says with a frown. "I'm not in the loop yet, that's fine." He stretches. "I'm gonna go see a movie. Will that give you enough time to have your little meeting?"

"Yes," Twilight says. "We don't want to kick you out or keep secrets from you, BBBFF..."

Shining Armor shakes his head. "Hey, the less I know the better, right?" He waves. "Later."

As the door closes behind him, Rarity raises an eyebrow. "He's taking this awfully well."

"I have my ways," Cadance says mysteriously. She looks at me. "So, Flash, what exactly is going on? Twilight said you charged into her room naked and in a panic."

Rainbow and Rarity smirk at me. I shake my head. "Cadance isn't the next victim. Don't ask how I know, it's too hard to explain."

"Does it have anything to do with that strange rhyming lady?" Rarity asks.

"Kindasorta," I say. "Like I said, nevermind how I know." I look at Cadance. "You said you didn't detect Aquarius, right?"

Cadance nods. "That's right."

"But...how far away can you sense Shadows?"

"The big ones, I can always sense," Cadance says.

"But...what if something was interfering with your scans?"

Cadance frowns. "Interference..." She scratches her head. "I guess it's possible..." She looks at me. "What are you getting at?" she asks slowly.

"Aquarius showed up today, a long way from where we were," I say. "It killed someone."

The girls gasp.

"Dude...no way..." Rainbow says.

"Oh my God..." Rarity breathes.

"Are...are you absolutely sure about that?" Cadance asks, staring at me.

I swallow heavily. "I believe what I was told completely. I have no reason to doubt it. We screwed up and somebody else paid the price."

A heavy silence falls over the table as the girls all look around at one another, then at me.

"Let's...let's not let our guard down," Twilight says quietly. "We have to assume Cadance is still...still going to be attacked. But...if this is true..."

"We'll know one way or another soon enough," Rarity says. She stands. "If...if you'll excuse me, darlings...suddenly I'm not feeling very well..."

"Yeah, me too," Pinkie says quietly. Her hair is almost completely straight. "I think...I think I'm gonna go cry now."

Twilight gets up and follows Pinkie, putting an arm around her. She looks back at me, confusion and doubt and...something else I can't read in her eyes.

Rainbow stands up, frowning, and leaves without a word.

Cadance slumps forward onto the table. "It's not like I wanted to be attacked again," she says, "but...but this..."

"I know," I say. I frown. "I don't get it. We've never been wrong before. Why now?" With a sigh, I head back to my room. I feel numb...
> 2/8 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 8, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You're better off paying attention to the people and things that matter the most to you today instead of obsessing over chasing shadows and rumors.

Twilight walks into my room shortly after sunrise. "I didn't sleep very well last night," she says.

"Me neither."

"Are...are you absolutely sure somebody...?"

I sigh. "Yeah. I...I just know it's true."

Twilight rubs her shoulders. "I...I've checked," she says. "There's five people at CHS whose birthday was yesterday. I guess...we'll see..."

"You didn't...check to see already?"

Twilight snorts. "What, text five random people with 'Hey, are you still alive?'"

"Point taken." I scratch myself. "What about Fluttershy?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Twilight says. "Rainbow asked her where she was yesterday. Pretty tactfully for her, according to Rarity. Said she happened to be in the park, went looking for her, didn't see her." Twilight shrugs. "Fluttershy said she got hung up at the animal shelter and never made it to the park."

I frown. "Awful convenient."

"Flash..." Twilight sighs. "Maybe...maybe you're wrong about this one."

"Maybe," I admit. "But...I can't shake the feeling that we can't trust Fluttershy."

Twilight looks down.

After freshening up and getting dressed, I head downstairs for breakfast.

Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity don't look like they slept very well either. Fluttershy has a pensive look on her face.

Sonata, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom are looking around at us all. I can see the questions in the younger girls' eyes...

"Why's everybody so down in th' dumps this mornin'?" Apple Bloom asks.

Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, and I all look at each other...

Yeah, what's up with everybody this morning? You all look like somebody died.

We all stare at Sonata.

Her eyes widen.

Oh my gosh...DID somebody die? She looks like she's about to cry...

I cough. "It's personal, private stuff," I say. "It's...not something any of us want to talk about at the table. Right, girls?"

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Alright, which one'a y'all is pregnant?"

The younger girls gasp. "P-pregnant?" Sweetie Belle asks, eyes wide.

"NOBODY'S PREGNANT!" Twilight yells, face flaming. "At...at least, I hope not..." She looks at Pinkie.

Pinkie shrugs. "Not me," she says.

"Look...girls...it's just not something we're comfortable discussing, alright?" Twilight suggests as calmly as she can.

"Well...alright," Apple Bloom says.

Applejack looks around at us all, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed.

I glance at Fluttershy. Her hair is hiding half of her face. She notices me looking at her, frowns, and shrinks into herself.

The tension hangs over the table like a black fog. We all finish our breakfasts and head off to finish getting ready for school.

Monday, February 8, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, Fluttershy sits at the very end of our table. She keeps her head low over her tray and her face hidden behind her hair.

"Hey...anybody else notice something missing here?" Rainbow whispers.

"Like what?" Pinkie asks.

Rainbow points with her fork at Sunset Shimmer's table. She's sitting there, an open book in front of her face as she eats her lunch.

I frown. "It's Sunset Shimmer. So?"

"So!" Rainbow says. "Her other little turdwad goon is gone."

I shrug. "Maybe he's in the bathroom?"

Twilight looks up suddenly. "You mean Snips?" She frowns thoughtfully, pulling out her phone and tapping away at it.

A minute later, it chimes with a new text. Her brow furrows. "He's absent from school today," she says.

"So Sunset Shimmer's troll's outta school, big whoop," Applejack says. "What's so important about that?"

"Oh...nothing," Rainbow says. "It just...caught me by surprise."

Applejack frowns. "If you say so..."

After lunch, Twilight pulls me, Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow aside. "Snips is one of the five," she whispers. "His birthday was yesterday!"

"Whoa," Rainbow says. "You mean he could be...?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Rarity says. The bell rings. "We should get to class. We can discuss this later."

Monday, February 8, 2016 / After School

We meet up in the nurse's office after school.

Cadance frowns at her tablet. "There are three students and two teachers who had a birthday yesterday," she says. "Three of them—two students and a teacher—were out of school today."

We look at one another.

"Snips' absence is unexcused and unexplained. The attendance notes say his family couldn't be contacted. The other student is that foreign exchange student from Saddle Arabia, Camel Case. His host family called and said he had a 102 degree fever this morning."

"And the absent teacher?" Twilight asks.

"Flax Seed," Cadance says with a mild frown. "He's actually been missing since Friday. Apparently, he's dropped off the grid."

"Flax Seed...is he that hippie?" Rainbow asks.

"Yes," Cadance says with distaste. "The other teachers frequently complain about his smell..."

I stroke my chin. "So...if there was a death in Zodiac yesterday, it...was probably Snips."

"I just don't understand how there could have been an attack," Cadance says. "I didn't sense Aquarius. I've never not sensed the Shadow before, even if it was too far away for me to do anything about it..."

"We need to keep looking into this," Twilight says. "Just...just to be sure. But we should also be ready for...for the possibility of an attack on Sunday."

Cadance looks around at all of us. "The only thing I want all of you to do right now is go shopping for outfits for the Valentine's Dance." She smiles. "You can't let all this worry and frustration stop you from living and enjoying yourselves."

"Oh, dress shopping!" Rarity says, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. "Yes, let's do that! Come, girls! The stores await!"

"Pass," Rainbow says miserably. "I'm not goin'."

"Oh, but I insist!" Rarity says. She bustles the girls out the door.

I watch them go, frowning.

Cadance puts a hand on my shoulder. "Flash," she says. "I know it's hard, but...try to put things like Zodiac and murders and secrets and...and whatever else...just try to put it out of your mind for a few days, alright? This...this is going to be Twilight's first Valentine's Day with her special someone..." She looks into my eyes. "Make it special for her, alright? She deserves that. You deserve that."

I nod, then leave.

Cadance is right...

I need to try to get my mind off all this crap...

Monday, February 8, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I find Sweetie Belle standing right outside my room waiting for me. "Hey Flash? Can...can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I say. "What's up?"

Sweetie Belle wrings her hands. "I...I need some advice." She blushes. "On...on boys."

"Okay...?"

She ducks her head. "A...a boy asked me out for Valentine's Day," she says.

"That doesn't surprise me," I say. "You're as pretty as your sister."

Sweetie Belle blushes more heavily. "Th-thank you," she says. "Umm...th-the thing is...the boy who asked me out...I don't want to go with him, but...but I don't want to offend him, or make him feel bad about himself..."

I sit down against the wall. "Hmm. Well...just try turning him down gently?"

"I..." Sweetie Belle pauses. "The thing is...when he asked me...a lot of kids started laughing at him." She sighs. "He's, well...he's not very popular, and he's a bit...chubby." She pulls out her phone, slides the screen for a minute, and shows me a picture.

The kid in the picture isn't "chubby". He's a lardass.

"I...I don't want Truffle Shuffle to think I'm turning him down because he's overweight," Sweetie Belle says nervously. "I don't want to hurt his feelings. It's..."

"So why are you turning him down?" I ask.

Sweetie Belle smiles a silly little smile. "W-well...there's this boy I like. Kinda. I think." She digs a toe into the carpet, then slides the screen on her phone again.

The next picture she shows me is a short, scrawny kid with brown skin, flaming red hair, and a propeller beanie. He's engrossed in a handheld video game.

"His name's Button Mash," she says. "He...he gets teased a lot, and he isn't very popular, but..." She looks at the picture on her phone and sighs. "I've known him...since we were little kids. We used to...used to have milkshake races together."

"Milkshake races?" I ask.

Sweetie Belle winces. "Don't ask. Anyway...he's gotten more and more obsessed with his silly games over the years, but...I still..." She sighs. "No...I've only...over the last year or so...really started crushing on him."

I run a hand through my hair. "Okay, look," I say. "This is my advice. Tell this Truffle Shuffle kid that there's somebody you already like, and you were hoping to go out with that person. Then, make sure you help set HIM up with somebody so that he doesn't think you're shooting him down because he's fat. Maybe Apple Bloom or the chicken girl."

"Scootaloo."

"Whatever. Then, right after that, you go up to Button Mash and ask him out."

"A-ask h-him?" Sweetie Belle squeaks. "I...I couldn't—!"

"Why not?" I ask. "Think about what Rarity would do. Do you think she'd be afraid to go up to a boy she likes and ask him out?"

Sweetie Belle ponders this. "W-well...n-no..." She shakes her head. "But that's Rarity! She's—"

"A girl," I say. "Just like you. Just...go up to this kid and ask him out." I hold my hands out to my sides. "That's really all there is to it."

"That's easy for you to say," Sweetie Belle says.

I shrug. "You wanted my advice, that's my advice. Trust me. A girl asking a guy out? Most guys wish they had that kind of luck."

"Okay...I'll try," Sweetie Belle says. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"I wish I could get Rarity to give me advice like that," Sweetie Belle says. "Usually she's either busy and yells at me, or tries to turn me into a copy of her..." She waves. "Well, I've got homework to do. See you at dinner."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Temperance Arcana...


Sweetie Belle heads downstairs. I get started on my own homework.

When I'm done with my homework, I head down to dinner. Vice-Principal Luna has arrived and is serving everyone. Fluttershy isn't at the table.

"Where's Fluttershy?" Luna wonders as she sets a big bowl of mashed potaoes on the table.

"Nobody's seen her all evening," Pinkie says with a frown. "It doesn't look like she ever came home..."

Luna frowns. "Well...so long as she returns to the dorm by curfew..."

After dinner, I head upstairs to practice guitar. I've just finished tuning when Luna walks in.

"Oh, please, don't let me interrupt," she says, starting to leave.

"No, it's fine." I turn down the volume on my guitar and start playing. "What's up?"

Luna sits down in my desk chair. "My sister told me about the rather cruel prank someone played." She frowns. "Spoofing Rainbow Dash, placing both her and Celestia in such an uncomfortable situation..." She sighs. "The cruelty of these cyber attacks is..."

"Yeah."

Luna gives me a measuring, penetrating gaze. "Flash...I know I'm asking a lot, and I shouldn't put you in a position to...to potentially betray a friend's confidence, but...I didn't feel comfortable asking Rainbow this directly." She swallows. "Does...does Rainbow Dash..." She frowns. "How shall I put this...?"

I set my guitar down. "Yeah. Rainbow has a bit of a crush on Celestia." I sigh. "What happened Saturday...it really upset her."

Luna sighs. "Damn." She shakes her head. "I had suspected, but..."

"And no, Rainbow didn't send the message herself and then try to back out of it by claiming it was a hack."

"Oh, I know," Luna says. "We checked into it, and the hack has the same discrepancies as some of the other incidents. In fact, it has more discrepancies...almost as if we were meant to discover it."

I frown. "That'd explain why she didn't just steal Rainbow's phone to do that..."

"What was that?" Luna asks sharply.

"Nothing...!"

"No, Flash. You know something. Be honest now."

I sigh. "We...think...maybe...the hacker is somebody in this dorm."

Luna's eyes widen. "WHAT?!"

"We're not absolutely certain," I say. "It's just...this latest thing, with Rainbow. Nobody outside of this dorm knew about her crush on Celestia."

Luna sits back, steepling her fingers. "This is disturbing," she says. She looks at me. "Who do you suspect, if I might ask?"

I frown. "I'd rather not say. If I'm wrong..."

Luna sighs. "I...I understand. You don't want to accuse a friend..." She stands. "Very well. I won't press you on this matter...for now. But Flash? Do understand...if you have true cause to suspect a resident of this dorm of committing these crimes...you must come forward. If you don't..."

She lets that hang as she leaves.

I sigh and pick my guitar up again. I'm halfway through the opening riff of a song that always calms my nerves when the lights go out.

"Perfect," I mutter. It's too dark to look for a flashlight, and my phone is over on the desk, so I set my guitar aside and lean back on the bed.

I'm half asleep when I feel something cold and sharp press against my throat.

"You and your friends need to keep your fucking mouths shut," a scratchy feminine voice rasps in my ear. "All this screwing around you losers are doing is gonna get a LOT of people killed. Starting with you."

"Eris," I mutter. "What do you want?"

"I want you to shut the fuck up," Eris hisses. "I will kill you in the real world if I have to."

I shove Eris off me and jump to my feet, grabbing my guitar by the neck. "And if I beat the shit out of you and drag you downstairs, we can put an end to all of this tonight."

"You do and everybody in this dorm dies," Eris rasps. "Your two little tramps, the queer, the hick, the diva...everybody burns!"

The lights flicker back on. Eris covers her head and runs to the window, throwing it open and jumping out.

This is the third floor...is she insane?!

My door flies open. "Flash! I heard...something in here," Twilight says. "Are you alright?"

I rub my neck and grimace. "Eris just showed up," I say. "She threatened to torch the dorm."

Twilight gasps, hands flying to her face. "No..." She looks around. "But...where...?"

I point at the window. "She jumped."

Twilight blinks. "Flash...this is the third floor. There's no way she could've..."

"You think I don't know that?"

Sonata walks in, holding up her notebook.

What's all the yelling in here?

"Nothing! Everything's fine," I say. "Sorry we bothered you."

Sonata frowns at us, then shrugs and leaves.

"We need to go downstairs, and we need to hurry," I whisper to Twilight. "We can catch Fluttershy sneaking back in..."

Twilight frowns, but nods. We run to the stairs, practically jumping down to the first floor.

We arrive at the landing to find Fluttershy coming out of the kitchen, dressed in butterfly-patterned green pajamas, a graham cracker sticking out of her mouth and a comically surprised expression on her face.

We stare at her, then at each other. "Fluttershy?" Twilight asks. "When...did you get back?"

Fluttershy takes the graham cracker out of her mouth. "About ten minutes ago," she says. "I was getting a snack before bed when the lights went out...is something wrong?"

Twilight and I look at each other. "N-no," Twilight says. "Good...goodnight, Fluttershy."

"Oh...goodnight," Fluttershy says, padding to the stairs.

Twilight and I look at one another, then run outside. We search the grounds, but don't turn up any sign of Eris, or even any indication that somebody actually jumped out of my third floor window.

When we head back to the entrance, we find Luna there, arms folded. "And what are you two doing?" she asks.

Something tells me telling Luna the truth about what just happened really will get us all killed...

"We thought we heard something outside," I say. "We decided to check it out."

"But there's nothing out here," Twilight says. "We were wrong."

Luna frowns. "Back upstairs, both of you," she says.

We return to our rooms under Luna's watchful gaze.

As soon as our doors are closed behind us, my phone lights up on my desk.




New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
Should we tell Luna what really happened?







New Message To: Twilight Sparkle
No. We do, we're dead. Eris wants us to keep quiet...maybe we'd better keep quiet.







New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
But we can't just let her push us around! Especially if she's attacking us outside of Zodiac now!







New Message To: Twilight Sparkle
And what if she decides to burn down the dorm? There's not a damn thing we can do about that.







New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
...







New Message From: Twilight Sparkle
Okay. Your decision. But Flash...this is starting to scare me.







New Message To: Twilight Sparkle
Me too.




It's a long time before I'm able to get to sleep...
> 2/9 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Beware the lioness today. She is hunting, and you are the prey.

I slept badly last night. I have a headache this morning, my eyes hurt, and I'm in a bad mood...

Eris showing up the way she did, threatening to torch the dorm...

Fluttershy being in the kitchen, in her pajamas...

It doesn't make any sense...

When I go down for breakfast, Twilight is as miserable-looking as I am. Looking around the table, I notice Fluttershy isn't here... "Where's Fluttershy? Isn't she up yet?"

"She wanted to sleep in a bit," Pinkie says. "She said she'll take a shower and head to school a little later."

"That's not like her at all," Luna says, frowning. "Is she unwell?"

"Seemed okay when she got back last night," Applejack says with a shrug. "What was with that crazy blackout, anyway?"

"Ah, yes, that," Luna says. "The breakers tripped. Shining Armor reset them."

"All of them? At the same time?" Twilight asks, frowning. "That's...strange."

"Yes, it is," Luna agrees. "Could that have something to do with why the two of you were prowling around outside last night?"

Everybody looks at me and Twilight.

I shrug. "Like I said, I thought I heard something. Can't be too careful."

Luna frowns, but drops the issue, turning her attention to her coffee and toast.

When Twilight and I head out to walk Spike, Twilight seems pensive.

"So...Fluttershy can't be Eris after all," she says.

I shake my head. "I'm not convinced."

"Flash..."

"I don't really wanna talk about this right now," I say.

Twilight sighs. "Fine."

Spike whimpers.

Once we're done walking him, I get my things together and head to school alone.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Morning

At the beginning of homeroom, Principal Celestia makes an announcement.

"Good morning, students, and happy Tuesday. With the Valentine's Dance coming up this weekend, I know a lot of you don't have dates yet, so today, homeroom will be cut short by twenty minutes. When the bell rings, I want everybody who doesn't have a date yet to get up the courage to ask somebody out. If you do already have a date, well...use the time however you like."

Ooooookaaaaaaay...

Mr. Turner shakes his head. "Bonkers, she is..."

When the bell rings, I head out, gravitating toward my second period classroom. I'm still not in the best mood and my lack of sleep last night has left me sluggish. All around me, I see people wandering up to other people. It's all very awkward...I agree with Mr. Turner. Celestia's lost it.

Sunset Shimmer walks up to me, a catlike grin on her face. "Well hello there, Flash!"

I glare at her. "Go away."

"Oh, don't be like that," she says poutily, stretching an arm past my shoulder and putting her hand on the wall. She runs the fingers of her other hand along the collar of my shirt. "You know...I've been thinking lately, and...you're actually kind of cute." She leans in close. "You're the kind of guy a girl like me could really go for..."

Before I can process what's happening, Sunset Shimmer is kissing me. Hard.

My blood is pounding in my ears. I can smell her spicy perfume, taste cinnamon on her breath...

After what feels like forever, she draws back, cold, calculating delight in her eyes and an evil smirk on her face.

I hear a loud thump and look past her.

Twilight is standing in the middle of the hall, eyes wide. She's dropped her bag on the floor.

Sunset Shimmer chuckles and brushes her fingertips against my cheek. "Later, loverboy," she says, sauntering away like she owns the school.

What the hell just happened...?

"F-Flash?" Twilight asks, her voice trembling. "Wha...what? Why...?"

"It's not what it looks like!" I protest. "She...she just came up and...!"

Twilight grabs her bag, turns, and runs away. I reach my hand out to her, call after her to wait...

I feel like something inside me just died.

I'm barely able to concentrate in the rest of my morning classes...

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, I move to sit with the others. Rainbow and Pinkie are giving me cold looks. Twilight is nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Twilight?" I ask.

"She's eating lunch with Cadance," Rainbow says. She glares at me. "What's your damage, Flash?"

"Yeah, Flash, what the hell?" Pinkie asks.

"I didn't do anything!" I protest.

Rarity glares at me and holds up her phone, which shows Sunset Shimmer kissing me.

I bury my face in my hands. "It's not what it looks like," I moan.

"Oh, don't be that way!" Sunset's voice intrudes. She forces her way in between Applejack and Fluttershy, smirking at me across the table. "You'll hurt my feelings."

I glare at her. "What the HELL is wrong with you?"

Sunset gasps in mock offense. "Why, Flash! What a way to treat the girl you were kissing so passionately just this morning..."

"YOU came on to ME!" I yell. "You did it on purpose! You knew Twilight would see that!"

"Mmm...was Twilight Sparkle there?" Sunset asks, examining her fingernails. "I didn't notice..." She smirks.

"Hey. Baconator. Get lost," Rainbow says.

"Yes, please do go away," Rarity says. "Your presence is unwanted at our table."

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere," Sunset says. "In fact, I think I'm going to make this my regular table from now on..."

I get up and leave the cafeteria. I head for the nurse's office.

When I arrive, I hear Twilight crying as soon as I open the door. When I walk in, Cadance looks up at me, frowning.

"How dare you?" she asks dangerously.

I sigh. "It's not what it looks like," I say. I walk over and sit down next to Twilight. "Look, Twilight..."

Twilight hauls off and slaps me. "BASTARD!"

"Twilight," I say, taking hold of her shoulders. "Think. Would I cheat on you with HER? With the girl who's been doing everything in her power to hurt you since before I even came here?"

Twilight frowns. "But..."

"Sunset Shimmer assaulted me in the hall," I say. "She kissed me. And right now she's sitting at our table in the cafeteria, being a total bitch to our friends."

Twilight sniffles.

Cadance frowns. "That...does make a lot more sense than you suddenly cheating on Twilight," she says. "Doesn't it, Twiley?"

"Y-yeah," Twilight says, ducking her head and blushing. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," I say. I snort. "Hell, she sure knows how to push your buttons. Everybody else's, too."

"I think I'd better talk to Celestia about this," Cadance says.

"Don't bother," I say. "We can handle Sunset Shit-for-brains. Right, Twi?"

Twilight giggles. "Sunset Shit-for-brains...heehee..." She wipes her nose. "Yeah...she's just being a bitch. If we just ignore her, she'll go away."

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / After School

The video going around of the alleged kiss makes my afternoon very, very torturous. I'm not really in the mood for Music Club, so I head straight back to the dorm after classes end.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Evening

By the time I get back to the dorm, my head is pounding and my eyes are tight and puffy. As soon as I'm in my room, I change for bed, make myself a ham and cheese sandwich, and turn on the TV with the volume turned down low. By the time I'm done with my sandwich, I'm sleepy...

Tuesday, February 9, 2016 / Late Night

I wake up after dark. I'm not alone in my room...

I'm not alone in my bed.

By the time I'm awake enough to process this, I feel the bed shift.

"You were wonderful," a voice whispers in my ear.

In the glow of the TV, I can just make out copper and gold hair.

My door opens, then closes, and I'm alone again.
> 2/10 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 / ???

Son of a bitch...

I can still smell her...

I run out into the hall, chasing after her. I stumble over my own shorts. She's fast...

I pull my shorts up and sprint as fast as I can for the stairs. I hear doors opening behind me, but I don't care. I'm down the stairs...

The front door is open...

I hear a motorbike gun to life. Just as I reach the door, I see the red afterglow of a taillight speeding away.

"Flash?"

It's Twilight.

Oh god, it's Twilight...

I run back upstairs, barely making it to the bathroom, and kneel over the toilet. I almost don't get the seat up before I start throwing up.

I've just vomited for the third time when Twilight comes in behind me. "Flash? Flash! Are you alright?"

I bend my head over the bowl and vomit again.

"What's going on?" Twilight asks.

I can't answer...all I can do is vomit.

"Was...was it Eris? Was Eris in your room again?"

"What's going on, you two?" Luna asks behind Twilight.

"I think somebody broke into the dorm," Twilight says. "Flash looked like he was chasing somebody, then he ran back up here and started throwing up..."

"I'll call the police," Luna says.

"NO," I say. I stand up, wiping my mouth, and flush the toilet. "No," I say more calmly than I feel. "What...what just happened...it doesn't leave this dorm."

Luna frowns at me. Twilight looks worried.

I take a deep breath. I can't stop shuddering...

"Sunset Shimmer was here. In the dorm. In my room." I swallow heavily. "I...I woke up, and she was...on top of me."

Luna frowns. "Sunset Shimmer was trying to...what, strangle you in your sleep?"

I shake my head.

Twilight's eyes widen. "She...she didn't..." She covers her mouth.

I nod.

Luna's frown deepens. "Wait. Are you saying...Sunset Shimmer...assaulted you...sexually?"

I nod again.

"Oh my god," Twilight says.

Luna shakes her head. "I'm calling the police."

"No," I say. "I don't...I don't want this getting out." I run my hands through my hair. "The absolute last thing I want is this getting out."

Luna sighs.

Twilight takes a step closer and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Flash..."

"How did Sunset Shimmer even get into the dorm?" Luna wonders. "It's locked at night..."

Twilight gasps. "Oh no..."

I take a deep breath. "Look...Vice-Principal Luna..." I swallow heavily again. My mouth still tastes like bile. "If...if this gets out..." I sit down on the edge of the tub. "If this gets out, it's going to ruin everybody in this dorm. You know how screwed up our school is. Me, Twilight, the girls...we'd never have another minute's peace."

Luna frowns.

"And..." I continue, "and...I don't want...I don't want to give her the satisfaction. She did this...she did this to hurt Twilight. She's trying to hurt Twilight through me. If...if anything happens that...that gets tongues wagging..."

"Flash," Twilight says softly. She's crying now.

Luna nods gravely. "I understand," she says. "I don't agree at all, and as an educator, I don't have the luxury of ignoring something like this. But..." She swallows heavily. "You have to understand...I'm aware there was an assault in this dorm this night. I can't ignore that. As long as I have that knowledge..."

I take a deep breath. I get where she's going with this.

"Nothing happened here," I say. "I had a bad dream, I freaked out. I threw up...I probably ate something that didn't agree with me. I'm sorry I got everybody worked up over nothing."

Luna stares at me, eyes hard and expression grave. "And you're absolutely certain that's the truth?"

I nod.

Luna sighs. "Alright." She turns to leave. She pauses and looks back at me. "In the morning, I want you to talk to Nurse Cadance. ...about your stomach. And...you should stay home from school today. Until your...stomach feels better."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you," I say.

Luna returns to her room. Twilight stares at me. "Are you insane?" she asks. "You're just...you're just letting this go?"

"No, I am NOT just letting this go," I say. "I'm protecting us from this." I look at her. "After every other fucked-up thing we've survived this year...I can survive this. And I refuse to let that smug, conceited bitch think she got the better of me." I shake my head. "She's not worth it, Twilight. We...we need to focus on what's important here."

"Flash, you getting...getting raped is pretty fucking important!"

"Okay, yes, it is! But I'm more concerned with how she got in here. And why." I stare at Twilight. "You know that little video Mephistopheles threatened us with?"

Twilight gasps, eyes wide. "Oh no..."

"Yeah. I think Eris...I think Eris was putting together another little bomb to drop on us." I sigh. "That, or she's just messing with us, Sunset Shimmer is a sick freak, and none of this has anything to do with Zodiac at all." I shake my head. "Either way, the fewer people who know what happened tonight, the better." I bury my face in my hands. "I just don't...want this getting out," I whisper.

Twilight is quiet for a long moment. "Alright," she says. "I...I think I understand." She sits down beside me and puts her arms around me. I don't know how long we sit there, but eventually I decide to take a shower. Twilight goes to my room to strip my bed down and change the sheets. After my shower, I go back to bed.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 / Daytime

I ate breakfast in my room today. Twilight told me she told everybody else I was sick. I do my schoolwork from the dorm today and try not to think about what happened last night...

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 / Evening

Twilight brings me dinner in my room. "Are you feeling better?" she asks.

I sigh. "Yeah."

Twilight frowns. "Sunset sat at our table again today. I wanted to tear her throat out." She sighs. "You should have let Luna expel her."

I shake my head. "This doesn't go any farther than you, me, Luna, and Cadance."

"Alright," Twilight says. She hugs me. "I knew Sunset Shimmer was a petty, vindictive bitch, but...I never expected anything like this..." She sighs.

I finish eating dinner in silence, Twilight sitting next to me.

"Going to school tomorrow?" she asks when I'm done.

"Yeah."

"Good." Twilight toys with the hem of her skirt. "Umm..." She looks uncomfortable.

"Hand me my guitar," I say.

Twilight gets up and grabs my guitar. I tune it and strum something melancholy and soft. Twilight sits and listens.

When I'm done, she puts my guitar away. I lie down on my bed. Twilight slides onto the bed next to me; I wrap my arms around her and hold her.

The gentle rise and fall of her chest and the familiar smell of her hair helps me get to sleep...
> 2/11 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 11, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Returning to your normal routine after a terrible ordeal is the best way you can help yourself heal.

I wake up with Twilight still lying next to me. I feel...relaxed. Calm.

Everything that's happened this week...

I want to move past it and enjoy the upcoming special day with Twilight.

I get up, take an extra-long shower, and get dressed. I head down to the lounge and turn on the news.

//—unanimous vote, Chrysalis was removed from her position as CEO. CFO Sombra will replace her as head of the company. Chrysalis could not be reached for comment. Returning to our top story, the search continues for a missing Canterlot teen who disappeared Sunday when his family was visiting relatives in Derbyville.//

The photo on the screen is Snips...

I turn off the TV and head to the kitchen to make coffee.

It's not long before everyone else starts filing downstairs. Everyone except Fluttershy, who apparently has stopped eating with the rest of the dorm altogether.

"Is Fluttershy not well?" Luna asks. "I've seen very little of her all week."

"She's been...acting pretty weird lately," Rainbow says, frowning. "I think I heard her crying last night." She sighs. "She won't talk to anybody..."

"Perhaps I should check up on her," Luna says. Her phone beeps. "Ugh. Not right now, though. I'm supposed to be at the school early today." She frowns. "I'll speak to her this evening."

"Something wrong?" Twilight asks.

Luna shakes her head. "Faculty meeting." She rises. "Have a good day at school, everyone."

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike.

"How...how are you feeling?" she asks.

"Better," I say. "I...I think I'm good."

Twilight frowns. "Flash..."

"I mean it," I insist. "More than anything, I'm just...pissed. But...I'll be okay." I shrug. "Besides, we've got more important things to worry about. Like Valentine's Day. And the dance. And the fact that Snips is missing."

"Yeah," Twilight replies. "So...you really think he was the victim and not Cadance?"

"It's looking that way." I shrug. "We'll see for sure on Sunday."

Thursday, February 11, 2016 / Lunch

Surprisingly, it doesn't seem as if what happened to me entered the rumor mill. The morning is as normal and routine as ever. The only real gossip seems to be the fact that Snips has gone missing.

When lunch approaches, I feel a sense of dread. She will be in the cafeteria...

I'm tempted to just avoid the cafeteria entirely, but I can't let the bitch control me. Besides, I'm hungry.

When I sit down with my friends, I look around the cafeteria.

"She's not here," Twilight says. "She has lunch detention with Vice-Principal Luna."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," Rainbow says with a grin. "Me an' AJ complained to Luna about Suckset Shitter forcing her way into our lunch table, and next thing we know, BAM! Baconator's got lunch detention."

That's not the real reason she has lunch detention, but only Twilight and I know that...

Oh well. At least she's out of my face.

I glance over at Fluttershy. She's sitting two chairs down from Rainbow and is picking at her food. She has an unhappy frown on her face...

Thursday, February 11, 2016 / After School

I head to Music Club after school. I have a good time chatting and playing guitar.

After Music Club, I remember I need to do some shopping. I'm running low on food and drinks in my room...

At the small corner store near CHS, I run into Chrysalis! She looks tired...

She notices me and smiles wryly. "We meet again."

"I heard...on the news," I say.

She laughs bitterly. "Yes, it's true. I'm..." She sighs. "I'm done. Of course, that bastard Sombra couldn't stop the rest of the board from giving me a hefty severance package. Money won't be an issue for some time." She shrugs. "But...I was never really worried about the money. That was never as important as...as what I'd built for myself and my family." She looks at a shelf of canned pasta without really seeing it. "For so long, I've been the queen. Now, I'm...I'm nothing."

"That's not true," I say. "You've worked so hard, and raised all those children by yourself. Do you think they'll think any less of you?"

Chrysalis sighs. "That's...really what I'm most afraid of," she admits. "No...that's not true. What I'm really afraid of is...is starting over." She shakes her head. "I'm too old to start over. Hell, my oldest is twenty." She picks up a can and looks it over. "But the private schools, the fancy things...I'm going to have to get rid of all of that, and I'm afraid my children might not adjust well." She snorts. "Papillon, Cricket, and Katydid are going to transfer to Canterlot High starting next month. I'm...I'm getting rid of our condo, moving into the suburbs. I need to lower our cost of living wherever I can. Like I said, we're not hard up for money, but...right now, it's best we...adjust."

I wince. "Yeah, they're not gonna like that." I grab a couple cans of ravioli and throw them in my basket. "So what're you gonna do?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. I don't want to retire. I don't want to sit around the house all day feeling sorry for myself. But...after everything that's happened, and considering my age..." She sighs again. "I don't really see what else I can do.

"Well...I'd better get going. It was nice talking to you." She puts a few cans in her basket, then walks off. I finish up my shopping and head home.

Thursday, February 11, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework.

"So, are things any better with the bullying situation?" I ask.

Apple Bloom shrugs. "Silver Spoon seems t' be tryin' t' make Diamond Tiara behave. It's...actually made it worse. Kinda. But...Ah'm jes' ignorin' her. Nobody pays any attention to her."

"Yeah, it's kinda sad." Sweetie Belle brightens. "Oh! I took your advice. I set Truffle Shuffle up with this girl named Twist. She..." She gestures wildly. "Well...the boys weren't exactly lining up to ask her out."

"Cool. And Button Mash?"

Apple Bloom starts giggling. Sweetie Belle slaps her upside the head. "It isn't funny!"

"Yes it is!" Apple Bloom cries, howling with laughter.

"What...happened?" I ask.

Sweetie Belle looks down at her homework, her cheeks red. "He...he freaked out and started trying to find a FAQ to tell him what to do."

Hooooooooly shit.

"And...when he couldn't find one...he called his mom. He was really freaking out."

Apple Bloom is about to die if she doesn't calm down.

Sweetie Belle ducks her head. "Finally he ended up giving me his phone to talk to his mom, and she said she'd make sure Button was ready on time and...and she'll pick me up here."

Apple Bloom has now completely lost it, and is rolling around on the floor.

"Oh, QUIET YOU!" Sweetie Belle snaps. "Or did you forget about that 'boy' you asked that turned out not only to be a girl, but your distant cousin?"

Apple Bloom immediately stops laughing. "Can Ah help it if Babs looks like a guy?"

I raise an eyebrow.

"So what time is Babs picking you up again?" Sweetie Belle asks in a sly, teasing tone.

Apple Bloom ducks her head. "Ah didn't know she was gay neither!"

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!

Listening to these two girls talk about their weird, messed-up dating misadventures does wonders for my mood. By the time I'm ready to go to bed, I feel like the last of the dark cloud hanging over my head has washed away.

I've also come to a realization:

Sunset Shimmer is pathetic, and doesn't deserve another moment's thought.

Now if we can just figure out one way or another if Fluttershy is Eris...
> 2/12 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, February 12, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Are you reading your horoscope every day? Because you really should.

The Valentine's Dance is tomorrow night. Valentine's Day is Sunday.

Twilight and I are going to the dance together, then on Sunday we're going out on a Valentine's date after Cadance's birthday party.

We're not letting our guard down, but at this point it's looking unlikely that Cadance will be targeted by Aquarius. According to her, the Shadows never attack more than once...

All around me, kids are exchanging Valentines with each other. Cards and candy are all over the place in every class. Surprisingly, I receive quite a few Valentines, not only from Twilight and Pinkie, but also friendly ones from Coco and Trixie.

It suddenly dawns on me, during third period, that I haven't even gotten Cadance a birthday present yet. Also, I have some last-minute Valentine's shopping to do, and I could probably use some new shoes. Looks like I'll need to go to the mall after tennis practice...

Friday, February 12, 2016 / After School

At tennis practice, the coach reminds us that the girls' matches start in three weeks.

After practice, I shower, change, stow my gear at the dorm, then head off into town to shop.

Friday, February 12, 2016 / Evening

The stores are packed...

It takes me twice as long to get my shopping done as it normally would. By the time I'm done, I'm pretty tired. I stop by SubLime for a couple of sandwiches to take back to the dorm.

When I get back, I find Pinkie lying on my bed naked. She smiles happily at me. "I was wondering when you'd get home!"

I roll my eyes. "Hi Pinkie."

"Aww, that's all the reaction I get?" Pinkie pouts. "Meanie."

"Sorry, I've been out shopping and I'm tired."

"Oooh, what'd you get?" Pinkie asks excitedly.

"Nevermind that," I say, shoving all the bags into my closet except the one with my dinner. "Want half a sandwich?"

"Well...it's not the six-incher I wanted inside me tonight, but...sure."

I groan. "Pinkie..."

"What? Twi-Twi said I could have you tonight," Pinkie complains. "Since she's got you the next two nights." She pauses, then tilts her head. "Well...one and a half. You're taking us BOTH to the dance."

"I am?"

"Of course!"

I shrug. "Yeah, okay." I grab a couple drinks from my fridge, toss one to Pinkie, then grab some paper plates and a knife to cut a sandwich in half.

Pinkie and I talk about different things while we eat: the dance, Cadance's birthday, tennis...

Part of me wonders when I got to the point that sitting around with a naked girl as cute as Pinkie and having zero reaction is normal.

After we eat, I get ready for bed. Pinkie slides into the bed next to me and cuddles me. I don't have the energy for anything else tonight...

She seems to understand that, and is content to just be with me.
> 2/13 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 13, 2016 / Evening
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The horoscope app is trying to tell you something important. Ignoring it is a really, really bad idea.

Despite some of the protests throughout the week from some of the girls, all of us are going to the dance tonight—even the ones who don't have dates. Which, surprisingly, is everybody except Twilight and Pinkie Pie.

I mean, I can see Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack not having dates, and Sonata's handicap probably isn't helping, but Rarity? That doesn't even make sense...

The girls spent the day at the spa. I spent the day loafing around. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle invited their friend—what was her name, the chicken girl—over to hang out. With everyone else gone, it was left to me to keep the girls in line. 

At around five, the chicken girl goes home, and I start getting ready for the dance. The Valentine's Dance is semi-casual, so I opt to wear the dress shirt Rarity gave me for my birthday, some nice slacks, and the new shoes I bought yesterday. I also do what I can to tame my hair and splash on some fairly expensive aftershave I rarely use.

It's a quarter to six—forty-five minutes until the dance is set to begin—when the girls return from the spa.

And by "return", I mean "strut in like supermodels". I half-expected there to be pounding music and spotlights.

Twilight is the first to enter, and WOW. She's had a serious makeover. Her normally straight, simple hair has been feathered, swept, teased, and gelled into a sporty, punky pile of spikes; it's still long in the back, but everything past the nape of her neck has been swept to the side and pulled into a tight ponytail. She's wearing more makeup than usual, which while still tasteful, makes her look more...mature. She's wearing a short dark purple skirt with a matching short-sleeved jacket over a low-cut black blouse, with a silver chain belt around her waist, as well as two-color tights: black on her right leg, hot pink on her left leg. She's also wearing translucent platform sandals, which she seems to have a little bit of trouble with, judging by the way she wobbles every third step. Her locket, transferred from its usual chain to a black velvet choker, and a tiny pair of silver earrings complete the ensemble.

Next is Pinkie Pie. She's wearing a scandalously short sleeveless scarlet qipao and matching slippers; her hair has been pulled up into two tight buns on the side of her head and tied off with gold ribbons. She isn't wearing any jewelry, and her makeup is much lighter than Twilight's. She's also very obviously not wearing a bra.

I really hope she's at least wearing panties...

Rainbow walks in next. I was NOT expecting to see her in the little black dress again, but there it is, this time without the tights—just black high-heeled sandals. She's also wearing gold bracelets and gold hoop earrings. Her rainbow hair has been slicked back and shined up so that it glows in the light.

Applejack is wearing new, dark, tight-fitting jeans, new boots, and a checkered Western shirt with a bolo tie with a shiny apple clasp, as well as a brand new black Stetson. Her hair has been braided and shines like spun gold. She isn't wearing any makeup.

Rarity is wearing a dark red sleeveless satin dress with a long skirt and matching pumps, sparkly garnet earrings, a matching garnet pendant on a slender gold chain, and thin gold chain bracelets intricately interwoven around her wrists. Her hair is in its usual elegant curls. She's wearing slightly more makeup than usual. I still think she wears too much makeup...

Sonata is wearing a wine-colored blouse with a flared collar and three silver braided ties fastened to shiny silver buttons, a carnation pink skirt, and knee-high hot pink boots. She has spiked purple bangles on her wrists and a dark blue scrunchie holding up her glossy high ponytail. A black choker with a large red ruby pendant hangs around her throat; her scars are invisible, likely hidden beneath layers of makeup.

Fluttershy is wearing a black cutoff tie-top and a dark green calf-length skirt, underneath which she's wearing full body nylon tights that end in fingerless gloves. She's wearing lace-up black boots and no jewelry. Most strikingly, she's dyed two black streaks in her long pink hair, one broad and one slender, and is wearing heavier, darker makeup than usual, with dark, almost black eyeshadow, heavy mascara, and blood red lipstick.

"Wow," I say. "You all look...wow."

Twilight walks up to me, touching her hair with a coy smile. "Do...do you like it?" she asks.

"I love it," I say. "It's a good look for you."

Twilight blushes and giggles. "If you say so," she says.

Pinkie bounces up to me. "Ready to go?" she asks.

"Yeah, if you girls are."

"We're just waiting for my brother to empty the back seat of his car," Twilight says. "We can't all go in the SUV this time." She wraps her arms around me. "You, me, and Pinkie are riding with Shining Armor."

"If you say so."

We head outside; the rest of the girls board Cadance's SUV, while Pinkie, Twilight, and I head for Shining Armor's car. He does a double-take at Twilight's hair. "Whoa. Twiley. That's...that's certainly some hair."

Twilight slaps him on the shoulder. "Don't tease," she says. "I wanted to try a new look. Just...just for a few days."

"You should totally leave it like that, Twi-Twi!" Pinkie says as we get into the car.

When we arrive at the school, the three of us walk arm-in-arm into the gym behind the rest of the girls. The gym is draped in sheets of red and pink foil paper, with heart-shaped balloons in pink, red, and white floating everywhere. Small tables with Valentine-themed tablecloths surround the edges of the gym, most of them set for two, but some set for four or more. A long buffet table laden with snacks and drinks stands at one end of the gym, while the other has a makeshift stage with Vinyl Scratch's equipment set up. Vinyl herself is present, with Lyra and Sweetie Drops at her side; Vinyl is dressed more or less the same as usual, while Lyra is wearing a gold dress and Sweetie Drops is wearing a tasteful blue blazer and skirt with a pink blouse. Octavia doesn't seem to be here...

I look around the gym. I see Coco, wearing a plain but nice dress, dancing with a pimply, bespectacled freshman; Trixie, wearing a shimmery blue satin gown that flows to the floor, is standing in one corner, nibbling on peanut butter crackers and chatting with her bandmates. Sunset Shimmer is lurking in a corner, wearing her usual outfit and watching everyone with a cold scowl. I look away before our eyes can meet.

The fact that I entered with two girls on my arms hasn't gone unnoticed; belatedly, I remember that the...interesting relationship I share with Twilight and Pinkie isn't really public knowledge. The girls in the dorm, Cadance, Shining Armor, Celestia, and Luna certainly know, but I don't think anyone else does...until now. We're getting a lot of looks, and a varying degree of reactions: surprise, disgust, amusement...shit-eating grins from several guys...

I take turns dancing with Twilight and Pinkie for about forty minutes, after which we find a table and sit down. Rarity is dancing with random guys, as is Applejack; Fluttershy is sitting at a table near the gym doors, occasionally politely turning down offers of a dance, and Rainbow is up front near the stage having the time of her life.

Pinkie brings snacks and drinks to our table as Twilight and I sit down. "This is a pretty fun dance!" she says.

"Yeah, it is," Twilight agrees, smiling. "I'm glad we came together."

"Well we couldn't come not together!" Pinkie says cheerfully, tossing a handful of red hots in her mouth. "Ooh, ow, hot, ow...mmm, cinnamony!"

Twilight frowns as her gaze settles on Fluttershy. "So, uhh...did either of you notice...?"

Pinkie looks over at Fluttershy. "That's kind of a bold look for Fluttershy, huh?"

"Well...yes, but that's not what I meant," Twilight says.

I frown. "You mean how that outfit looks a lot like what Eris wears?"

"Yeah, that," Twilight says.

Pinkie blinks. "Oooooh...yeah, now that you mention it..." She tilts her head. "But why would she...I mean, if Fluttershy's Eris, why would she...?"

"It...could be a coincidence," Twilight says slowly. "I mean, it...it could be..."

I sigh. "I don't think it is." I shake my head. "But why?"

"That's what I asked!" Pinkie exclaims.

"It...it does seem strange that she'd..." Twilight sighs. "Can we...can we not do this tonight? I just...I just want to have a good time with my boyfriend..." She looks at Pinkie and blushes. "And my girlfriend...kind of...thing...what are we?"

Pinkie shrugs. "Heck if I know. I'm kinda fuzzy on this whole threelationship thing myself." She blinks, then gasps. "Hey! Hey! That's what it is! We're in a threelationship!"

I laugh. "Only Pinkie," I say, grabbing some of her cinnamon red hots.

Twilight giggles.

After a few more minutes of rest and people-watching, we get back up and start dancing again. I look around and see Rainbow dancing with a soccer player—Cloudy Kicks, I think her name is—and Rarity looking rather cross at the boy she's dancing with stepping on her toes.

When we've had our fill of dancing, we make the rounds, talking to friends and classmates, eating food and generally having a good time. Every time my gaze drifts across Sunset Shimmer, I force myself to focus on the good time I'm having; every time I glance at Fluttershy, I force myself not to think about the fact that she probably let Sunset Shimmer into the dorm.

That she helped Sunset Shimmer rape me.

Toward the end of the dance, Pinkie insists on attempting a three-person tango with me and Twilight. We get a lot of good-natured teasing, some not-so-good-natured jeering, and more chuckles and applause for our troubles.

After the last dance of the evening, Vice-Principal Luna turns down the lights in the gym, and Celestia takes the stage next to Vinyl. A spotlight illuminates her and she taps on the microphone she's holding.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight," she says. "I wish more of you had come as couples," she says with a wry, reproachful smirk, "but I won't put anybody in detention for showing up stag." Everyone laughs. "Before you all leave, there are two things I'd like to say.

"First, a quick reminder that Monday is a school holiday." A wild cheer goes up at that; Celestia rolls her eyes. After a moment, she raises a hand for silence. "Second..." She frowns. "I hate to end tonight on a down note, but..." She sighs. "You all deserve to know...one of our students, a freshman named Snips, has been missing for six days. As of today, he has been presumed dead."

There are a lot of quiet murmurs and gasps.

"Checking Canterbook records, I'm aware Snips had few friends, one of whom was expelled some months back," Celestia says. "Nevertheless, he deserves to be remembered with respect. On Tuesday morning, we will have an assembly.

"Goodnight, everyone. Go home safely. I hope you have a happy Valentine's Day and enjoy your Monday off."

Saturday, February 13, 2016 / Late Night

Everyone is pretty well partied out by the time we return to the dorm. Pinkie wants to have a different kind of 'party' with me and Twilight, but Twilight reminds her that we all have to get up early in the morning so Pinkie can get things ready for Cadance's birthday party.

"Aww," Pinkie pouts. "I even wore special undies with this dress..."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Goodnight, Pinkie," she says.

Pinkie whimpers, but gives each of us a kiss before heading back to her room.

Twilight shakes her head, then steps into my embrace, laying her head on my chest. "The next time we go into Zodiac will be...interesting," she says. "There's no way there aren't dozens of texts flying around about tonight..."

"So what?" I ask. "All that really matters is that we're happy..." I tilt her chin up and look her in the eyes. "We are happy, aren't we?"

"Of course we are," she says. "Other than the people trying to kill us or mess with our heads or blackmail us or...whatever else." She sighs. "Snips...really was killed, wasn't he?"

"It looks that way." I hold Twilight close. "Get some sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow. Cadance's party, our date..."

Twilight smiles. "Yeah." She kisses me. "See you tomorrow, Flash."

Twilight goes to her room and I go to mine. I'm undressing when my phone starts beeping at me.




System Message
The time is now 0:00:01 Canterlot Standard Time

Please open your horoscope app




The horoscope app...

I haven't actually looked at it in...I don't even know how long. At least since January...

Knowing that Sunset Shimmer runs the horoscope app has kind of soured me on even looking at it.

Still...this isn't normal.

Against my better judgment, I open the app...

Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sunset Shimmer no longer has control of your horoscope. I do. I'm the best friend you've got right now if you want to keep everyone you love alive. You'd better stop ignoring this app. I'm trying to save your life.

...what?!
> 2/14 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, February 14, 2016 / Just Past Midnight
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sunset Shimmer no longer has control of your horoscope. I do. I'm the best friend you've got right now if you want to keep everyone you love alive. You'd better stop ignoring this app. I'm trying to save your life.

I stare at my phone, mind reeling.

I button my pants back up, grab my phone, and run across the hall to Twilight's room. "Twilight!"

Twilight yelps and turns around, covering herself; her bra is on the floor and she's in the middle of peeling off those crazy tights. "FLASH!" she cries, blushing. "I thought we agreed not to...you know...tonight..."

"That's not it," I say. "Look." I hand her my phone.

She looks at the screen. Her eyes widen. She forgets about her half-undressed state and sits on the edge of her bed. "What...?"

I run my hands through my hair. "I...I haven't even been checking my horoscope in weeks," I say. "A few minutes ago, this system message popped up telling me to check it. Then...this."

Twilight frowns. "Huh." She fiddles with my phone for a few minutes. I sit down next to her, looking at the screen. She's gone into the horoscopes archive for the past week...

2/7 (Virgo): Taking rash action before you have all the facts could be a costly mistake.

2/8 (Virgo): You're better off paying attention to the people and things that matter the most to you today instead of obsessing over chasing shadows and rumors.

2/9 (Virgo): Beware the lioness today. She is hunting, and you are the prey.

2/10 (Virgo): Swallow your pride. Justice needs to be served.

2/11 (Virgo): Returning to your normal routine after a terrible ordeal is the best way you can help yourself heal.

2/12 (Virgo): Are you reading your horoscope every day? Because you really should.

2/13 (Virgo): The horoscope app is trying to tell you something important. Ignoring it is a really, really bad idea.

Twilight's face is pale. "Oh my God..." She runs her finger down the list. "Sunday's horoscope...that's a warning about the bear trap in the park. About...about us getting the target wrong. Tuesday, that...that's a warning about Sunset Shimmer, isn't it?" She looks up at me. "How long has this been going on?"

"I don't know," I reply with a shrug. "I haven't been checking it. But now that you mention it, some of the horoscopes I've gotten in the past have been oddly specific and...eerily accurate."

"Let's see..." Twilight tries to go further back in the archives, but the app won't load anything older than last Sunday. She sighs and returns to today's horoscope.

Which has changed:

Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You can relax and take a breather today. Cadance won't be attacked. They can only hunt once a year. You already know who Aquarius killed. Also, don't tell anybody about the hacked horoscopes. I'm deleting all traces of this, and if you talk, I'll have to stop helping you.

Twilight and I stare at each other.

Numbly, I take my phone back from her. "Umm. I...I'm gonna go...bed..."

"Yeah..."

Sunday, February 14, 2016 / Morning

Shortly after nine, we have a huge breakfast with the whole dorm present, as well as Cadance and Shining Armor. Pinkie Pie and Applejack lay out a nice, obviously Valentine's-themed spread—there's heart-shaped pancakes with strawberry syrup and whipped cream, heart-shaped sausage patties, heaps of scrambled eggs, spiced apples, and passion fruit juice.

Rarity picks up a heart-shaped sausage patty with her fork and raises an eyebrow. "Really, Pinkie Pie?" she asks dryly.

"Awww, but it's Valentine's Day!" Pinkie says as she cuts through her stack of pancakes with her fork.

Rarity rolls her eyes.

Applejack looks over at Rainbow Dash as she mixes spiced apples with her eggs. "So...you an' Cloudy Kicks, huh?" she says with a smirk.

Rainbow blushes. "We just danced together, okay? It's not...I mean..." She stabs a sausage patty with her fork. "I don't..." She lets out a frustrated groan and shoves sausage into her mouth, glaring at Applejack and chewing furiously. Everyone laughs.

Well...most everyone. Fluttershy is sitting at the very end of the table, eating mechanically, her eyes clouded.

"I didn't see Octavia at the dance," Pinkie says. "Aren't she and Vinyl Scratch a thing now?"

"They're...kind of a thing. I think." I shrug. "I think Octavia's still trying to figure out if she wants that kind of relationship, and...well, even if she does," I take a sip of juice and grimace. It has an afterbite... "Vinyl being blind...complicates things."

"It won't be easy for them," Cadance agrees.

"Octavia's overbearing mother isn't helping," I say. "That's probably why she wasn't even at the dance."

"Ouch."

Shining Armor sighs. "You know...I can't get used to this," he says.

"What?" Twilight asks.

"All this...open gayness," Shining Armor says. "It's like...to you kids, it's no big thing, and—"

"Shiny," Cadance says with a stern frown, "we're not that much older than them."

"I know, but...it wasn't like this when we were in high school!" Shining Armor rants. "You know what I'm talking about! I mean sure, there were kids who were...y'know...but they didn't advertise it, and...and people didn't just sit around talking about it like it was completely normal." He chugs half his juice in one gulp.

Cadance sighs. "Yeah...a lot's changed in just a few years." She shrugs. "But it's good that it's changed. And...there's still kids who, well..." She looks at Rainbow.

Rainbow sighs. "Who act like it's a bad thing. Who make fun of you for it. Even if you're not. And I'm still not! I don't think." She looks around at all of us, then blushes again. "I'll just shut up and eat now."

Rarity frowns at Shining Armor. "You're not homophobic, are you Coach?"

Shining Armor starts sweating. "Me? No! I mean...I don't have an opinion, I just..." He looks around the table. "I'm just...not used to everybody thinking it's...you know, normal..."

Twilight arches an eyebrow. "You are aware I'm technically bisexual," she says flatly.

"Gah!" Shining Armor scoots away from the table. "Twiley! I don't—! Just—! GAH!"

Cadance raises an eyebrow of her own. "Funny, I never expected you to be so comfortable even admitting that," she says to Twilight.

Twilight blushes. "Well...it's not like it's a secret," she says.

"Boy, I'll say!" Rainbow says with a snicker. "Good grief, you and Pinkie...sheesh..."

"Now the whole boyfriend-girlfriend-girlfriend thing, that's not normal," Sweetie Belle says.

"No kiddin'," Apple Bloom agrees. "Ah spent most'a mah life on a farm an' even Ah know y'all are...kinda off."

Pinkie shrugs. "The heart wants what the heart wants. My heart wants Flashie-pants AND Twi-Twi!" She pours some more strawberry syrup on her remaining pancakes.

"Well mah heart wonders why we're havin' this conversation with children at th' table," Applejack says.

"Oh gosh...I'm sorry," Twilight says. "I didn't think—"

"Hey! We're old enough to talk about this kind of stuff!" Sweetie Belle says.

"It's my fault," Shining Armor says. "I'm sorry..."

"Actually, Ah think it's th' fruit juice's fault," Apple Bloom says, frowning at her glass. "Why'd y'all go an' put hard cider in this?"

THAT'S what that afterbite is...!

Everybody stares at Pinkie and Applejack.

Applejack gives Pinkie a hard glare. "Okay now. Fess up."

Pinkie giggles nervously. "I just thought...maybe it'd help everybody...loosen up?"

"Pinkiiiiiiiiie," Rainbow growls. "I'll loosen YOU up!" She shoots out of her chair and dives at Pinkie. Pinkie bolts like a scared rabbit; Rainbow chases her. We hear them running all over the dorm, Pinkie gasping and yelping and laughing, and Rainbow shouting some...very inventive profanity.

Everybody, even Fluttershy, is sitting around blinking in the ensuing silence. Everybody, that is, except Applejack and Rarity, who have bolted out of their seats and clasped their hands firmly over their little sisters' ears.

Sonata's tablet beeps at us, drawing our attention.

Well...that escalated quickly.

By the time Pinkie and Rainbow reappear, the rest of us have finished breakfast. Rarity insists on taking Cadance to the spa for some pampering while the rest of us clean up the kitchen and dining room and set things up for the birthday party. Fluttershy helps us set things up, but doesn't say much to anyone, and won't look anyone in the eye...except for one brief moment when our eyes meet. For an instant, I see defensiveness and resentment in her eyes...then guilt as she turns away.

Sunday, February 14, 2016 / Daytime

While we're getting things ready for the party, Twilight and I pull Rainbow and Pinkie aside. We quietly tell them what we know, and swear them to secrecy about the horoscope thing.

"So no big fights today?" Rainbow asks.

"At least...we can enjoy Cadance's birthday without constantly being on edge?" Pinkie suggests hesitantly. "I mean...since someone else already..." Her shoulders sag. "Yeah..."

"But it does raise the question...who's hacking the horoscope app? Who's helping us?" Twilight shakes her head. "I'm completely confused by this."

"Maybe...we shouldn't be discussing this," I say quietly. "I'd rather not scare this person off, even if the whole thing is a little creepy."

While we're setting up for the party, I give Pinkie her Valentine's present: a pair of silver earrings shaped like balloons. I also give Twilight her first present: two boxes of chocolates. The other little cards and candies I have for the other girls, I hand out in passing.

Everything is set up by the time Cadance and Rarity return. Cadance is absolutely glowing from her spa treatment. The dining room table has a huge spread of finger foods and other light, grab-and-go fare: plenty of fried, greasy items such as buckets of popcorn chicken, fried shrimp, tater tots, fries, and steak fingers, as well as trays of carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter, sliced apples, and more. There are dipping cups of cocktail sauce, ketchup, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, and so forth, as well as baskets of croissants and stacks of country toast.

"Good lord," Cadance says when she sees the buffet. "Are you kids trying to get me fat?"

Twilight laughs. "We thought it'd be a good idea to have a little of everything," she says.

"You certainly managed that!"

Everybody grabs a heavy-duty styrofoam tray and loads up what they want, then heads to the lounge. One of Cadance's favorite movies is queued up and ready to play—it's about an engaged couple from Manehattan going on vacation in the tropics, and the woman having to make a quick flight to another island, and she gets stranded on a deserted island with this salty, older pilot who's still a badass despite being old enough to be her father.

I'm not a big fan of romance flicks, but this movie...wow. I can't turn away from it. It's just...wow.

After the movie, Cadance starts opening presents. She tells us that Shining Armor gave her her "first" birthday present back in their apartment earlier, but won't tell any of us what it is. Rainbow got her a new jogging suit, Rarity got her some expensive makeup and perfume, Applejack presented her with the usual assortment of apple products, and Pinkie got her a very, very pink lava lamp. Fluttershy got her a little electronic snowglobe with a tiny cheeping bird in it; it turns out to be a battery-operated digital alarm clock. Sonata got her a gift card; Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went in together to get her a digital music download card. Twilight bought her a new handbag, and I got her a box set of one of her favorite TV shows.

"Thank you, everyone!" Cadance says with a smile. "Really, you didn't need to go to all this trouble for me."

"But of course we did, darling!" Rarity says.

I wish I could've gotten you something more personal, but I didn't really know what you might need.

"That's alright, Sonata," Cadance says with a smile. She blushes as she looks at the value on her gift card. "I...can pretty much get anything I can think of with this. And then some."

After that, we watch a couple more movies as we demolish the rest of the buffet. At around four, Twilight and Cadance start getting ready for tonight.

Tonight, Twilight and I are going on a double date with Shining Armor and Cadance. Cadance got us reservations for four at the best steakhouse in Canterlot...

She also reserved two suites at the Canterlot Palace Hotel.

Sunday, February 14, 2016 / Evening

It's already dark when the four of us get into Shining Armor's car. Cadance and Twilight have gotten all dolled up and look fantastic; Coach and I are wearing nice suits. All four of us have a small suitcase stashed in the trunk with a change of clothes and stuff.

"I really shouldn't be condoning my sister spending the night at a hotel alone with a boy," Shining Armor says as we drive off.

"Shiny," Cadance says with a roll of her eyes, "it's Valentine's Day. You know they're gonna do it regardless of where they are. I just thought they might like, y'know, some privacy...a change of scenery..." She looks back at us and smirks. "Sheets neither of them have to actually wash afterwards..."

"Cadance!" Twilight cries with a furious blush. Cadance giggles.

At the steakhouse, Shining Armor and I both order a huge steak and a baked potato, while Cadance orders a garden salad with grilled chicken strips. Twilight orders the biggest Angus burger they have: two half-pound patties, grilled onions, onion straws, pickles, smoked cheddar, and steak sauce, with a pile of thick-cut steak fries on the side. It's excellent food, and we make light conversation about inconsequential things over dinner. Shining Armor has a draft beer with his meal, and Cadance orders wine, so I have to drive us to the hotel.

Once we arrive and check in, the clerk gives Shining Armor and I the keys to one room and Cadance and Twilight the keys to the other room. We wait until we're in the elevator before swapping around the keys. Twilight and I say goodnight to Cadance and Shining Armor at the door to their room, then head to our room.

The room is very nice. Twilight and I take a few minutes to just enjoy the fanciness of it. Then I turn down the lights as Twilight turns down the bed (after eating the little mint on the pillow).

I take Twilight into my arms. "Happy Valentine's Day," I say. I reach into my pocket and pull out a wrapped box, which I hand to her.

"Oh, Flash," she says. She opens it and gasps. It's a white gold and sapphire tennis bracelet. "It's...it's beautiful!"

I pull Twilight into a deep kiss, letting all my love for her flow into her. She kisses me back passionately, her hands roaming all over my back.

Our lips part. I look deep into her eyes. I take the bracelet from her and clasp it around her wrist...

...then I unzip her dress.

She giggles as she starts unbuttoning my shirt...
> 2/15 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 15, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You should take time today to reflect on your situation and prepare for what lies ahead. You may have lost a battle, but you haven't lost the war.

There's no school today.

Twilight and I sleep in late. When we get up, we get ourselves cleaned up (twice; we can't resist having a quickie in the shower), then head to the lobby to meet up with Shining Armor and Cadance.

I check my horoscope while we're waiting. Twilight glances at it over my shoulder and hums thoughtfully. "We should probably have a quick little meeting with the girls when we get back."

"Yeah. There's no hurry, though."

Cadance and Shining Armor arrive, and we head out to our favorite breakfast buffet. Twilight loads an entire plate with scrambled eggs...and another with waffles, sweet rolls, sausage, and bacon.

Shining Armor stares at Twilight's two plates and two-fisted, two-fork eating style. "Uhh...got enough food there, Twiley?"

"Sex makes me hungry," Twilight mumbles through a mouthful of eggs.

Shining Armor chokes on a biscuit. Cadance shakes her head and giggles.

I roll my eyes. "Twilight, breathing makes you hungry."

Shining Armor gives me a level stare. "You're not gonna do something stupid like getting my little sister pregnant, are you?"

"I'm on the pill, Shiny," Twilight says as she crams an entire sausage patty in her mouth.

"I wouldn't want to get on your bad side, Coach," I say. "We'll be careful."

Shining Armor stares at Twilight, then shakes his head. "Dude, if she gets pregnant, I'm not what you have to worry about."

Cadance and I follow his gaze.

Cadance turns pale. I have a sudden, terrifying mental image...

Twilight, cheeks bulging with food, looks around at us. "Wff?"

Cadance shudders. "Dear God..."

Monday, February 15, 2016 / Daytime

When we get back to the dorm, the only people home are Pinkie and Sonata. They're sitting in the lounge watching cartoons and giggling.

"Oh, hey guys!" Pinkie calls. "Did you have a good daaaaate?" She gives us a sly look.

"Yes. Yes we did."

Twilight looks around. "So where is everybody?"

Pinkie shrugs. "Rainbow went out to practice softball, Applejack and Apple Bloom went to visit their daddy, Rarity and Sweetie Belle went out with their mom, and Fluttershy's...fluttering someplace, I dunno."

Sonata giggles at that.

Wanna watch cartoons with us?

Twilight and I look at each other. She shrugs. "Don't really have anything better to do," she says. "Let me just get my bookpad..."

Twilight and I spend the rest of the day watching TV with Pinkie and Sonata.

Monday, February 15, 2016 / Evening

Everyone wanders back in fairly late in the day. We order pizza for everyone for dinner.

After dinner, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Cadance, and I meet up in Cadance's living room. "Is Shining Armor here?" Twilight asks.

Cadance giggles. "Yeah, but he's asleep in the bedroom. He won't be waking up either." She toys with her hair. "I...pretty much fucked him into a coma."

"CADANCE!" Twilight cries. Rainbow leers. Pinkie cackles. Rarity smirks, rolling her eyes.

"What, you didn't get enough last night?" Rainbow asks.

Cadance smirks. "I never get enough," she says. Then, with an uncharacteristically shy look, she adds, "Besides...we're kinda hoping...maybe..." She looks down, a silly smile on her face.

Rarity's eyes widen. "You're trying for a baby?"

Twilight gasps.

"Yay!" Pinkie cheers. "Be sure and let me know when you get lucky, okay? I'll throw the perfect baby shower!"

"It...might take a while," Cadance says. "Anyway, let's get down to business."

"To defeat the Huns?" Pinkie asks. Twilight slaps her upside the head.

Cadance shoots Pinkie an odd look, but shakes her head. "So...looks like our little tip about me not being the target paid off." She frowns. "But that means two things."

"Yeah. It means somebody died on our watch," Rainbow says with an unhappy frown. "I mean, Snips...no real loss there, he was a punk, but..."

"It also means we lost our shot at taking out Aquarius," Twilight says with a cross look at Rainbow. "That's one more Shadow we have to worry about."

"Assuming this...'informant' of yours is on the level," Rarity says.

"We're pretty sure this person is trustworthy," I say. "If a bit creepy."

Cadance sighs. "Right, so...what do we learn from this?"

"Well, for one thing...we need to be careful about relying on our assumptions," Twilight says. "We were so convinced you'd be the next target it never occurred to us that somebody else might...that we might be wrong." She sighs. "Not that we'd have been able to protect Snips. He was out of town..."

"I believe we could've come up with something," Rarity says. "But, you're right. We need to be more vigilant and less self-assured." She picks at a thread on her blouse. "We also need to train harder."

"We'll go to Zodiac sometime this week," Cadance says. "Now, about this whole Eris thing..."

"I'm more convinced than ever that Fluttershy is Eris," I say. "The way she was dressed the other night, the way she's been acting lately..." I look around the room, then at Twilight. She gives me a pleading look.

I look at Cadance. She nods once.

I look at Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity. "There's...something we haven't told you girls," I say.

"I'm hardly surprised," Rarity says.

"Something you didn't even tell me?" Pinkie asks, lip quivering.

I sigh. "It...it isn't something I wanted...wanted anyone knowing. Anyone who wasn't...who didn't have to. Twilight and Cadance know, Luna knows, but that's only because Twilight and Luna are on the third floor, and we had to tell Cadance."

Twilight takes my hand and squeezes it.

I take a deep breath.

"Tuesday night...Sunset Shimmer was in the dorm. She...raped me."

Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie gasp in shock. Rarity's eyes widen in horror. Rainbow shoots to her feet. "Wait...WHAT?"

"You heard me," I say, shuddering.

"Oh my GOD, Flash!" Pinkie screeches. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

"Flash...resisted reporting it to the police," Cadance says. "And he convinced Luna to forget she heard anything about it."

"And none of you are going to say anything to anybody," I say.

"Totally get you, dude," Rainbow says. "A guy gettin' raped, that's...that's embarrassing."

"Rainbow!" Twilight snaps.

"So that's why you looked like you wanted to kill Sunset Shimmer the other day," Pinkie says to Twilight. "I wondered..."

"Anyway, it...it happened, but it doesn't matter anymore," I say. "Sunset Shimmer's beneath notice. She's a skid mark." I shake my head. "No, what's important is that she couldn't have gotten into the dorm without help." I look around the room. "And the only person who could've let her in is Fluttershy."

Rarity sighs. "That...would seem to be the case," she says.

"Wait," Rainbow says. "Fluttershy, help Sunset Shimmer rape you? It doesn't make sense."

"I don't think she knew Sunset Shimmer was going to...to do that," Twilight says.

I nod. "I agree. I've been thinking..." I pull out my phone and lay it on the table. "The horoscopes from before that were fairly vague...they only really made sense in hindsight. But...the horoscopes since then have been, well..."

"Pointed, direct messages to Flash," Twilight picks up. "We've been talking it over...Fluttershy is Eris, and...and she's the one hacking the horoscope app. I think...I think what happened the other night...it was too much. Whatever grudge Fluttershy has against all of us, whatever reason she has for doing all the things she's done..." She shudders. "That thing with Sunset Shimmer crossed the line, and..."

"Wait, are you sayin' Sunset Shimmer's got somethin' to do with all this Zodiac crap?" Rainbow asks.

"We don't know," I say. "She may, she may not. We've been wrong about a lot of things. But...whoever Mephistopheles is, they might have put Fluttershy up to letting Sunset Shimmer into the dorm. And then that happened. And now Fluttershy's..." I gesture vaguely.

Twilight looks around. "Of course, we're making a lot of assumptions here, and we don't have a lot of facts. All we really have is circumstantial evidence against Fluttershy and a very sudden change in the behavior of whoever's hacking the horoscopes. Which may be Fluttershy or it may not."

Everyone is quiet for a minute.

Cadance sighs. "This is all very serious, and...we're going to have to dig deeper, find more clues. But...in the meantime, we need to worry about what we know for certain."

"Right. The next Shadow." Twilight stands up and starts pacing. "Pisces..." She sighs. "I honestly have no idea who the next victim will be. We need to be ready for anything."

"We're not lettin' the next one get away," Rainbow says decisively. "No more deaths."

"Rainbow Dash is absolutely right," Rarity says. "We need to stay sharp and stay focused. And all this...this other business, Eris, Fluttershy, Mephistopheles, Sunset Shimmer...we can tackle that as new information becomes available to us."

"Twilight, when's Fluttershy's birthday?" Cadance asks.

"March 29," Twilight replies immediately. "She's an Aries."

"If she isn't attacked, then we'll know for sure," Rainbow says, frowning.

"That's not good enough," I say, shaking my head. "We need to find out what Fluttershy has to do with all this before the next Shadow attack. If she is Eris, we...we need to get her on our side."

"Are you loco in the coco?" Pinkie demands. "Eris tries to kick our butts every time we see her, Fluttershy let Sunset Shimmer into the dorm to rape you...how can we trust either of them? Especially if they're the same person!"

"Because we need to," Twilight says. "Because I think she needs our help too."

It's late...

Everybody heads up to bed.

It takes a long time for me to get to sleep...
> 2/16 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Morning
Horoscope app is disabled due to system maintenance.

School begins a half hour late today. Homeroom has been replaced with a school assembly.

Celestia and Luna stand on the stage. They're wearing black. An older couple stands with them. They look positively miserable; I'm guessing they must be Snips' parents.

A large photograph of Snips hangs behind the podium.

"It's never easy when one of our students is lost," Celestia says. "The tragedy of a young life, cut short before it can truly begin...nothing makes me sadder. I don't have children of my own—I consider all of you, every student that has ever walked these halls, my children. This...this is not the first time I've had to face the reality that I may never see a particular child's smiling face in this school again.

"Snips joins an alarmingly growing list of troubled teens who have disappeared in the past year, never to be seen again. While we certainly hope he is alive and well and will be found one day..." She looked with sympathy and pity at his parents. "The truth is, we may never know what happened. So today, we're here to honor the memory of Snips, and offer a moment of silent prayer for him and his family."

We all bow our heads respectfully. I never liked Snips, but he didn't deserve this...

If only we'd...

After a time, Celestia speaks again.

"As you have no doubt noticed, many Canterbook services are unavailable this morning. Due to a number of recent hacking incidents, we've commissioned an independent review of Canterbook's security, and have found a number of discrepancies. We're going to be working to tighten security for the protection of our academic data and our students' privacy. I ask you all to be patient while system maintenance is being performed.

"There will now be a fifteen minute break, after which you are all to report to your second period class."

I need to take a piss, so I head to the restroom. After I'm finished, I decide to head to this one disused dead-end corridor in the west wing of the school. It's a good place to collect your thoughts, because nobody ever goes down there. The lights don't work, there's no classrooms, none of the lockers are in use because nobody really even uses lockers anymore at CHS...

As I reach the dead end, I find Juan, staring up at the lights and frowning. "It's as if this one row of lights just doesn't want to work," he mutters. He turns and sees me. "Oh! Hello. Did the assembly end already?"

"Yeah."

Juan stretches, popping his back. "I'm just taking a minute myself," he says. He frowns. "I've noticed they're doing maintenance on Canterbook."

"Yeah. Principal Celestia said something about tightening up system security."

Juan snorts. "It's about time Celestia took things more seriously." He looks at me. "Did you know that Canterbook isn't the first attempt at an all-digital, all-online format at Canterlot High? Ten years ago, I was the lead developer on Project Wondercolt. The school spent millions of dollars on fiber optics, routers, servers, a social media platform, digital textbooks...it was supposed to be the most advanced, progressive education platform in the country."

"So what happened?"

"Well...the social media elements led to...quite a bit of online bullying. Oh, there were several incidents...suicides, two school shootings...ultimately, the decision was made to pull the plug, and, well...I was thrown under the bus." He chuckles ruefully. "Of course, after that, my career in network development was over. No company would touch me. Celestia never believed that everything that happened here was my fault, and offered me a job...as a janitor. A janitor!" He snorts. "Well...it was better than the alternative, and she did offer me a considerably higher pay grade than anything I could've landed after my fall from grace...

"Then, four years ago, she decided to try again. After, of course, Wondercolt's successors had tested successfully elsewhere. After two years of development, Canterbook was brought online. I was given Tier Three access because of my experience with social media and online education systems..."

So that's why...

"But from what I hear, Canterbook is turning into more of the same. It's just...rather more subtle than the old Wondercolt system. And yet, perhaps more sinister?" Juan shakes his head. "No matter how much technology changes, the one thing that will never change is the cruelty of children."

The bell rings.

"Well, you'd better hurry on to class," Juan says. "I'm glad we had this little chance to chat!" He shuffles off, whistling tunelessly.

I head to class.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / After School

At Music Club, I ask Octavia why she wasn't at the dance.

"My mother," she says with a tired sigh. "She's becoming more and more unreasonable of late."

"You're going to have to confront her sooner or later."

"I know."

She hooks up the bass, and we spend the rest of Music Club jamming.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I'm working on my homework when Celestia walks in.

"Did you enjoy your Valentine's Day, Flash?" she asks.

"Yeah, me and Twilight...umm...had a good time," I say.

Celestia smirks. "In a different way than the way you two usually 'have a good time', I hope." She sighs. "I envy you two. You're so obviously in love..." She sits down on my bed, folding her hands in her lap. "I can't honestly think of a single person I'm remotely interested in...and I'm getting a little too old for that sort of thing."

"You're, uhh...not that old," I say, coughing.

"Days like today, I feel old," she says. "But thank you." She shifts her legs. "I just feel like I've lost control of everything lately. I can't even figure out who's screwing around with Canterbook...shouldn't I be able to do that sort of thing?"

I shrug. "Whoever it is, they're pretty good at covering their tracks."

Celestia nods. "That they are." She frowns. "Rainbow Dash seemed very uncomfortable at dinner. I suppose she still feels awkward around me after that spoofed message." She runs a hand through her hair. "Doesn't she realize I'm not blaming her for that? The whole thing is silly..."

I cough. "Actually..."

Should I do this?

Celestia looks at me. "Yes?"

Dammit...

I sigh. "The reason things are so...awkward with Rainbow Dash is because, well..." I take a deep breath. "She does have a crush on you."

Celestia's eyes widen.

"And that mess with the hacker..."

"Oh my God," Celestia says, closing her eyes. "She must have felt humiliated."

"And angry. That whole thing really hurt her."

Celestia sighs. "Well. That certainly explains a lot." She frowns. "I thought Rainbow Dash wasn't a lesbian?"

"She's...still trying to figure that out, I think," I say. I smile. "I think you actually turned her gay."

Celestia blushes. "Oh. Well. That's...well." She coughs awkwardly. "Well...I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint her...for a number of reasons," she adds under her breath. "But now that I know what's really going on, maybe I can clear the air with her." She smiles. "Thank you for telling me that."

"I just hope Rainbow doesn't kill me for it," I say.

Celestia laughs. "Well..." She ducks her head. "I guess...if I can turn a teenage girl gay...maybe I'm not that old after all..." She stands and stretches, yawning. "Goodnight, Flash."

I watch her leave, then shake my head and go back to my homework.

As I get ready for bed, I can't help but have a mental image of Celestia and Rainbow Dash having sex...

Great. Now I've got the boner from hell. It'll take forever to get to sleep...
> 2/17 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Pisces' hunting period starts in two days. I don't know who the target is or when Pisces will show up. Be careful.

Huh. So much for the security upgrades...

After breakfast, Celestia clears her throat. "Rainbow Dash, I could use some help this morning...would you mind terribly riding with me to school?"

"Huh? Me?" Rainbow asks, blinking.

"You're usually last to leave the dorm," Pinkie pointed out. "You sit around watching TV until you're almost late. The rest of us have stuff to do before we leave, but you don't!"

"Well..." Rainbow scratches the back of her head. "Okay," she says nervously.

When I head out with Twilight to walk Spike, she comments, "Wonder what that was all about?"

"I, uhh...may have told Celestia about Rainbow's crush on her," I say. "She's...gonna clear the air."

Twilight blinks at me. "You did WHAT?"

"I had to," I say. "You saw Rainbow last night. Celestia was worried about her."

Twilight sighs. "Well, I just hope Rainbow doesn't kill you in your sleep."

"Or kick me in the balls."

"Or kill you with your own balls," Pinkie says, popping up suddenly out of nowhere. Spike lets out an alarmed yelp.

"GAH!" Twilight cries. "Pinkie!"

"How would that even..." I shake my head. "You know...nevermind."

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / After School

After tennis practice, Pinkie walks up to me. "Hey, Flash? Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure."

We swing by Sugar Cube Corner to grab a snack, then head to the old playground.

Pinkie sits beside me on a bench. She looks upset. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asks.

"Tell you what?"

"About...about Sunset Shimmer raping you," she says softly. She's crying.

I sigh. "I didn't...I didn't want anybody to know," I say. "I..." I look down at my lap. "I was...angry. Ashamed. Upset. I don't know. I just..."

"You told Twilight, you told Luna, you told Cadance, but you couldn't tell me?"

"Twilight and Luna saw me chasing her out of the dorm," I say. "Cadance had to know because she had to excuse me from school." I shake my head. "It was hard to convince Luna not to have Sunset Shimmer arrested."

"WHY, though?" Pinkie asks. "She broke in and attacked you!"

"Because I don't want the whole fucking world knowing, okay?!" I yell. "I didn't even want the rest of the dorm to know!" I run my hands through my hair. "I woke up to find a crazy girl I hate riding my dick. Look at it from my point of view! When a girl gets raped, everybody's upset and screaming for blood. When it happens to a guy?" I sigh. "Everybody would be laughing at me. I...I can't deal with that. I've got enough bullshit to deal with."

Pinkie stares at me. "You really...you really think that's what'd happen? If the truth came out?"

"I know it would," I say.

Pinkie pulls me into a hug. "I wouldn't laugh at you. The other girls didn't laugh at you. We pretty much all wanna kill Sunset Shimmer for what she did to you." She looks me in the eyes. "Don't ever keep something like this from me again, okay?"

"Pinkie..."

"I mean it, Flash," she says. "You're too important to me. Don't shut me out. I want to be there for you. No matter what."

I swallow heavily. "A-alright." I sigh. "I'm sorry."

We sit there in silence for a long time before we head home.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 / Evening

I haven't even gotten my laptop out to start on my homework when Rainbow barges into my room holding a big pair of scissors. "Whip it out, dude," she growls. "I'm cuttin' it off."

"Gah! What the hell?" I cover my lap with my laptop bag. Rainbow advances on me, a terrifying expression on her face...

...which dissolves into snickers as she tosses the scissors on the bed and clutches her stomach. "Oh my god, your FACE!" she howls. She drops to the floor, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Nah, I'm not mad."

I let out a sigh of relief. "So, you talked to Celestia?"

Rainbow sighs. "Yeah. She said...she said she's flattered, but she's just not into girls and, well..." She chuckles. "It's not like she could do something like that with a kid anyway." She tilts her head. "Well I mean she could, but it's not really a good idea." She smirks. "She did say that if she were twenty years younger, she'd try to steal you from Twilight."

"Really?"

"Nope!" Rainbow grins. She blushes. "But...she did say you were more her type than, well..." She coughs. "So...I'm thinkin' I might try to set her up with my dad."

I stare at her. "Seriously?"

She shrugs. "Why not? I mean, Dad's not gonna be playin' soccer forever. He's gonna need to settle down sooner or later."

"Huh. Well...good luck with that."

"Thanks for...y'know...bein' nosy an' stuff," Rainbow says, sticking her tongue out at me. "Later!"

After she leaves, I do my homework, then head down to dinner.

After dinner, I'm practicing my guitar when there's a knock on my door. It's Sweetie Belle.

"I need...I need some more advice," she says.

"Sure."

Sweetie walks in and sits down. "Umm...so..."

"How did your date with that Button kid go?" I ask. "I never did hear anything about that."

Sweetie ducks her head. "That's...what I wanted to talk about," she says. "Oh, I mean, umm...it was kind of awkward, but...but I didn't mind, because Button's kinda cute when he's awkward. But..." She sighs. "I don't think we really have anything in common."

I shrug. "Does that really matter? I mean, look at me and Twilight. She spends most of her time reading, I spend half my time playing guitar. She's on track to be class valedictorian, I'm...kind of a slacker."

"No you're not," Sweetie says. "You're always doing stuff and going places and...you're cool!"

I shrug. "My point is, me and Twi are totally different, but...we're in love. Sometimes two people just click."

"Hmm. I'm not sure if I click with Button," Sweetie admits. "I like him, but..."

"Well, that's a start," I say. "It's something to build on. How does he feel about you?"

Sweetie Belle snorts. "I have no idea. He never shuts up about video games."

"Well...just give him a chance, okay? I'm sure he'll come around."

Sweetie sighs. "I guess. Thanks." She stands up. "I've still got homework to finish." She leaves.

I spend another half hour practicing, then write an e-mail to my parents and go to bed.
> 2/18 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 18, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take care in planning your weekend activities.

At Music Club, Trixie announces that her band scored a regular Friday night gig at a pizza parlor which is gaining steam as a new hot spot in Canterlot. I might have to take Twilight and Pinkie there sometime...

Or hey, the whole dorm. Why not?

Thursday, February 18, 2016 / Evening

Before dinner, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity show up in my room while I'm working on my homework.

"I've put together a list of Pisces birthdays at CHS," Twilight says. "There's nine students and two teachers who are Pisces." She sighs. "Sonata is on the list."

Pinkie frowns. "But...do you think she'd be...y'know...?"

"I don't know, Pinkie," Twilight says. "After...after Snips, I'm not sure the pattern's going to hold. Especially if Fluttershy is Eris." She sighs. "In any case, starting Monday, we'll need to be on the lookout. I'll send everybody the list so you'll know what days we might have to fight."

"We should go to Zodiac tomorrow night," Rarity says.

"Or Saturday," Rainbow says. She frowns. "We can try to trap Fluttershy again."

Everyone looks at each other miserably.

"Yeah," Twilight says. "Let's...let's do that. Saturday morning, right after breakfast. I'll let Cadance know."

"Speaking of tomorrow night," I say, "I may have plans for everyone. I'll tell you about it at dinner."

At dinner, I tell everyone about Trixie's gig. Pinkie's eyes light up. "Oooh, I've heard about that place. A lot of kids love it there!"

"Sounds cool to me," Rainbow says.

"Can we go too?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"Of course!" Rarity says with a smile.

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework, then watch TV until bedtime.
> 2/19 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, February 19, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The pink one will be your best friend today.

Tennis practice...

It's only two weeks until the girls' season starts. Pinkie was in the singles practice group today.

After practice, I walk home with Pinkie. She's holding her shoulder and wincing. "Owie, owie, owie," she says.

I glance at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't see it?"

I shake my head. "I was in a doubles practice."

"I got on the wrong end of one of Coco's power serves," Pinkie says.

I wince. "Ouch."

"Give me a heat rub when we get home?" Pinkie asks, a cute little whimper in her voice.

"Sure."

Back at the dorm, I get the muscle cream while Pinkie strips off her shirt. She must be sore, she doesn't take her bra off or try to take advantage of the situation.

Pinkie sighs as I massage muscle cream into her shoulder and arm. Twilight walks in; she frowns. "Do you need me to come back later?"

"Pinkie hurt her arm at tennis today," I say.

"Oh...how bad is it?" Twilight asks.

"I'll be okay," Pinkie says. "Trying to return one of Coco's serves really hurts when she's overdoing it." She moans. "Oooh, that feels good..."

Twilight tilts her head. "Isn't that stuff just menthol and camphor? I mean, there's no actual medication in there..."

I scoop out some cream and rub it into Twilight's neck. She gasps. "Gah!" After a minute, she rolls her neck. "Whoa..."

Pinkie grins. "I know, right?"

Twilight keeps rolling her neck, eyes closed, a smile on her face. "Wow. That feels...wow."

I put the cap back on the cream. "So, you girls ready for tonight?"

"Oh, right! The thing at the pizza place," Twilight says.

"If it's any good, I may want to have Sonata's birthday party there," Pinkie says. "It's in two weeks, right?"

"Yeah," Twilight says.

"We need to pull out all the stops for Sonata's birthday," I say. "After what she's been through..."

"Don't worry, I'll give her the best birthday ever!" Pinkie says. "I'm talking rainbows, I'm talking puppies, I'm talking butterflies..."

"That sounds a little...weird," Twilight says.

"Sounds a little wild," I agree.

Pinkie grins cheekily. "We're gonna have a good time!" She puts her shirt back on. "But right now, I need to go get ready for tonight."

"Me too," Twilight says. They leave.

I spend an hour practicing my guitar, then get ready for the big group outing.

Friday, February 19, 2016 / Evening

Deep Dish's Family Pizza Parlor is a family-owned restaurant that's apparently been around for a while, but it only recently got popular after the owners remodeled and expanded and some yuppie named Trenderfoot wrote a favorable review on Burp. According to Rarity, it drew a lot of high-society types, who slammed it for not being "upscale", "modern", or "trendy", but the buzz the whole mess generated got more...well...normal people interested, and the place started drawing the kind of crowd the owners always wanted to draw: families and teenagers.

The place is packed.

We called in advance to reserve one of the larger party tables closer to the stage, so when we arrive, a server, who introduces herself as Olive, leads us to a long, broad oval table up front, then leaves a stack of menus and a basket of garlic parmesan breadsticks on the table. She takes our drink orders, then leaves.

Up on the stage, Trixie and the Illusions are tuning up and doing a sound check. Trixie waves at us. "Glad you could make it out!" she says.

"Wouldn't miss it," I reply.

"But we mostly came for the food," Rainbow says cheekily. I tear off a third of a breadstick and throw it at Rainbow.

Trixie rolls her eyes. "Well, you won't be disappointed with that either," she says. "Although we won't be doing as much stage magic this time..." She gestures at the relatively small stage. "Not very much room, and we agreed most of our tricks aren't...ideal for a pizzeria."

"Our songs are getting better, though," Lavender Lace says.

"Yeah, they're not all about Trixie anymore," Fuschia Blush says with a smirk.

When Olive returns with the drinks, we order. Since there are so many of us (including Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor), we order several extra-large pizzas with different toppings and crusts for the table, as well as appetizers for everyone. The adults and Rarity also order salads.

"I'll be out with your salads and apps as soon as I can," Olive says.

"I can't wait to try that deep dish pizza," Twilight says.

"Me too," I agree. "It's been a while since I had deep dish."

"Well, it is the specialty here," Celestia says.

The rest of the evening passes in a comfortable haze of good food, decent music, and pleasant conversation. Fluttershy is still withdrawing from the group, and there's still this look in her eyes that bothers me, but even she seems to be having a good time.

When we return to the dorm, I'm stuffed full of breadsticks, calzones, five-meat deep dish pizza, thin crust garden supreme pizza, bacon cheeseburger pretzel crust pizza, and gelato. I feel like I could explode at any minute.

Totally worth it, though...

"We're going to Zodiac tomorrow," Twilight says as we walk down the hall on the third floor. "Better rest up."

"Yeah..." I let out a tremendous belch. "Ugh. If I don't have to spend all day on the toilet..."

"Gross," Twilight says, crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at me.

Once I'm in my room, I strip to my boxers, drink half a bottle of Pink-Abysmol, and pass out.
> 2/20 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 20, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't leave home today. You'll regret it.

I wake up at half past eight. My guts are rumbling...

I head to the bathroom, taking my phone with me to check Canterbook. My horoscope for today is...ominous.

I'm feeling very sluggish this morning. When I'm finally done in the bathroom, I open the door...

Twilight hauls me out, throws me aside, and dashes into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

I blink. "What the hell?" Shaking my head, I shuffle downstairs to get a glass of juice. I don't think I want breakfast...

I find Pinkie in the lounge, nursing a Mr Peppy. She looks green in the gills. Cadance is sitting next to her.

"Pinkie? You okay?"

"Baaaaad tummyache," Pinkie moans, sipping her drink.

Cadance winces and looks at me sympathetically. "It hit everybody," she says. "I've been calling and checking Canterbook. The pizza place got a note from their supplier about an hour after we left about some bad mushrooms."

Oh god...

There were mushrooms on two of the pizzas we had...and the salads the adults and Rarity ate...

"It's not serious," Cadance says. "Nobody in the dorm needs to go to the hospital or anything. But..." She lets out a particularly acidic-sounding belch, then covers her mouth and groans. "I don't think we should go to Zodiac today. Or anywhere we can't get to a toilet."

Pinkie suddenly shoots to her feet and zips upstairs. "Not AGAIN!" she wails. We hear her pounding on the bathroom door. "RARITY! GET OUT OR I'M COMING IN!"

I facepalm. "Wonderful."

"Well, on the bright side," Cadance says, "I saved the receipt from last night. Next time we go, we'll get a half-off discount because of this." She grimaces. "If anybody even still wants to go back to that place after this."

I shrug. "It was just the mushrooms, right? So we just...don't order mushrooms next time." I drink my orange juice. It hits...hard. "Oh god..."

"Yyyyeah, drink some milk or a Mr Peppy," Cadance says. "Orange juice is just going to make it worse."

"Thanks for the warning." I shake my head, then go to the kitchen to pour out my juice and get some milk instead.

Saturday, February 20, 2016 / Daytime

With everybody sick from the bad mushrooms, we're all irritable and lethargic. I spend the day taking stomach medicine and drinking fluids, making frequent trips to the bathroom, and watching TV.

Saturday, February 20, 2016 / Evening

We have a late light dinner. Everybody's pretty wrung out from our bout with food poisoning. All in all, it's been a shitty day.

Literally.

Hopefully, we'll all feel better tomorrow so we can go to Zodiac...
> 2/21 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, February 21, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Tread carefully today.

Everyone seems to be feeling much better this morning. 

While Applejack is making breakfast, Pinkie pulls me and Twilight aside. "I need to work a shift at Sugar Cube Corner until two this afternoon," she says. "I've kinda been...not working much lately. Can we do Zodiac after I'm done?"

"Sure," I say. "Let's let the others know."

Pinkie Pie heads out before Applejack even has breakfast on the table.

Breakfast is light, hearty, and goes down easy.  "Hey, Apple Bloom," Applejack says, "Ah gotta go buy a couple things for Papa. Wanna go with me, maybe spend a few hours visitin'?"

"Sure," Apple Bloom says. She sighs. "Ah don't like seein' Papa th' way he is now, but...Ah do wanna see him."

"We'll take care of the dishes, darling," Rarity says.

Applejack smiles gratefully to Rarity, then heads upstairs to get ready. Apple Bloom follows behind her at a more sedate pace.

"Poor girls," Rarity says sadly.

"Yeah," Twilight agrees. "I can't even imagine what they're going through."

I can. Sonata looks miserable. It's gotta be even worse for them. I lost my sisters in an instant.

"And they gotta watch their dad waste away," Rainbow says softly. "I...I don't even wanna think about that..."

"We should do something nice for those girls," Twilight says.

"That's an excellent idea," Rarity agrees. "Perhaps next weekend?"

"A surprise party!" Sweetie Belle squeaks.

"Mmm, that might be a bit much," Rarity says.

"I have an idea!" Rainbow says suddenly. "We could all go out to Applejack's farm next weekend and help out around the farm! There's bound to be a ton of junk we can do!"

"That's not a bad idea," Twilight says. "I mean, it's pretty much just her brother taking care of the farm right now, right? I'm sure he wouldn't mind the help."

Rarity frowns. "Well, I was hoping for something that involved less...getting dirty, but..." She sighs. "It's probably the best thing we could do for Applejack and her family right now."

"Then it's settled," Rainbow says. "Next weekend, we go to Sweet Apple Acres!"

Once everyone is finished eating, we work together to clean up the kitchen. Twilight and I pull Rainbow and Rarity aside to tell them we're going to Zodiac this afternoon; Twilight texts Cadance about it. Rarity decides to spend the morning at the ice skating rink with Sweetie Belle. Twilight and I head out to see a movie and maybe grab some lunch somewhere.

Through text messages, we all agree to meet up at the park this afternoon to train.

Sunday, February 21, 2016 / Daytime

At a quarter of three, the entire group gathers near the north gate at the park. "Is everybody ready?" Cadance asks.

We all prepare our gear and take out our phones. "Ready," we all say.

"Okay..."

Sunday, February 21, 2016 / Zodiac

//I'm sensing mostly weak Shadows.//

"Do you sense Eris?" Twilight asks.

//Just a minute...yes, I'm sensing her. She's several blocks east of the park.//

Twilight frowns. "Hmm. Isn't the animal shelter east of the park?"

"Yeah, it is," Pinkie says sadly.

Well well...look at this. Another one of your little "training" sessions? You guys are a rI can stop that psychopath from taunting you or sending Shadows after you for a little while, but don't push your luck. I can give you maybe an hour.

"The hell?" Rainbow asks, blinking.

You're making a big mistake, you little biDo what you came here for and GTFO!

We all look at one another in confusion.

//Worry about it later. Shadows incoming!//

We spend the next hour fighting Shadows. They grow progressively stronger the longer we fight; every so often, one of those red text messages starts to show up, but the blue texts (from Eris?) corrupt them.

After an hour, Cadance calls a halt. //I'm sensing some really strong Shadows starting to gather...we should get out of here.//

"Man, that was freaky," Rainbow says once we're back in the real world. "What the heck was goin' on there?"

"Been a while since we saw the red texts last," Pinkie says.

"The last time we saw those, Eris was fighting with whoever was sending them," Twilight says. "Maybe...maybe they're not working together?"

"I'm more convinced now than ever that it's Eris hacking my horoscope," I say.

"Yeah...after today, I think you might be right," Twilight says.

We head back to the dorm to rest.

Sunday, February 21, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, we tell Applejack what we have in mind.

She smiles. "Y'all don't hafta go an' do all that, now..."

"We want to," Twilight says. "And...maybe I can help you figure out a system for doing the farm's books."

"We can fix anything that needs fixing," I say.

"I can help your granny with her baking and jamming and stuff!" Pinkie exclaims.

We can make a video to put online to promote the farm! Sonata offers.

"It's only one weekend, but I'm certain we can at least help your brother get ahead of some of the work," Rarity says.

Applejack's eyes mist over. "Y'all," she says thickly.

"It's the least we can do," Twilight says with a smile.

"Well...heck, sure," Applejack says. "Ah'll let Big Mac know we're comin' an' when."

"And I'll tell Cadance to make arrangements," Twilight says. "She can charter a bus or something...get some supplies..." She stands up from the table, muttering to herself as she makes a mental checklist and wanders over to Cadance's apartment.

I've never been to a real farm before. It should be fun! Sonata seems excited...

"Speaking of fun," Pinkie says, "do you wannna have your birthday party at that pizza place, Sonata? I'm pretty sure it won't make us all sicky-sick again."

Sure. The food was really good and I liked Trixie's music. Besides, I'm used to explosive diarrhea. Didn't even bother me!

"That's...good to know?" Rainbow says.

After dinner, we sit around the lounge and watch those two shows everybody wants to watch on Sunday.

When I head to bed, I think about what happened in Zodiac today. Is Eris...on our side now...?
> 2/22 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 22, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): I don't think you'll have to worry about Pisces today. You should still be ready just in case.

We're on the lookout for Zodiac attacks today. The first target is on the softball team with Rainbow Dash, so we're relying on her to be the main contact.

Monday, February 22, 2016 / After School

My laptop battery died in the middle of class today. How it managed to die is beyond me, since the damn thing's brand new.

As soon as school is out, I head into town to buy a new battery. While I'm there, I invest in a couple of other small upgrades and buy a bookpad of my own. I'm nowhere near the heavy reader Twilight is, but watching her use hers...

By the time I'm done, I've spent about half of what's in my account.

While I'm on the way home, I get a call from my parents. They're as detached and absent-minded as ever...

Monday, February 22, 2016 / Evening

"Where the hell were you?" Twilight yells as soon as I walk through the door.

"I had to take care of something," I say.

"Something more important than protecting a possible target?"

I sigh. "Sweetie Drops isn't going to be attacked," I say.

"You don't know that for sure," Twilight points out.

"Anyway, Rainbow's with her."

Twilight sighs. "Just...take this more seriously, alright?"

I brush my hand through her hair. "Twilight, I'm always serious about this stuff. I just really don't think we're fighting Pisces today."

"I hope you're right," Twilight says.

I head upstairs to charge my laptop. While it's charging, I practice my guitar until dinnertime.

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom with her homework.

"Silver Spoon had a huge fight with Diamond Tiara today," Apple Bloom says.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom says. "Diamond Tiara started in on me about mah papa bein' in a nursin' home, an' Silver Spoon stood up for me. Really made Diamond Tiara look like a dummy. Ah ain't never seen Diamond Tiara so mad."

"Well, that was nice of Silver Spoon."

"Yeah." Apple Bloom sighs. "It still got t' me, though. All the stuff Diamond Tiara said. 'Cuz Papa's..." Her shoulders start to shake. "He's gittin' worse," she says shakily. "He looks jes' awful...Ah had t' leave th' room t' cry." Tears start to spill from her eyes onto the table.

Applejack walks in, sees Apple Bloom crying, and sighs. "Apple Bloom," she says. "Why don't you git on up t' bed now. You can finish your homework in th' morning."

Apple Bloom sniffles, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "O-okay," she says. She gathers up her stuff and heads upstairs.

Applejack sighs. "She's...she's takin' it awful hard," she says. "Papa's lookin' real rough. It...it hurts...seein' him like this." She shuffles her feet, then heads upstairs.

Rainbow Dash walks in. "Well...I stayed with Sweetie Drops as long as I could," she says. "If she gets attacked now, we're hosed."

I sit up doing my own homework and downloading books to my new bookpad until midnight. Nothing happens. I'm exhausted...
> 2/23 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The next victim is closer than you think.

When I'm done with my shower, I find Twilight waiting in my room. She looks guilty.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you yesterday," she says quietly.

I shake my head. "You were right...I didn't have my head in the game."

"I still shouldn't have been so..." Twilight shrugs. "Anyway...the next Pisces birthday is Sonata."

I grimace. "Going after her would be really sick."

"Going after anyone is really sick," Twilight points out. She stands up. "Anyway...we need to be ready." She pauses. "Umm...maybe you should...do that thing, you know...the thing where you get more Personas..."

I nod. "After the next time we train in Zodiac, I'll do that."

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 / After School

At Music Club, I sit with Octavia. "How's Vinyl?" I ask. "I've been so busy lately I haven't really had a chance to catch up with her."

"She's doing better," Octavia says. "She's adjusting. She'll be back at school next week."

"I'm glad." I frown at the pick I'm using and flick it into the trash can, then get a new one out of my gig bag. "How's it going with...y'know...you and her?"

Octavia sighs. "I'd rather not talk about that just this moment, if you don't mind," she says.

I wince. "That bad?"

"No, just...I've been losing a lot of sleep over it lately."

Come to think of it, she does look...tired. I decide to drop the subject and concentrate on music.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 / Evening

"Flash, could I borrow you for a little while?" Rarity asks after dinner. "I need you to help with a little project I'm working on."

"Sure." I follow Rarity up to her room.

Once we're behind closed doors, Rarity gathers up her sewing glasses, her measuring tape, and a handful of pieces of fabric. "Strip to your underwear, please," she says.

"Uhh..."

She gives me a piercing look. "You do want to help me, don't you?"

I sigh and strip down.

Rarity begins placing pieces of fabric against my body, making marks on them with a white pencil, and measuring them against me. After an uncomfortably long session of being used as a living mannequin, Rarity finally stands up, takes off her glasses, and starts putting things away. "Alright, you can get dressed now," she says.

I quickly gather my clothes up and put them on.

"But...please don't leave yet," she says. "I...I'd like to talk for a minute."

"Sure." I sit down on Rarity's bed.

Rarity sits down, smoothing out her skirt, and fidgets with her bracelets for a moment. "Flash, am I...am I unappealing to men?"

What? "Uhh...no, not at all," I say. "You're gorgeous, you're sexy..."

"True," Rarity says with a faint blush and a coy bat of her eyelashes. "But..." She sighs. "I was...unsuccessful in finding a date to the Valentine's dance," she says. "And, on reflection...I have never been on a date. Or had a boyfriend."

I scratch my head. "You know, now that you mention it...I've been wondering about that myself. I mean, if any girl in this dorm should be breaking hearts left and right, it's you."

She smiles. "Flatterer," she says. "But then...why? Why do boys not approach me? Or...seem incapable of even speaking to me?" She frowns. "Does...does it have anything to do with...with the debacle from my birthday party? Or the gossip that goes around about me?"

I frown as I think about this. "I don't think so," I say. I fidget with my hands. "I think it's more...you're one of those girls that's unattainable."

Rarity blinks. "Unattainable? Whatever do you mean?"

I shrug. "There are girls that guys won't go after because they know they'll get shot down, probably in public, and feel humiliated. You're...you just strike me as one of those girls."

"I do?" Rarity asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well...not so much now, since I've gotten to know you and we're friends," I say. "But...if I just knew you in passing at school? Yeah...I'd definitely say you were an unattainable girl."

"Really." Rarity crosses her arms. "Why?"

I shrug. "Well...you're gorgeous, glamorous..." I gesture with my hands. "The word most guys would probably use is 'perfect'. And perfect girls...well...they're off the market."

"Hmm." Rarity frowns, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"I know how stupid it sounds, but...that's how guys think," I say. "Most guys. Not all guys. Don't ask me why."

"So...the problem isn't with me, but rather with how I am perceived?"

"Well...yeah. Most guys think you're out of their league, so they don't even try."

"I see." Rarity has a contemplative expression on her face. "And...and how do I..." She stands up. "How do I change this perception of me?"

"I don't think you can," I say. "Not without changing who you are. And, well...you shouldn't change who you are." I smile what I hope is an encouraging smile. "I like who you are. So do all your friends."

Rarity sighs. "So I'm doomed to be 'unattainable' forever, simply because I am too...'perfect'?"

"Not forever," I say. "Just until you meet a guy who sees you for the real you." I frown and tilt my head. "Or some guy who's not scared to ask you out, or some guy who hopes you're easy, or—"

"I get it," she says tersely. She coughs daintily into her fist. "Thank you, Flash. You may go now."

"Happy to help." I head up to my room and get ready for bed.
> 2/24 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Memories of better times can help someone heal, even if it may hurt to remember. Even painful memories are special.

After tennis, Pinkie walks up to me. "Hey," she says. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Come up with something really special to do for Sonata for her birthday, alright?" Pinkie wrings the hem of her shirt. "I mean, I'm already planning the party and I've already made reservations and gotten the discount at the pizza place and I talked to Trixie and she's playing that night and I'm going shopping for a present for Sonata after work, but..." Pinkie takes a deep breath. "I wanna do something super-duper special for her, since..." Her eyes moisten and her hair droops. "Since things have been so super-sucky for her." She sighs. "I mean, Sonata puts on a brave face and she acts all cheerful most of the time, but..."

I nod. "Yeah. She's been through hell." I shrug. "I'll take care of it. Not sure what I'll do, but..."

"Thanks. Gotta run! Bye!"

I head back to the dorm, thinking about what I could possibly do for Sonata.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I find Sonata in her room, staring wistfully at her laptop. It's playing music...I recognize it as Sonata and her sisters singing.

I knock on the door frame. "Hey."

Sonata jumps and turns around, grabbing her tablet.

Don't scare me like that!

"Sorry. Can I come in?"

She shrugs and points to her bed. I walk in and sit down. "Your sisters were amazing," I say.

She smiles sadly.

Thanks. She sniffles. I shouldn't keep torturing myself like this...

"No," I say. "It's good to remember them." I stand up, walk over, and turn up the volume on the laptop. "This is a pretty good song."

Sonata shrugs. Adagio wrote most of our songs. We really just harmonized.

"How many songs did you girls have?"

Well, Adagio wrote like, a couple dozen songs, but we only recorded nine.

Hmm...

"You have them all on there?"

Yeah.

"Can I get a copy?"

Sonata blinks, but shrugs. Sure.

"Be right back." I run to my room and scrounge up a blank flash drive, then return to Sonata's room and hand it to her. She plugs it into her laptop, then copies the songs over.

Here you go.

"Thanks." I pocket the drive, then give Sonata's shoulder a squeeze. "Hang in there."

She smiles at me and rolls her eyes. I head back to my room to do my homework.

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom with her homework. "So, uhh...Silver Spoon's been talkin' to me," she says. "Or tryin' to. It's kinda...awkward."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." Apple Bloom frowns. "Ah mean, she's bein' nice an' all, but..."

"Maybe she wants to be friends?"

"Friends, huh." Apple Bloom shakes her head. "Ah dunno. Since Ah started t' school, she's been right in behind Diamond Tiara messin' with me..."

"But isn't she sticking up for you now?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Maybe you should give her a second chance. Start with a clean slate."

Her brow furrows. "Well...Ah guess Ah can try..."

Once Apple Bloom finishes with her homework, I head back to my room. I listen to all the songs I got from Sonata before bed. Whatever personality flaws she had, Adagio had a beautiful voice...

I have a plan for that 'something special' Pinkie Pie wanted. I just hope it doesn't backfire on me...
> 2/25 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 25, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't encourage people to do things that might make them uncomfortable.

At Music Club, I ask Trixie for a word in private. We head over into the corner, away from a weird discussion about theremins and musical saws.

"What's up?" Trixie asks.

"I was hoping you'd do me a special favor," I say. I set up my laptop on a desk and load one of the videos I got from Sonata.

Trixie leans in as I turn up the volume. "Is...is that the girl who just started here last month? The one who can't talk?"

"Sonata, yeah. Before the accident, she used to sing with her sisters."

Trixie listens for a minute. "They're not bad," she says. She frowns. "I haven't seen her sisters around school."

"They died in the crash."

"Oh." Trixie winces. "I didn't know."

I take a deep breath. "Listen...next Friday is Sonata's birthday, and we're taking her to Deep Dish. She's been pretty bummed out for a while now..." I pull the flash drive with Sonata's songs out of my pocket. "I was hoping maybe you and your band could...y'know...sing some of her sisters' songs."

Trixie raises an eyebrow. "That isn't much notice," she says.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but..."

Trixie holds out her hand. "You'll owe Trixie one for this," she says.

"What're you guys listening to?" Lyra asks from behind me. She leans in. "Wow, that girl's hair is HUGE!"

Within minutes, most of the club has gathered around to listen. The corner is a bit cramped, so I move the laptop back to the center of the room. I play four of the songs Sonata gave me.

"That's the mute girl?"

"Wow, losing a voice like that must suck..."

"I wish I knew that big-haired girl. She's hot."

And so forth, and so on. All the while, Trixie has a thoughtful look on her face...

I end up giving most of the club copies of Sonata's songs before I leave. I decide to go shopping for Sonata's birthday present before I head back to the dorm.

Thursday, February 25, 2016 / Evening

Cadance joins us all for dinner. "So, everybody remembers we're going to Sweet Apple Acres this weekend, right?"

"Of course!"

Looking forward to it.

"What's this now?" Luna asks.

"We're spending the weekend on Applejack's family farm," Twilight says.

"I see. That sounds quite interesting." Luna smiles. "Hard work is good for the body and good for the soul, as they say."

"Anyway...I need everybody back at the dorm right after school tomorrow," Cadance says. "Shining Armor's reserved a bigger SUV and a truck. We'll go in two SUVs and haul all our supplies and bags in the truck. Flash, you'll have to drive the rental SUV. Shiny's driving the truck. We're leaving as soon as we get everything loaded so that we can be up with the roosters on Saturday."

"So we're gonna have to miss tennis practice tomorrow," I say. "Coach isn't gonna like that, but..."

"It's cool," Pinkie says. "It's not like me missing one practice is gonna doom the team or anything."

"Yeah, I hate to ask you kids to skip practice, but Sweet Apple Acres is a pretty long drive, and we'll have to unload and get our camp set up before it gets too dark."

"Camp?" Rarity asks, blinking.

"Yyyyeah...there's only like, two guest rooms at AJ's place," Rainbow says. "And trust me, you don't wanna sleep in the barn." She grins. "So I came up with the idea of us setting up a big campsite out by the orchard!"

Applejack chuckles. "Heh, yeah...Ah reckon y'all are gonna have a good time, even if it's still a mite chilly."

I've always wanted to go camping! But I never got a chance because my sisters hated the idea.

"Umm...what are we going to do about all our pets?" Fluttershy asks. "I mean...maybe somebody should stay behind to look after them..."

"Well, Spike's coming with us," Twilight says. "He'll love having fresh air and open spaces to play around in."

Applejack frowns. "He is fixed, ain't he?"

"Of course."

"Good." Applejack lets out a sigh. "Cuz mah Winona don't need t' be havin' puppies right now."

"Well, I'll have Mother come and pick Opalescence up before we leave tomorrow," Rarity says. "The poor dear could use a trip to the groomers anyway. I simply haven't had time lately..."

"That just leaves Gummy, Tank, and Angel," Twilight says.

"Tank's hibernating," Rainbow says with a sigh. "It'll be weeks before he digs himself out of his terrarium."

"I would be more than happy to take Gummy and Angel home with me for the weekend," Luna says. "They hardly seem like they'd be much trouble to look after."

"Oh...well..." Fluttershy sighs. "Alright."

Cadance frowns. "Fluttershy? Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, Shy...some reason you don't wanna go with us?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy flinches. "Well..."

"We're all going," Twilight insists firmly. "Applejack's family needs all the help they can get."

"We got lotsa critters out on th' farm," Applejack says.

Fluttershy ducks her head. "Well...alright."

After dinner, Twilight and Pinkie meet me in my room.

"So," Pinkie says, sitting on the end of my bed, "looks like Fluttershy doesn't wanna be stuck on a farm with the rest of us for the weekend."

I nod. "This weekend, at Sweet Apple Acres, we'll expose her."

"GAH! PHRASING!" Twilight shouts, face red.

I facepalm. "We'll find out for sure if she's Eris," I clarify.

Twilight frowns. "But...what do we do if she is?"

I sigh. "I don't know," I admit. "It's not like we can tie her up or anything. And...if she's the one hacking my horoscope..." I shrug. "We need to know what's going on with her. This may be our best chance."

"Yeah," Twilight agrees.

"Anyway...Pinkie, you asked me to come up with something special for Sonata's birthday. It's taken care of."

"Really? What is it, what is it?" Pinkie asks excitedly.

"You'll see..."

Pinkie pouts. "Hey! No fair keeping surprises from the party planner!"

"I don't wanna jinx it."

"Aww..."

We spend a few more minutes talking about the weekend, then the girls head to their own rooms to sleep. I lie awake for a while, thinking about Sonata, the upcoming trip, and Fluttershy.
> 2/26 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, February 26, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't do anything this weekend you might regret.

Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, and I meet up at the school entrance and head back to the dorm together. When we arrive, we find an unfamiliar SUV and a large, boxy moving van parked outside.

"Cadance says she's picking up Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle," Twilight says, looking at her phone.

Pinkie also has her phone out. "Everybody else should be here in a few minutes," she says. "I hope, anyway. Fluttershy's ignoring me."

Vice-Principal Luna's car pulls up to the front. Two doors open, disgorging Luna and Fluttershy.

"I'll help with as much of your packing as I can," Luna says to us.

"Oh, there's no need for that," Twilight says. "We can manage."

"I'll...I'll get Angel ready for you," Fluttershy says softly.

Shining Armor comes out of the apartment, lugging two suitcases and a medium-sized tote bag. "Hey kids," he says. "Everybody hurry and get your stuff together. We need to book ASAP."

We all hurry inside to pack. It takes me five minutes to throw some jeans and T-shirts, underwear, socks, towels, and toiletries into my suitcase, as well as my phone charger. I'm not taking my guitar or my laptop to the farm.

I head downstairs with my suitcase just as Rarity, Sonata, and Applejack are coming in. I head outside to find Shining Armor loading a cooler into the van. "Suitcases in the van," he grunts. I walk over and—

Holy crap.

The front end of the van is full of lumber, tools, paint cans, and bags of fertilizer. Behind that, there's a huge pile of camping gear. Cadance and Shining Armor's luggage is in behind that.

Shining Armor loads the cooler. "Got one more of these," he says.

"Holy shit," I say. "Isn't this a bit much for two days?"

"Three actually," he says. "We have Monday off, remember?"

"Oh, that's right!" I smack my forehead. "I completely forgot about that." Monday is Leap Day, and the school district is using it as an excuse for a three-day weekend.

It takes almost an hour for all the girls to change clothes and pack their stuff. During the packing and loading, Cadance and the younger girls show up, Rarity's mother shows up to collect Opal, and Luna leaves with Angel and Gummy. Twilight puts Spike's carrier in the SUV I'll be driving.

Just as we're getting the last of the stuff packed, a car drives up. The chicken girl jumps out, a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Ah invited Scootaloo to come with us," Apple Bloom says.

Once everybody is ready, Shining Armor hands me the keys to the rental, then climbs into the van. Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, and Sonata ride with me; Applejack, Fluttershy, and the three younger girls are riding with Cadance.

I wonder if Granny Smith and Big Macintosh know we're about to inflict almost a dozen strangers on them...

Cadance takes the lead, with me behind her, and Shining Armor bringing up the rear.

Within five minutes, I wish Pinkie Pie was in the other car.

After fifteen minutes on the road, Rarity gags Pinkie with a tampon.

"It's not that you don't have a lovely singing voice, darling," Rarity says apologetically, "but I do believe none of us wish to hear all ninety-nine bottles."

"Amen to that!" Rainbow says.

Pinkie whines through the tampon and crosses her arms, looking annoyed.

Friday, February 26, 2016 / Evening

It takes just over an hour to reach Sweet Apple Acres. The farm is bordered by a low white wooden fence reinforced with chicken wire; the gravel trail that winds up through the farm is topped with a tall, faded sign that proclaims, in weathered, chipped green and red paint:


WELCOME TO SWEET APPLE ACRES


There's a mailbox and a newspaper box by the entrance; the gates are wide open. We drive up the trail. All around us are empty (but plowed) fields with wooden marker posts. Off to our left, there's an old red barn, with a grain silo beyond that. Off to the right, there's a large pig pen, with a dozen or so fat pigs rooting and rolling in mud. Beyond that, there's a chicken coop. A couple dozen hens are roaming around, pecking and clucking.

After about a three quarter mile drive, we reach a long, two-story farmhouse. "Rustic" is the only word I can think of to describe it. It's old, it's wooden, there are country curtains hanging in the windows, there's rainbarrels under the gutters, and there's a long, rough wooden bench outside, next to a pair of rocking chairs.

Beyond the house, there's acres and acres of trees.

As soon as I stop the car, Pinkie spits out the tampon. "Woooow, it's so...farmy!" she says. Then she coughs, hacks, and splutters. "Eww, can't get the taste of tampon off my tongue..."

"Well, this place is certainly...charming," Rarity says as we get out.

"I like it," Twilight says, taking a deep breath and smiling. "It's nice."

Big Macintosh walks out of the house, a bottle halfway to his lips. His eyes widen as the rest of the girls pile out of the other SUV.

Applejack runs up to him and gives him a hug. "We're here, Big Mac," she says.

Big Mac stares at us. "Uhh...eeeyup," he says.

Shining Armor opens the van. "Okay, everybody help get the gear unloaded. Don't worry about the tools and stuff right now, we'll deal with all that in the morning. Big Macintosh, can you help me with the coolers? We brought...like, a ton of food with us."

Big Mac blinks. "Sure," he says.

"Do Ah hear mah granddaughter out there?" Granny Smith waddles out of the house. She grins when she sees us and slaps her knee. "Well bust mah brassiere! Applejack said she was bringin' some friends out t' th' farm fer th' weekend. She didn't say she was bringin' a whole dang army!"

Applejack chuckles. "Granny Smith, this is everybody from th' dorm, plus a tagalong we picked up. Ah'll introduce everybody y'all ain't met yet once we git that there truck unpacked."

Even with all of us working, it takes four trips to unload all the luggage, the coolers, and the camping gear. The Apples look confused by that.

"We're camping in the orchard," Twilight explains as she walks past Granny Smith with two sleeping bags. "It was Rainbow's idea."

"Oh, well, was it now? Well, Ah reckon if'n y'all don't think it's too cold out fer that," Granny says. "Sure will make it easier figgerin' out where'n th' high heck t' put y'all!" She laughs.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees. He looks me over as I carry a packaged tent past. "Do much farm work, city boy?"

"Not a day in my life," I reply. "I think I can handle it."

"Hey now, don't tease them folk, Big Mac," Apple Bloom says. "They all gave up a three-day weekend t' come out an' help us out."

Big Mac nods to me, looking sheepish. "Much obliged," he says.

"Not at all," I say. "Seeing how upset and stressed out your sisters have been lately, we all wanted to do whatever we could to help out." I shift awkwardly. "I'm sorry about...y'know...your dad."

Big Mac sighs. "Eeyup." He trudges off into the house, carrying one of the coolers Shining Armor brought on one broad shoulder.

"Once y'all get all unloaded, come on in an' sit a spell," Granny Smith says. "Ah'll whip up supper fer ever'body..." She frowns as she looks us all over. "Course, it...uh...might'n take a while..."

"I'll help make dinner, Granny Smith," Cadance says.

"Oh, I'll be delighted to help as well," Rarity offers.

"Nah, Rarity, you rest up with th' others," Applejack says. "Ah'll help Granny an' Nurse Cadance." She grins. "Ah know Granny's recipes, it'll go a lot faster an' Ah'm sure we're all starvin'."

Fortunately, the Apples' living room is fairly large; there's enough places for most of us to sit down, and plenty of floor space for everybody else. Everybody introduces themselves to Big Mac (and Granny Smith, who's listening from the kitchen).

"Land sakes, y'all brought enough food t' feed an army!" Granny yells from the kitchen.

"Well, we brought an army," Cadance replies with a giggle.

"So Apple Bloom, are we gonna have a sleepover in your room?" Scootaloo asks.

"Ah kinda wanted t' camp out with everybody else," Apple Bloom says. "Ah guess we could spend one night in my room, though."

Big Mac looks around at us. His eyes settle on Shining Armor. "That pretty lady in th' kitchen, she yer wife?"

"Yeah."

Big Mac nods. "Reckon y'all better take a guest room, let th' kids camp outside."

"Thanks," Shining Armor says.

Big Mac looks at me. "Got another guest room," he says. "Since you're th' only boy an' all..."

"Oh, he's camping with us," Pinkie says.

Twilight blushes. "Y-yeah...we'll be fine sharing a tent," she says.

Big Mac frowns thoughtfully, but shrugs.

With a sudden fit of loud yapping, a brown and white collie scampers into the room, panting and wagging her tail. She jumps up on Apple Bloom and barks happily.

Apple Bloom giggles. "Well hey there, Winona! Happy t' see me, girl?"

"Ooh, she's cute," Fluttershy says, leaning down. She holds out her hand and whistles. Winona scampers over to her, sniffs her hand, and licks it. Fluttershy giggles and scratches Winona's ears. "How old is she?"

"'Bout seven years," Big Macintosh says. "She's a good farm dog."

"Oh crud, I forgot to get Spike out of his carrier!" Twilight says suddenly. "He was so quiet all the way up here..." Blushing, she runs back out to the SUV; she returns a few minutes later with Spike. She sets him down; he wriggles around a bit and scampers over to Winona. They sniff each other curiously, then start going around in circles, prancing and barking and play-growling. After a full minute of this, they tear off into the yard.

"He fixed?" Big Mac asks.

"Yes, he is."

"Okay then."

Applejack walks in with a case of cold sodas. "Y'all help yourselves," she says. "We got plenty." She heads back to the kitchen.

"So, Big Macintosh, do you have a list of things we can do around the farm to help you out?" Twilight asks.

Big Macintosh scratches his chin as he takes a long swig of his drink. "Ah can make one up if you want," he says.

"Please do," Twilight says. "I can help you with that if you like."

"Twilight loves lists," I say.

"I did notice the sign at the gate is rather, well...neglected," Rarity says. "Would you care to have us repaint it, maybe update it a bit?"

Big Mac blinks at her. "Uhhh...eeyup?" he ventures quizzically.

We spend the better part of the next hour chatting with Big Mac, with Granny occasionally poking her head out to jump into the conversation. The girls introduce themselves, we all get to know Big Mac about as well as we can—the man doesn't say much—and generally talking about what we might be able to do around the farm. Fluttershy insists on taking care of anything animal-related.

Applejack starts setting up a bunch of tray tables in the living room and bringing out napkins and silverware. Not long after that, she, Cadance, and Granny Smith start bringing out plates heaped with chicken fried steak and gravy, tater tots, corn on the cob, greens, and biscuits.

"It ain't much, but it oughta git y'all fed up fer th' night," Granny Smith says. "Got a couple pies bakin' fer later."

"Wow, thanks, Granny Smith," Twilight says. "You didn't have to go to this much trouble for us!"

"Weren't no trouble, child," Granny Smith says with a pleased smile. "Go ahead, eat up, everybody!"

The food is filling and delicious. After we've all eaten, Rarity and Pinkie wash the dishes while the rest of us head out to start setting up the tents and getting our camp supplies organized. Applejack tells us that the pies will be cooled and ready to eat by the time we're done.

There are four large weatherproof tents. It takes a while to get them all set up and staked down in a clear area near the orchard.

"Let's see," Twilight says. "Applejack's staying in her own bedroom. Can't say I blame her. So...how are we gonna divide up the tents?"

"Me, Sweetie Belle, an' Scootaloo in one tent!" Apple Bloom calls.

"Me, you, and Flashie in another!" Pinkie declares.

"I'll bunk with Fluttershy," Rarity says.

"Guess that leaves the last tent for me an' Sonata," Rainbow says. "That okay with you, Sonata?"

Sonata gives a thumbs-up.

"Alright," Twilight says, making a note of it on her clipboard. Where the clipboard came from, I have no idea...

We load sleeping bags and blankets into the tents, then set up the portable no-mess camp stove in the clearing between the four tents. I help Shining Armor stake down several pole-mounted LED lanterns around the tents, which we turn on as soon as we're done setting up camp. After that, we all head back to the house for pie.

And it's the best apple pie I've ever tasted.

"Everybody get straight to sleep," Cadance says once we've all finished our pie. "I'll be getting you all up early in the morning. We've got a lot to do."

We all head back out to the tents. Everybody is sleeping in their clothes. Pinkie seems like she wants to goof around for a bit—not sexually, but "fun camping with friends" type—but Twilight tells her to go to sleep, because tomorrow's going to be hard work.

As we're all settling in, I say, "So...this weekend, one way or another, we'll find out who Fluttershy really is."

"Yeah," Twilight agrees softly, cuddling Spike.

"What...what do we do with her if, y'know...she's Eris?" Pinkie asks.

I sigh. "I don't know, Pinkie. I don't know."

The soft sounds of leaves rustling in the breeze and animals engaged in their night activities lull us all to sleep.
> 2/27 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, February 27, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): What you're thinking about doing isn't really in anybody's best interests. Why not just leave things the way they are?

It's barely dawn when Applejack and Cadance drag us all out of the tents and tell us to hurry over to the house and wash up for breakfast.

Rainbow, Rarity, and Scootaloo have to literally be dragged out.

A rooster starts crowing as we're all getting organized. Apple Bloom nudges Scootaloo. "Hey Scoots! There's yer boyfriend!"

Scootaloo punches her, then tackles her to the dirt. Sweetie Belle tries to break them up. Before anyone can really process what's happening, the three girls are scrabbling around on the ground, kicking and slapping and pulling hair and screaming. Their fighting wakes up all the animals, and the farm suddenly gets hellaciously noisy.

"OKAY NOW, BREAK IT UP!" Applejack yells. She dives into the pile and pulls out Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle spends a minute punching and slapping herself before she realizes the fight is over and stands up, brushing herself off sheepishly.

Cadance puts her hands on her hips. "REALLY, girls! WHAT has gotten into you?"

"It's mah fault," Apple Bloom says with a sigh. "Ah know chicken jokes git on Scootaloo's nerves. Sorry, Scootaloo."

Scootaloo sighs. "I'm sorry I hit you."

A stray hen flutters over and lands on Scootaloo's head.

We all stare at her. Rainbow starts snickering. Pinkie and Sonata giggle.

After a long moment, the hen clucks loudly, then takes off.

She laid an egg.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stare at Scootaloo with blank expressions. Cadance blinks several times. Rarity starts giggling, as does Twilight. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Sonata keel over laughing. Even Fluttershy covers her mouth, fighting not to laugh.

Applejack coughs. "Uhh, Scoots? Y'got a little somethin'...on yer head..."

"Now that's what I call breakfast in bedhead!" Rainbow whoops. This sends everybody into fresh laughing fits.

Scootaloo reaches up, plucks the egg off her head, and stares at it with a flat, unamused expression.

"Hey, at least it isn't shit," I offer.

As soon as everyone's over their laughing fit, we head to the house. With so many of us and only one bathroom, it takes a while for everybody to freshen up; by the time we're done, Granny Smith has breakfast ready. She's made a mountain of buttermilk biscuits; there's a pot of country gravy, butter, and maple syrup to choose from, as well as sausage patties, bacon, and fried ham. There's also a mess of scrambled eggs for everybody (this sets Rainbow and Sonata off again).

"Y'all eat up now," Granny Smith says. "Don't be shy. You're gonna need yer strength."

As we all sit down with overloaded plates, Shining Armor says, "We need to discuss what everybody's going to be doing this morning."

"I've got a list," Twilight says as she makes a biscuit, sausage, and gravy sandwich. "Rarity, you and I will be repainting the sign at the entrance. You've got ladders, right, Big Macintosh?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac says.

"Good, because we forgot to bring any." She checks her list again as she stuffs her biscuit sandwich in her mouth. "Fhffrfy—"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Twi," I chide.

"If she didn't, she'd never talk at all!" Pinkie says.

Twilight gives me a cross glare and throws her clipboard at me. I catch it. "Fluttershy, you need to feed the chickens and collect the eggs, then feed the pigs."

"Okay."

"Coach, we're helping Big Mac fix the barn roof."

"Good thing it's still cold out," Shining Armor mutters.

"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, you're milking cows."

"Eww," Scootaloo complains.

"It's either that or cleaning shit out of the chicken coop," I say.

"Cows! Love cows! Gotta milk 'em all!"

"Rainbow, you and Applejack are cleaning shit out of the chicken coop once Fluttershy's done collecting the eggs."

"Oh, fu—" Rainbow catches herself. "I mean, gross!"

Applejack chuckles. "It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it."

"Pinkie, you and Cadance will be helping Granny Smith around the house and in the kitchen."

"Hey, why do they get the easy job?" Rainbow complains.

Granny Smith lets out a spate of barking, wheezing laughter. "Easy?" she cries. "Child, you ain't got no idea whut Ah do day in an' day out around here!"

I shake my head. "Sonata, you need to fill the water troughs for the pigs, the cows, the horses...pretty much everything. After that, see who needs help."

Sonata salutes...with her fork, which has a piece of ham on it. It's an adorable sight.

"So...that's all we're doing today?" Sweetie Belle asks.

I laugh. "Not even close. That's just the first set of chores." I toss Sweetie Belle the checklist. She looks over it, and her eyes triple in size.

"What the...? But...? HOW?!"

Apple Bloom takes it and looks it over. "Eeyup, pretty normal day around here," she says. "With this many of us here, we might actually even git it all done."

Scootaloo takes the list and reads it. Her jaw drops. "Oh, you have got to be KIDDING ME!"

"Y'all finish eatin' now," Applejack says. "We've got lotsa chores t' do."

Fluttershy's the first to finish eating. "Where's the chicken feed?" she asks.

"All th' feed fer all th' critters is in th' feed shed," Granny Smith says. "It's right by th' barn. Baskets fer th' eggs are hangin' on th' wall outside th' coop."

"I'll get started then." Fluttershy takes her plate to the kitchen, then heads out.

"Y'all don't worry about th' dishes," Granny Smith says. "Me an' th' pink gals'll take care of that."

"We should hang the checklist outside the house," Twilight says. "That way, when everybody finishes doing something, they can come take another assignment."

"Good idea."

As soon as Applejack's finished eating, she ducks into one of the downstairs closets and comes back out with a jar of MenthoRub and two pairs of thick rubber gloves, one of which she tosses to Rainbow. "C'mon now," she says. "Quicker we git this done, quicker we can move on t' somethin' less nasty."

"What's the MenthoRub for?" Rainbow asks as she downs the last of her orange juice.

"Th' stank."

Granny Smith chuckles. "We got that'n off'a one'a them po-lice shows," she says.

"It makes cleanin' th' coop an' th' stables an' what-not a mite less nasty," Applejack says as she heads for the door. Rainbow follows her, grumbling.

Everyone else finishes their breakfast, and we all start heading off to our own chores. Big Mac, Shining Armor, Twilight, Rarity, and I head out to the barn. "I do hope we have the right colors of paint for the sign," Rarity says.

"We've got five or six different colors of paint in the van," Shining Armor says. "I'm pretty sure you'll be good."

"You girls might have a bit of trouble," Big Mac says. "We've only got two ladders an' we need one of 'em here."

Twilight shrugs. "We'll figure it out." She grabs one of the ladders.

"Oh shit, wait," Shining Armor says. He fumbles around in his pockets and pulls out the keys to the van. "You'll be good just driving the van down to the front gates, right?" he asks Twilight.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "I think I can manage."

"Okay, because I don't think you girls want to carry a ladder and paint and paint stuff all the way to the gate," Shining Armor says.

Rarity makes a face. "Yes, that would...not be ideal."

"Don't worry, big brother," Twilight says. "Come on, Rarity. Let's get this done so we can help with something else."

The girls leave. As they do, I notice Big Mac's gaze following them. So does Shining Armor. "My sister's taken," he says.

Big Mac snaps himself out of it and blushes. "Wasn't oglin' yer sister," he says.

"Uh-huh."

Big Mac ducks his head. "Th' other girl," he says. "She's mighty pretty."

"She's seventeen," Shining Armor says.

Big Mac shrugs. "Jes' sayin'."

Shining Armor shrugs. "You're right though," he says. "She's got a really nice ass." He coughs. "Uhh...not that I..." He clears his throat. "Anyway, let's get to work."

Big Mac frowns. "Better not catch you sayin' somethin' like that about mah sister," he says.

"Actually, I, uhh...usually don't even notice Applejack," Shining Armor says. "Not that I'm ever really even in the dorm."

Big Mac grunts, then gives me a look and tilts his head.

I shrug. "AJ's not my type," I say. "Plus I have a girlfriend."

"Two girlfriends," Shining Armor mutters as he grabs the other ladder.

"A girlfriend and a friend with benefits."

Big Mac frowns at that. "You cheat on yer girl?"

"No, it's..." I grab a wooden toolbox and head for the barn door. "It's complicated."

"Flash here turned my sister into a pervert," Shining Armor says.

"Actually Pinkie Pie did that," I say. At Big Mac's confused frown, I decide to explain. "Pinkie Pie is in love with me and she's also in love with Twilight. So we just..." I shrug. "She's kind of both our girlfriend."

Big Mac's brow furrowed. "Y'mean you an' yer girl both...with that pink girl?"

"Yeah."

Big Mac blinks. "An' you know about all that?" he asks Shining Armor.

Shining Armor rolls his eyes. "Wish I didn't, but yeah. I'm...learning to live with it. As long as Twiley's happy, I guess that's all that matters."

Big Mac shakes his head. "Dang. City life shore is funny."

"Trust me, those three are not normal," Shining Armor says with a laugh. "But Flash is a good kid and Pinkie...well, everybody likes Pinkie."

"Almost everybody," I say as I follow them around to the side of the barn.

Shining Armor grimaces. "Almost everybody, yeah." He shakes his head. "I still can't believe her family did that to her." He sets the ladder up against the barn wall.

"Whut's that now?" Big Mac asks as he starts to climb the ladder.

"Her parents disowned her," I say.

Big Mac stops climbing and stares down at me. "Whut?!"

I shrug. "They're assholes."

"My mom and my wife are paying Pinkie's tuition and board so she can stay at CHS and live in the dorm," Shining Armor says. "Otherwise, well...Pinkie'd be homeless or something."

"I don't think she'd be homeless," I say. "I'm pretty sure the Cakes would've taken her in. But yeah...nobody wanted to see her go."

"Dang," Big Mac says. "How in th' hairy hell'd she manage t' get disowned?"

"Well, Pinkie's a little free-spirited and her parents are...really strict. Like, Amish strict. They saw a video of her wearing a skimpy Halloween costume, flipped out, and disowned her."

"Shit," Big Mac says. "That jes' ain't right. Hell, Ah reckon Pa'd be upset if AJ went t' th' beach in one'a them thong bikinis, but he wouldn't even ground her for it." He finishes climbing. Shining Armor climbs halfway up the ladder; I pass him the toolbox, and he passes it up to Big Mac before finishing the climb. I follow him up.

The roof is a mess. It doesn't exactly have big holes in it or anything, but it's obvious if it isn't fixed, the whole thing will go in the next big rain.

We set to work, making idle chit-chat to pass the time. Even with the cold temps, the sun shining down on us makes it hot on the barn roof; I'm working up a different kind of sweat than the one I usually work up on the tennis court.

Big Macintosh appears to be far more talkative around other men than he is around girls. We learn a lot more about just how bad the Apple family's situation is, as well as Big Mac's lamentations that he doesn't have time to find a woman to settle down with.

One thing about the farm has been bothering me since I arrived. "Say, Big Mac, isn't Sweet Apple Acres an apple farm?"

"Eeyup."

"So what's with all the chickens and pigs and cows and what-not?"

Big Mac scratches his nose. "Can't live on jes' apples," he says. "Sure, apples an' jams an' cider are our product, but it don't make no sense t' go clear t' town fer milk an' bread an' meat an' such when we can make our own. We git out t' that there warehouse club store in Canterlot three or four times a year fer stuff like sugar an' what-not in bulk, but most'a whut we eat here at home, we grow right on th' farm."

"Wow, that must save you guys a lot of money," Shining Armor says.

"Eeyup." Big Mac grunts and shifts his weight. "An' t' be honest, now that it's jes' me an' Granny Smith livin' on th' farm, we can bumper off a lotta our eggs an' pork an' such, so...that's helpin'."

"But not enough for you to hire on some hands?"

Big Mac shakes his head. "It jes ain't in th' budget." He looks down at his hands and sighs. "Maybe after...after Pa passes..." His eyes start to mist over. "When...when we ain't got his doctor bills, an'...an' Applejack's schoolin' money's set, we can..." He swallows hard. "At least, that's...that's what AJ was sayin' th' other day." His lip trembles. "She was talkin'...talkin' about th' money we're spendin' on Pa like...like it's a bad thing...Ah got so mad..." He sighs. "But...Granny talked me down, told me...she didn't mean nothin' by it..." He sighs. "An'...an' Ah know she didn't. AJ...she's gotta do Pa's job now..." He clenches his fists. "All 'cuz Ah'm dumb as a post."

"I don't think you're dumb at all," Shining Armor says. "You sure don't sound dumb to me."

"Me neither."

Big Mac shrugs. "Ah got horse sense, Ah know how t' work th' farm, but Ah ain't th' right kinda smart t' do whut Pa did. Ah'm jes' a simple farm boy."

"Dude. If you can do all that shit on that checklist every single day all by yourself, there's nothing simple about you," Shining Armor says. "I couldn't get through half of that without passing out. And I'm a gym coach!"

Big Mac chuckles. "Hell, thanks," he says. "An' thank y'all again fer comin' out t' help. Even jes' knockin' down little things like this'll make a big difference."

"Don't mention it," Shining Armor says.

We get back to work on the roof. As we work, we listen to everything that's happening below us. Spike and Winona are chasing chickens around, Apple Bloom and her friends are having an argument about udders on their way back from the cows, Rainbow Dash is bitching about being covered in chicken shit. After a couple of hours, the van pulls back up in the yard, and Twilight and Rarity return the other ladder to the barn. "How's it going up there?" Twilight yells.

"Good," I call back. "We could use something to drink up here."

"Got it!" Five minutes later, Pinkie, wearing cute fuschia overalls with a white heart on the front, climbs up the ladder and pulls three cold bottles of fizzy apple cider out of her hair, which she hands to us before climbing back down.

"How'd she do that?" Big Macintosh wonders.

"Dunno. Gave up trying to figure that out months ago."

"...she weren't wearin' nothin' under them overalls, was she?"

"Nope."

"Free spirit, huh?"

"Yep."

It's almost noon when we finish with the roof. We started at eight. By the time we've put everything away, Cadance comes out to call everybody inside for lunch.

Saturday, February 27, 2016 / Daytime

Lunch is the best fried chicken I've ever had in my life, mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw, corn on the cob, and more buttermilk biscuits, with apple pie for dessert.

"So what exactly did you two do inside all morning while we were finding out what comes out of one of these first-hand?" Rainbow asks as she picks up a drumstick and takes a big bite.

"Well, for starters, we were cooking all this," Cadance says. "We also had to clean the house, and Granny Smith has been teaching us how she makes apple butter."

"It's a lot of work," Pinkie says.

"How's that there sign lookin' now, Twilight?" Applejack asks.

Twilight shoots Rarity an odd glance. "Well...it definitely says Sweet Apple Acres," she says.

Rarity pouts. "We could have done ever so much more with it, darling."

"I'm sure the Apples will appreciate what we did just fine," Twilight says. "All the other things you wanted to add...well, would've been unnecessary. And cluttered. And it's not like the farm is up on the main road where people will see it anyway."

Rarity sighs. "All very good points, I suppose."

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "So uhh...whut does th' sign look like now?" she asks nervously.

Twilight pulls out her phone, fiddles with it for a second, and passes it over to Applejack. Applejack lets out a sigh of relief. "Well, that ain't so bad." She holds it up so we can all see:





"Well, that's not too bad at all," Granny Smith says. "Heck, it looks a heck of a lot better than it did!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees.

"Rarity wanted to paint all kind of intricate little trim and accents on it," Twilight says. "I practically had to drag her off the ladder."

We take our time with lunch so that we can rest up from the morning's chores. After lunch, Applejack herds the girls off, Pinkie and Cadance disappear into the kitchen with Granny Smith again, and Big Mac leads me and Shining Armor out to a long, low building a good half a mile from the house in the opposite direction from the barn. As we approach, I can smell something coming from the building.

Shining Armor smells it too. His eyes light up. "Is...is this what I think it is?" he asks.

"Eeyup," Big Mac says. "This here's our smokehouse." He grins. "Thought y'all might like t' help out with this one."

Oh hell yes.

Saturday, February 27, 2016 / Evening

It's an hour past sunset when we all return to the farmhouse, sweaty and exhausted, for dinner, which is fried ham steaks, cornbread, cabbage, and yams.

Nobody has any energy for anything but sleep after dinner, so we all head for the tents and crawl right into our sleeping bags.

As I'm wriggling around to get comfortable, Twilight lets out a low moan. "Mmm," she says, scooting closer to me and sniffing me. "You smell good. Like...like bacon."

"Yeah, we were working in the smokehouse this afternoon," I say. "Ham, bacon, cheese..."

Twilight whimpers. "No fair!"

"Go to sleep, Twi. Busy day tomorrow."

I close my eyes and roll over.

I'm almost asleep when I feel Twilight hovering over me...

"I'm not bacon, Twi. Go to SLEEP."

Twilight makes a pouting noise, thumps me upside the head, and goes back to her sleeping bag. Pinkie snickers.
> 2/28 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): STAY AWAY FROM ZODIAC UNTIL YOU GET BACK TO THE CITY!!

Twilight, Pinkie, and I stare at my phone as, outside the tent, the rooster is just starting to crow.

"Wow. Caps lock much?" Pinkie says.

Twilight frowns. "Yesterday's sounded pretty desperate too, didn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"You know, if Fluttershy's Eris and she's the one hacking your horoscope, she's doing a pretty sucky job of protecting herself," Pinkie comments. "I mean, this is like, the exact opposite of convincing."

Outside, we hear everyone starting to stir around. I sigh and pocket my phone. "Let's go get breakfast and do some chores. We'll worry about this when we can slip away."

Once again, Fluttershy opts for the chore of feeding all the animals. After breakfast, Big Mac sends me out to the stables to replace some bad boards. "Wood's already cut an' sanded an' all," he says. "Jes' gotta pull out th' ones Ah marked an' nail up th' new ones, then paint 'em. Everything's already out there."

I head out to the stables. There are half a dozen horses out there; they nicker and whinny softly as I approach. I've never been around horses before...

I find the place where Big Mac set everything up and quickly get to work. It doesn't take quite as long as I expected; only about forty minutes. I'm just finishing up painting the last board when I spot Fluttershy approaching the stables, carrying a large bucket.

I find a place to hide and watch her. When she reaches the stables, she starts filling feedbags with scoops of oats, then gently straps a feedbag onto each horse, stroking their manes and scratching their ears. She looks so serene, so kind, so gentle...

I feel my heart drop into the soles of my shoes.

How could someone so kind and gentle be...?

But everything points right to her...

As Fluttershy picks up a brush and approaches one of the horses, I realize that now is the best chance I'm ever going to get to find out for sure.

I don't have time to wait for the others. I pull out my phone...

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / Zodiac

The sounds of the horses, the distant sounds of the chickens, the sound of the wind...everything stops. The world turns red and black. The horses disappear.

Fluttershy doesn't disappear. She's standing right there, the brush still in her hand. She tenses up.

I step out of my hiding place.

Fluttershy turns. Her head is bowed. She drops the brush and clenches her fists.

"You asshole," she says.

She pulls out her phone and taps the screen several times.

The jeans, sweater, and boots she's wearing change into the all-too-familiar black and grey costume of Eris...minus the hooded cloak and mask.

"You STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE!!" Fluttershy charges at me and jumps high into the air, somersaulting before extending one leg for a flying kick. I drop to the ground and roll, letting her sail past me. She recovers in midair, flipping away like a gymnast.

"Fluttershy, STOP THIS!"

"How retarded can you possibly be?!" Fluttershy screams as she rushes toward me, her staff appearing in her right hand. "What part of don't fuck with me didn't you get?" She swings her staff at my head; I barely dodge. I try to sweep her, but she jumps over me.

"Are you the one who's been hacking the horoscope app?" I ask.

"DUH! God, you're stupid!" She summons Eris, buffeting me with harsh winds. I summon Kuma and counter with ice. "I've been TRYING to help you, you fucking idiot!" She trips me with her staff, then dives on top of me and starts raining punches on my arms, face, and torso. She's impossibly strong...

She's also crying.

"GET OFF HIM!" Pinkie yells. Euphoria appears and slams into Fluttershy, sending her flying.

I stagger to my feet. Pinkie rushes up to my side. She looks pissed...and sad. "Fluttershy, why?" she asks.

Rainbow, Twilight, Rarity, and Cadance all come running. Twilight gasps. "No..."

Rainbow frowns. "Dammit."

"I never would have believed it," Rarity says.

Fluttershy looks around at all of us. "PERSONA!"

In a red burst, Eris appears. A cold wave of...something washes over us. Pinkie and Rarity both curl inward on themselves, clutching their heads and whimpering. Whatever Fluttershy just did, it's reduced them to shivering balls of terror...

Then, Eris starts making the most horrendous, bone-chilling noise I've ever heard. Pinkie and Rarity scream and fall to the ground, dead.

Twilight screams. "NO!"

"KUMA!" Kuma appears and resurrects Pinkie, who sits up woozily.

"Whoa," Pinkie says. She glares at Fluttershy. "You did NOT just KILL ME," she growls.

"Pinkie, help Rarity!"

"Oh...right. PERSONA!" Euphoria appears, resurrecting Rarity. Meanwhile, Rainbow runs at Fluttershy and tackles her to the ground.

"What the HELL, Fluttershy?!" Rainbow yells as she grabs Fluttershy's hair and pulls it. "Just...what the HELL?"

Fluttershy yells and throws Rainbow off her, then stomps her gut, grabs her by the legs, swings her around, and throws her at us.

"ATHENA!" Athena appears and zaps Fluttershy. She absorbs the attack harmlessly.

"ERIS!" Fluttershy counters with a blast of wind that blows Twilight off her feet. She then releases that familiar scrambling effect...

Rarity, and Twilight double over, clutching their heads. "What...what is this?" Rarity cries.

"She's sealed our Personas!" I reply. "Dammit, Fluttershy!"

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona spreads a wave of sparkling rainbow light over us, and the scrambling effect fades away.

"I've had enough of this," I mutter. "Fluttershy, why are you—"

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Fluttershy screams. "YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF!" She starts to tremble. "You...you..."

"YOU SHUT UP!" I yell. "I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU, AND YOU'VE TRIED TO KILL ME, THEN LET SUNSET SHIMMER INTO THE DORM TO RAPE ME!" I feel a cold rage overtake me, and I rush at Fluttershy. She's shaking, covering her ears...

I punch her right in the face, and she falls to the ground.

"MERLIN!" In a rage, I unleash Merlin's fire magic on Fluttershy. She screams as she burns.

"Flash...that's enough," Twilight says. I feel her hand on my shoulder. She pulls me away.

I look down at Fluttershy. She's burned and blistered and...and...

Rarity walks up, a solemn look on her face. "Persona," she says quietly.

Pure light washes over Fluttershy, and she sits up, coughing. She glares up at me, her face stained with soot. "Bastard." She reaches for her phone, but Rarity picks it up and slips it into her own pocket.

"You're not running away from this," Twilight says. "You owe us answers. A LOT of answers."

Fluttershy picks herself up, rubbing her arms. Her eyes glow red, and Eris appears above her.

Pinkie gasps. "No way!"

"I don't need my phone to control my Persona," Fluttershy says. Her voice is strange, distorted. "If you don't let me go, I'll keep fighting you until we ALL die. Trust me...it's better this way..."

That cold wave of fear is flowing out from Eris again. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Twilight have already succumbed, and I feel it freezing up my veins.

Whatever this fear attack is, I've already seen how deadly it is.

"Rarity, break her phone, quick," I say.

"That won't work this time," Fluttershy says. "I am my Persona, and my Persona is me. We are the same..."

The multitude of cables snaking out of Eris' head lash out, the plugs at the ends sticking into each of us. The halo of screens above Eris' head glows brightly and spins more rapidly as dozens of new images appear...

"We need to get out of here!" Cadance cries.

"Do that thing!" I yell. "Like you did when that Death thing showed up!"

"I can't!" Cadance cries. "I can't summon Aphrodite!"

"Our phones..."

"I WILL NOT LET YOU ESCAPE!"

We can't escape Zodiac...Fluttershy and Eris are too strong...

We can't disable her Persona, and she's about to...

As long as we're in Zodiac, we're at Fluttershy's mercy...

We need a way to disable Fluttershy...somewhere she has no power and can't escape...

That terrifying noise starts to emanate from Eris again...

"Help me..." Fluttershy whimpers. Tears stream from her still-glowing eyes...

The image of a door fills my mind. The one place only I can enter...

The room nobody but me can see...

It's safe there...

I think...

"Wha...what is that?" Twilight asks.

"Where'd a door come from?" Rainbow asks.

I open my eyes.

The door to the Velvet Room has appeared in our midst.

It flies open, and a swirling blue vortex appears.

Eris screams as she explodes into red static. The rest of us all yell in confusion and panic as we're sucked into the door...

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / ???

"Hmm. Goodness. It has been some time since we have had this many guests in the Velvet Room."

I look around. Igor and Zecora are staring at us. Igor looks politely puzzled; Zecora seems bewildered and affronted. All of us have been completely healed from our battle with Fluttershy...even Fluttershy herself.

The girls look around. "Where...where are we?" Twilight asks.

"I do love the decor," Rarity says.

Fluttershy looks around wildly. "What? Where...? What did you do?! Where are we? PERSONA! ...PERSONA! ...Eris?" She stares at me with terror and rage. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

"Shut up," Rainbow says, head bowed and fists clenched. "Just...just SHUT UP."

Zecora clears her throat. "Guests, please, do not shout. Unless you desire to be thrown out."

"Flash? What...what's going on here?" Twilight asks.

"This, my dear girl, is the Velvet Room," Igor says. He looks around at the girls with mild, polite curiosity, hands folded under his chin. "I bid you welcome Magician, Star, Chariot, Lovers, Empress, and...oh dear..." He stares at Fluttershy. "Reversed Priestess." He shakes his head and tuts. "You have gone astray, haven't you?"

"It is most curious," Zecora says. She gives me a hard stare. "This breach of contract is most serious."

"I...I'm sorry," I say. "My friends and I were all about to die..." I glare at Fluttershy. "This was the only thing I could think of."

"Mmm," Igor says thoughtfully. "All things considered...I believe we can overlook this slight." He frowns. "Am I correct in assuming you have unfinished business with the Reversed Priestess?"

I glance at him, then back at Fluttershy. "Priestess..." I frown. "Then she's supposed to be—"

"Perhaps...we should be more discrete about that topic," Igor says. "Forgive me. I so rarely interact with humans, and never more than one at a time." He spreads his hands. "Please, take all the time you need. Conclude your business with the confidence that this Velvet Room is neutral territory." He frowns. "But know that this is the one and only time this intrusion will be allowed. Only the one who has entered into a contract may enter here at will."

"I do not recall 'interrogation venue' being one of the services listed on our menu," Zecora says sternly.

Igor chuckles. "Even for such as us, life delivers the occasional unexpected surprise," he says. "Well...we will leave you humans to your business." Igor and Zecora vanish.

Rainbow grabs Fluttershy by the shoulders and forces her into a chair. "You," she growls, "are in really deep shit."

Fluttershy bows her head.

Cadance sits across from her. "You do know you're about to get kicked out of the dorm," she says. "Probably also expelled."

"No," Twilight says. "We're not doing that." She frowns at Fluttershy. "If anything, we need to keep her on a very short leash from now on."

"Why not just tie me up and hide me in a closet?" Fluttershy asks.

"Because you'd twist that around to make US look like the bad guys," Rainbow says. "Dammit, Fluttershy, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with ME?" Fluttershy demands. "What's wrong with YOU? It takes you idiots forever to figure out who 'Eris' is, then you pull this half-assed ambush shit on me? Without even knowing how bad you just fucked everything up? We'll be really lucky if there's a dorm to go back to at all after this!"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Rainbow asks.

"It means...Fluttershy isn't the only one we need to worry about," Twilight says.

"Wow. Figure that out all by yourself?" Fluttershy asks. "You're supposed to be the smart one...good grief..."

Rainbow slaps Fluttershy. "Watch it," she says.

"No, YOU watch it, Rainbow DOUCHE!" Fluttershy snaps. "I've had just about enough of you! Why do you think I decided to humiliate you in front of Celestia like that?"

"And that blackmail video?" Cadance asks dangerously. "Was that you too?"

Fluttershy pales. "N-no," she says. "That...that wasn't me." She looks at Pinkie sadly. "It wasn't me that got you kicked out of your family either. I...I'm sorry about that. That was way over the line." She looks at me, and swallows heavily. "A-and...I didn't know Sunset Shimmer was...was going to do what she did to you. I thought she was just going to fake some blackmail photos..." She shakes her head and runs her hands through her hair.

Twilight frowns. "Sunset Shimmer...she's Mephistopheles, isn't she?"

Fluttershy nods miserably. "Yes." She looks up. "I...I've been doing her dirty work for over a year now."

We all sit back and digest this.

"Okay, so..." Cadance begins. "We go back to Canterlot, turn you over to Celestia, you confess everything, we pull the plug on Canterbook, Sunset Shimmer gets arrested...and we can all go on with our lives."

"No," Fluttershy says, shaking her head. "That...that won't work." She looks down at her hands, which are clenched in her skirt. "Canterbook is backed up on three secret servers, all set to go active at the touch of a button. It's Sunset Shimmer's failsafe. If...if Canterbook is taken offline and they try to arrest her, she switches Canterbook over to those servers, and...and they're set to spam every single user's feed with all the blackmail information she has on everybody. Including that video of you having sex with Flash Sentry." She pauses. "And...and audio of Flash and Twilight..." She blushes. "A lot of audio of Flash and Twilight."

What...?

Twilight leans forward. "What...exactly...is Sunset Shimmer doing with audio of us?"

Fluttershy sighs. "Every room in the dorm is bugged," she says. "I planted the bugs myself."

Cadance scowls. "You're taking every last one of those out as soon as we get back to the dorm," she says.

Fluttershy nods. "A-alright. I...yeah." She sighs. "I...I'll be in a lot of trouble with Sunset Shimmer for that, but..." She trembles. "I...I've wanted out...for so long. I...I never wanted to hurt any of you—"

Rainbow snorts.

Rarity glares at Fluttershy. "You never wanted to hurt any of us?" she asks. "Your actions today have proven otherwise."

"I PANICKED, OKAY?" Fluttershy yells. "I...I was scared. I've...I've been leaving hints for so long, trying to clue you all in, but you kept ignoring them or not catching them, and...and then you did figure it out, and I got scared. Because...because..." She sighs and looks away. "Because I don't even know which way to turn anymore. I can't keep working for HER, not after..." She trembles. "She's...she's gone crazy," she says. "Lately, she's...she's getting more and more unstable. That thing with Flash...a year ago, she'd never have done that. Killing Snips...she'd never have done that for no reason. And..." She swallows. "I'm pretty sure she burned down Haflinger Hall, but I can't prove it."

I look around at the girls. Everyone's digesting this.

"Anyway, if...if those backup servers go online, it won't just spew all that blackmail for the whole school to see," Fluttershy says. "It'll reboot Zodiac too. And...and if I'm right, it'll revive all the Hunter Shadows you've already killed."

Pinkie gasps.

Fluttershy looks around at us. "If...if I thought turning Sunset Shimmer over to the authorities was the right thing to do, I...I would've done it the night she raped Flash. But..." She shakes her head. "She's too dangerous. In the real world and in Zodiac." She shudders.

Wait...what?

"Wait...WHAT?" Twilight asks.

"Sunset Shimmer...has a Persona?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy bows her head. "Her Persona is...is terrible," she whispers. "I...I tried to fight her...once. It...it didn't end well for me." She looks around at us. "You can't fight Sunset Shimmer and win. Not in the real world. Not in Zodiac. If you even try, she's going to kill us all. Not just you guys, or me...she'll burn down the dorm. Applejack, Sonata, Coach, the girls...she won't stop until we're all dead. Or worse."

A long silence follows this.

"Well we can't just...we can't just lay down and...!" Rainbow cries.

Cadance leans forward. "Fluttershy...will you help us? Will you...will you fight with us?"

"No," Fluttershy says immediately. "I can't. I'm sorry. I..." She bows her head. "I won't fight you anymore. But...I can't help you either." She looks at me. "I'll keep using the horoscope app to give you information when I can. And I'll get rid of the bugs. That's the best I can do."

I shake my head. "That's not good enough."

"Well tough, because it's all you're getting," Fluttershy says resentfully. "After today, I'll be lucky if she doesn't come after me next." She looks around, fidgeting. "Now will you please let me out of here?"

"We're not done with you yet!" Rainbow yells.

Fluttershy shrugs. "So? You know where to find me," she says. "You said it yourselves...I'm pretty much your prisoner now. Even if I tried to run away, you'd just track me down. Or do something stupid like go to the cops." She crosses her arms, a sullen pout on her face. "So? Can we go back to the farm now?"

I sigh. "If you're gonna be this much of a bitch about it...yeah. There's no point in staying here."

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / Morning

The cold February sun shines down on us as the stable grounds return with all their sounds and smells.

Fluttershy picks up the brush, walks over to the nearest horse, and starts brushing out its mane.

We all look around at each other awkwardly.

"Cadance? Will you stay here and help her with the horses?" Twilight asks. "The rest of us need to get back to our own chores."

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / Daytime

Somehow, we manage to get a fair amount done today despite everything that happened this morning. At no point do we allow Fluttershy to be alone. The Apples and Shining Armor seem to have picked up on the tension in the air, and after lunch, Applejack suggests we take the afternoon to relax since we've already worked so hard. I end up playing poker with Big Mac and Shining Armor. Applejack, Fluttershy, Sonata, and Cadance go off to ride the horses. Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity disappear somewhere, presumably to discuss the situation.

Everything Fluttershy said today...

I don't think she's telling us everything, but she's obviously terrified of Sunset Shimmer.

Assuming that wasn't an act. I don't think any of us can trust Fluttershy right now...

Sunday, February 28, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight, Pinkie, and I retreat to our tent.

"So...what are we gonna do?" Pinkie asks.

I shrug. "For now? I guess...we just keep doing what we've been doing. We...should probably try to get some more information out of Fluttershy."

"We'll need to tread lightly with her," Twilight says. "I don't think we should press too hard too fast." She frowns. "I just...I still can't get over it. Fluttershy. How could she be...well...that? It doesn't make any sense..."

"Yeah," Pinkie agrees sadly. Her hair is almost completely flat. "I don't wanna hate Fluttershy..."

"I don't either," I say. "I think she needs our help. But...I don't think she's gonna make it easy for us to help her."

"All this time...Sunset Shimmer's been behind everything..." Twilight shakes her head. "I knew she was a bitch, but..."

"I always suspected her."

"I know you did." Twilight sighs. "How does someone like Sunset Shimmer wind up controlling some weird alternate reality full of psychotic monsters?"

"I don't know," I say. "But...one way or another, we're going to have to face her and put a stop to her." I run my hands through my hair. "But we're gonna need a lot more information before we go after her. Especially if she's got a Persona. Especially if she's so strong Fluttershy is scared of her."

Twilight frowns at me. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather just...you know...press charges against Sunset for raping you and hope for the best?"

I sigh. "I don't think it'd stick," I say. "And after today, I'm not sure it wouldn't make things worse."

None of us have an easy time getting to sleep...
> 2/29 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, February 29, 2016 / Early Morning

As we enjoy one more of Granny Smith's amazing country breakfasts, Applejack says, "Ah jes' wanna thank y'all fer comin' out this weekend. Y'all...y'all really have been too kind." She sniffles. "We're all mighty grateful."

"Durn tootin'!" Granny agrees.

"Eeyup," Big Mac adds.

"Y'all were a mighty big help round here," Granny says. "An' Ah gotta say, it was nice havin' a big houseload'a yung'uns t' feed!" She cackles.

"We were happy to help," Cadance says. "I enjoyed this weekend!"

Shining Armor checks his phone. "Okay, gang...let's all hurry and tend to the animals this morning. After that, we really need to be packing up and getting on the road to the dorm. We're gonna need everything unloaded so I can get the rentals back."

"Why the rush?" Twilight asks. "I'm sure there's plenty more we can do before we really need to—"

"There's a line of thunderstorms headed this way," Shining Armor says. "I want off the road before they move in, and that'll be around noon."

"Eeyup," Big Mac says. "Y'all done plenty. Go on an' get yerselves home before that weather hits."

"We have time to help with the animals," Shining Armor says.

"Well, that'll give me time t' put together some things fer y'all t' take back with ya," Granny Smith says.

With all of us working, tending to the various animal-related chores on the farm takes less than an hour, after which we dismantle our camp and pack away everything we brought with us. The wind is picking up and the sky is getting cloudy by the time we've got the van loaded, except for one of our coolers, which Big Macintosh brings out just as we're getting the last of the luggage loaded.

"Granny's sendin' y'all home with some jams an' apple butter an' cider," Big Mac says as he loads the cooler onto the van. "We sure do thank y'all kindly."

Once all the loading is done, we say our goodbyes to Big Mac and Granny Smith, then pile into the SUVs. This time, Rainbow convinces Sonata to ride with Cadance, while strongarming Fluttershy into our SUV. Fluttershy seems like she wants to protest this, but at some sharp looks from the girls, she wilts and agrees.

We hear the first distant rumbles of thunder as we pull out onto the road...

Monday, February 29, 2016 / Daytime

"We have more questions for you, Fluttershy," Twilight says once we're on the road.

"Yeah, starting with why the hell are you friends with Sunset Shithead?" Rainbow demands.

"We're NOT friends," Fluttershy says sullenly. "We never were. I...I only do what she tells me because she's..."

"Because you're afraid of her?" Twilight suggests.

Fluttershy is silent.

"...because she's blackmailing you?" Twilight tries again.

Fluttershy sighs. "Let's just say it's no accident that bad things have happened to some of the kids that bullied me since I came to CHS. Like, the half of the soccer team that got kicked off sophomore year."

"Wait," Rainbow says. "That was all because of drug possession charges..."

"You'd be surprised how easy it is for the weakest, most pathetic crybaby in school to buy five pounds of weed and a few grams of heroin and spread it around in the locker room without anybody noticing."

"NOT COOL, Fluttershy!" Rainbow yells.

"Oh yeah? Was it cool for them to steal my underwear when I was in the shower after gym class and auction it off online?"

"Wait, they did WHAT?"

"Yeah. They didn't know who they were fucking with. I fucked them up for life."

"Umm...can you please stop swearing?" Pinkie asks quietly. "Hearing those words come out of you...it's really messing with my head."

"Oh, grow up, Pinkie," Fluttershy says. "CHS's Queen of Sexting has no right to complain about my potty mouth."

"Whoa, queen of WHAT now?" Rainbow asks.

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie cries.

"No. Shut up." Fluttershy shifts around in her seat. "I know every sick, depraved, deranged, stupid thing there is to know about every last one of you losers. You start shit with me, I start saying things you don't want your friends to hear."

"Man, I can't believe you're this much of a bitch," Rainbow mutters. "I always thought you were so...well...nice!"

"Canterlot High made me this way," Fluttershy says quietly.

Twilight clears her throat. "Fluttershy," she says, "I've been thinking about something since last night. The Fall Formal. What really happened that night?"

"Hey yeah, what DID happen that night?" Rainbow asks. "And, uhh...sorry again for, y'know—"

"Molesting me?" Fluttershy snorts. "Now that I know you really are a queer, I'm mad at you for that again. Not that I ever really got over that."

"I THOUGHT SOMEBODY RAPED YOU! GODDAMMIT, FLUTTERSHY, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"

"Girls? Let's not get into that again." Rarity coughs. "Now, Fluttershy. The Fall Formal. What actually happened to you that night?"

Fluttershy sighs. "I spent most of the week leading up to the Fall Formal hacking the votes, randomly changing votes for Sunset Shimmer to votes for either Twilight or Rarity. I was very careful about it...I stopped when she had twenty-three percent of the vote. I had hoped I would get away with it, but..."

"You mean I didn't really win the Fall Formal Princess?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, I'm sure you would've won anyway. Or, well...it would've been a lot closer than it was. A few votes at most. And maybe Rarity would've won instead. I just...maybe gave you more of the altered votes because Sunset Shimmer hates you. I knew it would make her really angry if you won."

"...I see..."

"I...I wanted to see the look on her face when she lost. That was the only reason I even went to the dance. After she lost, I found her outside the gym, and...and nobody else was around, so I...I gloated. And then she...she showed me pictures of me...in the bathroom. And she told me...if I ever defied her again, the whole world would see them."

The other girls gasp. "Oh my god..." Pinkie says.

"So that's why you were off in the bathroom crying?" Rainbow asks.

In the rear view, I can see Fluttershy slump forward. "Yes," she says. "Can you blame me?" She laughs mirthlessly. "Sunset Shimmer's got pisscam pics of me, Rainbow Dash molested me, Flash grabbed my breast..." She shakes her head. "Everywhere I turn, people are doing stuff like that to me lately..."

"Hey! You don't get to play that card," Pinkie says. "Not after you let Sunset Shimmer into the dorm to rape Flash."

"Yeah, Fluttershy, nobody wants to hear about poor pitiful you and your made-up problems." Rainbow pauses. "Except for the bathroom pictures thing. That's messed up."

"Fluttershy," Rarity says, "I believe what we're all trying to say is that it's difficult to sympathize with you after everything you've put us through."

"Like I give a shit," Fluttershy says.

"How did you even wind up with a Persona?" Pinkie wonders. "Was it...like the rest of us, or...?"

Fluttershy doesn't answer.

For the rest of the drive back to Canterlot, the girls try to ask Fluttershy more questions, but she refuses to talk...

It's already starting to drizzle by the time we get back to the dorm. We unload the van as quickly as we can, then Cadance, Shining Armor, and I drive out to the rental place to return the van and the rental SUV. By the time we start back to the dorm in Cadance's SUV, it's raining hard.

Monday, February 29, 2016 / Evening

Everybody's tired...

Apparently we're all doing our own thing for dinner. I make myself a sandwich and head to my room.

Twilight's already there, watching TV and eating potato chips. "Hey," she says.

"Hey." I sit on the bed. "So...what happened with Fluttershy after we left?"

Twilight sighs. "Pinkie and I followed her around and watched her take out all the bugs," she says. She shudders. "To think, she's been listening in on everything we say and do all this time..."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, after that, she locked herself in her room." She runs her hands through her hair. "I still can't believe she's...well...that."

"Yeah..."

"And now we have to figure out how to deal with Sunset Shimmer..."

I shake my head. "We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to get ready for Friday. Sonata's the next target...we need to be ready."

"Right," Twilight agrees. "But...we also need to make plans. And...and we need to figure out what we're going to do about Fluttershy..."

I sigh. "Honestly? Right now, I'm too disgusted to care."

The last few days have been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting...

There are still so many unanswered questions about Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer, and Zodiac...

After I finish eating, I grab Twilight, pull her onto the bed, and use her as a pillow. The steady patter of rain on the windows and the gentle rolling of thunder lulls me to sleep...
> 3/1 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't breathe a word about what happened this weekend to anyone. Don't forget, I can still kick your ass.

"Well, she's still doing the horoscope thing," I say with a sigh, showing my phone to Twilight. "And she's still being a bitch."

"I'm still having a hard time processing everything that happened with her," Twilight says, shaking her head. "And how the heck is Fluttershy of all people some kind of crazy ninja?"

"I have no idea, but I think we need to be really careful not to piss her off. Just because we won this time, doesn't mean we should push our luck." I frown. "Especially since we're going to want her on our side when..."

"When we deal with Sunset Shimmer, yeah." Twilight shudders. "Maybe I...maybe I should just fail a couple of tests on purpose. If I let her overtake me as valedictorian, maybe she'll—"

"You do that and I'll use Pinkie's whip on you," I say. "You are NOT screwing up your own future, and you are NOT giving that bitch ANYTHING."

Twilight sighs. "You're right," she says. "I'm just...I'm just thinking out loud." She shrugs.

"Anyway, even if you did that, there's no guarantee she'd stop doing what she's doing, or that Zodiac would go away. We don't even know for sure if she's controlling it, and...well...you heard Fluttershy. Sunset's crazy."

"Yeah..." Twilight hangs her head. "I'm just...tired of all this," she says. "I just want to, you know...study, go to school, spend time with my friends, go out with you..." she blushes. "Sleep together...without worrying about who's watching us or listening to us or planning to kill us or...or whatever..."

I pull Twilight into a hug. "We'll get through this," I tell her. "Whatever happens, we'll...we'll make it. We've gotten this far, haven't we?"

Twilight sighs. "Yeah," she says. "But...we need to...we need to stop doing things so...so..."

"Half-assed?" I suggest.

"Yeah," she says. She looks up at me. "Like, for instance, not bothering to tell us you were about to trap Fluttershy. What if we hadn't been able to get there in time? What if she'd killed you before any of us could find you? It's stuff like that that's gonna get us ALL killed." She stands up. "I need to get ready for school..."

Looks like I get the bathroom last this morning...

I watch some television while I make my bed and pick out what to wear today.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / After School

Vinyl Scratch returned to school today. All day long, people have been cheering her on and helping her out.

At Music Club, we throw a little welcome back party for her. As the party is winding down, Vinyl and Octavia pull me off to the side.

"So, how are you coping?" I ask Vinyl.

Vinyl sighs and shrugs. "Okay, I guess. Still getting used to it. My tech helps." She reaches for Octavia's hand and gives it a squeeze. "Tavi really helps."

Octavia smiles. "I...I'm doing the best I can," she says. She slips an arm around Vinyl and hugs her. "I've...I've started setting some boundaries with my mother."

"Really?" I ask.

Vinyl snorts. "Setting boundaries, is that what you call it? Did you forget we were on a voice chat that day?"

Octavia blushes furiously.

Vinyl grins. "I've never heard a screaming match like that before."

Octavia ducks her head. "Yes. Well. Ahem. My mother is...obstinate."

"Hey Vinyl, over here!" Lyra calls. "You gotta come listen to this!" Lyra rushes over, grabs Vinyl's arm, and drags her off.

Octavia watches her and sighs.

"So, how are you holding up?" I ask.

Octavia shakes her head. "I'm..." She sighs again. "I...think I want to make it work with Vinyl," she says. "And...if my mother doesn't like it, she can...she can...get over it. But..." She frowns. "I'm still adjusting to the idea of, well...being with another girl. And then there's...well..."

"Her being handicapped?"

"That, yes." Octavia scratches her arm. "It...it isn't easy," she admits. "Helping her this past month whenever I could, watching her get frustrated trying to do the most simple things...it's quite difficult. I..." She glances over at Vinyl. "I think about...what it would be like to spend years with her, adjusting to her handicap...and if I'm going to be completely honest with myself, it...it frightens me."

I frown. "Yeah, I think I get it. So...what'll you do?"

"For now? I'm just going to...maintain the status quo," Octavia says. "At least, until I can figure out exactly how I feel about all this."

Vinyl walks back over, with Lyra's help, and drags Octavia off. I watch them go, shaking my head.

After another half hour, the party winds down, and I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, Principal Celestia taps her fork on her glass to get everyone's attention.

"I have a huge announcement, and I wanted to share it with you all first, since it affects some of you." She smiles broadly. "During Spring Break, we're integrating Canterlot Junior High School into Canterbook. There'll be some access restrictions and limitations and so forth, and some areas of the service will be set up that are for middle schoolers only, but it's the first step in a larger plan for the entire district." She pauses for a sip of water, then adds, "More importantly, it means CJHS students, such as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, will be able to use the social media functions and some of the most popular apps of Canterbook. Won't that be fun?"

"That does sound fun!" Sweetie Belle says.

"So we're gonna have a bunch of immature kids runnin' loose on Canterbook?" Rainbow asks.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "As opposed to what Canterbook is like already?"

"Heh...point taken..."

Twilight frowns. "So...CJHS won't be getting its own Canterbook? They'll just be using ours?"

"As I said, it's an integration," Celestia says. "Don't tell anyone this, but...there's a ten-year plan in place to expand CHS, incorporate the junior high school, and build more dorms. We're even looking into setting up a shuttle service since some of the new dorms will be...well...farther out from campus."

"So...a seven-year school?" Fluttershy asks.

"That's right. Of course, all of you will have long since graduated by then, but...integrating Canterbook is the first phase." Celestia smiles. "Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Twilight shoots me a worried look.

After dinner, Twilight and Rarity come to my room. "Am I the only one severely concerned by what Principal Celestia said at dinner?" Rarity asks.

"No, you're not," Twilight says. "Does...does this mean that junior high students could be targeted now?"

"It does."

We all turn to the door to see Fluttershy standing there, arms folded. She's frowning.

We all look at each other awkwardly. I cough. "Uhh...come on in. Have a seat."

Fluttershy's nose wrinkles. "No thank you," she says. "I'd rather not sit on anything in this room without checking it out with a UV light first."

Twilight turns red. Rarity gets a nauseated look on her face.

"I know you already know that anyone with a Canterbook account can be drawn into Zodiac," Fluttershy says. "I don't need to tell you that this means Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could be in danger too."

"Well, Sweetie Belle should be safe," Rarity says. "Her birthday is in September, and as I understand it, Virgo has already been dispatched."

"What about Apple Bloom?" I ask.

"I think hers is in May," Twilight says. "I seem to remember it being after Applejack's, anyway."

"Let's not forget the hundreds of other kids that could be in danger now," I point out. I glance at Fluttershy. "Unless you want to save us the trouble and give us a list of Sunset Shimmer's targets?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I don't know," she says. "I'm not even entirely sure Sonata Dusk is a target, but if you're determined to fight Pisces, you'd better make plans." She frowns. "You idiots do know how to make plans, right? Because LEEEEEROY JENKINS isn't a plan, and that's what you always seem to do." She turns and walks out.

We stare after her for a long time.

Twilight shudders. "Okay, now I wish we hadn't unmasked her, because this Fluttershy gives me the creeps."

"You and me both, darling," Rarity says. She stands to leave. "I, umm...have things to do..."

Once Rarity's gone, Twilight sighs. "Fluttershy's right, though. We really do need to get better organized..."

Twilight heads back to her room to study. I get ready for bed, thinking about what Fluttershy said, and about the nightmare we'll be facing after Canterbook integration.

What if...what if it gets harder to identify targets beforehand? We're already barely getting by as it is...

It's past midnight before I finally manage to get to sleep.
> 3/2 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If you're not careful and don't plan ahead, you might not survive what's coming. Remember, I won't help you.

Tennis practice...

Coach reminds us that the girls' first matches are on Saturday. Fortunately, they're happening here in Canterlot.

After practice, Pinkie and I go to Sugar Cube Corner for a snack. "I hope I'm not totally wiped out from...y'know...stuff on Saturday," she says.

"Yeah..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Chrysalis, her tablet on the table as she eats a piece of cake and drinks a cup of coffee. None of her kids are around... "Hey, Pinkie, excuse me a second."

"Sure."

I walk over to Chrysalis' table. "Hello."

She looks up and smiles thinly. "Well, hello yourself." She glances past me. "Your girlfriend?"

"Best friend. My girlfriend's at fencing practice. We're just taking a break on the way home from tennis."

"You play tennis?" she asks. "I enjoy a match from time to time myself."

"We won regionals, but we didn't make nationals. The girls' season starts Saturday."

"I see." She sips her coffee. "Perhaps we'll come out to support the team. My daughters just started at CHS yesterday."

"Huh. I haven't seen them around campus," I say. "Then again, I've been pretty distracted..."

"Well, it's only been two days," Chrysalis says with a shrug. "My children are busy unpacking at the house. I've been working on it since Saturday, so I decided I needed to slip away...a moment to myself, so to speak." She looks around. "I heard this place was quite popular. I can see why."

"Yeah, the food's good, you can relax, the owners are nice..." I glance at her tablet. "Working on your resume?"

"I don't intend to sit around all day doing nothing," she says. She sighs. "At the same time...I don't think I can bring myself to re-enter the corporate world. Not after the disgrace I've suffered. It's not that I don't think I'd be hired anywhere. It's just...I don't see myself learning the ins and outs of a new company, under scrutiny from resentful former business rivals and associates..." She shakes her head. "It's too stressful." She glances at her tablet. "I've been thinking about other possibilities, but...I'm too overqualified for most, too old for some, and...well..."

"Still getting over what happened."

"There's that." She sighs again. "I know it'll take time to adjust, and...and there's no hurry, but...I'm worried that if I put this off too long, I'll...I'll put myself out to pasture. I'm just not ready for that yet."

"You'll figure something out." I glance back at Pinkie. "I'd better get going. Homework, guitar practice..."

Chrysalis smiles. "It was nice to speak to you again. Perhaps we'll bump into each other from time to time, now that I'm...well...less occupied."

I head back over to Pinkie, who's just finishing up her milkshake. "Isn't that that lady who got fired from some big company?" she asks.

"Yeah. I bump into her around town from time to time. Her kids just transferred to CHS." I grab my shake and finish it off. "Let's go."

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 / Evening

I'm not even back five minutes when Apple Bloom asks for help with her homework. We talk while she does her homework, with me guiding her through some of the more difficult problems. After that, I head upstairs to do my own homework before dinner.

After dinner, I'm in my room practicing my guitar when Applejack walks in.

"Hey, uhh..." She shifts. "Ah ain't botherin' you, am Ah?"

"Not at all."

She walks in and sits down. "Ah been on th' phone with Papa," she says. "He's keepin' his spirits up, but..." She sighs. "Ah don't honestly know how much longer he's got."

"It's that bad?"

"It feels that way sometimes." She shrugs. "Anyhoo, that ain't whut Ah come up here fer. Ah was thinkin' about this weekend, an' all th' good y'all done for mah family." She smiles. "We can't never repay y'all fer all yer help."

"You don't need to," I say.

She shrugs. "Ah jes'...Ah feel like Ah'm drownin' in all mah troubles sometimes, y'know? But Ah gotta be strong fer Papa an' Big Mac an' Apple Bloom." She frowns. "Ah saw th' way Big Mac come alive with y'all around. He ain't never been as chatty as he was this weekend. Ah never thought about it before, but...he ain't really got any guy pals. Ah dunno whut y'all were yakkin' about, but y'all sure opened him up."

I snort. "Funny, I'm not usually much for guy talk either. I guess we just clicked."

"Anyway, it was good t' see..." Applejack frowns. "Be nice if y'all could spend more time like that."

"So, did Twilight help you get some of your business stuff organized?"

Applejack laughs. "Hell, Ah still don't understand half this stuff, but...she did organize all th' records an' bills an' what-not, an' showed me how t' keep it all straight. Maybe Ah'll have a worm's chance in a henhouse of figgerin' this stuff out now." She sighs. "Papa wants me t' git away from all this fer Spring Break. Ah jes' don't see how Ah can."

"You're working yourself too hard. Everybody needs a break."

"Ah reckon," she says. "It's jes'...Ah dunno..."

"Well, you've got a few weeks to think it over, right?" I shrug. "Hell, I don't even know what everybody has planned for Spring Break yet."

"Well, knowin' this lot, Ah reckon everybody's gonna wanna go down t' th' beach," Applejack says.

Hmm...a week at the beach with the girls...

"Anyhoo, Ah'd best git on t' bed now," Applejack says. She stands to leave. "Jes'...thanks again."

Once she's gone, I finish up my guitar practice for the day, then get ready for bed.
> 3/3 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 3, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Watch out for a new app on your phone tonight.

Music Club...

Trixie walks up to me. "We're ready for tomorrow night," she says. "I had my doubts, but...my bandmates love those songs you gave us. We've put a lot of energy into getting them just right!"

"Thanks. I'm really hoping it'll make Sonata happy."

"I hope so too," Trixie says. She frowns. "You said...her sisters are dead, right? Those songs...are all that's left of them?"

"Yeah..."

Trixie nods. "Then we'll do our best to honor their memory." She smiles. "I'm sure your friend will appreciate this."

After Music Club, I head back to the dorm to do my homework.

Thursday, March 3, 2016 / Evening

Before dinner, Apple Bloom asks for help with her homework.

"It was so much fun havin' all y'all out at th' farm this weekend," she says happily. She sighs. "You don't know what it's been like...don't git me wrong, Ah love mah big brother an' Granny, but...th' farm jes' ain't been th' same since Papa got sick." She looks down at the table. "This weekend...it's th' first time we've all laughed an' had a good time in ages." She sniffles. "Why'd Mama hafta die? Why'd Papa hafta git sick? Why can't we all jes' be a family, like we always was?"

"I don't know," I say. Seeing Apple Bloom wrestling with something like this makes me uncomfortable. I don't think there's anything I can say...

Apple Bloom wipes her eyes. "Sorry," she says. "Ah jes'..."

"No need to apologize," I say. "You're going through a lot." I look down. "I've never been close to my family." I shake my head. "To be honest? I'm much closer to your family, to Twilight's family, to all my friends here than I've ever been to my own family." I smile as I remember Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Huh," Apple Bloom says thoughtfully.

"But I think...your dad wouldn't want you moping around like this," I say. "He'd want you and your sister and your brother and Granny Smith to...to keep on living your lives, do what makes you happy..." I shrug. "I know things suck right now, but you can't..."

"Yeah, Ah git it," Apple Bloom says. "Ah jes'...wish Papa was gonna git better. But...but he ain't...an' Ah gotta..."

She buries her face in her arms. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs. I sit with her until she cries herself out.

She sniffles and wipes her face. "Ah...better go git cleaned up fer supper," she says. "Thanks..."

She packs up her stuff and heads upstairs. I sigh and go up to my floor to wash up for dinner.

After dinner, the girls and I meet up in Cadance's living room.

"So...tomorrow, we need to be ready," Cadance says. "Has...has Fluttershy said anything that might help?"

"Kind of, in a really bitchy way," Twilight says. "She's right that we need to plan things out more carefully before we fight." She looks around. "I've been thinking...the most important thing we need to do, when we fight the next Shadow...we can't let Rarity and Pinkie get picked off. Flash, you, me, and Rainbow need to stay in front. Keeping these two safe is critical, because...because if something bad happens to the rest of us, we need them to be able to...y'know..."

"I'm all for keeping my distance and not dying," Rarity says.

Pinkie frowns. "Well...that'll make me a lot less useful, but...you've got a point. Besides, dying sucks so hard."

Our phones all go off at the same time. Blinking, we pull them out and check them.




A new app has been installed on your phone.




"What the...?" Rainbow asks.

"Black Butterfly?" Pinkie wonders. "What's...?"

There's a new app, right next to the Persona app, called Black Butterfly.

Rarity frowns. "It doesn't appear to do anything..."




New Message From: Fluttershy
You'll need this. Use it when you're in trouble.




We all look at each other.

"Uhh...I thought she wasn't helping us?" Rainbow asks.

I frown. "I think she is helping us...sort of..." I shrug. "Anyway, I'm betting this only works in Zodiac." I pocket my phone. "We should probably get to bed, guys. We need to be ready for anything tomorrow."

The others nod, and we all return to the dorm.

As we're on our way upstairs, Twilight asks, "How far do you think we can trust Fluttershy?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I...I just don't know." I shrug. "All we can do for now is keep an eye on her, keep fighting, and...and be more careful than we have been. And pray we don't all get murdered in our sleep."
> 3/4 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, March 4, 2016 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Pisces): You are going to die today.

I'm barely out of bed when Twilight rushes into my room. "Flash, Sonata got the horoscope."

I nod. "Alright. What did you tell her?"

"To ignore it," Twilight says. "That it's a sick joke and we all get it, and not to let it ruin her birthday."

I sigh. "Well, that'll come back to bite us in the ass after the fight."

Twilight shrugs. "Well what else could I say?" She shakes her head. "Anyway, I'm walking Spike before breakfast. Pinkie's making a special breakfast, so it'll be a while."

I nod. "I'll go get showered and dressed while you're doing that." I frown. "I'd better skip tennis practice today and stick to Sonata. Pinkie can't skip practice because they've got matches tomorrow. Coach would skin her and roast her on a spit."

Breakfast is an absolute sugar bomb. Pinkie whipped up piles of fluffy brown sugar chocolate chip pancakes topped with maple syrup and whipped cream for everybody.

"Pinkie," Rarity complains, "some of us have to watch our waistlines!"

"Rarity, every guy at school watches your waistline," I say as I cut into my pancakes with my fork. "I don't think you've got a problem there."

Twilight slaps me upside the head. Rainbow Dash laughs. Rarity blushes daintily. "Ahem," she says primly. "Thank you for that...I think..."

Sonata giggles, then picks up her tablet. Have I ever mentioned how much I love living in this dorm? She then writes, These are the bestest pancakes ever, Pinkie!

"I'm glad you like them," Pinkie says. "Happy birthday."

"Yeah, happy birthday, Sonata," Rainbow says. We all chime in, and Sonata smiles brightly.

"So," Pinkie says, "are you excited for your party tonight?"

Sonata nods happily.

"Good!" Pinkie claps her hands together. "Now, on my way back from tennis practice, I'll pick up the cake, but we'll save it for after we get back from Deep Dish. While you guys are waiting for me, Sonata should open her presents. Mine's in Twilight's room, she'll get it to you. After we've done all that, we'll head out, right?"

"Right," we all agree.

"Is Principal Celestia coming to the party tonight?" Twilight asks.

Cadance shakes her head. "She's not even coming back to the dorm tonight," she says. "She has plans."

"It's just as well," Pinkie says. "I think we've already pretty much pushed the limit of how many people we can squeeze into a party table at Deep Dish."

On the way to school, Twilight and Pinkie are visibly upset.

"Why Sonata?" Pinkie complains. "She just got here...she hasn't done anything to Sunset Shimmer..."

"None of us have," I point out. "She's just...screwed up."

"But...Sonata's been through so much," Pinkie says. "She doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve to have her birthday ruined like this..."

"And it won't be," Twilight says. "Pisces will show up, we'll defeat it, and Sonata can move on with her life. She'll be shaken up, but...we can protect her."

Friday, March 4, 2016 / After School

After classes, I meet up with most of the girls from the dorm at the school entrance. We head back as a group.

Once everybody except Pinkie has returned, we all gather in the lounge. There's a pile of presents on the table, and Sonata looks beside herself.

"Is your mother coming to the party tonight?" Cadance asks.

Sonata shakes her head. No, but it's okay because she picked me up for lunch and took me out. She got me a bunch of new games.

"That's good," Cadance says.

"Go on, start opening!" Rainbow urges.

Sonata digs into the pile. The first gift, from Twilight, is a practical one: a new waterproof tablet case with a clear touch-through front. She beams and takes a minute to slide her tablet into it.

Thank you, Twilight!

"You're welcome," Twilight says. "As rainy as it's been lately, I thought that might come in handy."

Next up is Rarity's present: a pink miniskirt with Sonata's heart-and-eighth-note symbol on it and a matching pair of open-toed platform shoes. "You have such lovely legs, darling, I thought those would suit you."

Sonata giggles. Thanks!

Next up is Rainbow Dash's present, which is a gift card for game downloads. Sonata's eyes light up. Oh, cool! Perfect timing, too, I was just about to get the bundle pass for Stretchmo!

"You sure do love puzzle games, don't you?"

Yup! Puzzle games and RPGs!

"Um, you should really open mine next," Fluttershy says quietly. She picks up a basket with a ribbon tied to the handle and sets it in front of Sonata. With a curious tilt of her head, Sonata opens the basket. With a yip, a little purple dog jumps out and climbs all over Sonata. Sonata lets out a strangled squeak as the dog jumps up on her and starts sniffing her, then licking her face.

"Whoa, it's a puppy!" Apple Bloom says.

Sonata giggles and picks up the dog, holding her at arm's length. Her fur is mostly lavender, with darker violet fur on her ears and the top of her head; there's a fuschia stripe right down the middle of her head.

Rainbow starts snickering. "Hey, does anything about that dog look kinda...familiar?"

We all look at Twilight, whose eyes are wide. She blinks twice.

Rainbow grins. "You should totally name it Twilight Barkle!"

Sonata snickers.

"Don't name her that!" Twilight cries, covering her face.

"Um, actually, her name is Zoe," Fluttershy says. "She needed a new home..." She looks sad. "Her owners asked me to find a home for her so they wouldn't have to put her in the shelter. I just thought...you might like a pet...since you don't have one..."

Sonata beams happily. She's so cute! Thank you! I promise I'll take good care of her. She puts down her tablet and cuddles Zoe, nuzzling her face. Zoe barks happily and starts cleaning Sonata's ears out with her tongue, reducing her to helpless giggles.

"Is she spayed?" Twilight asks.

"Yes," Fluttershy says. "She was a pageant dog. Her...her owners just filed for bankrupcy, so they're both working full-time now, and...and they just wanted her to have more love and attention than they can give."

"Aww, that's so sad," Sweetie Belle says.

"What breed is she?" Rarity asks.

"She's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel," Fluttershy says.

"How old is she?" Cadance asks.

"Two years," Fluttershy says. "Oh, and she's litterbox-trained. I've got one upstairs for you, and some litter...and a few cans of dog food..."

Sonata nods gratefully.

"Litterbox-trained?" Twilight asks, frowning. "A dog? Seriously?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy says. "Most people don't think to do it, but it's not unheard of."

"Here, let her run around a bit while you finish opening presents," Cadance suggests. Sonata nods and puts Zoe down; she runs around, sniffing at all of us, jumping up and yipping at us and getting her ears scratched all around the room. Sonata grabs another present from the table; this one's from Applejack. She opens it and pulls out a pair of pink cowboy boots. She giggles.

"Mine goes with Applejack's," Apple Bloom says, nudging a package across the table. Sonata picks it up, opens it, and pulls out a big pink felt Stetson. She laughs and puts it on, then changes into the boots, stands up, and mimes throwing a lasso.

"You go, cowgirl!" Rainbow yells, clapping.

"Oh, those are cute," Rarity says.

Sonata smiles, mouths "Thank you" to the two Apples, then grabs Pinkie's present and sits back down.

Twilight sits forward with concern. "Are you sure it's a good idea to open Pinkie's in front of everybody? I mean..." She blushes. "Her birthday presents...well...they can kinda be landmines..."

Sonata's eyes widen.

For-realzies landmines?

"No, not...I don't mean they explode or anything..."

Sonata shrugs, then unwraps and opens Pinkie's present.

It explodes with a silly *fweet!* noise, spraying confetti and paper streamers everywhere.

Zoe jumps up on Rarity's lap and starts barking at the present.

Sonata blinks at the box, pupils reduced to pinpricks. Her ponytail is standing on end.

We're all staring at the box. "Okay," Rainbow says after a while, "that was just spooky."

"Yeah..."

After a moment, Sonata shakes her head, reaches into the box, and pulls out...

"What the heck is that?" I ask.

Whatever it is, it's shaped like a taco and looks like a taco. Like a big, cloth taco. A taco plushie? Sonata turns it over in her hands, then squeezes it a few times. She gets an "a-ha!" expression on her face and picks up her tablet.

It's a beanbag pillow!

"Oh!" Twilight says. "That's...a thoughtful gift, actually! A bit...weird..."

Sonata picks it up and messes with it a minute, then picks her tablet up again.

She must've remembered me fighting my pillow a while back. I have neck problems.

"Oh! ...oh." Twilight winces. "Well...those types of pillows are supposed to be really good for that."

After a minute, Sonata peeks into the box again, then writes:

Oh, there's a vibrator in here too, but I'll worry about that later.

We all facefault.

Sonata grins at us.

Just kidding!

Applejack shoots her a dirty look. "Seriously?"

Suddenly we all hear more barking from the direction of the stairs. Zoe pricks up her ears and turns her head, raising one paw.

Spike charges into the lounge, his paws skidding out from under him. Zoe jumps down off Rarity's lap and approaches him. We all watch as the two dogs sniff each other, then bark at each other and start posturing.

"Oh my," Fluttershy says with a giggle.

Spike suddenly takes off, and Zoe gives chase. We can hear them running around in the dining room.

"Well, looks like Spike has a new friend," I say.

"Finish opening up your presents so you can get Zoe situated," Cadance urges.

Sonata nods and picks up the next package. It's my present.

"That one's probably the vibrator," Rainbow says. I pick up some discarded wrapping paper, wad it into a ball, and bean her with it.

Sonata rolls her eyes and opens the package. Inside are a few movies. Sonata looks through them and smiles. I love these! Thank you!

The next present she opens is from Sweetie Belle. It's an assortment of different scrunchies and bands for her ponytail. The last one is from Cadance; it's a makeup kit and several bottles of some kind of lotion. "That's a homeopathic lotion," Cadance says. "I had to special order it, and I'm honestly not sure how much good it'll do you, but..." She frowns. "Well, it's...it helps reduce scar tissue. This is the really strong stuff. It's...probably the best option you've got, since your doctor doesn't want to do anything surgical for the scars."

Sonata sniffles, gets up, and hugs Cadance.

Cadance hugs her back. "If it does help...let me know when you run out and I can order more."

Sonata nods and sits back down.

Thank you everybody! I mean it, I love everything. And thank you especially, Fluttershy. I promise I'll take really good care of Zoe.

"Want any help taking all this upstairs?" Rainbow asks.

Sonata nods gratefully. The two of them start rounding up presents and carrying them upstairs. Spike and Zoe run back into the lounge and start sniffing around at the rest of us.

"Umm...I'll get Zoe's litterbox and bed and stuff and take it to Sonata's room," Fluttershy says.

"We'll help you," Twilight says, nudging me. Fluttershy frowns, but nods, and we follow her upstairs.

Once we're in Fluttershy's room, Twilight says, "That...was actually a very nice thing you did."

Fluttershy blows at her hair in irritation. "I like Sonata," she says. "And she's...she needs a pet. Pets are good therapy." She starts rounding up supplies and putting them in a big green litterbox. "Besides, Zoe needed a new owner, and...it just made sense." She frowns at us. "Be sure you protect Sonata from Pisces."

"How about helping us?" I ask.

"How about no," Fluttershy replies. "I've already helped you as much as I can without risking all our lives."

Twilight frowns. "That app? What is it?"

"You already know what it is. You've seen me use it." She picks up the litterbox and heads for the door. "Well? One of you needs to grab Zoe's bed." She nods her head in the direction of a big, fluffy dog bed in the corner. "And Flash, you carry that heavy bag of litter."

Twilight and I exchange looks, shrug, and grab the stuff, following Fluttershy up to the third floor.

By the time Sonata has all her new stuff put away (except the cowboy boots and hat; she's decided to wear those to Deep Dish), Pinkie has returned with the cake. She insists on not letting any of us see it until after the party, so we clean up the mess from the presents, peel Spike and Zoe away from each other and put them in their respective rooms, and get ready to head out.

Friday, March 4, 2016 / Evening

When we arrive at Deep Dish, a huge party table has been reserved for us. We get seated and place our orders, then settle in.

"So, did you get some good presents?" Pinkie asks Sonata.

Sonata nods happily. Yeah! And thanks for the pillow, I love it!

"I'm glad. I thought you might."

"Fluttershy got her a puppy!" Apple Bloom exclaims.

"She's adorable!" Sweetie Belle adds.

"Wow, really?" Pinkie asks, eyes wide. "Way to go, Fluttershy!"

"Wait till you see her," Rainbow says with a grin.

Rarity pulls out her phone, slides the screen, and hands it to Pinkie. Pinkie blinks at it, snorts, then bursts into giggles. "Heehee...hahahah...it's Twilight Barkle!"

Twilight facepalms. "That's...not going away anytime soon, is it?"

"Nope!" Rainbow says cheerfully.

"So, is that band playin' again tonight?" Apple Bloom asks.

"They sure are," I say.

Our appetizers have just arrived, along with our drinks, when Trixie and her bandmates take the stage. "Good evening, everybody! Welcome to Deep Dish's Family Pizza Parlor! We're Trixie and the Illusions, here to entertain you while you enjoy the BEST pizza in Canterlot!"

We join the other diners in applauding.

"Now, tonight, the rather large group at this table over here—" Trixie points at our table. "—is celebrating the birthday of a girl who only recently moved to Canterlot! Stand up, birthday girl!"

Sonata blushes furiously, but stands up, smiling and waving as everybody claps for her.

"Our birthday girl suffered a tragedy recently," Trixie says. "Before she moved here from Seaddle, she lost her two sisters in a car accident. She also lost her voice, which is a shame, because she and her sisters were singers."

General noises of sympathy fill the place.

"Well, tonight, in honor of Sonata Dusk's birthday, and in memory of her sisters, we're doing a special set! Regulars, you won't be hearing any of our usual material tonight. No, we're going to be paying tribute to three beautiful, talented girls from Seaddle." She turns to her bandmates. "Hit it!"

Sonata blinks. What? she scribbles hurriedly.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

Sonata's eyes widen in shock.

Blindsided by the beat
Clappin' your hands, stompin' your feet
You didn't know that you fell

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Now you've fallen under our spell!

Whoa-oh-oh-OH-oh-oh!

Sonata is turning left and right, staring at each of us, eyes wide and wild. Her mouth is working frantically, forming words she can't voice.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Pinkie stares at me. "THIS is your surprise?" she asks, eyes wide. "Duuuuude. How'd you even...? Even I couldn't pull off something like this!"

I shrug. "It helps to be good friends with Trixie." I smile. "And that everybody at Music Club loved Sonata and her sisters' songs."

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Sonata's eyes are full of tears, but she's smiling.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

"Wow, for just a week's notice, they're really nailing it," I say.

Listen to the sound of my voice

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Soon you'll find you don't have a choice

Whoa-oh-oh-OH-oh-oh!

Captured in the web of my song

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Soon you'll all be singing along!

"They only had a week to learn this?" Twilight asks.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

"Yeah, it was kind of a sudden inspiration thing."

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

Everybody applauds wildly. Sonata jumps up, runs up onto the stage, and hugs Trixie. Then she runs back over to our table and hugs me. She's crying and sniffling. She picks up her tablet.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Up on the stage, Trixie smiles. "Trixie takes it you approve?"

Sonata turns to her and nods rapidly, a happy, tearful smile on her face.

"Well then, Trixie will have to sing another!"

We sit and listen silently as Trixie sings another song. By the time the band is on their third song, our pizza arrives. There aren't any mushrooms on anything this time. We don't make much conversation as we eat, but we're all watching Sonata. There's a wistful expression on her face; she occasionally smiles or laughs to herself as the band plays song after song.

After finishing off her third slice, Sonata wipes her fingers, then picks up her tablet and walks up onto the stage. Trixie and her band are just finishing another song.

Trixie smiles at her. "Are you enjoying the performance?"

Sonata nods, then writes on her tablet. She hands it to Trixie, who reads it, smiles, nods to Sonata, then turns to the rest of us.

"It says...it says she hopes...we'll consider adding her sister's songs to our repertoire permanently, because..." Trixie's eyes are tearing up, and she swallows a lump in her throat. "Because we'll be helping to keep their memory alive."

Everybody applauds and 'awws'.

Trixie nods to Sonata, handing back the tablet. "We'll be happy to," she says. Her bandmates nod in agreement.

Sonata hugs her again, then sits back down. The band starts playing again. We all go back to eating; although we want to talk to Sonata, it's hard to talk to her and let her eat at the same time, so there's only light chatter around the table as we listen to the band and eat. Every so often, Fluttershy checks her phone under the table. I'm not the only one who's caught her; Rainbow is watching her intently, brow furrowed.

By the time we've finished off all our pizza and waved off the server when she asked if we want dessert, Trixie and the Illusions are ready to take a break. Sonata sits back, patting her stomach, and lets out a burp.

I'm not even sure I'll have any room for cake!

"There's always room for cake!" Pinkie declares. We all laugh.

Cadance checks the time on her phone. "Well, we'd better get back to the dorm," she says. She leaves a tip for the server, and we all pick ourselves up and head out. We mill around in the parking lot while Cadance pays the bill.

Fluttershy drifts close to me. "Forty seconds," she whispers.

As Cadance walks outside, Sonata's phone chimes at her. She pulls it out and looks at it. She starts tapping the screen...

Friday, March 4, 2016 / Zodiac

Rainbow sighs. "And here we go," she says.

I turn to face Fluttershy. "You knew," I say. "You knew exactly when this was going to happen."

"Of course I did," she says. "It's my job to tell Sunset Shimmer when the target is isolated so she can start the hunt."

Weird cripple

Always with that stupid tablet

Hey, we could drag her out behind the school, do anything we want to her, she can't scream, heheh

"Oh God," Twilight moans.

Sonata's head is whipping around, staring at all the floating messages. Her eyes are wide with terror.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

We all stare up at the oddly-colored text which is floating over our heads.

What happened? Why'd everything go all weird? What's with all that stuff flying around? Is...is that about me?

We all stare at Sonata. She blinks, looking up curiously at that last message.

Did I do that?

"Huh," Fluttershy says. "That's unexpected." She pulls out her phone and taps the screen for a minute. "Sonata, try to talk."

"That's not funny, Fluttershy!" Rainbow snaps.

"I'm not being funny, Rainbow." Fluttershy looks at Sonata. "Do it."

Sonata blinks, but starts mouthing words.

"You know I can't ta...lk...huh?" Sonata's eyes widen; her hands fly to her throat. "Did I just...? But how?"

Fluttershy nods. "Good, that'll make this easier." She glances at Twilight. "Fill her in fast, you don't have much time."

"Cadance, you're up," I say.

Cadance nods. "PERSONA!"

Aphrodite appears. Sonata stares. "The heck?"

"Sonata," Twilight says, "listen carefully. This is a parallel world called Zodiac. It's connected to Canterbook. We don't exactly know how. There are these monsters called Shadows that...that kill people. There's some really big, really nasty ones that come after people on their birthday."

Sonata pales. "You're...you're kidding, right?"

Twilight sighs. "I wish." She places her hands on Sonata's shoulders. "Don't worry. We're going to protect you. We won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

Sonata swallows and nods. "O...okay..."

Pinkie turns to Fluttershy. "You...you'll help us, right? Please?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "You know I can't," she says. She taps her phone; her Eris costume forms on her body, and her staff appears in her hands. "I'm sorry. I have to—"

//It's coming! Everybody get ready!//

"Rarity, Pinkie, cover Sonata and Cadance! Twilight, Rainbow, with me!" I turn to Fluttershy. "If you're not gonna fight, will you at least cover the rear?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "Sorry." Her Eris mask covers her face and she stands back and away from the group.

"Bitch," Rainbow mutters.

Twilight gives Fluttershy a reproachful stare, then shakes her head and moves into position.

I glance at Fluttershy, frown, then pull out my phone. "The new app," I say quietly. "Now."

The others pull out their phones. Taking a deep breath, I tap Black Butterfly.

I feel the strangest sensation, like my skin crawling times a thousand. Judging by the sounds the girls are making, they feel it too.

I look down at myself to find my clothes have been replaced with a black suit and skinny tie, like something out of Reservoir Fiction. All around me, the girls' clothes have changed into near-identical copies of Fluttershy's Eris outfit, minus the mask.

An axe appears in my hands. Its double blade is shaped like an angular butterfly; the metal is black with crimson edges.

A long, slender black chain whip, tipped with a tiny, spiked green ornament that looks a little like Pinkie's pet alligator Gummy, appears in Pinkie's hand.

A rapier with a butterfly-shaped hilt appears in Twilight's hand.

Rainbow Dash gets a pair of large knives that could be called baby machetes, with butterflies engraved on the blades.

A silver pistol with a butterfly engraved on the barrel appears in Rarity's hand.

"Wow, are you all magical girls or something?"

"Okay, this is different," Rainbow says.

//Here it comes!//

Pisces appears in a rush, beginning as a formless black blur before resolving into its true shape: two massive barracudas with wickedly sharp, jagged dorsal fins, their tails joined by a thick, barbed chain. The sigil of Pisces is engraved on each barracuda's side. They swim circles around one another in the air, menacingly snapping their jaws. Thin black mist billows out of their gills.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

"That's Pisces," Twilight says. "It's here to kill you."

"But that's not gonna happen!" Rainbow declares. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears and does a suicide dive into Pisces, slamming into it and rebounding. One of the barracudas opens its mouth and shoots a tiny pirahna-like missile at Rainbow which knocks her off her feet. Pinkie catches her and helps her regain her balance.

//Careful, it can counter your attacks!//

"It's a fish, right?" Pinkie says. "It should be weak to electricity!"

"I don't think it's safe to assume that," Twilight says. "But it's worth a try! PERSONA!"

Athena appears, unleashing a massive lightning bolt at Pisces. It surges across a red hexagonal barrier.

//No effect!//

"My turn," Rarity says. "BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona fires off a tremendous ice blast...which impacts the same barrier.

"Okay that's just not fair!" Pinkie cries.

"Fluttershy, what kills this thing?" Twilight yells.

"How the fuck should I know? I'm not stupid enough to fight these fucking things!" Fluttershy retorts.

"Wow, since when does Fluttershy swear like Rainbow?"

Pisces suddenly glows red, waves of pressure rolling off its bodies. Then, like a rocket, it charges us, slamming into me, Twilight, and Rainbow. The three of us are knocked to the ground. Pisces returns to its original position, then spits a lightning bolt at Pinkie Pie. She cries out, but stays on her feet.

I stand back up. "Everybody okay?"

"Not really," Rainbow says.

Twilight picks herself up. "That...hurt," she says.

I slide the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

Kuma appears and heals us, then vanishes.

"Okay, we need a plan," Twilight says.

//Attacking isn't working, so concentrate on defense while I try to figure out how to fight it!//

"I think I can at least make us harder to hit!" Rainbow calls. "NIKE!"

Nike appears; the five of us all start to blur.

"Yeah, that's it! Use your status buffs!"

We all turn and stare at Sonata.

"What?" she asks. "This is like a boss battle in an RPG, right?"

Twilight groans.

"Well, she's not wrong!" Pinkie says. "EUPHORIA!"

Pinkie's Persona appears and sprinkles some vibrant rainbow droplets over us. I can feel strength and vigor pumping through me.

Rarity frowns thoughtfully. "PERSONA!"

Webs of yarn shoot out from Bastet, wrapping around Pisces. Its motion becomes less fluid.

"Okay, that's a good start," I say. "But we still need to find a weak spot."

"Well, we've tried ice, lightning, and wind," Twilight says.

"So let's fry this fish!" I say, swiping the Magician Arcana onto my phone. "MERLIN!"

Merlin appears and hurls a massive firebolt at Pisces. The barrier shatters as though it never existed and the spell hits Pisces, which screams and shudders as it flails around madly in the air.

"Nice shot!" Rainbow cheers.

"Do it again!" Pinkie yells.

"WAIT, DON'T—"

"PERSONA!"

Once again, Merlin hurls searing flames at Pisces...

A green hexagonal barrier scatters the flames.

Pisces dives into the ground. A second later, it erupts right under me, sending me flying.

"FLASH!" Twilight yells. "ATHENA!"

Athena hovers over me, shedding healing light. Rainbow helps me to my feet. I lean against my axe, grimacing. "What the hell just happened?"

"Don't ANY of you play RPGs?" Sonata asks. "It's a barrier boss! You can only hit it with one kind of magic at any time, and then it'll change its barrier!"

//I think she's right,// Cadance says. //And it gets worse. Flash's attack didn't...didn't do much damage. We're in for a REALLY long fight...//

"Great," Rainbow mutters.

"Rainbow Dash, try a wind attack," Twilight says.

"Okay," Rainbow agrees hesitantly. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, unleashing cutting winds. The wind blasts tear through Pisces' barrier.

"Now try rushing it!" Twilight says.

"You got it!" Rainbow charges forward, blurring as she leaps at Pisces and lays into it with her knives. It snaps at her; she backflips back to us, landing in front of Pinkie. Pisces roars, then dives into the ground.

"EVERYBODY JUMP, NOW!" Twilight yells.

We all jump to the side as Pisces bursts out of the ground where we were standing. It returns to its original position, writhing and snapping its jaws furiously.

"Rarity, you're up!" Rainbow says.

"I hope this works," Rarity mutters. "PERSONA!"

Once again, Bastet unleashes an icy blast at Pisces. The ice impacts a yellow barrier and dissipates.

Twilight nods as if she understands something. "I've got it now," she says. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears, dropping a powerful lightning bolt on Pisces. It spasms and screams as its barrier disintegrates. "AGAIN!"

"Wait, what—"

Another lightning bolt lances toward Pisces...and scatters against a blue barrier. Pisces dives into the ground and erupts beneath Twilight; I grab her and pull her out of the way.

"Twi, why did you do that?!" Rainbow cries. "You KNEW that was gonna happen!"

"Yes, I did!" Twilight says. "Don't you see? I was testing its barrier!" She looks at me. "It's weak to Ice now!"

I nod. "PERSONA!"

Merlin appears again, and a swirling column of mist surrounds Pisces, coalescing into a thick pillar of ice with a sharp crack. The column explodes, and Pisces lies on the ground, flapping and flailing.

//It's open!//

"Yeah! Let's rush in and—"

"No, we need to do some serious damage while we can," I say. I grab Twilight's hand. "Together!"

She nods to me.

We summon our Personas...

I feel a sudden connection, and in an instant, Twilight and I both know what to do.

"WISDOM OF THE AGES!"

A swirling vortex forms in the air above Pisces, shedding a soft white light. A massive, gleaming silver sword falls out of the vortex, spearing one of the barracudas. The vortex pulses, and a shaft of pure, blinding holy light slams down into Pisces.

"YEAH!" Pinkie cheers.

Twilight and I let go of each other as the light fades and our Personas disappear.

Pisces rises from the ground.

//It's...still got a lot of fight left in it...//

The blurring effect fades from around us.

That surge of extra strength ebbs away.

Pisces begins spinning, its chain forming a nexus. It flies at us like a whirling blender blade, slamming into me and Twilight. We can't dodge...it's too fast...

The next thing I know, I'm waking up with my head in Pinkie's lap. Nearby, Rarity is reviving Twilight. Rainbow is guarding us. Pisces is hovering in place malevolently, its eyes burning red.

I stand up, shaking my head. "Okay, that sucked," I say. "What's the barrier now?"

"We don't know," Pinkie says.

I sigh. "Wonderful. PERSONA!"

Merlin appears and unleashes a thunderbolt at Pisces as Twilight stands up.

The barrier that dissipates it is solid white, save for green, red, yellow, and blue shimmers at the edges.

Twilight gasps. "Oh...that's not good," she moans.

"What's it weak to now?" Rainbow asks.

"It's a perfect barrier," Sonata says. "Nothing's getting through that."

We all look at each other. Twilight nods. "I think she's right."

"So what the fuck do we do?" Rainbow asks. She turns to Sonata. "You're suddenly the big expert on this shit, how do we kill it?"

Sonata looks like she's near tears. "Don't yell at me!" she cries.

Rainbow looks away. "Sorry," she mutters.

"Rainbow," I say, "We could use that...that blurry thing again."

Rainbow nods. "Right. NIKE!" Once again, we're all blurry.

Twilight swallows. "If...if we just attack it...however we can..."

"I get the impression that thing can outlast us if we resort to our weapons," Rarity says.

"In...in every RPG I've ever played," Sonata says, "This kind of boss usually drops the perfect barrier for...for a really big attack." We look at her, she swallows nervously. "Like...the game over if you didn't grind enough kind."

We all look at each other helplessly. "So...what do we do?" Pinkie asks.


You really ARE the worst, Sonata.


"What...what was that?" Rainbow asks, looking around.

A green fog rolls in around us, accompanied by a ghostly, haunting sound of...

...of singing. Wordless harmony, hauntingly beautiful. And familiar...


You always were a useless little airhead.


Sonata gasps. "A-Adagio? Aria!?"


You never could do anything on your own. Look at you.



You lost us, so now you need these losers to carry your braindead ass?



You know you could never beat the hard bosses without my help.


"I so can!" Sonata looks wildly around. "I'm not a crybaby! I'm not useless! I...I..."


Please, you couldn't even stop us from dying. You KNEW I was too drunk to drive that night. You could've taken the keys, but you didn't. Because you're WEAK.



Useless. Worthless. The worst.


"S-stop it!" Sonata cries. "I didn't...! I wish I'd died that night too! You think I like living like this?"


So why didn't you?



Yeah, why didn't you?


"Be-because..." Sonata's trembling. Her eyes are full of tears. "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID WORST SISTERS EVER! AND...AND I COULDN'T LEAVE MOMMY ALL ALONE AND SAD!"


Really.



Wow. What a sap.



So you decided you need to live, even though it hurts.


"Yes!"

The red pendant Sonata always wears begins to glow.


Typical Sonata. I guess it can't be helped...



We'll just have to carry you, like always...


Their tone is different. The words are still cruel, but they sound...wistful. Fond.

Sonata's phone buzzes. She pulls it out...

The Persona app has appeared!

"Wh-what...?"

Pinkie gasps. "Wow, Sonata's joining the party?"

Sonata looks at her phone, then at us. "What...what do I...?"

"Just...just do what we've been doing all this time," Twilight says.

Sonata swallows, then nods and touches the app. "PERSONA!"





The screen explodes in blue shards, and large effigies of Sonata and her sisters appear, dressed in colorful clothing and bound together by iron chains. A long, glowing thread winds and twists around and between them, leading up to a heart-shaped mass hovering above them, sporting a pair of pink wings, a glowing golden halo, and exotic, glowing eyes.

The heart portion of Sonata's Persona throbs as it does several things at once. Pisces slumps to the ground, glowing red while simultaneously surrounded by a throbbing dark purple mist.

Pisces drops its barrier...

...and absolutely nothing happens.

//I don't know how, but...she disabled it! This is your chance! Throw everything you've got at it!//

We all summon our Personas and pump the strongest magic we've got into Pisces. It thrashes and flails, spitting out dozens of little pirahna-torpedos. We take our fair share of hits, but with Twilight's healing magic, we're able to sustain our assault. Pisces tries to reform its barrier several times, but whatever Sonata's Persona is doing to it, it's shot that barrier straight to hell.

Even without the barrier, even with Pisces completely vulnerable to our attacks, it still takes nearly fifteen minutes to kill it. Twilight and I unleash a combined lightning assault, which finishes it off; Pisces screams and explodes, spraying black mist everywhere.

Our weapons dissolve into nothingness, our normal clothes reappear, and Zodiac melts away around us, replaced with the parking lot of Deep Dish. Behind us, we can hear Trixie and the Illusions playing as customers leave.

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle blink at us. "Hey, did you all just..."

"How in th' hell'd y'all all go from bein' over there t' bein' over there?" Applejack demands.

"An' why do y'all all look so tired?" Apple Bloom wonders.

"You're tired," Twilight says. "All of us are tired."

Sonata is looking around wildly. She looks like she's trying to talk. After a minute, she frowns, gives up, and pulls out her tablet.

What WAS all that?

"Later," Pinkie hisses.

Cadance clears her throat. "Let's...let's all go home. We've still got a birthday cake to eat."

On the ride home, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle are giving us all funny looks. Sonata keeps texting us about what just happened. Twilight seems to be doing most of the explaining. I watch Sonata all the way home; her expression changes from thoughtful, to disturbed, to frightened. She occasionally glances at Fluttershy in disbelief.

When we get back to the dorm, Pinkie and Cadance get the cake out of the kitchen while the rest of us head to the dining room. Cadance sets out plates while Pinkie puts the candles on the cake. She smiles at Sonata as she lights them. "Make a wish," she says.

Sonata closes her eyes, leans forward, and blows out the candles. Pinkie takes them off and cuts the cake, plating a piece for each of us. Fluttershy gets the smallest piece; she gives Pinkie a glare.

The cake is delicious. It's a French vanilla cake with raspberry filling and blue icing that looks like Sonata's hair. The icing is also raspberry-flavored.

"Do you like it?" Pinkie asks.

Sonata nods happily as she takes a big bite. She gives Pinkie a huge smile and a thumbs-up.

By the time we've all had our fill, there's barely a quarter of the cake left. Pinkie puts it in the fridge, and we all head up to our rooms.

On the way upstairs, Sonata grabs Pinkie by the arm and tugs insistently.

"Do...do you want me to spend the night in your room?" Pinkie asks.

Sonata nods rapidly. Her eyes are wet...

"Okay," Pinkie says. "Besides, I didn't meet your new doggie yet!"

Sonata smiles. The two girls head for Sonata's room.

Twilight and I are the last two upstairs. "Tomorrow's gonna be fun," Twilight mutters.

"Yeah." I sigh. "Well...at least we won, and we've got a new teammate."

Twilight sighs. "Yeah, but...I didn't want Sonata to get dragged into all this. And what...what WAS all that when her Persona awakened?"

I shrug. "We'll find out tomorrow, I guess."
> 3/5 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, March 5, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Celebrate every battle you win, because in the end, you'll never win the war.

The first thing I do when I wake up is check my horoscope. I frown at it.

There's a knock on my door. Without waiting for me to answer, Fluttershy barges in. "I can't hack the horoscope app anymore," she says.

I hold up my phone and show it to Fluttershy. "Was this you?"

She shakes her head. "She caught me. She's patched the backdoor I was using." She throws up her hands. "Sorry."

I sigh. "Okay, fine. What's she likely to do now?"

"I don't know," Fluttershy says. "Kill us all maybe? It's hard to say."

"I don't think she's going to kill us," I say. "I think she likes watching us suffer too much."

"You could be right," Fluttershy says, nodding thoughtfully. "She's...she's sadistic." She sighs. "Anyway, I just wanted you to know I'm done helping you now. I've done everything I can do."

"No, you're not done yet," I say. "We're having a meeting later about last night. You're coming."

"Oh yeah? And what if I say no?"

I stare at her. "I'll sic Pinkie on you."

Fluttershy laughs. "Oh my god, are you serious? You think that scares me?"

A hand taps Fluttershy on the shoulder. She turns around...

Pinkie's standing behind her, dressed like Batgirl.

Fluttershy doubles over, clutching her stomach and laughing. "God, you losers are sad..."

Sonata walks in. She's dressed in jeans and a hoodie, and she's looking down at Fluttershy with sad, hurt eyes.

I don't understand. I thought you were nice...

Fluttershy stops laughing.

I thought you were my friend...

Fluttershy sighs. "...when are we doing this stupid meeting thing?"

"As soon as everybody's up and dressed," Pinkie says. "We've gotta do it early and fast because I've got tennis today."

Fluttershy nods. "Okay. I'll...I'll be there. We're meeting in Cadance's apartment, right?"

"Yeah."

Fluttershy leaves. I look at Sonata. "How much did they tell you already?"

Sonata shrugs.

Twilight explained some. Pinkie tried to explain a lot more.

"So you're more confused now than you were last night?"

Yeah.

"Hey!"

I shake my head. "Go wait for us in the lounge. We'll be headed over to Cadance's apartment as soon as we're all ready." I glance at Pinkie. "Pinkie, take that off."

Pinkie gives me a sultry, half-lidded smile and starts to strip...

"IN YOUR OWN ROOM!"

"Aww..."

Sonata giggles and leaves.

Pinkie pouts. "You don't like my Batgirl costume?"

I facepalm. "Not really in the mood for this right now, Pinkie. Besides, you need to get ready for tennis."

Pinkie sighs. "Yeah...okay." She trudges out.

I could've been less of a jerk to her just now...I'll make it up to her later.

Saturday, March 5, 2016 / Morning

Cadance picked up breakfast tacos for everybody. We're all gathered in her living room, including Sonata and Fluttershy.

"Where's Shining Armor?" Twilight asks.

"For once, I didn't have to get rid of him," Cadance says. "He's over at the school with the track team. They're doing their Saturday practice early today because of the tennis and basketball at the school." She smiles at Pinkie. "Good luck today, by the way."

"Thanks."

I look around. "Okay, so...I guess we start with filling Sonata in? And getting ourselves caught up at the same time."

It takes almost an hour to explain everything to Sonata, beginning back in February with Cadance's first encounter with Zodiac, and my own attack in August. During the explanation, Rainbow is frequently hostile to Fluttershy, who seems determined to egg her on.

Once we reach what happened yesterday, Twilight says, "And so...that's all we really know. Unless Fluttershy would like to explain something else? Like, for example, how long she's known about Zodiac?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "Not doing that."

I glare at Fluttershy. "You said it yourself...Sunset Shimmer knows you're up to something."

Fluttershy looks away. "I don't...want to talk about certain things, alright? Especially not..." She shakes her head. "The less you really know about me, the better."

Nobody quite knows what to say to that.

Hey Fluttershy? How did you make it so I could talk?

Fluttershy shrugs. "That's...pretty hard to explain. And you'd probably freak out if I tried. Just...when you're in Zodiac, you should be able to talk. Leave it at that."

Twilight coughs. "So, Sonata...I'd say it's up to you whether or not you want to join us, but...now that you have a Persona, whenever Zodiac activates, you'll get pulled in. I'm sorry."

Are you kidding? I can't wait to fight monsters! I need to show Adagio and Aria that I don't need them to carry me!

"Okay. Then you'll need that app from Fluttershy."

"Yes, about that app," Rarity says, looking at Fluttershy. "It's ever so handy to have such a thing, but...don't take this the wrong way...I'm not sure how comfortable I am wearing, well...the same outfit as a certain sociopath. No offense."

"Rarity!" Twilight snaps.

Fluttershy blows on her hair. "Yeah, I reskinned it for Flash because I don't think any of us wanted to see him in a skirt, but..." She shrugs. "I can modify it so you can get whatever outfits you want out of it. I wouldn't mess with the weapon parameters if I were you, though. They're tricky. The clothes are just a basic skin, like a game mod. I'll tweak it, add some documentation..." She chews on the inside of her cheek. "Give me three days or so."

So Zodiac is a virtual world?

"No, it's..." Fluttershy frowns. "It's really hard to explain what it is. But once you figure out how to hack it, pretty much the same basic principles."

"Why's it connected to Canterbook?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy shrugs. "I honestly don't know. It's just there." She hesitates, then adds, "Sunset Shimmer didn't create it. Neither of us know where it came from." She stands up. "I'll send everybody the upgrade when I'm done." She leaves.

Pinkie stands up. "I gotta go," she says. "I have to be at the practice courts in thirty minutes."

"Good luck," I say.

"Are you coming to watch?" Pinkie asks.

"Of course!"

Pinkie leaves. The rest of us look around at each other.

"So...that Fluttershy," Rainbow says. "Awkward much?"

Twilight sighs. "I just...don't even know what to think anymore."

"Well, for now, we need to rest, relax a bit, then after we get that upgrade from Fluttershy, we can worry about training for the next Shadow."

"About that..." Twilight says. "Fluttershy is an Aries."

We look at each other.

Rainbow shrugs. "So? If she's attacked, she can take care of herself."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity snaps.

I shake my head. "We can't assume anything at this point. We need to make a list of possible targets and keep our eyes and ears open."

"Would Sunset Shimmer even attack Fluttershy?" Cadance wonders.

"It's possible. Especially if she keeps helping us and...being less of a bitch."

I still can't get over Fluttershy having a nasty side like that. Wow.

"Yeah, we're all learning lots of things we wish we didn't know about people," I say.

Cadance checks her watch. "Well...I've got stuff to do. You kids should...whatever. I'll see you all at the tennis matches later."

We all head off to do our own stuff until time for the tennis matches.

Saturday, March 5, 2016 / Daytime

We still have some time to kill before leaving for the matches. I decide to check up on Sonata. I find her in her room, playing with Zoe.

"How are you holding up?" I ask.

She smiles wryly, shrugs, and makes a "so-so" motion with her hand.

I sit down on the floor. Zoe runs over to me and climbs up into my lap; I scratch her ears.

What happened last night is an awful lot to process. I'm still not even sure it's all real.

"Yeah, I imagine so."

Sonata looks at Zoe.

Fluttershy confuses me. She's nice one minute, then...

"We're ALL confused by Fluttershy," I say. "I know she's a good person, because she wouldn't do things like give you Twilight Barkle here if she wasn't, but..." I shake my head. "I don't know what's wrong with her, but..." I sigh. "She's hard to trust now that we know what we know, and we still don't know everything." I look up at Sonata. "Changing the subject...what was all that last night, when your Persona awakened?"

Sonata frowns.

I...I don't really know. She shrugs. I think...I think I've been carrying around...

She lapses into a long, thoughtful silence, then writes at length.

All my life, my sisters...they bullied me, teased me, and belittled me, but...we also loved each other. A really strange, bitchy kind of love, but we always stuck together. They always had my back, even though they always called me an idiot and an airhead...

She lets out a weak laugh, then writes some more.

I always thought I couldn't stand on my own two feet. But now...now I'm alone. I don't have Adagio and Aria to watch out for me anymore. I...I have to be my own person. I have to figure things out for myself.

She looks down at her feet. Zoe tilts her head and looks up at her.

After a long moment, Sonata fingers the red pendant around her neck.

I miss them, but...I guess...some part of them is still inside me. And...and maybe that's what that was last night. I don't know.

I stand up, picking Zoe up, and put her on the bed next to Sonata. I lay my hands on Sonata's shoulders. "You're never alone. You'll always have friends looking out for you."

Sonata smiles and sniffles.

Thanks.

Her eyes widen.

Crap! We gotta get going if we want good seats!

She's right...

I head back to my room to finish getting ready, then head over to the school with the girls in a group.

The girls make a stunning showing, winning their first match of the season by one point shy of a shutout. After the matches, we all go to Sugar Cube Corner to celebrate, then head back to the dorm.

Saturday, March 5, 2016 / Evening

I spend the evening cuddling with Twilight and Pinkie in my room. We're all too tired to really do anything.

"We still need to do some more talking tomorrow," Twilight says. "About Fluttershy and about Sunset Shimmer and about Zodiac and..."

"Twilight?" Pinkie interrupts. "The only thing I wanna talk about tomorrow is what we're all gonna do for Spring Break." She looks sad. "Just...let us live like normal teenagers for a little while, without worrying about all this crazy stuff, okay?"

Twilight smiles. "You're right."

Spring Break is at the end of the month...

Can we really relax? Can we enjoy Spring Break, or...

The three of us watch TV and cuddle in silence for the rest of the night, lost in our own thoughts, until we fall asleep.
> 3/6 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 6, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Happiness is fleeting. Life is misery and pain. The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be.

Shortly after sunrise, a sudden, unexpected storm system moved into Canterlot and stalled out over the area, dumping a steady, soaking rain. It won't let up until evening, so we're all stuck inside today; we're all either doing chores or watching TV in the lounge. There's a Daring Do movie marathon on cable.

During a commercial, Pinkie says, "So! Spring Break is in three weeks. Anybody have any plans yet?"

"Hadn't really thought about it," Rainbow says.

Applejack shrugs. "Ah reckon Ah'd better take ever'body's advice an' get away a spell. Been workin' mahself too hard." She stretches. "Figgered Ah'd wait'n see whut y'all might get up to."

"Well I for one would simply love to get away from Canterlot for a while," Rarity says. "A little time away would do my complexion wonders."

Sonata suddenly doubles over, snickering.

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Is something amusing?"

Sonata writes on her tablet.

If you spent a week on the beach somewhere, you'd be a toasted marshmallow!

Rarity blinks.

Rainbow starts snickering. Pinkie giggles.

Twilight frowns. "Hey! That's not..." She blinks, and starts fighting a giggle herself. "No, it's...heheh...come on, you guys, that's not nice at all...!" She buries her face in her hands, trying to fight back the giggles.

"HEY!" Sweetie Belle cries, pouting. "We're NOT marshmallows!"

"You kind of are," Rainbow says with a cheeky grin.

"Well!" Rarity huffs, tossing her hair and sniffing.

"Oh, come on, Rarity," Applejack says, grinning. "You gotta admit it's...kinda funny...toasted marshmallow...heh..."

Rarity's carefully composed expression of disdain holds for all of thirty seconds, before she too lets out a dainty, ladylike titter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Alright, yes," she says, rolling her eyes. "It...is mildly amusing..." She coughs delicately. "Ahem. Be that as it may...Sonata's suggestion is quite appropriate. It is, after all Spring Break we're talking about. We should definitely consider a trip to the beach."

The girls look around at each other.

Rainbow shrugs. "I haven't been to the beach in a long time," she says. "Could be fun."

"I've never been to the beach," Twilight says.

I haven't been since summer!

"The beach sounds super fun!" Pinkie cheers. "And we can all buy new bathing suits!" She grins. "I know I look good in a bikini..."

The girls all look at me. I shrug. "Yeah, the beach sounds nice."

Rainbow smirks. "'Nice', he says."

"So what beach do we wanna go to?" Pinkie asks. "Canterlittle?"

"Heavens no," Rarity says. "Canterlittle is so last season. Besides, we want to get away. It hardly counts if we're a two hour train ride from home."

"Okay, so what do you have in mind?" Twilight asks.

"How about Haytona?" Rarity suggests.

The others look at each other.

"Umm, Rarity?" Pinkie says. "That's...that'd be really expensive."

"And can we really, well..." Twilight hedges, glancing at Applejack and the younger girls. "Can we really, you know...be that far from home?"

"Whyever not, darling?"

"You know...stuff might come up..."

Rarity frowns. "Twilight, that's precisely why I want to go to Haytona. To get away from it all."

We all look at each other. Rainbow frowns. "Well yeah, but...that's still an awfully expensive trip..."

"Yeah, plane tickets and hotel rooms alone," I say.

Rarity rolls her eyes. "Hotels? Please! That's how amateur Spring Breakers do it." She glances at Twilight. "Do text your sister-in-law and ask her to come in here, Twilight."

Twilight frowns, but pulls out her phone and texts Cadance. About a minute later, Cadance walks in. "What's up?"

"Nurse Cadance, we've been discussing Spring Break plans," Rarity says.

"Oh?" Cadance tilts her head.

"We were thinking...a trip to Haytona would be in order."

Cadance grins. "Haytona? I'm so in! I'll start looking into renting us a beach house." Her brow furrows. "Wow, I hope there'll be one available...it's kind of short notice..." She pulls out her phone and wanders off distractedly.

Rarity gives us all a smug smirk.

Twilight blinks. "How did you—"

"Her father is a doctor, darling," Rarity explains in that tone you use when something should be obvious.

"Well, anyway," Rainbow says, "I guess we'd better start making plans, calling our parents, getting the okay..."

We should invite Fluttershy to come with us.

We all stare at Sonata.

"Uhh...I don't think she'll want to," Rainbow says.

Twilight frowns. "No, Sonata's right. We...we should invite Fluttershy."

Apple Bloom blinks at us. "Why...wouldn't y'all invite Fluttershy?"

We all shift awkwardly. "No reason," Twilight says. "She just...may not want to be in a crowded place with, you know...all the partying..."

Sweetie Belle bounces in her seat. "Oh boy, I can't wait! Haytona!"

Rarity arches an eyebrow. "You, dear sister, are staying home with Mother and Father."

Sweetie Belle blinks. "But..."

"Hey! That ain't fair!" Apple Bloom cries.

"Yer gonna go home fer Spring Break too, Apple Bloom," Applejack says firmly.

"But why?"

We all look at each other. I shrug. Twilight shifts in her seat.

Rarity clears her throat. "A beach full of high school and college students determined to let loose...is not a suitable environment for girls your age."

"She's right," Pinkie says, nodding sagely. "There's gonna be lots of sex and alcohol and stuff. We can't expose you girls to that."

Apple Bloom arches an eyebrow. "Seriously? Y'all expose us t' sex ALL TH' DANG TIME."

"Y'all ain't goin' with us, an' that's final!" Applejack insists. "Besides, ain't no way in hell Granny'd let ya."

"And I must insist you remain with our parents, Sweetie Belle," Rarity says firmly.

"Awww," the girls whine.

Hey, maybe you can get Rarity's parents to take you girls to Hasbroland! Sonata suggests. I think you'd probably have more fun there than watching a bunch of half-drunk teenagers in skimpy bathing suits pawing at each other on the beach!

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle look at each other.

"That does sound more fun," Sweetie Belle admits.

"An' we can invite Scootaloo!"

Rarity smiles and claps her hands. "See? Compromise!"

Looks like we might be going to Haytona for Spring Break...

Hopefully, we won't be risking getting somebody killed while we're not around...

I'm overdue for a call to my parents anyway, so I head upstairs to call them and tell them my Spring Break plans.

"Haytona?" Mom says. "That sounds like fun! Maybe you'll meet a nice girl, huh?"

I sigh. "I already have a nice girl, Mom, she's going with me?"

"Oh, right, that Sunlight Sprinkle girl..."

"Twilight Sparkle," I say, gritting my teeth.

"Oh, you broke up with the other girl? Well...I hope you didn't hurt her feelings..."

I fight the urge to slam my face into the desk. "I gotta go, Mom. I've got a buttload of laundry to do."

"Okay, sweetie. Have fun!"

I close the call, shake my head, and round up my dirty laundry.

Sunday, March 6, 2016 / Evening

It's still raining at dinnertime.

Cadance walks in, all smiles. "We're all set!" she says. "I found a five-bedroom beach house that's available to rent. I'm making the arrangements with the owner tomorrow when he's in his office."

"That's great!" Twilight says. "I called Mom a little while ago, she's all for it!"

"Dad's cool with it too," Rainbow says.

"I pretty much have to go wherever Nurse Cadance and Twilight go!" Pinkie chimes in cheerfully.

Mommy was happy I'm feeling up to a trip to the beach!

"Pa an' Granny are okay with it," Applejack says. "Heck, they're glad Ah'm takin' a week fer mahself."

"Mother and Father are looking forward to taking the younger girls to Hasbroland," Rarity says. "Oh, and I have their permission to go to Haytona, of course."

"I'm good to go," I say. "It's not like my folks care where I am. I mean, Mom was glad I'm gonna go somewhere for Spring Break, but this time next week she won't even remember us talking about it."

Everybody falls silent at that.

"Sorry," I say. "Didn't mean to kill the mood. I'm just a little pissed right now."

Cadance frowns. "Understandable," she says.

We all look at Fluttershy.

"Well?" Twilight asks. "Are you coming with us?"

"Oh..." Fluttershy ducks her head and plays with her hair. "I...I don't know," she says. "I...I'll need some time to think about it..."

Cadance frowns. "Well...don't take too long," she says. "I'll need to make our plane reservations by the end of the week at the latest, and I hate cancellation fees."

After dinner, the girls sit around in the lounge, excitedly chatting about Spring Break plans. I sit and listen for a while before heading upstairs to put away my laundry and practice my guitar until bedtime.

I'm just putting my guitar away when Twilight walks in. She sits down and wraps her arms around me. "I'm sorry about your mom," she says.

I sigh. "I'm used to it. I just...I guess I get aggravated with them sometimes..."

"Well, at least they care enough to put you in a good school like CHS and make sure you have everything you could ever need and then some," Twilight says.

"Yeah..." I shrug. "I mean, yeah...I'm glad about that. I just...I just wish they were more...involved, you know?"

Twilight sighs. "Yeah..."

Twilight decides to spend the night with me. She changes into her favorite pajamas and snuggles up with me under the sheets.

I listen to the rain outside as I lie still in bed. It reminds me of Seaddle.

I only have five more months in Canterlot...

The thought of going back to Seaddle in August fills me with disgust and dread.
> 3/7 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 7, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nobody can run away from their mistakes.

Twilight and I walk to school with Sonata.

"I hope...you won't be too stressed out at school today," Twilight says. "After...after some of the stuff you saw in Zodiac."

Sonata sighs.

Whoever was texting all that stuff...they're not my friends and they never will be, and they're not worth worrying about.

"That bit about...you know...joking about what they could do to you and you not be able to call for help..." I feel absolutely sickened by that. "That really bothers me."

Sonata smiles sadly and shrugs, then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, bright orange device.

"Is...is that a Stranger Danger siren?" Twilight asks.

Sonata nods happily.

Mommy made me start carrying it when I was seven. I've carried it ever since.

"Well, that's...good to know..."

Monday, March 7, 2016 / After School

After my last class, I run into Juan.

"Well hello, Flash Sentry! Ever the busy little beaver, aren't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know," he says vaguely, waving a hand. "Boosting a sad girl's spirits, participating in clubs and teams, going fishing with your friends..." He tilts his head. "Or maybe not that last one? I'll admit to being a bit out of sorts." He pops his back. "Old age. Rheumatism. I'm not the man I used to be." He grins. "So...Spring Break is coming up. Are you making plans with your little friends?"

"As a matter of fact, we're going away for the week."

He nods thoughtfully. "Good, good...a change of scenery will do you and your friends wonders. Especially with all the negative energy floating around this school, harshing your vibes, blocking your chakras..." He stops, then chortles. "Forgive me, I caught a girl named Tree Hugger smoking marijuana on campus this morning. Her...rather abstract way of speaking is infectuous."

"Tree Hugger...isn't she that hippie chick that's always stoned?"

"Yes...she claims it's medicinal." Juan shrugs. "Rather convenient excuse, if you ask me." He looks around, then leans close. "Just between us...I stole her stash." He chuckles. "Well...I'm sure you have more important things to do than stand around gabbing with an old man. Do take care of yourself!" He wanders off, whistling aimlessly to himself.

I shake my head and leave school.

Monday, March 7, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I head up to my room. It's really stuffy and muggy; today's been unseasonably warm, yesterday's rains made today really humid, and my room is stifling. I grab my guitar and amp and head down to the lounge, which isn't as bad.

I'm the only one who doesn't have stuff to do on Monday afternoon, so I have the lounge to myself for almost an hour. By the time I'm done with guitar practice and getting started on my homework, the others are just getting back. As soon as Rainbow Dash and Vice-Principal Luna arrive, they go upstairs, change into their usual overly-casual clothes, pad back down to the lounge barefoot, and fire up their games. I watch them play for a while, laughing at their back-and-forth banter. When they take a break to get a drink, a thought occurs to me. "Hey, Rainbow. Remember what you were talking about a few weeks ago?"

"Huh? What about?" Rainbow asks as she sips a glass of juice.

"You were saying something about maybe trying to set Principal Celestia up with your dad."

"Oh, that," Rainbow says. She eyes Luna warily.

Luna perks up. "Oh?" She turns to Rainbow with interest. "You're looking to do a little matchmaking?"

Rainbow ducks her head and blushes. "W-well, I..." She sighs. "It's a stupid idea..."

"I wouldn't say that," Luna says. "Celestia's never had a steady boyfriend for longer than three weeks in her life. I can't even remember the last time she got laid. Between us, I'd be more than happy to see her find somebody to make her happy."

"Whoa. She's..." Rainbow trails off. "How is that even possible? Guys oughtta be linin' up for miles for a woman like that!"

"It's...it's my fault, actually," Luna says. She looks into her glass. "Because of something...very, very foolish I did when I was younger...Celestia can't have children."

That's right...

Luna stabbed Celestia when they were younger...

I've seen the scars...

"She...can't?" Rainbow asks.

Luna shakes her head. "Her right ovary and her uterus were both so severely damaged, the doctors had to..." She sighs. "In any case, it's...it's taken a toll on her love life. She doesn't want to get close to a man, because she...because she feels like she'll be rejected if they find out she can't have children."

"Dude," Rainbow breathes.

Luna bows her head. Tears are gathering in her eyes. "It's all my fault. She should be happy and have a husband and kids of her own, not..." She sniffles.

"Well I don't think my dad would care about that," Rainbow says with a shrug. "I mean, he's already got me, and I'm all the kid anybody needs." She frowns. "Besides, he's..."

"He's what?" Luna asks.

Rainbow sits down. "I'm not really supposed to let this out, but...Dad's about to retire. His left ankle's had problems with stress fractures, and his trainer told him he doesn't have another season in him. He wants out while he's still at his peak."

"Sensible," Luna says.

"So...so by the time I'm a senior, Dad's gonna be back in Canterlot to stay," Rainbow says. "I mean, I'm still gonna stay at th' dorm, just because I like it here, but I'll be able to see Dad whenever I want. At least...until I go off to college. Then he'll be, well..."

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

Luna nods. "I only know your father by reputation. I've never met him. I do seem to recall he's rather handsome..." She taps her chin thoughtfully. "A dashing retired footballer..." A smile slowly spreads across her face. "Yes, I do believe I'll help you set them up."

Rainbow grins. "Awesome!"

I can feel how much Luna loves her sister, and how much pain and remorse she still feels over what she did years ago...

They go back to their game, and I finish my homework.

At dinner, we talk more about our trip to Haytona. Luna comments on how envious she is of us, and tells us a long, rambling anecdote about a college Spring Break trip she and Celestia took to Mexicolt. By the time she's a third of the way through her story, Applejack has removed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle from the dining room, Rarity looks scandalized, Sonata is blushing furiously, and Rainbow looks like Christmas just came again.

As for me, well...I just hope nobody notices the boner I'm toting around.

After dinner, I'm headed upstairs when Pinkie wraps her arms around me from behind, grabbing my crotch.

"I can help you with that," she whispers huskily.

For once, I can't think of a single reason not to have sex with Pinkie Pie. So that's exactly what I do.
> 3/8 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You are no more important than anybody else. Your life has no more meaning than a butterfly's, and when it's over, the world won't even care.

I'm on my way to Music Club when Vinyl and Octavia intercept me.

"Hey, Flash-man," Vinyl says. "I, uhh...I wanna talk to you. Mind bailin' on music club, goin' somewhere with me an' Tavi?"

I nod. "Sure. What's up?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Vinyl says.

We end up at Vinyl's house. Vinyl's car is parked out front, covered with a tarp Vinyl must have picked out back when she could still see.

"What's gonna happen to your car?" I ask as we walk up the front walk.

Vinyl sighs. "That...depends on what goes down tonight," she says.

Octavia takes Vinyl's keys and unlocks the front door, then turns on the lights inside. The three of us head inside; Vinyl makes it to the living room sofa on her own with minimal effort, and Octavia goes to the kitchen to get us all something to drink.

Once we're all seated, Vinyl leans back on the sofa. "I...wanted to thank you," she says. "You've really done a lot for me this year...drivin' me around, helpin' me get together with Tavi..." She squeezes Octavia's hand. "Bein' there for me the day I..."

"You don't need to thank me," I say. "I was happy to help. You're one of the coolest people I know, and...and what happened to you blows."

"Yeah, it does, but..." Vinyl shrugs. "I'll deal. We'll deal." She sips her drink, then reaches onto the table behind the sofa, fumbling around. With minimal assistance from Octavia, she picks up a pair of seafoam green headphones—the same ones she was wearing when we first met. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her wearing them much lately...

"I want you to have my lucky phones," Vinyl says. Octavia takes them from her and hands them to me. "I can't shut the world out anymore...and I don't really want to."

"Thank you," I say. "I'll take good care of them."

"You'd better," Vinyl says with a smirk. She stretches, then puts an arm around Octavia. "You know, if you hadn't helped me, I...I'd never have gotten up the nerve to talk to Tavi..." She swallows. "Tonight, we're gonna go to her place, and..."

"I'm introducing her to my mother," Octavia says. "Mother...doesn't know yet. That I...well..." She fidgets with her hands. "She doesn't know about Vinyl. It's been hard enough to convince her to...to ease up on me."

I wince.

"But it's time," Octavia says. "Vinyl is too important a part of my life now. Mother needs to respect that."

"You've helped both of us so much," Vinyl says. "I can't imagine what goin' through all this would be like if I hadn't met you...if you hadn't helped me." She gets up, with Octavia's help, makes her way over to me, runs her hands over my face, leans forward, and kisses me on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispers.






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Sun Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Asura, the ultimate form of the Sun Arcana...


I decide to give the girls some privacy as I call a cab to take me back to the dorm.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I spend the evening helping Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework while I do my own.

When I return to my room, I find Twilight and Sonata waiting there. "We should decide when to go to Zodiac for Sonata's first training session," Twilight says.

"We should probably wait until Sunday," I say. "We don't even have the upgrade to Fluttershy's app yet, and we'll need time to figure out how to work it."

Twilight nods. "You're right."

Fluttershy leans in. "Just letting you guys know, I'll be finished with the app tomorrow. I'll send it out through Canterbook." She retreats into the hall.

The girls go back to their own rooms, and I get ready for bed.
> 3/9 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When making plans for the future, never forget that you could easily die at any time.

Tennis practice...

Coach gathers the girls for a meeting concerning their upcoming matches. Even though the girls dominated on Saturday, there are still things they need to work on. That, or Coach just doesn't want them to get overconfident. While that's going on, the rest of us are doing return drills at a rather relaxed pace.

Coach catches this, turns her attention away from the girls, and scowls. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT? Enough screwing around! You think you'd get any pussy if girls saw you faggots slacking off like that? NO! Practice like you mean it or get the hell off my court!"

Whoa.

Practice is a little...tense after that.

After practice, I meet up with Pinkie to go home. Coco runs up to us. "Umm...don't be too mad at coach for that...thing, alright? She didn't mean it."

"What was up with that, anyway?" I ask. "That isn't like her at all."

Coco sighs. "It...it's not my place to say, but..." She takes a deep breath as she looks around. "Coach's boyfriend came out gay to her last night. She thought...she thought he was going to propose, and..."

"Yikes," Pinkie says.

"Holy shit," I say.

"Yeah," Coco says, bowing her head. "So...so she's..."

"That explains a lot," Pinkie says.

"How do you even know about that?" I ask.

Coco blushes. "My dad and I were at the same restaurant," she says. "I was taking him out for his birthday. Coach...well, she made a really big scene. Threw things, screamed..."

"Poor Coach," Pinkie says. "That really sucks..."

"Why'd she even bother coming to work today?" I wonder. "After something like that..."

Coco shrugs. "I don't know. Anyway...just don't be too upset with her, alright?"

I nod. "Thanks for telling us."

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 / Evening

When Pinkie and I get back to the dorm, we find Sweetie Belle in the lounge, crying. Apple Bloom is trying to comfort her, but looks completely out of her depth. She sees us and gives us a look that pleads for help.

Pinkie frowns. "Umm...why don't...you see what's wrong, and...I'll start baking some cookies!" She heads for the kitchen; I head for the lounge and sit down next to Sweetie Belle.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Sweetie Belle sniffles.

Apple Bloom sighs. "A buncha girls are givin' her grief for likin' Button," she says.

"The video game kid?"

"Yeah." Apple Bloom shrugs. "Ah mean, he does git a little too inta his games, but...he's an okay kid, an' Sweetie Belle likes him. It's jes'..."

Sweetie Belle lets out a wail.

"Kids are being real dicks about it?"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom says. She rubs Sweetie Belle's shoulders. "Ah told her jes' don't pay no attention to it, but..."

I take hold of Sweetie Belle's chin. "You know what other people think of you and your friends...it doesn't matter, right?"

Sweetie Belle sniffles and nods.

"So why are you letting this upset you so much?"

"Why do you think?" Apple Bloom asks sourly.

Oh. Oh no. "Diamond Tiara?"

"Eeeeeeyup."

"Damn." I frown. "Is...Silver Spoon isn't...?"

"She's on our side...more or less," Apple Bloom says. "She tries t' git Diamond Tiara t' lay off, an' she told Sweetie Belle she thinks her an' Button look cute together. But...she's still kinda...scared t' hang out with us." Apple Bloom shrugs. "Diamond Tiara's real good at turnin' kids nasty."

Sweetie Belle's really upset. I don't know what I can say or do to cheer her up...

"Why don't you bring Button to the dorm sometime?" I ask. "He can stay for dinner. Everybody can get to meet him. Let the people who really know you and care about you tell you what we think of him."

"I don't...know if that's a good idea," Sweetie Belle says doubtfully. "I...I'm scared of what Rarity would think of him..."

I shrug. "Rarity can be a bit of a snob, yeah, but I think we can handle her. I mean, it won't stop the teasing and bullying at school, but...at least you'll know what the people in your life who really matter think. That...that's gotta help, right?"

Sweetie Belle sniffles and wipes her eyes. "O-okay. I'll ask him to come over on Friday..."

Pinkie pops up with a tray of hot, gooey chocolate chip cookies and a big pitcher of milk. The snack seems to cheer Sweetie Belle up a little...

After I have a few cookies, I head up to my room to do my homework before dinner.

At dinner, Vice-Principal Luna asks, "Flash, Pinkie...I'm getting a lot of complaints from members of the tennis team about the coach acting inappropriately today. What exactly happened?"

We glance at each other, then tell Luna about Coach's rant, and what Coco told us after practice.

Luna frowns. "I see," she says.

"That sucks," Rainbow says. "I mean, her goin' off on y'all, that's not cool, but I feel bad for her."

"Whut's up with half this town bein' gay all of a sudden, anyway?" Applejack wonders. "Uhh...no offense," she adds, looking at Rainbow.

Luna coughs. "Well...while I sympathize with your coach's predicament, I can't condone her swearing at students like that. My sister and I will have to have a little talk with her tomorrow."

"Oh, don't," Pinkie whines. "She's already been through enough this week."

"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie, but we can't dismiss this," Luna says. "It's our job—mine and Celestia's—to ensure our faculty behaves in a courteous and professional manner."

Pinkie sighs. "Okay. Just...don't fire her or anything, please?"

"I doubt we'll do more than reprimand her. And offer her counseling."

After dinner, I get a notification from Canterbook:




System Message
Black Butterfly version 1.4.1
GUI and documentation added
If you can't figure it out on your own don't ask for help




I open the app and check it out. After poking around for a minute and reading the documentation, I decide I'm cool with the black suit for now.

I wonder what the girls will come up with...

I check my e-mail, then get ready for bed.
> 3/10 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 10, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your hero complex is going to get you in a lot of trouble one of these days.

Before breakfast, Twilight, Pinkie, and Sonata gather in the hall. I'm just getting ready to head to the shower when I run right into them.

"That Black Butterfly app is...really really hard to figure out," Pinkie says.

Twilight shrugs. "I managed to figure it out. I'll show you later." She looks at Sonata. "What about you?"

Eh. I'll figure it out. Sonata beams. I got a crossbow!

"That's an...interesting choice of weapon," Twilight says. She looks at me. "How about you?"

"I'm sticking with what I've got for now," I say. "I don't really care what I'm wearing when we go in."

"Aww, but that's boring!" Pinkie whines.

Yeah! Alternate costumes are the best!

"...you girls do realize we're not playing a video game, right?" I shake my head. "Gotta shower." I gently push past them and head for the bathroom.

Thursday, March 10, 2016 / Lunch

Octavia walks up to me on my way to lunch. She looks miserable.

"Are you coming to Music Club today?" she asks. "I...I'll be attending on Thursdays from now on as well."

I nod. "Sure. What happened the other night?"

Octavia shifts. "I'll...I'll tell you about it later..."

Thursday, March 10, 2016 / After School

All through Music Club, Octavia is sitting by herself, morosely picking at a bass.

After everyone leaves, I walk over to her. "So what happened?"

Octavia puts the bass down and sighs. "I took Vinyl home, introduced her to my mother, and...and told her that we're...seeing one another." She plays with her hair. "She...she hit the ceiling. She started screaming at me about how much time and money she's wasted on me, how I'm throwing away all the careful plans she's made for my future. She...she started saying horrible things about Vinyl...we all ended up screaming at each other.

"I asked Mother..." Octavia looks down at her lap. "I asked Mother...if she even loves me, if she's proud of me...if she wants me to be happy...or if...or if she just sees me as an achievement, as something she's created and shaped into what she wants..." She sniffles and looks up at me. Her eyes are full of tears.

"She...she couldn't answer."

"Oh God..."

"Vinyl called my mother..." Tavi pauses, face beet red. "...something analogous to a disgusting cow, and Mother, well...she said Vinyl is never to come anywhere near the house again. I...I left." She hugs herself. "I took Vinyl home and...and stayed at her house." She sighs heavily. "I haven't been back home since. Vinyl's mother is very graciously allowing me to stay, and she's very upset about...about the way my mother acted, when we told her about it." She wipes at her eyes. "I...I know I'll have to go home...soon...but I just can't face Mother right now..."

The door opens, and Principal Celestia walks in, accompanied by a severe-looking woman with ash-grey skin, the beginnings of wrinkles, stormy black eyes, and fading black hair tied up in a stiff bun. She's wearing a charcoal suit.

Octavia gasps, eyes wide. I don't even need to ask. This must be her mother.

"Ms. Melody," Celestia says. Her eyes are compassionate but firm. "Your mother tells me you haven't been home in two days."

Octavia looks down.

"Now, I hope you understand that...that you can't do this to your family," Celestia says. "You...you have to go home, or you'll legally be considered a runaway..."

Mrs. Melody folds her arms across her chest. "Octavia," she says, "I expect you to come home with me immediately. I'll have no more of this foolishness."

Octavia's eyes squeeze shut; tears stream down her cheeks. "Y-yes, Mother," she says. She starts to stand up...

I put a hand on her shoulder and face Mrs. Melody. "You never answered her question."

Mrs. Melody blinks, then stares at me as though I'm an insect that just crawled out from under her stove. "Excuse me, this is none of your business."

"I'm making it my business," I say.

"Flash..." Celestia says in a warning tone.

"No," I say. "Octavia told me about what happened Tuesday night. She asked you a question, ma'am. You never answered it. Don't you think you should?"

"Young man, I'm warning you—"

"What?" I ask, standing up. "What are you going to do?"

Mrs. Melody falters, taking a step back. "I'll have you know, I—"

"I don't care," I say. "Your daughter asked whether or not you love her, and you didn't answer her. I'm sick of watching my friends' parents fuck them over for bullshit reasons. You're going to answer her question, or she's not going anywhere."

Celestia blinks, then turns and gives Mrs. Melody a hard look. "Mrs. Melody? Would you mind explaining what this young man is talking about?"

Mrs. Melody's mouth works for a moment.

Octavia stands up. "It's a simple question, Mother," she says. "Everybody can see that but you." She sniffles.

"Flash," Celestia says, "I believe we should give these two a minute." The look she gives me brooks no argument.

I glance at Octavia. She swallows and nods. I follow Celestia out into the hall.

Once we've put some distance between ourselves and the club room, she rounds on me. "What the hell was all that about?" she asks.

I explain to her everything that I know about Vinyl and Octavia, including what Octavia was telling me before Celestia and Mrs. Melody walked in. When I'm finished, Celestia is pale and shaken. She frowns. "I knew Mrs. Melody was a severe and intimidating woman, but..." She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I should have seen the signs, shouldn't I? I didn't want to think...any student of mine would have one of those kinds of parents..."

We hear a loud shriek, followed by a crash. Before we can react, the door to the Music Club room flies open, and Octavia runs out, pushing past us. She's sobbing.

Celestia and I look at each other, then rush to the door. Mrs. Melody is lying on the floor, tangled up in an overturned chair.

"Call Nurse Cadance," Celestia says. She kneels down next to Mrs. Melody, checking her. I pull out my phone and call Cadance.

A few minutes later, we have Mrs. Melody in a chair. She's conscious, but stunned, and has a nasty cut on her face. Cadance is dressing the wound.

"Mrs. Melody?" Celestia asks. "What...what just happened?"

"She slapped me," Mrs. Melody says in a detached voice. "She...she called me a bitch, told me to go to hell, and slapped me. I...I never..."

I pull out my phone and hurriedly text Octavia, then step out in the hall and call Vinyl. I tell her about what just happened.

"Yeah, Tavi just called me," Vinyl says. "I told her to take a cab straight here. We'll take care of her until this blows over."

"Do you think this is gonna blow over?" I ask.

Vinyl sighs. "I dunno, dude. I dunno. Tavi's mom is a total cunt."

Cadance leans out of the club room. "Flash...you should go back to the dorm now. Would you please text Shiny and tell him I'll be home late?"

I nod. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"She'll be fine, but...we're going to sit down and have a long talk with her."

"Good."

Cadance frowns. "Do...do you know where Octavia went after she left here?"

"Yes." I turn to leave.

"Flash! Where did she go?"

I look back. "You know where she went." I turn to walk away...

"Flash? You...you forgot your guitar and your laptop..."

I smack my forehead. Cadance hands my stuff out to me, and I leave school.

Thursday, March 10, 2016 / Evening

I've just gotten back to the dorm when I get a call from Octavia.

"Is...is Mother alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. Just...stunned. When I left, Principal Celestia and Nurse Cadance were handling her."

"Good." Octavia sounds shaken. "I can't believe I did that...I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"I don't know. Probably."

Octavia sighs. "I'm sorry you...had to get caught up in all that."

"I hope your mom wakes up after this," I say.

"So do I...anyway, I'm...I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I just hope...everything works out."

I try to start on my homework, but I'm too tense to concentrate. I lie on my bed, trying to just empty myself out.

There's a knock at my door. "Flash?" It's Twilight.

I look up as the door opens. "Are you alright?" she asks.

"No."

"Oh. Well...are you coming down to dinner?"

"I'm...not really hungry."

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "Why are there so many kids in Canterlot with asshole parents?"

Twilight walks in and sits down. "Your parents again?"

I shake my head. "Octavia's mom."

"Octavia? Melody?"

I nod. "It's just...she just had a bad fight with her mom." I tell her about it. Twilight pales and covers her mouth.

"That's horrible," she says.

"Yeah." I sigh. "I just...I'm all tense..."

There's a knock on the door frame. "Flash?"

It's Principal Celestia.

She walks in and sits down in my desk chair. She sighs heavily. "Mrs. Melody has agreed to allow Octavia to remain...elsewhere. I've arranged for them to meet with a family counselor. They need professional intervention."

"Good."

Celestia looks at me. "I should give you detention for what happened back there," she says. "You spoke out of turn and...well..." She shakes her head. "But...I understand where you were coming from and why you did it, and...I have to say, I'd have done the same thing in your place. Ms. Melody is very lucky to have a friend like you."

"All I did was get pissed and blow my top," I say with a shrug.

"And you tend to do that a lot," Celestia says. "But...your heart is usually in the right place." She stands. "Anyway, I just...wanted you to know what happened after you left."

"Thanks."

Celestia leaves. Twilight pulls me into an embrace and holds me. I'm shaking all over...

I don't know how long we just sit there like that before my eyelids become too heavy to keep open.
> 3/11 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, March 11, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nobody's interested in your opinion today, so don't bother offering it.

I wake up stiff and aching all over. I'm lying on Twilight's lap; she's sitting up on my bed, legs stretched out underneath me. "Ugh..."

"Hey," Twilight says. She cracks a huge yawn. "Feel better?"

"Gah. Sore all over." I sit up, hissing in pain. "Damn..."

"Flash? Are you okay?"

I shake my head, rubbing my shoulder. "I'm just...really aching."

"I'm sorry." Twilight hugs me. "Go take a hot shower. I'll get the heat rub and give you a rub-down."

"Do we have time for that?"

"Yeah, it's not even five yet."

"Shit..." I stand up, wincing, and turn to look at her. "Did you even sleep?"

"Mm-hmm." She stands up and stretches. "I'm okay." She pushes on my back. "Go on, take a shower."

I get together my bath stuff and head for the shower. The hot water feels amazing and does wonders for my soreness; I stand under it a good fifteen minutes. I towel off, wrap my towel around my waist, and return to my room, where Twilight is waiting with a jar of muscle rub. By the time she's finished rubbing me down, it's nearly six; she goes off to take her own shower while I get dressed and check Canterbook.




New Message From: Principal Celestia
To all tennis team members:
Practice is cancelled today. All GIRLS team members are to report to the CHS practice courts at 8am tomorrow for your trip to Rainbow Falls for your next scheduled match. I will be accompanying you in place of your coach.




I frown at that, then text Coco.




New Message To: Coco Pommel
WTF's going on?




I'm already downstairs at the table when I get a response.




New Message From: Coco Pommel
You didn't hear? I'm sorry, I should've told you! Coach quit.




She what?!




New Message From: Coco Pommel
Well, she said it's a sabbatical, but I got the impression she's pretty much quitting.







New Message From: Coco Pommel
We'll talk more about it later OK? I'm running late this morning.




Wow. I hope Coach gets her head together...

Pinkie comes downstairs and flops into a seat in the dining room. "What's up with that message from Principal Celestia?"

"Coach quit."

Pinkie wilts. "That sucks. I guess I don't blame her, though. I mean..."

"Yeah."

Once everyone is downstairs and breakfast is on the table, Sweetie Belle pipes up, "Umm...I'm having a...a friend over this evening..."

"Oh yeah, your boyfriend's coming over tonight!" Pinkie says. "We'll all be on our best behavior, don't worry!"

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Your boyfriend, hmm?"

Sweetie Belle ducks her head and blushes. "A-anyway...so, umm...yeah..."

Twilight smiles. "We won't tease you."

This evening is going to be interesting...

Friday, March 11, 2016 / Lunch

Coco joins us at our table at lunch. "Hey guys," she says. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

"Of course!" Pinkie says. "You guys remember Coco, right?"

Everybody welcomes Coco. Pinkie asks, "So...what's up with Coach? Why'd she...?"

Coco shakes her head and sighs. "Well...Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna really got after her about that blow-up the other day. I'm an office aide fourth period, so...I had a chance to talk to her after that. She was in and out of the office all day...

"Anyway, she's...she's not dealing with what happened the other night well at all, and she's...she decided she just needs to get away for a while. She said she's been wanting to go to Hosstria for years—her grandparents were from there—so she's decided to withdraw her savings and...and go. She said she doesn't know how long she's leaving for, but...she won't be back this school year." She looks down at her tray. "Maybe not even until after Christmas."

"Sounds to me like she's decided to move to Hosstria," Rarity says.

"That's...kind of an overreaction to getting dumped," Pinkie says.

"It's not just that," Coco says, shaking her head. "Coach...she says she hasn't really felt happy about her life for a long time now. This was just the last straw. She...she just wants a change of scenery, a fresh start..." She sighs. "The way she was talking, I'm...I'm pretty sure we're never going to see her again..."

"Well...that bites," Rainbow says.

"We should throw her a going-away party," Pinkie says.

Coco shakes her head. "There's no time." She pokes at her lunch. "She's leaving Canterlot today, as soon as she breaks her lease and puts all her stuff in storage."

"Wow, she didn't waste any time," Twilight says, blinking.

"She really didn't," Coco agrees miserably. "I feel sorry for her..."

None of us really feel like talking for the rest of lunch.

Friday, March 11, 2016 / After School

With no tennis practice today and no homework over the weekend, I decide to stop by the supermarket and pick up a few things I'm low on before heading back to the dorm.

Friday, March 11, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, Sweetie Belle is shrilly berating Rainbow and Luna in the lounge.

"No, no, NO! You've gotta hide the games! Everything! No gaming while Button's here! If he even SEES this, we've lost him for the whole night!"

"But it's Friday!" Rainbow whines.

"What she said!" Luna insists.

"NO!" Sweetie Belle screams, stomping a foot. "And put some clothes on! Good grief, you two with your boobs hanging out is the LAST thing I need tonight!"

"Okay okay, sheesh," Rainbow says before padding upstairs. Luna gives Sweetie Belle a smirk and a raised eyebrow, shakes her head, and goes upstairs as well.

I clear my throat. "Are you freaking out, Sweetie Belle?"

She turns to face me. "N-no!" she stammers, blushing. "I just...I just..." She covers her cheeks with her hands and shakes her head vigorously. "You just don't understand! Button's..."

"He's kind of a basket case," Apple Bloom says from the deepest, plushest recliner. I didn't even notice her there. "It don't take much t' spaz him out."

"Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle whines.

"Well it's true."

"I know it's true, but—!"

"Sweetie Belle, whatever is going on out here?" Rarity calls as she walks in from the kitchen.

"She's wiggin' out," Apple Bloom says. "She wants everything to be jes' right for when her booooooyfriend gits here."

Rarity rolls her eyes. "Well, do try to reign it in, darling. It's a simple dinner affair with a guest who happens to be the boy you like. I'm certain everything will be fine."

I stare at Rarity. "Are you shitting me? You'd throw a much worse fit than this if your boyfriend was coming over for dinner."

Rarity gives me a flat stare and an even flatter frown, then retreats to the kitchen.

"Oooh, touched a nerve there," Apple Bloom says cheekily. I shake my head and go upstairs to put my stuff away.

Twilight's sitting in her room with the door open, reading. I lean in. "Sweetie Belle's on the warpath."

Twilight laughs.

Rainbow walks in, wearing jeans and a baggy T-shirt. "This friggin' kid better be worth all this shit," she says, folding her arms. "Givin' up gaming night when Luna's here!"

"I thought this...what was his name, Button Mash?" Twilight says. "I thought he liked video games."

"I think that's the problem," I say. "I get the impression he's...well...obsessed."

"Yeah, like the two of you and sex," Rainbow says.

"We are NOT obsessed with sex!" Twilight cries. "We just..." She blushes. "We enjoy having it...now and then...because we love each other..."

Rainbow smirks and wanders off. Twilight sticks her tongue out at her retreating back. I shake my head and laugh. "Well...tonight should be interesting."

I freshen up and head downstairs to hang out in the lounge. Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rings. Sweetie Belle rushes out of the kitchen to answer it. "BUTTON!" she cries happily.

She walks back in, leading the brown-skinned, red-haired kid I've only seen a picture of. Behind him is a smoking hot woman with light cream skin and long, honey-brown hair. She looks familiar...I can't quite place her.

Rarity walks out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a paper towel. "So, this is your little friend!" she says with a smile, walking up to Button and looking him over.

Button Mash looks at Rarity. "Are you Sweetie Belle's mom?" he asks.

Rarity takes a step back and frowns. "I'm her sister Rarity," she says icily.

"Oh, my bad," Button says.

"You'll have to forgive him," the woman who I swear I've seen before says with a light laugh, laying a hand on Button's shoulder. "After all, he has such a young and beautiful mother..."

That's his mother?!

No fucking WAY!

Rarity seems taken aback. She blinks. "You're...his mother? But...you're so young!"

Button's mother laughs. "Why, thank you, dear." She tilts her head. "Oh my. I've met you before."

"Now that you mention it...you do look familiar..." Rarity frowns.

"Rarity!" Pinkie calls from the kitchen. "I could use a little help here!" She wanders in, sees Button and his mom, and gasps. "Oh my gosh! It's Nurse Love Tap! From the hospital!"

Nurse Love Tap...?

...oh, right! When the Cake twins were born! I remember her now!

"YOU, I remember," Love Tap says. "Have you driven the Cakes completely insane yet?"

"Nah, only partway insane," Pinkie says.

"Please excuse us," Rarity says. "We do have dinner to attend to."

"Need any help?" Love Tap asks.

"Oh, heavens no!" Rarity says. "You're our guest! Please, have a seat and relax! Flash, do offer our guests something to drink, won't you?"

"I'll get the drinks!" Sweetie Belle says. "Button, you want a root beer, right?"

"Sure thing!"

"Mrs. Tap?"

"Oh, I'll take anything, dear."

Before long, the rest of the dorm starts filtering into the lounge to meet Button. Some of the girls remember Love Tap from that one day at the hospital.

As the girls make conversation with Button, I start to understand Sweetie Belle's apprehension. The kid is...a dork. And not in the cute way Twilight is a dork. It's like he's a goldfish who just realized he's in a bowl and everybody is watching him swim around and he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Half the time, he doesn't quite answer the others; when he does, it's awkwardly, and he trips over his words. He's constantly making twitching motions with his hands that, I soon realize, are game controller input motions.

When Sweetie Belle gets up to refresh everyone's drinks, I follow her. Outside the kitchen, I pull her aside so I can whisper to her. "Sweetie Belle...is that kid autistic or something?"

"Huh? No!" Sweetie Belle looks upset. "Why would you even say that?"

"I'm not trying to be mean! It's just...haven't you noticed, that thing he does with his hands all the time? Like—"

"Like life is a video game?" Sweetie Belle sighs. "Yeah. I think it's just how he deals. He...he's not very good with people." She shrugs. "I'm working on it."

Rainbow Dash walks in. "Sweetie Belle, what do you even see in that kid?"

Sweetie Belle starts trembling. "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Whoa, hey! Sorry! I didn't mean—"

"Rainbow Dash? You're NOT helping."

Rainbow looks at me, then backs away. "Okay. Okay. Sorry." She goes back to the lounge.

Rarity pokes her head out of the kitchen. "Is something wrong?"

"Minor social disaster," I say. "How's dinner coming?"

"Almost ready. In fact, you should really start ushering everybody to the table."

Sweetie Belle and I wrangle everybody into the dining room. It's a tight squeeze; Cadance joins us. She and Love Tap spend a few minutes catching up while Twilight and I set the table.

"I knew you had a son, but I didn't know he was Sweetie Belle's age!" Cadance says. "How's that even possible? You're not that much older than me!"

Love Tap laughs. "Well...I had Button...fairly young."

Rarity and Pinkie Pie bring out two huge, piping hot lasagnas, two baskets of cheddar biscuits, and a serving dish full of green beans. Button's eyes widen and he starts to drool.

As Rarity and Pinkie start serving everyone, Twilight asks, "So, Button, what are your favorite subjects in school?"

Button frowns. "I don't really...like school," he says. "The teachers are boring and the kids don't like me." He looks at Sweetie Belle. "Except, y'know, Sweetie Belle...and Apple Bloom kinda..."

"We've been told you're quite fond of video games," Luna says as she breaks a cheddar biscuit in half.

Sweetie Belle makes frantic "no!" gestures, but it's too late. Button's face brightens.

The rest of the dinner conversation is dominated by Button, Luna, Rainbow, and Sonata as they talk video games nonstop. Nobody else can get a word in edgewise, so we all resign ourselves to enjoying the excellent lasagna the girls have whipped up while the resident game geeks babble about everything from first-person shooters to RPGs.

After dinner, Love Tap offers to help with the dishes. She and Rarity take care of cleaning up while the rest of us move into the lounge. Sweetie Belle and Twilight try to steer the conversation in directions that lead away from video games, but Button gets so awkward and nervous that Sweetie Belle finally relents and suggests Rainbow and Luna break out the games. Button lights up, and we end up spending the rest of the evening playing video games. Everybody has a good time, even the ones who don't normally really play games.

Finally, Love Tap says, "Button, honey...it's getting late. We need to go home."

"Aww, Mom!"

"Sorry. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to come back and play with your new friends again soon."

"Okay." Button stands up and shuffles his feet awkwardly. "Bye, everybody. I had fun, and the lasagna was good!"

After Button and Love Tap leave, Sweetie Belle sighs. "That was a DISASTER."

"Are you kidding? That kid's awesome!" Rainbow grins. "Well...at video games." She scratches her nose. "Other than that, he kinda..."

"Rainbow," Twilight says with a frown. "Be nice."

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity says, "I don't think Button Mash is quite...well...suitable for you."

"Yeah? Well I didn't ask you!" Sweetie Belle retorts. She runs upstairs; we hear her slam the door to her room shut.

An awkward silence descends. Apple Bloom sighs. "Ah'll go talk to her," she says. "Night, y'all." She leaves as well.

Twilight shifts. "Yeah...I'm going to bed," she says. "Goodnight."

"I'd better get to bed too," Pinkie says. "Gotta get up early tomorrow."

The rest of us decide to call it a night as well.
> 3/12 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, March 12, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Everything you touch is going to turn to shit. The people around you would be better off without you.

After waking up and throwing on some jeans and a faded T-shirt, I head downstairs for breakfast. I hear Rarity and Sweetie Belle in the kitchen, having a loud argument. And by loud, I mean Sweetie Belle is screeching.

"—didn't even give him a chance!"

"But I did, Sweetie Belle! I simply was not impressed with what I saw. He is completely awkward, has no social graces, and is obsessed with those ridiculous games!"

"I KNOW ALL THAT! But I...but..."

"But what, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asks.

Sweetie Belle slumps and slinks out of the kitchen. "I hate you," she mutters. She brushes past me, trudges into the lounge, and sits down, sulking.

I walk into the kitchen. "Was that really necessary?" I ask Rarity.

Rarity frowns at me. "I can't have my precious little sister making a fool of herself with that weird little boy."

"Rarity? Sweetie Belle is your sister. You don't own her. It's not your place to control her life. Who she's friends with, who she likes...that's her business." I jam my hands into my pockets. "Look...I don't like that kid either. He's weird, he's a little creepy, and I'm pretty sure he's autistic. Err, not that...I mean..." I cough. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with autistic people...y'know, in general, but..."

Rarity stares at me as I start to babble. "Is there a point to all this?" she asks frostily.

"Yeah, there is," I say. "Look...Sweetie Belle brought Button here because she's getting teased at school for being his girlfriend, and it's making her miserable. And then what happens? Her own sister is doing the same thing, only worse."

Rarity's eyes widen. She looks down. "Oh. Oh dear."

"Yeah." I shrug. "What matters isn't what we think of Button. What matters is supporting Sweetie Belle and, y'know...not giving her more of the same crap at home she gets at school."

"And...and that's precisely what happened last night..." Rarity sighs. "I...I should go apologize to her..." She looks at me. "Could you take over the cooking, please?"

I nod and pick up where Rarity left off making breakfast.

Saturday, March 12, 2016 / Morning

After breakfast, Sweetie Belle is sitting alone in the lounge watching cartoons. I sit down next to her. "Hey."

"Hey," she says.

"Look...I'm sorry about what happened last night," I say. "I really...I really thought having Button over would...would help..."

"It's not your fault," Sweetie Belle says, sighing. "You didn't know..."

"How does a kid like that function in society?" I ask.

"He...doesn't, really," Sweetie Belle says. "I think his mom may be getting ready to de-enroll him and homeschool him. I've...I've been talking to her sometimes, since I asked Button out. She tried to explain what's wrong with him, but it went way over my head...basically, she's been hoping since he was little that going to school and being around other kids would fix him, but...it's just making it worse." She sighs. "He's...he takes getting used to."

"And you're willing to put up with...?"

"Yeah, I am," Sweetie Belle says. "It's just...it's hard when...when nobody's supporting me and everybody's making fun of both of us..." She sighs. "I just...I'm not even sure..." She bows her head.

I don't know what I can say to her...

"Hang in there," I say. "You'll...you'll figure it out. Just...just don't let what other people think..." I trail off awkwardly.

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle looks up at me. "Thanks."

I decide to go upstairs and get my guitar practice in for the day.

Saturday, March 12, 2016 / Daytime

Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Sonata, and Applejack decide to go shopping for swimsuits and other things they'll need for Spring Break. It's hard to believe it's just two weeks away...

They drag Fluttershy along with them. She protests feebly, but Sonata persuades her to go along. I don't really have anything in particular I want to do, so I watch TV and screw around on the Internet.

Saturday, March 12, 2016 / Evening

The girls return late, carrying lots of shopping bags. "I simply can't wait to step out onto the beach!" Rarity says.

"Yeah, this is gonna be awesome!" Rainbow says. "Oh, but it's two more weeks...blech."

Pinkie Pie returns after dinner, exhausted but happy. "We won! Again!"

"Congratulations!"

"You missed out on some delicious shopping, darling," Rarity says. "We've all bought our bathing suits for Spring Break, plus some other necessities!"

"Aww," Pinkie complains. "Oh well! I'll go tomorrow or sometime. Plenty of time!"

Come to think of it, I don't think I really have any beach wear...

I should probably go shopping tomorrow after we train in Zodiac...

I watch a late movie with Twilight, Rainbow, and Sonata before going to bed.
> 3/13 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 13, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Making plans and preparations won't change the fact that your death is inevitable. Why torture yourself?

After breakfast, everyone going to Zodiac heads over to the school. Twilight asks Fluttershy to go with us, but she refuses. "I don't need to do what you're doing," she says. "And I really don't want to be seen hanging around with you tards in there."

Once we're all gathered outside the school, our supply packs firmly in place, we pull out our phones...

Sunday, March 13, 2016 / Zodiac

Sonata's eyes widen as the texts begin flying all over the school courtyard. "Ignore it," we all say tiredly.

Sonata shudders. "You've been putting up with all this for months?"

//Focus, everyone,// Cadance, who already has Aphrodite out, says. //I'm detecting stronger than usual Shadows inside the school. You should be fine if you stay focused and stick to that strategy you all worked up.//

"Right," Twilight says. "Let's all gear up!"

We all access Black Butterfly...

The same black suit and axe I had on Sonata's birthday appear.

Twilight's wearing short, tight red gym shorts and a white T-shirt, as well as gym socks and running shoes. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail.

Rarity is wearing an elegant black dress and high heels.

Rainbow is wearing fatigues, combat boots, and a green beret.

Pinkie's wearing an obscenely tight dark blue one-piece swimsuit (with her name across the chest) and rollerskates.

Sonata's wearing a wine-colored high-collared tank top and loincloth...skirt...thing with a dark purple cloth sash tied around the waist, calf-high black boots, a fishnet stocking on her right leg, and dark purple armbands. For some reason, she also has enormous, tufty rabbit ears. She's holding a butterfly-shaped crossbow.

We ALL stare at Sonata. She blinks innocently at us. "What?"

//You all look ridiculous. You do know that, right?//

"HEY!"

//Well, Twilight and Rarity are okay. More or less. And Flash. The rest of you, yikes.//

"Let's...just do what we came here to do, okay?" Twilight says.

We enter the school, assuming our agreed-upon formation, with me, Twilight, and Rainbow out front, and Pinkie, Sonata, and Rarity behind us. We coach Sonata through the basics of fighting Shadows and Persona use; when she gets tired, we take over most of the fighting.

After twenty minutes, we run into a pack of over a dozen Shadows. "Let me handle this," I say. "I've got a new Persona I want to try out."

"ANOTHER new one?!" Rainbow cries. "Dude, how many do you have now?!"

"I've lost count," I say. I slide the Sun Arcana onto my phone. "ASURA!"





"Okay that has WAY too many heads and arms," Rainbow says.

"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna hi-five him all day!" Pinkie giggles.

I shake my head as Asura unleashes a massive wall of fire which incinerates all the Shadows around us.

"Whoa!" Sonata cries. "That was awesome! When do I get to learn that spell?"

"I don't think that's how it works," Twilight says. "Our Personas all seem to have a fairly specific skill set. Don't expect your Persona to be able to do anything except more powerful versions of what it can already do."

"Yeah, pretty much what she said," Rainbow says. "Heck, mine hasn't grown a whole lot at all."

//Flash is different from the rest of us,// Cadance explains. //For some reason, he's able to summon multiple Personas. None of the rest of us have that ability.// She pauses. //Although...Twilight and Pinkie...their Personas have changed from their original forms. I still can't explain that...//

"Oh, that's simple! They evolved!"

Rainbow groans, pulling an exaggerated facepalm.

We train for another two hours after that, by the end of which all our Personas have strengthened, and Sonata's gotten the hang of her role in the party. Once we're done training, we head outside and return to the real world.

Sunday, March 13, 2016 / Daytime

Well that wasn't so bad. Apart from all the nasty text message stuff, I mean.

"Get some rest, everyone," Cadance says. "Or go have fun somewhere. Whichever."

"I've got some shopping to do," I say.

"Oh! Oh! Me too!" Pinkie says. "Wanna go together?"

I shrug. "Sure."

Everybody breaks up to do their own thing. Pinkie and I head to the mall to shop for Spring Break clothes. While we're shopping, it occurs to me I haven't used the Velvet Room in quite some time...

Pinkie decides she just has to model several bikinis for me, then decides she needs to see me in several different swimsuits, including a speedo.

"I am NOT getting the speedo," I inform her.

"Aww! But...but..."

"Exactly." I purchase a few tasteful pairs of swim trunks and board shorts, as well as a number of loose, light T-shirts and some flip-flops.

Pinkie and I grab a late lunch at the food court before returning to the dorm.

Sunday, March 13, 2016 / Evening

After I've put my purchases away, I pull out my phone and tap the Velvet Room app.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Igor smiles mysteriously at me. "It has been some time, has it not? Not counting that...incursion a couple of weeks ago.

"No matter! I sense you have come to avail yourself of my services. Shall we begin?"

My Personas are laid out before me. Igor illustrates various combinations and what results they will yield. I begin grouping Personas together for fusion.

"Excellent. Let us begin." Two Persona cards rise into the air, circling one another. Suddenly, the Velvet Room turns blood red, and a siren rings out. Above our heads, the cards collide, and...

A form appears in midair above the table: the shattered legs of a statue, beside which lies the statue's head, apparently an Anugyptian pharaoh.


My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair.


"That...is NOT the Persona I was trying to fuse," I say.

Igor's lips thin. "Hmm. Yes. Occasionally, accidents happen...such is the way of Persona fusion. Still, the results, while unexpected, are not terrible." He smiles. "Shall we proceed with the rest of the fusions?"

We continue fusing. By the time I decide to call it a night, I've got several new Personas in addition to the unexpected Ozymandias:





Black Frost, Barong, Thor, Kusi Mitama, Hell Biker, Samael, and Genbu.

"I look forward to your next visit," Igor says...

Between training, shopping, and Persona fusion, I'm too wiped out, physically and mentally, to do anything else today. I strip down to my boxers, flop onto the bed with a can of ravioli, and eat it cold while I watch some stupid TV show I don't really care about, then throw away the empty can and go to sleep.
> 3/14 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 14, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll never be as cool or as popular as you think you are. You're a loser.

As I'm headed downstairs for breakfast, I hear Applejack and Apple Bloom in the kitchen.

"—tcha think it's weird? Dang near th' whole dorm jes' wanderin' off t' do God-knows-whut on a Sunday mornin'? An' all them times they all sneak off t' Nurse Cadance's place?"

"Now, Apple Bloom, it ain't our place t' pry inta other folks' business."

"But you do think it's weird, right?"

"Yeah, it's mighty suspicious. There's somethin' goin' on around here, Ah jes' can't quite figger out whut. Whutever it is, that whole durn group's havin' some kinda fussin' with Fluttershy."

"Yeah, even me an' Sweetie Belle noticed that...how could anybody be mad at Fluttershy?"

"Ah dunno, sugarcube...Ah jes' dunno."

There are only three people left in the dorm who are completely in the dark about Zodiac...and then there's Shining Armor...

I head to the dining room, thinking about this.

As everybody starts gathering for breakfast, Principal Celestia arrives at the dorm.

"Good morning, Principal Celestia!" Twilight says. "We weren't expecting to see you here until this evening!"

"I just wanted to drop by for a minute on my way to the school," Celestia says. "I'm getting an early start today." She sighs. "This is already shaping up to be one of those weeks and it hasn't even started yet."

Applejack starts serving breakfast; Celestia sits down, and Applejack serves her as well. She smiles gratefully and sips her coffee. "The first thing I have to deal with this week is getting you kids a new tennis coach." She frowns. "That might be a problem this late in the year."

Pinkie shrugs. "Well if it's just to fill in for the rest of the school year, pretty much anybody will do. I mean, we really just need somebody to blow the whistle and stuff...Coco's got everything else under control."

"If only it were that simple," Celestia says with a sigh.

"Actually, isn't it that simple?" Twilight asks. "I mean, my brother doesn't even have a teaching certificate..."

Celestia purses her lips. "Well, that's true..." She shakes her head. "Still, I want to find somebody who at least knows what they're doing." She shrugs. "Anyway, that's my problem, not yours." She smiles. "So, you've all got plans for Spring Break, I hear?"

"We're going to Haytona!" Pinkie says brightly.

"Ahh, Haytona...that brings back memories..." Celestia blushes. "Some of them are pretty embarrassing." She finishes eating quickly and stands. "Well, thanks for breakfast, I hope you all have a good day at school, and I'll see you all this evening." She leaves.

The rest of us finish breakfast; Twilight and I walk Spike, and then we head to school.

Monday, March 14, 2016 / Morning

While heading to my third period class, I catch a glimpse of Papillon walking down the hall. Seeing her reminds me of the last time I met Chrysalis...

A very weird idea pops into my head.

Monday, March 14, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, I spot Papillon and the twins sitting by themselves at the end of a table. Instead of joining my friends, I head off in their direction.

As I approach, Papillon looks up at me. "Yeah?"

"Mind if I sit here?"

Papillon shrugs. "Sure."

I sit down. "I wanted to ask you something about your mom," I say.

Papillon groans. "Ugh. Look...we don't want to talk about Mom losing her job, or any of that stuff, so just go—"

"I bumped into your mom a couple weeks ago at Sugar Cube Corner," I say. "She mentioned enjoying tennis?"

Papillon blinks at that. "Wait. You know our mom? You like, talked to her and junk?"

I shrug. "I keep bumping into her around town. We talk sometimes."

"Mom always plays tennis on the weekends if she's not busy," one of the younger girls says. "It's how she unwinds, right Kate?"

"Yeah, what Cricket said," her twin sister says, nodding. She tilts her head at me. "Sorry, we haven't met?"

"Oh! My bad. I'm Flash Sentry."

"I'm Katydid. This is Cricket, and our older sister Papillon." Katydid gives Papillon a smirk. "And you didn't think there'd be any cute boys at this school."

Papillon rolls her eyes. I hold up a hand. "Let me derail that right now. I'm super taken."

"Aww."

I cough. "Anyway, so...tennis?"

"Yeah, Mom plays," Papillon says with a shrug. "Why?"

"Is she still..." I gesture with my fork. "I mean, has she found—" I sigh. "Last time I bumped into her, she was trying to figure out what to do with herself."

The girls look at each other uncomfortably. "Mom...is taking her time, weighing her options," Papillon says. "That's what Skeeter says anyway. Oh, he's our big brother." She frowns at me. "What's this all about?"

I take a sip of my drink. "I'm on the school tennis team. Our coach just quit last week."

"Oh yeah," Katydid says. "I heard about that little meltdown she had."

"Anyway, Principal Celestia's looking for a replacement. I just happened to remember your mom saying something about tennis the last time I ran into her..."

The girls look at each other. "Huh," Cricket says.

"But...Mom's not a teacher," Katydid says.

"I don't think that's a problem," I say. "Anyway...can you bring it up with your mom? I'll talk to Principal Celestia about it."

The girls exchange another glance, then shrug. "Sure, we'll tell Mom," Papillon says.

"Cool." I look around the cafeteria. "Hey, tomorrow, why don't you girls eat lunch with me and my friends?"

"We'll think about it," Papillon says.

Monday, March 14, 2016 / After School

After my last class, I head straight for the faculty office. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are standing outside, watching kids leave or head to clubs.

"Principal Celestia!"

Celestia looks at me. "What is it, Flash?"

"I think I might have found us a tennis coach!"

Celestia blinks. "How—?" She shakes her head. "Nevermind. Come into my office."

Luna watches me with a raised eyebrow as I follow Celestia into her office. She sits on the edge of her desk and folds her arms. "Well?"

"Ms. Chrysalis," I say. "You know who she is, right?"

Celestia purses her lips. "I'm familiar with her, yes," she says. "Her daughters just enrolled here two weeks ago. I...know about what happened to her. She's kind of, well...infamous."

"And she plays tennis every weekend to unwind," I say. "And she's looking for something to do with herself."

Celestia tilts her head and taps a finger against a forearm. "How do you know—?"

"I've run into her around town a few times." I shrug. "Anyway, seeing Papillon in the halls this morning reminded me about the tennis thing, I talked to her and the twins at lunch...anyway, she needs a job, she's...more or less qualified, and some of her kids go to CHS now..."

Celestia nods. "I do see your logic." Her brow furrows. "I'll give it some thought, maybe call her and see if she's interested. I mean, it's probably as good an option as any at this point."

"Cool." I shift. "Well, I've got homework and stuff. I'm headed back to the dorm now."

"I'll see you later, then."

I head back to the dorm and start on my homework.

Monday, March 14, 2016 / Evening

I'm just finishing up the last of my homework when Twilight walks in. "We missed you at lunch today," she says.

"I had to take care of something."

"You weren't..." She frowns. "I mean, I saw you with those new girls..."

"Their mom is Chrysalis. You know, THAT Chrysalis."

Twilight purses her lips. "Yeah, I'd heard that."

I raise an eyebrow. "Twi. You know I wasn't hitting on those girls."

Twilight blushes. "Well..."

I laugh. "I'm trying to get their mom to be our new tennis coach," I say. "I was just asking them to talk to her about it."

"Oh!" Twilight blinks. "Really? Why would she be—"

I explain to Twilight how I keep bumping into Chrysalis around town, and what I've learned about her. When I'm finished, she nods. "Okay, that makes sense." She shakes her head. "Except for you randomly bumping into somebody famous all over town like that. That's a little...bizarre."

I shrug. "Since when is anything about life in Canterlot normal these days?"

Twilight giggles. "This is true."

I scoot closer to Twilight. "Twi...you don't have anything to be jealous about. You know that, right? I only have eyes for you. And Pinkie."

Twilight smirks. "Bull," she says. "You're a pervert."

I shrug. "Okay, so I'm a pervert. I can't help it, it's this dorm."

Twilight snorts. "Riiiiight."

I stand up and stretch. "And right now, I'm a hungry pervert. Dinner should just about be ready."

We head downstairs to dinner.

After dinner, Celestia pulls me aside. "I called Chrysalis," she says. "She was intrigued by the offer. We're meeting tomorrow to discuss it."

"Good," I say.

"You know," Celestia says, "I'm impressed by the way you take charge and help solve problems. I've watched you all year long, since you came to Canterlot. There aren't a lot of kids your age that would get so involved in other peoples' lives and do so much to help others."

I shrug. "I guess...I've just found my place. Until I came here, I wasn't interested in anybody or anything. I've...I've changed a lot this past year too."

Celestia smiles. "Well, I'm proud of the man you're changing into. Even if you do let your temper run away with you sometimes."

I wince. "About that..."

She chuckles. "Just between us, Mrs. Melody needed a chewing out. I've...I've spent some time with her and Octavia this weekend." She sighs. "I wish solving that mess was half as easy as finding a new tennis coach."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that...that you've helped. Once again. And to thank you." Celestia smiles. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." She ducks her head and blushes. "I, umm...I've got an e-mail to write and I'm a little nervous."

"Oh?"

"My sister and Rainbow Dash are trying to set me up with Rainbow's dad." She raises an eyebrow. "Of course, I'm sure you already know about that, since you seem to know everything that goes on around here."

I nod. "Yeah. So...you're going for it?"

Celestia blushes again. "Rainbow Blaze is...very handsome. And a nice man, what little I've had a chance to speak to him. And, well..." She shrugs. "I'd be a fool to pass on a man like that when I've got the inside track. We'll...we'll just have to see where this goes."

I smile. "Good luck."

Celestia heads upstairs. I turn around...

Fluttershy is standing nearby, watching me with an unreadable expression. Our eyes lock; she silently turns and walks away.

I decide to watch TV in the lounge with some of the others until bedtime.
> 3/15 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You'll never make a difference in this world.

Music Club...

Octavia isn't here today.

Vinyl's hanging out with Lyra, a troubled look on her face. I walk over to her. "Hey."

"Hey, Flash-man." She sighs. "Tavi's got counseling all week. Her AND the cunt."

"I really hope they can get everything straightened out."

"Yeah..."

Music Club is kind of a dead scene today. My mind keeps wandering to the tennis situation. I haven't heard a word about that all day...

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 / Evening

Before dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework. They're talking about Spring Break, and sound excited for their trip. I'm glad they're not upset about not going to the beach...

At dinner, I ask Celestia, "Did Ms. Chrysalis take the job?"

Celestia smiles. "We discussed it at length," she says. "She likes the idea, but she hasn't made up her mind yet. I'll have her answer tomorrow."

After dinner, I finish up my own homework and go to bed.
> 3/16 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't get cocky when things go your way. It's easier to lose everything than you can begin to imagine.

At the beginning of homeroom, Mr. Turner instructs us all to log into Canterbook for a live streaming announcement from Principal Celestia.

"Good morning, students. As many of you know, Ms. Lobster, our Family Planning teacher and tennis team coach, chose to leave our Canterlot High family last week. We are still searching for a permanent replacement to take over her Family Planning classes, so those of you taking that elective will have a series of substitute teachers for the foreseeable future.

"As for the tennis team, as of this morning, I am pleased to welcome a new member of our faculty, Ms. Chrysalis, who will be assuming coaching duties effective immediately. It may take a while for her to learn the ropes, but I'm confident that our tennis team members will help her in every way they can while we all adjust to this change.

"Additionally, our esteemed Economics teacher, Mrs. Penny Pincher, informed me recently that she is retiring after this school year. Beginning this fall, Ms. Chrysalis will replace her."

Celestia steps aside, and Chrysalis steps in front of the camera, smiling.

"Hello, students and teachers! I'm excited about this new opportunity, and I'm looking forward to being part of Canterlot High's wonderful faculty! I look forward to meeting the tennis team this afternoon!"

Celestia makes a couple other announcements about parking permits and some issues with littering, then ends the stream. There's a few minutes of gossip, then Mr. Turner calls us all to attention and begins the lecture.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 / Lunch

Papillon, Cricket, and Katydid join us for lunch. I introduce them to my friends, who introduce themselves.

"So, these girls are Ms. Chrysalis' kids?" Twilight asks. She shifts awkwardly. "Umm...I just want you to know, I don't think what happened to your mother was entirely fair."

Papillon snorts. "We're not like, talking about that. Ever."

"Besides, Papillon doesn't know enough about what happened to talk about it," Katydid says with a smirk.

"But we're super-glad she's coming to work here!" Pinkie says. "I'm on the tennis team and I can't wait to meet her!"

"Yeah, talk about a lucky break," Cricket says. "So what happened with your old tennis coach, anyway?"

"Really bad breakup," I say.

"Yeah, she had a pretty bad meltdown," Pinkie agrees.

"Of course, the breakup wasn't the only thing, but...none of us really know what else was going on in her personal life. The only one who really knows is Coco Pommel. She's the tennis team captain."

"Oh hey, I think she's in some of our classes!" Katydid says. "Short hair, looks younger than she is?"

"That's her," I say.

"Wow, she's the team captain? But she's a sophomore!"

"Oh, she took over as team captain after she beat the old captain in a tennis match," Pinkie says. She grins. "It was just like a TV drama!"

Chrysalis' daughters look at each other, bemused. "What kind of cuckoo school is this?" Papillon asks.

I cough. "So...your mom's gonna be teaching Economics this fall?"

"Yeah," Katydid says. "She's gonna start working on earning a teaching certificate right away. With her background, she's way overqualified, so...yeah."

"It's less a job and more something to do with herself," Cricket says. "I mean, we're not hurting for money even after...what happened, as long as we're careful."

For the rest of lunch, we make smalltalk, getting to know Chrysalis' daughters.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 / After School

Everyone's early for tennis practice today. We find Chrysalis waiting on the court, wearing a short-sleeved white polo shirt, khakis, and tennis shoes. She has a tablet computer and stylus in hand, and a whistle hanging around her neck. Coco is standing beside her, watching us all arrive and talking to her.

"Everyone's here? Good," Chrysalis says. "Good afternoon, everyone! My name is Chrysalis, and I'm your new tennis coach. I've heard good things about this group, and I'm told your girls' team is already undefeated this season!"

Applause rings out.

"Today I'm just going to observe and get a sense of this team's rhythm," Chrysalis says. "Your captain will direct today's practice."

"Alright, everyone!" Coco shouts. "Girls, we need to work on doubles! We're up against Crystal Prep this weekend and that's their strong suit! Boys, five laps, then start on serving drills! After twenty minutes, switch to return drills against the machines until I call time!"

Practice proceeds as normal, with Chrysalis observing and taking notes. Coco has to get after some of the boys for slacking off a couple of times, but for the most part we're all determined to make a good impression on our new coach.

After practice, I shower and change; I come out to find Chrysalis helping Derpy put away the equipment. I decide to give them a hand. Chrysalis smiles at me. "Well, if it isn't the young man I have to thank for this," she says. "According to Principal Celestia, you're quite the problem solver!"

I shrug. "I have good ideas sometimes," I say. "It's really other people who make them work."

Chrysalis raises an eyebrow. "Don't sell yourself short," she says. "Here I was, sitting at home on Monday, thinking about going after a job in real estate, which I have absolutely no interest in, and then out of nowhere, I get this call from the principal, and then my own daughters bring it up. All because you remembered my interest in tennis from a five-minute conversation at a cafe. I've known CEOs with less initiative." She smiles and stretches. "Anyway, I have a feeling this might actually be fun...I'm glad you set this into motion."

"I'm just glad it worked out," I say.

"Well, I'll see you Friday," Chrysalis says. "We're playing Crystal Prep on Saturday, right?" She grins. "That's my alma mater. This should be interesting..."

After stopping off to get a soda, I head back to the dorm.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 / Evening

I've just set foot in the dorm when Rarity asks me to help with dinner. We make something I wouldn't have expected from Rarity: teriyaki beef stir-fry with bean sprouts, snow peas, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots, as well as fried wontons and shrimp egg rolls. Making enough of all this for the whole dorm takes some time; by the time we're done, everybody's hungry and waiting.

"So," Celestia asks, "how was your first day with Coach Chrysalis?"

"Awesome!" Pinkie says. "I think she'll work out just fine!"

"She sure seemed to enjoy herself," I say.

"I'm glad," Celestia says.

After dinner, I do my homework, get in a little guitar practice, and head for bed.

All in all, today was a good day...
> 3/17 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 17, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You can't run away from your problems. They'll catch up with you.

Music Club...

Octavia's a no-show today, too.

"How's Octavia doing?" I ask Vinyl.

She shrugs. "Well, for now, she's still stayin' at my place, and she's always real tired and pissed when she gets back from her sessions, but I think they're makin' progress." Vinyl shrugs. "My mom went out for coffee with her mom yesterday. She says they had a really long talk. She says Tavi's mom blamed me for screwin' everything up, an', well...she told Tavi's mom that this was coming whether I was part of it or not, because nobody likes havin' their life controlled like that." Vinyl scratches her nose. "Apparently, that's exactly what the therapist said, too. She says they have a word for it in Neighjing. Tiger moms." She grins. "Tavi says her mom got this really stung look on her face at that. Apparently, her own mom is from Neighjing."

"Huh. Wonder if her mom did that to her..."

"Probably."

I talk with Vinyl some more, then practice my guitar until time to go back to the dorm.

Thursday, March 17, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, everybody's excited and restless.

"One more week!" Rainbow yells. "This time next week, we'll be packin' up to go to Haytona!"

"Yay," Fluttershy says softly and sarcastically. Celestia glances at her sharply, and she ducks her head. "Oh, umm...I just...don't like leaving all our critters with strange people..."

"Uhh...we're takin' all our pets with us," Rainbow says.

"Oh. We are? I didn't know..."

"You know, your birthday's during Spring Break," Twilight says to Fluttershy. "Is there anything...special you want?"

"I don't...really want anything," Fluttershy says.

"You'll be...seventeen, right?" Celestia asks.

"Yes," Fluttershy says meekly.

Applejack chuckles. "Yep, you an' me, the oldest two here..."

"Wow, Fluttershy! Your birthday spankings are gonna HURT!" Pinkie says with a mischevious grin.

Fluttershy narrows her eyes at Pinkie. "Try it," she whispers.

"Girls," Celestia says mildly. She's giving Fluttershy an odd look...

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom with her homework, then watch TV until I'm ready for bed.
> 3/18 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, March 18, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You're in for a very nasty surprise in the coming days.

Tennis practice...

Coach Chrysalis calls the team to order once we all arrive. "Okay! I was watching you guys the other day, and you're all pretty good, but I think I see why the boys didn't make Nationals. Girls, you're going to do your usual thing with Coco to get ready for tomorrow's match with Crystal Prep. Guys, I'm going to work with you individually to shore up some weaknesses." She claps her hands together. "Time to earn my salary."

Practice runs longer than usual. Coco works the girls almost to exhaustion. Coach Chrysalis, true to her word, moves among us as we work through serve and return drills, showing each of us things we could be doing better.

By the end of practice, we're all exhausted, but I think a lot of the guys have more respect for Coach Chrysalis than they ever did for Coach Lobster. She has a more patient and personable approach...

I can't help but wonder exactly what she did that was so bad it cost her her old job...

I'll have to ask one of these days. Maybe.

Friday, March 18, 2016 / Evening

Pinkie and I aren't the only ones who are worn out this evening. There's a general air of blah in the dorm...

We decide to order pizza for dinner. Instead of ordering from Uncle Pizza, which has started to suck lately and we were only using to get free pizza every ten orders, we order from Pizza Shack, which used to suck but stopped sucking recently. The new sauces and seasoned crusts have a lot to do with it...

We all sit around in the lounge eating pizza and watching television. Rainbow Dash is chatting up Celestia, going on and on about her dad's good points. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are surfing the web. Sonata is playing puzzle games in between slices of pizza. Twilight and Pinkie are snuggled up against me. Applejack has farm business spread out in front of her; I think she's trying to get ahead of some of her work before we leave next weekend. Rarity is sketching in her sketchpad. Fluttershy is being Fluttershy.

"Who's going out to support the tennis team tomorrow?" Celestia asks.

"We are," Twilight says, squeezing my arm.

I'll go! Sonata writes.

"Can't, softball," Rainbow says absently.

"Me an' Sweetie Belle will come cheer you on, Rainbow Dash!" Apple Bloom says.

"Ah'll be there too," Applejack says.

"Sorry, I won't be at either game," Rarity says. "Oh, but good luck, darlings."

"I'll just be here with the pets," Fluttershy says.

"Well, I'll be at the softball game," Celestia says. "Pinkie Pie, good luck."

"Thanks!"

A companionable silence falls.

"Rainbow Dash?" Celestia says. "Please stop touching my butt."

"Sorry!"

"I'm flattered, but we talked about this, right?"

"Yes ma'am. Sorry."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Fluttershy flick a black olive at Rainbow.

"Won't anybody let Rainbow Dash touch their butt?" Pinkie asks. "Sonata? Applejack? Rarity?"

"I vote Rarity," I say. "She's a good substitute for Principal Celestia." Twilight slaps me upside the head.

Rarity gives me a flat, unamused stare, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not quite sure how to take that," she says.

"As a compliment?"

Rarity stares at me for an uncomfortably long moment, then shrugs. "If you say so."

Uhh...sorry. I'm not...y'know.

"Y'all even think about draggin' me into all y'all's sex-crazy bullshit, Ah'll kick all y'all's butts."

We all look at Rarity. She turns red. "N-no," she says. "Just...no!"

Rainbow gets a cheeky, playful grin and gets up, advancing on Rarity.

"Rainbow Dash! Don't even THINK about it!" Rarity cries.

Rainbow grabs Rarity's hands and pulls her to her feet, then drags her toward the stairs.

"Really, Rainbow Dash! This isn't funny! Let go! Oh, you are going to get it!" Rarity protests feebly all the way to the stairs, not making enough of an effort to get away. We all watch, wide-eyed.

After several minutes, we hear a lot of giggling and squealing from upstairs.

"Oh my," Celestia says, blinking.

"Huh. Rarity sure sounds like she's enjoyin' whutever's goin' on up there," Apple Bloom says.

"Dammit all," Applejack growls.

Fluttershy scowls.

I decide now would be a good time to go upstairs with Twilight and Pinkie Pie...

Friday, March 18, 2016 / Late Night

I wake up on top of Twilight and Pinkie. I really need to take a piss...

After going to the bathroom, I realize I'm hungry, so I go downstairs to see if there's any leftover pizza.

I find Fluttershy sitting in the lounge, looking upset. I grab a slice of cold pizza and walk over to her. "Look, if you're still pissed at Rainbow Dash for..."

"Yeah, I still think the little freak needs to keep her hands to herself," Fluttershy says. "But nevermind that right now. You might have a problem."

"What, the next Shadow?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "No. You, personally. Remember how you didn't report Sunset Shimmer raping you even though everybody told you you should?" She looks down at her phone. "It's about to bite you in the ass."

I blink at her. "What...do you mean?" I frown. "She isn't...trying to accuse me of..."

"She's about to start claiming she's pregnant," Fluttershy says.

Oh my God...

"She's not," Fluttershy says. "The clinic's security is garbage. I got into her files on the first try. Her checkup from yesterday says she has a hormonal imbalance and it's caused a missed period. The important thing is, what are people going to believe when she starts spreading this?"

I sigh. "Dammit..." I shake my head. "Thanks for telling me."

Fluttershy shrugs. "I'm fed up with her shit. Even you don't deserve that." She gets up to head for bed.

I'm not hungry anymore...

I head back upstairs. I look at the girls, sleeping peacefully in my bed. I sigh, shake my head, and go across the hall to Twilight's room.

It's a long time before I can get to sleep...
> 3/19 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, March 19, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Drama in your personal life might interfere with your plans.

"Flash?"

I wake up to see Twilight leaning over me, frowning. She's dressed in jeans and a tank top. "Ngh..." I sit up, groaning, and rub my head. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after eight," Twilight says. "We were worried when we woke up and you weren't..." She blushes. "You know, in bed with us. What're you doing sleeping in here? I mean, not that I mind you sleeping in here, or anything, but..."

"I woke up...couldn't get back to sleep, didn't want to wake..."

I remember what Fluttershy told me last night. I'm instantly awake and alert. "Get Pinkie and Cadance. Now."

Twilight frowns. "Uhh...okay...what's wrong?"

"I'll explain it to all of you at once," I say.

"Okay...should I get the others too?"

I shake my head. "This isn't a Zodiac thing."

Twilight nods. "Umm...maybe I should give you ten minutes to shower and get dressed?"

I look down at myself. I'm in my boxers and pretty nasty...

...oh god, Fluttershy saw me like this...smelled me like this...

"Yeah."

A little while later, I'm back in Twilight's room, clean and dressed. Twilight, Pinkie, and Cadance are there waiting. "Last night, Fluttershy gave me a heads-up on Sunset Shimmer's new plan to screw with us."

They look at each other. "I thought you said this isn't a Zodiac thing?" Twilight says.

"It isn't." I take a deep breath. "Sunset Shimmer's about to start telling everybody I got her pregnant."

Pinkie and Cadance gasp. Twilight's eyes narrow. "THIS is EXACTLY why I wanted you to turn her in!" she yells. "Do you have ANY IDEA how bad this is?"

"Oh my God," Cadance whispers. "Flash, if...if she's..."

"She's not," I say. "Fluttershy got into the clinic's patient files. Sunset's not pregnant."

Cadance frowns. "Alright. As soon as she starts with the rumor, I'll force her to come in for a pregnancy test. I'll administer it myself. We'll kill this before it gets ugly." She rubs her chin. "Actually, I may even be able to get her doctor's records if I pull strings, say it's a policy thing..."

The door opens, and Principal Celestia walks in. She has a stern frown on her face. "I just got a very interesting message from Sunset Shimmer over Canterbook," she says.

"Aaaand here it goes," Pinkie says, burying her face in her hands. Her hair wilts.

"Principal Celestia, we can explai—" Twilight begins, but Celestia raises a hand to stop her.

"I already know," Celestia says. "Luna called me the same night she broke in and told me everything." She looks at me with a mix of sympathy and disappointment. "I never let on that I knew what happened that night because I respect your wishes, and Luna said you made it very clear you wanted nothing done about this and nobody to know. And since you never came forward to press charges, I couldn't do anything about it. But I want you to understand that you've put yourself in a very ugly position here. If Sunset Shimmer is pregnant with your child, and you never pressed charges against her, this is going to end badly for you."

"Not with the number of witnesses we have," Cadance says. "Besides, I'm going to examine her myself and administer a test she can't fake."

Celestia nods. "Very well." She tilts her head. "You suspect she isn't pregnant, and this is a hoax?"

"We're pretty sure," I say. "Sunset's a psychopath."

Celestia sighs. "I wish I had trusted Luna's instincts about her," she says. "Unfortunately, the only thing she's done that warrants expulsion, I can't expel her for without Flash pressing charges against her, and..."

"Let her be as much of a lying, manipulative bitch as she wants," I say. "I want her to graduate from CHS."

"Why?" Twilight asks, blinking at me.

I turn to her. "Remember what you told me back at the start of the school year? Sunset Shimmer's been trying to undermine you for longer than I've been here, all because you're beating her out for valedictorian." I grasp Twilight's shoulders. "I want her to lose out to you. I want her to have to watch you give your speech at graduation. I want her to live the rest of her life knowing that despite everything she's tried to do to us, in the end, she couldn't beat you." I look around at everybody. "I want Sunset Shimmer to have to accept that Twilight has everything and she has nothing."

Cadance throws up her hands and screams. "MEN!" She starts to pace. "God, it's the same with all of you! This is exactly the kind of macho BULLSHIT I expect from Shining Armor!" She turns to me, fury in her eyes. "Just fucking man up and admit you're embarrassed by what happened and you're sticking your head in the sand and hiding from it!"

"Cadance," Celestia says sharply.

"Okay. Fine," I say. "I admit it. I woke up to find the one person at CHS I hate the most riding my dick, and..." I trail off, looking around at all of them. I sit down heavily, putting my head in my hands.

"And what, Flash?" Twilight asks softly.

I sigh. "And until I realized just who was fucking me, I was enjoying it. Okay? Dammit..."

The girls look around at each other.

I laugh. "You know, I'm the only guy at CHS whose reaction to getting fucked by Sunset Shimmer is to run to the bathroom and throw up." I shake my head. "And even then, before I realized it was her..."

Cadance groans and shakes her head. "Flash..." She sighs. "Look..." She trails off.

"Sometimes...sometimes I feel like I'm just a dick with legs," I say. "And...and I'm ashamed of myself. I think that's the real reason...I didn't want to do anything about what happened that night. Not because...not because I was embarrassed, or angry at Sunset...but because I was ashamed of myself."

Twilight sighs, sits next to me, and hugs me.

"Flash...what you're feeling is relatively normal for a boy your age," Celestia says. "I've been an educator for seventeen years. I've known hundreds of teenage boys." She chuckles. "Believe me, I've seen just about everything. Some boys are slaves to their hormones." She snorts. "Hell, some girls are slaves to their hormones. But I don't think Twilight Sparkle would be as devoted as she is to you if you were, well..."

Twilight laughs. "Oh, I know exactly how big a pervert Flash is," she says. "But he's my pervert."

"And mine!" Pinkie says, latching onto my other side.

I smile and hug both girls tightly.

Celestia stands up. "Anyway..." She sighs. "Unfortunately, since you never pressed charges against Sunset Shimmer, there's nothing I can do about this. Lying about being pregnant isn't a crime, nor is it something punishable by school rules. It's just...severely questionable behavior. The best I can do is try to get her into counseling, but..."

"Just...let us worry about Sunset Shimmer," I say. "Please. We can handle her."

Celestia looks uncertain, but shrugs. "Alright. It's your social life on the line, it's your decision." She glances at her phone. "You kids had better hurry and eat breakfast. Pinkie needs to be at the school by ten, and the rest of you need to get over to Crystal Prep before noon."

We head downstairs to the dining room, where most everybody else is already eating. Rarity has a ferocious blush spreading from the tips of her ears down her neck, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom are teasing her mercilessly. Rainbow Dash has a shit-eating grin.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Pinkie says, "we never did find out what happened with those two last night."

"I don't think it's any of our business," Twilight says, blushing.

We sit down at the table and serve ourselves from the serving platters. "Well, you three certainly took your time coming down," Rarity says.

"Yeah, what'd you do, get in a little morning nookie?" Rainbow asks.

"Forget about us, what was all that giggling and squealing about?" Pinkie asks with a teasing grin.

Rarity shrinks into her chair, a furiously pouty look on her face. "HONESTLY," she says. "A lady has a right to her privacy!"

"Not around here you don't," Apple Bloom says. She has an oddly sleazy grin on her face...it's honestly a little creepy.

Rarity gives a high-pitched sniff. "If you MUST know," she says, "we had a rather intense tickle fight, and then Rainbow Dash spent the entire evening worshipping my legs."

I see Twilight raise an eyebrow. "Doing what now?"

"I, uhh...made Rarity put on every short skirt and pair of sexy shoes she has and show off her legs for me," Rainbow says. "And, uhh..."

"She sat there pleasuring herself while I strutted around like some sort of...object," Rarity says. "Honestly!"

"Hey, I got you off too!" Rainbow says hotly.

We all stare at Rarity.

Rarity ducks her head. "It...it isn't what you're all thinking!" she says. "I..." She toys with her napkin. "I...decided it would be interesting to experiment a bit, is all. I am, and shall remain, quite heterosexual. It was a bit of fun that won't happen again." She blushes. "Still...it felt rather good to be appreciated so...vigorously."

Feeling the sudden pressing need to visit the bathroom, I excuse myself from the table...

When I head downstairs, everyone who's still at the table is smirking at me. Thankfully, Rarity's no longer in the dining room. I finish eating quickly, then head upstairs to get in some guitar practice before we have to leave for Crystal Prep.

Saturday, March 19, 2016 / Daytime

Crystal Prep's girls' tennis team is ferocious. The matches drag on longer than anybody expected. The doubles sets are the most intense part of the day; only Coco's freakish serves give us any sort of edge over Crystal Prep. Even then, we lose the doubles matches, but edge out a win in singles. Under the regional rules, that counts as a tie for the match in regional standings.

By the time we all get back to the dorm, it's late...

Saturday, March 19, 2016 / Evening

Tomorrow, we're training in Zodiac. I'm too tired to really do anything tonight, so I make myself a sandwich, check my e-mail, then go to bed.
> 3/20 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 20, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't let your busy social life break your concentration. You need to stay focused on what's important this week.

Today, we're training in the hospital parking garage.

Sunday, March 20, 2016 / Zodiac

During today's training, I put my new Personas through their paces. Some of them are more useful than others; it turns out Ozymandias, the Persona fused by accident, has nothing but debilitating skills that weaken Shadows. What it lacks in the ability to cause actual damage, it makes up for in the sheer variety of ways it can cripple the enemy.

Rainbow Dash gets a big kick out of Hell Biker.

Of course, not all of the new Personas are especially useful. Still, I'm able to gauge the relative strengths and weaknesses, and decide that Ozymandias, Hell Biker, Thor, Barong, and Black Frost are on my short list of Personas to summon in a serious fight.

Sunday, March 20, 2016 / Daytime

After training, Twilight and I decide to go on an impromptu date, since we haven't actually really just gone anywhere as a couple in some time. We go to a fried chicken place for lunch, then go to the movies; there are a couple of halfway decent movies out right now, and we've got all day, so we decide to see two movies. After that, we have dinner at one of the fancier, more expensive burger places in town before going back to the dorm.

Sunday, March 20, 2016 / Evening

The last week before Spring Break is exam week at CHS. All week long, we'll either be taking or reviewing for mid-semester exams...

I decide to study for tomorrow's tests before going to bed.
> 3/21 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 21, 2016 / Early Morning
The horoscope app has been disabled until further notice.

I'm getting my stuff together for my shower when Twilight walks in. "You need to tell everyone at breakfast," she says.

I swallow heavily and nod. "Right," I say. "I mean...at this point, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle are the only ones who don't even know what that bitch did to me, but...yeah..."

Twilight grimaces. "I'll...I'll get Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle away from the dining room before you tell the others about...about this whole pregnancy thing."

I shake my head. "I need you there with me. We'll get Fluttershy to do it."

Twilight frowns. "I don't know..."

"I think we can trust her to do this much." I grab my phone and message Fluttershy. Thirty seconds pass before I get a response. "She'll do it."

Twilight hugs me. I kiss her on top of the head, then go take my shower.

At breakfast, once everybody has their plates, I clear my throat and give Fluttershy a nod.

Fluttershy stands up. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle? I need you to pick up your plates and come upstairs with me."

The younger girls blink. "Huh? But...why?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"No arguing now," Fluttershy says. "I'm sorry, but you really need to leave the table right now." She smiles half-heartedly. "After we eat, I'll let you brush Angel, okay?"

Rarity gives me a piercing look. I nod. "Sweetie Belle, you should go upstairs with Fluttershy now," she says.

Applejack frowns. "Yeah...Ah dunno whut's goin' on, but Ah got a feelin' you better scoot too, Apple Bloom."

The younger girls look at each other, shrug, and pick up their plates, following Fluttershy out of the room.

We watch until they're at the top of the stairs.

Once we hear a door close upstairs, Rarity looks questioningly at me. "Alright, what's this all about?"

"Are y'all finally gonna be straight with me about all th' sneakin' around an' stuff that's been goin' on around here?" Applejack asks.

We glance at each other. "Well..." Twilight says. "There is something we haven't told you about."

"Ah kinda figgered that out, sugarcube."

I cough. "Okay...first of all...Applejack, you're the only one in this room who wasn't already aware of this, but...back in February, Sunset Shimmer snuck into the dorm one night and, well..."

"Raped Flash," Pinkie says, scowling.

Applejack stares at me. "Say whut?"

"You heard," I say. "I woke up in the middle of the night and that bitch was on top of me."

Applejack's eyes widen. "Holy hell." She shakes her head. "Uhh...what'd you do about it? Ah'm guessin' you didn't go t' th' cops."

"Even though we all told him he's an idiot for not reporting it," Twilight says.

"Anyway," I say, "there's...a new problem related to that."

The other girls look around at each other uncertainly. "Okay, it's gotta be pretty bad if you're gettin' Applejack involved when we've been..." Rainbow trails off. "Uhh...not bothering her with all of this because she has enough drama?"

"Sunset Shimmer is about to start telling everybody she's pregnant," I say. "I got a tip from...someone reliable...the other night."

"Y'mean Fluttershy?" Applejack asks. "Ah know she's..." She frowns. "Kinda maybe friends with Sunset Shimmer? Except they don't always look none too friendly when Ah seen 'em together."

We all stare at Applejack. "WHAT?!" Rainbow screeches.

Applejack blinks at her. "Y'all didn't know?"

Rarity frowns. "Evidently, we all should have been more observant all this time," she says.

"Anyway, Ah figgered it musta been Fluttershy 'cuz you sent her outta th' room," Applejack says. "Which probably means she already knew."

"That makes sense," Pinkie says.

"Okay, can we back this up a bit?" Rainbow asks. "The Baconator raped you and now she's pregnant?"

"No, she's not," I say. "But she's about to start saying she is."

Okay, that's really sick. Who DOES something like that?

Those of us in the know give Sonata a look.

Oh...right...nevermind.

Applejack frowns. "So...why's she pullin' this shit?"

"She's trying to ruin our lives," Twilight says. "Mine and Flash's. Probably anybody associated with us as well."

"Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna, and Nurse Cadance already know about this," I say. "Cadance is going to force Sunset to submit to a monitored pregnancy test that she's going to administer herself. With any luck, all of us working together can kill this before it gets ugly."

"It already sounds pretty damn ugly to me," Rainbow says.

"Me too," Applejack agrees.

"Anyway...I just wanted...no, needed...to let everybody know what's about to happen at school today," I say. I sigh. "No matter how this plays out, I'm in for a bad week."

"We'll be right there beside you," Twilight says.

"Yeah, we got your back, dude," Rainbow agrees.

100%!

We all finish eating breakfast. Twilight and I walk Spike, then get ready to head to school.

Halfway there, our phones start going nuts with Canterbook notifications. We pull out our phones, look at them, then look at each other.

"Looks like it's already started," I say.

Twilight sighs. "Yeah..."

Monday, March 21, 2016 / Morning

As soon as I arrive on campus, other students are staring at me, whispering. I do my best to ignore it and push through to my homeroom class.

Mr. Turner is already at his desk. When I walk in, he looks up and frowns. "Flash, I believe perhaps you should...go to the principal's office. I won't mark you absent."

I sigh and nod. "It's not true, by the way," I say.

I head directly to Principal Celestia's office. Sunset Shimmer is sitting outside; she isn't wearing any makeup today, and her eyes are red and puffy from crying. She's clutching onto a tissue from a box sitting in her lap. The school secretary is sitting beside her, a consoling, supportive look on her face. As soon as I approach, the secretary glares at me, a deep scowl on her face.

"How dare you," she hisses.

"I see Principal Celestia didn't tell you the truth," I say. "She's lying. This whole thing is a hoax."

"A likely story," the secretary says with a snort.

"That will be enough of that, Mrs. Mare," Celestia says from the door to her office. "You two, in my office, now."

Sunset sniffles and stands up, trudging into Celestia's office. I follow behind her. Mrs. Mare gives me a vicious, triumphant smirk as I walk past.

Sunset sits down in front of Celestia's desk. I lean against the wall in front of the big calendar board, crossing my arms.

Celestia sits down, folding her hands in front of her. "Sunset Shimmer," she says in a sad tone, "you owe Flash Sentry an apology for doing this to him. At the very least."

Sunset gasps. "ME? Owe HIM an apo—! Principal Celestia, he forced himself on me, got me pregnant! I—"

"Sunset Shimmer!" Celestia snaps fiercely. "DO NOT lie to me! I know the whole truth. All of it. I know you broke into Applewood Dorm on the night of—" She checks a notepad on her desk. "—February ninth. I know you raped Flash Sentry. I know he chose not to press charges against you, which is the only reason you are still in this school. And I know you are not pregnant. Nurse Cadance has already spoken with the staff at the gynecology clinic and been sent a copy of your file. She's also prepared to administer a pregnancy test, which she will monitor personally." Celestia stands up, leaning forward. "There is no truth to any of what you posted on Canterbook this morning."

Sunset recoils. "It's...it's all lies!" she says. "Of COURSE Twilight Sparkle's sister-in-law would protect him! He's Twilight's boyfriend! I don't know what she even sees in this creep! After what he did to me..."

Celestia pinches the bridge of her nose. "Young lady," she says, "I am tired of this. All of it. My sister was there the night of the assault. She phoned me directly as soon as she learned what happened. And your alleged pregnancy is a complete lie, which has been verified already, which means I will never believe a word you say, ever."

Sunset sniffles. "Then...then fine," she says. "I'll just have to go to the police, and—"

"You do and I'll expose you," I say. "Everything. I don't even care anymore. Just because I can't prove any of it, doesn't mean I can't do exactly what you just did to me. You'll never be able to show your face in this school again."

Sunset glares at me. "Yeah? What exactly do you think you have on me?"

"Let's see...there's what you did to me, for starters," I say. "That'll be the toughest one to get anybody to believe, but I have plenty of witnesses. Then there's what happened with Pinkie Pie's family. We know that was you. And we know Snails got himself expelled because he was afraid of what'd happen if he ratted you out. And you killed Snips. I can't prove it, but I know you had something to do with it."

Celestia's eyes widen and her head snaps up. "What?" she gasps.

Sunset starts laughing. "Oh my GOD, you're pathetic," she says. "How could I possibly have anything to do with that? I was at home doing laundry that day, and my dad was right there with me!"

"Alright, we'll do it that way," I say. "Even without Snips' murder, I've still got enough on you to convince at least half the school you're a total sociopath." I walk over and lean down close to Sunset. "I'm not afraid of you, you sick little bitch. I'm sick of you, I'm sick of your shit. Stop fucking with me and my friends. Leave us alone. If you don't, I will make your life even more of a living hell than you've made mine."

"Flash," Celestia says in a warning tone.

Sunset pushes back her chair and stands up. "We're done here," she says in an arrogant, superior tone.

"We are NOT finished here, young lady!" Celestia says.

Sunset shrugs. "You've made your point," she says. "You're right. I lied. I'm not pregnant. It doesn't matter. I didn't do any of the things Flash Sentry accused me of, and he can't prove I did. Once I post a retraction saying I read my pregnancy test wrong and panicked, there's nothing you can punish me for." Even as she says this, she pulls out her phone and starts typing. "And it's done," she says. She tosses her hair, then leaves the office.

With a scream of rage and frustration, Celestia picks up her coffee mug and hurls it out of the office with the force of a fastball pitch. It explodes into a million shards of porcelain. "That arrogant little WHORE!" Celestia screeches, her chest heaving as she leans against the desk.

Mrs. Mare peeks in, eyes wide behind her glasses. "Umm...is everything alright?"

Celestia doesn't answer. With a worried frown, Mrs. Mare retreats.

I walk over and close the door, then sit down in the chair Sunset Shimmer vacated.

"I'm expelling her," Celestia says. "I don't need a reason. I will not have her in this school."

"You can't," I say. "As much as I'd love to see that happen, she's got you." I take a deep breath. "Anything she's done on Canterbook...you won't be able to use it as evidence against her, because she'll erase it. She has complete control of Canterbook."

Celestia blinks at me. "What?"

I snort. "Her dad owns it. You really think she doesn't have Tier 5 access?"

Celestia sits down heavily, pale and shaking. "I...I only have Tier 4..."

"Her dad probably doesn't know she's given herself total access," I say. "But you'll never prove it. It doesn't matter what we know about her, what matters is proving it. And we can't. We can't prove anything. I can't even prove she raped me."

Celestia slumps forward on her desk.

I lean forward. "Look...for whatever reason, Sunset Shimmer has it in for me and my friends. Everybody at Applewood Dorm. It might be because Twilight is smarter than her, it might be something else. We don't really know for sure. But..." I take a deep breath. "We need to be the ones to bring her down, to expose her for what she really is. Me, Twilight, all our friends. Just us, nobody else. No police, no teachers, no parents...I'm sorry, but not even you and Vice-Principal Luna." I sigh. "I know that's asking a lot, but—"

"Do it," Celestia says. She looks up at me. "Whatever it takes, as long as you don't get yourself arrested. Whatever she's done, whoever she's hurt...I'm leaving it up to you. She's hurt you more than anybody else. You deserve justice...and I get the feeling you're right. I can't get your justice for you." She takes a deep breath. "Just...just one question." She looks me in the eyes. "Is...is Sunset Shimmer responsible for...for everything that's gone on this year?"

"Yes," I say without hesitation. "Either directly or indirectly, Sunset Shimmer is behind everything."

Celestia nods. "Thank you," she says. She sighs. "I can't believe...I'm powerless to do anything about this..."

"That's the thing about bullying," I say. "All those PSAs on TV about telling a teacher? They're bullshit. Every kid who's ever been bullied knows it. The only way to deal with a bully is to push back." I stand up. "I'd...better get to class," I say. "I've got a history test tomorrow, I need to study."

Celestia nods. "Alright. Flash? I...I'm sorry."

I walk past Mrs. Mare, who's sweeping up the remains of the coffee cup, and head back to class. When I arrive, every eye is on me. I take my seat, not looking at anybody. After a full minute, Mr. Turner awkwardly continues reviewing for the test.

Monday, March 21, 2016 / Lunch

Even though Sunset posted a retraction and the whole school's seen it by now, it hasn't stopped the gossip. I'm getting lots of dirty looks from people who believe I cheated on Twilight, as well as leers from guys who think I'm some kind of rock star for having had sex with Sunset Shimmer. Sunset herself is also getting some dirty looks.

Octavia, Vinyl, Coco, and Trixie all join me and my friends for lunch. Chrysalis' daughters are also sitting with us. "Okay, Flash-man, out with it," Vinyl says. "The hell's goin' on here?"

"Sunset Shimmer's a psycho and she's trying to hurt me and Twilight," I say. "End of story."

"Did you really...y'know...with that girl?" Papillon asks.

I sigh. "One night back in February, I woke up with her on top of me. We don't even know how she got in the dorm. That's the truth."

"Whoa. Dude. That's messed up."

"I've always felt that Sunset Shimmer was nothing but trouble," Octavia says with a frown. "But this..."

"Why isn't Principal Celestia doing anything about this?" Coco asks.

"Because there's nothing she can do," I say. "Even though we all know what a creep Sunset is now, there's just...nothing to punish her for. Nothing anybody can prove, anyway." I shrug.

"That's messed up," Vinyl says.

"The important thing," Twilight says, "is that Flash's real friends all know that he would never do anything remotely like what Sunset Shimmer accused him of."

"Quite right!" Rarity agrees.

"Yeah, Flash may be a pervert, but he's not a jerk," Rainbow says.

Vinyl raises an eyebrow. "A pervert, huh?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cries.

He did Twilight in the shower, Sonata writes. The shower. That we all have to share.

"Oh my," Coco whispers, turning pink.

"And that's not even getting into your freaky threesomes with Pinkie Pie," Rainbow says with a teasing grin, warming to the subject.

Octavia's eyes go wide.

"O-KAY!" Pinkie says loudly, a huge, forced grin on her face. "How about we NOT talk about that while we're all eating lunch! In front of people who really don't need to know about that kind of thing?"

"Oh, I need to know!" Katydid says with a huge grin.

"Me too!" Cricket agrees, nodding rapidly.

Twilight facepalms.

The rest of lunch is really embarrassing...

Monday, March 21, 2016 / After School

I can't get away from CHS fast enough when the last bell rings. I practically sprint back to the dorm and up to my room. There's no homework this week, so I grab my guitar, crank my amp, and pour all my anger and frustration into the loudest, crunchiest metal riffs I can play until my ears are ringing and my head is pounding. I flop back on my bed, feeling drained and empty. My head hurts, my fingers hurt, my stomach hurts...

Monday, March 21, 2016 / Evening

I must've dozed off, because the next thing I know, Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow are all sitting around me on the bed. "You okay?" Rainbow asks.

I sit up. My head is killing me. "No," I say. "Not really."

Twilight hugs me. "Flash..." She looks like she's been crying. "I'm so sorry..."

I sigh. "What time is it?"

"It's almost dinnertime," Twilight says. "Cadance and Luna went to pick up sandwiches for everybody. None of us really feel like cooking tonight."

I nod and stand up. "I need some aspirin or something," I say. "My head's killing me."

"I'll get it," Pinkie says. She rushes out; a minute later, she returns with a bottle of medicine. She shakes out two pills, then hands them to me. I snag a soda out of the fridge, pop the top, and down the pills. "Thanks."

Luna leans into the open door. "We're back with the food," she says. "Girls, would you mind letting me speak with Flash for a moment? Alone?"

The girls head downstairs. Luna steps in and sits down. "How are you holding up?"

I shrug. "Today sucked ass. I feel...well..." I shake my head. "Sick. Tired, mostly."

Luna nods. "I truly am sorry," she says. "My sister and I talked at length today." She sighs. "All my worst suspicions about Sunset Shimmer have come to pass..." She shakes her head. "If our school were not so inextricably bound to Canterbook, Celestia and I could more easily deal with the little bitch."

I shake my head. "Like I told Principal Celestia...the only way to deal with a bully is to push back. And that's what she is. A sick, depraved, sociopathic bully."

"I believe it's worse than that," Luna says. "That girl is evil. A bully, I could handle. I...don't honestly know what she is, and it scares me." She frowns. "Even when I was at my worst, all those years ago...even the most sociopathic of the 'friends' I surrounded myself with were not as twisted as Sunset Shimmer." She looks at me. "One interesting thing my sister said. You seem to think Sunset Shimmer is responsible for the death of Snips."

I shrug. "I wouldn't put it past her. Even if she wasn't there, even if she has an alibi, she has something to do with it. I just can't prove it."

"Hmm." Luna sighs. "Well, I disagree with how Celestia is handling this situation, and the fact that she's leaving everything to you and your friends instead of doing her job and dealing with it truly bothers me." She places a hand on my shoulder. "Be careful," she says. "Promise me. If Sunset Shimmer is too much for you and your friends to handle, go to the police. Come to me, to Celestia. We'll deal with it."

I nod. "When we can actually pin anything on her and make it stick, that's exactly what we're going to do. But right now, she's holding all the cards..." I sigh.

Luna shakes her head. "I almost wish the two of you were running around with switchblades trying to knife each other. THAT, at least, I could deal with. This whole social shaming thing...it's worse than anything I grew up with." She sighs again. "Come downstairs. Eat dinner."

We head down to the dining room and join the others. Dinner is silent and awkward. After I eat, I go back to my room. I have tests to study for...
> 3/22 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 / Early Morning
The horoscope app has been disabled until further notice.

Friday is the first day of Spring Break.

For the next three days, I have midterm exams, two per day.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 / After School

Today's exams were brutal...

After school, I take a peek into the Music Club room, even though I didn't bring my guitar today. As expected, it's a dead zone...

I decide to go back to the dorm to study for tomorrow's exams.

When I arrive, I find Luna, Shining Armor, and Fluttershy working on setting up new security cameras outside the dorm. "Uhh..."

"Oh, hey Flash," Shining Armor says. "Can you give us a hand here?"

"Sure," I say. "The cameras are a good idea, but...why now?"

"It was my idea," Fluttershy says softly. "Umm...after I heard about...what happened to you...I got worried about what could happen while we're all away..." She digs at the ground with a toe. "I mean, a lot of our important stuff is here at the dorm, and..."

"Fluttershy came to me this morning," Luna says. "She voiced her concerns, and I happen to agree. This dorm must remain protected while it's vacant."

Fluttershy meets my eyes, and I remember that night she came into my room as "Eris". Sunset Shimmer...would she really burn down the dorm while we're all away?

...of course she would.

"And...I'm not goin' with you guys to Haytona," Shining Armor says.

"You're not?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Even with all this, I'd feel better if somebody were here to watch the dorm, and...well..." He shrugs. "Honestly? I'm not a big fan of the beach. I hate sand. It's coarse and it gets in everywhere." He grimaces. "Especially if you're on the beach with Cadance and she—" He blinks, then clears his throat.

Luna smirks at him. Fluttershy blushes.

I get a brief, horrible mental image of all the places sand can get into if you're having sex on the beach. I cringe.

Working together, we manage to finish setting up most of the cameras by dinnertime. "I'll finish up tomorrow since I won't be heading into work," Shining Armor says. "I've got the new security system to install too."

We all head inside to get cleaned up. Cadance and Shining Armor join us for dinner.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 / Evening

Dinner conversation is split between complaining about exams and excitement over Spring Break.

After dinner, I go up to my room to study. I'm deep into the material I expect to find on tomorrow's morning exam when there's a knock at the door. "Can I come in?"

It's Shining Armor.

"Sure."

Shining Armor walks in and closes the door behind him. He sits down on the bed, wringing his hands in his lap. "Look..." He sighs. "Cadance has told me all about everything going on with that girl Sunset Shimmer...doing what she did to you, and how she's been jerking you all around, and that stupid pregnancy hoax." He looks at me. "I gotta tell you, I nearly freaked out when I saw that on Canterbook, but Cadance explained the whole thing to me right away, and..." He runs a hand through his hair. "I just wanna say...the whole thing sucks ass, dude."

"Yeah, it does."

Shining Armor frowns. "I kinda get why you didn't report it, too," he says. "I mean, I think I do. Is it because you were embarrassed that a girl did that to you, or because...well..." He pauses, then in a quiet, fretful voice, he adds, "I'll be honest...if I woke up with a girl that looks like THAT on top of me, doing that to me? Well..." He ducks his head. "I gotta admit, I'd—"

"I did," I admit. "Until I realized who it was. Then I got mad. And sick. She's pretty much the one person in the world I really hate. I mean, there's people I don't like, but nobody I hate the way I hate Sunset Shimmer."

"Can't say I blame you," Shining Armor says. "It sounds to me like she's a total psycho."

"You don't know the half of it," I say. "I'm glad we're all getting away from Canterlot soon. I need a break from this shit, Twilight damn sure needs a break from it..."

"Yeah." Shining Armor twiddles his thumbs for a minute. "Listen, Flash...there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"If it's about Twilight or Pinkie or what the three of us do together—"

"No, it's not...that," Shining Armor says, a sickly tinge in his cheeks. "Although I really do hope you're all being careful, but...no." He looks up. "Actually, it's about Cadance."

"Oh?"

Shining Armor sighs. "You know about how much she enjoys...and the problems we were having...and that she's still seeing her therapist once a week..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, the thing is..." Shining Armor hangs his head. "I'm a little worried about what might happen on this trip."

"You think she'll cheat on you?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I don't know if she even can go a week without sex, honestly. I mean, I've spoken to her therapist, and she basically told me that the best way to keep Cadance happy is, well..."

"I get the idea."

"I'm just...worried that she'll...well...run wild," Shining Armor admits. "Even with the therapy going as well as it is, Cadance is...well...Cadance."

I frown. "You should really trust your wife more than that."

"I do trust her!" Shining Armor says hastily. "I trust her to always love me. I trust her to come home to me and be happy to see me. I trust her to not do anything to hurt our family." He shrugs. "I just don't trust her not to screw some random dude in Haytona. Or two. I mean, she is who she is. I love her, I always will, and I know she's trying to rein herself in, but...it's Haytona. Spring Break. You know what I mean?"

I sigh. "Yeah." After all, I'm pretty sure me, Twilight, and Pinkie will be doing a lot of that...

"Can you just...I dunno...try to look out for her, make sure she behaves herself? I'm asking you because...I don't feel comfortable talking to Twiley about this."

I nod. "Okay. I'll do my best."

"Thanks," Shining Armor says. "And..." He pauses. "If she's determined to go wild...just...do whatever you have to." He stands up. "Looks like you were busy studying...sorry I interrupted. See you later." He leaves, closing the door behind him.

I study until I'm too tired to see straight, then head for bed.
> 3/23 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 / After School
The horoscope app has been disabled until further notice.

Today's exams were exhausting...

We still have tennis practice today, but it's a short practice and we really spend more time just having fun pairing off for casual singles matches than anything. It's good stress relief after today's testing.

After about forty minutes, Chrysalis calls a halt and has us all sit down and stretch. She asks us what our Spring Break plans are. Half the team is going somewhere for Spring Break; half are staying at home, either to relax or to take extra shifts at part-time jobs. Some of the team (especially the guys) are jealous of our plans to go to Haytona.

Once we're all finished, Chrysalis smiles. "Well...it sounds like you've all got your break planned out...that's good. I hope you all have a good time. I'll see you again in two weeks!"

Pinkie and I head back to the dorm in high spirits.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 / Evening

Once again, dinner conversation is split between exams and Spring Break.

"Flash," Twilight asks suddenly, "are you bringing your guitar with you to Haytona?"

I frown. "I hadn't actually thought about it," I say. "I guess I probably should, but...honestly? I'm not too sure I want to risk the airline losing it. Or it getting damaged in the luggage compartment, or...you know...anything else."

Rainbow sighs. "I didn't even think about that," she says. "Guess I'm not takin' mine either."

"I think your guitars will probably be safer here than they would if you took them," Shining Armor says. "Don't worry, I'll look after all your stuff."

"Did you finish getting the new security system installed?" Cadance asks.

"Just about," Shining Armor says. He frowns. "I spent half the day finding the instructions for it online. Damn thing came with an instruction manual in Neighponese."

"I hate when that happens," Rainbow says. "Dad bought a stereo like that one time."

"Anyway, I've got my old friend Poindexter coming by tomorrow to help finish up the install," Shining Armor says. "He's good with that kind of thing, he can make sure I actually set it up right." He looks around at all of us. "After school tomorrow, before you all start packing, you'll need to be scanned into the system."

"Scanned in?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"This security system doesn't use a code," Shining Armor explains. "It uses a retina scanner."

"Oooh, fancy," Pinkie says.

"Fancy and expensive," Shining Armor says. "And that's why the damn manual is in Neighponese." He shrugs. "Anyway, the only two ways to operate it are retina scan and a magnetic key. The key's staying with Cadance and there's only one copy. The rest of you, you'll have to use the retina scanner to get in or out or disarm the system. I'll explain it all tomorrow."

A retina scanner...that's a good idea. It's a lot harder to defeat one of those than it is any other security system.

Of course, if Sunset Shimmer is determined to burn down the dorm, she doesn't really need to get inside, but...

After dinner, I study for my my last two exams until bedtime.
> 3/24 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 24, 2016 / After School
The horoscope app has been disabled until further notice.

For some reason, today's exams felt longer and more exhausting than the rest...

Perhaps it's because Spring Break starts tomorrow...

There are no club activities after school today, so I meet up with the others at the entrance, and we head straight back to the dorm.

When we get there, we find Shining Armor and a gangly man about his age with round glasses and more acne than any teenager I've ever seen fiddling with a panel next to the front door.

"Okay...I think that'll do it," the gangly man says. "Go turn the power back on."

Shining Armor nods, slapping the other man on the back. "Thanks, Dex, you're a lifesaver."

The pimply man turns around and jumps, visibly startled at the sight of us. His eyes drift over the girls. "Uhh...hello," he says. I notice his gaze lingering on Rarity and Fluttershy especially.

"You must be Coach's friend," I say, stepping forward and in front of the girls. "So the new security system's set up?"

"Uhh, yeah," he says. "It should be ready to go, all you need to do is set it to scan mode and scan in everybody who's supposed to have, umm...access..."

Cadance's SUV pulls up a minute later. "Hey kids," she says as she walks up to us. "Luna's not coming by the dorm this evening, she said to tell you kids to relax and have fun." She looks at the pimply man, blinks, and smiles. "Dexter! It's been a long time!"

Dexter turns red. "Oh, umm, hi there, uhh, Cadance. How's, umm, things?"

"Pretty good, pretty good," Cadance says. "Where's Shiny?"

"Umm, he's turning the, uhh, power back, umm, on," Dexter says. "We had to, umm, turn it off, uhh, to install the, umm...thing..."

The panel by the door lets off a series of alternating-pitch beeps, and three red lights start blinking next to a lighted LCD panel. Dexter turns around and leans over to inspect it. "Oh, it's, umm...ready to scan..."

Cadance steps forward and gently moves him aside. "So, how do we do this?" she asks.

"Oh, umm, you just, uhh...lean over the, uhh...scanner, and, umm...oh, it has to be in, umm...entry mode first...uhh...you can't put it in entry mode without the, umm...key. Uhh...Shining Armor has it..."

Shining Armor jogs back into view. "Is it on?"

"Yeah, it's ready," Cadance says. "Got the key?" Shining Armor hands Cadance a small key. "Okay, how do I do this?"

"Put the key in here, turn it to the right," Shining Armor says. "When the thing beeps and the red lights stop flashing and turn yellow, you hold these two buttons, then lean over the scanner."

We all watch as Cadance follows his instructions. After a moment, three short beeps emanate from the panel, and the lights blink green before turning yellow again. She steps aside; Shining Armor scans himself into the system.

One by one, we all walk up to the panel and scan ourselves in. Once we're all in the system, Cadance removes the key. The three yellow lights change color: two are now red, and one is now blue.

"It's, umm, armed," Dexter says. "Umm...from now on, uhh, just...lean over the, umm, scanner and it'll, uhh...fifteen seconds."

"Or until the door is closed," Shining Armor says. He claps Dexter on the shoulder. "Thanks, man. If we have any problems with it, I'll call you."

"Uhh...sure thing," Dexter says. He turns and slouches away, occasionally casting glances back at the girls.

Once he's gone, Rarity shudders. "Rather creepy fellow," she says.

"Eh, Dex is cool," Shining Armor says. "He's just...not very experienced when it comes to dealing with girls."

Fluttershy frowns. "I don't like the way he was staring at us," she says.

"Yyyyeah...Dex has a thing for teenage girls," Shining Armor says, frowning. "At least, he's got tons of figures of anime girls all over his apartment." He shrugs. "Anyway...you kids have packing to do, right?"

"I'll stay out here until Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle get back," Cadance says. "I need to scan them into the system."

"Okay," Shining Armor says. He leans over the scanner; it beeps twice, and the two red lights turn green. He opens the door and ushers us all inside.

"So that's all there is to it?" Twilight asks. "We just lean into the scanner and it disarms the system?"

"That's right," Shining Armor says. "Oh, and there's a panel on the inside, too. Any time somebody's at the door and wants in, you can let them in the same way."

Twilight and I both turn and give Fluttershy a warning look. She replies with a frown and narrowed eyes.

I head up to my room to pack for the trip...

Thursday, March 24, 2016 / Evening

Since everybody's busy with packing, we order pizza for dinner.

At dinner, we discuss tomorrow. "Okay," Cadance says. "Rarity, did you remind your parents to pick up the girls tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, of course," Rarity says. "They're already preparing the guest room for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. The two of you will spend the weekend at our house, and then on Monday, you'll all be off to Hasbroland!"

"Perfect," Cadance says. "Now, the rest of you...I need you up and ready early." She looks around the table. "Be packed and ready to go, because we need to be out of here at seven, seven-thirty at the latest. Our flight's at a quarter to ten, but you know how it is with airports." She pauses for a bite of pizza, then adds, "I did manage to get us a nonstop flight, so at least we don't have that to worry about." She glances at Shining Armor. "We rented a second SUV for the trip to the airport...you know," she says, "we really should just buy a second SUV at this point. It'd be a lot easier."

Shining Armor frowns. "I dunno, Cadie. I'd feel like I'd need to sell my car if we did that..."

Cadance shrugs. "I wouldn't make you sell your car." She wipes her hands on a napkin. "We'll talk about it again when we get back from Haytona."

After dinner, I go back upstairs to finish packing. I don't have much left to pack; I'm mostly just going over my stuff and making sure I have everything.

There's a knock on my door. Twilight walks in. "Hey," she says.

"Hey."

"Umm...I know you probably already packed some, but..." Blushing, she hands me a large, colorful box.

I frown at it. "Thirty-six...the hell, Twi? We'll only be gone a week!"

Twilight ducks her head. Her face looks like a cherry. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

I shake my head and shove the box of condoms into my suitcase. "Where'd you even—?"

"Internet."

I sigh. "Of course."

As soon as I'm finished packing, I hit the sack.

Haytona awaits...

...but so does a really long flight.
> 3/25 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, March 25, 2016 / Early Morning
The horoscope app has been disabled until further notice.

Twilight and Cadance start kicking everybody out of bed at 5:30 so we can all shower and get ready. Pinkie's downstairs making breakfast for everybody.

"Everyone bring your luggage down to the lounge," Cadance says. "Don't leave anything upstairs that you're taking with you. That includes pet carriers. Don't worry about bringing pet food and stuff, we can buy whatever we need when we get there." She frowns. "Maybe bring just enough pet food for like, tonight and tomorrow."

We all carry our luggage down to the lounge; predictably, Rarity has massively overpacked, having three suitcases, a bulky makeup kit, and her carry-on, as well as Opal's carrier. Twilight, Sonata, Pinkie, and Fluttershy have two suitcases each plus a carry-on. Rainbow, Applejack, and I each only have one suitcase and a carry-on. Cadance's luggage must already be in the SUV...

The pets are all already in their carriers, and none of them look really happy about it.

It's almost 6:30 when we all make it to the dining room, washed and dressed and ready. For breakfast, everyone gets two sandwiches consisting of a bagel, a sausage patty, two strips of bacon, two pieces of cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, and a hash brown. We also each get a tall glass of orange juice.

"Good heavens, Pinkie!" Rarity says. "Are you TRYING to kill us?"

"I don't trust airplane food," Pinkie says. "Besides, we've got a loooong day ahead of us. We all need the energy."

"Hey, you won't hear any complaints from me," Rainbow says as she digs in. We all eat at a quick pace—even Fluttershy and, eventually, Rarity, since we're pressed for time.

After we eat, we all load the luggage and the pets into the rental SUV, which I'm driving; the girls pile into Cadance's SUV. Shining Armor, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle see us off, waving as we pull out and head for the airport.

We get to the airport at about a quarter past seven. It takes us a while to unload the luggage and get it all inside; an airport employee rounds us up a luggage cart and offers to take everything to the baggage check. We recover our carry-on bags, while Twilight goes with the worker to the baggage check to handle that. Cadance asks me to take care of the return of the rental SUV. The rest of the girls follow Cadance to the airline counter to pick up our boarding passes.

By the time we've all met back up, have our boarding passes, and are in the security line, it's closer to eight. By the time we're all waiting at the gate, it's a quarter past nine.

"I think I saw most of CHS in that line," Rainbow says.

"Yeah, looks like lots of kids are flying someplace today."

I look around; I don't see anybody familiar waiting for our flight. I guess we're the only ones going to Haytona...

It feels like forever before they call for us to start boarding...

Friday, March 25, 2016 / Daytime

The flight to Haytona is five and a half hours long. The seats on our plane are small and cramped. Twilight and I spend most of the flight reading. Applejack and Rainbow, sitting across the aisle from us, spend it napping. I can't see what the other girls are up to.

Unfortunately, the flight is made even longer by the airline's inexplicable selection of Mall Security Guy 2 as the in-flight movie. I don't think a single person in our section bothered to rent headphones...

I'm trying my best to ignore it, but it's just...THERE, right in front of me, being really fucking stupid and annoying...

"I really hope we get a newer plane with PTVs in the seats for the flight back," Twilight mutters next to me. "I mean, I probably wouldn't be watching anyway, but this is getting on my nerves."

"You and me both," I say. "What idiot picked this stupid movie?"

A few minutes later, I lean closer and whisper, "Wanna be part of the mile-high club?"

Twilight blinks at me. "The mile-high club? What's that? Is it some kind of frequent flier thing or—"

I facepalm and tell her what it means. She turns red. "People do that? On airplanes with other people around?"

I shrug. "So I hear."

Twilight ducks her head. "That's nasty."

After a few minutes, she adds timidly, "Maybe on the way back."

The flight drags on...

Friday, March 25, 2016 / Afternoon

When we land and are allowed to disembark, it takes me a minute to get the feeling back in my legs. I'm stiff and sore all over.

Cadance gathers us all to the side at the departure gate. "I'm giving you kids the address to the beach house, as well as the key." She hands me an envelope. "I want you kids to get an airport shuttle to haul all our stuff to the beach house. Once you're there, figure out who's sleeping where and start unpacking. We're going to have to double up on rooms, but I'd like a room to myself if at all possible. Pinkie, I need you to come with me. I'm renting an SUV so we can go shopping and stuff when we need to. I know for a fact there's no food at the beach house, so we'll need to go shopping." She frowns. "I'm pretty sure we're gonna order pizza tonight, because I'm already tired from that flight, and after we buy food and get it all put away..."

"Yeah," Pinkie agrees. "I think we're all ready to just spread out and rest." We all voice our agreements.

Once we've claimed all our baggage and loaded it into a trolley, Cadance and Pinkie go off to the car rental counter, while the rest of us hire a shuttle.

Half an hour later, we're staring up at a sprawling two-story wooden beach house with distinctly Neighponese architecture, surrounded by a white stone fence with a lacquered bamboo gate. "Oooh, nice," Twilight says.

It really is. The front of the house faces the ocean; the public beach is about three quarters of a mile away on the other side of the road. There's tropical trees everywhere; not far from the part of the beach we can see from the front of the house, there's a large, rough outcropping of water-washed rocks. The water is sparkling and the air smells of salt. We can see some people down on the beach, as well as a few jet skis out on the water.

The front yard has a stone patio covered with a beach umbrella, a zen garden, some shade trees, and a barbecue pit. I unlock the front door, and we haul our crap inside. The living room is spacious, with huge bay windows with bamboo shades, three large sofas encircling a wide, low square table, and a massive plasma TV mounted on the wall that separates the living room from the kitchen. The kitchen is clean and new, with stainless steel everything and marble countertops. There are pots, pans, cooking utensils, pot holders, and so forth, but no cups, plates, or tableware of any kind. There's a note on the refrigerator reminding us that we'll need our own paper plates, cups, and so forth, and to leave everything as clean as we find it.

I pull out my phone, call Pinkie, and remind her to get paper plates and cups, as well as ice. After that, I fan out with the girls to check out the rest of the house.

There are two bathrooms, one on each floor. The master bedroom and one of the other bedrooms are downstairs; the rest of the bedrooms are upstairs, along with a large screened-in deck with a wooden picnic table and benches. There's also a huge linen closet which is fully stocked. There's a laundry room downstairs, as well as a pantry and a large storage closet.

"Okay, here's how we're going to split up the rooms," I say once everyone gathers in the living room.

"Hey, why do you get to decide?" Rainbow asks.

"Because I said so," I say. "Now...me and Twilight are taking the master bedroom. Cadance gets the other downstairs bedroom. The rest of you are upstairs; I'll let you decide who gets to room with who."

"Why do you two get the master bedroom?" Rainbow asks. "Shouldn't Cadance—?"

"I don't think giving Cadance the master bedroom when she doesn't have anybody to share it with is very fair." I shrug. "Especially since me and Twilight need a bigger bed."

The others make those faces they usually make when that particular subject comes up.

"So...who's rooming with who?" Twilight asks.

The others look at each other uncertainly.

Rarity coughs. "I suppose I should room with Applejack, since I brought the most stuff and she brought the least."

"I'm rooming with Sonata," Fluttershy says. "I refuse to share a room with either Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash."

Sonata shrugs and nods.

Rainbow scratches her nose. "Eh, guess that leaves me with Pinkie Pie."

"Okay...let's start unpacking," I say. We all gather up our stuff and our pets. Twilight puts Cadance's things in the second bedroom downstairs, while I carry our stuff and Spike's carrier into the master bedroom. I text Pinkie and Cadance with an update on the arrangements, then start unpacking.

It takes the better part of an hour for everybody to get unpacked. After that, we let all the pets out so they can get some food, water, and exercise. It turns out the back yard has some nice, wide flower gardens with thick, rich dirt; being completely fenced in as it is, we decide we can let Spike and Zoe run around freely. Tank seems to enjoy it too; Rainbow leaves him outside, and he settles down into the grass and suns himself. Opal seems determined to stay inside, and promptly holes up in the downstairs storage closet.

Friday, March 25, 2016 / Evening

We're all sitting in the living room resting when Pinkie and Cadance return with a huge mass of groceries. Cadance looks around and grins. "Oh wow, this place is even better than the pictures!"

"Wow, this is amazing!" Pinkie says.

"Wait until you see the bedrooms," Rainbow says, grinning. "The beds are nice, there's a TV in every room..."

"In other words, it's just like the dorm, except beach houseier," I say. "Cadance, we've got you downstairs, across from me and Twilight."

"Flash decided he gets the master bedroom," Rainbow says, sticking her tongue out at me.

Cadance shrugs. "I've got no problem with that, if he's sharing it with Twilight. They need their space."

We all work together to put away the supplies Cadance and Pinkie brought back with them, then settle in with sodas and ice while we order pizza.

While we're waiting for the pizza, Cadance says, "Okay, let's set some ground rules for this little vacation. First of all, the beach." She looks around at us. "Nobody goes down to the beach alone, okay? You can go any time of day or night you want, just as long as you don't go alone."

We all nod.

"Next rule..." She looks around at us, especially at me and Twilight. "Safe sex. I know you kids are...more or less careful back home, but...just promise me, alright?" She looks at the girls who usually aren't active back home. "That goes for everybody." After a moment, she says, "Last rule: keep this place clean. We need to leave it exactly as we found it."

"No, the last rule is..." Pinkie stands up and strips off her shirt. "Clothing...OPTIONAL!" Letting out a loud, wild whoop, she strips bare-ass naked in front of us.

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells.

"Oh, for..." Applejack mutters, covering her face with her hat.

"Whaaat?" Pinkie whines. "I wanna be naked!" She looks at me. "Flash doesn't mind! Right?"

I sigh. "Leave me out of this..."

Cadance rolls her eyes. "Just...don't go outside like that," she says. A minute later, she stands and stretches. "I'm gonna go change," she says. "Everybody should get comfortable."

"Getting comfortable sounds good," Rainbow says. She wanders upstairs. The other girls start wandering off as well, except for Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. I don't have enough energy left to bother changing clothes, so I stay in the lounge.

Rarity smirks at me. "Interesting how little reaction you had to Pinkie's...shameless display."

I shrug. "I'm used to it," I say.

Fluttershy snorts. "I'll say," she mutters.

"Can you do us all a favor and not be such a bitch this week?" Pinkie asks, frowning at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy frowns at her, then looks away.

"Pinkie," I say, "be nice."

Rarity eyes Pinkie critically. "I must admit I'm a bit jealous," she says. "I wish I had your muscle tone."

"I get a lot of exercise," Pinkie says with a shrug. "Tennis, working at Sugar Cube Corner..." She gives me a sly smirk. "And, y'know, other stuff."

When Cadance returns, all she's wearing is a bikini bottom and a loose, almost see-through blouse that's unbuttoned. She isn't wearing a bikini top. She sighs happily as she sits down on one of the sofas, arranging her top and stretching her legs. "You know, you're right, Pinkie," she says. "I'm not gonna flash my boobs at everybody, but I feel more relaxed like this."

"Nudity is FUN!" Pinkie says with a giggle.

The other girls come downstairs in shorts or panties and either T-shirts or tank tops. Around the time everybody's sitting back down, the pizza arrives. I get up to answer the door.

The food on the airplane was inedible, so we're all starving. We tear into the pizza with gusto, talking about what we're going to do tomorrow. We all agree we'll spend tomorrow relaxing on the beach.

"I think we might have a cookout on Sunday," Cadance says. "I mean, it's Easter, it seems like a good day to cook out. We got cookout stuff."

"I like that idea," I say.

"Me too," Twilight agrees.

"I guess Monday we might do a little shopping in town...souvenirs and stuff," Cadance says. "Tuesday is Fluttershy's birthday, we'll have a little party for her..."

We all glance at Fluttershy. She shrugs.

"Past that, I guess...we'll just relax and enjoy ourselves," Cadance finishes. She stands up and stretches. "I'm going to bed," she says.

The rest of us finish up the pizza, clean up the mess, put away the leftovers, and head off to our own rooms.

Tomorrow, Spring Break begins for real...

When Twilight gets in bed, she smirks at me. "Cadance walking around like that sure gave you a boner, didn't it?"

I laugh. "I think I'm gonna have a boner most of the week," I say.

"Perv." Twilight shakes her head. "Well...I'm too tired to help you do anything about it right now."

"Me too," I say, cracking a huge yawn. We cuddle up together; I'm asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.
> 3/26 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, March 26, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Awkward revelations today may open the door to deeper personal relationships.

It's nearly nine when I wake up. The master bedroom has its own bathroom separate from the downstairs bath; I need to piss like crazy, so I take care of that, then I wash up a bit. Twilight's just waking up when I exit the bathroom. "Mornin'," she says sleepily.

I lean down and kiss her. "Morning," I say. "I'm about to head out and see if anyone's up yet."

Twilight moans sleepily as she sits up. "They should be, it's pretty late..." She stretches.

I head out into the hall. The first thing I see upon leaving the bedroom is Cadance's breasts right in my face.

"Oh! Good morning, Flash," she says. She's still "dressed" the way she was last night, except her shirt is spread wide open, and her body is proudly on display. Caught off-guard, all I can do is stare...

"Cadance, put those away before Flash makes a mess," Twilight says from behind me.

Cadance giggles. "Aww, I was kind of hoping to get felt up a little," she says. "I love a good morning grope."

"Whatever," Twilight mutters, shuffling past us with a yawn. "I need bacon."

"Better follow her if you want any breakfast," Cadance says. "I think I'll take a shower." She pauses and cocks a hand on her hip, smirking at me. "You could join me if you want..."

"Gah! What the hell, Cadance?"

Cadance giggles. "I'm just teasing," she says. She waves and heads off to the bathroom.

Good grief...

I head for the kitchen.

Twilight is dressed similarly to Cadance; she has on a modest dark purple bikini (plus the top), with an unbuttoned light blue blouse over it, and flip-flops that match her bikini. "Nice," I say as I walk up behind her and hug her.

"But it'd be nicer if I was flashing my boobs like Cadance, right?" Twilight says as she turns on the burner under a skillet full of bacon.

"What's with her this morning?" I ask. "I thought she wasn't...y'know...doing that kind of thing anymore."

Twilight shrugs. "As long as she doesn't go down to the beach like that, I don't really care." She sighs. "I really hope she behaves herself this week..."

"Where's the fun in behaving yourself?" I ask, tickling Twilight's stomach. She giggles.

I help Twilight make breakfast; I can hear the other girls wandering downstairs. "Hey Flash, hey Twilight," Pinkie calls as she enters the kitchen. "Need a hand? A leg? A tit? A pu—"

"Just help us finish up breakfast and take it out to the living room," Twilight says.

I nearly drop the pan of eggs I'm holding when Pinkie brushes past me. She's still naked. "Pinkie...seriously, cut it out."

"Whaaat?" Pinkie whines.

Twilight frowns at her. "Pinkie, really, you need to go put on your bathing suit at least," she says. "You're making the others really uncomfortable."

Pinkie sighs. "Oh-kaaaaaay," she says, trudging out.

"That girl," Twilight mutters.

"Yeah," I say. "I mean, if everybody was going naked, it'd be one thing, but..."

Twilight smirks at me. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes. Yes I would."

"Perv," Twilight says, blowing a raspberry. We finish up breakfast and start carrying things out to the living room.

Upon seeing all the girls in their beach wear, I can tell I'll be embarrassing myself all day long.

Rainbow Dash is wearing a sporty dark blue one-piece, cut high up the hips, and white canvas slip-on shoes.

Sonata's wearing a wine-colored strapless bikini and flip-flops. She has bigger tits than I realized. Her scars are standing out against her bare skin, but she's in the process of applying makeup to cover them. And there are a lot of scars to cover. I almost can't look at her without cringing...

"Good heavens, darling," Rarity says to her, a sympathetic look on her face. "It really is a miracle you survived that crash, isn't it? Here, let me help you with that." Rarity is wearing a skimpy dark blue bikini and spike-heeled black sandals. She very obviously waxed...

Sonata gives her a grateful thumbs-up and hands her the makeup sponge.

Applejack's wearing denim shorts and a tied-off checkered shirt. The deep neckline's showing a fair amount of cleavage; I don't think she's wearing a bra under it. She's barefoot. Fluttershy's wearing a green bikini, a sarong, and fancy sandals.

As we finish setting out the serving dishes, Cadance walks in, dressed pretty much the same as before, except now she's wearing the top to her bikini under her shirt. We all sit down and start heaping food onto our plates. Pinkie joins us, wearing a dark pink bikini. "So, are we all going down to the beach after breakfast?" Pinkie asks.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Cadance says. "I brought a couple of vinyl bags we can use to pack stuff we'll need for the beach. You know...blankets, sunscreen, money to buy drinks and snacks, whatever."

"Cool."

"I've got some stuff we can have fun with!" Pinkie says. "I brought a couple of beach balls, a volleyball, some games..." She beams. "I'll just bring everything and we can do whatever we feel like doing."

"That sounds fun," Twilight says.

"There's a little snack shack about a mile up the beach from here," Cadance says. "I figure we'll stake out an area close to that to spread out. It's a bit of a walk from the beach house, but..."

"If it's closer to food, it's fine by me!" Twilight says. We all laugh.

"It's not going to get very hot, is it?" Fluttershy asks.

Cadance shakes her head. "Mid seventies," she says. "But it'll be sunny, so...don't forget your sunscreen, and...Rarity, you said you found a big beach umbrella in the upstairs closet, right?"

"I certainly did!" Rarity says in a singsong voice.

"Right. So if the sun gets to be too much, we'll have some shade," Cadance says. She looks around at us. "Now, there's one thing I forgot to mention last night. Booze." She frowns. "I remember Spring Break when I was in high school." She blushes. "I remember sneaking booze and...well..." She coughs and clears her throat. "Anyway. I...really don't want you kids getting drunk."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Twilight says.

"Yeah, being drunk isn't fun," Pinkie agrees. "I do silly enough things when I'm sober. I'd rather remember them."

"Won't get no argument from me," Applejack says.

"Hey, my body is a temple," Rainbow says.

"Ooh, can anyone worship?" Pinkie asks.

Rainbow smirks at her. "We'll see."

After breakfast, we all start getting ready to head down to the beach. While we're cleaning up the kitchen, Twilight says, "You and I need to have a word with Cadance before we head out."

We find Cadance packing blankets and towels for the beach. "Cadance," Twilight says quietly, "before we head out, I..." She pauses, then sighs. "Are you going to behave yourself?"

"Of course not," Cadance says in a light, playful voice.

"Cadance," Twilight says seriously, grabbing her shoulder and turning her to face us.

Cadance sees the serious look on Twilight's face and sobers up, sighing. "My wedding ring is staying firmly on," she says, holding up her left hand and wiggling her ring finger for emphasis. "But..." She shrugs. "I can't spend a week on the beach and not have some fun." Seeing Twilight gearing up to go on a tirade, she holds up a hand to ward her off. "Twiley, I had a long talk with Shiny about this." She ruffles Twilight's hair. "I can fool around a little, as long as it's with anyone from the dorm. And really, that's all I need." She smiles. "Between you, Flash, Pinkie, and probably Rainbow, I can have plenty of safe sexy fun."

Twilight flushes. "M-me?!" she squeaks.

Cadance leans close to Twilight. "Well you're just so adorable," she says huskily.

"Meep," Twilight says. I can tell her brain has completely locked up. I can sympathize. I'm feeling a bit brain-locked myself right now...

Cadance giggles and hugs us both close. "I won't do anything I shouldn't do with anyone I don't love and care about," she says. "That's a promise." She kisses us both on the cheek, then goes back to work packing.

We head back to our room to get our stuff. Twilight's face is red and she's blinking owlishly. "Did...did what I think just happened happen?" she asks.

"If you mean did we just add another oversexed pink girl to our collection? I think so..." I shrug. "At least until we get back to Canterlot." I hug Twilight. "I think it'll be okay. It's...it's not the same as before, right?"

Twilight shakes herself. "I...I guess..."

I change into a pair of blue board shorts and flip-flops. We finish packing, then join the others in the living room. "Everybody ready?" Cadance asks. "Let's go!"

Saturday, March 26, 2016 / Daytime

The hike down to the beach is long. Cadance leads us along the higher inner section of the beach, nearer the elevated, fenced-off street. We soon approach a fairly decent-sized wooden building with faded whitewashed walls, unpainted supports, and a sanded floor on stilts. The front half of the building is a mostly open dining area with nine or so medium-sized tables, with a low wood lattice fence enclosing one corner of it, and a brightly-painted yellow sign over the building's facade that reads "Lemon Beach House". The sign boasts a variety of Neighponese foods that are quick and cheap, as well as shaved ice, sodas, and ice cream. There's a low counter in the front, behind which a Neighponese girl with short red hair wearing a yellow T-shirt is standing.

"Well, this is the spot!" Cadance says. She leads us down the slope from the lemon place until we find a nice, level patch of sand, where we start spreading out our beach blankets.

"Neighponese food?" Rainbow asks, wrinkling her nose. "I dunno...when I think of beach snacks, I think of like, hot dogs and nachos, not raw fish and shit-taking mushrooms..."

Sonata starts snickering. Twilight and Pinkie giggle. Rarity shakes her head. Cadance rolls her eyes. "Shiitake," she corrects. "And this place doesn't serve sushi. I think you'll like what they have."

"If you say so," Rainbow says dubiously.

Cadance stretches out on a blanket, kicking off her flip-flops. "Flash? Would you help me with my sunscreen?" She rolls over onto her stomach, wiggling her butt in the air.

"He's supposed to help me with mine," Twilight says poutily.

"I'll do you if you do me, Twi-Twi!" Pinkie says happily.

Twilight shrugs. "Alright." She spreads out on a blanket, and Pinkie kneels over her with a bottle of lotion. I grab a bottle and sit down next to Cadance.

"Get my legs first," she says.

As I start applying sunscreen lotion to Cadance's gorgeous legs, I look around at the others. Rainbow is putting lotion on Rarity, Fluttershy and Sonata are helping each other (with absolutely no sexual body language, unlike everybody else), and Applejack is rubbing sunscreen on her own arms and legs.

Cadance lets out a silken moan as I rub her legs down. I'm getting seriously turned on here...

So are some of the others, apparently, because the girl from the snack shop storms down to us, hands on her hips. "HEY! This is a public beach! If you're gonna do softcore porn, take it someplace else!" Shaking her head and muttering, she stalks back up to her restaurant.

Chagrined, we all finish up with our sunscreen quickly. Taking a look around, I decide I probably need to put a little distance between myself and most of the girls. "Twilight, let's go for a walk down the beach," I say.

Twilight smiles. "Sure." She stands up and follows me back in the direction we came from; I head for the outcropping of rocks I saw yesterday. "That looks like a nice, private place," I say.

Twilight glances at me. "For what, a quickie?"

"Maybe," I say. "Not today, though. I really just wanted to walk off this raging boner."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "You really are a pervert," she says.

I shrug. "I can't help it. Even though I have the cutest girlfriend on the planet...and, well...Pinkie..." I gesture vaguely with my hands. "I mean, look at it this way. I'm surrounded by the hottest girls at CHS all the time at the dorm, and that includes Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna. And, well...have you seen what Luna wears around the dorm when she's playing games with Rainbow?"

Twilight blushes. "She...does sort of...let it all hang out," she says.

"And now I'm here, on the beach, with the same hot girls..." I shake my head. "If Celestia and Luna were here, I think I'd explode or something. As it is, well..."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Twilight says, rolling her eyes again and laughing. "Still, I think you do let your dick do the thinking for you a little too much."

I sigh. "Probably, yeah." I wrap an arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "Lucky for me you've got enough brains for ten people."

Twilight blushes and leans into me.

By the time we've reached the outcropping, I've settled down, and Twilight is hungry. We turn and head back to our spot on the beach. Cadance and Rarity are the only two there; they're relaxing on the beach blankets, sunbathing. Pinkie, Sonata, Applejack, and Rainbow are down on the beach, hitting the volleyball around.

"Where's Fluttershy?" Twilight asks.

Cadance points up at Lemon House. We look over in that direction and see Fluttershy sitting at a table, eating shaved ice.

"So, did you two enjoy your little...afternoon delight?" Rarity asks, smirking.

Twilight blushes. "We just went for a walk! We didn't...THAT!"

"We found a pretty good place to do that, though," I say, pinching Twilight's butt. She yelps and swats me. Her stomach rumbles.

Cadance glances at her phone. "It's about time for a lunch break, I think," she says. Even as she says this, the others start winding down their game and head in toward us. Cadance and Rarity get up; Cadance grabs the bag with our money and phones, and we head up to the little beachside cafe. We all order yakisoba and korokke, then occupy two of the tables. A girl with long blue hair and a gentle smile brings out our food.

"Okay, this isn't so bad," Rainbow decides as she digs in. I have to agree; this is pretty good stuff. We all eat quickly, then order ice cream to take back to our spot.

"So, are we gonna go back to volleyball?" Rainbow asks as we eat our ice cream.

"Eh, I kinda wanna sit for a while," Pinkie says. She rummages through her bag of game stuff. "We should play a party game! One we can do without..." She trails off, and an evil smile crosses her face. "I know! How about truth or dare?"

"Oh dear God," Cadance says, laughing. "With this group? That's a disaster waiting to happen!"

"Oh, I don't know," Rarity says. "A good juicy game of truth or dare sounds quite lively."

Pinkie Pie pulls out a colorful plastic spinner. "We can take turns," she says. "Whoever's turn it is, they can spin this, and the person it lands on has to pick truth or dare. Then they get to go next."

"We know how truth or dare works, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow says, rolling her eyes. She shrugs and tucks her legs under her. "Sure, I'm in."

"I haven't played truth or dare since college," Cadance says. "I'm in!"

"Oh, very well," Rarity says. "So who goes first?"

"We'll let the spinning wheel decide!" Pinkie says. She lays the spinner down; we all group around it in a circle. She flicks the arrow; it spins around and lands on Twilight.

Twilight blinks. "Oh! Umm...okay? What do I do?"

"Just spin it," Pinkie says. "Whoever it points to, you ask them truth or dare. If they pick truth, you ask a question and they have to answer it truthfully. If they pick dare, you have to dare them to do something."

"Oh. Okay, that sounds easy enough." Twilight spins the arrow. It stops on Rarity. "Okay, Rarity. Truth or dare?"

Rarity tilts her head. "Hmm...truth, I suppose."

"Okay." Twilight thinks for a minute, brow scrunched up cutely as she taps her cheek with a finger. Her eyes light up. "Aha! I've got it." She smiles at Rarity. "This is something I've always wondered about, actually. I've noticed, well...you speak with a completely different accent from the rest of your family."

Rarity blanches.

"So," Twilight says, "what's up with that? I mean, how does that work?"

Rarity stares at Twilight for a long moment. A stray hair pokes up out of her elegant coiffure. She sighs. "It's a fake accent," she says...in a normal voice that sounds like any other girl in Canterlot. "I do it to sound more cultured and refined." She laughs. "I've been doing it so long it's completely natural now. Even my own family has forgotten what I really sound like."

"Oh. Wow." Twilight blinks. "I...wasn't expecting that. Umm...I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable..."

Rarity sighs theatrically. "Really, darling," she says in her usual accent, "it's no more embarrassing than being outed for wearing false eyelashes. Which I also do." She laughs ruefully. "There's quite a bit about me that's fake, I suppose..."

"How about your boobs?" Pinkie asks. "Are those fake?"

"Certainly NOT!" Rarity scoffs. "Everything about my body is absolutely, one hundred percent real." She tosses her hair. "Well, except for my eyelashes." She looks around at the rest of us. "So...is it my turn now?"

"Yeah."

Rarity leans forward and spins the spinner. It stops on Pinkie.

"Oooh," Pinkie says. "I take dare!"

"Very well," Rarity says. She smirks. "I noticed that the delightful little cafe over there has a special. Squid ink spaghetti. I dare you to go up there, order some, and eat it."

"Eww, gross!" Rainbow says, laughing.

"Sure!" Pinkie jumps up and runs over to Lemon House. She spends a minute talking with the red-haired girl at the counter. After a few minutes, she returns with a paper tray full of thin black spaghetti noodles with fried shrimp and slices of shiitake mushroom.

"Oh eww," Rainbow says. "That stuff looks diseased..."

Pinkie grins at us. "Bon appetit!" she says. She eats the squid ink spaghetti right in front of us.

"How is it?" Twilight asks.

"Weird," Pinkie says. She finishes it, then takes the tray over to one of the recycling barrels and dumps it. She walks back over, taking a bow before sitting back down. "My turn!" Pinkie grabs the spinner and spins it several times. It takes forever for it to stop, but when it finally does, it's pointing at Cadance.

Cadance giggles. "Oh my." She smiles and tosses her hair. "Truth, I guess."

Pinkie gets a sly smile. "What's the kinkiest thing you've ever done while having sex?"

"GAH! Pinkie!" Twilight cries, face flaming.

Cadance mirrors Pinkie's sly smile. "That depends. Are we talking with one or multiple partners?"

Rainbow's eyes bug out. "Multiple...?"

Pinkie tilts her head. "How many are we talking here?"

Cadance shrugs. "Back before I started going steady with Shiny, I...well...partied a lot. I've done it with like, five guys at once before."

"Oh my," Rarity says softly, her face burning red.

"How does that even—?" Rainbow asks, waving her hands around.

Cadance blushes. "Well...there's three places a guy can...you know...and I've got two hands..." She makes some rather obscene hand gestures, causing us ALL to blush.

"WAY too much information!" Twilight shrieks.

I think THAT counts as the kinkiest thing by itself, Sonata writes.

"Yeah," Pinkie agrees. Even SHE looks wigged out...

Cadance shrugs. "Yeah, I've always been kind of a slut. I'm trying to be better." She giggles. "I might misbehave a bit during Spring Break, though. If it's with the right people." At this, she winks at me...and Twilight.

"CADANCE!" Twilight yells, blushing furiously.

"What?" Cadance asks innocently. "I thought you'd developed a taste for pink girls..."

"Oh, she likes the taste of pink girls alright," Pinkie says.

"GAH!" Twilight yelps. The others all laugh...

Cadance shakes her head and leans forward. "My turn," she says, flicking the spinner. It lands on Sonata. "Truth or dare?"

Truth.

"Are you a virgin?"

Yep! Sonata spins the spinner. It points to Applejack.

Applejack blinks. "Uhh...truth," she says.

Sonata thinks for a minute, giggles, and writes:

Have you ever seen your brother's pecker?

"Ooooooh," Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity all catcall, giggling.

Applejack flushes scarlet. "Uhh...yeah," she admits. "Ah walked in on him in th' bathroom once, by accident." She fans herself with her hat.

Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity all burst into cackles. Cadance grins. Twilight blushes.

"So, does he have a BIG Macintosh?" Pinkie asks.

Applejack ducks her head. "Well...it...it looked pretty big t' me," she said. "Course, Ah was twelve at th' time..." She laughs. "Boy, he was mighty mad. Ah learnt words that day..." She shakes her head.

We all laugh. "Okay, spin it," Cadance says.

Applejack spins the arrow. It lands on Fluttershy. Fluttershy looks startled. "Oh...umm..." She swallows. "Dare?"

"Hmm..." Applejack thinks about that for a minute. "Alright. Ah dare you t' go up t' that there snack shop an' tickle that girl at th' counter."

"Oh my." Fluttershy frowns. "I...I don't think we should get her angry at us..."

"You gotta do it," Rainbow grins.

Fluttershy sighs, stands up, and trudges over to the snack shop. We watch as she spends a minute talking to the redhead, who looks past her and frowns at us. The redhead shakes her head and steps out from behind the counter. They have a brief tickle fight, then Fluttershy walks back down to us. We all applaud.

"Umm...she asked us to please not involve her in any more of our silly games, unless it involves buying something from her."

"Fair enough," Cadance says. "Your turn!"

Fluttershy leans forward and gives the spinner a good flick. It spins around for several seconds before landing on me. She looks up at me. There's a slightly malevolent gleam in her eyes. For a second, I feel like I'm facing down Eris on the battlefield... "Truth or dare?"

Oh crap.

I'm not sure I want to do this...I have a feeling this is gonna suck either way...

"Truth."

Fluttershy smirks at me. "Out of everyone at the dorm you haven't already had sex with, which of us do you wish you could screw?"

"Yikes," Rainbow says, blinking.

Oh my god... "What the hell, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy leans back on her hands. "You have to answer," she says.

Twilight frowns at her, but looks over at me. All the girls are leaning forward, varying expressions of interest and mortification on their faces.

I am so dead...

"Poor Flashie," Pinkie says. "That question was a death sentence..."

"C'mon, dude," Rainbow says. "Out with it."

I sigh and swallow nervously. My throat is suddenly dry...

I look around at the girls. "Rarity," I say. "And...and Rainbow Dash."

Rarity blushes and toys with her hair. "W-well," she says. "I'm flattered, of course."

Rainbow blinks. "Me? Seriously?"

I look away. "Yeah," I admit. "I, uhh...the whole first week at the dorm, I kinda wanted to do you..."

"Oh, that week Rainbow couldn't keep her clothes on?" Pinkie asks.

Rainbow blushes furiously.

What about the rest of us? Sonata writes. She looks almost like her feelings are hurt. You don't think I'm cute enough?

"Uhh..." I cough. "You're really cute, Sonata. It's just...I don't think of you that way." At her crestfallen look, I add, "It's...it's because you're...well..." I cast about for an explanation.

"Because she's crippled?" Fluttershy asks.

"NO!" I yell. "Because...because she's too cute. Like...sweet little sister cute."

Sonata blinks at that. A blush creeps across her face. Really?

"Yeah," I say. "Like...you're totally safe and..." I shrug. "You just feel like a little sister. Like I want to cuddle you and protect you, not..." I gesture with my hands. "You know."

Sonata smiles. Thank you. I think.

"And me and Applejack?" Fluttershy asks.

"Applejack's just not my type," I say. I look at Applejack. "Sorry."

She shrugs. "Don't bother me none."

"And Fluttershy, well..." I frown and look at her. "It's complicated, but...let's just say there's only one girl at CHS I'd be less likely to touch."

Fluttershy gives me a look that's equal parts stung and angry.

"Ouch," Rainbow says.

"Whoa, low blow," Pinkie says.

Cadance coughs. "I think we've had enough truth or dare for today," she says.

Hey, what about Cadance? Sonata writes. She gives me a teasing smile. You didn't say whether or not you'd sleep with HER!

Twilight gets a panicked look on her face. Cadance grimaces and draws her knees up to her chest. Pinkie sighs. Rainbow and Rarity both look away from me.

"I asked him about everyone he hasn't already had sex with," Fluttershy says cattily.

Sonata blinks. Her eyes widen. She looks between me and Cadance.

I sigh. "Yeah."

Cadance frowns at Fluttershy. "I was having a fight with Shining Armor, I got drunk, I decided to do something really stupid, and Flash and I are both lucky we have very forgiving partners."

"You got that right," Twilight mutters.

Applejack blinks and stares at us. "Okay...am Ah th' ONLY one who didn't know?"

I didn't! Sonata writes, eyes wide. I'm sorry! I really didn't!

"It's okay, Sonata," Cadance says with a smile. "Everybody's in a better place now."

"I'm going back to the beach house," Fluttershy announces. "I need to check on the pets."

I'll go with you, Sonata says. I think I need to get out of the sun anyway.

"Me too, darling," Rarity says. "As fair-skinned as I am, I really shouldn't be in the sun more than four or five hours at a time."

Cadance gives Rarity the key, and the three of them head back up the beach. The rest of us decide to go for a swim.

"What is wrong with that girl?" Cadance mutters to me and Twilight as we head down to the ocean.

"I don't know," Twilight says. "I think...she's just mad at us for..." She shrugs. "Actually, I can't figure her out at all." She sighs. "She sure isn't making an effort to be friends with us." She glares at me. "But that comment you made to her was really uncalled for."

I sigh. "Yeah, I know. I...I'll apologize later."

We play around in the water and on the shore, swimming and collecting seashells, until a little past four, then head back up to the house.

Saturday, March 26, 2016 / Evening

Rarity and Sonata are halfway through making dinner when we get back to the house. We more or less toweled ourselves off on the way back from the beach, but we all still smell like the sea and have sand everywhere. Twilight and I take a quick shower together while the others all share the other two bathrooms. Everybody's wearing shorts and T-shirts when we all head to the living room just as Rarity announces dinner. Cadance turns on the TV; she channel-surfs until we find a decent movie to watch while we eat.

All through dinner, some of the girls are giving me really disconcerting looks...

After I finish eating, I help clean up the kitchen, then head to the master bedroom. I'm tired, and I need to be up early tomorrow because we're cooking out. Twilight's only a few minutes behind me; she strips down and pulls on a long T-shirt to sleep in, then snuggles up next to me in the bed. "Hey, Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"About...all that stuff that came up this afternoon...you know, about you wanting to have sex with Rainbow and Rarity?"

I sigh. "Just...let's forget that ever happened, okay?"

Twilight shakes her head. "Weren't you paying attention at dinner? There's way too much tension in the air now." She plays with her hair as she looks at me. "Look, Flash...I know you. Hell, this morning, I could tell you wanted to fool around with Cadance." She blushes. "And...if you had...I would've let it slide."

"Seriously?"

She ducks her head. "I...probably would've watched," she admits in a small voice.

Wow.

"And I still don't know what to think about...about what she said to us," Twilight admits, "but I..." She shakes her head. "Anyway...I was watching Rarity and Rainbow all evening. They're...pretty hung up on what you said today."

I sigh. "I guess I need to apologize to them too..."

Twilight shakes her head. "No, that's not going to work." She takes my hand. "I know I'm...pretty new to relationships and sex, but...even I know there's only one way to get rid of sexual tension." She pulls me into a soft kiss, then looks right into my eyes. "I'm giving you one week," she says huskily. "Anything you want to do, anyone you want to do it with. Just...don't forget who you belong to."

I stare at her. "What?"

She slaps me on the shoulder. "I'm saying get this Rarity and Rainbow Dash thing out of your system, dummy!" She smiles. "It's okay, honest. I...I don't mind."

"Are you serious?" I shake my head. "Twi..."

"I think we'll all be healthier and happier in the end," Twilight says, hugging me tightly. "Now let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's cookout day, and I can't wait."

I have permission to make time with other girls over the next week...

Spring Break just got a whole hell of a lot more interesting.
> 3/27 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, March 27, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't be afraid to be adventurous today.

Today is Easter.

We're going to cook out today. Even as Pinkie and Applejack make breakfast for everyone, Rarity and Cadance are preparing a truly prodigious amount of meat.

"So who's on grill duty today?" Rainbow asks. She's flipping through the channels in the living room.

"Flash and Applejack, I think," Twilight says. "Applejack because it makes sense, Flash because it's, well...tradition to make the guys grill the meat."

I roll my eyes. "Nevermind that I've never touched a grill in my life..."

Cadance walks out of the kitchen. "First thing you need to do is start the fire and get it going," she says. "It needs to be burning a while before you can even put any food on. There's charcoal, lighter fluid, and matches in the pantry."

"Need me to start it now?" I ask.

"Yes please."

"I'll help," Twilight says. We get the grilling supplies out of the pantry, then head out to the front yard, where the barbecue grill is. It takes us a minute to figure out how to add the charcoal; Twilight squirts lighter fluid all over it, then I put the grill back on and light a match, which I toss into the charcoal. It takes two tries to get the lighter fluid to catch, but after a minute, a nice, merry little fire is burning in the pit. Within a few minutes, the flames have mostly died down, leaving the charcoal smoldering. Mesquite smoke wafts up out of the grill.

After watching it burn for a few minutes, we head back inside for breakfast.

Sunday, March 27, 2016 / Daytime

It's around ten when Cadance announces it's time to start putting meat on the grill. "We've got steaks, burgers, chicken wings, and sausages." With a mischevious grin, she says, "I made sure there's at least two sausages for all of us, girls!"

"CADANCE!" Twilight yells.

Cadance laughs as she brings out an aluminum tray laden with meat. I shake my head as I take it from her; Applejack walks out of the kitchen with a matching tray, and we head outside.

It takes a while to cook everything; while we're grilling, the other girls are busy setting up some card tables and folding chairs on the patio. Pinkie found a boombox somewhere and brought it out, so there's music playing as we all work. Cadance and Rarity are busy in the kitchen making the rest of the food.

By half past one, everything's ready, and we're all sitting around the pushed-together card tables. Everybody takes what they want; in addition to the meat, we have hamburger fixings, baked beans, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and baked potatoes. Every time Rainbow, Twilight, Pinkie, or Cadance bite into a sausage, I have to fight down a wave of arousal. Rarity is steadfastly refusing to touch anything even remotely phallic. Whenever I lock eyes with Fluttershy, she makes a point of picking up a sausage and taking a huge, vicious bite out of it.

Yikes...

Other than some of the underlying sexual tension (and Fluttershy's flashes of hostility), we have a good time; the food is delicious, the weather is pleasant, and the salty sea air and ambient sounds of the ocean give me a peaceful feeling. As the afternoon wears on, we all talk, laugh, and stuff ourselves silly.

Once I'm full, I head inside to the living room, where I stretch out on one of the sofas and doze off...

Sunday, March 27, 2016 / Evening

It's sunset when I wake up from my nap. Half the girls are sitting around; Twilight's reading, Rainbow and Sonata are watching television, and Rarity is sketching something in her sketchbook.

"Hey lazy," Twilight says as I sit up. She smirks. "We had to do your share of the cleanup."

"Yeah? Well I stood around cooking all that meat you inhaled, so there." I stretch and groan. "Oh man...I'm still full..."

"Yeah, we all are," Twilight says. "Actually, we pretty much all took a little nap after cleaning up. Except Pinkie, she's been doing laundry all afternoon."

"Probably not a bad idea for us to do some laundry too," I say. "I mean, we've got towels and blankets and stuff we need to wash before we go to the beach again..."

"Yeah," Twilight says. "Of course, most of us are going shopping tomorrow." She frowns. "I feel really bad about this, but...I haven't gotten Fluttershy anything for her birthday yet."

"Me neither," I say. "I honestly...well..." I grimace.

"Didn't care?" Rainbow asks. She has a guilty look on her face. "Yeah...me either." She sighs. "I think Pinkie and Sonata are the only ones who actually brought presents for Fluttershy with them."

"Well, we'll just have to find something for her in town tomorrow," Twilight says. "Even if...even if she's been kind of..." She gestures with her hands. "It's just rude of us to snub her like that."

"Yeah..."

I decide to get up and start working on laundry. As I wait for the washer, then the dryer, the girls all wander off, either to sleep or do their own thing. It's late in the evening when my last load finishes drying. I'm folding clothes when I catch sight of Rainbow Dash in the back yard. She's crouched down, playing with Tank.

I think back to what Twilight said yesterday...

I grab a beach blanket and head out into the back yard. "Hey," I call.

Rainbow turns to me. "Hey," she says. "What's up?"

I spread out the blanket on the grass, sit down on it, and pat the spot next to me. With a puzzled look, Rainbow sits down beside me.

I spend a long, awkward minute trying to figure out what to say. "So, uhh...you know yesterday, that whole truth or dare thing?"

Rainbow sighs and squirms a bit. "Yeah." She looks at me; a blush is starting to creep up her face. "Umm...did you really mean...y'know...?"

"Yeah," I say. "You're not...mad or anything, are you?"

"Mad? No," Rainbow says. "Umm...a little...weirded out, I guess? Embarrassed? Flattered? I dunno." She wrings her hands. "Honestly, I...I've never had anybody say they wanted to..." She ducks her head. "That they were interested in me like that. I mean, yeah, Pinkie's goofed around with me a little, and I did that whole teasing thing with Rarity and she put up with it, but..." She shrugs. "It's different." She glances at me, then glances away. "I just...I don't know what...to think, and..."

"Yeah." I shift my weight. "Twilight said...you and Rarity both looked kind of...awkward last night."

Rainbow grimaces. "It's just...after that whole thing, I..." Her face is turning completely red now. "I guess I started...I mean, my mind started goin' really weird places..." She shakes her head. "I thought I'd figured out maybe I really was gay, but then..."

"I don't think you can really say for sure what you are yet," I say. "All you know so far is you have a crush on Celestia and you have, well...kind of a leg fetish." I shrug. "That doesn't mean anything." I gaze at Tank, who's creeping slowly into the coolest, most shadowy part of the lawn. I swallow nervously. "So anyway..." I look at Rainbow, who's watching me curiously. "I came out here to ask if you wanted to maybe, y'know..." I gesture vaguely. "Do it."

Rainbow blinks. "What?"

"You, uh...already know I want to do it with you," I say. "I just...if you're interested..."

"Wait. You're trying to cheat on Twilight with me?" Rainbow asks with a frown.

"Actually...this was her suggestion," I say. "She, uhh...thinks I need to get this out of my system, and...and maybe you and Rarity do too."

"Oh," Rainbow says, blinking. "Umm...whoa." She looks down at her lap, blushing furiously.

I slide my hand up the back of her shirt, stroking her back; I place my other hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I haven't had any complaints so far," I say in a light, teasing tone.

Rainbow snickers. "Heh." She takes a deep breath, then looks at me. "Eh...what the hell."

I lay Rainbow down on the blanket...

By the time we part ways, Rainbow has decided she's not gay.
> 3/28 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 28, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A romantic interlude with someone close to you may take an unexpected turn.

Today, we'll be doing some shopping around town...

When I head out to the living room, I find Pinkie, Rainbow, and Sonata clustered together, talking quietly and giggling. As I enter, they look up, and the giggling intensifies. Rainbow blushes and gives me a little wave. I smile and wave back to her, then duck into the kitchen to see about breakfast.

Rarity's in the kitchen making omelettes. She looks up at me and smirks. "Well," she says, tossing her hair. "If it isn't the rooster in the henhouse."

"Flaaaaaaaaash," Pinkie whines from behind me. "Why didn't you tell me you were planning to spread the love?"

I facepalm. "Does everybody know?"

"Well it's hard not to, darling," Rarity says. "Rainbow Dash wandered upstairs naked, sweaty, and carrying her clothes, and then there was the smell..." She wrinkles her nose. "It was rather obvious, really." She smirks at me. "Oh, and she spilled the beans about your little...ahem...plan to clear the air, as it were." She folds the omelette in the pan. "I suppose you were planning to approach me next and oh-so-charmingly offer to deflower me?"

"Uhh..." Oh shit...I didn't even consider Rainbow telling the others about this...

Rarity looks me up and down as though appraising a dress. "I'll think about it," she says. "Though if...if...I agree, I expect a more romantic setting than the back yard." She plates the omelette and starts working on another. "And some nice scented candles, if you don't mind. Vanilla, I think. Or perhaps jasmine."

"I, uhh...I'll keep that in mind," I say. I head back to the living room, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.

Rainbow gives me a sheepish look. "They dragged it outta me, dude," she says. "Sorry."

I shrug. "At least everybody's taking it well."

"I dunno about everybody," Rainbow says. "Fluttershy looked pretty disgusted, and Applejack just made some countryism about the whole thing."

Within minutes, everyone has gathered, and Rarity starts serving omelettes with sausage patties and orange halves. As we all sit down, Cadance says, "I know some of you want to go into town and do some shopping today. Who's going?"

We all raise our hands.

"Okay. We'll head for the mall in about..." Cadance checks the time. "An hour or so." She looks at Fluttershy. "Now. Important question." She glances at Applejack, winces, then says, "Err...what...do you want to do for your birthday tomorrow?"

"I don't really care," Fluttershy says. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Did you have any...plans for tomorrow? Anything specific?" Twilight asks.

Applejack frowns. "Whutever it is y'all are tap-dancin' around, jes' go on ahead an' talk about it." She stands up. "Ah'll leave th' room if'n y'all don't wanna let me in on whut's goin' on. Jes'...don't do this right in front of me. It's insultin'."

Most of us look down at the table. Twilight sighs. Rainbow grimaces.

Sonata writes something, then holds it up for Applejack to see:

If we told you what's going on, you honestly wouldn't believe us.

"She's right," Cadance says with a shrug. "It's...it's one of those things..."

Applejack tilts her hat back. "Ah seen some pretty weird stuff lately. Y'all bein' in one spot one second an' someplace clear over yonder th' next, that fire at that party hall, all them secret meetin's y'all keep havin' all over th' place..." She shakes her head. "An' th' way everybody suddenly hates Fluttershy, an' Ah can't quite figure that one out."

"They found out I'm the hacker that's been causing problems for everyone in the dorm since September," Fluttershy says. "That's why everybody's upset with me."

Applejack blinks and stares at Fluttershy. "Say whut?"

"Yeah, her and Sunset Shimmer," Rainbow says. "They've been screwing us around all year long."

Applejack frowns. "Huh." She peers at Fluttershy. "Now why you wanna go an' do a fool thing like that?"

Fluttershy looks away.

Cadance clears her throat. "The reason none of us told you about this is because so far, you haven't really been affected by any of it personally. And, well...you've got your own problems to deal with." She looks up at Applejack. "The situation is being handled. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna know all about it. For reasons too complicated to go into, actually dealing with it has been left up to us." She frowns at Fluttershy. "Fluttershy isn't helping Sunset Shimmer anymore, right?"

"Right," Fluttershy says softly.

"And she's sorry for everything she's ever done to us and wants to help make amends, right?"

Fluttershy gives her a sullen look. "Don't push it," she says.

Applejack glares at her. "Hey now! That ain't no way t' talk t' Nurse Cadance!"

Fluttershy glares right back at Applejack. "Mind your own business."

Applejack stares wide-eyed at Fluttershy, her mouth working silently.

Twilight sighs. "Fluttershy, just...just stop," she says tiredly. "We're all getting sick of your attitude."

"Yeah," Pinkie says, her hair wilting. "We hoped...you know...you coming with us would..." She frowns. "Maybe improve your attitude. Instead, you've been..."

"You don't know anything about me," Fluttershy says. "You don't know what I've been through."

"That's because you won't tell us," Twilight says. "We just...we just want to be your friends..."

Fluttershy snorts. "Friends? None of you even trust me."

I trust you. Sonata gives Fluttershy a sad, pleading look.

Fluttershy sighs. "I just...don't want to talk about it," she says softly. She looks around at us. "Isn't it enough that...that I'm not helping her anymore? That I took out all the bugs in the dorm and fixed the security holes in all your laptops? That you can use your webcams without anyone watching, that I'm not recording every word everyone says?"

Applejack's eyes double in size.

"I just..." Fluttershy sighs. "I just..."

Nobody says anything for a long time.

"Fluttershy," Cadance finally says, "do you think Sunset Shimmer has something bad planned for you tomorrow?"

Fluttershy looks up. "I don't know," she says. "After I blew the whistle on that whole fake pregnancy thing, she went dark. I have no idea what she's up to now. Oh, except I know she's not in Canterlot right now. She's in Neighpon."

"Well that's a relief," Twilight says.

"Okay," Cadance says. "Let's...let's all get ready to go into town, and...and go."

Monday, March 28, 2016 / Daytime

The mall in Haytona is more than twice the size of the mall in Canterlot. We all split into groups; I go with Pinkie and Twilight. As we're exploring, Pinkie questions me about my evening with Rainbow, while telling Twilight about that little episode with Rarity in the kitchen this morning.

For her part, Twilight is greatly amused by this. "I think you bit off more than you can chew with that one, Flash," she says teasingly. She tilts her head. "So, any idea where you'll take Rarity if she wants to sleep with you?"

It's so weird to be talking about this with my girlfriend...s...

"I guess maybe that little outcropping we walked to the other day?" I shrug. "It's private, it's on the beach but there's not as much sand..."

"Don't forget to get the candles!" Pinkie says.

"You're enjoying this way too much," I say, giving Pinkie a sideways glance.

"What can I say?" Pinkie says, shrugging. "It's fun!" She grins, putting her hands behind her head. "To be honest, I'd kinda like to see the whole dorm just have one great big orgy. Even Shining Armor and Cadance. Oh, and Celestia and Luna!" She pauses, then adds, "But no orgy for Fluttershy. Not until she stops being a meanie-pants."

"I don't think I want to be in an orgy with my big brother," Twilight says, turning faintly green.

"I dunno, Twi-Twi," Pinkie says with a sly grin, "I bet he'd love to be in an orgy with you!"

"GAH! PINKIE!"

We spend most of the day wandering from store to store, looking for something for Fluttershy, buying souvenirs, and window-shopping in general. We spend almost an hour at the food court. By the time we're done, Twilight's bought Fluttershy a couple of animal movies, and I found a highly detailed model kit of a pegasus to give her. Maybe a hobby will settle her down a bit...

I also pick up some vanilla scented candles for Rarity and some lavender scented massage oil for Twilight.

Monday, March 28, 2016 / Evening

After leaving the mall, we head to a local buffet for dinner, then return to the beach house. At eight thirty, I get a text from Rarity.




New Message From: Rarity
Meet me in the foyer at nine.




Twilight leans over my shoulder and reads the text. "Have fun," she says, kissing me. She stretches. "I think I'll have a little alone time with Pinkie tonight." She tilts her head. "Mind if we use that massage oil you bought?"

"Just don't use it all," I say. "I want to use it with you too."

I put on something a little nicer than what I wore into town today, splash on some aftershave, slip my phone and a couple of condoms into my pockets, then gather up a blanket, the candles, and a matchbook in one of my shopping bags from the mall. At five minutes to nine, I head for the foyer.

When Rarity arrives, she's wearing a backless black evening gown and matching heels and holding a medium-sized shopping bag. She smiles silkily at me. "I'm ready for our little rendezvous, darling," she says.

"You look gorgeous," I say. "Aren't you a little overdressed, though?"

She laughs. "There's no such thing!" She bats her eyes at me. "Are we perhaps going down to the beach?"

"That's what I had in mind, yeah."

"Splendid," she coos. "Making love on the beach is positively romantic."

"And I know a good spot that's not too close to the water and fairly private," I say. I offer her my arm; she takes it, and we head out.

The bag Rarity is carrying is clinking gently as it sways in her grasp. "I must say, I'm quite..." She pauses. "Well...nervous, excited, intrigued...this is honestly something I was never expecting." She looks up at the moon. "I've been reading romance novels and...well..." She clears her throat. "Bodice-rippers since I was Sweetie Belle's age, and more than a few times, I've envisioned myself in exactly this situation...alone on a beach under the moonlight, about to offer myself to a dashing gentleman..." She glances at me. "Well, a moderately handsome lecher in this case, but given your, ahem, body of experience..." She coughs. "Especially seeing as you have taken the virginity of approximately half the dorm..." She glances at me and smirks. "Odd, that, considering you are supposedly in a steady relationship."

I laugh weakly. "Trust me, I'm well aware of how unusually lucky I am." I shake my head. "Especially since back in Seaddle, I'd never even really talked to a girl before. I mean...you know..."

"Yes, I know," Rarity says, laughing. "I suppose it's a consequence of living with so many attractive young women, seeing them at their best and at their worst, being their rock..." She smiles. "We've all come to trust you, Flash. Especially in light of this messy and bizarre Zodiac business." She takes my hand and squeezes it. "In all honesty, I...I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't feel I could trust you implicitly."

"Rarity..."

"Besides, I've had an excellent look at your body, and, well..." She smiles and licks her lips. "Rarity likes."

I slip my arm around her waist. "Not near as much as I like yours," I whisper into her ear.

She titters and rolls her eyes. "You're incorrigible!" She leans into me.

When we reach the outcropping, I spread the blanket I brought out on the smoothest patch of sand I can find, facing the ocean but with the rocks concealing us from the public areas of the beach, where we can still see some people partying. I place four stout scented candles near the corners of the blanket, burying the bottoms right in the sand, and light them. The tiny flames dance in the light ocean breeze.

Rarity sits down on the blanket and rummages around in her bag, drawing out a bottle of wine and two glasses. "I convinced Nurse Cadance to indulge a request," she says, her cheeks faintly pink. "Even after what she told us, I...well...I thought it appropriate, all things considered, to have a glass of wine together before we..." She waves a glass around. "She agreed, so...here we are. I did promise her that we would only have one glass each, of course."

I sit down across from Rarity; she hands me the wine and a corkscrew. It takes me a minute to figure out how to work it, but I uncork the bottle and pour Rarity a glass of wine, then pour one for myself. We toast, then drink the wine; it's quite dry, and barely leaves a trace as it goes down.

Once that's done, Rarity collects the glasses and the bottle and puts them back in her bag. "You, ahem...brought protection, I trust?"

"Of course."

"Thank you," she says. She slips off her shoes, placing them in the bag, then slides over closer to me. In a trembling whisper, she says, "I'm all yours."

Rarity's dress is the next thing to go into her bag, followed by her underwear...

We take our time, enjoying each other as the night wears on. When we're both finally exhausted, we lay down side by side on the blanket; I cradle Rarity in my arms as she starts to doze.

I'm getting a little sleepy myself...

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Zodiac
> 3/29 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Zodiac
Birthday Horoscope (Aries): You are going to die today.

The sounds of the ocean and the smell of vanilla and salt are replaced by a red sky and that eerie, dead noise that pervades Zodiac. I snap awake and sit up. "Rarity. Rarity, wake up."

Rarity stirs and mumbles. "Again, really? Flash, you're—"

"We're in Zodiac."

Rarity shifts around and mumbles. "I'd rather not make love in that horrid place, thank you..."

"Rarity, WE ARE IN ZODIAC. Right now."

Rarity opens her eyes, blinks, and looks around. Her mouth falls open. "What...?"

In my discarded pants, my phone starts going crazy. Similarly, Rarity's phone begins vibrating mutely in her bag.

We look at each other, then dive for our phones. I find mine first and put it on speaker.

"Flash! Are you alright?" It's Twilight.

"Yeah, we're fine. What the hell happened?"

"Flash, there's Shadows everywhere! The entire beach house is surrounded!" She sounds terrified.

//I'm picking up over a hundred Shadows in the vicinity and more closing in fast,// Cadance's voice intrudes. //I'm not picking up Aries—//

It's coming...I had a feeling she'd pull something like this...

The yellow text gives me pause. "Fluttershy? Is that you?"

Yeah. Look...I don't need your help, but you'd better get back here to protect your little harem.

"You're trapped here too, you know!" Twilight says.

My fight isn't with the Shadows. It never has been.

Oh, you'd BETTER worry about the Shadows, Fluttershy. This is what you get for betraying me.

Fuck you, Sunset!

LOL...I can't wait to see the look on Celestia's face when all of you disappear without a trace...

Sayonara...

Blackness wells up out of the blood red sand around us. With a terrifying roar, a lion Shadow materializes. Then another...then another...

By the time I lose count, there are two dozen Shadows surrounding us.

Rarity screams.

"Get it together, Rarity!" I say, tapping the Black Butterfly app. The virtual black suit appears on my nude body, and the heft of the butterfly axe brings a sense of grim reality to the situation. "Gear up and get ready. We've got to fight our way back to our friends."

Rarity stares at me uncertainly. She has her phone in one hand and her wadded-up dress in the other. "But..."

"NO TIME!"

Rarity sighs and taps Black Butterfly. A similar dress to the one she just dropped forms on her body, and the silver pistol appears in her hand.

The Shadows press in around us...

"There's simply too many of them for two of us to fight," Rarity says nervously.

"We'll just have to do the best we can! OZYMANDIAS!"

The great trunkless legs of Ozymandias appear; the Shadows recoil as they're weakened.

"BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona unleashes a wave of deadly ice through the Shadows; they draw back, giving us a bit of room.

I feel an electric jolt down my spine. "Rarity...give me your hand."

"What?"

I drop my axe and hold my hand out to Rarity. She frowns, but reaches out to me...

Her eyes widen as our fingers touch. "What was—?"

I tighten my grasp on Rarity's hand. Our eyes meet, and she nods. We turn to face the advancing wall of Shadows.

"FALL OF THE MIGHTY!"

Bastet and Ozymandias appear above us. A terrible, bitter wave of dust, freezing cold and searing hot at the same time, spreads out from our Personas, battering the Shadows. The mighty dust storm persists for fifteen whole seconds, driving back the Shadows. When the wind and dust subside, all the Shadows look weak and afraid.

I pick up my axe and charge into the mass of Shadows, swinging left and right. Each hit that connects obliterates a Shadow. Rarity catches on quickly and begins firing wildly into the fray. Shadows explode into nothingness all around me as her shots connect.

In less than a minute, the entire swarm of lions is gone. Rarity staggers, clutching her head. "What did we just do?"

"Worry about it later! We need to get to the beach house before that bitch sends another welcoming committee! I don't think we can pull that one off again!"

"N-no...I don't suppose we can..."

I take hold of Rarity's hand to steady her, and we run as fast as we can up the beach.

All around us, more and more lion Shadows boil up out of the beach, but instead of attacking us, they're pacing us in two even lines. "What are they doing?" I wonder.

"I don't know," Rarity says. "But I don't think we can do that...thing again anytime soon..."

"You're right, we need...we need to conserve our strength..." My lungs are burning; Rarity's having trouble keeping up. She's wincing every other step. "Are you alright?"

"I, ahh...I'm a bit sore..." Rarity blushes. "In certain places..."

"Oh...right..." I cough. "Sorry."

"Never you mind, darling. I'll manage..."

"I wonder..." I slide the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

A powerful wave of dazzling healing light washes over Rarity. She blinks. "Oh. That's...certainly thinking outside the box," she says. She quickens her pace; she's no longer wincing as she runs.

The house is coming into view; there's a massive pride of Shadows swarming around it, roaring and pawing the ground. I swallow heavily. "This is gonna suck..."

A huge, glowing pink shape plows into the mass of Shadows, sending dozens of them flying. Lightning stabs down from the sky. Glowing green wind blasts rip through the Shadows like a scythe through wheat.

Our friends are gathered in front of the house, fighting for their lives...

"I hope I have enough power to affect this many Shadows," I say, sliding the Tower Arcana back onto my phone. "OZYMANDIAS!"

I feel like an icepick is digging into my skull as I exert the debilitating powers of Ozymandias on the massive pride of Shadows. I collapse to my knees, clutching my head in agony; Rarity crouches beside me, arms wrapped supportively around my shoulders.

"FLASH!"

A devastating shower of blinding lightning spreads through the entire crowd of Shadows, annihilating many of them. Twilight clears a path and runs out to me, skidding to a stop in front of me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I grunt. "Just...pushed myself...a little too hard..."

The Shadows that paced me and Rarity on the beach form a circle around us; the remaining Shadows that had surrounded the beach house join their ranks even as Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Sonata join us.

Well, well...finally, the gang's all here.

With a sound not unlike the crackling of a fire, a glowing shape emerges from the Shadows: a bizarre silhouette in the shape of Sunset Shimmer, composed entirely of flickering streams of computer code, alternating between red and gold. The Shadows all kneel to her as she approaches us. Ribbons of code trail away from her "body" like sparks from a flame.

"Sunset Shimmer," Twilight snarls, tensing her grip on her rapier.

I'm just here for Fluttershy today. Of course, you're ALL going to die here...

Fluttershy glares at her. "You don't scare me anymore, Sunset. I don't care what you do with my secrets...I don't have anything left to lose. I can ruin you just as bad as you can ruin me."

Oh, I severely doubt that. And you're wrong about one thing. You DO have something left to lose...

The flickering image of Sunset thrusts a hand through Fluttershy's head. Fluttershy screams and sinks to her knees, eyes wide and glassy.

A twisted red-and-black mess rises up out of Fluttershy's head. Her Persona, Eris, hovers above her...but she's wrong, deformed. Eris lets out a sound like the screeching of metal against metal as huge rips form all over her body, leaking great clouds of ghastly red mist and ribbons of sickly green code. The halo of computer screens circling Eris' head flickers; each screen shatters with a violent snap, fizzing into static as they fade away. Eris sags like a puppet with its strings cut, sinking back into Fluttershy's head. Fluttershy falls limply forward; Sonata catches her and holds her gently.

"What did you do to her?" Twilight asks shakily. Her face is pale.

Sunset laughs.

You dove too deep, Fluttershy. I just hacked your soul.

"You did WHAT?" Rainbow cries.

It's a shame, really...Eris MIGHT have been able to protect her from what's about to happen...but now she's helpless to avoid her own fate...

//I'm detecting Aries! It's...it's right on top of you!//

A blurry, indistinct mass of shadow falls out of the sky; its body is formless, and its head has the vague shape of a ram's horns.

And now, the fun begins...

Something appears, faintly, behind Aries, hovering in the air and pulsing like a heartbeat:





The lion Shadows all roar deafeningly, then launch themselves at Aries, dissolving into its mass. Aries grows larger and gains definition.

"Oh no..." Pinkie whimpers. "Not this again..."

//Be careful! Aries' power is increasing rapidly!//

A concussive force wave from Aries knocks us all off our feet. I look up as the Shadow's form fully solidifies...

Aries stands on two massive black cloven-hooved legs; its red-skinned torso is human and massively muscled, with two hulking arms that end in four thick, knobby fingers tipped in long ebon claws. Intricate patterns are carved deep into its flesh, meeting at the sigil of Aries in the center of its chest. Atop a corded neck, set forward from the body, is a massive, cracked white ram skull with long, curved, twisted black horns. In one hand, it holds a shape that looks like a solid, nude silhouette of Fluttershy, broken into several pieces and held together by thick red ropes of gore. In the other hand, it holds a massive, curved, serrated black knife.

I hope you all die slowly and painfully...I want to cherish each tortured scream...

The bizarre image of Sunset dissolves into ribbons of code, which fly to every corner of the sky and wink out of existence.

We pick ourselves up and stare at Aries. "Oh...crap," Rainbow mutters, gulping audibly.

"We're...we're not gonna make it out of this one, are we?" Twilight whimpers.

I square my jaw. "We're not dead yet," I say. "Pinkie, Rarity, Sonata...protect Fluttershy. Twilight, Rainbow, up front with me. Just like we practiced."

Rainbow Dash summons her Persona; we all blur and feel lighter on our feet.

Pinkie Pie summons her Persona; we all feel a rush of vigor, as though our strength has vastly increased.

Sonata summons her Persona; whatever she tries to do has no discernible effect on either us or Aries. "Sorry, guys...I...might not be very useful for this one..."

"That's quite alright, darling," Rarity says. She summons her Persona; Aries' movements slow down.

"My turn," I say. "OZYMANDIAS!"

Aries bellows as Ozymandias weakens it, then swings its knife in a wide wave. A cutting pressure tears into us; Rainbow manages to avoid being hit, while Twilight and Rarity take the worst of it. "Athena," Twilight hisses.

Athena appears and sheds healing light over all of us; the pain from Aries' attack subsides.

"NIKE!"

Rainbow's Persona appears and fires off a blast of wind; Aries grunts and takes a half-step back.

"EUPHORIA!"

Pinkie's Persona flies straight at Aries, winking playfully as she slams her butt right into its head. Aries swats her away with an aggravated grunt.

Sonata fires a crossbow bolt which pierces one of Aries' empty eye sockets; it bellows in pain. She fires another, which glances off Aries' broad chest.

"BASTET!"

Bastet's ice attack does little appreciable damage.

I swipe the Magician Arcana in. "MERLIN!"

Merlin raises his staff; a blue aura rises around me, wreathing me in heatless blue flames.

"What was that, dude?" Rainbow asks.

"Something I haven't used yet," I say. "I'm...storing up power..."

"We'll buy you some time," Twilight says...

Aries lunges forward, stabbing Twilight viciously with its knife. She screams as she collapses, curling into a ball and mewling pitifully.

"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie screams. "PERSONA!" Euphoria appears again and charges Aries, launching into a series of nosebleed-inducing spinning kicks and twirls. Aries staggers away and grunts, shaking its head like a wet dog.

"PERSONA!" Rarity cries. Bastet appears and heals Twilight; she stands up, but she still looks terribly hurt.

"I...I'm okay," Twilight says. "I...just need a sec..."

"NIKE!" Rainbow summons her Persona to perform her wind attack again.

I feel Merlin's magical power reach its peak... "PERSONA!"

With a tremendous whump, a blinding white column of pure light falls out of the sky, slamming into Aries and spreading out in a concentric wave. The fiery blue aura fades from around me.

"DUDE," Rainbow says, jaw dropping.

"You...might want to lead with that from now on, darling," Rarity says.

//That did some damage, but it wasn't enough...I think Aries is about to do something!//

As the light from Merlin's spell fades, Aries raises the effigy of Fluttershy it's holding and takes a huge, vicious bite out of it, spraying dark red blood everywhere and severing a leg, which flies through the air and lands uncomfortably close to us. A spiral shell of crimson flames wraps around Aries' body; it arches its back and throws its arms into the air, bellowing triumphantly.

"Oh, GROSS!" Pinkie complains.

"What the fuck?" Rainbow says.

//Everyone, protect yourselves!//

We all brace ourselves, watching tensely. Aries paws the ground with one massive hoof and charges, slamming into us. We're all sent flying; Pinkie, Rarity, and Sonata catch fire. Their screams are terrifying...

I change from Merlin to Kuma, and Twilight and I work quickly to heal our friends. "I don't know how much more of this I can bear," I say.

//I think that attack lowered its defenses! Everyone, do as much damage as you can!//

Once everyone's back on their feet, we all start unloading every spell and attack we can muster. Aries twitches helplessly, caught in our crossfire, and thrashes around, bellowing in pain. After a vicious thunder strike from Athena, Aries crashes to the ground; we all charge in and wail away on it with our weapons with reckless abandon.

After nearly a full minute of all-out assault, Aries roars and flails at us with its powerful hooves, sending us all flying. It stands up, shaking its head and bellowing in rage. It greedily consumes the remainder of the effigy, and the spiral shell of flames once more envelops its body.

//Look out! It's going to—//

Aries looses an earthshaking roar and charges us. It's too fast...we can't dodge...we can't even defend ourselves...

"I...will...I WILL FIGHT!"

A huge, shimmering reflective wall snaps into place between us and Aries. It slams into the barrier, ricocheting off at an angle, and screams as its own flames consume it.

We all turn to the source of the impassioned shout. Fluttershy slowly rises to her feet, her hair hanging over her face. With one hand, she pushes back her hair and looks up; there's a new fire in her eyes.

She looks around at all of us. Tears flow down her cheeks. "What...what have I done..."

"Fluttershy...?"

She sniffles, then wipes the tears from her eyes. "No...no, I...I can deal with that later. Right now, we..." She gasps in horror as she sees Aries. "Oh my..."

//I don't know what just happened, but Aries just got a LOT weaker! I think you might actually be able to win this fight now!//

"I...I want to fight...with you," Fluttershy says in a voice barely above a whisper. "I...I don't want to be alone...anymore..."

A shimmer of blue light washes over Fluttershy's body. Her phone vibrates; she pulls it out. The Persona app on her phone flashes twice, a bright, clear blue. She smiles and gently caresses the screen.

"Persona...please."





The screen of Fluttershy's phone explodes in blue polygons, and something that looks like a shrivelled, dessicated Eris emerges. It shudders and splits open, shedding a bright, serene blue light. A tiny yellow fairy that looks like Fluttershy herself, with a pretty little fairy dress and huge, golden butterfly wings, emerges from the shell of Eris. Tiny sparkling butterflies sprinkle like glitter from the fairy as she flutters around Fluttershy's head.

Fluttershy smiles and points at Aries. The fairy nods and flies high in the air, beating her wings rapidly...

A gale force wind sweeps across the beach, slamming into Aries. The Shadow braces itself against the wind, but is driven back toward the ocean.

//Everybody...NOW!//

We summon our Personas and give everything we've got left to give. Aries falls apart in great red chunks, dissolving into a bloody mist. The ram skull crashes to the beach, lets out one last rumbling groan, and explodes into motes of blackness.

The sounds and smells of the sea return. The waves roll against the shore, and the moon sheds a soft light overhead. Fluttershy looks around at all of us, laughs ruefully once, then faints dead away.

As Rainbow and Twilight check on her, Sonata looks at me—and turns beet red. She tries to say something, but can't; she frowns and looks around for anything to write with. Finding nothing, she sighs and turns away, covering her face.

Cadance raises an eyebrow. "Umm...Flash? Rarity? You might want to...head inside and get some clothes on..."

Oh my God...

I forgot that when we woke up in Zodiac, I was naked...

Our clothes are all the way out at the outcropping...

Rarity yelps and covers herself with her arms, shuffling awkwardly to the front door. Twilight looks at me, shakes her head, and picks up Fluttershy, carrying her inside. The others follow her; I trail behind them.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Early Morning

Fluttershy is upstairs asleep in her bed. Sonata is watching over her. The rest of us are exhausted, but with everything that just happened, none of us can really sleep...

We sit around the living room, nursing cups of hot tea. "Well," Rarity says, "it would seem Fluttershy has a new Persona."

"In more ways than one," Twilight says. "She...she looked...different."

"Yeah," Rainbow agrees. "I just...I hope when she wakes up, she'll...she'll talk to us and tell us stuff and...and not be such a bitch..."

"I hope so too," Cadance says. "When she wakes up, we all need to sit down and have a long talk. Fluttershy has a lot of things to explain and apologize for..." She looks around the room. "And all of us do as well."

"Yeah," I say, wringing my hands.

"What the HELL was that...that Haytrix-lookin' Sunset Shimmer shit?" Rainbow demands, throwing her hands up in the air. "What did she even DO to Fluttershy?"

"Whatever it was, it wasn't good," Twilight says. She shudders. "If...if she can do that to the rest of us..."

"If she could do that to the rest of us, she'd have done it already," Cadance says. "As far as I can tell, that whole thing had something to do with...with what happened the day we confronted Fluttershy. You know, when she summoned Eris without her phone?" She shrugs. "It's just...the data Aphrodite was feeding me makes me think it's connected somehow."

"Well...we'll find out when Fluttershy wakes up," Twilight says.

Pinkie sighs. "I wish I wasn't so tired," she says. "We were just getting to the good part..."

"The good part?" Rainbow asks.

"Gah! Pinkie!" Twilight cries, blushing.

"If there's one thing I hate, it's coitus interruptus," Cadance says, grimacing. "I didn't even get a turn..."

We all stare at her. "Uhh...what?"

"Nevermind!" Twilight says hastily. "So...Flash! How about you and Rarity, huh?"

Rarity smiles. "Well, we had a most marvelous time," she says silkily. "We were actually just about to—" she breaks off for a yawn. "—fall asleep in one another's arms on the beach when that whole Zodiac debacle broke."

"YOU were already asleep," I point out.

"Details..."

Cadance laughs. "I'm glad you two had a good time," she says. "You have no idea how lucky you are, Flash. Do you know how many guys would kill to make love to a girl like Rarity?"

"Believe me, I know," I say. "And if I didn't already have a very loving and wonderful girlfriend, I'd do my best to take Rarity off the market."

Rarity blushes. "Flatterer."

Twilight smirks at me. I cough. "Of course, I do have an amazing, beautiful, sexy girlfriend."

"Awww, shucks," Pinkie says. "I'm not all that special..."

We all laugh. Cadance shakes her head. "Well...the whole thing with Fluttershy aside, at least that's one more Shadow down. The next one is Taurus..." She turns to Twilight. "Applejack's a Taurus, right?"

Twilight sighs and nods. "Yeah. At this point, I...I don't know."

"Well..." Rainbow tilts her head. "Sunset Shithead's gone after everybody else in the dorm. Odds are she'll go after Applejack too."

"We can't assume that," Cadance says. "But...I have a feeling she will." She yawns mightily. "I think...we should all try to get some sleep. We've got a lot to talk about later on."

We all head off to our rooms. I'm so exhausted I fall asleep immediately...

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Daytime

When I wake up, it's ten in the morning. I gently nudge Twilight, who stirs beside me; I get up and head to the bathroom, taking a long, hot shower. When I'm done, I put on a pair of board shorts and a T-shirt. Twilight hugs me and kisses me, then strips down to take her own shower. I grab my phone; there's a new message notification.




New Message From: Applejack
I C every1's sleepin in 2day & you all look like hell. Went 2 movies by myself, BBL for shy's bday. Call/text b4 u start w/o me.




Her hick accent's easier to understand than her texts...sheesh. I pocket my phone and head out. As I approach the kitchen, I smell something wonderful. I look inside to find Fluttershy and Sonata working quickly and quietly. "Uhh...hi," I say.

They turn to face me. Sonata's cheeks turn pink; Fluttershy gives me a nervous smile and plays with her hair. "Oh...good morning," she says. "We're...we're making breakfast for everyone. I think I heard some of the others getting up..."

Rainbow and Pinkie walk in. "What smells so good?" Rainbow asks. "Oh, uh...hey 'Shy," she says.

Fluttershy glances at her. She looks down at her feet. "Hi, Rainbow." She picks at the hem of her shirt; Sonata lays a hand on her shoulder and smiles reassuringly at her.

"They're making us all breakfast," I say. "Twilight's in the shower right now."

"Oh, cool," Rainbow says. "What are we having?"

"Oh, we're having biscuits with honey and fried ham," Fluttershy says. "And scrambled eggs, and orange juice..."

"Sounds great," Rainbow says. "Uhh...need a hand?"

"We've got it, but...thank you," Fluttershy says. She smiles. "Just...wait in the living room, okay? We'll...we'll have everything out soon."

Rainbow, Pinkie, and I head to the living room. Twilight and Cadance join us soon. Rarity is the last to arrive. "Did you all get that text from Applejack?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say.

"Poor Applejack," Twilight says, sighing. "We...we need to do something special just for her, and soon. So she knows..."

Cadance shakes her head. "No, because then she'll feel like we're taking pity on her. What we need to do is...is just let her know we're not shutting her out on purpose."

"Even though we totally are," Rainbow mutters.

"I agree with Nurse Cadance," Fluttershy says as she and Sonata walk in, carrying a LOT of food between them. "I think...I think Applejack's feelings are hurt. In fact, I...I texted her this morning apologizing for the way I acted yesterday. I told her...I'm just dealing with a lot right now, and...and you've all been trying to help me, and that's why..." She trails off, shuffling her feet, then sits down.

Cadance smiles. "That was good thinking, Fluttershy," she says. "So...we're absolutely having a party for you later today. What do you think you'd like to do?"

"Umm, well..." Fluttershy starts spooning honey onto a biscuit. "There's...there's a very nice zoo here in Haytona...they even have a cetacean exhibit..." She looks up. "I...I'd like to go, if...if that's okay..."

"The zoo it is," Cadance says.

"I'll have to buy you a ready-made cake," Pinkie says apologetically. "We'll...have to find a nice bakery after we go to the zoo."

"Actually, I think I'd like an ice cream cake...if that's okay with everyone."

"Hell yeah it is!" Rainbow cheers. We all agree. Fluttershy smiles.

"It's nice to see you like this for a change," Twilight says.

Fluttershy ducks her head. "I...I want to try to be...nicer to everybody," she says. "Like...for real nice, instead of always thinking really awful, hateful things about you." Her eyes widen. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean—"

"Nobody expects you to change overnight, Fluttershy," Cadance says. "Hell, I'm still seeing that damn therapist."

"How IS that going?" Twilight asks. "I mean, I thought the therapist was supposed to cure you of being a slu—" She coughs. "A nymphomaniac."

Cadance gives her a frown. "I...deserved that," she says. "But...no. The therapy sessions aren't to 'cure' me of enjoying sex. They're...well..." She coughs. "It's all about setting boundaries for myself and understanding how my behavior affects the people I care about." She ducks her head. "That's...actually..." She takes a sip of juice. "Shiny and I have had some very long talks about...all that, and..." She looks around. "Well, let's just say that he trusts me the way you trust Flash."

Twilight blushes. "Okay. I...I wasn't sure about that, but...it's good to know." She ducks her head. "Especially after what almost happened last night..."

"But we're here to talk about FLUTTERSHY, not me," Cadance says firmly. She looks at Fluttershy. "What happened, exactly? That weird Sunset Shimmer ghost...what did she do to you, and...where'd that new Persona come from?"

"It's...hard to explain," Fluttershy says. "I don't really understand it myself. All I know is...Sunset Shimmer destroyed Eris. I...I think I went into shock. But then..." She shakes her head. "I...I realized that...I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to...to have friends. Real friends. And..." She shrugs. "I can't...have real friends if you're all dead because you tried to protect me, so..." She flails her hands. "That's where Echo came from."

"Oooh...kaaaaaay," Rainbow says.

"Fluttershy," Twilight says, "are you...are you ready to explain everything to us?"

Fluttershy looks around the table, then sighs shakily. "I...guess I do need...need to talk about it," she says. She takes a deep breath...

"Up until high school, I was homeschooled. My mom and dad sheltered me. The only friends I had were my pets and my computer. I love computers. Since I was ten, I've been learning everything I could about computers. Anything related to computers, too. I've done all sorts of things with small electronics over the years. But I never had any real friends.

"When I got old enough, Mom decided I needed to go to high school. So she enrolled me in CHS and put me in the dorm, and...I was really nervous, and shy, and scared, and...and the other kids weren't very nice to me. I've been picked on a lot. I know you all know about some of that.

"Well, I figured out how to access everyone's text logs through Canterbook. I can get past every security protocol Canterbook has, they might as well be tissue paper. There's nothing there I can't see or read. And I realized...with that kind of information, I had power over the kids that picked on me.

"So...I started using some of the stuff I found against them. And...and once I started, it started feeling really good. So I kept doing it. I...I became a bully. A really nasty online bully.

"Well, one day, I...I found something buried deep in Canterbook that didn't seem normal. It...it was Zodiac. I tried and tried to figure out what it was and what it did, but it just didn't make sense. Then I found an app that seemed to be a front end for it. I downloaded it to my phone and accessed it." Fluttershy snorts. "You can guess what happened next. I was up to my butt in Shadows.

"I was scared out of my mind. I ran and ran and I cried, but eventually they cornered me, and...and then I realized I didn't have to be scared, because I was tougher than anybody else at CHS. Because I knew things and could really hurt people if I wanted to. So...that's where Eris came from.

"Once I had Eris, I...I felt like I had this amazing power...REAL power, and a secret that made me better than everybody else. I started spending more and more time in Zodiac, figuring it out, digging deeper, learning its secrets...all while training my body and my mind." She giggles. "I turned myself into a secret ninja in there."

"So that's how you've always been able to kick our butts?" Rainbow asks.

"Mm-hmm." Fluttershy pauses for a bite of eggs, then smiles at Rainbow. "And I can still kick your butt any day of the week, Rainbow Dash." She giggles again.

Rainbow smirks. "I'll take that as a challenge."

"Of course, I...I couldn't let anybody know I was...well...strong," Fluttershy says. "I had to...I had to keep pretending to be weak, helpless, afraid of everybody...and the whole time, I was using Canterbook and Zodiac to learn more and get stronger. I..." She looks down. "I have blackmail material on every single student and teacher at CHS. I used to think that made me special, but...now I'm starting to understand it just makes me a...a bitch." She starts to sniffle.

"A-anyway...one day, Sunset Shimmer started pushing me around. I went into Zodiac and started trying to dig something up I could use against her. This was...this was a while back. I had just started learning how to use Zodiac to mess with the real world in little, subtle ways...

"And then, it happened. I went into Zodiac and ran right into Sunset Shimmer. I...I was drunk on power. I started talking trash at her, told her what I was going to do to her, summoned Eris...

"And...and then she summoned Mephistopheles and beat me to within an inch of my life." Fluttershy shudders. "After...after it was over, she dragged me out of Zodiac and...and told me..." She swallows. "She said she knew all about everything I'd been doing, all the bad things I'd done, all the dirty secrets I had on everyone..."

Fluttershy bows her head.

"She knew about...the teacher I crippled."

We all gasp. "WHAT?!" Twilight cries.

Cadance frowns. "Are you talking about Amethyst Star?"

Fluttershy nods. "I...I found out she was having an affair. And that she was using drugs. I...I got sloppy, careless. I gave myself away as the one who had been blackmailing her. She confronted me, and..." Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut. "I beat the hell out of her. I shattered her knee and her elbow. I told her...if she ever told anybody who attacked her, I'd expose her...and...and post videos of her having sex with a married man all over Canterbook."

"Oh my god," Twilight says, eyes wide.

"What...did she do?" I ask.

Fluttershy looks up at me with clouded eyes. "She overdosed."

Shit...

"It...was bound to happen sooner or later," Fluttershy says. "She had a serious drug problem and wasn't getting help for it..." She bows her head. "If...if I'd understood her problems, I wouldn't have..." She sighs. "Anyway...Sunset Shimmer knew about...about all that..." Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut. "She...she said if I didn't do everything she told me to forever, she'd...she'd make sure I went to prison." She starts to tremble. "I...I couldn't...deal with that, and...and her Persona really scared me. I realized...there was still a bigger bully, and I was still weak and helpless...so..." She buries her face in her hands. "I..."

Sonata moves over and hugs Fluttershy.

"I-I'm a t-terrible p-person," Fluttershy sobs.

Cadance sighs. "Fluttershy..." She shakes her head. "I can't say for sure how much of that was you, and how much of it was...was that nightmare of a Persona you had poisoning your mind, but..." She swallows. "You are sorry for the things you've done, right?"

Fluttershy sniffles and nods. "I...I hate myself," she says. "I...I've hated myself for a long time now..."

Sonata hugs her even harder.

"I won't lie," Cadance says. "Everything you've just said...it disturbs me. And...and after we've dealt with Sunset Shimmer and...and everything...you're going to have to answer for all the things you've done. You understand that, right?"

Fluttershy swallows and nods.

"But...I think Principal Celestia is compassionate enough and understanding enough that...that she'll go to bat for you if the rest of us do."

"And we will," Twilight says.

"Fluttershy," Rarity says, "is there a way to shut down Zodiac?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I don't think so," she says. "I've never been able to figure out how something like Zodiac can even exist. The best I can do is figure out how to manipulate it...to a degree..." She shrugs. "I think the only thing you can really do is what you've already been doing. Kill the Hunter Shadows. If there are no Hunters, Zodiac isn't dangerous." She frowns. "Well...it's still...connected, somehow, to the minds of everyone at CHS. But...the Hunters are what make it dangerous. No Hunters, nobody gets sucked in, nobody dies."

"And we've only got a few left to deal with," Twilight says. "Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Aquarius..."

"Umm...there's...there's one little problem with that," Fluttershy says. "I've...never actually seen Leo. I don't think it's ever even attacked anybody."

"I've never seen Leo either," Cadance says. "It's strange...it never showed up, it never hunted anyone...I honestly thought the whole thing was over with until Virgo attacked Flash..."

"So maybe somebody already killed it?" Rainbow suggests with a shrug.

"But who could kill a Hunter Shadow?" Twilight asks. "I mean, look how hard it is for US!"

"W-well...Sunset Shimmer's birthday is August 1st," Fluttershy says. "I know because I was...I was at her birthday party." She blushes. "She made me...do something really embarrassing..." She shakes her head. "A-anyway—"

"What did she make you do?" Rainbow asks, tilting her head.

"I...don't wanna talk about it," Fluttershy whispers.

"It's okay," Twilight says. "You don't have to." She frowns. "So Sunset Shimmer is a Leo, and she has a very powerful Persona..." She scratches her cheek. "Maybe her Persona was awakened like ours were, and she killed Leo herself."

"So...we just need to take out the rest of the Shadows, then kick Sunset Shimmer's butt?" Rainbow asks. "Sounds easy enough."

"It's...not that simple," Fluttershy says. "We have to find and disable her backups. We have to destroy all her blackmail evidence. And..." She shudders. "I...I'd rather not try to fight her in Zodiac again. You...you have no idea what kind of a monster her Persona is..."

"But you are going to help us hunt down the rest of the Hunter Shadows and take them out, right?" Cadance asks.

Fluttershy sniffles and nods. "Y-yes," she says. "And...and I want...I want to start over with all of you. I...I watch you all, and I..." She looks down. "I feel so jealous of how close you all are, how you're all such good friends..." She smiles. "I want friendship like that. But...I know it'll be hard to earn your trust after...after everything I've done." She looks around at us with a faint frown. "And...and I'm sorry, but...some of you haven't...really been very nice to me lately. I mean, even though I deserved some of it, I..."

We all look at each other; everyone except Sonata looks ashamed.

"I'm...sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow says. "Really."

"Me too," I say.

The rest of us apologize to Fluttershy. She smiles softly. "Well...you can all make it up to me at the zoo. And with ice cream cake. And..." She tilts her head. "Well, we'll see from there."

With the addition of Fluttershy, our chances just improved...

More than that, we just gained a new friend.

We finish eating breakfast, then start getting ready to go to the zoo. Fluttershy texts Applejack to let her know to meet us there.

The zoo outing is enjoyable, uneventful, and a great way to unwind after everything that's happened today. Watching Fluttershy get excited over all the different animals, I can almost forget that just yesterday, she was hostile, surly, and adversarial. Today, she's just a cute, friendly girl who likes animals and gets excited about animals the rest of us don't see anything interesting about.

We spend almost three hours at the zoo. At some point, Pinkie found out where the best place to get an ice cream cake in Haytona is and pre-ordered one; by the time we get to the place, it's ready and waiting for us. We hurry back to the dorm with it; we decide to let it chill for a bit while Fluttershy opens her presents. Cadance orders pizza, and we all settle in for an evening together with friends.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 / Evening

Fluttershy is pleased with her presents and thanks us all. We spend the rest of the evening eating pizza and ice cream cake and watching animal movies.

"Thank you, everyone," Fluttershy says as the party is winding down. "I...I don't deserve friends like you..."

Rainbow throws an arm around her shoulders. "That's the thing about friends," she says. "They forgive."

Fluttershy flinches slightly, but then shakes herself and smiles. "Rainbow...about...what happened after the Fall Formal..."

We all tense up. "Yeah?" Rainbow asks.

Fluttershy steels herself, then sighs. "You...really were just scared I'd been raped, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was."

Fluttershy smiles and hugs Rainbow. "Thank you," she says. "For caring about me. But...next time, maybe care about me with your words, instead of..."

Rainbow laughs sheepishly and rubs the back of her head. "Yeah," she says. "I know, I'm an idiot."

Fluttershy looks at Twilight, Pinkie, and Cadance. "Oh, and...I'm sorry I called you all degenerate sluts," she says. "I—"

"We forgive you," the girls say in one single, resigned chorus.

"I think that's enough apologies for one day," Cadance says, laughing. "Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up. I don't know about you kids, but I'm beat."

We all pitch in to clean up the mess, then head off to our rooms.

Twilight and I are getting ready for bed when there's a knock on the door.

"Come in," Twilight says.

Fluttershy walks in. "There's one thing I forgot," she says.

"Oh?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy walks over to me, sticks her hand in my shorts, and pinches my dick. Hard.

"AAHHH!" I cross my legs and cover my crotch. Oh god it hurts...

"What the—?" Twilight cries.

Fluttershy smiles. "Now we're even for you grabbing my breast," she says. She sticks her tongue out at me, then leaves.

I crumple onto the bed. It takes a while for my dick to stop hurting enough that I can sleep.

I guess she does still have a way to go...oww...
> 3/30 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You've earned some time to rest and relax with friends. Put all your worries, doubts, and fears out of your mind for a while and enjoy life.

It's terribly overcast today. There are rumbles of thunder; looking out the windows, I can see the wind violently whipping around the leaves on the trees.

As everyone pours out of their bedrooms, Cadance walks in with a dreary expression on her face. "Bad news, guys," she says. "No beach today. This storm system moved in last night and it's gonna be rainy and windy most of the day." She sighs. "It's supposed to clear up tomorrow, so at least there's that, but..."

"Well that sucks," Rainbow says.

"Oh well...I'm certain we can all find things to do around the house," Rarity says. "Besides, it's only one day, and there's still more than enough Spring Break left to get in some quality beach time."

"Yeah, we're here until Saturday," Cadance says. "Even though on Saturday we'll probably be busy packing up and cleaning the house..."

"We haven't really made that much of a mess," Twilight says.

"Let's try to keep it that way," Cadance says. "The less we have to do on our last day here, the better."

Fluttershy yawns hugely. "I...think I'll just go back to bed for a little while," she says. "I'm still pretty tired from yesterday..."

"A nap sounds good," Rainbow says. She waves and heads back upstairs.

"I think I'll video chat with Shiny after breakfast," Cadance says. "Twilight, you want to say hi to your brother?"

"Sure," Twilight says.

Looks like today's going to be a lazy day in...

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 / Daytime

I'm still pretty wiped out from yesterday too, so I decide to spend most of the day relaxing in the living room watching television. All morning long, the girls are coming and going, wandering back and forth from bedrooms to the back yard to the kitchen to the bathroom, occasionally stopping to sit and watch TV for a while before wandering off again.

A little while after noon, Sonata wanders in wearing her strapless bikini. This doesn't strike me as odd, even though we're not going down to the beach today; Pinkie's been doing that a lot too. I wave at her and turn my attention back to some show I'm not terribly interested in.

Sonata walks in front of me and straddles my lap. I blink at her, confused. "Sonata?"

Sonata reaches up and removes her bikini top, giving me a hopeful smile...

I suddenly realize why Sonata looked so disappointed the other day. I might not have felt that way about her, but apparently she feels that way about me...

I also realize that I'm completely fine with Sonata riding me right in the living room, despite the fact that the other girls are still roaming around the house and, well...getting a show they probably weren't expecting.

After we're done, Sonata gives me a deep kiss, then gathers up her bikini and pads upstairs.

"I thought you weren't interested in having sex with Sonata," Twilight says from off to my left. I freeze, turning to see her sitting there. I never even saw her come in...

"Uhh..." I cough. "I wasn't, but...I guess she was."

Twilight smirks. "You sure seemed pretty into it, though."

I scratch the back of my head. "Well...yeah..." I shrug. "Can you blame me?"

Twilight shakes her head and laughs. "Go get cleaned up. Unless...you'd rather do someone else right now? Someone a little more...purple?"

I sigh. "I'd love to, Twi, believe me, but...I don't even think I can get it up again right now..." I sag. "I'm pretty exhausted."

Twilight giggles. "Maybe later, then..."

I clean myself up and change into clean shorts, then collapse face-first on the bed and fall asleep.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 / Evening

It's already dark out when I wake up.

I head out into the hall; I hear...sounds...coming from Cadance's room.

A lot of those sounds are coming from Twilight...

My stomach rumbles. I skipped lunch, and it's way past dinnertime...

Whatever Twilight and Cadance are doing, it can wait until after I've eaten. I head to the kitchen and start rounding up a quick dinner.

When I have my food, I head out into the living room. I find Fluttershy sitting there, Spike in her lap; she's absently petting him and looks lost in thought. "Hey," I say.

She starts and looks up. "Oh...hi," she says. She tilts her head. "I thought for sure you were..." She blushes. "With Twilight and Nurse Cadance..."

I shake my head. "I was asleep," I say.

"Oh." Fluttershy looks down at Spike. "I really don't get you all sometimes," she says. "I mean...I know teenagers are supposed to have sex on the brain, but you, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie are just...crazed." She frowns slightly. "And Cadance too."

I shrug. "I don't know what to tell you," I say. "Is it so wrong, though?"

She sighs. "No...I guess not," she says. "I guess...it only really bothers me because..." She frowns. "Actually...why does it bother me?" She shakes her head. "Sorry. My mind's been kind of a mess since yesterday."

I wince. "I totally understand," I say. "I mean, the stress of what happened yesterday, you deciding to try to change, telling us all your dark secrets..." I gesture with my hands. "Anyone would be kinda wiped out after all that."

Fluttershy bows her head. "Yes, but...it's not just that," she says. "When...when Sunset Shimmer destroyed Eris...that did something to me. I don't...really understand it, but..." She looks up at me. "I think...something broke inside me. Really bad. And...and it feels like I'm trying to put myself back together..." She frowns. "It's like...for so long now, I've...I've had all these hateful thoughts about everyone around me, and now when I think something like that, I..." She winces. "I get this feeling like...why was I thinking those hateful things in the first place?" She absently scratches Spike behind the ears. "I...I've been thinking all day...about you and Twilight and Rainbow and everybody else..." She sighs. "And...I finally realized that...none of you have ever done anything to me. All the things I convinced myself were wrong with all of you..." She starts to cry. "It...it was all in my head...it was all lies I was telling myself...to make myself feel like I was better than all of you..." She looks up at me, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

I move to sit beside her and give her a gentle hug. "It's okay," I say.

"No, it's not," she whispers. "I..." She holds her head in her hands. "I keep...feeling like I'm supposed to hate you all...and then I don't even know why I feel that way...and then I start thinking about all the nice things all of you have done for...for everybody..." Her shoulders are shaking. "I'm the worst person ever..."

"Eris was the worst person ever," I say. "Well, other than Sunset Shimmer." I take hold of her chin and turn her to face me. "What you need to do now is figure out who Fluttershy is. And...I don't think anyone who loves animals and is as gentle with them as you are could be a bad person. You've done some terrible things, and...and I won't lie...it's going to take some time before we forgive you for everything. But..." I shrug. "People can change. You've already started to change, and we all see it..." I smile. "I want to be friends with the person you're changing into."

Fluttershy smiles at me, sniffling; her eyes are shining. "Thank you..."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Priestess Arcana...


I gently hold Fluttershy while she gets ahold of herself. Spike hops off her lap and wanders off somewhere else in the house. After several minutes, she wipes her eyes and sits up straight. "I...I think I'm better now," she says.

"Good," I say. I pat her back, then slide my plate over so I can finish eating.

"Hey, umm..." Fluttershy says pensively, staring down at her feet. "Can I...ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"The other day, when you..." Fluttershy grimaces. "When you said you'd never sleep with me and...well..."

"I'm sorry for the way I said that," I say. "I was trying to hurt you and I was being petty and mean and I'm sorry."

"It's...okay," she says. "But...just out of curiosity..." She blushes. "If...under other circumstances...would I have been on your 'would do' list?" She looks up at me with a sudden, panicked expression. "N-not that I want to be part of your harem! I just...I'm curious."

Harem? Seriously?

I shrug. "I actually never thought about it," I say. "You're very pretty, but...you've always looked so fragile..." I make a vague gesture. "And you're so withdrawn most of the time..." I shake my head. "So I never really thought about you that way."

"Oh..."

"You sound disappointed."

She shrugs. "I...don't know how I feel about that," she says. "I guess I just..."

"Tell you what," I say. "After a couple more days on the beach, seeing you in a swimsuit...and not, y'know, hating your guts...I'll be able to tell you for sure whether or not I'd want to sleep with you."

She laughs, blushing sheepishly. "O-okay," she says. "Umm...I'm still not actually going to—"

"I got that, yeah."

Something suddenly occurs to me. "Hey, Fluttershy?"

"Yes?"

"You remember that night you came into my room and threatened me as Eris?"

She ducks her head. "Y-yes," she says. "I...I'm sorry...I was trying to save you all, and—"

I hold up a hand. "I just wanna know how you pulled that off. I mean, you jumped out my window, I'm on the third floor, and when me and Twi went downstairs to search for you, you were, well...in the kitchen, in your pajamas..." I shake my head. "How'd you manage that?"

"Oh!" Fluttershy laughs shakily. "Well...there's this big tree right outside your window, actually. I just ninja-jumped down. Umm...I can do that. And I was already in my pajamas anyway...so I just ditched everything else I had on outside and snuck back in through the back."

Wow.

Fluttershy stands up and stretches, yawning. "Well...I think I'm going to go read for a little while before bed. We're going to the beach tomorrow, right?"

"I think so."

"Goodnight," she says.

I finish my dinner and head back to the bedroom to watch TV for a little while. After about an hour, Twilight walks in, naked, flushed, and sweaty. "Oh...you're awake," she says.

"I've been up for a while. Did you have fun with Cadance?"

Twilight blushes furiously. "Y-yes," she says. "She was disappointed you didn't join us, though."

I shrug. "Tomorrow, maybe?"

"Okay." Twilight goes to the bathroom, takes a quick shower, then crawls into bed with me, still naked. She snuggles up to me and falls asleep. I play with her hair for a little while before turning off the TV and letting myself drift off.
> 3/31 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 31, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nobody's perfect. In life and in love, we all make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them and grow.

Twilight showers first this morning while I straighten up the bedroom. I shower while Twilight gets dressed. When I come out, she's wearing shorts, a bikini top, and an open blouse. I quickly throw on some board shorts and a tank top, and we head to the living room.

Cadance, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Sonata are dressed exactly the same as they were on Saturday. Applejack is wearing an apple-red bikini today. Rarity is wearing a black sling bikini. Fluttershy is wearing the same bikini she wore on Saturday, except without the sarong, and with different, sexier sandals.

I'm peripherally aware that I'm not the only one staring at her.

Fluttershy looks around at us and blushes. "Yeah, that's right," she says. "Get a good look." She shakes her head. "I don't know which one of you I'm the most worried about trying to hump me in my sleep tonight..."

"Fluttershy," Twilight says in a tired, warning tone.

Fluttershy laughs. "I'm only teasing," she says. "Mostly." Her eyes slide sideways toward Rainbow, who has a heated flush to her face.

"Legs," Rainbow mumbles. "Legs. Legs. Oh my god legs..."

"You should really consider going into modelling, darling," Rarity says to Fluttershy. "Your grace, your natural beauty, that fantastic body..."

Fluttershy ducks her head. "You're all acting as if you've never seen me in a bathing suit before," she says.

Twilight coughs. "It's...because you've changed a lot in the last few days," she says. "And...well...the last time we went to the beach, you weren't...showing quite as much."

Twilight's right...Fluttershy's bikini is alarmingly high-cut and just barely decent. No wonder she had on a sarong before...

Fluttershy blushes. "I..."

"Have every right and every reason to show off your body," Cadance says with a smile. "Don't let everyone make you feel self-conscious about it." She smirks. "Hell, look at Rarity. If that thing slips, we're ALL getting a show."

Everyone laughs. Rarity makes a pained face.

After breakfast, we get our stuff together and head down to the beach.

Thursday, March 31, 2016 / Daytime

The beach is less crowded today than it was on Saturday.

Fluttershy joins the girls in a game of beach volleyball. It quickly turns into her versus Rainbow, and Rainbow looks like her pride is taking a beating from Fluttershy's unexpected skill. Then again, none of us should really be that surprised...

Twilight sits on the beach with Rarity and Cadance, reading and sunbathing. I decide to swim for a while.

That Lemon House place has somebody new working there today: a younger girl with long blue hair which is, for some reason, styled into ten wide, flat ponytails. She's wearing a cap that looks like a squid. The red-haired girl is frequently berating her...

We spend all day on the beach. We gather together to watch the sun set over the ocean, then head back to the house.

Thursday, March 31, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Twilight and I are headed for the bedroom when Cadance joins us. "You know," she says, "I haven't gotten a chance to have some fun with Flash yet..."

I glance at Twilight, shifting uncertainly. Twilight smiles. "It's okay," she says. "Actually..." She blushes. "I've...been kind of looking forward to this..."

I stare at her. "Really?"

She shuffles her feet, a bashful expression on her face. "Don't look at me like that!" she whines. "You're making me feel like a pervert..."

Cadance follows us into the master bedroom and closes the door behind her. She looks us over with a sultry smile. "Finally, I get to have my cake and eat it too..."

"Don't say things like that," Twilight complains. "It's creepy."

Cadance laughs. "Sorry. It's..." She sighs and walks over to the dresser, pulling off her blouse and folding it carefully on top. "After...that awful night, the night I..." She averts her gaze. "Threw myself at Flash to spite my husband..." She sits down on the bed. "I..." She looks up at us, pain in her eyes. "I felt so horrible about what happened. Not just because of what I did, but because..." She swallows. "I've come to love Flash like a brother, and..." She sighs. "You don't do something like that to people you love. I hurt my husband, I hurt my sister, and I hurt Flash...and I hurt myself. Everyone I love and care about got hurt that night, just because I was so stupid..."

"Cadance..." Twilight says.

Cadance chuckles ruefully. "Anyway, I...I know this doesn't really say much about me as a person, but...ever since..." She sighs and looks at me. "I've...I've wanted a chance to sleep with you again...for real. Not because I was angry at Shining Armor, but because I want to enjoy you, and I want you to enjoy me. But...I knew that couldn't happen.

"But, well...Shining Armor and I have had some really long talks, and..." Cadance swallows. "Well, like I said the other day..."

"We know," Twilight says with a smile. "And..." She swallows. "To be honest, what we're about to do will remind me of...that, but..." She looks from me to Cadance. "For me, sex is...well..." She blushes. "The ultimate expression of love. And...and I love both of you so much..." She swallows. "So...so we all love each other, in...in our own special way...so this is okay, right?" She looks at Cadance.

Cadance smiles and nods. "This is okay," she says. "It's okay because we all agree it's okay." She looks at me. "Right?"

Twilight also looks at me. I laugh. "Of course," I say.

The three of us enjoy a wild, sexy night together...
> 4/1 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 1, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You are going to pie today.

The sun is shining brightly through the curtains of the bedroom window when I wake up, tangled up in a pile of naked flesh.

I gently extricate myself from between Twilight and Cadance and stagger over to the bathroom. I gotta piss like a motherfucker...

When I'm done, I head back out into the bedroom to see what time it is. I'm thinking ahead to a hot shower...or maybe a morning quickie with either Twilight or Cadance (or both)...

My phone starts loudly and insistently ringing. Cadance and Twilight both stir and groan. I pad over to the dresser and snatch up my phone, which launches Canterbook and opens the horoscope app. I blink dazedly at the horoscope before my mind seizes up in panic. "What the—?!"

"Flash? What's wrong?" Twilight asks.

I rush over to the bed and show Twilight my phone. "What's going on here?" I wonder. "Why is this...? How can...?" I'm kind of freaking out.

Twilight blinks and frowns. "Huh? But..." She pauses, blinking slowly. Her brow furrows. "Uhh...Flash? Did you...did you read this horoscope carefully?"

"What?" I glance at the screen again. "Huh? Pie? What the hell—"

And suddenly, everything in my field of vision turns white.

This is followed by a wet *splut* sound and a cold, sticky feeling all over my face.

Which is followed by uproarious laughter. Uproarious pink laughter.

"GAH! Pinkie! What the hell?" Twilight yells.

Cadance starts giggling. "Oh...oh my..."

I reach up to my face and feel something smooth, cool, and metallic. I pull it away, then wipe at my eyes with my hands. Smacking my lips, I taste whipped cream...

"Twilight?" I ask. "What just happened?"

"Pinkie came out from under the bed and...and..."

"Threw a pie in my face?" I ask flatly.

"Yeah."

I wipe some more pie from my face. "Uh-huh."

"Gotta go!" Pinkie exclaims cheerfully. "Bye-ee!"

"Umm...Flash? You've got a little something..." Twilight says.

I glare at her.

"...nevermind," she says.

"...it's April Fool's Day, isn't it?" I ask.

"Yes. Yes it is," Cadance says, stifling a giggle.

"Greeeeeat." Shaking my head and sighing wearily, I trudge to the bathroom to shower. It's gonna be a looooong day...

...wait. How did she—?

I grab the shampoo and vigorously lather some into my hair, then lather myself up with body wash. It takes a few minutes for me to realize that my body wash smells like bubble gum.

Like...really smells like bubble gum.

I mean, not that I have anything against the smell of bubble gum, but I use cool sport scent, not...

...oh no.

I finish up my shower as quickly as I can, scrubbing and rinsing my hair. The bubble gum smell of that body wash is overpowering, and it's actually getting worse...

I step out of the shower, wrap one towel around my waist, and grab another to dry my hair. I give my hair a vigorous scrub, then walk over to the medicine cabinet to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste. I glance in the bathroom mirror...

Oh no.

No.





"PIIIINKIIIIE PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!!"

Friday, April 1, 2016 / Daytime

"It's...it's not that bad, darling," Rarity says, straining not to giggle.

Rainbow is laughing her ass off. "Dude, you look ridiculous!"

And you smell delicious!

It's been an hour since the bathroom incident. It took that long for Twilight and Cadance to convince me to come out of the bedroom without murdering Pinkie.

The neon green dye job is bad enough, but the bubble gum smell is actually getting worse...

Fluttershy covers a dainty giggle. "Oh my," she says. "Pinkie, you're a very creative prankster."

"Speaking of which," Cadance says, eyeing Fluttershy shrewdly. "You were in on the pie prank, weren't you?"

It turns out I wasn't the only victim of the pie prank. Pinkie and Sonata teamed up to nail everybody with pies when they were least expecting it. Everybody, that is, except Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiles. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about..."

"The horoscope app?" Twilight says. "That we know you've hacked into before to change the horoscopes?"

Fluttershy's eyes gleam with mirth. "Oh, alright. You got me. Yes, I was in on the pie thing. But I didn't know about..." She giggles. "The hair prank..."

"I thought you couldn't hack the horoscope app anymore," I say.

"Oh, well...the entire app was uninstalled from the system and reinstalled from the original software," Cadance says. "That's why it was offline for so long." She frowns. "Well, that and it took me a while to learn how to run it and find a few good sources of syndicated horoscopes to crib from."

Twilight blinks. "Cadance? You're running the horoscope app now?"

Cadance shrugs. "Celestia asked me to take it over once I told her Sunset Shimmer had been abusing it to send threatening messages. Which I couldn't prove, of course...she covered her tracks pretty well."

"I suppose having you run the horoscope app is the most sensible choice at this stage," Rarity says.

Cadance gives Fluttershy a look. "Please don't hack the horoscope app anymore."

"I'm not making any promises," Fluttershy says. "But I won't abuse it." She smiles. "Except today. Today was too funny."

"So the horoscopes are just...normal horoscopes now?" I ask.

"That's right," Cadance says.

That's a relief...

"So," Rarity says, "are we spending one last day on the beach?"

"That sounds good to m—"

Cadance trails off suddenly as Fluttershy lets loose a massive fart.

We all stare at her. Her eyes are wide and her cheeks are pink. "Oh...oh my," she says. "Umm...excuse me?"

"NASTY, Fluttershy!" Rainbow says. "What the—"

Rainbow Dash rips one out. She blinks in confusion.

One after another, each of us starts farting. Rarity looks like she's about to faint from the indignity of it all, Twilight's beet red, Cadance looks confused, and Applejack is just rolling her eyes.

Pinkie is on the floor laughing her ass off...and farting her ass off...

"Pinkie," Cadance asks calmly, "would there even be any point in asking HOW you did this?"

"It wasn't me, it was the dog!" Pinkie says cheerfully. She lets out a short, high-pitched toot and starts laughing again.

"Good grief," Twilight says, shaking her head and muttering.

We take some time to open up the windows to let the house air out before we get our things together and head down to the beach. Fortunately, by the time we get there, whatever Pinkie did to us has mostly worn off...

Friday, April 1, 2016 / Evening

Our last day at the beach was...memorable, to say the least.

All day long, we had to be on the lookout for Pinkie and Sonata, who seem to be determined to make the most out of April Fool's Day.

The high point (or low point?) was the squid ink shaved ice. Somehow, she managed to convince the Neighponese girls from the Lemon House to hide squid ink inside the shaved ice and cover it with normal flavor syrup.

I don't think I'll ever get that taste off my tongue...

Worse, that bubble gum smell from the trick body wash has been getting stronger all day long...

When we get back to the beach house, Applejack and Rainbow Dash restrain Pinkie and Sonata while Cadance and Rarity make dinner, which consists of a general potluck of most of what we have left over.

"I think tomorrow, we'll go out for lunch someplace nice in town," Cadance says. "There's a few really good all-you-can-eat places in Haytona...different kinds of cuisine. Maybe we can also do one last little round of souvenir shopping. After that, we need to clean this place from top to bottom, do all our laundry, and get packed up for the trip home."

"I can't believe Spring Break is over already," Rainbow complains.

"I think I'm actually ready to get back to Canterlot," Rarity says. "Too much more lying around on the beach and, well..." She gives us all a look, as if daring us to call her a toasted marshmallow.

"Yeah, the party can't last forever," Pinkie says.

I've had a great time! Sonata writes, smiling happily.

"So have I, but I miss my husband," Cadance says. "I can't wait to go back home and make love to him..."

We all work together to clean up the remnants of dinner and clean the kitchen, then head to bed.

Pinkie walks into the bedroom just as Twilight and I are getting changed. "I haven't had my turn with Flashie this week," she says.

I stare at her. "Pinkie," I say calmly. "My hair is neon green. I still smell like bubble gum. I spent half the day farting uncontrollably. And I STILL can't get the taste of squid ink off my tongue."

Pinkie wilts. "Heheh...oopsie," she says. "I guess maaaaaaybe I overdid it a little?" She looks from me to Twilight, then sighs. "Yyyeah, I get it. I'm in the dog house." She tilts her head. "Does that mean I have to have sex with Spike now?"

"GAH! PINKIE!" Twilight yells. She picks up a pillow and throws it at Pinkie.

Pinkie giggles. "Goodnight, Twi-Twi! Goodnight, Flashie-pants!" She skips away, returned to her usual cheerful self.

Twilight growls. "Good GRIEF," she groans.

"Don't worry," I say. "She'll get what's coming to her."

A few seconds later, we hear a shrill scream from upstairs. Twilight looks at me, eyes wide. "Was...was that Pinkie Pie?"

I grin and slide into bed.

"What did you do?" Twilight asks, looking from me to the second floor.

"Well, since she likes squid so much..."
> 4/2 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, April 2, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cherish those fleeting moments that remind you why life is a precious thing.

Today is our last day in Haytona. Tomorrow morning, we're flying back to Canterlot.

Saturday, April 2, 2016 / Daytime

There's not much left to work with in the way of food in the house, so we go out for breakfast, then drive around Haytona for a little while, checking out some smaller shops and looking for neat little things to take back with us. Around noon, we head for a place that has a great buffet of grilled meats and steakhouse-type stuff. We spend about an hour gorging ourselves before heading back to the beach house to start cleaning up and packing.

Saturday, April 2, 2016 / Evening

By nine in the evening, all our laundry is done, all our bags are packed, all our garbage is disposed of, and we've cleaned the beach house from top to bottom.

Our flight is obscenely early in the morning, so we all go to bed early...

"So, did you enjoy your week of tomcatting around?" Twilight asks as we get into bed.

I smile. "Yeah, I did," I say. "But I'm ready to be a one-woman man again." I pause. "Well, two-woman."

Twilight hugs me and kisses me briefly. "I'm glad to hear that," she says. She pauses. "Of course, if you ever feel like you really need to...y'know...and you ask really nicely..." She wrinkles her brow. "I might let you have a little fun on the side, as long as I know who you're having it with."

"Actually," I say, cracking a yawn, "I think I'm funned out for a little while..."
> 4/3 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, April 3, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may be in for unexpected, but welcome, surprises today.

I end up sitting next to Fluttershy on the flight back to Canterlot. She seems to be on the lookout for an attempt to grope her.

"I'm not going to try to molest you on an airplane," I say.

Fluttershy ducks her head. "Sorry, I'm just..." She plucks at some strands of her hair. "I saw the way you were ogling me at the beach the other day."

I sigh. "Yeah...I'll admit it. You're definitely on that list now." I tilt my head. "Actually, after this past week, you pretty much are that list."

She giggles. "I still can't believe you've spent all week just...screwing every girl in the dorm..." She shakes her head. "You really are a dick with legs, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

She sighs. "Still...you go out of your way to protect people, and you're really a good person. I...I've listened in on all those little heart-to-hearts you've had with everybody since you came here. You..." She ducks her head. "You have a good heart...even if you are a pervert."

"Thank you..."

Sunday, April 3, 2016 / Evening

Shining Armor, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle meet us at the gate and help us carry all our luggage. The luggage, the pets, and the two younger girls all go into a rental SUV, while the girls and I ride home in Cadance's SUV, which she left in the long-term parking at the airport.

When we get back to the dorm, we're all surprised to find Twilight's parents there waiting for us.

"Mom! Dad!" Twilight cries happily. "I wasn't expecting you!"

Velvet smiles. "We actually came down on Friday," she says. "I knew the dorm would need some, well..." She coughs. "We needed to do some shopping for you all, and I know Shiny doesn't know how to shop for a large group...and I wanted to see if my little girl got a nice tan on the beach." She looks Twilight over appraisingly. "Well, you do look a little darker..."

Twilight giggles and hugs her mother.

"Now, you kids go put your things away," Velvet says. "I'm sure you're exhausted after that long flight, but get freshened up while the rest of us get dinner on the table for you."

We all take our stuff upstairs and wash up for dinner, then file into the dining room. There, we find another surprise: Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna!

"Hello, everyone," Celestia says with a smile. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"We sure did!" Pinkie says. "Everybody got laid! Well, except Fluttershy and Applejack."

"Pinkie!" Twilight yells.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "You all practiced safe sex, I hope?" She shakes her head and laughs. "Ahh, it takes me back...you remember that one time we went to Canterlittle, Luna?"

Luna makes a pained face. "You mean that time you made it with that entire volleyball team?"

"Perhaps...these aren't the best stories to tell at the dinner table?" Velvet interjects hastily.

Celestia coughs. "Ahem. Yes. Perhaps not."

It turns out Celestia, Luna, and Velvet worked together to lay out a massive welcome-back feast. We all settle in to eat.

"So, did you girls have a good time while we were gone?" Rarity asks Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, we had fun," Sweetie Belle says. "Actually, we probably had more fun than you all had at the beach. I mean, we got to ride rides and see shows and win prizes playing games..."

"Yeah, an' all y'all did was lie around on th' beach!" Apple Bloom says with a grin. She gives Sweetie Belle a fist-bump. "Best Spring Break EVER!"

"Well, that's not all we did," Rarity says, "but I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves."

As we eat dinner, we talk about our trip to Haytona, while the younger girls tell us all about the things they did over break. It's a lot of talking and laughing and good cheer all around.

"But I think I'm glad to be home," Twilight says after relating some of what happened on Friday. She smiles. "Vacation was fun, but I think I'm tired from all the rest."

Celestia laughs. "I know what you mean. Still...I don't expect the entire school to share your sentiment. I have a feeling the halls will be full of zombies tomorrow."

"I'll be one of them," Luna mutters. We all laugh.

"Hey, guess what!" Apple Bloom says. "Startin' tomorrow, me an' Sweetie Belle are gonna be on Canterbook!"

"That's great," Twilight says with a strained smile. Her eyes flick to me, then to Cadance. Fluttershy frowns mildly.

"By the way, Rainbow Dash," Celestia says, "I've been chatting with your father a lot this past week."

Rainbow looks up. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm." Celestia's cheeks flush slightly. "You know he's coming back to Canterlot later this week, right?"

"Yeah, he mentioned it." Rainbow gestures with her fork. "He's announcing his retirement next week."

"Well, I'm...looking forward to spending some pleasant time in his company."

"Why, that's wonderful!" Velvet says. "Blaze needs a good woman in his life."

Toward the end of dinner, Cadance clears her throat. "I...actually have an announcement," she says.

We all turn our attention to her.

She smiles and worries at her napkin. "I...was going to tell Shining Armor this in private first, but...I feel like sharing with everyone at the same time, especially since Vel and Night Light are here." She takes a deep breath. "Right...before we left for Spring Break, I used an early pregnancy test, and..." She smiles. "Yesterday, I took another one to confirm it." She beams at Shining Armor. "Shiny...we're pregnant!"

Everyone gasps.

Shining Armor's eyes widen. "We..." His mouth works for a minute. "Really?"

Cadance nods happily.

Shining Armor shakes his head in stunned shock. "We did it?"

Twilight lets out a squeal. "Oh my gosh, Cadance! You're gonna have a baby!"

Velvet lets out a similar squeal. "I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Celestia smiles somewhat wistfully. "Congratulations, you two," she says.

"Thank you," Cadance says. She rubs her stomach. "I'm just glad I had a chance to show off my perfect bikini body one last time before I go whale."

I had sex with a pregnant woman? That's...a little creepy...

Night Light stands up and grins. "Shiny, we need to go out for a drink," he announces.

"Uhh...not tonight, Dad," Shining Armor says. "I've got too much to do tomorrow, not to mention I've gotta work, and I really don't wanna go in with a hangover."

"You'd better not show up to work hung over," Luna says sternly.

Night Light sighs. "Fair enough. How about this weekend? Saturday good for you?"

Shining Armor shrugs. "Sure, I can get drunk on Saturday." He pauses. "Actually, though...I think I can get away with one drink. And I've got just the thing." He glances at me. "Flash, you wanna join us?"

I blink. "Uhh..."

"It's tradition," Night Light says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Besides, I'll be having this drink with you someday when you and Twilight—"

"DAD!" Twilight exclaims, blushing profusely.

Celestia purses her lips. "I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you ask a minor to have a drink with you," she says.

Luna rolls her eyes. "Tia, I watched you drink six shots of tequila on your fifteenth birthday."

"Quiet, you," Celestia says. She shakes her head. "Don't get the kid drunk."

"Just one drink," Night Light says cheerfully, before dragging me off with him, Shining Armor in the lead. Behind us, I hear Velvet tell Cadance to come upstairs with her for some girl talk...

In the apartment, Night Light and I sit on the couch while Shining Armor rummages around for a bit, producing three small glasses and a full bottle of something reddish-orange in color. He fills one glass almost to the top, then pours the other two half-full. He hands his father the full one, while taking one of the half-full ones for himself and giving me the other one.

"To family," Night Light says.

"To the new baby," Shining Armor says. We all raise our glasses, then drink. The liquor has a strong, spicy cinnamon bite, and burns like fire going down...

"That's good stuff," Night Light says. "Where'd you get it?"

"Won it in a raffle," Shining Armor says. He peers at me intently for a minute. "Hey Dad, mind giving me a minute alone with Flash?"

"Will do," Night Light says. He takes his glass and the bottle, salutes, and wanders off into the back of the apartment.

Shining Armor stares after him, snorts, and shakes his head. "Hope he leaves some for later, I was saving that." He sighs and leans forward. "Listen, Flash...I know everything that happened over Spring Break. Cadance kept in touch with me every day."

Oh crap.

"Don't give me that look," he says with a smile. "You're not in trouble." He studies his glass and sets it down. "I wanted to thank you, actually," he says. "For...for everything you've done for us since you came here.

"I admit, when you first showed up, I..." Shining Armor frowns. "I didn't like that you had Twilight mooning over you. But...I guess I wasn't ready to accept that Twiley isn't a little kid anymore...that she's growing up, and can look out for herself." He grimaces. "And it doesn't help that me and Cadance were going through problems at the time. But I took a lot of my own frustrations out on you, and...and I wish I hadn't.

"Flash...you're the best thing that's ever happened to Twilight. Even if I'm...still a little disturbed by how, well..." He blushes. "Active she's been lately, and that whole thing with you two and Pinkie still weirds me out...the important thing is, she's happy. Happier than she's ever been. And it's because of you.

"And Cadance is happier too," he says. "Even if...even if it took something really messed up happening to start it, she's...she's gotten better. We've had a lot of long talks, and..." He runs his hands through his hair. "For a long time, I resigned myself to the fact that she was going to run around on me. But now, well...I understand that it's just...she enjoys being physical. And yeah, I do wish she'd only be physical with me, but..." He shrugs. "Once I understood her...really understood her...I don't mind if she wants to have her favorite kind of fun with the people she really cares about. As long as I know who she's with and that it's somebody we both love and respect." He turns very red. "I do wish she hadn't told me about her making out with Twilight, because that was just—"

"I can imagine," I say. "It...was kind of weird to see it too."

He raises an eyebrow. "Bullshit. You got to live every guy's dream with the two best girls in the world, and you know it."

I laugh weakly. "Well...yeah." I swallow. "I..."

He raises a hand. "You don't need to say it." He shakes his head. "Anyway...Cadance and I love each other unconditionally, and...and I understand now what that really means." He chuckles. "She's encouraging me to have a little fun with someone I care about too, but...the truth is, there's...nobody I really want to have that kind of fun with but her."

I raise an eyebrow. "Nobody at all?"

"Flash, if you even think of saying I want to do my sister, I—"

I hold up my hands placatingly. "Actually, I was thinking about Rarity. I saw you eyeballing her ass at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Oh." Shining Armor blushes sheepishly. "I...think that'd be a bad idea for entirely different reasons." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I...I just wanted you to know that..." He swallows. "Thanks," he says. "For taking care of Twilight, for making her happy...for helping me see how much of an asshole I've been since last summer, and...and for helping Cadance. And helping both of us. We're in a much happier place now." He chuckles.

"I'm just...happy everybody's happy," I say. "And I love Twilight. I'm so incredibly, amazingly lucky to have a girlfriend like her. I never thought a girl like her even existed..."

He reaches into his shirt and pulls out a set of battered old dog tags. "These were my great-grandfather's," he says. "He gave them to Grandpa for good luck when he got married. Grandpa gave them to my dad when he married Mom. When I got engaged to Cadance, Dad gave them to me." He takes them off and hands them to me. "I have a feeling...I should be giving them to you now."

"Coach, I—"

"You're part of this family now," Shining Armor says. "And...I'm trusting you to look after Twilight. From now on." He smiles. "Call it a hunch, but I'm pretty sure you're in it for the long haul."

I accept the dog tags and hang them around my own neck. I nod. "I won't let you down. Or Twilight."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Emperor Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Optimus Prime, the ultimate form of the Emperor Arcana...


We head into the back to find Night Light, who's had at least three more glasses and is passed out. Shining Armor shakes his head and laughs, then liberates the bottle. We each drink another half glass, then I head upstairs to get some sleep.

Tomorrow, it's back to school...

The booze is making my head feel nice and fuzzy, and I have no trouble getting to sleep.
> 4/4 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, April 4, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you lemonade, share it with someone who's thirsty.

Everyone in homeroom looks a little zoned out this morning. I'm not entirely all here myself, but that's mostly because despite not drinking much of...whatever that was...I've had a slight, lingering headache since I woke up.

"Good morning, everyone!" Mr. Turner says. "I know you're all a bit knackered after all that vacation time, so we'll take it slow today and review that exam you took. But first, Principal Celestia wants to make some announcements, so log into Canterbook please, that's a good class..."

We log into Canterbook to find a countdown waiting for us. When it reaches zero, Principal Celestia appears.

"Good morning, students and faculty, and welcome back," Celestia says. "I'd just like to make some quick announcements.

"First, a word about Spring Break pictures and videos. We've already had to take action against a few of you for posting inappropriate pictures and videos to Canterbook. Just a reminder: if you wouldn't want your parents to see it, you shouldn't post it on Canterbook.

"Next: we're excited to welcome the students and faculty of Canterlot Junior High to our Canterbook community! I expect all our CHS students to be respectful and courteous, and I expect all you CJHS students to behave yourselves and not abuse this privelege. Your homeroom teachers will brief you on Canterbook usage this morning. Please remember that while the scholastic functions of Canterbook will always remain available to all students, the social functions are a privelege that can be revoked at any time.

"Thank you, and have a good day!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are on Canterbook now...

I'll have to remember to add them later.

Monday, April 4, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, we all gather together at our usual table. In addition to everyone from the dorm, Chrysalis' daughters and Coco have joined us.

"Boy, Sunset Shimmer looks mighty mad today," Applejack observes. We all glance over at Sunset. She looks positively furious; everyone is giving her a wide berth.

"Her Spring Break must not have gone as planned," Rainbow Dash says with a smirk.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out...




Friend Request From: Apple Bloom
Apple Bloom wants to be friends on Canterbook.

Friend Request From: Sweetie Belle
Sweetie Belle wants to be friends on Canterbook.




Apple Bloom's friend request has an...interesting avatar attached to it...





I'm not the only one who got a friend request, nor am I the only one who noticed this. Twilight starts giggling. "What is THAT?" she wonders.

"That's so funny!" Pinkie Pie says, looking at her own phone.

Applejack takes a look, covers her face, and chuckles. "She's still doin' that? Seriously?"

"What's that even supposed to be?" Rainbow Dash wonders.

Applejack shakes her head. "Apple Bloom likes doodlin' these little pictures of herself an' other people she knows as cartoon ponies. Ah dunno why or where it came from. She's been doin' it since she was little."

Fluttershy covers her mouth and giggles. "I think it's cute," she says.

I shake my head and accept both friend requests.

Monday, April 4, 2016 / After School

After school, I run into Juan.

"Well, hello there!" he says. "I trust you had an eventful break?"

I shrug. "You might say that."

"Oh, come now. Going to Haytona with all those beautiful girls?" He leers at me. "Why, when I was your age, I—"

"You really don't wanna go there with me," I say.

"Err...yes, of course. So inappropriate of me." Juan coughs. "I noticed young Fluttershy seems happier today than I've seen her since she first came here." He looks around, then leans close. "Between you and me...Fluttershy is the living proof of what the kids call the Greater Internet Dickwad Theory."

I grimace. "Yeah...I know." I blink. "Wait, how do you know?"

"Oh, I've been watching her wreak havoc on this school for some time now," Juan says cheerfully. "She does get quite...creative when she's angry."

I frown. "And you never thought to tell Principal Celestia?"

Juan shrugs. "It's not my job to spy on the students and report on their online activities." He tilts his head and frowns. "Speaking of which, that whole sordid business with Sunset Shimmer..." He shakes his head. "Just between you and me, there's something seriously wrong with that girl."

I snort. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"I must say," Juan says, "I'm actually rather enjoying watching what all you nasty little children get up to...seeing as my job is no longer on the line because of it." He chuckles. "Canterbook is one mess nobody expects a lowly janitor to clean up." He gives me a jaunty wave. "Well, ta-ta!"

That guy really gives me the creeps...

I have homework to do and I haven't touched my guitar in over a week, so I hurry back to the dorm.

Monday, April 4, 2016 / Evening

"Are you girls enjoying Canterbook so far?" Celestia asks at dinner.

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom says. "Ah mean, sure, some kids like Diamond Tiara are already cuttin' up on it, but it's pretty fun, an' Ah like all those neat little apps!"

"Like the horoscope app!" Sweetie Belle says.

"An' that cupcake game!"

Celestia smiles. "Well, just so long as you remember to do your homework and pay attention in class before playing with the apps," she says. She looks around the table. "Did everybody have a good first day back?"

"Ehhh," is the general consensus. Celestia smirks.

After dinner, Cadance comes upstairs to talk to me. "Hey," she says, sitting down at my desk.

I sit down on the bed. "Hey." I shift awkwardly. "Umm...listen, I just wanna ask..."

"Why I had sex with you even though I knew I was pregnant?"

"Yeah. Isn't that...y'know...bad?"

Cadance laughs. "It's safe for quite a while, I assure you. In fact, I won't stop having fun with my husband until I start to show. And even then, I can still keep him very happy." She plays with her hair. "Listen, Flash...I just wanted to thank you. For a lot of things.

"When you first came here, I..." She sighs. "I was a wreck. I was nervous, I was tense, I had this big secret I couldn't share with anyone, and...and between that and the stress of the wedding, Shiny and I got...all messed up somehow. And..." She looks down. "He knew, even back then, that I was sleeping around on him. That I was using random sex with people I barely even know as stress relief. And he stuck by me, even...even with that...

"And then, when...I hit a low point in October..." She looks up at me. "I could've destroyed everything. Everything. My entire family, you, Twilight...the two of you were just starting out in your relationship, and I almost wrecked it because I felt like I needed to fuck you to get back at Shiny." She sighs again. "I was so stupid...

"But at the same time, that whole thing helped me understand something. It..." She sighs. "It helped me understand how badly I was hurting everybody I cared about." She laughs ruefully. "I know I'm still a little too obsessed with sex, and...well, maybe one of these days I'll finally get over that, but..." She smiles. "I'm so, so very lucky that, with the help of my therapist and my husband, I've learned to control myself—a little bit—and learned that my sexual appetites shouldn't be..." She fumbles around with her hands a bit. "That I should only do those things with people I love." She looks up at me. "I love my husband. And I love Twilight. And I love you, because I have a feeling I'm going to be Twilight's maid of honor sooner than I was expecting..." She winks at me. I blush.

"So much has happened this year," Cadance says. "To all of us, to me, to my marriage..." She sighs. "I'm not perfect. I know I'm not. And I never will be. But...I know one important thing that's never going to change." She smiles. "I love my husband, and he loves me. And I'll make mistakes, and maybe we'll fight sometimes over stupid things, but...I know our love is real, and I know our love is forever. And..." She places her hand on her stomach and smiles. "Right here, growing inside me, is the proof of that. This baby is my gift to my husband...and his gift to me. Our child is our ultimate bond."

I smile. "You'll make good parents."

She laughs. "I hope so. Honestly? I expect this kid to need years of therapy after having to put up with us." She reaches into her pocket. "I wanted to give you something." She pulls out a little black book and hands it to me. "I've had this since high school," she says. She blushes. "It's...it's how I keep track of everybody I've ever...you know...been with." She bows her head. "That part of my life is over now. I'm leaving it behind. I was just going to throw it away or...or burn it, but...I thought I'd give it to you. So that you'll always remember how much you changed me." She looks up shyly. "I'm not perfect, and...and I still want to share my body and my heart with the people I love the most, even the ones that aren't my husband, but..." She smiles. "I'm a wife, and sister, and soon to be a mother, and...and that's all. The slut I used to be...she's gone now. And I owe that to you." She blushes. "Even if...even if it's for a really, really wrong reason." She kisses me on the cheek. "Thank you," she says. "And...and take good care of Twiley. Always."

"I will," I promise.






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Lovers Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Serenity, the ultimate form of the Lovers Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Cadance, I see her Persona, Aphrodite...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Aphrodite changes!





"And I know this sounds hypocritical coming from me, but...behave yourself, okay?" Cadance pokes me in the shoulder. "I mean, the girls in the dorm wanting to have fun with you is fine and all as long as Twilight's okay with it, but...she really shouldn't be okay with it. Try to rein it in a little."

I roll my eyes. "I'll try." I frown. "You know, I was never...this horny and sex-crazed until I came to Canterlot. I mean, I never even went out with a girl back in Seaddle, and now..."

Cadance laughs. "I think it's environmental," she says. "Something about this dorm is getting to everybody. Especially since you came here..." She smirks. "And there...and over there...and in the shower..."

"Cadance!"

She giggles. "Goodnight, Flash." She leaves. I shake my head and sigh, looking down at the black book she gave me.

I put it in my desk drawer, wash up and brush my teeth, and go to bed.
> 4/5 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take stock of your personal relationships today. Consider which areas could use improvement.

Octavia is at Music Club, and seems to be in much better spirits than she was the last time I saw her. Vinyl is with her.

I move to sit with them, tuning my guitar as I sit down. "How's it going?" I ask.

"Much better," Octavia says. "I've...I've moved back home with my parents. Vinyl spent Spring Break at my house." She frowns. "Mother...is beginning to accept that her constant efforts to control my life are tearing our family apart. Getting her to accept that I might...that I might want to make a future with Vinyl...that's going to be much harder, but..." She sighs. "At the very least, she understands Vinyl more now and..." She makes a pained face. "More or less respects her."

Vinyl snorts. "You mean she's stopped calling me 'the cripple' when I might be within earshot," she mutters.

"Yes," Octavia says with an apologetic grimace. "Anyway...we almost hit a bit of a snag when we decided to experiment with...what was it you called it?"

"Electric cello dubstep," Vinyl says.

"Mother did not approve," Octavia says, frowning. "She called it an insult to the purity of classical music."

I wince. "How'd you handle that?"

"By ignoring her and practicing together anyway," Vinyl says. "If we can't hear her bitching over our sweet beats..." She trails off with a massive grin.

"There are still...issues," Octavia says. "But we're taking things one step at a time."

"That's good," I say. "I'm glad to hear it."

The girls spend the rest of the afternoon grilling me about my Spring Break. When club lets out, I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Rainbow Dash asks me to go outside and kick the soccer ball around for a little while. She seems unusually pensive this evening...

"So, uhh...I've been wantin' to talk to you for a while now," she says. "About..."

She starts bouncing the ball on her knee.

"Look, this talkin' about my feelings crap is...it's hard for me," she says. "But...I wanted to say...you've helped me out a lot since you came here.

"Ever since junior high, kids've been raggin' on me. Like those jerks that thought I didn't deserve to be captain, or all those jerks that kept sayin' I was gay...I acted like it didn't bother me, but..." She sighs. "It did. All that shit...I guess in the back of my mind, it was makin' me doubt myself.

"When those punks crippled me, I...I was so scared. And...and there were times I thought, this is it. I'm done. I'll never play soccer again. I'll never be awesome again. But you were there...you and the others...you helped me out, got me back in the game.

"And then this whole Celestia thing..." She laughs. "I'm still dealin' with that, and I'm as confused as ever about sex stuff, but..." She smiles. "It's okay, you know? I'm me. What I do and who I do it with...that's my business and nobody else's. If some jerk wants to give me grief about it, let 'em. Let those dumbasses at school call me a queer all they want. It's just words. They don't know me, so they don't matter."

She kicks the ball over to me; I kick it back.

"I'm...not movin' out of the dorm, even though Dad's comin' home," she says. "Livin' here is too awesome, and...and I wanna be with my friends." She smiles. "I've got the rest of my life to be with Dad, but high school doesn't last forever, y'know? Besides...I need to stick around to help you guys deal with Sunset Shimmer and all this Zodiac stuff."

She dribbles the ball for a bit, then kicks it at me with enough force to knock the wind out of me.

"I guess...I guess what I'm sayin' is...you've been an awesome friend, helpin' me practice, teachin' me guitar, pickin' me up when I was down, and..." She blushes. "The whole sex thing..." She shakes her head and smiles. "Thanks. Really.

"Oh! I wanted to give you somethin'." She hands me a sky blue guitar strap with her cloud-and-lighting-bolt emblem embroidered into it. "I, uhh...I had a pair of these made," she says, blushing. "One for me, one for you. So that no matter where we end up, we'll always be friends..." She ducks her head. "Man that sounded sappy..."

I smile. "Thanks, Rainbow." I pull her into a hug. "You're awesome. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise."

"Heh." She gives me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Don't you forget it."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Chariot Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Gamera, the ultimate form of the Chariot Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Rainbow, I see her Persona, Nike...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Nike changes!





We keep kicking the ball around until it gets too dark to see, then head back inside. I attach the new strap to my guitar, then clean up and get ready for bed.
> 4/6 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Help a friend confront indecision and self-doubt today.

Tennis practice...

The girls are training hard for their upcoming matches. Everyone's a little sluggish after the long break. Coach Chrysalis seems a bit distracted today...

After practice, I find Chrysalis sitting on the bench, looking over something on her tablet. I sit down next to her, still scrubbing my hair. "Something wrong?"

She looks up and shakes her head, sighing. "Just...thinking." After a minute, she says, "During Spring Break...I got a job offer." She shows me her tablet. "Saeki Group. It's a Neighponese company with international interests. Their domestic firm has been trying to take a slice of Crystal Enterprises' pie for two years." She snorts ruefully. "They're actually part of why I got the boot. Neighponese companies are brutal." She shakes her head. "Anyway...they're trying to recruit me as senior VP of some damn thing. What they really want is insider info on Crystal Enterprises, but..." She sighs. "I'd...be back in the game, the pay would be good, and...I'd be on the fast track for advancement to the top." She chuckles. "The top...I spent half my life climbing that tower, then I got it knocked out from under me. Now I'm getting an offer to ride the express elevator..."

She falls silent.

"So...what're you gonna do?" I ask.

She sighs. "I...don't know," she says. "Part of me wants to jump at the chance, but..." She looks out at the dark red surface of the tennis court. "Do I really want that life back? I...I just don't know..." She shrugs. "Anyway, they say they're giving me time to decide, but...Saeki Group is known for its pressure tactics. The longer I wait to make a choice, the harder they're going to sit on me."

"Well...for what it's worth, we'd hate to lose you here when we're just barely getting used to you," I say. "And you seem to really enjoy this job."

She smiles. "I do," she says. "But...I'm wondering if this is what I really want, or if I'm just...licking my wounds here." She shakes her head. "I need to get going, got dinner plans with the kids. It's Gnat's birthday." She stands; I stand as well. "Thanks," she says. "I guess I needed to talk it out for a minute."

I gather up my gear and head back to the dorm.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I'm practicing my guitar when there's a knock on the door. "Can...can I come in?"

It's Fluttershy.

"Sure."

Fluttershy walks in, shuffling her feet. "Umm..."

I slide over on the bed. "Have a seat."

She blushes and sits down.

"How are you feeling?" I ask. "Better?"

She sighs. "A little. I..." She plays with her hair. "Not really," she admits. "Going back to school...hurt. I look around, I see everybody around me, and..." She shudders. "I think about all the bad stuff I know about everybody, and how badly I could hurt them, and..." She bows her head; her shoulders shake. "How did I ever become such a terrible person?"

I hug Fluttershy. "I don't know how much of that was you and how much was that disgusting thing inside of you, but—"

She pulls away and gives me an odd look. "That's really weird coming from you," she says. "I've seen some of those Personas you..." She tilts her head. "How do you stand that? I...I mean...my Persona changing literally split my mind in two. You...you just keep pulling out new Persona after new Persona like it's...like it's nothing..." She tilts her head. "What are you?"

I shake my head. "Hell if I know," I say. "I don't understand it and I've pretty much given up trying. And if you think it doesn't affect me, you're wrong." I pull out my phone and show her my Persona app. "If I don't remember to change it back to my original Persona after every run in Zodiac, I..." I shrug and gesture vaguely. "I change. I don't feel like me. It's...it's weird."

"Huh." Fluttershy frowns thoughtfully. "I've never noticed," she says. "It's like...you're always exactly what everybody needs you to be, all the time..."

I snort. "Really? I'm just muddling through, like everybody else." I sigh. "I just...don't want to see any of my friends upset or hurt. Now that I actually have friends."

"You were pretty much a loser back in Seaddle, weren't you?" she asks.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well...you're not a loser anymore," she says. She sighs. "If anyone's a loser, it's me..."

"You're not a loser," I say. I brush her hair away from her face. "You just need to forgive yourself and move past this."

She laughs quietly. "Just forgive myself, huh...? You make it sound so easy..."

I rub her back soothingly. "Listen...we're probably going into Zodiac to train on Sunday. You'll join us, right?"

"I...yes," she says. "I...I really should. Besides, I need to get used to this new Persona." She stands up and smooths out her skirt. "Umm...thank you," she says. "Goodnight."

I finish up my guitar practice and get ready for bed.
> 4/7 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, April 7, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Your family bonds may not be as strong as they should be. You might want to observe another's family bonds as measuring stick for your own.

Music Club...

Vinyl and Octavia are in good spirits today. Lyra is playing some new album that came out on Tuesday; everyone's discussing it. I can tell Vinyl's already thinking about remixing it...

Thursday, April 7, 2016 / Evening

I'm helping Apple Bloom with her homework when Applejack walks in, looking miserable. She sits down heavily next to her sister and puts her head in her hands.

"Sis? Whut's wrong?" Apple Bloom asks.

Applejack sighs. "Ah jes' got off th' phone with Big Mac," she says. She swallows. "Ah...didn't tell you this, 'cuz Ah didn't want you worryin' none, but...Papa's been in th' hospital since Monday with pneumonia."

Apple Bloom gasps. "Applejack! You should've told me!"

"Ah know," Applejack says. "But...you jes' been in such a good mood lately, Ah didn't wanna ruin it for you." She shakes her head. "Anyway, they licked it, jes' barely. He's...he's goin' back t' th' nursin' home in a couple days. But th' doctor said..." She sighs again. "This ain't done him no good, fightin' off th' pneumonia. He's weaker now than ever."

"Oh no..."

"Yeah." Applejack pulls her sister into a hug. "They're sayin' this...probably et up a good chunka whatever time Papa's got left." She sniffles; Apple Bloom starts to cry.

I quietly leave the lounge to give them their space.

Upstairs, I decide to read a little while before bed. I've been reading for about half an hour when Applejack knocks on the door and walks in. "Hey. Didn't mean t' run you off like that."

I shrug. "You two needed your space." I look up. "I'm sorry about your dad."

Applejack sighs. "Thanks." She shakes her head. "T' be honest? Ah kinda wish..." She bows her head and clenches her fists. "Ah...kinda wish he hadn't made it through this. If...if he'd gone suddenly all at once, it'd be...it'd be less painful than watchin' him waste away..." She sniffles and wipes at her eyes. "God, Ah'm a terrible daughter, thinkin' somethin' like that..."

I shake my head. "You don't want him to suffer."

"Ah jes'... Ah jes' don't want mah last memories of Papa t' be him...all frail an' weak an' havin' tubes all over th' place an'..." She swallows.

"Ah...don't want that either," Apple Bloom says quietly from the hall. Applejack turns to see her standing there, hugging an old stuffed bear. "But...Ah ain't ready t' say goodbye yet..." She looks up at Applejack. "We...we ain't got much time left with Papa, do we? So...we need t'..." She looks down at her feet. "Whatever time we got..."

Applejack sniffles and smiles. "You're right, Apple Bloom," she says. "Ah'm...Ah'm jes' bein' selfish..." She hugs Apple Bloom tightly. "C'mon now, let's...let's give Flash some peace. Ah got some cider downstairs, we can have a sip before bed, talk about...talk about Papa."

They leave. I put away my book and turn in for the night. I can't help but wonder...

If it was one of my parents wasting away from cancer...would I even care?

I honestly don't know, and that depresses me.
> 4/8 (Fri)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 8, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be attentive to the moods and needs of your loved ones today.

At breakfast, Rainbow Dash is bouncing excitedly in her seat.

"You okay, Rainbow?" Twilight asks.

"Dad's coming home today!"

"That's wonderful, darling!" Rarity says. She frowns. "I don't suppose this means you're moving back home?"

Rainbow shakes her head. "Nah. I talked it over with Dad. I've got lots of reasons to stay put at the dorm, and he understands. Besides, I'll still see plenty of him now that he's back in town, and...well..." She makes a face. "He's...gonna have his hands full for a while anyway, with reporters and meetings with his lawyers and his agent and all that stuff." She brightens. "Oh, but I invited him over to the dorm for dinner tonight!"

"I look forward to seeing him," Celestia says.

Friday, April 8, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice...

After practice, Coach Chrysalis reminds the girls that they need to be at the school early tomorrow for the bus to this weekend's matches.

On the way back to the dorm, Pinkie says, "You know, you still owe me a date. I was thinking Sunday. Well, I was thinking tonight, but since we gotta be up at the crack of dawn to go play tennis, and we won't get back until really late tomorrow and I'll be super-tired..."

"Sunday sounds good to me," I say.

"Great!" Pinkie kisses me on the cheek.

Friday, April 8, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, Rarity and Fluttershy ask for my help in the kitchen. The whole time we're making dinner, Fluttershy goes out of her way to tease us. She isn't mean about it, but it is embarrassing, and Rarity grows increasingly frazzled with her.

"Flash," Rarity says, "would you mind terribly putting something in her mouth to shut her up?"

"Don't give this perv any ideas, Rarity," Fluttershy says, sticking her tongue out at me.

I grab a dinner roll and shove it in Fluttershy's mouth. She blinks dazedly at me. Rarity covers her mouth and giggles.

When we're done cooking, we find the others in the lounge entertaining Rainbow's dad. "Dinner's ready, everyone!" Rarity calls.

Everyone heads to the dining room while the three of us lay out dinner. All through dinner, Celestia and Blaze are playfully flirting with each other. The rest of us watch, amused.

After dinner, Celestia and Blaze head over to Cadance and Shining Armor's apartment to have a drink and talk some more while the rest of us clean up. "I'll be out most of the day tomorrow," Rainbow says. "Gonna spend the day hangin' with Dad."

"If he doesn't make other plans with Principal Celestia," Twilight says.

Rainbow laughs. "Nah, we've already got plans tomorrow. Besides, Celestia already said she's not gonna monopolize Dad. He did just get back, and I haven't seen him since New Year's. We're gonna have a little Daddy-Daughter Day!"

"That's great," Pinkie says with a sad smile. "I'm...gonna go to bed. Gotta be up early..."

We all watch her go. Rainbow frowns. "Oh man...did I say something wrong?"

Twilight shakes her head. "I think..." She sighs. "Well, every now and then, after seeing one of us with our parents, Pinkie gets a little...down. You know, because her own parents..."

"Oh." Rainbow's shoulders sag. "Poor Pinkie..."

"She'll be okay," Twilight says. "I'd better go cheer her up, though." She yawns. "Maybe I'll spend the night cuddling with her." She waves and heads upstairs.

Rainbow shakes her head and smirks at me. "Well...looks like you're all alone tonight," she says, giving me a half-lidded stare.

"Yeah, looks that way," I say.

"Well, hope you have a good book to read or something!" Rainbow says with a cheeky grin. She bounces out of the kitchen, laughing like a hyena.

Fluttershy snickers. "You got trolled..."

I tweak her nose and head up to my room, where I watch TV until I'm ready to sleep.
> 4/9 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, April 9, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.

It started pouring down rain around eight this morning and doesn't look to be letting up anytime soon, so we're all pretty much stuck inside today. I spend the day in the lounge watching movies with Twilight, Shining Armor, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Sonata. Rarity is upstairs working on some project or other, Rainbow left with her dad just after it started raining, and the younger girls are upstairs playing video games. Cadance is apparently going through her first real bout of "morning" sickness today and doesn't feel like doing anything but migrating from her bed to the toilet.

After lunch, we start watching one of mine and Coach's favorite movies, a profanity-laden and occasionally violent movie about some gangsters and an over-the-hill boxer. Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy have never seen it.

"So...they're just sitting right there in the diner making plans to rob it?" Twilight asks. "Just...just like that?"

"Who really pays attention to what anybody else says in a diner unless they're being really loud?"

Later...

"Wow, this is one really long scene about nothing," Twilight says. "I mean, they're talking and talking and they're not really saying anything."

"There's people who make a lot of money making shows about nothing," Fluttershy says.

Later still...

"Wow, I've never seen anybody manage to eat a hamburger in a threatening manner before!"

The first, sudden gunshot in the scene makes us all jump, even those of us who were expecting it. In the loud, angry rant that follows, Coach and I can't help but chant certain lines along with the movie:

"ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT?"

"DOES. HE. LOOK. LIKE. A BITCH?"

Later still...

"Should...should he really be driving?" Twilight asks. "I mean, he just shot up..."

"This guy does nothing but stupid things," I say.

Later still...

"How stupid do you have to be to just randomly snort something you found in somebody else's pocket?" Fluttershy wonders.

"An' this is why drugs are bad for ya," Applejack says.

Later still...

Next to me, Twilight very nearly dozes off during the watch monologue. When it gets to the "up his ass" part, Applejack spittakes, Fluttershy lets out a laugh, and Twilight sits up, eyes wide. "Up WHERE?"

"You heard him, his ass!"

"I really hope he washed that watch!" Fluttershy says, laughing.

Later still...

"Nope, he definitely don't look like no bitch," Applejack says.

Later still...

"I feel sorry for that girl," she says. "I mean, her boyfriend is loud, violent, and look at how he's trashing that motel room over a small mistake she made!"

Shining Armor shakes his head. "He's got every right to be mad. I mean, it's his birthright and she just left it behind when the last thing they need is a reason to be stuck in town."

"Yeah," I agree. "Honestly, the girl's kind of...well...a cow."

Twilight, Sonata, and Fluttershy all glare at me. "Excuse me?" Twilight says.

Shining Armor raises an eyebrow at me, smirking. Crap, why did I say that...?

"Well...you know how you can never get a cow to do what you need it to? It just stands around mooing and chewing its cud. The whole farm could be about to burn down and that one stupid cow's just gonna keep standing there being a stupid cow. That's...that's just what that girl reminds me of. No awareness of the situation."

"Hey now," Applejack says, "cows ain't that dumb." She pauses, frowns, and adds, "then again, me an' Big Mac did hafta save ol' Daisy Jo from gittin' run over with th' tractor that one time..."

"I just think the girl's a little...well...dim, honestly," I say. "She's not helping the situation. She's just sitting there mooing."

The girls are still frowning at me; the mood in the room is rather cold as we all return to watching the movie.

Later still...

"Okay, yeah, the guy's too dumb to live," Applejack says. "Jes' leavin' his gun lyin' around like that..."

Later still...

"Oh god oh god EW EW EW!"

Later still...

"So THAT'S where that expression came from..."

Later still...

There's another scene with the stupid, cow-like girl, and again, instead of being quick on the uptake and doing what she has to do, she stands around mewling and asking stupid questions.

Twilight frowns. "Okay, yeah...she is kind of...dumb."

"I'd have slapped her by now," Fluttershy says.

What was that whole thing about pot bellies being sexy? Sonata wonders. That's been bugging me since earlier.

"Actually..." Shining Armor says, "I read somewhere that in that first scene she was in, she was trying to work up to telling him she was pregnant."

We all look at each other.

"Well...that explains a lot," Applejack says.

"Yeah..."

"She's still slow and stupid, though," I say. I should really learn when to shut my mouth.

Later still...

"Okay, how stupid do you have to be to wave a gun around in a car like that with your finger on the trigger?" Twilight rants.

"No shit, sugarcube," Applejack says. "This dude's more'n a few apples shy of a bushel." She snorts. "Got 'im killed too, didn't it?"

That's some mess. Ick.

Later still...

"OH MY GOD, STOP WHINING AND BITCHING, YOU ASSHOLE!" Fluttershy screams. Shining Armor stares at her, as does Applejack.

After the movie...

"So what was in the briefcase?" Twilight wonders.

"Nobody knows," Shining Armor says. "The director's never said. There's been lots of theories about it. Some people think it's the diamonds from the heist in the director's first film. There's also people who think it's his soul. It's something you're supposed to wonder about."

"Welp, that was a crazy movie," Applejack says, standing up. "Ah'm gonna go take a shit."

"Oh hell, somebody's gonna get shot," I say. Shining Armor laughs.

Applejack blinks. "Huh?"

Twilight giggles. "I get it!" she says. "Because every time that one guy went to the bathroom, something bad happened, right?"

Applejack shakes her head and wanders off.

We watch another couple of movies, after which we're each left to our own devices for dinner, since nobody's really interested in cooking tonight. There's more than enough stuff in the fridge and the pantry for leftovers, sandwiches, and such. After dinner, most of us end up right back in the lounge, watching more movies.

Saturday, April 9, 2016 / Evening

Rainbow returns just before sunset, grinning ear to ear. Even though most of their plans were wrecked by the rain, she and her dad managed to have a great time together.

We're still watching movies when Pinkie returns. It's past dark, and she looks miserable.

"Pinkie? Are you okay?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie sighs. "Our matches today were in Salt Lick City," she says. "I...I couldn't concentrate. Being back there...it had me on edge."

Twilight gets up and rushes over to Pinkie, pulling her into a hug. She goes upstairs with her. I consider joining them, but something tells me I should leave this one to Twilight...

I decide to start straightening up the lounge before going up to bed. I'm just about to leave when Sweetie Belle pads in, barefoot and in her pajamas, clutching a toy beaver. She looks upset. "What's wrong?" I ask.

She sighs. "I just got a call from Button's mom," she says. "She decided to pull him out of school." She sits down heavily. "He's been getting bullied really bad on Canterbook. He...he won't even come out of his room. He's turned off his phone."

"Damn..."

She looks up at me. "Is it..." She pauses, then says, "Button needs a friend, and...and I still think he's cute and I still think there's some good stuff about him, but..." She swallows. "I kinda want to use this as an excuse to, y'know..."

"Make a clean break?"

"Yeah." She looks down guiltily. "Am I a bad person?"

I shake my head. "No," I say. "You're just a kid. Button...he's really high maintenance. If you're not ready to deal with that, I don't think anybody's going to judge you."

She sighs. "I will," she says. "I just..." She hugs her plushie tightly. "I know what Rarity would say, and...and I kinda want to wash my hands of the whole thing. But still...I'm the only friend he's got. If I give up on him, he doesn't have anybody left..."

"You can't just worry about what's best for him," I say. "You gotta worry about what's best for you, too."

She looks down at her feet. "I don't know what's best for me..."

She pours herself a glass of chocolate milk, then goes back upstairs. I turn off the lights in the lounge and head up to my room to sleep. We're going to Zodiac tomorrow...
> 4/10 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, April 10, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Peer pressure isn't always something you can see or hear. Sometimes it's there and you don't even know it.

Shortly after breakfast, Applejack and Apple Bloom leave to visit their dad. Rarity makes some suggestion to Sweetie Belle to get her out of the dorm. The rest of us gather in the lounge.

"Okay, so...today's the first time Fluttershy's going in with us to train," Twilight says. She glances at Fluttershy. "You're...you're okay with this, right?"

Fluttershy nods. "I...need to adapt to my new Persona," she says. "I know—knew—Eris inside and out, but this new one..." She shakes her head. "I need to get used to it before I have to deal with anything serious. And..." She sighs. "Sooner or later, we'll have to face Sunset Shimmer..."

Rarity glances at Cadance with a mild frown. "Ah...Nurse Cadance," she says, "not to be indelicate, but...I believe it may be time for you to part ways with our little group."

Cadance blinks. "What?" She looks hurt. "You...you don't want me helping anymore?"

"You're pregnant, darling," Rarity says. "It's...it's simply too great a risk."

Twilight's eyes widen. "She's right," she says. "You—"

"She can't avoid being pulled into Zodiac any more than the rest of us," Fluttershy says, shaking her head.

"What if she turns off her phone?" I ask. "You got ejected from Zodiac that one day when I broke yours..."

"Guys," Cadance says, "you need me. I'm the only one who can do what I do. Anyway, I don't have to put myself in danger like the rest of you." She smiles. "Besides, I know you kids won't let anything happen to me."

We all look around at each other. Twilight looks decidedly unhappy.

"Look, just...just trust me, alright?" Cadance pleads. "It'll be fine."

Twilight sighs. "Okay. But if anything happens that looks like you're in danger, that's it."

Cadance sighs and nods. With that settled, we head for the mall. Once we've parked, we look around to make sure the coast is clear, then enter Zodiac.

Sunday, April 10, 2016 / Zodiac

As soon as we're in Zodiac, Cadance staggers. "What...?"

"Cadance? Are you alright?" Twilight asks.

Cadance clutches her head. "I'm...not sure," she says. "I feel..."

"We're getting out of here," Twilight says.

"No," Cadance says, shaking her head. "It's not that, it's..." She swallows. "Persona!"





With a crackle, a spray of multicolored crystals shoots up out of the ground, surrounding Cadance. A massive, glowing crystal heart forms in the air above her; encased within the crystal heart are two figures that appear to be Cadance and Shining Armor, entwined in a passionate embrace. A gleaming gold ring serenely circles the crystal heart.

Everyone stares.

"Okay...that's new," Rainbow says.

"Cadance...your Persona...!" Twilight gasps.

//I know,// Cadance says. //It's incredible...it's like the whole world is open to me! I can sense so much more!//

The area around us suddenly becomes much brighter.

Something else changes as well...

When's he gonna make a pass at me?

She won't even let me touch her ass...

I should just go for it...I should just pull his dick out and go down on him...

Just one look up her skirt...

What's the point of saving yourself?

God being a virgin sucks.

As far as the eye can see, the bizarre green text is drowning out all the usual blue text. Almost all of it is somehow related to sex. What isn't about sex is about anger, frustration, or jealousy.

"What...what's this? Twilight asks, eyes wide.

"I...I don't know," Fluttershy says, blinking in surprise. "I've...I've never seen this happen before!"

"Where'd all THIS come from?" Rainbow wonders.

//Hold on, I—// Cadance trails off. //Guys? I...I think this stuff was always here, but...well...we couldn't see it. Not like this, I mean. I'm not detecting any changes in Zodiac itself, nothing that could explain this. But...Eros can scan a lot deeper than Aphrodite. Maybe...maybe this is just something we didn't see before, but my new powers made it visible...//

"Like shining a UV light on a cum stain?" Fluttershy asks. She pauses, then blushes. "Yikes, why did I say that?"

"Probably because you were just reading something about cum stains float by," Pinkie says. "See, right there?"

"Oh."

Rarity coughs. "Cadance, dear...you couldn't perhaps...turn this off again, could you?"

//I don't know...I'll try, but in the meantime, you all should just get started training. Just...just ignore the texts, like you always do.//

"That...might be hard-on," Twilight says, her eyes drifting across something floating past. "Hard! I mean hard! I mean...gah!"

Rainbow snickers. "This is gonna be interesting..."

//Okay, I'm scanning for Shadows...// Cadance pauses. //There's lots of Shadows in the mall. Most of them aren't too strong, but there's a few that are, so be careful. I don't sense that...thing...// She trails off, then gasps. //Oh...oh my God...//

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

//I'm...I'm sensing...// Cadance pauses. //I think that's Sunset Shimmer. There's one other active human in Zodiac, three miles east of here.//

"That's...about where her house is, yeah," Fluttershy says.

//How have I never detected her before?// Cadance wonders. //She feels...wrong, somehow. I can't explain it...//

"Don't worry about it," I say. "Let's train." I activate Black Butterfly; the others follow suit.

Fluttershy looks around at the other girls and shakes her head. "Okay, we've gotta have a talk about your battle outfits..."

Once we're inside the mall and run into our first group of Shadows, Rainbow surprises the others with her new Persona.





"Oh wow! Your Persona changed too?" Pinkie exclaims. "We've so gotta throw a party for you and Nurse Cadance later!"

Twilight frowns. "What's...what's going on here? Both of you?"

Rarity tilts her head. "I wonder..." She taps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Rarity's Persona, Bastet, appears. She sighs. "Nevermind." Bastet gives her a dirty look and disappears.

Twilight gives Rarity a confused look. Rarity blushes and glances at me. "I, err...thought perhaps it was..." She mumbles sheepishly, "Something we caught from Flash..."

"EWW! RARITY!" Pinkie exclaims, laughing. "That's NASTY!"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "Good grief..." She frowns. "Still, it IS strange that Rainbow's Persona just suddenly changed too."

"Who cares why? It's AWESOME!" Rainbow exclaims, grinning.

"Okay, let's get to work, people," I say.

Unlike her original Persona, which—honestly?—was utterly useless, this Persona is powerful, and Rainbow is finally as awesome as she thinks she is. The group of Shadows surrounding us are blown back by a tremendous, prismatic shockwave generated by Nike Invicta, which leaves them all twitching on the ground. A massive blast of wind from Nike's powerful wings finishes them all off, and we move on.

As for Fluttershy, her new Persona has the same wind attacks Eris had, only much stronger. She's no longer immune to electricity, which we learn the hard way when a Shadow unloads on us with lightning attacks. The most interesting thing about her new Persona is its ability to erect reflective barriers against both physical and magical attacks. The bad thing is the barriers only repel one hit, then they collapse, and casting them seems to take a lot out of her. After noticing this, Twilight tells her she should really save those barriers for when we really need them.

After about half an hour of fighting, we run into a giant, chained minotaur.

//Careful, this one's no pushover!//

"Time to see what Coach gave me," I mutter to myself as I slide the Emperor Arcana onto my phone. "OPTIMUS PRIME!"

From all around us, we hear the roar of a powerful engine.

A huge red semi truck, pulling a long silver trailer, appears out of nowhere, speeding toward us. Without warning, the trailer detaches and the cab launches into the air, transforming into...





Rainbow's jaw drops. "Whoa."

Twilight blinks rapidly. "Uhh...Flash? What the heck is that?"

"I waaaaaaaant ooooooooooone," Pinkie says, drooling slightly.

Fluttershy stares at me. "Okay seriously, what the fuck?"

Optimus Prime unlimbers a truly massive rifle and takes aim at the minotaur Shadow. Two searing ion pulses rip forth from his rifle, tearing through the Shadow. It reels and bellows in pain. Prime's left hand transforms into a huge glowing axe. He charges forward and decapitates the Shadow with one swift, sure strike, then transforms back into a truck and drives away, fading from existence.

As the Shadow dissolves into black mist, we all stare in the direction Optimus Prime departed.

"That...was awesome," Rainbow says.

Later still, we encounter a group of Shadows which simply refuse to die. They don't seem to be weak to anything, resist most of our attacks, and are pressing our defenses. We're all hurting, and none of us seem to be able to do enough damage. Even with Rainbow's new Persona knocking them down like crazy with her new skill, it's like we're not even making a dent.

"This...is starting to suck," Rainbow says as she leans on her knees, panting. "Flash, you got...anything else new in your bag of tricks?"

"Let me...try something." I slide the Lovers Arcana onto my phone. "SERENITY!"





A graceful golden-haired beauty with a distinctive hairstyle, wearing a flowing white gown with huge, sail-like cloth wings appears, clasping a large, faceted silver crystal to her breast. Her bright blue eyes open, and a shining silver wave of energy washes out from her, sweeping over us and the Shadows. The Shadows recoil from the silver light, visibly weakened; at the same time, I feel renewed strength flood into my being. The others are also recovering; they all look less wounded and fatigued. Serenity fades away with a small, reassuring smile.

//Whatever that was, it severely weakened the Shadows! Go for it, guys!//

"It healed us up, too," Twilight comments, stretching an arm as she summons Athena to scorch the Shadows with lightning.

"Yeah, but it took a lot out of me," I say. "I've got a headache like you wouldn't believe..." My stomach growls. "And I'm hungry."

"Well, maybe we can break for the day and grab some chow after this?" Rainbow calls as she summons her Persona, whose odd prismatic shockwave attack knocks the Shadows down again.

Finishing off the Shadows is no picnic, but we persevere until the entire horde is gone. We stand around for a minute, getting our breath back.

//Good job, team. Head for the exit—//

A ring of Magus-type Shadows surrounds us. Rainbow groans.

"I've got this," I say. "I've got one more new trick up my sleeve..." I swipe Chariot onto my phone. "GAMERA!"





"It's a turtle," Fluttershy says.

"It's a flying turtle!" Pinkie observes.

Flames gather in Gamera's mouth. Tucking in its legs, it begins spinning in midair, unleashing torrents of scorching flames which incinerate the Shadows.

"It's a fire-breathing flying turtle," Twilight says in disbelief.

"Goodness," Rarity says, "Flash's head certain is full of interesting things..."

We make a beeline for the exit. Once we're out of the mall, we leave Zodiac, pile into Cadance's SUV, and head for that pizza buffet.

Sunday, April 10, 2016 / Daytime

When we return to the dorm, everyone wants to rest up from a hard day's training. I try to take a nap, but I can't sleep, so I head downstairs. I find Fluttershy in the lounge, playing with Spike and Zoe. "Hey."

"Hey," she says. She looks at me, blushes, then goes back to scratching Zoe behind the ears.

I sit down and let Spike jump up into my lap. "So...good work in there today," I say. "You don't seem to be having that much trouble with your new Persona."

Fluttershy shrugs. "It...wasn't as hard as I thought it might be," she says. "Still, you...you do that trick with all those different Personas so easily..." She frowns. "You had three completely new ones today. How do you keep doing that?"

"It's complicated." I shift. "Fluttershy, what was all that weird text stuff in Zodiac today? That...that wasn't the usual crap we see."

Fluttershy's face turns red. "I...I don't know," she says. She looks down at Zoe.

"You have a thought about it though, don't you?"

"Well...maybe," Fluttershy says. "See, the...the thing is, Zodiac is kind of...it's kind of like...the mind of everybody at CHS, you know? And the junior high now too. It's not just...it's not just the nasty stuff kids text at each other, it's...it's more than that. It's like..." She frowns. "It's kind of like all our minds are creating it. All of it. Like we're all...wired into it, subconsciously." She shrugs. "I know that doesn't make any sense.

"Anyway...all that new stuff we saw today, I think Cadance is right about it having always been there and we just couldn't see it before." Fluttershy plays with her hair. "Kids have dirty minds...we can't help it. It's just puberty and stuff. I think all that green text was...all the stray thoughts we all have, all piled up like..."

"Garbage?"

"More like water behind a levee." She sighs. "I...I've been thinking," she says. "You, Twilight, the other girls...you guys didn't start going all fuckweasels until you started spending a lot of time in Zodiac. If that stuff's been there all this time and you couldn't see it, but...but maybe you were aware of it..." She looks at me. "It'd explain a lot about how all of a sudden this whole dorm turned into one big orgy waiting to happen."

I frown. "But...it hasn't affected you," I point out.

Fluttershy bows her head. "Umm...actually...today, it...it did," she says. She gives me a sheepish smile. "Honestly? Right now part of me wants to fuck you right here on the couch, just like Sonata did. Oh, but I'm not going to. We're...we're not there yet..." She coughs and turns her face away, playing with her hair. "Anyway, it...it started getting to me today, and...I think the reason it's never bothered me before was because of Eris. All I could feel for so long was...hate and anger and bitterness and...and..." She bows her head. "I think all that hate I had burning inside me was protecting me from the pervo plague." She stands up suddenly. "I need to go upstairs...see you later..." She hurries up to her room.

I shake my head and go back to my room to try to get a nap in. Tonight, I'm going out with Pinkie Pie... 

Sunday, April 10, 2016 / Evening

I'm borrowing Coach's car tonight for my date.

I put on a nice suit and head down to the entrance to wait for Pinkie. She comes downstairs wearing a nice scarlet evening dress and high heels, as well as tasteful makeup and earrings that make her look more mature. Her hair is straight and shiny and beautiful, and she's clutching a small red leather purse.

Twilight takes a picture of us and smiles. "Have fun, you two."

"Thanks," Pinkie says, squeezing my hand.

We have reservations at a hotel restaurant. We have a nice, fancy date, making pleasant conversation over an expensive meal. Pinkie is behaving in a very subdued manner tonight...

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

Pinkie shrugs. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just...tired. It's been a long weekend."

"Pinkie...you don't get tired. Not like this."

She smiles. "Yeah, I do," she says. "I'm just really good at hiding it. I'm only human, Flash. Even I can't be as wild and crazy and full of energy all the time as I act." She shakes her head. "I'm okay, really. I just...need a quiet night out with one of my favorite people."

"Your parents showed up and made a scene, didn't they? At the tennis matches."

Pinkie's face falls. "How'd you know?"

"I know you only look this upset when they're involved."

She sighs. "Yeah, my family was there at the matches. That's..that's why my game was off. They were just...sitting there, watching me, judging me." She shudders. "I know I'm...I'm not part of the Pie family anymore, and...and I don't really care what they think of me, but..."

"Yeah, I get it," I say. "Just them being there..." I frown. "Why were they there?"

"Probably just to hurt me," Pinkie says, stabbing her chicken breast viciously with her fork. "Before I got a new phone from Twilight's mom, I had to block my sisters. The only member of my family that even has my new number and e-mail is Maud."

I'd almost forgotten Pinkie got a new phone for Christmas...she kind of had to after her dick of a dad stopped paying the bill. She decided to make a clean break of it and start all over except for her music and stuff.

I reach across the table and take her hand. "Don't let them get to you," I say. "You know they don't matter anymore."

"But they do matter," Pinkie says sadly. "They're...they're my parents. And my little sisters. I can't just forget that. They'll...they'll always be part of me." She looks down. "It's always gonna hurt. I just...I didn't realize how much until yesterday." She sniffles and shakes her head. "Sorry. I wanted us to have a good time tonight, and—"

"So what's stopping us?" I ask. "We're here, we've got all night to do whatever...just me and you, no distractions. You've got me all to yourself for once."

She laughs. "I never have you all to myself," she says. "But I'm okay with that." She wipes her eyes and gives me a sultry look. "But yeah, I do have plans for you..."

After dinner, Pinkie surprises me by revealing she reserved a room at this hotel for tonight. She takes me upstairs; there's already two small bags—one of hers and one of mine—in the room.

"Cadance...helped me plan ahead," Pinkie says with a coy blush as she turns her back to me and brushes her hair away from the zipper on her dress...
> 4/11 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, April 11, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Encourage someone close to you to take a long, hard look at himself or herself today. Join friends in an activity you don't normally take part in.

Pinkie and I wake up a little after seven. We just have time to shower, change (thank God Pinkie thought to bring a change of clothes for each of us), throw our date clothes in our bags, check out of the hotel, and swing by a drive-thru donut place to get breakfast before heading directly for CHS. I park Coach's car in the faculty lot.

"Cadance has our laptops and stuff," Pinkie says, looking down at her phone. "We need to swing by the nurse's office."

"Good idea, I need to give her Coach's keys too."

We make a dash for Cadance's office. On the way, we run into Vice-Principal Luna. "You kids are cutting it close," she says. "The rest of your friends were here half an hour ago."

"We were kind of...out last night," Pinkie says.

"Oh, I know," Luna says, smirking. "Hurry up or you'll be tardy."

We make it to the nurse's office just as the first bell rings. I toss Cadance the keys to Coach's car, and we collect our bags. "Did you two have a good time?" she asks.

"Yeah, we did," Pinkie says. "Tell you about it later gotta run now!"

"I'll text Shiny and let him know I have his keys," Cadance says. "Have a good day!"

I race to class. I'm in my seat two seconds before the tardy bell.

Monday, April 11, 2016 / After School

After school, Rarity asks me to go shopping with her. And by "asks", I mean...well, it's Rarity.

Rarity spends an hour and a half moving from store to store, trying on different dresses, skirts, tops, shoes, and accessories, modeling them all for me. She seems frustrated with my responses, but...honestly? Rarity looks great in everything, so there's not much else I can say.

When she finally gets tired and needs a break, we stop off at a trendy little coffee shop and order fancy coffee and fancy cakes. "Sweetie Belle is upset over this whole thing with Button Mash," she says.

"Yeah, she told me."

Rarity sighs. "I just don't know what to do," she says. "I don't want to see her so upset over this, but...I also don't want her associating with that boy, so I'm relieved and hoping she simply breaks the whole thing off..."

I glare at her. "Rarity..."

"I know, I know!" she says, throwing her hands up. "I...I need to be supportive..." She sighs. "I'm just worried about my sister, and I don't think this Button boy is worth her torturing herself over."

I sigh. "Honestly? I agree. But...it's not your place to decide who Sweetie Belle should and shouldn't spend her time with or worry about."

"Well of course it is," Rarity says. "I'm her big sister. I have to look out for her."

"If she wasn't living at the dorm now, would you even know about this whole Button thing?" I give her a pointed stare. "Would you even care? You said it yourself, the whole reason you're living in the dorm is you wanted space from your family."

Rarity clamps her mouth shut, a pained grimace on her face. She turns her coffee spoon absently in one hand. "That's not fair," she says quietly after a long moment.

After we finish our coffee and cake, we return to the dorm. Rarity is silent and pensive the whole time.

Monday, April 11, 2016 / Evening

Luna brought a new game to the dorm today. It's a four-player action-adventure dungeon crawler, closer to the kind of game Sonata prefers than what Luna and Rainbow usually play. I don't have much homework tonight and I'm a little bored, so I join Luna, Rainbow, and Sonata for a few hours of crawling through mazes, slicing up monsters, and finding treasure. By the time we're ready to call it quits for the night, I'm tired. I don't play a lot of video games, but that was actually pretty fun...
> 4/12 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): As the weather gets warmer, you might be tempted to let your mind wander. Now is not the time for daydreams. Stay sharp and stay focused.

Music Club...

Vinyl and Octavia seem to be in good spirits. Everyone's split up into groups, playing music, listening to music, or discussing whatever. I stay until the club meeting starts to break up, then head home.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 / Evening

Everybody seems to have craploads of homework today, so after dinner, most of us spread out in the lounge working on homework while we watch TV. We all help each other out with this problem or that problem we can't quite figure out, and the general mood in the lounge makes the work seem less like a chore than usual.
> 4/13 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You shouldn't dread what the future holds. You should confront it and make the most of what lies ahead.

Tennis practice...

Coco takes Pinkie aside to talk to her and work with her one-on-one. She's apparently concerned over Pinkie's performance on Saturday.

All throughout practice, this short Neighponese man with a bad combover in a black suit is hovering around Coach Chrysalis like a mosquito, distracting her from conducting practice. She doesn't seem to want to shoo him away, but at the same time is clearly annoyed by his presence. After watching this for twenty minutes or so, I finally have enough. I signal my singles partner for a break, then walk over to Chrysalis and the little man. "Excuse me," I call.

"Yes, Flash?" Chrysalis asks. I hold up a hand to ward her off and turn to the Neighponese man.

"Sir, we're trying to have tennis practice here, and you're in the way."

The little man draws himself up. "Young man, I am here on important business—"

"I don't believe you have permission from our principal to be here at this time," I say. "Do you? I can easily find out. I'm sure Principal Celestia would be thrilled to know there are unauthorized solicitors trespassing on school property during club activity hours."

The man frowns, sweat beading on his brow.

"Whatever business you have with our coach, I suggest you conduct it outside of school hours and off school property," I say. I take a threatening step forward and tighten my grip on my racket. "We don't appreciate you disturbing our sensei when she's trying to conduct practice."

The man takes a step back, frowning thinly. "My apologies," he says. He glances at Chrysalis. "We will speak again...later."

"I'm sure we will," she says.

The man bows and leaves.

Once he's gone, the entire team applauds. I take a bow.

"Thanks, Flash," Chrysalis says. "I didn't want to make a scene, but that little bastard was really getting on my nerves."

I nod. "Mine too." I frown in the direction the little man left. "Saeki?"

"From the head branch," Chrysalis confirms. "Like I said, pressure tactics." She tilts her head. "Sensei?" she asks.

I shrug. "Half the dorm is into some anime or other. I guess my mouth was on autopilot."

Chrysalis laughs. "Get back to practice," she says. "And thanks again."

Practice resumes, minus one very obnoxious Neighponese businessman.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 / Evening

I have a test Friday. I'm in my room studying after dinner when Sonata walks in. I look up at her. "Hey." I smile. "You're not gonna jump me again, are you?"

She giggles and shakes her head.

Not unless you want me to.

"Maybe some other time." I settle back in my chair. "What's up?"

Sonata sits down on the bed. She fidgets. Actually, about...that...

It takes her a while to write what she wants to say next.

I...have to go to the doctor tomorrow to make sure nothing, y'know...happened. Because of me doing that.

Eep.

She waves her hands placatingly. Not like that! I don't think. She fiddles with her tablet. Anyway, if that did, I'd...not... She ducks her head. Because if it did happen, it'd be my bad. But no, I just mean I think something down there didn't heal right yet or something.

"Oh. Umm...ouch. Jeez...sorry."

She shrugs. Not your fault. She sits still for a minute.

I don't regret what I did, but... She plays with her ponytail for a minute before continuing. You really see me as a little sister?

I swallow. "Y-yeah...kinda..." I worry at the hem of my shirt. "That...doesn't upset you or anything, does it?"

She shakes her head and smiles. I think it's sweet, actually. She gets up, walks over, leans down, and kisses me on the cheek. Then she takes a step back.

You're...going back to Seaddle after this year, aren't you?

I sigh. "Yeah. I...don't know how I feel about that."

I wish you didn't have to go. Sonata sighs. You and Fluttershy and the others make me feel less lonely...but especially you.

I get up and hug her. "I'm coming back to Canterlot as soon as I can," I promise. "There's nothing for me in Seaddle."

She smiles and sniffles. Something we have in common.

Zoe wanders in and barks at Sonata to get her attention. Sonata giggles and picks her up. With a wave, she heads back to her room. I finish studying and go to bed.

It takes a while to fall asleep, because all I can think about is how much I hate the thought of ever leaving Canterlot...
> 4/14 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, April 14, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes you can't really make yourself available to your friends, and that's okay. You need to look out for your own interests and needs from time to time too.

Music club...

I know as soon as I get back to the dorm, I need to hit the books like crazy, so I only stay for half of music club. I get in a little guitar practice, chat with my friends, hear a little gossip, then pack up and head home to get my homework out of the way.

Thursday, April 14, 2016 / Evening

I have a big literature test tomorrow, so after dinner, I head upstairs, put on my headphones, fire up my playlist, and study until I can't see straight anymore...
> 4/15 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 15, 2016 / Afternoon
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The decisions you make have far-reaching consequences. Don't let others make decisions you believe would be wrong for you and your loved ones.

The test I've been studying for all week was brutal, and I barely finished with five minutes to spare, but I think I did alright...

Friday, April 15, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice...

After practice, I catch up with Coach Chrysalis before she leaves. "How's it going?" I ask.

She sighs. "That guy from Saeki keeps pestering me," she says. "And..." She trudges over to a bench and sits down; I join her.

"This whole thing's got me thinking lately, and..." Chrysalis looks down at her lap, a rueful, wistful look on her face. "All those years I struggled my way up to the top, all the years I commanded respect and power in the corporate world..." She shakes her head. "I tried never to lose sight of my family. I made all the time I could for my children. I love my kids. They're my life. They're why I worked so hard for so long.

"But...now that everything's changed, I...I've realized something." She looks off into the distance. "Now that I have more time for my kids..." She chuckles softly. "My kids don't have time for me." She shakes her head. "It's like that old song. You know the one? About the dad who was never around, and then when he retired..."

"I know the song, yeah."

"I mean, all my kids are still in school, even my oldest," Chrysalis says, "but they've all got their own things going on. Even my littlest. They have friends and tee ball and stuff..." She sighs. "I have so much time now, and...and I've started memorizing TV schedules." She snorts. "I hardly ever watched TV when I was still CEO." She shakes her head. "Of course, I'm also taking online courses to get a teaching certificate so I can take over the Economics class here this fall, but..." She shrugs. "The more I think about it, the more attractive Saeki's offer is starting to look." She looks down. "In the end, all my kids need me for is to earn obscene amounts of money for them so they can have comfortable, full lives...and I'm not sure if coaching high school tennis is enough for me." She looks at me. "Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying being here, but..." She shrugs. "I just...don't know if it's enough. I don't...I don't know if I can live without an office and the stress of corporate life and lots of people to yell at." She laughs mirthlessly. "God that sounds pathetic..."

"I guess...it's a matter of what makes you the most happy." I gesture with my hands. "Either way, you have something to lose. You just...you just need to decide which loss you can live with."

She glances at me. "That's a pretty wise thing for a kid your age to say."

I look down at my feet. "It's just...I understand," I say. "Because...this summer, I have to go back to Seaddle...I won't get to graduate with all the friends I've made here, and I don't have anything waiting for me except a lonely house back there." I feel my eyes getting hot. "Everything I've built for myself here in Canterlot..." I shake my head. "It'll all be gone in a few months."

"I...didn't know," Chrysalis says. She sighs. "That's a shame." She shakes her head. "I guess everybody has their problems..."

"Do you think your kids want you to go back to work for a big company?" I ask.

"I...haven't spoken to them about it, actually." Chrysalis looks away. "I guess...I've been scared to mention it. They're just now getting used to the way things are now..."

"Maybe you should talk it over with the kids then."

"Heh. Maybe." She sighs and stands up. "I need to get going. Thanks for the talk. And...I'm sorry to hear about your situation."

I shrug. "It won't be forever. I mean, after graduation, I can come back here for college. Or go wherever Twilight ends up going. I just..."

I gather up my things and head back to the dorm. My shoulders feel heavy.

Friday, April 15, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, Pinkie brings up the subject of Applejack's birthday.

"So, Applejack, got plans?" Pinkie asks. "You know we're gonna throw you a party."

Applejack chuckles. "Heh...'fraid Ah won't be here," she says. "Next Friday, Big Mac'll be pickin' me up after school an' takin' me an' Apple Bloom back t' th' farm fer th' weekend. We're gonna do mah whole birthday thing on Saturday."

"Aww," Pinkie whines.

"Just you two, Granny Smith, and Big Mac?" Rainbow asks, frowning. "That's gonna be kind of a sucky birthday."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity chides.

Applejack sighs. "Yeah...whut with Papa an' all..." She picks at her dinner miserably.

"I have an idea!" Pinkie declares suddenly. "What if we all went up to Sweet Apple Acres for the weekend again? That way you can have a birthday party with all your friends!"

"Hey, that's a good idea," Twilight says. "How about it, Applejack?"

Applejack smiles. "Aww, c'mon now...Ah wouldn't wanna impose..."

"Oh, it'd be no imposition at all, darling!" Rarity says with a smile. "We'd simply love to!"

"It'd be a lot more fun with all our friends," Apple Bloom says.

"Heh..." Applejack chuckles. "Shoot...why not? Ah'll call up Big Mac after supper'n tell 'im." She grins. "Shucks, y'all..."

We're just starting to clear the table when the doorbell rings. Luna moves to answer it.

"I wonder who that could be this late?" Twilight wonders as we carry plates to the kitchen.

"Who knows?"

As I'm getting ready to start washing dishes, Luna pokes her head into the kitchen. "Flash? Could you come here a minute, please?"

Twilight and I exchange a glance, then dry our hands and head out into the lounge.

As soon as I see who's standing there, my blood turns to ice.

"SURPRISE!" Mom and Dad yell.

"Mom? Dad? What..." I shake my head. "What are you doing here?!"

"Our project's timetable got cut short," Dad says. "Things like that happen when there's a government coup."

"So we decided to surprise you!" Mom says with a smile. "We got in this afternoon, did the customs thing, got settled into a hotel..." She gestures vaguely. "All that stuff."

"We're going back to Seaddle tomorrow," Dad says. "Bet you can't wait to go home, huh?"

What. The. Fuck.

I shake my head. "What?"

"We're going home tomorrow," Mom says. "All of us. It'll take a couple of days to get the house back in shape and everything, but we'll have you back in your old school in no time!"

I stare at her, feeling every bone in my body trying to melt all at once.

"Hey, what's goin' on in here?" Rainbow asks from the entrance to the lounge. "Who're these guys?"

The others are starting to filter in too; it dimly occurs to me that Twilight, Luna, and I were alone with my parents until now.

I look at Twilight. She's gone several shades paler, and her eyes are wide. She looks from me to my parents and back. Her lips are moving soundlessly.

Luna looks between me and my parents, then clears her throat. "Girls? I believe we should give Flash and his parents a moment alone..."

"I'm not going anywhere," Twilight says quietly, latching onto me with a painful grip.

Luna frowns. "Alright...the rest of you then. Out."

The lounge swiftly empties. Luna is the last one out, casting concerned glances back at us.

I feel like I can't stand up. I stagger over to the sofa and sit down heavily. Twilight sits next to me. My parents sit down in recliners.

"Are you okay, Flash?" Mom asks. "You don't look so well..."

I stare at her. "You and Dad just showed up out of nowhere," I say.

"Well...we wanted to surprise you," Mom says.

"Yeah, you surprised me alright."

Twilight clears her throat. "Excuse me," she says. "You can't just...just show up unannounced and pull Flash out of school and transfer him back to Seaddle in one weekend."

"Oh, it's not that complicated," Dad says. "Sure, we'll have to deal with unenrolling him here in Canterlot by phone and settle up on the fees, but his records back in Seaddle—"

"That's NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Twilight shouts.

Dad frowns at her. "Look...your dorm mother asked you to clear out with everyone else, so..."

"I'm his girlfriend!" Twilight says.

"Oh," Dad says. He shrugs. "Well...sorry, he's leaving town tomorrow."

"I know you're probably upset, but it'll be okay," Mom says with a reassuring smile. "I mean, you knew he wouldn't be staying in Canterlot, right?"

This isn't happening...

Looking at Mom and Dad, seeing how oblivious they are...

My blood starts to boil. I let go of Twilight and stand up, balling my fists.

"I'm not going anywhere," I say.

Mom blinks at me. "Flash, sweetie...you have to go home with us," she says. "You know that, right?"

"Why?" I ask. I glare at her. "What possible reason do I have to go back to Seaddle?"

Dad frowns. "Because it's home, Son."

"No it's NOT!"

Mom and Dad look at one another in confusion. "What...are you talking about?" Mom asks. "Of course it's home. Our home, your home, is in Seaddle. It's where you were born, it's where we raised you, it's where all your friends are..."

"No, Mom. THIS is where all my friends are." I take a deep breath. "You never noticed because you never gave a damn, but I didn't have friends. Ever. Every day I went to school and I came home and I played my guitar and that's it. I didn't have anything." I glare at them. "Except two parents who were hardly ever home and don't care enough to remember anything I tell them."

Mom gasps. "FLASH! We care! We're your parents!"

"Oh yeah?" I point at Twilight. "What's her name?"

Mom shakes her head. "I don't know, I've never met her!"

"She just told you she's my girlfriend!" I say. "I've told you about her over and over again! If you ever actually listened to me, you'd know her goddamn name!"

"Don't talk to your mother that way!" Dad says, standing up.

"SHUT UP, DAD!" I yell. "I've had it! I'm sick of it! You two never pay any real attention to me! As long as I have money to buy food and clothes and stuff, that's fine, right? You don't bother to remember stuff I tell you!" I take a deep breath. "You're never around even when you ARE around! You don't LISTEN! Any time one of you actually remembers something I told you, it freaks me out! That isn't normal!"

Mom and Dad stare at me. Mom's mouth is open wide in shock.

I'm not done yet.

"Look, you going off to Zebrica or wherever for a year to do whatever? I was fine with that! It's not like it'd be much different for me either way! Whether you're home or on another continent, you check in with me about once a week to make sure I'm okay, forget anything I try to tell you, and put money in my debit account so I can take care of myself!" I start pacing around the lounge. "Shipping me off to Canterlot? I was fine with that! It's not like I had any real attachment to Seaddle!" I stop pacing and turn to face my parents.

"But see...it's different now. I have friends here. I have a life here. I have somebody here I love. I'm practically already part of her family.

"I had a real family Thanksgiving and a real family Christmas for the first time in my entire LIFE with Twi and her family. In my ENTIRE. LIFE." I give Mom and Dad a hard stare. "What does that say about us as a family? Huh?"

Mom starts to fidget uncomfortably. Dad frowns.

"I've got stuff going on here. I've got a whole life...something I never had back in Seaddle. And now you just show up out of the blue and tell me that's all over?" I throw my hands in the air. "No. We're not doing that. Give me one good reason I should just throw away all the friendships I've made, my girlfriend, the life I have here in Canterlot." I cross my arms and glare at them.

Mom gives me a sad, pleading look. "Flash...honey...don't you want to come home and be with me and your Dad?"

I stare at her.

"Son...we're your parents," Dad says. "You belong with us."

"What, so you can ignore me some more?" I shake my head. "I've had sixteen years of that, Dad. I'm sick of it."

"Excuse me."

Luna walks in. "I'm sorry to interrupt...and for eavesdropping..." She faces my parents. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Vice-Principal Luna."

Mom blinks. "You're the vice-principal and the dorm mom?"

I facepalm. "The school nurse is the dorm manager, Mom. Vice-Principal Luna is just here sometimes." Under my breath, I mutter, "I've told you this before..."

Luna coughs. "I think everyone's just a little...on edge right now," she says. "After all, your arrival was rather sudden and unexpected." She regards my parents coolly. "Surely, as scholars, you're aware that transferring a student in the middle of a term is disruptive to their education."

Dad frowns. "Well...that's true..."

"Also...as you've just heard...uprooting your son right now, without even giving him time to say goodbye to his friends from school, would be traumatic. He's clearly upset at the thought of leaving his friends and his girlfriend behind." She pauses for a breath. "I would suggest, at the very least, you not ask Flash to move back to Seaddle until summer. That will give everyone time to think and talk and decide what's best for your family and what's best for Flash." She looks between my parents, me, and Twilight. "Does that sound sensible?"

Mom lets out a shaky breath. "I...I guess so..." She looks at Dad. "What do you think?"

Dad sighs. "Well..." He scratches his nose. "I think we should sleep on it. We'll be back in the morning to talk some more about this." He stands up; Mom stands up as well. "Son..." Dad starts, then shakes his head. "See you tomorrow."

They head for the door and leave.

"Flash..." Twilight says. Tears are gathering in her eyes.

I squeeze her hand, then numbly head upstairs. Not bothering to undress, I throw myself onto my bed face-first. I feel like something's gnawing on the inside of my stomach...
> 4/16 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, April 16, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Things will work out as long as you're honest about your feelings.

I couldn't sleep at all last night...

All night long, my tension, anger, and dread kept gnawing at me...

When the first light of dawn peeks through my window, I get up, peel down, and head for the bathroom to take a shower. Once I'm clean, I get dressed and head downstairs to scrounge up some breakfast.

I hear voices coming from the lounge...

I look in to find Twilight, Pinkie, Cadance, Luna, and Celestia in the lounge. Twilight's laptop is open in front of her.

"—do if he has to go back?" Twilight says. "I...I don't think I could stand it..."

"This is ridiculous!" Twilight Velvet's voice issues from Twilight's computer. "If there'd been any late express trains last night, I'd be down there right now...I'd love to give those two idiots a piece of my mind..."

"I think I already took care of that," I say as I walk in. Everybody looks up, expressions of guilt, sympathy, and worry on their faces. I walk over to sit next to Twilight; Pinkie gets up and lets me sit down.

"Good morning, Flash dear," Velvet says. "How...how are you doing?"

I shrug. "Didn't sleep last night. Pretty pissed off."

"Understandable," Celestia says with a sigh. "I swear, I have dealt with more dysfunctional families this year alone than I've had to deal with in my entire career as an educator..."

"I'm, umm...gonna go make everybody some breakfast," Pinkie says. Her eyes are sad and her hair is limp.

"Don't you need to get ready for today's matches?" I ask.

She shrugs. "We're playing here in Canterlot today, I'm in no hurry." She sags. "Besides, I...I'm not sure I..." She turns and heads for the kitchen.

"Twilight told us about...how you unloaded on your parents," Velvet says. She frowns. "I think you probably could've made your point without...some of what you said, but..."

I sigh. "Yeah. It's just...it seems like every time I've got something going right for me lately, something comes along to screw everything up.  And...and I've been dreading going back to Seaddle for months now." I look down at my lap. "I really...don't want to go back. Ever."

"We don't want you to go back," Cadance says. "Everybody here loves you and cares about you. It...it just doesn't make sense for you to have to leave if you're happy here."

I slump forward, head in my hands. Twilight wraps an arm around me and holds me tight.

Slowly, over the next half hour or so, the others start to trickle downstairs. Everybody looks miserable. Pinkie serves breakfast with less than her usual enthusiasm, and nobody eats very much—not even Twilight.

A little past eight, the doorbell rings. We all glance nervously at each other; I get up and answer the door, admitting my parents. They both look about as miserable and exhausted as I feel. "Good...good morning, Flash," Mom says.

I step out of the way and let them in. They follow me to the lounge, where the entire dorm is waiting. Even Shining Armor has joined us.

My parents look around at the crowd uneasily. "Err...we could go someplace more...private to talk, if—"

"Mr. Flashback," Celestia interrupts, raising a hand, "all of us are here to discuss this situation." She stands and smooths out her blouse. "We've never actually met face-to-face, but we've spoken a few times. I'm Principal Celestia."

Dad nods to her. "It's...a pleasure," he says.

The girls make room for my parents to sit down. There are some uneasy and even hostile looks floating around the room. The tension is thick enough to cut...

I take a deep breath. "Mom, Dad..." I look at them. "Here's the thing. I don't want to go back to Seaddle, and it isn't fair for you to force me to. Everything I care about in the world is here in Canterlot."

Mom winces. "You...don't care about us?"

I rub my face. "I...didn't mean it like that."

"Yes, you did," Dad says. He sighs. "Last night...we went over all the e-mails you've sent us since August." He grimaces. "So many things you told us...neither of us remembered. After everything you said to us last night..." He glances at Mom.

Mom looks down at her feet. "We...we haven't been very good parents, have we?"

"No, you haven't," I say. "You've made sure I've had everything I ever wanted or needed, and I'm grateful for that. Really, I am. But...you've never really been there. Except when I was sick, or when I had my tonsils out, or..." I shake my head. "So few times you've actually acted like real parents. I've had to do everything on my own."

"Son...why didn't you say anything until now?" Dad asks.

I shrug. "Because..." I shove my hands in my pockets. "Until I came to Canterlot...I don't think I really cared. About anything. Ever since I was a kid, I've...just kind of drifted through life. One day into the next, going nowhere, not really caring about anything.

"But something changed when I came here," I say. "Ever since I've been here in Canterlot...I've made friends. I've gotten involved. I care about things, about people, more than I ever have in my life." I give Mom and Dad a serious look. "Canterlot has changed me. For the better. I...I belong here."

"Flash has done so much for everyone here," Twilight says. She stands up and links her hand with mine. "I've changed so much since he came here. I was always...I kept to myself all the time, just reading and studying. Then Flash came, and...and from practically the first day, he made it clear that he liked me." She blushes. "He got me to open up, and now I'm closer to everyone in this dorm...I know what it's like to be in love..." She leans against me. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"He helped save our marriage," Cadance says, squeezing Shining Armor's hand. "He was exactly what we needed, exactly when we needed it, when we were going through a real rough spot."

"And I can honestly say that with Flash around, I've...I've learned to accept that my little sister is growing into a woman, and ready to live her own life without me having to protect her all the time," Shining Armor says.

"My parents disowned me," Pinkie says. "It was Flash's quick thinking and determination to not lose me forever that made it possible for me to still be here."

"Flash was there for me when I started to doubt myself," Rainbow says. "I don't like talkin' about all this touchy-feely crap, but...I'm not lettin' him outta here without a fight."

"Every single person in this dorm has gone through their own personal hell this year," Fluttershy says softly. "And every single one of us has gone to Flash for help, for advice...or even just someone to talk to."

"He's become quite important to all of us," Rarity says. "And not just us, but several others at school."

"Like the new tennis coach," Pinkie says. "And the captain of the tennis team. And the school disc jockey, who just went blind this year. And more." She takes my other hand and leans against me. "So many people at CHS owe Flash so much..."

I squeeze the girls' hands tightly. "You see?" I say to my parents. "My friends need me, and I need them. And...please understand that while you're my parents, and I do respect and love you..." I take a deep breath. "I..."

"You don't need us," Mom says, her voice catching. She looks down at her lap. "We get it." She looks at Dad.

Dad sighs. "It's...it's our own fault," he says. "We...we've just...left you alone, and..." He runs his hands through his hair. "God...sixteen years go by, and you...you don't realize how bad you screwed things up, and then..."

"Mr. Flashback," Celestia says, "I want to make one thing absolutely clear. Your son is a fine, upstanding young man, with a bright and promising future ahead of him. Whatever he wants to do with his life, I'm positive he'll succeed. That he has made himself such a respectable and dependable person in spite of your absence of actual parenting and, frankly, emotional neglect...it's a testament to the incredible person he is."

Mom sniffles. "Thank you," she says. She looks at me. "You...you really don't want to go back to Seaddle?"

I shake my head. "There's nothing for me there."

Mom sighs heavily. "I...I guess not..." She looks at Dad. "What do you think?"

Dad shakes his head. "I think...we need to get to know our son," he says. "Really get to know him." He looks at me. "If this is what you want, then..." He sighs and nods. "I guess...there's no point in forcing you to go back. But we're going to be in touch more than ever. And...and I promise we'll really pay attention to you from now on." He looks at Mom. "We owe you that much."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



This bond shall reveal unto thee the Ultimate Truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the World Arcana...


Mom stands up, walks over, and hugs me. The girls step away and let me hug her back. Mom sniffles. "I...I'm sorry," she says.

Dad walks over and claps me firmly on the shoulder. Our eyes meet, and he nods. I nod back.

After a moment, Mom pulls away and looks at me. She puts on a brave smile. "Well," she says.

Dad puts a hand on her shoulder. "We...should get going," he says. "Our flight..."

Mom sniffles and nods. "Yeah. Goodbye, Flash. Take...take care..."

"Call me when you get home," I say.

"We will."

I watch them leave. Mom is fighting back tears, but loses it when she reaches the door. Dad glances back at me once, a sad, lost look on his face, then guides Mom out, closing the door behind them.

A long silence descends.

"Well..." Celestia says after a while. "I suppose that's settled, then."

"Yeah..." I say. I sigh heavily. "Guys? I'm...gonna go back upstairs. I'm...I'm tired." I smile at Pinkie. "Good luck today, okay? Win for me."

Pinkie smiles, tears in her eyes. "You bet."

By the time I make it to my room, all the tension has drained out of my body, replaced by relief, exhaustion...

...and guilt.

I don't regret what was said yesterday and today, but I can't help but feel guilty when I think about Mom crying, and that last look Dad gave me...

Saturday, April 16, 2016 / Evening

It's late in the day by the time I wake up. I head downstairs to find everyone decorating for a party.

Pinkie returns from the tennis matches beaming and bouncing. She flings herself at me in a huge, bonecrushing hug. She excitedly tells us about how Canterlot crushed the competition today, then rushes upstairs to put away her stuff and clean up.

We're all up late into the night celebrating. There's lots of food and movies and video games and laughter and fun all around. At around ten, I get a call from my parents, and we talk for nearly an hour, with the others roaming in and out to get a word in here and there. By the time I say goodnight to them, I'm feeling a lot better about how things went.

By the time the party winds down, it's almost two in the morning. I'm so exhausted from what has been the most mentally and emotionally draining two days of my life that I almost forget that tomorrow is the last chance we'll have to train in Zodiac before Applejack's birthday...
> 4/17 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, April 17, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Working together, good friends can accomplish anything.

It's well past ten in the morning by the time everybody is up.

"Ah don't know about the rest o' y'all, but..." Applejack yawns. "Ah'm plum tuckered." She frowns at the clock. "Shoot...Ah do wanna go by an' see Papa today, though..."

"Umm...Applejack?" Apple Bloom asks nervously. "Is...is it okay if...if Ah don't go with ya t' th' nursin' home today?"

Applejack blinks at her. Her eyes soften and she smiles sadly. "Yeah," she says. "Ah think Papa'll understand."

Sweetie Belle tugs on Apple Bloom's sleeve. "Hey. Let's go see that movie you wanted to see. You know the one."

Apple Bloom smiles gratefully at her. "Ah thought you didn't wanna—"

"Eh, it might be good. And we can go for pizza after!"

Apple Bloom turns to Applejack. "Is...is it okay?"

Applejack nods and smiles. She reaches into her pocket, pulls out her wallet, counts out about fifty bucks, and hands it to her sister. "Y'all go on an' have fun now," she says.

"Thanks!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle waste no time in going upstairs to get changed and get their stuff together; within five minutes, they're out the front door in twin blurs.

Applejack shakes her head and chuckles. "Poor li'l sis," she says. She sighs. "Well...Ah'd best git on over t' Papa. See y'all later." She leaves.

The rest of us look around at each other awkwardly. "So...Friday, huh?" Rainbow says.

"I really hope we're wrong and she isn't the next victim," Twilight says. "She's...she's been through so much already..."

"So far, you've only been wrong once," I say with a sigh. "And besides..." I worry at the carpet with the toe of my shoe. "I can think of a good reason Sunset Shimmer would target Applejack." I look at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy grimaces and nods. "Either Applejack won't be the target and Sunset will get off on killing some random person when we weren't looking, or she'll have some kind of trap set for us and use Applejack as the bait."

"Yeah, pretty sure she's gonna do that last thing," Rainbow mutters.

"Whatever happens...we'll face it together," Twilight says. "Just like we stuck by Flash yesterday when his parents tried to take him away..."

"We're quite fortunate Flash didn't have to leave us," Rarity says. "Without him, we'd be in quite dire straits with all this Zodiac business." She blinks. "Oh, and I'd miss him terribly, of course. You're ever such a dear friend." She smiles and bats her eyelashes at me.

"Yeah, there's all kinds of reasons to be thankful Flash didn't have to leave," Pinkie says.

I look around at all my friends and smile. "No matter what happens from here on out...we'll face it together. All of us."

The girls all cheer in agreement.

Cadance's stomach growls. "Let's go get something to eat, then we can go train."

We pile into the SUV and go to Hinny's. From there, we drive to the nearest parking garage and enter Zodiac.

Sunday, April 17, 2016 / Zodiac

That green text is still there, and it's still pretty disturbing...

We spend almost four hours training, facing stronger Shadows than we've ever dealt with before. While I don't awaken any new Personas during today's training, I do grow more proficient with the most powerful set of Personas I have, and using them becomes less taxing for me.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are adjusting well to their new Personas. Everyone else is growing more confident and decisive.

The girls still haven't done anything about their bizarre mix of battle costumes, though...

After four hours, Cadance calls a halt, and we leave Zodiac.

Sunday, April 17, 2016 / Evening

After returning to the dorm, we spend the rest of the day relaxing. The next five days are going to be tense...

Rarity decides to attempt to make country fried steak for dinner. It actually turns out pretty good. Not as good as Granny Smith's, but Applejack seems to enjoy it, and so does everyone else.

After dinner, I call my parents to see how things are going, then read until bedtime.
> 4/18 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, April 18, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If you spend your entire life facing the setting sun, you'll never see the beauty of the sunrise.

After school, I decide to go into town and do a little shopping before I head home. My parents just put a little extra money in my account...and for once, I don't feel like it's just something they're doing in lieu of actually caring.

I spend half the afternoon searching for a suitable birthday present for Applejack, then head back to the dorm.

Monday, April 18, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Celestia pulls me aside as I'm carrying plates to the kitchen. "I need to speak with you in private once you're done here," she says.

I finish washing dishes and head upstairs. Celestia is waiting outside her door. She opens the door and ushers me inside, then follows me in, closing the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Celestia shakes her head. "Nothing's wrong, I just..." She sits down in the desk chair; I sit on the bed. "I wanted to talk to you."

I nod. "Alright."

"First thing's first," she says. She pierces me with those intimidating principal's eyes. "Be honest with me, Flash. The hacker that caused all the problems for this dorm was Fluttershy, was it not?"

I freeze. "Umm..."

She holds up a hand. "I won't confront her, and she won't be punished...for now. I've been observing the way everyone in this dorm has interacted for some time. For most of March, you were all giving Fluttershy the cold shoulder, and her behavior changed noticeably. After Spring Break, you've all become much more friendly towards her, and she seems to be more...open?" Celestia shrugs. "So...tell me the truth. Was it her?"

I sigh. "Yeah."

"Sunset Shimmer put her up to it?"

I nod.

Celestia sighs. "Alright. As the principal, this is the point at which I should get involved, but I trust you and your friends. I'm going to assume there's a reason you haven't come to me with this yet." She leans forward. "I've watched you, and...you've become a natural leader. It gave me a warm feeling inside when I saw the way your friends stood up for you with your parents. It's been a long time since I've known anyone who could inspire such loyalty and devotion from so many different people from different walks of life.

"I want you to know that I'm going to be pushing very hard for you to be able to graduate from Canterlot High. You've done so much good at my school this past year, I'm not ready to give you up without a fight."

I feel my cheeks heating up. "Thanks."

Celestia shakes her head. "I've never seen one kid stick up for so many different people the way you do. You're an inspiration, and it's for precisely that reason I'm trusting you and your friends to deal with Sunset Shimmer. I do hope that one day, you'll confide everything in me."

I nod. "As soon as Sunset Shimmer's no longer a threat, we'll tell you everything."

"Fair enough." Celestia reaches into her pocket and pulls something out. "I wanted to give you something as a token of my gratitude for all you've done for both my school and for me personally." She offers me an old class ring with an opal stone. I take it, looking at it in confusion.

"It's my class ring from when I went to CHS," Celestia says. "This school's been important to me since I went here, and...I can see that it's as important to you as it is to me. That's why I want you to have this."

"I...don't know what to say. Thank you." I look at the ring.

"Of course, you won't be able to wear it, but...keep it for good luck," Celestia says. "And...keep being the amazing, inspirational young man you are."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Justice Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Amaterasu, the ultimate form of the Justice Arcana...


She stands up and smooths out her blouse. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for my date with Blaze."

I stand up and slip the ring into my pocket. "How's that going?"

"It's going wonderfully," Celestia says. With a smirk and a wink, she adds, "I found out where Rainbow Dash got her leg fetish from."

"Too much info!"

Celestia laughs. "Goodnight, Flash."

I head back to my room. At the door, I pause, then knock on Twilight's door.

She opens it. "Hey Flash, what's up?"

Without a word, I grab Twilight and drag her into my room...
> 4/19 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Today is a good day to get closer to your friends.

Music Club...

Octavia and Vinyl both seem quite happy. I move to sit with them. "How are things going?"

"Great!" Vinyl says. "I'm actually almost starting to get along with Tavi's mom now."

Octavia smiles. "Our families have been having dinner together twice a week lately," she says. "And...and I've had many long talks with Mother. I think...she's almost ready to accept that my life choices are mine to make, and that what I need from her is her support."

"That's good." I look at the two of them. "And you two?"

Octavia glances at Vinyl, a faint blush on her face. "We're...figuring it out," she says. She sighs. "I won't lie...I still have doubts and reservations. Not about Vinyl, but...about myself. About what the future holds."

I laugh. "That's any relationship," I say. "If you knew half of what I've been through since I started seeing Twilight..."

"Don't you mean Twilight and Pinkie?" Vinyl asks with a teasing grin.

"Vinyl! Honestly!" Octavia says.

"Dude, seriously, just between us," Vinyl says, "is your dorm like, one big orgy all the time?"

Octavia slaps Vinyl upside the head. "Beast," she says. "Don't mind her," she tells me. "Recently, she's developed a positively obscene imagination."

I shrug. "It doesn't bother me," I say. "Not coming from friends I know don't mean any harm." I grin and lean closer. "Besides, after what me and Twilight did for two hours last night, I can't really complain."

Vinyl lets out a howl of laugher. "DUDE!"

Octavia blushes furiously. "T-t-t-two HOURS?"

After a moment of laughter, I settle down. "Well...I'm glad to hear things are going so well for you girls. Especially you, Octavia. I...I'm glad your mother is shaping up and not being...that."

"You and me both," Vinyl says. She tilts her head. "Family junk's a big deal to you, isn't it?"

I sigh. "Just this past weekend, I started smoothing things over with my own folks." I shrug. "Lately, it seems like I've seen just about every kind of way a family can go wrong. It...it feels good to see a family fixing itself, is all."

Octavia reaches over and squeezes my shoulder gently.

After a moment, Vinyl changes the subject, and we talk about more pleasant things until the end of Music Club. I gather up my things and head back to the dorm to do homework.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Fluttershy asks to speak to me in private.

"What's up?" I ask.

Fluttershy frowns slightly. "I need your help," she says. "You've...you've seen those crappy costumes the others programmed into Black Butterfly, right?"

I nod.

"Well...I can't take it anymore!" Fluttershy cries...quietly. "I need to fix them! But..." She fidgets. "I...I want your help. Umm...you know, your advice and input."

"Umm...won't doing this behind their back like...really piss them off?"

"I'd rather them be a little pissed off at me until they get used to the new outfits than have to put up with the most mismatched, random rummage sale reject team ever!"

I laugh. "Okay, okay. Just tell me what you need me to do..."

We spend the rest of the evening designing new battle outfits for the other girls. "Do you think...I should make a new battle outfit for myself?" Fluttershy asks.

I shrug. "Nah, not really. Yours suits you, once you get used to the fact that you're some kind of crazy ninja."

Fluttershy snorts. "Okay, I think we're done here. Thanks." She pauses. "The girls...don't need to know you had anything to do with this. You know...just in case they're mad."

"Thanks." I say goodnight and head back to my room. It's late...

I watch a little TV before bed.
> 4/20 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The greatest challenge you have ever faced lies ahead. Make sure you're prepared for anything.

At tennis practice, Pinkie and I approach Coach Chrysalis.

"Good afternoon, you two!" Chrysalis says warmly.

"Hey," I say. "Listen...we're both gonna miss practice on Friday."

"And I'm going to miss Saturday's matches," Pinkie says with an apologetic smile.

"Oh?" Chrysalis tilts her head. "Are you eloping?" she asks with a teasing grin.

"I wish!" Pinkie says, laughing. "No, it's Applejack's birthday on Friday, but her party is on Saturday at her family farm, and it's an hour outside town. Our whole dorm is spending the weekend up there with her family."

"Sweet Apple Acres? Yes, I know of it. A surprisingly successful farm considering the hardships the family has faced and its lack of employees." Chrysalis nods. "Alright, I'll make a note of it." She smiles. "Have fun."

"How do you know so much about Sweet Apple Acres?" Pinkie asks.

Chrysalis grimaces. "My old company's agricultural division attempted to acquire the farm a few years back," she says. "After I researched the particulars of the Apple family, I vetoed the entire thing. The Apples are self-made, and I respect that." She shakes her head. "Well, even if you won't be here Friday and you won't be at the matches Saturday, you should still practice like you mean it today. On the court, both of you!"

We join the rest of the team for an intense practice, after which we return to the dorm.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework, then head upstairs to finish my own. I have an essay to write for history...

I hate writing essays. It feels like slow torture...

By the time I'm finished, I'm too tired to proofread it. I decide to finish up in the morning before it's due, and get ready for bed.
> 4/21 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, April 21, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take it easy today. Save your strength—you'll need it.

After breakfast, Twilight and I take Spike out to do his business.

"Tomorrow's the day," she says. "Applejack's birthday."

"Yeah..." I frown. "The timing on this one's gonna be..." I pause. "I mean, will it happen before we leave CHS? At the dorm? On our way to Sweet Apple Acres? AT Sweet Apple Acres?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say Sunset Shimmer will wait until we're all worn out to attack," Twilight says. Frowning, she adds, "That, or try to catch us off-guard at midnight again."

I sigh. "There's no way of knowing when we'll have to fight." I shake my head. "I haven't had a chance to test my newest Persona yet...I hope it'll come in handy."

Twilight stares at me. "Again?! Since when?!"

I shrug. "Monday."

"Oh." Twilight's brow furrows. "Well...is it a good one?"

"I don't know yet."

We watch Spike pee on a rock, then head inside to get ready for school.

Thursday, April 21, 2016 / After School

Music Club...

Everyone has a good time. Octavia amuses Vinyl by playing the bass.

Thursday, April 21, 2016 / Evening

I don't have as much homework tonight, so I play video games with Rainbow and Sonata until bedtime.
> 4/22 (Fri)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 22, 2016 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Taurus): You are going to die today.

Celestia left early this morning, with apologies for missing Applejack's birthday breakfast and happy birthday wishes for Applejack. Cadance joins us for breakfast.

Everyone is tense...

Applejack picks up on the tension, even though we're trying our best to be cheerful for her. "Alright, whut's gotten inta y'all?" she asks as she cuts up the stack of apple cinnamon pancakes Pinkie whipped up. "Y'all're wound up tighter'n ol' Granpappy's banjo at a hootenanny."

We all look at each other. Twilight and Fluttershy tilt their heads at me, as if agreeing it's my decision. I frown and nod to Twilight.

Twilight sighs. "Applejack...something's going to happen today. Something...bad."

Applejack blinks at her. "Huh? Whuddya mean?"

"I can't...really explain it," Twilight says. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But...sometime today, something bad's going to happen. I'm sorry." She looks away.

I cough. "We've all...had something happen on our birthdays this year," I say. "Every last one of us. Me, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, Sonata, Fluttershy."

Applejack's brow furrows. "Huh," she says. "Come t' think of it, everybody does seem t' get kinda worked up on y'all's birthdays lately..."

"What's goin' on?" Apple Bloom asks.

"Never you mind," Rarity says. "If...if we're lucky, there's no need for you to ever know." Her eyes cloud. "You and Sweetie Belle should not have to deal with what the rest of us have gone through."

"And don't try to snoop," Rainbow says, waving her fork. "You girls don't need to know anything about any of this."

"Yes, please don't pry," Fluttershy says.

The younger girls frown at them. I'm pretty sure they're not letting it go this easily...

Applejack looks around at us. "Okay, exactly whut th' hell's goin' on here?"

Twilight looks down at her plate morosely. "You'll...you'll find out today, Applejack. You'll find out...everything. I'm sorry."

Nobody is very hungry after that...Pinkie's hard work on Applejack's birthday breakfast pretty much goes to waste.

Friday, April 22, 2016 / After School

After school, we all return to the dorm to get our bags together, then load up Cadance's SUV and Coach's rental and drive up to Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight and I are in the rental with Shining Armor, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Everyone else is in the other van.

We're halfway to the farm when...

Friday, April 22, 2016 / Zodiac

Shining Armor and the younger girls abruptly disappear as Zodiac forms around us. The SUV starts to swerve off the road...

I jump into the now-empty driver's seat and wrench the van to the left, then slow down and pull over, stopping on the shoulder and killing the engine. Behind us, the other SUV comes to an abrupt halt.

"Are you alright?" I ask Twilight.

"SHINING ARMOR!" she cries, eyes wide and alarmed. "Where is he?!"

"Still in the car...in the real world," I say. "So are the others." I open the door and climb out; Twilight follows suit. We walk back to the other SUV, where the girls have all just gotten out. Applejack looks like a deer in the headlights.

"Son of a BITCH!" Rainbow snarls. "Seriously, what the FUCK?!"

"Is everybody okay?" Cadance asks. She looks at me and Twilight. "Shiny—"

"Still in the real world," I say. "The girls too. Which means me and Twi are either gonna have to hurry to get back in the SUV after we fight Taurus, or...we'll have to ride the rest of the way with you."

Cadance frowns. "I...just wonder what's going to happen to the other car when we actually get out of here," she says.

"That's...an interesting question, actually," Fluttershy says. "I have no idea what happens when an entire car gets pulled into Zodiac."

"Whut...whut...whut..." Applejack is staring around, stuttering.

"Remember that something terrible we warned you about at breakfast?" I ask. "Well...this is it." I glance at Cadance. "We need to know how screwed we are, and fast."

"Right!" Cadance pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!"

The crystals form around her, and Eros appears. Applejack's jaw drops and her hat falls off.

//Taurus is three miles away, approaching fast,// Cadance reports. //Sunset Shimmer is still in Canterlot. I'm sensing some other Shadow activity in the area...you'd all better get ready.//

"WHUT TH' HELL'S THAT?!" Applejack yells, pointing at Eros.

"It's called a Persona," Twilight says. "We all have them. It's..." She pauses. "It's kind of..."

"It's an awesomely cool super powerful imaginary friend that protects you from icky bad stuff that tries to kill you in here!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

"It's a little more complicated than that," Fluttershy says, "but...basically what Pinkie said."

Applejack's gaze wanders from Eros to the texts floating around.

Inbred hick

Can't stop jacking off

Boo-hoo, hillbilly girl's daddy is dying

Tits tits tits tits tits

Guess she's a widow now lol

Wonder if they know I've sucked off half the baseball team

That accent, OMGWTF

That dorm must be an all-you-can-eat pussy buffet

Always wearing that shitkicker hat

Applejack clutches at her head, her hat falling to the dark red asphalt. "No," she cries. "No..."

"Applejack, calm down—"

"NO!" Applejack screams. "All this time, y'all been LYIN' TO ME, keepin' shit from me..." She crouches down. "Y'all don't trust me...y'all all think Ah'm some dumb hick, don't know nothin'...why bother tellin' AJ anything, ain't like she'd understand, all she knows is apples..." She looks around at us, burning fury in her eyes. "It's like Ah don't even MATTER none! Like Ah...like Ah should jes' go back t' th' farm...y'all wouldn't even care..."

"Applejack, no," Pinkie says, tears in her eyes. "That's...that's not it at all..."

"LIES!" Applejack screeches. With the sound of glass shattering, a Persona explodes out of her head...





It's like a giant Applejack, except made out of rocks and plants. Parts of her are lush and healthy; other parts are withered, like trees in winter. The apples spilling out of the enormous basket on her back are rotting and decaying into mulch as they drip to the ground.

"Whoa," Rainbow says.

"Uh-oh," Fluttershy mutters, eyes wide.

//Guys, be careful...I don't think Applejack's in her right mind...//

"NO SHIT, YOU THINK?" Rainbow yells.

With a wordless yell of rage, Applejack rushes at Rainbow and slugs her right across the jaw, dropping her like a sack of flour. Her Persona, whose serene expression abruptly becomes one of unbridled fury, drives a fist into the ground, and rippling shockwaves pass through the road, driving chunks of asphalt up into the rest of us and knocking us off our feet.

"YOU WERE NEVER MY FRIENDS!" Applejack screams.

Fluttershy frowns as she stands up. "Perso—"

"NO!" Twilight cries. "Don't hurt her!" She summons Athena to heal us all. "Applejack...please, listen—"

Applejack yells and rushes at Twilight, aiming a powerful kick at her ribs.

"ARAHABAKI!"

Arahabaki falls from the sky, landing between the girls; the force of Applejack's kick is completely absorbed. With a cry of rage, she throws her fist into the air.

Her Persona smashes Twilight against the side of the van. Twilight screams as she goes down.

"TWILIGHT!" Furious, I start to draw out my axe...

//Everybody...she's confused and in a blind rage,// Cadance says. //She doesn't know what she's doing! Don't hurt her! Just...just calm her down...//

"Oh, I'll calm her down, alright," Rainbow says. She dives on top of Applejack and wrestles her to the ground. Applejack struggles; her greater strength overcomes Rainbow's leverage, and she throws her off.

Meanwhile, Rarity attends to Twilight. Fluttershy summons Echo and erects a barrier; when Applejack tries to mule-kick Rainbow, the force rebounds, knocking her flat on the ground.

"Somebody DO something about her!" Twilight cries. "She's either going to kill one of us or get HERSELF killed!"

"I'm on it!" Pinkie declares. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears and sheds a brilliant rainbow glow over Applejack. Applejack picks herself up, blinking slowly. Her Persona fades from view.

Rainbow hauls Applejack to her feet and slaps her twice across the face. "You gonna stop actin' like a horse's ass now?" she says.

Applejack scowls. "You gotta lotta nerve," she spits.

"Applejack, calm down," Twilight says as she walks over. We all gather around Applejack. "Look...stop and think for a minute." She gestures around us. "If we tried to tell you about any of this...would you have believed us?"

Applejack frowns. "Well...probably not," she admits. "But y'all still been sneakin' around an' lyin' an—"

"We had to!" Rainbow cries, throwing her hands in the air. "What, you think we were just gonna walk up to you and say 'Hey, AJ! We're all gonna go fight monsters in some crazy twisted other world now, we'll be back in a little while, don't wait up!' You'd have thought we were completely nuts!"

"Yeah, this is pretty much something you had to see for yourself," Sonata says. "I mean, how do you even explain this? I sure can't."

Applejack stares at her. "You can talk," she accuses. "All this time, playin' with yer little tablet—"

"She can only talk in here, Applejack," Fluttershy says. "And she isn't really talking. It's...kind of a hack. Her thoughts are being picked up as text messages, which are instantly being translated to speech in what used to be her voice."

Applejack stares at her. "Whut th' hell's that mean?"

"It means in this place, Fluttershy can hack reality," Sonata says. "Just like she hacked all the computers in the dorm and Flash's horoscope."

Fluttershy sighs. "Up until a couple of months ago, I...did a lot of Sunset Shimmer's dirty work, and maybe tried to kill some of my friends a few times."

Applejack stares at her. "You...?" She shakes her head in disbelief. "Is...is anything anybody ever said true? A word of it?"

Twilight sighs. "Applejack...even if we could've told you about all this...we wouldn't have put this burden on you. Not with...not with what you're already going through. This is one problem you didn't need." She tugs at her shirt. "I know...from your perspective, it must seem like the rest of us have all been getting closer and having a good time without you, and...and maybe you felt left out and abandoned, but..."

"That's just not the truth," I say. "The truth is, the rest of us? Have been through hell together. We've all fought side by side against things you can't even imagine. We've protected each other, we've helped each other...some of us have even died here." I shrug. "Yeah, what we've been through brings people closer together. But...that doesn't mean we aren't your friends. It just...it means this was something we couldn't let anyone know about that wasn't involved."

Applejack takes a long, slow look around and lets out a shaky sigh. "Yeah, Ah can...Ah can kinda believe that..." She shakes her head and looks down at her hands. "But still...Ah dunno...can Ah...can Ah really trust any o' y'all ever again?"

Twilight takes her hands. "Yes, Applejack," she says. "And we trust you. You're our friend. Please...don't shut us out. And...and forgive us for all the times it seemed like we were neglecting or ignoring you."

Applejack looks away, tears in her eyes. "Ah...need some time..."

//Sorry, but that'll have to wait!// Cadance says. //Get ready to fight, everyone! Taurus is almost here!//

And with that, the ground starts to shake as a demonic bellow fills the air. We all turn as a massive black bull, easily the size of a semi, with two long, blood-red horns and three flailing tails, charges at us. Its burning red eyes glare at us from beneath the sigil of Taurus etched into its forehead.

"Whut th' HELL'S THAT?!"

"That, Applejack, is a Hunter Shadow," Fluttershy says, "and it's come here to kill you. But we're not about to let that happen." She frowns, then adds, "and since you already awakened your Persona when you went apeshit on us, you can help us kill this thing."

"Let's gear up, everybody!" Twilight calls. The girls nod. We all ready our phones and tap Black Butterfly...

Fluttershy's usual "Eris" outfit, sans mask and cape, appears, and her staff forms in her outstretched hand. The rest of us are wearing matching uniforms consisting of light, loose, breathable black cargo pants and sleeveless royal purple knit tops, with black basketball shoes and fingerless gloves.

The girls look around at each other, then at Fluttershy. "What the hay?" Rainbow cries. "What'd you do to our gear?"

"I reprogrammed your battle outfits," Fluttershy says. "You needed something more practical and less thrown-together."

Rarity frowns. "You took the fun out of it!" she whines.

//Girls! Complain about your clothes later! You're about to get trampled by a giant freaking bull!//

And with that, Taurus plows right through us, forcing us to scatter. As we surround the Shadow, it lows threateningly, pawing the ground and snorting steam.

"Where's a matador when you need one?" Pinkie quips.

I feel something stirring inside my head...

I slide the Death Arcana onto my phone and tap it. "PERSONA!"





"Holy shit, dude, you actually had a bullfighter in there?" Rainbow says.

"Is THAT your new Persona from the other night?" Twilight asks.

"No, it's...something that just woke up," I say.

Matador swirls his cape, drawing Taurus' attention. It bellows and charges; Matador deftly steps aside and skewers the Shadow with his saber. Taurus bellows in pain as it goes down on one knee, dark purple foam issuing from its lips.

//It's been poisoned!// Cadance reports.

"Then what're we waitin' for?" Rainbow yells. "PERSONA!"

One by one, the girls call forth their Personas, unloading on Taurus with everything they've got. It bellows and writhes and tries to fight back, but Matador's poison has weakened it.

//It's almost finished!// Cadance says. //One more good blow should do it!//

I rush in, hefting my axe, and cleave Taurus' head from its shoulders. It lows plaintively as it slowly dissolves into boiling Shadow-stuff.

"YEAH!" Rainbow cheers. "Who's awesome? WE'RE awesome!"

Fluttershy frowns. "That was way too easy."

"Something isn't right here..." Twilight says.

"Come on, you guys!" Pinkie says happily. "We're just getting way too good at this! It's over, we can go to the farm and party down, right? Right?"

//LOOK OUT!!//

With a thundering roar, SOMETHING screams down the road toward us.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy screams desperately. A reflective wall covers all of us; we huddle together behind it.

The approaching Shadow stops, two burning red lights glaring from its front. What sounds like a massive diesel engine rumbles menacingly.

"Oh COME ON!" Rainbow yells. "We beat the big bad bull! What the hell?"

You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?

Fluttershy's eyes narrow. "This was a trap," she says.

OF COURSE IT WAS A TRAP! Jesus FUCK, you're supposed to be the SMART one here!

//Applejack was never the real target,// Cadance says suddenly, dread in her voice. //She was just the bait. That's why...that's why Taurus was so weak. Taurus was never a threat...//

That's right, Nurse Happy Cunt. All this was to arrange a little execution. Come on out from behind your little forcefield, Fluttershy. You too, Flash Sentry. It's time we finished this. Or maybe I'll let you live long enough to watch your little friends die, one by one.

Fluttershy trembles. "Sunset Shimmer, leave them alone! There's no sense in any of this!"

I DECIDE WHO LIVES AND DIES IN CANTERLOT!

"No, you don't," I say. "You're just a pathetic little bitch who throws a tantrum when she doesn't get her way."

You really wanna go there with me, Flash Sentry? I can make your life a living HELL.

"STOP THIS, SUNSET SHIMMER!" Twilight yells. "Nobody here ever did ANYTHING to you!"

Didn't you, Twilight? Didn't you?

"NO!"

Hmm. Maybe not. Maybe I just don't like you. Maybe I just enjoy seeing you suffer. But you know what? There's not one fucking thing you can do to stop me.

"Wanna bet?" Rainbow challenges.

HAH! You're the most useless and pathetic THING here, Rainbow Dash! You and your little gay crush on Celestia. God, what a loser.

"That's ENOUGH, Sunset Shimmer!" Fluttershy yells.

You're right. Taunting you losers is fun, but watching you die is even more fun. I hope you enjoy this little surprise I put together for you. I based it off one of Flash Sentry's Personas. You do know you're a freak, don't you Flash?

"How about you cut the shit and face us yourself?"

Haha. Didn't Fluttershy tell you? You're LUCKY I'm not there to kill you in person. At least this way, you'll have a fighting chance...and it'll be fun watching you suffer.

Nemesis? Annihilate them.

The roar of the engine is replaced by another familiar sound as the Shadow bearing down on us changes, growing taller and taking on an eerily familiar form...





Rainbow's eyes widen as she cranes her neck. "Oh fuck," she whimpers.

Applejack stares, slack-jawed. "Is that...is that a giant robot?"

"Oh god WHY," Pinkie moans.

"Flash? That...that's your Persona," Twilight says.

//No, it's a Shadow,// Cadance says. //An incredibly powerful Shadow with the same skills as Flash's Optimus Prime Persona. It's...Nemesis Prime.// She pauses. //Kids, I...I'm sorry...I don't know if you can win this battle...//

"Then we won't fight it," Fluttershy says. "We'll outrun it. Everybody back into the cars!"

"What?" Twilight asks.

"DO IT!" Fluttershy snaps.

We all stow our weapons and run back to the cars, narrowly avoiding the hot black bolts of blaster fire Nemesis Prime is raining down on us. Fluttershy is shielding us the best she can; Twilight grabs Cadance and helps her over to the SUV, then follows me to the other car. As soon as I buckle in, I gun the engine and take off down the road; Cadance's SUV is right in behind me.

Twilight's phone rings. She puts it on speaker. "It's chasing us!" Rainbow cries. "It turned back into a truck and now it's chasing us!"

"I'll give us some cover!" I yell, fumbling my phone out and sliding the screen while keeping my eyes on the road. "OPTIMUS PRIME!"

Optimus Prime comes roaring down the road in the opposite direction, overtaking us before drifting, gunning his engine, and coming alongside Nemesis Prime. We hear a tremendous crunch of metal; the road shakes, and I nearly lose control of the SUV.

In the rear view, I can see Optimus plowing into Nemesis, trying to force him off the road. Nemesis is replying in kind; the two truck-robots are weaving all over the road.

"Holy fucking SHIT this is awesome!" Rainbow screams over the phone.

"Fluttershy, do you have a plan for getting us out of this?" I ask.

"I'm working on it!" Fluttershy yells back. "Something's blocking me!"

There's a massive THUMP from the roof of the SUV, nearly forcing me off the road. Above us, I hear a loud, angry bovine bellow.

"Oh, THAT'S what's blocking me."

"Oh CRAP, don't even tell me—"

"Flash, you won't believe this bullshit!" Rainbow yells. "That stupid bull is back! It just landed on you—"

"I KNOW!" I shake my head. "Okay, think, think..."

"Y'all hold on tight up there, y'all're about t' buck that bronco!" Applejack calls. "PERSEPHONE!"

And suddenly, the entire SUV lurches. I slam on the brakes and swerve into the oncoming lane so Cadance won't crash into me; Taurus, much smaller than before but twice as angry, goes sailing off the roof. It bounces twice on the pavement, rises to its hooves, and turns, snorting and pawing the ground. It starts to charge...

I have to risk doing something really stupid. I know I can summon two Personas at once...

I hope...

Because if Optimus goes away when I do this, we're REALLY screwed.

"AMATERASU!"





With a sky-splitting howl, a white wolf tumbles down into the road, landing right on top of Taurus. Amaterasu leaps up, the tip of her tail shining with celestial ink. At the apex of her leap, she does a somersault, drawing a circle high in the air, which transforms into a blinding sun that illuminates Zodiac. Taurus bellows and starts to dissolve again; behind us, Nemesis Prime veers off the road.

Optimus transforms and fires two blasts into Nemesis Prime; the black truck rumbles angrily, turns, and drives away into the darkness beyond the light of Amaterasu's Sunrise.

"We're clear!" Fluttershy says. And suddenly...

Friday, April 22, 2016 / Evening

The SUV lurches. "What the hell? Did we just hit something?" Shining Armor says.

I'm no longer in the driver's seat. I'm in the back, next to Twilight.

Shining Armor pulls over to the side of the road; Cadance pulls over behind him. They both get out and spend a few minutes talking; Shining Armor circles the vehicle, inspecting it for damage.

After a moment, he gets back in, shaking his head. "Dunno what the HELL just happened, but...is everybody okay?"

"We're good back here," Apple Bloom says.

"Just a little startled," Scootaloo reports.

"I think we're all fine," Twilight says shakily. "Let's...let's just get back on the road and get to Sweet Apple Acres."

By the time we get to Sweet Apple Acres, it's late and we're all tired. Applejack is jumpy and giving us all suspicious looks. She clearly hasn't gotten over everything that just happened yet...

Big Macintosh and Granny Smith greet us all warmly, we have a huge dinner with all of Applejack's favorites. She settles down some as she talks to her family, but every time one of us meets her gaze, she frowns and looks away.

After dinner, we set up our camp outside the farmhouse. As we're all getting ready to settle in, Applejack comes outside. She swallows heavily. "Look," she says, "tomorrow, after...after th' party...Ah want answers. An'...we're gonna have a long talk about everything."

"Yeah," I agree. "You deserve an explanation. And...we really are sorry," I say. "None of us ever meant to make you feel unwelcome or excluded. It's just, we've been dealing with—"

Applejack holds up a hand to stall me. "Save it for tomorrow," she says. She turns and walks back to the house.

Twilight, Pinkie, and I exchange a sad, nervous glance, then crawl into our tent.

Sleep is a long time in coming...
> 4/23 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, April 23, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You've come a long way, but the journey isn't over yet. In a lot of ways, it's only just begun.

Applejack kicks us all out of bed before sunrise. "Wake up, y'all," she says gruffly.

"GAH! Dammit, AJ, what the hell?" Rainbow cries as she crawls out of her tent, rubbing her backside.

"Applejack? Whatever is the matter?" Rarity asks.

Applejack sits down on a rock and folds her arms, staring at all of us as we stagger out into the pre-dawn darkness.

"Ah couldn't git a wink o' sleep all night," Applejack says. "After all that shit yesterday, Ah jes' couldn't. An' Ah ain't gonna have mah whole birthday ruined by bein' so pent up over this mess Ah can't have fun, an' Ah damn sure ain't gonna have mah family down in th' dumps on account of me not havin' a good time today. So y'all are gonna tell me everything, right now, an' ya best do it quick afore Granny calls us in fer breakfast."

We all sit down and start explaining everything: Zodiac, Personas, the Shadows, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy's betrayal and subsequent redemption. By the time we're finished, the sun has risen and the sky is a light, rosy pink. The chickens are wandering around, clucking and pecking.

Once we're finished, Applejack sits silently, frowning as she works it all out. Finally, she stands up and dusts herself off. "Okay," she says simply. "Good t' know." Without another word, she heads up to the house.

We all look at each other.

"She's...she's still really upset with us, isn't she?" Twilight says.

"Give her time," Rainbow says. "AJ's stubborn as a mule. She'll...she'll cool down."

She doesn't look sure at all...

We all head up to the house for breakfast.

Saturday, April 23, 2016 / Daytime

Even on Applejack's birthday, there's still chores to do, and we all pitch in and do our share. We offer to do her chores too, but she flatly refuses; with a weary smile, she says that being on the farm to do her chores is her idea of a good birthday.

I guess everybody has their own thing...

Granny Smith and Pinkie Pie work together to make a massive birthday lunch, and Pinkie bakes a pineapple upside-down cake. When she brings the cake out after lunch, Applejack raises an eyebrow at her.

"You know pineapples ain't apples," she says.

"Yeah, I know," Pinkie says, sticking out her tongue. "I just thought we could all use a little change of pace." Everyone laughs.

Applejack chuckles. "Ah'm jes' messin' with ya," she says. "Truth be told, Ah like pineapple upside-down cake. Only had it once or twice."

"Ah ain't had pineapple cake since yer Papa was in diapers!" Granny Smith says, licking her lips.

"Ah ain't sure Ah ever had it," Big Macintosh says thoughtfully.

The cake is excellent, and everyone compliments Pinkie on it. After the cake, Applejack opens her presents. Everyone got her something nice, be it new clothes, or a new book, or new boots...

Applejack smiles at everyone as she opens her last present, a big silver apple-shaped belt buckle with rhinestones. "Thanks, y'all," she says. "Y'all didn't need t' go an' do all this fer me."

"Of course we did," Twilight says. "We're your friends."

Saturday, April 23, 2016 / Evening

After helping with the chores and after another one of Granny Smith's huge, amazing country suppers, we all head back to the tents to turn in for the night.

Applejack follows us outside. "So, uhh...hey y'all," she says.

We all stop what we're doing and turn to look at her.

Applejack kicks at the ground with the toe of her boot. "So, this whole fightin' monsters mess..." She sighs. "Hell, Ah'm in." She looks around at us. "Ah'm still mighty sore at y'all fer sneakin' around an' lyin' all this time, but..." She shakes her head. "Ah git it now. An'...an' Ah wanna start over with y'all. Ah want us all t' be friends again, like...like we was afore things got all...y'know." She looks in the direction of the moon, which hangs low in the dusky sky.

"But most of all, Ah...Ah need somethin' t' fight," she says. "Ah need t' be able t' do somethin' with my own two hands that Ah know makes a difference. Ah can't save mah Papa. Ah can't bring back Mama. Ah can't..." She bows her head and clenches her fists. "Ah can't make mah own kin's problems go away, no matter how strong Ah am." She looks up at us, tears in her green eyes. "But...but this...this is one problem Ah can git mah hands on. Somethin' Ah can rip apart, punch, kick, beat th' crap out of. Somethin' where Ah can see right off th' bat whether or not Ah'm makin' any difference at all." She looks away, tilting her hat down over her eyes. "So...so Ah'm in. Jes'...jes' let me know whut Ah need t' do an' when."

With that, Applejack turns and heads back up to the house.

Even though Applejack has joined the party, I can't help but feel that it might take a while to earn back her trust...

We all stare morosely at each other.

"Well...that was cheerful," Rainbow mutters.

Twilight sighs. "Give her time, Rainbow Dash. Applejack's going through...a lot."

"Who isn't?" I mutter.

"So...what do we do now?" Pinkie asks.

"We keep doing what we've been doing," I say. "We fight. No matter what Sunset Shimmer throws at us, we fight. And we win. And...and sooner or later, she'll slip up, and we'll be there. And we'll be ready." I look around at my friends, who have stood beside me through not only battle, but through everything I've been through this year. The friends who I've stood by when their own lives have fallen apart around them. "I'm not giving up, because I have something to fight for. Something to protect."

Twilight smiles and takes my hand. "So do I," she says.

Pinkie throws her arms around our shoulders. "Me too."

"In it to win it!" Rainbow says cheerfully.

I'm not losing anyone or anything else important to me, Sonata adds.

"I've got a score to settle with Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy says. "And...and I want to...want to put all this behind me once and for all so I can move on with my life." She looks at us. "So I can have friends and...and not feel haunted by everything I've done."

We all link hands. "Then it's settled," I say. "No matter what happens, we stand together."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Fool Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Son Gokuu, the ultimate form of the Fool Arcana...


We stand for a long time, listening to the night sounds of the farm, taking comfort in our solidarity, before putting out the lanterns and going to bed.
> 4/24 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, April 24, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Appreciate the things you take for granted today, and be a friend to those who aren't as lucky as you.

A heat wave is settling over the area late this afternoon.

We all got up at dawn to help with the morning chores, then packed up our campsite. We decide to work around the farm until lunchtime, eat lunch with the Apples, then head back to the dorm.

While we're working, Applejack calls us all out to the barn.

"Sorry Ah was so short with y'all yesterday," she says. "An'...sorry if Ah was kinda..." She shrugs and makes a vague gesture with her hands. "Y'know...kind of a bring-down."

"We understand," Twilight says.

"Yeah, totally," Rainbow agrees. "Don't sweat it."

Applejack smiles. "So, uhh...about all this monster-fightin' stuff...whut's next?"

"That can wait until we're back at the dorm," I say. "We took out Taurus, and..." I glance at Twilight. "Do we have any idea who Gemini will be?"

Twilight shakes her head. "I need to research that," she says. "Fluttershy probably needs to help me...she'd have a better idea of who might be on Sunset's shit list."

Fluttershy snorts. "Who isn't on her shit list?" She shakes her head. "But yeah, I'll help."

"In the meantime..." I dust off my hands on my jeans. "We usually train on Sundays. Obviously we won't train today. Not while we're all still recovering from the other day and that fucked-up truck might still be hanging around."

"Ugh, that thing," Pinkie says. "We didn't finish it off, so..."

"We'll probably see it again," Fluttershy says. "And...it disturbs me that she was able to create a Shadow copy of one of Flash's Personas. I have no idea how she even did that."

"We'll worry about it later," I say as I glance outside. "Big Mac's headed this way, we need to get back to work."

We finish up with the chores, then head inside for lunch. After that, we all pile into the SUVs and head back to the dorm.

Sunday, April 24, 2016 / Evening

By the time we left Sweet Apple Acres, it was already getting unseasonably hot. The air conditioner in the SUV is on full blast all the way back and we're all still sweating and panting.

After I settle in back at the dorm, I decide to call my parents before bed.

"Hi Flash!" Mom says. "How are things?"

"Pretty good. Just got back from Sweet Apple Acres. That's Applejack's family farm. Her birthday was this weekend, we went up there for a party."

"That sounds like fun."

I shrug. "I guess. We did some chores on the farm, slept under the stars. It's the second time we've gone up there this year."

"They put you to work?"

"We put ourselves to work." I explain the Apple family's situation; when I'm done, Mom is close to tears.

"That's terrible," she says. "You know, your great-grandpa died in a nursing home. I was only seven. I remember my mother taking me to see him..." She sniffles.

"I...didn't know that," I say.

We spend a little while longer talking. When I hang up, I get ready for bed.

As I doze off, I have a horrible mental image of my own parents, wasting away from cancer in some cold, sterile nursing home...
> 4/25 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, April 25, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Things are heating up. Try not to lose your cool.

It's hot...

The thermostat is broken in my third period class, so the teacher decides to move class to the library. Then she decides to turn it into study hall and lets us do whatever until the bell.

Juan is fixing a hinge on the librarian's office door. He finishes up just as the bell signaling morning break rings. I'm almost to the door when he spots me and waves me over.

"Long time no see," he says with a toothy grin. "Some weather we're having, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Not the kind of weather you'd want to go for a country drive in," he says. "Or is it?" He shakes his head. "I wonder if we might be in for the hottest summer on record." He glances at me, cocking his head slightly. "Speaking of summer, rumor has it you're sticking around Canterlot after all."

"How do you know about that?"

Juan shrugs. "I hear things. After all, Celestia and Luna were there for that big confrontation with your parents." He chuckles. "Kids these days really do have the strangest family problems..."

"I'm gonna go now—"

"I hear Applejack and Rarity's little sisters are living at your dorm now," Juan says. "Are they enjoying Canterbook?"

"They seem to be."

"Good...I wasn't sure it was wise to include the junior high in the network. Not with how cruel kids can be and the poor judgment they exercise at times..." Juan cracks his back. "Well, time for my break. Stay cool!"

Juan shuffles off. I shake my head and head for the vending machine to get a soda.

Monday, April 25, 2016 / After School

It's too hot to do anything...

I head back to the dorm as quickly as I can.

Monday, April 25, 2016 / Evening

The humidity that sets in late in the afternoon only makes things worse...

Everyone is half-naked and sweaty this evening. It's so hot and miserable I can't even enjoy a sight that would ordinarily send me running for a box of kleenex...

I decide to spend the evening watching TV in my room, wrapped in a big fluffy beach towel to soak up the sweat and nursing a cold 2-liter soda.
> 4/26 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Go with the flow today. Put aside everything in your life that causes you stress and enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Music Club...

Everyone's a little sluggish today because of the heat and humidity. Nobody's talking much. We're all just sort of sitting around, miserable and cranky.

After about ten minutes of this, Octavia picks up the bass she's taken a liking to and plucks out a familiar bass groove. Everyone turns to stare at her.

After a minute, Vinyl starts nodding her head and singing along. Grinning, Lyra moves over to the dusty, disused drums in the corner and starts pounding out the beat. Some of the others start singing along too; when the guitar parts come up, Trixie and I both join in.

By the end of Music Club, everyone's in a better mood. I head back to the dorm not really noticing how hot it is.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 / Evening

Coach and Cadance set up a bunch of fans in the lounge. Everyone's enjoying the cool breeze. I get in on some gaming with Luna, Rainbow, and Sonata.

After we're done gaming, I head up to my room to finish up my homework. There's a knock on my door.

It's Luna. She pads into my room barefoot, in short, tight shorts and a loose tank-top. She smirks and raises an eyebrow at my reaction. "See anything you like?" she quips.

"Uhh..."

She snickers. "It's nice to know my sister isn't the only one who can get a rise out of the boys," she says. "Although I prefer to remain the aloof, cold, forebidding disciplinarian at school." She sighs and stretches. "It's nice to have a group of friends you feel comfortable being yourself around."

"That's true."

Luna sits down on the floor. "My sister will no longer be staying at the dorm," she says. "Truthfully, the only reason I'm even still here is the video games." She scratches her stomach. "Well, and maybe to give Celestia and Blaze some space. I know it won't be long until he starts spending more and more time alone with her, and..." She shrugs. "I mean, they could do their thing at his place, but sooner or later she's going to want to bring him over to our house, you know? And, well..." She wrinkles her nose.

"You don't want to be the third wheel," I say.

"There's that," Luna says. "Also, I think sometimes my sister is a bit...embarrassed by me."

"Because you're a slob when you're not at work?"

Luna laughs. "Ouch!" she says. "It's true, though." She sighs and stretches. "I've been thinking lately...it might be time for me to find my own place. I've lived with Celestia all my life...relied on her to look after me. Now that she's finally getting serious about a man, it's...it's time I stopped acting like a child and start being my own woman." She picks at her top. "It's funny, when I was younger, all I ever wanted was for my sister to leave me alone, and now it's almost as if I'm afraid to live my own life without her watching over me..."

She shakes her head and stands up. "I wanted to talk to you about the Sunset Shimmer situation, but I'm too tired to deal with that right now. Besides, my sister insists on trusting you and your friends to handle it, so..." She shrugs. "Goodnight, Flash."

After she leaves, I decide it's time to turn in. I have some...interesting dreams...
> 4/27 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes you have to put up with uncomfortable situations in order to be there for others.

Tennis practice...

The court is shimmering with the heat. Derpy is sitting next to a cart with two huge ice chests full of sports drink under a massive golf umbrella.

"Okay everyone," Chrysalis says. "I know it's hot and I know none of us really want to be here today, but we've got Cloudsdale on Saturday, so we need to be ready." She gives us all an apologetic smile. "Just...do your best, okay?"

Practice is miserable. Most of the guys end up on the benches partway through. The girls take frequent breaks to towel off and take a drink. By the fifteen minute mark, the ice chests are full of ice water.

After only forty minutes, Chrysalis calls an end to practice.

I don't feel like hitting the showers here, because I'll just get all sweaty again on my way back to the dorm. I decide to sit and drink a sports drink before I leave.

While I'm sitting down, Chrysalis joins me. "Good grief, this heat," she says.

"Yeah, I know." I shake my head. "I've never seen heat like this in my entire life."

"I've only seen it get this hot a couple of times." Chrysalis grabs a sports drink for herself.

I look over at her. "So, did you talk to your kids? About what you should do?"

She nods. "I did. They have...different opinions." She grimaces. "Skeeter wants me to go back to work because I shouldn't have to 'settle' for a 'lesser station'. Papillon wants me to go back because she doesn't want to have her mother as a teacher."

"Ouch."

Chrysalis rolls her eyes. "Anyway, the twins...they're saying I should stay here, because I've been a lot less tired and a lot more happy lately. My youngest don't really understand what's going on, so..." She shakes her head. "I'm still not sure what to do." She frowns. "I do know that I never got this sweaty and nasty sitting behind a desk."

I laugh.

Chrysalis sighs. "I just...don't know what to do," she says. "I'm going to end up disappointing someone no matter which choice I make..."

"The only thing you need to think about is what's best for you," I say.

Chrysalis is about to say something, but stops short, looking up in surprise. I follow her gaze.

Three men in dark suits are walking toward us. The one in the lead has a powerful build, ash-grey skin, straight black hair, and a forebidding stare.

Chrysalis stands up. "Sombra," she says coldly. "What do you want?"

"It's come to my attention Saeki Group wants to hire you," Sombra says. One of his flunkies hands him a large yellow envelope. "We have to protect our interests. The damage you could cause to my company as a member of Saeki Group is immeasurable." He thrusts the envelope at Chrysalis. "I am prepared to use the full weight of our legal department against you if necessary. Your terms of severance will be voided. You will be sued. I will drag your name through the mud—"

"You've already done a pretty thorough job of that," Chrysalis says, snatching the envelope. "But I'm afraid you've come all this way and wasted all this fury and menace for nothing." She shakes her head. "I'm just a high school tennis coach and Economics teacher. I'm no threat to you."

They stare at one another for a long, tense moment.

"You're trespassing, by the way," Chrysalis says calmly.

Sombra scowls and shakes a finger in her face. "One step towards any of those Saeki bastards," he warns. He turns on his heel and storms away, his flunkies in tow.

One of them pauses briefly, turns to Chrysalis, and says, "I'm sorry."

She smiles. "How's your wife, Evans?"

"She's fine," Evans says. "You should call her up sometime."

"Hmm...maybe next week." Evans turns to follow the others.

Chrysalis sighs. "Well...that's that. Looks like my choice has been made for me." She stands and walks away, tossing the envelope in the trash along with her empty bottle.

I finish my own drink, which has gone warm, toss the bottle, then head back to the dorm for a shower and change.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Sonata asks me to help her with something. I follow her to her room. As soon as I close the door, Sonata starts taking off her clothes.

"Uhh..."

With her shirt on the floor and her bra unhooked, Sonata looks at me, giggles, and picks up her tablet.

I just want you to help me with this scarring lotion and this stupid shot I have to have.

"Oh. Okay. Umm...shouldn't Nurse Cadance be helping you with that?"

She's busy tonight, and...I wanted a minute alone with you. She giggles. Besides, it's more fun having a cute boy put his hands all over me. She winks.

Sonata finishes stripping down and lies on her stomach on the bed. I feel my face heating up as she passes me a bottle of scarring lotion. I examine her back, which is covered in lots of little, faint white scars. I carefully apply the strange-smelling lotion to all the little scars.

When I'm done, Sonata looks up at me, then points at a wrapped syringe and a little glass vial on her desk. She slaps her butt.

"What's the shot for?" I ask.

She rolls her eyes and shrugs as best she can lying down. Shaking my head, I pick up the syringe and unwrap it, then stick the long needle into the glass vial and draw out the medication inside. "So...just...in your butt?"

Sonata nods and slaps her butt again.

"Okay..." I take the little alcohol swab that was lying next to the shot, wipe off a spot on her butt, and stick the needle in. She tenses up and whimpers. I quickly inject the medication in, then pull out the needle and wipe the little bleeding spot off before putting a tiny band-aid on it.

Sonata stands up and rummages through her pajama drawer, wincing and shaking one leg as she puts on her pajamas. When she's done, she grabs her tablet.

Thanks.

"No problem."

I hate that stupid shot. I've gotta have it for a couple more months and I don't even understand what it's for. She sighs. Aria used to tease me about being scared of needles. I'm not scared of needles, I just don't like getting shots.

"Well I don't think anybody likes them," I say. "Except like, maybe, tattoo freaks."

Sonata giggles. She then sighs and sits down gingerly on the bed.

Tomorrow's Aria's birthday. Me and Mommy are gonna do something, I dunno what.

She sniffles.

I really do miss her, but... She looks up at me. It's okay to move on, right? It's okay for me to be happy and have friends and have fun?

"Of course it is," I say. "It's healthy. You have to keep living."

Yeah...

Sonata smiles.

Thank you.

I head to my room. After what just happened with Sonata, I contemplate asking Twilight or Pinkie if they're in the mood, but...it's just too hot for sex...

Sorry, boner.
> 4/28 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, April 28, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't look for a deeper meaning in every single thing that happens in your life. Some things should just be accepted at face value.

The air conditioning in the school has been cutting in and out all day. A notice went up on Canterbook during the last class that the A/C would be shut down for maintenance after classes. With no air conditioning, most club activities are cancelled for today.

I'm about to leave campus when I run into Vinyl, Octavia, Lyra, and Bon-Bon.

"Hey, Flash!" Lyra says. "We're all about to go get ice cream, wanna come with?"

I shrug. "Sure, sounds good to me."

We head for the ice cream place which is only a few blocks from the school. Most of the Music Club had the same idea; we run into quite a few of our friends there. We spend a long time sitting around talking, laughing, and enjoying ice cream. By the time I'm ready to head back to the dorm, I have a lingering ice cream headache and a stomachache...

Thursday, April 28, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework.

The weather news says lines of strong thunderstorms will move in tomorrow ahead of a cold front that will finally bring an end to this godawful heat.
> 4/29 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 29, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

At breakfast, Luna announces that she and Celestia will no longer be staying at the dorm.

"There's no longer any reason for us to be here," she says. "We've completed our investigation and we know who's been harassing you kids, so..." She shrugs.

"Aww, we'll miss having you around," Pinkie says.

"Yeah, gaming nights won't be the same without you," Rainbow says.

"Oh, I'll still come around for gaming," Luna says. "I just won't be staying over. Unless I get drunk."

The laughter that follows is interrupted by a massive crack of thunder, followed by a rolling boom that rattles the windows.

"Yikes!" Rainbow yelps, eyes wide.

"That sure came out of nowhere," Twilight says. "I mean, I know we're supposed to have storms today, but..."

I get up and head outside to look around. One side of the sky is a bright, early morning pink. The other side is heavy, purplish-gray, and flashing with occasional lightning.

I head back inside. "Yeah there's a storm out there."

There's another massive crack of thunder, and the lights in the dorm flicker. The windows light up with a blinding flash of lightning.

Cadance rushes in breathlessly. "I'm driving everyone to school today," she says as she finishes buttoning her blouse. "Hurry up and get ready, we want to beat the rain."

We all quickly finish breakfast and gather our things. By the time we get to school, it's pouring rain...

Friday, April 29, 2016 / After School

It rained and thundered all day. The lights went out twice...

Coach Chrysalis sends out a notice over Canterbook for the tennis team to meet in the auditorium after school.

"Okay, so...obviously we can't practice today," she says with a grimace. "Girls, you need to be here early tomorrow to catch the bus. Now, we're already a lock for regionals, but don't phone it in tomorrow, alright?"

"Right!" the girls cheer.

"Okay then. Take care going home, everyone. Be safe."

Even as she says this, the lights go out again...

I head for the nurse's office to meet up with the others. Cadance is giving us a ride back to the dorm.

Friday, April 29, 2016 / Evening

The rain and thunder aren't letting up. The winds have cooled everything down...

After dinner, Luna asks me to help pack up the last of her and Celestia's things.

"I won't be going home until tomorrow, obviously," she says. "I'm not getting out in this." As she closes a suitcase, she sits down and sighs. "Flash, there's something I want to give you." She reaches into the bottom of a box and pulls out something sealed in a plastic bag. It's an old T-shirt covered in blood stains.

"This is the shirt I was wearing the day I stabbed my sister," Luna says. "I've kept it all these years as a reminder...to chain myself to the past. To make sure I could never forgive myself." She takes a deep breath. "I'm finally ready to move on, to stop living in the past. I'm ready to forgive myself." She chuckles. "I should just throw this thing away, but...somehow it feels more appropriate to entrust it to you."

I don't know what to say, so I quietly accept it.

Luna shifts the contents of the box, then puts it aside. "So...lately I've had more than a few talks with Celestia about this whole situation with Sunset Shimmer and the hacking and everything..."

I tense up.

"She told me that you lot had identified the hacker in the dorm, and resolved that situation on your own. She wouldn't say who it was, but I think I know." Luna stands up. "Tell me, honestly, how close you and your friends are to putting an end to all of this."

"The honest truth?" I shrug. "I don't know. But this is something we have to deal with ourselves, on the same playing field Sunset Shimmer has all her pieces on. I can't explain why, or...or what exactly is going on that you and Principal Celestia aren't aware of. It's...it's just not something I can explain."

"Are you kids having some kind of secret hacker war with Sunset Shimmer?" Luna asks.

I snort. "Something like that."

Luna nods. "That's what I thought." She shakes her head. "Way out of my league." She sighs. "Anyway...I've decided to trust Celestia's judgment on this one. I guess sometimes justice has to be meted out by one's peers." She gives me a piercing look. "I'm putting a lot of faith and trust in you and your friends. That isn't easy for me, but...I've accepted that it's the right thing to do."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Hierophant Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Tantabus, the ultimate form of the Hierophant Arcana...


"If you ever need my help, just ask," Luna says.

I nod.

Loud thunder rumbles and strobing lightning flashes.

"I'd better get back to my room before the lights go out again," I say.

Luna nods. "Sleep well, Flash Sentry."

I make it back to my room just before the power goes out again. One of the girls is in my bed, but I can't tell who it is in the dark.

Shrugging, I strip down and crawl into bed with whoever it is...
> 4/30 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, April 30, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Cannot contact server — try again later

Chirping birds and thin sunlight wake me up. I shift around and feel a warm body lying next to me.

That's right...

Last night, when I came to my room, there was a girl in my bed. After I stripped to my boxers, I got into bed next to her.

The mass of curly hair on the pillow was unmistakably Pinkie Pie, but she was sound asleep, so I decided to leave her be...

As I move around, Pinkie stirs and blinks. She sits up and stretches, then looks at me. "Oh, hey," she says. "I wanted to surprise you, but..." She yawns. "I fell asleep..."

"It's okay," I say. I glance at the time. "You'd...better get ready and go. Your bus is leaving in a half hour."

Pinkie blinks. "Eep!" She scrambles out of bed and rushes down the hall naked. I shake my head and get up, gathering up some clean clothes and getting dressed before heading down to breakfast.

Saturday, April 30, 2016 / Daytime

The storms made a huge mess around the dorm property. There's broken tree limbs and litter everywhere. After breakfast, we all change into comfortable, worn clothes and spend half the day cleaning up the mess.

After lunch, I have laundry to do. After I put my clothes on to wash, I head back to the lounge to sit and watch television while I wait. Before long, Rarity wanders in, wrapped in a terrycloth robe, a towel wrapped around her hair. "I do so hate getting all...icky," she complains as she sits down, examining her fingernails. "If I chipped a nail..."

I roll my eyes. "Rarity..."

"Well I can't help it!" she whines feebly.

A few moments pass in silence. "Flash?" Rarity says.

"Yeah?"

"I...I've been terribly unfair to my family, haven't I?"

I look at her. She's studying me intently. "After...after that whole business with your parents," she says, "I started thinking..." She looks down at her lap. "My dear parents are ever so kind and ever so loving. And...and Sweetie Belle...she may get on my nerves and we may not always see eye-to-eye, but...I do so dearly love her. She is, after all, my only sister." She sighs. "I think...maybe sometimes I forget how precious they are to me..."

She stands up and shuffles upstairs. The timer on the washing machine goes off, and I get up to put my laundry in the dryer.

Pinkie Pie gets back just before dinner. Our team performed well today. Next Saturday, they're off to regionals.

Saturday, April 30, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, the entire dorm goes out to see a movie together. The movie sucks, but seeing it with friends and laughing at it together makes it a fun night anyway...

Tomorrow will be Applejack's first training session in Zodiac.
> 5/1 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 1, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If you find a dinosaur frozen in ice, teach it to ride a ball.

It's already May...

Today, we're training in Zodiac.

"Hey Applejack?" Apple Bloom asks at breakfast. "Is it okay if...if Ah don't go with you t' see Papa today?"

"Ah, uh...ain't goin' by th' nursin' home today," Applejack says. "Ah got stuff t' do."

"Oh. Okay."

"Apple Bloom, why don't we go hang out with Scootaloo today?" Sweetie Belle suggests.

"That's an excellent idea! Just be sure to be back by dinner, both of you," Rarity says.

After breakfast, we gather in the lounge. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle left as soon as they finished eating.

"You know, you will still be able to visit your father after this," Rarity says. "Time doesn't pass while we're training."

Applejack grimaces. "Ah'll think about it."

"From now on, I think we should do our training at the school," Cadance says. "With this many of us, transportation is an issue."

Twilight frowns. "But...what about that...thing?"

"Whut thing?" Applejack asks.

"There's this...really dangerous, scary Shadow that shows up at the school sometimes," Pinkie explains. "And other places..."

"But it really likes the school," Twilight says.

"The Reaper," Fluttershy says with a shudder.

"Between me and Fluttershy, I think we can avoid the...Reaper?" Cadance tilts her head. "That's a fitting name for it. Where'd you come up with that?"

"It's what Sunset Shimmer calls it," Fluttershy says. "She says she fought it once. She managed to hold it off until it got bored and left."

"She fought that thing to a draw?" Rainbow asks, jaw dropping.

"Now do you understand what we're up against?"

"Yeah..."

"Fluttershy, why is this Reaper so much stronger than the Hunter Shadows?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy shrugs. "I have no idea. I do know it's the only thing in Zodiac Sunset Shimmer is afraid of. That's reason enough to run like hell if it shows up."

"Okay, so...we train at the school, avoid the Reaper..." I nod. "Sounds easy enough."

"Does Applejack have the Black Butterfly app yet?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy nods. "Took care of it yesterday."

"Okay...let's go," Cadance says.

We walk over to the school. Once we're inside the gates, we all pull out our phones...

Sunday, May 1, 2016 / Zodiac

As soon as we're in, we all gear up. Applejack has the same outfit as the other girls, except she still has her Stetson. Rather than a weapon, she has padded leather gloves and steel-toed cowboy boots.

"You didn't select a weapon of some sort?" Rarity asks.

Applejack shakes her head. "Reckon Ah'm good with these here trusty legs," she says.

Cadance summons her Persona; the green text appears alongside the blue. //I'm detecting a lot of Shadows inside, and most of them are pretty strong. I don't sense the Reaper, but be careful!//

"Let's do this," I say, tightening my grip on my axe.

The girls all nod in agreement, and we enter the school.

"So how many new Personas do you have today?" Rainbow asks.

"Two."

"Just two?" She sticks her tongue out at me. "You're phonin' it in, dude."

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I still don't understand how you keep doing what you do."

A group of spinning Shadows surround us. They look like those old puzzle cubes that used to be a big fad, except all the squares are shining gold.

"Time to get to work," I say. I slide the Hierophant Arcana onto my phone. "TANTABUS!"





With a dark, bone-chilling chuckle, a spectral figure appears, limned in a writhing violet nimbus of power. It looks like a man with long, wickedly curved razor blades on the fingers of one hand. His dark body is full of twinkling stars and rippling whorls of astral energy.

"GAH!" Pinkie hides behind Rainbow Dash, trembling. "Scary!"

Tantabus expands to a massive size. His claws burn with evil black fire as he slashes through the Shadows. One by one, they implode in bubbles of inky darkness.

Rainbow's jaw drops. "Holy fuck."

"Put it away, PUT IT AWAY!" Pinkie wails.

Tantabus laughs menacingly as he fades from existence.

We move further into the school. Many of the Shadows we encounter, we can handle with physical attacks; we let Applejack get in some practice. Between her own strength and her Persona's repertoire of physical attacks and buffs, she's invaluable against Shadows that rely more on (or succumb to) brute force than magic.

On the second floor, we run into a small herd of tables.

"Oh HELL no," I complain. "I hate these freaking things."

"Dude...they're just tables."

I glance at Rainbow and make a sweeping gesture. "You wanna test that? Be my guest."

Rainbow laughs. "Wimp. PERSONA!"

Rainbow's Persona appears and whips up a wild windstorm that tears through the table Shadows...

...and does absolutely no damage.

"What the...?"

"Let me try," Rarity says. "PERSONA!"

Bastet appears, unleashing a freezing hailstorm...that does nothing to the Shadows.

"Well...poo," Rarity complains.

"My turn," Twilight says. "ATHENA!"

Athena's lightning does nothing.

//Guys, something's seriously weird about these Shadows!//

"WE NOTICED!"

The Shadows start fighting back with slashing attacks, debuffs, and the occasional wind attack. We're able to defend against everything they throw at us, but nothing we do hurts them. We try everything we can think of—magic doesn't work, none of our physical attacks work.

//They nullify EVERYTHING! What's going on here?!//

"We need to break down their resistance!" Twilight says.

"How do we do that?" Rainbow demands.

"Well...here's something I've never really tried..." Twilight summons Athena.

A swirling yellow-white column of light engulfs one of the tables. It shudders.

"Flash! Try an electric attack!"

I summon Merlin, who calls forth a massive lightning bolt upon that one table. It shudders and explodes violently.

"Nice!" Pinkie cheers. "Do it again!"

I draw out Tantabus again. He stretches out his claws over one of the tables; a spinning red-white vortex wraps around it.

"I'm...gonna have to break them down one by one before I can attack," I say. "Cover me!"

Fluttershy creates a protective barrier, while the others do what they can to shore up our defenses. One by one, I strip the tables of their protection against fire. When the last table's defenses are down... "NOW!"

Tantabus swells to a massive size. A deep, blazing hellfire fills the starry void of his chest. He inhales deeply, then exhales a tremendous amount of fire at the group of Shadows.

They instantly burn away into ash.

"WOOHOO!" Pinkie cheers.

I stumble. "That...took a lot out of me."

//Are you okay? Can you keep going?//

"Yeah, just...just give me a minute..."

"I really, really hope we don't run into any more of those," Twilight says.

After I take a minute to rest, we continue on our way. For the next hour, we fight Shadows that are largely more powerful than anything we've encountered to date, but we persevere and grow stronger as we battle.

//That's enough for today. Head back—//

From out of nowhere, a tremendously huge, multi-armed, grotesque giant seated astride a rocking horse drops into our midst, scattering us.

"What...what the heck?!" Rainbow cries.

//Be careful! This one's extremely powerful!//

Twilight immediately summons Athena, whose lightning is absorbed by the Shadow. One by one, the girls all try their luck at fighting it—but every spell or attack they try is absorbed.

"It's the tables all over again," Rainbow groans.

The Shadow suddenly moves faster than any of us can see. Before any of us know what's happening, Rainbow is lying on the ground with a massive hole in her chest.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie cries.

Applejack stares in shock. "Whut...no..."

"PERSONA!" Rarity yells. Bastet appears; glowing white threads rapidly knit through the hole in Rainbow's chest. We're treated to a nauseating spectacle of Rainbow's body repairing itself from the inside out. Then, she glows white and rises to her feet.

Rainbow shakes her head and groans. "Ugh. That...really hurt..."

Applejack's jaw drops. "How in th'—"

"Worry about it later!" Fluttershy snaps. "We need to do something about this thing!"

We all stare warily at the Shadow, which is slowly rocking in place.

"So...any ideas?" Rainbow asks.

"I've got one," I say. "I do have one more new Persona..."

I slide the Fool Arcana onto my phone.

"SON GOKUU!"





A tall, broad-shouldered, heavily-muscled man with spiky black hair appears, riding a golden cloud. He leaps from the cloud, somersaulting in midair, and lands between us and the Shadow.

He glances back at us and grins.


Yosh'...makasete!


Gokuu turns to face the Shadow, and his easygoing grin is replaced by a hard frown. He clenches his fists and lets out a battle cry. A blazing golden aura explodes around him; his black eyes turn a sharp, piercing green, and his hair flares upward and turns from black to pale gold. He cups his hands at his side, and a blinding, strobing ball of pale blue-white energy forms.

After a long moment, he thrusts his hands forward, and a massive shaft of pure energy lances through the Shadow. We all have to shield our eyes from the glare; when the light, heat, and wind from the attack fades, the Shadow is just...gone.

Gokuu turns, gives us a jaunty salute, and vanishes.

Everybody stares at me.

I scratch the back of my head. "Uhh...Fluttershy? How about getting us out of here?"

Fluttershy frowns and nods. A golden orb surrounds us, and we find ourselves outside, next to Cadance.

A moment later, Zodiac is replaced by a warm spring morning. Exhausted, we all return to the dorm.

Sunday, May 1, 2016 / Evening

Everyone spent the rest of the day resting. Nobody feels like cooking, so we order pizza for dinner.

After dinner, I head upstairs and call my folks.

"We heard there was a heat wave down there last week," Mom says.

"Yeah, it was...pretty bad," I say.

"How are things going with your girlfriend?"

"Pretty good."

"Listen, Flash, we've been thinking..." Mom trails off. "I know you want to stay in Canterlot until you graduate, and...and we're okay with that, but we would like to see you this summer. But...if you want, we can come to you instead of having you come to us."

"That'd be great," I say. "Besides, it'll be easier for you to get to know my friends." I pause. "You know, without them being all hostile because you're trying to take me away."

Mom laughs shakily. "I think I'd like that."

We talk for a little while longer. After I hang up, I watch television for a little while until I'm ready to go to bed.
> 5/2 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, May 2, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Spring is a time of growth and change. Embrace the future.

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes some announcements.

"Good morning, students and faculty. As of today, there are only six more weeks left in the school year. I know this late in the year everyone is getting worn out, and the last month of school can drag a bit, but let's all stay focused and stay sharp. Do your best, and don't let the thought of summer vacation distract you from learning.

"The Spring Fling is coming up on the 21st. Voting for Princess of the Spring Fling will begin next week, so girls, think about whether or not you want to run. Signups are open to juniors and seniors only.

"May 20th will be the final day for regular club activities. There will be no club or team activities during the last week of May so that you may all devote your time to studying for your final exams. Of course, during the final week of school in June, clubs and teams may feel free to have end-of-the-year parties if they so choose.

"Let's finish this year strong, everyone! Do your best!"

It's hard to believe we're already so close to the end of the year...

So much has happened...

The Spring Fling should be interesting. I wonder which of the girls in the dorm will run for princess...

Monday, May 2, 2016 / After School

After school, I run into Applejack at the entrance. "Hey, uhh...y'got a minute?"

I nod.

She scratches the back of her left leg with the toe of her right boot. "Mind...comin' with me fer a little bit?"

I shrug. "Sure."

I follow Applejack to the bus stop. We board the bus when it arrives.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

Applejack swallows heavily. "T'see Papa," she says.

"Oh." I don't know what to say...

"Ah...didn't mean t' shanghai you inta this or nothin', it's jes'..."

"No, it's fine," I say.

The other passengers are engrossed in their phones or staring off into space.

"Ah been...kind of a horse's ass lately, huh?" Applejack says. "Like back at Spring Break, when Ah threw that little hissy."

I shake my head. "No, it's...it's our fault. We couldn't straight up tell you what was going on, but we were sneaking around so much, it's...it's easy to understand why you felt that way."

Applejack sighs. "Well...whut's done is done." She looks out the window. "Ah'm jes' glad...Ah know whut's really been goin' on." She looks down at her hands. "It's...it's nice t' have somethin' Ah can use mah own strength t' deal with."

She looks miserable...

After a long, uncomfortable silence, she looks up at me. "Things...ain't goin' so good."

The bus stops. "We're...we're here," she says.

We get off the bus and walk half a block to a sprawling complex with a sign out front that says "Greener Pastures Care Center". I wince at the name. "Wow."

"Yeah, Ah know," Applejack says with a distasteful grimace. "Ah mean, Ah know this is where old folks go t' die, but damn."

We walk in through the main entrance. The nurse at the front station looks up and smiles tiredly. "Hello, Applejack," she says.

"Howdy," Applejack replies. "Rough day?"

The nurse shrugs. "It's Monday." She glances at me, then back at Applejack.

"Friend o' mine from school," Applejack says.

The nurse nods.

Applejack leads me down a long hall. There are women in light blue scrubs scurrying every which way, and old people in wheelchairs rolling slowly up and down the halls or sitting in place. The smell here is...

We turn at a bend, walk down another hall, and stop at a door. Applejack takes a deep breath, then knocks twice and pushes it open.

I follow her in. The TV is on, but the volume is down. There's a man lying on the room's only bed, wearing flannel pajamas. He's hooked up to an IV. His red skin is faded, sallow, and hanging off his frame—I suspect he's lost a lot of weight and muscle mass in a short time. His face is pale, and he has very little hair. What little is left is thin and wispy. His green eyes flicker to Applejack, and he smiles. "AJ," he says in a raspy voice that sounds like the ghostly echo of what must have once been a powerful baritone.

"Papa," Applejack says. She pulls a chair up next to the bed and sits down.

Applejack's father glances at me, then back at Applejack. "Boyfriend?" he asks.

"Jes' a good friend," Applejack says with a smile. "Ah...Ah didn't wanna come alone, but everybody else is busy..."

"Li'l Bloom ain't comin'?"

Applejack sighs. "She...she don't wanna see you like this no more, Papa," she says.

Applejack's father lets out a breath that's too shallow to properly be called a sigh. "Kinda glad," he says. "Seein' how she was cryin' last time she was here done hurt mah ol' heart somethin' fierce." He tries to sit up, but Applejack gently presses him back down. He grunts, then relents. "How's th' farm?"

"Farm's doin' fine," Applejack says. "Ah'm doin' th' best Ah can. Mah friends come up a couple times, helped us out with a lotta stuff. Ah reckon after school's out, they might come up again."

"Definitely," I say.

Applejack's father smiles. "That's good." His eyes flicker to me. "Take care of mah baby girl, boy," he says. "She needs friends. Her an' Mac both, they...they need t' start families of their own...carry on th' Apple name..."

"We will, Papa," Applejack says. "Maybe not right now, but one of these days."

"I'm spoken for, but I know a really good matchmaker," I say.

He laughs. It's a wheezing, phlegmy laugh.

"Ah think they're about t' bring yer supper, Papa," Applejack says. "Want me t' set a spell?"

Her father closes his eyes. "Ain't no need fer that," he says. "Applejack?"

"Yeah, Papa?"

"Be strong fer Mac an' Li'l Bloom. An'...an' fer Mama Smith. Yer th' strong one, y'know? Git it from me."

"Papa..."

He smiles and squeezes her hand. "Be strong," he says. "An' be happy. Don't...don't you fret none."

I feel a cold shiver run through my body. Looking at this man I've never met before, I feel as though...

"Papa?"

There's a sudden feeling of stillness and wrongness in this room.

"C'mon, Papa, wake up. They're gonna bring yer supper..."

I reach past Applejack and hit the nurse call button.

"Papa!"

A woman in blue scrubs walks in. "Whatcha need, hon?"

I silently point at the bed. The woman looks past me, and her face falls. She walks over, leans down, and presses her fingers against Papa Apple's neck. She sighs.

"I'm sorry," she says. She presses a button on the wireless headset she's wearing and starts speaking rapidly into it in a hushed voice.

Applejack looks up at her, a lost, confused, helpless look on her face.

I lean down and take Applejack's hand. "Do you want me to go?" I ask.

"Whut...whut's goin' on?" she asks plaintively.

I sigh. "He's gone, AJ."

"Gone?" She looks back at her dad. "No..."

"Applejack..."

Applejack takes her father's hand and squeezes it again. Her own is trembling. After a minute, she lets go and slumps.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

A nurse in dark blue scrubs rushes in. I pull Applejack to her feet and out of the way. The nurse and the other woman converse quietly; the other woman leaves the room.

A few minutes pass, and two men arrive with a stretcher. They quietly load the body onto the stretcher. Applejack tries to follow them out, but the nurse restrains her. Her lip quivers, and she starts silently crying.

The next half hour is full of people talking at Applejack, and her trying to respond in a daze. I try to keep her focused, but it's a lost cause, so I just hold onto her. While she breaks down, I call Twilight and let her know what's just happened.

Fifteen minutes later, Cadance arrives. "I called Big Macintosh," she says. "He's coming down to Canterlot to handle...this." She cups Applejack's face in her hands. "AJ? Sweetie? We need to go back to the dorm now, okay? You...you have to tell Apple Bloom..."

Applejack sniffles and nods. "A-alright," she says. She looks around at the sympathetic faces gathered around her and bows her head. "Jes'...jes' git me outta here."

Nobody says a word as we head back to the dorm.

Monday, May 2, 2016 / Evening

Everyone's sitting around in the dining room, miserable and solemn. Nobody has much of an appetite.

Applejack went upstairs with Apple Bloom as soon as we got back. They never came down...

"Poor Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle says.

"Poor Applejack," Fluttershy adds.

Applejack comes back downstairs and walks into the dining room. Her eyes are puffy and red. "Me an' Apple Bloom...we're goin' home for th' rest of th' week," she says. "Big Mac's pickin' us up in a bit."

"Applejack, darling...we're all so terribly sorry," Rarity says.

Applejack sighs. "Thanks," she says tiredly. "Listen, th'...th' funeral's probably gonna be either Thursday or Saturday, an' it'll be here in town..."

"We'll be there," Twilight says. "If you want us there, I mean."

Applejack nods. "Ah'd like that."

A short while later, Big Macintosh arrives, and Applejack and Apple Bloom leave. I don't think I can concentrate on homework or anything else this evening...

I lie awake in bed for I don't know how long. Eventually, I drift off...


"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

This place...

Igor and Zecora are seated at the table as usual.

"You are asleep in the real world. I have summoned you here because it has been quite some time since we have spoken.

"You have come so far on your journey. I have watched you grow, watched your bonds with those around you develop...you have progressed remarkably! You might not have availed yourself of my services as regularly as I would have hoped, but you seem to be doing admirably well on your own. Still, know that I remain available to fuse new Personas for you if you so wish.

"Do you remember what I told you when we first met, about accepting the responsibility for the choices you make? Your journey is nearing a crossroads. A time will come soon when you and your friends must make a choice that will determine your destiny. When that time comes, you must be ready, for you will have to live with the consequences of your decision.

"The end of your journey draws ever nearer, but you still have quite a distance to travel. The Truth is still just beyond your reach, but if you continue to grow and change, if you continue to deepen your connections to others, it will appear before you when the time is right.

"We will meet again...until then, farewell..."
> 5/3 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A single tragedy doesn't mean life stops. Try to look for something joyous to celebrate when things look bleak.

Breakfast is tense and quiet this morning. Everybody's worried about the Apple family.

"I got a text from Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle says suddenly. "They're...they're doing okay, they're just..." She trails off. "Trying to cope."

Twilight sighs. "I can't imagine..."

I swallow. "At least...she was there in the end," I say. "That's...that's good, right? That one of them was there?"

"I guess so," Twilight says uncertainly.

Even Spike is subdued this morning. When we all head off to school, everyone is slouching and shuffling their feet...

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, Octavia and Vinyl come up to me.

"Hey Flash...we heard about Applejack. Let her know we're praying for her and her family, okay?"

I nod.

Octavia shifts. "Listen...are you coming to Music Club today?"

I frown, looking back at my friends. "I don't know..."

"Go ahead and go," Twilight says with a smile. "Applejack wouldn't want you moping around the dorm just because..." She shakes her head. "Besides, there's not that many club meetings left this year, right?"

I look back at Octavia. "Okay, I'll be there."

"Great."

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 / After School

It didn't take long for the whole school to find out about Applejack's dad. Music Club is all about Applejack today. Even the people who barely know her are offering sympathies and asking me to relay messages. You know, even though they could just text her over Canterbook. Crazy.

After the club meeting, Octavia and Vinyl follow me back to the dorm.

"So...this is the famous Applewood Dorm," Octavia says. "It certainly doesn't look like a brothel."

I snort.

Once we're inside, Octavia leads Vinyl to the lounge while I get us some drinks. Nobody else is here right now...

I give the girls drinks and sit down. Octavia fiddles with her hands in her lap. "Flash...I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for both of us.

"You were a friend to Vinyl when she needed one the most. And you helped the two of us..." She pauses. "Well, you helped her let me know how she feels. And...

"And you were there for me, to listen and give advice when I was doing some deep soul-searching." Octavia pauses. "To say nothing of the impact you've had on my relationship with my mother. I don't think I'd have had the courage to stand up to her were it not for you." She takes a deep breath, then puts her arm around Vinyl.

"I've decided...I'm sticking by Vinyl's side, no matter what." She smiles. "It's not going to be easy, and I'm certain we'll have our problems, but...she's worth it."

Octavia reaches into her bag and pulls out a CD. "This is a copy of something we've been working on," she says, handing it to me. "We're working on combining my cello and her dubstep into something new."

"Electric cello dubstep," Vinyl says.

"It's rough and unpolished, but when we're done, we...we hope to make a name for ourselves."

I smile. "I'm sure the two of you will turn the music world upside-down."

Octavia laughs. "I'll settle for not being laughed off the stage," she says. "Anyway...I just wanted you to know how much your friendship and support has meant to me. My life has changed so much in these past few months, and...and I really owe it all to you. And Vinyl, of course."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Hanged Man Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Magus, the ultimate form of the Hanged Man Arcana...


We sit and talk a while as we finish our drinks. After about half an hour, Octavia takes hold of Vinyl's hand and guides her to her feet. "We need to go," she says. "Thank you again."

They leave. I head upstairs to do my homework before dinner.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I help Sweetie Belle with her homework. She doesn't seem to want to talk much, occasionally starts sniffling and crying, and has trouble focusing.

When I go back upstairs, I find Twilight and Pinkie waiting at my bedroom door in their pajamas, looking miserable.

"Can we...all cuddle tonight?" Twilight asks.

I nod. "Absolutely."

I get ready for bed, then the three of us crawl in together, cuddling close.
> 5/4 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nc uepc za xpwvg yaep Ajilzwvc.

Tennis practice...

Pinkie Pie's mood has improved somewhat since yesterday. She attacks the court with focus and determination I've rarely seen in her.

On Saturday, the girls are going to Regionals...it's going to be Chrysalis' first true test as coach.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 / Evening

Cadance and Shining Armor join us at dinner.

"The funeral is set for tomorrow afternoon," Cadance says. "I just got off the phone with Celestia...I've arranged to excuse all of you from classes tomorrow afternoon so we can all attend."

"Thank you," Twilight says. She frowns. "I'm not sure I have anything appropriate to wear for a funeral..."

Rarity coughs delicately. "I...already thought about that," she says. "Yesterday afternoon, I, well...I picked up appropriate funeral attire for everyone." She looks at me. "Well, almost everyone. You still have that charcoal suit, do you not?"

I nod.

"Then we're all set?" Rainbow says hoarsely. She seems to be taking what happened harder than anyone else at the dorm.

"I guess so," Twilight says.

After dinner, I go upstairs to finish my homework and check on my suit. I make a quick call to my parents, then turn in.
> 5/5 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, May 5, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Friendship is the greatest treasure in the whole world. It's a treasure that should be shared with everyone.

Applejack's father's funeral is this afternoon.

Thursday, May 5, 2016 / Afternoon

After lunch, we all head back to the dorm to change for the funeral.

"Shining Armor isn't coming with us," Cadance says. "He doesn't feel comfortable at funerals..." She frowns.

Twilight sighs. "That thing with Aunt Satin's funeral?"

"Yeah."

Twilight shakes her head. "I guess...it's okay. I mean, he'll be there in spirit, right?"

Cadance and I drive us all to the funeral home. I'm glad they finally decided to buy that second SUV. It makes things like this so much easier...

Applejack and her immediate family meet us at the entrance. The hall is full of people, most of them wearing black Western hats and distinctly Western-style suits, much like the one Big Macintosh is wearing.

"Hey y'all," Applejack says quietly. She looks terrible. She waves a hand limply at the crowd. "All mah cousins an' Papa's kin are here," she says. "Well, most of 'em."

"If...if we're intruding..." Cadance says.

"Heck naw," Applejack says with a smile. "Y'all are family too. Ah'm...Ah'm much obliged t'have y'all here..." She sniffles and wipes her nose. "Sorry. Ah jes'..."

"We understand," Twilight says, taking her hand and squeezing it.

The funeral is presided over by a heavily wrinkled, liverspotted elderly grey man with a bad combover and huge round glasses. He delivers the eulogy in a thin, reedy voice. Several Apples step up to say something about Applejack's father, who I learn for the first time was named Fuji Apple. I learn more about a man I met only once in one afternoon than I've ever heard either Applejack or Apple Bloom say about him. His grandparents were Neighponese immigrants; both his parents are still alive, though only his mother was able to attend the funeral. Granny Smith is his mother-in-law; Applejack's mother was her daughter Pink Lady. He used to sing country music when he was younger, and sang at several of his cousins' weddings. He helped Applejack's gay cousin Braeburn come out to his parents when he was afraid of their reaction.

Apparently he was an incredible guy. I try to match this amazing man they're describing to the frail, wasting man I only saw in his final moments of life, and it doesn't quite fit...

After the service, we join the procession taking Fuji Apple to his final resting place. Pleasant Meadow Cemetery is on the east side of Canterlot; it takes almost an hour to get there at funeral speed.

The weather is pleasant and warm, with faint flowery smells on the breeze. Big Macintosh and the other pall bearers carry the casket to the graveside; the crowd of tearful relatives and friends gathers to observe the casket as the old preacher does one last scripture reading.

Mr. Apple is lowered into the ground, and the pall bearers each throw one shovel of dirt into the grave before walking away. The service concludes, and some of the extended family begin to drift away. Applejack walks up to our group. "Do y'all mind...stickin' around a bit?" she says quietly. "Me an' Granny an' Mac an' Bloom are gonna be th' last t' go, but..."

"We'll stay until you're ready," Cadance says.

"We wouldn't think of simply leaving," Rarity agrees.

Big Mac is standing by the grave with his hands clasped in front of him, head bowed. Granny Smith is leaning against him, a weary look on her face. Apple Bloom is on his other side, crying her eyes out.

Applejack rejoins her family. Her head is bowed, and she's silently crying as she stares down into the open grave.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone step out from behind a tree. It's a girl in a black dress, her face hidden by the wide brim of a black hat with a veil. She reaches into her handbag and pulls out her phone. She tilts her head up, and her copper and gold hair shines in the spring sun.

A cold smile graces her face as she touches her phone.

Thursday, May 5, 2016 / Zodiac

LOL she'll have to dig him up for sex night

"NO!" Rainbow yells. "Why NOW?"

"Why...why are we in Zodiac?" Twilight cries in bewilderment.

"Hmm, I wonder."

The others all turn as Sunset Shimmer walks into view, a cruel, arrogant gleam in her eyes.

"Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy says coldly.

Is she kidding with that stupid hat?

Applejack takes a step toward her. "Why," she says hoarsely. "Why now, of all times?"

whenever she talks i wanna punch her face

"Oh, Applejack," Sunset says in a patronizing tone, "I am so sorry for your loss. So sorry, in fact, that I thought I'd share something with you." She gestures around us. "All your classmates at CHS are expressing their sentiments!"

I thought about asking her out once but I heard she doesn't date outside her family.

Bet there's a dick under that skirt

Farm people are losers

"Isn't that nice of them? And just to make sure you get to read every last word..."

Her dad was a nip AND a hick, double loser lol

Hundreds of Shadows boil out of the corrupted graveyard.

I bet she does her little sister all the time

I wanna tie AJ and her sister up and fuck 'em both

"BITCH!" Rainbow snarls, activating Black Butterfly and readying her knives. "We're ending this right here, right now!"

AJ's so dumb she gives dumb blondes like me a bad name!

"Oh, I don't think so," Sunset says. "I'm not through toying with you yet. I want you to suffer. Killing you wouldn't be nearly as much fun as watching you squirm. You see...all the fighting you're doing? It's all for nothing. Oh, sure, you've figured out how to deal with the Hunters, but you have no chance of EVER winning." She tosses her hair. "I have all the cards. Here in Zodiac, out there in the real world...it doesn't matter. I am Canterbook. Your pitiful little lives are mine to control."

"BULLSHIT!" Fluttershy screeches. Her Eris outfit snaps into place, and she summons Echo.

Sunset's lips quirk. "I still don't understand where that new Persona came from," she says. "But it doesn't matter. It's even weaker than your old one."

"Try me," Fluttershy hisses.

"Pass," Sunset says dismissively. A thundering engine roars, and Nemesis Prime rumbles into view. Sunset jumps up onto the cab. "Enjoy my little gift to you, hayseed!" With a wave and a laugh, she swings down into the cab; Nemesis Prime speeds off into the distance.

Bet she's off crying 'wah, i miss my daddy, wah'

Did you hear? AJ's dad caught a disease when he was fucking her and died lol

"That fucking COW!" Twilight snarls. She looks at all the texts floating around and her face pales. "Oh God..."

AJ lost her father, husband, and brother all at once rofl

"Applejack?" Pinkie Pie says quietly. "You...you know it's all garbage, right?"

apples suck anyway hope saa goes under

Applejack doesn't answer. She's on her knees, her head in her hands and her shoulders shaking.

She thinks being country is cool, its not

every1 ready 4 the hillbilly zombie apocalipse?

The rest of us look around at each other uncertainly.

maybe she'll kill herself & we'll never have to hear that stupid accent ever again

"Let's...let's deal with this mess and get out of here," Cadance says.

Apple farmer didn't eat his apple a day lol

The others start summoning their Personas and blasting away Shadows. I'm doing my part, but I'm barely paying attention. I'm focusing on Applejack, who's rooted to the spot, Shadows closing in around her as her eyes move from nasty text to nasty text.

hey AJ can I shove an apple up ur pussy hahaha

bet AJ's her own mama

Apple Bloom's her daughter not her sister

Hayseeds dont deserve 2 live

who needs farms when u have fast food

Of all the horrible, cruel, cowardly things Sunset Shimmer has done this year, this is the most despicable.

u think her pussy smells like apple pie?

This is worse than what she did to Pinkie Pie by far, because that was probably going to happen on its own sooner or later.

I honestly don't even call on her in class because I can't understand that godawful accent.

This is worse than when she raped me, because the only thing on the line was my own pride as a man.

when aj comes back 2 school lets take her ykw & GB her

This...

haha yeah bet she wont even scream

She's taken Applejack's day to say goodbye and grieve for her father and turned it into a festival of shit-dumping.

yeah shell just cry all over my dick haha

A cold, black rage fills me as I watch Applejack cry, heedless of the Shadows moving in all around her.

Suddenly, a new text appears above us, bigger than the rest and blocking them out.



"What's THAT?" Twilight gasps.

Not even bothering with my phone, I whisper, "Persona."

A new Persona appears before me:





Magus tugs on the brown leather gloves he wears and raises his hands. Dark orbs spin away from his body, creating a broad, spinning black triangle filled with the void of space. A smaller, white triangle spins around inside it. When the void collapses in on itself, it takes almost all the Shadows with it.

"Dude," Rainbow says.

There are still a few dozen Shadows surrounding us...

"That's enough!" Applejack yells. "This is my Papa's day and you ain't ruinin' it!"

Persephone appears and whirls around, holding her apple basket like a cannon. Hundreds of apples stream out, striking each Shadow multiple times until they all boil away into nothingness. Persephone fades, and Applejack stands silently, fists clenched at her sides, head bowed and trembling.

"Umm...shouldn't this all be going away now?" Pinkie asks.

Fluttershy frowns at her phone. "Something's keeping us here," she says. "Cadance?"

//Scanning...// She pauses. //It's...it's not a Shadow,// she says. //It's...it's Applejack.//

"Applejack, you okay?" Twilight asks.

For a long moment, Applejack doesn't say anything. Then, at length, she quietly says, "No, Ah ain't. All this stuff...people keepin' t' themselves, smilin' at ya on th' outside but thinkin' all this bullshit on th' inside..." She finally looks at us, and her eyes are like stormclouds. "An' it weren't jes' me but...but Apple Bloom too."

//Let's go back, we're clear now.//

"Hold on. Gimme a minute t' git mahself together here. Don't want Apple Bloom seein' me all tore up like this."

"Applejack, I'm... I'm sorry about all this. And about keeping our own secret from you for so long," I say.

Applejack looks at me, then at the others. "All this nasty stuff... Y'all been seein' it an' puttin' up with it all year long, ain't ya?"

Twilight sighs and nods. "We...try to ignore it. If you try, you can push it into the background, but..." She takes a deep breath. "It's always there. Every once in a while, you catch a glimpse of something you really wish you hadn't and, well, it still stings. A lot."

"Not just texts about ourselves, but about our friends, too," I say. "It...it makes it hard to keep a clear head sometimes."

"Yeah, it's one thing to know people think this stuff about you, getting smacked in the face with it is another story," Rainbow adds.

"But none of them know you, Applejack," Twilight says. She walks over to stand right in front of Applejack, locking eyes with her. "We do, and that's what we're here for. We know it hurts—believe us, it does hurt—but they only have the power you give them. And if we see each other through, and remember that we have our friends and it's only them that matter, we deny them that power. Just like we're here for you now, and will be there whenever you need us."

Applejack lets out a shaky sigh. "Thanks, y'all. Still hurts, like you said, but that takes the edge off a mite."

"Want to go back now?" Pinkie asks.

"Not jus' yet. Ah... Ah've been doin' a bit o' soul-searchin' an'..." She looks around at us again. "With what you said just now, Ah feel like...Ah haven't been all that fair to y'all."

"Nonsense, darling, you had every right to be upset," Rarity says.

"Maybe, but it still ain't right. Ah was right upset at y'all fer all the lyin' an' keepin' me outta the loop like that, an' to be honest, you doin' it 'cuz Ah had mah own issues felt more than a bit patronizin'. Ah mean, it's mah choice if Ah wanna be worryin' 'bout mah friends' troubles on top o' mah own. T'ain't fair, y'all worryin' 'bout me an' not lettin' me worry none 'bout y'all."

"Applejack—"

"You already apologized, Flash, an' that's plenty. But what Ah'm drivin' at is, it really felt like that at first, but patronizin' or not, y'all still cared about whut me an' Apple Bloom are goin' through. There y'all were, fightin' fer yer lives, doin' yer best so next time one'a us had a birthday you'd be there t' protect your friends, an' even with all that, y'all still took time t' come out t' Sweet Apple Acres an' all. An'...an'...friendship ain't 'bout 'fair', it's 'bout carin'. Y'all's hearts were in th' right place even if yer heads weren't."

Twilight rushes forward and hugs Applejack. "We promise, no matter what, we will never lock you out again. You're right, friendship is about caring, and we should have known that you cared about us as much as we care about you."

Applejack smiles and hugs Twilight back. "S'all Ah needed to hear, sugarcube. Ah ain't back on mah feet jes' yet, me an' mah family gotta sort out some stuff now that Papa's gone, but Ah can still lend a hand here like y'all done for me in the real world."

"And we'll be glad to have your help. And we're here for you, too."

"Here's the thing, though," Applejack says pensively. "When Ah first got inta this Zodiac stuff, Ah thought, this was somethin' Ah could handle with mah own two hands." She looks down at her hands. "Ever'thin' 'round me was crashin' down, but this was somethin' Ah could still do. But seein' that Sunset Shimmer here got me thinkin'..." She looks up, searching each of us with her eyes. "That's all wrong. It's wrong 'cuz it ain't all crashin' around me, not with y'all there t' help out. An' it's wrong 'cuz Ah shouldn't think of it as th' only thing Ah CAN do. More like, it's somethin' we gotta do, fer ourselves an' for Apple Bloom an' Sweetie Belle an' all our other friends an' even all them jackasses at school sayin' all this bullshit, even if they don't know it. 'Cuz...'cuz all this stuff about nasty texts an' Shadows..." She shakes her head. "Th' world smacks us every which way with all these bad things happenin', an' all this hate from people what don't hardly even know us, an'...Ah guess these Personas are our way of standin' up for ourselves, of sayin' 'No, Ah won't roll over an' take it, Ah'll stand up an' face y'all head-on.'"

She finally falls silent, and we all stand around, contemplating her words.

"I think...that's a good way of looking at it," I say slowly.

"That's how Echo feels every time," Fluttershy says. "And...when Eris awoke, I...I felt so powerful." She looks at the ground. "But then I used her to do even worse things than I was already doing. Back then, I wasn't standing up for myself, I was just joining the bullies... until I became the worst of them all."

"And then there's Sunset Shimmer."

"Yes. I don't know how she got her Persona. I don't think anyone's ever dared bully her. And how much more does she need to stand up for herself? She already gets off on showing you how much better she is than you. Trust me, she was very clear about that the first time we met in Zodiac."

"She gets off on trolling, too," Rainbow says with a sour frown. "Seriously, what's up with crashing today, of all days, just to fuck with Applejack?"

"It don't matter none no more, Rainbow. Ah know she's just a bully, and Ah ain't lettin' her get her kicks from seein' me down. Matter of fact, Ah think Ah'm fine with headin' back."

"All right. Cadance?"

Twilight holds up a hand. "No, wait a second."

"We really shouldn't stay in Zodiac much longer," Fluttershy warns.

"I know, but we're not going to get another chance to have all of us together for a few days, and..."

"Yeah?"

"It's just... what Applejack said about Personas."

"About them being us standing up for ourselves?" Rainbow asks. "What about it?"

"I started thinking... each and every one of us awakened their Persona exactly like she said: as a response from our hearts to a world that was bearing down on us. We drew from deep within ourselves and found strength to protect ourselves and our friends. It's just... I never thought about what that meant until now."

"And what does it mean?"

"It means... I know where our new Personas came from," Twilight says.

"You've been wondering about that for months," I point out.

"I know. But I've been looking at it the wrong way. I kept trying to figure out why they had changed, but in reality they changed because we did. Don't you see? Applejack is right: Personas come from our own determination, and our own strength. But when Athena changed..." Twilight looks down at her hands. "I know now, it happened because I realized how important my relationships with other people were. It wasn't about just my own strength, but the strength I got from my friends... and I'm sure Pinkie, Cadance, and Rainbow Dash felt the same way."

We all look at each other. Pinkie and Rainbow nod.

"Yeah," Pinkie says with a smile. "Mine changed after...after I realized that as long as I have my friends...my new family...I'll be okay."

"Mine changed when...when I accepted myself and stopped worrying so much about what people think about me," Rainbow says.

"But the thing is," Twilight says, "it's more than just our Personas. It's not Zodiac that changed us, it's knowing each other, and relying on each other and caring for each other every day. No matter what life has thrown at us, we've been there to lend an ear or a shoulder, or even a hand, and all this...Persona stuff is just a reflection of that. That's what Sunset Shimmer doesn't understand, and that's why she can't beat us."

"Ooh! Ooh! Because there's nine of us and one of her and she doesn't have any friends?" Pinkie says.

Rainbow frowns. "Ganging up on her doesn't sound your style, Twilight."

Twilight waves her hands frantically. "No, no! Pinkie, that's not right! Sunset Shimmer should have friends, she should want to have friends! But all she cares about is being superior to everybody else. As long as she's alone, it won't matter how strong she is, she'll never have a chance to grow into a better person."

Everyone stares at Twilight.

"You have to admit, that does sound like the key to beating her," I say.

"Flash, this is more important than Sunset," Twilight says in a patient, lecturing tone. "It's about how everyone can be great and do great things on their own, but it's only through our friends that we can bring out the best in each other."

Rainbow gives Twilight an odd look. "Twilight, that. Was. The SAPPIEST, corniest thing I've ever heard. And when you live in our dorm? That's saying something."

"Darned if it all ain't true, though," Applejack says with a grin.

"Well, yeah. But it's still sappy."

I frown. "More important than Sunset, huh? If she hears you say that, she'll come at us with everything she's got."

Twilight smiles. "Then she'll find us standing strong...together."

We all look at each other. Everybody is smiling.

"TOGETHER!"






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



This bond shall reveal unto thee the Ultimate Truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Judgement Arcana...


"Speakin' of together...whut say we git th' hell outta here now?" Applejack says.

And just like that, Zodiac collapses around us. The warm spring breeze and the smell of flowers and earth return.

Apple Bloom jerks out of a daze and turns to look at us. "Huh?"

Applejack walks over and claps a hand on her shoulder. "Ah think...Ah think it's time we said goodbye an' got on home, y'all. We got work t' do. For Papa."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh agrees.

Applejack walks to stand in front of us. "Me an' Apple Bloom'll be back at th' dorm on Sunday," she says. "Y'all don't fret none 'bout us now, y'hear?" She smiles. "We're...we're gonna be okay."

Twilight hugs Applejack. "If you need us, just call. It doesn't take long to get up to Sweet Apple Acres."

We watch the Apples leave, then head back to the dorm.
> 5/6 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, May 6, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Make sure you do right by your mother this weekend. She gave you life, so you should give her more than just flowers.

After breakfast, Twilight and I walk Spike.

"Three Hunter Shadows left," Twilight says. "Well, four, but we won't need to worry about Aquarius for a long time now."

"Gemini, Cancer, and Leo," I say, nodding. I watch Spike for a minute. "The question is, do we deal with Sunset Shimmer before or after?"

"I've been thinking about that myself," Twilight says. She shakes her head. "I just don't know. I think I'd like to discuss that with Fluttershy before we sit down and plan." She stretches and yawns. "Hey, Sunday is Mother's Day."

"Oh CRAP!"

"What?" Twilight looks at me askance.

I facepalm. "I forgot! I usually ignore Mother's Day and Father's Day. I need to pick something out for Mom and have it overnighted..."

"You need to call her on Sunday too," Twilight says.

"How about you?" I ask.

"Mom and Dad are coming down this afternoon and staying the weekend."

"That's good."

Twilight sighs. "I hope this weekend isn't too hard on Pinkie Pie..."

"Yeah..."

Friday, May 6, 2016 / Lunch

I spend most of lunch shopping online for something for Mom. I notice that the others, especially Rainbow and Fluttershy, are tense and angry. They keep looking around the cafeteria, as though expecting to see demons crawling out from under the tables.

After what went down yesterday, I can hardly blame them...

Friday, May 6, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice...

Tomorrow, the girls are competing in the Regionals. Crystal Prep is hosting.

After practice, Coach Chrysalis walks over to me. "I think our chances look pretty good," she says.

I nod. "With Coco leading the charge, there's no way the girls won't go to Nationals."

"She's one of the best I've ever seen," Chrysalis says. She tilts her head at me. "I wondered, when I first took over here, how a sophomore with such a quiet disposition ended up as team captain. I've heard some...wild stories about that."

"She challenged the previous captain to a loser-quits tennis match," I say. "She won, Suri quit, we made Coco captain."

Chrysalis laughs. "You mean that really did happen?"

I nod. "It's...a long story. Short version, Suri was an arrogant, bullying bitch, Coco used to be her doormat, things changed, Coco stood up for herself, it escalated..." I shrug.

Chrysalis snickers. "It certainly sounds like things are very Law of the Old West around here sometimes."

"You have no idea."

Chrysalis smiles and shakes her head. "I guess...working here will be a lot more interesting and less stressful than working for Saeki Group." She wrings her hands in her lap. "There are...other companies out there I could work for, of course, but..." She sighs. "I realized something after my little run-in with Sombra." She looks at me. "I'm tired, Flash. I didn't realize how tired I was, but..." She looks out at the court. "I don't think...I can ever set foot in an office again."

"Maybe that's a good thing," I say. "Ever since you've been here, you've been happy. Haven't you?"

She laughs. "I have," she admits. "I just...don't know if that's because I'm really happier working here, or if I've just been treating this whole thing like a vacation." She shrugs. "In any case...I haven't told the kids yet, and I'm dreading that, but...after Mother's Day, I'll tell them."

I nod.

"So what about you?" she asks. "Any big plans for Mother's Day?"

"My folks are in Seaddle," I say. "Up until recently, we weren't what you'd call close. Things...changed a few weeks ago. So I'll be talking to Mom, and I sent her something for Mother's Day." I shrug. "Other than that? I'm spending this weekend with Twilight's family."

"Ooh, a weekend with the in-laws," Chrysalis says in a teasing tone.

I roll my eyes at her. "Actually, I really like Twilight's parents. We really get along. They're good people." I stand up. "They're coming in this evening, so I'd better get back to the dorm."

Chrysalis nods. "You're coming out to the matches tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah." I gather up my stuff and head back to the dorm.

Friday, May 6, 2016 / Evening

When I arrive, I find Twilight and her parents in the lounge. I set my stuff down and walk in. "Hey."

"Why, hello, Flash!" Velvet says, standing up and rushing over to sweep me up in a hug. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good," I say. "Umm...my folks and I are patching things up. Talking a lot more."

"He almost forgot Mother's Day," Twilight says with an impish smirk.

Velvet frowns. "Well...I can't say I blame you. But you did send your mother something, right?"

I nod.

"Good." Velvet looks around. "Where's Pinkie Pie? Shouldn't she be with you?"

"The girls went to Sugarcube Corner after practice," I say. "Kind of a mini-pep rally to psyche themselves up for tomorrow."

"Mom, Dad, you're coming to the Regionals matches with us, right?" Twilight asks.

"Of course we are!" Velvet says. "I'm looking forward to it." After a moment, she quietly asks, "How's Applejack holding up?"

"The best she can," Twilight says. "I have a feeling things are gonna be pretty hard for the Apples for a while."

"Oh dear," Velvet says. "She's not...going to be dropping out of school, I hope?"

I shake my head. "No, they're counting on her to go to college to learn how to run the business. They've been managing on their own without...without her dad for a while now."

"It's more that they have to sort out all the legal stuff," Twilight says. "From what Applejack's told me, they were right in the middle of legally transferring ownership of Sweet Apple Acres to Big Macintosh when...when Mr. Apple died."

"Plus they'll have to deal with his will, and whatever debts..." Night Light trails off. "Sorry."

"Anyway, she'll be back sometime Sunday," Twilight says. She looks at me. "I think after school lets out in June, we should probably all spend a week up on the farm helping out."

I nod. "I'm sure the others will agree."

I sit and talk with Twilight's parents for a while until dinner. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Sweetie Belle join us when they get in. Rarity and Sonata are the last to return, carrying several large bags of take-out tacos.

Twilight frowns. "Has anybody seen Fluttershy?"

"Didn't she come in around the same time we did?" Velvet wonders.

"She's probably up in her room," I say. "Want me to go get her?"

"Please do," Rarity says. "We'll get all this laid out in the dining room."

I head upstairs and knock on Fluttershy's door. There's no answer.

Hesitantly, I open the door a crack and peek inside. Fluttershy is sitting at her desk, typing away rapidly on her laptop. She's wearing headphones.

I walk up behind her and tap her on the shoulder. She lets out a yelp, springs to her feet, and spin-kicks me in the face, sending me crashing into her bed.

"Oh! Flash! I'm sorry!" Fluttershy rushes over, tossing her headphones aside. "Are...are you alright?"

I pick myself up woozily. "I'll live," I say.

"I'm so, so sorry," Fluttershy says, grabbing some wet wipes off her nightstand and cleaning my face.

"It's okay," I say. "What were you working on?"

Fluttershy hesitates, a frown on her face. "I..." She sighs. "You know all that awful stuff from yesterday? Those terrible things about Applejack?"

"Yeah," I say, grimacing.

"I...I was just putting together a list of who said what," Fluttershy says. "Especially the ones who were joking around about...about raping her." She narrows her eyes. "The next few weeks are going to be pure hell for those bastards."

"Uhh...Fluttershy?" I cough. "Isn't...isn't doing things like that how you got in that whole mess with Sunset Shimmer in the first place?"

Fluttershy frowns. "Yeah, but this is different. They deserve it."

"Well yeah, they do, but..." I put my hands on her shoulders. "Do you really want to go back to doing...that?"

Fluttershy looks away. "I..." She swallows. "I just...I want to help Applejack..."

"Is revenge really going to help her?" I ask.

"Oh, don't give me that," Fluttershy snaps. "I've seen AND heard you fly off the handle way worse than this!"

"So watching me lose my temper and do the wrong thing gives you the right to make the same mistake?" I take Fluttershy's chin and turn her to face me. "Look...the assholes that said all that shit? They're not worth it. They're punks talking shit. They don't have the balls to try anything like that. And if they did? You know Applejack would kick their balls off."

Fluttershy's brow furrows. She nods. "Yeah..."

"You've changed a lot in the last month, Fluttershy. Don't do this. Don't go back to being Eris."

Fluttershy winces.

"Come on, it's dinnertime. Everyone's waiting." I reach down to pull her to her feet.

She shifts her weight to stand up at just the wrong moment, and I end up putting my hand on her breast.

She freezes. I freeze.

Her face turns red as she looks up at me.

"Umm..." I say. "Sorry. Really!"

Fluttershy growls...

"What kept you guys?" Rainbow complains when we finally go downstairs several minutes later. "What, did you sneak in a fu—whoa, dude! Your face is all jacked up!"

"Flash!" Twilight cries, rushing over. "What happened?"

"Umm, it's my fault," Fluttershy says sheepishly. "Flash startled me while I was changing, and...and I sort of kicked him in the face..." She waves her hands placatingly with an embarrassed smile. "I didn't mean to! Really!"

"Oh my," Velvet says.

Twilight frowns. "Okay, so why does it look like you kicked him twice?"

"Erm..."

Rarity coughs. "Come on, everybody. Fast-food tacos are only marginally better warm than they are cold."

Twilight gives Fluttershy a suspicious look, but goes back to her seat. I sit down next to her; Fluttershy sits next to Sonata, who looks like she's about to die if she doesn't get a taco soon.

During dinner, Velvet tries to steer the conversation toward light and pleasant topics, catching up with everyone. "So, what are your Mother's Day plans?" she asks with a bright smile.

"Sweetie Belle and I will be spending the day with Mother, of course," Rarity says.

"Umm...my mom doesn't really like to make a fuss," Fluttershy says. "We'll be meeting up in town for lunch and I bought her a new dress, but that's...that's about it."

Pinkie shrugs. "Whatever Twi-Twi's doing for you, I'm in on that," she says.

Velvet winces. "I'm sorry, dear..."

"It's okay," Pinkie says with a smile.

"No, it's not," Velvet says sadly. She glances at Rainbow. "For either of you."

Rainbow smiles. "Eh, I got a feelin' Mother's Day won't suck so hard for me before long." She grins. "Dad's been gettin' plain goofy about Principal Celestia lately."

Velvet smiles. "That's wonderful!" She looks over to Sonata. "And you, dear?"

I'm spending the day with Mommy. We haven't had a day together for a while now.

"I guess...technically this will be my first Mother's Day too," Cadance says, rubbing her tummy. She blinks. "Does...does it count? It counts, right?"

Everybody laughs. "Of course it does, dear!" Velvet says. "Oh, and we need to start planning your baby shower!"

"Gah!"

After dinner, Cadance comes up to my room to treat my face, Twilight in tow. "So, what really happened?" Cadance asks with a smirk.

"Exactly what Fluttershy said," I say. "I startled her and she kicked me in the face."

"Twice?"

I flinch. "The second time was when I accidentally grabbed her boob," I admit.

Cadance and Twilight both give me the evil eye.

"I was trying to help her up!"

"By the boob?" Twilight asks, raising an eyebrow.

"That's...generally not a good idea," Cadance says. She shakes her head and laughs as she finishes up. "Get some rest," she says. "We've got a busy day tomorrow!"

"I think I'll give Pinkie some encouragement for tomorrow," Twilight says. With a long, frosty stare at me, she adds, "Some very, very LOUD encouragement. Across the hall. With my door locked."

After they leave, I put on my flannel pajamas. I have a feeling it's going to be a cold night...
> 5/7 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, May 7, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Torpedo sized cocks - the ancient miracle secret, here's how

Today we're headed to Crystal Prep to cheer on the girls' tennis team at Regionals.

Saturday, May 7, 2016 / Daytime

Crystal Prep...

The competition is fierce, the matches intense. With confident, calm Coco Pommel leading our team, Canterlot sweeps the competition and wins!

Saturday, May 7, 2016 / Evening

At the dorm, we have a big pizza party to celebrate.

"So, Pinkie, do you think you girls will make Nationals?" Twilight asks.

Pinkie sighs. "I dunno," she says. "I mean, we're good and all, but our average strengths aren't really that much better than the boys. It really all comes down to Coco. She's kind of our secret weapon, but...on that level? I don't know if she can carry the team."

"She's not carrying the team, Pinkie," I say. "You're all good."

"Aww...thanks."

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and everybody has plans, so we all turn in early.
> 5/8 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 8, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.

Today is Mother's Day. Everybody—well, almost everybody—is up early. Rarity and Sweetie Belle leave before eight, and Sonata's mother picked her up shortly after; Cadance and Pinkie are busy making a big breakfast for Velvet (and the rest of us). Fluttershy rounds up all the critters and takes them out for a little while, and Rainbow...is sleeping in.

When breakfast is ready, Shining Armor brings Twilight's parents to the dining room, where Twilight and I are setting out plates and silverware. Cadance and Pinkie bring in the breakfast spread. Cadance serves Velvet first; Pinkie serves Cadance second, then the rest of us serve ourselves. They really went all out: we've got waffles with strawberry syrup and whipped cream, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, fresh fruit, orange juice, and coffee.

"Girls, I'm trying to lose weight," Velvet says with a laugh.

"Where's the fun in that?" Twilight asks as she loads up her plate.

"Not everybody has your crazy metabolism, Twi," Shining Armor says.

"Yeah, some of us have to exercise to keep our figures," Cadance agrees.

"Oh, Twilight gets plenty of exercise," Pinkie says with a grin.

We all pause and stare at her.

She blinks. "What?"

"Pinkie," Twilight groans. "How many times do we have to go over this? Think first, THEN open mouth."

I can't help it. I bust out laughing.

After breakfast, we move to the lounge, where the others give Velvet her Mother's Day gifts. I'm the only one without something for her, and I feel kind of like a jerk...

"Don't worry about it, dear," Velvet says as she puts on a new pair of pearl earrings Night Light gave her. "I'm not expecting anything from you for Mother's Day yet." Her eyes sparkle mischievously.

"Still, I gotta do something," I say. "Tell you what, I'll pay for lunch, and if you happen to see anything you want when we're in town, let me know."

Velvet smiles. "That's very thoughtful of you," she says.

"Yeah, Flash can be surprisingly thoughtful when he's thinking with his brain instead of his pants," Twilight says, poking me in the shoulder.

"Too bad it doesn't happen that often," Pinkie adds with a giggle.

Velvet raises an eyebrow and gives me a smirk. "Really, now."

"Well, everyone in this dorm has certainly been getting an education lately," Cadance says with a giggle.

"'Everyone'?" Velvet asks. Her eyebrow climbs even higher.

"Hey, I was taught to share my toys," Twilight says. She and Pinkie both burst into giggles.

I feel like crawling under something and dying...

"Okay girls, knock it off," Shining Armor says.

"But if they knock it off, how am I supposed to get any grandkids?" Velvet asks. This sends the rest of the girls into fresh peals of laughter.

"You sure you don't want to run away?" Night Light stage-whispers. "Maybe move to another country?"

"They'd find me," I say, burying my face in my hands. "I'd come home and find every last girl in the dorm waiting in my bed."

"NAKED!" Pinkie adds before falling over and giggling.

"Is...is she always like this?" Night Light asks.

Twilight shakes her head. "Only when she's in heat," she says. She pauses, then adds, "She's usually in heat."

It's gonna be a LONG day...

Sunday, May 8, 2016 / Daytime

We head out for a little driving tour of Canterlot, after which we head for a popular country-style family restaurant—the one where it's half restaurant, half massively crowded general store slash flea market. The food is amazing, fresh and delicious, and plentiful; at my insistence, everybody orders as much as they want of whatever they want. Over lunch, we talk about school, life in Canterlot, and other things. After that, we decide to pick a movie to go see. Cadance and Shining Armor insist on paying for everything at the theater...except for Twilight's snacks, which I pay for in a panic when I see the piles of candy and popcorn she's picking out. After that, we return to the dorm. Cadance and Velvet head over to the apartment for a little "mom talk", while Night Light and Shining Armor park in the lounge to watch baseball. Twilight goes up to her room to sleep off everything she ate, and I head up to my room to call home.

Sunday, May 8, 2016 / Evening

"Good afternoon, Flash!" Mom says.

"Hi Mom. Happy Mother's Day."

"Thank you! I got the pocketbook you sent me. I really like it! How'd you know I needed a new one?"

"I didn't, but I'm glad you can use it."

"Oh, absolutely! My old one was getting really worn out, but I keep forgetting to go out and get a new one." She smiles. "So, how was your day?"

"Pretty good," I say. "Went out with Twilight and her family and Pinkie, had lunch, watched a movie."

Dad pokes his head into the camera. "Did you pay for everything?" he asks. "I got an alert that your debit card took two pretty big hits within two hours."

"I paid for lunch," I say. "And for Twilight's share of the snacks at the theater. Cadance and Shining Armor paid for everyone's tickets and everyone else's snacks."

Dad blinks. "Your girlfriend ate fifty dollars' worth of snacks?"

"Probably more than that, she went back for more halfway through the movie. She paid for those herself." I shrug. "What can I say? The girl's a black hole."

"No kidding," Dad says. Mom laughs.

"We'll have to give you an extra fifty a week then," she says. "Just to make sure you can keep that girl fed."

"I'm good with what you already give me, but thanks," I say. I frown. "You're monitoring my account?"

"Of course we are," Dad says. "We have to make sure you don't run out of money down there, and that you're not going too crazy." He smiles. "Especially now that we realize that's pretty much all we've ever really been doing for you."

"So, Flash, are you coming back home for the summer?" Mom asks.

"Actually, I need to stay in Canterlot this summer, but I was thinking...you two should probably come down here for a little while, maybe in June or July. It'd be better all around to have you come here than me come up there."

Mom and Dad look at each other and shrug. "Sure, we can do that," Dad says.

We talk a little while longer; I notice it's almost dinnertime, so I say goodbye, wish Mom a happy Mother's Day again, and head back downstairs.

I find Applejack and Apple Bloom in the lounge with Night Light, Shining Armor, and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow is in her "gamer clothes", which seems to be making Night Light and Shining Armor a little uncomfortable. The front door opens, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle walk in.

"Good evening, everyone!" Rarity says. "I trust you all had a splendid time today?"

Twilight walks down the stairs, stretching and yawning. "Mmm, good nap," she says. "When's dinner?"

"Your mom and Cadance went out to pick up sandwiches," Night Light says. "They'll be back soon."

"Where's Sonata?"

"Upstairs with Pinkie, she got back about a half hour ago."

Within the next hour, we get everyone together in the dining room. Cadance and Velvet have returned with sandwiches, and we all dig in.

"So Applejack, Apple Bloom," Twilight says, "how are you two holding up?"

Applejack sighs. "We're good," she says. "We...we hashed a lotta stuff out this weekend, an' there's still stuff t' deal with, but..." She shrugs. "We still got each other an' Big Mac an' Granny, so we're good."

"It's...hard," Apple Bloom says with a sniffle. "But...we'll make it through this."

"Twilight mentioned something the other day that I think is a good idea," Velvet says. "She thinks you should all go up to Sweet Apple Acres one week in June after school lets out to help out."

"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow says. "We should totally do that!"

"T' be honest, Ah'd be mighty grateful," Applejack says. "Ah seen whut y'all could git done in jes' one weekend. If we had y'all up there fer a whole week, Big Mac could git ahead o' so much stuff..."

Rarity smiles. "We'd be delighted to help out, darling."

After dinner, I watch television with the others in the lounge for a while. At around eleven, I head upstairs to sleep.
> 5/9 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, May 9, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A name you haven't heard in a long time may be dropped unexpectedly today.

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes some announcements.

"Good morning, students, and happy Monday. Don't forget that voting for Prince and Princess of the Spring Fling starts Wednesday. Be sure to see the event planner if you want your name on the ballot.

"Also, I'd like to congratulate our girls' tennis team for winning Regionals this weekend. Qualifiers for Nationals are coming up on Saturday and are being hosted here at CHS for the first time ever, so be sure to come out and support the team!"

Monday, May 9, 2016 / Lunch

Our usual lunch crowd is a little bigger today; Coco has joined us, as well as Chrysalis' daughters, who have started eating with us from time to time.

Applejack is a bit tense; she's looking around the cafeteria with a distasteful grimace and is barely eating.

Fluttershy leans across the table and whispers, "I can tell you exactly who said what if it'll make you feel better."

Applejack shakes her head. "Thanks, but...Ah think Ah'm better off not knowin'."

"So, Coco, are you excited about Saturday?" Pinkie asks.

"I'm nervous, mostly," Coco says. "I mean, Regionals was nerve-wracking enough, but this is Nationals!"

"Technically it's just the qualifier for Nationals," Rainbow points out. "The real pressure comes after you qualify."

"Thanks, Rainbow, that really helped," I say sourly. I smile at Coco. "You'll do fine. Everybody believes in you."

Coco sighs. "Thanks, but...what I'm really worried about is Suri."

I frown. "Suri? What's she got to do with anything?"

"Haven't you heard?" Pinkie asks. "After Coco trashed her, Suri moved clear across country and started at a new school! Her team's headed for Nationals too!"

"I'll...I'll probably have to face her on the court," Coco says. "And...I'm nervous about that."

"It'll be a grudge match alright," Rainbow says. "But hey, you took her down once, you can do it again!"

"Thanks...I think..."

"So, how was your Mother's Day?" Twilight asks Chrysalis' daughters.

"We had a lot of fun spending the day with Mom!" Katydid says.

Papillon sighs. "I guess...Mom was pretty happy this year," she says resignedly.

I glance at her. "What's wrong?"

Papillon glares at me. "Like you don't know," she says. "Thanks to you, I've gotta have my mom for a teacher next year!"

"Oh, don't mind her," Cricket says, rolling her eyes. "The important thing is, Mama's happy."

"So she talked to you all?"

Cricket nods. "She told us all about what went down with that jerk Sombra and...and how she feels about going back to work." She toys with her pudding cup. "She told us how tired she really is, and how what she's doing now makes her feel like a different person, and how she can't even stand the thought of going back to her old life." She laughs. "Even Skeeter relented. He didn't realize how tired and stressed Mama really was."

"Probably because he's a walking stress bomb himself," Katydid adds.

"So, who's everybody going to the Spring Fling with?" Cricket asks.

The conversation changes to the upcoming dance until the end of lunch...

Monday, May 9, 2016 / After School

I have a ton of homework, so I go straight back to the dorm after school to hit the books.

Monday, May 9, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, Apple Bloom asks me to help with her homework.

"Ah got way too much catchin' up t' do," she complains. "Mah teachers cut me some slack after...after last week, but Ah still gotta make up th' work."

"How are you holding up?" I ask gently.

She sighs. "Honestly?" She looks up at me with teary eyes. "Ah..."

She chokes back a sob. I wait patiently.

After a long moment, she lays her head flat on her arms. "Y'know how Ah didn't wanna go see Papa th' last couple weekends before he went?" I nod. "Well, that's..." She looks up at me with teary eyes. "It's because Ah...kinda...in mah head...decided he was already gone.

"See, Ah...Ah couldn't take seein' him like that. Ah didn't wanna spend th' rest of mah life thinkin' of him as a wasted old man, all dried up an' his hair all fallin' out. So..." She takes a deep breath. "So Ah jes' decided...mah Papa was already gone, an'...an'..." She breaks down crying. "Ah'm jes' terrible!" she wails.

I reach out and take her hand, squeezing it. "I think he'd have understood," I say. "I think Applejack understands too. Have you talked to her about it?"

Apple Bloom sniffles and shakes her head.

"Maybe you should," I say. "If you don't, it'll eat away at you."

Apple Bloom sighs. "Maybe." She casts her eyes to the side. "Goin' back t' school wasn't easy. Even with mah friends there, that little whore Diamond Tiara kept tryin' t' git under mah skin."

"Ignore her," I say. "All she can do is make noise. Does anybody even listen to her anymore?"

"Not really," Apple Bloom says.

"Then let the little bitch bark her head off."

"Heh...you're right," Apple Bloom says. She sniffles and wipes her nose. "Ah got more important things t' worry about. Like...like how Ah'm gonna help mah family."

After she takes a minute to compose herself, we get back to work on her make-up homework. It takes until past ten to get it all finished, by which point I'm exhausted. I head for bed and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
> 5/10 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When the earth quakes, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, and the pillars of Heaven shake, just look that big ol' storm right square in the eye and say, "Give me your best shot, pal. I can take it." 

Music Club...

I spend an enjoyable afternoon jamming with my friends. It's a nice way to unwind after a long day of classes.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 / Evening

When I get home, I have cleaning and laundry to do. By the time I'm done, it's dinnertime.

After dinner, everyone gathers together in the lounge for a group homework session. We all have a ton of homework. Even Twilight seems frazzled.

I help Sonata and Applejack with their homework while Twilight helps Rainbow and Pinkie. Rarity and Fluttershy help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

Once we all call it quits for the night, I head back up to my room. Twilight catches up to me in the hall.

"You know," she says. "You haven't actually asked me to the Spring Fling yet."

I wince. "How about you ask me instead, then?"

Twilight smiles. "Wanna go with me to the Spring Fling?"

I make a show of thinking about it. "I dunno...I'm pretty sure Pinkie's more likely to put out..."

Twilight punches me in the gut.

"Ow! Kidding!" I wheeze. "Of course I want to go with you to the Spring Fling."

Twilight smiles. "That's better." She yawns hugely. "Goodnight, Flash." She turns to her room, then pauses and looks back. "Are we...are we running for the Prince and Princess thing?"

"Do you want to?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight admits. "I'll sleep on it, okay?"

I nod, then head for bed.
> 5/11 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

During the break between second and third periods, Twilight and I both sign up for Prince and Princess of the Spring Fling. We have to record a brief video for Canterbook this evening.

Rarity signs up for Princess as well. Surprisingly, so does Trixie. More surprisingly, Sunset Shimmer doesn't appear interested in signing up...

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice...

The girls are hard at work preparing for Saturday's qualifiers. Chrysalis pairs the boys off against the girls in rotating two-point singles matches. One of Coco's backhands nearly tears my racket out of my hand...

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 / Evening

Twilight and I make our PV for the Spring Fling while Rarity and Fluttershy are making dinner.

At dinner, Apple Bloom asks, "Hey Applejack? Can we do mah birthday here in Canterlot? Ah know jes' where Ah wanna go."

Applejack smiles. "Of course we can, sugarcube. Ah'll let Granny an' Big Mac know."

"Oh, that's right!" Sweetie Belle pipes up. "Your birthday's on the 22nd, right?"

"Eeyup!"

Fluttershy stiffens. "Oh my...that'd make you a Gemini, wouldn't it?"

Twilight's eyes widen. Around the table, everyone else is tensing up. Applejack picks up on the tension, and her eyes cloud.

"Yeah, that's right," Apple Bloom says. "Funny thing, huh? Me an' mah big sis havin' birthdays so close together."

"Yes, that's...interesting," Twilight says. "So, is there anything special you want?" she asks with false cheer.

"Well..."

Apple Bloom rattles off a list of things she might like for her birthday. Applejack looks distracted and worried.

After dinner, Twilight and I pull Applejack aside.

"If that bitch sics one'a them Shadows on mah li'l sis, Ah'm tearin' her head off," Applejack says firmly.

"I understand how you feel," Twilight says. "Believe me, I do. But don't worry. The Hunter Shadows aren't the threat. Sunset Shimmer is. If...if a Hunter does show up, then...we'll protect her. All of us. Together."

"Damn right we will," I agree. I try to smile reassuringly.

After that, I head upstairs to do homework. Twilight comes in, a worried look on her face. "Do you really think she'll—"

"I wouldn't put it past her." I sigh. "We're not really any closer to ending this, are we?"

Twilight stays for a while, sitting with me on the bed and saying nothing.
> 5/12 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, May 12, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes an announcement.

"Good morning, students, and happy Thursday.

"In response to a number of complaints and inquiries received yesterday regarding the selection of a Prince and Princess for the Spring Fling, we have decided to allow girls to sign up for Prince of the Spring Fling if their partners are signing up for Princess. I would ask the student body to be respectful and take this seriously when casting your votes. Because of this change to the rules, the deadline for PVs has been extended to Monday. Thank you, and have a good school day."

All around me, I can already hear kids laughing and talking about "all the lesbos at this school" under their breaths. Ugh...

Thursday, May 12, 2016 / After School

Music Club...

Things are a bit heated, if amicable, today. Lyra and Bon Bon are going head-to-head against Vinyl and Octavia for the Spring Fling crowns. Then there's Trixie, who's signed up for Princess. She won't say who her choice of Prince is.

And, of course, there's me and Twilight...

The final week of Music Club this year is going to be...interesting.

Thursday, May 12, 2016 / Evening

After dinner and homework, I spend some time gaming with Rainbow and Sonata to unwind before bed.
> 5/13 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, May 13, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): 0xc00d11cd (0x80004005)

As soon as I wake up, I find Twilight standing outside, looking rumpled and cross.

"There's no water in the dorm," she says.

"Huh?"

She leads me downstairs. Everyone is sitting around, still dressed for bed. Everybody looks grumpy, especially Rarity and Fluttershy.

Shining Armor walks in a moment later. "Just reported it to the city," he says. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Sorry, kids. Hopefully they'll get it fixed while you're all at school."

"But...we simply mustn't go to school filthy!" Rarity cries.

Pinkie rolls her eyes. "You're not dirty, Rarity. Just...just use some deodorant, spray on some of that toilet water you call perfume, and—"

"Oh crap, toilet water!" Rainbow says suddenly, eyes wide. "We...we can't go to the bathroom either!"

Everyone shifts uncomfortably.

Twilight coughs. "There...there are bathrooms at school," she says. "And I'm pretty sure the cafeteria serves breakfast...doesn't it?"

Cadance shakes her head. "They cut the breakfast program a few years ago." She sighs. "Tell you what, though. You kids head on over to the school, use the bathrooms, freshen up. I'll pick up a couple boxes of donuts and bring them by the school, then Shiny can drive Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to the middle school."

We all go upstairs to get dressed and ready to leave. I'm halfway through getting dressed when I hear a disgusted yelp from Twilight's room. I rush over to see what's wrong...

"Spike threw up all over the bed!" Twilight complains.

I groan. Looks like it's gonna be one of those days...

Friday, May 13, 2016 / Morning

Fortunately, the water at school is working. Unfortunately, there's no toilet paper in any of the bathrooms because some asshole decided to steal all the toilet paper after school yesterday and use it to TP the horse statue out front.

I'm glad I didn't have to shit. I don't like the idea of using paper towels to wipe...

During homeroom, Mr. Turner somehow manages to KO himself with his conquistador helmet.

Friday, May 13, 2016 / Lunch

At lunch, all the girls are moody, surly, and disheveled. Also, the cafeteria isn't offering its usual selection of healthy, delicious foods today. Instead, they're dishing up this unidentifiable brownish slop on stale toast. Apparently, the refrigerators failed last night, and this is all that's left...

"I want this day to be over," Rainbow complains.

"You an' me both, sugarcube," Applejack says glumly, poking at her lunch. "An' jes' whut th' hell is this crap?"

Twilight pushes her tray away. "It doesn't taste right," she says.

I take one bite, then grab my napkin and spit it out. "Ugh! There's no way in hell I'm eating this."

Nobody at our table eats the mystery slop. All around the cafeteria, I can see other students either halfheartedly eating, or getting up and dumping their trays. Only a few people seem to be interested in eating it.

Friday, May 13, 2016 / Afternoon

During sixth period, a lot of kids look like they're not feeling very well.

Near the end of sixth period, we hear sirens outside.

By the end of the day, word is going around that the stuff they served at lunch was...not exactly safe to eat.

Friday, May 13, 2016 / After School

Tennis practice...

Four members of the team are absent, having either gone home or to the hospital with food poisoning.

I manage to break my racket. Coco trips over an untied shoelace and gets a nasty cut on her forehead. A tennis ball hits Pinkie square in the boob. One of the other guys takes a service straight to the nuts.

Friday, May 13, 2016 / Evening

"Owie, it still hurts," Pinkie complains while we're walking back to the dorm.

When we get there, we find the others waiting around outside. The security system is screaming its high-pitched, piercing electronic alarm.

The alarm shuts off, and Cadance walks out, looking frazzled.

"What's up with the alarm?" Rainbow asks.

Cadance sighs. "One of the workers managed to set off the system," she says. She looks around at us. "Okay kids, here's the deal. The water won't be fixed until tomorrow. I asked Celestia and Luna to look after all your pets for a day or two; Luna just picked them all up a half hour ago. Everybody go in and pack an overnight bag. We're all staying at a hotel tonight." She sighs. "Once you get checked in and cleaned up, just...just order whatever you want delivered for dinner. Flash, can you drive? I'm tired."

I nod.

"Is everything okay?" Twilight asks.

Cadance sighs again. "It's been one fucking thing after another today and I really did not need to deal with this shit," she says. "I just want a hot bath and a warm bed and my husband next to me and something to get the stench of puke out of my nose."

We all wince at that.

"Yeah, today...really sucked a big fat cow dick," Rainbow says.

"Cows don't have dicks," Twilight says absently.

"Whatever."

We all pile into the SUVs after packing a bag and head for the hotel. Fortunately, no more disasters happen, and by the time night falls, Twilight and I are snuggled safely in a slightly musty-smelling hotel bed with a greasy delivery pizza, watching basic cable on an old standard-def TV.
> 5/14 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, May 14, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Let them fight.

A good night's sleep and a hot shower really does wonders for the body and soul. Despite how fucked up yesterday was, I feel like today might be better than yesterday.

We meet up with the others down in the hotel lobby and head out for breakfast, then drive over to the school for today's tennis matches.

"Good luck, Pinkie," I say.

"Yeah, get out there and show 'em CHS is the top dog!" Rainbow cheers.

Pinkie giggles. "Thanks."

"Good luck, Pinkie," Shining Armor says. "Sorry I can't stay to watch the matches, but I need to be over at the dorm."

Pinkie nods. "Yeah, no worries." She smiles. "I really hope everything's back to normal over there by the time we're ready to head home."

"So do I," Shining Armor grumbles. Cadance gives him the master key to the security system, and he jogs off to the dorm. Everyone else heads for the bleachers; I join Pinkie in walking down to the practice courts. Half the team has already arrived and are going through stretches. Coco is over by the benches with Coach Chrysalis. I walk over to them.

"Hey Coco, how's the head?"

Coco has a noticeable bandage peeking out from under her headband. She smiles weakly. "I'm okay," she says. "I got a couple of stitches, but it's not as bad as it looked yesterday."

"I'm glad you're here, Flash," Chrysalis says. "I might need some help on the benches. We're down a girl after yesterday's food poisoning incident, so we're putting the team manager in as a last-minute substitute."

Derpy walks up, wearing tennis gear, and waves happily.

"Sure, no problem," I say. I quickly text Twilight to let her know I won't be joining the others in the stands. Pinkie, Coco, and Derpy join the others in warming up as the rest of the team arrives.

Saturday, May 14, 2016 / Daytime

The girls' qualifiers are on a whole other level than what I faced so many months ago. The competition is fierce and intense.

As expected, Coco ends up facing off against Suri in a singles match, and Suri is out for blood. However, Coco manages to stay calm, collected, and focused, and Suri only scores two points on her throughout their entire match. During the last game, Coco delivers such a fierce backhand it rips Suri's racket right out of her hand...

The unexpected surprise is Derpy. Her visual handicap leads to some...interesting accidental aces. She so thoroughly confuses her competition that she wins two matches purely by accident. Of course, she also manages to get tangled up in one of the nets, which suspends play for fifteen minutes.

At the end of the day, Canterlot High makes it through! The girls are going to Nationals!

As the girls gather together at the benches to celebrate, Pinkie pulls a megaphone out of nowhere. "Listen up everybody! I reserved Sugar Cube Corner for a big victory party! Let's all head over and celebrate!"

Everybody cheers.

Pinkie grabs Chrysalis by the arm. "You're coming too!" she says.

Chrysalis smiles. "I wouldn't miss it."

The rest of the dorm rushes down from the bleachers to congratulate Pinkie and Coco as the rest of the teams start packing up to go back where they came from. After Chrysalis has a quick meeting with the officials and the girls all clean up and change, we all head over to Sugar Cube Corner in one big group.

Saturday, May 14, 2016 / Evening

The celebration at Sugar Cube Corner is big, with lots of food and drinks and music. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are in good spirits and happily keeping the refreshments coming.

As the party starts to wind down, I spot Chrysalis sitting alone in the corner, slowly eating a huge piece of cake and watching everyone with a smile. I excuse myself from Pinkie and Twilight and walk over to her, sitting down.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

She smiles more widely. "Yes, actually," she says. "Everything's perfect." She sips her coffee. "I was just thinking about the Nationals. We've got two weeks to get ready, and one of those weeks is an exam prep week. I might have to ask Celestia if I can borrow the girls during last period that week for practice."

"I'm sure she'll arrange that," I say.

"I'm also thinking...I might want to see about a schedule of summer practices. For the guys who are going to be around, I mean." She shrugs. "I'd like it if the boys make it all the way to Nationals next year." She purses her lips. "I don't know if that's...I mean, I'm new to all this teaching and being a coach thing."

"You'll figure it out." I take a sip of my own drink. "So...you're staying then?"

"Of course I'm staying," Chrysalis says. "But not because I can't go back to my old life. I'm staying because..." She pauses. "Because seeing all this, being part of all this? I've never felt as...connected to what's going on around me as I do now. When you're in a corporate office, dealing with paperwork and negotiations and meetings and all that dreadful, dreary stuff, everyone around you is just...just another drone in a hive." She chuckles. "Even me. I was the queen bee, and look how easily I was replaced when the hive no longer needed me." She looks over at Pinkie Pie, who's saying something that's apparently completely embarrassing Coco. "But this...this is something special. The last couple of months have been the most fun I've had in a long time, and...and I think my children are happier now too." She smiles. "Our new house feels more like a home than our lavish, expensive old place ever did. I think...this is what I've needed for a long time." She looks at me. "And I owe all of this to you."

I shrug. "I just—"

"No," she says, holding up a hand. "I've realized now that meeting you was no accident. It was fate. Right when my life was starting to fall apart and I had no idea what the future held, right when I'd lost everything I'd ever worked for, you were there. You helped me find a new direction for my life." She chuckles. "If you hadn't come along, I might be spending the rest of my life getting fat on the couch, or working some boring job I hate. Instead, I get to be part of all this, and I feel..." Her eyes twinkle. "I feel young again."

She reaches into her purse and pulls out a key card. "I want to give this to you," she says. "It's my old security key from my old company. It's deactivated, but I held onto it as...as a memento." She smiles and holds it out. "I don't need it anymore, because I've moved on. I've put the past behind me." She takes another sip of her coffee. "I thought I'd lost everything. But now...now I've gained something so much better. And it's all thanks to you."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Tower Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Gojira, the ultimate form of the Tower Arcana...


Everyone is starting to leave. Chrysalis finishes her cake, gathers her things, and leaves. I rejoin the others from the dorm, who are all looking pretty tired. We say goodbye to the Cakes and head home.

When we arrive, everything looks completely normal. Shining Armor is in the lounge watching a movie. "Hey everyone," he says. "The water's fixed. Vice-Principal Luna is bringing all your pets back tomorrow morning. Everything's back to normal."

"Whew, that's a relief," Rainbow says. "I'm gonna go crash."

"Me too," Pinkie says. "I'm beat."

We all head to our rooms. I have some shopping to do tomorrow. For starters, I need a new tennis racket.

We probably should also train in Zodiac...
> 5/15 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 15, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Take the first job that you have in the business that you want to get into. It doesn’t matter what that job is, you get your foot in the door.

Most everyone is a little sleepy and slow-moving this morning. After breakfast, once Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are out of earshot, we discuss going to Zodiac today.

"Can we wait until like, this afternoon?" Rainbow asks. "I'm not really up for it just yet."

"Same here," Pinkie says. "I'm still..." She yawns hugely. "Still pretty worn out from yesterday."

"Personally, I'd prefer to put it off until after school tomorrow," Rarity says. "If that's alright with the rest of you." She coughs. "Besides, I absolutely must go shopping today and begin preparing for the Spring Fling."

"Ooh, I almost forgot," Pinkie says.

Applejack frowns. "Well...so long as we git in some trainin' soonish, Ah reckon it don't matter if we do it today or tomorrow."

We all agree to hold off on training until tomorrow...

Sunday, May 15, 2016 / Daytime

I need a new tennis racket, so I head into town to do some shopping. While I'm out, I decide to stop by Sterling Silver's shop to pick up something nice for Twilight and Pinkie for the Spring Fling. Silver Spoon is working today; I spend a little while chatting with her, then head back to the dorm.

Sunday, May 15, 2016 / Evening

Everyone's doing their own thing for dinner...

I make myself a sandwich and grab some potato chips and a cola to go with it. After I eat, I call home. I spend almost an hour talking to Mom and Dad about various things, such as tennis, the Spring Fling, and other things. After that, I watch TV for a little while until time for bed.
> 5/16 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, May 16, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Only you can prevent forest fires.

During homeroom, the promotional videos for the Spring Fling are posted to Canterbook. Lyra and Bon-Bon made an...interesting one. Vinyl and Octavia performed one of their new hybrid pieces in theirs.

Monday, May 16, 2016 / After School

After school, we all gather in the nurse's office. As soon as the coast is clear, we enter Zodiac to train.

We spend nearly two hours fighting Shadows of varying strengths. Although I've obtained one powerful new Persona since the last time I was in Zodiac, I get the feeling it's way too powerful to summon unless I absolutely need to...and I'd rather not let Sunset Shimmer know about this one until it's too late, just in case.

Once we're done training for the day, we return to the dorm.

Monday, May 16, 2016 / Evening

"Wow, y'all look jes' plain beat," Apple Bloom observes at dinner. Everyone's exhausted from Zodiac, so we ordered pizza.

"This is what high school does to you," Rainbow says as she crams pizza into her face.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchange a startled glance. "Meep," Sweetie Belle says, eyes wide.

After dinner, I head to my room and collapse. I have homework to do, but I'm too tired, so I'll deal with it before school tomorrow...
> 5/17 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be on the lookout for coming events; They cast their shadows beforehand.

My alarm wakes me up at six. I'm about to roll over and go back to sleep when I remember I have homework to do. Groaning, I move over to the desk and start working. I doubt I'll do a very good job on it, but it's better than not handing it in at all...

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / After School

Music Club...

The atmosphere is tense. Lyra and Bon Bon are facing down Vinyl and Octavia like they're mortal enemies instead of good friends.

They're ignoring me and Trixie. Trixie, for her part, is bragging that she's the most obvious choice for Princess. I'm sitting this out. I don't really care if I win or not. It's just a stupid popularity contest. I'm really only doing it for Twilight...

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, I find Sonata deeply engrossed in something. I walk over and sit down next to her. "What's up?"

She looks up and smiles. "I'm signing up for correspondence courses."

She didn't use her tablet to say that.

She said it.

Well, it was more a hoarse, harsh, broken whisper, and immediately after, she lapsed into a dry coughing fit.

"Sonata...?"

She shakes her head and holds up her hand, then massages her throat for a minute.

"Went to...doctor today," she whispers. "Got...a little voice back." She coughs again. It goes on for almost a minute. She sighs and pops a lozenge into her mouth, then picks up her tablet.

I can't do that for very long, and the coughing is the worst, but it's nice to actually be able to talk, even if it's just a few words.

"That's...that's great!"

Sonata sighs and shakes her head.

It...won't get much better than that. I'll never be able to talk at a normal volume or for very long, and I sure won't be able to sing anymore.

"Still...it's...it's better than nothing, right?"

She shrugs.

"So...you're signing up for courses...?"

Sonata brightens.

Yeah! Video game design.

She pauses pensively.

The other day I had a long talk with Mommy. I've thought for a long time about what I want to do with myself now. You got me thinking about it, really.

She sighs.

There's a lot of things I could do with music that don't require my voice, but...all I ever wanted was to sing with my sisters. Since I can't do that anymore, I don't really want to be involved with music anymore. Except listening to it. So lately, I've just been thinking...what can I do with my life? And then it hit me.

She grins hugely.

I spend like, ALL my spare time playing video games, right? So what if I got into that? I know it's hard work and it'll take a lot of study, but...it's worth a shot, right?

"Absolutely," I say with a smile.

She looks down at her lap.

I also...I also want to be a mommy after I graduate high school.

She plays with her hair before writing more.

I want two baby girls. I'd name them Adagio and Aria, after my sisters.

She looks up at me.

Umm...I was kind of hoping, when I'm ready for that...you might help me. Ah! I just mean, you know, with making the babies, not...not being their daddy or anything...

She blushes and ducks her head.

Forget I said that, it's stupid.

I have no idea what to say to that. "It's...it's okay," I say.

She shakes her head.

Twilight and Pinkie wouldn't like that, I think. You're gonna make enough babies with them as it is, right?

She gives me a sly grin. Now it's my turn to blush. After a moment, she sighs again.

"Maybe one day...I'll find someone...love me like you love..." She coughs violently. "Twilight."

I pull Sonata into a hug and rub her shoulder, then kiss her on the forehead. "You will," I say. I wait to make sure she's okay, then stand up and head upstairs to do my homework before dinner. I don't want to mess up two days' worth of homework in a row...

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with their homework, then head to bed.
> 5/18 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Tennis practice...

Coach Chrysalis lines everybody up in two lines, and paces up and down the lines like a drill sergeant.

"Girls? We have ten days until Nationals." She looks at the girls, who are all nervous and excited. Mostly nervous. "We're going to show all those other schools that Canterlot High has the best tennis team around. Right?"

"RIGHT!" the girls reply.

"So we're going to step up our training," Chrysalis says. "Starting tomorrow, I want to see you girls here on the court after school every day until we leave for Nationals. I've asked for special permission from Principal Celestia to dismiss you girls from your last period class every day next week for tennis training, provided your grades are in good shape and you complete review questions for your teachers each day over Canterbook. I'd also like to see you all Saturday morning for practice. I'll keep it short because I know Saturday night is the Spring Fling and you all need time to get ready." Everybody laughs. "Sunday's your only day off from practice until Nationals, girls. I want you to give me everything you've got!"

She then turns to the boys' row.

"Boys," she says, "We have two regular practices left on the calendar for this school year, today and Friday." She closes her eyes for a second, then opens them. "I hate to say it, but right now, I really need to focus all my attention on getting the girls ready for Nationals, and the best way to do that is for the girls to partner off against each other exclusively. For those of you who are graduating, it's been nice getting to know you and I hope to see you at the end-of-year party in three weeks. For the rest of you, I'll be setting up a summer schedule to keep you in shape for next year.

"But right now, tennis practice is over for the boys." Chrysalis smiles. "Go study or something, you've got final exams coming up."

Well...that was unexpected.

We all wish the girls good luck, then clear the court. I guess I won't get to try out my new racket for a while...

With my afternoon clear, I decide to go shopping for Apple Bloom's birthday present, then head back to the dorm.

Upon returning to the dorm, I'm on my way up to my room when I hear a shrill stream of profanities coming from the second floor. It's Fluttershy...

I pause at the landing, leaning into the hall to listen.

Rarity's bedroom door suddenly crashes open, and Fluttershy storms out wearing nothing but panties. She freezes as she catches sight of me.

Rarity walks out behind her. "Fluttershy, darling, PLEASE! I'm only trying to—oh, hello Flash! Shouldn't you still be at practice?"

Fluttershy flings her arms across her chest and quickly retreats into her room, slamming the door.

"Oh my," Rarity says, raising an eyebrow.

"What...was that all about?" I ask.

"Oh, well...we were having a bit of a..." Rarity coughs delicately. "Artistic difference over Fluttershy's dress for the Spring Fling."

"Artistic difference?" I ask. "Rarity, she was screaming her head off!"

"Yes, well..." Rarity clears her throat. "I...didn't take into consideration that she might be dealing with some, err...cramps..."

Fluttershy's door opens, and she walks back out, wearing faded jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. She glares at me. "I hope you got a good look," she says acidly.

I facepalm. "Fluttershy, it was an accident."

After a few seconds, Fluttershy sighs. "You're right. I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad at you." She tosses her hair. "You did get a pretty good look, though."

"Oh please," Rarity says, rolling her eyes. "Flash has seen all of us naked at some point or other. Even I'm not bothered by it anymore."

"Yeah, but you fucked him," Fluttershy points out. "I didn't and I'm not planning to."

Rarity smirks. "You know, Fluttershy, you could do with a good fucking."

"Rarity," I say in a warning tone. She's getting catty...with a PMSing Fluttershy...

"Isn't it your turn to make dinner tonight, Rarity?" Fluttershy asks, tossing her hair.

"Oh yes, you're right," Rarity says. "We're having golden chicken breasts."

Fluttershy raises an eyebrow. "Are we having white wine with that?"

"OKAY!" I shout. "Break it up before one of you says something you'll really regret. You're friends. Don't do this."

Both of them turn to me with sharp, hostile looks.

Oh crap.

Rarity sighs. "You're right, of course. Do forgive me, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy grimaces. "I...I'm sorry, Rarity. I think...I think I'll just take some Cramidol and lie down for a nap until dinner."

"Let me put away my stuff and I'll help you make dinner," I say to Rarity.

"I appreciate it," she says. Fluttershy retreats into her room, and I head upstairs. Once I've put away my stuff, changed clothes, and washed my hands, I head down to the kitchen.

"So, why are you home so early?" Rarity asks as she takes things out of the refrigerator.

"Coach Chrysalis decided the boys don't need to practice anymore this year," I say as I start getting out pots and pans. "We're just in the way of the girls' Nationals training."

"Ouch," Rarity says.

I shrug. "I can see her point. Honestly? We've pretty much been screwing around since we don't have any matches coming up and three of the guys are graduating. The girls have a real chance at winning Nationals, and we'd just be in the way."

"I'm afraid I don't quite see it that way, but it's your coach's decision," Rarity says.

We continue to make idle conversation as we make dinner for the dorm...

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I help Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle study. All of us are feeling the stress of upcoming final exams...

"So, what is it we're doing for your birthday party on Sunday?" I ask Apple Bloom.

She smiles mysteriously. "You'll see."

"Ugh, I hate when she does this," Sweetie Belle complains. "Honestly, Apple Bloom, you're picking up some bad habits from Sil."

"An' she's pickin' up some good habits from me," Apple Bloom says.

"I'm glad to see you looking so cheerful," I say.

Apple Bloom sighs. "Yeah, well...Papa wouldn't want me mopin' around. Especially not with mah birthday comin' up an' all."

The others wander in with their own homework and review material, and it turns into a group study session that lasts well into the night.
> 5/19 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, May 19, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes, the world's greatest treasure is a good night's sleep.

Music Club...

Tensions over the Spring Fling voting have risen to a fever pitch. Music Club is effectively disrupted entirely by the two couples present taking their campaign "on the road"—Vinyl, Octavia, Lyra, and Bon Bon invaded the soccer field, with Vinyl and Octavia driving around in the Scratchmobile blaring electric cello dubstep and Lyra and Bon Bon doing all kinds of random, crazy stuff that doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything.

This shit goes on for almost fifteen minutes before Vice-Principal Luna rushes out to kick everyone off the field. Music Club quickly disbands for the day after that.

Thursday, May 19, 2016 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I discover Fluttershy in my room, spread out on my bed, working away on her laptop and eating multigrain chips.

I cough. "Hey."

She looks up. "Oh. Umm. Hi. Sorry, I'm borrowing your room for a bit."

I put my guitar and laptop bag down and pull out my desk chair, sitting down. "I can see that. Mind telling me why?"

"I'm avoiding Rarity," Fluttershy says. "I don't want to get into another stupid, pointless fight with her, and right now I'm just too worked up to deal with her shit."

I snort. "Okay, I admit Rarity can be overbearing, but—"

"I just...don't even think I'm going to the Spring Fling," Fluttershy says.

"Why not?"

She shrugs. "I don't really see why I should. I mean, there's not a single guy at CHS I'd even consider dancing with, let alone actually going to the dance with on a date, and..." She sighs. "Every time I look at the people around me, all I see are the disgusting things they say on Canterbook. You think seeing that stuff floating around in Zodiac is bad? It's worse for me, because I've been dealing with it longer and I usually know who said what." She blows out a long, tired breath. "There are 617 students enrolled in CHS, and 543 enrolled in the junior high. That's 1,160 kids using Canterbook. That's not including the faculty at both schools." She takes a deep breath. "1,380 active accounts on Canterbook. Wanna guess how many don't go total dickwad?"

I shake my head.

"Two hundred and four." Fluttershy brushes her hair out of her face. "There are two hundred and four kids and teachers between the two schools I couldn't ruin with the press of a button. What percentage of those are just genuinely nice people, I couldn't begin to guess." She looks up at me, sadness and pain in her eyes. "Flash, I used...I used to believe if I was kind to everybody, everybody would be kind to me. I want...I want to believe that again. Really, I do. But..." Tears gather in her eyes. "How can I believe that? How can I ever be the kind, gentle girl I used to be before?

"That's what Zodiac has taken from me, Flash," Fluttershy whispers. "It's taken away my innocence." She starts to sniffle. "I...I can't ever get that back."

She buries her face in her hands and starts to cry. I sit on the bed and gather her up in my arms. Over her shoulder, I glance at the screen of her computer.

My stomach clenches.

It's an upskirt photo of Sweetie Belle.

Apparently, some kid at CJHS is passing it around...

I reach out and close the laptop, then let Fluttershy cry herself out.

"Sorry," she says hoarsely after several minutes.

"It's alright," I say. "Maybe you should...go wash your face, get yourself together before dinner."

She nods and stands, heading out.

Once she's gone, I pull out my phone and call Principal Celestia. I tell her about the photo of Sweetie Belle that's being passed around.

"I'll call the principal of CJHS," Celestia says firmly. "I promise this will be dealt with."

I thank her, then start on my homework. I have two quizzes tomorrow...

After dinner, I study for an hour, then go to bed.
> 5/20 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, May 20, 2016 / Lunch
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When a passenger of the foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigor.

On the way to the cafeteria at lunch, Rarity pulls me aside.

"Flash, have you...er...bought a new suit for tomorrow night?"

I frown and shake my head. "I've got two, I was just going to pick one of those."

Rarity gasps as if offended. "Oh goodness no, Flash! You simply must wear a new suit! Listen...I happen to be free after school. Why don't we go shopping, and I'll help you pick a sensational new outfit for the dance?"

"I dunno—"

"You simply must!"

I sigh. "Well...if I must..."

Rarity clasps her hands together. "We'll meet back at the dorm and head out from there!"

Oh brother...

Friday, May 20, 2016 / After School

When I return to the dorm, I find Rarity waiting in the lounge. She looks agitated...

"Let's...let's go shopping," she says. "I...I need to do some shopping, to calm my nerves..."

I find Coach in the apartment and ask to borrow his car. Once we're on the road, Rarity starts to fidget uncomfortably. She looks miserable...

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Rarity sighs. "I...I got a call from Mother a little while ago," she says. "There was an...an incident at Sweetie Belle's school."

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. "That picture."

Rarity snaps her head around to stare at me. "How did you know—"

"Who do you think reported it?"

"Oh." Rarity pauses, blinking. "Well...thank you," she says.

I shrug. "I couldn't let it slide."

"Of course not," Rarity says. "How...how did you know in the first place?"

"Fluttershy. She's still watching what people say on Canterbook. She's just not doing anything with what she finds."

Rarity frowns. "Hmm. That...honestly bothers me a little, but in this case, at least...at least some good came of it." She heaves a deep sigh. "I just can't believe those...those little..."

"Does...does Sweetie Belle know?"

"I honestly don't know," Rarity says in a worried tone. "I'm...I'm terrified of how she'll take the news..." She bows her head. "My poor, sweet little sister...she'll be so devastated and...and humiliated..."

"She's stronger than you think," I say.

"I know, but..." Rarity trails off, drumming her fingers on her thigh. "I just...I worry for her. I want to look out for her, but—"

"You can't protect her from everything," I say. "And you shouldn't try. People need to learn to protect themselves and look out for themselves. Be there for her when she needs you, but...but don't try to put yourself between her and the world. Because one day, something's going to happen and you won't be there. She'll need to be able to stand on her own."

Rarity sighs. "You're...you're right, of course."

Stopping at a red light, I reach over to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "When we get back to the dorm, we'll check up on her. For now, let's worry about getting ready for tomorrow night, okay?"

Rarity smiles and nods gratefully. "Right."

We spend the next couple of hours shopping; I end up with a white suit with a black dress shirt and a royal blue cummerbund and tie. Rarity picks up some new shoes and accessories for herself, and we return to the dorm.

Friday, May 20, 2016 / Evening

When we get back to the dorm, Twilight is waiting with a concerned, anxious look on her face.

"Rarity," she says, "Sweetie Belle went straight to her room when she got home, and she won't talk to anyone. Not even Apple Bloom!"

Rarity grimaces. "I was afraid of that," she says. "I'll go right up and check on her." She hands Twilight her bags. "Put these in my room, will you?"

Twilight nods. "Of course."

I hand Twilight my own bags. "And put these in mine," I say. "I'm going up with Rarity."

Rarity smiles gratefully. "Thank you," she says.

Twilight precedes us up the stairs; as she heads to the third floor, Rarity and I walk down to Sweetie Belle's room. Rarity knocks on the door. "Sweetie Belle? It's Rarity."

No answer.

Rarity tries the door; it's locked. She frowns and knocks again. "Sweetie Belle, please let me in."

We wait a moment longer, but Sweetie doesn't answer.

Rarity looks at me. "What...should we do?"

I hold out my hand. "Hairpin."

Rarity's brow furrows, but she reaches up and pulls a pin out of her hair, handing it to me. I crouch down in front of the lock and, with a little difficulty, pick it.

I open the door and we walk in. Sweetie Belle is lying on the bed in shorts and a T-shirt, wearing headphones. She has a pouty, sullen expression on her face.

Rarity walks over and pokes Sweetie Belle in the foot. Sweetie Belle jerks and looks up, frowning. She takes off her headphones. "HEY! How'd you two get in here?" she asks.

"Picked the lock," I say. "Everybody's worried about you."

Sweetie Belle groans. "Yeah, I know. That's why I locked the door."

"Sweetie Belle, darling," Rarity says, sitting down on the foot of the bed, "you simply mustn't worry everybody so!"

Sweetie Belle lets out a frustrated sigh and sits up. "Yeah, but I don't wanna talk about it, and everybody here is so nosy!"

"We're not nosy, we care," I say.

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity begins, "about...about what happened today—"

"I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!" Sweetie Belle screams.

"Well I do," Rarity says. "It's...it's a terrible thing, what happened to you—"

"What do YOU know about it?" Sweetie Belle cries. "You don't know ANYTHING!"

"We know you've been the victim of something terrible on Canterbook," I say. "Sweetie Belle, you...you really need to talk about this."

"No, I don't," Sweetie Belle says, crossing her arms and pouting. "I don't care."

"Obviously you do," Rarity says, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Please, Sweetie Belle. I...I know you feel violated..."

"Violated?! More like BETRAYED!"

Betrayed...?

Sweetie Belle shoots to her feet suddenly and begins pacing around the room. "I stuck up for that little piece of shit! When nobody else would! I've been calling his mom twice a week to check on him! Nobody else but me ever cared about him, ever wanted to be his friend!" She spins around and clenches her fists. "THAT LITTLE FREAK DOESN'T DESERVE FRIENDS!"

I exchange a startled, confused glance with Rarity. "Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asks. "What...are you talking about?"

Sweetie Belle sits down suddenly, putting her face in her hands. "Butthole Mash," she says hoarsely.

I tilt my head. "Sweetie Belle? What...what does Button Mash have to do with that picture that the kids at your school were passing around on Canterbook?"

Sweetie Belle blinks. "You...you don't know?"

Rarity and I shake our heads.

Sweetie Belle frowns. "So you know about the picture, but...but not about..." She shakes her head, stands up, and starts pacing.

"When the principal found out about the picture, he had everybody involved rounded up and questioned them. Then he called Mom and Dad. Then they called me in, the counselor was there, the whole big 'I hate to break it to you' thing.

"When they told me about the picture...showed it to me, even..." Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes and blows on her hair. "Honestly? I was more annoyed than upset. So some little dork got a panty shot on me, big deal. It didn't really bother me, it's just...stupid." She turns and scowls. "But then...the principal told us something else.

"The kid who put the picture on Canterbook in the first place got expelled for it and he's in a lot of trouble, and I mean a lot of trouble. But he swore he didn't take the picture. He tried to weasel out of at least some of the trouble he's in by ratting out the kid who really took that picture. And others."

Sweetie Belle goes quiet for a minute and stands still, fists clenched at her side. She's trembling.

"You see, those kids...they ran into Button Mash at the comic store and stole his phone. His phone...it was full of pictures of me. Really...really bad pictures." She bows her head; tears are glistening in her eyes. "They gave the principal Button's phone and he went through it. All...all the dates are back before Button's mom pulled him out of school. Back when we were still fr-friends. Before he stopped talking to me.

"I...I asked to see the phone. I made the principal show it to me." Sweetie Belle's voice goes quiet. "Button...that sick little asshole..."

Rarity stands up and moves over to Sweetie Belle, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, my sweet sister," she whispers.

"I stood up for him," Sweetie Belle whimpers. "I tried to be his friend, and I screamed at you for saying bad things about him...and...and..."

Rarity looks over at me. "Flash? Could...could you please...?"

I nod and quietly leave, closing the door behind me.

I head back to my own room to find Twilight waiting there. She gives me a questioning look; I shake my head.

"Rarity's taking care of it," I say. "We shouldn't get involved."

Twilight nods. "A-alright."

I put on a shaky smile and take hold of Twilight's chin. "Come on, let me show you this suit Rarity talked me into getting..."

Tomorrow is the Spring Fling...
> 5/21 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, May 21, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are.

Silver Spoon shows up at the dorm early and excited to pick up Apple Bloom for their birthday girls' pre-birthday hangout day. "Y'all have fun now," Applejack says with a big grin.

"We will!" Apple Bloom says.

"I hope you all don't mind," Sil says, "but I'll be spending the night over here tonight. A sleepover before my birthday party over at my house!"

"That sounds like fun!" Pinkie Pie says. "And it'll be good for the girls to have another friend over since the rest of us are gonna be at the dance."

"Oh yeah, you've got the Spring Fling at your school tonight," Sil says. "So lucky!"

"What about Scootaloo, is she coming over too?" Twilight asks.

Apple Bloom sighs and shakes her head. "Scoots..." She glances at Sil.

Sil grimaces. "Scootaloo's been pouting a lot lately," she says. "She thinks I stole her best friend. I keep telling her that's ridiculous, but when I'm around, she...she doesn't want to be."

"She's bein' STUPID," Apple Bloom complains. She shrugs. "She'll git over it eventually. Ah hope."

Sweetie Belle and Rarity come downstairs, dressed to go out. I can't help but notice that Sweetie Belle is wearing jeans and a baggy shirt, as opposed to the skirts and dresses she usually wears.

"Hey Sweetie Belle!" Sil says.

Sweetie Belle smiles weakly. "Hey Sil. You and Apple Bloom are going out for the day, right?"

Sil nods. "Yeah." She frowns. "You okay?"

Sweetie Belle sighs and shakes her head. "No, I'm not. It's..." She trails off. "I'll tell you girls all about it later. Right now, me and Rarity've got something we need to take care of."

"And we must take care of it early," Rarity says, "if I'm going to make my spa appointment. Oh, not that my spa appointment is more important than my dear sister—"

Sweetie Belle laughs. "It's okay, Rarity, really. I'm sorry this had to happen now of all times."

"I'm sorry it happened at all," Rarity says, frowning. "Nevertheless, you are far more important to me than the Spring Fling."

"Well, this whole stupid mess isn't more important to me than my sister, and I know how much you've been looking forward to tonight," Sweetie Belle says, hugging Rarity. "I don't think this'll take too long."

With that, they leave. Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon watch them in confusion.

"Whut...was all that about?" Apple Bloom wonders.

Sil tilts her head. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Apple Bloom shrugs. "Search me. Sweetie Belle was all huffin' an' puffin' an' screamin' an' screechin' yesterday, an' then she spent th' night in Rarity's room. Ah ain't really had a chance t' talk to her since school yesterday."

"Oh..." Sil shakes her head. "Well, she'll tell us when she's ready. Let's go!"

A minute later, Pinkie Pie rushes past, carrying her tennis bag. "Gotta run, practice!"

Cadance walks in, engrossed in her phone. "Twilight? Can you round up the girls, please? We all need to go make ourselves beautiful for tonight."

Twilight nods and disappears upstairs. After several minutes, she returns with Sonata, Rainbow, Applejack, and a pouty Fluttershy.

"Rarity already left to do something with Sweetie Belle, and Pinkie's at tennis practice. I think she's going to the salon later today," Twilight reports.

Cadance nods. "Okay, girls! Spa day. Everything's on me, so let's get going! We'll stop for breakfast before we go to the spa."

The girls leave in a big group.

The dorm's empty...

I don't really have anything pressing to do, so I head back to bed to catch a nap until afternoon.

Saturday, May 21, 2016 / Daytime

I wake up a little after two. I get up, scratch myself, use the bathroom, then head downstairs to scrape up some lunch. I doubt the girls will be back until almost time for the dance...

I find Sweetie Belle in the lounge, halfheartedly picking at a sandwich from town. She looks up at me. "Hi," she says.

I sit down beside her with my own plate. "You're back already?"

"I got back a while ago," Sweetie Belle says. "Rarity left for her appointment as soon as we got back. She...she almost cancelled it to stay with me, but I told her not to." She sighs. "She offered to treat me to a spa day, but...I just want some quiet right now."

"Oh." I shift uncomfortably. "If...if you want me to leave you alone..."

Sweetie Belle shakes her head. "No, it's okay."

"Wanna talk about it?" I ask.

She looks at me with an uncertain frown.

"It might help," I add.

Her brow furrows. After a long moment, she sighs. "A-alright." She shifts her weight and sinks back into the couch. "Well...this morning, we...we went to Button's house to confront him about those pictures he took. Me and Rarity, we talked to Button and his mom. The principal still has Button's phone, but I had him e-mail me all the pictures Button took, and I showed them to Button's mom. I...I told her that I knew Button took those pictures himself because of the timestamps, and because we were at all those places together when they were taken.

"Button didn't try to deny taking the pictures at all. He didn't...even seem to understand why we were so mad at him. He did start to sweat and do that controller-hands thing a lot harder." Sweetie Belle pauses, then swallows heavily.

"His mom...got this funny look on her face, and went upstairs to search Button's room and his computer. He's...he's been playing these Neighponese games. She didn't know he had them or how he even got them. They're the kind of games where you take...take dirty pictures of girls.

"When she told us about that, she had this look on her face like...like she expected that. This really resigned look. She told Button to go upstairs, then asked us to wait while she made a phone call. We sat and waited, and when she came back into the living room, she..." Sweetie Belle looks down at her lap. "She told us...some things about Button." Tears well up in her eyes.

"Button...he's got a lot of mental problems. His mom threw around a lot of big words and disorder names I don't remember, but, well...basically his dad was a huge drug addict for several years, and it...it affected Button. You know, in the womb."

Ouch...

Sweetie Belle clenches her hands into fists in her lap. "A-anyway...what it boils down to is Button...doesn't understand people, or...or what's acceptable and what isn't. All he really seems to understand is video games. He can't...really cope with the real world, so he just tries to make everything a video game, because that's what's real to him.

"S-so, when he took those pictures of me...he was lost in this..." Sweetie Belle gestures with her hands.

"You were just a datesim to him," I say.

Sweetie Belle sighs. "Yeah," she says miserably. "And he really sucks at datesims."

"Apparently."

"So anyway, by the time she finished telling us all this, this lady came by, and Button's mom called him downstairs, and the lady smiled at him and said she had some games for him to play that he'd never tried before, and his mom said that sounded like a good idea, and he should go with the lady and she'd see him later." Sweetie Belle's voice hitches. "Then...then she broke down crying and...and went upstairs to pack some things of his." She looks up at me, her eyes wet with tears.

I feel my stomach sinking. "She committed him?"

"Yeah." Sweetie Belle sniffles. "She...she was just going to keep him at home and try to...try to wean him off the video games and, y'know, get him meds and help and try to ease him into real life, but..." She bows her head. "After this...she's given up. She's afraid of what'll happen if he isn't someplace where they can keep an eye on him."

She breaks down crying.

"I was so mad at him, and I hated him for...for taking those pictures, and...and I just didn't know it was like this..."

I pull Sweetie Belle into a hug and hold her while she cries herself out.

"It's not your fault," I say. "He needs help. And...and you tried to be his friend, which...which he hasn't really ever had before, right?"

"And look where that got him," she says miserably.

"Don't think like that," I say. "Look...you tried to do what you thought was right. You saw a kid who needed a friend, and you tried to be that friend. And maybe a little more than a friend. But there are some people...who need a little more help than a friend can give."

Sweetie Belle sighs. "Yeah..."

She's so miserable...

"Hey," I say. "You wanna see something good?"

She glances up at me, sniffling. "What?"

"I got Twilight something I'm giving her tonight," I say. "Nobody's seen it yet except me and Silver Spoon, and she's only seen it because I bought it from her dad." I smile. "Wanna see?"

Sweetie Belle grabs a couple of tissues and cleans herself up. "Sure."

I rush upstairs and come back down with a jewelry box. Sitting back down, I open it, showing Sweetie Belle the amethyst tennis bracelet I bought for Twilight.

Sweetie Belle gasps. "Oh wow, that's beautiful!" She giggles. "Rarity's gonna be so jealous when she sees that..." Her stomach growls suddenly. "Oh wow, I didn't realize how hungry I am!"

I chuckle. "Let's eat before our food gets bored and crawls away."

Sweetie Belle giggles. We enjoy a companionable lunch together, then spend the rest of the afternoon watching television.

A little before five, Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon return; both girls have shopping bags, and Silver Spoon has an overnight bag. "Hey, shouldn't you be getting ready for the dance?" Sil asks me.

"Oh crap!" I hurry upstairs, the girls' giggling following me all the way to my room. I round up my bath stuff, shave, take a shower, and rush back to my room to get dressed.

Saturday, May 21, 2016 / Evening

When I return to the lounge, Silver Spoon lets out a long, exaggerated whistle. "Look at you!" she says. The look she's giving me, along with her sharklike grin, is a bit unnerving...

Apple Bloom whaps her upside the head. "Down girl," she says. She smiles at me. "You do look nice, though."

"The girls are getting ready," Sweetie Belle says. "They should be down soon."

The first one down is Rainbow Dash.  She's wearing a tight, mid-thigh-length royal blue dress with a high collar, no sleeves, and a translucent sky blue train hemmed onto the skirt which floats around her ankles and is parted in front; she's also wearing royal blue heels with satin straps that go up to mid-calf, two gold bracelets on her left wrist, and a pair of simple gold hoop earrings. Her hair is shiny and braided, with the braid hanging over her left shoulder. She's wearing just a touch of makeup.

Next is Applejack, in a candy apple red dress that's over a century out of date, with ruffles and petticoats that go all the way to the floor and short, puffy sleeves. She's wearing a more ladylike hat than usual, with a pink silk rose on the side, and her hair is pinned up underneath it.

Fluttershy is the next one down, wearing a shimmery green satin full-length dress that hugs her hips fetchingly, with matching heels. Her dress offers no cleavage and has full sleeves; she's wearing bead bracelets with glittery pink butterfly clasps, and a monarch butterfly hairpin holds back her hair, which has been crimped into a wavy style and frosted. A faint shimmer of glittery powder dusts her face and neck, her eyeshadow is a little heavier than usual, and her cheeks glow with a rosy dusting of blush.

Twilight comes down next, wearing a knee-length, flaring indigo gown, slit partway up the front, with open-toed silver low-heeled sandals. Her dress is sleeveless and shows a daring amount of cleavage—not to the degree her Fall Formal dress did, but still enough that I'm sure her brother will have a heart attack. The locket I gave her for her birthday is hanging snugly at the very top of her cleavage, and she has on pink topaz earrings, dark purple lipstick, and silver eye shadow. Her hair is swept to one side and has been teased out to add volume.

The next down is Pinkie, wearing a pearl white, short-sleeved dress with very little cleavage, which pushes her chest up and forward and is almost ankle-length and pleated in the front. Open-toed white high-heeled slippers grace her feet, and her hair has been cut into a short, straight, glossy bob. The only jewelry she has on is a small pearl choker and a slender gold bracelet.

Next is Sonata, wearing an indecently low-cut sleeveless, strapless dress that pushes her chest up and seems to be held up by sheer willpower. The bodice is black velvet; the skirt, which is slit up the sides to show off her legs to full effect, is a deep purple velvet, and she has on purple slingback pumps. She isn't wearing any jewelry at all except for a pair of silver eighth-note earrings and a simple black velvet choker. Her hair is the same as it always is, except shinier.

Last down is Rarity in a dark red satin gown with matching heels, with a deep, daring neckline, more cleavage than Twilight, and a diamond cutout in the midriff that exposes her navel. Her ears, neck, and wrists are dripping with glittery gems, and her hair is piled into an elaborate mass of braided buns and springy curls.

"You all look fantastic," I say. I walk over to Twilight and reach into my pocket, pulling out the box with the tennis bracelet. "I got you something."

She blushes and smiles. "Flash, you didn't have to—"

I silence her with a quick kiss, then take out the tennis bracelet and fasten it around her wrist.

Rarity gasps. "That is simply gorgeous, darling!"

"Ooh, sparkly!" Pinkie says.

Twilight blushes more deeply and raises her arm, turning her wrist to let the amethysts catch the light. "Wow," she says. "This is beautiful. Thank you so much!"

"I have something for Pinkie too," I say. "It's not quite as fancy though."

Pinkie turns to face me expectantly. I pull a slender silver ankle chain with several small charms on it out of my pocket. I crouch down in front of Pinkie and fasten it around her left ankle.

"Oooh, nice!" Pinkie raises her leg straight up to look at her new ankle bracelet—somehow, impossibly, without disturbing her dress or flashing us. "Thanks, Flashie!"

"Gah," Rarity says. "Pinkie, can you...not do that, please?"

I study Pinkie as she puts her leg back down. "Seeing you with short hair's gonna take some getting used to."

She smiles and shrugs. "I felt like trying something new. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it...it's kinda sexy."

Shining Armor and Cadance walk in. Shining Armor is dressed in a red tuxedo jacket with black satin lapels, a white dress shirt, and black pants, cummerbund, and bow tie. Cadance is wearing a floor-length classic red ball gown with a modest neckline, and her hair is flowing in loose waves around her face. "You kids ready to go?"

"We're all set!" Rainbow says.

"Apple Bloom, you an' your friends lock up an' behave yerselves, y'hear?" Applejack says.

"Of course," Apple Bloom says, rolling her eyes. "Sheesh, we're not little kids, y'know. Ah'm turning fourteen in a few hours here."

Applejack chuckles. "Yeah, Ah know."

Shining Armor blinks. "Wait. You're fourteen?" He tilts his head. "Shouldn't you already be in high school then...?"

Apple Bloom shakes her head. "Ah got put in Sweetie Belle's grade 'cuz Ah was homeschooled fer so long," she says. "An' mah birthday's near th' end of th' school year."

"I'm the same age as Apple Bloom," Silver Spoon says. "I had to start school late because I was sick when I was little. I couldn't even do homeschooling."

"I've been thirteen for months now!" Sweetie Belle pipes up.

"Diamond Tiara's only twelve," Silver Spoon says cattily. She and Apple Bloom hi-five each other.

I'd never actually thought about these girls' ages before. Huh.

"Great! Now we all know how old we all are!" Rainbow says impatiently. "Let's get goin' already!"

"Wow, what's gotten into you, Rainbow?" Twilight asks.

"Nothing yet!" Rainbow says. "I wanna get laid tonight! Why do you think I'm wearin' this short a dress?"

Shining Armor makes an "urk" sound.

Rarity coughs delicately. "I...believe we could all have lived without hearing that, Rainbow Dash," she says.

"Hey, there's no shame in wanting to get laid!" Pinkie says. "Good luck, Dashie!"

"Just remember to practice safe sex," Cadance admonishes.

The dance is largely uneventful; I mostly dance with Twilight, but also take turns dancing with Pinkie, Sonata, and Fluttershy. The only major disruption comes in the form of Sunset Shimmer...or rather, her choice of attire. She shows up wearing what appears to be a dozen or so black leather straps wound tightly around her body, with a magenta nylon mesh in between them, and black stiletto heels. Twilight and I are close enough to overhear when Cadance ejects her from the dance for inappropriate attire.

Sunset shrugs and gives her—and us—a saucy smile. "Fine then," she says. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow..." She saunters away; half the male eyes (and quite a few female eyes) are on her largely-exposed ass as she leaves.

Once she's gone, we go back to dancing, trying to put the whole encounter out of our minds. Rainbow Dash disappears halfway through the evening, and doesn't reappear until almost time to announce the Prince and Princess.

"Do you think she really...?" Twilight whispers once I point out Rainbow's absence.

"Wouldn't surprise me," I say. "Though most people wait until the afterparties for that..."

Near the end of the evening, Principal Celestia comes out on stage. The music stops, and spotlights swim around the room. "Good evening, everyone! It is now my pleasure to announce the winners for Prince and Princess of the Spring Fling."

Everyone applauds.

"First, I'll announce the Prince!" Celestia picks up an envelope and opens it, then pulls out a card. "The Prince of the Spring Fling, as voted by the student body, is...Vinyl Scratch!"

More applause breaks out as Vinyl, with help, makes her way up to the stage. She's wearing a white tuxedo with seafoam lapels, cummerbund, and tie. She grins good-naturedly and waves as Vice-Principal Luna comes out to crown her.

"And now, your Spring Fling Princess!" Celestia says. She picks up another envelope, opens it, and...

"Twilight Sparkle!"

...huh.

...well, that was unexpected.

Vinyl's smile falters slightly; up front, I can see Octavia wilting. Twilight's eyes fly open wide. She turns to me. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that!" she says in a half-panic.

I shrug. "Just go up and accept it," I say. "You only have to dance one dance with her."

"But you—"

"Don't care that I lost," I say, kissing her lightly. "Go on, accept your crown." I smile encouragingly.

Twilight goes up to the stage to be crowned to much applause and some light laughter.

Pinkie sidles over to me. "Guess your dance card is open for this one," she says.

"Looks that way," I say with a sigh.

As Vinyl and Twilight lead the dance, Pinkie and I join in. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rainbow dancing with a rather rumpled-looking guy with a bowl cut. I think he's on the basketball team? He's blushing so hard he looks like a basketball...

After another forty minutes or so of dancing, we all gather at the entrance to head back to the dorm.

"So, did you get laid, Dashie?" Pinkie asks.

Rainbow grins. "Yeah I did! Jump Shot never knew what hit him."

"Please don't make a habit of stuff like that," Cadance says. "And yes, I know what a hypocrite I'm being when I say that."

"Eh, I'm good for a while, I think," Rainbow says. "I just had the itch, y'know?"

"They make creams for that," Fluttershy says.

"Anyway," Cadance says, "we all need to get to sleep early tonight. Sunset Shimmer all but confirmed we'll be fighting a Hunter Shadow tomorrow."

"Ugh, what was with that trashy outfit she had on?" Rainbow says in a disgusted tone.

"She was trying to provoke us," Fluttershy says with a frown.

Once we're back at the dorm, everyone heads to their own room. I carefully peel off my suit and bag it up for the dry cleaners, changing into fresh boxers and a light T-shirt to sleep in. It's a little warm and humid tonight...

Tomorrow is Apple Bloom's birthday, and it looks like she's the next victim. But what if it's Silver Spoon instead? As I doze off, I think back to earlier this evening and how happy and cheerful Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon were. I can hear their playful giggling as clearly as if they were in the room with me. I can't let anything else bad happen to Apple Bloom. She's been through enough already...

And if it's Silver Spoon, well...I just hope we can get to her in time.

I push everything out of my mind and let the chirping crickets and rustling trees lull me to sleep.
> 5/22 (Su) [1/5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Gemini): You are going to die today.

Since we were all up late last night, most of us don't get up until almost nine.

Silver Spoon's dad came by to pick her up at half past eight. At nine, the rest of us, showered and dressed in comfortable, casual clothes, gather in the living room, where Cadance and Shining Armor are having coffee with Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, who apparently arrived at around the same time Silver Spoon left.

"Good morning, Granny!" Twilight says cheerfully. "Good morning, Big Macintosh!"

"Well howdy!" Granny says. "It's good t' see y'all yung'uns again!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac says.

Apple Bloom rushes over and hugs her granny and her brother. "Ah'm so glad y'all let me have mah birthday in town!"

Granny chuckles. "Well shucks now, Apple Bloom! It's yer birthday, if'n you wanna do it here in town instead'a out at th' farm, that's fine with us!" She grins. "Besides, it's nice t' git inta th' city once in a while t' have some fun!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees heartily.

"So what is the big plan for today?" Rainbow Dash asks. "You've been keepin' this whole thing secret all this time. What're we even doin' today?"

Apple Bloom grins and turns to Applejack, who chuckles. "Well," Applejack says, "Ah guess it's time t' let everybody in on th' plans me an' Nurse Cadance made fer today, since Apple Bloom wanted this t' be a surprise fer everybody else."

"I'm more than a little curious myself," Shining Armor says. "Cadance won't even tell me where we're going today."

We all laugh. "Okay, okay," Applejack says. "Cadance, you wanna do the honors?"

"Okay," Cadance says. "The first thing we're doing is letting Apple Bloom open her presents here at the dorm. Then we're going out to breakfast at that all-day breakfast buffet, since nobody here's eaten yet except Big Mac and Granny Smith. After that..." She takes a deep breath and glances nervously at Shining Armor. "After that, we've reserved the party room at Onchi Karaoke for the entire day."

Shining Armor makes a stuck noise and starts to sweat. "Ka-karaoke?"

"Oh, I love that place!" Pinkie says. "We haven't been in forever!"

"Ooh, karaoke!" Sweetie Belle squeaks. "I love karaoke!"

"Heh, that sounds like fun," Rainbow says.

"Okay everyone! Round up your presents for Apple Bloom," Cadance says.

Apple Bloom sits down and chats with Granny Smith and Big Mac while the rest of us go upstairs. As Twilight and I are making our way up, I quietly ask, "What's up with your brother? He wigged out when Cadance mentioned karaoke."

Twilight pulls a pained grimace. "Back in high school, Shining Armor had a...problem."

"A problem with karaoke?"

"You'll see..."

Several minutes later, we're all gathered in the lounge, and Apple Bloom has a pile of presents in front of her. Her eyes light up with excitement as she looks over the haul.

"Well, go on now!" Applejack says. "Start openin'!"

The first present Apple Bloom picks off the pile is a really cute pair of pink tennis shoes with purple laces and glittery rhinestone hearts on the sides. She gasps as she looks them over, then looks at Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle smiles. "Yeah, I went back and got them for you."

"Thanks, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom immediately changes into the new shoes and gets up to walk around in them.

The next box Apple Bloom picks off the pile is wrapped in shimmery white paper and tied with a violet ribbon. "Bet that's from Rarity," Rainbow says. We all laugh.

Apple Bloom undoes the ribbon and rips off the wrapping, revealing a fancy box from one of the trendier department stores at the mall. She opens it, looks inside, and blushes furiously. "Uhh..."

"What is it?" Sweetie Belle asks excitedly. She peers into the box, blinks, and groans. "Rarity! Seriously?!"

"Whutcha got there?" Applejack asks, walking over to look. She looks into the box and frowns, her brow scrunching up. "Oh, fer th' love of..."

"So what IS it?" Rainbow asks.

Blushing, Apple Bloom reaches in and pulls out a dark pink bra with white lace trim. "It's...a whole buncha these," she says.

Some awkward coughing and side glances follow this pronouncement.

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "What? You're maturing, and to be frank, the sooner you start caring for your body, the better."

Sweetie Belle groans, facepalming. "She pulled this on me too."

Rarity arches an eyebrow. "And was I wrong?"

Sweetie Belle sighs. "No...you were right."

Cadance coughs. "Maybe...open something else now?"

Most of Apple Bloom's presents are practical things, cute things, or practical and cute things. Applejack got her two new pairs of jeans. Granny Smith and Big Mac gave her a new hunter green backpack with a big apple-shaped clasp. Sonata gave her an assortment of different hair bows and beaded ties so she can change up her look if she ever gets bored with wearing the same bow all the time. Pinkie Pie got her a big stack of shoujo manga. Fluttershy got her a new phone case and a pack of glitter pens. Cadance and Shining Armor got her a new pair of high-fidelity headphones in fire truck red. Rainbow got her a gift card for online music downloads. Twilight and I went in together on ours: a new grown-up wallet with lots of pockets and things. As she looks it over, I say, "Look inside it."

Apple Bloom looks around inside the wallet and gasps as she pulls out $100 in cash. I smile.

"Wow," she says. "Th...thanks, y'all..."

"Now you spend that money careful-like, Apple Bloom," Big Mac says. "Don't go blowin' it all quick-like."

"Ah won't," Apple Bloom promises. She looks around at us. "Thank y'all so much!"

"Okay, Sweetie Belle?" Cadance says. "Why don't you and Applejack help Apple Bloom take all this upstairs while the rest of us clean up?"

Working quickly, we all clean up the lounge while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Applejack take the presents upstairs. Once everything's tidied up, we head out to the breakfast buffet.

All through breakfast, we make light, cheerful conversation amongst ourselves and with the visiting Apples. All the while, there's an undercurrent of tension: at any minute, we could all be sucked into Zodiac...

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Daytime

After breakfast, we all head over to Onchi Karaoke. I haven't been back here in ages...

"Are you gonna be okay with this, Sonata?" Pinkie asks.

Sonata nods and gives her a thumbs-up. It doesn't bother me anymore that I can't sing. Besides, watching you all will be fun!

On the top floor, there are four large party rooms which have to be reserved for either a half-day or full-day in advance. Cadance reserved one of them for all day today; we arrive just as the place is opening up.

"Mmnow, now, this here's a right fancy-fangled place," Granny Smith says as Cadance talks to the pretty, bored receptionist. "Err...now, whutsit we're doin' here again?"

"It's karaoke, Granny!"

"Well now," Granny Smith says, looking around dubiously. "Ah don't rightly know whut they want us t' carry or where they want us t' carry it to...if'n you wanted t' carry stuff for your birthday—"

Applejack chuckles. "Granny, karaoke is Neighponese fer singin' like an idjit in front of everybody."

"Oh." Granny's wrinkled mouth works for a minute.

"You'll see!" Apple Bloom says. Cadance walks back over to us, and we head upstairs to the third floor. The Apple family takes the elevator, while the rest of us walk up.

The party room is similar to the room we rented back in January, except much larger, with a long, padded sofa/bench that takes up more than half the room, and a stage where four or five people can get up and sing at once. The table in the room is much larger and has four touch-ordering stations, as well as three touchscreens that rise out of the table which display the entire song catalog.

Granny Smith looks at all the touchscreens all over the place and grimaces. "Consarned newfangled doohickeys..."

"Don't worry about it, Granny, Ah'll help ya git whutever you need," Applejack says. "An' anything you wanna sing—"

"Ah ain't gonna sing," Granny Smith says. "Y'all don't wanna hear these ol' pipes, believe you me."

"EeYUP!" Big Mac agrees heartily. We all laugh.

As we all start sitting down, I notice Shining Armor is getting twitchy. He almost looks like a recovering alcoholic in a bar...

"I get to go first!" Apple Bloom says. She bounds up to the stage, goes through the catalog for a minute, and selects that song everybody got sick of six years ago.

"Oh, so that's what this place is!" Granny says. "Yep, yep, Ah reckon Ah done seen folks doin' this on th' TV!"

While Apple Bloom sings, Cadance orders appetizers and drinks for the table. Apple Bloom doesn't do a half-bad job; we all applaud her when she's done. She walks down and hands Sweetie Belle the microphone. "Here, you do one next! You've got th' best voice here!"

Sweetie Belle blushes. "Oh...well..."

"Go on, Sweetie Belle!" Twilight says cheerfully.

"Well...okay!" Sweetie Belle accepts the microphone and walks up to the stage. "Umm...do you mind if I pick a show tune? I...I only really like show tunes and stuff..."

"Sing whatever you like, Sweetie Belle," Rarity says.

"Okay." Sweetie Belle goes through the catalog, then steps back from the screen with her microphone. The music starts, and Sweetie Belle sings that one song from that one movie. She really nails it—for all her squeaking and cracking, she can belt out a hell of a tune. She gets a huge round of applause when she's done; she blushes and puts down the mic, then scurries back to the table.

"That was wonderful, Sweetie Belle!" Cadance says. She glances over at Shining Armor and rolls her eyes. "Go on. Before you explode or something."

"YES!" Shining Armor jumps OVER the table and hits the stage. It doesn't even take him two seconds to pick his song.

Twilight facepalms. "Oh brother..."

Shining Armor picks up the microphone, takes a deep breath, and...

"You've got the TOUCH! You've got the POWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER! YEAH!"

"Oh...my," Rarity says. We all stare, wide-eyed, at Shining Armor as he VERY energetically performs. He looks like a one-man hair metal band up there. Rainbow Dash lets out fresh peals of laughter and cheers him on. Twilight buries her face in her hands and sinks down low in the booth.

"This," Cadance says flatly. "This is why we stopped going to karaoke back when we were dating."

"You knew about this and you still married him?" Fluttershy asks. "Just how good is he in bed?"

"FLUTTERSHY!" Twilight wails.

Once Shining Armor is done, it looks like he's about to select another song, but Twilight scrambles out of the booth and grabs the microphone away. "O-KAY! I think we need to let Flash go next."

"Me?"

"Of course you! You're the only actual musician here!"

"HEY!" Rainbow protests. "I'm a musician too, y'know!"

I used to be a musician!

I roll my eyes. "Okay, okay." I walk up to the stage and start looking through the catalog. While I'm searching, two waitresses come in, carrying the first round of drinks and two huge platters of nachos. Nothing catches my eye immediately, so I put it on shuffle. I end up with a slow, groovy soul song from the eighties. I've only heard this song a few times in my life, but I do the best I can with it.

When I'm done, Granny Smith asks, "So is that how you wooed this here filly? Singin' all good like that?"

I shrug. "I'm really more of a guitar player than a singer."

"Well Ah think Big Mac should go up next!" Apple Bloom says.

"Yeah! Keep the bro train rolling!" Pinkie agrees.

Big Mac looks around the table nervously. "Uhh..."

"Oh come on now, Big Mac," Applejack says. "Ah hear you singin' out in th' orchard some days, especially when th' weather's good. Ah know you like t' sing."

Big Mac ducks his head. "Well...yeah...dunno 'bout in front'a folks though."

"Oh, go ahead!" Cadance says, laughing. "If my husband can make a total ass of himself and not want to hide in a hole forever, I think you can sing one song!"

"Yeah!" Shining Armor says. Then, "Wait...what?"

Big Mac shrugs. "Well...shoot. Alright." He gets up and walks up to the stage, frowning at the selection. "Gotta find th' country in this thing..."

To everybody's surprise, Big Mac picks the most off-the-wall country song any of us have ever heard.

"That's...some song," Cadance says, blinking. The rest of us are either laughing or shellshocked. Big Mac returns to the table when he's done, blushing furiously.

"My turn!" Pinkie says. She puts it on shuffle and ends up with an incredibly silly-sounding Neighponese song with an equally silly video playing on the video wall behind her.

"Ah can't understand one word she's sayin'," Granny says.

"Neither can she," Twilight says.

"That's some mighty fine pickin', though."

"Eeyup."

At everyone's insistence, Fluttershy goes up next. As soon as Fluttershy's song starts, Rainbow falls out on the floor laughing. Twilight and I share a sickly grimace.

"How astonishingly apropos," Rarity remarks drolly.

When Fluttershy's done, she taps the screen a few times, then walks down and hands the microphone to Rainbow. "Here," she says. "I've already picked a song for you and everything."

"Uhh...okay," Rainbow says. She walks up to the stage. Her feet have barely touched it when the song starts playing. "Oh crap," she mutters.

"Oh dear God," I say, snickering. Fluttershy smirks and tosses her hair.

"Wow, Fluttershy, you really are a bitch," Apple Bloom says, impressed.

Rainbow...tries. She really does. But mostly she just trips and stumbles over the most impossible song to sing in history. She's fairly good-natured about it, though, grinning as she finishes and steps down. She flips Fluttershy off and sticks her tongue out at her as she sits back down.

"Okay, your turn, Applejack," Apple Bloom says, laughing.

"Shoot," Applejack says, shaking her head. She goes up and studies the song list for a minute, scratching her head. "Well...Ah do kinda like that one," she muses. Shrugging, she chooses her song and waits for it to start. It turns out to be one of the few country songs I actually like, and Applejack surprisingly nails it, leaving us all speechless. When she's done, we all applaud.

"Wow, AJ!" Rainbow says. "I had no idea you could sing like that!"

"Me neither," Applejack says, blushing and tipping her hat down. "Ah dunno where th' heck that came from."

"Let's see...who hasn't gone yet?" Twilight asks.

"You, Rarity, and Cadance," I say.

"Why don't the three of us do one together?" Cadance suggests with a smile. "I know just the song, too."

Twilight, Rarity, and Cadance go up to the stage. Cadance punches in her song selection while the others grab microphones and wait anxiously. Just before the song starts, Cadance says, "Hey Pinkie, why don't you join us? I forgot this one needs four people."

"Okay!" Pinkie rushes up onto the stage just as an all-too-familiar song pounds out over the speakers. Rarity gives Cadance a death glare, but shakes her head and starts harmonizing with the others. Twilight looks mortified when she realizes what they're singing.

So does Shining Armor.

I don't blame him. What the HELL, Cadance.

The girls do a great job with the song, and even get into some suggestive dancing. When they're done, the rest of us...aren't sure whether to applaud or not, for a number of reasons.

"Uhh...why don't Ah go again next?" Apple Bloom suggests. As the other four girls sit down, she goes up to the stage and picks yet another insipid and derivative pop song. When she's done, Shining Armor runs up to the stage, a determined look on his face.

"I hate that song," he says. "It ripped off one of my favorite songs ever."

Which he immediately queues up.

"You have to admit he has a point," Fluttershy says.

When he's done, Apple Bloom turns to Sweetie Belle. "Your turn!"

Sweetie shakes her head. "I'll wait," she says. "I'm honestly having more fun watching you all sing."

"Flash, why don't you and Twilight do a duet?" Cadance suggests.

"Eep!" Twilight squeaks.

I grin. "That's a great idea, and I know just the song." I take Twilight's hand and lead her out of the booth.

"Ugh," I hear Rainbow mutter. "This is gonna be some sappy, mushy love ballad junk."

I motion Twilight over to the screen and point at the song I'm selecting. She blinks. "Are you serious?" she whispers.

I grin. "It's the complete opposite of what they're expecting."

Twilight giggles. "Well...okay!" She grabs her microphone as I select the song. As soon as it starts up, Sonata starts giggling.

"This is something we should be singing," I hear Cadance mutter to Shining Armor.

"OUCH! Low blow, Cadance!" Shining Armor retorts. Cadance rolls her eyes and stuffs a nacho in his mouth.

"Somethin' y'all wanna tell us?" Applejack asks with a raised eyebrow when we finish singing.

I laugh and shake my head. "Nah, we're just messing—

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Zodiac

—around." I blink and look around. "Oh crap, here we go."

"Damn, just when it was gettin' fun!" Rainbow says.

Apple Bloom lets out a scream. "Big Mac! Granny! Sweetie Belle! Where'd they go?!" She looks around, wide-eyed. "Applejack! They're gone!"

We all look at each other in resignation.

"Well...we pretty much knew it was gonna be Apple Bloom," I say. "I mean, Sunset Shimmer pretty much told us that last night."

Applejack sighs. "Dammit all..."

"Applejack? Whut...whut's goin' on...?" Apple Bloom's eyes are darting frantically around the room, looking at all the scrolling, flashing texts.

"Never you mind, li'l sis," Applejack says.

"And stop reading the texts," Twilight says. "Believe me, you don't want to know what they are."

"They're...they're th' kids at school, ain't they?" Apple Bloom asks. "They're...they're makin' fun of me."

Applejack sighs. "Yeah, Apple Bloom, that's exactly what they are. But they're just words, they can't hurt you." She turns Apple Bloom to face her. "But somethin's comin'. Somethin' that WILL hurt you. But Ah ain't gonna let it. Me an' all these others, we're gonna protect you."

"Cadance?" Fluttershy says. "Can you scan for Gemini?"

Cadance nods and pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!"

Eros appears. Apple Bloom's eyes nearly fall out of her head. "Whut th'—?!"

//I'm detecting Gemini approaching from outside,// Cadance says. //Its readings are unusual, but...I'm pretty sure you kids can take it.//

"Right," Twilight says. She crouches down next to Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom? You need to stay right here with Cadance. Don't leave this room, no matter what. And don't look at the texts. With any luck, this'll all be over in a few minutes."

Apple Bloom swallows, but nods, fear in her eyes. "O-okay. But what—"

"Later," Applejack says firmly. "C'mon, y'all."

We all pull out our phones and Butterfly up. Apple Bloom gasps. We quickly head downstairs and leave the karaoke box.

//Here it comes,// Cadance says.

A tall, spindly humanoid Shadow with elongated limbs rises up out of the street. Gemini is emaciated, with translucent grey-black skin. Its head is hairless and faceless, with segmented pieces of flesh sticking out of it at odd angles; the Gemini sigil is carved in the center where its face should be. Its body is featureless and androgynous, with the exception of a small, oddly-shaped pair of breasts, each of which has a pale white face with soulless black eyes and an open mouth contorted in pain. It wobbles unsteadily toward us on its spindly legs, teetering and flailing its unearthly arms.

"These things just get creepier and creepier," Rainbow mutters.

Cadance gasps. //Oh no...! Guys, I'm...I'm picking up...!//

Twilight, eyes firmly fixed on Gemini, asks, "What is it? Sunset Shimmer? The Reaper?"

//N-no, it...it's...// Cadance gulps. //Gemini is here, but...but I'm also picking it up five miles away!//

"What?!"

"TWO Geminis?!" Pinkie cries.

Twilight's face pales. "That...that makes sense," she says quietly. "Gemini...the Twins..."

Fluttershy facepalms. "Fuck...I should've known..."

Rainbow rounds on her. "WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN US ABOUT THIS SHIT?!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Fluttershy snaps back. "I've never actually SEEN this fucker before!"

"GIRLS!" Twilight snaps. "This is NOT the time!" She takes a deep breath, then asks Cadance, "You said...the other Gemini is five miles away?"

//Yes.//

"Silver Spoon," I say, feeling a cold pit of dread in my stomach. "The other one's attacking Silver Spoon."
> 5/22 (Su) [2/5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Zodiac

"Silver Spoon," I say, feeling a cold pit of dread in my stomach. "The other one's attacking Silver Spoon."

"Oh no," Pinkie moans.

"What makes you think it's going after her?" Rainbow asks.

"Because today's her birthday too," I say. "And if I were Sunset Shimmer, Silver Spoon is who I'd send the other Gemini after." I glance at Fluttershy. "Right?"

"Flash is right," Fluttershy says with certainty. "She's Apple Bloom's friend, she's friends with Flash...she's the perfect target."

"So what do we do?" Twilight asks, shifting her feet as she looks at the monster advancing lurchingly toward us.

I frown and pull out my phone. "I'm going after Sil," I say as I slide the Emperor Arcana onto the screen. "OPTIMUS PRIME!"

With a thunderous roar, Optimus rolls into view, engine revving and smokestacks billowing. I climb up into the cab. "The rest of you protect Apple Bloom!"

"WAIT!" Twilight cries. "You can't go alone!" She climbs up and gets in with me. "I'm coming with you!"

"But the others need you here!"

"And what if something happens to you?" Twilight asks. "We can't do this without you! I can't do this without you."

"Twilight's right!" Pinkie says suddenly from beside me. "I'm coming too!"

"Girls..."

//They're absolutely right, Flash,// Cadance says. //We have eight Persona users here who can fight. It makes sense to split into two teams of four each.//

"I agree," Fluttershy says. "I'll stay here and lead this team."

"You'll lead?" Rarity asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's mah sister whut's in danger here," Applejack says. "If anybody should lead, it's me."

"Excuse me, but who has the most experience with Zodiac here?" Fluttershy retorts.

Rarity sighs. "Fair point."

Applejack frowns, but nods. "Alright. You're...you're right."

"Rainbow Dash, you should go with Flash's team," Fluttershy says. "Your Persona and mine both use wind skills, so it's pointless for both of us to be on the same team when they might need you over there."

Rainbow nods and jumps up into Optimus. "Let's get goin'!" she says.

"Cadance, you'll have to be my GPS," I say as Optimus' engine roars in anticipation. "I have no idea where Silver Spoon lives."

//No problem,// Cadance says. //Although you might want to try calling her. If her phone is in Zodiac, it should work.//

"Right, the phones work here. I keep forgetting that..." I slide out my contacts and dial Silver Spoon.

Her phone rings twice before she answers. "H-hello? F-Flash?"

"Sil, are you alright?"

"I...I..."

"More importantly, are you safe inside? You didn't leave the house or anything, did you?"

"I...I'm in the pool. Or I was. The water got all cold and icky and turned red...like blood..." There's a pause. "Flash? I can't find my mom and dad, and there's...there's..."

"Text messages floating around in the sky and none of them are saying nice things, I know," I say. "Listen. If you can get inside, you need to—"

"I can't!" Sil cries. "The doors won't open!" She pauses. "Oh my GOD..."

"Sil? Are...are you alright?"

Silver Spoon screams.

"RUN!" I yell into the phone. "Just...just stay as far away from it as you can! I'm on my way!"

Optimus tears off down the road. With Cadance's help, and thankful that the streets are completely empty, we arrive at Silver Spoon's house relatively quickly, praying all the while that she's safe and unharmed.

There's a huge, pulsating barrier around the yard.

"Oh no, what do we do?" Pinkie moans as we see the barrier.

"We break though," I say, revving Prime's engine. Into the phone, I say, "Sil? We're coming in. Watch out!"

And with that, I floor it. Optimus Prime barrels into the barrier and crashes through it, busting through into a spacious yard with a large patio and a swimming pool. The water is still and blood-red.

As soon as we're through, Optimus starts to fade away. The four of us drop to the ground; I stumble and land on my hands and knees, gasping for air. My head is killing me...

Sil runs past, wearing a bathing suit and screaming her head off. "HELP!" she cries.

The other Gemini lurches into view from behind the poolhouse. We all stare at it in horror.

For the most part, it looks like the one we saw back at the karaoke box, all spindly limbs and faceless head and grey skin. However, this Shadow's torso is inverted: its disjointed "legs" end in spindly-fingered hands upon which it walks, while its disjointed "arms" move in splits-like patterns and end in misshapen feet. At the top of its body is an erect, veiny, translucent penis which ends in an androgynous, hairless head with loose flesh hanging off a face which has soulless black eyes and an open mouth contorted in pain.

"Oh...my...God," Twilight says softly, a revolted look on her face.

"I need an adult," Pinkie whimpers.

As I stand up, Silver Spoon clings tightly to me. "What...what IS that thing?" she whimpers.

"Stay back," I say. "We're here to protect you. Just...just get someplace safe."

"Are you okay to fight?" Twilight asks me with a worried frown. "Busting that barrier took a lot out of you. Not to mention sustaining your Persona long enough to get us here."

"Just...just give me a second," I say.

"No worries," Rainbow says confidently, cracking her knuckles. "We'll take care of this dickhead!" She pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!"

A glowing green tornado whips up around Gemini, flinging it up into the air before slamming it back down. It quickly pushes itself up with its foot-hands, then flips itself over to stand on its hand-feet. Its penis-like head bobbles around for a minute.

"I don't want my Euphy touching that thing," Pinkie says with a sick grimace. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears; a surge of strength flows through me. I can see the others looking similarly invigorated.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Twilight cries. Her Persona appears, calling down a thick, blinding column of lightning which slams directly into Gemini's head. It thrashes and jerks.

I stare at Twilight. "Seriously?"

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me.

Gemini lurches forward, lowering its head toward us. It twitches and makes a loud horking sound, then spits three slimy white globs onto the ground in front of us.

"EWWW!" Pinkie complains.

"Oh, that's just sick!" Rainbow says, pulling a face.

Off behind us, I can hear Silver Spoon throwing up...

Gemini's...well, cum...wriggles on the ground; each blob increases in size before growing a pair of formless, gelatinous legs, as well as arms that end in three-fingered hands. Mouths full of broad, flat, chattering teeth open up on the front of each cumblob.

Now Twilight's throwing up.

"Okay, time to kill this with fire," I say. "GAMERA!"

Gamera flies in from overhead, expelling waves of scorching flames which sweep over Gemini and its...children. Gemini crumples into a defensive crouch, covering its head with its foot-hands and trembling. One of the cumbabies runs forward and leaps at Pinkie. Before she can react, it latches onto her with its chattering teeth.

"EEK! GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!"

"PINKIE!" Twilight cries. She rushes over, sword at the ready, and starts hacking away at the thing. One of the other cumbabies exhales a column of sharp icicles at her; she screams as she's sent flying, rolling across the ground and landing in Sil's puke. 

"Eep!" Sil yelps.

"TWILIGHT!"

The same cumbaby leaps at me next, mouth open and teeth glistening; I block with my axe, smashing it back at its brother, then rush over to help Twilight stand. "You okay?" I ask.

Twilight grimaces. "I...think so," she says. "Could've done without the trip through your little loli friend's breakfast, though..."

"...'little loli friend'?"

"SERIOUSLY GET THIS THING OFF ME!" Pinkie screeches. The cumbaby latched to her chest is resisting every attempt to remove it. Gemini itself rears back and whips its head forward; a ball of darkness hurls itself at Rainbow Dash. She stiffens up, jerking twice, and falls to the ground dead.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight cries. "Pinkie, you've gotta—"

"I CAN'T MOVE!"

"I've got Rainbow, you try to help Pinkie." I slide Lovers onto my phone. "SERENITY!"

Serenity descends above Rainbow, hands folded in prayer and eyes closed. A soft silver-white light envelops Rainbow, who rises to her feet on a gentle wind. Her eyes blink open; she groans in frustration and anger.

"Oh, this is so not cool! PERSONA!" Nike appears and strums a resounding power chord, unleashing her most powerful attack; a shockwave of sound and color spreads out, sending Gemini and its cumbabies tumbling end-over-end. The one that had latched onto Pinkie falls off and curls into a shivering ball. Pinkie frowns and kicks it like a soccer ball, then snaps out her whip several times, bisecting it. It lets out a high-pitched scream as it breaks down and dissolves into black mist.

The remaining two cumbabies huddle close together and start to melt into each other, merging into a larger, uglier cumbaby. It shrieks at us; I feel gravity dragging down on me...

//Careful! I'm sensing a field that's slowing you down! Watch out, your enemy's attacks won't miss!//

"Like they were missing before," Rainbow mutters.

"We need to put this thing down fast," Twilight says. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears again, unleashing a lightning storm which strikes Gemini and the mega-cumbaby repeatedly. Gemini staggers and returns to its defensive crouch; the mega-cumbaby retaliates by blasting Twilight with icicle breath again, but much stronger this time. She falls to the ground in agony, curling into a ball.

"TWI-TWI!" Pinkie shrieks. "Okay, I've had ENOUGH OF THIS! EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears and hip-checks the cumbaby, then cartwheels over to Gemini and slams feet-first into the base of its cock-head, sending it flying. It lands on its back and thrashes around madly.

I check on Twilight. She lets out a shaky breath. "I'm...I'm okay," she says. "Just...just winded. Take that thing down!"

I pull Twilight to her feet, then turn to glare at Gemini and its disgusting spawn. "Right." I slide the Hanged Man Arcana onto my phone. "MAGUS!"

A sudden wind howls as Magus appears in a spinning black vortex, gripping his scythe tightly. He scowls at the Shadows and raises a hand. Rings of scorching hellfire surround Gemini and the cumbaby, exploding upward into a towering inferno.

When the fire gutters out, the cumbaby is gone, and Gemini is twitching helplessly on the ground. It looks up at us and lets out a plaintive cry of pain and fear.

"PERSONA."

Athena appears directly above Gemini, jams her spear into its chest, and pumps gigawatt after gigawatt of lightning right into its disgusting body. Gemini screams and writhes on the ground. Its mouth opens wide, and a spray of inky blood gushes into the sky as its body breaks down into motes of darkness that spatter all over the ground, melting into nothingness.

Twilight exhales shakily. "Well," she says. "That's that."

"Man, that was fucked up," Rainbow says. She turns to Silver Spoon. "Hey kid, you alright?"

Sil looks at all of us, eyes wide. She's shaking. "What...what are you people?" she asks.

"Didn't you get the memo? We're superheroes!" Rainbow says cockily, grinning.

I walk over to Sil. "Are you okay?" I ask. "Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head. "No, just...just really...really confused and freaked out." She looks at where Gemini was and shudders. "That...that was...what was that?"

"A nightmare," I say. I frown. "Where are your glasses? You didn't lose them or break them or—"

"I was swimming," Sil says. "I never wear my glasses in the pool. I'm just a little farsighted." She looks at Twilight and frowns. "What was that about a 'little loli friend'?"

Twilight blushes. "Sorry, I—"

Silver Spoon abruptly vanishes.

Pinkie gasps. "She's GONE!"

"Cadance? Silver Spoon just disappeared."

//I think that's normal. Hang on.// A pause. //Yeah, Fluttershy says that'll happen with Apple Bloom too once they finish up over here.//

"We're headed back then," I say. "The others need our help—"

"Oh, I think they can manage," a new voice intrudes.

We all turn to watch Sunset Shimmer casually stroll through the hole Optimus Prime made in the barrier, wearing the outfit she wore to the dance last night.

"Now, the real question is," she says, licking her lips.

She holds out her hand. In a burst of fiery code, a dual-bladed naginata with a gold-and-black shaft and gleaming, wickedly curved blood-red blades appears in her hand; she spins it in front of her like an expert.

"Who's going to help you?"
> 5/22 (Su) [3/5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Zodiac

As soon as Flash and his harem leave, I turn my attention to the Hunter in front of us. Damn, this thing is ugly...

"Okay girls, this is what we're going to do. Rarity, you and I are on magical offense. Sonata, try and see if it has any weaknesses we can exploit. Applejack..." I frown. "Just...hit it with everything you've got."

Gemini lumbers toward us, its creepy faceless head rattling and the mouths on its tits screaming soundlessly.

"PERSONA!" I summon Echo and erect a barrier to protect us. I have no idea what its capabilities are, but it's best to lay the groundwork for a solid defense.

Behind me, Sonata summons her Persona. It pulses with a fast, fiery beat; Gemini rears back its head and lets out a bellow of fury.

//Be careful! It's enraged!//

I smirk. "Good strategy, Sonata!" I turn to Applejack. "Your turn!"

"Right!" Applejack taps her phone. "PERSEPHONE!"

Persephone appears and delivers a titanic blow to the Hunter. It staggers, then charges, tearing into my barrier with all its might. The barrier pulses with reflective light; the full force of the Hunter's attack rebounds on it, and it staggers back, pinwheeling its arms and roaring.

"BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona appears. A massive ice crystal slams down onto Gemini. The Hunter roars; its left tit-face shoots off like a rocket and slams into Rarity repeatedly. She screams and falls to the ground.

//Oh my God! Rarity's dead!//

"Damn!" I summon Echo again; with a pulse of white light, Rarity sits up, clutching her chest and breathing heavily.

Sonata steps in front of Rarity and aims her crossbow, firing two bolts into the Hunter's chest. It grunts with the impact.

"Ah'll see if Ah can't give us some more stayin' power," Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

As Persephone appears again, I feel an emboldening, fortifying sensation sweep over me.

"Nice! Keep those buffs coming!" Sonata says.

Rarity stands up, clutching her head. "Persona," she mutters weakly. Bastet's healing washes over her, and she becomes more steady on her feet. She scowls at the Hunter. "That was most uncouth."

"I agree," I say. "Let's see how it likes a little wind. Persona!"

Echo appears again and whips up a windstorm that buffets Gemini. It falls flat on its back.

//It's down! Go after it with everything you've got!//

"You bet!" Applejack says. She rushes in, pummeling Gemini with her fists and feet. I charge in and strike Gemini several times with my staff; Sonata slams the butt of her crossbow over its head repeatedly, while Rarity blasts away on full auto, hitting it right in the eyes.

Gemini roars and sends us all flying, then stands up, wobbling on its feet. Its eyes glow red, and a pressure wave washes over us.

//Be careful! It's lowered your defenses!//

Gemini's face-tits open up, and two huge grenades fly out, landing at our feet. There's no time to dodge before they explode...

The next thing I know, I'm sitting up, nursing a headache.

"APPLEJACK!" Sonata screams.

I look to my right. Applejack is lying on the ground, eyes closed and body still.

//She...she just...sacrificed herself to bring you all back,// Cadance says. //She's the only one that survived that attack.//

"Oh, Applejack," Rarity says softly. Solemnly, she summons her Persona; Applejack's chest rises and falls, and she sits up shakily, eyes wide.

"Don't you EVER do that again!" Sonata wails, throwing herself at Applejack. "That was STUPID!"

"Stupid or not, she saved our lives," I say. "Thank you, Applejack."

Applejack stands up, dusting herself off. "Thank me by figurin' out how t' kill this thing," she says.

"ECHO!" Echo appears and erects another barrier. "Sonata, piss it off again!"

"Got it! MOIRAE!"

Once again, Sonata's Persona enrages Gemini. It roars and slams into my barrier; like before, its attacks rebound. It collapses to the ground.

Like before, we unload on it with everything we have. This time, when it throws us all off, it takes longer for it to stand back up. It starts to shudder, and its tit-faces open up again...

"Oh no, not THIS again!" Applejack cries.

But instead of that grenade attack, Gemini convulses and expels two misshapen lumps of its own Shadow flesh. The lumps convulse, then mold themselves into crude, faceless copies of Sonata and Applejack.

Gemini extends its hands; ropes of what look like congealed blood shoot from its fingertips, sinking hooked barbs into the arms, legs, and heads of the effigies. Suddenly, Sonata and Applejack stiffen, their arms and legs locked rigidly at their sides, their eyes wide and terrified.

"Oh, I don't like where this is going," I say. "Cadance?"

//Scanning. Give me a minute.//

As Cadance scans, Rarity summons Bastet and attacks Gemini again. It recoils from her attack, then twitches its fingertips, moving the Applejack puppet.

The real Applejack suddenly bum-rushes Rarity and chokeslams her to the ground.

Sonata fires her crossbow at me; only my reflexes save me from a painful injury. I slam the butt of my staff into Sonata's breadbasket; she doesn't even seem to notice.

//Be careful! It's controlling Sonata and Applejack!//

"I NOTICED!" I charge Gemini and sweep the Sonata puppet's legs, then hit it repeatedly with my staff. The real Sonata crumples bonelessly to the ground. Applejack charges me like a mad bull; I dodge, and she plows into the Sonata puppet. The strings break, and it folds in on itself, turning back into a shapeless blob of Shadow-flesh.

Dropping my staff, I grab Applejack and throw her at the other puppet. It tears free from Gemini's strings and reverts to a blob even as Applejack lands face-first on top of it.

Rarity stands up and heals us all, then brushes herself off and frowns. "Well. That was unexpected."

Applejack picks herself up and growls. "Use me as some kinda puppet, will ya?" With a wordless scream of rage, she charges Gemini, catching it around one spindly leg and wrenching at it with all her strength. The Hunter flails and struggles to maintain its balance; it kicks Applejack off, sending her flying through the air to crash-land at Rarity's feet.

"What does it take to KILL this fucking thing?" I rejoin the others, then summon Echo to create another barrier. Sonata tries to enrage Gemini again, but fails. Rarity fires off another one of her ice attacks. Applejack's Persona appears and bolsters our defense again.

//You've definitely hurt it,// Cadance says. //Just keep doing what you've been doing and you'll kill it eventually!//

"Eventually," I mutter. "Great."

Gemini suddenly halts in the middle of an attack on my barrier and clutches its head, screaming. It backs off, crouching down and shaking itself like a wet dog.

"Umm...what just happened?"

//Just a second...// Cadance pauses. //The other Gemini is dead! Flash and the others must've won!//

"Great, then they can get back here and help us kill THIS thing."

//They're telling me Silver Spoon disappeared,// Cadance says.

I nod. "That doesn't surprise me. The Hunter is the only thing keeping the target in Zodiac. No Hunter, no target."

Cadance gasps sharply. //Oh no...! Sunset Shimmer just appeared! She's...she's where the others are, and...and I'm picking up that Nemesis Prime thing!//

"What? She's...she's fighting them?" I shake my head. "Tell them to get out of there!"

//It's no good! They're trapped!//

"DAMN!"

"Ease up now, sugarcube," Applejack says. "Flash an' them know whut they're doin'. Ah think they can handle themselves jes' fine. We gotta focus on finishin' off this thing."

I shake my head. "You don't understand! If Sunset Shimmer summons her Persona, they'll...they'll all die!"

"Then we need to finish this quickly so you can find a way to get them back here before that happens," Rarity says.

I nod. "You're right. I...I'll do what I can." I glare up at Gemini, which seems to have recovered slightly from the death of its twin. "Let's finish this..."
> 5/22 (Su) [4/5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Zodiac

In a burst of fiery code, a dual-bladed naginata with a gold-and-black shaft and gleaming, wickedly curved blood-red blades appears in Sunset Shimmer's hand; she spins it in front of her like an expert.

"Who's going to help you?"

"This is our chance!" Rainbow Dash says. "We take her down now, we can put a stop to this once and for all!"

I tighten my grip on my axe. "You're finished, Sunset Shimmer," I snarl. "I'll make you pay for everything you've done to me, to my friends...everyone!"

Sunset smirks. "If you're lucky, I'll keep you alive," she says. "I'll keep you chained up in my basement. I'll use and abuse you every night. I wonder how long it'll take before you beg to be tortured?"

"You sick BITCH!" Twilight yells.

Sunset laughs haughtily. "Oh, Twilight..." She tosses her hair. "You've had this coming for far too long." She narrows her eyes. "I wonder how that whore you call your sister-in-law is going to explain your death to the rest of your pathetic family."

Twilight lets out an enraged, ragged scream and charges Sunset Shimmer. Sunset smiles evilly and readies her weapon.

"TWILIGHT!" I yell. I turn to Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash, do something!"

"On it!" Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears and swoops in quickly, seizing Twilight under the armpits and pulling her up and back just before Sunset can disembowel her. She flies her back over to us and deposits her on the ground next to me; Pinkie grabs hold of her arm.

"She's just trying to get under your skin," Pinkie says.

"Well it's working!" Twilight shouts.

Sunset laughs. "I've waited a long time for this, Twilight Sparkle!" She throws her left hand into the air. "Prepare to meet your end!"

Nemesis Prime roars into the yard, its trailer missing. It transforms into a robot and towers over us, its eyes burning a menacing red as it unlimbers its rifle. A solid black bolt leaps out at us; we're thrown into the pool as the ground explodes.

Pinkie is the first one out. "PERSONA!" Euphoria appears and slams ineffectually into Nemesis Prime.

Twilight drags herself out of the pool. "ATHENA LOGIA!" Athena appears and looses a powerful thunderbolt at Nemesis Prime; small explosions rip across its body as it topples over, crashing thunderously into the ground. Emboldened, Twilight attacks again. Sparks ripple and pop as Nemesis Prime twitches on the ground. Sunset Shimmer grunts and braces herself against her lance.

"Attacking that thing is hurting Sunset Shimmer," I say. "It must be her Persona!"

"THIS is what Fluttershy is so scared of?" Rainbow snorts. "Puh-LEASE." Nike appears and whips up a windstorm which buffets Nemesis Prime.

Now it's my turn. "OPTIMUS PRIME!"

Optimus Prime appears, brandishing his own ion rifle. With one mighty blast, he blows a hole in Nemesis Prime's chest. Sunset staggers.

//That thing isn't a Persona!// Cadance says. //I'm getting completely different readings from it than I get from your Personas, or even from Eris!//

Nemesis Prime explodes into a swarm of black butterflies, which spiral around Sunset Shimmer. She glares at us. "Alright, let's see how you like..." She closes her eyes for a second, then opens them again. "THIS!"

The butterflies spin away from her and come back together, taking on a new shape...

It looks like my Persona Gokuu, except with slate skin, a jet-black gi, blood-red hair, and glowing red eyes.

"What the hell?" Rainbow cries.

Dark Gokuu raises one hand above his head. A sparking black energy ball forms. I feel a pressure on my mind; beside me, I can see the others reeling and clutching their heads.

//LOOK OUT!//

The ball of darkness grows to an enormous size. Dark Gokuu hurls it at us; there's no escape...

Twilight screams as she falls to the ground dead. Rainbow has a surprised, resigned look on her face as she collapses beside her.

Pinkie gasps. "NO!" She summons Euphoria and revives Twilight.

Sunset laughs long and loud. "Go ahead! Bring her back! I'm going to enjoy killing her over and over again!"

"You BITCH!" I scream.

"FLASH!" Pinkie snaps. "Take care of Rainbow first, THEN we can—"

"You're right." I slide Lovers onto my phone. "PERSONA!"

Serenity appears, resurrecting Rainbow, who sits up with a groan, rubbing her head. "Man, I'm sick of dyin'..."

Dark Gokuu plants his feet in a wide stance and holds his arms at his sides, fists clenched, emitting a wordless scream. A blazing hellfire aura surrounds him.

"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears and whips up a glowing tornado which engulfs Dark Goku...and does absolutely nothing.

"Wind won't work," I say. "Twilight, can you break down its resistance to electricity?"

"Like with that one Shadow?" Twilight nods. "On it. PERSONA!" Athena appears; a swirling yellow-white column of light surrounds Dark Gokuu.

"I see where you're going with this!" Pinkie says. "Let me help! PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears; I feel a wave of new strength flood through me.

Dark Gokuu is almost done powering up...

//Everybody brace yourselves!//

I can't risk an attack right now. I need to go on the defensive...

I slide the Hermit Arcana onto my phone. "ARAHABAKI!"

Arahabaki drops from the sky with an earth-shaking thud. A sparkling reflective wall forms between us and Sunset Shimmer just as Dark Gokuu charges forward, fists and feet flying. The barrier shines brightly; the full force of Dark Gokuu's assault rebounds on him, sending him flying back.

"Twilight, NOW!"

"Right! ATHENA LOGIA!"

Athena appears again and calls down an exceptionally powerful thunderbolt, striking Dark Gokuu. He collapses to his hands and knees, then explodes into black butterflies again.

Sunset Shimmer snarls. "Dammit! Let's try something else then!"

The butterflies reform into a dark copy of Magus.

"Really, Sunset?" I ask. "Is copying my Personas all you're capable of?"

"HOW is she copying your Personas?" Twilight wonders.

"We'll figure that out later," I say. "Pinkie, you're up! Use light!"

"Got it!" Pinkie taps her phone. "EUPHORIA!"

The column of light that surrounds Dark Magus instantly reverts it to the swarm of black butterflies. Sunset Shimmer cries out in pain and drops to one knee.

"Give it up, Sunset Shimmer!" I yell. "You can't fight us with copies of my Personas! I know all their weaknesses!"

Sunset bows her head...and starts laughing. Her voice takes on an echoing quality. "Oh really?" she says. "Knowing your own weaknesses is one thing..."

She looks up at us. Her eyes are no longer teal; they're glowing yellow.

"...FACING THEM IS ANOTHER!"

Dark Gokuu reappears, as does Dark Magus and Nemesis Prime. And they're not alone.

One by one, more dark copies of my Personas appear: Black Serenity. Dark Merlin. Light Tantabus. Dark Gamera. Yami Amaterasu. Magatsu Arahabaki. Shadow Kuma. And more and more and more...their names all rage through my mind as they appear, one after another, all staring us down with burning red eyes.

"Ooooooh shit," Rainbow says, eyes wide as she backs away from the horde of dark Personas.

"What...what do we do...?" Pinkie moans.

"How...how is she doing this?!" Twilight asks.

"WHY SHOULD I LIFT A FINGER AGAINST YOU WHEN YOUR OWN INNER DEMONS HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO DESTROY YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS?"

Every Persona I've ever used...even Chiron...

"How...how can we fight something like this?" Twilight asks plaintively.

"If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die fighting!" Rainbow declares. "PERSONA!"

Nike Invicta appears, unleashing a massive windstorm that tears through the Persona swarm, shredding several of them.

Dark Magus raises a hand, and a deadly hail rains down on us. Twilight and I are driven to our knees.

"Don't give up!" Pinkie says. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears and blurs between all the dark Personas, slamming into them with hips, fists, and feet. A few more disappear. Dark Merlin hurls a firebolt at Pinkie; she screams and rolls on the ground.

"FOOLS! I'VE STUDIED YOU! I KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES! I HAVE EVERY POWER FLASH SENTRY HAS! YOU! ARE! FINISHED!"

I stand up. I'm aching all over. I'm exhausted. Between busting down the barrier, fighting Gemini, and now this mess, I'm not sure how much I have left to give.

I have to put an end to this...

As I stare out at the mass of Personas getting ready to tear into us, I realize something.

"You're wrong, Sunset Shimmer," I say. "You do NOT have every power I have."

I slide the Tower Arcana onto my phone.

"GOJIRA!"





A massive, scaly foot slams to the ground in front of me.

Gojira towers over us, the single most massive thing I've ever seen. Sunset Shimmer stares up at it, her glowing yellow eyes wide in surprise and fear. Gojira draws back his head, then leans forward, spreading his clawed, spiny arms wide.

He roars.

Everything shakes. Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow cover their ears and crouch low to the ground. All across the ground and sky, the false Personas arrayed around Sunset Shimmer shudder and vibrate, buffeted by the sheer force of Gojira's mighty roar.

I glare at Sunset Shimmer with all the hate and rage and pain I feel.

"Burn."

A bright, hot, strobing blue light flashes in the sky, along with a high-pitched thrum, which increases in pitch and frequency. The spines on Gojira's tail glow blue, one by one, from the tip up to his back. The massive, jagged dorsal plates on his spine light up. He draws back his head...

A column of blue-white flame issues from Gojira's mouth, sweeping across the horde of false Personas. Over the roaring heat of the flames, I can hear Sunset Shimmer's tortured screams as she burns along with her foul creations.

For ten long, satisfying seconds, everything burns.

With a final roar, Gojira fades away. The scattered motes of the false Personas bleed away into the ether. Twilight and Pinkie catch me as I stagger, gasping for air.

In the deafening silence, the only thing left is the four of us and Sunset Shimmer. Her weapon has melted to slag, and her eyes have returned to normal. She's on her knees, pale and shaking. "HOW?!" she screeches.

"It's over, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight says as she steadies me. "This ends today! You've lost!"

Sunset takes a deep breath, then stands and flips her hair. "Over? Oh, Twilight, you silly, stupid little girl..." She narrows her eyes. "It hasn't even begun." She tilts her head back, regarding us with an imperious, haughty glare. "Look at yourselves. You're exhausted. Your boyfriend is out of steam. You just barely survived my warm-up."

She pulls out her phone.

"Now, it's time to show you what true power looks like."

She taps the screen.

The ground trembles beneath our feet. The sky splits open, a swirling vortex forming above Sunset Shimmer. She throws back her head and laughs as the vortex spits black lightning.

"Oh my God," Pinkie moans.

"Holy shit," Rainbow says, wide-eyed.


"PERSONA!"


And a shell of golden light wraps around us. The shaking and the vortex and the black lightning are replaced by the suddenly cramped interior of a silent parody of a karaoke box. Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Sonata are all standing around us, looking worried.

Pinkie blinks. "Huh? How did we get back here?"

"I teleported you," Fluttershy says with a shaky sigh. "Sorry it took so long. I had to hurry to finish working on something I was programming a while back while we were fighting Gemini." She gives us all a worried look. "I...I knew if you tried to fight Sunset Shimmer, you...you wouldn't make it back alive..."

Above us, Eros fades from existence. Cadance emerges from the crystals, looking pale and shaken. "Oh my God," she whispers hoarsely. She stares at Fluttershy. "No wonder you're so terrified of her..."

Fluttershy's mouth sets into a thin, flat frown. "We need to leave now."
> 5/22 (Su) [5/5]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Daytime

The scene in the karaoke box is completely different from what we left what feels like ages ago.

Apple Bloom is lying spread out in the booth, unconscious. Big Mac is hovering over her, while Granny Smith strokes her forehead with worry and confusion on her face. Sweetie Belle is rocking back and forth, face more pale than usual and eyes full of fear. Shining Armor is pacing frantically back and forth. As soon as he sees us, he stops and rushes over to Cadance, seizing her in a bear hug. "Thank God," he says.

"RARITY!" Sweetie Belle shrieks. She bolts over to Rarity and jumps onto her, wrapping her arms around her.

"Whut th' HELL'S goin' on here?" Big Mac thunders. "You all up an'...an' vanished! Then Apple Bloom turned up again, an' then she fainted!"

We look around at each other, wide-eyed.

Applejack coughs. "Y'all uhh...y'all saw us go missin', huh?"

Cadance rushes over to Apple Bloom and checks her. "She's okay," she says, letting out a shaky breath. "She just...needs a minute."

"Whut'n tarnation's goin' on around here?" Granny Smith asks. "Now Ah know Ah'm gittin' on in mah years, but Ah know folks don't just up an' vanish inta thin air! Least of all if'n it's mah grandbabies!"

"How long...were we gone?" Twilight asks.

Shining Armor frowns. "About thirty minutes." He looks at Apple Bloom. "She came back, fainted, then about five minutes later, the rest of you showed up again." He looks at Twilight, then at Cadance, then at me. "This is about that thing we talked about back in January, isn't it?"

I nod. "Yeah."

"SOMEBODY START MAKIN' SOME SENSE!" Big Mac thunders. He points a shaking hand at Apple Bloom. "Ah wanna know why mah baby sister jes' disappeared, then showed up all passed out like this! An' why mah OTHER li'l sis up an' disappeared too!"

We all look at each other. I look at Fluttershy. "Why did time pass this time?"

She shakes her head. "Silver Spoon," she says. "Two targets, two separate Hunters...you took that one out before we took the other one out, she left Zodiac...it restarted time."

Cadance sighs. "I guess...we'd better explain..."

We all sit down, and take it in turns explaining exactly what's going on.

Sweetie Belle looks fascinated and horrified. Granny Smith's face is scrunched up in disbelief. Big Macintosh has a stoic, studious frown.

Shining Armor looks as though a lot of pieces are starting to fall into place.

"An' so that's pretty much it," Applejack says. "Last month, on mah birthday, Ah found out about all this crazy stuff. An' today..." She runs a hand through Apple Bloom's hair. "Today..." She bows her head; tears glisten in her eyes. "Dammit..." 

"We're pullin' Apple Bloom outta that school right now," Big Mac says. "She's comin' back home, we'll keep up her schoolin'—"

"There ain't no need for all that now, Mac," Applejack says.

"She's right, Big Macintosh," Twilight says. "Apple Bloom is safe now. Gemini is gone. Forever. Sunset Shimmer can't go after her again."

Big Macintosh frowns. "An' whut about jes' drivin' by her school an' doin' somethin' there?"

"She won't do that," Fluttershy says. "Sunset Shimmer won't do anything in the real world that would expose her. Even her actions as 'Mephistopheles' can't be pinned on her unless...unless I turn myself in." She shakes her head. "And even then, there's no guarantee I can prove anything."

"So all the secret meetings, that stuff at the party hall, all of it..." Shining Armor looks from Cadance, to me, to Twilight. "That's what's been going on all this time?"

"Yeah," Cadance says. "That's also why I was under so much stress last year. All the time I was planning the wedding, and...and after..." She shakes her head. "I was dealing with this. Alone."

"My God..."

"Listen," Twilight says. "It's very important that none of you breathe a word of any of this to anyone. Even if anyone would believe it—which they won't—if anyone starts looking into what Sunset Shimmer's really doing, if she's tipped off in any way...she can do some serious damage to everyone here. And everyone we all care about."

"Starting with that damn video," I mutter.

The Apples fall silent. Tension fills the room.

Apple Bloom groans and sits up, rubbing her head. "Ugh," she says. "Whut happened?"

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack cries. "Are you alright?"

"Ah think so," Apple Bloom says. She frowns. "Did...did Ah pass out?"

"You fainted," Cadance says gently. She crouches down in front of Apple Bloom with concern. "What do you remember?"

Apple Bloom shakes her head. "Everythin' goin' dark...voices..." She runs her hands through her hair. "Ah thought..." She pauses. "Ah dunno." She looks around, fear and exhaustion in her eyes. "Ah know Ah wanted t' spend th' day here an' all, but...can we go home? Ah...Ah feel so tired..."

"Of course we can," Cadance says. "We'll get you home, you can take a nap, we'll make you a nice birthday dinner, we can have your cake after if you're up for it..."

Apple Bloom nods. "Yeah, that...that sounds good..." She closes her eyes and sags back on the bench.

Big Macintosh wordlessly picks her up. We all file out and head downstairs, then leave the karaoke box.

When we get back to the dorm, Applejack gently puts Apple Bloom to bed, then sits with her. Big Mac and Granny Smith follow Cadance and Shining Armor over to the apartment; Cadance tells us she's going to have a long talk with all of them.

The rest of us, exhausted from our ordeal, go to our own rooms to rest and recover.

Sunday, May 22, 2016 / Evening

Big Macintosh and Granny Smith had to leave before dinner.

Applejack walks back in from seeing them off and joins everyone in the lounge. "Well," she says tiredly, "that coulda gone better."

"No shit," Rainbow says. "Fluttershy, be straight with us. Did you know Sunset could do that crap with copying Flash's Personas?"

Fluttershy frowns and shakes her head. "That...confuses and disturbs me. I've only seen her control Shadows, and...and her Persona. What you all described from your fight with her..." Her brow furrows. "I don't know what the hell happened."

"The readings I got during the fight...didn't make sense," Cadance says. "I could detect Sunset Shimmer, but..." She frowns, gesturing vaguely. "For a while there, Eros was telling me she was, well..." She swallows. "A Shadow."

"A Shadow?" Shining Armor asks. "Those monsters you fight?"

Cadance nods.

Rainbow frowns. "So wait...Sunset Shimmer is a Shadow?"

"That's not possible," Fluttershy says. "Shadows don't exist outside of Zodiac, and we know Sunset Shimmer is human."

"Sunset Shimmer is absolutely human," Cadance agrees. "Whenever I detect her, I always detect a human. Even today, I picked her up as a human. But when she started doing...that thing...her reading changed. It was almost as if..."

"She turned into a Shadow?" Twilight suggests.

"Yeah," Cadance says. "It...it doesn't make sense, but..." She frowns. "But after Flash summoned that really strong Persona and wiped out all those others, she read as human again. Then she summoned..." She draws her knees up to her chest and shudders. "Mephistopheles..."

Twilight turns to Fluttershy. "What IS her Persona?" she asks. "We didn't...actually get to see it before you teleported us out of there."

Fluttershy shudders. "Imagine staring straight into the face of Hell itself and having a hundred years of nightmares shoved right up your ass all at once. And that's before it even does anything."

A nervous silence follows that.

"So those copies of my Personas," I say after a time. "Those were Shadows?"

"I don't know what they were," Cadance says. "They registered as Personas, but there was something wrong about them. They weren't Shadows, they couldn't have been real Personas..." She shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine."

So when it's time to fight her for real, we won't just be fighting her freakishly scary Persona that even Fluttershy is scared of, but we'll be fighting every Persona Flash has too?

"I hope not," Twilight says with a shudder. "Going through that once was enough..."

Rarity coughs. "We need to figure out who the next target will be," she says. "And when we'll have to fight."

"The next Hunter is Cancer," Fluttershy says.

Shining Armor flinches. Twilight pales.

Cadance bows her head and closes her eyes.

Fluttershy looks at them, frowning.

I clear my throat. "I don't think we'll need to worry about figuring out who the next target is," I say. "It's obviously going to be Shining Armor."

"Yeah," Twilight says miserably, glancing at her brother. "All things considered, Sunset's definitely going to use you to hurt me." She gets up, walks over to Shining Armor, and hugs him. "I'm sorry," she says.

"Don't worry," Cadance says, taking Shining Armor's hand and squeezing it. "These kids...they'll protect you. And...and I'll be there to do what I can to make sure they succeed."

"You could just quit," Fluttershy says. "Quit your job and get taken off Canterbook. Delete Canterbook off your phone or get a new one. She can't touch you if you're not in the system."

Shining Armor shakes his head. "No," he says. "After everything I've heard today? I want the chance to see this for myself. I want to know what my sister and my wife are dealing with." His face sets into a hard frown. "I'll be the bait to draw her out. You kids...you kids do whatever you have to do."

"Shining Armor, no," Twilight whispers.

Shining Armor grins. "Hey. Maybe I'll get lucky and get one of these Persona things. Then I can fight too."

"Hey, how come Apple Bloom didn't get a Persona?" Rainbow wonders.

"Because she didn't fight," Fluttershy says. "We kept her safe in the karaoke box with Cadance. She never even saw the Shadow."

"So...so whut happens next time we're in Zodiac?" Applejack asks fretfully.

"Nothing," Fluttershy says. "We're pulled into Zodiac every time because we have Personas. She doesn't. She'll never see Zodiac again."

"She's right," Cadance says. "The victims I saved before Flash came along don't show up in Zodiac at all."

"Well that's a relief," Applejack says.

Twilight looks around at all of us. "So...I guess for now, we just keep training and wait for Sunset Shimmer to make her next move?"

"That's all we can do," Fluttershy says.

"Next time, we'll be ready for her!" Rainbow says, pounding a fist into an open palm.

"Next time, hopefully we'll all be together," Rarity says. "Perhaps eight against one odds will work more in our favor."

Fluttershy sighs. "I hope you're right," she says. "I really hope you're right..."

Apple Bloom pads downstairs, followed closely by Sweetie Belle. We end our little meeting to have dinner, after which Apple Bloom blows out her candles and we have birthday cake.

After the birthday cake, I head upstairs to get ready for bed. I'm still tired...

Twilight comes in, dressed in her favorite pajamas, a doubtful and afraid look on her face. "Are we...even going to survive all this?"

I sigh. "I don't know." I pull her into my arms and hold her.

I finish changing for bed, and she slides in next to me, cuddling up against me. She silently cries until she falls asleep.

Sunset Shimmer is more dangerous than any of us expected.

In three weeks, the school year ends. Final exams suddenly don't seem as important...

It's been a long day. I'm too exhausted to think. I snuggle up against Twilight and doze off.
> 5/23 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, May 23, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight.

I wake up to the warmth and comforting, familiar fragrance of Twilight. She shifts around; I brush her hair out of her face and kiss her.

"Mmm," she mumbles.

"Wake up," I say. "It's..." I grab my phone and check the time. "It's time to get up."

Twilight stirs and blinks her eyes open. "Hey," she says. She sits up, stretches, and yawns. "Sun's not even up yet," she says with a pout.

"It will be soon," I say. "Anyway, we've got prep week today, so we'd better get washed up and get a good breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds good," she says. "Especially after I didn't even get to digest mine from yesterday."

"Ugh, don't remind me," I say. I frown. "By the way."

"Hm?"

I give Twilight a flat stare. "What was that shit about Silver Spoon?"

Twilight blinks. "Eh?"

"The 'little loli friend' crack," I say, crossing my arms. "What the hell, Twi?"

Twi blinks, tilting her head. "Oh!" She shakes her head. "Sorry, that...that was really wrong of me."

I raise an eyebrow. "You're not getting off that easy," I say. "I want a real answer."

Twilight rolls her eyes and blows upward on her bangs. "If you must know," she says, "it bothered me that a cute girl in a swimsuit was clinging to you like that, okay?" She frowns. "Especially when she's, well...in junior high. I mean, the girls here in the dorm, I can kind of forgive you for, but...her? Really?"

"What?" I ask. "We're friends. Half the pretty stuff I've bought you, I bought from her dad, and she works in his shop." I shake my head. "You don't seriously think—"

"Well," Twilight says in a plaintive tone, flinching. "I can't help it, okay? Whenever a new girl throws herself at you, I worry."

I shake my head. "Twi..." I stand up, pull her into a hug, and kiss her. "Do me a favor and wait until we're at least forty before you start freaking out over being dumped for a younger girl, alright?"

Twilight giggles. "Okay." She sticks her tongue out at me. "Go make me breakfast."

At breakfast, everyone is quiet and introspective. We've all got so much on our minds—final exams, Sunset Shimmer, Zodiac...

Monday, May 23, 2016 / Morning

During homeroom, Principal Celestia makes a few announcements.

"Good morning, students! We're in the home stretch. Final exams are next week. Please note that there will be no club or team activities after school this week, so that you may all devote your full time and attention to studying for your final exams.

"The girls' tennis team will be exempt from their last class this week so that they can train for the upcoming Nationals this weekend. Wish them luck! And girls, don't forget to study on your own time.

"And now, the bad news. As you know, we've used up our bad weather days this year, which means we'll have a full week of school after exams instead of the half week that's on the calendar. I do apologize for this, but it can't be helped.

"Study hard, everyone! Good luck on your exams."

This is going to be a long, exhausting week of review...

Monday, May 23, 2016 / After School

Today was mentally exhausting. After school, I'm headed for the school exit when I bump into Juan. He grins toothily at me.

"Well, if it isn't Flash Sentry! I expect this is the last time we'll be bumping into one another in the halls," he says. "I'm retiring." He pops his back. "Effective immediately, as a matter of fact." He sighs. "I've put a lot of work into this school. I'm going to miss seeing all your fresh-scrubbed, shining faces. I'm especially going to miss watching kids like Sunset Shimmer stir up trouble." He chuckles. "She's a spitfire, that one. The things I've heard about her..."

"She's an evil, manipulative, sadistic, psychotic bitch," I say.

Juan shrugs. "Hmm. Yes. Well. Nobody's perfect." He looks around. "Still, this has been a more eventful year than most. I almost regret that it's time for me to move on." He smiles. "Oh, don't worry. You'll be seeing me around town over the summer. I guarantee it." He claps me on the shoulder. "Good luck with your final exams!"






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Devil Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Betelgeuse, the ultimate form of the Devil Arcana...


Juan strolls away, whistling tunelessly to himself. He stops suddenly, then turns.

"By the way!" he calls back to me. "You really don't want to mess with Sunset Shimmer and her Persona until around her birthday!" He waves, then turns to walk away.

...wait. WHAT?!

I hurry and give chase as Juan turns a corner. But when I round the same corner, only seconds behind him...he's gone.

Heart hammering in my chest, I hurry back to the dorm.

Monday, May 23, 2016 / Evening

As soon as I'm back to the dorm, I rush upstairs and pound on Fluttershy's door.

She opens it; she's clearly in the middle of changing. She blushes and covers herself. "Gah!" She slams the door in my face. After a minute, she opens it; she's changed into worn-out jeans and a faded pink T-shirt. She crosses her arms. "What?"

"What do you know about Juan? The janitor at school?"

Fluttershy frowns. "The old guy with the creepy eyes? Not much, aside from his having way too high an access level for a janitor. Why?"

I sit down on Fluttershy's bed. I go over what I want to say...

I've been thinking about all the creepy, cryptic things Juan has said to me all year. It's all starting to fall into place now, after that parting shot. I take a deep breath. "Juan knows about Zodiac," I say.

Fluttershy's eyes widen. "What?"

I tell her about all the little encounters I've had with Juan all year long. About his past involvement with CHS's old social network. "Today, he retired," I say when I'm done. "On his way out, he warned me not to try to fight Sunset until her birthday. He wasn't even cryptic or subtle about it. He just...said it. Straight out. And then he was gone."

"You didn't chase him down?"

"I tried to. He just disappeared."

Fluttershy frowns. "That's..." She shakes her head. "I won't say 'impossible', if he knows about Zodiac and..." She starts pacing nervously. "This doesn't make any sense."

"You've gotta know something about him. Since you've got dirt on everybody at school."

Fluttershy shakes her head. "I never bothered looking into him," she says. "I mean, he's just the janitor. Besides, he never posts anything to Canterbook, ever. He doesn't even seem to use it for anything. I mean, his having that tier three access always confused me, but I never saw any reason to look into it. I mean, like I said...he's just a janitor."

"Apparently not," I say. "Apparently he used to be pretty important."

Fluttershy nods. "I'll look into it," she says, moving over to sit down at her desk. "After dinner, we'll round up everybody and talk about this."

Once dinner is over, we all assemble in the lounge. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are upstairs studying.

"What's going on?" Twilight asks. "We should really be studying right now."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna get to stay on all my teams if I blow these exams," Rainbow says.

"We can all go back to studying later, but this is important," I say. I recount my encounter with Juan to everyone, and add the things he's said over the course of the school year. "And now that I think about it," I add, "I always seem to run into him not long after we've fought a Hunter."

Stunned silence follows my story.

"Whoa. That skeevy old dude...knows about Zodiac?" Rainbow says.

Cadance frowns. "I...honestly never paid any attention to him. I mean, he's just...an old, kooky janitor."

"He's a lot more than that," Fluttershy says. "I did some checking into this Project Wondercolt thing, and everything Flash said checks out. His name isn't even Juan; he changed it after the whole Wondercolt scandal to distance himself from it. His real name is Red Flag. Twenty years ago, he was a major player in security and social networking systems. He even handled some government contracts. Then he got into developing systems and software for education, and he started slipping off the grid.

"And then he developed Project Wondercolt. And within two years of its implementation, CHS had one tragedy after another. Kids were dying, the school's morale was in complete and total chaos. Red Flag and his company were thrown under the bus, Wondercolt was shut down...Principal Celestia had to do a lot of damage control."

"But she never blamed him for things getting out of hand," I say. "At least, that's what he says. That's why she hired him back as a janitor."

There's silence for a time as everybody digests this.

"So...all that's fascinatin' an' all," Applejack says slowly, "but whut's it got t' do with th' problems we got right now?"

"I'm not sure," I admit.

"I'm going to keep looking into Red Flag," Fluttershy says. "This whole thing really bothers me."

"Keep us up to speed," Twilight says. Her brow furrows. "Now, that warning about Sunset Shimmer..."

"He could be setting us up," Fluttershy says. "Sunset Shimmer is a Leo."

"Leo," Cadance says with a frown. "The only Hunter Shadow I've never seen..."

"You don't suppose she's already killed that one, do you?" Rarity says. "I mean, if her Persona is as powerful as all that?"

"It's possible," Fluttershy says. "Or it could be she has control over the Shadows and they won't touch her. In which case..." She frowns. "I don't know."

"Well, I like the idea of waiting," I say. "We need to be ready. We need to be stronger than we are now. If we train, and I mean train hard, between now and then..." I look at Fluttershy.

She swallows and nods. "We might have a shot."

"Then that's what we'll do," Twilight says. She sighs. "I guess it means we can't make any big summer plans, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," Cadance says. "I mean, just because we're busy getting ready to put an end to Sunset Shimmer doesn't mean we have to put our lives on hold. Besides, I'm looking forward to another week or two somewhere...not here." She looks down at her midsection and frowns. "Even though I'm about to lose my bikini body for a while..."

"So...business as usual then?" Rarity asks.

"For now," Fluttershy says. "At least until I can dig up anything new about Red Flag, Project Wondercolt, and whether or not there's any connection between him and Zodiac."

"In the meantime, you kids all have finals to study for," Cadance says. "Don't let your grades slip because of all this!"

"Our next best chance to train in Zodiac will be Monday," Twilight says. "It's a holiday, there's no school, Pinkie will have rested up from Nationals."

We all agree to go to Zodiac on Monday, then turn our attention to studying. Fluttershy and Twilight are pensive and quiet for the rest of the evening...

It's half past eleven when I finally go to bed, too exhausted to think anymore.
> 5/24 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A dog without a scent to follow does nothing but lick its own anus.

After school, I head to the library to study with Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack for an hour. Rainbow and Applejack especially need help...

We carefully avoid mentioning anything related to Zodiac while we study.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 / Evening

Everybody's doing their own thing for dinner tonight. We stopped on the way back from the library to pick up some take-out.

While I'm eating dinner, I get a video call from Mom.

"Hi hon," she says. "How's it going?"

"Hey Mom," I say. "Sorry I didn't call this weekend. We had a busy couple of days here."

"Oh? You had that big school dance Saturday, right?"

I nod. "Yeah, and Apple Bloom's birthday party on Sunday."

Mom smiles. "Well, that is a busy weekend."

"Yeah." I pause to swallow a huge bite of hamburger. "Sorry to eat and chat."

Mom laughs. "That's alright."

Dad walks in behind her. "Hello, Son!"

"Hi Dad."

"So, school's almost done for the year, right?"

I nod again. "Three more weeks including this one." I grimace. "Should've been two and a half, but we lost some bad weather days."

"So you must be busy studying for exams right now," Mom says.

"Yeah."

"Well, listen," Mom says, "we've been talking it over, and we've decided—if it's okay with you—to come down the week of Father's Day."

"That'd be great," I say. "I think Twilight's parents might be coming down too. They'd love to meet you."

"Perfect!" Mom smiles. "Well, we'll let you get back to studying now. We just wanted to touch base."

"I'm sorry I didn't call this weekend," I say. "I really meant to, I just got so busy..."

Mom looks away. "Yeah..." She laughs weakly. "Well, after all the years we've pretty much done the same to you, we...can't really complain, can we?"

Well, this is awkward.

"Anyway, be sure to call us when you can! Study hard!"

I nod. "I will. Talk to you later."

"We love you, Son," Dad says.

"I love you too," I say.

They hang up. I finish eating dinner, go to the bathroom to wash my hands, then take my laptop down to the lounge.

The others are spread out around the lounge, snacking and studying. I join them for a little while. Around seven, we're all feeling the strain of overstudying, even Twilight. We decide to take a break to play video games for a while.

While we're relaxing, I tell Twilight about my parents' plans to come down.

"Sounds good," she says. "I'll mention it to Mom and Dad. I'm sure they'll be coming down around then." She smirks. "Mom's definitely going to be throwing Cadance a baby shower."

Before any of us know it, it's past eleven...

I say goodnight to the others and head up to my room.
> 5/25 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When learning a new language, the most important words to learn first are the profanities.

After school, I head to the library with Applejack, Fluttershy, Sonata, and Rarity to study. Twilight's having menstrual cramps today, so she went straight back to the dorm after classes.

We study until the library closes, then head back to the dorm.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 / Evening

We order pizza for the dorm for dinner. The smell of pizza lures Twilight away from her heating pad...

We have a big group study session in the lounge while eating pizza and watching television. Of course, with pizza and television to distract us, not much studying gets done...

Everybody goes to bed early tonight.
> 5/26 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, May 26, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Word to the wise: if it was worth buying, you'd find it in an actual store.

Once again, I spend the afternoon in the library with my friends, studying for exams.

Thursday, May 26, 2016 / Evening

Outside the library, Sonata asks me to go to her favorite taco place with her. We have a good time eating an early dinner together; Sonata doesn't "talk" much while we're eating, but she clearly has something on her mind.

When we're done, we head back to the dorm. Sonata asks me to stop by her room for a minute.

I join Sonata in her room. She pulls out a bottle of nasty-looking syrup and fills a little plastic cup with it, then swallows it. She grimaces in distaste, then follows it with a swig of water from a bottle and clears her throat.

"I told Mommy the truth...about the accident," she says hoarsely. There's a painful, wistful look in her eyes; she kneads the hem of her skirt with her hands. "She...she already knew."

I sit down beside her, taking one of her hands in mine. She looks up at me and smiles. There are tears in her eyes. She stands up and walks over to her desk. She pulls out two mangled phones with cracked screens, then walks back over and hands them to me.

"I...can finally let them go," she says. She sniffles. She starts coughing, then sits down and picks up her tablet.

When I was a little girl, Mommy used to tell me this story. There was a mermaid who had a fight with her daddy and swam away from home. She swam into the dark part of the sea where mermaids were forbidden to go. A sea monster swallowed her up. In the sea monster's belly, she curled up and cried, feeling sorry for herself. Then her daddy came looking for her, and when he heard her crying, he punched the sea monster so hard it threw up, and she was able to swim free and went back home with her daddy, who she realized she loved so much she never wanted to make him angry again.

For a while now, since the accident, I've been thinking back to that story. I think I know how that mermaid felt. The despair and the misery I've felt ever since Adagio and Aria died...that loneliness, that feeling of helplessness, that must be what that poor mermaid in the story felt like.

She pauses thoughtfully.

But I think...I'm not just the mermaid. I'm also the sea monster.

Back in Seaddle, it was always just the three of us. I didn't really have any friends. My sisters didn't either. We just stuck together. We fought all the time and they put me down all the time, but...we loved each other, you know? We were family.

She looks sad.

When I lost them, I...I felt so alone and so cold. I was lost in the darkness. I was hungry for the love and friendship they gave me.

And then I came here, and I met you and all the others, and all the good times we've had together and all the things that have happened...

She stops writing for a minute, tapping her stylus on her knee. After a moment, she sighs and giggles.

Sorry, I don't know where I'm going with this.

"I think I do," I say. "You've been feeling guilty for moving on. Having a good time and living your life when they're gone."

Sonata's eyes widen. She nods rapidly, then starts writing again.

Yeah...yeah! That's it exactly. So whenever I started having too much fun or thinking about things I hadn't thought about before, I'd remind myself of them and that they'll never laugh or smile or sing again, and I'd make myself sad. I kept myself in the darkness, crying for my sisters.

She sniffles.

But the more time I've spent with you and all my new friends, the more I've wanted to come out of the darkness. The more I've wanted to let them go and swim free. And now, finally, I understand.

It's always going to hurt. I'm always going to miss them. That's never going to go away. But I don't think...

I think they wouldn't want me to waste my life crying over them. I think they'd want me to remember the good times, and remember the love, and find something to live for and someone to love.

I think they'd want me to be happy. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be happy.

She puts her tablet aside and wraps her arms around me, burying her head in my shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispers. "Thank you for being my friend."







Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Death Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Alice, the ultimate form of the Death Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Sonata, I see her Persona, Moirae...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Moirae changes!





Sonata's stomach suddenly rumbles. She draws back, eyes wide. "Eep! Gotta go!"

She bolts for the door; a second later, I hear the bathroom door slam. Shaking my head, I go back to my room to practice my guitar for a little while. After that, I decide to relax and read until bedtime.
> 5/27 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, May 27, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Nothing trumps a cold beer after a late show.

Everyone's up a little earlier than usual today. At six-thirty, Mr. and Mrs. Cake drop by the dorm with a big "safe trip and good luck" breakfast assortment and words of encouragement for Pinkie. We all enjoy tasty muffins, donuts, eclairs, and a bevvy of beverages.

"It's a shame we can't be there to cheer you on," Rarity says.

"Yeah, but they'll be showin' the whole thing on cable," Rainbow says. "We can watch."

"I just hope they don't go for any pervy low camera angles," Pinkie says. "I'm really picky about who gets to see the Pinkie pie."

Twilight groans and rubs the bridge of her nose. "Pinkie..."

Cadance shakes her head. "Hurry and finish eating and get your stuff together, the bus to the airport leaves from the school in...yikes. Half an hour."

"Eep!" Pinkie crams two whole donuts in her mouth, then gulps down a latte. "Study hard, guys!" She runs upstairs.

The rest of us enjoy the Cakes' generous gift at a more leisurely pace before getting ready for school.

Friday, May 27, 2016 / After School

Everyone's tired and stressed out from a long day of reviewing for the upcoming exams. We have a three day weekend ahead...

After school, instead of going to the library, we all decide to head over to Onchi Karaoke and pick up where we left off on Apple Bloom's birthday.

It's after ten when we finally head back to the dorm, exhausted but happy and refreshed.
> 5/28 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, May 28, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be kind to your behind.

Most of the girls are still asleep when I wake up. I head downstairs to round up some breakfast.

I find Apple Bloom in the kitchen, frying some sausage. I can smell biscuits...

She looks up at me. "Hey," she says. "Ah'm makin' enough for a few people, thought somebody else might be up soon. You want some?"

I smile. "Thanks, I appreciate it." I tilt my head. "I didn't know you could cook."

She shrugs. "Ah can't, really. Them biscuits is canned." She gestures at the sausage. "This here's easy enough, you jes' cut it an' flip it over."

"True."

I help Apple Bloom finish making breakfast, scrambling some eggs while she tends the sausage. Once everything's ready, we fix plates for ourselves, then head into the dining room.

Apple Bloom looks pretty down...

"You okay?" I ask.

She sighs. "Ah remember all of it," she says. "Ah had a talk with Applejack. She told me everything. Ah...Ah remember that whole mess from mah birthday."

I wince. "Apple Bloom..."

She shakes her head. "That ain't whut's botherin' me, though. Well, not really. It's...Ah hate that Applejack's got all that t' mess with on top of everything else. Ah hate that when we're already goin' through so much, we got this weird monster stuff t' put up with too." She looks at her plate. "Ah hate that mah friends an' family all gotta suffer for no reason."

She lets out a long, tired sigh.

"Ah hate...mah cousin Babs."

I grimace. "I...I heard about Babs," I say. "Sil told me she's...she's turned bad."

Apple Bloom shakes her head. "More like she was already bad," she says. "Ah guess. Ah always thought somethin' was wrong with Babs. Ah talked with Applejack about it. She don't know much about Babs, but Ah think...Ah think we don't got much t' do with her side of th' family." She picks at her eggs. "Thing is, Diamond Tiara just shoots off her mouth. Babs...she hits."

I sit back. "She hasn't...?"

"Me? No. Not yet." Apple Bloom frowns. "She got in it with Scootaloo after school th' other day, but th' teachers weren't around, so she got away with it."

"You have to tell someone," I say.

Apple Bloom snorts. "Yeah, 'cuz that's workin' out so well for y'all with Sunset Shimmer."

Ouch. I wince. "Point. Still..."

Apple Bloom shakes her head. "Two more weeks, then Ah ain't gotta worry 'bout Babs fer th' rest of th' summer. Besides, ain't nobody gonna have time t' do no bullyin' an' crap next week, right?"

"True."

She breaks open a biscuit and butters it listlessly. "Ah jes'...Ah wish Ah'd known movin' t' th' city was gonna be th' way it's been," she says. "Ah thought it'd be fun an' excitin'...Ah didn't know it'd be..."

"Life isn't easy, Apple Bloom. The older you get, the less easy it gets."

"Ah know..."

We finish our breakfast in silence.

Saturday, May 28, 2016 / Daytime

At ten, everybody is in the lounge. We have snacks and drinks and we're all set to watch the nationals matches on cable.

The matches go on for hours, and we cheer every time they show a Canterlot match. We cheer harder whenever we see Pinkie Pie on the screen. When they're not focusing on Canterlot, everyone takes bathroom breaks or refreshes their drinks and snacks or just talks or reads.

At the end of the day, Canterlot High School plays in the championship match...

We all erupt in a massive victory cheer as Canterlot takes the cup!

Saturday, May 28, 2016 / Evening

While we're cleaning up the lounge after watching tennis all day, Pinkie texts us. She's exhausted, but happy. She also tells us her sister Maud came out to cheer her on.

Pinkie will be home tomorrow evening...

The Cakes call and tell us they'll help us prepare a huge victory party for Pinkie tomorrow.

The rest of us are too wired up from Canterlot's win, so we have our own little impromptu party. Apple Bloom has cheered up since this morning and is having a good time.

By the time we're all ready to hit the hay, we've eaten all the junk food in the dorm. I have a feeling nobody's getting up before noon tomorrow...
> 5/29 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, May 29, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Everything old is new again.

Shortly after nine in the morning, Mrs. Cake arrives, carrying the twins and a day kit. We're all in the lounge waiting for her, even Cadance and Shining Armor.

"Good morning, dearies!" Mrs. Cake says pleasantly. "I'm sure you've heard, but we've decided to have a party for the entire tennis team at Sugar Cube Corner this evening. I've been talking with Coach Chrysalis, and the girls' team is just going to go straight there from the airport. Everyone's making their own arrangements."

"Sweet!" Rainbow says. "Nothin' like a big party at our favorite hangout to make a three-day weekend perfect!"

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Twilight asks.

"Actually, we'd be grateful for the help setting up," Mrs. Cake says thankfully. "Nurse Cadance, are you sure you won't mind...?"

Cadance laughs. "I need the practice," she says. "Don't worry, the twins are in good hands with me and my husband."

"Thank you," Mrs. Cake says with a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry you'll miss the party..."

"I think we're a little partied out after last night," Shining Armor says with a laugh. "Besides, we really do need practice taking care of babies."

"Yes. Yes you do," Mrs. Cake says with a pained grimace. We all laugh.

Cadance looks at me. "Flash, would you mind going with Rarity to do the week's shopping for the dorm?" I nod. "Great. I'd like everybody else to help the Cakes get set up for the party."

"Where's Sweetie Belle?" Twilight wonders, looking around.

Rarity grimaces. "She...has something to take care of today," she says. "I'll be sure to let her know to meet us at Sugar Cube Corner this afternoon." The warning look in her eyes deters anybody from asking any more questions.

Sunday, May 29, 2016 / Daytime

As soon as Rarity is dressed for shopping (which takes almost thirty minutes) and I have the list and expense card from Cadance and the keys to the second SUV from Shining Armor, the two of us head out to the supermarket.

As we pull up to the intersection leading into town, I ask, "So what is Sweetie Belle doing today? You seem pretty tense about it."

Rarity takes a moment to collect herself. "She...met up with Nurse Love Tap for breakfast," she says. "They're...they're going together to the hospital to visit that...that boy."

"Oh." No wonder she didn't want to talk about it...

Rarity sighs. "Flash? You...you were right about Sweetie Belle," she says quietly. "She is so much stronger than I gave her credit for." She swallows thickly. "She's...she's stronger than I am."

"Rarity..."

"I've been asking myself...if I'd have the strength to forgive someone for doing to me what that boy did to her. If...if I could keep trying to be his friend, even after that." Rarity turns and looks out the window. "I'm...I'm not sure I could."

She falls silent for a long time.

"I've been thinking," she says as we turn onto the road that leads to the supermarket. "The elegance and grace and refinement I've worked hard to cultivate...are these things just a persona? A mask to hide a shallow, insecure girl, too ashamed of herself to face the world?"

I glance at her as I turn into the parking lot. "I think...you are who you choose to be. I think..." I pause to think as I look for a parking space. "I think...if you don't like who you are deep down inside, you can change yourself. You don't have to hide behind a false face." As I turn onto the next row, I add, "For what it's worth? I think you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Rarity smiles at me. "Thank you." She looks down at her lap. "I just..."

She falls silent, never finishing the thought. I park the SUV; we grab two carts and divide up the list. It still takes almost an hour to finish the shopping. Rarity is silent and pensive on the drive back to the dorm.

We quickly put away all the groceries and return the expense card to Cadance. The scene in the apartment is...interesting; Shining Armor looks like he's about to break down in tears, and Cadance is more than a little freaked out.

Apparently, the twins have been running them ragged...

Rarity and I decide to help them out for a little while before heading over to Sugar Cube Corner to meet up with the others.

We arrive to find the cafe almost completely decorated for a tennis-themed party. Twilight and Rainbow are hanging banners that read "CONGRATULATIONS!" and "WONDERCOLTS TENNIS CHAMPS 2016!"; Fluttershy and Sonata are blowing up balloons and putting up streamers, and the smell of baking wafts through the air.

Mr. Cake pokes his head up from behind the counter. "Flash! Perfect timing! Could you come back here and help me for a minute?"

"Sure." I head behind the counter. I find Mr. Cake with his head and shoulders buried deep in the guts of an old-fashioned fountain soda machine. There are several pressurized tanks lined up along the counter. I tilt my head. "What...?"

"We just bought this the other day," Mr. Cake says with a grunt, leaning back and sitting down. He wipes his brow. "I want to bring back the old-timey sodas like they used to have back when my dad was about your age. I think there's real potential there. Something kids your age would really eat up." He grunts. "Putting this damn thing together is a lot of work, though."

"You mean the kind you see in really old TV shows and movies, where there's a soda jerk and he makes ice cream sodas and egg creams by hand?"

Mr. Cake nods. "Yeah." He chuckles. "I'm surprised you know what an egg cream is."

"I've heard of them," I say with a shrug. "No idea what they are."

Mr. Cake chuckles. "I've had one once, back on our honeymoon. We found an old-timey diner that still had a soda jerk and one of these. It's pretty good, it's...well, it's kind of like carbonated chocolate milk." He shrugs. "Anyway, I've thought about adding one of these for a long time, but they're hard to find on the market and really expensive. I managed to find this one that someone had built out of a regular restaurant soda fountain on the Internet." He grabs one of the tanks and, with a strained grunt, hauls it toward the machine. "I...agh!...spent most of yesterday setting up the ice cream machine that goes with this thing..."

"Here, let me help with that." I grab the tank from him and pick it up. It's heavy!

"Thanks." He shows me where to put it, then starts connecting it to the machine. "Anyway, what do you think? Fountain drinks mixed at the counter, ice cream sodas, any flavors, any mixture. Will kids go for it?"

I shrug. "Who knows? I think it's a good idea, though. I mean, unless you lose money on it."

Mr. Cake laughs weakly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Anyway, I want to have it up and running in time for the party for a test run."

"Sounds good." I spend most of the rest of the afternoon helping Mr. Cake finish installing the soda fountain. The rest of the girls are either baking, bringing things out to the front, or setting up for the party. At around three in the afternoon, Sweetie Belle arrives, looking wrung out. Rarity quickly steps aside, gives her a muffin and an iced coffee, and spends a few minutes talking quietly to her.

We finish all the preparations with minutes to spare. We're all taking a break and drinking some sodas—pre-bottled, because we're not testing the soda fountain until the party—when the doors burst open and Pinkie enters with a huge, happy grin.

"Did somebody say PARTY?"

Sunday, May 29, 2016 / Evening

The entire team arrives in short order, and everyone's in a festive mood. Rainbow Dash puts on some music, which fills the cafe. We gather around in groups, talking and chatting and laughing. Everyone has plenty of food and drink. Mr. Cake mans the soda fountain; once the kids from the team realize what he's doing, he quickly finds himself swamped with orders for ice cream sodas and fountain drinks. I can see phones out, spreading the word about the old-timey soda fountain at Sugar Cube Corner.

I ask Mr. Cake to make me a cherry cola float with chocolate ice cream and a twist of fudge syrup. It's one of the best things I've ever tasted...

The party rages on for hours. Throughout the party, I notice Sweetie Belle mostly keeping to herself, only halfheartedly engaging in conversation or playing games with the others.

It's late in the evening when the party starts winding down and the tennis team members start to leave. Everyone from the dorm stays behind to help clean up. I'm taking a break from wiping down tables when Sweetie Belle walks over and sits down next to me. "Umm...got a minute?" she asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

She looks down at her hands, which are folded on the table. "I...I went to visit Button today."

"Rarity mentioned that. How is he?"

"He's...he's Button," she says glumly. "His mom asked how he's doing, and...and he talked about all the games they're giving him to play, and how different they are from what he usually plays, and how much harder it is when he can't look up FAQs..." She shakes her head. "When he was out of the room, his mom explained that the 'games' are really evaluation tools they're using, and that they've developed these things that look and feel and even sound like video games but they're really kind of...video psychiatry, and the doctors are evaluating his 'play' and making determinations."

"Wow." I shake my head. "It kind of scares me that there must be enough people out there like Button that they'd even need something like that."

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle sighs. "Anyway, they're also talking to him and giving him medication and all the regular stuff, but..." She slumps forward onto the table. "Basically, they don't hold out much hope of him ever being able to have a normal life. He...he might have to spend the rest of his life in a mental institution."

Ouch.

"I...I tried to apologize to his mom, because if it wasn't for me, he'd..." Sweetie Belle chokes up. "She thanked me." She looks up at me, tears in her eyes. "She thanked me, because if not for me, she'd never have realized it was time to put Button in a hospital. If...if not for me, something a lot worse could've happened, and..."

It doesn't take much imagination to picture what else could've happened to Button, beginning with somebody killing him in anger, and ending with him trying to gun down all his classmates before being shot dead by police. I shudder.

Sweetie Belle sniffles. "So...yeah. I guess...I did kind of help him. Even if...even if it's not the way I wanted to."

Rarity emerges from the back. She sees Sweetie Belle crying, and her eyes soften. "Sweetie Belle? We're about ready to go back to the dorm," she says gently.

Sweetie Belle looks up and nods. "Okay."

Rarity smiles. "How about I fix you an ice cream soda before we go? I think we have time to drink one together."

Sweetie Belle wipes her eyes with a napkin and gives Rarity a weak smile. "I...I'd like that."

I join them in having one more ice cream soda before we regroup with the others and drive back to the dorm.

By the time we get back to the dorm and the Cakes pick the twins up and take them home, I'm really tired, so I send Mom and Dad a quick text letting them know I'll call them tomorrow, then get ready for bed. I'm just about to turn out the lights when Pinkie walks in, a pensive look on her face.

"What's up?" I ask.

Pinkie wrings the hem of her shirt as she stands in the door. "Hey, Flash?" she says quietly. "Can I ask a serious question?"

I nod.

She squirms in place. "If I ever wanted to, y'know, have a baby, even though I know you're probably gonna marry Twilight if...if you two stay like you are right now..." She swallows. "I mean...if I wanted to have your baby someday, would...?"

Whoa. What?

"I'm just asking because...I'm just thinking about, y'know, the future and stuff," Pinkie says. "I'm not...making plans or anything. It's just...a thought."

I sit down on the bed and stare at her. "I...I don't know," I say. "That's...kind of a big thing to think about, you know?"

She sighs. "Yeah..."

"Maybe...ask me again sometime?" I shrug. "When we're all out of high school and don't have to worry about Sunset Shimmer killing us all painfully?"

Pinkie laughs quietly. "Yeah. Okay." She turns to leave.

I stand up and walk behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Pinkie? You'll always be one of my most precious people."

Pinkie smiles at me, hugs me, then heads to the stairs. I stand there for a minute, lost in thought, before closing the door, turning off the lights, and getting into bed.
> 5/30 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, May 30, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't chase after any rabbits today.

Despite how late an evening we had and how much sugar we all consumed at the party, everybody's up by nine this morning. At breakfast, Twilight clears her throat.

"We need to train today," she says, looking around the table.

"Yeah, we really do," Rainbow says. "A little workout against some Shadows is just the thing after all the crap we've all eaten this weekend."

"Ugh...tell me about it," Rarity says, patting her stomach. "I just know I've gained a whole dress size."

Shining Armor frowns. "So you're...seriously going to..."

Cadance pats his arm. "We have to," she says gently. "We have to be ready."

"We do this all the time," Sonata says raspily. "It'll be *cough* fine, just like—"

Fluttershy puts a hand on her arm. "Don't strain yourself," she says.

Sonata nods meekly and drinks some juice.

I frown. "Well I have a new Persona to try out, but...I'm a little wary of using a Persona Sunset Shimmer hasn't seen yet. After...after what happened last week..."

"ANOTHER new one?!" Rainbow cries. "Dude, what the hell?!"

"So...what are the rest of us supposed to do?" Sweetie Belle asks worriedly. "Just sit around twiddling our thumbs and waiting for you all to just reappear?"

"Unless something unexpected happens, you'll never be aware we were gone," Rarity says patiently.

"Right, like we didn't notice everybody disappearing and reappearing someplace else all those times?" Sweetie Belle retorts.

Cadance clears her throat. "I think," she says deliberately, "since it's Memorial Day, it'd be lovely for us to have a picnic lunch in the park." She looks around the table. "After breakfast, those of us who are training today should get changed and meet up outside, and we'll go to the park." She looks at Shining Armor. "And around one or so this afternoon, you should take the other girls with you and go to SubLime and pick up sandwiches, chips, and drinks for everybody. Pack a couple of picnic blankets and some paper plates and bring it all to the park. When you get to there, text me and I'll let you know where we are."

"How will I know you're done training?" Shining Armor asks.

"Because I'll call you when we're done," Cadance says.

"We'll finish way before noon," Rainbow says. "And no time's gonna pass for you while we're training."

"But we'll probably be exhausted," I say. "We usually are after a long training session. By the time we're done, none of us are going to want to move for a while."

"We'll go in your car and my SUV," Cadance says. "You and the girls take the other SUV to run around and pick up lunch."

Shining Armor frowns. "Well...alright," he says. He digs his keys out of his pocket and tosses them to me.

"So what's this new Persona?" Pinkie asks.

"Well..." I pull out my phone and open my Persona app, sliding the Death Arcana onto the screen and pulling up the new Persona.

I blink.

I stare.

"Uhh."

I quickly close the Persona app and put my phone away.

Everybody stares at me curiously.

I cough and cover my mouth with my napkin. "No comment."

Rainbow smirks. "Knowing you, it's a massive dick."

"RAINBOW!" Twilight snaps, throwing a wadded-up napkin at her.

Ho-boy...

Summoning this one is going to be embarrassing.

After breakfast, we all get ready, then head over to the park. Shining Armor is fretting over Cadance and Twilight and taking it in turns to remind us all to be careful and threaten us to keep his family safe, as well as pleading with us to not do this.

By the time we're on the road, Twilight is cross.

Monday, May 30, 2016 / Zodiac

As everybody gears up, Cadance summons Eros.

//Hmm. That's strange...//

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

//I'm detecting some very unusual Shadows. I've never seen Shadows like these before.//

Rainbow groans. "Great. More of Sunset Shimmer's bullshit."

//I...don't think she has anything to do with these,// Cadance says. //They don't really seem to be her style. In any case, there's a lot of them, and they're coming this way, and...be careful! They're no pushovers!//

Just then, a ring of Shadows springs up out of the ground, surrounding us. Like Cadance said, these are unlike anything we've ever fought before:





"What...the...?" Rainbow says, staring.

"Wow. Those are awfully...bright for Shadows," Pinkie says.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asks. "Anything you want to share here?"

"Yeah," Fluttershy says. "They're really goofy-looking."

"Don't they look rather like the card soldiers from that old children's book?" Rarity says.

"Now that you mention it," Twilight says. "Except—"

One of the Card Soldiers swings its jewel-tipped mace at us, mowing down Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie.

//BE CAREFUL!//

"PERSONA!" Rarity calls. Bastet appears and heals Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie; we help them to their feet.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy shouts, tapping her phone. Her Persona appears, and a barrier forms between us and the Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Sonata cries, tapping her phone.

Suddenly, everything smells like damp salt...





A massive sea serpent, riding a crashing etheral wave, appears above Sonata. Far above, barely visible, is a tiny, glowing winged mermaid.

Sonata's jaw drops as she stares up at the serpent. "Wh-what...?"

"WHOA," Rainbow says, a similarly slack-jawed stare on her face.

"Ooh, Sonata's got a new Persona!" Pinkie laughs. "We've gotta throw a new Persona party!"

Sonata's sea-serpent Persona rears and roars, then dives into the ground. A purple wave crashes out from the point of impact, sweeping over the Shadows, knocking most of them over. The ones that remain standing become visibly agitated; the jewels on their maces glow a furious red.

//That attack did a lot of damage!// Cadance says. //Be careful, some of the Shadows are enraged now!//

"So am I!" Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears and unleashes a shockwave that knocks the rest of the Card Soldiers down.

"My turn!" I consider using my newest Persona, then hesitate and summon... "MAGUS!"

Magus raises his hand and unleashes searing waves of fire which engulf the Shadows. Several of them stand up; they charge and try to attack, but Fluttershy's barrier turns their own attacks against them, and they shred into wisps of Shadow.

"ATHENA LOGIA!"

Athena appears and rains a lightning storm down on the remaining Shadows, destroying them.

//There's more coming!//

A second wave of Card Soldiers appears. We defeat them easily, but they're followed immediately by a third wave, then a fourth. Each successive wave grows stronger and takes longer to wipe out. The incessant battling is starting to wear us down...

For thirty minutes, we're swarmed by Card Soldiers. Rarity collapses after the seventh wave. Rainbow Dash has to be resurrected twice.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Twilight says as she unleashes another storm of lightning into the Shadow swarm.

//There's even more of them on the way! Look out!//

They want to play with me...

I can only stare in disbelief as dozens of Card Soldiers appear. The girls are falling back into a defensive posture; everyone looks worn out.

"There's...there's no way we can fight this many," Rainbow says.

"We need to get out of here," Fluttershy says.

"We can't! We're trapped!" Pinkie cries.

I feel a throbbing in my head. I look down at my phone; the Death Arcana has appeared on my Persona app and is flashing insistently.

In desperation, I slap my hand down on the screen. "PERSONA!"





Everything grinds to a halt as a little blue-eyed girl with long blond hair in a blue dress over a century out of date skips into view.

"...what," Rainbow Dash says flatly.

I can feel the girls' eyes on me. I cringe.

The little girl curtsies, then raises a hand, pointing at the sky. Hundreds of card soldiers, looking far more like the storybook versions than the Shadows we've been fighting, rain down from the sky, armed with swords and spears. A wave of sheer, numbing darkness spreads out from the little girl as the falling soldiers obliterate the Shadow swarm in a matter of seconds.

The little girl giggles, then vanishes.

//They've...they've stopped,// Cadance says. //I'm...I'm not detecting any more Shadows.//

Everybody stares at me.

"Dude," Rainbow says. "What the fuck?"

"Flashie? Why is there a little blond girl skipping around in your head?" Pinkie asks.

Fluttershy walks up to me and pats me on the shoulder, shaking her head. "You have issues. You know that, right?"

//Uhh, guys? I'm picking up the Reaper...//

Just as Cadance says this, I hear the faint rattling of chains in the distance.

"Let's get out of here," I say.

Monday, May 30, 2016 / Daytime

Once we exit Zodiac, we find a place to sit around and rest. Cadance goes off to the vending machines to buy us all something cold to drink. I'm forced to endure a lot of teasing about my newest Persona as we rest up and wait for Shining Armor and the girls. They arrive at a quarter past one, spreading out a large picnic with thirty sandwiches, a couple dozen bags of chips, and a cooler of sodas in ice, as well as several packages of cookies. We waste no time in demolishing the picnic, then spend the rest of the afternoon lazing around in the park, enjoying the warm sunshine and fragrant spring air.

As the sun dips lower in the sky and the last of the ice in the cooler starts to melt into ice water, the drinks long since gone, we all pick ourselves up and start cleaning up the remains of our picnic so we can go home.

Monday, May 30, 2016 / Evening

After we've cleaned up our mess and headed back to the park exit, Twilight follows me to Shining Armor's car, which I'm driving home.

"I need to talk to you alone," she says. "I told the others to ride with Cadance and my brother back to the dorm."

"Alright."

Once we're in the car and have pulled out behind the others, Twilight begins, "I think I just figured something out."

"Oh?"

Twilight seems to be organizing her thoughts. "Today, Sonata's Persona changed." She looks at me. "Today, you had a new Persona."

"Yeah?"

"And...and I've noticed that you break out these really strong new Personas at the same time we all get new Personas." She frowns, then adds, "I mean, it doesn't always match up, but sometimes it does, and...I don't think it's a coincidence." She pauses. "I asked...I asked Cadance something I should've thought to ask a long time ago."

I stop behind the SUVs at a red light. "What's that?"

"I remembered something from a while back, and..." Twilight pauses. "All this Persona stuff, I remember there being some link to Tarot." She tugs her hair nervously. "Cadance can scan the Arcana of Personas. Sonata's Persona is connected to the Death Arcana, and...and that Alice Persona you summoned today is also Death." She looks at me. "That's not a coincidence, is it?"

I sigh. "No. It's not." I signal for an upcoming left turn. "Please don't ask me to explain it. I'm...not really sure how to explain it, or whether it would even make sense."

"Does it have anything to do with that Velvet Room place?"

"Yes."

"Alright. That's...that's all I wanted to know." Twilight pauses, then adds, "Which Persona did you get...when Athena changed?"

"Merlin." I sigh, then add, "Look...all I can tell you is that the Personas I'm able to summon depend on friendship. The closer I am to the people around me, the stronger my Personas get."

"Because it gives you a stronger will to protect the people you care about?"

I blink. "Actually...yeah, that's pretty much exactly right."

"Okay. Thanks, that's...that's all I really wanted to know. It was just bugging me."

After we get back to the dorm, I call my parents and chat for a little while, then do some last-minute reviewing of my exam prep notes.

Final exams begin tomorrow and last until Friday...
> 6/3 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 3, 2016 / After School
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Keep it in your pants today. Tomorrow, let it out to play.

Final exams are finally over...

My mind is mush. I head back to the dorm, hook up my guitar, and start strumming aimlessly to relax and unwind.

My door opens, and Fluttershy walks in. I stop playing as she sits on the bed beside me. "Hey," she says.

"Hey."

"How were your exams?"

"Pure hell," I say. "Yours?"

She shrugs. "Boring. Tedious. Tiring." She stretches. "At least it's over now."

"Yeah."

"I want to go to the beach again," she says. "Preferably without having to fight any Shadows or deal with any of Sunset Shimmer's crap."

"That sounds nice," I say. "I bet the others would like that."

"Maybe this time I'll even join in on the bedroom fun," she says.

I glance at her. "Fluttershy?"

She blushes, but gives me a coy smile. "Well, why not? Why should everybody else have all the fun? Besides, the only time I've ever had sex was—" She stops abruptly.

I stare at her.

"Forget it," she says. "I don't wanna talk about it..."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh, come on. You can't just tease something like that and then not deliver."

Fluttershy glares at me, then sighs in frustration, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. If you must know..." She looks down at her lap. "Last August, back when..." She shakes her head. "I was over at Sunset Shimmer's place on her birthday, and she made me fuck her."

Holy crap.

"She's into some really kinky stuff, too. And no, I won't go into any details."

Holy yikes.

"Hey. Perv. Put the boner away."

Grk...!

Fluttershy suddenly pins me down and gives me an evil glare. "You ever breathe a word of that to anyone and I'm cutting your dick off. Got it?"

I nod.

"Good."

Fluttershy backs off, then smirks. "Anyway, I'll just let you take care of...that...on your own." She turns and leaves.

Damn you, Fluttershy...

Friday, June 3, 2016 / Evening

By unanimous agreement, we have an impromptu pizza party at the dorm. Fluttershy suggests going to the beach after school lets out for summer.

"That sounds cool," Rainbow says.

"Another trip to the beach would be lovely," Rarity says.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Twilight agrees. "But I think this time it'll have to be closer to home, and not for a whole week."

"Yeah, a week is a bit much," Pinkie says. "Especially with so much else to do."

"And my folks and Twi's folks coming down for Father's Day," I say.

"And we need to set aside time after Father's Day to go up to Sweet Apple Acres and help out for a few days."

We all look at each other.

"Wow, we're gonna have a busy summer," Sonata says.

"Eh, it's better than layin' around doin' nothin'," Rainbow says.

"So...three or four days at Canterlittle to kick off the summer?" Fluttershy asks.

We all agree to talk it over some more tomorrow, then spend the rest of the evening vegging out in the lounge and watching movies on television until well past midnight.
> 6/4 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, June 4, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Beware of rats in the corn.

Today is graduation for CHS seniors. Cadance and Shining Armor are at the ceremony. The rest of us spend the day doing chores around the dorm; with the stress of exams and last night's late party, laundry and housekeeping have been sorely neglected lately.

After we're through cleaning up on our floor, Twilight says, "You know...we haven't gone out on a real date in a long time."

"You're right," I say. "How about tonight?"

Twilight smiles. "Sounds good."

"Dinner at a fancy restaurant and maybe a movie?"

Twilight's smile turns into a Cheshire grin. "I was thinking dinner at a fancy Neighponese place, followed by..." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out two tickets, waving them at me.

I take one and read it, staring. "Is this..."

"Mm-hmm."

"But it's—"

"Surprise!" Twilight smiles. "I bought these tickets a month ago."

"Wow." I frown. "But Twi, this concert's in—"

"Yeah."

"But that means—"

"It means," she says with a smirk, "you'd better go get ready, because we need to get to the train station."

"But the laundry—"

"Pinkie's finishing up for us," Twilight says. "Of course, that means I owe her a favor." She pokes me. "Hurry up!"

"Right!" I rush off to get freshened up and changed, then meet Twilight in the lounge.

Saturday, June 4, 2016 / Evening

It's nearly six-thirty by the time the train arrives in Cloudsdale, leaving us just two hours to have dinner and get to the concert venue. The place Twilight made reservations at is much better than anything Canterlot has by way of Neighponese food; Twilight packs away an entire sushi platter, two bowls of gyoza soup, two bowls of white rice, and a double order of teriyaki beef strips with vegetables. For my part, I order curry udon, a tempura shrimp roll, and the hibachi salmon.

Over dinner, we make light conversation, steering away from any topics related to Zodiac, Sunset Shimmer, or Red Flag. After dinner, we catch a cab to the arena, arriving just in time; we've barely gotten inside when Rebel Scum starts their set. They're one of four bands performing tonight; the second band on stage is Platypus In A Fedora, followed by tribute band Allston. The main act of the night, Ghost Pepper, rocks a mix of their classic stuff from before I was even born and their more recent stuff—and surprises everyone with an unannounced guest appearance by Neighponese idol singer Rise Kujikawa. Her energy is infectuous, and her skimpy outfit and sexy moves irritate more than a few girlfriends in the crowd (including Twilight).

After the concert, we catch a late train back to Canterlot.

When we return to the dorm, Cadance is sitting in the lounge. She raises an eyebrow.

"You two are way past curfew, you know," she says.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Cadance! You knew where we were going and what we were doing!"

Cadance laughs. "Actually, I'm just wondering why you didn't reserve a hotel room and stay overnight." She winks. "So, did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, we did," Twilight says, taking my hand and squeezing it.

"Well, I'm glad you did," Cadance says. Her tone and expression suddenly change. "Because we have a problem."

"Hey Twilight. Hey Flash."

I tense up. Beside me, Twilight stiffens.

We both turn slowly around.

Standing just inside the entrance to the lounge from the kitchen, wearing loose magenta pajamas that are slipping off one shoulder and holding a bottle of water, is Sunset Shimmer.
> 6/5 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, June 5, 2016 / Midnight
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Standing just inside the entrance to the lounge from the kitchen, wearing loose magenta pajamas that are slipping off one shoulder and holding a bottle of water, is Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight and I both stare at her in absolute shock and confusion.

Sunset looks at both of us. She smiles and gives a little wave. "Well...nite!"

We watch, stunned, as she pads up the stairs.

What the FUCK...?

Five seconds after we hear a door close upstairs, Twilight turns to Cadance, head bowed and fists clenched. She's trembling in anger. Before I can open my mouth to ask what's going on...

"WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING HERE?!"

Twilight's scream is so loud and shrill my ears immediately start to ring. I can hear Spike and Zoe both raising hell upstairs.

Cadance winces. "Yyyyeah...it...kinda happened while you two were out..."

"No SHIT, REALLY?" I ask hotly. "Because I'm pretty fucking sure we'd have noticed her hanging around the dorm before."

"I take it they heard," Rainbow Dash says from the entrance. She walks in, followed by a furious-looking Fluttershy. Pinkie isn't far behind them, and her hair has gone completely flat and limp.

"WHAT is GOING ON HERE?!" Twilight screams, waving her arms. "Why is SUNSET SHIMMER here in our dorm?!"

Cadance sighs. "It's...complicated," she says. "Hell, I don't even completely understand it. All I know is...we're stuck with her."

"For how long?" I ask.

Cadance gives me a hopeless look. "For good."

"...fuck that," I snarl. "She isn't spending one night here."

"There's nothing we can do about this," Cadance says. "Everything is riding on this. Not just the blackmail stuff she has on all of us, but Luna's prison record, some...skeletons in Celestia's closet..." She sighs and shakes her head. "And it wasn't even Sunset Shimmer that blackmailed them. It was her father." She frowns. "At least, it looks like it was her father. I don't think it really was."

"Do you think it was Red Flag?" Twilight asks.

"No, we're pretty sure it was Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy says. "Because the laundry list of shit she dug up on Celestia includes Red Flag."

"So that's that," Cadance says, flapping her arms helplessly. "We're stuck with her." She sighs. "The only good thing about this is, well..." She looks around at the girls.

Pinkie frowns. "She's...been nice," Pinkie says. "Like, really, unnaturally nice. Ever since she got here."

I snort. "Sunset Shimmer, nice? Yeah right."

"She...was acting really out of character for her at dinner," Fluttershy says. "I kept waiting for her to do something mean and bitchy, and it never happened. Not even..." She blushes.

"Not even when Fluttershy tried to strangle her," Rainbow says with a smirk.

"She didn't even fight back," Pinkie says. "We had to pull Fluttershy off her, and it took forever."

I stare at her incredulously. "Why didn't you let her do it?" I ask.

Twilight gives me a horrified look.

"Umm, because if Sunset Shimmer dies, those blackmail servers she has set up will ruin all of us and we'll be totally screwed? Especially you, Cadance, Fluttershy, Luna, and Celestia," Pinkie points out.

"Why is she doing this?" Twilight asks quietly.

Fluttershy shrugs. "It's just one of her sick games," she says. Shaking her head, she sighs. "I'm going back to bed. Unless anybody else wants to scream?"

With that, Fluttershy goes back upstairs. The other girls soon join her, except for Twilight, who sits down next to Cadance and covers the back of her head with her hands.

"Why?" Twilight moans.

I sit down on the other side of her and pull her into a one-armed embrace. Cadance sighs and rubs her back awkwardly.

"We'll find out what she's up to," I say. I sigh. "Cadance, could you put on a pot of coffee? I don't think I want to sleep tonight."

Cadance nods grimly and heads to the kitchen.

"Flash, don't," Twilight murmurs. "We can—"

"Shh," I say. "Just..."

We stay like that for some time. After a while, Cadance returns with a coffee service for three and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. We each take a cup of coffee and sit in silence, sipping it and eating cookies. At just past two in the morning, Shining Armor walks in and gives Cadance a stern, reproachful look. Cadance meekly shuffles off to their apartment, bags under her eyes.

Shining Armor looks at the two of us. He sighs. "I'm sorry," he says roughly. "This is the last thing any of us needed." He shakes his head and follows Cadance.

A half hour later, Twilight nods off on me. I finish the last of the stone-cold coffee and sit back, holding her as she sleeps. She's whimpering and murmuring; she must be having nightmares...

As the night wears on, with Twilight sleeping fitfully in my arms, I feel myself succumbing to exhaustion...

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

This place...did I fall asleep?

"Your soul is agitated. The sea of your soul is churning and turbulent."

I fold my arms. "Considering what just happened? Yeah. I'm a fucking typhoon right now."

Igor chuckles. "Indeed. Forgive me, but you are the most...aggressive guest the Velvet Room has ever seen. Your aggression is generally channeled in a positive direction, but it can also be your greatest weakness. You must calm your soul, for the last leg of your journey is a turbulent path with many crossroads. Only with a calm, focused mind will you find the path that leads to the outcome which is best for you and all those close to you.

"You should use the time we have in this place to reflect on everything you have seen and done over these past, long months. The people you've met. The challenges you've faced. The truths which have been revealed to you, and the answers you have yet to find."

I can hear the voices of my friends all around me...

"You're...the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know? The best thing that's ever happened to my whole family. I love you, Flash. I really love you..."

"Thanks for taking care of Twilight, for making her happy...for helping me see how much of an asshole I've been since last summer, and...and for helping Cadance. And helping both of us. We're in a much happier place now."

"I'm putting a lot of faith and trust in you and your friends. That isn't easy for me, but...I've accepted that it's the right thing to do."

"I'm not perfect, and...and I still want to share my body and my heart with the people I love the most, even the ones that aren't my husband, but... I'm a wife, and sister, and soon to be a mother, and...and that's all. The slut I used to be...she's gone now. And I owe that to you."

"You've been an awesome friend, helpin' me practice, teachin' me guitar, pickin' me up when I was down, and... Thanks. Really."

"I've never seen one kid stick up for so many different people the way you do. You're an inspiration, and it's for precisely that reason I'm trusting you and your friends to deal with Sunset Shimmer. I do hope that one day, you'll confide everything in me."

"You believed in me, even though I didn't believe in myself. I can stand up and face the world. Nobody can walk all over me unless I let them. And I'm not going to let people walk all over me ever again."

"I don't think I'd have had the courage to stand up to my mother were it not for you. I just wanted you to know how much your friendship and support has meant to me. My life has changed so much in these past few months, and...and I really owe it all to you."

"I think they wouldn't want me to waste my life crying over them. I think they'd want me to remember the good times, and remember the love, and find something to live for and someone to love. I think they'd want me to be happy. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be happy. Thank you. Thank you for being my friend."

"I thought I'd lost everything. But now...now I've gained something so much better. And it's all thanks to you."

"As long as you and Twilight are in my life...as long as I know I can count on both of you...I'll never be sad again."

"You gave me a wake-up call and helped me learn how to make friends, and reminded me why I started learning music and magic in the first place. It wasn't so I could prove how much better I am than everyone else. It was so I could reach out to people..."

"You've helped both of us so much. I can't imagine what goin' through all this would be like if I hadn't met you...if you hadn't helped me."

One by one, I see their faces swim by: Twilight, Shining Armor, Luna, Cadance, Rainbow Dash, Celestia, Coco, Octavia, Sonata, Chrysalis, Pinkie, Trixie, Vinyl...

I think about Fluttershy, who's still coming to terms with what she's done and her struggle to atone; Rarity, who's struggling with reconciling the image she wants to project with her love for her family; Apple Bloom, who's been through more in the past year than any kid her age should; Applejack, who's trying to shoulder all the burdens of her family with little regard for her own health and happiness; Sweetie Belle, who's beating herself up over failing to help Button Mash...

My parents, who are doing their best to heal the rift that's separated us for most of my life.

Hearing the voices of all my friends, being reminded of all the good times and the bad times I've shared with everyone close to me since I came to Canterlot, I realize that as pissed off as I am about Sunset Shimmer's latest stunt, giving in to rage is not the answer. My friends are counting on me, and I can't help or protect anyone unless I keep a clear head.

"And now, it is time for us to part yet again. Soon, you will awake in the real world, ready to face the latest obstacle in your journey. But know this: we WILL meet again soon..."

Sunday, June 5, 2016 / Daytime

When I wake up, I'm alone on the couch. My head is fuzzy and numb; it takes me a minute to remember Twilight was asleep in my arms before. Panic seizes me, but quickly subsides when I hear Twilight and Cadance talking nearby.

"Deep, calming breaths, Twiley. In, out...in, out..."

"Fuck your Lamaze crap, Cadance!" Twilight says angrily. "I don't wanna be calm right now!"

"It's not Lamaze, Twilight. It's...nevermind. Flash, DO something about this, she's having fits over here..."

I glance over at Twilight and Cadance, who are sitting on the other sofa. Cadance looks supremely put-upon, and Twilight is having an anxiety attack. At some point, she must have showered and changed, because she's not wearing the same clothes she had on last night. I roll my eyes and scrub my hands through my hair. "Poke her in the clit," I say. "It's her reset button."

"FLASH!" Twilight squeaks, blushing furiously. Cadance loses it and starts laughing.

I stand up, groaning and wincing; lack of sufficient sleep, poor sleep posture, too much caffeine, a full bladder, and general stress and anxiety have left me aching all over. I walk over to the girls and put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Twi, seriously, chill," I say. "You're starting to sound like Rainbow Dash. I know you're upset about Sunset Shimmer being here, but you need to keep it together."

Twilight stares incredulously at me. "You...you're kidding, right? Last night, you wanted Fluttershy to kill her."

I sigh. "Yeah, and if she stepped in front of a bus and died I'd dance on her grave, but we need to calm down and focus. We can't let this...mess get the better of us. You've got a better brain than anyone else in this dorm. Use it for a minute."

Twilight holds my gaze for a long time...then looks away and lets out a long, weary sigh. "You're right," she says. "I need to calm down and..." She shakes her head. "But I can't, because after what she did to you—"

"Yeah, that was pretty messed up, wasn't it?"

We all look up to see Sunset standing just inside the lounge, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. She looks at the three of us, then looks away. "Yeah, so me breaking in here and screwing Flash and trying to get pregnant just to piss you off, that was petty and stupid," she says.

What the hell...?

Twilight folds her arms. "If you're trying to apologize, save it. I'm never forgiving you. For anything. But especially not that."

Sunset shrugs. "Yeah, okay."

"Why are you here?" I ask. "What's your game, Sunset?"

Sunset gives me a long, measuring look. After a moment, she sits down. "I want to understand you all," she says. "I don't get you. I've tried everything to hurt you all, to make you hate each other, to break you and Twilight up, but nothing works. I don't get it. And since I can't rely on Fluttershy to spy on you guys anymore, I decided it was time for the direct approach."

"So you've moved into our dorm to try to find our weakness?"

"No, I'm trying to understand how you guys function," Sunset counters. "After that, then yeah, I'll know how to destroy you." She pauses, then looks away. "Or, you know, I'll just give up and leave you alone. I mean, you've pretty much won. There are only three Hunters left, and it's not like I expect any of them to actually kill you. You guys are just too strong. And let's face it, if I try to kill all of you myself—and I could, easily, in either world—I'm the number one suspect. Anything happens to any of you, that bitch Celestia will drop the hammer on me so fast I'll be in jail before I can even think of a way out." She shrugs. "So there's no point in me fighting you all anymore. We're at a stalemate. You'll finish off the Hunters and I won't be able to do anywhere close to as much damage through Zodiac anymore. I'm not even sure Zodiac will still exist when the Hunters are all gone. I can't stop you from killing the Hunters without killing you, I can't kill you and get away with it, and I've still got enough blackmail material to make all your lives a living hell, so..." She looks around at us. "That's that. It's a stalemate." She shakes her head. "All that's left is for me to figure out how you did it. And that's why I'm here."






Thou art I, and I am thou...


Thou hast established a new bond...



It brings thee closer to the truth...



Thou shalt be blessed when creating


Personas of the Jester Arcana...


A long silence falls as we all watch Sunset, waiting for some sign, anything. Nothing happens.

Twilight sighs. "I'm going out for breakfast," she says.

"I'm going with you," I say.

"No, I...I think I want Cadance to go with me," Twilight says. "You stay here and...and deal with this," she says, waving a hand at Sunset.

Cadance and Twilight leave. I sit down across from Sunset, watching her warily.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to murder everyone," she says. "But I am going to make myself some breakfast. Is that okay with you?"

I shrug. "Do what you want." I get up and head upstairs; my bladder is about to explode. After I take care of business and freshen up, I change clothes and head back downstairs. I find most of the dorm in the dining room, eating and giving Sunset the evil eye. I sigh and microwave a breakfast bowl.

When Twilight gets back, she, Pinkie, and I go upstairs to my room to rest, comfort each other, and talk about this latest development.

"We need to get her out of here," Pinkie says. "This really sucks."

I wait for Twilight to say something. When nothing's forthcoming, I decide to say something I know the girls won't want to hear. "There's an old saying I've been thinking about all day. 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'"

"You got that off your horoscope," Twilight accuses.

I roll my eyes. "Fine, yes, but it's true. As long as Sunset is under the same roof as us, we can keep an eye on her. We'll know what she's doing. If she goes into Zodiac, we'll be right on top of her."

"And if we go into Zodiac, she'll be right on top of us," Twilight points out.

I shrug. "It's true. And it's something we'll have to figure out." I sigh. "But my point is...something's off about her. She's...she's different."

"She's faking it," Twilight says immediately. "All that bullshit about wanting to understand us? It's just to buy time."

"Buy time for WHAT?" I ask. "You saw that thing that came out of her. She could kill us all in a heartbeat. She's always had the upper hand.

"So what's changed? Why would she suddenly decide to pull this new, calm Sunset out of her ass?" I shake my head. "Something doesn't add up here. But regardless of what any of us think about her, or her real reasons for being here, one thing's for sure: she's right about us being in a stalemate. She can't stop us from taking down the rest of the Hunters without killing us. She can't kill us without facing the consequences. We can't kill her without facing the consequences." I shrug helplessly. "We're all stuck in a no-win situation here."

The girls are silent for a long time, contemplative.

"So...what do we do?" Twilight asks.

Sunday, June 5, 2016 / Evening

At dinner, Twilight makes sure everybody in the dorm, her brother included, is gathered in the dining room.

Once everybody is seated, I stand up. "Everybody here understands the situation," I say. "We all know what Sunset Shimmer is. We all know what she's done, and what she's threatened to do."

I give Sunset Shimmer a long, measuring stare, which she returns with calm indifference.

After a moment, I look at all my friends. "So this is what we're going to do.

"We're going to go on with our lives. She's here, we can't do anything about it. Given the choice between doing what we always do and letting her presence disrupt us to the point where we can't do anything, I think it's better to just keep doing what we always do.

"That includes our summer plans. Nothing's changed. This weekend, we're going to the beach. Next week, my parents and Twi's are coming down for Father's Day. The week after that, we're going up to Sweet Apple Acres to work on the farm. And yes, she's coming with us. Wherever we go, we're taking Sunset Shimmer with us. She wants to keep an eye on us? She can do it while she's scooping up buckets of pig shit."

Rainbow smirks. "I'd really like to see that."

I ignore her and glare at Sunset. "Pull any shit, we're burying you on Applejack's farm," I say.

Sunset rolls her eyes. "No need for threats," she says. "We all know where we stand."

"Ah don't like this," Applejack says. "But...Ah guess we ain't got a choice."

"No," I say. "We really don't."

Things in the dorm remain tense throughout dinner. Everybody goes up to their own rooms as soon as they're done eating.

The last week of school starts tomorrow...
> 6/6 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, June 6, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A square peg will never fit into a round hole unless you cut it with a jigsaw.

As everyone settles in for homeroom, Principal Celestia makes some announcements.

"Welcome, students! Here we are...the end of another school year. I just want to make a few quick announcements.

"First, I'd like to remind everyone that the clubs and teams will be having their end-of-year parties this week. If you'd like to attend, check with your team coach or club supervisor for the day.

"Second, Friday will be a half-day, and in lieu of classes, we will have a special assembly. Some of you may be tempted to skip, but I encourage everyone to attend the assembly.

"I've been asked to remind you that summer training for our various sports teams will begin the third week of July. Summer training is not compulsory, since some of you will undoubtedly be out of town on family vacations or perhaps working a summer job, but you are encouraged to participate.

"Anyone completing a course with a C or D average is encouraged to take summer booster lessons over Canterbook. It won't change your final grade for the year, but it will help you in the long run. Do it for yourself.

"Lastly, students remaining in the dorms during the summer: please ensure that your summer dorm residency paperwork is completed and on my desk no later than Wednesday, and that your parent or guardian has completed the boarding paperwork and remitted summer boarding fees, which are due in full by the fifteenth of this month.

"Have a good week!"

The summer residency paperwork...I need to give that to Celestia this afternoon.

Mr. Turner calls our attention to the front and begins going over the exams we just took...

Monday, June 6, 2016 / After School

I spent most of today's review classes filling out my residency paperwork. As soon as the final bell rings, I head to the office to turn it in.

When I arrive at Principal Celestia's office, she looks up at me with regret and embarrassment. "Flash...I'm really sorry about Sunset Shimmer. I know this is going to be hard on you and your friends."

I shrug. "She's literally taking her life into her own hands doing this. We'll deal with her as best we can. As long as she doesn't cause any trouble, I think we can manage." I lay my paperwork on her desk.

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "Taking her life into her own hands?"

I wince. "One of the girls...overreacted to her arrival, or so I hear. Twilight and I were out on a date when she got to the dorm."

Celestia sighs. "Well, I half expected that. Just...try to keep any of my students from being convicted of murder over the summer, please? That includes you as well."

"I'll try." I head out and meet up with Twilight in the hall.

"Oh, Flash! Handing in your residency papers?" I nod. "I turned mine in last week. Want to head back to the dorm together?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Sunset Shimmer says from behind us. She puts an arm around each of us. "Let's all go home together!"

Oh boy...

When we get back to the dorm, we find Shining Armor standing in the doorway, holding a plastic binder. He looks at us, frowning at Sunset, then opens the binder. "Listen up," he says. "I had new locks installed on each room in the dorm today. When you're not in your room, you're to keep the door locked. Don't lose your keys. Don't copy your keys. There's one copy of each room key for each student, and one copy for the dorm manager. Since Cadance isn't home yet, I'm handing out the keys in her stead." He takes a key out of the binder and hands it to Twilight; the next key goes to me, and the last goes to Sunset. He gives her a warning look. "Any theft or vandalism will result in immediate expulsion from the dorm."

Sunset rolls her eyes as she snatches her key. "I'm not interested in going through their stuff," she says.

"Nobody here trusts you, Sunset Shimmer," Shining Armor says. "Especially not after everything you've done."

Sunset snorts. "So they did end up telling you everything," she says. "I had a feeling they might."

"Sunset, if you send Cancer after my brother..."

Sunset smirks. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," she says. She stretches. "Besides, why would I wish any harm on your brother? I'm sure a month from now, we'll all be very good friends..."

Sunset pushes past us and goes upstairs. The rest of us exchange weary, resigned looks. I head up to my room and spend the next hour practicing my guitar.

Monday, June 6, 2016 / Evening

When I finish up with my guitar, I'm about to head downstairs to see about dinner when I get a call from my parents.

"Hello, Flash," Mom says. "Are you alright? You look...tense."

I sigh. "I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure? We were worried when we didn't hear from you yesterday."

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Crap...sorry, Mom. Yesterday kinda...sucked."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

I shake my head. "This girl moved into the dorm Saturday night while I was out on a date with Twilight. She's...kind of been putting all of us through hell this year."

Mom's brow furrows. "It's not...Sunset Shimmer, is it?"

I blink. "I never told you about Sunset Shimmer," I say slowly.

Mom smiles sheepishly. "We've talked to your girlfriend a few times, getting to know her. She never mentioned it?"

"She mentioned you've called her to talk a couple of times, but she never mentioned telling you about Sunset Shimmer."

"Well...we asked. I asked. I was worried about you. I might...not always be as close to you as I should, but I can tell something's been bothering you lately."

I sigh. "Yeah." I shrug. "Well, Sunset's put us all through a lot lately, and now all of a sudden she's living here and acting...weird. Mostly friendly, but she's still reminding us that..."

"That what?"

"That...she has it in for us." I shake my head. "It's weird. It's hard to explain, and I don't want to worry you." I smile tiredly. "Don't worry about it. My friends and I can handle Sunset Shimmer. She's just trying to rile us up. She can only get a rise out of me if I let her."

Mom raises an eyebrow. "That's what I'm worried about," she says. "I've learned you've developed a temper recently."

I slump in my chair. "I won't ask who you heard that from," I mutter. "Yeah, I...do have a problem with that sometimes. But only because I actually have people I care about now. It upsets me when somebody messes with them."

Mom smiles. "Just don't get into any serious trouble, dear," she says.

We talk for a little bit longer. I head downstairs to get something to eat.

After dinner, half of us are in the lounge, including Sunset. "So, I heard we're all going to Canterlittle this weekend?"

"That's right," Twilight says.

Sunset smiles. "That sounds nice. I haven't been to the beach in ages."

"I hear there are sharks at Canterlittle this time of year," Fluttershy says. "Maybe you'll get lucky and meet one."

...meow.

"Alright, that's enough of that," Sweetie Belle says. "If I have to sit around listening to you girls bitch at each other, I'm moving back home."

Apple Bloom frowns. "Behave, y'all," she says. "Ah don't wanna lose out on havin' mah best friend here at th' dorm."

Fluttershy winces. "I'm sorry, girls," she says.

"Sorry kid," Sunset says.

Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes and goes back to the game she and Apple Bloom are playing.

This is going to be a long summer...
> 6/7 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You can never know what's inside someone's heart if you refuse to look them in the eye.

The Music Club is having its end-of-year party after school today.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 / After School

After school, I head to the Music Club room for the party. Most of the club got there ahead of me; there are only a handful of stragglers missing.

Shortly after I arrive, Vinyl and Octavia walk up to me. They both have sad, wistful smiles. Vinyl is holding her yearbook. Octavia whispers to Vinyl, and she grins. "Hey, Flash-man! Got a sec?"

"Sure," I say. "What's up?"

"Wantcha to sign my yearbook," Vinyl says. "Not that I can read whatever you write, but it's the thought, yeah? An' Tavi can read it to me."

"Sure," I say. I frown. "Seriously, though? I mean, most people wait until senior year to start collecting signatures..."

"Yeah, well..." Vinyl sighs. "I won't be here next year. The last few months...they haven't been easy." She shakes her head. "I'm finishin' high school from home. Special courses for the blind."

"I...didn't know," I say.

Vinyl shrugs. "I decided last week," she says. "Been talkin' it over with Mom for the last month or so. It just...it makes more sense, y'know?"

"She's still going to walk with us at graduation next year," Octavia says. "It's just, she'll be taking all her courses at home, with special tutors to help her." She must see something on my face that would upset or annoy Vinyl, because she scowls and says, "Now, don't go giving us that look. Yes, it would be nice if Vinyl could complete her final year here with all her friends, but that simply isn't the hand she was dealt."

"Yeah, so...I wanna end my time here on a happy note," Vinyl says. She grins. "Besides, I'll still be spinnin' for parties an' dances an' shit. You ain't seen the last of this DJ."

I smile. "You'd better keep in touch," I say. I take her yearbook and sign it, drawing my shield emblem under my signature, then hand it back.

"Cool, thanks," Vinyl says. "C'mon, Tavi, we gotta get the swingers to sign."

Octavia groans and rolls her eyes. "Stop calling them that," she chides as they walk off toward where Lyra and Bon Bon are.

...I'm not even gonna ask. I grab a cup of punch and make my way around the room, stopping to chat with the other members of the club I haven't seen in a while. I spot Trixie doing a few simple magic tricks in the center of the room, and make my way over to her. "Hey, I know a magic trick," I say.

Trixie looks up at me. "Oh?"

"Sure." I grin. "I can swallow a quarter, then a few hours later I can pull it out of my—"

Trixie whaps me upside the head with her wand and a dove flies out of my mouth. Everyone laughs and claps.

I cough and swallow a huge gulp of punch to clear my throat. "Still gonna be working at the pizza place over the summer?" I ask.

Trixie shrugs. "It depends on the girls. I'm sure we'll probably all be going on vacation somewhere at some point. Not necessarily together, mind. We do have our own friends and families." She tilts her head. "How about you?"

"Well, the whole dorm's going to Canterlittle this weekend," I say. "Later on this month, we're going up to Sweet Apple Acres to work on the farm."

"I heard Sunset Shimmer moved into your dorm," Trixie says sourly.

"Yeah." I sigh. "It's...distracting."

"Why, because she's got a bigger rack than your girlfriend?" a guy I've never really liked asks teasingly. Trixie shoots him an unamused glare.

"No, because she's the bitch queen of the universe," I say. "It'll be a miracle if everyone makes it through the summer without somebody getting maimed."

"Ouch," the same guy says. "Catfights. That must be the sucky part of livin' with all those hot girls." He frowns. "Well, that and PMS—"

A smoke bomb bursts in his mouth, and he runs for the punch bowl.

"THANK you," I say to Trixie.

Trixie smirks. "Consider it my privelege and duty as a woman."

Everyone's having a good time with friends they may not see again until fall...or, in some cases, may never see again...

It's almost five when the party winds down. I say goodbye to everyone who's still there and head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I find Applejack and Apple Bloom standing around outside talking. They see me and wave me over.

"What's up?" I ask.

Applejack bites her lip. "Flash...Ah'm startin' t' think us all goin' up t' th' farm's a powerful bad idea."

I sigh. "Because of Sunset Shimmer?"

"Well...yeah," Applejack says.

"That skanky bag o' twat rot ain't got no business settin' foot on our family farm," Apple Bloom says vehemently.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack snaps. "Mind yer language! Why, if Big Mac heard you goin' on like that, he'd—"

"Oh, shut up," Apple Bloom says, crossing her arms. "You were thinkin' worse things t' call 'er than that an' you know it."

"Well...that's true," Applejack admits. "But still—"

"Girls," I say. "Look...we're not changing our summer plans just because of Sunset Shimmer. This is what she wants. She's screwing with our heads. She wants to ruin our summer. Are we gonna let her do that?"

"Well..."

I look at Apple Bloom. "Weren't you looking forward to having all your friends out at the farm? I heard you mention Silver Spoon is even coming out. And weren't you looking forward to mending fences with Scootaloo?"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom says slowly. "We were gonna have a lotta fun fixin' up that ol' treehouse..."

"And you wanna give all that up just because of bacon bitch?"

Apple Bloom scratches her head. "Well...no, not really..."

"There's no reason to change any of our plans," I say firmly. "And yes, I don't like the idea of Sunset being on the Apple Farm. In fact, I'm pretty sure Big Mac and Granny Smith are gonna shit bricks when they find out. But we just have to deal with it."

Applejack sighs. "Yeah...you're right."

"And dealing with it means we don't let her spoil it for the rest of us." I shove my hands in my pockets and sigh. "Besides...something about the way she's been acting since she got here is bothering me. I..." I frown. "I don't know what's going on with her. And we need to keep her close so I can figure it out."

"You mean so we can figure it out, right?" Applejack says.

I shake my head. "I think...this is something I have to figure out on my own." I try to smile reassuringly. "Dealing with the Shadows and...and anything that happens in Zodiac...that's for all of us to worry about. Figuring out what Sunset's really up to...it's best if I take care of that myself."

"You sure about that?" Applejack asks dubiously.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "But I do know that..." I pause, trying to think of how to explain it. "I know that right now, I'm the only one who can be calm enough to deal with her."

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Calm. You."

I shrug.

Applejack sighs. "Fine. We'll do it your way. But..." She puts a hand on my shoulder. "You know, it's like you been tellin' me all this time. It ain't healthy, tryin' t' put everything on yourself like this."

She and Apple Bloom head inside. After a moment, I follow.

After dinner, Sunset Shimmer offers to help me do the dishes. "You know, I've been thinking," she says. "We're a lot alike. Two sides of the same coin."

I frown at her. "I don't think so."

"But we are," Sunset says. She picks at a stuck-on bit of food. "I get my power from exploiting everyone's darkest secrets. I create fear and distrust. I break apart relationships. You...you're the opposite. You make friends, you bring people together. You take the same dark secrets and deep fears I exploit and..." She shrugs. "You help your friends face them. And that seems to be what makes you strong." She looks up at me. "You have so many friends...I've never even had one." She laughs. "I've only ever cared about myself, of course. I've never wanted friends. I don't want all that baggage." She wipes down a plate. "Still..."

There's an odd, thoughtful look on her face.

"You came here with nothing," she says after she puts the plate in the drainer. "Now, you have so much..." She wrings out her dishrag. "So much to protect...and so much to lose.

"I wonder...is your power worth the pain you'll go through if you lose everything you care about?"

I don't have an answer for that, so I don't say anything. Sunset falls silent. Once we finish washing the dishes, she goes back to her room. I hang out in the lounge with Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow for a little while before bed.
> 6/8 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A beautiful and mysterious stranger will change your life today.

The tennis team is having its end-of-year party after school today.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 / After School

After school, I meet up with Pinkie and we head out to the tennis courts together. Several picnic tables have been set up on the court, with folding chairs around them. Snacks and drinks are spread out, along with paper plates and napkins.

One entire table is covered in baskets of muffins. There are blueberry muffins, chocolate chip muffins, banana nut muffins, iced muffins...

"I see Derpy helped with the party planning," Pinkie says.

I glance at her. "You didn't?"

Pinkie shrugs. "Hey. Every once in a while it's nice to take a break and let somebody else plan the party."

As others begin gathering, we start loading up plates with snacks and take a seat at the table where Coach Chrysalis is chatting with Coco. Coco smiles at us. "Hey Flash! Hey Pinkie!"

"Hey, Coco."

"You guys are gonna be on the team again next year, right?" Coco asks.

"You bet we are!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

"Good." Coco gives me an uncharacteristic serious look. "I'm gonna put you and the other guys through all kinds of hell next year." After a moment, she starts giggling.

I grin. "I can't wait."

"I still can't get over how much you've changed this year," Pinkie says to Coco. "Back in September, you were so shy and mousy and nervous all the time, and look at you now! You take apart every single opponent you face like it's nothing!"

Coco blushes and rubs the back of her head. "Well...I owe it all to Flash," she says. She smiles at me. "If you hadn't...you know...helped me to have confidence in myself, I wouldn't be where I am now." She ducks her head. "Suri would probably still be making me get drinks for her and making me run around in front of the ball launchers while they were turned on and laughing at me."

I shake my head. "You just needed a friend, that's all."

"Flash is amazing at helping people," Pinkie says. She hugs me tightly. "He sure helped me! If not for Flash and his quick thinking, I...I wouldn't still be here at all..." She looks at her plate. "Gee, I wonder where I'd be. Would I be with Maud? Would I be...out on the street?" More quietly, she adds, "Would I even still be alive?"

I hug Pinkie tightly. "Twilight and I would never let anything like that happen to you. Ever."

Pinkie smiles at me and sniffles. "Thank you," she says quietly.

Chrysalis coughs. "Well, Flash certainly helped me," she says. "I can honestly say that I'm very much enjoying my new life. Coaching you kids is rewarding, fulfilling in ways my old career wasn't." She smiles. "I used to be at the top of the ivory tower...then I had it knocked out from under me. Thanks to Flash here, I realize that a humble log cabin is as tall as any ivory tower, so long as you have the love of your family and you feel like you're making a difference."

"Wow, that was really corny," Pinkie says, giggling.

Chrysalis laughs. "Well, it's true," she says. "By the way, the twins—you know Katy and Cricket, right?—they're trying out for the team this fall."

"What about Papillon?" I ask.

Chrysalis snorts and rolls her eyes. "She hates to sweat."

Tennis Match and Derpy join us, and we spend the rest of the afternoon having a good time. We talk, laugh, eat muffins, and make plans for next season. When the party starts to wind down, Pinkie and I say our goodbyes to Coach Chrysalis, Coco, and everybody else, promising to keep in touch over the summer and come to summer practice when we're able.

On the way back to the dorm, Pinkie wraps her arm around mine. "I really am lucky to have you and Twilight as friends," she says.

"And we're lucky to have you."

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 / Evening

It turns out half the dorm is out shopping for our trip to Canterlittle, so Pinkie and I sit down and play Uno with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Silver Spoon, who apparently asked for the afternoon off. When Twilight texts me saying everybody's staying at the mall late to watch a movie, Pinkie and I decide to order pizza. Silver Spoon gets permission from her dad to sleep over.

"You mean they're actually going to a movie and Sunset Shimmer is with them?" Apple Bloom asks in disbelief.

I shrug. "It was her idea, apparently."

"Huh," Pinkie says. "That's weird." She sorts through her cards. "I still can't get used to her even being here."

"Who the hell can?" I shake my head. "She's definitely...not herself, though. I mean, she's not...you know..."

"Yeah..."

When the pizza arrives, we all find a good movie to watch on TV. We're still watching TV and having a good time when the rest of the girls get back. They mostly look like they had a good time, although Fluttershy still looks tense. Sunset waves at us and goes upstairs, clutching a couple of bags.

Twilight walks over and snags a pizza crust that's been sitting on the table for about two hours and nibbles on it. "Having fun?" she asks.

"Yeah, we're having a good time," I say. "How about you girls?"

"Eh, the movie was okay," Twilight says. "Wasn't as good as we thought it'd be. Most of us bought new swimsuits. Sunset...didn't try to start anything with any of us. Heck, she paid for the movie tickets. Well, all except Fluttershy. She insisted on paying her own way." She sits down next to me and grabs another stale crust. "Flash, I don't get this game she's playing. It...it doesn't feel like a game." She wipes her hands on a napkin and sighs. "If...if I didn't know what a complete monster she is, and she was just another girl that moved into the dorm?" In a small, uncertain voice, she says, "I...I think we'd be friends by now."

I sigh and shake my head. "Friends...that's one thing we'll never be with Sunset Shimmer. Not after everything she's put us through."

"Yeah..."

Twilight sits to chat with Pinkie and the girls for a bit. All the pizza on top of all the snacks from the party has made me pretty sleepy, so I decide to head to bed early.

Shortly after stripping down to my boxers and stretching out on the bed, I fall asleep...

"Good evening, and apologies for disturbing your rest. I have important business to discuss with my guest."

The Velvet Room...

Zecora is the only one here. There's no sign of Igor.

"Much time has passed, and two signs remain, then you'll reach the point where you began again. But before you can lay your affairs to rest, you must yet face your greatest test."

"Sunset Shimmer," I say. "I know. We have to face her and defeat her."

"If what you say is true, then what is stopping you?" Zecora gives me a measuring look. "I will tell you what stays your hand. There remains a truth you do not understand."

I groan. "Can we dispense with the cryptic rhyming? You're giving me a headache."

Zecora frowns at me. From somewhere deeper in the Velvet Room, I hear a throaty, sultry chuckle.

"You'll have to excuse my newest apprentice," a sensual voice says. "She is wise, but she has even stranger quirks than my younger sister."

A pale, elegant, gorgeous woman in a blue uniform steps into view from...somewhere. She fixes me with a piercing gaze.

"In the interest of explaining what you are about to face clearly and with no confusion, I will take over from Zecora for a moment.

"In the weeks to come, the bonds you share with your friends and loved ones will be tested. You and your friends will be asked to confront the darkest nature of each individual with which you have forged an unbreakable bond.

"This series of trials will be unlike anything you have faced to date, and yet the strength you have gained from your repeated conflicts with the Shadows will serve you well. Overcoming these trials will yield rewards that will bring you closer to achieving the ultimate victory you seek...or perhaps doom you to an inescapable fate." She chuckles ominously. "Which path your destiny follows depends entirely upon you, as always.

"Beginning tomorrow, you and your friends will be brought to the place between dream and reality once every three or four days to undergo a trial. The one you view as your enemy will have no knowledge of these events unless you choose to make it known, as the trials will not take place within the plane you refer to as Zodiac."

The pale woman steps into the darkness and vanishes. Zecora watches her go, then turns to me. "Rest well, for when tomorrow comes...you and your friends must face The Sun."

As the Velvet Room becomes indistinct and hazy, I hear a younger, teasing voice giggle. "That didn't rhyme, you know."

"Motherf—"
> 6/9 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, June 9, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): True friendship means accepting your friends for all that they are, the good and the bad.

I sit up in bed, groaning and holding my head.

The Velvet Room...

What was that about...?

Shaking my head, I grab my phone and check the time. It's early, but not too early. I text Twilight, then get up, throw on a T-shirt, and unlock the door. I hear Twilight's door open a minute later; I open my door and let her in.

"What is it?" she asks quietly as I close the door behind her.

"Something's up," I say. "I was summoned to the Velvet Room last night." I lock the door, then sit down on the bed. "It's..." I rub my temples. "Something's about to start," I say. "Today...we're all going to be...tested, somehow."

"Tested?" Twilight frowns, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," I say. "The whole thing's...I just don't know." My head really hurts right now. "Something about...it won't happen in Zodiac, and Sunset Shimmer won't know anything about it unless one of us tells her."

Twilight grimaces. "Then that means we have to be careful warning the others." She sits down next to me. "Do you know what kind of test?"

I think back on what I was told... "I have a feeling it's going to involve fighting."

Twilight nods. "Okay. We can handle that. But fighting what?"

I shrug. "I have no idea."

Twilight frowns. "You'd think that rhyming woman would be a little more...helpful, if she's supposed to be there to help you."

"Yeah..."

Thursday, June 9, 2016 / Morning

Throughout the morning, Twilight and I text everyone to warn them about this "test" thing. Aside from Pinkie, who's throwing a birthday party for a senior named Shield Heart, none of us have anything planned for after school, so we agree to meet up at Sugar Cube Corner.

Thursday, June 9, 2016 / After School

Sugar Cube Corner is closed for the afternoon for the private party. Pinkie lets us in, then locks the door behind us.

"So, what's the deal?" Rainbow asks.

As if in response, Sugar Cube Corner fades from existence around us, replaced by a vast, empty space with a checkered floor. Huge brass things hang from a ceiling shrouded in a yellow mist, and if this space has any borders or walls, they're hidden by a blanket of grey fog.

"Wh-what is this place?" Fluttershy asks nervously.

"This isn't the Velvet Room," I say slowly, looking around.

"Do not be so hasty to assume there is but one shape for the Velvet Room."

Zecora appears before us. "You go out of your way to put others first," she says gravely. "But can you face your friends when they're at their worst?"

A strange door appears beside her. Inside its gold frame, the actual door depicts the Sun Arcana card...

"Open the door if you wish, but beware. Behind it lies a soul laid bare."

I look around at my friends. Twilight frowns. Pinkie shrugs. The others are shifting awkwardly.

I take a deep breath, then step forward and touch the door.

Zecora retreats as the door opens, shedding blinding light...

Vinyl Scratch steps out. Her glasses are missing; her red eyes stare sightlessly out at us.

All the things I'll never see...

She clenches her fists.

I'll never see Tavi's smile again. I'll never see her in a swimsuit. When we make love, I'll never see her body. Sound and touch can only do so much. I can feel her, I can smell her, I can taste her, but I'll never see her again...

"Vinyl..."

I'll never see the faces of everybody partying when I spin music. I have to do everything by voice control now. How many mistakes am I gonna make? How often am I gonna screw up putting the right mix on?

Her eyes shift from their usual red to glowing gold on black.

It's not fair! Why do I have to be the one who can't see? Why can't it be somebody else? Anybody else? Everybody else! I wanna SEE, goddammit! This SUCKS!

She starts to laugh an unpleasant, unhinged laugh.

The doctors could've fixed this. I know they could have! They were just too lazy to bother! Who cares if a little girl goes blind, right? It's too much work to save a girl's sight when you've got fifty people lined up waiting to get glasses!

She looks down at her hands, which are curled into claws.

I wonder what their guts feel like...

"What...what is this?" Twilight cries.

"This is really creeping me out," Pinkie moans.

Fluttershy has a stricken look on her face. "I think...this is the rage and pain Vinyl Scratch keeps bottled up inside," she says. She looks over at Cadance. "Cadance, would you...?"

Cadance frowns, but nods. "PERSONA!"

Eros appears. //Give me a second...// Cadance gasps sharply. //Guys? This...this is a Shadow...and a really strong one!//

Vinyl laughs maniacally.

That's right! I am the Shadow, the True Self! I just wanna claw out everybody's eyes so they'll know what it feels like to be ME!

Vinyl's Shadow begins to glow an angry red, black flames engulfing her body...

//LOOK OUT!//

The false image of Vinyl stretches upward, transforming into something...nightmarish.

Her skin has turned a dark charcoal color. Her legs are full of holes and end in broad, chipped hooves. Her arms, which are also now full of holes, end in curved, oddly-jointed four-fingered claws. Her torso has transformed into a tablet with a pulsing equalizer graph on the screen. Her glasses are perched on her forehead, with a waveform graph displayed on the lenses. Her face has been replaced with a spinning CD above a creepy smile.

A pair of turntables rises out of the floor in front of her, surrounded by towers of speakers. In front of the turntables, a rounded speaker appears, its unusually deep cone strobing with blue concentric lights.

Pounding music shakes the ground. A pair of samurai-type Shadows drops from the sky, landing in front of the turntable stage. These Shadows are a deep blue color and have no helmets; instead of the usual masks, they have grim faces with deep, gruesome scars where their eyes should be.

"Everybody get ready," I say, tapping Black Butterfly on my phone and readying my axe. Around me, the girls gear up.

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

"PERSONA!" Sonata wastes no time; Leviathan appears, and a poisonous purple wave washes over the Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Applejack cries. Persephone appears; every member of our party blurs. My legs feel lighter.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy summons Echo, and a defensive wall gleams in front of us.

"BASTET!" Rarity's Persona appears, scattering sharp shards of ice. The samurai Shadows dodge; Vinyl's Shadow takes damage, but doesn't seem to care.

"NIKE!" Rainbow summons her Persona, whose wind blades tear through the enemy. Once again, the samurai Shadows evade the attack, and Vinyl shows no sign of caring.

"Those two in front are dodging everything!" Fluttershy says.

"We noticed!" Rainbow retorts.

Suddenly, one of the samurai lunges forward, drawing and striking Rainbow. Fluttershy's barrier repels the attack, sending the samurai skidding back.

"EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears and charges into the enemy, breakdancing her way through the Shadows. Vinyl's Shadow takes damage, but both of the samurai counter with iaido. Pinkie yelps and goes down on one knee as the barrier protecting her shatters.

"PINKIE!" Twilight cries.

"I'm okay," Pinkie grunts, standing up.

//Attacking them directly is useless,// Cadance says. //They'll counter any physical attacks!//

"Great," I mutter. "So how do we kill them?"

Suddenly, Vinyl drops a sick bassline. The ground shakes violently, knocking most of us down. As I stagger to my feet, Rainbow and Pinkie help Fluttershy and Sonata up.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" A column of lightning stabs into Vinyl's Shadow, who twitches and grunts. She makes adjustments to her turntables, and the glowing speaker in front of her starts emitting a low, droning hum.

//Be careful! She's building up a lot of power!//

"I've got your lot of power!" I yell. "ALICE!"

"Oh god, not this again," Twilight groans.

Alice skips lightly onto the scene and raises her hand, summoning a rain of card soldiers. One of the samurai Shadows explodes into nothingness, but nothing else happens.

As Alice fades away, Vinyl's Shadow laughs and slams her hand down on her turntable. A massive pulse of sound rips out of the glowing bass cannon, picking Sonata up and throwing her clear across the vast space. We hear a sickening crunch when she lands.

//Sonata's dead! Somebody revive her!//

"Obviously!" Rarity says. "PERSONA!"

Bastet appears; glowing threads weave themselves around Sonata's body, sinking into her skin. She picks herself up and rubs her head, moaning woozily, before walking back up to the rest of us.

"Okay, time to fight sound with sound!" Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike Invicta appears again, sliding across the ground on her knees and jamming out a power chord. A wave of prismatic sound crashes over the Shadows. The remaining samurai Shadow is able to parry it, but Vinyl's turntable takes damage. The bass cannon's pulsing lights dim.

YOU CAN'T OUT-ROCK ME!

Vinyl leaps up onto her turntable and slings a keytar out of nowhere. The pulsing graphs on her glasses and torso go crazy as she cranks a knob and plays a fast sequence of notes. A wave of light shaped like a ribbon of sheet music streams out, wrapping around Rainbow and lifting her into the air. The staff snakes sinuously between Rainbow's legs and around her chest in a very suggestive manner; she cries out in panic.

"GAH! BAD TOUCH!" Pinkie yelps.

"Oh my," Fluttershy says.

"Dammit, do something!" Rainbow yells. "I really don't wanna be tentacle-raped by shitty music!"

"Ah gotcha, RD!" Applejack says. "PERSEPHONE!" Persephone appears and lands a vicious haymaker on Vinyl's Shadow, sending her tumbling back behind her turntable and breaking off the musical assault on Rainbow. Rainbow drops to the ground, landing on her butt with an undignified squawk.

"Dude, don't you have like, some kind of massive demon cock you can shove up this bitch?" Rainbow asks as she stands up, glaring at the Shadow.

"That'd be a big no," I say. "And even if I did, I wouldn't. She might be a Shadow, but she's still Vinyl, and Vinyl's gay."

"...that may be the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Fluttershy says, staring at me.

"Can we PLEASE be SERIOUS here?" Rarity demands. "I, for one, would like to end this battle quickly and leave this place!"

"Agreed!" Twilight says. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears again and rains lightning down on Vinyl and the remaining samurai. This time, it fails to dodge; it explodes into black vapor. Vinyl's turntable starts to smoke.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP THIS PARTY!

Vinyl digs her claws into the records on the turntable. The graphics on her torso change to a wildly fluctuating spectrogram. All the speakers begin to glow a bright electric blue, and strobing lasers in varying colors shoot wildly all over the place. The lasers cut through us, and all at once I feel burning, freezing, tingling, and biting pain. The others are on their knees, struggling to defend themselves.

The laser show finally dies down after several excruciating seconds. Two more of those blind samurai Shadows appear.

//Are you alright? You're all pretty badly hurt...//

Fluttershy grunts and stands up. "ECHO!" Her Persona appears and sheds a healing light over all of us.

"I'm starting to get really tired of this!" Sonata whines. "LEVIATHAN!"

Leviathan appears and calls forth a crashing wave which washes over Vinyl's Shadow and the two samurai. Vinyl shudders; the spectrogram on her torso dims and the music glitches.

"I think we're winning!" Pinkie shouts exuberantly. "Don't give up! PERSONA!"

Euphoria's magic infuses us all with a wave of strength. With a grin, Applejack summons Persephone. Persephone strikes the ground, which explodes upward in waves; the samurai are scattered, and Vinyl's turntables start to sputter, sparks and smoke snapping out of them. Vinyl screams in agony and thrashes around.

//You're almost there!// Cadance yells. //Don't give her a chance to recover!//

"Time to end this," I say. "ASURA!"

Asura appears, eyes glowing as all six arms form seals. A column of pure, blinding light drops down from the sky, slamming into the Shadows. The speakers explode violently, and warped cracks ribbon across Vinyl's face and body.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

The pounding music dies as the DJ stage breaks down. The dying, writhing form of Vinyl's Shadow warps and collapses in on itself, the boiling blackness of its existence reforming into the shape of the golden-eyed Shadow Vinyl, wreathed in a hazy reddish-purple aura. Her head is bowed and her hands are clenched at her sides. She seems to be waiting for something...

Taking a deep breath, I step forward. "Vinyl..."

Go away. I don't need your pity...

"Who said anything about pity? Everybody who matters loves you and cares about you. That isn't pity. It's friendship."

Friendship...

"Even when you're angry or scared or depressed, your friends will always be there for you. Don't push us away."

Vinyl looks up at me. She smiles and nods, then fades away, leaving behind the Sun card, floating serenely in midair.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Sun awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Asura, has awakened to the skill Six Paths.



Use this power wisely...


"What..." Rainbow pants and glares angrily at Zecora. "What...WAS that?!"

"We thought you were here to help Flash!" Twilight says.

Zecora folds her arms and regards us all calmly.

"I think..." Fluttershy says quietly, "I think I understand what just happened."

Everyone turns to Fluttershy.

"You know how...how in Zodiac, we see the worst of everybody at CHS? All the nasty things they say about everyone around them? Well, I think..." She glances over at Zecora. "I think that's what that was. It was—"

"Close, but not quite," Zecora says. "After all, The Sun bears you no spite." She strides over to us. She starts to speak, stops, then takes a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists at her side. "Within every heart lies a hidden truth. A side of yourself you choose not to accept, you choose not to face. This is true for all humans. Facing yourself, accepting your inner truth...that is the path to enlightenment of the soul. But as hard as it is for one to face one's own truth..." She sweeps her gaze over all of us. "It is much harder still to stare down the darkest part of a friend's heart. The strength to face your friends when they are at their worst and still love them, still trust them...that is the most pure strength of the human heart." She relaxes her hands, closes her eyes for a moment, then looks over us. "Your bonds of friendship will be tested, growing stronger still when hate and fear are bested."

"And she's rhyming again," Rainbow says.

Twilight blinks. "So wait..." She glances curiously at me, then back to Zecora. "We have to fight the inner demons of everyone close to Flash?"

"The Shadows you face here will be spawned from those with which our guest shares an unbreakable bond," Zecora says simply.

I get it now...

I'm going to face the Shadow of everyone whose Social Link has reached its maximum level...

Nobody else except Twilight seems to understand. "The hell's that mean?" Rainbow asks.

"It means," I say slowly, "we're gonna be doing this a lot."

"You will indeed," Zecora says. "But for now, godspeed."

The fog grows thicker, and reality slowly fades in around us...

Thursday, June 9, 2016 / Evening

We help Pinkie set up for Shield Heart's party. She invites us to stay, but since none of us actually know this guy and we're all exhausted from what we just went through, we decide to head back to the dorm. Shield Heart and his family show up just as we're leaving; we wish him well. It seems he's enlisted in the service and is leaving next week for training...

We pick up burgers on the way back home. When we get there, we find Sunset Shimmer sitting in the lounge with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, flipping through a magazine while she eats a salad. The younger girls are watching her curiously as they snack on nachos.

"Everything okay here?" Cadance asks.

"Of course it is," Sunset says. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well for starters, you're here," Rainbow says. She sighs and trudges for the stairs. "I'm gonna take a shit, eat, and go to bed. Don't bother me until morning."

Sonata cracks a yawn. She waves as she makes her way upstairs. Applejack and Cadance sit down in the lounge; Applejack turns on the TV as Cadance unpacks her food. Rarity joins them. The rest of us head upstairs.

Fluttershy follows me and Twilight up to the third floor. We all head for my room; Twilight locks the door behind us.

"What just happened today...it bothers me," Twilight says. "If I understand what's going on..." She stuffs a sweet potato fry in her mouth. "Sooner or later, we'll have to fight...each other," she says uncomfortably.

"Yeah..."

"I don't know if I like this," Fluttershy says with a frown. "Can't we, maybe, not do this?"

"It doesn't seem like they're forcing us to," Twilight adds.

I shake my head. "The Velvet Room...anything that happens there happens for a reason." I sigh. "I don't want to do this, but...I get the feeling we need do." I look up. "Besides, look at it this way. This is pretty much the only way we're going to be able to get any training done now. We can't risk going into Zodiac anymore with Sunset up our butts all the time."

"PHRASING!" both girls yell at me, faces red.

"Sorry, that came out wrong."

Twilight sighs. "You've got a point, though. At least with this, Sunset can't spy on us. She won't even be aware of any of this. You're sure about that, right?"

I nod. "Zecora and that other woman were pretty clear on that. If we don't tell her what's going on, she'll be in the dark."

"Okay." The girls still look pretty uneasy about this. I can't say I blame them...

I don't really want to fight some twisted Shadow version of Twilight...

"So, umm...how often do we have to deal with this crap?" Fluttershy asks.

"They said it'd be every three or four days."

"Three or four days?!" Twilight cries. "Are you kidding me?! We usually have about a month in between these huge fights!"

"Well, we don't anymore," I say.

"It's just as well," Fluttershy says resignedly, picking at the lettuce on her burger. "It won't be too much longer until..." She shakes her head. "Change of subject. Canterlittle."

"I can't wait to see you girls in swimsuits again."

Fluttershy flicks a piece of lettuce at me with a smirk. Twilight shakes her head. "You're gonna run wild again, aren't you?" she asks.

"Well..." I shrug.

Twilight sighs. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll let you misbehave." She raises a finger. "One thing, though. I catch you doing anything with Sunset Shimmer, I'm cutting your balls off."

I stare at her. "Seriously? You think I'd—"

"Your dick does tend to get the better of you," Fluttershy points out. "Oh, and, um," she blushes, "I'm seriously thinking about..." She ducks her head. Twilight glances at her, blinking. Fluttershy stares back defensively, frowning. "Oh come on, everybody else has had a turn!"

Twilight shakes her head and sighs. "Whatever." She glances sharply at me. "Oh, same goes for the junior high girls. No touchy, no looky."

"Gah! What the HELL, Twi?"

Fluttershy raises an eyebrow. "What?"

I sigh. "Twilight's got this crazy idea that something's going on between me and Silver Spoon."

Fluttershy snorts. "Okay, I can see that." Twilight gives her an odd look.

I groan and decide to eat my food before it gets any colder. Once we're all finished eating, the girls go back to their own rooms.

Tomorrow's the last day of school...
> 6/10 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 10, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You may be tempted to pass on something today, but you might miss out on something great.

Today is the last day of school. It's a half-day, and instead of classes, we're supposed to have some kind of assembly...

I wonder how many people are gonna ditch.

Friday, June 10, 2016 / Morning

When we arrive at school, there are signs directing everyone to the auditorium. The entire school smells like popcorn.

When we arrive at the auditorium, we find a dozen popcorn carts, full to the top with fresh, hot, buttery popcorn, with most of the staff attending them. There's also a row of coolers full of bottled sodas.

"Get some popcorn and a soda, find a seat," Luna says cheerfully as she directs everyone into the auditorium. Curious, our group gets popcorn and drinks and finds a row of seats together. Sunset Shimmer joins us, but that was to be expected.

Once everyone who actually came is seated, Principal Celestia takes the stage. "Good morning, everyone!" she says brightly. "I'm glad to see so many of you decided to come today instead of ditching." She smirks. "The hundred or so kids I don't see are about to miss out on something fun."

"How much fun can a school assembly be?" Rainbow Dash wonders.

The lights go down, and the curtain behind Celestia parts to reveal a movie screen. "I pulled some strings and arranged an advance preview screening of Iron Dude 4!"

Half the crowd goes nuts.

"Whoa. Iron Dude 4?" Rainbow asks. "That doesn't come out until July!"

The next three hours pass by to the tune of explosions, classic rock, laughter, and the popcorn carts and drink coolers emptying out. When the movie's over, so is the school year.

Friday, June 10, 2016 / After School

We decide to go to that one pizza buffet for lunch, then hit the mall to do last-minute shopping for tomorrow's trip to Canterlittle. Cadance reserved a set of rooms at a budget hotel two miles from the beach, and we're staying until Tuesday.

Friday, June 10, 2016 / Evening

I'm packing for tomorrow when there's a knock on my door. It's Sunset. I nearly slam the door in her face, but I decide to hear what she has to say.

"There's something I've wanted to ask for a while now," she says. "Why Twilight?"

I frown. "What do you mean?"

Sunset shrugs. "I mean...why Twilight? The way I hear it, you've pretty much got your pick of any girl in this dorm. Why her? What makes her so—"

I hold up a hand. "She's my type," I say. "I can't explain it, she just is. I fell in love with her the second I laid eyes on her."

Sunset raises an eyebrow. "Really? The way I hear it, you've fucked pretty much every girl in this dorm."

I shrug. "Yeah, I'm not pretending I'm perfect. I let my dick get the better of me a little too much. But there's nothing I wouldn't do for Twilight."

"Except, apparently, stop sleeping around."

"Actually, I have to have her permission for that."

Sunset blinks. "Her permission? Seriously?"

I shrug. "Things are a little...unconventional around here."

Sunset smirks. "No kidding." She shakes her head. "I should've stolen you from her back at the start of the year. I think...that was my first mistake."

"Do you really think I'd ever have gone out with you? They warned me about you first day of school."

Sunset snorts. "Warned you, huh?" She shakes her head. "Whatever. We'll see what you have to say after you see me in my bikini." Tossing her hair, she heads back to her own room.

I shake my head and resume packing. Sunset may be easy on the eyes, but after everything she's put us through, there's no way I'm giving her a moment's thought when we're at Canterlittle...

Our train leaves early, so I go to bed right after dinner.

Summer's finally here...
> 6/11 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, June 11, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Turnabout is fair play.

After breakfast, we load up the SUVs and head to the train station. Once we find parking spaces in the long-term parking garage near the station, we haul our crap to the station proper. Shining Armor is coming with us this time.

"I don't think I've ever actually gone anywhere by train," Sunset says cheerfully. "This'll be fun!"

"Not that fun," Pinkie says.

"What, do you get trainsick?"

"I think she means that this isn't like Neighpon's super-modern trains with all the bells and whistles, or the Warthog Express," Twilight says. "This is just going to be a boring, noisy two hour train ride."

"But then it'll be a whole day of fun in the sun!" Rainbow cries excitedly.

Twenty minutes after we get to the platform, our train arrives. One boring, noisy two hour train ride later, we're in Canterlittle.

Saturday, June 11, 2016 / Daytime

When you live near the coast, you'll often hear people say "I don't wanna go to that beach, let's go to the good beach!"

In Canterlot, when they say 'that beach', they mean Canterlittle.

Unlike Haytona, which is a massive tourist draw and has an entire industry dedicated to maintaining the pristine white postcard beaches, Canterlittle is what you'd call "just a beach". It's not a tourist destination. There aren't fancy beachside restaurants and beach houses and big resort hotels. Rather, Canterlittle is a small, middle-class suburb that just happens to have about three miles of beach.

Of course, there are facilities for people who come to Canterlittle just for the beach. Our budget hotel is pretty much designed with beachcombers in mind and has shuttle services to the beach road, and there are more than a few restaurants that serve freshly caught seafood. There are even some snack bars and rental shops scattered along the beachfront road, as well as a mini-mart which is obviously geared towards people who want to buy snacks to take down to the beach.

Once we've checked in at the hotel and stowed our stuff in our rooms, we all meet up in front of the hotel with our tote bags. Pinkie, Rainbow, and Sonata are already wearing their swimsuits with shirts or light jackets over them and flip-flops; everyone else is dressed lightly. Shining Armor and I are both wearing board shorts and open shirts with flip-flops.

"I'll be keeping an eye on everyone's stuff once we're on the beach," Cadance says. She's wearing a breezy, flowing skirt, a loose T-shirt, and sandals. "I don't think I'm going to be doing much except reading and enjoying the air."

"You know, we could probably take a boat out one day while we're here," Shining Armor says. "I wouldn't mind doing a little fishing. How about you, Flash?"

I shrug. "Maybe."

Once the shuttle drops us at the beach road, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, Shining Armor, and Sunset all run off to rent surfboards while the rest of us grab a bunch of snacks. Predictably, Twilight quickly fills two entire hand baskets with junk food. Cadance shakes her head and smirks; we buy a styrofoam cooler and a bag of ice, as well as a couple bags of bottled drinks.

It's a really good thing there's a lot of us here to carry all this shit...

The beach isn't too busy when we arrive. There are only about ten or twelve other people within eyesight, scattered up and down the beach. Cadance, Shining Armor, and I stake out a spot and spread out several blankets while the girls who aren't suited up yet head for the changing rooms. Rainbow and Pinkie head straight out to the water, laughing all the way.

"I think I'll join the girls as soon as we have everything situated," Shining says. He grins. "I haven't gone surfing in a long time."

"What about you, Flash?" Cadance asks. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

"Probably just relax for a little while," I say. "Things have been so hectic lately, I'd honestly just like a day to unwind."

"I can imagine." Cadance sighs and stretches. "If I wasn't already showing, I'd be sunbathing in a bikini."

"You're not showing that much," Shining Armor says.

"I'm showing enough to know better than to wear a bikini." Cadance pops open a grape soda. "Besides, I'm with Flash on the whole relaxing thing. The...stuff we've been dealing with...it's not as physically stressful for me since I'm not actually fighting the Shadows, but the mental stress plus my job..." She sighs. "My job. I'm gonna miss working at CHS next year."

"You're taking the year off for maternity?"

Cadance nods. "Yeah. Actually, I might...not go back." She sighs. "I mean, I can keep being the dorm manager for Applewood Dorm, that's actually not much work. But if Celestia finds a good replacement for me, I'll probably stay home full-time from now on." She smiles. "I'd rather focus on raising our child, and I don't really need the money."

Shining Armor frowns. "I need to do more to provide—"

"You're doing fine," Cadance says. "Really. We're in good enough shape that you don't need to do anything more than you're already doing." With a teasing smile, she adds, "Except maybe sell some of those silly toys of yours."

"Hey!" Shining cries indignantly. "My models are—"

"Worth a fortune on uBuy," Cadance interrupts. "Seriously, you've got what, six, seven hundred bucks' worth of model kits you haven't built yet? The ones you've built and painted are worth ten times what you paid for them."

Shining blinks. "Huh." He shakes his head. "Huh," he repeats.

Sunset and Applejack come charging out of the changing rooms, surfboards in hand. Applejack is wearing a dark orange one-piece with royal blue diagonal stripes. Sunset...

Well...

What little she's wearing is red. I think. It's kind of hard to tell. I shake my head and cover my face. "Yep, she's definitely up to no good."

Shining watches her jiggle. "Okay, she may be an evil bitch who's put us all through hell, but damn."

"Hey! Eyes over here," Cadance says. She watches Sunset run, shaking her head. "But yeah...if she wasn't the queen bitch of CHS, she'd have every boy at school eating out of her hand."

"Or other places."

"SHINY!"

"Oh look! I think I'm done setting up. I think I'll go surf now." Shining Armor hastily grabs his board and runs off.

From where she's rubbing suntan lotion on herself, Sonata snickers. I'd almost forgotten she was there...

The rest of the girls soon arrive at our camp and began rounding up their own sunscreen. Fluttershy is wearing a green-and-white one-piece. Rarity is wearing a royal purple strapless bikini that's almost as revealing as Sunset's.

Twilight, on the other hand...

Twilight is wearing a navy blue one-piece that's at once modest and concealing and so skintight she might as well not be wearing it. It's high-cut on the hips and shows off every curve of her body to spectacular effect.

My jaw drops.

Cadance blinks. "Twilight? Is...is that a...?"

"Neighponese school swimsuit?" Fluttershy finishes, smirking as she begins rubbing sunscreen on her arms.

Twilight sits down and starts lotioning herself with a catlike smirk. "Sunset Shimmer can run around with as much of her butt showing as she wants. I know how to keep Flash's eyes where they belong."

Sonata makes a strangled cat noise and swipes at the air with her fingers curled into claws.

I shake my head and put on my own sunscreen, then sit down beside Twilight on the blanket. She's already gone through three bags of chips and a liter of soda...

"Why don't we play some beach volleyball?" I suggest.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Twilight says.

"I'm in!" Sonata rasps.

"Sure, why not," Fluttershy agrees.

"I'll pass," Rarity says. "I'm afraid I'm a bit too jiggly in this for beach sports."

"Isn't jiggling around the whole point?" I ask. Twilight thumps me.

"What about you girls?" Cadance asks Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"Ah think Ah wanna build a sand castle," Apple Bloom says cheerfully. "Ah ain't never done it before."

"Ooh, that sounds like fun," Sweetie Belle says. "Let's go down by the water." They run off, giggling.

We grab a ball and find a decent stretch of sand to play on. We spend about an hour playing; the surfers have long since returned by the time we're done and are sitting around snacking and enjoying the warm sun and ocean breeze. We stop to rest and eat for a bit, then Twilight and I walk down the beach to look for seashells. Every so often, I look around to see what the others are up to; as the beach has become slightly more crowded, Rainbow and Pinkie are getting into volleyball games with other beachgoers, Sunset and Rarity are both flirting with guys, and Sonata's swimming around in the sea.

It's past five when we pack everything up and go back to the beachfront road to return the rental boards and catch the shuttle back to the hotel. Once we're all cleaned up and change clothes, we all head out to explore the town on our own until dark.

Saturday, June 11, 2016 / Evening

Twilight, Pinkie, and I end up at a small, slightly run-down seafood place about a mile from the hotel.

"Do you think we'll have to deal with another one of those creepy Shadows anytime soon?" Pinkie asks.

Twilight frowns. "It should be...tomorrow, right?"

"Or Monday," I say, nodding. "We'll worry about it when it happens. For now, we need to focus on enjoying our summer."

"I'd enjoy it more if my brother wasn't ogling Sunset Shimmer like...like..."

"A piece of bacon?" Pinkie suggests.

"She's noticed, too," I say. "I saw her watching him watch her." I sigh and break apart a crab leg. "I wonder..."

"You don't think she'll try to do to him what she did to you, do you?" Twilight asks with mild horror.

I shrug. "She might." I shake my head. "Or she might just go for straight-up seduction. Weird that she's turned her attention to him, though."

"I think she figured out you're not twitching," Pinkie says. "And, well..." She frowns as she dips a shrimp into cocktail sauce. "Not to be mean about it or anything, but...she does know Cadance used to be all slutty-slut. She might be thinking of, you know..."

"Giving him a chance to get even?" Twilight finishes, shaking her head. "Shining Armor isn't like that. I know he isn't."

A gloomy pall falls over our table, and we finish eating in silence. We head back to the hotel; I'm sharing a room with Twilight. As she's getting ready for bed, I get a text.

Twilight looks up at the sound of my text notification. "What's up?"

I frown at my phone. "Zecora," I say. "We've got a battle tomorrow."
> 6/12 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, June 12, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If all you're looking for is something you've lost, you'll never be able to see what you've found.

The second day of our four-day trip to Canterlittle...

Today, we'll be facing another Shadow in the Velvet Room.

Sunday, June 12, 2016 / Daytime

Everyone does their own thing for breakfast. Around nine in the morning, we all meet up at the front of the hotel.

"So, what're we all doing today?" Sunset asks brightly.

We all look around at each other. "Well," Twilight says slowly, "we were thinking about maybe having a cookout on the beach tonight, but we'll have to do a lot of shopping and rent a gas grill and all the other stuff we'd need for that."

"Yeah, it'll take most of the day to get ready for it," I say.

"Can we really do something like that?" Apple Bloom asks.

"Sure, cooking and camping on the beach is allowed," Shining Armor says. "So long as you clean up after yourselves." He grins. "A cookout on the beach sounds like fun."

"And fireworks!" Pinkie adds. "We gotta shoot off some fireworks!"

"Ooh, that does sound like fun," Sweetie Belle says.

"I think we're going to split up into groups and take care of getting everything we need for tonight," Cadance says. "We have enough people that not everybody needs to go into town." She smiles at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "You girls should go have fun on the beach today."

"Yeah, we got this," Rainbow says.

"I think I'll look after these two," Shining Armor says. "I'd rather not let them run around on the beach unsupervised."

"Hey! We ain't little kids!" Apple Bloom protests.

"Now Apple Bloom, behave," Applejack says. "Ah for one would rather have Coach lookin' after y'all while th' rest of us git ready."

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity says, "what was it you were saying last night about dolphins?"

"Ooh!" Sweetie Belle exclaims excitedly. "That's right! I heard some girls talking about a spot down the beach where they saw dolphins yesterday!"

"Oh yeah, I heard there's dolphins wandering around down here," Sunset says.

"Tell you what," Shining says. "Let's go see if we can find those dolphins while the rest of the gang gets ready for tonight."

"I think I'll go with you," Sunset says. "A little dolphin-watching sounds like fun."

Twilight shoots her a dubious frown, but covers it quickly. "Alright. Hopefully it won't take the rest of us too long to get ready. When we have everything, we'll bring it down to the beach and set up."

"Can't wait!" Sunset grabs Shining Armor's arm and steers him off toward the beach. "Come on, kids!"

As the four of them wander off, the rest of us move away to the side and huddle together.

"That was awfully convenient," Rarity says with a frown.

"It's also no surprise," Twilight says. "Cadance...be careful."

Cadance grimaces. "I trust my husband," she insists. Her eyes are clouded...

"Okay," I say, getting everyone's attention. "We deal with this thing, then we get ready to have a good time tonight."

"But how do we know when we'll get pulled away to—"

Rainbow Dash doesn't get to finish, because the vast space where we fought Vinyl's Shadow forms around us.

"I sensed your readiness," Zecora says. "Shall we attend to business?" She waves her right hand, and a gold-framed door rises out of the floor. The face of the door depicts the Moon Arcana card. "You are well aware of what lies in store. Whenever you wish, you may open the door."

"Let's all gear up for battle first," Twilight suggests. We nod to each other, then activate Black Butterfly. The girls all turn to me. I walk forward and touch the door. Zecora steps away as the door opens, a faint silvery light filling the open frame...

Trixie steps out. She glares at me.

You reminded me why I started doing magic and playing music in the first place...

She glares at me.

But it's all BULLSHIT! I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! I AM better than everyone around me! INCLUDING YOU!

"Oy," Rainbow grunts. Twilight facepalms.

You forced me to accept that I'm not better than anyone else! You forced me to accept that it's wrong to act superior and boast about my talents! WELL WHO ASKED YOU? Just because you're so good at making friends you don't even have to TRY, you think you can tell Trixie how to live her life?

"Trixie..."

Trixie's eyes turn gold-on-black.

SHUT UP! You should be on your knees at my feet, begging for forgiveness! Begging for MERCY!

"Uhh...whut th' hell's goin' on here?" Applejack asks. "This...this ain't nothin' like th' last one."

"Everyone's pain is different," Fluttershy says. "You should understand that better than anyone, Applejack."

Applejack grimaces. "Well...yeah. Still, this don't seem like—"

"Trixie! This isn't you!" I shout. "You're better than this!"

Trixie's Shadow laughs.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! Watch and be AMAZED!

Everything suddenly goes pitch dark.

//Look out!//

With thunderous snaps, two massive spotlights ignite, trained on the center of a gilded stage with royal blue curtains patterned with silver stars and crescent moons serving as a backdrop. A cloud of glittery blue smoke billows up from the stage. When the smoke clears, it reveals the new form Trixie's Shadow has taken: a shapely magician, easily four meters tall, with jet black skin and Trixie's platinum hair, wearing a spangled dark blue corset teddy with matching high heels and a dark blue top hat with a sky blue band. A silver cape made up of dozens of hand-type Shadows trails from her neck; the hands are in constant motion, doing card tricks or coin tricks or pulling things like doves, flowers, handkerchiefs, and juggling balls out of nowhere and making them disappear again. The cape is fastened by a steel-grey triangular clasp which bears a stylized unicorn head and broad, red-edged wings at the top and a rhombus-cut red gem in the center. A silver butterfly mask covers the Shadow's eyes; the only visible feature of her face is the mysterious smirk she wears, highlighted by silver lipstick.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Watch and be amazed as THE GRRRREAT! AND POWERFUL! TRRRRRRIXIE!...KILLS YOU!

Trixie produces a massive magician's wand from thin air and waves it at the ground. Four top hats appear on the stage, turned upside-down.

"Fluttershy, you have a barrier that repels magic, right?" Twilight asks.

Fluttershy nods. "ECHO!"

Echo appears; a golden wireframe cage of light surrounds us briefly before fading away.

"Alright!" Rainbow yells. "Time to get started! PERSONA!"

Nike Invicta soars up into the air, at chest level with Trixie's Shadow, and summons a massive tornado. One of the hats jumps up and swallows it, then drops back to the ground. Doves fly out of the other three hats and home in on Nike, exploding on impact; Rainbow cries out and drops to the ground, clutching her head.

"RAINBOW!" Pinkie cries.

"I'm okay," Rainbow says, standing up shakily. "The hell just happened?"

"It...ate your attack."

"Okay, so if wind don't work," Applejack says, "Let's try somethin' else! PERSEPHONE!"

Persephone appears and slams a massive foot into the ground, shaking the arena. The ground under the stage bucks violently upward. All four of the hats tip over...

...and shoot reams of playing cards at Applejack. She covers her head and cries out as she's cut dozens of times.

"PERSONA!" Twilight cries. Athena appears and heals Applejack, who rubs her arms and grumbles.

"Okay...stupid move, Ah'll admit it," Applejack says.

"I'm almost afraid to try to do anything," Sonata says. "There's no telling what'll happen if I try to poison that thing, and about the only other thing I can do is use that one attack..."

"Hang back for now," Fluttershy says. "Rarity, you're up next. Try using ice."

Rarity looks uncertain, but nods. "Alright then. PERSONA!"

Bastet appears and scatters sharp, icy shards over the stage. One of the hats leaps up and sucks up some of the ice. The other three shudder and flip over.

HMPH!

Trixie points her wand at Rarity.

ABRACADABRA!

Rarity disappears!

The other girls gasp. "Ra-rarity?!"

//I'm...I'm not detecting her! She's...she's gone!//

"Is...is she...dead?" Pinkie whimpers.

//...I don't know...// Cadance's voice is small and afraid.

On the stage, the fourth hat—the one that sucked up the ice—flips over. All four hats shudder and lift up off the ground. Fat white rabbits pop out and start scurrying around with the hats on their heads, changing positions. After a minute, the rabbits disappear into the hats, which flip back over in a row in front of Trixie.

We glance at each other uncertainly, then back at the hats and the Shadow. She flips her hair and poses, conjuring a rose out of thin air and sniffing it.

"Okay, I...am seriously open to suggestions here," I say.

Sonata has a thoughtful frown on her face. "Twilight, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking I'm scared to death of what happened to Rarity," Twilight says.

"Well yeah, that, but I mean about the hats. You noticed it, right?"

Fluttershy's brow furrows. "A different hat absorbed Rarity's attack than the one that absorbed...Rainbow's..."

"And the others all got hit," Twilight says, nodding. "And then they shuffled around like..."

"The shell game," Pinkie Pie finishes. She gasps. "I've seen this in a video game!"

"That's right," Sonata says. "Fluttershy, can you try—?"

Fluttershy nods. "Alright. PERSONA!" Echo reappears, unleashing a broad, sweeping wind blast that strikes all the hats. The one on the far left sucks it up, while the others all flip over.

Trixie raises her wand again. Fluttershy braces herself...

A drumroll sounds from nowhere as Trixie leans forward and taps the hat on the left with her wand, then reaches in and pulls out Rarity, who is now clad in an even skimpier version of the costume Trixie is wearing, in black instead of blue, minus the cape, and with a tuxedo collar and satin bunny ears instead of a top hat.

"RARITY!" the girls yell, relieved.

//Something's wrong...!//

Rarity stands on the palm of Trixie's free hand. She takes aim at Fluttershy and shoots her in the heart. Fluttershy doesn't even have time to cry out as she slumps to the ground.

"GAH!" Pinkie hurriedly summons her Persona and revives Fluttershy, who clutches her chest and glares at Rarity. Rarity's face is devoid of emotion as she simply stands there like a lifeless doll.

YOUR FRIEND BELONGS TO ME NOW.

The hat Rarity came out of flips over, and the rabbits reappear, running around the stage for a minute before disappearing into the hats, which once again flip over. The entire time, Twilight's gaze is fixated on one specific hat...

"Flash," she says quietly. "Try hitting any hat except the second one from the right with a wind attack."

"Huh? But—"

"Just trust me."

"Okay." Shaking my head, I slide the Magician onto my phone. "MERLIN!"

Merlin appears and conjures a tornado which picks up the hat on the left and hurls it high into the air. Trixie flinches as the hat lands, wobbling. For a moment, Rarity staggers, seeming to come back to herself, before becoming lifeless and blank again.

"I KNEW IT!" Sonata cries.

Twilight nods. "Which means..." She smiles grimly. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears and drops a lightning bolt on the second hat from the right. Trixie cries out in pain as the hat shudders.

Catching on, Rainbow summons Nike and aims for the same hat I attacked. Trixie falls to her knees, and Rarity rolls out of her hand, landing bonelessly on the stage.

"RARITY!" Heedless of her own safety, Pinkie rushes up on the stage and collects Rarity, bringing her back over to the rest of us.

Rarity stirs and groans, rubbing her head. "Ugh...what happened?" she asks. She looks down at herself and makes a strangled noise of mixed surprise and disgust. "And what in blazes am I wearing?"

We all laugh and sigh in relief.

IGNORANT FOOLS! YOU DARE INTERRUPT TRIXIE'S PERFORMANCE?!

Trixie's Shadow stand up and stomps a foot angrily. The hats all rise up off the stage and turn to face us. A veritable hailstorm of throwing knives erupts from the hats. We take cover as best we can, but there are just too many; we all get cut up pretty severely. Trixie's shrieking, boastful laughter rolls over us like a shockwave.

"BASTET." Rarity just barely manages to summon her Persona; most of the cuts and gashes on my arms, legs, face, and torso fade. The others get their bearings back as they're healed, and we all stare grimly at Trixie's Shadow, who is once again preening and posing. The hats turn into cards, shuffle themselves, then turn back into hats and land on the stage.

We look at each other uneasily.

"The key to winning this is wind," I say slowly. "Three of us can use wind attacks. That means we'll always be able to figure out which hat is the wind hat. The only problem is..."

"Someone...someone's gotta be the sacrifice," Rainbow says. "One of us has to end up like Rarity."

"I'll do it," Fluttershy says. "But first...Sonata, would you try that one attack?"

Sonata swallows. "A...alright..."

"No," Twilight says, shaking her head. "Not now. Sonata, you need to hold back. Don't attack until I say."

Fluttershy shoots her a cross look. "Excuse me?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Twilight says.

"We'll do it Twilight's way," I say. "I think she's got a plan."

Fluttershy sighs. "Alright, fine." Shaking her head and muttering, she summons her Persona. Echo once again attacks the entire stage with wind. This time, the hat on the far right sucks it up. Trixie raises her wand.

ALAKAZAM!

Fluttershy turns into a tree.

We all blink.

"Oh...kay..." Rainbow says. Shaking her head, she taps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, blasting the hat on the far left with a tornado. Trixie staggers.

"MERLIN!"

Merlin targets the same hat Rainbow attacked. Just like before, Trixie falls to her knees.

"SONATA, NOW!"

"LEVIATHAN!"

Sonata's Persona appears. A rushing tsunami crashes over the stage, washing away the four hats and completely submerging Trixie.

Next to us, Fluttershy returns to normal. She blinks several times in confusion. "Huh?"

//Guys, she's stunned! This is your chance!//

"AWW YEAH!" Rainbow cries as she charges the stage. The rest of us follow suit, piling onto the giant Shadow and cutting loose with everything we've got.

Trixie lets out a roar of rage and backhands the girls, sending them all flying. She then scoops me up...

...and tucks me into her cleavage.

"Huh," Applejack says. "Didn't see that comin'."

I struggle to escape, but I can't move...

"Comfy up there?" Dash asks, smirking.

"Dash, this isn't funny!" Twilight says, face red. "Flash, get down from there!"

"I can't! I'm stuck!"

"Yeah, right," Dash scoffs.

"I'm serious!"

DO YOU DARE DEFY TRIXIE NOW, IGNORANT PEONS? STRIKE TRIXIE, AND YOUR FRIEND SUFFERS!

//Be careful! She's up to something!//

"No shit, really?" Fluttershy snaps.

"Hold on, Flash! I'm getting you down from there!" Pinkie cries. "EUPHORIA!"

"Pinkie, wait—!" Twilight yells, but it's too late. Euphoria spins through the air, body-checking Trixie's Shadow. As Euphoria makes contact, an agonizing jolt runs through my body. At the same time, Trixie cries out and staggers.

//Hold on a minute!// Cadance cries. //I think...yes! Her resistances are the same as Flash's right now!//

"What, you mean she's weak to anything pink and naked?" Rainbow asks. Twilight slaps her upside the head.

"So what do we do now?" Sonata moans. "If we attack the Shadow, we'll hit Flash!"

"But she's also vulnerable right now," Fluttershy points out. "The hats are gone. We know what hurts her. This is our chance."

"You can't be serious!" Twilight cries, rounding on her. "We can't! Not while Flash is—"

"Applejack!" I yell. "I'm counting on you!"

"Huh? But..."

"Don't worry about me! This is your chance! Do it!"

"What?!" Twilight yells in alarm. "NO!"

"Twilight, SHUT UP!" I snarl. "Trust me! Applejack, NOW!"

"Uhh...okay, sugarcube. If you're sure...Persona..."

Persephone appears and drives a violent haymaker into Trixie's face. The pain is excruciating, like my entire body is about to tear in half...

Trixie screams and crumples to the stage in a heap. Twilight and Pinkie run up, grab hold of me, and pull as hard as they can. I pop free from Trixie's cleavage with enough force to bowl them over, and we land in an ungainly heap. Meanwhile, Fluttershy takes advantage of the situation, summoning Echo, who unleashes a devastating wind attack on the fallen Shadow.

I stand up. "Hey Trixie! You know the trick where the assistant saws the magician in half?"

"Umm, Flash? It's the magician who saws the assistant in half—" Pinkie says. Twilight claps a hand over her mouth.

"Well let's see how well that works!" I swipe the Moon Arcana onto my phone. "URSA MAJOR!"

Ursa Major fades into view from nothingness, snarling in ursine fury. Massive claws made of the ether of the universe rip into Trixie's Shadow, eliciting screams of pain as Shadow-stuff flies like blood.

"Yeah, that's showin' her!" Rainbow cheers.

Trixie's foot lashes out and kicks us all off the stage. The heel of her shoe catches Pinkie right in the chest; Pinkie screams as she crumples. Twilight hurriedly heals her as Trixie stands up, hands on her hips and glaring down at all of us.

YOU ARE THE MOST IMPERTINENT AUDIENCE THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE HAS EVER SEEN! With a flourish, she produces her wand and sweeps it across the stage. A row of giant playing cards appears, hovering at the edge of the stage, their backs facing us.

HOW ABOUT A CARD TRICK? Trixie sneers. CHOOSE A CARD AND CHOOSE YOUR FATE!

"How about no?" Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, unleashing a furious wind attack...that scatters against an invisible barrier.

CHOOSE A CARD! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE COMMANDS IT!

//I'm reading a barrier that's too strong for any attack to penetrate! Just...play along for now...//

Rainbow scowls. "Fine. That one." She points at a card. It flips around...

The image on the front is a horse.

YOU'VE CHOSEN YOUR CARD! NOW HERE COMES THE TRICK!

Sparks and smoke explode from beneath Rainbow. When the smoke clears...





Fluttershy's eyes widen. She covers her mouth and blushes. "Oh...oh my..."

"Uhh...what the fuck just happened?" the...horse? Pony? Whatever it is, it kinda looks like Rainbow Dash...asks.

"Goodness," Rarity says, fighting not to laugh. "That's...that's quite a look for you, Rainbow Dash..."

Trixie discards the horse card and begins shuffling the others.

//Guys! Focus! She's vulnerable now!//

"Right," I scowl. "I've had more than enough of this bad magic act." I swipe the Tower onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

Everything shakes. A terrifying roar fills the air.

Trixie stops shuffling and looks up. And up. And up.

A column of scorching blue atomic fire engulfs her. She screams...

The breath attack lets up, and Gojira fades away. Trixie's Shadow is still standing, but her hat is melted, her mask has cracked in half, her costume is in tatters, and she's snapped a heel.

YOU DARE?!

Trixie flicks a card at me with terrifying speed. I can't move...

The next thing I know, I'm lying in the lap of a sobbing Twilight. "Flash!"

"Uhh...what happened...?"

"She cut you in half, dude," the pony-thing that might be Rainbow Dash says. "It was totally sick. There were like, guts and everything—"

"PLEASE don't give us the play-by-play," Rarity says. She looks distinctly green.

I sit up and look around. The girls all look nauseated, and Trixie looks more beaten and battered than she did after my attack. "How long was I dead?"

"About five minutes," Fluttershy says.

I grimace and stand up. "Right, let's—"

Twilight stands up, head bowed and fists clenched. Without even touching her phone, she calls forth Athena. Athena speeds toward Trixie, growing even larger. Her spear crackles with electricity. With lightning speed, she furiously stabs Trixie's Shadow over and over again with the white-hot, electrified spear. Trixie twitches and spasms, screaming in agony.

Then, with one last, violent jab, Trixie explodes, raining Shadow-stuff all over the place.

Twilight collapses to her knees, drawing in on herself and shuddering.

With a *pop*, Rainbow turns back to normal. I crouch beside Twilight and hug her.

//Guys...it's not over yet..//

Trixie's Shadow stands before us, head bowed and fists clenched.

Why do you deny me my pride?

"What's she talking about?" Rainbow asks.

I sigh, bowing my head. "Trixie changed because I convinced her to swallow her pride and drop the attitude that was driving people away from her. I think, deep down, she misses the way she used to be. She misses being arrogant and condescending. It...it was such a big part of her self-image..."

I stand and walk over to Trixie.

"You'll always be the Great and Powerful Trixie. The pride that gives you the confidence to be on stage, performing for people...that's something that's always inside you. I'm sorry if you feel like I made you give that up." I pause. "But...isn't it better to have real confidence in yourself than to hide behind an illusion of arrogance?"

You humbled and humiliated me. You did it without even trying...why?

"Because you needed a friend. You reached out to me, remember?"

A friend...

Trixie looks up, tears in her eyes. She fades away, leaving behind the Moon card, floating serenely in midair.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Moon awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Ursa Major, has awakened to the skill Asteroid.



Use this power wisely...


Zecora returns, bearing an enigmatic smile. "Congratulations on your win. Farewell, until we meet again."

The sounds of the sea return as the hotel reappears behind us.

Cadance sighs. "Well. That's done. Now, let's go get ready for that cookout."

"Yeah, we've pretty much earned it after all that," Rainbow agrees tiredly.

We separate into groups. Each group has a different task. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy are buying the food; Pinkie, Rainbow, and Sonata are in charge of the party supplies and the fireworks; Twilight, Cadance, and I are in charge of renting a propane grill and some portable tables and chairs, as well as buying our cooking utensils, paper plates, and disposable tablecloths. Since the rental place is right on the beachfront strip, the three of us are done renting our gear and wheeling it down to the beach by noon. Cadance insists on pushing the wheeled gas grill over Twilight's protests, leaving the two of us to lug the tables and chairs down on dollies. About an hour later, we have everything set up; Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle return just as we finish.

"Did you see any dolphins?" Cadance asks with a smile as she sits down on one of the picnic chairs.

"No dolphins, but we did see a whale!" Apple Bloom exclaims.

"And a lot of jellyfish," Shining Armor says with an amused smirk and a glance at Sunset.

Sunset grimaces and rubs the back of her left leg with her right foot. "So much for my perfect skin," she mutters. Then, with a coy pout, she says, "Kiss it and make it better?"

"Kiss my ass," Twilight mutters under her breath; I don't think anyone else heard her.

"So when do we eat?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"Well, we're having a night picnic, so not for a while yet," Cadance says. Her stomach growls. "But...I guess we do need to get lunch."

"I'll go," I offer. "Coach, you come too." Shining Armor nods, and we head up to the strip. Once we're some distance from the girls, I ask, "Is she putting the moves on you?"

Shining sweats. "Umm...n-not really, so much..."

I glance at him. He gulps. "Okay, she doesn't have to do much except be on the beach in a swimsuit," he admits. "I know what you're gonna say. I know. But it's one thing to know who she is and what she is and another to have her two feet away and smell that spice scent and—"

I hold up a hand to stop him. "Just...don't fall for any of her shit. I still don't know what she's up to, but I do know she'll do anything to get us riled up. I'm pretty sure she's going to try to drive a wedge between us, and you and I are, let's face it, weak points she can use. Well...more you than me. I'm sort of immune to her after everything that's happened."

"Flash, you don't really think I'd—"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is how she can make things look. Just keep your guard up around her."

There are seven of us for lunch, but one is pregnant and one is Twilight, so we buy enough food for eleven people. When we get back, we find the girls playing Uno. They deal us in while we eat. By the time we're done eating lunch, Pinkie's group shows up, loaded down with fireworks and party supplies. About an hour later, the rest of the girls make it back. We all spend some time resting and relaxing on the beach; at around four, Shining Armor gets the grill ready and we start cooking.

Sunday, June 12, 2016 / Evening

The smell of the sea mixes with the smell of sizzling hot dogs, hamburgers, and assorted chicken parts. Everyone's going back for seconds and thirds. In addition to all the delicious meat, we're roasting potatoes on the grill. We have veggies and fixings for burgers and hot dogs, we have slaw, we have potato chips, and we have cookies and assorted pastries for later.

"So, have you given any more thought to renting a fishing boat for tomorrow?" Cadance asks Shining Armor as she works on her third hot dog.

Shining Armor sighs. "No boats available," he says. "They sold them last year to buy new jet skis and stuff. Nobody was renting the fishing boats anymore."

"Well that sucks," Rainbow says.

"It's just as well," Shining Armor replies with a shrug. "I mean, if we really want to go fishing, we can go up to the lake later in the summer."

"You wouldn't have liked fishing anyway, Rainbow," Applejack says. "It's hours of sittin' doin' nothin'."

Rainbow makes a face. "Yeah, that's so not for me." We all laugh.

Once most of the food is gone, we clean up our mess. Applejack, Rainbow, and Shining Armor return the grill and the picnic equipment to the shop just before sunset. The rest of us laze around on the beach, watching the waves reflect the shifting colors of the sky.

"It's so nice out here," Twilight says.

"Yeah..."

The sun has fully set by the time they return. Pinkie gets the fireworks ready. Watching Rainbow Dash shoot off bottle rockets is like watching a crazed kitten with a toy mouse. It's adorable and hilarious. Meanwhile. Pinkie is shooting off the "big guns", dazzling us all with a spectacle of bright, colorful explosions. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are running around with sparklers. The rest of us are amusing ourselves with a variety of other fireworks; I, personally, have far too much fun setting off those things that go 'fweeee!'.

All too soon, the fireworks are gone, and we all sigh and trudge back up to the hotel. As Twilight and I are about to head to our room, Fluttershy walks up. "Umm...I need to borrow Flash for a little while," she says.

Twilight quirks an eyebrow at her, but shrugs, waves goodnight, and heads in alone. "See you later," she says. "Or in the morning."

I follow Fluttershy back to the room she's been sharing with Sonata. "Sonata's playing board games with Pinkie and Rainbow tonight," Fluttershy says. She takes a deep, steadying breath as she puts a trembling hand on the door to her room, then pushes it open and beckons me in.

A sweaty, exhausting forty minutes later, Fluttershy gets up to take a shower. "Don't leave yet," she says. "I...I wanted to talk for a little while too. I just...need to get clean first."

I nod and sit patiently in the bed, turning on the TV with the volume low. I'm just about asleep when Fluttershy returns, wrapped in a fluffy towel, and sits on the bed next to me.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Fluttershy says softly. "I've been thinking about how Canterbook and Zodiac stole my innocence, and how I turned into such a terrible person, and how...how even now, I'm struggling to..."

She trails off, then runs a hand through her hair.

"Last night," she says with a small, silly smile, "Sonata was watching this movie. It's this animated movie about what goes on inside your head, with your emotions as people..."

"I know the movie," I say. "Watched it with Twilight during Christmas break."

Fluttershy nods. "Well, at first I wasn't too interested, but then when it got all sad, I started paying attention, and..." She plays with her hair thoughtfully. "It got me to thinking about my own little emotional balancing act lately. I've been so angry and so spiteful for so long, but when I try to be all gentle and sweet the way I used to be...that doesn't really work either." She sighs.

"I don't know, you seem to have found a happy medium," I say. "The last month or so, you've been more well-adjusted. Maybe a little bitchy sometimes, but..."

She shrugs. "Yeah, I guess." She shakes her head. "It's just...it got me, the end of that movie. All the emotions all mixed together, working as one...it made me realize that the person I turned into when I was Eris...that's part of who I am now, and I'm just going to have to live with it." She frowns. "More than that, I need that edge. That anger. If I tried to get rid of all the worst parts of myself, all that'd be left is a shy, terrified wallflower." She laughs softly. "Innocence comes at a terrible price. I think...I think maybe I'm better off without it after all."

"I don't think you should completely give up your innocence," I say. "I've seen how kind you can be. I've also seen how jaded you can be. I think I like you better when you're kind than when you're jaded." I smile. "Like in the movie, you just have to find the right balance. Make them work together."

Fluttershy smiles. "Yeah..." Suddenly, her smile turns impish. She sheds her towel and straddles me. "Speaking of making things work together..."

By the time we're done, I'm too exhausted to move...
> 6/13 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, June 13, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Someone close to you will get a glimpse of a road not taken.

We're going back to the dorm tomorrow.

By unanimous agreement, we decide not to plan anything for today, instead opting to simply head down to the beach, soak up the sun, and let the day take us wherever it leads.

Monday, June 13, 2016 / Daytime

The beach is way more crowded today than it's been all weekend.

Once we've staked out a spot on the beach and everyone is putting on their sunscreen, a loud, exuberant yell cuts through the general noise of the beach.

"Hoo-lee CRAP! Is that Rainbow Gash?"

Rainbow stiffens, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks. "Oh no."

A girl in a sporty one-piece with pale skin and striped blue hair jogs up to us, a big, obnoxious grin plastered on her face. Behind her, four other girls follow at a more sedate pace. A couple of them look familiar from somewhere, but I can't quite place them...

The blue-haired girl skids to a stop at the edge of our blanket and leans over low, grinning that crazed, shit-eating grin. "Hiya Rainbow GASH!"

Rainbow groans. "In-the-butt Zap," she says tiredly.

"You have the worst pet names for each other," says one of the other girls. She has blue skin, long frost-colored hair tied up in enormous pigtails, and glasses with salmon-colored frames, and is wearing a modest white bikini.

One of the girls who looks familiar—a girl with dark pink skin and long neon green hair—rushes over to Pinkie Pie and squats down excitedly, straining the skimpy purple bikini she's wearing. "HI PINKIE PIE!" she shouts. "HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE OUR LAST MATCH!"

"Uhh, yeah, duh," Pinkie says, digging a finger in her ear and squinting one eye. "That's because I go to CHS and you go to Crystal Prep..."

"Aww, isn't it just SO NICE seeing our school's rivals here on the beach?" one of the remaining girls says in a syrupy-sweet voice. This one has pale gold skin and rose-colored hair with a greyish-green stripe, as well as a smattering of freckles. The sugary smile on her face immediately turns into a bitter scowl as she looks away and folds her arms. "About as nice as taking a bath in garbage," she mutters crossly.

"Girls, why don't you introduce us to your, uhh...friends?" Cadance suggests, giving the five girls crowded around us a curious, not entirely friendly look.

"I would simply love to introduce you all to my favorite students!" a new voice intrudes. A woman a little older than Cadance appears out of nowhere. She has pinkish-lavender skin and long, wavy purple hair with two narrow seafoam green stripes, and is wearing beige capri pants, plain white sandals, and a loose-fitting white blouse. I can't help but notice that the five girls all stiffen slightly as she approaches. She favors us all with a smile that I can't help but feel would be more at home on a shark. "Come on, girls, line up!"

The five girls exchange sullen glances and form a line at the edge of our blanket. The smiling woman walks down the line, putting her hands on each girl's shoulders as she introduces them. "This is Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet..." She reaches the end of the line; the short-haired girl with a haughty expression, the only one who hasn't spoken a word yet. "And lastly, Sunny Flare!" She steps to the side. "And my name is Starlight Glimmer. I'm the academic guidance counselor at Crystal Prep."

"And you go on summer vacation with your students?" Cadance asks, tilting her head.

"You go on summer vacation with yours," Sugarcoat points out, crossing her arms.

"That's because Twilight here is my sister-in-law," Cadance says.

"That's lovely," Starlight Glimmer says sweetly. "As for me, Principal Cinch asked me to keep a close eye on these girls over the summer to make sure they're in top shape for the Academic Decathlon coming up this fall." She smiles broadly. "Wouldn't want them to forget that the reputation of Crystal Prep is resting on their shoulders now, would we?" Her smile is strained and entirely too toothy at that last part as she turns a rather hostile stare on the five girls.

"No, Professor Glimmer," they all drone.

"Wonderful!" Starlight Glimmer says, clapping her hands together lightly with an obscenely broad, bright beam that makes her look...a little deranged. "Well, alright girls! Young minds need fresh air and exercise as much as they need study, so you have three hours of free time on the beach, then one hour for lunch! I expect to see all of you back at the bus at exactly two o'clock!" She jogs off down the beach.

The five Crystal Prep girls sag and let out a long, tired sigh.

"I really, really hate that woman," Sunny Flare says.

"Oh, but she's done SO MUCH for our school's reputation!" Sour Sweet says in a sing-song tone. Then, in almost a growl, she adds, "Too bad she's a psycho axe murderer."

An awkward silence descends.

"Umm..." Twilight says, shifting around. "Would you all like to maybe...hang out with us for a little while?"

Sunny Flare scoffs. "Why would we?"

"Yeah Twi, why would they?" Rainbow asks, smirking at Indigo Zap. "Being around me would just remind In-the-butt Zap of how much fail she is."

"Oh, you're so gonna eat those words, Rainbow Gash! Right after you eat my foot!"

"Alright, break it up," Shining Armor says tiredly. "You've all obviously got way too much energy and some kind of frustration to work out, so why don't you have a nice, long game of beach volleyball?" He smiles. "Wondercolts against Shadowbolts. Come on, what do you say?"

The Shadowbolts give him a hard stare, then look at each other and shrug.

"Sure," Indigo Zap says, cracking her knuckles. "Let's do this."

"Hold up," Lemon Zest says. "Has anybody seen Moondancer?"

Sour Sweet makes a disgusted scoffing noise. "Why would you even want to know where she is?" She clasps her hands together, presses them against her cheek, tilts her head, and bats her eyes. "Don't tell me you're in looooooove with that freakshow?"

"No, but she was with us like, ten minutes ago, and it's weird for Professor Glimmer to not even ask where—"

A girl with pasty cream-colored skin and huge, black horn-rimmed glasses trudges up, panting and sweating. She's wearing a wine-colored uniform blazer over a white blouse with a purple bowtie, a knee-length plaid skirt, tall navy socks with frills at the top, and severe black penny loafers. Her hair, which is pinkish-red with two stripes down the middle—one a light violet and the other a darker purple—is tied up in a messy bun, and she's scowling, her ridiculously shaggy eyebrows drawn together in the center of her forehead. She's clutching an armload of thick, heavy books. "There...you girls...are," she huffs out. "Professor...Glimmer...said..."

"Good grief, Moondancer," Indigo Zap says with a frown. "Sit down before you fall down."

Moondancer plops down on the sand, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Fix your skirt," Sugarcoat says. "We can see your panties."

Moondancer hurriedly rearranges her skirt.

"So, what did Professor Glimmer say?" Lemon Zest asks.

"She said...I should join you girls...on the beach," Moondancer wheezes. "That she...doesn't want to see me...back on the bus until...two."

"Yeah, you need some sun, girl," Indigo Zap says, shaking her head. "You're a mess."

"You really shouldn't hole up studying all the time," Sugarcoat says. "It's not healthy."

"And we'd just hate to see anything bad happen to you," Sour Sweet coos in a sugary, coddling voice. "Because we'd be the ones Principal Cinch would punish if you dropped dead," she adds sourly.

"Why the heck would you wear your school uniform to the beach?" Rainbow Dash wonders, tilting her head.

"Yeah, it's way too hot and sandy out here for that," Pinkie Pie adds.

"Oh, Moondancer never wears anything but her school uniform," Sunny Flare says. "Like...neh-ver."

"It's practical and comfortable," Moondancer says with a frown. "I don't have to think about what to wear if I always wear my uniform."

"But this. IS. THE. BEACH," Indigo Zap says. With a groan, she shakes her head. "Forget it. We've got a volleyball game to play. Come on, girls!"

"What about Moondancer?" Lemon Zest asks.

"What about her?" Sunny Flare scoffs. "It's not like she'd want to play. Or even could." She looks over our group. "Come on, five on five. The rest of you can watch Moondancer while we play."

"I don't need watching," Moondancer protests.

Fluttershy, who's wearing a somewhat modest green bikini today, stands up suddenly and kicks off her sandals. "I'm game," she says. "Who else?"

"Absolutely me," Rainbow says, standing up and stretching.

"I'd love a good volleyball game," Sunset Shimmer says, standing up. The bikini she's wearing today is two-tone orange and red and strapless, and her breasts bobble alarmingly as she bounces on the balls of her feet.

"I believe I'll join the game," Rarity says. Today she's wearing a black one-piece. She slips off her sandals and slowly, languidly stands, her curls bouncing.

"Me! Me! I'm in!" Pinkie says, popping to her feet. She's wearing a blue bikini that's halfway between Fluttershy's and Sunset's on the modesty scale and clasped with a red heart-shaped rhinestone in the front.

"Great!" Indigo Zap exclaims. "Let's go!" The ten girls jog up the beach.

Moondancer looks awkwardly around at the rest of us. "Umm...hi," she says.

Twilight smiles at her. "Hello," she says pleasantly. "You're Moondancer, right? I'm Twilight Sparkle."

Moondancer's eyebrows draw together again. "I've heard of you," she says. "Principal Cinch says you're supposed to be my arch rival next year."

"Arch...rival?" Twilight asks, blinking.

"At the Academic Decathlon," Moondancer says. "She's obsessed with beating Canterlot High and she says you're in the way."

"I'm...in the way?" Twilight repeats in a confused tone.

"Principal Cinch is obsessed with our school's reputation," Moondancer says. "CHS has been winning too many awards and sports trophies lately. That's why she has Professor Glimmer dragging the six of us around all summer making sure we stay focused on the Decathlon."

"That's terrible," Twilight says. "I mean, I'm all for independent study and spending half the summer reading and all, but that's...going a little overboard."

"Yeah, that...that's not healthy," Shining Armor says. "I'm not even sure it's legal."

Moondancer shrugs. "It doesn't bother me," she says. "I usually spend the whole summer reading in my room anyway."

"You don't spend any time hangin' out with your friends?" Apple Bloom asks.

"I don't have any friends," Moondancer says with a frown.

"Because the other kids at your school treat you the way those girls treated you?" Cadance asks gently.

"Not really," Moondancer says. "I'm just not interested in anything but reading and studying. Sports and music and games and stuff...it's just a waste of time."

"No it isn't!" Apple Bloom insists. "Havin' friends an' doin' stuff together's an important part of life!"

Moondancer adjusts her glasses. "I just don't...really want to do the things other people want to do," she says. She opens a book and starts reading.

The rest of us look awkwardly around at each other. Cadance shrugs helplessly. Twilight has a sad, thoughtful look on her face.

Sonata reaches into the cooler and pulls out an orange soda, which she offers to Moondancer. "Here," she rasps. "You do at least like cold drinks, right?"

Moondancer blinks and accepts it. "Thank you," she says. She does a double-take at Sonata, frowning at her neck. "What in the...?"

"I was..." Sonata starts coughing, then rubs her throat with a grimace.

"She was in a terrible car accident several months ago," I supply helpfully. "Her throat was so badly trashed they thought she'd never be able to talk again. She's only just now getting her voice back a little, but it hurts her to talk."

"Oh," Moondancer says. "That explains the different aging and incision patterns on the scars. How many surgeries did you have?"

Sonata holds up four fingers. "Two in Seaddle, two here in Canterlot," she whispers hoarsely.

"Are you interested in medicine, Moondancer?" Cadance asks. "I'm a registered nurse, myself."

"I studied medicine all summer last year," Moondancer says. "I'm also studying law, philosophy, mythology, art history, economics, politics, ancient languages, archaeology, paleontology..."

Moondancer continues to rattle off a long list of subjects she's studied. The longer the list goes, the further I feel my jaw drop. Shining Armor and Applejack are zoning out. Cadance looks befuddled. Twilight's eyes are growing wider by the second.

"...and just yesterday I started studying forensics," Moondancer finishes.

"Holy crap," Shining Armor says. "You're like the evolved form of Twilight..."

"So this is what the ultimate nerd looks like," Sweetie Belle breathes.

"Sweetie Belle!" Cadance chides.

Twilight starts asking Moondancer questions about several different books. Moondancer seems to come to life, and the two of them get into what can only be described as the nerdiest conversation ever.

I shake my head to clear the fog that's settling over my brain. "Twi, I'm gonna go get us some lunch," I say. "What do you want?"

"Anything's fine," Twilight says.

"Moondancer, you want anything?"

Moondancer shakes her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

"What about the rest of us?" Cadance asks.

"Send Coach after yours," I say as I stand up and head up to the strip. I'm halfway there when Rainbow Dash comes running up to me with a panicked look on her face. "Flash! We, uhh...we've got a problem..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Sunset—"

"I'm on my way. Call the others."

"N-no, it's not...it's not that kind of problem," Rainbow says hurriedly. "And it's not just her, it's Pinkie too."

I pause. "What happened?"

"They both ripped their tops playing down on the beach."

I boggle. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Rainbow's face is red.

"So I guess you're on the way back to the hotel to fetch T-shirts for them so they can cover up?" In my mind's eye, I see Pinkie covering her chest with her arms and trying to keep from winding up all over the Internet...

"Uhh, actually...the problem is they're still playin'," Rainbow says. "It's like neither of 'em care the whole world can see their tits. Those Shadowbolts tried to stop the game, but Sunset pissed 'em off so bad nobody's backin' down." She frowns. "I don't care if Sunset Shithead gets arrested for public indecency, but...I kinda don't want Pinkie to get in trouble, y'know?"

I sigh. This is bad...

"And...and they're kinda drawin' a crowd," Rainbow adds.

Shit...!

I weigh my options. To run back to the hotel to get shirts for the girls and back would take at least fifteen minutes. I could just give Pinkie Pie my shirt and let Sunset twist in the wind...

I nod to Rainbow and follow her back down to where the girls are playing. We have to fight our way through a sizeable crowd. When we finally get there, a furious game is in progress. Sugarcoat is standing off to the side, watching dispassionately as the ball goes back and forth between the two groups of girls. Everyone still playing is giving it all they've got. Sunset's bare breasts bounce wildly as she jumps up to spike the ball. Below her, Pinkie is bobbling around with a cheerful smile.

On the Shadowbolts' side, Lemon Zest is completely naked. She doesn't seem to care at all. In fact, she's having entirely too much fun...

"Uhh...shouldn't you be getting your friend out of here before she gets arrested?" I ask Sugarcoat.

Sugarcoat stares at me as if I'm stupid. "This entire beach is clothing-optional," she says.

...what?!

I look around. I don't see anybody wandering around naked, but I see plenty of people ogling the topless (and nude) volleyball players right here. "Uhh..."

Sugarcoat jerks a thumb up the coast. "The nude beach is up on the northeast cape, but the entire coastline is clothing-optional, including the general beach," she says. "Besides," she adds, adjusting her glasses, "I don't really care."

Rainbow and I look at each other. "Umm..." Rainbow says. "Well...what now?"

"How about we get back in the game?" Sugarcoat suggests, moving over to her position. Rainbow shrugs, gives me a sheepish smile, and rejoins the game.

I really want to stick around and watch...

Then I remember that I'm supposed to be picking up lunch for Twilight.

Then I think about what Twilight would do to me if I left her hanging so I could ogle half the dorm and some girls from another school.

I head up to the stri—

To the beachfront road. Yeah.

...I wonder if they've got any strip steak...

Monday, June 13, 2016 / Evening

Things got a little awkward when the Shadowbolts came back to collect Moondancer, mostly because Lemon Zest was still naked. After that, Shining Armor and I offered Sunset and Pinkie our shirts. Sunset spent most of the afternoon a little too close to Shining Armor.

Twilight and I spent most of the afternoon making a game out of covertly fondling Pinkie.

Once we get back to our room, we order pizza for dinner, then start packing for the trip back to Canterlot tomorrow. "That girl Moondancer," Twilight says as she's folding clothes. "Meeting her really got me thinking about how much I've changed since you got here." She looks up at me. "I could've ended up like her. I could've shut out everything. Friends, family...I could be holed up in a room reading and reading and reading, never going out to enjoy life. Never making friends...never falling in love..." She sighs. "I feel bad for her."

I shake my head. "There's nothing you can do about it," I say. "Maybe one day she'll come out of her shell and make some friends." I smile. "Of course, you need to worry about beating her in the Academic Decathlon."

"I didn't even know about any Academic Decathlon until today!"

"Well, now that you know, you'd better get ready," I say. "It sounds like Crystal Prep is taking this whole thing way too seriously."

"I guess," Twilight says. Suddenly, she smirks at me. "So, how tempted were you to stand around ogling Sunset Shimmer today?"

I snort. "Please," I say. "If I'd stayed at the game, it'd have been to ogle everyone."

Twilight sticks her tongue out at me and giggles.

I sober, then add, "Besides, if you need to worry about anyone ogling Sunset Shimmer—"

Twilight sighs. "Yeah," she says. She bows her head. "I don't get it. Why's he...?" She rubs at her eyes. "I know my brother. Cadance says she trusts him, and...and I do trust him, but...I know he's interested. I can see it." She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. "Flash...I'm really scared that my brother is going to sleep with Sunset Shimmer."

I frown. "Twilight..." I shake my head. "To be honest, that's what I'm afraid of too. Something's not right with Shining Armor."

The mood in our room is heavy for the rest of the night.
> 6/14 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Some people just want to watch the world burn.

During the train trip back to Canterlot, I get a call from my parents. They ask about the beach trip; I tell them I had a pretty good time. They also remind me they'll be coming down to Canterlot on Friday for the Father's Day weekend. Twilight's parents are also coming down for the weekend.

After I get off the phone with my parents, I find a new text notification waiting for me. It's from Zecora. We have a battle tomorrow...

Cadance is having one of those "need the toilet every five minutes" kind of days, to the point where she and Shining Armor relocate to seats nearer the train's facilities. Much to Twilight's consternation, Sunset Shimmer hovers far too close to Shining Armor every time Cadance disappears into the toilet...

"Okay, this is driving me nuts," Twilight grumbles.

I sigh. "I'll talk to her once we're back at the dorm. She might listen to me."

"I doubt it."

"Well, it's better than doing nothing."

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 / Daytime

After stopping for lunch at that one pizza buffet, we head back to the dorm, where the first order of business for all of us is laundry. We decide the only fair thing to do is draw straws to see who's on laundry duty for each floor; I get stuck doing the third floor's laundry, while Sweetie Belle gets stuck doing the second floor's laundry. Fortunately, there's not actually that much to do since we were all only gone four days and packed light. Everyone else is taking care of other business—Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie go out to shop for groceries for the dorm, Cadance is resting, with Shining Armor looking after her, Applejack and Apple Bloom are upstairs talking to Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, and everyone else is cleaning the dorm.

"I really hope I'm not as weird as Rarity and her friends when I get to high school," Sweetie Belle says while she's pouring detergent into the washing machine.

"Oh?"

Sweetie Belle blushes. "They were all just...showing off so much," she says. "Even Fluttershy. And for what? I mean yeah, some of them flirted with a few guys, but..."

I roll my eyes. Sweetie Belle wore a fairly modest two-piece swimsuit to the beach, and seemed embarrassed by Rarity's rather revealing choice in beachwear. "Yeah, well...in a couple of years, you probably won't think it's all that weird."

"And what about that whole crazy mess with the volleyball game and Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer playing topless?" Sweetie counters.

I grimace. "Okay, yeah, that was weird," I admit. "But Pinkie is Pinkie and Sunset's...well...crazy."

Sweetie shrugs. She gives me a thoughtful look. "Umm..." She blushes again. "You uh, you had sex with my sister, right? I heard..."

Gack. "Uhh..." I cough. "Y-yeah," I say. "During Spring Break." I frown. "How'd you know?"

She shrugs. "I didn't know it was any kind of big secret. I mean, you've slept with pretty much most of the dorm except me and Apple Bloom, right?"

Good grief. "I haven't slept with Applejack, but...yeah," I say.

Sweetie Belle plays with her hair. "See, that's what's weird about you guys," she says. "I'm pretty sure a guy with two girlfriends getting away with that kind of thing isn't, well..." She tilts her head. "Actually, a guy getting away with having two girlfriends is pretty weird to begin with."

"It's...complicated," I say.

"What's so complicated about it?" she asks. "It just sounds to me like everyone in this dorm has sex on the brain."

I laugh shakily. "Y-yeah...we're getting better about that, though. We've, uh...mostly got it out of our systems."

Sweetie Belle looks down at her lap. "I wonder...if things hadn't turned out the way they did with Button, would...would I be doing that...with him?" Her cheeks are burning red.

A really weird, completely inappropriate thought pops into my head, and I can't stop myself from busting out laughing. Sweetie Belle looks up at me crossly. "What's so funny?" she demands.

"S-sorry," I say, trying to force myself to stop laughing. I end up coughing spastically. "I just...had this mental image..."

She gives me a confused, pouty frown.

"N-no, it's just, well..." I shake my head. "It has to do with...cheat codes..." I rub the back of my head sheepishly. "That one really old cheat code everyone knows, and...and Button Mash, and..."

She gives me a half-lidded stare.

I should really stop talking... "You know, it was up up, down down, left right, left right..." I trail off weakly.

Sweetie Belle's very Rarity-like glare cracks and, with a sputtering snort, she starts snickering. Then she doubles over laughing, nearly spilling detergent all over the floor. "Oh my GOSH! That...that is so WRONG!" Then, suddenly, her cheeks heat up. "Oh my gosh, I just pictured that..."

I'm trying NOT to picture it. Really, really hard. I clear my throat. "So, how's Button doing?" I ask.

She shrugs. "About the same." She sighs. "I'm gonna visit his mom tomorrow, but I think...I think I'm not going to be seeing Button at the hospital anymore. I just don't know." She puts the detergent away and starts the washing machine. "I really do still care about him. I just..."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's just that thinking about him hurts, but...thinking about never thinking about him again...that hurts more." With a sigh, she pads out of the laundry room. I finish up and set the timer on the other washer, then head upstairs to help with the cleaning. 

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 / Evening

After the laundry finishes drying, I fold everything and take it upstairs. I give Sonata and Twilight their clothes first, then put my own away.

That just leaves Sunset's stuff...

I decide to leave it outside her door. When I take it out into the hall, however, I discover that her door is slightly open. Sounds—erotic sounds—are coming from inside.

My heart jumps up into my chest. Surely she isn't—

Against my better judgment, I decide to check to make sure.

Sunset is lying naked on her bed, pleasuring herself. Her back is arched and she's moaning.

Her eyes open and meet mine. She smiles silkily. "See anything you like?"

"Yeah, I see an amazingly sexy body. Shame about the diseased mind living inside it. Here's your stuff." I throw her clothes into the room, close the door, and return to my room. Despite myself, I have a raging boner...

I must've forgotten to lock my door, because a few minutes later, Sunset walks in wearing a short, flimsy robe which is wide open. She isn't wearing anything underneath. I glare at her. "Get out."

"Oh, don't be like that," she says with a pout. "I just want to talk."

"Then put some clothes on and go down to the lounge," I say. "We can talk there."

Sunset rolls her eyes, but returns to her room. I sigh, get up, and head downstairs. A few minutes later, Sunset shows up in the lounge wearing jeans and a tank top. "You know, most guys wouldn't react like this to a girl like me walking into their room half-naked," she says teasingly.

I glare at her. "Most guys don't know what a poisonous viper you are."

She shrugs. "This is true." She stretches languidly. "Still, it does kinda hurt that you'll screw anything with tits and I can't even get a rise out of you."

"I'm outta here," I say, standing up.

"Wait," Sunset says pleadingly, touching my arm. She looks up at me, her eyes serious. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to tease you. I'm not...I'm not trying to start anything."

I sit back down with a frown.

Sunset sighs, picking at her shirt. "I just...I enjoy getting a reaction from people," she says. "I guess maybe I go too far sometimes, but I enjoy knowing that things I say or do or...or even just looking at my body provokes some kind of reaction." She smiles. "That's why I kept playing volleyball after I lost my top yesterday. All those people staring at my tits, reacting to seeing me topless..." She shrugs. "I like having that power over people."

"In other words, you're a troll."

She smirks. "Kinda, yeah." She raises her arms above her head and stretches. "Shining Armor...he's cute."

"Sunset, don't."

"Why not?" She tilts her head. "Cadance certainly doesn't seem to have a problem sleeping around behind his back, and now that she's pregnant, he could use a little...release." She giggles. "Besides, I know he wants me. He's trying to act like he doesn't, but I can see it."

"Seriously," I say, glaring at her. "You've done enough damage. Don't try to tear apart Twilight's family."

Sunset snorts. "I don't care about trying to tear apart Twilight's family," she says. "I just want to have a little fun. If I can't have it with you, then I'll go after the next best thing." She stands up, waves cheerfully, and leaves.

What the hell is she really up to...?

Whatever it is, it'll have to wait. We've got another battle in the Velvet Room tomorrow, and I need to be rested up and ready...
> 6/15 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The people who laugh the most are often the ones crying the hardest on the inside.

While we were in Canterlittle, we left the pets with the Cakes since Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are out of town. Shortly after breakfast, Mr. Cake brings the pets back to the dorm. Spike is overjoyed to see us; Twilight and I walk Spike together for the first time in what feels like forever.

While Spike is running around our legs having a good time, Twilight has a studious frown on her face. "So, we've got another battle sometime today?" she asks quietly.

I nod.

Twilight taps her chin thoughtfully. "The first one was Vinyl Scratch...she was connected to the Sun Arcana, which is numbered nineteen. The next one was Trixie, who had the Moon Arcana, which is number eighteen. If they keep going in reverse order, the next one is the Star Arcana." She looks at me curiously, expectantly.

I jam my hands into my pockets and sigh. "Pinkie Pie."

Twilight winces. "Are you sure?"

I take a deep breath. "If the pattern holds, and assuming we fight the Shadow of everyone I'm close to, then...yes."

"Gah." Twilight shudders. "I don't...want to fight Pinkie Pie. Or even see what kind of inner demons she has."

"Pinkie's inner demons..." I shiver. "That's a terrifying thought."

While Spike chases a grasshopper, Twilight fixes me with a piercing look. "Who else, Flash? In order."

It takes me a minute to put the list together in my head. Closing my eyes, I recite: "Coach Chrysalis, Red Flag, Sweetie Belle, Sonata, Octavia Melody, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Coco Pommel, Principal Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Cadance, Vice-Principal Luna, Shining Armor, Rarity, Fluttershy, and..." I look at her, then swallow. "You."

Twilight makes a face, but shakes her head. "Okay, and for the Fool?"

I shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Twilight shudders. "I don't understand what that Zecora woman is thinking. If all this is supposed to be helping us get stronger, I honestly don't understand how. Especially if we have to start fighting twisted versions of each other."

I turn Twilight to face me. "Don't tell the others," I whisper. "I don't want to scare them."

"They'll figure it out if...if we end up fighting Pinkie's Shadow," she says. With a sigh, she adds, "You picked a hell of a time to make friends with half the town, you know that?"

Spike pees on my shoe. He hasn't done that in a while.

"Bad Spike!" Twilight chides. "I'm sorry, Flash, I...hey? Wh-what are you doing? GAH! Flash, don't pee on my dog!"

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Daytime

Everyone has stuff to do today, so we agree to wait until this evening to deal with the battle. Twilight and I both need to go shopping for Father's Day presents. She's still cross at me for this morning.

"I wasn't really gonna pee on Spike," I say for the tenth time.

"You're a turd," she says for the tenth time, sticking her tongue out at me.

"So what should we get your dad?" I ask, hoping she'll drop the subject.

Twilight frowns. "I don't really know," she admits. "I don't want to get him a dad gift. Shining Armor always gets him something he really appreciates, but I just can't think like...a..." She trails off and looks at me. "Hey."

Uh-oh.

She suddenly has on this really terrifying smile. "You're a guy!"

"I sure hope so."

"So you know what makes a good gift for a guy!"

Now it's my turn to be cross with her. "Twilight. That's...that's a massive generalization."

Twilight shakes her head. "No, it's perfect! There are only three men in my life I love. My dad, my brother, and you. So it stands to reason there must be something in common between you! That means you should know exactly what to—"

I poke her in the nose. "It doesn't work that way."

"But—"

"No."

"But—"

"No."

"But!"

"No."

"Fine."

I sigh. "We'll figure something out." By which I mean I'm going to text Velvet when Twilight isn't looking... "You know, we should get something for Shining Armor too."

Twilight gasps. "That's right! He's going to be a daddy!" She tilts her head. "What would be a good gift for a daddy-to-be..."

"I think I'm gonna buy him a new wallet," I decide.

Twilight tilts her head. "You think he'd like a new wallet?"

"I think he needs a new wallet." I glance sideways at Twilight. "Twi, he's a grown man carrying around a velcro wallet. I threw away my velcro wallet when I was ten."

Twilight grimaces. "I see your point. Yeah...my brother definitely needs a big-boy wallet." She tilts her head. "Okay, so that's one gift for Shining Armor down, what else?"

I shrug. "He's your brother." I look down at my feet. "I'm more worried about what to get my dad." I laugh bitterly. "Almost seventeen years old and I barely know my parents at all..."

Twilight wraps her arm around my waist and hugs me. "You're getting to know them though, right?" She smiles at me...then pulls out a sheet of paper. "I've got your dad's sizes for everything," she says. "As well as his favorite colors and what he needs."

I stare at her. "What the—"

She shrugs. "I called your mom."

I roll my eyes. "Of course you did." I tilt my head. "So why don't you do the same thing for your dad?"

"Mom's already doing the clothes thing," Twilight explains. She sighs. "So that leaves me back at what do I get him..."

"Eh, I'm sure something will come to you."

A short while later, we arrive at the mall. Our first stop is the fine leather goods store, where I buy a nice black leather wallet for Shining Armor. We look around for a bit for anything else interesting, but everything within our price range falls under the category of "dad gift". From there, we head to a clothing outlet, where we both pick out some stuff for my dad. Next, we head for the video store. Twilight thinks she'll find something there Shining Armor will like. While she's browsing, I text Velvet.

Need gift ideas for Twi's dad. She's got nothing. What's he want/need? Don't say clothes.

It's a few minutes before I get a reply.

He's been hinting after a new fishing rod, but that's a little expensive.

A fishing rod, huh...?

How about if it's from both of us?

You don't need to do that. But that's up to you.

Twilight walks up, carrying a boxset of some anime. "What's up?"

I pocket my phone. "Our next stop is the sporting goods store."

Twilight tilts her head. "Sporting goods...?"

"Trust me."

We head for the sporting goods store, where I ask a clerk to recommend a good fishing rod. The first one he shows is...a bit expensive, but we manage to nail down a price range, and finally we buy a fishing rod that's in the upper-middle range, not too expensive, and easy enough to make a present from both of us out of.

As we're leaving, Twilight says, "You texted my mom, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Twilight facepalms. "I should've just done that in the first place."

"Yep."

She sticks her tongue out at me. "Smartass. Let's go eat."

I look at all the crap we're carrying. "How about we go drop this stuff off at the dorm first, then go eat?"

Twilight shrugs. "Okay, I guess I can wait that long."

We return to the dorm to drop off all the father's day gifts, then head back out to grab lunch. After lunch, we stop off to buy wrapping paper and cards, then make a detour to the bookstore, where Twilight picks up a few new books for herself, and we each pick up some books for our dads and Shining Armor.

We're pretty tired by the time we get back to the dorm, so we head upstairs to take a little nap until evening.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Evening

Everyone except Shining Armor, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Sunset Shimmer are hanging out in the lounge when we head downstairs.

"About time you two showed up," Rainbow said. "We've been waitin' for like an hour."

"Dashie! Be nice!"

"Sorry!" Twilight says, blushing. "We were out all day shopping..." She looks around and frowns. "Where's—?"

"Apple Bloom an' Sweetie Belle went to th' movies with their friends," Applejack says. "Coach took 'em. Sunset Shimmer went out for a drive on that durn bike o' hers about an hour ago. Said she'd be back late."

"So nobody's around to see us do our little disappearing act," Rainbow says.

I look around the room. "Is...is everyone ready?"

They all nod solemnly. Twilight casts a nervous glance at Pinkie Pie.

The Velvet Room forms around us...

Zecora steps into view. "The hardest trials, you've yet to endure. You may open this door, but only if you're sure." She extends her right hand to her side; a gold-framed door depicting the Star Arcana rises from the floor.

"Flash...do you really want to do this?" Twilight asks, taking my hand and squeezing it.

I glance at Pinkie and swallow nervously. "We...we have to," I say shakily. I wish I was convinced...

"What's wrong?" Rainbow asks. "You two look...kinda scared."

"Is it because of what happened last time?" Rarity asks. "Because we're all here, and we'll keep each other safe."

I sigh. "That...that isn't the reason." I take a deep breath. "What's behind that door...it's going to hurt."

"Eh, we can take it," Rainbow says confidently.

Fluttershy frowns. "I don't think that's what he means," she says.

Zecora steps forward. "The trials have only impacted you so far," she says. "Perhaps you should leave this choice to the Star."

I nod, then turn to Pinkie. "Pinkie...we don't have to do this."

Pinkie blinks. "Why...why wouldn't..." Her eyes widen. "Oh," she says in a small voice. She looks at the door, then swallows nervously. "Is...is that...?"

Twilight lays a hand on her shoulder. "We can go home," she says.

"Does somebody wanna make sense here?" Applejack asks. "So far we've fought every damn thing that's come along. Why're y'all so nervous now?"

Without warning, the door opens on its own, revealing a black, starry void. An unsettling version of Pinkie strides out. Her skin is a darker pink. Her hair is lank and lifeless. Her eyes are clouded and dull.

"That's why," Twilight says as we all stare at Pinkie's Shadow.

"Holy shit," Rainbow says, eyes wide.

Mom and Dad threw me away like garbage.

I glare at Zecora. "I thought we had a choice, dammit!"

Zecora bows her head. "The door would not have opened unless the beast within sensed its master's distress."

I've always been a disappointment to everyone. Pinkamena isn't good enough. Pinkamena is strange. Pinkamena is a slut. Pinkamena doesn't belong in this family!

She clenches her fists.

The only one who ever loved me was Maud. And then she went away. Right when I needed her most, she went away.

She looks up at us, and her eyes are gold on black.

I found people I love, who say they love me. But how long until YOU throw me away too?

She glares at me.

I can never have you the way I want you. You'll marry Twilight, and then you'll throw me away.

"No. I won't."

DON'T LIE TO ME! I'M GARBAGE! USE ME UP AND THROW ME AWAY! I'LL ALWAYS BE ALONE!

Tears stream down her cheeks.

I'll always be alone...

"Pinkie, no..."

Suddenly, she starts to laugh.

Oh, I won't LET you throw me away! NOT THIS TIME! I'll MAKE you love me forever! You'll be mine even if I have to kill you both and then kill myself!

Beside us, Pinkie takes a step back and gasps. "N-no!" she says. "I...I wouldn't do something like—"

Wouldn't you?

Pinkie's Shadow looks up at us. Her eyes have become crazed, and there's a terrifying smile on her face, one that belongs on a serial killer.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! I'm never letting anyone stop loving me ever again, even if it means everyone I love has to DIE!

"This isn't ME!" Pinkie shrieks, looking around at all of us with terrified eyes. "I'm not...I don't think things like..." She's trembling. She clenches her hands into fists at her side, then screams at her Shadow:

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

Pinkie's Shadow throws back her head and laughs psychotically as an aura of red and black flames explodes around her.

"Look out!" Cadance yells, hurriedly summoning her Persona. The rest of us quickly gear up for battle...except for Pinkie, who's fallen to her knees and is crying.

Pinkie's Shadow stretches up...and up...and up, her clothes exploding away, leaving her nude, with pinkish-black skin. Her arms deform into boneless things that end in dagger-like claws. Her face consists of nothing but a psychotic grin beneath limp pink hair. Her breasts turn into hollow cages of sinewy black Shadow-flesh, inside which effigies of me and Twilight are locked away, writhing in agony. Beyond the effigies, a dark red glow pulses; the Shadow's beating heart is visible, a distorted mass of dark red muscle, wrapped in thorny vines of black sinew. A half-dozen boulder-like Shadows, half of them metallic pink, the other half dark grey, fall to the ground from somewhere above, rolling into a defensive line in front of her.

WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS FOREVER...IN HELL!

//Guys, we've got a problem!// Cadance shouts. //Pinkie's Persona is sealed! She can't fight!//

"That's okay!" Twilight says. "Pinkie, stay back! We'll protect you from...uhh...you!"

"Twilight..." Pinkie whimpers. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," I say. "Just...don't worry."

"I wonder if this Shadow fights the way Pinkie's Persona fights?" Twilight says. "If that's the case, then..."

"On it!" Fluttershy says. "PERSONA!"

Echo appears and creates a reflective barrier around our party.

"I'll try to get rid of the riff-raff!" Sonata cries. "LEVIATHAN!"

Leviathan surges in on a dark wave. Bands of blackness surround the Shadows, but snap ineffectually. Leviathan fades away.

"Poopies..."

"Those rock thingies..." Rainbow frowns. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, diving low and sending a prismatic shockwave crashing through the line of Shadows, which all flip over and shudder.

//Nice work, Rainbow Dash! One more and you'll stun them!//

"Oh yeah! AGAIN!"

Nike grins, does a knee-slide, and jams out a power chord, unleashing a second blast. The Shadows shriek in pain.

Pinkie's Shadow lets out a shriek of rage and picks one of the pink boulders up, hurling it at Rainbow like a shotput. It bounces off Fluttershy's barrier and hits the Shadow in the face, shattering and evaporating.

//She didn't take much damage from that...//

"Let's put some kick in our spurs, y'all! PERSONA!"

Persephone appears and sheds a powerful light over us. I feel a surge of energy flow through me.

//Good thinking, Applejack!//

"Yeah, well...Ah been thinkin' lately that Ah can do more than just smash, so Ah'd better make mahself more useful."

"Then perhaps I should think along similar lines," Rarity says. "BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona appears, sending dozens of glowing strands of yarn to ensnare the Shadows.

//Yes! Their evasion is down! The rest of you, give it everything you've got!//

"ATHENA!" Twilight summons her Persona, who conjures up a lightning storm that blasts everything. The remaining boulder Shadows explode; Pinkie's Shadow convulses violently.

"I don't want this to drag on any longer than it has to," I say, glancing back at Pinkie. "I think it's time to try a new trick." I slide the Sun onto my phone. "ASURA!"

Asura appears and forms a series of hand seals.

A scorching inferno sets Pinkie's Shadow ablaze...

...then is extinguished as, with a loud *snap*, a solid block of ice forms around it...

...which shatters as a thick, blinding column of white lightning stabs through it...

...followed by a tornado swallowing up the Shadow, spinning it around...

...which is followed by a vortex of pure white light, shining with a high-pitched chime...

...which is engulfed by an oily black curtain of blackness that boils down from above, drenching Pinkie's Shadow before seeping into the ground.

As Asura fades away, Pinkie's Shadow staggers, letting out a ragged moan.

"Fuck, dude," Rainbow breathes, staring at me.

"Okay, that was pretty impressive," Fluttershy says.

NO! I won't let you hurt me!

//She's about to do something...!//

We all tense up and watch Pinkie's Shadow. The dull glow of her heart intensifies to a burning white-red heat; the ground thumps in time with her heartbeat. A golden light fills the breast-cage containing my effigy.

I feel an intense, burning pain lance through my entire being. I can't keep my footing...

"FLASH!" Twilight yells.

Black spots are dancing in my vision, but I'm dimly aware of Twilight propping me up and the golden light fading. I feel completely fatigued...

//She just...drained Flash somehow,// Cadance says. //She healed a lot of the damage you just did. She's still hurt, but...//

"Then we just need to keep kicking her ass!" Rainbow says confidently.

"We need to be more careful," Fluttershy says with a frown. "Something isn't right."

"I'm with Rainbow Dash on this one," Sonata says. "Twilight, you take care of Flash. Everyone else should keep attacking this thing until it dies." Without waiting for confirmation, Sonata summons her Persona again. A virulent purple wave crashes over Pinkie's Shadow, who shudders and doubles over, her face contorted in agony.

//Good work! She's poisoned!//

"Nice one!" Rainbow cheers. "My turn! NIKE!"

Nike dives down from above, her guitar becoming a blazing electric sword which cleaves the Shadow from throat to groin.

Fluttershy sighs. "Alright, fine. PERSONA." Echo releases a wind attack against the Shadow.

I was right! You just want to be rid of me! Well I'm not making it that easy!

//LOOK OUT!//

I look up to see more boulder-type Shadows falling from above...

...right on top of us.

Twilight and I are hit; Twilight goes down with a cry. I'm too weak from whatever the Shadow did to me earlier to dodge or help Twilight. Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack are able to dodge, but Rarity and Sonata are hit and cry out as they fall.

"Whoa nelly," Applejack says, eyes wide as the new Shadows roll over to Pinkie's Shadow. The poison kicks in, and she cries out as she takes damage.

"How the hell did that get past my barrier?" Fluttershy snarls.

"Nevermind that!" Applejack says. "Ah'll give y'all some time t' git sorted out! PERSONA!"

Persephone appears and smashes the ground, sending a shockwave through the Shadows that flips the boulders over. Then, she sheds a warm, golden light over us, bolstering our defenses.

Rarity picks herself up, shaking her head groggily. "That was highly uncalled for," she grumbles. "PERSONA!"

A wave of healing light washes over all of us. The weakness and agony I've felt since the Shadow did...whatever it did...ebbs away, and I pull myself to my feet.

Twilight stands up, shaking her head and groaning. Without a word, she summons Athena, who blasts the Shadows with lightning again. The boulders rock back and forth, still stunned; Pinkie's Shadow writhes.

"Dude, do that cool thing again!" Rainbow says.

I shake my head. "No...not just yet. Until we know how she did...whatever she did...I'm gonna be more careful."

Pinkie's Shadow laughs and cups her hand around the breast-cage containing my effigy. Soft, healing light fills the cage. She then reels in pain from the continued effects of Leviathan's poison.

"What's she doing?" Rainbow wonders. "Is she playin' with herself, or...?"

//She just...healed that thing?// Cadance shakes her head. //Give me a second. I think I missed something in my scans.//

"While you're doing that..." I slide the Moon onto my phone. "URSA MAJOR!"

The mighty starbear appears with an earthshaking roar. The sky above burns as a flaming, bright-hot asteroid crashes down, slamming into the Shadows and nearly knocking us all on our ass. The boulder Shadows all crumble into black dust, but Pinkie's Shadow barely even seems to notice. With another roar, Ursa Major leaps forward and slashes viciously at the Shadow with its claws. She reels, almost losing her footing, then roars and leaps forward, raking her own dagger-like fingers against Ursa Major's hide. Fluttershy's barrier snaps into place, turning her own attack against her, and she screeches in frustration.

"PERSONA!" Leviathan appears once again, summoning forth a tidal wave which crashes into Pinkie's Shadow, knocking her on her ass.

"She's down!" Rainbow yells excitedly. "Let's go for it!"

We all charge forward, slashing and hitting and shooting anywhere we can on the writhing Shadow. With an enraged yell, she sends us all flying, then rises to her feet, doubling over, chest heaving. Her heart starts to glow more brightly again, and that same golden light fills her breast.

Shooting pains rack my body and I find myself curled up in a ball on the ground, every nerve on fire as black spots and flashing lights fill my vision.

"FLASH!" Twilight cries. "ATHENA!"

Athena appears; a flood of new energy fills me, and the black spots and shooting pains ebb away. I slowly stand up, shaking my head, which is still throbbing.

Cadance gasps. //I've got it! Oh my God...//

"What is it?" Twilight asks.

//I missed something important! Those things in her breasts, they're...they're like voodoo dolls! She's using them to drain Flash's lifeforce to heal herself! Then she heals...// She trails off. //Everyone! Ignore Pinkie's Shadow for now! Concentrate on killing those voodoo dolls!//

"Uhh...won't that like, kill Flash and Twilight?" Rainbow asks.

"No!" Twilight says. "I get it! Remember how a few minutes ago, she healed that figure of Flash? Our attacks have been damaging it, but only the ones that hit everything!"

Even as she says this, Pinkie's Shadow cups both breasts, healing the two effigies. The poison damages her again, but she braces herself, glaring down at us.

"I get it now!" Sonata cries. "She can use them to drain you two, but they've been taking damage all along!"

"If that's the case, then..." Rarity taps her phone. "BASTET!"

Bastet appears; massive shards of ice spear Pinkie's Shadow and the two effigies.

"PERSONA!" Rainbow's Persona appears, letting loose blasts of razor-sharp wind.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy adds her own wind attack to the mix.

Pinkie's Shadow roars in rage and pain as Sonata's poison takes hold; the ground thumps as her heart glows. Both breast-cages fill with golden light.

Twilight and I both crumple to the ground. I can barely see or hear...

"Th' HELL you're gonna keep doin' that!" Applejack snarls. "PERSEPHONE!"

Persephone appears and slams a massive fist into the cage containing the effigy of Twilight. The cage smashes open, spilling a viscous, snotlike goop out onto the ground. The effigy of Twilight lets out a piercing ethereal shriek as it breaks apart into nothingness, lavender motes dissipating into the air.

Pinkie's Shadow screams.

NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! I'M NOT LETTING ANYONE GO!

She lurches forward and grabs Applejack, lifts her high into the air, then throws her hard at the ground. I hear bones snapping as she lands...

"Oh God, Applejack..." Rainbow moans.

Fluttershy kneels over Applejack's body. "Persona," she says softly. Echo appears; a moment later, Applejack is on her knees, panting and clutching her chest. She still seems to be in pain, and her left arm is dislocated.

Somehow, I manage to find the strength to slide the Lovers Arcana onto my phone and tap the screen. "Serenity..."

In a column of bright, silvery moonlight, Serenity appears, a graceful and gentle smile on her face. She prays to the crystal clutched to her breast, and warm, inviting light washes over us.

Twilight, Applejack, and I stand up, all our wounds healed. "Come on, guys," I say. "We're almost there."

//The poison's worn off,// Cadance reports. //But I think you can finish her off if you take out the other one now!//

"Right!" we all yell in unison. One after another, we call forth our Personas, unleashing our most powerful attacks. Halfway through the onslaught, the second effigy breaks down; by the time we've all spent ourselves, the Shadow is on her knees.

//Flash! Use the Six Paths again! You can finish this!//

NO! I WON'T LET YOU THROW ME AWAY SO EASILY! I'LL THROW ALL OF YOU AWAY FIRST!

A bright pink beam shoots forth from the Shadow's heart, slamming into Twilight and catching her unawares. Twilight barely has the time to utter a faint "oh" of surprise before she falls to the ground.

"TWILIGHT!"

//Oh God, she's dead!//

Pinkie's Shadow laughs as one smashed breast fills with brilliant pink light and heals itself. The effigy of Twilight reappears, whole and undamaged.

Rainbow's jaw drops. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" she cries.

Sonata sags. "Oh no...this could go on forever..."

"No," Pinkie says softly from behind me. "It won't."

Pinkie marches forward, kneeling down and gently taking Twilight's body into her arms. Her eyes are full of tears, but her face is furious as she glares up at her Shadow. "I've lost too much. I've hurt too much. Just because you're some sick, twisted monster that came out of my soul...THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO LET YOU TAKE ANYTHING ELSE AWAY FROM ME!"

She stands up, a blazing pink aura surrounding her.

"PERSONA!"

Euphoria explodes into being, shining so brightly it hurts to look directly at her. A soft blue light surrounds Twilight; she takes a deep, sharp breath and her eyes fly open.

Pinkie steps forward, standing between me and Twilight and her Shadow. Euphoria flies forward, plunges her hand into the Shadow's chest, and rips out her still-beating heart.

NO!!

Pinkie holds out one hand and clenches it into a tight fist. Above us, Euphoria mimicks her motion. With a loud, wet squelch, the Shadow's heart is crushed; red-black ichor drips down and splatters on the ground.

Pinkie's Shadow screams in agony as cracks form in her skin. Golden light streams from the cracks as her body breaks apart, bits and pieces dissolving into oily smoke. It takes almost a full minute, but soon there's nothing left except the original Shadow, standing in front of our Pinkie, head bowed and fists clenched.

Zecora appears from nowhere and calmly approaches Pinkie. "You must face your darkest fears, or else that monster will reappear."

Tears are streaming down Pinkie's cheeks. She looks at me and Twilight, then sniffles. She turns and faces her Shadow.

"I..."

She bows her head and clenches trembling fists at her sides.

"When Mom and Dad disowned me, I...it hurt...it hurt so much, and I felt so..." She wipes her eyes. "I did feel like I'd been thrown away. And Maud, she...she would've tried to help me, really, but I knew she couldn't.

"And then Flash and Twilight and everyone went out of their way to help me, and I was so happy, but...I was still scared. What if...what if something else happened? What if they decided my parents were right?" She looks back at us sadly. "What if they decided not to keep me around?

"And then..." She turns her back to us. "I was in love with both of you, and I'm so happy, but...I'm always thinking about what's going to happen when you two get married, or...or whatever..." She sniffles again. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to move on with your lives and leave me behind...and I'll be all alone again.

"I don't want to be alone...not ever..."

She looks up at her Shadow.

"I'm scared to death of being thrown away. I'd never hurt my friends, I'd never hurt myself the way..." She stops, then quietly adds, "But I guess...deep down..."

She sighs.

"I guess maybe...I'm so scared of being thrown away...I don't know what I'd do if I lost everyone I care about."

"Pinkie..." Twilight says softly, stepping forward and hugging her.

I join their embrace. "Pinkie...we're never going to leave you. I promise that. No matter what happens, no matter what the future holds, Twilight and I are always going to be there for you. You're too important to us. If we lost you, it would hurt so much."

Twilight nods and sniffles. "I can't imagine life without you, Pinkie," she says. "You were really the first friend I ever had." She smiles softly, wistfully. "The first friend outside of my family, I mean."

"Flash...Twilight..." Pinkie smiles. She turns to face her Shadow.

Her Shadow smiles sadly. "Stay happy," she says. "Don't lose your smile. Keep laughing. Keep laughing and smiling so you'll never be the same as me."

She glows a soft blue, then collapses in on herself, turning into a small blue balloon-shaped jewel, which floats over to Pinkie and sinks into her chest. A warm blue glow washes over Pinkie...

Her phone beeps twice, and Black Butterfly activates. Pinkie's battle outfit forms briefly on her body before suddenly changing, becoming a skintight pink-and-black harlequin outfit with a glitter-encrusted blue domino mask over her eyes. The blue jewel sits upon her throat on an ornate gold choker. Her whip glows golden and transforms into a length of shining gold chain made up of heart-shaped links.

"Oooh, upgrade," Sonata says.

Pinkie looks down at herself, then starts giggling. "Whee! Check me out!"

"You look ridiculous," Rainbow says with a playful smirk.

I squeeze Pinkie's butt. "I kinda like it."

Pinkie squeals, giggles, and wraps her arms around me. Twilight laughs and hugs both of us.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Star awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Kuma, has awakened to the skill Confetti Cannon.



Use this power wisely...


"So, umm...are we done here?" Fluttershy asks.

Pinkie looks from me to Twilight, turns to the others, and smiles. "Yeah...I think we're done here."

The Velvet Room fades away, and we find ourselves back in the lounge. Pinkie sags between us. "Whoa...I feel so tired..."

"Me too," I say, stretching. I wince and rub my shoulder. "I think I'm gonna be sore tomorrow..."

"I'm exhausted," Twilight says. "I think I want to eat a half gallon of ice cream and go to bed."

"Ice cream sounds good," Pinkie says. She looks at Twilight pleadingly. "You can...you can share your ice cream with me...in my bed...if you want. I don't want to be alone tonight."

Twilight smiles. "Alright." She looks at me. "Flash?"

I nod. "Absolutely."

Rarity yawns. "Well, I'm also rather tired. I, ahem...shall be sleeping alone, of course."

"Yeah...you three keep the noise down, alright?" Rainbow asks. "We all need some serious shut-eye after all that."

"I don't think we'll be doing anything...noisy," I say. "I don't think I've got enough energy to do anything noisy."

Twilight, Pinkie, and I grab a carton of ice cream, some napkins, and three spoons and head up to Pinkie's room. Everyone else heads off to their own beds.
> 6/16 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, June 16, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): The wise bird knows that when it rains, the worms come to you.

It's three in the morning...

Twilight, Pinkie, and I are all wide awake. And hungry. We freshen up and change clothes, then head downstairs.

When we reach the first floor, we hear voices from the lounge. Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Sonata, and Cadance are all there talking; everyone's eating breakfast.

"Hey y'all," Applejack says roughly. "There's plenty o' breakfast in th' kitchen. Make yourselves up a plate an' come on in."

"We're discussing what happened yesterday," Rarity says. "None of us could really sleep very well, so..."

The three of us quickly assemble breakfast plates in the kitchen, pour glasses of orange juice, and join the others in the lounge.

Everyone looks to Cadance. She clears her throat. "Flash, Twilight...we couldn't help but notice that the two of you seemed to be expecting...that."

Twilight sighs and looks down at her plate. I grimace. "Yeah," I admit. "We were talking about it yesterday morning."

"And you didn't think to tell us why?" Fluttershy demands.

"There was still a chance we were wrong," I say. "Just because the first two Shadows followed a pattern, that didn't necessarily mean the pattern was there."

"But now we know the pattern is there," Twilight says.

"Screw this pattern shit," Rainbow says. "What we wanna know is why you didn't tell us we'd be fighting each other."

"Or, more to the point, our own inner demons," Rarity says.

Sonata blinks. She writes something on her tablet.

Wasn't it obvious? I mean, the rhyming lady said we'd be fighting the Shadows of all Flash's friends. And, well, WE'RE his friends!

Everyone stares at her.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Rainbow cries, throwing her hands up in the air.

Sonata giggles sheepishly.

I was busy eating and my throat hurts too bad to talk this morning. I can't eat and write at the same time.

Rainbow facepalms.

I clear my throat. "Sonata's right," I say. I glance at Pinkie. "What happened yesterday...I know it was hard on all of us, especially Pinkie. But..." I look around the room. "If we keep doing this thing Zecora has us doing...all of you are going to have to go through what Pinkie went through yesterday."

The others look at each other nervously.

Fluttershy shudders. "I...I don't know if I want to face what'll come out of me." She toys with her fork. She looks around at us. "Let's face it, we've all seen what my inner demons look like."

Pinkie leans forward. "Guys?" She takes a deep breath, looking down at her orange juice. "I know none of us want to do what...what I had to do yesterday. But we have to." She looks at me, then at Twilight, then at all the others. "If...if we're afraid to face ourselves, if we're afraid of the truth...how can we ever stand up to Sunset Shimmer?" She idly cuts up a hash brown with her fork. "I think that's what this whole thing is about. It isn't about training. It's about overcoming our fear."

"Hey, I ain't afraid of that bacon bitch!" Rainbow says hotly.

"Rainbow," Applejack says softly, shaking her head. She frowns. "Okay, Ah can kinda see how facin' our own fears and seein' each other at our worst can make us stronger, because Ah know that's how mah whole family's gotten through some rough patches lately, but whut about them first two fights? That shit didn't have nuthin' t' do with any of us!"

It did give Flash some pretty sweet attacks.

"Look," Twilight says, "sooner or later, we're going to have to face Sunset Shimmer and her Persona. If this Zecora woman says the hell she's putting us through will help us be ready for that...I say we keep doing it."

Everyone takes a moment to think about that...

"Twiley's right," Cadance says. "Even if destroying Cancer, Leo, and Aquarius gets rid of Zodiac for good—and we can't assume that's the case—as long as Sunset Shimmer has that much power, she's dangerous."

"Especially since none of us can figure out what her game is," Fluttershy adds. "I seriously have no idea what she's up to or why she's been acting the way she has lately."

"And until the other shoe drops, we need to stay on our toes," Twilight says. "So this thing we've been doing...it's going to be hard on all of us, but I don't think that woman would be doing this just for her own amusement."

"There's absolutely a purpose to all this," I say. "I can't say for certain what it is, because everyone I've met in the Velvet Room is cryptic and vague most of the time, but I do know there's a reason this is happening."

Rainbow sighs. "So we're just gonna keep fighting freaky evil copies of people we know, and ourselves?"

"Dashie," Pinkie says with a small, sad smile, "we'll get through it. I know we will." She looks at me and Twilight, then adds, "As long as we're together."

"Together," Twilight agrees with a smile.

Twilight and I outline the list we put together yesterday of the battles we'll probably face and what order we'll face them in. After that, Twilight deliberately changes the subject; for Pinkie and Applejack's sakes, we avoid talking about Father's Day, but we do talk about our plans for the rest of the summer.

We've been talking and eating breakfast for about an hour when the dorm's front door opens. We all turn around and watch as Sunset Shimmer walks in. She sees us all gathered in the lounge, blinks, and tilts her head. "You're all up early." She frowns. "Or have you been up all night?" She smirks. "Did I miss a party or something?"

"Orgy," Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all say at the same time. I nearly spittake.

"Yeah, big orgy," Rainbow agrees, nodding rapidly.

"Uh-huh," Sunset says, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Even you, AJ?"

Applejack swallows. "Nope. Ah just sat here in th' background bein' country." She offers a weak grin.

"More importantly, where were you all night?" Cadance counters.

Sunset shrugs. "Met a guy, had some fun, ended up back at his place, you know how it goes. Didn't bother giving him my number." She yawns. "Well, I'm off to bed. Have fun with...whatever." She ambles off to the stairs.

Pinkie cracks a huge yawn. "Ugh...getting sleepy again."

"I think everybody should go back upstairs and get some more rest," Cadance says. "We've got a lot of work to do today to get ready for tomorrow. I'm going to need help fixing up our guest room for Vel and Night Light, and Flash, I need you to get the room next door to yours ready for your parents."

I nod. We all take some time to clean up our breakfast mess, then head back to our own rooms.

Thursday, June 16, 2016 / Daytime

It's almost ten in the morning when I get up again. After a quick lunch, I get to work setting up the empty room beside mine for my parents. After I'm done, Twilight and I wrap our Father's Day gifts. Once we're done with that, we head downstairs to check and see if anybody needs any help with anything.

We're taking a break in the lounge, watching television, when Cadance comes in looking severely irritated. "Swear to God I'll..." she grumbles.

"Cadance? Is something wrong?" Twilight asks.

Cadance sighs. "That little tramp is practically rubbing herself all over my husband, and he's not even trying to discourage her."

"Ugh!" Twilight throws up her hands in disgust. "I'll...I'll go take care of it. This has to stop once and for all." She shakes her head. "I can't believe he'd have the nerve to act like this after everything that's happened here this last year..." She stands up, head bowed. "I mean, Flash wanting to screw anything with breasts, that I understand, he's a teenage boy. My brother's a married man, he shouldn't even be looking at other women!" She storms out of the lounge, slamming the door behind her.

In the deafening silence that follows, I turn to Cadance. "Are...are you alright?"

She sighs again. "Yeah, just...just a little aggravated."

I nod. "He really shouldn't be acting like this, not with a gorgeous wife who's about to have his child."

Cadance rolls her eyes. "If it were anyone but her, I wouldn't care. After everything I've put him through, he's more than earned a little leeway. He could fuck Celestia or Luna or even Twilight for all I care, and just between you and me, I know for a fact he's had at least one perverted dream about his sister."

Yikes.

"But...it being Sunset Shimmer that's turned his head? After everything she's done to us? It's just...it's the fact that he knows who and what she is and he's still got a hard-on for her...that's what upsets me." She deflates, her hair falling over her face. "I'm hungry. Let's order pizza."

Twilight returns a few minutes later, still looking cross. "Did you let him have it?" I ask.

She flumps down on the couch next to me, folding her arms. "He took off," she says. "He must've left before I went over there."

"He did say he was going to go buy something special for Sunday," Cadance muses. "Anyway, nevermind all that. I'm sorry I got you all worked up. I'm just a little ticked."

"A little ticked?!"

"Twiley," Cadance says sternly. "I mean it. This is between me and my husband. Stay out of it. Please."

Twilight scowls, but nods. "Alright."

"We're just about to order pizza," I say.

Twilight perks up. "Order two for me?"

"Any way you want them."

Sunset Shimmer walks in, wearing cutoff shorts and a loose, thin, revealing tank top. "Hey guys," she says cheerfully.

"No pizza for you," Twilight says with a sour scowl.

Sunset shrugs. "Okay." She heads upstairs.

Cadance sighs. "Why does the biggest monster in Canterlot have to be so sexy?"

I have my phone out and the pizza ordering app open. "Extra large Hawaiian?" I ask Cadance.

She sighs again. "Yeah..."
> 6/17 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 17, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will endure a trial of willpower, restraint, and fortitude.

Today's going to be a busy day. My parents are coming in on a flight that arrives later this morning; Twilight's parents' train is arriving around the same time. Shining Armor and Twilight are going to the train station to pick up Night Light and Velvet. I'm taking Cadance's SUV out to the airport to pick up Mom and Dad.

Friday, June 17, 2016 / Daytime

The airport parking is terrible, but after twenty minutes, I manage to find a parking place that isn't five miles from the terminal. By the time I get to the gate, it's fifteen minutes until Mom and Dad's flight is supposed to land.

I end up waiting forty minutes, during which time I eat two bacon and cheddar filled soft pretzels and drink two large sodas.

Twilight's starting to be a bad influence on me...

While I'm waiting, I get a message from Zecora informing me that the next battle in the Velvet Room is tomorrow.

When the flight finally lands and the passengers begin disembarking, I watch for my parents. They're somewhere in the middle of the queue; Mom rushes up to me as soon as she sees me. "FLASH!" She throws her arms around me and pulls me into a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you again!"

Dad walks up with a smile. "Hey, son. How's it going?"

I shrug. "It's alright. Come on, let's get your bags and get back to the dorm."

"Isn't Twilight with you?" Mom asks.

I shake my head. "Her parents' train got in..." I check my phone. "About a half hour ago. She went with her brother to pick them up." While I have my phone out, I text Twilight to let her know my parents are with me and we're headed back.

"Guess we'll need to get a cab then," Dad says.

"Nope, I'm parked in the short-term lot."

"Since when do you have a car?" Mom asks.

"Since when do you have a license?" Dad adds.

I roll my eyes. I guess I can let that one slide; it's not a subject that's ever come up... "I got my license back in September, and I'm just borrowing Nurse Cadance's SUV."

"They let you borrow...?"

I shrug. "We're always going here, there, and everywhere and there's too many of us for one car. I always end up having to drive one of the SUVs."

We collect their luggage and make the trek out to the SUV. Getting back out of the airport is almost as big a pain in the ass as getting in; it takes almost forty minutes to get back to the dorm.

The very first thing we hear when I unlock and open the front door is:

"Sunset Shimmer, will you PLEASE stop rubbing your pussy all over the couch?!"

That was Fluttershy.

I tense up. Mom draws to a stop next to me, blinking. Dad's jaw drops.

"What...?" Mom says.

If my hands weren't full of luggage, I'd facepalm. I settle for a heavy, tired sigh. "Mom, Dad...wait here for a minute. I'll see what's going on before...yeah."

"Should you really be—" Mom begins.

"Mom, at this point, there is nothing she could possibly be doing that I haven't already seen." Without waiting for a reply, I walk into the lounge...

...just in time to see Velvet drag a butt-naked Sunset Shimmer out of the room by the breast.

Twilight is standing nearby, face red with embarrassment and mouth hanging open. She sees me, then points to what just went past.

"It's gonna be one of those days, isn't it?" I ask.

Twilight nods mutely.

I sigh. "Mom and Dad are waiting outside." I turn back to the door and open it, letting them in.

"Is...is it safe?" Mom asks.

"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here," I quip. "You just missed a hell of a show."

"I don't think that's the kind of show your parents would appreciate," Twilight says. "Umm...hi again," she adds, waving sheepishly at my Mom and Dad.

"Hello, Twilight," Mom says with a smile. "So, how are you?"

"Oh, you know..."

"Twi, what the hell did she do now?"

Twilight shakes her head. "I honestly don't know," she says. "I was in the kitchen with Mom, we heard Fluttershy yelling, we ran into the lounge, Sunset was naked, Mom dragged her off—" Twilight's eyes widen. "THE KITCHEN! LUNCH!" She runs off to the kitchen.

"Crap," I grumble. "Mom, Dad, can you wait in the lounge?"

"Is it safe to sit down in there?" Mom asks.

I shake my head, mutter something I'd rather them not hear, then follow Twilight to the kitchen. From upstairs, I can faintly hear Velvet yelling her head off, as well as Spike and Zoe barking like crazy.

A minute later, Cadance walks in. "Sorry I left you and Vel to...oh, hi Flash." She pauses. "Who's Vel yelling at?"

"Sunset," Twilight says.

"Apparently she was marking territory in the lounge," I say. "At least, that's what it sounded like when my folks and I walked in."

Cadance looks like she's about to ask, then shakes her head. "Forget it, I don't want to know." She sighs and looks around. "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"We need you to sit down and rest, dear," Velvet suddenly says. None of us heard her enter the kitchen. She's scrubbing her hands furiously with a hand towel. "Flash, will you help me and Twiley finish making lunch?"

"Of course." I turn to Cadance. "My folks are in the lounge, how about taking out some drinks and keeping them company?"

Cadance smiles. "I'd love to." She grabs a few bottled sodas from the fridge and heads for the lounge.

Once she's gone, Twilight turns to her mom. "Mom, did you really have to grab her...there?"

"It got the little whore's attention, didn't it?" Velvet sighs. "There's a demon in that girl. She isn't normal."

"You don't know the half of it," I mutter.

"I don't understand why..." Velvet shakes her head. "Behavior like that should have her thrown out."

"She's got blackmail material on Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna," Twilight says. "Among others. There's...not really much we can do to get rid of her."

"All she really wants is to get a reaction out of everyone here," I say. "We just need to ignore her bullshit. You know, like we ignore Pinkie and Rainbow occasionally wandering around naked or Applejack scratching herself at the dinner table."

"Flash!" Twilight hisses.

Velvet groans. "God, it's as bad as my old college dorm." She glances at Twilight. "You're not walking around naked, I hope?"

"Umm, no?" Twilight says. Velvet places her hands on her hips. Twilight ducks her head. "Sometimes, a little...but only when I'm going from my room to the bathroom to take a shower..."

Velvet glances from Twilight to me, then smirks. "I see." Shaking her head, she goes back to cooking. Twilight's face looks like an eggplant...

It takes us a little while to get lunch ready. Everybody who's here gathers in the dining room; Pinkie and Rainbow are out, as are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Sunset's wearing jeans and a baggy shirt and giving Velvet a glare that could melt steel. Velvet is pointedly ignoring her.

"So, Twilight, your charming parents are in town until Monday, huh?" Sunset asks.

"That's right," Twilight says.

"Greeeat," Sunset says. "You know, there's so much I'd just love to tell your mom."

"I'm sure there is, but I'm afraid I won't have the time to listen," Velvet says. "Not when I'll be busy with my daughter-in-law and my son and the grandchild they're giving us!"

"Mooooom," Shining Armor whines.

"If it's even his," Sunset says.

Velvet shoots her a sharp glare. "What was that?"

"Ignore her," Cadance says.

"Yeah, just ignore me. I'm the unstable, deranged lunatic that wants to kill everybody in this room. Or, you know, just a girl who doesn't have any friends that everybody hates for no particular reason." She smiles brightly at me. "Right, Flash?"

"So, Dad! I was thinking you, me, Mr. Night Light, and Coach should do something tomorrow. Just us guys. What do you say?"

"That sounds good," Dad says.

Night Light grins. "Just the guys, huh? Haven't done that in a while."

"I'm in," Shining Armor says. "It'll give Mom time to fawn over Cadance and the baby without making me want to throw up." We all laugh.

I spend the rest of the afternoon catching up with my parents and helping them settle in upstairs. Every time Mom tries to bring up the subject of Sunset Shimmer, I carefully skirt around it...

Friday, June 17, 2016 / Evening

When dinnertime rolls around, Velvet and Cadance are over in the apartment; Velvet is tired and Cadance has a headache. Sunset Shimmer takes advantage of the situation. She comes downstairs in shorts and a tank top, the kind of outfit that screams "look at my sexy body" without being overtly skanky. She spends the entire evening teasing me, Shining Armor, Night Light, and my dad.

After about forty minutes of this, I've had just about enough, and I excuse myself from the dinner table. I head outside to get some air.

About five minutes after I leave the dorm, I hear footsteps. I brace myself for more of Sunset's shit, but it's just Sweetie Belle.

"Hey," she says. "Wow, Sunset's laying it on really thick tonight, isn't she?"

"I guess Velvet dragging her off by the tit this afternoon didn't get the message across."

Sweetie Belle boggles. "She did what?!"

"You had to be there."

Sweetie Belle shrugs. "If you say so." She sighs and shuffles her feet. "So, I uhh...I went to visit Button Mash today."

"I thought you weren't going to."

"I thought I was too," she says. She looks up at the darkening sky. "The last time I went, he was...just so disconnected. But today, he said hi, he smiled, he asked me how school is." She pauses. "He...he apologized to me for taking those pictures of me. I guess they taught him why that was wrong." She digs at the grass with a toe. "He..."

She sniffles.

"He wasn't...he wasn't Button Mash. He was a stranger. He's so doped up he can't feel anything." She sags forward. "I actually miss the old nervous, tense Button who freaked out and made controller hands all the time."

"But he's better off this way, right?"

"Is he?" Sweetie Belle shakes her head. "Is losing what made him special worth making him halfway normal? And he's still never getting out of that hospital." She shakes her head. "Anyway...I talked to his mom for a long time, and she agrees. What they're doing for Button is in his best interests, but...he isn't really Button anymore." She bows her head. "He isn't the same boy I had a crush on anymore, and he never will be. But that's okay. I'm ready...I'm ready to let him go."

Tears fall from her eyes.

"I know...I know I'll have other crushes, other boyfriends. I know they won't all be like this. I know Button was...different. I'm just sad that I couldn't really help him. The way I wanted to, I mean. But..." She sniffles and looks up. "But that's okay. Because...I tried."

I nod. "Sometimes, that's all we can do."

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a microSD card. "This...this is the memory card from Button's phone. His mom got it back last week, and she decided I should have the memory card, since..." She shakes her head and sighs. "Anyway, I don't want to throw it away because it's all that's really left of the real Button Mash, but if I keep it, I'll be tempted to look at it, and...and it'll hurt too much. Would you...would you keep it safe for me?"

"Are you sure?"

Sweetie Belle nods. I take the card from her and slip it into my pocket. She flushes. "Don't...don't look at the pictures," she says.

I already saw it anyway, not that I was ever interested. "I won't."

She hugs me fiercely. "Thank you," she says. "You've...you've always been around when I needed somebody to talk to. You're like a big brother. I feel safe with you around, like you're looking out for me. Is...is that weird?"

I smile. "I'm looking out for everyone," I say.






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Temperance Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon The Traveller, the ultimate form of the Temperance Arcana...


Sweetie Belle lets go. "Well, I'm going back inside," she says. "Are...are you okay?"

I nod. "Yeah. I just needed to get away from Sunset Shimmer for a little bit."

Sweetie Belle grimaces. "If anyone needs to be pumped full of pills, it's her." She shakes her head. "Well...later. And...thanks again."

"FLASH!" Twilight yells from the door. She rushes up to us. "Get back in here and help!"

I groan. "What's she doing now?"

Twilight's face is furiously red. "She's...eating things. Bananas, popsicles, things like that. Really, really suggestively. With my dad and your dad and Shiny."

I facepalm. "Just leave it," I say. "If we're lucky, they'll gangbang the shit out of her."

"FLASH!"

"What? I've kinda run out of fucks to give at this point. Besides, your mom's here. She's better equipped to deal with it than I am."

Twilight throws back her head and lets out a frustrated groan. "Just get your ass back in here," she growls.

"Okay, fine..."

The three of us head back inside...

Sunset is wrapped rather suggestively around Rainbow Dash. "Hey guys."

"Uhh...Rainbow? What are you...?"

"Rainbow!" Twilight snaps. "What the hell?"

"You do realize that's Sunset Shimmer, right?" I ask.

Rainbow swallows. "H-hey guys," she says. "Look, I know this looks...umm...bad. But, uhh...really, it's...it's not that...bad..."

Her hand is on Sunset's thigh. I don't think she even realizes it.

Fluttershy stands up. "I think it's getting rather late and everybody needs to go to bed," she declares, aiming fierce scowls at my dad, Night Light, Shining Armor, and Rainbow.

"Uhh...I'm good," Rainbow says.

Fluttershy walks over to Rainbow and squeezes her nose. "Put. The bacon. Down."

"OW! Shit, Fluttershy! Sheesh!"

Sunset laughs and stands up, stretching. "Shy's right, I'm pretty tired." She waves at the dads. "See you later, boys." She winks and saunters off to the stairs.

"Gang-bang," Sweetie Belle whispers in a singsong tone.

This is going to be a long weekend...
> 6/18 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, June 18, 2016 / ???
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

The Velvet Room...

The others are here. How did we get here?

"Uhh...what's goin' on?" Rainbow asks sleepily. "I was just havin' this awesome dream about flying, and—"

"Do not be alarmed, for you are still at rest," Zecora says as she appears before us. "I sensed this would be the best time for today's test."

"So...we're all asleep and dreaming?" Twilight asks, frowning.

"You are indeed," Zecora says. "Now, let us begin with all speed."

She gestures to her right, and a gold-framed door bearing the image of the Tower Arcana rises from the floor.

"Your will is strong and you possess great power. But might alone will not topple this Tower."

"Do you like, just sit around all day practicing rhyming?" Rainbow asks.

"Oh! Oh! Are you a rapper when you're not in here doing this cryptic sage stuff?" Pinkie asks. "Because you totally look like you should be a rapper."

"What, just because she's Zebrican?" Fluttershy asks. "That's a little racist."

Zecora facepalms. "Open the door, I beseech thee," she says. "I have little patience for these three."

I roll my eyes and walk up to the door. When I touch it, it swings open; a glowing green fog billows out, green light pulses flashing from within.

Chrysalis steps out.

Pinkie blinks. "Coach Chrysalis?"

I wasted so many years of my life, and for what? I was the most powerful and feared woman in the corporate world, and now I'm coaching high school tennis? What the FUCK is that? And why did I have so many fucking kids? All they do is bitch and complain all the time!

She looks up at us with glowing gold-on-black eyes.

And I can't find one man in this whole fucking city that's worth SHIT! The asshole who knocked me up the first time disappeared to another country, and then what happened? Every time I tried to find Skeeter a new dad, I ended up PREGNANT AGAIN! And every last FUCKING one of them disappears! I swear to God, if I didn't have all the money I busted my ass earning...

And look what I have to show for it. Seven kids who are used to the good life, and now they have to live like everyone else, and so do I! And I'm too damn old to try to get back what Sombra stole from me! Hell, by the time Gnat finally leaves the nest, I'll be over sixty!

"Wow, this one's just...really bitchy," Rainbow says.

"I think..." I stare at Chrysalis' Shadow. "I think Chrysalis has just been bottling all this up for years, fighting to keep her composure, never lashing out because she doesn't want to show everyone how aggravated she is all the time."

That's right! I am the Shadow, the True Self! I'm sick of being fucked over by every useless piece of shit man in my life, and I just want my kids to shut up for five fucking minutes and let me think!

Green and black flames explode around Chrysalis as her legs and torso stretch...

//Get ready!//

As Chrysalis stretches upwards, gaping holes form in her arms, legs, and torso, which become shiny and sinewy, like chitin. Her head becomes a misshapen combination of human, horse, and insect, with an open maw full of venom-dripping fangs and huge, glowing, slit-pupiled green eyes. A gnarled horn grows from her forehead, twisted and full of holes. When she finally finishes growing, her legs have twisted together into the base of a giant tower, with bands of insect-like armor rippling along most of what used to be her torso, pulsing and rippling. Sickly green light pours out of the holes in her legs and torso. Her arms now end in three-fingered claws which hang limply at her sides. Her hair fans out around her, clinging to her shoulders and chest like spider webs.

CoME, mY chILDreN! PRotECt YOuR quEEN!

Seven shiny black creatures, resembling humanoid insects with glowing blue eyes, pour out of Chrysalis' Shadow, snarling and hissing as their tiny, translucent wings buzz.

"Eww," Pinkie opines.

"Looks like we need an exterminator!" Rainbow quips. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, scattering cutting winds through all the Shadows. The flying bug-things barely flinch, while a jagged, crystalline green barrier flares into existence around Chrysalis' Shadow, completely absorbing the wind.

//That barrier...// Cadance says. //Give me a minute to analyze it.//

"While you're doing that, I'm gonna try something new," Pinkie says. We all look at her, standing there in her skintight pink-and-black costume. She holds her left hand to her breast, and a blue light shines from within. She raises her hand above her head and opens it; that blue balloon-shaped jewel hovers over her head, shining brightly.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


The gem flares with blinding light. Dozens of kazoos sound off as confetti, streamers, and balloons rain down on the enemy. The ghostly sound of dozens of voices laughing fills the air, and the Shadows look around, confused. Meanwhile, a soft blue light washes over each of us, and I feel a warmth inside me...

"What in the world was that?" Rarity asks, blinking.

//Whatever it was, it lowered the enemy's defenses! That barrier is still there, but I'm sensing the Shadows' defense and evasion is WAY down!//

"Then let's take 'em out! PERSONA!"

Leviathan appears; a tidal wave washes over the Shadows. The bug-things sag lower to the ground, their wings wet; the barrier around Chrysalis withstands the full brunt of the assault.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy's Persona appears and erects a barrier around us.

"PERSEPHONE!" Applejack's Persona imbues us all with increased power.

Two of the Shadows swoop down, belching massive fireballs. Twilight and Rainbow dodge. Twilight summons Athena and returns fire with a lightning storm, which leaves half the bugs twitching and writhing.

"These creatures are most uncouth," Rarity says disdainfully. "BASTET!"

Rarity's Persona rains sharp ice shards on the Shadows. They cry out and fall to the ground, twitching.

//They're weak to ice!// Cadance exclaims.

Bastet attacks again. Three of the Shadows melt into darkness. Chrysalis screams. One of her massive arms swings back and stretches out, a clawed fist slamming into Rarity and sending her flying.

"RARITY!"

Rarity sits up groggily, clutching her head. "That...hurt..."

I slide Lovers onto my phone. "SERENITY!"

Serenity appears; her crystal glows, shedding healing light over Rarity. Rarity stands up and regroups with the rest of us. "Thank you, Flash."

//Guys, I've got bad news,// Cadance says. //That barrier around the tower...it's completely impervious. It doesn't have any weaknesses and doesn't seem to be taking any damage.//

"Wonderful," Twilight mutters. "So how do we take this thing down?"

//I'm still working on that. For now, be careful!//

The downed Shadows recover; one of them buzzes its wings and dives in, making a sweeping circle around us with its claws outstretched. Its attack hits Echo's barrier and rebounds; it cries out as it explodes into black mist. A second one attempts the same thing; this time, Fluttershy, Sonata, and Applejack all take the hit, staggering slightly.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, jamming a power chord that sends a rainbow shockwave through the remaining Shadows, which all explode. The shockwave hits the barrier surrounding the tower, which cracks and shatters, falling apart and scattering in glittering green shards.

"YEAH! I'm awesome!" Rainbow crows...

...and then screams as Chrysalis' claw catches her and sends her flying. Fluttershy quickly heals her.

//I don't know how she did it, but now's your chance!//

"Oh, you better know it is," Applejack growls, clutching her ribs. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears, draws back, and slams a massive fist into Chrysalis' jaw. She doesn't even flinch.

//Strike attacks don't seem to be working!//

"Then let's try something else," Rarity says. "BASTET!"

Bastet appears; a massive column of ice crystalizes around Chrysalis' Shadow. The ice explodes outward...and the Shadow remains unharmed.

//Ice isn't working either!//

"Well then what the FUCK is?!" Rainbow demands.

"Flash, pull out the big one!" Sonata cries. "That ALWAYS works!"

"Right!" I swipe Tower onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

With a mighty roar, Gojira appears, shaking the ground as he stomps forward. His spines glow, and he unleashes a scorching blue blast at Chrysalis...

When the blast dissipates, Chrysalis is still standing, completely untouched.

//No effect!//

"What? But...but that ALWAYS works!"

Chrysalis takes a swing at me, and just barely misses as I dodge in the nick of time.

Fluttershy frowns. "I really need to put our barrier back up," she says. "PERSONA!"

Echo reappears, erecting her reflective barrier once more.

Pinkie frowns. "Well, if Strike attacks won't work, I got nothing."

"Let me try," Twilight says. "ATHENA!"

Athena appears, raising her glowing spear. A solid column of lightning stabs down, striking Chrysalis, who screams in pain and rage, thrashing around. A massive pulse of green-tinged white light fires down from her horn, slamming into us and spreading out, driving all of us to the ground. Everything hurts...

//Are you alright? You've all taken a lot of damage!//

My skin pulses blue, and I feel a little strength flow back into me. I rise to my knees. Around me, the others are all getting up shakily, groaning.

"P-Persona," Rarity groans. Healing light washes over us all. I'm still aching, but I feel more steady on my feet.

yOU inSOleNT FOolS! thE punISHMent foR stRIKIng yOUr QUEen iS deATH!

//Guys! I've figured it out! She's immune to everything except electricity!//

"Great, so that means only Flash and Twilight are of any use now," Rainbow mutters.

"Ah guess th' rest of us are on support, then," Applejack says.

//Wait a minute...something's happening!//

The lower part of the tower, Chrysalis' "abdomen", begins convulsing rapidly. It spreads open suddenly, releasing seven new flying bug Shadows. As they spread out in front of the tower, Chrysalis' abdomen seals up again, and the green barrier builds itself back up, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Oh, not THIS shit again!" Rainbow moans.

"Cadance," Twilight says suddenly, "do you think the barrier around the tower is tied to the...bugs?"

//Hmm...you might be on to something! Try wiping out the drones again, see if the barrier drops!//

mY CHildREN wiLL NoT FAiL aGAin!

One by one, each of the drones flares with golden light.

//They're boosting their attack power! Be careful!//

"We already know how to deal with these," Rarity says. "PERSONA!"

Bastet appears, and a hail of sharp ice needles rains down on the Shadows. They take some damage, but remain in the air. Rarity gasps. "What...?"

//It doesn't seem like ice is as effective anymore!//

"Then let's try FIRE!" I swipe the Hanged Man onto my phone...

...but it glows red, and the Devil appears instead. Before I can figure out what's going on, a rough, menacing voice ghosts through the room.

Hey uhh...why don'tcha let ME out for once, huh pal? C'mon, I'm dyin' in here! Whaddya say, whaddya saaaaay?

"Uhh...what was that?" Rainbow asks, blinking.

Come to think of it...I gained a Persona when my link with Red Flag maxed out, but I've never once used it...

Ain't gettin' any younger here, pretty boy.

With a groan, I tap the Devil Arcana. "BETELGEUSE!"





It's showtime.

Betelgeuse snaps his fingers and wags his tongue. The Shadow drones screech in pain as they burst into flames, falling to the ground.

Ehuhuhuh. And now for my next trick...

The man in the polka-dot suit suddenly changes into a massive snake with a terrifying, demonic face, slit-pupiled eyes, and dagger-like fangs. He unleashes a hellish screech as he flies through the Shadows. As he fades away, the Shadows writhe on the ground, curling in on themselves in agony.

"What the heck was that?"

"Something I hope I never have to use again," I mutter.

"We've still gotta deal with this mess before they get back up!" Pinkie says. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears and moves among the struggling Shadows, slamming her hips, feet, and elbows into them repeatedly.

"Don't forget me!" Rainbow shouts. "PERSONA!"

Nike unleashes another prismatic shockwave. Two of the Shadows die. Chrysalis screeches in fury and punches Rainbow, but she dodges nimbly.

"Mah turn, y'all! PERSONA!"

Persephone appears and slams the ground, which rumbles and ripples as it rises up to strike the remaining Shadows. They fall down, twitching. One rises up to counterattack, but suddenly explodes in a purple, sickly haze.

"Let's finish this! LEVIATHAN!"

Leviathan's tidal wave wipes out the remaining Shadows. Chrysalis screams as her barrier collapses yet again.

"Twilight! NOW!"

"Right! ATHENA!"

Athena appears, readying a massive lightning bolt which strikes Chrysalis right in the horn. The entire tower spasms, sparks shooting out of the glowing windows.

thOSE WHo dArE OPPosE thE QUeeN...muST DIE!

A throbbing ball of darkness swells at the tip of Chrysalis' horn, then drops to the ground, exploding outward and sweeping over us. As soon as it touches me, it rebounds ineffectually on the Shadow. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow shudder. Fluttershy screams as she crumples to the ground dead. Pinkie and Sonata simply fall bonelessly to the ground, eyes wide in surprise.

Chrysalis laughs psychotically, then swings a giant claw at Twilight, stunning her.

"Oh shit," Rainbow says, looking around wildly. "What do we do now?"

"Stay calm," Rarity says icily. "Persona."

Bastet appears, weaving strands of energy around Fluttershy. Fluttershy moans as she stirs, rising to a sitting position. I summon Serenity and revive Pinkie.

"That sucked," Fluttershy says. She looks down at Sonata, grimaces, and summons Echo to revive her. Sonata sits up, rubbing her head and moaning.

"Oh man, that was just mean," she whimpers.

//You need to be careful!// Cadance insists.

"No, really?" Rainbow cries. With a shudder, she summons Nike; everyone blurs. My body feels lighter.

"Need to...heal us..." Twilight mutters.

"No," Fluttershy says. "You and Flash are the only ones that can hurt this bitch. Focus on that."

//She's spawning again!//

Seven new Shadows emerge from Chrysalis' abdomen, and once again her barrier goes up. With a collective groan, we get ready to fight the new drones...

It's a long, difficult slog. Every time we wipe out a wave of bugs, we're able to get in one, maybe two shots at Chrysalis herself. Nearly every one of us dies at least once, either to her instant kill attack or to her powerful damage spell. Finally, after the seventh wave of bugs, Twilight and I manage to finish her off. Chrysalis screams as the tower collapses, spiderwebs and chitin and black sinew raining down on our heads. As her misshapen bug-horse-woman head hits the ground, it crumbles, revealing her original Shadow form. She bows her head and lets out a low, throaty, rueful chuckle.

In the end, I am nothing but a fallen Queen...

"That's not true," I say, stepping forward. "You could've fought to your last breath to get back what you lost. You could've sunk into depression and misery and run yourself into the ground. You could've even just given in, retired early, lived off your severance, and relied on your kids to support you in your old age. But you didn't. You made a new life for yourself. And I know you're happy now. I've seen it. You're really happy with your new life, and you know your kids are happy and adjusting."

"And so what if you're not married and having seven kids runs you a little nuts sometimes?" Pinkie says. "I've seen Mrs. Cake reduced to tears just from her two kids! You've gotta be the strongest woman in the world to put up with seven kids with no backup whatsoever and deal with all that career stuff! And, you know, losing it all and having to..." She trails off. "I'll be quiet now."

I sigh. "The point is...you're strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for. And no matter what you've lost, you haven't lost what's really important. You haven't lost your children, you haven't lost their love, and you haven't lost the respect of the people who think the world of you." I take another step forward. "You'll never lose my respect. Or my friendship."

Chrysalis looks up at me. She smiles.

Thank you.

She fades away, leaving behind the Tower card, floating serenely in midair.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Tower awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Gojira, has awakened to the skill Spiral Death Ray.



Use this power wisely...


Zecora reappears, wearing a small, secretive smile. "In four days, we will meet again. I bid you all good tidings till then..."

Saturday, June 18, 2016 / Morning

It's a little past nine when everyone's finally up and about. Twilight and I head downstairs and find Sunset Shimmer and Velvet alone in the lounge; Sunset is watching television, and Velvet is reading a magazine. The others aren't far behind us. Everyone's groggy and sleepy-eyed.

"Wow, you all look terrible," Sunset says. "Did I miss a secret party?"

"Goodness," Velvet says. "You really do all look tired. Why don't you all sit down, I'll put on some breakfast." She puts down her magazine, gets up, and shuffles off to the kitchen.

"Thanks, Mom," Twilight mumbles. She shambles into the lounge; I join her.

"Flash, do you still think you'll be up to going out with the boys today?" Velvet calls from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'll probably be good after breakfast."

"Well, Shiny and Night Light won't," Cadance mumbles as she trudges into the lounge. "They're still passed out in the living room. They must've been up half the night drinking."

"Yikes," Twilight says.

Mom and Dad come downstairs, dressed for the day. "Sorry we're up so late," Mom says. "I think the jet lag got to both of us."

"It's okay Mom," I say. "We're all kind of off to a late start today." I frown. "If Shining Armor and Mr. Night Light are as hung over as I think they are, we probably won't even get out of here for our just-the-guys thing until lunchtime."

"That's fine with me," Dad says.

"Where's Apple Bloom?" Applejack wonders as she settles onto the sofa on the opposite end from Sunset.

"And Sweetie Belle?" Rarity echoes, taking the seat Velvet abandoned.

"They left early," Sunset says. "I think they had plans with a friend. What was her name? Cooterloo? Futaloo?"

"Scootaloo," Twilight says absently.

Sunset snickers. "Wow, her parents must really hate her..."

"That may be the first thing you've ever said that I can agree with," Fluttershy says.

"At least she doesn't sound like a stripper," Cadance mutters.

Sunset smirks. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Toward the end of breakfast, Shining Armor and Night Light finally make an appearance. Velvet pumps them full of coffee and stern recriminations. Once they're halfway back in the land of the living, Sunset asks, "So, what are you guys planning for your big boys' day out?"

We look at each other. I shrug. "Up to you guys."

"Anything but going to a bar," Velvet admonishes. "I don't know why it is when you two get together—"

"We heard you already, Mom," Shining Armor moans.

"I haven't been bowling in forever," Dad says suddenly.

Night Light and Shining Armor look at him.

"Huh. Sounds good to me," Night Light says with a shrug.

"Sure all that noise won't aggravate your headaches?" Velvet asks, hands on her hips.

"Let it GO, Mom," Shining Armor says.

"I think I'll drive," I say. A half hour later, the four of us pile into Shining Armor's car and head out.

Saturday, June 18, 2016 / Daytime

Canterlot Family Bowling & Games has an unimaginative name, but it's clean, air-conditioned, has bowling shoes that don't smell like sweaty corn chips, a huge snack bar, and even an arcade with skee ball, UFO catchers, those obnoxious dance games, and some retro arcade machines.

I don't honestly recall ever actually bowling before. It takes me a few frames to get the hang of it. Dad and I bowl against Shining Armor and his dad. We get creamed on our first game, but we have a lot of fun. After the second game (where we lose by a lot less), we decide to hit the snack bar for lunch.

As we're sitting around, Dad says, "You know, I know you don't much care for that Sunset girl, but it seems to me like having her around is...interesting, at least."

"Oh yes, very interesting," Shining Armor says, his cheeks flushing.

"Dude," I say, glaring at him. "Enough already. You have no idea how hard Cadance is going to punch you in the dick for constantly staring at Sunset."

"It's a little hard not to stare," Night Light says.

I groan. "Am I seriously the only one here who can see past Sunset's tits?" I shake my head. "Seriously, guys, she's pure evil. How hard is it to keep that straight? I mean, are you all that hard up for poon?"

Shining Armor snorts. "That's rich coming from the kid who's screwed every single girl in the dorm."

"Not every girl," I protest.

"Well, almost every girl."

Night Light raises an eyebrow. "How 'almost' are we talking?"

I sigh. "I haven't slept with Applejack. Or those two junior high girls, obviously."

Dad whistles. "Holy shit, Flash, you've only been in Canterlot for ten months!"

"MOST of that was during Spring Break," I say. "And it was Twilight's idea."

Night Light stares at me. "Wait. Twilight. My daughter. Wanted her boyfriend to sleep around on her?"

"The way I understand it," Shining Armor says with a teasing grin, "it all started with a game of Truth or Dare that went horribly wrong."

"Pretty much. Twilight was worried about the awkward sexual tension that little stunt of Fluttershy's caused, so she said I had the whole week to do whatever with whoever, just to keep things from getting weird."

Night Light blinks. "That..." He shakes his head. "Okay, as crazy as that is, it does sound like Twilight logic."

"How does sleeping with the entire dorm not make things weird?" Dad asks.

I shrug. "Beats me. It works, though. We've pretty much all got it out of our systems. Me, Twilight, and Pinkie don't even fool around that much anymore." Of course, I slept with Fluttershy less than a week ago, but they don't need to know that...

Night Light chuckles. "Makes sense," he says. "I mean, first two years of college, it was all anyone could think about. Then we all sorta grew up. Well, most of us anyway."

"In any case," I say, taking a long sip of root beer, "seriously, guys, just...just ignore Sunset, okay? Every time you get flustered around her, you're just making it worse."

After we finish eating, we bowl a couple more games, then go out for a drive. Dad's only been in Canterlot once before and didn't get to look around much, so showing him the sights is a good way to kill an afternoon.

By the time we get back to the dorm, everyone's tired. Dad's still recovering from jet lag, Shining Armor and Night Light are both worn out from the bowling after last night's binge drinking, and I'm still tired from the battle with Chrysalis' Shadow. We have a quick, light dinner with the girls, after which I head up to bed and pass out.

Tomorrow is Father's Day...
> 6/19 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, June 19, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): A ladybug and a black cat do not cancel each other out.

I'm the second one up on our floor; Twilight beat me to the shower. By the time I'm clean and dressed, Sonata's already in the bathroom and I can hear my parents just starting to stir. I decide to let them get up and about at their own pace and head downstairs. As I reach the lounge, I hear Twilight let out a frustrated groan. "Rainbow," she says in a resigned voice, "I'm telling you, you'd fly west, not east!"

"Pfft! Yeah, right!" Rainbow scoffs. "Like you wouldn't fly east to get to Austra—" she breaks off suddenly. "Oh crap, I gotta get my shit together! Celestia's pickin' me up in five minutes!" She shoots past me in a blur. I head into the dining room, where Twilight's already stuffing her face from an expansive breakfast spread Velvet has laid out.

"What was that all about?" I wonder.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Just Rainbow Dash demonstrating why she's a straight C student."

"Why's your school principal picking Rainbow Dash up?" Velvet wonders as she spreads jelly on a biscuit.

"They're probably planning some surprise for her dad," I say.

"Didn't I tell you, Mom?" Twilight asks around a mouthful of scrambled eggs and sausage. "Principal Celestia's dating Rainbow's dad."

"Oh," Velvet says, blinking. "Actually, I think you did mention that. Sorry, must've slipped my mind."

I sit down and start loading up a plate. "I hope Sunset doesn't screw today up with her bullshit."

"Oh, she's gone already," Twilight says. "She left right around the time I came downstairs."

"Even whores have fathers," Velvet mutters sourly.

"Now, Mrs. Velvet," I say as I fold eggs onto a biscuit. "You really shouldn't call Sunset Shimmer a whore."

Velvet sighs. "You're right. It's not very decent of me."

"I don't think she's ever charged money for it," I add as I crumble some bacon onto the eggs. Twilight spits orange juice across the table and lets out a high-pitched, nasal, squealing giggle.

Velvet stares at me for a long moment, then shakes her head and snorts.

Before long, others start joining us for breakfast. Applejack and Apple Bloom look very somber today; they're both dressed sedately. Rarity and Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, are dressed nicely. More fancy than nice, in Rarity's case; she's wearing an elegant wine-colored dress and matching heels, with lots of fancy gold jewelry. Velvet smiles at Rarity. "Taking your father somewhere fancy, dear?"

"Hardly," Rarity sniffs. "Father's favorite restaurant is Anna Plura's Crab Lab, so that's where we'll be dining. Still, even if it's hardly haute cuisine, it is a special day, and I refuse to look less than my best for Father."

Sweetie Belle rolls her eyes. "Like anyone cares." She shoots her sister a sidelong glance. "Besides, odds are you'll ruin that dress with butter just like you did last year, and—"

Rarity clears her throat loudly. "Yes, well, there's no need to get into all that," she says.

Velvet blinks, then shakes her head. "And you two?" she asks, turning to the Apple sisters.

Apple Bloom sighs and hangs her head. Applejack winces. "Big Mac an' Granny Smith are comin' inta town in about an hour," she says roughly. "We're gonna go visit...his grave."

Velvet nods, a drawn, sympathetic expression on her face. "I can't imagine how it must feel, Father's Day being so soon after..."

Applejack shrugs. "Life goes on," she says. "He'd call us silly fer even goin' t' visit him today when there's so much work t' do."

"Work we'll be helping you with for the rest of the month," Twilight says with a gentle smile.

Applejack laughs quietly. "Y'all really are th' best friends," she says. "Why, with all y'all helpin' out, we'll git ahead o' th' summer work, maybe be in better shape fer th' harvest..."

Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Sonata all turned up while Applejack and the Twilights were talking. "Working on the farm is fun!" Pinkie says. "Mostly because your farm is so much more fun than that boring old rock farm I'm from."

Velvet sighs. "Pinkie, dear...I didn't think about how much today must—"

"I'm okay," Pinkie says with a smile. "All the family I need is right here, and I'm happy to help you all celebrate."

Velvet's mouth draws down in a dubious frown, but she shrugs and turns to Sonata. "And you, dear?"

Sonata shakes her head. Daddy ran out on us before I was even out of diapers. Today doesn't mean anything to me.

"That's awful, dear!"

Sonata shrugs, popping a piece of bacon in her mouth.

Hesitantly, as though she honestly dreads the answer (or making another faux pas), Velvet turns to Fluttershy. "And...and you?"

Fluttershy starts buttering some toast. "Already sent my card and had my gift delivered to the house last week," she says. "Dad doesn't like for us to make a fuss." She smirks. "Knowing him, he won't get out of bed all day today. He likes using Father's Day as an excuse to be lazy."

"I know the type," Velvet says with a roll of her eyes. "Reminds me of my father."

After everyone finishes eating, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, and Apple Bloom all leave to spend the day with their own families, while Fluttershy offers to take all the pets to the park. Sonata retreats to her room to spend the day playing video games; Velvet asks her to stick around, but she cheerfully waves her off. The rest of us gather up the Father's Day presents for the guys and regroup in the lounge.

Sunday, June 19, 2016 / Daytime

About ten minutes after Twilight, Velvet, Pinkie, and I head for the lounge, Cadance and Shining Armor enter from their apartment with Night Light, while Mom and Dad finally come downstairs. "There's still some breakfast left, but you'll need to reheat it," Velvet says. "We thought we'd have the men open their presents first."

"Sounds good to me," Night Light says as he sits down next to Velvet. Shining Armor sits on her other side.

"Let's let my little Shiny open his presents first," Velvet says, fondly ruffling Shining Armor's hair. "Since this is his very first Father's Day and all."

"Moooom!" Shining Armor whines, cheeks flaming. We all laugh.

"Well in that case, he can open mine first," I say, handing Shining Armor a small, flat box. He accepts it, giving it a cautious glance.

"It isn't condoms or anything, is it?" he asks.

I smirk. "If it were condoms, it'd be a lot smaller." Twilight giggles. The others snicker and groan. Shining Armor rolls his eyes and unwraps the box, opening it. He blinks as he takes out the wallet.

"A...wallet?" he asks curiously, turning it over in his hands.

"Oh, that's exactly what you needed!" Cadance says. "Wow, even I didn't think of that."

Shining Armor turns the wallet over in his hands. "It's a nice wallet and all, but why did you...? I mean, I've got—"

"A cheap velcro wallet," I say. "The kind most kids stop carrying when they're in junior high. Seriously. You're a married man with a child on the way. You need a real wallet."

He scratches his head sheepishly. "Wow, I...I never even really thought of it that way," he says awkwardly. "Thanks. I, umm...thanks."

"Look inside," Twilight says. "There's a little something from both of us in there."

Shining Armor opens the wallet and looks around. He pulls out a gift card. He beams. "Oh wow, thanks!" He looks at us. "Thank you both, seriously."

"There's more," Twilight says, holding out a package. "This one's just from me."

Shining Armor accepts it and unwraps it. His smile turns huge. "You found it! Oh man, I didn't think this was even out!"

"I think it just came in last week," Twilight says.

"Thanks, Twiley. You're the best sister ever."

"And this is from your father and I," Velvet says, handing Shining Armor a somewhat misshapen package. He unwraps it, revealing two items. One is a wrapped assortment of meat and cheese snacks; the other is a book titled How To Survive Your Pregnant Wife.

Shining Armor laughs. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad." He puts everything down, then pulls an octagonal gift box out from next to the sofa and hands it across to his dad. "Here's yours, by the way."

Night Light takes it and opens it. Inside is a black pork pie hat and a bottle of expensive aftershave. He grins, putting on the hat. "How do I look?"

"Like a dork, dear," Velvet says fondly. She passes over a large, flat box, which contains a pair of pants and two dress shirts.

"This one's from both of us," Twilight says as she passes over the package containing the fishing rod.

Everyone else leans in curiously as Night Light unwraps it. He gasps as the paper comes off the package. "Is this...is this a Roddenbaster?"

"We weren't sure if that'd do," Twilight says, scratching the back of her hand. "Neither of us really knows anything about—"

"This is PERFECT!" Night Light exclaims. "Oh wow, you didn't have to...oh my...how did you even know?!"

"Well, that beats the hat," Shining Armor grumbles. Cadance laughs, then pulls a small box from behind her back.

"Here, this one's from me," she says. Night Light opens it; inside is a snakeskin belt.

Next, it's my dad's turn. Everyone got him clothes, but he doesn't seem to mind; apparently, their exploits overseas did quite a number on his wardrobe. Once he's finished opening everything, he, Mom, Night Light, and Shining Armor raid what's left of breakfast. Cadance, meanwhile, stands up and heads back to the apartment.

"Cadance? Don't you want to eat?" Velvet asks.

"I'm meeting Dad for lunch," Cadance says. "I can wait until then. It's only about thirty minutes. He likes to eat early." She waves. "Keep the boys in line for me, okay?"

"I certainly will, dear. You enjoy your day with your father."

A little while later, while Twilight, Shining Armor, and Night Light sit down for some quality family time, I borrow Coach's car keys and take my parents out. Even though everyone's had a fairly big breakfast, I still feel like taking them out for a late lunch, so we go to an upscale little diner that isn't very busy and has a pleasant atmosphere. Dad seems preoccupied as he looks over the menu; he barely notices when the server brings us our drinks. After we order, he takes a long, slow sip of his drink.

"You know..." Dad says slowly, looking into his glass with a faraway expression. "Watching your girlfriend and her family, and the way you get along with them so easily..." He shakes his head and sighs. "That's what we should've been all this time, isn't it? A real family. Close, doing things together..."

Mom sighs. "Why didn't we ever make time for you?" she wonders. "All these years went by, and we just...we just thought if we let you take care of yourself, made sure you had whatever you needed..." She looks at me. "But we were so wrong. You needed us, and we were never there for you."

"It's a miracle you turned out as well as you did," Dad says. "I mean, apart from the whole 'sleeping with every girl in your dorm' thing." He pauses, then adds, "Actually, that..." He stops again, then shakes his head and laughs. "Honestly? I'm just jealous. And impressed."

Mom rolls her eyes. "Don't make it sound like our son being a pervert is a good thing!"

"I'm not a pervert, Mom!" I protest. "I'm a horndog. There's a difference."

Dad lets out a laugh. Mom stares at me, lips pursed...then shakes her head and laughs. After a moment, they trail off. Mom and Dad sigh.

"We should've been a family," Mom says, looking away. "When there was still time, we should've..." She sniffles. "And now it's...it's too late, isn't it?"

I sigh. "It's not so much that it's too late, it's...we just have a lot of time to make up for. And..." I smile. "Most parents know their children before their children know themselves. You're...just going to have to get to know your already grown, adult son." I shrug. "It's better than never really being a family at all."

Our food arrives, and we make idle conversation as we eat. We decide to order some dessert as well, and take our time enjoying it before taking one last cruise around Canterlot to round out our weekend.

Sunday, June 19, 2016 / Evening

Not long after we return to the dorm, Mom and Dad head upstairs to start packing and turn in early, since their flight leaves at four in the morning. After I give Shining Armor back his keys, I join him, Twilight, and Night Light in the lounge, where they're watching a movie and eating nachos.

Just as another movie is starting and Shining Armor is up getting another round of snacks for everyone, Rarity and Sweetie Belle return. Rarity is...not wearing the same clothes she was this morning. Gone are the elegant dress, the matching heels, and most of the jewelry. Instead, she's wearing a powder blue blouse that's been bundled up and tied just beneath her breasts, a denim skirt that seems a bit snug around the hips, and cobalt blue sandals with ankle straps.

I can't help it. I have to know.

"Hey, Rarity," I call. "So...that's not the same outfit you had on this morning."

She slowly turns and gives me a frosty stare.

"It looks good, though!" I add. "I mean, you always look great."

Rarity purses her lips, rolls her eyes, and heads for the stairs without a word.

As soon as her door slams, Sweetie Belle smirks and skips into the lounge, flopping down between Twilight and her dad. "She got pooped on," she reports cheerfully. "Right outside the house. We were just leaving for lunch when some bird pooped all over her."

"Gah!" Twilight cries, face wrinkling up in disgust.

"I know, right?" Sweetie Belle says, giggling. "She spent like, two whole minutes freaking out and screaming, and then she had to raid her closet for something else to wear. But most of her clothes at home don't really fit as well anymore because her boobs got so much bigger since she started high school, so—"

"We get it," Twilight says, holding up a hand to stop her.

"We still had a pretty good time though, even with Rarity's fashion faux poo," Sweetie Belle continues, grabbing some cold, leftover nachos that somehow haven't disappeared into the Twilight Zone. "Rarity even ate more than she usually does because she wasn't as worried about getting her clothes messed up."

"Well, I'm glad it didn't ruin Father's Day for your family," Night Light says.

"Ruin it?" Sweetie Belle snorts. "Daddy thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. He loves poop jokes." She shakes her head. "Anyway, Mom's gonna get Rarity's dress dry-cleaned, and it's not like she'll need it until after we get back from Sweet Apple Acres."

Not long after that, Applejack and Apple Bloom return, looking wrung out. They head upstairs without a word to anyone. Fluttershy returns shortly after, taking time to offer all the pets water before taking them all upstairs.

A little while later, I get up to use the bathroom, then check in on Mom and Dad to see if they need anything. After making them a couple of sandwiches and taking them upstairs, I wander around to see if anything needs to be done. There's a little mess Shining Armor made in the kitchen; I take a few minutes to clean that up. None of Twilight's family are still in the lounge, so I guess they must all be over in the apartment. I'm in the middle of cleaning up the lounge when Rarity wanders in, a tub of ice cream and a spoon in one hand and her phone in the other. She's changed into the T-shirt and shorts she usually wears around the dorm. She plops down heavily on the couch; after finishing up my cleaning, I join her.

"Wanna talk about it?" I ask.

She shoots me an annoyed glare...then sighs. "I suppose Sweetie Belle regaled you with the details of my unfortunate avian encounter."

I nod. "Yeah, she told us you got pooped on. It happens."

Rarity frowns. "I was so embarrassed and angry," she says. "For some reason, Father laughing about it only made me more furious. Here I am, going out of my way to look nice for him, and some beastly feathered fiend comes along and ruins a very expensive dress, and he's laughing!" She spoons ice cream into her mouth viciously. "The fact that I had to wear clothes two years out of style all day and alter them the way I did..." Her cheeks flush. "I don't mind dressing like that at the beach, but in town? In a restaurant? Even a place like the Crab Lab?"

I roll my eyes. "Rarity..."

"I know, I know..." Rarity sighs. "But you know...Father had a good time. He enjoyed his presents, he enjoyed our family lunch together, and...and he was so happy. And I guess...that's what today's really all...about..." She blinks as she looks at her phone. "What in the...?"

I peer over her shoulder. She has Canterbook open, and there's a photo of her and her family.



OMG! Caught Rarity at the Crab Lab looking like a Jersey Heifer!



Rarity starts to seethe.

"Wait," I say. "Look."

Below that, there are comments on the original post.




Uhh...she looks fine to me.

It's Rarity, she looks good in anything!

It takes talent to make a look like that work.

You're only making fun of her b/c your jealous of her body

What every1 else said. Fuck off, k?




Rarity blinks. "I...I don't believe it..."




Anyway, who cares? I wouldn't wear MY best clothes to the Crab Lab. They'd get ruined!

Pretty sure she's out with her dad & all, wanted to be comfy. No shame in that.

If I had a body like that I'd dress like a ho too lol




I take Rarity's phone away and put it on the table, then turn to face her. "What's more important?" I ask. "Your reputation, or that you enjoyed being with your family today?"

Rarity sighs. "Being with my family, of course," she says, toying with her spoon.

"Then don't be such a drama queen about it," I say. "Sometimes you just have to be a little less Rarity and be a little more Rarity."

Rarity gives me a half-lidded look. "That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever," she says flatly.

"Yes it does," I counter. "You know exactly what I meant."

She rolls her eyes. "I suppose I do." She sighs and looks at the ice cream. "I suppose I'd better put this back. I don't really need the empty calories." She gets up, stretches, and returns the ice cream to the freezer.

It's getting late, and I have to be up really early...

I head to my room, only to find Pinkie lying naked on my bed. She gives me a sultry smile.

I sigh tiredly. "Pinkie, my parents have to be at the airport at three in the morning. And I have to drive them."

Pinkie pouts. "Aww..." She makes a show of spreading her legs as she sits up. "Raincheck until tomorrow?"

"We'll see."

There's a knock on my door. "Flash, honey, sorry to oh you're busy nevermind."

Oh dear God that was MOM...

The door abruptly closes behind me. "Be sure you're up in time to take us to the airport!" Mom calls through the door.

I facepalm.

Pinkie giggles nervously. "Umm...oops?"

I grab a dirty shirt out of the laundry basket and throw it at her. "Goodnight, cotton twat."

Pinkie sticks her tongue out at me, pulls on the shirt I threw at her, then pads out of the room. I lock the door and flop down on the bed.
> 6/20 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, June 20, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't be too hasty to judge others. Especially when you yourself are far from perfect.

The streets of Canterlot are eerily empty and silent in the wee hours of morning. I had to drink three cups of coffee before I left the dorm. Mom and Dad are barely awake.

I manage to get them to the airport without incident, then wait at the gate with them until their flight boards. I grab some breakfast at the airport before driving back to the dorm. Nobody else is even awake yet. I stop to pee, then go back to bed, locking my door.

Monday, June 20, 2016 / Daytime

It's late morning when I wake up, freshen myself up, and head downstairs. Twilight, Velvet, and Cadance are in the lounge. I blink. "You guys haven't missed your train or anything, have you?"

Velvet smiles. "Actually, Night Light already left. I'm staying until after Shiny's birthday."

"Vel, you really don't have to—"

"Dear, I insist," Velvet says. She looks up at me. "I'm not letting Cadance go out to that farm with the rest of you. I know her. She won't sit still if she sees the rest of you working, and the last thing she needs right now is to strain herself trying to do farm chores."

Cadance rolls her eyes. "I'm not even that far along, Vel—"

"SO," Velvet says loudly, "I'll be staying behind here with Cadance while the rest of you help out Applejack's family. And since you're not coming back until after the first, I figured I might as well stick around for Shiny's birthday. Night Light's coming back on the third."

I nod. "Makes sense." I look around. "So, where's everybody else?"

"Getting ready for the trip," Twilight says. She pauses to check her phone, then continues, "Shiny, AJ, and Sunset went out to get some of the stuff we need to take with us and rent the van, Pinkie and Rarity went to stock up on food and snacks and stuff to take along, and everyone else is checking the tents and stuff we used last time and getting it ready to load."

I stare at her. "You sent Sunset out with your brother? Are you insane?"

"Applejack's with them," Cadance says. "I trust her to keep Sunset in line."

"I don't trust her to not kill Sunset," I counter. "Not after the shit that went down at Mr. Apple's funeral."

Velvet's head snaps around. "What was that?" she asks.

I wince. Damn, I forgot...

"Sunset...kind of made a scene that day," Twilight says. "Showed up at the funeral, read off a bunch of really insulting Canterbook posts about Applejack."

Velvet closes her eyes and lets out a slow hiss.

"Vel, don't," Cadance says in a warning tone, putting her hand on Velvet's shoulder. "Besides, Applejack's already planning her revenge." With a vicious smirk, she adds, "I'm pretty sure Sunset's going to get all the literal shit jobs on the farm."

"Good," Velvet says. "A girl like that deserves to root in filth." She stands up, grimacing. "If you'll all excuse me, I need to visit the ladies' room."

Once she's gone, Twilight turns to Cadance. "I don't like the idea of us being separated," she says. "If any Zodiac stuff comes up, it's—" She pauses. "Actually, nevermind the Zodiac stuff, what about these trials we keep dealing with?"

I shake my head. "I don't think that'll be a problem," I say. "Remember, we were all asleep in our own beds when the last one happened."

"Yeah, but we were all still here in the dorm," Twilight points out.

"Twiley. It'll be fine." Cadance smiles. "I have faith in you kids. Even if you have to fight without me, you'll manage."

"Still...what if something happens in Zodiac?"

"Sunset can't go into Zodiac without us knowing," I point out. "I mean, she'll be right there with us."

"But we don't really know the limit of her powers," Twilight protests. "What if—"

"Twilight," Cadance says firmly. "I'll be fine."

Twilight sighs. "I just don't like the idea of all of us splitting up," she says.

I shake my head. "I'm not as worried about Cadance being alone as I am about Sunset Shimmer slipping off with your brother while we're up at Sweet Apple Acres. I've tried to remind him who and what she is, but I think he's still a little..."

Cadance groans. "Yeah," she says. She rolls her eyes. "You men are all the same, honestly..."

"Hey! I'm not the least bit interested in Sunset Shimmer!"

"But you were eyeing Rarity up and down pretty good yesterday," Twilight says with a smirk. "And, well..."

I facepalm. "Okay, okay, I think with my dick ninety percent of the time," I say. "But not about her." I shake my head. "I'm gonna grab some lunch."

Twilight perks up. "I could eat."

"You already ate," I say.

"What? No I didn't!"

"You sure? Because the big bite mark out of my ass says otherwise." I stick my tongue out at her, then head to the kitchen. Behind me, I hear Cadance burst into giggles.

After I finish lunch, I decide to go upstairs and start packing for the trip to Sweet Apple Acres. We're staying for ten days, so I need to pack more than usual. By the time I'm done packing, Shining Armor and the others have returned with the van; I head downstairs to help with the loading. Half the girls are already packed, and the rest are in the middle of packing. By dinnertime, everyone is packed up, and all our bags are loaded into the van.

Monday, June 20, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I check in with my parents to make sure they got home safely and settled back in alright. I'm just closing the call when there's a knock on my door. I open it, and find Sunset Shimmer on the other side.

"What is it?" I ask.

Sunset shifts her weight, scratching her elbow absently. "Do you have to be so hostile every time I want to talk to you?"

"Yes."

She sighs, casting her eyes away. "Look...I'm sorry, okay? For the way I acted this weekend."

"No you're not."

"Okay, fine, I'm not. But at least I'm trying to pretend I am. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Not interested in your bullshit."

Sunset rolls her eyes. "You don't get it, do you? People don't want to be friends with me. They never have. The only way I can interact with people is either by pissing them off or being a pricktease."

I frown. "Have you ever tried acting like a normal person?"

"What do you think I'm trying to do now?" she asks, throwing her hands up. "I've been trying to convince these girls I can be just like them, but they won't give me the time of day! Everyone expects me to be, y'know..."

"A bitch?"

"Yeah." Sunset sighs. "Nobody's giving me a chance to be anything else."

"Gee, I wonder why." I cross my arms. "You're not getting any sympathy from me, Sunset. Not after everything you've done."

"Oh, but you'll forgive Fluttershy, when she did just as much as me," Sunset hisses coldly. She storms away.

...damn.

I hate to admit it, but...

...she's got a point.

Eris was every bit as sick, twisted, and vicious as Sunset Shimmer. But when we found out she was Fluttershy, we...

I mean, it took a while, but...we did forgive her.

Does Sunset Shimmer deserve the same second chance we gave Fluttershy?

I lie in bed for a long time thinking about that...
> 6/21 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): This horoscope brought to you by Anna Plura's Crab Lab. Anna's Lab Has Crabs!

We get off to an early start. Velvet has a big breakfast ready for everyone at six. We eat quickly, then check to make sure we have everything loaded up. Before we drive out to Sweet Apple Acres, we have to pick up Silver Spoon and Scootaloo.

It's still pretty early in the morning by the time we reach Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh is riding a horse around the perimeter of the farm when we pull up; he trots up alongside the van and dismounts, patting his horse on the flank. The horse whickers and canters off to the watering trough. Applejack gets out of the SUV she's driving, takes Big Mac aside, and talks to him for a minute. He frowns, looks back at our SUV, and nods.

Everyone gets out, stretching and rubbing out kinks and cramps. Silver Spoon looks around. "Wow, so this is Sweet Apple Acres," she says.

Apple Bloom points in the general direction of the chicken coop, where dozens of hens are pecking at corn. "Go say hi t' yer family, Scoots," she says with a teasing grin.

"Oh, fuck off," Scootaloo replies, sticking out her tongue.

Granny Smith comes scooting out of the house on a segway. We all pause to stare at her.

"Uhh, Granny?" Applejack asks, tilting her head. "Where'n th' hay-high hell'd you git that?"

"Off'n th' Internet," Granny replies. "Mah ol' hip's been painin' me somethin' awful lately. Ah can git by 'round th' house jes' fine, but gittin' around th' farm's startin' t' git mighty hard on these ol' joints, so me an' Big Mac got us this here doohickey, an' now Ah can zoom around an' feed th' chickens an' get them eggs an' all that an' it don't hurt mah arthritis near as much!"

Applejack scratches her head. "Well, alright. So long as it's helpin'."

Granny cackles, then looks us all over. "Well now! This here's an even bigger buncha yung'uns than whut came last time!" She grins, then turns to Shining Armor, who's unlocking the van. "Now, where's that pretty young wife o' yours?"

"She stayed home this time," Shining Armor says. "Mom didn't think it was a good idea for a pregnant woman to work on a farm."

Granny snorts. "Bullshit. Why, Ah only stopped workin' fer th' five hours it took t' push mine out, an' then Ah went right back t' jammin' apples!"

"Yeah, well, we're city folk," Shining Armor replies. "We don't have your fortitude."

Granny lets out a wheezing laugh. "Well, y'all done had a long drive. Come sit a spell! Ah'll make us all some iced tea." She notices Sunset Shimmer; her brow furrows. "You're a new one. Right pretty young thing, too."

Sunset steps forward and smiles brightly. "I'm Sunset Shimmer," she says. "It's so nice to meet you."

Granny's face falls. "Ah'm sorry, you're Sunset whut now?"

Applejack coughs. "Granny?"

Granny steps off her segway and marches up to Sunset. "You're th' little guttersnipe whut put mah grandbabies in a mess o' trouble?" she asks quietly.

Sunset backs away, faltering. "Uhh..."

Granny wheels on Applejack. "Why, in th' name of all things oats an' apples, is this child on yer sainted pappy's land?"

Applejack winces. "It's a long story, Granny," she says. "Short version is, we're kinda stuck with her, an' had to bring her along with us so we can keep an eye on her."

Granny narrows her eyes. "Is that a fact," she drawls softly. She looks back at Sunset. "Well, let me jes' tell you one little thing, missy. Up in that there house, Ah got me a shotgun, an' Ah may be old, but Ah can still drop a jackrabbit from twenny yards! So you jes' better watch yerself, or so help me—!"

Big Mac coughs. "Granny? That tea sounds mighty nice."

Granny pauses, looks back at him, then frowns. "Alright," she says. "Y'all come on up t' th' house." She gets back on her segway, shooting Sunset one last withering look, then putters up to the farmhouse.

Big Mac takes a step closer. "Ah hope you know whut yer doin', Sis," he says to Applejack. He then goes over to his horse, which is through drinking and is standing around waiting patiently.

Applejack sighs. "You an' me both," she says.

In the awkward silence that follows, Sunset flashes Applejack a game smile. "She seems nice."

The others shoot dirty glares at her as we head up to the house.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 / Daytime

After a brief rest at the house, during which we catch up with Big Mac and Granny Smith for a bit, we head out to unload the van and get everything set up.

"So...we're at your house," Silver Spoon says to Apple Bloom, "but we're camping?"

"Well...yeah. There ain't nowhere near enough room up in th' house for everybody."

"We did this back in February too," I say as I haul a couple of sleeping bags out and set them aside. "At least it's not as cold this time."

"It's fun camping out!" Pinkie Pie says cheerfully. "Especially since if we run out of campfire treats, we can just go over to the house for more! And, y'know, to use the bathroom instead of having to go behind a tree."

"Y'all damn sure better not go behind one'a mah trees," Applejack grunts. "Okay, how're we splittin' up th' tents?"

I look over the six large tents we packed, rubbing my chin. "Hmm." I look everyone over. "Well, two to a tent worked before, so we'll go with that again. Pinkie, Twilight, and I will take one tent, and everyone else can pair off."

"Ah'll camp out here with y'all this time around," Applejack says. "Since Ah didn't last time an' all."

"What about Shining Armor?" Sunset asks. "He'll have to triple up with—"

"He'll be in the house," Twilight says. "Even if Cadance isn't here this time, it makes sense for him to be up there."

"Ah'll double up with Sil," Apple Bloom says. "Sorry, Scoots, but last time was a bit crowded."

Scootaloo makes a face. "Yeah, I'm good with two to a tent this time. I mean, we had fun and all, but..."

"I'll bunk with you, Scootaloo," Sweetie offers.

"Sounds good to me!"

I point to Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, and Sonata. "You four okay with the way things were last time?"

"Sure, works for me," Rainbow says.

"Ah'll keep an eye on this one," Applejack says, glowering at Sunset.

"Yay," Sunset says listlessly.

"Okay, let's get the tents set up!" Twilight calls.

It takes a little over an hour to set up six tents in a loose circle in one of the larger clear areas of the farm. Once the tents are up and stable, we set up the camp stove and the LED lanterns.

"Wow, you guys kinda took the fun out of camping," Sunset says with a smirk. "No campfire?"

"We'll be here a bit too long to justify burning up firewood every night," Twilight says. "Besides, anything you can do over a campfire, you can do on a camp stove without nearly as much mess."

"And the big honkin' lanterns?" Sunset asks. None of us really have an answer for that one.

By the time we're done getting camp up, Granny Smith has lunch ready.

As we're enjoying one of Granny's amazing country feasts, Sunset asks, "So, what exactly are we going to be doing while we're here? I'm not really familiar with farm work."

"I was kinda wondering that myself," Silver Spoon says.

"We'll be doing all kinds of things!" Pinkie says. "Like fixing fences and baling hay and cleaning out the chicken coop and gathering eggs and slopping the hogs and...all that farm stuff!"

"Pickin' apples," Apple Bloom adds. "Summer harvest's about in, ain't it, Big Mac?"

"Eeyup." Big Mac takes a long swig of tea. "Pink Lady crop's in. Th' Fujis are just about ready. An' th' Red Delicious, well..." He smacks his lips. "When ain't they ready?"

"We got other crops that need lookin' after too," Granny says. "But more'n anything else, we need help with all th' stuff Big Macintosh never gets around to because of all th' stuff that don't keep."

"Y'all were a big help with that kinda stuff last time," Big Mac says. "Y'all really did a lotta good 'round here. A little more of that kinda help'll go a long way."

"An' Ah could sure use th' pink yung'un's help bakin' pies an' cannin' apples an' makin' jam," Granny adds.

It's a warm afternoon. After lunch, Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom lead us out into the orchards in three groups, each armed with big wooden baskets. We learn how to tell which apples are good and which apples are bad. By the time the sun sets, we've picked two big baskets of apples each and hauled them to the apple cellar.

"We'll sort these tomorrow," Applejack says, wiping sweat from her brow. "Me an' Apple Bloom'll do that. Maybe Rarity too, since she's got a good eye. Good work, everybody! Ah'm sure Granny's got us a nice big dinner waitin'." With that, we all head up to the house to wash up for dinner.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, everybody does their own thing. I decide to help Granny Smith with the dishes. We're almost done when Twilight pokes her head in. "Have you seen Applejack or Apple Bloom?"

I look up, frowning. "Not since dinner."

"They're probably out in th' orchard somewhere," Granny says. "Ah wouldn't worry about them girls none. After all, this here is their home."

"Yeah, but it's almost time to turn in for the night," Twilight says. "I mean, if you expect anyone here to be up at the crack of dawn."

"Well now, that there's true," Granny says, drying her hands.

"I'll go look for 'em," I say. I dry my hands, then stop by the shed outside to grab one of the powerful electric lanterns hanging there. I walk out into the dark orchard, searching the trees for the two sisters.

I finally find them deep in the east orchard, sitting on the roots of a gnarled, dead tree on a hill. "Hey," I call.

Applejack looks up. "Oh...hey," she says listlessly. Beside her, Apple Bloom has her arms wrapped around her knees. "Sorry we ran off. We jes' needed a minute."

"Sorry," I say. "Do you need me to go?"

"Nah, it's okay," Applejack says. "C'mon, sit down a sec."

I sit down, setting the lantern aside. As I do, I notice that there are deep grooves carved in the bark of the tree. Looking closer, I can see they're actually initials...

"This was Mama's favorite tree," Apple Bloom says, sniffling. "Mama an' Papa use'ta have picnics under it. Then when we was born, we'd have big family picnics under it."

"This here tree was one of th' first planted here," Applejack says. "It done seen five generations of Apples come an' go. Course, it's stone dead. Root rot got it about three years ago, then it got hit by lightnin'. It ain't bloomed since." She sighs.

"Everything dies," Apple Bloom says miserably. "This tree, Mama, Papa..."

Applejack wraps an arm around her sister. "Sorry," she says, looking up at me. "Today jes'...kinda got t' both of us. Papa bein' gone an' all, but th' house still has his smell. An' there's jes' so many memories..."

"Ah hated seein' that evil bitch sittin' in our house," Apple Bloom says, sniffling. "Like she has any right t' be here."

Applejack shakes her head. "Me too," she says. "But...she went outta her way t' help today. For a girl that's never set foot on a farm before, she sure is a natural at pickin' apples. Even noticed somethin' was wrong with ol' Randyroot. Big Mac's gotta cut a limb off 'im tomorrow."

"Randyroot?" I ask.

Apple Bloom suddenly lets out a giggle. Applejack's face turns red. "That there's one story you don't ever need t' hear," she says. She sighs. "Flash...whut's she up to? Really?"

I shrug. "I honestly don't know," I say. "One minute, she's this crazy, twisted bitch messing with all our heads, and the next, she's friendly, calm, and trying to make friends. I don't get it."

"She's just another bad thing t' come out of th' city," Apple Bloom says, frowning.

"Now, Apple Bloom," Applejack says. "You can't blame th' city for everything. Ah mean, your friends all came from th' city. They're good things, right?"

"Well...yeah."

"An' all these friends we've got that're here t' help us out..."

"Ah git it," Apple Bloom says, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of which," I say, "we need to get back to the tents. Twilight wants us all turning in early."

"Shit, she's right," Applejack says. "Sorry. We just got caught up in reminiscin'..." She shakes her head. "No, we got caught up in wallerin'. Papa'd whap us both upside th' head. C'mon, Apple Bloom. Early t' bed, early t' rise. We got chores in th' mornin'."

The sisters stand up and brush themselves off. I take one last look at the trunk of the tree they were leaning against, then follow them back to the camp. Most of the girls are already in their tents. Twilight is sitting outside ours; Sunset Shimmer is sitting in front of one tent, and Silver Spoon is waiting outside another.

"Sorry we kept y'all waitin'," Applejack says. "Let's git on t' bed now."

As I'm rolling out my sleeping bag, Twilight zips up the tent flap. "Hey Flash. We have a battle tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I think so." I shudder. "The Devil Arcana. Red Flag."

Pinkie wilts. "Oh, I really don't want to see what kind of creepy Shadow he turns into..."

"Let's...let's just get to sleep, girls. We've got a farm to...y'know...farm around on." I crawl into my sleeping bag, zipping it halfway up, and roll onto my back. The sounds of the farm around us can't quite cut through the gnawing worry over what's awaiting us tomorrow.

Nor can I stop my thoughts from turning to Sunset Shimmer. I can't forgive the things she's done to us. She's not Fluttershy. She's not even trying to make amends with us.

But...

I can't stop thinking about what she said...

Could ending all of this be as simple as trying to be her friend?

The last sound I hear before I finally fall asleep is a lone coyote off in the distance...
> 6/22 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't forget to bring chocolate and graham crackers with you.

The sky is just barely starting to turn pink when we're all roused from our tents by Applejack. She wants us to do all the animal-related chores while Granny makes breakfast.

"Coach an' Big Mac went out t' th' smokehouse t' bring in some bacon an' ham," she says. "Pinkie, Granny needs yer help in th' kitchen. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, y'all feed th' chickens. Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle, y'all round up th' eggs. Rainbow, you an' me'll clean up th' chicken shit."

"AGAIN?"

"If'n y'wanna eat. Sunset, you muck out th' stables while Fluttershy an' Rarity feed an' water th' horses." She frowns, then looks at Fluttershy. "If'n that one pulls any funny business, do your ninja thing on her."

Fluttershy gives Sunset a hard look. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Everybody else, feed th' pigs an' water anything that needs water." She claps her hands once. "Let's move!"

As we're scattering, I hear Scootaloo ask, "what 'ninja thing'?" Apple Bloom gives her a shaky laugh in reply.

Shortly after I leave the camp, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I check it and find a message from Zecora.

It would not do to raise your hosts' ire, so we will commence when you all retire.

I...guess that means our battles will happen after we all go to bed from now on? Or at least while we're at Sweet Apple Acres...

"So we don't have to deal with the next fight until after we're all asleep and tired after a hard day's work," Twilight says when I show her the text. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Probably a good thing," I say. "I hope. Anyway, let's get this done so we can clean up."

Sonata starts filling the pigs' water trough while Twilight and I grab a couple of buckets of half-rotten apples and some stale old gristle and cornbread crumbs. We walk over to the pig sty, where most of the pigs are still asleep, grunting softly. A few are up and rooting around. I let out a few sharp whistles, then toss the contents of my bucket into the feed trough. More of the pigs wake up; slowly, several sows shuffle over to the trough and start nosing around in it, lapping up apples and crud.

By the time we're done, the sun is slowly cresting the horizon, and the roosters are making a ferocious racket. We stop by to toss some feed to the roosters on our way back to the house, where we clean ourselves up outside before heading in to wash up and change clothes. Tantalizing smells are wafting out of the kitchen.

The Apples have two bathrooms, which is fortunate; even with everybody rushing through their morning ablutions, it still takes over an hour for us all to get cleaned up and ready for the day. Granny serves us all breakfast as we finish and sit down, so at any given time, someone has already finished eating while someone else is just sitting down. Nobody's getting slighted on portions, though, because Granny and Pinkie made enough for everyone to have three helpings and then some. Big Mac and Shining Armor pass around some really strong coffee, and by the time the sun is all the way up, half of us are wired up to get to work, while the rest are finishing breakfast at a more sedate pace.

"Can y'all fellers git goin' on paintin' th' barn today?" Big Mac asks. "Ah gotta slaughter a hog."

"Sure, we can do that," Shining Armor says.

Fluttershy looks upset. "You...you're going to kill one of those sweet piggies?"

Big Mac shoots her a sidelong glance. "Didja like that bacon you was eatin' jes' now?"

"Well...yes."

Big Mac snorts. "Where'n th' hell'd you reckon it came from?"

Fluttershy shudders. "Right..." She shakes her head. "I guess I just didn't think of that."

"Circle of life, Fluttershy," Sunset says. "Everything eats something else."

"So what's gonna eat you?" Rainbow asks, raising an eyebrow.

Sunset smirks. "That depends."

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 / Daytime

The day passes in a haze of sweaty, back-breaking labor, broken only by occasional water breaks and one of Granny Smith's mouthwatering lunch spreads. Halfway through the morning, I can tell Silver Spoon is questioning her decision to come here. I don't think she's sweated this much in her entire life.

Sunset Shimmer is surprisingly adept at farm work. From where Coach and I are working, we can see her pitching hay with Rainbow Dash and Sonata. Half the girls are out in the orchard working; Applejack and Rarity are in the cellar, sorting and storing apples. As for Fluttershy, she's spending most of the day doing things with the animals. Pinkie, of course, is in the house with Granny.

By suppertime, we're all grimy and exhausted...

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 / Evening

We have supper in the living room, with the TV on and tuned to some comedy show.

"Y'all sure got a lot done today!" Granny says.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees. "If'n y'all git as much done every day you're here as you did today, Ah might actually git ahead of th' work around here."

"That's the plan," Twilight says.

We all mutually agree that we've earned a break this evening, so after dinner, we sit around watching TV and playing cards until bedtime. At nine, we head out to the camp and crawl into our tents, aching all over and tired to the bone. It takes almost no time at all to fall asleep.

The Velvet Room...

We're all here, including Cadance. She smiles as she sees us. "Enjoying the farm?"

"It's more exhausting this time because it's hot out," Twilight says. "How are things back at the dorm?"

"Quiet."

Zecora steps into view. Without a word, she gestures to her right. A door rises out of the ground. Inside its gold frame...

...is not the Devil Arcana.

Rainbow's brow furrows. "Huh? Wasn't the last one number—" She pauses to count on her fingers. "Sixteen? This one's number fourteen. What gives?"

"Miss Zecora?" Twilight asks, staring curiously at the door to the Temperance Arcana. "Shouldn't the Devil Arcana be next?"

Zecora has a grave expression on her face. "The sun may rise, and the rooster may crow, but the Devil casts no Shadow."

I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a chill running down my spine.

"Umm...is anybody else really creeped out right now?" Pinkie asks in a small voice.

"Let's...let's worry about that later," Twilight says, casting Zecora a nervous glance. "Actually, let's just be glad we don't have to deal with that person's Shadow." Her brow furrows, and she looks at me. "So this one's Temperance..."

I nod and, with a quick glance at Rarity, walk over to the door. As I touch it, it dissolves in shimmering, sparkly light, a host of glowing musical notes bubbling up into the air with a melodic tone. I step back, and Sweetie Belle walks through the open door.

Rarity gasps. "S-Sweetie Belle?!"

Sweetie Belle's head is bowed.

All my life, I've had to put up with Rarity constantly looking down on me, trying to make me be like her. The music I like isn't good enough! The clothes I wear aren't good enough! My hair isn't good enough! My friends aren't good enough!

Rarity covers her mouth with her hands.

Sweetie Belle looks up with gold-on-black eyes.

And when I finally stood up for myself, when I made a friend who Rarity didn't like...a friend I wanted to protect from everyone who hated him and teased him and called him names...

She clenches her fists and trembles.

It turns out Rarity was right all along.

She throws back her head and screams.

I HATE YOU, RARITY! I HATE HOW YOU'RE ALWAYS SO PERFECT AND RIGHT ALL THE TIME AND I'M ALWAYS MESSING EVERYTHING UP!

"S-sweetie Belle..."

Sweetie sinks to her knees.

I hate how the one thing I wanted to protect is gone...Button might as well be dead...

"Poor kid," Rainbow says.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! I'm sick and tired of nothing ever going right for me! I'm sick of my annoyingly perfect sister! I WANT MY HAPPY ENDING, EVEN IF I HAVE TO GO RIGHT THROUGH YOU TO GET IT!

Sweetie Belle's Shadow takes on a starchy, puffy appearance, then starts to stretch out to the sides. She tears herself into four gooey, misshapen lumps, which fold and roll themselves into marshmallow-like shapes. Heads, arms, and legs sprout out of them, and they begin taking on new features. Each one has a cartoony caricature of Sweetie Belle's face, with comically huge eyes. One is wearing elaborate, puffy armor and holding a sword and shield made of marshmallows. The second is wearing a flowing white robe and holding a staff, also made of marshmallows. The third is wearing a black hooded cape (made of marshmallows) and has a big magic wand (made of marshmallows), and all we can see of her shadowed face is her glowing green eyes. The last one is dressed in a dark green outfit with a black domino mask and has a longbow (made of marshmallows). They all spread out in a line in front of us and start marching in place.

"Uhh..." Applejack stares at the squashy little Shadows, scratching her head. "Whut?"

The ground rumbles. //Guys, behind you!//

We turn around in time to see a huge, blocky marshmallow castle rise up out of the ground. In the tallest tower, a tiny, brown-skinned, faceless marshmallow princess in a poofy marshmallow dress and a tall, conical marshmallow hat is waving a scarf over her head, her long red marshmallow hair flouncing around her marshmallow shoulders.

"Oh my god," Pinkie says slowly, eyes wide. "Is...is that supposed to be—"

"Button Mash," I say, facepalming.

"Oh, this is so, so wrong," Sonata says, shaking her head and giggling.

"Well," Rainbow says, blinking at the castle, the princess, and the Shadows. "That happened."

SWEETIE KNIGHTS, GIDDYUP!

Rarity's eye twitches. "Ahem. Would someone mind telling me exactly what we're even looking at here?"

"Looks like a standard adventure party from Mallowcraft," Sonata says. "There's a knight, a cleric, a wizard, and a thief."

"A thief with a bow?" Pinkie asks. "Wouldn't that be a ranger? Or an archer?"

//I'm scanning, but I get the feeling Sonata's right. Also, ignore the weird Princess Button thing. It's not real.//

"Look, this is just another battle," Fluttershy says, already gearing up and readying her weapon. "Whatever these stupid things look like, they're just Shadows. Let's do this and get out of here so we can rest up for tomorrow's chores."

"Of...of course," Rarity says, taking a deep breath. "Even if...even if..."

"We'll talk about that later," I assure Rarity. "For now, are you up to this?"

An arrow grazes Rarity's cheek. Her eyes tighten. "Yes. I do believe I am. PERSONA!"

Bastet apppears, raining waves of razor-sharp ice shards on the Shadows. The Knight and the Cleric weather the attack. The Mage absorbs the ice into her cloak; her eyes glow more brightly. The Thief, however, screams and falls to the ground.

//The Mage absorbs ice, but the Thief is weak to it!//

Bastet sends dozens of strands of yarn out, which wrap around the Shadows and slow them down.

//Good work! Their evasion is down!//

The Cleric bows her head and utters a prayer. A golden light envelops the Shadows.

//Be careful! Their defense just went up!//

The Knight holds her shield above her head. It pulses, and a reflective barrier expands to cover the four Shadows. The Mage raises her staff above her head, and a green magic circle spreads out beneath her feet.

//That one's getting ready to cut loose with some powerful magic!//

"We'll see about that," Fluttershy says. "PERSONA!" A shimmering wall of golden light spreads out in front of us.

"My turn!" Sonata says. "LEVIATHAN!"

Leviathan rises up; a tidal wave crashes over the Shadows. The Cleric and Thief suddenly turn red.

//The enemy is enraged!//

"Then let's REALLY give 'em somethin' t' be pissed about!" Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears; the ground begins to shake.

"Applejack, wait! Don't—"

It's too late. Chunks of earth erupt from the floor as a shockwave travels toward the Shadows...

...and stops cold against the reflective wall, rebounding on Applejack, who is thrown against the wall of the marshmallow castle. She slumps against it, not moving.

"Applejack!"

"Cadance, is she—"

//She's alive, just stunned! But at least she took down their barrier!//

"Good! NIKE!"

Nike bursts into the air and swoops down, jamming on her guitar. A rainbow shockwave rips through the Shadows. The Mage and the Cleric both fall down. "AGAIN!"

This time, a golden light washes over all of us, filling us with strength.

"I'll take care of Applejack! SERENITY!"

Serenity floats over to Applejack and sheds soft silver light over her. Applejack stands up woozily, holding onto her hat. "Well Ah feel like an idjit," she mutters as she trots back over to us.

"It's okay, Applejack," Twilight says. "We all make mistakes." She taps her phone. "ATHENA LOGIA!"

Athena conjures a lightning storm which strikes the Shadows. The thief, still on the ground from earlier, twitches helplessly. The mage absorbs the lightning.

//Careful, the Mage absorbs electricity!//

"What doesn't the little bitch absorb?" Rainbow mutters.

"I bet she doesn't absorb MY BUTT!" Pinkie yells. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria spins among the Shadows, slamming them with kicks, punches, slaps, and hip strikes. The Cleric and Mage squirm and squish under her feet, but the Knight remains stalwart.

The Thief jumps to her feet, a boiling mad expression on her squishy marshmallow face. She fires two arrows at Rarity. Only one hits, but it's enough to drive Rarity to her knees in pain.

The Knight leaps into our midst, swinging her sword in a wide arc. I can feel a pressure wave cutting through me. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Sonata, and Pinkie avoid being cut, but the rest of us take the hit.

The Mage rises off the ground, her eyes glowing. She raises her wand above her head. A wall of scorching flames engulfs our party, which is repelled by Fluttershy's barrier. The flames rebound on the Mage, who absorbs them.

//She absorbs Fire too! She's completely back to full health!//

"Okay, that's just not fair!" Rainbow snarls.

The Cleric stands. She rushes forward, swinging her staff at Rarity. Rarity dodges the first swing, but is clipped on the shoulder by the second. She screams and collapses.

//Be careful! Rarity can't take any more damage!//

"I...can take care of myself...thank you," Rarity grunts as she stands. "PERSONA!"

Bastet appears and heals Rarity. She stands, rubbing her shoulder. "Fluttershy, dear, perhaps you could raise another barrier?"

Fluttershy nods. "Alright, but I don't think I should put up a barrier against magic. Not if that one keeps absorbing it. We'll just have to kill her as fast as we can."

//Fluttershy's right. You need to take out the mage so she can't cast any big spells!//

"I'll keep the others from hitting us! ECHO!"

Echo appears and erects a reflective barrier around us.

"So, we need to take out the little magic marshmallow, right?" Rainbow grunts. "I can do that! PERSONA!"

Nike appears and dives down upon the Shadows, her guitar transforming into a blazing sword. She blurs with a burst of speed, striking all four Shadows. The Cleric and Mage fall to the ground again, but the Thief swiftly dodges.

"YEAH! How you like me now?" Rainbow taunts. "Now to turn things up a notch!"

Nike returns to Rainbow and flies around her in a tight spiral. Rainbow glows several colors, shimmering waves of heat rippling off her body as her hair stirs in a nonexistent wind.

"Pinkie, can you do that thing again?" Twilight asks.

"Huh? Oh! That!" Pinkie nods, summoning her blue gem.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


Laughter fills the Velvet Room. A cool blue light surrounds us, even as waves of debilitating force press down on the Shadows.

"Got any new tricks?" Fluttershy asks me. "Because you always seem to have something new every time we do this."

"Actually...I do have one I haven't used yet," I answer, sliding Temperance onto my phone. "It seems only fitting I use it now.

"TRAVELLER!"





A giant marshmallow man rises up, wearing a sailor hat and a goofy expression.

We all stare up at it.

"What."

Fluttershy facepalms. "Seriously?"

Twilight groans. "Flash, there's something seriously wrong with you."

Pinkie giggles. "I kinda like it!"

"Look, I don't know why these things look the way they do, okay?"

//Guys? Shadows?//

"Right, sorry."

The Traveller roars and stomps the downed Shadow Mage. He then lets out a mighty bellow, and a spinning golden circle of fire forms beneath my feet, rising up my body. It might be my imagination, but I feel like my hair just got spikier...

"Here I go again! PERSONA!"

Leviathan appears, surging forward...and halts. The tiny mermaid swims through the air, diving down and disappearing into the Mage. After a moment, she swims back out, trailing a stream of green sparkles as she fades away. Leviathan disappears with her.

Everyone blinks. "Uhh, what...was that?" Rainbow asks.

Sonata giggles. "I just stole some magic." She blinks, opening her eyes wide, looking comically innocent. "Isn't stopping that thing from casting spells the whole point?"

"Well, she ain't wrong," Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears, driving a fist into the Mage.

//One more hit should do it!// Cadance reports.

"I'll handle this!" Twilight says, charging forward and skewering the Shadow Mage with her sword. The Mage lets out a high-pitched, squeaky scream and turns into a marshmallow tombstone.

The Knight raises her sword above her head; a bright beam of light shines down upon it. She spins around gracefully, then points her sword at Twilight. It gives off a high-pitched, ringing chime as it fires the beam of light at her. She crosses her arms over her face and braces herself; the light washes over her, lingering for a long moment, before fading away. She lets out a shuddering sigh. "That was close."

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah."

The angry red haze surrounding the Cleric fades. She raises her staff and chants a prayer. A spinning orb of blue-white light descends upon the dead Mage. The tombstone flashes brightly, and the Mage reappears.

"OH COME ON!" Rainbow yells.

//I don't believe it!//

"Of COURSE," Sonata says in an aggravated tone. "I've fought this kind of boss battle before. Guys, we need to focus on the one that heals and revives the others!"

"Makes sense to me," Pinkie says.

The Thief fires two arrows at me, both of which hit. Curiously, I actually feel my fatigue start to ebb as the Shadow arrows are sucked into my body.

"Okay, let's put this bitch down hard and fast," I say.

"HEY!" Rarity yells. "This IS still my precious sister! Err, in a sense."

"Sorry. PERSONA!"

The Traveller appears again, giving a mighty bellow as he stomps on the Cleric. She screams as she's mashed into paste; a marshmallow tombstone springs up from her remains once the Traveller fades.

"Now to take care of that obnoxious Thief," I mutter, swiping the Tower onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

Gojira stomps into the fray, clouds of billowing steam rising off his body. His spines glow a furious red; he opens his mouth, issuing steam and smoke as a bright red-white glow fills his jaws. A furious lance of bright red-orange fire erupts from his mouth, red sparks dancing along its length.

"Whoa," Rainbow says. "That's...new."

The scorching fire blast subsides. The Mage is, of course, undamaged. The Knight is smoking and crispy around the edges. The Thief is charred black and flaming. Her eyes blink comically...and she crumbles to ash, a tombstone rising in her place.

//Excellent work! You've taken out two!//

"I'm not done YET!"

Gojira stomps the Mage, squishing her flat. He then rears back and unleashes an earsplitting, earthshaking roar before fading away.

"EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears, pulling a hip-drop on the downed Mage.

//Just a little more!//

The Knight suddenly stabs her sword into the ground and begins to pray. A weak light surrounds the tombstone that marks where the Cleric fell. With a bright flash and an angelic chime, the Cleric reappears.

"What the fuck?" Rainbow gasps, jaw hanging open.

"Umm..." Twilight turns to Cadance with an uncertain expression.

"Oh, you have GOT to be KIDDING ME!" Pinkie shrieks.

"SCREW THIS!" Applejack roars. "PERSEPHONE!"

A shockwave of destruction knocks the resurrected Cleric off her feet. The Knight barely staggers.

The Mage stands up shakily and raises her wand. Scorching waves of fire wash over us. Applejack and Rarity cry out as they collapse to the ground. The Mage's wand pulses again, and a bitter cold hailstorm buffets us. This time, Twilight crumples with a strangled cry. With one final pulse of her wand, a raging thunderstorm rains lightning bolts on us.

We're all in pretty ragged shape after that barrage of magic...

"Persona," Fluttershy says weakly. Healing light surrounds us all. I'm still aching all over, but I can fight. Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight are still down, but at least they're breathing.

"Okay, this isn't fun anymore," Sonata says. "PERSONA!"

Leviathan appears, a ball of darkness gathering in its maw. A lance of black energy, writhing with dark sparks, slashes across the remaining Shadows. A wall of darkness explodes up from the ground.

The Knight crumples to the ground, reshaping into a tombstone. The Cleric is completely unaffected. The Mage, however...

Sonata screams as the dark wave bounces off the Mage and rebounds on her. She crumples to the ground, dead.

"SONATA!" Pinkie cries.

Twilight stands up, rubbing her head. "Oh no," she says, looking at Sonata. She glares at the remaining Shadows. "This HAS to end!" She staggers forward, stabbing the Cleric through the heart with her sword. As the Cleric falls, she turns and lunges at the Mage, catching her across the face with an upward swing. Finally, she summons her Persona, whose powerful healing magic restores everyone except Sonata to full health.

Rarity stands up. "BASTET!" Strands of yarn wrap around Sonata, gently lifting her to her feet. With a pulse of soft light, Sonata is brought back to life, blinking her eyes open dizzily.

"Did we win?"

"We're getting there," I say.

//This is your chance!// Cadance says.

"Right!" We all ready our weapons and charge in. In seconds, the Cleric is a marshmallow memory.

"Time to finish this!" Rainbow crows. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears one more time, diving down and slashing the Mage. With one last, pitiful squeak, the Mage turns into a tombstone.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Twilight asks brightly.

And then a bomb explodes in the middle of our party, knocking us all to the ground.

"What the hell was THAT?" Rainbow demands as she stands up. We all pick ourselves up, turning around...

The marshmallow castle has just transformed into a giant, snarling Sweetie Belle head with a cannon in her mouth.

"OH COME ON!" Rainbow yells. "We WON this fight already!"

"I thought you said the castle wasn't real!" Twilight cries.

//I don't know what happened! It just...it just suddenly started existing, and...LOOK OUT!//

Another shell fires from the cannon. Fluttershy barely raises a barrier in time, bouncing it back; it hits Sweetie Head in the eye, exploding. A huge, misshapen, burning marshmallow hole mars the Shadow's face where her eye once was.

I! REFUSE! TO! GIVE! UP!

"Sweetie Belle...please...stop this," Rarity says gently. "Look, I..."

JUST SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT YOU FOR A SISTER! I'M BETTER OFF WITHOUT A SISTER!

Rarity flinches. "Now, Sweetie Belle," she tries again.

//Hold on a second! Guys, that...weird marshmallow head thing...it's just a shell! The real Shadow is hiding inside it, and she's weak!//

"Then let's bring her out of her shell," I say, sliding Temperance onto my phone. "PERSONA!"

The Traveller appears again, stomping forward. The Sweetie Head shells him, but he stalks toward it, undaunted. With a bellow of rage, he digs his chubby marshmallow fingers into the squishy flesh of the "castle" and tears it apart, flinging huge globs of marshmallow goo all over the place. He seizes a tiny, squirming figure and hauls her out, then throws her at us before fading away.

Sweetie Belle's Shadow pushes herself to her knees, head bowed.

I hate you.

"Now, Sweetie Belle, that's enough," Rarity says. She steps forward. "Look, I..." She sighs. "I'm not perfect. Far from it. And...I'm sorry if I ever made you feel..." She crouches down, tilting Sweetie Belle's chin up. "I really do only want what's best for you, don't you understand? Because you're my sister, and I love you. It's just...sometimes, I don't stop to think that maybe the things I like aren't necessarily what's right for you. And...and I should have been more supportive of you when you brought Button Mash around. Even though that whole thing turned out so horribly...I was never very fair to him or to you." Her eyes well with tears. "I only want...I only want you to be happy. And healthy. And safe. And fashionable. Is that...is that really so terrible?"

Sweetie Belle looks away.

I...

I step forward. "You're lucky to have a sister who cares so much about you," I say. "You should appreciate her, even when she's being a bossy nag."

Rarity looks up at me, eyes narrowed. "A nag," she says flatly.

I poke her in the forehead and neigh like a horse.

Sweetie Belle giggles. She slowly fades away, replaced by the Temperance Arcana card.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Temperance awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, The Traveller, has awakened to the skill Destructor.



Use this power wisely...


Zecora reappears. "You have three days to catch your breath. On Saturday, you will face Death."

The Velvet Room fades away...
> 6/23 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, June 23, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If you wanna ride, don't ride the white horse.

Shortly after we wake up, Rarity takes Applejack aside and talks to her for a minute. After that, Applejack announces the morning's chores. She pairs Rarity up with Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle seems confused, but Rarity's eagerness to spend time with her and work together placates her, and they walk off together.

Today, I draw stable duty with Fluttershy. Once we arrive at the stable, I start filling the feed bags while Fluttershy gives the horses a once-over. As we're strapping on the bags, she gives me an aside glance. "Well," she says, "here we are again." She strokes one horse's head, looks around, and sighs. "Remember the last time we were both out here?"

The last time...

It was that day. The day I exposed Fluttershy's secret. "Yeah." I sigh. "I...guess I could've handled that a whole lot better, huh?"

Fluttershy snorts. "I could've done without being burned to death, yeah." She sighs. "So much has changed in such a short time..." She looks back up at me, absently scratching the horse's ears. "But you know...I am glad to have friends. Friends I can trust." She lets her hand fall to her side. "I spent so long feeling like I couldn't trust anybody, and now..."

She falls silent, picking up a brush and working on the horse's mane. I decide to get on with my chores, grabbing a bucket to start mucking out the stalls. After a few minutes, Fluttershy suddenly speaks up.

"Hey. After breakfast, why don't we go riding for a bit? These pretty horses need exercise, I'm sure we can convince Applejack to let us spend the morning riding."

I look up at her. Seeing her beatific smile, I nod. "Yeah. Let's do that."

After breakfast, Fluttershy and I go riding. After a little while, Sunset Shimmer joins us. Fluttershy isn't too happy about that, but she doesn't protest; Sunset seems to be completely at ease on a horse, and the horses actually seem to like her. Besides, there are several horses, and we can't waste the whole day, err, horsing around.

It's almost lunchtime when we return to the house. The others are jealous of us for getting a morning off, but Applejack promises everybody will get some time to goof off while we're here. "There's plenty fun t' be found on a farm," she promises.

Thursday, June 23, 2016 / Daytime

Another long, hot summer day of farm chores passes without incident. Rarity and Sweetie Belle spend the entire day together working in the Apples' vegetable garden. I spend most of the day making minor repairs to the house, barn, and other structures.

Thursday, June 23, 2016 / Evening

As we're turning in for the night, Twilight says, "Rarity seemed pretty shaken up by what happened last night."

"Yeah," Pinkie agrees. "She really stuck to Sweetie Belle today."

"Can you blame her?"

Pinkie shifts in her sleeping bag. "I can't even begin to imagine what it'd be like to face Maud like that..." She turns to face me. "We...we won't have to fight Maud, will we?"

I shake my head. "No. No, we won't."

"Who's next?" Twilight asks. "I sort of forgot the order."

"You, forget something?"

"It was a lot to take in all at once!" Twilight complains. "Besides, you only went over the list with me once."

"Wait, you told Twi-Twi something you didn't tell me?" Pinkie asks in a hurt tone.

"You weren't around, and this was back when this all started," I say. "We weren't sure yet. We didn't know for sure until after we fought your Shadow."

"Oh." Pinkie sighs. "Still, I don't like when you keep secrets from me."

"Sorry, Pinkie," Twilight says. "We didn't mean to keep it secret. It's just..." She takes a deep breath. "This whole thing is kind of...weird, you know? Fighting Shadows based on people we know...our friends..."

"Yeah," Pinkie says. "I don't know if that Zecora lady is trying to help us or trying to torture us."

I cough. "In any case...Sonata's next."

"YIKES," Pinkie says, shuddering. "That's...not gonna be fun."

"I don't imagine it will," Twilight agrees. She yawns. "Well, I'm tired. Goodnight..."

We all settle in. It might be my imagination, but I think I hear movement outside the tent just as I start to doze off...
> 6/24 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 24, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Uranus is waxing, so it's a good time to buy into commodities.

Getting up at the crack of dawn is starting to get easier, as are the morning chores. There's very little complaining as we all head to our assigned tasks.

At breakfast, Granny Smith announces, "You kids been workin' so hard all week, Ah reckon tomorry might be a nice time for a little break."

"Woohoo!" Scootaloo crows, throwing a fist in the air.

"After mornin' chores, mind."

"Aww."

Granny chuckles. "Sorry, yung'un, there's some things that can't be put off." She looks around at us. "Tomorry's gonna be a mighty hot day, they say. Thought me an' Pinkie Pie might whip up a picnic lunch an' you kids could spend th' afternoon down at th' swimmin' hole."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh agrees.

"That sounds delightful," Rarity says.

"Ah ain't spent th' afternoon at th' ol' swimmin' hole in a dog's age!" Applejack says with a grin.

"I didn't bring a swimsuit," Sonata pouts.

"Neither did I," I say.

Twilight coughs. "I, umm...had Cadance go into everyone's room and pick up a swimsuit before we left, just in case," she said. "They're all in my bag, clean, wrapped, and labeled."

"Woohoo! Go Twilight!" Sunset says with a grin.

"Heh, who knew Twilight's OCD would come in handy for somethin' cool?" Rainbow laughs.

Fluttershy raises an eyebrow. "You seriously thought we'd need swimwear on a trip to an apple farm?"

Twilight shrugs. "Well," she says sheepishly, "all those old movies with scenes out on a farm or a ranch show kids our age, y'know..." She pokes her fingers together. "At the pond, on the farm...maybe skinny-dipping or something..."

Big Macintosh snorts. Applejack shakes her head. Apple Bloom giggles.

"Y'know, you coulda just asked me if we had a swimmin' hole on th' farm," Applejack says. "Then Ah'd have told everyone t' pack a swimsuit in case we got a chance t' use it."

"Oh. Umm...yes, I...guess I could've done that," Twilight says meekly, ducking her head. We all laugh.

"What about Silver Spoon and Scootaloo?" Rainbow asks curiously.

Apple Bloom grins. "Ah did tell them t' bring swimsuits, 'cuz Ah already knew about th' swimmin' hole."

"Oh, right," Rainbow says, scratching the back of her head.

"Where is this swimming hole anyway?" Sunset asks suddenly. "I don't think I've seen it."

"Oh, it's out past th' west orchard," Applejack says. "It's about a two mile walk down from th' house."

"Two MILES?" Silver Spoon cries.

"We'll be takin' th' horses," Big Mac says. "Even us farm folk don't walk two miles in that kinda heat if'n we got horses."

"Oh! That's okay then."

"But no slackin' off today now, y'all," Applejack admonishes. "There's still a whole heapin' heck of a lot t' do today."

"We wouldn't dream of it, darling," Rarity says. "We came here to work, and we're going to work. Right, everyone?"

"Right!"

As we're all getting ready to head our separate ways for the day's chores, Pinkie pulls me and Twilight aside. "I wanna warn Sonata," she says. "I think she deserves to know instead of..." She grimaces. "Instead of having it just thrown in her face like I did."

Twilight sighs. "Okay. We'll do it tonight."

Friday, June 24, 2016 / Daytime

After lunch, Rarity and I head down to the cellar to sort and pack apples. A truck is coming Sunday to pick up an order, and so far only a third of the order is packed and ready.

Rarity seems to have something on her mind. "What did you and Sweetie Belle talk about all day yesterday?"

Rarity sighs and smiles. "I just...had a very long heart-to-heart with my sister," she says. She picks an apple up, looks it over, and places it in a barrel. "Ever since we fought that..." She shudders. "Bizarre apparition, I've been doing some soul-searching. For so long, I've been so obsessed with status and society and..." She sighs. "I just...I haven't really been very understanding of my parents' simple lifestyle. They bend over backwards to accomodate my every whim, and I..."

She trails off, sorting a basket of apples.

"I've always been so obsessed with trying to impress upon Sweetie Belle the importance of being a proper and elegant lady that I never really accepted that perhaps what's best for me isn't what's best for her. I really do just want her to be happy..." She laughs softly. "I suppose we simply have different ideas about happiness." With a sigh, she adds, "Or perhaps I've spent so long trying to convince myself that all the things I surround myself with and all the airs I put on make me happy, when really I..." She looks up at me. "Really, I just need my friends and my family. I think...I think I'm ready to accept that now."

Wiping her hands on her apron, she removes her false eyelashes, which she places in a tiny plastic bag.

"I'd like you to keep these," she says. "As a token of my appreciation. You've really helped me understand that it's important to be true to myself and not try to force my family to be something they're not."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Empress Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Hippolyta, the ultimate form of the Empress Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Rarity, I see her Persona, Bastet...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Bastet changes!





"From now on, I'm going to let Sweetie Belle live her own life, and if she needs my help or wants my advice, I'll always be there for her. And I won't be ashamed to be seen in public with my parents or force them to do things they're not interested in." Rarity smiles brightly.

She then produces her compact and a fresh pair of false eyelashes from her pocket. She looks up at me and blinks innocently. "What? I never said I was going to stop wearing false eyelashes. It was a symbolic gesture, darling."

I shake my head, snort, and go back to packing apples.

Friday, June 24, 2016 / Evening

Before we all turn in for the night, Pinkie drags Sonata into our tent. Sonata blinks around at all of us in confusion. "You're not gonna gangrape me, are you?" she asks raspily.

"No!" Twilight cries, facepalming.

"Maaaaaybe," Pinkie says with a teasing smile and a giggle.

I groan and slap Pinkie upside the head. "Be serious," I say. "You're the one who insisted on warning her."

Sonata's brow wrinkles, her lips pursed into a small, pouty frown.

Pinkie sighs. "You're right. I'm sorry." She looks at Sonata. "We just...we wanted you to be ready for tomorrow." She looks over at me.

I take a deep breath, then face Sonata squarely, looking her in the eye. "The next Shadow...it's you."

Sonata's eyes widen and her face pales. "M-me?" she whispers.

"Yeah."

"Oh," she croaks. She mutely turns and leaves the tent without another word.

A long silence falls over the three of us.

"She took that well," Pinkie says.

It takes me a while to get to sleep. I'm worried about Sonata. Given what she's been through, facing her Shadow is going to be...really ugly...
> 6/25 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, June 25, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Friends can never replace family, but friends can BECOME family.

As soon as we're all awake, Twilight and I remind everyone about tonight's battle by way of a flurry of text messages. We also decide to let everyone know that it'll be Sonata's Shadow we're facing.

We tend to the animals, head inside for breakfast, and then take care of some chores that need to be finished by lunch. We finish packing the order that's being picked up tomorrow and pick several more baskets of apples which we take to the cellar.

Saturday, June 25, 2016 / Daytime

At eleven, we all head inside to get cleaned up and change into swimsuits, as well as loose clothes to wear over them until we're ready to swim. At noon, Granny and Pinkie pack up our picnic lunch and supplies, loading them into a small wagon hitched to a shaggy little pony. Granny and Pinkie get into the wagon; the rest of us mount horses and follow them through the orchard, down gentle slopes that lead to a shallow, clear pond on the edge of the farm. The grass here is green and springy; a few shade trees around the fence line keep the sun from beating down too severely on the sparkling water. Squirrels are darting to and fro along the fence and up the trees, and there's a fat frog sitting on the edge of the pond, croaking every now and then. A few cicadas are droning from high up in the trees; the sound is oddly relaxing.

"Wow, this is amazing," Sunset says, looking around in wonder. Applejack and Apple Bloom help Granny and Pinkie spread out two large picnic blankets; we all sit down on the blankets and help pass around plates and utensils. Big Mac hefts a cooler full of drinks out of the wagon, which he sets out and opens while Granny and Pinkie unpack the picnic baskets.

"It's really peaceful down here," Shining Armor says with a smile.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees.

Pinkie and Granny have outdone themselves. We have sandwiches made from smoked ham, smoked cheddar, and garden fresh veggies on homemade bread, kettle cooked potato chips, cole slaw, deviled eggs, baked beans, spiced sauteed apples, apple turnovers, deep-fried rolled flour tortillas sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, chocolate chip cookies, apple brown betties, and to everyone's surprise, a massive blackberry cobbler.

"Pinkie here found a wild blackberry patch growin' out past th' south field," Granny says with a big grin. "Ah didn't even know it was there!"

"Me neither," Big Mac says. "Reckon we're gonna hafta try an' plant some blackberries now. That's a mighty good bumper crop t' have."

"Oh, tell me about it," Rarity says. "Blackberries are ridiculously expensive. And forget about buying them fresh!"

"I guess that's one of the perks of living on a farm," Sunset says thoughtfully as she spoons baked beans onto her plate. "Growing your own food must really cut down on the grocery bill."

"Yeah, but we hafta buy a lotta stuff in bulk on account of not gittin' down t' Canterlot much," Big Mac says as he munches down a handful of potato chips. "Plus all th' feed for th' horses an' chickens, plus everything else we need t' keep things runnin'...it evens out." He snorts. "An' we only git t' eat beef once in a blue moon 'round here."

"Which is too bad, because Granny's chicken fried steak is th' best in th' whole world," Applejack says.

"So why don't you get some more cows or something?" Sunset wonders.

Big Mac snorts. "You got any idea how expensive that is? An' we ain't got no room for 'em no-how. Cattle need a lot more room than pigs an' chickens."

"Yeah, we've got six good milk cows," Applejack says as she stuffs a deviled egg into her mouth. "About every five years, we rotate 'em out with this ranch west o' town. They keep us in cows that're good fer about five years o' milkin', we give 'em fifty pounds of apples per cow. It's a good trade."

Twilight's face scrunches up as she runs the numbers in her head. "How's that a good trade?" she asks. "Fifty pounds of apples per cow every five years is three hundred pounds of apples, and you get more value in milk out of those six cows than they get out of those apples."

Applejack chuckles. "Twi, much as you've learned me about economics, you got a lot t' learn about farms an' ranches." She takes a long swig of iced tea. "That ranch trades in beef, not dairy. Th' only thing they need cows for is t' make baby cows. They only breed every cow twice, then they rent some of 'em out t' folks like us fer produce or somethin', whatever ain't gonna put us in a hole. When th' udder runs dry, they git th' cow back fer slaughter." She shrugs. "We ain't sellin' th' milk, we're jes' usin' it here fer ourselves, so we ain't makin' no money off 'em. They get 'em back t' make inta beef in a few years. Six cows here an' there ain't no skin off th' ranchers' backs, so..."

"It's th' way neighbors help neighbors," Big Mac finishes.

"So you...rent cows for apples?" Sunset asks, tilting her head.

"Eeyup."

"Cool."

"What does a cattle ranch need with three hundred pounds of apples?" Scootaloo asks, tilting her head.

"Cows like 'em," Big Mac grunts. "Little too much sometimes."

Granny snickers. "Ah reckon they use 'em t' deal with some'a them ornery bulls." At the questioning looks she receives at that, she adds, "Let an apple git some age on it, mix it with some sorghum, put it in th' feed bucket, an' you got yerself one hell of a drunk cow."

Big Mac grins. "Eeyup."

We chit-chat idly as we work our way through the picnic lunch. After everyone's full, we lounge around by the swimming hole for a while, basking in the warm sun and the sleepy feeling of full bellies.

After about half an hour, some of the girls start peeling down to their swimsuits and going out into the pond. Much playful splashing and giggling ensues; I'm content to simply sit on the blanket and watch, but eventually Pinkie drags me out into the water.

It doesn't take long at all for Sunset and Pinkie to end up topless. Neither of them particularly care, but their antics are more than a little embarrassing with Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Shining Armor around.

"Oh. My God."

And Silver Spoon and Scootaloo, of course.

Silver Spoon is gawking at Pinkie and Sunset as they chase each other around. "They're insane, right?" she asks.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"So this is what you live with, huh?" Scootaloo asks me.

"Yep."

"Dude."

After an hour or so of fun in the pond, everyone's tired, so we all spread out on the grass to dry off in the sun. Some of us take naps, while others read or sit around talking. We enjoy a long, lazy afternoon of relaxation. I flop down next to a sleeping Twilight, keeping an eye on Sunset as she wanders over to Shining Armor and chats him up.

Saturday, June 25, 2016 / Evening

At around five, we pack everything up and head back to the house, where Granny whips up a supper of fried chicken, biscuits, and corn on the cob. We still have some cobbler and apple brown betties left, so we have that for dessert.

"Hope y'all enjoyed yer lazy day," Granny says as we finish up supper. "Cuz tomorry, we got lotsa work t' git down to!"

"I'm actually looking forward to it," Rarity says. "After everything I've eaten today, I need the exercise." The other girls agree.

Before we know it, it's bedtime. Sonata looks apprehensive as she heads for her tent. As Twilight, Pinkie, and I turn in for the night, we trade nervous, weary glances.

Despite our unease, sleep isn't long in coming.

The Velvet Room...

Everyone is here. As soon as the familiar endless dreamscape forms around us, we all turn to Sonata.

"Are you ready for this?" Twilight asks gently.

Sonata bows her head and clenches her fists. A small whimper escapes her.

"We don't...we don't have to do this," Cadance says.

Sonata sighs, sniffles, and shakes her head. "No," she says. "I'll—I'll do it."

Zecora appears. Without a word, she gestures to her right. Within the gold frame that rises from the ground is a door...with another door painted on its face, and a frightening skull emblazoned across it above the numeral XIII.

"Okay, yeah, that's a bad omen," Rainbow says.

"What, and the Arcana being Death isn't?" Rarity retorts.

Zecora turns to face Sonata. "Behind the door, your Shadow lies. You must face yourself with open eyes."

Sonata swallows heavily, then steps forward and touches the door. It swings open with a loud, ominous creak. A foul black mist rolls out, carrying with it the faint sound of soft, beautiful singing.

As our Sonata steps back, her Shadow emerges from the darkness within the door, wearing an outfit that looks like an 80s pop band threw up all over her.

I'm glad they died.

Sonata whimpers.

Aria was always a bitch to me, and Adagio? She thought she was queen of the fucking world! Well, the joke is nobody liked her! NOT EVEN ME!

"No," Sonata whispers.

Seriously, do you have any idea how much better my life is now? I don't have to listen to Aria constantly telling me how stupid I am! I don't find five pounds of Adagio's bullshit hair clogging up the shower drain every fucking morning! Adagio getting herself and Aria killed? Ha! Best thing that ever happened to me!

"That's not true!" Sonata cries, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Without those two around to drag me down, I get to have friends! I get all Mommy's attention! I get to have sex while other people have to put up with listening to me!

The Shadow laughs.

My life is amazing, and all it took was letting Adagio drive wasted!

Sonata sinks to her knees, covering her face with her hands.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! Getting all torn up and losing my singing voice was a small price to pay for being free of the two biggest BITCHES that ever lived!

"NO!" Sonata screeches. "You don't know ANYTHING about how I feel about them! About how much I miss them!"

She sniffles, then...

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

Sonata's Shadow laughs uproariously, throwing her head back as black and red flames explode around her. Her body stretches upwards and expands outward as her eyes glow a hellish red. Slowly, she transforms into...

Honestly, the most confused-looking cross between a girl and a sea monster I've ever seen.

She retains a primarily human torso, with large, dark blue seashells covering her breasts and crotch. Serrated blue scales stick out of her body at odd angles. Her legs each transform into a separate, eel-like tail, blue and sinuous, ending in broad, spiny fins. Her arms become large, iridescent feathery fins—wings?—whatever they are, they unfold into three separate, intricately layered appendages which flutter almost serenely. Her head elongates into something that looks like a cross between a seahorse, a human, and a humpback whale, with a mass of shiny tentacles trailing down the back and sides, alternating between the lighter and darker blue hues of Sonata's hair and ending in bone-white barbs. A broad, spiny dorsal fin stretches from the base of her neck to the base of her torso, rippling in the same nonexistent current as her wing-fins. She snarls at us with a maw full of jagged green fangs.

When your bodies wash up on the shore of this sea of dreams, I'll make sure to bury them with my DEAR sisters!

"Uhh...Sonata?" Pinkie says, staring up at the Shadow. "Remember that one game you said you could never beat?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I know which boss you got stuck on."

//Sonata, your Persona is sealed! You can't fight this battle!//

Sonata whimpers. "I'm...I'm cool with that..." She gulps audibly as she retreats to a safe distance. "Good luck, guys."

The Shadow's wings glow brightly. Two pillars of fire form to either side of her, coalescing into a pair of Shadows that are equal parts mermaid and seahorse, with nude human torsos, scaly fish tails, heads that are part horse and part dragon, and streaming hair made of burning water. One of them is a bright, vivid golden color, while the other is a pinkish-purple. Their eyes burn red. They open their mouths and begin to sing in hauntingly beautiful voices. Shimmering golden light dances around Sonata's Shadow.

//Be careful! Their singing is giving her a massive power boost!//

"Then let's shut 'em up!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, unleashing a furious windstorm that cuts through the the Shadows. The two mermaid Shadows are buffeted around by the winds, but Sonata's Shadow barely reacts.

Fluttershy facepalms. "Rainbow Dash, you need to learn a thing or two about strategy," she says. With a tired sigh, she taps her own phone. "ECHO!"

A golden barrier forms in front of us, pulsing once before becoming invisible.

"Strategy is an excellent idea and all, darling," Rarity says, "but there are times when the best defense is a good offense. PERSONA!" She taps her phone, and...





Rarity blinks. "Oh. Oh my. That's...new."

"Woo! Upgrade!" Pinkie cheers.

//Oh my, when did THAT happen?//

Wadjet-Bast blows the Shadows an extremely frosty kiss, scattering thousands of tiny shards of frost. Chunks of glowing ice creep up the three Shadows' bodies, cracking loudly. Wadjet-Bast snaps her fingers, and the ice explodes away from the Shadows, which all reel in pain.

"NICE!" Rainbow says.

Rarity smiles as her Persona fades away. "Yes, well. That was a pleasant surprise."

Twilight shoots me a glance. "Then that means..."

I nod and slide the Empress onto my phone. "HIPPOLYTA!"





An enormous Amazon in bright, classical robes and a wide golden belt appears, oiled ringlets of dark hair spilling down her shoulders. A longbow appears in her hand; she aims it into the air, draws back the string, and lets go. A single arrow fires into the sky, which flashes brightly and explodes into dozens of arrows which rain down on the Shadows, piercing them over and over again. As the last arrow falls, Hippolyta fades away.

"Not one of your cooler ones, but it'll do," Rainbow says.

Sonata's Shadow begins swaying seductively, adding her own voice to the chorus, sliding her arms up and down her body. Despite her monstrous form, it's strangely alluring and hard to look away...

//Twilight? Twilight, are you okay?//

I look over at Twilight. Her eyes have gone blank, her face slack. Without warning, she slides over to Fluttershy and skewers her through the shoulder.

"Twi-Twi! Snap out of it!" Pinkie gasps.

Fluttershy sends Twilight flying with her staff, clutching her shoulder. "What the HELL, Sparkle?!" she snarls.

//It's not her fault! She's been charmed by the Shadow!//

The other two Shadows begin dancing the same sensual dance. Rainbow goes slack.

//Look out! Rainbow Dash is under their spell too!//

Pinkie growls. "Okay, nobody uses their sex appeal to turn my friends into mindless drooling zombies but ME! PERSONA!"

Euphoria spins up into the air, pops the urn she's standing on up into the air like a soccer ball, and spin-kicks it at the Shadows. It starts glowing bright white as it scatters rainbow liquid everywhere; as it nears the Shadows, it explodes with a sound like an angelic chorus, and a bright white flash consumes the Shadows. When it fades, Sonata's Shadow is left untouched, but the other two have vanished.

"Nice shot, Pinkie!" I say as Euphoria fades away.

"Guess it's mah turn now," Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears and slams a haymaker into Sonata's Shadow, dropping her to the floor in a writhing, twitching heap.

//Now's your chance!//

"DOGPILE!" I yell. Everyone except Twilight and Rainbow rush forward, pounding away on the Shadow. She screams and slaps us viciously with her tails, sending us all flying. She rises back into the air, her various fishy limbs writhing in agitation.

"Owie...my butt..." Pinkie complains as she sits up.

"I'll kiss it later! Look out!"

Rainbow turns toward us, raising her phone above her head. Nike appears. With an apologetic frown, she strums her guitar unenthusiastically. Her sonic shockwave sweeps through all of us. I barely feel it, and Applejack just grunts, but the others don't fare as well.

"Holy SHIT that hurts," Fluttershy grumbles as she braces herself on her staff.

Pinkie flails around on the ground. "Now my boobies hurt too," she whines.

"I'll kiss those later too! Get up!"

Rarity gingerly picks herself up. "I believe I've grossly underestimated the power of Rainbow Dash's attacks," she says. She taps her phone. "Wadjet-Bast, do be a dear and heal us, please."

Wadjet-Bast appears again. The bolt of fabric she carries winds its way around all of us like the coils of a great serpent. As the silky-smooth fabric binds me, I feel renewed strength and vigor flow through me. The comfortable embrace of the silk snake fades, and Wadjet-Bast disappears.

"Thanks," Fluttershy says. "I think." She shakes her head. "PERSONA!" A shimmery mirror barrier forms in front of each of us.

"Is...is that a good idea?" Pinkie asks dubiously. "If Twi-Twi or Dashie don't snap out of it and they attack us again..."

//LOOK OUT!//

Sonata's Shadow lets out a terrifying roar, light streaming from her wings. A second roar joins her voice, like the ocean...coming closer...

A massive wave swells behind her, looming over us. We all look up with dread as the wave peaks, then SLAMS down on us. Through the pain, I feel an intense rage overtake me as the world disappears in a red haze...

When I come back to my senses, I'm dragging my axe along the ground and my body aches like crazy. I look around to find the others watching me warily, while Euphoria fades from view. Twilight and Rainbow groan and rub their eyes, blinking.

"Wha...what happened?" Rainbow asks.

"The last thing I remember..." Twilight frowns and shakes her head, then looks around. "What...what's going on?"

Pinkie lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she says. "You're all back with us, right? Right?"

//Looks like you're all back to normal now. Be careful, this Shadow has some nasty surprises.//

"Seriously, what the hell happened?" Rainbow asks.

Rarity coughs. "You and Twilight were under the Shadow's thrall," she says. "And, well...after that last attack, Flash sort of...lost his cool just a bit."

"Lost his cool? He went all psycho ax-murderer," Fluttershy says. "At least some good came of that."

It's only as she says that that I notice that Sonata's Shadow is missing one of her tail fins and looks SUPREMELY angry.

"Right," Applejack says. "We gotta be careful. PERSEPHONE!"

I feel my body become lighter as everyone blurs slightly around me.

"Okay, who's up for some fillet of fish bitch?" Rainbow snarls. "PERSONA!"

Nike appears, her guitar changing into a massive sword as she descends upon Sonata's Shadow with hellish fury, delivering a punishing cross-slash to the torso. The Shadow reels and screeches.

"Here, let me cook that for you!" Twilight says. "ATHENA!"

Athena appears, raising her spear high above her head. A blinding white-hot lightning bolt stabs through the Shadow. She screams as she crumples to the ground like a sack of wet farts. Athena then spins around and waves her spear over our heads, shedding a cool blue radiance that heals our wounds before fading away.

Sonata's Shadow struggles to rise from the ground. Her wing-fins flare again, and the two mermaids reappear. Their song isn't as clear or as pure this time, and there's an urgency to it.

Fluttershy taps her phone. "PERSONA!" The golden shield reappears around us, shimmering out of view.

"So she doesn't like lightning, huh?" I slide the Hanged Man onto my phone. "Then let's turn up the voltage! MAGUS!"

Magus appears with a swirl of his cape. He raises both hands above his head; a violent storm of golden lightning rains down on the Shadows. The two mermaids writhe in agony as Sonata's Shadow crumples into a heap on the ground once again. As the light show fades, Magus tugs on his gloves, allowing his cape to fall around his shoulders as he disappears. A faint gold-black aura surrounds me.

The purple mermaid rears back and exhales plumes of fire which sweep across us. Echo's shield flares brilliantly into being, and the flames rebound on the mermaid, roasting her alive. She snarls as she explodes into ocean mist and darkness.

The golden mermaid hisses and lets out an earsplitting shriek. We all cover our ears and brace ourselves against the hellish noise. As the mermaid falls silent, I hear gasps from around me.

"My...my Persona..." Twilight says shakily, looking at her phone.

"Euphy?" Pinkie whimpers, holding her phone in a pleading manner.

Rarity pokes her phone with a mild, puzzled frown.

//Careful! Your Personas have been sealed!//

"Oh great, it's just like what Fluttershy used to do to us," I mutter.

"You'll be fine in a few minutes," Fluttershy says a bit hotly. She summons Echo, who unleashes a windstorm against the Shadows.

Applejack steps forward. "Time Ah took a shot," she says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears, slamming a foot into the ground. Chunks of the floor rocket up beneath the Shadows; Sonata's downed Shadow is tossed into the air as shards of rock batter her body, while the golden mermaid is torn apart with an eerie shriek.

"So what'm I supposed to do now?" Rainbow wonders.

"You do have weapons," Fluttershy points out.

"Oh yeah." Shaking her head, Rainbow rushes forward and stabs and slashes at Sonata's Shadow, backflipping out of the way as one of the tails tries to smack her.

Rarity levels her gun at the Shadow and empties the clip.

Sonata's Shadow rises off the ground, snarling. She opens her mouth wide as her eyes flash...

A wave of the most intense cold I've ever felt in my life hits me like a runaway truck. I'm barely able to stay on my feet. Twilight cries out and crumples to the ground, curling in on herself and shivering. Everyone else except Rarity braces themselves against the biting cold. Rarity stands, unruffled, defiant against the hellish onslaught.

Fluttershy falls to the ground, dead.

"FLUTTERSHY!" Sonata yells.

//Flash, you're the only one left who can revive her!//

I nod and start to swipe my phone...

"Wait," Twilight says, holding out a hand. "Don't waste...your shot at the Shadow. You can...you can still revive her after you attack, right? If you use...electricity?" She rubs her arms and shivers.

"Right," I say. Setting my jaw, I turn away from Fluttershy's dead body and face the Shadow. "PERSONA!"

Magus appears, a grave expression on his face. He raises his hand...

A shower of blinding lightning snares the Shadow like a fishing net. She screams, writhes, and twitches as the lightning arcs through her. Bits of fishy flesh fly off, disintegrating into black ash.

As Magus fades away, I swipe Lovers onto my phone. "SERENITY!"

Serenity appears, smiling gently as she hovers over Fluttershy. Waves of soft silver light pour from her crystal, sinking into Fluttershy, who takes a deep breath and sits up, blinking and groaning.

As Serenity fades away, Twilight rushes toward the Shadow, slashing away with her sword. More little fishy bits fly off, disintegrating into inky nothingness. A fin catches Twilight and knocks her back, but she catches herself in an awkward skid.

//You're doing great! Just hold out a little longer!//

"Let's try THIS!" Pinkie yells, pulling out her golden whip. She charges forward, cracking the whip against the downed Shadow. There's a bright golden flash as the chain hits, and the Shadow reels in agony.

Without warning, Sonata's Shadow peels herself off the ground and slaps Pinkie away, then opens her mouth wide. A bright, crackling ball of electricity forms in her mouth as her eyes glow more brightly.

"Wait, what?" Rainbow says, mouth gaping.

Crackling bolts of lightning breath arc out, snapping between us and sending showers of sparks and clouds of smoke flying into the air. Everyone except Twilight twitches and screams as we're electrocuted by the Shadow's unexpected attack. Her wings flare again, and the mermaids reappear.

"Oh, COME ON!" Rainbow whines.

Twilight's phone suddenly beeps. "Oh! I'm back," she says. Grinning, she slaps her phone. "PERSONA!"

Athena appears, a savage look on her face as she thrusts her lance at the Shadows, releasing an electric counterattack which drives Sonata's Shadow to the ground once again. As soon as the attack ebbs, she heals us, then fades.

"I'm still out," Rainbow complains. Shaking her head, she airplane-runs at the golden mermaid. "It's all YOUR FAULT, bitch!" She jumps high in the air and plunges her knives in the mermaid's eyes, then kicks her in the chest before running back to us.

Pinkie's phone beeps. "Oh! Welcome back, Euphy!" She holds her phone up and taps it. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears, spinning in place as she sheds a golden light over us. Rarity's phone and Rainbow's phone beep simultaneously.

"Thank you, darling," Rarity says primly. "WADJET-BAST!"

Wadjet-Bast appears once again, blowing her frozen kiss. As the crackling ice creeps over the Shadows, Sonata's Shadow lets out a terrifying screech.

"OH NO YOU AIN'T!" Applejack roars. "PERSONA!"

Persephone lunges toward the frozen Shadow, slamming a fist right into her face. Her entire head explodes. The mermaid Shadows scream as they burst into flames, spraying chunks of flaming, flash-frozen Shadow flesh in all directions. Sonata's Shadow slowly crumples to the ground, breaking apart into chunks of black ice that slowly dissolve into inky smoke.

As Persephone fades away, the human form of Sonata's Shadow reappears, head bowed.

Zecora appears from nowhere, walking over to Sonata. "Face your true self, child of Death. Embrace the truth to your last breath."

Sonata sighs shakily and walks over to her Shadow. "Yeah, I hated Adagio and Aria sometimes," she admits. "But they were my sisters, and I loved them. They...they looked out for me, you know? In their own snarky, bitchy way."

She turns and looks at all of us. "I have to be honest. I do like my life the way it is now loads better than the way it was before. I have friends who are nice to me and patient with me and...and I'm happy. You guys have really helped me so much. It's...it's still so hard..."

"Sonata..." Pinkie says softly.

Sonata smiles and turns back to her Shadow. "I won't pretend there weren't times I wanted to strangle my sisters. Or, like, take a baseball bat and just wail on Aria until she couldn't move anymore. But...just because I'm happy now, just because we fought all the time and they were mean to me a lot...it doesn't mean..."

She bows her head. Tears leak from her closed eyes.

"It doesn't mean I didn't love them. I loved them, and I miss them. But yeah, they really were the worst sometimes."

Two hazy shapes appear to either side of Sonata's Shadow. They resolve into ghostly images of Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze, who each put a hand on their sister's shoulder as they smile at our Sonata. Sonata's Shadow looks up, and there are tears in her eyes.

"We're always with you, you know," Aria says. "Every time you do something stupid, give yourself a thump for me."

Sonata giggles.

Adagio looks at us. "Take care of the little taco freak for us," she says. "She really is hopeless, you know."

With that, the three sisters fade into wisps of red light, which contract into a small, shining shape: a blood red jewel, which Sonata takes hold of and clasps against her chest.

"Bye, Adagio. Bye, Aria. I miss you."

Sonata's phone beeps twice, activating Black Butterfly on its own. Her battle outfit forms on her body, changing in a red flash into a sleeveless magenta minidress with darker red spangles and gold trim around the indecently short skirt, which is slit up the sides; the top of the dress is more like a bikini, barely containing Sonata's breasts and preserving her modesty. With the thin straps and lack of a back, Sonata's shoulders, armpits, biceps, and decolletage are bare, as are her thighs; she wears high-heeled pink boots with purple accents that extend to just above the knee. A purple sash is wrapped around her waist, from which a translucent piece of lavender cloth dangles over her crotch area. From the elbows down, she wears detached purple sleeves with long, trailing silk trains spangled with pink hearts and jagged blue eighth-notes that hang down to her knees. A scalloped pink cape hangs from the back of her dress, the edges resembling frilled fish fins.

"Oooh, fancy!" Pinkie says, giggling.

Sonata looks down at herself and gasps happily. "I love it!"

"It's a bit...high-fantasy," Rarity says with a grimace of distaste.

"It's a bit Final Fantasy," Rainbow says, smirking.

Sonata's crossbow glows purple and changes, growing larger. The stock is a deep amethyst, while the bow now resembles a large, stylized black bat. The string and readied bolt form a shining white cross, and the mounted scope sports a pair of molded cat ears.

"That's...a really terrible design for a crossbow," Twilight observes. "I mean, if this were reality, that thing would never work."

"Not to mention it's a bit...confused," I say. "A bat and a cat? The hell IS that?"

Sonata sticks her tongue out at us.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Death awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Alice, has awakened to the skill Unbirthday.



Use this power wisely...


"Well met, brave souls. You've conquered Death. Rest now, and remember:

"Twelve still are left..."

As Zecora fades away, I look around at my friends. "Listen," I say. "If...if the rest of you don't want to deal with..." I grimace and gesture at Sonata. "What Pinkie and Sonata went through here..."

The girls look at each other. There's obvious uncertainty and doubt in their eyes and expressions.

Finally, Rainbow takes a deep breath. "I ain't backin' down," she says.

"Me neither," Applejack agrees. She laughs weakly. "Hell, whut've Ah got t' hide? That Ah'm way too country for mah own good? Shit, everybody knows that."

"We're all in this together," Twilight assures me, taking my hand and squeezing it. "No matter how ugly things get. We've got something important to do, and we're not stopping until we get it done. No matter what it takes." She looks at the others. "Right?"

"RIGHT!" the girls chorus.

I feel the strength of my friends' resolve wash over me...

The Velvet Room fades away, but the warmth in my heart remains.
> 6/26 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, June 26, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I wake up with a bare pink ass in my face.

"Wakey-wakey, Flashie!" Pinkie coos. "You owe me some kissies."

The tent flap opens. "C'mon, y'all, we got a lot t'—seriously?"

"Oh, hiya AJ!" Pinkie says cheerfully.

Applejack groans. I can't see her face, but I can see the silhouette of her hand rising up to meet it. "Dammit all, Pinkie."

"Whaaaaat?" Pinkie whines. "He promised me kissies! You were there!"

"I uhh...don't think this is the time," I say. "Maybe later?" I look over at Twilight, who's just starting to wake up. "Maybe all three of us, y'know, tonight or something?"

"Hmmm...well, okay!" Pinkie giggles. She stands up; I hear cloth rustling, and then she slips out of the tent past Applejack.

"Hey! Y'all wash yer doggone hands now!" Applejack calls after her.

Twilight sits up in her sleeping bag. "It's gonna be one of those days, isn't it?"

I roll my eyes and get up. "C'mon, we'd better take the shit jobs this morning."

Twilight and I spend the next forty minutes or so cleaning up shit, then get cleaned up for breakfast. At breakfast, Shining Armor doesn't seem to want to look anybody in the eye. At first, I don't notice it, but after seeing Twilight slow in her eating and give her brother a frown, it catches my attention. He especially doesn't seem to want to look at either of us.

Sunset Shimmer, on the other hand, is in a spectacularly cheerful mood. She's chatting and laughing with an oblivious Scootaloo while they eat.

I nudge Twilight. "You don't think—" I whisper.

Twilight frowns. Her head drops. "I don't know," she whispers back. "I just...I just don't know..."

I look over at Shining Armor, then back at Sunset. Sunset notices me looking in her direction, winks, and goes back to her conversation with Scootaloo.

My jaw tightens. Throughout the morning's chores, I feel tense. I have a pretty good idea what happened...

Sunday, June 26, 2016 / Daytime

Around mid-morning, the truck arrives to pick up the order we've been packing. Big Mac, Shining Armor, and I load the apples onto the truck. When we're done, we take a moment to rest out behind the house with cold apple cider.

While we're resting, I decide to confront Shining Armor. "So," I say as I take a long swig of my cider, "you did it."

"Huh?" Shining Armor asks a bit nervously.

"After everything that's happened, you went and fucked Sunset Shimmer."

Big Macintosh turns a sharp glare toward Shining Armor.

"Don't try to deny it," I say. "Twilight and I both noticed something was up with you at breakfast."

Shining Armor hangs his head and sighs. He slumps down against the wall, cradling his bottle.

I shake my head. "You're an asshole," I say. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Shining Armor says quietly.

"Th' hell you doin' sleepin' around on your wife?" Big Mac asks in a soft, dangerous tone.

Shining Armor swallows nervously. "I—"

"Cadance wouldn't care if it had been like, Rarity or one of the other girls," I say. "She even said as much. It's just specifically Sunset Shimmer that's the problem." I take a long swig of cider.

Big Mac frowns. "Seriously?"

I shrug. "Cadance is...complicated."

Big Mac drains the rest of his cider in one swallow. "Ah'm outta here," he says. "See y'all at lunch after you git all this—whutever—talked out." He walks away, casting severe looks back at the two of us.

Once we're alone, Shining Armor sighs. "Look, I...I didn't mean to—"

I haul off and pop him one in the face. "Don't even."

He rubs at his cheek, spitting out a little blood, and sucks in a hissing breath. "Okay, I deserved that," he says. He presses the cold cider bottle against his cheek and winces as he slides slowly down the wall, drawing his knees up to his chest.

I take a deep breath, then sit down. "Why?" I ask. "Just answer me that. You know what she's put us all through. So...why?"

Shining Armor sighs. "It's stupid."

"Probably. I still want to hear it."

He shakes his head and shrugs. "Back in high school, back before I really met Cadance, there was this girl. She was..." He chuckles. "She was my dream girl." He looks up at the sky, a faraway look in his eyes. "Copper Penny," he says. "She was smoking hot and she knew it. You know those cheesy old movies where the geeky guy sees the super-hot dream babe walking down the hall in slow motion, with smoke and hair metal and all that?" He sighs wistfully. "That was her.

"All the guys wanted her. She was super popular. She was nice to all the right people, and kind of a bitch to everybody else. But nobody cared, because she was just so...amazing." He takes a drink of cider, grimacing slightly. "But I was a freshman and she was a senior. I never had the nerve to try to talk to her, and even if I did, well..." He chuckles. "It wouldn't have ended well. But oh, at night, after Mom and Dad and Twiley went to bed, I'd—"

"I get the idea."

"Sorry." Shining Armor coughs once and shrugs. "Anyway, Sunset Shimmer...she looks exactly like Copper Penny. And I know what an evil, manipulative bitch she's been to everybody. But..."

"But suddenly, this girl who looks like your old high school wet dream starts hitting on you and showing interest in you, and it's every adolescent fantasy you ever had come to life?"

"Yeah," Shining Armor says in a quiet, rough voice.

"And all the people she's tried to kill, blackmailed, bullied...none of that ever crossed your mind?"

Shining Armor looks away.

"Her trying to kill your own wife and sister, none of that mattered? All that mattered was living out some adolescent fantasy?"

Shining Armor says nothing.

"Don't bother coming inside for lunch," I say. "Just stay out here and think about what an asshole you are." With that, I finish off my cider and head inside to wash up for lunch.

The atmosphere at lunch is...tense.

"Where's Shining Armor?" Sunset asks as she starts cutting up a piece of ham.

"He isn't feeling well," I snap, glaring at her. "Seems to have come down with something."

"Well, that's a shame," Granny says. "Reckon we'll let 'im be fer th' rest of th' day."

"Eeyup," Big Mac grunts.

The girls aren't buying it, but nobody seems to want to say anything. All through lunch, Twilight alternates between glancing questioningly at me and glaring accusingly at Sunset.

After lunch, Twilight and I drag Sunset out behind the stables. She looks honestly confused and surprised. "H-hey guys," she says. "Wh-what's up? I—"

Twilight hauls off and slaps her. "Bitch," she snarls.

"Sunset, why," I say, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "Why were you so adamant about getting Shining Armor to have sex with you?"

Sunset looks back and forth between us. "Oh, that's what this is about," she says. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "You two are taking this way too seriously."

"Too seriously? Too seriously?!" Twilight shrieks. "You've spent the past year trying to kill me and everybody I care about and you just fucked my MARRIED BROTHER WHO HAS A KID ON THE WAY and I'm not supposed to take this SERIOUSLY?!"

Sunset blinks, flinching away from Twilight. "...wow," she says. She casts her eyes down. "When you put it like that, I kinda sound like a monster bitch, huh?"

"You are a monster bitch, Sunset," I point out.

Sunset bows her head, wrapping her arms around herself. Tears well up in her eyes.

"Don't try to get sympathy from us," Twilight hisses.

"SHUT UP!" Sunset snaps. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I—"

I step between them. "BOTH OF YOU, calm down." I turn to Twilight. "Go pick apples," I say. "Or something. Anything you can't hurt yourself or someone else doing."

Twilight glares at me, her chest heaving.

"GO," I insist. "Get control of yourself. I'll deal with this for now." I sigh, then take her chin and turn her to face me. I look her right in the eyes. "She deserves whatever you want to say to her, whatever you want to do to her. But give me a few minutes first, okay?"

"Why, so you can fuck her just like my brother fucked her?" Twilight seethes.

"No, so I can talk to her, maybe find out what her problem is."

"Her problem?!" Twilight throws her hands into the air. "Her problem is she's a twisted, psychotic bitch!"

"Yes, she is, but so was Eris."

Twilight flinches. "That's not fair," she says softly.

"Go," I repeat. "Calm down. It's not like Sunset's going anywhere. You can go off on her later."

Twilight gives me a hard glare, but relents. Shooting Sunset one last evil stare, she stalks off, fists clenched at her sides.

Sunset takes a deep breath. "Thank you," she says shakily.

I turn around and slap her harder than Twilight did, knocking her off-balance. "Fuck you," I snap. "You knew damn well what kind of trouble you'd cause by screwing Shining Armor."

Sunset slumps against the wall and slides down it, curling into a ball. Her eyes fill with tears. "N-no," she says. "It...it isn't like that. I wasn't..." She buries her face in her hands. "I...I need to tell Twilight and...and Cadance..."

"Tell them what?"

"That I...that I'm sorry..."

I sit down across from her, cross-legged, folding my arms. "Are you?"

She sniffles, looking up at me. "I..." Her breath hitches. "I know you don't believe me. I just...I didn't do it to hurt anybody. I really just...just wanted..."

"Wanted what?"

"To be treated like I'm not a disease for just a few minutes," Sunset says quietly. She looks up at me. Her eyes are wet and clouded. "Don't you get it? That's all I want. I want someone, anyone to give a damn about me. I've seen you and your friends and the way you are, I've listened to all your fights and all your laughter and everything you've all done together for months and I want that." She hugs herself tighter. "I want that," she repeats in a hoarse whisper.

"What does that have to do with screwing Shining Armor?"

"Because he made me feel like a person!" Sunset shouts through her tears. "In that barn last night, it wasn't all the stuff I've done and all the hate everybody has for me, it was just him, me, and an old blanket. No talking, no shouting, no slapping, just..." She waves her hand and sighs. "Just doing something normal. Something human." She looks at me over the tops of her knees. "I've been trying to do normal things with you and the girls ever since I got here, but there's always this tension. Always this suspicion. Always this mistrust."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"LOOK, I GET IT, OKAY?!" Sunset screams. "I'm the world's biggest CUNT! I deserve your hate! I deserve your scorn! I deserve to be tied down and spanked until my ass bleeds!" She buries her face in her thighs, her shoulders shaking. "I just..."

She starts sniffling. Faint sobs, muffled by her jeans, fill the air between us.

Seeing her like this, I almost feel sorry for her. I almost feel pity...

"Sunset, what are you trying to pull here? Really. Be straight with me."

She doesn't talk for a long time. When she finally does, she looks up at me with red eyes. "I'm not trying to pull anything," she says hoarsely. "I just...I screwed up. I wanted to feel like somebody cared about me, even if it was just for a few minutes, and..." She trails off, scrubbing her face with her hands. "Ever since I moved into the dorm, I've been trying," she says. "After I saw how easily you all forgave Fluttershy for everything she pulled, I thought hey, maybe if I can show them I can be a decent person, that I can be fun to be around..." She sighs. "I hoped maybe..."

She falls silent for a minute. When she looks up at me again, her eyes are full of loneliness and pain.

"I hoped the girls would maybe want to be my friend." She looks away, her swollen eyes half-lidded. "I guess that was a stupid thing to hope for."

I watch her for a time. "Yeah, it was," I say. "Because you've been going about it the wrong way. And the fact that you've got all that blackmail material on all of us isn't helping."

Sunset sniffles. "If I didn't have a trump card, you'd all kill me. Or have me thrown in jail. Or..."

I stare at her. "Do you really think that little of us?"

"I don't know!" Sunset cries. "I don't..." She hugs her knees tightly. "I'm scared. I just...I don't know what I'm doing anymore, and I don't know how to...how to..."

I stand up, sigh, and shake my head. "Get yourself cleaned up," I say. "Wash your face, get something to drink, go sit in your tent until I call you. I'm gonna go try to talk Twilight down, then I'm going to tell the others we need to have a long talk tonight."

Sunset nods miserably, stands up, and wipes her eyes with her arm, sniffling. She trudges back up to the house. I pull out my phone and text Twilight. After a minute, I get a response telling me she's in the west orchard.

It takes me ten minutes to find her. She's rubbing the back of her hand and glaring up at a tree. "What's wrong?" I ask.

She shoots me a vicious look, then resumes glaring up at the tree. "There's a bat hiding up there," she says. "It flew down and scared the hell out of me. It scratched my hand..."

"So let's get away from this tree," I say. I frown. "The hell's a bat doing in an apple tree, anyway?"

"No idea." We walk some distance from the tree, then Twilight stops and looks over at me. "So?"

I sigh.

Twilight frowns and crosses her arms. "Don't tell me she told you some sob story and now you pity her."

"I do pity her," I say. "But pity and forgiveness aren't the same thing." I jam my hands in my pockets. "Look. Sunset's a messed-up bitch who's done messed-up things. I don't trust her, I don't expect you or anybody else to. But I think..." I take a deep breath. "I think she's just lonely and wants to make friends and doesn't know how."

Twilight snorts. "Please."

"I'm serious," I say sternly. "Now, why she wants to try to be friends with us, the people she's fucked over the worst, I have no idea. I think..." I look off in the direction Sunset went in. "I think she thinks we'll forgive her the way we forgave Fluttershy if she's just honest and tries to be nice."

"That's not happening," Twilight says, but her voice hitches. "Especially not after she screwed—"

"Twi..." I take a deep breath. "She says the only reason she did that is because Shining Armor is the only person here who isn't treating her like a disease. I believe her. I mean, I believe that's what she believes. Now, I talked to your brother earlier, and his reason for screwing her is...honestly? It's bullshit." I spend a minute telling her what Shining Armor told me.

Twilight gawks. "Oh my god, seriously?" She shakes her head. "That idiot! I ought to—"

"Let Cadance deal with it," I say. "This is between them, not us. We've got our own problems."

"He's my brother!" Twilight cries. "It's absolutely my problem!"

"Shining Armor already knows what a low-down dirty dog he is," I say. "You laying into him and making him feel like more of a dog isn't helping. Let this scab over." I sigh. "Right now, we need to deal with Sunset Shimmer. We need to get everybody together tonight and sit down and talk to her. Let everybody hear what she said to me. I think...I think that's the right thing to do right now." At Twilight's doubtful look, I pull her into a hug. "You trust me, right?"

Twilight sniffles. "Of course I do. It's just—"

"I know." I kiss her gently. "Let's try doing this my way, okay? We've already done enough screaming and slapping and hitting people today."

Twilight nods. "A-alright."

I frown, looking up at the tree. "In the meantime, let's figure out what the hell's going on with that bat..."

By the time Pinkie calls everybody to the house for supper, we've made an unfortunate discovery: half the trees in the west orchard are infested with bats.

Sunday, June 26, 2016 / Evening

As soon as we get back to the house, I tell Big Mac and Applejack about the bats. Big Mac lets out a long-suffering sigh. "Dammit, not th' damn bats again," he mutters. "We went through this before."

"What do we do about it?" I ask.

Big Mac shakes his head. "Gotta get a specialist out here," he says. "Ah'll put in th' call first thing tomorrow. They got ways t' git bats outta them trees." He frowns. "Y'all sorted out that mess with Shining Armor an' that girl?"

I grimace. "We're working on it. We're actually going to have a big meeting with everybody after supper, there's a lot to talk about and that's only part of it."

Big Mac scratches his head. "Alright," he says.

Supper is more tense than usual. Shining Armor isn't looking at anyone. Sunset is an absolute wreck. Twilight spends more time glaring at both of them than she does eating, and when she does eat, she does it viciously.

Granny Smith looks around the table, frowning. "Alright, whut burr done got in y'all's britches?"

"Yeah, you all look kinda..." Rainbow says, frowning.

Sunset looks at Shining Armor, who looks at Twilight, who glares at him, then turns away.

I shake my head. "We have a lot to talk about. All of us."

Applejack frowns. "Coach done porked Sunset, huh?"

"Yeah."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow cries. "DUDE! NOT COOL!"

"Oh, you're one to talk," Fluttershy snorts. "You were feeling her up that one day—"

"Enough," I say. "After supper, we're going to talk about a lot of things."

Nobody seems happy with that, but everybody settles for shooting accusatory glares and disgruntled frowns around the table as they pick at supper. When we're finally done, Granny and the four younger girls take care of the dishes while the rest of us move off to the living room.

"Okay, let's get the worst part out of the way," I say. "Last night, Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer snuck off and had sex." I glare at Shining Armor. "I kinda saw it coming, but I hoped—hoped—he'd have better sense."

Shining Armor refuses to look at anybody.

"But we're going to let Cadance deal with that," I say. "After all, it's between them."

Rarity frowns. "To be honest, Nurse Cadance has extremely little room to complain here, even if..." She glares at Sunset. "Even if it was with her."

"And that right there is the other thing we need to talk about." I take a deep breath, look around the room, then look at Sunset. "Sunset. Everything you said earlier today. Did you really mean it, or were you just playing me?"

Sunset frowns miserably. "I meant it," she says. She looks around at the girls. "I know you all hate me," she says. "I know I've done terrible things. There's nothing I can say or do that'll make up for everything I've done." She rubs her eyes, which are still red and swollen. "I just...I don't want to be alone anymore. I've been alone for so long..." She sighs. "I told myself I didn't need friends. I told myself only weak people needed friends. But seeing you all, watching you work together, watching you deal with all the shit I've thrown at you, spying on you all, just watching you all since I've been at the dorm..." She trails off, hanging her head. "I'm jealous, and I'm miserable, and...and I want to try to...to show you all I can change." She looks up, her gaze sweeping around the room. "That's all I want. A chance to change, to try to make friends." She lets out a snort of dry laughter. "I've spent so much time and energy on you all, trying to hurt you, doing all kinds of things to you...the sad thing is, you're the closest things to friends I have." She buries her face in her hands. "I'm pathetic."

"Yeah, you are," Rainbow says coldly.

"You seriously think any of us would ever want to be your friend?" Fluttershy says in a cold voice.

"No, I don't," Sunset says hoarsely. "But I had to try." She looks at Fluttershy. "They forgave you. After everything you did, they're all your friends. Don't I deserve that chance?"

"Oh, bullshit," Rainbow snaps.

Fluttershy flinches. "That was a cheap shot," she says.

"I know," Sunset says. She sighs.

"Sunset," I say, "if you're serious, if you really want us to take anything you're saying seriously...if you want to have any chance whatsoever at any of us seeing you as anything more than a complete monster, you know what you have to do."

Sunset meets my gaze for several seconds. She swallows, then nods. She pulls out her phone and throws it to Fluttershy. "There," she says hoarsely. "You do it. That way they'll know there's no tricks."

Fluttershy frowns, but unlocks Sunset's phone and starts tapping the screen. We all watch her silently for almost two full minutes. At length, she lets out a shaky sigh.

"It's all erased," she says. "Every last scrap of blackmail she has on everybody."

"And the backup servers?" Twilight asks.

"Shut down," Fluttershy reports. "All of them." She looks up at Sunset, her eyes sharp. "That was all of them, right?"

Sunset nods.

Rainbow blinks. "Wait. You mean...that's it? It's over?"

Sunset shrugs. "There's still three Hunter Shadows left in Zodiac. Nothing I can do about that. Just because I can make them go after certain people doesn't mean I know where they came from or why any of it exists in the first place." She looks around the room. "Everything I could've done to hurt you all is gone. You can call the cops on me or kill me and bury me in the orchard or whatever now. I'm completely at your mercy."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Rarity asks skeptically.

Fluttershy spends another minute fiddling with Sunset's phone, then tosses it back to her. Sunset looks at it, then wordlessly pockets it.

I look around the room. "I don't trust Sunset Shimmer farther than I could throw Big Macintosh," I say. "But earlier today, I talked to her, I listened to her, and I heard something honest in what she said." I take a deep breath. "I think maybe she really does want to try to change." I look pointedly at Sunset. "Nothing she could possibly do could make up for all the shit she's put us through. I honestly doubt she's through doing things that'll aggravate, annoy, or upset us."

Sunset looks away.

"But..." I pause, looking around at my friends. "I think we should see how this plays out. Give her a chance to convince us she can be a human being."

"Are you serious?" Applejack says, staring at me.

"Yeah, I am."

Rainbow groans. "Oh god, leave it to a guy to get all sappy over a chick with big tits."

I stare at Rainbow. "You're kidding, right? She raped me. You think that's some shit I'm just gonna ignore?"

Rainbow grimaces.

"Look, I'm not saying we just forgive Sunset for all her sins and blow rainbows out our asses like some little girls' horse cartoon. I'm just saying we should wait a little while and see if she can change." I look at Fluttershy. "I mean, if we don't at least try to give her a chance the way we did with Fluttershy, we're a bunch of hypocrites."

Fluttershy scowls at me. "Seriously, stop comparing me to her," she says.

Pinkie's hair droops. "You know, he's not wrong," she says. "We did kinda let Fluttershy off the hook really easy and she did some pretty sick stuff." She gives Fluttershy an apologetic look.

"Pinkie," Twilight says with exasperation, "Sunset Shimmer is the reason your family—"

Pinkie holds up a hand. "Don't," she says. With a sigh, she adds, "That was gonna happen anyway. Honestly? Sunset may have actually done me a favor." She looks around the room. "Sure, what she did was awful and really screwed me over, but..." She looks at me. "It happened at exactly the right time. Flash, Cadance, Auntie Velvet...they all stepped in to help me right away. What if I'd already been in college when my family decided to cut me off? What if I'd been all on my own without anybody to lean on?" She shakes her head. "I'm not blaming Sunset Shimmer for what happened with my family. If they were a real family, it wouldn't have happened at all no matter how many embarrassing pictures or videos she sent them."

Twilight blinks. "I never really thought of it that way," she says softly.

Pinkie suddenly glares fiercely at Sunset. "Don't get me wrong, you're still a bitch," she says. "And if you hurt anybody I care about ever again, nobody will be able to find what's left of you." Her hair and eyes suddenly return to normal. "But I think maybe Flash is right. If you're really done trying to hurt us, well..." She looks around the room.

Everybody fidgets, looking at their hands or their laps or each other. Nobody wants to say anything.

I clear my throat. "We need to sleep on this," I say. "We're all running too hot right now. Too much has happened."

The others get up and start leaving, heading for the camp. Nobody is looking at Shining Armor or Sunset. Before Fluttershy leaves, I catch her by the arm. "Swap tents with Applejack tonight," I whisper. "I want you keeping watch over Sunset tonight."

Fluttershy glares at me.

"Don't give me that look. You know why—"

"Yeah," Fluttershy says resignedly. "Okay."

By the time Twilight, Pinkie, and I get to our tent, I feel drained. I crawl into my sleeping bag, doing my best to ignore the palpable unease and tension I feel from Twilight, as well as the worry and doubt Pinkie is radiating.

I'm not even sure what I'm trying to accomplish here...

Why am I willing to give Sunset a chance?
> 6/27 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, June 27, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Life's problems don't go away overnight. Sometimes you need to let something cool off for a few days.

When we all get up for morning chores, I can't help but notice that Sunset Shimmer looks really jacked up. Her face is bruised, her nose is swollen, and she grimaces when she tries to smile. Her eyes are also still red and puffy.

I pull Fluttershy aside before she can head off to the stables. "What happened last night?"

She shrugs. "I might've kicked her a couple of times. And..." She looks away, folding her arms defensively. "She was up pretty much all night crying."

"Crying?" I watch Sunset head off for the chicken coop.

"Yep. Crying." Fluttershy shakes her head and walks off.

Twilight walks over to me, a questioning look on her face. I shrug. "Rough night all around, I guess." I head for the pig pen, Twilight right behind me.

Sunset's not the only one who's a wasted wreck this morning. Evidently, Shining Armor spent most of the night drinking; he's badly hung over. When everybody heads inside for breakfast, we find Granny Smith giving him the stink eye as she hands him a rather large cup of coffee. "Twilight, Flash, y'all deal with this mess," Granny says. "Call up that purty wife'a his, git this no-good sack o' shit yelled at, whutever y'all gotta do." She rounds on Sunset. "As fer you, y' home-wreckin' little jezzebel...Applejack's gonna work yer butt inta th' ground today, an' Ah don't wanna hear'a you makin' any more trouble. Ah've got half a mind t' call th' cops an' have them come after you." She shakes a mixing spoon at Sunset threateningly. "If'n it weren't fer not havin' any proof you done wrong, you'd be on your way t' th' slammer right now. Buuuut since that ain't gonna cut it, nothin' like some good hard farm work t' beat th' whore right outta you."

"Yes, Granny Smith," Sunset says meekly.

As soon as Shining Armor is slightly more functional than a shambling corpse, we take him upstairs to the guest bedroom, set up Twilight's laptop, and make a video call to the dorm.

Cadance greets us with a pleasant smile. "Twiley! Flash! Shiny! This is a surprise!"

"H-hey, Cadie," Shining Armor stammers roughly.

Cadance's smile turns to a concerned frown. "Are you alright? You look sick."

"He's sick alright," Twilight mutters.

Shining Armor fidgets. "I..."

"Oh, did the kids call?" Velvet steps into the camera and waves. "Hi, kids! Shiny, you look terrible."

I cough. "Cadance? You know that one thing you didn't want Shining Armor to do?"

"FLASH!" Twilight hisses.

Cadance's frown deepens. Her eyes narrow. "I see," she says. She looks directly at Shining Armor. "Shiny? I want to hear it from you. Now."

Shining Armor cringes. "I, umm...with Sunset—"

"WHY?" Cadance shrieks without giving him a chance to finish. "And if you give me that Copper Penny shit, I swear to GOD I'll—"

"LOOK, I DON'T KNOW, OKAY?" Shining Armor explodes. "I don't know." He holds his head, covering his face. "I'm stupid. I did a stupid thing. I'm stupid. Cadie, I..."

I frown. "Wait, he's pulled out that lame-ass Copper Penny excuse before?"

Cadance rolls her eyes. "Every time I've talked to him about his flirting with Sunset Shimmer, he says 'she looks like Copper Penny'. It took me three years to get him to get rid of that stupid poster he had over his bed when we were dating."

"Poster?" Twilight asks, wrinkling her nose.

Velvet grimaces. "That obscene poster he had over his bed, yeah," she says. "I swear, Night Light should never have taken Shiny to a movie like that when he was only fifteen..."

Twilight and I trade a confused glance. "Movie?"

Cadance raises an eyebrow. "The movie with that swimsuit model?"

I glance over at Shining Armor. "You said Copper Penny was a senior when you were a freshman," I say.

"Well, she was," he says. "In the movie I saw when I was a freshman."

You know how in Neighponese anime, the characters fall over when they hear something really stupid? I think Twilight and I just did that.

Cadance groans. "Shiny, did you try to excuse you screwing Sunset Shimmer by telling these kids she reminded you of a high school crush?"

"Kinda?"

"Oh, for..." Cadance shakes her head. "I'm too pregnant to deal with this right now." She grunts as she pushes off the couch and stalks off in a huff.

"Well I'm not," Velvet says. "Shining Bartholomew Armor, you are grounded," she snarls.

...Bartholomew?

"Mooom! I'm twenty-s—"

"I DON'T CARE!" Velvet yells. "You are grounded until your baby is born, except for when your wife needs you to get something for her."

"But Mom—"

"DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE AND TEAR YOUR BUTT OFF."

"—Yes mommy."

It's taking every ounce of willpower I have not to burst out laughing right now.

"Honestly," Velvet rants. "You've always been a good boy. You've almost never given your father and I grief. Sometimes you have your head up your ass and it's aggravating, but...this..." She shakes her head. "Of all the things I never expected my wonderful little boy would do..."

Shining Armor whimpers pitifully.

Cadance lets out a slow, hissing breath. "We'll talk later, Shiny." She turns to Twilight. "Make sure he does the most backbreaking, painful, soul-crushing thing there is to do on that farm today. And tomorrow. And the rest of the week too."

Twilight salutes. "Oh, you can count on it," she says. "Listen, I have some other stuff to tell you that's really important, but it can wait until tomorrow night."

Cadance nods. "Alright."

Shining Armor slumps forward as the call closes, his face in his hands. "Oh God..."

"God can't help you now," Twilight says. The look in her eyes is terrifying...

Monday, June 27, 2016 / Daytime

The bat removal specialists are coming tomorrow. In the meantime, the first part of Twilight's punishment is to force Shining Armor to save as many apples from the west orchard as he can. The only protective gear he's allowed is a pair of safety goggles and a pair of thick work gloves.

Every time a bat swoops down on him, he screams like a little girl.

As for Sunset Shimmer, Applejack has her working in the barn all day. Right after breakfast, she put her to work clearing all the hay from the barn and scrubbing every inch of the floor and walls. After that, she put her up on a ladder to shore up some creaky beams.

When the rest of us go in for one of Granny and Pinkie's amazing lunches, all Shining Armor and Sunset get are a cold chicken sandwich and some chips.

Monday, June 27, 2016 / Evening

After a long day of work, Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer are allowed to join the rest of us for dinner. Nobody is looking at either of them or talking to either of them. Shining Armor is avoiding everybody's gaze. Sunset looks like she wants to talk to us, but is afraid to.

We all turn in early. Twilight doesn't seem to want to talk about Shining Armor or Sunset Shimmer tonight, so I don't press the issue.

Tomorrow night, we have our next battle in the Velvet Room.
> 6/28 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): When the sun sets on a tragedy, it often rises on an opportunity.

We've been at Sweet Apple Acres a week now. On Saturday, we're going back home.

Throughout the morning, Shining Armor refuses to look at or speak to anyone. His face and arms are sporting a number of bandages from scratches and minor bites he received yesterday. Granny Smith gave him a rabies shot last night that had him howling like a banshee.

And then there's Sunset Shimmer. She's making a real effort to engage everyone in conversation. Most of the girls won't indulge her, or are snippy with her. There's a general air of unease throughout breakfast.

As we're all finishing up breakfast, Big Macintosh clears his throat. "Them bat catcher guys are comin' out this mornin' t' clear th' west orchard. There's plenty o' work t' do, but Ah don't think we need t' work in th' trees today."

"Suits me," Applejack says. "Ain't like anything else is ready fer pickin' nohow."

"They're not going to kill the bats, are they?" Fluttershy asks.

"Nah," Granny Smith says. "They're jes' gonna round 'em up an' take 'em out t' th' woods."

After clearing the breakfast dishes, we head out to do chores.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 / Daytime

A little past ten, I'm working in the vegetable garden with Rarity when a black pickup trundles up the dusty path onto the farm, hauling an extremely creaky trailer behind it that's covered in a heavy military surplus tarp with a huge black bat painted on either side with a red circle-and-slash symbol. When it comes to a stop, the doors open and two men step out.

One of them is middle-aged, wearing a grey jumpsuit, heavy blue boots and gloves, and a dark blue hat which shades his eyes. A heavy yellow toolbelt is strapped around his waist, and the front of his jumpsuit has a big yellow circle on it, at the center of which sits a little picture of a bat with a red circle and slash through it. The other guy, who looks to be about college-age, is wearing green skinny jeans, boots, and gloves, a sleeveless red shirt, and dark sunglasses. He looks rather beleaguered.

Rarity takes one look at them and her jaw drops in disbelief. "Sweet mercy," she says. "Such...such horrid outfits..."

Big Macintosh is up on the roof of the house replacing some shingles. He sees the two men approach and calls down to me. "Flash, you show 'em where to go. Ah gotta git this roof done up."

"Right." I take off my gardening gloves, stand up, brush my knees off, and walk over to the two men, who are removing equipment from the bed of their truck.

"Good day, young fellow," the older man says in a rich, commanding voice—or at least, a campy TV parody of one. "My fine chum and I are here to take care of your bat problem." He turns to the college kid. "Red Robin, ready the bat cages and hand me the bat stun rod."

"My name's Gibson, Mr. West," the kid—Gibson—grumbles as he hands Mr. West a cattle prod and picks up two large steel cages full of airholes.

"It's this way," I say, leading them into the orchard. Halfway there, Fluttershy joins our little group, followed by Applejack.

Work on the farm is a little on the thin side today, I guess. Or maybe they're just curious.

By the time we reach the west orchard and the first row of bat-infested trees, everyone except Shining Armor, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity are trailing after us. "This is the spot," I say.

"This whole part of th' orchard," Applejack clarifies, gesturing expansively with one hand. "Four acres from here back yonder that way."

"Four acres?!" Gibson cries. "Holy ten man job, Mr. West! This is gonna take all day and I'm supposed to be at band practice at four!"

"Hold steady, old chum," Mr. West says. "Saving this fine farm from a fiendish fruit felon fiasco is more important than hanging out with some hookah-huffing hippies."

Gibson gives him a cross stare. "We're a garage band," he says. "We don't smoke pot." In a muttered undertone, he adds, "We shoot heroin."

"Which is why you'll work the hours I tell you to work," Mr. West says in a less grandiose, more gruff tone. "Now, ready the bat cages, Red Robin."

Gibson sighs. "Right away, Mr. West."

Rainbow edges closer to me. "Speaking of bats, I think this guy's got a few flapping around in his brain," she whispers.

"Umm, Mr. West?" Fluttershy asks. "You...you're not going to hurt the bats, are you?"

Mr. West chuckles as he checks his cattle prod. "Fear not, lovely lass. A mild stun, nothing more. They'll wake up safely secured in my mobile bat cave."

"Mobile...?"

"I think he means that trailer hitched up to his truck," I say.

"Stand back, citizens!" Mr. West says as he approaches the first tree, cattle prod at the ready. Gibson gives us all a glance that says 'you don't want to get too close', then trudges after him. The rest of us exchange a concerned look, then back off to a distance of about twelve feet.

As odd as he is, Mr. West does seem to know what he's doing. As soon as he's up the tree, we can faintly hear his cattle prod crackling, followed by one HELL of a racket as the bats in the tree go crazy. One bat drops to the ground, twitching. Gibson scoops it up and crams it into a cage. Not long after, another bat falls, then another. The noise level in the tree subsides, but we can hear bats starting to get restless in the other trees.

"Wow, that guy's crazy like a fox," Sunset says.

Mr. West drops down out of the tree, then walks over to another, Gibson right behind him. After two trees, both cages are full of bats, and Gibson has to carry them back to the truck. A few steps away, he stops and turns, addressing me. "We actually have six of these big cages in the truck," he says. "This could go a lot faster if I had a little help on catch and release."

"Now, Red Robin," Mr. West says sternly, hands on his hips, "we can't endanger these fine young people."

"No, it's fine," I say. I follow Gibson over to the truck; Applejack trails in behind me. We get the rest of the cages out of the pickup while Gibson opens up a flap in the tarp, unlocks a swinging steel door in the trailer, and carefully removes the bats—which are just starting to recover—from the cages and releases them into the trailer. Once his two cages are empty, the three of us walk back over to the orchard.

It isn't long before everybody else joins us in watching the bizarre spectacle that is Mr. West's bat removal. With so many of us hanging around watching, we end up forming a constantly moving bucket brigade, hauling cages back to the truck, emptying them into the trailer, and bringing the empties back. Mr. West is doing all the dangerous work of shocking the bats out of the trees, so none of us are handling angry, biting, scratching animals—just sad-looking unconscious leather flapbags. Even with our makeshift bucket brigade speeding up the process, it's almost suppertime when we're done, and the trailer on the "Bat Wagon" is almost completely full.

"I'll be back next week to sweep for stragglers," Mr. West says as he collects his pay while a surly Gibson stows the gear. "It takes a few days to offload this many bats."

"We thank ya kindly," Granny Smith says.

As Mr. West and Gibson drive off, Silver Spoon adjusts her glasses. "Well, that was a thing I'd never have seen in the city," she says.

"Eeyup," Apple Bloom agrees.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 / Evening

Because of the whole bat thing, Granny gets a late start on dinner. The rest of us decide to relax in the house. I'm in the middle of a card game with some of the girls when my phone rings. It's Mom. I excuse myself from the game and find a quiet place to talk.

"How's it going, Flash?" Mom asks. "You're out on that farm, right?"

"That's right. We've been doing farm chores all week long. Well, most of the time. Today we actually had a little excitement here." I tell her all about the bat infestation and the bizarre antics of the bat catchers.

"Well, that's...interesting. How's everything else going? What about the problems you've been having with that girl?"

I sigh. "Yeah, there's been some drama on that front. We're...we're dealing with it."

"Oh my...it sounds like she's causing trouble."

"She's caused plenty of trouble," I mutter. "But it's...we're managing."

"Flash? You...you know you can talk to me about anything, right? Me and your dad, we're just worried about you."

I smile even though she can't see it. "I know, Mom. But really, I'm fine. Right now, it's Shining Armor who's in trouble, and that's not a problem I can fix. That's between him, his wife, and Mrs. Velvet."

"He didn't...with that girl, did he?" Mom hisses. "Men. Good grief. I swear. Well, as long as you're not cheating on Twilight with her—"

"Trust me, I'm definitely not." I sigh. "I'm just trying to figure out what she's really up to."

"Well, just be careful. And remember, we're always here for you."

"I will. Thanks, Mom." We talk for a while longer; when Granny yells that supper is ready, I say goodbye and head out to join the others.

It's very late by the time we all finish eating supper, and we have a battle tonight, so we all head to bed as soon as the dishes are washed.

The Velvet Room...

Once we're all together, Zecora and the gold-framed door bearing the Hanged Man Arcana appear. Before Zecora can rhyme at us, Twilight holds up a hand. "Can you give us a minute?" she asks. "We need to have a long talk about some things while certain people aren't around to eavesdrop."

Zecora frowns, but shrugs. "This is your collective dream," she says. "Do whatever best suits your team." She steps off to the side and makes a sweep of her hand. A small round table with a blue tablecloth appears, with plush blue chairs to either side and a tea service on top. Zecora sits down and waves a hand over the table. A bowl of shredded wheat biscuits appears. She picks one up, gives Twilight an imperious glare, and bites down on it with a savage *crunch*, chewing slowly and ominously.

Cadance looks miserable. "How...how's Shining Armor?" she asks. "I haven't spoken to him since..." She bows her head. "I've been screening his calls."

"I don't blame you," Twilight says. "He's...kind of a wreck, but he brought it on himself. We've all been pretty hard on him."

"He deserves it," I put in.

Cadance sighs. "Ever since I went off on him, I've been thinking about how many times I cheated on him..."

"This isn't the same," Twilight says. "Yes, you've done a lot of things you shouldn't have, and yes, he's only done this once, but it's..." She fumbles for words.

"Quality over quantity?" I offer.

Twilight glares at me. "That's not funny."

"Wasn't trying to be." I shrug. "Anyway, we've all been beating up on him, verbally and physically. He's kind of falling apart. Today he wouldn't say a word to anybody."

Cadance frowns. "I see." She takes a deep breath. "I guess tomorrow I'd better have a long talk with him, clear the air, try to figure out why he really slept with her of all people."

I cough. "Yeah, about that." I tell Cadance about my long talk with Sunset Shimmer, about the meeting we all had the other night, and about how compliant and meek she's been acting ever since. Once I'm done, I add, "I think Shining Armor picked up on the same thing I did and felt sorry for her."

Twilight scowls. "That's no excuse."

"No, it isn't," I say. "But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Something's really not adding up here. She's been..." I shrug and gesture vaguely. "She's been vulnerable lately. And she's given up all her blackmail material on us—"

"So she claims."

"Fluttershy seems to believe her on that much at least." I sigh. "I honestly don't know what to think anymore."

Cadance shakes her head. "We can't trust her," she says. "Not after everything she's done."

"I'm not saying we should," I say. "I just think maybe we should listen to her, maybe be open to the possibility that she really does want to change." I shrug. "I mean, what do we have to lose by just listening to her?"

Twilight purses her lips. "I..." She sighs. "If I'm completely honest with myself? The Sunset Shimmer we've spent the last few weeks with...I could've been friends with. Without the history between us and all the horrible things she's done, if I'd met her when she was like she's been lately, I really think I could've..." She lets out a frustrated groan. "AGH! Now she's getting into MY head!"

"Pardon me for interrupting," Rarity says suddenly. I didn't realize the rest of the girls were standing around us in a circle. "There is one matter of more immediate importance than whether or not we can trust Sunset Shimmer." She looks around at the vast expanse of the Velvet Room. "If we are no longer expecting a confrontation with that harridan and her monstrous Persona, is there any point in continuing these awful sessions?"

Zecora is suddenly beside her. "I would advise against abstaining from this special Shadow training," she says gravely. "If you stray from your current path, you might not survive the Devil's wrath."

I frown. "That's the second time you've mentioned the Devil," I say thoughtfully. "Is that some kind of warning about Red Flag?" A horrible thought strikes me. "Did Red Flag create Zodiac? Does...does he have a Persona? Is...is he our real enemy?"

"I can only guide you," Zecora says. "I cannot give you answers. You must find the answers for yourself." She steps away, arms folded behind her back.

We look at each other, eyes wide. "Okay, why is it every time she stops rhyming, I get creeped out?" Rainbow asks.

I look over at the Hanged Man door. "Maybe...we'd better do what we came here to do in the first place." I walk over to the door and touch it. It swings open with a sound like a badly tuned cello screeching. Octavia steps out.

Why can't anyone let me decide what I want for my own life? All my life, my mother has controlled my every move, my every action, my every minute. Then when I finally get her to let up...

She bows her head.

Now I have to deal with Vinyl. What good is being free to do what I want with my life when I'm saddled with a blind girlfriend? I'm not exactly free if I have to plan my life around taking care of her now, am I?

And my mother still disapproves of her. Of me. Of my refusal to be her plaything. I will never truly be free of her control.

She starts to tremble.

I won't have it! I'm sick of both of them! I just want...

She looks up; her eyes are gold on black.

I JUST WANT THE BOTH OF THEM TO DISAPPEAR!

"Wow, the boring high-class girl has boring problems," Rainbow says.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight snaps. "Honestly."

I am the Shadow, the True Self! My horrid shrew of a mother deserves to have her head bashed in! My so-called girlfriend? I hope that godawful noise she calls music makes her go deaf as well as blind!

Black flames wreathe Octavia's Shadow. She throws her head back and laughs psychotically...

...which turns into a gurgling scream as thick, thorny black chains ending in hooks shaped like bass clefs come flying out of nowhere; two chains snare her arms, sinking through her wrists, and pull them up, while two more chains sling around her thighs, spreading them wide apart. A larger, thicker chain, studded with treble clef-shaped spikes, slams through her head, obliterating it in a grisly red spray, and cleaves her torso right down the middle.

"EWW!"

"WHAT THE FUCK—"

"Oh, gross!"

With the distant sound of a clanky pully system cranking the chains, the mutilated corpse of Octavia's Shadow is lifted into the air, her skirt and socks stained with blood. As what's left of her rises, it grows and expands, as do the chains; they start growing together, thick inky ropes of black ichor branching out and weaving together to form a gruesome chandelier of tar-like ropes and chains. Octavia's legs are spread wide apart by the rising chains. Massive effigies of her mother and Vinyl Scratch rise out of the ground, grabbing her ankles and pulling them violently apart.

The remnants of the massive, mutilated Shadow writhe as gallons of filthy black water gush from beneath her skirt, spreading in a thin, greasy pool on the ground. With a bloodcurdling scream, Octavia's torso, nude from the waist up and her hair wet, matted, and tangled, erupts from beneath her skirt. A studded collar is fastened tightly around her eyes, with a long leash dangling from it; massive, disembodied off-white hands wearing purple fingerless gloves cover her breasts. In her left hand, she holds an enormous cello by the neck.

"Oh dude. I'm gonna hurl," Rainbow Dash says, covering her mouth. Rarity is already throwing up on the ground.

"What the actual fuck?!" Fluttershy spits venomously, glaring up at the sick, wrong mess above us.

"Did she...did she just give birth to herself?" Pinkie wonders, her eyes wide.

"Just when I thought this whole Shadow business couldn't get any more messed up," Twilight says listlessly. "This is really, really wrong."

Your tortured screams of pain shall be my finest symphony, and my cello shall be the instrument of your death!

//Guys? I'm in no mood for bad music puns tonight, so let's finish this one off fast!//

We all activate Black Butterfly. Sonata bounces happily as her new, incredibly sexy outfit forms. "Whee! I'm fanservice!"

"Yes. Yes you are."

"Look out!" Twilight yells. "Here she comes!"

"She's a maneater?" Pinkie asks.

Octavia's cello blurs, becoming a translucent mass of spinning wind vortices. She swings it at Fluttershy, who tries to dodge. It connects anyway with a loud, dissonant shattering sound. Fluttershy blinks and freezes in place, totally unharmed, as the cello turns solid again during the follow-through.

Cadance gasps. //Be careful! She just cancelled out your wind resistance!//

"Then I guess I know what barrier to put up! PERSONA!" Echo appears; a shimmering golden barrier flares to life in front of us, fading from view after a second.

"My new power is just right for a fight like this!" Sonata exclaims. She closes her eyes, and a bright ruby light shines from her throat as the blood-red gem appears on a black silk choker around her neck. She passes both hands in front of it, fingers spread wide. Her eyes snap open.


"SIREN SONG!"


Ethereal singing echoes from the distant mists, haunting in its beauty. Octavia's Shadow burns with a faint, hazy red aura; a thin ribbon of light greenish-blue smoke wafts away from her, trailing into Sonata's choker.

//Good thinking! As long as she's enraged, she can't use magic!//

"But don't that give us a whole new problem?" Applejack asks, eyeing that massive cello warily.

"I'm on it!" I say, swiping the Sun Arcana onto my phone. "ASURA!"

Asura appears, one head bowing in concentration as the others glare at Octavia while all six hands form complicated seals. A shimmering reflective barrier appears in front of each of us.

"Rainbow, give us a little extra insurance!" Twilight orders.

"Aww, but I wanted to kick her butt," Rainbow pouts.

"Butt-kicking later! Stat buffs now!" Sonata says.

"Okay, fine," Rainbow huffs. "PERSONA!"

Nike Invicta appears, jamming out a chord. I feel lighter on my feet, and everyone seems a bit blurred at the edges.

"Well so long as we're buffin' ourselves up," Applejack says, "PERSEPHONE!" As soon as Applejack's Persona appears, I feel great strength flood through my body.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


Laughter fills the Velvet Room. A cool blue light surrounds us, even as waves of debilitating force press down on Octavia's Shadow.

//Okay, I think that's about as much as you can stack the deck,// Cadance says. //Now kick her butt!//

"As you wish," Rarity says. "PERSONA!"

Wadjet-Bast appears, blowing a frozen kiss which envelops Octavia in a flurry of diamond dust...that stops short of the target, collecting in a glittering mess on the floor before fading away.

//Ice won't work!//

"Now she tells me," Rarity mutters as her Persona fades.

"Then let's see if electricity works!" Twilight says. "PERSONA!"

Athena Logia appears, gathering a massive thunderbolt at the tip of her spear, which she hurls at the Shadow. This attack has the desired effect, as Octavia writhes in pain. With a scream of rage, she swings her massive cello at Twilight, who nimbly dodges both the first strike and the backswing.

"PERSONA!" Echo appears, lobbing blades of wind at the Shadow which scatter ineffectually before they reach.

//Wind doesn't work either!//

"Shit."

"I wanna play with my new toy!" Sonata aims her crossbow at the Shadow and fires a bolt right in between her breasts. The Shadow grunts in pain.

"PERSONA!" Once again, I summon Asura. Three massive bows made of light appear in Asura's six hands, all drawn to their limit. A huge, blinding bolt of white light forms in each drawn bow, converging together at a shining point just in front of Asura. A ringing sound fills the air as Asura releases all three strings, sending a thin, piercing laser SLAMMING into Octavia's Shadow, who reels in pain.

"Nice one!" Rainbow cheers. "Now me! PERSONA!"

Nike flies high into the air, her guitar transforming into a sword as she swoops down again in a daring dive, slashing Octavia across the face.

"PERSONA!" Persephone punches Octavia in the head.

"PERSONA!" Euphoria spin-twirls across the room, leaps high into the air, and kicks Octavia in the boobs.

Rarity aims her handgun at Octavia and fires off a few shots, which the Shadow doesn't even seem to notice. Rarity pouts.

"PERSONA!" Athena unleashes another lightning bolt into the Shadow.

Octavia screams in rage and smashes her cello over Applejack's head like a club. The force of her strike rebounds against her. With a snarl, she tries again. This time, the blow drives Applejack to her knees.

"You okay, AJ?" Rainbow asks.

"Yeah," Applejack grunts, standing up.

"ECHO!" Healing magic flows into Applejack, who gives Fluttershy a grateful smile.

Sonata and I repeat our attacks. After Asura hits again, Octavia lets out an unearthly screech, her cello crashing to the ground as her body goes slack. We watch in horror as the effigy of Octavia's mother wins the grisly game of tug of war; Octavia's left leg tears off, sending a shower of black-red blood everywhere. With a triumphant snarl, she swings the severed leg at us. We're all too stunned to react as the unexpected attack mows us all down.

"Okay," Rainbow grunts as she gingerly picks herself up, "that was sick."

One by one, the others pick themselves up, staring at the effigy who is now cradling the torn-off leg protectively while spurts of blood continue to gush from underneath the Shadow's skirt. As soon as she's on her feet, Twilight helps me up.

Octavia stirs, recovering her cello with one dangling hand. The red haze and thin green trickle of smoke have disappeared. She takes a deep breath, and a bright glow surrounds her.

//Be careful! She's about to use a powerful attack Fluttershy's barrier can't repel!//

Rainbow snorts. "Big deal, Sonata can just do that thing again, right?"

"Sorry, I can't!" Indeed, the red gem choker has disappeared from around Sonata's throat.

//I think those gem power things Pinkie and Sonata have only work once a day or something.//

"Well that sucks," Rainbow complains.

"Brace yourselves, everybody!" Fluttershy yells. We all assume the most defensive positions we know, even as the glow surrounding Octavia intensifies.

We don't have long to wait. She extends her empty hand toward us, and the now-blinding glow surrounding her travels down her arm, collecting in front of her palm, before hurling itself at us like a meteor. The magic meteor shakes the ground like a concussion blast as it hits; a roar of terrible noise fills the air, and even with my eyes shut tightly, the light is blinding. My entire body is agony...!

When I can see again, Fluttershy, Rarity, Sonata, and Twilight are dead, and everybody else is hanging on by a thread, myself included. "Holy fuck..." Even though my body is burning and trembling with agony, I manage to swipe the Lovers onto my phone. "Persona..."

Serenity appears, a sorrowful expression on her face as she gazes over all my dead friends. With a weary sigh, she floats over to Fluttershy, her crystal shining. Fluttershy's chest rises with breath and she stands, shaking her head and rubbing her temples. She looks around and grimaces as Serenity fades. "Shit." She looks up at the fading form of Serenity, then down at Twilight's lifeless body, then at me. She frowns. "You brought me back before your girlfriend?"

"You can help bring back the others," I grunt. "She can only heal the ones that are still alive once she's back." I let out a hiss; my lungs are on fire. Pinkie stumbles over to me, clutching me protectively as she looks forlornly at Twilight.

"Shit," Rainbow mutters. "I...I think..." She stumbles, then drops to her knees.

Applejack looks around at us, a wan smile on her face. "Well...damn," she grunts. "Y'all...Ah can't do much right now 'cept..." She taps her phone. "Persona."

Persephone appears. She gently holds out a strange-looking rainbow apple to Applejack. With a sheepish grin, Applejack takes a bite. The apple rolls from her hand as her eyes roll back in her head and she faints. Bright ribbons of rainbow light spread like roots from the apple, touching each of us who are still alive. The light creeps up through my body, erasing my pain and healing my wounds. Within seconds, I feel completely healthy, if a bit sore and fatigued.

Rainbow stands up and rushes over to Applejack. "What did you DO?" she screams, kneeling down and shaking Applejack.

Applejack opens her eyes and chuckles weakly. "Heh...careful there," she croaks. "Ah'm sittin' on death's porch."

"Stupid hayseed," Rainbow moans, laying Applejack's head in her lap.

"Be gay together later," Fluttershy snaps roughly. "We're still in trouble here."

"Not for long!" Pinkie says. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears, crouching low over Twilight and studying her with a sad, curious expression. She splashes Twilight's face playfully with glowing rainbow liquid. Twilight splutters and sits up, rubbing her eyes.

Relief ebbs away the tension and aches I've felt since Applejack's sacrifice.

Twilight looks around. "Ugh...what happened?" She spots Rarity and Sonata and gasps sharply. "Oh my god..."

"Yeah, we're still down a couple—"

Rainbow is cut off by Octavia's cello smashing into her head, sending her flying. Applejack's limp body flops to the floor, a splatter of Rainbow's blood peppering her.

"RAINBOW!" Twilight cries.

"Ngggh...!" Rainbow stands up, grunting and glaring at the Shadow. "Forget about me! Just get Sonata and Rarity back on their feet!" She half-trots, half-limps back over to us, rubbing her head and hissing.

Fluttershy frowns. "Persona." Echo appears, flittering around Sonata. A soft light falls from her tiny wings like fairy dust, scattering over Sonata, who slowly sits up, blinking open her eyes.

"SERENITY!" Serenity appears once again, more composed than before, and revives Rarity, who gingerly picks herself up. Rarity looks around at us and grimaces. "I don't suppose we quite survived that little blast," she says.

"Not entirely, no," I say.

"Well now that we're all back on our feet," Rainbow grunts, "NIKE!"

Nike soars into the air like an avenging angel, bellowing a war cry as her guitar-sword stabs mercilessly and viciously into the collar binding her eyes, splitting it down the middle.

Applejack grunts and slowly pushes herself to her feet. "Let's...git our apples back in th' bucket," she says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone appears, erecting an apple-shaped shell of light around us which shrinks, splits, and wraps us each in a skintight cocoon of magic that seeps into our bodies.

"Does everything have to be apples with you?" Pinkie asks, shaking her head. "PERSONA!" Euphoria appears again, drizzling rainbow liquid over all of us; that feeling of increased strength floods through my body once again.

"ATHENA!" Twilight summons Athena, who sends an electrifying wave of healing power surging through our group. Applejack and Rainbow give almost identical groans of satisfaction as they rub their shoulders and crack their necks.

Octavia's Shadow summons a bow and drags it across the strings of her cello. A terrifying screech fills the air. We all cover our ears until it fades.

Nothing seems to happen. We all look at each other, perplexed. Finally, Fluttershy shrugs. "PERSONA!" Echo creates new mirror barriers in front of us.

"PERSONA!" Leviathan appears, summoning a mighty tidal wave which crashes over Octavia. She screams and thrashes around.

"I've had about enough of this bitch," I mutter as I swipe the Tower onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

"Oh shit, here we go," Rainbow says with a grin as the ground shakes.

Gojira stomps onto the scene, his spines glowing from the tip of his tail up. A massive red-blue fireball gathers in his mouth. His fiery breath blast engulfs Octavia, sparks and smoke exploding away from her body as her cello burns to charcoal and ash.

As Gojira disappears, Octavia clutches her head and screams. Her right leg gives way as Vinyl tears it free, grinning savagely as she throws it at us. We're all scattered like bowling pins.

"Seriously?" Applejack grunts as she picks herself up.

Octavia's Shadow is now hanging limp and lifeless from the chain, a legless rag doll whose hips and groin are on upside-down. It's almost a pathetic sight...

That white glow starts to surround her again.

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap!" Rainbow cries, bouncing on the balls of her feet and staring with wide, wild eyes. "Not again!"

//Look out, she's going to—//

"WE KNOW!" I yell. "Screw defense. Let's try to stop her from doing that thing again!"

"No, we need to have a plan!" Twilight says.

"We don't have time for plans! PERSONA!" Rainbow slams her hand on her phone. Once again, Nike soars toward the hanging Shadow, hacking away at the chain suspending her.

Twilight's brow furrows. "That's interesting," she says.

"Ah'm with RD on this one!" Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

Persephone erupts into being; her mighty fist strikes the chain, which shudders and sways violently.

"Chain gang!" Pinkie sings. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria leaps high into the air, spinning like a leaf in the wind. She grabs onto the chain, doing a sultry, alluring pole dance bit while hanging onto it before scissoring the stump of the Shadow's trunk with her thighs and twisting hard, then springing off at an impossible angle and vanishing mid-somersault.

Even Pinkie is staring slack-jawed at what just happened.

Rarity clears her throat. "Ahem. Yes, well...Persona."

Wadjet-Bast appears and tugs on her vibrant red bolt of cloth. The loose end strikes out like a cobra, the gems sewn into the end glittering. It winds itself around Octavia's torso and rears, actually hissing as its diamond eyes stare down the Shadow.

//I...I think that—yes! The Shadow's skills are locked!//

"Does that mean she can't throw a glowy meteor of death at us?" Pinkie asks.

//Yes!//

Rarity flips her hair as Wadjet-Bast disappears. "You're welcome, darlings."

"Then let's finish this!" Twilight says. "ATHENA!"

Athena zaps the chain. Octavia tries to fire off another death blast, but it fails. The rest of us cut loose with whatever we have. Every attack goes after either the chain itself or the part of the Shadow's torso it's connected to. With each strike, the Shadow's swaying and trembling and agonized moans become sharper, more frantic, and more pronounced.

Rarity's seemingly ineffectual gun proves to be the last straw; she empties the clip into the chain, and the chain breaks with a shrieking tear of stressed metal. The Shadow drops bonelessly to the floor, sprawled out in a heap.

//This is your chance for an All-Out Attack!//

"Let's do this!" I race forward, my axe at the ready. The others follow suit. For a full minute, we savagely beat the motionless monster. Finally, she lets out a loud, pathetic, pained moan. We're forced to back away quickly as a high-pressure stream of bloody vomit erupts from her mouth.

"EWW!" Pinkie cries. Rarity's cheeks bulge. Twilight turns away from the sight, bends low, and throws up.

When the firehose spray of vomit subsides, a second torrent of thin, greasy brown fluid pours forth like a garden hose at half pressure. It washes away the vomit, revealing a nude Octavia, covered in blood and grime and assorted gore. She pushes herself to her hands and knees, trembling as her hair curtains her face.

In the end, I suppose I couldn't stand on my own after all.

"That's not true," I say. "You stood up to your mother. You defended Vinyl. You chose, on your own, to take a chance on Vinyl, even though you didn't know whether or not you could even be in love with another girl. Even though you knew she was about to lose her eyesight. You could have said no to Vinyl. You could've kept being your mother's perfectly obedient little slave. But you didn't. You changed your own life, and you changed Vinyl's too. You made her life better and you made your own life better.

"But you're right about one thing. You need Vinyl just as much as she needs you. Because everybody needs the people they love. That doesn't mean you can't stand on your own. It means you don't have to."

Octavia stands up, brushing her hair away from her face.

I hadn't thought of it that way before. Thank you...

She fades away, leaving behind the Hanged Man card.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Hanged Man awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Magus, has awakened to the skill Dark Eternal.



Use this power wisely...


As Cadance's Persona disappears, she yawns. "Twilight, I'll talk to you tomorrow night, okay? I think...I think tomorrow I'm going to talk to Shining Armor, see what's going on with him." She looks at the rest of us. "Kids...I think you need to talk to Sunset Shimmer. Find out what she knows about Red Flag."

Zecora reappears, hands clasped behind her back. "What path lies ahead remains to be seen," she says. "It depends on your deeds in the days in between. You should not tarry along the last length of the path that connects your heart to the Strength."

As the Velvet Room fades away, I dimly hear Rainbow Dash ask, "What the hell's THAT supposed to mean?"
> 6/29 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Don't get sidetracked. You're running out of time to take care of important business.

After morning chores and breakfast, Twilight clears her throat. "Before we get started today, we need to have a dorm meeting." She looks around the room. "Sorry, but this is just for us girls and Flash. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle...you go on and get started on today's chore list with Scootaloo and Silver Spoon. Shining Armor, you need to call Cadance. I talked to her last night and she wants to talk to you."

Shining Armor swallows and nods, his face pale and drawn.

"Am I part of this meeting?" Sunset asks.

"You are this meeting," I say. I look over at Big Macintosh and Granny. "Sorry, but we're going to need to have this in private."

Big Mac nods. "Use th' barn," he says. "Ain't doin' nothin' in there today nohow."

"Thanks."

"We'll be done as quick as we can and get on with th' chores," Applejack assures him with a smile. She gives Apple Bloom a sharp look. "No eavesdroppin' now."

Apple Bloom folds her arms. "Ah wasn't gonna," she pouts.

"Uh-huh." Applejack shakes her head.

We all file out of the house and head for the barn. Once we're all inside, Twilight shuts and bolts the door, then we all form a circle around Sunset Shimmer. She looks around at us, eyes dancing with mild alarm, and folds her arms defensively. "What is this, an intervention?"

"No, it's an interrogation," Fluttershy says.

"Umm...for what? You already know everything I—"

"Red Flag," I interrupt. "What do you know about him?"

Sunset blinks. The surprise on her face is plain and almost comical. "The janitor?" She laughs shakily. "That creepy old guy who used to be a hotshot IT guy before his company threw him under the bus?"

"That's the one," I say.

Sunset shakes her head. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"That's what we wanna know," Rainbow says.

"Sunset, we have reason to believe Red Flag is connected to Zodiac somehow," Twilight says.

Sunset blinks. "Huh?" She tilts her head. "What makes you think that?"

"Things we've learned," I say. "About his past, about his Canterbook access, about—"

"Yeah, I know all about his dirty little secrets," Sunset says. "That he changed his name to Juan after the old Wondercolt network blew up in his face. That Celestia took pity on him and hired him as a janitor but gave him tier three access. That doesn't even take five minutes to find out. It's not even really a secret." She shrugs and shakes her head. "I don't really see the connection, sorry."

"So you've never seen him in Zodiac?" Twilight asks.

"Not even once," Sunset says. "Believe me, if he was there, I'd know. All of Zodiac is like a spider web to me. One little twitch and I know where—" She trails off. "Sorry."

"The metaphor seems to suit you quite adroitly," Rarity says.

"Hey," Rainbow says suddenly. "Question. Be real with us. Where did Zodiac come from?"

Sunset frowns. "I told you already, I don't know! I just found it one day when I was digging around in Canterbook's code base. I blundered into it the exact same way Fluttershy did."

"But you have a lot more power there than she does," Twilight points out.

Sunset rolls her eyes. "Uh, duh," she says. "I've been hacking it longer than she has and I'm a lot smarter than she is."

Twilight frowns thoughtfully. "Then that means you know more about the Hunters we haven't seen yet than we do."

Sunset shifts her weight, casting her eyes away. "Yeah," she says.

"How are you even able to control those monsters?" Rarity asks.

Sunset shrugs. "It's not so much that I control them," she says. "I just...kind of aim them. It's just data manipulation, really. Setting one variable to point them at who I want them to..." She trails off, then sighs. "You get the idea."

"Why did you send Aquarius after Cadance last year?" Twilight asks.

"I didn't," Sunset says. "I only use the Hunters to attack people when I have something to gain from it or just...y'know." She shakes her head. "Cadance being attacked was just random."

"Or maybe it wasn't," Fluttershy says, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Just because Sunset didn't attack Cadance doesn't necessarily mean somebody else didn't."

"Like Red Flag?" I ask. "But why?"

"Good question..."

"If he has anything to do with Zodiac at all," Sunset points out. Her brow furrows. "Then again, that'd actually make sense, Zodiac being his revenge for what happened to him all those years ago." She snorts. "But creating something like Zodiac would be...well, impossible, even for the best hackers in the world."

"And Cadance was still in school herself back then," Twilight says. "Not even at CHS. So going after her wouldn't make any sense." She looks at Sunset. "We'll go back to that later. Actually, what I wanted to ask about is Leo."

Fluttershy's eyes widen. "Oh yeah! Good thinking, Twilight." She nods. "I've seen Aquarius and Cancer with my own eyes, but I've never seen Leo."

"Neither has Cadance," I say. "I remember her telling me that she thought the whole Zodiac thing was over with when there weren't any attacks after Cancer."

Sunset frowns. "Now that you mention it, I've never seen Leo either. Huh. That's..." She shakes her head and runs a hand through her hair. "You know, I never really gave it much thought before, but now..."

Rainbow blinks. "Wait. So you mean nobody's seen Leo?"

"Looks that way," Sunset says. "That's really weird."

"That bothers me," Twilight says. "After everything we've been through with these Hunter Shadows, the fact that nobody knows anything about this specific one is kind of..."

"Ominous?" I suggest.

"Yeah."

"Maybe somebody already killed it," Applejack suggests.

"No," Sunset says, shaking her head. "Until Flash came along, the only two people who had the power to kill Shadows were me and Fluttershy. When Cadance got her Persona, all she could do was run and hide until they went away. I'd know if any other Persona users were around." She glances at Fluttershy. "And I've had my Persona a lot longer, so..." She frowns, rubbing her chin. "You know, it's funny...I should've noticed this a lot sooner. I mean, I'm a Leo."

Twilight's head snaps up sharply. I can see gears turning in her head. I resolve to ask about it later...

"That's right, your birthday is August first," Fluttershy says.

Sunset smirks at her. "I should probably thank you again for the little gift you gave me last year—"

Fluttershy snap-kicks her in the face. "Not. One. Word."

"GAH! Always with the kicking!"

"Fluttershy, please stop kicking people that annoy you," Twilight says tiredly.

"I like kicking people," Fluttershy says defensively, pouting.

I rub the bridge of my nose. "So you really don't know anything more about Red Flag than we know?" I ask Sunset.

Sunset looks up at me, still rubbing her nose. "No," she says, shaking her head.

"Okay. I guess we're done here. Pinkie, can you go with Sunset and patch her up so she can get back to work?"

"Sure." Pinkie leads Sunset up to the house.

The rest of us look around at each other. "Do we believe her?" I ask.

"I think so," Twilight says. "She seemed surprised we mentioned Red Flag."

"That could just mean she thinks we're too dumb to figure it out," Rainbow says.

"Or it could mean it came so far out of left field that she didn't know what to think about us asking," Fluttershy says. She glances at me. "After all, just because we know everything about him she knows, that doesn't necessarily mean she knows everything about him we know."

Twilight nods. "That's the impression I got."

Applejack sighs. "So we went through all that for nothin'?"

"No, we did learn something important," Twilight says.

Fluttershy nods. "Yeah."

"Which is?" Rainbow asks.

Twilight takes a deep breath. "That no Persona user has ever seen Leo."

"Which means...?"

"I don't know," Twilight says, shaking her head. "But the more I think about it, the more it bothers me." She sighs. "Anyway, I guess that's that. We should get on with the chores." With that, we all leave the barn to get started working.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 / Daytime

Shortly after our meeting broke up, Applejack went into town with Big Macintosh to pick up some supplies Granny's starting to run low on. Fluttershy's tending to a sick chicken, while everyone else is doing various small chores. While there's always something to do on a farm, we've been doing so much this past week that we're down to trifling little things like scrubbing down barrels and pulling weeds along the fences.

I'm in the middle of checking the Apples' cornfield for bugs when Sweetie Belle comes rushing up. "Hey, Flash? You seen Apple Bloom?"

I look up and shake my head. "Nope, haven't seen her since breakfast. Why?"

"She's wandered off and doesn't have her phone with her," Sweetie Belle says. "Sil and Scootaloo are looking for her."

"Hmm." I scratch my chin. "I think I know where she might be. I'll go check."

"Thanks."

I head out to the east orchard, where I find Apple Bloom sitting under the same old, dead tree she and Applejack were under the night we first got here last week. She looks up at me and smiles. "Hey."

"Hey. The girls are worried about you. You don't have your phone."

Apple Bloom blinks and roots through her jeans pocket. "Aw shoot!" She shakes her head. "Text 'em an' tell 'em Ah'll be back in a bit?"

I nod and pull out my phone, texting Sweetie Belle that I found Apple Bloom. I then sit down next to her. "Thinking about your parents again?"

Apple Bloom shrugs. "Jes' takin' a minute, really." She looks out over the orchard. "Ah think after Ah graduate school, if'n we can swing college, Ah'm leavin' th' farm behind."

I blink. "Really? But...it's your home."

"An' it always will be," Apple Bloom says. "It's jes'...Ah don't think this is what Ah wanna do with mah life. This farm done took mah folks, an' Big Mac an' Applejack are gonna spend their lives workin' here an' they're gonna die here too. Ah don't wanna die on this here farm. Ah wanna git out there, do things, see things Ah can't see out here. Don't git me wrong, Ah don't..." She shakes her head. "Ah ain't got nothin' against farmin' or country life. Ah jes'...Ah wanna be th' first Apple that does somethin' else with her life, y'know?"

I nod. "I'm sure Big Mac and Applejack will be proud of you no matter what you decide. They only want you to be happy."

Apple Bloom smiles. "Mostly, Ah jes' want th' chance t' be with mah friends as long as Ah can, least 'til life takes us all in different directions. Ah been doin' too much sayin' goodbye lately...Ah don't wanna do no more sayin' goodbye than Ah have to." She gives me a sad look. "Even though Ah'm gonna hafta say goodbye t' you an' the gals after y'all graduate next year an' leave th' dorm. Ah'll still be there, gittin' ready t' go ta CHS with Sweetie an' Sil an' Scoots." She laughs. "Ah guess that's life. You're always sayin' goodbye t' someone."

"And you're always meeting somebody new."

Apple Bloom smiles more brightly. "That's true." She stands up and breaks a thick, stubby piece of a broken branch off the tree, then sits down and pulls out her pocket knife. She starts whittling; after a few minutes, she's cut the old dead wood down into a crude little apple shape with a heart carved into it. She wipes it on the tail of her shirt, then hands it to me. "Ah want you t' keep this," she says. "Wherever you an' Twilight end up, don't forget me or Sweet Apple Acres, okay?"

I smile and put the little wooden apple in my pocket. "I promise."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Fortune Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Sephiroth, the ultimate form of the Fortune Arcana...


Apple Bloom stands up again and brushes off her bottom. "Welp, guess Ah'd better git back t' th' girls."

I check the time on my phone. "Actually, it's almost time for lunch. Let's head back to the house together."

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 / Evening

Applejack and Big Macintosh brought back a treat from the city: three large cherry cheesecakes, which we cut into for dessert after dinner. Granny Smith seems delighted by this; apparently cheesecake is one of her favorites, but she doesn't get to have it very often and it's one of the few things she can't really make.

As we're turning in for the night, Twilight turns to me. "Hey, Flash?"

"Yeah?"

"Something else has been bothering me since last night. Usually after one of those battles, Zecora tells us when the next fight's going to be, right? Well, she didn't this time. It sounded like she was giving you some kind of warning."

"Oh yeah!" Pinkie says. "Now that you mention it, that was pretty weird."

"Do you have any idea what she was talking about?" Twilight asks.

I think back to Zecora's words, and the fact that the next Shadow after Octavia should be Applejack...

I grimace. "Yeah, I think I do. Don't worry about it. I know what I have to do."

Tomorrow, I have to get Applejack alone...
> 6/30 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, June 30, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Family is always a part of you, even when they're gone.

Tomorrow's our last day at Sweet Apple Acres, and we're going to have a big feast.

At breakfast, Applejack says, "Well, hope y'all can get along without me today. Ah got a whole mess'a filin' t' do." She grumbles. "Dagnabbit, Ah hate all this paperwork crap."

"I'll help if you want," Twilight says brightly. "I can even reorganize your entire filing system to—"

I cough into my fist. "Actually, I think Shining Armor needs your help in the cornfield today. At least, if you guys want fresh corn on the cob tomorrow."

"But you could do that," Twilight protests.

"Twilight, you already organized her filing system once," I say. "I don't think you need to go back and change the whole thing again." I glance at Shining Armor, then back at Twilight. "Besides, I think you two need some time to talk."

Twilight frowns and shoots her brother a glare. I nudge her in the side. "Twilight."

Twilight sighs. "Yeah, okay."

I look over to Applejack. "I can help with your filing," I say.

Applejack smiles gratefully. "Much obliged," she says. "It ain't hard work so much as it is jes'...long an' mind-numbin'. Might go quicker in good company."

"More of us could help then," Sunset offers.

Applejack glances at her, then shakes her head. "Nah. Ain't room fer more'n two in Pa—in the office."

"Yer office," Big Mac says pointedly.

"Anyway, you girls all have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow," I say. "I don't mind helping with the drudge work. I think I've had my fill of the hard labor." I grin; everyone chuckles.

Once breakfast is over and everyone has their chore assignments for the day, I follow Applejack to the small upstairs business office.

Thursday, June 30, 2016 / Daytime

There doesn't seem to be an end to the sorting, stamping, and filing piled up on the desk. Past orders, copies of invoices, tax forms, budget sheets, inventory forms, trade contracts with other farms, and stuff I don't even understand is piled up all over the desk. Applejack has a dozen or so collapsible folders lined up in a row on the desk, held in place by metal bookends, and is sorting forms into them. I'm organizing paperwork into piles and stamping and stapling anything Applejack tells me to. "I never knew there was this much paperwork involved in running a farm."

Applejack sighs. "Ah didn't either," she says. "Ah mean, Ah knew there was some, but until Ah took over fer Papa, Ah had no idea jes' how much'a this bullshit there was t' deal with." She shakes her head. "If mah family wasn't countin' on me..." She trails off, filing several papers.

"Applejack..." I stamp two forms and add them to a stack. "You don't have to do it all alone. You know that, right?"

Applejack smiles. "Yeah, Ah know." She stands up, stretches, and walks over to the opposite wall, where a framed photo of her family hangs. She and Big Mac are much younger; Apple Bloom is a toddler, and their mother and father are young, healthy, and vibrant. She runs a hand lovingly over the photo. "Ah know Big Mac an' Granny'll be here. Ah know even though Apple Bloom wants t' leave th' farm an' make her way out in th' city, if th' family needs her she'll always be there." She sighs. "An' Ah know Ah need t' find a good man, start mah own family t' carry on th' farm." She laughs. "An' git Big Mac t' do th' same. He's too shy t' find himself a good wife. Ah gotta fix 'im up."

"I doubt that'll be too hard." I examine two forms, trying to figure out which one goes on which stack. "I think he kinda likes Rarity. Lord knows he can't take his eyes off her butt whenever she walks past."

Applejack snickers. "Okay, that ain't happenin'. Rarity's easy on th' eyes an' all, an' she's a good friend, but Ah don't really see her as a farmer's wife."

I frown thoughtfully. "You're right, neither do I."

Applejack's hand lingers on the old photo, and she sighs. "Ah sure do miss Papa," she says. "Mama too." She shakes her head. "Ah remember all th' good times we use'ta have. All the trouble me an' Big Mac use'ta get inta." She chuckles, then sits back down. "Th' ol' farm sure don't feel th' same no more."

"Applejack..."

She shakes her head. "Ah'm jes' bein' all wistful-like," she says. "Ah know things change. Ah know...Ah know Ah gotta be strong, like Papa wanted. An' Ah will." She opens a desk drawer and pulls out a glass bottle that's half-full of whiskey. She then pulls out two very small shot glasses, unstoppers the bottle, and fills two of them halfway. "This is pretty strong stuff," she says. "Papa made it himself." She chuckles. "Granny Smith was pissed when she found out he'd been usin' her jam-makin' stuff t' make whiskey." She hands me one of the glasses. I accept it, taking a dubious sniff. It's potent...

"To Papa," she says. "An' to Sweet Apple Acres." She slams her shot back, then slaps the glass on the desk with a loud bang. I shake my head and bolt back the whiskey. It's incredibly strong...

Applejack sweeps the whiskey and the glasses back into the desk. "Ah gotta be strong," she repeats. "Ah gotta keep this family together, keep this farm runnin'." She sighs. "Ah know Ah ain't gotta do it all by my lonesome, though. Ah got Big Mac, Ah got Granny, Ah got Apple Bloom..." She looks over at me. "Ah got mah friends. Y'all done so much for me...Ah'm mighty grateful fer it all."

She straightens some things on the desk. As she rearranges some papers, the pencil can tips over. A small plastic packet of apple seeds falls out of the overturned can and lands on the floor. She picks it up and studies it fondly. "Ah'll be damned," she says. "He did keep 'em."

"Apple seeds?"

"These're th' last seeds from th' last apples that dead ol' tree ever dropped," Applejack says. She turns the packet over in her hand. "Papa thought about plantin' 'em, but decided t' keep 'em as a memento." She chuckles. "He said they was a reminder that a lone tree don't make an orchard, an' a family don't grow if you don't sow your seed." She shakes her head and snorts. "Papa always was full'a all these crazy ol' country sayins. It's funny cuz he weren't brung up country. He met Mama in Fillydelphia." She sighs fondly, then holds the seed packet out to me. "Ah think Ah want you t' have this, seein' as you done been mighty helpful t' me an' Apple Bloom. Jes' havin' you listen when Ah been down, an' you bein' there th' day Papa died...it's meant a lot to me."

"Applejack, I couldn't—"

"Take 'em," she says. "Keep 'em. Let 'em be a reminder that you an' Twilight an' Pinkie need t' have y'all a big ol' family. An' don't pretend you ain't gonna get 'em both in a family way, Ah know whut Ah see." She grins.

I grimace. "Pinkie pregnant. That's a scary thought." I shake my head and pocket the seeds.

Applejack laughs. "Yep, Ah reckon it is." She shakes her head and looks down at herself, brow furrowed. "Don't reckon Ah can see mahself in a family way jes' yet, but..." She looks up at the old photo again and smiles. "Someday Ah will. When th' time's right. A family don't grow with jes' one tree all by her lonesome. An' that's whut Ah really gotta do t' carry on. It ain't jes' about me runnin' this ol' farm keepin' it in th' black. It's about carryin' on, makin' more little Apples."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Strength Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Ultraman, the ultimate form of the Strength Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Applejack, I see her Persona, Persephone...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Persephone changes!





"Well, enough jawin'," Applejack says, cracking her knuckles and popping her back with a grunt. "We gotta finish gittin' this mess sorted out."

It takes most of the day, but we finally manage to file all the paperwork that needs filing and shred all the paperwork that needs shredding. By the time we're done, it's almost time for supper.

Thursday, June 30, 2016 / Evening

After dinner, I take Twilight aside. "How are things with you and your brother?" I ask.

Twilight shuffles her feet. "We...hashed things out," she says. "I'm not really ready to completely forgive him for what happened, but..." She grimaces. "He's my brother. I can't stay mad at him forever, even if he did do the worst possible thing he could have done." She looks at me. "How about you? Did you have a nice time with Applejack? Any epiphanies that may or may not have an impact on the other stuff we all have to deal with?"

I shrug. "We'll know soon enough."

"Did you, umm..." Twilight ducks her head.

"Have sex with Applejack? No. I told you she's not my type."

"Just asking!" Twilight says defensively, holding up her hands.

"We did taxes. Literally."

"Okay, okay." Twilight yawns. "We've got a lot of packing to do tomorrow, and a big party to set up for. We should get to sleep now."

"Good idea." We settle in for the night. As I drift off, I wonder if we'll have a battle in the Velvet Room tomorrow...
> 7/1 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, July 1, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Some people have nothing whatsoever to hide.

Today is our last day at Sweet Apple Acres.

After the morning chores, half of us start getting ready for the big party we're having later on, while the rest of us start packing up things we won't be needing anymore to cut down on the amount of packing we have to do tomorrow.

Nine days of hard work and strong sun have made a huge impact on all of us. We've all got farmer's tans and everyone, even Twilight, has gained noticeable muscle tone.

A little past noon, we all gather around three picnic tables we've set up outside the house. Big Macintosh has spent the entire morning grilling sausages, steaks, and chicken. We've got a huge spread in front of us: hot corn on the cob dripping with butter, potatoes au gratin, baked beans, fried okra, hush puppies, coleslaw, deviled eggs, and various fixings, sauces, condiments, and so forth. There's also slices and cubes of assorted smoked cheeses and three loaves of fresh-baked homemade bread, still piping hot and steaming. Inside the house, desserts are cooling on the kitchen table. Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon have rigged up a makeshift outdoor sound system out of some extension cords, computer speakers, and Sil's phone, and they're blasting tunes over the whole party.

"So whut're y'all doin' fer th' rest of th' summer?" Granny asks as we all dig in.

"Who knows," Twilight says.

"Some of us have sports stuff to do later on," I say. "Team practice and stuff. I'm pretty sure I'm taking extra practices starting in August for tennis so we qualify for Nationals this year."

"Yeah, I gotta train for soccer startin' around the end of the month," Rainbow says. "Especially since I'm still not a hundred percent on that one leg." She grimaces. "Every time I run for too long, I have to ice that leg down."

"It's still bothering you?" Twilight asks.

"Not as bad," Rainbow says. "Dad thinks I probably need to see a trainer though. I definitely have to have a couple of check-ups this month. I mean, it healed alright and I can still run and stuff, it's just...I'm not back where I need to be, you know? Not if I still wanna go all the way." She shakes her head. "I could probably handle the minor leagues like I am right now, but this leg'll never get me to the world stage. Not until I get it sorted out." She sighs. "I'm just glad Dad can afford it."

"Shouldn't the jerks that did that to you—shouldn't their families be paying your medical expenses?" Sunset asks.

Rainbow shrugs. "Dad's suing them," she says. "He started working on it with his lawyers back before he came back to Canterlot, but there wasn't much we could do with him out of the country. Since he's been home, he's been spending about a third of his time running around working on that." She tears apart a piece of bread. "He told me not to worry about all that, though. He said for me to just worry about getting stronger and not pushing myself to do more than I can take." She laughs. "After all, I've got a couple years to finish getting this leg back in shape before I need to worry about makin' my big push, you know?"

"Well, at least one of their dads is dealing drugs, so I'm pretty sure they'll be eager to settle a lawsuit pretty quickly," Sunset says in an offhand manner as she silces a sausage in half down the middle and lays a long, thin slice of smoked cheese inside it.

We all stare at her.

"What?!" Twilight cries.

Sunset shrugs. "Snips caught Hoops doing a dead drop last April," she says. "It takes an idiot to catch an idiot, I guess. Anyway, Hoops didn't strike me as the type to have the smarts to get away with pushing drugs, so I checked into it and found out his dad's been selling heroin and PCP for a while."

"And you didn't go to the cops with this why?" Rainbow demands.

Sunset gives her a flat stare. "Yeah, sure. Get myself busted for cyber crimes while narcing on a drug dealer?" She sighs. "Besides, it's easy to tell yourself that kind of thing isn't your problem and you don't really care."

Fluttershy frowns thoughtfully. "It...it kind of is, isn't it?" she says quietly.

"We need a happier subject," Pinkie declares. "Coach, your birthday's in a few days. We won't exactly have much time to shop and get the party set up, but is there anything special you want?"

Shining Armor looks around at all of us, then bows his head. "Eh. I don't...really think I need to make a big fuss about that this year," he says. "Not after the way I've been acting lately."

"I'm giving you explosive diarrhea for your birthday!" Twilight says cheerfully. Scootaloo spittakes. Silver Spoon starts giggling.

"Uhh...thanks, really," Shining Armor says.

Twilight smirks. "Look...just because you've pretty much done the single worst thing you could possibly do, doesn't mean we won't make sure you have a good birthday." She frowns. "And hopefully one that doesn't include being attacked by a Hunter Shadow." She glances sharply at Sunset.

Sunset holds up her hands placatingly. "Hey, I'm done with all that," she says.

"Right," Twilight says with a sour frown.

"Now, y'all," Granny says, "let's not sour th' milk here. This here's a party fer all y'all's hard work an' how much we appreciate y'all bein' here helpin' out. Ah want this t' be a fun day where we all jes' git along an' have a good time."

"You're right, Granny Smith," Twilight says. "I'm sorry."

We pass the rest of the afternoon with good food, pleasant conversation, music, and games. Toward evening, we clean up the mess, put everything away, then finish packing everything except our camping gear.

We're all a little sad for our time at Sweet Apple Acres to come to an end, but nothing lasts forever...

Friday, July 1, 2016 / Evening

The Velvet Room...

"Whoa, dude, we had a battle tonight and you didn't tell us?" Rainbow asks as soon as we all gather.

I shrug. "I didn't know."

Zecora fades into view, walking toward us with her hands clasped behind her back. "My apologies for not informing you," she says. "I was not certain our guest would see this trial through." She smiles. "Nevertheless, you walked the path of Strength to its end. Now, let us test the resolve of your dependable friend."

She gestures to her right, and a golden-framed door begins to rise from the ground...

A red pulse of light washes over the Velvet Room, accompanied by a deep thrum which reverberates through my bones. It only lasts for a moment, but I can tell everyone felt it. Zecora looks around in alarm, her eyes wide.

The frame of the door turns black. It's much larger than the other doors we've seen so far—in fact, it's a double door. On the left is the Strength Arcana. On the right, the Fortune Arcana.

They're reversed.

"What the heck was that?" Rainbow wonders.

"Uhh...guys?" Twilight says. "Something's really—"

The door starts to rattle, purple arcs of static electricity rippling across its frame.

Zecora stares at the door. "What is this? Something is amiss. This is not what was meant to be. Please do not touch that door, I beg of thee!"

"No argument there," I say. "There's no way I'm touching that door."

"Is...is this Red Flag?" Fluttershy wonders. She has her phone out and is tapping and swiping furiously. "Is he interfering?"

"That is not possible," Zecora says. "The Devil holds no sway in the Velvet Room. I do not understand—"

The double doors burst open. Applejack and Apple Bloom walk out. Their faces are dark and sinister, their eyes gold on black.

"YOU AIN'T ME!" Applejack screams before either Shadow can say a word. "Whutever bullshit you're gonna say about th' farm, or mah family, or mah friends, or apples, or whutever else, Ah don't wanna hear it! Ah know who Ah am, Ah know whut Ah am, Ah don't got nothin' t' hide from nobody no more, an' Ah don't wanna hear a buncha filthy lies outta your fake mouth! YOU! AIN'T! ME!"

Shadow Applejack smirks. In a low, rough voice, devoid of Applejack's usual accent, she says, You're right. I'm not. She claps her hands together; the sound rings out like a gunshot. Blue arcs of electricity dance up her arms, coursing up and down her body, which slowly transforms.

When the electric light show is finished, Applejack's Shadow stands before us, her face reduced to a featureless silhouette. Her hair is loosely braided, and her clothes have changed: a black uniform, heavy boots, white gloves, and a blood red longcoat.

Beside her, Apple Bloom's Shadow claps her hands together. Purple lightning swallows her body, which comes unravelled, shreds of flesh peeling away and burning to ash. A glowing blue circle forms in the middle of the floor, and a massive equine suit of steel armor rises out of the ground. A crest of spikes runs down its length from forehead to rump, and a giant pink bow tops the helmet. A blue-grey saddle blanket covers its flanks, and white light shines from its eyes.

We all slowly turn to Applejack and stare at her. She stares at the two Shadows, then back at us.

"Seriously?" Rainbow cries, waving a hand at the Shadows.

Applejack rubs the back of her head nervously. "Okay, so me an' Apple Bloom been watchin' Fullmetal Alchemist a lot lately..."

I scratch my head. "Why is your sister a horse?"

"Well, y'know...Apple Bloom likes drawin' people she knows as cartoon horses..."

"That doesn't explain anything!" Fluttershy yells.

"Aren't these things usually giant creepy monsters?" Pinkie asks.

"Sweetie Belle's wasn't," Rarity says.

You're gonna wish we WERE giant creepy monsters when we're through with you! Fullmetal Applejack claps her hands together and slams her palms onto the floor. With a bright blue flash, a fissure extends from her hands, shaking the ground. A massive stone fist erupts from the floor beneath Rainbow Dash, sending her flying into the air.

"RAINBOW!"

Rainbow lands on her back and bounces twice. She sits up, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah," she grunts, "this is gonna suck."

"This battle must not occur!" Zecora shouts. "This is not your inner self, it is a real monster!"

Oh, I'm her inner self alright, Fullmetal Applejack says. Her inner evil self. I don't have her morals. I don't love or care about anybody. The farm can go to hell for all I care. And I'm not letting any of you leave here alive. She claps her hands together and slaps the floor. In a blue flash, a cell made of stone bars erupts from the ground beneath Zecora, trapping her. The bars snap with purple lightning.

"Zecora!" Twilight shouts.

Zecora closes her eyes and stomps the floor once. The bars shatter and crumble to dust. She opens her eyes, and they're blazing with unholy white fury.

YOU DO NOT BELONG IN THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU ENTER HERE, WEARING A GUEST'S FACE?

We all stare at her.

"...whoa," Rainbow says, eyes wide.

"Hold up now," Applejack says, clenching her fists. "Look, Miss Zecora...Ah don't know whut's goin' on here, an' Ah can tell you're pretty mad, but..." She takes a step forward. "Ah ain't about t' let this thing talk shit about me, mah friends, mah family, an' mah farm an' use mah mouth t' do it." She taps Black Butterfly, suiting up for battle. "If'n you'd be so kind as t' git outta th' way," she adds, cracking her knuckles, "Ah'd like t' have a talk with mah evil twin."

Zecora's eyes fade to normal. She glances at Applejack, then the rest of us. "This is not the battle you were summoned to fight," she says. "To subject you to this danger would not be right."

"These kids having to fight and die over and over again for no reason isn't right," Cadance counters. "Yet that's all they've been doing for months now." She summons Eros. //Get ready, everyone. I'm scanning the enemy!//

We all gear up for battle. Zecora frowns, but steps back. "If this becomes too dangerous, I will expel these impostors who have raised such a fuss," she informs us. "In the meantime, I will attempt to discover the source of this unexpected change of course."

//Umm...okay, guys? Something's REALLY wrong with these readings. Applejack and Apple Bloom...these ARE their Shadows, but...//

"But what?" Fluttershy asks.

//There's something else inside them. Something I can't identify. It doesn't feel like anything I've ever encountered either here or in Zodiac. I'm sorry, kids, but I don't know what these things are. Whatever you do, be careful!//

"Okay guys, let's do this like always," I say. "I've got a couple new Personas I'm itching to try out!"

"A couple?" Rainbow cries. "Dude, how?"

"This surprises you? Really? After all this time?" Fluttershy asks, shaking her head. "Anyway...ECHO!"

Fluttershy's Persona appears, creating a reflective barrier between us and the enemy.

Sorry, not having that! Fullmetal Applejack claps her hands and slams them onto the ground. Jagged stone blades jut out of the ground, smashing into the barrier. The force of the attack rebounds on her, but she raises a stone shield that shatters from the impact, leaping away.

"Oh crap," Sonata says.

Applephonse charges toward us, leaping into the air and smashing into Fluttershy with a highly improbable kick. Fluttershy screams as she's thrown across the Velvet Room.

"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow yells. She plunges her knives into the flexible joints between Applephonse's armor plates, then spins around and hammer-throws her into the other Shadow.

"Applejack, give us some speed!" Twilight cries.

"You got it, pardner!" Applejack readies her phone. She pauses briefly, then shakes her head. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Twilight asks. Then she slaps her forehead. "That's right. Your Persona is sealed right now, isn't it?"

"Naw, it ain't that," Applejack says. "It's, well..." She sighs, then taps the screen. "PERSONA!"





Everybody stares up at the massive tree...volcano...waterfall...I just don't know how to describe what Applejack's Persona has turned into. Whatever it is, it's enormous.

"You too?" Fluttershy asks as she limps back up to us, rubbing her side.

"Okay, umm...I just...I got nothin'," Rainbow says.

Sonata giggles. "It's Granny Groot!"

"Ah don't think Ah can do speed anymore, sorry," Applejack says. "Got somethin' new up mah sleeve, though. Want me t' give 'er a go?"

"Knock yourself out," I say.

"Alright...let 'er rip, Gaia!" Applejack cries.

Gaia lets out a roar that shakes the Velvet Room. The ground beneath the Shadows twists and snarls, becoming jagged and uneven. They try to jump clear, but are ensnared by thick tree roots which slam them repeatedly into the ground as plumes of lava, massive chunks of ice, and jagged bolts of lightning erupt all around them. Finally, she tosses them disdainfully to the ground before fading away.

"Holy shit!" Pinkie exclaims, her hair frizzing out as her jaw drops. "That totally freaked my frizz!"

"Whoo," Applejack says, fanning herself with her hat. "That's a big'un."

"My turn! PERSONA!"

Leviathan surges into view, unleashing a virulent wave of tainted seawater. The Shadows roll to the side; Fullmetal Applejack creates a stone barrier around them, against which the wave crashes harmlessly. Sonata whines and stamps her foot as Leviathan disappears.

"Alright, my turn." I slide the Strength Arcana onto my phone. "ULTRAMAN!"

A silver aura surrounds me, which grows up...and up...and up...





"Seriously, what's with you and all these giant Neighponese things?"

"Shut up, Rainbow!"

Ultraman crosses his hands in front of him in an X shape. Lightning arcs between his outstretched fingertips. He spins once, then thrusts his arms forward. Lightning arcs out, ensnaring both Shadows. Showers of sparks explode into the air as both are sent flying. Applephonse falls to the ground, a twitching mess; arcs of electricity course over her armor, sending sparks and smoke into the air.

//Looks like that one's weak to electricity!//

"Good! While she's down, let's see what I can do to the other one!"

Ultraman sets his feet and raises his right arm, bent ninety degrees at the elbow, the edge of his right hand facing the Shadows. He crosses his left arm across his right, perpendicular to the raised hand. A shower of bright white sparks pours forth from the edge of his right hand, engulfing Fullmetal Applejack. White flames surround her body, exploding outward in a cloud of smoke, flame, and chunks of earth. Ultraman turns his back to her and fades away.

Fullmetal Applejack stands, her coat and clothes ripped and stained, her hair unbound and singed.

//I think that attack weakened her! She seems to be slower and her defenses are down!//

Rarity heals Rainbow and Fluttershy, while Pinkie boosts our attack. Twilight calls down a damaging lightning storm. As Athena fades, Cadance gasps.

//Guys, I...I'm sensing...!//

Zecora snaps her head around. "No," she says. "How has that entered this place?"

Fluttershy frowns. "I feel it too," she says, dread in her voice.

Faintly, I hear the sound of chains rattling...

"Oh, COME ON!" Rainbow yells. "On top of everything else, that thing's here?"

"This is getting really bad, you guys!" Pinkie moans.

There's nothing we can do but watch in horror as the Reaper floats into the Velvet Room, its menacingly empty stare sweeping over us as its chains rattle.

"It's okay," Twilight says. "We're stronger now. Whatever it does, we can...we can handle it..."

The Reaper stares at her, then turns away dismissively, facing the two Shadows. Its chains lash out, stabbing through them. Black flames surround their bodies as they're lifted into the air.

The Reaper raises its pistols and fires a single shot into each Shadow. As the ethereal bullets tear through them, a pulsating black mass is ripped out of each Shadow's body. Arcs of red electricity ripple across their surfaces. Misshapen, baleful red eyes open like wounds all over each shapeless mass, glaring at everything.

We stare at the ugly shapes.

"The fuck?" Rainbow breathes.

"Those...those aren't Shadows," Fluttershy says.

The Reaper's chains ensnare the things. With a rattling moan, it drags them off into the fog...

Everyone stares awkwardly.

"Umm...what just happened?" Pinkie asks.

"Child...I have no clue," Zecora says. "But it seems these Shadows are no longer interested in fighting you."

We turn back to the two Shadows, who have returned to normal—they're no longer weird copies of the Elric Brothers. Applejack's Shadow has a sheepish grin on her face.

Shoot, Ah don't even know whut t' say, y'all. That weren't us fightin' y'all.

She looks right at Applejack.

You're right, y'know? You ain't got a thing t' hide from th' world. With you—with me—whut y'see is whut y'get.

Apple Bloom steps forward.

Me too. Ah'm jes' a simple country girl, jes' like mah big sis. Ah got mah friends, Ah got whut's left of mah family. Yeah, things ain't been so great lately, but that don't mean Ah gotta change who Ah am. Heck, Ah don't even really know who Ah am yet. An' Ah'm okay with that.

The two Shadows join hands.

We ain't gonna fight y'all. Ain't no need.

Applejack grins at her Shadow. "Sure ain't, sugarcube."

The Shadows fade away, leaving behind the Fortune and Strength cards.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Fortune awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Sephiroth, has awakened to the skill Supernova.



Use this power wisely...







Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Strength awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Ultraman, has awakened to the skill Grand Riser.



Use this power wisely...


A shining apple-shaped jewel appears in front of Applejack, who cups it in her hands, clutching it to her chest. Her phone beeps twice...

Applejack's battle costume transforms into the same Fullmetal Alchemist cosplay outfit her Shadow was wearing.

Rainbow facepalms. "AUGH!"

Twilight shakes her head. Pinkie and Sonata giggle. Applejack looks herself over. "Ah'm never livin' this down, am Ah?"

"I think it suits you," I say.

"I agree," Rarity chimes in. She frowns. "I am a bit...confused as to what transpired here."

"You're not the only one," Fluttershy says. She turns to Zecora. "Just what the hell's going on here?"

Zecora shakes her head. "I am as clueless as you," she says. "I know not what those monsters were. I know not how they entered this space. I especially do not know how the avatar of Death appeared in the Velvet Room, or why."

"It seemed like the Reaper was only interested in those...things," Twilight says. "I mean, it ignored us entirely."

"What was that freaky red light?" Rainbow wonders. "Before things went all crazy in here, I felt like my bones were about to pop."

"I wasn't able to sense anything," Cadance says.

"I must confer with the other Residents," Zecora says distracted. "We will...we will meet again once I am certain the Velvet Room is secure from further intrusions..." She walks away, fading from view.

"Man, she must be freaked out if she stopped rhyming," Pinkie says. She looks at me. "Hey, you said you had two new Personas..."

"Yeah," I say, shrugging. "Guess I'll save the other one for next time..."

The Velvet Room and everyone in it fades into a dreamy haze...
> 7/2 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, July 2, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): There is nothing more terrifying than a pregnant woman on the warpath.

As soon as we're all awake, we hurry through our last round of morning chores for a while, Granny Smith treats us to one last big country breakfast.

"AJ, Ah really wish you weren't goin' back t' th' city so soon," Granny says. "If'n you'd stick around for th' rest of th' summer—"

Applejack shakes her head and smiles. "This is mah last summer of high school," she says. She looks around at everyone. "Th' last summer Ah'll git t' spend with all mah friends. Y'all can git by without me fer a little while."

Granny smiles. "Well now, that there's true enough. Besides, Ah reckon you need time t' enjoy jes' bein' a kid." She shakes her head. "It's jes' mightly lonesome 'round here with jes' me an' Big Mac."

"Eeyup," Big Mac says. "But we'll git by. 'Sides, ain't like we're cut off from you."

"Ah'll call every day," Applejack promises.

"Me too," Apple Bloom says.

After breakfast, we break down and pack up our camp as quickly as we can. Once we're done, everybody grabs a cold soda for the road. We say our goodbyes to Granny and Big Mac, take one last long look at the farm we've spent the last week and change on, then set off for home.

Saturday, July 2, 2016 / Daytime

As soon as we arrive at the dorm, Cadance comes rushing out to greet us. She's wearing sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt that says:





As soon as Twilight sees the shirt, she facepalms. "Seriously?"

Pinkie busts out laughing. Rainbow snickers. "Awesome shirt, Cadance!"

Cadance giggles. "It was a gag gift from a friend," she says. "I thought it was cute."

As soon as he finishes parking and unlocking the back of the van, Shining Armor walks up. He pauses as he comes into Cadance's line of sight. We all step back, looking between them awkwardly. Shining Armor swallows, licking his lips. He walks slowly up to his wife. "Umm...h-hi," he says.

Cadance doesn't say anything for a minute. The air between them is tense. After what feels like an eternity, Cadance takes two steps forward, hauls back her hand, and slaps him so hard it echoes like a gunshot. She then throws her arms around him and sobs uncontrollably into his shoulder.

"Never again," she says. "Never again."

"Never again," he says roughly, stroking her back and nuzzling her hair.

The rest of us aren't quite sure what to do, so we move over to the van and start unloading things. As we're working, Sunset approaches Cadance and Shining Armor, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "Umm..." she starts, coughing nervously.

Cadance turns a glare on her so fierce that I swear the temperature drops thirty degrees. We all stop to watch.

Sunset doesn't quite meet Cadance's eyes. "I...I'll move out of the dorm today," she says. "I—"

"Oh no you don't," Cadance says. "You're staying. I want you where I can keep an eye on you. I want you where I can beat the shit out of you if you need the shit beat out of you. Your ass is mine, bitch. Get used to it."

Sunset winces, sighs, and trudges up to the dorm.

Cadance gives us all a "what the fuck are you staring at?" look. We hurry back to our unloading. It takes us most of the day to finish unloading and unpacking, after which we spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Saturday, July 2, 2016 / Evening

It's good to be back home. My own bed, air conditioning, a bathroom down the hall...

Tomorrow, most of us are going shopping for Shining Armor's birthday, which is Monday.
> 7/3 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, July 3, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Come along. You belong. Feel the fizz.

The sun's not even up when I wake up. I rub my eyes and groan, rolling over in bed. I try to go back to sleep, but it's no use. I get up and head downstairs.

I'm not the only one.

Most of the dorm is awake. Some of them don't look too happy about it—namely, Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"Honestly," Rarity complains. "A lady needs her beauty sleep!"

"Screw beauty, I just wanna sleep until noon! It's summer, dammit!"

Twilight runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "Girls, we've been getting up at the crack of dawn for a week and a half. It...it stands to reason it'd take our bodies a while to 'unlearn' that."

"She's right," Sunset says, cracking a huge yawn. "Your body gets used to something and it's hard to stop doing it." She rolls her shoulders. "Believe me, I hate being up this early on a Sunday too. Usually I sleep until nine, then spend the next hour or so with my hand in my crotch. Oh, hey Flash."

Twilight glares at her. "Do you ever stop?"

Sunset grins. "Nope!"

Rainbow tilts her head. "No, you never stop teasing Twilight, or no, you never stop masturbating?"

"Both," Sunset says. She reaches over and runs a hand through Rainbow's hair. "Well, I'm gonna try to go back to sleep." She stands up and stretches, then pads off to the stairs.

Rainbow makes a disgusted face, crossing her eyes as she looks up at her head. "Ew," she complains. "You think I should wash my hair?"

"Absolutely," Rarity says.

"Definitely," Twilight agrees.

"You should probably burn it just to be sure," Fluttershy opines.

We all eat breakfast, then get a head start on all the laundry we brought back with us. Even though we did plenty of laundry while we were at Sweet Apple Acres, everyone has dirty clothes and things to wash.

Sunday, July 3, 2016 / Daytime

A little before noon, everyone leaves to do some shopping in town. In addition to needing to buy something for Shining Armor, all of us need a little "city time" after ten days on a farm.

I never really realized just how much the city air stinks until now.

While Twilight and I are in town, we run into some of our friends from school. We hear a lot about our farmer's tans and how fit we look. We also hear about how earthy we smell from some of our more unfiltered friends, particularly Vinyl Scratch (much to Octavia's chagrin). Apparently, even though we've all showered regularly, we brought plenty of farm smell back with us.

It's late in the evening when we return to the dorm.

Sunday, July 3, 2016 / Evening

Mr. Night Light is back in town for Shining Armor's birthday.

Twilight and her family have dinner together in private over at the apartment. The rest of us are left to our own devices, and opt to pick through the fridge for anything that looks good. I end up eating a simple ham sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, as well as a bag of potato chips and a bottle of lemon-lime soda. After I've rounded up my meal, I head to my room to call my parents. We spend an hour talking about various things, mostly about my time on the farm. After that, I take a quick shower and head for bed.
> 7/4 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, July 4, 2016 / Early Morning
Birthday Horoscope (Cancer): You are going to die today.

My body hasn't reset its internal clock all the way yet. I wake up just past dawn.

I've been awake, staring listlessly at the ceiling, for about fifteen minutes when there's a knock at the door. I get up and open it. Twilight and Pinkie are on the other side. I let them in, then close the door; we all sit on the bed.

"Shining Armor's birthday is today," Twilight says fretfully. "I had trouble sleeping last night. I'm worried."

"You think he'll be attacked by Cancer?"

Twilight fidgets. "Yeah," she says miserably. "I mean, I know Sunset said she wasn't going to send Cancer after my brother, but..."

"You still don't trust her," I finish, nodding. "I don't blame you. It's hard to trust her after everything she's done." I sigh. "Still, for now, I think we should do our best to just, y'know, focus on the birthday party and not the possibility of a battle. If it happens, it happens. We'll be ready."

Twilight sighs heavily and nods. "Yeah."

We fall into an uncomfortable silence.

After a few minutes, Pinkie breaks the silence. "Hey, Flashie?"

"Yeah?"

"We haven't had sex in like, a really long time."

Twilight shoots her a half-lidded stare. "Really, Pinkie? Really?"

Pinkie wilts. "What? I'm supposed to put my wants and needs on hold just because your brother might be attacked by a Shadow today?" As soon as she finishes saying it, she winces. "I'm sorry," she says hastily. "That was mean. And selfish. I'm a selfish meanie."

Twilight shakes her head. "No, it's—you're right. We can't put our lives on hold just because we've got all these weird supernatural problems to deal with." She looks between me and Pinkie, then stands up. "Well, I'll just let you—"

"I wasn't talking about doing it right now," Pinkie says, blowing on her hair. "I just wanted to remind Flash that I need some lovin'." She pokes Twilight in the shoulder. "So do you, you know. It's been a while for both of us."

Twilight frowns. "Honestly? I just haven't been in the mood lately. Not since school let out, really."

"Me either," I say. "I mean, not as much as I was for a while there." I snort. "I guess we finally got it out of our systems."

"Yeah, but I still wanna do it," Pinkie says. "Since it's been a while. And I wanna try something new, too."

"Like what, anal?"

"Actually..." Pinkie plays with the hem of her nightie. "I was kinda hoping you'd wanna try tying me up. I've always wondered about that."

Twilight and I both stare at her. "You want to do what?!" Twilight cries.

"I wanna be tied up!" Pinkie replies. "You know, that—oh, what's it called, the Neighponese thing..."

"Shibari?"

"Yeah, that!"

I shake my head. "That's really tricky to do," I say. "I mean, so I've heard. It's not like, just tying somebody up. There's an art to it."

"Well, look it up and find out more, because I wanna do it," Pinkie says. She stands up and stretches. "But right now I need to pee. See you two downstairs!"

Twilight stares at the door for a long time after Pinkie leaves. "I really worry about her sometimes." She glances at me. "Flash?"

"Not now," I say. "I'm picturing Pinkie all tied up..."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "Pervert." She pauses, then blushes. "Oh god, now I'm picturing it too."

I look into Twilight's eyes. She looks into mine.

Twilight dashes down the hall, already fumbling with the buttons on her pajamas. Less than a minute later, she returns with a ruffled and dazed-looking Pinkie Pie, flings her into the room, and locks the door.

"Wh-what—?" Pinkie asks, blinking dazedly.

"Talk later," Twilight says as she rips Pinkie's nightgown off over her head. "Sex now."

The three of us spend most of the morning together...

Monday, July 4, 2016 / Daytime

Because nobody is especially in the mood to cook a gigantic feast for the enormous crowd we have at the dorm, Velvet and Night Light arrange for catering from a really good barbecue place in the city, and we have Shining Armor's party in the park. While we were away, the city installed a couple of covered pavilions for public use for picnics and gatherings, and we appropriate one to spread out our barbecue feast and all of Shining Armor's presents. Shining Armor seems torn between opening presents and eating barbecue, so Twilight suggests he opens presents while eating barbecue—as long as he uses plenty of napkins. This gets a good laugh out of all of us.

Most of Shining Armor's presents are either of the nerdy variety (anime boxsets, model kits, comics) or the practical variety (a new shaving set, a couple of new belts, some clothes). The mood of the entire party is a little subdued, as he's still kind of in everybody's doghouse for his stunt with Sunset Shimmer, but Cadance and Pinkie take pity on him and do their best to make sure everybody, especially Shining Armor, enjoy the day.

After the presents are all opened and much of the food is eaten, Velvet and Night Light head off to pick up Shining Armor's ice cream cake. We're all relaxing and waiting for them to get back...

Monday, July 4, 2016 / Zodiac

Shining Armor looks around, eyes wide with panic and terror, as the world turns red and black and all the sounds of the park disappear. "Wh-what...?"

I sigh. "Well, I guess it was too much to hope..."

"Wh-what's going on here?" Shining Armor asks, his head whipping around. "What are those—"

"Don't read the texts," we all say in a bored, resigned tone.

"Shining Armor," Twilight says, "this is Zodiac. This is what we've been telling you about since January." She glares at Sunset Shimmer. "This is what she's put every last one of us through."

Sunset, for her part, looks confused and shaken. "I didn't," she says. "Not this time. I didn't. Not this time. I didn't—"

Rainbow slaps her across the face. "SHUT UP!"

Cadance moves to stand protectively beside her husband, taking his hand. "Shiny, stay calm. The kids will protect you. I'll protect you."

"Hoooooly crab," Pinkie moans, pointing a trembling finger behind us. We all turn around...

In the center of the park, a giant crab with long, spindly, barbed black legs and wickedly serrated purple claws towers over us. Its metallic golden shell is covered in barnacles, starfish, and random spikes that look like coral. The astrological sigil of Cancer is engraved into its left claw. Its claws, legs, and shell are full of hoses, gears, and vents, giving it a biomechanical appearance. Its eyes glow a poisonous, sinister green.

"THAT'S what you've been fighting?!" Shining Armor yelps.

Twilight runs up to Sunset and grabs her by the collar, shaking her violently. "BITCH! YOU LIED TO US!"

"Ah KNEW that whole 'Ah'm y'all's friend now' act was a load!" Applejack snarls, glaring angrily at Sunset.

Sunset's face is pale, and her eyes are wide with disbelief and confusion. "It-it wasn't me! I didn't—" She shakes her head, sweat beading on her brow. "I didn't send Cancer after your brother! You have to believe me!"

"BELIEVE you?" Twilight roars, throwing Sunset on the ground. "Why would anyone believe anything you say?!"


THE ZODIAC ANSWER TO NO ONE.


That voice...!

All of us turn around and start searching for the source of the echoing, bestial snarl which drips with menace and malice.


FOOLISH HUMANS...YOU HUNT US...YOU MURDER US...NINE OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS SLAIN...


Cancer is studying us with its sinister burning eyes, its spindly crab-face-bits twitching and its claws clacking ominously.

Pinkie gasps loudly. "Holy crap, it's a talking crab!"

Applejack frowns, scratching her head. "So uhh...since when do these things talk?"


YOU MUST DIE...IT IS THE ONLY WAY...


Cancer turns to face Sunset.


YOU...YOU MUST LIVE...YOU ARE THE KEY...SO LONG AS YOU LIVE, THE ZODIAC WILL REVIVE...THE CIRCLE MUST NOT BREAK...


We all turn to stare at Sunset. She takes a step back. "What?"


MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVE ON...INSIDE YOU...YOU WILL BIRTH THE ZODIAC ANEW...


"Something you want to tell us?" I ask Sunset.

She shakes her head, her face green and sickly-looking. "I have no idea what's going on!"

"Focus on the mission, everyone," Cadance says. "We can deal with the little tramp later."

We all pull out our phones and gear up, readying our weapons. "Let's crack this crab," Rainbow says grimly.

Cadance steps in front of Shining Armor and pulls out her phone. "PERSONA!" Eros appears; Shining Armor gawks in awe. //I'm scanning multiple Shadows...look out!//

Cancer raises its claws above its head and begins clacking them rhythmically. Several whirlpools of shadow boil up out of the ground, taking on humanoid forms.

For the most part, they all look the same: about the height of an average man, with grasshopper-like faces with V-shaped crests above the huge, luminous eyes, and scarves trailing behind them in a nonexistent wind. Each one has a Shadow mask affixed to the front of its waist like a belt buckle, with the Roman numeral "VIII" stamped on it.

Five of them, the ones in front, are all greenish-black in color, with glowing red eyes and white scarves. The back row of five consists of two different types: three of them are red and gold, with stag beetle horns instead of the V-crests, yellow eyes, and black scarves. The last two are pure white, with black eyes, rhinoceros beetle horns, and silver scarves.

"Bullshit," Rainbow says.

"This is gonna suck, isn't it?" Pinkie moans.

"Yeah, this is gonna suck," Sonata agrees.

"Wh-what can I do to help?" Shining Armor asks shakily. "I...I can't just let you all—"

"You can and you will," Twilight insists. "Besides, we need you to warn us in case Sunset Shimmer tries to pull something."

"HEY! How many times do I have to tell you I don't have anything to do with this?"

"Nobody here believes you, so do us all a favor and shut your cockhole!" Fluttershy snarls. She hurriedly does something on her phone; a wicked-looking curved, serrated dagger appears in her hand. She flips over to Shining Armor and offers it to him hilt-first. "If that little bitch even tries to touch her phone, kill her."

Shining Armor fumbles the knife, his hands and face sweating. "K-kill...?"

"Just grow a pair and do it!" Fluttershy snaps, flipping back over to us.

"Yeah that's not happening," Sunset says, blowing on her hair. "But hey, if it makes you feel better, you go right ahead and hold a knife on me."


ZODIAC RIDERS, KILL THESE INTERLOPERS!


"PERSONA!" Rainbow yells, slapping her phone. Nike soars into view, shedding a pale light over all of us that makes me feel lighter and more agile; everyone seems to blur a little around the edges.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy summons her Persona, who erects a reflective barrier around us.

One of the red and gold Shadows strikes a pose, and swirling yellow light gathers around the feet of each Shadow, spinning up into a column that slowly ebbs into them. The other two strike different poses; their eyes glow brightly and their scarves flutter and flap as red auras surround them, crackling with energy.

One of the green Shadows charges forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes as it rushes past us. Every strike rebounds off Fluttershy's barrier; as the last blow rebounds, the Shadow explodes into a sparking black cloud of smoke and vanishes. The next two sweep in, running the same attack pattern; by the time they're finished, the only two of us who have managed not to get hit at all are Rainbow and Pinkie.

//Careful! These things are fast and strong!//

The last two of the green Shadows strike poses and begin glowing with the same crackling red aura.

"Got any new Personas to show off?" Rainbow asks.

"Well, I do have one I haven't used at all yet, but—" I glance at Sunset Shimmer. "I'm not so sure I want to pull out anything she hasn't seen yet."

Sunset raises her hands defensively. "Hey, I already told you, I quit! Just do whatever you have to do to get us all out of here alive!"

"Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly," Rarity says.

I turn back to face the Shadows, then sigh. "Fine." I swipe the Fortune Arcana onto my phone.

"SEPHIROTH!"





A pale man with long silver hair, dressed all in black, slowly descends from above. A ridiculously long, curved sword hangs at his hip, and the tails of his longcoat billow around him. As he approaches, he throws back his head; one massive, feathery black wing bursts from his right shoulderblade.

"Okay, that's awesome," Rainbow says, looking up at the hovering dark form.

"I think I'm in love," Sonata coos.

Sephiroth completes his descent, becoming ethereal as his form envelops me. Ghostly images of stars and planets begin swooping past in a slow, grandiose panorama.

Everyone watches, tense and expectant.

"So, uhh...you gonna actually do somethin'?" Applejack asks.

When I answer, my voice has an echoing, unreal quality, not unlike Cadance's when she's connected to Eros. //Yes, but the power I'm about to use is different. This attack isn't instantaneous. Can you all buy me some time?//

"Oh, it's one of those kinds of spells?" Sonata asks. "What's the charge time?"

//Just cover me until I'm ready!//

"Can do!" Pinkie Pie says. Stepping in front of me, she summons forth her blue jewel.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


Laughter fills the air. A cool blue light surrounds us, even as waves of debilitating force press down on the Shadows.

"LEVIATHAN!" Sonata's Persona rises up; crashing waves slam down on the Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Wadjet-Bast appears, and the entire battlefield freezes over with a loud, snapping crack; with hundreds of thunderous shattering sounds, the ice explodes, evaporating as crystalline shards fly away from the Shadows.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Twilight's Persona rises into the air, gathering lightning around the tip of her spear; dozens of thunderbolts lance out, striking all the Shadows. Cancer roars in pain as it twitches and thrashes.

//It looks like Cancer's weak to electricity!// Cadance says.

"Yeah, but I'd better make sure we can take whatever it dishes out next," Twilight says. Athena turns around and sheds a bright healing light over us.

"W-wow," Shining Armor says hoarsely. "Twiley, that...big angel version of you..."

"Keep it in your pants, Coach," Rainbow says. "You can creep us all out with your sister complex later."

One of the white Shadows spreads its arms wide; all the Shadows shake off the slowing effects of Pinkie's Element. Another one forms a hand seal, and healing light surrounds the entire Shadow horde.

"Okay, let's find out whut this fancy new thing Ah got does," Applejack says.


"ELEMENT OF HONESTY!"


A pale orange glow surrounds Applejack, overlaid by a ghostly image of a giant, ripe apple. The ghostly apple shrinks in on itself, fading into Applejack's skin.

//Looks like your Element protects you from status ailments!// Cadance says. //It seems like it only works for you, though.//

"Huh," Applejack says.

Cancer begins scuttling from side to side, clacking its claws. Its eyes glow, and a golden light washes over the entire battlefield, infusing both our group and the Shadows.

//Be careful!//

"I'll show you careful!" Rainbow shouts. "PERSONA!" Nike appears and unleashes a violent windstorm which buffets the Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy's Persona appears again, erecting another reflective barrier.

One of the red Shadows leaps into the air and points a hand at Fluttershy, firing off two large bursts of energy, both of which bounce off her shield, rebounding on the Shadow. The other two red Shadows leap even higher into the air, burning auras surrounding them.

//LOOK OUT!//

One suddenly shoots forward in a steeply angled diving kick, slamming into Fluttershy's head. She screams as she goes down. Before any of us can react, the second Shadow fires off the same diving kick, hitting the downed Fluttershy right in the chest. A massive explosion erupts from the point of contact; the Shadow does a backward somersault away as sparks and smoke fill the air above Fluttershy's mangled body.

"NO!" Shining Armor cries out.

"Shit!" Rainbow snarls.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her!" Pinkie promises. "Just...just keep them from doing that to Flash until he finishes doing whatever he's doing!"

One of the green Shadows does that running attack thing again; it rebounds off Echo's reflective shield, destroying the Shadow. The only green Shadow that hasn't really done anything yet strikes a pose and begins to glow red like its brothers.

One of the glowing green Shadows runs in and attacks; its attacks hit Applejack, Sonata, Rarity, and Twilight. The strikes that hit Applejack rebound, damaging the Shadow; the others cry out in pain.

The last glowing green Shadow swoops down on me with a blazing diving kick. I can't move while I'm focusing on channeling Sephiroth's power, and Pinkie is too late to block the kick. I'm just barely able to brace myself and hold my ground.

It hurts like a motherfucker.

"FLASH! Are you okay?"

"One of you...better heal me," I ground out. "I'm...READY!" Sephiroth rises into the air as a spinning starfield spreads out away from me, becoming a glowing white circle that surrounds the Shadows. With a loud, ringing chime, a solid white column of light erupts from the circle, slamming into every Shadow. When the light fades, the glowing circle remains, pulsing with stellar energy. I sink to my knees, exhausted, as Sephiroth ascends and fades away.

"So...that didn't, uhh...kill anything," Rainbow said.

//No, but it did a lot of damage,// Cadance informs us. //And I still sense its power.//

"And it took a lot out of me," I grunt. "Pinkie, do something about Fluttershy."

"Right!" Pinkie taps her phone. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears, hovering over Fluttershy's body, and sprinkles glowing rainbow liquid on her. The liquid suffuses into her, healing her wounds and resurrecting her; with a groan, Fluttershy sits up and rubs her head as Euphoria fades away.

"Motherfucker," Fluttershy spits as she stands up. "Can somebody please kill a few of these cocksuckers?"

"I'll try to thin the herd!" Sonata says. "PERSONA!"

Leviathan rises up, and a cold, jet black wave washes over the Shadows. When the inky black waters recede, two of the green Shadows and one of the red Shadows are gone.

"WADJET-BAST!" Rarity's Persona wraps her bolt of cloth around me; everywhere the silky etheral cloth touches me, the pain from the Shadows' attacks ebbs away, leaving me feeling physically fine, though still exhausted from the strain of using Sephiroth's power.

"So the big crab hates lightning, right?" Twilight asks. "Well then...PERSONA!"

Athena once again rains lightning down on the Shadows. As Cancer collapses into a twitching heap, Athena strikes again.

//Good job! Cancer is stunned! Keep it up!//

One of the white Shadows heals the horde; the other charges at me and tries to punch me in the gut, but I twist out of the way.

"GAIA!" Pillars of light surround all of us; I feel new strength flood into my body.

Cancer twitches on the ground, struggling to stand. The white circle pulses, and a fresh flare of light engulfs the Shadows.

"Alright, time to go on the attack! PERSONA!" Nike dives to the ground in front of Rainbow, shredding on her guitar; the prismatic shockwave that rips through the enemy annihilates the final green Shadow and knocks a red Shadow and a white Shadow down.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy erects yet another reflective barrier, wincing as she does so.

"Are you alright?" Twilight asks.

"Those barriers...just take a lot out of me," Fluttershy admits. "But all they've been doing is using physical attacks, so..."

As if to illustrate her point, the red Shadow that's still standing runs forward and tries to axe-kick Rainbow. The barrier flares, and the Shadow is repelled, smoking and sparking. The other red Shadow stands up and poses, a red aura suffusing it.

"You know, I've had just about enough of these kicking assholes," I say. I swipe the Tower Arcana onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

The ground shakes violently as Gojira stomps into view with an earsplitting roar. I can dimly hear Shining Armor gasp out "What the fuck?!" as Gojira opens his mouth wide and unleashes a torrential blast of crackling red-white flame at the Shadows. The two red Shadows are melted into nothingness by the blast; the white Shadows are sparking and smoking, white-hot arcs of electricity snapping across their blackened bodies.

"PERSONA!" Euphoria appears and spins into the remaining Shadows, slamming them with her hips, butt, elbows, and knees. Cancer lets out a screech as the last of its allies fall to the ground, spraying a storm of sparks into the air.


INSOLENT HUMANS...! YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HERE ALIVE...! WITNESS THE TRUE TERROR OF THE ZODIAC...!


With the grinding of gears and the whirring of hidden machines, Cancer flips into the air and begins to twist, bend, shift, and fold, its shell splitting and its legs bending, twisting, folding, and retracting, replaced by new, more humanoid limbs. We all stare in horror as what was, moments ago, a giant biomechanical crab becomes a towering, two-legged red monster with muscular arms, a face right out of a monster movie, and most of a giant metal crab folded up on its back. A massive three-barreled minigun falls into its right hand, and it lets out a terrifying screech.

"...that's new," Sunset Shimmer remarks.

Pools of shadow form all around Cancer, and our horror turns to dismay and dread as a fresh batch of grasshopper-men and beetle-men rise up out of the ground, ready to fight. The heavily damaged white Shadows stand, still sparking and smoking.

"Oh you have got to fucking be kidding me!" Pinkie Pie screeches.

"We have to go through all of that again?!" Twilight cries.

Cancer laughs at us.


TASTE MY FURY!!


And with that, the barrels on Cancer's gun spin as it spews out waves of white-hot death. Fluttershy's barrier shatters; Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all fall to the ground screaming.

"TWILIGHT!" Shining Armor yells, trying to run forward. Sunset grabs hold of his shoulder and yanks him back. He struggles, but her grip is firm. I rush to Twilight's side and kneel down.

"LEVIATHAN!" Sonata summons her Persona, who calls forth an evil purple wave that crashes down over the Shadows; the two white Shadows crumple inward, the arcs of energy crossing their body taking on a purple tinge.

Rarity taps her phone silently; Wadjet-Bast appears and heals our entire group.

Twilight stands up, a grim expression on her face. "Persona," she hisses. Athena appears, a furious snarl marring her beautiful face as she unloads two violent thunderstorms upon the enemies. Cancer screams and crumples to the ground.

"Nice one, Twilight!" Sonata yells, pumping a fist.

One of the white Shadows heals the horde. The other one flings itself at Pinkie Pie, doing a diving corkscrew kick at her head.

"PINKIE!" Twilight yells.

"Dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino," Pinkie slurs dizzily.

//She's stunned, but I don't think she's hurt too badly.//

"Yeah, well th' jackass that did that's about t' hurt REAL bad! GAIA!"

Gaia appears, roaring as the ground beneath the Shadows rumbles and explodes upward. Fire, ice, wind, and lightning buffet the Shadows as the entire battlefield shakes violently, nearly throwing us all off our feet. By the time it's over, only Cancer and one of the red Shadows have avoided being hit. As Gaia fades away, the white circle flares again, its column of light bursting upward to engulf the horde.

Twilight turns to Sunset, anger on her face. "You say you're not behind this? Prove it! Get in here and help us!"

"Are you INSANE?" Fluttershy yells as she and Rainbow Dash stand up. "The LAST goddamn thing we need is this bitch and her Persona joining forces with Cancer!"

"I wouldn't!" Sunset protests. "I swear, I'm not behind this! How many times do I have to say it? Do I have to bend over and let every last one of you fuck me in the ass before you'll believe me?!"

"Like that'd prove anything," Fluttershy retorts.

"If you wanna prove you're on our side, then do something!" Rainbow demands.

"Alright, fine!" Sunset snaps, pulling out her phone. "PERSONA!"

She taps her phone. It emits a loud buzzing sound.

"...Persona!"

Again, her phone buzzes, the screen flashing angrily red.

"...Persona?"

Cancer lets out a rumbling laugh.


YOUR POWER IS SEALED...YOU CANNOT RESIST ME.


//I don't know how or when he did it, but Sunset Shimmer's Persona is sealed! She's as defenseless as Shiny!//

"H-hey!" Shining Armor protests.

"Great," Rainbow mutters. "The one time the bitch could do something useful." Shaking her head, she summons Nike, renewing our increased speed and blurriness. Fluttershy follows suit with yet another reflective barrier.

One of the red Shadows poses, and golden light spreads out, suffusing the entire Shadow horde. The next red Shadow leaps high into the air and pulls out a metal staff which glows with heat and flame; he spins it over his head and swings it at us, sending a scorching pressure wave crashing against Echo's barrier. It rebounds, striking the Shadow as he descends and annihilating him. Even as he explodes in a tremendous fireball, the third red Shadow repeats the same pressure wave attack, only this time there's nothing to protect us from it...and it hurts.

While I'm trying to recover from that attack, the green Shadows all jump high into the air and, one right after the other, come flying at me in those impossibly fast diving kicks. One, two, three, four, five and I'm starting to black out, spots dancing on the edge of my vision and blood pouring out of my mouth. My ribs are shattered and my entire body is burning.

"FLASH!" Twilight screams. I can barely hear her...

A rage washes over me, and I summon Gojira again. His roar sounds like it's coming through a tunnel, and the heat of his attack barely registers as I'm starting to feel numb. I barely hear Sonata summon her Persona, and then, just as I'm about to black out, I feel the comforting embrace of silk, and just like that, all my wounds are erased.

As my senses return and I can breathe again, Twilight flings herself at me, wrapping her arms around me. "Oh god, Flash," she moans.

"Shh, I'm okay," I say, stroking her head. I look around; all five of those little green bastards are gone.

Good.

Twilight whips around, fury in her eyes. "ATHENA LOGIA!"

Once again, Athena ascends, raining lightning over the remaining Shadows. Cancer twitches and screams; Athena unloads again. The rest of the Shadows—except Cancer—explode violently.

Cancer screeches and transforms back into a crab.

Ten more of those annoyingly persistent Shadows appear.

"FUCK!" Rainbow yells.

"OH god, WHY?" Pinkie moans.

"This is bullshit," Applejack grunts.

//Guys, stay strong! You have to!//

The white circle pulses one more time, and the newest batch of Shadows are engulfed in its light.

Rainbow summons Nike, whose prismatic shockwave burns through the Shadows again, knocking several of them down. Fluttershy, her hands trembling, erects another barrier.

"Fluttershy, you can't keep using that barrier!" Sunset yells. "You'll burn yourself out! You know how much that takes out of you!"

"I don't need advice from you!" Fluttershy snarls, but it's obvious she's trembling and in pain.

One of the red Shadows charges Fluttershy and tries to kick her, but the attack rebounds, knocking him back. The other two red Shadows stand up; one begins to charge up power, glowing with a red aura, while the other comes at me with a flurry of punches, meeting the same fate as the one who went after Fluttershy. Two of the green Shadows also start storing up power, while the other three rush at us and attack. One tries to hit Rainbow and eats his own fist; the other two manage to hit me and Fluttershy, but the attack barely hurts me, and Fluttershy just grunts and shifts her stance.

My head is beginning to throb after using Gojira's power so much, but I want this battle over, so I swipe the Sun Arcana onto my phone. "ASURA!"

Asura rains down six punishing elemental blows, four of which stagger four different green Shadows. My skull nearly splits open from the strain as Asura's attack finishes and Asura fades away.

This battle has to end soon, or else...

"EUPHORIA!" Once again, Pinkie's Persona glides into the enemy horde, unleashing a series of devastating (and devastatingly sexy) strikes.

"LEVIATHAN!" A purple wave crashes down over the enemy; all five of the green Shadows turn purple and double over, their bodies crackling and flashing with purple sparks.

"PERSONA!" Wadjet-Bast appears, and another flash freeze sweeps across the battlefield, the ice crackling and snapping sharply as it encases the Shadows before exploding away.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Once again, Athena rains lightning down on the enemy; Cancer reels as the five green Shadows explode violently. Athena's lightning storm crashes down again, and Cancer flips over on its back, its legs twitching.

//Keep it going, guys! You can do this!//

The two white Shadows stand up and heal themselves, the red Shadows, and Cancer.

"GAIA!" Once again, the ground explodes with Gaia's rage; the violent, hellish explosion of elements and earthquakes manages to kill the red Shadows. As Gaia fades away, the white circle pulses one last time, engulfing Cancer and the remaining Shadows in searing white light. The circle fades away, leaving all of Zodiac much darker.

"Keep pushing!" Rainbow yells. "PERSONA!" Nike swoops high into the air, her guitar transforming into a giant sword; she glides down and slashes through Cancer and the white Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Echo releases flurries of cutting wind blades at the Shadows.

I slide the Empress Arcana onto my phone. "HIPPOLYTA!" Hippolyta appears, bow drawn, and fires dozens of arrows down upon the enemy.

"PERSONA!" Euphoria tumbles into the fray, kicking and hip-checking Cancer and the staggering, sparking, smoking white Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Leviathan's signature tidal wave slams down over the enemy. Rarity and Twilight each follow up with ice and lightning attacks; Twilight's lightning proves to be the fatal strike for the white Shadows, which explode spectacularly, showering sparks everywhere. Cancer is twitching more violently, smoke and sparks raining from its mechanical shell.

"We got 'im on the ropes now!" Applejack yells joyfully. "PERSONA!"

Gaia appears and slams a massive fist into Cancer, flipping him over and cracking his shell.


IMPOSSIBLE...! HOW CAN MERE HUMANS POSSESS SUCH POWER?!


With a roar and a lot of sparks and grinding, Cancer transforms into its humanoid form again; I can only watch in dull, weary dismay as a fresh wave of Shadows springs up out of the ground. Some of the damage we've done to Cancer repairs itself, and it stops sparking and smoking.

Pinkie starts to cry.

//Keep it together and hang in there, it's still taken a lot of damage!//

Rainbow Dash boosts our strength while Fluttershy heals us. One of the new red Shadows boosts the enemies' strength. A second red Shadow fires off a lightning-fast diving kick at Twilight, who screams out and falls to the ground. I rush over to her and kneel down to check on her as the Shadow that hurt her flips back to its cohorts and begins charging up power. A second later, the third red Shadow uses its scorching pressure wave attack. I shield Twilight as best I can, but she's already down; the next hit leaves her stunned. Shining Armor runs over, heedless of the danger to himself.

"Oh god, Twilight..."

//She's stunned, but other than that she's fine,// Cadance reports.

I glance at Shining Armor. "Get BACK!" I snarl. "This is all for nothing if you get killed!"

He shakily nods and stumbles back, retreating to stand by Cadance and Sunset Shimmer, who is furiously tapping away at her phone and swearing under her breath.

Meanwhile, two of the newest green Shadows have started charging up power, and the other three are flying around, doing those GODDAMNED diving kicks I'm getting so sick of. Two of them cross-kick Rainbow, while the third goes after Rarity.

"Really!" Rarity complains as she staggers. "How dare you kick a lady, you brute!"

"I am SO FUCKING SICK OF THIS!" I bellow, slamming my hand down on my phone. "PERSONA!"

Hippolyta appears, raining down a storm of arrows. Cancer staggers and takes a knee as arcs of electricity crackle and snap over his arrow wounds. I quickly slide the Death Arcana onto my phone.

"ALICE!"

Alice skips into view, giggling as she holds out her hands. A ball of dark mist gathers in her palms; tendrils of energy flow out of the Shadows, gathering in the mist and turning it a pale, shining blue. She then turns around and gently blows the ball of blue mist at me. It sinks into my skin, and I feel my mind start to clear as renewed vigor floods my being.

Even as Alice fades away, Euphoria dances into the Shadow horde, her hips and feet and elbows and even her hair flying around, colliding with the enemy and scattering them like bowling pins. As Euphoria fades, Leviathan rises, drawing in energy from the Shadows just as Alice did and transferring it into Sonata. Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast and heals us all.

Twilight woozily rises to her knees, leaning on me for support. "I..." she coughs. "Need a minute."

One of the white Shadows heals the enemy horde; the other starts charging up power. Applejack summons Gaia, whose massive earthquake and elemental barrage puts several Shadows on the ground. Gaia then drives a fist into Cancer, sending him skidding back.

Cancer snarls and aims his minigun at Applejack, a huge ball of swirling white energy forming at the meeting of the three barrels. At the last second, he turns his attention to me and, before I can react, fires. A white-hot laser pierces through me, expanding as it fills me. I feel my organs burning and boiling inside me and let out a strangled scream.

"FLASH!" Twilight cries.

I take a knee, bracing myself on my axe. "I...urgh..." I pause to vomit; it's foamy and reddish-pink. "Be alright...minute..."

"GODDAMMIT!" Rainbow snarls, summoning Nike, whose prismatic shockwave tears through the Shadows. The green ones explode.

"ECHO!" Fluttershy's Persona appears above me, shedding healing light which eases my pain enough for me to stand...

...just in time to be cross-kicked by two of the red Shadows. My vision blacks out as I fall to the ground in sheer agony.

"OH MY GOD, FLASH!" Twilight screams. Her scream turns to one of pain as a scorching pressure wave tears through us.

With nerveless, trembling fingers, I start fumbling with my phone. I can barely see; the blurry shape of the Lovers Arcana greys out in my field of vision. "P-Persona," I whisper.

Serenity descends from above, her wings spread wide and her blond hair stirring as the crystal she holds sheds brilliant silver light over all of us. Instantly, all my horrible wounds are healed; I slowly stand up, looking around at the others, catching the relief on Twilight's face.

"We need to put an end to this," I whisper hoarsely as Serenity fades away. Twilight nods, tears streaming down her face.

Euphoria appears again; her entire demeanor has changed, as has Pinkie's. Pinkie's hair has gone limp and there is no trace of a smile on her face, no light in her eyes. Euphoria is no longer dancing through the enemy. She is moving among them like a ruthless, efficient killer, fists and feet striking the remaining Shadows.

Sonata, Rarity, and Twilight form up and unleash their attacks in tandem. Leviathan's tidal wave, Wadjet-Bast's ice storm, and Athena's lightning rip through the Shadows, obliterating the red ones and leaving Cancer lying flat on the ground, twitching and sparking and smoking. One of the white Shadows uses its healing ability, while the other one flies at Twilight, wreathed in a burning red aura, and drops a blazingly fast diving kick on her. Twilight crumples to the ground with a whimper, and I run over to her to shield her as I check her over.

Applejack roars in rage and frustration and summons Gaia again; the earth underneath the remaining Shadows explodes, plumes of magma consuming them and partially melting Cancer, who manages to stand up and screeches hideously at us.

Gaia hasn't even finished fading away before Rainbow Dash summons Nike, whose guitar-sword slices apart the white Shadows, which explode violently. Fluttershy heals Twilight, while I slide the Fortune Arcana back onto my phone.

"SEPHIROTH!"

Sephiroth descends again, slowly drawing his enormous sword. In a black blur, he flies toward Cancer; his sword flashes out eight times, showers of sparks rising from Cancer's limbs and torso with each strike.

As Sephiroth fades away, Euphoria lunges forward again, grabbing Cancer and suplexing him. Leviathan rises up, and a virulent purple wave crashes over Cancer, whose body crackles with purple sparks as Leviathan fades away.

//You're almost done! Just a little more and he'll be finished!//

Wadjet-Bast and Athena Logia appear. A column of ice engulfs Cancer, only to be blown violently apart by a thick, stabbing thunderbolt. Gaia appears again, driving a solid fist into the sparking, smoking, twitching body of Cancer.


NO...! I...I WILL NOT FALL TO YOU WRETCHED HUMANS!


His entire body visibly shaking, gears grinding with every jerking motion, Cancer aims his minigun into the air and fires straight up. A hailstorm of needle-thin plasma blasts rains down on us. After everything we've suffered up to this point, it's little more than an annoyance.

The purple sparks snapping across Cancer's frame grow in intensity, and Cancer screeches, falling to the ground.

//NOW! DO IT NOW!//

"CHAAAAAAAARGE!" Rainbow yells, her knives at the ready as she rushes Cancer. The rest of us fall in behind her, and soon we're hacking, stabbing, smacking, kicking, and shooting away at the most annoying, persistent pain in the ass we've had the misfortune of dealing with yet.


N-NO...I MUST SURVIVE...! I MUST LIVE...!


We're all thrown back as Cancer, shuddering and smoking, flips over and transforms into something that's halfway between a mechanical crab and a tank. He scatters us with a plasma blast from his cannon, then takes off for the murky, smoky horizon, the haze of battle hanging over the transformed park obscuring him.

"Oh no you don't," I growl, sliding the Emperor Arcana onto my phone. "PERSONA!"

With the mighty rumble of a powerful engine, Optimus Prime drives into view. I waste no time in jumping into the cab; Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie jump on and hang onto the sides, while everybody else stays behind to guard Shining Armor and Cadance. Prime's tires roar and kick up clods of grass and dirt as we race off in pursuit of Cancer.

As badly damaged as Cancer is, it doesn't take long to catch up. The girls jump free as I throw myself out of the cab, and Prime transforms into a giant robot, unlimbering a massive ion rifle, which he trains on the sparking, listing crab tank. A bolt of plasma explodes from the barrel, slamming into Cancer and flipping him over.


LEO...WILL AVENGE ME...AND I WILL RETURN...ALONG WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS...


Prime takes three steps forward, his eyes blazing as he takes aim again.

He pulls the trigger a second time.

The next blast of his ion rifle rips Cancer apart. We watch as fragments of biomechanical transforming crab fly in every direction.

Prime salutes me and fades from view. All around us, Zodiac melts into an inky wireframe, which fuzzes out and is replaced by the bright sunshine, blue sky, and summer breeze of the park.

Exhausted, the four of us lean on each other as we walk back over to the pavilion where all our friends are waiting.

At least, that's the plan.

The cool, sweet, fragrant grass that's suddenly tickling my nose has other ideas...

Monday, July 4, 2016 / Evening

My head is pounding...

I wince as I open my eyes. My vision is blurry and it's bright...

I try to sit up, but something is holding me down. I crane my neck around, and see a pink blur on one side of me and a purple blur on the other.

"—kidding me?" I hear Shining Armor saying. "I just lived every nerd dream I've ever had, and you're telling me I can't join in?"

"Absolutely not," Cadance replies firmly. "Shining Armor, what we're doing...it's dangerous."

"OBVIOUSLY!" he cries, frustrated. "All the more reason for me to be part of this, don't you think? I have to protect you and Twilight and...and the baby! You can't keep doing this with the baby on the way!"

"And once we take care of the last Hunter Shadow, I won't have to," Cadance says. "Besides, I don't know if you noticed, but I don't actually fight. I just stand on the sidelines, completely protected by my Persona, and keep an eye on things."

"Yeah yeah, you're mission control, but Cadance," Shining Armor whines, "Flash has a truck that transforms into a ROBOT! I want one too!"

I rub my forehead. "Coach, if you didn't awaken a Persona while all that shit was going on, you're probably not going to. And since you didn't, you'll never see Zodiac again. Sorry, but...your involvement in Zodiac ends here."

"He's right," Sunset Shimmer says. "Now that Cancer's gone, you'll never be pulled in again. Hell, you shouldn't even still remember what just happened."

"The only reason he remembers is because he already knew about Zodiac from what we've told him," Cadance says. With a smirk, she adds, "or maybe because he can't stop thinking about Twilight's Persona..."

"Or yours," Sunset adds with a teasing grin.

"Or Pinkie's," Cadance says with a giggle. "Don't think I didn't notice your boner, Shiny."

"GAH!"

"Aww, does Coach have a bone to pick with me?" Pinkie says from my right. I glance over, and am relieved to see the light of joy back in her eyes. Her hair hasn't fully poofed back out yet, but it's getting there.

Shining Armor facepalms. "Okay, seriously, cut it out," he complains. "It's still my birthday, you shouldn't be...shouldn't be ganging up on me like this..."

"What should we be doing?" Sunset asks. "Spanking you?"

"Hey, nobody spanks Shiny but me," Cadance says with a giggle.

I glance back and forth between Sunset and Cadance. "Okay," I ask slowly, "since when are you two such good friends?"

"How are you feeling?" Cadance asks me. "When the girls had to carry you back over to the rest of us, well..."

"I think I just blacked out again," I say. "That battle took more out of me than I thought."

"It took a lot out of all of us," Twilight says sleepily from my left. "We packed everything up and...and came straight home after..." She shakes her head as her eyelids droop. "Sorry," she says. "Still a little out of it..." Her eyes jerk open wide. "Oh SHIT!" she cries. "What did you tell Mom and Dad?!"

Cadance shrugs. "It's not the first time Flash has had a fainting spell. It's in the school medical records and everything. As far as they know, Flash just fainted and you girls carried him back. As for why everybody else was tired, we passed that off as fatigue from Sweet Apple Acres. They bought it. I think."

"Oh, good," Twilight says, nestling in closer to me and closing her eyes.

"Umm...there's still plenty of birthday cake," Sunset says. "Mrs. Velvet and Mr. Night Light actually bought two, so..." She fidgets with her hands. "You didn't get to eat any earlier, right? You were too tired..."

Twilight, too tired to eat cake? Whoa...

Twilight sits up suddenly, eyes bright. "Cake? Did you say cake?"

Sunset nods. "Sure, I'll go get you some. I'll bring Flash and Pinkie some too." She stands up and pads off to the kitchen.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. "Okay, again, since when—"

"I had a long talk with Sunset after we got back," Cadance says. "While everybody else was sleeping off that godawful battle." She plays with the hem of her shirt, then looks at me and Twilight, her eyes clear and sincere. "Something about what Cancer said scared her." She has a troubled frown on her face. "The Shadows want her to live. They said—"

"They said she's the key," Twilight says. "But what does that mean?"

"Is she like, pregnant with Shadow Babies?" Pinkie wonders.

"God, I hope not," Sunset says as she walks back in and hands Twilight a paper plate with a piece of ice cream cake and a plastic fork on it. "If I am, I want an abortion. I'll...I'll be back with yours in a second," she says to me and Pinkie, turning and padding off.

Shining Armor leans forward, studying us intently. "Look," he says, "I know Sunset Shimmer's been a real bitch to everyone. I know she's done horrible things. I know even after she said she was giving up fighting us, she's still been...a problem."

We all glare at him. He pales, but presses on.

"But you didn't see how scared she was. When...when she realized she was completely helpless back there..."

Twilight snorts. "It's an act," she says.

"No, it isn't," Cadance says softly, taking Shining Armor's hand and squeezing it. "You don't have my powers. You didn't feel what I felt." She glanced in the direction of the kitchen. "I could feel Sunset's Persona inside her, malevolent and powerful and dangerous...and completely sealed away. And..." She swallows, then looks back at us and leans forward.

"There's something else," she whispers. "Inside Sunset Shimmer..." She takes a deep breath.

"As long as she's alive, Zodiac is never going away."

"So that's what you didn't want to tell me."

We all look up as Sunset walks over, handing me and Pinkie each a piece of cake. Her eyes are clouded. She sits back down, burying her head in her hands. "So...that's it then," she says. "You guys have to kill me. If you want to stop the Shadows from hurting anybody else, I have to die." She looks up, turning her teal gaze on each of us in turn. "That's...that's what it means, right?" Her eyes lock with Cadance's. "I'm the key? Without me, it all stops? So I have to die, right?"

Cadance swallows. "I..."

Sunset shakes her head and stands up. "I'm not letting you kill me," she says. "I'm not dying without a fight." She bows her head; her hands are curled into fists at her side, but they're shaking. "But...I don't want to hurt you. Any of you. I meant it when I said...when I said I just want friends." She looks at each of us in turn. Tears are gathering in her eyes.

"I guess...I guess we can't be friends if...if you have to try to kill me..."

With that, she turns and heads for the stairs.

None of us say anything. What can we say...?

For months, all we've talked about was putting an end to Sunset Shimmer...

Suddenly, that doesn't seem like such an easy decision.
> 7/5 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, July 5, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Wherever you go, there you are.

I didn't sleep well last night. All I could think about was how sad Sunset Shimmer looked before she went upstairs.

"I guess...I guess we can't be friends if...if you have to try to kill me..."

I don't know why, but those words, and her face when she said them, drained every drop of hatred I had for her right out of me, leaving me feeling hollow and cold.

I glance at my clock. It's almost seven in the morning. Twilight's parents are going home in a couple of hours. I get up, throw on some shorts and a T-shirt, and cross the hall to Twilight's room. I knock; it's almost a minute before the door unlocks and opens. Twilight's dressed in shorts and a T-shirt as well, and looks rumpled and puffy. She looks me up and down. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

I shake my head. Twilight steps out of the door and lets me in, then closes it behind me.

I sit down on her bed; she sits next to me, wrapping her arms around me. I pull her close and let out a heavy, depressed sigh. "Is it weird," I start, "that I just don't hate her anymore?"

Twilight sighs. "I don't know," she says. "I want to still hate her for everything she's done, and...and there are things I'll never forgive her for, but right now I just feel..." She shakes her head. "I don't know how I feel." She buries her face in her hands. "I just want all this to be over," she moans. "I want to worry about graduation and college and the fact that I'm about to be an aunt, I want to have fun with my friends and go on dates with you and daydream about our future. I don't want all...all this hanging over me anymore. Zodiac, Sunset, all of it. I just want it gone."

"Me too," I say. "But I don't..." I swallow a lump in my throat. "I don't think I can...I mean..."

"I know," Twilight says. "All night long I kept...kept imagining myself just running her through with my sword, and every time I saw her fall to the ground dead, I cried. Not because it was over, but...but because it felt wrong." She sniffles. "I don't know how everybody else feels, but...I don't know if I can do it. No," she amends, "I can't do it. Even after everything she's done to us, I...I can't kill Sunset Shimmer."

"I don't want her dead at all," I say numbly. "I..." I look at my hands, which are shaking.

There's another knock at the door. Twilight gets up and opens it. It's Pinkie.

Pinkie walks in and sits on the bed on my left; Twilight sits on my right. Pinkie doesn't say anything. She just starts crying. This sets Twilight off, and after a little while, I think I'm crying too.

We don't say anything. We just sit there holding each other until we're wrung out.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016 / Daytime

After Twilight's parents leave, everybody except Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Sunset Shimmer gathers together in the lounge. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went off to see a movie with Scootaloo and Silver Spoon; nobody's seen Sunset Shimmer all day.

We're all physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted after yesterday. Nevertheless, we have important matters to discuss in light of last night's conversation.

Cadance leads the discussion, telling the others what she told us, what she, Shining Armor, and Sunset talked about. Twilight, Pinkie, and I talk about our conversation earlier.

"So...we've got two options," Rainbow says. "Let Sunset live, and we keep dealing with this Zodiac crap forever. Or kill her, and it all goes away."

"Possibly all goes away," Cadance admonishes. "All we know for sure is that somehow, she's the key."

"Then it's settled," Fluttershy says. "We kill her."

"Nothing is settled," I say. I look around at the others. "Look. We all know what she's done. We all know she doesn't deserve an ounce of compassion or forgiveness. But..." I take a deep breath. "Killing Sunset Shimmer isn't an option."

"It kind of is," Rainbow says, but her eyes are full of doubt.

"No, it isn't," Twilight says with a sigh. "Look, I don't want to defend Sunset Shimmer, but...I don't have it in me to kill her." She looks down at her lap. "I've been thinking, and...I think she's just as much a victim as we are." She looks around at everyone. "She's being used, don't you see? Sure, she has issues. She's not a good person. She's probably brought a lot of this on herself. But when you think about it..." She looks at Fluttershy.

So do the rest of us.

Fluttershy scowls. "Don't say it," she says. "I'm getting really sick of you guys saying it."

"But...well...dammit all, it's true," Applejack says. "Look, Ah came inta this whole mess mighty late, but if even half'a whut they said about how you useta be is true, you're kinda th' same color horse as Sunset. Everybody gave you a second chance."

A deafening silence follows that statement.

Fluttershy lets out a long, hissing breath. "Fuck,", she spits venomously. She crosses her arms. "Okay, fine. We don't kill Sunset. But don't fucking expect me to make friends with her. I hate her. I will never stop hating her."

"You don't have to like her," Twilight says gently. "You just have to help us find a way to put an end to Zodiac that doesn't involve killing Sunset Shimmer."

Fluttershy groans. "That means I'll have to work with her," she grumbles. "She knows Zodiac better than I do."

Shining Armor scratches his head, a puzzled frown on his face. "Isn't the best way to end all this just to shut down Canterbook?" he asks. "Destroy the server? I mean, Zodiac can't exist without Canterbook, right?"

"That's not an option anymore," a soft, melancholy voice intrudes.

We all look up to see Sunset Shimmer, who's standing just inside the entrance to the lounge, a defeated look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asks.

Sunset sighs. "I just broke into CHS and smashed the server," she says. "Canterbook didn't even glitch."

We all check our phones. It's true...Canterbook is still going strong.

"But how...?!" Cadance cries.

Sunset sits down and scrubs her hands through her hair. "The server at the school is a mirror," she says. "So is the one at CJHS. I even checked the one at my house. It's not online at all."

"So...what does that mean?" Shining Armor asks.

"It means we can't shut Canterbook down unless we find and shut down every last server," Fluttershy says, her phone out and working furiously. Her eyes grow progressively wider, her face drawing tight and her mouth setting into a grim line. "Fuck," she spits.

"What is it?" I ask.

Fluttershy snarls and throws her phone across the room. "Fifty," she spits. "There are fifty servers. Any one of them could be where Zodiac is hiding."

"ALL of them could be running Zodiac," Sunset corrects, folding dejectedly into a chair. "And did you notice the server names?"

"Yeah," Fluttershy grunts. "Every single one of them begins with 'RF'."

"Red Flag," Twilight mutters, facepalming.

"We've all been played," Rainbow grumbles. "Even Slutset."

"Yeah, even me," Sunset says, grimacing. "I thought I was the queen of Canterlot, but—"

"You are," Twilight says. "In chess terms. The most powerful piece on the board, but capturing you doesn't automatically checkmate the king."

"So...what do we do?" Pinkie asks. Everybody turns to me.

I shrug. "I don't know," I say.

"Don't you?" Sunset asks tiredly. "You already know what you have to do. Kill me and you kill Zodiac."

"We're not killing you," I say firmly. "There has to be another way."

A long, uncomfortable, heavy silence descends upon the group.

"Right now," Cadance says, "I think we all need to take some time to rest and think. We're all wrung out from yesterday, I don't think any of us can think clearly right now. We just...we need to rest. We can figure out what our next move is when we're not as worn out and upset."

"I agree," Shining Armor says, taking Cadance's hand and squeezing it. "Making snap decisions about something this major is...it's a bad idea." He looks around the room. "Besides, you all look terrible. Go get some sleep or something."

"Yeah, that's a fine idea," Applejack says, standing and stretching. "Think Ah'm gonna hole up in mah room fer th' rest of th' day. See y'all tomorrow."

"Likewise," Rarity agrees, also standing.

One by one, we all stand up and go our separate ways, except for Twilight and Pinkie, who follow me to my room. The only one who doesn't leave the lounge is Sunset Shimmer.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016 / Evening

It's late...

Twilight and Pinkie haven't left my side all day. The three of us are watching something I'm not even really paying attention to on TV and stuffing junk food into our faces. The door's open.

"Hey guys," Sunset Shimmer says from the doorway. We all look up. She's obviously been crying...

She steps in, scratching her right arm with her left hand, her eyes downcast. "Listen, I..." She pauses. "I...just wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything.

"Twilight, I'm sorry I've harassed you for so long. It's...I was mad because you were so much better than me at everything. I've always tried so hard to be perfect, and I thought I was the best, and then I always came in second to you on exams and..." Sunset sighs. "I just couldn't deal with being second best, and I...I'm sorry.

"Pinkie, I should never have done the horrible things I did to you. You shouldn't be on the outs with your family when all you were doing was trying to be yourself." Sunset laughs a soft, self-depreciating laugh. "God, I'm such a hypocrite. All I want to do is be myself, and here I made you suffer for the same thing."

She turns to me. "Flash, I...I'm sorry I did...what I did to you." She shuffles awkwardly. "It was...I was trying to make Twilight jealous, I think? I dunno. I guess I just did it to hurt you guys because I was jealous of the two of you. Not...not that I'm jealous over you personally, don't get me wrong, I'm not really into you like that, it's..." She sighs. "I was jealous of what the two of you have. You're so much in love and it's so obvious, and...and I don't know if I'll ever have that, and..." She crumples to the ground. "God, I'm a horrible person."

Twilight and Pinkie exchange glances, then look to me. I sigh, stand up, and walk over to Sunset, crouching down to look her in the eyes. "Sunset, I..." I pause. "Honestly? I don't think we can ever forgive you for the things you've done."

Sunset sniffles. "I know."

"But," I add, tilting her face up. "I think there might be a chance we can start over. If you're really serious, if you really want to be a better person, if you really want friends—"

"I do!" she exclaims. "That's...that's all I really want. That's the one thing I've never had. Friends."

I nod. "I'm not making any promises, but...I think we can try." I look back at Twilight and Pinkie.

Twilight nods. "None of us really want to see you die," Twilight says. "None of us want to have to...to have to kill you. I think...I think mostly I feel pity for you." She looks down. "That's not the same as friendship, but maybe it...maybe it's  a start." She looks at Pinkie.

Pinkie shrugs. "I don't really have it in me to hate anybody," she says. "I thought I hated my parents, I thought I hated you..." She shakes her head and sighs. "I don't, really. I'm just not the kind of person that can really, truly hate."

Sunset sniffles and wipes her eyes. "I'll take what I can get," she says hoarsely. "Thank you." I help her up, and she turns to leave.

"Hey, Sunset?" Twilight says.

"Yeah?" Sunset replies, turning around.

Twilight pats the bed on her left, in the space opposite where I was sitting. "Come watch TV with us for a little while."

Sunset offers a half-smile. "Sure."

The four of us spend the rest of the evening watching TV together, not talking much.
> 7/6 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Dog walkers get all the bitches.

Largely due to the physical and emotional exhaustion of the last couple of days, everyone wakes up at a more reasonable time for summer break today. It's half past eight when I wake up, tangled up with Twilight and Pinkie on Twilight's bed. Sunset went back to her room when we all got tired of watching late movies.

We're all still a bit wrung out, so everybody's doing their own thing today, not really talking much. We all wander in and out of the kitchen, getting breakfast and taking it to the dining room or the lounge or back to our own rooms. I'm not really hungry, so I grab a pop-tart and munch on it while I write my parents an e-mail and do a little web browsing.

At half past ten, Fluttershy knocks on my bedroom door. "Hey, Flash?" she asks.

"Yeah?"

Fluttershy shifts her weight, leaning against the doorframe, and runs a finger through her hair. "Would you mind maybe spending the day with me? I...I need to get out of the dorm for a little while, and I have some shopping to do anyway, and...and I could use some company."

I nod. "Sure." I shut down my computer, grab my wallet and my phone, and follow her out, stopping by Twilight's room long enough to tell her I'm headed out for the day.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 / Daytime

We borrow Cadance's SUV for our outing. Our first stop is a bulk pet supply store, where Fluttershy picks up several incredibly heavy bags of dry dog and cat food, as well as large bags of hamster shavings and bulk packages of birdseed and hamster pellets.

The kind they eat, not the kind they make.

Once we've loaded it all up, we drive it over to the animal shelter to drop it off. Fluttershy spends a few minutes checking on all the animals and filling food and water dishes, then talks to the volunteer on duty—Tree Hugger, that stoner chick from CHS—for a minute before heading back to the SUV.

"So you buy all the pet food and stuff for the shelter?" I ask.

"When it's my turn," Fluttershy says. "It's charged to the shelter. The store has the credit account on file and knows whose turn it is to do the supply run." She stretches, then gets into the car; I pull out onto the road.

"Where to next?"

"The mall," Fluttershy replies. "There's a sale today and I saw a dress I kind of liked." She pauses, then adds, "Besides, I need some new bras. Ever since about our third day at Sweet Apple Acres, mine have all been pinching like crazy."

"Oh, so that's why you went without a bra for a little while there."

I can feel Fluttershy's glare burning into the side of my head. "Pervert."

"What? I'm surrounded by a forest of tits pretty much all the time. It's kinda hard not to notice."

Fluttershy snorts.

"You should probably get a new swimsuit or two while you're there," I suggest.

"Hmm...will I even be needing one? I don't think we're planning another beach trip, are we?"

"You never know. Better safe than sorry." After turning at a particularly bad intersection, I add, "Tell you what. I'll buy you a swimsuit."

"Anything to get to ogle my body, huh?" Fluttershy shakes her head. "Okay, I'll take you up on that. On one condition."

"Name it."

"There's a movie I wanna go see somewhere in between you buying me lunch and all the shopping."

"Sure."

We decide to have lunch first since the movie Fluttershy wants to see doesn't start until a quarter to one. We stop at a casual dining place on the outskirts of the mall grounds. It has a nice atmosphere with dim lighting and decent food, and isn't terribly packed. The only thing either of us can think to complain about is that the staff are fighting over which station to play over the ambience system; the music coming from overhead keeps changing mid-song. By the fifth time the station changes in the middle of a song, Fluttershy is visibly annoyed.

I can't say I blame her. It's kind of aggravating.

"Okay, enough is enough," Fluttershy declares, pulling her tablet out of her purse. After a few minutes of her doing...whatever the hell she does, the station locks on classic rock and doesn't change. Fluttershy puts her tablet away with a smile just as the server brings our food.

Once the server is clear of the table, I lean forward and whisper, "Nice choice."

"Thought you'd approve."

After a pleasant and enjoyable lunch, we head to the mall, making it through the ticket counter and concession stand just in time for the twenty minutes of previews before the movie. It's an anime movie about cute young girls who are persuaded to become magical soldiers by an utterly adorable little creature that turns out to be a soul-sucking demon who conned them into making sacrifices they didn't understand. By the middle of the movie, it's turned from cute and fluffy to gory and violent.

Fluttershy loves every second of it. I can't help but feel like I'd rather be watching My Small Squirrel.

She must pick up on my not having enjoyed the movie very much, because she decides to go look for new swimsuits first. She models several very alluring bikinis and one-piece swimsuits for me before choosing the three that got the biggest—ahem—reaction. After that, we walk halfway across the mall to shop for dresses, underwear, and even some shoes—none of which I pay for, but all of which I have to carry.

We're halfway back to the parking lot when Fluttershy stops suddenly, looking in a shop that sells pointless gimmicky bric-a-brac. "Oh my," she says, her eyes wide. She rushes into the store; I watch her stand in front of a wall of huge, colorful plushies. The way she's rushing back and forth, looking at this one, then that with a wide-eyed, wonderous expression...

It's positively adorable. For the entire time she's in the store, I forget that this girl is a master hacker and smoking hot ninja assassin. All I see is pure cuteness.

After almost ten minutes, she comes out carrying two plushies: a fat white egg-shaped thing with a cat-like smile, rabbit ears, and a plastic red jewel on its forehead, and a turquoise platypus with a little brown felt fedora. She squeezes them and makes this absolutely tooth-rotting little 'squee' sound.

"Found something you like?" I ask.

Fluttershy blushes and coughs, her hair falling over one eye. "Umm...yes," she says quietly. "Let's...let's go back."

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 / Evening

When we get back to the dorm, I help Fluttershy take all her new things to her room. She sets the plushies on her bed, adjusting them and admiring them.

"Well, I'll just leave you to have fun with your new friends," I say.

"Wait!" Fluttershy says, turning to me and shuffling across the room. She leans up and gives me a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for today," she says softly. Then, in an even softer tone, she adds, "Thank you for everything."

"Fluttershy?"

She sits down on the bed, hugging the white egg-rabbit plushie. "After what everybody said yesterday, I...I've been thinking," she says. "And I've decided...everybody's right about me being like Sunset Shimmer—and they're wrong about me being like her."

I sit down in her computer chair and turn it to face her. "Run that by me again?"

Fluttershy hugs the plushie a little tighter. "Zodiac turned us both into the worst possible versions of ourselves," she says. "But Sunset was already a bad person. People like her made me a bad person."

"I don't know if she's a bad person," I say. "I think she just has, well...a superiority complex and impulse control issues."

Fluttershy raises an eyebrow at me. "Don't tell me you're a psychology expert now."

I shrug. "Well, I'm not wrong."

"No, I guess not," Fluttershy agrees. "That does pretty much describe her." She shakes her head. "Anyway, my point is...from now on, I want to be the best possible version of myself." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "And if that...if that means giving Sunset Shimmer a chance to change the way you and the others did for me, then that's what I'll do."

I smile at her. "You really are one of the kindest people I know," I say.

Fluttershy blushes. "I'm not that kind," she says. She puts down her plushie, crosses over to her desk, and rummages around in it for a minute, then hands me a yellow thumb drive with a pink butterfly sticker on it.

"That's the first database I ever cracked," she says. "It's encrypted, of course, and the data is a few years old, so it's not really useful for anything anyway. I just kept it as...kind of a memento of my first thrill." She smiles wistfully. "I want you to have it. It doesn't seem right to keep it when I'm making a clean break with that part of myself."

"A clean break, huh?" I ask.

Fluttershy laughs softly. "Well...I'm not going to promise I'll be a good girl and keep my fingers out of other people's software, but..." Fluttershy ducks her head and gives me a sheepish smile. "I think I'd rather go back to spending my time on fluffy bunnies and cute kitties."






Thou art I, and I am thou...



The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.



The innermost power of the Priestess Arcana hath been set free.



We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Kikyo, the ultimate form of the Priestess Arcana...


For a moment, the world freezes. Behind Fluttershy, I see her Persona, Echo...





With a prismatic flash of light and the sound of a mirror shattering, Echo changes!





Fluttershy yawns. "Well, I want to peel down, change into my jammies, and cuddle my new plushie friends," she says. "Umm...see you tomorrow?"

"Isn't it a bit early for bed?" I ask.

Fluttershy shrugs. "I've got something I need to do at two in the morning. And no, I'm not telling you what."

"Oh...okay." I give her a dubious look, then shake my head. "Good luck with, umm...whatever." I wave and walk out.

Upstairs, I see Twilight and Sunset sitting in Sunset's room. I peek in. "What's up?" I ask.

"Well, Fluttershy was out all day, so I was running some of my theories about Leo and Red Flag by Twilight," Sunset says.

"We didn't come up with anything really useful, unfortunately, but at least we tried," Twilight says with a frustrated sigh. "How was your day?"

"Oh, you know...watched a movie that scarred me for life, got to ogle Fluttershy in a bikini," I say with a casual wave of my hand.

"Wow, you actually have the balls to admit that to your girlfriend's face?" Sunset asks in an impressed tone.

Twilight rolls her eyes. "I already know his heart belongs to me, so I don't mind if his eyes and his dick wander. Just as long as they don't wander too far and I approve of where they're wandering," she adds as a reminder, giving me a severe stare.

Sunset chuckles and shakes her head. "You know, you surprise me, Twilight. I never would've pegged you as being the overly permissive type of girlfriend." With a sly smile, she adds, "Can I borrow him?"

"Nope!" Twilight says sweetly.

"Darn," Sunset says, snapping her fingers. "How about Pinkie? Can I borrow Pinkie?"

"What would you want with Pinkie?" Twilight asks.

"I dunno," Sunset replies with a shrug.

Twilight smirks. "Tell you what," she says, "you can borrow Rainbow Dash. Nobody's using her right now."

"There's a thought," Sunset purrs, stroking her chin.

I shake my head. "Okay, you two are weird. I'm gonna go practice my guitar."

Twilight waves, and I head back to my room.

This has been one bizarre week, and it's only half over...
> 7/7 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, July 7, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Do you have the balls to keep playing this game?

Shortly after I wake up, I find a text on my phone. It's from Zecora. We're going to be summoned to the Velvet Room tonight.

Thursday, July 7, 2016 / Daytime

The day is spent doing chores—laundry, cleaning the dorm, washing the cars, taking care of the dorm grounds. We don't do much talking about anything; for the most part, conversation is kept to light, idle topics or the tasks at hand.

It's relaxing, in a way, to have something to focus on that takes my mind off all the drama of the past few days.

By the time night falls, the entire dorm is sparkling clean, every last piece of laundry has been washed, and every blade of grass is manicured and watered.

Thursday, July 7, 2016 / Evening

The Velvet Room...

The familiar scenery forms around us, a gold-framed door depicting the Hermit Arcana card standing serenely in the distance.

"So, we're still doin' this?" Rainbow asks.

"Looks that way," Applejack says.

"What...what is this?" a familiar voice that doesn't belong to anyone from the dorm asks.

We all turn around slowly.

Suri Polomare is standing in the middle of the Velvet Room, staring around at all of us in irritation.

"The hell?" Rainbow wonders.

Suri frowns. "Okay, what did you losers do to me? Where the hell are we?"

We look at each other in confusion.

"Flash? What's Suri doing here?" Pinkie asks.

"Is...is she the Shadow?" Twilight wonders.

I shake my head. "No," I say, looking from Suri to the Hermit door. "The Shadow is Coco Pommel this time."

"What are you freaks talking about?" Suri asks, stamping a foot. "I'm done with Canterlame! I don't know why you all did...whatever you did to me and brought me wherever this is, but you'd just better take me home right now so I can get you all put in jail!"

"Wow, she makes it sound so tempting," Rainbow quips.

"Wait, Coco's the Shadow?" Pinkie asks. She glances at the Hermit door, then back at Suri. "Oh no. This...this is bad, isn't it?"

I sigh. "Probably, yeah."

"Anyone wanna explain whut that prissy girl who won't stop screamin' is doin' here?" Applejack demands.

Zecora appears from the mists.

"The Hermit still has a bone to pick with this girl who behaves like a royal dick."

Rainbow snorts and snickers. Pinkie giggles.

Suri glares at Zecora. "Okay, who's this zigg—"

Fluttershy's staff upside her head silences her, staggering her forward.

"Oops," Fluttershy says, leaning idly on her staff. "My hand slipped." Rainbow hi-fives her.

"I didn't know you could bring people here who don't have Personas," I say to Zecora.

Zecora shrugs. "I did not summon this racist cunt. Your friend the Hermit is to blame for this stunt."

"Wow, you're in a bad mood tonight," Pinkie observes. "You're not usually this...sweary."

"I lost all my money on an all-in bet in a game of poker with Margaret," Zecora says sourly. "I had a full house, I should be rich, but I always lose to that cheating bi—"

"Why don't we open the Shadow door?" Twilight suggests with an overly large grin.

Zecora snorts and waves a hand vaguely at the door, then retreats to a safe distance.

I step forward and open the door while Suri starts complaining again. A cool blue light shines from within; Coco Pommel steps out, wearing her tennis uniform.

"YOU!" Suri screeches. "I should've known you had something to do with this, you mewling little twat!"

Oh, just shut the fuck up, Suri.

Coco looks up with gold on black eyes, a twisted sneer on her normally placid, adorably meek face.

You know, I probably wouldn't have needed so much help with my self-esteem and confidence if you hadn't been riding my ass since we were kids. Always bossing me around and acting like you were better than me! It's because you knew I was better than you and you were afraid I'd get picked over you, wasn't it? WASN'T IT!

"Oh, get OVER yourself," Suri snorts. "You're way too much of a pussy to ever be noticed by anyone, mmkay? I get ahead in this world because I know how to play the game. I know how to manipulate people like you. I know how to do whatever it takes to make sure I always come out on top. A weak little freak like you? How far do you really think you'll go in life? You're nobody, and you always will be."

You're wrong. I am NOT a nobody! I matter! I matter more than a stuck-up BITCH like you!

"That's right!" Pinkie says. "Coco has friends! People who care about her and support her and want her to succeed! What do you have?"

Suri smiles silkily. "Prestige. Power. Influence. Contacts who can ruin Coco's entire family, hmhm, mmkay?"

It takes a second for that to sink in.

"Oh no," Twilight moans. "You didn't..."

"Things aren't so rosey in the Pommel house right now," Suri says proudly, fanning herself with a hand. She flashes Coco a predatory smirk. "Are they?"

Burning black flames surround Coco as a shadowy tennis racket appears in her hand. With a blinding serve, she slams a ball of pure shadow into Suri's chest, knocking her flat on her ass.

Your pitiful little attempts to screw with me won't work! And I'm through putting up with your bullshit! I am the Shadow, the True Self! I hope your sick little stunt was worth dying for, because I'm about to shut your evil mouth for good!

Coco's Shadow burns with purple-black flames and grows upward, transforming into an elegant black-skinned angel with broad, feathery black wings, wearing a blood red tennis dress with white trim, as well as white tennis shoes and socks, all with red trim. Coco's bobbed seafoam hair tops a head with three glowing green tennis ball "eyes" for a face. The Shadow holds a massive, twisted red tennis racket with black barbed wire strings.

A tiny, superdeformed version of Coco pops up out of the Shadow's hair with a 'Hup!', flailing around stubby arms which hold two tiny tennis rackets in balled fists. The tiny Coco has an absurdly cheerful expression on her face.

Finally, two enormous pink tennis ball launchers, each with three heart-shaped barrels, appear to either side of Coco's Shadow.

"Suri, get behind me and stay put," Cadance instructs.

Suri apparently didn't notice her there before, because she looks surprised. "Nurse Cadance? Wow, you really let yourself go after I left."

"I'm pregnant, you snippy little bitch!" Cadance replies heatedly. "Now get your obnoxious ass over here so I can keep you safe!"

Oh, she's not going anywhere.

The ground underneath us changes into a tennis court with blood red asphalt. Four tall tennis nets made from sticky-looking, wickedly barbed black ropes rise up out of the asphalt, surrounding Suri. The nets are just tall enough that she can see over them, but impossible for her to climb out of without cutting herself to pieces. As if to make sure she stays put, the ground splits open around the tennis net cage, filling with bubbling green acid that emits putrid fumes into the air.

Suri shrinks away from the nets, her eyes wide and terrified. "Wh-what—?!"

"Damn!" Cadance says. "PERSONA!"

Eros forms, shedding cool light over the bloody asphalt. Suri gasps as she looks up at the massive, gleaming crystal heart.

"Get ready, everyone!" I say, already accessing Black Butterfly and equipping my axe. All around me, the others gear up as well.

"You're having a bad dream, Suri," Sonata says before turning her attention to the Shadow. "None of this is real. Think of it like that story about the stingy old man and the three ghosts. When you wake up tomorrow, try not to be such a total bitch, okay?"

The Shadow readies her racket and produces a flaming tennis ball which she bounces on the ground twice.

So, you're all ready for a match, huh? Which one of you gets to return my killer serve?

//Here she comes!//

Coco lobs the flaming ball into the air and slams it hard and fast straight at Suri. She screams as it hits her, setting her on fire.

"Oh my God!" Pinkie cries.

"Whoa," Rainbow says, eyes wide.

Suri rolls around on the ground, screaming and trying to put herself out. Before any of us can move to help her, Coco nails Rarity in the side with a tennis ball made entirely of lightning. Rarity cries out as she drops to one knee, twitching and jerking as electricity snaps all over her body.

//Rarity is paralyzed!//

"Don't...worry about me," Rarity hisses. "Just...I'll be fine..."

"Okay, let's see you pull that crap again!" Rainbow yells. "PERSONA!"

Nike soars high into the air, shedding a wave of light that makes everyone blur around the edges.

Fluttershy readies her phone and starts to call out, then stops. "What the fu—err, heck?"

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asks. "Are you okay?"

"I...I'm not sure," Fluttershy says, her eyes wide as she cradles her phone in her hands, her staff tucked under one arm. "Something's...something's different."

I'm pretty sure I know what that is...

Her expression becomes one of dawning wonder as she caresses her phone with a single finger.

"Artemis."





Fluttershy's Persona appears above her, a shell of holographic screens spinning away from her body, becoming a slowly rotating sphere of scrolling, flickering, flashing information. Her fingers dance across floating holographic keyboards, and one side of the shell opens; a storm of light blossoms into what I can only think of as the kind of ridiculously overcomplicated glowing magical bow you'd see in a magical girl anime, complete with a massive, improbable arrow of light ready to fire. Beneath Artemis, an arsenal of glowing arrows orbits a pillar of light extruding from the base of the screen shell. The arrows are all rapidly pulled up into the sphere and loaded into the bow as it launches one after the other at the enemy, inundating them with exploding magical arrows. When Artemis exhausts all her arrows, she fades away.

"Whoa," Rainbow says, her jaw practically scraping the ground. "That...that was awesome."

"Hooray!" Pinkie cheers, clapping her hands. "Fluttershy finally levelled up!"

"Now we've ALL evolved!" Sonata says, giggling.

Twilight purses her lips. "That means you've got another new Persona too, right Flash?" she asks. Fluttershy shoots me a curious look.

"Yeah," I say, already sliding the Priestess Arcana onto my phone. "KIKYO!"





A long-haired Neighponese priestess glides into view, surrounded by coiling, twisting white serpents that encircle her in a sinuous dance. At her silent command, the serpents shoot forward, plowing through the Shadows; one of them emerges from one of the ball launchers carrying a squirming black orb in its mouth. It crushes the orb in its jaws, and the ball launcher dissolves into a pile of black ash. The eels return to their mistress, and she fades serenely away.

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asks. "Fluttershy gets that awesome new sci-fi magical girl thingie, and all you get is some anime chick and a couple of snakes? Laaaame!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy chides. "Be nice! Honestly, he's already pulled out so many big, destructive monsters, there can't be much more left in there! It's okay if he's down to the leftovers."

"Ouch, Fluttershy. Just...ouch."

"Well, I guess I'd better step up!" Pinkie says, summoning her blue jewel.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


Laughter fills the Velvet Room. A cool blue light surrounds us, even as waves of debilitating force press down on the Shadows.

"My turn! PERSONA!"

Leviathan appears, and a rising wave of ethereal water crashes down on the Shadows. Coco's tennis ball eyes turn violently red and she starts swaying more aggressively; the little Coco on top of her head drums her tiny fists on her head and makes a frustrated sound.

Rarity struggles to rise to her feet, but twitches, her phone clattering to the court as it slips from her nerveless fingers. "I think...I'm a bit...rattled still," she says apologetically.

"We'll take care of you as soon as we can," Twilight promises.

The tiny Coco makes a pouty noise and pulls a glowing white tennis ball out of the bigger Shadow's hair, then lobs it at the pile of ash that used to be one of the ball launchers. In a bright green flash, the ball launcher reappears, good as new.

"Oh great," Rainbow mutters. "It's one of those."

"Ugh! I hate it when they do this!" Sonata complains.

While the reconstituted ball launcher is still calibrating its barrels, the other one fires dozens of tennis balls at us. Everyone gets hit except Applejack; a barrier reflects any shots aimed at her back at the Shadow, wobbling it. It hurts, but not terribly; still, Rarity looks woozy and Suri is badly burned and bruised in her little cage.

//Uhh...guys?// Cadance says, trepidation in her voice. //I've got some bad news.//

"What's wrong, Cadance?" Twilight asks.

//If Suri dies here, there's nothing we can do to save her. She'll die for real.//

Some of the girls gasp.

"But...but we can bring her back, right?" Fluttershy asks. "Most of us have died at least a couple of times—"

//That's different,// Cadance says. //I can't explain how, but...just trust me. You can't let Suri die. At all.//

"Got it," Twilight says, already tapping her phone. "PERSONA!"

Athena Logia's healing light washes over all of us. Suri sits up, rubbing her head and groaning, all traces of her injuries erased. "Wh-what...?" she asks shakily. She looks around and lets out a frustrated snort. "Ugh! This still?"

"Ah think we need some protection," Applejack announces. "PERSONA!"

Gaia erupts from the ground, and a golden light washes over all of us, imbuing us with a defensive aura.

Coco lets out an enraged yell and pounds two hard, fast tennis balls into me, then into Pinkie. I can feel most of my ribs shatter from the impact, and collapse to the ground in burning agony. Across the way, I see Pinkie take a knee, hissing in pain. "Owie, right in the boobies," she moans.

"Okay, enough is enough," Rainbow says. "NIKE!"

Nike soars high into the air, her guitar changing into a huge sword as she swoops down, slashing vigorously at the Shadows.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy summons Artemis again; half her screens flash with complicated medical scans of me and Pinkie. Soothing green healing light washes over us as her fingers dance across her keyboards, and the screens all blink green and wink out as Artemis fades away. I stand up, rubbing my side; Pinkie hops to her feet and gives a quick, distracting bounce.

"Yeah, I'm pissed now," I say. "PERSONA!"

Kikyo appears again, extending both hands and forming a series of complicated hand seals. Her serpents open their mouths and breathe jets of poisonous purple flames at the Shadows. The flames coil around Coco and both ball launchers and linger as Kikyo fades away.

"Here, Rarity, let me help you," Pinkie says. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears above Rarity's head and spins in place, pouring rainbow liquid over her. Rarity's paralysis fades, and she picks up her phone, gingerly rising to her feet. "Thank you, darling," Rarity says, tossing her hair primly.

"Time to wave goodbye to this worst tennis princess! PERSONA!"

A massive tidal wave once again crashes over the Shadows as everyone except Pinkie groans at Sonata's bad pun.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold! WADJET-BAST!"

Wadjet-Bast appears, blowing the Shadows a frozen kiss which encases them all in frost. She snaps her fingers, and the frost explodes away with a sharp crack.

"Ugh, really?" Rainbow cries. "You too, Rarity?"

"Seriously, what's with the sudden hurricane of puns?" Twilight wonders.

The tiny Coco pouts adorably and starts waving her tennis rackets around. Green light washes over the Shadows.

//The little one can heal them and bring them back to life, looks like,// Cadance reports.

"Wonderful," I mutter. "Anyone up for a little chibicide?"

"I'm always up for a little chibicide!" Sonata cries gleefully, a manic, creepy grin on her face.

One of the ball launchers suddenly shoots a blazingly fast ball at Suri, beaning her in the head and knocking her against the net behind her. Before we can react, it fires another shot at Fluttershy which catches her in the gut and staggers her. The other launcher fires an entire volley of shots at us, but incredibly, not a single one hits.

"PERSONA!" Athena appears once more, healing Suri, who stands up and crosses her arms, glaring out at us.

"Leave me out of your weird fantasy tennis death game!" she snaps.

"Wish we could!" Rainbow calls back. "Really wish we could."

Applejack plants her feet and slaps her phone's screen. "GAIA!"

Gaia erupts from the ground again; the asphalt underneath the Shadows explodes, spraying plumes of magma intermixed with pillars of ice and stabbing bolts of lightning into the air.

Coco roars and fires off two killer serves at Applejack, but they both rebound and hit her in the chest. Undaunted, she goes after Twilight, driving her to the ground with two more hard, fast serves.

"TWILIGHT!" I yell, rushing over to check on her.

"I'm okay," Twilight assures me. "Just...give me a second..."

"It's my serve now!" Rainbow announces. "PERSONA!"

Nike glides down and does a knee-slide, jamming on her guitar. A prismatic shockwave rips through the Shadows.

"Give us some protection!" I call to Fluttershy.

"Right!" she replies. "PERSONA!"

Artemis appears again; her holographic screens explode outward to surround us, becoming reflective barriers which flare brightly before fading from view along with their mistress.

I help Twilight to her feet. "How badly is everybody hurt?" I ask.

"Not...too badly," Twilight grunts.

"I'll worry about healing!" Rarity says. "You just worry about taking these Shadows out!"

I frown, looking Twilight over. "Maybe I can do both," I say. Serenity has an ability I don't think I've ever used...

I slide the Lovers onto my phone. "PERSONA!"

Serenity appears, a gleaming scepter in her hand. She traces a crescent arc in the air with it before pointing it at the Shadows. A brilliant silver crescent flashes forward, cleaving through the Shadows like a blade before boomeranging back at our group. As it passes through us, it heals most of our wounds, though Twilight still looks pretty ragged. She's not the only one, though; one of the ball launchers is smoking and sparking.

"PERSONA!" Pinkie calls. A golden light seeps into each of us, and I feel great strength flood my body.

Sonata unlimbers her crossbow and points it at the smoking, sparking ball launcher. With a grim smile, she fires a bolt. The launcher explodes, raining ash all over the court.

"Nice shot!" Rainbow cheers.

"Here, Twilight," Rarity says. "PERSONA!" Wadjet-Bast's bolt of cloth wraps around Twilight, healing the rest of her wounds and leaving her looking refreshed and ready.

The little Coco starts flailing around and wailing at the top of her lungs. Then, she waves her rackets like semaphor flags, and green healing light seeps into the remaining Shadows. The other ball launcher lobs a high, slow ball toward Fluttershy. Her barrier appears, but the ball passes over it and hits Fluttershy square in the chest. Unprepared, she drops to her butt in surprise.

"Alright, I'm tired of this match," Twilight says. "ATHENA LOGIA!"

Athena appears, raining a storm of lightning bolts on the remaining Shadows.

"If'n we put th' big one outta commission, we ain't gotta worry about th' squirt!" Applejack says. "PERSONA!"

Gaia appears and drives a massive fist into Coco's torso, staggering her.

I can't help but notice that we've all lost our blur, as usually happens around this point in the battle. In a battle like this, where the Shadows have pretty good aim, that's not necessarily a good thing...

Coco's tennis ball eyes change from angry green back to glowing neon green, and she suddenly pulls out a tennis ball that isn't a "ball" at all, but a naked Coco Pommel, curled into the fetal position, surrounded by a glowing pink heart. With an overly dramatic backswing that flashes her white panties at all of us, the Shadow serves the naked Coco ball straight at me. I can only stare in numb shock as the Coco ball unfolds and collides head-first with me...

Suddenly, I realize that I'm playing for the wrong team. I should be helping my captain win! I mean, this is a Canterlot tennis match, right?

Coco drives a flaming ball at Pinkie. Pinkie catches fire and starts dancing around, yelping and shrieking as she tries to extinguish herself. The flames keep burning. It's pretty funny. I think. Dimly, I'm aware I should be really upset about this...

Rainbow Dash does something, and her entire team starts to blur.

Fluttershy does something, and gale force winds buffet Coco and the ball launcher. Coco's looking pretty worn out and is hurting bad. I have to do something...!

"PERSONA!"

Serenity appears, giving me a worried, dubious frown as she glances at the girls lined up against Coco. She then sighs, turns to my captain, and spreads her wings wide. Her crystal shines...

//"Flash?! What are you doing?!"//

Dazzling silver light washes over my captain, her little head friend, and the ball launcher, making them all good as new.

"Dude, what the fuck?"

"Flash, are you high?!"

"Honestly! What is WRONG with you?"

//It's not his fault! The Shadow's messing with his mind! He thinks you're the enemy now!//

"Nobody messes with my Flashie's mind!" Pinkie yells. She rushes up to Coco and snaps a whip at her; Coco smashes her with her racket and sends her flying back to her team.

Sonata does something, and a big wave hits my team. Then Rarity does something that doesn't seem to do anything.

Coco's little head pet friend brings the other ball launcher back to life. The one that was still standing fires a bunch of balls at the other team, but somehow they all wind up bouncing back and hitting it. It looks pretty badly damaged by the rebound...

Twilight does something, and lightning hits the captain and her head pet and her ball launchers. The damaged one explodes, leaving behind a pile of ash.

"Flash, snap out of it!" Twilight pleads. Why does she look so upset? This is just a tennis match, right...? So what if we have to play against each other?

"Goddammit all!" Applejack snarls. The ground under my team explodes; lava and stuff hurts Coco and wrecks the ball launcher we still have, but it looks like it can still shoot. Good.

Get ready to see my secret weapon!

Oooh, the captain has a new serve! I can't wait to see it.

Coco pulls out two glowing white balls. She serves one of them at Fluttershy, who withstands the hit without batting an eye. She serves the other at Twilight, who crumples bonelessly to the ground.

(Idiot! Wake up! That's your girlfriend and she's dead!)

"FUCK!" Rainbow snarls. She makes that powerful wind again. What the heck has she been eating?

Fluttershy does something, and Twilight stands back up. Some part of me is profoundly relieved. Another, smaller part of me feels like I should be furious. But mostly, I just want to help Coco win this match...

We win if I kill Suri, right? I grip my racket—or is it an axe? It looks more like an axe than a racket—and jump over the net, smashing it over her head.

//Oh my god! Flash, wake up! Get hold of yourself! You can't do this!//

Why not? Suri deserves to die, right?

"LET GO OF HIM, YOU BIG MEANIE!" Pinkie yells, flailing her whip at Coco again.


"SIREN SONG!"


Ethereal singing echoes from the distant mists, haunting in its beauty. Coco's team burns with a faint, hazy red aura; a thin ribbon of light greenish-blue smoke wafts away from her, trailing into Sonata's choker.

Rarity does something, and all the damage I did to Suri goes away. Coco's head pet friend waves her rackets around, and the team starts to look a little less banged up. The ball launcher that's still working is burning red with anger, and fires two angry red balls at Rarity, knocking her flat on her marshmallow ass. Heh.


"ELEMENT OF HONESTY!"


A pale orange glow surrounds Applejack, overlaid by a ghostly image of a giant, ripe apple. The ghostly apple shrinks in on itself, fading into Applejack's skin. A similar orange glow surrounds me, and...

Wait...what was I doing again?

I shake my head and look around at my friends. Rarity's on the ground, groaning in pain. Everyone looks a little pissed at me. "What...what happened?"

Twilight folds her arms. "Back with us, are you?"

//Twilight, it's not his fault,// Cadance says gently. //This isn't the first time we've seen a Shadow that could mess with our minds, remember?//

"She's right," Fluttershy says. "We need to be careful here. She can turn us against each other, make us heal her, make us kill that twat over there for her..."

"You mean I was mind-controlled?" I ask, feeling sick. "Oh god..."

"We're just glad to have you back," Pinkie says, rushing up to me and hugging me. "Come on, let's get this crazy homicidal version of our friend."

I nod, clenching my jaw. "Yeah."

//Hey, guys? Something funny's going on. That little anime-looking thing on the Shadow's head...its defense keeps changing. Give me a minute to figure it out.//

Suddenly, a blindingly fast serve from Coco slams into Rarity, who's still on the ground. Rarity lets out a strangled scream which trails off into a gurgling death rattle. Before any of us can register her death, an electrified ball hits Rainbow, staggering her.

"Oh hell no you did NOT," Rainbow snarls. "PERSONA!"

Nike flies at the Shadows, her guitar-sword gleaming as it cleaves and dices.

"ARTEMIS!" Artemis appears, typing frantically as flashing red screens light up around her. A green light pulses over Rarity, who takes a deep breath; the red screens slow down and turn green, beeping softly. Artemis fades away as Rarity stands up.

"Okay, let's try that again," I say. "Can you girls cover me while I get it ready?"

"Can do!" Pinkie says.

"Ooh, you're gonna use him again?" Sonata asks in a breathy, dreamy tone.

By way of answering, I slide the Fortune Arcana onto my phone...

"SEPHIROTH!"

Once again, Sephiroth descends from above, his one black wing spread wide, becoming ethereal as his form envelops me. Ghostly images of stars and planets begin swooping past in a slow, grandiose panorama.

Sonata sighs. "I so wanna have sex with that Persona..."

"How about if Flash cosplays him for you?" Pinkie asks.

"Mmm...nah, wouldn't be the same."

"Oh well, still a good idea," Pinkie says. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears, dancing her way through the Shadows and dishing out sexy damage. Speaking of Personas you'd wanna have sex with...

"LEVIATHAN!" Another tidal wave crashes over the enemy.

The little head-Coco brings the destroyed ball launcher back to life. The other ball launcher takes a shot at me; it slips past the girls' defenses and sends me flying. With a whir and a clunk, it readies another shot and nails Suri in the face, dropping her like a sack of fertilizer.

"PERSONA!" Twilight hastily summons Athena, who heals everyone. Somehow, through all this, I've managed to hold my concentration on building up Sephiroth's power...

"GAIA!" The ground underneath the Shadows explodes again, unleashing the hellish fury of nature.

//I've figured it out! Whenever the anime-doll thing heals or brings back its allies, its defense drops sharply! It takes a little time for its defense to go back to normal! That's when you need to focus everything on the doll on her head!//

"That way we don't have to deal with her healing or bringing them back to life anymore!" Fluttershy says. "Good plan! Let's do that!"

Coco pulls out another pink-heart naked Coco ball and serves it at Rarity. Rarity staggers as the naked Coco slams into her, then shakes her head and flutters her eyelashes. "Oh my," she says, looking dreamily up at Coco. "I...I do believe I've fallen in love, darling!"

"Oh man, not this again!" Rainbow moans as Coco pulls out another naked Coco ball, which she serves at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy steps out of the way of the flying naked Coco tackle, an unimpressed look on her face. "Sorry, not gay, and if I was I'd go for girls with boobs at least as big as mine."

//Guys? You need to do something about Rarity before she heals the Shadows!//

"I'll take care of it!" Pinkie says. "Everybody else, just...just do as much damage as you can!"

"Good plan!" Rainbow agrees. "PERSONA!" Nike sends dozens of sharp blades of gale-force wind flying through the Shadows. The one remaining ball launcher is torn to shreds; its pieces turn to dust as they fall to the ground.

"PERSONA!" Once again, Artemis unloads a hailstorm of magical girl arrows at the Shadows.

"NOW! SEPHIROTH!" Sephiroth rises into the air as a spinning starfield spreads out away from me, becoming a glowing white circle that surrounds Coco. With a loud, ringing chime, a solid white column of light erupts from the circle, slamming into Coco and her chibi head pet. When the light fades, the glowing circle remains, pulsing with stellar energy. I sink to my knees, exhausted, as Sephiroth ascends and fades away.

"No offense, dude, but I think you should stick with the fire-breathing monster lizard and leave the pretty-boy that can't even kill anything at home next time," Rainbow says.

"Oh, hush," Pinkie says. "I think that glowing magic circle thingie is pretty sweet." She shakes her head. "Anyway, better deal with Rarity before she does something silly. PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears, splashing rainbow liquid in Rarity's face with a playful flick of her toe. Rarity shakes her head and looks around, blinking. "Wh-what...?"

"Welcome back, ice princess," Rainbow says with a smirk. "I recorded your whole make-out session with that Shadow."

Rarity's face burns red. "Wh-what?!"

"She's kidding," Twilight says, shooting Rainbow a reproachful glare.

"PERSONA!" Leviathan rises up and summons a virulent purple tidal wave, which crashes over Coco; it doesn't do anything except get her hair and dress a little wet.

Rarity frowns at Rainbow, then shakes her head and turns her attention back to Coco and mini-Coco. "PERSONA!" Wadjet-Bast envelops the Shadows in ice, which explodes with a sharp crack.

Mini-Coco waves her rackets around, and healing light washes over her and the big Coco. Twilight summons Athena, who rains lightning down on the Shadows. Applejack summons Gaia, who once again makes the ground explode and spray lava and stuff.

Man, these battles are getting repetitive...

Sephiroth's circle flares, engulfing the Shadows in a column of blinding light. As soon as it fades, Coco fires a deadly, blazing-fast serve at me, sending me flying. I nearly wind up in the acid moat around Suri's cage...

Before I can get up, Coco nails me with a fireball. I scream in agony and roll around on the ground, careful to roll away from the acid as I smother the flames.

"FLASH!" Twilight screams.

Rainbow Dash summons Nike, who slashes at Coco and head-Coco with her guitar sword again.

Fluttershy glances worriedly at me, then summons Artemis. This time, when the hole in the screen opens, instead of a magical girl light bow, several spinning discs of wind appear, launching like buzzsaw blades at the Shadows.

Still on fire, I charge up to Coco, swinging my axe at her knee with all my might. Coco kicks me across the court, and I skid painfully to a stop at Twilight's feet. The fire won't stop burning me...

Euphoria grapples with Coco while Sonata fires a crossbow bolt at mini-Coco. As Euphoria fades away, Wadjet-Bast's ice attack engulfs the Shadows again. Mini-Coco heals herself and bigger-Coco, and Twilight heals me.

The flames are still burning me, but the others don't seem to notice!

After another eruption courtesy of Applejack and Gaia, the white circle pulses again, shooting a column of light up into Coco and Mini-Coco.

Coco produces two more naked Coco balls and lobs them at Pinkie and Rarity. Rarity swoons; Pinkie's eyes turn into little hearts.

//Guys, be careful! Pinkie and Rarity are both charmed, and something's wrong with Flash...I think he's having a panic attack!//

"Panic THIS!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!" Nike's rainbow shockwave slams into Coco and head-Coco.

"ARTEMIS!" Artemis unloads her magical girl bow into the Shadows again.

I'm still on fire. I run up to Coco and hack away at her leg for all I'm worth.

"That's not very nice," Pinkie says. I turn to face her; her eyes are cloudy and there's a creepy smile on her face. "You're all meanies and you should be punished. PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears, a strange expression on her face—mixed mortification and curiosity. With a tilt of her head and a shrug of her shoulders, she flips the urn she's standing on into the air with her toes and catches it, then points it at all of us like a cannon. Glowing white balls of confetti and fireworks explode from the urn, slamming into Rainbow, Applejack, and Sonata, who fall to the ground dead.

"Oh no," Twilight moans, her hands flying to her face and her eyes wide in horror.

"Shit!" Fluttershy snarls.

Rarity lets loose with a full-bodied noblewoman's laugh, the back of her hand pressed to her mouth. "Persona, darling!"

Wadjet-Bast appears, a haughty expression of arrogant scorn on her face. Her bolt of fabric lashes out like an angry cat's tail, wrapping itself around the mini-Coco and completely healing her.

//Oh no! Rarity! What have you DONE?!// Cadance moans.

"It's not her fault," Twilight says with a worried frown. "She's under the Shadow's control."

//I know, but that just made this so much worse!//

"Well, on the bright side, at least she didn't heal the big one," Fluttershy points out.

Mini-Coco cheers happily and resurrects one of the ball launchers. Twilight snarls and lets loose with another round of lightning. As Athena Logia fades away, the white circle pulses one last time, engulfing the Shadows in searing white light, then disappears.

Coco lobs two glowing white tennis balls at Twilight and Fluttershy. Nothing happens to either of them. Fluttershy summons Artemis, who resurrects Sonata.

The fire eating me alive has finally stopped burning, leaving me filled with a cold rage. Throwing my axe to the ground, I slam my hand down on the screen of my phone hard enough that I almost crack it. "PERSONA."

Sephiroth ascends from the ground, solidifying as he flies in a straight line at Coco, drawing his sword. His absurdly long blade flashes in eight diagonal cuts as he passes through Coco.

Coco screams and drops her racket, sinking to her knees as thick, gloppy red-black blood pours from her wounds. Her eyes stop glowing and roll back in her head. Chibi-Coco's face contorts into an expression of pure outrage, complete with cross-popping veins on her forehead as she shakes her little fists at us.

Pinkie and Rarity shake their heads and stumble. "Wh-what was I doing...?" Rarity mumbles.

"Whoa, what...what happened?" Pinkie asks. She looks at Coco, who's motionless and bleeding, her tennis ball eyes blank and lifeless. "Did...did we win?"

"I...I think so," Twilight says. She looks around, frowning at Rainbow and Applejack, who are still lying on the ground dead. She looks at Suri, who's still penned in by barbed nets and is watching all this with sick fascination. "Flash? Cadance?"

//I'm still...// Cadance shakes her head. //I don't know. Give me a second.//

"Well, while you're doing that..." Pinkie and Rarity bring Rainbow and Applejack back to life. They stand and stretch, then join the rest of us in staring at the dead Shadow.

"Uhh...don't these things usually turn back inta th' person they done come from?" Applejack asks, scratching her head.

"Yeah, they...they do," I say slowly.

//IT'S NOT OVER! KILL THE LITTLE ONE QUICK BEFORE—//

The chibi-Coco on the dead Shadow's head suddenly smirks like a naughty cat as she drops a shining white ball onto her host's hair...

Shadow Coco's eyes roll back around to face us, glowing anew. She picks up her racket and slowly rises to her feet.

"FUCK!" Rainbow yells. "NO! BULLSHIT! WE KILLED IT!"

The ball launcher that's still working—barely—starts firing dozens of tennis balls. Caught completely off guard, we're all hit—except for Applejack, of course, whose barrier repels the balls that fly at her.

"Dammit!" Twilight yells in frustration. "PERSONA!" Athena Logia appears again, calling forth a lightning storm which destroys the remaining ball launcher and leaves chibi-Coco's hair standing on end.

"So why ain't this thing dead?" Applejack asks as she massages her shoulder and cracks her neck.

Cadance gasps. //I get it now! Guys, the chibi doll is the Shadow's real body! THAT'S what you have to kill!//

Sonata looks up brightly, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Oh, it's like Lavos! I should've figured that out..."

Rainbow groans. "Great, now she tells us..."

A naked Coco ball flies at Rainbow, who easily dives out of the way. This is followed by one of Coco's powerful serves, which hits Suri in the face again, driving her into the barbed nets. Rainbow counters with wind, while Fluttershy heals everyone.

"I'm sick of this," I mutter. "SEPHIROTH!"

Sephiroth swoops down from behind Coco and raises his sword over his head, savagely impaling the chibi-Coco through her tiny torso. As he fades away, Euphoria flings herself ass-first at chibi-Coco, knocking the whole Shadow to the ground and grinding her ass in its face before delivering several sharp kicks all over both the big Shadow and chibi-Coco. Sonata takes aim with her crossbow and puts a bolt through the center of chibi-Coco's forehead as big-Coco sits up.

Lastly, Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast for one final, devastating ice attack. Chibi-Coco screams and flails as she freezes over, then explodes in grisly chunks of dead chibi.

The tennis court disappears, as does the cage of barbed nets. Coco's Shadow shrinks to normal size, her head bowed and her fists clenched at her sides.

Somehow, Suri found out...I'm illegitimate. She leaked it to the tabloids. The press has been hounding my dad about it ever since, and things haven't been too great at home either.

Pinkie gasps. "Oh my god," she says softly.

"Yikes," Rainbow says. "No wonder you're pissed."

Shining tears stream down Coco's face.

Why couldn't you just let me kill her?

I walk up to Coco and place a hand on her shoulder. "Because you'd never be able to live with yourself if you did," I say. "She's not worth it, Coco. You're strong. You and your family will endure whatever hell she's put you through. At the end, you'll still be the same amazing, talented person, and she'll still be the same miserable, spiteful cunt. Isn't it enough that you get to live with the knowledge that you're strong, talented, and confident, and all Suri has is her own bitchiness? You know she'll never have the most important thing you have. She'll never have friends."

"SCREW YOU! I have friends! I have tons of friends!" Suri yells.

We all turn to face her. "Really?" I ask quietly.

She looks at all of us, her face burning. Then, with a sigh, she bows her head and looks away.

Pinkie walks up to stand beside me. "See, Coco? The best way you can punish Suri for all the hell she's put you through is to let her go through life friendless, miserable, and alone."

Coco looks up at me, then at Pinkie. She smiles.

Yeah...I think I can live with that.

She fades away, leaving behind the Hermit card.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Hermit awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Arahabaki, has awakened to the skill Agneyastra.



Use this power wisely...


"So what do we do about this bitch?" Rainbow asks.

"What bitch?" Sonata replies. "She's gone."

"Good riddance," Fluttershy mutters. "You know she's had three secret abortions since she enrolled in CHS?"

"GAH! Fluttershy!"

"What? It's true..."

Zecora walks into view. "Well met, guests, and good night to you all. Rest well, for in two nights, Justice will call."

And the Velvet Room fades away into empty dreams...
> 7/8 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, July 8, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sometimes, unexpected surprises are exactly what a person needs.

When I wake up, I recall what I learned about Coco last night. I realize, to my chagrin, that I've done a pretty shit job of keeping tabs on my friends from school over the summer. I mean, I haven't really been texting them or anything. Granted, I've been caught up in my own stuff most of the time, but still...

If I'd just checked in with Coco, I'd have learned about all that drama with Suri. Who knew that wretched bitch would still be causing trouble for poor Coco even now?

After I finish washing up, I head down to breakfast. Everybody's eating together for a change. Pinkie looks upset.

"We need to do something for Coco," she says.

"Coco? Coco Pommel? What about her?" Sunset asks.

"We just found out the old captain of the tennis team has been causing her grief since she left Canterlot," I say.

Sunset's brow furrows. "You mean Suri Polomare? Ugh. I hate that bitch. You know she tried to fuck her way into Crystal Prep?"

We all stare incredulously at Sunset.

Sunset rolls her eyes. "Hey. For the record, I have never used sex to get something I wanted. Intimidation, coercion, extortion, and violence, yes. I only use sex to annoy people."

"If you say so," Applejack says in a bored tone.

"So anyway," Sunset says, "what did Suri do, find out Coco's illegitimate or something?" A deafening silence follows, coupled with looks of sick dread on our faces. Sunset shakes her head and facepalms. "Let me guess, she went to the press with it."

"Yep," Pinkie says, popping the 'p'.

"So what're we gonna do?" Rainbow asks.

"Well, you could start by sending her a text," Sunset suggests. "Let her know you're rooting for her or something."

I think about it, then shake my head. "No," I say. "This isn't the kind of thing I want to talk about over texts. I need to check up on her in person."

"Hmm," Pinkie says. "Do we go over to her house then, or...?"

I pull out my phone. Sunset raises her eyebrow. "I thought you weren't gonna text her?"

"I'm not," I say. "I'm texting Coach Chrysalis." I spend a few minutes exchanging texts with Chrysalis, with everyone watching me, craning their necks as if to see my phone screen from their seats.

I look around at the expectant faces of my friends. "Coco's been spending her days at the CHS practice courts," I announce.

Pinkie gasps. "Perfect! We can all go over there and—"

"Present a strong, supportive front of friendship," Rarity interrupts firmly. "This is not the time for a party."

"Aww."

"She's right, Pinkie," Twilight says. "I doubt Coco's in a party mood. But I'm sure she could use some friends right now."

"Well then what're we waiting for?" Rainbow asks. "Let's get dressed and move our butts!"

"Count me out this time," Sunset says. "I...doubt seeing me would make Coco feel better."

"Yes, we definitely, absolutely do not want Sunset there for this," Fluttershy agrees.

An uncomfortable silence settles.

"Well, I need Sunset today," Cadance announces. "I need to make a trip to the maternity store. Sunset can carry my stuff so Shining Armor doesn't have to sweat out the 'does this make me look fat?' question."

Sunset raises an eyebrow. "You know if you ask me that, I'll say yes every time."

"I know," Cadance answers with a smirk. "But I won't feel as bad about it if I throw things at you."

We all laugh. Sunset shakes her head. "Okay, okay, I'll be your pack mule," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Good luck with the church mouse!"

Friday, July 8, 2016 / Daytime

Pinkie being Pinkie, there is no such thing as a total victory. When we leave for the school, we do so carrying bags of snacks and drinks. Pinkie and I also have our tennis gear with us, just in case.

What we find waiting for us at the school tennis courts is...mildly disturbing.

Coco is moving across the court at incredible speeds, an intense look on her face. She has a Neighponese headband tied around her head, holding back her dripping bangs. Across the court from her are four ball launchers, firing about five seconds apart from each other. Behind the ball launchers are a row of the kind of human-shaped wooden firing targets you see at a gun range, all with photographs of Suri Polomare taped over the blank faces.

Every single one of them has dents, holes, and splinters in it. One is missing its head entirely.

"Holy crap she's good," Rainbow says with wide eyes as Coco flawlessly hits every ball being fired in her direction.

"No, her form's off," Pinkie says with a worried frown. "She's about to—"

Coco stumbles and drops to the court with an aggravated scream. We all run up to her; Sonata rushes to the other side of the court and shuts down all the ball launchers.

"COCO!" I yell, tossing my bag aside and kneeling beside her as she rubs her ankle. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," she says with a grimace. She brushes aside my hand and stands up, her face burning with embarrassment. She looks around, blinking. "Wh-what are you all doing here?"

"We came to see you," Pinkie says, handing Coco a cold bottle of apple juice. Coco accepts it with a confused look as everyone else starts setting up our impromptu little midday buffet.

"Yeah, we...uhh...we heard," I say awkwardly. I sigh. "Coco, I should...I haven't been keeping in touch like I should. If I had, I'd have known sooner. I wouldn't have found out...y'know...second-hand."

Coco shrugs. "It's summer. I haven't even heard from most of the team since school let out."

"Yeah, but—"

"Coco, what the hell are you trying to do to yourself?" Pinkie interrupts. "This little tantrum you're having, you're gonna hurt yourself! Where are we gonna be next year if you break your ankle or your wrist? Or worse?"

"Pinkie, be a little more sensitive!" Twilight hisses.

Coco smiles weakly. "No, she's right." She looks across the court at the Suri effigies. "I...I guess I am being a little ridiculous."

"No," I say. "Well...maybe just a bit. But..." I put a hand on her shoulder. "I mean...we get it. We all do. What Suri did..."

Everyone's gathered around now, all giving Coco concerned and supportive looks.

Coco looks away, a frustrated expression on her face. She clenches her hands into fists at her sides. "I just...I can't believe that mean-spirited witch is still obsessed with bullying me and making my life miserable!" She slumps down onto the court, mindless of the scorching heat of the asphalt.

Rainbow sits next to her. "Hey, join the club," she says. "We've all dealt with bullies, jerks, and assholes."

"That went out of their way to destroy your family?" Coco asks.

Pinkie raises her hand. "Right here," she said. "Got disowned because a certain someone sent my family a video of me from Halloween."

Coco winces. "Oh, right. I'd...actually forgotten about that. Sorry."

"It's cool." Pinkie sits on Coco's other side and pulls her into a hug. "You know Suri's nothing, right?"

"That's right," I say. "She went out of her way to hurt you in the most bitchy way she could think of because she knows you're better than her. Revenge against you for getting her kicked off the team is all she has."

Coco sighs. "That...I get what you're saying, but it doesn't help." She bows her head. "My home life is a wreck. Mom and Dad are fighting like cats and dogs, Dad's constantly being nagged by reporters..."

"I know how that goes," Rainbow says, handing her a wrapped honey bun. "My dad? Has people going through his trash tryin' to dig up stuff on him. It's gotten worse since he retired." She snorts. "Hell, since he started dating Principal Celestia, they're tryin' to figure out if she's my real mom."

Coco giggles. "Well, you do both have really colorful hair."

Rainbow snickers. "True."

Coco unwraps the honey bun and takes a bite, then looks around at all of us. "You...you really all came here just to try to cheer me up?"

"Of course we did," I say.

Coco smiles. "Thanks," she says. "Really, it...it means a lot to me."

"Say the word and the whole world finds out about Suri's abortions," Fluttershy says casually.

Coco blinks. "What?"

"Fluttershy!" Twilight snaps.

"Just a thought," Fluttershy says with complete innocence and an adorable smile.

"But really darling," Rarity says, "if there's anything at all we can do to help, just say the word."

"That's right," I say firmly. "My friends are your friends, and you have the entire CHS tennis team behind you. All you have to do is say the word and we're all with you, whatever you need."

Coco looks at everyone with tears in her eyes. "Th-thank you," she sniffles. Then, her nose wrinkles, and she shifts around uncomfortably. "Ow, this court is burning my fanny."

We laugh and stand up; I gently pull Coco to her feet. "So, we brought a bunch of snacks, we've got music, and if you want to play some singles or doubles matches..."

Coco smiles. "I think I'd like that," she says. "I think...I think right now I'd love to spend the rest of the day with friends."

We spend a little while just having snacks and chatting. Coco asks us what we've been up to; we tell her all about our time on Sweet Apple Acres and our trip to the beach.

"Wow, you guys have been busy," she says.

"You don't know the half of it," Rainbow mutters.

"But we're pretty much back in town for the rest of the summer," Twilight says. "I mean, we might go down to Canterlittle for the weekend again later if we get a chance, but mostly we're staying put."

"Good, because we need to start summer tennis practices soon," Coco says. She walks over to her bag and pulls out her phone, checking it over as she walks back over. "I think the earliest we can start summer practice is the seventeenth."

"Sounds good," I say. "About two hours a day, four days a week?"

"Mmhmm," Coco says, nodding. "I'll talk to Coach about it."

After a little more chit-chat and snackage, Pinkie and I grab our rackets, while Coco gets some spares out of the equipment shed for the others. We spend the rest of the day playing casual doubles sets, swapping partners whenever someone gets tired. By the time Coco needs to leave for home, she's in a much more cheerful mood, and we've all worked up a sweat.

"Thank you, Flash," she says. "Thank you, everyone. I..." She sighs. "I don't know if things will get better at home, but at least...at least I know who I can turn to when it gets to be too much."

"Anytime," I say. "Keep in touch." I clasp Coco's hand firmly, then pull her into a hug. After that, she packs her bag and heads for the bus stop, while the rest of us clean up our mess and head back to the dorm.

Friday, July 8, 2016 / Evening

We order pizza for dinner, but everyone grabs a plate and a drink and heads off to do their own thing instead of eating together. After all, we just spent all day having fun at the tennis courts together, and we all have things we want or need to do.

I carry a big paper plate with five assorted slices of pizza, some wings, breadsticks, and cinnamon knots up to my room, along with a liter of soda.

I'm picking up Twilight's bad eating habits...

As soon as I'm at my desk, I see an incoming call notification on my computer. It's my parents. As soon as I open the call, I hear:

"—ink he's ignoring us? Is he upset? Did we do something wrong? What—"

"Hi Mom," I say around a mouthful of pizza. "Sorry, I was downstairs."

"Oh, hi Flash!" Mom sounds relieved. "We were worried, we've been trying to connect to you for half an hour."

I roll my eyes. "You should've texted me," I say. "I do keep my phone on me all the time."

Mom blushes. "Oops. Now I feel silly..."

My plate must be in range of the camera, because Dad raises an eyebrow at it. "What, is it all you can eat pizza buffet night or something?"

I laugh. "Nah, I'm just really hungry. Didn't really eat lunch, just snacked. Spent the whole day playing tennis with my friends."

"That sounds like fun," Mom says.

"It was," I say. I frown. "The tennis team captain's kind of going through some stuff, though."

In between bites of pizza (I am starving and don't care about manners right now—another bad habit I'm picking up from Twilight), I explain the Coco situation. Dad looks upset, and Mom looks sad.

"That poor girl," Mom says.

"So this other little witch just went into her personal life and took it to the press over something so petty?" Dad asks. "You should go to your principal with that."

I shrug. "It wouldn't do any good. Suri isn't a student at CHS anymore. Hasn't been for months." I shake my head. "Anyway, all we can really do is be there for Coco and help support her while her parents has this whole thing out." I snort. "And here I thought family drama was through following me around for a while after that whole thing with Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer..."

Mom and Dad share a pained look. I wince. "Sorry," I say. "Didn't mean to—"

"It's alright," Mom says. "Actually, that brings us around to why we're calling in the first place."

"Oh?" I ask, picking apart a chicken wing.

Dad takes Mom's hand and squeezes it. "We've been talking to the department heads here and at Canterlot University," Dad says.

Mom smiles. "We've been doing a lot of thinking, and we've decided...our place is wherever you are, because you're our son. You've...you've made it clear that your life is in Canterlot, and somehow I get the feeling you're never coming back to Seaddle."

"So," Dad says, clapping his hands together briskly, "we've decided that if your life isn't in Seaddle, then neither is ours."

"We've got jobs lined up in Canterlot," Mom says. "We're coming down next week to start house-hunting."

I stare at them. "You're...you're moving to Canterlot?!"

"We certainly are!" Mom says. She fidgets. "Of...of course, we understand if you want to keep...keep living at the dorm. And it's a good idea, I mean, we love the people you're with, it's close to the school."

"We just want to be closer to you, Son," Dad says. "To be part of your life. To be able to see you whenever we want."

I put down my chicken wing and lean forward, smiling. "You know, I...I think I'd like that." I frown. "But...can you really do that? I mean, what about—"

Dad waves off my concerns. "Don't worry about us, Son. We've been doing impulsive things like this our whole lives. It usually works out for the best."

That's not especially encouraging...

"The important thing is, we can be more of a family," Mom says. "I mean, we'll be busy setting up house and with our new jobs, you'll be busy with school and your friends and tennis, but..." She smiles hopefully. "We'll do our best to make time for you if...if you can make time for us?"

I swallow heavily. "Y-yeah," I say. "Of course."

Dad checks his watch. "Well, we have an appointment with some colleagues," he says. "We're wrapping things up here. We'll be in touch soon, okay?"

I nod. "Alright. Keep me posted. I'll want to help however I can getting you settled in down here. I'm sure my friends will too."

"Goodnight, Flash," Mom says.

"Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad."

The call disconnects. I sit back, absently picking at my dinner.

They're moving to Canterlot? Just to be closer to me?

I never expected that...

Maybe I'm not the only one who didn't have anything tying them to Seaddle...
> 7/9 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, July 9, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It's not a sin to talk about a growing young woman's body, so long as you aren't being creepy about it.

Last night before I went to bed, I told Twilight the news about my parents moving to Canterlot. This morning, I let the others know, starting with Pinkie and Cadance.

"So they're just...throwing away everything they have in Seaddle and moving here?" Cadance asks, blinking.

I shrug. "I guess. I mean, they can afford it. They're, well..." I scratch my nose. "They're kinda like you. Both of them."

Cadance wrinkles her nose. "No wonder you throw money around like it's nothing," she says. "I thought it was because they were both college professors."

I snort. "How much do you think that really pays? The interest on Dad's investment portfolio is twice his salary." I shake my head. "They work because they want to. Because what they're doing is what they're passionate about. Mom's an heiress and Dad's a whiz with investments. Money is the last thing in the world they care about." I shrug. "Not that they flaunt it. I mean, we've always lived pretty frugally aside from lots of travel and, y'know, if we want something we just buy it. They're just not—"

Cadance raises a hand. "I know, I get it," she says, rolling her eyes. "You know, it sounds to me like I have more in common with your parents than I thought. Maybe I need to get to know them better." She grimaces. "To be honest, when they were here last, I sort of, well...didn't really make an effort. I was still pissed over that stunt they pulled in April."

"Same here," Pinkie says. "Guess I need to get to know them better too. I mean, now that we'll be seeing a lot more of them around." She winks. "After all, they'll be getting at least one grandkid out of me, right?"

"Let's...not do that right now, please?" I ask with a pained grimace. "I—"

Cadance holds up a hand to stop me. "What's this now?" she asks with a teasing grin.

I groan and scrub my hands down my face. "Yyyyeah my life is one of those harem anime," I mutter.

"You say that like it's news," Cadance smirks. "But seriously, what's this about a ba—"

"You know, I have a whole bunch of friends to catch up with today," I say loudly. "And I'm pretty sure I have some errands to run. So I'm just gonna get out of here like...now."

Pinkie and Cadance burst into giggles as I beat a hasty exit.

Damn pink women...

Saturday, July 9, 2016 / Daytime

After leaving the dorm without a real destination in mind, I decide to text Octavia and find out what she and Vinyl are up to.




New Message From: Octavia Melody
We're relaxing by the pool at my house today. I believe Lyra and Sweetie Drops are stopping by later. You're welcome to join us if you like. You could even bring one of those girlfriends of yours.




Hmm...




New Message To: Octavia Melody
I'll drop by to say hi, but if I let slip there's a pool party, the whole dorm'll show up. I think I'll pass on inviting anyone to come with.




Honestly, if it's at Octavia's house, the only safe one to invite is Rarity.

...who I run right into at Sterling Silver's shop when I drop by to say hi to Sil. "Well, fancy running into you here," Rarity says, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you left the dorm in a bit of a rush this morning."

I roll my eyes. "Pinkie and Cadance were being pink at me," I say. Silver Spoon lets out a giggle. "So what're you doing here?"

"Mother's birthday is coming up," Rarity says. "I'm placing a special order for a pair of earrings for her."

Sterling himself walks out from the back, studying a sheet of paper I recognize as being from Rarity's design book. "This'll be a bit complicated," he says, an excited smile on his face. "It's a good thing you're giving me two weeks to work on it."

"I do hope it won't be too terribly much trouble," Rarity says.

Sterling waves off her concern. "Summer's the slow season," he says. "Honestly, from July through about October, things tend to be a little dry around here. Oh, hello there, Flash!"

I nod in greeting.

"So, Flash, what're you up to today?" Sil asks.

I shrug. "Just keeping tabs on friends I haven't seen in a while," I say. "I'm probably dropping by Octavia Melody's house later to touch base with her and Vinyl Scratch." I study Rarity as I talk. "They're having a couple of other friends from Music Club over, they're spending the day by Octavia's pool, they said I could drop by, maybe bring a friend..."

Rarity raises an eyebrow. "Trying to get me into a bathing suit without Twilight knowing?" she asks teasingly.

I snort. "I was just thinking you'd be the only one from the dorm who wouldn't manage to embarrass Octavia if you showed up with me. I mean, you know how the girls are."

"True," Rarity says. "I mean, I know Octavia's family is prestigious and her house is rather...upscale."

Silver Spoon makes a face. "She lives in the same stuffy neighborhood as Diamond Tiara."

"You mean the same neighborhood you wanted us to move into?" Sterling asks, raising an eyebrow.

"In any case," I say, "yeah, I'm stopping by, but, uhh..." I cough. "Gonna be the only guy there. At a pool party. With four gay girls."

"Ouch," Sterling says.

Rarity rolls her eyes. "I take your point, darling," she says. "Very well, I'll accompany you, provided we stop back by the dorm to pick up bathing suits."

"Or just go buy new ones," I say. "I, uhh...was gonna do that anyway, specifically to avoid tipping any of the girls off that I was going to a pool party."

"Wow, you're gonna be in so much trouble later," Silver Spoon says with a teasing grin and a giggle.

"Not if he has more witnesses," Rarity says with a Cheshire smile and a significant glance from Sil to her dad.

"Sorry, can't," Sil says. "I have an eye doctor appointment in about an hour."

"That's too bad," I say. "Would've been fun to include you."

"Maybe next time," Sil says with a smile.

Rarity finishes up her business with Sterling, then we drive to an outlet store that sells swimwear. It's not exactly the kind of high-end place I know Rarity would prefer to shop, but we're just going to a small get-together at a friend's house, so all that really matters is having a swimsuit. I grab the first pair of plain trunks in my size I find, as well as a pair of flip-flops. Rarity buys a purple bikini and matching beach sandals. Once we're all set, I drive to Octavia's place.

I pull up and park on the street, then text Octavia as we head for the front door. A few minutes later, Lyra opens the door, wearing a sarong and a loose pink blouse over her light silver bikini. "Hey guys!" she says cheerfully. "Come on in! I'll show you where to get changed, then we can all go on back." She leads us upstairs and directs Rarity to Octavia's bedroom and me to the guest room. It doesn't take long to change; I leave my clothes in the guest room, then head down and wait. A few minutes later, Rarity joins me and Lyra in the foyer, and Lyra leads us through the back to the patio.

Out back, Bon Bon is doing laps in the pool, dressed in a two-tone one-piece that matches her hair. Octavia and Vinyl are lounging on pool chairs under an umbrella. Vinyl is wearing a modest purple-and-white striped two-piece. I never actually noticed before, but Vinyl doesn't really have much of a figure. Octavia, on the other hand, is all curves, and the plain black high-cut one-piece she's wearing shows it. A portable stereo is tuned to the Top 40 station.

"They're here!" Lyra calls happily before ditching her blouse and sarong and jumping into the pool with Bon Bon.

"Hello, Flash!" Octavia calls, waving.

"Hey, dude!" Vinyl adds, grinning.

"Hey," I call back, pulling one of the plastic chairs from the patio table over by the pool chairs and sitting down. Rarity goes straight for the third, unoccupied pool chair; Octavia passes her a bottle of sunscreen, and she starts lotioning herself up.

Vinyl stretches. "So, who else came with you, Flash-man?"

"It's just me and Rarity," I say.

"Ooh, Rarity's here? What're you wearing?" Vinyl asks teasingly.

Octavia rolls her eyes. "Ignore her, Rarity," she says.

"She's wearing the second sexiest bikini I've ever seen her in," I say helpfully with a grin.

"Oh man, how I wish I could see that," Vinyl says. "You know, I used to kind of have a thing for you, Rarity. Before I fell for Tavi, I mean."

Rarity blinks. "I...err...well. Thank you. I think?"

"You and Fluttershy too," Vinyl continues. "You're the hottest chicks at CHS after Tavi."

Octavia facepalms. "I am dreadfully sorry," she says. "I'm afraid a certain medication Vinyl takes makes her just slightly...well...drunk."

"Oh come on, I'm fun when I'm drunk and you know it," Vinyl says.

"You're gropey when you're drunk," Octavia mutters. After a moment, she blushes and adds, "Which, I must confess...is rather fun."

Boy am I glad I bought some loose swim trunks...

"So how come you didn't bring Twilight and Pinkie?" Vinyl asks. With a saucy grin, she adds, "Already tired of them and doin' Rarity on the side?"

"Most definitely not!" Rarity protests, her cheeks flaming.

"I just ran into Rarity in town," I say. "I was saying hi to a friend."

Lyra raises an eyebrow. "So exactly how did you run into Rarity in town when you live together?"

"I was ordering a present for my mother from Mr. Silver when Flash stopped in," Rarity says. "I assure you, it was pure coincidence."

"And as for why I didn't swing by and pick up Twi and Pinkie, well..." I shrug. "If I brought Pinkie, things would get really wild and really X-rated in a hurry."

Vinyl cackles. "Sounds like a blast to me!"

Octavia wrinkles her nose. "Thank you for not bringing Pinkie," she says. "I'm afraid I would get into a great deal of trouble if the place was trashed by a wild party."

"And Pinkie doesn't really know how to throw any other kind," Rarity says. "Oh, don't misunderstand, she's a wonderful friend and I do love her dearly!"

"But somehow, we'd all end up naked if she was here," I say.

"I don't have a huge problem with that," Lyra says with a grin.

"Lyra! Honestly," Octavia says, her face turning red.

"And Rarity just happened to have a really sexy bikini with her?" Bon Bon asks, arching an eyebrow.

"Nah, we stopped by a store on the way."

"See? Simple explanation for everything," Lyra says. "Not everything is all conspiracies and secrets."

Bon Bon rolls her eyes. "Don't start," she warns before flopping back into the pool and doing a lazy backstroke.

"What was all that about?" I ask. Vinyl makes a frantic "don't go there" motion—a bit too late.

Lyra makes a huge show of rolling her eyes. "Bon Bon's getting a little too into spy thrillers and stuff lately. She's starting to see conspiracies everywhere. Thinks she wants to be a secret agent."

Bon Bon and Lyra get into an argument which turns into an epic splash fight, while Rarity and I just stare in awe. "Are they always like this?" Rarity asks.

I shrug. "I'm not usually around those two for more than an hour or two a week at school, so I don't really know if this is normal or not."

"It's normal," Vinyl says in a bored tone. "So, what've you guys been up to lately?"

Rarity and I take turns telling them all about Canterlittle and Sweet Apple Acres. "Wow, sounds like a busy summer," Lyra says.

"Yeah, but we're probably staying put at home for the rest of it," I say. "I mean, I've got summer tennis practice coming up, Rainbow Dash has all her sports stuff going on, plus my parents are moving to Canterlot, so I'll probably be busy helping them get settled in once they find a place."

"Whoa, seriously?" Vinyl asks. "So are you like, moving out of that sweet harem you're living in?"

"No, I'm staying at the dorm," I say, ignoring the 'harem' crack. "It makes more sense for me to stay where I am right now. I'll see my folks more often, though."

"Miss Scratch," Rarity says testily, "would you please not refer to Applewood Dorm as a harem?"

Vinyl shrugs. "Hey. You've got one guy living there and most of the hottest girls at CHS, and don't act like stuff ain't goin' on."

"Vinyl! Please do not insinuate such things!" Octavia hisses, scandalized.

"What? Dude's got two girlfriends. That right there is—"

"Man, this station blows," Lyra says loudly as she climbs out of the pool and starts messing with the radio. "I'd rather hear Flash play than listen to this crap."

"Yeah, I could listen to Flash just run through some practice riffs all day," Bon Bon agrees.

"Shame I didn't think to bring my guitar to a pool party then," I say lightly.

"Oh hey, that's no problem," Vinyl says, instantly forgetting her argument with Octavia. "There's a whole music studio full of instruments here."

I blink. "Really?"

"Well, I am training to be a professional musician, as is Vinyl," Octavia says. "And my mother values...well, you know."

I frown. "Well, yeah, but it's all chamber music and orchestra stuff, right?"

Vinyl smirks. "Used to be. Things have changed."

Octavia blushes. "I've...been learning to play bass," she says. "Also, Vinyl plays some guitar. She's not anywhere near as good as you, of course, but..." She looks at Vinyl. "Well..."

Vinyl seems to have sensed her gaze. "Sometimes samples just don't cut it," she says. "Gotta be able to lay down live tracks to get a mix just right."

"Well hell, set this boy up with a guitar!" Lyra says.

"Oh...well..." Octavia frowns. "If...only if he wants to, I mean. I wouldn't want to impose..."

"I don't mind," I say. "Actually, I could use the practice. So much has been happening this summer I've been slacking off badly, and that ten days we spent up at Sweet Apple Acres didn't help."

"Yeah, gotta shake the rust off, huh?" Vinyl says with a grin. "I feel ya."

"Very well then," Octavia says. She heads into the house; several minutes later, she returns with a middle-tier Strat copy and a bulky tube amp, as well as a big orange extension cord.

"Crap, Tavi, you should let Flash help you haul that out here!" Lyra says.

Octavia grunts as she sets down the amp. I get up and walk over to relieve her of the guitar, slinging it on and plugging it into the amp while she plugs in the extension cord. "I need the exercise," she says. "My arms are getting flabby."

"Bullshit," Vinyl says. "There's not an ounce of fat on you. At least, I haven't found one."

I have to agree with Vinyl. There's no fat anywhere on the girl...

Octavia turns around and sees my gaze, then gives me a mild frown. "Well?" she says impatiently. "I didn't bring that out here for you to look cool."

"Right!" I tune the guitar, then adjust the amp. "What do you wanna hear?"

"Something classic," Vinyl says. "I hear the tubes humming, so make it something dirty."

"Sure, I can do dirty." Mentally reviewing the riffs, I start playing the standby anthem of cowboys and rebels everywhere. I play a couple more songs, then switch to one that has a 'clean' sound.

"You know, I never really appreciated how nuanced rock and roll can be before," Octavia says. "I always thought of it as just noise until I actually started paying attention."

"Everyone at the dorm is used to it now whether we want to be or not," Rarity says. "Between him and Rainbow Dash, it practically never ends." She's smiling as she says it, so I know she isn't complaining.

"Rainbow Dash plays?" Vinyl asks.

"I've been teaching her, yeah," I say. "I'd have asked her to join Music Club, but you know how busy she is with sports. She's got a pretty sweet guitar of her own." I play a couple of loose riffs. "Now that I think about it, we haven't jammed in a while."

"Anyone else at the dorm play?"

"Not that I know of," I say. "Applejack thought about it, but she has bass player hands, really. And with everything she's got going on, I think she honestly never really thought about it again. Some of the girls are pretty good singers."

"I used to play piano, but I haven't practiced in ages," Rarity says.

"You know, though," Lyra says as she spreads out a beach towel on the patio and sprawls out, "I can totally picture Flash as the front man for one of those hair metal bands, you know, the ones from back when our parents were kids?" She grins. "Grow out your hair, tie a bandana around your head, put on some ratty denim, you'd look just like the guy from Rodentt." I snicker and start shredding the solo from the only Rodentt song I even know. Lyra laughs, then turns to Rarity. "Hey, can you hand me my phone off the table there? I'm gonna order pizza. That cool, Tavi?"

"I don't mind."

"Don't get any of those disgusting banana peppers!" Bon Bon calls from the water.

"I won't, I won't." As Rarity hands her the phone and lays back down on her lounge chair, Lyra starts tapping and sliding the screen. "It's on me, don't worry. Who wants what? Would a large supreme and two medium be enough?"

"It'd almost be too much," Vinyl says. "Tavi doesn't exactly eat much and I get the feeling Rarity doesn't either."

"I think it'll be just about right," I say. "It doesn't matter if there are leftovers, somebody'll eat 'em."

"Okay, gonna get a supreme, a medium meat combo, and...how about a medium veggie?"

"Sounds good to me," Bon Bon says.

"Anything is fine," Rarity says. "Oh, but I'll chip in, my purse is out in the car..."

Lyra waves her off. "I've got like, a couple dozen free pizzas coming my way," she says. "I won a thing back in March."

"Lucky!"

Lyra finishes ordering, then sets the phone aside. "Forty-five minutes, it says." She lies back, folding her arms behind her head. "Told 'em to come to the back gate."

Vinyl snickers. "The driver's gonna be in for a heck of a show," she says. "Speaking of which...hey, Flash-man, wanna do me a solid?"

"What's that?" I ask, setting the guitar aside and standing up to stretch.

"Eyeball Tavi and give me the straight scoop," she says. "I never got to see her in a swimsuit before I went blind, and hands and my mental images can only tell me so much."

Octavia splutters. "Vinyl! Don't...!"

I cough. "Umm...I don't think that would be...appropriate." I can feel my face flaming.

Rarity rolls her eyes. "Yes, definitely not, especially given the way you were ogling her rear end earlier."

"I was not!"

Rarity raises an eyebrow at me.

"I noticed, okay? That's different from ogling. Besides, why would I need to ogle Octavia when I have two girlfriends?"

Rarity's eyebrow arches higher. "You ogle me all the time," she says. "And Rainbow Dash. And Fluttershy. And don't think nobody noticed you ogling Vice-Principal Luna that one time."

Lyra sits up, raising an eyebrow. "Luna? Seriously?"

"Gah!" I sit down and put the guitar back in my lap, furiously strumming some off-key chords.

"Duuuuude," Vinyl says, grinning.

Octavia's brow furrows. "The two girlfriends thing aside, I honestly did not take you for a pervert," she says.

"I'm not a pervert!" I protest.

"No, you're just somewhat oversexed," Rarity counters.

"Wow, this is getting interesting," Bon Bon says, leaning against the edge of the pool and grinning.

"Come on, lay off," Vinyl says. "Dude's surrounded by hot chicks 24/7, what do you expect?"

"Exactly!"

"Still, Luna?" Vinyl asks. "That's messed up."

"Sure, say that when you've seen her lounging around playing video games," I mutter.

Rarity grimaces. "Well, that's a fair point," she admits. "Whenever she used to stay over at the dorm, Vice-Principal Luna had a habit of wandering around in rather short, tight shorts and a tank top. Without underwear of any sort."

Octavia, Lyra, and Bon Bon all stare, wide-eyed, at Rarity. "Hooooly crap," Lyra says.

"You're kidding," Bon Bon breathes.

"Wow, your dorm really is some kind of real-life harem anime," Vinyl says in an impressed tone.

"It...yeah, it really kind of is," I say.

"So seriously," Vinyl says. "Your dude thoughts on Tavi's hot bod."

I glare at her, but all the girls—even Octavia—are watching me expectantly. I sigh. "Well, what can I say? She's got great curves, she's got a nice C-cup rack going on, good muscle tone, she's pretty much equal to Rarity on the hotness scale."

"Oh come on, give me more detail," Vinyl whines.

"I'd rather not," I say, giving Octavia a sheepish, apologetic smile. For her part, Octavia tilts her head at me curiously.

"You can tell my bust size just by looking? Even when this swimsuit is rather...restrictive?"

I shrug. "Most guys can. Besides, dorm full of girls, sizes ranging from A to D, seen most of them naked or in swimsuits at some point or other. You learn."

"Except for when to keep your eyes to yourself," Rarity says dryly.

Vinyl frowns. "D? Who the hell in your dorm is a D?"

Crap!

"I think he meant Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna there," Rarity says, frowning at me. "Although I have to wonder when he would've had a chance to—"

"Walked in on Celestia in the bathroom by accident one time," I say.

"Ouch. Dude. Harsh."

"Eh, she was pretty cool about it, thank God." I cough. "So anyway, yeah, I've, uhh...learned."

"Learned to knock before opening the bathroom door?" Bon Bon asks teasingly.

"That too."

"Still, you didn't say anything I don't already know," Vinyl complains. "I was kinda hoping for, y'know—"

"Oh come on, I'm not going to offend a friend of mine—your girlfriend—by eyeballing her like a piece of meat," I say. "Especially not when I'm surrounded by girls and have two girlfriends at home and I really don't want to die if this gets back to them."

"All you need to know is he's sporting a rather prominent erection and trying to hide it behind your guitar," Rarity says, giving me a catty smirk. "And don't try to deny it, darling. I've been around you at enough beaches and swimming holes to know when you're pitching a tent." Vinyl cackles. Octavia blushes furiously.

"So what about the rest of us?" Lyra asks, grinning broadly.

"So hey, that pizza sure is taking its time, huh?" I exclaim, clapping my hands together.

"Hey Rarity, you got any naked time stories with Flash-man?" Vinyl asks.

I cringe. This will not end well...

Rarity coughs. "Well...if you must know—and this does not get out, understand—I have, in fact, had sex with Flash. Once."

Everyone falls silent.

Vinyl's jaw drops. "Seriously?"

"Was that before Twilight?" Lyra asks, eyes wide.

I clear my throat. "After, actually."

"Dude, you cheated on your girlfriend?" Vinyl asks.

"Not exactly," I say with a grimace. I glance at Rarity. She shrugs helplessly. Taking turns, we explain what happened during Spring Break—the awkward truth or dare game, and the aftermath in which I wound up having sex with half the dorm. By the end, every single face is beet red.

"Well, Flash, you...certainly do get around," Octavia says, fanning herself.

"I never took Twilight for the kind of girl that'd be that...permissive," Bon Bon says.

"Twilight's...complicated," I say. "She's picked up some interesting habits from...certain pink women who shall remain nameless."

Lyra laughs. "It's always the pink ones, isn't it?" She shakes her head. "So is there anyone at that dorm you haven't slept with?"

"A few," I say. "Obviously not Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle—"

"And you'd better not ever, either," Rarity says threateningly.

"—and I honestly just don't even think of Applejack that way at all."

"But the rest?" Vinyl asks. "Even Fluttershy?"

Oh crap.

"Oh, he's certainly had a dalliance with Fluttershy," Rarity says saucily. "But that happened at Canterlittle, not at Haytona."

I stare at her. "H-how?"

Rarity snorts. "Please, darling. We all know."

I groan and bury my head in my hands.

"Oh, don't act like it's the end of the world if people know you slept with Fluttershy," Rarity says airily. That's easy for her to say. Fluttershy's never kicked her in the face before...

"Actually, that's pretty impressive," Vinyl says. "You've done two of the three hottest girls at CHS, I'm a little jealous."

The gate buzzer rings, and a voice yells out. "Pizza's here!" Lyra exclaims excitedly, springing to her feet and rushing over to the gate. We all turn and watch.

Curiously, the pizza delivery driver is one of Trixie's bandmates. That reminds me, I need to check in with Trixie pretty soon too...

Octavia rounds up some paper plates from the house while Lyra hands out the sodas she ordered with the pizza. Soon, we're all sitting around the patio table eating pizza and talking about things that, thankfully, have nothing to do with my sex life. After that, Octavia goes for a swim; Vinyl takes the guitar and starts practicing a bit while I sit and chat with Lyra and Bon Bon and Rarity sunbathes. We hang out for a couple more hours before we all dry off and go inside to change. We thank Octavia for inviting us over and Lyra for the pizza, and then Rarity and I head back to the dorm.

"That was an interesting little pool party," Rarity says when we turn onto the road back to the dorm.

"Yeah. Interesting," I mutter. Rarity giggles.

Saturday, July 9, 2016 / Evening

The moment I enter the dorm, I feel an oppressive aura of death weighing me down.

Twilight and Pinkie are waiting for me at the third floor landing, arms crossed. They glare imperiously down at me.

"Flaaaaaaaash..." Twilight growls.

"You went—" Pinkie picks up.

"—to a pool party—"

"—full of girls—"

"WITHOUT US?!" they cry in unison.

I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose. "How?" I ask flatly.

"Lyra," Twilight says. "And don't change the subject."

"Look," I say. "I just wanted to drop by and say hi to Vinyl and Tavi. I didn't really plan to stick around for long. Then I ran into Rarity in town, and things just—" I gesture vaguely. "Snowballed."

"Yeah, I'll bet you got snowballed," Pinkie says grumpily.

"You can ask anybody who was there, nothing happened," I say testily. "I just dropped by a friend's house with two other friends and stuck around for some swimming and pizza."

"But you didn't invite us," Twilight says with a pout.

Yeah, and it's a good thing I didn't after that stunt Vinyl pulled.

"Because the only kind of pool party I want to have with you two is the kind that they have to condemn the pool after," I say, sticking out my tongue. "Now drop this, please? You know, I can spend time with friends without you girls once in a while."

Twilight flinches. Pinkie ducks her head.

I instantly feel like a jerk. "Look, I'm sorry—"

"Nah, you're right," Pinkie says.

"I guess we just got jealous because Rarity got to go with you and we didn't," Twilight says.

"Trust me, it wasn't your scene." I shift my weight. "Umm...let me up the stairs, please? You know we've got a battle tonight, right?"

The girls step out of the way and let me up. As I pass, Pinkie wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek. "You'd better not die tonight," she whispers ominously.

Twilight kisses my other cheek. "If I get Charmed, I know what I'm cutting off," she whispers.

"I'm making Fluttershy turn you both into cats," I mutter as I head to my room, followed by the girls' explosive giggling.

The Velvet Room...

The Justice Arcana door appears, and Zecora walks into view. "Goodness me, I sense some strife," she says. "Is there something troubling your life?"

We all look around at each other. Twilight and Pinkie clearly aren't ready to drop the pool party thing entirely yet, and Rarity has a pained grimace on her face. The others just look confused. "Don't worry, we're good," I say. "We're here, we're ready, let's do this."

"I sense there is more to tell, but it is none of my business, so very well." Zecora steps aside and gestures to the door. I step forward and open it. Blinding sunlight streams out, and Celestia walks through the door.

I've always wanted to be a mother, but my sister ruined that for me. I can never have children of my own. I've spent my entire adult life looking after other people's kids, and sometimes I really hate other people's kids.

"I knew it!" Pinkie says. "I knew our teachers really hated us deep down! How else do you explain pop quizzes and some of those dress code rules?"

Celestia looks up, and her eyes are gold on black.

You know what's really pathetic? The closest thing I'll ever have to a daughter of my own...she's going off to college before we're even officially a family, and the funniest part is she wants to fuck me more than her dad does!

We all turn to look at Rainbow, some of us with more than a small amount of amusement. Rainbow's face burns bright red and she crosses her arms defensively. "Hey! I'm over that!" She looks away, pouting. "Mostly..."

I am the Shadow, the True Self! I just want to have a child of my own, and I'll do whatever it takes to get that part of my life back!

Celestia's Shadow grows into a giant, her clothes exploding away, replaced by a blood red kimono that drapes over her blindingly white body. Massive white silk wings extend from the back of her kimono as a blinding golden sun-shaped crown appears atop her head, which is adorned with Celestia's pastel hair, but styled in a Neighponese style and heavily glossed and firmed. Her face is covered by an impassive, placid golden mask with a serene expression and a rhombus-cut amethyst embedded in the forehead. The front fold of her kimono spreads open, and her stomach tears itself apart, revealing a gaping hole where her womb should be, with purple-black organs pulsing and writhing around inside and black blood staining the silk of her robe. She holds her left hand out to her side, palm up, and a brilliant red phoenix rises out of her palm, giving a piercing shriek as flames crackle across its magnificent body.

I've always wanted a daughter just like you...

Celestia's Shadow seizes Rainbow Dash with her right hand and gently places her inside the gaping hole in her abdomen. Rainbow's eyes cloud over as a pulsating umbilical cord snakes out of the Shadow's innards, wrapping sinuously around her before plunging itself into her navel. Rainbow's entire body goes slack and her face goes blank.

"OH MY GOD! RAINBOW!" Twilight yells.

"SHIT!" Fluttershy snarls.

"Oh that is so gross," Sonata moans.

You'll be a good girl and do whatever Mommy says, won't you?

"Yes, Mommy," Rainbow says in a dull voice.

"What the hell?" Pinkie cries.

//The Shadow has taken control of Rainbow Dash! I don't think—//

Nike appears, shredding on her guitar as she does a knee-slide. The shockwave rips through us, and it hurts.

"Well," Fluttershy grunts as she picks herself up, "at least she finally got to be inside Celestia..."

"That's not funny!" Twilight yells. "That's not funny at all!"

"It kinda is," Sonata says with a giggle.

"So is she charmed?" I ask. "Like a bunch of us were last time?"

//I don't think so, but give me a second to make sure.//

"Stall for time, got it!" Fluttershy says. "PERSONA!"

Artemis appears; her screens expand outward, becoming a reflective barrier that surrounds us. No sooner have the screens disappeared than the phoenix cries out again and dives down in a low, sweeping arc, wings spread. The force of its attack rebounds against it as the shield shatters, and the phoenix crumples to the ground, burning away to a pile of ash.

"That was fast," Pinkie says.

The ashes flare up, and the phoenix reappears, whole and undamaged, circling Celestia's head.

"Oh crap, not this kind of thing again," I mutter.

"Well, it is a phoenix," Twilight says.

I slide the Hanged Man onto my phone. "PERSONA!"

Magus appears, hands spread wide. Blurry shadows appear to either side of him, one made of crackling flames, the other seemingly made of crystal-clear ice. A spiral of burning darkness surrounds him, crackling with sparkling black ice crystals. For the briefest of moments, all light in the Velvet Room reverses as the dark spiral spins out to engulf Celestia and the phoenix with a sharp, ringing roar of sound.

When the light returns to normal, the phoenix disintegrates into ashes. The shadows beside Magus fade, and he cracks his knuckles; a spinning blue magic circle forms beneath my feet, pulsing with energy which courses up my body in cool blue sparks and streaks as Magus fades away.

Once again, the phoenix respawns from its own ashes.


"ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!"


Laughter fills the Velvet Room. A cool blue light surrounds us, even as waves of debilitating force press down on the Shadows and Rainbow Dash.

//I've got some bad news! Whatever the Shadow is doing to Rainbow Dash, it isn't as simple as what the last one did! She isn't just charmed, she's become completely corrupted!//

"What can we do about it?" Applejack asks.

//Nothing! As long as this Shadow is still standing, Rainbow is under its control!//

"Oh no," Pinkie says tearfully.

//It gets worse! Your attacks...they're damaging Rainbow Dash too! She's not taking as much damage as she normally would because she's inside Celestia's Shadow, but every attack that hits the Shadow is hurting Rainbow!//

"Dammit!" I snarl. "That means I just..." I clench a shaking fist around my phone. "Is there any way we can get her out of there?"

//I'm still looking into that, but I don't think so,// Cadance says regretfully. //Guys...I'm sorry, but you might have to kill Rainbow Dash to kill this Shadow.//

"No!" Twilight yells. "We can't!"

"But...but we can bring her back, right? Right?" Pinkie asks, covering her face with her hands.

//I'm...pretty sure we can,// Cadance says, but there's doubt in her voice. //In any case, for now, Rainbow Dash is another enemy, and you need to...you need to...//

"But she isn't," Twilight whispers. "She's...she's our friend..."

What a conundrum.

Celestia's Shadow laughs.

What's the matter, children? Afraid you'll play too rough with my baby girl? Don't worry, she likes it rough. Don't you, sweetness?

"Yes, Mommy," Rainbow drones before unleashing a massive wind blast on us.

"Okay, if we don't have a choice...PERSONA!" Leviathan rises up, and a massive tidal wave crashes down on the Shadows and Rainbow.

Rarity looks around at all of us, then sighs. "I guess..." She summons Wadjet-Bast, whose ice attack envelops the enemy, immediately followed by Twilight's remorseful use of Athena's lightning storm. The phoenix is burned to ash by the lightning, and immediately reincarnates itself. Rainbow, on the other hand, lets out a wordless scream and falls flat on her face, half-buried in the Shadow's festering organs.

"Rainbow, I'm so sorry!" Twilight yells, tears streaming down her face.

Applejack lets out a snarl of rage and summons Gaia, whose massive fist slams into Celestia's golden mask hard enough to rock her back on her heels.

Such horrible, vile children! You've gone and killed my precious daughter! I'm afraid I'm going to have to put some of you in detention!

Celestia reaches into her kimono and withdraws three huge pink strips of ricepaper parchment, emblazoned with burning Neighponese characters. She draws back her hand and throws them at us. One heads straight for me; the others go for Twilight and Pinkie. For some reason, I can't dodge...

The parchment hits me and bursts into pink flames, which completely engulf my body. It doesn't burn—actually, I can't feel anything.

I also can't move. I can't even talk. I can move my eyes, but that's about it.

"What the hell was that?" Fluttershy yells.

//It's some kind of...some kind of paralysis! They're all frozen! I've never seen anything like it! It must be this Shadow's special ability!//

Celestia passes her hand over her womb, and Rainbow rises to her feet, good as new.

"Well, at least Rainbow's still alive," Applejack mutters as Nike appears and spreads a field of blurring magic over Celestia, Rainbow, and the phoenix.

"ARTEMIS!" Artemis appears, priming her magical girl bow, which she unloads into Celestia, Rainbow, and the phoenix. The phoenix cries out and bursts into flames, crumpling to ashes; Artemis reconfigures her bow into spinning buzzsaw discs of wind which slice into Celestia as the phoenix resurrects itself. With a shrill scream, the phoenix's burning body flares, and a firestorm engulfs us all.

Sonata summons Leviathan again, sending another tidal wave crashing over the Shadows, while Rarity heals us all. Applejack summons Gaia, and the ground erupts under Celestia...but instead of damaging her, the raging plumes of lava actually seem to heal her wounds.

I grow tired of your insolence! You must be EXPELLED!

Celestia produces a red strip of parchment from her kimono and hurls it at Sonata. Sonata gives a startled squeak as it hits...then she abruptly vanishes.

Fluttershy gasps. "What just happened?"

//Sonata has been ejected from the Velvet Room! I...I'm not sure how!//

"Well that ain't good," Applejack mutters.

I still can't move...I can see Twilight and Pinkie, and they're both just as frozen as I am.

//LOOK OUT!//

Celestia folds her hands in front of her and forms several seals. A roaring white wave of light sweeps out over us...

The next thing I'm aware of, I'm lying flat on the ground, still unable to move, with Artemis fading from view above me even as another firestorm burns through us. I hear Rarity summon Wadjet-Bast, then Applejack groan and stand up.

More naughty students who must be put in detention!

//NO! NOT AGAIN!//

From my position on the ground, I can't see who gets hit with the three parchment strips Celestia throws, but given I'm still paralyzed, Sonata's gone, and Rainbow's being controlled by Celestia, I can only guess...

...that our entire party is now at the Shadows' mercy.

Celestia forms another series of hand seals, and a shining green light infuses her, Rainbow, and the phoenix.

Rainbow unleashes another destructive windstorm. The phoenix does something, and I feel my strength sapping from my body as prickling purple flames seep into my immobilized limbs.

Celestia forms more hand seals, infusing herself, Rainbow, and the phoenix with shining golden light, then extends her hands forward, hurling a massive fireball which engulfs the entire party.

//No...this is bad! Guys, you...you've gotta fight this! You need to snap out of it! You're all very badly hurt!//

Nike's deadly guitar sword slices into me, followed by the sweeping attack of the phoenix. Suddenly, the pink flames fade from around me, and I'm able to move. I get to my feet; everything hurts. I look around.

Twilight and Rarity are dead.

I slide Lovers onto my phone and summon Serenity, intent upon resurrecting Twilight. I'm not sure why, but somehow, I wind up bringing Rarity back to life instead. My head is foggy and blurry and everything hurts...

The pink flames die down from around Pinkie, and she runs forward, striking at the phoenix with her whip. It dodges. Pinkie runs back, looking wildly around, a stricken expression on her face.

Celestia unleashes another rushing white wave of light on us, but this time, nobody dies. She then pulls a slender golden needle from her kimono and throws it at Pinkie, piercing her through the forehead. Pinkie drops to the ground dead.

"NO!" I yell, rushing over to Pinkie and Twilight. "NO!"

Rainbow's shockwave knocks me to my knees. Black spots are dancing in my vision.

//Flash, be careful! You're...you can't take much more...//

The phoenix does something—I can't see what. I don't feel any new pain or...or anything, really. All I know is I have to...

A cool silver wave of light washes over me, Rarity, and Applejack. My vision clears, and all the pain and numbness in my body ebbs away. I look up to see Serenity floating above me, a sad, angry expression on her face as she fades away. I look around...

Pinkie and Twilight are still dead. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are still frozen in pink flames. Rarity is still flat on her back on the ground, eyes wide open and looking around wildly.

One of you is much naughtier than the others...one of you has done terrible things. Fluttershy, you must be EXPELLED!

Fluttershy's eyes widen as a red strip of parchment strikes her. She vanishes.

This is getting really bad...

Celestia hurls another fireball at those of us who are left. Searing pain wracks my body, but I can still fight...

Nike appears, infusing Rainbow Dash with a shimmering aura of power. The phoenix turns into pure fire and flies through me; I don't feel any pain, but I can sense that something has changed. Shaking my head, I resurrect Twilight, who stands up, shaking her head as she looks around.

"What happened?" she asks as the pink flames fade from around Rarity. "PINKIE! Oh my god! And...and where's Fluttershy?"

"Expelled, like Sonata." I steady Twilight as Rarity grimly stands and resurrects Pinkie, then help the newly-alive Pinkie to her feet. "Guys, this fight...it's going really badly for us."

The pink flames fade from around Applejack, and she lets out a roar of rage. "AH AM SICK OF THIS BITCH! PERSONA!!"

Gaia appears, roaring as she slams her fist into Celestia's mask once again. Celestia once again summons forth a roaring wave of white light which passes through us all—thankfully without killing any of us—followed by another massive fireball which hits—and hurts. It burns like nothing I've ever felt before.

Rainbow Dash sends another prismatic shockwave through us, which is followed by the phoenix's sweeping attack. I summon Serenity again, who traces an arc in the air with a moon-tipped scepter; the silver arc swoops out like a moon-shaped boomerang, cutting through the Shadows and Rainbow before returning to us and healing some of our wounds.

"EUPHORIA!" Euphoria sprints away from Pinkie Pie and viciously attacks the Shadows. A hip slam catches Rainbow and sends her flying out of Celestia's womb, dangling limply by the umbilical cord.

"RAINBOW!" Pinkie cries as Euphoria fades away.

//You don't have time to worry about her now! This Shadow could very well kill all of you! We...we have to let Rainbow Dash...go.//

We look at each other, sigh, and nod. Grimly, Rarity and Twilight unleash their ice and lightning attacks at the Shadows, killing the phoenix again. It immediately resurrects itself. Once again, Applejack summons Gaia, who punches Celestia's Shadow in the face yet again—evidently, Applejack isn't willing to risk using that eruption attack again if it can heal this Shadow.

Celestia resurrects Rainbow Dash, gently placing her back inside her womb, then throws pink parchment strips at Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity, encasing them in paralyzing pink flames.

//You've done a lot of damage to the Shadow! Just...just keep going, alright? No matter what tricks she pulls!//

Nike appears, and the Shadows begin to blur. The phoenix scorches us all with another firestorm.

"Alright, enough is enough," I mutter as I grit my teeth against the pain from my burns. I slide the Fool Arcana onto my phone. "SON GOKUU!"

In a flash of light, Gokuu appears, a blazing golden aura whooshing around him. He cups his hands at his sides, calling out a kiai as a blinding ball of pure energy gathers in his palms. He thrusts his hands forward with a shout, releasing a beam of absolute destruction at the Shadow. She doubles over, blood gushing from her open womb, her mask cracked and scorched, her silk wings drooping.

"Good shot!" Pinkie cheers. "My turn! PERSONA!" Euphoria spins into the fray, but none of her strikes land against the enemy.

I...will not give up...my precious daughter! I will burn all delinquent students to a crisp!

Celestia lobs two searing hot fireballs at us, one right after the other. I can feel my skin char and bubble and blacken as I'm driven to my knees. Everything hurts...

Rainbow Dash attacks us with her prismatic shockwave again; the phoenix follows up by poisoning Rarity and Applejack.

With the last of my strength, I summon Gokuu again. One last, desperate Kamehameha...

NOOOOOOOOO! I am...the principal...I am...the mother you all...should worship...

Rainbow falls out of the Shadow's womb as she breaks up into wisps of darkness under the onslaught of Gokuu's final attack. The umbilical cord snaps, and Rainbow bounces across the ground, landing bonelessly at my feet.

The pink flames around the others fade, and Twilight immediately heals us all of our wounds. Rainbow picks herself up, groaning, and looks around. "Oh man...what...what happened?" She blinks. "Where's Fluttershy? And Sonata?"

"We'll fill you in later," I say. "Cadance?"

//Hang on, I—//

Fluttershy and Sonata abruptly reappear, looking around dazedly. "What the hell just happened?" Fluttershy asks.

"Did we win?"

"Yeah, but it was a close one," I say, shuddering. "Too close."

From the remains of the Shadow's bloody, torn kimono, Celestia reappears, head bowed.

I walk up to her, trembling in rage. "You think you're the only one with problems?" I snarl. "You think you're the only one suffering? Your sister's still beating herself up over what she did to you! Rainbow Dash never even knew her real mother! Blaze had a kid dumped on him out of nowhere and had to do the best he could raising her alone all this time while managing a career that kept him away from home! I'm sixteen and my parents are only just now even taking an interest in me!" I stop and take a deep breath. "You don't even know how good you've got it. I know it sucks that you can't have a kid of your own, but that doesn't stop you from finding happiness! You could adopt! Hell, you could ask Luna to be a surrogate mother for you! I bet she'd be thrilled to! And you are a mother to every kid that passes through those halls, even if they don't always give you the respect you deserve! But most of us do!"

Celestia sniffles.

You're right...I'm being ridiculous. I just...seeing Cadance and Shining Armor and how happy they are, it...

Cadance walks up beside me. "I understand," she says. "And I do feel for you. I know how much it must hurt...but you can't beat yourself up over it, and you can't take it out on others. Especially not the ones who look up to you and love you the most."

Celestia looks up at us with clear, calm eyes and smiles.

I know that. I—

Her eyes widen as she looks past us.

"So."

We all slowly turn around at the absolute last voice any of us ever expected to hear in the Velvet Room.

"This is your secret."

Sunset Shimmer looks around the Velvet Room, her face impassive, her hands folded behind her back.

"Clever."

Her eyes glow gold on black as she regards us.

Futile.

With a cold, feral smile, she vanishes in a white flash of light, leaving us all staring in shock.






Thou art I, and I am Thou...



The ultimate power of the Justice awakens unto Thee...



Thy Persona, Amaterasu, has awakened to the skill Shiranui.



Use this power wisely...


Zecora reappears, her eyes wide and her face pale. "I...I'll let you know when..." She looks long at the place where Sunset Shimmer stood. "When," she says simply.

And the Velvet Room fades away...
> 7/10 (Su)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, July 10, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Jealousy and anger can sour even the strongest friendship. Be careful of what you say and do today.

Everyone's tense this morning. Everyone, that is, except Sunset Shimmer.

"Mornin' guys!" she says as she walks up to a group of us. "Wow, you all look awful this morning."

"Really?" Rarity says snidely. "Do we look dreadful? I wonder whyever that could possibly be." Rainbow and Fluttershy settle for giving her hostile glares.

Sunset blinks and backs away from us, her cheerful smile turning into a puzzled frown. "Uhh...whatever you're all upset about, I didn't do it. Really, I just got up. I mean, I didn't even polish the pearl or anything last night, I just went to bed and slept..."

"Just go away, alright?" Twilight says quietly.

Sunset visibly wilts, but slinks away, glancing over her shoulder at us with a hurt expression.

Once she's gone, Rarity lets out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe she'd be so tacky as to rub it in our faces like that."

"I can," Rainbow says. "It's Sunset."

Pinkie frowns. "I...dunno," she says softly. "I don't think..."

"Don't think she can act that well?" Fluttershy says. "Believe me, she can."

Pinkie shakes her head. "No, I...I think we really hurt her feelings just now. I can just...tell."

"Yeah? Well tough titty," Applejack says. "Ah don't rightly give a flyin' fig newton about her feelins."

"Uhh..." Sonata rasps. "You guys? Am I the only one who noticed—" She coughs, grimaces, then pulls out her tablet.

You know how the Shadows always have those creepy eyes?

We all look around at each other, then back at Sonata. She makes sure we're all paying attention, then:

The Sunset we saw last night had those same eyes.

Twilight and Rarity blink. I frown. "That's true..."

"So...you think that might not have been her at all? It was...her Shadow?" Rainbow suggests.

Sonata shrugs.

Twilight's brow furrows. "Come to think of it, Cadance gets really strange readings from Sunset whenever we run into her in Zodiac. If...if what we saw last night wasn't the real Sunset Shimmer..."

Rainbow grimaces. "If it wasn't, then we just chewed her out for no good reason. I mean, this time."

"Yer point?" Applejack asks.

"Well, I don't—" Rainbow shakes her head. "I mean, if we just—"

"We acted like jerks to her just for saying hi," Pinkie says quietly. "I mean, yeah, it's Sunset, but after everything we've been through this past week—"

Pinkie is interrupted mid-sentence by:

Yohohoho, yoooo-hoho-hoooo...

Rainbow pulls her phone out of her pocket. We all stare at her. She blushes. "What?"

The sound is coming from her phone. Good grief...

She glances at the screen. "It's Dad. Gotta take this." She walks out of the room. We all stare after her.

"A-anyway..." Pinkie sighs. "I think we owe Sunset an apology. Just in case."

Most of the girls don't look especially happy with that idea, but with Pinkie, Sonata, and even Twilight visibly regretting what just happened, we decide to find Sunset and apologize.

We find her upstairs, gathering up her laundry. She looks up and frowns. "Hey," she says. "Come to yell at me some more?"

"Actually, we came to say we're sorry," Pinkie says. "We shouldn't have jumped on you like that. We're all just a little pissy this morning."

Sunset shakes her head. "It's okay," she says. "I guess. So what's wrong? Or is it none of my business."

"It's...just a bad mood that's going around," I say.

"Yeah, we're just mad at Flash," Twilight says. "We shouldn't take it out on you."

"We are?" Sonata asks curiously.

"Some of us are," Twilight says. Pinkie lets out a heavy sigh.

I stare at Twilight. "Seriously?"

Twilight ignores me. "Anyway...sorry, Sunset. I...sorry." She walks off without another word.

Sunset sighs. "Well, thanks," she says. "I was wondering why you were all mad at me today. I guess you're all just mad and I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." She picks up her laundry basket and walks past us, headed for the stairs.

Once she's gone, Applejack scratches her head. "Okay, whut burr got in Twilight's bra?"

"Don't get involved," Rarity says. "Trust me. Do not get involved."

Applejack shrugs. "If'n you say so." She pauses, then adds, "Flash, you sleepin' around on her again?"

"No," I say tersely. "I'm not." I head back to my room.

Sunday, July 10, 2016 / Daytime

Most of the girls are doing their own thing today. Since it's empty and quiet, I decide to practice my guitar in the lounge. I've been playing for about half an hour when Twilight walks in. The agitation on her face and the way she keeps crossing and uncrossing her arms is not a good sign.

I set my guitar down and lean back. "What's wrong?"

Twilight frowns. "You know what's wrong."

I give her a hard look. "No, Twilight. I really don't."

Her nostrils flare. "Alright. Fine. You hanging out by a pool with a bunch of other girls all day yesterday."

I groan. "Twilight..."

"No, Flash," Twilight says. "We need to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about?" I ask. "I spent the day hanging out with friends from school."

"Girl friends!"

"Yes! Girl friends! Not girlfriends. That's you and Pinkie."

"Oh really? Because Rarity was there, and I know you ogle her every chance you get."

"Oh, for..." I shake my head. "What's this really about, Twi?"

"I already told you!" Twilight snaps. "I don't like it when you spend too much time around a bunch of other girls without me. Or at least Pinkie."

"You mean you don't trust me," I say quietly.

Twilight looks away.

I stand up. "Twilight, you're going down a dangerous road here," I say. "You can't dictate who I can be friends with and who I can spend time hanging out with."

Twilight blows on her bangs. "It just seems you spend too much time with too many girls."

I shake my head and sigh. "Right, because all my friends are girls."

"You don't have a single male friend?" Twilight asks skeptically.

I run my hands through my hair. "Look, Twi...the only guys I'm friends with are Shining Armor and Big Mac. Maybe a couple guys on the tennis team, but I don't really know them that well. Most of the guys at school, I can't stand."

Twilight raises an eyebrow. "Because they're not cute girls you can ogle and maybe have sex with?"

"Because they're either boring guys I have nothing in common with or they're pigs who just want me to hook them up with somebody from this dorm."

"Funny, I'd think you'd be all for that," Twilight says, folding her arms. "Or do you just want us all for yourself? Nice little harem?"

"Oh fuck you!" I snarl. "Where do you get off? Whose idea was it for me to fuck half the dorm in the first place?"

"You sure didn't object!" Twilight retorts, raising her voice. "And don't blame this all on me! You practically pant like a dog over every girl you see! I bet being that close to Octavia in a swimsuit yesterday, you wanted to bend her over and—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake—"

"No, Flash! I know you! You're incorrigible!" Twilight is pacing now, flailing her hands around. "Dammit, I've even seen you ogling Luna and Celestia when they were here! Especially Luna!"

"Well, she'll be happy to know she can still turn heads."

Twilight and I both freeze and turn around.

Celestia is standing at the entrance to the lounge, wearing tight, knee-length khaki shorts, a beige tank top, a light, unbuttoned sky blue blouse, and low-heeled sandals. Sunglasses with red plastic frames are perched on her forehead, and her hair is tied back in a loose ponytail.

Twilight's face turns red, her eyes wide and mortified. "P-Principal Celestia..."

Celestia looks at the two of us impassively for a long moment. "For some reason, I had a dream about the kids in this dorm last night," she says. "I decided to take a quick trip back up from Canterlittle to drop in and say hi. It...looks like I picked a bad time."

"No, not at all," I say. "Twilight's just being stupid."

Twilight rounds on me, her expression changing from mortified to incredulous. "What?!"

I fold my arms. "Look, Twilight. I have other friends outside of this dorm, alright? And yes, they're all girls. I can't help that. I'd think you'd trust me enough by now."

Twilight frowns. "Flash, I just..." She shakes her head. "If you'd just told me where you were and who you were with. I mean...I found out from Lyra. I should've heard it from you."

I facepalm. "I don't remember anything about always having to tell you what I'm doing and where I'm doing it."

"I never said—!" Twilight groans in frustration. "You know why I'm upset about this!"

I clench my jaw. "I'm not Cadance, Twilight."

Twilight stops cold, staring at me in disbelief. Which slowly turns to anger. She turns around and walks stiffly away, marching up the stairs. Her door slams.

Celestia regards me with a mild frown.

I wince. "Wrong thing to say?"

"Wrong thing to say," Celestia agrees calmly.

I sit down and sigh.

"Not that I want to get involved in this, but..."

I shake my head. "Twilight and I...we don't fight like this. I mean, we haven't had a serious fight in months." I groan, covering my head in my hands. "This is stupid. She's freaking out because I went to a pool party I didn't even know was happening until the last minute."

"I see," Celestia says. "And who was at this pool party?"

I shrug. "Octavia, Vinyl, Lyra, Bon Bon. I ran into Rarity in town and took her with."

Celestia raises an eyebrow. "So. You were the only boy at a party with five girls. I assume completely unsupervised?"

I wince. "Yeah, that does sound bad. Well, except for the part where four of those girls are lesbians."

Both of Celestia's eyebrows climb higher. "Flash...that actually makes it worse. At least, from Twilight's perspective. Especially if some of what I've heard about you kids', ahem...private affairs is true."

I give her a half-lidded stare. "Oh, don't pretend Twilight and Pinkie never woke you up when you were living here."

Celestia rolls her eyes. "Honestly, this dorm has the most oversexed bunch of kids living in it I've ever known," she says. She sits down. "And honestly, I can understand Twilight's frustration."

I shake my head. "I can't. She's acting like I'm going off and cheating on her with every girl in Canterlot. She's ignoring the fact that I've never slept with anybody she hasn't given me permission to sleep with, and aside from Fluttershy, all of that was during Spring Break and was her idea in the first place!"

Celestia gives me an amused smirk. "Is there anyone in this dorm you haven't slept with? Other than Luna and myself, I mean."

I flinch. "Just Applejack," I admit. "Well, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, obviously."

"Applejack's not interested, huh?"

"It's mutual," I say with a shrug.

"Not your type?"

I nod.

"The rest are?"

I nod.

"So basically you've got a harem here."

I shake my head. "I'm honestly getting sick of people saying that. And Twilight knows it."

"And it never occurred to you that if you had some male friends, and spent time with them, Twilight might not get upset about things like this?"

I snort. "The guys at CHS are either only interested in banging my friends or just aren't...I just can't relate to them."

"Really? Out of all the other male students at CHS, there's nobody you can relate to?"

"Well...there's a couple guys who talked to me about maybe starting a band, but I just haven't had time. Besides, I'm pretty sure one of them just wants to try to get close to Rarity."

"And that's a bad thing why?" Celestia gives me a pointed look. "It's not your job to protect the girls in this dorm from boys who are interested in them. Even if that interest is purely sexual, I believe the girls can handle that on their own."

I sigh. "You're right."

"But I think the problem with you and Twilight goes deeper than that, does it not?" Celestia idly swings one foot in the air. "She was very upset when you said—"

"I'm not Cadance," I finish, hanging my head. "Yeah...that was a low blow." I shake my head. "I guess around this time last summer, Cadance and Shining Armor were probably fighting..."

"I know more about that situation than I wish I knew," Celestia says with a grimace.

"But...it's not the same thing at all," I say. "I'm not going around cheating on Twilight, and I wasn't angry at her about anything until she freaked out over that pool party yesterday."

Celestia shrugs. "It may well be that Twilight is inventing her own problem because she's insecure, or because she still has painful memories of what happened last summer." She frowns. "Or fresh memories of her brother's recent stupidity."

I stare at her.

"Oh, I know about Shining Armor and Sunset Shimmer," Celestia says darkly. "He's lucky I'm not firing him." She sighs. "Flash...Twilight's been through a lot with her brother and her sister-in-law, and even though she seems...unusually comfortable with casual sex, don't think for a minute she's forgotten about all the cheating. Especially what her asshole brother did." She stands up and stretches. "And, frankly, you need to stop thinking with your dick. I understand how...interesting living here can get, especially after having witnessed some of what goes on here first-hand. But if you spent less time ogling and fantasizing about other girls besides Twilight—well, and Pinkie—maybe she wouldn't fly off the handle about you going to a pool party."

I sigh. "It really hasn't been an issue for a while now," I say. "Twilight's just overreacting."

"Be that as it may, that's not how she sees it. If you don't want to lose her, you need to see things her way until she figures out she's worrying over nothing." She shakes her head. "Anyway, I'm going up to say hi to Rainbow Dash now. Think about what I've said, alright?"

I nod. "I will."

"Good. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Luna's going to start coming over to play video games with the girls before long." She smirks. "Do try not to ogle her. She is your vice-principal."

I duck my head, feeling my cheeks heat up. Celestia laughs. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. You have no idea how much women our age need to know boys your age think we're sexy. But under the circumstances, you really need to—"

"Keep it in my pants and keep my eyes to myself, I know, I know."

"Good boy," Celestia says before turning and heading upstairs.

I sigh, pick my guitar back up, and strum listlessly.

Twilight's being an unreasonable little shrew about the pool party thing, and I'm the one who ends up feeling like a jerk...something about that doesn't sit well with me. But I really don't want to lose the best thing that ever happened to me.

Still, something about the whole thing is gnawing at me.

Sunday, July 10, 2016 / Evening

For the rest of the day, I'm too tense to really do anything. By evening, I feel like I'm climbing the walls, so I decide to leave the dorm and get some fresh air, maybe grab dinner in town. Pinkie tags along with. We don't talk much.

We wind up at Hinny's. As I'm picking at a club sandwich, Pinkie looks up at me with sad eyes.

"You know I'm not mad at you, right?" she says quietly. "About yesterday."

I glance at her across the table. "You sure seemed mad."

She laughs mirthlessly. "I was just pouting because I missed a pool party. I honestly don't care who you were with." She sighs, shifting things around on her skillet with her fork. "I think Twilight's blowing this way out of proportion, but..." She looks straight at me, a serious expression on her face. "Some of what you said to her today wasn't very nice. You know that, right?"

I sigh. "Yeah, I know. It's just..." I shrug. "She started bitching me out when I didn't do anything wrong, and I just—"

"I understand. But I know you, Flash. If you don't fix this, if you hurt her and drive her away..." She shakes her head. "I mean, she's pretty much your main reason for fighting so hard to stay here, right?"

"Yeah."

"Don't get me wrong, she's being stupid too. You both are. Just...please don't be any more stupid, okay?"

It's late when we get back to the dorm. Twilight's waiting by the stairs for us in her pajamas. She looks up at me, then looks away. "Sorry," she says.

I shift awkwardly. "Yeah...me too. Sorry."

Pinkie heads to her room while Twilight follows me to mine. I change for bed; in a few minutes, Pinkie joins us, turning off the lights. We all spoon in my bed; I wrap my arms around Twilight and bury my face in her hair.
> 7/11 (Mo)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, July 11, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Be mindful of your desires. They may lead you down a dark path, one which will destroy the very things you hold most dear.

Things are a little tense in the dorm this morning. Last night's apology and spooning haven't really cleared the bad air between me and Twilight, so we're awkward around each other. Twilight decides to spend the day with Cadance over in the apartment, catching up on her reading. Whether that means she's actually catching up on her reading or just wants some space from me and the others, I don't know.

I honestly don't care either. I need some space from her, too. We apologized, but I'm still mad at her for accusing me of whatever she was accusing me of.

Pinkie must sense Twilight and I are still upset with each other, because she's unusually quiet today. She decides to take a shift at Sugar Cube Corner, which she hasn't done in a while. I guess we all need a little space today...

I spend most of the morning texting people from Music Club and the tennis team. Some are replying right away, others aren't. The longest delay in a reply comes when I text Trixie; I texted her at around nine, and got her reply almost two hours later.




New Message From: Trixie Lulamoon
Hey, good to hear from you! I'd love to catch up, but I could also really use your help with something. Are you free today?




I text her back; she asks me to head over to her house. I borrow Coach's car keys and head out.

Monday, July 11, 2016 / Daytime

Trixie's house is two blocks from Sugar Cube Corner. I stop by to pick up some drinks and muffins on the way there. Pinkie seems a little happier; surprisingly, Sunset Shimmer is hanging out by the counter.

"So, what're you up to today?" Sunset asks as I wait for Pinkie to finish off the drinks.

I shrug. "Just meeting up with a friend who needs help with something."

"Which friend?" Pinkie asks.

"Trixie."

Sunset snickers. "What, did she make her head disappear and can't find it?"

I frown at her. "Not cool."

"Sorry." Sunset tilts her head at me. "So you're really spending the day alone with a girl again when Twilight's still mad over the whole pool party thing?"

Pinkie smacks her head against the counter. "Why did you go there?" she moans.

"You know..." I sigh. "No. I'm not doing this." I round up the drinks and muffins and leave.

When I arrive at Trixie's house, she answers the door wrapped in a spangled purple satin robe. "Thank you for coming," she says.

As she lets me past and closes the door behind me, I hold up the coffees and muffins I brought. "Got us a little snack."

"Oh, thank you!" Trixie says. "But it'll have to wait for later, I'm afraid." She grimaces. "I'd rather not strain the seams of my performing costume by eating anything sugary just now. I also don't want to mess up my makeup."

"Performing costume?" I ask.

Trixie sheds her robe. She's wearing a deep purple vinyl corset teddy with matching high heels, a white dress collar and cuffs with a purple bowtie, and a puffy cotton bunny tail. She picks up a headband with a pair of floppy satin rabbit ears and puts it on her head. The corset is pushing her breasts up and forward, emphasizing her cleavage and visibly cutting into the tops of her breasts; it's very high on the hip, highlighting her shapely figure.

I raise an eyebrow. "Umm...so you're working at a hostess club now or something?"

Trixie slaps me upside the head. "No," she says with a smirk. "I'm actually working on a new trick. That's what I need your help for."

"Okay, what kind of trick do you need to dress like this for?" I pause, frowning. "Wait, actually...haven't I seen you in this getup before?"

"Not this exact one, no," Trixie says. "I did wear the stage magician version of this when I performed at your friend Pinkie's birthday party back in October. This one is brand new." She blushes. "I, umm...I had to get a new one because my bust has grown slightly larger since October. The old one...squeezes."

"Honestly, it looks like the new one squeezes a little too."

Trixie shrugs. "It's supposed to be tight," she says. "Which is why I'd prefer not to wear it any longer than I have to. I'm actually glad you stopped on the way here, because I only just finished getting ready. It was...a bit harder to get into this than I remember."

"I can imagine," I say, looking her up and down.

She raises an eyebrow. "Must you eyeball Trixie's body?" she asks. "Trixie knows she is sexy, but don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Sorry."

Trixie laughs. "I'm only teasing." She blushes again. "Umm...how do I look?"

"Amazing."

"Thank you."

I cough. "So, uhh...why the bunny girl outfit, and what's it got to do with why you called me over?"

"Right," Trixie says. "Follow me to the studio." She turns and walks away, her heels clicking sharply on the wooden floor. I follow, trying hard not to stare at her swaying ass. Staring at her half-bare back isn't much of an improvement.

I really need some less sexy friends...

I follow Trixie downstairs to the basement, where we enter a spacious, well-lit practice room with wood-paneled walls. Various musical instruments are pushed up against one wall, while another wall is cluttered with magic props. In the center of the room, there's a greenscreen stage with a 3D video camera positioned nearby. Trixie walks over to a small table in the corner and picks up a hand mirror and a tube of lipstick. She touches up her lipstick, then uses a brush to dab some sparkly powder on her chest and shoulders.

"Okay, what exactly are we doing down here?" I ask.

Trixie puts her mirror down and walks over to the greenscreen, checking something over her head. Whatever she's looking for, she finds it and motions me over. "Help me attach the wires," she says.

"What wires?" I ask. I walk over, and Trixie presses something into my hand. I realize it's a wire which has been painted the same shade of green as the backdrop.

"We have to be very careful attaching these," Trixie says. "They need to be secure enough to lift me, but not damage the outfit or risk any injury." She sighs. "Honestly, I'm beginning to doubt whether or not this trick is even worth all this."

"What kind of trick is it?" I ask curiously.

Trixie attaches a wire to herself, then shows me how to attach the one on the other side. "You know the old rabbit-out-of-a-hat trick?" I nod. "Well, I decided I wanted to try a more hi-tech, modern version." Sheepishly, she adds, "With...a little more sex appeal. Nobody cares about that old trick anymore, but if a sexy girl magician is pulling a sexy bunny girl out of a hat..."

I raise an eyebrow. "Go on..."

Trixie snickers. "Well, it seems I was right about this trick hitting the right note with the audience," she says, flicking my nose playfully. "Anyway, I'm going to record a hologram of myself being 'pulled out of the hat'," she says, making air quotes, "and then—"

"You'll have one of those AR pads inside the hat projecting the hologram when you're on stage," I say. "So if you time it all right—"

"It'll look like I'm pulling myself out of the hat," Trixie says, eyes shining with excitement. "Well? What do you think?"

"I like it. Points for creativity if nothing else." I glance up at the pullies with the 'invisible' wires. "So what's with—?"

"Well, if I'm being pulled out of the hat, I can't visibly be standing on anything," Trixie says. "That's why I need help with this. You're going to operate the pulley and lift me up off the ground while we're filming."

"Uhh...okay."

"Don't worry, it's easy, and I don't need to be lifted very far, just...maybe a foot and a half?" She smirks. "Trixie is not that heavy."

"It's not that, I'm just worried about you getting hurt if I mess up."

Trixie waves a hand dismissively. "If something goes wrong, I fall on the pads..." She taps her foot on the padded surface under her for emphasis. "...and we try again." She points off to the right, then at the camera. "As soon as I give the word, all you have to do is go over there, raise me up about a foot and a half, then start filming."

It takes a few tries to get the pulley working right; Trixie takes two rather embarrassing pratfalls and has to readjust her costume and makeup each time. Finally, we get her off the ground and hanging in the air. I hurry over to the camera, check the angle, and start filming, giving Trixie the signal. She squirms around, pretending to struggle against the grip of an invisible hand.

Watching her wriggle and shimmy in midair, wearing that tight, low-cut bunny girl costume, is giving me one hell of a boner.

Finally, Trixie calls a halt; I stop recording, then let her down. She removes all the wires. "Thanks for your help," she says. "I really appreciate it." She stretches, which thrusts her chest forward alluringly. "So, umm...let me go get out of this uncomfortable costume, then we can have the little snack you brought, and maybe you can help me work on this new song? I need help getting it just right."

I look Trixie over from head to toe, and I can't deny what I'm thinking.

I want her.

I want her so fucking much.

"Sure," I say. "But before that, I want to show you a little trick."

"Oh?" Trixie asks.

"What's that behind your ear?" I ask, reaching out toward Trixie's left ear.

She rolls her eyes. "Really? You're trying to impress a real magician with that old—"

Instead of the quarter she was expecting, I produce a wrapped condom.

Trixie blinks.

"And now, watch me make it disappear," I say before tucking it into her cleavage.

Trixie's face lights up crimson. "Flash? Wh-what..."

I lean forward and brush my lips against her ear. "Let me help you out of that costume," I whisper.

Trixie stares at me, eyes wide. "Umm...don't you...have a girlfriend?"

"I don't care about that right now," I say. "All I care about is how incredibly fucking hot you are."

"Oh," Trixie says quietly, ducking her head. She squirms a little in place. "W-well..." She looks up at me for a moment before ducking her head. "It's not that I haven't...maybe...thought about it, once or twice," she says. Then, with some of her usual arrogance and cockiness, she adds, "And, well, Trixie can certainly see how you would be tempted by her sultry charms."

I slip an arm around her waist and start steering her toward the stairs, making a point of squeezing her ass. She jumps and yelps, but makes no move to disengage my hand from her ass as we head upstairs.

By the time I leave Trixie's house, it's late in the afternoon. Dark, ugly thunderclouds have gathered overhead, and soft rumbles of thunder roll over Canterlot. As I head for the car, I see a motorcycle speeding away.

A familiar motorcycle...

I just barely make it into the car before it starts to rain.

Monday, July 11, 2016 / Evening

When I return to the dorm, I find Luna and Rainbow in the lounge, playing some fighting game. Luna's in her usual gamer attire. As soon as they hear me come in, Luna leans way back, her hair fanning behind her, and smirks at me. "You can look, but you can't touch," she says in a teasing tone.

"Can I touch?" Rainbow asks.

"You might be about to be my niece," Luna points out.

I shake my head. "Get a room," I mutter as I head upstairs. Their cackling follows me.

I flop face-forward onto my bed, listening to the rain patter against the window.

I hear my door open; I must have forgotten to lock it. I look up.

Sunset's standing there, arms folded, a frown on her face.

"What you did today? Not cool," she says quietly.

She walks out, closing the door behind her.

Outside, blinding white lightning flashes in a long, eye-searing strobe. The entire dorm shakes with the concussive force of heavy thunder.
> 7/12 (Tu)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): It should come as no surprise to you: You are your own worst enemy.

It's still dark out...

I check the time. It's not even four in the morning yet. I sit up, groaning.

I hear something shift in the darkness. A flash of lightning highlights a familiar shape sitting in the desk chair across the room. "Pinkie," I say quietly.

The desk lamp comes on, bathing the room in low light. Pinkie scoots the chair closer to the bed. She looks unhappy.

"A little tip," she says in a tone that sends shivers up my spine. "Girls pay attention to things like the smell of the soap and shampoo you use." She leans forward. "You're lucky Twilight never came back upstairs yesterday. She spent the night with Cadance." She falls silent for a minute. "You'd better go wash Trixie's scent off you before it's too late."

Oh god.

"Pinkie..."

"I don't wanna hear it," Pinkie says. "You're an asshole. You tried to hurt Twilight by throwing the Cadance thing in her face, and then you went and did exactly what Cadance used to do."

I bow my head, unable to meet her eyes.

"Flash...I love you. Twilight loves you. Don't do this to us."

I sigh.

"Did you get it out of your system?"

"Yeah," I say hoarsely.

"Was it worth it?"

I shake my head.

"Good." Pinkie stands up and hauls me out of bed with one hand. "This doesn't happen again," she says with quiet menace. "Understand?"

I nod.

"Good." She shoves me toward the door. "Don't come back until you smell like you and not your booty call."

When I get out of the shower and head back to my room, Pinkie's gone. I collapse onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling restlessly, listening to the quiet thunder as last night's storm gradually makes its way out of the area...

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Morning

The sun is finally peeking through the clouds when I wake up, having drifted off at some point. It's past seven...

I find a message waiting on my phone. It's from Mom...

All it says is, "Surprise!"

Confused, I finish getting dressed and head downstairs. I can hear Spike barking excitedly outside. I open the front door and peer out.

Mom's here. She's talking to Twilight. Spike is running around the yard, barking his head off.

I head outside. "Hey Mom," I say.

Mom turns and smiles at me. "Flash!" She rushes up to me and sweeps me up in a hug. "Surprised to see me?"

"A little, yeah," I say. "You and Dad really need to stop that."

Mom laughs. "Well, I came ahead to start scouting things out. I couldn't resist."

"So Dad isn't with you?" I ask. I'm dimly aware of Twilight watching us, a small smile on her face which slowly turns to a pained grimace.

"Umm...Flash?" Mom points down at my feet.

Spike just shit on my shoe. He looks up at me with a challenging smirk.

I sigh. "Go on inside," I say. "I'll just...go deal with this real quick." I kick off my shoes and take them around back to hose them off. Or bury them. I'm honestly not sure which.

After I've cleaned off my shoes and left them outside to dry, I head upstairs to wash my hands and change shoes, then join Mom and Twilight for breakfast. Twilight looks embarrassed.

"So, how are things?" Mom asks.

"Good," I say. "They're good." I glance at Twilight, who looks away slightly. "So, you came alone, huh?"

"Dad's still wrapping things up," Mom says. "There's a lot of packing to do and he's got to get everything shipped. I came ahead to buy a car and start looking at houses. I was hoping you'd go with me."

I nod. "Of course."

"Would you like to join us, Twilight?" Mom asks.

"Actually, I have some things to do today," Twilight says.

"Oh...alright." Mom tilts her head. "Maybe Pinkie can join us?"

"I'm working today," Pinkie says as she walks past. "All day."

"Well, we can just make a day of it then," Mom says. "Just the two of us."

"That's fine with me," I say.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Daytime

I don't even ask to borrow one of the cars today. Mom and I take the bus into town.

When we're walking from the bus station to one of the car dealerships in town, Mom asks, "Are you alright? You don't seem...quite yourself today."

"I'm fine," I say.

Mom stops walking and turns to look at me. "Flash," she says, "I...I know we're only just now really...you know, connecting...but I can tell something's upsetting you."

I sigh, jamming my hands in my pockets. "Things have been...a little messed up the last few days," I say. "I kinda had a really big fight with Twilight the other day, and...and things just aren't right between us right now."

"Oh, honey," Mom says, hugging me. I tense up. I feel hot tears of shame prick at the corner of my eyes. "What happened?"

"Twilight got mad at me for something I didn't even do," I say. "And...and then I..." I bow my head. "And then I did," I whisper hoarsely.

Mom steps back and studies me, her lips thin. I shake my head. "I don't want to talk about it," I say. "It's just...she got mad at me, I got mad at her for getting mad at me, I...I said something I knew would hurt her, and...and I did something I knew would hurt her even worse, because I'm still mad at her, but now I just..." I sigh. "Now I just feel like the biggest asshole."

Mom frowns, tilting her head. "That doesn't sound like you," she says.

"I know!" I say. "I know. It's just...we just had this really stupid fight that came out of nowhere, and ever since then I've just...I haven't been thinking straight." I sigh. "And Sunset and Pinkie both know what...what I did. I don't think Twilight knows yet." I bow my head. "If she finds out..."

"You think she'll break up with you?"

I don't answer.

Mom sighs. "The longer you let this go, the worse it's going to be," she says. "If...if you love Twilight...and I know you do, because she's the reason you didn't want to leave Canterlot, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Then you need to work past this. You need to make this right."

I sigh. "I know..."

"And that means being honest with her and...and accepting whatever happens." She looks me in the eyes, her face sad. "Even if it means losing her."

If Twilight finds out what I did with Trixie, after everything that's happened lately...

I shake my head. "Let's...let's just focus on car shopping for right now, okay? Just for a little while, I don't...I don't wanna think about Twilight."

Mom gives me a worried look, but sighs and shrugs. "Alright."

We don't talk much for the rest of the day except for debating the merits of various cars Mom has her eye on, discussing the houses the real estate agent shows us in the catalog, and so forth. It'll still be at least a week or two before they commit to a home purchase, but at least now we have a better idea of what's available. As for the car, Mom decides on a hybrid SUV with a nice option package, which we'll be able to pick up on Friday.

Over a late lunch, Mom muses, "We should get you your own car."

I shake my head. "There's enough cars at the dorm already. Besides, I think you guys need to hold back on the big spending. I mean, you just bought a car, you're about to buy a house...I know you can afford it, but really."

Mom smiles. "That's thoughtful," she says. "But maybe you're right. It's probably too soon for your own car."

After some more looking around town, Mom heads for the hotel where she and Dad will be staying until they get a house, while I head back to the dorm.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Evening

I don't really see much of any of the girls for the rest of the evening, but I don't really go looking for them either. I spend most of the evening in my room, picking moodily at my guitar until I'm too exhausted to even hold it anymore.

The Velvet Room...

There's more fog here than usual tonight. It's hard to see anything...

The gold frame of a door rises up from the fog. Zecora approaches, a perturbed frown on her face.

"Perhaps we should postpone this test," she says. "I sense conflict within my guest. I fear you are not at your best."

"I'm fine," I insist, activating Black Butterfly and summoning my axe. "Let's do this."

Zecora sighs. "You are responsible for your own deeds," she says. "I hope you know where your present course leads."

"It is me, or is it a lot foggier here than usual?" Rainbow wonders.

"It's not just you," Fluttershy says apprehensively. "I can't even make out what's on the door."

"It should be Chariot, right?" Twilight says absently.

"Rainbow Dash, you're up," I say.

Rainbow blinks. "Huh? Me?" She glances from me, to the door, then back. "So this one's—"

"Your Shadow," I say with a nod.

"Oh crap." Swallowing heavily, Rainbow walks up to the door and reaches out to touch it.

The door bursts open dramatically, knocking Rainbow on her ass. A swirling miasma of muted rainbow light pulses within the door. Rainbow's Shadow strides boldly forward.

I'm Rainbow Dash, the most awesome, coolest, most radical, most talented, most athletic girl around! Everybody loves me! Everybody worships me! Everybody wants to BE me!

She laughs.

That's what I always thought. Then I found out how people really feel about me. They think I'm a showoff, a braggart who thinks she's better at stuff than she really is.

She pauses.

And you know what? They're right.

She looks at our Rainbow with gold-on-black eyes.

What the HELL makes you think you're so cool? Don't you know anything?

She waves a hand angrily at Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash is a JOKE, and everybody knows it! I'm not good at anything! Soccer? My game's been off ever since my leg got fucked up! Baseball? I'm not even third best on the team! And then there's other things. My grades suck, and why should I care? Even if I studied hard, I'd never be as good at school as Twilight! My looks? Who cares about that! When you've got girls like Rarity and Fluttershy around, nobody even looks at me! Guitar? Yeah, right. Flash is the guitar god at CHS. I'm not even as good as Trixie!

She bows her head.

I'm not even good at anything here. The one place I've got something I can really brag about—kicking ass—and you guys are all so much better at it. I've been killed more times than all of you put together! What a joke!

Her clenched fists tremble at her sides.

Even if I ever do figure out if I'm straight or gay, does it matter? Who's gonna want a second-rate showoff?

"HEY!" Rainbow Dash yells at her Shadow. "I'm awesome at lots of things! It...it doesn't matter if I'm not the best at some stuff. It just means I've got somethin' to shoot for!"

Rainbow's Shadow laughs coldly.

Or maybe...I just need to get rid of the competition.

She looks around at all of us, a sneer on her face.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! If I get rid of all of you, then I'll be the best at everything!

"NO!" Rainbow yells, standing between us and her Shadow and waving her hands emphatically. "There's no way I'd ever think anything LIKE that!"

She turns to face her Shadow.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

Rainbow's Shadow cackles as she bursts into purple flames and grows to twice as large as life, rising into the air on a writhing pile of bodies as her appearance changes.

The Shadow herself has turned coal black; her clothes have changed to a pair of dirty old canvas sneakers, faded and ripped jeans, and a black denim longcoat with ripped-off sleeves over her otherwise bare torso. Her rainbow hair is longer and wilder than usual, frizzy and tangled. She has no eyes or nose; all that's left of her face is a broad, wicked grin. A black leather top hat with a concho belt tied around it sits atop her head. Strapped across her torso is an even more bizarre version of her Persona's guitar sword: the entire neck of the guitar is the sword's grip, while the body is a broad, thick-bladed buster sword. Beneath her feet, a pile of naked Rainbows—each one the same color as somebody else living in our dorm—writhes and fawns over the Shadow, orgasmic adoration on their faces.

We all turn to stare at our Rainbow, whose face is burning crimson. "What?" she says defensively.

"Oh, there is so much wrong with this scene I don't even know where to start," Fluttershy says, shaking her head.

"You said it, sugarcube," Applejack mutters.

I point at the weird naked mess and the monument to Rainbow's ego standing on top of it. "I've got news for you," I say. "You are definitely not Slash."

"Yeah, well...neither are you!"

"Nobody is. Except Slash."

"...got me there..."

If I KILL YOU ALL, I'll be the best at everything! Music, sports, books, looks, even sex!

//Be careful! I'm sensing a ton of bullshit!//

Applejack snickers. "Good one."

Rainbow groans. "Can you guys not be jerks about this? Please?"

"Let's just do this and go," I say. For some reason, ever since we set foot in the Velvet Room, I've felt uneasy...

Maybe it's because I haven't been in the same room as both Pinkie and Twilight for more than five minutes since I had sex with Trixie. Maybe it's because here, Twilight can kill me over and over again if she finds out. Maybe it's because I still don't even know why everything's gone to hell over the last few days.

Maybe it's because I can feel Pinkie's eyes on me and the weight of her disappointment, anger, and sadness is crushing me.

As the other girls ready themselves for battle and Rainbow, whose Persona is sealed, falls back to a safe distance, Rainbow Slash strums her guitar. Fireworks go off all around her, and towering neon-lit words rise up behind her:


20% Cooler


At the same time, a neon sign drops down from above us that says "20% Less Cool", spraying us with sparks and flames. I feel somehow smaller, and look up to see that Rainbow Slash and her groupies have grown larger...

//Guys? I don't know what she just did, but...uh...you all just...shrank by about—//

"Twenty percent?" Rarity suggests flatly. "We noticed, darling."

"This is gonna be a fun one, isn't it?"

"Hilarious," Fluttershy mutters, summoning her Persona and erecting a reflective barrier in front of us. The yellow-skinned, pink-haired Rainbow Dash in the squirming mob shakes her ass at Fluttershy, and Fluttershy seems to slow down.

Pinkie cups her hands in front of her to summon her Element of Laughter, but it fails to appear. Frowning, she shakes her head and calls out her Persona. "EUPHORIA!"

Euphoria appears, but she looks...off. She isn't glowing, her smile is strained, her eyes aren't lit up with their brilliant rainbow shine. Everything about her seems flat, listless. Still, she scatters a misty spray of liquid over us, filling us with power.

The groupie that looks like Pinkie lets out a loud cheer, waving a lighter over her head, and a golden light washes over Rainbow Slash.

"Let's get this over with before it gets stupid," I grunt, sliding the Tower Arcana onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"

The screen of my phone flashes red and buzzes. A red X appears over the Tower.

I stare at it. "What?"

"Uh, Flash? Are you...are you gonna do something?" Applejack asks.

Shaking my head, I slide the Hanged Man onto my phone. "MAGUS!"

Red flash. Buzz. Red X.

"Flash? Is something wrong?" Twilight asks.

The Rainbow Slash groupie that has my skin and hair color throws up her hands and shakes her body. A wave of pressure crashes down on me, making my muscles feel tired and sluggish.

I try to summon Sephiroth. Still nothing. "Uhh...you guys...you guys go ahead," I say. "Something's wrong."

The girls glance at me curiously. Sonata shrugs. "PERSONA!"

Leviathan rises up, sending a crashing wave of glowing sea water slamming down onto the Shadows. The Sonata-colored Rainbow hurls a beer bottle at Sonata, but it bounces off Artemis' barrier and catches its thrower in the gut.

One by one, I'm going through all my best Personas, but none of them will appear...

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Athena rises high into the air, showering Rainbow Slash and her groupies with lightning. The groupies scream and thrash around; the one that looks like Twilight yells a whole bunch of insults at Twilight through a megaphone, and Twilight starts to look hesitant.

Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast; her attempt to make the Shadows panic fails. The Rarity wannabe in the Shadow swarm flips her hair at Rarity and smirks, but nothing seems to happen.

"This is gittin' plumb weird," Applejack mutters. "PERSONA!"

Gaia kneels and presses a fist to the ground. A warm green circle of light spreads outward, engulfing all of us and fortifying us.

The orange-skinned, blonde Rainbow tosses a glowing apple up to Rainbow Slash, who catches it and eats it, infusing her body with a warm green glow.

//Guys, her little flash mob...they're loaded with buffs and debuffs!//

"And they're all in the buff!" Sonata quips.

"Flash mob? More like trash mob," Fluttershy says testily. She glares at me. "Are you ever gonna do something?"

I glance down at my phone and sigh. "I've been trying to all this time," I retort. Shaking my head, I listlessly slide the Fool Arcana onto the phone and brush the screen with my fingernails. "Persona."

Chiron appears, rearing and drawing his bow, which is loaded with a flaming arrow. He glances disdainfully back at me, then snorts and looses his arrow at Rainbow Slash. It singes her coat, but that's about it. The trash mob all let out a great cheer, and Slash bows, grinning cheekily.

Twilight turns and frowns at me. "Flash? What's going on?"

"I don't know!" I snap. "My Personas are all fucked up! Get off my case, okay?"

Twilight scowls. "Excuse me for being worried about you!"

"HEY! Don't be a jerk to her!" Pinkie yells.

I sigh and bow my head. "Sorry," I mutter. "I don't know what's wrong. I just...I can't—"

A thunderous power chord rips through the air, shaking the ground. Rainbow Slash starts to glow with power, overlapping red and white auras blazing while the Rainbow Trash whip themselves into a headbanging frenzy.

"Deal with it later!" Fluttershy says. "ARTEMIS!"

Artemis rises into the air, her giant magical girl bow forming in the open side of her screensphere. Dozens of magical girl arrows shoot forth, stabbing into Rainbow Slash and her groupies. Fluttershy's trash mob counterpart gives her the finger.

//Be careful! Every time they do something rude, they're messing with your attack or defense!//

"Then let's kill 'em all!" Pinkie snarls. "PERSONA!"

Euphoria appears again, aiming one of her urns at the trash mob and unleashing a blast of blinding white light...which does absolutely nothing. Pinkie lets out a frustrated scream as Euphoria fades away. The pink Rainbow Trash throws a pair of panties up at Rainbow Slash, who cackles as she waves them around.

"Ah'm guessin' every time they fangirl at Rainbow Slash, they're buffin' 'er up," Applejack says.

//Yeah.//

The me-colored Trash throws a beer bottle at Pinkie, but it bounces off the barrier and hits her in the face.

"Where are they even getting the beer bottles from?" Pinkie cries. "Does that even make sense?"

"Oh!" Rarity scoffs. "This coming from you!"

"You guys, knock it off!" Sonata says. "PERSONA!"

A virulent purple wave crashes over the Shadows. Rainbow Slash and four of her groupies are wreathed in bubbling purple flames. Another beer bottle comes flying at Sonata from her trash mob counterpart; this one shatters over her head. "Owie!"

Twilight summons Athena again, unleashing another thunderstorm. Her counterpart blows her a raspberry. Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast, whose ice storm nearly causes Rainbow Slash to topple off her pile; Wadjet-Bast then heals all the damage we've sustained so far, which thankfully isn't much. The Rarity-colored groupie throws another beer bottle at Rarity, which bounces off her barrier and hits its source in the boob.


"ELEMENT OF HONESTY!"


A pale orange glow surrounds Applejack, overlaid by a ghostly image of a giant, ripe apple. The ghostly apple shrinks in on itself, fading into Applejack's skin. Applejack's counterpart bends over and farts in her direction.

I try to summon Chiron again, but Legion appears instead, bobbing around in the air and wriggling its grotesque appendages in a horrifyingly disgusting way. Apart from making me want to crawl into a hole and die—or hurl—nothing else seems to happen.

The trash mob cheers for their goddess again.

//That cheering...// Cadance pauses. //Guys, it's a group healing ability! All the groupies are contributing to a healing power that's regenerating all of them!//

"So we need to cut down the groupies?" Fluttershy asks. "Not a problem."

"Can you figure out what's wrong with Flash?" Twilight asks.

//I'm trying,// Cadance says, her voice full of doubt. //I don't sense any external force suppressing his Personas. Flash, are you sure you're okay?//

"Worry about it later!" I yell. "Everybody duck!"

Rainbow Slash leaps off her pile of groupies, reversing her grip on her guitar as she strums out a bass riff. With each note she plucks, she swings her sword at one of us. The last of Artemis' reflective barriers collapse, rebounding the force of four slashes back at the Shadow; Pinkie, Sonata, and Rarity cry out as they're cut badly, bleeding heavily from diagonal slashes across their torsos. Laughing, Rainbow Slash lands back on her trash mob, slinging her sword back around into guitar position.

"ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy cries. Artemis appears, her screens lit up with medical diagnostics as a wave of healing green light washes over us. As Artemis fades, Fluttershy's groupie counterpart flings a beer bottle at her which bounces off her shoulder.

"PERSONA!" Pinkie summons Euphoria, who darts into action, delivering swift, brutal palm strikes and kicks to the Shadows. Rainbow Slash reels, struggling to keep her balance; Euphoria drops a vicious heel slam into my counterpart, who counters by throwing a beer bottle at Pinkie, while Pinkie's counterpart throws one at Twilight. The sound of glass shattering against both of them rips at my heart, as do their cries of pain...

Leviathan appears, slamming another tidal wave down upon the Shadows. Sonata's counterpart throws what looks like a jar of piss with a turd in it at her. Twilight summons Athena; as the Shadows writhe under the onslaught of her lightning, the piss-flinging Sonata-colored Rainbow shrieks and explodes in a gory mess.

Twilight's counterpart hurls a beer bottle at Rarity which catches her right in the face. Rarity drops to the ground, her eyes unfocused.

//That hit stunned Rarity!//

Another beer bottle goes flying at Applejack, but bounces off, flying back at the Rarity-colored Rainbow Trash that threw it. Applejack summons Gaia, who lands a vicious haymaker on Rainbow Slash, then renews our defensive buffs.

Applejack's trash mob counterpart catches me in the face with a beer bottle, and I go down, seeing stars. Dimly, I'm aware of the Shadow that just broke a glass bottle on my face being consumed by poisonous purple flames and disappearing with an agonized cry.

There are only five of the groupies left, but they cheer Rainbow Slash on anyway...

//They're all seriously weakened! You can win this fight easily!//

Wanna bet?

With a grin, Rainbow Slash throws her hands up, shooting pyro out of her sleeves. Her groupies start shrieking uncontrollably. A tumultuous wave of white noise—literally, glowing white noise—spreads out from the mob, slamming painfully into us.

//Oh no! Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity are all in a panic!//

"That means I'm our only healer unless Flash can get his ass in gear," Fluttershy says grimly as she summons Artemis to heal us. Her counterpart cheers for Rainbow Slash, imbuing her with strength.

Pinkie rushes forward and snaps her whip at her counterpart, dragging her out of the pile and brutally beating the shit out of her. The pink Rainbow drags herself away from Pinkie as she runs out of steam and prostrates herself before Rainbow Slash, sending a golden-green surge of energy through her. My counterpart gives me a thumbs-down, and I feel my own strength fading.

Leviathan does another tidal wave. Sometimes, it really seems like that's the only thing Sonata can even do...

Twilight attacks the purple Rainbow with her sword. The purple Rainbow counters by swinging a beer bottle at her head. Rarity unloads an entire clip of ammo into Rainbow Slash, and receives a catcall from her own counterpart.

"Let's put a stop t' this," Applejack grunts. "GAIA!"

As Gaia appears, the earth beneath the Shadows shudders violently and explodes upward, spraying lava, smoke, and chunks of flaming ice. A violent wind rips through the Shadows, and something unexpected happens: as the wind rips into two of the groupies, they glow a bright green, while the swirling blades of wind that hit Rainbow Slash bounce off and fly back at Applejack, tearing into her and leaving gashes in her costume.

//Wind isn't a good idea...//

"Oh, like Ah knew that was gonna happen," Applejack grunts, wiping blood from her lip. "Y'all know that there attack's random as Pinkie Pie on a full tank of sugar."

Meanwhile, I've finally found a Persona I can actually summon. I tap the Devil Arcana on my phone. "PERSONA!"

Succubus glides into view, extending a hand at the Shadows. Bursts of flame erupt from her fingertips, engulfing Rainbow Slash and her groupies. It doesn't do a whole lot of damage, but at least it's something.

"Looks like you're back in business," Rainbow says from behind us.

I shake my head. "No...most of my Personas are still sealed. I'm not sure why that one wasn't."

"Gee, let me guess," Twilight mutters as a great cheer rises from the Rainbow Trash.

This is ridiculous...

I don't want to be here, doing this...

The way Twilight's looking at me, the way Pinkie's all worked up...

What's wrong with me? Why won't my Personas work right...?

My head feels like it's splitting in two...

A hot, stabbing lance of pain rips through my skull, driving me to my knees.

"Flash? Flash, are you alright?"

Suddenly, the Velvet Room seems a lot darker. The perpetual shroud of mist that fills the battlefield changes, becoming an inky black haze. A horrible groan rips through the endless space, shaking the ground.

"Wh-what was that?!"

"It's not...that thing, is it?"

//I'm not sensing Death, but...// Cadance gasps. //Something's coming!//

The ground lurches violently, and the floor next to Rainbow Slash and her trash mob explodes upward, spraying debris everywhere. A massive green shape thrusts upward from the hole in the floor.

"Oh...my...God," Fluttershy says in a disbelieving tone.

I can only stare in confusion and bewilderment.

A towering green...penis demon looms over us. It looks like some unholy cross between a tangled mass of thick green jungle vines and, well...a dick. It sits astride a nest of thick, muscular, veiny vines—tentacles?—and has a horrible, distorted, moaning face near the tip. If it has eyes, they're hidden by its crusty yellow dick head.

"What the dick?" Twilight cries in frustration.

"That's a really, really big dick," Pinkie says listlessly.

"HEY!" Rainbow cries from behind us. "Quit tryin' to upstage me, ya big dick!"

We all turn to stare at her.

"What?" she says defensively, crossing her arms. "This is my Shadow, isn't it? She doesn't need a...whatever that is hogging the spotlight!"

Rainbow Slash laughs.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

The penis demon roars, shaking the entire Velvet Room and nearly sending Rainbow Slash toppling off her trash mob.

FOOL. WITNESS THE INSTRUMENT OF YOUR SELF-DESTRUCTION.

Oh, you wanna go? Cuz I'll totally throw down with you, dickhead!

BE SILENT.

The demon's head erupts, spraying searing white flames; the girls all scream and roll around on the ground. Even through the defensive barrier of my Persona that repels the flames, I can feel the searing heat. A stream of white flames rebounds onto the demon, who harmlessly absorbs them.

Rainbow Slash growls, then swings her sword in a wide arc, sending a cutting wave of glowing green wind sweeping through us. Succubus' power does nothing to prevent it from cutting into me; the girls' still-burning bodies are snuffed out like candles, and Fluttershy glows as she absorbs the wind, which heals her enough for her to stand up.

"Artemis," Fluttershy whispers. Artemis appears, her screens flashing green and blue as she frantically works to heal us all. With their burns healed, the girls all stand up, moaning and grimacing. Fluttershy's trash mob counterpart blows a raspberry at her.

Pinkie lunges forward and snaps her whip at Rainbow Slash, who reels from the unexpected attack; Pinkie then turns her whip once again on her own counterpart, leaving a wide, angry welt on her flesh. The pink Rainbow Trash responds by throwing a water balloon at Pinkie which bursts in her face, staggering her. Pinkie backpedals quickly away, sputtering and making disgusted sounds.

"I thought you'd enjoy a good water balloon fight," Sonata says.

"That wasn't water," Pinkie splutters, spitting and trying to wipe her face with her costume. "It was pee!"

"Ewwwww," the girls all chorus.

The me-colored Rainbow Trash throws a beer bottle at Sonata which catches her in the groin. She lets out a surprised yip, then summons Leviathan for yet another tidal wave.

Twilight charges toward the penis demon and starts hacking away at its vines with her sword, causing it to recoil; when she delivers a sharp, vicious slash to its...erm, girth, it slumps to the side, drooling acid on the floor. Twilight's counterpart raises her ass in the air and makes a rather suggestive series of gestures between Twilight, the penis demon, and her own crotch. Twilight recoils, disgusted.

Rarity opens fire on the penis demon, scoring multiple direct hits that do very little appreciable damage. Her counterpart flings a wadded-up lacy black bra at Applejack which gets tangled up on her face like a distressed bat.

"Dammit all!" Applejack thunders as she brushes the unusually active bra to the floor. "PERSONA!" Gaia delivers a powerful punch to Rainbow Slash's jaw, staggering her, then kneels down and presses her fist to the ground, encircling us all in that verdant field of defensive power again.

My Persona app abruptly reverts to the Fool and activates itself, summoning Black Frost, who casts a spell that spreads a glowing blue-white magic circle around us; I feel lighter and more agile when its effects kick in.

"Nice to see you're finally being useful," Fluttershy says acidly as the Rainbow Trash cheer for their idol—and apparently for the penis demon, as the effects of their cheer seem to spread to it as well.

"Cadance, where the hell did this thing come from?" Twilight asks.

//I don't know! I'm trying to figure that out! All I can say for sure for now is that slash attacks work well against it!//

I cringe at that, reflexively covering my own groin...

The penis demon sluggishly uprights itself, but does nothing except watch us stonily. Rainbow Slash plucks that same seven-note bass groove on her guitar sword as she slashes away at us again; Twilight, Rarity, and I each take a hard hit, but none of the other strikes connect with a target.

"PERSONA!" Artemis appears, firing off a multitude of arrows from her magical girl bow again. The yellow Rainbow Trash throws a beer bottle at Fluttershy, but she easily dodges.

Pinkie lashes out at my counterpart with her whip, coiling it around her neck and slamming her to the ground. The pink Trash flips me off, and I feel the effects of Black Frost's spell fade away. As soon as my counterpart is up again, she hurls a beer bottle at me, which hits me right in the face, dropping me.

Sonata's Persona does another tidal wave. Seriously, that really is about all she's good for...

Twilight viciously attacks the penis demon with her sword, leaving it listing to one side and drooling again. Her counterpart moons her, and she staggers as she returns to the formation, moving more slowly. Rarity fires another clip of bullets into Rainbow Slash. Her counterpart insults her outfit.

Gaia punches Rainbow Slash again, nearly knocking her to the ground, then weaves a golden magic circle that imbues us all with renewed strength. I stand up groggily, my head still throbbing from that last beer bottle.

The trash mob cheers again.

Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity all breathe sighs of relief as their phones beep to signal the readiness of their Personas. As the dick monster uprights itself again, Rainbow Slash plays another earthshaking power chord, surrounding herself with a two-colored power aura. Fluttershy hastily erects a new reflective barrier. Her counterpart blows a kiss to Rainbow Slash just as Euphoria charges into the fray in a whirlwind of fists and feet that hit everything except Rainbow Slash. Pinkie's counterpart in the trash mob turns to Pinkie and makes a crude cock-sucking motion with her hand.

My counterpart throws a beer bottle at Sonata, which rebounds and hits her upside the head. Sonata summons Leviathan again, who sucks in a deep breath, drawing energy out of Rainbow Slash, compressing it into a tight, whirling blue ball, and swallowing it.

Twilight summons Athena, unleashing destructive lightning on the Shadows. Her counterpart throws something slimy at her which splats in her face. Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast, who freezes the Shadows in a powerful ice storm. Three of the Rainbow Trash—the Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy-colored ones—crack into tiny pieces and dissolve, while the penis demon bellows in pain. Rainbow Slash protects herself with her sword, avoiding being frozen.

//Ice is working! Keep it up!//

"With pleasure, darling." Rarity calls forth her ice attack again, which finishes off the last two Rainbow Trash even as Rainbow Slash freezes over. With one more icy blast, Rainbow Slash and the cock monster are both listless heaps on the ground.

//This is your chance for an all-out attack!//

The girls don't need to be told twice; they all charge forward, going wild on Rainbow Slash and the demon with their weapons while I struggle to get my bearings. The demon roars and flails its vines, sending the girls flying as it stands up again. Rainbow Slash rises slowly to her feet, looking ragged; her sword is dragging on the ground and her hat is missing.

//One more attack should finish off Rainbow's Shadow!//

"You got it!" Applejack says. "GAIA!"

Gaia lunges forward, driving a fist through Rainbow Slash's torso, snapping her guitar sword in half as she feebly tries to block with it. The Shadow screams as she's torn in half, bursting into black flames as she collapses to the ground and begins to shrink down to her original appearance.

I shake my head to clear it, leaning against my axe. "Well, that takes care of her, but what about...that?"

"That" roars and lashes out with its vines, which glow with white-hot force as they penetrate...

...the reflective barriers, which rebound the force of the attack back on the demon, who screams in agony and goes limp.

//Finish it now!//

Fluttershy smiles grimly. "Time for a sex change," she says. "PERSONA!"

Artemis appears, sending a single glowing buzzsaw of wind zipping toward the demon...neatly bisecting it.

I feel faint...

The next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor, with Twilight and Pinkie to either side of me, giving me worried looks. I sit up, groaning and rubbing my head. "Ugh...what happened?"

"You fainted," Twilight says. "Are...are you alright?"

I shake my head. "I don't know," I groan. I look around. "And...and the Shadow?"

Rainbow walks up to me, grinning. "Whaddya think?"

She's wearing a dark blue bodysuit with golden lightning bolts at the tops of the boots, the cuffs of the gloves, and as a "belt" around the waist. On her chest is an emblem of a glittery silver cloud with a shining three-colored lightning bolt bisecting it. She raises her hand to show me a shining ruby lightning-shaped jewel.

I smile. "Cool." I tilt my head. "And what about your weapons?"

Rainbow smirks and pulls a silvery knife hilt from her belt. A blade of glowing green wind springs to life, swirling and whirring.

Twilight frowns. "Flash, the Chariot card...it disappeared as soon as Rainbow got her Element."

"Indeed," Zecora says from my left. I look up and meet her impassive, penetrating gaze. "It would seem that while the Chariot has been deemed worthy of the ultimate power of her soul...you have not been deemed worthy of the ultimate power of your bond." She regards me with a severe frown.

I sigh as I stand up. "Whatever. It doesn't matter." I look at Twilight and Pinkie. "I'm outta here."

The mists of the Velvet Room grow thicker and denser, blocking out all sight and sound as everything fades to grey...

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 / Late Night

My phone wakes me up. My head is pounding. I feel like shit...

It's pitch black in my room except for the too-bright glow of my phone. I pick it up, glaring blearily at the screen. My eyes are too bleary to read it right now...

I tap 'answer'. "Hello?"

"That thing. It came out of you."

It's Cadance.

"I didn't want to tell the girls. I want...I want to know what's going on. Flash, what the hell's happening to you?"

I sink to the floor, all the life draining out of me.

"I don't know," I whisper hoarsely. "Cadance...don't tell anyone, alright? I...just please...don't tell them that came out of me."

"I won't," Cadance says. "But I think we need to talk."

I sigh. "Yeah. But not right now. I..."

"Okay," Cadance says quietly. "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

She hangs up. I turn off my phone and crawl back into bed, pulling the sheets up over my head.
> 7/13 (We)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 / Early Morning
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Never put off until tomorrow what you should have done yesterday.

It's seven in the morning...

After everything that happened last night, especially after that call from Cadance, I just need some space today. I don't need to deal with any of the girls, I don't need to deal with my guilt...

...the resentment I still feel...

...but mostly the guilt...

I check my phone. There are a couple of texts from Cadance and one from Pinkie. I shake my head and turn it off, then get dressed and jam my phone and wallet into my pockets. Nobody else is up yet...

I leave the dorm and take the bus to Hinny's, where I eat breakfast by myself. After breakfast, I head over to the hotel where Mom is staying.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 / Daytime

Once Mom is ready to head out for the day, we drive over to the university. "I haven't actually seen where I'll be working yet," Mom says. "I'm so excited!"

I smile. "I'm glad."

At Canterlot University, we meet the dean, as well as the department head who will be Mom's immediate boss. And Dad's too, I guess. Things are relatively quiet on campus today, so we get a nice tour of the campus. I field a lot of questions about whether or not I'll be attending Canterlot University and if I've given any idea to my major. Mom's boss seems disappointed when I say I'm likely to study music and communications, but politely encourages me to follow whatever passions I have.

"Flash is very passionate about his guitar," Mom says with a fond smile. "I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a famous rock star one day!"

I duck my head. "I honestly just want a steady career as a session player," I say. "You can make good money in music without dealing with screaming fans, trash tabloids, and all that drug pressure."

Mom's boss seems impressed with that answer. "You're sensible," he says. "I admire that."

Funny, I don't feel all that sensible lately...

After finishing up our campus tour, we head to a nearby sandwich shop for lunch.

"I'm surprised you haven't had a single call or text from your girlfriend all day," Mom says.

I shrug. "I'm unplugged," I say. "Today's about you. Today's about starting a new life in Canterlot, right? Total focus."

Mom raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. That's why you've been so tense all day." She looks around; seeing there are few people in the place besides us, she leans in and whispers, "What's really going on, Flash?"

I shake my head. "I don't want to talk about it." I grimace at her narrowed eyes. "Okay, but not here, alright?"

Mom nods. "Alright. We'll...we'll head back to the hotel after this and talk there."

"Thank you." I sip my soda. "So, when's Dad coming down?"

"I think he's coming on Friday," Mom says. "Once he's here, we'll get serious about the house hunting."

I nod. "Alright."

After lunch, we head back to the hotel. The suite Mom reserved is nice. It reminds me of...

I shake my head, sitting down in one of the plush leather armchairs.

Mom sits down on the love seat next to me. "Alright, Flash. Out with it. What exactly is going on?"

Letting out a shaky sigh, I tell her everything—the pool party, Twilight blowing up at me, me blowing up at her and throwing the dirtiest of her family laundry in her face. The tension between us after that. My stupid, stupid sleeping with Trixie to get back at Twilight blunder.

When I'm done, Mom looks disappointed in me. And angry. And also upset. She sighs heavily. "God, Flash. Why?"

"I don't know," I say. "I just...I don't know." I shake my head. "I think Twilight's still got..." I pause. "I think she's just...scared. I mean, her brother and Cadance went through their thing, and I thought Twilight was...you know. Over that. I mean, she acted like it, especially at Spring Break. And there's Pinkie, the thing the three of us have..." I shrug. "I never expected Twilight to just freak out like that because I went to a party with some friends. But there it is. She freaked out, she yelled at me, I yelled at her—"

"And then you slept with another girl to get back at her, which is the exact thing Twilight thought you were doing at that party," Mom says with a thin-lipped frown.

I hang my head. "I'm an asshole," I say. "That's...that's why my phone's off. Why I left before everyone was up this morning. I just...I can't face her right now, Mom. I'm an asshole, and I can't face her. I..."

Mom sighs, gets up, and moves over to hug me. "If you don't face her, you'll never get past this," she says. "I...I don't know for certain how Twilight will react. I never expected you'd do something this stupid. I guess...maybe when you told me you were worried about her breaking up with you, the thought crossed my mind, but I never honestly thought you'd..."

I sigh. "The worst part? My exact words to her, the thing I said because I knew it'd hurt her, were 'I'm not Cadance.' And then I went and did exactly what Cadance did." I bury my face in my hands. "I'm such an asshole..."

"Yes, you are," Mom says with a heavy sigh. "But nobody's perfect, Flash. What you've done...it's bad. You've really screwed up, and you'll be lucky if Twilight wants anything more to do with you. But if you just keep this from her, if you let this guilt eat away at you..." She shakes her head. "You'll end up like your uncle."

I wince. Mom never talks about her brother. With good reason.

"You don't want that, do you?"

I shake my head.

"Then deal with this," Mom says. "Deal with it soon."

I sigh and nod. "I will," I say. "I just...I need a day or two."

Mom frowns at me. "I was thinking you should deal with it tonight, Flash."

I shake my head. "I'm...I'm not ready."

Mom facepalms. "Were your dad and I this stupid when we were kids?"

A few minutes later, Mom gets a call from Dad. The storage units with all our stuff have arrived in Canterlot. We decide to go check and make sure everything made it alright. By the time we're done, it's late...

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 / Evening

When I get back to the dorm, Twilight is waiting by the door, pacing anxiously.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?"

I wince at Twilight's tone. She's glaring at me, Pinkie has a worried look on her face. Sunset is frowning at me.

"I was helping my mom," I say. "You know, the big move?"

"Why weren't you answering your phone?"

"I turned it off," I say. "Forgot to charge the battery." Not entirely a lie; I'm down to 22%. I shake my head. "Look, if you don't trust me, you can call my mom. I was with her all day." I head for the stairs.

Behind me, Twilight makes a whining sound. "Flash...I...I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I do trust you, I just..." She sighs. "I'm sorry."

I feel a white-hot knife of guilt pierce my heart. I feel Sunset's glare burning into me.

"I'm tired," I mumble. "I'm sorry I worried you. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

"But—"

"We'll talk tomorrow." I head up to my room and lock the door, then plug my phone in to charge.

I need to come clean to Twilight. I need to tell her the truth, apologize...

Thinking about the very real probability that I'll lose every friend I have at the dorm scares the hell out of me.

Tomorrow...

I'll tell her tomorrow.
> 7/14 (Th)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, July 14, 2016 / Velvet Room
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): You will reap what you have sown.

The Velvet Room...

There is no sign of Zecora.

The fog is heavier than ever, and is so dark as to almost be black.

A door displaying the Lovers Arcana rises out of the mists beside Cadance. She gives me a searching, pleading look, then touches the door.

A younger, slimmer, even sexier Cadance steps out of the door. This Cadance is wearing a sheer camisole over black panties and a lacy black bra, as well as black high heels. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail. Her gold on black eyes roam over us, and she licks her lips.

I never should've gotten married. God, what was I thinking? I just wanna fuck. If I could spend all day every day spreading my legs for every cute guy or girl that wants a taste? That'd be the best way to live.

She glares at our Cadance.

There's no way in hell I can deal with being a chained-down bloated bag of suck! I'm too young and too hot to play mommy!

Our Cadance bows her head, a tear sliding down her cheek as she whispers, "You're not me."

The Shadow laughs hysterically as purple and black flames wreathe her body...

Cadance's Shadow doesn't actually change that much, apart from her skin turning black and her lingerie turning pinkish-red. A heavy gold shackle locks into place around her midsection, attached to a long crystalline cable that fades into view. The Velvet Room shakes, and something rises out of the floor...

It's an enormous crystal fetus, curled up and sucking its thumb. Its huge, beady eyes regard us sleepily. A long spiral horn protrudes from its forehead, and massive crystal wings erupt from its back. The other end of the crystal cable—no, umbilical cord—is attached to its stomach.

"You guys have to do this one without me," Cadance says from behind us. "Will you be okay?"

"We will if Flash can get his act together," Fluttershy says. "I think I can fill in on support, don't worry."

I am the Shadow, the True Self! As soon as I deal with this dead weight chaining me down, I'm gonna fuck half of Canterlot!

"Here she comes!"

The girls ready themselves for battle. I pull out my phone, ready to access Black Butterfly...

My phone gives off an evil-sounding warning beep. The screen slowly pulses a dark, evil red; within the ominous red, a shadowed figure glares up at me from the screen with gold-on-black eyes.

"Uhh, girls?" I say. "I've got a problem..."

"Oh god, what is it this time?" Fluttershy snaps.

"I'm locked out," I say. "Totally. I can't even get Black Butterfly."

"Well shit," Rainbow says as she stretches, her shiny new battle outfit shimmering. "You mean you can't fight at all?"

"Looks that way," I say.

Twilight walks over and looks at my phone. "What the hell is that?!" she yelps.

"I don't know," I say. "But it's keeping me from doing anything." I sigh. "I guess...I guess I'll just look after Cadance while you girls deal with...yeah..." Shoving my phone and my hands in my pockets, I trudge over to where Cadance is waiting out of range of the impending battle.

"Ugh," Fluttershy groans. "Guess we're doing this one without support then. I can't fight and run tactics."

"We'll...we'll make it through," Twilight says. "We have to."

Cadance's Shadow starts swaying her hips; as she waves her arms, flames gather around her. She throws a massive firebolt at Rarity, who staggers slightly. Then, the Shadow spins around, pulling out a veil which she swirls around her body before launching a blast of wind at Fluttershy, who stands unscathed.

Rainbow Dash taps her phone. "PERSONA!" Nike Invicta appears, jamming out a power chord that makes the girls blur and move slightly faster.

"Looks like this one's mostly gonna use magic," Twilight says. "Fluttershy?"

"On it. ARTEMIS!" Artemis appears and erects a glowing magical barrier in front of the girls.

"EUPHORIA!" Just like before, Euphoria isn't as vibrant as usual. Still, she sprinkles rainbow liquid on the girls which imbues them with a soft golden light.

"PERSONA!" Sonata summons Leviathan, whose surging tidal wave crashes down over the Shadows with no appreciable effect.

"Let's see if I can't disrupt her magic," Rarity says. "WADJET-BAST!"

Wadjet-Bast attempts to disrupt the Shadow, but appears to fail.

"PERSONA!" Athena Logia appears, raining down thunderbolts on the Shadows. Cadance's Shadow staggers, but the giant baby seems unaffected.

"PERSONA!" Gaia appears and slams a massive earthen fist into the giant crystal baby...and it doesn't even flinch. "Dang it!"

The baby suddenly glows brightly and lets out a soft cry. A wave of ice spreads over the girls, but is reflected by the barrier Fluttershy erected. The baby doesn't seem bothered by the rebounded ice attack. Its horn glows, and bright green light flows up from its body, through the umbilical cord, into Shadow Cadance, who recovers from the damage Twilight's attack inflicted. Twilight braces herself as a firebolt slams into her.

"I can't tell if we're even hurting it!" Rainbow shouts as she dodges a massive shard of ice, then summons her Persona, who dives into the fray with her sword singing. Cadance's Shadow reels from the blows, but the baby doesn't flinch.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy calls upon Artemis, who rains down destructive magical arrows that, again, stagger Cadance's Shadow, but have no effect on the baby.

The rest of the girls each attack the Shadows, but none of their attacks seem to do anything. After Applejack uses Gaia's Wrath, the baby suddenly lets out an earsplitting cry that shakes the ground. Glowing waves of sheer sound and air pressure slam into Applejack, who goes flying across the room, skidding on the floor.

"APPLEJACK!" Rainbow yells as the baby once again heals Cadance's Shadow. While her attention is on Applejack, she takes a lightning bolt right to the ass. Then, Cadance's Shadow begins a slow, seductive dance. Sonata suddenly goes limp, her eyes glazing over.

"Okay, that's it!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"

Nike Invicta skids across the floor on her knees, jamming out a power chord that sends a glowing rainbow shockwave toward the Shadows...that does absolutely nothing.

"Okay, we're getting nowhere fast," Fluttershy says. "Cover me, I'm going into scanning mode. ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy rises up into the air as her Persona forms; she's taken into the glowing, spinning sphere of screens.

Pinkie attempts an attack. Then Sonata suddenly turns to the girls, a creepy smile on her face, and whispers, "Persona." Leviathan appears, and a jet black tsunami engulfs the girls.

Pinkie and Rainbow fall dead to the ground.

"NO!" Twilight yells as Applejack rejoins the group.

//Sonata's been Charmed!//

Twilight heals Applejack while Rarity resurrects Pinkie. Applejack grimaces and casts a defensive buff over the girls just as the baby unleashes another wave of deadly ice. This one hits most of the girls; Twilight staggers and drops to a knee. The baby lets out a delighted squeal and fires off another ice blast, which drops Twilight to the ground.

//Twilight's stunned!//

Once again, the baby heals Cadance's Shadow.

"This is going nowhere fast," Pinkie mutters, her hair limp.

Cadance's Shadow nails Twilight with an ice blast that coats her in a layer of frost and gives her a deathly pallor. I feel my heart seize up and almost run into the fray, but Cadance holds me back, her face worried and sad. The Shadow tries to Charm the girls again, but fails.

"Tell me you've got somethin', Fluttershy!" Applejack shouts.

//I'm working on it! Just...just try to hang in there, okay?//

Pinkie resurrects Rainbow while Sonata summons Leviathan, who unleashes a toxic purple wave on the Shadows which doesn't seem to do any damage. Rarity heals the entire party; Twilight struggles to get to her feet, settling for bracing herself on a knee and breathing heavily. Applejack uses another buff on the girls—I'm not sure what, all I can focus on is Twilight and how much she's suffering.

And how I can't do a damn thing to help her.

The baby lets loose another horrible wail, which slams into Rarity and drops her flat on her ass; she screams and curls in on herself. Even as the baby heals Cadance's Shadow, she fires blasts of wind and lightning at Rainbow.

The blurring effect has faded from all the girls; Rainbow summons her Persona and renews it.

//I've almost got it!// Fluttershy announces. //I just need a few more seconds!//

"We're trying!" Pinkie says as Euphoria lays into the Shadows with fists, feet, and hips. Leviathan appears and unleashes yet another ineffectual Tidal Wave. Rarity heals herself while Twilight summons Athena Logia for another lightning shower. Applejack uses Gaia's Wrath again; Cadance's Shadow is clearly taking damage, but just not enough...

The baby wails at Applejack, driving her to one knee. She grits her teeth and braces herself against the force of the cry. Once again, the baby heals the Shadow.

Artemis vanishes abruptly, and Fluttershy drops to the ground, landing in a perfect ninja crouch. "I've got it," she announces.

"Good, because this is gettin' us nowhere," Rainbow grunts.

"We've actually been doing some damage to the Shadow," Fluttershy reports. "The problem is, it's not enough and the baby keeps healing her completely. And the baby itself doesn't take damage from anything."

"Great, so what do we do?" Rainbow complains.

Fluttershy points at the umbilical cord. "That's the weak spot," she says. "We need to focus all our firepower on the umbilical cord. Break that and..." She frowns. "Well, I think it'll kill the stupid baby."

The girls look at each other and shrug. "Worth a shot," Twilight says.

"Look out, she's dancing again!" Pinkie cries. Even as she says it, her eyes glaze over and a creepy smile crosses her face.

"Oh crap, not this again," Rainbow groans.

Cadance's Shadow hurls a firebolt at Rarity, who braces herself for the attack and grunts as it leaves her somewhat singed.

"Alright, let's cut the cord!" Rainbow yells. "PERSONA!" Nike Invicta appears, unleashing a gale force wind slash at the cord. The whole thing vibrates as it's struck; both Cadance's Shadow and the baby cry out in pain.

"PERSONA!" Fluttershy does the exact same thing, with the exact same result.

Pinkie giggles and rushes at Twilight, lashing out with her whip. Twilight dodges nimbly and summons her Persona, firing a single massive bolt of lightning at the cord. Sonata unlimbers her crossbow and shoots the cord as Rarity heals Applejack. Having recovered, Applejack summons Gaia, who smashes her fist into the cord.

Both Cadance's Shadow and the baby are going nuts now. The baby unleashes another deadly ice wave, which hits everybody except Twilight, who's moving around like a boxer in the ring. As soon as the baby heals Cadance's Shadow again, she hurls bolts of fire and lightning at Applejack. The firebolt misses, but the lightning hits, drawing a grunt and a scowl from Applejack. Rainbow and Fluttershy fire off cutting blasts of wind at the cord again. Pinkie, having come back to her senses, flails lamely at the cord with her whip. Finally, Sonata fires off another crossbow bolt...

With a loud, ringing snap, the cord breaks in half, cracks spiderwebbing up and down its length. The baby lets out a horrifying scream of pain as it shatters in a billion pieces, shards of crystal spraying all over the Velvet Room. The girls, Cadance, and I all cover our faces as sharp bits of crystal cut into us even as the baby's dying scream trails off into echoes.

Then, with a loud clack, the shackle around the Shadow's midsection snaps off, dropping to the ground. She throws back her head and lets loose with a psychotic laugh that fills the Velvet Room...

...and then she grows, towering over us. Her outfit changes to something out of the Saddle Arabian Nights, all gossamer silk and veils and generally giving off the vibe of a genie out of a storybook. A bright red jewel forms in her navel; it opens up, revealing a glaring eye.

"Oh snap," Rainbow says.

Twilight turns to Fluttershy. "I thought cutting the cord was supposed to kill the Shadow!"

"No, cutting the cord was supposed to kill the baby," Fluttershy says worriedly, staring up at the Shadow. "I thought she'd just be, y'know, weak after that. Not...not THIS!"

AND NOW...I...AM...FREE!!

The eye jewel in her navel begins to glow blindingly bright. Cadance's Shadow throws out her hands and rains down bolts of lightning on the girls. Except for Twilight, the entire party is driven to the ground, twitching in agony.

"That...really sucked," Rainbow grunts as she stands. Rarity staggers to her feet and summons Wadjet-Bast to heal the girls as they all rise. Twilight returns fire with some lightning of her own, which barely fazes the giant genie.

"Alright, Ah've had jes' about enough'a this," Applejack mutters. "GAIA!"

Gaia appears, driving a massive fist right into the Shadow's navel. Cadance's Shadow folds in on herself and staggers back, letting out an explosive breath that buffets us all with stiff wind. Glaring fiercely at us, she spins around and unleashes a wave of liquid fire that sweeps over the girls. Then she presses her palms to her stomach; the jewel in her navel begins to glow brightly.

"PERSONA!" Rainbow summons Nike, who boosts the girls' speed.

"ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy's Persona erects another magic barrier.

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona sprinkles rainbow liquid over the girls, imbuing them with greater strength.

I check my phone again. The gold-eyed figure on the screen is still staring stonily at me, as if judging me...

Accusing me.

Sonata fires her crossbow at the Shadow. Rarity and Twilight each summon their Personas to fire off magic attacks. Applejack summons Gaia again, but this time, her punch is nimbly dodged by the Shadow, whose navel jewel flares an angry red as she pours forth a furious inferno...

...that rebounds off the girls' magic barrier. The Shadow screeches in fury as she's engulfed in her own flames. She raises both arms to the sky and twirls around; a gentle green light cascades down her body, washing away the flames.

"She's weakening," Fluttershy says. "Give her everything you've got, girls!"

The girls summon their Personas. Nike lets out a piercing yell of victory as she unleashes a flurry of vicious sword strikes on the Shadow. Artemis fires a storm of glowing arrows. Euphoria hip-checks the Shadow. Leviathan calls forth a surging wave. Wadjet-Bast and Athena fire ice and lightning. Gaia is the only one whose attack misses, as her punch flies wide when the Shadow doubles over, swaying drunkenly on her feet.

"Yeah, we've got her on the ropes now!" Rainbow cheers.

I...WILL NOT...BE CHAINED!!

Three brass lamps drop from the ceiling, coming to a stop just a foot off the ground and hovering. The first lamp emits a stream of glittery green smoke which swirls around the Shadow. She stretches upward as her wounds are healed; by the time the smoke fades, most of the girls' damage is undone.

The second lamp issues a thick, oily black smoke which engulfs the girls. For a moment, nothing happens...then they all scream in pain as massive explosions rip through the thick black cloud, showers of sparks issuing into the air. When the smoke clears, the girls are all on the ground, groaning and grimacing.

The third lamp emits a jet of pinkish-red smoke, which resolves itself into a giant, ornately jeweled metal bottle. As the three lamps dissolve into mist, the Shadow transforms into a plume of pink smoke, which is sucked into the bottle. The bottle begins to pulse with a bright light as one of the jewels opens up, revealing the same eye from the jewel in the Shadow's navel.

"Uhh...what just happened?" Rainbow asks weakly as she drags herself to her feet.

"She's turtling!" Sonata exclaims. "Ugh, I hate bosses that turtle!"

Applejack scratches her head. "Whut'n th' hay does that mean?"

"It means she sucked herself into that giant bottle," Twilight says. "I think...Fluttershy?"

"Most likely, the bottle's protecting her," Fluttershy says sourly. "But don't expect her to not attack."

"No kidding," Rainbow says. "So we just gotta smash the bottle, right? PERSONA!" Nike slides into view, jamming out a sonic wave that buffets the bottle. The bottle wobbles...and a giant purple needle fires up out of the top, arcing down and piercing Rainbow through the arm. She cries out as ugly purple-black poison courses through her veins, visible through her skin.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" Twilight asks.

"Ugh...n-not really," Rainbow grunts.

While Fluttershy erects another barrier, Pinkie worriedly summons Euphoria, who gently dribbles a milky white liquid over Rainbow. The alarmingly-fast poison darking her skin recedes, then fades completely. Rainbow lets out a relaxed breath. "Thanks."

Sonata summons Leviathan, whose tidal wave crashes over the bottle. Another giant needle shoots out, poisoning Sonata, who goes down on one knee. As Rarity summons her Persona to heal the party, Twilight attacks the bottle with lightning; she tries to anticipate the needle and avoid it, but it gets her anyway. My throat tightens as she whimpers in pain, sweat beading on her forehead as the poison courses through her veins.

Applejack summons Gaia, who unleashes her Wrath, assaulting the bottle with explosions of erupting magma, polar ice, and a tornado. Like Twilight, Applejack tries to avoid the poison needle. Like Twilight, she doesn't succeed.

The eye on the bottle opens wide, flashing yellow. A lightning storm gathers, striking out at the girls. Their barrier repels the lightning; it explodes against the surface of the bottle, causing it to wobble alarmingly. Its eye flashes blue, and a wave of ice buffets the girls, hitting everybody except Twilight.

Rainbow and Fluttershy summon their Personas to buffet the bottle with wind attacks. As their attacks rip into it, the bottle explodes. In a plume of pink smoke, the Genie Shadow reappears, looking furious.

Pinkie's Persona heals the girls of their poisoning.

"Time for some payback! PERSONA!" Sonata summons Leviathan, who brings forth a toxic purple wave that crashes over the Shadow. She stumbles, but doesn't seem very badly hurt, and certainly doesn't appear to be poisoned.

Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack each summon their Personas to attack the Shadow. By the time Gaia fades away after delivering a powerful haymaker to the face, the Shadow is reeling again. She heals herself, but still looks ragged; she unleashes an ice storm that engulfs the girls. Twilight cries out as she's driven to her knees by the ice. Laughing haughtily, the Shadow begins a sultry, seductive dance.

Miraculously, none of the girls are Charmed this time.

While Fluttershy erects another magical barrier, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Sonata summon their Personas, using their signature attacks against the Shadow.

"If I can stop her from healing again," Rarity muses as Leviathan fades away. "PERSONA!"

Wadjet-Bast appears, letting out an unearthly yowl as she wraps the Shadow in a bolt of fabric and then yanks it like a ripcord, sending the genie spinning like a top. While she's spinning, Twilight and Applejack attack, nailing her with lightning, magma, more magma, and even more magma.

The Shadow finally stops spinning and looks ragged, beaten down, and dazed. She tries to cast a healing spell on herself, but fails.

"Yes! We've got her now!" Rainbow cheers.

And then the lamps drop down again.

"Oh, COME ON!"

Like before, green smoke from the first lamp heals the Shadow, but she still looks pretty damaged. The next lamp's black smoke engulfs the girls, who brace themselves against the explosive force. When the smoke clears, they're all on one knee, faces and bodies covered in soot and ash.

"And here comes the bottle again," Fluttershy mutters as the third lamp emits pinkish-red smoke...

...but instead of a bottle, three giant, wicked-looking scimitars appear, each trailing a serpentine ribbon that dances in the air. Each has a mask on the crossguard with the Roman numeral 'VI' on the forehead.

The girls groan. "I hate it when they do this!" Rainbow snarls. With a tired sigh, she summons Nike; the girls begin to blur as their bodies speed up.

"PERSONA!" Artemis appears, firing off buzzsaw-like blades of wind which bite into the Shadows.

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona dances tiredly into the fray, halfheartedly slapping, kicking, and butt-checking the Shadows.

One of the scimitars launches itself at Fluttershy, delivering a fast, hard flurry of strikes which forces her to protect herself and leaves ugly cuts on her arms. Another one sweeps out in a wide arc, slashing all the girls; sparks rise from the impact as they cry out from the sudden, vicious attack. The third scimitar begins to glow red, a heated aura rising up its blade.

"LEVIATHAN!" Once again, Leviathan calls forth a massive tidal wave which crashes over the Shadows. As Leviathan disappears, Rarity calls upon her Persona to heal everyone.

"ATHENA LOGIA!" Athena appears, raining lightning down on the enemy.

"PERSONA!" Gaia appears; the ground erupts under the Shadows, unleashing a confusion of forces of nature that buffet the scimitars about and send the Genie reeling.

"I think we've got her on the ropes now!" Fluttershy calls.

"Yeah, we've heard that before," Rainbow mutters.

Cadance's Shadow has fully recovered from Rarity's earlier attack, and promptly heals herself; the gem in her navel begins to glow a blinding white again.

"Oh no you don't! PERSONA!" Nike again unleashes her prismatic shockwave.

"PERSONA!" Artemis erects a mirrored barrier.

"PERSONA!" A haggard Euphoria listlessly hip-checks the Genie, but misses wide.

One of the scimitars tries to cut into the girls, but its attack is repelled. It dips low in the air, its ribbon hanging in limp tatters. While the second scimitar charges up a red aura, the one that's already glowing cuts loose. The girls scream as they're sent flying by the attack. Blood splatters the ground.

I want to look away...

Sonata gets up, gritting her teeth, and summons Leviathan again; another tidal wave crashes over the Shadows as the others get to their feet, faces set in grim determination. Rarity's Persona buries the Shadows under a ton of deadly ice. Twilight calls Athena, who brings forth a lightning storm that destroys the scimitars. Applejack summons Gaia, who drives a mighty fist into the Genie. Once again, the Genie is swaying, her body sagging low.

The Genie heals herself, then unleashes an ice attack; as Twilight goes down, the jewel in the Genie's navel lights up anew. Rainbow summons Nike, who lays into the Shadow with her sword. Fluttershy hastily erects a magical barrier. "Come on, girls, let's...let's finish this," she says tiredly. "I can't...go on much longer..."

"Me...neither," Pinkie pants as Euphoria attacks again.

"I don't have much left either. Just enough...one more push...PERSONA!"

In the wake of Sonata's attack, Rarity and Twilight summon their Personas again, delivering magical attacks that leave them both on the verge of collapse. Finally, Applejack doggedly calls forth Gaia once more. As Gaia unleashes the forces of nature, Applejack sinks to her knees...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Genie Cadance screams as her body begins to fall apart, pieces of it boiling away into pinkish-black mist that dissipate into the heavy fog. The jewel from her navel hits the ground, shatters, and melts into inky black goo.

The girls all flop to the ground. "Whew," Rainbow says. "That...that was a tough one..."

Cadance's Shadow returns to her original appearance, standing still and silent in the fog, wreathed in dim purple flames. Our Cadance walks up to her, bows her head, clenches her hands into fists at her side, then turns around and gives me an imploring look. "Flash...I only rejected my Shadow to make a point. This is me. I'm working on it, God knows I am, but struggling with a lifetime's worth of...of what I used to be...it's hard. I don't know if I'll ever stop having these dark thoughts, or...or if I can even promise I'll never cheat on Shining Armor again. I don't know what the future holds. What I do know is I have every reason in the world to fight to keep what I have." She swallows heavily. "You have to fight to hold on to the things that are worth living—or dying—for."

A dry, rasping laugh fills the misty void, echoing from every direction.

Nothing is more important than yourself. Nothing is worth burying yourself under a pile of guilt.

A pale figure with slitted golden eyes emerges from the fog. He has a flat, snakelike nose, long, stringy black hair, and wears a beige kimono tied with a thick rope done up in a massive knot at the back.

Other than the golden eyes and snake nose, he looks a lot like me...

What's the point of burdening yourself with guilt when you never did anything to feel guilty about? The anger, jealousy, and resentment...all futile and pointless. Nonsense! Nonsense from a girl who thinks she's more important than what you want, than what YOU need.

I shake my head. "N-no...that isn't right..."

Isn't it?

The pale man smiles a snakelike smile.

Your guilt, your pain, your resentment...these things have torn apart your soul. Your soul is screaming for release. And that, boy, is why I am here.

Purple flames wreathe him.

I am here to release you from the things that make you suffer.

Dozens of enormous, hissing white snakes shoot out of the fog. The girls try to dodge, but none of them have the strength to move anymore. One by one, they're seized, bitten, crushed...

It's over in seconds. I don't even have time to move.

One by one, the mangled bodies of my friends fall to the ground. Only Cadance and I are left standing; her Shadow shielded her from the snakes.

I feel my heart turn to ice. "No."

The snake-man licks his lips with a long, hideous purple tongue.

That's better. Now there is nothing holding you back. You are free.

I stumble over to Twilight's body, kneeling down and lifting her into my arms. Her eyes are frozen wide in eternal surprise.

She tormented you with misplaced anger, unwarranted jealousy, and the burden of gnawing guilt. You are better off without her. You are better off without all of them.

"SHUT UP!" I feel a white-hot flame surging in the pit of my stomach. I look down at Twilight, studying her dead face. I feel sick. I feel angry. I feel ashamed.

This is my fault.

I did this to her. To all of them...

I forgot how important my friends are. I forgot how important Twilight is. I got angry with her, I got resentful...

"I can't live without you," I whisper. "I'm sorry. Twilight, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't live without you, I can't..."

Tears drip from my eyes, landing on Twilight's face.

"I don't deserve you."

I look around at my friends.

"I don't deserve any of you."

I swallow, then gently set Twilight down, stand up, and turn to face their killer.

The snake-man who's wearing my face.

"But I'll protect all of you. With my life. Even if I'm protecting you from myself."

One by one, shining golden cards emerge from my heart. Fool. Magician. Priestess. Empress. Emperor. Hierophant. Lovers. Chariot. Justice. Hermit. Fortune. Strength. Hanged Man. Death. Temperance. Tower. Star. Moon. Sun. An intricate white magic circle forms between them, and the air sings with power.

In a flash, the blanket of black fog is obliterated.

Another flash, and Twilight rises, alive and completely healed.

Flash. Fluttershy.

Flash. Rarity.

Flash. Rainbow.

Flash. Applejack.

Flash. Sonata.

Flash. Pinkie.

The cards stream into me, and I feel the despair, anger, and guilt that's been gnawing at me fade away, even as I feel some kind of mental block shatter. My phone starts beeping like crazy.

"Flash? What...what's going on?" Twilight asks.

"Who's this freak?" Rainbow wonders.

"Flash? Didn't we all just...die?" Pinkie asks hesitantly.

I turn to my friends. "Twilight...everyone...I'm an asshole, and I did a stupid thing, and I have a lot to talk to all of you about, but especially you, Twilight." I take a deep breath. "I did something I should never have done, and I did it because I was mad at you and wanted to get back at you, and I am such an asshole, and..." My voice breaks. "And I'm never going to hurt you again, Twilight, I promise, I'm sorry, and...and if you hate me, if you want to break up with me, if you think I'm the biggest piece of shit that ever walked, I'll understand, but...but I just want you to know...I love you, and I..." I bow my head and ball my hands into fists. "And if it takes the rest of my life, I..."

Twilight walks up to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Flash? What...what's wrong? What are you...talking about?"

I take a deep, shuddering breath, and look right into her eyes. "Monday, after...after we had that horrible fight..." I swallow heavily. "I had sex with Trixie to get back at you."

Twilight gasps in shock, taking a step back. Her eyes are wide with horror.

She slaps me.

I turn away. "It was stupid, I'm an asshole, and...and...just saying sorry isn't enough. But I..."

Twilight backs away from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pinkie pull her into a hug, her eyes wet and moist.

Everyone is staring at me.

I turn to face them. "The...the dick monster from the other day...and this snake freak...they're me. They came out of me. They're the ugliest, darkest part of me." I turn to face the pale snake man.

"This is my Shadow. And I'm going to put an end to this."

A barrier forms, pushing Twilight and Pinkie back. The girls are all trapped safely behind it.

It's just me and my own inner demons now.

I ready my axe. A fire fills my body. I feel lighter, stronger, and faster than ever before. I feel like I can endure any pain to protect the ones I love...even if I've lost them for all time.

"Come at me, you son of a bitch."

How foolish...

The snake-man opens his mouth wide and regurgitates a sword, adopting a fighting stance.

I am the Shadow, the darkness in your soul. I am the underneath of the empty. I am your pride, your lust, your greed...your wrath. Name me, as you would name your Persona, and then die by my hand.

Every fiber of my being trembles in rage. Clutching my phone tightly in one hand and my axe in the other, I scream: "OROCHIMARU!!"

Orochimaru smiles.

Let's begin.

Driving the sword into the ground, Orochimaru forms a series of complex hand seals. The ground shakes as a massive iron gate engraved with a demonic face rises up.

"No, you're not turtling!" I yell, sliding the Sun Arcana onto my phone and slapping it. "ASURA!"

Asura rises into view and unleashes six devastating elemental attacks on the gate, one after another. By the time the barrage ends, the gate is badly damaged. Orochimaru leaps up into the air, appearing over the top of the gate just long enough to fire off a vacuum blade of glowing wind at me. I dive to the side, then call Asura again. This time, my assault completely obliterates the gate. Its empty frame sinks slowly back into the ground.

Even as the gate disappears, Orochimaru is forming hand seals. He slaps a palm on the ground, and three large white serpents appear. I summon Asura again; Asura charges into the Shadows, unleashing a series of deadly strikes.

That Persona is troublesome...

Orochimaru forms a different series of hand seals, then charges forward and strikes me in the chest. I feel my heart seize up, along with a sudden sharp pain in my mind. I look down at my phone; a circle of glowing runes has appeared over the Sun Arcana.

One of the serpents casts a spell that imbues itself, the other serpents, and Orochimaru with golden light. Another hisses and spits a fireball at me; I'm able to deflect it back with my axe. It explodes in the hissing snake's face as the third one darts forward and bites me with its sharp fangs. I knock it away, then look at my phone.

I don't even need to try to summon Asura to know I won't be able to. Instead, I swipe the Tower Arcana onto the screen.

"GOJIRA!"

Gojira stomps onto the scene with his signature roar. His spines glow, and he unleashes a massive fiery blast that engulfs the Shadows. Orochimaru screams as the flames consume him; Gojira follows up by smashing the Shadows with a sweep of his mighty tail before fading away. The snakes are all weaving drunkenly, their tongues flicking out spastically.

Orochimaru looks pissed.

That Persona is EXTREMELY troublesome...

With that, he charges forward again, striking me in the chest. Again, I feel the sharp pain of a Persona being sealed. As Orochimaru retreats, the snakes come at me one by one, biting at me, but none of them manage to get a taste.

I swipe the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

Kuma appears, spreading a chilly wave of ice which shatters the three serpents and drives Orochimaru back. Orochimaru once again summons that demon gate; I respond by having Kuma try to freeze it solid.

A pile of mud rises up in front of the gate, quickly forming into a clone of Orochimaru, who forms a series of hand seals and ensnares me in an electric spider web. I cry out as I'm driven to the ground by the web; I feel parts of my body going numb. As I struggle to break free, a vacuum blade of air slices across me. It dissipates the web; I roll to my feet and swipe the Fortune Arcana onto my phone. "SEPHIROTH!"

Sephiroth soars high into the air before descending toward the gate, delivering eight fast slashes with his sword. When he fades, the gate bears deep scratches and dents.

Orochimaru suddenly appears behind me and impales me with his sword. I cry out as I look down at the blade sticking out of my belly. Vile purple venom drips from the blade. Orochimaru pulls the sword out roughly, then disappears again; three more serpents appear in front of the damaged gate. Even as the serpents rise up and I struggle to hold myself upright, the clone unleashes a massive fire dragon blast which sears my flesh and forces me to squeeze my eyes tightly shut against the heat.

One of the serpents raises the others' defense, while the other two spit fireballs at me, adding to the burning pain from the clone's attack. I force myself to stay calm and summon Sephiroth again; he delivers one massive blow to the gate, destroying it completely.

My phone beeps at me. I glance down at it; the Sun Arcana has appeared on the screen, the seal runes fading away. The Fortune Arcana then slides back into place on its own.

That Persona is troublesome...

I have no time to react as Orochimaru seals Sephiroth. Even as he retreats, the mud clone fires off another vacuum wave. Two of the snakes bite me, while the third spits a fireball at me. I'm covered in burns, bites, and bleeding cuts, and there's a sword wound in my abdomen which is oozing blood and poison. And yet all I can think about is killing this monster that's inside me...

I slide the Justice Arcana onto my phone. "AMATERASU!"

Amaterasu appears, breathing a massive cloud of flames which engulf all the Shadows. As Orochimaru and his conjurations writhe in the flames, Amaterasu leaps up, the tip of her tail shining with celestial ink. At the apex of her leap, she does a somersault, drawing a circle high in the air, which transforms into a blinding sun that illuminates the Velvet Room. The clone and the serpents all scream in agony, but Orochimaru stands unaffected and coldly amused.

Even as my phone signals that Gojira has been unsealed, Orochimaru summons his gate again. At the same time, the clone forms a single hand seal and melts down into a puddle of glowing mud, which passes through the gate; a flash of soft green light from behind the gate tells me all I need to know.

The serpents come at me again; by now, I can barely stand and my vision is going black. With the last of my flagging strength, I summon Amaterasu again...

In a blinding flash of light, all my wounds are gone and my strength returns to me. The poison wreaking havoc on my body is long gone. I stand, healed and defiant.

Another mud clone rises from the ground, firing off an electrified spider web which snares me and leaves me numb. While I struggle to free myself, the serpents come at me, biting me with their sharp, poisonous fangs. I summon Amaterasu, who drives them back with another cloud of flames. As Orochimaru reels, I swipe the Hanged Man Arcana onto my phone. "MAGUS!"

Magus appears, tugs on his gloves, and casts a powerful fire spell which engulfs all my enemies. The snakes burn away to ash.

Orochimaru summons the gate again as the mud clone stabs me with a copy of Orochimaru's sword. I don't bother acknowledging the pain; I simply unleash another fire spell, which splashes against the gate, scorching its face slightly.

That Persona is troublesome...

Orochimaru seals Magus. The mud clone slashes at me with the sword. I knock it away with my axe, then swipe the Sun Arcana onto my phone. "ASURA!"

Asura appears, delivering six furious strikes to the gate which, yet again, leave it in rubble.

As my phone signals that Sephiroth is unsealed, Orochimaru summons another trio of serpents. His clone dissolves itself into glowing mud, which creeps up Orochimaru's body, healing some of his wounds. The snakes attack me; I summon Asura again. Three of the strikes—fire, wind, and darkness—hit Orochimaru, with only two of them doing any damage; the ice, lightning, and light strikes each hit a different snake. As Orochimaru reels from the flames, Asura unleashes a powerful blast of raw magic. The snakes and Orochimaru are all listing heavily now; Orochimaru looks half-melted, and white scales are flaking off his face and falling to the ground.

Orochimaru hits me with a wind blast that stuns me; while I'm dazed, he seals Asura again. As the snakes attack, I swipe Tower onto my phone and summon Gojira for another massive blast of nuclear fire which incinerates them and leaves Orochimaru reeling. A second blast knocks him to the ground, dazed and stunned.

"Time to end this," I snarl. I swipe the Fool Arcana onto my phone. "SON GOKUU!"

Gokuu appears in midair above me, his hair blazing golden as he cups his hands together. A shining ball of power forms between his cupped hands, becoming a solid beam of energy when he thrusts them forward. It slams into Orochimaru...

...and when the light fades, Orochimaru is no more.

The barrier dissolves. I turn to face the girls.

Twilight is crying. Rainbow and Applejack are glaring at me. Fluttershy is frowning. Sonata and Pinkie are both sad. Rarity seems to not know what to think.

Cadance has a resigned, stricken look on her face.

Without a word, the girls all disappear, and the Velvet Room fills with thin, silvery mist.

Igor strides out of the mist, hands clasped behind his back. His expression is bemused, with a slightly sadistic air to it.

"This Velvet Room has seen many guests," he says. "You are exceptional." He grins evilly. "You are the first and only guest to ever damage this particular bond..."





The Velvet Room fades into a succession of hellish nightmares...

Thursday, July 14, 2016 / Daytime

When I wake up, I feel completely hollow and wrung out. All night long, I had one nightmare after another...mostly about terrible things happening to Twilight while I stood helpless, or worse, was doing them to her.

The dorm feels unnaturally quiet. I'm sweaty and nasty, but I don't really feel like a shower right now, so I round up some pants and a T-shirt, throw them on, and head downstairs.

The entire dorm is waiting for me in the lounge.

Twilight's eyes are swollen, red, puffy...she's been crying. So have Pinkie and Cadance. The other girls are upset...

Of course they are. After last night...

I sigh. "Twilight, I—"

"No," Twilight says roughly. "I don't want to hear it." She stands up and balls her hands into fists. "I just...I can't believe you. We have one fight and you go off and...!"

"It was wrong," I say. "There's no excuse for what I did."

Twilight glares at me. "Remember the day after you fucked Cadance? What I said to you?" She takes a shaky breath. "Right now...I just don't know if I can trust you anymore." She turns away. "I'm sorry. We're...we're through."

With that, she leaves the room.

Rarity glares at me. "You are an absolute cad." With that, she also leaves.

"Not cool, dude," Rainbow says as she follows Rarity.

The other girls give me reproachful glares, then leave the room one by one. The last to go is Pinkie, who hugs me, giving me a sad, searching look and sniffling before she leaves.

Cadance and I are the only ones left in the lounge. She gives me a sad, pitying expression that also holds reproach and regret. "Flash, I..." She trails off, her voice ragged and hoarse. "After everything that's happened lately, I..." She swallows. "I think...maybe you should go live with your parents now. I know you're still searching for a house, but..." She shakes her head and sighs.

I feel my heart sink into the bottom of my shoes. "You're kicking me out of the dorm?" I whisper.

Cadance nods. "I..." She sniffles. "Pack what you can carry with you, I'll have everything else sent to your new place when..." She closes her eyes. "Just let me know. Just...go."

I stare at her wordlessly.

This is really happening?

Of course this is happening. I brought this on myself...

My body is cold and numb as I head up to my room and start packing. I don't even pay attention to what I'm doing. I'm too busy thinking about Twilight, about the pain in her eyes, about the accusing glares of the other girls, about...

Oh God...

"So they're kicking you out?" Sunset asks from the open door.

I look up at her, barely seeing her. "Yeah."

"Well that sucks," she says. "Need some help?"

I shake my head. "I've got it..."

Two hours later, I'm loading my suitcase, guitar bag, laptop bag, and backpack into the trunk of a taxi. I take one last look at Applewood Dorm.

Nobody came out to see me off.

I sigh, shake my head, and get into the cab, trying not to cry as I tell the driver where to take me.

Thursday, July 14, 2016 / Evening

Once the taxi arrives at the hotel, it takes me a minute to get my stuff together—my suitcase in one hand, my guitar bag and backpack slung over my shoulders, my laptop bag in my other hand.

Getting into the hotel with all this crap is gonna be tough...

Morosely, I walk up to the doors, which open automatically. I trudge up to the front desk. "My mom should've gotten a room for me by now," I say. "Flash Sentry?"

The clerk nods. "Yes, she said to be expecting you." She does some quick work on her computer, then slides a room key over. A bellhop shows up with a cart; I gratefully load all my stuff onto it and follow him to the elevator.

"New in town?" he asks as we wait for the elevator.

I shake my head. "Been here a year," I say. "Just..." I feel tears starting to prick the corner of my eyes. "Homeless right now," I say hoarsely.

As soon as I'm in my hotel room and all my stuff is arranged against the wall, waiting to be unpacked, I fumble a five spot out of my pocket, hand it to the bellhop, then flop down onto the bed. As the door latches closed behind me, I finally lose my composure.

Twilight hates me...

My friends hate me...

I've never felt this miserable in my entire life...

What's the point of being in Canterlot anymore when I've just completely destroyed my entire life here?
> 7/15 (Fr)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, July 15, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Home is where the heart is.

I didn't sleep much last night. I couldn't get to sleep, and every time I did drift off, it was only for ten or fifteen nightmare-wracked minutes. By the time the sun rose this morning, I was in that awful half-awake, half-asleep state where your nightmares and reality sort of blend together.

Mom probably figured I wouldn't bother taking care of myself after what happened yesterday, because at just past eight, room service showed up with a breakfast spread for me. I ate listlessly, barely tasting anything, then took a shower because I stank from sweating all night.

Now, I'm just lying on the bed, feeling empty and wrung out. Dad's coming in later today...

My phone rings. I glance at the screen. It's Cadance...

I answer. "Yeah?"

//Hey Flash. How are you holding up?//

"What do you care? You kicked me out of the dorm."

//Flash,// Cadance says sharply, //I care about you! I care about all of you! Look...the reason I asked you to leave the dorm is because you and Twilight need space from each other until this whole thing cools down, okay? Sorta like how I moved into the dorm to get away from Shiny for a bit back when we were having that bad fight. Remember that?//

I frown. "Yeah..."

//Look, I won't lie. A lot of the girls are pissed at you right now. I can't say I blame them, but...I understand what you're going through.// A rueful chuckle. //I understand better than anyone. Everyone you care about...you've broken their trust in you and it sucks. I know it sucks.// She sighs. //I couldn't sleep last night, I was so worried about you and Twilight. I hope...I hope you can make up with her, with the other girls. I hope you can...can move past this. I don't want this to be the end for you and Twilight. You hurt her and you hurt her bad, but she's not totally blameless here either.//

A long pause.

//I've gotta go, but we'll talk again later, okay? Take care.//

"Yeah...thanks."

I flop back onto the bed. Right now, I just don't want to feel anything...

Friday, July 15, 2016 / Evening

"Flash? Flash, are you awake?"

I sit up, groaning. Mom's pounding on the door...

Sighing, I get up and cross over to the door, unlocking it. Mom and Dad are there, carrying an extra-large pizza and a bunch of other stuff. Both of them look concerned. "Hey," I say tonelessly.

"Hey," Dad says. He shuffles awkwardly. "Your mom filled me in," he continues. "Things are pretty rough right now, huh?"

I sigh. "Yeah." I step out of the way to let them in, then close the door. Mom starts digging out cups and paper plates and dipping sticks and things while Dad sits down in one of the chairs in the room.

Dad sighs. "Now, Flash...you know we made this move to Canterlot to support you, right? Because this is where you said you wanted to be. Where all your friends are."

I look down miserably. "Yeah..."

"It just seems to me that ruining all your friendships is a pretty bad—"

"I know," I interrupt. "I know!" I throw my hands up. "Look, I...I'm gonna try to patch things up with the girls, alright? I can't just...I can't just lose my friends. Not after everything we've all been through together." I look down at my lap, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "I can't live without them." I sigh. "I just...I need to figure out how to fix this."

Mom puts pizza and sides in front of me. I take a bite listlessly, not really tasting it.

"Cadance called me this morning," I say after a little bit. "She wants things to be okay again too. I think...I think if I can just figure out how to get the girls to trust me again..." I sigh. "Twilight though, I dunno. That's a different matter. She may never trust me again. I'm not holding out hope for us getting back together."

Mom sighs. "Flash, that girl loves you. You know that, right? She really does. Love doesn't...one mistake, no matter how stupid it is, doesn't make love go away. If...if you're honest with her, and you both sit down and talk once she's ready to listen, I think you can get past this. I really do." She frowns. "I hope, anyway. If not, well..."

"Right now I'll settle for her not hating me for the rest of her life," I say miserably.

"I still don't understand why you went and did this," Dad says.

I sigh. "I don't either," I say. "I was angry. We had a fight. Twilight started...started freaking out on me out of nowhere. And I knew how to hurt her, I knew...I knew just what to do to..." My voice trails off. I bury my head in my hands.

Mom and Dad are quiet for a long minute. "Yeah," Dad says hoarsely. "People who really love each other know...know how to hurt each other the worst of all."

I look up, my eyes blurry from unshed tears. Dad looks uncomfortable. "I, uhh...I was engaged before I met your mother," he says. "It, uhh..." He shifts awkwardly in his chair.

"Their break-up nearly cost your father his career," Mom says. "Hell, he almost ended up in prison."

"At least she can finally walk again," Dad says roughly.

Mom glances at him sharply. "You've been in contact with her?"

"No," Dad says. "I just...I keep tabs on her. Internet, you know? There's no way I'd ever..."

Mom sighs. "I suppose not."

I stare at them, slack-jawed. "What?"

"You don't need to know the details," Dad says harshly, his eyes dark. "The point is, revenge sex after a fight is far from the worst way to hurt somebody you love. Hell, it isn't even a blip on the radar."

"Oh, it's a blip," Mom says. "It's a pretty big blip."

I laugh self-reproachfully. "For Twilight, it's THE blip," I say. "Because me acting like Cadance is exactly what she was most afraid of, and it's exactly what I did."

Dad frowns. "Well...Twilight seems like the kind of girl who'll eventually forgive you, but it might take a while to win her trust back."

"Just...just be honest with her, Flash," Mom advises. "But give her some time. Don't rush it. And you need time too."

I sigh. "Yeah. I've been thinking about that all day. Before...before I try to patch things up with Twilight, I need to...I need to talk to the other girls, make things right with them."

"Really?" Dad asks. "The other girls at the dorm, getting back in their good graces is more important to you than making up with the girl you love?"

I shake my head. "It isn't like that," I say. "It's more..." I swallow. "It's more like...I can't face Twilight if I don't have their support."

After that, we finish dinner in relative, awkward silence. Tomorrow, Mom and Dad are going to deal with stuff related to the move...

Tomorrow, I'm going to start trying to get my friends back. Starting with Pinkie.
> 7/16 (Sa)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, July 16, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

After breakfast, I text Pinkie, asking her if we can meet up and talk. It's a while before she replies, but she eventually agrees to drop by around lunchtime.

At a quarter of noon, Pinkie knocks on the door. When I answer, she gives me an overly-bright smile. "Hey there, Piddles McDonkeynuts!"

"Uhh...hi," I say. "Come in."

"Okie-dokie, chicken-chokie!" Pinkie strolls in, flopping down in one of the chairs. "Nice suite ya got here. So, gonna order us room service?"

"Sure." After I place a lunch order, I sit down across from Pinkie. "So, uhh..."

Pinkie blinks brightly at me. "Hmm? Something on your mind, Dick McIneverypussy?"

I stare flatly at her. "Okay, seriously, cut that out."

Pinkie stares equally flatly at me. "After what you did to Twilight, you shouldn't be talking about cutting things," she says.

The mood grows tense.

"She hasn't stopped crying since you left, you know," Pinkie says softly. "She doesn't eat, barely sleeps."

An icy pit forms in the bottom of my stomach. "I..."

"We're all trying the best we can," Pinkie continues. "You hurt her, Flash. You hurt her bad."

"I know."

"And you did it on purpose, didn't you?"

I sigh. "Yeah."

Pinkie shakes her head. "Why?"

I bury my head in my hands. "I don't know," I admit. "I don't know why I got so mad at her. I don't know why I did..." I shake my head. "How did I let things get this fucked up?"

"Do you still love her?" Pinkie asks.

I look up at her. "Of course I do," I say. "Do you think I'd have been tearing myself up all week if—"

"Well, it's hard to tell," Pinkie interrupts. "I mean, you went and hurt her on purpose, so—"

"Yeah, well SHE HURT ME TOO, you know?" I shout, standing up. "What the fuck was that crap with her yelling at me and not trusting me? When I wasn't..."

Pinkie looks away. "Yeah," she says softly. "You both kinda messed up. I mean, the way I see it, what you did was way worse, but Twilight..." She frowns. "I'm gonna hafta have a talk with her. I mean, I don't want this to just be, y'know, the end. You know? I want you two back together. I want you to be happy. I want us all to be happy." She laughs softly, mirthlessly. "We've been through too much together, you know? All of us. Not just you and her, not just the three of us. All of us. But..." She looks at me solemnly. "Remember what I said about how I hoped you, me, and Twilight could all have a future together?"

I nod.

"Well...I still want that," Pinkie says. "I still want us to be happy together forever. I wanna see you and her get married and have a family. I wanna be there to be the crazy aunt. I wanna be there when your kids ask awkward questions about why Auntie Pinkie keeps going into your bedroom and what those noises are." She gives me a half-smile. "So you'd better fix this, okay Jerky McFucksanythingthatmoves?"

I sigh. "I want to," I say. "I really want to." I slump forward against the table. "How long do you think...?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go anywhere near her right now," Pinkie says. "Give her some time to cool down." She grimaces. "Hell, she won't even talk to Cadance right now. Dashie tried to force her to come to dinner yesterday and ended up with a black eye."

I wince. "Ouch."

"Anyway, I need to be out of the dorm today but I don't wanna go in to work, so I'm just gonna hang here or, y'know, help you and your parents with whatever." She smiles sadly at me. "Besides, I miss you. Even though I'm still kinda ticked off at you."

Room service arrives; we enjoy lunch in companionable silence, then spend the rest of the day just hanging out quietly. Mom and Dad are resting up from their busy week...

"Oh yeah, we've got tennis practice tomorrow, don't we?" Pinkie says suddenly in the middle of a movie on TV.

I grimace. "Crap, I forgot all about that..."

Pinkie pats my arm. "Your tennis stuff's still at the dorm?" At my nod, she smiles. "I'll bring it with me to the court tomorrow."

It's almost dark when Pinkie goes back to the dorm...
> 7/17 (Su) [1/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, July 17, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Wear sunscreen.

I'm feeling a little less miserable today. I still feel hollow and...well, I'm hurting bad over what I did to Twilight and I miss her terribly. But I feel like I'm ready to move forward, try to fix things...

But most importantly, I just need to get out of the hotel and do something. Summer tennis practice starts today; some good old fashioned exercise is just the thing I need right now.

When I arrive at the tennis courts, I find most of the tennis team already warming up. Pinkie Pie is playing with Sonata. That gives me pause.

Pinkie notices me, signals to Sonata to stop, then jogs over. "Hey Flash! Got your stuff over here."

"Thanks." I'm already more or less dressed for tennis; all I really need is my racket and sweatbands.

Coach Chrysalis wanders over. "Took you a while to get here," she says.

"Sorry," I say. "Right now I'm staying with my folks at a hotel further in town. They're moving down here to Canterlot and haven't quite found a place yet."

"Oh? So you're moving out of the dorms?"

I frown. "It's starting to look that way." I glance at Pinkie and Sonata, who can't quite look me in the eye. "Anyway, nevermind that. Didn't expect to see you here, Sonata."

"Oh," Sonata whispers raspily. "W-well...I need the exercise. And Pinkie makes it sound so fun, I..." She coughs, then fishes around in her pocket for a lozenge.

Pinkie pats her on the back. "Don't force it," she says.

"N-no," Sonata says softly as she recovers. "I'll never be able to talk normally again if I'm afraid to try. No matter how much it hurts."

No matter how much it hurts, huh...?

Sonata isn't the only newbie here. While most of the group present are returning members of the team, there are seven new people who are planning to try out for the team this fall. Coach Chrysalis and Coco organize everyone and put us all through an exhausting series of drills, finishing up with laps around the courts. When we're finished, we're all exhausted, but Sonata in particular looks like she's about to pass out. Pinkie and I sit with her on the benches while she drinks some water.

"You okay?" I ask.

Sonata nods, then rummages around in her bag for a notebook and pen. Just really out of shape. I guess I need to start jogging every day.

"Is it even okay for you to play a sport, though?" I ask. "I mean, yeah, you're doing a lot better now than you were back...y'know...but it hasn't exactly been that long since you nearly died."

Sonata grimaces. Mommy was worried too. Doctor said it's okay as long as I don't overdo it. Actually it's good for me to get more exercise.

"Well, we'll have to make sure you don't push yourself too hard," I say. "Right, Pinkie?"

"Right!"

We lapse into silence as we drink water and towel off sweat. "Hot today," I comment.

"Yeah," Pinkie says.

"So uhh...you girls wanna go grab some lunch before you head back? My treat."

Sure.

"Yeah, okay."

We pack up and leave the court. As we pass by the dorm on the way into town, I pause and frown. "How is she?"

Pinkie winces. "I saw her wandering around the dorm last night. I think she finally ate something."

I sigh.

"Never thought you'd do something like that," Sonata rasps, giving me a sad look. "You didn't just h—" She coughs, scowls, then pulls out her notepad. You didn't just hurt her, you hurt all of us.

"I know," I say tiredly. "I know, and I want to..." I shrug. "I wanna make it right. I want to earn all you girls' trust back."

Pinkie sighs. "Well, for me..." She shakes her head. "I can't stay mad at you. Not after everything you've done for me. I mean, I wouldn't even still be here if it wasn't for you. I've been thinking real hard about how much you mean to me, and...and I'm gonna do my best to remind Twilight of everything you've done for all of us." She glances at me. "You screwed up, yeah. But one mistake doesn't change who you are. It doesn't change how important you are to all of us."

"Yeah," Sonata agrees. She starts writing. You kept my spirits up, gave me the strength to keep going. Remember what you did for me on my birthday? That was amazing. She smiles and sniffles. And fighting alongside you and all the others all this time? We've been through too much together. I...

She pauses; we stop to watch her as she thinks, then writes slowly.

You're all my new family. I don't want to lose any of you. Especially not you, Flash. You did a really bad thing, but I know you're better than that. I'm sure Twilight will forgive you too. I mean...she loves you. And you love her...right?

"Yeah," I say hoarsely. "I really do." I bow my head. "I need to remind her of that."

Pinkie and Sonata hug me. "She knows," Pinkie says. "That's why this is so hard..."
> 7/17 (Su) [2/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, July 17, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Libra): You require more minerals.

It's been three days...

The dorm's empty today. Everybody's off doing their own thing. I walk into his room and sit on his bed. I look around...

It isn't the same with his guitar and stuff gone. It feels empty.

Like I feel empty.

Pinkie was in here this morning for some reason. I look around, trying to figure out what that was. Was it his tennis stuff? I think they're doing tennis today.

I think about going back to my room and reading. I haven't really done any reading since...

I decide not to, because I realize my eyes still really hurt from all the crying I've been doing lately. I don't have any tears left, but the pain and the swollen eyes and all that..they're still there, still a reminder.

My stomach growls. When was the last time I ate? What did I eat? I don't remember...

"Okay, when are you gonna knock it off with this living dead girl thing?"

I glance up at the open door. Sunset Shimmer is standing there, arms folded. "Go away," I croak. My voice sounds awful.

Sunset smirks and shakes her head. "So you had a fight with your boyfriend," she says. "Big deal. It happens. Get over it."

I stand up and push past her, going back to my room and slamming the door. I feel fresh tears trying to well up. I didn't know I had anything left...

Spike jumps up on me and starts licking my face and whimpering. I hold him tight and sob into his fur.

Flash...

Why did you do this to me?

How could you do this to me?

I love you...

I thought you loved me too...

I've never felt so miserable and alone...
> 7/18 (Mo) [1/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, July 18, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Libra): Sing the songs that remind you of the good times.

I've decided to try to get some reading done. I feel completely wrung-out, but I...

I just need to try to get back to normal. Back to...

What was I like before Flash came into my life?

...I can't remember...

There's a knock on my door. "Twilight?"

It's Pinkie...

Without waiting for me to answer, she comes in. Sonata is with her. I look up. "Girls..."

Pinkie sits down on the desk. Sonata leans against the wall.

"Twilight," Pinkie says sadly, "stop this, okay? Stop hiding. Come back to us. This isn't healthy."

"I'm not hiding! I just—"

"Yes you are," Pinkie says. "You're hurt and you're scared and you're hiding."

"Well...! Yes, I'm hurt! So what?"

"So you can't curl up into a ball and hide every time somebody hurts you," Pinkie says. "You think I haven't been hurt? Not just by this, but...well..." She looks down. "You know what I've been through."

"And what I've been through," Sonata whispers.

I wince. "Oh god..."

"If we can go on living and smiling after what we've been through, so can you," Pinkie says. Then, in a softer voice, she adds, "Besides...we're not giving up on you and Flash getting back together."

I feel an ice cold wall slam down on my feelings. "No."

"Twilight..."

"NO!" I stand up and clench my fists. "He...!"

"Yes, he got mad at you and did what Cadance used to do to your brother!" Pinkie yells. "It goes both ways, Twilight. You think nobody here heard the way you screamed at him that one day? For what?"

"For...!" I stop short.

"For..."

Pinkie sighs. "You're not the only victim here," she says. "And...and for what it's worth? Flash is tearing himself up pretty bad over what happened." She gives me a pleading look. "Just...just think about it, okay? You shouldn't..." She sighs. "You still love him, I know you do. And he still loves you. One fight..."

"He's a good person," Sonata says softly. "Think about everything he's done for all of us." She looks me right in the eyes. "Don't throw all that away."

I sit back down hard, all the anger draining out of me. "But..."

Pinkie shakes her head. "Just...think really hard about what you really want," she says. "Making up with him is worth..." She trails off. "Just...just don't make a mistake here, alright?"

They leave. I sit at my desk for a long time, thinking. After a while, I decide to get out of the dorm for a few hours to get some fresh air.

Wandering around town, I end up stopping at a lot of places I used to go with Flash. I find myself thinking about good times we've had together...

I stop by the bookstore out of habit, but don't buy anything. I stop off to get a burger from a place I'm not really that fond of, then head back to the dorm. Everybody's watching TV or playing games or doing whatever they like to do. I decide to turn in early and end up lying in bed thinking for a couple of hours. It's dark by the time I finally fall asleep...

Monday, July 18, 2016 / Velvet Room
> 7/18 (Mo) [2/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, July 18, 2016 / Velvet Room
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Sing the songs that remind you of the better times.

The foggy landscape of the Velvet Room surrounds me...

I look around, seeing the girls appear in the dreamscape one by one. As Pinkie shows up and catches sight of me, she smiles encouragingly but a bit sadly. Sonata gives a half-wave and a half-smile. The others...

None of the others want to meet my eyes. They don't look angry so much as uncomfortable, for the most part. Applejack has a somewhat resentful look on her face, and Rainbow is frowning, but I don't sense any real hostility, just...

I don't know.

And then there's Twilight. As soon as she sees me, she makes a point of walking as far away from me as she can without leaving the group entirely. Pinkie sighs, shakes her head, and walks over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cadance is the last to appear; she looks around and grimaces. "Do we...really need to do this? Now, with things the way they are?"

"I wonder that myself, kind nurse," Zecora says as she emerges from the mists. "The timing, I fear, could not possibly be worse." She looks around at all of us. "You may, of course, abstain from battle. Do not feel you are being herded like cattle. But take heed, for this is an important detail: if you wish the truth known, you must prevail."

Fluttershy steps forward, shooting me a mild frown. "Excuse me, but...I have to ask. Are we even fighting for a reason anymore? Is there a point to all this?"

Zecora gazes steadily into her eyes. "A point to these Trials, there is indeed. They provide valuable growth and experience you need. You believe yourselves ready, but is that true? Or is there still more your group has to do?" We all grimace at that. There are still so many things we don't know...and yet, right now, none of it seems to matter...

Twilight looks at me, then looks away. She sighs heavily. "I can't," she whispers hoarsely. "I...I'm sorry. I just...I can't."

And with that, she disappears from the Velvet Room.

I feel a sharp pain in my chest as she vanishes, an icy needle through my heart. Everybody shifts uncomfortably.

Zecora turns to me. "I am afraid I have further woe to impart," she says. "If you fight this battle, you do so with an incomplete heart."

"Tell me about it," I say, not looking away from the spot where Twilight previously stood.

The door bearing the Hierophant Arcana rises from the floor. Zecora gestures to it, then steps aside. "The choice is yours, as it has always been," she says. "Turn away and leave, or face what lies within."

I look around at the girls. They frown, fidgeting awkwardly, saying nothing. I cough. "I..."

Pinkie walks over to me, as does Sonata. "We'll stand with you," Pinkie says. Sonata offers a thumbs-up.

The other girls look at one another, then at Cadance, then back to the three of us. "We'll...we'll stay," Rarity says. The others nod, but none of them look particularly thrilled...

I take a deep breath, then walk to the door. Perhaps focusing on fighting a powerful enemy will...will help clear my head a little...

The door opens, and pale moonlight spills out. Vice-Principal Luna walks out, dressed in ripped jeans, a leather jacket, and a T-shirt covered in blood. Her gaze sweeps over all of us.

When Celestia offered me this job, I took it because I wanted to scare kids like you straight. To stop kids from turning into the kind of delinquent wretch I used to be.

Her eyes turn gold on black.

But what good is it? You kids aren't afraid of me. The world has changed. You kids do all your delinquent, deviant, perverted, criminal shit on your computers and smartphones these days, and I'll never be able to keep up with you in that world!

She chuckles.

Kids...you're all the same. There's good kids and there's bad kids, but it's harder and harder to tell the difference when you all dress the same and you all have the same hi-tech shit. And where does that leave an old fossil like me? I can't even keep one school under control because none of you are afraid of me!

She toys with a switchblade.

Maybe it's time I made you fear me.

Purple-black flames wreathe her body as bands of sheer black light fade into view, flickering and spinning around her.

I am the Shadow, the True Self! I'll put the fear of rules and discipline in you delinquent little brats if it kills you!

The bands of black light coalesce into a solid black shell as we ready ourselves for battle. Luna's Shadow explodes upward, becoming a coal-skinned titan of a woman clad in a blue steel bikini with knee-high stiletto-heeled steel boots, elbow-length steel gloves, and a steel skull cap with a long, tapered unicorn horn. Her eyes are pale and slitted, her mouth is full of sharp fangs, and a diaphanous blue silk cape trails along her generous curves. Her hair billows out behind her like a curtain of starry night.

LET NIGHTMARE NIGHT BEGIN WITH A FRIGHT!

She throws her hands wide, scattering toy bats and spiders which enlarge and become very real, very dangerous-looking vampire bats and tarantulas.

"So, uhh...anyone wanna tell Luna she's a few months early for Halloween?" Rainbow quips as she summons Nike; a blur surrounds us all. Fluttershy erects a reflective barrier.

Two of the bats attack Fluttershy. The first slams into her barrier and takes damage; the second bites her but doesn't even scratch her skin. As they return to their mistress, the third bat comes after me, crashing into Fluttershy's barrier and dispelling it as it takes damage from its own attack.

"Too many icky things!" Pinkie declares. "PERSONA!" Euphoria appears, aiming her urn at the Shadows like a cannon and firing off a noisy blast of pure white light. When it fades, the Shadows are unaffected. Pinkie pouts as Euphoria fades away.

While the others have been setting up, I've been skimming through my phone. A lot of my strongest Personas are sealed...

I could summon Gojira, but until I have a better idea of what Luna's Shadow is capable of, I don't want to drain myself too early. I decide to summon Sephiroth. Sephiroth sends a wave of searing flames spreading through the Shadows with a wave of his sword. Two of the bats and one of the spiders manage to avoid being burned, but Luna's Shadow and the rest of the Shadows are hit. The one bat and two spiders I hit curl up on themselves and screech in agony.

//The bats and spiders are weak to fire!// Cadance reports. //Do it again!//

"PERSONA!" My second attack hits more of the Shadows than the first one did, but one of the same bats from the first time still dodges, as does a spider. Still, the opening lets me attack one more time, hitting everything except that same really agile bat and Luna's Shadow. As Sephiroth fades, I step back to catch my breath.

"Nice, Flash!" Sonata says.

Rarity summons Wadjet-Bast, whose deadly ice storm engulfs the Shadows. It doesn't do much damage, but at least she manages to hit everything. Sonata summons Leviathan, whose tidal wave hits everything except the bats, all of which fly out of range. Sonata pouts as her Persona disappears.

The spiders skitter forward, coming after me, Sonata, and Pinkie. The two that go after the girls collide with Fluttershy's barrier and take damage, but the one that comes for me sinks its fangs into me. My vision blurs as a fire burns through my veins.

//Flash has been poisoned!//

Applejack steps up. "Alright, Ah don't want us t' be here no more'n we hafta. PERSONA!" Gaia appears, imbuing us all with enhanced strength.

Luna's Shadow throws her arms into the air. A massive full moon slides into view above us, blotting out all light in the Velvet Room while bathing her in a silvery glow. The blurring effect from Rainbow's Persona fades...

//Be careful! She's lowered your defense and raised her attack! Also, I think...yes! That thing she just did healed her a little!//

"Okay, I kick Luna's butt all the time in video games, I can kick her butt here too! PERSONA!" Rainbow summons Nike Invicta, who unleashes a storm of cutting winds into the Shadow horde. Her attack hits one of the bats, two of the spiders, and Luna's Shadow, but doesn't do much damage.

"ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy's Persona appears, unleashing her magical-girl storm of glowing arrows at the Shadows. Luna's Shadow and two of the bats dodge; everything else is hit. The bat and spiders cry out in pain.

One of the bats flies at Rainbow Dash while the other two fly at Fluttershy, screeching and flapping as they bite the girls deeply. Both girls cry out and try to slap the bats away; when the bats flap back over to Luna, glistening blood drips from the girls' bite wounds.

"EUPHORIA!" Pinkie's Persona dances into the Shadow swarm, thrashing and kicking and hip-checking, but none of her attacks land. Pinkie lets out a frustrated groan as a sheepish Euphoria returns, shrugging.

My vision is still blurry and the poison burning through my body hurts, but I can still fight... I summon Sephiroth again, whose hellfire scorches all the Shadows. Another sweep of magical flames incinerates the spiders, who evaporate into inky nothingness, but one of the bats manages to dodge.

Rarity unleashes an ice attack that hits everything, doing considerable damage to the bats but barely ruffling Luna's Shadow. Sonata summons Leviathan, who brings a sickly purple wave of poison to bear against the enemy. It has no discernible effect...

"GAIA!" Gaia slams a fist into the ground, causing an earthquake beneath the Shadows that sends plumes of lava and chunks of ice into the air. One of the bats is caught in a lava plume and burns away, screaming. Gaia lurches forward and slams a punch into Luna's Shadow's jaw.

Luna's Shadow is doubled over, weaving and listing drunkenly, glaring at us with narrowed slit pupils.

FOOLS...I WILL TEACH YOU TO RESPECT YOUR MISTRESS OF THE NIGHT!

A rocking eighties power song floods the Velvet Room, and everything turns painfully bright. Pastel pinks and purples take over the normal hues of the Velvet Room; the fog turns pale lavender as bright stars and planets fill the space above us. Healing light washes over Luna's Shadow as a nimbus of power surrounds her; I feel a weight dragging down on my arms, making me feel sluggish.

//Careful! She's powered herself up and lowered your attack!// Around me, the girls are looking as sluggish as I feel. Meanwhile, Luna's Shadow stands up straight. With an evil cackle, she tosses three more toy spiders to the ground, which enlarge into a fresh batch of giant tarantulas.

"God I hate when they do this," Rainbow mutters as she summons Nike, who slides onto her knees and jams out a prismatic power chord that sends a shockwave through the Shadows. It misses the bats entirely, as well as one of the spiders, but knocks the other two spiders over. Luna's Shadow grunts as it hits her.

Fluttershy's Persona releases deadly buzzsaws of glowing wind into the fray. Two of the spiders dodge; the bats take damage, as does Luna's Shadow and the third spider.

The bats both fly at Fluttershy, biting and scratching her; she yells a string of profanities as she tries to ward them off with her staff. As they retreat, Pinkie summons her Persona again, who finally manages to do something useful in this fight, as her attacks strike home on each available target—but they don't really do much damage.

As soon as Euphoria fades, I summon Sephiroth again, sweeping the Shadows with fresh flames. The first wave of flames leaves the bats on the ground screaming; the second wave incinerates them completely, but Luna's Shadow staggers out of the path of the flames. She's looking winded again. The pain of the poison eases and ebbs away, and my vision clears.

Rarity's next wave of ice hits everything, as does Sonata's Tidal Wave. The spiders skitter forward; one attacks Applejack and manages to damage itself, one tries to bite Fluttershy but fails. The third, however, weaves a glowing web of magic and sends it flying over all of us. We try to avoid it, but it snares us, sinking into our skin and fading but leaving us all feeling trapped and slow.

//Your Evasion is down! Be careful!//

Applejack summons Gaia, who tries to punch Luna's Shadow again. She misses.

Luna's Shadow snarls at us and brings her hands together. Her hair streams straight up, the sparkly stars in it shining brightly. The horn on her helmet lights up a brilliant cerulean as a painfully bright glow builds up in her cupped hands. She flings her hands forward, and a wave of solid light SMASHES into us. It hurts; we all stagger from the impact. Rainbow snarls and rips loose with a massive wind attack that hits the spiders but misses Luna's Shadow. Fluttershy summons Artemis, who heals us.

Pinkie's Persona attacks the Shadows again, hitting them all but not doing any appreciable damage. Pinkie is growing visibly frustrated; her hair is limp and her eyes are dark. I summon Sephiroth again, blasting the Shadows with flames. One of the spiders dodges, but I hit the others and Luna's Shadow. My next attack hits everything; as the spiders skitter around burning and Luna's Shadow sags, I unload one more blast of flames. This one misses Luna's Shadow but incinerates the spiders.

"Dude, sweet," Rainbow offers as Sephiroth fades away.

//The spiders and bats being so good at dodging is actually working against this Shadow,// Cadance says. //Since they're all weak to Fire, they're just giving Flash more chances to keep going.//

"Shame they're not weak to ice as well," Rarity comments as she summons her Persona, who encases Luna's Shadow in a huge ice crystal. She staggers as it explodes with a sharp crack.

Sonata aims her crossbow at the Shadow and fires, but misses. Applejack summons Gaia, who punches the Shadow right in the chest, sending her reeling.

//It's almost over!// Cadance tells us.

FOOLS! I WILL NOT FALL SO EASILY!

The Shadow does that thing with the song again, then tosses out a fresh wave of bats and spiders. We all groan as six fresh monsters appear in front of us, weaving in the air and skittering on the ground. Rainbow summons Nike, who infuses us all with enhanced strength.

"ARTEMIS!" Fluttershy's Persona appears, firing glowing magical arrows into the Shadow horde. Two bats and a spider dodge, but the rest of the enemy party takes the hit.

One of the bats flies toward Pinkie and begins screeching loudly. Pinkie's eyes suddenly glaze over, her hair frizzing out. She starts doing the pee-pee dance, curling in on herself.

//Pinkie Pie is in distress!//

The other bats fly toward Rainbow and Sonata, making the same sound. It has no effect on Rainbow, but Sonata joins Pinkie in frantically pee-pee dancing in place.

//Sonata's distressed too!//

"EUPHORIA!" Euphoria appears, spraying us all with a calming rainbow mist. Pinkie and Sonata calm down, blushing sheepishly as they get hold of themselves. I snort and summon Sephiroth again; the flames sweep over all the Shadows. Another wave of fire crashes over the enemy, missing Luna's Shadow, one bat, and one spider.

Rarity and Sonata attack with ice and a tidal wave, respectively, dealing damage to all enemies.

The spiders skitter forward, their bodies quivering and their eyes glowing with an unholy red light. One approaches me, one approaches Fluttershy, and one approaches Rarity. They jump onto us, rubbing all over us with their creepy, hairy legs...

I shiver in fear. I've never especially been afraid of spiders, but something about being climbed on and rubbed all over by a giant tarantula...wooogh...

I watch as Gaia takes a swing at Luna's Shadow and misses. Luna's Shadow suddenly seems far more terrifying than she was just a moment ago...

Luna throws back her head and lets out an unearthly scream that shakes the entire Velvet Room. I can feel my brain melting under the force of her yell...black spots dance in my vision...

The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground, Euphoria hovering over me. I sit up woozily, rubbing my head. "What happened?"

"You died," Pinkie says quietly. "Fluttershy and Rarity are dead too."

"Damn," I mutter. I slide Lovers onto my phone and summon Serenity, resurrecting Rarity. As she rises to her feet and looks around, Rarity grimly summons her Persona to resurrect Fluttershy as Sonata uses her Tidal Wave against the Shadows, who are all looking ragged.

The spiders charge forward again, latching onto me, Fluttershy, and Rainbow. Again, that feeling of terror and dread fills me...

"Uh-uh, that ain't happenin' again," Applejack mutters grimly. "PERSONA!"

Gaia appears, and the ground erupts with elemental fury beneath the Shadows. As the spiders burn in magma, Gaia strikes again; spears of lightning stab through the bats, driving them to the ground in screeching agony. Luna's Shadow is on her knees, chest heaving...

"One more! GAIA!"

Gaia surges forward and drives a powerful double-handed blow into Luna's Shadow's head. She falls to the ground, screaming. The bats and spiders all screech as they melt away into nothingness.

The Velvet Room returns to normal; the wave of terror and dread that has overtaken me ebbs away into nothing as the massive Shadow melts away, replaced by the normal Shadow Luna, her head bowed and her hair limp. She chuckles ruefully.

Heh...I give up...I'm pathetic...no wonder my school is running rampant with delinquents and bad seeds. There's nothing I can do to make you kids afraid of me...

I shake my head. "You're looking at it all wrong," I say. "It isn't about fear, it's about respect. And we do respect you. We really do."

"Yeah, and screw those kids that don't show you and Celestia any respect!" Rainbow says. "They're gonna get what's coming to them, just watch and see."

Luna wraps an arm around herself. I just don't...want to see any child turn into what I used to be if I can help it...

"All you can do is try to give guidance and discipline," I say. "Just do the best you can. Some people...can't be saved. Others, well..." I shrug. "Just...do your best..."

Luna sighs. I suppose...you're right.

She fades away...

The Hierophant card appears briefly, but it's intangible, like mist. Before I can reach out to it, it vanishes like smoke.

Zecora returns, coughing softly. "In three days, we will convene again," she says. "Please put your lives in order by then."

I look around at the girls. Now that the battle's over, the awkwardness has returned. Without a word, they all retreat into the mists and vanish. Pinkie, Sonata, and Cadance all offer me encouraging, worried smiles as they disappear.

Fluttershy is the last to leave. She frowns, then disappears.

The Velvet Room fades into uncomfortable dreams and nightmares...

Monday, July 18, 2016 / Late Night

An insistent pounding on my door wakes me up. I frown, rubbing my head and groaning as I sit up. I glance at the clock. It's past two in the morning...

I cautiously walk over to the door and open it. As soon as the door is open, I take a foot to the face. I stagger back, clutching my nose.

Through the haze of sleep and pain, I see Fluttershy standing in the doorway. She walks in, pushing me out of the way as she closes the door behind her.

"Now that that's out of the way, and you did deserve that..." Fluttershy sighs and sits down at the breakfast nook. "What the hell got into you, Sentry?"

I grimace and sit down, rubbing my swelling nose. "I was pissed off and did something stupid to get back at Twilight," I say tiredly. "I'm an asshole and...and I just want..."

Fluttershy snorts. "Yeah, the fact that neither of you saw this coming when Twilight started that whole 'tension breaker' thing back in March just proves you're both idiots," she says. "I mean, really, she basically encouraged you to act just like Cadance used to, and she didn't see that leading to this?" She shakes her head. "No wonder it took you guys forever to figure out I was Eris."

I frown. "Yeah, yeah, we're stupid, you're smart, put a new record on."

Fluttershy brushes her hair out of her face and glares at me. "This bullshit thing of you not going back over to the dorm and talking to her or...or at least trying to call her or..." She shakes her head. "You're never gonna fix this if you two don't start talking."

"Tell her that."

"Oh, I will," Fluttershy says.

I sigh. "I want to make up with her," I say. "I...I need Twilight. I..." I stand up and walk over to the bed, sagging onto it and flopping back. "I can't believe I went and ruined the best thing that ever happened to me," I say roughly. "But...I can't change what I've done. All I can do is...is hope we can..."

"Yeah," Fluttershy says. "Well...I mean, I'm pissed at you for adding more drama on top of everything else we've got going on, but..." She sighs. "I mean, this stupid mess...it doesn't even rate against what I've done, you know? So...yeah..." She stands up. "Just...just fix this," she says. "I want...I want things to go back to the way they were. I want all my friends...y'know...back together and being friends again. I want..." She bows her head. "I want the family back together."

With that, she leaves. I lock the door, lie back down on the bed, and stare at the ceiling until sunrise.
> 7/19 (Tu) [1/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Libra): Never turn your back on your friends. They're the most important treasure you'll ever have.

I barely slept last night. I tossed and turned, and my eyes are crusty this morning. My back hurts, my neck hurts...

About an hour after sunrise, I'm debating whether or not to get up and take a shower when there's a knock on my door. I drag myself out of bed and unlock the door.

It's Pinkie Pie. She doesn't look happy.

"Twilight," she says softly, "I...I understand you're still trying to...y'know, figure everything out..." She shakes her head. "But what you did last night? Wasn't cool. You just ran out on all your friends. On me." Tears gather in her eyes.

I sit down on the bed, covering my head with my hands. "I know," I say with a sigh. "I just...seeing him, it...it hurt...I couldn't—"

Pinkie groans. "Okay, stop this," she snaps. "You need to talk to him. I know you're still upset, but come on! It's been long enough, don't you think?"

I frown. "No, I don't think." I glare defiantly at Pinkie. "He hasn't even tried to talk to me about it even once! What—"

Pinkie puts a hand over my mouth. "Yyyeah...assuming for the moment he hasn't been trying to call or text you, which I'm pretty sure he probably has, you'd just screen his calls and texts and ignore him, right?"

That gives me pause. She's right...

Flash actually hasn't called or texted me, but even if he had, would I bother listening to him?

Pinkie lets go, then sits down next to me. "You've gotta talk to him," she says. "You need to work this out."

"I know," I say with a sigh. "It's just...I..." I kick my feet in the air. "Can I trust him, Pinkie? Can I ever trust him again after...?"

Pinkie rolls her eyes. "He's not the only one who messed up here, you know," she says. "Look...just think real hard about all the good things Flash has done since he came here, alright? Think about...think about how important he is to you, to me, to all of us." She lowers her voice, pleading with me. "I know what he did is awful, and believe me, he's not off the hook for it with anyone, but you know what kind of person he is. I mean, that's why you fell in love with him in the first place, right?" With that, she stands up and leaves.

I sit there thinking about what she just said for a long time.

She's right...

I'm drawn out of my thoughts by a sudden sharp pain in my nose. Lights dance in my eyes. I look up to see Fluttershy's furious blue-green eyes glowering down at me.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again," she says coldly. "I don't care how pissed you are at Flash, that's no excuse for leaving your friends hanging."

I rub my nose, wincing.

"Last night was an easy fight, but what if it hadn't been? What if we needed you and you weren't there? What if we'd all died and it was your fault?" With that, she turns and leaves, slamming my door.

Oh God...

I just...I just bailed on my friends...

I draw my knees up to my chest, hot tears stinging my eyes.

Some time later, I hear a timid knock. I look up to see Sonata standing in the doorway. I sniffle and nod to her. She walks in and sits down next to me, drawing her knees up to her chin.

"Gonna yell at me too?" I ask. As soon as I process what I just said, I wince. "Err, so to speak?"

Sonata shrugs.

I sigh. "Okay, yes, I shouldn't have bailed on last night. Umm...was it bad?"

She makes a 'so-so' gesture. "More annoying than bad," she says. Her voice is a little stronger. "Might've gone faster with you, the—" She coughs a few times, then clears her throat. "Mooks were weak...lightning," she rasps hoarsely.

"Oh." I sigh. "I won't skip the next one," I promise.

Sonata nods, but says nothing. She just looks at me expectantly.

"I shouldn't have skipped this one," I add quietly, looking away. I take a deep breath. I nearly start crying.

Sonata puts an arm around me and hugs me. "Fix this," she whispers insistently. "You still love him, he still loves you. Fix this."

She gets up and leaves.

I flop back on my bed, ignoring the throbbing of my nose and the stinging in my eyes.

Forgive Flash...

Is it really that simple?

I keep having nightmares about...

About him running around behind my back with every girl in Canterlot.

Trixie, Octavia, Silver Spoon, Sunset Shimmer...

I just don't know if I can really trust him...
> 7/19 (Tu) [2/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): To have hope costs you nothing. To lose hope will cost you everything.

Mom makes a fuss over my nose when we meet up for breakfast. It takes some doing to invent an excuse for it.

I spend half the day doing stuff with my parents, then take a walk to clear my head. while I'm walking, I run into Rainbow Dash. "Hey," I say.

"Hey," she says, shifting awkwardly.

We stand there in uncomfortable silence for a long moment.

Rainbow coughs and shuffles her feet. "So, uhh..." She sighs. "Look...what you did sucks and you deserve to have your ass kicked for it, but..." She shakes her head. "I'd rather see you an' Twilight get back together and things go back to the way they were than, y'know...this." She shrugs. "The dorm kinda sucks without you, man. You gotta fix this an' come home, alright?"

"Yeah, I want to," I say roughly. "I...I can't live without Twilight. Without all of you. You girls..." I swallow. "You're my family. All of you. I need you."

"And we need you." Rainbow frowns. "What Twilight did last night wasn't cool. I gotta..." She trails off, blinking. "Hey, what happened to your face anyway? You're all jacked up."

"Fluttershy."

"Oh. Huh." Rainbow shrugs. "Well...seeya. Come back soon, alright?" With that, she goes about her own business. I sigh and head back to the hotel.

On the way, I pull out my phone and send Twilight a text.

By the time I'm ready to go to bed, she still hasn't answered...
> 7/20 (We) [1/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 / Morning
Today's Horoscope (Libra): To err is human. To forgive is divine.




New Message From: Flash Sentry
Hey, Twi? Look, I'm sorry. I really am. I just wanna talk, see if we can work past this, you know? I'm miserable without you. I'm miserable without all my friends. I want to make things right, come back to the dorm, get things back the way they were. I know it's a lot to ask, but...

I love you and I'm sorry.




The low battery warning on my phone pops up for the third time since I've been staring at Flash's message. My eyes are dry; they itch and burn.

The screen dims. My phone turns itself off. I let it fall from my numb fingers.

There's a knock on my door. After a moment, it opens. Cadance walks in. She stands in front of me, studying me with a worried frown. She shakes her head, takes my phone, grabs my charger off the desk, and plugs it in. "How long ago did it die?" she asks.

Dimly, I recall that Cadance has been looking in on me off and on since yesterday...

"Just now," I say roughly.

Cadance sighs, sits down, and starts working on my face with tissues and bottled water from my refrigerator. It's cold...

The cold braces me and snaps me out of it a little bit. "Cadance, I—"

Cadance shushes me. After a moment, she sits back, studying me. "Well, you're not winning any beauty pageants for a while," she says. She purses her lips. "Look, Twilight...I've been talking to the others. I..." She grimaces. "I heard about what happened, what really happened."

"You mean that Flash slept with Trixie to hurt me? Because we all heard that."

Cadance frowns. "I mean that you jumped down his throat for going to that party without telling you," she says. "Twilight...that's not healthy." Her brow furrows. "Of course, neither is that whole 'permissive sex' thing you had going on, that...pretty much caused all this."

I can't help it. I laugh in her face. "You. Lecturing me about what's healthy in a relationship."

Cadance winces. "I deserved that," she says. "But yes, I am. Because I've made those mistakes. Hell, Shining Armor has made those mistakes. And now Flash has made those mistakes. And yes, it's bad. It hurts. It was wrong. But..." She puts a hand on my shoulder and looks straight into my eyes. "It was also wrong for you to be so mad at him for going to a friend's house. And yes, I understand. I get it. But Twilight...Flash loves you. And I spoke to Rarity at length. Nothing happened at that party." She frowns. "Well, I mean, she said he did ogle Octavia a bit, but he's a teenage boy and she was in a swimsuit, that's a given. Especially for Flash, we all know he's..." She coughs.

This isn't really helping...

"Anyway," Cadance presses on, "the point is, you accused him of doing something he didn't do. You kinda started this whole thing. I'm not saying Flash didn't do anything wrong, he definitely did, but..." She takes my hands. "So did you. And I think, deep down, you know that it's time to stop this and sit down with him, talk it out...fix this. Fix you and him. Fix this dorm."

I sigh. "I..." I shake my head. "Can I trust him? Can I really trust him, ever again?"

"Do you trust me?" Cadance asks pointedly. "Because if you can't forgive Flash for this, then I'll know you've never really forgiven me for anything."

She stands up and leaves.

That was dirty. That wasn't fair.

I look over at my phone. I think about turning on my laptop and sending Flash a message over Canterbook. I frown.

Maybe...maybe later...
> 7/20 (We) [2/2]
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 / Daytime
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Love doesn't mean never having to say you're sorry. Love means trying desperately not to ever need to say it.

We have tennis practice today. In between stretches and sets, I talk with Pinkie and Sonata about the situation with Twilight and the dorm.

After practice, I'm headed for the bus stop when one of the dorm SUVs drives past. It slows to a stop...

Shining Armor is driving, and Rarity is with him. Shining Armor leans out of the window. "Drop you somewhere?" he asks.

I tense up. He has to know by now, obviously, what happened...

He must sense my unease. "I'm not gonna kill you and dump you in the river," he says. "Seriously, come on. We need to talk anyway."

"Erm, if you two need some...alone time, I can—" Rarity begins, worrying at her lip.

"Nah, it's cool," Coach says.

I shrug and get in. Coach drives off into town. Once we're on a main road, he coughs. "So. Your turn in the doghouse, huh?" He sighs. "Sucks, doesn't it."

"Yeah."

He shakes his head. "When I heard what happened, I was pissed, but...Cadance and Pinkie explained things, and...well..." He grimaces. "I heard about Twiley pulling that crap on you about the party. I don't blame you for getting pissed. I mean, what you did was stupid and wrong and it hurt my sister and..." He sighs. "But at least you had a halfway valid reason to do what you did." He chuckles. "Not like what I did at Sweet Apple Acres."

"I don't think 'petty revenge sex' is especially more valid than 'stupid horny roll in the hay'," Rarity says tartly, "but I do agree that Twilight shares the blame for this...ahem...boo-boo." She glances back at me. "Goodness, Flash, you look dreadful!"

"I've had better days."

"Indeed." Rarity sighs. "Well, Twilight's been positively miserable since your falling out as well. And, truthfully...none of us are at our best right now." She grimaces. "I believe it's time the two of you got together, sat down, and patched things up."

"I want to," I say, "but she won't even answer the text I sent her yesterday."

Shining Armor sighs. "Yeah...don't worry. We'll talk to her when we get back."

"Absolutely," Rarity says. She glances back at me. "What you did to her was awful, but...well...everybody makes mistakes, and we all know what a good person you really are, and how deeply you love Twilight." She narrows her eyes. "But don't think you'll be forgiven if you ever pull something like this again."

"Yeah, if you try this again, we will kill you and throw your body in the river," Coach says cheerfully.

"Thanks," I say with a snort. "So, what are you two doing, anyway?"

"Just a little shopping for Nurse Cadance," Rarity says primly. "I want to surprise her with some maternity clothes that, ahem...don't look like something you'd throw over a cow."

I frown. "She's not even showing that much yet, Rarity."

"Yes, well, best to stay ahead of these things," Rarity says. "A woman's body changes so rapidly when she's expecting, it never hurts to be prepared!"

I don't really have anything pressing to do today because Mom and Dad are at the university, so I end up tagging along to help. It takes two and a half hours before Rarity is satisfied we've bought enough clothes for Cadance, during which we take a lunch break at a different sandwich place than the one we normally go to. After we're done, they drop me back off at the hotel.

I have to admit that doing something normal—something I'd do if I were still back at the dorm—has greatly improved my mood, but until I patch things up with Twilight...